Codename: Kids Next Door was created by Mr. Wartburton and belongs to Cartoon Network

Hello

I am so sorry. I have no excuse to posting this so late.

I guess that part of the reason was that I wanted this to work, and I am trusting it does. I understand I may have took a little risk with this chapert, but I wanted to do something like this for so long. I must tell you that i change the rating to T, it seems more fitting not only to this chapter, but to the whole story.

This chapter is sadder than the prevous and it got a little darker. I hope I managed to deliver it right.

I proof read this but there is always something. I apologyze for any mistake just in case

This takes places after Operation Z.E.R.O but before I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S (This is important)

Also, get ready for some special cameos

Now, you can proceded

Conversations with Sector Z

By CrackerTales

Numbuh .2

"Isn´t it a little late for good children like you to be up?"

"What? Would you rather be alone and bored while I sleep?"

"I would´ve waken you up so you´ll be tired tomorrow"

"Sorry to crush your dreams, kiddo!"

An annoyed huff was what the ex KND operative gave for an answered

"What are you guys doing anyway?"

Saturday, 12:30 at the night . The Delightful Children were up and wide awake planning, plotting and designing a brand new scheme against their mortal enemies. And how much they enjoyed that! It was simply evil, it make them feel alive as ever; they even laughed manically from time to time at the expectation of seeing their nemeses, the Kids Next Door, defeated and doomed. It was all happiness until a very member of said dreadful organization had woke up inside the mind of the tallest boy, and that would most likely upset David, and if he, or any of them for the matter, was upset, it would affect the rest of children.

Luckily for everybody, it had been a while since that time in which David and his host, Numbuh .2, hated each other; those were past days in which they were younger and stupider. But at least a year passed before they both realize that this was their life now and there was no use on hatting it. So they decided to declare a truce, what came after that, was one of those weird and unexplainable relationship that we may come across on a book or a TV show, the kind of relationship in which both parties enjoy hating one another, and yet, never do nothing to harm the other. In David´s eyes, Numbuh .2 was a smart and brave soldier whose memories and knowledge could come in handy one of these days, and for the ex- operative himself, David was a clever and corrupted child who spend too much time with his siblings and will surely be a bad apple the rest of his life.

"Why attack Sector V? Why not go directly for Moon base?"

"Because even if we do, they would call Sector V to take care of us, so we are getting rid of them first"

"Well, if that makes sense for you"

The boy with straight brown hair rolled his eyes, and focused all his attention on what they were working on. Numbuh .2 only dedicated himself to watch them write and draw, erase and scribble. At this point of his very complicated and disturbed life, the young boy have become very fascinated by the Delightful Children working style, especially during the planning part of their schemes. He liked seeing it all from David´s eyes! The way some wrote on paper while other researched on books, or how if, for say, Bruce needed a cutter Lenny would be giving it to him in a blink of an eye for they all knew what the others need and how to help them. They had everything to be the perfect team!

But they were evil.

" ´TNT, a Meticulous Research on Manual and Explosives´ Are you going to blow their tree house up?!" Exclaimed the boy a little bit alarmed

"Yes" answered David as if he had been asked about the weather "It seems like the most practical idea so far"

"Practical?"

"You would not understand"

"Ah, Top KND operative here" exclaimed the boy with his voice tinted with a mix of irony and obviousness. David didn´t react to the comment, he just separated himself, physically, from the rest and went straight to a book shelf that beautifully adorned the room

"I mean now, nowadays you would not get it… I think"

Numbuh .2 have enjoyed silence, he himself wasn´t exactly the most peaceful and quiet person around but he did enjoyed a minute or two of tranquility once in a while. He enjoyed it specially before and after training, but that was a luxury he could have no more. But the silence that he was hearing at the time, he disliked it; the children didn´t said a thing but limited themselves to sigh once in while looking the plan they were conceiving .

"You know you are gonna fail again, don´t you?"´

"Why did you said that?"

"Just a little reminder for you… and the rest of your… kind"

His kind.

For some unknown and strange reason, David felt just slightly hurt with the statement. He had said ´your kind´ as he and his siblings were anything but human, he has spited the word as if the very pronunciation of it would make him catch whatever disease they have. But maybe he was right, he wasn´t completely sure of being human at all, and if it was indeed the case, Numbuh .2 was there with him so he had already been infected, in a way.

"What are you looking for, anyway?"

The delightful boy remained still for a very brief moment and arching an eyebrow he reply

"I… have forgotten… It´s your fault! You got me distracted!"

"What?!"

But David was very busy ignoring and looking for a forgotten book to pay any attention

"You´re gonna blame on me your distraction"

"You kept talking"

"What else do you want me to do?! Watch?"

"At least! If you are not helping, then remain silent… oh, there it is" and stretching a little taller he was able to reach for a brown book labeled as The Science of Lasers. David took it between his hands and flicked through its pages.

"Not to think poorly of you, freaks, but, isn´t that a little too advanced for you?"

