Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Well, a goal of mine for the summer was to see if I could update more often on the site. I guess I completely ignored myself when I said that.
Chapter 3
Number 1 held onto the CELLPHONE for the rest of the night until dawn broke at about six o'clock in the morning. All night, it stayed by her side just in case Number 5 called. She was nervous and held on to the piece of 2X4 Technology as if it was a stuffed animal or cuddly plush toy. She put her glasses on and looked out at the rising sun from the east window of her room. A few tears ran down her face. She was not a happy girl. She and the rest of the team had a theory about what was going on with Number 5 and the strange missions lately. There was only one logical explanation: Number 5 was going to the Point. Number 1 shuttered at the thought of her teammate going there alone. She did not want him to get hurt. What if an enemy found out he was there alone? He would be an easy target. Worse yet, what if the Point was linked to something else a whole lot bigger? After all, most of the incidents with her team had been related to those legends. Who's to say Number 5 wasn't repeating history?
"I don't want Number 5 to grow up," she mumbled to the CELLPHONE. "I wish he'd call. Then we'd know if something was wrong. I hope nothing is wrong. I hope that legend is just a legend and nothing more."
Suddenly, the CELLPHONE rang. Number 1 frantically opened it up and brought it to her ear. "Number 1 here," she said into it.
"Number 1, it's Numbuh 5," she said on the other end. "What's the matter? It sounds like something's wrong with you, Girl."
"It's your counterpart," Number 1 explained. "He's been missing since four in the morning. I have no idea where he is or what to do."
"Did you try using the CELLPHONE?"
"Yes. He didn't reply."
"Did you run a scan?"
"Number 4 did that at five in the morning and found he was at the Point."
Silence came over the two ends. Number 1 heard Numbuh 5's teeth clatter together like crazy. She was worried. She didn't want a ten-year- old girl (that was going to be eleven in a week) to get nervous because of a fourteen-year-old's problem.
"Oh no," Numbuh 5 muttered. "Numbuh 5 is not liking this. You obviously haven't heard about the latest issue of the Kids Next Door Gazette."
"What did it say?" Number 1 demanded, her voice filled with fear and anger.
"Numbuh 37 reported that something was discovered. Number 1, there's an extra room in back of the roller skating rink. I'm sure Numbuh 1 told you his theory. Well, it's been proved."
"Oh, damn," Number 1 managed to say. She gasped. "I'm sorry! I forgot! Geez, I shouldn't be cursing to a ten-year-old. Okay, let's try this again."
"Who the hell does Number 5 think he's foolin'?" Numbuh 5 shouted. "The little ass has no idea what he's getting himself into!!"
Number 1 stood in silence with a very surprised and confused looked on her face. She looked at the CELLPHONE with great amazement and finally said, "Uh, sure. Right. Now um, ahem, do you know any way we can get the old Number 5 back? I don't want him to be an adult sooner than he has to be. He's supposed to have four more years with the TND. I don't want it to be cut short."
"And Numbuh 5 doesn't want to lose a perfectly good counterpart! Okay, let's see. Ah! I got it! What about Numbuh 5's Secret Stash of Candy? That's good to make anyone revert back to his or her childish ways. I have no doubt in my mind that it'll work on Number 5."
"Candy?" Number 1 repeated. "Is it powerful or something?"
"If you only knew," Numbuh 5 sighed. She gazed dreamily up towards the ceiling of her room. Of course, Number 1 didn't see it, but she imagined that the KND operative would be doing something like that. Number 1 shook her head and started speaking again.
"When you get it, call me back, okay?" she asked. "I really hope this works. I'm going to do my best to find Number 5. Oh, I hope he's okay."
"I'm sure he's fine. Just chill, okay?"
"Okay. Bye-bye."
"Bye, y'all."
Number 1 hung up the CELLPHONE and swung her legs off the side of her bed. She let them dangle for a moment before hopping down to the floor and making her way towards the bathroom. She stopped at the door just when she grabbed the knob. She looked over at her mirror and let tears fall. There was a rip from the Number 5 voodoo doll hanging off the edge. She bit her lip and started to develop a feeling of guilt under her skin. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, just wishing that she could drop dead at that very moment.
