Hi! Here's the nextchapter.

dark hallway: Thanks!

BoxieRoxie: Heh, thanks.

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Disclaimer: I don't own KND.

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Chapter 6: Amber's Story

"I guess I'll have to start from the beginning. I'm warning you, this will bore you." Amber looked the five operatives in the eyes.

She hung her head, and began explaining. "I don't even remember when it first happened. My brother told me. He's the only one who does remember."

"Until I was two, I guess my life was normal. Then, everything changed. Father began acting very-strange. He'd disappear into the basement and not come back for hours. He'd have long talks with our mother, which often ended in shouting. He'd perform some weird tests on us. This went on for a year."

"Then, the day before it happened, Father and mother had a big fight. My brother doesn't entirely remember what happened, but what he does know is that our mother left that day, and never came back."

"The next day, Father put us on this table, tied us there, and told us to wait. A few hours later, the room was filled with all these weird adults-and some kids. They were the Kids Next Door, which I think is the same organization as this, right?"

"Uh…yes?" Numbuh 5 said.

"They were shouting at Father, telling him to stop. But he didn't listen. Then- all this scary stuff happened. There was a flash, and everything went black."

"When I woke up, I felt weird. My body was doing things that I didn't will it to do, and it was completely ignoring what I did will it. It was strange."

"I was only three, so I had no clue what was going on. But my brother knew- Father had Delightfulized us. I still don't know what that means, though."

"It means that you were hypnotized to give in to adults, behave properly, and wear dorky clothing day and night," Numbuh 4 said. Numbuh 2 slapped him. "Don't interrupt her! This is getting good. So…than what happened?" He was munching on popcorn.

"It went on like that for four straight years. I remember that the Kids Next Door came back every week, trying to free us. There was always one operative that kept coming back- even alone. I don't know her name, but she had dark skin, wild hair, and a determined will. She kept coming back until about two years ago."

"She was probably decommissioned," Numbuh 1 said.

Cree? Numbuh 5 thought.

"Then, four years after that Delightfulization, my brother- Michael- began acting weird. He De-Delightfulized us- somehow- and told us what was going on. He said that we had to stop Father from doing this to anyone else. We all agreed."

"The fight was long. Father didn't want us to find out about our Delightfulized states. But in the end, we made a compromise. Father would only Delightfulize us when we were bad. Otherwise, we were free. That was pretty good-for a while." All five operatives were fighting over the popcorn now.

Amber took a deep breath. "Father thinks that pretty much everything we do is bad. One of my brothers picked his nose, and we were all Delightfulized for two days. My sister fell asleep during dinner, and we got six days. Another of my brothers shouted 'BOOOOOOOOOOO-RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!' in the middle of breakfast, and we got two weeks. And every time that we are Delightfulized, we are forced to attack you."

"Wow, that's harsh!" Numbuh 3 said.

"That's why I acted weird last night. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to ask for help. But I could only resist for a little while. I couldn't get the whole message out."

"I came here because I hate the situation that my siblings and I are in. We want to be free, and do whatever it is that kids do. I was going to leave that note, and tell you this story without revealing who I was."

"I was hoping that I could meet the Kids Next Door- not as enemies, but as friends. I hoped that we could kick Father's smelly butt, so that no other child could be Delightfulized any longer." Amber closed her eyes. It felt good to tell someone.

"I'm done," she said. "You can say that that was the most ridiculous story that you have ever heard now. I can take it." She was serious.

Numbuh 1 looked at her. He couldn't tell whether she was lying or not, but he knew that if she was, it was probably a trap. But if she wasn't lying, there were many kids out there, in danger of Delightfulization. He thought long and hard.

"Untie her," he finally said. Numbuh 5 untied her.

"Stand up." Amber stood up.

"So…do you trust me?" Her voice had a catch in it, as if she were holding back tears.

Numbuh 1 stepped closer to her. "I don't trust you, but I don't not trust you either. I can't prove you wrong or right."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll just assume that you are telling the truth until we get significant proof that you are wrong." He smiled.

"But…she's a cruddy Delightful Child!" Numbuh 4 said. "Isn't that proof enough?"

"Yeah!" Numbuh 2 said. "She and her siblings have tried to kick our butts countless times! Why should we trust her?"

Numbuh 1 looked 2 in the face. "Because I said so," he said. "But don't worry. If she betrays us, she'll be beaten to a pulp."

"Can I do it?"

"Of course, Numbuh 4."

He turned back to Amber. "Hey, Delightful!"

"Yes?"

"How would you like to…umm…. hang out with us for the rest of the afternoon?"

Amber was shocked. "Uhh…okay. And my name is Amber." She smiled.

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Bye! -SP