power lines / five hargreeves x gn!reader

Motel room confrontation

They reappeared in the doorway of a motel. There was a Chinese takeout on the table. Hazel was pulling up a woman from a vat of bubbling water.

"Well, you two idiots certainly screwed things up." She muttered, entering the room and taking a seat. Time resumed as normal.

The two assassins, Hazel and Cha-Cha were there. They looked injured, and faintly surprised to see Y/n follow The Handler in. Nonetheless, they took seats opposite the Handler. Y/n moved to stand to the Handler's right.

The Handler began unwrapping a set of chopsticks, "Look at the two of you." She shook her head, "Given a one-day assignment to kill Number Five, and instead you kill; a tow truck driver, a cleaning lady, and a cop, burn down two buildings, and bring unwanted attention to yourselves and the Commission." She paused to pick at some of the food, "What's worse is that Five is still alive, on the loose, and trying to stop the apocalypse."

She began to eat, "Makes us look like a gang that can't shoot straight." She hummed, "Now, maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture, but I think- and this, it's just a suggestion- but I do think an explanation of sorts is owing." She laughed a little.

"Five is not working alone." Cha-Cha spoke first, "He has backup." She gestured to Y/n, "And they're one of them."

The Handler waved a hand, "Y/n is no longer an issue. Other than them... his family. You're saying that you both are no match for a litter of emotionally-stunted siblings?"

"I think what Cha-Cha means is that... there were certain unex..." he paused for a moment, losing where he was going, "certain unexpected consequences from said family that required us to deviate from the original plan."

The Handler laughed again, putting down the chopsticks and brushing her skirt, "You know, we have an old saying at the Commission." She said something, and sighed when she received blank looks from the pair, "Of course neither of you speak Yiddish. Fine. I'll translate. It means, 'the eggs think they're smarter than the chicken'. Do what you're told, hm?"

"Then we should've killed each other." Hazel turned to Cha-Cha.

The Handler blinked, "Come again?"

"Both of us were sent a message from you to eliminate the other?" Hazel said, frowning.

The Handler paused, "I never sent- oh." She laughed, "You're good. You were good."

Cha-Cha frowned and shook her head, "I'm not following."

"Of course you're not. I never sent those messages. They're fake. To throw you off the scent." She turned, "You sent those messages."

Y/n nodded, a small grin on their face, "I did. Sorry. No hard feelings?"

Hazel looked at them for a moment with an expression they couldn't quite place, before turning back to the Handler, "Then you're... not mad at us?"

"I'd like to believe that your commitment to your partnership led to a strategic... choice not to kill each other. So, in the spirit of that partnership, I'm giving you a new assignment- one that's not open to interpretation of discussion." She pulled a pistol from her bag and placed it on the table, "Protect Vanya Hargreeves at all costs."

Hazel looked over to the woman tied to the chair, "Then what?"

"Then you, Hazel, will be allowed to resign from the Commission and live out the remainder of your days with doughnut lady here in the time period of your choosing. Course, she'll remain under my protection until your assignment is complete."

"And what do I get?" Cha-Cha piped up.

"A new partner" The Handler smiled, "Plus all prior offences, fines, and infractions will be expunged from your record." She looked between the two, "Failure to comply will result in the termination of all parties." She glanced over at Y/n again, "Since you found this first job so difficult, Y/n here will be working in another way to clean up your messes and put things right. Don't interfere with them."