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Codename: Kids Next Door
Operation F.I.N.I.S.H.
Finding
Indecisive
Nigel
Is
Sure
Hard
DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor have I ever, owned the Kids Next Door or its franchise. If I did, this fic would have become an episode.
Chapter 7
By the time the four of them reached the clearing near the pyramid, the sun had already set. Through their haste to get there by nightfall, they'd scraped and cut almost every inch of their skin not protected by fabric, and in some places, they had holes in their clothes, the visible skin also cut and covered in dirt. Not the most presentable bunch, but none of them really cared.
Numbuh 5 knew they were in the right clearing, for they found strange symbols marked on the ground in white. She walked up to it - careful to step on the outside – and ran a finger in a symbol. The white stuck to her finger, and after examining it, she popped the finger in her mouth, much to the disgust of her teammates.
"Pure sugar. Yep, someone's been trying to activate the pyramid today." She glanced around the clearing until her eyes fell on her target. "And judging by how thin the markings are and how little empty bags are here, they were in a hurry to get done."
"So…do you think it actually worked?" Numbuh 2 asked.
She turned to face them and shook her head. "Unless you use the right amount of sugar, it doesn't work. You need at least 7 sacks to make the markings in this clearing alone. And that pile, "she pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the empty bags, "has only 4. Whoever's leading them has no clue what they're doing."
"Well, that's good, right? So they can't do any of that caramel stuff on us again," Numbuh 4 said, his face brightening. He obviously hated when his favorite trait – his ferocity – had been taken away temporarily so many years ago.
"Good point. But if the GKND knows that, they probably wouldn't come here. Or maybe they already left; who knows?" she said, shrugging.
"I know," said a voice suddenly from the underbrush, one that made all of them jump.
They were all hesitant to ask and find out who the voice belonged to. Numbuh 5, feeling it was her duty as leader, bravely stepped forward and called out, "Well, who are you? And where are you?"
A moment later, they heard a rustling in the brush not far from where they were all standing. They automatically got in defensive positions and pulled out weapons from their backpacks. They all stared at the moving vegetation until a figure walked out.
It was a girl, who looked about their age. She had long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, topped with an explorer's hat. Her entire outfit was also one of an explorer's, or perhaps of a treasure hunter's. Over her left eye was a monocle.
For a moment, no one did anything. Numbuhs 2 and 3 stood stupidly with their mouths slightly open, Numbuh 4 looked totally lost, and Numbuh 5 and the girl simply stared at each other in shock. The girl was the first of any of them to actually react.
"Vell, it 'as been a long time, 'asn't it Abigail?" the girl said in a strong German accent. "If ein remembers correctly, it vas in theis exact spot, ja?"
Numbuh 5 chuckled. "Still got your old accent, huh?" She leaned over and gave the girl a hug. "Missed you a lot, Henie"
"As ein missed you, fraulein," she replied.
"Ahem. Mind telling us who this is, Numbuh 5?" Numbuh 4 cut in, a look of confusion across his face. Everyone stared at him, amazed at his stupidity. "What?"
The girl nudged Numbuh 5 in the arm. "'e is ze, how you say, stupid one?" Everyone giggled but Numbuh 4 when Numbuh 5 nodded.
"HEY! I don't know who you are, girly, but nobody calls me stupid!" Numbuh 4 yelled, rolling up a sleeve on his sweatshirt and holding up a fist menacingly.
Numbuh 5 rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you still don't get it, do you? Numbuh 4, this is Henrietta, remember?" When he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes. "Do you mind?" she asked the girl.
The girl seemed to understand what she meant. "Nein," she said, shaking her head.
"This is Heinrich, Heinrich Von Marzipan?" Numbuh 5 went on.
Numbuh 4 still stood in confusion for a moment. Though after a moment, he seemed to remember. "Oh, I remember now! You're that guy who turned out to be a chick!"
Numbuh 3 nudged him in the stomach with her elbow, which he let out a yelp. "What was that for?"
Henrietta laughed. "Wery stupid. But ein do not mind, ein used to it back home," she shrugged. "Ein new candy hunting partners not smart like you, Abigail. Zey missing some smarts, like your friend here." She giggled a bit.
"Heh, you got that right," Numbuh 5 replied. "So, what brings you here to Guatemala? Not trying that old ritual, I hope."
"Nein, I vas finished vit zat old trouble years ago. Too many sat memoriess, zat pyramit. Nein, I came to make sure no von else tried to do it."
"Numbuh 5 don't blame you, if I'da remembered myself, I would have wanted to do the same thing," she replied, then added, "no one should have to deal with what we went through."
Henrietta looked a bit confused. "Vy vould you not remember, frauline?"
