A/N: Jade - Some of you may be wondering why this took so long to get out, well, Masterharper?
Masterharper: Jade sat on the chapter for 6 months
Jade- And you didn't write a new one for 6 months
Both – It's your fault.
Now that that's settled…onward!
Disclaimer: Don't own KND, don't work at Curious Pictures, but we apparently do take long breaks between writing KND like the people at Curious Pictures. WE WANT MORE EPISODES!
Operation D.E.C.O.M.
Chaptuh Five
"Be ready for anything. Numbuh 3 is one the most unpredictable operatives I have ever met," cautioned Numbuh 23.
Numbuh 35 murmured, "Because she's in la-la land most of the time." 23 elbowed him in the guts. The Elite Decommissioning Squad was standing outside another door, ready to break in and face their second test, capturing Numbuh 3.
Wincing at the pain in his side, Numbuh 35 gave Numbuh 21 the signal. Knocking the door down with a kick, 21 rushed into the room with the rest of the team close behind.
35 exclaimed, "Alright, EVERYONE FREEZE! SURRENDER AND YOU WILL not be….um…. Is this the right room?" The room was small, about the size of a bedroom in a typical house. The walls had pink wallpaper with little white bunnies, not rabbits or hares, bunnies, and small red hearts. In the center of the room there was a small table with a white table cloth and a pink tea set sitting on it, with several small chairs circled around. In one of the chairs sat Numbuh 3, wearing a frilly white dress and pouring tea into one of the teacups.
"Hi guys!" 3 shouted and then waved at them. "Want to play tea party?" Numbuhs 21 and 35 looked dumbfounded. Numbuh 12 gave a little shout ("Yay! Tea party!") and ran over to take a seat. Numbuh 23 tried not to laugh.
"Um…Kuki…we're supposed to be doing a simulation."
Numbuh 3 giggled. "We can do that later silly."
35 tried to figure out what was going on. "This is the simulation room isn't it?"
Numbuh 3 nodded. "Yep. They let me design it. Like the wallpaper?" Numbuh 12 nodded her head furiously while trying not to spill her tea. 21 looked around and cringed. 23 sighed and shook her head hiding a small smile. Numbuh 3 was oblivious to all and began explaining while she refilled a cup, "I would have brought my Rainbow Monkeys but Numbuh 1 said they wouldn't fit in the bus," she gave a little frown but soon brightened up, "But that's ok because he let me bring-"
Numbuh 35 interjected, sounding remarkably like Numbuh 1, "Numbuh 3! We are supposed to be conducting a simulation to test this squad's abilities…" He went on but they had stopped paying attention. He may have been sounding like Numbuh 1, but he was not Numbuh 1. Kuki was pouring Numbuh 12 some more tea while 12 told her about the newest Rainbow Monkey, of which Numbuh 3 already had two of.
"WHAT IS SHE DOING? THIS IS A TRAINING MISSION! NOT A TEA PARTY! SHE'S ACTING LIKE A BOY!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed as she looked at the screens. She and Numbuh 362 were back in the observation room, with Numbuh 1 this time. She looked over at Numbuh 1 for some sort of explanation.
He had his arms crossed and was tapping one of his fingers on his elbow. Never taking his eyes off the screens, he replied, "Give her time."
86 almost punched him. "You don't order me around, Niiiiggggeeelll," she sneered. "Just because your team of crack IDIOTS are my squad's opponents doesn't make us equals, you stupid-"
"That's enough Numbuh 86. We'll give her time," decided Numbuh 362. 86 turned back to the screens, muttering dark threats under her breath.
Numbuh 35 had stopped lecturing after noticing no one was paying attention; it had taken him two minutes. He collapsed in one of the chairs and munched on one of the cookies that Kuki provided. 3 and 12 were still talking up a storm, the way only some girls can, to the point where even Numbuh 23, the only other girl in the room, was having a hard time following it.
Numbuh 21 tapped 23 on the shoulder, motioned at the chairs, and gave her a concerned look. 23, being the smart girl she was, quickly figured out what he meant. "Numbuh 3," she said cutting into 3 and 12's conversation, "why are there six chairs?" Numbuh 35 raised an eyebrow, wondering why it mattered.
"To sit in, silly," 3 replied simply.
"But why six? There are only five of us."
"One's for Hippy Hop," 3 said brightly. 35 paled, uncertain why he suddenly felt impending doom.
