Operation: F.E.R.A.L.
Ferocity
Eternally
Reveals
Almighty
Love
Three weeks after Abigail Lincoln had been forced to leave the Kids Next Door, yet another big birthday was coming up. Wallabee Beatles was wholly unprepared for the event, which was coming up in just a few days' time. The others seemed to be acting pretty morose as well, avoiding eye contact with him and speaking only through short, gruff phrases. Kuki seemed the hardest hit of them all. Her typical cheerfulness had turned into a silent, brooding depression.
"Numbuh 4, I wanted to speak with you." Nigel's voice said from behind him. Wallabee turned around in the main living room of the Kids Next Door's home base of operations. Hoagie and Kuki were still asleep, and Abigail hadn't returned since her birthday three weeks ago.
"Yeah? What about?" Wallabee asked grumpily.
"I know we're all dreading your birthday coming up soon, but Abby's was so hard on everyone... I was thinking yours could be a more lighthearted affair." Nigel suggested.
"Sorry Numbuh 1, I don't feel very jolly right now." Wallabee replied gruffly. "Not in the mood for a swinging party."
Nigel sighed and shook his head. "Look Numbuh 4, we don't like this any more than you do, but you know as well as I do that you can't be one of the Kids Next Door if you're not a kid anymore."
"I get it!" Wallabee snapped angrily. "I know the rules Numbuh One! Just... bah, get out of my way." He pushed Nigel aside and stalked away down the hall, leaving the leader of the group behind. He didn't know why he was so angry, he'd known this was inevitable since he'd watched Abigail leave. Still, he couldn't believe the time was almost here...
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"One-by-one the Kids Next Door are being forced to leave..." The Delightful Children from Down the Lane watched their father, who was watching a surveillance tape from the underground tunnel incident. "But they'll be replaced sooner or later... and then their replacements will be replaced, and they will be replaced as well." He put a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "I must cut off the head of the organization now."
"Should we destroy the Kids Next Door, father?" The Delightful Children asked in unison. "We could use another one of your machines."
"No..." Father replied with a wry grin. He stopped when he heard a voice over the small intercom on the arm of his chair.
"Your guest is here." The voice informed him.
"Let him in." Father replied. The Delightful Children exchanged a quick glance before turning as one to watch a familiar figure walk into the large throne room. The Common Cold walked up to the foot of the tall throne, looking up at Father through bloodshot eyes.
"I don't usually take jobs..." The Common cold said wearily, looking over his shoulder. The Delightful Children noted that there were several guards standing by the door watching him. Obviously, the Common Cold had not come here as a guest. "I go to the meetings, but I work alone."
"And that is why you're such a failure." Father replied. The Delightful Children chuckled while the Common Cold huffed angrily. "I want you to deliver this for me... you could infect one of the Kids Next Door without their even being aware of it. By the time they realize... it will be too late." Father tossed the smaller villain a small vial.
The Common Cold looked down at it curiously, then back up at Father. "What is it?"
"A little something I cooked up for Numbuh 1. Use your unique... 'talents' to get it into his bloodstream. The virus will do the rest." Father said simply.
"What do I get out of this?" The Common Cold asked.
"You get to survive if you do this right." Father replied simply. The Common Cold looked back at the well-built and well-armed guards that had brought him in. "I think you understand what the cost of failure will be."
"I'll do it..." the Common Cold agreed. Father gestured for him to leave, an opportunity which the smaller villain took with much enthusiasm. The Delightful Children looked up at their pleased-looking father.
"With any luck, Numbuh 1 will take care of our little problem for us." He stood up and walked down the steps, looking down at his children. "But I don't believe in luck. Go make sure that simpleton doesn't mess everything up. If he infects Numbuh 1, then the Kids Next Door's own leader will destroy the entire base for us. The rest of the organization will be disillusioned by one of their greatest leader's betrayal... it will dissolve overnight."
"We won't let you down father." The Delightful Children replied as one before they turned to leave, cackling amongst themselves at the thought of what they were about to witness.
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The remaining four Kids Next Door were gathered in the kitchen, munching silently on bowls of cereal. Wallabee looked around the table slowly. Nigel seemed lost in deep thought, staring into his bowl as if it would give him the answer to a burning question. Hoagie was stuffing his face as fast as he could, probably as an excuse to avoid eye contact with Wallabee. Kuki was swirling her spoon around in her bowl, her face uncharacteristically downcast.
"Alright you guys, I've seen enough of this." Wallabee exclaimed. The others looked up at him in surprise. "This is getting downright depressing. I'm not spending the rest of my time as one of the Kids Next Door staring at the top of your cruddy heads."
"Sorry Numbuh 4..." Hoagie replied apologetically. "It's just hard to believe that it's all happening. First Abby, now you... my birthday is only a month after yours."
Nigel nodded in acknowledgement. "And mine two weeks after that. We're all on our way out the door... but that's all the more reason to stay on focus and dedicated to the task at hand. There's two ways to leave this organization, with pride or with shame. How will we go?"
"With pride!" Wallabee and Hoagie banged their fists on the table energetically. Kuki looked around at them silently, then turned around and slid off the bench to head into the back section of the tree house. The three boys watched, each with a measure of discomfort.
"Man, she's really taking this rough." Wallabee noted.
"Why don't you go talk to her Numbuh 4?" Nigel suggested.
"What? Why me?" Wallabee complained.
"Because it's your birthday that has her so depressed." Nigel pointed out. Wallabee grumbled in defeat and slid off of his own seat, following Kuki into the back. He found her in her bedroom, covered in a pile of stuffed animals and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Only her head stuck out of the pile, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face.
Wallabee had no idea what to say, but luckily Kuki spoke first with a gentle voice for the first time in over a week. "Why does it all have to end Numbuh 4?" She asked rhetorically. "I don't want things to change anymore... I don't want you to have to leave. We can change the rules..."
"Not likely." Wallabee replied now that he had a topic to discuss. "I wouldn't want them to change the rules anyway. If they let adults into the Kids Next Door... it would just be a mess." He walked deeper into the room. Kuki turned her head to look at him, resting her cheek on the floor.
"I just don't understand. We've been doing this for a long time, and we're supposed to just let it end in a single night? We haven't changed anything... we haven't done anything important. What have we been doing?" Kuki asked worriedly. Wallabee wasn't used to hearing her talk like this, she was usually so carefree. Nor was he able to come up with any answers, so he shook his head and sat down beside her head.
"Beats me." Wallabee replied. "But try not to get too down about it. Thinking about it just gets depressing, so just enjoy what we do." He smiled slightly, speaking almost more to himself than her. She was still staring up at him, her eyes wet with moisture. "I will if you will, deal?" He held his hand out to her. She looked at it, then pulled one of her arms out of her animal pile to take his hand.
He pulled her out of the animals and hefted her to her feet. She flashed him a sad smile before the alarm went off and the lights began flashing red. "What the Hell?" They both ran out to the main living area, where Nigel and Hoagie were looking out the window and scratching their heads. "What, nobody out there?" Wallabee asked.
"No, there's someone. I just can't believe what he's doing." Nigel pointed. Wallabee and Kuki walked up to the window to see The Common Cold standing on the grass, spraying his mucus all over the trunk of the tree as if it were acid. It accomplished nothing and only made him look insane.
"Maybe he's cracked up after all this time?" Hoagie suggested.
"Or he thinks that Numbuh 5's absence will leave us weaker than before." Nigel figured. "Well we should prove him wrong, and prove it to all the other adults in town too. Kids Next Door, battle stations!" The four children ran into the back, then emerged with weapons of varying makes and models strapped to their bodies.
They emerged from the treehouse onto an upper balcony and pointed their weapons down at the intruder. Nigel spoke. "Okay Common Cold, I don't know what you think you're doing, but it stops now." Wallabee cocked his mustard gun to illustrate this point.
