CHAPTER SIXTEEN: RUNNING OUT OF TIME

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The Handler was in her main office again. She was now the boss of The Commission.

She let out a chuckled as she put AJ down in a fishbowl filled with water where some blue and yellow stones was laying on the bottom of the fishbowl.

"Hmm" she said as she crouched down to look at the fishbowl that was standing by her desk.

"How dare you!" AJ muted "Look at you" The Handler said with a smile "I'll get you for this" AJ said and The Handler tap her finger on the glass as AJ started shouting indistinctly.

"Back to work. And don't worry about that parking spot. It won't go to waste" The Handler said before she started cackling as she tap her finger at the glass "No!" AJ shouted "Do I really have to be here?" Lila asked as she was standing, leaning against the wall by the window.

"Oh, Lila, darling, no, I need your opinion" The Handler said as she got up "These are all so good, I can't decide" she said as she pick up two posters with two different security uniforms on "What do you think of these new security uniforms?" she asked as she showed them to Lila "Too pansy-ass?" The Handler asked as she looked at one of the posters before looking at the other "Hmm...I am a sucker for a beret, though" she said before she showed the two to Lila who just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, this is my big day. Don't yuck my yum with your bad mood" The Handler said and Lila looked down at that bracelet she and Diego made in the asylums together.

"And stop twisting that tacky little bracelet like a sulky schoolgirl" The Handler said as she put down the posters on the desk "We have achieved our dream" she said with her arms out to the side "Your dream" Lila said, looking at her "Hey" The Handler said before she opened a draw by the desk, taking something out.

"Here" she said as she stretched a small box towards Lila and Lila walked towards her "What is it?" she asked as she took the box from her "Well, it was meant to be a surprise, but your terrible attitude's ruined that" The Handler said as she sat down on her chair.

Lila opened the box to see a golden badge with the words 'HEAD OF SECURITY' on it.

"Head of security?" Lila asked as she looked at The Handler "You're always asking about more trust, responsibility. Well, there it is" The Handler said "Really?" Lila asked "Really. If you want it" The Handler said as she put a cigarette in her mouth while Lila let out a softly scoffs.

"Yeah, I want it, but, um...I wanna do it my own way. Yeah, I wanna make my own decisions, you know, pick my own team" Lila said "Why not? You've earned it" The Handler said and Lila smiled before she looked back at the badge.

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Diego had found Klaus and he was holding his shoulder as he was dragging him away "You need to come with me" Diego said "Where?" Klaus asked.

A woman walked past them before she bowed, putting her hands together at her forehead "Prophet. Prophet" she whispered to Klaus before talking away.

"Five found a way home" Diego said and Klaus giggled "It's so great to see you again, Diego" Klaus said "You hear what I just said?" Diego asked "Yeah" Klaus said with a nod and Diego turned to him "Are you high, Klaus?" he asked "No, I'm not Klaus" Klaus said before he put his hand next to Diego as the two stopped up.

"I'm Ben" Klaus said and Diego took a small step forward before he turned to grab Klaus' arm "Look, I don't have time for this" he said "I can prove it" Klaus said as he stop him from leaving "Ask me something only Ben would know" he said and Diego glanced to the side before he look back at Klaus "Okay. When we were little, what did you reprogram Allison's Teddy Ruxpin to say?" Diego asked "'Luther sniffs Dad's underwear'" Klaus answered in a singsong voice.

Diego's expression changed as he chuckled softly before he took a step back while putting his hands together over his mouth "Holy shit" he said before he stepped forwards wrapping his arms around Ben in a tight hug while Ben let out a laugh.

Ben closed his eyes as he was happy to be able to hug someone again and not just someone, his beloved brother, Diego.

Diego tried to hold back his tears of joy. Even so he was hugging Klaus, Diego felt like he was hugging his beloved brother Ben who he thought he would never hug again.

"I don't get it, I mean..." Diego said as they pulled away "Klaus said you didn't make it to Dallas" Diego said "Well, Klaus says a lot of things, but guess what? I can possess him now" Ben said and Diego moved his hands to the sides of Ben's face "And it's freaking awesome" Ben said "Okay, you can tell me all about it on the way back to 2019. Okay?" Diego said as they two started walking.

"What about Destiny's Children? We can't just leave them. Klaus should be the one to tell them--" Ben said but just cut off by Diego "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Okay? You stay in this body" he said as he put his arms around his shoulder "We need someone responsible behind the wheel, okay?" he asked as he patted Ben on the shoulder.

