Chapter 2: A Lively Breakfast

It is often uncommon to see one act at a breakfast table; everyone had their own ways of adjusting to the waking world, some more profound than others while some miniscule in comparison. And such case could not be in any more common place than at the breakfast table Sector V sat upon, and truthfully did it seem ever lively in spite of such early morning hours. Yet even the sound of Abigail flipping flapjacks over an oven stove paled in comparison to the loud, joyful munching provided by none other than Hoagie as Alex joined him as an accomplice. Though truthfully, how could smiles not graze their faces as they stuff their faces with flapjacks, oblivious to the rather unsettling look upon Wally's face as he sat on the other side of the bench, even as his plump friend opened his mouth to speak.

"Keep em' comin' Numbuh 5", Hoagie said, the obvious food in his mouth only being able to mask his delightful tone barely, oblivious to his blonde friend's unsettling face filled with disbelief.

"Found anythin' yet", Wally asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice even as Alex's own expression turned into disbelief.

"You know, you are free to take as much as you want, no one's stopping you", she replied in her usual snarky tone.

"Well I would if cakezilla here would keep to himself", he explained he guarded himself from flying food bits, only for his plump friend's expression to change from delight to disappointed ever so slightly.

"Hey, for your information, a growing boy needs his fibre", he explained in more serious yet still lighthearted tone even as his friend went to open his mouth before stopping himself.

"Nah, too easy", Wally remarked in a tone of realization.

"Well, you guys can have the pancakes. I'm going to have a nice bowl of Rainbow Munchies cereal", Kuki happily chirped as she poured the cereal into the bowl, oblivious to the rather unsettling look from her mutant friend as she happily chewed her breakfast.

"I still have no idea how you can eat that stuff after that "Soylent Green" esque incident", the mutant brunette bluntly replied, catching the attention of her bubbly friend as she did so.

"But that was over a year ago", the little Asian girl calmly replied.

"Yeah, well it still rings clear in my mind",she replied with the utmost disgust in her voice.

"Oh come on Two-Seventy-Three; you know the ticket to the future is always open", she said in a more sly yet still optimistic tone.

"Yeah, try telling to someone who has linear time on their hands", Alex calmly replied as she took a sip of her juice.

"Oh don't be silly; everybody sees time linearly", Kuki replied in a more sassy yet still innocent sounding tone, he words unable to fail as they sent the dark-skinned girl her own look of disbelief.

"Yeah...some more than others", Abigail replied, even as her voice rung of blunt disbelief she easily shook off. "Anyway, you want me ta' make ya' an extra batch fo' later Numbuh 2?"

"Yeah, that way I won't have to blow up the kitchen again. Ooh, and put some blueberries in them while you're at it please", he asked his friend as she began to comply to his request.

"It's too bad you can't come with us on that fishing trip today", the mutant brunette said in an air of mild disappointment.

"I know", he replied in the same tone before reverting to his natural happy state. "But, that's what being a 2x4 tech' expert does to ya'. Besides, I already asked Numbuh 4 to catch me a couple."

"You can have my share; I hate fish", the Aussie said as finally took a bite of his flapjacks.

"Amen to that", the mutant girl replied as she took another bite of her own set.

"Ah, it's got it's benefits; at least Numbuh 5 won't have hear any jokes fo' a couple of hours", the braided girl said in delightful bliss, much to the dismay of her plump friend.

"Oh come on, need I remind you that I am the class busted eye five-star entire fifth grade", the plump boy tried to explain, even as his tone became mildly obnoxious in the process.

"Yeah, just keep tellin' yo'self that baby", the black girl calmly replied, flipping her last flapjack as she turned off the element.

"Well, at least I know you'll never put me up at Pie-point. In fact...sometimes...in my darkest dreams...I can still feel the rhubarb trickling down my spine...", he replied in a more somber, almost paranoid tone.

"Actually, that's just me tryin' ta' scare the crud out of ya'", the small Aussie replied with devious glee even as his friend's expression became a subtle glare.

