Shadows & Mirrors // f.hargreeves fanfic

:::: Fifty-Six ::::

Manuela could still feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as her brother dragged her through the tunnel. When they finally made it to the other side her keen eyes took in every odd detail of the room around them. The room that they had sought refuge in looked nearly identical to the Buffalo Suite that the group had fled from. As her mind began to process all of the small details presented around the room she realized everything was backward. For example, where the buffalo head had been mounted on the wall was now replaced by the ass of the white buffalo instead.

"Let's never do that again," Viktor gasped from behind Manuela as he followed her into the mirror dimension.

"What narrowly escape the apocalypse?" Five asked in his usual sarcastic manner following suit. When Manuela glanced back at the boy her expression contorted into confusion when she noticed that he and Nova were not joined at the hip like usual.

"It's kind of our thing, isn't it?" Diego quipped in response to his brother's sarcastic remark. He was holding his weapon ready in front of him as he and Lilah checked the hallway for any immediate threats.

"There's something very wrong about that," Allison noted when her eyes landed on the backside of the buffalo mounted on the wall.

"Ben!" Manuela scolded when she watched her brother flick the tail curiously.

"Huh?" He responded almost cluelessly and his sister couldn't help but roll her eyes in response.

"Don't touch it," Manuela chastised and to annoy her he flicked the tail once more. "Why do I even bother?"

"It's the same suite, just ass-backward," Lila pointed out ignoring the bickering from all of the siblings.

"No hyperbole there," Five noted before Manuela turned her attention to the boy.

"This is some Alice in Wonderland shit," Diego agreed.

"Where's Nova?" Manuela asked as her dark eyes flitted around the room with concern.

"She went back to get Klaus," Five said uneasily before turning back towards the tunnel. Before anyone could do or say anything Hargreeves slammed the painting shut. Effectively locking them in this mirror dimension.

"At last, the other side," Hargreeves panted as if he hadn't just sealed the fate of two members of their party.

"But what about Klaus and Nova?" Viktor asked in confusion.

"Children, I'm sorry, but your brother and Genova..." Hargreeves began as shaky emotion slipped into his tone, "I-i did all I could, but they didn't make it through in time. The Kuggelblitz has claimed its last victims."

"Bullshit!" Five exclaimed furiously. Manuela flinched slightly at the ice-cold harshness in his tone. She couldn't help but notice how his knuckles were pailing as he clenched them at his side and stood stiffly as if he could barely contain himself from shaking in rage. "No, they were right behind me when I entered the tunnel."

"W-we need to go back," Sloane whispered shakily from beside her sister. Manuela quickly grabbed the woman's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"There's nothing to go back to," Hargreeves tutted in a condescending manner. "Children, there will be time for tears later. Right now, we have to keep moving."

"Wait Luther, Klaus, and Nova?" Viktor asked in disbelief. For a moment everyone was silent after Hargreeves swiftly exited the room.

"I'm going to fucking murder him," Five growled in a deathly low tone. Manuela had heard Five speak in a threatening manner before but this was something entirely different. His tone was full of raw emotion. Quiet frankly it was terrifying.