—————༻☂︎︎༺—————
༻ Y/N'S POV ༺

As the night settled in around us, the world felt quieter, more peaceful. My hand was still firmly held in Five's, the warmth of his touch grounding me as we walked in silence. There was no need for words; the connection between us was enough, each step a quiet understanding, a shared moment.

"Since the apocalypse is over," Five said, breaking the quiet, his voice low but steady, "how about I take you somewhere?"

I turned my head to look at him, curiosity sparking. "Somewhere? Where?"

"Anywhere. You pick. And I'll take you there in one second," he replied, his words carrying a promise, something spontaneous, something I hadn't thought I'd ever have.

I paused for a moment, feeling the weight of his words. "I've never been anywhere... outside the academy or the Commission," I admitted, my voice soft, almost uncertain.

Five glanced over at me, his eyes sharp with something I couldn't place, but it was kind, something like understanding. "Well, you've always wondered what life could be like outside all of that. Maybe you'll find a place you love, somewhere you want to stay."

His words settled into me, something stirring inside me at the thought.

I smiled, a soft, genuine smile that felt more real than I'd allowed myself to feel in a long time. "I'd love to experience the world."

He smiled back, and we continued walking. It was effortless, like our steps were in sync, the world unfolding around us. But then, suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air, and my system jolted, an alert flashing in my mind. I stopped, my smile fading into a deep frown.

"The academy..." I whispered, the words feeling cold in my mouth.

Before I could process the feeling, the ground beneath us trembled. The shock of it knocked me back, and I felt Five's grip tighten on my hand. The unmistakable sound of something collapsing echoed in the distance—his home.

"Y/n?" Five's voice broke through the chaos, concern lacing his tone as he looked down at me.

I didn't need to say anything. I could feel it, hear it—something was wrong. The academy was falling, and I had no idea how bad it was.

"The academy..." I repeated, my voice now laced with urgency, as the ground continued to shake beneath us.

Five's face hardened, a look of determination crossing his features. Without another word, he pulled me to him, and we ran. My feet barely touched the ground as Five's speed took over, pulling us both forward, his hand never leaving mine.

We didn't stop, not even when the chaos of the falling building threatened to swallow us whole. Just as the ground beneath us seemed to give way, Five blinked us out of existence, the world around us warping as we were instantly transported. The wind rushed through me as we reappeared, standing in front of the academy, now engulfed in flames and crumbled to the ground.

The academy was in ruins. Smoke curled into the night sky, ash floating in the air like falling snow. The structure we had once called home was nothing more than crumbled walls and shattered foundations. And standing in the middle of it all—Allison, Luther, Klaus, and Diego, their faces shadowed by the flickering firelight.

Five's hand tightened around mine for just a second before he let go, his sharp eyes scanning the ground. That's when he saw it—a newspaper, half-buried beneath the rubble. He bent down, picking it up with careful precision. As he unfolded it, his expression shifted, his entire body going rigid. I didn't need to scan his vitals to know something was wrong.

"Come on." Five's voice was tense, controlled—but I knew him well enough to hear the urgency beneath it. He grabbed my hand again, guiding us carefully over the broken bricks toward the others.

"Guys," Five said, holding up the newspaper. "This is it. The apocalypse is still on. The world ends today."

Luther's brows furrowed. "I thought you said it was over."

Five exhaled sharply, irritation flashing across his face. "I was wrong, okay? This newspaper—look." He held it up for them to see. "It's the same one I found the day I got stuck. The headline hasn't changed."

Diego crossed his arms, shaking his head. "That doesn't mean anything. The timeline could've been altered since that newspaper came out this morning."

Five's jaw clenched. "You're not listening to me." His voice was sharper now, cutting through the tension. "When I first found this, I assumed the entire city—this place—was destroyed along with everything else. But here we are. The moon's still in the sky. The Earth is still in one piece. But the Academy?" He gestured around us.

Klaus took the newspaper from Five's hands, flipping it over as if looking for a different outcome. He frowned. "I'm confused."

Five turned on him in an instant. "Then listen to me, you idiot! Vanya destroyed the Academy before the apocalypse. I thought Harold Jenkins was the cause, but he was just the fuse. Vanya is the bomb." His words hit like a gunshot, ringing in the silence. "Vanya causes the apocalypse."

Luther's face hardened. "We have to find her."

The distant sound of sirens cut through the night, flashing red and blue against the ruined academy. Helicopters loomed above us, their searchlights sweeping over the wreckage, illuminating us like prey.

"We gotta move. Now." Diego's voice was sharp, his stance already shifting toward escape.

"Regroup at the bowling alley!" Luther ordered, already turning. "Go!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Five's grip tightened around my hand. And in a blink, the world vanished.

