Masquerade
By Cybra
A/N: This is the second part in the two-part series! Yay! This one is most likely going to be a little longer. You'll not only have Numbuh 1's POV on all that time spent with Dolores, but you also get some time at the tree house! Yippy skippy!
Special Notes: The name "Dolores" to name the Delightful Child with the bow was first used by Tikalightning in his superb story "Operation DOLL," and I have his permission to use it. (And I insert a shameless plug to boost his ego. ^.- And thank you to the nice reviewers who spotted my minor spelling mistake!)
Disclaimer: If I owned Codename: Kids Next Door, I have some really strange ideas that would be episodes. You would not want to see that.
Phantom
Given a choice, Numbuh 1 would have remained at the tree house, catching up on work. Since school had started, work had piled up more than ever. He had a backlog of reports that felt like they were all due the next day that he should be doing.
But it was not enough that his mother had nagged him, saying he needed to be more social and make more than four friends. No, Numbuhs 2 through 5 had bullied him as well. Then, as the coup de grace, Numbuh 5 went as far as to quote the Kids Next Door Handbook,[1] using a regulation regarding the amount of rest operatives were supposed to have. According to Numbuh 5 and the Handbook, Numbuh 1 did not have enough rest, so unless he took some time off, he was going to the Medics[2] for a physical assessment and enforced rest.
The leader wanted to shred the Handbook in frustration.
So here he stood in a dark corner at the school's Halloween masquerade ball. At first, he had spent time on the floor with his friends, but his light-sensitive eyes[3] were starting to get irritated. The mask had done an admirable job of shading his eyes, but only his usual eyewear of sunglasses worked for extended periods of time.
Lizzie passed him by with her new boyfriend. He silently wished the boy clad as Batman luck. Keeping Lizzie would be difficult. Of course, "Batman" most likely was not a section leader of the Kids Next Door whose attention was constantly divided in a thousand different directions and simply could not give Lizzie all the attention she needed and desired.
Numbuh 1 smirked. It was not that Lizzie did not have her share of faults. She was exceptionally possessive, pushy, and obsessive. Little wonder the relationship fell apart once school was back in session and Lizzie was exposed to other and, as she saw them, better guys.
A girl his age came close to his corner dressed in a beautiful dress of white that any princess would have sold half of her kingdom in order to own. Over her eyes was a mask, also white, in the shape of a swan. The swan's wings stretched out over the girl's pale blue eyes. On her head, instead of the gaudy crowns that several others had chosen to wear for their princess costumes, was a simple circlet – almost a headband – of fake gold that seemed to add to her wavy blonde locks.
He studied her silently, unobserved in his dark corner. After several moments, it became apparent that she was not going to leave.
Curious, he stepped out of the shadows, secretly enjoying using one of his favorite tricks: seeming to appear from nowhere. (He had scared Numbuh 2 nearly witless once that way.) "Good evening, Odette."
He smiled as she whirled around to face him. He waited as she took in his Phantom of the Opera costume consisting of tuxedo, cape, gloves, and, of course, mask. He doubted any of the Delightful Children would recognize him if they chose to appear at the masquerade that night.
As she clearly tried to recover her wits, she asked him, "Why did you call me that?"
He smiled charmingly at her, enjoying the game. "What else do you call the princess of Swan Lake?"
Numbuh 1 was familiar with the story of Swan Lake after being forced into watching the ballet. (Though he would rather have all of his teeth painfully yanked out than admit it, he had mildly enjoyed it.) And he took impish delight in seeing her surprise at his knowledge.
"How can you be so sure that I'm Princess Odette? I could be any princess."
"But not any princess would wear a mask in the shape of a swan."
He successfully suppressed a snicker as she reached up to touch her mask. He saw her blush, for her mask did not cover her face as completely as his did.
Inwardly, Numbuh 1 frowned. There was something familiar about her. It was as if he had seen her before but where he had seen her escaped his mind.
Before he could ask if they had met before, she said, "I suppose you figured me out, Erik."
His smile vanished, and it was all he could do to keep his jaw from dropping. The kids who had managed to recognize his costume that night had addressed him as "Phantom." The rest of the kids simply said "Nice costume" and returned to talking to their friends. Her addressing him by the Phantom's actual name threw him off-balance.
After a few moments, he laughed. "Lesson learned, my lady. I wasn't expecting to be called anything except possibly 'Phantom' if you even recognized my costume."
"I read the book before I saw the musical," she explained with a smile. "So, why did you decide to stand in that corner?" She paused for a brief second, and he saw a glint of humor in her eye. "Scare fair damsels and spirit them off to your kingdom of music?"
"Oh, no. What happens if they can't carry a tune?" He winced then smiled, as she laughed. "No, I couldn't stand it being so bright anymore. The mask helps, but I needed a break."
