𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 ~ 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀

~ Chapter Fifty Nine ~

Later that night, Klaus, Luther, Diego, and Dusk had gathered near the bar, waiting for the rest of their siblings so they could make a plan. But as the minutes ticked by, nobody else showed up. They stared at the bags containing Chinese takeout, wondering if they should dig in as the food was slowly getting colder. "I guess we can save some for everyone just in case?" Dusk suggested, opening the box containing brown rice.

"Yeah, I'm starving! Heck, we're all starving!" Klaus nodded in agreement. The couple sat next to each other, slowly eating their food, whereas Number One and Two were scarfing down the food like wild animals. "You should try chewing. You might actually taste the food," Klaus suggested, slowly squinting at his uncivilized brothers. "I haven't eaten in days!" Luther grumbled. "Well, if you start choking on your food, I'm not gonna be the one giving you the Heimlich," Dusk stated before taking another bite of her sweet and spicy chicken.

The sound of a chair being pulled out made them all look up to see Five dressed in a white robe, a subtle smile on his lips. "You look happy," Luther pointed out. "I'm plenty happy. Had a nap and a shvitz. What else does a man need?" Five replied. "Brothers who don't eat like barn animals?" Klaus sarcastically suggested. The raven held back the urge to laugh at the truthful comment. But even then, a little snort snuck out.

"So, I've been thinking through our little timeline snafu, and I'm pleased to report that in my professional expert opinion, we are totally in the clear," Five claimed, making everyone at the table sigh with relief. "So, everything's totally fine?" Dusk questioned. "More or less. I mean, there is one... small thing. It's nothing we can't manage," There's always something else, isn't there? As the Hargreeves waited to hear the clarity about the "small thing" he mentioned, the time traveler opened one of the takeout boxes and began eating.

"Spit it out, boomer!" Diego nearly shouted through a mouthful of noodles. "Fine Diego, it's like this. Dad didn't adopt us as babies, but those babies still existed here. We just grew up in different places with different people," Five explained. "So, you're saying there's a chance we might encounter this timeline's version of ourselves?" The raven inquired. "Exactly. They're walking out there, living entirely different lives. Lives that we could've had if dad hadn't adopted us back in our timeline,"

"Our doppelgangers, I learned all about this in Texas! Tell them about the paranoid psychosis, Five!" Five looked at his brother with a sudden and confused look as Diego started to grow irritated. "I thought you said this wasn't a problem!" He objected. "Technically, if you're near your Doppel for long, you'll go insane. So, if you see your other self--"

Before Five could finish his sentence, his brothers interrupted, finishing with "Kill them," and "Sleep with them," "I meant to say avoid them!" Five bit back a sigh. "What is wrong with you?" Luther squinted at Klaus. "Come on, as if you wouldn't climb Luther Mountain," Klaus chuckled. Dusk rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's comment, pushing back the image of encountering another equally powerful version of herself.

"Avoiding them, okay. My question is, how are we supposed to guarantee we don't cross paths with them?" Diego questioned. "Easy. We're the Benetton ad of superheroes, born all over the world until Dad brought us here, which he no longer did. The dopples probably aren't in the same time zone as us,"

Dusk nodded, thinking that he had a good point and they didn't have to worry. As she dug her chopsticks back into the box of chicken, laughter erupted at the front of the hotel, making her look up. A man and a woman, appearing to be in their late 20s to early 30s, walked hand in hand past the front desk. At first, she thought they were just any ordinary couple that went out for a few drinks.

But looking back at the guy, she saw something that looked familiar. There was a certain devilish look, something that sent a jolt through Dusk's body. The man looked over his shoulder in her direction, and that's when it hit her. It was the man she thought she obliterated, burning him to a charred crisp.

Sebastian.

"I'll be right back," she said to her siblings, jumping out of her chair and begun following her ex and the woman to the elevator. Sebastian and the girl pressed a button inside the metal box, and just as the doors were about to close, Dusk stuck her hand in the way. "Got room for one more?" she asked, masking her anger. "Of course!" the girl responded, scooting closer to Sebastian. As the elevator glided up, Dusk couldn't help but eye the couple as they made out in the corner, their hands entangling one another.

Out of the corner of her eye, the raven caught something else. On the girl's left hand sat a 24-carat diamond ring, sparkling under the lights. Dusk closed her eyes, remembering that ring all too well. He had given her the same ring when he asked her to marry him. And as the flashbacks from his infidelity came back to haunt her, her eyes widened as she realized that the girl he was currently making out with was the same girl he had cheated with. Now, she was his fiancée and probably had no idea how awful he really was.

The elevator dinged as it came to a stop, and Sebastian and his new fiancée walked out. The raven waited a few seconds before walking back towards her room, surprised to see their room bumped right next door. Dusk unlocked her door and walked into the bedroom, pressing her ear against the wall so she could maybe hear the conversation.

"That dinner was amazing, Seb," the girl giggled. "Anything for my wife-to-be," Sebastian chuckled. Dusk cringed as the sounds of them making out continued. Even though it had been years since she broke off their engagement, and he probably had no idea she existed here, it was still hard to think about him kissing another girl. "I should get back to my room. It's bad luck to see each other before the wedding, you know,"

Sebastian shushed her, claiming that it was just a myth to keep them from any premarital affairs. "It's the 21st century, you can stay however long you want. Besides... I know you want to," "Sebastian, I told you I'm not ready," the girl stated. "Come on Dove, don't you love me?" I swear, if he's about to take advantage of her, I'll bust through that door and burn his ass right there. Come on, girl. Get out of there! It was silent for a moment, and the raven began to fear the worst. And as she was about to storm out the door and rescue her, she heard, "I'm sorry, see you tomorrow," and the door opened and closed.

"Damn it, why is she so stubborn? It's always, 'No Sebastian, let's wait till the wedding!' or 'Give me some space!' At least Cindy's not as uptight. Wonder if she's still awake right now," Dusk's eyes widened as far as they could go. Not only was the Sebastian in this timeline just as disrespectful of women's boundaries, but he was also a dirty cheater.

A fire ignited in Dusk's heart, and as it coursed through her, she knew she had to tell the future bride the truth. She and her family had every right to know. Even if it caused a massive scene and she'd be to blame, Dusk would feel at peace saving this girl from making the biggest mistake of her life.

Get ready, Sebastian. I'm about to set fire to your wedding.