Chapter 6: The Problem-Solving Squad
"Luther, be careful – he's not a rag doll!"
Penny scolded Number One from across the room as he tossed Five onto Diego's cot. She set down Delores gently on a chair against a pillar.
She'd been able to pick the lock of Diego's tiny living area in the back of the boxing gym he mopped for a living.
Five had finally passed out in Luther's arms, but not after rambling about a variety of different topics which included scrambled eggs, Delores's missing limbs, a toad he once saw on the road a few years after the apocalypse, and Penny.
The last subject is what really did the two adults in for. While Penny was quite flattered by the things Five divulged in his drunken state, she also was extremely embarrassed to have Luther hear everything. Five had ranted about Penny's freckles and her love of vibrant flowers for about ten minutes before Luther threatened to shake him until his brain rattled about enough to cause permanent injury. Five had then laughed and promptly fallen asleep.
Luther stood staring at the unconscious body of their brother, a scowl set on his features.
Penny came up next to him, eyes flicking from him to Five. "Why are you looking at him like that?"
"You know, for a second, I forgot how much of a prick he is," Luther said, gaze not leaving Five. "He looks so small…just like he did when he left…"
"He was a dick when we were kids, too," she chuckled lightly, slumping into the chair next to the bed.
"He was a dick to you, too?" Luther questioned.
"Why do you seem so surprised? It's Five. He might be less of a dick to me, but that doesn't mean he's not still a dick."
Luther patted the head of Delores distractedly. "What is with this…thing?"
"That's Delores."
"You're telling me that this is Delores? This is the one he's been talking about?"
"I was shocked, too. But she was his crutch in the apocalypse."
"What do you mean, crutch?"
"She helped him get through difficult times. She's like Wilson from that Tom Hanks movie."
"That movie with the volleyball? On that island?"
"The very same."
Luther, still bewildered, wandered around Diego's tiny apartment.
Penny's eyes began to droop. She hadn't slept in over twenty four hours and her body's exhaustion was starting to catch up with her.
"Penny, you can go to sleep if you need to," Luther told her gently.
"Where? This chair is like a skeleton. I wouldn't be able to get comfy."
Luther grabbed a few dusty pillows out of a cardboard box in the corner of the room and laid them in a line beside the bed where Five sprawled, still knocked out.
"What about you?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I've had more sleep than you these past couple days. Take a few hours. I'll keep watch."
Fatigue clouded Penny's mind. She crawled over and plopped down on the makeshift pillow mattress.
As soon as her head touched the pillows, she was out like a rock.
The next thing she knew, she was on an actual bed.
Her head ached horribly. Not only did she suspect a migraine to be the culprit, but also considered her various injuries due to Cha-Cha and Hazel's various torture methods.
She moved her hand out from under the pillow, which was stained red underneath. The hand which now boasted no fingernails had bled out during the night.
"Diego should've been back by now," Luther's voice called out.
Penny rolled over to her side to see Luther standing by the short staircase up to the door of the apartment. Sitting near her feet at the edge of the bed was Five, who stared back at her, face fallen.
"I had Luther move you to the bed once I regained consciousness and sobriety," he told her. "You…you needed the sleep more than I did."
She sat up slowly, attempting to not irritate her symptoms more than necessary. Her head leaned into her hands, eyes closing for a moment as they adjusted to the lights.
"Five, you need sleep, too," she said groggily. "You're still a human."
He sighed, concern still behind his eyes. "No, I guarantee that you required it much more than I."
She eyed him curiously. Her hand went up to brush a mark on his cheek, but she caught herself. "What happened there?"
"Meritech just happened to burst into flames as I arrived," he relayed. "Threw me back on the pavement."
"Are you okay?"
Five suddenly was frustrated. "You have the audacity to ask me if the single graze on my face hurts while your hand still seeps blood from a torture procedure you had to endure?"
Penny knew he wasn't angry with her. He was angry with himself.
She shook her head, going to sit next to him. "Five, I'll be okay."
"Tell that to your incoming PTSD, Penelope."
"I'll survive." Her voice was quiet but firm.
"You shouldn't have to survive. I never wish only just surviving on anyone, especially you of all people."
"Five's right," Luther chimed in, sitting in the chair by the bed. "I was just surviving when I –,"
"Let me just stop you right there and change the subject," Five interjected firmly. "Do not relate your experiences to hers. Whatever you had to do is not the same."
