OPERATION L.O.N.E.L.Y

LAST

OPERATIVE

NAVIGATES

EXTREME

LOSS

YEARNING

Wallabee Beatles.

Kids Next Door Operative.

The Hand to Hand Combat Expert of the Legendary Sector V.

And currently the only remaining operative of Sector V.

He was the youngest out of his comrades and as a result he was the only one who wasn't decommissioned. The Aussie was currently sitting on the ground of Numbuh 3's old room within the tree house. There was a deep frown that marred his face, his blonde locks blocking his emerald green eyes as he stared down at an orange Rainbow Monkey. It was Kuki's, everything in here was hers.

And it hurt to see it.

Hurt to see all of it and know that she was not there. That she was no longer with him and was never going to return. He should've packed these things up weeks ago and delivered them to her house . . . but he couldn't.

He tried, he really did.

But everytime he picked up one of those plush animals, he found himself frozen. He found tears streaming down his face. Unable to do anything but cry and wallow in friendships long lost. It was the same with every other room in the tree house. From Hoagie's Yipper Card collection to Abbey's vault of exotic candies.

"It's been a cruddy year."

The Aussie complained to himself, tears once again staining his face. It was so hard to deal with everything. It was so hard to deal with knowing that he was the last one left. That he was the only one that would remember his friends. The clock was ticking upon that, for time was always moving forward.

He had been robbed of his friends.

And in months, he'd be robbed of his memories of them.

The world was cruel.

"First Numbuh 1 goes t' Outah Space, becomin' some sort of bigwig in th' Galactic Kids Next Door." He began, memories rushing in to attack the operative. He was always the roughest and toughest of his group, but his one weakness had always been his emotions. He could take attacks from Giant Robots, or crash down from the Moon, but he could never handle his emotions well.

"Then Numbuh 5 gets promoted to Soopreme Leader . . . and it's good for a while, Oi s'ppose." How proud they all were of Abigail when it was her that was chosen to receive the title of Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, taking over after Numbuh 362 was decommissioned. It made things a hundred times harder for the rest of them. They had to work extra hard, taking extended visits to the Moon Base and traveling the world to save it from adult tyranny. It was stressful, painful, but they were content and happy. They went on grand adventures together as friends and cemented their legacies in the Kids Next Door.

But that contentment, that happiness all started to crumble when Numbuh 5 turned thirteen, and it was time for her to go. There was no big speech or anything. She just tilted her hat down to cover her eyes, gave them all a cool smirk and a thumbs up as she entered a chamber. It was the first big blow to the team, because with Numbuh 1 they could at least delude themselves into thinking that he'd return one day, that he could get a break and visit them.

But there was no returning here.

They had to suffer and see Numbuh 5 in school, not an ounce of recognition in her eyes as they saw her. She was well and truly gone, and there was nothing that her friends could do about it.

Numbuh 2 got decommissioned a month later. He put on a brave face and tried to cheer everyone up. He treated the whole ordeal as if he was doing stand up comedy. He didn't care if he got boos or laughter, he just didn't want to see anyone cry. But Wally cried, because he was losing a best friend. He fell to his knees and bawled his eyes out as Kuki hugged him, being the strong support for her friend.

From there, only two were left of Sector V. Wallabee Beatles and Kuki Sanban, complete and utter opposites but also the bestest of friends that either had. They had two months until it was Kuki's time to go. In that time, Wally, stopped arguing with her about her Rainbow Dorkies. He was willing to go through Hell or high water just to spend more time with his friend. Thus their dynamic of bickering and making up had changed to a sad quietness, as both tried to ignore what was coming. But ignoring it didn't stop them from being kept up at night, it didn't stop them from crying in secret and it didn't stop them from worrying. And before either one realized it, the day had come and Kuki as Wally knew her was no more.

He was ashamed of himself. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, there were so many things he wished he could do. But he was too much of a coward, he couldn't even form a

single sentence as he watched her sit down to be decommissioned. It was her who had to smile at him and cheer him up, even though it should've been him doing that for her.

And now she is gone.

It was only him left.

And he was so lonely.

" . . . And, Oi had t' decommission Numbuh 86 a few days ago. She went without a fuss, just told me to get on with it and . . . "

Wally looked to the side, a soft blush appearing on his tear stained cheeks as he did recall the kiss on the cheek she had given him before she told him to 'Get on with it, ye Stoopid boy'. It certainly made her goodbye memorable . . . but memorable didn't matter much these days.

Wally closed his eyes and let out a sigh, the orange Rainbow Monkey falling from his hands.

"...Soon 'nuff, Oi'll f'get it all. Then there won't be anyone left ta remembah 'em. It's not fair... They're the best the KND evah 'ad, an' they'll be f'gotten. Jus' like stinkin' brussel sprouts sittin' on a plate."

He didn't know what he was going to do now.

All he could think of was to count the seconds until he turned thirteen. It was what he had been doing for the past few days, wallowing in his own misery and loneliness . . . but on this day a distraction was offered up to him.

