Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 Operation L.O.N.E.L.Y

L.AST

O.PERATIVE

N.AVIGATES

E.XTREME

L.OSS

Y.EARNING

Wallabee Beatles.

Kids Next Door Operative. 

The Hand to Hand Combat Expert of the Legendary Sector V.

And currently the only remaining operative of Sector V. 

He was the youngest out of his comrades and as a result he was the only one who wasn’t decommissioned. The Aussie was currently sitting on the ground of Numbuh 3’s old room within the tree house. There was a deep frown that marred his face, his blonde locks blocking his emerald green eyes as he stared down at an orange Rainbow Monkey. It was Kuki’s, everything in here was hers. 

And it hurt to see it.

Hurt to see all of it and know that she was not there. That she was no longer with him and was never going to return. He should’ve packed these things up weeks ago and delivered them to her house . . . but he couldn’t. 

He tried, he really did. 

But everytime he picked up one of those plush animals, he found himself frozen. He found tears streaming down his face. Unable to do anything but cry and wallow in friendships long lost. It was the same with every other room in the tree house. From Hoagie’s Yipper Card collection to Abbey’s vault of exotic candies. 

“It’s been a cruddy year.” 

The Aussie complained to himself, tears once again staining his face. It was so hard to deal with everything. It was so hard to deal with knowing that he was the last one left. That he was the only one that would remember his friends. The clock was ticking upon that, for time was always moving forward. 

He had been robbed of his friends.

And in months, he’d be robbed of his memories of them. 

The world was cruel.

“First Numbuh 1 goes t’ Outah Space, becomin’ some sort of bigwig  in th’ Galactic Kids Next Door.” He began, memories rushing in to attack the operative. He was always the roughest and toughest of his group,  but his one weakness had always been his emotions. He could take attacks from Giant Robots, or crash down from the Moon, but he could never handle his emotions well. 

“Then Numbuh 5 gets promoted to Soopreme Leader . . . and it’s good for a while, Oi s’ppose.” How proud they all were of Abigail when it was her that was chosen to receive the title of Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, taking over after Numbuh 362 was decommissioned. It made things a hundred times harder for the rest of them. They had to work extra hard, taking extended visits to the Moon Base and traveling the world to save it from adult tyranny. It was stressful, painful, but they were content and happy. They went on grand adventures together as friends and cemented their legacies in the Kids Next Door.

But that contentment, that happiness all started to crumble when Numbuh 5 turned thirteen, and it was time for her to go. There was no big speech or anything. She just tilted her hat down to cover her eyes, gave them all a cool smirk and a thumbs up as she entered a chamber. It was the first big blow to the team, because with Numbuh 1 they could at least delude themselves into thinking that he’d return one day, that he could get a break and visit them.

But there was no returning here.

They had to suffer and see Numbuh 5 in school, not an ounce of recognition in her eyes as they saw her. She was well and truly gone, and there was nothing that her friends could do about it. 

Numbuh 2 got decommissioned a month later. He put on a brave face and tried to cheer everyone up. He treated the whole ordeal as if he was doing stand up comedy. He didn’t care if he got boos or laughter, he just didn’t want to see anyone cry. But Wally cried, because he was losing a best friend. He fell to his knees and bawled his eyes out as Kuki hugged him, being the strong support for her friend.

From there, only two were left of Sector V. Wallabee Beatles and Kuki Sanban, complete and utter opposites but also the bestest of friends that either had. They had two months until it was Kuki’s time to go. In that time, Wally, stopped arguing with her about her Rainbow Dorkies. He was willing to go through Hell or high water just to spend more time with his friend. Thus their dynamic of bickering and making up had changed to a sad quietness, as both tried to ignore what was coming. But ignoring it didn’t stop them from being kept up at night, it didn’t stop them from crying in secret and it didn’t stop them from worrying. And before either one realized it, the day had come and Kuki as Wally knew her was no more.

He was ashamed of himself. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, there were so many things he wished he could do. But he was too much of a coward, he couldn’t even form a
single sentence as he watched her sit down to be decommissioned. It was her who had to smile at him and cheer him up, even though it should’ve been him doing that for her.

And now she is gone.

It was only him left.

And he was so lonely.

“ . . . And, Oi had t’ decommission Numbuh 86 a few days ago. She went without a fuss, just told me to get on with it and . . . “ 

Wally looked to the side, a soft blush appearing on his tear stained cheeks as he did recall the kiss on the cheek she had given him before she told him to ‘Get on with it, ye Stoopid boy’. It certainly made her goodbye memorable . . . but memorable didn’t matter much these days. 

Wally closed his eyes and let out a sigh, the orange Rainbow Monkey falling from his hands.

“...Soon ‘nuff, Oi’ll f’get it all. Then there won’t be anyone left ta remembah ‘em. It’s not fair... They’re the best the KND evah ‘ad, an’ they’ll be f’gotten. Jus’ like stinkin’ brussel sprouts sittin’ on a plate.”

He didn’t know what he was going to do now. 

All he could think of was to count the seconds until he turned thirteen. It was what he had been doing for the past few days, wallowing in his own misery and loneliness . . . but on this day a distraction was offered up to him.

The whole treehouse shook as something impacted it hard. Wally cursed as he fell forward and dozens of rainbow monkeys followed suit, burying him. The Aussie gasped for breath as he climbed up and escaped the hold that the plushies had on him. He grumbled to himself as he stomped forward grabbing a trusty S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and leaving the treehouse to go deal with the attack.

He didn’t bother reporting to the moon base.

He didn’t care if he won or lost. 

Just as long as he gets the distraction that he so desperately needs.

He exited the door of the long abandoned Uno residences, a fierce look on his red-rimmed, puffy eyes as he stared out at his foe. The entire tree house was surrounded by Ice Cream Men, each one pointing an Ice Cream Blaster at him. In the middle of them there was one angry, Mr. Boss. He smoked on his cigar as he stomped forward, looking more ticked than Wally had ever seen him.


