đŹ 0  đ 0  â¤ď¸ 0 ¡ Is âWhispersâ discontinued?
After 2 long years I have finally logged back into this account
I unfortunately had a few dea
Whispers will be continued this summer, and the explanation of my absence is on this linked post :)
đŹ 0  đ 0  â¤ď¸ 0 ¡ Is âWhispersâ discontinued?
After 2 long years I have finally logged back into this account
I unfortunately had a few dea
I am finally back!! My little explanation on my absence can be viewed on the post Iâve linked below
After 2 long years I have finally logged back into this account
I unfortunately had a few deaths in the family in these past years which really did a hit on my mental health, followed by school work stress and I found myself losing motivation for this fic
And yet I still couldnât stop thinking about it and all the plans I had for âWhispersâ and knew deep down that if I didnât at least complete it till s3, (s4 does not exist to me) Iâd regret it.
So here I am confirming that this fic is NOT discontinued and have plans to carry on this summer which I hope you all will stay tuned for even after all these years đĽ˛
Also a big sorry to those of you that I have left on the most nastiest cliff hanger ever cause that was CRUEL đđ
âIâll watch you bleed out beneath me with a laugh on my faceâ and âclose your mouth dear, you donât want to catch fliesâ
but also on the note of giving y/n shit, I hope we get to see at some point a bit of a hurt/comfort dynamic between her and five, I feel like coming full circle would HURT
LITERALLY what I was thinking when writing this chapter. Y/n can never catch a moment of peace and quiet without having to catch someoneâs fists.
Prepare yourselves cause the hurt/comfort will be coming soonâŚ
But before that Iâve got some more hurt/no comfort for both Y/n and Five to go through.
Hopefully itâll feel as satisfying as I think itâs gonna be when they finally comfort each other AFTER 3 YEARS OF HATING EACH OTHERS GUTS
MAAM DID YOU SEE THE SEASON 4 TRAILER? WHAT WAS THAT SCENE WITH FIVE HUGGING LILA?
YESSS I WAS SO SHOCKED AND GLAD AT THE SAME TIME THAT FIVE IS FINALLY GETTING THE HUG HE DESERVES!!! He really had to go through multiple apocalypses to show physical affection đ
But the real question is why is Lila crying- and crying to Five of all people?
Maybe the Commissions coming back?? Or theyâre isolated from the others???
I have so many theories my head is actually going to explode.
"You both look good," The Handler observed. "all things considered."
"It's good to see you again." My stomach churned at his response.
The woman smiled, tilting her head up slightly as if reminiscing an old memory. "Feels like we met just yesterday. Of course you were both a little bit older then." A hostile smile began to stretch across her face. "Congratulations on the age regression. Very clever." Her eyes then averted to mine. "Threw us all of the scent."
Five used whatever strength he could summon not to scoff right then and there. "Ah well, I wish I could take credit. I just miscalculated the time dilation projections and..." His lips pressed into a tight lipped smile. "Well, you know. Here we are."
I shot a glare towards the boy. The more he spoke, the more he seemed to implicate his actions with mine.
Her crimson lips twitched upwards. "Yes," She spoke. "Here you both are."
"But you do realise your efforts are futile. So why don't you tell me what you really want."
What I was promised--
"I want you to put a stop to it." Five replied.
"You realise what you're asking for is next to impossible, even for me. What's meant to be is meant to be. That's our raison d'etre, our purpose."
Five reached into his holster and pointed a gun towards The Handler, standing comfortably with a hand in his pocket. "Yeah?" He hummed, his tense shoulders contrasting the carefree tone he boasted as if he were in control. "Well how about survival as a raison?"
"I'll just be replaced," The Handler shrugged. "I'm but a... small cog in a machine." She was clearly unimpressed that even Five had settled with the naĂŻve conclusion that all his problems would be eradicated with her demise. A thought many before him had proceeded with in the past. A thought that I had attempted to act on too many times to count, only to be slapped back into reality and be forced to come to terms with the harsh truth.
I was lucky to have The Handler. Luckier than most who were slaving away back in the confines of the Commission with the false promise of escape.
The woman began approaching Five in measured steps, facing the barrel of the gun shamelessly. "This fantasy you've been nurturing about summoning up your family and kidnaping y/n to stop the apocalypse," She paused as Five gradually began to retract the gun, his fist trembling in anger and teeth dug deep into his tongue. "is just that. A fantasy."
She then turned to face me. "And I'm more than positive that you're tired of being held hostage by someone you despise." As Five began to open his mouth to respond, The Handler smoothly proceeded, "You're one of my most valuable assets- maybe even my most- so I'm willing to turn a blind eye and..." She paused, her blue eyes glinting in familiarity. "cut a deal with you."
"No--"
"Yes." I firmly stated, glaring at the boy beside me. "I would be more than happy to."
"What do you think you're doing--"
I snapped my neck towards him and scowled. "What I should've done from the beginning."
"Don't think we're leaving you out, Fivey. We want to offer you a new position back at the Commission." She lifted her hand towards him as if in surrender. "In management."
This caught my attention immediately, my lips parting slightly as I caught myself from protesting to her decisions.