The whole treehouse shook as something impacted it hard. Wally cursed as he fell forward and dozens of rainbow monkeys followed suit, burying him. The Aussie gasped for breath as he climbed up and escaped the hold that the plushies had on him. He grumbled to himself as he stomped forward grabbing a trusty S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and leaving the treehouse to go deal with the attack.

He didn't bother reporting to the moon base.

He didn't care if he won or lost.

Just as long as he gets the distraction that he so desperately needs.

He exited the door of the long abandoned Uno residences, a fierce look on his red-rimmed, puffy eyes as he stared out at his foe. The entire tree house was surrounded by Ice Cream Men, each one pointing an Ice Cream Blaster at him. In the middle of them there was one angry, Mr. Boss. He smoked on his cigar as he stomped forward, looking more ticked than Wally had ever seen him.

"Whot are ya doin' 'ere." Wally growled out as he moved forward, looking to meet Mr. Boss in the middle. He clenched down hard on his weapon, his knuckles turning white. Mr. Boss kept moving forth, literally butting heads with the much smaller kid.

"My daughter." The villain retorted,"What did the Kids Next Door do to her!" With every word, more and more smoke was blown into the face of the Aussie. He started to cough, stumbling back as he waved his hand in front of his face.

"Yer daughter?" Wally's eyes went wide as he stared at the villain. A lump formed within his throat as he knew exactly what Mr. Boss was talking about. He was talking about Numbuh 86, who like most people go through a personality shift after being decommissioned.

"Don't play coy with me, Number 4!." Mr. Boss stated, grabbing the boy by his collar and pulling him up and off his feet. "WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!"

In an instant the fight had vanished from Wallabee Beatles. He was being forced to deal with the consequences of his actions. It was him who pressed the button and decommissioned Fanny after all. And to the surprise of everyone, Wally began to cry, far too tired to try and hide his pain from his own enemies.

Mr. Boss was stunned and dropped the operative. He had never once seen Wally cry. It was surprisingly rare to see any KND Operative cry. That was something that was usually beaten out of them during training at the Arctic Base.

"B-boss, he's just a kid."

"You don't have to be so harsh on him."

"This don't feel right no more."

Some of the Ice Cream Men began to speak up as Mr. Boss stood there utterly bewildered. He glanced over at his own men, shutting them up with a pointed glare. He then looked back at Numbuh 4 who was wiping the snot off of his face, unable to do much but babble and cry.

"C'mon, Kid. Don't cry." Mr. Boss started, unsure how to get Wallabee into a better state. "You want Ice Cream? You brats always enjoyed Ice Cream." He offered, his brow then scrunching up as he realized that there was an issue here. That the only person before him was Numbuh 4. He knew that Numbuh 1 had gone away, every villain knew that from how Father had desperately searched for him.

But where were the others?

"Hey, where are those other brats? Y'know, like Numbuh 3 or Numbuh 5?" He questioned, only to be met with more tears. He took a puff out of his cigar, knowing he just made the situation worse. After a moment, he turned towards his top Ice Cream Man.

"You there. Take command of the troops. I'll take the brat over there somewhere private where he can calm down." He could only guess how humiliated Numbuh 4 was feeling right now, knowing he was having a complete and utter breakdown in front of his enemy. With that in mind Mr. Boss gently grabbed the Aussie's arm and led him into the treehouse, away from prying eyes.

He sat the kid down on that big red couch and waited for him to calm down. Seconds turned into minutes as Wally's sobs fades, leaving only the occasional sniffle. There was a look of utter defeat on the operative, one that Mr. Boss had seen in many a middle aged salarymen who had nothing left for them in life.

But it was absolutely haunting to see it on a child.

Sure, he hated kids . . . but not this much. Even he could have compassion for these overgrown ankle biters.

Without a word, Numbuh 4 got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed two bottles of root beer from the fridge and returned to Mr. Boss, handing him one of them. He then collapsed on the couch, opening up his drink.

"Whadd'ya wanna know?" He asked, guilt weighing down upon him. He was willing to give Mr. Boss the answers he sought.

" . . . " Mr. Boss stared over at Wally before glancing down at the drink in his hand. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "It was my daughter's birthday a few days ago. None of her usual friends showed up. Not that Patton kid, not Rachel, not even Numbuh 3. The only brat I recognized there was you. As if that's odd enough, my little Fanny was all sad in the days leadin' up to her birthday. At first, I thought she got into a fight with her friends, maybe she had a falling out or something. But, the day after her birthday? Something changed in her, that fire in her eyes is gone, there's a look of confusion on her face . . . and she's just . . . she's not the same as she used to be. Something happened to my little girl, and I want to know what."

"Oi . . . " Wally glanced down at the floor, his stomach tying itself into knots. He gripped his drink and took a big gulp out of his root beer. He needed that liquid courage more than ever. "She turned thirteen. Y'ain't a kid if yer a teen, an' there ain't no cruddy teens in the Kids Next Door."

"What? Are you saying she was fired?" Mr. Boss questioned, his hand slamming down on a table.

