Chapter Two: Lucy- Numbuh 666
My mind was wild. In all my training, in all my years, I'd never been this dizzy with emotions. It made my stomach feel so strange. So bizarre. So sick. I couldn't concentrate on the blank TV screen dimly gleaming back at me. I couldn't focus on the stack of papers dully laying on the desk, and I certainly couldn't fix any amount of attention on Numbuh 962, Jimmy, sneaking around the house looking for any sweets he could get his grubby little hands on.
I sighed heavily to myself and flopped down in my chair, still keeping a tight eye on the monitor I knew would never flip back on. Connecting the tips of my fingers together to form a pyramid, I narrow my gaze and tried cooling my nerves. But all I could see was his face. Logan's perfect, stern, angry face. Every time I closed my eyes all that waited me was his gritted teeth and angry clouded blue eyes. Why? Why did I care so much about him? How did he tie my stomach into knots and make my brain go foggy and then blank? How did he hold this power over me? Was some sort of experimental technology Numbuh 962 came up with, or-
I slammed my fists onto the desk. The stacks of papers jumped with the sudden force, and my whole body quivered with the only true emotion I could ever feel: rage. I would not let my training go to waste. I couldn't allow whatever curse Logan had on me interfere with the mission HQ had given me. I had to be careful with how I investigated Numbuh 364. I couldn't let her know I had any doubts about her but Logan, Numbuh 287, would find a way to warn her. I didn't understand their connection, but I knew it was strong enough for him to want to warn her at any risk, even being decommissioned himself.
Something started stirring in my stomach. Like a virus, it grew. Red hot heat flooded my system, using my veins to carry the fire through my body. I had only ever read about this emotion, but I knew I had rightfully identified it. Jealousy. But why would I, the great 666, ever feel any sort of envy for the clumsy, careless, dimwitted 364? She had nothing on me. Her soft features paled in compassion to my sharp distinct look. My symmetry overpowered her sloppy demeanor. She was nothing. Never attempting leadership, always crying. So why- why would he sacrifice everything just to give her a fighting chance? Numbuh 962 had perfectly laid out the evidence, she cared for adults and teens just as much as she cared about us. Her allegiance was spotty at best. Surely Numbuh 287 could see that, surely he saw our doubt- so why? Why blindly defend her? It was illogical. All of it!
"Boss?" I didn't allow myself to get angry at the chocolate smeared across Numbuh 962's darkened face. His deep gray eyes were wide, the hyperactivity kicking in, but he approached me calmly. I shook my hair back into place and forced a kind smile back at him.
"Yes, love." I breathed. He raised a brow.
"Have they come back yet?" He asked, but all I could do was frown. He nodded tugging at the oversized headphones on his neck and sighed. "Do you think they'll come back?" He asked. "Or do you think they're rogue?"
"Rogue?" I mouthed, honestly the thought had never even occurred to me. Numbuh 287 was stupid, but he wasn't clueless enough to take Numbuh 364 and run. No, he'd be back. More than possibly forcing the KND to attack them, he'd want to clear her name by any necessary and he'd want us to help him. He would be back, he would be back with her.
"You never told me." Numbuh 962 slowly closed the gap between us. His natty hair was hidden neatly under a sleeping cap, and he hugged a chocolate covered bear close to his chest as he prepared for the next sentence. "Do you personally believe HQ has their information right? Do you think Ava could be a double agent?"
"It's possible." I said keeping my voice clear of any emotion. "Head Quarters is usually pretty thorough."
Again he nodded, as if reasoning with himself, and a pinch of guilt brushed across his harsh gray eyes. I straightened my back and stared at him. There was something more. Doubt.
"I don't know if HQ had their Intel right." He started. "You see, I hacked the system and something isn't right. Almost like someone was targeting Ava specifically. Someone purposefully leaked footage of Ava saving teens and adults to HQ. I think Logan may have been onto something."
"That changes nothing." I said turning my back to him. "They had their suspicions, and it appears they were right."
"What?" The confusion was clear in his voice. I could feel him stumbling backwards and resisted the urge to look at him.
"I didn't stutter, Numbuh 962, Headquarters had their suspicions. It is our job to investigate and report back."
