Now loading: Kids Next Door mission...
Operation: M.I.N.D., Chapter One
Mindful
Insight
Nefariously
Deceitful
Writing Operative: Vtbots
Completion Date: Jan. 25, 2003 - April 8, 2003
Disclaimer: Codename: Kids Next Door is owned not by me but by Mr. Warburton and Cartoon Network. So don't sue me!
--------------------
"CURSES!!" roar the Delightful Children From Down The Lane, the archnemesises of our heroes the Kids Next Door. They have returned from yet another failure in stopping their enemies' adult-fighting goal. Growling, snarling, and doing all other things indicating anger and frustration, they storm through the hallways of their mansion to their office, illuminated brightly by the afternoon sunlight. But they are not in the mood to admire this beautiful day.
Losing to the Kids Next Door, though, has happened so often that the DCFDTL should be sucking it up and moving on, and they have. But this loss was different. So different that it nearly drove the DCFDTL off the deep end...
When Numbuh Two successfully shorted out their latest robot during the battle, their weapon, of course, failed and exploded, sending the DC flying into the air and landing hard on the ground on their faces, their bodies charred in a cartoonish way, parts of their expensive clothing torn, and their hair disgraced... Well, except for the football helmet-headed Delightful Child's, but unfortunately his helmet... his FAVORITE helmet cracked beyond repair.
The Kids Next Door cheered victoriously. But that is not what upset the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. When the KND got a good look at them... they snickered. Numbuh Four commented something to the effect of "Oy, they sure got burned. But I guess that's expected when we fry 'em every freakin' time! What a burn-out!" And then the Kids Next Door did something that did terribly upset their foes...
They laughed... loud and hard-- even Numbuh One. Now possibly whenever the KND go back to their headquarters they share a few jokes-- that's what the DCFDTL would expect. But they pointed and laughed right there... in their PRESENCE! Numbuh Five threw in some taunts as the humiliated, embarrassed, and totally cheesed-off Delightful Children got up and left, leaving their giggling enemies behind.
And so, here they are, in their office, gritting their teeth in terrible rage as their faces become redder than during that miserable moment. If only... if only...
"Thinking evil thoughts, aren't we?"
The Delightful Children nearly rocket to the roof at the sound of an unexpected visitor in the room. They whirl around and demand, "Who are you!? What are you doing here!?"
"My, aren't we cranky today?" snickers the stranger as it emerges from the shadows from a corner of the office. It is a rather attractive young red-headed woman wearing a black-and-red dress and black shoes. She looks ordinary enough, but her piercing black eyes might possibly suggest otherwise.
"Who are you?" the children demand again, this time calmer.
"Just call me Manasa. I am here to solve your troubles." She bows respectfully as the Delightful Children take a seat in their large chair at their desk. They look at her with little interest.
"We are in no mood to hire villians today," they say in their creepy simultaneous way.
"Ah, but you will be in the mood once you see just how I can crush the Kids Next Door. For you see, I have a 'gift.' The gift to dive into one's mind! I can invade their mind and talk to them, manipulate them, attack them... or a combination of the three."
The Delightful Children shake their heads, almost laughing in incredulity. "Do you expect us to believe that? People only have that power on television. And people in real life pretending to have mind powers do so just for show. You have to try better than that to earn our money..."
"This is not about money," Manasa says, "this is about something else altogether. But I won't get into that. So, you do not believe me. Well, allow me to prove it to you."
The strange woman stands directly in front of the Delightful Children's desk and closes her eyes in deep concentration. She extends her hand toward the children, who continue to just sit there thinking this is all a big joke, the cherry-on-top of their 'just desserts' they received today. She opens her eyes slightly and smirks down at them.
"Hmmmm," she says in a low, cryptic voice. "You have tried to destroy the Kids Next Door with an ice cream monster."
"Bah, those foolish ice cream men could have blabbed that incident to anyone," the children yawn boredly.
"Hmmmm. Ahhhh, yessss. The girl named Abigail Lincoln invaded your home and left behind her cap. You replaced it with one filled with monster lice. Then the next day, your lice was used against you."