Another fifteen minutes later, Number 1 was rinsing her hair of the bubbly suds. Her wet (now brown) hair plastered itself against her pale cheeks and necks. Her glasses sitting on the sink started to fog up; the mirror over the sink was fogging, too. Number 1 didn't let it bother her. She was still feeling guilty and horrible for what happened. The hot water was helping though.
"A shower should be called the miracle cure for any emotional damage," she whispered to herself. She smiled big and breathed in the steam.
Suddenly, completely ruining the moment, the CELLPHONE rang. None of the other present operatives were up and able to take the call. Her "nasty side" (as seen in Operation: TEENS) took over. She growled low and hard before turning the water off and stepping out. She put her black towel on and put her hair back. She picked up the CELLPHONE and growled into it.
"You...dare...interrupt...my...SHOWER???" she exploded, throwing the ultimate rage. "Who do you think you are, huh? As soon as I find out who you are, I'm going to kick your sorry behind all the way to Montgomery!! Or Mercury!! OR SOMETHING!!!"
"Wow, Megan," Number 6 began, "you on some allergy medication or what?"
"Don't call me by my first name," Number 1 snapped. "What are you doing by calling me anyway? You interrupted a very important shower."
"So I heard," Number 6 said simply. "Now, I also heard that Number 5 is missing."
"Don't remind me."
"Too late. Now, I'm willing to help. Just tell me where he is, and I'll gather something together here at Moon Base. My team Numbers 7 through 10 is here, you know. We can go find him for you."
"I don't need your help," Number 1 spat. "Now, good-bye."
Number 1 hung up on Number 6. She stuck her tongue out at the phone and slammed at down against the floor. Suddenly, it rang again. Number 1 scowled and picked it up. She heard tons of shouts and panicking sounds on the other end.
"Fine," she muttered. She hung up and dialed another number. "Just you."
An hour later, Number 1 stood at the Point in her usual outfit. She checked her watch and waited for the other two operatives to arrive. She saw Numbuh 5 running up the mountain and waved to her from the parking lot. Numbuh 5 was looking really upset.
No wonder, Number 1 thought. After all, it's missing. What else would a kid like her be panicking over other than the loss of her counterpart? Poor Numbuh 5...that girl protects that stash of candy with her life.
Numbuh 5 came up to the top of the parking lot and stopped for a minute to catch her breath. She breathed hard as sweat started to drip down from her forehead onto the tar. She held her chest where her lungs were and took one deep breath before standing up at straight as she could.
"Numbuh 5...wishes this...wasn't such...a steep climb," she said through gasps, walking over to the TND leader. Number 1 felt guilty for making the kid have to run the whole way to the Point. The least she could have done was take another piece of 2X4 Technology with her other than the CELLPHONE and pick her up at her base.
"I'm glad you could make it," Number 1 finally said. "Now all we have to do is wait for Number 6."
"Is that him?"
Number 1 turned and nodded. Number 6 was a short boy known as Scott. He had brown, spiky hair that seemed to take forever to style. His skin was tan with lines from jerseys and t-shirts. He was wearing his navy soccer jersey with a white "6" on the back. The front had a white print of a soccer ball and the town team around it. He had gold-colored shorts that reached to just below his knees along with soccer shoes. He was a jock, often found playing on the school fields brushing up on his soccer and lacrosse skills.
"Hello, Ladies," he greeted.
"Shut up," Number 1 spat. "I only called you on this mission because Number 5 trusts you. If we find him or the Secret Stash here, you could give it to him since he'd be partially an adult.
"Secret Stash?"
"It's Numbuh 5's. She thinks it can turn Number 5 back into a teenager."
"It's worth a shot."
"The only problem is that it's missing!" Numbuh 5 announced. "My glorious Secret Stash of Candy is missing! It just vanished out of nowhere. I don't understand what could have taken it. The alarms should go off whenever an enemy intrudes into the base. Numbuh 5 feels so ashamed. She's supposed to protect the stash with her life."
"Hold on," Number 6 interrupted. "You said that the alarms go off whenever an enemy intrudes, right?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe it wasn't an enemy that stole it then."
"What do you mean?" Number 1 asked, cocking an eyebrow. "None of the operatives would steal it. That's not right! Are you saying that one of our own is a thief?"
"I'm saying that one of our own is being possessed at the moment."
The world turned silent. Number 1's brain turned on to full blast. She finally had the answer. After this whole time of legends, people, and missing operatives, she understood what it all meant. Too bad she couldn't say it.
