"vodka may not be the answer, but it's worth a shot"

★・・・★・・・★

"Oh! Jesus."

Five pounced on the doctor and pulled out a knife. He held the weapon closely to the man's neck as Lance began shaking.

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

Lance's eyes glanced towards the back seat. I smirked and waved my fingers.

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

"Including eyeballs?" Five asked harshly.

"Yeah.. they're my biggest seller," Lance responded nervously.

I crossed my arms triumphantly, "Well that was easy."

The doctor continued, "I mean, they sell like hotcakes.. I- I've got a list, a waiting list, probably about 20 buyers."

"So the serial number I told you..." Five trailed off.

He thought for a moment. "Could've already been bought. Yes- yes off the books."

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

"I don't have it, I mean, not on me," Lance quivered. "The only copy is in my safe back at the lab."

"Well, you start the car then." Five smiled, "Cause we're going on a field trip." He sat back in his seat, and slowly pulled the knife away.

"Okay," Lance responded, while quickly putting on his seatbelt.

"Now." Five demanded.

★・・・★・・・★

After parking the car, Lance lead us to the lab. I gasped when I saw what had happened.

Yellow and oranges streaks flew out the broke windows. The laboratory was completely engulfed in massive flames.

Five sprinted towards the building. I called after him, but he continued running. I started to walk faster to catch up with him. I winced every time my injured leg hit the ground as I limped over to where he was standing.

In an instant, the front of the building exploded. Five and I were sent flying through the air only to land violently on the concrete ground. A sharp pain shot up my leg. I groaned and slowly sat up. Five was staring at lab with an unreadable expression.

All of the information regarding the prosthetic eye was now completely destroyed.

"Shit."

★・・・★・・・★

Without the list of buyers we had no idea who the eye belonged to, and without the owner we had no idea who will cause the apocalypse. Five and I were at a dead end in our investigation.

After leaving the laboratory, Five and I walked to a public library. Our clothes were smudged and our faces were covered in ash. We received numerous stares as we walked through. To be honest, we probably looked like a hot mess.

"What're we doing here?" I asked Five as we walked up a flight of stairs.

"I just need to think." He replied simply.

I nodded and stayed silent.

Five and I walked up to the fourth floor and sat in a corner by the railing. He reached in his pocket and pulled out chalk and a bottle of liquor.

I laughed lightly. "Have you had that in your pocket the whole time?"

"Saving it for the right time," he smiled and offered some.

I opened the bottle and took a swig of the alcohol, cringing at the spicy taste and burning sensation.

"Oh god, what is this?" I coughed and passed the bottle back to Five.

"It's vodka." He laughed and took a sip.

"Well it's terrible."

Five grinned, "Yeah it is."

I motioned for the bottle again and took another drink. The vodka caused me to scrunch my nose and shake my head. Why did I think it would taste any better the second time?

I continued drinking and ignored the bitter taste. Five began writing equations on the wall, motioning for the vodka every now and then.

"What're the equations for?" I was always so fascinated and curious by his intelligence.

"Without the eye we have no insight on the trigger for the apocalypse. I'm trying to calculate all of the possible variables," he trailed off.

I watched Five as he scribbled down a variety of random names and numbers. Each time an equation failed his annoyance seemed to increase. 

After awhile of frustration, Five threw the piece of chalk across the library floor and sat down next to me. He huffed and I passed him the liquor bottle.

Five turned to me. "Have you ever tried to contact your real parents?" The question caught me off guard.

"No, I haven't. I guess I've just gotten used to being with the Order or alone." I thought for a moment, "Even if I wanted to, I don't really know where I'd start."

Five nodded.

"What about you? Have you ever tried to contact your real parents?" I asked him.

"No. I just don't have the time." He shrugged.

I smiled. "Ironic."

Five chuckled.

Time progressed and night had fallen. The library lights still shined brightly, though.

Five and I drank the rest of the vodka, plus another bottle. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around me. Eventually, we fell asleep.

"Well, we can't go back to the house."

I woke up, extremely drunk and dizzy, in some random man's arms.

"It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment." Another man spoke from behind. I peeked my head over, and saw that it was Luther.

The man holding me spoke, "My place is closer. No one will look for him there."

"Who are you?" I slurred.

The man carrying me didn't answer.

"If you vomit on me.." Luther trailed off speaking to Five.

I heard Five talk, "You know what's funny? I'm going through puberty. Twice!"

Luther sighed as I giggled.

"I think we drank that whole bottle, Lexa." Five called out.

"Yeah I think so," I replied laughing.

Five continued talking, "That's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye."

I put my hands together and made an explosion movement. "Poof!"

"What're you guys talking about?" Five changed the subject.

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

"They came looking for you," the other man spoke irritably.

I gasped. "For me?!" I exclaimed, and phased through the man holding me. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," I paced in front of everyone.

"What the—"

"I told you she was like us!" Five said.

The man who was holding me before scooped me up again, and continued to carry me down the alley. "I need you two to focus," he ordered.

Luther interrupted, "What do they want?"

"Hazel and Cha-Cha," Five clarified.

"Who?"

"The bear and the dog!" I announced.

Luther spoke tiredly, "You know I hate code names."

Five continued, "The best of the best! Except for me of course." He laughed softly.

"The best of what?" Luther questioned a little too harshly.

"The best of dress up," I giggled.

The man who was carrying me yelled at Five and I. "Hey!"

"Hm? Yeah?"

"I need you two to focus. What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?" He articulated his words carefully.

I put my finger over my lips and made a 'shh' noise. Five's lips slowly turned into a wide grin of mischief. 

It was obvious that Luther and the other man were getting annoyed.

"We just wanna protect you," the man holding me spoke to us calmly.

"Protect me," Five smiled. "We don't need your protection, Diego. Do you know how many people we've killed?" Five pointed to me and then to himself.

"I'm the four fricken horsemen! And the apocalypse is coming," Five said before turning around and vomiting.

★・・・★・・・★

I was half asleep in, whoever Diego was, arms, while Five was sleeping in Luther's arms.

They took us to a small room in the back of a boxing building. Luther and Diego placed us on a bed in the corner of the room. My eyes finally drifted shut as I fell into a deep sleep.