Now reloading: Kids Next Door mission...
Operation: M.I.N.D., Chapter Four
Writing Operative: Vtbots
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For anyone wanting to cool down on a hot day, they sure better not stay in the Delightful Children's 'Father's' room. Flaming torches surround DC Father's (Delightful Children's Father's) easy chair/throne combination, illuminating the barely lit room. Not only that, but the father himself is quite an enigma: An almost featureless, shadowish form of a man with fiery yellow eyes, smoking his pipe and tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. When in his 'normal' moods he simply stays as his dark self. But when furious or "most displeased," he becomes surrounded in a ball of flame varying in size according to his level of anger.
At the moment he is somewhat displeased. He can still clearly remember the loss he suffered when he fought the Kids Next Door in person for the first time recently. The Kids Next Door were nearing defeat, and still he could not beat them!? What is it that empowers them so?
As DC Father thinks evil thoughts, a red-haired woman slowly steps into the long aisle leading up to his throne. The mutant-like being senses her presence and growls deep in his throat.
"Who goes there!?" he roars, not turning around in his seat.
"It is I, the humble servant whom your Delightful Children hired," Manasa answers sarcastically. "Who else?"
"Ah, you. I do not let just anybody enter my room, you know. If you are here, then that can only mean one thing: The Kids Next Door are out of my hair for good, yes?"
"Perhaps." As she speaks, she side-steps to one of the pillars and places behind it a couple 'special surprises' she was hiding behind her back. This whole time she wears a threatening scowl.
"At last! No more fools across the street or whatever they call themselves. Stand right there, I want to see the face of the woman who made my day."
The Father of the Delightful Children rests his hands on the arms of his chair, and spins around to stare down at his childrens' employee below. His topaz eyes light up in flames as familiarity strikes him.
"You! Where have I seen you before?"
As if offended at not being remembered, Manasa frowns even deeper. "You ruined me, freak, and you have forgotten who I am!? You are no different than you were those horrible years ago!"
"What are you talking abo... Wait... no..." DC Father becomes engulfed by flames of rage (literally), "IT CAN'T BE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE--"
"Well I'm not, you monster!" Manasa growls furiously. "You and your experiments..."
"My experiments made me a very rich man, can't you see that?"
"Your experiments also ruined many lives, including my own! I remember it all well. I was only in middle school then, when you one day visited, no, invaded my home and took me in to your creepy labs to try your genetic-engineering. You claimed it was for a 'good cause,' which in your eyes equals money and no bad children. But something went wrong -- The machine malfunctioned and I was badly injured.
"When I came to," Manasa continues, "I felt... unusual. That was when I discovered my unique ability for the first time. I accidentally read the doctors' minds as they whispered among themselves, saying how I looked normal and that I was going to be okay. But I certainly didn't feel normal and I wasn't going to be okay later...
"One day at school, some bullies were picking on a kid -- one of my friends -- and they 'accidentally' pushed him down the stairs. I felt that he was on the verge of death and I was terribly frightened... So frightened that somehow I used my new powers to hold him... in mid-air! He was locked into a statis for a while before I realized what I was doing, so I gently let him down. I checked to see if he was okay, but before he could answer I blurted out 'Yes you do need the nurse, she'll fix you right up!'
"He froze. He asked me how'd I know what he was thinking, and I didn't know how to answer. That's when I noticed that everyone around me was staring. They all saw what I did... and I knew what they were thinking. Most were terrified, thinking I was a freak, a mutant... a monster! Some were thinking of arresting me before I 'kill somebody with my freaky tricks,' some wanted to hide, some wanted to throw me into a 'freak show.' I knew I couldn't stay there anymore... So I ran, not even bothering to listen to my friends' calls nor to read their thoughts. I didn't have to to know what they were thinking.
"It didn't take long for the news to arrive about the 'Special Girl.' My parents were still looking for me, but I couldn't face them... not anymore! So I ran back to your lab to get you to rid of my powers! But I was greeted with a horrible sight: You became a mutated fiery being. You claimed that the experiment on yourself was a success and that now you were able to 'punish them.'
