Disclaimer: I don't own "Kids Next Door" and all its characters, just Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. KND belongs to Mr. Warburton and Mo Willems and those other guys. Second Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrighted names listed here. They all belong to their respected owners.
Kids Next Door Operation: CO.M.R.A.D.E.S. Part 3
Several hours had passed since the Kids Next Door and their teenage allies had left the Phoenix base in North America, and not much had happened. The groups were over New Guinea when Number One decided he'd break the silence that had been permeating between the teens and the KND operatives. "Say, Commander Dmitri," he asked over the radio. "Tell me something about you guys. Where did you learn how to fight like you do now?" Dmitri responded.
Erm….Vell, it's a long story, the Russian boy sighed.
"We've got all the time in the world," Nigel said back.
"Yeah, plus," Hoagie added in. "We could all use some entertainment for now."
(Alright then, I suppose it'd be ok to tell you guys about us. Vell, to begin vith, I vas born in Russia during its last few years as the USSR-)
"Wait a minuht," Number Four interrupted. "You're from Russia?"
"Duh, Numba Four!" Number Three giggled.
(Vhere did you think I was from? Sveden?)
"Well…Um, yeah…" Wally admitted as he blushed. For several seconds, the entire group of Kids Next Door operatives busted out laughing.
"So, are you a communist?" Nigel then asked.
(Niet. That is a misconception many Americans have vith us Russians. Mother Russia herself has been capitalist and democratic for over a decade now, so, no, I'm not a Red.)
"Uh- ! Sorry about that. So, go on with your story."
(Vell, anyvay. My mother died vhen I vas young, so my father raised me most of the time. He vas a Spetsnaz; a Russian special forces member, and he taught me survival skills like hunting, surviving in the cold, and even how to use guns.)
"Wow, that's pretty cool," Number One said, astounded at Dmitri's tale. "Yeah," Number Five added. "Who would have thought that adults had some HELPFUL things to teach us kids."
(Hey, that's nothing. I got a stricter training from my family than both of these guys did when I was little.) Aki said as she took over talking with the operatives. (I was trained at the age of three in the art of Ninjitsu by my grandparents in Tokyo for half a year at a time, and I still do to this day.)
"You're from Tokyo?" Number Three gasped. "Me too!"
"Wait, if you're from Japan also," Number Four spoke again. "Why don't you have an accent like Numbuh Three does?"
(Well, we moved to San Francisco when I was seven, so I'm used to talking in an American accent. But like I said, I still train with my grandparents for half of the year.) Aki beamed.
"Cool!" the kids all awed.
"And what about Mo?" Number Five asked.
(Ah, yes,) Dmitri said as he returned to the radio. (Mo's father vas a revolutionary in the Congo, and he taught Mo all about forest-combat and guerilla varfare.)
"So, how long have you guys been a team?" Nigel questioned. "You three seem like you've been doing this vigilante thing for quite some time."
(Mo and I were always a team ever since ve vere each five. Aki didn't join until ve vere around tvelve. Ve've been a team ever since.)
"Really?" Number Two asked. "Why didn't you ever join the Kids Next Door?"
"We could have really used devoted individuals like you two," Nigel explained.
(Niet!) Dmitri's voice soon became serious and even angered. (Vhy vould ve join an organization that erases your memory at thirteen even if you're still a valued member?)
"Now hold on a second!" Number One argued. "We only decommission our teenage operatives to ensure that they don't turn on us! Most teenaged members of the Kids Next Door become hostile and no longer care to work for our goal!"
(Vhatever…) the Russian paused and then collected himself. Hey, the beacon has slowed its movement.
"Is it a trap?" Nigel asked, concerned.
(Perhaps…)
"What else do you think it could be?"
(Nevermind that….Ve're going to investigate the area to see vhere the transmitter's signal leads us.)
"I agree. Lead the way, Commander Dmitri."
(Dmitri. Just call me Dmitri, Numbuh One.)