"If you must know, no, it is not! We are actually pretty smart" he exclaimed in annoyance and with a huff adorning his words "Besides, it is the simplified version"

And so he turned around to go back to the rest. His eyes still on the book and Numbuh .2 still wanting to chat inside his head

"Figures, I sup…" But they bumped into someone. The surprise was enough to startle both boys, The operative felt his heart pound faster at the sight of who it was "Numbuh .3"

"Ashley!" exclaimed David out loud, to her, but also to Numbuh .2, like trying to make him understand the difference between the two girls.

She was not happy, nor she was mad. She was only a little annoyed and her patience, along with the other´s, had grown thin; she was right in front of the taller boy with her mouth twisted and eyebrow arched. David saw her feet tapping the floor

"What the heck is taking so long?!" she yelled

"Sorry, Sister, but I had a hard time finding it" He defended himself and gave the book to the girl, who took it without even thanking him for it. She turned around and headed to the rest expecting her taller brother to follow.

"Numbuh .3! Wait!"

"Eh, Ashley?"

She turned to him at the sound of his voice and asked him what he wanted. David could not replied immediately, for he had nothing to say himself. He quickly asked the boy inside his head for an answered

"Well, said something" he said to the former operative and could hear him swallow in nervousness

"I think you are really pretty today" he said with a shy voice. Too bad David didn´t actually verbalize his words that way he should have!

"Your bow look particularly nice. Did you ironed it?"

"Wha..? That´s not what I said!"

"No, but that´s what she heard" reply David inside his head while smiling innocently at the blond girl who was now confused and a little weirded out

"David" She said "I am not that mad at you" and she walked to her place among the rest

"No, he didn´t mean that!"

"Sure I did…"

"Shut up, David! Numbuh .3" he called as she could heard him "What I meant to said is that… That I think you are the most beautiful girl not only on the Kids Next Door, but in the whole world! That I remembered fondly every mission by your side and… And I wish things would have gone different… I think I have a crush on you…"

"Ashley" David called again, and Numbuh .2 skipped a beat "Have nice day, sister" And she shook her head

"I didn´t said that"

"Are you sure? Because that´s what I got"

"Would it hurt you to tell her?"

"Yes, maybe it will" And he then followed his sister back to the other children

"it´s not fair! Do you understand the amount of courage I needed to do that?!"

"None!" The delightful boy said bitterly "I guess there is no courage needed when your words won´t be heard at all!"

Silence…

But not for long

"You could tell her"

"No"

"I had something to tell Numbuh .3! I been wanting to since…"

"SHE IS NOT NUMBUH .3!" he snapped. Numbuh .2 went completely silent, unable of formulating a single word. David on the other hand, excused himself from the others and exited the room in a fast pace. He closed the door behind him and took a big breath

"You didn´t had to yell"

"She is not…"

"She is!... In a way" And he felt a little ashamed, confessing one´s feelings is never easy, even when said feelings are doomed to be kept in secret for years to come. David on his behalf, was a little disturbed by the words his other self has said so blatantly. Little he understood the logic behind his feelings and he really didn´t want to understand.

"I get that you think she is pretty, but she is my sister and it makes me feel…. sick" he said after finding a word that would explain his thought on the matter, still he believed it wasn´t enough.

"Well, I suppose you do feel a little weirded out" replied the other kid trying to sound understanding "But is not your sister I love, is Numbuh .3…"

"Is there a difference anymore?" David said as he sat on the polished wooden floor, the door always at his back

"You bet there is!" came the answer of the ex-operative "Is the same that happens with us: I am a charming young boy and you are pretty much a spoiled brat!"

"Shut up, stupid!"

"You are the stupid!" yelled Numbuh .2 in an almost playful mood "So is the same, you see? Numbuh .3 is the best girl there could ever be and Ashley is a bossy know-it- all"

"Boy, do I know that!" exclaimed the other one in agreement, much to the surprise of the other "He is almost unbearable sometimes! Good think she listens to me"

Silence. For a minute, or two

"You two are close…"

"We all are"

"I mean, you two…"

And the boy in blue interrupted him with a tired groan

"Look, KNDork, I do love her, but not the way you do! I love her the same way I love Constance, or Lenny, or Bruce. Because they are my brothers and sisters and I do love them beyond my own comprehension. " He stop talking and let a heavy sigh leave his chest, he felt a lot lighter after it, for it was the first time he had verbally said to anybody how much he cared for his family.

"My sister is not Numbuh .3" he said in a whisper and let his head rest against the door

"I know!" replied the boy after a thoughtful moment "But I thought… maybe she is awake right now"

"It´s not likely… I don´t think so…"

"You can´t know! What if she is and she…" A loud scream interrupted him, David became suddenly alert. Numbuh .2 could feel the body tensed "Was that…?"

Without any warning and barely any thought, the delightful boy quickly uncovered a hidden red button on the wall next to him and pushed it with no hesitation, at the action, the room he had left shortly before and where his siblings were, stated protecting itself with layers and layers of metal and other security equipment.

