CHAPTER THREE: LIKE THE NUMBER

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"Five" Diego said as he walked into a visit room in the psych ward to see his brothee Five sitting by a table "Hey, Diego" Five said and Diego sat down across from him.

"You look good in white" Five said, looking at his white clothes "About time you showed up" Diego said "How'd you know I'd be back?" Five asked "Because that's the kind of shit you pull" Diego said angrily as he leaned forward.

"Where are the others?" Five asked "They're not with you?" Diego asked "I'll find them" Five muttered quietly.

"How long have you been here?" he asked "Seventy-five days" Diego answered and Five grunted softly "Landed in the alley behind..."

"Commerce and Knox" Diego and Five said at the same time and Diego looked at him "You?" he asked "I got here this morning" Five answered "How'd you find me?" Diego asked and Five let out a gentle scoff before he pulled up the article "Page 16" he said before he unfolded the article while Diego leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes.

Five put the article on the table before he began reading from it "'Disturbed man with multiple knives arrested outside 1026 N. Beckley'" he read before he slide the article towards Diego. "That's Lee Harvey Oswald's house. Care to explain?" Five asked as he leaned forward.

"Let's just say. Dallas Law Enforcement has not been supportive of my attempt to stop the assassination of..." Diego started before he looked back up at Five "John F. Kennedy" he said quietly.

"Because it hasn't happened yet" Five said and Diego leaned forward "And it's not going to happen. Not on my watch. Look, I've been shaving down the bars in my room. Another day or two, and I'll be out of this place, then I'm gonna stop Oswald and save the president. You want in, say the word" Diego said.

"Listen to me very closely, you gibbering moron. You are not going to do a goddam thing" Five said softly "Why not?" Diego asked "Because we have to stop the apocalypse" Five said "No shit. But that doesn't happen for another 60 years" Diego said "Not that apocalypse. This is a new one. It followed us. I've seen it. Nuclear war, Diego, in ten days" Five said and Diego let out a quietly and softly laugh before he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arm in front of his chest.

"And I'm the one they locked up, huh?" he said with a smile and Five rolled his eyes with a scoffs as he looked at the window to his right "Fine, I'll play along" Diego said as Five leaned back in his chair before looking at him.

"What cause it?" Diego asked "I don't know. Maybe some looney-tuned asshole with a hero complex tried to save the president and screwed everything up" Five said and Diego leaned forward again "So you're saying it worked?" he asked and Five let out a softly scoffs "I saved the president?" Diego asked and growled softly "I knew I could do it. Okay, okay, I'll help you" he said "Thank God" Five said "After I save Kennedy. And then you swing us back a few decades so I can slit Hitler's throat off with a butter knife" Diego said "This is why you don't have any friends" Five said as they stared at each other.

"You know what?" Five said before he looked at the staff member "Guard" Five called out as he got up from his chair, letting out a sigh "My brother is plotting an escape. The bars of his room have been shaved down" he said and Diego got up quickly, trying to crawl across the table "Piece of shit!" he shouted at Five causing him to take a step back.

The guards grabbed Diego's neck before pressing him down on the table. "No! Here--All right, asshole" one of the guards said "Look, this is for your own good, Diego" Five said as he was looking down at Diego.

"No! Five!" Diego said as he was trying to get off the table and Five looked at the guards "Listen, my brother is a very sick man" he said "No, Five" Diego said "I only pray that he gets the help he so desperately needs" Five said as a nurse walked over to Diego with a needle before she stuck the needle into Diego's arm before squeezing the top of the shot making the liquid go into Diego's body "No, please! Not the needle! No! No! No!" Diego said.

Five then leaned closer down to Diego's ear "Be back for you later, okay? Just...Well, nighty night" he whispered before Diego lost consciousness.

---

You and your dad was in the living room when the boy suddenly appeared in the room causing you to jump a bit and your dad to let out a scream.

"Stupid Diego" the boy mumbled "So did you find your brother?" you asked "Yeah, but he is being an idiot. So..." he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I need to find the rest of my siblings" he said before he looked at you and your dad "Do you two have any idea where the others are?" he asked.

"I know where the big sensitive one is" Elliott said "Luther" Five said "Yeah" you got up and the boy looked at you.

"He's been on the news. He fights people all the time. Goes by the name 'King Kong'. Fights for money" you said "Do you know where he works?" the boy asked and you nodded "I can show you where he works" you turned to him "You can also give me the name of the place" the boy said "I don't remember the name of the place. But I know where it is, I go past it everyday when I'm headed to work or school. If you're up for it, we can go there" you said "Okay, let's go then" the boy said and you looked at your dad.

"Please be careful" he said "You know me. I will" you smiled before you and the boy left.

---  

"This is the place" you and the boy entered the club. As you both entered, you saw many guys in suits, while women with very showing outfits was walking around serving them as a woman was dancing on the stage.

