𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒, diego hargreeves

THE DAY THAT CONTINUED.

AMBER HARGREEVES. present day.

"i would say I'm sorry if i thought that it would change your mind, but i know that this time i have said too much, been too unkind."

WE GATHER AROUND THE TABLE, Five leaning over breathlessly when everyone is back, excluding Vanya. He had instructed me to wait by the bar while he rounded everyone up, and I was on my sixth drink by the time Five jumped back into the room.

He holds the paper out and we all pass it around, reading the words 'REASSIGNMENT: PROTECT HAROLD JENKINS.'

"Harold Jenkins?" Allison sits down next to me, sighing.

"Who the hell is Harold Jenkins?" Diego questions, standing by Luther and Klaus while Five speed-drinks a coffee.

My eyes linger on Diego, who seems to be avoiding my gaze entirely. I clutch my glass a little tighter, feeling embarrassment spark inside of me.

"I don't know..." Five throws the coffee cup across the couch. "Yet. But I do know that he's responsible for the apocalypse, so we have to find him and we have to do it now."

"Whoa, wait.." Luther trails off. "How is that gonna happen?"

"I don't know."

"Wait," Diego moves over to Five now. "So you just know his name? That's it?"

"That's enough."

"There's probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city."

"Well, we'd better start looking then."

I sigh and close my eyes, feeling my head spin briefly with the affect of the alcohol, leaning my head on Allison's shoulder.

Allison throws an arm around my shoulder, holding me. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Like.." I count on my fingers. "One?"

"Yeah...okay." Allison snickers before calling over to Five, who gives me a weird look. "I'm sorry, am I the only one that's sceptical here? I mean how exactly do we know all of this about what's his name?"

"Harold Jenkins." Five gives us an annoyed look. "You know those lunatics in masks who attacked the house?"

Klaus rubs the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah...I think I remember those guys."

"Ok." I pour myself another drink before standing up from my seat. "Well, good luck with that, guys." I step forwards to leave, my arm being grabbed by Allison.

"I don't think so." She mutters, motioning for me to sit down.

I drink back the whiskey, scowling at her.

"Yeah..." Diego looks over at the two of us before turning back to Klaus. "The ones who attacked us while you were getting drunk."

Five shakes his head. "Yeah. Them. They were sent by the Temps commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of life on earth."

"The Temps what?" Luther pipes up.

I feel the ringing in my ears make its way back, and I hear a dull buzzing sound in the background of everybody talking. Instinctively, I rub my ears with an uncomfortable expression, noticing Allison gives me a sympathetic smile.

"My former employer?" Five spoke like we were idiots. "They monitor all of time and space to make sure that whatever is supposed to happen...happens. They believe the apocalypse is coming in three days. So, I went to commission headquarters and intercepted a message that was meant for said lunatics."