"And what's up with you?" Luther asked, looking to Thomas who was standing in the corner of the lobby. First Viktor was bleeding on the cheek, then Diego had a scratch with smeared blood on the back of his neck. And now Thomas hand kept shaking.
"Was it Harlan? The Sparrows are right. He shouldn't be here. He's dangerous." Luther looked to them all.
"He's only dangerous because I made him that way". Viktor defended Harlan. "This is my problem, and I appreciate your concern, but I'm gonna figure it out. I'm gonna fix it".
"What's going on?" Allison joined the group.
"Oh my God. He got you too? Did he get Esme too?" Luther's eyes widened, looking to Thomas in concern.
"She's actually looking for Five. We talked to Lucifer and he said Five will explain". Thomas told them bluntly.
"What do you mean you talked to Lucifer? What exactly did he say?" Diego turned to Thomas fully.
"I don't know. The guy is a dick." Thomas only shrugged.
"You okay?" Allison asked Viktor.
"Great. You?" Viktor asked back.
"Never better".
A weird noise sounded before a blue portal was above them, two figures falling out of it as everyone scrambled back. Besides Thomas of course since he was in the corner.
Lila and Five groaned, pushing the planks off of them and then at each other. "Well...there's Five". Thomas groaned. Of course. Five is here and Esme is wondering around the hotel looking for him.
"Where have you been?"
"Facing my mortality, Viktor. I don't recommend it". Five stood up.
"You had the briefcase? We've been looking for this!" Allison went over and picked the briefcase up.
"Well, look no further. That's the last one on Earth. Or was the last one". Five looked at it and when Allison dropped it back to the ground. Five took a closer look. "Yeah, that's toast."
"Five". Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Esme is looking for you".
"Why? Did she make more lemon cake by any chance?" Five asked, not bothering to look at Thomas.
"No. Well-I guess I could tell you. Esme and I talked to Lucifer-"
"The Devil?" Five looked up to Thomas. "That guy is a piece of shit". Five spat with hatred, remembering that he shoved his head on a dashboard in a car before Apocalypse 1 happened.
"I know! He is". Thomas agreed with him. "Look, the piece of shit said that the Sparrows are the least of our worries and that you would know what is worse". Thomas took a few steps closer to him. Five let out a long sigh and then looked to Diego and Luther who were talking.
"Hey, Chatty Cathy's, quit the chitchat, all right? I'm calling a family meeting here. We already know Esme is wondering around here somewhere". Five trailed off at the end, looking around. "New rule that she is at least with one of us? It seems she's always going missing". Five sighed with annoyance but was honestly used to it.
"Agreed". Thomas nodded.
"Yup". Diego
And the rest of the siblings agreed in their own way.
"Where's Klaus?"
"I'll be right back". Diego told them as he spotted his son.
"Dieg- lost another. Great". Five watched him leave.
"Spit it out Five"
"Oh, well, since you asked so nicely, sister mine, our little paradox brought forth a freaking Kugelblitz?"
"You've got to be kidding me". Thomas muttered.
"What the hell is a Kugelblitz?" Viktor asked.
"Let's just say it's the end...for sure this time". Thomas looked to Viktor.
~~~
Esme was now on a new floor, continuing her way, getting bored. Esme soon let out a dramatic noise, slowing her movements down as she dramatically dragged her arms down the hallway wall. "Where is he?" She groaned, stopping in her tracks. Esme then thought for a moment. "I've honestly haven't seen anyone in these hallways". Esme just stood where she was, leaning against the hallway wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
Esme
An eerie voice sounded in the hallway. Esme looked from left to right, but didn't see anyone.
Follow me
Esme knitted her eyebrows together, slowly uncrossing her arms.
Follow me
Esme slowly started to make her way where the voice was. She went back from the direction she came to before, continuing to follow the voice as it told her too.
Esme then stopped when she saw a taller, older man in a nice suit, standing in front of a hotel room door. But of course he had red eyes. He gestured for Esme to come closer.
"This better not be a stupid game". Esme took cautious steps towards him, her eyes never leaving his as she could still see him gesturing her with his hand.
