"It was in August when I first heard of these disappearances." Numbuh 3:16 said as he and Numbuh 2030 sat at a park bench. The operative dressed in black glanced up to the cloudy sky, making out figures in the puffy cotton floating up there. Numbuh 2030 sat beside him, sifting through a stack of papers, the incident reports he'd acquired from the local police department. "It was in New Jersey." He muttered. "A spike in the average disappearance rate."

"Curious. Every report describes the incidents as 'disappearances'." Numbuh 2030 said darkly as he combed the incident reports associated with the park they now visited. "They don't even play with the idea that the children were abducted."

"Kids disappear all the time." Numbuh 3:16 acknowledged sadly, not taking his eyes off the clouds as they drifted by. "It's a sad truth. Sometimes we rebel and wish for more, we leave before we know better." His eyes narrowed. "And then other times we're taken and never seen again."

"It was like it was alive, the trail." Numbuh 3:16 recalled. "It began in a small town in New Jersey one day. Then it got quiet, the figures averaged out once more. But then I looked at the city right next door, and then the numbers spiked the moment the numbers evened out in the previous city."

"You started to look closer?" Numbuh 2030 glanced away from the stack of papers.

"Yes." Numbuh 3:16 said evenly. "Then I found this bread crumb like trail. I followed it and here we are now. In a park."

Numbuh 3:16 gestured to the numerous vacant swing sets and jungle gyms. The two operatives were the only ones in the park. After the disappearances, it appeared that parents weren't taking any risks, they weren't going to let their children out of their sights even once.

"None of the other Sectors noticed either?" Numbuh 2030 asked.

"No. Only me." Numbuh 3:16 answered.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Numbuh 3:16 brought his eyes away from the clouds, no longer amused with his imagination. "I turned out like this for a reason. They say the Lord works in mysterious ways. I firmly believe he was telling me to find these kids."

Numbuh 2030 made no attempt to hide his irritated sigh. "Do you have something against religion?" Numbuh 3:16 asked curiously.

"I just don't believe in God." Numbuh 2030 shrugged. "I certainly refuse to believe some omnipotent force ordered you to go find a bunch of kids while it could handle the task without breaking a sweat."

"You say so with such conviction. It's not my place to question the Lord."

Numbuh 2030 jus turned and looked at Numbuh 3:16 with a disbelieving face. "Not asking questions and speaking up usually allows tyrants to step into power."

"God isn't a man." Numbuh 3:16's eyes narrowed slightly at Numbuh 2030.

"Fair enough." Numbuh 2030 backed off.

"Anything else those papers can tell us?" Numbuh 3:16 shifted the conversation back on topic.

Numbuh 2030 looked at the stack of papers once more. "The disappearances occurred within a time a short time frame between one another. There's also one report with a child witness. An older sibling. She claimed to have heard a flute."

"No other report mentions the flute?"

"Yes." Numbuh 2030 confirmed as he ran through the stack once more.

"A Pied Piper of sorts?" Numbuh 3:16 thought aloud.

"Could be." Numbuh 2030 mused.

"Perhaps the local teen element can shed some light on this mysterious melody?"

Numbuh 2030 slung the stack of papers into his combat satchel. "Better than standing around some ghost town of a park."

"Agreed."

The two operatives stood from the bench and walked away from the eerily quiet park. Not once did they look back.

The Malt Shop

A casual teen hangout, The Malt Shop was clean on the outside, but deep below it was the seedy underbelly and home to the Teen Ninjas. On the surface, dozens of teens packed the booths, laughing and enjoying each other's company as the latest pop music blared on the speakers.

Kelsey Winkler manned the counter, taking orders while the cook filled the orders, grilling up burger meat and frying potato wedges.

"Hello, Welcome, what will it be?" Kelsey asked with the fakest smile she could put on.

"A double cheese burger and a vanilla shake if you would please." The Teen villain, Teen Tornado, ordered.

"No problem handsome." Kelsey flirted.

"Now, Kelsey." Teen Tornado said huskily. "You know I'm in a relationship."

"Oh, but I'd be so more fun than, her." Kelsey winked.

"I'm not one to cheat, Kelsey." Teen Tornado feigned a higher moral standing. He then quickly leaned forward against Kelsey's ear and spoke quietly. "But I could be persuaded."

"Nine forty five." Kelsey whispered seductively.

Teen Tornado reached into his back pocket, withdrawing a wallet. He opened it and dug out a ten, handing it to Kelsey. "Keep the change." He said as she handed him his receipt.

Teen Tornado spun around, aiming to look for an empty seat to lounge at while he waited for his food. Much to his surprise, the teen villain found Numbuh 2030 standing behind him, two M.U.S.K.E.T.s in hand.

"'Sup nerd." Numbuh 2030 muttered casually before opening fire.

A wave of mustard washed over Teen Tornado, smacking him and causing him to lose his footing and fall back, hitting his head against the counter.

"It's that KND brat!" A teen shouted from across the room.

A teen quickly reached for his laser pistol, drawing it and taking aim, only for a sword to swiftly cut it in two. The teen looked to find Numbuh 3:16 in his dark clothing and white cross shirt, standing with a golden broadsword in hand.

"At ease." Numbuh 3:16 said in a soothing tone. "We are only here to talk."

