☂ 𝑳𝑶𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 || 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝚡 𝙾𝙲 || 𝑩𝑲. 𝟑 ☂

14. OPERATIONS BUNKER

A/N: 

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*~*~*~*

It was all mind-boggling pain at first, then it became more of a tingle, before ending in a zap!

The only other sensation after that was cold. Freezing cold to be exact.

The make-shift portal that Five created with Lila's assistance spit them out in the middle of a raging blizzard in some frozen wasteland. Nothing but white sheets for miles as the breeze stung their skin. Clearly, this was a stupid idea.

"Oh, brilliant idea, Lila," shouted Five over the harsh winds that nearly knocked him down as he attempted to stand. "Welcome to the Ice Age!" he snarked.

Lila's bottom lip quivered as she hugged herself, standing up and peeking over her shoulder, a smirk etching itself on her face at the fuzzy silhouette in the distance. "Shut up and just look," she said, nudging her head back so he could see.

Five stood stiffly with his hands in his pockets, somehow still managing to carry the briefcase before looking back in the direction Lila gestured to. "The Commission," he noted with a stunned tone.

Lila laughed at his dumbstruck face and ran toward the snow-covered building while still holding herself.

"Shit," muttered Five at the sight of the Commission, pushing through the blizzard to follow the giggling Indian woman.

As they trudged through the piercing wind and snow, the teenager looked up at the once vibrant headquarters of the Commission, noting the ice that encrusted the structure. Once the two got to the entrance, the first thing Five noticed was the broken doors and smashed windows. 

The place was a wreck.

Lila's continued laughter floated around while the pair registered the rubble that was once the headquarters of their former place of work. Both walked toward the center, being extra cautious to not stumble over the debris while gazing up at the gaping hole in the roof that was allowing the snow in.

"Holy shit," commented Lila, scanning the interior. "Tony and I were just here. How long were we bloody gone?"

"It seems the Grandfather Paradox is affecting everything," Five grunted, placing the briefcase on the floor. "Even places out of time," he stated, rubbing his sore wrist from the weight of the briefcase.

He forgot how heavy these things were.

"Is that possible?" questioned Lila.

Five rotated his wrist. "I stopped tracking what was possible a long time ago," he expressed, relieving his wrist enough to grab the briefcase once more.

As Five bent down, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand and a feeling of uneasiness course through him. It was a familiar feeling, one that he learned to distinguish long ago in his previous line of work. 

It was the feeling of being watched. 

The teen discreetly turned his head while remaining hunched over, glancing in the direction of the sensation, but saw nothing. Odd, he thought. Five then heard a rumbling sound, looking up swiftly to see the ceiling crumbling. Five and Lila quickly moved out of the way before the heavy fragments from above crushed them like bugs.

"We better get moving," he advised, catching his step on the uneven floor. "I'll check the Infinite Switchboard," announced Five, commencing his climb up the surprisingly intact staircase.