Post by CCACorn26 on May 20, 2008 14:14:28 GMT -5
Well, well. My fanfiction timeline is still saved... but this story naturally isn't part of it. Have fun reading it and seeing that the "primary" couple this time might be this forum's favorite, if later on.:
“A Time for Truth, No Time for Shame”
Chapter 1: “Recollection and Revelation”
The shoulder-length-blonde-haired American girl stared out at the revolving blue-green planet from the bridge of the Kids Next Door Moonbase, her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, her hands tucked soberly behind her back. Around her, several operatives walked steadily but also briskly or simply stayed put across the bridge, each engaged intently in his or her own activities. While Numbuh 65.3, known to her as Herbert when he was off duty, was hauling away a stack of papers several inches high, Numbuhs 35 and 23, known respectively as Bartie Stork and Virginia Sims, were keeping track of several consoles at opposite sides of the Moonbase’s global communication monitors that effectively controlled the defense grid around the Moonbase in case of attack. As for the girl herself, a strange sense of uncertainty could be seen in her eyes if one looked closely enough, even as they rotated right, then left, and then back toward the viewscreen in front of her, as though she were waiting for something. Such a mood might have suited her at the moment, since a few months had passed with almost no activity from the Kids Next Door’s usual enemies. Then again, a few months ago, the planet that she knew and loved was close to complete Senior Citizomibification at the hands of one Grandfather… who happened to be the actual grandfather of the bald British boy who was now walking up to her calmly yet loyally, even as she happened to turn around and smile at the sight of her top operative -- and practical boyfriend. Fortunately and incredibly for Rachel McKenzie, a.k.a. Numbuh 362, the Supreme Commander of the Kids Next Door, it was the father of Nigel Uno, a.k.a. Numbuh One, the leader of Sector V, who successfully decommissioned Grandfather and consequently saved the world… or so both of them thought at the moment.
“Hey, Numbuh One. What brings you up to the bridge?” Rachel asked formally yet warmly, her command helmet sitting silently atop her head to indicate her leadership status, the number “362” engraved at its front to indicate her Kids Next Door identity.
“Oh… maybe a chance to admire the Earth from here, Numbuh 362, ma’am,” Nigel answered just as formally and warmly, his sunglass-cloaked eyes facing his Supreme Commander and practical girlfriend to further indicate his typical focus, then paused for a while as he stood still. “Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since I had a view like this without[/b][/u] any urgent missions to attend to.”
“Well, there might not be much to look at around here. It seems that our usual enemies have simply dropped off our radar, despite some flare-ups here and there,” Rachel remarked, now turning her head back toward the Earth.
Nigel nodded in agreement, remembering at least some of those “flare-ups,” from Stickybeard and the Candy Pirates’ attempt to occupy that blurpleberry mine in Mexico to the Crazy Old Cat Lady’s disastrous entrance at a cat-&-dog show. Some weeks after “Grandfather’s Global Senior Citizombification Rampage,” a self-explanatory name for that grim event -- however happy its conclusion was not only for the Kids Next Door, but for all of humankind -- the Mexican Kids Next Door were exploring the mountains for a blurpleberry mine reportedly discovered a few days ago. However, contained within those reports was information about a possible attempt by Stickybeard to claim that mine for myself, which led to Rachel’s order for Sector V to tag along with Sector MX as backup, with appropriate weapons and equipment to monitor any sudden movements. Fortunately, the two teams were able to soundly defeat the Candy Pirates and clear the way for a Kids Next Door defense grid around that blurpleberry mine, another job well done for the KND’s most famous sector. A more comical incident involving an adult villain would take place several days later at a famous cat-&-dog show that the Crazy Old Cat Lady was supposed to attend, most likely to show off “her babies” for the audience to see. A mishap involving one of the dogs resulted a very literal catfight-dogfight across the cat-&-dog show’s main building, exacerbated when the Cat Lady gathered her cats together to transform into one giant cat… which Sector V fortunately managed to take down before too much damage could be done to the building. Yet, as for Father himself, long considered to be the Kids Next Door’s archenemy -- and discovered to be Nigel’s uncle -- he and his Delightful Children were simply tending their mansion, with virtually no plans against Sector V or kids in general… a reality that both Nigel and Rachel began to tacitly absorb as these adult villains gradually began to lose interest in fighting the Kids Next Door, their morale most likely plummeting after what Grandfather did to them.
“Flare-ups?” Nigel chuckled for a bit in grim bemusement. “The adult villains were the ones who got betrayed and forced to spread Grandfather’s tapioca-making world domination agenda. Of course, with them gone, kids can pretty much have fun being kids… don’t you think, Rachel?”
It was Rachel’s turn to nod in agreement, her eyes sparkling for a bit as she remembered some talks and dates she and Nigel had had over the same period of time. “Good, and I’d like you and your sector to keep it that way, Nigel.” The chuckle both of them had at this moment would emphasize her point before she moved on. “Speaking of which, how are your friends doing?”
“That might be the interesting part,” Nigel answered, a raised eyebrow from Rachel indicating her typical curiosity. “Numbuhs Two and Five I observed grabbing some snacks at the cafeteria and talking with each other about some sort of puzzle they stumbled across recently. Numbuhs Three and Four… have been talking with each other about a new friend that Numbuh Three seems to have made.”
“A new friend?” Rachel repeated in curiosity.
“Her name is Atifa, and she seems to be rather shy around others, or so Kuki told me,” Nigel replied, then smiled almost expectantly. “However, she’s begun taking quite a liking to Rainbow Monkeys, much to Kuki’s delight -- and Wally’s dismay.”
“I might’ve guessed. That girl’s ability to make friends with almost anyone I find almost mind-boggling, but I’d generally like Numbuh Three to stay as cheerful as she is,” Rachel said with a certain amount of pleasant bemusement in her voice… then began eyeing Nigel more directly as something flashed in her mind. “Wait a minute. What did you say the new girl’s name is again?”
Nigel blinked in confusion before replying, “It’s Atifa, but I don’t think Wally or Kuki mentioned anything about a last name.”
“Atifa… Atifa… That name sounds familiar for some reason,” Rachel muttered, stroking her chin intently for a few moments, then turned her head sharply up and toward Bartie, her usually stern voice containing an almost unperceivable hint of urgency. “Numbuh 35, take charge of the bridge until I get back. Numbuh One, come with me to my office.”
Flummoxed at first by that first order, Bartie blinked for a few seconds before nodding. “Uh… right away, ma’am.”
Nigel would follow quickly after Rachel as she began walking away from her previous position on the bridge and into a corridor toward their intended destination, eventually letting his current question out of his mind. “So… might I ask what’s going on, Numbuh 362?”
“About two days ago, a mysterious set of documents found its way to my desk, courtesy of Numbuh 65.3. He said he was unable to figure out just what they meant, so he figured it might be yet another item for me to think through. Needless to say, I haven’t really had much luck with those codes,” Rachel explained carefully. “However, I do remember seeing a single word there that now seems more important than it used to be.”
“‘Atifa?’” Nigel wondered aloud, tilting his head as they continued walking down that corridor.
Rachel nodded once to indicate her answer. “Exactly. There might be more to Numbuhs Three and Four’s new friend than we thought.”