"I read your mind to discover that you meant my friends' friends because you heard about them being bad children and deliberately disobeying adults! You decided to punish my friends first because you thought they were associated with the 'troublemakers.' Naturally you were surprised by my ability and considered me a threat to your plans, blasting me to a state of unconsciousness and leaving me for dead as you burned the lab down."
"... how did you survive?" asks DC Father emotionlessly.
"When I woke up, I discovered the whole room on fire. I remembered in your thoughts about an emergency escape hatch. So I evacuated the lab from there. You were foolish not to make sure I WAS dead!"
The humanoid flame growls, eyes lighting up in fury.
"I speeded to my neighborhood to rescue my friends, but I was too late. Their homes... and themselves... You... you..." Manasa finds it difficult to say it all and clenches her fists tightly, a tear sliding down her face. "Only one of my friends survived -- the boy who was bullied. He was barely conscious as he was carried onto the stretcher. I ran to him and he was too shocked to speak. His mind was too boggled with trauma for me to be able to read it-- it was painful."
Manasa's anger suddenly shifts into an ironic smirk.
"But then, an elementary-aged boy whom I never met before in my life, came to the scene to check on him. I assumed my friend knew him, so I found it unusual that he would hang out with little kids like him. The boy grumbled 'Stupid adults never care for kids these days' under his breath before walking away sadly. Curious to know what he meant, I used my powers to figure out what. Turns out he was one of my friends' friends that you were after..."
DC Father's body slowly becomes ignited.
"Yes. My friends' friends were part of some worldwide organization known as... The Kids Next Door! Yes, worldwide; those kids you hate so much now aren't the only anti-adult children around."
Now he rises from his seat, all riled up. Now this is something he did not know! Back then when he merely heard about them, he assumed those troublemakers simply disobeyed adults and deliberately skipped school or ran away from home. He had no idea they were part of an organization bent on fighting against grown-ups.
"Of course, I did not have to follow the boy to his headquarters to know about the Kids Next Door, so I decided to escape from society, which had booted me out in the first place and possibly claimed that I was responsible for the accident, and I planned my revenge... against you."
"Why now?" the father asks.
"I kept myself out of sight to train my mental powers, and also to spy on you as well as any other Kids Next Door organizations I could find. Now, I have finally perfected the gift and know as much about you and the Kids Next Door as I possibly could. I have transformed from the weakling girl to the powerful woman that stands before you today."
"So, you're here for a little payback," says the demonic-like man, removing his smoke pipe. "One thing I still do not understand: Instead of torturing the Kids Next Door, why didn't you just bust into my lair and fight me when you first arrived, hmmm?"
Manasa smirks. "I thought it would be funny if you were to have the happiest moment of your life from hearing of the Kids Next Door's 'destruction,' only to have it end minutes later by whom you believed was 'just another ruffian.' "
"You were and still are just another ruffian, Manasa!" roars DC Father, becoming ablazed again. "And so were your friends, and so are those Kids Next Door! Them and their rebellion against adults! All children should obey their elders, respect their elders... They cannot have minds of their own under OUR control! It is up to us adults to convert them to our ways and have them pass the standards down to their own children; that's the way the world SHOULD be!
"But no, these... Kids Next Door are interfering! With standards and values of their own, and with their very own 'technology,' the world would possibly have a chance of changing its ways! I cannot have that happen; I WILL not let that happen! The way that the world should be... the way I want it to be should never disappear!"
"And that is why you consider the Kids Next Door a threat," Manasa observes, remembering a speech he made during his first battle with the agents.
"Exactly! To preserve the world as how I want it to be -- as how it always should be -- I must completely destroy any Kids Next Door organization that arises."
"If you are so motivated to do that, why make your Delightful Children do all the work?"
