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Lifting Klaus onto his shoulder, Diego made his way out of the elevator, Stan trailing behind him. Diego’s thoughts were whirling, his son had just killed his brother. His little brother.
He had tried to comfort Stan but couldn’t do anything else. Half of him didn’t even want to look in his direction, let alone offer comfort for murdering his uncle. This never would have happened if Lila hadn’t come back.
Wow, he never thought he would ever think something like that. He doesn’t want Lila here. If Lila never came back Klaus would still be alive.
He saw his siblings still at the bar, their conversation coming to a halt when they see them. He gently lowers Klaus onto the floor and steps back.
His siblings look at him confused as to why he brought down a carpet, not noticing the body placed inside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lila go stand beside Stan. Resentment fills him.
“Diego, what’s this?” Luther asks, eyes flicking between Diego and the carpet.
“It’s Klaus” he mumbles out, he feels tears stinging his eyes. Keep it together Diego, you can’t fall apart now.
“What do you mean it's Klaus?” Five demands, Diego looks away. Five stalks forwards and crouches beside the rolled up carpet, hesitatingly he begins to unroll it.
Before it’s fully unrolled he sees a tuft of curly brown hair, his breath hitches. He abruptly stands up and paces the room, his hands fisted in his hair. “No, no, no.” he repeats over and over. He turns to face Diego, “Who did this?” he asks in a deadly voice, he sees Stan take a slight step back and his eyes narrow onto him.
“You! You killed my brother?!” he all but shouts, Stan flinches back and hides behind Lila.
“Hey!” Lila shouts at him, “Don't shout at him like that!”
“Stop!” Allison yells before anything can escalate, she steps towards the carpet and unrolls it fully, showing everyone the dead body of their brother. Gasps echo around, “What the fuck.” she whispers.
Luther and Viktor stare at Klaus, his cold lifeless eyes staring back at them. They feel sick.
A sob escapes someone, looking around they see Five fall to his knees and crawl towards Klaus. Five grips onto Klaus and shakes him begging him to wake up, tears are streaming down his face and dropping onto Klaus shirt, creating wet patches.
The others look at Five in shock, they have never seen him act like this before. They watch as Five breaks down in front of them, clutching onto their dead brother and pleading for him to get up.
Viktor walks up behind Five and gently places his hand on his shoulder, Five shoves him off and buries his face into Klaus’ shoulder. Viktor steps back, not knowing what to do.
He looks towards the others and notices that they’re all crying, eyes red and puffy. He only realises now that he’s crying with them.
Lila grabs Stan and quickly leaves, leaving the grieving siblings behind.
“Five,” Diego calls out, trying to gain the attention of the sobbing boy.
“We-we should have c-c-continued the r-road trip.” he stutters out, he tries to take a deep breath but it doesn’t work. Sobs rack his body as he lets out the most gut wrenching sound.
Diego decides enough is enough and pulls Five off Klaus. It’s a struggle, Five grips onto Klaus so tightly, Diego has to force his hands away until they’re free. It doesn’t end there though, as soon as Diego tries to pull Five away, Five lurches forward to grasp onto Klaus.
“Five, come on.” Diego grits out.
Five doesn’t hear him, too focused on trying to hold onto his brother.
Finally, Diego manages to drag Five away and pulls him into a hug holding him tightly. Five tries to get away, pushing at Diego’s arms to let him go.
He eventually gives up and collapses onto Diego, sobs still escaping him.
Diego gently rocks him, running his hand through Five’s hair, he looks up at his other siblings. They’re just standing there, staring at their dead brother.
Diego turns towards Klaus and all he can’t think of is how he came to Diego when they were kids, all the times Diego helped him when he was out on the streets. Diego always swore to himself that he would do anything to protect his little brother, hell they all did, Klaus was the baby of the family. And they all failed him.
Five was still crying into his shoulder, he can feel his shirt dampen due to the tears. He doesn’t care.
