Chapter Text
“Daddio! I need to talk to you, for a second!” Reginald Hargreeves, didn’t put his pen down to answer his son, didn’t even look up, “what do you want number four?” Klaus hoped to never hear that gruff, slightly nasally voice, he grits his teeth, but still smiles brightly, hiding behind his innocent, dopey mask. He learned from his first time around as a child, never show him his fear. “Let’s be real for a moment here Reggie, we will never get farther in my training if I keep getting higher than a kite and throw my precious talent away, so I’m here to make a deal.” That makes dear old dad look up for a moment, his grin turns wider. “I’ll stop the drugs, and you never take me to the mausoleum again.” He takes up his pen again and starts writing. “You can’t dictate the rules of your training number four, you must learn to overcome your fear of ghosts for you to complete your training.” He remembers this conversation to, a month in his lifelong addiction. Yesterday, or 17 years ago for his mind, was the first time the heroin had been cut with something toxic, and he had woken up in a strange ally way, in clothes he didn’t recognise, cuts and bruises he doesn’t remember having. Walking back to the academy, the five ghosts that he was hoping to get rid of, followed his shadow, one crawling on his back. He actually felt the ragged breath in his ear, Klaus knew that he wasn’t drenched in her dead body juices, but y’know, feeling and knowing were two different things. That night he talked with Ben, and they came up with a plan, one that ultimately failed. That night, this night, Reggie said the same thing and he dejectedly returned to Bens room to have a good hysterical cry.
This time he has a plan, some leverage and a motivation too, Victor. He won't let his escapism make his little bro disappear again too.
“Daddy dearest, you don’t think I came here with nothing to offer you in return, did you?” He raises his eyebrows but doesn’t look up, “in my search for my next high, I found that death isn’t all that permanent for me. Isn’t that something you’d want to write in your red little notebook. Research the truth of the afterlife?” Reginald crossed his arms, looks over his most disappointed child, he smiles wildly, “I know you want to kill me daddy, here’s a reason for it, let’s make it an experiment, huh?” He takes a deep breath, smiles brightly, the motherfucker actually smiles back. “Ooh wow, didn’t know you would wanna get kinky with it.” As the dread settles low in his stomach, it’s the first time he’s ever seen his smile. For his family, anything, even this nightmare fueled future.
When he returns to his room, Five is waiting in his room, sprawled on his bed, “so?” Klaus give him a wide-eyed winning smile, “5 am, sharp kiddo.” He huffs, “you have the same 13-year-old body as me now, I thought we’d be done with the kid nicknames.” He stands up, “oh, you thought wrong munchkin, these jokes will never die!” As he crosses the doorway, Five pats his brother on the shoulder. “Good job, Klaus. Thanks for this, it won’t be forgotten.” His winning smile turns a little real, “for Vic, right?” Five nods once, a small smile on his lips. “For the world too of course.” He shrugs, “who cares about that?” He huffs, it’s not like he doesn’t agree, “you coming with, family meeting remember?” Klaus shakes his head, “why are you asking if you knew I’d go to my room after going to dad?” Five frowns a little, “had to try, right?” Klaus takes Fives place on his bed, closing his eyes and crossing his ankles over each other. “Tomorrow I’m going to spend the day bright and early with Reggie, forgive me if I’m not in the mood for company.” Five shrugs and closes the door behind him, fair enough.
When Five enters Victor’s room, the rest of their sibling’s are already there. Waking up in the morning, back in their 13-year-old bodies was not exactly what Five had in mind when he jumped them all back, but it would be enough for them to give Vic a head start on learning his powers.
“Where’s Klaus?” Ben asked, he was sandwiched in between Diego and Luther, looking almost squishy, Five taking a moment to capture the moment to memory, then he looked at the other two, both in Vic’s bed, under the covers, Allison has her head on his shoulder both arms wrapped around his torso, the two hadn’t let go of each other since they’d been back, the only time they did was for when Ben was close enough to pull them in their cuddle puddle. Ben has spent all day different holds, and not the one they were taught as children, warm, loving ones, that can’t get their dad’s targets killed. “Klaus is exempt from this meeting,” and before anyone could scoff at that, Five sees the tension rising in his brothers, he gives an explanation. “He took me aside before breakfast, he’s going to keep dad busy, while we train Vic. So, lay off him, okay? You know how much he hated private training.” Instead of easing the tension, Ben takes it over, he stands up. “I’m going too, sorry guys.” Luther grabs after him, but he shakes him off, “see you in the morning! Love you guys!” They call after him, but he’s already gone.
