CHAPTER THREE: HELLO LOVE

---

SIX MONTHS LATER....

Five Hargreeves scowled, his youthful face twisted in frustration. The weight of the world rested on his narrow shoulders, and he couldn't help but feel the burden press upon him with each passing moment. he resented every ounce of it. The task at hand was monumental, and it gnawed at his very being.

He longed for the familiarity of home, for the peace and tranquility that eluded him in this forsaken timeline. But fate had other plans, forcing him to shoulder the weight of responsibility. Jumping back in time was completely useless-the normal world was just as bad as the apocalypse. Five had fought through time and space to save the world, but now he couldn't help but question if it was all worth it.

He had hoped for a respite, a glimpse of the life he had left behind, but all he found was disappointment and a stench that assaulted his senses. The grass wasn't greener on this side, it was just as dirty and grey as the post-apocalyptic waseland he had escaped.

The grim reality of the owrld he found himself in only fueled his growing irritation. The sights and sounds that surrounded him seemed like a never ending cycle of misery and despair. He gritted his teeth, his frustration bubbling to the surface. The was not the life he wanted, nor the fate he had envisioned for himself.

Thought of warm meals, comfortable beds, and the laughter with his sibling danced through his mind, teasing him with their distant memory.

Though, he relieved to be away frm the choas of the apocalypse. Despite his father's death, not that it mattered to him anyway, he was glad to see his family after the long and difficult years.But could things to back to the way they were? Could he ever go back to who he was? A painful silence settled. Never.
He had suffered so much, he had changed too much.

His spirit was slowly decaying.

To make matter worse, he had now transform back to his teenage body.

Anxiety built his chest, his mind began to question. Why was he so set on saving a world that failed to save him? Would it even be worth saving any of them? Over time, humanity would be the ones to destroy his planet, that was inevitable. Five wished...that he didn't return.

With a final scowl and resigned shake of his head, Five steeled himself for the arduous task at hand. He would push forward, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. He was the only one who could save the world.

The fate of countless lives rested on his shoulders, and despite his frustrations, he knew that he was their last hope.

Before he could get lost in the whirlwind of thoughts, he could hear indistinct chatter as he was walking with The Handler towards the Commission's headquarter.

"I must admit, Number Five. In all the time that I've been here, I've never met anyone quite like you, except for Y/n of course" The Handler said "Hello, Handler" a man said as he walked past the two.

"Hazel and Cha-Cha, for example are talented, certainly, but...they can't see the big picture. You spunk, your enterprising spirit, well, it reminds me a great deal of myself, if...I may be so vainglorious" The Handler said to Five as the two walked up the steps that lead to the front door of the headquarter.

"If things work out for you here, you could potentially make a fine successor, Five" she said before they entered the headquarter.

As soon as they entered, The Handler took off her jacket before handing it to a man.

"I'd like to discuss the logistis of my family's safety at your earliest convenience" Five said as he followed her up the stairs.

"As well as this body replacement" he said "Such chutzpah. It's refreshing, I'll admit. Slow down, Five. All in good time. In face, now that you've finally agreed to work with us, we've got all the time in the world" The Handler said as they walked up the last stairs before they turned right in the hallway.

"The Commission works in support of a delicate balance between the time line of events and mankind's free will" she said as they walked past the briefcase room causing Five to look at the room.

"The briefcase is no longer part of your kit, Five. Free your mind. You're management now. One of us" she said as they walked past the room and she continued to show Five around the headquarters.

"Alright, anyway. All the people on this floor are case managers, each one responsible for one major event at a time" she said as they looked into a room filled with people that was all sitting by their desk while typing on a typewriter.

"So many of them" Five said "Impressive, isn't it. Being part of something...so grand" she said as they could hear indistinct chatter and phones ringing.

"Come along" she said as she walked away and Five follow her.

"Whenever someone chooses the wrong path and the time line is changed, the Commission gets a report from field agents on the ground. These field reports are sorted and assigned to a case manager. They determine if anyone needs to be...removed from the equation to assure that their even happens as it should" she explained as they walked into the tube room.

"Based on the determination, the case manager sends instructions via pneumatic tube to...tempotal assassins like you formerly were. Any queries so far?" she asked.

"Yeah. Who was the case manager handling me?" Five asked "Ah" she said with a smile before she slid her finger down his cheek but Five push it away.

"You mean the apocalypse" she said.

He knew that The Handler have always tried to flirt with him every since you and him joined. She even flirt with him even when you were standing right next to him. But it was like you were just air to her.

