Author's Notes: If you're wondering where I went, I haven't died. I finally
got myself a job and I'm now a contributing member of society. Huzzah.
Anyway, I apologize for my long absence. I wanted to time the release of
this chapter with the release of the new K.N.D episodes. I guess it
wasn't that good of an idea, was it? Oh well. I finally finished it, so I
guess it works out in the end.
Codename: Kids Next Door
"Operation: V.I.R.A.L."
Virus Infects Random Adults Ludicrously
Part 2: Encounter
The sun began to set over the suburbs. A beautiful pink and orange sky signaled the end of the day for the Kids Next Door. Other kids were still celebrating their newfound freedom at the fair, but the five secret agents were ready to turn in after a long day of unwinding. For a little while, they had almost completely forgotten about the Pappy Flu and the discomfort it was causing the adults. Still, they were all curious as to whether any new information had sprung up while they were away. As much as the Kids Next Door enjoyed a life without tyrannical adults, they couldn't bare the thought of intentionally making their parents sick for the sake of an extended vacation.
The empty streets of the suburbs also gnawed at the team's conscience.
"It's kind of creepy looking, isn't it?" said Numbuh 2 as the group walked down the middle of an abandoned street. The downward slope of the street gave the Kids Next Door a good view of the suburbs. "Yeah. It's like everyone just up an' left." remarked Numbuh 4. Numbuh 5 nodded. "Uh huh. With all the grown-ups sick and all the other kids out celebratin', this place is like a ghost town." "I think it's pretty!" replied Numbuh 3 as she skipped happily alongside the others. "Yes. It certainly has beauty to it." said Numbuh 1 as he looked around with a smile on his face.
The surroundings reminded Numbuh 1 of some of the paintings he and his father used to look at in the museums they went to, when Nigel was still very young and growing up in Britain. He admired the paintings of the cities at dawn. The serenity of these paintings, though haunting, always managed to soothe the soul of the bald-headed operative up until the day he came to America and became leader of the local team of Kids Next Door.
Numbuh 1's reminiscing came to an abrubt end when he noticed movement in a window from a house across the street.
"Just another kid." Numbuh 1 thought to himself as he and the group walked on. A shout was heard from the same house, startling the five operatives. "What was that?" asked Numbuh 3 as she stopped in mid-skip. "Peh. Probably some kids messin' around." said Numbuh 4. A door slammed behind them, making them all jump. Turning around, the Kids Next Door were surprised to find an adult in the front doorway of the house directly across the street. The middle-aged man's clothing seemed normal enough. Pajamas were common attire among adults too sick to leave the house. What wasn't normal was his purple skin and the ravenous look on his face. The growls coming from his throat weren't exactly standard fare either.
Numbuh 5 gave the adult a strange look. "What's the deal with this guy? I thought ALL the grown-ups were sick?." "What I really want to know is why this guy looks like an eggplant!" laughed Numbuh 4. A crash rang out from next door. Soon, another purple-skinned adult was outside investigating the noise. This one was an old woman in a pink nightgown and plush slippers resembling pigs with smiling faces. The old woman herself was anything but happy or friendly as she glared and growled at the Kids Next Door, who were now beginning to suspect that something was seriously wrong with this scenario. Numbuh 3's screaming was proof enough as more purple skinned grown-ups came crashing though windows and doors. Within a moment's time the Kids Next Door were completely surrounded by snarling, twitching, oddly colored figures.
As the mob of purple adults began to form a circle around the young operatives, all five slowly retreated backwards until their backs hit the side of a large red SUV. Between the automobile and the adults, the Kids Next Door were trapped. "Stay together everyone." said Numbuh 1 as calmly as he could, despite the terror bubbling inside his ten year-old body. "You don't have to say that twice!" cried a trembling Numbuh 2. Fighting his fear, Numbuh 4 clenched his fists tightly. "What the heck is wrong with them? Have they gone bananas?!" "Sho' looks it." replied Numbuh 5 as she looked around for a possible escape route, finding none. Numbuh 3 closed her eyes and hoped that when she opened them again, the angry people around her would just go away like a bad dream. When that failed, she started to bawl loudly.
