Love Even Near the End; Five Hagreeves

22

Once we've made our way inside, I separate from Five's side and make my way to one of the seating areas in the lobby where everyone else sits. As I was making my way around the corner I see everyone waiting, assumably, for us.

I wonder what Reginald told them this time.

Once I've completely made my way around the corner, everyone starts cheering for Five and me, happy to see us there. Well, some of them. Ben is only there because it's the only place he really can be.

I feel the corners of my mouth turn up in a smile as I make my way to sit next to Klaus on the yellow chair. I feel Klaus gently pat my shoulder as I wait for the group to calm down about the speech Five gave last night. I don't recall any of it, too busy getting drunk out of my mind to care about anyone's speeches.

I zone back in, listening to the rest of Lila's sentence.

"-brought me to tears, you big softy."

Viktor speaks next, "I especially liked when you referred to us as a family bound by destiny and love."

Luther smiles as I tried to hide mine, laughing at Five's drunken antics. "Yes. That was great," Luther says.

Five butts in, stopping everyone's conversations as he avoids the hug Lila offers him.

"Okay. Enough. It was the booze-talking. In the light of day, you're all still deplorable." He says, making his way to the orange chair across from me. And as soon as the happy memory started, it's over in the blink of an eye as soon as Reginald opens his mouth.

"And your day's about to get worse."

I turn my body to face him, wondering what he meant by that since the end of the world was already in progress. There was nothing we could do to stop it.

Right?

"The Norse had eight sleepers. The Blackfoot, eight stars. As a boy, I heard the legend of the seven bells. All these stories are the same. The village is under threat by flood, by fire, by a night that never ends. A shaman brings his disciples to a sacred cave. He tells them if they can ring the eight magic bells, the village will be saved, and all will be restored just as it was." Reginald says, confusing all of us.

Lila is the first to talk. She raises her hand, "Reggie?"

Reginald looks at her. "Can we get a little fewer Brothers Grimm and a little more "What the hell does this have to do with us?" She asks.

He answers, "There is a truth to these myths. None of you can deny what's going on around us. All of the existence will be gone by the end of the day, but whoever or whatever wove together space and time, they left a way to put things back together if the universe ever faced total annihilation."

Everyone is quiet as he continues, "There is a portal in the universe. I built this hotel around it, and on the other side is the answer."

Everyone is quiet once more but then Luther interrupts that silence, "And... we're supposed to, what?" He asks. "Just stroll in there, ring some bells, and fix this shit?"

Reginald answers promptly, "Sarcasm aside, you are mostly right. Except for the guardian." He says, looking at me when he does.

I stare back at him, feeling Five's eyes burn into the back of my head.

"What kind of guardian?" Viktor asks.

"The kinda guardian that does this," Diego says, holding up his hand, showing the incident that happened to his fingers. "He had a sword." He says as Luther gasps. I cringe.

"It is a force to be reckoned with," Reginald says but is cut off by Luther from going on.

"See? Yeah. This is where you lose me." Luther says, completely confused and lost.

Lila agrees, "This is where he loses you? I checked out at the sacred cave."

Viktor speaks next, "Why would the builders of this "back door" need to have a guardian?" He asks. Sloane answers.

"Ah! To protect it from people who want to use it for nefarious means." She says as Luther looks at her in shock.

"Correct, Sloane."

Allison speaks next, "So it's gonna take all of us to defeat the thing protecting the bells." She says.

Five looks at her, "You're actually buying his crap?" He says.

"How is a guardian and bells any crazier than time-traveling assasins with cartoon masks?"

Luther agrees, "Actually, she's got you there."

Five looks back at Reginald, not amused as Ben stands up, making his way next to Reginald.

"I'm in." He says.

A few seconds go by and Diego stands up, "Me too." He says, leaving Lila on the couch.

"But I think some of us should stay back." He says. "Like Lila."

She disagrees, "Uh... Or you can stay, and I can go."

Allison interjects. "No. This is much bigger than all of us. Nobody can stay back."

"You, my children, are all that stands between us and oblivion. Are we ready to go?"

Viktor states his opinion. "Well, I say we vote."

"This isn't a democracy. Dad's calling the shots." Ben says.

"I'm with Viktor. We vote." Five says.

"The world is ending, and you want to count hands?" Reginald says.

"You're asking us to risk our lives." Luther states. "I think it's only fair you give us time to discuss it. Privately."

Reginald scoffs, walking away.

I sigh, thinking, as Luther speaks up.

"Why don't we all meet back here in an hour?" He says.

"Agreed." Five says.

There are a bunch of disgruntled agreements from everyone, myself included.

What the fuck kind of family did I get myself involved in?