Chapter Text
“This is where you worked?”
Diego’s voice is filled with something that can only be described as bewildered disbelief. ‘This’ being, a dingy warp hub where the suitcase had brought them all.
“No, not quite.” Five sighs, eying the family behind him, following in a row like ducklings. “This is just a…landing area. Besides, I was rarely actually here at the building. I was usually out on missions.”
Killing people.
The groaning metal door screeches open with a shove from Hazel to frame the outside world, and Five is treated to a strange amount of nostalgia.
It’s so painfully green out here, the smell of petrichor in the air and the lush trees that surround the giant fields of grass, a perfectly pristine backdrop to the warm grey brick building looming ahead. Their strange little group wanders down the small dark pathway leading up to the destination framed by potted plants, a couple of well polished cars, and even more polished people in shades of professional blue hard at work. Five climbs the shallow steps, hands in the pockets of his shorts and eyes the grand pillars of the entrance with resignation.
The short walk here has no help him at all. Anticipation is shivering through his skin, as much as he remains stone-faced outwardly. How did they get here? What was he thinking?
Klaus whistles, tilting his head back to try and fit the expansive building with endless windows into his view. “Nice digs old man. Very posh, very…you. Hey-do you think in another life you’d be British?”
“Shut up.” Diego mutters, way too on edge to find anything amusing.
“Shut up Klaus.” Ben agrees calmly.
He’s not even gracing that with a reply himself.
Allison squints at the exterior, judging-always judging. “This is the building that this supposed…time agency works in? The people who watch over time and space itself, or? I’d thought it’d be…well you’d think it’d be…” not just an average looking embassy building.
Five sighs. “It’s bigger on the inside, I assure you.” Before he enters, Five eyes Allison out of the corner of his eye. “I can’t help but notice that I did not have much trouble walking out of the house.”
“I removed it- all of them.” she says simply in return. There’s a beat of a moment before she begins again, hesitantly this time. “I removed them, awhile ago. I realized that…you were right. If something happened to you, it would be on me.”
He can’t help but raise his eyebrows, surprised those are the words that finally got her to think things through. “And why is that?”
“Because…” Allison sighs, an older frustration peeking through her eyes. “Because it’s not right. I know it’s not right, even if I think it’s for your own good or safety.”
There’s an interesting awareness there, he wonders how much has to do with her relationship with her daughter, with her life outside of all this.
She shakes her head. “I feel like I keep realizing over and over that making my life easy doesn’t make it…real. I didn’t want-” an exhale. “I just realized during our talks that trust goes both ways. Not trusting you to make you to make your own decisions means you obviously can’t trust me in return. So, there you go.”
He allows himself to look her in the eye and nod, grateful. “Alright.”
It’s an acknowledgement even if it’s not necessarily something he can commit to. Can he trust his siblings to have his back? Yes, to an extent. He just can’t trust them to go about things the right way. Though, what is the right way at this point? Maybe his own lack of trust really is part of the problem.
Fortunately there’s no time to sit around and contemplate that as the group enters the building. He'll happily set aside that for a different time, maybe never.
Clicks of shoes and the shifts of rustling cloth reverberate throughout the space as they enter, marble and what seems to be like an endless spiral staircase making Five feel more like he’s entered a tower of evil instead of his previous workforce. Everything about this is odd. The building looks fine and no one is eying him with any deal of great caution or prejudice. The last time he had been here it hadn’t been for a friendly chat.
It was more of a burning bridges type of deal.
Cha Cha turns, eying the group with disdain. “Stay put, I’ll go report to-”
“Oh, there’s no need for that Cha Cha, I can take it from here.” an elegant, silken touch of a voice calls out. “And job well done getting him here, I see some bonuses in your futures.” it titters.
Five swallows, his throat is suddenly far too dry.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Hazel mutters in quiet satisfaction, sending a look of smug victory towards his coworker’s face as they take their leave-all too happy to wash their hands from this mess.