"Kids Next Door, oh no, what should I do?" The Common Cold asked sarcastically.
"That's right, you better be scared!" Wallabee grinned. Hoagie looked around, then looked at Nigel worriedly.
"Something doesn't feel right." Hoagie commented. The others looked at him. "It feels like something's missing."
"Missing? Like what?" Nigel asked.
"I can't put my finger on it but it feels like... it..." Hoagie stopped when a shadow covered the Kids Next Door. They looked up slowly, to see a huge spider-like machine perched on top of their machine. "Of course! Last time we fought The Common Cold he had a giant mechanical robot with him! I thought he'd get a new one!"
"Kids Next Door scatter!" Nigel screamed as the machine sprayed down a river of mucus on top of them. The kids ran along the side of the treehouse, running for any door they could find. Wallabee was running beside Nigel. He cast a glance down at their main opponent in time to see him load something into his mucus gun before firing it at Nigel.
"Look out Numbuh 1!" Wallabee whirled and slammed himself into Nigel, knocking him out of the way. A pile of mucus slammed into his face, getting in his nose and mouth. He collapsed to the floor, trying to cough it up. "Eugh... that's disgusting!" He grunted.
"Numbuh 4!? No, no!" The Common Cold screamed fearfully. "Oh nonono... what do I do!?" He ran around the grass in a panic, clutching his head. "I can't go back having failed my mission!"
Nigel ran to the edge of the deck. "What did you do to Numbuuuuuggggghhhhhhh fffffoooooooooo..." Wallabee tried to blink his vision clear as the sound around him seemed to mute. His eyesight went black moments before he collapsed on the wooden floor.
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The next day Kuki still remembered how she felt when she'd come around the bend, seeing Wallabee passed out on the deck covered in mucus. Her heart had stopped for an instant, so afraid she'd lost him far sooner, and far more completely, than she'd expected. The Common Cold had retreated moments later for some reason, rambling about failed missions and punishments.
Nigel had checked over Wallabee, and found nothing wrong with him that he could see. Just a few bits of cold bacteria in his system, which was to be expected. Still, this assurance didn't calm Kuki down. She sat beside his bed, staring at him and just waiting for him to speak, grab her hand, twitch an eyelid, anything.
"Come on Numbuh 4..." She begged him even though he was asleep. "Wake up, we only have two days left..." she reached forward to shake his shoulders. "Wake up!" She yelled in his ear to no avail. She sniffled and sat back again, wiping her nose with the back of her oversized sleeve. "I still don't get anything..." She grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "Help me..."
"We're ordering pizza Numbuh 3." Hoagie told her from the door to Wallabee's bedroom. "Do you want us to order you anything?" Kuki furiously wiped her eyes before looking back at him, though she knew her eyes were still bloodshot.
"No, I'm not hungry." Kuki replied, flashing him a light smile. Hoagie nodded and left without another word, leaving her alone with Wallabee again. She turned to stare down at him, wiping her eyes with her oversized sleeve again. "Wake uuuuup!" She cried, burying her face in his chest. She sobbed into his chest, clutching his sweater tightly.
Suddenly she felt a hand grab her hair. She winced from the pain as she was yanked off of his chest. She gasped when she saw him staring at her with an angry, wild snarl on his face. "Numbuh 4...?" She asked fearfully. He jumped up and yanked her hair back, flinging her into the nightstand beside his bed. Her back slammed into the corner and she sank to the ground, groaning in pain.
She watched Wallabee leap off the bed like an animal and wander toward the door, sticking his head out to see if anyone was there. "Wallabee..." Kuki muttered sadly, her voice wracked with pain as her back throbbed. He turned toward her, and for an instant she thought he recognized her, but he turned to bound out of the room without a word.
Kuki tried to climb to her feet, but her back went into spasms and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing in pain. "Wallabee... help me..." She begged softly, trying in vain to climb to her feet.
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Nigel Uno stared out the window of the Kids Next Door's treehouse. He could hear the pitter patter of rain just starting to fall from a dull gray sky. How fitting, as if the day hadn't been bad enough thus far with Wallabeestill unconscious after being hosed by the Common Cold with... whatever that junk was. He sighed and turned to look back at Hoagie, who was watching TV with a depressed look on his face.
"This is depressing Numbuh 1." Hoagie commented without looking up from the TV. "Numbuh 4 is leaving tomorrow, and we can't even have his party with him out cold. And what if he NEVER wakes up?"
"He'll wake up. If he's not up by tomorrow I'm taking him to the hospital." Nigel replied authoritatively. Hoagie nodded, never looking up from his TV program. Suddenly the power to the TV went out... in fact the entire base was plunged into darkness. "As if we don't have enough problems." He shook his head with a sigh. "Hold the fort Numbuh 2, I'm going to go see what's wrong with the generator."
"Roger." Hoagie replied on his way toward the fridge. "I'll make sure none of the frozen food goes bad."
"You do that." Nigel grabbed an extra flashlight and made his way through the base toward the hamster-powered generator room. The base seemed much less friendly than usual with only the little dull light that filtered through the windows and a flashlight for illumination. Still, he knew this place like the back of his hand, and quickly found the desired room.
He pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside. The hamsters were huddled in a giant pile in the back, shivering and chattering noisily. "What is wrong with you guys? Your shift isn't over for another four hours." He chided them irritably. The hamsters chattered even louder, obviously agitated by something. "What, are there monsters under your wheels?" Nigel smirked and shined his beam around the room randomly. "See? There's nothing h..."
He stopped when he saw a trail of scuffmarks running across the floor to the door. They led from the position he was standing out the door again, as if something was crawling on four feet. "A wild animal again?" He grumbled and moved toward the door, following the scuffmarks.
He remembered one time a squirrel had tried to turn Nigel's room into its nest. He'd thought it would be easy getting rid of it... but then a bear had found its way into the base hunting the squirrel. They'd been cautious about animals ever since. He turned a corner, and stopped when he saw something in the middle of the hallway.
Wallabee crouched in the middle of the hallway, leering at him like a crazed beast waiting to lunge at its prey. Nigel stopped moving, staring at his friend who was staring back as if he were suddenly on some invisible menu. What could have happened to make him like this...?
"Numbuh 4...?" Nigel stepped back in surprise, letting the flashlight fall from his flaccid fingertips. Wallabee whirled and leapt at him with a feral growl, punching him in the face and sending him hurtling into the wall on the other side of the hallway. Nigel barely ducked the next blow and whirled away, but Wallabee swung again, slamming a fist into his lower back.
Nigel stumbled and Wallabee jumped on his back, biting into his shoulder painfully. "Yargh..." Nigel grabbed his head and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. He turned to survey his wound. Thankfully his thick sweater was in the way, so the teeth had not penetrated his skin. He looked up again as Wallabee lunged at him, snarling and baring his teeth.
Nigel whirled out of the way, grabbing his hand and fling him into the wall. Unfortunately, he didn't see the window he sent Wallabee flying out of ten stories in the air. "Numbuh 4!" Nigel ran to the window, but to his amazement Wallabee was gone. Nothing on the ground, and nothing below him. "What on Earth happened to you... I have to warn the others... but wasn't Num... Numbuh 3!" He turned and darted down the dimly lit hallway, leaving his flashlight behind.
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Kuki pulled herself toward the door, grunting with the strain and the pain this put on her bruised spine. Her eyes were wet, even though her cheeks were already moist from previously shed tears. She grunted again as she reached the door and pulled herself outside it. She stopped when she heard the wooden floorboard creaking from down the hallway.