"Why? Look at me!" he yells as he shows off his mutated body. "The world is not ready to face this just yet. But it appears my children are constantly failing. They were truly becoming a disappointment to me... a very big disappointment. But perhaps their hiring you to break up the Kids Next Door might redeem them."
"You will not be around long enough to get a chance to redeem them," the mind-powered woman says threateningly.
"Is that a challenge?"
"It's what I'm here for, isn't it?"
"Then it is about time that I accept. The time for talking is over."
DC Father slowly walks down the steps from his throne, gathering his hands together to form a large flame. His hazel eyes glare venemously down at the young woman below.
"I should have completely destroyed you when I had the chance, ruffian."
"Well, you didn't, and you will surely regret it. You are an insane man who wants to kill children that aren't how you want them to be, and you proved it so in the past. You do not deserve your life, you murderous scum!"
That was enough to totally fire up the evil villian. Hollering, he blasts rounds of fireballs at his opponent, but the woman skillfully dodges each shot. She takes this time to lunge at the man and she delivers a hard fist to his cheek, backing him off some feet away. She uppercuts him knocking him down on the steps, then stomps on him relentlessly. But DC Father recovers from the blows to the face and he successfully sends her away with another fireball.
DC Father quickly gets up and brings his two hands together to shoot a beam of flames. Manasa braces himself for the attack and the beam pins her to the wall, filling her with intense heat and pain, but she tries not to scream lest she'd draw satisfaction from her foe. Unable to move, she extends her hand to the direction of the easy chair. The chair rumbles moments before it breaks from the floor, under Manasa's control. She quickly flies the throne toward DC Father and it collides, knocking him back and letting go of his flame beam.
Now that she's no longer pinned, she smirks a bit and uses her mind powers to move the easy chair to wherever she pleases. In this case she uses it to pound on the flaming mutant mercilessly, making it difficult for him to counterattack or even dodge, much to Manasa's amusement. She almost laughs as her enemy tries desperately to get away from his own 'comfortable' seating object. Eventually, DC Father screams in irritation and finally blasts a large fireball to blow his chair into nothingness.
Manasa sees an opening and again lunges at him to deliver a punch/kick assault. But DC Father is also quick, and he does the same, locking them into a deadly round of fisticuffs and footicuffs (if there is such a word). Hard punches to the face and jaw, kicks to the gut, elbow shots to wherever; and all the while Manasa is smirking, further angering her long-awaited opponent. Growing tired of this round of hand-to-hand combat, he abruptly backs off and suddenly tosses a sphere of flame. The ball lands in front of Manasa's feet and it blasts into a minor explosion, though an explosion enough to send the woman sailing a few yards back, landing on her face -- beside the very pillar where she hid her 'special surprise.'
The troublemaker-hater grins a satisfied grin as he calmly steps toward her direction. Manasa grunts and opens one eye. She suddenly smirks and closes the eye again, remaining down on the floor as DC Father finally stands over her, sneering down at her and chuckling.
"You were a real disappointment, Manasa. I expected you to be more of a challenge. I'm almost sorry I have to end it now. Is there anything you would like to say before I do?"
"Y-Y-Yes. You w-w-were c-c-careless."
"Huh?"
Manasa suddenly reaches out, grabs one of the hidden objects, and immediately hops on her two feet, displaying to the villian her first surprise: A blaster gun with a container filled with vanilla ice cream attached to it! Before DC Father can react, Manasa pulls the trigger and ice-cold, vanilla-flavored cream gushes out.
"Too bad you all were out of strawberry; that's my favorite," she laughs.
DC Father cries out in extreme pain and suffering as his weakness overpowers him. He feels his fire powers and himself weaken, powering him down into a mere shadowish man. The ice cream blast eventually pins him to the floor on his back, and Manasa shoots the cream from torso to toe to immobilize him.
The gifted lady tosses the empty blaster away and stands over her immovable foe, placing one foot down on his chest, smirking at his chattering form.
"You were a real disappointment," mocks Manasa. "I expected you to be more of a challenge. However, I will not regret ending this now."