Nigel nodded at Rachel’s assessment as they proceeded down the corridor to her office, his mind beginning to churn as it digested what he’d learned so far. Come to think of it, he had yet to meet this new girl himself, but perhaps Kuki and Wally could explain any more details about Atifa once those two met up with him again. For now, though, it seemed that Rachel needed his help figuring out these mysterious codes she was talking about. The Kids Next Door’s most commanding (no pun intended) couple continued on their course down that stony corridor, earning brief salutes from operatives who happened to be passing by. Perhaps strangely enough, not one of them particularly minded Nigel and Rachel’s new romantic friendship, something Nigel and Rachel were perfectly content to let slip into the backgrounds of their minds as they eventually reached Rachel’s office. The automatic door slid open, clearing the way for them to enter and then proceed toward Rachel’s desk, which looked rather cluttered with several items to anyone who got closer to it. Fortunately, pens, an intercom, and several papers with unknown writing on them were present on it.
“So… what about these documents you mentioned, Numbuh 362?” Nigel asked while standing near Rachel’s chair, in which she just sat down, his head leaning slightly downward to read the documents, at one of which Rachel narrowed her eyes steadily. “Do you suppose that Atifa is somehow connected to whatever’s in them?”
“Believe me, Numbuh One, I’m as curious to learn about them as you are,” Rachel replied, the tone of her voice agreeing with her words overall as her eyes browsed through the paper in front of her right now. “This looks like a set of cost calculations, and that one” -- she pointed to something to the right side of her desk, where Nigel easily picked it up to start reading himself -- “has quite a lot of weird names on it, almost like a list.”
“Weird names, indeed,” Nigel stated directly, his eyes performing a similar action to Rachel’s eyes for a few more moments. “I found Atifa’s name, but there’s another one right beside it that I’ve certainly never heard of… Wait a minute…” His eyes were almost completely still, focusing now on three words that jumped out particularly boldly in his mind -- and after all of about seven seconds, through his mouth as deliberately as it could. “‘Prince Asadullah Hassan…’ ‘Prince Asadullah Hassan…’ Quite a name at the top of this document, but maybe Numbuhs Four and Three will be happy with simply meeting Atifa again. Now that I think about it… Numbuh Three said she wanted to do so in the next couple of days.”
At that last statement, Rachel exchanged curious looks with Nigel, staring silently and directly at him for all of about 20 seconds before pressing a button on her intercom. “Attention, Kids Next Door Moonbase. Will Numbuhs Three and Four report to my office A-S-A-now? Thank you for your cooperation. Numbuh 362 out.” After letting go of that activation button, Rachel turned back to face her boyfriend and top sector leader. “All right. Let’s see what those two have to say about Atifa… according to your idea.”
Nigel said nothing, his eyes turned toward the doorway, his mind in agreement with that of his girlfriend and Supreme Commander. Rachel’s hands themselves were now clasped together on her desk, her eyes also turned toward that doorway. Whoever Atifa was, as per Nigel and Rachel’s perceptions, she was beginning to be more mysterious than they initially imagined, which both of them would be eager to at least start clearing up as they awaited the arrival of the two kids long considered the most famous, lovey-dovey couple in all of the Kids Next Door. Then again, Nigel and Rachel didn’t have too long to wait, for about one minute after Rachel’s intercom announcement, the automatic door slid open to reveal Numbuhs Three and Four of Sector V, known respectively as Kuki Sanban and Wally Beetles. If Wally projected an appearance of tough soberness, sticking with his usual demeanor, then Kuki’s demeanor might have been cheerful enough to light up the Supreme Commander’s office a smidgen, something her voice might have signaled just a bit more clearly.
“Hey, Numbuhs One and 362!!” Kuki greeted her commanding friends as happily as she usually did. “Ooh, do you two have something planned for today, like a movie or a play or something like that for the Kids Next Door Moonbase to watch? I’ll bet that if Atifa were a Kid Next Door herself, she’d enjoy hanging out with all her friends here, and then we could talk, eat some candy…”
Rachel cleared her throat into the top of her fist to signal Kuki to stop. “Funny you should mention Atifa, Numbuh Three. Numbuh One was just telling me about the friendship you two have with her.”
“Eh…” Wally laughed nervously for a couple of seconds, then cleared his face back to its previous seriousness. “I wouldn’t really say that. Atifa talks with Numbuh Three much more than with me.” Wally cringed mentally at what he was about to disclose, something almost antithetical to his usual demeanor. “In fact, Kuki even managed to teach Atifa that cruddy Rainbow Monkey theme song, and she’s starting to enjoy singing it!!”
“Hey!!!! I’ll have you know, Numbuh Four, that Rainbow Monkeys are supposed to spread love and joy wherever they go, so that people everywhere can be happy, even people like Atifa,” Kuki countered.
“Well, I’m definitely not the one goin’ around actin’ like a girly girl who’s always thinkin’ of Rainbow Monkeys and butterflies to love,” Wally counter-countered as sharply as he could.
“Um… right,” Nigel interrupted Wally and Kuki quickly, sensing that their argument was starting to get a bit out of hand, then continued with his idea. “Numbuh 362 and I want the two of you to proceed with your next encounter with Atifa as you originally intended, Numbuhs Three and Four. Perhaps you can even introduce her to us, but obviously if we’re all meeting her wherever on Earth she wants us to meet her. We wouldn’t want to give away too much information about the Kids Next Door right now.”
“Eh? I didn’t know Numbuh 362 had an interest in meeting Atifa,” Wally commented in slight confusion, then shrugged. “Don’t worry, Numbuh One. We’ll take care of it. Come on, Numbuh Three, let’s go.”
Kuki giggled at Wally’s offer, and both of them began to walk out of the Supreme Commander’s office, leaving Nigel and Rachel to eye that insanely popular Kids Next Door couple. One might have been quite astounded at just how Wally and Kuki managed to get along so well. The two of them had seen many, many adventures together within the Kids Next Door, helping each other along the way, such that practically everybody within that global organization of kids honestly opined that the two of them made an excellent couple… including the two particularly young kids who were now passing through that same corridor, perhaps on their way toward their own destination. Even now, there was some speculation that Numbuhs 84 and 83, known respectively as Lee Curtis and Sonia Mason, could become the next Wally Beetles and Kuki Sanban, but for now, Lee and Sonia were perfectly content to stay best friends, something both of them would be happy about as they happened to catch sight of Wally and Kuki.
“Oh. Hey there, Numbuhs Three and Four. Are you guys heading off somewhere?” Sonia began cheerfully and innocently.
“Yep. We’ve got a new friend to talk to, and Numbuhs One and 362 just told us they wanted to meet her in the future,” Kuki said in return, clearly eager to meet with Atifa again.
“Cool. Good luck with your new friend, guys. See ya,” Lee said calmly, his yo-yo spinning up and down almost routinely.
Wally gave a short nod to affirm his overall focus. “Uh, sure.”
With that quick conclusion, Wally and Kuki continued down the corridor toward the spaceship hangar, leaving Lee and Sonia to continue on their way. Yet, Lee and Sonia were heading… in the opposite direction from Wally and Kuki, which eventually took those two really young Kids Next Door operatives close enough to the Supreme Commander’s office that they might have been curious to see just what Nigel and Rachel were up to. As it was, Nigel and Rachel had by now returned to their previous investigation into those mysterious documents, their curiosity floating steadily through their minds about Wally Beetles and Kuki Sanban’s new friend. As Lee Curtis and Sonia Mason watched intently once they arrived, Nigel Uno and Rachel McKenzie browsed through each document meticulously, cross-referencing with any items on Rachel’s computer, now having revolved upward from within her desk… in pursuit of answers to the mystery of Atifa, along with Prince Asadullah Hassan.