Five sputtered in response, almost not finding his words. "Sorry," He scoffed. "what's that now?"
"Come back to work for us again. You know it's where you belong." The Handler was closer to Five now, his gun faltering ever so slightly.
"Well it didn't work out too well the last time."
"But you wouldn't be in the correctional division any longer. I'm talking about... the home office." She spoke. "You'd have the best health and pension, and an end to this ceaseless travel."
The platinum haired woman chuckled before any of us could object. "You're a distinguished professional in," She paused, dramatically inhaling a deep breath as her eyes roamed Five's figure. "school boy shorts. We have the technology to reverse the process for the both of you."
The boys shoulders slumped slightly, showcasing his eventual defeat to the Handlers flattering promises and honeyed words. Both which he knew would eventual morph into sweet nothings to trap him into her tapestry of lies. Each web sewn delicately with a careful equivocation to back up every false pretence ever spewed from those red stained lips.
"I mean, you can't be happy like this." She proceeded, her polished manicured hand clasping over the gun, gently pushing it down.
"I'm not looking for happy." He rasped.
The Handler left a trail of feather light touches along Five's cheek, her fingers just brushing his skin, as she said, "We're all looking for happy. We can make that happen."
"We can make you... yourself again."
He sighed, his eyes averting from place to place abruptly. "And what about my family?" Five countered.
"What about them?"
"I want them to survive."
I rolled my eyes, grumbling a curse in annoyance at how thick Five's skull presented itself to be time and time again. And it seemed the same thought was running through the Handlers mind as she glared blankly at the boy before looking away with a sigh, her gaze landing on the statue-like bodies of Luther, Diego and Klaus.
She puckered her lips. "All of them?"
"Yes," His eyes narrowed. "All of them."
The woman flexed her hands and reached for her sunglasses, placing them back on top of the bridge of her nose in a swift movement.
"I'll see what I can do."
There was no way in hell Five would fall for something like this so easily. The boy would be the next person after me to have witnessed the brutalness and severity of what the actions of the Commissions Handler can lead to. Especially if ones future relies soley on a deal based on a 'maybe'- an uncertainty.
She raised a hand, her lips turning into a smile.
âSo, do we have a deal?â
The question lingered in the air for longer than it should have, the weight of each of the Handlers words staining the tense atmosphere like venom does to its prey.
Any wrong word or movement could result in two of, or all of us dead. And I was more than ready to make the former come true if necessary.
Five looked down to her hand, to her eyes, then twisted his neck to meet mine with brows furrowed from the constant weight of suspicion burdening him and his every thought.
"One thing." He turned away and took long strides towards Hazel and Cha Cha, placing his gun back into the holster attached to his hip, and reached down, de-assembling one of the duo's pistols and flinging it away. Hastily, he made his way back and reached towards the bullet hanging mid air aimed for Luther, repositioning its trajectory away from his brother.
Back in the situation he was in seconds ago, repeating his actions he looked down at the Handlers stretched hand, but quickly halted himself from making contact. "Actually scratch that." He licked his lips hastily. "One more thing."
This time he took a few steps towards me, his palm coming to grip my wrist in a vice-like grip and pulled me away from the woman's intruding presence.
"What is your problem?" I hissed, my face scrunched in a mixture of pain and frustration. Clenching my jaw, I did my best to hide the pain and focused on Fives gaze.
His darkened eyes bore into mine intensely as his forehead wrinkled and nose scrunched in disgust, lips pinched into a tight scowl. The pain in my wrist quickly subsided into a dull numbness as Five tightened his palm further, pulling me eerily closer.
"If find out that you've been planning this from the start," He began, lowering his voice to mask the tremor bound to shake through his words. "I will rip you apart limb from limb and watch you bleed out beneath me with a laugh on my face." I felt his spit fling onto my face, my jaw tightening further in distaste. "And this isn't some everyday threat, y/n," I raised a brow at the use of my first name. "This is personal."
"Got that?" His breath fanned against my face and his grip tightened momentarily before releasing my wrist all together and strolling back to the Handler as if nothing had happened at all, not giving me a single second to respond like the coward he was proving to be.
"Close your mouth dear." I heard the Handlers voice echo into my ears as I approached the two. "Wouldn't want to swallow any flies."
I swallowed my last bit if anger down to my gut and scoffed, not trusting myself to look at the boy beside me in fears I'd do something I'd come to regret.
At last, Five clasped his hand over the Handlers, a pleasant smile gracing her lips.
"Deal."
Date: REDACTED, 1955
Location: TEMPS COMMISSION HQ
Time: REDACTED
It was strange to be back at the Commission so fast. Like a sudden whiplash, a sudden feeling that from here, things could only get worse no matter what I tried. I couldn't really explain it.
Especially now, as the Handler, Five and I walked through the Commissions front garden as if we had all the time in the world. And technically, we did. But everything I felt my gut wailing and screaming for me to understand only proved that time was the only thing I didn't have.
It was terrifying. But even fear couldn't replace the anger brewing within me. All because of some fucking man-child who decided to be selfish and save his family from their inevitable doom.
