Number Eight // Five Hargreeves

XIV

Tessa's POV

I feel like I'm going to faint.  Or throw up.  Or both.

My knees buckle as I grab onto the chair next to me to steady myself, feeling Five's arms around my instictively.

"You're Tessa Romano,"  Herb says as more of a statement than a question.  I look at the small man and nod my head, not being able to form words right now.

"The Handler sent out a world wide protocal in 2018 saying to kill you at all costs.  She knew you were the one who would stop the apocalypse.  This all makes sense now!"  Herb says frantically as he's still trying to wrap his mind around the information we were just shown.

"No, no it doesn't make any sense.  Why would Dad tell you you're the cause and then try to kill you,"  Five says, desperately trying to come up with his own conclusion.  All of the facts start realigning in my head.

"No it makes perfect sense."  I say earning a very confused look from Five.

"Think about it.  The story Reginald told us.  He said that he tried to get me to travel back in time to avoid the 2018 apocalypse right?  Well if he knew I was the cause, why wouldn't he have just killed me right then and there?  His bullshit about keeping his most "prized product" alive was just a ruse."  I exclaim very quickly, causing Five's look of confusion to quickly turn into concern.

"Tessa, you just got a lot of information handed to you.  Maybe you should sit down-"

"Five you're not listening to me!  The Handler's plan to cause the apocalypse was orignally set in 2018, but after Reginald created me, to fight  it, that created a threat towards the Handler's plan!"  I say as words flood out of me like a river, the dots finally connecting.  I see Five beginning to absorb what I am saying.

"So she sent that other girl into this time line in 1963!  Who the hell knows how Reginald figured that, but he did, and did everything in his power to send me into this timeline!  The whole story he told us the other night was to get us to look further into it!  It was meant to give us clues!"  I yell at this point.  Every thought in my head is going at about a million miles per hour.

"That's why the Swedes were after me, because the Handler is trying to get rid of me!  The guys who attacked us the other night in the hotel must have just been an image to fool the Commission into thinking that he was still working with them, but in reality, he was telling us the clues we need and giving us the time to escape without looking suspicious to the Handler!"  Herb is sitting there, completely awestruck as I finish my final rant.

"That makes sense.  That's why he created your experiement in the first place, and why he isolated you for all those years.  He wanted to hide you from the Handler.  He somehow knew about the apocalypse, so he created you to stop it.  Once she found out, he sent you to this timeline to follow the cause so you can end it, "  Five says, matching my energy of realization.

"We need to go find Diego."  I order, not even waiting for them to respond.  I begin walking towards the door to the hallway, but before I get there it's swung open with such force, I stumble backwards.  

The smell of cigarettes alone was enough to identify who was standing in front of me before I even looked up.  The tapping of the red heels against the glossy tile fills the room and stops right in front of me.

"Well hello dear.  It's nice to finally meet you,"  she sticks her silky gloved hand out.  I make no move to continue the formalities.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual,"  I say back confidently.  She looks taken aback, but somewhat impressed by my initiative.