Number 1 fainted from the heat of the truth.
As Number 1 slept that deep, dark sleep, she started traveling to her little world again. She stood alone on that cold planet in a strange dress. It was a halter dress with two strings coming up the middle of the top raised to her neck back in a simple tie. The dress came down to a few inches above her knees and lengthened towards the middle down to the middle of her legs. The same thing happened in the back.
What am I wearing? she asked herself. I don't understand what's happening to me. It's so scary. I keep thinking that I'm going to die out here on this planet. What if this is a vision of my future? What if... Number 1 snapped her fingers and looked up towards the sky. She closed her eyes. Her ESP went to work. At first, her visions were blurry, but they kept coming in clearer and clearer until she saw four figures standing on a carpet, worshiping a single person. The vision closed in on the person. When Number 1 saw the person, she screamed long and hard.
"Number 1! Get a hold of yourself. Come on. Don't give out! Wake up, Girl! Seriously, this isn't funny. And stop screaming! You're okay!!"
"Stop it!!" Number 1 screamed. "I'm not you! There's no way I'm you! I can't be you!!"
Number 1 felt a slap on her cheek. She woke up with a start with one final scream and stared into the eyes of her team. She felt sweat pouring down her skin, dampening her clothes and hair. Her breath was hard and uneven. She felt tears coming down from her eyes, drenching her cheeks with hot salt water.
"I'm not that evil demon," she mumbled. "I'm not that crazy ruler. I DON'T HAVE SLAVES!!!"
"Girl, pull yourself together!" Number 4 shouted. "Stop shaking now. You're safe and alive in the comfort of your tree house. Number 6 and Numbuh 5 carried you back here when you fainted."
"Second part..."
"What?" Number 3 asked.
"The second part of Number 5's legend! Let me tell it!" The rest of the operatives shrugged and sat down on the floor to listen to what their leader had to say. "The leader dismissed the man and went back to her business. She sat up straight in her chair and focused on her looking glass. She mumbled some gibberish, and a picture appeared. It was of a man about her age. She was pleased with this and called for him to come before her as soon as possible."
"The man came before the three slaves as soon as he was let out of the ruler's sight. He presented his new body to them. He was smiling so big. He was the happiest man alive. The other slaves looked at him like he was crazy. 'You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Little Man,' the first girl said. 'You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Are you crazy? You just threw your life away for adulthood!' 'The leader promised me that I'd live a completely normal life,' the boy snapped back. 'You're just jealous since you're a slave, and I'm lucky.' 'You idiot,' the first boy said back. 'You're going to end up just like us.'"
"And he did."
The TND sat in more silence, not even daring to take any breaths. They couldn't believe their ears. There was something very strange about these legends, something very familiar. Each one dropped his or her head and just pondered what was happening. History was repeating itself, no doubt about it. Not only that, but Number 1 was teetering on the brink of insanity. She was shaking all over, her nerves making her twitch.
"Numbuh 5 is going to take the conversation in a new direction," she finally announced. "Did I tell you guys that Numbuh 1 is thinking of breaking up with Lizzie?"
"No way!" Number 2 cried. "I thought those two were like this!" She crossed her fingers.
"I thought so, too, but I overheard him talking to Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 4 last night. I think he's going to dump her tonight!!"
"Is he going after another girl?" Number 6 asked with great curiosity.
"I don't know," Numbuh 5 confessed, "but I'm keeping my eyes peeled and my ears alert. There's no way I'd miss the dumping of the century."
"Can we please stop talking about a stupid romance and focus on Number 5?" Number 1 screamed through tears. "I can't take this anymore. Maybe you guys should just lock me up in an insane asylum right now."
"Number 1," Number 3 began, "we've known each other since we were little. Sometimes, however, I feel as though it's been longer."
"You, too?" Number 4 asked.
"Wait a second, you guys feel the same?" Number 2 continued. The two operatives nodded and turned to Number 1. She scrunched herself into a little ball on the couch and buried her face in her knees.
"It's all my fault," she murmured. "I did all of this. I just know it."
Suddenly, the wall exploded with great force. The operatives coughed and sputtered for some fresh air. When the dust and rubble settled, they looked at the hole.
"I'm here," Number 5 announced. "I'm here for my Teens Next Door Contract."
"Why?"
"Because he's now my new first mate, Lassie," Stickybeard said.
