CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: YOU'RE THE FAILURE

---

Maddie and the others let out a gasp before spitting the stuff out of their mouth "Oh my God" Luther said as they were all struggling, still in shock over what really happen while Five and Lila looked confused at each other.

Maddie's eyes shot open and immediately she began to struggle, Five immediately rushed over before helping his wife free as she was gasping while tears was in her eyes.

Five noticed the faint tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes and how shallow her breath was.

"Deep breaths, Love" he said as he gently placing his hand on her chest "Take some deep breath with me" he took some deep breath in and out. She imitated his breathing until hers became to steady enough.

As soon as she was free she wrapped her arms around Five before crying "Easy, I'm here, it's over. I'm here. It's okay. I'm here. You're safe" he wrapped his arms around his wife as he comfort her.

"What happen?" he asked "I didn't kill Ben, Five" Maddie sob "I knew it" Five said "Dad did" she said "What?" he pulled away and Maddie looked at Reginald.

"You murdered our brother!" she got up as she stared angry at him "And Jennifer" Viktor said "Son of a bitch" Diego said. 

"Children! Whatever anger you may feel towards me is misdirected. May I remind you that it was the other Sir Reginald Hargreeves who committed this horrible act?" Reginald said 

"What are you going on about?" Lila asked confused "When we were kids, the 'other' Hargreeves killed Ben and Jennifer" Luther said "You murdered Ben, and shot me" Maddie said "What?" Five snapped his head at their dad "He made us all think that I murdered Ben, just to punish me" Maddie snapped at Reginald.

"And he had a perfectly valid reason for doing so" Reginald said "They were two innocent kids!" Viktor said "Who would have set off a cataclysmic chain of events, leading to the extinction of all humanity. He only did it because Ben touch Jennifer" Reginald said "Okay so if I have touch Jennifer, you would have murdered me too?" Maddie asked and Reginald nodded "You asshole" Five hissed.   

"You are not different than the other Hargreeves" Luther said "You're both fucking psychopath!" Diego snapped "Murder!" Maddie shouted as she could feel her anger  boiling up.

It was like Five could feel Maddie's emotions, so he grab her hand which caused her powered down.   

"It's not his fault" Abigail step forward "Reg is not responsible for what happed to your brother and that poor girl. I am" they looked at her.

"Years ago, I synthesized a new element. The very essence of the universe" she said "The particle we know as marigold" Reginald said "And at the same moment, unbeknownst to me, a second particle was created. Durango. When marigold and Durango interact, they cause....a reaction, a physical reaction. Unstoppable, irrevocable. The extinction of everything we know" Abigail said "The Cleanse" Five said and Abigail nodded.

"By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late for our world" she said "You couldn't have know, darling" Reginald told his wife.

"I...don't mean to be a dick and all, but what the fuck does any of this have to do with us?" Lila asked "The other particle, it is inside of Jennifer. That's why it's impetrative that none of you except Maddie can come into contact with her" Reginald said "What happens if we do?" Lila asked "We end the world" Five said "Saw that coming" Lila said.

"So that is why you needed me" Maddie said and Reginald nodded "Since it is not marigold you have in you, you are the only one that can stop the Cleanse and destroy this Durango, Maddie" he said. 

"What is this Durango?" Maddie asked "Think of it as Anti-Marigold. The Durango is a particle that was synthesized concurrently with its opposing counterpart, the Marigold. It's an exceptionally potent energy source that has embedded itself within Jennifer, with a portion of it subsequently transferring to all of you. The inherent issue lies in the fundamental incompatibility between Marigold and Durango. These two forces cannot coexist within the same entity without dire consequences. The longer the Durango remains within Ben's and Jennife's bodies, the more unstable it will become" Reginald explain "Unstable? What does that mean?" Maddie asked.

"If let uninitiated, the convergence of Marigold and Durango would have precipitated an event known as the Cleanse. This is no mere disturbance, it is a cataclysmic phenomenon that would have heralded the end of the world" Reginald said. 

"Uh...Guys?" everyone looked at Luther "We...may have a problem" he said "What do you mean?" Maddie asked.

"I think I did something stupid" Luther said "That is nothing new" Five said and Luther glanced annoying at him "What did you do?" Diego asked and Luther started to explain.

---

"I don't understand" Maddie said as they were all in the living room again.

"What? You just let him go?" she looked at Luther "Well, how was I supposed to know Ben was infected with this...whatever this things is?" Luther asked as he was stress eating again.

