Chapter 2

"Bye Mom!" Sonya ran down the steps before her mom's voice stopped her cold.

"What are you wearing?" Her mom looked at her disapprovingly from her red baseball cap, to her red t-shirt, and khaki shorts. "You're a girl, Sonya, dress like one! You look like a boy!" However, her mother was distracted by a crash in the living room.

"Sorry, honey!" Thank you, Dad! Sonya sprinted to the garage, and strapped on her roller blades. She was out of the way before her mom could protest any longer. She had to look like a boy. That was the point.

Sonya roller bladed up to Numbuh 363's house, and looked at the treehouse in awe. It looked even better close up.

"Wow." The word escaped her lips, and she coasted to a stop to admire it. She adjusted her cap. This was it. She knocked on the wooden door, which immediately opened.

"Hello?" She looked around cautiously, and was met face-to-face with Numbuh 84.

"Come on, Numbuh 83. Numbuh 363 is freaking out." They raced down a hallway, to "Harvey's" room, and opened a closet, which revealed a huge spiral staircase, which was next to a giant glass elevator. They took the elevator up to the tree house's main floor, and burst through the entrance.

"Finally, Numbuh 83. We were waiting for you for a gazillion buhmillion years!"

"Sorry." Sonya hung her head. Numbuh 363 tapped his foot impatiently as she sat down.

"Okay. Numbuh 85 has told me that he believes that his sister, Numbuh 86, is being brainwashed. Brainwashed. Numbuh 86 is in the Kids Next Door's decommissioning squad. In a few years, she'll probably be Head of Decommissioning. Do you know what that means? If she's being brainwashed by an adult, she's going to let a stupid teenager escape decommissioning. That's another teenager working for Father." He said the last word with undisguised disgust.

His sector watched him with wide eyes. This was serious. Numbuh T scratched his head, confused.

"Then why isn't the Kids Next Door taking care of …?"

"The Kids Next Door doesn't know about it yet! If we don't tell anyone, if we do it ourselves…" he smirked. "The Kids Next Door will be begging us to join. Any questions?" Numbuh 363 surveyed the room confidently. "Good. Now, what tipped off Numbuh 85 that his sister was brainwashed was that she was carrying around - this!"

Numbuh 363 flourished the abominable object before his sector. "This rainbow monkey would never be in Numbuh 86's possession. Even though she is a girl, she's obviously not into cute and cuddly. So - she was brainwashed by what seems to be an innocent rainbow monkey, but is in fact a rainbow monkey specifically designed to shut down her mind so she can't perform her decommissioning duties."

At first, Sonya was way into the mission. Stop Numbuh 86's brainwashing, that would be so cool! She had gotten dreamy-eyed. But then of course, Numbuh 363 had to bring out the object in question. It was a rainbow monkey.

"The rainbow monkey that Numbuh 86 was seen with," Numbuh 363 continued, "Is always in the house - I'm sure it's because the brainwashed Numbuh 86 doesn't want the Kids Next Door to suspect what's happening. Luckily for us, we have an inside source." He nodded toward Numbuh 85. "All right team, our mission is to search and destroy."

"No!" Sonya's eyes were big and watery. "You can't!" The members of Sector W looked at her curiously.

"What!" Numbuh 363 swung around quickly as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"Is there a problem Numbuh 83?" Numbuh 85 ignored Numbuh 363's annoyed huff, and turned to her.

"Um," Don't think about that poor rainbow monkey, don't, don't, don't! She heaved a sigh. "It's nothing!" She smiled brightly.

Numbuh 363 sighed. Whatever.

"Numbuh T just get the 2x4 technology necessary. We'll be waiting on the S.C.O.O.T.E.R. Let's go team. Got your yo-yo, Numbuh 84?"

"Yeah." As he got on the S.C.O.O.T.E.R, Numbuh 84 watched Numbuh 83 warily. Numbuh 83 had been psyched about the mission, until Numbuh 363 had brought out the rainbow monkey. There was a connection. He played with his yo-yo. Numbuh 83 noticed.

