𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 ~ 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴

~ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙬𝙤: 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚 ~

The Kraken snatched the cowboy hat from Klaus's head, and Klaus reached out and protested, trying to take it back. "You know what? I need to go find Claire. I will catch up with you guys later," Allison said, growing tired of her brother's antics. "Wait, let's get somewhere safe, clean up those cuts, and then we'll go find her," Astrid said as she grabbed her sister's hand.

"Man, I hate those guys," Luther gritted his teeth as he stared off into the distance, noticing a billboard with the Sparrow's faces plastered all over it. "Look at them with their... stupid smug..." the Ape-man stuttered, trying to come up with a good insult. But all he could do was stutter "smug" like it was the only word he knew. "You'll get it eventually, big guy," Klaus patted his bicep.

"What are we still doing out here? We can't just stand here bleeding out in this park," Allison asked. "I don't know, but we better gear up fast before they come back for round two," Diego replied. Astrid looked out of the corner of her eye, asking him why he thought the Sparrows would be coming after them. But Diego only responded with, "Because I would." "To be fair, we did bust up their antiques and shit," Klaus reasoned.

"I don't think those crime-fighting supernerds are going to let that go," Luther added. "Let's just think of someplace off the radar where we can lie low and not draw attention," Five suggested. "What kind of place could we NOT draw attention?" Diego queried. None of them could come up with a good place off the top of their heads. But given one of their sibling's history, he was bound to know of some low-key locations.

They all looked at Klaus as he spun around in a circle until he caught their gaze. Suddenly, one hiding spot clicked. "Come on, it should be..." He pointed to another one of the paths leading to some older buildings. "...This way!" They followed him down the path and past the rows of trees until they found themselves outside of a multi-level white brick building. The Hotel Obsidian. Why do I get the feeling I've heard of this place before? 

As they approached the sliding glass door, the siblings piled into it, bunching together like sardines in a can. "Come on, seriously?" Luther bit his lip in frustration as they moved forward, the glass door slowly letting them out one by one. When Astrid broke free, she glanced around, taking in the neon pillar lights and the dated but interesting interior. "Oh, Hotel Obsidian. I missed you, you slutty old dame! Absorb her... absorb her into your bosom," Klaus gushed.

"Way back in her heyday, she played host to world leaders. Roosevelt, Gandi, Stalin, Gorbachev, Castro, King Olaf of Norway, a few of the Kim Jongs, Tito, Dali Lama, Elvis, and not one but two Kardashians allegedly," Some of the Hargreeves lent an ear as the junkie continued with his history lesson, while Allison went to the nearby payphone to make a phone call. "Nowadays, she's a flophouse, a party house for those of us not looking to be judged by society's rules and norms,"

"You mean, a place to hide?" Luther commented. "Exactly! It's perfect! And the best part is, she's gonna look after us, no questions asked," Klaus whispered. Astrid didn't have to look around to know that people were still staring, she could feel their eyes on her like a thousand daggers waiting to stab her with more judgment. She walked over to the check-in desk, where a hotel employee dressed in a blue and yellow suit leaned over to feed the little dog sitting on top of a pillow.

"Chet, Mon Frere! It's so great to see you. I'd like my usual suite, por favor!" Klaus gasped as Chet looked up at them with a blank but confused expression. "I've never seen you before," the clerk replied. "See? I told you, discreet!" The junkie grinned. "Please stop scaring my dog," Chet said firmly as Luther and Diego reached out to pet the little pooch. "We need some rooms please," Vanya spoke up.

Chet nodded and placed a little sign down, reading Cash up front. The Hargreeves' eyes widened as they dug through their pockets, hoping to find reasonable amounts of cash. But to their misfortune, they only had pocketed objects. "Let's see what we could trade," Luther instructed. Astrid dug through her coat, pulling out a few pieces of yarn from one pocket and crumpled receipt in the other.

The only valuable item in the vast of condoms, mints, and a throwing knife was the old-fashioned watch Luther wore around his wrist, a gift from Jack Ruby. The Ape-man took it off and handed it to Chet, asking how much the exchange would get them. Chet briefly examined the watch with a tiny magnifying glass before walking to the key hooks and grabbing two sets. "Mozel Tov," he said, sliding the keys across the desk. 

Relieved to not be sleeping on the streets, the Umbrellas headed towards the elevators, eager to set up their sleeping arrangements. "Let's meet back at the bar in two hours so we can make a plan, okay?" Five spoke up as he caught a glance at the nearby fish tank. The mention of a plan made Diego's ears perk up. "I have a plan. We attack the Sparrows, and we take back our house, and then we punch dad around a bit until he admits that we're better and he loves us more. Boom! Done!"

The others ignored him as they filed into the elevator, claiming he needed to relax. "Those shitbirds are staying put for a while. I'll bet they're as wiped as we are," Klaus explained.