p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLila briefly glanced up from her plate of food, then pointed at one right next to her, clearly intended for me. I felt a little awkward taking it, given that I had just up and abandoned her, but the rumbling in my stomach proved to be a emfar /emmore powerful motivator, so I took a seat beside her. Lila didn't seem upset, necessarily, but that wasn't going to stop me from saying my piece./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry I left you out on the dance floor," I apologized, taking care not to eat as I spoke. Dad would have condemned me to hell if he saw that. "That woman Diego was talking to is..." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI trailed off, unsure of whether or not to completely delve into this. Though Lila had seen Five use his powers a couple times, and we'd shown her that footage of Kennedy's assassination—something that was in the future for her—I still felt wary about introducing foreign concepts to a woman in her own time. I may not have understood much about time travel, but I got that something like this might be crossing the line./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina?" Lila leaned onto her elbows, bringing her eyes down to meet with mine, which had fallen to the tablecloth. "I lost you for a second there." I sighed, then moved one of my hands to rest over hers. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay, look, what I'm about to say isn't going to make any sense whatsoever. You're going to think I've completely lost my mind, and I'm not going to blame you whatsoever, but I need you to at least listen to the words that come out of my mouth. You don't have to believe me."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What?" Lila laughed, her expression turning slightly wary. "Are you about to tell me she's some ex-wife and you have six kids with her?" I shook my head violently. Lila couldn't have possibly known the context of anything, but her suggestion made me feel disturbed deep down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh God, no. What is it with people thinking I'm dating my relatives today?" One of Lila's eyebrows shot up./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, she's a relative?" I breathed for another moment, preparing myself for whatever came next, then just spat it out./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"She's my mom. She just… doesn't know it yet." I paused, just for a second. "Well, she's not emactually /emmy mom; she's just the person my dad modeled her after."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry, what exactly am I missing here?" If Lila didn't think I was insane at this point, I wasn't quite sure what else I had to lose. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was still a risky line, but maybe she wouldn't think too far into things. Besides, if I was clever enough about my language, I wouldn't have to give absolutely emeverything /emaway. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When we were young, our dad didn't really take care of us much, so he designed a caretaker for all of us. She wasn't our actual mom, but we all called her that. That woman over there that Diego and I were talking to, that's the woman Dad must have modeled her after." She still appeared slightly confused, but thankfully, Lila just shrugged things off and went back to her plate of food./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI finally gave myself the chance to eat, reflecting on what Diego had said to me. I took time for myself, it just wasn't as much time as I spent taking care of my family. I supposed I had always been like that, even for people like Luther. I couldn't even bring myself to imagine a scenario where my family wouldn't be the most important factor in my decisions. They had been such an overwhelming source of love and help when I was younger—even if we all showed it in different, disjointed ways—and I'd taken it for granted because I was angry and hurt. I suppose, subconsciously, I felt like I needed to make up for that./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, that necklace." Lila pointed toward the silver '5' pendant that caught some of the shimmers off the chandelier's glow. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I reached up and delicately touched the smooth surface. "What's the deal? I saw Five has a pin like that. Did you all get them?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanYet again, another topic that would have potentially catastrophic repercussions. I could always say that we did, and Five and I were the only ones that chose to wear them, but I'd never been a very good liar. Someone like Lila, who clearly read people easily, would probably see right through it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe'd seen Five use his powers. Would it really be emthat /emimpossible for her to believe the true story? And, just like with Mom, if I left out the detail of the year all of this happened, we hopefully wouldn't run into much of an style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I promise there's a logical explanation for what I'm about to say, but right off the bat, it's not going to make any sense." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI'd never found explaining the whole story of my complicated relationship to my brother this intimidating; it's different when not only am I risking messing up the timeline of events, but I'm talking to my girlfriend, who, up until this point, somehow hasn't run for the hills yet. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five and I were born twins, and that's why Dad gave us these things." I held up the necklace for emphasis. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe realization slowly settled into Lila, and I watched as the expression on her face shifted from content listening to complete confusion. It didn't help that she was mid-chew, causing me to laugh a little bit; I had to collect myself before I continued, otherwise this might not come across right./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do you remember, after we watched the Frankel Footage, how Five talked about getting stuck somewhere for 45 years?" Lila nodded, though admittedly, she seemed more hesitant than she had with the whole 'Mom' situation. "That was because, when we were 13, he jumped way ahead to the future. He found out he couldn't get back, and so he was just forced to stay there, all alone and ageing without anyone there for him…" My voice began to croak, forcing me to clear it and wipe away the water rising up in my eyes. "When he did get back to us, he messed things up somehow, and he got trapped in the same body as when he went missing—so, 13 years old—but he still has the awareness and consciousness of when he came back to us, meaning in his head, he's 58. So, he's my younger, older, and twin brother, all at the same time."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThere were a million questions I expected to come out of Lila's mouth; part of me figured she'd just up and leave right there. The mere concept of Five's age was enough to make emmy /emhead spin, and I had complete context on everything, so I couldn't even emimagine /emwhat was running through her mind./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That explains why you're so protective," she shrugged./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHer response completely caught me off guard. When I was telling the story, she'd been staring at me like I'd started to slip into some alien tongue, and she had no clue what in the hell I was saying, but now, all of a sudden, she just acted like everything was casual, and that sort of thing happened all the time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhat exactly was her deal?/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're not… weirded out?" Lila waved her hand dismissively. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego said your family was strange. I didn't think it was to this extent, but after everything that's happened, I'm more relieved I finally got an explanation as to why he acts the way he does."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI didn't really feel it appropriate to launch into the ins and outs of Five's ego, and his tendencies to believe he was above other people, especially in this environment. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe sun had sunk down below the horizon line by that point, leaving the night sky twinkling with optimistic stars, hoping to liven up the lives of some of the duller guests. I'd been so caught up in talking to and spending time with Lila, I'd failed to notice how long Five had been gone. That is, until a 'thud' slammed down on the floor above us, and some guests who had been milling about up there came clambering down the spiral staircase./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAdrenaline pushed me up to my feet, my eyes refusing to leave the spot I was headed towards. Instinctually, I tried to calm myself down and force away worst-case scenarios, but there wasn't a good way I could see this situation going. Once again, I left Lila behind without explanation, but I hoped she'd at least know why I'd dashed off. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe climb felt agonizingly endless, as though the staircase knew how desperate I was, and just to spite me, extended itself for every step I climbed. The closer I got to the top, I could hear blows landing, forcing my feet to sprint faster, if that was even possible. The yellow light that cast itself over the world as I wound around created multitudes of dark corners, but the narrow spotlights of the hanging lamps perfectly highlighted the alarming scene awaiting at the top of the staircase. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA emfrighteningly /emtall, bulky man in a white suit with matching hair had Five locked into combat, throwing repeated punches that struck my brother without a break. Though he certainly was trying, Five couldn't manage to even swing out his fist, putting him at a severe disadvantage./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis guy seemed big, but he only stood a few inches taller than me. Together, Five and I could probably take him, or, at the very least, wear him down until Diego inevitably came to find us./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight as I prepped myself to turn, hoping to build up a charge without the guy noticing, I felt something wrap around my neck, pulled so tight I couldn't breathe. My airflow had been cut off quickly, furthering the panic already melting my mind, causing me to thrash and attempt to pull at whatever was there. My eyes widened in horror as, from down the hall, another man, similar in appearance to the one attacking Five, strode at me confidently—almost with a taunting arrogance—and slammed his fist right into my stomach. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThese were the guys Five had been talking about… The goddamn IKEA mafia…/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe must have slung on brass knuckles at some point, creating a emfar /emmore powerful blow than I had expected. It stung greatly, but it wasn't the worst pain I'd experienced./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI tried my best to use the position I was being held in to my advantage, attempting to kick my legs out and at least make the guy stumble just long enough for me to break out of this choke hold. Dark spots were starting to close in, so if I didn't get this shit-bag off me soon, we were going to have a problem. