THE DECISION

Author's note: Enjoy, and let me know what you think of it...

I'm sorry Wally… OW! That must've hurt…

Kuki winced as she tore Wally's jumpsuit off his back. They had been on Moonbase for about an hour now, and Wally had gotten very little attention from the Medical staff, despite the severity of his condition. Kuki had had to argue extensively for them to let her examine him and provide treatment. Thankfully, Joey had intervened on her behalf, and the Moonbase sentry had agreed to let her help; however she had to be watched by a guard force of 10 operatives.

I can't believe this facility! A lollipop for a painkiller! Kuki cursed in her mind. Indeed the infirmary had an awful lot in the way of technology, but not much as far as medication. Just some burn ointments (which she applied to his neck and ears) and some antibacterial creams for small cuts and scrapes. Wally was going to need a lot of stitches on his back and she had no morphine or other drugs to numb him. If she didn't get him proper aid and medication, he would have to endure this procedure with complete consciousness and feeling!

"Joey, can't you convince them to take him to a hospital, he needs a qualified doctor and proper medications…"

"Hey adult! You address him as Numbuh 4!" One of the guards snapped.

Numbuh 4 glared at the guard before he replied.

"I'm sorry Kuki, but Global Command doesn't want to risk having you guys fall back into adult hands."

"For God's Sakes, Joey! He's your brother, aren't you going to at least try to help him?"

"Kuki if it were up to me I'd be flying him to a hospital myself right now, but Command ordered this whole base on alert to make sure you don't leave. At this point I couldn't get him out of here in one piece even if I tried to fight through. I'm sorry, but there's nothing more I can do."

Kuki hung her head in defeat, there wasn't any getting around it: she'd have to do the stitching. She felt like crying, knowing what pain she was about to cause. And if that alone wasn't enough, she was about to bring excruciating pain to the man she loved. She didn't like being in this position in the least, but she knew that it was in Wally's interests to stitch the wound quickly so it could start healing.

She rummaged through the supply cabinets and was able to find a few sewing kits for serious wounds. There weren't many sutures, and on an injury as big as Wally's she was going to need all them. She brought the kits back to the operating table where Wally was squeezing his eyes closed and breathing carefully so as not to upset the wound with his expanding and contracting rib cage.

She stopped and looked down at his back. The firm muscles were stained with small streams of blood that were drying into a rusty black. The cut itself was about the width of her pinky fingernail and traveled at an angle from the base of his left shoulder blade to about where his right kidney was. Fortunately the wound hadn't severed any particularly large arteries and none of the organs were damaged. Still the wound was fresh and tender, even the lightest touch was going to cause Wally a great deal of pain.

"Wally," Kuki spoke as soothingly as she could, trying to dampen his fear of the pain that was coming. "I'm going to have to stitch up your cut…"

"But we don't have any morphine or other painkillers do we?" he replied with complete understanding of the situation.

"No…" she replied, biting her lip.

"Do what you have to do Kuki. I'll tough it out." He replied nonchalantly.

"Wally the gash is more than a foot long, it's going to need tons of stitches to…"

"I know… Kuki I'm not afraid."

"I am."

He lifted his hand and she immediately took hold of it.

"I know it's going to hurt, but it has to be done. I'll be brave, just try to keep going until it's finished. Be strong for me Kuki."

She gave his hand a firm squeeze to let him know she understood and that she was going to be brave. She let go and Wally put both his hands in Joey's; who stood just in front of his brother, ready to help him suffer the imminent pain in what little way he could. Kuki took a deep breath and picked up the sutures.

The procedure took almost an hour, and several times Kuki had to stop because she simply couldn't bear to hear Wally breathing the rapid, shallow breaths of pain and suffering, or feel his back flex in agony; agony that she was responsible for imparting. While working she came realize that he was only on this table and suffering pain because of her. If she hadn't gotten in trouble, he never would've had to come and save her, and he never would've gotten injured so badly, and she wouldn't be sitting here now causing him further pain while trying to help him recover.

