Chapter Text
They made it all of one week.
One week, in that abomination that they somehow used to think of as a house. One week in unfamiliar rooms in an unfamiliar wing that they couldn't even remember whether it existed before, much less if they'd ever been there. One week of making wrong turns because the Academy was slightly, disorientingly different. One week of accidentally winding up in the childrens' wing, in bedrooms that were no longer theirs, where one or more Sparrows was always staying the night even though almost all of them had their own place.
One week of Diego abruptly leaving the room when a woman who wasn't Grace said to call her 'Mom'. One week of Luther seeing Pogo out of the corner of his eye and never finding him actually there. One week of Allison sneaking off to smoke in the attic only to find it converted to a rookery. One week of Vanya staring numbly at the antlers over the mantelpiece, at the untouched violin in the display hall. One week of trying to keep Klaus distracted so that he wouldn't disappear back into his old habits. One week of Five writing equations over every surface as he tried desperately to find a way out, a way back.
One week of finding all their private places and secret memories either gone or usurped by a Sparrow.
One week of the Sparrows looking at them with mixed expressions of pity, impatience, and hostility.
Moving out was a unanimous decision, this time.
"Could you people be any slower?" Five barked, tapping his patent leather shoes with increasing impatience.
"Is that a challenge?" Klaus called from somewhere upstairs.
The floorboards creaked under Luther's heavy tread as he pulled a jacket over his wide shoulders. "He just called, what's the rush?" Not so long ago -- in Five's continuity -- that would've surprised him from Luther. Now it just exasperated him.
"This is the first mission he's called us for and you ask 'What's the rush?' Hello? Apocalypse?"
"Yeah, I remember, the novelty's kind of worn off. We don't even have a time limit on this one."
Diego appeared in the hall with a knife in his teeth, his hands occupied with tying back his hair -- making sure a few locks still fell loose, for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with aesthetic advice about 'framing his face' from a certain fashion-conscious sister. He mumbled something around the blade.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Allison said as she breezed past him. "Nice outfit, Five."
Five looked down at himself, black dress shirt unbuttoned and half-tucked into trousers in a style that Allison had insisted would help him look a little less... well... thirteen, without looking like a child playing dress-up from grandpa's closet. "Oh. Thanks." He adjusted his lapels self-consciously.
Diego removed the knife, pointed it at Allison. "You're not my mom." He fitted it into the shoulder sheath under his jacket -- a little theatrical, but at least he'd given up the full-body harness. "I said, let the bastard wait."
"Yeah, and who do you think he's going to take it out on while we're running late?" Five said.
"He knows better than to yell at Vanya," Luther said. Five looked at him. "I hope he knows better than to yell at Vanya. Otherwise the apocalypse is a lot closer than he thinks."
"Klaus!" Allison called up the stairs. "Waiting on you!"
He sauntered onto the upper landing, draping his long arms over the rail. "You know, I was thinking, maybe you don't really need me there on this one--"
"Klaus," Allison repeated. He turned his big, mournful eyes on her. "Of course we need you."
The last tenuous threads of Five's patience snapped. "If you want to stay here all alone wallowing in your self-pity, fine, but you have until I start the car to make up your mind." With that, he snatched the keys from the umbrella-shaped hanger on the wall and stepped sideways out of reality.
Klaus winced. "Ouch."
"God dammit, Five," Allison muttered. "Klaus, he didn't mean--"
"Oh, I know, I know, he's just being Five." Klaus waved off her concerns. "Shall we away?"
Vanya was waiting on the steps in the front hall. She rose to meet them. "He's pissed."
"That's his problem," Diego said.
"You okay?" Allison rushed ahead to touch Vanya's arm.
"He didn't say anything to me, so, yeah."
Allison squeezed her arm and smiled in relief. Of course, if Vanya were upset, there would be at least a few cracked windows to show for it, but it didn't hurt to check.
"How's the hausfrau?" Klaus threw his arm around Vanya's shoulder as they headed up the stairs. Five jumped past them.
Vanya smiled. "She's doing well. She went to sleep awhile ago. She and Audra were showing me--" Vanya faltered.
"Showing you what? Something naughty?" Klaus goaded. "Tips for a lesbian robot octogenarian threesome?" He neatly dodged both Vanya's elbow and Allison's slap and darted up the stairs.
"I'd tell you not to be gross but I think you'd stop existing!" Vanya called.
