Required Disclaimer: I don't own Codename: Kids Next Door, or any associated intellectual property.
Operation: HOAGIE
Hoagie's
Obvious
Attraction
Generally
Irritates
Everyone
Chapter Two: PHONE
Phony
Heart
Organizes
Neat
Evening
The Kids Next Door team walked into the large common room of the treehouse, talking happily about the recent successful mission against the Delightful Children. Numbuh One strode to the front of the room, as the rest of the team sat down on the couch for the debriefing. Numbuh One waited for relative silence, then began.
"Good work team. Another birthday party for the Delightful Children has been ruined. However, we failed to get the cake to the captives. I will overlook this for now, but-- Numbuh Five, are you listening?"
Numbuh Five had been looking towards the ceiling, hand on her chin. "Numbuh Five thinks something is wrong with this mission. Which of their birthdays was it today?"
Nigel tilted his head back for a moment, thinking. Momentarily, he looked back towards Numbuh Five. "You are right as usual, Numbuh Five. Today is not one of their birthdays, and I should have realized that sooner. From now on, we double-check anonymous tips before running off like that. For the moment, however, congratulations are in order. You are all dismissed to spend the rest of the day as you like. Numbuh Five, I need to see you in my room immediately, to discuss Cree's upcoming plans."
Numbuh Five stood up and walked casually over to Numbuh One, hands in her pockets like normal. Numbuh Three, however, lacked this restraint, and instead giggled as she ran madly toward her room, new Rainbow Monkey in hand. Numbuh Four sighed heavily and muttered something about being tired, and walked down the hallway towards his room as well. Numbuh Two just got up and went to the fridge to find some cheese.
Suddenly, Numbuh Five jumped and slapped the back of her neck. She pulled her hand away to reveal a very squashed, very large mosquito. "Oooh, Numbuh Five does NOT like bugs. She's gonna have one big welt to be scratchin' tomor-row."
Numbuh One simply raised an eyebrow. "Come now Numbuh Five. We must go discuss your plans for stopping Cree tonight." He and Five ambled off towards his room, talking strategy.
Cree snickered as she watched her little sister Abby walked down the hall with Nigel. Her inside knowledge of the Kids Next Door had allowed her to modify her Battle Ready Armor to mask her against the Defense System, making her immune to the Teen Sensors. She lowered the blowgun and reattached it to her belt. The Common Cold may not be the most powerful of villans, but he did have his uses. Whithin minutes, Abby would be too sick to stay in the treehouse, and instead would be back at home.
Cree carefully descended the wall and glanced at Hoagie, who was simply eating a sandwich and watching television. She sighed quietly and finally reached the door, silently slipping out unnoticed.
He'd call tonight. Cree was certain of it. Any time that Hoagie had reason to call their house, he would, simply on the chance that Cree would answer. Tonight, she would. Cree shuddered as if from a sudden chill. She didn't like having to do this, but she was a teenager now. If she didn't do what the adults asked, who knows what they would do.
"Cree baby, what have you gotten youseff into?"
Numbuh Five tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Her sister Cree, formerly Numbuh 11, had somehow escaped capture once again, and was now at large. This was bad, as Cree was never truly decommissioned, and knew far too much about Kids Next Door procedure to be allowed free. Not only that, but Cree was still an excellent fighter and covert operative, many times the skill of even Numbuh Five herself. That was even ignoring Chad, formerly the best Kids Next Door operative ever. Numbuh Five suddenly felt dizzy.
"Anyway Numbuh Five, you must do some reconnaissance tonight. Cree may very well have big plans for us, and I doubt that... Numbuh Five, are you allright?" Numbuh One rushed over to his bed, where Numbuh Five was sitting. She'd been swaying side to side, and she looked extremely tired. He caught her just as she fell forward. Numbuh One laid her back onto the bed, and reached out to feel her forehead. His eyes grew wide as he felt her burning skin.
"Numbuh Five, you are sick! We must get you back home as quickly as possible. We need all our operatives in top condition, and you need plenty of bedrest at home to cure this. Come now, Numbuh Five, let's get you out of here." Numbuh One hefted his friend onto his back and exited the treehouse through his secret transport car. He had no time to spare getting the girl back to her home.
