CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
a corrected glitch

⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

CHA-CHA WAS FUCKING PISSED. After receiving that damned order—terminate Hazel for immediate extraction—her day had spiraled. She'd always been a working woman—next job, next tube, next kill, as Hazel would put it—and she'd never had qualms about getting her hands dirty before. She was one of the Commission's top assassins (until that little shit Number Five took her spot, that is) and she prided herself on her work, even if it was messy. She didn't complain about the shoddier and shoddier accommodations she was forced into, not even when two rooms turned to one and she had to share with Hazel; and she didn't complain about the constant pay docks that came with another day of failure. And, of course, she never once spared a second thought for the marks she was assigned to. She would arrive, kill them, and then walk away, her mind already on what was for dinner that night, or what country and time period she'd visit next. So, this order should've been no different, right? It was just another job, and Cha-Cha was a working woman.

Except, for some reason, she couldn't kill Hazel.

She'd done what she was supposed to—lied about the briefcase, driving him out to a remote location deep in the belly of the woods, pulled her gun on him when his back was turned—but he'd stopped her. She knew he'd been getting tired of their constant nomadic routine, never having one place to call home, knew he was sick of the work never ending, but when he'd told her to forget the briefcase, to forget that stupid French girl, she'd actually considered his words. Maybe it was because she'd known him for so long. Maybe it was because she could almost call him a friend. Or something more, perhaps.

So she'd brought him home and burned that order to a crisp. Spared his life, which was one thing she'd never, not in her years and years of Commission work, done before. She'd risked being fired—which surely meant assassination—for Hazel, only to find out that he had different motives. Finding him behind that doughnut shop with that geriatric waitress had been like a punch to the gut. Hazel didn't care about retiring, staying out here with her, all he cared about was that old bird-watching fogey. He was going soft, and Cha-Cha had allowed him to melt.

She'd been a fool, and she was determined not to be one again. Which was how, creeping back around the doughnut shop, she steeled herself, her eyes narrowing, ignoring the faint regret pulsing in her chest. She straightened the collar of her suit and snaked around, heading back the way she came.

There was a job she needed to get done. And Cha-Cha had never failed her assignments.

THE DAY WAS CHEERFUL, the exact opposite of Nadine Vidal's mood as she lugged her suitcase up the steps to Vanya's apartment, feeling contrition for not giving Klaus a proper goodbye. She'd enjoyed their night of consolation last night, exhaustion or not, because it had given her a sense of normal. With the ocean swimming around her and Klaus and the schools of multicoloured fish, the quiet peace that had come with this momentarily pause in routine, she had almost managed to forget that death was coming her way. And she'd been able to comfort him, somehow. It was completely foreign to her, but she'd managed to do it.

But that had been a fantasy. One without worry, without pain, just the burn of drooping eyes and light laughter. This was reality; messy, terrifying reality, and despite its faults, Nadine wanted to experience as much of it before her inevitable doom. Which was why she refrained from creating a Sanctuary as she wheeled her suitcase down the hall, recalling the correct number for Vanya's apartment. Today, no violin music pumped from behind the walls, and as Nadine reached up to knock on the door, she heard no flurry of movement on the other side. She knocked again, only to yield the same results: silence.

Nadine was learning to hate silence.

Vanya wasn't home.

Nadine looked around, and a sigh escaped her. Shit. She should've known that Vanya wouldn't be home. When she left, she'd been with fucking Leonard, and had probably escaped to his place. And Nadine had no idea where that was.

This should've been the hint for her to just leave, go right now, give up on goodbyes and head straight to the airport (she'd booked her flight on the taxi ride here). To spend her remaining days with family before the inevitable storm hit. But Nadine was a stubborn type, was why she found herself instead whipping out her phone to text her friend.

Where are you?

Nadine sent out the text, tapping her foot impatiently while waiting for a response, staring around at the empty hallway. She knew it hadn't been that long since Vanya had left, and she might still be on her way back, but that didn't help her from checking her phone every two seconds. Fortunately, this impatience seemed to work out for Nadine regardless, as after only a couple of minutes, Vanya responded with, At Leonard's. What's wrong?

I need to talk to you. In person. Can you give me Leonard's address?

Vanya did, and Nadine stowed her phone back in her pocket, mentally filing the address in her mind. Then, she took her suitcase by the handle and headed back the way she came, feeling like she was on a wild goose chase.

