The Umbrella Academy does not belong to me.

Run Boy Run

ii

"Well, somebody told me that you had a boyfriend

Who looked like a girlfriend

That I had in February of last year

It's not confidential, I've got potential."

- SOMEBODY TOLD ME - The Killers

EUDORA PATCH LIKED TO CONSIDER HERSELF a practical woman. She had worked hard to get herself to where she was today, and harder still to graduate at the top of her class at the police academy, despite a certain vigilante having been an almost bothersome distraction during her starting years. This job wasn't an easy one, but it was one Eudora thrived in regardless, and the challenge itself was generally welcomed. Yet, every now and again, a particularly challenging case would fall into her lap and question her decision to even become a detective in the first place.

And last night brought her one of those cases.

"Ballistics came back," Her partner, Chuck, strolled over with a blue folder in his hands. He dropped the file onto Eudora's desk, "Bullets from all our shooters match."

Eudora flipped through the file, "Round-robin."

"Yeah, to quote a very smart woman," Chuck wrapped an arm around his chest, holding his other hand outwards, "'These idiots all shot each other.'" The two shared a laugh before he finished his explanation, "Uh, we also got IDs on all the deceased gentlemen. Not so gentle as it turns out."

"Criminal records?"

Chuck nodded, confirming her thoughts, "All of them. Battery, assault, a few dishonorable discharges. They're all hot heads. One and all."

"Well, that settles that." Eudora flipped the file shut and set it to the side. The 'open and close' cases certainly made her life easier, and she wasn't going to complain about that.

"Well…" Chuck continued, and his partner glanced up at him with a quirked brow, "There's just two little things. Remember the victim that got stabbed in the carotid artery?" Eudora nodded and he handed her an evidence bag with the bloody knife in it.

"Yeah," She spoke as she examined the knife, "One of the guys stabbed the other. What's the problem?"

"Fingerprints on the knife don't match our guys." Chuck further explained, and Eudora's brows furrowed as his voice took on a slightly excited tone, "but it gets weirder. It did match an unsolved cold case that came back, circa, get this… nineteen thirty-eight."

The detective didn't look convinced and passed the evidence back to her partner, "Tell them to run it again." There was no way someone over the age of eighty played any part in last night's bloody events. It didn't happen often, but IAFIS had to be wrong on this case, "What about the second thing?"

"Oh, right." Chuck pulled out another evidence bag from his back pocket, and Eudora made a mental note to remind him to not keep important evidence in his pants, "This is also weird." He passed the bag to his partner, and she studied the bloodied napkins that laid within, "Found these behind the counter. PCR identified the blood, and, get this…" Eudora was so ready to throttle her partner and his need for theatrics, "the blood belongs to Halyn Alberty." The way Chuck said the name made it sound as if it were super important, but the name wasn't ringing a bell so she stared up at her partner.

"Halyn Alberty." Eudora repeated the name. She frowned as a sense of familiarity filled her, but her mind struggled to place it, "Why is that name so familiar?" It took another few seconds of her mulling the name around in her mind before it clicked, and she glanced back up at Chuck, "Wait, isn't she one of those Umbrella kids?"

"Mhmm." He confirmed with a nod of his head, and his excitement from earlier was back, "but get this: according to her sister's book, Halyn is currently a statue in the courtyard of the Umbrella Academy, where she's been for the last twelve years."

"A statue?" Eudora repeated in disbelief, and Chuck nodded his head once more, "Chuck, this is impossible. Run it-"

"We've run it three times, Eudora. Each time has come back as the same person: Halyn Alberty."

This case wasn't looking to be as cut and dry as she was initially hoping for. Normally that wasn't a problem for Eudora- as she liked a good challenge- but when it involved cold cases from the thirties and blood from someone who was long dead well, that changed things for her.

Before the two could continue their discussion on the absurdity that had become their case, a uniformed officer approached Eudora's desk with a hand-cuffed Diego. She glanced up at the two with a heavy sigh before facing Chuck once more, "We'll talk about this later." Her partner nodded before walking away, and Eudora turned, "Uncuff him."

Diego smirked at the officer who was un-cuffing him, and the other man didn't seem fazed by the look, almost as if this wasn't the first time the two were in this predicament, "Thanks, Rodriguez." Diego so casually name-dropped the man, as if they were friends.

The officer rolled his eyes, but offered the vigilante a quick good-bye as he retreated. Diego dropped into the empty chair besides the desk, turning his smirk Eudora's way, "So," He snagged a random sheet of paper off her desk, attempting to read it over before it was ripped from his hands, "Did you talk-"

"Shut up and listen-"

"-to the tow truck guy?"

"-carefully."

The two spoke over each other before Eudora got the upper hand, and Diego stared at her expectantly. The glare that darkened her pretty features didn't faze Diego, and he found the expression all the more endearing as she started to speak, "The next time you interfere in one of my investigations," The vigilante looked ready to argue, so Eudora raised her voice to continue speaking over him, "You so much as breathe on one of my witnesses, or touch a piece of evidence, I'll charge you with obstruction of justice. You will do jail time. That clear?"

Diego didn't look as fearful or understanding as Eudora had hoped. She huffed, instead, as he scoffed in amusement, "Damn. You need to relax, Eudora. All this bureaucracy is get-"

"Don't call me that." She gritted through her teeth in frustration.

The vigilante rolled his eyes and leaned forward on his elbows, closer to Eudora who shifted away with a frown, "Look, I know you." He spoke in a low voice, "You like playing by the rules, but you live for putting the scumbags away. So, why don't you put that badge down for one night and you come out on the streets with me? Without all this bullshit-"

Diego honestly didn't see how this could be a bad idea, but Eudora obviously thought it was as she sneered at him, "You're right. That sounds super fun." The sarcasm was palpable, but the detective's rant didn't end there, "but I think you missed some things when you go yourself thrown out of the police academy, so let me explain." Diego's jaw ticked, "this bullshit is what gets convictions in a court of law. What you do out there is a fantasy. I would love to play cops and robbers, wear a mask, feel important but guess what? Recess is over. It's grown-up time, Diego. You're still trying to prove that, when you were kids, running around in those stupid uniforms, that it wasn't for nothing."

A pained silence lingered between the duo as they stared intently at each other. Diego's lips were pressed in a thin line, and Eudora stared at him knowingly, "Yeah, I know you too, Diego." She ended her mini-speech on a softer note, but that didn't stop the sting her words caused him.

Diego found himself at a loss for words as he digested everything Eudora had just said to him. Being 'mysterious' and 'unreadable' had always been some of his top traits, ones that he prided himself on, but she was right; she could read him like an open book. Ever since he had let her in all those years ago, Eudora had been able to see right through him. Even after their relationship turned platonic- on her insistence and not his- she could still see right through him.

It irritated him to no end.

As the vigilante battled some inner demons, Eudora's mind flickered back to the last piece of- very confusing- evidence Chuck had showed her. With a heavy sigh, she levelled Diego with a piercing gaze, "Okay, look, there is one thing you can help me with."

"You going to charge me if I help you?" He sneered, and the detective rolled her eyes.

"Diego." Her tone was warning, and he relented.

"Fine. What do you need?"

"We found… DNA at the crime scene." Eudora paused and fiddled with her pen as she chose her next words carefully. Diego, meanwhile, eyed her curiously.

"There were multiple dead bodies. Of course you-"

"Don't interrupt me." She snapped before inhaling a deep breath, "The DNA found doesn't make sense and… is out of place." The detective trailed off.

A sarcastic smirk twisted the corners of the vigilante's lips, "Gonna just leave me in suspense, Eudora?"

"Detective Patch." Eudora corrected harshly, flashing the man an irked glare. Diego was unfazed, and instead just stared right back at her. She sighed, "The DNA belongs to Halyn Alberty." Diego tensed at the mention of the Sioux teen, but tried to remain nonchalant regardless, "She was your sister, right?" If Eudora noticed the sudden change in his demeanor, she didn't say anything.

"Not my sister." Was the only thing he could come up with as his mind attempted to digest her words. He hadn't seen Halyn since the 'funeral', but if she had been at Griddy's during that shootout, Diego could safely assume Five was with her.

What that all meant, he wasn't quite sure- but he was definitely going to find out.

The detective raised a brow at his rushed words and further pressed, "But you grew up with her?"

"You could say that." Diego shifted in his seat. He made brief eye contact with Eudora but flickered his gaze away rather hastily. She quirked a brow, "but I haven't seen her since we were sixteen," He shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but it was clear he was lying. She was one of the few people he was never able to lie to, "so I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Before Eudora could say anything else, he suddenly shot up from his seat. He muttered a quick goodbye under his breath before turning on his heel and making his way towards the nearest exit. His shoulders were tense, and he avoided eye contact with the other detectives and PD members he all but shoved by as he navigated his way out.

"If you know something Diego, you need to tell me. You owe me that much!"

Eudora all but shouted at Diego's back as he retreated from her desk. His shoulders were squared, determination in his step and he ignored the detective's words. Maybe the vigilante should've been honest with the detective- she was only trying to help after all- but she had a hard enough time wrapping her mind around his 'powers', so explaining to her whatever had happened to Halyn most likely would've been a lost cause. That, and Diego wanted to be the one to approach the Sioux teen first.

The strange circumstances surrounding the whole shoot-out had already left a nasty taste in Diego's mouth, and now that he knew Halyn had somehow been involved- or at least present- well, his stomach churned at the thought. Despite the two not being all that close, the knife-wielder still felt the need to look after her and protect her. The vigilante in him also just needed to know the fine details, and his ego wanted to solve this case before Eudora could, then maybe he could prove to her how useless he wasn't.

