Disclaimer: I don't own Codename; Kids Next Door!

Title: It's Gonna Be A Long Night

Summary: As tradition states, all new fully-formed sectors must spend one night in complete lockdown-ification. It's a sort of vigil; a night to decide if you're really committed to this job or not. Numbuh 1 is new to leading; Numbuh 2 tries to stay awake; Numbuh 3 just wants to have a tea party; Numbuh 4 wants to punch things. Numbuh 5 watches over to make sure everything goes okay.

...

Matteso585- Canon states she's had rainbow monkeys since she was a baby. We'll never really know what all happened the day Numbuh 1 lost his hair, but we do know the after-effects. =)

Catspats31- I'm not well-versed enough with my operatives to tell you, I'm afraid.

...

The new Sector V arrived at the treehouse base to find a pile of suitcases at the door. Numbuh 5 recognized a pair of boxing gloves, a well-used and well-loved rainbow monkey, tools for making blueprints, and an extra book to read, amongst changes of clothing. She didn't have to have her parents bring her anything; her room was fully furnished. Comfy, even.

"What the heck is all this?" Numbuh 4 blinks at the mess.

"Can't you tell?" She smirks. "We havin' a sleepover."

"Well, not quite." Numbuh 1 sped up to stand in front of them. Numbuh 5 lets him take over without complaint. "Tradition dating back to the first sector of the Kids Next Door states that every new team must spend one night in lockdown-ification together. So, no sleeping."

"That's... pretty stupid soundin'." The boy grunts finally. "I ain't never heard of it before."

Numbuh 2 shrugs. "It's just one of those things. No biggie."

Numbuh 1 preens under the support. Hoagie was just as clueless as the rest of them, but he understood that orders were orders. "Numbuhs 2, 5, and I don't count as a sector on our own. A team, yes, but we weren't given the go ahead until tonight."

Numbuh 4 crosses his arms and squints at her. "You really done this before?"

Numbuh 5 remembers the days she and her sister used to walk to the base together with a pang. "Yup. Numbuh 5's done it. It's real. And, even if it ain't, orders were given. We gotta follow orders."

"Oh, quit being such a grump, Numbuh 4." Numbuh 3 skips over to the pile and pulls her rainbow monkey into a tight hug. "We can pick out our rooms."

"We can't sleep, but we can look around, right?" Numbuh 4 swiveled his head to look at Numbuh 1.

"Well..." Numbuh 5 kicked him in the ankle, hard, regarding both the wincing boy and the others calmly. Inside, however, she felt a bit worried. She'd spent her night running drills and watching movies with her comrades, and for good reason, too.

"'Course. Just don't sleep."

"Cool."

It was just as she feared; they all went down separate hallways.

"Numbuh 2, get back here. We need you for lockdown-ification."

He turned and jogged back with an awkward chuckle. "Right. Coming."

Numbuh 5 silently listened as the walls of the base came crashing down. No one in, no one out. There was a strange sense of peace accompanying those words. Unlike her friends, Abby had already sworn her life to protecting kids. If she was to be killed here, amongst her best friends, it'd be no trouble.

Of course, she wouldn't go out before kicking someone in the teeth. There's that too.

"Numbuh 5." Numbuh 1 nodded to her. Now that everyone was gone, he looked less like a leader and more like a little kid who had no clue what he was doing. "If you wouldn't- I mean," Here, he cleared his throat. "We need to start working on our defense systems, and you know this place best. Your expertise is just what we need."

"Got it." Anything to avoid aimlessly wandering around the base.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you stop me earlier?" He blinks at her over his glasses. "We're supposed to stick together."

Numbuh 5 sighs. "They gotta figure it out on their own, Numbuh 1. If they learn absolutely nothin' tonight, then we'll know this is right for them."

"And if they do?" He prompts.

She shrugs helplessly. "Depends on what they learn."

Author's Note: Short is short, but oh well.

-Mandaree1