"Very well. And you can just call me Nigel then."
(Alright…Nigel,)
After a half hour of following the slowed-down ship's transmitter, it finally stopped in what was the middle of the Brazilian Amazon. The teams exited their ships and locked them, arming them with their nearly impenetrable armor, and armed themselves with all their weaponry and gear. The jungle was heavily covered in dense vegetation and acrid humidity. The kids and teenagers were all sweating profusely, swatting at the large mosquitoes dive-bombing them.
"Yech!" Number Four complained. "What do these cruddy bugs eat when kids ahn't around?"
"You don't want to know," Aki sighed as she wiped her sweat-drenched forehead.
"Commander?"
"Da?" Dmitri turned around to face his Japanese teammate.
"Permission to remove shirt," she panted.
"What!" the kids all said in surprise.
"Don't worry, I've got a sports bra on underneath," Aki explained.
"What's a sports bra?" Number Two asked. "Is that a bra with soccer balls on it or something?"
"No, it's a bra that looks like a tiny tank-top. Is that a problem?"
"Hm…" Nigel thought for a moment. "I guess not."
"Good," the Russian said. "Permission granted. Mo, you can take off your shirt too, I imagine you're about as hot as I am at the moment." With that, the three teenagers all removed their top portions of their olive green BDU's and tied the long sleeves around their waists. True to her words, Aki's sports bra did resemble a mini black tank-top. Dmitri had a wife-beater on underneath, with a pair of dog tags hanging around his neck and a tattoo on his right shoulder displaying the number 75. Mo had dog tags too, but he had no shirt. So, his muscular, ebony upper torso was bear, shining with perspiration. On his right shoulder too was a white colored tattoo, his saying the number 187.
"Hey! Nice inks!" Number Four awed at the tattoos on the teenage boys. "Dude, where'd you get them?" Number Two asked.
"Um," Dmitri blushed, trying to cover his numbered tattoo. "Mo and I got really excited about our success on a mission vone time and vent to get ourselves tattoos, vhen ve vere ten and eleven, in Guatemala."
"I bet your parents flipped out," Abigail said.
"Vell, my father brushed it off as being a normal thing for being a pre-teen, and said I just couldn't get anymore until I vas eighteen. Mo's mother on the other hand…Heh heh heh," he laughed.
"Heh heh," Mo chuckled lightly in a deep voice, shocking the children.
"What's the 75 stand for?" Nigel inquired.
"Um, lucky number. I've alvays believed that if you can't take an enemy down in 75 shots or less, then he's a really good opponent," he smiled weakly.
"And Mo's 187?"
"Um…Police code for homicide. Mo vas often revered as a 'killer' for his ruthless efficiency in missions." Again, that insecure smile showed up on the Russian's face.
"Hm…" Nigel shrugged.
"Commander! I'm picking up the signal in that direction!" Aki called out, pointing from the left side of the group over by a wide river (most likely an extension of the Amazon River) while she looked at a small PDA that tracked down the transmitter's location.
"Vhat's the distance?" Dmitri said to her as he came up to her left side to see the display screen for the tracking system.
"Less than 30 meters."
"Let's go to it then," he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. The two groups followed the signal for a few minutes at a slow pace, treading softly on the moist ground.
"Range: 20 meters," Aki reported. "15…14…" After a few more minutes, the number soon decreased to nothing and the group was at the river bank. "What? How can this be? It says here we should be right on it."
"Vait," the Russian said as he knelt at the mud and water and looked hard. He then pulled out a small, circular chip from the muck and brought it out for everyone to see.
"If that's there," Number One concluded. "Then…"
"They have our number," Dmitri sighed. "Dammit!" he cursed as he crushed the chip in his hand.
"Ooh, you said a bad word!" Number Three gasped.
"Shut up! I'm sixteen, I'll say whatever I fucking want!" he said, furious.
