Operation: C.A.R.R.Y-O.N - 5

Codename: Kids Next Door

Operation: C.A.R.R.Y-O.N.

Continuing
Assignments
Really
Reinstates
Young and
Old
Next Door's

Chapter 5:

Wally glared at the increasingly desperate-looking face of Numbuh 25, who had been the one to arrive late in the tree house.

After patching up the hole he had left in the ceiling, he began to tell Sector V what their newest mission was.

“Basically,” began Numbuh 25, “with Global Relocation, you’re to be sent to four different parts of the world, for a long period of time, to help in certain areas gain control of their Adult-infestatio- ” but Wally cut him off.

“Hang on! Back up a second! You mean we have to be split up?”

Numbuh 25, 712, 34, 888 and 246 shifted uncomfortably.

“Yes.”

“WHAT? YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!” yelled the outraged members of Sector V.

“No,” said Numbuh 25, shaking his head at the stunned Sector V, “I’m not joking. I know it’ll be hard for you, but you have to go. You have do this mission.”

Wally could not take much more of this.

“WHY?” he yelled, his Australian accent sounding more prominent than ever. Numbuh 2 placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shook him off.

“W-why?” He repeated the question, voice faltering. His fringe concealed tears that formed in his eyes. Numbuh 3 looked at him in concern, but he did not notice.

I don’t want leave her… his brain added on, eyes flickering to Kuki behind his hair.

Numbuhs 25, 712, 34, 888 and 246 winced. Wally’s voice had gone from demanding to sounding like a wounded animal’s cry with the repeated questions. They knew why too, and their hearts went out to the poor blond boy.

Numbuh 25 took a deep breath.

“Because, if you don’t,” he said, looking directly at Numbuh 5, “you’ll probably end up like Cree Lincoln, aka Numbuh 11.”

Numbuh 5 gasped and frowned.

“What do ya mean, ‘end up like Cree Lincoln’?”

“I meant,” sighed Numbuh 25, looking down, “that Numbuh 11 did not take this mission, and eventually betrayed the Kids Next Door. After research into this matter, we have realised that operatives who do not take this mission are eleven-teen times more likely to betray us before decommissioning.”

Then he looked back up at Sector V, fire glowing in his eyes.

“And we can’t let that happen, can we?”

Sector V hastily shook their heads. Numbuh 25 sighed once more.

“The Supreme Leader will be here tomorrow. Try not to think about it too much and get some sleep, okay?” he said in a softer tone.

Sector V nodded numbly.

Numbuh 25 walked up to Numbuh 34, and they both entered the pod from which he’d arrived. They both grinned sympathetically at Sector V, mouthed ‘sorry’, and departed.

Numbuh 888 bowed to the remaining operatives and silently exited the lounge area. They heard his pod start up in the eating area and then they knew he had left.

Numbuh 712, a little solemnly, waved at them all. She then walked calmly to the eating area, nodded at them once, and within seconds, she vanished to her pod and disappeared.

Finally, Numbuh 246 walked up to Wally, shook his hand, saluted the rest of the unmoving Sector V, and steadily exited the lounge area.

Sector V listened to the sound of the final pod make its departure, then slowly, sadly, and without prompting, enveloped each other in a teary-eyed group hug.