It took Numbuh 5 a moment to understand what was wrong. "Oh, that's right, Numbuh 5 never got the chance to tell you; she got decommissioned when she turned 13, and our little spats over our first time in Guatemala got involved. So she didn't remember about the ritual."
"So zen, vy do you remember now?"
Numbuh 5 glanced back at the others, who shrugged. They weren't really sure if Henrietta would understand the situation they were in; they themselves only just learned it earlier that day.
"Uh, well, it's kinda a long story, and we're kinda in a rush. Any other time Numbuh 5'd try to explain it to you, but we're pressed for time."
Henrietta smirked. "Ein sure I can help you, ein know zis place like ze back of ein's hand."
Numbuh 3 suddenly remembered something. "Didn't you say you knew who was here before?"
"Oh, ja, ein seen some peoples ein never met before. Zey had sugar bags on zeir shoulders, and zey poured it on zey ground." She gazed around the clearing. "Zey seem to 'ave been in e rush, ze symbols, zey look wery sloppy and zin."
Numbuh 3 nodded. "Numbuh 5 noticed that before. So you don't know who they were Henrietta?"
The girl shook her head. "Sadly, nein."
"Well, they don't seem to be here now, so Numbuh 5 guesses they've left already. So Guatemala's a dud," Numbuh 5 said disappointedly.
"E 'dud'? Vat is e 'dud'?" Henrietta asked, obviously confused at this new term.
Numbuh 5 waved it off with her hand. "It's nothing Henie."
The girl shrugged. "Eh, ein so confused by your American language. So, vat are you going to do now?"
Numbuh 5 looked back up at the others. Judging by the looks on their faces, they didn't have a clue what to do next. And unfortunately, neither did her.
"Numbuh 5 guesses…we'll just have to find some other place to look."
Henrietta noticed her friend's distress and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe ein can help you find zis…vatever it is you are looking for."
Numbuh 5 put on the best smile she could manage, though she felt completely defeated inside. She had been sure they'd find Numbuh 1 here. "Thanks Henie, that means a lot. And, it's not whatever. It's whoever."
"Vell, ein good et finding people, too. Ein found you, frauline, ja?" Henrietta smiled.
"Good point. Alright, you can come along. But first," Numbuh 5 said, looking up at the blackened sky, "we'll need someplace to camp out. This clearing is fine, and Numbuh 5's sure we can manage to make some kind of shelter." She turned to face her teammates. "We'll start up our search again in the morning. Sound good to you guys?"
Everyone nodded and voiced their agreement.
"Alright, good. Henrietta and Numbuh 5 will go find some food. Numbuhs 2 and 4, find some fallen trees and branches and bring them to the middle. Numbuh 3, while you wait for them, try to erase these sugar markings; honestly, some people just don't know how to handle sugar right. Oh, and see if you guys can start a fire." Out of force of habit, Numbuhs 2, 3, and 4 saluted her, and after her groaning they dropped their hands.
The five of them were sitting around a roaring fire, eating some berries and fruit Numbuh 5 and Henrietta had managed to come across growing in the brush. Everyone was more intent on staring at the fire than talking, so there wasn't much noise besides an occasional bird in the distance.
"So," Henrietta eventually said, breaking the silence, "vat vas zat long story you vere talking ebout, Abigail?"
Numbuh 5 set down the piece of bark she was using as a makeshift plate. "Well, seeing as you'll be traveling with us now, I guess you have a right to know what's going on."
She recapped everything Numbuh 539 had told them earlier, the others occasionally adding things she missed or skipped. Henrietta nodded intently once in awhile, asking a question now and again about things she didn't understand (such as what the GKND was).
When their story was finished, Henrietta said, "So you zought maybe Nigel vas here?" They all nodded. "And do any of you have e, how you say, e backup plan? Or vas you sure 'e vould be 'ere?"
Numbuh 2 shook his head. "We were almost positive he'd show up here. So no, no backup plan."
"Vell zat's alright, we can figure somezing out. Let's zink: vhere else vould Nigel go zat has any meaning to 'im?"
They all sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the question. This was completely opposite of their original thinking; they'd been focused on places the GKND would go, not where Nigel himself would be.
Numbuh 4 suddenly snapped his fingers. "I got it! He's at the tree house!"
The others thought on this. Numbuh 3 finally said what pretty much all of them were thinking: "That makes sense. I mean, the tree house is connected to his house, and one of the first things he'd want to do is find his parents. I know that's what I'd do if I were him."
Numbuh 2 was the next to speak. "You've got a point there. Nice job, Numbuh 4! You actually thought up something useful!"
"Thanks!" Numbuh 4 exclaimed. Then after really processing what his friend had said, "Hey!"
