November 15th 1963.
10 Days before the Apocalypse.
Dallas.
Five.
"Okay... what the hell was that?" Five asked, the second he and Hazel landed in Dallas. "The end of the world, November 25, 1963." Hazel answered, calmly. He was older, greyer and a little sadder; than he usually was, it was quite clear he had reached his limit.
"'63...You know, Hazel, I'm no history buff, but I don't recall there being a nuclear holocaust." Five said, glancing over his shoulder.
"No shit."
"What about my family, what happened to Ris?" Five asked, turning back at Hazel. "Dead, like everyone else." Hazel replied.
"And where am I now?"
"Dallas. Same street. Ten days earlier." Hazel said, taking a seat on a nearby bench. "Plenty of time to restore the timeline and save them." he said, setting the briefcase down, watching the people walk past; completely unaware of the events they had just witnessed.
"Okay. So where do we start?"
"We? You're on your own, pal. I'm just here to keep my end of the deal, with Ris and a promise to Agnes." Hazel said, resting his arm on the case.
"Is she...?" Five started. "Dead?"
Five nodded. "Yeah."
"Cancer. Took her quick. But we had 20 good years together. I guess forever just wasn't in the cards." Hazel said sadly; just as a bright blue and white bus pulled up.
"I'm sorry, Hazel." Five said quietly, watching as three near identical men walked out of the bus. "What about the Commission?"
"I quit those assholes, remember? I don't owe 'em the fuzz off my peaches." Hazel replied, noticing Five's distraction, following his gaze.
"Well then, who the hell are those guys?" Five asked, just as the men, whipping out their guns.
Hazel stared at them, the word running though his mind; Swedes. Ris had warned him about them. Turning to Five stuffing the orange disk into his pocket; he tossed him the briefcase, pushing him away.
"Run!" Hazel shouted; just as they opened fire.
November 15th 1963.
10 days before the Apocalypse.
Austin.
Ris.
"God, I flipping hate 1963." Ris grumbled, taking a long sip of her water, bending down allowing Quinque a sip as well. 'Warf!'
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm tired too buddy, but we gotta keep moving. There has to be a gas station or something around here." Ris said, swinging the bottle; turning another corner.
They had been on foot since the other assassin she didn't bother finding out who's name was and been blown up in her car. Curtesy of herself.
"There we go! Ah!" Ris cried in joy; swinging the dial happily to a number she knew would always pick up. No matter how far she was or how bloody or wet or how anything really.
"Hello?"
"Allison. It's Ris. I can you come pick me up?"
Allison sighed from the other end of the line. "Where are you?"
"Well that's a funny story…."
"What do you want?" the man asked, opening the door, glancing at him.
November 15th 1963.
17 minutes after his arrival.
Dallas.
Five.
"Hi, I'm selling encyclopaedias for my youth group.I was curious if—" the man slammed the door in his face. Five sighed. 'Rude.' He thought before spacial jumping inside.
"Ah! Ah!" the man cried, falling into his cabinets; rummaging in them, pulling out a butter knife pointing it at him. "How'd you do that?"
"Don't really have time to explain." Five said, watching him with interest. "You from the Pentagon? Huh?"
"Definitely not."
"CIA? FBI? KGB?" the man listed, his hand shaking. "Is that fresh?" Five asked, pointing to coffee pot spacial-jumping to it. He could walk off, break in later on…then again…
"Ah! Ahh!" the man shouted again, slamming against the doorframe, pointing his butter knife. Five glanced at him, pouring a cup of coffee walking past him taking a sip.
"Hmm. This Colombian?" he asked, raising the cup slightly. "It's my own blend." The man replied, glancing back to the coffee pot.
The gears turning in his head. Elliott knew this boy, more than he knew anyway.
"Listen closely," she said softly, Elliott leaning down to her height. "I need you to look out for-"And a boy, around this tall-" Ris said, raising her hand; waving it a few inches above her head. "-school uniform, greeny-blue eyes-"
"He would have loved this, El. Bit of a coffee fanatic."
"-school uniform, greeny-blue eyes-"
"You ever heard of, uh, Area 51? Roswell?" Five asked, after a couple of seconds. Elliott blinked, smiling to himself throwing down the knife. "Hot damn!" he cried, clapping his hands together; he found him.
He found the last one on her list. "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..." Elliott said, making sure to keep up his act (well it wasn't entirely one, but he already knew the whole crazy tale). Of course, the school boy didn't.
He need to call her. He needed to tell her.
"Well, the truth is out there." The Boy answered, smiling wryly at him, glancing at his shoes.
"No, no, no, no, no. The... The truth, it's...right here in front of us. Tell me, wh...Why is it always an anal probe?" he asked edging closer to the Boy; the Boy stepping backwards.
"Any closer, and I'll melt your brain." Five threatened, the man staggered back nodding. "He needs a little space. Yes. I'll be over here."
'He can be a little testy so; be careful if he ever does pop up. He doesn't like people getting into his space.'
"All those contraptions on the roof, you built those, right?" the Boy asked, walking to his computers and screens, Elliott standing across from him. "Oh, yeah, yeah, sure did."
