[After much consideration, Elisa is back for a second book! This will follow the same format as the other books I've been working on.
Welcome, folks, to Chaos Surrounding!]
March 18, 1961
Elisa fell through a blue mass and landed in an alley.
She stood and looked around. "Five? Diego? Klaus? Vanya?"
No one answered, of course, and she watched as the mass disappeared, trapping her in a foreign time to her.
She exited the alley and walked along a street, trying to find something. Anything.
Tobias Stanton exited Stadler's and nearly rammed into the blonde woman.
"Miss, are you all right?" Tobias asked.
Elisa frowned. "What year is it?"
He stared at her a moment, brow furrowed. "1961. Are you sure you're all right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I need to find my family."
"I think a coffee might do you some good, first. I'll buy."
She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you. Elisa Hargreeves."
"Tobias Stanton. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Elisa."
"On April the first, 2019, the Earth was destroyed in a cataclysmic event. Billions of people were wiped out in a matter of minutes. Ironically, the eight survivors of the apocalypse were the very siblings who had brought it on."
"Hold on!" Five cried. "This could get messy!"
Elisa closed her eyes, bracing for possibly the most terrifying experience of her life; and she'd had several.
1960
Klaus and Ben fell through the portal in an alleyway.
As Klaus groaned and sat up, he said, "That was-"
"Exhilarating," Ben finished.
Ben stood. "Where's Five?"
Klaus stood as well and looked at the blue mass of energy as he waved his hands in front of it. "Five! Diego! Allison! Elisa!" The blue mass disappeared. "Where is everybody?"
Klaus and Ben started walking as the former said, "Oh, they're gone. They're gone like a fart in the wind." he whimpered. "Poof."
The brothers exited the alley as Klaus added, "It's just me and you again. Great. So where the hell are we?"
As they walked, Klaus asked, "Are hats back?"
Ben turned. "I think the question is, "When are we?""
Klaus ran up to a man walking in a crosswalk. "Hey! Hey! Sorry to bother you. Could you tell me what year this is, or what day?" The man walked away. "Rude."
Ben walked towards a trashcan and the former called, "Klaus! Get over here."
"Yeah?"
"Look."
Klaus reached into the trashcan. "Yeah, I mean, he's pretty my type, but I'd have to see him from the shoulders down."
"The date, you idiot."
"Oh, yeah," Klaus said. "February 11, 1960. 1960." He looked at Ben.
"Shit," the two men said.
Allison fell through a blue energy mass in 1961. As she walked away, a man took a picture of her from his window.
She made her way to Stadlers Restaurant and looked around, confused. A man pointed to the WHITES ONLY sign as everyone stared at her.
Luther fell through a blue mass and cried, "Oh, shit!" He landed on a dumpster.
He stood and turned around. "Diego! Five?" A man walked towards him. "Allison!"
From a roof, a man under a colored striped umbrella took a picture.
"Allison!" Luther and the man called. "Allis-" Luther stopped.
"Allison!" the man continued.
Diego fell through a blue energy mass, landing in September 1, 1963. He landed on the ground on one knee with a grunt. The portal zapped shut and he stared at it with a frown.
A woman cried, "Help! Somebody help me!"
Diego ran to the woman's screams as she yelled again, "Help! Somebody help me!"
He threw his knife, pinning the thief to a pole before punching him as the woman walked towards them.
JFK was speaking on TV. "... and the glow from that fire can truly light the world."
Diego handed the woman her pocketbook back.
"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you," Diego leaned in closer, "ask what you can do for your country."
The audience cheered.
A female fell through a portal on October 12, 1963. She fell to the ground with a groan.
Vanya held her head as she gasped, stood and stumbled through the street.
She laid on the ground after being hit by a car as two figures stood above her.
"Son of a biscuit," the blonde woman said.
Five landed through another blue mass of energy. He almost landed properly, but he started falling and caught himself before he got soaked in the puddle of water.
The wind whipped as he turned back to the blue mass. "Luther! Diego! Elisa!"
He heard gunshots and went to investigate. It was November 25, 1963.
A man shouted indistinctly. Another man shoutef in Russian. A plane flew overhead.
Five ran through the machine gun fire and found a newspaper. "Soviets attack U.S.?" He stood as a man shouted in Russian. "No, this can't be right."
"Gonna get you out," a soldier reassured, speaking in English to a man. "Keep your head down."
Another man shouted in Russian as he shot a gun and cries sounded.
"Medic! Medic!" another man cried in English.
