"A sniper? As in One Shot, One Kill?"

"Exactly. We are to capture him for immediate decom."

"Why?

"He went rogue. Off the reservation. Put all of his teammates in the hospital. They were so injured that the medics say they'll never be able to fight again."

"Whoa." Abby was stunned.

"We've been given clearance from the top to use deadly force if needed. I knew it would happen. I even told them so. They brushed me off and told me it was a necessary evil."

"What do you mean by deadly force? We ain't going to kill him, are we?" Abby would do many things for the KND, but killing wasn't one of them.

"Not unless we have to, Numbuh Five. But it may come to that. He's unstable, mentally, and has no qualms about ending life. I know."

"How do you know so much about him?"

"I was once a member of the Gambits. Do you know what his other aliases are? In Germany he goes by Zee. It's short for Ziebold Adelbertsmiter aus dem Schwarzenwald."

Abby's German was a tad rusty, but she finally figured it out. "Ziebold Adelbert's Smiter from the Black Forest? Wait, a few years ago wasn't there an adult named-?"

"Yes. Adelbert Andrews. He was a scientist, developing a bioweapon, a virus that could accelerate the aging process a hundredfold. We, that is, Thirteen Black, myself, and Black's sister, Sophia, codenamed Double Zero, were ordered to take him out. We were the best hitters the squad had. We eliminated problems in a more permanent manner than the rest of the organization."

"What happened?"

"Cain set up in a concealed tree stand, covering the entrance with his weapon. He carried a Gamo pellet rifle. It fired a lead pellet, caliber .22, at speeds that made it lethal if you shot someone in the right place. Double Zero and I were to go in hard and fast from the other side and drive him out into the killzone. Cain had that door bracketed. But it all went sour. He wasn't alone in there, and while I was caught up with the minions, Sophia got captured. I managed to get loose, and watched as the doctor went out the door. I heard the pop from the rifle, and saw the doctor drop Sophia and run. I heard the scream from Cain's postion, and then saw him running after the adult."

"What had happened?"

"When the door opened Thirteen Black fired without hesitation. He didn't know about Double Zero, and was aiming for the doctor. The pellet entered his sister's right eye, and killed her instantly. But Caleb had his revenge. The papers were talking about it for weeks. They found Adelbert Andrews on the edge of the Black Forest. He'd been shot from behind with a pellet gun. Our orders were to eliminate him as a threat to the KND, but to leave him alive. He was dead as four o'clock. Shot in the back of the head. The next day I resigned from the squad, and transferred to regular operations. I kept my clearances, though, so I kept up with his exploits. After that, he started to lose it. More and more of his targets turned up seriously injured or dead. But the brass looked the other way. Viewed it as needed, an ace in the hole. Until today."

"What happened?"

"The leader of the Kids Next Door, Numbuh 101, was found in his backyard. He'd been shot in the chest with a pellet gun. He very narrowly escaped death. We are to find him and decommission him as soon as possible. But no one must find out about it, or else that info might be leaked out to the adults."

"I see, Numbuh One. I'm ready for anything."

The next morning the team met up at the treehouse, and went over their gear. Numbuh Two'd pulled out all the stops with his weapons. They had the top of the line. The armor, as well. They piled into the MOSQUITO and were off.

Numbuh Five stood up, and looked at Nigel. "You figure the gang should know the real mission, Numuh One?"

"What real mission? This is an SAR, right?" asked Numbuh Three.

"No, Kookie, it's not. This mission is highly classified, and I was ordered not to tell you the truth about it by the brass. But this is the most dangerous mission we will probably ever go on, so I think you should know the truth. Have you ever heard the rumors about there being a secret squad in the KND, who use dirty tactics and are authorized to use extreme force when dealing with adults?" She nodded. "They're true. I was once a member of a top-secret squad known as the Gambits. The target is a member of the team as well. His codename is Thirteen Black, and we are to find him and bring him in for immediate decomissioning."

"Why doesn't 86's squad do it?" asked Numbuh Four. "Why do we have to go and get the bloody thirteen year-old?"

"He's not thirteen. He's ten, and the reason 86 can't do it is because she's not capable of handling it. He went rogue, and before the first day was over he'd put his entire team in the hospital, injured so badly that they'll never fight again, and when 86 and her guys went to pick him up, he massacred them. He put all of them down, with his pellet gun. He ran out of ammo, and cracked 86 across the head with it like a club. She has a severe concussion." This took all of them aback. A kid who went so violently rogue? This couldn't end well.

When they landed in Italy, they spread out. They were searching for him, and they found him. Abby heard Numbuh four scream. When she arrived, he was dangling by an ankle in a snare. Just as she cut him down a shot rang out, and a pellet snapped into the tree. Off in the distance was the boy they were looking for. "Come and get me!" He disappeared behind a tree and they saw a sleek fighter take off.
"Numbuh One, we've found him! He's taking off in a plane!" yelled Abby into her communicator.

"Roger, Numbuh Five." The two sprinted back to the MOSQUITO and the team took off.

They pursued him until he finally put down on the outskirts of Pisa. "Come and get me, you lack-wit babies! I'll drill you and all your kin!" He took off down the street, and the team gave chase.

After twenty blocks, they finally saw him going up the Leaning Tower. But when they came to the top, he was gone.
"Simple hologram projector. God, you are some dumb agents!" Black was behind them.

"I see you're still as dry as ever, Caleb."

"Uno, is that you? Well, well, if it isn't Suicide King. I see you couldn't leave the life, even if you left the game. How's it hangin?"

"Fairly well, until I got the call. We're here to bring you in. Lower your weapons now, or else."

"Who's got the drop on whom, Uno? As I see it, you're drawing dead. And besides, I have some business to attend to. A new partnership to forge."

"He's right. I can't let you take him. He could be the greatest asset we have," cooed a voice from the shadows. Numbuh Five bristled.

"Cree," she hissed.

"Abby, Abby, Abby. So nice to see you"

"But why would you want to recruit him? He shot up all those other adults," said Five.

"That got our attention. When he came forward to defect to us, though, we had our doubts. Cain, sweetie, Father needs more proof of your loyalty"

The boy walked forward. "More proof? The proof I'm about to give him is incontestable. Hold the others." He grabbed Numbuh One, led him to the edge of the tower, and forced him to turn and face him. "This is my proof of loyalty." He drew a pellet pistol and shot Numbuh one in the eye at point blank range. They all watched as he collapsed. Thirteen Black roughly kicked the body over the edge. Numbuh Five watched in mute horror as Numbuh One fell to earth.

Alrighty, folks. I warned you about the character death. This is the first, but surely not the last. Later, y'all.-Punishershadow