CHAPTER TWENTY: POWERS BACK.

---

Five was sitting in his office with a mug of coffee in his hand and with a projector next to him that was showing Sy's drive clean building.

The door to Five's office opened and Derek enter the office as Five put his mug on the table behind him.

"Sy Grossman?" Derek asked as he saw what Five was looking at "He checks out. He's a legit taxpayer" Derek said before turning and walked towards the door "I'll be damned" Five got up but as he took a step forward he suddenly blink away before he appeared in another place.

Five's eyes widened when he saw that it was what looks like to be a underground subway "What the..."

Then without controlling it like last time, he blink again before appearing back in his office which made him fall backwards on his chair.

Derek turned around to look at Five who was grunting and he didn't look well, he look pale.

"You feeling okay, Mr. Five?" Derek asked "No. I don't think I am" Five said weakly before he got up.

"Tell Lance I'm taking a sick day" he grab his jacket before leaving.

---

Five was walking down the street on his way home, not feeling well.

"Five Hargreeves" a voice said which caused Five to stop before he turned around to see what looks like to be a woman. She was wearing black agent clothes and had a black helment on so you couldn't see her face.

"Who is asking?" Five asked "Blood must have blood" she step closer to him "Listen, I'm not feeling well, so just walk away" Five said.

But then the woman threw her fist at him but he reach to dodged it before he threw a punch at her but she moved to the side dodging the punch.

She threw a punch at him who dodged before he kicked her in the waist, causing her to stumbled back.

He threw a punch at her, but she grabbed his wrist and kicked him in the stomach but he dodged it by stepping back.

He threw a few punches at her, hitting him in the face a few times, but as he threw another punch, she grabbed his arm and turned it around, before she went behind her and wrapped her arm around his throat.

Five headbutted her causing her to stumble back, before she swung her legs under his, causing him to fall.

He got up and she threw a punch at him, but he grabbed her arm and turned it around, before he went behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat.

"Who the hell are you?" Five hissed.

But instead of answering she leaned forwards, lifting him up in the air before throwing him down on the ground making him hit the floor with a grunt.

The woman then put her hand on Five's throat. Five use to fight better, but because he was not feeling well, his body was all weird and sick, he couldn't fight as well as he use to.

"For the most deadly assassin, you are pretty weak" the woman said "Who are you?" Five asked "Not gonna say, a monster like you deserve to die" she pressed her foot more against Five's throat and he let out a grunt as he was starting to lose oxygen.

"HEY" a voice said and the woman turned her head to see Maddie.

"Hands off" Maddie created a red energy ball in her hands before throwing it at the woman causing her to get thrown backwards.

Five gasp for breath when the woman was throw off him.

Maddie rushed over to her husband "You okay?" she help him up and he got his breath back.

"What are you doing here?" Five asked his wife "Derek called, told me you were sick, so I came to pick you up, but then I saw this woman attacking you" Maddie said.

The two looked towards where the woman was to only see that she was gone.

"Who the hell was that?" Maddie asked "I don't know, but she could fight really well, her skills remind me a lot of something, they seemed very familiar, and I would have beating her if I didn't---" he let out a grunt as he felt he was about to throw up.

"You don't look very well" Maddie said "I'm feeling well either" Five let out another grunt.

"Lila and Diego texted me, saying they were not feeling well either, so shall we get home" she said "I don't know" he said.

"You never get sick, so how?" she asked "I don't know, and why are you not sick, we eat and drank the same yesterday" he said.

"Well, the only thing I didn't drink was the shots, so maybe there was something in them" she said "Then I better go back to Luther's place to see they others also have it and out what is going on" he said "Good idea, let's go" she said before the two left.

----

Maddie and Five arrived at Luther's place and they noticed how all the others except for Viktor and Ben was there. Everyone except for Klaus and Maddie looked pale and sick.

"You don't know shit!" Lila shouted at Diego as the two were shouting at each other while Allison was sitting on the couch as Klaus was standing up with Luther next to him who was wearing a rob and you could see that he have gotten his monkey body back.

"I can see you are not the only one that look sick" Maddie glanced at her husband "No" Five let out another grunt as he sat down on the couch while Diego and Lila kept arguing.

"So all of you are----?" "Yeah, sick and we have our powers back, isn't it great" Luther said sarcastic.

Maddie looked at Five who look like hell "I'm not feeling well" he grunt "Now you how I felt when I was pregnant" she said "I'm never judging you again" he said and she chuckled.

"What do you think you have, you rarely get sick" she said "I don't know, and why are you not sick, we eat the same thing last night?" he looked at her "I don't know" she replied as the overlapping arguing was heard.