"DAVID!" he could hear the others calling him "DAVID, WHAT´S GOING ON?" But he paid no attention to their demands

"The panic button? Why did you d…"

He would not listen to him either. He was fast on his feet and started running towards the source of the scream they both have heard

"FATHER!" he called worried

"Ca…calm down! He probably just smashed his finger with a hammer or something" they were poor attempts to calm the boy down, but the ex-operative was getting scared: he could feel David´s heartbeat getting faster by the minute and the knot that was forming on his throat was noticeable to them both

"You… you have to calm down… You are too altered!" But the other boy would not listen, he continued to run and searched for Father in desperation and doubt, he wondered if he was all right. His chest became heavier as the seconds passed, he knew, somehow, that something was very wrong

"Stop that!" Called Numbuh .2 a little to roughly this time "David, Listen! If you are really under attack you have to…"

His words were abruptly interrupted as the boy was suddenly smashed against the wall thanks to a little bomb that went off right next to him. It had hurt. It hurt a lot. A painful yell escaped his mouth the moment he hit the wall and felt some of his bones snapped. He fell into the floor, too hurt to move and barely being able to breathe. The buzz on his ears was getting louder and louder and his limbs would not answers him no matter how hard he tried to move them. He tried to yell, but couldn´t find his voice at all. For a moment, everything was very confusing and it seemed to him that the whole world was spinning around him. He distinguished no sound and every color seemed too bright. Everything was hurting, and he was scared.

After a minute that felt like an hour, David close his eyes and everything became dark.

:::::

Numbuh .2 opened his eyes, confused and dizzy. His head was still hurting and he used both his hands to remain for falling on his face in the cold floor, he found, much to his surprise, that the floor felt to real under his touch. Startled and confused, he quickly stood up and this action made him nauseous. It took a lot of will not to empty his stomach right there. Also, it took him a minute to realize what had happened: Somehow, they had switched again. Like that time when Nigel Uno´s father had hit the delightful children with the Recommissioning Module. He thought the machine was destroyed. It made no sense at all, but little he cared.

He felt his own hands touching the wall against which he was being smashed minutes ago, and later, he allowed himself to touch his hair, he smile when he did. It felt so weird and familiar at the same time that he could only describe the sensation as almost fascinating. He chuckled because he was glad and excited. He immediately wanted to brag about being in charge because last time this had happened, David was surely pissed to find himself trapped inside a KND operative.

But he couldn´t call him.

He felt a void inside himself, a hole in his chest than make him uneasy and nervous. He could not hear his voice, nor feel his presence

"David?" he called out loud and was surprised by the sound of his own voice.

"Yeah, I know" replied a voice and he looked up to find no other than Numbuh 1 of the Kids Next Door standing right in front of him, along with the rest of his team, and a guy in a lab coat "We have met before, remember?"

Numbuh .2 ignored the boy and continued to search for the delightful boy who lived with him. He had to be there somewhere, he couldn´t just disappear! But the more he searched, the more desperate he became, and the less he understood.

"David" he called again but this time it was barely a whisper. That was the moment when he came to realize that the pesky brat was gone, and that made him feel empty inside.

"Why is he repeating his own name?" asked the boy in orange who he recognized as Numbuh 4

"He probably forgot who he was while delightfulized" answered a chubby boy with googles, Numbuh 2, if his memory was right "Maybe he need some time to remember it all and…"

"No" interrupted Numbuh .2 "I remember. I was just…" and he became quiet, his eyes danced as if he was trying to bring back something or extreme importance "I guess it doesn´t matter anymore" he exclaimed and felt a strong urge to cry, for sadness had replaced desperation.

"Well" began to say the boy in lab coat "You must be confused so allow me to explain the situation" He waited for a response from the tall boy to proceed, he answered with a nod "I am Numbuh 74.239 and I am a KND scientist as you can see. Quick explanation: my team of researchers and I discovered a way to use the remains of the Recommissioning Module to create something better and more effective. I call it " the Recommissioning Module 2.0" it´s a working title"

"But, I don´t get it…" his voice broke, the others interpreted it as emotion

"It´s quite simple, David" continued the red haired boy very proudly "We designed and created a bomb that produces a blast so powerful, it can change you guys back" He notice the disbelief on the boy´s face and took it as astonishment "And I assure you, my friend, that this time is permanent"

Numbuh .2 could not found any words to describe what he was feeling. He wanted to be back, sure he did! But he never thought the price would be so high. He wanted and tried to convince himself that he should be glad for he was no longer a prisoner! But at the same time, he felt terrible for losing his body companion, as the used to call him to made him mad. It was the grief he was feeling and the emptiness that he knew would never leave him no matter how long he lived that made him realize a terrible truth:

The Kids Next Door had just killed David.

:::

At some point they started walking down the hall apparently looking for the other Delightful kids. Numbuh .2´s dizziness and sadness were turning into anger as the time passed. What bothered him the most was that the braced faced boy kept talking about his doing as if it was a good thing. He never thought he would ever hate anyone the way he hated Father… or the way he had hated David before.

"We were extremely lucky to find you separated of the others… it was certainly something rare" had said the scientist. Numbuh .2 used all his will power not to groan at him

"Yeah" said the chubby one quizzically "What were you going away from the rest anyway?"

