Operation: F.A.T.E.

F – Fate

A – Already

T – Told

E – Eternally

Countdown Has Started

"Maybe it's just an coinkidencu… it has to be anything but that!" Wally started then decided to shout instead, "it can't actually happen!" he cried in panic.

"No one knows for sure Numbuh 4," Numbuh 5 responded firmly, "Jerry fell down a flight of stairs," she said, "we can't be sure he'll be paralysed from the waist down," she pointed out.

"He better not be," Numbuh 4 said coldly and placed his head back in his hands.

Numbuh 5 sighed and closed her eyes. The future she had seen, that all five of them had seen, was horrible. Numbuh 5 knew she'd never take happiness at the expense of everyone she cared about. But her future said she would.

I can't let that happen, Numbuh 5 decided, I just can't.

"You okay Numbuh 3?" Numbuh 5 asked.

"What do you think?" Numbuh 3 responded coldly.

Numbuh 4 looked up and looked at Numbuh 3 worriedly. Numbuh 5 sighed again. What could she say? Numbuh 3 suffered the worst fate of all. All they could see for Numbuh 3 real name Kuki Sanban six years in the future was a picture engraved a top of her tombstone. She still looked just like she looked now. Meaning she died at ten years old. Kuki had no future. Nothing Numbuh 5 could say could fix that. But their actions together as a team could change that. All they had to do was stick together. In the future almost all of them were far apart. That's what Numbuh 5 believed was their downfall. Not sticking together.

Numbuh 1 entered the waiting room along with Numbuh 2 who wore doctor's clothes.

"Is he…?" Numbuh 5 started to ask.

"Is he dead?" Numbuh 4 asked coldly.

"Numbuh 4!" Numbuh 1 shouted.

"Hey he tried to kill me!" Numbuh 4 shouted back incredulously.

"Well he failed," Numbuh 5 snapped, "how is he Numbuh 2?" she asked.

"I have good news and bad news," Numbuh 2 said formally.

"What's the good news," Numbuh 3 asked humbly.

The other four looked at her in surprise. This was the first time her voice didn't sound angry, cold, or bitter since they exited the time machine.

"He's paralysed from the neck down," Numbuh 2 whispered to them.

"Good," Numbuh 4 declared, "now he can't have mobility in the upper half of his body like he did six years into the future."

"Listen to the bad news Wally," Numbuh 1 instructed.

"What bad news can there be?" Numbuh 4 asked incredulously, "I won't be stuck with him, I'm off scot free!" he declared.

"Shush," Numbuh 5 hissed and slapped him in the back of the head, "we don't want anyone else knowing what we saw, remember?" she reminded him.

"Okay, Okay," Numbuh 4 said rubbing his head.

"The bad news is," Numbuh 2 started, "he can regain mobility in the upper part of his body in two years minimum, four maximum," he revealed.

A complete hush fell upon the area where the five of them were.

"Is it a maybe?" Numbuh 4 asked desperately.

Numbuh 2 shook his head.

"No," Numbuh 3 suddenly snarled fiercely, "No," she repeated, "he won't take Wally away from us, away from me."

The other four looked at Numbuh 3 worriedly. The Japanese 10 year old looked ready to kill.

Suddenly she fell to her knees and started crying.

"I love you Wally," Numbuh 3 said loudly, "please don't leave me," she begged.

The other four eyes widened.

She told Wally that she loved him before she died while all five of you were at a hospital, Numbuh 1 recalled in his mind of what the future Jerry had said to him.

"We have to be more careful," Numbuh 1 said suddenly, "the countdown has started," he told them.

"The what?" Numbuh 4 asked in confusion while others looked at Numbuh 1 in fear fully understanding what Numbuh 1 meant.

"We have to be more vigilant," Numbuh 5 said seriously.

"We have to make sure the future doesn't happen," Numbuh 2 snapped at Numbuh 4 who looked ready to ask even more questions.

"Don't snap at me!" Numbuh 4 shouted angrily.

"Oh shut up," Numbuh 2 spat at him and walked off.

Everyone was silenced by Numbuh 2's change in attitude. But then that silence was quickly joined with worry.

First Stumble Noted

If anyone's curious the five futures are written in order of each agents number. First future is for Numbuh 1 and the next for Numbuh 2 and so on. Thank you all for reviewing so far. And thoughts are in italics