4. The Slavers

Father handed his slaver band baggy kid clothing for disguises. He began the checklist with their captain.

"You have the disguises,"

"Check."

"Sleeping herbs, can't forget those."

"In my pocket."

"Ship ready?"

"Fully functional."

"Excellent job, Cree."

Cree nodded, "The slavers are well trained and the manacles and chains are in check."

Father was amazed at his apprentice, "Oh, forgot that one. Superb work. When you land and the cadets are securely chained, bring them to me and I'll finish the job."

Sackdroll the slaver ran up to them, "'Scuse me sir, but how many cadets are there to take?"

"Thirty or so."

Sackdroll nodded and returned to the slaver band to tell them. Another slaver, Campinn, who was smaller than all of the slavers (except #30c) seemed to gradually edge away from them. He pulled out his communicator.

"Numbuh 39 with urgent news."

"Yes, Numbuh 86 waitin'."

But before he could respond, he was hit with a large fireball and the communicator dropped to the ground like a cold stone.

"Traitors will not be tolerated," Father stated coldly as he readied another double handful of fire.

The morning of the Cadet graduation dawned slightly cloudy but beautiful. It found Numbuh 4 dozing on one of Numbuh 3's oversized stuffed animals, exhausted from yesterday. He had fallen asleep on the floor of the kitchen. Numbuh 3 had thought it was too uncomfortable for him to sleep on the floor of his bedroom, so she laid him down on one of her fuzzy toys. Now it was morning and Numbuh 4 woke to find a lovely orange pansy in his hands. Numbuh 3 came in, already dressed, to get some water.

"Good morning, sleepyhead! I left you some breakfast on the table. Your cousin Winnie is so nice. She promised to help me with my flower picking today!"

Numbuh 4 spotted Winnie frowning at the room's door. "Betcha it was all 'er idea too."

Winnie was learning for the umpteenth time that day that roses had thorns. She nipped the thorn out with her front teeth and sucked briefly at her minor cut. Stan and Carmen had decided to help Numbuhs 1 and 5 load all of the needed supplies into the KND cool bus, the vehicle that would be used for their departure for the KND Moonbase. Luna had the checklist duties. Numbuh 2 was making sure their vehicle was fit for the flight. Chip had decided to help Winnie and Numbuh 3 out.

"Here, let me help you with that Winnie." Chip said, nodding at the roses.

"Winnie smiled in relief, "Thanks matey, this ain't exactly the easiest thin' ter do."

"Then why'd ya volunteer?" Chip asked.

"Ah didn't, Wally volunteered me as part of my punishment." She explained.

Chip kicked hard at the ground, "That's not fair, 30c intimidated you into fighting him. And there he is trying to do it again."

Winnie saw 30c sticking his tongue out at her and laughing at her.

Her teeth were bared and her fists clenched. "When Ah'm done with 'im, 'e won't even dare ter lookit meh."

Chip held her back by the scruff of her hood. "Don't pay attention to him, Winnie. He just wants to get you into more trouble."

But it wasn't easy to ignore 30c. Now he was blowing raspberries at her.

Winnie straightened herself from the rose picking. "Alroight, that's it!"

Chip ran past Winnie and furiously picked up the first thing to reach his hand. It happened to be a large dead branch of rose stem. "Say, 30c, that's quite a big wasp on your bum. Let me get it."

30c stood still, obeying Chip. However, there was no wasp anywhere near 30c.

Chip swung the rose bramble with stinging speed. His temper was as high as Winnie's and he was unable to do anything to stop the decent of the bramble. It whacked hard with stinging speed across 30c's backside.

"Aaaaiiiiieeeeeeyyyyyoooooowwwwwch!" The boy straightened like a book's spine. He leaped into the air and landed none too nimbly, rubbing at his hurt bottom.

Numbuh 3 ran over with freshly picked in her hand, "What happened, Chip?"

The skinny young boy tried to look innocent, even though he was the farthest from it. Heat creeping into his face, he made an excuse. "Hrrrumph, um, 30c here had a rather large wasp on his rump. I tried to get it, but I think he's been stung."

30c was painfully dancing in the grass as he rubbed at the sting with both of his hands.

Numbuh 3 seemed only slightly concerned, "Don't rub at it, that will only make it worse. There's some ointment in the infirmary that will help."

30c dashed off crying to the treehouse.

Chip turned to Winnie, "Poor guy, it must hurt," he said trying to sound sympathetic.

Winnie tried not to burst out laughing, "Aye, teheh, it's horrible to be stung by a Chipmunk heheh, er…wasp."

Numbuh 3 giggled, "You two come over here, just in case there are any other 'wasps'."

She smiled, knowing exactly what really happened. But she never intended to tell.