“Whot are ya doin’ ‘ere.” Wally growled out as he moved forward, looking to meet Mr. Boss in the middle. He clenched down hard on his weapon, his knuckles turning white. Mr. Boss kept moving forth, literally butting heads with the much smaller kid.

“My daughter.” The villain retorted,”What did the Kids Next Door do to her!” With every word, more and more smoke was blown into the face of the Aussie. He started to cough, stumbling back as he waved his hand in front of his face.

“Yer daughter?” Wally’s eyes went wide as he stared at the villain. A lump formed within his throat as he knew exactly what Mr. Boss was talking about. He was talking about Numbuh 86, who like most people go through a personality shift after being decommissioned. 

“Don’t play coy with me, Number 4!.” Mr. Boss stated, grabbing the boy by his collar and pulling him up and off his feet. “WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!”

In an instant the fight had vanished from Wallabee Beatles. He was being forced to deal with the consequences of his actions. It was him who pressed the button and decommissioned Fanny after all. And to the surprise of everyone, Wally began to cry, far too tired to try and hide his pain from his own enemies.

Mr. Boss was stunned and dropped the operative. He had never once seen Wally cry. It was surprisingly rare to see any KND Operative cry. That was something that was usually beaten out of them during training at the Arctic Base. 

“B-boss, he’s just a kid.”

“You don’t have to be so harsh on him.”

“This don’t feel right no more.” 

Some of the Ice Cream Men began to speak up as Mr. Boss stood there utterly bewildered. He glanced over at his own men, shutting them up with a pointed glare. He then looked back at Numbuh 4 who was wiping the snot off of his face, unable to do much but babble and cry. 

“C’mon, Kid. Don’t cry.” Mr. Boss started, unsure how to get Wallabee into a better state. “You want Ice Cream? You brats always enjoyed Ice Cream.” He offered, his brow then scrunching up as he realized that there was an issue here. That the only person before him was Numbuh 4. He knew that Numbuh 1 had gone away, every villain knew that from how Father had desperately searched for him.

But where were the others?

“Hey, where are those other brats? Y’know, like Numbuh 3 or Numbuh 5?” He questioned, only to be met with more tears. He took a puff out of his cigar, knowing he just made the situation worse. After a moment, he turned towards his top Ice Cream Man.

“You there. Take command of the troops. I’ll take the brat over there somewhere private where he can calm down.” He could only guess how humiliated Numbuh 4 was feeling right now, knowing he was having a complete and utter breakdown in front of his enemy. With that in mind Mr. Boss gently grabbed the Aussie’s arm and led him into the treehouse, away from prying eyes.

He sat the kid down on that big red couch and waited for him to calm down. Seconds turned into minutes as Wally’s sobs fades, leaving only the occasional sniffle. There was a look of utter defeat on the operative, one that Mr. Boss had seen in many a middle aged salarymen who had nothing left for them in life. 

But it was absolutely haunting to see it on a child.

Sure, he hated kids . . . but not this much. Even he could have compassion for these overgrown ankle biters. 

Without a word, Numbuh 4 got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed two bottles of root beer from the fridge and returned to Mr. Boss, handing him one of them. He then collapsed on the couch, opening up his drink. 

“Whadd’ya wanna know?” He asked, guilt weighing down upon him. He was willing to give Mr. Boss the answers he sought. 

“ . . . “ Mr. Boss stared over at Wally before glancing down at the drink in his hand. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “It was my daughter’s birthday a few days ago. None of her usual friends showed up. Not that Patton kid, not Rachel, not even Numbuh 3. The only brat I recognized there was you. As if that’s odd enough, my little Fanny was all sad in the days leadin’ up to her birthday. At first, I thought she got into a fight with her friends, maybe she had a falling out or something. But, the day after her birthday? Something changed in her, that fire in her eyes is gone, there’s a look of confusion on her face . . . and she’s just . . . she’s not the same as she used to be. Something happened to my little girl, and I want to know what.” 

“Oi . . . “ Wally glanced down at the floor, his stomach tying itself into knots. He gripped his drink and took a big gulp out of his root beer. He needed that liquid courage more than ever. “She turned thirteen. Y’ain’t a kid if yer a teen, an’ there ain’t no cruddy teens in the Kids Next Door.”

“What? Are you saying she was fired?” Mr. Boss questioned, his hand slamming down on a table.

“Worse.” Came Wally’s reply,”She got decommissioned.” There was an intake of air from the villain, there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. He knew the words, but Wally knew he didn’t know the details. “The Kids Next Door’s a sooper secretive organization. In ordah t’make sure it stays sooper secretive, us membahs get decommissioned when we turn thirteen. Our mem’ries of our time in the Kids Next Door get wiped.”

“But that’s . . . that’s Fanny’s entire childhood . . . All her friends . . . everything.” Mr. Boss stumbled back as if those words had physically hurt him, and in many ways they had. “That’s horrible! Y-you can’t stand for this! Shouldn’t you be fighting for kids to keep their childhoods! Call your team and get on this?”

“They’re . . . they’re gone.” Wally said as he closed his eyes. “Oi’m th’e only one left. Th’ rest all got decommissioned.” 

“Christ kid.” The villain said as he collapsed on the couch, right next to Numbuh 4. He ran a hand through his fading hair,”I . . . I have no words.” 

The two sat there in mutual silence. Both of them lost in their own thoughts as they downed their respective drinks. Adult and kid, hero and villain, wallowing in the same pain. They should be fighting each other, they were enemies after all. 

But neither had the will to fight.

Not today.

“Tell me . . . did Fanny try to fight it?” Mr. Boss asked, desperate to know how his little girl lost her memories. 

