𝙒𝙄𝙇𝘿║𝙁. 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨

CHAPTER EIGHT: OLD FRIEND

Five swallowed, holding back the rush of emotions at seeing Delores. The world may have changed while they were gone, but at least she hadn't.

Feliks dragged them both forward and they were just in front of her. She looked as beautiful as ever. Bathed in the blue lights of the store, she had an almost divine glow surrounding her. Feliks' felt his eyes prick with small tears, which he quickly wiped away. Delores never liked when he got upset over ridiculous things.

Oh, quit it Feliks, she said as if on queue. Stop crying over spilled milk. We may have missed years, but we're here now, aren't we?

Feliks gave a small laugh; no, Delores hasn't changed one bit. A small luxury in their tumultuous schedule to stop the apocalypse.

"Delores..." Five's voice cracked on her name. "It's good to see you. I've missed you." He said roughly. Feelings were never a strong point for him.

"We have missed you, staryy drug." Feliks contributed earnestly, being the first to step up and wrap his skinny, teenage arms around her.

You two look like you've been through the wringer and a two-hour-long spin cycle of hell, Delores looked disdainfully at their worn-in clothes. Five shirt collar still had an imprint of blood on it, even though Vanya had tried to scrub it out. Feliks' bruise on his cheek, though fading, was fairly prominent, even in the darkened department store.

"It's been a rough couple of days," Five placed his hand on hers and laid his other arm across Feliks' back. It felt like a balm, their little trio reuniting after all these years. The tough times weren't over by a longshot, but at least they had this single moment of tranquility to themselves.

Feliks pauses from the sweet moment as he hears the soft tapping of two sets of feet pacing down the aisle. Towards them.

"Ty, blyad', izdevayesh'sya nado mnoy?!" He yells and hits the deck, yanking Five down beside him as a shower of bullets rip through the air they were previously occupying. They quickly duck into a rack of clothes for cover.

"NO!" Five yells as Delores takes the brunt of the onslaught, her torso is shot straight through and tears her in half. Five looks horrified and Feliks has to physically pull him back when he reflexively tries to get to her.

"Do not! She is tough, she can handle it!" Feliks said loudly so he could be heard over the rain of shots piercing the air. Five looks like he wants to argue, but concedes when the two attackers start moving their assault closer to them.

Five peeks his head out from behind a white blouse and curses. "Shit! It's them!" He tells Feliks.

"Mister and Misses second best?"

"The very same." He confirms and kneels back away from view.

"We need to split up, Lyubov." Feliks declares and holds up a halting hand at Five's inevitable protest, giving him a look.

"Fine, fine. I hate when we do this shit..." Five muttered and wasted no time in sprinting out into the open air and grabbing the fallen half of their friend. He places Delores down against a reflective pedestal on the floor, "We'll be right back for you." He tells her softly.

"Da, we intend to make this quick," Feliks promises darkly, cracking his knuckles with a look on his face that could absorb direct sunlight.

Whatever, just don't fucking die again, Delores scoffed. You've kept me waiting long enough, fellas.

Five gives a nod to him, which he returns and they start in separate directions, Five going east and him heading westward. He spots the silhouette of a bear head in the scarce lights. Looks like he'll be playing with Hazel today.