END OF CHAPTER 1
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“A Time for Truth, No Time for Shame”
Chapter 2: “Meeting Atifa”
Wally and Kuki proceeded down the sidewalk toward their destination, their mission even more visible in their mind’s eyes during their trip from the Kids Next Door’s lunar headquarters, courtesy of Nigel and Rachel’s additional incentive for them to meet their new friend again. Wally and Kuki had met her only a couple of days ago in an ice cream store in Gallagher, Ohio, where those two were taking a break after seeing nothing to do at Sector V’s treehouse. Perhaps to put it more appropriately, Wally had saved Kuki a couple of seats in front of the counter when, out of the corner of her eye, Kuki noticed another girl at the farthest seat to her right, sitting completely alone without anyone to talk to, something Kuki didn’t like one bit. Wally got the ice cream cones he ordered for himself and Kuki, but by the time he noticed, Kuki was already sitting next to the new girl, obviously attempting to make friends with her. By about twenty minutes later, the new girl was singing the (dreaded) Rainbow Monkey theme song as eagerly as she could, which understandably made Kuki even happier… and the rest was history from there.
Finally, Kuki and Wally reached Gallagher Park and entered through its main entrance, proceeding down the stony path toward their intended rendezvous point. As ever, their outward actions might have certainly matched their inward thoughts. While Wally was focused straight ahead of him, Kuki was admiring the scenery around her, from the small flowers growing in certain areas of the grass to the small birds fluttering through the air. It was quite a sunny day for kids Wally and Kuki’s age to go outside and hang out with each other as the Kids Next Door’s most famous couple continued deeper and deeper into the park… until they came across a bench on which sat the girl they’d been expecting to meet. Nobody else in view of that bench seemed to pay particular attention to this girl, her head hesitantly turned upward to view the cloudless sky above all of them. Then again, upon looking around, one might have thought that nobody else was at the park, period. As for the girl herself, her hands were clasped together on her lap as politely as they could be, and her skirt, which went to her knees, could handily be compared to the grass on both sides of the pathway. Perhaps a bit more striking was the contrast between her plain white shirt and sneakers… and her black hair, which flowed downward slightly past her shoulders, but most striking was her demeanor. She had a hint of hesitation in her eyes, as though she were afraid that something would happen if she looked up at the sky for too long. If anything troubled that girl at the moment, then it would be up to Kuki to fix that problem as she and Wally walked up to that bench.
“Hey, Atifa!! We’re here,” Kuki said cheerfully.
The girl jumped slightly off the bench, startled for all of about one millisecond before smiling at the two kids standing in front of her to the left. “Oh. Kuki, Wally. You guys made it just in time.”
“Yeah, Atifa, we’re here,” Wally affirmed bluntly, then sighed while turning his head upward, beginning to mutter to himself, “I still can’t figure out why Nigel and Rachel would wanna meet Atifa so soon…”
Apparently oblivious to Wally’s muttering, Kuki was already eagerly stepping in front of Atifa. “So, what do you wanna do today, Atifa? Smell the pretty flowers, look at the butterflies, get some candy?”
“Um… sure,” Atifa responded gently, standing up from the bench. “I’d love to see the flowers in this park. They must be really pretty.”
“YAY!!!” Kuki cheered. “Come on, Wally, you wanna join Atifa and me? There might be some flowers here for you.”
“No thanks, Kuki. I think I’ll be fine keeping an eye out for any trouble in this park,” Wally countered firmly.
“Oh, don’t be such a worrywart, silly!!! What do you think this is, a thunderstorm or something?” Kuki asked, her simple happiness lighting up the park even further, if it wasn’t already.
“Eh, just go and smell all those flowers with Atifa, Kuki. Once both of you are done…” Wally smiled to himself as he reached into his left pocket. “I’ve still got some money if either of you wants ice cream.”
“Awww, that’s sooooo sweet of you, Wally!!!! Thank you!!!” Kuki replied, now more cheerful than she was earlier as she then walked up to Wally… and kissed his left cheek, freezing him in place.
Atifa couldn’t resist the befuddlement now crossing her face at the scene in front of her. “Um… are you two best friends or even a couple?”
“Sure, Atifa. Wally’s my best friend, even though he insults my Rainbow Monkeys sometimes. However, if there’s any danger, he’s always there to help me, and I’m always there to help him,” Kuki explained warmly, then turned to Wally, who by now had managed to shake himself out of his stupor. “Isn’t that right, Wally?”
“Uh… sure. Whatever,” Wally said with some hesitation, then a little more determination. “Yeah, Kuki’s my friend, and if anyone even thinks of messing with her, that person’s gonna hafta go through me!!!”
Atifa couldn’t help being almost shocked at the bond these two kids seemed to possess as she began to think of her experiences. She recalled her household… and cringed somewhat at the recent memories. She’d been quite curious to learn about her new environment even when she was much younger, but now, her father seemed more and more distant to her, speaking as though any interaction outside of the family’s boundaries would lead her astray and corrupt her perfect beauty. She wanted to be a simple, regular 10-year-old girl in the world around her, admiring butterflies and flowers, as Kuki said, or getting some ice cream, as Wally said. Yet, such… carefree actions bore a stark contrast to her family’s absolutism about practically everything they could think of, a contrast that Atifa and Kuki were about to undertake as Kuki began to speak.
“Hey, Atifa, is something wrong?” Kuki wondered, a hint of worry on her face, something she did not like herself or her friends to have often.
Not quite certain about her thoughts, Atifa simply shook her head negatively. “No, Kuki, I’m okay. Let’s go smell the flowers for now.”
With another cheer from Kuki, the two girls wandered onto the field of grass off the stone pathway, admiring whatever flowers they saw around them. Kuki went into one area, Atifa into another, each girl leaning down to sniff any flower she picked. The smile on Kuki’s face could have made anyone feel a warm glow in his or her soul, as it did with Atifa when she and Kuki first became friends. Such was Atifa’s curiosity that there could be one logical question for her to think of… one that would allow Kuki to remember something else about the friendships that she had right now.
“So, Kuki… do you and Wally have any other friends besides each other?” Atifa asked, still a bit reluctant about a potential response from Kuki. “Maybe there are other people who like hanging out with you two often.”
Kuki gasped as Nigel and Rachel’s request suddenly surfaced in her mind, making certain to say their real names rather than their Kids Next Door identities. “Oh, yeah, Atifa!!! I almost forgot. Of course we have quite a few friends we can hang out with. There’re Abby and Hoagie, two kids who enjoy exploring quite a lot and having fun along the way. Then, Nigel’s our leader, as is Rachel. They’re both strong and brave, but they can get quite serious about whatever they do. Don’t worry, though, Atifa. I’m sure that you’ll meet them once we get the chance.”
A warm smile made its way onto Atifa’s face at Kuki’s offer, followed by a humble nod. “I’d really enjoy that, Kuki.”
As Atifa and Kuki continued talking with each other, Wally simply stood watch near the bench, his eyes and eventually his head sometimes rotating from side to side, his arms crossed thoughtfully. The last thing he wanted now was an attack by any adult villain while Kuki and Atifa were either kneeling down to smell the flowers or looking up at any birds and butterflies soaring high in the sky toward their respective destinations. Some touched down in a nearby tree, while others simply continued flying beyond Gallagher Park, most likely in search of a new destination. Wally’s eyes happened to catch onto one particular bird as its wings unfolded to its two sides gracefully… and then, it flew directly above someone standing on the stone path in the distance, off to wherever it was going. That bird would eventually be forgotten as Wally began eyeing this mysterious person a bit more suspiciously. This person turned to be a boy of about 11 years of age, and he was holding what looked like binoculars that he was peering through in a certain direction as he began wandering into the grass to his side himself. Leaning his head slightly toward the new boy while narrowing his eyes, Wally mentally guessed the general direction of the binoculars and slowly turned his head to follow it. Sure enough, it stopped… at Kuki and Atifa, leading Wally to turn his head back toward the boy to make certain that what he was seeing was correct, repeating the head turn a few times more. Finally, resolve crossed Wally’s face as he concluded that something wasn’t right with that boy’s observations of the two girls, resolve that would echo across the park after he took one last look at them and turned to face the boy.
