# — ❞ WELL, SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO I AM, BUT I KNOW HER  ❞
╰┈➤ CHAPTER EIGHT ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 𝙐𝙈𝘽𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙔┊🕰️☔️🎻
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A LOT HAPPENED IN ONE NIGHT OUT: FIRST, DIEGO found his friend Eudora Patch dead. Then, Klaus magically returned with a bus ride home with a long story for Starr ( she actually felt bad for him and wondered how the hell he got himself in that situation ), Luther and Diego found Five drunk with his mannequin. Oh, speaking of Luther and Diego — apparently, they got attacked by former the psychos who work for Five's former employer.

She met up with Five in the foyer earlier that morning and the two headed upstairs as they talked about what happened last night, "Hold on? The apocalypse is... really happening," turned to him with a look of fear, "Like... it really is?"

Five furrowed his eyebrows and stopped on his tracks, "You knew that the apocalypse was coming, though," he crossed his arms against his chest, "You weren't scared about it before — apocalypse stoppers?"

"Yeah, but now you saying we got four days left... it all feels more real," Starr breathed out as Five's expression softened, "I mean, I thought we'd at least manage to stop it."

Five sighed, "Believe me — I was just like you once, all hopeful and excited for the future, but turns out the future is an apocalypse, so it's mannequins and loneliness from here on out."

As the two made their way upstairs and down the hallway, Starr took out a piece of crumbled up paper from her pocket and unfolded it, "Well, I guess since there's only four days of life left, I might as well start my bucket list — well, not really a bucket list, but it might as well be one."

Five frowned in confusion as he leaned over to read it, "You had one ready this entire time?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I made this two years ago after my mom got pissed that an..." she formed her hand into a fist and it started glowing a bright golden light, "...incident."

She put the list in front of him and some things on it just confused him. Although, he only knew her for at least a week, everything on this list seemed like something Starr would do.

𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒛'𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 💫
1. swim with sharks
2. fall in love
3. go to high school and sing in the hallway
4. go to a party
5. get into a fight
6. go to detention and see why people complain abt it so much
7. find an old scientist and time travel using his delorean

"Okay, the last one might be a fantasy," Starr deadpanned, putting the list back in her pocket as they headed into the hallway. Then a bright smile formed on her features as she turned to face him, "But hey, now I got you, so maybe the last one isn't a fantasy after all!"

Five furrowed his eyebrows, "If any of these are a fantasy it's the first one," they stopped in the middle of the hallway as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Why would you wanna swim with sharks?"

Starr shrugged, "I got the money."

Before they could continue walking, Five put his arm in front of Starr in a protective manner after spotting some blood on the bathtub. The duo slowly headed near Klaus's room and craned their necks to the door of his room, which had been turned into a complete mess. Everything in sight was on the floor and they saw Klaus shirtless with dog tags around his neck.

When the entered his room they saw him stand up from his bed in a tang top and, "You okay?" Five asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as Klaus turned with a shirt crumbled up in his hands.

"Yeah, I just... Long night,"

"More than one, from the looks of it," Five stated. As Klaus threw the shirt over himself, Five and Starr shared a confused look, both noticing the dog tags bouncing off each other as he put his shirt on, "Don't remember the dog tags."

Starr crossed her arms, "Top Gun?"

"Yeah, uh... they belonged to an old friend," Klaus grunted.

"How about that new tattoo?"

"You know, I don't totally remember even getting it," Klaus said. "Like I said, it's been a long night."

Five and Starr shared a look before turning back, "you did it, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, I can recognize the symptoms, Klaus," Five stated as he and Starr walked into the room.

"The symptoms of what?"

Five began listing off the symptoms as Klaus sat on the bed, looking down at the floor and then up at Five, "You gonna tell me about it?"

"Your pals, when they broke into the house and they couldn't find you, they took me hostage instead," Klaus confessed.

Starr's eyes widened, "I'm sorry... what?"

"And in return, you stole their briefcase," a smirk formed on Five's features as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah. I thought there was money in it or I could pawn it, you know, whatever," Klaus explained with a sigh. "And then I opened it."

Five began pacing around the room, "And next thing you knew, you were... where? Or should I say when?"

"What difference does it make?"

"What diff — uh — Okay, how long were you gone?" Five questioned.