"Bright?"
All too clearly, he heard her incredulous tone of voice. Inwardly, he sighed. He hated admitting his weakness to light to anyone. Looking at the ground, he mumbled, "My eyes are very light-sensitive. This is bright to me."
Unconsciously, Numbuh 1 gritted his teeth after he finished. Normal light was near-blinding to him. And despite what most people thought, it was not completely dark even on a moonless night, and his eyes hurt even then thanks to streetlights, headlights, and other sources of light. His sunglasses were his only way of protecting himself from being unable to act at any point in time.
"Oh. Well, that's all right. You probably never get lost in the dark," she commented.
Hearing her say that cheered him up. It reminded him that one of his greatest weaknesses was also one of his greatest strengths. He did not have to carry around any bulky night vision equipment or a telltale flashlight on missions that involved dark places even though he normally carried a flashlight for his teammates' convenience.
"And what about you?" he inquired. "Why are you playing wallflower?"
"I've been separated from my group," the girl he started to think of as "Odette" admitted. "I decided to wait until they find me."
"Judging by how bright – dark," Numbuh 1 corrected himself, "the room is and how loud it is, you're going to be waiting a while."
The girl in the princess costume sighed.
"Cheer up! I think I can keep you suitably entertained." He bowed as elegantly as he could.
Apparently he had done well enough, for she curtseyed in response. "I'm sure you can, sir."
@~^~~
About an hour and a half passed with the two of them talking in their little corner of the room. Even though he remained alert to his surroundings, Numbuh 1 relaxed. He also noticed that she seemed to relax more and more in his presence.
When she had tried to introduce herself, he had surprised himself by stopping her. On a whim, he told her to wait and follow masquerade tradition: their identities would only be revealed at midnight. Surprisingly, she had agreed.
For one night, he was the mysterious Phantom of the Opera, and this Phantom had managed to win himself the company of a princess instead of an opera star. Of course, this princess spent half of her time in the form of a swan, but, as the old cliché went, beggars could not be choosers.
She was interesting if nothing else. She was reserved and polite but had an excellent sense of humor hidden underneath her reservations. When she recommended her favorite books about Swan Lake or spoke about other things she was interested in, her whole face lit up, and her hands became quite animated. "Odette" was also very intelligent, and her pale blue eyes showed more and more of that intelligence the more she relaxed and opened up.
And she still seemed so familiar! Where had he seen her before?
As Numbuh 1 asked himself that question, she asked a different one. "They're taking pictures. Would you like to take one?"
He hesitated. The flash of the flashbulb without his sunglasses would be like stabbing daggers into his eyes.
"We don't have to," she added, seeming to sense his thoughts.
"No, let's do it." He gave her a faint smile and offered his arm.
He was surprised that she actually took his offered arm. Yet as they walked across the room towards the area where the photos were being taken, he saw her nervousness at all the stares they were attracting. They must have made quite a spectacle: someone who looked like he belonged at the theatre with an elegant princess on his arm. Without thinking, he rested his other hand on the hand holding onto his arm.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her jerk her head to stare down at their hands and then look up at him. He kept his eyes focused forward, knowing he would make a fool of himself the second he looked directly at her.
It took forever to cross the room, and each of them took a separate envelope from the stack. He hurriedly filled out the envelope, pulling the necessary amount of money he needed out of his pocket and inserting it into the envelope.
Her soft "Oh, no" drew his attention.
It took Numbuh 1 only a few seconds to realize that her group must have her money. He rooted around in his pocket to find the extra bit he had brought in case one of the others had forgotten theirs.
Careful not to look at the information on her envelope, he tossed the money next to her hand. "Here."
He then looked away from her. It was no longer just about the information on the envelope. He felt heat on his cheeks and did not want her to see him blushing.
"I can't just take your money!" she protested.
"It's all right. I brought extra just in case one of my friends forgot their money, so take it."
"But – "
"Take it."
He used the gentle-yet-firm tone he used with his teammates when he wanted them to do something that was important but not life threatening if they did not get it done.
By listening carefully, Numbuh 1 heard her slide the money into her envelope and seal it. Only then did he turn back towards her and hand the photographer's assistant his envelope while she handed the assistant hers.
There was a small problem getting the photo done. While "Odette" moved herself just as the photographer wanted her to right away, Numbuh 1 simply could not take direction from the man well. When he placed his hand where the man wanted it, apparently he had not put it exactly right. And of course his costume needed to be adjusted three or four times.
"At least you're getting a good laugh out of this," he had grumbled to "Odette" when she giggled.
Afterwards, neither was giggling. He stumbled out of the photography area, led by the princess. His eyes felt exactly as he predicted: like he had shoved a pair of sharp knives into them. They watered, so Numbuh 1 was sure it looked like he had been crying.
