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His powers whined as Five pushed to get one last jump. His hands shook, curses flew from his mouth as no blue light to be seen. He was powered out, drained to the bone as he got out all his siblings from the musty maze of a warehouse. Five stumbled, sliding behind one of the crates as heavy boots thudded around him.
He was surrounded and he was exhausted.
At least his siblings made it out ok. Allison had a concussion by the looks of it as Vanya and Klaus trudged her along, blood running down Klaus' shoulder as he grimaced in pain everytime Allison would jostle him. Diego wasn't doing any better; his leg broken as he sucked in through his teeth as Luther carried him out to safety. They looked like a sad bunch, but survival was the key at the end of the day and they would be alright.
Gunshots richooched around him, crates turning to splinters as the air permeated with gun powder and burning wood.
Five hunkered down, slapping his palms over his ears. There was no way out of this. This was it.
Shell casings tinkered against the ground, new clips being reloaded.
"C'mon out, Number Five, you're outnumbered and surrounded. Turn yourself in and we might let you live."
Five snarled. Fat chance he was getting out of this alive, the minute he steps out they'll empty their clips in him.
"Hey, jerk offs, why don't you mess with someone your own size?! "
Bullets rained around him once again.
Panic gripped his heart. What was that idiot doing back here?
"Shit." Five scrambled for a weapon, wrapping his hand around a piece of jagged wood, a poor imitation of a stake. Splinters embedded into his knees as he crawled behind another crate heart pounding.
The shooting stopped as they broke up into teams.
Five peaked behind the crate; 3 men went left and 3 went right fully strapped in tactile gear; meanwhile he had only had a pathetic attempt at a stake in a teenage body. Assassin training kicked in and quickly deflated against the odds.
A hand gripped his bicep as Five poised the stake against the assailant's throat.
"Chill out, Buffy." Klaus held his palms out in a surrender while looking milfed.
Five narrowed his eyes, lowering the stake, hissing" Hell of a time to grow a hero complex. "
Klaus shrugged, peeking behind the crate." Can't be the only brother not to have it.``
"Let's make a deal; you both come out and we might consider letting your useless brother live. What do you say? "
"Oh the irony, " Klaus mumbled, as Five glared at him.
Five twisted his grasp on the stake, eyeing the exit 30 feet behind them that was most likely covered.
"Can't you blink us out?"
Five whipped his head back, lips curled, "Gee, wish I thought of that!" Klaus huffed, waving his hand "ok, don't need the sass right now. A "no" would have sufficed."
Pounding footsteps were getting closer.
"Shit" Five eyes widened looking around for any possible exits he might have missed.
The seance groaned, mumbling weak encouragements under his breath, shaking his hands out before turning them into fists. " I have a plan that you just gotta go with, has about give or take 37% chance of survival
but it's better than being sitting ducks. On three we run for that exit. "
"Are you insane? Will be shot in an instant. These guys are professionals not amateurs."
"Hence the 37% survival rate disclosure. I need you to trust me"
Five gave a flat out stare. "No."
"Ok, fair, but ouch. We gotta talk about trust issues later once we are out of here. Actually, if we get-"
"They want me, not you. Stay here, I'm gonna go."
"And you're saying I'm insane. They'll kill you on the spot. You're not exactly the most lovable guy."
"No shit" Five hissed as he stood up, loosening his shoulders, feeling the splinters dig into his hands as he adjusted his grip.
Klaus hand shot out grabbing his wrist earning a glare from his brother, trying to yank his hand back.
For being such a lanky thin man, the persistent grip of Klaus wouldn't let go
The ex-assassin's lips snarled, insults on his tongue as he caught Klaus' terrified expression, lips instantly pulling into a frown and stopping the tugging and feeling the weight of the much larger hand wrapped around his wrist.
"Klaus-"
"On the count of three, run." The grip tightened around his wrist. Klaus was serious.
"That's suicide." Five said softly.
"Yeah, well that's unfortunately another side effect of being a Hargreeves. Half of our plans are suicidal " Klaus said with a forced laugh before squeezing his wrist.
The eldest sibling sighed and nodded along with the half baked plan. Nothing in their life was ever easy and there were definitely worst ways of dying.