“At first weh thought she ran away. Weh couldn’t find her at all . . . and Oi . . . “ He trailed off, not  wanting to tell Mr. Boss that he was scared. Scared at the prospect that he was going to have to fight a friend. Because if she ran off, he knew that he’d be the one sent to get her. “Oi found her. She didn’t run at all. She was in th’ decommissioning chambah. Jus’ sittin’ there an’ waitin’, waitin’ fer us t’do our jobs. She just gave meh annoyed look an’ told meh t’press th’ button already.” 

Mr. Boss simply nodded, accepting this all as fact. It all lined up with what he knew of his daughter. She was strong headed and loyal to a fault, a dedicated girl who put her all into anything she did. She was dedicated to the Kids Next Door and would never have dishonored it by trying to avoid her fate. 

She was far too proud for that.

“Listen . . . “ Mr. Boss took out his cigar, pressing it against the old and shoddy couch. He put it out and flicked it off to the side. “ . . . I’m having a cookout next Saturday. I want you there.” 

Wally spit out his drink as he stared over at Mr. Boss. “Wh-whot!?” He shouted out in surprise. 

“ . . . Fanny doesn’t have any friends anymore. She’s alone, and I know that you two were at least friendly. I want you there, to at least cheer her up.” 

“Oi’m not supposed t’ talk with decommissioned members.” Wally muttered out, not wanting to see Fanny again. Not because of the rules, but because of how much it would hurt to see her. To look into her eyes and know that she had no idea who he was. 

“You’re not supposed to be talking with me either, but you’re doing it..” The villain huffed out, countering Wally’s point. The KND operative’s eyes went wide as he tried to think of another reason.

“B-but Oi can’t be her friend . . . Oi’ll forget all about her when Oi get decommissioned. Th-that’ll only hurt her more. Let her make friends with th’ other cruddy teens.” 

“ . . . That’s right, huh. You’ll be gone and all that’ll be left is this empty tree fort.” Mr. Boss frowned, there was a pain in his heart at the thought. He should be excited, he should be cheering for it . . . He won after all. He outlasted the legendary Sector V, but the victory felt hollow. “ . . . So what?”

“Huh?” Wally looked up.

“So what if you’ll get decommissioned? So what if you’ll forget it all! You’re still Number 4 aren’t you? You’re still Kids Next Door! And last I checked, they don’t turn their backs on friends in need! You were friends with Fanny right?” Mr. Boss questioned him, but continued on with his speech, already knowing the answer. “Then you won’t abandon her in her time of need! You won’t sit here crying to yourself when there’s still adults to fight! Kids to save! Friends to help!” He jabbed a finger into Numbuh  4’s chest. “Tell me who you are.”

“Oi’m . . . Oi’m Numbuh 4.” He spoke up after a moment of silence.

“And are you a kid? Or a mopey adult?”

“Oi’m a kid.”

“That’s right you are! Now are you going to sit here or are you going to get up and do something with your childhood!” 

Wally jumped out of his seat. “Oi’m goin’ t’do something with meh childhood!” He roared out, feeling a confidence swell up within his soul. One that had abandoned him months ago. 

“Good. Now, I expect to see you at the cookout.” Mr. Boss said, a soft smile gracing his lips. He now had hope. Hope that he’ll see his daughter truly smile once again. Hope that things would turn out better, not just for his family . . . but for the enemy that he formed a begrudging respect for. 


With those words of encouragement, the villain left the room. 

Wally stood there watching as Mr. Boss left. 

The beginnings of a plan forming in his head. 

Chapter Text

Beatles Residence
7 AM

“Well, you’re up bright an’ early, Sport.” Sydney Beatles grinned as he walked down stairs to see his son in the kitchen with his wife. It was becoming a scene that was more and more common within the Beatles Household. Ever since Wally stopped hanging out with his friends, he started hanging out at home a lot more. Which meant that he was getting roped into more and more family activities, such as cooking, looking after Joey and even the occasional movie night. 

“Oi cruddy had t’, didn’t Oi?” Wally retorted as he folded a pastry over a sausage as his mother set the temperature for the oven. “You’re makin’ meh go t’ that cookout.” He said as he stuck out his tongue, acting as if the very thought of going to a company cookout was poison. 

Sydney let out a grin and looked over towards his wife,”An’ what are these rolls for?” He asked her, sauntering over towards the coffee maker to get himself a cup of joe.

“These? Oi caught our little marsupial in th’ kitchen tryin’ t’ make somethin’ t’ bring over t’ th’ barbie.” She said with a proud smile upon her face. 

“Moooom.” Wally groaned out, pulling up his own hood to hide his face and hide his own embarrassment. He looked away and shoved his hands into his own pocket, hoping that he wouldn’t be noticed any further.

“That’s our Wallabee!” Sydney laughed before looking over at his son. “You seem more chipper, sport.” He said, noticing how Wally was acting more like himself than he had in months. He knew that something was wrong when Wally’s friends stopped coming around, and where Wally began to mope. These days, it seemed that he could ask Wally to polish his bowling trophies and it would not even get a reaction out of the boy. He called around a month into Wally’s bout of depression and found that the parents of Wally’s friends had no idea what was going on.

So, the father assumed that the friend group had split apart, and he respected his son’s autonomy enough to not get involved and try to fix it for him. 

Still, it pained him to see his son suffer like that.

“More chipper?” Wally repeated his fathers words, before folding his arms across his chest and huffing out. This action only resulted in his father chuckling and ruffling his hair. Wally let out a grunt of dissatisfaction as his parents smiled upon him. He muttered something to himself and left the kitchen to go and check in on Joey.

“He looks better. Don’t ya think, Kanga?” Sydney asked as he turned towards his wife, a cup of coffee now in his hands. He watched as his wife put the sausage rolls into the oven before turning to face him.