“Hey, you!! What the crud are ya doin’?” Wally called out to the unknown boy… only to see him quickly shove the binoculars into his pocket and start racing off toward the exit out of the park, forcing Wally’s conclusion as he snarled to himself before starting to race after that boy, “That stupid, sneaky intru-- Hey, get back here!!!! I’ve got some questions I wanna ask ya!!!”
“Wally? What’s going on?” Kuki called out herself, obviously hearing the commotion.
“Just stay back, Kuki!!! I’ve got an intruder to deal with!!” Wally yelled back, still dashing toward the exit out of Gallagher Park… and turned his head sharply to both his sides and then in front of him for that almost sinister-looking boy. “Which way did he go…?” Wally snorted, having decided that the boy was gone, and walked back into the park toward Kuki and Atifa, an expression of worry on Atifa’s face that Wally was about to do something drastic. “It’s okay, girls. Whoever that kid is, he’s gone now.”
“Wally… what did that boy look like?” Atifa asked, quite curiously to Wally and Kuki.
“I couldn’t quite get that, but he seemed to be holding binoculars and watching both of you more closely than I’d like,” Wally explained as directly as he could, turning his head back toward the exit, a frown of suspicion visible on his face. “By the time I reached the exit, he vanished… which means that it’s just the three of us again. Now, let’s get outta here before something weirder happens.” A smile replaced Wally’s previous frown this time as he turned back to face Kuki and Atifa. “If I recall, Kuki, you said you wanted some ice cream.”
Sharing Wally’s new smile, Kuki turned to Atifa, who then nodded much more happily, almost relieved that these two kids were becoming genuine friends to her. Their minds now made up, Wally, Kuki, and Atifa began proceeding toward the exit out of Gallagher Park, determined not to allow that incident earlier to distract their minds from whatever ice cream they were planning to order. Kuki had managed to pick up some flowers between the three of them, most likely to lighten the mood even further now. None of them could have quite imagined just how heavily the boy standing distantly behind them would be eyeing each of them, but especially Atifa. This boy’s eyes were narrowed with dark suspicion, as though the two strange kids accompanying Atifa were unconscionable to deal with. He reached down toward the left side of his waist, removed a walkie-talkie from there to hold it to his face, and pressed the activation switch.
“Did you manage to escape, brother?” the boy said into the walkie-talkie, gravitas conspicuous in the tone of his voice.
“Yes, I did. That boy in the orange sweater is quite a runner, but I’m not certain about his intelligence,” a voice laced with similar gravitas affirmed from the walkie-talkie. “We must hurry back.”
“Indeed,” the boy still standing on the stone path at the opposite end of where Wally, Kuki, and Atifa exited said a bit more darkly than before. “By Allah, if those two rotten kids continue leading our sister astray for long enough, the ceremony could be ruined. Our grandfather will be furious at the resulting insult to our family… as will his associates.”
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“This is getting to be one odd investigation, Numbuh 362.”
“That, Numbuh One, might be one gihugic understatement.”
Nigel and Rachel peered even more thoughtfully at the flat-screen computer that rotated upward earlier when Rachel pressed a certain button underneath her desktop, Nigel’s elbow resting calmly on Rachel’s shoulder, Lee and Sonia watching them just as intently. Fortunately, Lee and Sonia managed to keep themselves quiet as Nigel and Rachel glanced between that computer and the mysterious documents, now gathered to Rachel’s left near the intercom. As for Nigel and Rachel themselves, the codes they’d managed to unlock left them frowning with even more curiosity at the content of those documents, if the files those codes managed to open weren’t confusing enough for this commanding couple in the Kids Next Door.
“Let me see what we have here: a list of many weird names for an event involving Atifa and someone known as ‘Hisham Tantawi,’” Rachel began slowly. “Then, there are the items in those calculations…”
“Whatever this Prince Asadullah Hasssan seems to be planning, it must be big,” Nigel commented.
“Wow. It’ll really be cool to meet Wally and Kuki’s friend if we get the chance,” Lee said with quiet awe. “What do you think, Sonia?”
“I might think so, Lee, but maybe we should pay attention to what Nigel and Rachel find out about her,” Sonia said admonitorily. “I really hope there’s nothing bad about that Prince Asadullah.”
Their eyes browsing through each file on the computer once and then twice, Nigel and Rachel mentally consumed each new piece of information for themselves, switching back and forth in the process. From plane ticket orders to invitations all over countries located in the Middle East to formal outfits and gowns, the puzzle these two commanding kids had in front of them was becoming clearer yet also more complex. What could Prince Asadullah possibly want to do with such a list of famous individuals, as well as Atifa? Eventually, the discovery of a single officiant would prove crucial for Nigel and Rachel’s comprehension.
“Is it just me… or do we get the feeling that this is a wedding ceremony that we’re dealing with?” Nigel finally asked out loud, seeing no other conclusion in his mind after mentally digesting the information.
“Whoa!!! Wedding ceremony?!” Lee and Sonia exclaimed, total surprise obvious in their voices, before Sonia continued, “That’s so awesome… right?”
“Maybe, Lee and Sonia,” Rachel affirmed cautiously, then picked up one last document to further confirm her and Nigel’s concluding assessment. “However, Nigel, didn’t you say that Kuki told you that Atifa was shy?”
“She did, Rachel, but why would that be the case…?” Nigel’s voice trailed off as he and Rachel’s eyes were now completely fixated on the document Rachel was now holding. “You have to be kidding me.”
Rachel simply shook her head, her mind in agreement with Nigel’s at the paper in front of her. According to that document, Atifa was the granddaughter… of Prince Asadullah Hassan Al-Saud[/b][/u]. If those other weird names added up to match Nigel and Rachel’s assessment, from Chinese Prime Minister Li Shangwei to Kingdom Islamic Bank deputy chairman Hafez Muntasir Al-Tabuki, then Lee and Sonia would have found the conclusion just as inescapable, as shocking it was already. Nigel and Rachel exhaled and steeled their faces as Rachel began stacking the wedding documents together into a folder that she just took out of a nearby drawer.
“So, Rachel, is it time to inform the others?” Nigel asked, his eyes eyeing his girlfriend with a new look of resolve.
“Time, indeed, Nigel. We’ll be quite interested to know the background of some of the associates of Prince Asadullah,” Rachel replied resolutely, her eyes meeting those of her boyfriend with similar resolve, and then, she pressed the activation button on her intercom for one last message. “Attention, Kids Next Door Moonbase. I want Numbuhs Two, Five, 23, 35, 60, and 86 to report to the Moonbase conference room for a special emergency meeting in 15 minutes. Numbuh 362 out.”
The activation button turned off, the Supreme Commander of the Kids Next Door got up from her chair and proceeded out of her office, with the folder containing the documents held securely in her left hand and the leader of Sector V directly and loyally following behind her. Lee and Sonia followed those two Kids Next Door commanders a bit farther behind soon after, more curious than ever to learn just what Nigel and Rachel were about to reveal about Prince Asadullah Hassan Al-Saud and his associates… as genuinely sinister as some of them might be.