Above all though, if Juliet found out Diego had a chance to help and protect Halyn and he didn't take it, she'd have his ass.

"Five? Halyn?"

Vanya's voice echoed off the cavernous and empty halls of the Umbrella Academy as she looked for her brother and friend. After waking up this morning to an empty apartment, panic had immediately churned in her stomach and she set out to find the two teens. Vanya didn't like how they ended things last night, and she was bound determined to find and talk to them.

She would not lose them again.

"Are you guys upstairs?" The ordinary woman called out in the empty foyer, "Five? Halyn?" The silence of her old home was unsettling, but she pushed the feeling aside as she delved deeper into the academy. Vanya continued to call out the two's names, hoping for a response, as she made her way towards the living quarters, her best guess as to where the two would be.

A sense of relief washed over her as she entered Five's room, taking note of Halyn sprawled out on his bed, and the boy in question staring outside his bedroom window blankly, "Oh, thank god." Halyn barely looked up as Vanya called out to the two, "I was worried sick about you two."

Five turned around with a small sigh, and the Sioux teen dropped her head back onto a pillow, "Sorry we left without saying goodbye."

"No, look, I'm the one that should be sorry- to the both of you." Vanya admitted with a soft sigh and a shake of her head. This caught Halyn's attention, and she propped herself up on her elbows, "Yeah, I was dismissive, and I-I guess I didn't know how to process what you were saying. And I still can't, to he honest." The Sioux teen could relate to Vanya's words, but that didn't lessen the pain Halyn felt at them last night, "But that doesn't make what I said right or even okay. And I'm sorry." She looked at Halyn when she spoke these words. She stared right back at Vanya, but made no move to say anything else.

"Well, maybe you were right to be dismissive." Five stole a glance at Halyn, turning away from Vanya. He toyed with a toy truck that sat on his dresser, mind distant, "Maybe it wasn't real after all." His shoulders sagged, and if Halyn didn't know this was all just for show, she might've fallen for his words, "It felt real. Well, like you said, the old man did say time travel could contaminate the mind." Five faced his sister once more, a rueful smile gracing his lips before it quickly fell.

Vanya looked unsure at his words, and she had to admit, the silence from Halyn stung, but she couldn't blame her either. A sudden thought jumped into her mind, "Then maybe I'm not the right person for you to be talking to?" Five quirked a brow and Vanya continued on, "Look, I used to see someone. A therapist. I could give you her information? She could help you too, Halyn."

"Pass." Halyn's tone was bitter, and Vanya flinched.

Though the suggestion was coming from a place of good intentions, the insinuation Halyn needed a therapist left a sour taste in her mouth. She had tried speaking to a therapist during the first few months of her freedom, but no one was ever going to understand the mental trauma she endured during her entrapment.

No one could help her.

Five shook his head, also declining his sister's offer, "Thanks, but I think I'm just gonna get some rest. It's been a long time since I've had a good sleep." In actuality, it had only been a few hours since he had a good sleep- the first in a long time- but Vanya didn't need to know that.

It was almost unbelievable how positive of an impact sleeping close to someone you deeply cared about had on one's sleep.

"Oh, yeah, uh, okay." Vanya nodded her head. Her gaze flickered from Five and over to Halyn, and back again. Her brother had offered her a small smile, but the Sioux teen was laying back down on the bed again, glaring daggers into the ceiling above them. Vanya didn't like that she had seemingly pushed away her one friend in the world, but there wasn't anything she could do about it right now.

Halyn rarely held grudges- but when she did, it was best to just give her some space.

With a heavy sigh, Vanya spared Five one last look. He had casted his gaze away, turning to stare out the window and her eyes turned sullen. With a heavy heart, she exited the room, leaving the two teens alone to their own mental trauma.

Once Vanya's footsteps had faded away, Klaus burst forth from Five's wardrobe. He stumbled out of the small confines, clothes falling to the ground as he struggled to regain his footing. The teleporter's eye twitched as he watched his brother, and Halyn rolled her eyes at the not-so-subtle commotion.

"That's so touching, all that stuff about family and dad and time. Wow!" Klaus didn't even try to keep his voice low as he faux swooned, and Five hissed at him.

"Would you shut up? She'll hear you!"

The necromancer ignored his brother's words, instead continuing on in a mock heartfelt voice, "I'm moist." Halyn cringed at his word choice.

Five's jaw clenched and he grimaced at Klaus's choice in clothing, "I told you to put on something professional."

"What?" The man looked mildly offended at the teen's words, glancing down at his clothes as if there was nothing wrong with them. His shirt was a few sizes too big, billowing with every movement Klaus made, the color itself to bright to be an actual piece of fashion, "This is my nicest outfit."

"Klaus, your sleeves have ruffles." Halyn called out.

"And that's a problem, why?"

With a roll of his eyes, Five extended a hand towards Halyn, who had maintained her position on his bed. She accepted the extended appendage, allowing the teleporter to pull her off the bed, and she followed him as he exited the bedroom, "We'll raid the old man's closet."

"As long as I get paid." Klaus casually reminded.

"When the job is done."

Content with his brother's answer, Klaus followed after the duo, only to call out to Five just as they reached the stairs, "Just so we're clear on the finer details, I just gotta go into this place and pretend to be your dear old dad, correct?"

"Yeah," Five retorted, "something like that."

"Okay, yeah, good." Klaus nodded his head and then glanced between Five and Halyn, "And just so I know all the…" He waggled his fingers, "details. Is Halyn here your girlfriend?"

Halyn snorted, "Ex." She feigned a pout when Klaus looked at her, even sniffling some to add to the theatrics, "He broke up with me." Five rolled his eyes, though a tightness clenched his heart.

"The audacity!" The necromancer gasped, clasping his hands over his heart, "Oh, you poor thing!" Klaus suddenly pulled her into a hug, and she regretted her words immediately, "How are you holding up?" The question was aimed at Halyn, his voice a few octaves too high for dramatic flair, but he tossed a jovial glare Five's way in the meantime.

Glare met glare and the Sioux teen struggled in Klaus's grasp. She silently pleaded with Five to help her out, but the teleporter continued to glare at his brother. An unidentifiable expression flickered in his eyes, and it was almost like he momentarily wasn't one hundred percent there. His jaw was clenched tightly, eyebrow twitching, but Five maintained silence.

The strange look on the teleporter's face caused Halyn to struggle more before she was resigned to use her powers. Upper half shifting into air, Klaus's arms fell right through her, and she skirted away from the eccentric man. He stumbled forward at the lack of support, blinking in the process before steadying himself.

Fixing his jacket, Klaus turned to face the two teens, daft to the weirdness that had filled the air. Pretending to be Five's girlfriend- or ex based on their teasing conversation earlier- shouldn't have meant anything, nor should it have bothered Halyn. But seeing Five maintaining a calculating silence, and not being able to read his expression for once, had her concerned that maybe the ploy had gone too far.

"The doctor thinks Halyn is my girlfriend, yes." Five suddenly spoke. His voice was level, and Halyn couldn't detect any sort of emotion in it. The teleporter rolled his shoulders as he glanced between the two and offered no other words.

Believing the conversation to be done- or rather just hoping it was done- Five turned towards the stairs before starting his descent. After a few steps and realizing he was alone on the trek, the teleporter motioned to Halyn to follow him. The Sioux teen was hesitant, however, as she silently tried to process what the heck had just happened- or more accurately, what the heck Five's reaction or lack thereof meant.

Halyn may have been the one who instigated their faux relationship at Meritech, but Five had been the one to 'end' it shortly after. Obviously, the two knew the 'relationship' was fake from the start and a ploy to help Five to get his desired answers, which was why his reaction had left the Sioux teen on the rather puzzled side of things. She had only been joking around with Klaus when she brought up their 'break-up', yet the mention of it didn't seem to sit well with the teen.

The whole thing sent Halyn's mind reeling, and she figured she was driving herself insane trying to figure out Five's reaction. She was definitely looking too much into it, so she shoved it away for the time being. It was most likely nothing, and dwelling on it was just going to drive her insane.

After a brief hesitation and internal struggle, Halyn bounded down the stairs after Five. They had only made it about halfway before Klaus called out to his brother once more, and Five faced him with obvious ire.

"What's our cover story?"

Five blinked, clearly baffled, "What? What are you talking about?" Had they not just discussed this?

Klaus rolled his eyes, throwing his arms out in exasperation and Halyn snorted, "I mean, was I really young when I had you?" His voice had turned dramatic, mind churning with potential ideas, "like sixteen? Like, young and terribly misguided?"

"You're terribly something, alright." Five muttered under his breath. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, a clear sign of his irritation, and glared up at his brother. Klaus didn't seem fazed by the teleporter's words, nor did he really seem to process the fact that he was getting on Five's nerves- which were rather short these days.

Five briefly wondered why he had asked Klaus for help, but he quickly pushed that thought away. Anyone else would ask too many questions- Klaus only needed a few bucks and that was good enough for him.

"You know what?" Five flashed his brother a tight-lipped smile, "Sure. You were young."

Klaus nodded, clearly pleased with the change in attitude from the teleporter, and Halyn rolled her eyes, "Your mother, that slut!" He feigned a sense of hatred for the mystery woman, "Whoever she was…" He quickly waved off, "Oh! We met at the disco. Okay? Remember that!" A wistful expression flickered across the necromancer's face before he suddenly snapped his fingers, "Oh my god, the sex was amazing."

Halyn's face contorted into disgust, and Five's brows furrowed, "What a disturbing glimpse into that thing you call a brain." He commented sarcastically before turning to continue down the stairs.

"Don't make me put you in time out!"

