Note: Hi, it's me, Numbuh One. Kenji has agreed to let me take over her
narrative in times when she is otherwise indisposed, and also so I can give
our account of what happened. Things are so much more interesting in a
different viewpoint, huh?
~
I watched as my team carried the limp body to a suitable confining area, trying to ignore the fiery lances of pain that shot through my injured hand. The strange girl had done a good job with her small blade; she had cut through the tendons that held my muscle to the bone. My hand hung limp and dead at my side, wrapped in a thin bandage to staunch the blood flow.
With my good hand I gently fingered my neck. Although the cut wasn't that deep, it still hurt as much as my other injuries, possibly more. I studied the knife carefully, lost in thought.
I had underestimated my foe. I had thought she would be easy to control, especially when I saw the looks of fear cross her face. However, I had forgotten the fact that she was an urban girl, and more likely to take drastic actions to get herself out of a tight fix.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself screaming out loud because of the sudden flare of pain from my hand. It would not do for the rest of the team to see that the attack had really got to me. In reality, I was scared. My confidence was waning again, and I knew that I would always have a lingering paranoia about blades for the rest of my life. You don't understand until you actually have been stabbed how traumatising it is...
I frowned slightly to myself. When the girl had held me at the knifepoint, I had been able to sense her movements much better than the others, who were further away. There was something that had been bothering me, just before the point she applied pressure to the blade while it was at my throat.
Suddenly it hit me. The girl had hesitated just before stabbing me. That was what struck me as odd. She was actually afraid to use the knife! Again I studied the blade. I had asked Numbuh Five to clean it so that it was not stained with my blood, and now it looked so innocent. I could hardly believe that this small, glistening object had, and still was causing me such pain.
I wandered down to the small room where our captive was now being kept and looked her over. She was about my height, with very strange hair indeed. It was blonde, not dyed, but the bottoms were tipped black for some reason. She was wearing torn jeans, a pale green t-shirt and over that a light blue shirt, finished off with motorcycle gloves (the fingerless ones). She looked for all the world like a boy.
My hand unexpectedly flared with pain again and, being caught off guard, I whimpered. Numbuh Two, who had been walking past, stopped and approached me.
"Are you ok, Numbuh One?" He asked. I nodded, trying to clench my teeth and talk at the same time.
"I'm ok."
"What do you want doing with that?" My friend inclined his head towards the unconscious girl. "It won't wake up for a while. We hit it with everything we had."
I inwardly frowned at Numbuh Two's insistence of not giving the girl a gender.
"Leave her there until she comes round. Post a guard. We'll interrogate her later."
Numbuh Two nodded.
"Right. Who on guard duty first?"
"Whoever. I don't really mind." I replied. I was beginning to feel a prickling feeling behind my eyes and knew I had to get somewhere private. It would definitely not do for my team to see me crying.
Then Numbuh Two saw my hand. I had so far shielded it from the rest of the group, saying it wasn't much, just a graze. But now my friend had seen my useless, dead hand hanging limply by my side.
"Your hand's looking pretty bad, Numbuh One. Are you sure it's ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned. I tried to avoid swallowing, as it hurt my injured throat.
"I told you before, Numbuh Two. I'm ok. It's nothing much." I blinked, all too aware that the prickling feeling was growing stronger and more urgent. I took another glance at the girl in the cell, before turning back to my teammate.
"If you don't mind, Numbuh Two, I have some rather urgent business to be getting on with."
"Go ahead. I'll take first guard."
I walked swiftly off, glad to be alone again, free to cry if my body felt the need. A single tear fought its way down my cheek. I brushed it away with my good hand, keeping my head bowed.
"Hmm. I thought you were lyin' to us, man!" Came a voice from in front of me. In my haste and not looking where I was going, I had failed to notice that I was not alone.
I was shocked, though the tears were now running freely and I could by no means stop them.
"Go away, Numbuh Five." I choked. "I don't want you to see me like this."
She shook her head sadly.
"Why did you tell us you were ok, Numbuh One? Any fool can see you aint! Now, why don't yew tell ol' Numbuh Five wot's wrong?"
"I... it's nothing, Numbuh Five."
She raised an eyebrow as the tears continued to spill unchecked.
"Don't beat yerself up, Numbuh One. You're stronger than any of the rest of us. Yew don't need ter prove it, we already know. We don't think you're weak just cause yer get upset sometimes. Ever'body cries."