END OF CHAPTER 2
“A Time for Truth, No Time for Shame”
Chapter 1: “Recollection and Revelation”
The shoulder-length-blonde-haired American girl stared out at the revolving blue-green planet from the bridge of the Kids Next Door Moonbase, her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, her hands tucked soberly behind her back. Around her, several operatives walked steadily but also briskly or simply stayed put across the bridge, each engaged intently in his or her own activities. While Numbuh 65.3, known to her as Herbert when he was off duty, was hauling away a stack of papers several inches high, Numbuhs 35 and 23, known respectively as Bartie Stork and Virginia Sims, were keeping track of several consoles at opposite sides of the Moonbase’s global communication monitors that effectively controlled the defense grid around the Moonbase in case of attack. As for the girl herself, a strange sense of uncertainty could be seen in her eyes if one looked closely enough, even as they rotated right, then left, and then back toward the viewscreen in front of her, as though she were waiting for something. Such a mood might have suited her at the moment, since a few months had passed with almost no activity from the Kids Next Door’s usual enemies. Then again, a few months ago, the planet that she knew and loved was close to complete Senior Citizomibification at the hands of one Grandfather… who happened to be the actual grandfather of the bald British boy who was now walking up to her calmly yet loyally, even as she happened to turn around and smile at the sight of her top operative -- and practical boyfriend. Fortunately and incredibly for Rachel McKenzie, a.k.a. Numbuh 362, the Supreme Commander of the Kids Next Door, it was the father of Nigel Uno, a.k.a. Numbuh One, the leader of Sector V, who successfully decommissioned Grandfather and consequently saved the world… or so both of them thought at the moment.
“Hey, Numbuh One. What brings you up to the bridge?” Rachel asked formally yet warmly, her command helmet sitting silently atop her head to indicate her leadership status, the number “362” engraved at its front to indicate her Kids Next Door identity.
“Oh… maybe a chance to admire the Earth from here, Numbuh 362, ma’am,” Nigel answered just as formally and warmly, his sunglass-cloaked eyes facing his Supreme Commander and practical girlfriend to further indicate his typical focus, then paused for a while as he stood still. “Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since I had a view like this without[/b][/u] any urgent missions to attend to.”
“Well, there might not be much to look at around here. It seems that our usual enemies have simply dropped off our radar, despite some flare-ups here and there,” Rachel remarked, now turning her head back toward the Earth.
Nigel nodded in agreement, remembering at least some of those “flare-ups,” from Stickybeard and the Candy Pirates’ attempt to occupy that blurpleberry mine in Mexico to the Crazy Old Cat Lady’s disastrous entrance at a cat-&-dog show. Some weeks after “Grandfather’s Global Senior Citizombification Rampage,” a self-explanatory name for that grim event -- however happy its conclusion was not only for the Kids Next Door, but for all of humankind -- the Mexican Kids Next Door were exploring the mountains for a blurpleberry mine reportedly discovered a few days ago. However, contained within those reports was information about a possible attempt by Stickybeard to claim that mine for myself, which led to Rachel’s order for Sector V to tag along with Sector MX as backup, with appropriate weapons and equipment to monitor any sudden movements. Fortunately, the two teams were able to soundly defeat the Candy Pirates and clear the way for a Kids Next Door defense grid around that blurpleberry mine, another job well done for the KND’s most famous sector. A more comical incident involving an adult villain would take place several days later at a famous cat-&-dog show that the Crazy Old Cat Lady was supposed to attend, most likely to show off “her babies” for the audience to see. A mishap involving one of the dogs resulted a very literal catfight-dogfight across the cat-&-dog show’s main building, exacerbated when the Cat Lady gathered her cats together to transform into one giant cat… which Sector V fortunately managed to take down before too much damage could be done to the building. Yet, as for Father himself, long considered to be the Kids Next Door’s archenemy -- and discovered to be Nigel’s uncle -- he and his Delightful Children were simply tending their mansion, with virtually no plans against Sector V or kids in general… a reality that both Nigel and Rachel began to tacitly absorb as these adult villains gradually began to lose interest in fighting the Kids Next Door, their morale most likely plummeting after what Grandfather did to them.
“Flare-ups?” Nigel chuckled for a bit in grim bemusement. “The adult villains were the ones who got betrayed and forced to spread Grandfather’s tapioca-making world domination agenda. Of course, with them gone, kids can pretty much have fun being kids… don’t you think, Rachel?”
It was Rachel’s turn to nod in agreement, her eyes sparkling for a bit as she remembered some talks and dates she and Nigel had had over the same period of time. “Good, and I’d like you and your sector to keep it that way, Nigel.” The chuckle both of them had at this moment would emphasize her point before she moved on. “Speaking of which, how are your friends doing?”
“That might be the interesting part,” Nigel answered, a raised eyebrow from Rachel indicating her typical curiosity. “Numbuhs Two and Five I observed grabbing some snacks at the cafeteria and talking with each other about some sort of puzzle they stumbled across recently. Numbuhs Three and Four… have been talking with each other about a new friend that Numbuh Three seems to have made.”
“A new friend?” Rachel repeated in curiosity.
“Her name is Atifa, and she seems to be rather shy around others, or so Kuki told me,” Nigel replied, then smiled almost expectantly. “However, she’s begun taking quite a liking to Rainbow Monkeys, much to Kuki’s delight -- and Wally’s dismay.”
“I might’ve guessed. That girl’s ability to make friends with almost anyone I find almost mind-boggling, but I’d generally like Numbuh Three to stay as cheerful as she is,” Rachel said with a certain amount of pleasant bemusement in her voice… then began eyeing Nigel more directly as something flashed in her mind. “Wait a minute. What did you say the new girl’s name is again?”
Nigel blinked in confusion before replying, “It’s Atifa, but I don’t think Wally or Kuki mentioned anything about a last name.”
“Atifa… Atifa… That name sounds familiar for some reason,” Rachel muttered, stroking her chin intently for a few moments, then turned her head sharply up and toward Bartie, her usually stern voice containing an almost unperceivable hint of urgency. “Numbuh 35, take charge of the bridge until I get back. Numbuh One, come with me to my office.”
Flummoxed at first by that first order, Bartie blinked for a few seconds before nodding. “Uh… right away, ma’am.”
Nigel would follow quickly after Rachel as she began walking away from her previous position on the bridge and into a corridor toward their intended destination, eventually letting his current question out of his mind. “So… might I ask what’s going on, Numbuh 362?”
“About two days ago, a mysterious set of documents found its way to my desk, courtesy of Numbuh 65.3. He said he was unable to figure out just what they meant, so he figured it might be yet another item for me to think through. Needless to say, I haven’t really had much luck with those codes,” Rachel explained carefully. “However, I do remember seeing a single word there that now seems more important than it used to be.”
“‘Atifa?’” Nigel wondered aloud, tilting his head as they continued walking down that corridor.
Rachel nodded once to indicate her answer. “Exactly. There might be more to Numbuhs Three and Four’s new friend than we thought.”