She extends one hand behind her and her second surprise comes from behind the pillar, floating over to her possession. It is a weapon that resembles a sword with a wooden hilt and a blade that has a bunch of cold desserts mixed together all over. She points it directly to his chest, determination evident in her eyes. DC Father tries to move away but to no avail.
"This 'sword' is going to be your undoing, scum. The desserts on it make the blade ice cold, just like your heart is despite your fiery body."
"Y-Y-Y-You... c-c-c-can't... d-d-d-do th-th-this!" the Delightful Children's Father chatters, more out of fear than coldness.
"Watch me."
Almost instantly after she says that, the Delightful Children From Down The Lane burst into the room, seemingly emotionless but actually suspicious, worried, and angry all at once.
"What is all the racke--" they begin before a terrified gasp escapes their mouths. "FATHER!!"
"My D-D-Delightful Ch-Ch-Ch-Children... H-H-Help m-me..." their 'Father' responds weakly.
Manasa glances at them from over her shoulder. 'I didn't want the children to see this,' she thinks to herself. 'But here is my chance, and I may never get another opportunity like this again. I might as well do this right now. Besides... it is for their own good.'
The DCFDTL tremble in fright but begin to run over to assist him, when Manasa uses her mental powers to cause the nearby pillars to rumble threateningly, forcing them to step back for fear of their own health.
"Stay back!" she tells them. "Please do not make me hurt you. My doing what I'm about to do now is for your benefit, trust me."
"W-W-What are you t-t-talking ab-b-bout...?" the weakened Father asks. The Delightful Children's expressions show they are wondering the same thing.
"I think you and I both know what I'm talking about," Manasa answers him. She then takes hold of her sword with both hands and raises it, aiming at her intended target.
"Your experiments and evil ways are over!" Manasa declares. "Begone forever, you monster!"
"NO! FATHER!" the Delightful Children cry as they begin to dash to his side, not even caring if some flying furniture strikes them. But they only reach halfway before Manasa hollers a battle cry...
...and brings the blade down.
The Delightful Children instantly freeze in their tracks, their jaws gaped in utter shock, dissolving their emotionless facial features, as they witness their Father lay there... motionless. Manasa breathes a heavy sigh and steps away from her fallen enemy.
"My friends, you may rest in peace at last," she whispers through closed eyes. She sighs one last time before turning around, coming face-to-face with the DCFDTL. Their expressions are the same; they haven't moved an inch. They just stand there, staring shocked. Their Father... gone? This can't be!
Manasa floats by the Delightful Children and looks at them intently. This is why she did not want them to see their 'Father's' destruction; she figured the shock would be too much for them. 'But they'll understand,' she tells herself. 'If they don't figure it out first, then I can always tell them.'
Hoping to snap them out of it she asks, "Weren't you planning on a victory party? Come, let's go."
The Children do not respond. Manasa shakes her head and exits, leaving them there in their lonesome.
* * * * *
Manasa closes the door behind her and floats down the stairs. Guilt strikes her heart, but she lets what she thinks are good intentions squash it.
"It's hard having to do that in front of them," she tells herself. "But I finally got my revenge and children are forever safe from that man. This is all for the better. Now I think I'll take my leave for the moment, and perhaps come back when I feel the Delightful Children have recovered. Maybe they'll realize why I did what I did and will still throw their little party. I'd certainly love some cake and ice cream."
Manasa smiles slightly, practically tasting buttercream-frosted cake and strawberry ice cream. She shakes her head in disbelief moments later, but still smiles. Despite being a young adult she still finds herself acting somewhat like a child. Perhaps from spying on Kids Next Door organizations for so long.
She halts her movement when the mansion's entrance door suddenly bursts wide open, and a small boy in sunglasses leaps into the main hall, dashing madly. Fortunately, Manasa tells him to halt and he does before they could collide.
"Excuse me, but I must speak with the Delightful Children!" says Numbuh One. "I have this suspicion that they are the cause of my comrades' abandoning the team!"
