"Well, we can't go back to the house. It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment." Luther said to Diego as they walked down a dark alleyway. Luther adjusted his grip on Five, while Diego carried Ris. (Diego wasn't sure why he was carrying a pre-teen girl that had fell asleep on Five. But Luther seemed to know her and insisted they take her too. That asshole.)
"My place is closer. No one will look for him there." answered Diego- "BURP! Hhh"
"If you vomit on me." Luther growled at the now awake Five. Who dazedly looked at his brothers and Ris.
"You know what's funny?" he said, glancing between the two. "Aah! I'm going through puberty. Huh. Twice. And I…" he chuckled, rolling his head back. "I drank that whole bottle, didn't I? That's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye. Poof, it's gone. What are you guys talkin' about?"
"Two masked intruders attacked the Academy last night. They came looking for you. So I need you to focus. What do they want?" asked Diego trying to look somewhat intimidating while carrying a sleeping child.
"Hazel and Cha-Cha." Five murmured. "Who?"
"You know, I hate code names." Luther said angrily.
"Ah, the best of the best. Except for me, of course." Five said. "Excuse me? What am I, huh? Chopped liver?" Ris said, jumping out of Diego's arms, giving both him and Luther a jump of surprise. Five rolled his eyes.
"Nice to see you awake, Sleeping Beauty." Five slurred, leaning over to see her. Ris rolled her eyes. "We agreed to mention that, ever remember?"
"But, it true. You should hear her scream, if you wake her up, and the last part…You denied, but you know…We both know the last bit. And its bullshit." Five said as he leaned back so he could face her. "That came out of the shittist bull possible. And you know it, Clarissa" =
Ris widened her eyes, knowing exactly what he was thinking of. "You jackass! We agreed to NEVER bring that up! Ever!"
Five stuck out his tongue at her childishly. Ris looked like she wanted to strangle him, but stopped herself by quietly whispering. "He's drunk, he's drunk, don't hit. He's drunk. Don't kill him…yet."
Luther and Diego exchanged a look. "You know, you always hated it when I drink. Didn't you say it made me Shirley?" Five said now looking very giddy almost excited as he stroked Delores hair.
Ris opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a loud "Hey!" from Diego. The two turned to look at him. "Okay, who the hell are you?" he said pointing to Ris.
Before she could reply Five beat her to it. "She is your best chance at being able to see the end of the week. And the reason I am even trying to hold this pointless conversation." Five snapped jumping out of Luther's arms (with some difficultly) walked towards Ris putting his arm around her neck.
Ris sighed, patting his head slowly passing his back to Luther. "What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?" Diego asked. Five flashed him his famous smirk, but said nothing. Ris feeling a bit awkward and simple bit her bottom lip. Also saying nothing.
"We just wanna protect you."
"Protect me. I don't need your protection, Diego. Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? No. I'm the Four frickin' Horsemen. The apocalypse is coming." Five said darky, before he staggered and vomited all over Luther.
"Ugg.…"
"I knew this would happen!"
{Diego covers mouth trying not to vomit himself.}
"This is why. You. Do Not. Drink. The. Whole. Bottle. You idiot!...Oh…Come on… Let it all out. You Nitwit. Breath in and out. Jackass."
"Funny. If I didn't know he was such a prick, I'd say he looks almost adorable in his sleep." Diego mused, watching Five. After Fives…um…unfortunate accident, Luther carried him to Diego's place. "Well, don't worry. He'll sober up eventually. Be back to his normal, unpleasant self." Luther replied.
"He's not that bad, you know." came the unfamiliar feminine voice of Ris as she leaned against the wall. "And if he doesn't want to tell you the reasons for his actions. Then you should respect that."
"Yeah, I can't wait that long, sweetheart. I need to find out what his connection is with these lunatics before someone else dies. All that stuff he was saying before. What do you think he meant by that?" The two turned to Ris.
Before she could answer a loud thumping was heard. 'Why am I being interrupted by random things and people?'
"You throw another one of those goddamn knives at me, I'm pressin' charges.
"What do you want, Al?"
"I ain't your secretary.-"
Ris ignored the conversation and turned to Five. Smiling, she liked watching him sleep. He was always so peaceful when he was asleep. Unlike when he was awake. He was a down right asshole when he was awake.
"Klaus." The two brothers said. Ris looked up at the name. "What happened to him?" she asked. The two ignored her. "Go. I'll wait here with-" Luther started, but Diego was already out the door. Luther turned to see Ris had also vanished.
"Him."
2 hours later...
Diego slammed his car door, angrily tears still streaming out of his eyes. Shutting his eyes he rested his head on the car wheel. Taking a sigh, he-
"I'm sorry about Detective Patch, Diego."
Diego looked up to see Five's girlfriend Five's close friend Five's ? the strange girl that Five knows staring at him from the seat next to him. "How did you…GET OUT!" he yelled. The girl just blinked completely unfazed by his yelling. "OUT!" he yelled out again. "No."
"GET OUT!"
"I'm sorry, Diego. But I can't do that." she said calmly. "WHY NOT?!"