Cree, dressed in normal clothing, sat at the Lincoln family dinner table, exhausted from the turbulent day. Nigel had brought Abigail in a few hours ago, she'd looked very ill, apparently Cree had used too much of the Common Cold's serum in that dart. Cree wasn't worried, it was a simple cold, albeit it a bad one. The part that she dreaded was the call that she expected any minute now.
Cree jumped nearly a foot when the silence in the house was broken by the screeching telephone. She immediately grabbed the reciever, angrily switching the ringtone volume down as she did so. She sighed heavily and answered in as normal a tone as she could muster.
"Hello, Lincoln residence, this is Cree." She winced as she heard the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Oh, uh, um, Hi Cree, this is Numb- This is Hoagie, you know, Abby's friend."
Cree couldn't help smiling at Numbuh Two's nervousness. She walked into her room, carrying the cordless phone with her. "Oh Heeeeey Hoagie, how you doin' tonight? I hope Abby ain' worryin' you too much with the sickness, and the fever, and the headaches, an' all that."
She could almost hear Hoagie sweating. "Uh, yeah! Yeah Numbuh Five has us all worried, and-and-and I had to call to see if she was feeling any better. Eh heh heh heh!" Cree gave a genuine giggle as his nervous laughter.
"Oh she's fiine Hoagie, you worry too much. Baby, you ought to know what us Lincoln girls are made of. After all, you know me better than any of your teammates do, sugah. I still remember what happened when you were a teenager too, Hoagie." Cree shuddered again involuntarily. She hated being so sleazy, toying with someone's emotions like this just felt... dirty. Even if he was just a kid, it was still just too evil for her taste.
"Oh-I-uh-I-Yeah-I... I remember. But Cree, y-you seemed like you regretted the.. uh... the.."
"The kissin', baby? Ohh no, Cree don't regret nothin' about that. I was only sad because I realized that no Kids Next Door operative like yourself would EVER keep datin' a teenager, he'd be decommissioned in no time flat. Ain' that right, Hoagie?"
Cree smiled as she heard Hoagie try to sound like he was cool and collected. "Ye-Yeah, he'd be decommissioned as soon as anyone found out. I mean, not that I would be afraid of any of the Kids Next Door, after all, I'm eleven already, just two years to go anyway y'know."
Cree grinned, he'd fallen right into her trap. "Hoagie baby, did I hear you right? You aren't afraid of the decommissioning operatives? Are you sayin' you'd date a teenager, even though the Kids Next Door could find out at any time?"
Numbuh Two stammered into the phone, happy that he was alone in his room, instead of using the common room phone as he'd planned. "Uh, um, geez Cree, I dunno. I mean, the Kids Next Door have operatives everywhere, and..."
"Oh, and here I was thinkin' you were a brave man, Numbuh Two." Cree grimaced as she laid yet another trap. "I was here gettin' my hopes up that you was big enough to leave your little codename and group behind, and jus' be Hoagie long enough to take me out, say tomorrow night. But you's too busy bein' a kid to think about that."
"Uh, no-I mean yes-I mean, I'd love to. Um, just, what should I, I mean..."
"Oh don't worry so much Hoagie! Baby, just wear any old thing, come pick me up around 8, take a 2x4 flyin' machine, it's been too long since a boy could take me anywhere in the world, baby. I'll see you tomorrow night sugah..." Cree kissed the air near the reciever and hung up the phone before she could hear his reaction. Once again, she felt a shiver run down her spine. She sighed.
"I guess Cree better get on down to pickin' somethin' to wear. Wouldn't want to disappoint my new boyfriend." Cree opened her closet and began to rifle through her choices.
Numbuh Two carefully placed the wooden 2x4 phone back on the reciever, and dreamily reclined in his F14 bed. Cree, the only girl who'd ever gotten his attention, the only girl that he'd ever kissed, had just agreed to date him! His fear of decommissioning still flickered in the back of his mind, but for now all he could think of was Cree, how much he'd missed seeing her look at him with her amber eyes, and how much he missed the soft touch of her lips.
