Disclaimer: I don't own the KND. I own the TND, but that's really it. Um, I guess I own the Delightful Teens from Down the Lane, but everybody else belongs to Tom Warburton.

Okay, here it is! Finally! It's the third story in the Teens Next Door series. Sorry it took so long to put up. Anyway, listen up, Number 1's got an announcement.

Number 1: *clears throat* Ahem, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOTH OPERATION: T.E.E.N.S. AND OPERATION: S.H.A.R.E., YOU MUST DO SO NOW BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER!!! Thank you.

Thank you, Number 1! Now then, on with the story!

Now loading, Kids Next Door mission. Operation: D.U.M.B.

Dan Underestimates Merry Birthday

~*Chapter 1*~

Number 3 tossed and turned in his sleep. He was having a nightmare. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to find a comfortable spot to stop the nightmare. He breathed heavily. It was the same thing every year. Every year around his birthday, Number 3 always had nightmares. Sometimes, they wouldn't be that bad. Other times, like when the moon was in its waning stage, they would be horrific. He was lucky tonight. The moon was starting to become visible again; it was in its waxing stage. Still, nightmares haunted his thoughts. The strange thing was, it was the same one every year. In his nightmare, Number 3 would be running away from something. He didn't know what. It was evil though. Sometimes, it would take the form of a boy that somewhat looked like him. Other times, it was a giant shadow. Tonight, it was a shadow. Number 3 begged his eyes to open, but they remained stubborn and stayed shut. He couldn't stand that. He tried as hard as he could, and his eyes flashed open with hot tears of fear running down his face. He sat up in bed.

"Stupid nightmares," he whispered, rubbing his head. "Why the crud does the same one come every year?"

Number 3 scanned his room. He was sleeping in his wrestling ring with a bunch of blankets over him and a pillow squished to the side. Numbah 3 was sleeping on the other side of the ring surrounded by a bunch of stuffed animals. She seemed fine.

"She must've not heard me squirming over here." Number 3 announced to nobody. "I can't wait for their stupid tree house to be rebuilt. The sooner, the better."

Number 3 looked at his clock. It read 6:51 in the morning. His calendar read January 21, eight days before his birthday on January 29.

"It's still early, but maybe Number 1 is up to watch her morning cartoons." He said. He got up, slipped his socks and boots on, and went downstairs.

Downstairs, Number 1 was pouring cereal and milk into her bowl. She was in her red pajamas and black bathrobe. She looked up at her teammate coming down the stairs.

"You're up early." She observed. "It's Saturday. Don't you usually sleep until noon on the weekends?"

"I couldn't sleep." Number 3 said. "I had a nightmare."

"Is it that same one that comes every year?" Number 1 asked. "You'd think evil spirits like that would get bored with a mind like yours."

"Gee, thanks." Number 3 said sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it that way." Number 1 corrected herself. "I just mean that things like that should go away eventually."

Number 3 shrugged and grabbed his breakfast bowl from the cabinet. He poured some sugary cereal and milk into his bowl and stirred it all up.

"Do you want to watch the Saturday morning cartoons with me?" Number 1 asked. "They start half-an-hour earlier than normal."

"Sure," Number 3 replied. "You don't usually offer things like that, you know."

"I know." Number 1 said. "But you're up. I might as well."

Number 3 nodded and followed Number 1 to the TV room. The two TND operatives sat down on the couch and turned the giant-screen TV on. An old cartoon that neither of them had ever heard of was ending and commercials were starting up.

As the commercials were playing, Number 3 thought of something random. It was another legend that Number 1's mom had told her, and then she had told the rest of the team.

Flashback

"Hey guys! This reminds me of a story my mom told me once." A young Number 1 said to her team. They were sitting in a circle with flashlights during a storm that had caused them to loose power, even with their hamster supply.

"Once, a very long time ago, a baby boy was born in a poor village. He was a beautiful boy with a very special gift. He had the power of charm on his side. Even before he could talk or crawl, he could make anybody that laid eyes on him smile."

"The boy grew up to be a healthy and strong young man. At the age of thirteen, just about every girl in the entire village wanted to see him and every family wanted him to visit them every day. He was growing to be popular. He and his family were very happy. It was even said that the boy made crops flourish and soil grow fertile. The village wasn't so poor anymore."

"Times were good until a harsh ruler, the same one that took that young woman, noticed this boy and all his perfection. She became angry, but more, jealous. She flew down to Earth from her home planet. She landed on Earth and forced her slave, the young woman that she had kidnapped, to find him. The slave did as she was told because if she didn't, she'd loose her privileges. It hurt her to do it, but she grabbed the boy and took him to her ruler."

