Continuing Transmission

Numbuh 1 paced the stage, hands folded behind his back, as he waited 'patiently' for the other members. He halted for a minute, looking at the empty couch where his teammates usually sat when he called them to this certain area of his room.

Looking at his watch, he let out an exasperated sigh. 'I called them over half an hour ago,' he thought. 'Where are they? What could they be doing?'

He walked over to the podium where he usually stood, and looked at the clipboard resting there. Lifting some papers his eyes settled the one thing that reminded him why he called the others in the first place. "This can't wait any longer," he told himself. And with that, he exited his room to search for the other Kids, taking the clipboard along with him.

He didn't have to look very far, however. As he neared the common room, he heard laughter and music echoing forth. Entering the room, his eyes were met with the site of Numbuhs 2 and 4 having a sword fight with wooden weapons, Numbuh 3 was dancing to the music, and Numbuh 5 was just chilling, reading a magazine.

Numbuh 1 felt slightly angry and offended that the others were just goofing off when he had called them for a very important (at least, important in his opinion) meeting.

Looking around, he found the plug of the sound system projecting the tunes. Grabbing the cord, he pulled it out of its socket.

The others heard the song die down, and they all turned to see Numbuh 1 standing there.

Tossing the cord aside, the leader approached his teammates. "Hello!" he cried, not bothering to hide his anger. "What are you all doing! I called you all for a meeting!"

The other three looked away from their leader in shame, but only Numbuh 4 had the nerve glare at him.

"Yeah, we know," the small Aussie replied. "But Ah figured, wha's tha point a' goin'? So we all stayed behind."

Numbuh 1 looked at him. "I see. Was this your decision, Numbuh 4?"

He shrugged. "Ah s'ppose it is."

"Ah. Did you instruct the others to stay behind?"

"Yeah."

"And was it in your authority to make that command, Numbuh 4, when I called you all for a meeting?"

"Uh, well…"

"No, it wasn't. You had no right to do that, Numbuh 4."

The leader looked up at all of them, keeping the blond boy in his line of vision.

"When I call a meeting, especially one as important as this one, I expect you all to attend, is that understood?"

"Wha's so important about this one!" Numbuh 4 boomed. "Tha's what you said before! Do ya 'memba those, Numbuh 1! Do ya 'memba when ya wanted us to meet for some 'important' information!"

Numbuh 1 nearly cringed at the memory of those past failed missions. "Yes, well, this has nothing to do with those…"

"Ah somehow have a feelin' that this has everythin' ta do with those!"

Numbuh 1 sighed. "Well, you're right, in a way, but not in the way you think."

Numbuh 4 folded his arms across his chest. "Well, whateva it is, Ah dun think Ah feel like hearin' it."

"Numbuh 4, I think that if you just…"

"Well, ya wanna know what Ah think!" Numbuh 4 interrupted, his anger getting the better of him. "Ah think that you're a horrible leada!"

Silence suddenly flooded the room, as the words left Numbuh 4's tongue. It only took him a second to realize what he had said, before he clamped his hand over his mouth. He knew, however, that nothing he could do would reverse the course of time and take back what was just said.

The others looked on at Numbuh 4, surprised that he admitted those words right then and there, then over to Numbuh 1, afraid of what his reaction might be.

But their leader, surprisingly, seemed not to be affected by the words of his teammate.

"It's alright," Numbuh 1 said, his accented voice breaking the thick silence, "Numbuh 4 was just stating his opinion. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Isn't that right, Numbuh 4?"

The small Aussie didn't say anything, unsure if the leader was just using this as a way to trap him.

"I just have one question for all of you: Do you all feel the same way?"

Nothing was said. The others were all afraid to say anything. They agreed with Numbuh 4, to a certain degree, but they were afraid to admit that.

Their leader took their silence as a confirmation. "I see," he said, and turned so that his back was facing them.

Silence once again settled over the preteens, as a thick tension lurked throughout the room.

Finally, Numbuh 4 boldly, hesitantly, broke the silence. "Wait, so…ya ain't mad?"

Numbuh 1 looked at him over his shoulder. "No, I'm not."

Some of the anxiety seemed to seep out of the area.