"I can´t remember" replied the boy quickly with grim voice and the others did not dare to question him "I guess you were just lucky"

"Sure we did" exclaimed Numbuh 74.239 feeling proud. This time, Numbuh .2 did rolled his eyes.

"I can barely believe it´d worked!" cried the chubby one

"Yeah!" exclaimed happily the girl with an oversized sweater "Soon the delightful children would be normal again"

Numbuh .2 chuckled ironically to himself "Normal?" he thought "Normal is so overrated" and he smiled sadly for he knew that what he would have said

"Don´t worry, David" said Numbuh 4 with a big, mischievous smile "Soon your friends would not be mindless zombies anymore"

And the rescued boy eyes became wide open. So this is what the KND thought of the Delightful Children, that they were robots without feelings or will. They may be broken, but they were not a bunch of mindless sheep, and that´s for sure. He started to get angry for some reason, he blamed it on his recent lost. His head was still hurting and the more he tried to understand or justify what the organization had done, the less he was able to. His heartbeat got faster and faster and faster with every second and he realized he needed to calm down or he would start hyperventilating

"You ok back there?" asked a little concerned the girl with the red cap and her words forced him into calmness

"Yes" he simply replied.

As they walked, he took notice of the formation: Numbuhs 74.239 at the very front, followed by Numbuhs 1, 5,2,3, and 4 in that order. Numbuh .2 was at the very end of the formation letting himself to be lead to whichever place they were going. It caught his attention that the little Aussie boy known as Numbuh 4 was paying no attention to his surroundings, instead, he was very entertained with a deck of yipper cards he took of his pocket. It was a foolish thing to do, especially in enemy's territory, but Numbuh .2 did nothing to made the boy focus on the mission. As they approached to the Delightful´s bedroom, where the kids assumed they would be, he saw a little coffee table that everyone else ignored. There, on top of it, he found a shiny thing, that could come in handy, but he said no word to the others, instead, he planned a distraction as they got closer to it

"And what about Father?" he asked with a flat face

"You don´t have to worry about him anymore, David" said Numbuh 1 and the name made him shiver because he felt like the name wasn´t his anymore "We trapped him"

"Trapped him?"

"Yes" said the red haired scientist this time "we created a box that could contain an angry rhino, and is completely heat proof"

"Good to know" replied the boy. David was right after all, Father was in danger. He would love to know he was right, he loved it, it may him feel superior, or so Numbuh .2 supposed. The thought of the boy that was no more, made him terribly sad again, but also convinced him that the insanity he was about to do was the right thing.

The moment he was passing next to the little coffee table, he grabbed the shiny object firmly in his hand with a quick and unnoticeable movement and took advantage of Numbuh 4´s lack of attention. Without thinking and with a speed he thought he had lost, he grabbed the short boy by his arm pits and lifted him chest high, he was surprised and relieved to discover that the boy was lighter than what he looked

"Hey! What´s the big ide…" Numbuh 4´s words were abruptly cut when he found a sharp object against his throat, this team mates and scientist look at the scene with disbelieve and horror painted all over their faces, soon, every weapon was pointing at the traitor

"Father has this terrible habit of leaving his letter opener everywhere" said Numbuh .2 sounding a little too much like the David that was now gone "It´s a good think I found it"

"Let´s him go, you… you… jerk!" exclaimed the pretty girl on green "I´ll shoot you if you don´t"

And his only answered was to stick the letter opener tighter on the boys neck, he could feel him tremble in fear. He tried to feel sorry, and certainly did a little. But he guessed that if they had so bluntly taken a life, he the had the right of treating one.

"Don´t you dare to do such a thing, Numbuh 3!" hissed their leader without dropping his guard, his attention now went directly to the tall boy "What are you doing, David?"

And they had to wait for terrible seconds for an answer for the poor boy himself didn´t quite understood his own actions, he really didn´t want to do this but he was desperate and he knew that if he tried to peacefully talk to them, they would try to convince him that what they did was ok. He knew they won´t listen any other way. He could never live with himself knowing that his freedom has come with a very high price: the life of a young, hateful, sinister boy… but a boy nevertheless.

"You see, Nigel, apparently your little toy didn´t work as well as you intended" he lied "You may change my clothes and give me back my memory for a brief moment but I am still as delightful as ever"

The operatives look at him with hatred. They could not understand how and where they have failed

"Ok, so it didn´t work" replied Numbuh 1 trying not to panic at the sight of a sharp object pointed directly at his best friends throat "Just leave us alone and go back to the rest of your creepy self"

"I am going back to them, Nigel" he said almost singing the boy´s name "But, since you are already here, let´s do something useful"

He saw the operatives grasped their weapons and he could almost hear them growl, he was after all putting one of the current top operatives lives on risk, but what other choice did he had? He knew he has crossed the point of no return

"First you drop all your weapons and kick them away from you" He demanded remembering what the bad guys on movies did in this situations, still, he denied he was one to himself. The Kids Next Door hesitated for a moment, but soon, after following their leader, they dropped one by one their weapons. Numbuh .2 recognized the defeat on Numbuh 1´s eyes, he knew the bald kid understood the danger of the situation, for it was not a bubblegum or mustard gun that was treating his friend and companion, it was an actual and sharp knife.

