☂ 𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 || 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝚡 𝙾𝙲 || 𝑩𝑲. 𝟐 ☂

01. TEN DAYS TIL DOOMSDAY

With a flash of blue, an older Hazel and Five arrived in a calmer street setting then the one they were just in: no war tanks, no Soviet soldiers, no war. Just a simple sunny day, intact stores with mundane people strolling the streets, doing their shopping and running their errands.

Five took in the sights around him before turning his attention back to the older Hazel. "Okay... what the hell was that?" he questioned immediately.

"The end of the world, November 25, 1963." stated Hazel with a frown.

" '63..." Five repeated before chuckling dryly. "You know, Hazel, I'm no history buff, but I don't recall there being a nuclear holocaust."

"No shit." Hazel answered simply.

"What about my family?" asked Five, already knowing the answer.

"Dead, like everyone else."

"And where am I now?"

"Dallas. Same street." informed Hazel. "Ten days earlier. Plenty of time to restore the timeline and save them." Hazel walked around the bench that was in front of them and took a seat, the time-traveling briefcase by his side.

"Okay," whispered Five, taking the seat beside Hazel as the cogs in his mind already began to spin. "So where do we start?"

"We? You're on your own, pal. I'm just here to keep a promise to Agnes."

Five could sense the underline twinge of sadness in Hazel's voice. "Is she...?"

"Dead?"

"Yeah."

"Cancer," answered Hazel, memories of the doughnut lady that changed his life replayed in his head. "Took her quick. But we had 20 good years together. I guess forever just wasn't in the cards."

Five's eyes filled with sympathy for the man as he took in his words, understanding what it was like to spend time with someone you love, only to have it cut short. "I'm sorry, Hazel..." Five's voice came out soft and full of sincerity.

Unknowinst to them, a bus stopped across the street from them and unloaded it's passengers, among them were three alarming looking men with nearly white-blonde hair. They unboarded the bus and started to make their way towards the two ex-Commission members.

Hazel nodded, accepting Five's solace. "Yeah. I'm sorry too, old-timer." Five gave Hazel a look of confusion. "Must not be easy to see your girl die again," Five sighed at Hazel's words and looked down. "She seemed very nice."

Five gave a humorless laugh. "I just can't seem to keep her or my family alive," muttered Five dejectedly.

"You'll get it eventually," assured Hazel as he looked down at the boy.

Five brought his head up. "What about the Commission?"

"I quit those assholes, remember? I don't owe 'em the fuzz off my peaches."

Five narrowed his eyes as he spotted the three white-haired men, their expressions definitely didn't look like they wanted to talk. "Well then, who the hell are those guys?" he questioned as he stood up, eyes glued to them as they took out their weapons.

Hazel spotted them too. "Shit." the graying man took the opportunity to quickly put something in the pocket of Five's blazer. "Run!" he shouted, shoving the briefcase in Five hands just as the men released fire.

Five held the briefcase over his face as he spatial jumped away. Hazel wasn't as fortunate as multiple rounds from the machine guns struck him in the chest, killing him instantly. Pedestrians on the streets screamed and ran away from the sounds of the shooting and the armed men.