FIVE HAD TOLD HIS BROTHERS that he had figured out how to stop the end of the world around... six times by now. Five out of six of those times were unsuccessful, and on the sixth attempt, it was barely an achievement. So, it was granted that he was a little nervous for how they were going to react to the seventh time.
"So, I found a way home."
Luther immediately whipped his head around, his eyes widening drastically. "What? How? When?"
Five rolled his eyes. Of course their reaction was going to be the same – so many questions, so much desperation. They couldn't just listen to him, no! They wanted to form their own ideas and their own opinions on the success of things. And that, my friends, is often where things went wrong. "All of the details are irrelevant, but I made a deal to get back to our timeline."
"What about doomsday?" Diego asked, frantically.
"Won't happen."
"And the 2019 apocalypse?"
Five ground his teeth together with irritation. Why couldn't they just trust him? "Everything will go back to normal, alright? Now, no more questions. We have to go. We have to find the others. Luther, you get Allison."
"Okay." Luther nodded, and both of his brothers paused at his excitement, sending him a pointed look.
"Diego, Klaus." Five said. "I'll get Vanya. We'll meet back in the arrival alley in seventy-seven minutes. Got it?" His brothers nodded and Five took it as a confirmation that they were going to do their jobs correctly, grabbing two watches from the kitchen table and handing one to each of them. "I've synchronized these watches, so you have no excuse to be late. Alright... lets do this."
He nodded his head and rubbed his hands together, preparing to teleport, but Diego lunges forwards to stop him. "Woah, woah, woah, hold on a minute. You show up drenched in blood but with no injuries, spend half-an-hour sitting in a dark room with a crazy bitch and expect us just to believe that everything's going to go back to normal if we go home now?"
Five scoffed, unable to believe that Diego was so hard of hearing that he didn't realize he had already stated there were to be no more questions. "Elliott was killed because of us-!"
"What about Dad?" Diego growled, his anger rising. "What about JFK?"
"Diego," Five sighed. "We have a chance to go home and make things right, we are taking it."
"I have to say goodbye to Lila." He sighed and Five's face fell in pity, feeling his chest rise with another inhale as he shook his head. He understood that his brother was... hooked, or whatever the hell to Lila Pitts, but he had to know that it wasn't going anywhere.
"Lila doesn't give a shit about you, Diego. She never did." Five told him, trying to ease the news to him gently but finding that his impatience made it increasingly difficult. "She's one of them – she's a member of the Commission."
"No way." Diego said, adamant in his knowledge. "That's not possible."
"She was just using you to get to us." Five frowned. "You're the Oswald of this story, Diego, the goddamned Patsy. I'm sorry, alright? But if you don't do this, I'll kill you myself. Got it?"
The bathroom door swung open, and Five's murderous expression instantly eased, his head snapping towards their latest companion. Feeling the eyes gather onto her, Atlas froze and threw her lips into a frown, her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you all staring at? I'm not going to fucking sing or dance for you."
Diego and Luther frowned and turned their attention to the watches, tightening the straps around their wrists and checking they were both in sync. Atlas, however, slowly slid her eyes from Diego and Luther to Five, who raised his eyebrows in question. He leaned forwards, eagerly. "You're coming with us, right? Back to New York?"
"Well, I'm certainly not staying here alone." Atlas frowned, pressing her lips into a disapproving line. What the hell kind of question was that? "I hate the sixties."
"Yeah," Five nodded. "Of course."
"But I have things to do here, first," She told him, indignantly and glanced around at everything but him. "So, I will have to see."
"Of course." Five repeated, as though all of his other words had escaped him. He pressed her with a persistent look, his eyebrows raised. "But you will be there, right?"
Atlas looked up, finally connecting their eyes before confirming their arrangement with a single nod. "I will be there."
Five exhaled as though he was relieved, and turned away from her while his brothers glanced between them with a growing curiosity and raised brows, concerned about the sudden formality between the pair that neither Atlas nor Five seemed to mention. Five's eyes darted between her own but found no rest – green grass against a beaming blue.
He looked down at his watch and said; "You have seventy-seven minutes."
"Seventy-five, now." Atlas corrected him instantly before turning away and rubbing her neck, awkwardly. Five blushed and pulled his hands into his pockets, leaning forwards as though he was bowing towards her and then spun on his heels to his brothers, although continued to stare at the floor instead.
