Chapter Eleven:

Once Lotus was patched and cleaned up again, Pogo lead her up multiple flights of stairs to the level full of guest bedrooms. The one he had chosen this time was different than the last, or so she thought. All the guest bedrooms looked exactly alike, with white walls and matching white furniture, even the bedding was completely white. The rooms reminded her of ones of hotels, and their image of being insanely clean. She walked in and stopped at the side of the bed, turning to see Pogo in the doorway. Suddenly she was incredibly aware she had no shirt one once again, her black bra completely visible.

"I should go get my shirt." She said taking a step towards the door, only for Pogo to place a firm hand on the doorknob.

"It will be washed and folded on your bed when you awake."

Lotus pursed her lips, "I can go wash it myself, it's fine."

"You've been a great help with our troubled Mr Five, Miss Lotus." He took a step out of the room, "This is the littlest way to give you my thanks."

She didn't have time to tell him she hadn't really been a great help, and the door clicked shut behind him in an instant. With hesitation Lotus climbed into the soft bed and shivered under the white covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.

•••

It was noon when she woke up, and the sun was filtering through the thin white curtains hanging over the windows. She sat up, cringing at the echo of pain throughout her shoulder. Who knew a bullet wound would hurt that badly?

Her eyes landed on a square of grey laying folded on the edge of the bed, a bright square of pink on top. She groaned throwing the covers back and nabbed the fabric, it was her shirt from the other night. A pink sticky note was placed on the centre of the folded shirt, messy black ink scrawled across it.

For Number 14

Lotus huffed ripping it off, she crushed it into a ball and tossed it onto the bed. She slipped the shirt on, the smell fresher than anything she had ever worn. The girl went to go for the door when the bright ball of pink caught her eye again, she frowned reaching for it, shoving it in her pocket. Lotus swung the door open and walked out into the hallway, the maze of doors and ways to turn constantly confusing her.

"You're still here?"

"Diego." She smiled at him, "And yes I am, thank you very much."

He gave her a weary look as Luther came stomping down the hall behind him.

"Oh, hey Lotus." He gave her a nod.

She was incredibly surprised that the people in this house remembered her name. "Hi." She replied. "Wait— have you guys seen Five?"

Diego huffed, "We're looking for him."

She frowned, both men staring at her, waiting for her to respond. "Can I help?"

"No." Diego said stalking off down the hallway. Luther sighed from beside her, "He's always like this." He told her, "You never get used to it."

He began walking while she stayed behind, watching them both leave. Luther stopped at the end of the hall and glanced backwards, raising his eyebrows at her. "Aren't you coming?"

Lotus beamed as she nodded, running after him. She trailed behind Luther, trusting that he knew what he was doing. It was nice, she thought as they caught up with Diego, that Luther was open to her helping them. He didn't not seem fazed to see her again, in a place she didn't belong. Instead, he was including her in one of their adventures. Though, she didn't know if it was out of kindness or an itch to annoy his brother. Either way, she was glad to help.

Lotus asked no questioned as they passed through the living room, the couches and other furniture still doused with bullet holes. She still couldn't believe those people had come here, ready to shoot up anything if it meant they found what they were looking for. But what were they looking for? It had to go beyond just Number Five, it had to be deeper than that.

"Lotus?"

Lotus blinked, her eyes focusing on Luther and the bright sun behind him. She hadn't noticed they walked outside, she'd been so lost in her own little world.

"Yah?"

Diego rolled his eyes but Luther spoke for him, "Is the van still where it was when Klaus and I found you guys?"

She nodded, "Yes." The clues piecing together in her head, how could she be so stupid. "There must be hints in there to where he went."

"He didn't say anything to you?" Diego asked as they walked across a busy street, nearly watching both brothers be hit by a car. The car honked but none of them gave a sign that they noticed, all were focused on the task in front of them. She clicked her tongue, "He didn't really say much about his grand plan." She told them truthfully, "Only bits and pieces, if I could even call them that. I had to dig just to get those."

"I'm not surprised." The big man sighed, he glanced at her from behind and shot her an apologetic look. "Five's always been like that."

"What the real miracle is, is that he kept you around for as long as he did." Diego coughed, "He must really need you for something."

Lotus frowned, why did everyone assume he was just using her. He did say it to her face multiple times, but Lotus chose to ignore his blunt statements.

"Or, maybe he just likes my company."

"Doesn't sound like Five."

"Hey! C'mon. I mean I'm like him, I guess. I stopped aging at sixteen! I understand that part of what he's going through."

Luther stopped suddenly, causing Lotus to run right into the back of him. She grunted stumbling backwards, trying to get a good look at why he stopped. Turns out, it was just a cross walk machine blinking a red hand at them. Diego was leading the little group, while Luther avoided stares from pedestrians as Lotus shoved herself between both men. The height different was ridiculous she noticed, she had to look up at both of them just to say something or they appeared to not have heard her. The machine flicked from a red hand to the image of a person walking, they all took off across the street and turned down an alleyway.

"Where did Five find you?" Diego asked after a long walk of angry silence from each one of the brothers.

"I met him a Griddy's Donuts."

The man gave her a curious look, "What what were you two doing there."

Lotus shrugged, "He was having a coffee and I was trying to rob the place."

She looked up to see Luther let out a quiet laugh, "You were planning on robbing a donut shop?"

"Yes."

The small smile faded from his lips and was replaced by a frown, "You're serious?"

Lotus pursed her lips, "No?"

