Prologue

"This is the site of the crash, so remember our orders!" A voice cried out in the still night air of a forest as a KND-issued ship touched down on the ground, and the doors opened to reveal several decommissioning operatives, armed and ready to hunt. "Don't let that rogue escape! Go, go go!"

The squad leaped out, immediately spreading out to cover more ground, pointing their blasters at anything that dared move. Within a few minutes, there was a shrill cry of triumph.

"I found footprints!"

The leader immediately zeroed in on the report through his headset. "Excellent, Numbuh 39! All operatives, converge and follow the trail!"

The operatives tramped through the forest, following the clear trail. The decommissioning leader jumped out of the ship, ready to join them, when a small KND ship suddenly shot out of the sky. The leader was forced to stop when the ship landed right in front of him, its opened door blowing out thick steam. The leader growled in annoyance, ready to yell at whoever was interrupting the hunt, when the steam cleared, and his eyes widened in surprise. He gulped in shock as he recognized the operative who exited.

"S-supreme Leader Numbuh 100, sir!" He immediately dropped into a bow. "It's an honor-"

"Numbuh 93, explain yourself!" Numbuh 100's southern voice boomed out, his normally-stoic face flushed red. The operative in question flinched at the explosive force of his anger. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"S-sir, I...I don't understand," Numbuh 93 stuttered fearfully. The Supreme Leader's wrath was a rare feat, but when it was unleashed, no one wanted to be the target of his anger. "W-we're just following orders. This Numbuh is marked for immediate decommissioning-"

"A decommission I did not authorize!" Numbuh 100 interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"B-but, sir, you did!" Numbuh 93 frantically took out his communicator, scrolling down to the order in question. "It...it says so right here: Operative mentally unfit for duty. Immediate decommissioning authorized by order of the Kids Next Door Supreme Leader. S-see?"

The Supreme Leader grabbed the communicator from the trembling operative, reading it for himself. His eyes weren't visible beneath the fringe of messy brown hair, but if they were, Numbuh 93 would have seen them widen in shocked surprise before narrowing. "I...did not authorize this order."

"But you must have!" Numbuh 93 insisted. "The order came straight from your desk, sir!"

Suddenly, the decommissioning leader's headset crackled, and an operative's voice came through. "Target has been sighted, Numbuh 93, but it doesn't look like she'll go quietly. She's-look out!"

The signal died, but a sudden cry could be heard echoing through the trees. Numbuh 100's head shot up at the sound of blaster fire. "Numbuh 93, follow me. We need to find our operative and sort this out!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

The two kids shot off into the trees, following the sounds of struggle until they found themselves on a cliffside overlooking the infamous Vinegara Falls. There they found the rest of the decommission agents, weapons primed. And on the very edge of the cliff, holding one of the operatives hostage in a headlock, with a SPICER blaster thrust right in his face, was-

"Numbuh 221B, let him go! You're completely surrounded! You can't win this fight!"

"You think I won't do it?" The rogue operative spat out, her hand shaking around the blaster. Her gaze flickered erratically as she swung the weapon to point at each operative before pointing it back at her hostage. "That I won't blast him in the face? Take one step closer, and I'll show you! I'll show you how desperate I am! Serves you all right for hunting me down like an animal. Why couldn't you just leave me alone?!"

"We have our orders, and we'll follow them, no matter what-" One operative started, but was interrupted by their Supreme Leader's voice booming so loudly the trees shook.

"NUMBUH 221B, RELEASE THAT OPERATIVE IMMEDIATELY AND STAND DOWN! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Numbuh 221B's eyes widened at the sight of Numbuh 100, but they immediately narrowed. "And why should I, Supreme Leader? You're the reason this is even happening. And you promised, you promised, that it wouldn't. That decommissioning wasn't on the table! You made a promise, and you broke it."