Luther and Diego's brows raised higher and they spun around to each-other, a startled surprise written over their faces as Five said; "I'll see you later, Maeve," and Atlas seemed to blink and pale significantly, but did not speak. Upon recognizing what name he had called her, he snapped his head back around and began to gape, but his words came out in silent syllables.
Before he could speak, Atlas swiftly fled out the door with a quick; "Yes" and slammed the door shut. Five ran a hand through her hair, as if visibly relaxing at her departure and the brothers stood in silence for a few seconds while Diego and Luther shot pointed looks towards one another.
"Ah," Luther said putting an affectionate hand on Five's shoulder. "Women. Am I right?"
Five turned to him with his eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What?"
"Was it just me," Diego began lightly, "Or was that super awkward?"
Luther scrunched up his eyebrows and tilted his head, entirely confused. "Who's Maeve?"
"It's none of your business," Five growled, grinding his teeth together as he moved forwards. "Are you going to promise me that you'll be in the alley when I need you to be, or what?"
"Yeah, yeah." Luther confirmed. "We'll be there."
...
ATLAS DIDN'T KNOW IN PARTICULAR WHERE she was going, but she was going somewhere, and that's all that mattered.
She knew that Lila was looking for her, and she would rather get there first than give the girl the superior knowledge that perhaps, to a certain extent, she was in control of the situation. But Lila knew better, and Atlas knew everything.
They met in a park surrounded by a litter of various stores and Atlas felt her confidence grow when she realized that in public, they weren't going to risk drawing attention to themselves by attempting to kill one another – it was far too messy and inconvenient. So, instead she found Lila situated on one of the park benches and kept her face stoic and impatient, waiting for the other girl to speak first.
With a perfect record and an obedience to match, Atlas had easily become the ideal model for what The Handler expected Lila to be – quick, intelligent, efficient. She would parrot The Handler with enough abbreviation to make her own opinions clear, each inch of her skin rippling with success – one that would make Lila's mother bloat with victory and pride, propelling a hoard of primal brutality of love into her direction.
Atlas was the daughter that Lila's mother always wanted.
Consistently smothered by her natural excellence, it was clear that a rift had already been placed between them before the pair had even met. Atlas was like the older sibling that was born with restless blood and muscles tense for a fight, each of her smiles derisive and whetted with warning, teeth like jaws of a guillotine. Skin stitched together with cynicism, they might have been raised by the same woman, but Lila was certain that they had come from a different dimension entirely.
There were multiple nights where Lila had attempted to replicate Atlas' famous assassinations in her room, after hearing the gruesome stories in the canteen after coming back from her missions. Of success in Asia, in Germany, weeks spent in Russia. Atlas was the monster that slinked silently in the shadows, and Lila was the one that hid from them beneath forts of pillows and blankets. But not anymore.
"Atlas," She beamed, white-teeth gleaming. Mischief glittered behind the shades of her sunglasses and Atlas' jaw tightened. "It's so good to see you."
"Of course it is," Atlas responded, tucking her hands into her pockets. "What do you want from me?"
"Sit," Lila said, shuffling over to make room on the bench for her and tapping the space next to her with enthusiasm. "Please. We have a lot to talk about. Sit with me."
"No, thank you." Atlas told her. "Standing has many health benefits."
"It wasn't a suggestion, Agent Atlas," Lila repeated, her tone sharper and more demanding, laced with an edge that made Atlas uncomfortable, her eyes cutting towards her in warning. Regardless, Atlas remained unfazed and didn't blink, her face hard like stone. "Sit."
"I'd prefer to stand."
Lila let out a chuckle that was underlined with embarrassment and irritation at her lack of co-operation, casting her eyes over the park and biting her cheek to stop an unnecessary bark of insult or something that she would have to regret later. Atlas smirked smugly at the knowledge that Lila Pitts knew better than to aggravate her – even in public.
"Ooh, mother is mad at you."
Atlas' smile dropped and her jaw bristled in annoyance, an action that made Lila grin with a newfound power. "Do you have any tips for me? I'm sure that you're usually the one she's disappointed in, it must be a nice break for you."
Her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together so hard that Atlas was certain they were going to turn white and fall off. "I don't think that you understand the severity of your situation, Atlas. I'd count yourself lucky that The Handler has other places to be today."
"Hmm." Atlas said, her eyes dancing around with ease, the corners of her lips tugging upwards before landing back towards Lila. She held out her hand with a sense of boredom. "I want your sunglasses."
Lila's brow raised and there was a pause. She shook her head, a scoff falling from her mouth. "Why would I give you my sunglasses?"
