Chapter Text
Diego always had his radio on. Whether he was supposed to or not didn't stop him.
"-yeah, I need some backup, some bar fight got outta hand-"
"-code 2443, round the forty-third avenue-"
"-uh, I need Detective Gibson at the station-"
It was useful to him. Sometimes the other officers wouldn't be too happy with him jumping in and appearing out of nowhere to help. But they could either waste time and argue about it or suck it up and secretly be thankful because of his combat skills.
"-gotta situation, woman racially attacking a young boy-"
"-you got everything under control there, Rhodes?-"
"-I need eyes and ears on the street, a mother looking for her child. Redheaded, blue eyes-"
But now and then, he'd hear something along the lines of;
"-oh, Imma need medical assistance, looks like an overdose-"
"-tall, curly-haired, skinny lookin' dude in some alleyway, OD'd-"
"-some beat-up junkie here, don't look like he's gonna make it. ID says his name is Klau-"
"Sorry, you cut out there officer, what was the identification?"
"Oh, sorry, lifted my finger off the button. Says the name is Klaude Silverman, from Florida-"
And it would shake him to his core.
Every time, no matter how vague the description, how far away it was, or how unrealistic it sounded, Diego feared that one day the haunting feeling he had would be right. And he never wanted that day to come.
He should've known everything always went to shit in this family.
Diego sat in his car in a dull and empty car park of some random diner. He was hungry and stopped in to grab a quick something, eating away at the burger in his hand. Okay, so maybe today was his cheat day. The radio, as always, stood upright on the dashboard, the long antenna almost touching the roof of his small car. His moment of peace was cut too soon when;
"-I need a negotiator and an ambulance, ASAP! We got a jumper in our hands. Lakeside Park, east side, pronto!"
Diego didn't listen too intensively at first, wasn't his scene. He was never good at that stuff. But the next few lines changed that quickly.
"-what's the situation like?"
"Guy seems pretty out of it. Multi-coloured crop top, leather pants, tall and skinny. Keeps talking to the air. He looks scared, got his hands over his ears-"
Diego had already stepped on the gas.
//--//--//--//--//
The journey was quick, Diego putting almost all the pressure in his foot down onto the pedal. He didn't care if he ran a red, he was safe enough not to get in an accident. He'd deal with the parking fine later, this was more important.
Throughout the entirety of the ride, he could hear the other officers sending updates.
"-the jumper still hasn't leaped but he's moved closer-"
"-keeps screaming for something to stop-"
"-cussing at the police-"
He kept telling himself no. That it wasn't him. He wasn't standing on the ledge of a bridge. He wasn't going to jump.
"-he's shivering, looks cold-"
"-yeah, malnourished-"
"-can we get crowd control over here?"
A car beeped from behind him as he illegally overtook them, hearing a disgruntled shout when they lowered the window and gave him the finger. Diego didn't even stop to look back.
"-woah! wobbled a bit, almost-"
Diego repeated the phrase over and over again in his head like it was a mantra.
It wasn't him. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. It wasn't-
He could do with some meditation right now. His lungs felt like they were closing in on him, he couldn't find it in himself to breathe. As he stared out onto the snow-covered road, he noticed his vision starting to blur. He blinked, whatever was in his eye was gone now but he did feel something tickle his cheek.
"-where is the negotiator? he's about to-"
The view in front of him began to hasten until it became just a mushy haze of white and black. He was going to get there, find whoever the guy was, get him down (well, he's not gonna just show up, see someone else and just leave them there...) and then meet up with Klaus and buy him some damn waffles.
"-he says if we don't back up he'll-"
Diego just barely missed the corner, hearing the uncomfortable noise of tires screeching on the slippery road as he abruptly swerved the car sideways. There it is, he could see the flashing blues and reds in the near distance.
Klaus better be getting high.
//--//--//--//--//--//
"Patch!" Diego called, spotting the familiar dark-haired ponytail among the crowd of police officers, ambulance drivers, and some civilians, all crowded in a semi-circle around the start of the long bridge that stretched across the wide river flowing through the park. The person whom the name belonged to whipped her head back to see a frantic Diego running towards her. Yikes, she looked angry. And an Angry Eudora Patch was not one to mess with.
"What the Hell are you doing here?! We didn't call for y-"
Diego shoved past her, knocking her to the side, and did the same to the rest of the small crowd of uniformed people until he reached the front and nearly collapsed to his knees at the sight.
Klaus...