"Commander…" Aki placed her hands around Dmitri's and held them tightly. "It'll be Ok. We'll just have to wait for one of their ships to pass by. Ok?" she smiled.
"Da…" he sighed. "Alright team, and kids, ve camp here tonight."
"In the cruddy jungle?" Number Four asked. "Why can't we just stay in our ships?"
"Because," Number One answered. "Our ships are easy targets to be spotted. But if we stay away from them, we can be safe from an attack on them. Besides, they're locked and armored to prevent theft or damage. That is what you were going to say, wasn't it, Dmitri?"
"Da. That's EXACTLY vhat I vas about to say, Nigel," the commander smiled, but then returned to being serious. "Alright, Aki, you take the girls and go get some fruits and herbs for food. You do remember which ones are edible in the Amazon, right?"
"I think so. I'll just get what I'm 100 sure on," the Japanese girl agreed.
"Good. Numbuhs Two and Four, go get some firewood. Make sure it's dry and not moist."
"Hey, who died and made YOU leaduh?" Wally demanded.
"Easy, Numbuh Four," Nigel told his fellow operative. "Trust the Commander on this one. He knows what he's doing."
"Thank you. Now, Numbuh One, you, Mo, and I vill look for some fish or anything meaty for the food tonight."
"Why not just use the snacks we have in our ship?" Number Five asked. "We've got enough goodies to keep us fed all night."
"Vhat kind of 'goodies'?"
"Oh, you know, candy, Twinkies, Ring-Dings, Cookies-"
"Niet. Sugary foods vill only make you sick during a combat situation. Ve need meat and vegetation," Dmitri argued.
"Ya stahtin' tuh sound like the adults," Wally hissed.
"Trust us," Aki argued. "We've been doing combat situations like this for years, and we know for a fact that junk food is NOT the answer to your hunger. Meat with some fruits and veggies will help you out in the long run."
"Numbuh One…" the kids groaned as they turned to their leader for sympathy.
"Um…Well, what if we got a FEW snacks, but ate some of your guys' stuff too?" he negotiated with the teens.
"Alright," Dmitri sighed. "Aki, take the girls to the ships. Get some of our rations out too. Ve'll all meet back here at this spot vhen ve're done vith our objectives."
"Right!" she saluted as she led the two female operatives to the parked ships. After that, the commander looked at Wally and Hoagie.
"Vell? Go get some firewood, you two," he commanded.
"Yeah, yeah," Number Two grumbled as he and his friend headed off in another direction.
"Now, let's go get some meat," Dmitri said as he, Mo, and Nigel headed down the river to fish.
"Got the last of it?" Aki asked the Number Five as she finally exited her 2x4 tech ship with an arm-full of things like candy bars and lolly-pops.
"Yep. Numbuh Five's glad she always carries a few bits of her own secret stash on the ship," Abigail boasted.
"Good. Lock her up, Numbuh Three," she called out to Kuki.
"Okie-dokie artichokie!" she smiled as she clicked a remote-control that caused the ship to be covered in armored plates similar to the teens' ship.
"Now, let me get a few rations from MY ship," the teen said as she unlocked the piston-operated door to the stealth ship and went inside. After a minute of silence, the two girls saw Aki return with several small aluminum packages and a few bags of jerky.
"Jerky?" Number Five questioned.
"Pemmican Teriyaki style; the best thing in the world. The Commander's and my favorite too," she blushed.
"Hey, is somethin' goin' on between you two?" Abigail asked, grinning smugly.
"Uh-! Wh-What do you mean?"
"He he he!" Number Three giggled. "You LIKE the Commander, don't you?"
"No! I mean, yes…I mean, I respect him as my leader, that's all," she looked down at her feet to hide her reddened face.
"It's Ok, we won't tell him or anyone else. You have our word on it, right Numba Three?" Number Five looked over to her friend.
"Gotcha! My lips are sealed," she proclaimed as she mimed zipping her lips up.