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSomehow, I managed to get a knee up, and I nudged him back. My fingers glowed with just enough of a charge to do some damage, but because of my rapidly blurring vision, I ended up missing just by an inch./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was the first time that had happened. Ever. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I couldn't scream, I was sure my mouth was at least running through the motions as the Swede holding onto me dragged me back against the wall, allowing his brother to get back up and resume throwing punches to my gut. The little bit of air I had left was quickly running out, to the point where I could barely move; certainly not enough to fight, not even enough to struggle. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs I started to go slightly limp, a streak of cyan came dashing up the stairs, stopping dead in her tracks at the absurd sight in front of her. Lila's eyes bounced back and forth between Five and I, as though trying to decide which one of us to help… which didn't exactly instill confidence in this scenario./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Lila!" I managed to gasp, wasting my air. "Help me!"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe met eyes with me, offering what almost appeared to be an apologetic smile, then turned right around and kicked off her shoes before sprinting in Five's direction. Lila used the wall to push herself up onto one of the small, decorative tables resting against it, which she made into a Launchpad to get herself up onto the chandelier./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnger and a sense of betrayal began to overwhelm me, but I didn't have much time to dwell on that. Diego came running up the stairs just a moment later, and upon spotting me struggling to stay away, strode right in my direction, throwing one of his knives toward the Swede still landing blows on my abdomen./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI was going to have some emserious /embruises tomorrow./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStrangely, Diego missed as well, but he'd done enough to at least get the brother's attention. He got up from his place and began to attempt and take a swing at Diego, who moved just a bit too fast for any real damage to be done. Still, that didn't prevent the brother he was dealing with from striking him a few times./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith my ability to breathe slowly coming back, I was able to clear my head and focus. I had just enough of a charge left to stun the one holding me down temporarily. Unwilling to let this go on any longer, I removed one of my hands from my neck and jammed it against what I presumed to be his torso, causing him to scream and drop his grip on me. All at once, air started rushing into my lungs, forcing me to cough as I collapsed down onto my knees. My limbs still felt as though they were made of jelly, but I couldn't stay down here much longer./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe sound of glass shattering momentarily drew my attention up to the other end of the hall, just in time to see the Swede that had been giving Five trouble falling out the window. At least he was out of the weeds…/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith his business concluded, Five made his way over to one of the panes that hadn't been broken and looked out, his eyes shooting wide again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dad," I heard him gasp. Right as he prepared to jump, his gaze fell to me, collapsed on the ground and desperately gasping for air. Almost immediately, he seemed to abandon his previous intentions, but I wasn't about to let him. Not when he'd come this close./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go," I urged, waving my hand out away from me. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina, I'm not—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go get Dad!" I cut him off as I managed to push myself up off the ground. "Go get your answers."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"But you're—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego and I can take them," I assured him. "Get out of here before I throw you out the window, idiot."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFive still seemed hesitant, but after a little smile flashed on his face, he jumped. Hopefully, that meant all was forgiven./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe moment Five disappeared, Lila gathered up her shoes and rushed down the stairs, trying catch up with him. Why was she so interested in Five today? It was like a light switch went off in her brain. span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut that wasn't what bothered me. Why the hell had she looked directly into my eyes, silently agreeing to help me, before she just turned and abandoned me? It stung, especially given all our previous conversations./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I got the chance to further dwell on things, the Swede that had held me back and attempted to choke me out got to his feet, fists in the air. I let out a single, taunting laugh as he looked up at me, falling a good two inches below my head. With just one, swift punch to the gut, he went right back down, his eyes slamming shut this time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe brother Diego had been dealing with cast his eyes to me now—the one that had just hurt a member of his family. I suppose, on a certain scale, we were even now. But if we didn't do something now, these assholes would keep following us. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNot to mention, I was suddenly craving whooping someone's ass./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego," I snapped. He whipped around, and upon taking in the look on my face, stepped back, gesturing out toward the final aggressor that stood in our way. A passive-aggressive smile took shape on my face as I stared him down, basking in the moment I was about to have. "Oh yeah, mofo. It's just you and me. Show me what you got."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanImmediately, I arched back, bending myself in half to avoid getting punched. He stumbled slightly following his swings, giving me the chance to shoot myself back upright and kick his side. Though I'd caught him off-guard momentarily, he still managed to recover quickly and grab onto my arm, pushing me back slightly and throwing his knee into my gut. The pain from the previous injuries he'd given me radiated outward, but I ignored it, using his weight against him to throw him against one of the windows. I'd intended to throw him down, like Five had with one of the others, but he snapped back around quickly, elbowing me in the chest./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThinking fast, I started to flip backwards and turn, managing to build up a strong charge while simultaneously avoiding getting hit; the rain and storms that had come rolling in already left me with a bit of a buildup of electricity without moving, putting me right at the advantageous point I needed. Just for good measure, I snatched up an ornate vase on yet another of those useless tables and chucked it at the man inching his way closer, forcing him to flinch in order to protect his face from being stuck with porcelain shards. Taking that moment as my window, I sprung forward and clamped my hands down on the side of his head, relieving the burn that had taken over my arms as he screamed. It took a few seconds, but he finally thudded to the ground, unconscious. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt may not have killed him, but hopefully, it'd discourage him from messing with this family again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanCurious, I glanced out the same window Five had just moments ago, noticing Dad and Mom were still waiting for their car./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit," I breathed. "Dad."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI turned and ran for the stairs, grabbing Diego's arm and dragging him along with me as I moved. The stream of fleeing guests made it slightly difficult to maneuver out, and by the time we burst free into the chilly night air and met up with Five and Lila, Dad and Mom's car was just pulling away./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Was that him?" I gasped, still slightly winded, as I set a hand on my brother's shoulder. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah," he groaned. The four of us watched with baited breath, hoping the car might stop and Dad would emerge, but the dark vehicle just disappeared around the corner, not even hesitating. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLila briefly glanced up from her plate of food, then pointed at one right next to her, clearly intended for me. I felt a little awkward taking it, given that I had just up and abandoned her, but the rumbling in my stomach proved to be a emfar /emmore powerful motivator, so I took a seat beside her. Lila didn't seem upset, necessarily, but that wasn't going to stop me from saying my piece./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry I left you out on the dance floor," I apologized, taking care not to eat as I spoke. Dad would have condemned me to hell if he saw that. "That woman Diego was talking to is..." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI trailed off, unsure of whether or not to completely delve into this. Though Lila had seen Five use his powers a couple times, and we'd shown her that footage of Kennedy's assassination—something that was in the future for her—I still felt wary about introducing foreign concepts to a woman in her own time. I may not have understood much about time travel, but I got that something like this might be crossing the line./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina?" Lila leaned onto her elbows, bringing her eyes down to meet with mine, which had fallen to the tablecloth. "I lost you for a second there." I sighed, then moved one of my hands to rest over hers. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay, look, what I'm about to say isn't going to make any sense whatsoever. You're going to think I've completely lost my mind, and I'm not going to blame you whatsoever, but I need you to at least listen to the words that come out of my mouth. You don't have to believe me."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What?" Lila laughed, her expression turning slightly wary. "Are you about to tell me she's some ex-wife and you have six kids with her?" I shook my head violently. Lila couldn't have possibly known the context of anything, but her suggestion made me feel disturbed deep down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh God, no. What is it with people thinking I'm dating my relatives today?" One of Lila's eyebrows shot up./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, she's a relative?" I breathed for another moment, preparing myself for whatever came next, then just spat it out./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"She's my mom. She just… doesn't know it yet." I paused, just for a second. "Well, she's not emactually /emmy mom; she's just the person my dad modeled her after."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry, what exactly am I missing here?" If Lila didn't think I was insane at this point, I wasn't quite sure what else I had to lose. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was still a risky line, but maybe she wouldn't think too far into things. Besides, if I was clever enough about my language, I wouldn't have to give absolutely emeverything /emaway. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When we were young, our dad didn't really take care of us much, so he designed a caretaker for all of us. She wasn't our actual mom, but we all called her that. That woman over there that Diego and I were talking to, that's the woman Dad must have modeled her after." She still appeared slightly confused, but thankfully, Lila just shrugged things off and went back to her plate of food./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI finally gave myself the chance to eat, reflecting on what Diego had said to me. I took time for myself, it just wasn't as much time as I spent taking care of my family. I supposed I had always been like that, even for people like Luther. I couldn't even bring myself to imagine a scenario where my family wouldn't be the most important factor in my decisions. They had been such an overwhelming source of love and help when I was younger—even if we all showed it in different, disjointed ways—and I'd taken it for granted because I was angry and hurt. I suppose, subconsciously, I felt like I needed to make up for that./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, that necklace." Lila pointed toward the silver '5' pendant that caught some of the shimmers off the chandelier's glow. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I reached up and delicately touched the smooth surface. "What's the deal? I saw Five has a pin like that. Did you all get them?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanYet again, another topic that would have potentially catastrophic repercussions. I could always say that we did, and Five and I were the only ones that chose to wear them, but I'd never been a very good liar. Someone like Lila, who clearly read people easily, would probably see right through it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe'd seen Five use his powers. Would it really be emthat /emimpossible for her to believe the true story? And, just like with Mom, if I left out the detail of the year all of this happened, we hopefully wouldn't run into much of an style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I promise there's a logical explanation for what I'm about to say, but right off the bat, it's not going to make any sense." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI'd never found explaining the whole story of my complicated relationship to my brother this intimidating; it's different when not only am I risking messing up the timeline of events, but I'm talking to my girlfriend, who, up until this point, somehow hasn't run for the hills yet. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five and I were born twins, and that's why Dad gave us these things." I held up the necklace for emphasis. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe realization slowly settled into Lila, and I watched as the expression on her face shifted from content listening to complete confusion. It didn't help that she was mid-chew, causing me to laugh a little bit; I had to collect myself before I continued, otherwise this might not come across right./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do you remember, after we watched the Frankel Footage, how Five talked about getting stuck somewhere for 45 years?" Lila nodded, though admittedly, she seemed more hesitant than she had with the whole 'Mom' situation. "That was because, when we were 13, he jumped way ahead to the future. He found out he couldn't get back, and so he was just forced to stay there, all alone and ageing without anyone there for him…" My voice began to croak, forcing me to clear it and wipe away the water rising up in my eyes. "When he did get back to us, he messed things up somehow, and he got trapped in the same body as when he went missing—so, 13 years old—but he still has the awareness and consciousness of when he came back to us, meaning in his head, he's 58. So, he's my younger, older, and twin brother, all at the same time."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThere were a million questions I expected to come out of Lila's mouth; part of me figured she'd just up and leave right there. The mere concept of Five's age was enough to make emmy /emhead spin, and I had complete context on everything, so I couldn't even emimagine /emwhat was running through her mind./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That explains why you're so protective," she shrugged./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHer response completely caught me off guard. When I was telling the story, she'd been staring at me like I'd started to slip into some alien tongue, and she had no clue what in the hell I was saying, but now, all of a sudden, she just acted like everything was casual, and that sort of thing happened all the time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhat exactly was her deal?/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're not… weirded out?" Lila waved her hand dismissively. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego said your family was strange. I didn't think it was to this extent, but after everything that's happened, I'm more relieved I finally got an explanation as to why he acts the way he does."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI didn't really feel it appropriate to launch into the ins and outs of Five's ego, and his tendencies to believe he was above other people, especially in this environment. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe sun had sunk down below the horizon line by that point, leaving the night sky twinkling with optimistic stars, hoping to liven up the lives of some of the duller guests. I'd been so caught up in talking to and spending time with Lila, I'd failed to notice how long Five had been gone. That is, until a 'thud' slammed down on the floor above us, and some guests who had been milling about up there came clambering down the spiral staircase./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAdrenaline pushed me up to my feet, my eyes refusing to leave the spot I was headed towards. Instinctually, I tried to calm myself down and force away worst-case scenarios, but there wasn't a good way I could see this situation going. Once again, I left Lila behind without explanation, but I hoped she'd at least know why I'd dashed off. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe climb felt agonizingly endless, as though the staircase knew how desperate I was, and just to spite me, extended itself for every step I climbed. The closer I got to the top, I could hear blows landing, forcing my feet to sprint faster, if that was even possible. The yellow light that cast itself over the world as I wound around created multitudes of dark corners, but the narrow spotlights of the hanging lamps perfectly highlighted the alarming scene awaiting at the top of the staircase. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA emfrighteningly /emtall, bulky man in a white suit with matching hair had Five locked into combat, throwing repeated punches that struck my brother without a break. Though he certainly was trying, Five couldn't manage to even swing out his fist, putting him at a severe disadvantage./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis guy seemed big, but he only stood a few inches taller than me. Together, Five and I could probably take him, or, at the very least, wear him down until Diego inevitably came to find us./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight as I prepped myself to turn, hoping to build up a charge without the guy noticing, I felt something wrap around my neck, pulled so tight I couldn't breathe. My airflow had been cut off quickly, furthering the panic already melting my mind, causing me to thrash and attempt to pull at whatever was there. My eyes widened in horror as, from down the hall, another man, similar in appearance to the one attacking Five, strode at me confidently—almost with a taunting arrogance—and slammed his fist right into my stomach. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThese were the guys Five had been talking about… The goddamn IKEA mafia…/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe must have slung on brass knuckles at some point, creating a emfar /emmore powerful blow than I had expected. It stung greatly, but it wasn't the worst pain I'd experienced./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI tried my best to use the position I was being held in to my advantage, attempting to kick my legs out and at least make the guy stumble just long enough for me to break out of this choke hold. Dark spots were starting to close in, so if I didn't get this shit-bag off me soon, we were going to have a problem. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSomehow, I managed to get a knee up, and I nudged him back. My fingers glowed with just enough of a charge to do some damage, but because of my rapidly blurring vision, I ended up missing just by an inch./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was the first time that had happened. Ever. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I couldn't scream, I was sure my mouth was at least running through the motions as the Swede holding onto me dragged me back against the wall, allowing his brother to get back up and resume throwing punches to my gut. The little bit of air I had left was quickly running out, to the point where I could barely move; certainly not enough to fight, not even enough to struggle. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs I started to go slightly limp, a streak of cyan came dashing up the stairs, stopping dead in her tracks at the absurd sight in front of her. Lila's eyes bounced back and forth between Five and I, as though trying to decide which one of us to help… which didn't exactly instill confidence in this scenario./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Lila!" I managed to gasp, wasting my air. "Help me!"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe met eyes with me, offering what almost appeared to be an apologetic smile, then turned right around and kicked off her shoes before sprinting in Five's direction. Lila used the wall to push herself up onto one of the small, decorative tables resting against it, which she made into a Launchpad to get herself up onto the chandelier./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnger and a sense of betrayal began to overwhelm me, but I didn't have much time to dwell on that. Diego came running up the stairs just a moment later, and upon spotting me struggling to stay away, strode right in my direction, throwing one of his knives toward the Swede still landing blows on my abdomen./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI was going to have some emserious /embruises tomorrow./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStrangely, Diego missed as well, but he'd done enough to at least get the brother's attention. He got up from his place and began to attempt and take a swing at Diego, who moved just a bit too fast for any real damage to be done. Still, that didn't prevent the brother he was dealing with from striking him a few times./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith my ability to breathe slowly coming back, I was able to clear my head and focus. I had just enough of a charge left to stun the one holding me down temporarily. Unwilling to let this go on any longer, I removed one of my hands from my neck and jammed it against what I presumed to be his torso, causing him to scream and drop his grip on me. All at once, air started rushing into my lungs, forcing me to cough as I collapsed down onto my knees. My limbs still