And the audacity this idiot had to threaten me as if I was the one endangering a whole timeline was beyond me.
A scoff left my lips as his threats rang in my mind. I shook my head in annoyance. I should be the one to rip his limbs apart. I should be the one to watch him bleed into the ground. I should be the one that comes out on top, laughing at his last dying efforts to merely take another breath. But most of all, I should be the one to be talking out a deal with the Handler.
As if on cue, the Handlers words rang through the air, along with the series of greetings from the Commission associates around us.
âIâve never met anyone quite like you. Hazel and Cha Cha, for example, are talented certainly, but they canât see the big picture.â
âAnd what, he can?â I grumbled, before hissing in pain. Five had thrown his heel back and kicked my shin. As I tried to respond with my own attack, the boy read my mind and swiftly moved to the side to dodge my foot.
Acting as if she hadnât witnessed a thing, the Handler carried on with her flattery. âYour spunk, your enterprising spirit, it reminds me of myself if I may be so vainglorious.â She smiled, leading us in towards the buildings entrance.
"If things work out for you here, you could potentially make a fine successor, Five."
The moment we stepped foot inside the headquarters, the Handlers coat was swiftly taken by another worker as she led us through the familiar staircase. Once I opened my mouth to speak, the boy beside me quickly cut in front with a shove and a glare, and asked, "I'd like to discuss the logistics of my family's safety at your earliest convenience." Then added, "As well as this body replacement."
"Such chutzpah." The Handler sighed. "It's refreshing, I'll admit."
I rolled my eyes, the memories of my own 'chutzpah' flickering through my mind along with the punishments that came with it. "Don't claim to be brave if you can't handle a little pain." is what the Handler always used to say. The way the blue hues of her eyes glistened in grim satisfaction, and the way her voice reminded me of one I longed to forget would forever stick with me, haunting every reflection my eyes dared to meet.
The image of her unsettling grin, deep crimson lipstick smeared onto the unnatural white of her teeth. The metallic stench of blood that seemed to come and go with every snap of her fingers. The haze of smoke blocking whatever was left of my tear-stricken vision, and her warm breathing whispering bittersweet nothings into my ear- which were more bitter than I remembered. The memory was impossible to forget.
I mean, how could I forget such a core moment in my life?
How could I forget my first failure?
But that didnât matter right now. As all I needed right this second, was to watch her inflict the same punishments onto Five. No matter how cruel that may be. I needed to see someone else go through the same... incidents as I did. I needed to know that I wasn't the only one who'd fell prey to the woman's actions. But from the way the Handler was treating Five, meeting his every demand with an agreement or a compromise, it seemed that I was unlucky enough to keep getting the short end of the stick.
I hadn't even realised my fists were clenched until a sting shot through my palm. My eyes averted down to my hand, crescent marks staring right back up at me with the same intensity.
"Now that you've finally agreed to work with us, we've got all the time in the world." Smug. Her voice was so fucking smug. I ran my hand over my face as if the action was going to release the tension in my jaw, my eyes- anywhere.
The woman led us through the Commission as a mini-reintroduction as if we hadn't been working there a few days ago.
"The Commission works in support of a delicate balance between the time line of events and mankind's free will." Leading us towards the briefcase storage room, she turned towards Five. "The briefcase is no longer part of your kit. Free your mind." She placed an arm around his shoulder, making sure to make eye contact with me as she uttered his name. "You're management now, Five."
She smirked at my expression. "One of us."
Before going up another flight of stairs, she paused and turned on her heels to face me properly, Five following her actions to meet my stare with his stern one.
"Since I'll be showing Five where he'll be working among the case managers, you're no longer needed." She said, looking me up and down. "Wait in my office so we can discuss the details concerning your return."
And with that, the two left without a second glance- well, I didn't miss the way the boy gave me a strange look before joining the Handler. He was clearly trying to communicate something but it'd take a lot more than an odd glance to crack through the resentment clouding my eyes and better judgement.
Maybe that's why I did what I did the moment I was no longer shadowed by their presence.
Was what I was about to do a good idea? No.
No, it was not.
But I was going to do it anyway.
Without a second thought, I rushed towards the direction of the Handlers office, receiving odd glances from analysts after practically witnessing some random teenager sprint through the hallways. I quickly entered, shutting the door behind me before I set my eyes on a painting opposite to where I stood.
The piece of art was breath taking. You could tell that every brush and stroke of the artists paintbrush was done so with delicacy and precision. Everything was perfect, from the swarms of dark red hues and smoky oranges, to the smallest spec of green that seemed insignificant when looking at the canvas up close. But when you take a step back to appreciate the big picture, you begin to appreciate the details that seem invisible to the naked eye.
You've always had a soft spot for art. Maybe that's why The Handler had chosen to place the very thing that could change the darkness of your fate into a bright one, within the hard work of another's.
You grabbed one of the knives strapped to your body and with a deep exhale, slashed vertically through the artwork you were admiring only a moment ago. The cut was swift and neat, revealing a small silver key dangling in the air with a piece of string through the key hole that was attached to the top of the canvas.
