Monday morning dawned on the treehouse. The four human operatives dragged themselves to the bridge and slumped down into the tier pit.
They were all exhausted. Number 2 and 4 had played a Yipper Video game till two in the morning and fought over whether or not anyone had cheated until 3.
Number 3 had just gotten back into town from The Rainbow Monkey Store. Even if she thought the new episode was terrible, she bought all three of the new Rainbow Monkeys from Friday night's special. Her dad drank 6 cups of coffee to get him though the return trip. When he wasn't looking Kuki tried some too. If her parents drank so much of it, it had to be good, right? Much to her surprise, it tasted like mud. It did keep her awake, but the caffeine rush was wearing off and she was half asleep in her spot snuggled up with a black rainbow monkey and a red patchwork one with sunglasses.
Number 5, of course, was at the Candy Bar from Saturday until late Sunday Night and she was hungover from all the sugar and caffeine finally wearing off. She was so tired that she took the usual spot with Sector V instead of going onstage where the Sector leader was supposed to wait.
Just when everyone was about to fall asleep standing up, the sliding metal doors slid open and in walked Bradley, known to the Kids Next Door as Number 6. He was a half-cyborg baby skunk who Sector V had once made a honorary member. He didn't come over too often because he was still a baby and he had two very smelly, loving and frightening parents. But ever since Number 1 had left, 362 had officially added the little skunk to Sector V to avoid any new operatives being assigned to them too soon. And although Bradley rarely went on any of Sector V's missions, he still had to be present for all the official meetings.
The baby skunk looked at his hungover teammates for a solid minute, pausing especially when he noticed Number 5 smelled like sugar. Then he pounced onto the stage, metal paws clanking.
"Hey…Number 5?" Number 4 asked sleepily, "aren't you supposed to be up there too?"
Abby sighed, remembering that she was Sector Leader. After picking up Bradley and placing him with Number 3 and her Rainbow Monkeys, Abby mounted the stage and tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "Well, at least I can tell you guys didn't mope all weekend."
There was no response from anyone. Number 5 looked down at the tier and saw all of the members of Sector V fast asleep! Bradley was already snuggled up next to Number 3's arm and let out a soft little snore right in between the Rainbow Monkeys.
Number 5 sighed and stepped on a hidden button on the stage. From out from one of the wooden walls, a mechanical arm extended holding a trumpet. The mechanical arm flexed its fingers and then began to play at full volume. Everyone in Sector V snapped awake instantly and it was miracle that little Bradley didn't spray any of them.
"Rise and shine, Sector V!" Abby said with as much energy as she could. Everyone else groaned.
"Don't worry, Number 5 will have us out of this briefing as soon as possible and then we can all go back to bed for another hour." The group nodded and Abby began to read Monday's agenda in a voice that was totally not mocking Number 65.3.
"All Kids Next Door operatives are advised not to call the emergency nacho cheese carrier unless it's actually an emergency."
That was probably another jab at their disaster of a mission at the point. Number 5 cleared her throat and kept reading.
"Count Spankula has been apprehended by Number 363 and Sector W." The whole Sector, including Bradley, let out a groan. Knowing Number 363, this was all he was ever going to talk about for weeks.
"Knightbrace is missing, which is unusual. If you have a sighting, tell your sector leader. If you see a member of your Sector wearing white…"
Abby stopped and read the rest of the order in a confused voice.
"…do not ask."
"What about the cruddy Delightful Children?" yelled Number 4 from the back. The rest of the kids laughed and Number 5 rolled her eyes.
"Let's get back to the point. That takes care of global command news… now for Sector news. Number 4, would you stand up please?"
Number 4 stood up looking nervous. Number 5 gave him a reassuring smile. "Since Number 1 left, Number 5 has been Sector leader, but Number 5's job of second officer has been vacant. Effective today, Number 4 is now second-in-command of Sector V. Number 4, do you have anything to add?"
Number 4 gulped. He was about to say something when a flash of black and red caught his eye. Without any warning, Number 4 took a flying leap off the stage and tackled one of Number 3's new rainbow monkey dolls.
"Hey! Number 4, what are you doing?" Number 5 was about to start yelling until Number 4 ran up on stage and held up the Rainbow Monkey for all to see.
"Number 5 must be sleep deprived," the completely stunned Sector Leader said.
"What is that thing?" Number 2 leaned closer to see.
Bradley hissed and raised his tail, but Number 3 didn't get it. She climbed up on the stage and lunged at Number 4.
"Give him back, Wally!"
But instead Wally held the toy over his head.
"Is that a Father rainbow monkey?" Number 2 asked.
He got an answer when Number 6 went for Kuki trying to take the Father Rainbow Monkey. He bit into the monkey's tail with his sharp little teeth.
"Number 6, no! Drop him!" cried Number 3. Instead of bringing the stuffed animal back, he ran straight to Number 5.
"Number 3, that things probably bugged." Number 2 said to the frantic Rainbow Monkeys fan.
"Yeah, we gotta cut it open to see if there's a camera in it!"
Number 4 blurted out.
This made Number 3 scoop up her stuffed animal, hold on tighter and start crying. Number 5 gave a sharp whistle.