Five looked at Lila and Diego who kept arguing "They look terrible" he said "Be kind. How would you look if our marriage was dying?" Maddie replied, knowing Lila and Diego was going through a hard time.

"I'll look amazing" Maddie looked at him while saying that with a joking voice "Fantastic. That'll patch things up" he said "You really wanna end up like them?" she asked with a question look on her face while pointing at Lila and Diego.

"Not a chance. I'd rather take mh changes with you any day" Five counted, clarely not wanting to follow his brother's life path. "Me too" Maddie smiled.

"Someone explain what the hell is going on here quick" Viktor said as he enter the living room, he look just as pale as the others.

"Well, Viktor, that's what we're all trying to figure out" Five said "Oh, God, don't look at me" Luther said "No one's blaming you, Luther" Diego said "No! I mean, don't look at me! I'm hideous" Luther said "Look at least you're back to your old self, alright. The rest of us feel like someone injected motor oil in our veins" Five said "It's so strange. Because I, for once, feel fantastic" Klaus said "I feel fine" Maddie said "Why are you not sick?" Viktor looked at her "I don't know" Maddie replied.

"Yeah? Well, you think you got problems?" Lila looked at Klaus "Look at this" she said "No wait. No!" Diego warned.

But Lila didn't listen and suddenly green laser was shot out of her eyes and they blast around the room which caused everyone to dodged down while Maddie pulled Five and herself down before creating a red energy shield around her and Five as everyone exclaiming.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Not inside!" Luther shouted and Lila stopped her laser eyes.

"What? What the hell?" Luther asked and Diego stood up as he glanced annoying at Lila while Maddie made the shield disappeared before her and Five got up.

"Well, you also got your powers back" Allison said "Uh...Yeah" Maddie nodded as she scratch the back of her head.

Then it happen again with Lila's eyes "I'm sorry" she said as she tried to control while everyone dodged again "Whoa!" Luther said "Whoa!" Maddie shouted as her and Five were keeping their heads down while Maddie was creating energy shields around the others.

"TURN IT OFF!" Luther shouted "I don't know how!" Lila shouted back as the sound beams blip from her eyes was heard before the laser stop.

Maddie powered down making the shields stopped and the others looked at her as Lila sighed "There" she said and the others got up again.

"Oh, sorry about that" she said "Be careful" Five said "Yeah, I can't keep creating a shield everytime you do something like that" Maddie said.

"How do you do that?" Diego looked at his wife "A gun to my head, I couldn't tell you" Lila replied as she blinked a few more times with her eyes like her eyes was trying to get use to the light.

"Oh, come on! It took me months to find those original sconces!" Luther said as he looked at the sconces that was slash in half by the laser.

"I don't give a shit about your sconces. I want answers now" Viktor said out loud causing energy whooshing to be heard and suddenly some orange light started to appear around him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" everyone said as the whole place was shaking.

"Viktor. Breathe" Maddie said "Viktor, easy" Allison said.

Then they heard footsteps "Relax, Kodiak Jack" Ben said and Viktor powered down before they all turned around to see Ben enter the living room.

He was holding the jar of Marigold and with two tentacles that was coming from his back was dragging behind him. He looks just as pale and sick.

"It was me" he said "What?" Five asked "I know you're all too terminally emo to do what had to be done, so I made an executive decision and spiked your sake with the marigold" Ben said "You poured it in the shot?" Five asked and Ben nodded which made Luther gasp and Allison groan.

"Why am I not surprised?" Five asked "I'm so glad I didn't drink it, imagine if my powers got more powers than they already are" Maddie said and Five nodded.

"You had no right to do that, asshole!" Viktor hissed "Oh, trust me, you'll thank me later" Ben said "Yeah, or I'll kick your ass right now" Viktor said "Oh, yeah. Now, that I would love to see" Ben chuckled before walking over to the couch Allison was sitting on "Ugh!" she said as Ben came with the two tentacles.

"What is with the tails?" Diego asked "I don't know. They won't go back in!" Ben replied and Luther poke to one of the tentacles but Ben hit him in the face with it "Oh! God. Why is it cold?" Luther asked "The real question is, why would you touch it?" Maddie asked.

"Forget about my tails, all right? I haven't felt this good in years. Maybe you guys need to take some more" Ben said "Okay, you know what?" Five got up as he approached Ben "Give me that" Five reach out for the jar at the same time Diego did also but Five slap his hand away.

"No" Ben took a tighter grib to the jar "Just give me it" Five tried to take the jar from him. "No, we might need it" Ben said "Just give me it. Is safer with someone responsibly" Five said "I'm responsibly, I was number one two times" Ben said "And look how that ended?" Five raise a brow at Ben "Just give me it" Five said as he tried to take the jar but Ben refuse.

