We regrouped at my house, the air thick with tension. Everyone was on edge as we huddled around the TV in the living room, watching the news coverage with a mix of disbelief and dread. My father sat in his usual spot, his face creased with worry, while the rest of us stood or paced nervously, listening to the broadcast.

The news anchor's voice droned on, listing off names and accusations. "The FBI believes they may have been acting in concert with the alleged shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald. Vanya Hargreeves, wanted in connection with the deaths of several FBI agents inside the federal building at Dealey Plaza. A Cuban exile known as Diego, who recently escaped from the Holbrook Sanitarium. A bare-knuckle boxer with suspected Mafia ties who fights under the alias 'King Kong.' Allison Chestnut, a Negro radical responsible for instigating and organizing the recent riots at Stadtler's lunch counter. And finally, Klaus, the organizing cult leader and known tax evader..."

Each name hit like a blow, but it wasn't until they mentioned mine. "The FBI is asking the public to be on the lookout for these two children: Y/n Gussman, student of Dallas High, daughter of Elliot Gussman."

My high school photo flashed on the screen, and I stared at it in shock. It was surreal seeing my face plastered on the TV like I was some sort of criminal. "How did they even get that photo?" I mumbled to myself, confusion bubbling up inside me.

But the anchor wasn't finished. "A young boy whose name is still unknown. We believe they are both being held hostage by the suspect terrorist network."

"Well, it's true. I do feel like I'm being held hostage most days," Five muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Diego crossed his arms, rolling his eyes at the TV. "God, I hate that photo."

Did they even ask for my consent?" I asked myself.

"They're saying I instigated the riot? That's unbelievable," Allison scoffed, clearly irritated by the portrayal of her involvement.

Luther tried to inject some optimism into the situation. "Look, the good news is that we restored the timeline and we stopped doomsday, so—"

Diego interrupted, his voice sharp. "Yeah, a bunch of real goddamn heroes. We let Kennedy die."

"Wasn't he supposed to die, though?" I asked, trying to piece together the logic of it all.

Diego shot back at me, his frustration boiling over. "So? He shouldn't have died."

I felt my own anger rising, knowing that our situation was more dire than they seemed to grasp. "I'm sorry, but we're now officially the most wanted people in Dallas. The FBI is after me, and probably my father. The Dallas police, the Secret Service... We're not safe. My whole life is ruined, along with yours too!" My voice cracked with emotion as I looked at each of them, feeling the weight of the mess we were in.

Klaus pointed at me, nodding in agreement. "She's got a point."

Vanya's voice cut through the tension. "Well, where are we supposed to go?"

Klaus, always the one with a wild plan, offered his solution. "I have this yurt just outside Reykjavik. We could totally lay low there. Folks there are a little weird, but lovely."

I shook my head, my thoughts immediately going to my father. "I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving my dad here."

Before Five could say anything, the phone upstairs started ringing. I sighed, leaving the group to go answer it, already dreading who might be on the other end. I had a feeling it could be Bri, or maybe someone else entirely.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice tinged with anxiety.

"Y/n? Sweetie?" It was my dad. The sound of his voice made my heart clench—he was awake.

"Dad? What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, my worry for him overtaking everything else as I gripped the phone tightly.

"I should be asking you that. I just saw the news on the television in my room. Why are they saying you're being held hostage and wanted?!" His voice was hard, upset, and I could tell he was trying to keep it together.

"Dad... we stopped doomsday," I said, the words coming out in a rush.

"What? You did?" His tone softened, filled with disbelief.

"Yeah. But we let the president die." I paused, taking a breath. "Dad, are you okay though? Where are you?"

"I'm using the office phone here at the hospital. Y/n, listen to me. You need to leave that place now. The police will find me and you."

"Dad, I can't just leave you. Can't I just go to you?" I asked, my voice trembling as I felt the fear and sadness closing in.

"Y/n... no. I don't want to see you here and them calling the police to take you." His voice was full of pain, and it broke my heart.

I wanted to cry, the weight of everything crashing down on me. I missed him so much, wanted nothing more than to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. Just then, I heard footsteps coming closer, and I turned to see Five.

"Dad, hold on," I told him, setting the phone down for a moment.

"We have to go," Five said, urgency in his voice.

"Where?" I asked, my mind still spinning from everything.

"Vanya needs our help with some woman named Sissy on a farm." His words made my heart skip a beat. I knew Sissy—delivered food to her place once for Christmas and saw her at church on Sundays. I prayed she was okay.

