FIVE YEARS AGO_

Garnished in black and orange streamers with spooky candelabras, the smallest conference room on Moonbase had been lovingly decorated for the occasion. In an intimate circular table draped in girly lace and a plethora of sweets nearly suffocating the table, a few operatives sat dourly in their respective seats.

The girl who started this tradition had a Halloween-themed Rainbow Monkey sitting nicely upon her lap. She was the only one who smiled in attendance.

"Tha͞nk y̴o͘u ̴śo ̀much҉ for a̛t̷t̷e͘n͘d̕ing my ͘Ha̸ll̴o͏w҉een̸ ̷Tea Part̛y̨," she said slowly, ignoring the pained wince coming from her left. "It͟'͘s so ni͘ce ͝t́o ̵şp̶en̨d ̸th̕e͠ ̀en͠tir̸e ̷n҉i͟g̢ht of ͠H̴ąl̕l҉ow̧e͏e̴n sip̨p̀i̷ng ̛tea̷ and eatin͏g c͟on̸f̶ect͜ioner̕ies ̨w̨it͞h̢ ͝fri͠end͏s."

One of her playmates started to clench her fingers in anger, only to be steadied by the hand of her subdued teammate. With a quiet sigh, she relaxed.

The host of the party squeezed her doll, which seemed to be glowing from its eyes. "B̛e͢c̴a͢us̀e͝…̢ i͠f͏ ̵y͟ou͜ d̢on'̷t͠ ͠sta͞y wi҉th̕ m̀e, some̢t͡hi͜ng ͘ba͝d́ ̀wi͢ll͜ ha̵p͞pe̶n t҉o ͟th҉e peop̕ĺe you͡ c͢ar̸e abou͘t.͠ ́L̢iķe̡ y͞o̶ur s̷ibli̷ng o͡r͟ yo͞ur best́ f͜ri͟end̛."

Her precious friends all bowed their heads in defeat and fear, which she mistook for reverence. "B̵ut̀ ͘yo̧ư ҉dòn't̴ need ̨a s͡i͡bli͟n̢g̷ ̸or͏ a ̢bes̶t ͜fr̴i̶èn̸d. ̡We ̵ḩa̷ve̶ ea͟ćh ̡oth͠er͝ n̵ơw͜. Ri̵gh͟t͏?́"

"ENOUGH!"

The girl jumped in her seat when the sealed door was suddenly kicked down and out of the shadows, their savior arrived.

Her precious Rainbow Monkey's amber eyes glowed brighter at the intrusion.

now loading:

kids next door mission

operation:

H.A.U.N.T.E.D.

helpless

agents

ultimately

now

teens

enkindles

doll

PRESENT DAY_

Inside the Kids Next Door Seriously Cool Museum of Artifacts and Stuff, Numbuh 101 was showcasing the Annual Halloween Artifacts exhibit for the entire month of October as per tradition.

"If you follow me please!" he urged his latest tour group excitedly. "Over here is Count Spankulot's Spank-Mobile, used only once as Sector L completely confiscated it during the Great Spank Race of '05! Of course, it's not in any workable condition. We learned our lesson the last time a bunch of cadets visited this particular exhibit!"

Wally groaned, trailing behind the rest of Sector V who were enjoying themselves more than he ever would on the tour. "Uggggh! Why do we have to go to this stoopid exhibit every year?! It's just the same ol' crud every time!"

"That's not true!" Hoagie said over his shoulder. "Last year's Halloween exhibit was awesome when they finally put in Sector P's confiscated Holly Crunchers skeletons!"

Numbuh 101 swooped in on them and added, "Ah yes! The Mayan Skeletons from the Second Era of the Kids Next Door! Each bone is infused with the hardest, juiciest, concentrated combination of sugar and fruity flavor we had ever seen in the last eight hundred years!"

Abby failed trying not to lick her lips. "Mmm-mm! Numbuh 5 can't wait to see those artifacts next!"