Then suddenly some red whips appeared around the jar and it flew out of Ben's hand and over to Maddie who grab it with her hand.

"You are acting more childish than Noa, and he is six" she said and Five walked over to Maddie who gave him the jar "Thanks Love" he kissed her cheek.

"Wait a minute. Hold on. Klaus, why aren't you sick?" Allison looked at Klaus "Well, because one sake bomb is too many, and a thousand is just never enough" he said "You didn't drink" Maddie said "No" Klaus shook his head.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't drink either, I mean more powers added to me and I would turn into a nuke" Maddie said.

Viktor then glanced angry at Ben "Do you realize what you've done?" he hissed before he suddenly started punching him.

"Hey. All right!"

"Hey, get off!"

Luther and Diego tried to get Viktor off Ben.

As they pulled Viktor off Ben some black venom came out of him which made the others reach to dodged out of the way.

It flew towards Maddie who used her powers to change its direction causing it to hit pillar.

"Dude! I live here!" Luther looked at Ben.

"The fact is you're all too busy living in loser mindset to realize we're much better off this way" Ben got up "That wasn't your decision to make" Viktor said "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't have our powers back" Ben snapped "I don't know, Maybe because we ended the world three times" Maddie said "We also saved it three times" Diego cut in proud.

"Well, that's party's highly debatable, Diego" Five said "Forget about saving the world. I just spend six years building a life for myself. A real life" Viktor snapped Ben as he looked angry at him "Away from all this, away from Dad, away from our past. And you had to go and fuck it all up with one sake bomb!" Viktor said out loud as he pointed his finger at Ben.

Silence took over the room.

"Look. I was trying to help" Ben said "No, no, no. Viktor's right. None of us asked for this. I could have lost my job" Luther said "Did you?" Maddie asked "Wha.." Luther turned to her "Well, actually, no. My boss bumped me up from brunch buffet to prime time. And I have been booked in Atlantic City next weekend" Luther smiled before his face change to angry "But still!" he snapped at Ben.

Ben just patted him on the chest "Come on, Allison" he approached Allison "You can't tell me you're not a little bit glad to have your powers back after all those years?" he asked "Now, why would I be, Benjamin? Why would I want my powers back?" Allison asked him while a little yellow rubber duck was on Lila's left palm as she was looking at it, trying to control her laser eyes.

"Maybe you can rumor your way out of those corny-ass laundry commercials you do and finally get off the B-list" Ben said "The..." Allison looked at him and he let out a smarmy laughter before he lifted his hand for anyone to give him a high-five but nobody did.

"The B-list?" Allison asked him as Ben high-five himself "Excuse me. I...I am the face of a national campaign, something that i made happen out of nothing while you were too busy playing backgammon with Bernie Madoff" Allison said "Tell him, sister" Klaus said.

"Wow" Ben turned to Klaus "All right, all right, Klaus. Come on, Klaus" he approached Klaus who back a little away from him like he didn't wanted Ben to touch him.

"My brother, it's not too late for you to get in on this action" Ben said "I told you. It's not gonna happen" Klaus said "Why not?" Ben asked "Maybe with your powers back, you won't have to keep living life like a human sippy cup" Five said "As much as I hate to say this, but Ben is right. It will be good for you Klaus. You wouldn't be fragile anymore, you could have your life back" Maddie said.

"Huh?" Ben looked at Klaus again "It's a slippery slope. All right?" Klaus said "Into what?" Five asked "Powers, ghosts, drugs, sex, oblivion. It's one big spicy gumbo of bad, and I'm not going back to that old Klaus. I like this Klaus. 'Hey he collects coupons. He's frugal, respectable, reliable. And most importantly, he's a Klaus that Claire. And Noa and Sam likes. And trust and looks up to" Klaus said "That's because they have not met the Klaus we once knew" Maddie said before she looked at Ben.

"Maybe that's the reason why you don't understand us. Most of us got to experience having normal lives without our powers. You lived your whole life being a superhero and some of it being in jail" she said "Where are you getting at?" Ben asked "The point is until you get to experience a normal life even for a few days, you'll realize why we hate our powers so much. But right now, we only see you as the lonely asshole who brought us down with him" she said and Ben scoff.

Then suddenly his stomach started rumbling "Guys, Ben doesn't look so good" Maddie said as she noticed how sick Ben looked "Yeah, he don't look so hot" Lila said.

Ben let out a retching noise before throwing up "Come on" Luther and Diego walked over before helping Ben up.