I quickly picked up the phone again. "Dad! Meet us at Sissy's farm. Me, Five, and his family will be there."

"Sissy's farm? Why?" My father's confusion was clear, but there was no time to explain.

"I don't have time, Dad, just meet us there, okay?" I pleaded.

"Okay, I'll see you there," he replied, his voice steadying.

"Bye," I whispered, hanging up before turning to Five. "Let's go."

We hurried outside to where Vanya was already in the car, the engine running. Five opened the door for me, and I slipped into the backseat between him and Vanya.

"Y/n? Five—you don't have to," Vanya insisted, looking back at us.

"I know. You owe me one, sis," Five responded with a slight smirk.

"Children ride in the back," Five quipped at Klaus, who was seated in the front. Klaus quickly scrambled to the back, letting Five open the door for me. I climbed in, settling between Vanya and Five as he joined us.

"Guys, I don't know what to say," Vanya said, her voice filled with gratitude as she looked at us.

Luther opened the trunk and squeezed in, his large frame taking up most of the space. "Anyone makes a fat joke and I'm outta here," he warned, though there was a hint of humor in his voice.

Vanya started the car, and we sped away from my place, leaving behind what felt like another lifetime. I looked over at Five, who was holding my hand tightly, our fingers intertwined as if letting go would mean losing each other. I squeezed back, finding comfort in that small connection as the car raced towards whatever was waiting for us at Sissy's farm.

———

The moment I got out of the car, the unnatural blue storm above the farm caught my attention. It felt ominous, like something terrible was brewing. Diego was the first to voice what we were all thinking. "You think whatever's going on inside is causing the cold front?" he asked as he got out of the car, his tone laced with concern.

"Well, correlation is high," Five replied, always the analytical one.

But before I could process what he said, I noticed Sissy coming toward us, her expression hard, and to my shock, she was holding a gun, pointing it directly at us. My heart pounded in my chest as Vanya called out to her. "Sissy! Sissy!"

"Get back! All of you just get the hell back!" Sissy's voice was trembling, but her hands were steady on the gun. Five immediately moved to push me behind him, his instinct to protect kicking in. But I couldn't stay hidden—I stepped out from behind him, my eyes locked on Sissy's.

"Sissy, just put down the gun," I pleaded, hoping my voice would reach her, calm her.

Her eyes flickered with recognition as they landed on me. "Y/n?" she said, sounding confused.

Vanya turned to me, her brow furrowed. "You two know each other?"

"I know her," I explained quickly. "She and Harlan usually attend our church on Sundays."

But Sissy was still on edge. "Get back," she repeated, her voice cracking.

Vanya tried to reach out to her. "Hey! Hey! What's wrong?"

"Carl," Sissy choked out, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion.

"What did he do to you?" Vanya asked softly, but there was an urgency in her tone.

"He's... he's dead. Harlan tossed him aside like a rag doll, the same way you sent those policemen flying. What did you do to him?" Sissy's voice wavered between grief and anger as she looked at Vanya, demanding answers.

"No—" Vanya began, but Sissy cut her off, fear overtaking her reason. "What the hell did you do to my son?"

Diego, always the one to act before thinking, started to walk toward the barn. "We don't have time for this," he muttered.

Sissy immediately aimed the gun at him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To help your son," Diego replied, his tone steady and reassuring.

Vanya took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Look, Sissy, I found my family. These are my brothers and my sister."

Sissy's grip on the gun loosened, but her eyes were filled with hurt. "Were you lying to me the whole time?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course not. Look, I didn't know who I was. But I do now. And we are not the monsters that they say we are. We did not kill the president. We are not terrorists. We're not here to hurt anyone," Vanya explained, her voice sincere.

"Then... who are you?" Sissy asked, still trying to make sense of everything.

"The only one who can help Harlan," Vanya answered.

Finally, Sissy nodded, lowering the gun completely. We followed her into the barn, and the sight that met us made my heart drop. Harlan was surrounded by a swirling blue energy, his small frame barely visible through the glow. I felt a wave of sympathy for both him and Sissy.

I walked over to Sissy and wrapped my arms around her, trying to offer some comfort. She clung to me, her body trembling with fear. "Harlan, it's Vanya!" Vanya called out, trying to reach him.

"Look, Harlan, I know you're scared, but I can help you. I need you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that?" Vanya's voice was calm, trying to break through the chaos.

As Vanya stepped closer to Harlan, Klaus suddenly called out, "Uh, guys?"

"What?" Diego asked, clearly irritated by the interruption.

