Chapter 1-3 - Lift Off

Root-2 simply stared dumbly at Numbuh i. He had no idea what to say to her. Usually, root-2 wouldn't say anything at all. Everyone on the ship was too busy with their own problems so there was little need to interact. While he hadn't talked to his fellow teammate in a long time, they spent a considerable amount of time with each other when they were deployed on missions. He had no problem conversing with his other two teammates, but with Numbuh i it was much different. He sort of felt like he at least needed to put in some effort to reciprocate some emotion back to her and because of that he could never think of anything to say. And when he did it just sounded weird.

"So are you both going to come in or are you going to leave the door open and leave me squished like a pancake?" Numbuh i jokingly said.

"R-right. I almost forgot about that…let's g-go inside. Sorry" Numbuh 2 fumbled over his words. Numbuh i was one of the few operatives that needed to be in a pressure chamber on lift off. Root-2 didn't know she was joking.

"Relax Numbuh root-2. I was only kidding!" Numbuh i giggled. "Seriously though, come inside. I'm not having you out here in the thin hallways when we take off."

Numbuh i stepped aside to let the two operatives in.

"Clueless…" 99.0 muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

Numbuh i sat down on her bed which was facing the door, her feet dangling above the floor. Numbuh root-2 was hesitant on whether he should be so close to Numbuh i. He decided to stand in the corner. 99.0 made sure the door was properly sealed and sat on the floor, his height too tall for the room.

"It's really nice to see you again root-2." Numbuh i sincerely said. He looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. She smiled back at him. After all the times they bickered when they were deployed on missions she was glad to see him? He thought she would be despondent or annoyed. This emotions stuff was really confusing him now.

"So guys, what brings you all the way on the other side of the ship?" she asked Numbuh 99.0.

"You very well know the answer to that!" the gruff operative rolled his four-eyes.

"Alright. So it is true. The GKND thinks they got a new leader that can work with us?"

"Yeah." Root-2 said.

"Is it the Earthling?"

"We actually don't know. It could be, or it could be not. Global Command never said anything about our new leader."

"Well that's interesting. How long do you think they'll last?"

It was a common question Numbuh i and root-2 asked each other. Unsurprisingly, since their leaders never lasted very long they always wagered a friendly bet on how long their new leader would stay before they eventually cracked. Numbuh root-2 found it good practice to try and maintain his analytical skills, while Numbuh i simply thought of it as a little fun.

"We don't know anything about the new leader. Shouldn't we wait until we have some information about him? Or her?"

"You always need information! How about taking a shot in the dark for a change?" Numbuh i grinned.

"I do have information. I just don't have enough." Root-2 replied rather robotically.

"Well that should give you an advantage then! Since I have no information and you have some." She hopped of the bed and walked over to him. Root-2 couldn't move away. He was stuck in a corner.

"I would taunt you by saying you're a coward but I can't since you suppress emotions. That's annoying you know." Numbuh i folded her hands. "I really thought you would take this on. It's a challenge don't you think? All the other times you had more than enough information to know when our leader would quit. I even remember the one time you predicted the correct time right down to the minute! Now that was impressive! What would be even more impressive is if you could get this right with almost nothing about our new leader. Don't you think?"

"I…guess so."

"Come on! It's just a game root-2. I thought you did this stuff 'for practice'." She air-quoted with her fingers.

How did she know I was practicing my– oh right. Never mind. I should have known.

"Ok. I'll play."

"Great!" Numbuh i jumped and did a little twirl. Numbuh root-2 couldn't help but chuckle a little bit when she did that. They looked at each other before laughing.

A low snorting sound took the operatives' attention and they saw 99.0 sleeping on the floor.

"Poor Heydn. I bet he was awake all day just working on this ship. Lifting and carrying can really knock you out." She whispered. "I'll get him into bed. Why don't you take a seat root-2? When Heydn wakes up we can meet up with the rest of our teammates."

A faint white aura surrounded the four-armed operative as Numbuh i lifted her hand. His body floated off the ground and she guided his body over to the bed.

Root-2 took a seat next to the window. This was probably the longest they've ever gone without shouting at each other constantly. It was a definite positive change. And try as he might, he couldn't deny that he felt good when they were talking and laughing. He felt an emotional response.

Root-2 didn't notice Numbuh i stand next to him. She looked out the window with a somewhat somber expression on her face.

"Have you seen this place Rod?" she spoke ever so softly. Root-2 instantly looked up at Numbuh i when she said his real name.

"I-I don't know what you mean." Root-2 said, unaware he replicated the same level of fragility in his voice.