Penny's eyes fell to the ugly carpet under her feet.
A warm hand grasped hers. It tapped her palm lightly. The same pattern.
Her breath caught in her throat. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes.
She squeezed back, imitating the pattern.
Five's face suddenly went pale. She'd never replicated the code before. Not until then.
"W-what is going on?" Luther questioned, extremely confused.
"Nothing," Penny replied quickly. Even as an adult, Luther still didn't know how to read a room or social cues.
The two let each other's hands go slowly. Still, they knew it couldn't happen.
"So Penny told Diego and I about Hazel and Cha-Cha and the Commissary," Luther said.
"The Commission," Penny and Five corrected in unison.
"R-right," coughed Luther. "The Commission. She said the world is going to end…really soon."
"From what I can gather, we have four days left," replied Five.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why only tell Penny at first?"
"It wouldn't have mattered."
"Of course it would. We could have banded together and helped you try to stop this thing."
"Penny was all the help I needed. And for the record, you already tried."
"What do you mean?"
There was a long pause as Five fought to find the right words.
Penny's brow lowered as she watched the slight tremble in Five's chin as he spoke.
"I found all of you. Your bodies."
"We died," Penny interjected quickly.
"Horribly," added Five grimly. "You were together, trying to stop whoever it was that ends the world."
"How do you know that?" Luther inquired.
"The eyeball," Penny answered.
"The eyeball?"
"Yes, the eyeball."
"What eyeball?"
Five pulled the glass orb out of his pocket and tossed it to Number One. "This eyeball. It was clutched in your dead hand when I found you. Must've ripped it out of their head right before you went down."
"Whose head?"
"Like I said, I don't know."
"Well, there's a serial number on the back. Think maybe you could try –,"
"No, that's a dead end. It's just another hunk of glass."
Luther handed it to Penny, whose hand was outstretched. She rolled the cool surface over her palm, examining the pupil and color carefully.
"Look at this streak of orangey-brown," she told Five. He bent his head lower to see what she was referring to. "It looks almost like the color of whiskey."
"I see it," Five said, a skeptical tone to his voice.
"This isn't a common occurrence in humans," she announced. "In fact, I've never seen something like this before."
"How do you know?" asked Luther.
"Part of getting my zoology degree was genetics. I took various genetic biology classes throughout my years of schooling. Most eyes are several numbers of hues thrown together. For example, it's why my eyes sometimes look more hazel and then in certain lights or contrasted with different colors end up gray. But this…to have a streak of brown this light and consistent throughout one side of your iris is rare. I bet you anything I could point out who it is if I can get close enough to their face."
Five's eyebrows shot up. "Are you positive you could ID our catalyst?"
Penny chuckled darkly. "I'd have to be in very close proximity to the person, as I'd be looking them directly in the eye, but yes. I think I could."
"We can't just stop people in the street and shove them into Penny's arms so she can inspect their eyeballs," Luther complained.
"We might have to. Would you rather put her through mild embarrassment or imminent death because of the apocalypse?" countered Five.
SLAM!
"Piece of shit!" hissed Diego, storming down the stairs and charging towards them. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"
Luther jumped to his feet, holding Number Two back.
Penny reached over Five and grabbed an alarm clock from the bed side table. A red glow slowly wrapped itself around the object as the warmth left her hand. She inched further off the bed, ready to defend herself and Five if necessary.
"Nope, let me – get your ape hands off of me!" Diego kicked and sputtered as Luther lifted him just slightly off the ground.
"I can do this as long as it takes you to calm down," Number One reasoned.
"Fine," panted Diego.
Luther dropped him to his feet. "Now, you wanna tell us what you're talkin' about?"
"Hazel and Cha-Cha murdered Patch – because of him," Diego stated, a glazed over look in his eye. "None of us would have ever been involved with those two bastards if it weren't for him. Patch would still be alive right now!"
Penny swallowed thickly, warmth trickling back into her hand as the clock stopped glowing red. "Patch…is dead?"