"Are you not listening?" Atlas snapped, hissing towards her. "I just told you that I wanted them."
"No, Atlas," Lila said, rolling her eyes and chuckling lightly to hide her awkwardness. "I'm not going to give you my sunglasses."
"You either give them to me now or I will find you, kill you and take them from your dead body." Atlas sang, her face monotone and impatient. "If you would like to live, I'd like your sunglasses."
After a pause, Lila's smile faltered when she realized that she wasn't joking and reluctantly lifted her hands to her eyes, taking the glasses off and handing them to her. Atlas sighed with delight when she got them, putting them on her own nose and grinning, carding a hand through her hair and casting her eyes along the park in amusement.
"It's so hard to find good sunglasses, these days, you understand me? I mean, my nose is a little fat, and so most of the time they just fall right off and it's really annoying when I'm trying to brutally murder someone, you know? It's so inconvenient and... oh-!" She cut herself off, clicking her fingers and pointing towards Lila with excitement, raising her voice to one of certificate. "Congratulations on your promotion, I'm so sorry I didn't say anything earlier. You know, I did buy you a gift, let me see...."
She feigned confusion, raking around in her pockets and patting down her blazer before nodding and letting out a light 'ah', pulling her hand out of her pocket and protruding her middle finger with a grin.
Lila's jaw ticked and she sent her a sarcastic smile. "That's very funny, Atlas."
"Yes," Atlas nodded, chuckling lightly to herself. "It is. It is very funny."
"You're laughing at me, but I think we both know who's in charge of who right now." Lila said, shooting her a bitter smile laced with a superiority that Atlas matched with ease.
"Oh no, no. I'm not laughing at you," Atlas said, clutching a hand to her heart with feign hurt. "Head of security. It's very impressive. That's quite the achievement, especially for someone so ill-experienced."
Lila raised a brow but Atlas could feel her anger ticking. "I'm the best assassin at the Commission."
"That is because I no longer work at the Commission." Atlas reminded her before tilting her head and batting her eyelashes, humming innocently. "I mean, you have to wonder how it was that I didn't know who you were until a few weeks ago? I was at the Commission for long enough to know all the important people by names, yet Lila Pitts seems definitely new to me."
She jutted out her chin and straightened her spine, but it wasn't enough to cover the hurt that creased her features as she winces. "You'll have to get your memory checked up on."
"I have perfect memory." Atlas told her, instantly. "Perfect memory, perfect scores and perfect kill-rates."
Lila's lips teased into a smug grin and Atlas immediately caught her slip-up, her face blanching before she could take it back. "That's not what I've heard as-of-late."
She kept her emotions still and steady, instead of lunging or shooting her another insult, she merely glanced at the letter on Lila's lap, concealing her curiosity as her slim fingers tapped against the golden seal. "You have a letter for me. What is it?"
Lila looked down at the letter and plucked it into her hand, scrutinizing it as though it were terrifyingly precious before handing it to Atlas, who raised a skeptical brow. "You've done this enough times to know what's required. I hope, however, you might actually manage to pull the trigger this time. That would be helpful, so if you could try and get the subject back unalive – that means not breathing, if you were unaware- "
"I'm aware." Atlas snapped and Lila sent her a wide grin, amused. Atlas paused, indulging within her rightful reluctance before snatching the letter from her hands and tearing into it, a single sentence making her eyebrows furrow with confusion. The letter only protruded an address and a time, but no name of a target. She looked up to Lila, who seemed to beam with importance and waved the letter in front of her. "There is no target. A printing error, perhaps?"
"There is no error." Lila said, standing up and dusting off her black shirt. "The target's identity is concealed to protect his anonymity."
"Anonymity," Atlas scoffed. "That's ridiculous."
"Things are changing, Agent Atlas," Lila mused with delight. "And they're changing without you. You'll know your target when you see him, they'll be no distractions this time. This task must be completed efficiently and routinely. Do you understand?"
Atlas shifted her weight, uncomfortable by the situation but nodded nevertheless. "I understand."
"Good." Lila nodded, letting out a sigh and her business-tone retired, her eyes softening. "If you fail to eliminate your target, Atlas, I fear-"
"You have no reason to fear my safety, nor the repercussions." Atlas said, cutting her off immediately. The corner of her lips tilted upwards, she felt pride run through her. "I don't fail."
AUTHORS NOTE:
Oooh the action thats coming out
Lila and Atlas give me big sibling energy