Nigel nodded at Rachel’s assessment as they proceeded down the corridor to her office, his mind beginning to churn as it digested what he’d learned so far. Come to think of it, he had yet to meet this new girl himself, but perhaps Kuki and Wally could explain any more details about Atifa once those two met up with him again. For now, though, it seemed that Rachel needed his help figuring out these mysterious codes she was talking about. The Kids Next Door’s most commanding (no pun intended) couple continued on their course down that stony corridor, earning brief salutes from operatives who happened to be passing by. Perhaps strangely enough, not one of them particularly minded Nigel and Rachel’s new romantic friendship, something Nigel and Rachel were perfectly content to let slip into the backgrounds of their minds as they eventually reached Rachel’s office. The automatic door slid open, clearing the way for them to enter and then proceed toward Rachel’s desk, which looked rather cluttered with several items to anyone who got closer to it. Fortunately, pens, an intercom, and several papers with unknown writing on them were present on it.
“So… what about these documents you mentioned, Numbuh 362?” Nigel asked while standing near Rachel’s chair, in which she just sat down, his head leaning slightly downward to read the documents, at one of which Rachel narrowed her eyes steadily. “Do you suppose that Atifa is somehow connected to whatever’s in them?”
“Believe me, Numbuh One, I’m as curious to learn about them as you are,” Rachel replied, the tone of her voice agreeing with her words overall as her eyes browsed through the paper in front of her right now. “This looks like a set of cost calculations, and that one” -- she pointed to something to the right side of her desk, where Nigel easily picked it up to start reading himself -- “has quite a lot of weird names on it, almost like a list.”
“Weird names, indeed,” Nigel stated directly, his eyes performing a similar action to Rachel’s eyes for a few more moments. “I found Atifa’s name, but there’s another one right beside it that I’ve certainly never heard of… Wait a minute…” His eyes were almost completely still, focusing now on three words that jumped out particularly boldly in his mind -- and after all of about seven seconds, through his mouth as deliberately as it could. “‘Prince Asadullah Hassan…’ ‘Prince Asadullah Hassan…’ Quite a name at the top of this document, but maybe Numbuhs Four and Three will be happy with simply meeting Atifa again. Now that I think about it… Numbuh Three said she wanted to do so in the next couple of days.”
At that last statement, Rachel exchanged curious looks with Nigel, staring silently and directly at him for all of about 20 seconds before pressing a button on her intercom. “Attention, Kids Next Door Moonbase. Will Numbuhs Three and Four report to my office A-S-A-now? Thank you for your cooperation. Numbuh 362 out.” After letting go of that activation button, Rachel turned back to face her boyfriend and top sector leader. “All right. Let’s see what those two have to say about Atifa… according to your idea.”
Nigel said nothing, his eyes turned toward the doorway, his mind in agreement with that of his girlfriend and Supreme Commander. Rachel’s hands themselves were now clasped together on her desk, her eyes also turned toward that doorway. Whoever Atifa was, as per Nigel and Rachel’s perceptions, she was beginning to be more mysterious than they initially imagined, which both of them would be eager to at least start clearing up as they awaited the arrival of the two kids long considered the most famous, lovey-dovey couple in all of the Kids Next Door. Then again, Nigel and Rachel didn’t have too long to wait, for about one minute after Rachel’s intercom announcement, the automatic door slid open to reveal Numbuhs Three and Four of Sector V, known respectively as Kuki Sanban and Wally Beetles. If Wally projected an appearance of tough soberness, sticking with his usual demeanor, then Kuki’s demeanor might have been cheerful enough to light up the Supreme Commander’s office a smidgen, something her voice might have signaled just a bit more clearly.
“Hey, Numbuhs One and 362!!” Kuki greeted her commanding friends as happily as she usually did. “Ooh, do you two have something planned for today, like a movie or a play or something like that for the Kids Next Door Moonbase to watch? I’ll bet that if Atifa were a Kid Next Door herself, she’d enjoy hanging out with all her friends here, and then we could talk, eat some candy…”
Rachel cleared her throat into the top of her fist to signal Kuki to stop. “Funny you should mention Atifa, Numbuh Three. Numbuh One was just telling me about the friendship you two have with her.”
“Eh…” Wally laughed nervously for a couple of seconds, then cleared his face back to its previous seriousness. “I wouldn’t really say that. Atifa talks with Numbuh Three much more than with me.” Wally cringed mentally at what he was about to disclose, something almost antithetical to his usual demeanor. “In fact, Kuki even managed to teach Atifa that cruddy Rainbow Monkey theme song, and she’s starting to enjoy singing it!!”
“Hey!!!! I’ll have you know, Numbuh Four, that Rainbow Monkeys are supposed to spread love and joy wherever they go, so that people everywhere can be happy, even people like Atifa,” Kuki countered.
“Well, I’m definitely not the one goin’ around actin’ like a girly girl who’s always thinkin’ of Rainbow Monkeys and butterflies to love,” Wally counter-countered as sharply as he could.
“Um… right,” Nigel interrupted Wally and Kuki quickly, sensing that their argument was starting to get a bit out of hand, then continued with his idea. “Numbuh 362 and I want the two of you to proceed with your next encounter with Atifa as you originally intended, Numbuhs Three and Four. Perhaps you can even introduce her to us, but obviously if we’re all meeting her wherever on Earth she wants us to meet her. We wouldn’t want to give away too much information about the Kids Next Door right now.”
“Eh? I didn’t know Numbuh 362 had an interest in meeting Atifa,” Wally commented in slight confusion, then shrugged. “Don’t worry, Numbuh One. We’ll take care of it. Come on, Numbuh Three, let’s go.”
Kuki giggled at Wally’s offer, and both of them began to walk out of the Supreme Commander’s office, leaving Nigel and Rachel to eye that insanely popular Kids Next Door couple. One might have been quite astounded at just how Wally and Kuki managed to get along so well. The two of them had seen many, many adventures together within the Kids Next Door, helping each other along the way, such that practically everybody within that global organization of kids honestly opined that the two of them made an excellent couple… including the two particularly young kids who were now passing through that same corridor, perhaps on their way toward their own destination. Even now, there was some speculation that Numbuhs 84 and 83, known respectively as Lee Curtis and Sonia Mason, could become the next Wally Beetles and Kuki Sanban, but for now, Lee and Sonia were perfectly content to stay best friends, something both of them would be happy about as they happened to catch sight of Wally and Kuki.
“Oh. Hey there, Numbuhs Three and Four. Are you guys heading off somewhere?” Sonia began cheerfully and innocently.
“Yep. We’ve got a new friend to talk to, and Numbuhs One and 362 just told us they wanted to meet her in the future,” Kuki said in return, clearly eager to meet with Atifa again.
“Cool. Good luck with your new friend, guys. See ya,” Lee said calmly, his yo-yo spinning up and down almost routinely.
Wally gave a short nod to affirm his overall focus. “Uh, sure.”
With that quick conclusion, Wally and Kuki continued down the corridor toward the spaceship hangar, leaving Lee and Sonia to continue on their way. Yet, Lee and Sonia were heading… in the opposite direction from Wally and Kuki, which eventually took those two really young Kids Next Door operatives close enough to the Supreme Commander’s office that they might have been curious to see just what Nigel and Rachel were up to. As it was, Nigel and Rachel had by now returned to their previous investigation into those mysterious documents, their curiosity floating steadily through their minds about Wally Beetles and Kuki Sanban’s new friend. As Lee Curtis and Sonia Mason watched intently once they arrived, Nigel Uno and Rachel McKenzie browsed through each document meticulously, cross-referencing with any items on Rachel’s computer, now having revolved upward from within her desk… in pursuit of answers to the mystery of Atifa, along with Prince Asadullah Hassan.
