Sarcasm | Five Hargreeves

66 | potato bomb or kinky black hole?

The Commission was hauntingly empty, its peculiar silence striking the group of three as soon as they'd entered. It had been abandoned and left in a quantity of disrepair with numerous windows shattered over the floor, along with parts of the ceiling and infrastructure. It was almost as cold inside as it was outside, flurries of snow entering through the cracks in the wall. Something terrible had happened, obviously.

Y/N's lips parted in a mix of shock and confusion as she gawked around the hall at the broken stair railing and the debris-covered floor. It was like a tornado had hit headquarters, swallowing all of the workers and leaving the building in deserted ruins.

"The hell?" the said girl muttered, slowly backing up into Five as she unwrapped her arm around his waist and deactivated her powers.

Five, who had a similar yet masked expression of surprise, faltered his quick step, furrowing his brows as he took in the horrid state of his previous occupation. The boy let out a breath of cold air, glaring at Lila who had shoved past him.

"Holy shit," Lila gasped, halting in place. "I was just here. How long was I bloody gone?"

"It seems the grandfather paradox is affecting everything," Five answered, snapping out of his daze as he set down the briefcase next to his feet. He twisted the watch around his wrist as he pondered, feeling the aching pain of holding up the heavy box.

"Even places out of time?" Y/N questioned, her eyes flickering back at Lila's puzzled expression. "I didn't know that was possible."

"I stopped tracking what was possible a long time ago, Y/N," Five remarked, raising his eyebrows dismissively. He bent over, grasping the handle of the briefcase once more after resting his hand.

Lila rolled her eyes at Five's tone and she nudged Y/N forward as she prepared to continue down the hall. But suddenly, loose pieces fell from the ceiling, prompting Y/N to hastily pull Lila by the arm to avoid getting hit by the rubble. Lila jumped back in alarm, wordlessly giving her savior a nod of gratefulness as she stared down at the plaster before her in apprehension.

"We better get moving," Five commented, standing back a couple feet as he broke the silence. "I'll check the Infinite Switchboard."

"And I'll check Herb's office," Lila agreed, turning around. "Little cockroach will survive anything."

Y/N pursed her lips, unsure of where to go to scavenge for more information, but Five already had plans for her assistance as he pulled her hand along with his quick step, carefully tugging her up the stairs.

"You're coming with me," he remarked, taking a quick look at the expression on Y/N's face.

The girl raised a brow at his boldness and let go of his hand as she shook her head. "It's best we split up, cover more ground," she smirked, amused by the sour impression Five made. "I'll look for instructions in the Red Room. They had an extensive library."

"Good idea," Lila piped up, cracking her knuckles. "Mum practically raised me in there."

"Alright then," Y/N sighed, taking another glance at Five's face. This time, it was unreadable and oddly stoic, but Y/N didn't need to be a genius to figure out he was disapproving of her idea.

"You sure?" he asked carefully, scanning Y/N's features for any hint of hesitation. As usual, the girl was headstrong on her opinion as she sent him a playful grin while climbing up the stairs. Five stared after her, disappointed, while Lila watched the interaction in entertainment.

"Oh you wee little thing," she cooed, ignoring Five's hardened glare. "You're so whipped."

"Shut up," he groaned, hiding his face away from her as he started up the staircase, his grip on the briefcase tightening. His knuckles had turned white by his death grip as he clenched his fists in growing frustration at Lila's taunts.