Well, I'm having fun. This is story is going really good so far, even better than I expected. Thanks for all the reviews!!! You have made me a very happy authoress!

Oh, by the way, there is kinda a point to why I told you all that the KND are 11 instead of 10. Even though there isn't any real difference between the ages, there's a reason that I put that in. It's just coming at a later chapter.

Continuing Transmission

Numbuhs 2, 3, 4, and 5 sat bored at the dinner table, waiting for Numbuh 1 to bring back the pizza. Numbuh 5 tapped her fingers on the table, impatiently. They all sighed, and Numbuh 3 yawned loudly.

"Man," Numbuh 2 complained. "I'm hungry!"

"Me too," Numbuh 3 said.

"Where can Numbuh 1 be?" Numbuh 5 asked.

Numbuh 4 folded his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair so that it stood only on the hind two legs. "'e's prob'ly messing up again," he replied. "Just like 'e always does."

The others in the group looked at him. "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" Numbuh 5 asked him.

"Ah've been thinkin'……about the past few weeks an' all. Five missions, and all are screw ups."

"What are you getting at?" Numbuh 2 inquired.

Numbuh 4 looked at his feet. "I dunno………I mean, when was the last time we went on an actual mission? Where the info we were given was actually what was goin' on? And the past few weeks…those five missions were so totally off."

"People make mistakes," Numbuh 5 replied. "Nobody's perfect."

"Yeah, 'specially Numbuh 1."

"Listen, Numbuh 4, Numbuh 1 is prolly unda a lotta stress, ya know? Numbuh 5 thinks dat it can't be easy bein' da leada."

"Oh, yeah," the Aussie said sarcastically, "Ah'm sure that bossin' us around is really hard."

"Wouldn't you know?" the round boy asked. "I mean, you did try to replace Numbuh 1 that time he left. You were the leader when he was gone."

"Yeah," Numbuh 3 agreed, "and you were really bad at it, too."

Numbuh 4 felt his cheeks burn slightly, but ignored that fact. "Look, all Ah'm sayin' is, Numbuh 1 'as been slippin' up a lot, lately. 'e's always wrong 'bout ev'ry mission we go on. Ya'd think a 'great' leada like Numbuh 1 wouldn't make that many mistakes."

"Numbuh 4 does have a point," Numbuh 2 mused, rubbing his chin. "I mean, lately, Numbuh 1 seems to jump to conclusions a lot. He's really off his game. Well, he used to do the same thing before, but this is worse than normal."

"That's exactly what Ah'm sayin'!" the Aussie said loudly. "Numbuh 1's always been screwin' up some sumthin'. I mean, do ya'll 'member our mission at 'the Point'?"

The others shuddered slightly, remembering that shameful memory. The Point, where teenagers became 'adults.' Because of what was said, Numbuh 1 had assumed that all the teenagers (whom by the way, he hated anyway) were going up there and using some kind of machine to turn them into adults quicker. When they went up there to get rid of the Point, however, they discovered that it was a simple, harmless roller skating rink.

"Yeah, okay, Numbuh 5 admits dat Numbuh 1 can make bad mistakes sumtimes. So? Big deal."

"It is a big deal!" Numbuh 4 insisted, standing up suddenly, gripping the table. "Ah dunno 'bout the rest of ya, but Ah for one don't like bein' humiliated like that!"

Numbuh 2 nodded. "True."

"But Numbuh 1's a great leada!" Numbuh 5 said, standing up too and gripping the table. They were directly across the table from each other, so it was easy for them to glare at each other. "Numbuh 1's always there for us when we need him, and he's always helpin' us out when we're in trouble!"

Numbuh 2 nodded again. "That's true too."

Numbuhs 4 and 5 looked at him. "Ain't ya gonna take a side?" Numbuh 4 asked.

"Well, you two are arguing about it, and I don't wanna end up in the middle of the argument."

Numbuhs 4 and 5 looked at each other, then back at the rounder boy. "Numbuh 5 thinks that if ya keep talkin' da way ya are, and keep agreein' with the both of us, den yer already stuck in da middle."

Numbuh 2 was about to argue on behalf of himself, but, realizing that she was right, closed his mouth and looked away.

Numbuhs 4 and 5 looked at each other again, the darker girl shaking her head at their comrade's pathetic-ness. Then, suddenly, as if a light switch had been flipped, they were angry at each other again, resuming their argument.

"Face it, Numbuh 5, Numbuh 1's really losin' it!"