Finally the last stitch was snipped and Wally breathed somewhat normally again. He had to be careful, since the gentle expansion of his rib cage threatened to tear the stitches and further aggravate the wound. Joey was near tears from Wally squeezing his hands, but he was just as resilient to pain as his brother, so he didn't let any of his hurt show, though his hands were alternately white from squeezing and blood red and purple from being constricted for so long. The medical staff returned to the room and wheeled Wally back to the Detainment Center with a small number of guards, while the remaining guards in the room surrounded Kuki and walked her back to the Detainment Center.

Kuki, Wally and the rest of the team were at one end of the Detainment Center, all in separate cages. Like dogs at the Pound. Ironically the configuration of their imprisonment was identical to the configurations of all their meetings for the last few months: Nigel was in the center, set back near the corner, Abby and then Hoagie were in separate cages off to his left and Kuki and Wally were in cages off to the right.

As the guards left the room after shutting Kuki in her cell and locking Wally in his, Nigel spoke:

"Wally, how are you doing? …All things considered…"

Wally was still belly-down on a wheeling hospital bed and was now exhausted from the painful procedure he'd just been through, but he managed to give a faint, croaking reply:

"Never bettah'."

Kuki began to tear up again. Her cell had solid metal walls on either side and she could only see out of the front where there were bars. And since her cell was right next to Wally's she couldn't see him. She sat on her cot with her face in her hands. She wasn't so much bothered by what she'd had to do to Wally; she'd gotten over that. What concerned her now was the uncertainty of what would happen next.

Hoagie decided to break the mood:

"So… what do we do now?"

"I don't see that there's anything we really can do Hoagie," Nigel replied. "Unless anyone has some tools for picking locks and a lot of guts to try something so dangerous I think we're just going to have to wait until we hear from those kids."

"Don't worry guys," Wally croaked, "Joey 'll convince the higher ups to let us go. And if not he'll bust us out of here himself."

Humph…whatever. Abby shook her head as she scorned him in her thoughts.

"Wally I don't think there's anything more that Joey can do to help us… he couldn't even convince Global Command to take you to a real hospital when you really needed it."

"Have faith you guys." He replied very simply.

Everyone was silent for a while. Of course they all wanted to keep faith that there was a way to get out of this, but the situation was looking very desperate. They sat in their cells twiddling their thumbs, hoping that a solution would present itself, or a messenger would come to bring them some news of what was being planned for them, but hours went by and nothing happened.

Then at last, the door into the Detainment Center opened and in marched a very arrogant looking kid with the Numbuh 1000 on his helmet and breastplate. He had a very stern face held by a stiff lip… definite leader by the looks of him… Nigel thought. With him was Joey.

"My, my!" Numbuh 1000 began, "The Great Sector V themselves, finest operatives in Kids Next Door history. All other politics and allegiances aside I must say it's an honor to meet you…"

Then the admiring tone changed to one of cold determination and Numbuh 1000 made his voice into one of a leader, obscuring the personality of the young boy who had just been so pleased to meet his heroes and idols.

"It seems you've all been doing a great deal in these past few months Sector V. Attacking Kid Next Door operatives… ransacking munitions depots… stealing the Code Module from Arctic Base… quite impressive if I do say so myself. And as it appears now, you have also regained your memories…"

"No Numbuh 1000," Joey intervened, "not their conscious memories. They only know that they are familiar to one another, and they know the main tenets of their pasts from reading their files in the Code Module. But specifics about our weapons, technology and other secrets were wiped during their decommissioning."

"Ah, I see Numbuh 4." He paused, but only for a moment. "Well that puts them under the category of being Adult operatives, so I think it's obvious to all of us what must be done… ex-Numbuhs 1 through 5., I'll arrange for your transfer to the Arctic Prison where you will remain incarcerated until such time as I and the rest of the Kid Next Door feel you have repaid your debt to the organization. Perhaps we might even consider a second decommissioning after your sentence."

Abby, Hoagie and Kuki both gasped, Wally didn't have the physical strength to gasp and Nigel, though wide eyed and shaken, held himself steady to offer a bargain.