"H... hello...?" She called fearfully. There was no reply, just the steady creek of floorboards as if someone was coming her way. She waited, staring down the long hallway until she saw Wallabee round the bend, walking toward her. "Numbuh 4... are... are you okay now?" She asked.
He approached her and knelt down, grabbing her chin with one hand and pulled her head up. Kuki yelped in pain as he pulled her back into a bend, enflaming her bruised spine. He quickly dropped her to the ground, where she sobbed in pain, reaching rubbing her back.
She opened her eyes in surprise when Wallabee gently turned her onto her back, laying her on the floor. She stared up at him, feeling a little better than she had before now that her back was straight. He now seemed to recognize her somehow... even if his face was that same strange look it had had when he'd thrown her into the nightstand.
She stared at him as he ran his hand over her cheek, wiping off the tear streaks that had formed. Kuki opened her mouth slightly as Numbuh 4 leaned down toward her, his eyes becoming surprisingly gentle. His face was just inches from hers, slowly moving down... "Wally... what... are you... doing?" She asked in a shaky kind of voice.
They were both startled when they felt the floorboards begin to shake, as if someone was running toward them. Wallabee whirled to stare down the hall before bolting away in the opposite direction. "Numbuh 3!" Nigel rounded the corner and spotted her lying on the floor. "Numbuh 3, are you okay?" He rushed forward to help her.
"My back hurts..." Kuki admitted as Nigel gently helped her to her feet. She leaned against him to take the pressure off her spine. "What happened Numbuh 1? Numbuh 4 is acting strange."
"I don't know, but we'd better stick together until we figure it out. Numbuh 2 is still in the living room, so we should go meet him. Come on." He helped her hobble down the hallway toward the living room.
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Hoagie hummed to himself as he sat at the table with every tub of ice cream in the freezer laid out in front of him. "Conservation is my specialty." He grinned as he plunged his spoon into the chocolate ice cream and plunged it into his mouth. He leaned back as he let it melt on his tongue, enjoying the soothing pitter-pat of rain on the ceiling.
"This is the life..." He sighed blissfully and settled back into his comfortable seat at the long wooden table the Kids Next Door used for meals. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain until he heard the sound of creaking floorboards from the main entrance.
"You find out what's going on Numbuh 1?" Hoagie called out curiously after swallowing his spoonful of ice cream. He waited for a response, but the only response he got was the creaking of more floorboards heading in his direction. Curiously he sat up and looked at the door. "Numbuh 1?"
He stood up and approached the door, sticking his head out to look in both directions. He didn't see anybody... but he could have sworn he'd heard someone approaching. "Numbuh 4? Numbuh 3? Is anybody there?" When he got no response he turned to walk back into the dining room.
Something slammed into the floorboards behind him with a loud crash before slamming into his back, sending him stumbling into the table. The table shattered under his weight and the ice cream went flying to the floor all around him.
"Hey, who's...?" Hoagie whirled to his back in time to see Numbuh 4 leap on his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He shoved Numbuh 4 off of him and rolled to his hands and knees, gasping for breath. "Numbuh... 4... what're ya... doin'?" Hoagie asked.
Wallabee just growled and leapt at him again, but Hoagie reached behind him and pulled out a Ketchup Cannon that he'd kept strapped to his back. He didn't like the dark, despite enjoying the rain. Having a weapon made him feel comfortable... now he was glad to know he was right.
Hoagie opened fire, and the force of the ketchup stream sent Numbuh 4 flying into the next room. Hoagie gave chase, and didn't see Wallabee anywhere. However, he spotted a trail of ketchup leading up into one of the cooling vents. "It could be a trap..." He whirled with the cannon held in front of him, looking around suspiciously for any sign of movement.
Suddenly a voice came out of nowhere behind him. "Numbuh 2!"
"AAARGH!" Hoagie whirled and fired his cannon, drenching Nigel and Kuki in the thick red substance. "Huh?... Oh, Numbuh 1! Sorry, but Numbuh 4 just attacked me! I barely fought him off."
"We know, something's happened to him." Numbuh 1 helped Kuki into the kitchen and sat her down on one of the chairs. She gave him a grateful smile and leaned back with a sharp gasp. "This all started with the Common Cold... we have to find him and find out what he did to Numbuh 4."
"We can't leave him here alone, he could escape or hurt himself." Hoagie complained.
"Good point... me and Kuki will remain here to capture Numbuh 4 while you take the SKYCLAW and find the Common Cold. Make him tell you what he did by any means necessary." Nigel said.
"Consider it done." Hoagie flashed a quick salute before turning to run toward the Kids Next Door's docking bay. Nigel turned back to Kuki with a curious expression on his face.
"Numbuh 3, do you think you're recovered enough to help?" He asked. Kuki nodded and Nigel gently helped her stand up. She stood on her own, though her back was still hunched over slightly. "Come on, we have to get to the arsenal room." He led her out of the living room, down one of the dark hallways of the base. Night was beginning to fall, adding to the already dark and dreary atmosphere provided by the power outage and the rain that hammered the base in a torrential downpour.
"Hold on..." Nigel came to a stop when he heard a creaking sound from up above them. He crept forward, staring up at the boards above him. They creaked again softly, raining wood chips on the two Kids Next Door in the hallway. The thumping got louder by the second.
"What on Earth is he doing?" Nigel wondered out loud.
"Look out!" Kuki screamed loudly. Suddenly the roof caved in and Numbuh 4 plunged through on top of Nigel, wearing a strange upper body armor that ended in a pair of oversized gauntlets.
[Kids Next Door vehicle: T.E.R.M.I.T.E.
Terminally
Effective
Ripping
Materials
Internally
Tear
Earth]
Wallabee landed in the middle of the hallway and whirled on Nigel, swinging one gauntlet as hard as he could at his leader's head. Nigel ducked under the blow, letting it punch a hole into the opposite wall before rolling onto his hands and throwing himself over Wallabee's shoulder. He landed on his feet and whirled with a kick, but Wallabee was already countering.
The massive gauntlet slammed into his foot and sent him flying to his back on the floor. He groaned and rolled to his feet, but Wallabee lunged forward and slammed the gauntlet into his chest. It slammed into his shoulder with bone-jarring force, and sent him back against the wall where he broke through amid wood chips and splinters. He flew into the open air outside the Kids Next Door base, but managed to grab one of the splintered planks with one arm to keep from falling.
Wallabee stepped forward and raised one arm, but Kuki ran up to him and grabbed it. "Don't do it Wally!" She clung to his arm as tight as she could, but he whirled fast enough to knock her loose. The other gauntlet came around, with just as much force as before. "EEP!" She clenched her eyes shut, shaking furiously and waiting for the blow to come... but it never did.
She slowly opened her eyes, and gasped softly when she found that Wallabee had let the gauntlets fall off of his arms and was putting one arm around her waist. "Numbuh 1... what is he doing?"
Nigel huffed and puffed as he struggled to pull himself up with his one good arm. "Numbuh 3, be careful, he could turn hostile any second!" He warned her harshly. Wallabee whirled angrily at the sound of his voice. He grabbed Kuki and flung her onto his shoulder before darting down the hallway away from him. "NUMBUH 3!" Nigel screamed worriedly, but it was way too late to catch up with them wounded as he was.
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Kuki clung to the back of Wallabee's sweater to make sure she didn't fall off of him until he finally came to s top in her bedroom, setting her down gently on the floor. She stared up at him in confusion, trying to back away from him. "Wally... I'm confused. What's going on here...?" She asked him softly. He knelt down on his feet and knuckles like an ape, moving closer to her.
She yipped and closed her eyes, but only felt his thumb brushing her cheek as it had before. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, once again seeing that gentle gaze staring into her eyes. "What are you doing here? What are you doing... with me?" Her voice shook slightly.
