It was a very tense, dramatic moment. Naomi had the feeling that something very significant had been revealed but honestly didn't know what it was.

"What's the Kids Next Door?" She asked, completely killing said moment. The triplets looked a little put out.

"I'll handle that question, if you don't mind Numbuh 333." A blond haired girl with a look of command said as she stepped out from behind everyone.

"You're the boss Numbuh 362." Trinity said. Numbuh 362 rolled her eyes. The triplets, instead of giving themselves each a codename, had adopted one number for them all, not unlike the twin brothers who both called themselves Numbuh 44.

"Yes, well…as Numbuh 333 have said, they're Kids Next Door Operatives. I'm the leader of the KND, Numbuh 362. As for what the Kids Next Door is," she continued. "It's an organization made up of kids, by kids, for kids to defend their interests and freedoms against adult tyranny."

"Cool!" Molly and Katie squealed. Spyder, who already knew as much, was more restrained. Penny and Torpid were generally more sedate. They understood but did not start bouncing off the walls. Naomi blinked.

"Wait…does this mean that you three are spies?" She asked Trinity. Naomi had heard of the three girls as being part of the Misfits or the American military…she wasn't quite sure which. If they were spies, didn't that mean they were taking a big risk in telling her?

But Trinity shook their heads.

"No, we're Misfits all right." Daria said.

"And how." Numbuh 362 muttered under her breath.

"We work for the KND and for the Misfits, but we don't let one outweigh the other." Quinn explained. "We can't use our KND contacts or technology for Misfit missions or vice versa."

"Unfortunately." Brittany sighed. "It would be nice to use the pool technology to find your base and get Lina back."

"Pool technology?" Naomi asked in blatant confusion.

"The KND encountered an alternate reality where pools were used as portals between the dimensions." Daria said. "They were going to use them to take over the world, but we—the KND that is—stopped them."

"But we managed to get a hold of their pool technology and adapted it to act as portals from one place to another." Brittany said. "But because it's KND technology and we didn't work on it, we don't get to use it for Misfit business."

"Lina's okay, if it helps." Naomi offered. "She's nice."

"She's all right?" Quinn asked urgently. "She's not hurt or being tortured by that Red Nova guy or anything?" Naomi couldn't help giving a quick snort.

"VLADIMIR? Torture someone? Please! His eyes start tearing up whenever he watches The Lion King. Lina's safe."

"I hate to interrupt," Numbuh 362 said, and in all fairness sounded like she meant it, "But there is an important matter to discuss."

"Did you bring us here to fight bad guys?" Molly asked.

"Is it the Snarks? We are on the moon and all…" Katie suggested. Numbuh 362 shook her head.

"Actually it has to do with one of our own…or rather, someone who was Kids Next Door." Penny tilted her head to one side and gave an interrogative whine. Naomi thought it sounded like a question anyway. Apparently, so did Numbuh 362. "I should explain." She said. "You can't be a Kids Next Door Operative forever. Once you turn thirteen, you're decommissioned and your memories of your time in the organization—even the memory of the organization itself—is erased."

Naomi gave a quick gasp and looked at Trinity. Would they voluntarily let their memories be erased? Could their memories be erased? She had no time to brew on that though, as Numbuh 362 continued.

"But some operatives refuse to be decommissioned and try to flee. Sometimes, they even turn traitor and work for our enemies; adult megalomaniacs and teenage ninjas." Naomi gave her translation watch a brief shake, as she was sure that couldn't have been translated properly. But sure enough, "One ex-operative who refused decommissioning turned traitor to join the ninjas and is currently working against us."

"So why are we here?" Molly asked. "To pound this loser?" She said with a hint of a growl. The Runaways had their own experience with a traitor. It had not left her with a positive outlook on treachery.

"That's part of it." Numbuh 362 admitted. "But only part. You see, aside from the usual trouble this traitor causes, it doesn't just affect the Kids Next Door anymore. A powerful adversary of yours is going to use the traitor to infiltrate and—they hope—win over a potential goldmine of powerful teenagers they can use to crush the Kids Next Door."

"That's horrible!" Katie said. "Who are they trying to infiltrate?"

000000000

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Spyke asked from behind the changing room door. "I know Miss Frost said everything was worked out but…"

"You're concern is touching Evan." A female voice said through the door. "Just like back in high school…but yes, everything's fine. My…superior has made all the arrangements with your Emma Frost and the Hellfire Club." There was a slight smile on her face at the name. Hellfire Club…considering whom she worked for, she took it as a good omen.

"I just want you to stay safe." Evan sighed. "I don't have that many friends left and I don't want to lose any more."

"Aww…I'm touched."

"I'm surprised you don't hate me for being a mutant." Evan said, switching tracks.

"Why should I? It's not like you're a snot-nosed kid who thinks your abilities make you 'all that.' You're a responsible young man destined for great things. Just as I am. Trust me. This mission will be a snap. I go in, infiltrate the X-Geeks and Fa—I mean, my superior—will use them to crush the KNDorks and then turn them over to the Hellfire Club." Finished dressing, she emerged from the changing room. She looked like a normal, attractive African-American teenage girl.

She was also a traitor and a menace. Something she and Evan had in common. He looked at her and nodded. "All right." He said. "If you say so, Cree."

00000000000000