His little brother stood on the very edge of the bridge shaking like he was in the middle of an earthquake. He had his signature flashy and eccentric clothing on but it wasn't very warm so no doubt contributing to the shaking and the sickly look his body appeared to have. His arms were shielding his head, pulling at his hair, and he was whimpering like somebody's lost puppy. It was unlike anything Diego had ever experienced before, the sight of Klaus trembling as he barely stood an inch away from his inevitable death. Diego knew Klaus was unhappy, Hell they were all fucking miserable , but...this? Diego hadn't even properly said it and it already left a bile taste in his mouth. He'd seen Klaus a few times since leaving home. He was happy and carefree, still being his flamboyant self even if it was on account of the drugs he was taking. But still, the contrast between the Klaus he had known for twenty-something years in comparison to the one about to jump off a bridge...it certainly gave him an uneasy feeling.
"Go away...p-please, just leave me alone-" He rambled under his breath miserably.
It tore something inside of Diego viciously.
Patch soon found her way beside the armed vigilante and she looked furious.
"Ramirez, why are you here?!" She scolded. "You better have an explanation for this!"
Diego had a lot more than she thought to explain. Hell, as far as she knew his name was Diego Ramirez who wasn't from here and had little to no family.
He didn't answer her, didn't even turn his head to her, infuriating her further. He just kept his horrified and teary face on the quivering man in front of him.
Patch observed the manner of her colleague, casting a glance at Klaus and then back to Diego, any trace of anger in her appearance fading away.
"You know him?" She asked sympathetically.
Diego, still not able to find any words to speak, remained silent but nodded in confirmation. Patch reached out to place a hand on his shoulder in comfort but jolted away slightly when officers began to shout in protest as Klaus slowly inched forward more.
Trepidation kicked off once more for Diego as Klaus little by little came closer in contact with death. His eyes grew wide, deciding then and there that if he didn't do something he might lose yet another sibling. He couldn't handle going through that again. Seven down to five, now seven down to four-
No. Diego wouldn't let that happen.
Approaching Klaus wearily using timid steps, Diego utilized his best attempts at getting Klaus off safely.
"K-Klaus!" He exclaimed but clearly, it was no use as Klaus continued to mumble incoherent words to no one but himself, hands still tightly pressed over his ears.
Diego gradually closed in on the open space surrounding Klaus, no one risking to provoke him even further and resulting in a fatality. Or maybe they just thought he was crazy and didn't want to be near him.
"Klaus, h-hey!" He greeted, finding his efforts futile as nothing changed. "Klaus, d-dammit, lis..listen to me! Klaus! Look at me!"
Eudora watched from behind, next to Beaman, and frowned. Diego had never stuttered before. Or, well, at least this much. She'd shrugged it off at the time. Guess he was literal when he told her he wasn't good with words to justify a terrible apology he had once given her.
"Fuck, Klaus, pl..please, look at me!" Diego continued. He sighed. "It's me, Diego, it's your brother! Just look at me, Klaus!"
That one generated a spasm of questions among his friends and colleagues, especially Patch. She had known Diego a long time, not once did he mention a brother. He specifically stated he didn't have any siblings. Now, here he was talking his supposed brother down from a bridge? They were going to have words, speech impediment be damned.
Diego groaned quietly in frustration to himself. Klaus was seconds away from disaster, not looking like he was able to hold on for much longer. His fists clenched, arm extended out towards his little brother, same day or not. Klaus lifted his foot and then;
"Number Four!"
He froze.
It didn't pull him away from the ledge but it captured his attention and that was a good enough reason for Diego to know he was getting through to him. Klaus turned around, eyes wide. His face was hollow, most likely from lack of food, and dark lines were trailing down his cheeks.
Diego smiled limply. "That's it," He encouraged, bravely stepping a few feet forward. Patch observed from afar, eyes also wide.
"G-go away!" Klaus screamed, making Diego wince in fear and shake his head. "Leave me alone!"
"You know I can't do that Klaus," Diego protested sincerely. A scoff escaped its way from Klaus' throat past his choked sobs.
"Didn't stop you before." He croaked out bitterly.
Diego's eyes found the ground, guilt overcoming his form. "I know, man...it wasn't like that. You know that, right?"
Klaus squeezed his eyes tightly, biting his lip to try and stall his tears for later when he fell off this fucking thing. Why did the police have to get called? And why was Diego here? Everyone was perfectly fine knowing how depressed he was but now that he's about to do something about it, they're all rushing to side like the fucking heroes they think they are just so they, what, don't have his death on their conscience? So, at least when he finally ends it all, they don't have to feel guilty?
"Klaus, come on, d..don't do this to yourself." Diego reasoned but that turned out to be the wrong thing to say.
"Yeah, that sounds familiar," he hissed. "I'm just an addict to you guys, right? I don't mean anything. I never did! I was potential down the drain, a disappointment. Because I couldn't get clean, couldn't face my fears - just like dad always said, right?"
Diego felt his breath hitch in his throat. "No! No, n..no...fuck what the old man says, all ri..ight?"
Something was creeping into Eudora's mind. The familiar face of a stuttering boy on TV, a family that had numbers for names, some billionaire definitely had something to do with it. Maybe a movie or something?
