Base of Escalation

Whoever had just entered his room unannounced didn't bother trying to be subtle, but Patton still kept his attention tunneled on the sparse security footage and stills of "Gray". Seven footsteps padded fluidly across his room, closing in casually. That's odd, it usually takes her five steps. A chin rested itself on the top of Patton's head, and he let out a bemused snort.

"Not now 86, I've only got half the attack mapped out. Stupid cameras went on the fritz once that thing showed up."

"Expecting someone else hotshot?"

That wasn't an Irish brogue.

Patton spun his chair around, dislodging the unknown chin from his head, and faced his unwelcome guest. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed.

"Numbuh 10E!"

"Very good, Patty. I noticed you didn't take my little offer up," she purred as she settled herself down on his bed, "Then again, we had to leave Moonbase in an awful big hurry, didn't we?"

"Don't call me Patty," Patton clipped, frozen in his seat.

"No? That's a shame. I thought it was cute. Patty." She blatantly let her eyes wander all over him. Patton squirmed in his seat a little, but he didn't turn away. He couldn't.

"So what is it between you and Numbuh 86?" 10E asked, "Is she your girlfriend? Or just a favorite squeeze?"

That struck a nerve. Patton stood and said curtly, "That's none of your business. And don't call her that."

"Oh, so she is your girlfriend?" Her question cut swiftly, her eyebrows raised to challenge him.

"No!"

A smug smile smoothly crept across Numbuh 10E's face, hooding her eyes just so, and Patton realized he had made a fatal mistake. Fiona sashayed across the room to Patton far too gracefully for an 11 year old girl. She got far too close, but Patton's legs were pinned against his chair, giving him nowhere to run. She hooked a finger in Patton's collar and let the other hand play absentmindedly with his jacket lapel.

"Then I don't see the problem, hotshot." Her breath tingled across Patton's face, and smelled delightfully minty. Her coo was followed by a kiss, light as air, on Patton's cheek dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. An electric shiver wracked down Patton's spine, his eyes wide as saucers, and all he could do was watch Numbuh 10E glide out his door with a wink as the door whooshed shut.

Patton collapsed into his chair, still half petrified and completely confused as to what just happened, why it happened, and how it did…whatever it did to him. A full minute went by before there was a knock on his door, followed by another unsanctioned entry to his abode. This time it was the 44 twins.

"Numbuh 60," Pete said.

"Numbuh 362 called a meeting with all ranking officers," Peter continued, "She request you be there too."

"Cause, ya know, you've been the Artic commander since, like, forever."

"Well, were."

"Cause, ya know, we are now."

"…You okay Numbuh 60?"

A beat.

"Yes?"

Patton's answer wasn't very convincing.

"Not enough. Call in Sectors Q and E, assign them to around the clock air support. Whichever sector isn't in the air is ready to scramble in negative five seconds."

Nigel Uno had not said a single word the entire "meeting", which really had turned out to be just Numbuh 362 giving a long list of orders, requisitioning far too much of KND resources, and preparing to overwork her officers. She even gave Patton temporary equal authority to Numbuhs 44 in order to utilize him in maintaining Artic Base's defense grid. Plus he was to be on call as a Wrecker. Patton must be incredibly distraught about something, for the entire meeting he kept subtly shifting in his chair every few seconds with little sign that he actually registered any of the absurd number of responsibilities 362 had been dumping on him.

Numbuh 60 was not the only antsy one in the room, though. Numbuh 553 had been squirming in his chair as well, only his discomfort Nigel could pinpoint precisely. Zack Zimmerman had gone through training only hearing stories and legends about the operatives sitting all around the same table he now sat at. Not only was he sitting to the right of THE Numbuh 1, but to Zack's right sat Numbuh 86, directly across from him was the Supreme Leaduh herself, and flanking 362 were Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 4. The final two members of the assembled panel were Lance, a.k.a. Numbuh 10-Speed, and Numbuh 74.239. Even Numbuh 1 was somewhat impressed by the gathering of the KND's movers and shakers.

So why were so many important operatives gathered under one roof for the sake of safeguarding a rogue agent? Nigel's focus returned to Numbuh 362. She had deep bags under her eyes, her eyes themselves were turning bloodshot, and as she gave orders her usual undertone of uplifting confidence was replaced by a desperate growl like a she-wolf keeping her unruly pack in line. Finally, as Rachel was commanding Lance to have his BMX division transferred to Arctic, Nigel had had enough.

"Why?" he snapped, stopping Rachel right in her tracks and gaining the attention of every eye in the room in an instant.

"Excuse me?" Rachel managed to ask him so very quietly that surely the Arctic winds above had stopped whistling so that she could be heard.

"Why all this trouble," Nigel clarified, "Why are you wasting so much on an operative you should be turning in instead of protecting?"

"WHY? My organization has just been compromised by an alien, Numbuh 1, and I am taking-"

"I am not Numbuh 1 anymore!" Nigel bellowed, leaping to his feet. His chair flew back and smacked cacophonously on the ground. He winced from the sharp pain in his ribs from the sudden movement, but the discomfort was well dulled out by his scorn. "I am not in the Kids Next Door anymore, Rachel! I am not your charge, I am a danger, so why aren't you treating me as such?!"

Patton had at last been snapped out of his estranged stupor and rose to his feet as well to snarl at Nigel, "You will compose yourself this instant, Uno!"

Patton was about to go on, but a raised hand halted the words in his mouth. The owner of the hand rose slowly from her seat, not bothering with a glance at Patton. Her eyes were locked on Nigel Uno. After what seemed like an eternity, especially to poor Numbuh 553, she spoke.

"What is it you want here, Nigel?" Rachel asked, "Do you want me to admit that it's all for you? Do you want me to say that I'm so afraid of losing you again that I'd sacrifice everything to save you? Well…"

A/N: Yep. I'm pulling this JV bullshit. Two scenes. Cliffhanger time. What do you think she'll say?

I'd like to (as usual) ask forgiveness for my inconsistency. A busy lifestyle coupled with writer's block tends to hinder the posting process. In fact, the only reason this chapter is being posted is because I decided to just leave it as is with a cliffie rather than finish the scene. Soooo, yeah. That. Hope y'all enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.