"Great work, Luther. Really great" Five said sarcastically.

"The rash on his arm. What did it look like?" Abigail asked "I dunno. It was just kind of...You know, it kind of looked like that thing that Klaus caught when he came home from Ibiza" Luther said and Maddie and the siblings all groan.

"Are you a doctor? Or do you just play one at bachelorette parties?" Diego asked "Hey!" Luther snapped at him "I am a professional dancer" he pointed at himself.

"Luther, was there anything unusual about this rash?" Abigail asked "No. It was just, you know, red. And glowing" Luther took a bit of a muffin.

"And pulsating" he said with his mouth full "You didn't think maybe that was worth bringing up?" Five asked "I just thought it had to do with our powers coming back. I mean, we've all been having issues. I know I have" Luther said.

"He is not wrong. I mean, I do have laser eyes" Lila said.

"Only Maddie who is the Red Dragon can stop it" Reginald said and everyone looked at Maddie "So I have to put my own life on the risk again to stop it" Maddie said "Only if they merge" Reginald said "Then I'm ready" Maddie said.

"No, I'm not letting you put your life on the line again" Five looked at his wife "I have to, Five" she said "Have you forgotten how you almost died those last two times?" he asked "No" she shook her head "But I have gotten stronger I can feel it. Everytime I use too much and the full strength of my powers, the longer it take for them to fully come back, but when they do come back, they are stronger than before" she said "Which is why you are the only one that can do it" Reginald said.

"Love, you can't, have you forgotten that we have kids, they are too young to lose their mother, and I can't lose you, not again" Five said and she grab his hand "I have to do this Five, it's the only way, beside you are not going to lose me. I can handle this" she said.      

"There most be another way" Five looked at Reginald "As long as Ben and Jennifer hasn't merge then there is still another way" Reginald said before he took a step back "And we're going that way" he turned around before he grab something just around the corner and the sound of distant clattering was heard.

Maddie and the others widened their eyes when they saw Reginald with a rifle.  

"Woah! What are you doing?" Lila asked which made Luther get up "It's time to go hunt" Reginald said "He's gonna kill Ben all over again" Viktor said "One of the hosts must be eliminated before the reaction is complete, if it is, Maddie as the Red Dragon have to fight against it" Reginald said.

"Reaction?" Allison asked and Reginald looked at her "You do realized that you're talking about human being and not lab rats, correct?" she asked "Reggie, please listen to your children. You can't just murder him" Abigail said "She's right. There has to be another way" Luther said "I understand. You've grown attached to your brother. But you don't seem to appreciate what's at stake here" Reginald said while Five grab a small bowl from the fireplace.

"Here Love, will you do it or shall I?" he looked at his wife "Let me" Maddie grab the bowl.

"We must act before it's too late, unless you want Maddie to fight against it with the cost that she might died" Reginald said before he turned around.

But then Maddie let out a grunt as she threw the bowl and it hit Reginald in the back of his head causing him to let out a grunt as he fell to the floor.

"How about you shut your mouth?" Maddie said "How dare you!" Reginald turned to look at her "I think it's high time you realize you're not running the show here anymore, old man" Maddie said.

"YOU FUCKING MESS WITH MY WIFE'S MIND, MAKING HER GROW UP WITH THE THOUGHT THAT SHE KILLED BEN!" Five hissed at Reginald "You made her think herself like a monster" Five snapped at Reginald.

Reginald turned to grab his rifle "Don't even think about it!" Maddie and Viktor said as Viktor used his powers to push the rifle away from Reginald.

Maddie's eyes were glowing red while orange light was shining around Viktor as the two was standing next to each other.

Reginald let out a gasp while he struggled to get up but Maddie was holding him down with her powers.

"Do you think these childish theatrics will stop me?" Reginald asked "Okay, well. We can both step it up a notch if you like, but since it might collapsed the building if we both do it. Let me show you" Maddie's eyes glow more red and red energy light started appeared around her as she used more of her powers on Reginald which cause him to exclaims as she was pushing him more against the floor causing it to crack a bit.

"Maddie and Viktor, please don't hurt him!" Abigail said "Why not?" Maddie and Viktor glanced at her "Why should we?" Viktor asked as the two looked back at Reginald "All he does it hurt everybody else. Ben, Jennifer, Viktor, Freddy, me. All of us" Maddie said "Spare me the waterworks. One life isn't more important than the entire planet" Reginald said.