Klaus bought his hands closer to himself and made fists, eyes shut tightly.
"One"
Oh so this was the plan. Klaus had been practicing on and off since they landed back in 2019, but they didn't push him since he was grieving Ben. Five had a long time grieving his entire family in the apocalypse, all alone screaming into the polluted sky, but Klaus always had Ben by his side, he never really went through the grieving process.
Klaus fists started shaking, tremors running through his body, lips pulled into a thin line and eyes squeezed shut.
Around them the footsteps were getting louder and louder.
"Two"
A blue light shimmered around his brother's fists, veins lighting from his fingertips to his wrists.
Five gasped, stunned at how similar it was to his own power.
A sudden breeze of chill burst through the warehouse, lights flickering overhead. An uncomfortable feeling settled in as if being watched.
The agents appeared in front of them guns cocked and fingers on triggers.
"Three" Klaus whispered.
Gunfire rang out as a legion of the undead materialized in front of them, shielding them in a circle. Corporeal dead bodies were pestered with bullets as they quickly rebounded back up as if nothing happened, snarls on their lips and arms poised out ready to tear and rip apart their victims.
The dead were dead. They were way past getting hurt.
Klaus grabbed his stunned brother's wrist pulling him towards one of the sudden open spot in the breaking of the circle.
Five huffed, as he tugged out of his brother's grip, coming up to pace by his side as they ran towards the exit.
He chose a horrible moment to be impressed with his brother; Klaus never really showed his true potential growing up. He was caught gaping at his brother too back at the theater, eyes shifting between Klaus and Ben- who had died 17 years ago, or twice as long for him, in corporeal form shredding and tearing limbs of commission agents left and right.
Screams broke out behind them, one by one bodies hitting the floor and joining the spirit world.
Five shuddered sprinting to the door and pushing it open with Klaus right behind him and shoving him out.
"Hurry up, hurry up! " His brother's breath warm behind his neck.
Moonlight greeted them outside with no one in sight. Klaus grasped his knees, panting hard. "Holy shit, we made it."
Five wiped the sweat from his brow, finally releasing the sad attempt of a weapon from his grasp as it clattered to the ground.
Klaus saved them. His brother had done something he had never attempted in his 32 years. Five eyed him up and down before settling into a neutral expression, eyes unwavering.
The seance chuckled uncomfortably coming into a full stand. "What?"
Five tilted his chin, "I'm impressed."
Klaus jaw dropped, gaping like a fish before quickly gaining his composure. "Can I get that in writing?"
The boy rolled his eyes walking past him, lips twitching up "Don't get used to it."
Klaus scrambled behind him, keeping pace, "I wouldn't dream of it!" Getting a light chuckle from Five.
"C'mon let's go find the other idiots. I'm surprised Diego didn't come limping into action."
"Oh well, you know Di loves bringing knives to a gunfight, he would have if Luther didn't threaten to sit on him. As they were having their cat fight and Vanny had her arms full with Allison, I slipped out."
"My hero." Five deadpanned.
Klaus grinned almost losing his footing, "Don't get used to it, mon petit frère" earning himself a slap to the back of his head.
"Ow, I'm still injured from my shoulder wound. Don't add to my list."
"You know if you got hit a bit higher, it might have rattled some common sense into you. Something that's severely lacking from this family."
"Don't you know it."
Five stopped in his tracks, turning to him "excuse me?"
Klaus blinked. "Weren't you back there? It was like 20 to 1. If I didn't show up, I would have had another brother haunting me and that's the last thing I want." Klaus sighed, looking away.
"I would have-"
Klaus waved at him exasperated, "look, all I'm saying is that you're important too so please let's think of all available options next time before someone decides to be the sacrifice. We might be shit at expressing it but we love you too."
Five let out a shaky exhale, nodding his head slowly before looking back at Klaus. "I love you guys too."
Klaus couldn't contain himself as he launched himself at his brother, pressing him to his chest and winding his arms around his shoulders. "Awe, you do care Fivey!
Five huffed into Klaus' jacket, pulling back before Klaus pressed him back into the hug, squeezing " I regret letting the stake go." he sighed before giving up and letting Klaus have his fulfillment.
"Love you too, Buffy."
"I still don't know what that means."