"Thanks, you two," Aki finally looked up, her face less red than before. "We better get back to the camp now."
"Stupid teenagers…" Wally grumbled as he picked up dried branches and held them in his left arm. "Why does Numbuh One like that cruddy Russian? He HATES teenagers!"
"Maybe he's being sympathetic toward them because of their cause," Hoagie tried to reason. "I mean, they ARE all alone doing what they do, I guess they deserve some slack."
"Yeah, well I hope Numbuh One's not getting soft on us. I still don't trust them. Especially that Commander." Suddenly, a large anaconda slithered up behind the blonde boy and reared its large head up above him, ready to feed.
"N-Numbuh Four…!" Number Two quivered as he pointed up at the snake.
"Nice try, pal," Number Four simply laughed. "You can't fool me anymore with your little pranks. Why, I bet there's- MMMPH!" Wally cried out as the gigantic serpent engulfed his head in one bite.
"AAAHHH! HELP!" Hoagie cried out as he ran off to get the others.
"Damn…The Piranhas just aren't biting tonight," Dmitri sighed as he lowered his makeshift harpoon and sat back on the ground next to Mo and Nigel.
"Now I really wish that I paid attention when my dad always takes me fishing," Nigel sighed also. "I think he's said at least a bunch of times what to use as bait in situations like this…"
"Heh, vishing you listened to your parents now? That's a sign of groving up, something I don't think you guys really like."
"Shut up. I just wish I had listened on that one thing. I still think we kids are perfectly fine doing things for ourselves. In fact-"
"AAAHHH! HELP!" the trio heard Number Two scream as he ran over to the camp site. The two teens and one kid scrambled over to Hoagie, who was running around in circles with his hands in the air.
"What happened, Numbuh Two?" Dmitri asked as he grabbed the yelling kid by his shoulders and tried to calm him down.
"Snake! Numbuh Four! EATEN!" he screamed as he kept panicking.
"Where is he?" Number One asked.
"That way!" Hoagie pointed in the direction he had come from.
"Alright, Mo!" the Russian commanded as he turned to his first lieutenant. "Give me your machete." Just as he was asked, Mo took out a large hunting sword out from his leather sheath that hung from his belt on his left side. "Let's hurry up! Ve've only got a little time before Numba Four suffocates!" Dmitri commanded as he, Mo, Hoagie, and Nigel ran over to the scene of the accident. True to Number Two's words, a large black and red anaconda lay on the ground with a kid-sized lump bulging out of its back. Too heavy to respond to the four Humans, the snake sat in its place stubbornly.
"How are we going to get him out?" Nigel inquired, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. "Oh, I see."
"Hya!" Dmitri yelled as he lopped off the serpent's head with a dull TWACK!. "As you Americans say, 'Now for the really icky part'." He said as he brought the large knife horizontally down the snake's corpse until Wally's screams became louder and clearer. Stopping about a foot away from the child's head, the commander stuck his arms into the hole and grabbed hold of Number Four's sticky jacket and shoulders, pulling the operative out with all his might. In seconds, the boy was completely yanked out of the fleshy prison, giving him the ability to breathe again.
"ACK! BLECH! Crud!" Wally cursed as he spat out the slimy digestive juices that had made their way into his mouth and throat.
"Numbuh Four, are you Ok?" Number One asked as he helped wipe off the mucussy slime covering the boy.
"I just nearly got EATEN by a stinkin' snake! What do you THINK I feel like!" he screamed, still freaked out at what happened to him. "Who s-saved me though?" he shivered.
"I did," Dmitri admitted modestly as he took his BDU shirt and draped it over the blonde boy. "And thanks to you, ve now have some food for the night, and plenty of it."
"Uh-uh! I ain't eatin' no snake!" Wally proclaimed as he folded his arms.
"Vell, I guess you can have some of the rations the girls are bringing back, then."