"Empty your pockets as well" he demanded feeling nervous as the time passed, he didn´t known how much time he had before the reinforcements came. Then they saw a little round thing that looked a lot like a tennis ball that the scientist took out of his coat

"What´s that" he asked nervously trying to not lose the grasp of Numbuh 4 who became heavier and heavier as every minute passed.

"This is a failure, apparently" said Numbuh 74.239 bitterly "It did not worked like it should"

This was how Numbuh .2 understood that it was the bomb they had created and that had actually work too good for his liking

"I want that" he said calmed and low, as if he were not a boy treating another, but a child who was asking for his next birthday present "Place it on my pocket and don´t try anything weird" and again, reluctant, they did obey.

"Now" he continued "I´ll go… And I´m taking Numbuh 4 and Mad Scientist here with me" His voice didn´t sounded like David´s at all, nervousness was starting to take over him but the rush of adrenaline was still powerful in his system, he notice the questioning looks on Numbuh 5´s eyes; he suspected she had notice that he was acting less and less like a delighfulized evil boy and more like a restless and scare boy. He cleared his throat and try to convince himself that he could be as evil as the boy who used to habituated his body

"THE REST OF YOU, ON THE FLOOR…AND SHORTY HERE MAY GET OUT OF THIS UNHARMED…" he commanded. He voice was as sharp as the weapon he held against poor little Wally "Count to 200 and try nothing, UNDERSTOOD?"

He saw with relief the kids actually following his words and doing as he had told them. He felt his heart go so fast, he thought it would explode at anytime

"You, Numbuh 74.2 whatever, I want you in front of me" and he did. And so they left 4 members of Sector V too confused and startled to think properly.

::::

The moment that took him and his hostages to get back to the blinded room where the Delightful Children remained felt like interminable hours. When they finally arrived, he felt extremely thankful with the decision they had made of making the lock DNA sampled secured, other way, he couldn´t have open the door, he had would forgotten the password in this situation. The scan read his finger tips and one of his hairs went straight into the recognition box. The heavy locks and walls that protected the room could be heard as they slowly and one by one started opening. Numbuh 74.239 always in front of him and Numbuh 4 now in his own feet, but the letter opener still threatening his safety. Finally, the door was ready to be opened and right before Numbuh .2 did so, he felt a very uneasy feeling taking over him; If he had mourned David´s "dead" as much as he did, how had the rest delightful children? He opened the door shaking and kind of scared

"Numbuh 74.239?" he asked softly and almost kind. The scientist body tensed a little more "I am sorry" And so he kicked him into the room, sending him into the angry claws of a four headed monster.

:::

Things went as he had predicted. The moment the Delightful Children sense the poor red haired scientist on their domains they attacked him like a pack of mad, hungry wolves. And the poor prey was taken by surprise for these children were rarely as physical or aggressive. Soon, the poor boy was on his back at the floor struggling for freedom

"WHERE IS HE?" they demanded furiously and everybody could see the hot tears that were still fresh on their reddish eyes "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?" But Numbuh 74.239 didn't known what to say.

"It´s… it´s ok" said Numbuh .2 after blinding the room from the inside as he saw them doing before during tests. The Delightful Children let go the poor boy and looked at him as he got closer, slowly and carefully. Ready to defend himself with his shiny weapon if it was necessary "It´s gonna be fine… I have a plan to get him back"

The four kids hissed and growled with hate at his sight

"YOU?" they spited "YOU WOULD LOVE TO LOSE HIM! IT´S THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS YOU FROM FREEDOM!"

This statement caught the attention of the short boy in orange

"Who are you talking about?"

"ABOUT DAVID, YOU USELESS DUMBHEAD!" they snapped at him, but more than scare him, their yelled answer only confused him

"What are you talking about, David is right here!" he said almost yelling in expiration "He tried to kill me and all that evil stuff"

"Actually," replied the reassigned operative "I am Numbuh .2… Hi"

"But…"

"It worked, Wally, I lied to you all!"

The scientist chuckled at the confession

"I knew it!" He exclaimed triumphant "I knew my Recommissioning Module 2.0 has worked correctly!" And he celebrated inside his head. The KND enemies look at him with disgust and turned they attention to the sector Z operative that had miraculously came back

"Please!" they pleaded in unison "Please tell us that he is still there! That he is asleep, that we are imagining things and that he is alive and well"

The sight of their begging eyes broke Numbuh .2 heart

"No" said he gloomy, he did not dare to lie at them about something this serious "I´m sorry" and he hanged down his head.

What followed was four heartbreaking screams that surely sounded at over the mansion and that expressed the grief of four broken hearts. The remaining kids let the tears ran once again down their faces and they cried and hit and curled in the floor in grief as reality hit them harder than ever. And the scene broke Numbuh .2, and then, he allowed himself to cry, openly and with no hesitation, he didn´t care anymore! The façade was already down.