Manasa cocks an eyebrow; she expected Nigel to stay at the Treehouse moping. But it appears he is finally catching on. "Sorry, but the Delightful Children are... not available at the moment. You should come back later." With that she continues her walk towards the exit.
Numbuh One slightly lowers his shades and watches her. 'What is that woman doing in the Delightful Children's mansion?' he wonders in his mind. 'And why is her voice so familiar?'
Suddenly, Manasa stops just in front of the door and looks at the boy from over her shoulder. {"Would it have something to do with the 'mystery voice' you've been banging your head about, Mr. Uno?"}
Nigel Uno gasps and steps back from the force of surprise. She just read his mind! And that voice... that voice he's been hearing these past couple of days... It's...
"Hold it!" Numbuh One commands in his British accent, running up to Manasa who just stepped outside, the sun setting in the distance, shifting the near-cloudless skies from bright and blue to dark and orange. The woman stops and turns, looking down at the small boy, placing one hand on her hip.
"Yes?"
"It's you! You're the person who's been speaking to me in my mind! You're working for the Delightful Children From Down The Lane, aren't you!?" Nigel resists the urge to instantly lunge at her.
"I guess you can say that. Since my task is done, it is safe to tell you who I am. My name is Manasa, and I have the special ability to go into peoples' minds. The Delightful Children hired me to get you and your friends out of their way."
"And I suppose you had something to do with the others acting unlike themselves as well?"
"Yes, somewhat. But some things were from their own doing. I just helped them bring it out. Like Kuki's 'bad' side or Wallabee's once-hidden accusations against Hoagie."
'So Numbuh Four got his 'change of heart' from Manasa...'
"Correct," says Manasa after reading the thoughts of Numbuh One, who shudders. "I toyed with you and your friends' minds all week, eventually leading to the break up so the Delightful Children would fill in their part of the deal."
"... How could you..." Numbuh One grumbles.
"Well, for a little fun. But I had other reasons as well..."
"Fun? You think it was fun dissolving the Kids Next Door!?" the boy yells. His eyes ripple as angry tears begin to fall.
"Hey, I said a little fun, I did not gain THAT much joy out of it."
"Still, you cost me the greatest friends I ever had!"
Ignoring his tear-stained cheeks, he produces his S.C.A.M.P.P. and aims his 2x4 Technology-created weapon directly at her.
Manasa simply smirks. "You know, Nigel, not everything was a trick of mine. There was a traitor within your team."
"Really?" Numbuh One asks. Curiousity takes over and he lowers his weapon.
"Do you want to know who it is? You might be surprised."
"Yes, please, tell me! If he or she also caused all that trouble I'd want to confront that ratfink about it!"
"All right."
The red sweater boy gulps and braces himself, nervous sweat forming on his forehead. Finally, he is going to know who is the rat. Manasa kneels down to his level so that they're face-to-face with each other. She smirks a bit and tells him the answer he's been looking for these past days...
"... You, Nigel Uno."
"Me...?" he wonders, backing off and shaking his head in high doubt. "I... I don't understand."
Manasa stands back up. "Think about it, Nigel. You yourself thought that my voice coming out of nowhere was strange, but you went along with it anyway. I mean, really, some unknown voice popping up right after you severely defeated the Delightful Children!? That's quite a good reason for suspicion, is it not?"
"They, they were suspicious to me!"
"But your suspicions against them were too late. You did nothing to settle the air of mistrust. Thus, accusations against each other increased and eventually your friends abandoned the Kids Next Door. So, in a metaphorical sense, you are the 'traitor' who caused the destruction of your team; the loss of your friends."
Manasa doesn't even complete her speech before Nigel drops on his knees sobbing. He wants to deny it but he knows she's right. Now he sees why Manasa said that night not to trust his friends too much -- Because they might have retaliated against him if they figured that HE was the reason the Kids Next Door crumbled, not because that one of them was a traitor. He himself was the one who thought someone was betraying the team. And that someone, in a sense, turned out to be him...