"Hey, kid, get down!" a soldier ordered, running up with a gun.
Five watched as a man got shot and asked himself, "What the hell did we do now?"
An explosion behind him sounded and a missile began firing. Five started going to his right to the ground.
As the missile detonated, two figures appeared. Vanya and Elisa. Vanya held her hands in front of her, destroying the missile with sound waves. Elisa used the chaos around her to create a focal point to attack the Russians.
Klaus used the power of the dead to attack the Russian soldiers. They ran, afraid of the glowing blue figures chasing them.
Tobias did his best to reassure panicking citizens. He wasn't a doctor or a cop, but an accountant. And sometimes all people needed was a little reassurance.
A man let out a cry as he jumped, shirtless, from a building. Luther landed on the ground near Klaus. The brothers exchanged a nod.
Ben, from the top of a building, used his tentacles to attack the Russians.
"Hey!" Allison called, walking up. "I heard a rumor that I blew your minds."
Her voice echoed and the three Russian soldiers' minds blew. Literally.
Diego stood on top of a car and easily dodged the bullets as he flipped to the ground. The Russians fell, dead.
"Five!" Diego yelled. "You sick son of a bitch, where the hell have you been?"
Five started running towards Diego and energy zapped beside Five before a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"If you wanna live, come with me," Hazel said.
"Hazel. What the hell's going on here?" Five asked.
"There's no time to explain." He pointed to the sky. "Those are nukes, old-timer."
Missile drones sounded.
"What about my family?"
"You can't save 'em if you're dead."
Five took Hazel's hand and the two disappeared.
The Umbrella Academy, and Tobias, looked up at the sky as explosions boomed. The sky turned bright orange as missiles detonated in the air.
Tobias gripped Elisa's hand, staring between her and the small bump.
Five and Hazel appeared between a store and a park bench.
"Okay," Five said. "What the hell was that?"
"The end of the world, November 25, 1963," Hazel replied.
"'63." he chuckled. "You know, Hazel, I'm no history buff, but I don't recall there being a nuclear holocaust." He turned.
"No shit."
"What about my family?"
"Dead, like everyone else."
"And where am I now?"
"Dallas. Same street." Hazel began walking away. "Ten days earlier." He walked around the bench. "Plenty of time to restore the timeline and save them."
"Okay," Five whispered.
Hazel sat on the bench and Five joined him as he asked, "So where do we start?"
""We"?" Hazel repeated. "You're on your own, pal. I'm just here to keep a promise to Agnes."
"Is she...?"
"Dead?"
"Yeah."
"Cancer. Took her quick. But we had 20 good years together. I guess forever just wasn't in the cards."
A bus pulled to a stop and three blond men stepped out.
"I'm sorry, Hazel," Five said. "What about the Commission?"
"I quit those assholes, remember? I don't owe 'em the fuzz off my peaches."
Five frowned, seeing the three blond men. "Well then, who the hell are those guys?" He stood as they raised their guns.
"Shit," Hazel muttered, placing something in Five's pocket and handing him the briefcase. "Run!"
The three blond men started shooting.
Five zapped away just in time, but Hazel wasn't so lucky. Pedestrians screamed.
Five reappeared behind a car.
One of the blond men noticed smoke and whistled.
Five looked down at the briefcase riddled with bullet holes and muttered, "How many times did I say bulletproof briefcase?"
The blond men began walking towards him and shot the car. Five spatial jumped away. The men walked up to the car to see Five gone.
Five laid on top of the roof of a building, panting.
One of the men looked at a dairy truck and the milkman who looked back at him curiously.
Five stood and spatial jumped away. He walked as old police sirens wailed behind him.
A curtain moved and Five noticed a figure. He saw satellites on top and picked up his pace.
He spatial jumped into Morty's Shipping and Receiving and walked up the stairs. He knocked on a door labeled MORTIMER GUSSMAN D.D.S.
Another door opened and a man asked, "What do you want?"
"Hi, I'm selling encyclopedias for my youth group," Five replied. "I was curious if-" the door closed.
Five spatial jumped inside, causing the man to turn and panic. The man held up a small knife.
"How'd you do that?" The man wondered.
"Don't really have time to explain."
"You from the Pentagon? Huh?"
"Definitely not."
"CIA? FBI. KGB?"
Five noticed a pot of coffee. "Is that fresh?" He spatial jumped towards it.
The man screamed and panted. "What..."
Five picked up the pot and poured himself a cup. "Hmm. This Colombian?"
A machine beeped nearby.
"It's my own blend," the man replied, still holding the small knife.
