Chapter Summary: Stranded in the middle of nowhere after a malfunction, the group rests in a mysterious space station for a rest, which may or may not be haunted. Meanwhile, Kuki makes a discomforting discovery.

IMPORTANT: TRIGGER WARNING

See end of chapter for content or proceed with caution if avoiding spoilers

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Operation H.A.Z.E. (PART ONE)

Happenings

Arouse

Zany

Experiences

Written by OfficiallyWrong with properties owned by Tom Warburton

and Cartoon Network

Location: Unknown

Time: Unknown

Status: Fucked

Episode 8

Floating at the edge of the Universe, an abandoned space station sat in orbit of a mysterious planet. Its gaseous form made it uninhabitable for carbon-based lifeforms, and yet its bright purple color was ethereal, no doubt luring many to it. The space station appeared old and rusted on the outside, but inside remained spotlessly clean. Writings in an Alien script adorned the walls, along with various drawings. The station had all the amenities necessary for contemporary human living: bedrooms, bathrooms, laboratories, kitchens, which the new Sector V was surprised to find in such a location. It was a strange little miracle in a slew of catastrophic events.

Kuki politely held Abby's hair, trying not to look down at the horrifying vomit coming out of her mouth. She had never seen anyone quite so allergic to vegetables. It seemed that until their leader got better, there was no way they could leave the station. Abby hurled herself over the porcelain bowl. The greenish tinge in her skin had mainly gone now. However, the twisting in her stomach continued. She had been there for about twenty minutes, her body now drenched in sweat.

"It's cause she ate all that bloody candy," Wally insisted when Kuki explained to him the situation. The others waited outside the bathroom out of politeness. He shook his head. "I swear that bitch's got a screw loose." His comment was met with a swift slap in his arm. "Ow!"

Kuki, the perpetrator, glowered at him. "Don't say things like that!" she snapped. "Abby was right about the vegetables being poisoned. She knows more about this world than we do, so we don't have the right to judge her."

"It's so strange," Hoagie added. "But I guess not as strange as everything else that's been happening."

"How can vegetables be poison anyway?" Wally crossed his arms. "Don't make any sense. Ain't they supposed to be good for you?"

Kuki sighed. "You're thinking about it wrong. We're supposed to think like kids, remember?"

Hoagie huffed. "Yeah. Think like a kid. Make brash decisions based on feelings, be afraid of vegetables, and travel to the center of the Universe to ask a guy to pretty please not blow up the planet." He lifted a hand to his face.

"You guys are mean," Kuki pouted, her cheeks puffing out. "Abby's been right all this time. You should trust her more."

Just then, they heard the door creek open, a still-nauseous Abby slinking out into the hallway. "I think...that's everything," she stammered. "There's nothin' left in there." She pulled herself upright, making a determined face. "Time to head back out!" As soon as she said that, another sharp pain attacked her stomach.

"No! No! Absolutely not!" Kuki said, pushing her back into the room they had assigned for her. "You're going to bed, young lady!"

"I'm older than you..."

Kuki brightened up. "I know! I'll get you some tums. I always keep some in my..." She froze before letting out a pained gasp. "Oh no!"

Wally jolted. "What? What's wrong?!"

"I forgot to get a first aid kit!"

"You what?!" Wally couldn't believe this.

"I was gonna get one when we got the food but-"

"What kind of wannabe nurse doesn't remember to get a bloody first aid kit! What happens if we get hurt? What are we supposed to do, lick our wounds?"

Kuki's lower lip trembled, her eyes growing as big as saucers. "I'm sorry, Wally."

Wally exhaled, pinching his nose. "You're somethin' else."

Hoagie stripped off his backpack. "It's okay, Kuki. I've got it." He fit his hand inside the front pocket, pulling out a bright orange box. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle of tums and a washrag. "That should do it."

Wally found himself flustered. "What are you, Mary Poppins? The fuck is all this?"

Hoagie looked up, shutting the box. "Oh, this? I take it everywhere. You never know when there's going to be an emergency."

Kuki gave him a discomforted look. "When did you start doing that?"

Hoagie shrugged. "You get in the habit."

Kuki picked up the tums and the rag, watching Hoagie as he put away the first aid kit, stuffed right next to his brother's goggles. The sight was slightly disconcerting. She picked up the tums and the rag, handing them to Abby, who was only half-present for most of the exchange. "Now you take this and get some sleep, okay?"

"I'll be fine," Abby tried, but Kuki wasn't taking any chances.

"Don't be silly," she grinned. "I'll take good care of you, Miss Abby. We're not going anywhere until you're in tip-top shape!" She turned to the boys. "In fact, we should all get some sleep. Who knows when we're gonna have another chance to rest."

Wally nodded. "She's got a point."

"Please don't call Abby 'Miss'," she said.

Kuki ushered Abby into the nearest sleeping quarters. The S.L.I.N.G.S.H.O.T. had blasted them off into the middle of nowhere, certainly, but thankfully they found an old abandoned space station with amenities that still functioned. After the ambush at the Moon Base, the team was happy with their temporary good fortune. Despite it being old and designed for smaller bodies, it was better than trying to sleep in the cramped ship designed for the luxury of five children who literally never left each other's sides.

"Whoa! Check that out!" Wally exclaimed, peering down the giant hole in the center of the room. "Hello!" his voice echoed down into the chamber. While Abby was sleeping, he, Kuki, and Hoagie decided to explore the premises in search of something that could potentially get them back on track. So far, they hadn't found anything besides a couple of old wires and tubes. In the center of the room, a larger tube sat from floor to ceiling, attaching to the smaller tubes.

Kuki's leg kicked up as she leaned in further. "It's so big! I wonder what it does?"

Hoagie scanned the plaques on the railings, written in the same Alien language as the outside door. Alongside them were what looked to be hieroglyphs carved into plaques. "I think these are the instructions," he told the others. The three gathered around the plaque.

The first image was that of two straight vertical lines about an inch apart from each other. The second contained the same two lines, same distance, but inside of them were thinner vertical squiggly lines. It was a crude sketch, like a child had done it. It matched the crudeness of the other etchings.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say this was one of those Kids Next Door thingy's ships," Wally said.

"If it is, maybe we could find a way to re-activate it like the Moon Base," Hoagie suggested.

"Let's turn it on and see what happens!" Kuki announced.

"Sure," Hoagie said. "We've got nothing to lose."