END OF CHAPTER 1
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“A Time for Truth, No Time for Shame”
Chapter 2: “Meeting Atifa”
Wally and Kuki proceeded down the sidewalk toward their destination, their mission even more visible in their mind’s eyes during their trip from the Kids Next Door’s lunar headquarters, courtesy of Nigel and Rachel’s additional incentive for them to meet their new friend again. Wally and Kuki had met her only a couple of days ago in an ice cream store in Gallagher, Ohio, where those two were taking a break after seeing nothing to do at Sector V’s treehouse. Perhaps to put it more appropriately, Wally had saved Kuki a couple of seats in front of the counter when, out of the corner of her eye, Kuki noticed another girl at the farthest seat to her right, sitting completely alone without anyone to talk to, something Kuki didn’t like one bit. Wally got the ice cream cones he ordered for himself and Kuki, but by the time he noticed, Kuki was already sitting next to the new girl, obviously attempting to make friends with her. By about twenty minutes later, the new girl was singing the (dreaded) Rainbow Monkey theme song as eagerly as she could, which understandably made Kuki even happier… and the rest was history from there.
Finally, Kuki and Wally reached Gallagher Park and entered through its main entrance, proceeding down the stony path toward their intended rendezvous point. As ever, their outward actions might have certainly matched their inward thoughts. While Wally was focused straight ahead of him, Kuki was admiring the scenery around her, from the small flowers growing in certain areas of the grass to the small birds fluttering through the air. It was quite a sunny day for kids Wally and Kuki’s age to go outside and hang out with each other as the Kids Next Door’s most famous couple continued deeper and deeper into the park… until they came across a bench on which sat the girl they’d been expecting to meet. Nobody else in view of that bench seemed to pay particular attention to this girl, her head hesitantly turned upward to view the cloudless sky above all of them. Then again, upon looking around, one might have thought that nobody else was at the park, period. As for the girl herself, her hands were clasped together on her lap as politely as they could be, and her skirt, which went to her knees, could handily be compared to the grass on both sides of the pathway. Perhaps a bit more striking was the contrast between her plain white shirt and sneakers… and her black hair, which flowed downward slightly past her shoulders, but most striking was her demeanor. She had a hint of hesitation in her eyes, as though she were afraid that something would happen if she looked up at the sky for too long. If anything troubled that girl at the moment, then it would be up to Kuki to fix that problem as she and Wally walked up to that bench.
“Hey, Atifa!! We’re here,” Kuki said cheerfully.
The girl jumped slightly off the bench, startled for all of about one millisecond before smiling at the two kids standing in front of her to the left. “Oh. Kuki, Wally. You guys made it just in time.”
“Yeah, Atifa, we’re here,” Wally affirmed bluntly, then sighed while turning his head upward, beginning to mutter to himself, “I still can’t figure out why Nigel and Rachel would wanna meet Atifa so soon…”
Apparently oblivious to Wally’s muttering, Kuki was already eagerly stepping in front of Atifa. “So, what do you wanna do today, Atifa? Smell the pretty flowers, look at the butterflies, get some candy?”
“Um… sure,” Atifa responded gently, standing up from the bench. “I’d love to see the flowers in this park. They must be really pretty.”
“YAY!!!” Kuki cheered. “Come on, Wally, you wanna join Atifa and me? There might be some flowers here for you.”
“No thanks, Kuki. I think I’ll be fine keeping an eye out for any trouble in this park,” Wally countered firmly.
“Oh, don’t be such a worrywart, silly!!! What do you think this is, a thunderstorm or something?” Kuki asked, her simple happiness lighting up the park even further, if it wasn’t already.
“Eh, just go and smell all those flowers with Atifa, Kuki. Once both of you are done…” Wally smiled to himself as he reached into his left pocket. “I’ve still got some money if either of you wants ice cream.”
“Awww, that’s sooooo sweet of you, Wally!!!! Thank you!!!” Kuki replied, now more cheerful than she was earlier as she then walked up to Wally… and kissed his left cheek, freezing him in place.
Atifa couldn’t resist the befuddlement now crossing her face at the scene in front of her. “Um… are you two best friends or even a couple?”
“Sure, Atifa. Wally’s my best friend, even though he insults my Rainbow Monkeys sometimes. However, if there’s any danger, he’s always there to help me, and I’m always there to help him,” Kuki explained warmly, then turned to Wally, who by now had managed to shake himself out of his stupor. “Isn’t that right, Wally?”
“Uh… sure. Whatever,” Wally said with some hesitation, then a little more determination. “Yeah, Kuki’s my friend, and if anyone even thinks of messing with her, that person’s gonna hafta go through me!!!”
Atifa couldn’t help being almost shocked at the bond these two kids seemed to possess as she began to think of her experiences. She recalled her household… and cringed somewhat at the recent memories. She’d been quite curious to learn about her new environment even when she was much younger, but now, her father seemed more and more distant to her, speaking as though any interaction outside of the family’s boundaries would lead her astray and corrupt her perfect beauty. She wanted to be a simple, regular 10-year-old girl in the world around her, admiring butterflies and flowers, as Kuki said, or getting some ice cream, as Wally said. Yet, such… carefree actions bore a stark contrast to her family’s absolutism about practically everything they could think of, a contrast that Atifa and Kuki were about to undertake as Kuki began to speak.
“Hey, Atifa, is something wrong?” Kuki wondered, a hint of worry on her face, something she did not like herself or her friends to have often.
Not quite certain about her thoughts, Atifa simply shook her head negatively. “No, Kuki, I’m okay. Let’s go smell the flowers for now.”
With another cheer from Kuki, the two girls wandered onto the field of grass off the stone pathway, admiring whatever flowers they saw around them. Kuki went into one area, Atifa into another, each girl leaning down to sniff any flower she picked. The smile on Kuki’s face could have made anyone feel a warm glow in his or her soul, as it did with Atifa when she and Kuki first became friends. Such was Atifa’s curiosity that there could be one logical question for her to think of… one that would allow Kuki to remember something else about the friendships that she had right now.
“So, Kuki… do you and Wally have any other friends besides each other?” Atifa asked, still a bit reluctant about a potential response from Kuki. “Maybe there are other people who like hanging out with you two often.”
Kuki gasped as Nigel and Rachel’s request suddenly surfaced in her mind, making certain to say their real names rather than their Kids Next Door identities. “Oh, yeah, Atifa!!! I almost forgot. Of course we have quite a few friends we can hang out with. There’re Abby and Hoagie, two kids who enjoy exploring quite a lot and having fun along the way. Then, Nigel’s our leader, as is Rachel. They’re both strong and brave, but they can get quite serious about whatever they do. Don’t worry, though, Atifa. I’m sure that you’ll meet them once we get the chance.”
A warm smile made its way onto Atifa’s face at Kuki’s offer, followed by a humble nod. “I’d really enjoy that, Kuki.”
As Atifa and Kuki continued talking with each other, Wally simply stood watch near the bench, his eyes and eventually his head sometimes rotating from side to side, his arms crossed thoughtfully. The last thing he wanted now was an attack by any adult villain while Kuki and Atifa were either kneeling down to smell the flowers or looking up at any birds and butterflies soaring high in the sky toward their respective destinations. Some touched down in a nearby tree, while others simply continued flying beyond Gallagher Park, most likely in search of a new destination. Wally’s eyes happened to catch onto one particular bird as its wings unfolded to its two sides gracefully… and then, it flew directly above someone standing on the stone path in the distance, off to wherever it was going. That bird would eventually be forgotten as Wally began eyeing this mysterious person a bit more suspiciously. This person turned to be a boy of about 11 years of age, and he was holding what looked like binoculars that he was peering through in a certain direction as he began wandering into the grass to his side himself. Leaning his head slightly toward the new boy while narrowing his eyes, Wally mentally guessed the general direction of the binoculars and slowly turned his head to follow it. Sure enough, it stopped… at Kuki and Atifa, leading Wally to turn his head back toward the boy to make certain that what he was seeing was correct, repeating the head turn a few times more. Finally, resolve crossed Wally’s face as he concluded that something wasn’t right with that boy’s observations of the two girls, resolve that would echo across the park after he took one last look at them and turned to face the boy.