As if itching to torment his little brother as much as possible, Klaus flaunted himself down the halls of the Umbrella Academy, strolling along as if he didn't have a care in the world. Funnily enough, he was not the strangest things the halls of their harrowed childhood had encountered- but he was still a rather… unique sight to behold. Though no longer dressed in the skirt he had lovingly borrowed from Allison, Klaus was still the epitome of fashion as he sported a finely pressed pin-stripe suit, courtesy of their dearly departed Reginald Hargreeves.

Surprisingly, with no tailoring required, the suit fit Klaus like a glove. He had laughed bitterly at that fact, muttering something about how 'of course he was the same size as dad', but regardless, he still flaunted his new threads with mild glee- though he may have just been excited at the prospect of making twenty bucks.

Coupled with some freshly slicked back hair- courtesy of Five-, Klaus looked almost professional. And it was weird.

And Halyn did not like it one bit.

Alas, this was part of Five's 'brilliant' plan, so she had no room to complain.

Sporting a pair of freshly polished shoes, Klaus suddenly spun on his heels, and a loud squeak reverberated in the hall at the motion. Halyn cringed at the sound, the necromancer popping his suit collar for dramatic flair. Five scowled- a look that was slowly becoming his permanent expression- "Are you done, Klaus?"

Klaus pointed a lazy finger at his 'son', "That is no way to talk to your father, young man!" The necromancer reprimanded Five, and Halyn couldn't help but chuckle at the faux authoritative tone. This earned her a glare from her best friend, who was growing more and more annoyed at the situation he created with every passing second.

So much so that Halyn could've sworn she saw a vein throbbing on Five's forehead.

Five's shoulders were tense, a tight-lipped smile on his face as he flashed a dark glare at his 'father', "Careful, Klaus, or you won't get your twenty-bucks." His voice was dangerously level, but the threat was palpable.

For once in his life- and mostly due to his current sobriety- Klaus actually fully registered the threat that was levelled at him, and his demeanor instantly changed. Dropping the 'father' act for the time being, the necromancer pouted, "Oh, boo. Future really took the fun out of you, huh?" He waved his hand and turned his back.

Though Klaus's words were innocent enough, the impact they had on Five was great. A sudden tenseness overtook his body and his posture went rigid. A haziness clouded his eyes as they filled with a distant expression and thoughts of the future- and therefore the apocalypse- consumed his mind. With lips pressed tightly together, his gaze turned almost murderous, and Halyn slipped her hand into Five's own.

Ignorant to his brother's sudden tension, Klaus continued on down the hall, but the two teens remained in place. Halyn threaded her fingers through the teleporter's own, drawing his attention to her.

The contact momentarily grounded Five, his own green eyes boring into her brown, but it was a moment that was short-lived. Klaus, upon noticing the two were not following him, tutted at the teens to get their attention. Almost instantly, tension washed over Five like a tidal wave once more. Halyn frowned, tossing the necromancer a dark scowl as he attempted to hurry the two along once more- 'come along now, children'- and Five pulled his hand from her grasp, giving it a quick squeeze before doing so.

And, with saddened eyes, Halyn watched as the boy she once knew like the back of her hand followed after his brother, shoulder's tense with the weight of the world that he felt was his alone to bare.

"Oh, kids, look!"

Halyn blinked as Klaus suddenly paused on the grand staircase of the Umbrella Academy that lead into the main foyer. She halted in her steps, nearly colliding with the man, and Five shifted in an irritated manner. As the minutes ticked by, it became more and more obvious that he was truly regretting his new plan—as this was like the fifth time Klaus had stopped them on their trek to Meritech.

"What now, Klaus?" The teleporter managed to ground out through clenched teeth.

"It's your mother, and my lover!"

The necromancer was undeterred by the obviously irked tone his brother carried, and instead pointed towards the entryway into the academy. Juliet stood before the door, having been in the process of opening it to leave, when Klaus's voice caught her attention. She paused in her exit, turning to face the trio, and she quirked a brow.

"Uh, hey guys?" Juliet couldn't help but look perplexed as Klaus strolled down the steps, wearing a nicely pressed suit that was obviously not his, hair neatly done, and she looked to Halyn and Five for an explanation. The two teens stayed silent, however.

"That slut!" Klaus suddenly drawled, hand clasped over his heart, and Halyn's eyes widened. Juliet's narrowed, however, and her irritation was palpable.

"Klaus." Her tone was cautionary, and she shifted to fold her arms over her chest. Klaus wasn't deterred by her warning tone, and he was either willfully ignorant or just daft to her irritation as he stepped up to the woman. She eyed him darkly, hands falling as the necromancer suddenly tossed an arm around her shoulders and pulled Juliet in close.

"Remember when we met at the disco?" Klaus's voice was suddenly wistful and reminiscent, and Halyn was surprised at how genuine he sounded while relaying his faux tale. He continued to hold Juliet close, even going as far to wrap his other arm around her front so she was encircled in his arms, and her irritation came to a boiling point.

"Klaus, I will murder you if you don't take your hands off me." The African-American's threatening words were paid no mind, however, and instead Klaus's arms around her tightened in a vice-like grip. "What drug is he on now?" Juliet sighed out, exasperated, and she looked to Halyn and Five for help.

With a bit of wiggling and shimmying, and a not-so-gentle elbow to the stomach, the woman managed to pull herself from the necromancer's grasp.

"No drugs." Halyn shrugged.

Five seethed, "He's just an idiot."

"Is that anyway to talk to daddy dearest?"

Five bristled at Klaus's words, his body so wholly consumed by regret at having asked his druggie brother for his assistance. At this point in time, he was better off asking some random stranger off the street to be his 'father'. Before the teleporter could take a swing at his brother or do any sort of thing to him, Halyn stepped in front of the teleporter. Realistically speaking, she knew he could easily get around her, but she also knew he'd take the subtle message to just calm down.

Brows still furrowed from the events that just transpired, Juliet continued to stare at the trio before her, slightly dumbfounded and incredibly confused.

"Okay, can anybody tell me what the hell is going on?"

As an executive at a high-level prosthetics company, Doctor Lance Biggs had come across his fair share of eccentric personalities. Normally he could handle them with great care and was often commended for his strong customer service skills, but this time around, he had made a huge mistake. It was taking every fiber of his being to not throw the family before him out on the streets- and though doing just that may have been incredibly satisfying, it was a surefire way to get him, well, fired.

The teen from earlier- Lance vaguely remembered his girlfriend calling him Five?- had come back, girlfriend still in tow, but now he had his parents with him. The doctor had begrudgingly agreed to see them once more, and he was really beginning to question his decision. The conversation was going in circles, with Five demanding the answers he wanted, and Lance refusing to do just that every time he asked.

At this point in time, after half an hour of the conversation going nowhere, Halyn had begun to feel the inklings of a headache toying at the back of her mind. She suddenly wished she had gone with Vanya to wherever Vanya's go on the twenty-fifth of March, but instead she was stuck here- with Five mere seconds away from having a meltdown while Klaus and Juliet pretended to be his loving parents.

Five sure knew how to take someone's already strange life and make it even stranger.

Pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, Halyn barely paid the scene before her any mind as Lance folded his arms neatly before him, "As I told your son before," His eyes flickered between Klaus and Juliet, who were apparently the angered teens parents. The doctor wasn't sure he quite believed this, but just voicing his disbelief was grounds for a lawsuit, so he kept his mouth shut, "any information about the prosthetics we build is strictly confidential." His frustration was palpable, but Lance did his best to stay calm, "without the client's consent, I simply can't help you."

Five stopped his pacing, growling lowly, "Well, we can't get consent if you don't give us a name!" His irritation was obvious, and Halyn couldn't blame him.

Lance simply shrugged, "Well, that's not my problem."

Juliet reached up, placing a hand on Five's sleeve and pushing him gently away from the desk. She shot him a look that said calm down before turning towards the doctor. Batting her eyelashes, "Are you sure there's nothing you can't do to help my son, Doctor Biggs?" Juliet practically purred.

"I, uhm, well-" Lance fidgeted in his seat and stole a glance at Klaus- the African America woman's supposed husband. He didn't seem put-off by his wife's slightly flirty tone and was instead staring almost blankly ahead. It was unnerving, and the doctor was so ready for them all to leave, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but without a patient's consent, there's really nothing more I can do, so-"

"And what about my consent?" All eyes snapped to Klaus, who had been sitting quietly during the whole argument, as Juliet had been the one doing most of the talking.

"Excuse me?" The confusion Doctor Biggs was feeling was shared by all present parties.

"Who gave you permission to lay your hands," The necromancer paused for dramatic effect, pulling Juliet's hand into his own and holding it tight as his voice flickered with false tears, "on our son?"

"What?" Five and Lance's voices merged together as they stared at Klaus in bewilderment. Halyn watched silently in her own confusion, and an understanding expression suddenly replaced Juliet's perplexed look.

The woman placed her free hand over her mouth, looking up at Five with wide eyes, "Oh my poor baby boy." Juliet then turned her faux hurt expression towards Lance, eyes narrowed dangerously, "How could you do that to him?" Five couldn't have been more lost.

"Do what?" Lance looked appalled at the accusation, "I didn't touch your son."

"Oh really?" Klaus countered, unperturbed by the doctor's response. With another loving squeeze of Juliet's hand, he stood up, and the woman sniffled, "Then how did he get that swollen lip?"

"He doesn't have a-" Doctor Biggs tried to refute Klaus's absurd claims, only to be cut off as the necromancer suddenly swung around. A harsh slap echoed in the glass office as Klaus hit Five straight across the face. Halyn jumped at the contact, eyes wide, and Five grunted in pain, stumbling back from the force.