The two played around with the buttons, pressing every single one like it was an Olympic sport. However, nothing happened.

"Aw, come on!" Wally pounded on the rail. "You piece'a junk! Work!"

"Maybe it's not plugged in?" Kuki proposed.

"What's it supposed to be, I wonder..." Hoagie thought aloud. "A teleportation device maybe?"

Wally gasped. "That would be so cool!" He peered around Hoagie's shoulder. "I see it. Those are the wave-thingies and that's the tube thingy..."

"I wonder if it goes to where Nigel Uno is," Kuki added.

The three of them let out a sigh.

Now that would be a miracle.

The bed was small and slightly hard with a flat pillow, but that didn't matter. Abby couldn't sleep anyway. She turned over to her side, able to hear her shallow breathing. The washcloth she had dampened with cold water sat on the side of her face, which helped to at least absorb the sweat. She closed her eyes, trying to not think, which of course led to a series of thoughts and feelings. She couldn't sleep. There was no time. They had to get to the G:KND as quickly as possible. She groaned, her mind wavering in and out of the dream state. She could hear the soft whirring of machinery around her, fading in and out like white noise. She was so close. As her body relaxed, she heard someone whisper something. Something that sounded like her name. She shook it off and focused on relaxing.

"...Five..." She thought she could hear the voice say.

She groaned. Who was there? What did they want?

"Numbuh Five. Wake up."

Abby's eyes began to flutter open. The room was completely pitch dark.

"Numbuh Five." The voice became clearer.

She turned over on her back, sitting her head up. "Nigel?"

Slowly, she sat up in bed, looking around the room. The voice did not answer. She rubbed her eyes. After waiting for a few moments, she realized she must have been dreaming. She lay back down in bed, finding a comfortable position to return to. It was when she had done this that the nausea in her stomach started to return.

Hoagie was never good at sleeping. At home, he averaged approximately four hours a night, and even that was only when he had something important he had to do. His mind was like a mine field at night, exploding with ideas and thoughts that never seemed to plague him during the day. Of course, he knew that in space day and night were simply arbitrary organizations of time and the biological clock would cause him to pass out when his body ran out of energy. But in this time, Hoagie had a task to complete, and he could never sleep if he had a task to complete no matter how much he wanted to.

He glared at the tiny wooden box of ancient technology. A recommissioning module. It certainly would solve a lot of their problems, not just for Abigail, but for the whole TND. Still, Wally had overestimated him. Hoagie had dismantled and reassembled the machine three times since Kuki made him go to sleep and yet he couldn't figure out what made it tick. He recognized most of the materials: wood, wire, paperclips, rubber bands, things that kids would use to create a project for school. It certainly didn't appear advanced. He reached back behind his neck, a small itch starting to arise. He closed his eyes, praying it was just a coincidence. He slipped out of his jacket, pulling up the sleeves of his shirt.

Great. Perfect.

Hoagie opened his backpack, pulling out his first aid kit. He walked to the bathroom, the itch spreading up his arm and down his back. The bright incandescent light coming from the fixtures exposed a series of red splotches accumulating all over his body. He grumbled as he searched for the specific cream he needed. He unbuttoned his over-shirt, regretting the layers he always wore. The cream was cold over his hot skin and it made him feel a sense of relief, or the closest thing to it that he could possibly feel given the circumstances. It was a small victory. His eyes caught himself in the mirror, the black bags beneath them becoming more visible.

Also, in the mirror, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow appearing from underneath one of the stalls. He turned around, noticing that the shadow was caused by two brown legs sticking straight out. He walked over, pushing the stall door open. Sure enough, he saw exactly what he was expecting to see.

"Abigail?"

Abby, not quite yet asleep, was lying with her face smushed against the tile floor. She opened her eyes but didn't try and look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"The cold floor feels nice," she said bluntly. "Abby's gonna sleep here tonight."

"Did you throw up again?"

"False alarm," she replied. "You should try this. It's like lyin' on an ice cube."

Hoagie laughed. "I'll pass. I've spent enough nights on the bathroom floor."

She smirked. "Afraid I'll give you cooties?"

Hoagie crouched down to her level. "Hardly." Abby pressed her cheek onto the tile. He sighed. "You're gonna get even more sick if you keep doing that. Who knows the last time this place was cleaned?"

"Kids hate cleanin', Dummy. They got inventions to do that for em'. This place's completely sterile."

Hoagie's brows scrunched. "Really? Cause last I checked old abandoned space stations weren't the epitome of sanitation."

"You really think kids wanna spend their time and energy doin' chores?" She rolled over. "Self-cleanin' space stations was one of the first things the KND ever invented. That way when they build somethin', it just stays the way it was. No maintenance, no fuss, no worries."

"That sounds too good to be true," he yawned. "But I'm too tired to care right now."

"So, come on." She patted the floor beside her.

"Aren't you just going to fall asleep anyway?"

Abby was quiet for a moment. "I can't sleep."

Hoagie lay down next to her on the floor. "You're really worried about him, huh? This Uno guy." Abby didn't say anything. "I guess you're not really in the mood to talk about it."

Abby closed her hand. "Not really."

"Or to explain why your sister was attacking us?"

"We have differing political opinions."

"I gathered. Holidays must be fun," Hoagie said. She was right, the cold tile felt strangely relaxing, as though it were radiating pure oxygen. "You know, if you want, I have something that might help. With the sleep problem, I mean." Hoagie reached into his pocket, pulling out a pill bottle. He offered it to Abby. "Here."

But Abby was hesitant. "Drugs?"

"It's just melatonin."

"Oh." She said, taking the bottle. "I'm usually on call 24-7, so I guess I never used it before."

"Cause it'd make you sleep too much?"

Abby nodded. "Yeah...but since we can't go anywhere anyway..." Abby sat up slightly, noticing the rash. "What happened to your arm?!"

Hoagie flushed, pulling down his sleeves. "N-nothing! I'm just allergic to asparagus."

Abby's face darkened. "Cree."

"It'll disappear in a few days," he said standing to his feet. "Don't worry about it."

But Abby snarled. "Vegetables are the root of all evil." Her seriousness was offset by Hoagie's involuntary snickering. "What?"

Hoagie had his hand clasped over his mouth. "Nothing. It's just you said...vegetables are the root of all evil." There was no response. "Because vegetables h-have roots and they're also the..."