Ben spends the night in Klaus’ room, while Klaus pretends to sleep, Ben lays his head on his chest. No words needed between them.
He gets taken to a room in the basement. There was a lab here, it looked a little like their infirmary, Pogo and mom were there he gave them a wide grin, the perfect mask behind the pure and unadulterated panic he felt. They stood next a medical cabinet, five different sorts of needles on top. Reginald stood behind a metal slab. Looming, notebook in hand, one eyebrow raised, his smile widened while his heartbeat turned on overdrive. “So, tell me about your death experience, I expect it was an overdose of sorts, right? Heroine or cocaine.” Klaus takes a heaving breath, his lungs trying his best to choke him out. “My head cracked open actually, dear papa.” Reggie’s merely nodded and turned to mom, “you may proceed, Grace.” She looks a little wide eyed, still a sweet smile on her face, “are you sure?” Reginald just stares at her, oh that’s his furious face. Klaus braces himself when his mother gives him a sad smile, takes his hand, cradles his cheek, before the gesture becomes a death grip and he gets slammed in the ground.
He dies six times that day.
The third time he meets the little girl again. She looks at him, head turned a little, an inquisitive look in her eye. “You’re not welcome yet.” She’s having a tea party with her bears and dolls, the world has a little colour, if he would describe it, it would be sepia. “I know, I really don’t mean to die you know.” She huffs, clinking her spoon against her cup, it sounds like a bell. “Yes, you did.” Klaus sighs, “okay, maybe I did.” He agrees with her. “But it’s for a good cause, stopping the apocalypse means someone has to be a sacrificial lamb. Didn’t your good ol’ book teach us that?” She sniffs disdainfully, “that’s not my book, or my words.” She waves her small hand at him, “go away, now and try not to get yourself killed so quickly.”
“Can I ask, is he here, can I see him?” Klaus just has to know, just that little push to make it all worth it, that this burning, this torture was worth it.
She takes the cup with both hands, “you don’t need to worry about him, you'll see him when your situation becomes a little more… permanent.” She sips her tea, Klaus gasps, back in the land of the living. He laughs hysterically while his mother fills his veins with rat poison.
Dinner is as always, a silent affair. Klaus is late to it, Reginald doesn’t comment on it. It should’ve been everyone’s first sign of trouble. Grace bustles around them, it was the most relaxing training day they had at the academy, and they did their best not to ruin their good mood at dinner, keeping up the pretence of normalcy and obedience, it was a very hard time, the silence during dinner was a blessing for once. With the food gone, Grace goes to stand behind Klaus, placing a hand on his forehead, it looks like she’s checking for his temperature, she shares a look with Reginald, she shakes her head and Reginald nods. All of that does not go unnoticed by Five and Diego, who share a look themselves. “Tomorrow you will be held responsible for your own time, number one. Make sure to report all of yours and your siblings progress, number four, I will see you again, at 5 am sharp.” Reginald stands up, with nothing more to say to his children he leaves, Grace gives everyone a warm, motherly smile, tightens her hold on Klaus’ shoulder. “You should go to Griddy’s.” She says, giving Diego a conspiratorial wink, who grins when she drops money in his outstretched hand, everyone standing up and excitedly chattering amongst themselves, as Klaus starts to follow, Grace says softly in his ear: “Except for you, my little bird.” Cold, metal hand tightening on Klaus’ shoulder and letting her other hand trail across his cheek. “You’re still have a little fever and I want to make you some soup so i’m sure you have something more in your stomach then that for tomorrow.”
Klaus sighs heavily, slouching back against her touch, kind of glad he doesn’t have to pretend at the moment. It was hard enough for him trying to keep his face passive while choking down at least two bites of his meal and walking to Griddy’s while his legs feel like jelly and he has a pounding headache, not to mention ignoring the bloody trio of doom groaning behind him, being his usual showy self isn’t something he can do, without them suspecting anything. He wants to be with the rest of the group, but he also just wants some peace, feeling every bad thing roiling in his stomach, without making the others feeling guilty. He volunteered for this and there isn’t much more of another choice. Without screwing too much with the timeline. “Thanks mama.” He says softly, while she plants a kiss in his curls.
He slowly walks to his room, Grace a step behind making sure he doesn’t fall down.
Klaus can do this.
He’s served in ‘nam, stopped the apocalypse, has been tortured and lived on the streets for 8 long years.
He can do this.
He can
He looks up at his mother, tucking hin in, a sad smile on her face, the most human emotion he’s seen today and prays that when he dies next time, it’ll be permanent.