"Hey" you both turned around to see a woman approached you both "We don't allow minors in here. You have to leave" she said.

You noticed how the boy scanned the woman up and down and for some strange reason you didn't like that.

"What time do you get off work?" he asked while sending her a sarcastically smile.

The woman chuckled before leaving and the boy looked at you who raise a brow "What?" he asked. But you didn't answer as you walked over to sit by the counter while the boy walked over to sit on the stage to watch a woman dancing.

"Typical" you rolled your eyes as you looked back at your glass of water.

Then you noticed a huge man came walking over to the boy and you could recognize him as the sensitive one.

So you walked over as the huge guy bend down next to the boy's ear.   

"She's too young for you" he said. 

'Too young for him. What does he mean by that. That boy is sixteen, he is too young for that woman. And she is the one that is too old for him'

The boy glanced to the side before looking back forward at the woman on the stage "Nice to see you too, Luther" he said.

So the huge one name is Luther. That must be the sensitive one, the boy's other brother.

"What do you want?" Luther asked "For you to stop hovering like an ambitious stripper and sit down with me" the boy said, as he tilted his head back to look at Luther and he sat down next to him.

"How long have you been here?" the boy asked his brother "A year, thanks to you" Luther answered "I'm sorry, Luther. I know that couldn't have been easy" the boy said "I thought everybody was dead" Luther said but then he spotted a man talking to his boss "I gotta go" Luther said and was about to get up "Luther, wait" the boy said, grabbing a hold on his arm causing Luther to look down at him.

"Look, I get it, okay? I know what it's like to be stuck in time...thinking this is how you're gonna live out the rest of your life. On the run, and not knowing if you're ever gonna see the people you love again, and to be in an unfamiliar world. But Luther, you're not alone. We have to find the others because the world ends again in ten days and I have no idea how to stop it" the boy explain which cause you to raise a brow in confusing.

What did he mean with that?

You really need an explanation from that boy.

There was a few seconds of silence before Luther spoke up "I don't give a shit" he said "What?" the boy asked "You heard me" Luther said before he walked away but the boy got up before he walked up in front of Luther before stopping, causing Luther to stop too.

"The hell is wrong with you, Luther?" he asked, pulling him a little bit to the side "I just told you the world's gonna end in ten days" he said "Yeah, well, you're always saying that" Luther said and was about to walk away but the boy grabbed him again "And so far, I've been right" he said "Look, you want to save the world. Knock yourself out. All right? I already got a job" Luther said "Wait, so you actually work in this shithole?" the boy asked.

"Yeah. Well, my boss owns the place. I'm his body man" Luther said "What's that? Like a masseuse or something?" the boy asked "Okay, you can make fun all you want, but I take good care of Mr. Ruby" Luther said "Wait, Ruby. The Jack Ruby, the gangster who shot Oswald?" the boy asked "Yeah, the one and only" Luther said and looked over at Jack Ruby "It finally happened" the boy said causing Luther to look back at him.

"That gorilla DNA has taken over your mind" he said "Hey, watch it, all right? Jack's a good friend" Luther said "And you're Number One. Número Uno. Remember?" the boy asked "There is no Number One" Luther said and the boy furrowed his brows "Not anymore. Not in 1963. Look, I've been stranded here alone for a year. What did you expect?" Luther asked and the boy let out a sigh "I get it, all right? You watched Pogo die, the world exploded and I marooned your big dumb ass in time. I'm sorry, okay?" he said and sighed "But I'm asking for your help, Luther. The Umbrella Academy needs you" he said "It doesn't need me. It never did" Luther said.

"Luther, honey" a waitress said from behind the boy "Jack's about to lose it on some half-wit. A little help" she said "Ah, shit" Luther said and was about to walk away from the boy.

"Luther, wait" the boy said, going after him and Luther turned around "Listen" he said angry "You're the genius who said we should jump. Right? You're the one who got us stuck here. And you're the one who brought Vanya" you noticed how the boy's face for a bit.

"So if there is a doomsday coming, she's probably the cause. And if I was gonna do something about it, it sure as hell is not gonna be with you" Luther said.

"Maybe you should listen to your brother big guy" you walked up to them. 

"Who is she?" Luther pointed at you "Just an acquaintance" the boy replied.

You don't know why, but it hurt a little on you when he said that. But he was right, you barely knew each other.   

"Well, then maybe she can help you but I don't want to be part of this anymore" Luther said before he turned around and walked away.

"What an asshole" you said "He is like that" the boy said before he sat back down by the counter with his drink and you both saw Luther dragging a guy away.  

The boy took a sip of his drink before he put the glass on the counter "Dad should have left him on the moon" he said as his eyes followed Luther dragging the guy out.