Five looked around at the newspapers featuring stories about aliens and asked, "You ever heard of, uh, Area 51? Roswell?"
The man scoffed and chuckled. He scoffed and chortled. "Hot damn!" The knife clattered to the floor. "Whoo! See, I always knew we weren't the only ones. See, Eleanor thought my head wasn't screwed on tight, but... but it's all true, yeah, UFOs, crop circles..."
"Well, the truth is out there."
"No, no, no, no, no. The... The truth, it's... right here, in front of us." He walked towards Five. "Tell me, wh... Why is it an anal probe?"
Five leaned closer to the man. "Any closer, and I'll melt your brain."
The man backed up. "He needs a little space. Yes. I'll be over here."
"All those contraptions on the roof, you built those, right?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure did. Yeah, I've been tracking anomalies in... in the atmosphere. Just waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Five asked as he got off the desk and walked around.
"For you." Five frowned. "For all of you. It all started in 1960, the year the Silvertone Omega was released. In the middle of a sale, when something very... strange happened."
"This here, the Silvertone Omega, is one of our top sellers, in true ColorVision. Ha! Who knew that Lucy's hair was red?" He chuckled and the couple smiled.
Energy crackled outside and the man asked, "Um, could you just... a moment?"
He ran up the stairs and heard Klaus call, "Diego! Allison! Elisa!"
"So for the past three years I've witnessed five energy surges in that alleyway out back. Sometimes more than one person comes. Same thing every time. A bright blue light, then something appears."
"Did you get a good look at any of them?" Five asked.
"Yeah, the first one. Well, the first two."
"Yeah. A small blonde. And then the big, sensitive one."
Five turned. ""Sensitive"? "Small blonde"?"
"Yeah, cried a lot, kept coming back to the alley, sat around for hours calling a woman's name. Uh..." he snapped his fingers, "Allison. The girl looked around and ran off looking pretty confused."
"Luther. Elisa." Five looked back at the pictures.
"Yeah, they... they weren't the only ones. Uh, the others came too, off and on over the years, looking for each other. Eventually, they... they stopped."
Five spoke softly. "So, my family is alive. Shit. I think I stranded them here. Now listen to me." He turned and pushed the man.
"Elliott. Elliott. My name... My name's Elliott."
"Whatever! I got ten days to find them and save the world. Now, I need your help to do that."
"You need... my... You know what? I, uh..." he pulled out a newspaper. "I always thought that this, uh, mugshot looked like arrival number four." He held up the newspaper, featuring a mugshot of Diego.
Five grabbed the newspaper. "Diego." He read it softly.
"So then, that's helpful?"
"You have no idea." He turned.
Elliott inhaled sharply and Five disappeared.
Elliott exhaled softly.
A woman over the PA in a mental hospital said, "Arts and crafts hours are 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the common area. Pills will be distributed prior to the start."
A door opened and a man said, "Thank you, Alan, for bringing that to the group. I think fear is something we can all relate to. Okay, who else would like to share? Anyone? Come on, who's next? Diego, you've been awfully quiet this morning."
"Just taking it all in, Doc," Diego replied. "Letting all the healing shit wash over me."
"Last week you mentioned your father, how your whole childhood felt like some kind of experiment."
"It was an experiment."
"Hmm. Or did it just feel like an experiment?"
"No, it was literally an experiment."
The doctor clicked his pen. "Let's dig deeper. You say your father is a villain."
"Hell, yeah."
"So you had to play hero to make Daddy mad."
The woman to Diego's right started laughing and Diego glanced at her and she stopped.
"I'm a grown-ass man, Dr. Moncton-" Diego said.
"Who still defines himself in opposition to his father. His dead father. That isn't really defining yourself, is it, Diego?"
"Yeah, why don't you tell that to Luke Skywalker?" Dr. Moncton and the patients looked at him, confused. "I know you don't get it, but that is an excellent reference."
Dr. Moncton took off his glasses. "Humor is good, truth is better. Who is the real Diego?"
"I don't know. I guess I've never known. But I'm ready. I'm ready to find out. I do know he cares for his niece like she's his own."
Dr. Moncton smiled and the woman beside Diego clapped her hands, and the other patients did so as well.
"Okay, quiet time until lunch," Dr. Moncton said.
The woman leaned closer to Diego's ear and whispered, "You're so full of shit."
"Tears too much?" Diego asked.
"He saw right through it."
"No, he totally ate that shit up."
"Bet you three lunch Jello-Os you're wrong."