Klaus spun and made a rude gesture that turned Vanya beet red. He squealed and ran as she took off after him.
"Five, save me!"
Five rolled his eyes. "You made your bed, you lie in it."
"Hey!" Klaus spun again on his heel to point accusingly at Five. "I have never made a bed in my life, and I will not stand for this slander." As Vanya got close, he took off again.
The playfulness soured, curdled into apprehension as they crossed the second floor towards Sir Reginald's study. The door stood open. Sir Reginald's authoritative voice floated out. Klaus slowed, his grin becoming a little more affected. Luther's back straightened despite himself. Allison drew in a deep breath. Diego clenched and unclenched his fists, practically vibrating with nervous energy.
Vanya had never been called on a mission. She didn't have the conditioning for tension, anticipation, dread. Her stress was in trying to keep her feet flat on the ground, instead of up on her toes, ready to scurry off before anyone could catch her peeking.
Unfamiliar as it was in places, the old house made it hard not to fall back into old habits.
Five leaned in the doorframe. If he felt ill at ease, he didn't show it. He'd certainly spent enough time there, lately, conferring with Sir Reginald about the newest apocalypse -- or, more accurately, badgering Sir Reginald for more information. Sir Reginald was a tough nut to crack without thumbscrews -- and Five wasn't doing that sort of thing anymore.
Inside the study, arranged in a neat line in front of the desk, were the Sparrows. Six of them stood at military attention, smartly uniformed in red and black, matching but not identical. The seventh was neither uniformed nor standing, on account of being a floating green cube the approximate color and texture of sea glass.
"--want you all to be on guard," Sir Reginald was saying. "If I could tell you more, I would, but my sources--"
Five cleared his throat.
The Sparrows turned. Five twiddled his fingers in greeting. Only one smiled -- small, bubbly Carla, Number Two, ever the mediator -- although the cube pulsed with a soft light in a way that might have been positive. Behind Five, his siblings tried to look tough and put-together and not half as anxious as they felt. The Sparrows' uniforms were like the house: too different, but painfully familiar all the same, and their crispness made the Umbrellas all-too-aware of their defiantly civilian garb.
"Ah, good, you've arrived." Sir Reginald managed to make the innocuous statement into a reproach. He was standing in front of his desk, not seated behind it. That was different. He'd always remained seated when briefing them. "You may as well hear this."
The Umbrellas took this as invitation to file into the room, the Sparrows' line swinging back to accommodate them. The Umbrellas made no effort at order or precision, just arranging themselves wherever there was space, in a way that (some of them hoped) looked deliberately rebellious rather than just disorganized. The study was not small, but it was not designed to fit twelve adults, a tall tween, and a cube comfortably.
Staying back by the door, Klaus leaned towards the cube, Number Three, who had the entirely too ordinary name of Christopher. "We still on for Friday?" Christopher's internal glow pulsed slightly as he whispered back an affirmation. Klaus grinned. "Vunderbar." He held up a hand for a fist-bump. Number One, Ben, shot them a silencing look.
"I will summarize," Sir Reginald was saying. "I have intercepted activity from an enemy of ours. They plan to raid a nearby military complex tonight in search of a device I had a hand in designing. The Sparrows will be handling this attack." Plucking a large glossy photo from the folder on his desk, Sir Reginald passed it to Five. "I have reason to believe they have sent their best agents -- a small group of highly dangerous individuals known only as the Raptors." Five glanced at it briefly before handing it back to Luther. He reached for the rest of the folder, but Sir Reginald slid it away.
It became immediately obvious why Five had not studied the photo for long. The image was a frame from a closed-circuit camera, greyscale, cropped and zoomed and grainy to the point of uselessness. Three figures in light suits, one shorter than the others, their faces mere white blurs. The short one appeared to be blond. The other two were dark-haired... or -hatted.
"White suits. Ostentatious. Probably not Commission," Diego murmured, glancing at Five for confirmation. Five was ignoring him, apparently focused on Sir Reginald, but his eyes kept darting to the folder, waiting for a chance to snatch it.
"The exact identities and capabilities of these agents," Sir Reginald was continuing, addressing the Sparrows directly, "is a closely guarded secret that my sources have yet to crack. Take note of everything, and remember, do not let your guard down for a moment. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," the seven chorused.
"As for the Umbrellas. There is a research facility that may also be a target tonight. I will be counting on you to keep the facility under surveillance and to intervene if necessary."