Manasa turns away, the feeling of guilt pounding her again. 'But as I said, it was for a good cause,' she persists. 'Besides, I have a feeling the loss of their friendship will not last for too long, and soon things will go back to normal for them.'
Manasa looks back intently at the boy. He's been silent for quite a while. She's weary from all the mind-reading today, but decides to check out what he could be thinking. When she finishes, she frowns, folding her arms across her chest.
"What?" says she. "You're still thinking of fighting me?"
"Yes, I am," he replies. "None of this still would not have happened if it wasn't for you."
The woman sighs. "Nigel, fighting me would be meaningless now. Besides, you are alone. How can one child take on a psychic?"
"Not one, but TWO!" comes a voice not owned by either of them.
Nigel and Manasa both whirl over to the direction of the shout. Before Manasa can do anything multiple cartons of orange juice bomb her, spilling the nutritious drink all over her from head to toe. Manasa whines loudly, her hair and dress soaked, and tries to wipe the juice off with little effectiveness. Meanwhile, a round boy in a fly suit picks up Numbuh One, carrying him by a large tree some distance away from the distracted lady, and sets him down.
Numbuh One blinks-- everything happened so fast. But when he finally gets a good look at his rescuer, he smiles broadly and almost leaps in joy.
"N-Numbuh Two!?"
"Hey there," the chubby boy smiles, setting down his weapon: A large mailbox firearm used to shoot orange juice cartons. The ammunition is empty; most likely the ones he used earlier was the last of it, but he has a gumball shooter (the gun literally looks like those gumball machines at grocery stores, except with a handle and trigger) for backup.
"Numbuh Two, you're here! But... what are you doing here? I thought you quit the Kids Next Door?"
"Yeah, well..." Numbuh Two smiles sheepishly. "I felt kinda bad for getting all mad and walking out on you guys, so I came back to headquarters only to find nobody home. So I strapped on my flying apparatus to search for you all."
[A/N: The "flying apparatus" was the suit Numbuh Two wore in THE-FLY and GROW-UP.]
He looks around and blinks.
"Where ARE the others anyway? Were they captured?" he asks worriedly.
"No," Numbuh One answers solemnly, "they all quit shortly after you left."
Hoagie's face falters. "What? Aw, man... Then it looks like we're on our own."
"No yer not, chubby!"
A short, blonde Australian-accented boy lunges at the chubby pilot before he could even get a chance to move.
"Numbuh Four!" Numbuh One exclaims in relief.
"Numbuh Four..." Numbuh Two says, not sure whether to be relieved or worried for his own safety.
Numbuh Four grits his teeth and grabs the downed boy's blue shirt. "Awright, spill it! You were working with the Delightful Children all along, you traitor!"
"No!" the boy shakes his head quickly.
"Don't deny it! I saw you flying here. Come to get your reward from 'em, eh?"
"I came here because I wanted to apologize to you guys for leaving like that! Really, it's the truth!"
"It's true, Numbuh Four," says One calmly. "The person you should be getting angry at is her."
One points to Manasa's direction, who is still whining about the orange juice splattered all over her. Four looks at her intently, cocking an eyebrow hidden under her blonde bangs when the sound of her voice enters his head.
"Y'know... Her voice DOES sound familiar," Four comments. "Aw... crud! It's the same lady voice I heard last night! She musta been the one who..." He finally loosens his grip on Two, steps off and looks at him sheepishly. "Numbuh Two, I... I'm, uh, ummm..."
"It's okay, Numbuh Four," smiles Numbuh Two. "I mean, hey, I would've thought I was the traitor, too. Hee hee hee."
Numbuh Four smiles in return, then turns serious again as he faces Numbuh One. "So, mate, how was that lady doing all that?"
"Manasa has this ability to read peoples' thoughts. She was the one who made me think that one of you was a traitor."
"Read peoples' thoughts? Man, that's bloody creepy!"
"Could that mean that the message I saw on the computer was possibly some kind of mind illusion thingy set by Manasa?" asks Two.