End of Chapter Three
Well, a goal of mine for the summer was to see if I could update more often on the site. I guess I completely ignored myself when I said that.
Chapter 3
Number 1 held onto the CELLPHONE for the rest of the night until dawn broke at about six o'clock in the morning. All night, it stayed by her side just in case Number 5 called. She was nervous and held on to the piece of 2X4 Technology as if it was a stuffed animal or cuddly plush toy. She put her glasses on and looked out at the rising sun from the east window of her room. A few tears ran down her face. She was not a happy girl. She and the rest of the team had a theory about what was going on with Number 5 and the strange missions lately. There was only one logical explanation: Number 5 was going to the Point. Number 1 shuttered at the thought of her teammate going there alone. She did not want him to get hurt. What if an enemy found out he was there alone? He would be an easy target. Worse yet, what if the Point was linked to something else a whole lot bigger? After all, most of the incidents with her team had been related to those legends. Who's to say Number 5 wasn't repeating history?
"I don't want Number 5 to grow up," she mumbled to the CELLPHONE. "I wish he'd call. Then we'd know if something was wrong. I hope nothing is wrong. I hope that legend is just a legend and nothing more."
Suddenly, the CELLPHONE rang. Number 1 frantically opened it up and brought it to her ear. "Number 1 here," she said into it.
"Number 1, it's Numbuh 5," she said on the other end. "What's the matter? It sounds like something's wrong with you, Girl."
"It's your counterpart," Number 1 explained. "He's been missing since four in the morning. I have no idea where he is or what to do."
"Did you try using the CELLPHONE?"
"Yes. He didn't reply."
"Did you run a scan?"
"Number 4 did that at five in the morning and found he was at the Point."
Silence came over the two ends. Number 1 heard Numbuh 5's teeth clatter together like crazy. She was worried. She didn't want a ten-year- old girl (that was going to be eleven in a week) to get nervous because of a fourteen-year-old's problem.
"Oh no," Numbuh 5 muttered. "Numbuh 5 is not liking this. You obviously haven't heard about the latest issue of the Kids Next Door Gazette."
"What did it say?" Number 1 demanded, her voice filled with fear and anger.
"Numbuh 37 reported that something was discovered. Number 1, there's an extra room in back of the roller skating rink. I'm sure Numbuh 1 told you his theory. Well, it's been proved."
"Oh, damn," Number 1 managed to say. She gasped. "I'm sorry! I forgot! Geez, I shouldn't be cursing to a ten-year-old. Okay, let's try this again."
"Who the hell does Number 5 think he's foolin'?" Numbuh 5 shouted. "The little ass has no idea what he's getting himself into!!"
Number 1 stood in silence with a very surprised and confused looked on her face. She looked at the CELLPHONE with great amazement and finally said, "Uh, sure. Right. Now um, ahem, do you know any way we can get the old Number 5 back? I don't want him to be an adult sooner than he has to be. He's supposed to have four more years with the TND. I don't want it to be cut short."
"And Numbuh 5 doesn't want to lose a perfectly good counterpart! Okay, let's see. Ah! I got it! What about Numbuh 5's Secret Stash of Candy? That's good to make anyone revert back to his or her childish ways. I have no doubt in my mind that it'll work on Number 5."
"Candy?" Number 1 repeated. "Is it powerful or something?"
"If you only knew," Numbuh 5 sighed. She gazed dreamily up towards the ceiling of her room. Of course, Number 1 didn't see it, but she imagined that the KND operative would be doing something like that. Number 1 shook her head and started speaking again.
"When you get it, call me back, okay?" she asked. "I really hope this works. I'm going to do my best to find Number 5. Oh, I hope he's okay."
"I'm sure he's fine. Just chill, okay?"
"Okay. Bye-bye."
"Bye, y'all."
Number 1 hung up the CELLPHONE and swung her legs off the side of her bed. She let them dangle for a moment before hopping down to the floor and making her way towards the bathroom. She stopped at the door just when she grabbed the knob. She looked over at her mirror and let tears fall. There was a rip from the Number 5 voodoo doll hanging off the edge. She bit her lip and started to develop a feeling of guilt under her skin. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, just wishing that she could drop dead at that very moment.
