Chapter Sixteen:

After Five explained his plan, everything seemed to blur together into a chaotic mess. Lotus scrambled after both brothers as they winded down the hallways, they ended up turning in different direction and she trailed after Five alone. She recognized the stairs to the attic as soon as she saw them, they both rushed up and he began pulling dusty sheets off of shelves.

"We need to find a black briefcase." Five grumbled digging through boxes, "I'm sure the old man kept some up here."

Lotus walked over to the corner of the room and began sorting threw a pile of forgotten women's clothes and purses. "What if it doesn't look like the one they're looking for?"

"Doesn't matter. It just needs to look convincing until we can get out of there."

"What about this?" She asked pulling out a thick black purse, the strap was missing and it just looked like a black box. "No?"

Five shook his head, "Ah!" His eyes landed on another box and he quickly ripped it open and grabbed something. "This should work." He tossed the black case at her, "Now fill it with heavy objects."

Lotus picked it up and made her way over to the other side of the room where stray car parts and metal things were scattered. She scooped handfuls up and tossed them into the bag, picking it up and jiggling the case up and down as the parts clashed together.

"These people better be deaf." She said walking towards Five, "Or was that magic briefcase this noisy?"

"It's not a magic briefcase." He snatched it away from her and took off back down the stairs.

"Ok. Whatever you say, Maximus."

She could feel the subtle hints of rage emit of of him, she suppressed a satisfied grin as they made it to the base of the stairs where Luther stood waiting with an impatient look on his face. He nodded at his brother and they all continued on, Five seemed eager to enact his plan, one which she didn't think would work. At least her and Luther has agreed on one thing. Lotus was surprised she hadn't seen any of the other siblings circuit throughout the house in awhile, but she supposed they all had there own lives whether or not they wanted to live them.

They all emerged outside through a back door and Luther stopped abruptly in front of a slick black car. He jammed a key into the door and turned it, the single door unlocked with a click and he swung it open. Both Lotus and Five watched as the rather larger man struggled to get it, it only took nearly five minutes and another few seconds for him to sound the horn, snapping them from there gazes. She raced around back and slipped in, clicking her seatbelt into place and leaned behind the two front seats at the two guys.

"Road trip!" She cheered.

"This isn't going to be fun." Five turned and glared, "This is life or death."

She rolled her eyes, "Why don't you get that stick out of your ass and try to have some fun. No, the end result of this little trip may be disastrous but the ride to get there, however, will not be."

The boy fixed his position and stared out the windshield, she could see his face twitch in the mirror. The engine turned on and Luther sped out onto the street.

"C'mon, Five." She tapped a finger on his shoulder, "What if the world does end and you never got the change to actually live a little? With your family and new friend? You need to enjoy this time whether or not you save the world."

"I hate to say this. But, I think she's right." Luther sighed, "You were away a long time. If it wasn't for that obnoxious portrait of you in the living room, I probably would've forgotten what you looked like."

"See!" She leaned back, "Boom. Told you."

"Ok. Lotus." Five's voice was tired as he met her eyes in the mirror, "This is when we stop listening because you went to far. No boom. Never boom."

"Yes to I told you, though. Right?"

Luther swerved on the road, Lotus grunted as she was thrown to the side. "Hey!" She shouted as they turned onto a gravel road, "What the hell?"

"That's enough. From both of you kids."

Lotus leaned over again and met Five's glares that were ordered at his brother, "I'm not a kid." they said in unison. The two shared another look before she frowned, "I understand why you hate when people say that now."

Lotus should've been used to it though, considering it's all anybody would be able to see. And it didn't help that she kept a lot of her child like personality when she could never really grow up. You learn to play the part, wether you liked it or not.

"I would say you get used to it, but I'm not yet so I won't." Five shrugged, hugging the fake briefcase tighter against his chest. Luther shifted in his seat, eyes glancing back at her through the mirror. Five pursed his lips, "I didn't enjoy it, you know."

