Untimely

- XII -

The fire had already subsided by the time Five walked back to where he started. He watched silently as the sirens danced darkly around the walls of the foyer and the broken glass of the chandelier.

Five exhaled deeply through his nose. His floor was useless. No bodies. No leads. Not even a stray bullet.

It was too clean for his taste. Too quiet.

Luther had already taken the liberty of bringing the unconscious Sparrow out of the building to get some clean air into his lungs, so he was left alone to sleuth.

But as quick as it came, two figures came into mind. One whose complex challenged anyone and the other whose scent and locks floated in his head, and he remembered he wasn't the only one in the building.

He warped beyond the chandelier, landing feet flat on the stairs. His feet wasted no time in climbing up the flights. A body greeted him at the top, stopping him on his tracks. Upon closer inspection, he found bleedings similar to the ones Ben left on his victims and released a breath when the body didn't resemble any of the two.

Five peeked through the corner. More bodies lined up the hardwood floor in blood trails with the same punctures. A light shone at the end of the corridor and he could feel his stomach churn at the thought of what he might see at the end.

A shuffle to his right grabbed his attention and his head turned immediately.

This side was darker compared to the other, further degrading his anxiety, but he shoved it down his throat and treaded forward anyway.

As Five walked on, the trail of bodies seemed to be lessening. He passed by several empty rooms with no trace Diego and Mara or any of the Sparrows and wondered for a moment if anyone was even home to begin with.

At last, he reached the end of the corridor to a bedroom that used to be his. The door was cracked open and he could hear wind rushing in. Five expected someone to jump at him the moment he pushed open the door, but nothing came. He couldn't even find any sign of struggle or anything out of place.

The curtains ruffled gracefully with the wind, and he found himself drawing closer towards it. He poked his head out the window, feeling the cool air hit his face. Below him was the familiar alleyway near the back of the building that he used to escape to from conversing with his siblings or anyone for that matter.

A particular mop of red hair stood out in the middle of this dark alley. The figure was walking away from the Academy with his back turned towards a black van in a saunter. The man turned and locked eyes with Five, giving him the same shit eating grin that hovered over Mara. He cast one last wave and opened the car door.

"Shit." Five swore harshly under his breath. His legs scrambled to climb over the ledge and into the metal railing before he jumped off completely, warping midair to where the man last stood. But the car had already sped backwards and out into the open road by the time his feet touched the ground.

"Dammit!" Running a hand through his hair, he kicked the nearby garbage disposal. Its loud noise sent a wave through his body, further increasing his frustration. If he had gotten here sooner he would've finally have a lead or something to go from, but now he's back to zero.

"Five?"

The boy spun around, ready to lunge at anyone, but stopped when he came face to face with Mara. He stared directly over her face, and knew at once something must have happened in between the time they were apart.

Mara's firm attitude and cool composure disappeared entirely with her shoulders dropped and and arms hanging limp at her side. Her gaze felt distant as if staring through him rather than at him. Even her voice was soft and far, making Five think for a moment he was just asleep and dreaming back in her apartment.