Yet such playful bliss could only cease upon an anonymous slam of an opening door, surprise the only emotion to cross the fives individual faces as they each turned to face the figure responsible. Why it was none other than their dear friend and leader Nigel, though not his usual calm demeanour for such early hours. His expression seemed flat, even his navy eyes spoke of grumpiness which brought only silence to such a gentle environment, silence only counteracted the instant his distraught friends had the nerve to speak up.

"Hey...Good Morning Numbuh 1", Hoagie replied, his tone a mix of happy discomfort.

"Ohio", Kuki happily chirped without much hesitation.

"Mornin' Boss", both Wally and Abigail said in blunt unison.

"Ohio, Nigel-kun", Alex sweetly yet hesitantly replied.

"Yeah, Good Morning", Nigel replied, his blunt yet rude sounding tone enough to bring even more discomfort to the five as he slammed the door shut, only to walk rather slowly towards the table before sitting down.

Yet the quick reflex of taking the remaining flapjack stack could only cause his friends more discomfort as they witnessed him wolf them down like no tomorrow, discomfort they knew would have to smooth over as Alex opened her mouth to speak.

"So...Nigel-kun, did you have any pleasant dreams this past evening", she asked rather sweetly.

"I've been up since four a.m., should that be an indicator", the bald boy asked rather bluntly as he ate his breakfast.

"Well jeez, you didn't have to be so snippy about it", the mutant brunette replied, her annoyance clear in her tone as she zipped her mouth shut, even as her plump friend opened his own mouth to speak.

"Say, that's a big stack of pancakes you got there Numbuh 1-"

"Don't even try", the British bald boy bluntly replied, discouraging his plump friend, yet not enough to discourage his black friend as she raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Huddle", the cool African-American girl calmly instructed to her friends, soon enough formed into a small human ball as the cocky Aussie opened his mouth to speak.

"What's eatin' him", Wally asked, his tone one of both concern, and of curiosity.

"Well obviously it's his lack of sleep, did you see the lack of sleep under his eye? Eww", the little Asian girl replied in a more critical, even sassy tone as her short friend gave her a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, that probably only applies te' you "girly" girls", he responded in mild mockery.

"Well, it's got to be something else", Hoagie said in mild concern.

"I'll say, his aura's as red as they come", the mutant brunette replied in a cold yet observant tone.

"Yeah, but that ain't surprising considerin' today's date", the spunky black girl calmly stated, causing her three friends to smile in realization.

"Oh yeah! I can see that' who wouldn't want to drown their sorrows in a stack of pancakes the year after Operation ZERO", the plump pilot asked in a rather casual tone.

"That's today", asked Wally, his shock vividly noticeable in both his emerald eyes, and his tone.

"You didn't know", his friends asked the embarrassed looking Aussie, only to get an answer as he scurried to clear his throat.

"Don't be stupid, of course I knew", the small Aussie replied, his hesitant yet confident sounding tone a dead giveaway to his circle of friends.

"But you just said-"

"Forget what I said! You guys might forget, but I'm a bit more complex than that. The inner workin's of my mind are an enigma", he replied, his confident tone unable to mask the thought bubble of a lone crayon out in the distance.

"Yeah, that's not the only thang it is baby", Abigail replied in a teasing tone, unable to secure her laughter along with her other female companions despite the annoyance stewing inside of their short friend.

"Still though, we should probably get back to Nigel-kun here at our friend's expense", Alex commented as her friends nodded in agreement.

"You guys know I can hear you, right", asked the familiar voice of Nigel, his annoyed tone enough to bring his friends back to reality as they stared at him, their embarrassment enough to audit a moment of silence as they pondered what to say. Well, that is until Hoagie managed to break such tension.

"What we do now", the plump pilot asked in a nervous whisper.

"Ooh, ooh, let me try", the little Asian girl cheerfully replied, immediately scooting over towards her bald friend with nothing more than a bright smile plastered upon her cute face.

