A/N: And now the team comes together...This is a good thing...mostly.
Disclaimer: We love you Warburton! Oh yes we do! And KND belongs to only you!
Operation DECOM
Chaptuh Two
Another failed mission. Another operative-turned-teen had escaped her clutches. And it was all Numbuh Two's fault. HE had fired at the wrong moment, hit the net that she had just put on the target, freeing the teen. He claimed that the target was going to attack her while her back was turned. Another boy turned liar as far as she was concerned. Numbuh One had said that if she had made sure the target was unconscious before she turned her back, it wouldn't have happened. One's ability to suggest plausible explanations was really starting to annoy her. She just hoped that Command didn't believe him. Again.
She paused in front of the large door to take a breath. On the other side was the meeting of KND Command. She knew what the meeting would be about.
The doors, like all doors on KND Moon base, opened automatically. She entered an almost dark room, save for a circle of light in the center. Numbuh 86 could see the outline of a U shaped table that wrapped around the center and the outline of a group of kids sitting behind that table. She knew they were the members of Command. Yes it was corny, but they were a bunch of 11 and 12 year-olds, it was to be expected.
"Number 86." A girl's voice from the shadows spoke.
"Yes?" Numbuh 86 was starting to feel nervous.
A boy's voice sounded this time. "We have been examining the reports from your most recent mission." Another circle of light appeared revealing Number One off to the side also in front of the table. "We are not pleased."
A second girl, this one much more flippy sounding, said, "And you screwed up really bad before, oh, oops." Fanny could tell the other 'shadows' were glaring at the second girl. "I mean, in light of the results from other recent missions, this points to a flaw in how Decommissioning handles things." Numbuh 86 knew what was coming next. She would be thrown out of the KND or worse, be put in charge of training. The thought of all those stupid 8-year-old boys gave her shivers.
A sterner, more serious voice interjected. It was 362. Numbuh 86 would recognize that voice anywhere; it had yelled at her enough after the whole Operation FUGITIVE incident. 362's voice seemed to get more furious with every word. "Numbuh 202, Numbuh 11, Numbuh 97, Numbuh 274 and now Numbuh 411. For goodness sakes, he was a desk dweeb…"
"However," A boy with a deep voice cut her off, "Numbuh One has suggested that these mistakes…"
"MIGHT NOT TOTALLY BE YOUR FAULT," 362 yelled, clearly indicating that she was having a hard time believing it.
"Close enough," the boy continued, "Command has decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, for now." Fanny let out a sigh of relief. "However, changes must be made. It has been decided to create a new team, specially designed and trained to handle the most dangerous decommissions, with you as its leader."
Numbuh 86 decided she had been silent enough. "Right, I will get right on it. I should have a roster done by tomorrow." She was taken back by the response.
"No," 362 said, accompanied by a fist hitting the table. "You will NOT be screwing this team up by selecting its members."
"It was decided that you might be…biased in your selections," The first boy stated.
"So we chose one for you!" said the flippy girl.
Another light appeared slightly behind her. Four kids ages 8 to 11 were in the room looking around confused, with one exception.
"MY EYES! MY BEAUTIFUL GREEN/BROWN EYES! I'M BLIND!" the youngest, and smallest, member of the group yelled. Next to her a boy who had similar features, probably a brother, hid his face in his hands in shame. The little girl looked over at him, and though he said nothing, she shouted, "NO! They're not brown! They're green/brown! See. SEE!" The little girl tried to show her eye to the only other girl in the group, who was edging away from her.
"AHEM!" A girl from the command table said trying to restore order. "This is your new team, Numbuh 86.
"Your second-in-command, Numbuh 35." A tall boy stepped forward, snapping to attention with one yellow gloved hand. Numbuh 86 had worked with him before, during the SLUMBER incident. He would do well on the team, for a boy. "An ace pilot and expert in hand to hand combat.
"Numbuh 23 your heavy weapons and demolitions expert." A brown-haired girl with dark clothes took a step forward and gave Fanny a small smile. Numbuh 23 had been one of the few girls…few people to come to her slumber party and assist her in the failed attempt to defend the code module from Cree. She might help Numbuh 86 stay sane during this assignment.
