Trapped in a circle

3

"Hey, I think you want to see this." she walked to where her partner stood and he pointed at floor.

"That's Five right?"

Patch nodded slowly, her face grim. What Ace had pointed at, was a painting. Or to be correct, pieces what were left of it. And on those pieces, was Fives face.

"This makes this place a possible crime scene right? Do you understand that we need that kid to look round here?"

"Fully." She didn't like it. Not at all. But it was true that Five was the only one with answers.

"I'll take him here as soon as everything else is done." Patch gave a promise. Then turned to talk with others who were in the team and fill them in with all the things they had learn during the day.

***

"Hey Five, I'm back. Did anything happen while I was away?"

Five shook his head. There was nothing. His day had been quiet.

Patch made some tea. Peppermint ass black tea would have kept her up and Five wanted some too. And then she put her forehead against the table what was welcomingly cold and let herself finally relax. There was nothing lurking around in her own house. Five was siting next to her.

"..kay?"

She jolted awake. More than before and looked at Five like she had seen a ghost. Had the kid really talk?

"Was it you," she made a small pause to find the right words "who said that?"

Five looked at her without turning his eyes away, but he didn't nod. He didn't deny it too. She took a big breath in and let it out before answering to his question. Because that's what it was. Or at least she thought it was.

"No, not really. My exes whole family is missing, their house is trashed and I'm not closer to solving any of those mysteries."

Five listened.

"Also," she suddenly remembered "there was a painting of you, ripped to shreds. Do you know anything about it?"

He shook his head. No, he didn't. Patch sighed again, but this time it sounded more like a groan. She was so tired.

"I'm going to take you there someday. They think you may know something. Just be prepared."

He looked shocked. Little bit afraid too, like someone had put an wall behind his back second ago. He was definitely scared but it was a normal reaction, he was still a kid.

***

"Have you ever been to this house?"

Five shook his head. Seemed convincing. But that wasn't true, they even had witnesses.

"Was it this kid you saw going into the house?"

"Yes, there is no way I'll ever forget that smile."

Old doorkeeper was sure. Five looked genuinely surprised and even more afraid. He acted like he had no idea what that old man was talking about.

"Come on, let's go inside. Tell me when you remember or recognize anything."

Five grabbed her hand and gave a nod. His hand was shaking a little.

Every pair of eyes in the room, turned at him when they entered. He hid his face in her sleeve.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm right here." she tried to calm him down as he showed common signs of nervousness. "I'm right here, look at my face."

He looked up, fixating his gaze on her face like she had told him. 

"I won't leave you here alone. You can always tell me when it's enough. When you just can't anymore. Okay?"

He looked calmer when he finally nodded. His eyes weren't swaying around anymore. He could focus on certain things again so she showed him the way to the destroyed painting.

At first, he didn't react. He just looked, without even blinking. Then, when Patch was ready to call out his name, fearing he had got lost in his thoughts, he turned his head. That was the first thing he did and there was fear in his eyes. Deep fear. Something what's rarely ever seen. Fear given by evolution and carried through history. Fear for ones life.

He looked around un distress, like seeing something they didn't, like there was something he was looking for. He was at the edge of panicking.

Patch and some others who were close to him, tried to stop him, calm him down, but before they achieved that, he let out a shriek. Sound what they felt hurting them both mentally and psychically. He made them feel bad for taking him there, for making him scream.

He screamed out of some kind of horror until he ran out of breath and fainted. Patch was right there to catch him, but she couldn't help but to wonder.

Why hadn't he just stopped, told her it was enough?

But it was a lead. He remembered something and that had been enough to put him in such state.

"Search every millimeter here. There must be something what could tell us why he's so afraid of the place." she carried him out and team continued their work. It was only an usual day for them.

***

Five was pale when he finally came to be and hands were trembling when he hugged Patch whose uniform got wet from his tears.

"I told you I'm right here. Why didn't you tell me that it was enough?" she asked him but he gave no kind of answer.

When he finally didn't cry anymore and didn't shake she offered him a notebook and pen, hoping that he will shine light on what happened, that way.

"Can you tell me what it was? Why you screamed? I understand that it's hard but you can take your time. I won't force you."

Five looked at her. He was still hesitant but it was clear that he had decided to trust her. He grabbed the notebook and started writing.

"I don't remember everything. I know I walked in there. There were six people. I think I knew them. Somehow a fight broke out. I'm pretty sure it was me who destroyed that painting. And them..." he started crying again, but didn't stop writing, smeared tears away so he could see he was doing and continued.

"we we're somewhere else. Everyone was laying down, I'm not sue some of them were breathing." that last sentence was written with shaking hand. Patch had hard time understanding that.

"And then there was that laughing figure. In the middle of flames."

Patch hugged him gently after he finished writing. He was shaking and crying again. She didn't say anything and gave him time. Even if she'd wanted to go, it would've been impossible. Five was holding onto her uniform like it was some kind of lifeline.