"Worse." Came Wally's reply,"She got decommissioned." There was an intake of air from the villain, there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. He knew the words, but Wally knew he didn't know the details. "The Kids Next Door's a sooper secretive organization. In ordah t'make sure it stays sooper secretive, us membahs get decommissioned when we turn thirteen. Our mem'ries of our time in the Kids Next Door get wiped."

"But that's . . . that's Fanny's entire childhood . . . All her friends . . . everything." Mr. Boss stumbled back as if those words had physically hurt him, and in many ways they had. "That's horrible! Y-you can't stand for this! Shouldn't you be fighting for kids to keep their childhoods! Call your team and get on this?"

"They're . . . they're gone." Wally said as he closed his eyes. "Oi'm th'e only one left. Th' rest all got decommissioned."

"Christ kid." The villain said as he collapsed on the couch, right next to Numbuh 4. He ran a hand through his fading hair,"I . . . I have no words."

The two sat there in mutual silence. Both of them lost in their own thoughts as they downed their respective drinks. Adult and kid, hero and villain, wallowing in the same pain. They should be fighting each other, they were enemies after all.

But neither had the will to fight.

Not today.

"Tell me . . . did Fanny try to fight it?" Mr. Boss asked, desperate to know how his little girl lost her memories.

"At first weh thought she ran away. Weh couldn't find her at all . . . and Oi . . . " He trailed off, not wanting to tell Mr. Boss that he was scared. Scared at the prospect that he was going to have to fight a friend. Because if she ran off, he knew that he'd be the one sent to get her. "Oi found her. She didn't run at all. She was in th' decommissioning chambah. Jus' sittin' there an' waitin', waitin' fer us t'do our jobs. She just gave meh annoyed look an' told meh t'press th' button already."

Mr. Boss simply nodded, accepting this all as fact. It all lined up with what he knew of his daughter. She was strong headed and loyal to a fault, a dedicated girl who put her all into anything she did. She was dedicated to the Kids Next Door and would never have dishonored it by trying to avoid her fate.

She was far too proud for that.

"Listen . . . " Mr. Boss took out his cigar, pressing it against the old and shoddy couch. He put it out and flicked it off to the side. " . . . I'm having a cookout next Saturday. I want you there."

Wally spit out his drink as he stared over at Mr. Boss. "Wh-whot!?" He shouted out in surprise.

" . . . Fanny doesn't have any friends anymore. She's alone, and I know that you two were at least friendly. I want you there, to at least cheer her up."

"Oi'm not supposed t' talk with decommissioned members." Wally muttered out, not wanting to see Fanny again. Not because of the rules, but because of how much it would hurt to see her. To look into her eyes and know that she had no idea who he was.

"You're not supposed to be talking with me either, but you're doing it.." The villain huffed out, countering Wally's point. The KND operative's eyes went wide as he tried to think of another reason.

"B-but Oi can't be her friend . . . Oi'll forget all about her when Oi get decommissioned. Th-that'll only hurt her more. Let her make friends with th' other cruddy teens."

" . . . That's right, huh. You'll be gone and all that'll be left is this empty tree fort." Mr. Boss frowned, there was a pain in his heart at the thought. He should be excited, he should be cheering for it . . . He won after all. He outlasted the legendary Sector V, but the victory felt hollow. " . . . So what?"

"Huh?" Wally looked up.

"So what if you'll get decommissioned? So what if you'll forget it all! You're still Number 4 aren't you? You're still Kids Next Door! And last I checked, they don't turn their backs on friends in need! You were friends with Fanny right?" Mr. Boss questioned him, but continued on with his speech, already knowing the answer. "Then you won't abandon her in her time of need! You won't sit here crying to yourself when there's still adults to fight! Kids to save! Friends to help!" He jabbed a finger into Numbuh 4's chest. "Tell me who you are."

"Oi'm . . . Oi'm Numbuh 4." He spoke up after a moment of silence.

"And are you a kid? Or a mopey adult?"

"Oi'm a kid."

"That's right you are! Now are you going to sit here or are you going to get up and do something with your childhood!"

Wally jumped out of his seat. "Oi'm goin' t'do something with meh childhood!" He roared out, feeling a confidence swell up within his soul. One that had abandoned him months ago.

"Good. Now, I expect to see you at the cookout." Mr. Boss said, a soft smile gracing his lips. He now had hope. Hope that he'll see his daughter truly smile once again. Hope that things would turn out better, not just for his family . . . but for the enemy that he formed a begrudging respect for.

With those words of encouragement, the villain left the room.

Wally stood there watching as Mr. Boss left.

The beginnings of a plan forming in his head.

Well, on a whim I decided to write this.

I want it to be a multi-chapter story, but to be honest, I'm not sure what direction I want to take this. I got ideas brimming, but no direction to truly set them upon. So feel free to let your own ideas be known in the comments. Who knows, I might just do something with what you suggest.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Like I said, a lot of this was spur of the moment and passion work.

So, I'm not one hundred percent on how it turned out.

Read, Relax and Review.