"Numbuh 21." The brother of the little girl took a step forward. Raven colored hair that went with his coal-colored eyes and vaguely Asian features made his expression appear even more serious. He had what appeared to be a modified 2x4 technology backpack on, an oddity since most operatives took them off when they were done flying with them. "Your team's 2x4 technology mechanic and assault expert. Specializes in aerial assaults.
"Numbuh 12." Fanny instinctively looked around for the girl who had betrayed her and the KND. So did Numbuh 35 and 23. The girl that had been speaking realized the situation a moment later. "Not that Numbuh 12. This one's new." The little girl had a big grin on her face as she stepped forward and sloppily saluted. Her dark brown hair pulled into two ponytails held in place by two mismatched scruchies made her look as innocent as a kindergartner, but a look at her mischievous brown eyes dispelled that idea. "An expert in the art of stealth…" At this the little girl held her hands up in a gun like shape and started darting around the room while loudly humming the Mission Impossible theme. "…And diversionary tactics." They watched as the girl darted behind Numbuh 86 and crawled through her legs. "WILL YOU STOP?" 12 gave another sloppy salute and returned to her position, still humming the song, just not as loudly. "This is your team, Numbuh 86." A young kid, probably just a flunky, came forward and handed her a printout. "You will operate out of the Moonbase, room 223B, and will be known as the KND Elite Decommissioning Squad." There was a short pause. "What? It was the best we could come up with on short notice. You are all dismissed." With that everyone filed out of the room.
As her new team started to head to their new base of operations, Numbuh 86 saw Numbuh 1 head the other direction. "Numbuh 1! Wait!" He turned around, waiting for the coming apology. "Ya're lucky they didn't believe my report!" she said with quite a bit of menace. He rolled his eyes and kept on walking. "Stupid boy, was an idiot in kindergarten, stupid operative now, can't believe they gave him command…" she muttered under breath. She went the rest of the way to room 223B, right next to room 134K of course. When she entered, her new team was already discussing something.
"You see?" said the little girl, Numbuh 12, clearly after explaining something. Numbuh 35 and 23 just looked at her while 21 just looked at the ceiling.
"Yeah, I see you're crazy," said Numbuh 35. Numbuh 12 sighed.
"I'll try again. Okay listen, all Kids Next Door teams have five members; a leader, a cute one, a flyboy, a tough one, and a cool one. Numbuh 86 is the leader. I'm obviously the cute one." She struck a cute pose and batted her eyelashes before continuing. "My brother," she gestured toward Numbuh 21, "is the flyboy, since he sleeps with a jet pack. Don't deny it, 21! But which one of you is the tough one and which is the cool one?" She gestured at 23 and 35.
Numbuh 35 looked over at Numbuh 23. "You want to be the cool one?"
"Okay." At that moment they noticed Numbuh 86 standing in the doorway.
"If I had been an enemy operative ya'll would be DEAD now. Not a single one of ya stupid dorks noticed I was standing there. None of ya are even carrying a weapon!"
Numbuh 23 pulled a heat gun (the hair dryer thing with the chili pepper) from behind her back. 35 dropped into a classic fighting stance. 12 pulled a mustard gun from a holster at her hip. 21 reached behind him into his backpack and pulled out a SPLANKER and what looked like a laser rifle, the kind made out of coke bottles and flashlights. This was different though, it had two sets of bottles and flashlights and had more switches then the standard model.
"Well, they uh… weren't out and ready," said 86 meekly.
35 and 23 clustered around 21's weapon.
"Cool," oohed Numbuh 35.
"What kind of weapon is it? It looks like a double barreled laser, but what are all the extra features?" asked 23.
12 stepped in and began explaining as if she were quoting from a technical manual. "It's a modified laser rifle that 21 made himself. The two barrels allows for an increased rate of fire and there is a secondary fire system that is really cool. Basically it's…"
"If ya stupid boys are done yapping I'll do the talking for a bit," 86 yelled at 35 and 21.
"But 12 was the one talking and 21 didn't say a word…"
"DID I SAY YA COULD TALK!" Numbuh 35 and 21 looked at eachother and shrugged. Numbuh 35 was next to speak.