felt as though they were made of jelly, but I couldn't stay down here much longer./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe sound of glass shattering momentarily drew my attention up to the other end of the hall, just in time to see the Swede that had been giving Five trouble falling out the window. At least he was out of the weeds…/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith his business concluded, Five made his way over to one of the panes that hadn't been broken and looked out, his eyes shooting wide again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dad," I heard him gasp. Right as he prepared to jump, his gaze fell to me, collapsed on the ground and desperately gasping for air. Almost immediately, he seemed to abandon his previous intentions, but I wasn't about to let him. Not when he'd come this close./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go," I urged, waving my hand out away from me. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina, I'm not—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go get Dad!" I cut him off as I managed to push myself up off the ground. "Go get your answers."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"But you're—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego and I can take them," I assured him. "Get out of here before I throw you out the window, idiot."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFive still seemed hesitant, but after a little smile flashed on his face, he jumped. Hopefully, that meant all was forgiven./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe moment Five disappeared, Lila gathered up her shoes and rushed down the stairs, trying catch up with him. Why was she so interested in Five today? It was like a light switch went off in her brain. span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut that wasn't what bothered me. Why the hell had she looked directly into my eyes, silently agreeing to help me, before she just turned and abandoned me? It stung, especially given all our previous conversations./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I got the chance to further dwell on things, the Swede that had held me back and attempted to choke me out got to his feet, fists in the air. I let out a single, taunting laugh as he looked up at me, falling a good two inches below my head. With just one, swift punch to the gut, he went right back down, his eyes slamming shut this time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe brother Diego had been dealing with cast his eyes to me now—the one that had just hurt a member of his family. I suppose, on a certain scale, we were even now. But if we didn't do something now, these assholes would keep following us. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNot to mention, I was suddenly craving whooping someone's ass./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Diego," I snapped. He whipped around, and upon taking in the look on my face, stepped back, gesturing out toward the final aggressor that stood in our way. A passive-aggressive smile took shape on my face as I stared him down, basking in the moment I was about to have. "Oh yeah, mofo. It's just you and me. Show me what you got."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanImmediately, I arched back, bending myself in half to avoid getting punched. He stumbled slightly following his swings, giving me the chance to shoot myself back upright and kick his side. Though I'd caught him off-guard momentarily, he still managed to recover quickly and grab onto my arm, pushing me back slightly and throwing his knee into my gut. The pain from the previous injuries he'd given me radiated outward, but I ignored it, using his weight against him to throw him against one of the windows. I'd intended to throw him down, like Five had with one of the others, but he snapped back around quickly, elbowing me in the chest./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThinking fast, I started to flip backwards and turn, managing to build up a strong charge while simultaneously avoiding getting hit; the rain and storms that had come rolling in already left me with a bit of a buildup of electricity without moving, putting me right at the advantageous point I needed. Just for good measure, I snatched up an ornate vase on yet another of those useless tables and chucked it at the man inching his way closer, forcing him to flinch in order to protect his face from being stuck with porcelain shards. Taking that moment as my window, I sprung forward and clamped my hands down on the side of his head, relieving the burn that had taken over my arms as he screamed. It took a few seconds, but he finally thudded to the ground, unconscious. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt may not have killed him, but hopefully, it'd discourage him from messing with this family again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanCurious, I glanced out the same window Five had just moments ago, noticing Dad and Mom were still waiting for their car./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit," I breathed. "Dad."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI turned and ran for the stairs, grabbing Diego's arm and dragging him along with me as I moved. The stream of fleeing guests made it slightly difficult to maneuver out, and by the time we burst free into the chilly night air and met up with Five and Lila, Dad and Mom's car was just pulling away./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Was that him?" I gasped, still slightly winded, as I set a hand on my brother's shoulder. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah," he groaned. The four of us watched with baited breath, hoping the car might stop and Dad would emerge, but the dark vehicle just disappeared around the corner, not even hesitating. /span/p