Klaus lies in bed staring at the ceiling. No matter how much his head pounds or how itchy his skin has begun to feel, nothing matters. His blank stare never wavers from the small brown spot on the otherwise normal ceiling as the news plays in the background about Kennedy's death.
For once in his 35 years, he hears no one.
Ben is gone. Drifted into the light, Klaus supposes, after his selfless journey to save Vanya. And Margo just vanished. He misses his brother and friend. Even if he never really let them know he truly cared, he is used to their bickering, but now...
There's nothing.
But he pulls himself up and walks out of the room towards his siblings all gathered by the television. He looks down at them to see a portrait of himself on the screen, and he sighs, shaking his head.
"The FBI is asking the public to be on the lookout for this unidentified boy, who they believe is being held hostage by the suspected terrorist network as well as this woman who was seen fleeing the grassy knoll bleeding, potentially having tried to stop this organization."
The woman on screen is barely recognizable, her face obscured by shadow.
"Well, it's true," Five shrugs. "I do feel like I'm being held hostage most days."
"God, I hate that photo," Diego laments as Klaus hangs against the railing, his hands swaying to the silence in his head.
Allison shakes her head. "They're saying I instigated that riot? That's unbelievable. It was that woman."
Klaus notices Five's curiosity spike at the comment, but obviously not enough to question it.
"Look, the good news is that we restored the timeline and stopped doomsday," Luther says with a hand in front of his face.
Diego narrows his eyes. "Yeah, a bunch of real goddamn heroes. We let Kennedy die."
"Yeah, and now we're officially the most wanted people in the world," Allison adds, placing her hands on her hips. Klaus begins his descent, though his steps feel out of place. "The FBI is after us, the Dallas police, the Secret Service. It's only a matter of time before they hunt us down here."
Klaus waves to Diego as Vanya asks, "Well, where are we supposed to go?"
"I have this yurt just outside of Reykjavik. We could totally lay low there," Klaus says as he flicks his hands about. Flaunt it till you make it, right? "Folks there are a little weird but lovely."
"Hey, dumb ass," Five snaps. "Hiding's not gonna make a difference here. The Commission will hunt us wherever and whenever we go."
"Well, what about your partner?" Klaus asks. "She'll help us, right?"
Five and Luther exchange a look Klaus has never seen the two make before.
"Five's right. They'll never stop," Diego says.
"I'm sorry, since when are you an expert on the Commission?" Five asks with crossed arms.
"Since I got back from there."
"What?"
"Yeah, they headhunted me, offered me a job. Full time with benefits, which I had to turn down." Diego's previously upset expression turns up as he turns his back to Five.
In response, Five narrows his eyes dangerously. It reminds Klaus of when Margo got upset; she would just glare like she wished the world would catch fire. "They headhunted you?" Five chuckles. "The village idiot?"
Diego looks back at him with a smug smile. "What, am I not allowed to be headhunted?" Klaus rolls his eyes. "Only the mighty Five need to be in demand?"
"Diego, you're not Commission material, all right? Got an obstinate nature to you."
"Who do you think it was that figured out that Vanya was the one to cause doomsday and stopped it? Me."
"Hey," Klaus mutters under his breath when he sees the saddened look on Vanya's face.
"I figured it all out on the Infinite Switchboard."
"You were on the Infinite Switchboard?" Five deadpans.
"Hell, yeah! I made that machine my bitch. Y'all need to recognize I got shit going on y'all don't even know about."
Klaus begins to laugh as everyone talks over each other. He notices Vanya walk up the stairs, but the look on her face makes him stay put, laughing at his bickering siblings. He supposes now that Ben is gone, he'll actually have to function to talk to someone he cares about, or else they'll never really talk to him.
But he can't really concentrate. A flash of light from outside the window catches his eye as silhouettes pass by. He clutches at his dog tags until Vanya's voice passes through the fog.
"I'm leaving."
"What?" Allison asks. "To go where?"
"Sissy's farm. Something's wrong with Harlan, and I need to help him."
Luther steps forward. "Vanya, we need to stick together, ok? Now more than ever."
She nods. "That's why I'm telling you this. Whatever's going on with Harlan, I think I might've caused it," she says.
Something in Klaus melts. She has the same look in her eye that Margo had just as they got to the federal building.
"How?" Luther asks.
"He drowned, and, uh, somehow I was able to bring him back to life. And now it's like we're connected."
"What does that even mean?"
Vanya shakes her head and shows off her palms. "I don't know. I can't explain, but... I know that he needs my help. I need your help too. I'm scared, and for the first time in my life, I don't want to do it alone. I want my family by my side."
Diego sighs and walks forward. "Look, I'm sorry."
In that moment, Klaus has never disliked Diego more.
"We have other priorities right now."
"Diego's right. For once. We need to make our stand here and now." Five sighs. Klaus hates him too—first Margo, now letting Vanya down. But he himself can't find the strength to move towards her.
When Vanya looks at him, he looks back towards the windows.
"Ok, I guess I'll see you when I see you."
Klaus watches her go out the back. Only once the door swings closed does Klaus manage to get to his feet. "You're wrong," he says without looking at his family. "Five should know. He killed his only friend for family, and we just let her go? Nah, not my style."
He knows they'll follow after that. At least, he hopes.
He slips into Vanya's car, saying, "So, so, so, Ben, huh? Gone forever. Isn't he?"