“Not even seein’ Joey was brightenin’ his mood.” Kanga sighed,”This is th’ most life Oi’ve seen from him fer a while . . . Oi jus’ hope it lasts.” She wanted the best for her boy. Despite his rebellious behavior and love for all things violence, he was a good kid. She knew that well and could see it every time that he took care of his younger brother Joey.”Alo’roight, now it’s time fer yah t’ go an’ get ready, love. Oi know how long it takes yah, ‘sides yah also got some errands t’ run fer yah get t’ Fulbrights place fer th’ cookout.” Her accent was thick as she spoke. 

“I suppose you're right. Can’t just show up lookin’ like I just got out of bed.” He took a sip of his coffee, walking up stairs to the bathroom so that he could shower and clean himself up for the day.

—

“Ugh.” Came the groan of Wallabee Beatles as he leaned back against his seat. He glanced out the window, watching the cars passing by as his father continued to drive at his normal, painfully slow pace. What was worse, was the fact that his dad hadn’t stopped speaking since they got into the car. He kept droning on and on about stories of him in the Office, regaling his son with his adventures in the mundane world.

It might get a couple of chuckles from fellow adults, but to a kid? 

It was practically torture.

Wallabee gripped the tupperware of sausage rolls on his lap as he closed his eyes. He was looking to escape the torture by napping right through it. But a dreamless sleep was not what he had upon that car ride. Instead he was assaulted upon by a memory, by regret. 

He found himself back in the Moonbase, a weight upon his chest. Everything was dark, it was as if all the colors were muted. The base was empty, it was never empty, but here in his mind . . . it seemed that no one else existed.

No one but her.

He stared forward and saw her. 

Kuki Sanban.

She was sat down in a chair, strapped into a machine. Her hair was unkempt, there were unshed tears in her eyes as she struggled hard to keep a strong face. He stepped forward, a lump suddenly lodged in his throat.

“Kooks.” He spoke up. His lip was quivering and he felt heat drip down onto his cheeks from his own tears. He wanted to close the distance so desperately bad, but his legs had become lead. His heart had dropped into his stomach as he just stared . . . and she stared back. 

Their eyes meeting one another.

There was a finality in her gaze. Knowing that this was a last for them. Still, she studied him trying to etch his features into her brain. Trying to enshrine his name upon her tongue, to ingrain him so deep within her own psyche that not even decommissioning could erase her memory of him. 

“Kooks.” He spoke up again, his voice breaking as he called her that nickname. “Oi . . . Oi . . . “ He hated himself well and truly at this moment. This was the last time that he could talk to her, to tell her how he felt. To ensure how much she had meant to him. She was his best friend, closer to him than Hoagie had ever been. She was his first crush, and so much more. 

His mouth went dry, his tongue felt like a slug. One that was unwilling to move or do as he wanted. He couldn’t form those words, he couldn’t tell her everything that he had been dreaming of telling her for years.

All that emerged was a sob.

“Wally.”

That voice.

Her voice.

It was one of silk, wrapping around his fragile soul and giving him support. He savored that voice, like a thirsty man in the desert savors water. It was the last time he was going to hear it as she was now. It was the last time he was going to hear it with such warmth and familiarity in her voice. 

And he treasured it.

“Y-yeah, Kuki.” He managed to get out, between his own strangled sobs. He sniffled as he stood up straight, trying his best to calm down for her own sake. 

“I know, silly.” She told him as a tear cut its way down her cheek. A blemish in an otherwise beautiful moment.

“Y-you do?” 

She tilted her head to the side, a playful smile on her face. “Well, duh! I’m not stupid!” She giggled to herself. She opened her mouth to say something, before frowning with realization. She glanced down as another tear came. “Wally.” Her voice had a hard edge to it, as she tried her best to not let the situation break her.

“Y-yeah, Kuki.” He responded, his fists clenching as he barely restrained himself from breaking down. 

“ . . . We’ll always be friends.” Those weren’t the words she had wanted to say originally, but those were the words that came out. A promise, that no matter what happened, that she’ll always be friends with him. As soon as those words left her mouth, the plunger came down and smothered her beautiful face.

“AHHHH!”

Wally woke with a scream and a sob. His chest heaved up and down as his cheeks were stained with his own tears. His father glanced over at him, concern showing in his eyes. His hand came off the steering wheel, and gripped his son’s shoulder.

“Wallabee.” He spoke up,”You’re okay, it was just a dream.”

Wally sniffled as he wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. He frowned, looking out the window. He knew it wasn’t a dream . . . but a memory, one that would haunt him until he finally got decommissioned. He was filled with regret. Regret that he never found the words he needed to tell her. Regret that he could not comfort her in her final moments of the KND. Regret at how completely and utterly weak he was.

“Yeah, jus’ a cruddy dream.” He muttered to himself. 

The car soon slowed down to a halt, stopping at a curb where plenty of other vehicles had gone and made their stay. Wally let out a sigh and unbuckled his seat belt. He grabbed the tupperware container of sausage rolls and stepped out of the vehicle, ready to join in on the cookout. 

He followed his father into the backyard for the cookout and froze in place. His eyes went wide as he noticed how it was swarming with villains and office workers alike. He could see the likes of Knightbrace, the Crazy Cat Lady and even the Toiletnator! 

“I didn’t know this was also a costume party!” Sydney shouted out, a grin on his face as he motioned for his son to go in deeper into the backyard. “If I knew that, then I would have worn that space suit that they let us keep. Your mother said I looked rather dapper in it!” He laughed as he stepped forward, only to be pulled away and locked into a conversation with one of his co-workers. 

Wally grumbled to himself, chastised himself for not seeing this coming. He had half a mind to just leave. To escape and head straight to the Treehouse . . . but he was compelled to stay. He still had to see Fanny after all.

