So to be honest, this chapter was originally two different ones. However, I realized that fusing the plots together would actually be really funny! But anyways, let's begin!
"This gonna be fucking awesome!" Firecracker boasted as she opened the vent up for her friends. She, Cree, the Numbuh 8 twins, otherwise known as Ricky and Mickey, and even Numbuh 100 had decided to catch a horror movie that day. Firecracker, who had recently discovered r-rated movies thanks to her father allowing her to watch a superhero one with him while her mother/his wife was out of the house that day.
This resulted in her learning many different swears and happily dropping them in just about every sentence. The f-word was easily her new favorite and the superhero from the film was also one of her new favorites.
"It better be!" Ricky replied. "I was so close to beating Mickey's high score in the new Yipper game!"
"Yeah right!" Mickey challenged. "You can barely even play!"
"Can too!"
"Can not!"
"Can too!"
"Can not!"
"Can too!"
"How do you deal with those dumbfucks?" Firecracker asked after a few seconds as she jabbed a finger at the bickering twins.
"You get used to it," Cree assured her friend. Recently, the two older members of Sector V had hit thirteen, resulting in them getting decommissioned and Cree taking over the leadership roles of her sector.
"So what movie is this?" Numbuh 100 asked as he walked over to the girls.
"Uh…I think it was called Murder Mansion," Firecracker replied. "Basically, a bunch of people go into a mansion that one of them won, but then they all start dying because some crazy killer was already living in it and he doesn't want people in his home."
"Why the concern sir?" Cree asked. "You afraid you'll be scared?"
"Not a chance, Numbuh 11," Numbuh 100 said with a hearty laugh. "But when we're off duty, Steve is fine."
"Only if you use our names, sir," Firecracker said with a smile.
"Very well Firecracker," Steve said with a smile of his own. Firecracker let out a chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Hey! Hey! It's starting!" Ricky called out as he and his brother already began to dig into a bucket of popcorn. Steve, Cree and Firecracker merely pulled out their own snacks as the movie began.
About ninety minutes later
"That was so scary!" Ricky cheered as the kids walked out of their hiding spots, throwing their now empty snack bags and drinks into the trash.
"Yeah! Did you see the way the killer shoved that guy into the garbage disposal!?" Mickey gushed. "And how he tricked that girl into running into a giant food processor?!"
"I don't really feel like you guys should be cheering about that," Steve couldn't help but note, even if he knew his operatives meant no harm. "I mean, the killer is supposed to be the bad guy."
"Doesn't mean he wasn't cool!" Ricky protested.
"I think we could totally beat him though," Cree replied smugly. "Those stupid adults just blundered into his traps! We're way smarter than that! Right Firecracker?" Turning to her friend, Cree was expecting to see a boastful grin, but instead, Firecracker looked utterly terrified. Her eyes were shrunken and she was shivering, even though it was a fairly warm day. "Firecracker? Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah! I'm fine!" Firecracker hastily protested once she realized she was still being watched. "Some movie, huh? Good thing we're never gonna have to deal with that!"
"You could say that again!" Mickey laughed, not really noticing Firecracker's lingering terror. He and his brother ran ahead, still laughing. Firecracker moved to follow them, only to nearly jump out of her skin by Cree and Steve putting their hands on her shoulders.
"Firecracker, are you sure you're okay?" Steve asked as he looked over the other operative in concern. "You seem really spooked."
"I told you, I'm fine!" Firecracker snapped as she pulled away. "It was just a movie!" With that, she headed off.
"You think she'll be okay?" Steve asked Cree.
"He'll be fine," Cree assured him. "If there's one thing Firecracker's not, it's a coward. She'll be over it soon."
"I hope you're right…" Steve trailed off as he watched Firecracker walk down the road, still checking over her shoulder every five seconds. Even beyond the fact Numbuh 451 was one of his best, Firecracker was someone Steve would consider a friend, so he did hope she felt better soon.
A couple days later
"FIRECRACKER!"
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Numbuh 451 exclaimed as she snapped awake, with the fact she fell out of her chair certainly helping with that. Looking up, she saw the concerned face of Numbuh Red 7, otherwise known as Thomas Dyer. He was an old family friend of Numbuh 451 and the two were surprised to discover the other in the Kids Next Door, mostly because they didn't talk about it to the other out of fear the other would get jealous. If you needed forgeries or a disguise, then Numbuh Red 7 was the guy you went too. He was considered to be something of a weirdo, as he would often think of things like pieces of art, but Numbuh 451 considered him one of her best friends. On top of their previous friendship, Numbuh 451 would often work with him on missions, meaning it wasn't that much of a shock to see him in her lab. "Uh…hey Numbuh Red 7. Got a mission for me?"