Diego didn't meet her eyes. "The paramedics came, took her to the hospital. I went with them, told them what happened. The doctors tried to save her, but…she didn't make it. She – she died on the operating table." His gaze became fixed on Five. "She'd be alive right now if it weren't for him. First, the shootout at Griddy's, then at Gimble Brothers, and then Hazel and Cha-Cha not only attacked our house, but took Klaus and Penny captive." He pointed a finger accusatorily at Five. "Do you know what Penny had to go through in order to keep your precious secret? What Klaus did? What either of them will now have to live with for the rest of their lives?"
Five said nothing for a moment, simply staring back with a somber expression. And when he did speak, he never broke eye contact with Diego.
"I never meant to drag your detective friend into this."
"Well, you did, and she got killed!"
"I can't help you with that," shrugged Five. "I'm sorry she's dead, but the both of you chose to enter that room. I didn't choose that for you."
"You forced us to choose by letting Penny and Klaus get kidnapped!"
Penny shook her head. "He didn't let anything happen, Diego. How was he supposed to know Hazel and Cha-Cha would come to the house?"
"They're here because of him, Penny. Don't you get that?"
"I'm not a child, Diego, so don't talk down to me. I'm not stupid. Yes, I am fully aware of the fact that they are here because of him. Believe it or not, I understood the risks from the very beginning when I first agreed to help with the apocalypse," she retorted.
The back corner of her mouth ached where her missing molar belonged. The pain spread tightly into her jaw. She winced as that spiked and the migraine she had woken up with suddenly worsened.
"How are they getting this information about us then, huh? The Commission?" demanded Diego.
"They do indeed work for my former employer," Five confirmed. "A woman called The Handler. She's the head of the organization. She sent them…and soon as anyone, including Diego's friend, got in their way, well…fair game."
"Now they're my fair game. And I'm going to see to it they pay. For Patch. For Klaus. For Penny," growled Diego, spinning on his heel and stalking away.
"That would be a mistake, Diego. They've killed people far more dangerous than you."
"Yeah, we'll see about that."
And with one last slam of the door, he was gone.
"The Commission is not a friendly place, then," Luther said. "How did you end up working for them, anyways?"
"Well, it's a long story."
Five explained his work with the Commission, which drew some furtive glances and comments from Luther, and the three decided they needed to go back to the house so they all could freshen up.
Penny was quite stiff, so their walk took more time than usual. Luther was slightly irritated, but Five had no issue with going a little slower. It was an interesting role reversal for the two adopted brothers.
Once they reached the Academy, Luther immediately bee lined straight to his own room.
Penny and Five meandered up the stairs, which was quite unusual for the two. Penny was someone who liked to have a plan and stick with it. She was consistently on the go, whether at work or at home. Five never seemed to take his foot off the gas, even for a moment. But the two decided that after the events of the previous couple days, a slow pace up the stairs was almost relaxing.
"I'm sorry," Five blurted suddenly, halting in his tracks on a step.
Penny frowned, turning around to face him on a higher stair.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, more sheepishly this time.
Her scowl deepened. He was never this apologetic…or humble about it. "For what?"
He came up on the step one above hers so they could be eye to eye. "For not trying to look for you outside of this stupid manor."
Penny sighed. "Five, don't apologize. I won't accept your apology."
"I need you to accept it," he said hastily. "Please. I can't…I can't imagine you not being here for all of this."
"It would have taken a lot more than what they did to kill me," she told him, somehow smiling slightly. "They took out a tooth. Big deal. So I'll be growing out my fingernails over the next couple years. Oh well. Five, that's life."
He shook his head adamantly. "No, Penelope. No."
Her face fell.
Five took her hand for the second time that morning. "I will never let that happen to you. I give you my word."
The only action she could manage to get herself to do was nod.
He very gently let their hands drop, and he continued on his way up to the children's wing.
Penny stood there in absolute shock. The pain had seemed to cease temporarily when their palms touched. She took a deep breath and followed him.
The pair reached the children's wing where Penny smelled ivory soap. Her eyes widened. She realized who it was that used that scent and sprinted towards his bedroom.
A drabby-looking Klaus was tugging a shirt over his head when she appeared in the doorway. Her heart dropped. She had been so terrified that she'd never see him again once she'd escaped.
"Klaus!" she exclaimed.
He whipped around, eyes wide. "Penny!"
She dove into his arms, eyes already stinging with fresh tears. Her arms wrapped around his torso, tugging him close. "I…I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again."