The taxi ride to Leonard's place was spent submerged in her own thoughts. Nadine kept staring up to the sky, wondering if it would crack during the apocalypse, or turn blood-red, somehow reflecting the chaos that would inevitably occur below it. She wondered if it would weep for them; for the loss of humanity, who had walked on Earth for millennials now, or it would stay cheerful and blue, its smile remaining constant even as the world crumbled below. She liked to think that there would be some change—that even the sky wouldn't forget them—but she had a feeling it wouldn't turn out like that. That the sky would forget humanity, and humanity would be lost.

Nadine always knew her life didn't matter, not really. In the grand scheme of things, she was barely a footnote; a blip in the universe's radar. Space was such a vast thing, incomprehensible in its magnitude, and she was residing on one tiny little planet in a small solar system. Nothing she did or said would ever make a difference, in the grand scheme of things. Because when all that swept across Earth were clouds of dust, even celebrities, people deemed memorable, would be forgotten. Humanity was a dying race on a dying planet filled with dying memories.

Life was a hard pill to swallow, and Nadine Vidal was certainly choking on it now. What had she even done with her life? What could she even do with the rest of it? The clock was ticking, each second bringing her closer and closer to calamity. And she could do nothing but watch.

Her chest tightened, and when the taxi finally pulled to a stop, Nadine was glad to get out of it. Revisiting the outside world was like surfacing the water after being under so long—her lungs had been bursting, and now they were full. Now, she had other things to think about, other things to do—like taking in the place that belonged to Leonard Peabody.

Somehow, it was exactly what she'd expected. Mundane. Suburban. Lost in a sea of other houses that looked exactly the same. It was the boring house that belonged to the boring man that had somehow caught Vanya's attention. Nadine still couldn't see how it had happened—they were so different. Leonard was white bread; Vanya was more of a pound cake, her life so full she'd fitted it into a three-hundred-page autobiography. Leonard's autobiography would probably be the length of an email. A blog post. A sentence.

God, she really did fucking hate fucking Leonard.

She forced herself up the steps to the front door of this white bread house, her longing to give Vanya a proper goodbye overriding her revulsion at the thought of seeing the white bread man who lived in it. She knocked on the door, hoping that this time, someone would answer, and sure enough, only moments later it was creaking open, revealing Vanya behind it.

A smile tugged at Vanya's lips. "Hey. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's..." well, everything wasn't alright, but Nadine could hardly say that. "Everything's fine. I'm fine. I just... I needed to talk to you."

"Of course." Vanya looked back inside the house. "Leonard's in there, so we can talk out here, is that okay?"

Nadine nodded, and Vanya closed the door behind her as she stepped out, tilting her head up so she could meet Nadine's gaze. "What's up?"

Nadine swallowed; words suddenly getting stuck in her mouth, jammed in her throat. She swallowed, trying to loosen them up, but it still was a couple moments before she finally gestured to her suitcase. "I'm going back to France."

"You are?" Vanya's eyebrows raised, and her eyes widened a fraction. "Why?"

Because the world's going to end, and I want to spend my last moments with my dad.

"Because there's really no need for me to stay. You know, I came to the funeral, you taught me tricks about my illusions, and now that's all over. Frankly, I've been here too long. I've overstayed my welcome. And so I'm going." Nadine licked her suddenly dry lips. "I just... I came to say goodbye. And thank you."

"Thank you?" Vanya echoed.

"You were welcoming to me at the very beginning, even when you shouldn't have been. I mean, I crashed your father's funeral. I should've been kicked to the curb. But instead you stuck by me, and I'm eternally grateful for that. And I'm grateful that you were my friend."

"Well, you taught me that I'm someone to stick up for," said Vanya. "You had my back even when I didn't have my own. I know we only knew each other for a couple of days, but you're one of the best friends I've ever had. So thank you, Nadine Vidal. I appreciate every second."

Nadine's name was honey off Vanya Hargreeves' lips, and she could feel her face warm at the compliment. And suddenly, she didn't want to leave. Wanted to stay here, with Vanya, and let the world claim them both.

But then she heard a voice, from inside the house, call out, "Who's at the door?" and the want crumbled away, dissolving into smoke. Because Vanya Hargreeves had Leonard Peabody, and she didn't need Nadine Vidal. She was happy with him, and Nadine didn't want to derive her of this rare happiness. She couldn't derive her of it.

That want had been selfish, and Nadine let it go.

Vanya called back, "Nadine!" and turned back to the referenced woman. "Goodbye," she said, her voice soft. "I hope that we can see each other again someday."

