𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄━━━━Five Hargreeves

5

❝ disobedience ❞

"Please keep slamming my office door, Mars" The Handler rolled her eyes, "They grow on trees don't they?"

"Doors are made from trees" Alex shook his head, that wasn't why he was here. He stalked over to the woman and slammed the file down on her desk with as much anger as he could muster. He wasn't one for violence when he was angry, more like violence because he enjoyed it. But this time, he wanted to let her know how upset he was, he wanted her to apologize, to assure him his suspicions were wrong. "What the fuck is this?"

"With the way you walked in here, I'm sure you'll explain"

Alex hated how calm she looked, without a care in the world. Her blond hair was styled in curls like something from the 1940s, but her dress was completely black and made of shiny latex with a belt at her waist and even in the comfort of her own office, she wore her ridiculously tiny hat.

"Jerald Murphy"

"Well? Go on"

"He's Dr. Hayden Murphy's brother" Alex was shaking like a leaf, afraid that if he said one wrong thing he'd burst out crying. Fifteen years and the first mention of Murphy he was just a broken child again. "He was a target"

"Did you finish him off, darling?" the Handler gestured for him to sit but Alex just paced.

"Don't fucking call me that" He snapped, "And yes, I did. I may be a lot of things but I do the work I'm told to do"

"Then I don't see the problem" Alex hated her tone, hated how casual she was being, "Number Five forgot to turn the paperwork in for a case, so technically you won your little contest. Congratulations, Mars. If you want to update your portrait, please tell me before I have one of the guys hang it up on the employee of the month wall"

"I don't care about any of that" Alex slammed his hands on the table, startling himself. "Don't you get it? I don't give a fuck about that stupid contest"

"You've been slaving away for three whole months, I thought you'd be more excited about it"

"Jerald fucking Murphy!" Alex tried to make her focus. It was infuriating how she could pretend to be so clueless about it when he could see the truth in her eyes. She set down her cigarette holder and Alex ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Why was he a target? And don't say because he just had to die. I deserve a better explanation than that"

"You don't deserve anything, Mars" She leaned ahead in her chair, setting her elbows on the table and interlocking her fingers as she furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly turning a bit serious. "You are here because you chose to stay here after your contract. Whatever work you get, you have to do it. That's the deal"

"It was about Murphy, wasn't it?"

"Yes"

"You made me kill Jerald so that Murphy would wind up at the bunker— At my bunker"

"Jerald's death causes Dr. Hayden Murphy to throw himself into his scientific research, he focuses on little else and eventually, yes, he would become the head scientist at your bunker"

"Why would you do that?" Alex's breathing was growing more and more ragged by the second. None of this made any sense. The Handler had helped him. She rescued him. She saved him. She wouldn't do this. The Commission wouldn't do this. They were the good guys. Right? "Why—Why would you want him to go there? Without him, the research would be cut short, they would think there was nothing special about me. They would let ten year old me go"