"Yes, but this time we're here for a reason!" Nigel said proudly. "After Numbuh 4 and 5 secured the Bermuda Trapezoid chest of chocolate coins from Stickybeard, the Museum offered to place it in this year's exhibit! Future operatives years from now will look upon the name on that chest and say Sector V's name with awe!" He squeezed his hands together with excitement. "It'll be so cool!"

"Up next is a favorite of mine!" Matthew said proudly and pulled the string to light up the lone artifact on a pedestal. "Some legends say this Rainbow Monkey is haunted! We don't know for sure, but what we do know is that this is the only particular Rainbow Monkey ever made ever! One-of-a-Kind, in near mint condition, Sweetheart of Darkness Rainbow Monkey!"

The crowd of kids ooh'd and ahh'd at the pure black Rainbow Monkey with bright orange stitches racing around it like patchwork.

Abby shivered a bit. "Ooh... Numbuh 5 can never get over those eyes!"

"Yeah," Hoagie noted nervously, seemingly sure those golden eyes were boring down on him. "Wonder who's the crackjob who decided to make such a creepy thing?"

"If anyone knows, it should be Numbuh 3," Nigel said and looked around. "Where is Numbuh 3?"

Kuki was found hiding at the back of the group, averting her eyes and making sure she was as small as possible behind Abby. Unfortunately, Wally pointed her out and she jumped a bit in alarm.

"Typical," Wally snorted. "I thought you liked all stoopid Rainbow Monkeys, Numbuh 3?"

Nigel nodded, worry in his words. "You do this every year, but you never really tell us why. Does it scare you, Kuki?"

She cowered behind Abby for a long moment and then finally squeaked softly, "That Rainbow Monkey doesn't like me. I-I-I don't want to bother it if that's okay?"

"Ha!" Wally laughed. "Rainbow Monkeys don't have feelings-" Abby smacked him upside the head for his insensitivity. "-YOWW!"

"So, you can feel it too then?" A female voice asked hesitantly from behind.

They parted for the speaker who both Kuki and Wally instantly recognized from Fanny's disastrous sleepover party months ago. "Numbuh 23," Kuki muffled from the back of Abby's shirt, "you can sense Rainbow Monkeys too?"

Virginia turned to the artifact with its eyes trained solely on her. She seemed more suspicious than afraid of it though. "I think you just have a natural affinity for them, Numbuh 3." Already expecting confusion, she smiled. "Like Numbuh 5, who can sense when ice cream is in danger. Or Numbuh 1, who's always suspicious and is usually right. I'm like that too... only, I can sense everything."

"Oh really?" Nigel snorted and folded his arms. "Think you have some kind of supernatural senses?"

"Yeah, it's not that impressive," Wally waved off. "My telly gets ESPN all the time!"

Abby slapped a palm to her face and dragged it down.

The tour kept moving, most glad to be away from the peculiar Rainbow Monkey with unsettling eyes.

All except Sonya, whose fingers practically pressed against the glass. Harvey and Lee exchanged a look before approaching her.

"You okay, Numbuh 83?" Lee asked, idly spinning a trick with his yo-yo.

She said nothing. The two boys looked at each other again.

"Tch, I'm not surprised," Snorting, Harvey put his hands behind his head and followed the rear of the tour. "Girls and their Rainbow Monkeys, am I right?"

Lee traded one last concerned look at Sonya, who didn't even seem to have acknowledged them, shrugged and followed Harvey, completely missing the strange amber glow reflecting in Sonya's eyes.

"You want to play?" she asked the doll hesitantly, compelled by its silent song.

A few minutes later, red light drenched the Museum and the alarm sounded. Sector V immediately got to position, back-to-back, and pulled out their weapons for an intrusion that never happened.

"KIDS NEXT DOOR, BATTLESTATIONS!" Nigel shouted, igniting a mini riot of operatives to run around and secure the Museum. That was when Sector V heard a scream of utter terror and ran toward the distressed curator.

Matthew was kneeling by the broken glass of the Rainbow Monkey exhibit, the plush nowhere to be found. "WE'VE BEEN ROBBED! OH, THE KID-MANITY!"

transmission interrupted