tacenda || f.hargreeves (0): A PREQUEL (COMPLETE)

Part 15: Ardor (END)

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"How about this? Does this even make sense?" 

"Where?" Five asks, turning his attention towards Nine who gives him a sour look. Five chuckles at this, wrapping his arms around her waist. He analyzed the equation, humming. "It seems clear enough for me. I mean, I think it could work." 

"I don't know," Nine mutters, "I feel like something's missing of some sort. I just can't put my finger as to what it is..."

Five kissed her on the side of her forehead, "Why don't we eat first then we'll figure it out together? When was the last time you've had a nice meal, hm?"

This caused Nine to laugh, turning around so she can face her fiancée. She gives him a small smile before her expression turns smug. "Yeah, a few scraps here and there is a nice meal." She teases him, giggling as Five rolls his eyes playfully.

"Come on, I think we still have canned food laying around here somewhere."

(cont.)

A/N: This part is also stated in Book 1, umbra.

"Here." Five hands Nine a canned food before taking a seat next to her. "Thanks."

They ate quietly until Five starts to chuckle. "Hey, remember that, uh, little mansion just outside the city limits? Where we--heh." He stops when Nine smacks him on the arm. Nine was turning red, "I remember."

"Yeah, well, it turns out the wine cellar was left untouched. Picked up a few cases of your favorite Brut Réserve. Even if I don't drink too much, and you do." Five tells her, taking another bite from his food. Nine smiles at him, "You didn't have to."

"Well, I did, because I love you."

"Oh shucks." Nine chuckles to herself, "I love you too--" She stops and places her canned food down, quickly taking her sniper rifle and pointing it towards an unknown person.

Five stood up next to her, "Who the hell are you?"

A cleaned-looking woman wearing black clothes waves at them with a smile. She held a briefcase in her hand. "Hello, Number Five, Number Nine."

Five and Nine exchanged looks. "Excuse me?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Five asks the woman one more time, shielding Nine with his arm.

"I'm here to help." The woman replies, and inches herself closer to them. "Tell me why I shouldn't put a bullet in your head right now!" Nine shouts, still aiming the gun at her.

"Because, if you did, you wouldn't hear the offer I'm about to make you."

"Lower the gun, Nine." Five tells his wife. Nine looks at him in disbelief, "You seriously believe her?" "Lower. The. Gun."

Nine let out a sigh and lowers the gun. Five pushes himself in front of her. "It would be rather tragic, given your... current circumstances." The woman continues, taking a seat on a cinder block near her. "I work for an organization called The Commission. We are tasked with the preservation of the time continuum through manipulation and removals."

"I don't understand." Five and Nine says in unison.

The woman clicks her tongue, "Sometimes people... make decisions to alter the time. Free will, don't get me started. When that happens, we dispatch one of our agents to eliminate the threat."

Nine quickly aims the gun at her again, making the woman laugh. "No, no, no. You misunderstand me. You're not a target. You're a recruit. I've come to offer you both a job." Nine lowers the gun again with slight hesitation. "We've had our eye on you both for quite some time. And we think you both have a lot of potentials."