No matter how much it would hurt him.

He took his tupperware and began to walk over to one of the tables that were set up with food, grumbling to himself all the while. As he approached it, he saw something that shocked him to the core. He saw Genki standing there with her daughter Kuki who seemed to be in a conversation as they put food on their plate.
 

He took a step forward. 

He stared at her, taking in her new look. No longer was she wearing her green sweater, and instead was wearing a lavender sundress. Her arms were bare, hands unencumbered by the thick wool of her previous sweater. It seemed all kinds of wrong to see Kuki in something so dramatically different. 

He took another step forward.

Their conversation was now becoming clear to him.

“Can we go see the Rainbow Monkey: Adventures in Care-A-Lot movie after this!” He heard Kuki say, her voice full of joy and warmth. His legs became jello as it threatened to bring him to his knees.

“Who would even go t’ a cruddy Rainbow Dorky movie.” His mouth moved on impulse, having had literally hundreds of these kinds of conversations with Kuki. He couldn’t control himself, it was practically a second instinct at this point.

He watched as her head shot towards him. He looked into her eyes and felt as if he died. There was no hint of recollection in her gaze, only a controlled anger at a kid who dissed one of the things she loved most. 

“Rude!” She shot out at him, like a bullet piercing his heart. She then turned her nose away from him, disregarding him like trash. She simply took her fed and left to go find somewhere to sit and eat. Genki stood there, frozen for a moment as well. She gave Wally a sad look before moving on.

“ . . . We’ll always be friends.”

Those words that Kuki told him at her decommissioning pounded against his skull. The words that had once instilled a sense of warmth and hope, had become the sword of damocles upon his very soul. She had promised him that they would always stay friends . . . but that was a lie. She had forgotten about him, she did not have an ounce of joy or love left for the hotheaded operative. All her memories of their adventures together, of their friendship was gone . . . all that she knew about him now was that he was a Rainbow Monkey hating jerk who rudely jumps into people's conversations.

He found himself falling backwards, only to be caught by two powerful hands. 

“Steady there.” He heard the gravel in a familiar voice. The one of the man that invited him to this cookout. It was laced with concern, something that Wally was unfamiliar with from the man. Wally shut his jaw tight and clenched his fists hard, until the knuckles were white. He was determined to not break down here.

To not break down again.

Not in front of everyone here.

He took a breath and moved to a close chair, practically collapsing into it. He looked up and he saw Mr. Boss standing before him. Gone was the usual suit, and instead he had on a white shirt, some shorts and an apron that said ‘World’s Best Boss’. 

“You weren’t lying when you said they lost their memories.” The villain uttered out. 

“Course Oi wasn’t cruddy lying!” Wally snapped as he glared up at the adult. Mr. Boss to his credit, didn't flinch. Instead he let out a gentle sigh and ran a hand through his thinning hair.

“I deserved that. I told Sanban that she should bring her brat . . . I figured that if you were lying, then there would be no way that Number 3 could resist running over and hugging her. Or even question her about the Kids Next Door. She always struck me as a terrible liar.” He explained to Wally. 

The boy sat there, feeling as if he should be pissed off at the adult . . . but he just felt drained. He gave a nod,”Yeah . . . she’s not good at lying.” He confirmed Mr. Boss’ suspicions. 

“Wallabee! Mr. Fulbright!” Came an exclamation from behind the two of them. They turned their heads to see the bright smile of Sydney and standing next to him was the Toiletnator. “You’ve outdone yourself this time, Boss. This a right good barbie, it is! And did ya know that my little Wallabee cooked up some grub for this? He and the missus got up early to make sausage rolls for everyone here.” Sydney was a proud parent who just wanted to share his sons achievements with anyone who would hear them.

“Daaaad.” Wally groaned, slapping himself with the face as he felt his chest swell up with embarrassment.

“Did he now?” Mr. Boss asked as he eyed the tupperware container. It was so unlike the pipsqueak that he knew to do something like this. The villain frowned, noting that Wally had changed . . . or rather had been forced to change and adapt in the absence of his friends. He decided to take one of the rolls and taste it for himself. He had expected it to be terrible but instead it was a terrific and savory treat. That only showed Mr. Boss how long Wally had been without his friends.  “Well, he did good.” He told Sydney before wandering back towards the grill. 

“You hear that, Sport? You got the approval Mr. Fulbright! Keep getting in his good graces, and you can get a job under him in no time!” Sydney laughed as he slapped Wally’s back,”Now then, Wallabee! Take a gander at who I found! If it isn’t your Uncle Lou!”

“Jus’ great.” Wally muttered to himself, disappointment clear in his voice. But it wasn’t heard by either of the two brothers.

The two brothers began to laugh as they talked to one another, both of them telling story after story after story. His father’s stories were long and mundane, whilst his uncle's stories were absurd and pathetic. Yet, they both told them as if they were gallant heroes, saving the day. Unable to stand it anymore, Wally leapt off his chair as he marched off. 

“Stoopid cruddy Mr. Boss, invitin’ Numbuh 3 like that.” He muttered to himself,”Stoopid cruddy Toiletnator. Stoopid cruddy cookout. Shouldn’t have ever come here.” 

“He speaks right. Doesn’t he, Mr. Fibb?”

“Correct, Mr. Wink. He should never have come here.” 

Wally’s eyes twitched as he turned around and faced the two villains. He was drastically losing his patience upon this day. It was amazing that he still had any, considering his well known short fuse and the events of the day.

“Oi don’t want to hear it from you two.” He growled out at the villain duo. The two simply looked at one another and raised a hand. In an instant heads turned and glowered down upon Wally. The operative paused, noting all the villains that were around him. He let out a cold chuckle as he cracked his knuckles. 