"We're almost there." Diego's voice cut in, shutting out any reply from Luther. The trio trudged through another alley way before coming out of the shadows to Main Street. The Meritech building came into view and with that, so did the van. Luther and Diego rushed towards it, but the bigger man got there first and began pulling at the passenger door handle. Diego walked to the other side of him and said something she couldn't hear, but he slipped an item from his pocket and kneeled so he was eye level with the door.

"What kind of clues are you expecting to find in there?" She asked staying a bit behind, not wanting to get in the way.

Diego swung open the door and both him and Luther tried to get in. They shared a look and then tried again, both failing.

"I'm Number One." Luther grumbled, causing Diego to sigh and move onto the back door. He slid it open and leaned in, instantly digging through papers. Lotus hadn't noticed how much papers and files Five had stuck in the van, she just assumed that his mannequin friend was the only thing packed away in the green bag. She walked up to the van and leaned against it, crossing her arms. "Found anything?"

Diego ignored her but Luther stopped what he was doing and stood up, looking at her. "Speaking of finding. How did our dad never find you?"

"Isn't her power shapeshifting?" Diego chimed in, "That's how."

"I didn't discover my power until I was twenty five."

"Maybe he didn't look hard enough." Diego shrugged tossing a pile of paper aside. Lotus watched as he riffled through other things, she shifted on her feet.

"Pogo said my name was on a list or something. So he knew my name and who knows what else." She told them, remembering the piece of paper crumpled in her pocket. She dug it out staring at the messy writing, "Apparently I would've been Number 14."

"What?" Luther asked, snatching the sticky note from her, "Where did you get this?"

"It was folded on my shirt this morning. Pogo said he'd wash it and give it to me."

Diego emerged from the van, a small piece of paper in his hand. "I know where Five is."

"Last time I saw him, he was following a pharmaceutical worker." Lotus nodded, "Or stalking, that's the right term."

Both men only gave her a look before rushing off down the street, she broke out into a run to catch up with them.

"Where are we going?" She called out to them.

"Library." Diego shouted back, "It's just around the corner."

Lotus followed them, running behind as they turned and winded their way around. The library was another place she had never been to, and she was kind of ashamed to say such a thing. They turned another corner and a large building towered up above them, it was circular in shape. The three rushed in, and she couldn't help but be amazed. The place was huge, and the smell of paper and ink overwhelmed her. A group of employees walked by, "We're going to have to call the police if his parents don't come get him." One whispered to the rest, Lotus looked to see if Luther or Diego had heard that comment, but neither of them seemed to be listening.

"Where do we start?" Luther asked, looking between Diego and Lotus.

"I'll start at the top." She told them walking towards the elevator, "We meet back down here if we find anything?"

She never got to hear their response as she got on the elevator and jabbed at the button until the doors closed. She clicked the highest number and waited patiently, the soft elevator music filling her ears. The door opened with a ding and she walked out, wondering which way to turn. Each floor didn't seem to big and so she turned left, stopping in her tracks as soon as she turned the corner.

Five was slumped on the floor in a corner, Delores wrapped around him and a bottle of alcohol gripped in his hand, an empty one lay beside him.

"Oh my god." She mumbled rushing over, he looked up at her, eyes half shut.

"Lotus!" He cheered, "You f-found me!"

She kneeled beside him and tried to grab the bottle from his hands, instead he yanked it away from her and took another swig.

"Hey— hey, Five." She said softly, trying to grab his attention. "Diego and Luther are here looking for you."

"What's the point?" Five questioned raising the bottle, "When I can't even s-stop the apocalypse?"

He coughed and she got a whiff of his breath, she snorted waving her hand in front of her face. "This cannot be good for your body." She told him reaching for the bottle gripped in his hand again. He giggled and moved it out of her grasp, Delores slipped from beside him and he grabbed her. Lotus yelped as she fell against him, an arm wrapping tightly around her.

"Ok, that's enough." She mumbled whacking at his arm, "We've got to get you back to your house."

"I don't wanna go back." He hiccuped.

She huffed trying to wiggle free, as the arm whacking was proving to not work. "Oh and by the way." She gritted her teeth, "You're house was attacked by the same people who attacked us at the department store."

"Hazel and Cha-Cha?"

Lotus stopped struggling, her head turned so she was staring at him. "Who?"

He met her gaze, "Hazel and Cha-Cha."

"You know who is after you?"

"Mmmm-hm!" He shrugged, "What can ya do?"

Lotus frowned, she knew he was drunk but the sudden change in attitude was making her uncomfortable. She grabbed his hand and slid free of his grasp, she went to go get up when a hand grabbed her t shirt and pulled her back down.

"Hey." He complained holding her again, "I thought we were friends!"

"You're incredibly drunk." She told him, once again resorting to whacking his arm. She heard heavy footsteps and looked up to see Diego and Luther staring down at them.

"Is he?" Luther questioned while a smirk grew on the other brothers face. "Drunk as a skunk." Diego finished.

Their eyes landed on her and she pursed her lips, now apparently Five had decided to stop talking.

"I found him." She laughed wiggling around once again, his grip only tightening. "For Christ sake." She hissed glaring up at his brother's, "Someone help."

Luther's mouth formed an 'o' shape and he nodded, rushing forward. He picked up Five like a toddler and held him against his chest, he still gripped the half empty bottle.

"Wait!" Lotus called as she pulled herself up and went to get Delores off the floor and placed her with Five, she grabbed his arm and wrapped it around the mannequin. "There." She said, "Now we can go."

She earned a few more odd glances from everyone before they made their way to the elevator, Luther carrying a very drunk Five in his arms.