"Almost a year," Five replied.

"A year?" Five and Starr gasped.

"It didn't feel like a year," Starr frowned in confusion.

Five rolled his eyes turning to her, "Of course it didn't," he replied in a sarcastic tone before turning back to Klaus, "Do you know what this means?"

"Yeah, I'm ten months older now," Klaus flashed a light smile, shaking his head as he closed his eyes.

"No, this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus," Five snapped. "Hazel and Cha-Chan will do whatever they can to get the briefcase. Where is it now?"

"Gone. I destroyed it," Klaus made a fake explosion with his hands. "Poof."

Starr's eyes widened, "Are you insane — why am I even asking that?!"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Klaus groaned, "What do you care?"

"What do I care? I need it," Five replied. "I needed it, you moron, so I could get back. I could start over."

Klaus then sat up from the bed and headed out the door, "Just... just..."

"Where are you going?"

"Interrogation's over, just... leave."

Once Klaus left, Five sat down and grabbed a paper and pen and wrong something down. Starr sat down next to him and frowned in confusion, wondering what he was doing.

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FIVE ENDED UP COVERING HIS ENTIRE WALL IN SOME equation for time travel or whatever, but Starr couldn't even tell what the hell he was doing. She was just lying flat on the floor with an eye brow raised at all the white numbers drawn onto the green walls, which Five had nearly tripped over her a few times. Now he was standing on the bed in the corner, writing with the little room he had left.

Once Starr stopped hearing the clicking of chalk against the wall, she leaned her head up, "What?"

"Okay, I think I've got something, Delores," Five muttered loud enough for Starr to hear.

Starr raised an eyebrow and used her arms to get up, "My name is Starr," she snapped, "Can't one person in this house get my name right?!" Then, she heard the floor creaking and the door open and spotted Luther walking into the room, "Hey, sister kisser!"

"It's Luther," he sighed, looking around the room. "What is all this?"

"It's a probability map," Five replied.

"Probability of what?"

"Of whose death could save the world," Five explained. "I've narrowed it down to four."

"Are you saying one of those four people causes the apocalypse?" Luther inquired, signaling to the wall.

"No, I'm saying that their death might prevent it,"

Five then continued tapping the chalk onto the wall before turning to Luther, who frowned in confusion just as Starr had, "I'm not following."

"Feel you on that one," Starr cut in.

Five rolled his eyes, "Time is fickle, Luther," he explained, "The slightest alteration in events can lead to massively different outcomes in the time continuum — the butterfly effect. So all I have to do is s find the people with the greatest probability of impacting the time line, wherever they may be and kill them."

Then, he jumped off the bed and searched for something in the dresser. As he did, Luther walked over to examine the names circled on the wall, "Milton Greene. So who's he, a terrorist or something?"

"I believe he is a gardener," Five said.

"I thought he was in the band Greene Day," Starr quipped.

Luther only shook his head in annoyance, "What — this is madness, Five," then he spotted Five getting out a gun and his eyes widened, "Where... where'd you get that?"

Even Starr sprung up from her spot on the floor, "Whoa, dude! We never said anything about resorting to violence."

"I got this in dad's room and I don't have to tell you everything," he replied as he started loading it.

"But you can't — this guy Milton is just an innocent man," Luther stated.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Luther's right for once!"

Luther and Starr looked at each other in shock, "are you agreeing with me?"

"Enjoy it while you can sister-kisser,"

That's when it ended and Five simply rolled his eyes at the banter, "Guys, it's basic math," he stated, "his death could potentially save the lives of billions," Five explained, glancing back and forth at Luther and Starr, "If I did nothing, he'd be dead in four days anyway. The apocalypse won't spare anyone."

"We don't do this kind of thing," Luther stated.

"We are not doing anything," Five said. "I am."

"We can't let you go and kill innocent people," Starr and Luther spoke in sync, but then only Luther spoke. "No matter how many lives you'll save."

"Well, good luck stopping me."

Luther sighed, drifting his gaze to Delores, "You're not going anywhere."

This immediately caused Five to turn around and aim the riffle at Luther just before he could drop Delores out the window, "Put... her... down."

"Put the gun down," Luther demanded. "You're not killing anyone today. I know she's important to you, so don't make me do this. It's either her of the gun. You decide."