Five's mouth twisted into a scowl. "You called us for a stakeout?"
Ben barely restrained a chuckle. Carla nudged him.
"If that's what you wish to call it--"
"Because that's what it is," Diego muttered.
"If you think you can't handle it," Ben said, "I'm sure I could spare a few bodies."
Diego moved toward him, fingers already on a knife. "I'll give you bodies--" Allison stopped him with an outstretched arm.
"Ben's got a point," Luther rumbled. Diego shot him a betrayed glare. Luther just pointed to the Sparrows. "Faith can surveil a location single-handed. Chris can transport everyone from one place to the other in five, ten minutes tops. You don't need two teams."
Sir Reginald had yet to get used to this kind of disrespect. The Sparrows followed his orders without question. They trusted his judgment. The Umbrellas did not, and thus everything with them became a negotiation. He supposed that was probably his fault. Everything, apparently, was.
"Sparrows, move out." As they filed out, he turned his full attention to the Umbrellas, singling out Five as he often did when addressing them. "I assure you, this mission is of far greater importance than a mere 'stakeout'. The enemy has coordinated multiple strikes tonight in an effort to strain my resources. I know the capabilities of the Sparrow Academy and they will need their full power should they encounter the Raptors." He slid the folder back to Five. Five immediately looked suspicious. "I cannot spare them to protect this facility as well."
Five flipped open the folder. He let out a low whistle. "Oh. Oh that's messy." When his siblings leaned in to look over his shoulder, he blinked across the desk with the folder, dropping insolently into Sir Reginald's chair. "You don't want to see this." Returning to Sir Reginald, he asked, "Explosives?"
"No sign of accelerants or shrapnel. No prints, no hairs, no security footage. No survivors. Everything you see there occurred in less than five minutes."
Five's eyes lit up in a disturbing way. "Five minutes? Not bad, for-- oh. Oh. They're like us, aren't they?"
"In all likelihood. And they have been careful enough that I have not been able to get a read on their exact abilities. Hence, my Sparrows need their full wits about them. But I still need eyes on this facility. Even if you are... untested."
"Why is this place so important?" Allison asked. Sir Reginald's gaze flickered up to her.
"There are many things there that should not fall into the wrong hands, and many people who do not deserve to die. Do you need more than that?"
"Is this a field test?" Five asked absently, a little too much of his attention back on the folder in his lap.
"Not exactly, but you may certainly treat it as one."
"Fine," said Luther.
The siblings exchanged looks, held a quick and silent conversation. Allison shrugged, but moved closer to Luther. Vanya, hands in her pockets and shoulders hunched up, nodded. Klaus waved a tattooed hand vaguely. Diego sucked his teeth while his anti-authority instincts warred with his hero complex. Finally he looked down at his boots and gave the smallest of nods.
Five fixed his sarcastic smile on Sir Reginald. "Alright. We're in. What's the plan?"
Diego still clung to some romanticized ideas about detective work, but one thing he had realized very quickly a very long time ago: stakeouts sucked. There was a reason why procedurals always glossed over or cut to black or had something improbably convenient happen to cut one short.
Stakeouts. Sucked.
"Any change?"
And they were even worse when conducted with five people he could not stand half the time. (Even if he loved them, dearly, all the time.)
Diego glared over at Luther just to have a change of scenery. "Yeah, everything blew up while you weren't looking. You see the smoking crater?"
They were set up on a hill that overlooked the research facility, close enough to reach it quickly on foot if anything happened, but far enough that they wouldn't tip off any observers -- if nobody noticed fucking gigantic Luther silhouetted against the treeline, anyway. Even lying prone, he was a damn eyesore.
The place didn't look like much at first glance, just an office building tucked off of a winding lane full of office buildings. Certainly it didn't look like an enticing target for some shadowy organization. Security was high enough to have a gated checkpoint and enough lights to keep the night at bay, which wasn't too notable; and a high-voltage wire strung across the top of the high walls, which was notable enough for Sir Reginald to warn them about it. That high-voltage wire was about the only thing convincing Diego this wasn't totally pointless, and he was starting to think Da-- Reginald had made it up for exactly that reason.
Luther dropped his chin onto his folded arms. "This is pointless."
"Utterly, utterly pointless," agreed Five, lying on Luther's other side with his arm draped over his eyes. Diego had honestly forgotten he was there.
