Shadows & Mirrors // f.hargreeves fanfic

:::: Five ::::

As the sound of gunshots filled the air Nova and Five hid behind a rack of clothes. Before she could stop him Five darted out from behind the rack and into the line of fire. Nova couldn't believe what she was watching. She watched as her best friend and the person she cared most for in the whole world risked his life for a mannequin.

"Stay with Dolores. I'll be back for both of you." Five said out of breath when he returned to their hiding place. Before Nova could protest Five was already running down the aisle away from her.

"You see that?" The woman in the pink dog mask asked her partner. She was standing on the other side of the rack Nova was hiding behind. Nova tried to stay as quiet as possible so as not to get caught.

"They did say he was special. So, now what?" The man in the blue bear mask said from across the room. They already figured out what Five's power was so that couldn't surprise them anymore. Nova knew she had to keep her powers secret for as long as possible.

"You start over there, I'll go to the other end. We'll meet in the middle. Shoot anything that moves!" The woman said in an authoritative voice.

Nova knew she couldn't wait for Five especially not when the gunshots started again. The girl went to move down the aisle when her eyes landed on that stupid mannequin.

She knew that it was the only thing that kept Five sane in the apocalypse but she didn't understand why he needed it now. He wasn't alone anymore and Nova didn't think he should need the mannequin. Against her better judgment, Nova scooped up the mannequin before crouching and running down the aisle.

As she rounded the corner a stray bullet tore through Delores and into Nova's abdomen. She stumbled and gasped in pain. It took all her strength not to cry out in pain and alert their attackers of her position.

When Nova tried to stand up she ended up knocking over a nearby rack. The girl cursed under her breath and pressed a hand to her side that burned in pain. Tears threatened to spill down her face and they blurred her vision. She had been shot before but she knew she would never get used to this pain.

The girl could hear one of the attackers gaining on her. She turned her head slightly and saw that it was the man in the blue mask. If she had been counting correctly he should be out of bullets. Nova tensed waiting for more gunshots to tear through her but all she heard was a clicking sound.

The man in the blue mask cursed and Nova slipped on her own blood falling to the floor. She struggled to crawl away but the pain in her abdomen was so intense she felt like she was going to throw up. The man in the blue mask loomed over her as she quickly bled out.

He knelt down and tried to strangle her. Nova clawed at his hands that were wrapped around her throat. She gasped for air but she couldn't get any into her lungs with him crushing her windpipe. The girl reached out her arm for something to hit him with but the only thing in reach was Five's precious mannequin.

Nova uses all her strength to swing her arm and clobber the masked man with Dolores. His mask came rolling off of him and momentarily Nova remembered she had powers. She knew she wouldn't be able to kill the man in her weakened state but she could drain his strength.

Her hands flew to his face and she scratched at his face as he tried to shake her away. Finally, she presses her hands against his cheeks and begins to drain the life out of him. As she predicted she was too weak to kill him but it was enough to make him let go over her.

In his confusion and weakness, Nova kicked him away and staggered to her feet. She managed to make it to the front of the store where she met Five.

"I told you to stay put." He whisper-yelled at her.