"You're on."
"All right."
Diego stood and started towards the doctor. "Dr. Moncton. Hey, you got a sec?"
"Sure, Diego," Dr. Moncton replied. "What is it?"
"I've been, uh, doing a lot better lately, haven't I?"
"True. You're calmer now, less combative. It's nice to see you opening up in group."
"So, uh, when do you think I might be getting out of here?"
"Well, your review board will reassess your case in 90 days."
"90 days? No, I can't... I can't wait that long."
"Just take it one day at a time. Okay?" He patted Diego's chest with his book.
"No, you don't... you don't understand. They're going to kill the president a week from today."
Dr. Moncton sighed and took off his glasses. "Diego, I thought we moved past this. You know what a hero complex is?"
"Yeah. It's for assholes who think they're heroes-"
"This paranoid fantasy about President Kennedy is what got you committed in the first place."
"Look, they are going to kill him. They're gonna shoot him in the head," he put a finger on Dr. Moncton's head, "right here in Dallas." He started reaching for a weapon. "All right? Understand?"
"Let go!" Moncton cried.
"All right! I'm okay!" He stepped away. "I'm sorry. Look, I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." He sat down.
The girl next to him, now to his left, looked at him and smiled.
Diego tried to tie a bracelet and muttered, "God, this is stupid. I can't."
"For you, maybe," the girl said, resting her foot on the table. "This will cheer you up."
"Bacon," Diego stated as she offered it to him.
"Smuggled it out of the lunchroom. Do you want some?"
"No."
The girl ate the bacon and sighed as it crunched between her teeth. "To be honest, I was saving it for the great escape."
Diego leaned closer to her. "What are you saying?"
"Just saying whatever it is you're planning, I can be very resourceful."
Diego glanced behind him. "Look, even if I was planning something, and I am not, you would be the last person I would take."
"It's because of the Jell-Os, right? You can have them back."
"No, it's not because of the Jell -- I'm a lone wolf. I don't run with a pack."
"Perfect. Because I'm somewhat of a lone wolf myself." She took the bottle next to him and sniffed it, letting out a groan.
"Hargreeves, you have a visitor," an orderly said.
Diego turned and asked, "Who?"
"I ain't your secretary."
"Maybe Daddy finally came to say, "I love you,"" the girl said.
Diego mocked her accent. "Piss off." He got up and walked away.
The girl opened the candy.
Diego was led into another room. "Five."
"Hey, Diego," Five greeted.
Diego sat across Five, scraping the chair as he pulled it out.
"You look good in white," Five complimented.
"About time you showed up," Diego said.
"How'd you know I'd be back?"
"Because that's the kind of shit you pull."
"Where are the others?"
"They're not with you?"
"We'll find them. How long have you been here?"
"75 days." Five grunted softly. "Landed in the alley behind Commerce and Knox."
"Commerce and Knox," Five said at the same time.
"You?"
"I got here this morning."
"How'd you find me?"
Five let out a gentle scoff and pulled out the newspaper. "Page 16." He opened it. ""Disturbed man with multiple knives arrested outside 1026 N. Beckley. That's Lee Harvey Oswald's house. Care to explain?"
"Let's just say Dallas Law Enforcement has not been supportive of my attempt to stop the assassination of..." his voice dropped, "... John F. Kennedy."
"That's because it hasn't happened yet."
"And it's not going to happen. Not on my watch. Look, I've been shaving down the bars in my room. Another day or two, and I'll be out of this place, then I'm gonna stop Oswald and save the president. You want in, say the word."
"Listen to me very closely, you gibbering moron. You are not going to do a goddamn thing."
"Why not?"
"Because we have to stop the apocalypse."
"No shit. But that doesn't happen for another 60 years."
"Not that apocalypse. This is a new one. It followed us. I've seen it. Nuclear war, Diego, in ten days."
Diego started laughing and leaned back, crossing his arms. "And I'm the one they locked up, huh?" Five scoffed. "Fine, I'll play along. What causes it?"
"I don't know. Maybe some looney-tuned asshole with a hero complex tried to save the president and screwed everything up."
Diego leaned forward. "So you're saying it worked?" Five scoffed softly. "I saved the president?" He growled softly. "I knew I could do it. Okay, okay, I'll help you."
"Thank God."
"After I save Kennedy. And then you swing us back a few decades so I can slit Hitler's throat off with a butter knife."
"This is why you don't have any friends." Diego glanced down. "You know what? Guard." He sighed. "My brother is plotting an escape. The bars of his room have been shaved down." Diego slammed his hand on the table angrily.
