Life as We Know it [Five]

Twenty-two

"Yeah, I was talking about Five." Lila corrected.

"Him too." Luther said. "But, unfortunately, they're family, so you're shit out of luck."

Lila tightened her grip on Emery, making him wince as he felt his shoulder blade rub in a way he knew was not supposed to. "He's not family."

"He could kill you with a flick of his wrist." Luther said. "And he may as well be family."

"Aww how touching. But with a flick of his wrist? Really?" Lila asked, flicking her wrist elegantly and dragging it through the air, the light above them disappearing with a pinch of her fingers before reappearing just as quick.

"All right, that's it." Luther said, winding his first back and letting it go. "Emery go!" He shouted.

Emery ducked, using the girl's momentary distraction to close his palms into tight fists and grinding his teeth as he dropped through Lila's grip and into the open, solidifying once he was sure he was clear.

Lila had caught Luther's fist just as easily as if she were tricking a baby into thinking it was a dinosaur. Both Emery and Luther looked on, wide-eyed as Lila reciprocated the same strength found in Lila.

First, Vanya's powers, then Emery's, and now Luther's. She had probably used Fives to flash across the field so quickly so the only question that remained was: what could she do? The answer came soon enough: she could do everything that they could.

"Gotta believe in yourself, big boy." Lila teased, humoring the man only for a little longer before she got bored, turned the tables, and sent Luther flying back through the wall of the house and into the snow-laced air. "That was highly unnecessary but overly fun," Lila said, clapping her hands together.

"I hate you." Emery scowled. He could have come up with fifty better insults but the three words found themselves out of his mouth so quickly and with such malice even Lila seemed to recoil for a moment before a Cheshire-like grin spread across her face.

"That's a strong word for you, hun." Lila teased.

Emery smiled right back at her and then he was pushing forward, making to strike her but then he ducked in time with the girl who also moved to avoid it. He rounded behind her and sent her flying forward, swiping a hand, the wall she was heading towards became transparent, the barest remnants of what was once there flickering with every ounce of concentration lost. Emery let his hand drop when Lila stumbled through the gap and the wall materialized before her, closing the gap from where he could see Lila whirl around, grin gone in an instant.

"Five." Emery said, falling to his knees beside the brick pile as he started rooting around, pulling bricks off the pile and flinging them away until he caught sight of Five's wretched blazer Emery had only seen him take off a few times. "Come on. This isn't over." He said, pulling more off. "You aren't going to die by a pile of bricks. That's just embarrassing for you." Emery said, chest nearly sagging in relief when he heard Five struggle for a breath.

Before he could help the boy anymore, he was being pulled back and in the time it took him to blink and suck in a breath of surprise, he was flying through the air and colliding with a wall that was solid in every way possible.

"Didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily did you." Lila panted, looking over Emery when he rolled over groaning.

"I'd never dream of it, sweet love." He said. "It was just a distraction."

"Distraction?" Lila echoed, face drawn but before she could contemplate it anymore, she was being hit in the back of the head by a brick.

Five stood, panting over her as he gripped the thing tightly beneath his iron grip.

"You're pissing me off." Five said. "And that is very dangerous." He swung the brick again, splintering the wood below where Lila's head would have been if she had not moved away.

Lila teleported out of the house when Five swung the brick again and Five hurried to Emery, pulling him up, and together they raced towards the gap in the wall where Luther had been shoved through.

They watched as Allison stopped Lila with a punch and then the two women were engaging in a fight. Hand to hand and good old fashion but they'd till moved in an impressive blur that could only be achieved by skilled fighters. A moment later, Allison had Lila wrapped around her finger.

"I heard a rumor..."

"That you stopped breathing." Lila finished for Allison, turning the girl's own power against her and smirking as she stepped away from Allison's now lax grip, unable to stay strong as oxygen stopped flowing through her lungs.

"So it's settled." Five said with an even tone. "She can do everything we can do. Power mimicry most likely."

"Whatever it is, it's not good." Emery agreed, trading a look with Five before pushing himself through the door.

"Let's dance." Five said.

"You little turd." Lila cursed as Five blinked away. She cursed and blinked away as well. The two engaged in a fight in the field, trading blows and dodging when necessary. Emery knelt by Allison for a moment, just until Luther had saved her life and she could breathe on her own again and then he moved over to Five to help in the fight. It was even now but with Emery, Five could win the upper hand.

When Lila saw this, she ducked under Five's swing, let her own fist fly to render Five gasping, and then teleported away in a second.

"Where'd she go?" Emery asked, running over to Five and helping him stand straight up again.

Five shook his head and rolled his shoulders. Taking a deep breath to regain his bearings, he looked around before his eyes lit up. "Barn." He said, tightening his hold on Emery and teleporting them into the barn.

Lila was waiting for them, fists balled and stance ready and the second their feet hit the ground, they were back in the dance of death.