"I actually just wanted to check on you," Numbuh Red 7 admitted to his friend. "You…you've been really weird lately. Like, normally, when I think of you like a painting, it's bright and full of life and color! But now…it's all dark and afraid of the world it would previously challenge without fear. Something is bothering you."
"...Promise you won't laugh?" Numbuh 451 asked, her voice smaller and more ashamed than Numbuh Red 7 had ever heard.
"Why would I laugh at you?" He asked. "You've never laughed at me."
"...The other day, I went out to the movies with Numbuh 100 and Sector V. We went to see this new, r-rated movie and I thought I could handle it!" Numbuh 451 exclaimed. "I got through that r-rated superhero movie without a problem! But this has me all freaked out! Every time I close my eyes, I keep seeing that killer!"
"I could tell," Numbuh Red 7 deadpanned as he looked at his friend's eye bags. "You look like you haven't seen the art of a dream in days."
"...Like I said, can't sleep," Numbuh 451 deadpanned back. "I just wish there was some way I could face my fears!" Almost instantly, her communicator buzzed. Taking a quick second to brush the sleep out of her eyes, Numbuh 451 accepted the call, causing the face of Numbuh 100 to appear on screen.
"Numbuh 451." Numbuh 100 greeted the girl with a nod. If he noticed her eyebags, he didn't comment. "Numbuh Red 7, good to see you as well."
"What's wrong sir?" Numbuh Red 7 asked.
"Sector V's gone missing. Sent 'em on a mission to this pie candy factory out of town. Reports have been talking about how there's some suspicious activity there. They got there and then went radio silent," Numbuh 100 replied. "Numbuh 451, I need you to sneak in and get them out. Numbuh Red 7, you think you're up to tag along?"
"Tonight, Numbuh 451 and I will paint a picture of the defeat of whatever adult dared to attack our fellow operatives!" Numbuh Red 7 boasted. While he was always up to kick adult butt, the truth of the matter was he also wanted to make sure Numbuh 451's exhaustion wouldn't get in the way of things.
"Perfect! Numbuh 100, out!" With that, the supreme leader ended the call.
"You think you can fly this time?" Numbuh 451 asked. "Not really sure I can handle it."
"I can take care of it. Go grab some soda to keep yourself awake." Numbuh Red 7 assured his friend. Numbuh 451 nodded as she headed off to go grab some. She could handle this! And a mission was probably exactly what she needed to get her mind back into focus.
"Uh…you think there's any chance they just crashed in the woods?" Numbuh 451 asked her friend nervously. The abandoned factory was reminding her far too much of the mansion from the movie.
"Sadly no." Numbuh Red 7 replied. "It looks like we're going to have to venture inside."
"But…but it's too scary!" Numbuh 451 protested as she hugged her sniper rifle to her chest. She hated being this scared! But she couldn't help but picture that killer jumping out at her, ready to chop her to bits or some other horrible fate. Seeing what looked like saw blades hanging from the ceiling didn't help her nerves at all.
"Firecracker…" Numbuh Red 7 found himself at a loss. He wasn't used to seeing his friend so freaked out, so he had no idea how to convince her that she couldn't be scared now. "You…you are aware that the movie was fake, right?"
"Duh!" Numbuh 451 snapped. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Not at all, old friend," Numbuh Red 7 assured her. "But if the movie is fake, then it won't suddenly happen if you enter this factory." Numbuh 451 opened her mouth to reply, but she realized that her friend had a point. As scary as Murder Mansion was, it also was just a movie. Nothing in it could happen.
"...Heh, thanks Thomas," Numbuh 451 replied, even if she still clearly sounded rather nervous about going in.
"HELP!"
"That sounded like Numbuh 11!" Numbuh 451 exclaimed, all fear seemingly forgotten. "We need to hurry!" With that, she forced a door open and rushed inside. Numbuh Red 7 just shrugged, deciding to enjoy how his friend managed to summon her courage back to her. As they ran, Numbuh 451 couldn't help but look around. There were dark corners and rusty tools everywhere. Her mind continued to flash back to Murder Mansion, but she continued to force those feelings down. Cree and the others were counting on her!