"The ruler smirked when she saw the boy face her." 'Boy,' she said. 'I have noticed your amazing power of charm. If you join me, I will see to it that you have everything you could ever want.' 'I have exactly what I want!' the boy cried. 'I have a place in my home where I belong!' The ruler looked disgusted. 'Then you shall be cursed!' she screamed. The boy opened his eyes, and he was in his village."

End Flashback

"Hello! Number 3, are you still with me?" Number 1 waved her hand in front of Number 3's face. He snapped back to reality with a jolt.

"Woah, um, yeah, I'm okay." He assured. "I just had a little spazztic moment."

"I think it was more than that." Number 1 announced, sitting back in her spot, shoving a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. "You seemed to be in a trance!"

"I was just imitating you when you meditate." Number 3 lied. Number 1 cocked an eyebrow and turned her attention to the cartoons coming on TV.

Lately, Number 1 had been trying to control her temper through meditation. It was working. At the same time, she was building her psychic strength and ESP. It was true that the rest of the TND and even the KND often imitated her when she wasn't around, but that wasn't what Number 3 had been doing.

A little while later, Numbah 1, Numbah 3, and Number 2 came downstairs in their pajamas. They each poured cereal and milk into their bowls and joined Number 1 and Number 3 in front of the TV.

"Good morning." Number 1 greeted her friends.

"Morning." Number 2 replied. "What's going on for today?"

"I'm going back to bed." Number 3 announced, going way off topic. He trudged up the stairs and the rest of the team head him slam the door to his room.

"That was really random." Numbah 1 observed.

"It was funny!" Numbah 3 cried.

The rest of the team obviously heard, and they came walking down the stairs.

"What's all the racket? Numbah 5 is trying to get some beauty sleep." Numbah 5 announced, obviously annoyed.

"That was Number 3." Number 2 replied. "He's in a bad mood this morning."

"Why?" Numbah 2 asked.

"We have no clue why." Number 1 answered for her teammate. "He's been acting weird for the past few days. It's like he's not even Number 3 anymore!"

"That's ridiculous." Numbah 1 objected. "Didn't you once tell us that he always gets like this around his birthday?"

"Well, he does," Number 1 began. "But I'm still not convinced. He's the first of our team to have a birthday, you know. This is a big year, too. He'll be fourteen."

"Yeah," Number 4 agreed. "None of us Teens Next Door like to have birthdays."

"Why is it such a big deal being fourteen?" Numbah 4 asked. "It's not like he's turning eighteen or something."

"It would really suck if he was turning eighteen." Number 1 said. "That's the age where we have to retire from the Teens Next Door."

"Yeah, that goes back to my question." Numbah 4 continued. "Why is it such a big deal being fourteen?"

"Number 3 believes that he's related to this boy in this legend that Number 1 told us once." Number 5 announced.

"That legend is so true!" Number 1 shouted, being defensive. "Every single bit of it!"

"Uh-huh," Number 5 agreed sarcastically. "Sure it is."

"I'm serious!" Number 1 continued defending her remark. "That story isn't a myth! It's one hundred percent non-fiction! You guys have to believe me!"

"Yeah, don't hold your breath." Number 4 said. The rest of the team burst out laughing. Number 1 gave them a stubborn look.

{Those stories are not fake.} She thought. {You'll see one of these days. Through meditation, I've been able to see a place through the space time continuum. Something is happening there. Something bad.}

"Hello! Number 1! Now is not the time for a trance moment!" Number 5 snapped.

"I'm in no trance." Number 1 reassured.

"Yeah, then did you hear what we were saying?" Numbah 5 asked.

"Um," Number 1 hesitated.

"She didn't." Numbah 4 spoke for her.

"Whatever." Number 1 sighed it off. "What were you saying?"

"We're going to throw Number 3 a surprise birthday party!" Numbah 3 exclaimed. "He'll be so happy!"

"Party!" Number 2 shouted. "I love parties! I love parties!"

"Shut up, Number 2." Number 1 ordered. "I mean it."

Number 2 stopped and lowered her head.

"What do you think of the idea, Number 1?" Numbah 1 asked. "It sounds fun, doesn't it?"

"I don't know." Number 1 said uneasily. "I didn't think Number 3 liked surprises."

"But this is a party!" Numbah 3 insisted. "I'm throwing it whether you like it or not!"

Number 1 watched the KND and TND walk away and climb the stairs to start planning the party. Number 1 sunk her head low and crossed her legs to begin a moment of meditation to calm herself. Before she could get very far, a thought struck her.

"I know that legend is true." She said to herself. "I'm sure of it, but nobody believes me."

Number 1 stopped and thought.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "I know one person who believes everything I say about this stuff!"

Number 1 picked up the phone and dialed up a number. She sat there for a minute listening to the ring until someone picked up.

"Hello?" the person on the other end asked.

"Number 8, Number 1. Meet me at corner store in fifteen minutes."

~*End of Chapter One*~