The Sioux teen was immediately at his side, cradling his face gently in her hands as Five glared daggers at his brother over her shoulder. Juliet was unphased by what had just happened, and instead sat there patiently. She stared innocently at the doctor, who's wide gaze kept flickering between the deranged looking man, the kid with the bleeding lip, and the woman who didn't seem to give two shits her husband assaulted her son.

"Now, Doctor Biggs," Juliet folded her hands neatly across her lap, lips stretched in a bright and harrowing smile, "If you wouldn't mind giving us that name, please."

Lance's mind was having a bit of a hard time functioning, "But he just- you just-"

Realizing the man still wasn't ready to give them what they wanted, Klaus rolled his shoulders, "And you assaulted our son's girlfriend, too?" His voice dripped with dramatics, "The audacity!"

Halyn, who had been attending to Five's bleeding lip, caught the word girlfriend and turned to find Klaus closing in on her. The necromancer was winding his arm back, preparing for another strike or some sort of assault on the Sioux teen, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Klaus didn't initially seem phased by her glare- despite her best efforts she did not look as threatening as she had hoped- but then the man caught sight of his younger brother and instant fear surged through his body.

From the corner of her eye, Halyn could just barely make out the absolutely threatening glare that tainted Five's young features. The gaze sent chills up her spine, and he looked positively ready to murder if Klaus so dared lay a hand on Halyn. The not-so-subtle threat wasn't lost on the necromancer for once in his life, and the man re-evaluated his plan.

Changing his course of action, Klaus gently patted Halyn's cheek. As he pulled his hand away, he reached down and ripped off one of her ponytail holders, effectively undoing one of the Sioux teen's twin braids, before giving it a quick ruffle. Her nose crinkled in annoyance- it had taken her like fifteen minutes to do just one side- but she supposed that could've gone worse.

Five's lip did look like it hurt pretty bad—and pain wasn't her strong suit.

On the other hand, when they faced the doctor once more, he didn't look all that impressed with the four. Denying Klaus from actually hitting her may have dampened the effect he was going for but sue her for not wanting to get beat up.

Besides, she wasn't blind. Halyn was fully aware of the protectiveness Five had just displayed. It made her heart flutter and stomach flip-flop as her mind replayed the look.

Had Klaus gone through with his silent plan, well, he may have lost a hand.

Juliet jumped up to her feet and pulled a tube of deep red lipstick from her purse. Halyn watched her with confused eyes as she uncapped the tube and approached the teen. With Juliet's back facing the doctor, she gave her younger friend a cheeky wink.

"Oh, honey, that looks like it hurts!" The African-American woman cooed, voice dripping with woe, "It's even bleeding." Halyn's brows furrowed, but before she could question just what the heck Juliet was talking about, she was placing a streak of dark red lipstick on the corner of the Sioux teen's mouth.

After a few seconds, and once she was satisfied with her work, Juliet pulled away from the girl. Though Halyn couldn't see it herself, from afar, it really did look as if her lip was bleeding- and coupled with her half messy hair, she did look as if someone had roughed her up.

"How could you lay your hands on this poor, innocent girl?" Klaus faced the doctor once more. His face was scrunched up in mock concern, and it was obvious he was having more fun that he should've been with the theatrics.

"I didn't do such a thing!" Lance tried to defend himself, and he gestured at Halyn's 'bloody' lip, "And I just watched your wife smear that lipstick on her lip!"

"I haven't the darndest idea what you're talking about." Juliet feigned innocence once more, brown eyes wide to add to the façade, and she put the tube of lipstick to her own lips, touching up the make-up that was already there. She didn't break eye contact with the poor man for a single second, and the moved seemed to further intimidate Lance.

Doctor Biggs was beginning to fumble as he dealt with this deranged family that stood before him, and he climbed to his feet, "Okay, you know what, you need to leave! Now. You're all crazy!"

"You got no idea." Klaus muttered darkly.

Juliet ignored the man, instead sliding her lipstick back into her purse, "Oh, look honey!" She grabbed a snow globe that was sitting harmlessly on Lance's desk. Turning to her 'husband', she held it out for him, "Isn't it pretty?"

"Aw!" Klaus cooed as he cradled the snow globe in his hands like it was a fragile egg, "'Peace on Earth'. That's so sweet!" Without any further warning, the necromancer slammed the snow globe into his forehead, shattering the glass on his face. Halyn jumped back in surprise from the sudden motion, and even Five looked momentarily shocked at the violent self-assault. Meanwhile, Juliet hardly seemed daunted.

"God, that hurt!" The necromancer cried out, covered in glass and water. A piece of stray glitter had even settled on his nose, sparkling in the light while blood dripped down his forehead.

Lance looked absolutely aghast.

With a hurried and panicked motion, Doctor Biggs rushed to grab his phone, "I'm calling security." Just as he went to pick it up, his hand suddenly felt heavy, and he lacked the ability to lift it. Lance frantically tried to lift his hand upwards, face contorting into further anguish, and with eyes wide, he watched as Juliet calmy reached for the phone herself, "W-what are you doing?"

The African-American woman flashed the distraught doctor an innocuous grin before it melted into a look of anguish as she held the phone to her ear, "Help! There's been an assault in Doctor Bigg's office!" Juliet's voice was full of hysteria, and Halyn silently marveled at how real it sounded, "We need security, now!" She slammed the phone back down, and suddenly Lance could lift his hand once more.

The Doctor found himself at a loss for words as Juliet smiled sweetly at him, and Klaus leaned forward on the desk, "Now, here's what's going to happen, Grant."

"It's… Lance."

Ignoring the man's fearful gulp, Klaus continued with his demands, "In about sixty seconds, two security guards are going to burst through that door, and they're going to see a whole lot of blood, and they're gonna wonder 'What the hell happened?'"

"And I'm going to tell them I watched you assault not only my husband and son, but my son's girlfriend as well!" Juliet tacked on, clutching her chest as she feigned a sniffle. She even wiped away an imaginary tear, voice shaky with dramatic anguish.

Lance's lips were pressed tightly together as he struggled to digest the situation that had just played out before him, and the threat that was levelled upon him. Despite being an intelligent man, he couldn't think of a way to get himself out of this. Halyn had to admit, as she watched the poor doctor and Five grin triumphantly, she felt a bit bad about the whole scenario.

"You're gonna do great in prison, Grant. Trust me, I've been there." Klaus further taunted Doctor Bigg, and Five watched on in conquest, "Little piece of chicken like you…" Halyn's brows furrowed as the necromancer's voice darkened, and he began to move his hips in a circular motion as he spoke, "Oh my god, you're gonna get passed around like a-" Even Five and Juliet had started to look off-put by Klaus's metaphor, and not wanting him to finish it, Halyn elbowed him harshly in the side. It earned her a short glare from the man, but the doctor looked fearful enough, so with a wave of his hand, he changed course, "You're just- you're gonna do great. That's all I'm saying."

"Jesus," Lance finally managed to emerge some from his stupor, and he stared incredulously at the four gathered before him, "You are a real sick family."

Klaus stared straight into the man's eyes with a crazed look and tossed an arm over Juliet's shoulders. The woman leaned into her 'husband's' grasp with a small giggle, and he deadpanned, "Thank you." Before turning his head to spit out a shard of glass, Halyn looking mortified as she stood in the back of the office.

Dear god. I call these people my friends.

With great reluctance and Klaus's not-so-subtle threat hanging over his head, Lance lead the 'family' of four towards an office area full of filing cabinets. The doctor kept looking wearily over his shoulder at his followers, his eyes always lingering on Klaus, who would smile brightly in return, blood still coating the side of his face. They were a concerning sight to behold as they made their way through Meritech Prosthetics, and Halyn wasn't quite sure how no one else had called security on them.

"It's, uh, the information should be in this one."

The group stopped in front of a long row of filing cabinets, Klaus immediately hopping on top of one. He stared down at Doctor Biggs almost like a crazed gargoyle, and the man kept flickering his gaze back and forth from the files he was rifling through and the necromancer.

Halyn still hovered in the back, standing close to Juliet, and Five fidgeted anxiously as Lance searched the cabinet. After a minute or two of searching, the doctor found the file he was looking for. However, the relief he felt upon finding the file—which would get the insane family away from him—was quickly washed away with confusion and concern as he eyed the information in the file.

"Oh, that's strange."

Curiosity piqued; Klaus jumped off the cabinet he had been perched on. When he landed back on his feet, he leaned in close to Lance, uncomfortably so, and practically draped himself over the man's shoulder, "What?"

"Uh, the eye." Doctor Bigg's tried to roll his shoulder to get Klaus off of it, but his attempt was futile. Instead, he did his best to ignore the witheringly impatient gaze of Five, "It hasn't been purchased by a client yet."

Halyn's brows furrowed, and she spared a glance at Five. He stood opposite of her, with Klaus and the doctor between them, but his jaw was clenched tersely, a sign of his growing irritation. Every time he came close to getting his desired information, it was ripped away from him—and now it seemed his only lead had turned into a dead end.

Wishing she was closer to her best friend to try and keep him calm, Halyn sought further clarification, "Uhm, what do you mean?"

Lance glanced back at the girl, making a small note that she had wiped away the red lipstick that was once applied to the corner of her mouth, before he turned his attention back to the file in his hands, "Well, uh, our logs say that the eye with that serial number-" The doctor cut himself off and his brows knitted together, "This, uh, this can't be right. It hasn't even been manufactured yet." And with that one sentence, it was as if all the air in the room had been sucked out of it, and four sets of gazes snapped towards Five, "Where did you get that eye?"