Five knew that if you were here, you would have punch The Handler right in the face for touching him like that. And that also makes him wonder where you were, he was preparing to bump into you here at the Commission.

---

The Handler lead Five to another room where people was sitting by their desk while writing on their typewriter.

"Five, meet Dot" the Handler said "Oh, hi" Dot said, looking up from the typewriter.

"Dot is responsible for all apocalypse matters. In fact, it was Dot here who first flagged your appearance in 2019" The Handler said "No hard feelings" Dot said "Well, you certainly put us through the ringer. Outsmarting two of our so-called best temporal assassins" The Handler said and put a hand on Five's right shoulder "If that doesn't spell leadership material" she said out loud, getting everyone in the room their attention.

"...I just don't know" The Handler said and chuckled "I suspect...you like a challenge, Five" she said and before she pulled out a chair by an empty desk causing the chair to made a squeaks sound.

"Which is why I've given you a particularly complex first case" she said before she grabbed a file with two pages inside and stretched it towards Five.

"It's too bad Joseph Späh decided against sabotaging the fuel tank. It wouldn've been so much easier" she said and chuckled "Anyhoo...if you have any questions...I'll be right behind you" she said as she pointed at the door.

"I actually have one" Five said "What is that?" she asked "Where is Y/n?" everyone turned their heads towards Five.

"Well, she is not here anymore, she is gone" The Handler said and Five's eyes widened as he got worried.

One of his plan in going back to The Commission, was not only to find out a way to stop the apocalypse, but also to get you, and take you with him or at least talk to you, he want to clear things out with you.

"What happen?" he asked "She is not working today. Why do you ask?" The Handler tilted her head "No reasons, I just want to talk to her" he said "You really broke her heart Five, I don't think she want to talk to you, even see you at the moment" she smiled and he let out a sigh.

"Be happy Five, you are free for her now. She really was a bitch" she said before she walked out the room.

---

Five was writing on the typewriter when Dot that was sitting behind him leaned to the side "Hiya, Five. How's it going?" she asked "I must have utter silence in order to complete this task" Five said as he pulled out the piece of paper from the top of the typewriter before he rolled up the paper "Oh, okay" Dot said and went back to her work.

But after a few seconds she starting talking to him again "Hey, a few of us are having lunch, and I was wondering if you...." Five cleaned his throat a little annyoing.

"...you're doing something?" she finished but Five ignored her and he opened a nearby capsule before putting the paper inside, closing it before he got up "Oh. Bye---Bye" Dot said while waving at him as he left the room.

Five walked into the Tube Room, found a opened tube and he was about to put the capsule inside when The Handler walked up from behind him "I'm afraid that's not procedure" she said and Five looked at her before she took the capsule from him.

"Five, meet Gloria" The Handler said and pointed at an older woman with glasses on who was walking over to them from behind her desk.

"Gloria is perhaps the single most vital cog in our machine" The Handler said as she took the paper out of the capsule "Oh" Gloria said and chuckled "Gloria, this is Number Five, Y/n Hudson's ex-husband" The Handler said.

"Look at you. Deadly little thing" Gloria said and chuckled "So happy we decided to close the contract on your life" Gloria said as The Handler handed her the capsule "I'm afraid your reputation precedes you. And it looks like you're building on it here" The Handler said and opened the piece of paper.

TO: FIELD AGENT 239485

FROM: N524182A

DATE: 034385934

TERMINATE KARL WEBER

"Oh. Karl Weber. Now tell me, why unfortunate Karl?" The Handler asked before she handed the paper to Gloria who put it back indside the capsule.

"Karl Weber is the butcher at the shop where Captain Ernst A. Lehmann acquires his weekly roast. So, if Karl dies, his butcher shop is passed on to his son Otto, who...never washes his hands, which is disgusting" Five said "So he's the one who gives the captain his roast" The Handler said "And that gives him food poisoning" Five said "Which makes him late for work. Which delays the takeoff" The Handler said "And to make up to lost time, the Hindenburg flies through a weather front of high electrical charge and humidity" Five said "And the static electricity inside the aircraft makes in a virtual tinderbox. Tiny engine sparks..." she said "And just like that, we have..." Five said as he mimicking an explosion with his hand.

---

Five and The Handler walked back into the room "I'm sure you've all heard that Mr. Five has proven to be as adept with a pen as he was with a sword" The Handler said to the others workers in the room before she patted him on the back as he made his way back to his desk.