"Piece of shit!" He lunged towards Five.
"No!" The guard yelled, grabbing Diego's shoulder. "Here -- All right, asshole."
"Look, this for your own good, Diego," Five told his brother.
"No!" Diego cried. "Five!"
"Listen, my brother is a very sick man."
"No, Five!"
"I only pray that he gets the help that he so desperately needs."
A needle entered Diego's back.
"No, please!" Diego yelled. "Not the needle! No! No! No!" he whimpered.
Five leaned closer to Diego and whispered, "Be back for you later, okay? Just... Well, nighty night."
Diego's eyes closed.
Inside a farmhouse, a woman said, "Hey, I'm back." Vanya smiled at the woman. "Did you and Vanya have fun today, Harlan?"
"We did," Vanya replied as a dog barked outside. "We went down to visit the horses, and we read James and the Giant Peach."
Harlan stood and went to the window as a rooster crowed outside.
"Any episodes?"
"No, ma'am."
"How about you?" She sighed. "How are you feeling?"
Vanya stood. "Oh, my headaches are good, but still no memories."
Well then, we just need to get busy making you some new ones, hmm?" She turned and walked away.
The speaker crackled softly and Fran Powers Trying began playing.
At the dinner table, a man said, "I tell ya, Vanya, I almost got the son of a bitch."
"Carl, watch your language around Harlan," the woman replied.
"Are you kidding, honey? If that boy says "son of a bitch," I will buy him a BB gun. Hell, he says any damn thing, everybody gets a Cadillac." he chuckled. "See, the thing about sales that people don't get is the grit. They think you just show up, smile real wide, and boom, it's done."
"Is that what people think, Carl?" Vanya asked.
"Yes, it is. But they don't get the art and science of the thing." Carl's wife stood. "It takes skills to get to that boom."
"Ah! Oh, it's the boom. Mmm."
"Yeah! The boom! You get any calls yet? I put another missing persons ad in the paper." Carl's wife retuned to the table and picked up more dishes, subtly shaking her head. "Figure someone must be searching for ya."
"I doubt that very much," Carl's wife said. "I'm sure we'd miss you already." She turned on the water and began washing dishes.
"Well..." Carl cleared his throat as he stood and entered the kitchen.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"The office." He slipped on his jacket. "I said I almost got 'em. I don't got 'em just yet."
"What time will you be home?"
"I don't know." Vanya looked at Harlan. "Depends how hard I work to provide you with this wonderful life."
"Fine. Just be quiet when you get back in. I don't want you to wake the boy."
"See you in the morning." He grabbed his keys as dishes clinked softly. "Night, Vanya."
"Night, Carl," Vanya replied.
Carl opened the door. "Night, Harlan." The door closed.
The faucet ran and dishes clinked.
EXT. ROAD
A car drove down the road and stopped as the engine smoked. Klaus and Ben got out.
"Now what?" Klaus muttered.
"Remember when I told you the engine was overheating?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, well, being smart doesn't make you interesting."
"I beg to differ."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Neither does your beard. You know, it would help if I knew where we were going, Mysterio."
Klaus opened the hood. "Back to Dallas."
"That far?" Ben asked. "For how long?"
Klaus coughed. "None of your beeswax."
"Really?" Ben questioned. "Think I'm just gonna keep following you everywhere for another three years?"
"Yeah, you are my ghost bitch, remember?" Klaus said.
"No," Ben replied. "We have to go back. They need you in San Francisco."
"They were so clingy," Klaus told him.
"Okay, fine!"
"Felt like my skin was on fire."
"I need us in San Francisco. I have unfinished business."
"Oh. What're you gonna do? Wear your little ghost power suit and do some ghost phone calls and do some business?"
"Forget it." Ben started walking away.
"Aww!"
"Forget it."
"No, come back. You have unfinished business. You don't even have a body without me. You need me."
"Nobody needs your shit, Klaus. That's why you're always alone."
He paused, then rushed Ben. "Eat shit, you shit-eater!"
Ben shouted as Klaus lunged at him. "Get off!"
The two started fighting.
A man in a blue car drove past, seeing Klaus fighting what seemed to be himself.
Klaus and Ben began walking along the road.
Klaus walked, embracing outside.
They soon came to a bar, entered, and a man asked, "You lost, boy?"
"Thirsty, actually," Klaus replied, walking up to the bar. "Whoo-hoo. Excusez-moi, garçon."
"Yeah?" the bartender asked.