"Good morning Numbuh 1", she cheerfully chirped, yet even her cheery attitude seemed not enough to penetrate the deadpan look upon her British friend's face.

"Good Morning Numbuh 3", he coldly replied, feeling annoyance increase as she never once took her smile off his face. "Well, is there something to say?"

"Oh, don't be silly, I can say hi if I want to", she explained as he eyed her rather intensely.

"I suppose", the bald boy replied as he took another huge bite of his breakfast.

"Awe! Thanks for understanding! So, I bet you're excited about that big fishing trip today, aren't you", she asked in a more flirtatious tone, almost as if she were searching for the next big actor's scoop.

Though surely, she must have hit some cord as his navy eyes widened in surprise, reverting to their mere grumpy storm seconds later.

"To be honest, I wish I weren't going", the British boy replied in possible his most blunt tone imaginable.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a sourpuss! We'll have lots of fun, we can catch fish and hang out with your dad, oh we can probably even stop by the new Rainbow Monkey fishing equipment store if we have time", the little girl happily stated as her excited ramblings pressed onward.

Unfortunate for her that she was completely oblivious to her leader's annoyance as it seemed to grow. With every word, his temper grew. With every squeal of excitement, he felt the pounding of his head and the expression upon his face tighten. That is, until he finally had the nerve to speak his mind.

"How do you know it's gong to be such a great day", Nigel asked in angered tone, feeling completely validated before spotting the tears forming in his gentle friend's eyes, or even the shocked expression forming upon his teammates faces. Only then did his eyes seem to fill with surprise, even regret as he opened his mouth to speak once more.

"Sorry Numbuh 3...I think I'll just go eat in my bedroom for now", the British bald boy replied, the regret he felt clearly dominant within his tone as he left the room, leaving his friends in stunned silence before Hoagie spoke up once more.

"Uh...I think I'll go talk to him...", the plump boy suggested as he began to raise himself up from his seat.

"You stay here baby; Numbuh 5'll go talk to him", the serious looking black girl replied as she took of her apron, completely oblivious to her friend's disappointed stare as she began her walk down the corridor.

"What am I? Window dressing", he asked, his tone filled with obvious disappointment.

"No, but maybe look at it from this angle; you're more of a big brother figure for Nigel-kun. You have good intentions and genuine love to offer, but you fall more along the line of a brother who could only provoke his anger rather give sage advice. So to put it lightly, he needs a motherly touch in this case", the mutant brunette explained as she watched her friend's face soften in realization.

"I guess that makes sense. Still, I wish I could talk to him, but I guess I can only imagine what he's going through", the young boy said in a calm yet reassuring tone as his mutant friend patted him on the back.

"Yeah...", Wally replied with a nervous chuckle, his unsettling scowl going unnoticed, save for a curious looking Kuki.

It took not long before Nigel found himself cooked up in his room again, his upper body comfortable in his computer chair while he used his levitated legs as a desk for his paperwork. Yet what constantly brought him great joy could only serve as a calming agent for what lurk inside his head, suppressed anger etched upon his face, even in his navy blue eyes as he stared at the print in front of him.

Yet only the faint sound of a knock upon his door managed to receive a curious glance from him, and only a mere glance as his eyes returned to their studious task. He hadn't become so involved in his work as to not hear the cracked opening of his room's door, but only a quick glance from the corner of his eye revealed Abigail now standing in front of him. Her arms were laced together in a cross and her hazel eyes read of stern yet gentle intent, not that he seemed interested.

"I never said you could come in", Nigel bluntly said, never once taking his eye of the paperwork in front of him.

"Ya' neva' have to on these occasions", Abigail replied, her stern yet gentle tone only able to annoy him in the long run.

"You do realize I can keep to myself if I want to, right", he asked her rather bluntly, even as slight annoyance seeped into his tone.

"Oh really? Well I hate ta' break to ya', but since we all live under the same roof; yo' business is our business", the motherly girl explained, resulting in a surprised yet annoyed look upon Nigel's face before he let out a big sigh. He hated it when she was right.