He sighed. How would he be able to date her though? He was only eleven, she was four years older than him, a teenager! They were supposed to be enemies, yet both of them wanted to date the other. He felt rebellious, strong, like finally he was doing something for himself, not just being part of a team. He was alone against a harsh, unforgiving world, doing what he thought was right, regardless of the consequences!
Numbuh Two rolled over and tried to fall asleep, visions of rebellion and kisses alternating places in his tumultuous mind.
Chad had to admit when he was impressed. He'd never expected that someone like Cree would be able to get a loyal Kids Next Door operative like Numbu- Hoagie to fraternize with the enemy like that. Chad admonished himself for reverting to codenames, he was past that now. He was already six months a teenager, far past this stupid kids' club. He removed the surveillance headset and turned towards the Delightful Children, who were expectantly awaiting his report.
"She did it. Hoagie Gilligan will be out with her tomorrow night, starting at 8."
There was more than a hint of irritation in their creepy unified monotone. "At eight? The stupid girl set up her date after our curfew! Father will be most unhappy with this news. Why must so many teenagers seem so competent, but fail when it means the most? UGH." The Delightful children turned all at once, and began the long walk to report a failure to Father.
Father took it surprisingly well, not stirring in his chair as the spotlighted Delightful Children gave their report of the date. He calmly assured them that there was no punishment to be given.
"You have done nothing wrong, Delightful Children. Cree did well in setting a late time, as she is a teenager, and this keeps up appearances that she is genuine. Besides, she needs time to earn the boy's trust. Give her a week or two, then we can begin the next phase."
The spotlight clicked off, leaving the Delightful Children with no option but to leave.
They thought among themselves as they went down the hall to their room. They didn't like this operation any longer. There was something strange in Father's demeanor, and they were angry at being brushed aside due to curfew. If they gave that teenager Cree a week, then her strike came far too close to one of their birthdays, leaving the Kids Next Door angry enough to cause more problems than normal. What was Father planning?
A/N: Another shortish chapter, but I prefer to think of it as concise writing. The next chapter, it should come as no surprise, deals largely with Cree and Hoagie's date, and the decisions made therein. The third chapter should be released whithin a day or two, so please read, review, and criticize if need be. Thank you.
Operation: HOAGIE
Hoagie's
Obvious
Attraction
Generally
Irritates
Everyone
Chapter Two: PHONE
Phony
Heart
Organizes
Neat
Evening
The Kids Next Door team walked into the large common room of the treehouse, talking happily about the recent successful mission against the Delightful Children. Numbuh One strode to the front of the room, as the rest of the team sat down on the couch for the debriefing. Numbuh One waited for relative silence, then began.
"Good work team. Another birthday party for the Delightful Children has been ruined. However, we failed to get the cake to the captives. I will overlook this for now, but-- Numbuh Five, are you listening?"
Numbuh Five had been looking towards the ceiling, hand on her chin. "Numbuh Five thinks something is wrong with this mission. Which of their birthdays was it today?"
Nigel tilted his head back for a moment, thinking. Momentarily, he looked back towards Numbuh Five. "You are right as usual, Numbuh Five. Today is not one of their birthdays, and I should have realized that sooner. From now on, we double-check anonymous tips before running off like that. For the moment, however, congratulations are in order. You are all dismissed to spend the rest of the day as you like. Numbuh Five, I need to see you in my room immediately, to discuss Cree's upcoming plans."
Numbuh Five stood up and walked casually over to Numbuh One, hands in her pockets like normal. Numbuh Three, however, lacked this restraint, and instead giggled as she ran madly toward her room, new Rainbow Monkey in hand. Numbuh Four sighed heavily and muttered something about being tired, and walked down the hallway towards his room as well. Numbuh Two just got up and went to the fridge to find some cheese.
Suddenly, Numbuh Five jumped and slapped the back of her neck. She pulled her hand away to reveal a very squashed, very large mosquito. "Oooh, Numbuh Five does NOT like bugs. She's gonna have one big welt to be scratchin' tomor-row."
Numbuh One simply raised an eyebrow. "Come now Numbuh Five. We must go discuss your plans for stopping Cree tonight." He and Five ambled off towards his room, talking strategy.
