CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: BE CAREFUL

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Luther, Allison and Viktor was standing on the the second floor talking about the disappearing of people.

Viktor was standing by a pool ball table while Luther was sitting on another pool ball table.

"So, all the people on the street just disappeared?" Allison asked "Well, no, not all of them, just...half of them" Luther said "Five did say animals were disappearing" Viktor said "Okay, well, now is definitely people" Luther said "Marcus was supposed to meet up with us earlier, but he never showed" Viktor said "What, you think this grandfather thing took Marcus?" Luther asked "It can't just be coincidence, right?" Viktor asked "Great" Allison said with a sigh "Now those Sparrow psychopaths think we took their Number one. We're never getting the briefcase back" she said "Okay, what if..." Viktor said before he took some steps forward "What if we just told the truth? Marcus is gone, and maybe we're partially responsible" he said "That'll go well. They'll throw us a party" Allison said sarcastically "I bet they throw fantastic parties" Luther said.

"Listen. Marcus was ready to give us back the briefcase. If the rest of his family are even half as open-minded, you know, maybe we can come to some kind of an agreement, get it back" Viktor said "Yeah, yeah. Okay" Luther said before he jumped down from the pool ball table "Well, if you guys are heading over there, I should probably come along. You know, uh, for protection" he said.

Viktor didn't say anything as he turned to look at Allison "Yeah" she said and took the last sip from her glass before she put it on the table "Nice try, Stockholm" she said before she walked towards him "Your ass is staying here" she said and patted him on the shoulder as she walked passed him.

"Wha--?" Luther asked confused "She's right" Viktor said "What? Who put you two in charge?" Luther asked "Look, Allison...She needs something to take her mind off Clarie. So, we'll handle this" Viktor said "Yeah. Copy. Hey, um...Thanks for looking out for her" Luther said and Viktor nodded before walking away.

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A raven was cawing as Viktor and Allison met with Ben and Fei in the Academy's courtyard.

"You're one short" Ben said "Where's the rest of your pathetic family?" Fei asked "Aww. Is that the best you can do?" Allisok asked "Last warning" Fei warned "Yeah, you don't get to warn me about shit, Flock of She-Gulls" Allison said and Ben let out a laugh causing Fei to look at him and he stopped laughing before he cleared his throat.

"Whatever. Where the fuck is Marcus?" Ben asked "Marcus is, uh...Marcus, uh...Marcus is--" "Safe" Allison said, cutting Viktor off and Viktor looked at her as Allison looked at them.

"For now. But that'll change real quick if you don't do exactly as we say" Allison said "See? I told you they have him" Fei said as she looked at Ben.

"I warned Marcus, but no. He said we had to hear what you had to say" Ben said "Look, he wasn't wrong, okay?" Viktor said "Yeah, we want to make things right with you--" "By kidnapping our brother?" Ben said, cutting Viktor off "No, that's--" Viktor said but Allison cut him off "Yes" she said and Viktor looked at her as she sent him a signal, like he should play along and the two looked back at Fei and Ben.

"Look, there is a lot more going on here. The world is in trouble, and we need to work together. My brother could explain it all a lot better than me, but...it's a time-traveling problem. We cause a paradox, and that paradox is swallowing things. Lots of cows, and a dog, a few lobester, but also people. Look, I know it sounds like--" but Allison cut him off again.

"Just give us the briefcase, and we'll give you Marcus" she said "What briefcase?" Fei asked "The one we left in your house" Allison said and Fei was about to say something but Ben beat her to it "Deal. The briefcase for our brother" he said "Great. Hotel Obsidian, four o'clock sharp" Allison said before she put on her sunglasses "Or we'll send him back in pieces" she said.

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You watch as Five opened a circuit box and attached plush to the cables. Your boyfriend wasn't sure if this would work, but it was better than nothing.

Five have told you how they were going to use his powers to  jump-start the briefcase.

"By the way I forgot to tell you, nice suit" Lila said as she looked at Five's new tailored black suit.

"Thanks. It's a gift from Y/n" Five said "The tailor in the lobby is a master craftsman" you said "My girlfriend has an amazing taste" Five said as he looked at you.

"But not in picking guys" Lila joked causing you to giggled before you and Lila let out a chuckled and the two of you looked at each other with a smile "Very funny" Five said sarcastically before he rolled his eyes.

"Still, I miss those pasty knees" Lila said "Yeah, well, we could all stand to be showing a little skin these days" he said and Lila let out a small smile before she lifted up another jump leads "For you" she said "Yeah" Five said before he grabbed them and Lila lifted up a jump-starter.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" you asked "It's fine" Five said "You are the one that is about to get electrocuted just to hotwire a briefcase" you said "It's the only way Y/n" he said "But what if there is another way to get to The Commission" you said as you were freaking out a bit.

"There isn't" Five said "I just don't want to see you in pain" you said "It's only for a little while" he said "I don't like this" you said.

"Ready to hot-wire this briefcase?" she asked and he nodded as he got ready to use his powers "Let's do this" he said with an exhale before he looked at you "Please, take a step back" he said "I don't know about this" you said as you took a step back "I can't watch" you said "Then close your eyes or leave, just don't interrupt. But don't worry, this wouldn't kill him. Nothing can kill the little cockroach. I've tried already" Lila said.

Lila turned on the jump-starter causing electronics sparks to set off "Ah shit" he said as his hands glow blue and he wailed in pain while Lila laughed.

"Shit! Lila!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards, almost falling to his knees while you let out a gaps.

Five let out a groan before he got to his feet as he could feel the electronics going through his body while Lila continue laughing.

"STOP, YOU CRAZY BITCH!" you shouted to Lila but she continued to laugh.