Once Esme was close to him, standing in front of the door with this demon he dropped his hand, looking from the hotel room door, back to her. His mouth opening, speaking for one last time;
"I have something to show you"
He then disappeared, the hotel room door opening on its own. The door letting out a small creak as it did so. Once again, Esme took cautious steps as she entered the room. She looked around before her eyes landing on an opening.
"Weird". Esme made her way over, climbing through before stepping in a different room. She only took a few steps in before she stopped in place.
Klaus was dead on the floor.
Esme felt the air leave her lungs and her stomach doing flips. She let out a choked noise, her body starting to shake and finally she let out a sob, covering her mouth.
"No, no, no, no". She cried out, shaking her head, kneeling down to her brother, her hand going to her forehead for a moment and then hovering over him. She looked from the wound that killed him to his open, dead eyes.
"Esme".
Esme looked behind her, seeing Diego and Stanley.
"I don't know what happened". Esme tried to stop her crying, but it just continued into panic breaths.
"Uhhhhh". Stanley freaked out a bit.
"What did you do?" Diego asked Stanley, going over and kneeling down next to his sister, hoisting her up and directing her to sit on a seat. He gave her a comforting rub on the back before kneeling down to Klaus, closing his eyes.
"Nothing". Stanley stood over his dead uncle, not wanting to look at his distressed aunt that was crying on the chair behind him.
Diego stood up, taking Stanley by his shirt, pulling him forward with a harsh look. "Do not lie to me. This is my-our brother. Tell me what you did".
Esme slowly started to calm herself down, wiping the tears away as she waited for an answer from Stanley.
"We were just messing around, and it was fine. Until the gun went off". Stanley mumbled, not wanting to meet Diego's eyes.
Diego was silent, his grip still on his son as he looked to a sofa where the chemicals and gloves were at. Diego snapped his head back to his son.
"And you were gonna dissolve the body?!" Diego yelled.
"I didn't know what else to do, okay?" Stanley started to have tears in his eyes, panicking. "You were gonna hate me, and I'd have to go to prison, join a gang for protection, and end up in the hole!" Stanley started to breath heavily, panicking himself even more.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey". Diego placed his hands on either side of his sons head. "I don't hate you and neither does Aunt Esme".
Esme nodded her head to Stanley. She didn't hate him. He was a kid and this was just a very unfortunate accident.
"I just...can't believe it, okay? All the stupid shut Klaus used to do. I used to think he could survive anything, and now he's dead". Diego let go of Stanley, looking down to his brothers body.
"I'm really, really sorry". Stanley hugged Diego.
"Me too, kid". Diego wrapped his arms around him.
"Come on and help me wrap up your uncle in the carpet". Diego soon let go of his son.
"It just had to be a white carpet too". Esme let out a deep breath, not moving from her spot. Diego and Stanley rolled Klaus up in the rug. Esme then went over and helped Diego lift their dead brother in the rug and started to move him out.
"This is more of Thomas' thing. Not mine." Esme muttered as she shuffled backwards with Klaus in her arms.
As soon as they got into the hallway Diego told Esme that he had it from there. Once they got to the elevator, Diego put Klaus up the wall, grunting. Esme looked to Stanley who was flickering with a lighter.
"Are you sure we can't just torch the evidence?" Stanley asked the two. "A couple flames from Mr. Burns over here".
Diego reached over and snatched the lighter from him. "Give me that, you little pyro. We're not burning anything. We're gonna go talk to the family together. They'll, uh, understand that this was an accident". Diego noticed the sad and disappointed look on Stanley's face.
"Hey. No matter what happens, I got your back, okay?" Diego fumbled with Klaus body for a second.
"And you have mine as well". Esme looked at her nephew.
"Tú ya eres mi sangre". Diego said to Stanley.
"I still don't speak Spanish".
Diego threw the lighter back. "and I accept your flaws, all right? Now...". The elevator binged as the doors opened of the elevator.
"I got it. I got it. Just go get the door". Diego instructed Stanley.
"No. Let me"
"I don't think you have it". Esme looked to Diego struggling to the lobby man.
"No. Go wait over there. Wait by the..."
"Okay".
