Right Back Where We Started [Five]

Twenty-one

(Yes, I am alive. Sorry for the lack of updates)
What's your favorite kind of cereal?

Emery didn't ask where Five was leading them. And Five didn't tell him. He already had the sense that he knew.

"What's your favorite kind of cereal?" Five asked as he poured himself a bowl, moving around the kitchen in search of milk.

"I'm not particularly hungry right now but thank you." Emery dismissed, opened the fridge to his right, and pulled out the jug of milk.

"Thanks." Five said as he accepted it, screwed off the top, and poured himself some. "Are you sure? It's likely the last thing you'll ever eat."

"I'm sure," Emery said, trying not to let the knowledge bother him.

"Hey," Five said, putting the jug down. "It's going to be alright, okay? Now, I don't usually say that but this time- I think it's true."

"You just read me like a damn book Hargreeves." Emery said with only a slight scowel. Itwas all he could muster.

"I was just returning the favor," Five said as he picked up his bowl. "I trust you know where we're headed next?" He said as they began moving once more.

"Never a dull moment with you. Yes, I know where we're going." Emery said as he began walking without the direction of Five.

"Going to retrace my steps. The old man is hiding something and I intend to figure out what." Five said determinedly as they turned a corner and headed down a hall. He muttered words under his breath, looking around only to clench his eyes shut and shake his head as he tried to recover the drunken memory.

They reached the hall of the White Buffalo and Five paused, staring fixatedly at the door at the end of the hall. "No..." he thought aloud and shook his head again, eating a spoonful of cereal in hopes it would clear his mind.

"What are you doing?" Viktor asked, coming up behind them. He looked at Five curiously, tilting his head as he looked past Five to Emery and then back again to the bowl in the boy's hand.

"Eating cereal. Retracing my steps."

"Why?"

"The old man is hiding something." Five said.

"Yeah, seems like there's a lot of that going around." Viktor sighed.

Five paused from where he had continued moving, spoon lowering back into the bowl as he gazed back at the man. "How do you mean?"

"Allison apologized to me." Viktor admitted.

"Okay... and that's suspicious, how?" Five asked.

Emery shook his head. "If stubborn Allison is apologizing now, it means that more than just the end of the world is going on right now."

"Exactly," Viktor said, still not sounding completely sure of exactly what was going on. "Allison was ready to go ten rounds with me at the wedding, and this morning, it's all about family and Dad and love. I don't know, something must have happened last night, but I don't know what."

Five opened his mouth as if he was going to retaliate but then his whole figure seemed to freeze, the bowl of cereal falling from his hands and tumbling to the floor.