Numbuh 12 stuffed a cookie into her mouth. "Who's Hippy Hop?" she asked around the chunks in her mouth. "Is he a stuffed animal you have tea parties with? I always have tea parties with my Japanese-Tea-Ceremony-Kimono-wearing Rainbow Monkey and Crumpets-and-Tea-authentic-British-accent Rainbow Monkey."
"No. He's-" Just then one of the walls fell in, sending a wave of dust over everything else in the room. When it settled, a giant robotic rabbit stood where the wall had once been. "There he is! Hi, Hippy Hop!"
"HE'S SO CUTE! Oops." 12 blushed in embarrassment, but the rest of the team didn't pay attention; their focus was on the giant rabbit.
Hippy Hop's cockpit opened and Numbuh 3 jumped in. "Now we can do the situation, Numbuh 35."
"Simulation," 35 corrected absently. The robot reared on its hind legs, let out a shriek, and came crashing down onto the table sending wood hurtling in every direction. The Elite Decommissioning Squad was knocked to the ground.
"IF SOMEONE HAS ANY IDEAS, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO TELL ME!" 35 shouted over the sound of wood shattering the other wooden walls of the room. The remaining walls soon could not support the weight of the ceiling, sending even more wood down on their heads.
"My idea is that we should build stuff out of things other then WOOD!" shouted 12.
"SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!" seconded Numbuh 23 while pushing against a pile that had trapped her.
"ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD HELP US NOW!" called 35 as Hippy Hop finished off what remained of the walls. They were now in a massive ice cavern, the ceiling high above covered in crystal stalactites.
Numbuh 23 called out, "I HAVE AN IDEA! BUT THAT MONSTER NEEDS TO HOLD STILL FOR A MINUTE!" Hippy Hop swept with its right paw at a mound of wood that 21 was currently trapped under. He saw the huge robotic claw coming toward him and only had an instant to activate his jetpack sending him toward the ceiling. Hippy Hop hit flaming wood sending burning stakes around the cavern.
"GREAT GOING, IDIOT, SPREADING FIRE WHILE WE'RE TRAPPED BY WOOD!" 12 shouted at her brother.
35 was digging 23 out of the pile she was trapped under. "Is it just me, or is she starting to sound like 86?"
He didn't get an answer. Hippy Hop smashed through the pile 23 was trapped in, sending wood and both operatives flying.
12 cried out. 35 rushed over to her as soon as he recovered. "What's wrong?"
"I got a splinter!" she exclaimed as the last support beam crashed behind her, burning all the way down. She didn't even flinch when it hit the ground. 35 groaned in exasperation. He was trying to defeat a giant robot rabbit and this little girl was complaining about splinters. He needed to give 23 time to do what ever it was she was going to do and this little girl was annoying. If only she had been trapped like he had been earlier…The mental image and a quick look at the cavern's ceiling caused a plan to form in his mind.
Pulling out a communication device he spoke to his team without 3 eavesdropping, not that hard considering she was currently trying to fling as much derbies around as possible. "21, try to trap that thing with the stalagmites. 12 and I will try to distract it while 23 carries out her plan. Got it?"
12 interrupted, "Aren't the ones on the ceiling stalactites? I can never keep them straight…"
35 glared at her, "No questions? Good. KIDS NEXT DOOR, BATTLESTATIONS!"
They all sprang into action. 21 flew up to the ceiling and started melting at the base of the stalactites with his laser rifle. The rest attempted to keep Numbuh 3 and Hippy Hop's attention.
"DECOMMISSING SQUAD, YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" said a voice from Hippy Hop in that strange warped metallic voice, "AND GET A BETTER NAME! UH OH!" The last part sounded more like Numbuh 3. A large cone of ice crashed into the floor next to the rabbit, sending shockwaves through the room. "HEY! THAT'S NOT VERY NICE!" the thing shouted as it dodged another huge falling stalactite.
Hippy Hop jumped over to where 12 was standing and backhanded her, sending her crashing into the wall. Before the robot could move another cone of ice crashed in front of it, blocking Numbuh 12; 21's aim with the stalactites was improving. Soon Hippy Hop was trapped by a stalactite on each side, with little gaps the size of a person. 3 was getting worried. She realized that one more stalagmite and there would be no more Hippy Hop, and that would not be fun.
