1996:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Riley asked.

Klaus nodded and crept down the stairs first.

It was already way past bedtime and from then on the children were no longer allowed to run around the house– unless there was an emergency or they needed to go to the bathroom.

Ben followed right behind him while Riley hesitated for a moment.

Riley actually followed the rules– they didn't want to get in trouble.

It was mostly Klaus and Ben who persuaded them to join in their mischief.

Just like today.

And now Riley was standing at the wide staircase in the hallway, wondering whether they should go back to their room or not.

You know, before they got caught.

But finally Riley followed their brothers down the hall to the kitchen.

Grace baked cookies today and that usually meant the kids ate said cookies for dessert after dinner.

Usually.

Today, however, their father was not happy with their training progress this week, so there was no dessert that day.

Klaus didn't want to accept that–

"We earned those cookies, Ri", he said, after he and Ben walked into Rileys Room.

And now, ten Minutes later, the three of them ran down the dark hallway.

Entering the kitchen, Klaus immediately went over to the cookie jar and picked it up.

He placed the lid on the kitchen table before giving the other two a cookie each.

Riley nodded as a "thanks" and took a bite of the cookie.

They had to admit it was a good idea.

Klaus was (sometimes) right when he said, "Rules are made to be broken."

A high-pitched sound snapped Riley out of their thoughts.

Julien's head poked out of Rileys pajama pocket and he looked around curiously.

Riley smiled and gave the mouse a small piece of their cookie.

Ben put the cookie jar back in its place when all three children heard footsteps in the hallway.

Riley and their two brothers stopped moving and stared at the door.

The footsteps got closer and closer and Riley grabbed one of Klaus and one of Ben's arms.

Then they pulled the two of them closer to the wall.

Not a second later their mother entered the kitchen.

Grace put the tray on the table and the glass of water in the dishwasher before turning it on and leaving the kitchen.

Riley, Klaus and Ben watched the whole thing intently, expecting Grace to send them back to their rooms at any moment.

But nothing happened.

It was as if Grace didn't even see them.

When their Mother left the kitchen, Riley breathed a sigh of relief and let go of their brothers again.

Without hesitating for a second, the three siblings made their way back to their rooms.

First Ben, then Klaus and lastly Riley.

If you listened carefully you could hear three doors opening.

But the door that was opened last closed first and then the other two.

In the room, Riley sat on the bed and took Julien out of their pajama bag.

"What just happened?" Riley said and petted the mouse.

They got up and paced around the room.

"What do you think?"

The child did not expect the mouse to answer. Julien preferred to stay silent make himself comfortable on their hand.

He was tired too.

Riley placed the mouse in the small shoebox that served as Julien's bed.

They turned around and suddenly had to sneezed.

"Bless you," Riley murmured, their eyes accidentally falling on the mirror on the wall.

"What?"

The child took a step closer.

They could see everything in the mirror– the bookshelf, the bed, the nightstand...

Just not themself.

Not even when Riley stood directly in front of the mirror.

There simply was no Riley in the mirror.

They started to panic and staggered back, tripping over the remote control car.

Riley landed on the floor with a thud.

The kid got up and could finally see themselves in the mirror again.

A moment later there was a knock on the door.

"Riley? Is everything okay?" Grace asked.

She opened the door to find Riley standing in the middle of the room, like a deer in headlights.

Mother and child looked at each other in silence until Riley sneezed again.

They disappeared for a moment.

Grace heard a second sneeze and Riley stood in front of her again.

The child saw Grace blink three times.

"Oh, dear."

She smiled at the child and placed her hand on Riley's shoulder.

When Grace noticed that Riley was no longer upset, she took a step back.

"We should speak to your father, don't you think?"

Riley hesitated for a moment before nodding.

They took their mother's hand and together they left Riley's room.

Riley's mother was so focused on Child that she didn't notice that three other doors were ajar.

Despite the late hour, Reginald was still working in his office.

At first he was confused as to why Riley was out of their room at this time.

That changed to mild interest when Grace told him what just happened.

As she spoke, he picked up a notebook and wrote something in it.

Reginald then addressed the child.

"Did something like this happen before, Number Eight?"

Riley shook their head.

They had to answer more questions before Riley was allowed return to their room.

"You don't have to worry about them," Grace assured as she walked down the hallway with Riley. "It's nothing serious and from tomorrow you'll learn to control it."

Riley nodded, unconvinced.

They didn't feel any different than they did this morning or yesterday.

Still, they were worried.

What if they couldn't control it and eventually remained invisible?

What if it hurts at some point?

So many questions ran through Riley's mind, while Grace brought them to bed.

Riley's mother closed the door behind her.

