Life as We Know it [Five]

Seventeen

What's one piece advice you want to give/ a mantra to live by?

"Now what?" Luther asked when they knew for sure their chances were gone, taken by explosion.

"Now nothing, Luther, all right? Make your peace with God."

"What? What about Allison and Vanya?" Luther said.

"Screw them both. They should have been here." Five said, pacing.

"What about Diego? He's a responsible young man, no?"

"Something must have held them back. They all would have been here. They know how important this is." Emery reasoned.

Five just cried out in rage and kicked a cardboard box, the material folding in on itself as Five landed the blow.

"Screw Diego, all right? Screw everybody!" Five raged. Emery just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. When Five got like this it was easier to let him rant and then talk him back to calm after. "I was better off on my own in the apocalypse."

"Five! Come on." Luther said, trying to dispel the situation. "You can't mean that."

"You know what, Luther? It's every sibling for themself now. How 'bout that?" Five said, stomping away and slamming the door shut behind him as he walked into Elliott's.

"Five." Emery sighed. He cast a glance at Klaus and Luther before taking off. "Five, what the hell was that?" He asked, running up the stairs to catch up with the boy. He caught his sleeve and tugged him back before he could move any further.

"That? That was real life, Emery." Five said. His hit was out of place, blown away by the stress and a strand now fell over his eye. "And real life sucks." Five continued on, lips set in a firm glare. "Life as we know it is fucked and no one seems to give a damn. Seriously, how easy is it to just show up by a certain time? They do it all the time, show up. But not to this! Not to the one thing that can guarantee us an out." Five wrestled out of Emery's grip and stomped to the top of the steps, slamming the door shut in Emery's face.

Emery knew the boy was under a lot of pressure but exploding was not the answer. He knew the answer for himself was not to explode either so he took a deep breath to control his composure and opened the door. "Have some respect." He growled out when he saw the boy parading about carelessly. "This is Elliotts home."

"Wrong." Five snapped his fingers. "It was his house. And he's not alive any more because no one can do their job apparently!"

"There was no way we could have stopped it from happening, Five." Emery said, trying not to let Five get to him but was failing miserably. His voice was quivering he was sure.

"Just like there was no way we could have stopped them from murdering Marianna? You said it yourself. It was your fault."

"Take that back."

"I don't think I will."

"Five, this is ridiculous. You just said-"

"I don't care what I just said." Five snapped. "What I said? Meant nothing. I was vulnerable and you took advantage of that."

"I did not take advantage of you." Emery said, incredulous to accept that Five was even bringing this up. "You're under a lot of pressure and I was trying to help you!"

"You did not help me! We should have been out trying to find a way to stop this but what were we doing? Cuddling in your bed!" He tore his outer jacket off and collapsed onto the couch, head in his hands. "I let myself become distracted. I let myself become too soft and that's dangerous." Five said, voice lowering from his previous shout.