Disclaimer: I do not own Codename Kids Next Door.
Sector L needed more funding for their Nightly News program, nothing new there. The hair of an operative who took a gum-wad for her was finally growing back, and public relations wanted her to go shake his hand. Shame she couldn't remember the kid's codenumbuh. Numbuh 9-to-5 had sent up yet another reminder that she needed to finish her speech for the upcoming cadet graduation. That girl was the most awesome and annoying secretary at the same time. Oh, and apparently she needed to sign the 2x4 Department's latest review sheets. So, where were they?
Ah, a hamster was using them as a nest again. Cute.
She would ignore it today, she decided. More excuse for her to put it off until later. Abby then faced away from the snoozing fur-ball and rested her head against her palm. What peeved her the most about her new position was its lack of variety. You never knew what you were going to get back as a field operative, anything from bombing the Common Cold's mucus pumps to delivering Global Command a kiddie meal. Now, it was just the same routine day in and day out.
Numbuh 362 only refereed to it as, Supreme Leader's 'withdrawal'; coming off the high of super cool mission detail and settling into dull, repetitive desk work. The tag was fitting, seeing as she felt a twitch every now and again. The urge to charge into an ice-cream men stronghold, just for the thrill of it, was unbelievable.
But she supposed since she hadn't flipped any desks over (yet) that she was still sane. After being under Numbuh 1's command, extra red tape never surprised her. And with her experiences of playing mother-hen to her teammates, listening to the random whines and complaints from younger operatives was almost second-nature. Maybe that's why she was a candidate, she had been unknowingly filling out the resume.
Still, even with the dull office grunt work, there were still things to look forward to. Every Supreme Leader needed to have something they could anticipate. A breath of fresh air. For some it was the new Yipper Force Squad episode. Others, it was being able to go home and sleep. Then for the ones like her, it was visits from certain operatives.
"Hey-OW! You can't go in there!"
Hmm, he was early today.
Lifting up and sitting straighter, Abby's face wore an amused look as the door to her office was roughly kicked open. Stomping in came Wally, carrying a signature expression of frustration, with his back-pack being dragged unceremoniously across the floor. The blond approached her desk as if it were nothing new with a panting, haggard Numbuh 35 stumbling in after him.
"Stop!" Bartie exclaimed, bending over to catch his breath. "You can't –oh geez– just barge into the Supreme Leader's office while she's busy! You didn't even notify communications you were coming to the moon base –"
"Relax, Numbuh 35," Abby waved off a chuckle. "You've done your job, now go on. Numbuh 5's got this."
Bartie replied with some off-beat comment that she didn't give any mind to, and exited the way he came in while Wally yanked a chair from a nearby table and took a seat right across from Abby herself. Once he was comfortable, he bent over into his back-pack and began digging around, grumbling all too commonly.
The Supreme Leader shook her head at his display. He shouldn't be here, he should be back at the treehouse being on call for any mission until his curfew. Bartie was right, Wally should have informed somebody he was coming here beforehand. He probably made a mess of things for air-to-orbit traffic in the docking bay with his abrupt arrival, and she should reprimand him for it. She should be appalled by his disregard for rules and protocol and have him written up. She should give him a stern lecture and order him to go home.
She should do all of that, but she wasn't going to. It had no effect the first two times, and by now, it failed to annoy her anymore.
She was jarred from her thoughts as her desk was rattled, accompanied by a loud thump. She glanced downward, and smirked. "Whatcha got today?"
"Algebra," Wally hissed, as if he spoke the devil's name. He glared as he opened the textbook, harshly going through pages. "If the guy who thought numbers and letters should go together is a genius, then something is seriously wrong with the world."
Abby only nodded along as Wally went over the homework assignment that ailed him this week. She didn't mind the random visits, she sometimes looked forward to them. What better way to liven up the base's atmosphere then having Numbuh 4 march in unexpected? He claimed he didn't need an official reason to come here. His only reason was that a friend promised to help him when he needed it, and he wasn't about to let her wuss out on that promise. He didn't care if she was Supreme Leader or not.
She enjoyed that, though. Abby frowned upon the instant reputation that came with her title. She wasn't Numbuh 5 anymore, she was the Supreme Commander. She wasn't just some operative, she was THE operative. Everyone thought they were below her now, that she had to be viewed in a different. They all acted more careful around her. Even Hoagie and Kuki seemed on pins and needles in her presence. She hated that part of the job.
But Wally, well, he never cared greatly for authority anyway. Even when it was one of his friends. At the end of the day, that was what all she was to him. Just one of his best mates, Abby.
She was more then cool with that.
"I think Numbuh 1 was actually on to somethin', teachers just give us these lame assignments to torture us!" Wally ragged again, and that was enough to bring Abby back to attention. "I mean this jus' doesn't make a lick of sense!"
She bent over the book, and turned it so she could read it properly. She studied the equations, then what Wally had already written down. She gave an approved look at his work. The only thing she didn't like about these visits was that with each new session, they became less frequent. "So what's got ya stuck?"
"This one," he pointed out. "X has gotta be less then six, but when I divide, it just comes out wrong every time! It's just so stupid! It's like there is no answer!"
Abby narrowed her eyes intensely as she worked out Wally's math in her head. Finally, she came to hissame conclusion, only she picked up one tiny vital piece of data he overlooked. "Heh, and there's your answer champ."
"What's that supposed ta mean?"
"The answer to this problem, there isn't one." She then went from the equation, to the directions listed above the set. "It can't be worked out. The answer is: no solution."
Wally blinked. "Ya mean to tell me, they put a problem in there for me to solve, expect me to solve it, only to find out the cruddy thing can't be solved?"
"Pretty much, sport."
"…I don't flippin' believe it! Now the book is lying to me!"
There are other things I should be updating, and I will once I wrap up school and get some free time, but for now I just wanted to whip this up. Thanks for reading!