"Since when has anything th..that asshole ever said m..mattered?! Please, Klaus...don't. First Five, then B..Ben...this family doesn't need another dead sibling." He begged solemnly.
Eudora frowned in confusion. More siblings? And they were dead? Holy shit. Just how much was Diego hiding? Was that even his real name at this point?
"I need you to-"
"No one needs my shit!" Klaus interrupted. He rolled his eyes at the seemingly empty space adjacent to him. "I don't care, Ben."
Wait, hold up - Ben? As in the Ben Diego mentioned that died? Eudora needed to start writing her questions down because she had way too many.
"Klaus," Diego swallowed. "If you..if you jump," Diego maneuvers his way closer. "Then I have to jump w..with you." He declared.
Klaus' face dropped, shaking rapidly.
"No, you can't-"
"I will."
Diego strode in the direction of Klaus, hands reaching out for him.
"Diego, please - no." He cried.
Diego is almost next to him. "If this is it for you...then it is for me too."
It seemed like the world was holding its breath, Diego included. The small crowd waiting to see what happened next. Even Patch could feel a trickle of fear down her spine, hoping Diego wouldn't go through with his words, Klaus too.
Klaus' head swaps between the abyss below him that stretched on for miles and his knife-throwing brother. After the longest minute of Diego's entire life - Klaus jumped.
Into his arms.
Everyone released a breath they didn't know they were keeping in. Diego instantaneously wrapped Klaus up in a warm embrace, shielding him from the cold weather. Diego held one hand on the back of Klaus' head, chin resting on his brother's shoulder.
"Thank God..." He muttered, following it with a sigh of relief.
The unwanted attention began to clear up, leaving an empty park bridge, aside from a few remaining officers. Diego was grateful, he knew an audience was the last thing Klaus needed and he did not want to repeat this night. Ever.
He heard light footsteps growing louder until they halted behind him. He hadn't moved from his position in the last five-ten minutes but if that's what his brother wanted, then that's what Diego was doing.
"You should get him home." A voice he recognized as Eudora.
He didn't even bother trying to argue with her, she was right anyways. He hauled Klaus over to his car, opening the back seat door and gently placing him inside. Klaus went limp as soon as the car seat supported his worn-out frame, eyes groggily trying not to close. Diego shut the door after whispering a few reassuring words, turning around to be greeted with Patch once again.
She looked like she had a lot to say but respected that now wasn't the time for it. Instead, she sighed sadly.
"Your surname isn't really Ramirez, is it?" Beaman stated more than asked, frightening him from his unexpected contribution.
"Beaman." Eudora hissed.
Diego didn't mind too much. He was going to have to tell them one way or another. Might as well get rid of the awkwardness surrounding him - the big elephant in the room. "No, it isn't." He responded in an uncommon calmness. But the fact that was the most normal thing tonight was enough said.
Some other policemen and detectives stared at him with gawking eyes filled with a million questions. He tried his best to ignore them, to focus on what really needed him. Namely, his quaking brother in the back of his car, clinging onto his sanity by a thread. As much as Diego wished he could deny it, they had all probably figured it out by now. Number Four, Number Five - not very popular American names. Unless you were in a crazy superhero family that was famous ten years ago. If they hadn't, they probably would soon. They were detectives after all. He best leave, at least then he doesn't have to be here for everyone's reaction when they find out the truth.
"Go," Patch advised as if she could read his thoughts. "Go take care of your brother."
Diego nodded in agreement, briefly flicking his head to the side to check on Klaus. He was gazing ahead emotionless and Diego prayed it was because he was tired. He turned back to Eudora.
"Call me. We need to have a talk," She said sternly, waving a single finger at him. Her eyes shot to Klaus, then his again. "After you help him."
Diego gave a quicker nod this time. "Thanks, Eudora." He replied gratefully, using her first name.
For once, she didn't correct him.
//--//--//--//--//--//
Returning home in Diego's car was uncomfortable, to be Frank. Silence overtook the two brothers, neither knowing what to say without triggering something in one another. Klaus slumped, his cheek resting against the window, watching the view whiz past him. He averted his eyes to the driver's seat where Diego sat with a hard expression covering his features. He looked as if he was trying his hardest not to cry from his clenched jaw and tightening fists gripping the steering wheel.
"So..." Klaus started hoarsely. Diego quickly shot his eyes towards the front mirror before back to the road. "You're..y-you're not going t-to yell at me?"
Diego wrinkled his brows in bafflement. "Yell at you? God, no, Klaus. I'm angry - yeah - but...not at you." He affirmed. He followed it with a loud exhale. "I-I...I care about you, Klaus. You're the only brother I have left."
Klaus frowned in confusion. "What about Luther?"
Diego smirked. "Who?"
Klaus couldn't help but smile.