Vanya stares at him wide-eyed. "He traded his life for mine while he saved the world in the process."
"Pffft. Show off." Klaus looks out the window with his lips pursed. "But...did he... say anything about...me?" Her nod catches him by surprise.
"He wanted me to tell you that he was too scared to go into the light. It wasn't you that made him stay."
A laugh erupts from his cracked chest. "That little shit-heel. All these years, and I thought it was my fault that he didn't take his ticket to heaven."
"He also said he wasn't worried about you," she says, and, once again, he stares at her in confusion. "He said she wouldn't leave your side. I'm assuming 'she' means—"
"Margo," Klaus sighs and clenches his jaw. "Yeah, I...I haven't seen her since. You know, she reminds me of you a bit."
"Look, I'm sorry, but you should get out because I need to—"
"Oh, no. I'm coming with. I can't let you face the unknown alone, right?" Klaus smiles as both Allison and Diego get into the car.
"Got room for two more?" Allison asks.
Vanya shakes her head in disbelief which only makes Klaus' smile grow. "What about the Commission?"
Diego holds his chest as he adjusts in the car. "Well, might as well do some good before we die horribly."
Klaus cheers just before Five opens his door. "Five," Vanya says in surprise. "You don't have to..."
"I know," he replies. "You owe me one, sis. Children ride in back."
"Ok." Klaus finds himself a little too excited to crawl between Allison and Diego—neither of whom look too happy to have him, but does he really care? No.
"Guys, I don't know what to say," Vanya says with a growing smile.
Klaus looks back as the trunk opens and Luther climbs in. The whole car shifts back; Klaus represses his smirk as Luther says, "Anyone makes a fat joke, and I'm outta here."
Everyone smiles as they turn back to the front, but a woman stands in their way. Klaus' expression drops as he leans between Vanya and Five with wide eyes. "That bitch," he whispers with a laugh. "I knew she wasn't gone."
"Oh, shit," Five mutters.
Agent 23's hands glow purple as she multiplies, her duplicates surrounding the car. The original one with glowing purple eyes pulls out a gun, making most of the Hargreeves in the car shout and shrink away. "Get out of the car," she says, her voice shaking with rage. "Or, I swear to god, all of you are dead."
Vanya's fingers grip the steering wheel, but Five places his hand over her's. "Give me a minute," he says before getting out of the car.
Klaus, in his infinite wisdom, climbs over Diego and clambers out as well.
23's gun stays aimed at Five's head as he approaches her with his hands raised. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions—"
"You tried to kill me," she growls. "and then you left."
Five cringes. "I know, and I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" A cold laugh comes from her mouth. Klaus had only heard that sound in the beginning when they first met—when she first saw Five. "Sorry? You tried to stab me in the back. Literally!"
"And I told you when I saved you: I can't give you a reason."
"Wait, hold up." Klaus holds a hand up. "What happened?"
Her eyes slid to his. "Why are you speaking to me?"
"It's me, buttercup. Klaus?" He smiles broadly. "I'm surprised Five can see you—"
"Klaus, shut up," Five snaps.
"Why?"
Five purses his lips. "I...I may have changed her timeline." Klaus blinks. "She never died."
When Klaus looks back at her, he sees the difference. Her eyes were never that cold—her face was never that unyielding. She was always resigned to what had happened. There was no fire, but now there is.
"Wait, I know you," she whispers, narrowing her eyes as if really seeing him for the first time. "You're Four. Klaus. "
"Look, Margo—"
The gun moves faster than he can see. "How do you know that name?" She demands. "Margo is gone."
Klaus can almost feel Five's annoyance when he points to him and says, "Five said it."
23 looks back at her young partner. He holds his hands out. "Now, listen—"
"I trusted you." Her voice wavers as her eyes dart between the brothers. "I told you I trusted you. I thought you were my..." She pauses and shakes her head. "I don't need a why, Five. I just need to kill you. Them—I'll spare. Not you."
"We don't have time for this." Five disappears in a flash of light, blinding Klaus. Before he can move, arms wrap around his neck and pin him to a surprisingly muscled body while cool metal presses against his temple. He sees Five reappear in front of him with a confused expression before he looks back.
"Now, let's get one thing very clear," 23 says into Klaus' ear even though she knows Five can hear her. "You betrayed me to get to your family, right? Well, I think I have them all right here, don't I? And you seem to be in a bit of a hurry." She slams Klaus into the wall while pointing the gun at the car. "I may have promised you I'd protect them but one move, partner, and I blow the tires, then your family. Only you have to die here."
"I think you're being a little unreasonable," Klaus rasps out. "I mean, he saved you now. You're alive, yay!"
"He fucked with the timeline." Her eyes slide back to Five. "I only hope the last you I saw never learned about his little calculation mistake."
Five's eyebrows knit together. "What are you talking about?"
"My Five didn't have enough coffee in his system to spot his decimal error," 23 replies in a bored tone. "I was going to point it out to him—even showed him at the pub—but he never really looked."
Five clenches his jaw. "Vanya, I'll meet you at the farm."
23 aims her gun at the woman. "I wouldn't do that."
Klaus meets Five's gaze to see the boy nod.
Five grabs hold of 23's collar, and they disappear in a flash.
X X X X
23's PISSED! Also, I get that this can be sort of confusing with the timelines and different versions of Margo/23, so if there's any confusion, let me know and I'll explain.
Hope you enjoyed!
-L