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MEMORIES I TRIED TO FORGET
"Oh no."
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"I can't believe I was stupid enough to go back there!" Vanya yelled, as she and Leonard walked in the middle of the street in the pouring rain.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you do it." Leonard apologized.
"No, it's my fault." She said. He heard metal creaking. "I just wanted them to be proud of me. And how could I presume to be worthy of their attention?" Leonard felt that he might be sick, since the lamp posts seemed to be bending over. "Nothing's ever big enough next to their holier-than-thou, weight of the world bullshit!"
"Vanya!"
"What?"
He pointed towards the lamp posts, as he decided that it wasn't an illusion. Car horns were wailing from what affected the lamp posts. Vanya looked towards everything around her. "What the hell is happening?"
"You happened." Leonard said.
"Oh, come on. Th-- That's crazy. I mean, it-- it was like this before." She said. The rain had suddenly stopped. The two looking up at the sky in confusion. "That's a coincidence." She shook her head. Vanya looked at her boyfriend's face. He was thinking about it. She scoffed. "Leonard, it's impossible."
"Come on. My place is close." Was all he said. But he wasn't gonna let this go, that was for sure.
Vanya took one last look at the view before she'd catch up to Leonard.
Maybe. Maybe not.
***
Y/N drove towards a National Crime Information Center, (or NCIC for short) that was located in the area. Of course, she wasn't doing this for nothing. Her siblings had made Vanya's life, Hell, since the beginning. And now she had to save her from another Hell, if Allison's suspicions were really right.
Looking for criminal records on so called "Leonard Peabody" wasn't her first choice. She may or may not have tracked down of a few of Leonard's colleagues at other woodshops. Did she threaten them? Maybe... Yes. Did they put a restraining order against her? Oh, hell yes. But it wasn't like she was going to bother them ever again, so she really didn't see the point.
Y/N got off the car, and entered. It was pretty dull inside. White walls, cliche paintings, beige classroom floors, and brown wooden desk. The man had his black circle framed glasses tilted to one side, as he was on the brink of falling asleep. Not that he seemed overworked. All you could hear was the air conditioner making its annoying noises from the ceiling.
The girl cleared her throat, to signal that she was a customer, and she needed help.
The man started mumbling as he looked already asleep. "Sorry, I forgot to take out the trash." He snorted.
"Excuse me." Y/N said aloud. The man sat straight up in surprise and fell to the floor on his rolling chair. She rolled her eyes and sighed, looking at the wall. "Oh, jeez." She murmured.
The man picked his chair back up, re-positioning his glasses. "Hi, uh... How may I help you?"
"I need to look into criminal record. One particularly by the name Leonard Peabody." Y/N explained.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, sure. Yeah, just come on back, I can find the file for you." He said groggily as he groaned getting out of the chair. He then opened one of multiple file cabinets. "Peabody, Peabody, Peabody. Pea... Body... Huh. That's weird."
"What?"
"Doesn't seem to be a file name by Leonard Peabody. You sure you got the right name?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm very sure. He looked anything but sane." She answered.
"Well, do you have a description, maybe? I could find something from that." The man requested.
"Sure. Slight build, brown hair, light scruff. Has bags under his eyes. Left foot has a pivot." Y/N answered quickly.
The man gave her a look. "How do you--"
"I'm not gonna tell you bedtime story. Find the file, or I will." She said darkly. Her eyes changing. The switch went on. Just for a second.
"Okay." The man whispered his voice shaky.
And so, maybe like... two hours and half later, the man had finally found the file. Opening it, it seemed to be the exact description that Y/N gave him. "That look like your guy to you?" He asked, handing her the file.
"Oh, yeah. This helps. This help a lot." She said, reading all the information.
"Your welcome. Hey, what age did you say you were again?" He asked.
Y/N looked up at him. Well, shit.
'Make something. Make something. Make something up!'
"Age is but a number, isn't it?" She said with an innocent smile.
