Right Back Where We Started [Five]

Three

Are you better at talking or listening?

"What are we doing?" Allison asked as they continued to walk.

"Ruminating." Five replied back lightly, doung everything but answering Allison's question.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Klaus complained.

Emery risked a glance around to indeed people trying- and failing to hide their glances and their whispers.

"Because we look like the damn Village People just lost a fight." Diego said,

"We're not too far from it either." Emery pointed out, head down as he kicked at rocks he passed.

"Gimme that." Diego said snatching Klaus' hat. The two broke into a cat fight trying to keep it away from the other.

"You know what? I need to go find Claire." Allison said, distancing herself from the idiots that were her siblings. "I will catch up with you guys later."

"Hey, Allison, no." Vanya said. "First, let's get somewhere safe, clean up those cuts, and then we'll go find her."

"She's right. You're only going to succeed in scaring the girl off if you show up like that." Emery pitched in as Allison begrudgingly relented.

"Man I hate those guys." Luther said. Emery pulled his gaze from a sunken Allison to find Luther glaring at a billboard with Marcus and Bens faces on it.

CRIME IS THE PROBLEM

WE ARE THE SOLUTION

SPARROW ACADEMY

Another one, on the next largest building behind it donned a landscape portrait of them all standing side by side.

"Look at 'em with their... stupid smug..." Luther said, glaring at the sign with the loathing of a thousand small children.

"You can do it." Klaus urged over the big man's shoulder. "You can do it."

"...s...s... smug... smugness." Luther grit out.

Klaus sighed, expressing Emery's internal thoughts. "Keep working on it, big guy. You'll land one, eventually."

"But honestly, what are we doing?" Allison drew everyone's attention to the issue at hand. "Cause we can't keep standing here bleeding out in the middle of this park."

"I don't know, but we better gear up fast before they come for round two. All right?" Diego's said, issuing demand.

"They're not going to come for round two. Not yet." Emery insisted, shaking his head.

"What makes you think they'll come after us?"

"Because I would." Diego said.

"Yeah, we did break into their house..." Klaus added.

"Our house." Allison corrected.

"...busted up all their nice antiques and shit." Klaus went on. Emery blinked as he recalled the shattered vase he had shattered over Bens head. Always a nice alternative to saying 'hello but also shut up'.

"Yeah, I don't think the crime-fighting... super nerds are gonna let that go."

"You're right. But I'd wager we have a good few hours of peace before they do anything about it if nothing at all." Emery said.

"Yeah? What makes you so sure? You suddenly best buddies or something?" Diego turned to him, gaze accusing.

"Or something." Emery scoffed. "I talked with a few of them before I got this-" he gestured to his face. "-kind response."