"But this could be a setup!" He blurted. "Don't you get it?"
"I'm sorry, Numbuh 962, are you talking back to me?"
"Yes! Yes I am!" He growled. I snapped my body sharply back to him. The stout little man stood on his tip-toes in a vain effort to reach my height.
"I'm sorry, Numbuh 962, weren't you the one who assumed that Numbuh 364 was the one who was the double agent? Didn't you insist, a mere hour ago, that she deserved to be investigated even after Numbuh 287 suggested she wasn't?"
"Yes, but-"
"Yes, but nothing." I cut. "Nothing has changed."
I spun back around, organizing the stack of papers scattered across my desk. Numbuh 962 was huffing and puffing, clearly annoyed by my lack of understanding. After a beat, he kicked at the ground and growled, "you witch," then left. I shook my head, confused. I was no witch. Not like Logan, Numbuh 287. I was a firm leader. A good leader. And he was a loose cannon.
I didn't understand the KND. They were reckless, rowdy, rough, and childish. Adults were goofy, unorganized, and cocky. It appeared I didn't fit in anywhere. I wasn't an adult, and I clearly wasn't a child. I was soldier without a cause, and no family to call my own.
"But you're beautiful." Numbuh 287 would say. I smiled at his words, closing my eyes to get lost in the memory of two years ago, when I first joined the KND. "You don't need to be tough all the time. Let loose. Be yourself."
"Myself?" I mutter back to him. He laughed placing a hand on my shoulder. He was so tall. A good leader, I was sure. HQ leader, Chad, looked back at me and grinned.
"Meet Logan Luis of Sector R, Lucy. He'll be in charge of you." Chad informed me. I looked back at Logan and frowned.
"What's that?" He laughed. "There's no frowning in Sector R."
"R for righteous!" A very young boy with wild dreads and giant headphones said doing a funny hand sign.
"I know he looks young," Logan whisper, "and that's because he is. He's only seven, but the kid's got some mad hacking skills."
"Mad?" I repeated. Logan cut a look to Chad who shrugged.
"We found her hooked up to a giant machine in some government building. She doesn't really understand slang. You'll have to work on her." He explained coolly. "Well, we've gotta go. You've got it from here, right?"
"Chad, wait!" A little girl in a loose dress came running by with a big yellow present in hand. "Happy birthday." She smiled gently placing the present in his hands. The tall blonde boy with big blue eyes stared down at her kindly and gently rustled her mousy brown hair.
"You remembered?" He asked looking at the gift. She blushed and stared at her bare feet.
"Of course I remembered." She muttered under her breath. "But I don't want to keep you. You've got work to do." She paused, looked at me, and smiled bigger offering up her hand. "I heard your name was Lucy." She stated kindly. "Come with me, I'll show you around. I've been working all day to get things together. We'll have so much fun!"
I hesitated, but Chad and Logan both gave me the same warm smile, so I took her hand and let her pull me inside. I listened as she talked, to both the conversation happening at the door and the new girl showing me around. Logan was kind to Chad, and told him he was excited to work with me. He kept commenting on my looks, telling him how lovely I was. It was the first time someone had said how kind I was. And I couldn't shake that feeling. The feeling of joy.
I stared at the ceiling, still feeling the warmth of that day all those years ago. How times have changed. Chad, now a traitor. And Ava, too. I wanted to believe Logan was still the leader I knew him to be, but it'd been hours since he'd raced out and I hadn't heard from him or 364 since.
My room was dark. Black walls, black floor, black ceiling. And I laid perfectly still, waiting for something. For my brain to unscramble and become clear. For 962 to stop looking for candy. For 287 to come back with new evidence of 364's innocence. But what were the chances of that? What, really, were the chances she was innocent? Numbuh 1 was a living legend. He made no mistakes. Something was up. But what?
I rolled over onto my side and stared out the window. Through the piles of snow, I could spy two silhouettes carefully making their way back to the tree house. As they got closer, I could see 364 in her trademark oversized dress, and 287 in his old gray beanie. I watched as they grew larger, talking seriously with every closing minute. And then, my eyes spotted something truly amazing. A tiny yellow present.
"Chad." I spoke aloud. And suddenly, everything was clear. There was more than one traitor on this team.