As The World Caves In [Five]

Thirteen

Would you rather know when you die or how you die?

"He fucking left." Emery spat the words as they drove away, car lurching forward as they rushed back to the Academy.

"Wouldn't you be happy about it?" Luther asked. "You guys hate each other. For God's sake, he had your name written down for murder."

"What?!" Klaus exclaimed from the backseat, so loud Emery flinched.

"Irrelevant." Emery muttered, turning back to Luther. "The Handler won't follow through on her word. All she speaks is empty promises."

"And what is her word?"

"Right. I forgot you guys were frozen in time."

"What?!" Klaus exclaimed again.

"Jesus, Klaus! Shut up!" Diego said from beside him in the back.

Emery rubbed at his temple, trying to dispel the inevitable headache. "Thank you. And yes, while you all were frozen in time, The Handler paid Five a little visit, offering him a job and our protection if he came with her... and he did."

There was a moment of silence that passed through the veichle.

"He'll come back." Luther said, more to reasure himself and his sibling more than Emery. "He always does."

"Yes, but last time it took what? 17 years? Who knows how long it's going to take this time. If not in the next day, we're all dead."

"Didn't she offer our protection though?"

"Were you not listening? Empty promises. The Handler will do anything to get what she wants and now that she's got it..." Emery trailed off.

"You know," Klaus began as cities erupted around them and they bid the open fields goodbye. "I can see why you and Five are so close. Because you guys are so similar. Emerino my friend, you just sounded like him a minute ago."

Diego snorted. "And I can see why you guys always fight. 'Because you guys are so similar'. What do they say? Opposites attract? Two of the same repel?"

Emery let his head fall back onto the headrest in an unceremonious lull. "Are none of you guys concerned? The apocalypse is in three days and we just lost the one person who has the highest potential to change that."

"He'll come back." Klaus said, leaning forward and placing a comforting hand on Emery's shoulder.

"Right." Emery said distantly, looking out the window as they drove closer to the city. His thoughts plagued him the whole way and when he finally had the chance to breathe fresh air, he was grateful.

They found Allison in the academy waiting for them. They filled her in on what had happened and she guided everyone to the kitchen where they all got drinks and sat around the table.

It seemed everyone needed a moment to let the weight of the situation they were in sink in because it was only when they got back did Luther swing into his leader mode and start hypothesizing. Four of the seven were there- five once Emery caught a glimpse of Ben seated next to Klaus. At first he thought it was a trick of the eye but then he bent the light around the area he saw the man in just like he did the first time he saw Ben and saw twinkling eyes staring back at him. Emery hesitantly smiled in hello.

That peace didn't last long as it could have purely because Diego and Luther were now in the same room, debating the same topic. An argument broke out quickly.

"No, we need to figure this out."

"Is it just us?"

"It's everybody."