Shut up, Hoagie.

"You know it's like..."

Shut up, Hoagie.

He spun around, hiding his red face. "Never mind. Forget it. Goodnight."

"H-hey!" Abby called after him. "Where're you goin'? Don't you want this?"

He grabbed the first aid kit off the counter. "Nope. You go ahead and keep it."

"But-"

"Okay well, I'm gonna head to bed. See ya later!" He shouted as he sprinted out the door.

He slowed down as soon as he got back to the hallway. He puffed, his face now the color of a radish. His arms clutched the orange box tightly. You dumb idiot, he thought. When are you going to learn how to shut your stupid mouth?

Abby returned to her room, holding the bottle in her hand. She set it down, deciding that she would only use it as a last resort. She didn't want to sleep too long and have them lose time. But when she closed her eyes, she heard a soft rustling coming from inside the wall. Abby slammed her hands over her face. "You've gotta be kiddin' me," she grumbled to herself. She had half a mind to go back to the bathroom. She eyed the pill bottle, taking it in her hand again. Lifting it up, she squinted her eyes. Just then, the sounds started again. Abby sat up and opened the bottle. How many should she take? One? Probably just one.

The noises got louder.

Maybe two.

She swallowed them without issue, despite not having any water. She lay back down in the bed, setting down the bottle and closing her eyes. How long did it usually take for these things to work? She exhaled all of her air, trying hard not to think about anything. Of course, like always, this led to her thinking about everything.

Abby's body was very quickly sprawled out over the bed on her stomach, her mouth open and letting drool get all over the pillow. Not that she realized this at first. Hours passed, but the peace was not to last. She twitched as she felt her body moving up and down, up and down. The sound of mattress springs assaulted her ear. She clenched her eyes shut. The lovebirds were probably at it again.

"Numbuh Five!" Someone said.

Up and down, up and down. That's when she realized it wasn't Kuki and Wally's bed that was moving. It was hers. Abby slammed the pillow over her head. "Go away!"

"But Numbuh Five!" The voice called. "It's an emergency!"

She squeezed the pillow between her ears. "Abby's sleepin'."

Two angry hands ripped off the pillow, causing Abby to shut her hands over her ears. "Numbuh Five. When the world is in trouble we don't just go to sleep! We take action!"

Abby pulled the covers over her head. The hands came up, trying to pull off the sheets, but she held onto them for dear life.

"Numbuh...Five..." The figure squirmed as it struggled. Abby just groaned in response. "We have...to go..." It yanked harder. "We have...a mission..."

Abby whipped off the sheet, sitting upward. "Alright fine!" She shouted into an empty room. She looked around, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Even then, she couldn't see anyone. A tiny finger tapped the back of her shoulder.

"Numbuh Five?"

Startled, Abby let out a scream. She turned around, twisting herself in her sheets. As if by instinct, she scooted away from the figure, falling off of the bed in the process. That thing...whatever it was...it touched her. She looked around, the pillow was on the floor. It did that too. The silhouette of a tiny body arose from on top of the bed.

"Oh good!" It said. "You're awake. Let's go get the others! I've got a feeling we won't be alone for long out here for long."

Abby rubbed her eyes. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "Next time only one."

"What's the matter? I gave you an order, Soldier!"

She placed a hand on her forehead. "You're losin' your mind, Numbuh 5. Get ahold of yourself."

"This is no time to play around, Numbuh Five! If we don't act fast, Father will conquerify the entire Universe!" Abby, however, was no longer listening. She moved toward him cautiously. "It's our duty as members of the Kids Next Door to-" Abby's finger poked his face, feeling the very tangible skin on his body. "Abby? What are you doing?"

Abby backed away from him. "Oh hell no." She grabbed his arm dragging the reluctant little kid towards the door. "Numbuh 5 ain't doin' this."

"But It's a super mega important emergency!" the little boy pulled, trying to get away.

"It is too early for this shit."

Nigel gasped. "Numbuh Five! I know you're a teenager now, but you don't have to use such icky words!"

"Get out!" She shouted as she pushed him out the door, slamming it in his face. The sweat had returned, now covering her whole body. She tried desperately to catch her breath. He touched her. She touched him. How was that possible? Surely, she must have been dreaming. She held her arms close to her. It would be best to just call it a dream and be done with it.

Knock knock knock

Abby jumped. She opened the door. "I said get out!" She froze, seeing a taller, much blonder figure at the door.

"Can't sleep?" Wally lifted an eyebrow.

Abby swallowed.

He peered into the room, noticing the sheets sprawled over the floor. "You keep talkin' to yourself, people are gonna start thinking you've gone mad."

"You..." She brushed the fly-aways of her hair back. "You didn't see anyone on your way here, did you?"

"Nope."

Abby sighed. So, it was just her imagination after all. She looked at her hand, which had touched the figure. It must have been quite the imagination. "S-sorry to wake you."

Wally shrugged. "I get it. Just wanted to make sure everything was cool." He smirked lecherously, looking her up and down.

"What?"

"I'll letcha get back to it then."

"Oh, shut up," she replied as she pushed him out the door.

He waved his hand over the doorway before disappearing, the filthy look still all over his face. "Lemmie know if you need a magazine."

"Goodnight, Wally."

Abby rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her. Her sight had adjusted to the darkness. She could see the outline of the bed, the contour of the overhead light. There was no one there, she concluded. She had experienced this before, delusions at night. When she was little, she used to think there was someone tapping on her window and she would get up and close the curtain. It wasn't sleepwalking. She remembered everything that she did and why she did it. However, those images were never shown to her visually, it was simply the idea that there were spiders in her bed or men outside her window that would cause her to act irrationally. Until now, she assumed she had grown out of it. Perhaps recent events were making her mind play tricks on her.

She walked back to bed.

Her mind couldn't stay quiet. She had touched him. Her fingers rubbed together anxiously. Climbing into bed, she yanked the sheets over her, pulling out the melatonin bottle before she lay down. She yawned, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea and placed the bottle back on the bedside table.

The space station erupted with a high-pitched squealing coming from the room beside Abby. Abby herself, who had been practically passed out on the bed for twelve hours now, fluttered her eyes open. Was Kuki in trouble? Her body relaxed. No. It wasn't a squeal of pain. It was one of excitement. Abby rolled out of bed, not enjoying the feeling of her crusty skin. She trudged to the door and went into the hallway, finding Kuki and Wally facing each other.