He moved down, rubbing his cheek against hers. Kuki blinked in confusion and reached up to touch his face, pushing it up slightly. He stared down at her, with eyes full of something she couldn't identify. He leaned down again and rubbed his cheek against hers, moving his body on top of hers. She watched him with some apprehension, but she didn't move to push him off.
He wrapped his arms around her and curled up against her body, purring like a kitten wrapped up in its mothers' arms. Kuki tentatively reached up to put her arms around him as well, petting his head. He rubbed his head against her hand, smiling blissfully.
"Why are you so cuddly tonight?" She asked him curiously. He didn't respond, except to lightly lick her chest like a cat. She giggled and pulled him into an even tighter hug. "I like you like this..." She told him lightly. He purred again and rubbed his cheek against hers before leaning up and kissing her square on the lips.
He blinked in surprise, then closed her eyes and returned the kiss, holding him close. Soon the kiss broke and Wallabee leaned against her again, going limp against her as if he was trying to get to sleep. She sighed and held onto him, letting him sleep in her arms. After everything he'd done tonight, why would he come to her like this? Did he see her as mom or... something else?
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"Come on and spill already." Hoagie sighed in exasperation, standing in the back of the SKYCLAW with his prisoner trapped in the extendable claw in front of him. The Common Cold seemed positively panicked about something, and refused to talk to him in anything more than a high-pitched, rapid-fire squeak.
"Let me outta here! I gotta get away! Before he finds me!" He exclaimed fearfully.
Hoagie rubbed his eyes underneath his goggles wearily. "Look, you wanna get away from this place, I want an antidote to whatever you gave to Numbuh 2." He reasoned. "How about a trade?"
"There is nowhere!" The Common Cold screamed. "Nowhere he can't reach! I'm dead whatever I do!"
Hoagie began. "We have a moon base... we could hide you there until-"
"The moon base! Yes! Take me to prison! Please!" The Common Cold screamed. Hoagie stared at him in confusion, scratching his head.
"Okay... only after you make me that antidote." He agreed. The Common Cold nodded furiously, so Hoagie grabbed a weapon and released his enemy from the claw so he could get to work. In fairly short order the Common Cold handed a small vial of liquid to Hoagie, which he stuffed in his jacket pocket. "Nice doing business with you, now back into the..." he was interrupted by a red alert sounding through the vehicle.
"It's him!" The Common Cold screamed. Hoagie ran into the cockpit and looked out the window. A huge ball of fire was barreling straight toward the cockpit, seeming to grow larger by the second.
"Abandon ship!" Hoagie lunged for the door and leapt out, forgetting that the Common Col had no parachute. "It's in the compartment by the exit!" He screamed up. The Common Cold wrestled with the latch before trying to slide the backpack on. He managed to get the parachute on and leap out just before the fireball struck, causing the entire vehicle to go up in flames.
Hoagie and the Common Cold floated down to different areas, though Hoagie tried to locate his former enemy once they were down. He made it to where he was sure the Common Cold had landed, but saw no sign of the Kids Next Door's one-time nemesis except the now empty parachute tangled up in a tree overhead. He noticed the straps and several of the branches were now charred black however.
He took out the vial of antidote and looked at it for a moment before looking up at the tree. A quick decision later, and Hoagie was on his way back to base. Kuki needed him more now... he was sure the Common Cold would turn up eventually... as long as he COULD turn up...
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A light groan escaped his lips, at least signaling to himself that he was still alive. He couldn't remember anything... he remembered the Common Cold spraying him with that green gunk and then... absolutely nothing. He opened his eyes slightly as one hand moved to rub the side of his head. He saw the remaining three Kids Next Door standing over him with smiles on their faces. Well Nigel and Hoagie were smiling, Kuki looked like she was about to burst into tears.
And burst she did. She grabbed him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Wally! You're normal again!" She squeezed him tightly. He stared at her until something registered. She hadn't called him Numbuh 4...
He cast a questioning glance at Nigel, who understood and nodded in response. It had been two days... he was 13... he wasn't a Kids Next Door operative anymore. He looked down at Kuki and patted her back comfortingly. "I should go..."
"What... now?" Kuki sniffled and moved back to stare into his eyes worriedly. "No not yet, we haven't had your going away party yet..."
"I'm not in the mood for a party Numbuh 3..." Wallabee groaned and sat up, still rubbing his head painfully. Kuki nodded sullenly and sat back in her seat beside his bed, staring down at the floor. Upon further examination of the others they didn't look right. There was something in his eyes that told him something was off. "Is there something I don't know?"
Nigel and Hoagie looked at Kuki, who raised her face to look at him with a shockingly serious expression. "No... nothing..." She stood up and walked out of the room, not looking at him again. Wallabee scratched his head in confusion while Nigel moved to pat his shoulder.
"Don't worry about her..." He said softly. "Now, about your decommissioning..."
"Don't bother." Wallabee stood up and brushed himself off. "I don't need your speech, I can leave without it." Nigel and Hoagie exchanged a quick glance.
"We'll be in the living room if you need anything Wallabee." Nigel flashed him a quick salute before he and Hoagie left the bedroom. Wallabee turned to gather all of his personal belongings into a suitcase he'd brought into the clubhouse for just that purpose.
What was with that look Kuki had given him? It had seemed so strange... like there was something she didn't want to tell him. He brushed it aside as he finished gathering up his things. If nobody wanted to let him in on the big secret he didn't need to know. He wasn't part of this team, they didn't have to tell him anything. He didn't care... he was fine with it.
He turned and walked through the tree house until he reached the exit. He hesitated a few moments before stepping onto the grass, and starting toward the sidewalk. He was stopped by a voice running up behind him.
"Wally! Wait!" Kuki yelled. Wallabee turned around slowly while she bounded up to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. "You... really don't remember... any of it?" She asked quietly.
"Not a thing." Wallabee confirmed. He couldn't tell if Kuki was relieved or upset by this, she just looked down at the grass thoughtfully.
"Then... remember this..." She walked up to him, grabbed him, and pulled him into a kiss. He froze up, staring at her in utter confusion, but she didn't seem to notice. She held it for several minutes with her eyes closed until she pulled back, her eyes glazed over with tears.
"I'm glad... you're better... bye-bye!" She turned to run back into the tree house, burying her face in her hands. Wallabee looked down at the ground and touched his lips lightly, for a moment recalling something from before. But as quickly as it came, it vanished again. Maybe someday, he would remember what it was...
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Nigel Uno looked up from his book on engineering when Kuki entered his small laboratory for creating new Kids Next Door technology. "Do you need something, Numbuh 3?" He asked softly. He knew she was still hurting after what Wallabee had done to her... mentally at least. Nobody else knew of course, but Nigel knew because he'd found them with him asleep on top of her.
"Why are we doing this...?" Kuki asked softly. "It doesn't change anything... and then it ends... and we're always sad... if all it leads to is sadness why do we do it?"
Nigel sighed and closed his book, staring at her over the rim of his shades. "That's something you'll have to think about." He told her seriously. "I wouldn't worry too much though. You're the youngest of all of us... you have plenty of time left."
"But I might quit... if I don't find a reason..." Kuki said. "I would rather go with Wallabee than do something that makes everyone sad."
"Don't worry... you'll find a reason, I know you will." Nigel walked up to her and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It's something we all have to do... it's part of growing up I guess."
"I hate growing up..." Kuki sighed.
Nigel chuckled. "Me too... but we will anyway... and you'll be ready, I know it." He pulled her in and gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek before turning toward the door. "I'm going to go arrange dinner tonight... I'll see you then." They each waved and he left, sticking his hands in his pockets. A reason for doing what they do... he was sure she would figure it out. He knew he had... he'd had to.
