Father didn't now when he fell asleep or for how long he was sleeping for, but he was awakened by the sound of many footsteps marching towards him.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, sitting up to see Sector V all entering the room. "Well now, is this some kind of party or what?" Father joked, but Sector V remained serious, even Numbah 3. "I suppose you could call it a farewell party." Numbah 1 said as he stepped aside to reveal a team of tough looking Operatives walking into the room. "They'll be taking you to your new home in the Artic Prison." Numbah 1 announced smugly. "Try anything stupid and we'll blast you with enough ice and snow to make Grandfather shiver." The leader of the team, a boy with spiky red hair and a grim look on his face, warned him.
Father didn't say anything, for the wheels in his head were already churning out a plan to escape. They'd unchain him, maybe take off Numbah 2's inhibitor, he would wait until all the chains were off and then let loose a huge blast of fire, strong enough to blow them all back. In the chaos, it'd be easy to slip away and anyone dumb enough to pursue him would get a painful taste of his flames. As the team stepped forward to detain him, Father stayed calm and quiet. Then, a huge rumbling shook the treehouse, it was bad enough to knock the kids off their feet. "What's going on?" The leader hurriedly asked Numbah 1. Father sat their confused, this was not part of his plan!
A huge metal hand crashed through the top of the treehouse, Sector V and the other team starting firing at the metal hand but it pushed them aside. The hand fired a lazer from it's pointer finger which decimated Father's chains. "Father! We're here to rescue you!" The Delightful's called out as the rest of the round mech came into view. "My children!" Father yelled happily as he sprung up from the couch, threw off the inhibitor and let the Delightful's pick him up with one of the metal hands. Sector V and the other team were still scrambling to fight back, some were still firing while others called for backup.
"Shall we take revenge for your imprisonment, Father?" The Delightful's said evily as they reached down and grabbed Numbah 1 with the other hand, the boy fought and kicked to escape but it was useless. A third hand came out of the top of the mech, a lazer primed and ready to strike, itching to be released from the pointer finger.
Father looked over at Numbah 1, the boys words were ringing in his ears, externally concealed regret clawing it's way to the surface of his mind. He had a choice to make. He could let them blast him, but wouldn't that just be proving Numbah 1's point? That he was selfish and evil and truly didn't care for anyone?
He had a choice to make. And he was going to make the right one, as right as he could in this situation.
"No!" Father ordered. Numbah 1 looked at him in pure suprise, so did the Delightful's and everyone else. "But, Father-"
"Do not interrupt me!" Father yelled at his children, making them flinch from his anger. "I just want to go home, I'm very tired and still don't feel good." He said, calmer now but still firm. "We'll get revenge on the Kids.Next.Door another day." He assured the Delightful's. "Yes, Father." They said disappointed as they put Numbah 1 down, then allowed Father to hop into their mech through a back door at the top before stomping away.
The arresting team and Sector V helped eachother up, the red haired leader was understandably very frustrated at Father getting away and vented out these feelings to Numbah 1. He agreed with the other kid and placated his anger, encouraging him to use his frustration to fuel himself into being better so Father wouldn't slip away next him. He was composed externally, but internally his mind was racing with many thoughts.
"Did Father...spare me? He sounded concerned, or was I hearing things?" Once the place was cleaned up, the hole in the roof repaired and the other team left, Sector V left to go home for supper. Numbah 1 headed downstairs and had dinner with his parents, but he still couldn't stop thinking about Father. Whether he meant to or not, he had spared him, he realized. He'd also tried to talk to him earlier, but Numbah 1 had shut him down. "Maybe he had something good to say?" Numbah 1 wondered. Once supper was over, Numbah 1 went over to his dad and sat down next to him.
"Hey dad, how's Ben doing?" Numbah 1 asked like he didn't know. "He told me this morning that he's sick. Why? Do you want to send him a card or a present to cheer him up?" Monty asked. "No, no, I was just wondering-" He sighed, was he really doing this? He couldn't believe himself, doing all this for someone who probably didn't care about him. But he was too curious for his own good. "-when Ben's feeling better, maybe we could invite Ben over for dinner?" He asked. "That's a wonderful idea! I'm sure that once he's feeling better, Ben would love to come over." His dad praised.
"What have I done to myself?" Numbah 1 thought, starting to regret his actions before anything had even happened.
A week after the whole incident with Sector V and his true form being revealed, Father had been lying in dread waiting for his true self to be made public and his life to go down the drain.
But that hadn't happened, at least not yet. On the bright side, Father was completely healed from his sickness and feeling much better. He was working on some paperwork in his office when his cellphone rang, when he pulled it out of his pocket to answer he was suprised to see that it was from Monty.
"Hello?" Father asked as he answered the call. "Hello, Ben! How are you doing?" Monty asked, just as cheerful and chipper as ever. "Doing much better now that I'm not sick anymore." Father said. "Are you busy today?" Monty asked, Father took a quick look at his schedule to check before replying with: "No, why?"
"Well, I was wondering of you'd like to come down for dinner later today? We can talk and I'm sure Nigel would like to see his cousins." Monty continued. "Of course I'll come down for dinner. It's so nice of you to invite me over." Father replied, after only recently started to talk again he'd take any chance he could get to see his brother. "Actually, it was Nigel's idea to invite you over." Monty said with a chuckle. Father's jaw dropped and his pipe nearly fell out of his mouth, he took him a second to register what his brother had just said because it was so surprising. "Nigel? He wants me to come over? For dinner?" Father asked incredulously. "Yes, he did. Isn't that sweet? I'm so proud of have such a kind son." Monty confirmed.
"Why on Earth would Nigel want me to come over? After everything I've done? Is he planning to poison me? Interrogate me?" Father thought, his head racing with possibilities. The only thing Nigel should be inviting him to is a boxing arena so the boy could rightfully punch his lights out. "Well..." Father glanced over at his schedule, he was still free and he really wanted to see Monty. Besides, this was too interesting to pass up. "Alright. I'll be there for dinner." He replied. "Oh, yes! I'm so excited! I'll see you at five o'clock." Monty said happily, then they hung up the call.
Father put the phone down, walked around his desk in a circle, then sat back down at his desk. He looked up at the clock on the wall: "2:35 pm" is what the clock read. "What's gotten into me?" Father muttered to himself, not nervous but definitely apprehensive of the events to come when five o'clock rolled around.