"All right, Diego. Will you wait? I just need, like, ten minutes. Ten minutes" Ben said as the two stopped before Diego walk up to stand in front of him "Actually" he said before he looked at his watch "There's something I need to do first. Meet me in the alley behind Elliott's in 30 minutes, okay?" he said as he put his hand on Ben's shoulder before he lifted it to point at him "Do not be late" he said "I won't. I won't" Ben said and Diego put his hands on the sides of Ben's face "Good to see you, brother" Diego said and Ben put his hands on Diego's sides before he nodded "You too" he said and Diego turned around before walking away.

---

Five was driving down the road when he saw another car drove past him.

As the two cars past each other, Five glanced at Vanya who was sitting in the other car, glancing back at him.

They both hit the brakes before they quickly got out of the cars.

"What are you doing here?" Vanya asked Five as the two approach each other "Looking for you. We're going back to 2019" Five said "What are you talking about?" Vanya asked and Five pulled out his watch "Look, I don't really have time to explain right now, but I found a way home" he said as he lowered his hands, looking back at her "All right? We have 30 minutes to leave, I'm going to pick Y/n up after I have pick you up, so come on" he said before he turned around, taking some step forward, towards his car "What about my friends? I can't just leave them here" she said causing him to stop as he turn to her.

"Vanya, you don't have a choice in this, all right?" he said as he stepped closer to her "Doomsday will happen if you don't come with us" he said "Okay, then I'm bringing them with me" she said "They belong in this timeline" he said "Says who? Sissy deserves a life where she doesn't have to pretend to be someone she's not" she said aggressive and he shook his head as he took a quick glance back at the car before looking back at her "And Harlan? There's a name for what he has. We can get him the help he needs" she said "Vanya" he said calm, trying to convince her.

"Look, a mom and her eight-year-old son are not gonna screw up the timeline, Five! They're insignificant" she said aggressive "No one is insignificant" he said as he stepped closer to her "I'm sorry, all right? But we can't take that risk. They have to stay" he said to her before he took a step backwards "Come on" he said as he turned around and walked closer to his car.

"Why do you get to decide?" she asked causing him to turn to her as he stopped "You're the reason we're stuck here in the first place" she said "If I did nothing, we would all be dead right now, thanks to you" he said. 

"Why do you get to be in charged of that?" she asked and he tilted his head "You get to take Y/n with you and I can't take Sissy and Harlan with me? Why do you get to choose who's significant or not. Why do you get to bring Y/n? She is part of this timeline too" she asked "Don't bring Y/n into this. She is not like Sissy and Harlan, it's more risky bringing Sissy and Harlan than bringing Y/n. But she is worth the risk. She is the only risk I'm willing to make. I can't risk anymore than I already am. Therefore they have to stay. So come on" he said "They're coming with me" she said and he let out a softly scoff.

"Vanya, do not test me right now" he said as he approach her and she let out a small smile "That's funny" she said and he furrowed his brow "'Cause I was about to say the same thing to you" she said before her eyes turned white and her skin turned pale causing Five to furrowed his brows again as the sound high-pitched tone resonating softly was heard.

Five and Vanya glanced at each other as the sound of Five's powers whooshing rhythmically was heard as he clenched his fist while they turned blue.

The two just stared at each other, it was like they were ready to fight but really didn't want hurt the other.

You could see in Five's eyes that he was telling her 'Don't make me do this. I don't want to hurt you'

Five could easy take Vanya down thanks to his assassin skills but he didn't want to because he didn't want to hurt her.

But then Vanya pushed back in earnest and Five's ego floods in respons. Vanya is glowing and Five knew this form the beginning, but it is something else to see it, something else to know that she could come at him with everything she is and still be brought to her knees.

He worry for the world and Vanya in equal measure and wonder which subsumes the other.

Vanya then powered down like she was pulling herself back, like she respected Five.

Her eyes and skin changed back as they both powered down.

"Fine" she said 'Fine' What?" he asked "I'll be there, but I need to say goodbye first" she said "Oh, Vanya, we don't have the time" he said "Well, it's either that or I'm not coming" she said before she turned around and walked back to her car.

Five let out a scoffs before he turned around to walk back to his car "The alley. Don't be late" he said with a sigh before he got into the car.

"Okay, time to find Y/n" he said as he started the car.

Five didn't care that you hate him, he was going to try to get you with him. And if not, then he hope that he would leave with you and him being on good terms again. 

---

Diego were standing inside a hole that he had duge that was only a couple of feet deep.

He had a shovel in his hands, digging up more and more dirt while Elliott's body was off to the side in a wheelbarrow with a sheet covered up the body.

