Word count: 1821

"𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 in 1960, the year the Silvertone Omega was released," the man began. "I was in the middle of a sale when something very . . . strange happened. So, for the past three years, I've witnessed five energy surges in that alleyway out back. Same thing every time. A bright blue light, then something appears."

"Did you get a good look at any of them?" Five asked.

The man directed them to a board that was covered in black-and-white photos of people in the alleyway. The photos were all grainy, making it hard to distinguish the faces. It was organized by date, with a few photos of the same person, making it quite obvious that this, in fact, was their missing family.

"Yeah, the first one. And then the big, sensitive one."

"'Sensitive'?" Valerie repeated, her eyebrows furrowed. Who in their family was sensitive?

The man nodded. "Yeah, cried a lot, kept coming back to the alley, sat around for hours calling a woman's name. Uh" —he looked around with squinted eyes as he tried to come up with a name before snapping his fingers— "Allison."

Valerie and Five immediately looked at each other in realization, simultaneously saying, "Luther."

"Yeah, he . . . he wasn't the only one." The man nodded as the two inspected the photos carefully. "Uh, the others came too, off and on over the years, looking for each other. Eventually, they . . . they stopped."

"So, our family is alive," Five said softly. "Shit. I think I stranded them here." He turned on his heel and began to march towards the man, who anxiously stepped backwards. "Now listen to me . . ."

"Elliott. Elliott. My name . . ." Elliott spluttered as he tripped over the couch. Five disappeared and then reappeared in front of him, causing him to knock his head on the lamp as he pressed up against one desk. "My name's Elliott."

"Whatever, all right? We got ten days to find them and save the world," Five said harshly, pointing towards the board of photos.

Valerie rolled her eyes again. She had had enough of Five demanding things from people.

She walked over and shoved Five to the side, receiving a glare from him, though she ignored it as she gently began, "Listen, Elliott. We really need to find them as soon as we can, and we can't do it alone. We need your help."

Elliott seemed much calmer now that there wasn't a threatening boy in front of him, and he slowly nodded. "You need . . . my . . . You know what?" He dug through the desk drawer and took out a cut-out newspaper article. "I, uh . . . I always thought that this, uh, mugshot looked like arrival number four."

It was a short article in the crime section, with the headline, 'DISTURBED MAN WITH MULTIPLE KNIVES ARRESTED OUTSIDE 1026 N. BECKLEY.'

Valerie's eyes widened as she saw the mugshots. She barely needed a moment to recognize the scar on the side of his head nor the slight sneer he had.

"Diego."

"So then, that's helpful?" Elliott asked as she took the newspaper from him to inspect it more closely.

"You have no idea." She nodded as she looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, Elliott. Five, come on."

Valerie grabbed Five's hand and began to drag him towards the door.

"Oh, so first you shove me and now you want to hold my hand? Make up your mind, girl," Five muttered as they exited the building.

"Shut up and look." Valerie sighed as she let go of his hand and gave him the newspaper.

His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes read over the headline. "So? Am I supposed to be surprised that he had knives on him?"

"No, not that, idiot." She rolled her eyes before pointing toward the end of the headline. "The address. 1026 N. Beckley."

"What about it?" he questioned as he looked back up at her, still as baffled as before.

"Did you not listen to any of the history lessons we learned?" she sighed with a shake of the head.

He shrugged. "No."

"Oh, Jesus—Lee Harvey Oswald's house!" Valerie exclaimed as she slapped him on the shoulder. "As in the guy who murdered JFK!"

"First you shoved me, then you held my hand, now you're hitting me—"

"Five! Focus!"

"Okay, okay, where is he now?" Five questioned, his eyes investigating the paper once more.

"A mental institution. I don't think it's too far from here," Valerie told him as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'll run us there, give me the paper."

"Hold on." Five raised a hand before bending his knees into a crouching position. He swept aside her blazer and peeked at the hole through her dress, sighing when he saw that her bullet wound didn't seem to be doing much better than it had been a couple of hours before. "No."

"'No' what?" she questioned.

"No, you're not running us there."

"Five!" Valerie groaned as she snatched the newspaper from his hand and shoved it into the pocket of her blazer. "It's fine!"

"No, you're not healing because you keep using all your energy on running!" Five argued angrily. "I'll just blink us there, God."

He grabbed her hand, and in the same blinding light as before, they arrived outside of the institution.

After going in and introducing themselves as Diego's siblings, they were seated in the visiting room, on one side of the table as they waited for Diego.

He arrived only a few minutes after, accompanied by two guards, who stood in the corner of the room. His hair, which now reached his chin, was a frizzy mess, and he had a slightly crazed look in his eyes as he approached them.

"Val," Diego breathed out as he sat down in the seat across from them.

