𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 - 𝑓. ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑠

027. BENTLEY'S PARADOX

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BENTLEY'S PARADOX ☂︎︎

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SHE ARRIVED AT THE ALLEY WITH PROMPTLY TEN MINUTES TO SPARE and lacked no surprise when the only ones there were Luther and Five.

Looking down at her watch with nine minutes left she was starting to think they weren't getting home anytime soon. "Why am I not surprised that no one else is here?" she pants, allowing herself to lean against the brick wall.

Before anyone could give a viable answer, Klaus clumsily stumbled into the alleyway with a wave. "Hey! Hey! We made it."

Everyone seemed to squint at his words. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

Klaus began to twitch again and her eyes widened as she realized that although it was Klaus' body, Ben had once again taken over. She watched the struggle, Klaus pulling and pushing at himself in weak attempts to get Ben out. It was until he doubled over, Charlotte hopping out of the way of the projectile vomit that left his mouth with a gag.

Luther huffed. "I can't believe it. I mean, you're here." he points at Klaus in shock.

Five stared closely at his own watch. "We've got eight minutes left."

Klaus whimpered. "I just had the strangest dream."

"Where are the others?" he seethed and she didn't even have any comforting words to offer.

The minutes passed with curses, banging and an abnormal amount of pacing and moaning from Klaus. Her fingers drummed against the brick wall in anxiousness, a spare piece of plastic morphing in-between states in her palm. Luther's fist slammed into the garbage. "We've got a minute left!"

"What's going on, guys? Are we going somewhere?" Klaus asked from the floor.

"It was a simple task. It was a simple task!" Five groaned, pacing in frustration. "All we had to do was be here. Didn't have to fight a giant sea monster, no. An army of mutants? Nein."

"I can't believe this." Luther sighed.

She could, but she wouldn't say so out loud.

"It was handed to us on a silver platter."

Klaus finally picked himself up and Charlotte reached for his hand, pulling him up. "Could you just moan a little softer? My head is killing me."

"Listen to me, you useless puke bag, we just blew our chance to save the world!" From beside him, the suitcase began to whir to life, clicking sporadically. She froze, not sure what was to come. "God damn it." he scoffed. He launched it into the air, allowing the vortex to open and no one to walk into it.

They all watched blankly as it disappeared.

"We were that close." he sighed. "That close."

And with that he stormed inside and she trailed behind him dejectedly.

Entering Elliot's apartment all she could hear were a loud string of curses echoing through the empty walls. She sighed, peering in at a frustrated Five, pacing frantically through the loft of the apartment and muttering to himself fervently. "Are you okay?" she asked, pressing down the plastic (which was now a locket) on the table with a clang.

His eyes widened.

She regretted asking.

"No, Charlotte. I am not okay." he began, fingers fumbling by his side. "My entire family just blew our chance of saving the world and going home. I had to murder a whole bunch of people to get here, coudn't get a simple snack from a vending machine and Klaus puked everywhere like that stupid blob from Ghostbusters. I've tried everything and have failed."