Five's jaw ticked, a clear sign he was moments away from a meltdown. From across the way he made eye contact with Halyn, and she silently pleaded with him not make a scene as the doctor eyed him suspiciously. His anger receded some, but she knew he had just shoved it away for later, and with a sharp inhale, he stormed out of the room.

They were back to square one.

Muttering under his breath, Five stormed down the stairs of Meritech Prosthetics for the second time that day, Halyn hot on his heels. Closing the gap between them, she reached out and placed a hand on the teleporter's shoulder, "Five, are you alright?" Though the question was mostly rhetorical—his body posture very clearly said he was not alright—she couldn't help but voice the question.

Despite the front he may put on, talking things out out loud really helped Five.

"Am I alright?" Five whirled around on his best friend, voice terse, and her hand slipped from his shoulder, "There just went the only lead we had, Halyn, and you're asking if I'm alright?" His tone pitched, voice more hostile than he intended, and upon seeing the Sioux teen subtly flinch, Five ran a shaky hand through his dark locks, "I—I'm sorry, Halyn." And he meant those words. She wasn't the reason he was so angry, and it wasn't right of him to take it out on her, especially when she was doing whatever she could to help him, "This is just… this is not good."

Before Halyn could respond, Klaus and Juliet joined the duo, "I was pretty good though, right?" The necromancer asked excitedly, and the two teens quirked their brows, "Yeah. What about my consent, bitch?" Klaus mimicked himself from earlier before melting into snickers, "And Juliet-" He faced the woman, who looked mildly amused, a swoon in his eyes as he cooed, "My darling wife, you were fan-" Five's nostrils flared.

"Klaus, it doesn't matter." His eyes were filled with rage, the ire he felt earlier wholly consuming him once more, and Halyn nudged Klaus to simmer down.

The eccentric man eyed the teen before casting his gaze towards his brother, "What? What?" He looked almost offended no one congratulated him on his performance, "What's the big deal with this eye, anyway?"

That was evidently the wrong question to ask, and while Klaus felt it was innocent enough, Five stared at him like he was an idiot, "There is someone out there who's going to lose an eye in the next seven days. They're going to bring about the end of life on Earth as we know."

Though Halyn was already privy to this information, it still didn't stop the shock she felt at his admonishment once more. Five turned away from his brother, beginning to pace as he silently planned his next course of action, meanwhile, Klaus didn't look particularly phased by the idea that the world was going to end in one week. Juliet, on the other hand, looked mildly alarmed by this new information.

She glanced over at Halyn, who she noted didn't look to surprised, and voiced, "I'm sorry, wha-"

"Yeah, can I get that twenty bucks, like, now, or what?"

Five whipped around to face his brother, who sported a nonchalant look, and Halyn was so close to face-palming. Though she did love Klaus to pieces, his mind was not always in the right place.

"Your twenty bucks?"

"Yeah, my twenty bucks."

A snarl tainted Five's lips, and he stepped closer to Klaus, "The apocalypse is coming, and all you can think about is getting high?" His voice was incredulous, but he also shouldn't have expected anything less from the—arguably—black sheep of the family.

The man shrugged, "Well, I'm also hungry." Klaus placed his hands on his stomach, patting it for emphasis, "Tummy's a-rumblin'." Waggling his fingers, he imitated the sound of a stomach gurgling.

Had Five not been wearing such a murderous expression, Halyn might've laughed.

The teleporter stared up at his brother incredulously and studied his face. When it was clear there was no ounce of seriousness in it, Five sneered, "You're useless." Muttering under his breath, he turned away to sit on the nearby steps, "You're all useless."

Halyn watched as his best friend slumped onto the stairs, body hunched and tense with stress. Though she felt she should've been at least somewhat offended at his useless comment, she knew of the pressures he was feeling right now. Instead, she sat silently down on the steps beside him and pulled his hand into her lap.

With a heavy sigh, Five glanced over at Halyn. She met his gaze, holding hers steady, and he deflated some, "Well, everyone but Halyn of course." His tone was soft, and Juliet snickered knowingly.

"Of course you think your girlfriend isn't useless." Halyn's head snapped towards Juliet as she teased the duo, and suddenly Five's hand felt heavy in her own. Cheeks tinging red, she pulled her hand back, tucking it into her lap as she glared up at her friend. Juliet looked pleased with her light taunt, tongue pressed to her cheek and she raised her eyebrows up.

Five frowned at the sudden lack of contact, but didn't seem as put off but Juliet's words as Halyn had. Instead, his own snide retort sat on the tip of his tongue in regard to her non-existent relationship with Diego, but Klaus—the king of interrupting conversations—beat him to the punch.

"Oh, you need to lighten up old man!" Klaus waved a hand, and then his eyes lit up as if he had just solved a mystery, "Hey, you know, I've just now realized why you're so uptight!" The necromancer laughed to himself as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Five glowered at him.

"Please, Klaus, won't you enlighten us with your revelation?"

Klaus barked out a laugh, "You must be horny as hell!"

Oh what the fuck—

Halyn's eyes widened at the man's wry comment, and she wasn't the only one to be visibly offput by it. Juliet pinched the bridge of her nose, and Five remained silent as he stayed seated on the steps, face devoid of any emotion.

"That was not something that needed to be said, Klaus." Juliet lambasted.

He shrugged, "What? All those years alone? It's really gotta screw with one's head." Klaus's eyes flickered between Halyn and Five, who were sitting close enough to have their legs pressed together. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, fingers gesturing between the two, "You know, you and Halyn could-"

The Sioux teen shot to her feet so fast one would think her power was superspeed, "Oh for the love of-" She walked away from Five, turning her back to the small group, and her face was literally flaming.

"Klaus!" Juliet punched the eccentric man in the shoulder, earning her a glower and an offended 'hey!' from him. Though she obviously had no problem teasing the two about their hidden feelings for each other, she knew when to not go too far—and Klaus very clearly did not know those boundaries.

Five was internally grateful all attention had been turned to Halyn when she abruptly stood up, lest they see his own blush that dusted his cheeks at the cheeky suggestion. He internalized his visceral reaction better than his best friend and managed to stay poised and calm despite his heart beginning to hammer a thousand miles per hour.

Though Five had half a mind to tear Klaus a new one, he shoved that thought away. Better to change the subject than to focus on his brothers' way too dirty mind.

As Halyn struggled to compose herself, Five turned his attention back towards his idiot brother, "Well… I wasn't completely alone." He confesses.

The admission drew Halyn's attention, and she slowly turned back around to join the group, though she maintained a chunk of distance between herself and Five. The Sioux teen vaguely remembered Five mentioning a female name a handful of times since he'd been back, but he had yet to answer any questions in regards to his maybe lady-friend.

"Delores?" Haly questioned softly. Five glanced up at her, noting how her cheeks were still tinged red, and she was unable to maintain any sort of eye contact with him. When their eyes did meet, he found himself searching them intently.

For what, he wasn't quite sure.

Halyn had prodded him a few times about Dolores, but the teleporter had yet to work up the courage to talk about her to anyone—nonetheless his best friend. Five wasn't quite sure why it was so hard to tell her about Dolores—he used to be able to tell Halyn anything—but when he only found curiosity in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Was he hoping she'd be jealous?

Five nodded, and he allowed a fond smile to grace his lips, "Yeah, Delores." He confirmed, and Halyn drew closer to him. She still remained standing, and Klaus sat down in her spot, "We were together for over thirty years." His eyes settled on the Sioux teen once more.

Juliet stole a glance at Halyn, also trying to gauge the girl's response to Five's revelation. Instead of seeming upset or any other sort of jealous feeling, she wore a soft smile. Though the tiniest part of Halyn nagged at her about Five having found someone else, the feeling was easily drowned out by the warmth she felt at him not having been alone all those years.

"Thirty years? Oh, wow!" Klaus crooned, though he didn't sound all that sincere. He leaned haphazardly on Five's shoulder, and wasn't bothered when his brother shrugged him off, "God, the longest I've been with someone was… I don't know, three weeks?" The teleporter's jaw ticked in irritation as Klaus droned on, "And that's only because I was so tired of looking for a place to sleep-"

Deciding he had had enough of Klaus's ramblings, Five lifted to his feet. Halyn had been watching the necromancer with unamused eyes, and when her best friend stepped before her, her gaze shifted to him. She lifted a questioning brow, prepared to speak, but her words were caught in her throat as Five latched onto her hand.

In a blink of an eye, the two disappeared in a burst of blue light, and Juliet rolled her eyes. She sat in Five's abandoned spot on the stairs, and Klaus continued prattling on about his longest relationship, daft to the fact his brother and Halyn were no longer in their company.

"He did make a fantastic osso bucco, though. It was-"

"He's gone, Klaus." Juliet finally cut off the prattling man, leaning her elbow on her knee and resting her face in her hand.

"What the-" The necromancer jumped to his feet, the woman sitting beside him eyeing him curiously, and he shouted, "Five?"

Appearing in a taxi, Halyn landed harshly in the backseat beside Five. She placed a hand to her forehead, that was looking paler than usual, and she groaned, "And there's the nausea again." The girl slumped over, head falling onto Five's shoulder, and he stared down at her with a mixture of sympathetic and concerned eyes.

When he was sure the Sioux teen wasn't going to vomit, Five turned towards the driver, "Don't stop." The man had startled, absolutely not prepared for two teens to magically appear in the back of his moving taxi, "Keep going." Regardless, the driver listened to Five and as the vehicle drove past the Meritech building, Klaus caught sight of him.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The necromancer practically screamed, and Juliet slammed her hand to her forehead as nearby strangers tossed the duo weird looks, "What about my money!?" Klaus demanded of his brother, stomping in anger.