He just stared at her. "Yeah... I'm gonna have to call your parents. Do you have your Mom or Dad's phone nu--"
Y/N slammed his head onto one of the desks in the room. He fell to the floor. That was definitely gonna leave a bruise. "Sorry. My Dad's in Hell, and my Mom, well... I don't know. You probably won't remember any of this. So, sorry for the inconvenience..." She rolled him over to look at his name tag. "Brian. Hmm. You look more like a Harry." She sighed it was quiet again. Y/N then opened the file. Yeah, get this, "Leonard Peabody" is a fake name. Real name, Harold Jenkins. Harold. Why is there everything meaning insane in that name?
"This helps a lot."
She walked out the door, and well, now there's a bounty to hunt.
***
Diego sat on his bed, trying to tie his shoelace. The broken arm didn't help. "Ah, shit." He groaned.
Klaus walked in front of the doorway. A blue rope around his shoulder, as he held it. "Hey."
"Hey. You, uh... you mind?" Diego asked, pointing at his shoe.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. I'll... I'll tie that up. If you tie me up after." He threw the rope to Diego. He caught and looked at him in confusion.
"Come again?"
"You know, the last time I was sober was that roaring good time when those freaks had me tied up in the motel room." Klaus explained.
"Wow. You are one twisted bonehead."
"Why? You're the one who's always like, 'Klaus, you need to get sober, bro.'"
"There's better ways to get clean, bro." Diego said.
"Not for me, no." Klaus swallowed. He was sweating like there was no end to Summer. "I need someone to take away my options."
"Fine."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Okay, can you help me?" Diego asked.
"Yeah. Yeah." He tied the shoelace. "Okay."
***
"Mr. Five", sat at his desk, typing up something for his own personal mission. Dot then leaned to the side of her chair, where she sat behind him. "Hiya, Five. How's it going?"
"I must have utter silence in order to complete this task." The boy answered bitterly as he took the paper from the typewriter, and rolled it up.
"Oh, okay." She stammered. She leaned back straight in her seat, until another thought came to her mind, one second later. "Hey, a few of us are having lunch, and I was wondering if you..." Five cleared his throat in annoyance, opening a filing cabinet at his desk, and pulled out a golden canister. "...You're doing something." Dot acknowledged.
Five put the rolled up paper in the canister. Then closed the cabinet and walked out of his seat to get to pneumatic tube room.
"Oh. Bye-- Bye!" Dot said with a smile.
The task was at hand.
Five opened the door to his destination. Looking at all the numbers on the canister messengers. They were canister holders, with numbers at the top. Four rectangles, with at least one with a light. And a long copper golden tube that went up and through the roof.
The Handler walked towards him, as he was trying to figure out how to send the message. "I'm afraid that's not procedure." She said. He turned to look at her.
The elderly woman at her desk heard the conversation, and took her glasses off.
The woman took the canister from Five. "Five, meet Gloria." She said as the woman walked over to them. "Gloria is perhaps the single most vital cog in our machine.
"Oh!" Gloria chuckled, flattered, with her glasses in her hands.
"Gloria, this is Number Five." The Handler, taking the message out of the canister.
"Look at you." She smiled. "Deadly little thing." The woman gave her the canister. "So happy we decided to close the contract on your life." She chuckled.
Five just stood there, with a hard expression on his face. As always. "I'm afraid your reputation precedes you." The Handler started. "And it looks you're building on it here." She unrolled the message. Three words.
'TERMINATE KARL WEBER'
"Oh. Karl Weber." She said. Five smiled wickedly. "Now tell me, why unfortunate Karl?" She handed the note to Gloria, who put it back in the canister.
"Karl Weber is the butcher at the shop where Captain Ernst A. Lehmann acquires his weekly roast. So, if Karl dies, his butcher shop is passed on to his son Otto, who... never washes his hands, which is disgusting." Five explained. Gloria grimaced.
"So he's the one who gives the captain his roast." The Handler catches on.
"And that gives him food poisoning."
"Which makes him late for work. Which delays the takeoff." She raises her finger.
"And to make up for lost time," Five looked to Gloria, who nodded her head, astonished. "The Hindenburg flies through a weather front of high electrical charge and humidity."
"And the static electricity inside the aircraft makes it a virtual tinderbox. Tiny engine sparks..."
Gloria's mouth dropped open like a coy fish. "And just like that, we have..." Five raises his hand in the air, making a small explosion with his hand.