"You did this…" said four hurt voices to the scientist in perfect synchronization once they have stop their weeping and he saw how their faces became dark with hatred and rage.

"You KILLED HIM!" yelled the short one as he separate himself physically from the others and attacked fiercely the curly haired kid who let go a high pitched scream.

Bruce hit and hit and punch over and over again blinded by rage as the poor prey tried to defend himself. The rest of the Delightful Children watched the brutal act their brother was committing, it was so unlike them, but they could care less, one of them was gone, and they wanted revenge. Numbuh 4 tried to charge at them and defend this fellow operative but the sharped blade stopped him from doing so. At this point, Numbuh .2 thought it would be his fault if the kid ever develop a fear of knives.

"Killing the only person who can bring him back won´t help, Bruce" He said trying to sound as authoritative and sure as David would have. Bruce stopped and his eyes raised to look at him

"Why would we trust you?" he asked with his raspy voice. This was the moment Numbuh .2 realized that Constance was no more in sight, and he became unrestful

"Because I am on your side! I felt…"

"You better believe him!" interrupted Numbuh 4 voice "Because if he is actually pretending to be evil, I will kick his fancy little butt to moon base! Besides…" and he could talk not more, for a little hand had cover his mouth with a white piece of cloth. Soon his struggles stopped and he felt unconscious on the floor

"Chloroform" explained Constant with the cloth still on her hand "Wanted to do that to him since day one, I can´t stand him"

Numbuh .2 was surprised by how casually she had said that and he was about to make a remark on the subject but he felt a gun pointed at his back

"Do not move" commanded the voice that once belonged to the girl he liked so much "Tell us why we should trust you"

"Because I feel empty and numb without him" he said. His voice was shaking and the tears were filling his eyes once again "Because when I woke up and tried to talk to him I could not find him and it made me sick…I…knew he wasn´t asleep because I could feel his presence and life connected to mine and…" he could not continue with his explanation. His eyes looked for the boy wearing a white coat and he searched for some understanding in his eyes; what he found, was shock "I don´t know why I treated that boy´s life!" He told Numbuh 74.239 "I was scared and wanted to do something!"

"We were trying to help…"

"AND IT WENT WRONG! YOU DID TURN ME BACK TO WHO I USED TO BE, YOU DID GAVE ME BACK MY BODY AND ALL THAT BUT YOU KILLED HIM IN THE PROCESS!" he noticed the top operative wide opened eyes looking straight at him in confusion. This made Numbuh .2 irrationally angrier "YOU KILLED HIM!" he snapped "HE WAS ALIVE! HE WAS A BEING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ME! HE HAD HIS OWN PERSONALITY AND HIS OWN FAVORITE THINGS! HE WAS SMART AND CAREFUL AND EVIL, YES! BUT SURPRISELY LAY BACK WHEN RELAXED. HE LIKED CLASSIC MUSIC AND ENJOYED OLD SILENT MOVIES BECAUSE HE WAS WEIRD LIKE THAN AND I REALLY DON´T GET WHY WE KIDS DON´T LIKE THEM, THEY AREN´T HALF AS BAD!"

He was exhausted, maybe it was the thing he said and that he thought he would never do

"He cared for his family more than I or he himself are able to understand, but I know they meant the world to him" He continued, his voice became raspy from yelling and his throat hurt for he was trying not to cry again "He would do anything to protect them and I get it know… I may have hate him before, but now I would keep his promise and defend these children even if they don´t want me to. Isn´t this what the KND is all about? Protecting children?"

He stop trusting he would find sympathy on Numbuh 74.239, said boy just lowered his gazed, half in shock, half in shame. Numbuh .2 got closer to him hair and kneeled at his side

"I didn´t wanted to come back, not if it meant his death. I was a prisoner but at least I was alive… Please, tell me you can do something ?" he was now begging as the tears ran once again down his face. He noticed the Delightful Children looking at him with a mix of gratefulness and pity. He knew only they understood what he was feeling.

Numbuh 74.239 seemed touched and almost guilty. His gaze found the brunet boy eyes and after hesitating a moment he spoke:

"If you ever tell anyone what I am about to do, I would hunt you both and destroy you, understand?" and he nodded with a sad yet hopeful smile, then, he help the scientist get on his feet "there is a safety code in the Kids Next Door scientific department" he began explaining "every experiment and weapon should be done in such way its effects could be reversed"

Every kid on the room looked at the operative with great expectation

"In theory, it should work… I´ll do my best, but I´ll need some things"

"This is our study room" said four sad voices who were starting to get their hopes up "we can get you whatever you need"

Numbuh 74.239 nodded and began working

::::

It took him almost all night, and the constant hitting on the walls and door that the other operatives kept doing were at times too hard to ignore. He had told them not to try anything weird because the delightful children had Numbuh 4 hostage, and there was no lie in his words, he just failed to tell them that part of him was doing this willingly.

