(chapter twenty-five.) where are you going?
❝ THE VFW LAKESHORE POST B392. ❞
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POET WAS RELIEVED THAT SHE WAS FINALLY WITH DIEGO AND PARIS, Patch had just left after making the girl agree that she will describe the people that took her. She was currently leaning on Diego, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Paris was holding on to his backpack, talking to his father, who was talking away, and Ben.
Diego let Poet rest on the doorway as he opened the door harshly. He then grabbed Poet by the waist yet again, her own arm going around his shoulder as she held his shirt in her hand.
"Piece of shit," he said, loud enough for Luther and a somewhat sober Five. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" Diego let Poet rest on a chair nearby, immediately heading towards the 13-year-old boy, who jerked back when Diego almost grabbed him. Luther grabbed his brother, stopping him from going any further. Poet raised her hand, twirling her hand and making Diego back away. "Nope, let me... Get your ape hands off of me! And Poet, rest dammit!"
"You can't just head towards your brother like that," Poet breathed out, dropping her hand. Paris stepped in, wrapping an arm around her. Poet sighed, leaning her head on his own shoulder.
"You need to let him explain at least," Paris added, glancing at Five and then facing Diego. Five looked in between Poet and Paris before he scoffed lightly, his mouth agape, while he was staring at them the same way he saw Poet the first time.
Diego ignored the Capulets, though, turning around to still grab Five. If it wasn't for Luther, who knows what would've happened to Five. "I can do this as long as it takes you to calm you down."
"Fine," Diego said, panting from the lack of air. He turned to look over his shoulder to check up on Poet and Luther dropped him back on his feet.
"Now," Luther started, noticing his brother's stare on the weak brunette trying to stand up, only to end up failing and slumping back on the chair, "wanna tell us what you're talkin' about?"
"Our brother's been pretty busy since he got back," Diego said, his eyes not daring to move away from Five. "He was in the middle of that shootout at Griddy's, in which I also found out that if it wasn't for Poet's lack of energy, she would've been dead because you wanted her to come with you, and then at Gimble Brothers, after the guys in masks attacked the Academy, looking for him."
"None of which is any of your concern," Five said, looking past the two to stare at Poet and her nephew. He saw Paris placing his hand on Poet's arm but she kept swatting it away, not wanting him to what he did.
"It is now," Diego said in a harsh tone. "Poet almost died because of the two. If it weren't for her nephew, she would've been dead and there goes your idol."
"Who are they, Five?" Luther questioned. Poet stretched, hearing her bones cracks after she did so. Paris sped away, handing her food and something to drink and it seemed to make her satisfied with it. She thanked him, but not before questioning him on where he paid the food. Paris' only response was his own wallet with money he probably got by his grandparents.
Five closed his eyes for a brief second before he answered their question. "They work for my former employer. A woman called the Handler. She sent them... to stop me. Then, as soon as Poet got in their way, we'll fair game for them because they think she's dead. I'm sorry about that, by the way."
Before anyone could blink, Five was slammed against the wall, throat and arms being held by Paris who was staring at the boy angrily. Poet stood up immediately.
"'Sorry?' That's it?" Paris scoffed, stepping away from the boy. "My aunt almost died if it wasn't for you. You should've been there to tell us all who those people are."
"Paris," Poet called out, looking at her nephew. Paris sped next to her, not noticing the look on Five's face when he sees him do so. Poet placed her hand on the boy's head, a red orb going around it. She placed it on his temple before the orb hit him. Paris' eyes flashed a scarlet color before his tense body slowly began to relax.
"Sorry," Paris mumbled, not daring to look at the boy. "I don't usually show my anger. I'm really sorry."
"It's fine," Five said, looking down at his hands.
"And now," Diego began, "they're my fair game. And I'm gonna see to it they pay."
Diego turned around, heading towards Poet, who was already standing up.
"That would be a mistake, Diego," Five called out. "They've killed people far more dangerous than you."
"Yeah, we'll see about that."
"Tell me about it," Poet commented sarcastically under her breath, a shiver running down her spine as she remembered all those faces of the people she and Klaus talked to. She turned to look at Five, nodding at him. "I'll accept your apology by the way. It wasn't your fault, Five."
Poet and Paris followed after Diego up the stairs and headed out when he held the door open so they could go first. The trip headed towards Diego's car and as the car was getting closer, Paris sighed.
"Can we go visit Dad and hang out with those other veterans that you were talking to me about?" He asked. Poet then realized that she promised Paris she would take him to go see Julian in pictures with his friends and that he will be able to see newspaper cutouts of Paris and Poet.
"Yeah," she said, smiling weakly at him. He smiled back and they both looked at Diego. "Diego, we'll be right back. We have to do something."
"You almost died, Poet," he said. "What happens if they catch you again?"
"They think I'm dead," Poet said. "I'm gonna be fine."
"Where are you going?"
"The VFW Lakeshore Post B392," Paris answered, his eyebrows slightly furrowed together. "Even though it's for soldiers that were in the Vietnam War, veterans loved my dad's work and included him there part of respect and next to my great uncle."
"Okay," Diego nodded. "Be careful."
"You, too.