Gloria mimics in explosion in excitement. The Handler laughs wickedly.
After that, Five and the Handler walked back into the management room. "I'm sure you've all heard that Mr. Five has proven to be adept with a pen as he was with a sword." She took her hand off his shoulder. Five then walked back to his seat, hands in his pockets. His footsteps were loud and clear as the whole room was quiet. "Let his effort serve you as inspiration to you all. Herb! How long have you been on the Lusitania?" She asked the man sitting across from Five.
He spoke nervously. "Oh, ah... Well, let's see, I, uh... I..."
"Sorry?"
"When I first started..."
"Sorry? I can't hear you."
Herb started using his fingers weirdly to talk. His voice was gone. "Still can't hear you." A buzzing sound then went off. Everyone got out of their seats and went to lunch. Herb stood up and looked at Five, before walking away.
"Oh, Gene, a word before you go to lunch. Gutenberg seems to be having second thoughts about the printing press."
Five still sat at his desk. He watched as The Handler left. Closing the file in his hands. Impossible? Or, "Who cares"? He stood and went to Dot's desk, taking the red file in her file organizer, and putting it under his vest.
He then hurried the the woman's bathroom.
Yes.
The woman's bathroom.
Because who would look for Five in there? Don't worry, no funny business.
He got into a stall, and locked the door, sighing. He sat on the toilet, and pulled the file out from under is vest. Opening it. The odds really were in his favor today, and not some Hunger Games bullshit.
Supposedly.
The bathroom door opened. He looked up and cursed quietly. "Shit." As if he was caught jerking off to his math homework in his bedroom. That would be if he had a normal life. But don't worry, that will never happen.
"So, how's your first day going?" He saw her red heels, and the rim of her black skirt as she walked by. Just another day at the Commission, right? In the woman's bathroom.
Five shook his head in disbelief. "Couldn't be better."
She lowered her skirt and started urinating. And... coughing? "Glad to hear it."
Five closed the file quietly. Getting ready to jump away, since this situation couldn't get anymore awkward... I think. He heard her keep coughing. Was she dying? Finally. "Ah. I burned my rugae. Ever burn your rugae? Rugae." She sighed. Five struggled to hide the file, trying to be as quiet as possible. "The ridges on the hard palate that help pass food to the esophagus. Anyway, I'm on a liquid diet for two days, hence the marathon of urination. One faulty cog, and nothing should work as it should."
Five covered his vest with his blazer. The file finally hidden. Though, Five wondered why Reginald never believed in buttons.
"You know, we value integrity at the office above all else." She grabbed some toilet paper. The boy waited for her to leave. "Trust is essential, and that trust is... built over time." She pulled her skirt back up. "But in the event of a breach, the Commission will act swiftly and without mercy. And efficiency I'm sure you above all people can appreciate, Number Five."
He rolled his eyes, until he was then startled when the toilet flushed.
"I'm feeling peckish. Have you had your lunch?" She asked, walking towards the sink.
The boy shook his head. "Not yet." 'You've got to be kidding me.'
"Great. How would you like to lunch with me in my office?" She started walking again. Towards his stall "You can eat solid foods, and I can live vicariously..." She looked over his stall door on her toes. "Through you."
He looked up at her. Smiling falsely. "Sounds great."
Old man.
***
Hazel and Cha-Cha drove through a green forest. The motor sputtering, as she pulled into a spot. No one had said anything on the ride there. And into the woods? A perfect place to hide a body. But very obvious.
Hazel rolled down his window, looking out at everything. Peace. Or, something like that. "The briefcase is here?" He asked.
"It's where Commission said." Cha-Cha answered plainly.
"All righty." Hazel opened the door and walked out. Closing the door behind him. Cha-Cha waited in the car for a few seconds, going over her plan in her head for the one-hundredth time. She then pulled out her pistol and cocked it. Hazel stood a few feet away from the car. Turning to look at his partner as he buttoned his blazer. Cha-Cha then got out of the car, her gun safely hidden in the back of her blue slacks.