"... A-Anybody could have guessed that." The Delightful Children begin to shudder nervously.
"Let's see if you call this a guess. You nearly defeated the Kids Next Door recently. With an age-changing device. And then the Kids Next Door fought your 'Father.' It was very intense but your foes won the battle in the end."
This causes the Delightful Children to tremble even more. This has to be a joke... a scam... or something....
But the woman continues despite their agitation. Letting her hand fall back to her side she smiles as if sympathetically as she tells them her next reading: "You have suffered a very major loss in your most recent battle. Your latest creation was destroyed by Hoagie P. Gilligan, Jr. The Kids Next Door laughed at you as you left. You felt humilated... embarrassed... and totally cheesed-off."
Even before she finishes the Delightful Children quake in their chair, wide, frightened eyes staring into the woman. There is no possible way this lady could have known something that happened just half an hour ago, unless she was there at the time. But they were inside a pretty tall machine-- they should have been able to seen her if she were in the area.
The Delightful Children From Down The Lane shake their heads, still trembling. A person able to penetrate deep into a person's mind seems rather scary. Terrifying, even. So terrifying that it could cause one to shiver down their spine like they are doing now. Why, it could break one's will; one's spirit; one's life.
... It's the perfect revenge against that rag-tag group of brats known as the Kids Next Door.
"You're hired!" the Delightful Children shout happily... well, as happily as their emotionless voices can express.
"Very good," says Manasa, a small smile growing on her face. "You just sit back and have some rest. I'll do the work for now. I am confident that you won't be disappointed."
Her smile twists into a strange smirk as she watches her "employers" share a round of evil, annoying laughter.
Meanwhile at the Kids Next Door Treehouse Headquarters, the atmosphere is the exact opposite of the DCFDTL's. No groaning or gritting teeth over a horrible moment. Instead, there's celebration! Yes, the KND celebrate yet another victory over their arch-enemies the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. They talk, they joke, they order pizza, they play games...
Okay, so they talk, joke, and play games everyday and they order or even bake pizza on most weekends. But on the Enjoyment Scale of 1-10, it is now 12. So naturally they pretty much have the time of their very young lives.
Eventually, all the partying zaps the energy out of the Kids and, after cleaning up, they retire to their respective rooms for the night. An exhausted Numbuh One yawns as he sets his sunglasses on the nightstand, changes into his pajamas, and hops into bed, pulling the warm covers over him. Thinking about the day's events, he snickers as he remembers the silly looks on the Delightful Children's faces after being shocked and burned. He almost feels sorry for them. Almost.
{"My, you certainly had a good time, yes?"}
Numbuh One launches up from his bed, startled. "W-Who's that?" he says in a low voice, scanning around. But nobody is here. He begins to shudder but frowns slightly. "Are you guys pulling a prank on me?"
{"I assure you that I am not any of your little friends. They are all asleep at the moment. I am merely speaking to you in your mind."}
Fully awake and hearing the voice more clearly, he is convinced that it cannot be any of his comrades. "Who are you?" he asks again. "Where are you? And why are you speaking to me in my head?"
{"Who and where I am is not important right now. You and the rest of the Kids Next Door have defeated the Delightful Children From Down The Lane today, am I right, Nigel Uno?"}
"Yes, we have... How did you know that? How do you know my name?"
{"That is not what you should concern yourself with, Mr. Uno. The Delightful Children were mighty upset when they left the battlefield. I doubt they are too happy at the moment. In fact, they could be planning some form of plot right now and may retaliate against you and the others. Anytime. Anywhere. ... listening?"}
Numbuh One blinks a few times, saying, "Those geeks are plotting revenge on us? How do you know this?"
{"Does that even matter? What you should focus on is getting the drop on them... before you get dropped."}
The fearless leader rubs under his chin, contemplating on the strange information he's receiving from some unknown stranger that is somehow able to chat with him via mind. He doesn't quite trust this person... But then again, if the Delightful Children are planning an attack, it would be best to take this seriously. After all, he wouldn't want him and his teammates to be ambushed by their worst enemies... especially when he'd know about it beforehand.
So, with a sigh, he silently decides to go along with this. "Where and when should the Kids Next Door expect the Delightfuls to try to get the drop on us?" he asks.