She walked slowly away down the corridor, and I swear that in those moments afterwards I smiled for the first time in hours.
This was why I had my team and my team had me.
~
I watched as my team carried the limp body to a suitable confining area, trying to ignore the fiery lances of pain that shot through my injured hand. The strange girl had done a good job with her small blade; she had cut through the tendons that held my muscle to the bone. My hand hung limp and dead at my side, wrapped in a thin bandage to staunch the blood flow.
With my good hand I gently fingered my neck. Although the cut wasn't that deep, it still hurt as much as my other injuries, possibly more. I studied the knife carefully, lost in thought.
I had underestimated my foe. I had thought she would be easy to control, especially when I saw the looks of fear cross her face. However, I had forgotten the fact that she was an urban girl, and more likely to take drastic actions to get herself out of a tight fix.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself screaming out loud because of the sudden flare of pain from my hand. It would not do for the rest of the team to see that the attack had really got to me. In reality, I was scared. My confidence was waning again, and I knew that I would always have a lingering paranoia about blades for the rest of my life. You don't understand until you actually have been stabbed how traumatising it is...
I frowned slightly to myself. When the girl had held me at the knifepoint, I had been able to sense her movements much better than the others, who were further away. There was something that had been bothering me, just before the point she applied pressure to the blade while it was at my throat.
Suddenly it hit me. The girl had hesitated just before stabbing me. That was what struck me as odd. She was actually afraid to use the knife! Again I studied the blade. I had asked Numbuh Five to clean it so that it was not stained with my blood, and now it looked so innocent. I could hardly believe that this small, glistening object had, and still was causing me such pain.
I wandered down to the small room where our captive was now being kept and looked her over. She was about my height, with very strange hair indeed. It was blonde, not dyed, but the bottoms were tipped black for some reason. She was wearing torn jeans, a pale green t-shirt and over that a light blue shirt, finished off with motorcycle gloves (the fingerless ones). She looked for all the world like a boy.
My hand unexpectedly flared with pain again and, being caught off guard, I whimpered. Numbuh Two, who had been walking past, stopped and approached me.
"Are you ok, Numbuh One?" He asked. I nodded, trying to clench my teeth and talk at the same time.
"I'm ok."
"What do you want doing with that?" My friend inclined his head towards the unconscious girl. "It won't wake up for a while. We hit it with everything we had."
I inwardly frowned at Numbuh Two's insistence of not giving the girl a gender.
"Leave her there until she comes round. Post a guard. We'll interrogate her later."
Numbuh Two nodded.
"Right. Who on guard duty first?"
"Whoever. I don't really mind." I replied. I was beginning to feel a prickling feeling behind my eyes and knew I had to get somewhere private. It would definitely not do for my team to see me crying.
Then Numbuh Two saw my hand. I had so far shielded it from the rest of the group, saying it wasn't much, just a graze. But now my friend had seen my useless, dead hand hanging limply by my side.
"Your hand's looking pretty bad, Numbuh One. Are you sure it's ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned. I tried to avoid swallowing, as it hurt my injured throat.
"I told you before, Numbuh Two. I'm ok. It's nothing much." I blinked, all too aware that the prickling feeling was growing stronger and more urgent. I took another glance at the girl in the cell, before turning back to my teammate.
"If you don't mind, Numbuh Two, I have some rather urgent business to be getting on with."
"Go ahead. I'll take first guard."
I walked swiftly off, glad to be alone again, free to cry if my body felt the need. A single tear fought its way down my cheek. I brushed it away with my good hand, keeping my head bowed.
"Hmm. I thought you were lyin' to us, man!" Came a voice from in front of me. In my haste and not looking where I was going, I had failed to notice that I was not alone.
I was shocked, though the tears were now running freely and I could by no means stop them.
"Go away, Numbuh Five." I choked. "I don't want you to see me like this."
She shook her head sadly.
"Why did you tell us you were ok, Numbuh One? Any fool can see you aint! Now, why don't yew tell ol' Numbuh Five wot's wrong?"
"I... it's nothing, Numbuh Five."
She raised an eyebrow as the tears continued to spill unchecked.
"Don't beat yerself up, Numbuh One. You're stronger than any of the rest of us. Yew don't need ter prove it, we already know. We don't think you're weak just cause yer get upset sometimes. Ever'body cries."
She walked slowly away down the corridor, and I swear that in those moments afterwards I smiled for the first time in hours.
This was why I had my team and my team had me.