CARLA WAS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AS IT SPED DOWN THE ROAD, lying out across the back three seats, her legs crossed at the ankles. There was silence. Too much of it.

     Her and Five had ignored the whole situation earlier had ever happened, which probably wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but it was certainly less problematic.

     She sighed, "Can you put the radio on?"

     Luther glanced into the rear-view mirror, and upon seeing her lying down, frowned, "I'd rather you put your belt on."

     "We're going to try and bargain with two time-travelling assassins, and that's what you're worried about?" she asked, staying the way she was.

     Luther sighed, "Carla, if you end up dying because of your lack of seatbelt, that's on me."

     "Why you?" Five asked.

     "I'm the responsible adult here," he replied, "So please, sit up straight."

     "But why would I when I'm so comfy the way I am?" Carla questioned, before saying again, "Put on the radio."

     "Not until you put on your belt," Luther said firmly.

     Carla scoffed, "Are you serious?"

     "Does it look like I'm joking?" he said, and Carla squinted as she examined his face. She thought she'd try one more time.

     "Put on the radio."

     "Put on your belt."

     Carla huffed out a "Fine," before sitting up and doing her seatbelt with a click, "Happy now?"

     Luther just smiled, turning on the radio, "See? That wasn't too hard, was it?"

     She crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't patronise me."

     Five turned his head to look out the window, making sure Luther couldn't see the large grin that had worked its way onto his face.

---[]---

     They pulled up on the deserted road Five had agreed to meet Hazel and Cha-Cha, greenery on either side of where they were parked.

     Five unbuckled his seatbelt, and there was a silence, before he spoke up, "You know, I never enjoyed it."

     "What?" Luther turned to face him.

     "The killing," Five said, "I mean, I was good at my work, and I took pride in it, but it never gave me pleasure."

     Carla listened from her position in the back. When the two had been working on the plan, Five had explained to her about the Commission and the Handler.

     He had told her about his past, and in all honesty, Carla didn't blame him, or even think of him as any different.

     She knew that things had to be done in order to survive, and obviously it was a better option to become a hitman than to shrivel away in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

     Five sighed, "I think it was all those years alone... solitude can do funny things to the mind."

     Carla knew this was true. She had spent years by herself on the streets before she met Klaus, but for Five to spend decades by himself made her stomach twist in pity.

     "You were gone for such a long time," Luther spoke, "I only spent four years on the moon, but that was more than enough. It's the being alone that breaks you."

     "Deep," Carla noted from the back, and the two figures sitting at the front turned around to face her, Luther looking mildly disgruntled, Five biting back a smirk.

     Luther then patted the briefcase between him and Five, "Do you think they'll buy it?"

     "Well, what I do know is that they're desperate. It's like a cop losing their gun. If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit," Five said, "Well, and the fact they'll be stuck here until they get it back."

     "I should hold onto it," Luther said, "In case they make a move on either of you."

     "Okay, Luther, but be careful," Five sighed, "I've lived a long life, but you're still a young man, you got your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it."

     Carla pulled a face, struck by how odd the whole situation was, and Luther glanced out the window with a mildly confused look.

     It was then they heard the rumble of an engine, and over a hill, Carla saw a blue car drive towards them.

      "Here we go," Five muttered, opening the door and climbing out. Carla clambered out of the back door, watching the car drive past, braking a few feet away.

     Five, with his hands shoved in his pockets, turned to Luther and Carla, "If this all goes sideways..." He met Carla's gaze, looking as though he wanted to say something, the words bubbling up his throat, and he opened his mouth, before sighing, and looking at Luther, "Tell Dolores I'm sorry."

     Carla suddenly felt anxious, the severity of the situation hitting her like a ton of bricks, and she watched Five turn around before she called out his name. The boy turned to face her, a variety of emotions all over his features, "Yeah?"

     "If... she  comes," Carla began, "You'll... you'll come back, right? You won't leave us to stop the apocalypse by ourselves?"

     Five looked at her, "I'll try my best."