{"I recommend you try the outskirts of town, not too far from their mansion. They're planning to infiltrate your headquarters using their underground robot monster. Tomorrow would probably be the best time. Oh, and one more thing. I'd watch my back if I were you. I doubt your so-called 'friends' are so trustworthy..."}
Numbuh One's eyes shoot wide open at her last sentence. "Huh!?" he practically shouts in a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "What are you saying? Is there a traitor within the Kids Next Door?"
The voice pauses. Then finally answers, {"That is all I can tell you for now, Mr. Uno. I must go..."}
"No, wait, come back!"
But there is no reply. After a rather unnerving pause, he lies back on his bed. With uneasy eyes staring at the ceiling, he thinks, 'Now how does she know that there is a ratfink with us? Hey! How did she get to talk to me in my mind!? She never answered that!'
He pulls the covers back over him and closes his eyes once more. But it's going to be tough sleeping tonight...
Meanwhile, the source of the voice floats in mid-air some distance away from the headquarters. Satisfied with her deed, Manasa floats away from the Treehouse with a grin. She produces a communicator from her pocket and, turning it on, she speaks into it: "Manasa here. Phase One is complete."
"Excellent," drone five voices from the com. "We shall begin Phase Two tomorrow when they arrive. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."
The next morning, the Kids Next Door are called into an 'emergency meeting.' The four other half-asleep Kids mutter among themselves, wondering why their leader is forcing them up so early. Still yawning, the four flop on the circular-shaped couch of the main room. A few minutes later, Numbuh One emerges from his room and steps behind his podium. The others immediately quiet down when they witness the deep frown on his face. Even with his sunglasses on, they can tell that his eyes say that he is in a no-nonsense mood. Something's wrong, they just know it.
"Alright, team!" Numbuh One says seriously, slamming a fist into the palm of his hand. "I am sure you're all wondering as to why I have called you all to this meeting so early in the morning."
"Considerin' it's seven freakin' A.M. on a Saturday morning, the simple answer would be yes," says a slightly miffed Numbuh Five, being woken up from quite a peaceful slumber.
"Good, then I have all of your attention. Guys... we have a traitor in our midst!"
"WHAT!?" shout the others in unison before they begin rambling among themselves, saying things like "It isn't me!", "It must be YOU!", "ME!? I would never--!", etc., etc.
"Settle down, people!" orders Numbuh One in his strong British accent, bashing his fist on his podium multiple times.
"... what makes ya think that there's a bloomin' rat here, mate?" asks Numbuh Four after everyone quiets down.
"I've heard a voice in my head!"
Numbuh Five lifts her cap visor and blinks. "A voice in your head. Right. An' Numbuh Five will suppose that next your Supersockem Girl doll will tell you that that lame-o Blarney the Orange Dinosaur is gonna rise up an' conquer the world with his 'I Love Ya' songs and afterschool special trash."
"NO! It's true," says Numbuh One quickly before Numbuh Three can open her mouth to say 'But Blarney isn't real!'. "I've heard a voice telling me that those Delightful kids are going to get us somewhere outside of town soon, and one of us will turn traitor! And it's not a doll, it's an action figure!"
"Surrrrrre, that's what they all say."
"But we'd never turn traitor!" protests Numbuh Two. "All of us are friends here, right?"
"Right!" agree Numbuhs Three, Four, and Five.
{"Bah, one or more of them must be in denial..."}, says the voice inside Numbuh One's mind.
Realizing who it is, he rubs the side of his bald head, whispering, "Maybe so, but I don't really think--"
"Who you talkin' to?" interrupts Numbuh Five, cocking an eyebrow from under her red cap.
"Maybe he has an imaginary friend..." snickers Numbuh Four, with Numbuh Two joining in.
"I do not! It's that voice-person; she's talking to me right now!"
"Man!" the dark-skinned girl shakes her head. "So it's a she now? Heh heh heh, I don't think Lizzie will like that."
"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Numbuh One?" a concerned Numbuh Three asks as she gets up and walks over to the accented boy to feel his forehead. "You're not sick or anything, are you?"
