Hey everyone! So sorry I haven't been posting as much as I would like. I have the end game of the story planned out, but I'm not ready to bring it to an end yet, so I was dealing with writer's block to try and come up with a halfway decent plot. Then I remembered how much you all liked the chapter of Firecracker hanging out with Numbuhs 2 and 4 at the Yipper Convention and how I said I wanted to do something with Numbuh 3. Well…I finally came up with something for that! Let's go!

"I don't think I've ever seen something this cheery in my life," Firecracker internally deadpanned as she walked towards her targeted store. Sonia's adoption anniversary was coming up and, like always, Firecracker wanted to get her a present. Luckily, Sonia had been pretty open about her interests, so Firecracker had a basic idea on where to look.

The Rainbow Monkey Superstore.

While Firecracker had never gotten that into Rainbow Monkey mania, she would admit that the toys had their charm and she still owned two-a yellow one she'd gotten from a classmate during a birthday party and a special fireworks themed one Sonia had gifted her for Christmas one year-and hey! If Sonia liked them, then Firecracker would try to make her happy. However, it didn't take long for Firecracker to realize that, between her own lack of real interest in the franchise as well as the weird looks she was getting for her darker style of dress as well as being a teenager without a younger sibling, she had no idea where to start.

"Do I ask for help or something?" Firecracker thought to herself as she looked around, still completely lost. Half of them looked the exact same! How would she even be able to tell the difference from what Sonia had versus what was on display?

"Hi fireworks lady!" A voice from behind Firecracker cheerfully greeted her. Firecracker jumped a little at the loud tone, but turned around all the same to see Numbuh 3 cheerfully waving at her.

"Hey! I remember you! You're in that Kids Next Door thing that Sonia does," Firecracker said once she regained her barings. Of course, she knew Numbuh 3 from far more than that, but she didn't need to know that. "Your name…it's Cookie?"

"No silly! I'm Kuki!" Numbuh 3 corrected her with a giggle. "But I guess it does sound like cookie!"

"Guess so," Firecracker agreed with an amused chuckle. "So, you like Rainbow Monkeys?"

"Oh, I don't like Rainbow Monkeys," Kuki began. "I LOVE them! I love them more than anything else in the world! I'm even the president of the Rainbow Monkey fanclub!"

"Really now?" Firecracker replied, genuinely impressed. She knew most fanclubs only took adult members, Rainbow Monkey included (she shuddered at the thought of…creepier adult fans), so Kuki not only being a member but the president was impressive if she wasn't just making it up. Still, she might be able to help. "So, if you know so much, you think you could help me out with something?"

"Sure! What's wrong?" Kuki asked, her wide eyed innocence giving Firecracker a huge pang of nostalgia.

"You remember my sister Sonia, right?" Firecracker asked. When Kuki nodded, she continued. "So, her adoption anniversary is coming up and I wanted to get her a new Rainbow Monkey but I have no idea where to start. You think you could give me a hand? I'll make it worth your while!"

"Sure! We talk about Rainbow Monkeys all the time during recess! I know every single one she has! I'm sure I can help find some new ones for her!" Kuki declared as she grabbed one of Firecracker's hands in her own and started dragging her deeper into the store. "Follow me!" Firecracker just let out another chuckle and let her get dragged along.

"Thanks again for this. I was so lost," Firecracker thanked Kuki, who was happily digging into her food. With Kuki's help, she was able to find a Rainbow Monkey Sonia had been talking about wanting for a couple months, as well as some extra goodies Firecracker guessed she would probably like. As thanks, Firecracker had bought Kuki a Rainbow Monkey keychain as well as bringing her to a nearby fast food place as further thanks due to Kuki admitting she'd blown all her allowance money on new Rainbow Monkey merch.

"But how do you get lost? The store has maps!" Kuki questioned in between bites of her food.

"...Nevermind," Firecracker replied as she went back to her own food.