Another fifteen minutes later, Number 1 was rinsing her hair of the bubbly suds. Her wet (now brown) hair plastered itself against her pale cheeks and necks. Her glasses sitting on the sink started to fog up; the mirror over the sink was fogging, too. Number 1 didn't let it bother her. She was still feeling guilty and horrible for what happened. The hot water was helping though.
"A shower should be called the miracle cure for any emotional damage," she whispered to herself. She smiled big and breathed in the steam.
Suddenly, completely ruining the moment, the CELLPHONE rang. None of the other present operatives were up and able to take the call. Her "nasty side" (as seen in Operation: TEENS) took over. She growled low and hard before turning the water off and stepping out. She put her black towel on and put her hair back. She picked up the CELLPHONE and growled into it.
"You...dare...interrupt...my...SHOWER???" she exploded, throwing the ultimate rage. "Who do you think you are, huh? As soon as I find out who you are, I'm going to kick your sorry behind all the way to Montgomery!! Or Mercury!! OR SOMETHING!!!"
"Wow, Megan," Number 6 began, "you on some allergy medication or what?"
"Don't call me by my first name," Number 1 snapped. "What are you doing by calling me anyway? You interrupted a very important shower."
"So I heard," Number 6 said simply. "Now, I also heard that Number 5 is missing."
"Don't remind me."
"Too late. Now, I'm willing to help. Just tell me where he is, and I'll gather something together here at Moon Base. My team Numbers 7 through 10 is here, you know. We can go find him for you."
"I don't need your help," Number 1 spat. "Now, good-bye."
Number 1 hung up on Number 6. She stuck her tongue out at the phone and slammed at down against the floor. Suddenly, it rang again. Number 1 scowled and picked it up. She heard tons of shouts and panicking sounds on the other end.
"Fine," she muttered. She hung up and dialed another number. "Just you."
An hour later, Number 1 stood at the Point in her usual outfit. She checked her watch and waited for the other two operatives to arrive. She saw Numbuh 5 running up the mountain and waved to her from the parking lot. Numbuh 5 was looking really upset.
No wonder, Number 1 thought. After all, it's missing. What else would a kid like her be panicking over other than the loss of her counterpart? Poor Numbuh 5...that girl protects that stash of candy with her life.
Numbuh 5 came up to the top of the parking lot and stopped for a minute to catch her breath. She breathed hard as sweat started to drip down from her forehead onto the tar. She held her chest where her lungs were and took one deep breath before standing up at straight as she could.
"Numbuh 5...wishes this...wasn't such...a steep climb," she said through gasps, walking over to the TND leader. Number 1 felt guilty for making the kid have to run the whole way to the Point. The least she could have done was take another piece of 2X4 Technology with her other than the CELLPHONE and pick her up at her base.
"I'm glad you could make it," Number 1 finally said. "Now all we have to do is wait for Number 6."
"Is that him?"
Number 1 turned and nodded. Number 6 was a short boy known as Scott. He had brown, spiky hair that seemed to take forever to style. His skin was tan with lines from jerseys and t-shirts. He was wearing his navy soccer jersey with a white "6" on the back. The front had a white print of a soccer ball and the town team around it. He had gold-colored shorts that reached to just below his knees along with soccer shoes. He was a jock, often found playing on the school fields brushing up on his soccer and lacrosse skills.
"Hello, Ladies," he greeted.
"Shut up," Number 1 spat. "I only called you on this mission because Number 5 trusts you. If we find him or the Secret Stash here, you could give it to him since he'd be partially an adult.
"Secret Stash?"
"It's Numbuh 5's. She thinks it can turn Number 5 back into a teenager."
"It's worth a shot."
"The only problem is that it's missing!" Numbuh 5 announced. "My glorious Secret Stash of Candy is missing! It just vanished out of nowhere. I don't understand what could have taken it. The alarms should go off whenever an enemy intrudes into the base. Numbuh 5 feels so ashamed. She's supposed to protect the stash with her life."
"Hold on," Number 6 interrupted. "You said that the alarms go off whenever an enemy intrudes, right?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe it wasn't an enemy that stole it then."
"What do you mean?" Number 1 asked, cocking an eyebrow. "None of the operatives would steal it. That's not right! Are you saying that one of our own is a thief?"
"I'm saying that one of our own is being possessed at the moment."
The world turned silent. Number 1's brain turned on to full blast. She finally had the answer. After this whole time of legends, people, and missing operatives, she understood what it all meant. Too bad she couldn't say it.
