power lines / five hargreeves x gn!reader

Commission Intermission

The basement was entirely normal, and for some reason they found this very reassuring. They were lucky, actually, that nobody was around in the academy, considering it was still the early afternoon.

The briefcase was quickly located, and Y/n decided to open it right then and there. They reappeared in 1955 on a sunny day, directly in front of the Commission headquarters. Nobody blinked an eye as they walked in, briefcase in-hand, and began to make their way to the infinite switchboard room.

There was a random employee sitting there, scanning through the switchboard.

Y/n leaned against the doorway, still holding the briefcase, "Hello there."

He jumped in his seat and turned to look at them, "Can I- can I help you?"

"Yes, you can, actually." Y/n smiled, moving into the room, "I'd like you to check through 2019 for an apocalypse."

He frowned, "On whose orders? Is there a reason we should specifically check 2019?"

They thought on it for a moment, clicking their tongue, "We've got an interesting situation going on in 2019. Some things that were complicated by, er, around the time of the war and the Handler's death."

"I thought we'd handled all of those by now?" He frowned at them, "Which department is this for?"

Y/n paused, "Um, orders straight from the chair."

He didn't break eye-contact with them as he fiddled with the machine, "What's your name, again?"

"I'm sorry, how is this important to you doing your job?" Their eyes flicked over, "What are you doing?"

"Y/n!" Called a voice. They turned to find Herb standing there, "What are you doing here?"

Y/n smiled, "Hi, Herb. I just wanted to check there was no impending apocalypse!"

He gave them an awkward smile, "See, usually we don't just let people look at the infinite switchboard..."

"I understand," Y/n nodded, tilting their head slightly, "But I, uh... we've got a small timeline spaghetti and I, um, call it suspicion or premonition or sight into an alternate universe, but I'm not entirely confident there isn't another apocalypse upcoming."

He nodded in a sudden understanding, "Ah. I see the worry." He took them by the arm and gently led them out, "However, you have no reason to worry! The infinite switchboard is monitored at all times and I will let you know," he leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "even though we're not supposed to tell people this, that there is absolutely no upcoming apocalypse."

"You're sure? No grandfather paradox, anything?"

"Nope! You fixed that little mess." He chuckled.

Y/n paused, "I'm not sure how I remember you, or any of this. Where did this come from?"

Herb led them away, "Maybe it's best you travel back to your time, Y/n."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." They nodded, slightly unnerved, "I should."

Y/n left swiftly. However, they made their way instead to the briefcase room, where they snuck inside and grabbed a second briefcase. They opened up the first one and reappeared back in the basement.

They felt a little sick after the time travel. And their head was spinning now they were back. The Commission... it felt like more and more memories were snaking their way into their head. They'd just held a conversation and navigated a building with zero questions. How had they done that?

"Y/n, what are you doing down here?" Grace blinked, noticing them.

Y/n looked around, "Oh, I uh-"

"Let me take that off you." She smiled, grabbing the original briefcase from them, "I'll put that where it should be."

They were silent, and just let Grace keep hold of it. They quickly made their way upstairs with the second briefcase, where they stashed it fully under their bed and out of sight. Nobody would even know it was there.

Oh.

They were going to take that first briefcase.

They... why was that again?

Shit.