"Let his effort serve as inspiration to you all" The Handler said as Five sat down.

"Herb!" The Handler said and Herb looked at her "How long have you been on the Lusitania?" she asked "Oh, ah...Well, let's see, I, uh...I..." but the Handler cut him off "Sorry?" she asked "When I first started..." Herb said but she cut him off again "Sorry? I can't hear you" she said and Herb tried to answer "Still can't hear you" she said.

Then the sound of a buzzing was heard telling everyone that it was lunch time and everyone got up to go to lunch.

"Oh, Gene, a word before you go to lunch. Gutenberg seems to be having second thoughts about the printing press" The Handler said to a person as everyone walked out of the room.

As soon was everyone was out, Five walked over to Dot's desk and began looking through the files.

He found the right file and he hid it under his blazer before leaving the room.

He then blink to the file room where all the files about the employees of the Commission was.

Walking over to one of the many draws, he opened it and scanned through all the files, before finding the one he was looking for.

HUDSON, Y/N

He grabbed it before he opened it to see what it say.

Everything about you were writing in that file and also a picture of you, both as an adult woman and as a teen. That you were in the apocalypse and how many years you spend there.

Your kill count, your misdemeanors and write-ups, your backstory, how old you were, your skills your payment and benefits. Everything about you.

Five noticed that you have actually killed more people than he had.

ABILITIES: Y/n have no super abilities, but she have expert Combatant, master acrobat, amazing athlete, peak human stamina, swordswoman. Hand to hand combat, gunmaster, amazing reflex. She is the most deadliest assassin The Commission have ever had. So don't cross path with her or you will never get away from her alive.

SKILLS: Master Combatant. Master Assassin. Genius-Level Intellect. Expert Tactician. Expert Intimidator.

REALATIONSHIP: FIVE HARGREEVES (EX-HUSBAND)

The way they have writing about you in the file, it was like they describe you as a monster and a killer, someone with no emotions, but Five knew that underneath that hard, tough cold hearted person is actually a real sweet and kind human being.

But he understand why they describe you like, you were like that when you were working and also most of the time when you were not, but when you and Five were alone, you were soft and kind just like he was. But since you have lost everything, you have kinda lock your emotions away just like Five had. It was also one of the thing you and Five had in common, you can act cold heated and without emotions, but you can actually both be soft and kind.

Five continue reading your file.

It also said that you were the most dangerous assassin The Commission have ever had.

"I know that" he turned to the next page "Not there" he flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

Your address.

"That's it" he said before he closed the file and put it in his inner pocket.

---

Five entered the bathroom and walked into one of the toilet stall before he lock the door and sat down before he took out the file he have taken from Dot.

He sat down before he took the file out to look at it. But as he opened the file, there was only a paper with a smiley face on it "Shit" he said as he looked up from the file just as the door to the bathroom opened before it closed again.

"So, how's your first day going?" The Handler asked as she walked into a bathroom stall next to Five.

"Couldn't be better" Five answered "Glad to hear" she said as she used the toilet while he quickly closed the file before he began putting it inside his blazer again slowly as you could hear The Handler urinating while coughing loudly.

"Ah. I burned my rugae. Ever burn your rugae?" she asked, trying to make small talk as Five put the file under his shirt.

"Rugae. The ridges on the hard palate that help pass food to the esophagus. Anyway, I'm on a liquid diet for two days, hence the marathon of urination. One faulty cog, and nothing works as it should. You know, we value intergrity at the office above all else. Trust is essential and that trust is...built over time. But in the event of a breach, the Commission will act swiftly and without mercy. An efficiency I'm sure you above all people can appreciate, Number Five" she said before she flushed her toilet.

"I'm feeling peckish. Have you had your lunch?" she asked as she walked out of the stall "Not yet" he said as he shook his head "Great. How would you like to lunch with me in my office. You can eat solid foods, and I can live vicariously..." she said and peered over the bathroom stall looking at him "Through you" she said "Sounds great" Five said with a fake smile.

After that Five walked out of the bathroom and he followed The Handler to her office but then stop when he saw a picture of you hanging on the wall, together with some other people.

BEST EMPLOYEES

Five smiled as he put his hand on the picture of you before sliding it down.

The Handler stopped when she noticed that he was not following her and she walked over to him to see him staring at the photo of you.