We all turned to where Klaus was pointing, and my stomach twisted in fear. Lila was standing there with an older woman by her side—the Handler. "Ah, shit," Diego muttered under his breath.

"What? Who are they?" Klaus asked, his usual nonchalance gone, replaced by genuine concern.

"One's the Handler, the other's Diego's girlfriend," Five answered, his tone clipped.

"My ex," Diego corrected quickly.

"Does it matter? They both look really mad," I pointed out, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

Five and Diego exchanged a look before they both started walking toward Lila and the Handler. I stayed back with the others, my heart pounding. The last time I'd seen Lila was at the gala, when Five exposed her lies. I didn't want to know why she was here now.

"Should we go help?" I asked the others as Five and Diego continued to talk to them.

We all agreed and stepped out of the barn cautiously. But then, out of nowhere, a swarm of armed men appeared, flanking Lila and the Handler. I froze, terror gripping me. How had they just materialized like that?

"You guys see the people with guns, right?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Yeah. I do," Klaus replied, equally unsettled.

I nodded, fear coursing through me. When Five and Diego started running back toward us, Allison grabbed my hand, and we all took off, sprinting as fast as we could. Gunfire erupted behind us, and I screamed in fear, pushing myself to run faster. We dove behind a pile of hay bales, trying to shield ourselves from the bullets. I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, the sound of gunfire filling my ears.

I felt someone's arms wrap around me, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Luther holding me tight, his protective instinct taking over. He also pulled Allison and Klaus closer, trying to shield us all. I closed my eyes again, praying for this nightmare to end.

The sound of gunfire suddenly stopped, and when I dared to open my eyes, Vanya was floating above the barn, her chest glowing, and her eyes a frightening white. I had never seen her like this before. Luther quickly covered my eyes, but not before I saw a blinding flash of light. When it finally subsided, Vanya had obliterated all the armed person with a single blast.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, my whole body shaking. Klaus helped me to my feet, and we looked around, realizing the immediate danger was over. But when I looked toward Lila and the Handler, they were still standing, protected by a strange bubble-like shield.

The shield dissipated, and suddenly, Lila was flying, just like Vanya. "Is she supposed to be doing that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I clung to Klaus.

"I hope not," Klaus muttered back, equally bewildered as we all stared at Lila in shock.

We tried to run, but before we could get far, Lila unleashed a blast of energy, sending us all flying. I crashed into the side of a car, the impact knocking the wind out of me. My vision blurred, and pain shot through my body as I crumpled to the ground, barely conscious. The last thing I heard was the sound of chaos erupting around me before everything went dark.

"Just shake her."

The voice echoed through the fog in my mind, slowly pulling me back to consciousness.

"Y/n, wake up!" It was Klaus. His voice was frantic, worried. My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was his relieved face. "Oh, thank God," he sighed, helping me sit up.

"What happened?" I muttered, still dazed as I wiped the blood from my forehead. My head throbbed, and everything felt like a blur. I leaned on Klaus for support as I got back on my feet, steadying myself.

"Where's Five?" I asked, the panic rising in my chest as I looked around, trying to locate him.

"He's around here somewhere," Luther said, scanning the area. But there was something else in his tone—disbelief, maybe even confusion. "By the way, your ex-girlfriend can blink like Five," he added, still processing what he had seen.

"Yeah, and that bitch rumored me so I couldn't breathe," Allison chimed in, rubbing her throat as if still feeling the effects.

Klaus, too, was looking around, taking in the carnage. "Yeah. And she distorted half of those people on this farm," he said, his voice unusually somber as he glanced at the dead bodies scattered around us.

"So she can do everything you guys can do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as the reality of what we were dealing with settled in. "So that means... she's one of you guys." The words felt heavy as they left my mouth, and I watched as their expressions changed.

They all froze, each of them lost in their thoughts, trying to grasp the implications. A tense silence followed, only broken by the sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

"No... no way. She can't be," Luther finally said, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the idea.

"There's a reasonable conclusion," Allison countered, though she sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as the rest of us.

"I mean, there are only supposed to be seven of us." Klaus said.

"Maybe you guys need to consider there are more people like you out there," I suggested, hoping to push them toward the truth. I looked at Diego, who stood frozen, his expression conflicted.

"I mean, are we surprised?" Allison asked, breaking the silence again. "Dad never told us the whole truth about anything."

"Wait, she's not our biological sister, right?" Diego asked suddenly, his voice uncertain as he looked around at all of us.

We all stared at him, realizing what he meant. "Oh, that's just gross," I muttered softly, cringing at the thought.

