Is this real? (Five Hargreeves)

Chapter 4 'Would you like to explain everything now?'

Stellar's eyes widen as she watches the boy disappear in a flash of blue light. The Handler is still, watching the space where the boy left as if he would suddenly reappear. Lila turns to Stellar.

"I hate when he does that." She said softly, her tone filled with venom.

"I didn't even know he could do that." Stellar comments.

"Yeah, little prepubescent shit." Lila insults.

"Is he...?" Stellar starts.

"One of the kids from 1989? Yeah. Unfortunate. The world really doesn't need people as arrogant as him." Lila answers.

Stellar wouldn't have quite put the boy's personality that way, but she did have to admit that he did have a snarky, I'm-better-than-you-and-I-know-it kind of air around him, which she didn't like.

"Oh." Stellar says softly in realisation. "He's one of Reggie's kids."

"Bingo." Lila says shortly.

"That explains the uniform." Stellar thinks out loud. "Wait, which one is he?"

"Number Five." Lila sighs.

Stellar widens her eyes, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"I haven't looked at the timelines in a while, yes, but last time I checked, Number Five was an old man." She said, confused.

"Yeah, something weird happened when he was time travelling or something." Lila waved it away nonchalantly.

"Huh. What about Number 2? Diego, is it?" Stellar inquires.

Lila seems to tense at the mention of his name.

"He's fine." She avoids the question, looking away. Stellar tilts her head, wondering what might have happened to make this topic so sensitive to Lila.

"So, Stellar, my darling." The Handler speaks up, walking over to the girls. "You must have pulled quite a stunt at the Commission to get here."

"Sure." Stellar responds dully. 

The Handler comes closer, gently stroking Stellar's cheek.

"Don't worry, darling, I'm not mad." She reassures.

Stellar's shoulders relax but her expression stays impassive.

"Great. Would you like to explain everything now?" 

"What's there to explain?" The Handler reasons under Stellar's glare.

"Um." Lila raises her hand. "How 'bout you tell her about how we're not even supposed to be here?"

Stellar raises her eyebrows.

"Fine." Their mother reluctantly agrees. "But let's go back to the hotel and sit down first." 

---

Five stands impatiently outside an elevator, waiting for the doors to open. He is located at 1624 Magnolia Street, headed for the tiki bar upstairs. The rest of his family should be arriving soon.

---

Stellar's vision slides back into place, her eyes fading back into their normal colour and her head pounding. Lila and her mother are staring at her intently. Stellar shrugs as the sharp pain in her head subdues to a dull ringing.

"They're trying to get help from Reginald." She states casually, picking at her fingernails. 

The Handler hides a slightly worried thought under a calm, smiling expression.