—————༻☂︎︎༺—————

Superstar Lanes hummed with low chatter and the distant clatter of bowling pins. Neon lights flickered overhead, casting a dull glow over our group as we sat huddled in a booth. Tension lingered between us, thick and suffocating.

"I hate to be the one to say this," Luther began, his voice steady but weighted, "but we all need to prepare."

"For what?" Diego asked, arms crossed, already defensive.

Luther exhaled. "To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya."

Before he could say more, Allison smacked him with her notepad.

"We may not have a choice, Allison," he insisted.

"Bullshit," Diego snapped. "There's always a choice."

"Yeah? Like what?" Five asked, his voice sharp.

Diego opened his mouth, then shut it, his jaw clenching. "I don't know," he admitted.

Luther shook his head. "Look, whatever we decide, we need to find Vanya. Fast. She could be anywhere."

"Or..." Klaus interrupted, unfolding a newspaper. "Here."

We all leaned in as he held it up.

Vanya's face was printed right there.

"Her concert," Diego realized. "It's tonight."

Before we could even react, a voice cut through our conversation.

"Hey, I hate to intrude, but if you're not gonna bowl, my manager says you gotta leave."

We all turned to see an employee standing by our table, hands on her hips. She barely looked at us before walking off.

"Whose turn is it?" Diego asked.

Luther, clearly irritated, grabbed a bowling ball and hurled it down the lane. It slammed into the pins, knocking them all down in a perfect strike.

Allison flipped her notepad around. She's our sister.

Luther barely glanced at it. "We're the only ones who can stop this. We have a responsibility to Dad."

"To Dad?" Diego scoffed. "No. I've heard enough about—"

"He sacrificed everything to bring us back together," Luther interrupted.

"I'm with Luther on this," Five said coolly. "We can't give her a chance to fight back. There are billions of lives at stake. We're past trying to save just one."

The weight of his words settled over us.

Klaus shifted. "Hey, you know, guys, uh... maybe I could help."

"Now's not the time, Klaus," Luther dismissed him.

But Diego shook his head. "No. Let him talk. He saved my life today."

Luther frowned. "Is that true?"

Klaus hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. But... the real hero was Ben."

Silence.

"Today—listen. Today, he punched me in the face. And earlier at the house? He saved Diego's life. Not me."

Luther narrowed his eyes.

"You are unbelievable, Klaus."

"You want proof? Fine. I'll give you proof." Klaus grabbed a bowling ball, lifted it dramatically... and dropped it.

It bounced once before rolling off into another lane.

Luther rubbed his temples. "Is there any way to silence that voice in your head that screams to be the center of attention?"

Klaus smirked. "You know, I liked you a lot better before you got laid."

Dead silence.

Luther's entire body stiffened. Allison froze, her eyes darting to him.

Klaus blinked. "Which was—uh—not his fault! Because he was ridiculously high, right? And, uh—the girl, she thought he was a furry—"

"Stop," Luther snapped. His voice was low, but his tone left no room for argument.

Klaus raised his hands in surrender. "Okay."

Without a word, Allison stood and walked off.

Luther cursed under his breath and went after her. "Allison, wait!"

As the awkwardness settled, a woman approached, leading a young boy.

"Excuse me!" she said with a polite but forced smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's my son Kenny's birthday today, and, uh... wouldn't your son be happier playing with kids his own age?"

Diego and Klaus exchanged looks.

"Assuming it's okay with your dad," she added, nodding toward Five.

Five, blank-faced, simply replied, "I'd rather chew off my own foot."

Her smile faltered. She turned to me instead.

"Well, how about you, sweetheart? Would you like to join Kenny's birthday party?"

Before I could answer, Klaus casually draped an arm over my shoulders.

"My daughter has a restraining order against being around kids her age," he said smoothly. "Let's just say the last boy she spent time with is, well now... paralyzed from the waist down."

The woman paled instantly. Without another word, she grabbed her son's hand and walked away fast.

Five had stepped away to grab something, and my eyes instinctively followed him. Even when he wasn't near me, I was always aware of his presence. But as I sat between Diego and Klaus, I was pulled back to the moment by their constant bickering.

"If I were going to date a man, you would be the last person I'd pick," Diego scoffed.

Klaus spoke. "You'd be lucky to get me."

I tilted my head slightly, but their conversation faded into the background when I noticed Allison and Luther stepping outside. Their movements were heavy, slow. Allison, especially, looked distressed.

I stood up abruptly. "If Five asks where I am, tell him I'll be outside."

Neither of them questioned me as I turned and stepped into the cool night air.

A breeze passed, shifting my hair slightly as I scanned my surroundings. That's when I saw them—Allison and Luther, tucked into a phone booth just outside the bowling alley. Luther had the receiver pressed to his ear.