"Earth. Have you ever seen it fully?"

"Of course. Before we touched down we got a full view of the planet."

"No. Not that. I mean, going down there and actually seeing the planet. I heard it was a really beautiful planet."

Outside though, they could only see rocks. The ship was hidden deep inside a large canyon. They could however, see the night sky filled with stars.

"You could even see the stars from here…"

Root-2 stood up and looked outside. He could indeed see the stars. He liked how they were laid out in contrast to the dark blue-ish sky. It was a pleasant contrast. He felt something on his right hand, his natural hand and instinctively pulled away. He knew it was Numbuh i that touched him.

"What was that for?" he faced her. She stayed silent for a while before answering.

"Emotions aren't all that bad Rod…" she replied, while still looking outside the window. "Didn't you like it when we were talking? When we were laughing?"

Root-2 said nothing.

"It was the first time I could feel something from you. Something other than that cold aura I'm so used to feeling around you. Didn't you like that feeling?"

Again he didn't say anything. Although that proved to be an answer itself.

"I don't know why you resent feelings so much. Is it because you think it makes you weak? Is it because you don't like us? I don't know Rod. Say something."

"I can't think…if I feel." Root-2 said. He didn't think what he said made any sense.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Numbuh i raised her voice, but only slightly.

"If I let myself feel things, emotionally, I feel clouded. I feel like I cannot think. Like my brain is being clouded and I cannot function properly. It's like a virus that has infected my brain and it spreads. The feeling spreads and I begin to shut down. Not literally. But…I don't know. Sometimes, the feeling feels good and I become even more confused. Like just now."

Numbuh i turned to face Rod. "You really are afraid of letting yourself feel emotions."

"I guess I am." He admitted.

"Rod, can I help you?"

"What?"

"I want to help you. I want to show you that it isn't so bad let yourself feel."

"I…don't think I want to."

"Rod, please. That's not how emotions are supposed to be like. It isn't some virus invading your mind. It isn't something that makes you go crazy. It's not that at all! And I want to show you what you're missing out on.

"I would hate for us to start fighting again when we get to the treehouse again. I don't want this to be a repeat of last time. I want it to be different. I just want everyone to get along. Including you. I don't think you know this but I do consider you as a friend. And yes, even after all the times we fought endlessly when we were out in the field, I cared about you Rod. And I still do.

"I wish you could trust me on this. It's so hard to explain what emotions are to someone who can't comprehend them! I can't put it into words Rod. It's something you have to feel. And when you do, trust me when I say this, you'll love every moment of it. Ever single emotion. It's…it's like being free Rod! That's the only way I could think of describing it. So will you trust me?"

The inherent fear of opening up to someone was acting up again. He knew he should simply say no. But there was a part of him that wanted to see what she was talking about. He was struggling to make a decision. The two conflicting thoughts fought within his head. Before he could even think properly he felt Numbuh i's hand on his. He looked down and for the longest time he simply stared at their hands held together. Rod looked back up and her eyes were wide, expecting an answer.

"Ok…"

EB-4000 punched in the keycode into the door and it opened. The two operatives collapsed onto the floor on top of each other inside the pressure room as the door shut firmly behind them. Numbuh 1 was panting heavily and EB-4000 lifted himself off of him.

"That was quite a run don't you think?"

"Are you crazy? I could have gotten killed!" Numbuh 1 shouted.

"Well, you're not dead as you can see. So chill out. We're about to lift off soon so you better find something to hold on to."

Numbuh 1 remembered why they were running in the first place. He was too tired to think after all that running. He was sweating heavily and he could barely feel his legs.

"Well, I can at least give a visual report to the guys in medical about your physical abilities." The robot operative grinned.

"Shut up."

EB-4000 lowered his arm and pulled Numbuh 1 up to his feet. He walked over straight to the spare bed and flopped down.

"Boys and girls the new recruit of the Galactic KND!" EB-4000 joked mockingly and laughed. After Numbuh 1 caught his breath he turned around and sat up.

"Well Numbuh 1, in a few minutes we'll be off into the far reaches of space. Sounds exciting doesn't it? The new friends you'll make. All the new planets you will see. All the new things you will experience. Have you ever gone hover racing before? You should one day. It's something I tell every new recruit when they come here. If you have the time, go hover racing!"

"You know, that does sound exciting." Numbuh 1 smiled, feeling a little bit more positive on the whole situation. The notion of getting flattened on lift off was as putting him on edge but the thought of getting to see these new and unknown worlds excited him. His imagination could only serve as a rough picture of what he believed was waiting for him out in space.