"Oh man! Oh man! We're trapped! There's no way out!!" wailed a panic- stricken Numbuh 2. The crowd of looming adults began to get riled after a moment of observation. A scream of rage rose from the back of the mob and soon, all of the adults were screaming. Knowing that the crowd would attack any second, Numbuh 5 tried desperately to think of a method of escape. The dark-skinned girl gritted her teeth and pounded out a rythm with her fist against the side of the SUV as she tried as hard as she could to think of something. Anything. It was then that Numbuh 5 looked at the small dent she had made, then at Numbuh 2. An idea formed in her head just as the crowd of purple adults advanced like a pack of ravenous wolves to meat.
"Everybody in the car, now!!" Numbuh 5 yelled. "It's locked!" cried Numbuh 3 as Numbuh 4 tried with all of his might to open the driver's door. The sounds of the adults' enraged screams and their stampeding footsteps were deafening as all five operatives tried in vain to pull the door off its hinges. "We're all going about this wrong way!" shouted Numbuh 1 as he suddenly jumped off the door and knelt to the ground. "What the 'eck are you doin'??" cried Numbuh 4 as he looked over his shoulder. Standing up with a large rock in his hand, the team leader motioned for the others to step aside. "We can't afford pleasantries at a time like this. We have to get in there right now!" With that, Numbuh 1 took aim and hurled the rock at the driver's side window, smashing a gaping hole through the glass. Numbuh 5 reached in through the hole and unlocked the SUV's doors. "Get in, get in, get in!!" she cried. Just as the crowd of adults grabbed for the young spies, they had jumped into the car and locked the doors. The impact of the crowd slamming themselves against the sides of the car nearly tipped the whole machine over.
"Now what, Numbuh 5?" squeaked Numbuh 3. "Hey Numbuh 2, hot-wire this thing and get us the heck outta' here!" cried Numbuh 5. "Uhh... Numbuh 5? I don't know how to hot-wire cars..." Numbuh 2 replied sheepishly as he climbed into the driver's seat. "What?! You know how to make a spaceship but ya' don't know how to hot-wire a car?!" "I never needed to learn! I'm a technician, not a robber!" "Well think of somethin' dangit!!"
As Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 2 argued, Numbuh 4 crawled underneath the steering wheel to the pedals. On the far left, he saw a black lever that was longer in length and different from the gas and brake pedals. "Hey! All of ya' shaddap an' hold on ta' somethin'!" the Aussie boy yelled as he slammed his fist down on the lever. Numbuh 2 looked down and gasped. "Numbuh 4! Wait! That's the emergency release--"
Before Numbuh 2 could finish, the SUV began to roll and gradually picked up speed down the steeply inclined road. The mob of purple adults howled in outrage as the Kids Next Door sped away. Inside the vehicle, the five operatives hooted and hollored in celebration. "Smart thinking, Numbuh 4!" commented Numbuh 1 as he gave a smirking Numbuh 4 a high-five. "Now all we have to do is steer this thing back to the tree house. At the bottom of this hill, it shouldn't be very far."
"Umm, guys? I don't think that's going to happen." replied Numbuh 2 with a pale look on his face and his finger pointing to the steering wheel. The other four operatives looked over Numbuh 2's shoulders and nearly keeled over. A locking mechanism was clamped over the wheel, preventing any movement. "Huh. That's not very good." commented Numbuh 3 as the SUV careened down the hill.
"Numbuh 2! How do we stop this crazy thing?" shouted Numbuh 4 as the speedometer climbed past 40 mph. Numbuh 2 buckled his seatbelt and looked back towards the others with a grim expression. Numbuh 1 nodded. "I'm afraid we can't stop, Numbuh 4. At least, not in the way you're thinking."
"Are you both bonkers or somethin'?! You mean to tell me we're gonna' have to crash on purpose?!" a wide-eyed Numbuh 4 shouted as he fumbled for his seatbelt. "Precisely. To get out of this, we are going to have to crash the car into the side of our headquarters." replied Numbuh 1. "Can't we just use the brakes to slow us down?" snapped Numbuh 4. Numbuh 2 reached down and tugged on the brake release lever. "It's no good guys! The brake release must've jammed when Numbuh 4 hit it! It's stuck!" cried Numbuh 2.
