Real or not real? (Five Hargreeves) Book 2

Chapter 5 'I know how to do everything'

Five and Stellar both appear in front of a bar with a flash of blue light. Stellar stumbles forward, feeling dizzy.

"Thanks for the warning." She grumbles. Five ignores her and pushes the door, entering the bar. Stellar follows behind, glancing around at the people in the building. It seems like the further  they walk in, the more people there are, and Stellar finds herself unconsciously moving closer to Five. 

At some point, some man walked up to Stellar and grinned at her. Stellar turned her head to him and furrowed her brows. Five turned around and saw this, and he glared at the man and grabbed Stellar's wrist tightly, roughly dragging her away from the man and further into the bar. Stellar winced slightly at his grip, and Five looked back and loosened it a little bit. Even after getting out of sight of the man, the two found themselves staying connected as to not lose each other in the growing crowd.

Soon, they reached a door that had the words 'Members Only' on it. Five pushes it open and walks into the room that looks like a tattoo parlor.

"Been looking for you." He says casually. Stellar keeps quiet, wondering what's happening. The tattoo artist turns around to reveal himself as a... monkey? Chimp? Stellar raises an eyebrow.

The chimp takes a cigarette out of his mouth.

"I don't tattoo children." He dismisses flatly.

"Swell. I'm not here for the ink." Five presses. "I'm here because we have a mutual friend. Sir Reginald Hargreeves."

Now that was interesting. Who is - was - this....person to Reginald?

"Whatever he wants, I'm not interested." The chimp says, turning back to his tattoo.

"I don't think you understand." Five explains. "I'm one of his children from another timeline."

"Another timeline?" The chimp says in disbelief. "And who's that, then? The girlfriend?" He points to Stellar.

Stellar snorts.

"No." She answers.

"Absolutely not." Five says at the same time.

"He can dream on." Stellar says, shooting an annoyed Five an amused look.

The chimp looks at the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Five sighs and shakes his head.

"As crazy as it sounds, we've met before." Five addresses the chimp again, changing the topic back. "It was back in 1963, when you were a diaper-wearing chimp in dire need of a manicure. I don't know if you remember, but I have the scar to prove it." 

He pulls down his shirt collar slightly and Stellar turns away.

"If what you're saying is true, I'd be talking to a man well into his sixties. Now, if you'll excuse me, l've had a very long day." The chimp gets up and walks away.

"Pogo, you need to listen to us." 

Huh. Pogo. Stellar's sure she's heard that name somewhere in a future or vision.

Five tries to go after him, but him and Stellar are surrounded by a group of men.

"It's time for you lil' ones to go home to mommy." One of them says threateningly.

Five looks him straight in the eyes challengingly.

"Or what?" 

The men begin to come closer, but Five grabs Stellar's wrist again and spacial jumps them out of the bar. Stellar holds her hand to her mouth as Five looks around frantically. Stellar points with her other hand, and Five follows her gaze to see Pogo riding away on a motorcycle.