"I can't believe it!" Kuki exclaimed. "How in the world did you do it?"

"I keep tellin' ya, I didn't!" Wally insisted.

But Kuki's sly grin told him she wasn't buying it. "Oh, come on, Wally. I know it was you. Who else could it be?"

Abby walked out, holding her shivering arms. It was so cold.

When Kuki saw her, her eyes lit up. She rushed to her new friend, holding a fat plush toy in her hands. "Abby, look! Look what Wally gave me!"

Abby rubbed her eyes and yawned, eyeing the red stuffed monkey. "That's great, Kuki."

Wally furrowed his brow, getting annoyed. "It was probably left by the kids who were here before us. I wouldn't touch it. It could have maggots or somethin'."

Kuki jeered. "Sure it could."

"I'm serious! I didn't buy you the bloody thing!" Wally snapped. "All you spend your money on are those stupid Rainbow Monkeys! Why on earth would I buy you more?"

"Because you love me..." the girl flashed a cheesy grin.

Abby looked at the stuffed animal. Something strange was definitely happening. Rainbow Monkeys were an earth product, weren't they? Why would one be in a Galactic space station? Her thoughts flashed to the night before. It was probably nothing, she told herself. The G:KND probably came to Earth all of the time. Wally and Kuki continued to argue about the animal when another pair of lazy feet stepped into the scene. Hoagie scratched his arms, bags sitting beneath his eyes even darker than before.

"What's going on?" he said, sleepily. Kuki beamed, showing him the rainbow monkey. "Did you always have that?"

"Wally brought it!"

"No, I didn't!"

"It wasn't in the room before. But when I woke up this morning, there it was! Right on the bed!" She turned around. "Wally just doesn't want to admit that he gave it to me because he's afraid people will think he's a girly girl."

"Who're you callin' a girly girl?!" her boyfriend shot back.

Hoagie adjusted his glasses, squinting into the toy. "Weird."

"Why would a Rainbow Monkey be here?"

"Oh," Hoagie held his chin, bending down to get a closer look at the toy. "So this is a Rainbow Monkey."

Kuki fumed. "What do you mean, so this is a Rainbow Monkey?! Of course it's a Rainbow Monkey!" Hoagie flinched, backing away from her. She held the plush tightly in her arms. "It's my most precious childhood memory."

Wally groaned. "You can't take it on the mission with ya."

Kuki pouted. "Why not?"

"Because! You'll just lose it!" His arms flailed about. "And then all the way to the G:KND we're gonna hear 'wah my toy, wah I can't find my toy, wah wah wah'!"

Kuki hugged her precious childhood memory tighter. "I'm not gonna lose it."

"You're a grown-ass woman! You don't need to play with dolls!"

"It's not a doll! It's an adorable plush collectible! They'll be worth a lot of money one day!"

"Fine!" He started to walk away. "Whatevah! We're leavin' this bloody space station now anyways."

"Actually." Abby's words stopped everyone, including herself. "I think we should stay one a little longer."

Wally stopped. "Huh?!"

"Abigail..."

Abby found her face flushing. "Yeah, uh, I..." she made a phony coughing sound. "I still feel pretty sick after all that broccoli business. Y-yeah. So I'm gonna lie down for a few more hours."

Wally walked back. "You look fine to me."

But Abby clutched her stomach, making a loud groaning sound and stumbling into Hoagie, who caught her immediately.

"Abigail! Are you alright?" He supported her as she pulled herself up by his shirts.

"Yeah, yeah, Abby's fine don't worry about-," she cut herself off with another groan.

"You guys we should definitely stay here," Hoagie insisted. "Do you need any help? Should I get you some water?"

"Don't trouble yo'self," she insisted. "Abby just needs rest is all." Wally and Kuki exchanged glances as they watched the girl stumble back into her room and shut the door.

Wally alternated his gaze between Hoagie's concerned face and the closed door. "Fakin' it."

"Totally faking it," Kuki agreed.

"What? You think so?" Hoagie looked back at them.

Kuki let out a hearty laugh, shaking her head. "Oh, Hoagie. You're so gullible. We're going to have to start calling you Hoagie Gulli-ble-gan," Kuki stumbled on her delivery.

Hoagie cocked an eyebrow. "Smooth."

"The only reason she stayed in the first place was cause Kuki made her," Wally explained. "Now she's feelin' better and wants to stay longer? Even with everythin' that's been goin' on? Somethin's up."

Hoagie's nose scrunched. "What do you think happened? Is she worried about the..." he looked at the stuffed animal. "That?"

"Rainbow. Monkey." Kuki glowered at him.

"Right."

"Who knows?" Wally stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But we can't exactly leave without her. So looks like we're stuck here."

The three frowned, their eyes moving to the floor with worry.

Later, Kuki felt her head growing lighter and lighter. She couldn't tell if this was a headache caused by stressed or from the lack of nutrients she had been receiving with the food choices. She walked into the bathroom, washing her face. She eyed her chubby cheeks in the mirror, making her eyes look even more squinted. At this rate, she would never reach her goal weight. Not that it mattered. There would be no Prom picture to show her future kids, no summer vacation for her to show off her new swimsuit body. There was no one left to perform for. She could hear her mother's voice in her head already, stern and disappointed.

Appearance is a deciding factor in success, Kuki.

Look at yourself and ask: Would I hire this person? Would I date this person, knowing nothing about them? If the answer is no, then you can't very well complain that you aren't where you want to be, can you?

She walked down the stairs to the lower half of the space station. Her feet were heavy as she walked down the sterile hallway. No dust, not even a little bit. How could such a place have been abandoned for so many years and yet look so clean? She wondered what happened in this place that caused the Children to abandon it. Kuki's head started to throb. She was always told thinking wasn't her strong suit. Wally seemed to disagree, but he too had trouble with complex problems. Kuki didn't feel particularly brilliant in anything, but she didn't think she was as stupid as the girls on the cheer squad made her out to be. She was just average and there was nothing wrong with being average.

Average is a word the uninspired use to excuse themselves from diligence. Standard is the poison of progress, Kuki. Never forget that.

Kuki sighed. Maybe there was some truth in what her mother said. But she wasn't her mother. She didn't want to start a company or be written about in magazines. She just wanted to help people. That was all. A perfectly happy life in a perfectly happy marriage with the love of her life and a job she enjoyed and paid well enough to live on. Happiness.