Five leaned over Halyn, tossing his brother and friend a half-ass and very mocking two-fingered salute, a condescending smirk quirking his lips. Halyn shoved him away from the window and offered a distressed Klaus and bemused Juliet an apologetic wave as the cab drove past them.

Five was just so… Five sometimes.

Shaking her head, Juliet stood up. Klaus was still glaring after the taxi, and he looked like he was seriously contemplating whether or not to run after the two teens. Before he could make this decision, the African American woman grabbed the bottom of his suit jacket. As she began to walk away, she dragged him with her.

"Come on, Klaus. I'll buy you lunch."

The necromancer spared one last glanced over his shoulder, but he relented and as he walked with Juliet, she released her grip on his jacket. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she lead the two down the sidewalk and towards a nearby diner.

"Will you give me twenty-bucks?"

…

"No, Klaus, no I will not."

As thunder rumbled in a distance, a light rain bathed the earth below. Halyn edged closer to Five, a shiver tearing through her body, as the two trekked across a desolate parking lot and towards the teleporter's destination. Since leaving Meritech, the two had spent the day traversing the city, visiting their old haunts and reminiscing about the past until night had fallen, and Five felt it was time to visit one last location.

He had kept Halyn in the dark as to where they were going, but as they closed in on a darkened department store, she faced her friend, "Five, why are we at Gimbel Brothers?"

Five shrugged, the red neon of the store's sign illuminating his face ever so slightly, "You'll see." She had half a mind to question him further, as she wasn't fond of his ever-increasing secrecy, but when they stopped in front of the locked doors, and he held out an expectant hand, her concerns suddenly switched.

"Do we have to?" Halyn's nose crinkled as she stared at his extended hand, stomach already feeling the tinges of nausea as she thought about the path that laid before her.

Instead of directly answering her semi-rhetorical question, Five firmly grabbed onto the Sioux teen's arm. In a flash of blue, the two warped into the deserted building.

"Yes." Came his simple response when they reappeared on the other side of the glass doors.

Five let go of her arm, stepping forward to glance around the department store as Halyn took a moment to collect herself. Though her stomach did feel a bit queasy after their little jump, she didn't feel as nauseous as she had after previous jumps over the past twenty-four hours. This was a good sign, as it meant that her body was slowly building back up the immunity to spatial jumps she once had before their lives overcomplicated themselves.

Still, she was never much a fan of the wibbly-wobbly feeling spatial jumping gave her. It always felt as if her body had liquified itself, thrown itself into a blender, and then resolidified elsewhere, and she hated it.

"You alright?"

Halyn glanced up, only to squint against the sudden brightness that was Five with a flashlight. "Uh, yeah." She nodded her head and her eyes adjusted to the low light.

"Good. Lets go."

Halyn couldn't tell if it was nerves or not, but something about Five suddenly seemed a bit off. His words were a bit stiff, which was a sharp contrast to how he normally talked to her. And where normally Five liked to walk alongside the Sioux teen, this time around, as they maneuvered through various aisles of clothing, he was leading her along as if she were a second thought.

Stealing glances around the desolate store as she trailed after the teleporter, Halyn curled her arms around herself. Whereas Five seemed unphased by the eerie atmosphere the desolate apartment store gave off, the Sioux teen was feeling something else. The hair on her arms had begun to stand up as an eerie feeling spread through her chest. The department store was silent, sans the duos footsteps, and Halyn couldn't help it as her nerves stood on edge.

Every so often, Five would pause in front of a set of mannequins. His flashlight would slowly scan over each of their faces and, in almost disappointment, his shoulders would sag after he got to the last one, and the two would move on. After the second time of this happening, Halyn wanted to ask what Five was doing and exactly who he was searching for.

But she never got the chance.

After rounding a corner, Five's flashlight landed on another grouping of mannequins, and he suddenly stopped. Halyn stood in line next to him, and when she glanced up at him, ready to ask why they stopped, she paused.

A ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of Five's lips, an almost fond expression overtaking his once-stressed features, as he stared at the gathered mannequins, "Delores." He spoke softly and Halyn blinked as realization washed over her, her chest tightening.

Five began walking towards Delores, his smile slowly growing with each step, and Halyn hung back as she processed this newfound information. Delores was in fact not a person, but rather a mannequin, and the Sioux teen wasn't quite sure how to handle this revelation. This whole time she had been under the impression that Delores was a person—one with whom Five had spent three decades with.

In all honesty, Delores being a mannequin did make more sense, as Five had specifically stated that he had been the sole survivor of the human race. Halyn hadn't even questioned Delores when he first let her name slip, but at the time, she had been so focused on the fact that Five hadn't actually been alone in the apocalypse—but in reality, it turns out he had been.

Halyn's heart ached at the thought.

"It's good to see you." Five stared up at the mannequin, words soft, and Halyn suddenly felt as if she were intruding on a private moment, "I've missed you… obviously. Well, it's been a rough couple of days."

The Sioux teen fidgeted awkwardly from her place at the opening to the aisle, looking at anywhere but her best friend and his supposed 'girlfriend' and wondering if it would be rude of her to walk away or not. As if sensing Halyn's growing awkwardness, Five glanced back at her. She chewed her lip as they made eye contact, and he nodded his head as a sign for her to come closer.

Five offered her a reassuring smile—one that even looked a bit nervous—and Halyn returned the look with a shy one of her own. She began walking towards him, and Five refocused on Delores, "This is Halyn, as I'm sure you've guessed." There was a pause, "Yes, that Halyn." He suddenly hissed, voice low, and before she could question him, he cleared his throat, "Halyn, this is Delores."

And when Five looked at her with such hopeful eyes, how could she not greet the mannequin as if she were an old friend and this was a totally normal situation, "Delores." Halyn murmured, allowing any awkwardness she had once felt melt away, "It's so nice to meet you." Five's eyes softened, and any anxiety he may have felt at introducing his best friend to his life companion instantly melted away.

Halyn decided in the moment that while, yes, it was a bit strange for Five to have gotten so attached to a mannequin, it didn't much matter to her. This mannequin had given Five hope and a weird sense of companionship during his years alone in the apocalypse. One could even argue Delores had helped keep him sane during his isolation, but his attachment to this inanimate object could also be used as an argument otherwise.

A part of her thought that maybe she shouldn't encourage this sort of emotional attachment to an inanimate object, but since Five had spent literal decades as the last human on Earth, Halyn felt as though she should cut him some slack.

Reaching forward, Halyn gently clasped the mannequin's hand in her own, giving it a soft shake like you would when meeting a new friend, "Five has told me-" She had barely gotten the words out when suddenly the arm she was shaking dislodged itself from Delores's shoulder, and the Sioux teen found herself now in possession of a mannequin's severed arm.

"Five, I-I-I-" She turned towards her best friend, facial expression absolutely horrified.

Instead of looking any sort of upset, Five merely looked mildly amused. With a shrug, he took the severed arm from Halyn before placing it at Delores's feet, "Don't worry about it." He passed Halyn his flashlight, and she watched him with a perplexed gaze as he reached up.

Arms firmly gripping the mannequin's waist, he jerked her upwards, severing the top half of Delores from her waist. Five cradled the mannequin gently as he lowered her, and in one swift motion, he brushed off her hat and wig.

"There," Five glanced up at Halyn, expression soft as he held Delores to his chest, "Perfect." His hand absentmindedly caressed her cheek.

Halyn had so many questions—such as why did his mannequin girlfriend only have one arm and no legs—but she held them in, lest she ruin the moment. It had been so long since she had seen Five so happy, and she'd be damned if she ruined that.

Holding her arms out, she gestured to the mannequin, "May I?"

Five looked momentarily apprehensive, and he shared a glance with Delores. A silent conversation seemed to flow between the two, and after a few seconds, he gave in, passing over the mannequin to his best friend with a soft 'be careful'.

Now cradling Delores in her arms, Halyn studied the mannequin closely. With a slightly upturned nose and perfect brows, she could see why Five had taken a fancy to her. She smiled over at her best friend, doing her best to make sure she didn't seem sarcastic, and she spoke lowly, "I like your girlfriend."

Five had folded his arms over his chest and was doing his best to seem annoyed. Though Halyn's words were genuine, he couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish, "Yeah, well, she likes you too." His voice was low, and the teleporter was appreciative of the fact his blush was hidden by the deep, blue glow of the department store.

A warm feeling blossomed in Halyn's chest, her own cheeks tinging rosy. The moment was short lived, however, as Five's face suddenly paled. Two figures, each sporting oversized animal masks, approached the little trio, and the teleporter's eyes widened in horror, "No!"

Gunfire rained down on the two powered teens, the sounds echoing in the cavernous department store. Five tackled Halyn to the ground as bullets tore through the remaining mannequins, and she dropped Delores in the process.

Halyn quickly shifted the two so she was between Five and their assailants, and her back took on a metallic hue. Bullets bounced harmlessly off her and the two ran for cover behind a rack of clothes. The Sioux teen made sure she kept herself between Five and the gunmen, metallic coating shifting to whatever part of her body was currently facing the gunfire.

Five poked his head out between two shirts to do some scouting, "Oh, shit." Halyn quickly pulled him back as bullets tore through the thin fabric of the shirts before him, "It's them!" He hissed.

"Them who?"

"No time to explain."

"Do you ever have time to explain anything?"

Five tossed his best friend an exasperated look, one that clearly stated now was so not the time for her sass. If they weren't—once more— taking on gunfire, Halyn might've further sassed her best friend and tried to interrogate him, but as bullets continued to decimate the clothing rack they were sheltered behind, she tabled any and all sarcasm for a later date.

