ROSES AND FLAMES - Five Hargreeves

𝟬𝟭. sixteen going on thirty-one

Josie Parker was many things growing up, however it was never her dream to be a killer, a daughter away from her actual parents. Her whole life has felt like a lie, so grabbing Five Hargreeves hand was added to list; both falling out of the sky and onto the ground. Groaning and feeling herself fall face first, Josie pushed Five off as the two stood up, feeling their clothes be loose on them.

Josie looked down to see how she was shorter, looking at number five who didn't have a beard anymore, nor was he taller. He looked sixteen. Five himself looked both at him and Josie, both looking terrified. "Shit." Number five said.

Turning to see four people look at them, Josie blinked twice to realize she was in a younger body, slapping Fives arm. "Is if just me, or is that little number five with his lady friend?" A man asked, apart of the group. Josie felt uncomfortable with the eyes on her, slapping fives arm again.

"What the hell Hargreeves!" She gritted, ready to attack the boy as she was held back by someone she doesn't even know, punching him in the gut. "Feisty." The man said, having a whole bunch of knives around his body.

"Where the hell are we?" Josie snapped, seeing five be in utter confusion. "Alright, let's get you two inside." One of the women said, having Josie follow the adults, sending dagger looks towards Five, who couldn't quite get over the ways she looked at 16.

"Parker I can explain."

Sometimes, it's okay to ignore impulsive decisions, but for Josie, this was something she couldn't ignore, somehow back into her fifteen year old self, wondering what year she was in, following the woman in the blue coat into a hallway.  "I like her." One of the men said, Josie looked to see the man wearing a skirt winking at her.

The group went down a couple of stairs, already seeing Number five a open a peanut butter jar. Josie sneered at the blonde man who was too tall and too big, wondering what his deal is.

"What year is it?" Josie asked Numbers Five, turning to the group for answers when he avoided her gaze. "2019." The man with knives said, crossing his arms while staring at Josie.

"What's the date, the exact date?" Five asked the group, as Josie stood beside him and saw some marshmallows, eating some as he made a sandwich.

"The 24th," one of them said, almost in a scared way. "Of what?" Five asked, impatiently. "March." They said.

Josie stopped eating the marshmallows and looked at Five, realizing they were in 2019, just a few days before this gigantic apocalypse was supposed to happen. She only knew that because she was one was saw it happen on the infinite switchboard.

"Five..." Josie whispered; gritting through her teeth. Five turned to Josie who gave her a sandwich, letting her eat it as she stared at the group, realizing she didn't introduce herself.

"It's even seventeen years." The blond big man said, standing up. "It's been a lot longer than that," Five said, walking up to the man and blinking past him to get more bread. "Where'd you go?"

Josie couldn't understand what possessed number five to be with a group of hillbillies, not to mention a man wearing a skirt, one with knives, and another with terrible fashion choice. "The future, it's shit by the way." Five said, having the man with the skirt say, "called it!"

"Should've listened to the old man," Five said, beginning to ramble a bit and swat Josie's hand away from the marshmallows, making her actually eat the sandwich he made her. "Shit tastes disgusting." Josie sneered, just loud enough to make five offended.

"Wait how did you get back?" One of them asked, looking directly at five.

"In the end I have to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself, that exists across every possible instance of time." Josie scoffed when she realized, when five ran way, he was sixteen, going into the apocalypse and then towards every other year, realizing everyone saw him as a sixteen year old.