Post by numberunknown on May 24, 2007 3:49:32 GMT
A/N: The reason that Numbuh 2 is a little moody at the beginning, is because that is what happens when you are a teenager. First draft.
This was meant to be a "Yes, it's true, friends DO grow apart" fic.
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"I'm not a kid anymore."
"Don't say that."
"It's true. In five minutes, I won't even remember you guys."
"Don't talk. Don't think, okay? You still have more than five minutes."
"What, five and a half?"
"A good ten minutes."
Hoagie Gilligan, looking exhausted after a restless sleep, put his hand to his forehead, sighing shakily. After a moment to collect himself, he smiled as well as he could at his best friend, Nigel Uno.
"You're right. Sure I'll remember you. We'll still be friends, of course. Tommy'll remind me."
Nigel grinned, "Tommy won't let it down. He'll make sure he tells you everything. We'll see each other again, Numbuh 2." But even as he said it, the words sounded hollow to the twelve year old Brit. He had remembered them saying the exact same things to another member of their team, and she had grown more and more distant in the last few months, that they barely spoke of her.
"Eight minutes!" The shrill voice of a redhead called, "And then..."
"We know!" Interrupted Wally, aggravated. Then, he turned to Numbuh 2. "It's been the best, Numbuh 2. And Numbuh 1's right. This isn't the end."
Oh, but it is. Hoagie thought. As much as he pretended against it, he had been less interested in hanging out with the old gang, and more interested in hanging out with older boys lately.
"Bye, Numbuh 2." A quiet, meek, so out of character voice said. Kuki tried her best to smile, and managed a tear-filled grin. "Aw, don't be so down. You know this isn't the end of the story. Just like Wally said."
Sadly, and guiltily knowing that it was an indirect lie, Hoagie nodded.
"SEVEN MINU-"
"We know!" Nigel said, not at all loudly but so dangerously that Numbuh 86 shied back an inch; quickly regathering herself, of course.
"And we'll see each other in class." Numbuh 3 said optimistically, "Remember, you and Wally are still science partners."
Face lighting up, Numbuh 4 said, "Yeah. That's true!"
"And we're still tennis partners in P.E." Nigel said brightly. "You'll have to remember a little of that once... you know."
"And," Kuki said so happily that it was almost as if she had forgotten all sorrow, "Mushi and Tommy get babysat by Mrs. Gimson! We'll see each other when our parents come to pick them up!!!"
His voice was weak and helpless, but Hoagie said, "Yeah."
"Five minutes, Numbuh 2."
"Numbuh 2, we'll always be friends. All of us. And at least you'll get to go see Numbuh 5." Nigel said with a half smile, "Don't worry."
They all knew that everything that had been said was a lie. The exact same thing that had happened with Abby would happen with him. The team would try to re-introduce themselves, but Hoagie would be annoyed with their child-like behavior. Soon, after a few weeks, the team would cut off all connection in bitter failure.
"Four minutes."
And so those four minutes came and went, and as Hoagie stepped into the chamber, looking back on his team with tender remorse, they saw it. Nigel, Wally and Kuki saw the exact same thing that they had seen along with Hoagie when they watched Numbuh 5's decommissioning. They saw the figure of child-like-innocence fall feebly out of Hoagie's body, and die gently on the floor.
He wasn't a kid anymore. It was beyond truth.
He came out, looking a lot more like Hank than Hoagie. His physical appearance had not changed -- but his expression was belligerent and absent -- and he was a different person.
And as the three remaining operatives made their way out of the room, they knew that it was only a matter of months before they would have to appear again. And narrow their team, to two.
This was meant to be a "Yes, it's true, friends DO grow apart" fic.
------------------------
"I'm not a kid anymore."
"Don't say that."
"It's true. In five minutes, I won't even remember you guys."
"Don't talk. Don't think, okay? You still have more than five minutes."
"What, five and a half?"
"A good ten minutes."
Hoagie Gilligan, looking exhausted after a restless sleep, put his hand to his forehead, sighing shakily. After a moment to collect himself, he smiled as well as he could at his best friend, Nigel Uno.
"You're right. Sure I'll remember you. We'll still be friends, of course. Tommy'll remind me."
Nigel grinned, "Tommy won't let it down. He'll make sure he tells you everything. We'll see each other again, Numbuh 2." But even as he said it, the words sounded hollow to the twelve year old Brit. He had remembered them saying the exact same things to another member of their team, and she had grown more and more distant in the last few months, that they barely spoke of her.
"Eight minutes!" The shrill voice of a redhead called, "And then..."
"We know!" Interrupted Wally, aggravated. Then, he turned to Numbuh 2. "It's been the best, Numbuh 2. And Numbuh 1's right. This isn't the end."
Oh, but it is. Hoagie thought. As much as he pretended against it, he had been less interested in hanging out with the old gang, and more interested in hanging out with older boys lately.
"Bye, Numbuh 2." A quiet, meek, so out of character voice said. Kuki tried her best to smile, and managed a tear-filled grin. "Aw, don't be so down. You know this isn't the end of the story. Just like Wally said."
Sadly, and guiltily knowing that it was an indirect lie, Hoagie nodded.
"SEVEN MINU-"
"We know!" Nigel said, not at all loudly but so dangerously that Numbuh 86 shied back an inch; quickly regathering herself, of course.
"And we'll see each other in class." Numbuh 3 said optimistically, "Remember, you and Wally are still science partners."
Face lighting up, Numbuh 4 said, "Yeah. That's true!"
"And we're still tennis partners in P.E." Nigel said brightly. "You'll have to remember a little of that once... you know."
"And," Kuki said so happily that it was almost as if she had forgotten all sorrow, "Mushi and Tommy get babysat by Mrs. Gimson! We'll see each other when our parents come to pick them up!!!"
His voice was weak and helpless, but Hoagie said, "Yeah."
"Five minutes, Numbuh 2."
"Numbuh 2, we'll always be friends. All of us. And at least you'll get to go see Numbuh 5." Nigel said with a half smile, "Don't worry."
They all knew that everything that had been said was a lie. The exact same thing that had happened with Abby would happen with him. The team would try to re-introduce themselves, but Hoagie would be annoyed with their child-like behavior. Soon, after a few weeks, the team would cut off all connection in bitter failure.
"Four minutes."
And so those four minutes came and went, and as Hoagie stepped into the chamber, looking back on his team with tender remorse, they saw it. Nigel, Wally and Kuki saw the exact same thing that they had seen along with Hoagie when they watched Numbuh 5's decommissioning. They saw the figure of child-like-innocence fall feebly out of Hoagie's body, and die gently on the floor.
He wasn't a kid anymore. It was beyond truth.
He came out, looking a lot more like Hank than Hoagie. His physical appearance had not changed -- but his expression was belligerent and absent -- and he was a different person.
And as the three remaining operatives made their way out of the room, they knew that it was only a matter of months before they would have to appear again. And narrow their team, to two.
