[✓] 𝐼𝑁𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝑈𝐷𝐸 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧. 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒

Word count: 1736

𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 passed, the air was filled with more and more chatter as people lined up just beyond the fence for the parade. Adult Five had hooked a small radio onto the top of the fence, listening as the radio host described the events.

Valerie, Teen Five, and Luther stood a few feet behind Adult Five, watching as he prepared the gun that he had been keeping in the brown briefcase.

Teen Five wasn't doing so hot at the moment. He was sweating excessively, his hair was slightly askew, and he couldn't go one second without scratching some part of his body. He stared straight at the briefcase that was resting behind Adult Five, trembling more and more as time passed.

"Look," he breathed out as his eyes fixated on it. "The briefcase."

"No, don't," Valerie sternly said as she grabbed onto his arm, clutching it tightly. "You won't be able to get there in time."

"Of course I will," he responded immediately, his eyes locked on the briefcase. "This is our only chance."

"Hey, uh, just remind me" —Luther raised his eyebrows— "what was the final stage of paradox psychosis again?"

"Homicidal rage."

"Right." Luther nodded with a small smile. That smile faded as he processed the words. "That's great."

Valerie's grip on the boy's arm tightened as he began to creep forward. "Five, listen to me. I—"

Teen Five shook her hand loose and immediately teleported over to where Adult Five was standing. Only, Adult Five seemed to have realized, and teleported to where Teen Five had been standing.

"Oh . . . shit," Luther breathed out.

"Bad idea, shit-heel." Adult Five pointed the rifle at Teen Five, prepared to shoot.

Luther marched over and snatched the gun away from him. "Stop it! All right? The both of you. Pull it together," he scolded as Teen Five paced around while scratching the back of his neck. "Now, Kennedy is gonna be coming around that corner any minute. Okay? So, everyone, let's just take a deep breath . . ." He demonstrated for them, which they followed. "Now, we're all family here, okay? So can we all just try to get along for a few more minutes?"

Teen Five stared at Luther for a moment before looking over to his adult counterpart. "You want it?"

Adult Five gave him a smile as he challenged, "Go ahead."

Valerie looked at the two Fives and shook her head, already knowing what was going through their heads. "Please don't."

Luther's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the boy and questioned, "What's that?"

He then found out what that exactly was as Five kicked him in the groin.

"Shit," he groaned as he doubled over, his face screwed up in agony as he clutched the area of pain.

"Mhm, that's what I thought," Valerie sighed as she walked up to the groaning Luther, patting him on the back.

"Now" —Adult Five narrowed his eyes at the boy— "where were we?"

Valerie turned to face the adult, trying to plead, "Oh, come on, don't—"

She was cut off as they began their fight, teleporting here and there, punching each other in the face and kicking at their legs as they appeared. They travelled all over the parking lot, landing next to cars and occasionally on the grass as they fought.

Sure, Valerie could go and stop them, she was most definitely fast enough to do so. But she figured she'd let them get a little hurt first, might as well get all the stupidity out of them.