A dwindling smile began to tug at my lips as a familiar engraving of the letter 'J' caught my eye. I hurriedly snapped the rope and grabbed the key, holding it tightly in my palm as if it were going to disappear from my grasp if I loosened my grip.
As if the universe could read my mind, the door clicked open and locked shut, before a voice pierced through the air.
âIt seems that the bloodhound has gnawed through her leash.â She spoke. âAgain.â
I turned to face her. "One of the things you trained me in is debt collection." I replied, a tired grin on my face. "I'm just doing my job."
The Handler laughed, making my eyes narrow at the hollow sound leaving her lips. She reached for a pocket watch on her desk and snapped it open. "I'm sorry to inform you, dear, but the deadline's not up yet." It snapped shut.
"Now," The woman sighed as she gracefully sat on her chair, holding a pipe between her fingers and crossing her legs. "be a good girl and give me the key so we can get on with--."
"No."
Silence
The Handler cocked her head to the side and exhaled a puff of smoke. An exasperated burst of a chuckle escaped her lips and I watched the way she poked her tongue against the inside of her cheek. âIâm not sure I heard you right. What was it you said?â
âI thought I made it clear.â I sneered. âNo.â
The next few moments were like watching a snake shed its skin and bare its fangs. The women in front of me was ridding herself of the many faces she wore over her true one, finally confronting me with those same cold, ruthless eyes that had began this never ending hell, and the same lips that uttered the command that allowed for such pain to be inflicted on me all those years ago. In a place I held as my safe haven, nonetheless.
Forcing my expression to remain neutral, I spoke. âItâs refreshing to finally speak to the real deal instead of those millions of personas youâve harboured over the years. It gets exhausting.â
The women stood, her floral dress flowing with her every movement before she finally towered in front of me. She licked her thumb and began rubbing something off my cheek in a rough manner- in a painful manner. Slim fingers danced across my youthful skin and curled around my jaw, angling my head to look up at her. The pads of her fingers made sure to hold me tightly in place, a way for her to declare her never ending control over me. "Such a pretty face." She cooed, "Such a shame you're not the obedient little thing I raised you to be."
I attempted to pull away from her grasp, only for it to tighten. My lips twisted into a scowl. "I was trained to kill. What, did you expect me to turn out like one of those little â50s housewives? Ever-so ignorant and docile?â
She smiled.
"You want to see Jasper?" Her voice was hushed, making sure not to break the suffocating pressure of power, and my lack of, she knew I was drowning in despite the best I did to not display a hint of it on my face. But I could never get anything past the woman in front of me. Now was no exception.
I didn't dare to respond no matter badly I wanted to scream 'yes'.
But she could read the desperation in my eyes and answered for me with her following actions.
After finally releasing her grip and holding out her palm for the key tightly held in my palm, I gave in and placed the precious metal back into her possession.
I followed the woman through the door and down the main corridor. My body tensed at the amount of peering eyes averting towards us but I couldn't dwell on the feeling for long as a new anxiety began to rise within me. It was unnatural, something I've never felt before. Sure, I was anxious and practically filled to the brim with stress like never before, but I felt something else too- hope.
I was going to see the very person I swore to protect after three years of not seeing him and I was closer to ending this chapter of my life.
Ever since I was forced to work with Five, The Handler had prevented me from seeing Jasper, in fears of me "getting distracted" and "not paying Five enough attention."
Three years she had kept me away.
Three fucking years.
Finally, the clack of her heels came to an abrupt stop and a familiar ding of an elevator rang. The doors opened.
"You're the first person to come down here that isn't an executive." The Handler lifted a plastic case with a biometric thumbprint scanner and pressed onto a button that sent us plummeting through the Commissions deep underground. "Except from darling Jasper, of course."
The doors finally opened to a corridor that looked identical to the one above surface. I walked quick behind The Handlers heels until she spun to face me.
My heart was beating faster than I thought it would've. The anticipation and suspense felt like a side affect of a drug. One that could only be cured if The Handler would open the large metal door that stood ahead of me so I could finally see those amber eyes that I'd only been able to stare at in my dreams.
The woman laughed mockingly at my expression. "It'd be cruel to make you wait any longer."
The sound of a key twisting and metal screeching open made my heart leap up into my throat and crash down into my stomach.
That's when I saw him.
Thick black curls, tired honey brown eyes, and full lips that I'd sometimes catch myself staring at for a beat too long.
"Jasper."
Thank you all for the supportive comments- I'm not able to respond to comments on this account but please know that I am reading ALL OF THEM <33 I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! After a little under a year, I am finally back and I've got a lot planned for this fic so stay tuned...
Tag List for Whispers đˇ
There have been some issues with the tag list where some accounts below do not get a notification. Apologies if you are included.
I recommend following the account instead since I canât guarantee that you will be notified via the taglist
I was going to post chapter 9 today but Iâve been having a lot of trouble with the taglist as most of the blogs Iâve tagged donât get notified.
Iâve notice some other creators have similar problems with tag lists and they have also reached out to tumblr to report this issue but were left with no response.