She activated Hippy Hop's arsenal. Weapons of every shape and size popped out all over the rabbit. She aimed for 21, who looked like a fly being so far up toward the ceiling. As she blasted away, 21 used every evasive maneuver he knew to not get hit. 35 took advantage of the distraction and fired a few shots from a mustard gun at the cockpit. Numbuh 3 took one shot at the ground in front of 35 and suddenly he was airborne. He landed hard, shook off the shock, and took one more shot at Hippy Hop's cockpit.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the entire cavern sending sheets of ice down from the ceiling. Hippy Hop's torso had exploded sending the head across the room and crashing into the wall with enough force that it stuck. The cockpit hatch popped open and Numbuh 3 came flying out. "WEEEEEE! OOMPH!" She landed hard, and then the parachute deployed, covering her body. 35 looked at his small mustard gun in shock. There was no possible way….
From the wreck of what used to be Hippy Hop's main body and the shattered pieces of ice, a figure covered in black ash emerged. As it approached, 35 noticed that it was completely covered, except for a streak of white about where the head should have been. It was Numbuh 23 and the white streak was her grinning ear to ear.
"Told you I had a plan," she stated in her usual gruff voice. She gave a little cough and started trying to dust herself off.
"How…When…How did…?" 35 stammered. 21 landed beside him and helped him up. 12 had apparently recovered from being knocked around and was helping 23 get at least the first level of ash off. 35 moved forward to help but stopped as he realized the amount of physical contact that would mean. He hoped no one noticed what he was sure was his now tomato red face. But no one did since everyone was covered in soot from the explosion.
"I told you I needed it to stay still for a minute. While you guys distracted, it I snuck up behind and planted a small explosive device-"
"Small?" 35 looked around the cavern at the devastation.
"Oh yeah, I have much more cooler and powerful things in my pack." She patted a large pouch that was attached to her belt. "I'm a demolition expert remember. Anyway it was just a matter of activating it and then well," she gestured at the mess.
"That was so much fun." 23 and 35 jumped. Numbuh 3 had come up behind them while they were talking. "Poor Hippy Hop. Oh well, Numbuh 2 can remake him." Each kid there smiled. For a moment there was silence.
Numbuh 12 hated silence. "Can we have that tea party now, Numbuh 3?"
Numbuh 3 gave a squeal of delight, grabbed 12's and 23's hands and headed to the exit, humming the Rainbow Monkey theme. 35 and 21 were left alone.
"We barely won and that was supposed to be the second easiest member of their team. How can we possibly beat them?" 35 asked.
21 looked at him for a moment and then stuck out his hand with his pointer finger extended and his thumb cocked. Then he fired it like a gun three times. 35 smiled.
"One at a time. You're right. Come on, let's go get this crud off our faces." They both headed for the exit. "You know, Numbuh 21, I think I'm starting to understand how you talk, and that's scaring me, because you don't." Numbuh 21 grinned.
"Not bad. Distracting the enemy so you can put explosives on them, interesting tactic," commented Numbuh 362 in the observation room. "Did you come up with it, 86? Or did 23 come up with it on her own?"
Numbuh 86 took a deep breath, not sure whether it would be best to take credit for the tactic or the training. "Each member of my squad is capable of coming up with impromptu tactics on the spot."
"Even Numbuh 12? I have yet to see her do anything useful," stated Numbuh 1.
Surprisingly 362 answered that one. "Don't underestimate her, Numbuh 1. I trained her myself at spying and stealth; she's one of the best I've seen. In fact, I believe only Numbuh 5 and I are better." That caused two surprised looks: one from 86, the other from Numbuh 1.
"Decommissioning dorks are lucky they didn't hurt Kuki," grumbled Numbuh 4, who had joined them in the observation room during the test. Realizing that his voice had carried in the silent room he tried to cover up. "I mean Numbuh 3. She owes me a quarter, ya know." Numbuh 1 rolled his eyes, 362 gave a small smile, and Numbuh 86 gave him a strange look, somewhere between confusion and suspicion. Comprehension dawned.
"Numbuh 4, ye and Numbuh 3, are you two-"
"Numbuh 1, don't ya think we should check on them?" 4 interrupted.
"You're right, Numbuh 4. We should all go," 362 answered. They left the room to see all five weary operatives.
A/N: Thanks to all those lovely and loyal operatives who reviewed during our hiatus. Next chapter will be up in about a week. Meanwhile, our challenge for you: leave a review, mentioning your idea for the rainbow monkey name least likely to be used on the show, without going vulgar please. Maybe we can use them in the story. What came to our minds is "Geisha Rainbow Monkey", which Numbuh 12 actually has in her room right now. Any more?