As The World Caves In [Five]

Seventeen

Maybe the shock wasn't as much for Emery because he hadn't known the Hargreeves senior. Only that he had died somehow on some date and in some way that Emery never particularly cared about. Suddenly he had this feeling that he wasn't needed in the conversation anymore. That he was never really needed in the first place but Klaus had invited him along and the look Five sent his way as if he could read Emery's mind told him to stay.

"I don't have time for your games, Klaus." Luther said, moving to get up.

"No no no I'm telling you the truth, Luther. I'm telling you the truth."

"Wyd he do it, then?" Five asked.

"He said it was the only way to get us all home again."

"No. Dad wouldn't just kill himself."

"Ah, you said it yourself. He was depressed. Holed up in his office and room all day and night." Five said.

"No. There weren't any signs." Luther dismissed the notion. "Suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies, strange behaviors."

"Like sending someone to the moon for no reason?"

"I swear to God, Klaus. If you're lying..."

"I'm not. I'm not."

"He may not have been suicidal," Emery said, speaking for the first time. "You said it yourself, the old man was strange in his intentions. Maybe his death was just another elaborate scheme or like Klaus said- to get you altogether because he knew the apocalypse was coming."

"How would know. That's imp-"

"Master Emery is correct." A new voice said from behind. Emery turned his head in surprise to find a monkey-man walking into the area with a cane and dressed in a prestige suit. This must be pogo. "Regretfully... I helped Master Hargreeves enact his plan."

"What?" Luther asked.

"So did Grace. It was a- difficult choice for both of us. More difficult than you could ever know. Prior to your father's death, Grace's programming was adjusted so that she was incapable of administering first aid on that fateful night."

"Sick bastard."

"So that security tape we saw..."

"If was meant to further the murder mystery." Pogo said. "Your father hoped that being back here, solving it together... would reignite your desire to be a team again."

"And to what end?" Five asked.

"To save the world, of course."

Klaus broke into a nervous laugh. "All right."

"First the Moon mission and now this." Luther said, turning a hateful eye to Pogo. "You watched me search for answers and said nothing. Anything else you want to share, Pogo? Any other damn secrets? No, I won't calm down. We've been lied to by the one let's on in this family we all trusted."

"It was your father's dying wish, Master Luther. I... I had no choice."

"There's always a choice." Luther spat, walking out and leaving them.

The following silence was tense. Emery didn't know what to say— what not to say, what to do— what not.

Pogo followed Luther in leaving with a steady sigh as he hobbled out, cane clunking on the ground with each step he took until there were just the three of them- and Ben.

"I need to think." Five said after a moment blinking away in a flash of blue, disappearing from Emery's side. "Sorry you had to see that." Five said. Emery blinked and turned his head to the other side where Five was pacing the room- his room.