Sarcasm | Five Hargreeves

9 | how to stop the world from ending in a nuclear disaster (for dummies)

Parking haphazardly across several lines, Five shoved Lance out of the car, concealing the knife under his sleeve as he hastened toward the prosthetics building. His urgency was palpable, but a new and alarming sight greeted him—a plume of smoke billowed into the sky, and a bright orange glow flickered ominously from within the building.

It was on fire.

Panic surged through Five as he released Lance, sprinting around to the front entrance. The thick smoke poured out of the doors and windows, and the sound of shattering glass echoed in his ears as he desperately tried to get a closer look. His heart raced as he processed the catastrophic scene unfolding before him.

Without warning, the entrance exploded, a thunderous blast that temporarily deafened Five and sent him flying backward. His vision blurred, and his ears rang with the aftershock. Just before he hit the ground, a firm hand grabbed onto his blazer, yanking him back to his feet. He turned, dazed, to see Y/N glaring at him, her brows furrowed with a mix of anger and concern.

"You idiot! What were you thinking, getting so close to the building? You know better than that, Five," she scolded, shoving him away from the burning structure.

Five's mind raced, his thoughts disjointed and frantic. "That doesn't matter... everything, it's all gone," he muttered, his voice hollow with despair. "The list, the information we needed," Five continued, his eyes fixed on the inferno. "It was our only lead."

Y/N glanced back at the blazing building, her mind racing to find a solution. "I'll go in there. There might still be a way to salvage this," she said, trying to instill some hope into the situation.

Lance, who had been cowering nearby, edged closer, his face pale and sweaty. "I swear, I had nothing to do with this," he stammered, his eyes darting nervously between Five and Y/N.

Five turned his steely gaze on Lance, the fire reflecting in his eyes. "Then you better start talking," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Who would want to destroy your lab? Who knew about the list?"

"Nobody! I-I promise!"

Five scoffed in disbelief, averting his eyes away from Lance as he stared up at the suffocating smoke. "Whatever. Let's go, Y/N," he muttered, turning around and extending his hand, ready to spatial jump them away from the chaotic scene. But as his fingers grasped at empty air, his heart sank. "Y/N?"

His voice wavered with concern as he whirled around, scanning the vicinity for any sign of the teenage girl. Panic surged through him when he finally spotted her.

Y/N stood defiantly at the entrance of the burning building, her silhouette outlined against the roaring flames. She was attempting to force her way inside, redirecting the billowing flames with her powers. Before he could call out again, she disappeared from his sight, swallowed by the inferno.

"Y/N! No!" Five's voice cracked as he sprinted forward, only to be thrown off his feet by another explosion. The force of the blast sent him sprawling to the ground, groaning as he struggled to get up. "Come back!" he shouted desperately, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Inside the collapsing building, Y/N moved with a determined grace, dodging falling pillars and navigating through the labyrinth of fire. Her training allowed her to withstand the flames, but the acrid smoke choked her lungs. She coughed violently, pushing forward with sheer willpower, using her abilities to counter the raging fire. She could see the molten letters spelling "Lance's Lab" on a board outside the office, barely visible through the poisonous smoke.

A massive sign bearing the name "MeriTech" crashed down, smashing the counter beneath it. Y/N crawled under the debris, breaking into a sprint as she reached the office. She frantically rummaged through Lance's desk, her fingers trembling as she opened and closed drawers, scattering papers everywhere. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing that could help her.