Everyone froze in space, looking at one another. Esme slowly put her hand up and gave a small wave. "Just going for a walk". Esme tried to play it cool.
"We're playing a game". Diego came up with a better lie.
"What's it called?" The lobby man asked.
"Guy in a Carpet". Diego answered.
"That actually sounds like a fun game". Esme whispered.
"I hope you win". The lobby man nodded and went on his way.
"Go get the door"
"Okay"
"Klaus was right. I love this place".
"Too dark for my liking". Esme followed Diego in the elevator.
"Get his head. Get his head".
Esme winced as she heard Klaus' head bang against the elevator wall. Watching Diego and Stanley put Klaus upright, pushing the elevator button to G.
Diego was leaning close to Klaus, making sure he didn't fall while Stanley and Esme were by the buttons. It was silent in the elevator until Klaus gasped, lifting his head up making the three scream. Diego flew backwards, clinging onto Esme in fear. Esme holding Diego as the two continued to scream.
"Oh, my god. Oh, my god". Stanley kept repeating. "You told me he was dead, puta!"
"He was, and now you speak Spanish?" Diego yelled.
"I'm having a heart attack!" Esme screamed as her eyes were squeezed shut, her one hand over her heart while the other was on the elevator wall.
Klaus groaned, falling back into Diego. "Let's just turn down the volume a smidge, shall we?" Klaus asked in almost a whisper. "Celestial comedown is a bitch!" Klaus pushed himself off of Diego and then slid down the wall.
"Woah! Oh, you scared the shit out of me, Klaus! I thought you were dead".
"Yeah". Klaus breathed rapidly, looking down at where he had been hit in the chest. "Me too". Klaus said shakily before he started to laugh manically and then started crying. "Me too. Me too".
Esme still had her eyes closed, getting her breathing under control and when the elevator binged she opened her eyes, seeing Klaus start to walk out the elevator. "I don't know if you should be walking". Esme called to him.
"Yeah. Dude, slow down". Diego followed after him. "You were dead, like three minutes ago. Like dead dead, all right, so-"
"Well, I'm back now. Apparently it's like, a thing I do. Who knew? Right? And look?"
"That's gross". Esme looked at the wound on her brothers chest but knitted her eyebrows together as it grew smaller.
"It's healing?" She asked.
"What would happen if we cut off your head? Would it grow two of you?" Stanley asked.
"Stan. Would it?" Diego then asked Klaus.
"That's a really good question". Esme nodded slowly. Klaus headed to the bar where they saw the rest of the family sitting at, following as well.
"Gimme some of that". Klaus told Five.
"What the hell happened to you?" Five asked him.
"Oh, just a speargun to the chest. No big deal".
"Huh?" Thomas turned to Esme who sat next to him.
"Don't. Don't even asked". She put her hand up, shaking her head.
"What did we miss?" Diego asked Lila.
"The universe is ending and we're all going to die".
"Really?" Esme looked at her. "Again? Can't something new happen. Like, can't it be something fun like getting sucked up into a fictional universe? I, for one vote for the Marvel Universe. I have so many questions to ask Tony". Esme went on only receiving unamused but not surprised looks from her siblings.
"I would want to go to Middle Earth. Specifically as an elf". Thomas chimed in.
"Ohhhh, that's a good one". Esme pointed to him with a smile.
Their talk got rudely interrupted as some lobby people suddenly disappeared, the hotel shaking. "What the hell was that?" Diego asked.
"That was a Kugel wave". Five muttered. "Oh, it's getting worse".
"How long do we have?" Luther asked him.
"At this rate of escalation if you factor in-"
"How long, Five?" Luther raised his voice.
"He was getting to the point". Esme stepped in, not liking that Luther raised his voice at Five.
"It's fine, Esme". Five reassured her, looking at her and then to Luther. "Four, maybe five days before the rest of existence is blitzed".
Everyone sighed in disappointment. Esme grabbed Thomas' hand nervously, him holding her hand back tightly.
"We should've given them Harlan". Luther spoke up after a long period of silence.
"Luther". Viktor sighed.
"What about Harlan?"