“If this is how you want t’ play, then let’s play.” Wally stated, his usual warrior’s grin was missing from his face. Instead there was a hardness in it, but still excitement shown and glimmered in his emerald eyes. He was excited to put fist to flesh, to get the adrenaline running and do something that would distract him from all the pain he was feeling.

Knightbrace stepped forward, his legs bent as he was ready to attack. The dental oriented ninja then shot forward, only to have his momentum promptly halted as he was grabbed by the back of the neck. Mr. Boss stood behind the villain, a look of rage upon his face.

“That’s enough! There isn’t going to be any fighting at my cookout! You are adults! Act like it!” He roared.

“B-but, you know who that isth!” Knightbrace started to argue, but stopped as he found himself frozen by Mr. Boss’ glare. “I . . . okay, alright. We’re adultsth.” He sighed. Mr. Boss nodded and let go of Knightbrace, who then promptly fell face first onto the ground.

“Alright, Number 4. Follow me.” He told the operative. Wally hesitated for a moment before nodding, deciding to put trust into the villain. They walked into his house, where Mr. Boss then promptly began to shout,”FANNY! WE HAVE GUESTS OVER! COME ON DOWN!” 

Wally flinched as he heard the scream. He massaged his ear, and stared over towards the stares. A look of fear upon his face. He already had to deal with Number 3 . . . and now he was going to have to deal with another of his memory wiped friends. He didn’t know if his heart could stand it.

“Ach! Ah’m comin’, Dah-Dee!” A strong Irish accent from the top of the stairs. Bounding down the stairs was a girl whose face was adorned with freckles, hair the color of fire and someone who should have a much greater presence than she currently had. It was none other than Numbuh 86, and thankfully for Wally’s sanity, her clothes did not change much. She was now wearing a simple pair of cargo shorts and a green shirt that had the image of an Irish Setter upon it. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, eyeing Wally. “Now, who’s this?”

Wally suppressed a flinch. There was no shouting, no mentioning of ‘stoopid boys’. No, she actually seemed to have a soft smile upon her lips and curiosity in her gaze. This was not the Fanny that he knew.

“Oi-Oi’m Wally. We go t’school t’gether. Even hung out a few toimes.” Wally spoke up as he shoved his hands into his pocket and gave a shrug. He glanced down at the ground, not wanting to look at Fanny any longer. Not wanting to look at her and remember who she used to be.

“Uhh . . . that’s right! He's Beatles’ kid! You and your group used to hang out all the time. He even stayed over one night.” Mr. Boss spoke up, hoping to jog his daughter's memories. 

“Group?” Fanny tilted her head, a frown marred her face. “Sorreh, Ah don’t remembah any o’ this.” Embarrassment blushed upon her cheeks as she grabbed her arm. “Guess Ah don’t ‘ave that good o’ a memory, do Ah?” 

“D-don’t worry about it, it was ages ago!” Wally chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two kids to it.” Mr. Boss sighed as he went back to the cookout. 

The two kids stood there, staring at one another. 

Wally forced himself to swallow the lump that was lodged in his throat. He clenched his fists as he built up the courage to talk to her. He didn’t notice that Fanny was doing the same, she was completely and utterly embarrassed by the fact that she did not remember him. That he was supposedly one of her friends, and she had no recollection of him . . . nor any of her friends.

She needed to know.

And he had the answers she sought. 

Chapter Text

The two stared at one another.

Tension smothered the atmosphere, weighing down upon them. No words uttered as they just stood there, completely frozen. Wally with his eyes wide with fear and Fanny with hers narrowed in determination. Seconds ticked by and Wally felt a bead of sweat drip down his face, questioning if he could even handle this.

Handle talking to her.

Meeting Kuki was a knife in his heart, and he knew the longer he stayed with Fanny that the more that knife would twist and break him.

“We’re either really good friends, or you know something about why I can’t remember anything.” 

Fanny’s voice was a mere whisper, but in the presence of only silence . . . it was deafening. She stared at him before continuing.

“After all, Da, wouldn’t leave meh alone with a boy . . . especially a cute one like yew.” Her voice became softer as she finished her sentence. A pink hue rose up to her cheeks as she realized that she said that out loud. She stared over at Wally who had a look of bafflement upon his face. “Why did Ah say that?” She chastised herself as she facepalmed.

A memory popped into Wally’s mind.

He was strapped into a chair, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He heard the complaints and whimpers of his friends and comrades. All of them in the dark as to what was happening. He stared over at the only person that he could see. 

Numbuh 86.

She stood before them, a look of pure confidence on her face. She exuded power that came with her position as Head of Decommissions. She was dressed in her full uniform, her helmet perfectly framing her face. She told them all about the process that they were about to go on through . . . but then her attitude changed when she got finished. There was a nervous look upon her freckled visage. She glanced to the side, a faint hue of pink making itself known to Wally.

What came next surprised Wally to no end.

“Since none o’ yew will remember what’s been said here. Ah’d like t’say something on a personal note. Ah uhh well um A-Ah always thought yew were kind o’ cute Numbuh 4.”

Wally blinked away the memory and stared back at Fanny, completely astonished. He had to admit that she had more guts than he ever did. She could go against her own pride and speak her mind back then.

And it seemed that being decommissioned didn’t change this fact.

“Don’t ya worry, Oi won’t let anyone know ya said that. Oi never told anyone the last time that ya called me cute.” Wally nervously chuckled, feeling the heat rise up to his own face. He was certain that he looked like a tomato by this point. 

Fanny stared at him for a moment, processing this information.  

“So, Ah said that to yew before.” She murmured to herself, glancing down at her shoes. Her lips pursed together, brows furrowing in thought. Her hand gripped her arm and suddenly she looked so small, so vulnerable. It was nothing like the fiery girl that he was so used to. He wondered what it was about decommissioning that could change a person.

