"the best time for new beginnings is now"

★・・・★・・・★

Five huffed and began reaching for different ingredients within the bar. He blended multiple items together and created a lime green margarita. Five poured me a glass of the alcohol and placed a pink umbrella in the liquid. Then, he poured himself a drink.

"Do you think we really did it?" Five asked me, while drinking the liquor. "Do you think we actually stopped the apocalypse?"

I took a sip too, and shrugged thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think we did." We shared a smile.

"Now what?" He asked curiously.

For the first time since we've met, Five and I didn't have any responsibilities or worries. Harold was dead, the apocalypse was over, and we could finally relax.

Maybe we could just be like normal kids and have fun. Although, he has the ability of time-travel, and I'm an assassin, who has the power of intangibility. None of that mattered because, at this point, anything is possible.

I didn't really know exactly what we were going to do now, but I knew I still had some unfinished business with the Order. I made a promise with myself. I had to go back and rescue the other kids, but there was something keeping me back.

I didn't want to leave Five. He makes me feel safe and cared for. I can't imagine not being by his side anymore. We've gone through so much together in the past 8 days. The thought of losing him terrified me.

"Lexa?" Five placed his hand on my shoulder with a worried expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I snapped out of my daze, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"What were you thinking about?" Five asked gently.

I frowned. "I was just thinking about the future.. Now that we actually have one," I trailed off.

"What are you going to do?" Five questioned, interested in the topic.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I was planning to go back to the Order, and save the other kids but.. Things changed I guess."

Five tilted his head curiously. "What changed?"

I took a deep breath, about to share my feelings with him. "Well—" My sentence was cut off though, and before I could speak, there was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," he excused him apologetically and left.

As I took a swig of my margarita, I contemplated whether the interruption was a good or bad thing. What would I even say? 'Five, I like you'? I doubt he'd even feel the same about me.

My head perked up when I heard multiple footsteps approaching. Five walked in with Hazel, who was the last person I expected to see. My eyes darted to the gun in his hand, which was pointed at Five, and I put my drink down and immediately stood up defensively.

Five noticed. "It's okay, Lexa," he reassured. "I'll handle this."

I nodded slightly and felt my shoulders drop to a more relaxed position.

"You're here to kill me?" Five spoke to Hazel calmly.

"Oh, shit. Sorry. Old habits." Hazel put the pistol he was holding in his back pocket. "Well, I can understand why you might feel that way."

Five chuckled. "Well, you attacked our house, tried to kill my family, kidnapped my brother, and shot Lexa," he shot back.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at Hazel with the mention of all that he and Cha-Cha had done.

He looked away, trying to hide his guilt. "Sorry about that by the way," Hazel directed this apology to me. He went on, "There's not much I can do about the past."

Hazel was trying to right his wrongs, and I respected that. Not many people try to fix their mistakes, today.

He changed the conversation back to Five. "Don't forget, I'm not the only killer in this room. You got your own bloody history, pal, and I bet your friend is in on it, too."

I sipped on my margarita. Guilty as charged.

"Speaking of which," Hazel continued. "That job you did in Calhoun, that shit's legendary. Can't believe I'm sittin' here talkin' to you, after all—"

Five interrupted Hazel's fangirl moment. "Hazel, why are you here?"

Hazel shrugged. "Well, I'm, you know—"

Out of nowhere, Diego appeared and kicked Hazel's knees in, causing Hazel to collapse onto the ground.

Diego did a flip over Hazel and landed with his fists in the air. "Get up!" He shouted angrily.

"You know, before you kill him, you might wanna hear what he has to say." Five attempted to intervene, but the two men began kicking and punching each other.

"Or not," I added.

Diego started sprinting towards Hazel, but Hazel quickly stuck his foot up and kicked him back. Diego brushed himself off as he stood back up again, and pulled a knife out of his belt.

"I'm gonna kill you for what you did to Patch," Diego spat.

He ran towards Hazel with the knife, almost slashing him across the stomach.

Hazel swiftly jumped backwards and shouted at Diego. "Come on!"

Diego swung a punch, but Hazel caught his fist. While Hazel held back Diego's arm, Diego used his other hand to stab him in the leg. Hazel let out an ear piercing scream.