I am going to try deal with this issue and most likely post the next chapter tomorrow.
this is a repost of chapter 6, since the link wasnât working for some users. THIS IS NOT PROOF READ.
Space Boy and The Kraken
The second my eyes had landed on the large bottle of liquor rolling to my side, I immediately felt my body itch for the burning but pleasuring liquid to grace the dryness of my mouth.
Feeling my hopes lift as more time passed without anyone else claiming the drink, I began to reach for it, only for someone to leap towards the bottle that turned out to not be fully closed, and snatch it back, spilling the substance all over the book in hand.
I narrowed my eyes and furrowed my brows, eager to see the idiot who had ruined the little moment of peace I was able to steal for myself. But I didnât expect to see that idiot.
The Hargreeves was laying on his stomach, his face planted into the floor beside my feet with no sign he was awake.
Praying to whatever higher being there may be looking out for me, I begged for the boy to be knocked out from the collision and to leave me in peace.
Well, just as I thought. There either is no God or they simply love to watch me suffer as repentance for my sins. Or maybe itâs the Devil deciding to play a few âamusingâ tricks. Fiveâs head shot up and immediately began to pester me with questions and demands I couldnât stand to hear.
However, it seemed to be that the Devil was on my side even if it were for a moment, as the boy beside me shut his mouth and held the bottle to my lips, ushering me to drink as I was too annoying sober.
And so, I did. We drank as if it were the only real thing in this twisted world we were forced to call home. We drank as much as our teenage bodies could endure- No, more, not caring for the definite throbbing headaches and spells of nausea that were guaranteed to come after a deep alcohol-ridden sleep.
How did it come to this? I found myself ask over and over again as I caught myself laughing drunkenly at whatever bullshit Five had said.
How did it come to the two of us sharing a large bottle of liquor and speaking freely, more like insulting the other, as if we had been friends for years and not ruthless enemies with burning desires to destroy the other. Had these desires burnt so fiercely that the thoughts of malice were now in ashes? Or were we allowing ourselves to be vulnerable for a moment? Missing the not so familiar feelings of freedom and lack of burdens.
No matter the reason. Because in the end it was all due to the strong drunken influence our minds were under, which would soon fade and allow us to return to our normal hostile states.
A part of me wished to get back to our routines of hatred and malice, spewing comments that were specifically targeted at each otherâs flaws and insecurities. But then again, this feeling, being able to let go and relax felt... nice? The last time I felt this way was when I was with Jasper.
Sooner than later, I found myself leaning the side of my head against a hard (but soft?) surface, feeling my eyelids slowly get heavier, only for a constant tickling on my forehead and nose preventing me from giving into the unconscious state I longed to be in.
The tickling from the mystery material did not cease, bringing me to the verge of sneezing. Making me jump, a vibration shot through my skull, followed by a horrendously phlegmy snore.
Thatâs when a thought crossed my mind, alerting my whole body and screaming at me to get away while I still could. But I felt warm and oddly comfortable- especially after filling myself to the brim with liquor- and felt fatigue wash over my limbs, holding me down from trying to move any further.
However, my curiosity got the best of me. I tiredly tilted my head back and looked up to see dark chestnut brown hair obstructing half of my vision and a slightly pale face tilted to the side towards me, leaning against a glass partition behind us.
So if itâs Fiveâs hair brushing against my face and his snore echoing loudly above me, then...
My brain short-circuited as I began to understand the gravity of the situation. I was leaning my head on Fiveâs shoulder. Peacefully. Willingly. The realisation brought bile to my mouth.
I tried to move away, ignoring the ache in my limbs and throb in my shoulder, setting my sites on an equally as comfortable- maybe more- corner on the other side of the library.
Despite the plan clear in my mind, any thoughts of escaping were quickly cut short as a sudden weight hit the top of my head, slamming my temple back onto his shoulder. I felt an arm wrap around my waist, hugging me closer.
âFive!â I whisper shouted against his ear. No response except from a deafening snore.
âFive, let the fuck go.â Nothing.
Although on the verge of sleep myself, I forced my heavy eyelids open and attempted to push the boy away with the very little strength I had left.
I sighed. I was stuck.
And even worse, I slowly felt my eyes close forcing me into the darkness and into a drunken sleep.
__
Luther and Diego Hargreeves. Number 1 and Number 2.
Space boy and the Kraken.
What amazingly ridiculous names.
The brothers, who never got along no matter the severity of the situation, hurriedly searched for their brother and forced themselves not to utter a word between the two in hopes of finding him quicker.
But neither of the could deny the anxiousness creeping at the back of their minds, slowly coming to light. Neither of them could help wonder what to do to the young girl with him, and the danger she had put him in.
They were both definite that the strange girl with their brother was the cause for the end of the world, the attack at the mansion and ultimately, the death of their dear robot mother.
Maybe thatâs why theyâre considered the dumbest of the Hargreeves siblings.
The pair walked into a library, receiving odd stares from multiple civilians before walking up a flight of stairs and onto the second floor, overlooking the grand library.
In a matter of seconds, the Hargreeves brothers gave into one of their guaranteed arguments.
