☂︎︎ HOUSE OF SHADOWS ☂︎︎ - five hargreeves

* 𝙽𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 *

[023]
- ☾ '☂︎︎' ☽ -

           Five awoke in a bed that was not his own, in a home that he was unfamiliar with, and in a room so dark that he thought it was still night if not for the dull orange light peeking through a gap in the thick curtains, signaling the steady start of another day. Another day closer to impending doom.

  He struggled to sit up, his head pounding and eyes watering from the intense hangover that left him feeling like he'd been run over with a semi.

  Five remembered stumbling into a library, up a flight of stairs . . . the squeak of his permanent marker on the marble walls and the clatter of his vodka bottle on the floor he sunk down to after the alcohol took control of his system.

  Where was his vodka — and Delores?

  He frantically scanned the room, squinted through the darkness for a shape that even closely resembled his plastic companion, and he was getting close to teleporting out of the room before the lights flicked on and he cringed away sharply.

  "Calm down, Dora's downstairs in the garage," she said. Five rolled his eyes, realizing who sat in the armchair by the door. Cassidy's curly hair stuck out slightly, suggesting that she'd previously been asleep. Though her face hinted that it hadn't been for long.

  Rubbing her red-rimmed eyes, Cassidy rested her elbows on her knees.

  "How did you sleep?" she asked.

  "Through other than what I assumed was Luther snoring and not an airstrike, not bad," Five answered. "I don't remember much after I passed out in the library. How are Batman and King Kong?"

  "Diego left to deal with one of his friends. Luther well . . ." she trailed off, lost in thought. Five blinked at her, waiting for an answer. He wondered what kind of trouble he inadvertently got himself into, hopefully something that didn't get him killed. "I think we need to tell him. About the Apocalypse."

  It seemed Cassidy wanted to do just that.

  "No, that's out of the question. He doesn't need to be involved with anything," Five said tersely.

"You were blabbing all about it last night when you were drunk so he's somewhat aware that something is off. Five. The extra muscle might help and if we run into those circus freaks again he can hold them off."

  "I trust you with that. You beat Luther when we trained . . . I trust you." The admittance surprised him. Yet it was true. If there was anyone he would trust with even a fraction of his strange life, it was Cassidy. Her powers were obviously helpful, no matter how macabre and he didn't quite trust some gym rat with the DNA of a chimpanzee protecting him from two assassins with guns.

  Cassidy, grimaced then leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs before gesturing tiredly at herself. "Do I look like I'm capable of fighting?"

  "You need rest. How much did you sleep last night?"

  "That's not important."

  "It is to me, Cass."

  She blinked at him before sighing. The dull light in the room threw the tired lines of her face into sharp contrast against her skin. "Three hours."

  "Go sleep. We'll talk about this later." He stood up, somewhat shakily, then moved for the door. "I'm not telling Luther about the apocalypse. He's too much of a tripping hazard and distractions are not what I need."