Gnosis

CHAPTER 4: THE MAJESTIC TWELVE

Word Count: 4 598

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November 18, 1963

                        - Elliot's Home Office

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(Y/n) woke slowly, her mind still wrapped in a haze. The faint sound of voices filtered through the door, muffled and distant but unmistakably familiar. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light that seeped in around the edges of the room. For a moment, she just lay there, taking in the muted sound of conversation, half-aware, half-dreaming.

Then curiosity tugged at her. She hadn't seen Five since yesterday, not really; when she'd first woken, he was already gone, leaving only the faintest hint of his presence behind. Her day had been spent in fragments—a long conversation with Elliot, a few hours wandering out on her own, a quiet return to the apartment. Now, finally, it sounded like everyone was back.

Sliding her feet to the cool floor, she felt it ground her, sharpening the edges of her drowsiness into something clear and curious. She padded to the door and cracked it open, peering into the living room.

They were all there. Elliot, Five, Diego, and Lila sat scattered around the room, engrossed in what looked like a tense conversation. Diego and Lila were on the long couch, Diego shirtless and leaning forward, his jaw tight as Lila wrapped a fresh bandage over a healing stab wound. Five was on the smaller couch across from them, his back to her, one leg casually crossed over the other, a coffee cup resting in his hand. Elliot stood a little apart from the others, a steaming cup in hand, his face unusually solemn.

(Y/n) opened the door further, stepping into the room. The shift in the atmosphere was instant; she felt their eyes turn to her. Five's gaze reaching her first and his expression softened slightly, a touch of warmth in his eyes.

"You're awake," he said.

(Y/n) nodded, walking over to stand near the arm of his couch, her hand brushing it as she looked around. "I heard voices."

Elliot took a breath, shaking his head with an apologetic smile. "We didn't mean to disturb you," he said, already turning to pour another cup of coffee, a silent offer in his gesture.

"It's fine," she replied, giving him a small, tired smile. "I wasn't really sleeping well, anyway."

Diego winced as Lila tugged on the bandage, trussing it. His face twisted in pain as he muttered under his breath, "We were talking about... recent events." There was an edge to his voice, a tension that hinted at more than just his injury.

Lila smirked, an amused glint in her eyes as she gave Diego a light shove. "What he means," she said, leaning closer with a mocking smile, "we were discussing how he got shagged by their dad." She waggled her eyebrows at (Y/n), clearly enjoying the jab.

Diego shot her an irritated glare, pushing her off. (Y/n) raised her eyebrows, turning to Five for an explanation. He took a long sip of his coffee as he met her eyes.

"We were talking about how to find Dad and get answers," he said, his voice steady and low. "Everything else depends on it."

Elliot chimed in, "Which, for the record, Diego found him. Only thing is that he got stabbed." He chuckled, a brief, awkward laugh, his gaze darting around the room for a hint of shared amusement. But the others just stared, expressionless, at him. His laughter trailed off, and with a self-conscious cough, he turned back to his coffee, pouring another cup with extra focus, as though the steaming liquid could somehow save him from further embarrassment.