'Cause of the heat, Diego stopped digging as he wipe his forehead.

But then Diego heard footsteps in the grass behind him "Oh good" he said as he kept digging "It's you and your stupid face" he said "Weird time to garden" Lila said as she kept walking towards Diego.

"Can we talk? The truth this time" she said "Oh, I know the truth. You used me, Lila. You're a liar" he said and she shook her head "Oh, come on. What did I really lie about?" she asked "Who you are, who you work for, why you're here, what you want form us. That's all" he said "Yeah, but the rest was true" she said as she moved her arms before she stopped.

Diego let out a sigh as he kept digging "Everyone lies, Diego, and...and I was only lying to protect you" she said as she took a few steps closer to him and he snapped his head up to look at her.

"Mostly" she said as she stopped a couple feet in front of him. He took a step closer to her before putting the shovel blade into the ground while holding the end of the handle "Do you know how hard it is to trust people when your whole childhood was bullshit and manipulation?" he asked "Uh-huh" she said quietly with a small nod.

"Then why would you do that to me?" he asked and she looked away to avoided his gaze causing him to nod and take a step back.

"Tell you what, I'm gonna finish this hole" he said as he started digging again "Save the word, and forget we ever met" he said with a grunt.

Lila turned around but stop when she saw Elliott "Wait, is that...is that dentist-chair guy?" she asked "Elliott. Your Swedish buddies got him" Diego said as Lila lifted the sheet off to look at Elliott "Oh, shit" she said before dropping the sheet over him.

"I liked that shit-muppet" she said while looking down at the ground before she quietly reach to her back.

Lila grabbed out a small bottle before glancing back at the sheet that covered Elliott "Well, here's to Elliott, I guess" she said as she unscrewed the lid to the bottle before taking a few steps towards Diego who looked at her.

"Um...I'll miss his crazy theories..." she said before she turned to Diego that kept digging "...and I'll miss sharing his bed with you" she said and causing him to stop digging and look at her.

Lila tilted her head back, pouring down some liquid from the bottle into her mouth before handing the bottle to Diego.

Diego tilted his head back, pouring the liquid down his mouth before she threw the bottle off to the side before he started digging again "We done now?" he asked.

But then Diego stopped digging ad he felt a weird feeling in his body "Oh..." he said as Lila turned her head before spitting out the liquid "Balls" he said before he felled backwards into the sand, passing out "Yup" Lila said before she walk over to him, putting her hands under his arms before dragging him away.

---

Five pulled up the briefcase from a dumpster as Luther ran up to him "Where is anyone?" Luther asked "You're the first" Five said "What?" Luther asked "Yeah" Five said before he looked around "Where the hell is Y/n?" he asked "I thought you found her" Luther said "I couldn't, then I thought she was here, but she isn't" Five said.

"Are you sure you still want her to come with you after this?" Luther asked "I don't care, I'm doing this to protect her, she is safer if I'm near her" Five said.

Then they spotted Klaus came running at the end of the alley with his hands stretched out to the sides. He almost ran straight into the wall as he turned down the alley.

"We made it" he said as he ran down the alley before he stopped in from of them "What do you mean 'we'?" Five asked but Klaus just moved one of his hands beside his face.

The two looked confused at Klaus as he started groaning and grunting "Get out" he said almost choking out his words while letting out a shuddering grunts.

"Out" Klaus said before he put his hands to his stomach as he hunched over before vomiting on the ground by his feet.

Klaus let out a groan as he fell to the ground, still holding his stomach.

"I can't believe it. I mean, you're here" Luther said, the two knew that if anyone of their siblings would be late, it would be Klaus.

"We've got eight minutes left" Five said as he looked at his watch. "I just had the strangest dream" Klaus said as he was laying on the ground while whimpering.

Five, Luther and Klaus knew they were running out of time as they were all waiting in the alleyways.

They were all waiting as they were running out of time, but they didn't knew that Allison and Vanya was in danger while Diego had being kidnapped.

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Lila was sitting on a chair in front of the desk while Diego was sitting next to her, still passed out.

"Diego Hargreeves..." Lila said as Diego started to wake up. He let out a grunt before sitting up.

He looked at his body before he looked at Lila who was sitting next to him, looking directly at The Handler that was sitting behind her desk.

"Meet my mother" Lila said and Diego looked towards The Handler "Mother this is Diego...my boyfriend" Lila said "What?" Diego asked as he had his hands on the desk while he was looking at her before he looked back at The Handler.

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