ATLAS // Five Hargreeves

[#13] Commission Tactics

DOCTOR LANCE AND HIS DOG had never been kidnapped or held hostage before, but his mother had once told him that anything was possible. She had said to be prepared for the unexpected, and to always be on your toes, but he had assumed she was talking about how the world was full of surprises, and not fifteen-year-old boys pressing knives to your throat.

But then again, it was a surprise.

"One chance," Five was saying, sneering into his ear. "You've got one chance to tell me what goes on in that lab."

Lance had never been that brave – in fact, he was scored as a Ravenclaw in his Hogwarts test, even though he told his co-workers that he was obviously a Gryffindor. He was starting to believe now why they didn't believe him.

This little boy was a physco. But surely he wouldn't slit his throat in front of his dog, would he?

Lance wasn't sure that he wanted to test his chances.

"I...I manufacture prosthetic devices for fake patients." He stammered, his words flowing quickly and freely from his tongue. "I bill the insurance companies and sell them for money on the black market."

Five raised an eyebrow. "Including eyeballs?"

"Yeah. They're my biggest seller. I mean, they sell like hotcakes." Lance said, unable to hide the pride from his voice. "I've got a list, a waiting list, of probably around twenty buyers."

"So the serial number I could have told you...?"

Lance gulped against the cold blade. "...Could have already been bought, yes. Off the books."

Five sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "I needed that list, Lance. Names and numbers, and I need it now!"

"I don't have it, I don't have it!" Lance exclaimed, startled by his outburst. "I mean... not on me. The only copies are in a safe at the lab!"

Five bit his lip in irritation. He really didn't want to go all the way back there, especially how far away it was. He growled and shook his head, frustrated, and Lance shook underneath his grip, eyeing the switchblade with caution. Five scanned his surroundings, absentmindedly looking for a solution or easier way.

He found one. Not an easier way, and maybe not even a solution, but it was certainly the right timing.

But she already knew that, didn't she?

With a double-take, he squinted, as if uncertain of what he was seeing. Outside the car, a few meters away from where they had parked, a familiar redhead was standing with her back to the windscreen, staring up at the sky at something he couldn't see, her hands buried into his pockets. He grit his teeth and loosened his grip on the knife.

"I have to deal with something. I'll be right back." Five said, his voice curious. He turned away towards the door before snapping his head back, threateningly. "You're going to wait for me. Got it? If you drive off, I will find you."

Lance nodded, radically and swallowed three times. Five nodded, climbing out of the car.

At the slam of the door, Atlas grinned to herself, knowing that her mere presence had already put him off his original plan. He stormed towards her, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"If you're here to kill me, I'm busy right now."

At the sound of his irritated voice, Atlas turned around, passing him a casual smile. She nodded her head, gesturing to Lance who seemed to shake in his seat.

"I can see that. Nice blade work, by the way. You know if you pressed your knife into his throat even just a little bit, it would have been trapped against a nerve. Killed instantly." She grinned and made a sinister motion with her hand, sticking out her tongue childishly. Five didn't react and she smirked towards him. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"