"Okay, so if she mirrors our powers, that means anything we can do, she can match, right?" Luther asked, trying to get us back on track.

"Yeah, but she can only mirror one power at a time," Klaus added, his tone thoughtful.

"You sure about that?" Allison asked, doubt creeping into her voice.

"Well, only one way to find out," I said firmly, turning away from the conversation and heading back toward the barn. I could feel them falling into step behind me, the tension between us palpable.

———

We headed toward the barn, my heart pounding in my chest as we neared the doors. As we arrived, we overheard a conversation between Five and Lila.

"She never cared about your parents. She was looking for you," Five said, his voice steady and calm despite the tension.

"Why?" Lila asked, her voice laced with confusion and hurt.

"Because you're one of us," Diego answered, stepping closer to her. Lila turned to see all of us standing there, and I could see the turmoil on her face. She looked upset, betrayed even.

"The Handler stole you, Lila. Just like our asshole father took all of us," Diego informed her, his tone softer now, trying to reach her.

"No. It's not the same thing," Lila disagreed, shaking her head as if she couldn't accept what he was saying.

"You're right. Because he didn't have our parents murdered. Listen to me, Lila. You were born on October 1, 1989. The same day as all of us," Diego said, getting closer to her.

"Stay back!" Lila shouted, her voice breaking. Everyone surrounded her, but it wasn't meant to be threatening. We were just trying to get through to her.

"Lila? Lila, stop," Diego pleaded, his hands out in front of him.

"I trusted you. I got you a job, I even introduced you to my mother, and you took off on me," Lila cried, the pain evident in her voice. Then she turned to me, and my heart sank.

"And you!" she shouted, pointing at me. "I told you about my parents. How they were murdered, and you acted surprised."

I blinked, confusion washing over me. Yes, she had told me about her parents, but I never pretended to know more than what she told me. I didn't know anything about what happened to them.

"Lila," Diego cut in, his voice firm yet gentle. "Y/n didn't know anything about your parents' death, and she didn't know Five did it. The Handler just told you that to turn you against Y/n. She knew how close you two were. And I didn't leave—I had to save the world. She's using you, Lila. The Handler," Diego warned her.

"You're wrong. She raised me. She loves me," Lila insisted, her voice trembling.

"Yeah, you know what? Love shouldn't have to hurt this much," Luther tried to reason with her, but Lila just scoffed at him.

"Alright, I tried," Luther muttered, stepping back.

I took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Lila, look at me," I said softly. She did, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Lila, I would never try to hurt you. Whoever told you those things is lying. I know you, Lila. You're smart, funny, cool, and an interesting person to be around."

Lila just looked at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty, as if she was battling with herself to believe me. Five started to move closer to her, but Diego held out his hand, stopping him.

"Hey! Five! Stop, I got it," Diego insisted, taking the lead.

I felt a pang of sympathy for Lila as Diego continued to argue. I could see how torn she was, struggling to reconcile her feelings about The Handler with the truth being laid out before her. It was clear that Lila deserved better, and I wished things could be different for her.

The bond Lila and I had was different from the one she had with The Handler. We had shared moments of genuine connection, even if our circumstances had been difficult. Lila was the type of person you could form a real friendship with—someone who was just trapped by her past and had scars she couldn't easily leave behind. No one should have to go through what she had.

"Don't I?" Diego said, stepping closer with a softer expression, no longer threatening. "Lila, we could've been your family... we could've. But now? Well... I don't know. But we can still make things right. If you just let us," Diego pleaded.

Lila's gaze moved from Diego to the rest of us, and finally, she looked at me. I forced a smile, hoping it would give her some comfort and a sense of trust. The tension in the barn was palpable as we all awaited her response.

But before we could get any further, the Handler's voice cut through the air, cold and mocking. "Oh, isn't this touching?" The entire family turned to see the Handler standing there, gun in hand. Before we could react, gunfire erupted through the barn, and one by one, we all fell to the ground. A sharp pain pierced my chest, and I collapsed, moaning in agony, but no words escaped my lips. I lifted my head, my vision blurring, and saw blood oozing from the wound. Is this really it? Am I going to die? I wanted to cry, but no tears came.

I turned to my side, desperately searching for the Hargreeves, but they lay still, lifeless on the cold floor. I looked for Five, but he wasn't moving at all. Panic surged within me, and I tried to reach out to him, my hand trembling as I extended it. But it fell limply to the ground, and my eyelids grew heavy, weighted down by an overwhelming darkness. I felt myself slipping away, light and loose, as my vision faded to black. My eyes closed.

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