"Yeah, it is such a shame that she retire. She was the best of the best" she put a hand on his shoulder "She was better than you" she said "What happen?" he asked "Nothing. Her contract was done and she didn't wanted to continue" she answered "Why?" he looked at her "Something about her wanted a fresh start, she told me that there was so many bad memories in this place and she didn't wanted to stay anymore" she said and Five let out a sigh, understanding why you left, nothing was keeping you in the Commission anymore and he remember that you have being talking about trying to live a normal life, no Commission, no apocalypse, just a normal and peaceful life, and Five wanted to live that life with you, and the two of you were actually kinda living it, you were happy, but then the most painful thing happen, and that dream and life was taken from you both, in a blink of an eye, it just got destroyed.

"She will come back" The Handler said.

"Do you know where she live now?" he asked "I can't tell you" she looked at him "Why do you want to know?" she asked "No reason" he said and she nodded "Forget about her Five, she have moved on and so should you, she have being so much happier without you, don't get stuck in the past, she have moved on and have forgotten all about you and you should too, so come along" she turned around before walking towards her office.

Five let out sigh as he looked at the photo "I miss you Y/n, a lot" he sighed and turned around before following the Handler.

---

"And that's how Phil determined that the archduke just had to go" The Handler said as her and Five put down their glass "Care for dessert?" she asked as she was sitting behind her desk and Five was sitting on the other side "I had a bad Twinkie in the apocalypse once. It kind of put me off desserts" Five said "Please, indulge me" The Handler said as she push a bowl of candy towards Five and he let out a sigh before he pick one up, opened it, and put it in his mouth.

"What's that taste like to you?" she asked "The 1950s?" he asked "Precisely right. Our clever metaphysics division concocted a way to perfectly distill an entire decade into a single candy. This one's modeled after the Fudge Mutt, America's favorite in 1955" she said "Remarkable" he said "You'll be happy to know it's the very division that's building your new body. Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you" she said before she put her fingers on a intercom "Carla?" she asked "Yes?" Carla said "Would you bring the box in, please" The Handler asked "Certainly" Carla said.

The Handler got up from her chair as Carla walked into the office holding a box and put it on the desk before she left.

"Go ahead. Open it" The Handler said and Five opened the box before he looked inside it "Clothes make the man, Five. Won't be nice when you can actually wear it? Very soon, I assure you. They're perfecting your body as we speak" The Handler said "Thank you. It's a very kind gift" Five said and closed the box.

He then turned around and pointed on a flamethrower "Is that a Chinese flamethrower?" he asked "Good eye" she said and he walked closer to it "War. Such a fascinating concept. A temporary salve for a permanent human flaw. Course, it's a bit easier to see from 30,000 feet" she said and chuckled as she walked up to him.

"These are just some of the things I've collected in my travels" she said, moving her hand to all her collected before she picked up a grenade "M26 grenades from the Vietnam War" she said before putting it down.

"And this, the most noteworthy, perhaps" she said before she picked up a pistol "My Walther pistol. The very one Hitler used to kill himself. We're not supposed to take these kind of things, but...he wasn't gonna use it anymore" she said before she pointed with the pistol "Feel...how perfectly balanced that is" she said before she handed the pistol to Five.

"I had some thoughts I wanted to run by you. Some suggestions to improve Commission protocol" he said "Mm! Shaking things up already" she said as she took the pistol from him and put it down "I admire that" she said, stroking her hand down his cheek before she poke his nose.

"Go on. Do tell" she said as she walked back to her desk "Gloria" he said as he walked over to her desk "The tube operator. Wouldn't be simpler if case managers were to send their own messages?" he asked as The Handler sat down on her chair "I appreciate the thought. I really do. But everyone loves Gloria. I---I would never hear the end of it. She's been with the Commission family for years and she's this close to making pension" she said.

Then it knock on the door and Dot entered "Sorry to interrupt. May I have a moment alone?" she asked "Of course. Duty calls. We'll continue this discussion later, Five" The Handler said "Sure. May I?" Five asked as he pointed at the bowl with candy "Please" she said with a smile and Five took one before putting it in his pocket and left.

---

When he left the office, he walked around a corner before leaning his back against a wall with his arms cross.

He then peek around the corner to see Dot leaving The Handler's office before walking into the Tube Room.

"Gloria, The Handler know that Five is up to something. Get this to Hazel and Cha-Cha immediately" Dot said, giving Gloria a capsule as Five blinked into the Tube Room to hear the conversation better.

"Um..." Gloria said "Immediately" Dot said again "Okay. Yeah" Gloria said and Dot left the room.

"Who are they?" Gloria said as she put on her glasses.

Five blinked behind Gloria and knocked her out. He then grabbed the capsule and opened it, reading the paper.