Did they lose all their development that they had while in the Kids Next Door? Or do they lose a reason to keep acting a certain way?

“Well . . . in your defense . . . the last time ya said it, ya thought ya weren’t going t’ see meh again.” 

It was like dealing with a brand new person.

One that wore the face of an old friend.

“Not going t’ see yew again?” Fanny repeated his words, “What? Did Ah think yew were going t’ die?”

He could tell her that she was part of a secret organization and she was one of its top operatives. That she was an inspiration to kids across the globe. That she helped save the world from adult tyranny . . . but he couldn’t tell her. 

He had to lie.

“No. Not exactly. Someone uhh told ya a lie that Oi was . . .  movin’ away.” He wanted to help her, wanted to tell her everything, but the weight of the secrets held his tongue like chains. Each second in this lie was suffocating him more.

“Right. Ah suppose . . . that makes sense.” There was a hint of frustration in her voice. Anger coming out, not aimed at the Australian, but at herself. She felt that she should know this, that she should remember this.

But there was nothing.

“Do yew . . . do yew know why Ah don’t remember anythin’?” She questioned him, taking a step towards him. There was a flash of fire in her eyes. For a moment, he thought that he could see Fanny there . . . but it was just that, a flash. One that was soon to be replaced by a desperate girl, who nervously stood in front of him.

“N-No . . . “ He took a breath, steadying himself. He needed to say this without any look of doubt on his face. He needed her to believe him,”No.” There was resolution in his voice. “Oi don’t know why ya can’t remember anything. If Oi knew . . . Oi would have told ya.”

“ . . . Ah see.” In an instant her hope was dashed. A deep frown marred her freckled visage. For a moment, the room was engulfed in silence. The tension returned with a vengeance, and the two kids stood around awkwardly. 

And once again, it was Fanny who cut through the tension.

Once again it was her who shattered the silence with her voice.

“ . . . Then we were good friends?” She asked, hope once again swelling up within her. After all, her father would not leave her here with a boy that she barely knew. They had to be good friends for Mr. Fulbright to leave them alone.

“We weren’t always . . . we were both in the same friend group.” He said, glancing to the side. He was hiding his frown from her,”But . . . th’ group split apart and it was . . . well we were th’ only ones that really stuck around.”

They started out as comrades, but became friends after the slumber party incident. It was like that for a long time, until everyone around them started getting decommissioned. When they realized that they were going to be some of the last ones left of their little group. 

Well . . . they clung together like two scared little kids.

And it was there that they became real good friends. 

But they weren’t friends anymore. She had lost all her memories of him, they were effectively strangers now. It was the story of all his friendships from the Kids Next Door. Abby didn’t know he existed. Hoagy only knew him as a stranger. Kuki thought he was some rude kid. 

All of his friends were gone.

He was alone.

Even while being so close to Fanny, even when seeing her with his eyes . . . He had never been more alone.

“Ah see . . . and why did our friend group split apart?” Fanny asked him, wanting answers, desperate for anything that would click within her brain. That would make her recollect something. 

“ . . . They grew up.” Wally croaked out, pain now evident in his voice. “They didn’t want t’ play the games we used t’ play.”

“What . . . what games did we play?” Another question from Fanny. 


He couldn’t answer her.

There was no lie he could tell her that would satiate this curiosity and the truth? The truth would get him decommissioned. He couldn’t do anything here . . . he was absolutely useless.

Wally felt himself swell up with frustration as he stared over at her. He questioned why he even agreed to Mr. Boss’ offer . . . because he couldn’t handle this. This whole day had been a bust for him. His parents teasing him, the nightmare, seeing Kuki, being picked on by the adult villains and now this.

“Forget this!” Wally screamed out causing Fanny to flinch,”Oi can’t help ya! Oi can’t help anyone! Oi can’t help mahself!” He ranted as he turned around and his fist went sailing into the wall. There was a resounding thud as flesh met reinforced plaster. His fist was halfway embedded into it, before he let out another scream. “Just forget this! Oi was never here!”

He moved to storm out only to be stopped as Fanny grabbed his arm.

“S-sorry.” She stuttered out. Wally froze at how vulnerable she looked and then chastised himself for bringing her more pain. “Ah know . . . Ah know yew came ‘ere to help me . . . and Ah thank ye for that.” She continued, nervousness clear in her voice. “And Ah’m sorry that Ah can’t remember. It must hurt t’ see me like this . . . but please don’t leave.” Her voice broke at the very end. All she knew was that Wally was someone who was supposed to be a friend, and now she had managed to drive him off. 
She didn’t want to be alone.

She wouldn’t be able to handle that.

He closed his eyes, telling himself over and over and over again to not turn around to look at her. His legs moved on their own, turning on the back of his heel. His eyes forced themselves open and his heart broke. “Foine.” He muttered out, agreeing to stay here with her. “But . . . no more questions.”

“Aye . . . Ah  can do that.” She agreed as she hesitantly let go of his arm. “Ah know ya jus’ want th’old Fanny . . . Da wants it to . . . an’ so do Ah, but she’s not ‘ere right now. U-until she comes back, can ye be friends with this Fanny?” 

She was begging.

He could not say no. 

He knew that it was going to hurt him. To keep seeing her, to keep talking to her and know what she was supposed to be . . . but can’t ever be. To look at her and momentarily be tricked by his own memories and think that she was here with him, only for the illusion to shatter once she speaks.

But he could not say no.

She was begging.

“Alroigh’.” Wally slowly nodded, shoving his hands into his pocket. “Oi’ll be yer friend, ya cruddy girl.” He told her and Fanny could not help but beam at him, even when he called her a ‘cruddy girl’. 

She was just happy that she had someone in her corner . . . that she wasn’t alone. 