"What a shame we roped you two innocent bystanders into this," Diego muttered, looking through the binoculars again. He idly wondered if the high-voltage wire -- assuming it actually existed -- would hurt much more than a taser. His chest itched at the thought. Or it itched because he'd army-crawled through poison ivy or something. That would be just his luck.
At least the real drama queens were hanging back in the treeline. He didn't want to know what kind of complaining diva Klaus was doing, or her majesty Allison, or not-so-timid-anymore little Vanya. He definitely wouldn't rather be back there bantering with them than watching a stupid building.
"Hey, hey, guys."
Speak of the devil and Klaus shall appear.
"Klaus, you're supposed to stay by the car," Luther said.
Klaus crawled up between Luther and Diego, idly scratching his neck. "Okay, but, hear me out. Allison told me, to tell you guys, the thing I was just telling her about--"
"Get to the point, Klaus," Diego warned.
"--The ghosts here are really weird. Like, horror movie weird."
Whatever they'd been expecting Klaus to say, that was not it. Five uncovered his face to join Luther and Diego in staring at their brother.
"Could you be more specific?" Diego asked. "Are we talking like The Shining or The Ring or what?"
"Uh, Jacob's Ladder?"
"Never saw it."
"You uncultured heathen. Okay--" Klaus waved his hands as he tried to think of how to explain himself.
"Car," Luther said.
Diego turned the binoculars toward the road. Sure enough, a car had turned onto the winding driveway, which wouldn't be interesting except that it was the only thing besides Klaus that had happened in an hour, and it made a lot more sense than Klaus. "Light sedan, silver or beige, can't quite make out the plates. Tinted windows."
At that, Five rolled over and started paying attention again. "Completely opaque?"
"Yep."
"Suspicious."
"Maybe."
They watched as the car drew up to the guardpost. It idled for a minute as the driver and guard conferred. Then, to their disappointment, the gate opened without incident and the car drove through.
"Guess they're supposed to be here," Luther said.
Diego tossed the binoculars at the grass near Luther's head and rolled up to his feet. "Fuck this, I need to pee."
Luther looked back at Klaus. "Sorry, you were saying?"
Klaus shook his head. "Nah, it's- it's nothing. I was just bored. I forgot the interesting siblings are all back at the car. Ta!"
Five plucked up the binoculars and took a look, ignoring Klaus's exit. Something about this didn't feel right -- he couldn't put his finger on why, and that bothered him more than anything. The car -- definitely white in the bright facility lights -- drew to a stop in front of the main door instead of parking. Three doors opened, discharging three figures in light clothes. One of them slung a thin, dark umbrella over their shoulders. A man in a security uniform emerged from the building, gesturing at the newcomers in a not-so-welcoming way.
"I don't like this," Five said. "I'm getting a closer look."
"Don't like wh--?"
Five was already gone. Luther sighed and picked up the binoculars.
Five reappeared on the roof of the building, just over the main doors, where he could just eavesdrop if he strained his ears. He peeked carefully over the edge.
The angle wasn't right to get a look at them. He could just see the back half of one of the newcomers. Short dark hair, solid shoulders, white jacket. Doctors? Infiltrators playing the part of doctors? Rich donors checking on the illicit experiments they were bankrolling? He wished he'd grilled Reginald a little harder on what this place actually did.
"Right this way, sir," someone was saying, and the tone of their voice didn't sit right with Five, either.
Something was wrong here.
"We need to infiltrate" was the first thing out of his mouth as he reappeared next to Luther.
Luther blinked a few times. "Okay, I'll bite. Why?"
"There's something wrong," Five said. He didn't like how weak it sounded to his own ears, so he switched tracks. "Did you see them present any credentials?"
"Not that I noticed."
"This place is supposed to be secure and on high alert right now. What are people in white suits doing showing up in the middle of the night without credentials?"
Luther chewed his lip thoughtfully. "That's not enough to break into a secure facility over."
"It's not breaking in if Reggie fixed us an entrance," Diego added as he rejoined them. "Are we breaking in?"
"Yes," said Five.
"No," said Luther.
"I heard a 'yes', I'll grab the others."
"No, dammit, Diego--" but Diego was already crouch-walking away as quickly as he could crouch-walk. Luther glared at Five. "If this goes sideways, you're answering for it."
"Yes, fine, I accept full responsibility, can we go?"