"Are you all right?" she asked him, clearly concerned.
"I can't see," he admitted, lifting a hand to rub one of his eyes through the eyehole of the mask. He remembered too late that this would make them hurt worse. "Stupid flash. No dancing for me."
"I suppose it's for the best. I can't dance."
He was surprised by this. He had assumed that she knew how to dance. "I'm sure you can dance better than me."
"I bet I'm worse."
"Let's see then."
"You're kidding. You won't be able to see what you're doing!"
"Your point?"
"You're crazy."
He smiled a bit crookedly. "Maybe a little."
As she studied him for a moment, he studied her through watery, pained eyes. He had wanted to ask her to dance but had not known how. This was the best opportunity he would get. If she rejected his offer, he would be hurt but accept it. As he reminded himself, it would not be the first time a girl had hurt him.
"All right, but I'm afraid you're going to regret it," she sighed. Then she gave him a stern look. "But just one song. You look like you're hurting enough already."
"Yes, ma'am," he teased lightly. "Shall we?"
Just as "Through the Rain" by Mariah Carey started playing, they stepped onto the dance floor. Numbuh 1 took a deep breath and begged for mercy to whatever gods of dancing were out there. He had never danced half-blind before.
Naturally, they stumbled at first. They were not professionals, and it seemed as though the closest either had had to dancing lessons was watching movies with dancing in them. On top of that, Numbuh 1 could not see what he was doing most of the time, so he could not lead very well. In spite of this, they managed to find some sort of rhythm to their strange swaying half-waltz.
He had to admit that he enjoyed dancing with her. As "Through the Rain" came to a close, he remembered their deal of dancing just one song. A flash of regret flew through him. One of the lights, tinted blue though the color was distorted by all of the fog and other lights, grazed his eyes, reminding him that his eyes would not be able to take much more of the punishment he was inflicting upon them.
Knowing he would most likely regret it, he kept going as the DJ played REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore." For one more song, he was going to enjoy dancing with "Odette."
They somehow managed to keep the same rhythm they had found with the previous song. But just because they had some sort of rhythm going did not mean that their dancing instantly became perfect. They still stumbled every once in a while. She even managed to step on his foot once, and he discovered she was wearing low heels. Yet their mistakes did not make their dance any less special.
Unfortunately, all good things must end. As soon as the song ended, Numbuh 1 came out of a sort of numbed fog and was met with unbearable stabbing pain from his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I need to get out of the lights, Odette."
He closed his eyes but could still see the lights as they passed over his eyelids. "Odette" took his hand and led him through the maze of kids and to a dark corner. They sat in a pair of plastic chairs, and he placed his head in his hands.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
He nodded, holding his head in his hands. "Just stayed out a little too long."
"You didn't have to do the second song you know."
"I…really liked dancing with you," he admitted, his blush mostly hidden behind the mask he wore.
She did not respond at first, and he thought he had offended her. He felt like crawling into a dark hole and hiding when she suddenly sighed.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," she told him regretfully.
"Now," a voice – or was it more than one? – stated flatly.
The voice or voices sounded familiar, but the sounds of the masquerade ball distorted them. He wanted to look up to see if he could identify the owner or owners, but his head protested any movement since his eyes were sending so many pain signals to his brain at that moment. Also, looking meant that he would actually have to open his eyes and look, allowing more light into his currently burning eyes.
She sighed again, and he heard her stand.
"Then I hope to see you again," he said, not looking up, unable to lift his head without pain.
"And I hope I see you again, too."
Even though his mask was made of plastic, he could feel the slight pressure on the cheek where she kissed him. He blushed even harder than he already was from his earlier comment. Perhaps she had enjoyed their dance and she had not been offended by his admission of enjoying their dance.
When she left, he felt a sense of loss. Guiltily, he noted it was worse than when he had broken up with Lizzie. And then he realized that he had never gotten her name.
He jerked his head up, instantly paying for his rash action, and opened his eyes to squint in her direction. Her white dress reflected the lights too well, blinding him. He shouted to her, "Wait! What's your name?!"
"It's – !"
Numbuh 1 cursed the DJ, for the man had chosen that moment to play the loudest heavy metal song on the planet just as she said her name. To make matters worse, he could not see well enough to read her lips. What looked like a shorter girl in a red dress led "Odette" away before he could even think to try to stumble towards the girl in white.
Once "Odette" disappeared from his handicapped view, Numbuhs 2 through 5 appeared.
"Hi, Numbuh 1!" Numbuh 3 chirped.
Numbuh 5 was less than cheery. "You look awful. You wanna go home?"
"What about you four?" the leader asked.
The other two boys snorted as Numbuh 2 answered, "The party was over half an hour ago. We were lookin' for you."