It took a few moments before Luther let go of Delores and Five blinked across the room to catch Delores before she could fall out the window. When he wasn't looking, Luther grabbed the gun, so Five couldn't take his chances, "I could do this all day." Then, both Luther and Starr watched as Five sat on the bed with Delores, "I know you're still a good person, Five."

"And I know you're... well, yeah — Luther already said it for me," Starr stuttered with a cough.

Luther nodded and walked towards him, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked everything coming back here to save us all," then he stopped on his tracks, "But you're not on your own anymore."

Five sighed, "There is one way," he turned around to face the two, "But it's just about impossible."

Starr laughed, "Yeah, after everything I've seen in one funeral, nothing is impossible to me anymore."

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       AFTER FIVE TOLD LUTHER AND STARR THE PLAN, the trio got in the car and they started driving to where Five told them to go and stopped in the middle of nowhere. Starr got stuck sitting in the backseat by herself, while Five and Luther were up front. Once they stopped, Five unbuckled and looked at the scene in front of him and as he did, Starr unbuckled herself and leaned forward, putting her arms on the side of Five and Luther's seats.

Five sighed, "You know, I never enjoyed it."

"What?"

"The killing," Five replied. "I mean, I was... I was good at my work, and I... I took pride in it, but it never gave me pleasure," then he stared out to the window, "All those years alone, solitude can do funny things to the mind."

"Yeah, well, you were gone for such a longer time," Luther . "I only spent for years on the moon, but that was more than enough."

"And hey, I've spent my entire life going from boarding school to just being with my mom who couldn't stand me and only wanted me in her presence when I was needed," Starr sighed as a frown formed on her features. Five and Luther looked at her in surprise, never hearing her open up in their time together, so at that she switched up, "But hey, Allison was there sometimes... I guess."

Luther nodded, "point is it's the being alone that breaks you," there was a moment of silence before Luther spoke again, "You think they'll buy it?"

"Well, what I do know is that they're desperate," Five replied. "It's like a cop losing his gun, if the commission find outs, they'll be in deep shit," he sighed, "Oh, not to mention the fact that they'll be stuck here until they get it back."

"Well, I should hold onto it," Luther stated. "In case they make a move on you."

Five nodded, "Okay, Luther, but be careful. I mean, I've... I've lived a long life, but you're still a young man, you got your whole life ahead of you."

Starr frowned in confusion, "Aren't you still a child too?"

"Physically, yes. Mentally, no."

Starr rolled her eyes and they waited a few moments before they spotted a car driving in through the distance on the other side of the road. As the car came closer, the trio got out of theirs and watched as it parked with Hazel and Cha-Cha coming out in their rabbit masks, walking towards Five.

"Are the masks really necessary?"

Hazel and Cha-Cha took off their masks and threw them onto the ground. Cha-Cha titled her head and drifted her gaze to Starr and gave a nod as a greeting, "Glow-stick," this caused Five to frown in confusion and turn around.

"Glow-Stick?"

To demonstrate, Starr formed her hand into a fist and a golden beam of light flashed from her hand and Five's eyes widened, "Well, you do learn new shit everyday," Starr shrugged as Luther's eyes widened and Five turned back to face Hazel and Cha-Cha.

"Where is it, kid?"

"Wow, that's how you're gonna start," Five shot back. "You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day."

Just then, Cha-Cha got out a gun from her pocket and aimed it right at Five, "You won't even make it halfway there."

"Maybe. But I'm sure you found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant and my friend over there has fireworks for hands," he signaled to the two behind him.

"You dropped a chandelier on him, got right back up," Hazel stated, talking about Luther. "And she has that light thing."

"By the time you took him out, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp and Starr," Five gave a chuckle with a shrug, "She'd just blow the whole damn thing up," he turned to the people behind, "Ain't that right, Starr?"

Starr shrugged, "Sure, I guess."

"See."

Hazel turned to Cha-Cha, "Probably us too, right? So, how do we help each other?"

"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her," Five ordered. "Face-to-face."

"About what?"

"Well, I don't believe that's any of your concern,"

It took a moment, but eventually Cha- ha was convinced, "Just don't tell her about the briefcase."

"Fair enough."

Cha-Cha lowered her gun and they both walked back to the phone booth and Five walked back to Luther and Starr, leaning against their car, watching as Cha-Cha dialed the number, "what happens now?"