"Quiet!" Number 5 finally managed to stop the mad scramble. "Guys, break it up. Number 3, give him to me. I promise nothing's going to happen to him."
Number 3 sniffed. "You promise?"
"Number 5's giving you her word."
Number 3 kissed the Father Rainbow Monkey on top of his head and gave it to Number 5, who activated a green beam (which was both a hologram projector and tractor beam) and let the doll float around as Sector V gazed at it. It was a black rainbow monkey outlined in red and had mean yellow eyes and no mouth.
"I always knew there was something off with those cruddy things!" insisted Number 4. This was rewarded by a swift swat on the back of the head by Kuki, who had not forgotten about being tackled for her new stuffed animal.
"So… Father's taken over the Rainbow Monkeys?" Number 2 guessed.
"I thought that voice sounded familiar!" Number 3 piped up.
"What voice?" the rest of Sector V asked with timing that would have put the Delightful Children to shame.
Number 3 nodded. "Yeah, on the Late Love, Laugh and Share Rainbow Monkey Show." She shivered, remembering the scene with poor Nigel Comprix.
Number 5 rubbed her forehead. This was going to be a long day. They would have to call Moonbase for sure, and the Kids Next Door scientists were going to want to probe the Rainbow Monkey. If Kuki started crying (and God forbid if Number 86 and the rest of the Rainbow Monkey fan club butted in) this whole thing was going to get horribly complicated. Just then the tractor beam began to flicker.
Number 2 yelled "Number 5! There's a call from Moonbase!"
"Pick it up." Number 5 sighed and to her surprise it was none other than Number 86 herself.
Number 86 had her usual armor on. That wasn't what was such a surprise for anyone. The surprising part was that the Head Of Decommissioning, one of the most feared(and in some cases hated) operatives on the Moonbase, would be sent to contact a sector instead of Number 362. The four humans and skunk stood at attention, waiting for the new orders.
Number 86 stared them down for a minute and then said "At ease."
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds and then the redheaded girl spoke.
"Number 5…" she huffed angrily. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Number 362 had put you guys on the Delightful Children's Cake mission again even though you messed it up FIVE TIMES IN A ROW!"
Bradley barely managed to avoid spraying down the screen. The whole sector flinched at Number 86's rage—all except Abby. "Excuse me, Fanny. If Number 5 remembers correctly you were busy playing kissy face with Fancy Pants while we were trying to figure out how to get Cake 5 down from orbit."
Fanny went bright red from either rage or embarrassment(probably both).
"Just...get...on...it." Number 86 was red now. If it had been any other Operative who talked to her like that, she probably would have hauled them up to Moonbase for "immediate decommissioning". But Fancy just stood on-screen fuming. She was about to sign off when Number 5 said, "Oh yeah, Number 86. What about this?"
Number 5 held the Father Rainbow Monkey up to the screen. Number 86 seemed to cool down a little bit at the sight of the Father Rainbow Monkey.
"Oh yes, the Father Rainbow Monkey... As you've all already seen, Father has somehow gotten himself involved with the Rainbow Monkey Corporation."
"Told ya those things were evil!" Number 4 yelled.
Number 86 turned even redder than before. "Of all the stupid things an idiot boy could say…why I oughtta—"
Number 5 cut her off. "Is there anything wrong with it and do we need to throw it out?"
Number 86 took a deep breath. "No, there is nothing wrong with HIM, he's just a normal Rainbow Monkey, fur and all."
Number 4 sighed, his hopes of seeing a rainbow monkey destroyed or set on fire shattered. Number 3 rejoiced and gleefully took the doll back from Number 5 while Number 86 went on. "Along with the cake you are also tasked with finding out why Father's involved with the Rainbow Monkey Cooperation. If you haven't seen the special yet I suggest you familiarize yourself with it. It's currently not available for streaming on the Rainbow Monkey website, but I'm sure one of you GIRLS was smart enough to record it."
Number 3 raised her hand and was thinking how lucky she was not to have deleted it… although she hoped she wouldn't have to watch that horrible thing again. Number 4 was less than thrilled at the prospect of having to watch a Rainbow Monkey episode by order of Moonbase. "Rainbow Monkeys are stupid!" he muttered under his breath. Number 3 gave him the evil eye, but luckily his comment had escaped Number 86's notice.
"Now what are you waiting around for? There's plenty of reports of suspicious activity around the Delightful Mansion. Get off your butts AND GO CHECK IT OUT NOW!"
It was a relief to everybody when they heard the words "Number 86 out."
It was amazing that Bradley hadn't gotten too spooked and sprayed them all. As soon as Number 86 turned off her monitor, Number 5 began giving orders. "Number 2, get the Scamper ready. Number 3, get in touch with Number 6's parents, see if we can have Bradley for the day and take that Father Rainbow Monkey back to your room. Number 5 still don't trust that thing."
Number 4 lingered. "Um… Number 5, you aren't really going to make us watch that Rainbow Dorkey special, are you?"
Number 5 smiled mischievously, "I don't know Number 4, Number 5 was thinking that you could watch it for all of us and write a report."
Number 5 left to go get ready, laughing to herself. "Oh, and Number 4? We're going to the Delightful Mansion, you know what to bring."