Shadows & Mirrors // f.hargreeves fanfic

:::: Fifty-Nine ::::

Nova was lost. She wasn't sure what the hell was going on. The girl could have sworn she had gotten off of the stairwell on the third floor but somehow she ended up on the fifth instead. Certain places of the walls around her had been destroyed. In one hallway a table had been smashed. Clearly, there had been some sort of struggle but where were her friends? Where were the attackers? Most importantly where the hell was her boyfriend?

Suddenly, a deafening growl sounded from the corridor behind her. The sound was significantly louder up here than it had been in the lobby. Nova couldn't help but wince as she slammed her hands over her ears. Before she could investigate four bodies came sprinting down her hallway. She couldn't have been happier to see Ben, Sloane, Manuela, and most importantly the love of her life, Five.

"Nova?" Five asked the girl as he accidentally sprinted past her. He began to slow to a stop but Sloane shoved him forward as her feet continued to move.

"No time," Sloane justified her actions.

"Run!" Manuela instructed as she too passed the confused girl.

"I got her!" Ben called to the group ahead.

A yelp of surprise tumbled past Nova's lips when one of Ben's tentacles wrapped around her waist and lifted her in the air. The girl was about to protest until she saw the massive samurai warrior charging toward them. Nova figured it was best not to struggle and just let Ben drag her to safety with the others. There would be time later for explanations and hellos if any of them even lived that long.

"Nova, can't you kill this thing?" Sloane asked as the group hid for cover behind a row of washing machines. Ben had released the girl who was now pulling Five down by her side. He had been attempting to kill the samurai with an emergency fire axe.

"Hello to you too, Sloane. Let me see," Nova said sarcastically before turning and holding her hand out toward the samurai. Her eyes closed in concentration as she reached out with the hands of her mind looking for a life force of some sort to latch onto. "No bueno."

"I tried that already," Manuela explained when the girl sat crouched back down. "It's made of magic or animatronics or something. It's not living."

"He should be dead by now. Five's hit him with that axe at least six times already," Ben pointed out and the younger girl couldn't help but roll her dark eyes.

"It's the armor. It's like hitting cement," Five snapped.

"Plus the thing doesn't have a life force. I'm not even 100% sure it can be killed," Nova attempted to explain.

"There's a space between the backplates," Sloane interjected helpfully as she too crouched back down behind the machines.

"We need to get behind him," Five nodded agreeing with Sloane's plan. Well, it wasn't really a plan but Nova knew them both well enough that they would go for the gusto.

"Let's kill this thing," Sloane growled before immediately moving to attack. "Hey, asshole!"

"Wait, Sloane!" Five groaned but the woman was already on the move. He began to move after her but Nova grabbed his sleeve. Before she could protest or voice her disapproval he bent and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head, "Stay here."

"So, what's the actual plan then?" Nova asked in exasperation after Five blinked to the other side of the room. The girl looked between the two Sparrows who just shrugged.

"It's not like our powers will work against that thing. Plus we have no weapons," Manuela shrugged.

However, Nova could see the worry on the older woman's face when there was a crash and a pained groan from Sloane that filled the room. When the girl peaked over the machines she watched in horror as the samurai's arm swung out harshly knocking her boyfriend to the ground. The axe he was holding skittered out of his hands and in her direction.