THE END
Ferocity
Eternally
Reveals
Almighty
Love
Three weeks after Abigail Lincoln had been forced to leave the Kids Next Door, yet another big birthday was coming up. Wallabee Beatles was wholly unprepared for the event, which was coming up in just a few days' time. The others seemed to be acting pretty morose as well, avoiding eye contact with him and speaking only through short, gruff phrases. Kuki seemed the hardest hit of them all. Her typical cheerfulness had turned into a silent, brooding depression.
"Numbuh 4, I wanted to speak with you." Nigel's voice said from behind him. Wallabee turned around in the main living room of the Kids Next Door's home base of operations. Hoagie and Kuki were still asleep, and Abigail hadn't returned since her birthday three weeks ago.
"Yeah? What about?" Wallabee asked grumpily.
"I know we're all dreading your birthday coming up soon, but Abby's was so hard on everyone... I was thinking yours could be a more lighthearted affair." Nigel suggested.
"Sorry Numbuh 1, I don't feel very jolly right now." Wallabee replied gruffly. "Not in the mood for a swinging party."
Nigel sighed and shook his head. "Look Numbuh 4, we don't like this any more than you do, but you know as well as I do that you can't be one of the Kids Next Door if you're not a kid anymore."
"I get it!" Wallabee snapped angrily. "I know the rules Numbuh One! Just... bah, get out of my way." He pushed Nigel aside and stalked away down the hall, leaving the leader of the group behind. He didn't know why he was so angry, he'd known this was inevitable since he'd watched Abigail leave. Still, he couldn't believe the time was almost here...
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"One-by-one the Kids Next Door are being forced to leave..." The Delightful Children from Down the Lane watched their father, who was watching a surveillance tape from the underground tunnel incident. "But they'll be replaced sooner or later... and then their replacements will be replaced, and they will be replaced as well." He put a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "I must cut off the head of the organization now."
"Should we destroy the Kids Next Door, father?" The Delightful Children asked in unison. "We could use another one of your machines."
"No..." Father replied with a wry grin. He stopped when he heard a voice over the small intercom on the arm of his chair.
"Your guest is here." The voice informed him.
"Let him in." Father replied. The Delightful Children exchanged a quick glance before turning as one to watch a familiar figure walk into the large throne room. The Common Cold walked up to the foot of the tall throne, looking up at Father through bloodshot eyes.
"I don't usually take jobs..." The Common cold said wearily, looking over his shoulder. The Delightful Children noted that there were several guards standing by the door watching him. Obviously, the Common Cold had not come here as a guest. "I go to the meetings, but I work alone."
"And that is why you're such a failure." Father replied. The Delightful Children chuckled while the Common Cold huffed angrily. "I want you to deliver this for me... you could infect one of the Kids Next Door without their even being aware of it. By the time they realize... it will be too late." Father tossed the smaller villain a small vial.
The Common Cold looked down at it curiously, then back up at Father. "What is it?"
"A little something I cooked up for Numbuh 1. Use your unique... 'talents' to get it into his bloodstream. The virus will do the rest." Father said simply.
"What do I get out of this?" The Common Cold asked.
"You get to survive if you do this right." Father replied simply. The Common Cold looked back at the well-built and well-armed guards that had brought him in. "I think you understand what the cost of failure will be."
"I'll do it..." the Common Cold agreed. Father gestured for him to leave, an opportunity which the smaller villain took with much enthusiasm. The Delightful Children looked up at their pleased-looking father.
"With any luck, Numbuh 1 will take care of our little problem for us." He stood up and walked down the steps, looking down at his children. "But I don't believe in luck. Go make sure that simpleton doesn't mess everything up. If he infects Numbuh 1, then the Kids Next Door's own leader will destroy the entire base for us. The rest of the organization will be disillusioned by one of their greatest leader's betrayal... it will dissolve overnight."
"We won't let you down father." The Delightful Children replied as one before they turned to leave, cackling amongst themselves at the thought of what they were about to witness.
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The remaining four Kids Next Door were gathered in the kitchen, munching silently on bowls of cereal. Wallabee looked around the table slowly. Nigel seemed lost in deep thought, staring into his bowl as if it would give him the answer to a burning question. Hoagie was stuffing his face as fast as he could, probably as an excuse to avoid eye contact with Wallabee. Kuki was swirling her spoon around in her bowl, her face uncharacteristically downcast.
"Alright you guys, I've seen enough of this." Wallabee exclaimed. The others looked up at him in surprise. "This is getting downright depressing. I'm not spending the rest of my time as one of the Kids Next Door staring at the top of your cruddy heads."
"Sorry Numbuh 4..." Hoagie replied apologetically. "It's just hard to believe that it's all happening. First Abby, now you... my birthday is only a month after yours."
Nigel nodded in acknowledgement. "And mine two weeks after that. We're all on our way out the door... but that's all the more reason to stay on focus and dedicated to the task at hand. There's two ways to leave this organization, with pride or with shame. How will we go?"
"With pride!" Wallabee and Hoagie banged their fists on the table energetically. Kuki looked around at them silently, then turned around and slid off the bench to head into the back section of the tree house. The three boys watched, each with a measure of discomfort.
"Man, she's really taking this rough." Wallabee noted.
"Why don't you go talk to her Numbuh 4?" Nigel suggested.
"What? Why me?" Wallabee complained.
"Because it's your birthday that has her so depressed." Nigel pointed out. Wallabee grumbled in defeat and slid off of his own seat, following Kuki into the back. He found her in her bedroom, covered in a pile of stuffed animals and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Only her head stuck out of the pile, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face.
Wallabee had no idea what to say, but luckily Kuki spoke first with a gentle voice for the first time in over a week. "Why does it all have to end Numbuh 4?" She asked rhetorically. "I don't want things to change anymore... I don't want you to have to leave. We can change the rules..."
"Not likely." Wallabee replied now that he had a topic to discuss. "I wouldn't want them to change the rules anyway. If they let adults into the Kids Next Door... it would just be a mess." He walked deeper into the room. Kuki turned her head to look at him, resting her cheek on the floor.
"I just don't understand. We've been doing this for a long time, and we're supposed to just let it end in a single night? We haven't changed anything... we haven't done anything important. What have we been doing?" Kuki asked worriedly. Wallabee wasn't used to hearing her talk like this, she was usually so carefree. Nor was he able to come up with any answers, so he shook his head and sat down beside her head.
"Beats me." Wallabee replied. "But try not to get too down about it. Thinking about it just gets depressing, so just enjoy what we do." He smiled slightly, speaking almost more to himself than her. She was still staring up at him, her eyes wet with moisture. "I will if you will, deal?" He held his hand out to her. She looked at it, then pulled one of her arms out of her animal pile to take his hand.
He pulled her out of the animals and hefted her to her feet. She flashed him a sad smile before the alarm went off and the lights began flashing red. "What the Hell?" They both ran out to the main living area, where Nigel and Hoagie were looking out the window and scratching their heads. "What, nobody out there?" Wallabee asked.
"No, there's someone. I just can't believe what he's doing." Nigel pointed. Wallabee and Kuki walked up to the window to see The Common Cold standing on the grass, spraying his mucus all over the trunk of the tree as if it were acid. It accomplished nothing and only made him look insane.
"Maybe he's cracked up after all this time?" Hoagie suggested.
"Or he thinks that Numbuh 5's absence will leave us weaker than before." Nigel figured. "Well we should prove him wrong, and prove it to all the other adults in town too. Kids Next Door, battle stations!" The four children ran into the back, then emerged with weapons of varying makes and models strapped to their bodies.
They emerged from the treehouse onto an upper balcony and pointed their weapons down at the intruder. Nigel spoke. "Okay Common Cold, I don't know what you think you're doing, but it stops now." Wallabee cocked his mustard gun to illustrate this point.