"Because, you're emotional and vengeful. I also don't trust you to drive right now. You might crash the car." she explained her calm voice making Diego even angrier.
Diego sighed as she continued. "You are going to try and track Hazel and Cha-Cha down. You're going to try and kill them, because they killed Patch. It's pretty simple to work out. Now, move over here."
"What?!"
"Move over here, we're swapping seats. I'm driving."
"Why would I let a 12 year old drive a car?" Diego asked. "Well first off, I'm not 12 but flattered that you think I'm so young and you're emotional right now. And personally I think you don't handle loss well People can die, if you're emotional on the road. Trust me I know. Now move. Or I will move you." she said looking at him straight in the eye.
Sending a clear message. She was not afraid of him or intimidated of him. So move asshole.
"Yeah I'd like to see you-"
Diego then felt like he needed to barf. But then he was in the passenger's seat and the young girl was in the drivers. Before he could protest she started the car.
15 minutes later…
"Where are we going?" Diego asked knowing that his attempts of refusal would not work. Holding his stomach, desperate to hold in his lunch. "I thought we could go for ice-cream and coffee. Or donuts if you want…"
"Why?"
"You want pizza?"
"No. Why are you here? Why are you bothering? How did you even get here?" Diego scrunched his eyebrows together. "Who the hell are you, anyway?" Diego snapped. She gripped the steering wheel and briefly shut her eyes. After about 2 minutes of silence she spoke.
"Well, my name is Clarissa, but everyone or most people call me Ris. I am 58 years old…well my consciousness is. But my body is 13 years old." She Ris started. "I'm here, because I'm trying to stop the end of the world. With your brother. Five. Umm…I got here…by portalling…sorry. Spatial-Jumping-" she said, make a face and voice on the last note.
"Like Five?"
"Yep, exactly like Five."
"How?" he asked. She sighed. "It's kinda of a long story…"
"Well…we can talk over donuts." Diego said, attempting to smile, but his stomach seeming to have other plans. Ris gave him a cheeky smile and floored the gas to the nearest donut place. "You drive like a hellion, how have you not been pulled over" Diego grumbled as Ris continued to drive destroy the gas pedal and road.
"I'm shocked you know the meaning of the word. And while my drive can be unpleasant. It's not unsafe. And I get where I need to go fast." Ris replied. "I doubt that, okay, Spill. How do you know my asshole of a brother" said Diego as he slurped his milkshake.
Ris sighed, playing with her straw. "He saved my life."
Diego choked on his milkshake turning to her to continue. "I am not normal. I'm like you, but I am also complete different."
"How?"
"I'm getting to that!" she snapped, looked down. "I am one of the 43 children that had been born on 1 of October 1989. But unlike you and Five that were adopted and unlike the few children that stayed with their parents. There was another option." Ris said her usually fun, light-hearted tone turning solemn. "Which was government testing."
Diego eyes widened, but for once did not interrupt.
"I don't know exactly, how many of us there were. But I do know, that I was the only survivor. It was…. We were brought in since we were babies. We were raised in labs, we never saw the sun or plants. We never got to breath in fresh air. We were lab rats. Through and through. The labs were everywhere placed in every city, country that the 43 women were in."
"Everyday we were put through a series of tests. Some painful, some traumatising. All horrible, the worst you could imagine. Sometimes when one…died they would try and conduct test of the body. When they couldn't do anything. It was disposed of in a manner. A new subject will pop up. And then life would continue."
"Once they found your ability, you were trained all day, everyday, along with the continuous experiments. What we were training for? I still have no idea. We were placed in cryotubes, which would put us in a cryogenic sleep." Ris paused seeing Diego's confused face. "It's a very very long sleep…Yeah, Anyway I was put in that sleep…and when I woke up. The world was…on fire."
"I tried it get out, screamed till my throat burned and continued screaming. I was about to be burned alive or suffocated by smoke. And he…saved me. I never met…anyone like him. Ever. And…Huh…I've been around." she said, smiling.
"He's a…down right asshole, a first degree jackass. But he's also sweet, gentle, and…compassionate. I hated him. I mean hated him. At first, but he is so…complicated."
"Sometimes it's hard to love him. But, you have to understand. You are his family. The last people he turned to. And he is gonna be difficult and he's gonna do things you're not going to like. Or understand."
But just…Remember, he will move hell and high water to save your sorry asses. Don't make him or me regret that. Because if your vengeance problem, hurts us. Hurts Five. I will make you wish that you never lived." Ris said her tone turning threating and unlike Diego she was good at being intimidating.
"Kay?"
Diego nodded slowly wondering why such a tiny innocent looking thing scared him. Ris smiled kindly her previous threating tone and face were replaced by the carefree girl that Diego talked to in the car. "
Well, I gotha go, hope the milkshake and donut made you feel a bit better." She opened the car door and was about to disappear when: "Wait! Ris!"
She turned to Diego. "I have a question."
"Shoot," she said stuffing her hands into her skirt pocket, vaguely reminding Diego of Five. "Why did you tell me all that?"
"Sometimes it's good to have something to take your mind of the thing that's bothering you. And between you and me. I trust you more than Luther…"she sighed.