The click of her heels feel like gunshots as she descends down the stairs. Workers murmur their greetings as they pass, humble and happy to be in her presence but Five knows those bright blue eyes aren’t looking anywhere but focused directly on him. He tilts his own gaze up to meet it. And there she is, The Handler in all her glory. Short platinum hair in wavy ringlets, lips stained a crimson so vivid it may as well be blood, smoky eyes to match the dark dress she’s wearing. She's a demon in a dress. It’s the eyes that have always been an issue, the eyes that see too much, hear too much, and look too much.
Eventually she reaches the bottom, sashaying up to them in a way that speaks of her power and hold here, not a single wrinkle out of place.
“Hello, Five.” she says warmly, gazing upon his form in satisfaction.
“Good to see you again.” he nods slowly, searching her face for signs of deception.
There isn’t any. She really is pleased to see him, like a cat that’s caught a mouse with their paw. It's just like before. There isn’t any sign or awareness of what happened during the original loop. He’d know, given she’s never tried to hide her malice before. The last time he saw her he had lobbed a grenade towards her person and once again escaped her hire, so he’d like to think he’d be able to spot that very particular chip on her shoulder.
But instead, she’s eying him with mirth, no indication or awareness of something more.
Does that mean whatever this loop is that it’s somehow affecting the Temps Commission too? How is that possible?
The Handler gives a humming sound, amused. She reaches out a hand, gripping at the bottom of his chin and then slipping her fingers along the side of his face. He allows it, allowing her to slowly tilt his head this way and that for examination because…he’s never not. The connection they have is complicated, but especially now, and it’d be best to be on her good side.
Diego is clenching his jaw so tightly behind him that he’s audibly grinding his teeth.
His former employer ends her touch by pressing a small bop of her finger to his nose. “Feels like we just met yesterday, although…you were older.” The merriment in her eyes is dancing as she looks him up and down.
Klaus shifts into his space, obnoxiously pressing into his side which suddenly breaks the spell between the two of them. The Handler blinks, looking around at his siblings as if only now realizing they had been standing around this whole time.
“Ah yes, the family! Well, how nice to finally see the reason behind all of Five’s…endless efforts.” Her tone is sugary sweet, so sweet it’s artificial. It’s all too easy to see the slight wrinkle of her nose, disgusted, judgmental. “He’s a lauded employee, you know, a real professional of his field.”
Klaus dramatically wraps his gangly arms around him, uncomfortably crushing him to his chest.
“That’s our Fivey for you! Always an overachiever this guy.” he coos, eyes sharp and smile sharper even as Five shoves away from his embrace in exasperation.
“Get off.” Five shoves, stepping away to straighten his tie to look back up to the woman. “Why did you want them here? Surely all this isn’t necessary?”
The Handler blinks, holding her hands up innocently. “I was just trying to be accommodating, Five. If I recall, it was them who demanded to be here. Besides, I couldn’t help but be curious about the people you’ve ruined your successful career for. Ruined absolutely everything for, really.” Bright sapphire eyes flick left and scan slowly to the right, her lips curling up just a touch further as she takes in the group. “Hm.”
That one little syllable.
Derisive.
She finds them lacking. More than.
Allison positively bristles at the reaction, all too familiar with the special type of passive aggression that different circles hold. “Listen lady-are you the one behind this? We’re here because we were told you’d have answers.”
“Oh my, feisty! Well, I suppose I can’t be surprised can I?” she chuckles, winking at Five. “I might have answers. Well, I likely have them. Shall we take this up to my office? It really isn't polite to talk business in the lobby.” a silken gloved arm gestures towards the staircase, but doesn’t wait for an answer before turning to lead the way.
Five shakes his head, following behind her carefully. He puts some distance between her back and his own.
“Okay so she’s a weirdo.” Klaus mutters, nudging Five with his shoulder as they climb. "And that's saying something coming from me."
“Weird as hell.” Diego agrees in an agitated whisper of his own, eyes narrowed and shoulders hunched as he glares at the stray worker he passes on the steps.
Allison keeps her eyes on The Handler’s back. “She’s playing with us.”
He huffs. Understatement of the century.