Not more than a matter of seconds after Numbuh 1000's words had sunk in, Nigel pitched his offer:

"Numbuh 1000, we are aware that we have caused great damage to the Kids Next Door, and indeed we did so in the service of the Delightful Adults From Down The Land. For that I do not deny there is need of punishment, however our punishment should fit our crime, and in our case there are some important extenuating circumstances."

Numbuh 1000 stopped to listen. "Yes ex-Numbuh 1? Such as?"

"When we were recruited by the DAFDTL, we were under the impression that the Kids Next Door was a worldwide terrorist organization that corrupted children's minds and sought to spread fear and panic with violence, and to overthrow governments. We went into the organization with the hope that we might crush the organization to protect any more children from going down such a path and from being such menaces to society. And when we rediscovered our records of past service in the Kids Next Door and learned about what the DAFDTL really intended, we took it upon ourselves to undo them once and for all and retrieve the Code Module ...which we are guilty of stealing."
"I know Numbuh 1000 you mean to incarcerate us and consider erasing our memories again to protect your organization from a potential threat, but I assure you, we are no threat to the Kids Next Door. And we are willing to do whatever you require of us to prove it. We'll place ourselves at your disposal to use as spies, or even as operatives for your organization."

Abby affirmed his position. "Yeah, we'll do whatever you want if you'll forgive us and let us go free."

Kuki encouraged the argument further. "Please Numbuh 1000, we only want to be able to go back to our old lives and remember that the five of us are each other's friends."

Nigel spoke again to conclude. "Numbuh 1000 this is your choice. But we beg of you not to make us forget one another again. I swear to you by name and by all I hold dear, neither I, nor any of my friends here, is an enemy to the Kids Next Door."

The speech seemed to have the desired effect, Numbuh 1000 was blinking slowly as though trying to make sure his eyes were working properly and looking side to side as though unsure whether to follow his original pronouncement or agree to the plea for mercy. He turned away from the team and walked away just a few paces, then stopped to speak with Numbuh 4. Wally could just faintly hear his little brother talking, and the words sounded like they encouraged the action to let the team go.

After five minutes of this debating, during which Hoagie, Abby, Kuki, Nigel and even battle-scarred Wally were holding their breaths in anticipation, Numbuh 1000 and Numbuh 4 walked back to the cluster of cells. Wally grew nervous when he saw Joey's somewhat saddened and unoptimistic expression.

"Well ex-Numbuh 1…"

"If Nigel is easier you can call me that Numbuh 1000."

"Very well, Nigel, you make a compelling argument, and from what I hear from Numbuh 4 you did indeed put yourselves in great peril to make amends for stealing the Code Module…"

Everyone chewed their lips or crossed their fingers, hoping against hope that mercy was still possible.

"In light of this I am willing to forgo the incarceration and offer you a choice…"

Hoagie and Kuki let out a sigh of relief, but Abby and Nigel were both cautious and still nervous.

"I'm afraid that you five have proven to be such an effective team, that to allow you to remain friends and acquaintances is not an option…"

The smile on Hoagie's face fell away and Kuki's eyes went wide in horror.

"So this is your choice. You can accept a second decommissioning, where we will erase all your memories of the past few months and all of your knowledge about each other, the DAFDTL and the Kids Next Door. After which we will return you to your regular lives as though none of this had happened… or, we return you to your regular lives as it is, and you all agree to sever contact with each other. If any of you contact one another in any way, shape or form, you will be recalled to Moonbase and either incarcerated in Arctic Prison or decommissioned to prevent you from remembering one another…"

Though his back hurt him, Wally was breathing heavily, horrified at the choices before him. The boy hadn't shown any mercy in the least, he had just offered a choice of how the five friends could lose one another. Either they could forget each other completely, or remember and never see each other again.

Cold, cruel and unfeelingly ruthless with dispensing justice; no wonder he's the Supreme Commander. Nigel thought.

"I'm sorry ex-Sector V but in a few hours a shuttle will be departing for Arctic Base. If by then you remain undecided, you will be on that shuttle for the Prison. Those are your choices, and you have your set period of time to make your choice."

As he turned to leave, Hoagie spoke:

"Wait Numbuh 1000. I've already decided…"

Numbuh 1000 stopped in the doorway and turned around on his heel to face the legendary pilot and technology wizard of the old days of the Kids Next Door. Everyone else had also centered their eyes on Hoagie, even Wally had painfully propped himself up on his shoulders to see his friend while he made one of his biggest decisions.