     She nodded, knowing he couldn't promise anything, and offered a small smile, one he barely returned, before letting him walk to meet Hazel and Cha-Cha.

     "Are the masks really necessary?" Five asked.

     The pair pulled off said masks, throwing them to the floor, and looking at Five with cold gazes.

     "So where is it, kid?" Cha-Cha said.

     "Oh, that's how you're gonna start," the boy sighed, "You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day."

     Cha-Cha pulled a gun, "You wouldn't even make it halfway there."

     Carla took a step towards them, but Luther muttered a quiet, "No. He knows what he's doing."

     "Maybe," Five shrugged, "But as I'm sure you found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant, and my friend is not your average teen."

     "He's right, I dropped a chandelier on him, got back up," Hazel told Cha-Cha, who nodded, eyes drifting to Carla, stood next to Luther by the car.

     "And she's the one who did this to me," Cha-Cha said, nodding at the very painful-looking burn around her wrist. Five couldn't help but smirk. "I also pushed her off the first floor, she should be dead by now," the woman continued, and Five's face fell.

     "Oh yeah, it was you who did that wasn't it?" his voice dropped to a snarl, "You're lucky I don't put a bullet through your skull right now for pulling a stunt like that."

     Cha-Cha couldn't quite hide the fear in her eyes.

     "But I'll let that slide for now. By the time you took them out, there are two things that could happen to that case: he smashes it into a thousand pieces, or she melts it in seconds. It's up to you," the boy smiled widely.

     "Probably us too, right?" Hazel asked, "So how do we help each other?"

     "I need you to get into contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her, face to face," he said slowly.

     Cha-Cha didn't look convinced, "About what?"

     Five fixed her with a cold glare, "I don't believe that's any of your concern."

     There was a long pause, before she spoke, "Just don't tell her about the briefcase."

     "Fair enough," Five shrugged.

     Hazel and Cha-Cha walked towards the phone box, the woman dialling a number, and Five turned on his heel walking towards the duo.

     "What happens now?" Luther asked.

     Five sighed, "Now... we wait."

     Carla frowned, "Wait, do you guys hear that?"

The three of them listened intently in silence, and sure enough, the tune 'Ride of the Valkyries' was being played as a light, high-pitched jingle, and over the hill, Carla saw an ice cream truck drive towards them, blaring the song.

     "Is that her?" Luther asked Five, but the boy just shook his head, frowning at the truck.

     Carla was standing a bit ahead of the other two, and didn't think to move out of the way until Five grabbed her gloved hand, yanking her back.

     It drove past, and Carla's mouth stretched into a grin when she saw Klaus waving cheerily out the window, next to Diego. She let out a whoop, as the truck drove past, Five muttering an angry, "What the hell is he doing here?"

     "It's a set-up!" Cha-Cha yelled, as the two assassins raised their guns, firing repeatedly at the truck, Carla tightening her grip on Five's hand in fear. The van rammed into the blue car, throwing Cha-Cha and Hazel to the ground.

     A bullet skimmed Carla's shoulder, and she ducked, realising with a start Five's grip on her hand had vanished. She looked to the side and saw he was gone.

     "Five?" Luther cried out, looking around, "Five!"

     He then held up the briefcase so Hazel and Cha-Cha could see it, "Come get it!" With an almighty throw, it landed somewhere on the grass to the left of them. He ran towards Diego and Klaus, helping them out from the van and bringing them towards the car.

     Carla got into the back seat, Klaus and Diego piling in next to her, as Luther clambered into the front, starting the engine.

     The redhead looked out the back window, craning her neck, and saw Cha-Cha crouching over the briefcase, "Shit, she's opening the case! Drive, drive, drive!"

     They sped off, Klaus flipping the assassins off through the window as they drove away, and Carla looked down to her gloved hand.

     Slipped into her palm, without her even noticing, was a button, one she recognised from Five's blazer.

     She couldn't help but smile to herself, before pocketing the button. It was an unspoken promise that Five would try his best to return to them - she just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.