"It's okay. I just need to lie down" Ben said "Get him on this. Lay him down" Klaus said as Diego was holding Ben's hair while he was pulling him over to the couch.

Then suddenly Ben's body started jolting a lot "Whoa! What do we do? Call 911?" Luther asked as him, Diego and Klaus move away from Ben.

"No, no, no, no! No cops!" Ben gags as some yellow vomit was dripping from his mouth.

"Wait" Allison turned to Maddie "You didn't drink the shot right?" she asked "No" Maddie shook her head lightly "Then how do you have your powers?" Allison asked "Uh..." Maddie and Five said not really know how to answer them.

"How did you get them then?" Diego asked "I never lost them" Maddie said "So that is why you didn't drink it" Ben glanced at her.

The others except Ben all widened their eyes "No way. You have had them all this time?" Klaus asked "Yeah" Maddie nodded guilty.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Viktor asked "We didn't know how you guys would react" Maddie said "Really, we thought we were your family, and family tells each other everything" Allison said "Yeah" Diego said before he glanced at Lila who looked confuse at him.

"Uh, like you told us about your little deal with dad?" Maddie put her hands on cross in front of her chest as she was sending angry looks at her sister whose eyes widened "Yeah, I have not forgot that, the others might have forgiven you, but I haven't" Maddie said "At least I saved the universe" Allison said

"No" Five and Maddie said "Freddy saved the universe" Five said "Freddy saved the universe, you couldn't, so Freddy use the last bit of life he had in him to save us all, so he is the real hero" Maddie said "And he saved us from the Sparrows" Viktor said "Yeah, my cousin is the real hero" Lila said.

"But where is he now? The real hero has decided to go away and hide, let us handle this shit" Allison hissed "Hey" Maddie, Five and Lila hissed at her.

"You better be careful Allison" Maddie's eyes glow red as she approached her sister "Don't forget what I can do" her glowing red eyes starred up at Allison and you could see the fear in her.

"Easy my Love" Five grab his wife's right hand which caused her to look at him "I know you are mad, Darling, but not now, and not here" Five said in his soft and kind voice.

Maddie took a deep breath and her eyes changed back to normal.

"Still you should have told us, don't we mean anything to you?" Allison asked.

"Don't blame Maddie" Five glanced at the others "We both agree that it would be best this way" he said "I'm sorry for not telling you guys, but both Five and I were also in shock and didn't knew why" Maddie said.

"Did you found out why?" Klaus asked "No, we tried, but nothing came up" Five said "Sorry guys" Maddie looked at the others "Sorry, I didn't tell you, I'm so sorry" Maddie looked down.

Then Klaus wrapped his arms around her "It's okay little sis. Don't be sad, we still love you" Klaus kissed the top of her head which caused Maddie to smile.

"We will always love you" Diego smiled.

"So now what?" Luther asked "We need to go back to the dry cleaners and get more information" Five said "Agreed. I'll drive" Diego said and Maddie walked after Five.

"Let's roll, mofos" Diego said "Let's get him out of here, quick" Klaus said and him and Diego help Ben up "Watch the tentacles" Ben said Klaus was lifted up the tentacles.

"The state of the place" Luther let out a exasperated sigh "LUTHER COME ON OR YOU WILL BE LEFT BEHIND!" Madie called out and Luther followed after the others but Viktor stayed which cause Maddie to stop before she turned around to look at her brother who was sitting on the couch.

"Hey" she approached Viktor who looked at her "You okay?" she asked and he let out a sigh "No, not really" he said and Maddie sighed "Yeah, I know" she nodded.

"Come on. Let's go figure this out together" Maddie said and Viktor smiled before he got up and Maddie patted her brother on the shoulder as the two left.

---

Maddie and the other arrived at the building where Sy was working and they got out before walking towards the door.

"Just...just let me do..." Diego started as he opened the door but stopped himself when they saw that the place was empty.

"Well, looks like Sy flew the coop" Allison said and Five spotted some folded paper that was stuck to a machine that was use to move the clothes around in circles "Or somebody got to him" Five grab the paper.

"He did say he was in danger" Maddie said as Five unfolded the paper "Look at this" Maddie walked over to her husband to see what he have found.

"New Grumpson, Maine" Five said as he was looking down at a map where a red circle was drawing around the town 'New Grumpson'

"The hell's in New Grumpson?" Diego asked "Maybe Sy's daughter, Jennifer" Lila said "Or maybe that's where our dry cleaner scampered off to" Allison said "Or maybe this all one big setup" Viktor said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out" Five said "Hell yeah" Diego pulled up the keys "Road trip" Maddie said before looking at Five.