"Fine! Oh…and thanks," Number Four whispered to the Russian.
"Nothing to it. Just doing my duty as a protector of kids. Now come on, let's head back to the camp." With that, the troupe headed back to the campsite after Dmitri and Mo cut off some long thick strip of snake meat and carried it over their shoulders. They all then headed over to the camp, where the three girls we already sitting around, placing leaves on the ground for mats and plates to hold the candy and rations.
"Is everything alright?" Aki asked concerned as she approached her commander and took a few strips of meat and skewered them on some sharpened sticks she collected. "We heard screams."
"Numbuh Four got eaten by an anaconda. But, ve got him out in time, plus, ve got some meat out of the deal," Dmitri smiled as he helped make shish-kabobs out of the tender meat.
"Ooh," Kuki cried as she ran up to hug Number Four. "Poor Numbuh Four."
"Uh, Numbuh Three? Ya don't have tuh hug me ya know," he blushed.
"Oops! Sorry," she too turned red as she let go of her secret crush and ran back to help Number Five set up the candy rations. Aki then walked up to her fellow Nippon operative and whispered to her
"My lips are sealed too." Number Three blushed, then nodded as the auburn-haired girl walked back to the leaves and put out some ration packs for later.
"So, we're having SNAKE for dinner?" Abigail asked as she looked at the fire that Number One and Two were starting and the meat that the teenagers were now placing next to the it.
"Yep," Aki answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Want some?"
"Heck no. Go eat some snakes…" she shook her head as she handed out the candy and junk-food to the kids. The night went by quickly as the kids ate their junk-food, while the teens all ate their natural food. Number One was brave enough to try out the anaconda, and was shocked to find out it tasted like chicken. That was six hours ago, though. The scene now was all the kids and two of the teens were all lying curled up near some shady trees, using large tree leaves as blankets. Dmitri was the only one awake as he tended to the fire that was a few yards away from the kids. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of footsteps coming near him. He tensed up for a second and aimed his laser-guided AK-47 at the approaching target.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
"Nigel," Number One answered as he came into the fire light.
"Oh," the commander lowered his weapon and loosened up. "Sorry about that."
"You're still awake?"
"Let's just say I'm too light a sleeper."
"Because you're afraid of the Kids Next Door coming to decommission you once and for all, Dmitri Kalashnikov? Or should I say, Numbuh 75?" Nigel lowered his shades to look hard into Dmitri's shocked eyes.
"How long have you known?" was all the Russian could ask.
"Not long."
"Vhat gave it away? I'm curious."
"Well, the fact that you new a lot about the Kids Next Door, like our combat-rating system and bases' schematics; the fact that you refer to us operatives as 'Numbuh' instead of 'Number', like everyone else does; and the tattoos you and Mo have are what finally convinced me."
"Shit…." Dmitri sighed as he poked the fire with a sharpened, wet stick.
"Numbuh 75: leader of the famous Berserker Unit of the Kids Next Door. We learned all about you and your team's missions at the Antarctica academy. You're a legend, Dmitri, why did you leave the Kids Next Door?"
"Legends are bad news. There's usually not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen," the former operative spat back.
"But you're no madman."
"Not according to the KND high command. I've been a vanted fugitive for four years now, and there's no vay I can clear my name."
"Why? I was never briefed on what happened between you and the Kids Next Door. What made you turn your back on us?"
"The love of my friend, that's vhat," Dmitri said almost painfully. "It all began eight years ago. Mo and I had been vorking as hired help for odd-job missions all over the world for the KND for two years. Vell, vhen I vas eight, Global Command decided to create a special unit for the two of us and the just as experienced, yet older, operatives. That was the Berserker Unit. Ve vere hired, as you know, for special-ops missions that vere deemed too tough for the regular operatives. In the unit, I was first in command and Mo vas my second-in-command. Our youngest agent vas a boy named Numbuh 274."
"Chad!" Nigel said astonished. "You knew him when he was that young?"