Five inhaled sharply and I winced. "That's gotta hurt," he joked.

I turned to him. "Should we stop them?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Eh, just let it play out."

Five and I drank our margaritas simultaneously and watched the fight continue.

Hazel bellowed as he pulled the knife out of his thigh. Diego used a series of punch and kick combos on him. Then, he performed a backflip, kicking Hazel in the face at the same time.

After being kicked in the face, Hazel regained his balance. As Diego was about to make his next move, Hazel grabbed his shoulders harshly and head butted him. Diego stumbled backwards slightly, but Hazel picked him up off the ground. Strangely, Hazel began squeezing, or crushing, Diego, but Diego bit his ear.

I shook my head and cringed at the crunching noise Hazel's ear made when Diego's teeth bit into it.

Five turned around and placed his drink on the bar. He teleported on the table behind the two men and smashed a vase over Diego's head.

Hazel dropped Diego on the floor, and his unconscious body fell hard on the wood.

"I draw the line at biting," Five declared.

Hazel spit out tiny shards of glass from the vase as Five made his way back to the bar.

Five sat next to me again and picked up his drink. "Hazel, whatever you came here to say, I suggest you make it quick, before he comes around."

"I left my partner, quit the Commission, and came to volunteer," Hazel announced exhaustedly.

"For what?" Five asked.

"To help stop the apocalypse," Hazel stated obviously.

Five and I faced each other. We smiled and then began laughing.

"What on Earth could be so funny to you two right now?" Hazel questioned, offended that we found this serious topic humorous.

"Before I answer that, why do you wanna help us?" Five queried.

Hazel thought for a moment before responding. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in a doughnut shop."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you're a day late and a dollar short," Five revealed. "The fact that you're here right now means, without a shadow of a doubt, that the apocalypse is over."

Hazel was shocked. "Really? How do you know?"

"The mark is dead," Five replied simply.

"We found him this morning," I added as well.

Five nodded. "You were the last known unknown left in the equation."

Hazel broke out into a wide grin. "Shit! Really?"

"Mm-hmm. And if you're out, then Hellrider ain't riding," Five replied.

"Oh!" Hazel threw his arms in the air happily and chuckled. "Alright."

He practically skipped over to the bar and took the stool on the opposite side of Five. Hazel reached for the blender and chugged the remaining alcohol.

"So, now what?" Hazel asked.

"You know, to be honest, I don't know," Five replied, while swirling his straw in the drink. "I've been chasing this thing for so long, I.. I never really thought about the day after." Five gazed off into the distance, lost in thought.

Hazel nodded understandingly. He turned to me. "How about you?"

I shrugged. "I'm not really sure either, but wherever life takes me, I'll be happy as long as I'm not alone."

I glanced at Five, who was watching me with a small smile. Butterflies filled my stomach once again. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked down.

"What about you?" I asked Hazel.

"I'm done with all this madness. Time to start over." Hazel faced Five. "You should do the same."

"That's easier said than done," Five confessed sadly.

Hazel sighed in agreement, but reasoned with him anyway. "It doesn't have to be hard. I mean, think about it like this: If you never time travelled, you never got caught up with the Handler. What would've happened?"

If Five never time travelled, we never would've met, too. Life would be drastically different for the both of us.

"I guess I would have grown up to be an emotionally stunted man-child like everybody else around here," Five chuckled sarcastically as he thought about what could have been.

"Well, there you go," Hazel commented. "Now you can grow up."

Hazel stood up and began walking out of the living room. "Good luck, Five, and don't waste this."

You know, for one of the Commission's top killers, Hazel sure has some words of wisdom. His little speech was quite inspiring.

Five let his words sink in. "Hazel," he called for the man one more time.

Hazel turned around.

"One more thing before you go," Five said.

Hazel nodded. "Shoot."

"Which one of you was the trigger man for Detective Patch?" Five questioned Hazel about Patch's shooter.

"Trigger woman," Hazel corrected.

Five sighed, "That's too bad. That gun could've cleared my brother's name."

"Well, today's your lucky day, amigo." Hazel reached in his pocket and pulled out two guns. He placed the weapons next to us on the bar. "Take 'em both. I'm done with this life."

The two silently thanked each other and parted ways once and for all. This was the end of an era.