But not all of it. Numbuh 5 observed Numbuh 1 a bit, and noticed that he seemed to be telling the truth. She knew him very well, they all did, and they could tell if Numbuh 1 was just saying something, or if he really meant it, by the sound of his voice. It really seemed as though he wasn't mad. Though she was slightly relieved herself, she couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't upset.

Numbuh 1 turned to face them all. "In fact, if you all had come to the meeting as I had asked you to, you would have known that I wasn't mad."

"What do ya mean?" Numbuh 2 asked.

Numbuh 1 sighed, looking at the ground. "Numbuh 4 is right," he said tightly.

"What?" they all asked.

"Numbuh 4 is right. I'm a terrible leader. I've been fooling myself all these years thinking that I can do this job right."

Silence once again began to drown them. Was this really coming from their leader? The Numbuh 1 that they knew?

"Numbuh 1…" Numbuh 4 said, a little shocked, "Ah…"

He held up his hand, silencing his fellow operative. From the clipboard, he pulled out a manila folder. Tossing the clipboard aside, he held up the folder to the others. "Do you all know what this is?"

"A folder?" Numbuh 3 suggested.

The leader, in spite of himself, chuckled at her humorous attempt. "Yes, Numbuh 3, it is a folder. It's an information packet, specifically my information packet, containing everything that is needed to know about me. About my life before and during my time in the Kids Next Door, and anything that you need to know about me.

"Packets similar to this one are used in every sector of the Kids Next Door, for each and every operative, along with the identification that they belong to that certain sector. Every operative needs one of these to insure that they are a member of the Kids Next Door."

And, to the other Kids' horror, before their very eyes, Numbuh 1 ripped the file, and all its contents, right in half.

"What're you doin'!" Numbuh 5 asked.

"You all deserve better than this," he replied, pointing to the pieces fluttering to the ground. "You all deserve a better leader than me."

"You can't do this!" the dark girl argued.

"It's too late now. It's already been done." He turned, his back facing them again. "As I've said, that packet is needed to ensure certification of my being a member of the Kids Next Door. Without it, I don't belong here."

"What're we s'pposed ta do, then!" Numbuh 4 asked, trying to suppress the guilt welling inside of him.

"Yeah!" Numbuh 2 said. "We need a leader!"

"So Numbuh 5 will take charge. She's always been levelheaded enough for the job."

"But what about you?" Numbuh 3 asked.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure you can carry on without me."

"But…"

"Without the packet, I can't stay here. I have to leave."

And, he was about to, taking steps toward the open window, when Numbuh 5 ran up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, getting him to stop.

"You can't do this," Numbuh 5 insisted. "You can't leave us…We need you, Numbuh 1…"

He wanted to turn around, look her into the eyes, tell her that he didn't want to leave either. But he knew that this was for the best of all of them. So instead, he shook his head, pulling away from her touch.

"You don't need me," he informed her. "You need a better leader. A leader who can keep information organized, who won't screw everything up."

Numbuh 4 recognized those words immediately, as that familiar conversation rang back to him. "Ya…ya heard us…that one night…talkin' 'bout ya……didn't ya, Numbuh 1?"

He nodded. "And ever since then, I've been trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong, and trying to think of ways to change. But I see now that the only thing wrong is me, and nothing I can do will fix the mistakes I've made.

"That's why…I think this is for the best."

Numbuh 5 shook her head, trying her best to keep the tears tucked away. "That's not true…You can't…"

His hand went up to his face. "Just like these sunglasses are used to protect one's eyes from the sun," he whispered softly, yet loud enough for the others to hear, "a leader is supposed to protect his teammates…even by protecting them from something such as humiliation. That was the obligation I took when I became an operative for the Kids Next Door, and this is the only way I can fill that obligation…to all of you…"

"Numbuh 1…" the dark girl said, knowing that there was nothing she really could do.

"Since…I'm no longer a member here, I…I suppose that…you should just call me…Nigel…"

The sunglasses suddenly fell to the ground, creating a small clatter, as Numbuh 1 – Nigel – walked to the window, standing on the sill. And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. He hadn't even bothered…to look back…

Transmission Interrupted