Klaus hugged her back, breathing slowly. "I can't believe we both got away."
She pulled back, his face in her hands. Why did he look so…ragged? He hadn't made a joke at all yet, which was a Klaus standard. He always teased her immediately or commented something that made it very obvious that he wasn't sober.
"Are you okay?" she wondered.
He nodded as she let go. "Yeah, long night."
Five stood in the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. "More than one, from the looks of it."
"Yeah," Klaus said distractedly.
A silver shine caught Penny's eye. "Dog tags? I've never seen these before."
Klaus played with them absentmindedly, stumbling past her. "They belonged to a friend."
"How about that new tattoo?" Five pointed out.
Number Four scoffed at it. "You know, I don't totally remember even getting it. Like I said, it was a long night."
Five smirked at him. "You did it, didn't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
Penny crossed her arms as Klaus sat on his mattress.
"You know, I can recognize the symptoms, Klaus."
"Symptoms of what?"
"The jet lag. Full body itch. The headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose and through your brain. You gonna tell us about it?"
Penny's eyes flicked between the two before Klaus groaned.
"Your pals, when they broke into the house and couldn't find you, they took me and Penny hostage instead."
"And in return you stole their briefcase."
Penny's eyes narrowed at Five, who seemed amused. "What's so special about a briefcase?"
"Everything is special about those briefcases," he said.
"Yeah, I thought there was money in it, or I could pawn it, whatever. And then I opened it," relayed Klaus.
Five paced back and forth, while Penny stood static, brow furrowed.
"And the next thing you knew, you were…where?" questioned Five. "Or should I say when?"
Her facial expression changed dramatically – eyebrows shooting up. "When? You're saying the Commission uses teleportation devices disguised as briefcase to move through the space-time continuum?"
"Who cares? What difference does it make in the long run?" huffed Klaus.
"Okay, how long were you gone?" demanded Five.
"Almost a year."
"A year?" repeated Penny.
"Do you know what this means?" Five urged.
Klaus's smile was sugary sweet. "Yeah, I'm ten months older now."
"No, this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus."
Penny connected the dots. "It means Hazel and Cha-Cha need that briefcase in order to get back to wherever, or whenever, the Commission is."
"Exactly!" Five said excitedly. "They'll do whatever it takes to get it back. Where is it now?"
"Gone. I destroyed it," Klaus deadpanned. "Poof."
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
"What do you care?"
"What do I care? I needed it, you moron, so I could get back. So I could start over!"
"I'm sorry – start over? What are you talking about, Five?" Penny chimed in.
Klaus took the opportunity to quickly stand and exit the room.
"Where are you going?" demanded Five.
Klaus waved him off, waddling out. "Interrogation's over, just…leave."
"What did you mean by start over?" Penny inquired.
"Start this whole mess over," he clarified. "If I can jump back in time and –,"
"You can't just start over," she told him firmly. "I've been through too much – Klaus has been through too much – for you to just decide you're starting this over. We're in too deep. You'd alter the timeline if you went back to a few days ago."
"Would that really be so bad? You wouldn't have to live through…" Five replied.
Penny scoffed. "You're missing the point, Five. I would gladly live through that again if it meant saving the lives of the people I love."
There was a moment of stunned silence between them.
Five stared back at her. "I can't live with myself knowing that you suffered for no reason."
"That's why you want to start over?"
"Part of it, yes. Also, if I start over, I can stop Hazel and Cha-Cha from burning Meritech down."
She sighed, her voice raised slightly. "Five, we're in deep shit. I can guarantee no matter what timeline plays out, attempting to stop the end of the world isn't going to get any easier. It's always going to turn into a big pile of crap."
She could tell he was considering her words carefully.
But she continued, her tone softening. "I don't know what's going to happen in four days. We might stop the apocalypse. We might fail. The only thing that matters is that we did our best to save people – to save our family. That's what matters in the end. I don't remember the boy I fell for giving up so easily. What happened to him?"
Five snarled. "He lived through hell, Penelope, that's what happened to him. He killed for a living – he fought back to return to you."
She gulped.
He slumped into a chair. "I just can't think of a solution to this."
Penny sighed. "Then we'll do this together. We'll problem solve together, just like we used to. Hope is the only thing that is going to get us through this shit."