Klaus is already huffing past the first flight of spiral stairs, lagging behind from the exertion. “Yeah so, how many stairs are um, in this place?” he wheezes in wonderment.
“Ghost perk, wow. Never thought I’d see the day.”
Vanya’s brown eyes scan the heads of her siblings, contemplating. “It’s okay to be here, right?” she murmurs, warily eying the dozens of employees around them going about their day. It's surprisingly active.
He can only nod in return, though the truth is he feels like he's walking to the executioner's post.
Luther is taking three steps at a time, eyes flicking around the surroundings as they climb higher. He has to awkwardly apologize to anyone he has to pass, trying to squish his hulking form into the wall to let them by. When they actually reach the floor desired, half of them are winded and have fallen behind. Five casually keeps an eye on them, but it’s a pointless exercise.
They’re already in the building, they’re already stuck with her. It’ll be difficult to leave without her favor.
“Here we are!” The Handler announces perkily, opening the door and stepping inside.
Five suddenly ups his pace, lunging for the door she’s holding open. He doesn’t even get a chance to try and shove it closed before Diego’s hand catches the edge of the wood with a harsh hand, and shoves it open even wider. His brother’s dark eyes blaze with warning locking with Five's, but surprisingly says nothing as he takes a spot closer to the corner- a good spot for observing the whole room.
Five inhales slowly. “Look, I think maybe you should sit this one out. All of you, I mean. We have business to discuss and it’s going to be a little difficult doing that with so many people.”
Diego says nothing, merely crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows slowly, expectantly. Right. His siblings clearly can’t be reasoned with this time around.
All or nothing.
As the rest of them filter in, The Handler takes a seat behind her desk, resting her chin on folded hands. “Well Number Five, go ahead. Given that you’re the one who requested this, I’ll give you the floor first.” She straightens only to lean back in her chair, a lazy beckoning him. “Go on, I'm gracious like that.” she teases.
Her vivid eyes graze over his form again, expectant.
“There’s an anomaly.” he starts.
She chuckles. “Yes, well, there are many. That’s what we’re here for.” she teases, fingers interlocking.
“This is different, it’s a loop. A rather specific loop.” he presses in agitation. “I don’t suppose you know anything about it?”
“That's all rather vague.” she gives a casual wave of her hand. “Care to explain more?”
Not really, but it’s starting to look like he might need to especially if they’ve also been affected.
“I keep getting sent back to a specific day and time, eight days before the apocalypse.” In fact, it was right after he burned those bridges with the Temps Commission by abandoning his employment to return to his siblings but he doesn't feel the need to bring up that tidbit just yet.
“Oh my, how intriguing.” The Handler quips, straightening in her seat. “And?”
“And, it looks like whatever this is, is affecting you as well-because you clearly don’t seem to be aware of what’s going on.”
Luther awkwardly clears his throat, shifting a bit forward. “I’m Number One, ma’am. We um, there’s some sort of weird thing going on-with the loops. There are fragments of memories from the previous times…or something.”
The Handler eyes Luther up and down critically, amused amused amused. Endlessly amused. It’s all some sort of joke to her, a game even if she’s not the one always winning. She’s content to watch the little show until the pieces fall where they lay, ripe for maneuvering.
“Memory bleed?” she asks directly to Five and Five alone, the others beneath her time. He nods once, stiff. “Well well, isn’t that a pickle! Would you like to be a little more forthright or must I pull teeth with you as usual to get some more information?” She speaks of him with such familiarity.
Klaus shifts testily beside him.
Allison crosses her arms. “You don’t seem particularly concerned.” She, unlike Luther, very purposefully does not introduce herself.
The Handler merely smiles, crimson lips curled upward. “We here at the Temps Commission have many, many, resources available. These sorts of issues are easily looked into and can be fixed, of that I assure. In fact, I'm positive that’s why darling Five here wanted to see me in the first place.” The Handler assures, slipping up out of her seat and onto her high-heeled feet. She ghosts her fingertips along the desk before moving to stand in front of him. “You must be at the end of your rope if you're willingly coming to me with the way you left us before. But as you know...I've always admired your ethic, Five." She reaches out towards the other, fingers fiddling at the deep crimson lining of his blazer before she smooths it out flat. “ These resources however, well, they don’t come for free. Which I’m sure you also already know.”