Happy? Don't be ridiculous, Dear. Successful people are never happy. It is their dissatisfaction that makes them strive for greatness.

She peered in the room where a dim light flashed against the cracked door. Hoagie (Gullible) Gilligan was there, working in the dark with a single light. Kuki watched him work for a moment before noticing the bright orange first aid kit sitting on the frame of the door. Jeez, she thought. Hoagie was such a clutter-brain.

"Ugh are you fucking-" she heard his voice ring out into the hallway. "Piece of crap."

Kuki giggled. He wouldn't mind if she just took a few pills from his case. She was the nurse of the group. It didn't seem right to bother him over such trivial matters. She picked up the case and gingerly slid into the bathroom where she opened it.

Acetaminophen? Ibuprofen? There were so many bottles it was hard to find exactly what she was looking for. Suddenly, she froze, her entire face went white.

She slammed the box shut.

A patter was heard upstairs.

Kuki ignored it.

Suddenly, there was another scream coming from the floor above. It was a lower-pitched scream. It was Abby's voice. She stared down at the case.

Kuki split up the stairs in hysterics, bolting to the room where she had left Abby. The boys arrived shortly after seeing Abby struggle to yank something out.

"Look!" She screamed, tugging the figure out into the hallway. Her hand was clasped over its tiny wrist. "Do you see it? Tell me you see it!"

"Ouch! You're hurting my arm!" The tiny figure squirmed.

The others allowed their jaws to drop to the floor as they stared at the tiny white ten-year-old with black round sunglasses. The child, who was mouthing off in a proper British accent, was completely bald.

"N-no way..." Kuki stammered. "Is that..."

"NIGEL UNO?!" All three of them gasped in unison.

The little bald boy, no older than ten, kicked his feet on the counter as he sucked on the cherry lollypop Abby had brought for him from the stash. The others peered around him, not sure what to do or how to respond. It was him, the Nigel Uno from the picture, or at least someone who looked precisely like him. Every detail was exact, from the wide, shiny bald head to the red turtleneck sweater he wore in the photo. They had moved to the laboratory that Hoagie had been working in to run tests. If he really was real, what did that mean?

"I'll ask you again," A very suspicious Wally prodded. "Who are you and where did you come from?"

The kid groaned. "I told you! I'm Numbuh 1, leader of Sector V of the Kids Next Door!" he announced confidently. "And you are my team. You were decommissioned when you turned thirteen and that's why you don't remember me!" He put a finger to his chin. "Somehow I have been transported to some strange future..."

"Like we'd believe that sh-" he started. Kuki gave him look that scolded him. "Crud."

"So...you're really here," Kuki stated.

Wally shook his head. "I ain't buyin' it."

"It's the truth!" Nigel Uno wined. "Numbuh 5! You believe me, don't you? You have to remember!"

Hoagie crossed his arms, whispering to her. "Could this really be Nigel Uno?"

Abby hadn't really been able to say anything since they had managed to get Nigel into the lab. "If it is Nigel," she finally explained. "It ain't our Nigel." Her eyes narrowed. "The Nigel Uno we're lookin' for is a Teen. I saw him with my own eyes. And we don't have a cure."

Nigel's eyes widened. "A cure?" He gasped. "That's it! The planet's been diseasified! Father! I bet he's the one responsible!"

Wally growled. "Are you kiddin'? You are the one-"

Abby shook her head frantically at him.

"You're the one..." he tried to cover up. "Who...was...n't...there...when...it happened...?"

"Subtle."

"So..." Kuki tried to make heads or tails of what was going on. "You're like, Nigel from the past?" Her cheeks flushed as she grinned at him. "Baby Nigel!"

"N-Numbuh 3! W-wh-what are you doing? S-stop that!"

"Aww. Baby Nigel! So cute." She moved closer toward him. The kid's face turned as red as his sweater. "He's had such a long journey through time and space!" She nuzzled her face up to him.

"N-N-Numbuh 3..."

"We'll take good care of you, little space explorer!"

Nigel gave an awkward laugh as he kicked his feet again, happily enjoying Kuki's affection. "Well...I am pretty tired..."

Wally's eyes flattened. "Oi," he asked Abby. "That brat try'na steal my girlfriend?"

But Abby was distracted. "Amazing..." she couldn't think straight. "It's really him." Everything was perfect. The voice, the facial expressions, everything she had remembered. Had he come there from another time to help them? She picked up the red Rainbow Monkey.

"What can you tell us about this?" She asked, holding it out to them.

Nigel sat up, lifting a finger. "That, my dear Numbuh 5, is called a Rainbow Monkey. It was very popular in my time, not that I ever played with one..."

Abby's brows flattened. "I know it's a Rainbow Monkey. My question is what is it doin' on this station?"

As Abby held out the plush, Wally couldn't help but stare at it. There was something different about it, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He scratched his head.

"I dunno..." Nigel looked closely at it. "Could be a kid's."

"Abby, I don't think he knows anything," Kuki said.

Abby grimaced. "If you really are Nigel, and you really did come from the past like you say you did, then why are you here? How did you get here?"

Nigel's shoulders slouched. "I don't remember. I remember being with my team back on Earth and then the next thing I knew...I was here." He kicked his feet some more. "C'n I have another lolli?"

"Wait a cruddy minute!" Wally announced. "How do we know this ain't some trap set up by the Galactic Kids Next Door?"

"Galactic Kids Next Door!" Nigel exclaimed. "There's a Galactic Kids Next Door?!"

"Jesus fucking Christ..." Wally whispered under his breath. "Are you sure this kid is here to help us?" He pulled Abby away from the kid. "I don't mean to be Mr. Skeptical here, but we ain't had the best track record when it comes to strange people n' places appearin' outta nowhere. I know you're the expert on this stuff, but what makes you think this ain't some kinda stalker?"

Abby exhaled. "Could be. But a stalker I can handle. If it comes down to it, we'll just withhold information till he can prove it to us one way or another."

"Fine, but I ain't stickin' around if that Alien tries to probe my brain..."

"I have some empty disposble syringes for Tommy's insulin shots," Hoagie said. "Just a prick should do it-"

"Shh!" Abby approached him, her eyes harsh. "Nigel's deathly afraid'a needles. Even the word shot is enough to get him riled up."

"Did you say somethin', Numbuh 5?" the little boy asked.