'He's clever, but can be impatient sol try to answer fast and be consist. Don't add things you don't need to.'
"Yeah, I've been tracking anomalies in... in the atmosphere. Just waiting." Elliott said, staring at him smiling. 'This was the moment.'
"Waiting for what?" Five asked, glancing back at the man, he was smiling. A smile that knew too much. He didn't like it.
"For you." Elliott said, gesturing towards him. "For all of you."
November 15th 1963.
Half an hour after Allison had picked her up.
On the drive going to Dallas.
Ris.
"I mean it Ris! You have to stop doing this!" Allison scolded, glancing next to her at a slumped Ris in the passenger's seat.
"Doing what exactly, I do a lot of dangerous things." Ris drawled; Allison had been scolding her for half an hour straight.
And she didn't seem like she was slowing down.
At least she brought sandwiches and something to drink. "All of it! The crazy, revenge-
"This isn't about vengeance or payback, Allison." Ris cried, jumping up. "This is about the Majestic Twelve and the Commission. Look we can into 1960's when we weren't meant to be in the 1960's who knows what kind of time ripple we created by just being here."
"Think about it, we are changing history with every move we make. The least I can do; is make sure we don't disrupt any fixed points and don't completely wreck time. Or worse. I'm just trying to make sure—"
"And what about Five? Hmm?" Allison asked, gripping the wheel tightly. Ris paused. "What about him?"
"He didn't come back. You said he was meant to—"
"Three months ago. Yeah, I know." Ris said shortly. Allison swallowed hard. "How much of leeway was there?"
"Three months." Ris replied. "If he's not here by now, he's probably…" she paused, not being able to say the next word.
"Dead." Allison whispered. "Yeah," Ris breathed out, leaning against the door. Quinique whining in the backseat. "If he's not here…I could try…taking you all back…Us all back." Ris continued, biting her lower instantly tasting blood.
She'd been doing it a lot lately.
Allison nodded, turning on the radio. They were talking about something useless and pointless to either of them. But they listened in silence.
What else could they do?
November 15th 1963.
Strange Alien-Enthusiasts Home.
Dallas.
Five.
"So, for the past three years, I've witnessed five energy surges in that alleyway out back. Same thing every time. A bright blue light, then something appears." Elliott explained.
"Did you get a good look at any of them?" Five asked, staring at his blurred photos. "Yeah, the first one. And then the big, sensitive one."
"Sensitive?" Five repeated, glancing back at him. "Yeah, cried a lot, kept coming back to the alley, sat around for hours calling a woman's name. Uh...Allison." Elliott said, snapping his fingers.
"Luther."
"Yeah, he... he wasn't the only one. Uh, the others came too, off and on over the years, looking for each other. Eventually, they...they stopped. Beca-" Elliott said,
"So, my family is alive." Five said, staring back to the photo's looking carefully at each off them. Most of them could easily be each of his sibling, but one person was missing. Ris.
"Shit. I think I stranded them here." Five mumbled under his breath, turning to Elliott. "Now listen to me." he said, stalking towards Elliott. Elliott stumbling back climbing over the couch, to escape.
Five easily spacial-jumping over it. "Elliott. Elliott. My name... My name's Elliott. And-" he said quickly.
"Whatever, all right? I got ten days to find them and save the world. Now, I need your help to do that." Five said, standing in front of him.
"You need... my..." Elliott spluttered, turning to his drawer. "You know what? I, uh...I always thought that this, uh, mugshot looked like arrival number four." he said, pulling out a newspaper clipping.
"Diego." Five breathed out, taking the newspaper clipping from him, staring at the picture.
"So then, that's helpful?" Elliott asked. "You have no idea." Five said, special-jumping out before Elliott could get another word in.
"Ah…" Elliott said, grabbing his phone dialling Ris's number. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." he mumbled under his breath.
"Augh…" Ris grumbled throwing her jacket onto the couch, Quinque running in to the apartment bouncing around on everything like a mad dog.
Her phone was ringing; Ris ignored it.
Instead walking to her wall, pinning a final photo onto it. "We did it, Quinny…The last one," Ris mumbled under her breath. Stepping back staring at the photo on the wall.
Reginald Hargreeves cold dead eyes staring back at her.
"The last member of the Majestic Twelve."
November 15th 1963.
Mental Institution Where is Idiot Brother was locked up.
Visitation Room
Five.
"Five." Diego said, walking in; his hair was longer, reaching to his shoulders and he'd grown a neat beard; not to mention he was dressed in full white a stark contrast in his usual attire of black leather.
"Hey, Diego." Five greeted looking him up and down. "You look good in white."
"About time you showed up." Diego replied, sitting down across from him, his hands in his lap. "How'd you know I'd be back?"
"Because that's the kind of shit you pull." Diego snapped, leaning closer to him. "Where are the others?" Five asked calmly. "They're not with you?" Diego asked, seeming mildly surprised.
"We'll find them." Five mumbled. "How long have you been here?"
"Seventy-five days." Diego said instantly. "Landed in the alley behind Commerce and Knox."
"Commerce and Knox." Five finished.
"You?"
