Ruins (Five Hargreeves)

Twenty - The Commission

Date Unknown, Month Unknown, 1955

BEING BACK AT THE COMMISSION WAS WEIRD. For Jay and Five. Five had promised himself he'd never set foot there again, unless it was to tear the place down. Now here he was, once again on their paycheck pretending he liked it. It made Five feel sick.

For Jay it was different. The Commission was something to her only her twisted mind could decide on: home. Not home in the sense she liked it there, or she felt safe around the people inside. No, it couldn't be further from that. The Commission was home because it was the one place things made sense, and Jay could just be Jay. She was trained killer, an aimed gun, a raised knife, waiting patiently for the word to strike. In the Commission Jay could do all she really knew how to: kill.

Jay, Five and The Handler made their way through the front yard. The Handler stood slightly in front of the two, looking between them as she spoke since she'd placed herself between them. Truth be told, The Handler regretted pairing the two up. At the time it seemed like an easy fix to two ever growing problems.

Five was an easy problem to spot. A hot-headed bastard with a deep-rooted hate for authority and no problem killing who he needed to get what he wanted. Five was a good killer, but his professional talents stopped there.

Jay was more complicated. She was a good killer, in more ways than one. She could kill, she would kill, and she wanted to. She enjoyed the feeling of blood splashing against her face and the feeling of a gun in her hands. As well, she simply did as she was told. She didn't question authority, she didn't question orders, she didn't cause problems. She was practically independent. But that was her problem. She was independent, she was alone, unchecked. The Handler preferred things to be checked, but could never find an excuse to check her perfect employee.

So, Jay would keep Five in line. And Five would keep Jay in check. It was a simple solution at the time. Now though, The Handler had the two most dangerous people in time working side by side against her. It was a bigger problem than either would've been on their own.

So, she put herself between them. It was a small thing, the first step to disconnecting the two and ending their complicated relationship. To most the simple gesture would've gone unnoticed, but Jay and Five weren't most. They sure as hell noticed.

But they didn't say a thing. Five, simple, wasn't listening to what The Handler was saying and so missed all opportunities to speak. And Jay was too polite to interrupt her superior.

The three drew many stares. Obviously because we were with The Handler, but also because we were two thirteen year olds called Jay and Number Five, famous names amongst the Commission.

"I must admit, in all the time that I've been here I've never met a pair like you. Hazel and Cha-Cha for example are talented certainly but... they can't see the big picture like you Number Five. And they certainly can't kill like you Jay, though that's not saying much."

"Thank you, Handler." Jay said dutifully, eyes locked on the path beneath her feet.

Five was silent, bearly listening. Typical, Jay rolled her eyes. The Handler brushed a strand of his hair out his face, forcing his attention.

"Your spunk, your enterprising spirit, well it reminds me a great deal of myself. If I may be so vainglorious." She said. "If thing work out for you here, you could potentially make a fine successor Five."

The thought made him sick. "I'd like to discuss the logistics of my family's safety at your earliest convenience."

"And these body replacements." Jay added, pausing dutifully as The Handler stripped off her coat and tossed it to the nearest man, who took it without hesitation. Once she was ready, the three headed up the winding stairs.