Cree snickered as she watched her little sister Abby walked down the hall with Nigel. Her inside knowledge of the Kids Next Door had allowed her to modify her Battle Ready Armor to mask her against the Defense System, making her immune to the Teen Sensors. She lowered the blowgun and reattached it to her belt. The Common Cold may not be the most powerful of villans, but he did have his uses. Whithin minutes, Abby would be too sick to stay in the treehouse, and instead would be back at home.
Cree carefully descended the wall and glanced at Hoagie, who was simply eating a sandwich and watching television. She sighed quietly and finally reached the door, silently slipping out unnoticed.
He'd call tonight. Cree was certain of it. Any time that Hoagie had reason to call their house, he would, simply on the chance that Cree would answer. Tonight, she would. Cree shuddered as if from a sudden chill. She didn't like having to do this, but she was a teenager now. If she didn't do what the adults asked, who knows what they would do.
"Cree baby, what have you gotten youseff into?"
Numbuh Five tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Her sister Cree, formerly Numbuh 11, had somehow escaped capture once again, and was now at large. This was bad, as Cree was never truly decommissioned, and knew far too much about Kids Next Door procedure to be allowed free. Not only that, but Cree was still an excellent fighter and covert operative, many times the skill of even Numbuh Five herself. That was even ignoring Chad, formerly the best Kids Next Door operative ever. Numbuh Five suddenly felt dizzy.
"Anyway Numbuh Five, you must do some reconnaissance tonight. Cree may very well have big plans for us, and I doubt that... Numbuh Five, are you allright?" Numbuh One rushed over to his bed, where Numbuh Five was sitting. She'd been swaying side to side, and she looked extremely tired. He caught her just as she fell forward. Numbuh One laid her back onto the bed, and reached out to feel her forehead. His eyes grew wide as he felt her burning skin.
"Numbuh Five, you are sick! We must get you back home as quickly as possible. We need all our operatives in top condition, and you need plenty of bedrest at home to cure this. Come now, Numbuh Five, let's get you out of here." Numbuh One hefted his friend onto his back and exited the treehouse through his secret transport car. He had no time to spare getting the girl back to her home.
Cree, dressed in normal clothing, sat at the Lincoln family dinner table, exhausted from the turbulent day. Nigel had brought Abigail in a few hours ago, she'd looked very ill, apparently Cree had used too much of the Common Cold's serum in that dart. Cree wasn't worried, it was a simple cold, albeit it a bad one. The part that she dreaded was the call that she expected any minute now.
Cree jumped nearly a foot when the silence in the house was broken by the screeching telephone. She immediately grabbed the reciever, angrily switching the ringtone volume down as she did so. She sighed heavily and answered in as normal a tone as she could muster.
"Hello, Lincoln residence, this is Cree." She winced as she heard the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Oh, uh, um, Hi Cree, this is Numb- This is Hoagie, you know, Abby's friend."
Cree couldn't help smiling at Numbuh Two's nervousness. She walked into her room, carrying the cordless phone with her. "Oh Heeeeey Hoagie, how you doin' tonight? I hope Abby ain' worryin' you too much with the sickness, and the fever, and the headaches, an' all that."
She could almost hear Hoagie sweating. "Uh, yeah! Yeah Numbuh Five has us all worried, and-and-and I had to call to see if she was feeling any better. Eh heh heh heh!" Cree gave a genuine giggle as his nervous laughter.
"Oh she's fiine Hoagie, you worry too much. Baby, you ought to know what us Lincoln girls are made of. After all, you know me better than any of your teammates do, sugah. I still remember what happened when you were a teenager too, Hoagie." Cree shuddered again involuntarily. She hated being so sleazy, toying with someone's emotions like this just felt... dirty. Even if he was just a kid, it was still just too evil for her taste.
"Oh-I-uh-I-Yeah-I... I remember. But Cree, y-you seemed like you regretted the.. uh... the.."
"The kissin', baby? Ohh no, Cree don't regret nothin' about that. I was only sad because I realized that no Kids Next Door operative like yourself would EVER keep datin' a teenager, he'd be decommissioned in no time flat. Ain' that right, Hoagie?"