"Numbuh 221B, stand down." Numbuh 100 said firmly, clenching his jaw. "This is all a misunderstanding. I never gave that order-"

"LIAR, LIAR, LIAR!" She shrieked, face twisting into a savage expression. "YOU'RE LYING, JUST LIKE LAST TIME! I'M NOT DUMB ENOUGH TO BELIEVE A LIAR LIKE YOU, NUMBUH 100! NEVER AGAIN! NEVER!"

"Hold on, please! Just calm down, and we'll figure out why-"

"Oh, and don't even get me started on why, Numbuh 100. I know exactly why you did it. Because it's easier, isn't it?" Numbuh 221B swung her arms out dramatically, not even seeming to realize she'd just released her hostage, who immediately crawled away. "It's easier to just sweep everything under the rug, right? Easier to throw me under the bus and take the fall for everything, right? Easier to just pretend none of this ever happened, RIGHT?! BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL A PART OF THIS, AREN'T YOU?! EVEN YOU, NUMBUH 100! ESPECIALLY YOU!"

"Now, hold on for just a minute, operative!" The Supreme Leader stepped forward, gesturing for the other agents to stand down. Numbuh 221B immediately raised her blaster, even as her hands violently shook. "I truly had nothing to do with that decommission order for you. I don't know what's going on, but attacking your fellow operatives will not help! We need to return to the Moonbase and look at things with a clear head. I promise, I'll do everything I can to help you. And you will not be decommissioned."

Numbuh 221B's hands shook even worse with every step Numbuh 100 took towards her, almost losing her grip on the SPICER. "I-I don't believe you! You're a part of it, just like him, just like everyone! There's no escaping it! Not in the Kids Next Door!" She took a step back when the Supreme Leader refused to back down, the fear plain in her broken eyes. "S-stay back! I'll shoot! I swear I will!"

"Numbuh 221B," Numbuh 100 softened his voice as much as he could, wishing she could see his eyes. Maybe then she'd know he was telling the truth. "Please. Drop your weapon, and we'll figure everything out together."

The rogue operative's expression still screamed defiance, but there was no mistaking the sheen of tears in her brown eyes. Still, she shook her head, her dark hair whipping across her face as she took a few more steps back. "I...I can't-"

"Look out!" Numbuh 100 cried as her foot slipped, and Numbuh 221B fell over the cliff with a panicked cry. He leapt after her, managing to grab her hand, and she hung just over the unforgiving waters of the Vinegara Falls. The sour smell threatened to overpower his senses. He tightened his grip, trying to pull her up, but to no avail. Growing desperate, he yelled at the other shocked operatives, fear for 221B overpowering his usual politeness. "Get over here and pull her up now!"

"Numbuh...100..." A tear slipped down Numbuh 221B's face as she looked up at him struggling. "...let me go. You...you'll fall too..."

"That won't happen!" He snapped, his arms straining from exertion. "Just hold on! We'll go back to the Moonbase, and the Kids Next Door will get to the bottom of this."

Numbuh 221B shook her head hopelessly. "No. They won't. This...this is bigger than you've ever thought, Numbuh 100. I don't know who's all a part of it, but I know they're in the Kids Next Door. And I...I don't know who to trust anymore."

"Trust me!" Numbuh 100 grunted, the other kids finally snapping out of their stupor to help their leader. "We'll find them together!"

"I'm...sorry, but I...I can't take that risk," she said brokenly, and Numbuh 100's heart dropped to his stomach as he felt her hand loosen up. "It...it was an honor to serve under you...Numbuh 100. Goodbye."

"NO!" He cried as she twisted out of his grip, falling into and immediately getting swept away by the roiling waterfall of vinegar. She vanished into the waters, and no matter how much he looked, he couldn't find a sign of her. He whipped his attention back to the decommission squad. "Get me a submarine, STAT! We have to find her, no matter what!"

But as he spat out orders in the many hours that followed, doing everything possible to search every inch of the Falls, he knew it was no use. There was no sign of Numbuh 221B.