He nods, already having anticipated this. “I’m aware.”
Diego, who has been uncharacteristically quiet until now finally uncrosses his arms. “What do you want?”
The Handler doesn’t bother to switch her attention away from Five. “The terms will be fair.” she smiles, hand still pressed near his shoulder. "More than fair, given the stunts you pulled."
“Hey!” Diego barks. “Not what I asked lady.”
Five puts his hands in his pockets. “I already know what she wants.”
“Oh, do you now?”
“You want me to work for you again. The Temps Commission.”
The Handler smiles, lips pulling into something perfectly symmetrical. “Oh my, a time loop indeed. Well then, you must know then that I can make it worth your while. Maybe the ability to reverse the process of your de-aging? I’m generous. You know I’m more than generous with you, Five.”
He resists the urge to scoff in her face, taking a deep breath through his nose. “I have stipulations.”
A breath of a chuckle, mirth sparking in her kohl-lined eyes as she pats his blazer one last time before her hand slips off of him. “Do you think you're truly in the position to negotiate? You know, you were already marked termination. You’ve caused quite a fuss.” Her voice is smooth, light-hearted but her words are a cold reality of the situation.
A reminder of his place.
Diego’s hand moves to a blade behind them.
Obviously Five knows he’s been on endlessly borrowed time. It always comes back to time, doesn't it? The Commission had been prepared to cut their losses with him and take him out long ago due to his betrayal. He’s a liability and active threat to them, obvious, given a group of agents can’t even take him in. Not even their best assassins can manage him most of the time.
He might not have a lot of leeway, but he is in a place to negotiate. At least a little.
“Please. We all know I’m worth more alive.” he scoffs. “I wouldn't be here at all if not.”
Silence.
Then The Handler heaves a blustery sigh. “You’re lucky you’re cute in those little schoolboy shorts.” she murmurs, giving his person another uncomfortably long gaze. "What if I just wanted you here to shoot you myself? I was the one who found you, you know. It was an awful disappointment when you left the way you did. I can't help but take it a little personally." it's all casually said, but Five knows better.
She found his leave to be quite a betrayal.
A disgusted noise comes from Klaus. “Okay I’m sorry, am I the only one a little creeped out here?”
The Handler flicks her glacial eyes over to the disturbance before returning her eyes back to their original spot. “And them?” she asks, raising an unamused eyebrow.
"The stipulation.”
She clucks her tongue. “I’m offering you a great courtesy hearing you out at all. After all, fool us once shame on you. Fool us twice? Well, that’d just be an embarrassment. Frankly, you should be groveling. You think I'd trust you to work for us again?”
His teeth chew on his inner cheek. “I won’t be able to do anything at all unless you figure out this damn loop. So make up your mind: Kill me, or hire me.”
“Jesus Five.” Ben breathes. “Can you maybe not give her ideas?”
“Um, no. There will definitely be no killing.” Luther protests, using his bulk to his advantage to shuffle up closer to the pair. “Listen Miss…Handler, we’ll all cooperate. We're cooperating. Right, guys?”
The silence speaks volumes.
“...Great. That’s great.” the fearless leader murmurs under his breath.
Vanya quietly makes her voice known now, amongst the silence. “Isn’t there anything that we could do to prove we’re not here to cause any issues? We just want to figure this out...”
And then Five makes a grave mistake.
He opens his mouth.
“No, this is between me and her.” he responds to his sister, but his tone is too flat and his reply is far too hasty.
Far, far too hasty.
It reminds The Handler of his priorities. Priorities which are all standing here in this room. Priorities that can be used to keep him under her thumb.
She smiles and this time it’s slightly lopsided, and far too sharp. Her satisfaction always made her look sharper, more unkind- like a shark in bloodied waters.
“Well…it seems like you really are in a bit of a situation.” she draws it out, pretending to think long and hard about the options even though she’s already strung him up. “I suppose if you’re all willing to cooperate…we might be able to, negotiate.”
