"How the Cards Fell" I Five Hargreeves x Reader I

Go F*ck Yourselves

//another cog in the murder machine//

I dropped quickly, pressing my stomach to the ground. Cold, hard tiles under my body. My eyes, rolling my head to find Five. To eye the Cards at arms reach. I crawled forward as the sound of shotguns fired off rapidly.

I snatched the Cards from the table, accidentally toppling the mannequin from the table. Five's yells sounded from behind me and I saw the outline of his frame spatial-jumping around as he avoided the bullets.

"Fuck, it's them!"

It's who?

It was so dark. So, so dark and the only thing I could see were the lights from the firing bullets and Five's blue powers. The glint of eyes coming from behind the racks of clothing. There were more than two.

The sounds of the gunshots tore through my ears and I could vaguely see Five sprinting. Then he'd disappear. Then he'd reappear, getting closer to me. He was looking. How we'd become separated at a time like this...

Two of the attackers were Five's, I could tell by the masks on their faces. Pulled down over their heads. Twisting. Smiling. One had the long ears of a rabbit.

But the others, they weren't his. They were only after me.

The figures were approaching. I saw the insignia on their jackets. They were Institution. Somehow, they'd found me. Five's attackers and mine, working together.

Five dove. Bullets flew. Footsteps.

I stood, holding the Cards as if they were my only weapon against the dark forces that pursued. "Death wish."

Seven Cards flew, but the Instituion was prepared. Knives, slashing through my precious deck. They would regenerate later, but not now. Now, I had very little options. Very little weapons. A lack of abilities. If I used my powers to tenfold I would pass out from exhaustion.

Where the hell was Five?

I ducked as more gunshots fired, rolling under a rack of clothing and swearing as my back crunched over hard shelves. I panted, finding my bearings on the other side. Hands on the ground. Touching the linoleum floor. Slick with sweat.

Sat up. "FIVE?"

It alerted the other attackers to my exact location, but the Cards that flew from my palms gave me enough to scramble to my feet and run, ducking low. I could see them meet three marks, taking out three of the pursuers. The fates that met them were gruesome. A terrible sight for police to clean up the next day.

I saw him.

Five was running faster now, a mysterious duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The lights shone over the top of the racks. He disappeared again.

"MEET IN THE MIDDLE. Shoot anything that moves!"

Someone grabbed my wrist. Hand over my mouth. We tumbled to the ground as I pushed against whoever was holding me. "Fu–let go–" Five's hands. I stopped struggling.

I felt blood. Wet and thick. Covering one of my hands. "Shit, you're bleeding–"

"Quiet, love, don't you think I know that?" He snapped, bringing the duffel bag closer. "I can't fucking jump anymore." The blue light appeared in his hands but it was deemed useless as he couldn't do more than a beetle.

Footsteps crunching on broken glass. Fired bullets.

"Five–"

"Shh..." he grabbed my wrist. "When I tell you to run–"

I hissed. "You idiot."

Pulled away from him. Drew the Cards from my sleeve. "Death." They flew in a bigger pack this time, spreading around. Becoming weapons. Like little knives.

Five's breath was becoming shallower, but he managed to stand. The bullets had stopped. He took my hand, gentler this time than his usual wrist-grab. And jumped.

_