"I choose decommissioning!"

Abby gasped and so did Kuki. Numbuh 1000 spoke first and Nigel soon after.

"You are sure ex-Numbuh 2?"

"Hoagie are you out of your MIND! You're opting to forget!"

"I know that Nigel… and I don't take this decision lightly. But I could never keep a promise to distance myself from you guys." He turned his head to look at the wall that was between him and Abby. "I love you all too much to do that." And though he couldn't see her, Abby was looking at the same wall and silently crying.

"Well then ex-Numbuh 2, your decommissioning will be tomorrow morning at 0900 hours. For the rest of you, you have until…"

"I choose decommissioning too," Abby declared. Everyone was again shocked.

"Very well then, Numbuh 5 we'll schedule you in as well…"

"Make room for three…" Kuki interrupted. "Make it four!" Wally added.

"Then I guess that's it… all five of us for decommissioning." Nigel affirmed.

For a moment Numbuh 1000 looked stunned. Perhaps he had been waiting for them to run out of time trying to pick their poisons, or maybe he had hoped that they would choose to keep their memories. He shook off his shocked expression and then continued.

"So be it," and turned and left. Joey lingered a moment, then he too exited, he looked very sad.

When he was gone, everyone was very solemn and quiet, but they were all burning with questions for one another. Kuki was the first to speak:

"Hoagie, why did you ask for decommissioning?"

"Same reason I gave earlier, I'd never be able to bear the alternative."

Kuki wanted to press the question further, but she caught sight of something moving near the bottom of the bars of her cell. She shifted her gaze to see what it was and found it was a hand… Wally's hand reaching around the wall!

She pounced on it and squeezed, trying to wring all the pleasure and joy she could get from it. As if his hand were an orange that she could squeeze for juice.

"Oh Wally I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be Kuki. I had already chosen decommissioning anyway."

She gasped. "Wally you're not serious… you'd rather forget me?"

He chuckled "They don't make a decommissioning machine that can make me forget you, Kuki."

His promise was empty though and Kuki was frustrated by it. "Wally will you be serious… it'll make us forget each other just like it did before."

Wally became more solemn when he heard her say that. He recalled what had been listed in his file on the Code Module. It had said that both he and Kuki had been in a romantic relationship towards the end of their service. It mentioned that the two had always been particularly fond of each other, but when they had reached 12 and realized only a year remained for them to be together, they had decided to start dating.
He had loved her then as he did now, and he had lost her despite his wishes to the contrary. The decommissioning erased all Kids Next Door related memories, even memories of love for a person who was part of the organization. Indeed his promise was an empty one.

Wally held tight to Kuki's hand and spoke with more sincerity.

"Kuki, I'd go through hell and back for you, and I'd do it again many times over if I had to. Why if I had my way I'd…" he stopped there when he realized just how much he would do for her if he had his way: he'd devote himself to her! And he hesitated to say it, fearful that it would only hurt him and her now that they were not far from the Decommissioning chair.

"What Wally? You would what? Please tell me, help me stay strong," she pleaded. She had a good idea of what he was going to say, but she wanted to hear him say it. She was already crying tears of joy.

"I'd… I…" he took a deep breath and resolved to just say it. "I'd be anything for you Kuki. I'd be your friend, your lover, your husband anything at all. Anything to be near you, anything to prove I love you."

Kuki felt her heart racing up, down and all around inside her chest from all the energy such happiness was giving her. He loves me! He loves me! She heard herself shouting triumphantly in her head. If she weren't so distraught by what was coming she knew that she would be on her feet screaming it to the world:

Wallabee Beetles LOVES ME!

She felt tears running down her cheeks and she wiped them away. She was so happy to know he felt so much for her, but at the same time, so sad knowing the choices that they had made and what the consequences entailed. Her crying was both happy and sad, and for every tear of joy she cried, it was accompanied by a tear of sorrow.

