I do not own KND I'm just borrowing the characters...

A Time to Grow

Try to Pretend

Before the KND, way back when she was still only a young preschooler Fanny Fullbright remembers her favorite game was to play pretend. To be able to be anyone you wanted, or to do anything you wanted all you had to do was imagine it and it was real. Anyone who ever had a childhood and a brain knew how to do it, back in those days pretending was simple, in those days it was all simple.

But now Fanny Fullbright also known as #86 had a lot more on her mind than ancient childhood games, not only as a well known member of Kids Next Door, but also as the head of the decommissioning committee and with kids always making a break for it around the times of their 13th birthdays she definitely had a lot on her plate. Especially with this latest mission where a whole group of soon to be teenagers took off to avoid decommissioning and Fanny along with the rest of the committee were having a hard time tracking them. She sat rigid in her seat of one of the many small flying aircrafts tapping her fingers irritably on the armrest, she was sick and tired of this three week witch hunt she and her teammates had been forced to endure. The teens were always one step ahead of them seemingly disappearing right before they got there. Very irritating to say the least especially since #86's spotless record for never having once let a teen go undecommissioned was being soiled with every passing second those teens were running loose. Frustrated she heaved an unnecessarily loud sigh leaning back in her chair, though honestly she shouldn't be surprised the sector they were currently chasing was legendary, the best in their time actually as told by #362 herself, in fact if #86 remembered correctly #362 had distinctly said "Expect a challenge." Before she grinned.

#86 scowled she didn't care how great they thought they were by the end of the day she swore all five of them would be wiped clear from KND indefinitely.

"#86 we're closing in on the target your orders?"

#86 glared at the boy, "Are you absolutely certain that the coordinates are right this time."

The boy cowered slightly under her accusing glare.

"Y-y-yes sir, I mean m-mam." He stuttered nervously, breaking into a cold sweat.

"It better be or else I'll see to it that you get decommissioned along with those rotten teenagers!!!" Then turning to the rest of the kids still waiting for her orders she screamed "Battle Stations!!!"

Sunglasses glared in the red setting sun as a young boy (soon to be a teenager) stood staring out the large window of his teams temporary secrete base. They had been moving from one base to the next for the past three weeks trying to avoid the decommissioning committee but it was getting difficult. At first they left hiding away with different sectors they were close to but as time passed and the announcement of their scheduled decommissioning became public they found themselves abandoned by the very ones they once fought alongside with. The boy blinked as he saw the speck of a faraway flying machine making its way slowly towards the old abandoned tree house they now used as their base. The small speck was soon accompanied by many more small specks and by now the boy was sure the flying devices were headed straight for them. Closing his eyes he leaned his head against the cool glass of the large window.

Footsteps soon could be heard pounding against the wooden floors.

"#1 we've been found out! Theirs gotta be 50 or so aircrafts headed our way we gotta leave now!!"

The young African American girl yelled as she bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath when she got no response from the boy she looked up,

"#1 com'on the others are already waiti-"

"We're not running."

"Wh-What!? What are you nuts if we stay here we-"

"I know the consequences #5…but I think it's time that we ended this, I mean what are we gonna do keep running and running till we're like over a billion years old or something? I joined the KND cause I wanted to help kids not run from them but…"

#5 narrowed her eyes though the action was hidden beneath her red hat "But what?"

"I think our time is about up." He finished quietly.

#5 scowled as she stormed up to her commanding officer, "Don't you give #5 that attitude know, we've done loads for this organization they can't just make us forget that!"

#1 sighed taking his glasses off and studying them carefully as if the small item would give him all the answers, #5 didn't take her eyes of him.

"I'm not stopping any of you if you want to go but I'm tired Abby." He said before turning to look at said girl, #5 continued to stare at him but know she watched him in surprise for he rarely ever used her name.

"I'm just really, really tired…" then giving a dark chuckle he added, "I must be getting old."

Abigail bit her bottom lip as she locked eyes with her boss she was at a loss for words.

#1 looked out the window to the oncoming flying crafts then back to Abby,

"If you're gonna go, go now else you and the others will never make it outta here."

She didn't move, quietly she said "We're not leaving without you." Then turning to look out the window she added "We'll stick with you till the end."

Nigel followed her gaze then said "Alright then, get the others it's time for one last fight."

