Right Back Where We Started [Five]

Twenty-two

"Gather up, children." Reginald said after some time. "Now that we've had a chance to catch our breath, the real work can begin."

"No. The real work is getting back through that door, going back in time. Anything." Five said, shaking his head. It couldn't just be over. "Yeah. In fact, I can just go back in time and-"

"Five, as much as it hurts me to say, it's not worth the risk." Viktor choked out. "We could lose you again. You could get stuck in another apocalypse. You might not even be able to go back."

"He's right." Reginald said. "There is no world to go back to. I am sorry for your losses dear boy but we need you and your mind right now. Clear and focused."

Five opened his mouth to respond, air filling his lungs as he prepared himself to fight back, to make any logical response but he was beaten. His mind simply failed him. Every single hope he had was diminished seconds after.

The world's final 'fuck you'. Emery's voice rang out again.

"He might still be alive. Him and Klaus." Viktor ventured. "They can do it. There's still hope. Klaus can come back from the dead can't he?"

"Yeah. And Emery can travel through time. Isn't that how he met you in the first place?" Diego went on.

Five nodded but his words betrayed him. "No. You're right but it can't be that easy. If they could have done it... If they could have saved themselves... they'd be here right now. Reginald's right. They're gone." Five ground his teeth together as he admitted it. His eyes flitted up and he looked at the old man. "How do we ring these goddamned seven bells?"

"Five-"

"No. The old man's right. We need to move on. Besides, if we do this, maybe we can figure out a way to bring them back. But we can't do that waiting around to get killed by a psycho with a scythe while waiting on a miracle." Five shot down. His eyes were cold now, lips set in a firm line as he kept his eyes and thoughts focused solely onward. He feared he would go insane if he hadn't.

"Okay. So, we find the seven bells. Then what?" Diego said, drawing attention to the business at hand and away from Five who feared his limbs would stop working if he pushed himself any further.

"No, no, no, no. The bells are just a metaphor." Reginald said, flipping open to a page in a book. His journal. The one Five and Emery saw when they tracked Pogo down together.

"The sigil." Five noted. Hoping to draw in atleast one breath of normalcy.

"Correct, number Five. The sigil is the key to the seven bells. Once we find this symbol, we're one step closer to resetting the universe."

"What do we do when we find it?" Slaone asked.

"I don't know." Reginald admitted.

"Excuse me? We're here because you said you have a plan." Viktor said incredulously.

"I do, up to a point."

Lila snickered. "Great." She said. "So we'll just stay in the hotel forever staring at the walls and eating bad sushi."

"Finding the sigil is our only way out of here." Allison said. "And the best chance we have of resetting the universe."

"Funny how you and Dad are on the same page again." Five said, face hardened to stone at this point.

"Okay, uh, where do we start?" Viktor pressed.

"We'll spit up into groups." Reginald said, taking command. "I will go with Allison and Sloane, Ben and Five with Viktor."

"No, we want Allison." Viktor said.

"Ben for Allison." Five said. "We've trained together so it makes more sense if we take Allison."

"Yeah, no thanks." Allison scoffed.

"Why not?"

Allison just glared at the pair.

"Splendid idea." Reginald broke the silence. "Allison, you go with the Umbrellas. Sparrows, stick together. Everyone take a different floor. We must find that sigil. Now spread out, leaving no stone unturned, and meet back here in 30 minutes."

Five's mind was hyperactive. Eyes searching this way and that, looking at grooves for patterns that didn't even exist. He knew he needed to stay focused but each time his eyes came across another dead end, his fists would clench harder and his eyes narrowed. And by the time he, Allison, and Viktor entered the first suite to look for the hidden sigil, Five was absolutely livid. He'd had enough.

"Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide this thing." Allison said as she walked into the room.

"How big is it supposed to be?" Viktor asked, trailing in behind.

"You know, dear old Reg didn't say."

"Really?" Five said sarcastically. "Hm. That's surprising I figured you'd know more about his plan."

"Sorry. What's that supposed to mean?" Allison asked incredulously, turning to face the boy.

"I saw you and him in the White Buffalo Suite during the wedding." Five said, voice even as he revealed his knowledge. The bitter boy he thought he'd feel wasn't there at all.

"I don't know if now's the the right time—" Viktor tried to reason but Allison interjected.

"You know, I heard that you blacked out last night." Allison taunted.

"I did, and it took me a while to remember what I saw, but I do remember, Allison. You and dad made some kind of deal." He took a step forward. "What did you agree to?"

"A deal?"

"Mm-hmm."

"With Dad? Please tell me you're joking." Allison said.

"He's not." Viktor admitted.

"Answer the question." Five demanded, ever closer to losing what remained of his slender temper. He was bound to break eventually and today looked to be quite probable.

"You're out of your mind." Allison said.

"You and Dad made a deal, now Luther is dead."

"Okay." Allison chuckled. "Luther was killed by whatever the hell that thing thing is."

"And Klaus?" Five pressed.

"He didn't make it into the tunnel."

"And Emery?" Five pressed again, voice clipped.

Allison opened her mouth, searching for an excuse. "The Kugelblitz could have gotten him."

"You know, your deal is costing people their lives." Five said, fighting to keep his voice even.

"Do you really thing that I made a deal with Dad to kill Luther and Klaus and Emery?" Allison was fed up now. Her eyes were filled with hatred as the accusation hung in the air, silence the only sound and even that was scarce. "I'm done." She said, shaking her head in disbelief. She brushed past them and out the door. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Hey hey wait. No. Wait... Five. Allison. No just listen to me." Viktor said, sighing as he looked between Five and Allison before making up his mind and chasing after the latter.

Five sighed, casting another fruitless glance around the room before resigning himself forward and out the door; an action he would sooner come to regret. Because what lay on the other side of the doorframe? not even Five could make sense of.

Because that's when the dead started coming back to life.

Get your feet on even safe ground everyone, the story is not finished.
SBB