"What?" Luther's brows scrunched.

"The killing." His brother clarified, "I never enjoyed it. I mean, I was good at my work, I took pride in it. But I never enjoyed it."

"It might of been all those years alone." Lotus chimed in, "Solitude can do funny things to the mind."

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

They fell into silence, the only thing they could hear was the sound of the tires on road and the wind whipping by with speed.

"It's being alone that breaks you." She mumbled staring off, a picture of her mother flashing behind her eyes. Lotus missed her mom, even if she wasn't the best. She was still her mom, and was all she had even if she decided to leave. She blinked, seeing Five turned around in his seat, watching her carefully. Lotus shook her head and slapped on a goofy smile, "You think they'll buy it?" She asked, referring to the fake magic briefcase.

Five chewed on his lip, "Well, I do know that they're desperate. It's like a cop missing their gun."

They pulled over onto the side of the road, Lotus had lost track of time. Another car, a blue one, was pulling up ahead of them.

"If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit." He swung the passenger door open and climbed out. They all followed suit. "Oh, not to mention that they'll be stuck here until they get it back."

Two figures emerged from the blue car, both wearing child masks once again. "And what happened to the original one again?" She asked, Five sighed, "Klaus stole it and disappeared to Vietnam. He destroyed it."

"Oh"

The figures were no doubt the Hazel and Cha-Cha that Five had been talking about. Luther reached over and yanked the case from Five's hand, earning a glare from him.

"Well, I should hold onto it."

"Hm?"

The big man shrugged, "In case they make a move on you."

Five paused but ultimately agreed, "Okay, Luther. But be careful. I mean, I've lived a long life, but you're still a young man."

Luther looked over and shared an odd look with Lotus who was leaning against the hood of the car.

"Don't waste it." He took off towards the two figures, the child's masks no more off putting then last time she saw them. "If things go sideways, tell Delores I'm sorry."

"No problem." Lotus flashed him a thumbs up.

"The masks really necessary?" Five called out, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"So, Where is it kid?" A woman asked, hands gripping the mask both figures took off. The other was a man, neither took their eyes off of Five.

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

"You won't even make it half way there."

Lotus pushed herself off of the hood and took a step forward, Luther held a hand out and shook his head.

"Maybe. But I'm sure you found out in your previous foray- my brothers not your average giant."

The man in the blue suit sighed, "He's right. You dropped a chandelier on him and he bounced back up."

The women pursed her lips, "And didn't we shoot his friend?"

Lotus huffed staring at them, she swatted away Luther's hand and charged next to Five. As soon as she met his side a gun was loaded and pointed at her, she rolled her eyes.

"Round two?" She inquired.

Five nudged her arm, "And by the time you took him out, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp."

The woman took a step forward, "And probably us to right? So, how do we help each other."

"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a little chat with her."

Lotus leaned towards Five and whispered, "Superior? What happened to the plan."

But he ignored her, "Face to Face."

"About what?" The man countered.

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

The man frowned, the gun in his hand not wavering as he pointed it at Lotus. "Just don't tell her about the briefcase."

"Fair enough."

The two raced off towards a phone booth on the side of the road, Five turned so he stood in front of her. "What do we do now?" She asked.

"We wait."

Hazel and Cha-Cha returned from the booth and regained position, the man finding the barrel of his gun once again pointed at Lotus. She groaned, what the hell did she do to deserve it?

Tires squealed on gravel, they all turned to see a van speeding down the street behind Luther's own car. "Is that them?" Luther shouted. The van sped into view and Klaus and Diego were in the front seat, Five groaned, "What the hell are they doing here?"

"It's a set up!" One of the two yelled. Lotus whipped back around as the truck was about to make impact and a gun fired. She yelled diving for Five, the bullet was heading his way. She threw her hands out, feeling the grasp of the fabric of his blazer on her fingertips before the world froze around her.