The boy then ran his fingers through his hair "Don't worry, he will come around" you put your hand on his back and rub it "How do you know that?" he asked "He is your brother, your family. And family is family" you said as you rub his back.  

The boy felt a weird feeling through his body when he felt you rubbing his back. He actually like it.

But then he snap back to reality. He can't enjoy it or get too attached to it.

So he move his shoulder which made you remove your hand from his back.

He then took another deep breath before he got up, but then there was the sound of cloth tearing and he looked down to see where it was coming from. He put his hands in his pocket before he pulled out what look like a video tape.

"What is that?" you asked as you looked at the tape.

DATE: 11/22/63

SUBJECT: FRANKEL FOOTAGE

He remember that Hazel put something in his pocket before he died.

His eyes widened, Hazel must know something, otherwise he wouldn't have giving him that tape.

"Hello, is anyone home, what is this?" you asked "I don't know, but I think there is something on it" the boy looked at you "Do you know someone that can develop it?" he asked "My dad can" you replied "Then let's go" he said and the two of you walked out of the bar.    

---

"Where is your dad?" the boy asked as you both enter the apartment.

"Well, all the lights are off. So I think he is asleep" you replied before looking at him.

You grab a book before you turn on a small lamp that was standing by a small table next to the couch.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" the boy asked "I don't have a certain bedtime, I'm too old for that" you said.   

"Maybe you should rest too, you look like you need it" you sat down before you opened your book.

"Do you think I am an alien too?" he asked "You don't look or talk like one. You look more human. But we actually don't know how alien looks like, they could look like us or not. But I actually don't care. But my dad does" you looked back in your book.

There was ten minutes of silence with you reading and the boy walking around in the living room, looking like he was thinking while mumbling something you didn't understand.

After ten minutes you put your book aside before you got up.

"Well, you can sleep on the couch" you pointed at the couch "Night" you said.

"Hey" the boy said and you turned to look at him. 

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself last time" he stepped closer to you.

"I think you deserve to know my name since I will be staying here until I found my siblings" he said "And since I kinda save you earlier" you said "You didn't---" but he stop himself when he saw you raise an eyebrow "Okay, you kinda saved me, but I also saved you. So" he smirked which caused you to roll your eyes.       
"I'm Five, Five Hargreeves" the boy said.

"Your name is Five, like the number?" you asked and he nodded "What? Was Number One, Two, Three and Four taking?" you asked and he chuckled "Kinda, my dad gave me this name, I have six other siblings and our dads called us numbers instead of names so" he said "Weird, he must really be obsessed about numbers" you said "Yeah. We had a mother and she gave us real names" he said "Why didn't you get a real name?" you asked "Well, the rank system had a negative effect on all the my siblings except for me. I don't care that I weren't perfect in my father's eyes. I knew I had great power. My number didn't have a huge impact on me, so I just never changed my name" he said and you nodded.

"So maybe you and your siblings really are aliens" you said "I was adopted as a baby by an eccentric billionaire, along with my six other siblings and raised to fight crime with our superhuman abilities" he said "Really?" you asked and he nodded.

"Well, I'm Y/n. Y/n Gussman" you stretched your left hand towards him and he grab it before you both shook hands.

As soon as your and Five's hands touch each other. It was like you both felt an electric feeling hitting you both. It was like the two of you got connected, like got tied together.

An electric feeling ran through both your and Five's bodies at the contact of your skin. It was like static electricity, but in a good way. A way that it made your neck heat up and a blush arrive on your cheeks.

Both you and Five felt a weird feeling when your hands touch.

"Nice to meet you, Five Hargreeves" you said as you both let go "Likewise" he said.   

"So you are a time travler?" you asked "Kinda" he nodded "What effects does that have on you, physically and mentally? How do you calculate the time dilation projections so quickly and how do you get them exact? Have you ever gotten stuck? Does the constant jumping through space cause your body to regress your natural human growth? Does projecting your consciousness forward into suspended quantum state version of yourself work? Or have you not had to do that at all? Why were those people after you?" you said as you kept talking.

Five let out a small smile, you were exceptionally smart for someone your age.

"How do you know about time travel?" he asked "I sometimes study it" you said.

Five smiled but then he blink a few times with his eyes like he snap out of something. "Just so you know, this doesn't make us friends" he said with a more negative voice which caught you by surprise.

"I thought---" "What? That we were friends? Just because you are helping me doesn't mean we're friends. I don't really like people and I don't make friends. Even if I could. I wouldn't want to. So we are not friends" he said.

You were a little confuse what is wrong with him, one minute he is all nice and the next he is an asshole. 

"You really are an asshole" you turned around before walking towards your bedroom "Good night" you said aggressive before slamming your door shut.

Five let out a sigh as the door slam shut. 

Why did he felt guilty saying that to you? 

Why does it he regret it?

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