The rest of the night was spent on the forsaken task, but he manage to do it and presented the modified tennis ball to Numbuh .2

"Here you go" said the scientist letting a sighing "just make it explode and everything should be as it was before"

The member of sector z nodded and prepared himself to fly across the room, once again.

"I must tell you" interrupted the boy in coat before he could press any button "That I don´t know what may happen to you… you could disappear for all I know"

Numbuh .2 felt his sweat become cold as fear took over his heart. Then he remembered he was a top operative himself, and he should be brave

"I could never live like this, so I guess is ok" he replied "At least it would be my decision" and he prepared himself to activate the bomb. His hand stopped millimeters before hitting the detonator

"Before I´m gone, There is something I would like to do" he said clear and loud. "Ashley? Is numbuh .3 awake?"

The girl didn´t gave an answer, she just lowered her gaze and he notice how her pale cheeks turned slightly pink

"Well," he continued "Tell her when you can that she is the most intelligent, brave, amazing and pretty girl I have ever met! That I think of her constantly and that I… really like her. if she felt like I do, I asked her to forgive me for what I´m about to do" And he prepared himself, this time for real

"Wait!" cried the blonde girl who was quickly by his side looking at him with a sad smile "A little something from Numbuh .3" and she got on her toes and stretched to place a delicate kiss on his cheek. Once she did, she turned around and walked back to the shield that they have improvised for the occasion, she stopped just before getting in

"And Numbuh .2?" he look at her pretty face again with questioning eyes "thank you, from all of us"

And once she was safe, he hit the button and the blast threw him against the bookshelf, breaking it in many pieces.

::::

When David woke up, his head hurt like it was hit with a baseball bat, and he wasn´t half as wrong. He notice a piercing pain on his torso and found himself unable to move his right leg.

He had missed Sector V rescuing their teammate and fellow operative. He missed Numbuh 4 trying to tell the other the device had actually worked and Numbuh 74.239 convincing them all (Numbuh 4 included) that the Aussie boy was being delirious and that the operation had been a complete failure. He missed his sibling being secretly grateful to a KND operative.

He turned around to see if he could recognized the place he was at, but he had never been there before. Soon enough he realized he was on a hospital room. His eyes traveled through it and he enjoyed the silence for a while; his ears buzzed no more. He was surprised to find a dark siluette sitting on a chair right in front of his bed

"Hello, Father" he greet weakly "how´s your da…"

"What the heck was THAT!" yelled the man and his whole figure got covered in flames

"Wha… what do you mean?"

"Can you EXPLAIN how those PESKY KIDS NEXT DOOR got into MY house and DETONATE A BOMB THAT HURT ONE OF MY CHILDREN!?"

"I don´t know…" answered the poor boy half scared half glad to see the adult concerned

"It was YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!" he yelled "YOU KIDS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SECURITY OF THE MANSION!" the flames were now up to the ceiling and the boy tried to use his arm to protect himself form the heat

"SIR!" yelled a funny looking woman with a nurse attire who had just entered the room "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF"

"Ah?" exclaimed Father surprised. The flames calmed down till they disappear completely

"To come and yell at this young boy who has no fault at all!"

"What?"

"Now go to the waiting room! You are getting a time out young man!"

"But… but…" and the nurse started to push him out the room. David was certainly amused with all this and even when it hurt him a lot, he chuckled silently

"You can´t ground me!" exclaimed Father as he grasped the door trying to remain in the room but he struggled, the lady was surprisingly strong for her age and size

"YOU!" he called the injured boy once again. The youngster stopped giggling and his eyes were fixed on the adult "YOU ARE GROUNDED ! YOU WILL BE SEPARETED FROM THE OTHERS AND SPEND YOUR TIME ON THE LIBRARY STUDING WHATEVER YOU HATE LIKE MATH OR SOMETHING! I´M COMING! LET ME GO!"

aAnd once he was no longer being pulled, he dust his dark silhouette and growled

"You give them killer robots and they don't even bother to check the security" and followed, not with the best attitude, the lovely lady.

The boy considered the punishment unfair. He didn´t even remember what had happen at all and now he will pay for something he was almost sure he had taken care of. The panic buttons worked just fine. He remembered as much.

"Argh! I hate math!"

"Oh! you are still here" he said with tired voice and a heavy bored sigh

"Good thing I am! And you better start appreciating me! You own me too much"

"Eh?" the confusion was evident in his voice, the other one had sounded so sure an relieved that he could not assume he was being sarcastic or anything of the such "I… don´t understand"

He received no answer. Numbuh .2 decided it was better to let that part unexplained. He knew the truth could be too much even for someone like this idiotic kid and that´s why he remained silent, and the other did that too

"David?"

"What?"

What a wonderful sound his voice was, even when it sounded tired and annoyed, he was probably fussing over not getting an answers, he did this every time. But for Numbuh .2, who has passed for so much in so little time, the sound of his bratty voice answering to his name lift a great and heavy weight of his heart.

"David!" he called again, this time more boldly

"What?"

"DAVID!"

"WHAT THE… CRUD DID YOU WANT" he hissed regretting the fact he could not smack someone living inside his mind. He sound of said someone chuckling made him even more angry.