"What about the kids?" she asked "We can't take them with us, it's too dangerous" Five said before he looked at his wife "I don't want to leave the kids, Five" she said "Neither will I" Five said before he looked back at Diego.

"We are not going" Five said "Yes, both you and Maddie are. We are all going. Come on guys, this is our first mission in years" Diego looked at the couple "You do realized that Maddie and I have two small kids, right. One six-year-old and one three-year-old" Five said.

"Come on guys, you can be free from them for a day or two" Diego said "I don't know" Maddie said "When was the last time you two were on a trip together or had some lovely time together for just a day?" Diego asked "A whole day. Before Sam was born" Five said "See, you two need to get out of the house, the kids will be fine and so will you two, it just for a day, two max, just like the old times, the dynamic duo, the heart and the head" Diego said as he glanced between Five and Maddie.

"You have someone that can watch them right?" Diego asked "Yeah, we have Alfred, he's amazing and the kids love him" Maddie said "Great, then call him, tell him to watch the kids, and we are going. We wouldn't be gone for long" Diego said.

The couple glanced at each other "Maybe it wouldn't hurt" Maddie said and Five let out a sigh "We do miss the old days" he said.

"Okay" he looked back at Diego "Yes, let's go" Diego smiled.

---

"Really? Are we really doing this?" Viktor asked as they all walk out of the building.

"Hell yeah, we're doing this" Diego smiled "You do realize we have three small children, yeah?" Lila asked her husband "So does Maddie and Five" Diego said "Yeah, and we are not really please about this either" Five said "Nope" Maddie shook her head.

"See, they're not please about it either, if you actually---" "Lila" Diego snapped his head as his wife before walking over to her.

"Look, hey. Today's Wednesday, okay? The twins have garden club, and Grace has gymnastics, okay? Uncle Lenny can pick 'em up, okay?" Diego said "Yes" Lila nodded and Diego was about to leave but Lila stop him.

"But wait, that's not the point" she said "That is the point. Look, I spend all day every day with your family, all right? And I never ever complain, all right?" he said "You complain all the time" she said "Okay, okay. Well, look, this is...my family" Diego pointed at Maddie and the others that was standing over by the van.

"I only have one spare pair of underwear" Klaus said "You'll be fine" Maddie told him "It might not be enough" Klaus said.

"All right? And I want you to come with me" Diego wrapped an around Lila before he lifted her head up with his free hand.

Diego smiled and she let out a sigh "Uncle Lenny, huh?" she said "Just you and me. Like the old days. No kids" Diego smiled but then let out a gagging as he felt he was feeling nausea.

"No kids" he said and the two nodded "Okay" she sighed.

"I'm glad that we can communicate better" Maddie said "Me too" Five said as the two smiled to each other.

"Five, I'm not glad over leaving our kids to go on this trip" Maddie said "Me either, but we can't leave our siblings to deal with this and this probably wouldn't take long, we will be back in two days, maybe even earlier" Five said before he looked at Maddie "But I wouldn't be mad if you want to stay back home" he said "Nope" she shook her head "You are right" she looked at him "Our siblings might need us, need me, in case your and the others' powers don't work, then you need someone who can control them, beside this just take me back to the old times which I actually miss" she said.

"Listen, people!" Diego approached them "Road trip?" Klaus asked "First mission back, baby!" Diego smiled "We're back" he said "Car" Five gestured to the van.

"Out the way" Diego push his way past Five before he unlock the van and rolled the side door opened.

"Get in!" he said out loud "I'm in the front!" Lila said "No, Five and I are in the front" Maddie push Lila away before her and Five got in the van.

"Everyone in!" Diego shouted "Why are you yelling?" Allison asked "First mission back!" Diego smiled.

"Shut up!" Ben said as they all grunt while trying to get in the van.

"Get in the car and turn on the heat" Allison said as Diego got into the driver seat where Maddie and Five was sitting next to him on the front seat.

"Okay" Klaus said "All right" Maddie said "We're doing it" Lila said.

"First mission back!" Diego shouted before banging the van's roof with his fist.

"Why are you so loud?" Five asked while Lila clapped as she was cheering "Yeah" she said with a smile while Klaus was breathing into a brown bag.

"Hell yes! Let's go kill this bitch!" Ben shouted which causeD everyone to look at him while Maddie rolled her eyes.

"This is a rescue mission" Maddie said "Right" Ben nodded "Yeah, sorry" he said.

Diego started the van before driving off.

"Wel, it has being a long time since we were all together, and now we're going on a sibling road trip. What is the worst that can happen?" Maddie asked.

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