"Oooh! Can you do any tricks?" He showed him Walk the Dog and Around the World.

"That's neat!"

"Numbuh 84 is our yo-yo specialist." Numbuh T grinned as he walked over. "He's just being modest. Walk the Dog, Around the World - that's nothing!"

He laughed and sat next to Numbuh 83. "Okay, here's your choice of weaponry. Gumball shooter, the S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R., and the mustard gun." Sonya stared. She took the gumball shooter, and turned it around in her hands.

"Okay. This one." Numbuh 84 watched him. He watched him hold up the gumball shooter and examine it at different angles. He watched him swing his feet. He watched him move his hand to tuck an imaginary piece of hair behind his ear. Which was weird. He watched as Numbuh 83 bit his lip. "Look, I'll try really hard not to mess up the mission. Can you stop staring like that? It's making me nervous."

"Sorry." Lee walked over to Numbuh 85. He still couldn't shake the feeling there was something off about Numbuh 83. He watched him chatting with Numbuh T, then the two shifting so that they could arm wrestle. "Numbuh 85," Lee lowered his voice, "Don't you think Numbuh 83 is a little girly?"

"Well…" Numbuh 85 looked at Numbuh 83 and Numbuh T arm wrestling, and then at Numbuh 83 winning, easily. "No, not really. That was awesome Numbuh 83!" He turned to Lee. "You're probably looking too much into it." Lee nodded.

"You're probably right."

--

"All right team. Infiltrate the house quickly and quietly. Find the rainbow monkey, destroy the rainbow monkey. We're in, we're out. Got it? Go!"

Sector W ran inside the house, and began to pull out all the drawers and all the sofa cushions. It could be hidden anywhere.

Sonya ran upstairs. A girl would only keep a rainbow monkey in her room. When she saw it, Sonya squealed. "Happy Summer Play Time Rainbow Monkey!" She clasped her hands in delight.

"Numbuh 83?" Numbuh 84 looked at her strangely. He followed her line of vision. "The rainbow monkey! It's upstairs!" The rest of Sector W ran into the room. Numbuh 363 grinned.

"Target sighted." He took out his mustard gun and fired. Numbuh 84 watched Numbuh 83.

"No!" Sonya plowed into Numbuh 363. Sector W cringed, waiting. Numbuh 363 blew up.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He shoved Numbuh 83, sending her flying backwards into Numbuh T and Numbuh 84. Her momentum knocked them down. All three got up rather dizzily.

"I got it!" Paddy aimed his S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and was ready to smash it up when Numbuh 86 arrived.

"What are you idiots doing to my rainbow monkey?" Paddy began to stammer.

"I-I-I was s-stopping it from b-brainwashing you…"

"Get out of here before I personally recommend to Numbuh 274 to never let you boys into the Kids Next Door! And don't you boys dare tell anyone that I like rainbow monkeys!" The force of her anger shattered the S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R.

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

"Mission abort!" Numbuh 85 ran out, followed by Numbuh 363, Numbuh 84, and Numbuh T. Sonya was stopped by Numbuh 86.

"Girls like us have to stick together." Sonya nodded, too scared to argue. "So why are you hanging out with those stupid boys!"

"Numbuh 83! We came back to rescue you! Boys like us have to stick together!" Sonya turned white. Numbuh 86 smirked.

"I guess I was right. Boys are idiots." She pointed to Sonya. "'He'is actually a gir - "

"Guys, let's go!" Sonya ran out dragging two members of Sector W, one per arm. She wished she had four arms, then she could drag out the other two.

"Let's get out of here Numbuh 84!" Numbuh 363 ran out after the other three.

Numbuh 84 started to follow, then hesitated at the door. "What were you going to say?" he asked.

Numbuh 86 smirked. "Your teammate is a girl."

Uh oh! grin Anyway, I'll try to update within a week.