Morning time at the Sector V treehouse.
Numbuhs 2 and 5 awaken from the couch and walk with each other hand-in-hand to get breakfast. When they walk into the living room, they spot spot Numbuh 4 cuddled into Numbuh 3 like a teddy bear. They look at the sleeping duo with smiles on their faces.
"When should we tell them about the tracker?" Numbuh 2 asks.
"Let 'me wake up first." Numbuh 5 responds.
As the two of them eat their Rainbow Munchies, Numbuhs 3 and 4 wake up. Numbuhs 2 and 5 notice this, figuring now is the time to tell them.
"Mornin' sleepy heads." Numbuh 5 says.
"Eh…morning Numbuh 5." Numbuh 4 says, barely awake.
"Sleep good last night." Numbuh 2 quips. Numbuh 4 looks at Numbuh 3 and smiles.
"Yeah, in a way." Numbuh 4 responds.
"Well listen up, there is something we wanna tell you." Numbuh 2 says.
"What?" Numbuh 3 asks.
"It's about Numbuh 1. Listen carefully, Numbuh 2…." As Numbuh 5 is about to tell them, a ship crashes in from the ceiling. A door opens up and the KND Supreme Leader Numbuh 362 steps out. The four startled operatives all stand and salute her. Numbuh 362 looks at them with a neutral look on her face.
"Numbuh 362, how can we help you?" Numbuh 5 asks.
"Get on the ship… right now." Numbuh 362 orders in a calm, yet firm tone. Knowing why she is there, they don't protest and all get into her ship. When they get on the ship, they see the members of Sector W and Numbuh 86 sitting quietly. Numbuhs 83 and 84 seem confused by the situation, Numbuh 86 seems incredibly nervous, whilst Numbuh 363 has a pouty face. Numbuh 362 gets back into the ship and looks at Sector V.
"Buckle up, we're going to the Moonbase." Numbuh 362 orders.
"Figures she'd come here for these losers." Numbuh 363 says to himself, outloud. Numbuh 362 walks up to him and gives him a hard slap across the face.
"You listen to me and you listen good, you little shit. You are not to say another word, don't speak unless you're spoken to, is that clear?" Numbuh 362 orders him in one of the firmest tones she has ever used.
"Mhmm." Numbuh 363 responds, visibly shocked.
"Good." Numbuh 362 sits down in her seat and flies her ship to the Moonbase. On the way there, nobody says a word. She docks her ship in the hangar bay and leads everyone into her office. She takes a seat at her desk and orders everyone to sit down in the chair around her desk.
"I assume you all know why you're here." She speaks up.
"I don't know why I'm here." Numbuh 86 says.
"Numbuh 86, you are here because you disobeyed my orders, which led to nothing in return." Numbuh 362 responds. "When I tell you to bring me Numbuh 74.239 so we can get the cake and stop the scavenger hunt, you bring me Numbuh 74.239 so we can get the cake and stop the scavenger. You do NOT participate in said scavenger hunt, WHERE YOU CAN'T EVEN GET A FUCKING GOLDFISH!" Numbuh 362 chastises.
"But ma'am, I thought by participating in the scavenger hunt, I could get closer to getting the cake. Thinking of strategies for missions is the reason I'm the Global Tactical Officer, right?" Numbuh 86 meekly says in her defense.
"No. You're the Global Tactical Officer because Numbuh 1 decided to keep his position as a Sector Leader and spend time with his friends in Sector V; instead of being here with me. You're track record on decision making is not the best. I want you off the Moonbase until further notice, you will not be in any missions for the time being. Now get out of my sight." Numbuh 362 orders. Numbuh 86 leaves the office sullenly, attempting not to break down in tears right then and there. When 86 is gone, Numbuh 362 turns her attention Sectors V and W.
"Now onto you. I want you to tell me how you got involved in this scavenger hunt to begin with." The Sectors each look at each other, not sure who should speak first. "Today would be nice!" Numbuh 362 snaps.
"Um… well… It started when we hit back to our treehouse. Father was in our treehouse. The Delightful Children were gonna make a movie about eating their cake right in front of us. Then Numbuh 74.239 showed up saying he had the cake, saying it was going to be explained at the theme park. He said it went beyond the Kids Next Door." Numbuh 2 explains with the other members of Sector V nodding in agreement. causing Numbuh 362 to clench her fists in anger.
"When I get my hands on that son of a bitch." Numbuh 362 thinks to herself.
"I believe you. What I would like to know is why you tell me about this." Numbuh 362 replies.
"Well, Numbuh 5 thinks that Numbuh 1 was still suspicious on the Splinter Cell being real. He figured the scavenger hunt could help him get answers to that. He also thought that he'd be the last one you'd wanna talk to after you kicked us off the mission." Numbuh 5 explain, causing to Numbuh 362 to take a more neutral faced tone.
"If only he knew." Numbuh 362 thinks to herself, the look on her face seems as if she's hiding emotional pain.
"I understand that. What I don't understand is how YOU three got involved." Numbuh 362 says, now addressing Sector (in particular her brother).
"We got a message from Numbuh 74.239 that he had the cake and it was gonna be at the amusement park." Numbuh 363 answers, causing to Numbuh 362 to look at Numbuhs 83 and 84 for validation.
"He's telling the truth." Numbuh 84 says.