"Just peachy." Numbuh 4 grumbled. The speedometer passed 50 mph and continued to rise steadily.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Codename: Kids Next Door
"Operation: V.I.R.A.L."
Virus Infects Random Adults Ludicrously
Part 2: Encounter
The sun began to set over the suburbs. A beautiful pink and orange sky signaled the end of the day for the Kids Next Door. Other kids were still celebrating their newfound freedom at the fair, but the five secret agents were ready to turn in after a long day of unwinding. For a little while, they had almost completely forgotten about the Pappy Flu and the discomfort it was causing the adults. Still, they were all curious as to whether any new information had sprung up while they were away. As much as the Kids Next Door enjoyed a life without tyrannical adults, they couldn't bare the thought of intentionally making their parents sick for the sake of an extended vacation.
The empty streets of the suburbs also gnawed at the team's conscience.
"It's kind of creepy looking, isn't it?" said Numbuh 2 as the group walked down the middle of an abandoned street. The downward slope of the street gave the Kids Next Door a good view of the suburbs. "Yeah. It's like everyone just up an' left." remarked Numbuh 4. Numbuh 5 nodded. "Uh huh. With all the grown-ups sick and all the other kids out celebratin', this place is like a ghost town." "I think it's pretty!" replied Numbuh 3 as she skipped happily alongside the others. "Yes. It certainly has beauty to it." said Numbuh 1 as he looked around with a smile on his face.
The surroundings reminded Numbuh 1 of some of the paintings he and his father used to look at in the museums they went to, when Nigel was still very young and growing up in Britain. He admired the paintings of the cities at dawn. The serenity of these paintings, though haunting, always managed to soothe the soul of the bald-headed operative up until the day he came to America and became leader of the local team of Kids Next Door.
Numbuh 1's reminiscing came to an abrubt end when he noticed movement in a window from a house across the street.
"Just another kid." Numbuh 1 thought to himself as he and the group walked on. A shout was heard from the same house, startling the five operatives. "What was that?" asked Numbuh 3 as she stopped in mid-skip. "Peh. Probably some kids messin' around." said Numbuh 4. A door slammed behind them, making them all jump. Turning around, the Kids Next Door were surprised to find an adult in the front doorway of the house directly across the street. The middle-aged man's clothing seemed normal enough. Pajamas were common attire among adults too sick to leave the house. What wasn't normal was his purple skin and the ravenous look on his face. The growls coming from his throat weren't exactly standard fare either.
Numbuh 5 gave the adult a strange look. "What's the deal with this guy? I thought ALL the grown-ups were sick?." "What I really want to know is why this guy looks like an eggplant!" laughed Numbuh 4. A crash rang out from next door. Soon, another purple-skinned adult was outside investigating the noise. This one was an old woman in a pink nightgown and plush slippers resembling pigs with smiling faces. The old woman herself was anything but happy or friendly as she glared and growled at the Kids Next Door, who were now beginning to suspect that something was seriously wrong with this scenario. Numbuh 3's screaming was proof enough as more purple skinned grown-ups came crashing though windows and doors. Within a moment's time the Kids Next Door were completely surrounded by snarling, twitching, oddly colored figures.
As the mob of purple adults began to form a circle around the young operatives, all five slowly retreated backwards until their backs hit the side of a large red SUV. Between the automobile and the adults, the Kids Next Door were trapped. "Stay together everyone." said Numbuh 1 as calmly as he could, despite the terror bubbling inside his ten year-old body. "You don't have to say that twice!" cried a trembling Numbuh 2. Fighting his fear, Numbuh 4 clenched his fists tightly. "What the heck is wrong with them? Have they gone bananas?!" "Sho' looks it." replied Numbuh 5 as she looked around for a possible escape route, finding none. Numbuh 3 closed her eyes and hoped that when she opened them again, the angry people around her would just go away like a bad dream. When that failed, she started to bawl loudly.
