Right Back Where We Started [Five]

Eleven

You have the ability to control one element no limits. Which one are you picking?

"Harlan's death isn't going to stop the Kugelblitz." Emery said. "It only would if we traveled back in time and killed him then but we didn't and we can't so there's no point in doing it now if It's not going to do anything productive." He sighed. "Five, it's just going to cause more chaos and we don't want that."

"This is the only thing we have, Emery." Five said, trailing off back to the bar. "Without this, we have nothing. No lead. No action. Nothing to do. We're going to murder ourselves before the blitz can do it."

"There has to be another way."

"Do you have any bright ideas?" Five spin on his heel and listened intently for Emery's ideas. "No?" He walked backward until he was back behind the bar. "This is the sad truth, Emery. Trust me, I wish it were different." He said, voice turning more genuine as she fished around for another drink. Flicking off the cap and taking a large swig, Five sighed as he set it back down a moment later. "I'm out of ideas." He admitted.

"Then we can think of something else." Emery said, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. "Is there any other way we can time travel? Unconventionally?"

"Unless you can pull that disappearing act that got you in the 60s in the first place with all of us then no." Five said.

Emery shook his head. That fluke was a one time thing and if he tried it again, it would surely end in despair.

"No way at all?"

"Nada."

"Damn."

"I know."

Emery let his head fall into his hands as he studied the decorative markings on the counter. "Is there any other way to repair a briefcase?"

"Zilch." Five shot it down.

"Make a new one?"

"Nope."

"Are there any fail safes you know of that might have one?"

"Emery, I'm the founder of the entire goddamned Commission. If I know there's no more briefcases, there's no more briefcases."

Emery sighed again and dug the palm of his hands into his eyes. "This whole thing was caused by us not existing, right? So what if we just-"

"Where are you going with this?" Five's eyes narrowed.

Emery laughed dryly. "Nowhere. Absolutely fucking no where. I just hoped that by saying it aloud some glorious idea may spring from my mind." His hands fell away and he let his head fall back to squint at the lights blaring over head.

"Hey, hey, hey." Gentle hands prodded at Emery's shoulders, squeezing slightly in reassurance. "It's all going to turn out alright. We'll beat this thing and then... we can retire. Officially." Five said.

"Officially?" Emery asked, cracking a smile when Five slid another shot glass over to him and rounded the bar so he could sit next to him. "What does that mean to you?"

Five pretended to think as he wiped the rim of his glass with the pad of his finger. "It means sleeping in till noon, getting a full nights rest, a shower everyday if you want, taking the time to eat a meal without rushing it, and spending time with loved ones at a leisure instead of always trying to protect them." Five sighed blissfully. "It just means peace." He said.

"That does sound nice. But all that free time- not dying. What would you do with it?"

"I'm sure we could occupy ourselves." Five said, absentmindedly toying with Emery's hand, tracing along his knuckles and bones as if the palm beneath them wasn't permanently charred, like it was normal. "We're two young boys, troublemakers some would say. I'm sure we'd have our fair dosage of fun."