"I got here this morning."
"How'd you find me?" Diego asked, shifting on his chair. Five scoffed. "Page 16." he said, pulling out the news clipping from Elliott.
"Disturbed man with multiple knives arrested outside 1026 N. Beckley; after what the police suspect attempting to attack young girl." he read, glancing up at Diego.
"That's Lee Harvey Oswald's house. And attempted attack of a young girl…Care to explain?" Five asked, sliding the paper to him.
"Let's just say; Dallas Law Enforcement has not been supportive of my attempt to stop the assassination of...John F. Kennedy." Diego said, glancing down at it.
"Because it hasn't happened yet." Five said patiently. "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." Five hissed, leaning closer to him. "You are not going to do a goddamn thing."
"Oh," Diego moaned, leaning back in his chair shaking his head. "You sound just like her."
"Ris?" Five guessed, his attention perked. "You know where Ris is?" Diego snorted, shaking his head. "Your girlfriend, is the only reason I'm got stuck in here, in the first place."
"She's not my—nevermind, the point is, you are not going to go anywhere near the President."
"Why not?"
"Because we have to stop the apocalypse."
"No shit." Diego snarled. "But that doesn't happen for another 60 years."
"Not that apocalypse." Five explained. "This is a new one. It followed us. I've seen it. Nuclear war, Diego, in ten days."
Diego started to laugh, leaning back in his chair. "And I'm the one they locked up, huh? Fine, I'll play along. What causes it?"
"I don't know." Five said, leaning back in his chair surveying his brother. "Maybe some looney-tuned asshole with a hero complex tried to save the president and screwed everything up."
"So you're saying it worked?"
Five pffed looking away, shaking his head.
"I saved the president? I knew I could do it. Okay, okay, I'll help you."
"Thank God." Five said stiffly. "After I save Kennedy." Diego added. "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." Five said, staring at him. "Do you know where Ris is or not?"
Diego shook his head, like a stubborn child refusing to show, what crazy thing they put in their mouth.
"You know what? Fine." Five said, getting up glancing up at the guard. "Guard. My brother is plotting an escape. The bars of his room have been shaved down."
Diego slammed his hands on the table. Attempting to jump at Five, his guards effectively holding him down. "Piece of shit! No! All right, asshole!"
"Look, this is for your own good, Diego." Five said, watching was the guards held him down, pressing his head against the table. "No! Five!"
"Listen, my brother is a very sick man."
"No, Five!"
"I only pray that he gets the help he so desperately needs." Five said, as a woman walked in holding a needle, bending down injecting it into Diego's arm.
"No, please! Not the needle! No! No! No! N-N" Diego mumbled, slowly dozing off.
"Be back for you later, okay? Just..." Five whispered, bending down so the other nurses and guards couldn't hear him. Pausing as Diego drifted off into a deep sleep.
"Well, nighty night."
"Allison, you don't always need to call. I'm fine." Ris said, picking up her phone twirling her fingers around the cord. "I know, it's just…" Allison paused. "I'm just worried about you especially after…"
Ris sighed, leaning against the wall, shutting her eyes. "Yeah…yeah…but I'm okay now. Really…you shouldn't Al, they might try and tap the phones or something…"
"Clarissa. Are you okay?"
Ris paused, her eyes flickering around her battered apartment, her aching fingers that still might have some dried blood under her fingernails.
"I just…I miss him." Ris said, swallowing hard, a lump starting to form at the back of her throat. "I just miss him…so much…And now he might…" Ris sighed, shutting her eyes.
"Goodnight Allison."
"Ris wai-"
Ris cut the call, sliding the phone back onto his pedestal.
"Luther, wait. Look, I get it, okay? I know what it's like to be stuck in time...Thinking this is how you're gonna live out the rest of your life."
Ris slid down the wall, squeezing fistfuls of her dress.
Her stupid, pink dress.
Miles away from her, Klaus was stuffed into a police car, his face void of emotion. Empty.
"On the run, and not knowing if you're ever gonna see the people you love again, and to be in an unfamiliar world."
Allison set down her phone, glancing back at her husband's smiling face sadly, turning around cuddling into him.
Miles away, deep in the country, Vanya sharing a cigarette with a woman of her dreams, complete unware of the events that were setting in motion, or how she was a part of any of them.
Ris bit her lip, once again tasting blood, but it was salty now. Lightly touching her cheek, she wiped a small tear off. A part of her felt rather stupid.
She was a solider; and soldiers didn't cry.
Pulling her legs to her chest, Ris rested her head in her elbow, rocking back and forth. Alone. Just like she had been after Klaus and Ben left, after she nearly got Elliott and Allison's fiancé killed.
Alone.
Alone.
Alone.
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."
"I don't give a shit."
Thoughts? Five is back! Allison is back! Yay! :) XD
A few question that had popped up (long story, but I thought it be best to ask you all), which I will ask is: 'Is Ris cool? How different is she than from the last book? And is Ris more damsel or more independent woman? Or in the middle? Or just normal in the Hargreeves madness?'
Anyways, please fav, follow, review, PM, ect. I accept all! :)
Till next time...