To: HAZEL AND CHA-CHA

From: C893467A

Date: 0893457983

REASSIGNMENT: PROTECT HAROLD JENKINS.

Five's eyes widened, he now knew who was responsible for the apocalypse.

He quickly folded the paper before stuffing it in his pocket and he began writing on the typewriter for a new reassignment for Hazel and Cha-Cha.

To: CHA-CHA

From: N524182A

Date: 0121378349

TERMINATE HAZEL FOR IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION.

Five ripped the paper out when he was done before he began typing another one.

To: HAZEL

From: N524182A

Date: 0982340124

TERMINATE CHA-CHA FOR IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION.

He grabbed the two capsules and hurried put each paper in one before sending them off.

"You know that's not how we do thing here" a voice said and he looked to the left to see The Handler.

Five leaned his right arm against the tubes, acting like nothing happen. "Where's Gloria?" she asked.

"Don't know. Couldn't find her anywhere" he said as he leaned up against one of the slots.

Then Gloria groaned and The Handler look behind her to see Gloria laying behind the desk.

The Handler then looked back at Five who has stepped away from the tubes to stand in the middle, ready for anything "You're a great disappointment to me. You can't change what's to come, Five. I truly find it so odd that you can't shed this fantasy. You're a first-rate pragmatist. You belong here with us" she said and Five shook his head while looking angry at her.

"I don't belong anywhere, thanks to you. You made me a killer" he said "You were always a killer. I just pointed you in a direction" The Handler said "You drifted me away from the person I love the most. You destroyed my relationship with Y/n" he hissed "You did that yourself" she said with a smile "That remind me" she unzipped her lower part of her dress, revealing a gun and she lifted it up before aiming it at him.

"Y/n send her regards" she said but he reach to blink away with a whooshes before she could shoot.

The Handler kept shooting everywhere, hoping to hit Five at some point causing the people outside the room to gasp and scream.

The gunshot woke up Gloria with a whimper while people outside the room started picking.

Dot came running and she let out a gasp when she saw The Handler shooting, so Dot pressed the red button for emergency before she jumped in fear while the other employees started screaming when they heard the shooting.

The Handler walked farther into the room and Five push a cart towards her, but she stopped it with her foot before she fired at him but he reach to blink again.

"What's the rush, Five? We're just getting started. Is this how you want the last line on your report to read?" The Handler asked.

Then Five appeared in front of her "When I'm done, I'm done, I guess" he said "You can't keep this up, Five. We both know that even you have a limit. I saved you from a lifetime of being alone. You owe me" she said and pulled the trigger but the gun made a clicking noise meaning that it didn't have anymore bullets and Five let out a small smile.

"Someone forgot how to count" Five said as he remember when you told him about how to always remember how many shots you are firing when you are using a pistol.

"I do owe a debt" he said before he blink again and appeared behind The Handler "But it's not for you" he said and pulled up a grenade. "It's for Y/n. And now I'm gonna fix what I broke. I'm going to fix my mistake" he said "Do you really think she want to see you?" she asked "I will take my chances" he smiled at her while waving with the grenade in his hand.

He then pulled out the pin of the grenade before he throw it at her feet "Shit" she said.

Five then ran out of the room before it exploded causing glass to shattering and people screaming while he blink away.

---

You were standing in your bedroom upstairs folding some clothes together.

It has being six months since you left the Commission and you were slowly getting use to retirement. You were still annoying over that you look like a eighteen-year-old and that The Commission refuse to give your real body back. Saying that they couldn't do that.

But maybe it was a good things, your body has kinda reset, meaning you could live that life you always wanted to, no more apocalypse, no more missions, no more Commission, no one to tell you what to do. A life where you make your own choices.

But of course you couldn't help but feeling a little lonely. You also found it weird that Lila have not come to visit you, not once, she have not send any letters or called you. And you and her use to be so close.

The sound of a someone knocking got you to snap out of your thought "Who the hell is that?" you exit your bedroom, and while walking down stairs, the person kept knocking faster and more desperate.

"Calm down, I'm coming" you walked over to the front door before opened it.

Your eyes widened when you saw who was on the other side. Someone you actually hope you would never see again.

In front of you stood a very panting and desperate looking Five in his eighteen-year-old body.

He had a hand holding by his waist as he was panting, gasping and sweating a little bit like he has being running.

Your whole body froze as you stared at your ex-husband.

"Hello Love" he smiled "You gotta me fucking kidding me" you said.

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