They walked down a bald pathway, which was only dirt. Taking a little stroll before this so called extermination. Birds chirped in the distance. "Sure are in the middle of nowhere." Hazel spoke. He then quietly cocked his gun as he bent down on one knee, facing the opposite direction of Cha-Cha.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Just tying my shoe." Another click. He turned to face her. "Can I ask you a cuckoo bananas question?"
"Sure, shoot."
"Would it really be so bad... if we didn't find the briefcase?" He asked.
"Uh, yeah. You know what happens to people who step out of line. We'd be hunted down like dogs. What's the matter with you?" She asked, giving him her opinion.
"I guess I'm just tired of all this being told what to do, where to go. Wouldn't it be nice to kill who you want for a change, not who the Commission tells us to? Let's forget the stupid briefcase. Why not just stay here?" Hazel asked.
"In case it fell out of your head, there won't be "here" in a few days."
"Well, then, maybe we should help stop it."
"Stop what?"
"You know." He imitated a fake boom with his hands.
"That's impossible."
"Why? Number Five came back."
"And he failed. He's back at the Commission. There's no way around this, Hazel." She saw him turn around, staring at the trees. That's when she lifted her gun. "Our only choice is to do what they say. One way or another, they always get you."
Boom.
An engine sputtered.
Cha-Cha parked in the parking lot of the motel. Putting her head against the wheel in stress. She then leaned back in her seat.
"Home sweet home." Hazel said next to her.
"Yep." She answered softly.
Hazel opened the door and got out. Cha-Cha did the same. Before Hazel opened the door, he turned to her. "Hey, uh... You hungry?" He asked.
"I could eat."
"Why don't you go relax? I'll bring us, uh, takeout." He grinned. "That, uh, Chinese place, Samurai Gardens. Kung Pao chicken, extra spicy."
Cha-Cha tilted her head. "Okay. Sounds great. Thanks." She walked towards the room door.
"Great." Hazel walked back towards the car. "Back in a jiff." He looked at her. "Uh, keys." Cha-Cha threw the keys to him. He then waved a hand, got in the car, and drove off.
Cha-Cha watched as he drove away. She could've shot him. But she didn't. Because she cared too much.
When did she ever care?
***
Luther digging through all of his father's belongings. In his office, and his bedroom. Anything that involved the research of the Moon. He checked through a few other files. Nothing. He threw the paper onto the floor in frustration. He started looking through the small bookshelf next to the side table.
Pogo walked in. Watching him. "Everything alright, Master Luther?" He asked.
Luther quickly turned to him. "Where are they? The boxes, the reports, the samples? All the correspondence I sent down from the Moon?"
"I, uh... I'm not sure." Pogo stuttered. And that's the giveaway. "Your father was a very private person--"
"Stop it, Pogo! You know everything our Dad did." Luther reasoned.
Pogo shoulders slumped, as a sign of defeat. He pointed his cane towards the rug on the floor. The truth was about to come out. The whole truth.
"What?" Luther's voice was quiet. He took a step forward. The floor boards creaked. He kicked a corner of the rug up off the floor. The thought went through his head. But then again, maybe Reginald ran out of space for all his stuff. "Clever old man." He said. Luther opened the hatch in the floor. All the bags. Tucked away.
Unopened.
He took one out. The another. He pulled off the red tape, and unzipped the bag. Untouched. "He never even looked at them." Tears threatened to pour. "Why not?" He looked at Pogo. "Why not?!"
"Your father was many things." Pogo started. "Forthright was not one of them. After your accident, he wanted to give you purpose, Master Luther. He felt that this was the only way."
"What? Shanghaiing me on the Moon for four years? I wasn't a good enough Number One? That's what it was? I couldn't cut it? So he sent me away?" Luther cried.
"No, no, that's not--" Pogo took delicate steps towards him.
"Pogo... Please leave me alone." He looked down. His face red. His tears warm.
"Master--"
"Now, please! Get out!" He yelled. Pogo looked at him sadly, then turned to walk away. Looking down in shame.
What was the point of any of it?
***
Allison packed her clothes into her suitcase, as she hurried around her old room to pick everything up. She then took off her watch, then noticing the 'A+L' locket hanging on her jewelry stand.
Those were times. Still dancing around in her dead.