Abby turned back to him. "N-nope! Nothin'." She reached into her pocket, handing him another candy. "Here, have a sucker."

Nigel looked at it, sourly. "Do you have any more cherry ones?"

Wally grimaced. "Jeez, what a little brat."

"I think he's sweet!" Kuki gushed. "Sweet wittle Nigel Uno eating his wittle candy. So cute!"

Wally frowned. "You're a wittle annoying."

"You're a wittle rude."

Hoagie studied the kid for a minute. "So if we can't...you know...do the thing with him awake, I have something we can give him."

Abby lifted her brow. "The melatonin? I have it in my room..."

"We might need something stronger," he thought aloud. "I can go get my bag"

"No!" Kuki yelled. "I mean, no...n-no...nope..."

"Kuki?"

"I'll go get it!" she called as she sprinted out the door.

Crap! Crap! Crap! She screamed in her head as she sped-walked down the stairs. Scuttling along she found where she had hid the box. Turning around, she saw Hoagie there, arms crossed, as though he had appeared out of thin air.

She laughed awkwardly. "Oh. Hi, Hoagie. Waz up...dog?" He stared at her confused as she shuffled over to him. Her eyes avoided his gaze as the bright orange box passed from her hands to his. "Here you go."

"Uh, thanks," he said. He turned his back to her, opening it.

Kuki walked past him. "Okay! Back up the stairs we go-"

"What the-Where's all my stuff?"

Kuki flinched but kept walking.

"Kuki!"

She froze. Turning around, she cleared her throat. "Maybe it fell out? Oh well. Such a shame."

"Did you mess with my stuff?"

"Uh...so..."

"Kuki."

"Okay, yes," She said. "I did. But see, here's the thing-"

"What the hell?!"

"I knew you would be mad..."

Hoagie scoffed. "Wow. Brilliant deduction."

"Right...well..." Kuki walked back to him. "You shouldn't have stolen them in the first place!"

Hoagie turned white. "S-Stolen..."

"The name on all your pill bottles, this Charles B. Baker person. That's not you!" She puffed out her cheeks. "So you are just as much in big trouble as me, Mr. Stealer pants!"

"I didn't steal them..."

"Oh. Right. Sure."

"Kuki, I didn't steal them," he said again. "And even if I did, that's none of your business!"

"Ha! So you admit that you could have stolen them-"

Hoagie grabbed his face, crushing it in his large hands. "Oh my god. Look, we can talk about this later, okay. Just tell me where you hid them."

It was silent.

"Kuki. Tell me where you hid them."

"So..." she said, leading him to a small window. "Funny story."

As Kuki explained, Hoagie's eye began to twitch, then the rest of his body. His hands reached the top of his head as he pulled on whatever hairs he could. From deep below his stomach, he let out a guttural yell upon the realization that he was not going to be getting his medication back.

"Now when you get back home you can get a real prescription from a real doctor," Kuki explained.

"Oh, yes, perfect," he scowled. "Except for the fact that Earth is a 'kajillion' miles away and overrun by a crazy maniac!" He screamed. "I don't think the health insurance for POWs is very substantial!"

"You can stay on your mom's plan until you're twenty-six."

"Not. The. Point."

"Well, it's better than being a stealer!"

He grumbled off, heading back upstairs to let Abby know what was going on. Kuki trailed behind him.

Her voice was quivering. "You'll thank me in the end! I promise!"

But now Kuki was beginning to doubt her words.

"The melatonin worked..." Abby looked startled by the grouchy face Hoagie made as he walked in the room. Nigel was fast asleep on her lap.

"That's great," he said through his teeth. He plopped the first-aid box on the counter. "I'm going to work."

"Work?" Wally asked. "But we got this kid here!"

Hoagie ignored him and mumbled out the door. Immediately after, Kuki entered the room. Abby and Wally looked at her with curious stares.

"Are you two...fighting?" Wally asked.

Kuki laughed a little too loudly and swiped the air. "What? No. We're not fighting...why on earth would you say that? We're cool as a cucumber haha! Ahem..."

Abby and Wally didn't really believe her, but Wally knew better than to agitate Kuki and Abby wasn't the type to pry.

Kuki pricked Nigel's finger, who was now passed out and sleeping snuggled up on Abby's lap as she sat on the table. It bled a bright fresh red. Wally left to explore the station some more, which was met with little protest. She looked at the blood putting it on a slide. It looked perfectly normal from what she could see, but knew they needed to look at it under a microscope to confirm its contents. She wasn't entirely sure what it would mean. After all, Abby didn't know Nigel's blood type. It could be that the alien spies had the same blood as Earth humans. Still, Abby's smile as she looked down at the sleeping child was enough to give Kuki hope in this matter.

"I guess that's it then," she said. She set the vile on the counter. Abby just nodded. Kuki was mesmerized by the sight. There was so much passion, so much sadness in her new friend's eyes. Suddenly it all came together in her mind. She finally realized why Abby had risked everything to save this person, even though he had caused so much suffering for her. She truly loved him.

Abby was a good friend.

Kuki felt a needle prick her heart. A good friend. That's all she ever wanted to be. She used to meet people daily, be surrounded by others, their smiles, their laughs, their hopes and dreams. Kuki loved everyone and was loved by everyone, or so she thought. In high school it became clear that the people she thought were her friends sucked out a lot of her time and energy, while offering very little in return. After a while, they abandoned her altogether. The needle pricked again. She knew that she and Hoagie went to the same school, yet she never bothered to seek him out or to talk to him. He had always been kind to her, so why couldn't she have done that simple thing?

Was she too shallow?

Abby had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to find Nigel Uno. Kuki complained to herself that she was lonely, that she wanted friends, that she didn't think anyone really cared about her besides Wally. But Hoagie was always nice to her, so why? Why had she ignored him all this time? And then today, she had the audacity to judge him? To tell him what was moral. Even if he wasn't in the right, what she did was wrong. She knew it as soon as she did it. Was it for attention? To gain moral high ground? She didn't really know.

Kuki picked the Rainbow Monkey off the floor. It felt heavy, like stone. She sulked out of the room. Abby didn't say anything, understanding that whatever was happening wasn't any of her business.

Kuki went back to another room, plopping the doll down on the bed.

She was the worst.

Kani. I can't miss my therapy appointment. I need to refill my prescription. You can take the girls to the amusement park without me.