"Any idea when the next bus to Dallas is coming?"
"Sure do."
"And?"
"Three o'clock sharp. Tomorrow."
"Well, that'll mean plenty more bonding time for," the bartender walked away, "-- Okay."
"Hey, pretty boy," a man called.
Klaus gestured to himself. "Who, me?"
"Yeah. You wanna play a little poker while you wait?"
Klaus looked at the men who'd offered the game of poker. "You know what? I would be delighted."
As they played, Klaus said, "If you keep undressing me with your eyes, you're gonna catch a cold."
"Watch your mouth," the man retorted. "Stupid's falling out." Klaus giggled. "Something funny?"
"No, no, just thought of a little ditty I'm working on. "There once was a young Buck from Dallas -- who sported a miniature phallus-""
"Tell you what -- if you're so cocky... what say we up the stakes?"
"All my money's already in the pot."
"That would be one hell of a belt buckle," Clyde agreed.
"He's bluffing, by the way," Ben told Klaus. "He's got nothing."
"Okay, I'll put in the sissy necklace," Klaus said as he pulled it off, "for the keys to your pickup. Unless you're bluffing."
"Deal." The man picked up his keys and both men placed their items in the middle. "Let's see it."
They played and the man chuckled. "Full house. Kings over sevens."
"Well, that... that's not nothing. Fair is fair. You win. And I gotta be on my way." He grabbed his necklace and the keys.
"You got sticky fingers."
"And crazy IBS. I mean, it's a miracle I'm sitting down."
The man punched Klaus who fell into a table and glass shattered.
Klaus groaned and hit the table. "All right." He got up. "Ow!"
"Give me my damn keys," Buck ordered.
"Showtime, Ben," Klaus said.
"What in the hell?" Buck questioned.
"Nah, I'm good," Ben replied before disappearing. "You're so independent, go fight your own battles."
"You think you could pick a better time to self-actualize?" Klaus asked, running off.
Klaus found the truck and Buck tried to stop him, but was bit. Klaus drove away.
INT. HOUSE
A black man entered and asked, "Did you see the paper today?" The keys jingled as he set them down and he pulled out a paper. "Page one, paragraph five, line two: "When asked about the Southern Justice Coordinating Committee's upcoming threat to demonstrate during President Kennedy's visit to Dallas, White House press secretary Pierre Salinger responded by saying -- "
"What was that?" a woman asked.
"We made the papers, baby. And here's the best part. You're gonna love this. And I quote, "As the president said earlier this year, the rights of every man are diminished-"
""The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man..."" Allison walked down the stairs, "or woman, "... are threatened."" she chuckled. "I bought the last three copies this morning at Coleman's."
He set down the paper and patted his heart. "I am the luckiest man in Dallas."
"Is that right?"
"That is right. And you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Allison chuckled. "And the best part of my life." She looked down. "What?"
"I just don't want you to get your hopes up... about Kennedy."
"Change is comin', baby. I can feel it. I can feel it." Allison chuckled softly once again. "Speaking of which..." he opened his bag and handed her something as she gasped. "A little pre-anniversary gift for my beautiful wife."
Allison laughed, untying the string from around the book.
Her husband continued. "I know I promised you the stars, but..."
She looked at the book as he chuckled softly. "The moon."
"I see you staring at it every night. So now you can see it whenever you want."
Allison smiled and kissed him.
INT. FIGHT CLUB
Luther got punched and blood sprayed.
He started punching back and fell to his knees.
"Come on!" a man cried. "You can finish him!"
Luther glanced at his trainer and they exchanged a nod.
The men head butted and Luther kicked his opponent, knocking him to the ground.
The man pulled out a knife and Luther stopped him and broke the man's arm.
As Luther exited, man one said, "What are you doing? The hell with you!"
"Come on, man," another man said.
"Tough break!" man two replied.
"Next fight!" man three cried.
"Yeah!" man four agreed.
"Yeah!"
"Bring the car around," Luther's trainer ordered.
"Next fight!"
"Attaboy." He tossed Luther his shirt.
INT. LADIES' BEAUTY PARLOR
"All right," Allison's husband began. "All right. Quiet down, now, everyone! Quiet down. Thank you. All right, now look. I can appreciate that everyone has concerns about this. And the truth is, we can go back and forth on it all night But we have to act. And the time is now."
"Where are we gonna do it?" a woman asked.
Allison's husband sighed.
"Stadtler's on Commerce," Allison said and the crowd murmured quietly. "Okay, look, look, look... if we start the sit-in on Sunday, which is five days before the president's visit, we should attract national media attention."