Even though he may not have any 'abilities' as EB-4000 had said earlier, he couldn't wait to see what his teammates could do. There were adults back on Earth that had their own unique assortment of powers from shooting fireballs to super strength and super speed. But the thought of kids having these same powers and using them for the fight against adult tyranny was now a very real reality he was about to see and the thought of it was exhilarating.

"You'll love your new teammates Numbuh 1 I guarantee it. They're a really different bunch so I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun getting to know each other."

"Do you know who they are?"

"I only know their numbuhs. Numbuh root-2, Numbuh i, and two more operatives. Their names slipped out of me. But rest assured they are a very diverse group of operatives."

Numbuh 1 noticed the window in the room and looked outside. They were still inside the rocky canyon. They were on the other side of the ship facing the other way where Numbuh 1 said goodbye to his teammates. Sector V. His best friends.

The grim reality suddenly hit him like a truck. He will never see his friends again. He will never hang out with them like they did everyday. He was never coming back here. Not until he was a teenager. Then he would forget his friends. He would be a whole different person to the one that left. He never got to say goodbye to everyone in the KND. He never got to thank the others that had gotten him this far. And now he will never get the chance. What he saw out that window was the last thing he would ever remember on Earth. The red rocky walls of a canyon surrounding and hiding the mothership.

Numbuh 1 sagged his shoulders and slumped down. He began to cry. Small tears running down his face, his cheeks. The torrent of emotions going through him. He lost so much by coming here. He lost the ones that meant the closest to him, throwing it away for some opportunity to be in space. Numbuh 1 almost regretted coming on board the ship. He could only hope his friends would be ok without him. EB-4000 heard Numbuh 1 sniffing and saw Numbuh 1 quietly crying.

"Hey, you ok over there?"

"I'm…fine." Numbuh 1 wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

EB-4000 had seen this many times before with the new recruits. He understood what Numbuh 1 was going through.

"Numbuh 1, listen. You're not the only one who's been through his. Everyone here has gone through the same thing you're feeling. We all had to leave things behind that we didn't want to. Some left emotional or sentimental attachments, others didn't like the thought of leaving because of obligation or duty. Either way, we all have experienced this. You can talk about it. Look, talk about it with your teammates. I know they'll understand.

"Besides Numbuh 1, your friends are not going to forget you. They'll be thinking about you, and you'll be thinking about them. And that's not going to change. You'll have new friends here. Friends that understand what you're going through and hopefully ones that you'll feel as close as your teammates back home."

"Thanks." Numbuh 1 said. "That really helped me."

"No prob Numbuh 1. That's what I'm here for!"

Attention GKND operatives! We are extremely sorry for the delay but we have fixed the problem concerning one of our thrusters. We will now commence lift off in T minus one minute. I repeat. T minus one minute.

This is it. Numbuh 1 thought. My life is about to change forever in five minutes. My friends, my family, I won't be able to see them again. But when I do I'll be a changed person. A teenager. I'm saying goodbye. But I won't forget you. I'll remember all of you as long as I can. Numbuh 1 clenched his fists as he was determined to make that promise.

T minus thirty seconds.

"Numbuh 1," EB-4000 spoke, "I suggest you hold on to something tight before we lift off. Now there should be a strap in seat somewhere…" EB-4000 looked around the room. "Here we are!" He folded the seat, which was attached to the wall, down. It looked like one of those seats he saw on an airplane.

T minus twenty seconds.

Numbuh 1 strapped himself him, the belts buckling with a click sound and waited for the inevitable to happen.

T minus ten seconds.

A low grumbling sound could be heard and small vibrations rattled throughout the ship.

Nine…

Numbuh 1 had never felt more anxious in his life. He was nervous, scared, sad, excited, curious, and a whole lot of other emotions rolled into one. He was shaking and it wasn't because of the ship. He saw EB-4000 standing and looking at the window looking extremely calm.

Eight…

The rumbling got louder and the vibrations were more pronounced as small objects began moving under the vibrations from the ship

Seven…

A whirring sound joined in the convoluted mess of noises coming from the ship. It was the thrusters that were powering up.

Six…

The intense vibrations were making Numbuh 1 shake up and down in his seat. He held his hands tightly under the chair to stop himself from moving. The whirring was now on full blast and it sounded like he was next to a wind tunnel.

Five…

Numbuh 1 closed his eyes and whispered along with the countdown.

Four…

"Four."

Three…

"Three."

Two…

"Two."

One…

"One."

Lift off!

"Goodbye."

Please leave a review on your thoughts! I would love to hear some feedback from you guys. As always. thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: C:KND belongs to Mr. Warburton