The Delightful Mansion was crawling with trouble.
Dozens of ice cream trucks from the Tasty Taste Ice Cream Factory (Evil Adult Industries's joint adult-exclusive Ice Cream company that sold ice cream to a only adults and also happened to be their own private security force) were waiting in a long line to get through the front gate. Those who weren't waiting in line were making patrols, guarding a massive shipment of their products. There was also at least a dozen regiments of the dreaded Knightamatons(robotic suits of armor) on the mansion's grounds.
"Man, whatever Father's planning, it's gotta be humongous." Number 4 said from the bushes. The whole of Sector V (all species accounted for) was hiding in a hedge just outside the massive front gate. Scouting out the Delightful Children's mansion was a long-held tradition by Sector V. It was weird not having Number 1 with them...
"What's the plan, Number 5?" asked Number 2. Number 5 mentally weighed her options. These scouting missions tended to have …mixed results. Despite the rare brush with death on missions to the mansion, most of the time the cake was being made off-property and sometimes all Sector V could see was the Delightful Children playing croquet. Number 5 had half-expected to see nothing and to go back to the Treehouse. She definitely wasn't expecting this.
The more curious part of her wanted to get in and investigate, although her gut instinct was to go back to the Scamper. Getting inside the Delightful Children's Mansion was not easy on any day of the year, and it would be especially risky with this much security. The memory of her sector's mortifying encounter with the Delightful Children last Friday hung heavy on Number 5's mind.
Wally could pretty much read Abby's mind by just looking at her. She wanted to go in, but she was scared...
"Number 5, we're going in now." Number 4 wasn't asking her a question. That was obviously a statement. Number 5 sighed under her breath. "C'mon, follow me."
Crouching low to the ground with her heart pounding in her chest, Number 5 slowly and carefully led her team along the ground, making sure to keep a low profile. Slowly and deftly, with practiced precision, Sector V split up into pairs. By the time the line started moving again, 4 and 3 were clinging to the undercarriage of one of the ice cream trucks with 5 and 2 clinging to the next one.
Bradley didn't have to cling to any of the trucks. He was a skunk and he could slip right though the bars on the front gate, and even if someone was suspicious of his cyborg parts, he was still a skunk. No one wants to get close to a skunk.
The line of Ice Cream trucks went all the way around the Mansion's grounds and finally pulled into a massive and chilly loading dock. The operatives carefully dropped to the ground without making a sound and watched the enemy unload crates for what felt like years. Number 2 actually fell asleep until his partner elbowed him to stop him from snoring.
It was nearly an hour until the kids were alone in the massive cooler. A tiny set of black fuzzy ears pricked up from behind a crate. Bradley, who was hiding behind the ginormous box of ice cream, gave the signal with a soft chirp. Sector V carefully slid out from under the trucks and filed out of the loading dock in single file.
Number 5 led the way followed closely by Number 2. Numbers 3 and 4 came after them with Number 4 holding onto the sleeve of his partner's dark green sweater.(Even if he denied it later, it did happen.) Finally, Number 6 scampered after his human family. He could smell the food, but it wasn't time to eat just yet. He was a skunk on a mission.
Hoagie and Wally crossed over the threshold of the loading docks into the Mansion itself, but the rest of the KND agents lingered at the edge.
"You know what to do, right Number 6?" Number 5 asked. The baby skunk nodded and saluted with his robotic arm.
"Be safe, Bradley!" Number 3 whispered, kissing Number 6 on his head and crowning him with a pair of Rainbow Monkey Ear muffs.
"Keep these on, baby. I don't want your ears getting too cold!" Bradley thought she made a pretty good mom, even if she was still a kit. He nuzzled her hand right before she had to go.
The last humans of Sector V disappeared down a long staircase and Number 6 was left in the cooler alone. He walked over to a big crate of Ice Cream, busted the top…
…and began to scoop out delicious heapings of Strawberry mint swirl(it's a little-known fact that skunks like ice cream too.)
Once they were inside the mansion Sector V was on high alert. Getting inside was the easy part. Before they were even close to the kitchen, a company of Knightamatons led by an ice cream man wearing a cake cone helmet and shoulder pads just like the ones on Cake Station 5 came marching though. The team ducked into a closet and waited for the metallic clacking sounds of the walking suits of armor to disappear before even daring to whisper. This was going to be a lot more complicated than the last stakeout.
"Alright. Number 5's going to give y'all a quick review before we split up. Number 2?"
Number 2 pulled out a mini hologram projector that shot out a detailed 3D map of the Delightful Mansion.
"The kitchen is right here. Chef Pierre is probably talking with Father at some point about the design for the cake, so Number 3 and Number 4 will plant this bug in the kitchen. With this little thing running around we'll hear everything they say. "
Giggling like a maniac at the idea of bugging the place with, well ... a bug, Number 2 held up a small petri dish. What appeared to be a cockroach was tapping against the sides trying to get out. Number 2 handed the container to Number 4 before continuing.
"Me and Number 5 will be in Father's study. We're just going to see why Father's going ape for Rainbow Monkeys." He completely ignored Abby's sigh at his pun.
"Come on man..." Number 5 muttered before saying "Once you guys are done in the kitchen,get back to cold storage and wait for us. If we're not back in an hour, call for Number 6. Any questions? "
Nobody said a word.
"Number 4?" Number 5 reminded, "That's your cue."
Number 4 nodded and gravely handed all of his fellow operatives powerful ice cream pistols. The icy weapons were just grim reminders of just whose house they were in.
Number 5 took a deep breath and looked at her team. This was going to be the first real mission they had without Number 1... And her first real mission as Sector Leader.
She smiled and adjusted her signature red baseball cap.
"Let's go make Number 1 proud."