"Me too," said Nadine, even though she knew it wouldn't happen. And then, Vanya threw her arms around her, holding her close, in a warm embrace that was giddy, and sweet, and melancholy all at once. Nadine hugged Vanya back, closing her eyes, which had begun to burn with tears. But, as usual, she refused to let them shed.

Too soon, Vanya let go, vanishing back into the house. Nadine, suitcase in hand, stood on the porch for a minute, letting the words wash over her, trying to blink away the tears still stubbornly misting her eyes. Then, finally, after far too long, she turned, beginning to head back. She had a flight to catch.

But she'd never make it there.

DARKNESS ENVELOPED CHA-CHA like a blanket. The sun had set, and with it, the world had quieted as people vanished into their homes, finished with yet another hard day. Cha-Cha had always preferred this time, when all was quiet, when she didn't have to deal with mundane people buzzing past her like a swarm of bees. All so naïve, blissfully unaware of what was coming their way. They were practically ghosts. Compared to them, Cha-Cha was a god.

Her pistol was strapped to the underside of her suit, and she let her fingers trail over it as she made her way back to the new motel she and Hazel were staying in. A deep exhale escaped her lips, the only reaction she couldn't bury. Hazel. Fucking Hazel. Soon enough, his blood would be splattered on the floor, and Cha-Cha would be heading back to the Commission, preparing for a new assignment. She hoped she could leave 2019, if not America in its whole—it was a rather bleak place, mundane, and she preferred more brutal eras. She wondered if she would get a new partner.

Fortunately for her, she'd never been one to get too lost in her thoughts, otherwise she'd have missed the flurry of movement that caught in the corner of her eye. As it was, Cha-Cha was always on edge, so she caught it. Looking up, her eyes flitted onto a lone figure, wheeling a black suitcase down the street. Cha-Cha's eyes widened as she caught a flash of blonde hair, those damn blue eyes she couldn't get out of her mind. It was the glitch. The one she'd missed. And she was alone.

Cha-Cha's hands found her pistol again, and the faint curl of a smirk edged onto her face. Today, it seemed, she was going to kill two birds with one stone.

With the agility only gained from years of training, Cha-Cha slipped after Nadine Vidal, who stopped on the corner of the road, seemingly waiting for something. She looked down at her watch, and Cha-Cha sidled up beside her, assuming a natural, amiable smile. With one hand on the pistol, she spoke up, causing the woman to flinch, her spine straightening. "Long night?"

"Long week," the Glitch corrected after a moment, the faintest hint of the accent tinting her words. Cha-Cha noticed that her body was tense, rigid, and her hands were curled into fists. Cha-Cha gripped the handle of her pistol harder, preparing herself. It was obvious that Nadine Vidal had lasting trauma from the last time she'd been shot, as she'd immediately launched her guards up and prepared herself in case of attack again. Unfortunately, this made it harder for Cha-Cha, who'd relied on her lowering her guard. "I'm just heading home. Work trip."

"Ah." Cha-Cha nodded. "Me too. I got another couple days here, though."

She drew a step closer to the Glitch, who looked down at her watch again, scanning the road. Waiting for a cab, Cha-Cha thought. Her stomach lurched with anticipation, but patience was a virtue, and there were still precious seconds she had to wait for in order to get this right.

The Glitch turned to her. "Do you need something, or...?" she let her voice trail off, her eyes narrowed. Defensive. Cha-Cha had never been one for defensive—that had been Hazel. He'd gotten bored with the mundanity of ordinary kills and started searching for the thrill in the position, giving people head starts and making them fall to their knees and beg. He'd probably enjoyed himself, that night at the Umbrella Academy. While Cha-Cha had been knifed in the leg and nearly bled out on the floor.

Hazel. She was thinking about him again. And it was about time, anyway, that she get this down. Which was why this time, when her hands found her gun, she wrenched it right out, moving to place it against the woman's temple.

But the Glitch was good. The slightest flicker of movement—Cha-Cha reaching under her jacket—had immediately made her spring into action, so instead of pressing the barrel of the gun against her forehead and blowing her brains out, Cha-Cha found herself being knocked to the ground by a knee to the abdomen. As she hit the sidewalk, she felt the breath blow out of her as an elbow pressed against her windpipe.

Nadine Vidal, still exhausted, her head aching and her body sore, was not an idiot. It had only taken two sentences for her to discover why the strange woman's voice had sounded so familiar. Cha-Cha.