âWeâre orphans again, dude.â Diego muttered loud enough for the man beside him to hear. âAll because of her and those fucked up assassins.â
âAnd things are never gonna go back to the way...â A fit of giggles sounded nearby. âIt used to... be.â Diego squinted and looked ahead to see a group of woman laughing and giggling, âWhere are their parents?â
âDo you ever stop talking?â Luther sassed, giving his brother an annoyed stare.
Diego brushed past him and walked towards the commotion, an idea clear in his mind on what the crowd may be laughing at. Well, more like who.
âIâm gonna call security.â
Diego rushed towards the source of the sounds, and stopped in place with his eyes wide but amused and jaw agape as he saw the scene in front of him.
There was his brother, Five, tightly holding onto the so- called villain of the story, both of them blackout drunk with a large empty bottle to their side.
The wall around them was plastered with physics equations, and curses that were directed at the other, and a heavy stench of liquor surrounding both of their teenage bodies.
âAre they, um...?â Luther trailed off as his brain adjusted to the situation his eyes were glued on.
âDrunk as skunks.â Diego finished, trying to hold in a smirk but failing.
âIsnât she...â
âThe enemy?â Diegoâs lips twisted into a sneer. âIt seems that Five thinks otherwise.â
__
âWe canât go back to the house. Itâs not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment.â
âMy place is closer. No one will look for them there.â
âThem?â Luther questioned, disgust evident in his tone. He looked down to his brother who was resting in his arms. The drunk boy released a burp. Luther sighed, terrified at what else that could come spewing out of his brothers mouth (apart from insults). âIf you vomit on me...â
Diego glanced at the man. He ran his fingers through his hair, beads of sweat now on the pads of his fingers. He gave his brother a glare he very well deserved. âWhat? You want to leave a drunk teenage girl out on the streets in the night?â
âNo, I just-â He sighed, trying to craft a sentence in his mind that would receive the least amount of scolding. Alas, he came out empty handed. âWhat do you suggest we do, huh? Sheâs the enemy.â
Diego licked his lips and sighed. He looked back at the me, who he was dragging by the sleeve of the stolen coat he had forced me into. All I was still wearing was Allisonâs old uniform, excluding the blazer and fleece jumper, that was covered with burns and splatters of blood. I was stumbling down the street, half-asleep and fully under the influence, only for my eyes to shoot open and for me to start laughing.
âHey, hey! Do you know what I just realised?â
Five shot his head up, his eyes fluttering open and voice sounding lazily. âBut, do you know what I just realised?â Five responded, the two of us making intense eye contact, imitating a couple of kids attempting to read the others mind.
I swayed, almost tripping over my feet. Diego finally gave in to the whispers in his mind telling him to help, and threw my arm around his shoulder, assisting me.
âOkay, okay.â I slurred. I held up 3 fingers. The young Hargreeves watched eagrely, adjusting himself in his brothers arms.
âIn 3, 2, 1ââ
âWeâre going through puberty, twice!â We both chanted at once, our voices echoing loudly down the alleyway Diego was leading us down.
A long silence spanned between the four, both from astonishment and pure child like glee. Five and I burst into a drunken fit of laughter, a sound that unnerved the other two males. They had never heard his brother laugh and here he was, laughing freely with the enemy.
âI drank that whole bottle, didnât I?â Five asked, staring up into the sky.
I let out a snort. âYeah, you did- Ow!â I hissed. I span my head around, my eyes meeting Fiveâs. He had slapped the back of my head. âWhat was that for?â
âYeah, youâre definitely sober otherwise you wouldnât be holding onto Diego as if your life depended on it.â He sneered before proceeding with a sigh.
âWell, thatâs what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye. Poof...â He waved his hand. âitâs gone.â
After another silence, our footsteps being the only sound echoing in the night, Five asked his brothers, âWhat were you guys talking about?â
The knife obsessed brother glanced towards me, watching as my eyelids were threatening to drop, and said. âTwo masked intruders attacked the Academy last night. They came looking for you,â Diego then gave me a hard stare which I gladly returned. âAnd you.â
âSo I need you both to focus. What do they want?â I scrunched my brows. âTo fuckinâ kill us.â
âHazel and Cha-Cha.â The boy murmured.
âWho?â
âThe best of the best.â I responded before adding, âExcept me, of course.â I muttered the last part, not bearing to hear Five jump to a debate that heâd lose. Best to save my voice for something important.
âThe best of what?â
âY'know, Delores always said she hated when I drink. She said it made me cranky and annoying, reminding her of an old man.â
âSheâs not wrongââ I was cut off from Diego abruptly stopping in his tracks and snapped,
âHey!â
âHm, yeah?â
âI need you to focus.â He pointed his free index finger at his brother. âWhat do this Hazel and Cha-Cha do?â
Expecting his brother to give him a response to try ease the guilt and anger bubbling under his skin, he watched his brothers lips tug upwards and curve into a devious grin. He was mocking him.
Diego was being mocked by his drunk 16 year-old looking brother. But should he burst into flames and let the rage take over. No.
He bit back a wave of curses in Spanish and tapped into his 'big brotherâ side instead.