"So whatcha sayin', Numbuh 4, dat we should get a new leada?!"

The blond Aussie suddenly shut his mouth, blinking at her for a moment, though his blond bangs covered his eyes. He looked down at the table. "I……I dunno……"

Numbuh 5 gasped. "You were, weren'tcha? You were thinkin' 'bout replacin' Numbuh 1…"

The blond boy growled in a frustrated tone. "Well, can ya bloomin' blame me?!" he yelled. "We need a leada who can keep information organized, who won't screw up ev'ry bloody mission!! Think 'bout it…If we keep screwin' up information, we'll become unreliable as a sector of the Kids Next Door, 'cuz they'll be afraid we'll screw ev'rythin' up!! Do y'know what they do with unreliable op'ratives?!"

"They…replace 'em," Numbuh 5 said quietly.

"Exactly! We need a betta leada, a perfect leada. Someone like…"

"Like Numbuh 274!" Numbuh 3 said happily.

Numbuh 5 looked at her. "Don't tell Numbuh 5 dat ya agree wit him, Numbuh 3."

Numbuh 3 shrugged, a smile on her face. "I dunno," she said. "Numbuh 4 was just talking about a perfect leader, and I thought of Numbuh 274." Still smiling, she began to scratch her head. "What are we talking about?"

Numbuh 5 sighed, shaking her head. 'Totally clueless, totally normal,' she thought to herself. "All Numbuh 5's sayin' is dat maybe sumthin's goin' on wit Numbuh 1, and he's feelin' a bit stressed."

"Well, the only thing that Ah see goin' on with Numbuh 1 is that he's losin' it! He's become……Oh, what's that word that he calls us sometimes?……incompetent!"

Numbuh 5 raised an eyebrow. "Do ya even know what dat means?" she asked.

"Yes!" Numbuh 4 said defensively. "If sumthin' isn't done 'bout this, we're all gonna end up in serious trouble with the Kids Next Door International Headquarters (KND IHQ)!!! They would so kill us!!"

Numbuh 3 watched as Numbuh 4 and 5 argued for a while. Soon, though she began to grow bored of something that she didn't even understand. She'd have Numbuh 5 explain it to her later. Yawning, she looked around the room. When her eyes settled on the doorway, she smiled. "Hi, Numbuh 1!" she said cheerfully.

Numbuhs 4 and 5 stopped, turning towards the doorway to see Numbuh 1 standing there, holding a few boxes of pizza.

"Hello," he said, walking in. Placing the boxes on the tables, he added, "I trust nothing has happened while I was gone."

"No, no…" Numbuhs 2, 4, and 5 all stuttered. "N-nothing happened."

Numbuh 1 raised an eyebrow. "I see."

"You don't think he heard anything, do you?" Numbuh 2 whispered to Numbuh 4 nervously.

Numbuh 4 looked at him, then over at the leader. "Nah," he said, hiding his own nervousness. "Ah'm sure he didn't hear nothin'."

Numbuh 1 opened the pizza box on top, revealing a pizza with various toppings.

The other Kids licked their lips, then began to try and get as many pieces as they could.

Numbuh 1 smiled as he watched them digging in, then turned to leave.

Only Numbuh 5 noticed that he was leaving. "Where ya goin'?" she asked.

He stopped, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. "I'm not really hungry right now," he informed her. "I think I'll retire early to my chambers tonight."

Even underneath her red cap, Numbuh 1 could feel the concern in her eyes. "I'm fine," he said to her. "You all finish dinner without me."

She somehow didn't believe him, but knew there was no way to say anything to get him to eat. So she, along with the other Kids, continued to chow on pizza.

Numbuh 1 smiled again, then left them, retreating to his room. When he got in there, he closed the door slowly, finally allowing his hand to tremble the way it wanted to when he first arrived back at the tree house.

Leaning against the door, now away from the others, he dropped the emotional mask, allowing how he felt to seep through.

Shakily, he walked to the bed, nearly collapsing on it as his legs gave way. It was bad enough he wasn't sleeping well. But this……this drained whatever energy he had left. He felt so tired………so……disheartened.

He removed his sunglasses, burying his face in the pillow. He soon felt that the cushion was becoming slightly damp, but he didn't care.

'So, is that how they really think of me?' he asked himself. 'Do they really think I'm that bad of a leader?'

He paused as another question filled his head. 'Am I that bad of a leader?'

Transmission Interrupted

Dun dun dun!!!