17 YEARS AGO
Allison and Luther's doors creaked open. They held flashlights and backpacks in their hands. Walking together to get to the attic.
"Allison!" Luther yelled in whisper.
"Shh!"
They walked into what looked like a greenhouse. A large fort was built in the middle of the entrance. Allison smiled. Luther watched as she took a seat inside. Wondering what she was doing. She clicked on a light, making strands of gold lights turn on. The boy raised his eyebrows impressment.
"I have prepared a..." Allison spoke in a British accent. She took out two soda cans. "Feast."
Luther smiled, walking towards her. "Whoa, where'd you get those?" He asked, sitting down.
"My methods must remain mysterious." She spoke in the accent.
"Well, you're not the only one with secrets." He said. He grabbed his bag and pulled out a small... axe? And rope? "Just in case. Ah. Oh, and, uh... one more thing." He pulled a flat black rectangular box from his blazer pocket. He opened it. "It's, um... It's for you." He said.
Allison took the box in her hands. Seeing a golden heart shaped locket with the letters, 'A+L' printed on. She pulled the necklace out from the box. "Do you, um... Do you like it?" Luther asked nervously.
She point the necklace around her neck. Grinning. "I'll never take it off." She said in her own voice. Luther chuckled in relief. "Oh. I almost forgot. I brought one more thing." She got out of the fort, and went to open a brown box. The vinyl player inside. Luther smiled. The record already inside, she put the needle on it. It started scratching before it started playing. Piano music started playing. She stood up and face Luther in a formal stance. "Luther Hargreeves, will you dance with me?" She asked. Confidence. Confidence is the the best. She put her hand out. Luther eyes seemed to sparkle as he got up, and took delicate steps towards her. Her eyes moved up, looking at his face, as he was at least a foot and a half taller than her.
Before they ever got the chance, the hallway light turned on. "Number One?" Allison turned around quickly, to see her father. "Number Three!" He stood there in his suit. His suit? Wasn't he supposed to be asleep by now? Allison back away, standing next to Luther in fear. Their faces cold. "This is highly unacceptable behavior. You both know that fun and games are restricted to Saturdays between noon and half past noon."
"But we were just--" Luther started.
"You will never come up here again. Do you understand me? Never!" Allison's shoulders jumped at his tone.
In every memory he was there.
***
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."
"I hate this room." Diego said, walking in a circle around Klaus over and over again.
"Oh, it got me high enough. I picked it clean of anything of value after Daddy kicked the bucket. That's it, tighter and higher." Klaus said.
Diego stopped. Then pulled on the rope to make sure it was really, really, really tight. "Ooh. Ouf! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."
"Fine."
"Aah."
"If I see a boner, I'm out." Diego her him chuckle. "End of the world and you wanna get sober all of a sudden." Ben watched from the dark luminescent lighted part of the room. "Don't get me wrong, man." Klaus groaned. "Good by you." He continued walking. "But I'd think you'd wanna pop every pill on the planet."
"Oh, the thought did cross my mind, believe me, but... there's something I need to do, and the whole pesky thing doesn't seem to work unless I'm sober." Klaus explained.
Diego started tying his legs to the front of the chair legs. "Is this about conjuring the one you lost?" Klaus sighed. "What was her name?"
Klaus remembered. Shaking hands with him on the bus. Dancing and drinking together at the airport. Kissing in the back corner. "His name was Dave." Diego stopped tying. "We soldered together in the A Shau Valley... in the Mountain of the Crouching Beast."
Diego looked at him. Thinking he was making it up. "Well, Dave must have been a very special person... to put up with your weird-ass shit."
Klaus snorted. "Yeah." He chuckled. "Yeah, he was... He was kind, and strong, and vulnerable, and... beautiful. Beautiful. And I was... foolish enough to follow him all the way to the front line." His smile faded away.
"You fought in the shit?"
"Oh, yeah, baby." Klaus sighed.
"How'd they let you do that?"
"Let me? War couldn't take enough bodies. Please." He chuckled, feeling like an old man telling a kid his war stories. "Including his." Ben looked away. Feeling sorrow in his chest. "Hey, look at us. Loggin' in some quality bro time before the end of the world."
"Yeah, might as well. Everyone I like is already dead." Diego grunted as he tied the rope.