"Hey! Let my friends go, you bitch!" Numbuh 451 called out once she was inside. Once Numbuh Red 7 reached his friend, he saw that she was confronting a masked figure (although they were female, judging by the dress), who was standing in front of a strange machine. Sector V was all tied up and dangling above it.
"What a rude little brat you are!" The woman snapped. "Maybe I should throw you into my pie machine first!"
"Pie machine?" Numbuh 8A questioned. The woman hadn't actually told Sector V what she wanted with them yet.
"You know, I have quite the famous apple crumble!" The woman boasted. "My secret ingredient makes it extra yummy! But I was thinking it was time to branch out! And what better than some special "kid meat" meat pies!?"
"That is madness!" Numbuh Red 7 protested. "We will not let you do that to our fellow operatives!"
"And after that, we're putting you under arrest!" Numbuh 451 declared as she pointed her rifle at her foe, who seemed to realize that, being unarmed, she was outnumbered.
"Well then, can you chase me and save your friends!?" The woman questioned as she slammed her fist onto the start button. Almost instantly, the machine whirled to life as the three tied up operatives were slowly lowered towards what looked like a grinder. With a laugh, she took off.
"Numbuh Red 7! Go chase her! I'll save Sector V!" Numbuh 451 ordered her friend, who merely nodded and rushed after the woman. Numbuh 451 opted to shoulder her rifle and rushed to the controls, deciding to only risk blowing everyone up if she couldn't shut the machine off.
And quickly, that option started looking really good.
Between her own exhaustion, the screams of the three operatives and the grinder scraping against the inside of the machine, it wasn't just overwhelming Numbuh 451, but it was also reminding her way too much of the fear. She could barely read what the panel said and everything else was not helping. Numbuh 451 felt tears coming to her eyes as she slammed her hands over her ears, just trying to make the sound stop. Suddenly, Numbuh Red 7's words came back to her.
"But if the movie is fake, then it won't suddenly happen if you enter this factory."
"But everything feels so real!" Numbuh 451 internally snapped at herself. "It's just like the movie…and Cree is going to die if I don't do something…" With that, Numbuh 451 opened her eyes, determination filling them. If she didn't do something now, then the movie would be real. And that was just about the last thing Numbuh 451 wanted. Looking back at the controls, everything looked so much clearer. The off switch seemed to be staring her right in the face and the button to set Sector V back on the ground wasn't much harder to find.
"Thanks for the save," Numbuh 8B said once Numbuh 451 untied him. "But…are you okay?"
"...Really tired," Numbuh 451 admitted. "But…I think I'm still scared of the movie, but seeing you guys in danger made me stop thinking about it."
"Well at least you aren't scared anymore!" Numbuh 11 offered.
"No, I'm still scared and I'm never watching another horror movie again," Numbuh 451 bluntly replied.
"I have some more bad news," Numbuh Red 7 said as he returned. "I was unable to catch our crooked chef."
"Well, at least we're all alive to fight another day," Numbuh 11 replied. "Now let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps!"
"So that's what happened?" Numbuh 100 asked once Numbuh 11 and Numbuh Red 7 finished their recap. Sector V had gotten gassed shortly upon arrival, as it turns out. Now back in the Sector V S.C.A.M.P.E.R, the group had decided to send a joint report to Numbuh 100.
"Yes sir," Numbuh 11 replied with a nod. "If Numbuh Red 7 and Numbuh 451 had gotten there any later, myself and the Numbuh 8 twins would likely be little more than pie."
"Where IS Numbuh 451?" Numbuh 100 asked. Numbuh 11 and Numbuh Red 7 just stepped aside, allowing Numbuh 100 to see the sleeping Numbuh 451, who was slumped over in a chair, firmly clutching her rifle. Numbuh 100 decided that questioning her could wait. She needed the rest.
Yep! Numbuh 451 is going to swear in this fic! Also, remember her prom date from the Candygirl? Well I decided to flesh him out a bit and make him an actual character in this story! So meet Numbuh Red 7 (Numbuh is based on those painting kits that have numbers that link to the color you are supposed to paint/color that spot in), otherwise known as Thomas Dyer! Also, the villain they fought? She's from canon. Can you figure out who?
