Oblivion ┃ Five Hargreeves ┃3┃

IV - Surprise!

Number Eight had reunited with her family from the other hotel room, this time in the bar of Hotel Obsidian. Allison and Viktor had left the hotel in an attempt to make contact with Allison's daughter, Claire.

"You know, you should try chewing. You might actually taste the food!" Klaus pointed to Luther, who was inhaling a box of Chinese takeaway noodles.

"I haven't eaten in days." He said with a muffled voice due to the sheer volume of noodles that were stuffed in his mouth.

Number Eight was far too distracted to listen to their bickering. "Five, what's wrong with you? You look happy, and you're wearing a bath robe..." She wasn't exactly used to the lack of his signature scowl and uniform.

"I am plenty happy. Had a nap and a schvitz. What else does a man need?"

"Relatives that don't eat like barn animals?" Klaus said with attitude, looking between Luther and Diego, who both had noodles hanging from their lips. "Ugh."

Number Five shook his head. "So, I've been thinking through our little timeline snafu, and I'm pleased to report, in my professional and expert opinion, we are totally in the clear."

"So, we're in the clear?" Number Eight raised an eyebrow before stealing an egg roll from Luther's takeaway box.

"More or less. I mean, there is one... small thing. It's nothing that we can't manage." Number Five said with a shrug, trailing off as his focus shifted to his food.

Diego cocked his head at the boy. "So spit it out, Boomer!"

"Fine, Diego, it's like this. Dad didn't adopt us as babies, but those babies still existed here. We just grew up in different places with different people. So where are they now? Odds are, we each have an identical version of ourselves walking around out there, living completely different lives." Number Five explained, though he seemed to remain surprisingly calm.

Luther gasped loudly. "Our doppelgängers!"

"That's a made up word." Klaus scoffed.

"No, no! I learned all about this in Texas. Tell him about the paranoid psychosis, Five." Luther pointed to Klaus with his thumb.

Diego slammed his chopsticks down on the tabletop. "Oh whoa, whoa, whoa! I thought you said this wasn't a problem!"

"Okay, yes, technically if you're near your doppel for too long, you'll go insane. So, if you see your other self-"

"Kill them!" Number Eight yelled.

"Sleep with them." Klaus nodded.

Number Five frowned at his family. "Avoid them!"

Luther looked between Number Eight and Klaus, baffled by their answers. "What is wrong with you?"

"Oh come on, as if you wouldn't climb Luther mountain." Klaus winked at Luther playfully, only making him uncomfortable.

"Wait. How are we supposed to guarantee that we won't cross paths with ourselves?" Diego queried, continuing to eat his noodles at an alarming rate.

Number Five nodded. "Easy. We're the Benetton ad of superheroes, born all around the world until Dad brought us here, which he no longer did. Doppels probably aren't even in the same zone as us." The boy tossed his chopsticks between his finger swiftly, spinning them back and forth.

"Doesn't it seem kind of rude that Dad unadopting us didn't change anything?" Klaus groaned, his shoulders slumping heavily.

"I'll be right back!" Diego said quickly, before suddenly darting away from the table, leaving his food behind.

Number Eight watched him leave the bar at an unnatural speed. "Wonder what the hell is up with him? Anyway, Five, where'd you get the gown? There aren't any in my room." She sighed sadly, feeling the soft material of Number Five's bathrobe between her fingers.

"There's a spa and sauna in the basement. They have loads there." Number Five gestured the ground as Number Eight's eyes widened.

"Oh, a sauna! That's just what I need after twenty days of saving the world. This is great! Chinese food, a sauna and a good night's sleep." She smiled happily, clapping her hands together before swiftly stealing another one of Luther's egg rolls.

Luther scowled at her, swatting her hand away, but he was too slow. The egg roll was already in her mouth. "Hey! Get your own food!"

"Well I would have done if you guys told me you were getting take out!" The girl protested.

"Here." Number Five slid his take-out box over to Number Eight, suggesting that he would share with her.

Klaus looked upon the exchange in awe. "Wow, would you look at that? Sharing food? That must be true love."

Number Eight grinned proudly, kissing Number Five gently on the cheek. "Thanks, Five."

"Okay, okay. We get it, you're in love. No PDA!" Luther protested, rolling his eyes to the back of his head.

Klaus slapped Luther gently on the wrist. "Oh, come on Luther, it was just a kiss on the cheek! Be happy for them. We had to deal with you and Allison for god knows how many years. All the swooning and the pining..."

Number Five and Number Eight looked at each other bashfully, both of them feeling a hot flush hitting their cheeks swiftly.

"Uh, guys? We may have a small problem." Diego's familiar voice could be heard from behind the group. Each of them turned around individually to look at Diego, though each of their reactions fell differently.

Klaus stared at Diego, bewildered. His eyes were narrowed and his brows furrowed.

Luther was more surprised to see Diego standing before him. His mouth was tightly closed, and his eyes widened.

Number Five was shocked, though completely surprised. Despite his confusion, he managed to release a small, breathy laugh.

Number Eight was in pure shock. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes started to fill slightly with tears as she looked upon Diego.

Standing on either side of Diego was a young boy and a young girl. They couldn't have been any older than twelve years old. The boy was clad in a leather jacket and jeans, and had a unique buzz cut, which was surprising for a child his age. The girl had pale skin and lots of dark, curly hair, that seemed to have a unique colour pattern. It was littered with white strands...

"Surprise..." The young girl said with a smirk on her face.