"Ah, yes. The lady cop." Klaus saw Ben get up and walk away.
"Yeah. Mom, too. I let them both down. So here I am. Alone with you." Diego patted his shoulder.
"You'll always have Y/N." Klaus gave a sad smile.
Diego looked down. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so." He then walked away.
"Ah, shit!" Klaus yelled. Diego looked at him in alarm.
"What?"
"I need to pee."
Diego's face went from alarmed to annoyed.
Weird-ass shit, indeed.
***
Y/N was sitting in her car, parked on the sidewalk. Staring at the house next to her. Leonard's house. Or should I say Harold's. She picked up her phone and went through her contacts. She'd changed that random number to 'Allison'. She tapped on the contact and put the phone to her ear. It was ringing. "C'mon, Allison. Pick up, pick up, pick up." She murmured. Starting to chew slightly on her thumb nail. She turned on the air conditioner. Already getting a small stomach ache from stress.
No answer.
Voicemail.
"Hey! It's Allison. I'm probably really busy right now, or I'm eating ice-cream and watching Titanic, because it's Sunday... Anyway, please leave a message, and I will get back to you as soon I can. Bye!"
BEEP
"Hey, Allison. It's me. Y/N. Look, it's been a minute, but I got your voicemail, and I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. I, uh... I got lead. On Leonard. Well, more than a lead. I found a criminal record of him at a criminal record database. Don't ask. But there's everything about him on here. I'm currently sitting in my car, in front of his house. So... trying calling me back before you get to the airport, please? Thanks. And, uh... I love you, too." Y/N hanged up.
Whether Allison answered or not, she was gonna do a little B&E.
***
"Thanks, guys. Well, as you can see, mysterious damage to multiple vehicles and light posts occurred earlier today here in the midtown area."
Leonard walked over to Vanya on the couch with a cup of tea in his hands. A plate holding it. Of course. Vanya watched the TV. Maybe she did have powers. It was about damn time.
"Authorities suspect a drunk driver. We'll have the full details for you tonight at five."
He handed her the cup. "Thanks." She said.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She took a sip of tea.
"Okay." He took a seat down next to her, turning off the TV. "Look, I... I'm sure this is a lot to deal with. You know, the idea that you've always had these powers lying dormant."
"What, the ability to bend lampposts?" Vanya scoffed.
"Your mood changed things. The rain stopped. I saw it."
Vanya groaned, placing the mug on the coffee table. "That wasn't me. I'm so sorry to disappoint you."
"Disappoint? You couldn't disappoint me if you tried." He said. Vanya looked away, flattered. "But if you did do this, if it was you, that's beautiful, it's powerful."
"Look, if this was even true, everything I know about myself would be different. Everything I've ever been told."
"Do you think maybe your father knew?" Leonard asked.
She scoffed. "Come on. Now way! Look, if I was special, I would've been in the Umbrella Academy. I'm so sorry you got stuck with the ordinary one."
"Ordinary is not a word I'd use to describe you." He smiled at her. "Look, we'll figure it out... as a team."
"My life is so weird." Vanya admitted.
Leonard nodded his head. "I like weird."
"Clearly." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He grasped gently onto her chin and kissed her. Then took her jaw and kissed her once more.
They were still young.
But young love doesn't last for life.
***
The Handler slurped her drink from the straw as she looked at Five. "And that's how Phil determined that the archduke just had to go." She put the cup on her tray and moved it aside. Five put his cup down as well. "Care for dessert?"
Five shook his head respectfully. "I had a bad Twinkie in the apocalypse once. It kind of put me off desserts."
"Please, indulge me." She pushed the bowl of wrapped caramel candies ever so gently with her fingers towards Five. He took one and popped it in his mouth.
The Handler lighted her cancer stick as she watched him. "What's that taste like to you?"
"The 1950s?"
"Precisely right. Our clever metaphysics division concocted a way to perfectly distill an entire decade into a single candy." She picked up one of the candies and read the label. "This one's modeled after the Fudge Mutt, America's favorite in 1955."
"Remarkable."
"You'll be happy to know it's the very division that's building your new body. Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you." She pressed a button on her intercom. "Carla?"