A small smirk played around Five's mouth. "This is why I missed you for forty-five years."
She felt her cheeks grow warm and turned quickly to take a seat on Klaus's bed.
A light bulb suddenly seemed to go off in his mind. He snatched up a scrap of paper and a pen. "I've got a last resort."
Penny watched curiously as he scribbled down a note and shoved it into his pocket.
"Listen," he told her, standing, "I've got some equations to consider. It's going to take me awhile."
"Then I'll go take a shower and answer some work emails," she replied. "My assistant is probably at her wit's end. Hazel and Cha-Cha smashed my cell phone, so I haven't texted her in days."
The two parted ways, Five heading to his room and Penny to hers.
Penny, clean and on the mend from her various wounds, had finished answering work emails. May had, of course, been worried sick. Penny made up a story about her phone falling into a puddle and told the younger woman that she'd attempt to buy a new one soon.
She decided to head to Five's room to see if he had made any progress in solving their apocalypse problem. What she walked in on was something to behold.
Five had a rifle pointed at Luther, who, in turn, was dangling poor Delores out the window over the fire escape ledge.
"Put…her…down," Five growled.
Luther pleaded with him. "Put the gun down. You're not killing anyone today."
Penny edged past Five and stared at them both, hands up. "Okay, you both need to calm down."
"Penny, he wants to kill innocent people," Luther told her quickly. "I'm not letting that happen."
"He's going to kill Delores if she drops from this high," Five exclaimed, a mad look in his eyes.
Penny's head whipped back and forth between the two. She walked slowly towards Number One, trying to reason with them both. "Guys, this is ridiculous. Nothing will get done if you two are in a standoff. Luther, bring Delores back inside. Five, lower your rifle, okay? I won't let Delores fall."
"I'm not putting it down until Delores is sitting comfortably on the bed," Five disputed.
Penny nodded slowly. "We can do that, can't we, Luther?"
Luther side-eyed her, jaw set stubbornly. "Penny, we can't let him go on more killing sprees. This has to end now."
"I'm not arguing with you until Delores is in my hands."
He huffed dramatically, rolled his eyes, and slowly withdrew the mannequin from the open window. He plopped her into Penny's waiting arms. She deposited Delores gently onto the mattress, making sure her blouse was smoothed out.
"Five, drop it," she requested.
He rolled his eyes, clicking the safety on, and hopped onto the bed to cradle his mannequin. "I'm not a dog, Penelope."
Penny watched as Five hugged her close. That hunk of plastic obviously meant more to him than she originally suspected. It almost made her…jealous? But she considered that to be ludicrous. How could she be jealous of a mannequin – and a mannequin that didn't even have a lower body, at that? Still, he was attached to her.
"That was unnecessarily cruel, Luther," she scolded as he rounded the bed quickly to grab the gun.
Number One scoffed as he picked up the weapon. He stared back at their adopted brother. "I know you're still a good person, Five. Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked everything coming back here to save us all. But you're not on your own anymore."
Five sighed, glancing at the two adults. "There is one way. But it's just about impossible."
"Since when have you let impossible stop you?" Penny asked, a slight smile on her face.
Five smirked. "You're right."
He set down Delores gently, patting her cheek. He stood up and straightened his blazer.
"Let's make these sons of bitches wish they'd never messed with this family."
Five filled them in on the plan as they drove out to the remote location of the meet up.
Penny was stuck in the back seat, which always made her just a little nauseous. However, the thought of seeing the two people that had tortured her so brutally made her even more sick to her stomach. Her mouth ached horribly. Her tongue constantly prodded the empty hole in her gum where the molar once sat.
When Five had finished talking about the plan, the three adopted siblings were completely silent. None of them were sure what to say.
If it had just been Penny and Five in the car, conversation would have carried on casually. But Luther being thrown into the mix was not something that usually warranted casual conversation. He never had been particularly talented with small talk. Five wasn't fond of it with most people, but didn't mind it with Penny. Penny usually would start the conversation if she was with people she was comfortable around. Luther was not someone she was wholly comfortable around.
Therefore, no one spoke until the vehicle had come to a full and complete stop.
"You know, I never enjoyed it," Five contemplated, cutting through the quiet.
"What?" wondered Luther.
