𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 ⇻ 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦

chapter vii

❝ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇxɪsᴛ, ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴏ ɪ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs?❞

Diego was confused. "Who the hell is Harold Jenkins?" That statement seemed to be shared by all, including Effie, who sat perched on the arm of an armchair, looking at everyone.

Five answered, throwing his cup backwards. "I don't know, yet." At his hurling of the paper cup, Effie scowled.

"That's littering, Five."

"But I do know that he's responsible for causing the apocalypse. So we have to find him. And we have to do it now."

Luthor answered, "how is he connected to what's gonna happen."

"That's the golden question, space-boy." Effie snarked, whilst Five replied seriously about how he didn't know. Which was a first, because Five seemed to know everything. Even the equations for time travel.

"Wait, so you just know his name? That's it?" Diego wasn't impressed. Ignoring Five's answer of, "that's enough," he continued. "There's probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city."

Five had enough of his shit. "Well, we just better start looking, then." He seethed, glancing at Effie's worried face. She was worried about the anger inside him that just kept growing and growing, much like a run-away plant. It wasn't decreasing, like the half-life of radioactivity. It just kept climbing, and Effie wondered if one day, there was going to be so much fire that the true Five, the one that protected her and made jokes would be squished out, never to be seen again.

She beckoned for him to sit on the armchair she was perched on, and he obliged. Eff smiled at him, and ran a calming hand through his hair like he'd done to her many times before.

"I'm sorry. Am I the only one that's skeptical here? I mean, how exactly do you know all of this about what's-his-name?" Allison was on the warpath. She critiqued his lead, and Five shook his head.

"Harold Jenkins. You know those lunatics in masks that attacked the house?" Five's tone was steely.

"Oh yeah. I think I remember those guys. The ones that held me hostage?" Effie said sarcastically, swatting him on the head.

"The ones that attacked us while you were getting drunk." Diego sighed. This was new information for Eff. She only sighed.

"Yeah. Them. They were sent by the Temps Commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of life on Earth."

When Allison asked a question, Five replied that it was his former employer. "They monitor all of time and space to make sure that whatever is supposed to happen.. happens. They believe the apocalypse is coming in three days. So I went to Commission headquarters and intercepted a message that was meant for said lunatics. 'Protect Harold Jenkins.' So, he must be responsible for the apocalypse."

A pregnant pause was in the air, before everyone seemed to begin talking at once. Allison was asking questions about time and space, whilst Diego about Hazel's whereabouts. Effie just wanted to put her hands over her ears and forget she was there. So, she did. She closed her eyes, leaning into the fact that Five was alive. He was there. He was right beside her, and she could reach out and touch him and he'd be there. He'd respond. It was comforting knowing that she was near him, and not trapped back in 1924, as much as she missed Mary with all of her heart.

"Do you know how insane this sounds?" Allison's voice cut through the rest.

"You know what else is insane? I look like a sixteen year old boy. Klaus talks to the dead, and Luthor thinks he's fooling everyone with that overcoat. Effie can control and create plants. Everything about us is insane. It always has been."

"--He's got a point there." Klaus interjected, from where he lay on the couch.

"We didn't choose this life, we're just living it. For the next three days, anyway."

"But the last time we tried to stop it, we all died. Why is this time any different? Why shouldn't I go home to my daughter?" Allison spat the words out like they were poison.

"Because this time, I'm here. Effie is here. We have the name of the man responsible. Guys, we actually have the chance of saving the lives of billions of people. Including Claire." Five looked directly at the brown-haired woman from across the room.

At that, she paused. "You know her name?"

"I do. And I'd like to live long enough to meet her."

Raising her eyebrows, Allison said, "alright. Let's get this bastard."

Diego gave his twenty cents. "You had me at Gerald Jenkins." When Five corrected him, he dismissed the smaller boy. "Whatever. I've already lost two people this week, I'm not losing anyone else." He crossed his arms.

Five looked expectantly at Luthor. "And Luthor?"

Luthor blanked. "Yeah, you go. I'm gonna stay behind and go through Dad's files. I still think this has something to do with why he sent me to the Moon."

With an unimpressed look on his face, Diego said, "seriously? Now you wanna make the end of the world about you and Dad?"

"No. 'Watch for threats', that's what he told me." Luthor was clinging on desperately to that one strand of normalcy he had left-- the Moon. "You think that's a coincidence? This all has to be connected somehow."

Allison had a different idea. "No, we should all stick together."

"We don't have time for this," snapped Five.

"Let's roll. I know where we can find this asshole. Klaus, you're with me." He gestured towards his brother. The man in question stammered as he raised his head. "Yeah. I--I'm good. I think I'll pass.. I'm feeling a little under the weather. So uh.." He almost waddled away, and Effie would've found that funny if he hadn't been groaning.

The rest of the family and Effie went off after him, whilst Luthor stared dejectedly at Allison, who had left with the others.