"But it has to be the right kind of attention," a man said.
"I agree," Allison's husband replied as the group murmured again. "Look, there's no room for error here. There is no room for images on the TV of violence, aggression, or even disrespect. No matter what they do to us, we have one rule: honor and dignity at all times."
Allison spoke again. "Now, look, these details cannot leave this room until we have finalized our plan. All right?" There was a knock at the door.
Everyone looked and the knocking continued.
A woman in a blue dress stood. "What should I do?"
"Um..." Allison's husband began.
"I'll handle it," Allison said, walking towards the door.
"Allison, wait."
Allison opened the door. "Sorry... we only cut women's hair here. Black women's hair."
"Funny then that your husband's inside," the man noted.
"Mr. Mason, can I help you?" Allison's husband asked, opening the door wider.
"Mind telling me what you're doing here after hours?"
"Well, this is my wife's place of employment, and some nights we use it as a community gathering spot."
"Gathering? For what?"
Allison crossed her arms. "What business is that of yours?"
"I own the building across the way, a few others nearby." he sniffed. "I like things quiet on my street."
"But you don't own this building, now, do you?"
Mr. Mason clicked his tongue. "Not yet." Allison chuckled softly.
"Well then, I'm gonna ask you to step off the property," Allison's husband said. "Have a good night." He tried closing the door to find that Mr. Mason had put his foot in the door.
Mr. Mason pushed the door open. "Did you just deliberately shut this door on my foot, boy? That's assault." He forced the door open.
Allison grabbed Mr. Mason's wrist before he could hurt her husband, spun him around, and pushed him out as he gasped and grunted.
"She ain't playing around," man one said as another man chuckled. "Don't mess with her. Damn."
Mr. Mason picked up his hat from the ground. "I hope that felt good."
"You have no idea," Allison replied.
Mr. Mason put on his hat, stared at her a moment and walked away.
"So much for honor and dignity," her husband muttered.
"Him first."
"Y'all can go on about your business now," Allison's husband told the onlookers standing outside before closing the door.
INT. FARMHOUSE
Vanya walked into the kitchen, where Carl's wife stood at the sink.
"I can't sleep," Vanya said. "Is there any of that cake left?" Carl's wife turned. "Sissy, are you smoking?"
Sissy looked at her weirdly before blowing out smoke and Vanya chuckled and laughed.
"Want one?" Sissy asked.
The women sat in the barn and Sissy said, "Mama would die all over again if she saw me right now."
"Never would've guessed you had such a rebellious side," Vanya replied.
Sissy chuckled. "Men have sides. Women have secrets."
"And what are your secrets?"
"I have an escape plan."
"What?"she asked with a chuckle.
"There is a coffee can hidden under the kitchen sink. Every penny I save that Carl doesn't know about goes in there."
"Why?"
Sissy sighed. "So I can breathe. Carl's a fine man, a good man, but... good men still leave. Or die. Sooner or later, every woman has to fend for herself."
"How'd you two meet?" Vanya asked, bringing the cigarette to her lips.
"Because of a lie. My sister told me she wanted to go see a boy, but really she was bringing me. I was too shy for my own good back then. Carl means well, works hard, loves his boy. But I had silly dreams back then."
"What did you want to be?"
"A counter girl at Neiman Marcus."
Vanya chuckled softly. "Really?"
"Daddy took us there once a year to buy perfume for Christmas. It was magical. Music, dresses, the smells. All the ladies at the counters looked like livin' dolls. Still do. Could you ever imagine being that elegant?"
"Hey. You're plenty elegant."
Sissy smiled and the women fell into a comfortable silence.
INT. ROOM
Diego woke up in a padded room. He was in a straitjacket and tried getting out of it. He looked out the small window.
He banged against the wall and groaned in pain. He managed to get out of the straitjacket and picked the lock.
He glanced down the hallway before walking down it, holding onto the wall for support.
Outside, a delivery truck approached and a milkman entered.
The milkman entered an office and the man asked, "A little late for milk, don't you think?"
The milkman shot the man, who fell back in his chair. The two other men entered the office. One man turned on the emergency lights.
The three blond men walked the halls, as did Diego.
An orderly appeared and Diego muttered, "Oh, shit."
"Hargreeves," the orderly said. "What are you doing out here?"
"I'm sleepwalking." He pretended to do so, holding an arm out and attempted to punch the orderly.
The orderly stopped him, easily knocking him to the ground and Diego grunted and cried out in pain.