Three months, six different medicine cocktails. Each one made her mother more and more cold towards her. Eventually, she would stay up all night working, all weekend working. People would stop coming over for leisure and only for business.

Successful people are never happy. They make themselves successful because they are unhappy. If they became happy, there would no longer be a need to be successful. And success, Kuki, is the only way people will remember that you existed on this planet. Not happiness. Otherwise, they'll forget about you. You don't want that, do you?

Kuki buried her head in the pillow.

Perhaps we should take her to a psychiatrist.

Kuki. Stop messing around. You have to focus. Dr. Reiner is trying to make you better. You can't behave like a child for the rest of your life. No one who collects dolls has ever become the CEO of a company. It's absolutely absurd.

I think we should consider concerta. A small dose. Just to see if it makes a difference.

Kuki. Your weight problem is not because of the medicine. You must try harder. You are supposed to set the example for your sister. Look at you. You don't even wear makeup to school anymore. You'll never be able to impress anyone, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

We're raising your dosage to 36mg. daily. Please do not forget to take your medicine this time.

Take these dietary supplements to help ease the hunger. I know it's hard, but this diet is exactly what you need to get your life in order.

Get your body in order.

Get your mind in order.

Don't be a disappointment.

Don't be average.

Tears soaked the pillow.

She was the worst.

Nigel's head started to move as his eyes fluttered open. He yawned, stretching up, nearly whacking Abby in the face. He quickly retracted his arm, mortified that me may have hit his friend. Abby just laughed.

"Mornin'."

"G-Good morning." He scratched his head. "What happened? I fell asleep and..." Suddenly he saw the bandage on his finger. "Huh? What? Numbuh 5! I've been probed!"

"Relax, Baby," Abby leaned back down. "It's just a blood sample. Nobody's got your DNA except us."

Nigel pouted, still uncomfortable with the situation. He scratched his elbow. "Where is everyone?"

"Dunno."

"Well, call them in!" Nigel climbed off of her. "We have to find the cure!" He paused. "Uh, Numbuh 5? What exactly is the cure for?"

Abby chuckled. "You haven't changed."

Nigel blushed. "H-huh?"

"All work and no play. Just like I remember," Abby said, almost talking to herself now. "It's almost too good to be true."

"What do you mean, Abby?" Nigel tilted his head to the side. "Aren't we still friends in the future?"

Abby's smile twitched. "Of course. It's just..." she tried hard to find an excuse. She didn't want to break the kid's heart by telling him the truth about what was happening. Nigel would go crazy if he knew something like this was in his future. "It's been a long time since Numbuh 5's been, well, Numbuh 5."

"Don't worry!" Nigel stood to his feet. "Whatever evil plan Father is up to I'm sure we'll find a way to stop him! And then we'll get our team back! Exactly the way it's supposed to be!" He flipped his sunglasses down over his eyes, which had been made crooked by the sleeping position he was in. "You've done a great job. You're a real leader, Abby."

Abby blushed, averting her eyes. "You think so, huh?"

"Well, duh!" He pointed his finger up into the air, his wide smile shining through. "They may be teenagers, but they still know how to fight for what's right! They all trust you. I know it!"

"Nigel..." She wanted him to stop.

"So you won't let them down! I know you won't! You trained me, after all, and I'm the greatest Kids Next Door operative in the Universe!"

"Whoa. Hey now. Slow yo' roll, Kid." Something was sticking in the back of Abby's mind. Sure, Nigel knew he was great, but that seemed presumptuous even for him. "How bout you start small and work your way up to greatest in the Universe."

Nigel laughed, scratching his ear.

That's when the door busted open. Kuki stood there, panting and babbling, not making any sense. Abby could make out only two words:

"...come...now..."

Nigel lead the charge into Kuki's room, pulling out a weapon that Abby was certain he didn't have before. It was a S.P.I.C.E. . Were there weapons on the ship? They entered the room.

"Holy mother of..." Abby couldn't finish her sentence as she stared at a giant red Rainbow Monkey, which had grown from its normal size to the top of the ceiling. Kuki quivered.

Nigel gasped. "Whoa! It's Gihugic! That's so cool!" His eyes sparkled with excitement. Abby gave him a knowing smirk. The boy flushed. "Y-you know...for a girl..."

"A-A-Abby I don't like this," Kuki backed away.

"What happened?"

"I fell asleep," Kuki explained. "And when I woke up it had grown into..." She waved her arms. "Well, look at it!"

"Alright! Nobody panic! I'll handle this," Nigel said, holding his hand out. He approached the stuffed animal, poking it with his weapon. It didn't move. "Huh." Nigel turned around confidently. "There. You see? there's nothing to be frightened of. It's just a cute, innocent...Rainbow..." As he spoke, he could see his friend's faces widening in horror as the rainbow monkey started to move forward. Kuki screamed as Abby ran in front of her to protect her. "Okay! Now you can panic!"

The Rainbow Monkey lifted its arm out, crawling on its hands and knees towards Kuki, attempting to grab her. Abby knocked it away as Nigel used the S.P.I.C.E.R. to shoot the creature's arm off. Kuki jumped as she saw the wall of fire burst forth from the tiny gun.

Cripes! These kids didn't mess around!

"Numbuh 3! Are you okay?"

Kuki nodded. As soon as the arm fell off, it started to move back toward the plush, stitching itself back on like some kind of magical Frankenstein's monster. Kuki screamed again as Abby dragged her outside. Nigel followed. However, due to its plush body, the monster was able to squeeze through the doorway with little issue.

"Aww man. This is it, isn't it?" Kuki trembled. "We're gonna die, aren't we? I should have known not to trust strange Rainbow Monkeys! I thought that all Rainbow Monkeys were kind and loving and loved sharing and barbecues, but I was wrong! I was very very wrong! Wally will be so pissed! He'll just say I told you so...like that. In that voice he does. Oohh! I hate it when he does that!"

"Numbuh 3! Get ahold of yourself!" Nigel shouted. Kuki shut up. "Who do you think we are, some random kids from up the block? No!" He pumped his chest. "We're the Kids Next Door! Some raggedy monster toy isn't going to stop us!" His sunglasses flashed as Kuki watched him, hypnotized. "I'll take care of this guy. Numbuh 5!"

"Numbuh 1!" Abby saluted to her leader.

"Go find Numbuhs 2 and 4! Then meet me on the top floor of the space station."

