So I said I was going back to canon for a bit…and well, it was time for a pretty big one! Let's get going!

"So we're getting a new member?" Firecracker asked as she entered the Teens Next Door headquarters. "Heh. Feels like it's been too long."

"Indeed," Thomas agreed with his long time friend. "But the fear of Decommissioning frightened many of our possible allies away."

"Yeah yeah…" Firecracker trailed off. "But decommissioning helps us filter out the possible traitors from the true operatives. And even then, we have fake traitors like Chad,"

"What can I say? I've always been the one to go against the mold," Chad playfully chimed in as he walked over to the two other operatives. "So, you two hear who it was?"

"Don't really keep track of birthdays," Firecracker admitted with a shrug. "It really depresses me thinking of all the possible operatives who ran or turned traitor."

"Yeah but you know the risks when you sign up." Chad pointed out as both Thomas and Firecracker nodded. Both of them knew the risks going in and while they were nervous, they refused to let themselves give into said fear. Whether that was because they feared letting the people around them down or their love for their childhood ideals was just that powerful, neither could really say.

"Hey! Just got word from the Supreme Leader! The operative is coming down!" Someone called out. That caused everyone to either turn towards the elevator or head for the room entry room.

Where they found an extremely welcome sight.

"Hey! It's Numbuh 9!" Someone called out happily. Firecracker felt her face break into a smile. She had a feeling Maurice would make it, but seeing it happen made her feel extremely relieved.

"Sorry guys. But it's just Maurice now." Maurice greeted the waiting teens, all of which were beyond excited to have someone who was basically yet another legend as a member of the Teens Next Door.

"So, how'd the Chicken Pox mission go?" Chad was the one who asked the question everyone was thinking. Maurice's mission to hunt down the source of the infamous Chicken Pox was one of the most talked about and speculated things in both the Kids AND Teens Next Door.

"Well…I've finally figured out the location…but obviously I haven't gotten the chance to destroy it." Maurice admitted. "But I have a way to finally do it."

"Even though you are no longer a Kids Next Door operative?" Thomas asked.

"Yep," Maurice replied. "Because it's in the Teen Ninja's hidden base." This drew several gasps from the crowd of teenagers.

"Okay…but how are you planning to get recruited?" Firecracker had to ask.

"Already took care of that," Maurice smugly assured his older friend. "Turns out that I'm considered a bit of a catch to the female Teen Ninjas…with one Cree Lincoln being the one to ask me out and to ask me to join the Teen Ninjas."

"So a catfishing gambit?" Chad clarified before turning to Firecracker. "You gonna be okay with that?"

"Go fuck yourself," Firecracker dryly replied. "Any positive feelings I had for Cree died years ago."

"Yeah but you guys did work together on that football game thing." Another operative commented.

"We were forced. I would have rather eaten my own explosives," Firecracker replied as she crossed her arms. She then turned to Maurice with a cocky smirk. "Give her hell. For everyone she hurt."

"Oh believe me, I plan too," Maurice replied. He remembered well how hurt many of his friends and teammates had been following Cree's betrayal, not that he wasn't hurt by it as well. "Be nice to take her down a peg, even if I can't directly tell her it was me."

"Well, before you head out…we do have a birthday boy here who could probably use some cheering up before he begins his job as a teen spy," Chad pointed out, which caused everyone to smile. As everyone rushed off to go gather the snacks and decorations, Maurice moved to follow them, only for Firecracker to pull him into a hug from behind.

"Damn it I missed you," Firecracker said with a smile. "For a bit, I was worried your version of Sector V was cursed. Seems like everyone so far either turned traitor or tried too."

"Hey, you don't know how Numbuh 5's gonna turn out." Maurice pointed out to the older teen, who's smile now looked visibly sadder. Firecracker let out a sigh.

"I'm just hoping…she's not tainted by her sister's evil." She noted sadly.

"C'mon, Firecracker. You're acting like Cree's pure evil." Maurice pointed out. Sure, Cree turning traitor and becoming one of the best Teen Ninjas was a hard pill to swallow, but there was a lot of villains, both current and from the past that were way worse.

"…Guess things still hurt." Firecracker gruffly admitted. She then sighed. "Fuck! I thought I was over this!"

"I don't think it's ever going to stop hurting," Maurice admitted with a sigh of his own. "Cree…she meant the world to us. She was our friend…and she threw everything away."

"Numbuh 11 is my friend," Firecracker snarled. "Whatever she became…that can rot."

"Pretending to be in love with her is gonna be a challenge," Maurice noted with an amused smile.

"Sounds like it…but you mind letting me know if she's a good kisser? Not for any particular reason!" Firecracker asked as she tried to hide a small blush.

"Yeah yeah," Maurice replied as he and Firecracker headed off to enjoy the party. Best to have some fun before undertaking an undercover mission that would likely not be fun. "You got any explosives?"

"When don't I?" Firecracker replied as she dug a bag of marbles out of her pocket. "New model of these I've been workshopping! Be up for field testing 'em for me?"

Maurice merely smiled as he took the bag. "I'll let you know the results."

A few days later

"Why did that idiot get it in his head that I'm suddenly Cree's friend? He knows we're in different social groups!" Firecracker snarled to herself as she drove towards her ex-friend's house. True to his promise, Maurice had finally destroyed the source of the Chicken Pox and, as a bonus, changed their latest target from a street fair to the high school's pep rally.

Considering that Firecracker was supposed to be entertainment at said street fair, the bonuses went well beyond the fact that the Teen Ninjas were sabotaged.

However, because of this, Cree was out sick with the Chicken Pox. Which meant that Firecracker was the one who had to bring her missed work to her.

"...Maybe I'm just the only person left who knows where she lives," Firecracker grunted out as she pulled into the driveway. Most of the other teens that Cree was close with were either Teen Ninjas or otherwise high on the popularity chain. In other words, other people who likely got hit with the Chicken Pox laser. Dragging herself out of the car, Firecracker decided to just shove the work through the mail slot. She was not risking getting the Chicken Pox herself. Scribbling a quick note on a post it note in her bag, Firecracker shoved the homework through, dusted her hands off and moved to head off. She was stopped, however, by a knocking sound on the window. Turning around, she saw Abby, also sick with the Chicken Pox as Maurice had said, had noticed her and was waving. Once she noticed she had Firecracker's attention, she fogged up the window and drew a small firework on it. With a smile, Firecracker merely gave a thumbs up and headed off. She didn't know why Abby had done that, but it still felt good.

"...Miss ya Numbuh 451," Abby said to herself as she decided to try and get some rest. Going off what Maurice had told her about the Teens Next Door, plus her old friend's behavior, Numbuh 5 had no doubts Firecracker was also a member.

But still, she knew to keep it a secret. At least until it was time for her to join.

So like in the last story, I wanted to have Numbuh 5 catch onto some other Teens Next Door members. I know in Candygirl, Cree had to tell her, but I felt like she would have caught on by herself at some point. But yeah, she knows…but she's not telling anyone. Also happy (late) Thanksgiving!