"Yes?" The assistant answered back.
"Would you bring the box in, please?"
"Certainly."
The Handler took her hand off the button. Five looked towards the two white large doors as he heard footsteps. She stood up, grinning with the cancer stick in her mouth as Carla walked in with a box in her hands. Setting it down on the polished desk, then leaving. Five then stood up, moving over to open it. The woman took a seat at the edge of her desk. "Go ahead. Open it." He opened the box to see a blue suit, which was the uniform for men in management. "Clothes make the man, Five. Won't it be nice when you can actually wear it?" She grinned. "Very soon, I assure you. They're perfecting your body as we speak."
"Thank you." He said. "It's a very kind gift." He closed the box. He then turned around. Pointing at a weapon on one of the elite shelves. "Is that a Chinese flamethrower?" He asked.
"Good eye." She said. The boy walked over to observe it better. "War. Such a fascinating concept." She walked over to where he was. "A temporary salve for a permanent human flaw. Course, it's a bit easier to see from 30,00 feet." She chuckled. "These are just some of the things I've collected in my travels." She picked up a grenade. Throwing it up in the air and catching it. "M26 grenades from the Vietnam War." Five watched as he continued chewing his candy. "And this, the most noteworthy, perhaps." She picked a small pistol. "My Walther pistol. The very one Hitler used to kill himself." She aimed gun at a random bookshelf. Then she whispered, "We're not supposed to take these kind of things, but... he wasn't gonna use it anymore." She grinned wickedly, putting the cancer stick back in her mouth. "Feel... How perfectly balanced that is." She held the gun with both hands. "Hm?" She handed it to Five.
He held it in his hand. He felt like the killer he'd always been. "I had some thoughts I wanted to run by you." He looked up at her. "Some suggestions to improve Commission protocol."
"Mm!" She took the pistol back in her hands. "Shaking things up already. I admire that." She ran her hand down his cheek. "Go on." She walked back to her desk. Five looked down. Trying not let his anger out and ruin his plan. "Do tell!"
He walked towards the desk chairs at the other side of the desks. "Gloria."
"Mm."
"The tube operator. Wouldn't it be simpler if case managers were to send their own messages?"
"I appreciate the thought. I really do. But everyone loves Gloria. I-- I wouldn't hear the end of it. She's been with the Commission family for years, and she's this close to making pension." The Handler put her two fingers almost pressed together. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.
"Sorry to interrupt. May I have a moment alone?" Dot asked, panting as she walked in.
"Of course." The Handler said, sitting up in her seat. "Duty calls." She said to Five. "We'll continue this discussion later, Five."
"Sure. May I?" Five asked. Moving his hand towards the bowl of candies.
"Please." She grinned. Five grabbed a handful and stuffed it in his pocket.
Dot then walked over to the woman immediately. Handing her the red file n her hands. The Handler opened it.
Something was changed in the timeline.
***
Luther sat there, feeling like his life was over as his gaze was left on the unopened bags of space rocks. Allison walked in, noticing him. "Hey. So, I couldn't get a flight out until tonight, and I don't know what to do. I can't just sit here. So I'm gonna head to the airport and wait. I just-- I wanted to say goodbye." When she noticed he didn't answer, she walked closer to him. Softly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Luther?"
He inhaled sharply. "I found Dad's research from my mission on the Moon." Allison looked around at the bags. Stepping over them to take a seat across from him. "Every single package was still sealed." She grabbed one of the bags.
"Why would he--"
"He never opened them because he never cared what I was doing up there. Four years of my life. A lie."
She looked at him sadly, then looked around once again. "What an asshole."
"I'm not the right person to stop this apocalypse, Allison."
"Hey, Luther. Don't say that." She leaned forward, hunching down to the floor to his level.
"No, the world needs a leader and I'm not it. I'm not." He shook his head. "Dad knew it, and now I know it. I'm done."
Allison looked away from him. An idea popped into her head. She grinned softly. "Can I show you something?"
"What? What is it?"
"Just... Just come with me." She stood up, walking out of the room. When she noticed he didn't move, she looked at him. "What? You got something better to do?"
Luther just stared at her.