"I'm really not in the mood for this today," she spat, putting more pressure on the assassin's neck. Her words came out strong, confident, even though her heart had jackknifed in her chest, her nerves lighting up. Because, fuck, under her arm was Cha-Cha, one of the two goons that had shot her all of those years ago. One of two who had broken into the Academy, and nearly took her life.

Regardless, Nadine thought she had her—this move had never failed to keep an adversary pinned down. But Cha-Cha wasn't one of the Commission's top assassins for nothing, and she promptly swung her head up, slamming it into Nadine's nose. Something cracked, and Nadine stumbled back inadvertently, blood spewing through her fingers. Cha-Cha leaped to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury.

"You're good," she breathed, her voice gravelly as she regained her breath. Nadine stumbled back, beginning to form an illusion, something she could use, but Cha-Cha caught her wrist, forcing it back down. "Don't try any tricks. I know what you can do. Now..." her grip tightened, pain jolting into Nadine's bones, "where's the briefcase?"

"I don't know," Nadine spat, twisting out of the assassin's hold. She aimed a kick at the older woman, high and arcing, but Cha-Cha dodged it, lunging forward to slam a blow into Nadine's cheek. The impact sent Nadine crashing back towards the ground, her head thudding against the pavement. For a moment, her vision went hazy, and when she finally refocused, agony still exploding in her nose, she found Cha-Cha standing over her, holding her gun out. Nadine's heart rate doubled, and she swivelled her head, searching for the taxi she'd called, but the road was barren of any cars. She was alone.

She tried to roll, to get to her feet, to do something, but Cha-Cha was already there, pinning her to the ground. The cool metal of the gun's barrel pressed against Nadine's forehead, and she writhed, desperately trying to escape. Because this couldn't be it. She couldn't let herself die like this, three days before the apocalypse, when she was supposed to be at home, finally making amends with her father.

"Where's the briefcase?" Cha-Cha repeated, her finger clicking over the trigger. Nadine struggled, attempting to free herself from Cha-Cha's hold, but anything she did just had the pressure of the gun against her head redoubled, until the metal was digging into her skin, carving a circle on her forehead. Cha-Cha stared down at her, shaking her head disappointingly when Nadine didn't respond. "Oh, well," she sighed, her finger inching closer and closer to Nadine's death. "It would've been nice if you'd known. But I guess it's finally time for this glitch to be corrected."

My name is Nadine Vidal, Nadine thought frantically, continuing her struggle against the woman's grip. I'm twenty-nine years old. I've been shot before and lived. I've been attacked and lived. I'm supposed to save the world. I can't die. Not now.

Nadine had once thought herself invincible, but those days were long gone. She knew that, just like everyone else, she had an inevitable expiration date. In an alternate timeline, she was likely dead. In this one, it looked like her time had run out, too.

She closed her eyes, squeezing them tight, and brought back the image of the mountain to mind. The world where nothing could touch her. She was just bringing it to life when she heard the bang.

MY NAME IS Nadine Vidal.

I'm really not in the mood for this today.

Long week. I'm just heading home. Work trip.

I'm twenty-nine years old.

Me, too.

But instead you stuck by me, and I'm eternally grateful for that. And I'm grateful that you were my friend.

I've been shot before and lived.

I just... I came to say goodbye. And thank you.

I'm going back to France.

I've been attacked and lived.

Life was a hard pill to swallow.

I need to talk to you. In person. Can you give me Leonard's address?

I'm supposed to save the world.

I better go pack.

You're right, Allison. I'm going home.

I can't die.

That's a first. Usually people run away when they see who I am.

Sorry. I was just... trying out another illusion. On myself.

Not now.

⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

HAVEN: none of you are allowed to get mad at me for this chapter because nadine isn't really dead 😠 no, that's not spoilers, this is literally the day that wasn't, and everything gets rewound. i just thought it was important for hazel and cha-cha to catch up to her in at least one timeline, since i didn't want to make them too weak 🏃‍♀️ 

i'm so glad this chapter is finally out, because i made memes for it back when i wrote it (back in SEPTEMBER, holy shit), and i can finally show them 😭 sometimes i feel bad for prewriting, because i'll write something SUPER INTENSE, but then it'll take like 6 months for me to actually be able to talk about it. i guess it's the one downside. 

anyway:

(i love how in the next book, it gets to be four times 😭)

also, have these ones for fun:

thanks for reading :)