illicit | five hargreeves - EDITING

twenty eight

chapter twenty eight: all's well that ends well

Number Five walked cautiously down the hallway of the hotel, slowly approaching the door that held the number twelve on it. He debated for a moment whether or not he should simply just walk in or just turn around and teleport back to the bowling alley, back to Anthony, where he would probable be safer. However he didn't even get a chance to decide before he heard her voice through the ajar doorway "Five, I've been waiting for you!"

He glanced down at his feet, rolling his eyes at the hideous bowling shoes that he was still wearing, before he walked forward and pushed the door open more. He sighed, first noticing the doughnut lady, Agnes, tied to a chair above a hot tub "You must really like doughnuts" he commented.

"Help me!" Agnes begged, but her voice was muffled by the duct tape that was over her mouth. Five wished he could've done something to help her, but it was definitely not a good time to do that.

"It's been a while" the Handler commented, sitting on the hotel bed and ignoring the elderly woman's pleads for help.

"Three days" Five replied.

"For you, maybe, but for me it's been a lot longer since I've seen those adorable little shorts" the Handler said "Im glad you actually came alone"

"Well, you've had time to heal" Five nodded to her, wishing that he had done more to make sure that she didn't survive, no matter how morbid it sounds.

The Handler stood up "Luckily for both of us, time is the one thing my organization has an abundance of" she walked down the steps and closer to him.

"I got your message by the way" Five took the fortune cookie out of his pocket "Nice packaging but so much for Commission protocol"

She chuckled "Mm, there have been a lot of changes since you left the Commission, you really did some damage" she crossed her arms before lifting one hand and stroking his cheek "The briefcases were all but destroyed, to say nothing of the highly trained personnel you killed. After all, what is an institution if not for-"

He cut her off "What do you want?"

"To be happy" she replied simply "To have a simple, unfettered life. To do the work my superiors require"
She stepped away from him and walked towards the couch by the wall "But your being here, well it complicates all that, doesn't it?" she sat down.

"Billions of people are about to die tonight" Five stated, as Agnes whimpered from behind him "And you can change that" he looked at her in disbelief.

"Tonight, tomorrow, so little difference in the scheme of things" she sat back "Don't you remember the Commission's raison d'être? What's meant to be is meant to be, or as I like to say, que será, será"

"It's bullshit in any language" Five exclaimed, taking a step closer to her "Why did you even call me here?

"I wanna offer you a choice" she replied "Everyone's going to die tonight, but unlike the rest of the world, you have a way out. You can abandon your family, and Anthony, or perhaps you'll take him with you too, but do you really want to put him through the hell that was the apocalypse? Probably better to just simply...let him go now, isn't it? I already think you've been holding onto that lost cause for far too long now, it'd be easier to just let him die now with everyone else...to make it easier for you"

"I already told you to keep Anthony out of all of this,
it's been long enough, it's time for you to leave him alone" Number Five said through gritted teeth, clenching his jaw tightly "You can be mad at me but he's never done anything to do"