Sir Reginald had indeed, as Diego put it, 'fixed an entrance' for them. A stretch of the high-voltage wire was not charged. A fire exit without an outer handle bore a subtle mark to indicate the alarm wouldn't sound. Five phased inside and opened it for the others.
The hall was dim, the walls that particular shade of office-building beige, the carpet brown and thin. Utterly unremarkable. No sounds of life came their way, only their own footsteps barely muffled. If they didn't know any better they'd think the entire place was deserted. Allison lead the way, ready to nonviolently handle any bystanders that might cross their path.
At the back of the group, Klaus let out a whine. "I knew I should've gone before we left."
"Shhh." Luther glanced back, his gaze settling on Vanya, who had her arms folded around her stomach. His stern expression immediately gave way to concern. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Vanya said. Her stomach gurgled loud enough for him to hear.
"Are you... sure?"
"She said she's fine, Luther," Diego snapped. "Would you back off?"
"Am I not allowed to show concern for my sister, now?"
"I'm fine," Vanya repeated with a surprising amount of venom. "I'm not leaving."
"Would you idiots be quiet?" Five hissed from up ahead. He glared back at them. Then his brow furrowed, taking in Luther's bewildered expression, Diego's aggressive stance, Vanya's glower, Klaus in the back spacing out while covering a burp.
"Do you hear that?" Allison whispered.
They all fell silent. Music had begun to play, somewhere far ahead, echoing through the halls. A jaunty, familiar tune.
"Is that the Time Warp?" Klaus said, bemused.
That's when the screaming and gunfire started.
Luther jumped into action, powerful legs propelling him down the hall at breakneck speed. Diego followed at a sprint. His skin already glowed with sweat.
Five stopped in his tracks, feeling the blood drain out of his face as he realized his mistake.
Shit.
He blinked into Luther's path, giving the half-human freight train plenty of space to brake. "Luther!"
Luther drew up short. "What?" He snapped. His eyes darted from Five to the gunshots and music still playing up ahead.
The others were well behind. Good. He had time to convince Luther. "I was wrong. We need to leave, now."
"Are you rea--"
"Do you remember the stages of paradox psychosis?"
"What?" Luther repeated, confused and impatient this time. "Uh, y-yes? Itching, gas, sweating... urination... paranoia..." He trailed off, coming to the same horrible conclusion that had just struck Five. "You don't think--"
"We have to go," Five said, leaving no room for argument. He stepped around Luther to address the others as they caught up, confused and irritated at Luther and Five's hesitation. "We have to go. Now."
"Five, what--" Allison began.
Luther cut her off. "No, he's right. We need to leave." His eyes were fixed on Vanya, on the sheen of sweat on her brow.
This did not go unnoticed. She stared back with unnerving intensity. "I told you, I'm not leaving. We just got here." Her eyes narrowed. "What do you two know that we don't?"
"Trying to steal all the glory in this one, huh, brother?" Diego snarled, his teeth bared like he would like nothing more than to rip Luther's throat out with them. "Think you'll get back into Daddy's good graces if you just show him you're better than the rest of us?"
Klaus's eyes darted wildly, focusing on things the rest of them couldn't see. He started to mutter under his breath. Five could just catch disquieting phrases like "all a trap" and "catch us" and "experiments", and for once regretted not listening to his earlier nonsense about weird ghosts.
Allison looked between her siblings, baffled by the sudden hostility. "Okay, everyone needs to calm down, I don't know what's--"
"Liar," Diego snapped. "You know exactly what's going on, you and Golden Boy here are always--"
"Diego, what the hell has gotten into--"
Vanya was starting to take on a deathly pallor. Klaus was still next to her, though he looked ready to bolt. Diego had gotten in Luther's face.
There wasn't time for a better plan. Five looked at Luther. "Handle Diego," he undertoned. He turned and launched off the ground, spreading his arms as he phased. He reappeared in front of Vanya and Klaus, caught an arm around each of them, and swallowed all three of them into the rift.
They landed on the grass outside the complex, as soft a landing as he could manage with the constraints of distance and time. Vanya and Klaus tumbled back from the momentum, coughing and groaning with sudden intense motion sickness. Five left them to recover while he sprinted to a payphone.
Sir Reginald answered the phone himself, surprisingly. "Report!"
Five allowed himself a moment to wonder what would happen if someone other than his children were calling. Then he snapped into the professional tone of his Commission days. "This is Five. We've identified your Raptors."