"Also, I knew someone like you. An old friend of sorts…and I don't want what happened to her. Happen to you. You're far too good of an assent than you think you are." Diego paused thinking deeply over her wise words. Ris grinned.
"Catch ya late, Kraken" she called out a cheeky grin on her young face as she turned and walked down the dimly lit street. "See you soon, Lissa" he called back. A loud happy laugh rang out into the night. Diego couldn't help it. He smiled a little too.
"Five, Five, Five, Fiiivvvee, Five, Fiv-"
"What! What could possibly be so important that up wake me at…2... It 2 in the effing morning.
What do you want?" he whisper-yelled before pausing and looking at her. "Where were you?"
"Out, how are you feeling?"
"Better, but-"
"Here." Ris said giving him a pill and a glass of water. "I need you sober." Five raised his eyebrows, but took it without complaint. "Where are we going?"
"Out. Well that's the plan, anyway. Before he-" Ris tilted her head to Luther. "Wake's up."
"So, where are we off to, my darling Rissa?" he said holding out his hand towards her.
Ris gave him a smirk, before grabbing his hands that started to glow blue. Her own glowing a faint blue, slightly lighter than his.
"You shall see…"she said in her teasing tone. Before the two vanish from the room.
"Why are here? Ris? Rissa?" Five called out as Ris walked towards a quiet coffee shop. "Come on," she called to him as she walked into the café. Five followed her a questioning look on his face.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee and steaming cakes hit Five's nose like a truck. Which was completely accurate since he had been hit by an actual truck before. The café was warm in comparison to the cold wind outside and even though it was 2am in the morning, the coffee shop was still relatively busy. It didn't take him long to see Ris sitting in a small booth, her long dark hair shining as it flowed down her back as she looked through the window.
Sliding in next to her, the two sat in silence. "It's a shame we can't see the stars here." She said quietly trying not to break the peaceful air between them. "It is," he answered. The waitress came over setting 2 steaming cups down and gave them a smile before walking away without a second glance.
"The nice thing about this place: They honestly don't care who the heck you are, but still treat you nicely." she said clasping a cup between her hands. Five took his own, taking a long sip, feeling the hot liquid down his throat. 'Tall. Black Coffee, 2 sugars.' Five smiled to himself, she knew him so well. "Hot chocolate?" he asked without looking up from his cup.
"Hot chocolate." She confirmed as she sipped her hot chocolate. Five smiled again. 'Then again, I know her well to,"
"Ris,"
"Hm."
"Why are we here?" he asked, cupping his ,ug between his hands.
"Well, our lead blew up in our faces, literally, Hazel and Cha-Cha are onto us. But their idiots so I'm not too worried, the apocalypse in coming in what 5/4 days and you drank an entire bottle of vodka and threw up over Luther. Which was hilarious, but beside the point. I remember all that, I wanted to talk, about something before the Handler implanted me and made so of memories…blank.
Five instantly straighten up. She was scared, she was desperate. He could tell even though she tried to hide it. "What was the last thing you remember before the blank?"
"Our final mission."
Five felt a layer of guilt hit him. He had left her there in 1963, there final job before he went rogue. 22 November 1963. The assassination of President John. F. Kennedy.
"Clarissa, I'm-"
"I don't need an apology and I won't accept one, Five. You did what you had to do. And it's okay. I don't blame you." Rissa said placing her hand gentle over Five's giving it a small squeeze, before clasping her cup again.
They never were big on physical touch, Five growing up without any and Clarissa being abused in the government testing labs. But when they needed it truly needed it. They were there for each other. In any and every way possible.
"Thanks," Five said quietly. "But I am still extremely sorry, Clarissa."
"Gosh! This is why I sometimes hate my first name. We always go all mushy and soft. Who are you and what have you done with Number Five?" Ris demanded crossing her arms trying to look angry, but ultimately looking rather adorable. Like a baby bunny. Five gave a small chuckle.
"You look like a baby bunny," he said voicing his thoughts. "I do not!"
"Oh, yes you do!"
"No I don't!"
"Yes, you do!"
Ris flicked her napkin at Five. "No, I don't"
Five flicked it back. "Yes, you do,"
"I resent being called a bunny," Five smiled. "I guess, our revertation into 13 year olds took a toll on our maturity."
Ris smiled. "I guess it did. But it's refreshing to be children again."
"Yeah, it kind of is," he answered. "Wanna head out? I have to one more thing to do before we go back."
"What is it?"
"You'll see," she said her signature cheeky grin on her face, her eyes sparking with mischief. One thing was clear with Ris, you could never be bored.
I wonder where they're going? ;) This was a bit of a filler, the next one will be very very interesting. Trust me. Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers! Please don't be afraid to tell me your thoughts, I welcome them
We got to see a much more gentler side of Five and how he interacts with Ris. And Diego and Ris are friends? I think my favourite bit of this chapter is when Five throws up on Luther. And the coffee shop scene. Also, how do you imagine Ris? I would love to know, I really wanted to give detail to her character and also have my readers imagine how she looks.
Anyway, I should stop talking. XD Thanks to all my readers, followers favouriters and reviewers. It means a lot!
Till next time…