"Wait, where is—"

Glancing around their pitiful excuse of a refuge, Five's eyes frantically searched for the whole reason the two were at Gimbel Brothers in the first place: Delores. Upon realizing the object of his affection was not in their—not really—safe haven, the teleporter poked his head out once more to search the area they had once been standing in, "Delores!" He suddenly cried out, spotting the mannequin in the middle of an open area, laying helplessly on the ground as bullets passed over her.

Halyn felt a mild tinge of guilt—after all, she had been the one holding the mannequin last—but that guilt was quick to melt away into panic as Five dove headfirst into the fray, "Five!" The Sioux teen yelled before cursing under her breath as bullets just barely missed her idiot of a best friend.

Five had more important matters on his mind than his own safety and continued to focus on the retrieval of Delores, and that prompted Halyn to jump into action. She sprung forth from their clothing rack of safety, her sudden movement momentarily drawing the assailant's gunfire. Mind focusing on the steel bracelet that circled her wrist, the front half of Halyn's body shifted into the heavy-duty material once more.

As bullets tinked harmlessly off her body, the cover proved to be enough for Five to grab Delores and slip into another clothing wrack. Halyn dove back into cover, landing harshly beside the teleporter. She panted as her body returned to normal and tiny beads of sweat littered her forehead.

Seeing as it had been over a decade since she had last used her powers so much, she was a little bit rusty, and her body was really starting to feel the side effects of over-usage. Despite being able to shift into different materials with relative ease, each one still took a finite amount of concentration and energy. Solid materials were easier to shift into, as Halyn didn't have to focus too hard on maintaining her form like she had to do with liquid and gaseous materials—or more floppy materials in general.

Have you heard about the time Halyn shifted her arm into one of those sticky hand toys? The ones that got super gross five seconds after playing with them. No? Maybe later then.

Regardless, the simplicity of steel made it one of Halyn's go-to materials. Though it granted her great durability and strength, it also made her heavier and slower, which then took a decent amount of energy to move with.

"We'll be right back for you." Despite their current predicament, Five's voice was particularly soft, and Halyn glanced up to see him cradling Delores. With great care the Sioux teen had never really seen Five use before, he rested the mannequin on the ground, "Come on!"

Five tossed Halyn his hand, and she clasped it tightly in her own. He pulled her to him and together they sprinted from aisle to aisle, keeping their heads low as to avoid the gunfire.

Their cover ran out at one point, leaving the duo out in the open, and the two gunmen set their sights on the two teens. Gunfire rained down on the two and Five pulled Halyn in close. Before she could shift to provide them cover, a blue ripple surrounded them and, in a flash, they disappeared.

Bullets pierced thin air, and the two assailants ceased their firing, "You see that?" Cha-Cha called out to her partner.

"You said he was special." Hazel shrugged in response.

"But who's the girl?"

"Beats me. So, now what?"

Cha-Cha rolled her shoulders and glanced around the department store. Her masked gaze scanned the aisles for any sign of movement, but when she found none, she sighed, "You start over there, I'll start at the other end. Meet in the middle. Shoot anything that moves."

While the two partners split up to scour the store for their target, Halyn and Five reappeared behind a little kiosk filled with gardening supplies. Five picked up a gardening trowel and gave it a few good swings to test its weight as a weapon. Satisfied with his chosen weapon, he turned towards Halyn, "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Five disappeared in a flash of blue light before Halyn could protest, and she glared at the empty space he once stood in. She wasn't some damsel in distress who couldn't aide in a fight. Like Five, she was a member of the Umbrella Academy; trained from a young age to be a fucking superhero.

Though she may be a bit rusty, she was not helpless.

At Griddy's she stayed back while Five took care of their attackers, but he had been poised and confident in his abilities then and Halyn felt as if she was just going to get in his way. But here, facing two assassins, something seemed off, like he wasn't fully on top of his game. Something about the gunmen had put him on edge, or maybe it was the softness for Delores momentarily crippling his training, but whatever it was, Five was clearly not one-hundred percent focused on the fight at hand.

Halyn had to assist in whatever way she could.

Pulling down her own garden trowel from the rack—it had to be a decent weapon if Five set off with it, right?— Halyn poked her head out from her cover. Brown eyes scanned the store before her, taking note of the two gunmen's locations. The closest one to her was a woman wearing a pink dog head mask, and she was just a few aisles away, closing in with each passing second.

The other gunmen—who was much bigger than his partner—wore a blue bear mask, and he was standing behind a small display stand a couple aisles behind pink dog lady, "Elastic wrist splint. Yes!" Halyn could just barely hear the burly man exclaim. Her nose crinkled in confusion, but she brushed it off as a familiar blue ripple caught her eye.

Five reappeared in the fight just as Cha-Cha's flashlight illuminated Halyn in her poor hiding spot. The gun had been levelled her way, but before the trigger could be pulled, Five slashed at the woman's arm with his trowel.

Blood splattered on the nearby clothing racks, and Cha-Cha went down with a pained cry. The noise alerted her partner to her distress, and he turned his attention away from his newfound treasure, silently cursing his distractedness.

Just as Hazel took aim at Five with his shotgun, Halyn burst forth from her hiding spot. Utilizing what little energy she had left, she focused enough to shift her legs into air, a trick she used a lot when she was younger, and the extra speed allowed her to reach the blue bear man before his finger could pull the trigger.

Shifting from one material to another in only a few short seconds was a feat in it of itself, and one Halyn had barely practiced as of late. So, as she attempted to shift from air back to steel once more in the matter of seconds, the Sioux teen stumbled in the process. Whereas she had aimed to tackle the burly assailant to the ground—using her enhanced strength from steel of course—she ended up just headbutting his abdomen- hard.

Still, her end goal had been achieved.

Instead of shooting Five with his shotgun, Hazel shot the floor as he suddenly doubled over in pain, wind leaving his system. Standing beside the recuperating gunman, Halyn had to take her own deep breaths to recover from the quick usage of her powers.

Unfortunately, Hazel seemed to recover faster than the teenager.

White-hot pain suddenly tore through Halyn's jaw as Hazel slammed the butt of his gun into her face, and blood trickled down from her now split lip. Her new injury throbbed, the Sioux teen instinctively reaching up to cradle it. When she looked up, she found herself staring down the barrel of a loaded gun, and fear fluttered in her heart.

She couldn't seem to find the energy to give herself a protective coating, and while Halyn stared up at him with wide eyes, Hazel found himself faltering. He was here for Five—not some random girl—and the idea of shooting her point blank didn't sit right with him. This had been one of his shortcomings as an assassin for the Commission—his reluctance to kill the innocent. Despite his training telling him otherwise, Hazel often tossed that training out the door, not that Cha-Cha would ever know that.

Using the man's momentary hesitance to her advantage, Halyn suddenly remembered the trowel that was in her hands. Somehow, despite everything that had just occurred, she didn't drop it in the chaos.

Retaliating with her mundane garden tool, Halyn quickly slapped blue bear man's hand with the back of the trowel. She could've stabbed him with it, but Halyn had never actually stabbed someone before, and she certainly wasn't going to break that now.

"Son of a-" Hazel snapped his hand back, shaking it in the process as a stinging sensation shot through his fingers. Out of all the weapons he's faced in the field before, a garden trowel was definitely not one he would've expected in a million years.

Maybe he should have shot the girl.

Blinking, Halyn watched as the burly man's gun dropped, and he continued to shake his hand to rid it of the weird feeling. She honestly hadn't expected that to work, but she'd take it regardless. It proved to be enough of a distraction for the Sioux teen to run off.

Halyn hadn't the slightest as to where Five could've gone, but she supposed he had to be around here somewhere. Turning on her heel, she ducked through some sparkly prom dresses that were on sale before racing down the next aisle. Even if Hazel was momentarily distracted, based on how fast he had recovered when she knocked the breath from him, she didn't have much time if she wanted to get away.

Gunfire started up once more, prompting Halyn to pause. It sounded distant and she poked her head up over the aisle. Only a few aisles over, she could make out the backs of the two assailants, and it seemed blue bear man had gotten his bearings once more. They weren't firing Halyn's way, and she felt it was safe to assume they had located Five.

Shots continued to break the relative silence of Gimbel Brothers and Halyn—doing some sort of crouch-run combo thing—maneuvered her way through the aisles and in the direction, she thought Five would be. It was hard to decipher where she should be headed as she kept her head down low, but she didn't want to risk being spotted.

A particular shot of gunfire sounded way too close to Halyn for her comfort, so she dove through the nearest clothing rack in order to move over an aisle. In the process, she found Five.

Halyn rammed into the teleporter, and with pained grunts, the two fell in a heap to the ground below. Five groaned as he landed on his back, the Sioux teen falling onto his chest as their limbs tangled together. Halyn shifted so she was staring down at the boy, their noses a few inches apart, and her long hair a curtain surrounding them.

"Five! Where've you been?" She hissed, doing her best to keep her voice low. The assailant's gunfire had momentarily ceased, and she could just barely hear them shuffling around in the distance searching for the two.

"Around." Five groaned, shifting his back some to alleviate the pain he felt from where he landed on his mannequin lady-friend.

Halyn noticed the duffle strapped around his chest, "Is she-?"

"She's safe. Now can you please get off us?"

"Oh, uh, right, right…" Halyn clambered off her best friend, quickly climbing up to her feet, but making sure she stayed low enough so her head wasn't poking over the top of the clothing rack. She offered Five her hand, and he accepted it before she helped pull him to his feet. The teleporter took a second to check on Delores, and Halyn poked her head out to search for the two masked maniacs.

They were still a few aisles over, guns up and at the ready as they attempted to locate their two targets. She watched as blue bear man reloaded his gun, but neither looked in Halyn and Five's direction as they continued on with their patrol.

