Operation: WITNESS

Wandering
Innocent pre-
Teens
Never
Even
Shared
Seeking friendship

By Ahhelga

Chapter 14- Under the Sycamore

I just got three sunburns in the same week! Lucky me! Not... Plus, I had to lug my stupid books all around the school all day 'cause we don't have our lockers yet! And, we had to run five laps, and that's a lot compared to the size of my freaking school! That's a mile and a half! The freaking teachers don't care about us; we're just little toys to them, letting them play with us, making us suffer! Oh joy! Oh, I'm gonna so let them pay one day in the future... they'll all pay! Why can't all teachers be as cool as my art teacher! She's awesome! She's the best! And once, she subbed for a week and never gave us homework, like we were supposed to! And I'm her favorite student out of the whole school! And over one thousand and a half students is pretty a lot! And look at me! Complaining to you about my teachers, while I'm supposed to be writing my fic! It's the heat! What can I say? Oh! And I'm very sorry about the last chapter, I know, very confusing... but since I was having Writer's Block, I think it doesn't really count...Well, then, on with the fic!

Rated for violence, cussing, and kissing scenes...

Disclaimer: Disclaimers are fun compared to the 93 degree weather after running five laps and not getting a drink until reaching home (after I had to walk to my place)! Fun, fun, fun! And that's why I say "I don't own Codename: Kids Next Door"!

They trudged towards the door until he blocked Keiko from passing.

"We can't go there without weapons!" Wally said and then blushed after saying, "We don't even have plans! And, uh, I dun even know where to meet her..."

Keiko sighed, and gave him a comforting hug; he melted in her arms. Although he did like this he pushed her out of the way. Wally was getting red. He was red, not of bashfulness or shame, but of anger. This person was really ticking Wally off. At first it all started out with one guy and now it he blended into a woman.

He fell to the floor on his butt and then laid in fetal position. He couldn't take it any more! He just wanted to die. At that moment, he thought of everything. Kuki leaving him. This murderer. All his friends gone. The one true thing keeping him sane was Keiko. She reminded him of everything good. Everything happy that had happened. And plus, a striking resemblance to Kuki. Just then, a thought hit him.

A plan.

He immediately stood up and grabbed Keiko by the shoulders. He looked up at her.

"Keiko! We have to go to Hoagie's room!" Wally said to the confused girl. "We need to find all that evidence he kept of our missions!"

"Missions...?" She asked, not because she was faking to be Keiko but because she didn't know there were records.

"Yeah! Ya know, records of the team's past fights, missions!" he replied happily. "I just know we're going to find something to help us!"

"I can't believe we couldn't find a single thing to help us!"

Keiko and he sighed as they stood up from the files. All those files brought nothing but memories to both. Keiko walked and observed the room. It was nothing like she remembered! But of course, she could hardly remember anything! As she walked by Hoagie's paper-filled desk something caught her eye.

A small paper with one drawing and a sentence was on it. The drawing was of Kuki and her father but the sentence was quite opposite.

How was I supposed to know she'd hate them?

Rage filled her up. She grabbed the paper and was about to rip it when she noticed a piece of writing on the back.

11256 Sycamore St. Closet, under the trunk.

It was the address of her old house. She sighed but she didn't know what the closet nonsense was all about. There were only two closets and only one had a large trunk. But then something told her to go there. Like she was a robot and someone had told her a command. She stood up immediately and walked towards Hoagie's door.

As she got out, a call was heard, but ignored; it wanted to be ignored. Keiko continued out but the faster Wally's steps were, the faster were hers. Soon, he ended up chasing after her through the whole street.

He knew it was too dangerous to be out here. Too dangerous to actually be alone. It was late afternoon, but even so, you could never be too careful, with that killer on the loose. They had ran far but not too far, only a couple of blocks afar.

She had stopped abruptly in front of a small house. The numbers on the porch read 11256 and 11256 ½. Panting, Wally eventually caught up to her and stared at the house. It was where Numbuh 3 lived. He only had seen it from the outside; he had never been inside. But even so, Keiko pointed to the forest green painted door.

"There; I must go in there," she murmured.

"Why?" he asked. "Why do you need to go into her house?"

"Because," she stated, "I must... I have a feeling I must."

She walked across the brown dried grass. The grass had crunched and crumbled under their small feet. She hopped on the porch as he examined the spider webs and insects around. Before Keiko had opened the mysteriously unlocked door, she stared at the chipped off paint.

"Mommy! Daddy!" yelled a small little girl. "I'm home from school!"

"Oh? How was your first day of First Grade, Kuki?" called her mother's voice from the kitchen. "Was it fun? Make any new friends?"

"Yeah! One named Nigel and a kid named Hoagie. But my first friend was Abby!" she exclaimed. "But, later on, I met this boy named Wally! He's from Aust--Aust..."

"Australia? Austria?"

"Yeah, the first one! He's really cool and...uh...what's the word for a kid who looks good?"

"Cute? Aw, do you have a crush... Why are you in the hall, you should give Mommy a hug!"

Kuki grinned and ran to her mother who was washing the dishes. Her mother was taken by surprise by the little girl hugging her leg. She wobbled, but a man who had stepped from the other side of the kitchen (from the garage door) had held her steady.

"Kuki! Careful!" the woman had exclaimed. "You're going to let the baby come out with all you're squeezing! Thank you, honey, for keeping my balance."

The two girls giggled as the man had sort of lost his balance instead. They were a happy family, and with the new addition soon, they would be perfect.

"Not so perfect..." whispered Keiko while opening.

Wally noticed her enter, so he did too. Their eyes bugged out at the sight of the mess. It was quite dusty, but not so much. There were red stains all over the entrance and even on the couch. Wally could've sworn he smelled the scent of gun powder.

Perfect, just perfect...thought Keiko. I never thought I'd enter here once more... Terrible, just terrible... Look at this place...I thought I left it forever, but look who's standing in the hall... But I felt the same way with Kids Next Door...

They looked around at the room. It was so dirty. Keiko then remembered why she was here. Taking small steps she moved to the closet door at the end of the hallway. She inhaled before opening.

The door creaked (Much to Wally's dismay, who had cringed). The rather small closet was filled with coats, except for one large trunk. She opened the latches and found that it was empty.

A sigh escaped her lips. She was sure something—anything—would be here. But alas, no. Slamming the trunk, raging tears fell. Nothing was right!

Wally walked up to her and patted her back. All this running and standing got to him, so he sat on the trunk. Resting his head upon his hands, he sighed. There was a creak...

Another.

Wally looked up around, not getting up. Soon enough, the whole trunk fell through the floor. All the dust came up in the hole. Keiko looked down into the hole, but found nothing but dust. She coughed.

"Numbuh 4, are you ok?" she called. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah!" he coughed. "Loud and—cough—clear!"

"I'm coming down!"

She landed in a heap of dust and coughed. Eventually, Wally and her found each other and hugged. Soon the dust cleared, and they looked at where they were. It was so small, but old. The paneling on the floor was old and creaky, and the walls were chipped to a bare dry wall. What caught Keiko's eye, though, was the wooden door at the end of the room.

On the wall was a small mark. It was of a gun but a star in the back with the Japanese symbol for death. She had seen it before but she didn't know where. Before realizing where, she noticed Wally go up and open it up.

More dust came out, for that's all that Keiko would think that was in there. But when she arrived, both Wally and she had gasped. This was not what they had expected.

Too hot for anything.

That's me
Ahhelga
AKA Pauline