KITTEN || five hargreeves

08

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"How'd you get in here?"

Five didn't look up to the sound of Luther's voice, continuing to amusedly watch the stripper dance sensually on the podium in front of him. Kit held on to his arm from the chair beside him, murmuring jokes into his ear and rejoicing as he cracked a rare, genuine smile.

"Hey, Five?" Luther prompted, taking a step back as Five turned around, annoyed as usual.

Five paused for a second, smiling sarcastically. "Oh, I don't know, Luther. Maybe the fact that the world is ending again?"

"What?!" Luther leaned in, prompting Five to continue.

"The world is ending in ten days, Luther. And I need your help to stop it."

Luther stood up to his full height, towering over Five. "I don't give a shit."

"What-" Five groaned frustratedly and took his arm off of the back of Kit's chair, chasing after Luther as he strode away.

Kit was left alone again, contemplating Five's crazy family. First the man from the asylum, and now this half-crazed giant who was working for the infamous Jack Ruby.

And Kit thought she had a weird life.

She eyed the patrons. Kit stood up when she saw a crowd of the near the end of the bar, sauntering over to them like she was a regular.

"Hey, who let a kid in here?" One of the yelled back to his buddies, turning to get a good look at her.

"Hi, Henry." Kit smirked, looking up at them, giving the men a full view of her face. "Not molesting any more children, I hope?"

Henry gulped, placing a hand on his throat right over the scar she had given him before she was jailed. "You-"

"Me." Kit stepped closer, watching the group around him become wary. "Oh, hello there Marlow. Matthew. James. Steven." She nodded at each of them, and as she did, they each backed away.

Kit advanced. "I really hope you haven't raped anyone lately, gentlemen, because it would be a real shame that when intimate time came around with your wives, you'd have to explain why you no longer have genitalia." Smirking, she continued walking forward as they backed up.

"Kit." From behind her, Five grabbed her arm. She turned around innocently, slipping the knife back into her sleeve and pretending nothing ever happened.

"Time to go?"

"Time to go."

"Your brother isn't coming, I take it?"

Five shook his head. "We have other matters to attend to. He'll come around."

Kit nodded and followed him outside, waving at the men she was talking to and watching them stare back shakily.

"And what was that all about?"

"Oh, we just had some business to discuss."

"Did it have anything to do with the Commission?"

Kit stopped walking, the sidewalk empty except for the lone straggler trying to make it home before their partner was too worried.

"Do I ever tell you how I got involved in the government experiment, Five?"

Five stopped walking with her, moving to stand in front of her.

"You were arrested?"

"But do you know why?"

Five shook his head, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead into her's.

"When I was sixteen, one of my close friends was raped and murdered. I was the one who found her, cold, dead, lying in the middle of the sidewalk. I didn't have an idea of what career I should take, but when I saw those cloudy blue eyes, I knew I couldn't let him get away with it. So I didn't."

Five's hand wiped a tear from her cheek and she leaned into his hand, trying to hide her face.

"Hey, it's okay, Kit. You don't have to go on-"

"No, no." Kit took a step back, scrubbing at her eyes to dispel the tears. "I don't like people watching me cry. It makes me feel weak."

"Emotions aren't weak, Kit. They're human." Five let her breathe for a minute before grabbing her hand again. Kit looked up at his streetlight-lit face and smiled ruefully.

"I killed all the molestors and rapists I could for four years before the government caught me. They said I could die by their hands, or be sent forward and die by someone else's. I chose the latter." Kit pulled Five closer, watching his blue eyes shift. "Those people inside were on my watchlist, and they know my face well. If all else had failed, I could've gone back to it, and maybe then they'd arrest me and I'd be able to go forward in time all over again. Maybe I could find you in 2019."

Five sighed and hugged Kit to him, holding her as she tried to halt the tears.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here now. I won't abandon you again."

"No." Kit pushed Five away from her. "You have to. You're bound to, at some point. Your family-"

He pulled her forward. "You're my family too."

The tears wouldn't stop now. "You say that, Five, but when you choose between me and them-"

"I won't have to choose!" His voice was desperate now, pleading her to listen to him. "You're too important. I won't leave you again."

Kit paused, looking up at him. "You can't promise me that."

"For fuck's sake..."

"For fuck's sake what, exactly?  The last time I passed out I never saw you again!"

"I don't have time for this." Five pulled away, starting to walk the opposite way.

"Fine!" Kit tore the ruby necklace he gave her so many years ago and threw it to the ground, starting the walk to get to Elliot's shop.

Five watched her go, almost mournful. That damn, stubborn person. He gently picked up the necklace from the ground and held it in his hand, watching the crystal refract the streetlight.

He sighed, his composure cracking for a moment. A single tear traced a line down his cheek.

Five brushed it off his cheek, placed the necklace in his pocket...

And set off to get his film footage rendered by Elliot.

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