[✓] 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐿𝑈𝐷𝐸 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫. 𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑢𝑠ℎ

Word count: 2311

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍 the party next to them cheered at the knocked-down pins while Luther walked towards the group. Allison had joined them only a few minutes before, only looking slightly less distressed than when she had left.

"All right," Luther began. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed one missing presence, and he swivelled his head around. "Where's Five?"

"He left," Valerie sighed, putting her hands into the pockets of her blazer.

"Oh, for the love of . . ." Luther groaned, rolling his eyes. "Well, we're not waiting around for him," he said firmly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he looked around at the group. "The concert starts in thirty minutes."

"All right, so what's the plan?" Diego questioned.

"Well, I think that, uh . . ." Luther's eyebrows jumped all over the place as he pondered. "We go to the Icarus Theater."

"That's a location, not a plan," Valerie pointed out with a wrinkled nose as she folded her arms.

"What? Is that all you got?" Diego taunted as he stepped forward, his eyebrows raising mildly. "Look, you wanna be Number One, fine, but you're gonna have to get us on the same page, because right now, we're all over the place."

Luther stared at him for a moment before nodding and, to Valerie's surprise, admitting, "You're right. We need a plan."

The sound of smashing glass caused Valerie's head to whip towards the entrance, and her pulse quickened upon seeing who had entered. 

A large group of armoured people, wearing gas masks with glowing red eyes. In their hands were heavy guns, which they then began to put into use as they lifted them and shot. 

The glass containers filled with candy exploded as the bullets shattered them, gumballs and jelly beans flying through the air. Screams filled the air at the same time as the bullets piercing the walls and columns. 

The people belonging to the birthday party scrambled out, all safely leaving while the Hargreeves family remained greatly in the danger zone.

"Get down!" Luther shouted, and Valerie didn't need to be told twice. 

Everyone ducked behind the bowling balls racks, wincing as the pounding of the bullets hitting the tables and the TVs rang through the air. Valerie covered her ears, though it didn't do much to muffle the sounds. 

The arms of Diego wrapped around her and pulled her closer, and her shoulders relaxed, though her heart remained to beat incredibly fast. She nestled into his embrace, her eyes shut. 

"Who the hell are these guys?" Diego questioned loudly over the roar of the guns, pieces of popcorn flying in front of them as the bags on top of the table were shot.

"Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday!" Klaus shouted as he covered his ears with his hands, his face red.

"No, I'm pretty sure they're here for us!" Luther exclaimed as a bowling ball exploded from a few feet away from him.

Valerie looked around the bowling alley, hopeful—desperate—for a solution. She couldn't find any backdoors or emergency exits that weren't behind the attackers. 

Her eyes soon caught onto the pins at the ends of the lanes, and an idea struck her. 

She turned to Diego, wincing as sparks flew from a nearby TV upon getting hit. "You bring the others through the lanes, okay?" She pointed hurriedly to the lanes, where the pins were brightly lit as she quickly instructed, "Go through, I'll meet you outside."