Five recalled that he had once thought like Reginald, and that made him feel sick to his stomach. He recalled having prepared to sacrifice a helpless probably innocent gardener in order to stop the first apocalypse and save the entire world.

 "Oh, but your wife's is" Viktor said.

"And if we don't do this, then you have to put your own life at risk fighting it, are you really ready to do that?" Reginald asked as he looked at Maddie.

"You stuck your nose in where it didn't belong, and you allowed Jennifer to escape. This is your fault!" Reginald pointed at them "Oh no, no, no! This is your fault!" Maddie and Viktor pointed at Reginald while Viktor use his powers and push Reginald more against the floor.

"My whole life, all I wanted was for you to see me, to make me part of the team. Instead, you treated me like I was broken. And I believed you" Viktor pointed at Reginald "I thought you knew me better than I knew myself but I know you don't know shit!" Viktor snapped.

"YOU ALMOST KILLED ME, FREDDY AND THE OTHERS. YOU USED US THIS ENTIRE TIME, LIED TO US, MANIPULATED US! ALL THIS TIME YOU MADE ME BELIEVE THAT I WAS THE REASON BEN DIED. YOU HAVE MADE ME SEE MYSELF AS A MONSTER, A KILLER! YOU MADE ME SCARED OF MY OWN POWERS! TREATED ME LIKE A WEAPON FOR YOU TO USE WHENEVER YOU LIKE! AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE RIGHT, BUT YOU ARE WRONG. I'M NOT A WEAPON, I'M NOT THE MONSTER OR THE PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE. I HAVE MADE MY OWN MARK IN THE WORLD, I HAVE GOTTEN EVERYTHING I WANTED WITHOUT YOU!" Maddie snapped at Reginald as she and Viktor was pressing him more against the floor.

"You're the failure! You're the reason this happened!" Maddie and Viktor pointed at Reginald "And we're not gonna let you kill Ben! Not now, not ever!" they snapped and the others widened their eyes when they saw red dragon wings coming out of Maddie's back before opening up.

"Are we clear?" Viktor shouted as both him and Maddie was breathing shakily.

Even so it was risky as red energy light was glowing around Maddie and orange light was spinning around Viktor.

Five walked over to his wife and grabbed her hand which cause her to look at him while Abigail walked over before putting a hand on Viktor's shoulder.

"Viktor" she said and he powered down making the light around him to disappear "That's enough" Viktor looked at her "That's enough" she said.   

Maddie looked at her husband who were sending her that soft and kind look "That's enough my Love. I know you're angry, so am I. But he understand now. Beside this is not the way, you have proof that you are not the person or the monster he wanted you to be, you have gotten everything you wanted without him. Don't give into those powers, you have proven so far that you can handle it. Keep going. Remember I'm here, I love you and believe in you, always and forever" Five said.

Looking into Five's beautiful green eyes and hearing his kind and soft voice, Maddie powered down which made her eyes to change back to her normal color and the red energy around her disappeared as the wings faded away before disappearing too.

"That's it. That is the kind woman I know and love, my wife" Five smiled and Maddie smiled back before wrapping her arms around Five who pulled her into a hug and just let her relax into his embrace.

Both Viktor and Maddie started breathing raggedly as they calm down.

"You and your father. Both so headstrong" Abigail said as Reginald got up.

"Thank you" Maddie said as she pulled away from Five "No need to thank me. I'm your anchor, remember, you know I would do anything for you. And I'm always here when you go over edge" he wipe away a tear that had falling down from her eyes.

"This is the first time this has happen" she said "You haven't use your powers for six years, so of course" Five said "I'm glad that the kids didn't see this" they chuckled and he lay a kiss on her forehead.

Reginald exhales sharply as he got to his feet "Have my wife and Viktor made themself clear old man?" Five glanced at Reginald "Thank you" Reginald said "I didn't do it for you, I did it for the love of my life, for Maddie. I have promised to always be there to calm my wife down when something like this happen, and I don't want her to turn into that monster you think she is" Five said.

Then a guard walked over to Reginald "You took your sweet time. What it is?" Reginald asked him and the guard whispered something in Reginald's ear.

"Oh" Reginald said "What?" Maddie asked "It seems we may have found your brother" Reginald said.

"Where?" Maddie asked.

A/N: Hope you like that Maddie was also the one that snapped at Reginald.

Also loves Five's and Maddie's relationship. He is always there to calm her down and get her back. And their love and connection might save the world and Maddie.   

Vote or comment