"Make sure everyone on all ships has a weapon, I don't want any more stupid screw ups, sector V will be captured and decommissioned as plan! Any one got any questions!!!!!"

"U-Um #8-86..?"

"What!"

The boy flinched before quickly saying, "W-we're exactly 0.5 miles away from the base."

"Yeah annnnnd…"

She asked clearly irritated.

"Uh sh-shouldn't you uhm give the command for a landing?"

"Oh so are you like the grand supreme judge on how to capture teenagers now."She asked sweetly making the boy even more nervous.

"N-n-n-no, I just thought-"

"You're darn right you're not!!!So shut up and do your job you stupid boy!!!"

"B-b-but-"

"Ram the tree house NOWWWW!!!!!!"

"Yes sir, I mean mam'!!!"

Screamed the boy as he slammed his foot down on the peddle. Seconds later the ship had crashed through the roof of the hidden base, through the dust and smoke #86 was the first one out mustard gun in hand she took in the seemingly deserted tree house.

"Come out teenagers! We've got you surrounded!"

The other KND operatives quickly scattered around the large space that was now in ruins weapons ready, and waiting for anything.

Silence then slowly a hand clap sounded in the large deserted space vibrating off the walls and creating an eerie sound.

"Nice work Fanny, it only took you about nearly a month to finally track us down," came the voice of Nigel Uno soon followed by his figure as he made his way out the now settling dust. "Getting a little rusty are we?"

"Shut it teenager! You along with the rest of sector V are more than overdue for your schedualed decommissioning surrender yourselves now and things won't get ugly."

Nigel smirked "Sorry Fanny it's just not our style." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small remote,

"OPEN FIRE!!!" screamed the red head,

Nigel slammed a fist on the small device, causing a huge explosion in the middle of the base, #86 along with a few other operatives were thrown back but those who were still standing followed the orders that had been given and began to shoot at the spot where Nigel had once stood.

Now he stood atop the railings of a high balcony that circled the large room of the base. With a smirk he pulled out a large ketchup and mustard gun,

"Now!!"

Atop the balcony he was soon joined by #5 as she began shooting a large bubblegum machine,

#4 who carried the same weapon and a huge grin, "Spout' time with all this runnin I thought we'd never see any action again." He yelled as he began firing wildly.

#3 Who held a large gun that fired large stuff animals waved happily at all the kids that fired from bellow "Hi #22, Hi #59, wow it's almost like everyone from the KND is here! Oh my gosh #37 that's such a cute skirt where'd you get it!"

"My mom got it at Target!" Came a random yell from below.

#2 gave #3 an incredulous look "#3 we're kinda in the middle of huge last stance battle here!"

"Oh yeah, remind me later to go to Target and look for that skirt though." She said with a smile before firing her weapon randomly at the kids down below.

#2 heaved a frustrated sigh.

#86 picked herself heavily up form off the ground her frustration turned to that of pure anger as she watched as half the operatives were already down for the count, scowling she grabbed her small radio device,

"This is operative #86 requesting back up for the sector V decommissioning mission, I repeat this is #86 requesting-"

The radio was shot out of her hand by a large blob of mustard, turning to the culprit she watched as #2 gave her a smirk and a wink, "Stupid boy…" she ground out angrily as she returned fire, ignoring the increase in her heart beat.

A young girl with curly pigtails ran hurriedly down the long hallways of the large moon base she currently resided in, at the end of the large hallway two enormous doors swished open allowing her entrance.

"#362 our satellites have picked up a backup request from #86 for the capture of sector V."

The blonde girl blinked "Sector V?"

Turning to one of the operatives who was working a large computer she quickly said "Give a visual on where #86's radio transmissions last came from."

"Yes ma'm!" the boy said before quickly typing in random codes, in seconds the large screen showed the once abandoned base as a huge warzone with lots of kids down for the count but many more still rushing in through the firing missiles.

The young girl with the curly pigtails felt her jaw drop "A-all this for just one sector!?" she asked skeptically.

#362 said nothing as she brought her hands together and rested her chin on them, a few moments later she said, "Send in 3, jets and have them each drop a series of 9-w missiles, tell them to make em' count."

Standing up straight the girl said "Yes ma'm." before running of.

Once the girl had left Rachel turned back to the large screen, quietly she said, "Sorry Nigel."

#86 looked around at the mayhem that now lay before her as she, along with a few other operatives, now took refuge behind a long wooden beam. Shooting a few more random shots above her she asked angrily "Why is it that no one has found the way up to that balcony by now!?"

