The Angel of Small Death || Five Hargreeves

xx. please let me go

Five looked behind him at Diego, a man who had so much potential as a boy was now lying unconscious on a floor only a day after getting out of jail. They all had potential once. All of them could have conquered the world if they had just a bit more self confidence. But that was all squashed by their father. He took away all of their love and joy and left them with nothing.

He laughed, "I guess I would have grown up to be an emotionally stunted man-child like everybody else around here."

That was the only reason he was grateful for his time traveling incident. It allowed him to grow up on his own page. There was no father telling him what to do, no siblings making fun of him. He was allowed to just be.

Hazel chuckled, "Well, there you go. Now you and Elsey can grow up."

Five sighed and looked to the girl next to him, only to see that she was in her own world. She was staring at her hands, almost as if she was on the verge of tears.

He stood up and started walking away, "Good luck."

"Hazel. One more thing before you go."

"Shoot."

"Which one of you was the trigger man for Detective Patch?"

"Trigger-woman"

"Huh, that's too bad. That gun could have cleared my brother's name."

Hazel reached into both of his pockets, "Well, today is your lucky day amigo." He revealed two guns in his hands. One of his, and one of Cha-Cha's. "Take 'em both. I'm done with this life."

He placed the guns on the bar and showed himself out, allowing for Five to finally ask the question he had been meaning to.

"Are you okay?" She didn't respond, continuing to look at her hands. He noticed a tear falling down her cheek, so he took his finger and wiped it away. "Liv? What's wrong?"

"I- I can't stay here."

"Here? What's that supposed to mean?"

She turned to him, finally looking him in the eyes. "I need to go back to the Commission."

Five scoffed, "You were the one who yelled at me for going back and now you say you want to?"

Liv took a deep breath in, "I'm sorry. I like it here, I do. I like you, I like your family. I just can't stay here."

"I don't- I don't understand. What has changed between now and a few days ago? You were so eager to come here."

"The world doesn't need saving anymore," She put his hand on his cheek and smiled at him, "You did that. You saved the world. You stay here, with your family, and grow up. And I'll watch over you from my seat at the Commission and it will all be okay."

"Okay, yeah. Sure. Do what you want."

Liv looked taken aback by his nonchalant attitude, "You don't have to be okay with this, you know? If you are mad, you can be." She desperately wanted for him to tell her to stay, to beg her to, but he had too much dignity. 

"I'm not mad, Liv. It's fine."

Her hand slipped away from his face, "Are you sure?"

"Of course."

She stood up, contemplating for a moment. What she was wondering about would remain unknown to him. "I-I'm going to go find Hazel and Cha-Cha, okay? But I'll be back to say goodbye, I promise."

Five knew she was never one to break a promise.

***

"I am curious. Your girlfriend, Patch. What did you see in her?" Five asked the now-awake Diego. "What did you like about her?" He held Delores in his hands, looking down at her.