Numbuh 2030 holstered his guns and reached down, claiming Teen Tornado's fallen wallet. "Prom Queen still trying to catch him cheating, Kelsey?"

"Sort of." Kelsey scratched her left ear, revealing a tiny radio imbedded in her ear ring. "So what do you want brat?"

"Information." Numbuh 2030 answered dryly.

"I don't know what other people have been saying, Numbuh 2030, but I'm no rat."

"You're one of Prom Queen's Gossip Jockeys." Numbuh 2030 said a matter of fact. "And besides" he opened Teen Tornado's wallet and reached in. "I'm a paying customer." Numbuh 2030 placed a fifty on the counter.

Kelsey glanced at Numbuh 2030 and then to the fifty. Her eyes wandered to the other teens in the room, who were all watching while eating. Kelsey slowly reached out and took the money.

"What do you want to know?"

"Kids are disappearing." Numbuh 2030 answered. "A report claimed that there was a special musical instrument involved. You hear of anyone specializing

Kelsey thought for a moment, absorbing all the information Numbuh 2030 told her. "There's a new player in town. First showed up around a month ago." Kelsey said, glancing at the other teens. "I heard he wears a costume. So he's one of those fruit loops. Carries a staff, could be your guy."

"Any chance you know where we can find this man?" Numbuh 3:16 questioned as he holstered his broadsword in his scabbard.

"Sorry, not a clue." Kelsey shrugged. Numbuh 2030 dug into the wallet yet again, producing another fifty and handing it to Kelsey. "Holiday, you know the weird guy with the calendar obsession?"

"I vaguely recall an incident involving exploding pumpkins, yes." Numbuh 2030 said dryly.

"Well, he's the one I heard this from. Find him, he might point you in the right direction." Kelsey said optimistically.

"Thanks Kelsey." With that, the two operatives turned to leave. The hushed silence in the Malt Shop lifted as the teens resumed their business as usual.

"Hey Kid." Numbuh 2030 stopped in his tracks. He glanced over to see Kelsey standing there with a proud smirk. "Prom Queen's going to want to kill you for hurting her boyfriend."

Numbuh 2030 turned back around and left The Malt Shop behind Numbuh 3:16. "She already does." He scoffed.

"That was rather too relaxed of a conversation between enemies, wouldn't you say?" Numbuh 3:16 commented, referring to the talk they had with Kelsey.

"If you're implying I'm crooked. Let me stress how insulting such a claim is." Numbuh 2030 cast a serious glare in Numbuh 3:16's direction.

"That wasn't what I was insinuating." Numbuh 3:16 said hastily as he waved his hands defensively, wishing not to mix up his point. "They don't take you serious."

"I used to be the only operative out here for a while, remember?" Numbuh 2030 said as he dug through Teen Tornado's wallet, taking the remaining spare cash and pilfering his Teen Ninja ID card.

"Yes. Before The Prospectors." Numbuh 3:16 nodded. "Numbuh 416. I remember him. He was your leader."

"Yes."

"You seem to forget I was present that day. On the Moon Base." Numbuh 3:16's voice was even yet restrained. The operative danced around a landmine of sore subjects that were public knowledge in regards to Numbuh 2030.

"Then I don't have to say anything." Numbuh 2030 said before gesturing for them to cross the street.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The two operatives crossed the street. "He was a good operative."

"That he was." Numbuh 2030 dug into his pocket, producing his P.I.P.E.R. "Hold a sec here, would you Jon?" He asked Numbuh 3:16 to stay put. "Phone call." He stepped aside.

Numbuh 2030 dialed up a series of numbers. "One of these days calling people will be easier." He said quite irate at the tedious nature of dialing.

"Go for Code Word." A feminine voice said from the P.I.P.E.R.'s receiver.

"Banana Bread." Numbuh 2030 spoke into the device.

"Hello Nolan." A cheerful voice spoke over the 2x4 communication device. "What could I do for you?"

"Hey Mara." Numbuh 2030 greeted kindly. "I'm in a bit of a snag. Got a mess of children disappearing and I have a lead. I just need your help to find someone. Can you get into the Teen Ninja database?"

"I'm going to need an active ID." The girl on the other end of the call, Mara, said as Numbuh 2030 heard a series of keyboard keys being rapidly tapped on the other end.

"Hold for a moment." Numbuh 2030 glanced down at the ID he'd taken from Teen Tornado. "Stand by for ID."

"Go for ID." Mara said prepared.

"Zero, Zero, Zero, Five, Three, Five, Two." Numbuh 2030 spoke clearly.

"We're in. What do you need?" Mara asked.

"I need an address. A teen named Holiday might know something." Numbuh 2030 answered.

There was that rapid tapping noise again. "…Holiday…Brett Jubilee…3029 Dodds Street."

"Thanks Mara." Numbuh 2030 said politely. "Talk to you later."

"Take care Nolan." Was her goodbye as Numbuh 2030 hung up.

"Who were you talking to?" Numbuh 3:16 asked

"A colleague who's good with computers." Numbuh 2030 downplayed. "We've got an address. Holiday lives around the block." Numbuh 2030 pointed at a sign where it read 'Dodds Street'. "3029."

"Keep our eyes out I suppose. Might pass by it." The pair continued to walk down the residential neighborhood.