"The Sparrows said if we turned him over, we could end the fighting, and then work together to save the world. But if we didn't-"
"But we tried to make peace. Okay, and then the step-siblings from hell attacked, kidnapped you, and they tried to kill us". Viktor cut Luther off. "I mean, come on. We can't trust them. Working together would be like trying to defuse a bomb by pouring gas on it. It's only gonna make things burn down faster".
"But don't we need the big bad glow-y thing in their basement?" Klaus asked.
"The wha?" Esme asked with her mouth hung open. Thomas gently used his hand to close her mouth. Esme only smiled and nudged him playfully.
"Klaus, do you know where the Kugelblitz is?" Five asked casually.
"Oh, yeah. I saw it". Klaus poured himself another drink, gasping dramatically. "When I went to visit Dad. It's in the old storage room where Mom used to keep all her luggage".
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Diego asked like it was obvious.
"I did. I told you!" Klaus turned back to Diego, pointing at him.
"You say stupid shit all the time!" Diego shook his head.
"Of course. It appeared in the same place we did". Thomas said to himself, Five hearing as his eyes widened at the realization while Diego and Klaus bickered back and forth.
Esme rubbed her head with all the bickering going on and when it stopped she looked to see everyone moving to the lobby. "Why can't we just sit for ten minutes?" Esme followed suit.
"If we hadn't gone back to 1963, if I hadn't have saved him-"
"He killed Jayme and Alphonso, not you". Luther looked to Viktor. "He's the reason we're in this mess and he's our only way out of it".
"Luther's right". Five joined in. "If we're gonna have an iota of a chance of getting out of this alive, we need access to the Kugelblitz"
"There's only four of them left. We can just overpower them". Viktor looked to them.
"What, and risk losing some of us in the process?" Five questioned. "Harlan is insignificant".
"You told me once that no one is insignificant. They'll kill him".
"Uh, so?" Lila butted in. "We are talking about one person versus saving billions of lives here. I mean, is this really a debate for you people?"
"Hey, Little Britain? You don't get a vote". Viktor told her.
Thomas' eyes widened at the comment as he held back a laugh.
"Lila lives in this universe too". Klaus defended her. "Besides, she's family now. Kinda, sorta".
"Mm. Thanks, kitten".
"I don't give a shit about the Sparrows, but I'm not gonna let scary-ass Grandpa finish you off". Diego told Viktor.
"Five days ago, he was just a little kid. And what? Now I'm supposed to just decide he lives or dies".
"Viktor, we're down to ethical triage here, all right? We can't save everyone"
You can try
Was all Esme could think when she heard Five.
"The kindest cut wins". Five finished.
"You always wanted to be on the team. This is what it is". Luther said to Viktor softly. "Saving the world means making the hard calls".
"I hate this".
"Yeah, I know".
~~~
Esme and Thomas sat back at the bar while everyone did their own thing. They were a bit further away from Five and Klaus talking about what if each of them were a color what it would be.
"I would not be red". Thomas shook his head.
"It's between that or black. I can't decide. Because I just want to mush both of the traits together". Esme gestured with her hands dramatically, laughing.
"Yeah, okay". Thomas nodded, chuckling before getting serious. "Hey, when this Kugelblitz thing is all over I was thinking that we could go somewhere?" Thomas looked to her.
"Honestly, a nice break sounds nice". Esme nodded, agreeing. "Where?" She asked him with wide, bright eyes.
"I don't know". Thomas tried to think where but he didn't know. He's never been anywhere.
"When I never know where to go, my mind goes to the beach but I never know which one to go too. Usually, I try to think of the ones that have the most sand dollars. I love watching them move-". Esme started to ramble.
"Wait- sand dollars are alive?" Thomas asked.
"Yes. You didn't-oh, my gosh! They are!" Esme jumped in her spot on her seat, excited to explain it to them. "When they're a dark color such as purple they're alive and it's really cool to see because they move in the sand. They make like a circle to face the sea or something and I looooove to hold them in my hand because they tickle when they move".
Esme explained with a bunch of hand gestures and a big smile on her face which only made Thomas smile. He loved seeing her so happy, especially when she explained things that she enjoyed talking about. Esme reached over and grabbed his hand.
