[✓] 𝑀𝑂𝑂𝑁𝐿𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡

Word count: 3072

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 Klaus on the back before following Five into the living room. 

He was already at the bar by the time she came in, limping around as he concocted some sort of alcoholic beverage.

She sat down on one of the stools at the bar counter, silently watching as he put his ingredients into the blender. Soon, the loud whirring of the blender filled the silence, mixing the components into a neon green drink.

Five poured himself a glass before raising his eyebrows at Elizabeth and pointing at the blender. "Want one?"

She gave him a tight smile. "I'm good."

He was quiet for a few moments as he put a swirly straw into his glass and sat down next to her. 

After taking a sip of his margarita, he questioned, "Well, do you think we really did it? Think we actually stopped the apocalypse?

"I guess," she sighed. "I mean, Harold Jenkins was the cause, right? How can it happen if he's dead?"

"Right." Five exhaled before he took another sip.

"So . . ." She frowned, her right thumb meeting the familiar skin that bore her tattoo as she began to rub on it. "I feel like the only thing that had been on my mind since we got back was the apocalypse. Now what?"

"Now what?" he echoed with a small chuckle. "I don't know. I'm open to suggestions."

All of a sudden, there was a loud knocking at the door that interrupted them.

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows as the two of them glanced towards the main foyer. Who could it be? The Academy was not used to having visitors.

"I'll get it," Five sighed. He took a sip of his drink as he stood up, and took it with him as he went to go answer the door.

He appeared back into the room a minute later, with a familiar face behind him. Hazel followed him into the room, the gun in his hand pointed at Five as the boy sat back down in his spot.

"Uh . . . Five . . . why is Hazel here?" Elizabeth questioned, her eyes trained on the gun as she leaned over to him.

"Eh, don't worry about it." He waved a dismissive hand before raising his eyebrows at Hazel. "You're here to kill me?"

"Oh. Shit. Sorry. Old habits," Hazel apologized as he tucked the gun into the back waistline of his pants. "Well, I can understand why you might feel that way, you know . . ."

Five nodded as he took another gulp of his drink. "Well, you attacked our house, tried to kill my family, and kidnapped my brother."

"Well, there's not much I can do about the past. Don't forget, I'm not the only killer in this room. You got your own bloody history, pal. Speaking of which" —Hazel paused, glancing down towards the ground before looking back up at Five— "that job you did in Calhoun, that shit's legendary. Can't believe I'm actually sittin' here talkin' to you, after all . . ."

Tiredly, Five questioned, "Hazel, why are you here?"

Hazel straightened out the bottom of his blazer as he began, "Well, I'm, you know—"

Before Hazel could continue, he was knocked forward as Diego kicked him from behind.

"Diego, stop!" Five shouted as Diego flipped over Hazel's fallen body.

"Get up!" he roared before kicking Hazel in the face. 

He followed that with another kick, and then a few more punches before Hazel socked him in the stomach, causing him to stumble back and then fall to the floor.