Ten figures huddled together in a secluded safe house, not far from one of Quatre's many pink mansions, where four paranoid pilots were currently hiding.

"Come on, does anyone have an idea?" Deut pleaded.

"Not as such, no," Dustin said.

"We have to do something to them!" Duo objected.

There was a moment of silence as the ten braided maniacs considered the possibilities of what they could do to their unsuspecting victims.  Actually, their victims suspected a great deal, but the black-clad lunatics didn't care.

"I've got it!" Darren suddenly announced.

"Got what, the DTs?" Dante asked.

"Head lice?" Donovan supplied.  After that, they all joined in.

"Jock itch?"

"A tapeworm?"

"Fleas?"

"Hemorrhoids?"

"Mad cow disease?"

"Crotch rot?"

"Implants?"

"Crabs?"

"Your period?"

"Male pattern baldness?"

"Ringworm?"

"Scabies?"

"Debilitating dandruff?"

"Impotence?"

"Incontinence?"

"Your first pube?"

"Abnormal hair growth?"

"PMS?"

"I hate you all," Darren snapped, interrupting the hysterical group.  "Do we want to torment them or not?"

"We still get to pick on you, right?" Donovan asked.

"Not if you want to live," Darren growled.

"Who do we hit first?" Duet asked.  "Oz or our poor helpless colleagues?"

"What about Romefeller?" Daniel protested.

"We're not going to torture them," Dante said.  "We're going to blow them up.  So it's still the original decision."

"How about both at the same time?" Duo suggested.

"All right," Dustin seconded.

"It'd be more fun if we hit them one at a time to maximize the damage," David said.

"True," Duo conceded.  "Oz first then.  Cripple the opposition before the allies."

"Good point," Duet said.  "Darren?"

"Well, for maximum torture, we'll have to first consume five pounds of chocolate apiece," he said.  "Everything is more fun on a sugar rush."

"Duh," Derrick said.  "Get on with the plan."

"And if I don't?"

"Then all your extracurricular privileges shall be revoked," Derrick smirked.

"That's just cold," Darren protested, pouting.  "Fine.  First off, we'll need several hundred empty data disks, twenty tubes of superglue, ninety wild hogs and forty pounds of Crisco…"

*     *     *

Zechs fought the urge to beat his head against his desk after receiving the latest field report.  Treize decided to ask what was wrong before the suddenly masochistic blond gave himself a concussion.

"What is it now?"

"A flight arrived this morning with the following teenagers.  Nicholas Everett, Edward Netter, Esteban Richardson, Norman Erickson, Ethan Norris, Erick Reed, Nori Evans, Earnest Newman and Earl Rhodes," the blond groaned.  Treize paused a moment to tally the initials.  Nine names plus one absence for a traveling Gundam.  He sighed.

"Neener neener neener," Treize finally said.

"We're dead."

*     *     *

"I still don't see what this has to do with our powers," Dustin protested for the twentieth time.  "And why did I get stuck with you two?"

"Who said it had to focus on our abilities?" Darren countered, fiddling with a computer terminal.  "And you're with us because we have to be able to move through secured locations without being detected."

"And that would be my particular power," Dustin growled.  "Are we using them or not?"

"We're going for the torment factor," Derrick said.  "We're not here to show off."

"Even so, can we?" Dustin asked.

"You should probably refrain," Darren said.  "We can't have you tired if we need you."

"Fair enough," Dustin conceded, looking slightly depressed at the decision.  "But I still demand to be amused while here.  I'll be right back."

"Who are you after?"

"Zechs.  Who else?"

"As long as it isn't Treize," Darren said, mostly occupied with the computer.  "You know that Demitri already claimed him."

"I know," Dustin said.  "But I still have to wonder.  Where in the hell did he find four hundred vampire bats?"

"Don't know. Don't want to know.  Safer that way.  Besides, I'm more concerned with what Dante is doing with almost a ton of fish guts."

"Not sure.  He said something about electrical outlets and bungee cords," Derrick supplied.

"Great," Dustin said sarcastically.  "You done with those disks yet?"

"Almost," Darren responded.  "You have time to do whatever it is you're planning to do to Zechs.  I'll be ready for the superglue when you get back."

"Perfect."

"I take it that means you got the thirty thousand gallons of rubber cement you ordered?" Derrick asked drolly.

"Of course."

To Be Continued…

Sorry about the delay.  Next section should be sooner and longer.  And for the hardcore fanatics, Srsilverhawk has a work in progress that goes into the lives of the purple-eyed lunatics when they were five years old.  It's called Shinigami Rising.  On behalf of both of us, R&R!