"Hey, Diego," she said softly, a smile spreading onto her lips.

"Yeah, hi to you too," Five interjected as he rolled his eyes, giving a sarcastic wave of hello. "You look good in white."

Diego's eyes shifted towards the boy, and his voice dropped as he spoke, "About time you showed up."

Five quirked an eyebrow. "How'd you know I'd be back?"

"Because that's the kind of shit you pull," Diego muttered as he leaned forward towards Five, as Five did the same.

Valerie rolled her eyes at the two boys' aggression before questioning, "Where are the others?"

Diego's eyes darted to her in confusion as he asked, "They're not with you?"

Valerie's heart sank.

"We'll find them," Five reassured both of them with a small wave of dismissal. "How long have you been here?"

"Seventy-five days," Diego answered as he leaned back in his seat, causing Valerie to frown. "Landed in the alley behind—"

"Commerce and Knox," the three of them said simultaneously.

Diego furrowed his eyebrows, pausing for a moment before asking, "What about you guys?"

"We got here this morning," Valerie answered with a sigh.

A small smirk appeared on Diego's face as he raised his eyebrows. "How'd you find me?"

Valerie gave a small scoff before taking out the newspaper article from her pocket. Diego immediately recognized it, and an exasperated look came over his face as she shoved the paper toward him.

"Page sixteen. 'Disturbed man with multiple knives arrested outside 1026 N. Beckley.' That's Lee Harvey Oswald's house," she pointed out as she raised her eyebrows. "Care to explain?"

Diego gave a small chuckle. "Let's just say Dallas Law Enforcement has not been supportive of my attempt to stop the assassination of . . ." he leaned forward, whispering softly, "John F. Kennedy."

"Because it hasn't happened yet," Five pointed out.

"And it's not going to happen. Not on my watch." Diego leaned in closer, speaking so quietly that it forced the other two to lean in as well. "Look, I've been shaving down the bars in my room. Another day or two, and I'll be out of this place, then I'm gonna stop Oswald and save the president. You want in, say the word." He winked.

"Listen to me very closely, you gibbering moron," Five whispered, the quiet volume of his voice not matching the furious tone. "You are not going to do a goddamn thing."

"Why not?" Diego challenged.

Five sighed, glancing at Valerie before telling him, "Because we have to stop the apocalypse."

"No shit," Diego scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "But that doesn't happen for another sixty years."

Five shook his head. "Not that apocalypse. This is a new one—it followed us. Valerie and I saw it. Nuclear war, Diego, in ten days."

A grin slowly spread onto Diego's face before he began to laugh quietly, leaning back in his seat while folding his arms. "And I'm the one they locked up, huh? Fine, I'll play along. What causes it?"

"We don't know," Valerie answered, her smile turning into a miffed one. "Maybe some looney-tuned asshole with a hero complex tried to save the president and screwed everything up."

A look of satisfaction glinted in Diego's eyes as he raised his eyebrows. "So you're saying it worked? I saved the president? " His fingers curled into a fist of celebration as Valerie and Five exchanged incredulous looks. "I knew I could do it. Okay, okay, I'll help you."

"Thank God," Five sighed in relief.

"After I save Kennedy," Diego continued, receiving a groan from Valerie. "And then you swing us back a few decades so I can slit Hitler's throat off with a butter knife."

"This is why you don't have any friends," Five muttered as he shook his head.

Valerie sighed. There was no way Diego would be able to help them until JFK's assassination passed. "Diego, I love you so very much, you are an amazing brother, and I am so sorry."

"'Sorry?'" Diego repeated as he furrowed his eyebrows. "For what?"

Valerie stood up, raising her voice as she declared, "Guards, Diego is plotting an escape. The bars of his room have been shaved down."

Diego, who had jumped up from the chair and was about to lunge towards Valerie, was held down by the two guards, one of them slamming him face-first onto the table.

"Piece of shit!" Diego gasped as he struggled to get out of the guards' grips.

"No!" one of the guards yelled as they held him tightly. "Here . . . All right, asshole."

"Look, this is for your own good, Diego," Valerie said gently, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"No! Val!" Diego continued to battle against the hands of the guards, not giving up.

"Listen, my brother is a very sick man," Five announced to the guards, obviously having much more fun with this than Valerie was.

"No, Five!" Diego cried out.

Five gave him a smile before dropping his face. "I only pray that he gets the help he so desperately needs."

"No, please!" Diego shouted pleadingly as one of the guards pulled out a syringe that contained a large needle, bringing it towards Diego's neck. "Not the needle! No! No! No!"

"Be back for you later, okay?" Five promised as the needle was injected into Diego, causing him to immediately relax. "Just . . ." Five sighed as Diego closed his eyes. "Well, nighty night."