Am I Doomed To Be Alone?

Overcoming Difficult Challenges

Operation: G.R.O.W.-U.P:

Getting

Really

Old

Will

Upset

Plans

My Pov

I was walking home from school when it started raining. I took out and opened my umbrella and held it over me. I got home and heard some talking from the other room. Father was talking to the DCFDTL.

"Now, I want you, my Delightful Children, to go back and destroy those pesky Kids Next Door!" Father demanded.

"Yes Father. May we please borrow the Really Really Incredibly Destructive Machine? Pretty please?" the Delightful Children asked.

"Fine, but there better not be one scratch on it when you're done." Father said.

"Yes, Father." the Delightful Children said. My eyes widen in fear. I dropped my umbrella and bolted to Numbuh 1's house. I practically almost went through the door as I bolted pass Numbuh 1's parents and hurried into the treehouse. I burst into the main room, confusing my team.

"Kids Next Door, get ready for a battle!" I exclaimed.

"Numbuh 7, what's wrong?!" Numbuh 1 asked.

"The DCFDTL enlisted some help Father and they're on their way here!" I said. That's when I heard their haunting voices.

"Knock, knock..." the Delightful Children said. A large, metal tentacle busted through the door. What followed seemed like hours, but was really mere minutes, was the destruction of Sector V's treehouse and the DCFDTL turned Numbuh 1 into an adult. By the end of it, I was back at the Delightful Mansion and locked in my room like a prisoner. I just sat on the floor, holding my knees and crying. Just like before, I lost people I cared about. I looked at the large mirror that towered over me. I just looked at myself.

"How pathetic." a voice said. I looked around before seeing my reflection smirk and stand up. My reflection warped into a Delightfulized version of myself, with the same sky-blue eyes the DCFDTL had. "You truly are a pathetic child. Unable to safe and protect any kids, especially those who are the most precious to you."

"Shut up..." I whispered.

"What good are you if you can't even protect your own team? How can you call yourself a Kids Next Door operative when all you do is push away from your life. All you is hide in the shadows of lies." the reflection said.

"Shut up!" I said, louder and more angry.

"Then again, with what you really are, I don't blame you for wanting to hide." the reflection said.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I screamed. I pounded on the mirror until it shattered into hundreds of shards. I shielded myself with my arms as several shards cut my arms. I burst into tears. Not because I was bleeding, but because the hallucination of my reflection was right. I was pathetic. I couldn't save or protect anyone. I looked at my arms, seeing the cuts heal and not leaving any scars. That's when I heard commotion coming from the living room. I opened my door and heard things more clearly. It was Sector V fighting with the DCFDTL. I ran down the stairs and saw them playing tug-of-war with the age-changing cigar, changing from seniors, to teenagers then into babies. That's when I ran to them and yanked the cigar out of their hands. Then they all started bawling. I zapped all of them back to their old selves. Bruce snatched the cigar from my hand.

"Enough! This ends now! Once we've set the age dial to 0, you'll disappear forever! Except you, Erika. When we change you, we'll make you a newborn so Father can raise you again. The right way." the Delightful Children said. However, an ice cream truck drove through a window. It was Numbuh 1!

"Numbuh 5, remind me to hand out free ice cream after I take care of these creeps. And Numbuh 7, when this is all over, you're going to be moving into the treehouse so you don't have to live here anymore." Numbuh 1 said.

"You got it Mr. Uno!" Numbuh 5 said.

"That's Numbuh 1 to you." Numbuh 1 corrected. Then he turned his attention to the DCFDTL. "Alright, you brats. Gimme that device!"

"Why would we give it to you?" the DCFDTL asked.

"Because I'm an adult and goody-goody kids like you have to obey adults. So, gimme." Numbuh 1 said. They looked at each other.

"No fair!" the Delightful Children whined.

"Who said life was fair?" Numbuh 1 asked. That's when a light clapping echoed through the room. We all looked to see Father.

"Bravo, Mr. Uno. You managed to outwit a bunch of children. Question is; do you have what it takes to play with the big boys?!" Father said, his fire flaring up. This was the toughest battle I had fought in a long time. Numbuh 1 managed to knock Father into the fireplace and blocked it with the piano.

"Guys, we need to help Numbuh 1!" I said. We all hurried to Numbuh 1's aid.

"I hate crudy pianos! I wish they'd all just blow-" Numbuh 4 said, before being cut off by Father's fire blasting through the piano. Numbuhs 3 and 4 were thrown into the ice cream truck, Numbuhs 2 and 5 were thrown toward the DCFDTL and me and Numbuh 1 were blasted into a wall.

"Bravo Mr. Uno. You now have my full attention!" Father said. Father shot multiple fireballs at us, but when he struck Numbuh 3 and 4's ice cream, the flames evaporated.

"That's it! Numbuh 1, Ice is his weakness!" I said.

"Guys, over here now!" Numbuh 1 said. Numbuh 5 and 2 ran over to us. "Grab every single bit of ice cream in this truck. Kids Next Door, battle stations!"

"7!"

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

We tossed ice cream after ice cream at Father, weakening him until he became enrage and regained his strength. Numbuh 1 managed to find an ice cream tank and covered Father in ice cream, weakening him entirely. Numbuh 2 handed Numbuh 1 the age-changing cigar.

"What're you gonna do with it?" Numbuh 2 asked.

"I know exactly what to do with it." Numbuh 1 said. He at first pointed it at the Delightful Children, who began shook in fear. He then turned it to himself and changed back to a ten year old. "Alright, Delightful Children From Down The Lane. If you or your father ever want your butt kicked, you know where to find us. Come on guys. Let's go home." We went back to what remained of our treehouse. It took a while, but we rebuilt it and, true to his word, Numbuh 1 moved me into the treehouse. Maybe this time I could keep my team safe.