"Well it's good to know that he can be honest for once in his life. I know what happened up until Numbuh 1 disappeared with Numbuh 74.239. Fill me in on that, right now." Numbuh 362 says, turning her attention back to Sector V. Numbuhs 3 and 4 are about to break down crying, still unaware of the tracker that Numbuh 2 has on Numbuh 1.
"I know that he's gone, and I want to know where." Numbuh 362 demands of Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5.
"We can't tell you, it's a secret. We promised not to tell." Numbuh 3 says.
"I don't care if you made a deal with the devil. Where is Numbuh 1? Bring him to me." Numbuh 362 says, growing more agitated.
"He's never coming back! He went to space with Galactic Kids Next Door! We're never gonna see him again!" Numbuh 4 blurts before crying into Numbuh 3's arms. Numbuh 362 sits back in her seat, bug eyed and jaw dropped.
"Numbuh 362? You okay boss?" Numbuh 5 asks.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." Numbuh 362 says calmly before rushing out of the room. Numbuh 5 turns to the others and sees Numbuhs 83 and 84 beginning to tear up.
"Is that what the scavenger hunt was for? To get him to join that Galactic Kids Next Door?" Numbuh 83 asks.
"Yeah it was." Numbuh 5 sullenly confirms.
"Are you saying whoever won the scavenger hunt was gonna go to space?! I could've gone to space with Galactic?!" Numbuh 363 speaks up, causing everyone to glare at him.
"No. This was all for Numbuh 1. Galactic didn't give a shit about you. If you won, nothing would have happened." Numbuh 5 sternly informs.
"But now we'll never find Numbuh 1 again. Why couldn't we work together? Maybe he'd still be here." Numbuh 83 states.
"That first part ain't necessarily true." Numbuh 5 corrects. Everyone (except for Numbuh 2) looks at her confused.
"What are you getting at?" Numbuh 4 asks.
"Numbuh 2, tell them about the tracker. Numbuh 5 needs to check something." Numbuh 5 leaves to find Numbuh 362 as Numbuh 2 begins to tell others about the tracker he placed.
Walking down the hallway, Numbuh 5 hears crying coming from the girls bathroom. She walks into the bathroom to see Numbuh 362 curled up in a ball; her face is red and full of tears, her helmet is in the trash. Numbuh 5 kneels down next to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay, boss?" Numbuh 5 asks nervously.
"I'm… so… stupid!" Numbuh 362 cries out as she throws herself onto Numbuh 5's shoulder.
"This ain't your fault. None of knew this was gonna happen, until it did happen." Numbuh 5 says, in an attempt to comfort her Supreme Leader.
"It is my fault. I should've been the one to stop Numbuh 74.239's scavenger hunt. I trusted the wrong person to carry that mission out. All I wanted was Nigel and the Delightfuls' cake, and he took them both from me." Numbuh 362 states, causing Numbuh 5 to cock an eyebrow.
"You really cared him didn't ya?" Numbuh 5 asks, knowing what Numbuh 362 means by wanting Numbuh 1.
"Is it that obvious? If I could see him now I'd tell him I'm sorry. I knew giving Harvey a mission like this was a bad idea. Maybe he'd have said goodbye to me if I didn't yell at him. I just want him to know how I really feel." Numbuh 362 confesses.
"Well despite what Numbuh 4 said, there is a way that we can know where Numbuh 1." Numbuh 5 says, confusing Numbuh 362.
"Then why did he say that you didn't have one?" Numbuh 362 asks curiously.
"Because he didn't know. Numbuh 2 actually snuck a tracker into a bag of goodies that he gave Numbuh 1 for his trip. We were gonna tell them this morning, right before you showed up." Numbuh 5 explains, causing Numbuh 362 to stop crying and jump up.
"We can get him back then?" She asks.
"Well, there's only one tracker right now. And we don't have the technology to reach them right now." Numbuh 5 confesses.
"Then that is your mission right. Get me team to accompany me to get Numbuh 1. I also need several copies of the tracker so that we can have one on Earth, the Moonbase, and with me. I also need a ship designed for deep space travel." Numbuh 362 orders, much to the shock of Numbuh 5.
"You're really serious about this?" Numbuh asks.
"I'm dead serious. The Splinter Cell, Chad, Galactic; all of this madness ends now. I'm bringing Nigel back, and everything will be alright again." Numbuh 362 states.
"Well who do you want for a team on your space journey?" Numbuh 5 asks.
"I have a few ideas of who." Numbuh 362 replies.
"Well until you see Numbuh 1, you should keep these." Numbuh 5 reaches into her pocket and pulls out Numbuh 1's sunglasses. Numbuh 362 takes them from her, clutches the glasses close to her chest and sheds a tear.
"Thank you, Abby. You have know idea what this means to me." Numbuh 362 says.
"Well, don't get too mushy on me. You gave us a lot of stuff to do for the time being. Let's get talkin with the others." Numbuh 5 says.
"Spoken like a true team leader." Numbuh 362 quips.
The two girls stand up and exit the bathroom to meet up with the others and discuss the plan to bring Numbuh 1 back.
End of Part 4. A real whirlwind of emotions to go through with this chapter. I think this fits Numbuh 362 perfectly, all emotions blended well at the right times. Next chapter is gonna focus on Cree, Abby, Hoagie, and Maurice. More drama ahead. Hopefully it won't take me too long to post that chapter. Until then, happy reading! Please read and review.