"Roger." She turned and sprinted the opposite direction.

"Abby!" Kuki called.

"Numbuh 3!" Nigel held out his hand. "Stay with me." His smile was determined as his brown eyes appeared from above his tilted sunglasses. "Let's go." Kuki nodded and grabbed his tiny hand. He sprinted off with Kuki the opposite direction as Abby. Despite not knowing him at all, she felt safe in this kid's company.

Thump Thump Thump Thump.

It had happened a few times. The first time, Wally was certain it was just his imagination. The second, he figured it was the kid. It was the third time that he began to get suspicious and by the fourth, he was downright annoyed.

Thump thump thump.

Wally followed the noise of the footsteps, which seemed to be coming from the floor above them. He grimaced. That asshole had some nerve showing his face at a time like this. He wondered if they would ever be able to catch a break. It wasn't that he didn't have faith that the mission would succeed. Abby was skilled enough for all of them and if they put their heads together, the others and himself weren't so bad. There was something eerie about this situation though, a kind of aura around that abandoned space station and strange purple planet which felt uneasy. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was different than before. Kuki had thought the Moon Base was haunted. Could it be that this place was where the real ghosts were? Wally laughed at himself for even thinking such a stupid thing.

Thump thump thump thump thump

Aha! There it was again. He knew it wasn't his imagination. He climbed up to the third floor, however like the other two, he scoured the whole thing and could not find the source of the noise. He finally reached the very top floor and when the noise still sounded as though it was coming from above, he decided to investigate further. There was a small ladder which lead into an operating section of the station. Without anything to lose, he readied himself and climbed up, determined to find out who or what was causing this mess.

The halls were narrower, the ceiling just above his height. He had never been so grateful to be a late bloomer. He looked up and around, stilly listening for the noise. Suddenly!

Thump thump thump thump thump thump

It wasn't coming from above him, nor below him. Rather it moved from his left and got quieter, as if to run away not to run across. Gotcha! Wally thought excitedly. He ran around the corner but saw nothing. The thumping happened again, louder than before. He was going the right direction.

"Hey!" He called out. When he turned the corner once more, he could see a short, shadowed figure stopping to look at him before taking off again. "Hey! Wait!" Wally chased the figure down the passageways, which appeared to get narrower and narrower the longer he followed them. "I wanna talk to ya!" The figure was very short, way too short to be an adult. A kid, maybe? That made sense. Abby was saying that the aliens at the G:KND were all kids. It could have been a spy. Who could tell at this point?

He caught up enough to see the kid's white leg, humanlike, skate around the next corner. He had him now.

"Hey! Kid!" He called after him again, picking up his speed. He rocketed around through the metal corridors, his own feet thudding louder than the kid's now. "Come back here you brat!" As he started to gain on it, he noticed the child wearing an orange t-shirt. He was tiny, only about six or maybe seven years in earth age. Who knows how old that was in space time? His blonde hair was flat against his tiny head. "I said..." Wally reached out, gripping the kid's hand and turning him around. "Wait up-"

Wally stared into the hazel eyes of the child, sparkling with fear and innocence. He felt as though his body was sinking into the ground.

"J-Joey?"

Wham! The kid's leg smacked into his shin, breaking free of his grasp and taking off in the opposite direction.

"Joey!"

It was him alright. He was the spitting image of Wally, with a few defining features to set him apart. He started running towards his brother again, calling out to him.

Abby felt like her chest would burst as she went down to the lowest floor in the space station. Where the hell could they be? She had checked nearly every other floor, with no avail. She was about to give up and go back to Kuki and Nigel when she saw a large blue and grey blob walking out of a room.

Thank god.

"Hoagie!" She called to him, unable to keep her calm in the situation.

Hoagie turned to her, surprised to see her having come all this way just to find him. "What's up?"

"We have to leave..." she finally spit out, panting all the way.

"Now? Why? Did something happen with Nigel?"

"No, but..." she sat up, finding her breath. "Kuki's Rainbow Monkey. It grew up to the ceilin' and then came alive and started attackin' her! Somebody's after us. We gotta get outta here!"

Hoagie blinked for a moment but didn't seem too worried. "Her Rainbow Monkey came alive?"

"This is no time to be skeptical!"

"Not skeptical, just curious," he said. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I don't think these hallucinations can cause any real damage."

"H-Hallucinations?" Abby was confused.

Hoagie nodded. "I'm guessing it's a result of that purple gas coming from the nearby planet."

"You..." Abby was a bit dumbfounded by his serenity. "What are you talkin' about?" She walked up and grabbed him by the arm. Getting closer, she squinted her eyes. "What happened to your rash? Never mind! We gotta go!" She let go of his arm.

"Relax. If you're really worried about Kuki just explain that what she's experiencing is nothing more than a figment of her imagination. It should go away."

"Uh-huh, and if it doesn't? If it is real and that giant monster eats her? Then what?"

Hoagie began to snicker, and then started laughing as he started to walk past her down the hallway. "Eats her? Don't be stupid, Abigail."

"Who you callin' stupid?" Abby growled.

"It's a Rainbow Monkey."

"So?!"

"So, don't Rainbow Monkeys only eat birthday cake?" He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure she'll be just fine."

Abby froze as he continued to walk. "What did you say?"

"I said she'll be fine. So you shouldn't worry so m-"

"No," She interrupted, her voice quiet, as though she were solving some complicated puzzle. "You said Rainbow Monkeys only eat birthday cake."

Hoagie stopped.

"How do you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you didn't even know what a Rainbow Monkey was earlier-" She was breathing heavier and heavier. "So how could you possibly know that?"

"Kuki told me-"

"When?" Abby's voice was stern.

"A little bit ago," Hoagie turned back around, his voice getting concerned. "Abby, are you okay? You look sick. Maybe you should go lie down."

"Last I saw you n' Kuki weren't on the best terms," she spat. "Last I saw you were barely speakin' to each other."

"I think you're overthinking this," Hoagie stated. "Kuki freaks out about stupid stuff all the time."

"She wasn't the one freakin' out."

"Okay so what-."

"Don't you have an itch...?"

"Abby-"

"Who are you?" She glared into his eyes fiercely.

The oxygen was being sucked out of the air as they stood there, staring at each other.

Hoagie smiled.

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Prescription drug abuse (including self-medication), depression, anxiety, and body shaming.