Cree smiled as she heard Hoagie try to sound like he was cool and collected. "Ye-Yeah, he'd be decommissioned as soon as anyone found out. I mean, not that I would be afraid of any of the Kids Next Door, after all, I'm eleven already, just two years to go anyway y'know."
Cree grinned, he'd fallen right into her trap. "Hoagie baby, did I hear you right? You aren't afraid of the decommissioning operatives? Are you sayin' you'd date a teenager, even though the Kids Next Door could find out at any time?"
Numbuh Two stammered into the phone, happy that he was alone in his room, instead of using the common room phone as he'd planned. "Uh, um, geez Cree, I dunno. I mean, the Kids Next Door have operatives everywhere, and..."
"Oh, and here I was thinkin' you were a brave man, Numbuh Two." Cree grimaced as she laid yet another trap. "I was here gettin' my hopes up that you was big enough to leave your little codename and group behind, and jus' be Hoagie long enough to take me out, say tomorrow night. But you's too busy bein' a kid to think about that."
"Uh, no-I mean yes-I mean, I'd love to. Um, just, what should I, I mean..."
"Oh don't worry so much Hoagie! Baby, just wear any old thing, come pick me up around 8, take a 2x4 flyin' machine, it's been too long since a boy could take me anywhere in the world, baby. I'll see you tomorrow night sugah..." Cree kissed the air near the reciever and hung up the phone before she could hear his reaction. Once again, she felt a shiver run down her spine. She sighed.
"I guess Cree better get on down to pickin' somethin' to wear. Wouldn't want to disappoint my new boyfriend." Cree opened her closet and began to rifle through her choices.
Numbuh Two carefully placed the wooden 2x4 phone back on the reciever, and dreamily reclined in his F14 bed. Cree, the only girl who'd ever gotten his attention, the only girl that he'd ever kissed, had just agreed to date him! His fear of decommissioning still flickered in the back of his mind, but for now all he could think of was Cree, how much he'd missed seeing her look at him with her amber eyes, and how much he missed the soft touch of her lips.
He sighed. How would he be able to date her though? He was only eleven, she was four years older than him, a teenager! They were supposed to be enemies, yet both of them wanted to date the other. He felt rebellious, strong, like finally he was doing something for himself, not just being part of a team. He was alone against a harsh, unforgiving world, doing what he thought was right, regardless of the consequences!
Numbuh Two rolled over and tried to fall asleep, visions of rebellion and kisses alternating places in his tumultuous mind.
Chad had to admit when he was impressed. He'd never expected that someone like Cree would be able to get a loyal Kids Next Door operative like Numbu- Hoagie to fraternize with the enemy like that. Chad admonished himself for reverting to codenames, he was past that now. He was already six months a teenager, far past this stupid kids' club. He removed the surveillance headset and turned towards the Delightful Children, who were expectantly awaiting his report.
"She did it. Hoagie Gilligan will be out with her tomorrow night, starting at 8."
There was more than a hint of irritation in their creepy unified monotone. "At eight? The stupid girl set up her date after our curfew! Father will be most unhappy with this news. Why must so many teenagers seem so competent, but fail when it means the most? UGH." The Delightful children turned all at once, and began the long walk to report a failure to Father.
Father took it surprisingly well, not stirring in his chair as the spotlighted Delightful Children gave their report of the date. He calmly assured them that there was no punishment to be given.
"You have done nothing wrong, Delightful Children. Cree did well in setting a late time, as she is a teenager, and this keeps up appearances that she is genuine. Besides, she needs time to earn the boy's trust. Give her a week or two, then we can begin the next phase."
The spotlight clicked off, leaving the Delightful Children with no option but to leave.
They thought among themselves as they went down the hall to their room. They didn't like this operation any longer. There was something strange in Father's demeanor, and they were angry at being brushed aside due to curfew. If they gave that teenager Cree a week, then her strike came far too close to one of their birthdays, leaving the Kids Next Door angry enough to cause more problems than normal. What was Father planning?
A/N: Another shortish chapter, but I prefer to think of it as concise writing. The next chapter, it should come as no surprise, deals largely with Cree and Hoagie's date, and the decisions made therein. The third chapter should be released whithin a day or two, so please read, review, and criticize if need be. Thank you.
