Continuing Transmission

Numbuh 5 felt the gentle wind blowing against her skin as she stood on the roof of the tree house. She sighed. She was supposed to be working. But as she had suspected, being a leader wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

She readjusted Numbuh 1's sunglasses resting on the bill of her cap. She drew some comfort, for some reason, when she had the shades in her possession. But it was only a little.

Numbuh 1 had said that she was levelheaded enough to be the leader. She had heard that often from him and the others. They always told her that she could usually keep a calm head in times of crisis, even in the rare situations that Numbuh 1 didn't. Asides from Numbuh 1, the others had said that she was very skilled at formulating a plan and keeping her common sense.

One time, Numbuh 1 had asked her to be the leader of their sector. She had declined it. He had insisted that she was capable to do the job, but she had said that she didn't want to. When he had asked her why, she had responded with the sole answer that he was picked by KND IHQ to be their leader.

But that wasn't the only reason.

She could keep her head when things were going wrong. Sometimes she even had to keep Numbuh 1 in line when he wasn't doing something right. But she knew, if she was the leader, she would act the very same way as Numbuh 1.

She knew that Numbuh 1 was a better leader than she was, because he could handle the pressures and responsibilities of being one. She was calm, cool, and laid-back, but that's because she didn't have as much to deal with when Numbuh 1 was the leader. Now, though…she was surprised that he hadn't cracked sooner with all the pressure.

But there was more to him than that. There was another reason that Numbuh 1 was a greater leader than she was. He was smarter.

Sure, she had the same knowledge that he did. She knew everything about the Kids Next Door protocols, rules and regulations, equipment, and all those things. But she lacked the wisdom that he had. He had much more insight about things than she did, than any other operative.

Especially since he was turned into an adult once by the Delightful Children From Down the Lane. Unlike any other operative, Numbuh 1 knew firsthand what it was like to be an adult. He had been one for two long weeks.

Though she had to admit, some time after Numbuh 1 had been reverted back to normal, he hadn't been the same. Because he had lived as an adult for two weeks, he seemed to sympathize for them. He had confided in her that he almost felt sorry for adults, and that he had no idea how hard it was to be one.

Later though, Numbuh 1 took that knowledge to his advantage, regaining his old custom of fighting adults back. Since he had been an adult for a while, he knew what and how they thought, as well as certain strengths and weaknesses that they had. Such information proved to be very useful to KND IHQ.

The radio by her began to play a soft, melancholy tune, as she leaned against the railing and looked down below her. 'Things jus ain't da same without him,' she thought.

'No! I can't keep thinkin' back to him. I need tuh move on!'

But she knew that she couldn't. It was too hard.

She wrapped her arms around her suddenly, a shiver creeping down her spine. She was cold again. Ever since Numbuh 1 left she had the chills. It was very strange, really. It wasn't cold enough outside to make a person shiver.

Yet, inside her soul and heart, it seemed that the snow come down a few seasons early.

Where did summer go?
How'd I miss the change in season?
All at once, the wind blows rough
It's cold enough to snow

Laughter reached the dark girl's ears, as she saw two of the neighborhood kids walking by. The girl leaned over to the boy, whispering in his ear, and they both laughed at their secret.

The Quiet One's hands clenched lightly into a fist. What were they laughing about? They had no right. Numbuh 1, someone who would have done anything to make sure that kids – like those two on the street – were safe from the vindictive decree of adults, had left. Didn't they care that he was gone?

She then remembered that they didn't know about Numbuh 1, and all that they had done for kids everywhere. They didn't know what he had done for his team…for her…

In the street below, people laugh
They got no reason
Don't they know?
It's cold enough to snow

'Numbuh 1,' she thought, 'why'd ya hafta leave us? Don't you know how much we need you? You're the rightful leaduh of this team, not me. It's not my place. You're the one dat holds us all togethuh. We need you…I need you…'

When we were together
And you were staying
Funny, but the weather
Still felt like May in mid-December

'Numbuh 4 was right. I shoulda said somethin' to him. But I didn't. And now he's gone. There's nothin' I can do 'bout it now.'

Now the chill winds blow
Sunny skies are only teasing
You won't show
It's cold enough to snow

She gasped suddenly, straightening up as her eyes settled on a familiar figure down below.

Numbuh 1 stood on the curb across from the tree house.

She wanted to call out to him, at least say hi, and maybe ask him to come back. How she wanted him by her side again.

But her voice was caught in her throat, preventing anything from coming out.

Numbuh 5 noticed then that his gaze seemed to be fixed on the tree house. She wasn't sure if he could see her or not. But that seemed to be the least of her worries. Even from the distance of the height, the Quiet One could clearly make out the saddened expression on his face, as he looked on at the place he belonged to, the place that rejected him just a week ago.

She could feel her heart wrench inside her as she saw him finally pull his stare away from there. She could just make out the pained look just before he completely turned away, as he stuck his hands into his short pockets, walking away to wherever he was going.

Tears stung at her eyes as she watched him walk away. With a tight grip on the railway, she turned her head away, not able to take anymore. It was too overwhelming.

The song on the radio faded away, as did the wind around her.

"Good day, everyone!" the DJ yelled, startling Numbuh 5 into a small jump. "Thanks for listening! What a great day it is today, isn't it folks? The sun is shining, it's a perfect day out there! If…"

She turned the knob, switching the radio off. "I don't need no weathuh report," she said coldly. "It's wrong, anyway. Even if da sun is shinin', this day is far from perfect."

On the radio, there's a man says,
"It ain't freezing."
What's he know?
He didn't watch you go

She didn't stop the tears from falling. She couldn't bring herself to do so. She just wished that things could go back to the way they were.

But she knew that, unfortunately, things would never be the same.

Now the sun can't shine
If it wants to, fine
But it's cold enough to snow

Transmission Interrupted