Grrrrrrrrrrumble

A noise ripped through them, and Wally glanced to the side. His face became red in embarrassment as they both realized the point of origin was his stomach. 

“Sorry, Oi jus’ . . . Oi haven’t had anythin’ t’snack on y’know. Kind of famished.” He looked sheepish as he said this.

“Don’t be sorreh.” Fanny let out a nervous chuckle,”Ah mean, Ah haven’t had a bite all day . . . an’ that cookout is startin’ t’seem mighty enticin’ . . . How about weh go an’ finally get fed.” She suggested. Wally rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, the rawness of the moment still fresh in the air. But Fanny’s suggestion, accompanied by the soft rumble of his stomach, gave him an excuse to step out of the weight of their conversation—just for a little while.

The two exited the house and entered the backyard.

As Wally and Fanny walked side by side, the weight of their earlier conversation still lingered in the air. Neither of them spoke at first, both wrapped in their own thoughts. Wally’s hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his gaze on the ground, while Fanny fiddled nervously with the hem of her sleeve.

The backyard was alive with the sounds of sizzling food and chatter. The smell of grilled burgers, hotdogs, and all sorts of snacks filled the air, mixing with the laughter of people enjoying a sunny afternoon. Kids ran around, some throwing frisbees while others splashed in a small inflatable pool.

Wally’s stomach rumbled again, reminding him of why he agreed to come out here in the first place. “So, uh . . . food,” he muttered awkwardly, glancing at the long table set up with plates of burgers, snacks, and drinks.

Fanny gave him a weak smile, still shaken by their conversation but clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Aye, food. Let’s eat before yer stomach starts yellin’ at us again.”

The pair made their way to the table, but as Wally reached for a plate, his eyes caught a familiar face across the yard.

Kuki.

She was sitting with a group of kids, laughing as if nothing in the world could bother her. A pang of sorrow twisted inside him. He had only seen her earlier that day, but seeing her again like this, so carefree, so unaware of everything they used to be—it hurt. His fingers trembled as they hovered over the food.

“Yew okay?” Fanny’s voice broke through his thoughts. She was standing next to him, a burger in her hand, watching him carefully.

“Yeah . . . yeah, Oi’m fine,” Wally mumbled, forcing a smile. “Jus’ hungry.”

He quickly grabbed a plate and piled it with food, hoping the act of eating would distract him from the ache in his chest. They found a spot under a shady tree to sit, and for a few moments, the silence between them was filled with the sounds of chewing.

But Wally couldn’t keep his mind quiet. Seeing Kuki like that, seeing Fanny trying so hard to be someone she no longer was—it all felt too overwhelming. He wanted to scream, to punch something again, to run away from all of it.

Instead, he swallowed hard and kept quiet.

Fanny, who had barely touched her food, glanced up at him again. “Ah didn’t mean t’ upset yew earlier . . . Ah jus’—”

“Oi know, Fanny,” Wally cut in softly, avoiding her gaze. He didn’t want to talk about it. He couldn’t talk about it, not without unraveling.

Wally sat under the tree, staring down at his half-eaten plate. He poked at his burger with a fork, not feeling particularly hungry anymore. The silence between him and Fanny wasn’t tense, but it was there, hanging in the air like a quiet, lingering presence.

"So . . . this is a nice cookout," Fanny commented, clearly trying to fill the silence with something, anything.

"Yeah," Wally replied, nodding a bit too quickly. "Food's good." He shoved another bite of his burger into his mouth to avoid saying anything else.

They both chewed in relative quiet, the sounds of the cookout around them filling the gaps. Kids were laughing and playing, a few adults chatting near the grill. Wally noticed Fanny glance over at them, watching the adults carefully. Her brow furrowed, like she was trying to make sense of something.


"Y'ever feel like everyone's in on some joke an' we're jus' sittin' here not gettin' it?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on the scene before her.

Wally blinked. That was a weirdly deep question for what was supposed to be casual. He shifted uncomfortably but gave a shrug. "Yeah . . . sometimes."

She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest as she rested her chin on them. "Ah dunno. Feels like Ah should be doin' more than jus’ sittin' here, y'know? Like . . . there’s somethin' Ah’m missin’." She stared over at the more costumed adults, feeling like she should be doing something. 

But nothing was coming into mind.

Wally swallowed hard. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking like that. He searched for a way to steer the conversation somewhere safer. He supposed that he would have to give her a bit of honesty, if it were to calm her down and get her off this track of thinking.

"Eh." He shrugged. “Ya always were takin’ lead an’ givin’ orders.” He said, glancing up at the sky. “It’s gettin’ late. Yer probably kickin’ yerself and gearin’ up t’get people t’clean up.” 

Fanny gave a small smile. "Aye, guess yer right.” She nodded. “Mah brothers do seem like th’kind of folk that need a good kick in th’behind t’get them t’do anythin’.” His words just felt right to her. Like it was a puzzle piece going into its proper place and she couldn’t help but feel more at ease.

Fanny stretched her arms and yawned, leaning back against the tree. "Ah think Ah could take a nap right ‘ere," she joked, her voice sleepy.

"Oi wouldn’t recommend it," Wally said, smirking. "Ya’d get covered in ants. They’re everywhere."

"Ugh, gross. Ah don’t need any stoopid ants gettin’ one over me." She wrinkled her nose, pulling her knees back up to her chest. "Maybe Ah’ll wait till Ah get back inside."

Wally chuckled softly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, things felt a little bit normal. Sure, it wasn’t the same as before, but it was something. And right now, that was enough.

They fell into silence again, but this time it felt almost comfortable, like neither of them felt the need to force the conversation anymore. They just sat there, side by side, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the yard.

Two kids from a past neither of them could fully grasp, one who remembered too much, and one who couldn’t remember at all.

But at least, for now, they weren’t alone.