Chapter Text
The moment Diego unlocked the chains suspending Five from the ceiling, Five’s knees buckled.
Diego wasn’t nearly fast enough to stop him from hitting the ground, and Five landed with a heavy thump. There was a pained groan, and a muffled curse, as his brother curled in on himself.
“Are you okay?” Diego said, panic tightening his chest as he dropped to one knee next to Five. He placed a careful hand on his brother’s arm as Five clumsily tried to push himself up. “Did they hurt you?”
There were heavy bruises marring Five’s brow, and streaks of dried blood darkening his skin. His clothes were also bloodied and filthy, and Diego had a terrible feeling that this time, all the blood was Five’s. Shit. He knew he should have come faster.
“You’re really asking me that when you’re dripping with blood?” Five responded, eyes narrowing in annoyance. Concerningly, he was slurring his words, and was refusing to make eye contact. “What happened to your arm?”
Diego glanced down at where a stray bullet had grazed him earlier during the fight, it was still bleeding steadily. He needed to put something on that and soon. “It’s just a flesh wound.”
“What’s the point of your power when you can’t even avoid getting shot?” Five mumbled, and worryingly enough, he still hadn’t gotten up. Five squeezed his eyes shut suddenly. “Fuck.”
“Hey, I just rescued you from these freaks,” Diego said, his frown deepening as he leaned in closer to help Five sit upright. “And don’t think I can’t tell you’re changing the subject. You okay?”
“Depends on the definition,” Five sighed, visibly forcing his eyes open. He was struggling to keep his head up.
Now that was concerning. Diego grabbed Five’s chin, and made his brother look him in the eyes. Five’s pupils were blown wide, his irises a barely visible ring of green. He blinked his eyes rapidly, lashes fluttering, and seeming to be having trouble focusing on Diego’s face.
“Let go.” Five tried to pull away, weakly pulling at Diego’s wrist with a face of irritation.
“Shit,” Diego dropped his hand. “They drugged you?”
“Why do you think I haven’t escaped yet?” Five mumbled.
“Are you bleeding anywhere?” Diego said, trying to pat Five down to see if there were any wounds. “Where are you hurt?”
“Nothing will kill me in the next hour,” Five slurred with an unsettling confidence, slapping at his hands again. “Stop it.”
“Alright, let’s get you up,” Diego said, taking a deep breath and deciding to take Five at his word. It wasn't like his brother was actually a kid. “We need to get you out of here before reinforcements show up.”
Slipping his arm under Five, Diego grit his teeth and hauled his brother up to his feet. Thankfully, Five being physically thirteen made him easier to manhandle than a fully grown man. Diego balanced them carefully until Five got his feet under himself.
Five made a small sound of pain as he settled against Diego, and gripped onto his arm for dear life. Diego pretended he didn’t hear it.
“It’s okay Five, I’ve got you,” he said, and then started dragging his brother toward the exit, careful to maneuver them both around the dead bodies littering the floor.
They were halfway to the car when Five’s legs gave out on him again. Diego cursed and barely caught Five in time as he fell forward, and then carefully gathered his brother into his arms to carry him the rest of the way.
Five was limp and quiet in Diego’s arms as they exited the building, eyes unfocused and barely open. Eventually, they made it to the parked vehicle, and Diego pulled open the rear door and unloaded a barely-conscious Five into the back seat.
After making sure his brother was secure, Diego went around to the driver’s door and got into the car. Inside, he started the engine and pulled on his seat belt, before turning the rear view mirror so he could see Five. His brother was curled limply on his side, eyes half-closed as he stared blankly ahead of him.
“You can pass out now if you want,” Diego said as he looked over his brother, and reassured himself that Five really might be okay.
"Only if when I wake up, you won’t be there,” Five murmured, his eyes slipping closed.
“I’ll make sure Vanya is there instead, alright?” Diego said, shifting gears as he pressed on the gas pedal.
There was no response from Five as Diego pulled out of the alleyway. Another glance in the rear view mirror told him that his brother had finally passed out. Five’s chest rose and fall gently with each breath.
At least now they could safely check him over, Diego thought faintly. Good thing the house wasn’t far away. Once Five woke up again, they were going to tear him a new one about not telling them where he was going.