Kids Next Door:

Operation: A.P.P.R.E.N.T.I.C.E.

Chapter 4

"Is the 'special room' ready?" The Boss asked a retail associate. "The comics put in their places? Everything nice and neat?"

"There's a slight problem, sir, we only have one copy of the newest Rainbow Monkey Comic," the shaggy haired adolescent answered.

The Boss shrugged, one was enough, and it was not as though he intended to sell them. "Very well, carry on."

"The plan is going well. Soon Comic Fortress will be opened, and many unsuspecting children will come here to read comics for a small fee, but what they find here will be something very different.

"The problem with modern toy and comic shops is that they let many children in all at once, they're always crowded. Now, my shop, we'll let three little ones in at a time. They'll pay a dollar admission, just to keep up the appearance of being a legitimate business, and go into a room filled with the comics they surely love, and then we got them," the Boss chortled with glee.

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Transmission Interrupted.

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Kids!

Like comic books?

We do, we own literally thousands of titles- even the ultra rare Rainbow Monkeys series!

In fact we like them sooo much that we aren't willing to sell any of ours!

But kids, for a small fee, of only a dollar you can read as many of our comics as you would like!

Come to Comic Fortress, the comic book-lovers ultimate library!

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Transmission Resumed

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A thin young girl clad in an oversized green long sleeve shirt and black stretch pants ran into the meeting room of the treetop abode.

"Lookie lookie lookie!" A shrill voice cried out.

"What in the dickens are you going? What is that?" Numbah Four berated.

"Lookie! Comic Fortress has the Rainbow Monkey comic, and I'm going to go there and read it all day today!" Chirped the girl.

"Comics? Since when do girls like comics?" The boy sneered. "I guess girls just go 'ga-ga' over anything with the words 'Rainbow Monkey' on them. Humph."

"I'm going to go now!" Cheered the girl, grinning from ear to ear. "Wanna come? My treat?"

The boy stood silent for a minute frowning; finally he let out a quiet, "fine.

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"And anyway that's why Rainbow Monkey is the best thing evaaaa!" Happily and loudly babbled the girl.

"Rainbow Monkeys this, Rainbow Monkeys that! Anymore Rainbow Monkeys and I'm going to hurl," sneered Numbah Four.

It was getting late in the afternoon, the sun was still up on the crisp autumn day but it was apparent it would not be up for much longer. The comic "library" had a rather short line, surprising as the clerk at the door explained to everyone that they were limiting how many kids could be in the rooms.

The "library" consisted of three rooms, an "action" room, a "romance/comedy/drama" room and a room that had a mixture that didn't fit into either category. Numbah Three ran to shrieking a sound of joy the second room as soon as she was told it was her turn.

"You're going to have to wait if you're here for the Rainbow Monkey comic too little boy," the clerk said to Numbah Four in a pleasant voice.

"Why do you think I would want to read that wretched abomination!" glowered Numbah Four, of all his buttons, one of his biggest had been pressed. "That does it!"

Numbah Four grabbed his crinkled dollar back out of the clerk's hand, and stomped out of the building, Numbah Three was going to have to walk home on her own that night.

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"Wowie!" exclaimed Numbah Three, impressed at the second room of Comic Fortress. "They even have Rainbow Monkey posters!"

Grinning from ear to ear the young girl selected the newest, ultra rare, Rainbow Monkeys comic, and turned around to sit on one of numerous beanbag chairs that furnish the room, when a covered hole in the floor opened up and two mechanical arms grabbed the girl and pulled her down into its depths. Numbah Three yelled as loudly as she could, but alas it was futile.

The robotic hands reemerged and picked the comic up off the ground, closed it, and soothed it flat.