It felt like years before any of them spoke, too in shock at seeing Klaus. Luther stepped forward and as carefully as he could, wrapped Klaus back up and gently lifted him into his arms.
“Where will I put him?” Luther sniffed, blinking back his tears.
That seemed to bring Five back, his head snapping up to face Luther. Luther bit back a cringe at the sight of Five’s red and tear stained face.
“Br-bring him up t-to our r-r-room.” Five hiccupped, not caring that he was stuttering like Diego used to. Luther silently nodded and began walking towards the elevator. The others silently follow behind him, Diego supporting Five so he doesn’t stumble. Five doesn’t shove him off.
When they enter the room Luther places the carpet on the floor and unrolls it, he gently lifts Klaus and lays him onto the bed.
It looks wrong. Klaus being so still. So quiet. It’s not right.
They all stare at Klaus, hoping that he’d jump up and tell them it was just a joke and how badly he scared them. But he doesn’t, he just lays there. Doing nothing.
Five sits beside the bed and places his hand in Klaus’. The others look at him, wondering if he’ll break down again. They wouldn’t blame him. That’s what they want to do as well.
“I’m done.” Five mumbles, “I’m done with this apocalypse shit.”
Once again they look at him shocked. Five not wanting to stop the apocalypse is like Reginald being nice to them. Impossible.
“So you’re just giving up?” Allison questions him.
“I guess so.” he says quietly, eyes trained on Klaus.
Allison looks at him in anger, “What the hell Five? We followed you here thinking this was our timeline when it’s not, and you're not going to do anything to fix it!” she screams, everyone bar Five flinches at her tone.
“Nope.”
“What about the Kugelblitz?” Viktor asks him hesitantly.
“Don’t care.”
They stared at him in disbelief, “So, what, just because Klaus is dead,” they flinch, “you’re just not going to try anymore.”
“Bingo.”
“You're so selfish Five!” Allison shouts at him.
“Uh huh.” is all he says, angering Allison even more.
“I need to get back to my daughter Five, so get the hell up and bring us home!”
Diego, Luther and Viktor look at Allison as she tries to argue with Five when he’s clearly not doing well. Ever since they arrived here a few days ago, Allison had turned cold and sometimes cruel. If there’s one thing they're sure of, it’s that they don’t like this version of their sister.
Five sighs, “Your daughter’s gone Allison. And there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“There is! You can bring us back!”
“I can’t.”
“Don’t give me that shit Five, we all know you can. We just have to get that briefcase back.”
Still not looking at her, Five says, “You didn’t care this much about her when we were in the sixties. Why the sudden change?”
Allison makes a noise at the back of her throat, she steps forward in an attempt to get to Five but Luther stops her and pulls her towards the door.
“Will you stop,” he hissed at her, “Klaus is dead for fuck sake and you arguing with Five isn’t helping. Can’t you see he’s not okay?” Luther pinches the bridge of his nose, “Just… just go.”
Without waiting Luther shuts the door and walks back to his siblings, he distantly hears the sound of fading footsteps.
Now that Allison’s gone, it’s silent, Diego goes over to the other bed and sits down heavily, placing his head in his hands. Viktor sits beside him. Luther chooses to sit beside Five on the floor, silently trying to offer some comfort.
“I can’t believe he’s gone.” Viktor whispers.
“Out of all the shit that could have killed him, he gets shot with a fucking harpoon.” Diego says.
They hear a sniffle followed by a whimper, Five’s crying again. Without hesitating, Luther wraps his arm around Five, holding him close.
This is what a number one is supposed to be, Luther thinks to himself, comforting his siblings when they need it. He failed at protecting one of them but that doesn’t mean he has to fail the rest of them.
Diego and Viktor join the hug and together the four of them cry and mourn for their brother. Their brother who was always so selfless, always happy and carefree. Their little brother who deserved the world.
Their little brother who was now dead.