𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 - 𝑓. ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑠

028. TWO OLD MEN TRY TO ASSASSINATE A PRESIDENT

╔═══════════════╗

TWO OLD MEN TRY TO ASSASSINATE A PRESIDENT ☂︎︎

╚═══════════════╝

THE UPBEAT MUSIC WAS ODD FOR THE SCENE but she supposed it was barely ten thirty in the morning.

Speaking of ten-thirty in the morning, finding an older version of Five proved much easier than she thought.

Upon entering she was hit with the smell of liquor and surprisingly, baked goods. The area was crowded with an abundance of men who eyed her oddly as she walked in. She could feel Luther straighten up, a gruff hand falling on her shoulder protectively. Five stood in front, gaze moving through the space. Her own eyes narrowed as they fell upon a clean-shaven old man hunched over a notepad. A briefcase lay by his side and a drink on the bar next to him.

"I found you." she said.

He looked at her curiously. "How do you know?"

"He's got a briefcase." she replied. "Also, it's ten thirty in the morning and he's half-way through a glass of Guinness."

Luther shrugged as he sighed. Five paced back and forth, staring at himself nervously. "Why don't we just grab the briefcase and run?" Luther posed.

"Luther, I would never let that happen." he said as though it were obvious. "We're trained to guard these briefcases with our lives."

"Right."

"Plus, it's the inherent paradox where this gets tricky," he replied. "I'm endangering my existence just being in the room with myself."

Luther's face scrunched in confusion and Charlotte continued to stare at the older version of Five, watching as his pen scratched peacefully against his notepad. "Huh- What do you mean?"

Five grumbled. "Luther, try to keep up. If old me doesn't travel back to 2019 like he's supposed to, the whole thing unravels itself. I cease to exist. You got me?"

He did not seem to get him.

Charlotte sighed. "Our Five goes bye if old Five doesn't go back in time."

"Oh." Luther smiled. "I see why you're a teacher now."

She grinned with pride. "Thank you."

"Our best chance is to talk with him, to reason with him." Five deducts, his old self taking a large sip of his drink.

"Ah."

"He'll understand. Trust me." he sounded as though he were trying to reassure himself. "I know myself better than, uh... better than I know myself."

"You just itched your neck." Luther exclaimed. "That's stage two of paradox psychosis."

"No, I didn't." he shook his head. "I didn't itch my neck."

"Denial is stage one." Luther reminded.

"I am fine, okay?" he seethed. "Let's stay on task, shall we?"

Her eyes lit up in realization. "Wait." she said, moving her fingers into her pocket, a purple glow moving over the snack she had packed for herself, an aloe vera leaf reappearing in its place. "For the itching." she said, splitting the inside open and swiping a speck across the back of his neck and handing him the rest.

"Thanks." he smiled softly, looking towards his old self nervously.

"Wait!" Luther held him back.

"What?"