MHA # 2 | Sunday Evening

[knife_bender]

The whole family dinner thing had not been Diego's idea. In fact he made it abundantly clear that he thought it would be a disaster. But it was three against one, so Diego ordered a couple pizzas and invited Five and his abomination over to eat with them.

This was the weirdest goddamn weekend.

[For Hargreeves and Hargreeves adjacent]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"We did," Annie agreed, leaning up to meet him halfway. "It sounds like we have a lot of help from your family."

That was the absolute biggest disconnect for her, yep.

[knife_bender]

"Yeah, that's weird." It also wasn't good news about the impending apocalypse considering the only thing he knew was that the Hargreeves were reunited when it happened. But he felt like voicing that would probably bring down the family dinner.

"If they were raised by my family they are way more normal than they should be."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Well, obviously they survived the apocalypse and had these kids in that future, so it was fine. No reason to worry about the impending apocalypse at all, really.

"Well, I'm there," Annie pointed out. "And I'm pretty normal." Aside from the whole superhero thing.

[knife_bender]

"I'd argue that, but I also saw Five's...whatever the hell it is," Diego said. "So, yes, you are way more normal than the rest of us."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, it sounds like that thing is kind of throwing off the normal-ness average," Annie pointed out, wincing. "I'm gonna try to just, like, treat it like a normal kid. Him."

Seemed like the polite thing to do.

[knife_bender]

"Why?" Because she was Annie, Diego.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe he can hear us and understand us!" Annie pointed out. "So we might as well be kind to him."

Especially since something that spooky might also totally be, like, vengeful if treated poorly.

[knife_bender]

"It's creepy," he said. "And I know it eats."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That's so weird," Annie had to say, making a face. Get it out now before the little horror show got here. "Like, how. Why?"

[knife_bender]

"I don't think we're supposed to think too hard on it." Just don't think too hard on any of it.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Whatever. He's just a regular kid," Annie said like she was telling herself that as she got together some ice in a glass. "No different from our two."

Whose existence, admittedly, she probably shouldn't think too hard about, either, or she was going to get all weird and introspective about it all.

[knife_bender]

"You haven't met him yet," Diego said, going to the fridge for a beer. She had the right idea, alcohol would be needed.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm psyching myself up," Annie replied, pouring her mixed margarita over the ice. "Practicing making normal faces for when I do meet him."

[knife_bender]

"I mean, you have to be better at it than Five," Diego said. "He was actively trying to run from this kid."

Run, teleport, same thing.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"See, that's kind of sad. That'll help me feel sorry for him through the creepiness," Annie decided, latching onto that.

[knife_bender]

"You haven't seen him yet," Diego said again. "Just wait. It might be too much even for you."

[knife_lights]

"What might?" Autumn asked as she wandered in, but it was clearly rhetorical since she also immediately followed it up with, "Is Uncle Five going to get here soon, before we all starve?"

[knife_lights]

Ben followed into the kitchen after his sister, looking casual but keeping quiet. It was all part of a two step plan to get buzzed before dinner.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, and you're not going to starve," Annie replied evenly, paying much less attention than she should to the drink she'd poured. "Maybe if you guys set the table, it'd give you something to do while you wait?"

For like thirty seconds. Again, it was pizza, the kids kind of had a point.

[knife_bender]

"Yeah, and don't drop any of my expensive plates," he said, pointing at the paper plates on the counter.

[knife_lights]

Autumn rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before glancing at the plates. "I mean, sure, I can put those plates on the table in a second. But I wanted to see if you guys wanted to see a picture of your old selves. I have one on my phone of, like, the whole family."

That was a great distraction, right? Even if Autumn had no intention of actually producing such a picture. Um, paradox much? No thank you.

[knife_lights]

Oooh that was a good play, Autumn. No way they would be able to resist seeing Dad with long hair.

He slide up behind the conversation, slowly reaching for the glass on the counter.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean." Oooh, tempting. Annie really kind of did not want to see her old self, but she did want to see Diego (with the long hair and the beard!) "We probably shouldn't, right?"

But what was the harm in looking? And admittedly, she was already trying to peek at Autumn's screen as she pulled her phone out.

[knife_bender]

"Yeah, won't it cause some kind of paradox?" Where was Five to explain this?

[knife_lights]

"Pff." Autumn waved a hand, not really answering that question. It totally would create a paradox, probably, but also, like, she didn't want to outright lie to her dad? "Oh, here's a bunch of pictures of my friend's dog. I took like a hundred the one day we hung out."

So they'd have to scroll through those for awhile in order to find this mysterious family photo, of course.