Chapter 10
"Numbuh 363! Numbuh 363!" Sonya pounded the door to his room.
"Leave me alone, you girl." He said, half-heartedly. The rest of the day, he had been miserable. Realizing increasingly that his rashly-made decision to schedule Numbuh 83 for decommissioning was an awful one, he had swiveled back and forth on his favorite chair, thinking.
Yes - he wasn't happy having a girl on his team. Yes - he hated that she managed to trick him. Yes - he was resentful that she had turned his teammates against him. Yes - he wanted her to regret ever crossing Harvey K. McKenzie.
Yes - For a girl, she wasn't bad. Yes - as a new recruit, she had taken on villains pretty darn well. Yes - considering her phobia of the dark, his ultimatum was too harsh.
"Numbuh 363, please!Don't decommission me! I'll stay in a dark room by myself for two days! Anything but decommissioning!" He winced at the sound of her strangled sob.
Yes - she deserved another chance.
Numbuh 363 did not answer her, but instead turned to the computer. Some rehacking was going to be necessary to deschedule a decommissioning.
"Numbuh 83?" He heard Numbuh 84's concerned voice from outside his room.
"He's not listening to me, Numbuh 84!" He heard her cry out. Don't worry, girl. I heard you. Numbuh 363 rolled his eyes. Now to deschedule…WHAT?
Harvey's eyes widened at the blinking words on the screen.
SYSTEM NOT RESPONDING.
He frantically tried again.
SYSTEM NOT RESPONDING.
Crud! Harvey slammed his fist down on the desk. Once programmed…the system must be set up so it could not be overridden from the outside!
He breathed shallowly. This could not be happening.
Crash. Sector W had kicked his door open.
"Numbuh 363!" Harvey slowly turned around, to see a red-eyed, yellow-haired, seven year old girl. "Please! I don't want to forget everything!" Harvey began trembling. What kind of leader was he? To put his own teammate…through decommissioning…because he was…mad…
"I'm sorry!" He fell on his knees and bawled up at Sonya. "I'm sorry, Numbuh 83!"
"Numbuh 363, what's going on?" Numbuh 84 stared at the blubbering Harvey. His gaze landed on the computer screen.
SYSTEM NOT RESPONDING.
"I tried to deschedule her decommissioning, I tried!"
"Once the computer says you're set for decommissioning, you're going to get decommissioned." Paddy repeated softly.
"What?" Harvey spun around.
"My sister's on the Kids Next Door's decommissioning squad, and she said, once you're scheduled in the computer, there's no going back." Paddy looked down.
"Well, I'm going to talk to my sister, just watch me." Numbuh 363 said defiantly. "She's an elite spy for the Kids Next Door, and she regularly reports to Moon Base. I know she can fix this, she wouldn't let me down!" He closed his eyes, then opened them.
"Numbuh 83. This is all my fault, but don't worry. I won't let you down either. As your leader, I promise I won't let you down! I won't let you get decommissioned! I'm going to Moon Base, so Sector W, don't try to stop me!" Nobody attempted to stop Numbuh 363 as he ran out of the room.
"Numbuh 83?" Tommy began hesitantly.
"I know Numbuh T. It's hopeless." She smiled a sad smile. "But I'm glad Numbuh 363 doesn't really hate me after all."
"Numbuh 83," Paddy said cautiously, "you're taking this better than I thought."
"Yeah. Weird, isn't it?" She lowered her head and wiped her eyes and wiped her eyes and wiped her eyes.
As Numbuh 84 watched her in silence, he felt something tearing up his insides. Numbuh 363, you absolute moron.
----
It was another bright and sunny morning, but Sector W was in a solemn mood. The decommissioning squad had already arrived, and was waiting.
"Good-bye, Numbuh T."
"Bye, Numbuh 83." Tommy looked concerned.
"Good-bye, Numbuh 85."
"G'bye, Numbuh 83." Paddy looked as if he was about to cry.
"Good-bye, Numbuh 363." Numbuh 363 could not meet her eyes, and his face burned in shame.
"I'm sorry, Numbuh 83," was all he could manage. Sonya nodded. That was all she could manage.
"Good-bye, Numbuh 84."
"Good-bye, Numbuh 83."
She stared at him. I like you -I like you - I like you - I like you! Am I really going to forget you? Am I really? I wonder…if I should tell you that I like you? But does it even matter anymore? She stared at him for so long, Numbuh 84 began to redden. No, this is enough. She decided. Seeing him flush. It's cute.
"I'm ready." She said quietly. The decommissioning squad closed ranks around her. Kids who were much older than her, kids who were much taller than her. Surrounded by them, Sonya felt absurdly small, and even more helpless, even more hopeless. She walked up the stairs of the S.K.O.O.L.B.U.S., and paused to look at Sector W for one last time. To see Numbuh 84 for one last time.
And it was not enough.
"I - LIKE - YOU - NUM - BUH EIGHT-Y-FOUR!"
The older KND operatives jumped, and stared at her in surprise. Sector W's jaws dropped. Numbuh 84's face burned hot and wild. Crimson had started out past his ears, then red, then scarlet rapidly spread to engulf his now flaming face. Sonya hid a small smile. At least...she thought to herself as she turned back around...now I'll have no regrets.
As Numbuh 83 was taken to the Moon Base, as she was strapped into the decommissioning chair by an apologetic-looking Head of Decommissioning, as the plunger over the head was adjusted for her maximum comfort and maximum memory absorption rate, as the lever was pulled, and as her memory was being sucked away, Numbuh 83 held onto his final words for as long as she could.
"NUM - BUH - EIGHT - Y - THREE! I - LIKE - YOU - TOO!"
"NUM - BUH - EIGHT - Y - THREE! I - LIKE - YOU - TOO!"
"NUM - BUH - EIGHT - Y - THREE! I - …
"NUM - BUH - EIGHT - …
"NUM - BUH - …
. . .
Numbuh 83 was no more.
Yes, Numbuh 363 can be a prat, but Sector W sticks with him for a reason. They're friends ...for a reason. So I knew that despite his outer character, he probably has a good heart deep inside. Deep, deep, deep inside. And here it is revealed. Numbuh 363 DOES have a conscience after all!
Also, I know it's a really short chapter, but I thought it was a good cut-off point. So, until next time!