"Ah, you know I'm messing with ya, buddy!"
Numbuh 5 sighed. "This really brings Numbuh 5 back to the good old times." She heard Henrietta giggle next to her. "What?"
"Nozing, frauline. Is just, you eccuse me earlier of still 'aving ein accent, vere you still talk in ze zird person!"
Numbuh 5 laughed at this, as did everyone else. "Just can't break old habits, I guess!"
"Yeah!" Numbuh 4 said. "I still have my Australian accent a bit, but I haven't been back there since I was 12!" It was true; the Aussie still had a hint of an Australian accent when he talked.
"And I still have my awesome jokes!" added Numbuh 2. "Remember Abby? 'I'm so hungry, it's not even bunny?'" He started to crack up at his own joke, while everyone else just groaned.
"Seriously, your nega-self was funnier than you!" Numbuh 4 told him.
"He told one joke! And it wasn't even funny at all!"
"Because you don't know a good joke when you hear one!"
"Hey!"
"Just messing with ya, buddy!" Numbuh 4 mocked his friend's line from earlier, unable to hold in his laughter. Everyone joined in, even Numbuh 2, who couldn't resist.
During her own fit of laughter, Numbuh 5 looked around at all her friends, and silently thought to herself, Yeah, DEFINITELY just like the good old days.
A little author's note for this chapter. Some of you might not exactly get Henrietta's German accent that well, so I'll provide you with translations for the chapters where she's speaking. BTW, note that 'frauline' means 'miss', but is more of a courtesy word when talking to a girl.
Vell, it 'as been a long time, 'asn't it Abigail? If ein remembers correctly, it vas in theis exact spot, ja? ....means… Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it Abigail? If I remember correctly, it was in this exact spot, right?
As ein missed you, fraulein …means… As I missed you, miss.
'e is ze, how you say, stupid one? …means… He is the, how you say, stupid one?
Nein …means… no
Wery stupid. But ein do not mind, ein used to it back home. Ein new candy hunting partners not smart like you, Abigail. Zey missing some smarts, like your friend here. …means… Very stupid. But I do not mind, I'm used to it back home. My new candy hunting partners not smart like you, Abigail. They're missing smarts, like you're friend here. [meaning her partners are also stupid]
Nein, I vas finished vit zat old trouble years ago. Too many sat memoriess, zat pyramit. Nein, I came to make sure no von else tried to do it. …means… No, I was finished with that old trouble years ago. Too many sad memories with that pyramid. No, I came to make sure no one else tried to do it [the ritual].
Vy vould you not remember, frauline? …means… Why would you not remember, miss?
So zen, vy do you remember now? …means… So then, why do you remember now?
Ein sure I can help you, ein know zis place like ze back of ein's hand. …means… I'm sure I can help you, I know this place like the back of my hand.
Oh, ja, ein seen some peoples ein never met before. Zey had sugar bags on zeir shoulders, and zey poured it on zey ground. Zey seem to 'ave been in e rush, ze symbols, zey look wery sloppy and zin. …means… Oh, yes, I saw some people I've never met before. They had sugar bags on their shoulders, and they poured it on the ground. They seem to have been in a rush, the symbols, they look very sloppy and thin.
Sadly, nein …means… Sadly, no
E 'dud'? Vat is e 'dud'? …means… A 'dud'? What is a 'dud'? [keep in mind she doesn't know American slang]
Eh, ein so confused by your American language. So, vat are you going to do now? …means… Eh, I'm so confused by your American language. So, what are you going to do now?
Maybe ein can help you find zis…vatever it is you are looking for. …means… Maybe I can help you find this…whatever it is you are looking for.
Vell, ein good et finding people, too. Ein found you, frauline, ja? …means… Well, I'm good at finding people, too. I found you, miss, right?
So, vat vas zat long story you vere talking ebout, Abigail? …means… So, what was that long story you were talking about, Abigail?
So you zought maybe Nigel vas here? And do any of you have e, how you say, e backup plan? Or vas you sure 'e vould be 'ere? …means… So you thought maybe Nigel was here? And do any of you have a, how you say, a backup plan? Or was you sure he would be here?
Vell zat's alright, we can figure somezing out. Let's zink: vhere else vould Nigel go zat has any meaning to 'im? …means… Well that's alright, we can figure something out. Let's think: where else would Nigel go that has any meaning to him?
Nozing, frauline. Is just, you eccuse me earlier of still 'aving ein accent, vere you still talk in ze zird person! …means… Nothing, miss. It's just, you accused me earlier of still having my accent, where you still talk in the third person!
Wow, that took forever. But I hope it helped you non-German-accent-readers out!