"Knew him? He vas not just vone of the best men in my unit, but he vas also a good friend. Chad came to us at age five, after graduating at an accelerated rate at the Antarctica academy. For two years, he fought vith me, Mo, and several other highly skilled warriors. Then, Chad vas offered a position as a higher ranked operative. Two years later, he vas pretty high up in the chain of command. By then, all members of the Berserker Unit, aside from Mo and me, had been decommissioned."
"That would have made you twelve and Mo…"
"Thirteen. But only Chad and I knew that. As far as everyone else knew, Mo vas a year younger than ME. All of this vent into chaos, however, vhen Mo vas ordered to be the subject of a black project experiment. Tell me, have you ever heard of anything named 'A.P.E.'?"
"No, can't say I have," Number One raised an eyebrow at his idol.
"I'm not surprised. Only the highest-ranking members of the KND have access to the secret file about it. All of the operatives who vere there vhen it was actually being vorked on were all decommissioned by now. Vell, this little project vas a radical and controversial one. It vas the first project to create a cybernetic operative."
"What? Neural-implants and everything? The Kids Next Door would never attempt that sort of thing," Nigel defended his organization.
"Nigel, there are projects like this that vere before even MY time that are like this vone. I vouldn't be surprised if there are STILL projects like this still being performed. I vas only lucky enough to know of two or three because of my rank and status."
"I hope you're wrong…"
"Vhatever the case, Mo vas assigned to be the A.P.E. prototype's host. A.P.E. means 'Armor-Plated Exoskeleton' and is activated by a voice-recognition phrase…and Mo may be the only person left who knows it."
" 'May'? You don't mean that…"
"Da. Mo vas eventually decommissioned. The day Mo vas to test out A.P.E., Chad sent in a report that showed Mo's real age. He vas immediately sent to be decommissioned, vhile I was stripped a rank or two for keeping his age a secret. So, the second I got the chance, I took as much heavy artillery I could carry, and broke into the Decommissioning Room to free Mo. The problem vas...the job vas half-way done when I got him out," Dmitri said painfully.
"Did he remember you?" Number One asked hesitantly.
"Da. He remembered four things about his life as an operative: how to fight, that the KND did this to him, A.P.E., and that I was…" the Russian sniffed hard, trying to fight back his tears, but ended up losing. "He remembered that I vas his best friend!" The commander then held his face into his hands and wept pathetically. It was a sad sight to see, that such hard teenager like Dmitri had a softer side to him. A tragic side to him.
"S-So, what did you do, if I may ask?"
"Vell," the former operative wiped away his tears. "I gave him half of my veapons and ve took the Moon Base by storm. Ve, as you Americans say, 'kicked ass and took names'. Ve then boarded an escape shuttle and flew off before the KND's sensors could track us. From there, ve crashed our ship in the San Francisco Bay, vhere ve stayed in hiding vith a friend for a few months, until Headquarters gave up on looking for us."
"Aki..?"
"Aki Miramoto. In the days of the Berserker Unit, she vas a hired mercenary ve asked to help us out occasionally vhen ve vere in the tightest of jams. The KND never knew of her, so, ve hid at her place for about six months. She and her family had moved to San Francisco about three years earlier. After the organization stopped searching for us, ve all committed ourselves to fighting for kids' rights, but remained secret from the KND. Ve did have to make a few shady deals vith the adults to get our equipment. But luckily, Mo and my fathers both helped get us gear and the technology ve use."
"So, what exactly are your guns? Are they beebee-guns?" Nigel finally asked.
"These are vhat are called airsoft guns. All of our guns are automatic, and fire 6mm pellets. However, ve've modified them to fire faster and more rapidly than the law allows almost everywhere else. Ve don't vant to kill anyvone, just make them sore," he finally laughed.
"I see. I…Oh, never mind," Nigel blushed as he looked away.
"Vhat?"