"I'm fine, Numbuh Three," he replies softly, gently putting his friend's hand down. "I'm only looking for the ratfink in our team."
"Tch, fine, fine..." grumbles Numbuh Four. "Let's pretend that what yer sayin' IS true. Where are the Miserable Children From Who Knows Where suppos'ta strike again?"
"At a street some distance away from the Delighful Children's home."
"All right, then let's go toast 'em!"
"Yea'. But first, Numbuh Five is hun-ger-REE, an' wants some breakfast!" Numbuh Five announces, abruptly halting Numbuhs Two, Three, and Four from dashing out the door causing them to trip and fall on each other. They collectively groan.
"Breakfast, huh? Then we'll come with you for breakfast too!" says Numbuh One, lifting up his sunglasses slightly.
"But I already had breakfast!" Numbuh Three tells him, wiping the last pieces of a strawberry pop-tart from her lips.
"I still say we're joining on Numbuh Five's breakfast and have a great time together. Aren't we?"
Numbuhs 2-4 shrug defeatedly and join Numbuh Five at the dining room table, fixing themselves some bowls of cereal... The sugary-sweet, non-nutritious kind, of course.
Numbuh One follows them afterwards. He hopes that what the voice tells him is false, but he certainly cannot risk leaving even one of the Kids Next Door members alone, especially since one of them could be a traitor. He has to keep an eye on each of them at all times, at least until he finds out just what is going on.
Manasa, at a distance, smirks with pride. Already the Kids Next Door are bickering with each other, and trust has certainly become an issue. Seeing that they are having breakfast at the moment, she decides to patiently wait for them to finish and come out so that Phase Two will begin. Then suddenly, she gets an idea. An idea that could prove quite entertaining...
Numbuh Three's previous worriness quickly fades away as the taste of sweet cereal enters her mouth, and her happy-go-lucky disposition returns. She almost forgets about all this traitor business when...
"Hey! Kuki Sanban!"
Numbuh Three stops and quickly looks around. Only her friends are here, but it sure doesn't sound like any of their voices. What's even more unusual is that not only is she being called by her real name instead of her KND codename, but the others do not seem to hear it as well. Assuming that it is just her imagination, Numbuh Three shrugs it off and dives her spoon into the sea of fresh, white liquid with pieces of cereal as the drowning victims. But the spoon full of 'rescued victims' soon to enter the hatch of no return only stops halfway when the voice is heard again:
"Kuki!" it calls. "Down here!"
Looking down, Numbuh Three slightly gasps when she discovers the teddy wrapped around her side--which she couldn't get a chance to put away when Numbuh One woke her up--is staring straight at her, instead of being in its usual blank, happy stare!
"T-Teddy?" she whispers, her voice slightly trembling.
"Yep, that's right!" Numbuh Three nearly leaps with more joy than fright when the teddy bear's mouth moves as it speaks.
The teddy bear's expression turns serious. "You don't really believe Number One, do you, dear?"
"Uh, what do you mean? How are you talking?"
Numbuh Four, who is sitting right across from her, lifts up his eyes for a minute, and can swear he heard her say something. Thinking she must be in one of her 'silly' moods, he shrugs it off and immediately goes back to his breakfast, munching on it rather animalistically.
"That is not important right now, Kuki. I'm sending you a little warning."
"A warning?"
"Yes. Isn't it strange what Number One said? About how the Delightful Children already have their newest weapon at their disposal and ready to attack when their most recent one was destroyed yesterday? I think they would be too upset to build a new machine overnight."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that perhaps the Delightful Children may... or may not have some weapon prepared to strike against you and your teammates. Have you noticed the way Number One looks at you?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" asks Numbuh Three innocently.
"Well, my dear, you know what it means when a boy stares at a particular girl a lot, don't you? Certainly you of all the Kids Next Door ought to know that."
Unsure, the little Japanese girl turns her head towards Numbuh One's direction. Indeed, he is staring at her. Realizing he's caught, he quickly goes back to eating, acting innocent. Gasping lightly, she quickly turns back to her teddy bear. "D-Does Numbuh One have a crush on me?"