"The killing. I mean, I was…good at my work and I…I took pride in it. But it never gave me pleasure." He sighed. "I think it was all those years alone. Solitude can do funny things to the mind."
Penny's eyebrows raised. He must have been referring to Delores.
"Yeah, well, you were gone for such a long time," Luther replied. "I only spent four years on the moon, but that was more than enough. It's the being alone that breaks you."
Penny had always thought Luther was a baby for complaining so much about being sent to the moon. She hadn't considered the mental struggles he might have endured. She felt guilty for not validating his pain.
"I'm sorry," she told him, "for being so unkind about your time there. Your struggle is absolutely valid."
Luther twisted in his seat to face her. He smiled very slightly. "I forgive you. And Penny, I apologize for being so callous about, well, everything that Dad put you through. I didn't realize how much you went through alone when we were teenagers. I'm sorry."
Penny nodded. "Thank you, Luther. I accept your apology."
"And I'm sorry for letting you go through that alone," Five told her firmly, fully spun around in his seat.
"You don't need to apologize, Five," she countered. "Please, don't apologize. We had no control over that situation. I'm just glad you're back and we can help you."
Luther glanced down at the briefcase they'd filled with countless metal items. "You think they'll buy it?"
"Well, what I do know is that they're desperate. It's like a cop losing his gun," Five explained. "If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit. Oh, not to mention the fact they'll be stuck here until they get it back."
"Well, I should hold onto it."
"Hm?"
"In case they make a move on you."
Penny cleared her throat, pulling out the rifle case. "That's why I brought this."
Luther jumped. "What? No, Penny, we can't use that on them!"
"I can and I will if they end up trying to hurt Five," she replied decidedly. "And yes, Luther, I know how to use one, so don't lecture me."
"Why can't you just use your powers?"
"Do you see anything I can change the density of around here that won't end up with us getting stranded or arrested?"
"N-no…"
"Exactly."
"Okay, you two, but be careful – especially you, Luther, since you'll be holding the briefcase. I mean, I've…I've lived a long life, but…you're both still so young. You got your whole lives ahead of you. Don't waste it," Five relayed thoughtfully.
Penny's eyes narrowed at him in the moment of silence that followed. She almost wanted to laugh. The tone of her voice was amused, but bewildered. "You do realize how disconcerting that sounded to me coming from the only one of us here that looks like a teenager?"
Five didn't glance back at her, the annoyance lacing his voice very obvious. "I try to impart some wisdom on you and then you throw it back in my face. Thank you for that, Penelope."
Then, in the distance, a car bounced over the hill speedily.
Hazel and Cha-Cha.
Penny gulped.
"Here we go," muttered Five.
The three Hargreeves got out of the car warily, Penny holding the rifle which was aimed down at the asphalt for safety. She pumped a round into the barrel as the assassins' car came to a screeching halt.
She took her place next to Luther, who held the briefcase carefully. Her heart beat wildly out of her chest. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she knew she felt a hell of a lot safer facing her torturers holding a weapon.
Five walked in front to go greet them when he suddenly whirled around on his heel. "If this all goes sideways, do me a favor and tell Delores I'm sorry. And Penny, if this all goes sideways…I'm sorry."
Penny inhaled sharply as he strode out to meet Hazel and Cha-Cha in the middle of the country road.
Luther's face scrunched and he leaned in towards Penny. "Why did he tell you he was sorry along with his weird mannequin? Doesn't he like…love her or something? Why would he say the same to you?"
Penny stared back at him in disbelief. "You are so dumb…"
"What?"
"If you haven't figured it out after almost seventeen years, Luther, I don't know what to tell you."
"Um…okay…"
She watched, shaking, as Hazel and Cha-Cha removed their cartoon masks. And yet, after seeing their faces from so far away, she still wasn't sure which was which. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she kept her rifle ready anyways.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the road…
"So where is it, kid?"
"Wow, that's how you're going to start. You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day."
"You won't even make it halfway there."
Penny saw the woman reveal a pistol and point it at Five. She huffed, taking aim at the female assassin. She still couldn't hear the conversation.
"Maybe," Five countered. "But as I'm sure you can see, the lovely Doctor Penelope Hargreeves has a bone to pick with you. I'm sure if you did anything, you'd both have bullets in your brains faster than you could say 'oops.' Also, as I'm sure you've found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant."