“Hey, you!! What the crud are ya doin’?” Wally called out to the unknown boy… only to see him quickly shove the binoculars into his pocket and start racing off toward the exit out of the park, forcing Wally’s conclusion as he snarled to himself before starting to race after that boy, “That stupid, sneaky intru-- Hey, get back here!!!! I’ve got some questions I wanna ask ya!!!”
“Wally? What’s going on?” Kuki called out herself, obviously hearing the commotion.
“Just stay back, Kuki!!! I’ve got an intruder to deal with!!” Wally yelled back, still dashing toward the exit out of Gallagher Park… and turned his head sharply to both his sides and then in front of him for that almost sinister-looking boy. “Which way did he go…?” Wally snorted, having decided that the boy was gone, and walked back into the park toward Kuki and Atifa, an expression of worry on Atifa’s face that Wally was about to do something drastic. “It’s okay, girls. Whoever that kid is, he’s gone now.”
“Wally… what did that boy look like?” Atifa asked, quite curiously to Wally and Kuki.
“I couldn’t quite get that, but he seemed to be holding binoculars and watching both of you more closely than I’d like,” Wally explained as directly as he could, turning his head back toward the exit, a frown of suspicion visible on his face. “By the time I reached the exit, he vanished… which means that it’s just the three of us again. Now, let’s get outta here before something weirder happens.” A smile replaced Wally’s previous frown this time as he turned back to face Kuki and Atifa. “If I recall, Kuki, you said you wanted some ice cream.”
Sharing Wally’s new smile, Kuki turned to Atifa, who then nodded much more happily, almost relieved that these two kids were becoming genuine friends to her. Their minds now made up, Wally, Kuki, and Atifa began proceeding toward the exit out of Gallagher Park, determined not to allow that incident earlier to distract their minds from whatever ice cream they were planning to order. Kuki had managed to pick up some flowers between the three of them, most likely to lighten the mood even further now. None of them could have quite imagined just how heavily the boy standing distantly behind them would be eyeing each of them, but especially Atifa. This boy’s eyes were narrowed with dark suspicion, as though the two strange kids accompanying Atifa were unconscionable to deal with. He reached down toward the left side of his waist, removed a walkie-talkie from there to hold it to his face, and pressed the activation switch.
“Did you manage to escape, brother?” the boy said into the walkie-talkie, gravitas conspicuous in the tone of his voice.
“Yes, I did. That boy in the orange sweater is quite a runner, but I’m not certain about his intelligence,” a voice laced with similar gravitas affirmed from the walkie-talkie. “We must hurry back.”
“Indeed,” the boy still standing on the stone path at the opposite end of where Wally, Kuki, and Atifa exited said a bit more darkly than before. “By Allah, if those two rotten kids continue leading our sister astray for long enough, the ceremony could be ruined. Our grandfather will be furious at the resulting insult to our family… as will his associates.”
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“This is getting to be one odd investigation, Numbuh 362.”
“That, Numbuh One, might be one gihugic understatement.”
Nigel and Rachel peered even more thoughtfully at the flat-screen computer that rotated upward earlier when Rachel pressed a certain button underneath her desktop, Nigel’s elbow resting calmly on Rachel’s shoulder, Lee and Sonia watching them just as intently. Fortunately, Lee and Sonia managed to keep themselves quiet as Nigel and Rachel glanced between that computer and the mysterious documents, now gathered to Rachel’s left near the intercom. As for Nigel and Rachel themselves, the codes they’d managed to unlock left them frowning with even more curiosity at the content of those documents, if the files those codes managed to open weren’t confusing enough for this commanding couple in the Kids Next Door.
“Let me see what we have here: a list of many weird names for an event involving Atifa and someone known as ‘Hisham Tantawi,’” Rachel began slowly. “Then, there are the items in those calculations…”
“Whatever this Prince Asadullah Hasssan seems to be planning, it must be big,” Nigel commented.
“Wow. It’ll really be cool to meet Wally and Kuki’s friend if we get the chance,” Lee said with quiet awe. “What do you think, Sonia?”
“I might think so, Lee, but maybe we should pay attention to what Nigel and Rachel find out about her,” Sonia said admonitorily. “I really hope there’s nothing bad about that Prince Asadullah.”
Their eyes browsing through each file on the computer once and then twice, Nigel and Rachel mentally consumed each new piece of information for themselves, switching back and forth in the process. From plane ticket orders to invitations all over countries located in the Middle East to formal outfits and gowns, the puzzle these two commanding kids had in front of them was becoming clearer yet also more complex. What could Prince Asadullah possibly want to do with such a list of famous individuals, as well as Atifa? Eventually, the discovery of a single officiant would prove crucial for Nigel and Rachel’s comprehension.
“Is it just me… or do we get the feeling that this is a wedding ceremony that we’re dealing with?” Nigel finally asked out loud, seeing no other conclusion in his mind after mentally digesting the information.
“Whoa!!! Wedding ceremony?!” Lee and Sonia exclaimed, total surprise obvious in their voices, before Sonia continued, “That’s so awesome… right?”
“Maybe, Lee and Sonia,” Rachel affirmed cautiously, then picked up one last document to further confirm her and Nigel’s concluding assessment. “However, Nigel, didn’t you say that Kuki told you that Atifa was shy?”
“She did, Rachel, but why would that be the case…?” Nigel’s voice trailed off as he and Rachel’s eyes were now completely fixated on the document Rachel was now holding. “You have to be kidding me.”
Rachel simply shook her head, her mind in agreement with Nigel’s at the paper in front of her. According to that document, Atifa was the granddaughter… of Prince Asadullah Hassan Al-Saud[/b][/u]. If those other weird names added up to match Nigel and Rachel’s assessment, from Chinese Prime Minister Li Shangwei to Kingdom Islamic Bank deputy chairman Hafez Muntasir Al-Tabuki, then Lee and Sonia would have found the conclusion just as inescapable, as shocking it was already. Nigel and Rachel exhaled and steeled their faces as Rachel began stacking the wedding documents together into a folder that she just took out of a nearby drawer.
“So, Rachel, is it time to inform the others?” Nigel asked, his eyes eyeing his girlfriend with a new look of resolve.
“Time, indeed, Nigel. We’ll be quite interested to know the background of some of the associates of Prince Asadullah,” Rachel replied resolutely, her eyes meeting those of her boyfriend with similar resolve, and then, she pressed the activation button on her intercom for one last message. “Attention, Kids Next Door Moonbase. I want Numbuhs Two, Five, 23, 35, 60, and 86 to report to the Moonbase conference room for a special emergency meeting in 15 minutes. Numbuh 362 out.”
The activation button turned off, the Supreme Commander of the Kids Next Door got up from her chair and proceeded out of her office, with the folder containing the documents held securely in her left hand and the leader of Sector V directly and loyally following behind her. Lee and Sonia followed those two Kids Next Door commanders a bit farther behind soon after, more curious than ever to learn just what Nigel and Rachel were about to reveal about Prince Asadullah Hassan Al-Saud and his associates… as genuinely sinister as some of them might be.
END OF CHAPTER 2
