Lost in Time ~ Five Hargreeves

Chapter 10

With a quiet click, Riley closed the office door behind them– it was less than twenty minutes after Riley first entered the office.

They sighed, adjusted their jacket and glanced at their watch.

Riley and Five agreed to meet back outside the class-like room in a few minutes.

And since the teenager still had some time until then...

Riley pulled the nameplate out of the holder in the door and took a closer look.

Like all the others, it gleamed 'gold' and said 'Robert W. Mills' in black letters.

They scoffed and threw the sign into the trash can that was conveniently next to the door.

"Well, that was disappointing," Riley muttered.

"What was disappointing?"

"Nothing important," Riley replied, turning to Five. "The File?"

"Nothing helpful."

The two looked at each other and agreed to go have lunch.

On the one hand, it would be conspicuous if they didn't show up at lunch and on the other hand, Riley was hungry. 

The teenager turned and started moving.

"Riley," Five stopped his other half.

They stopped, turning around and facing Five.

"You have a bit of blood on your cheek", he explained and pointed at Rileys left cheek.

"Oh–"

Riley used their sleeve to rub of the blood until it was gone.

The Teenager nodded and Five reached for Riley's other hand.

"I have some interesting news," Five reported as they walked away from the office.

"Really what?" Riley wanted to know curiously.

"We–"

"Riley, hey!"

Martin stopped next to them and Five.

"Marvin," Five greeted the other man.

He ignored the fact that Five intentionally called him by the wrong name and looked from Riley to Five, back to Riley.

Martin then recognized the second teenager next to Riley.

"Five? It's you, isn't it? Wow, you look… ridiculous."

"Thank you, Marlon. You too," Five replied with a smile.

"It's Martin," he corrected Five, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I–"

"It was nice to see you, Manny," Five interrupted Martin.

The gray-haired man scoffed– that name wasn’t even close.

"– but Riley and I are expected for lunch. And we shouldn't let the Handler wait."

"The Handler?", asked Martin, surprised. "Why would she–?"

"Because we are better than you," said Five.

He didn't wait for a response and turned to Riley and gestured for them to walk past Martin.

And when his better half was out of earshot, Five looked at Martin one last time.

"Not even in your dreams, buddy."

~~

A short time later, Riley and Five were sitting in the Handlers office, having lunch with her.

"And that's how Phil determined that the archduke just had to go," the woman finished her story.