"He's right. We did a number on her. Still don't know how she managed to get out of there. I don't blame her, to be honest. And the big guy? You dropped a chandelier on him, got right back up."
"By the time you took both of them out, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp."
"Probably us too, right?"
"If Doctor Penelope doesn't have her way with you first."
"Right. So how do we help each other?"
"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her. Face to face."
"About what?"
"Well, I don't believe that's any of your concern."
"Just don't tell her about the briefcase."
"Fair enough."
Penny saw the woman hesitantly lower her gun, so she did, too.
Five came back to the car, leaning on the back tail light.
"What happens now?" inquired Luther.
"Now we wait," confirmed Five.
"So they bought it," Penny mused, eyes shooting bullets in them both from afar.
"Hook, line, and sinker."
A light, melodic chiming echoed through the air from behind them.
Penny's brow furrowed. Was that an ice cream truck?
The three Hargreeves turned to see just that racing down the two-lane highway, the music getting louder as it approached.
"Is that her?" questioned Luther.
"I can't imagine the head of the Commission riding into the scene in an ice cream truck," Penny reasoned.
Their eyes narrowed as they realize Klaus was in the driver's seat, waving at them enthusiastically as he passed, seemingly in slow motion. There was a dark figure on the passenger side.
Luther put up a hand to tentatively wave, which Penny smacked down on instinct.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Five grumped.
"This is a setup!" either Hazel or Cha-Cha yelled.
They pulled out their pistols, firing rounds at the front of the truck, and at Five.
Penny leapt in front of both Luther and Five, rifle up and ready to go. She fired several shots at them, screaming as she did so. She wasn't letting any of them die.
For a moment, she thought she saw a single bullet heading right towards the very middle of her forehead, but she blinked and all of a sudden, it had somehow changed positions to barreling past her ear instead.
Hazel and Cha-Cha were thrown like puppets with their strings cut onto the pavement while Klaus steered the speeding ice cream truck right into the bumper of their car.
Penny spun around to check on Luther and Five, but quickly discovered that one was not there.
Her heart dropped into her stomach. Not again.
"Five!" she shouted. "Five! Five!"
"Where did he go?" Luther asked, panicked.
"I don't know!"
Then, Luther brandished the fake briefcase, yelling, "come get it!" before heaving it across the length of the road, where it landed unceremoniously into a dirt field.
"Get in the car!" he bellowed at Penny, sprinting towards the ice cream truck.
Penny flung the driver side door open, clambering in, rifle still in her hand. She laid it across her lap, turning the keys in the ignition.
Her mind raced. The Handler. She must have come to grab Five during the firefight. He must be speaking with her at that very moment.
She watched in her rearview mirror as Klaus, and then Diego, stumbled out of the ice cream truck. Luther clung to them both, steering them back to the car.
"Penny!" shouted Klaus happily as he dove into the back seat with Diego, who was clutching his arm in pain.
Luther squeezed himself into the passenger seat. "Let's go!"
Penny stomped on the gas, rearing to go. She heard Klaus cackling from the back seat, glimpsing his flipping off of Hazel and Cha-Cha through the back window.
She smirked and rolled down her own window.
Out of the window she stuck her middle finger, waving it high in the air at the two stupid assassins as she drove them all to safety.
Serves them right.
I apologize for this being so much more of a shorter chapter than the others, but this felt like a good place to stop! The next chapter will cover the episode "The Day that Wasn't," and we'll learn a lot more about Penny and her relationships with the rest of the siblings she hasn't interacted with as much throughout the story so far.
That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Bright Young Sun! I'm still SO blown away by how many people have followed and favorited and reviewed. You guys are so amazing and it makes me so happy that so many people are interested in my writing!
Also, I just want to address a couple people in the reviews: bbymojo and Ceruleanrainblues – you guys are AWESOME! Thank you so much for your in-depth reviews. Especially bbmojo! Dude, you are incredible and your reviews always make my day better. I want to thank you SO MUCH from the BOTTOM OF MY HEART for always reviewing and saying such lovely things. I'm so glad you like Penny and what she brings to the story. I was honestly so worried she wasn't unique enough, but I'm glad you like her!
Thank you all so much for your love for Penny, and I'll try to update again within the next week! The next chapter will be longer – I promise! :)
