Numbuh 362 hesitated. After about a minute, she closed the glass lid over the button.
"What are you doing?" Numbuh 1 asked.
"I have another solution." Numbuh 362 said.
She moved away from the control panel and walked over to John. The device on John's head raised. Numbuh 362 knelt down in front of him so they were at eye level, except John had his head lowered.
"Listen, John." she said. "It wouldn't feel right doing this, knowing it would leave you alone and without a family. So I'm going to make you an offer; spend one week in KND prison and you can return to your team. What do you think?"
John slowly nodded his head.
"It's settled then."
John stepped into a cell and the guards closed the door behind him. He walked over to the bed and sat down. Numbuhs 1 and 362 were standing there, watching John. Numbuh 362 turned and started to walk away. Numbuh 1 followed.
"You sure this is a good idea?" Numbuh 1 asked.
"I hope so." Numbuh 362 answered. "I just couldn't go through with it."
"Because he has no family?"
She nodded.
A day passed and John was still in prison. It was the guards' lunch break so the room was empty.
"Hey, John."
He looked up. "Cree." He went over to the cell door. She knelt down and put her hand through the bars. John reached out and the two locked fingers.
"I missed you." Cree said.
"I missed you, too."
"Now how about I bust you out of here?" Cree asked.
John shook his head. "No. I'm not gonna run. Not anymore."
"What are you saying?"
"They're gonna let me back in with Sector V if I remain here for six more days."
"Are you serious?" she asked. John nodded. "But..." she said. "But what about all that we've accomplished?"
John turned away from the cell. "We haven't accomplished anything, Cree. We've failed."
"So you're giving up?"
"Cree, I-" he said turning back to look at Cree. "I have to tell you something."
"What?" she asked.
"I haven't been completely honest with you." he said hesitantly.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have a family."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't have a family." John repeated. "I ran away 'cause I couldn't deal with 'em anymore. Then I found out the moved away after I was turned into a teenager thinking I was gone forever. That's why I joined the Kids Next Door. To have that family I always wanted."
"I could be that family." Cree said.
John smiled. "That's really nice, Cree. But if I leave this cell, I'll be hunted down for the rest of my life. I can't live like that."
Cree looked down at the floor. "I understand." She looked back up.
"Thanks." John said.
Cree smiled and stood up. She backed away from the cell and moved towards the door. She was about to leave when...
"Hey." John said. Cree stopped and turned around. "Come find me when I get out?"
Cree smiled. "You bet I will." And she left.
An alarm sounded and two guards burst into the room. The looked around and spotted John in his cell. One of the guards pulled out a walkie-talkie.
"Negative." the guard said. "He's still here."
He put the walkie-talkie away and sighed.