The leader nods.
"So you weren't making fun of me after all. I'm so sorry for accusing you!"
"It's okay, Numbuh Two, don't worry about it."
"... Man, now that sounds in'tresting to Numbuh Five."
The leaves of the tree rustle and out leaps the third-person speaker, landing in front of the boys gracefully. The girl in the red cap's unexpected entrance was enough to make Numbuh Two almost shriek like a girl.
"Numbuh Five! I didn't even know you were up there," Numbuh One exclaims, though is happy to see her. The faces of Two and Four show that they feel the same way as he does.
"I ain't the stealth operative for nothin'," Numbuh Five says proudly.
"How did you know we were here?" asks One.
"I didn't. I was about to bust into da mansion to see if the Delightful dorks had somethin' to do with ya bein' weird, when I saw you an' that lady come out. I hid in this tree ta see what was goin' on."
"Hey, I came here because of my suspicions against the Delightful Children, too!"
"I guess great minds think alike. Though mines is greater an' you know it," smirks Five.
One smiles; it feels like ages since hearing her smart-alecky mouth.
"So, that Manasa lady was the reason y'all were actin' crazy?" Numbuh Five asks, staring at Numbuh Four in particular.
"Yeah," the Aussie boy answers, knowing she was talking to him more than the others. "Sorry 'bout intrudin' ya, but I toldja I didn't do it on purpose."
"Yeah, well, sorry about that," says the girl, scratching the back of her head from under her cap. "I guess Numbuh Five shoulda listened to your side of the story."
Numbuh One sighs sadly. "I wish Numbuh Three was here to see us making up."
* * * * *
Meanwhile a raven-haired Asian girl walks down the streets, her happy-go-lucky disposition broken earlier today. Still saddened by the chain of events at headquarters, she mopes around the suburban neighborhood, having nothing to do and nobody to play with.
Eventually she comes across the Delightful Children's mansion. She ignores the large household until she hears familiar voices and one unknown voice coming from the front yard. 'Hmm'ing, Numbuh Three decides to investigate and she peers through the large gate.
There she sees a wet-looking young woman who seems to be complaining about something. Destroyed cartons of orange juice are closeby. She looks to the side to see... the rest of the Kids Next Door, appearing to be talking about something.
"Oooo, they must be having a party!" she gasps, leaping up and down gleefully. But she freezes when she realizes... "I wasn't invited! Oo, that makes me so mad!"
With that she climbs up the gate with great speed and agility, jumping over it with skill, then immediately dashes towards the others, completely ignoring the woman.
"Hey! How come you didn't invite me to the party!?" Numbuh Three whines.
The four other Kids turn to see the remaining member of their team running towards them. Numbuh One opens his mouth to say that he's glad to see her, but Three gets into his face before he can.
"I said, why didn't you invite me to the party!?" she repeats.
"Huh? This isn't a party, Numbuh Three," blinks One.
"Yes it is! See that lady? She was drinking orange juice or something and there were lots of it, so you must have food 'n' drinks somewhere!"
"It ain't no party," Four tells her, "Two here saved Numbuh One before that Manshasha lady could pound him!"
"Yeah, Manasa was behind everything!" Five adds, at the same time correcting Numbuh Four.
"If you don't believe us listen to her voice," One comments, turning Numbuh Three's head to Manasa's direction.
Numbuh Three does as told. Manasa is still yelling about her ruined hair and dress and something about prefering tropical punch. Her voice... She has heard it somewhere before.
"Oh, no!" gasps Numbuh Three. "You mean my teddy bear was a lady all along and she tricked me!?"
Numbuh One resists a snicker. "No, no, Numbuh Three. Manasa used her mind powers to make you think your teddy bear was talking to you."
"Oh. Well, I was close!" Numbuh Three declares, crossing her oversleeved arms. Another realization hits her and she bows her head in shame, digging the ground with one foot. "Oh... That means I called you names and beat you with a pillow for nothing. I'm sooooo sorry, Numbuh One!"
