Gently, Cree shook her younger sister's shoulder.

"Abigail," she cooed, barely keeping her excitement under check. She had waited a long time for this day. "Time to wake up."

A muffled grumble was her only reply as Abby stubbornly shook her sister's hand off to pull the covers over her head.

Gritting her teeth, Cree ripped the sheets off of her again. On one hand, falling back on old tactics would hinder her more than help but on the other she didn't have all night to wait patiently for Abby to wake up on her own.

True to form, Abby shot up out of bed, eyes narrowed and armed with a mustard blaster.

"I'm gonna give you to the count of five to get outta my room so Numbuh 5 can get back to some well earned shut eye."

A sly smile crossed Cree's face. "If you insist but first..."

Abby tensed as her sister moved towards her but to her great surprise and confusion, found herself in a bear-crushing hug.

"Let me be the first to wish you 'Happy 13th Birthday' Abby!"

Cree pulled back to better see her sister's face. To say she was stunned would be an understatement. The entire bed could be pulled out from beneath her and Cree doubted Abby would be any more shocked.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day Abby." Cree's grip tightened "For us to be sisters again."

Abby's expression softened. "Cree..."

"Now if we wanna be long gone before those brats get here to decommission you, I advise you to pack light. We won't have to be in hiding too long. Once they get wind that you're in the Teen Ninjas, you won't have to worry about the Decommissioning Squad coming after you."

"Cree."

"And don't worry about your old sector. If you want, we can wait for their birthdays to roll around and nab them too!"

"CREE!"

Cree froze and now it was her turn to stare at her sister in confusion. Abby was out of her bed, and was refusing to meet her sister's eyes.

"Cree...I can't. I-I'm the Soopreme Leader of the Kids Next Door now. I have to set an example a-and that means decommissioning."

An awkward silence stretched between them before Cree clenched her fists. "So? Chad was the Soopreme Leader and he left! And The Steve, Numbuh 100, ditched the Kids Next Door before him! Heck! Even that blonde kid before you ran off before they could decommission her! So what makes you so different Abigail?!"

"I have to set an example-"

"Don't you dare give me that load of crud Abby! If you cared at all about setting an example you would never have passed your leadership over to Numbuh 1 and so help me I will drag you out of this house whether you want to or nor. I will not let that sorry excuse of an organization destroy a vital part of who you are!"

Abby's shoulders fell. And for a moment, Cree was sure that her sister understood what she was getting at and that she really wouldn't have to drag her kicking and screaming to the teen ninja's base. But then Abby opened her mouth.

"Cree. I want to forget."

Cree stumbled a couple of steps backwards as she stared at her sister in horror. She couldn't have heard her right. She couldn't.

"You don't-"

"Yes Cree I do. I just can't do it anymore." Her voice broke. "The secrets. The lies. I don't want to think about that stuff anymore..."

Her word Abby spoke sent another dagger through Cree's heart. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Abby was supposed to grab her stuff and leave with her.

"Y-You won't have to Abby. If you just come with me, you won't have to lie. We can just hang out at the house all day if you want! Don't you want to be sisters again Abby?"

Her sister was silent for a moment before she gave a heavy sigh. "Memories or no memories, I'll always be your sister." A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "Besides, once it's all done and over with, I bet we'll be closer than ever."

"Nothing I say will change your mind, will it?"

"Nothin. And if you even try to drag me out this house, I'll make so much noise kickin your butt the whole neighborhood will hear it."

"...Fine. But you owe me an answer Abby. And since you have your heart set on forgettin everythin you've cared about, I want you to be honest with me."

"...fair 'nough."

"What's the real reason? And don't give me the same crud of not wantin to keep secrets. If that was true, you'd have left long before I even tried recruiting you tonight."

"...it hurts too much to remember Cree. I let somebody close to me down once but they got stronger and braver from it than any kid in the same position would of. And...some people noticed. They're off doin big an' important things now and I couldn't be prouder of 'em but everywhere I go, I'm reminded of them. A-And I just can't handle it anymore. I miss them and everyone keeps askin about them and comparin' me to 'im and to forget everything we did together is gonna be such a blessing.

"Please Cree. Let me have this. Not everyone fears being decommissioning."

"Fine. This better be what you really want. I'm not gonna come crashin' into the Moonbase to save your sorry butt once you've changed your mind. It's now or never."

"I know."

If some part of her still held hope that her sister would change her mind and join her, it was utterly crushed as Abby turned her back to her. No more words were needed or said. Abby had made her choice clear and as much as Cree wanted to take her to the rendezvous point to meet the other Teen Ninjas, she knew deep down that Abby would just escape to Moonbase the first chance she got.

But that didn't mean she would give up in fighting those brats. She may not have been able to save her sister from them, but there was something fishy going on with the Kids Next Dorks.

And she would find out what exactly what they were hiding.

No matter what.