"Sonia's really lucky to have a sister like you! A lot of teenagers are jerks to their little siblings!" Kuki praised Firecracker, who gave a prideful smile.

"Well I'm a lot better than most other teenagers," She replied as she toyed with a french fry before putting it in her mouth. "You think your average teen could put on the firework shows I do?"

"That was so cool! Do you think you could come back someday?" Kuki asked eagerly.

"If your principal hires me," Firecracker responded. "Or, you know, your parents for your birthday or something."

"Ooooo! I should do that for my next birthday!" Kuki cheered as she clapped her hands. "You were so cool! We all were talking about you for days! Well, other than the Delightful Children, but they're big meanie heads anyway so who cares about them!"

Firecracker snorted at that. "I know I certainly wouldn't." That was a total lie. Firecracker would often think of the Delightful Children and that weird sense of deja vu she got whenever she looked at them. It was an unnerving feeling as Firecracker never remembered fighting them. Yet something about them felt familiar.

Firecracker grunted a little and shook her head. It was just her being stupid.

"You have siblings?" Firecracker asked, deciding to get her mind off her weird feelings towards the five creepy weirdos. Besides, could be fun to learn more about Numbuh 5's friends.

"Yeah! I'm a big sister, just like you!" Kuki began. Her tone was just as excited as ever, but Firecracker could see a dark look in her eyes. "Her name is Mushi and she's the worst! She stabbed my Rainbow Monkey and then she and her boyfriend who tried to get me to marry him kept making trouble and then she brought my Rainbow Monkey back as a creepy spanking monster!"

"That's…uh…interesting?" Firecracker offered, still trying to wrap her head around the story she was just told. This Mushi certainly sounded like a piece of work. Either way, it certainly made Firecracker happy she won the sibling lottery.

"It's so weird, because we used to be really close! But then she started dating Sandy and she got so much worse!" Kuki admitted. Her face then took on a sad look. "I miss how close we used to be. We used to have so much fun as sisters but now she's a big meanie head!"

"Being close to someone only for them to get worse? Sounds like something you know all too well," Firecracker's brain snarked at her. As much as she didn't want a reminder about…her again, Firecracker still felt like she had to say something.

"Wish I didn't know how that felt," Firecracker mumbled as she took another bite of her food. When she saw she had Kuki's attention, she kept talking. "Not a sister, but a really close friend. I don't have a lot of memories of my childhood but I remember I used to be really close with your friend Abby's older sister."

"Really? But Cree's so mean now!" Kuki exclaimed once this was revealed.

"Don't I know it," Firecracker mumbled under her breath. "But when we were kids, she was the best! She always had that way of making everything feel so fun! But then…something happened one day and…like I said, I don't fully remember what it was, but she hurt me. Like, not hurt hurt me, but she did something that…made me not like her anymore. I don't even remember what she did, but all I know was that…that it just hurt. Even if I don't remember it, I don't want to be friends with someone who did that to me, you know?" Internally, Firecracker couldn't help but feel even more bitter. Because she did remember what Cree did. She stabbed Firecracker and everything they'd ever worked towards in the back all because she got cold feet. While she didn't know about the Teens Next Door, that didn't change the fact Cree knew the risks and still chose to turn traitor and run.

"That's so sad!" Kuki exclaimed as she gave Firecracker a big hug. While the teenager wasn't expecting it, it still felt good. "But…do you think you could be friends again?"

"That would require her pulling her head out of her as-er…her butt," Firecracker replied with a laugh. Kuki ended up laughing too.

"So do you think Mushi and I will ever be friends again?" Kuki asked. Firecracker just gave her a smile.

"With your personality and charm? No doubt in my mind!"

So yeah! Both Sector V plotlines have something to do with the in universe merch. And fun fact about Firecracker's yellow Rainbow Monkey that she said she owns? I actually got a similar one I found on Etsy (seriously Cartoon Network WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE OFFICIAL ONES?!)