I tuned in, my system locking onto the conversation.

"Uh, well, uh... she's here with me now," Luther's voice was uncertain. "And she really wants to talk to you, Claire, but... she can't. Because, uh... she has a sore throat."

A lie. A soft one. A necessary one.

Then, a faint sound—small, restrained, but undeniable. A cry.

I shifted slightly, analyzing. Allison was crying. Her posture, her heartbeat, the tremble in her breath—it all pointed to silent grief. She had no way to tell her daughter she loved her. No way to hear Claire say it back.

My system flagged the moment as critical. An error in human experience. A pain that needed correction.

Then, I noticed her notepad slip from her trembling hands, falling to the floor of the booth. She didn't even react.

I moved before I fully processed why.

I walked to the booth and knocked lightly on the glass. Both of them turned, startled. I pushed the door open.

Luther frowned. "Y/N? What are you—"

I didn't answer. Instead, I reached forward and took the phone from his hand.

And then, I spoke.

But not as myself.

As Allison.

The phone was warm against my palm as I lifted it to my ear. My system automatically adjusted, scanning for vocal patterns, pitch, and resonance.

—VOICE MODULATION ACTIVE—
—PRIMARY USER: ALLISON HARGREEVES—
—PROCESSING... MATCH CONFIRMED—

A seamless transition.

"Hey, baby," I murmured, my voice no longer my own. The modulation was flawless—soft, warm, motherly.

—ANALYZING RESPONSE...
—EMOTIONAL DISTRESS DETECTED—
—USER: ALLISON HARGREEVES—
—INCREASED HEART RATE: 142 BPM—
—UNSTABLE BREATHING PATTERN—

Luther stiffened beside her.

And then, through the receiver—

"Mommy?" Claire's voice, small and uncertain.

—AUDIO ANALYSIS: VOICE RECOGNITION 99.8% MATCH TO CLAIRE HARGREEVES—
—EMOTIONAL DATA: HESITATION. HOPE.—

"Hi, Claire. I miss you." My voice—no, Allison's voice—was steady, warm, familiar.

Right beside me, Allison covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes brimming with tears, her body trembling with silent emotion.

"I miss you too, Mommy! When are you coming back?" Claire's voice was small, hopeful, wrapped in the innocence of a child who believed her mother would always come home.

I hesitated, my system processing the weight of the moment.

"Soon, I promise. I just need to finish a mission with your aunt and uncles."

Claire gasped. "A mission?!" Excitement replaced hesitation.

A shift. A flicker of something lighter.

Allison let out a soft, tearful laugh beside me, pressing a hand to her chest as she listened. My sensors picked up her heartbeat—still erratic, but not from sadness. From relief.

"Yes," I continued, keeping my tone gentle. "And I promise that when I get back, I'll tell you all about it."

Allison nodded beside me, silent tears falling down her face, her smile breaking through the pain.

"I promise I'll be home soon, okay? So be a good girl for Mommy, alright?"

"Okay! I will. I love you, Mommy." Claire's voice was so full of warmth it nearly overwhelmed my system.

I turned to Allison. Her hands were shaking, her eyes pleading, desperate to be the one to say it. So I softened my voice even more, letting it break just slightly, just enough.

"Mommy loves you more, Claire. Get to bed on time, okay? Mommy will see you soon. Love you."

Then, carefully, I pulled the phone away, placing it gently back on the receiver.

The moment it clicked into place, Allison collapsed into me, breaking apart in quiet sobs against my sweater.

No distress detected. Not grief. Happiness.

She clutched at my sweater, holding onto me like I was something real, something solid. I felt her heartbeat, the way her body trembled against mine.

I looked up and met Luther's eyes.

He was staring at me, unreadable for a moment, as if trying to process what had just happened. And then, slowly, he softened. A small smile tugged at his lips—one of quiet gratitude.

I gave him a slight nod, patting Allison's back gently.

And then, after a long moment, she gasped, pulling back with a teary smile. She wiped at her eyes hastily, her hands shaking as she grabbed her notepad.

She scribbled something quickly and turned it toward me.

"Thank you, Y/N."

I stared at the words. My system registered their meaning instantly. But it wasn't the words themselves—it was the weight behind them.

I looked back up at her, something unfamiliar settling in my chest.

"You're welcome, Allison," I said softly.

She smiled. Then, without hesitation, she hugged me again.

This time, I hugged her back.

"We should head inside," Luther said, his voice gentle. "Okay, Allison?"

She nodded, stepping back, her energy lighter now. Brighter.

As we walked back into the bowling alley, I could feel it—her presence. It wasn't just here now.

It was whole.

—————༻☂︎︎༺—————
WORDS WRITTEN:
2650