To Nightfall

Chapter 18: Bitter Taste

Warnings: character death, blood, implications of suicidal thoughts, mentions of alcohol and death

Word Count: 3875

Luther was sitting in his bed and staring out at the Kugelblitz when Five entered his room. "Hey." The boy greeted, beginning to pace the area.

"Hey, how long do we have left?" He responded.

"A couple hours. Could be more, could be less. Where's Sloane?"

"Raiding the wine cellar for our end of the world party. Where's (Y/N)?"

"She wanted some space for a little bit. To think over it all." He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So, I guess you guys know which way you're voting."

Luther nodded. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"I'm still on the fence on that one. I saw something last night that I was not supposed to see."

"Diego and Lila." He raised his brows. "Yeah, they do it on the stairs sometimes."

Five frowned in disgust. "No, I saw Dad. He was in his room with someone. He was making some kind of deal. Before you ask, I don't know what the deal was or who it was with. Everything is a blur."

Luther shrugged. "Wasn't me or Sloane. We were, uh, busy doing other things last night." He smugly smiled, Five rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I get it, Luther. Thank you. Everyone was boning everyone last night."

"How did you and (Y/N) even manage to hook up in every hallway?"

"Focus, please." He sighed and walked up to his brother. "That story about the bells? There's something Dad's not telling us. Think about it. When has the old man ever been straight with us?"

"I don't know, he was pretty ruthless in our performance reviews."

Five furrowed his brows. "He always gave me five stars."

"Really?"

"Look, I'm old enough to trust my instinct, and it's telling me this is a trap." He paused to watch Luther's reaction, his brother staring at him with an unreadable expression. Five shrugged. "Food for thought."

He left Luther there to further ponder his decision. When Five entered the White Buffalo Suite, he didn't expect to see (Y/N) already there, lounging across one of the fur sofas with a bottle in her hand. She snapped her head up at him when she heard his footsteps, but laid back down in relief. "Thought you were Dad..."

"And I thought you weren't gonna drink before the vote."

She grumbled to herself as she watched him walk about the room, seemingly in search of something. She raised a brow in curiosity. "Did you lose a quarter in here or something?"

"Or something, yes." He walked up to her and took the bottle, taking a few gulps from it and handing it back. "I've been thinking. This whole plan Dad's got is not what it seems. I don't trust him."

"I don't, either. Not in the slightest." (Y/N) sat up, her gaze trained on the fur rug beneath her feet. "But think about it... What if it does work, Five? I could get my babies back."

"And I want that, too, Starlight," He knelt down in front of her, gently holding her hands in his. "But something is not right about this. You know what he did, (Y/N). I don't have to remind you. That is not a different Reginald Hargreeves."

(Y/N) closed her eyes, her mind racing behind her eyelids. Her feelings on the matter of the situation were what wasn't to be trusted. Every other second she contemplated, she always ended up taking a different side of the argument. She didn't know if she could trust herself to vote for the fate of the universe. Not with her state of mind.