***
Allison had finally got the door to the old greenhouse open. A basket of flower cans and pots rattled as it fell over from the opening door. She laughed from her clumsiness, stepping over it. Luther walked in after her. Dumbfounded. "I can't believe it's still here."
"Me neither." She chuckled. "I can't believe he didn't take it down after he caught us up here." The plants around them were dead. The large fort was now dusty, and stained, but she didn't hesitate to crawl inside, giggling.
"Why are we here?" Luther asked.
She looked at him. "To finish the feast." She patted the pillows across from her, signaling him to take a seat. He sighed and went to crawl in. "Oh, God! Oh!"
"Shoot. Hang on..." As he went in, the fort started moving around, bound to fall on them. He fell on his butt, trying to stabilize himself.
"Easy, easy!" Allison laughed. "Okay." They sat there for a few seconds, waiting to see if it would fall. She then laughed hysterically.
"Guess we're not kids anymore." Luther commented.
Allison shook her head. "Could you just for one second turn off that cynical brain of yours? I mean, this could be the last time we ever..." She stared at him, not wanting to think about death. She held up a blue carton, and opened it. Revealing two soda cans. The ones they never got to open. "Ta-da!"
"Wow." He stared at the dusty beverages. Allison laughed. "Are these...?"
"Yep, the very same." They each took one, then blew off the heavy dust from the top of the cans. Allison looked on the bottom of hers. It was expired, but she wasn't really gonna say anything. They opened the cans, as the fizzing began.
"Cheers." Luther said, grimacing at the idea of the many ways this could all go terribly, and hilariously wrong. They each took a sip of it, and not one second later, spit it out. "Oh, my God..." He gagged.
"I am so sorry."
"No, I'm sorry."
And then fort fell down. "Oh, no, shit!" Allison yelled.
"God."
"Oh!" She chuckled. She coughed at the dust that begun to float in the air. "Oh. Yeah. We're not kids anymore." She laughed. She noticed Luther's sad face. She felt something fabric-y touch her chest. Luther gloved hand grabbed her necklace with his fingers. He let go. Allison went to grab it. "Held up better than those sodas, huh?" She chuckled softly.
"You said you'd never take it off."
She looked down. The regret sinking in. "Yeah. But I did." He nodded his head. "You know, now that Dad's not here to catch us, we can go anywhere we want, in the house, in the courtyard..."
"The real world." He said.
Allison scrunched her eyebrows. "You're right. You wanna get out of here?"
Luther stared at her. "Yeah. I think I could squeeze you in."
Allison chuckled. He smiled at her. "Come on." He stood up.
"Oh, boy."
"Oh, my God." He slightly stumbled, taking Allison's hands to pull her up. They walked through the ruined fabric. "Oh, gosh. Okay."
***
Cha-Cha looked at the message in her hands. She remembered what he said back in the woods.
"I guess I'm just tired of all this being told what to do, where to go. Let's just forget the stupid briefcase. Why not just stay here?"
She flicked on her lighter. And burned the message. She dropped it into the trashcan in front of her. No way in hell was she going to kill Hazel. She sighed. Problem dealt with.
And then she headed to the doughnut shop.
***
Y/N listened in on Leonard and Vanya's conversation. Powers? Lampposts? "Oh no." The girl murmured. She silently walked down the hallway. She noticed and string with a white ring attached to it.
An attic.
What would a person named Leonard, or in this case Harold, hide in an attic. Dead bodies probably. She looked down the hall. Still talking. Then looked back up and the rectangle on the ceiling. She jumped as high as she could, and pulled it down. It opened. Creaks.
***
"What was that?" Vanya asked.
"I don't... I don't know. Just one second." He walked into the kitchen, then down the hall. Nothing. And then he noticed the string on the ceiling. Swinging around lightly. He smiled wickedly.
The trap was set.
It was perfect.
☂
Author's Note:
This felt so cunning and mysterious when I this. What do you guys think? Also, I know time's gonna move backwards, and I know a few parts are gonna seem so cliche compared to other fanfictions, but, just stick around.
Also, I putting all my other fanfics on hold, and focusing on this one because I have so many going on. Especially because I started this one first. So...
Thanks for reading!