"Kids Next Door, oh no, what should I do?" The Common Cold asked sarcastically.
"That's right, you better be scared!" Wallabee grinned. Hoagie looked around, then looked at Nigel worriedly.
"Something doesn't feel right." Hoagie commented. The others looked at him. "It feels like something's missing."
"Missing? Like what?" Nigel asked.
"I can't put my finger on it but it feels like... it..." Hoagie stopped when a shadow covered the Kids Next Door. They looked up slowly, to see a huge spider-like machine perched on top of their machine. "Of course! Last time we fought The Common Cold he had a giant mechanical robot with him! I thought he'd get a new one!"
"Kids Next Door scatter!" Nigel screamed as the machine sprayed down a river of mucus on top of them. The kids ran along the side of the treehouse, running for any door they could find. Wallabee was running beside Nigel. He cast a glance down at their main opponent in time to see him load something into his mucus gun before firing it at Nigel.
"Look out Numbuh 1!" Wallabee whirled and slammed himself into Nigel, knocking him out of the way. A pile of mucus slammed into his face, getting in his nose and mouth. He collapsed to the floor, trying to cough it up. "Eugh... that's disgusting!" He grunted.
"Numbuh 4!? No, no!" The Common Cold screamed fearfully. "Oh nonono... what do I do!?" He ran around the grass in a panic, clutching his head. "I can't go back having failed my mission!"
Nigel ran to the edge of the deck. "What did you do to Numbuuuuuggggghhhhhhh fffffoooooooooo..." Wallabee tried to blink his vision clear as the sound around him seemed to mute. His eyesight went black moments before he collapsed on the wooden floor.
________________________________________________________________________________
The next day Kuki still remembered how she felt when she'd come around the bend, seeing Wallabee passed out on the deck covered in mucus. Her heart had stopped for an instant, so afraid she'd lost him far sooner, and far more completely, than she'd expected. The Common Cold had retreated moments later for some reason, rambling about failed missions and punishments.
Nigel had checked over Wallabee, and found nothing wrong with him that he could see. Just a few bits of cold bacteria in his system, which was to be expected. Still, this assurance didn't calm Kuki down. She sat beside his bed, staring at him and just waiting for him to speak, grab her hand, twitch an eyelid, anything.
"Come on Numbuh 4..." She begged him even though he was asleep. "Wake up, we only have two days left..." she reached forward to shake his shoulders. "Wake up!" She yelled in his ear to no avail. She sniffled and sat back again, wiping her nose with the back of her oversized sleeve. "I still don't get anything..." She grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "Help me..."
"We're ordering pizza Numbuh 3." Hoagie told her from the door to Wallabee's bedroom. "Do you want us to order you anything?" Kuki furiously wiped her eyes before looking back at him, though she knew her eyes were still bloodshot.
"No, I'm not hungry." Kuki replied, flashing him a light smile. Hoagie nodded and left without another word, leaving her alone with Wallabee again. She turned to stare down at him, wiping her eyes with her oversized sleeve again. "Wake uuuuup!" She cried, burying her face in his chest. She sobbed into his chest, clutching his sweater tightly.
Suddenly she felt a hand grab her hair. She winced from the pain as she was yanked off of his chest. She gasped when she saw him staring at her with an angry, wild snarl on his face. "Numbuh 4...?" She asked fearfully. He jumped up and yanked her hair back, flinging her into the nightstand beside his bed. Her back slammed into the corner and she sank to the ground, groaning in pain.
She watched Wallabee leap off the bed like an animal and wander toward the door, sticking his head out to see if anyone was there. "Wallabee..." Kuki muttered sadly, her voice wracked with pain as her back throbbed. He turned toward her, and for an instant she thought he recognized her, but he turned to bound out of the room without a word.
Kuki tried to climb to her feet, but her back went into spasms and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing in pain. "Wallabee... help me..." She begged softly, trying in vain to climb to her feet.
________________________________________________________________________________
Nigel Uno stared out the window of the Kids Next Door's treehouse. He could hear the pitter patter of rain just starting to fall from a dull gray sky. How fitting, as if the day hadn't been bad enough thus far with Wallabeestill unconscious after being hosed by the Common Cold with... whatever that junk was. He sighed and turned to look back at Hoagie, who was watching TV with a depressed look on his face.
"This is depressing Numbuh 1." Hoagie commented without looking up from the TV. "Numbuh 4 is leaving tomorrow, and we can't even have his party with him out cold. And what if he NEVER wakes up?"
"He'll wake up. If he's not up by tomorrow I'm taking him to the hospital." Nigel replied authoritatively. Hoagie nodded, never looking up from his TV program. Suddenly the power to the TV went out... in fact the entire base was plunged into darkness. "As if we don't have enough problems." He shook his head with a sigh. "Hold the fort Numbuh 2, I'm going to go see what's wrong with the generator."
"Roger." Hoagie replied on his way toward the fridge. "I'll make sure none of the frozen food goes bad."
"You do that." Nigel grabbed an extra flashlight and made his way through the base toward the hamster-powered generator room. The base seemed much less friendly than usual with only the little dull light that filtered through the windows and a flashlight for illumination. Still, he knew this place like the back of his hand, and quickly found the desired room.
He pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside. The hamsters were huddled in a giant pile in the back, shivering and chattering noisily. "What is wrong with you guys? Your shift isn't over for another four hours." He chided them irritably. The hamsters chattered even louder, obviously agitated by something. "What, are there monsters under your wheels?" Nigel smirked and shined his beam around the room randomly. "See? There's nothing h..."
He stopped when he saw a trail of scuffmarks running across the floor to the door. They led from the position he was standing out the door again, as if something was crawling on four feet. "A wild animal again?" He grumbled and moved toward the door, following the scuffmarks.
He remembered one time a squirrel had tried to turn Nigel's room into its nest. He'd thought it would be easy getting rid of it... but then a bear had found its way into the base hunting the squirrel. They'd been cautious about animals ever since. He turned a corner, and stopped when he saw something in the middle of the hallway.
Wallabee crouched in the middle of the hallway, leering at him like a crazed beast waiting to lunge at its prey. Nigel stopped moving, staring at his friend who was staring back as if he were suddenly on some invisible menu. What could have happened to make him like this...?
"Numbuh 4...?" Nigel stepped back in surprise, letting the flashlight fall from his flaccid fingertips. Wallabee whirled and leapt at him with a feral growl, punching him in the face and sending him hurtling into the wall on the other side of the hallway. Nigel barely ducked the next blow and whirled away, but Wallabee swung again, slamming a fist into his lower back.
Nigel stumbled and Wallabee jumped on his back, biting into his shoulder painfully. "Yargh..." Nigel grabbed his head and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. He turned to survey his wound. Thankfully his thick sweater was in the way, so the teeth had not penetrated his skin. He looked up again as Wallabee lunged at him, snarling and baring his teeth.
Nigel whirled out of the way, grabbing his hand and fling him into the wall. Unfortunately, he didn't see the window he sent Wallabee flying out of ten stories in the air. "Numbuh 4!" Nigel ran to the window, but to his amazement Wallabee was gone. Nothing on the ground, and nothing below him. "What on Earth happened to you... I have to warn the others... but wasn't Num... Numbuh 3!" He turned and darted down the dimly lit hallway, leaving his flashlight behind.
________________________________________________________________________________
Kuki pulled herself toward the door, grunting with the strain and the pain this put on her bruised spine. Her eyes were wet, even though her cheeks were already moist from previously shed tears. She grunted again as she reached the door and pulled herself outside it. She stopped when she heard the wooden floorboard creaking from down the hallway.
