[✓] 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅𝐿𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝑙𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔

Word count: 3081

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 the sunny outdoors, Elizabeth made sure that no one was looking and became visible once more.

"You okay?" Five murmured to her as they began to walk down the sidewalk.

She was most definitely not okay. She could feel a terrible headache coming on, and her body felt like absolute shit. Having to make multiple portals and stay invisible for quite some time, all while—especially while—having not eaten at all was enough to bring her body to a point of exhaustion. She had hoped that her body would've held up for a little longer, but alas . . .

Was she worried that she would pass out? Of course. Was her body begging her for a nap? Of course. Was she gonna tell Five? Of course not.

"I'm great."

"So what are we doing now?" Vanya grumbled, clearly still quite irritated from what had just happened.

"We should talk to Luther," Five sighed, putting one hand in his pocket as he took Elizabeth's hand in the other. "He'll want—"

"Luther?" Vanya echoed, an expression of bafflement on her face.

"Another one of your brothers," Five clarified. "Big guy. Blue eyes. Kind of awkward."

"And dumb," Elizabeth added. "Very dumb."

A strange look crossed over Vanya's face, her eyebrows furrowing. "I think I know him. He—he came to the place I was staying at—he said he was my brother. And that he was sorry."

"He should be," Elizabeth muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

Vanya shook her head. "Wh-why are we going to see him?"

"Well, I'm sure he'd like to know that you're with us now," Five mused. "Maybe it'll change his mind."

Vanya glanced over at him as she asked, "About what?"

"Helping us," Five answered.

"Helping us" —Vanya tilted her head— "with the apocalypse?"

He gave a curt nod as he confirmed, "Exactly."

"Seemed like he hated me." Vanya knit her eyebrows closely together as she turned to Five. "Why would me being with you guys change his mind?"

Elizabeth slowed her pace. The headache she had been predicting had finally arrived and was pounding at every edge of her skull. Her eyebrows furrowed as she came to a stop, letting go of Five's hand as she scrunched her face in pain and rubbed at the side of her head.

"Well . . ." Five sighed, not noticing that Elizabeth had stopped as he and Vanya continued walking. "The more people on our side, the more of a chance we have."

"But—"

"No more questions," he interrupted. He turned to his right, his eyebrows raised. "Do you think he'd—Elle?"

Finally noticing the lack of a third presence, Five and Vanya stopped in their tracks and turned their heads to see that Elizabeth was quite a few feet behind them, her fingers rubbing her temples as she tried to relieve the pain.

"Elizabeth?" Five hurried over to her, Vanya trailing close behind. He placed a hand on her shoulder, gripping tightly as he peered into her face and questioned, "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm . . ." She took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly before braving a smile. "I'm fine."

Vanya furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes carefully studying Elizabeth's paling skin and grimaces of pain. "You don't look fine."