"Well, I don't mean to sound like a little kid, but, I'm honored to be with someone like you. To tell you the truth, I'm the way I am because I wanted to be like you and Chad. Well, before he turned to the darkside."
"Hm? Vhat do you mean? Chad's vasn't decommissioned?"
"No, he busted out with the help of Cree, a teenager who works against us with the adults."
"Cree? Numbuh Eleven, right? She vas really good vith the 2x4 technology."
"You knew her?"
"Er…Not personally, just heard of her exploits on her assignments. So Chad's vorking vith the adults, huh? Figures, that bastard!" Kalashnikov humphed.
"Yes. But, why did he turn in Mo, though?"
"Chad never liked how Mo vas alvays my right-hand man. Chad vanted to be that kind of person, so I guess he vanted to get Mo out of the vay, plus, it was SOP to get him decommissioned. Really, Mo and I vere going to escape from the KND vonce I turned thirteen. The problem vith the Kids Next Door is that they don't realize that vith every kid they threaten to decommission, they plant the seeds of betrayal. Mo and I have only gotten better as soldiers since we became vigilantes. Know this, Nigel: not everyone becomes a teenager at age thirteen, some of us never truly grow up until much later."
"I can agree with that, but rules are rules."
"Fuck the rules! Vhich is more important, your precious rules, or your friends? Do you know what it's like to have a friend whose memory is as fucked up as Mo's? It's horrible. It's like being vith someone, yet not being vith that exact person."
"Believe it or not, I DO know what that's like. Chad framed my friends too, and they got decommissioned like Mo. But, I was able to help them recover some of their memories in the process. So, there's still hope for Mo. Decommissioning only locks away memories, it doesn't erase them. I bet that with some intense therapy, Mo can recover most, if not all, of his memories."
"You really think so?" Dmitri smiled, hopeful of his friend's brighter future.
"Absolutely," Nigel smiled back. The two leaders stared back at each other for minutes simply enjoying the chance for an old dog and a new one to speak of their pasts like friends.
"You ought to join us, Nigel," Dmitri finally said. "Ve could use people as skilled as you and your team. Vhat do you say, after you and your friends all turn thirteen, you join us to keep protecting kids?"
"What? Well, I don't know…" Nigel answered back. "I have wondered what I'd do once my friends and I all turned into teenagers, age-wise, I mean."
"No rush to decide. Just remember, the Kalashnikov, Jackson, and Miramoto residences are alvays happy to take in boarders and refugees."
"Well, in three years, I'll call you once we've made our decision. How's that?"
"Very mature of you," the Russian laughed. "Now, about your team. Vhat are we going to do with them?"
"Yes, since they've been eavesdropping on our entire conversation!" Number One yelled as he kicked the bushes behind him, causing his teammates to jump out and stare at him with embarrassed faces.
"How much did you hear?" Dmitri asked as he aimed his AK at them. "And don't lie," he smiled.
"Everything!" Number Two answered.
"We won't tell Global Command, though," Number Four mentioned.
"Besides, maybe we could join you guys in the future when we all turn thirteen," Number Three reasoned.
"Yeah, to fight alongside the legendary Dmitri Kalashnikov and Mo Jackson would be so cool!" Number Five grinned as she punched her open hand in a fighting gesture.
"Vell, it's good to know there are some operatives out there on our side," Kalashnikov sighed happily. "Now, you five better get some shut-eye. Tomorrow ve've got a lot of hiking to do."
"Good night!" the operatives cheered as they all returned to their makeshift beds.
"The same for you two," Dmitri said as Mo and Aki leapt from the trees above the fire, landing next to their commander with their uniforms on and their guns cocked and ready.
"I guess they really are trustworthy, eh Commander?" Aki said through her balaclava.
"Da. Now, you two get to bed, I'll put out the fire in a minute."
"Right," Aki agreed as she and Mo took off their masks and coats and headed to bed.
To be continued…