Number 1 fainted from the heat of the truth.
As Number 1 slept that deep, dark sleep, she started traveling to her little world again. She stood alone on that cold planet in a strange dress. It was a halter dress with two strings coming up the middle of the top raised to her neck back in a simple tie. The dress came down to a few inches above her knees and lengthened towards the middle down to the middle of her legs. The same thing happened in the back.
What am I wearing? she asked herself. I don't understand what's happening to me. It's so scary. I keep thinking that I'm going to die out here on this planet. What if this is a vision of my future? What if... Number 1 snapped her fingers and looked up towards the sky. She closed her eyes. Her ESP went to work. At first, her visions were blurry, but they kept coming in clearer and clearer until she saw four figures standing on a carpet, worshiping a single person. The vision closed in on the person. When Number 1 saw the person, she screamed long and hard.
"Number 1! Get a hold of yourself. Come on. Don't give out! Wake up, Girl! Seriously, this isn't funny. And stop screaming! You're okay!!"
"Stop it!!" Number 1 screamed. "I'm not you! There's no way I'm you! I can't be you!!"
Number 1 felt a slap on her cheek. She woke up with a start with one final scream and stared into the eyes of her team. She felt sweat pouring down her skin, dampening her clothes and hair. Her breath was hard and uneven. She felt tears coming down from her eyes, drenching her cheeks with hot salt water.
"I'm not that evil demon," she mumbled. "I'm not that crazy ruler. I DON'T HAVE SLAVES!!!"
"Girl, pull yourself together!" Number 4 shouted. "Stop shaking now. You're safe and alive in the comfort of your tree house. Number 6 and Numbuh 5 carried you back here when you fainted."
"Second part..."
"What?" Number 3 asked.
"The second part of Number 5's legend! Let me tell it!" The rest of the operatives shrugged and sat down on the floor to listen to what their leader had to say. "The leader dismissed the man and went back to her business. She sat up straight in her chair and focused on her looking glass. She mumbled some gibberish, and a picture appeared. It was of a man about her age. She was pleased with this and called for him to come before her as soon as possible."
"The man came before the three slaves as soon as he was let out of the ruler's sight. He presented his new body to them. He was smiling so big. He was the happiest man alive. The other slaves looked at him like he was crazy. 'You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Little Man,' the first girl said. 'You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Are you crazy? You just threw your life away for adulthood!' 'The leader promised me that I'd live a completely normal life,' the boy snapped back. 'You're just jealous since you're a slave, and I'm lucky.' 'You idiot,' the first boy said back. 'You're going to end up just like us.'"
"And he did."
The TND sat in more silence, not even daring to take any breaths. They couldn't believe their ears. There was something very strange about these legends, something very familiar. Each one dropped his or her head and just pondered what was happening. History was repeating itself, no doubt about it. Not only that, but Number 1 was teetering on the brink of insanity. She was shaking all over, her nerves making her twitch.
"Numbuh 5 is going to take the conversation in a new direction," she finally announced. "Did I tell you guys that Numbuh 1 is thinking of breaking up with Lizzie?"
"No way!" Number 2 cried. "I thought those two were like this!" She crossed her fingers.
"I thought so, too, but I overheard him talking to Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 4 last night. I think he's going to dump her tonight!!"
"Is he going after another girl?" Number 6 asked with great curiosity.
"I don't know," Numbuh 5 confessed, "but I'm keeping my eyes peeled and my ears alert. There's no way I'd miss the dumping of the century."
"Can we please stop talking about a stupid romance and focus on Number 5?" Number 1 screamed through tears. "I can't take this anymore. Maybe you guys should just lock me up in an insane asylum right now."
"Number 1," Number 3 began, "we've known each other since we were little. Sometimes, however, I feel as though it's been longer."
"You, too?" Number 4 asked.
"Wait a second, you guys feel the same?" Number 2 continued. The two operatives nodded and turned to Number 1. She scrunched herself into a little ball on the couch and buried her face in her knees.
"It's all my fault," she murmured. "I did all of this. I just know it."
Suddenly, the wall exploded with great force. The operatives coughed and sputtered for some fresh air. When the dust and rubble settled, they looked at the hole.
"I'm here," Number 5 announced. "I'm here for my Teens Next Door Contract."
"Why?"
"Because he's now my new first mate, Lassie," Stickybeard said.
End of Chapter Three