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

13. HARGREEVES REUNITED

Author's note:

Trigger warning for brief self-harm

~.~

"No, no, no, I don't understand. They keep following me."

"Wait, who?"

"Those Dutch sociopaths,"

Elaina could hear Diego and Luther talking to one another in the kitchen, just outside the bathroom where she currently was. The ape man arrived last night after being kicked out of his place for losing Ruby's fight. When Five, Diego and Elaina found him last night, him and Elliot were nothing but a bunch of hot messes with uncontrollable laughing fits. Apparently they got into Elliot's late Dad's nitrous oxide and had a bit of fun. After what the trio went through at the Consulate, it was safe to say that none were in the mood to question either Luther or Elliot and headed straight for bed.

The girl finished a quick shower and was currently staring at herself in the mirror as she put on a red headband to match her outfit of red shorts and a red and white polka dot button up. She looked at her reflection for a second before her eyes drifted to the sharp knife that sat on the sink's counter, reaching out slowly and grabbing it. Elaina looked down at her brother's throwing knife and twirled it between her fingers. She bit her lip as she looked back up at the mirror, raising her arm up, eyeing the skin of her inner bicep studiously.

Elaina's eyes glanced at her dainty wristwatch, making sure to keep track of how long it would take. She took a deep breath in and exhaled it out as she quickly brought up the knife and sliced her inner arm. The girl grunted slightly at the sudden sting, but brought up her hand swiftly to catch any blood. A few minutes past as Elaina carefully pulled her hand away to see the wound still weeping with minimal healing.

The sight made Elaina grit her teeth. "Why won't you heal faster?" she hissed silently as she angrily tore open the gauze wrapping she kept nearby in case this happened. "Freaking ridiculous..." she grumbled, taping the gauze to the wound. Elaina then discreetly tucked Diego's knife into her pants as she walked out the bathroom.

"Even if it was my fault -- which it isn't," Five tried to clarify a statement Elaina didn't catch, his eyes fell on her as she sat down at the small kitchen table. "We only have six days before the end of the world and the closest anyone's gotten to Dad was that driveway at the consulate."

"What did I miss?" the girl asked, grabbing a piece of buttered toast from an idling plate.

Luther was currently scrambling up a carton of eggs while Diego stood in the middle of the kitchen. Five leaned against the framed archway, a coffee mug in his hand as he glared at his brother's accusing looks.

"These two think I'm the cause of the end of the world. Oh, and the cause for Swedes relentless attacks on us too."

Elaina took a bite out of the toast. "I'm mean, you kind of are, but we're definitely accomplices." she rationalized, earning a look from everyone. "What? We've concluded that this apocalypse is following us, A.K.A your vortex, and we all agreed to jump in said-vortex or we'd be dead. The Swedes, though, I think they're completely coincidental,"

Diego scoffs. "Yeah, whatever."

"Well, going back to the topic of Dad," Luther sighs. "What you said about the driveway, it wasn't exactly true,"

Five narrowed his eyes as he, Diego and Elaina shared a look. "What do you mean?"

Luther remained quiet for a moment as he looked at his siblings, before saying, "I saw him." he sighed as he transferred the eggs from the pan to a bowl and took the vacant seat across from Elaina.