Right Back Where We Started [Five]

One

A nonhuman voice rang out next and everyone's attention flitted to a cube hovering in the air. It flashed different colors as it spoke, saying something only the Sparrows could understand. Emery lifted a brow and subtly glanced around the room in search of a clock. Perhaps he was dreaming.

"You slay me, Chris." Ben said in response to whatever the hell had been spoken.

"I wasn't expecting company." Grace said, coming into the room. Everyone's gazes softened from their hostile defence mechanisms put on at sight of a threat when they saw the woman. "This is the best I could do on short— short... short notice." Her voice gave out toward the end, malfunctioning and deadening in tone and pitch.

"Mom." Diego said, voice just above a whisper.

"Mom? She's a robot, you perv." One of the Sparrows said. Dark hair and deep red jacket that everyone seemed to be wearing in some way or another suited her figure. She didn't look to be messing around and Emery suspected she could kill someone with a blunt matchstick if she wanted to.

"She's not a robot."  Diego defended Grace.

"Hey! Don't you call him that." Luther defended Diego.

"Or what?" Ben asked.

"Come closer and find out."

"Luther! Guys, chill!" Five said, trying to bring peace.

"Think I'm afraid?"

"Stand down, Ben."

"Look at that, she's got a voice."

"How about I hide that big Rubiks Cube up your ass?"

Again, Emery checked for the time and pinched himself. All around him, voices rang out picking fights with others and defending their own. He looked behind them to Reignald to see if the man would reinstall some semblance of control but the man just gave him a subtle look off strange familiarity and offered nothing beyond that. Emery cursed and looked back forward.

"Enough!" A voice shouted out, belonging to the man who had first spoken to them. "I don't know what circus you escaped from or how you got past our security, but we're done here. You got 30 seconds to get out of our house."

"And if we don't?"

"Then we'll have to settle this the old fashioned way."

"You think they're making this up?" Emery asked. "You think they look smart enough to come up with something like this?"

Luther let out an offended "hey!"

"You do have a point." The man said. "Wait 'they'? You're not with them?"

"I am." Emery responded blandly. This was his favorite part. Confusing the hell out of everyone else. "I'm not a Hargreeves."

There was a long pause in which everyone peered at Emery uncertainly. "Look, we just fought a literal army." Vanya said, trying to keep on the course Emery had created for them. "Okay? This doesn't need to get ugly. Let's just all calm down, and let's talk."

"Psst. Benerino." Klaus said. "You look so much better alive than you do dead. Am I right?" He went on. Emery ran a hand down his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Except that haircut."

There was a sudden pause of silence filled with only the sound of Bens raging incredulous gaze.

"What the hell did you just say?" Ben demanded.

"Come on, come on." Klaus insisted, waving his hands in a dismissing manner as he approached his long time pal. "Stop with all the hostility, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Oh nice scar." He said upon getting close enough to Ben to take him all in. "Muy macho."