"Like to run your mouth, smart-ass?" the orderly taunted. "It's gonna be hard after I break your jaw."
Metal clanged and the orderly's body fell to the ground with a thud.
The girl giggled.
"Lila?" Diego called.
"You're not the only one who wants out, wolf man!" Lila reminded him.
Diego groaned and cried out as she helped him up. "Watch my shoulder." He grunted.
"How'd you get out?" Diego whispered.
Lila leaned in to kiss him and punched him, causing him to cry out as she howled.
The two made their escape and saw the three blond men. They started running down the halls as the three blond men began firing.
"Who are those guys?" Lila asked.
"No idea," Diego replied, entering a room.
"What the hell are you stopping for?"
"We need a distraction." He pushed a button and patients entered the halls.
The three blond men kicked open a door and fired. It appeared empty. They opened a flap to another level.
Diego and Lila ran down another hall.
"Which way?" Diego questioned.
"Right," Lila decided.
"Why right?"
"Why not?"
"Okay," Diego whispered as they went right.
They ran into a couple cops.
"Thank God you're here," Lila said. "Three men just tried to attack us."
"Get your hands up, now," a cop ordered, holding a gun at them and Lila gasped.
"Wait, you don't understand. Look, we're not the bad guys," Diego told them.
"Hey, shut your mouth and stay on the ground."
Lila kicked one of the cops and he groaned. She hit them and grunted, knocking them to the ground.
"Where'd you learn how to fight like that?" Diego wondered.
"My mother," Lila answered.
"Come on." She took his hand and they resumed running.
The three blond men searched the halls and a cop said, "Don't shoot."
One of the men shot the cops.
Patients gathered outside and the three blond men looked at the various patients.
INT. HOUSE
Tobias brushed Elisa's hair back. "I'm going out, love."
She looked up and smiled. "Just one beer, right?"
"Just one. Don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it."
"All right, see you soon."
He kissed her and knelt down to her stomach. "Don't be too much trouble, little one."
Elisa smiled. "I love you. Be safe, all right, Toby?"
Tobias smiled. "Always, darling."
He grabbed his coat and hat. He tipped his hat, causing her to chuckle, and left.
INT. CLUB
Luther took a drink and a woman walked up and said, "Hi, Luther."
"Hey, Autumn," Luther greeted. "How's business?"
"Still waitin' for the big tippers to show up."
Luther looked across the way. "Who's the half-wit bothering Mr. Ruby?"
"No idea, but he's been puttin' away vodka gimlets like they're gonna run out of limes."
"Oh, yeah? He give you any trouble?"
"Not yet."
"We should do business, Jack," Carl said.
"But he's getting there."
"I can get you a deal on some good shower heads."
"You guys want some more?" Jack asked. "We okay here?"
"I'm more worried about the kid," Autumn said.
"What kid?" Luther asked.
"By the stage. I told him we don't allow minors."
Luther stood and looked at the kid. "Oh, yeah? And what'd he say?"
Autumn chuckled. "He asked what time I was gettin' off work." she laughed softly.
Luther walked up behind the boy; Five. "She's too young for you."
"Nice to see you too, Luther," Five said.
"What do you want?"
"For you to stop hovering like an ambitious stripper and sit down with me."
Luther sat next to his brother.
"How long have you been here?" Five asked.
"A year, thanks to you," Luther replied.
"I'm sorry, Luther. I know that couldn't have been easy."
"I thought everybody was dead."
"Come on, Jack!" Carl yelled. "Don't make me beg!"
"Just back off," Jack warned.
"I gotta go," Luther said, standing.
"Luther, wait!" Five called. "I get it, okay? I know what it's like to be stuck in time..." Klaus and Ben were pulled over and Klaus was arrested, "... thinking this is how you're gonna live out the rest of your life. On the run," Diego and Lila peeked out from behind a car and Allison slept on her husband's chest, "and not knowing if you're ever gonna see the people you love again," Vanya and Sissy were still chatting in the barn, Elisa sucked in a breath and smiled at the small forming bump, "and to be in an unfamiliar world. But Luther, you're not alone. We have to find the others because the world ends again in ten days. I have no idea how to stop it."
Luther looked down at Five. "I don't give a shit."
Five frowned and glanced away.
Tobias walked into a bar and came face-to-face with Luther.
Luther smiled. "Hey, Toby. The usual?"
"Yeah. Who was that boy you were talkin' to?"
"Oh, just some kid."
Five glared at Luther and looked at the newcomer, slightly curious of the man.