âWe just wanna protect you.â
âProtect me.â Five repeated, the words sounding foreign on his tongue. âI donât need your protection, Diego.â He then said, giving into the liquor in his system. âDo you have any idea how many people Iâve killed?â
He scoffed after receiving nothing but silence. âIâm the fourth frickinâ Horsemen and y/n...â The three Hargreeves turned their heads to me, only to find me sleeping peacefully, my head hanging low.
âAnd sheâs asleep. Oh well. Youâll probably find out about her soon enough.â Five kissed his teeth. âThe apocalypse is coming.â And with that, he vomited all over his brother.
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âYOU CANâT LET THEMâ!â .
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âYouâre really leaving him behind, bloodhound?â ââ
Me eyes shot open, escaping the clutches of voices and images rushing through my mind. I could feel my breathing was frantic but luckily silent, the only relief being that nobody else had the chance of hearing something so vulnerable.
So weak.
I bit down onto my lip and tried to ease my breathing, tried to shut myself up and move on. I forced myself to think of the future and plan my way to victory. A victory that once seemed just out of reach, had now vanished into nothing but a pitiful excuse of a dream. Nevertheless, I had to plan. Otherwiseâ
SMACK
A hand slammed against my face, my nose getting squashed under the sudden pressure.
âWhoâs hand...?â I trailed off, deep down knowing very well whose it was.
I slowly turned my head to the body laying next to me. I sighed deeply seeing a familiar face resting peacefully beside me. The boy was laying in his stomach, face squished against the pillow and turned towards my side. Drool dribbled out of his open mouth and onto the pillow under him.
The memories of last night were blurry, consisting of drinking and drinking and drinking, then getting dragged like a dog on a leash by another Hargreeves? If thatâs the case, then that means...
I snapped upright, immediately regretting my decision as a wave of dizziness hit me like a hammer to the head, along with a headaches that felt the same way.
I groaned, rubbing my temples and getting out of the bed, looking around my unfamiliar surroundings. I clenched my jaw and grabbed a dagger that sat idly on a nightstand.
I had to escape. I was wasting precious time doing nothing but laying around, hungover. Before I could progress any further with my thoughts, sudden turns of the handle on the other side of the door caught my attention. I laid my back flat against the wall beside the door, knife tightly in hand ready to strike. I was getting out of here one way or another.
The door opened, revealing Luther. Now.
I span the knife between my fingers, stretching my arm back. As I was about to throw the dagger towards the man, a flash of blue blocked me from doing so. Everything was a blur. A hand gripped my wrist, taking the weapon and spinning me round so my front was pushed against the wall, a bruise blossoming on my cheek from the harsh impact.
âI can tell your enjoying yourself.â I spat, the words muffled as the side of my face was forced against the wall.
âYou have no idea.â The boy responded, the sneer shining through his words. He didnât bother facing his brother and said, âYouâre lucky sheâs hungover. Otherwise youâd be bleeding out on the floor.â
Lutherâs face paled slightly and slowly shook his head. He cleared his throat, âI wouldâve handled it fine myself.â
âWhatever helps you sleep at night.â Five sighed, subconsciously applying more force against my arms that he had pinned against my back.
I clenched my jaw from the shooting pain in my shoulder, biting back a pained groan and any indications that were fighting to be displayed on my face showing I was in pain. But the vein bulging against the flesh of my neck proved otherwise.
And it seemed Five noticed this. He pressed harshly once more, stretching my injured arm to the side and watched with a sadistic half-smirk as my monotonous expression slowly unravelled.
I could feel the thread that held the torn flesh of my shoulder together slowly rip apart, producing an agonising pain. Finally, Five released his grip and let my limbs go, allowing me to secretly release a sigh of relief. I sucked in a quick breath between my teeth as I gently tapped the wound, specks of blood painting themselves on the white shirt, as if it could get ruined even further.
I scowled at the boy then shot a glare at his brother.
Five paid no mind and sat on the unmade bed, Luther opposite him and watching me like a hawk.
âWhat.â I demanded, annoyance creeping in my voice.
âOh, nothing. Just making sure you donât kill me or anything.â
I kissed my teeth and narrowed my eyes. Before I could respond, Five interrupted.
âEnough.â His voice was sharp, instantly gaining our attentions. âSit.â Five signalled to the spot beside him. âWeâve got a lot to talk about.â
Filling Luther in with everything that had happened and was going to happed- well, not everything- was more draining than I wouldâve thought.
âWhenâs it supposed to happen? This... apocalypse.â
âI canât give you the exact hour, but from what I could gather we have 4 days left.â
4 more days until I get what I deserve.
âWhy didnât you say something sooner?â Luther asked, stress evident in his tone.
âIt wouldnât have mattered.â
âOf course it would.â He interjected. âWe couldâve banded together and helped stop this thing.â
âFor the record, you already tried.â
âWhat do you mean?â
Five paused an swallowed thickly, trying to stop himself from going back to his own personal hell. âI found all of you. Your bodies.â
âWe die?â
He paused once more. âHorribly.â
A tense silence hung over the three of us, waiting for someone to break through.
