Shadows & Mirrors // f.hargreeves fanfic

:::: Fifty-Four ::::

The clattering of many metal dishes woke Nova up. Because of her massive hangover, the sound felt like someone stabbing her brain over and over again. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut impossibly tighter as she attempted to roll away from the noise. Instead, her body fell to the hard floor. A yelp of surprise escaped her lips before she moaned in pain at the impact.

"Nove? Nova!" A slurred voice exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" The girl hissed as she curled up in the fetal position on the floor. That is until someone landed on the floor beside her. The person coaxed her to crack her eyes open. Nova realized it was her boyfriend peering down at her. "Jesus, what the hell did we get up to last night? And where's your blazer?"

"You're wearing it, darling," Five chuckled and a frown formed on Nova's face. When she glanced down at her body she realized she was in fact wearing Five's black suit jacket.

"Are we in the kitchen? How'd we get here?" Nova asked before memories from the night before began to surface. "Did you give a speech last night?"

"I don't know, probably," Five sighed and Nova pushed herself into a sitting position with a groan.

"My head is killing me," Nova pouted, "I don't think I've had a hangover in nearly fifty years."

"I think the old man is up to something," Five randomly stuttered out.

Nova's eyes suddenly widened in surprise at the change of subject. Her head was already pounding; she didn't need anything complicated to think about. But she knew it was inevitable. Whatever Hargreeves was up to they needed to figure out what it was.

"One fucking day," Nova groaned as she threw her head back with shut eyes, "We can't just get one fucking day without having to worry about anything. What makes you say that Hargreeves is up to something?"

"Last night, right before I threw up in a potted plant I swear I saw him making a deal with someone in the white buffalo suite," Five said thoughtfully. Nova opened her eyes and studied the boy's face. She knew he had had way more to drink last night than she did. If Nova was having trouble remembering she knew that it would have been way worse for her boyfriend.

"Who do you think he was talking to?" Nova asked.

"Well, it sure wasn't either of us. So, that only leaves like ten other people it could be," Five shrugged but Nova could tell not being able to remember was really bugging him. "The other thing we need to figure out is what they are planning."

"Nothing good, well, it's probably something to benefit Reginald and maybe whoever he partnered with," Nova began to say thoughtfully as she let out a deep sigh, "But do we really care? I'm actually relieved that the world is ending this way. Because at least this time, everything goes. There's no Commission, no leaping away, no physical body for me to return to."

"I guess you're right," Five nodded, "You know, I got a message from the future?"

"The future?" Nova asked in confusion.

"When Lila and I went back to the Commission my future self told me very explicitly not to save this world," Five continued explaining and Nova was quiet for a few moments as she tried to process what he was saying.

"It doesn't actually surprise me that we have more variations of ourselves. Actually, it's a little comforting to know that our variants are just constantly fucking up timelines and creating alternate realities," She sighed before pushing herself to her feet.

Nova let out a groan at the sudden nausea she experienced by standing up too fast. The girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly and threw her hands out to steady herself against the cold metal table. When Five asked if she was alright she quickly waved him off. Once Nova was sure she wasn't about to empty the contents of her stomach she opened her eyes once more and made her way to the refrigerator.