There was a light tug on Halyn's hand, and she glanced back over at Five. Intertwining their fingers, he nodded his head down the aisle, and the two began to make their way down it as quietly as they could. Once they were a bit further from their assailants, Five attempted to use his powers for a quick evac.

The familiar blue glow encapsulated the duo, a soft hum hanging in the air, but his powers suddenly fizzled out in protest. Halyn figured, much like her, Five was feeling exhausted as well, "Shit, not now." Sweat had begun to collect on his forehead, and Halyn felt his grip on her hand tighten as he closed his eyes, attempting to use his powers once more.

The results were the same, however, and his powers fizzled out once more, whirring in protest before disappearing completely as he grunted in pain, "Come on, come on!" Five wasn't one to easily give up and, while still holding tightly onto Halyn's hand, he continued to try and teleport the two away, ignoring the lightness that was beginning to infiltrate his mind.

Fearing he was going to exhaust himself to the point of passing out, the Sioux teen tore her hand away from her best friend. The sudden lack of contact stopped his power attempts, and he stared at her with quizzical green eyes.

"Don't go passing out on me, Five." She hissed.

Five didn't get a chance to respond as the gunfire started up once more, and the sign that was hanging over the aisle the two were tucked into suddenly erupted. Halyn flinched and Five snagged her hand, dragging her down the aisle and towards the nearest exit.

There was no game plan in mind as the teleporter continued to run with his best friend, but he knew that he had to get Halyn—and Delores—away from the gun fight as fast as he could.

They reached the end of the aisle, coming to an open area that put them in full view of Hazel and Cha-Cha. The two gunmen took aim as the two teens entered their field of vision, and Five pushed Halyn forward, "Jump!"

She elected to ignore him, however, shoving him forward to place herself between the teleporter and the masked assailants. Digging deep into her reserved energy, steel coated Halyn's back, and Five decided this was not the place to argue with his best friend.

He quickly dove over the display shelf, hissing as a stray bullet nicked his arm in the process. When he landed on the other side, he whirled around immediately to ensure Halyn was right behind him. He saw her hands grab the top of the display shelf and as the Sioux teen pulled herself over, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Halyn stumbled into Five's arms as she landed, and his relief was immediately washed away as two pairs of lights suddenly illuminated the teens. Hazel and Cha-Cha stood with their guns directed towards the duo, and despite there being a physical barrier between them, they were cornered with nowhere to go, "Got him!"

Halyn pushed herself in front of Five, a dark expression tainting her normally soft features. Exhaustion threatened to consume her, but the girl pushed past it. Running fully on what little adrenaline remained in her system, Halyn called upon her steel protective coating once more.

The metallic sheen slowly overtook her features once more, starting from her heart and spreading throughout the rest of her body. Her arms were spread wide before Five, doing what she could to be a barrier between him and certain death. The lights of the assailant's flashlights bounced off her now shimmery body menacingly, and the teleporter eyed her with a fearful gaze as the metal coating moved to completely overtake her.

Halyn was so focused on protecting Five, that she was willing to lose herself to an element once more.

Sirens wailed in the distance as police lights illuminated the front of the store, distracting the two assailants for a brief moment. Five took full advantage of their distraction, pressing a hand into the small of Halyn's back; the one spot not yet overtaken by steel.

The touch drew back Halyn's focus, and she gasped as her mind tuned back into her surroundings. Her body returned back to normal, and with Hazel and Cha-Cha still focused on the incoming police, Five pulled the Sioux teen over the nearest counter to hide.

When the two gunmen looked back at where the teens had been, they found nothing, "The bastard jumped again." Hazel groaned in frustration.

Cha-Cha let out an audible sigh, "Come on, let's go." The Commission was going to have their heads after tonight.

Five panted heavily from his spot behind the counter, doing his best to keep as quiet as he could. His skin was slick with sweat, dark locks sticking to his forehead, and his body protested any small movement he made. Halyn was tucked into his side, and he felt her body shake as she breathed heavily herself. Delores—who was safely hidden in a duffel bag— was pressed protectively to Five's other side.

Heart hammering in his chest, the teleporter's mind was having a hard time focusing on his current predicament and surroundings. He could physically feel Halyn recuperating at his side, and realistically speaking, he knew the two of them needed to move, but his mind seemed unable to communicate with his body and instead, as sirens continued to wail, he barely moved an inch.

Halyn's own body was barely conscious, and a deep ache settled within her bones. Not only was her jaw throbbing, but her shoulder injury from the night before had been agitated in the chaos, and it was now throbbing in pain as well. Her lungs burned and despite all her deep breaths, the Sioux teen felt as though she couldn't get enough oxygen in her system, and a dull ache had begun to nag at the back of her mind.

"Five." The girl shifted away from Five, and he groaned at the lack of contact. He seemed barely coherent, and his physical state alarmed Halyn, "Come on, we have to go."

The teleporter nodded his head, as words were failing him, and though mentally he agreed with Halyn's statement, his body struggled to respond appropriately. It had been ages since he had been this tapped of energy, and Five felt as if he needed a few dozen cups of coffee to regain his strength once more.

Realizing Five was struggling on his own to move, Halyn wrapped her arms under his shoulders, and his free hand went around her neck. She attempted to use her powers to give her a bit more strength in lifting him, but a sharp jolt jostled her chest at the attempt. She nearly dropped the boy in the process and she gave up on using her powers for the night.

"Jesus Five, you're heavy." She tried to jest. The boy let out a weak chuckle and took back some of his weight once he was on his feet, though he still leaned pretty heavily on his best friend.

Together, through some strange miracle, the duo managed to sneak their way out a back door of the department store and into a back alley before the police entered the building. It was some feat as well, as both teens were still struggling from overusing their powers.

Five was just all around feeling defeated. This night did not go as he had planned, and it was all his fault. The Commission just wouldn't leave him alone. Guilt wiggled its way into his heart as Halyn shifted beside him, readjusting his weight as he leaned more on her.

Halyn.

The teleporter pulled away from his best friend, stumbling slightly as he took on his full weight once more. Delores was still clutched firmly to his chest and he wobbled as he slowly turned to face Halyn. Her expression was concerned, and she looked ready to latch onto him once more, but Five pulled harshly away from the Sioux teen.

And it was then that he got a good look at Halyn.

The white t-shirt she had been wearing was now drenched with blood where her shoulder wound had opened once more during all the commotion. A nasty looking purple bruise was just starting to shine through the tanned skin of her jaw, and a small split sat in the corner of her lip. A thin trail of blood trickled down her chin, and her normally neat hair was unruly and knotted from battle. Overall, as sweat slicked her brow, Halyn looked like hell.

Fear gripped his heart as it began to hammer loudly in his chest, and Five hesitantly reached forward to caress the blossoming bruise on Halyn's face. His thumb had just barely grazed her skin when she flinched, and he immediately snapped his hand back.

"Halyn, I-" The teleporter swallowed thickly, feeling himself slowly starting to unravel. In the euphoria of being reunited with his best friend, Five had completely forgotten the dangers he now came with. That was two nights in a row now that he had gotten Halyn involved in gun fights that she did not belong in.

Two nights in a row he carelessly risked her life.

Two nights in a row he could've lost her for good once more.

This was all his fault.

Halyn stared back at Five with concerned eyes, and the worst part was, there wasn't a single ounce of blame in them. Instead, the concern they were filled with was for him, and her gaze trailed from his frantic expression, to the blood dripping from an open wound on his bicep. She made one step forward, his name on the tip of her tongue, and he took one step backwards.

"I—I'm sorry."

Then, before Halyn could process just what was happening, Five summoned the energy to disappear in a bright flash of blue light, and she blinked.

"F-Five?"

It took Halyn a few seconds to register the fact that she was now alone in the dark alley, but when she did, panic began to well up within her. Her heart started to hammer so loudly in her chest that she could hear it in her ears, and she spun in circles in a desperate attempt to locate the teleporter.

"Five?" She called out once more, "Five!?" Her voice was growing more frantic, borderline hysteric and her breath started coming in shorter and shorter bursts.

The last time Five had disappeared on her like this, she didn't seem him for fourteen fucking years.

"Five, this isn't funny!"

Desperation laced her voice as it echoed off the empty walls of the alley, and Halyn's heart had begun to ache painfully. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision as her hands began to shake almost uncontrollably. Breathing became harder and harder, almost as if she had just finished running a marathon, and her chest continued to constrict.

Five wouldn't just abandon her, would he?

Halyn fisted her hair as she anxiously searched the alley through blurry vision once more. Realistically, she knew he wasn't here, hiding behind some trashcan and ready to jump out with a joking 'gotcha!'. Five had to have been long gone, and as that thought struck her, the dam finally broke, and tears cascaded down her cheeks in waves.

"F-Five."

This time, her voice was barely above a whisper. One final, desperate call for her best friend to come back to her. It was futile, of course, and a series of sobs harshly wracked her body as an overwhelming sense of aloneness surged through her, and coupled with the night's events, Halyn was more than ready to just give in and breakdown.

She was not having a good time.

A/N: Alright, so I hecked up on my chapter lengths for 'Run Boy Run' so ya'll can definitely expect another update in about a week, and then one more a week later and then I can finally start the third episode! lmao my bad guys. I was trying to keep each episode to five parts so it didn't seem like it was dragging on, but whelp, I guess this episode is going to be at least seven!

Anyways, ya'll are absolutely amazing. Your feedback means so much to me and I can't even begin to tell you how happy seeing all the love and comments makes me!

See ya'll in a week!

-Rawwwrchel

p.s. thanks for the birthday wishes!