"There's been an...unfortunate monkey wrench tossed into today's fishing plans...", the British boy explained, leaving himself with a disgusted looking expression, and a confused looking Abby.

"Monkey wrench? Like what-", she asked before having a stroke of realization overcome her, and her confused expression turn into a confident one.

"Let me guess; Uncle Ben wants ta' get in on a day out with his nephew", she asked in a reassuring yet spunky tone, one which Nigel could not help but smirk at slightly.

"Ten seconds flat' that's a new record for you", he replied in a blunt, yet almost playful tone despite never taking a solitary glance up at his friend.

"Nah, yo' just not as much of a wild card as ya' think you are baby", she replied rather coolly before silence over

swept the room, that is until she merely spoke up nearly seconds later.

"Still, I don't get it; what's the big deal", the motherly girl calmly asked, only to receive an expression which read of mixed anger, even disbelief from her stern British friend.

"Really? And I suppose you would want to deal with your despised lineage one year to the date", Nigel asked, his angered tone not enough to startle the stern black girl.

"No, but if Numbuh 5 were you, she'd suck it up and go about her day", she replied in stern intent, her response seeming only to increase the anger budding inside her bald friend.

"Oh, that's right? Just go about my day as if nothing's amiss, why, that'll be great! Sitting on the lake, catching fish with my dad while the black hooded man who is my uncle looms in the back ground! It's the perfect idea, don't you think", the bald boy said in an unusually happy yet sarcastic tone, or at least until he uttered his last few words.

"Well what, you think he's plannin' ta' ruin yo' day or somethin'", she asked as her eyebrow raised itself and her tone became one of disbelief.

"It doesn't matter what his intentions are! Just his presence alone is merely a reminder of-"

"Okay, that's enough out of you", the spunky young black girl finally commanded in a stern tone, able to silence her angered friend if momentarily before speaking her mind once more.

"Now look, I understand this is a difficult day fo' ya, but you gotta remember that we're all in the same boat with you. No one wanted this", she sternly explained, yet her words only fit to further her friend's anger until he finally stood to his feet, surprising her slightly.

"Oh really? Then let me ask you something; do you have to deal with your heritage! Do you have to deal with the fact that you put your loved ones in danger", he asked her, controlled rage clear in his voice as his motherly friend stared at him in shock momentarily before speaking her mind once more.

"Then don't act like you know how I feel", the stern boy darkly replied before making himself comfortable in his own chair once more, unaware of the subtle yet angry looking expression forming upon her face.

"Okay, fine; act like a melodramatic brat...call me when you come back ta' reality", the black girl darkly replied as she headed straight for the door, hesitant to leave without speaking her mind one last time.

Though quick was she to brush off such a notion as she slammed the door shut, oblivious to the storm of regret shining in her friend's eyes as he watched her leave his living quarters.

Shortly after did Abigail find herself walking down the corridor back towards the kitchen, only to feel annoyed as she stopped to massage her aching temples.

"Hey Numbuh 5", replied a voice which revealed itself to her the instant she returned her gaze to normal height level; why it was none other than a cheery yet concerned looking Hoagie. "How's Numbuh 1 doing?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, he's still in crabzilla mode", the spunky black girl calmly replied as she watched a disappointed face carve itself into the plump nerd's face.

"Just my luck", he replied in a disappointed tone, one the motherly girl couldn't help but laugh at her friend's response before placing her hand on his back in comfort.

"Ah, don't worry, he'll come around", she replied as they took a stroll down the hallway, noticing a small smile graze his face once more.

"I guess, I wonder if the same thing goes for everyone else who's got a lot on their plate today", he asked himself in a curious manner, oblivious to the cringe forming upon his friend's face.

"Who can say", she replied in a somewhat melancholy tone, catching her friend's attention before reverting to her spunky sensibilities. "Come on man, let's go. We got the whole ahead of us."
End chap. 2