"Now we wait," Five replied.

Starr turned around with a raised brow, "For what or... who?"

It was a long period of silence as the wind whistled in the distance, but then they heard an ice cream truck chiming and turned around. As it got closer, the music got loud and the person in the truck wasn't the one in charge, but it was Klaus Hargeeves himself with Diego in the passengers seat.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Cha-Cha got out her gun again and aimed it at the truck, "It's a setup!" The two began firing at the truck, but were blown away and that's when everything froze, except for Five.

Luther had his arm raised, one above Starr in a protective manner who had a bullet flying towards her, but now wasnt and the other arm with the briefcase. Once everything stopped, Five walked out from behind Luther and looked around at the frozen world, "neat trick isn't it?"

Five turned around and spotted a tall woman in a black coat with a brief case and blonde hair; the Handler. She took off her glasses, "Hello, Five. You look good," she then turned around to Starr and Luther and walked over to Starr, kneeling a little with a smile and placing a hand on her chest, "Oh, would you look at Starr? Haven't seen her since she was a wee baby."

Five frowned in confusion, "hold on — you two know each other?"

"Well, she doesn't know who I am, but I know her," the Handler chuckle.

He was left confused, but chose to forget about it for now, "It's good to see you again."

"Feels like we just met yesterday," the Handler sighed. "Course, you were a little bit older then — congratulations on the age regression, by the way. Very clever," the Handler complimented, "threw us all off the scent."

"Ah, well, I wish I could take credit," Five shrugged. "I just miscalculated the time dilation projection, and... well, you know here I am."

"You realize your efforts are futile," the Handler stated. "So why don't you tell me what you really want?"

Five crossed his arms behind his back, "I want you to put a stop to it."

"You realize what you're asking for is next to impossible, even for me," the Handler replied. "What's meant to be is meant to be. That's our raison d'etre."

Then, Five retrieved a gun from his pocket and aimed it at her, "Yeah? Well how about survivor as a raison?"

"I'll just be replaced," the handler shrugged. "I'm but a... small cog in a machine. This fantasy you've been nurturing about summoning up your family to stop the apocalypse... is just that. A fantasy, I must say, though, we're all quite impressed with your initiative, your... stick-to-intiveness, really quite... something, which is why we want to offer you a new positing bacj at the Commission in management."

Five chuckled, "Sorry, what's that now?"

"Come back to work for us again," the Handler offered. "You know it's where you belong."

"Well, it didn't work out too well the last time,"

"But you wouldn't be in the correction division any longer," the Handler added. "I'm talking about... the home office. You'd have the best health and pension, and an end to this ceaseless travel, you're a distinguished professional in... schoolboy short," she slowly stepped forward, "we have the technology to reverse the process. I mean, you can't be happy... like this."

"I'm not looking for happy,"

The Handler tilted her head, "We're all looking for happy," she lifted it up, "we can make that happen. We can make you... yourself again."

Five sighed, "And what about my family... Starr?"

"What about them?"

"I want them to survive," Five stated.

The Handler drifted her gaze to Luther and Starr who were frozen in place and sighed before turning to Diego and Klaus, "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

The Handler for her glasses back out and put them on again, "Well... I'll see what I can do," she put her hand out for Five to shake, "do we have a deal?"

"One thing."

Before shaking her hand, Five walked over to Hazel and Cha- Cha, picking up the gun from the ground and taking out the remaining bullets, throwing them to different places of the road. Then, he spotted a bullet in the air that was about to be flying to Starr and moved it to her side so it wouldn't hit and then headed back to the Handler, shaking her hand and the two went off, putting everything back in place.

When everything was moving again, the truck crashed into Hazel and Cha-Cha's car. Luther and Starr glanced around for Five, but there was no sight of him, "Five?"

➥ AUTHOR'S NOTE
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HIIII. okay, real talk I feel like ive completely forgotten abt this fic lmaoooo 🫠 like i haven't updated since august, so that rlly says something, but imma try to update more cuz i wanna have one fic completed.

i have a lil storyline planned for starr and the handler that'll be shown more in season 2 when lila comes, but for now it's all very hush hush 🤫 Pls don't be ghost / silent readers!!

— see you soon, meg!