"H... hello...?" She called fearfully. There was no reply, just the steady creek of floorboards as if someone was coming her way. She waited, staring down the long hallway until she saw Wallabee round the bend, walking toward her. "Numbuh 4... are... are you okay now?" She asked.
He approached her and knelt down, grabbing her chin with one hand and pulled her head up. Kuki yelped in pain as he pulled her back into a bend, enflaming her bruised spine. He quickly dropped her to the ground, where she sobbed in pain, reaching rubbing her back.
She opened her eyes in surprise when Wallabee gently turned her onto her back, laying her on the floor. She stared up at him, feeling a little better than she had before now that her back was straight. He now seemed to recognize her somehow... even if his face was that same strange look it had had when he'd thrown her into the nightstand.
She stared at him as he ran his hand over her cheek, wiping off the tear streaks that had formed. Kuki opened her mouth slightly as Numbuh 4 leaned down toward her, his eyes becoming surprisingly gentle. His face was just inches from hers, slowly moving down... "Wally... what... are you... doing?" She asked in a shaky kind of voice.
They were both startled when they felt the floorboards begin to shake, as if someone was running toward them. Wallabee whirled to stare down the hall before bolting away in the opposite direction. "Numbuh 3!" Nigel rounded the corner and spotted her lying on the floor. "Numbuh 3, are you okay?" He rushed forward to help her.
"My back hurts..." Kuki admitted as Nigel gently helped her to her feet. She leaned against him to take the pressure off her spine. "What happened Numbuh 1? Numbuh 4 is acting strange."
"I don't know, but we'd better stick together until we figure it out. Numbuh 2 is still in the living room, so we should go meet him. Come on." He helped her hobble down the hallway toward the living room.
________________________________________________________________________________
Hoagie hummed to himself as he sat at the table with every tub of ice cream in the freezer laid out in front of him. "Conservation is my specialty." He grinned as he plunged his spoon into the chocolate ice cream and plunged it into his mouth. He leaned back as he let it melt on his tongue, enjoying the soothing pitter-pat of rain on the ceiling.
"This is the life..." He sighed blissfully and settled back into his comfortable seat at the long wooden table the Kids Next Door used for meals. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain until he heard the sound of creaking floorboards from the main entrance.
"You find out what's going on Numbuh 1?" Hoagie called out curiously after swallowing his spoonful of ice cream. He waited for a response, but the only response he got was the creaking of more floorboards heading in his direction. Curiously he sat up and looked at the door. "Numbuh 1?"
He stood up and approached the door, sticking his head out to look in both directions. He didn't see anybody... but he could have sworn he'd heard someone approaching. "Numbuh 4? Numbuh 3? Is anybody there?" When he got no response he turned to walk back into the dining room.
Something slammed into the floorboards behind him with a loud crash before slamming into his back, sending him stumbling into the table. The table shattered under his weight and the ice cream went flying to the floor all around him.
"Hey, who's...?" Hoagie whirled to his back in time to see Numbuh 4 leap on his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He shoved Numbuh 4 off of him and rolled to his hands and knees, gasping for breath. "Numbuh... 4... what're ya... doin'?" Hoagie asked.
Wallabee just growled and leapt at him again, but Hoagie reached behind him and pulled out a Ketchup Cannon that he'd kept strapped to his back. He didn't like the dark, despite enjoying the rain. Having a weapon made him feel comfortable... now he was glad to know he was right.
Hoagie opened fire, and the force of the ketchup stream sent Numbuh 4 flying into the next room. Hoagie gave chase, and didn't see Wallabee anywhere. However, he spotted a trail of ketchup leading up into one of the cooling vents. "It could be a trap..." He whirled with the cannon held in front of him, looking around suspiciously for any sign of movement.
Suddenly a voice came out of nowhere behind him. "Numbuh 2!"
"AAARGH!" Hoagie whirled and fired his cannon, drenching Nigel and Kuki in the thick red substance. "Huh?... Oh, Numbuh 1! Sorry, but Numbuh 4 just attacked me! I barely fought him off."
"We know, something's happened to him." Numbuh 1 helped Kuki into the kitchen and sat her down on one of the chairs. She gave him a grateful smile and leaned back with a sharp gasp. "This all started with the Common Cold... we have to find him and find out what he did to Numbuh 4."
"We can't leave him here alone, he could escape or hurt himself." Hoagie complained.
"Good point... me and Kuki will remain here to capture Numbuh 4 while you take the SKYCLAW and find the Common Cold. Make him tell you what he did by any means necessary." Nigel said.
"Consider it done." Hoagie flashed a quick salute before turning to run toward the Kids Next Door's docking bay. Nigel turned back to Kuki with a curious expression on his face.
"Numbuh 3, do you think you're recovered enough to help?" He asked. Kuki nodded and Nigel gently helped her stand up. She stood on her own, though her back was still hunched over slightly. "Come on, we have to get to the arsenal room." He led her out of the living room, down one of the dark hallways of the base. Night was beginning to fall, adding to the already dark and dreary atmosphere provided by the power outage and the rain that hammered the base in a torrential downpour.
"Hold on..." Nigel came to a stop when he heard a creaking sound from up above them. He crept forward, staring up at the boards above him. They creaked again softly, raining wood chips on the two Kids Next Door in the hallway. The thumping got louder by the second.
"What on Earth is he doing?" Nigel wondered out loud.
"Look out!" Kuki screamed loudly. Suddenly the roof caved in and Numbuh 4 plunged through on top of Nigel, wearing a strange upper body armor that ended in a pair of oversized gauntlets.
[Kids Next Door vehicle: T.E.R.M.I.T.E.
Terminally
Effective
Ripping
Materials
Internally
Tear
Earth]
Wallabee landed in the middle of the hallway and whirled on Nigel, swinging one gauntlet as hard as he could at his leader's head. Nigel ducked under the blow, letting it punch a hole into the opposite wall before rolling onto his hands and throwing himself over Wallabee's shoulder. He landed on his feet and whirled with a kick, but Wallabee was already countering.
The massive gauntlet slammed into his foot and sent him flying to his back on the floor. He groaned and rolled to his feet, but Wallabee lunged forward and slammed the gauntlet into his chest. It slammed into his shoulder with bone-jarring force, and sent him back against the wall where he broke through amid wood chips and splinters. He flew into the open air outside the Kids Next Door base, but managed to grab one of the splintered planks with one arm to keep from falling.
Wallabee stepped forward and raised one arm, but Kuki ran up to him and grabbed it. "Don't do it Wally!" She clung to his arm as tight as she could, but he whirled fast enough to knock her loose. The other gauntlet came around, with just as much force as before. "EEP!" She clenched her eyes shut, shaking furiously and waiting for the blow to come... but it never did.
She slowly opened her eyes, and gasped softly when she found that Wallabee had let the gauntlets fall off of his arms and was putting one arm around her waist. "Numbuh 1... what is he doing?"
Nigel huffed and puffed as he struggled to pull himself up with his one good arm. "Numbuh 3, be careful, he could turn hostile any second!" He warned her harshly. Wallabee whirled angrily at the sound of his voice. He grabbed Kuki and flung her onto his shoulder before darting down the hallway away from him. "NUMBUH 3!" Nigel screamed worriedly, but it was way too late to catch up with them wounded as he was.
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Kuki clung to the back of Wallabee's sweater to make sure she didn't fall off of him until he finally came to s top in her bedroom, setting her down gently on the floor. She stared up at him in confusion, trying to back away from him. "Wally... I'm confused. What's going on here...?" She asked him softly. He knelt down on his feet and knuckles like an ape, moving closer to her.
She yipped and closed her eyes, but only felt his thumb brushing her cheek as it had before. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, once again seeing that gentle gaze staring into her eyes. "What are you doing here? What are you doing... with me?" Her voice shook slightly.