"Oh Wally…" she managed to say through her sniffling, and she planted a big kiss on the back of his palm and drew in his scent while her tears wet his hand. She felt a weak tug and Wally drew their clasped hands around the wall toward him. Kuki had to put herself in an awkward position against the wall to allow her short arm to travel around the barrier and within range of Wally's lips. When it seemed her arm couldn't be stretched any further she felt him kissing her hand and it sent shivers through her whole body. The moment was simultaneously so perfect, and yet so sad.

They were in love… and they would soon forget it.

Abby, Hoagie and Nigel had watched Wally and Kuki holding hands and talking and neither had dared speak until Wally ended his kiss to Kuki's hand, and they both held their hands about equidistant from each other's cell, at a point where neither was in pain from being pulled too far to one side. Hoagie took the moment to whisper sideways to Abby:

"Hey, Abby?"

"Yeah Hoagie?"

"When I chose decommissioning, why did you choose it right after me?"

Abby blushed, she knew the answer, but she wasn't sure if it was the one he wanted to hear.

"Cause I'd never let you do something like that alone."

Hoagie smiled: "Thanks Abby, that… that really means a lot to me." Though more than that wouldn't go unappreciated.

Abby could sense his slight disappointment in her response, and she decided that if she wanted to ask, it might as well be now.

"Hoagie?" She waited a moment, "Do you love me?"

Hoagie was a little thrown off by the question, after all, asking someone outright if they love you is pretty forward and answering it when it may not be a shared feeling is somewhat distressing.

"I ...don't know, Abby." Was his response, "I mean I ...I care a lot about you and I feel more comfortable with you than any other girl I've ever met, I just don't know what it is I really feel. Not sure I can put words on it."

Abby was relieved that she wasn't the only one confused; her feelings were almost exactly the same.

"I care for you too Hoagie. You're the best friend I've had in a long time; I just don't know if it's… you know… love. And I don't wanna risk losing such a good friend."

Hoagie smiled.

"Thanks Abby." He said, and this time he said it without any disappointment.

Nigel looked on all his friends. He saw Kuki and Wally holding hands, and he saw Hoagie and Abby talking closely. Then Abby looked up at him, blushed and turned away. He was afraid of what was coming, but he tried to find contentment in the knowledge that he had taken the honest road. Hoagie was right. He'd never be able to stay away from his friends no matter what. He didn't want to lose his memories, but if he had to choose between losing his friends now and keeping his memories only long enough to lose them too when he broke his promise, or losing everything at once, he felt losing it all at once would be the wiser choice.

…I'm sorry I couldn't save us, you guys. I'm sorry...

The next day, the jail keepers and a force of fifty Kids Next Door guards came in and escorted the whole team out of their cells, only one cell was opened at a time and this made the process painfully slow. The corridors leading to the decommissioning chairs were lined with Kids Next Door operatives, all hoping to get a last look at the KND legends reborn. After today, they would be regular, mindless adults, just like before.

Joey walked alongside his brother; though Numbuh 4 did his best to look strong while surrounded by his comrades he had no strength of will to force himself to keep his head held high or his eyes from looking down in shame. Wally saw this in his brother as he was wheeled along the corridor and he reached out and gave his brother a pat on the back.

"Hey squirt, you did all you could. Can't ask anything more than that."

"I'm sorry Wally. I'm so sorry."

"It'll be all right, Joey…" Wally held no conviction in these words, but he spoke them anyway in hopes it would assuage his brother's fears, as well as his own.
"It'll be all right."

The process was short and without much ceremony. Numbuh 1000 had been kind enough (at least somewhat in the team's point of view) not to prolong the discomfort of the procedure with tradition and ceremony. The team went straight to the Decommissioning room and were seated immediately. The Decommissioning officer, Numbuh 356, came up to them and apologized for having to do what he had to do, and then began the procedure.

In the last few seconds before the machine went into effect, Wally and Kuki grabbed each other's hands, while Abby held onto Nigel's and Hoagie's. Then the machine started up. Gears twirled, pistons pumped and springs went back and forth. And then after a minute, it was over.

Numbuhs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the DAFDTL and of Sector V were gone…

the end

Author's note: PSYCH! Still have another chapter and an epilogue. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.