"Yeah. And who was the girl you were with an hour ago?" Numbuh 4 smiled and raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"A friend. Now can we please go home?" Numbuh 1 asked tiredly.
@~^~~
Numbuh 1 was grateful that none of his friends questioned him when he stole the bathroom for himself. He needed to try to make the pain in his eyes stop and did not particularly care for an audience.
He had changed out of his costume and into his normal clothes rather than into his pajamas. He had wanted to take a walk before bed if he could get his eyes to stop bothering him. In the darkened bathroom, he leaned over the sink and held cool water to his face in his cupped hands, trying to soothe his pained eyes. If it did not work soon, only then would he turn to painkillers.
Someone knocked softly on the door, and Numbuh 1 answered, "Come in."
Judging by that person's gait, it was Numbuh 5 who entered and shut the door, careful not to turn the light on. His teammates knew about his little problem with light.
"You okay, boss?"
"I will be, but this isn't helping." Sighing, he let the water splash into the sink and reached into the medicine cabinet for the Aleve. After removing the cap, he shook four of the pills out of the bottle and into his hand, popped them into his mouth, and swallowed them with a gulp of water he took from the faucet, using his hands like a cup.[4]
"So who was she?" Numbuh 5 asked after he had finished.
The leader looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he slipped on his sunglasses. "I called her 'Odette.' I don't know who she really was."
With that answer, he left the bathroom. He started to head towards his bedroom, intending to sleep and let the Aleve go to work, but changed his mind and headed towards the exit.
Exiting the tree house, he climbed up the branches to a secluded part of the tree's branches not attached to the tree house's roof. Gazing up at the stars with the moon at his back, he sighed.
What felt like a few minutes later but in reality was about an hour and a half later, his watch beeped. When he glanced at it, he noticed that it was now midnight, the appointed hour of their formal introduction.
"My name's Numbuh 1," he muttered bitterly to the absent princess. "So, what's your name?"
@~^~~
A few weeks later, he went to the bookstore to see if anything new and interesting had come in. To his misfortune, the Delightful Children From Down the Lane had chosen that same day to visit. Not in the mood for a confrontation, he tried simply avoiding them, but it proved a bit difficult since they split up to find their books. The fact that the creepy siblings were not perfectly in tune on everything they liked and disliked made Numbuh 1 a little less nervous about them. It was simply unnatural how five children could be that alike.
Things had been a little different since the masquerade ball and especially since he had finally gotten the photo. The mystery girl known only as "Odette" had not resurfaced and had become a bit of an obsession for him. In what little time off he had, Numbuh 1 puzzled over the picture and his memories, trying to figure out who the girl behind the mask was.
The fact of the matter was that he missed "Odette."
He had overheard Numbuh 5 murmuring and chuckling to Numbuh 3 the other day while he was studying the picture again, "Oh, he's got it bad."
Sighing to himself, he continued to scan the bookshelves until sitting there on the shelf as if mocking him was the book The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey, [5] one of the books "Odette" had recommended to him.
He hesitated for a moment before he picked it up. He had nothing to lose by reading it. He added it to his stack of books and turned to walk towards the cashier, but someone familiar ran into him, making him drop his books: the blonde girl of the Delightful Children.
Not wanting to deal with her but not wanting to be polite to her either, he growled, "Be a little more careful, Delightful Dork."
Numbuh 1 nearly slapped his forehead in disappointment. He could come up with better lines in his sleep. Instead, he simply bent down and gathered his books.
"Would you like some help, Nigel?" she offered politely in that cold, flat voice of hers.
"No, I've got it," he snapped, grabbing the last of his books and hurrying to the salesclerk's desk.
Quickly paying, he left the bookstore.
But even as he left, he had one question on his mind: Had she really been carrying a copy of Journey Of The Mask by Nancy Pettengil? [6]
[1] The rulebook containing all the rules and regulations the Kids Next Door is run by. It is often called "the Handbook" for short.
[2] One of the very few exceptions to the "no operative over thirteen" rule, Medics are (obviously) the official medical staff of the Kids Next Door. Their main branch is at the Moon Base where the equipment is as up-to-date as any hospital's. Not surprisingly, once Medics are decommissioned, they usually go on to medical school to become real doctors.
[3] My personal theory for why Numbuh 1 wears his sunglasses even at night. See Endnote #4 of "I'm Their Leader" for full details.
[4] No, Numbuh 1 is not trying to OD on Aleve. I take about four at a time myself whenever I have a headache so I do not get a migraine.
[5] As I mentioned in the last part, this is Mercedes Lackey's retelling of Swan Lake. Excellent book, but there are some hints of less than noble behavior if you catch my drift.
[6] As I mentioned in the last part, this is Nancy Pettengil's post-Phantom story. An excellent book, but there are some disturbing scenes involving cult practices in it.