Ruins (Five Hargreeves)

Forty-Four - We Don't Have Time For This

November 21st, 1963

THEY WAITED, silent. Jay toyed with her hair and Five picking the dried blood from beneath his fingernails. She was pacing and he was so very, very still. She knew she was ruining her hair but she was already filthy. As soon as Jay got home, she was going to have the longest bath of her life. As for Five, he just planned to sleep.

They stood in the alley outside Elliott's place, the one they'd all dropped in. The Handler approached them from behind. Jay turned to face her, stopping at Five's side and subtly reaching for his hand. He turned and laced a finger through hers, the tiniest lifeline that was the best she'd ever known.

"Well?" The Handler said simply.

Five held out the bag, clear plastic containing the infamous A.J. Carmichael. He looked like something you'd win at a fair ground.

"A.J!" The Handler gasped, grinning as she set her briefcase down. She took the bag and held it up to her face, cackling and cooing before turning back to Five and Jay. "You know you're really starting to fill out those tight little shorts of yours."

Five said nothing, fingers drifting to Jay's pulsepoint. Her heart was racing.

"Why so quiet?" The Handler asked. "I thought you'd be buzzing after this morning's slaughter."

"All this killing," Five said. "I'm done with it."

"What?" The Handler produced a handkerchief from her bosom and dabbed at Five's face. "Am I supposed to take that seriously?"

"What I did today I did for my family. I did it to save the world." Five said.

"Please." The Handler poked his nose. "Spare me the little assassin with a heart of gold roitine, hmm? Oh and what about you, Jay? Have you been so moved by love and family and righteousness?"

She said nothing. The Handler pouted, moving a strand of hair out her face. "My little hornet. The silent treatment, really? Fine. Here."

She held out a briefcase."Per our agreement this will get you and Five's siblings back to 2019."

Five took it. The Handler turned and walked away.

"You have ninty minutes."

Five chased her. "You said nothing about a time limit."

The Handler checked her watch. "Actually you have eighty-nine minutes and thirty seconds. Better hurry."

"This is impossible, okay? My siblings are scattered across the city." Five said, putting himself in her way.

"Nothing's impossible. You proved that this morning when you killed the Board. Jay's proved it a hundred times over."

"I need more time."

"Anymore time and people will start asking questions. The sooner you get home and out of this time period, the better off we'll all be. So ticktock."

"Let's go." Jay found her voice, pulling Five away by the hand. He blinked them both away, into Elliott's store. On the floor of the hall, ÖGA FÖR ÖGA was written in blood.

"The Swedes." Jay said.

Five nodded, squeezed her hand. They headed quickly up the stairs, followed a stream of dried blood to Elliott's dentists chair. Beneath an old blanket, Elliott himself sat. His face was a bloody mess, teeth and eyes missing alike. He already smelt the way the long dead did.

Five sighed. "Damn."

Jay shook her head, then spotted Luther and Diego in the kitchen. Luther had the phonebook in his hands and the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear. She jogged over.