"We don't remember."
"THEN ASSUME I DIDN'T!" No one else spoke although Numbuh 12 snickered into her hand. "Like I was trying to say, I'm Numbuh 86. Ya will address me as Sir, Ma'am or Numbuh 86."
"Don't call her Fanny," Numbuh 23 said not quite under her breath. Most of the team stifled their laughter but 12 laughed out loud. Numbuh 86 blushed, for about ten seconds.
"IF ANY OF YA EVER TELL ANYONE ELSE THAT YA'LL BE DECOMMISSIONED FASTER THAN YA CAN SAY YOUR NUMBER!" Seeing that she had inspired enough fear, she continued, calmer. "It says here on this paper that this team exists on a trail basis. In other words if we fail ONCE its OVER! No more missions, no more team, and if there is no more team ya can bet I'll make it so there is no more YOU! That said, I look forward to working with all you girls."
"Um, at least two of us are guys."
"DID I SAY YA COULD TALK? Anyway before I was rudely interrupted I was saying that according to this paper the KND Elite Decommissioning Squad…"
Numbuh 12 decided to pipe in, "We're the KND EDS. We so need to come up with a new name."
"Agreed Numbuh 12. Our job is to track down all former KND operatives that have escaped decommissioning, apprehend them, and finally decommission them."
"Even the ones that escaped years ago?" asked 35. Numbuh 86 didn't yell at him for some reason and scanned the paper instead.
"Doesn't say. It does say that Command will assign us a target when new information reveals itself." She looked at the rest of the team and shrugged. "Until then we are to train to handle any teen situation. No anti-adult training at all."
"But that's the whole reason the KND exists, to fight adult tyranny."
"I know, but we're supposed to handle former operatives only. But if a situation like the last Father attack happens again we'll fight alongside the rest of the KND."
Numbuh 35 said what they all were thinking. "Only fighting former operatives. Kinda a police for the protectors. That's not going to make us very popular. Everyone is going to look at us and think about the day they'll be decommissioned and we come after them."
"WE AREN'T HERE TO WIN A POPULARITY CONTEST NUMBUH 35! We're here to do what Command assigned us to do. Now get to the hanger deck. We head for KND Antarctic Training Base in ten minutes."
At the end of the day five exhausted kids walked into 223B.
"That'll be all for today. Well done, Numbuhs 12 and 23. Numbuh 35, review target-assisted-by-water-fowl protocols. Numbuh 21, work on your jetpack steering. You would think someone who wears one all the time would be a better flyer. We start again at 0900 hours. Make sure you get some rest." 86 went through a door with her number painted on it to her room. They all had one, not as big as the ones found on the tree houses on Earth, but still larger than a typical bedroom in a regular house.
23 and 12 plopped down on the room's couch in front of the large screen TV. 35 collapsed onto the overstuffed chair to the side. Numbuh 21 went to the fridge and got a can of root beer, there were advantages to being in the KND, and an ice pack for his bruised arm.
"Hey Numbuh 21, toss me a soda," said Numbuh 23. 21 handed her a can of orange soda. "Don't talk much do you?" Numbuh 21 shook his head no. The others laughed.
"My brother does talk, rarely, but he gets his point across most of the time," Numbuh 12 stated from the couch. After a minute she broke the silence. "I have muscles that I didn't know I had, and they hurt."
"I don't remember the academy being this hard. Numbuh 86 sure pushes until you're perfect," commented 23.
"You had it easy. Numbuh 21 and I couldn't do anything good enough for her. He did things with a jetpack I've never seen and she said he was sloppy. And how is anyone supposed to prepare for the enemy being helped by ducks?" complained 35.
"At least we get 900 hours until we have to do it again. That's like, a gazillion days from now," said 12 hopefully.
There was a small silence. "0900 hours means 9 o'clock tomorrow," 23 corrected.
"In the morning?"
"And probably every day after tomorrow."
"What have we gotten into?" No one answered.
"WILL YA JUST GO TO BED! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" came 86's voice through the door. Everyone was in their rooms in less than ten seconds.
A/N: Next chapter up soon; we start finding out what these kids can really do, against the best of the KND! Sector V!
Jade & Masterharper