[✔️] 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑁𝐾 𝑂𝐹 𝑀𝐸 | 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐆𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
"𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔."
—𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑎

𝐈
— 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑎 —

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 forehead as she tried to process everything that Five had just told them.

Apparently, he had found Vanya, who had just been attacked by the Commission men that had killed Hazel and managed to convince her to join their side. After a visit to Luther, who, for some reason, had let himself get beat up during a boxing match, Vanya had found out that she had caused the original apocalypse, and stormed away.

So . . . Five clearly had had a pretty rough morning.

"So, what, you just let her go?" Diego questioned as he wrapped his arm around Mara's waist, a frown settling on his lips.

Five paced behind the couch they were sitting on as he told them, "Well, Vanya had a lot to process." He gave a small sigh before muttering, "She'll come around. I know she will."

"What about the guys that went after her?" Mara questioned as she leaned back, glancing over at Lila, who was sitting next to her.

"The Swedes?" Five raised his eyebrows as he rounded the couch, his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah" —Mara nodded as she accepted the mug of coffee Elliott handed to her— "I mean, how do you know they won't go after her again?"

"We don't," Five exhaled.

"Mm," Lila leaned back as she took a sip of her coffee before continuing, "any idea who sent them?"

Five gave her a miffed smile as he grabbed his mug from the coffee table and coldly reassured her, "Oh, I have my suspicions." He sighed as walked over to the couch opposite them and continued, "But right now, our priority is finding Dad and getting answers, 'cause everything else depends on it."

"Which, for the record," Diego pointed out as Five sat down, "I found him already."

"And then let him go before we could have a meaningful conversation," Five rebutted, his smile just as irritated as before as he crossed one leg over the other.

Diego stared at him. "He stabbed me."

"I'm surprised he waited this long, Diego," the boy quipped. "We've all had the urge."

Lila giggled, reaching out and offering a high-five to him, "Good one."

Five stared at the hand as he put his mug down, but ignored it as he resumed, "Good thing I know where Dad's gonna be tonight."

Five dug out the invitation that Mara had found the night before and handed it to Diego, who took it with his free hand.

Diego let out a small exhale as he leaned back and held the invitation for both him and Mara to see, with Lila creeping over Mara's shoulder.

Diego's eyebrows furrowed. "Where'd you get this?"

"We found it at his office while he was busy stabbing you," Mara answered drily as she turned her eyes towards him.

Diego looked towards her and let out a sarcastic chuckle before turning his attention back to the card and reading out, "'Hoyt Hillenkoetter and the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas cordially invite you to a gala.'"

"Whoa, wait," Elliott interrupted, now skittish as he nervously pointed at the card. "Hoyt Hillenkoetter? Are you serious?"

"You know him?" Five asked as they looked at him.