Bending low to avoid a gumball fire a girl answered "We've found the entrance #86 but-"

"Then why haven't we put those bloody teenagers into submission yet!?"

The girl flinched but quickly regained her composure as she answered, "Every entrance is blocked!"

"By what?!"

The girl made a face before saying "Skunk gas bomb fumes."

#86 blinked before slamming her face into her palm, always one step ahead.

"#86 look!" a boy called through the firing, #86 looked to the boy allowing her gaze to follow his pointing hand towards the sky with three KND jets making their way slowly towards them.

A slow grin formed on her face "Bout time! All KND operatives fall back!"

#5 heard the jets first, "Uhh, does anyone else hear that noise besides #5?"

"I don't hear nuthin," said #4 ducking low to get out the way of oncoming shots.

"Ooooo pretty lights!" yelled #3 pointing to the oncoming jets flying entirely too low no doubt ready to open fire.

"Uhhh wha-what do we do #1?" asked a nervous #2.

#1 stood staring mouth hanging widely open, then just as quickly regained his composure as he straightened his glasses, "Well given the light of the situation I suggest that we SCREAM RUNNING AROUND MINDLESSLY!!!"

And they did just that except for #5 who brought her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, shaking her head sadly, "Aw man." She sighed.

The jets released the missiles.

Rachel watched from moon base as the final attack was given the huge explosion seemed to light up the night sky. It was quick and effective the firing had ceased and she watched as the large tree house fell with an earth shattering crash to the ground.

She sighed heavily before saying "It's over."

After the missiles had fired and the tree house had fallen over it left many kids injured and disoriented but the ones who of course had gotten the worst end of the stick were of course sector V, for they had had no place to run for cover.

The worst that had happened to #86 was getting covered in soot as an aftermath from the missiles, now she stormed purposely to the middle of the wreckage where a group of soon to be teens lay piled up against each other groaning miserably. Coming to a stop in front of the sector leader she pointed her mustard gun at him square between the eyes. With a victorious grin she said

"It's over."

#1 stared at the mustard gun for a moment before nodding slowly and quietly repeating "It's over."

It was no secret that Fanny had a hard and very frustrating job there at the KND, having to erase the minds of the ones you once fought next to as an equal, or a dear friend, or someone you cared for a little more for than you know you should. Of course she would never admit this to anyone so instead she would play her old time favorite game of pretend.

She tried to pretend that she didn't spend an hour and a half fretting about whether she should try looking a little nicer at the decommissioning ceremony since in truth it would be his last time seeing her. Finally concluding that the whole thing was dumb she found that she was almost late for the ceremony.

Fanny had missed decommissioning before so as she ran down the large hallways of the moon base she tried to pretend that this particular decommissioning wasn't anything special to her.

Once she did get to the decommission chambers she tried to pretend that the beaten look on his face didn't make her heart ache.

As #362 gave the decommissioning speech she tried to pretend he wasn't staring directly at her the whole time.

She tried to pretend that this wasn't the most scared she had ever seen Abby or that Wally wasn't shouting such horrible curse words that she actually wanted to wash his mouth out with soap, that Kuki wasn't standing stock still as tears made their way silently down her cheeks, or that Nigel didn't look the most crestfallen she had ever seen him look, like a man who had played against the world and lost.

She tried to pretend that they all didn't look so grown up right now and the thought made her sick.

Fanny just now realized that #362 had finished her speech and that they were now leading the prisoners into the chamber.

Her eyes found #2's he gave her a sad smile before mouthing the words 'See ya.'

She hadn't meant to mouth the word 'Bye' back to him so she pretended she didn't.

They were all situated in the chamber now, the switch was pulled, followed by an incredibly bright light, then just like that it was over.

The doors opened and out walked five teenagers, Abby with a pleasant smile on her face walked out bobbing her head as she went to the mp3 player she now listened to. Kuki came next followed closely by Wally who was doing some serious flirting according to the blushes and giggling he was receiving from Kuki. Then Nigel followed in deep conversation with Hoagie about a school dance he was taking Lizzie to or something.

A kid was assigned to escort them back home, and that was that, that was the last time Fanny saw sector V, they were now just regular teenagers.

Fanny watched their retreating backs, but when Hoagie turned and gave her one last quick fleeting look she tried to pretend she didn't notice.