This time missing the one door, which still wasn't completely closed.

~~~~

"There he is," Five murmured.

He and Riley hid in a side alley and waited.

They waited for the doctor they talked to earlier today.

The doctor put his dog in the back seat before sitting down behind the steering wheel.

Five jumped into the passenger seat and put the knife to the doctor's throat.

"Oh, Jesus!"

"One chance. That's all you've got," Five began. "One chance to tell me exactly what's going on in that lab.

"I... I manufacture prosthetic devices for fake patients. I bill the insurance companies and then sell them for cash on the black market."

"Including eyeballs?" Riley asked from where they sat– in the back seat next to the small dog.

The dog growled at them at first, but then allowed himself to be petted by Riley.

He laid his head on Riley's lap and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, they're my biggest seller," answered Lance Riley's question.

"I mean, they sell like hotcakes," he continued and turned back to Five. "I– I've got a list, a waiting list, probably 20 buyers."

"So, the serial number I told you..."

"Uh, could've already been bought. Yes, off– off the books."

"I needed that list, Lance," said Five. "Names and numbers, and I need it now!"

"Five, you forgot something," Riley chimed in.

They were still petting the little dog and had a small smile on their face.

"What?"

"You forgot to say please, so say please. You want something from him and not the other way around."

Five sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. He dropped his head for a moment before looking at Riley.

"Have you forgotten what's at stake here?" Five wanted to know.

What was Riley thinking?

The apocalypse was just a few days away and they sat there calmly petting a dog as if everything was fine.

Riley looked pleased and Five didn't want to look away from his spouse.

But the teenager had no other choice and looked back at Lance.

"Names and numbers, now... please–" Five said and didn't need to look at Riley to know that they were grinning.

"I don't have it. I mean, not on me. The only copy's in my safe at the lab," the doctor explained quickly.

"Well, you start the car, then. 'Cause we're going on a field trip."

Lance quickly buckled up, started the car and drove straight to the lab.

"Five, can we get a dog?" Riley asked as they turned onto the next street.

"What? No."

"But Five–" Riley complained.

Five looked at Riley through the rearview mirror.

They weren't looking at him. They were concentrated on the dog.

And Five noticed how calm Riley seemed to be.

He actually couldn't recall seeing Riley this calm in years.

Maybe a dog wasn't such a bad idea.

"We can talk about it later," said Five.

~~~

Riley, Five and Lance walked towards the large building where the Doctor worked.

Five had his hand intertwined with Riley's and Lance walked somewhat awkwardly behind the two.

The man couldn't help but think how unusual the couple in front of him was.

The boy–

Five? Riley called him, really scared him.

He had actually believed that Five would slit his throat.

Meanwhile, Riley was very different. They seemed much nicer.

Five and Riley noticed before Lance that the building was on fire.

Five let go of Riley's hand and ran towards it.

The teenager slowed at the entrance just before an explosion threw him into the street.

"Five!"

Riley crouched down next to him, worried.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Five assured, straightening up again.

Riley sat down next to their husband and together they looked at the burning building in which their last hope of saving the world was burned to ash.

"What do we do now?"

"No idea."

~~~~

Diego and Luther were looking for their siblings and ended up in the library.

And being the idiots that they both were, they couldn't help but argue with each other.

But that's not the point.

While the two were talking, Diego saw something, or rather two somethings, on the other side of the circular hallway.

"Where are their parents?" they heard a woman ask as the two men walked past them.

"I'm gonna call security."

Five and Riley sat sleeping against the banister– several piles books and notebooks spread out around them.

Riley rested their head on Five's shoulder and both of them were holding an empty bottle of hard liquor in one hand.

"Are they, um...?" Luther said and Diego nodded slightly.

"Drunk as a skunk. Well, two skunks."

Five and Riley woke up as their brothers tried to pick them up.

Diego picked Riley up and walked a few steps before Riley mumbled, "I feel sick."

"It's okay," assured Diego. "If you throw up, let me know. Just not on me, okay?"

"OK."

After assuring the security guard that they would take care of Five and Riley, Diego and Luther carried the two outside.

"Well, we can't go back to the house. It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment," said Luther.

"My place is closer," suggested Diego. "No one will look for them there."

"If you vomit on me..." Luther threatened as Five burped.

Five ignored Luther's threat.

"You know what's funny?" the teenager asked instead. "Aah! We're going through puberty. Twice."

"No!" said Riley. "Why are they doing this to us?"

They made a sudden movement.

"Rils–"

"Sorry."

"Well at least they got two bottles."

Diego looked at his sibling and shook his head slightly.

"There are other ways than getting drunk."

"But that's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye," Five explained.

"Poof, it's gone," Riley added. "I mean, we tried. But then that stupid building exploded and– What are you guys talkin' about?

"Two masked intruders attacked the Academy last night," Luther reported.

"They came looking for you. So I need you to focus. What do they want?"

"Hazel and Cha-Cha," Riley murmured.

"Who?"

"You know, I hate code names."

"I don't care that you hate codenames Luther," said Riley. "But they are the best of the best."

"Except for me, of course," Five chimed in.

"The best of what?"

"You know, you always say you hate when I drink, Riley. But today you drank with me and you know what? It makes me love you even more–"

"Hey!"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"I need you to focus. What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?

Five didn't answer Diego's question.

"We just want to protect you and Riley," Diego assured.

"Protect me and Riley," the teenager repeated. "We don't need your protection, Diego. I am their husband and so far I have always managed to protect them."

Five's eyes flicked to Riley before returning to Diego.

"Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? No. I'm the Four frickin' Horsemen. The apocalypse is coming."

Then he turned in Luther's arms and threw up.