He moved down, rubbing his cheek against hers. Kuki blinked in confusion and reached up to touch his face, pushing it up slightly. He stared down at her, with eyes full of something she couldn't identify. He leaned down again and rubbed his cheek against hers, moving his body on top of hers. She watched him with some apprehension, but she didn't move to push him off.
He wrapped his arms around her and curled up against her body, purring like a kitten wrapped up in its mothers' arms. Kuki tentatively reached up to put her arms around him as well, petting his head. He rubbed his head against her hand, smiling blissfully.
"Why are you so cuddly tonight?" She asked him curiously. He didn't respond, except to lightly lick her chest like a cat. She giggled and pulled him into an even tighter hug. "I like you like this..." She told him lightly. He purred again and rubbed his cheek against hers before leaning up and kissing her square on the lips.
He blinked in surprise, then closed her eyes and returned the kiss, holding him close. Soon the kiss broke and Wallabee leaned against her again, going limp against her as if he was trying to get to sleep. She sighed and held onto him, letting him sleep in her arms. After everything he'd done tonight, why would he come to her like this? Did he see her as mom or... something else?
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"Come on and spill already." Hoagie sighed in exasperation, standing in the back of the SKYCLAW with his prisoner trapped in the extendable claw in front of him. The Common Cold seemed positively panicked about something, and refused to talk to him in anything more than a high-pitched, rapid-fire squeak.
"Let me outta here! I gotta get away! Before he finds me!" He exclaimed fearfully.
Hoagie rubbed his eyes underneath his goggles wearily. "Look, you wanna get away from this place, I want an antidote to whatever you gave to Numbuh 2." He reasoned. "How about a trade?"
"There is nowhere!" The Common Cold screamed. "Nowhere he can't reach! I'm dead whatever I do!"
Hoagie began. "We have a moon base... we could hide you there until-"
"The moon base! Yes! Take me to prison! Please!" The Common Cold screamed. Hoagie stared at him in confusion, scratching his head.
"Okay... only after you make me that antidote." He agreed. The Common Cold nodded furiously, so Hoagie grabbed a weapon and released his enemy from the claw so he could get to work. In fairly short order the Common Cold handed a small vial of liquid to Hoagie, which he stuffed in his jacket pocket. "Nice doing business with you, now back into the..." he was interrupted by a red alert sounding through the vehicle.
"It's him!" The Common Cold screamed. Hoagie ran into the cockpit and looked out the window. A huge ball of fire was barreling straight toward the cockpit, seeming to grow larger by the second.
"Abandon ship!" Hoagie lunged for the door and leapt out, forgetting that the Common Col had no parachute. "It's in the compartment by the exit!" He screamed up. The Common Cold wrestled with the latch before trying to slide the backpack on. He managed to get the parachute on and leap out just before the fireball struck, causing the entire vehicle to go up in flames.
Hoagie and the Common Cold floated down to different areas, though Hoagie tried to locate his former enemy once they were down. He made it to where he was sure the Common Cold had landed, but saw no sign of the Kids Next Door's one-time nemesis except the now empty parachute tangled up in a tree overhead. He noticed the straps and several of the branches were now charred black however.
He took out the vial of antidote and looked at it for a moment before looking up at the tree. A quick decision later, and Hoagie was on his way back to base. Kuki needed him more now... he was sure the Common Cold would turn up eventually... as long as he COULD turn up...
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A light groan escaped his lips, at least signaling to himself that he was still alive. He couldn't remember anything... he remembered the Common Cold spraying him with that green gunk and then... absolutely nothing. He opened his eyes slightly as one hand moved to rub the side of his head. He saw the remaining three Kids Next Door standing over him with smiles on their faces. Well Nigel and Hoagie were smiling, Kuki looked like she was about to burst into tears.
And burst she did. She grabbed him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Wally! You're normal again!" She squeezed him tightly. He stared at her until something registered. She hadn't called him Numbuh 4...
He cast a questioning glance at Nigel, who understood and nodded in response. It had been two days... he was 13... he wasn't a Kids Next Door operative anymore. He looked down at Kuki and patted her back comfortingly. "I should go..."
"What... now?" Kuki sniffled and moved back to stare into his eyes worriedly. "No not yet, we haven't had your going away party yet..."
"I'm not in the mood for a party Numbuh 3..." Wallabee groaned and sat up, still rubbing his head painfully. Kuki nodded sullenly and sat back in her seat beside his bed, staring down at the floor. Upon further examination of the others they didn't look right. There was something in his eyes that told him something was off. "Is there something I don't know?"
Nigel and Hoagie looked at Kuki, who raised her face to look at him with a shockingly serious expression. "No... nothing..." She stood up and walked out of the room, not looking at him again. Wallabee scratched his head in confusion while Nigel moved to pat his shoulder.
"Don't worry about her..." He said softly. "Now, about your decommissioning..."
"Don't bother." Wallabee stood up and brushed himself off. "I don't need your speech, I can leave without it." Nigel and Hoagie exchanged a quick glance.
"We'll be in the living room if you need anything Wallabee." Nigel flashed him a quick salute before he and Hoagie left the bedroom. Wallabee turned to gather all of his personal belongings into a suitcase he'd brought into the clubhouse for just that purpose.
What was with that look Kuki had given him? It had seemed so strange... like there was something she didn't want to tell him. He brushed it aside as he finished gathering up his things. If nobody wanted to let him in on the big secret he didn't need to know. He wasn't part of this team, they didn't have to tell him anything. He didn't care... he was fine with it.
He turned and walked through the tree house until he reached the exit. He hesitated a few moments before stepping onto the grass, and starting toward the sidewalk. He was stopped by a voice running up behind him.
"Wally! Wait!" Kuki yelled. Wallabee turned around slowly while she bounded up to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. "You... really don't remember... any of it?" She asked quietly.
"Not a thing." Wallabee confirmed. He couldn't tell if Kuki was relieved or upset by this, she just looked down at the grass thoughtfully.
"Then... remember this..." She walked up to him, grabbed him, and pulled him into a kiss. He froze up, staring at her in utter confusion, but she didn't seem to notice. She held it for several minutes with her eyes closed until she pulled back, her eyes glazed over with tears.
"I'm glad... you're better... bye-bye!" She turned to run back into the tree house, burying her face in her hands. Wallabee looked down at the ground and touched his lips lightly, for a moment recalling something from before. But as quickly as it came, it vanished again. Maybe someday, he would remember what it was...
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Nigel Uno looked up from his book on engineering when Kuki entered his small laboratory for creating new Kids Next Door technology. "Do you need something, Numbuh 3?" He asked softly. He knew she was still hurting after what Wallabee had done to her... mentally at least. Nobody else knew of course, but Nigel knew because he'd found them with him asleep on top of her.
"Why are we doing this...?" Kuki asked softly. "It doesn't change anything... and then it ends... and we're always sad... if all it leads to is sadness why do we do it?"
Nigel sighed and closed his book, staring at her over the rim of his shades. "That's something you'll have to think about." He told her seriously. "I wouldn't worry too much though. You're the youngest of all of us... you have plenty of time left."
"But I might quit... if I don't find a reason..." Kuki said. "I would rather go with Wallabee than do something that makes everyone sad."
"Don't worry... you'll find a reason, I know you will." Nigel walked up to her and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It's something we all have to do... it's part of growing up I guess."
"I hate growing up..." Kuki sighed.
Nigel chuckled. "Me too... but we will anyway... and you'll be ready, I know it." He pulled her in and gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek before turning toward the door. "I'm going to go arrange dinner tonight... I'll see you then." They each waved and he left, sticking his hands in his pockets. A reason for doing what they do... he was sure she would figure it out. He knew he had... he'd had to.
THE END