"Man, are you irritable" and he continued laughing. He wanted to said a lot of things. He wanted to explain what had happen. He meant to said he was happy he was alive and complete (because it was still a mystery how the explosion didn´t blew out a limb or two), but more than nothing, he wanted to said he had missed him. His laugh came progressively more and more slow and heavy, and soon, the chuckles where replaced by sobs.

"I hate you" said hiccupping the poor boy "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

But he really didn´t. He was still confused by his previous actions. He was prepared to kill Numbuh 4, for goodness sake! He was terrified with what he did and yet, he knew somehow that he would have done it again if necessary. After all, he did it to save another kid, and that´s what being a KND operative was all about, right? After all, the end justified the means.

"What´s got into you" asked David, surprised by the sudden change "Why are you crying?"

The answer could not be delivered for at that very moment, the door opened and four well behaved children entered in a rush to the room and place themselves right next to the bed. The laying boy smiled at them and he open his mouth to greet them after what must have been a long time apart. He couldn´t manage to do so, because the moment they were close to him, and saw his blue gaze, their eyes were filled with tears and they threw themselves to his bed, taking care of not hurting him, and they cried as he had never seen them do.

The feeling was driving him crazy, and the lack of knowledge was almost too much to bare. He asked them, both out loud and in their minds what was the matter, but no one dared to answer that.

"What happened?" he asked he ex- operative as the emotion took over him "What is going on?"

"I suppose they just missed you" but didn´t elaborated, he didn´t need to know, and he guess he would figure it out any way. He was smart like that, and there are things that are not meant to being kept secret for so long. Still, Numbuh .2 hopped this one would remain in darkness for years to come. David, on his behalf, suddenly remembered the fear and uncertainty he felt the moment the bomb had detonated right next to his feet, and the pain the blow had cause him. He remember the alien sensation of not being able of control his own body or use his own voice as he lay hurt on the floor, and wondered if that was the way Numbuh .2 had felt the very first time he had woke up in his new life.

A male nurse came rushing into the room and shook his head at the scene

"Children" he called, but the reunited family payed no attention to him "You can´t be here! Come on, off to the reception… don't worry about your brother, he would be out of here this afternoon" And he took Lenny by his shoulders, for he was the one closer to him and pull him back, the rest lifted their gazes

"See you around, David" they all said quietly and glad "Is good to have you back" and after slowly letting go his hand, they wiped away their tears and left.

"So" he said trying to distract himself form the over whelming emotions "You hate me? I thought we have left that part behind"

"Please!" replied Numbuh .2 sound a lot more clamed this time "You are an arrogant jerk who thinks himself above everyone else, what´s not to hate?"

"Idiot"

"Stupid"

"Moron"

"Dumb"

"You barbaric doofus"

"You creepy… boring… child" he said ashamed of not finding a better insult but he hide it by laughing lightly. The other one laughed as well.

Numbuh .2 still didn´t understand what has happened, he didn´t even understood if he actually cared about the boy at al,l but he sure was glad he was alive.

"Just hug yourself, David" He said trying to sound rough but that had never been his thing, instead, he sounded almost pathetic

"You´re getting weirder by the minute" sighed the blue eyed boy, and yet he enclosed himself with his own arms…

Just in case.

::::

End of the Last shot

::::

In case you were wondering, yes, Numbuh 74.239 would lied to the whole organization about what had happened.

Yes, I too supposed the KND hated the DCFDTL even more after this.

And, yes, Numbuh .3 was awake, they all were after the Delightful Children screamed in grief. And I believe she returned his feelings, I hinted so at the end of Ashley´s chapter.

So this is the end. I guess some of you will be interested in knowing the story behind this particular shot. This was actually the second one I planned, but I decided to use it as the final chapter and I am glad I did because I re-read the previous one and besides the writing mistakes it would fix later, I notice that with every chapter the bond between the Sector Z and The Delightful Children became stronger, so I think this chapter fits perfectly with that.

Originally, the idea of this chapter was Numbuh .2 doing something to save Father on David´s behalf but it evolved into what you just read. And I am glad with it. It Constance learned to feel compassion for Numbuh .5 and Bruce Pity for Numbuh .1, why wouldn´t David be accustomed to his own host the way Ashley and Lenny did?

Also, I deciede to do not only this chaper but the whole story was that I serously believe the whole sector was aware of what had happen to them, but I like also the idea of them being completely different to the Delightful Children. Also I wanted to read a story that show both sides as human, or nearly.

So in this chapter I killed David, and treated poor little Wally (who I like very much) for the sake of the relationship I wanted between Numbuh .2 and his host. I wonder if I did right.

In my own personal head cannon of this story, Sector Z shares with his child the same bond the delightful Children share between them, and they need each other to live.

I hope everyone had been keep on character and that this chapter had worked the way I intended it to do. I hope you all enjoyed this whole series and that you are pleased with the final product

I thank you deeply for taking the time to read me and hope to see you in another story, and maybe, another fandom

So long

CrackerTales