"Don't worry about it, Numbuh Three," he replies, though frowns a little when Numbuh Five snickers.
"We're all sorry," Two adds solemnly. "Manasa made all of us act the way we did."
"Well... it wasn't 100 percent her fault." All eyes fall on the leader. "Guys, I was the 'traitor' she was talking about."
The others gasp but he waves away any questions that were going to escape their lips.
"No, not literally. It was because of me that everything happened this way. I let Manasa manipulate me like a puppet. And because of that, I almost destroyed the Kids Next Door... and its friendship." Now it's Numbuh One's turn to bow his head in shame.
"Hey hey, Numbuh One, you were just bein' a leader like you were supposed to," Numbuh Five says seriously.
"Yeah, please don't be mad at yourself," Numbuh Three adds.
"Dat's right. The person ya should be getting mad at is her, remember?" smirks Numbuh Four, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Manasa.
Numbuh One takes the time to let their words sink in as Numbuh Two pats his shoulder consolingly. These friends are so great. Even when times are tough, especially when he feels it is because of his leadership, they are always there for him.
Numbuh One lifts his head up and removes his trademark accessory, eyeing each of them with a small smile. He cannot believe he almost lost the four best friends anyone can ever have. Sure, he sometimes gets annoyed a little with Numbuh Two's scaredyness or Numbuh Three's playfulness or Numbuh Four's hard-headedness or Numbuh Five's smart-aleckyness. But, hey, nobody's perfect, and he certainly has re-learned that lesson today.
"Thanks... my friends," he says. "Let's try not to break up ever again."
"You got it!" says Numbuh Two with a thumbs up.
"Yay, we're friends again!" squeals Numbuh Three joyfully.
"Hey, no way I'm leaving my buddies again," says Numbuh Four.
"Unless Numbuh Five whoops your behind like last time?" smirks Numbuh Five, playfully ruffling up his mop head.
Four smirks at her. "I hafta admit, you were pretty good. But you caught me off-guard last time. Next time you won't be so lucky."
"Is that a challenge to Numbuh Five?" she smirks.
"You betcher arse it is!"
"Numbuh Five accepts yer challenge! When we get home it'll be you an' me, a one-on-one rematch in your wrestlin' ring!"
Numbuh Four and Numbuh Five seal the deal with a handshake, smiling that 'May the best man/woman win!' kind of smile.
"GROUP HUG!" the Asian girl announces.
The others seem a bit reluctant, particularly Numbuh Four, but they shrug and do as Numbuh Three suggests, moving themselves into perhaps the sappiest moment of their lives.
Unfortunately, their heartfelt moment is cut short.
"A-AHEM! Have you completely forgotten about me!?"
The team break away to find a rather miffed Manasa staring down at them. She isn't as soaked as before, but that's not keeping her from being unhappy for that unexpected juice assault.
"Listen, it's good you all are back together and all but really, did you have to splash orange juice all over me? Look at me! Look at my hair, look at my dress!"
"Aw shut up, psycho lady!" Numbuh Four grumbles through gritted teeth.
"That's psychic!"
"Same thing."
"Manasa," Numbuh One says, rearming his S.C.A.M.P.P., "it is time that we, the Kids Next Door, kick your butt!"
"But how can we beat her!?" Two panics. "She's a psychic for crying out loud!"
"We're just gonna hafta try," says Five, tightening her red cap and cracking her knuckles and producing a 2x4 Technologic blaster of some sort, the same one she used in the episode C.H.A.D.
"You still wish to fight me? Then so be it. I think I might enjoy this. Unlike a certain someone, I am confident you will not disappoint me."
"'A certain someone'? Who?" the commander asks curiously.
"I'll tell you later, if you don't find out first somehow." She pauses for a moment and then smirks at Numbuh One. "I believe this is where you call out your favorite line."
Numbuh One smirks back. "Exactly. Kids Next Door... BATTLESTATIONS!"
* * * * *
TO BE CONTINUED...