"I know a great beach we could go too". She told him.
"I'm looking forward to that trip then. I can't wait to see a moving sand dollar". Thomas smiled to her. The two looked at one another, not saying anything else for a moment before Esme looked down at their hands.
"You're squeezing it a bit tightly". Esme let out a small laugh, thinking nothing of it.
Thomas didn't even realize he was doing it.
"Sorry". Thomas quickly let go of her hand. "I'm sorry". Thomas apologized, standing up quickly.
"It's okay, it was an accident". Esme reassured him.
"I need to go to the bathroom". Thomas told her, making his way away from her. Esme watched him leave, questioning his sudden behavior of how quick he stood up but didn't say anything else.
While Thomas was wondering if it was truly an accident or not.
When five minutes went by she either came to the conclusion that Thomas got lost somewhere in the hotel or that he needed some alone time. She went with alone time as he didn't have much of that recently.
"Where's Harlan?" She heard Five ask Viktor.
"He's gone".
"You let him go, didn't you?" Luther asked.
"Harlan's death isn't going to stop the Kugelblitz. It's just gonna be another tragedy on a tragedy. And we can find another- I will find another way". Viktor explained.
Esme listened to the siblings talk and she slowly stood up from her seat and made her way over. She was slightly behind Luther and Five where she looked at Viktor but was in front of Klaus who was still sitting down.
"Does this mean no beach?" Esme asked.
While Klaus, Luther, and Viktor had no idea what she was talking about. Five did. Even though Esme and Thomas were away from him at the bar, he could hear his sister. She's far from quiet.
Five leaned against an open chair, facing Esme. He gave her a sad look, shaking his head slightly seeing the look on her face. "No beach, Esme". Five answered.
"Well, congratulations, Viktor. You managed to destroy everything. Again". Was the last thing Luther said before walking away.
Esme walked over to where Klaus was sitting on the bar and held her arms out like a little kid. Klaus immediately leaned over and pulled her into him, giving her a tight hug.
"I really thought you were smarter than that". Five whispered with disappointment to Viktor, watching him walk away while Klaus still held Esme.
"Well!" Klaus soon let go of Esme and pulled a bar stool seat out for her, clapping his hands. "That went great!" He sighed and sat next to Esme while Five took the other seat beside her. Leaving Esme in the middle. Esme leaned over to Five and pulled him into a hug.
Five grumbled a bit but patted her arm anyway. "1...2...3". Five counted slowly and when he reached 3, Esme let go, a small smile on her face even if the hug was short. She appreciated it.
Klaus leaned over the bar, grabbing a bottle of liquor and two shot glasses.
"Grab another one please". Esme said and both Klaus and Five looked at her with surprise.
"Whoa. Didn't see that coming". Five commented as Klaus grabbed another shot glass and set it down in front of her, pouring the liquid into each glass.
"I saw my future self die". Five told the two.
Klaus gasped. "That's crazy. Almost the exact same thing happened to me but I didn't die. But I did, but..."
"He told me not to save the world". Five explained more.
"And then he died"
"I don't know".
Klaus and Five talked over each other casually.
"Thomas killed me in an alternate universe". Esme suddenly said and the two siblings turned to look at her slowly.
"Huh". Was all Five said.
"I want to question it but I don't think my brain can handle it". Klaus said.
"We have such a weird life". Esme spoke slowly. Realizing just how weird and messed up it has been.
"Agreed". Klaus and Five spoke at the same time.
"What do you think he meant by that?" Five asked, changing the subject back to his future self.
"Well, shouldn't you know?" Klaus asked.
"Shouldn't you know about your-okay".
"What if it's because if we save the world it won't be good. What if it turns out worst. I mean, this is like the third apocalypse. What if it just keeps going until it finally...stops". Esme explained.
"Okay". Five would remember Esme's comment later but he just wanted to drink now.
"Well, up your ass". Klaus said
"Salud". Five brought she glass up.
"Cheers to the governor!" Esme happily said and shot the glass and then started to cough and her face scrunched up.
"Bad idea! Bad idea! My tongue. Help!"