KITTEN || five hargreeves

18

•••

"Authorities are asking for help identifying several persons of interest at Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination. The FBI believes they may have been acting in concert with the alleged shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald. Vanya Hargreeves, wanted in connection with the deaths of several FBI agents inside the federal building at Dealey Plaza. A Cuban exile known only as Diego..."

"Cuban?" Diego scoffed at the announcer.

"-...who recently escaped from the Holbrook Sanitarium. A bare-knuckle boxer with suspected Mafia ties who fights under the alias "King Kong." Allison Chestnut, a Negro radical responsible for instigating and organizing the recent riots at Stadtler's lunch counter. Klaus, the controversial cult leader and known tax evader. And, finally, Kit Woods, known murderer released after participating in a highly classified government experiment. The FBI is also asking the public to be on the lookout for this unidentified boy who they believe is being held hostage by the suspected terrorist network..."

"Well, it's true, I do feel like I'm being held hostage most days," Five deadpanned, trying to hide his smile as Kit swatted at his shoulder from her spot beside him on the steps.

"God I hate that photo."

"They're saying I instigated the riot? That's unbelievable."

"Known murderer, huh? That's nice of them."

"Look, the good news is that we restored the timeline and we stopped doomsday," Luther said, trying to bring back some order to the outbreak in conversation between the siblings (and Kit).

"Yeah, a bunch of real goddamn heroes," Diego fired back. "We let Kennedy die."

The conversation continued in a cacophony of noise, Kit turning to Five to let him know how uncomfortable she was with the amount of conversation. Too much talking at one time overwhelmed her. Five nodded, understanding, and spoke up.

"Hey, numbnuts." He interrupted Klaus, who was currently discussing a hideout.

"Hiding's not going to make a difference here. The Commission will hunt us down wherever we go."

"He's right, they'll never stop," Diego agreed, Five and Kit turned to him, one sarcastically rolling his eyes and the other looking at Diego with interest.

"I'm sorry, when were you an expert on the Commission?"

"Since I got back from there."

Five uttered a "what?!" while Kit nodded. She could've told you that from a mile away- it was something about the way Diego stood, how he leaned to the side, how he slightly slouched. The Commission always leaves its mark, no matter how little time you spend within it.

"They headhunted you. The village idiot."

"Am I not allowed to be headhunted? Only the almighty Five and his little girlfriend are allowed to be in demand."

"Look, you're not Commission material, alright? Plus she's not my girlfriend, she's my fiancé."

Kit shook her head. "Not yet I'm not."

"Well, who found out Vanya causes the apocalypse? Me."

"Hey!" Vanya interrupted, eyebrows furrowing at Diego.

"Did you just say fiancé?!" Allison added.

Kit violently sighed and slipped out her hearing aids, reveling in the silence that now surrounded her. She watched everyone yammer on, Five's fingers tightening around her waist as Diego made yet another comment on his time at the Commission.

Kit used to hate the silence. Now she revered it, basking in the stillness. Silence was no longer the enemy, but a solace. She could remember the crackling of the rubble as she walked, her salvaged hearing aids whining at her as the wind blew across the abandoned city. Kit probably saw this place, after the apocalypse of course, but all the rubble in her memory blurred together until she could only recall the absolute greyness that surrounded everything. The dust. She would inhale it sometimes, coughing it out, her nose and throat dry at night when the wind blew the hardest. She could manage her hunger. Not her thirst.

Kit looked up as she saw Vanya walking out, slipping her hearing aids back in and waiting for them to boot up. She took a minute to observe the room: Five, frustrated; Luther, resigned; Allison, sorrowful; Klaus, carefree and oblivious. Vanya had tried to ask them for help, she gathered, and Five had argued for them to stay together.

"Isn't pushing Vanya aside what got you into this whole mess, anyways?" Kit asked, Klaus laughing at her after she stated the obvious.

"I don't know about you guys, but I feel like Mx Kit here is right." He paused to run his fingers through his hair, then twirled around to join Vanya, waving his hand behind him as he left. "Toodles!"

The group paused, and Five looked down at Kit.

"What do you think?" He asked. Kit pulled him towards her and set her head on his shoulder, Five doing the same. Diego followed Klaus out, then Allison shortly after.

"She's your family, but I'm with you, Five, whatever you decide. I'll always be on your side." She pulled him closer, smirking at Luther as he watched them hug. "But in this case..."

"All right, all right," Five relented, playfully pushing her away. He stalked towards the car, pulling Kit behind him as she laughed merrily at Luther's flabbergasted face.

"I don't know why I put up with you."

"You love me."

Five sighed. "You're right."

•••