"Oh man! Oh man! We're trapped! There's no way out!!" wailed a panic- stricken Numbuh 2. The crowd of looming adults began to get riled after a moment of observation. A scream of rage rose from the back of the mob and soon, all of the adults were screaming. Knowing that the crowd would attack any second, Numbuh 5 tried desperately to think of a method of escape. The dark-skinned girl gritted her teeth and pounded out a rythm with her fist against the side of the SUV as she tried as hard as she could to think of something. Anything. It was then that Numbuh 5 looked at the small dent she had made, then at Numbuh 2. An idea formed in her head just as the crowd of purple adults advanced like a pack of ravenous wolves to meat.
"Everybody in the car, now!!" Numbuh 5 yelled. "It's locked!" cried Numbuh 3 as Numbuh 4 tried with all of his might to open the driver's door. The sounds of the adults' enraged screams and their stampeding footsteps were deafening as all five operatives tried in vain to pull the door off its hinges. "We're all going about this wrong way!" shouted Numbuh 1 as he suddenly jumped off the door and knelt to the ground. "What the 'eck are you doin'??" cried Numbuh 4 as he looked over his shoulder. Standing up with a large rock in his hand, the team leader motioned for the others to step aside. "We can't afford pleasantries at a time like this. We have to get in there right now!" With that, Numbuh 1 took aim and hurled the rock at the driver's side window, smashing a gaping hole through the glass. Numbuh 5 reached in through the hole and unlocked the SUV's doors. "Get in, get in, get in!!" she cried. Just as the crowd of adults grabbed for the young spies, they had jumped into the car and locked the doors. The impact of the crowd slamming themselves against the sides of the car nearly tipped the whole machine over.
"Now what, Numbuh 5?" squeaked Numbuh 3. "Hey Numbuh 2, hot-wire this thing and get us the heck outta' here!" cried Numbuh 5. "Uhh... Numbuh 5? I don't know how to hot-wire cars..." Numbuh 2 replied sheepishly as he climbed into the driver's seat. "What?! You know how to make a spaceship but ya' don't know how to hot-wire a car?!" "I never needed to learn! I'm a technician, not a robber!" "Well think of somethin' dangit!!"
As Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 2 argued, Numbuh 4 crawled underneath the steering wheel to the pedals. On the far left, he saw a black lever that was longer in length and different from the gas and brake pedals. "Hey! All of ya' shaddap an' hold on ta' somethin'!" the Aussie boy yelled as he slammed his fist down on the lever. Numbuh 2 looked down and gasped. "Numbuh 4! Wait! That's the emergency release--"
Before Numbuh 2 could finish, the SUV began to roll and gradually picked up speed down the steeply inclined road. The mob of purple adults howled in outrage as the Kids Next Door sped away. Inside the vehicle, the five operatives hooted and hollored in celebration. "Smart thinking, Numbuh 4!" commented Numbuh 1 as he gave a smirking Numbuh 4 a high-five. "Now all we have to do is steer this thing back to the tree house. At the bottom of this hill, it shouldn't be very far."
"Umm, guys? I don't think that's going to happen." replied Numbuh 2 with a pale look on his face and his finger pointing to the steering wheel. The other four operatives looked over Numbuh 2's shoulders and nearly keeled over. A locking mechanism was clamped over the wheel, preventing any movement. "Huh. That's not very good." commented Numbuh 3 as the SUV careened down the hill.
"Numbuh 2! How do we stop this crazy thing?" shouted Numbuh 4 as the speedometer climbed past 40 mph. Numbuh 2 buckled his seatbelt and looked back towards the others with a grim expression. Numbuh 1 nodded. "I'm afraid we can't stop, Numbuh 4. At least, not in the way you're thinking."
"Are you both bonkers or somethin'?! You mean to tell me we're gonna' have to crash on purpose?!" a wide-eyed Numbuh 4 shouted as he fumbled for his seatbelt. "Precisely. To get out of this, we are going to have to crash the car into the side of our headquarters." replied Numbuh 1. "Can't we just use the brakes to slow us down?" snapped Numbuh 4. Numbuh 2 reached down and tugged on the brake release lever. "It's no good guys! The brake release must've jammed when Numbuh 4 hit it! It's stuck!" cried Numbuh 2.
"Just peachy." Numbuh 4 grumbled. The speedometer passed 50 mph and continued to rise steadily.
TO BE CONTINUED...