FicWad

“Did you find her?”
“Yes, Holly, I found Kuki Sanban”
“Hiya you guys!”
“Kuki, shh!”
“Oh, sorry Lincoln, my bad”
“Where’s Nigel?”
“I’m over here”
“Oh...Hi”
“Hi?”
“Whot’s taking those two so long?”
“I dunno, Wal. D’ya think they’re okay?”
“LOOK! OVER THERE!”
“SHHH!”

The searchlights around the Printworks had tilted forward and gone out.
Everybody got on their Hoverboards.
“Ready, on three, okay?” Holly whispered.
The gate started to open.
“Three!” Kuki shouted, and everybody sped off.
“No! On the count of three!” Holly screamed, but followed them.
The front doors of the Printworks screeched open as everyone got there.
“Okay, we should split up. I’m gonna go with-“ Holly started to say.
“Lincoln” Numbuh five said.
“No! I’m going with Wal! Team Beetles, just like the training days” Holly punched her younger cousin’s arm.
“Numbuh five’s with Lincoln” Numbuh five pulled her hat down onto her head.
“Ingrid, Numbuh three, looks like you’re with me, then” Numbuh one said with authority.
“Pssh. Whatever, man. We’re totally awesome” Ingrid said, bumping Numbuh one with her Hoverboard. “Let’s go, then! Be careful and stay with your group” Lincoln said, coasting off down a hallway, with Numbuh five following him.

Holly and Numbuh four coasted down a hallway. “Whot exactly are we supposed to be looking for?” Numbuh four asked, trying to keep his balance.
“Load bearing pillars. Mechanical stuff. That koind of thing” Holly said.
Thump.
“Did you hear that?” Numbuh four asked.
“Look” Holly pulled to a stop. “D’ya see that? It’s a security camera. Cadel and Hoagie can see us. Nothing bad’s gonna happen”

Up in the control room, Numbuh two was, indeed, watching Holly and Numbuh four.
“Uh oh” he said.
“Uh oh? What’s up?” Cadel asked running over to see what was wrong.
“Something we’re not prepared for” Numbuh two muttered.
“Then it’s not Uh Oh. It’s Oh No” Cadel said.

THUMP.
“It’s getting louder” Numbuh four muttered.
The caged fluorescent lights above them started flickering.
“C’mon, Cadel, do something” Holly murmured.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
A pipe overhead broke, shooting steam.
Holly screamed, and then regained herself.
“I’ll go…see whot it is. Stay here. And keep your 2x4 or something out” Holly said, tightening her pigtails.
Holly coasted on her Hoverboard to the end of the hallway, and then turned left.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Something moved at the end of the hallway.
Numbuh four took aim with the 2x4 tech that Cadel had given him.
It was just Holly.
“Holly! Don’t do that!” Numbuh four yelled at his cousin.
“Sorry! There’s nothing there, so we should keep moving” Holly replied, adjusting her footing.
“Okay…” Numbuh four replied.

“No! Numbuh four! Don’t fall for that!” Cadel yelled.
“We had to deal with our negative selves once and if-“
“Yeah, well, Childcatchers aren’t negative; they’re like, composed of all your fears and insecurities. That’s why they’re so effective” Cadel explained, pacing the floor of the control room.

“So….There’s nothing there?” Numbuh four asked. He thought that he heard something.
“What? No! Don’t be stupid. Of course not. There’s nothing scary there…” Holly trailed off and Numbuh four turned around.
“Except for me”
Numbuh four spun around, and Holly was gone.
“Holly? Where are you?” Numbuh four asked.
“I’m right here”
Numbuh four turned around again.
Nothing. Just empty hallway.
“You gonna put up a fight again? I’m not just going to knock you out this time. I’m going to kill you. Your cousin too, and you wanna know why? You’re just kids. You’re just stupid kids trying to take on something that you can’t fight”
Numbuh four tried to ease the panic and figure out where the voice was coming from.

“Look up! UP! Numbuh four, LOOK UP!” Numbuh two shouted.


“Where are you? Come out and foight me! I can take you!” Numbuh four shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway.
He had to think. Think! Where? Blind spot, Blind spot, where’s Holly, is she okay, find the blind spot….
“Wal! It’s me! This way!”
Holly’s voice rung out from the other end of the hallway.
Holly! She was okay!
Numbuh four shot towards the sound of Holly’s voice.
He turned the corner.
And there she was.
She had some deep scratches in her arms and across her face and she had a split lip.
“Whot’s going on ‘ere?”
“Childcatchers. Loads of ‘em. We’re probably the first, but we should warn everyone else” Holly panted, sticking her arm out to the right.
Holly grabbed the bomb that shot up and looked for a spot to put it.
“Once you plant that thing, how long so we have?” Numbuh four asked.
“About…thirty minutes, maybe”
“Maybe?”
“Yes. Maybe” Holly sighed, and wiped some blood off her face.
“Actually, You two don’t have very long at all”