The stuffed animal smiles. "Perhaps. And perhaps there is a reason why he mentioned of a possible Delightful Children attack. I figure maybe when you all arrive there he'll grab you away unnoticed by the others at first, making it seem like you two were ambushed and captured by the enemy.
"Now why would he do somethin' like that?"
"Why?" It pauses. "Well... let's just say he may want to 'Play Doctor' with you. Catch my drift? Hee hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
'Play Doctor? What's the matter with that?' Numbuh Three asks herself. She plays Doctor with her dolls and stuffed animals all the time. What could this talking teddy be-- Wait. Sometimes when she plays that game with her dolls and they need some form of 'check-up,' she has to....
At a sudden realization of what her teddy bear could be talking about, her eyes widen first in surprise... then disgust.
"EWIE EWIE EWIE!" she yells, bringing everyone's attention to her.
"Huh? What is the matter, Numbuh Three?" Numbuh One asks, confused from the sudden outburst.
Whirling to him, Numbuh Three points accusingly at the leader with a grossed-out frown. "You're icky, Numbuh One! And ewie, too!" she declares as she storms away from the table.
Manasa laughs out loud at Numbuh Three's reaction and Numbuh One's weirded-out expression. Sometimes having mind powers can be so much fun!
"What the heck was up with that?" wonders a bewildered Numbuh One.
"I dunno... But I guess she doesn't want the rest of that anymore," says Numbuh Two as he snatches the abandoned bowl of cereal.
"Didja do somethin' to her today?" Numbuh Four asks the leader.
"NO! I didn't do a thing to her!"
The Aussie boy shrugs. "Just askin'."
Slightly worried by her friend's behavior, Numbuh Five leaves the dining room table and follows Numbuh Three, who has her arms crossed, to the main room.
"Hey girl, wassup wit' you?" Numbuh Five inquires. But her friend refuses to answer.
Meanwhile back at the dining room, the voice of Manasa re-enters Numbuh One's head. {"Hmmm. Strange way she is acting. Oh well. I think you've stuffed yourself up enough. You better get to your next mission and defeat the Delightful Children as always."}
"Yes! I think we should!" he answers her before looking to Numbuh Two and Numbuh Four. "Come on, guys! Let's go look for those Delightful suckers!"
"Awright, it's action time!" shouts Numbuh Four excitedly as he rolls up his sleeves.
Hearing Numbuh One's call for action, Numbuh Five looks at him then back at Numbuh Three with concern, but she takes her hand anyway, rushing her to the port. "We better get going..."
"Okay, but I'm staying away from that yucky Numbuh One," grumbles Numbuh Three, leaving the other girl to wonder what the heck she's talking about.
The Kids dash to the port to the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. (Massively Oversized Super Quick Undercover Icy Treat Transport On Helio-jets; first seen on the episode I.-S.C.R.E.A.M.) that serves as one of their modes of aerial transportation. Strapping on their seatbelts, Numbuh Two ignites the engine and immediately they're off to the supposed Delightful Children attack site. On their way there, each Kid wonder to themselves:
Numbuh Five: 'What's up with Numbuh Three? And just where exactly did Numbuh One get that stuff about the Delightful nerds ambushing us? Numbuh Five is suspicious...'
Numbuh Four: 'I have no cruddy idea what's going on, but I'll be glad to kick some butt again!'
Numbuh Three: 'OOOoooo, that Numbuh One!'
Numbuh Two: 'I hope there isn't a traitor here. That would mean we can't be friends with him or her anymore. (GASP!) What if I'm the traitor!? ... Nah, I can't be the rat. Heh heh, silly me.'
Numbuh One: 'I don't know if what this mysterious voice is telling me is true. But if there is a traitor among us, he or she will surely pay.'
Watching the Kids Next Door at a distance, Manasa produces the communicator again and says, "They're coming."
"Good! Phase Two will begin at last!" The Delightful Children From Down The Lane are heard laughing monotonously from the device. Hanging up, the mind-empowered woman smirks a little as she eyes the Kids blast to their destination. It won't be long before Phase Two is unleashed...
She can practically taste all the fun ahead.
TO BE CONTINUED...