âYou were together, trying to stop whoever it was that ends the world.â
Luther looked at him brother, his forehead creased as his body felt all too tense. âWait, how do you know that?â
Five reached for his pocket, a trail of tissue wrapped around the precious eyeball of his.
âThis was clutched in your dead hand when I found you.â He threw the object to his brother, deja vu hitting him as he watched Lutherâs fingers close around it, spectating the eye carefully. âMustâve ripped it out of their head right before you went down.â
âWhose head?â
âLike I said, I donât know.â
âWell thereâs a serial number on the back. Think maybe you could tryââ
âNo, thatâs a dead end.â Five chuckled bitterly. âItâs just another hunk of glass.â
Luther handed the eye back and shot me stern stare. He then looked at Five and asked, âWhat makes you believe she wasnât the one to start this all in the first place?â
âWhat?â I said, astonished at the Hargreeves stupidity. âWhat on earth makes you think I could create an entire, world-ending apocalypse?â
âEver since youâve showed upââ
âLuther. Donât be an idiot.â Five scoffed. âY/n is here to help me prevent the apocalypse. Not the other way round.â
False.
âOh, yeah?â Luther leaned in, attempting to be menacing. He pointed a finger towards me. âAnd what makes you believe that? She tried to kill me.â
âWeâve all had the urge.â Five muttered. He then released a sigh, the corners of his lips turning downwards. âBecause she doesnât have a choice. Weâve made a deal which have both of our interests in considerations. She helps me with the apocalypse, and sheâll get what she wants in return.â
Also false.
Luther wasnât wholeheartedly convinced however. âNo,â He began. âI want to hear it from you.â
âFrom me?â I repeated.
Luther held my gaze, the suspicion in his eyes not wavering once. Well, if I was going to carry on reporting for The Handler, I couldnât raise any questions I couldnât answer.
âYour brotherâs telling the truth. Itâs both in our best interests to keep the Earth spinning without an apocalypse to wipe out every living thing. And besides,â I leaned in, mimicking the mans action. âTell me how being dead is going to benefit me in any way whatsoever. Iâm just as screwed as you are, Number one.â
I held his stare, challenging him with my own until Luther finally looked away and sighed.
âFine. I believe you⌠for now.â
I stopped myself from breaking out into a wide grin and exclaiming how it was all a lie and that I had fooled them both. But Iâm not stupid. Five gave his brother a look that simultaneously screamed, 'I told you soâ and 'Donât ever question my decisions againâ to which Luther gave his brother a mild glare.
Luther opened his mouth to speak, only for the sound of the door being kicked open and the rapid stomps of Diego to stop him from doing so.
âPiece of shit.â Luther got up to the sight of his brother. Diegoâs eyes landed on Five and I. âDo you have any idea what you just did?â His voice was escalating to a yell as he approached us, looking ready to start a fight with no intent of stopping.
Luther quickly wrapped his arms around him, and lifted him up. âNo, let meâ Get your ape hands off of me!â
âI can do this as long as it takes you to calm down.â Diegoâs bore his teeth and let out a deep breath. He grunted, âFine.â
Diegoâs feet hit the floor.
âNow, wanna tell us what youâre taking about?â
âOur brotherâs been pretty busy since he got back with his little friend. They were in the middle of the shootout at Griddeyâs, and then at Gimble Brothers, after the guys in masks attacked the Academy looking for them!â Diego barked, pointing his index finger from Five to me.
âNone of which is any of your concern.â
âIt is now.â Diego panted. âThey just killed me friend.â His bottom lip trembled as he mentioned his dead friend.
Luther turned around and gave in to his curiosity. âWho are they, Five?â
Five gave me a look to which I just shrugged.
âThey work for our former employer. A woman called The Handler. She sent them to stop us. Then soon as Diegoâs friend got in their way, well, fair game.â
Diego looked at his brother, the sorrow the man had tried to burry deep, spilling into his expression. âAnd now theyâre my fair game. And Iâm gonna see to it they pay.â
I rolled my eyes at his bold statement.
âThat would be a mistake Diego.â Five voiced my thoughts as we watched his brother approach the exit. âTheyâve killed people far more dangerous than you.â
âYeah, weâll see about that.â The door slammed after him, the sound bouncing off of the exposed brick walls.
A shiver ran down my spine hearing her name roll off so easily from his tongue, no idea of how hard it is to utter those 2 words, and having to see the woman to which they belonged to.
The Handler.
Short platinum hair, blue eyes, and a desire to turn some of mankindâs greatest blessings into total nightmares.
It was strange to be back at the Commission so fast. Like a sudden whiplash, a sudden feeling that from here, things could only get worse no matter what I tried. I couldn't really explain it.
Especially now, as the Handler, Five and I walked through the Commissions front garden as if we had all the time in the world. And technically, we did. But everything I felt my gut wailing and screaming for me to understand only proved that time was the only thing I didn't have.
It was terrifying. But even fear couldn't replace the anger brewing within me. All because of some fucking man-child who decided to be selfish and save his family from their inevitable doom.
And the audacity this idiot had to threaten me as if I was the one endangering a whole timeline was beyond me.