Her smile grows wider, revealing perfectly pearly white teeth.
“What’s the phrase…family comes first? You know what, I think I’m starting to see the merit behind that. As a matter of fact, what would you all think about working together? You all do a little temporary work for the agency and we’ll see about correcting this little looping issue you have going on?”
Getting shot in the head would be a better outcome than this.
Five shakes his head. “That won’t be-”
“Sure.” Diego cuts him off bluntly. “I don’t see why not. I’m in.”
He snaps his gaze over to Diego, oddly betrayed by his easy acquiescence. "Diego. No. This has nothing to do with you!"
Diego shoves himself away from the wall to stalk closer to his siblings. "It has everything to do with us you idiot! We're already here, Five. Don't you get it yet? Why don't you fuckin' get it?"
Allison’s elegant hand moves up, interrupting whatever reactionary words Five had readied for his brother. She gives it a firm squeeze just once, urging, reminding.
They’re all in this together, whether he likes it or not.
No. No he can't accept this. He can't. He can't let go.
They don't know what they're getting into. They might as well be making a deal with the devil. They might as well be holding out a bloody palm, unknowing of the pact they're about to willingly become enslaved to. How could he possibly agree to any of this? He's been trying to spare them from all of this, to not get them involved.
Has it worked well? No. But he tried. To accept their presence alongside The Handler isn't something he thinks he can stomach.
Luther straightens. “What would this work entail?”
The Handler waves her hand vaguely in the air. “Oh it’s nothing you aren’t capable of, of that I assure you. We're all well aware of what your little family is capable of. Some of you can be on simpler case files, and some of you can have a more active role in field work. I’m sure you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she claps her hands together, pleased. "And for the less...inclined, paperwork is a universal need for every business! All the while you'll know that you're contributing to the greater good of keeping the timelines itself in check! A grand cause."
His hands clench into his fists, nails digging into his skin. The sharpness grounds him. “And just how long do you expect this…arrangement to go for?” he asks, jaw clenched. "You don't honestly expect me to believe you'll honor any sort of terms."
How long does she plan on keeping them all under her thumb? How long does she plan on keeping his siblings trapped under a guise to keep him in check?
“Don't get stubborn, you should be grateful for the opportunity at all.” she chides, unbothered. “I’m sure we can hammer out all the itty bitty little details later. Contracts. Fine print. Etcetera etcetera...”
Klaus smiles, eyes locked onto The Handler. “Well, I’m not really a nine-to-five guy myself…” he chuckles but he’s assessing the woman in front of him, searching.
Luther clears his throat, always trying to step up to his position. “We’d obviously need more details about this arrangement, but I don’t see why we couldn't help out.”
The woman trains her eyes over to Luther. The gleam in her eyes is dancing again. Amused. So terribly amused at what he's just said. “Oh, I’m sorry. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.” The Handler says, suddenly looking contrite as she clasps her hands politely in front of her. “This isn’t actually a choice.”
Resignation sinks deep. There’s a certain type of dread that only this woman has managed to invoke in his life. It’s about to spiral into depths that are too deep to swim out of.
He can't do this.
His former employer clears her throat delicately. “Let me rephrase. This is a simple ultimatum. Either you all cooperate willingly and we won’t be forced to take more drastic action or…well, no, that’s it actually.” she chuckles, slinking around to the back of her desk. “Cooperate, or die. I'm sure that's easy enough to understand for all for you, the simplest terms are usually the most effective." with that announcement made, the woman daintily pulls out a tube of lipstick from her hang bag, intent on touching up her face.
She pauses before touching the red pigment to her lips. "Oh, and Five?" She presses then, and somehow that crimson becomes impossibly more. "Before you decide you don't want this incredibly charitable deal, do remember you're in a building filled to the brim with agents and assassins specialized in taking out targets of interest, with your precious family members all crammed into one place.”
It feels like the very air has paused in place, vibrating with withheld violence simmering just below the surface.
“Dude…” Klaus swallows. “Your boss sucks.”