A beat. Five smirked, still rather proud that he could catch the old man off-guard.
"Explain."
"Are you familiar with paradox psychosis?"
"I am. Who?"
"Diego. Klaus. And Vanya."
Reginald drew in a sharp breath. "Evacuate your team immediately. I'm sending the Sparrows."
"Handle Diego."
Simple premise. Not-so-simple execution.
Before the air had finished filling the space formerly occupied by Klaus and Vanya, Diego flipped backwards, kicking off Luther, and launched a knife mid-flip. The blade nicked his neck as it arced past -- Luther credited the 'uncontrolled perspiration' stage with saving his life, and not any hesitation on Diego's part.
Luther and Diego had fought plenty of times before, but there was always a certain level of restraint to it. For all their bickering, they didn't want to kill each other, or even seriously hurt each other. Sure, that 'certain level' was significantly lower than they'd show to anyone else, because they could both take a beating and give as good as they got, but it was there.
Not so, right now. Diego was definitely into the homicidal rage stage... or at least fully into the paranoia stage, which was basically the same thing. He charged in with a roar and a knife shining in his hands and murder in his wild eyes, and it was all Luther could do to weather his barrage of punches and kicks and avoid getting sliced to ribbons in the process.
"Diego, stop!" Allison cried.
"You're in on it! You always were, you backstabbing bitch!" Diego whirled, his arm cocked back for a throw. Luther's massive hand wrapped around his in a vice grip, closing it tight around the knife's handle. He wrapped his other arm around Diego's chest and lifted him clear off the ground. Diego thrashed, screamed invectives, slammed his head back into Luther's jaw. Luther stumbled but maintained his grip.
"Knock him out!"
Allison didn't hesitate, and thank god for that because even with his strength he couldn't hold an unwilling Diego indefinitely, not without hurting him.
"I heard a rumor that you fell asleep."
Diego's eyes went white, then flickered shut, and he went limp in Luther's arms. He snored softly.
"Luther, why did Diego just attack us?"
Luther threw Diego over his shoulder. "I'll explain once we're outside. Come on."
"What about--" Allison pointed. There were still gunshots, but they were farther now, fewer.
Luther looked pained, but he shook his head. "There's no time. I promise, this will make sense, but we have to go."
They met back up at the car. Vanya and Klaus leaned against the side, mostly recovered from the twin strains of paradox psychosis and travelling with Five. The boy in question phased in as Luther and Allison hurried up.
"Sparrows incoming," he said.
Vanya scrambled unsteadily to her feet. "What the hell is going on? We should be helping those people! We need to get back in there! Aren't we--"
Five stopped in front of her, taking her arms. The gentle gesture stopped her short. "Paradox psychosis," he explained, urgently but without his usual bite. "When you get too close to another version of yourself in the same timeline, it messes with your head. There are seven stages: One, denial. Two, itching. Three, extreme thirst and urination. Four, excessive gas. Five, acute paranoia. Six, uncontrolled perspiration... and seven: homicidal rage."
Klaus stopped nodding along. "Oh. That's a problem."
"Oh, my god," Allison whispered.
"If we went any further in there, there would be two of you going nuclear right now."
Vanya sat back down, hard. "Shit. Is that how it happens this time?"
"Well, if it is, then congratulations, we just defused it." Five held out the car keys. "Here. I need you to take Klaus and Diego and go back to the Academy."
"What about you guys?"
Five glanced at Luther and Allison with a question on his face. The two of them nodded. "The Sparrows don't know who they're dealing with. We do. We're staying to help."
Diego groaned and murmured unintelligibly as Luther deposited him in the back seat.
"Explain it to him when he wakes up, will you?" Five asked. "Might take a few tries but he'll get it eventually."
Vanya opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She tried again. "Be careful."
"Yeah."
Five, Luther, and Allison stood in the road, watching the car retreat with half their team -- half their family. Vanya's eyes watched them in the rearview.
"Five," Luther said. "What was in that folder?"
Five didn't look at him. "You really don't want to know."
The engine and her heartbeat roared in her ears, every bump from the tires a percussion blast. Her hands gripped the wheel tight to keep from trembling. Her eyes were on the road, but all she could see was tendrils of white-hot energy, bodies with burnt-out eyes, Ben's form slowly crumbling--
Her family was facing her. Again.
And the only thing she could do to help was get far, far away.