You then walked over to Lila before taking the jump-starter out of her hands, thorwing it on the floor.

You then rushed over to Five to help him, but as soon as you touch him, an electric shock went through your whole body causing you to scream in pain before you stumble back, falling to the floor.

"LOVE!" Five said as he quickly powered down and he let go of the jump leads before rushing over to you, crouching down next to you.

You could feel your heart pounding fast, your vision was a little blurry and your body were sore.

"Are you okay?" he asked worried and you lifted your head as you groan in pain "Why did you do that?" he asked "'Cause I couldn't handle see you in pain" you said "Are you alright?" he asked "Yeah, it was just a small electric shock" you said "I really thought for a second that I lost you there" he help you up "You are not gonna lose me dumbass, never" you said and he let out a sigh in relief.

"Five, the briefcase!" you suddenly said as you saw that the briefcase was on fire.

"Shit" he said before you and him grabbed some rags and began hitting them on the briefcase to try and turn off the fire while Lila was still laughing as she opened the door before walking out of the room.

As soon as the fire was out, you pulled Five into an aggressive hug "No more experiments, okay?" you said.

You pushed him away after a moment and pointed your finger at him "No more. We should have know that this wouldn't work" you said.

"Yeah, I was 99% sure that wouldn't work" Lila said with a smile as she jumped up to sit on a ice machine "Well, I'm glad my pain amuses you" Five said before he looked back the briefcase.

"You have no idea. It's like my therapy" she said "Yeah, that's briefcase is dead" you said "Fuck" Five said as you and him walked out of the room before he closed the door.

"You are fucking crazy, you know that right?" you asked as you looked at Lila.

"Well, now we are down to one half-dead briefcase and my jumps are only accurate up to a couple minutes. So, essentially, we're screwed" Five said.

You then started scratching your fingers which Five notice and he quickly pulled your hand away from your other hand, rubbing it softly. You were all stressed but even then, the sight of you scratching your fingers just made him ache. You leaned your head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

"Maybe. Maybe not" Lila said before she let out a smile "Oh, I hate that smile" Five said as he was looking at her.

"Listen, on your own, your little jumps are rather pathetic" Lila said and Five let out a scoff "But if we powered up together, you blinking, me mimicking that blink, I think we could create some kind of feedback loop and get enough juice to jump-start the case" she said "That could work. You told me that the briefcase work as a barrier between times and if you jump start it with both your powers, it would probably hurt like hell. You could jump more effectively and without any issues of landing in the correct time. And you two have to made it work. We don't know when this thing is going to take people" you said

"Both of us together" Five said as he looked at Lila "We'd have to trust each other" Lila said and he let out another scoff.

"Lila, you just spent the better part of the last ten days trying to end my life and the last one trying to kill Y/n. You stab her with a knife" Five said "You actually almost killed me" you said "You killed my birth parents" Lila snapped at him "Fair enough" Five said before she jumped down from the ice machine and took a few steps passed him before turning to him "And your entire family stood by while that greasy Swede put a cap in the woman who raised me" she said.

"The Handler was going to kill you, Lila. In fact, she did kill you. Then I rolled back in time and let the meatball do his work" Five said as he put his hands together.

"Oh, and by the way if you're leading Diego on as payback for what happened in Texas, you're pissing up the wrong ladder there 'cause that idiot may actually love you. The Handler never did" he said before he turned around and began to walk away.

"What do you know? You spent decades shagging a mannequin, and then you fell in love with someone you have only know for a few days and is actually useless, so what do you know about love" she said and you snapped your head to her while Five stop in his track.

"Do not talk about my girlfriend like that, Lila" he said angry as he walked up to her while he kept his eyes at her "Beside I know a lot more than love than you do" he said.

"This is insane. There is no way we're gonna get past this to make it to The Commission" Lila said.

"Guys, listen I know you hate each other, but can't you put that hate aside and work together, people is stronger when they work together" you said before you looked at Five

"Five, Sweety" Five looked at you "I know you don't like it, but if you are gonna fix this so we have the chance to live that life together with me that you talk about, you have to trust and work together with someone you hate" you said and Five looked down.

"Do it for me" you said and he let out a sigh.

"Okay, perhaps we can't get to trust, but there is a certain honesty in white-hot hated" he said and Lila rolled her eyes before she walked passed him and over to the door "Then come over here, you god-awful little shit" she said and opened the door before she opened her palm for him to take her hand "And hold my hand" she said and he let out a smile before he grabbed her hand.

Five then looked at you "Are you sure, you don't want to come?" he asked "I'm sure" you said "Just promise me one thing" he said "What?" you asked "Promise that you will be careful, stay near my siblings and stay away from danger, okay" he said and you nodded.

"Just promise me you'll always be careful. And no matter what happens, I will protect you" he said "You know that I can protect myself" she said "I'm not saying that. Just do that for me" he said and you looked at him "I will. And I swear to protect you too" you said "Let's protect each other, okay" he said "Deal" you said before you looked at Lila. 

"Take care of him. If he is coming back with just one bruise I will kill you" you said with a smile "I will babysit that little shit" Lila said with a smile and the two of you let out a giggled while Five let out a scoff.

"I'll be back as soon as I can" he said before he kissed you on the forehead "Don't stress yourself okay" you said and he nodded "This man is a softie for you" Lila said "Yeah, he really is. I think I'm his kryptonite" you said with a smile.

Five smiled at you before he grabbed Lila's hand and they walked into the room.

"You are a softie for her, Five" Lila said "Yeah, she is my kryptonite" he said "That woman will be the death of you" Lila said "Yep and I'm gonna be the death of her" Five joked.

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