Is this real? (Five Hargreeves)

Chapter 9 'He looks just like you'

"Well, there I am." Five sighs.

Stellar pokes her head in through the door and leans on the frame, raising her eyebrows. They are in a pub, watching a fancy looking old man in a hat who is sitting stoically at the counter.

"Aww." She teases. "He looks just like you."

"Shut up." Five snaps. Stellar raises her hands in surrender. 

"Just try not to get to homicidal rage too quick, okay buddy?" She reminds.

Five huffs in annoyance.

"Why don't we just grab the suitcase and run?" Luther inquires.

"Are you stupid or something?" Stellar face palms. Five looks at her in agreement.

"Why not?" Luther asks again.

"Oh, yeah, let's just go grab a very precious briefcase from an assassin, no worries. Would you like me to get him a drink and ask him out while I'm at it?" Stellar says sarcastically.

Five looks at Stellar slightly weirdly before ignoring her comment.

"Luther, I would never let that happen. We're trained to guard these briefcases with our lives. Plus, it's the inherent paradox where this gets tricky. I'm endangering my existence simply by being in the same room as myself." Five explains.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Luther says cluelessly. Stellar looks at him, stifling a laugh. Although there's nothing funny about this situation, Luther's obliviousness is amusing.

"Luther, try to keep up. If old me doesn't travel back to 2019 like he's supposed to, this whole thing unravels itself. I cease to exist. You got me?" Five says exasperatedly. 

Luther nods.

"Our best chance is to talk to him, to reason with him." Five continues. "He'll understand."

Stellar raises an eyebrow.

"Hate to break it to you, but you aren't the most understanding person." She says.

Five rolls his eyes and frowns at her.

"Trust me. I know me better than...well, than I know myself." He says.

Stellar snorts.

"Sure."

Five itches his neck as he glares at Stellar. Her teasing expression fades into one of mild concern.

"You just itched your neck." Luther echoing Stellar's thoughts, worried. "That's stage two of paradox psychosis."

Five scowls. 

"No, I didn't. I didn't itch my neck."

"Denial is stage one." Stellar argues. Luther nods.

"I am fine, okay?" Five says firmly. Stellar gives him a skeptical look. 

"Let's just stay on task, shall we?" He continues, ignoring her. 

Five starts to walk forwards, towards his other self when Luther stops him. 

"Maybe I should go first. You'll freak him out. Bumping into your own tiny doppelganger? He'll lose his shit. Just let me break the ice." Luther suggests.

Five hesitates, eying his older self, then nods.

Luther gives him an approving look and shoots Stellar a nervous look before walking over to older Five.

"You look...not good." Stellar states, moving away from the door frame to inspect him closer.

"I'm fine." Five repeats, not looking away from Luther and his older self.