ATLAS // Five Hargreeves

[#42] Commission Clean-Up Committee

"HEY THERE, STRANGER?" Atlas teased, snickering lowly as Five shot her a tired look, his hands fidgeting with the napkin in front of him and trying to ignore the way that Atlas leaned into him to mock him, relentlessly. "After all that deliberation, that's what you came up with?"

"I was nervous, alright?" Five snapped back before rolling his head back to drag a hand down his face, letting out an exasperated groan. "So, what are you thinking? Do you think that I'll agree, or not?"

Atlas shrugged her shoulder with ease. "I know you well enough to know that you're a stubborn bastard. I don't think that any of this will be easy, and our problems haven't even begun to start yet."

"Atlas King, everybody...!" Five sang out with a long sigh and meekly gestured towards her. "The most inspiring girl I know."

She shot him a wide grin that was all teeth and Five swatted her away with the napkin, the corner of his lips quirking into a smile before checking his watch. Luther and Older-Five had been in the bathroom for almost seven minutes, and his concern was beginning to bloom. He turned around to Atlas with scrunched, troubled eyebrows and squinted towards her. "What do you think they're doing in there?"

Atlas immediately raised a brow. "You're asking me what you and your brother are doing in the men's bathroom?"

"You know that's not what I mean." Five said, feigning irritation but instead dragging an exhausted hand down his face to hide the blush that rose on his cheeks. "I just want to know if they're plotting."

"Oh, yeah." She nodded, pausing slightly to sip her coffee and then adding; "They want to kill you. Well, not they, I think that Luther's against it a little, but you're more than persuasive."

Five leaned forwards, bolting up from his place as his eyes widened. "And what happens? In the future, do they kill me or what?"

"Relax, Number Five," Atlas said, scowling at his boisterous behavior. "Sit down and drink your beer. I won't let them kill you unless they ask me to help them. And if they know what's good for them, then I imagine that they will..." She passed him a sparkling grin that boarded on insane, but Five knew her well enough to tell that she was kidding. "And in that case..."

When he didn't respond, rolling his eyes and tapping his finger on the delightfully sticky table, Atlas rolled her head backwards and put a hand on the back of the uneven wooden seat, gazing around the pub with an unamused expression. "You know... the thing is that I could kill everybody here before my coffee gets cold."

Five shot her a pointed look, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he moved his gaze towards her. "But you won't."

"I won't," Atlas said and turned away from him. She snorted, as if finding her comments hilarious and lowered her breath to add; "But I could."

"But you won't." Five growled, grinding his teeth together. Atlas going on a homicidal killing spree was the last thing he needed right now – it would inevitably lead to his older counterpart trying to kill her, and then her trying to kill him. Either way, one of them would die, and Five would have to suffer because of it.

There was a pause and Atlas thought about it, scrunching up her face in deliberation. She tilted her head with thought, wondering which exit would be the best one to take once she had snapped the bartenders throat (he would be last, only because he didn't smile at her when she walked through the door). "But I coul-"

"You've got yourself a deal." A voice rang out and the pair turned around to watch Luther and Old-Five materialize by the table, a reluctant gaze passing between them. "But we have to hurry. Kennedy's en-route. Less than an hour until showtime."