Chapter Twenty Eight:

They went separate ways, searching for the rest of his family. Lotus had searched all the rooms on the highest floor and found no one, when she started making her way down the stairs she heard voices float over from the other side of the hall.

"Guys?" She called out, following the voices. Five was standing in Klaus' room, watching his brother.

"Hey, Lotus." Klaus was up in an instant pulling her into a hug, she tensed, not knowing what to do. "I'm so sorry about earlier."

She chuckled, "It's fine, I should've keep myself together."

"No, no. You lost someone, you have a right. Let me tell you, when I got back from the War I curled up on the side walk and balled my eyes out."

"Anyways." Five raised his voice, "How did Dad know about the apocalypse? I had to jump to the future to figure out when it happened, Dad can't time travel. So how'd the crazy old bastard actually know to kill himself a week before the end of the world?"

"So he really did kill himself?" Lotus asked.

Klaus nodded, "Yeah. And just to get us all home again." He turned to Five, "Well, you know—"

His brother raised a hand, "Don't answer. That was purely rhetorical."

"Our whole lives Dad's been telling us that we'd save the world from an impending apocalypse."

"Did he actually?" Lotus raised a brow, both of them nodded.

"Yeah." Klaus said, "But I always thought he just said that to scare us into doing the dishes."

"Me too." Five replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was changed into his uniform again and she wondered if he had any normal people clothes.

"What if he really knew it was going to happen?" She chimed in, "I mean, he sounds crazy enough."

"Yah, but knew how?" Five shook his head, everyone turning to look at Klaus.

"Don't know. But the facts remain that his plan worked. We all came home." Klaus sighed, "On the bright side, we found Lotus!"

She snorted, "Yay."

"Anyways, we're all here now. We might as well save the world." Five pursed his lips.

"Oh, really? What, like, just the three of us?"

Five nodded slowly, "Ideally no, but gotta work with what I've got—" Heavy footsteps cut him off, just as Diego rushed past the door and disappeared into another room. They all filed out, following the other brother. "Where have you been?"

"Jail." Diego panted, "Long story."

"Where's Luther?"

Lotus peeked her head into the room, "Haven't seen him since this morning."

The man shook his head, "Two days until the world ends, he picks a great time to drop off the grid."

"I'm sure we can find him, he can't be far." She told him but he huffed, cutting her off.

"We need to go. Allison's in danger."

Every stared at Diego, their faces blank. "We have to find her, then." Klaus finally spoke up.

Lotus looked around, "Shouldn't we get Luther? I mean, if you're all supposed to fight this together?"

"I think I know where he is." Klaus took of down the hall, nobody followed right away expect for Lotus. She rushed after him, falling into step next to him. He smiled down at her as they took the stairs two at a time, "You're the only one who believes me."

She shrugged, "I've never had anyone to believe before."

"Awwww, Lotus." He chuckled, eyes glittering. "You know, when this is all over you should live here. With all of us."

They made it onto the main floor, "You think everyone's gonna stay?"

The footsteps echoing behind them made it clear that the other two were following them, Klaus glanced at her, "I'll be staying here and I'm sure Five will be considering he looks like little boy."

"Hey!" Five snapped, "I can hear you."

Lotus turned and flashed a grin at him, "Well, he's not wrong. Little boys can't own houses, or pay taxes."

They walked outside, towards the car that Diego had driven from their last excursion together. At least this time Five was conscious and all his blood wasn't leaking out of his body.

"I'll drive." Five said reaching for the door but his hand was slapped away by Diego. "Kids ride in the back." He said.

Lotus was already sitting in the back, watching the two brothers bicker. Eventually Five gave up and was scouting in next to her, he huffed shaking his head as the car started and they turned onto the main road.

"What's so bad about sitting back here?" She looked at him, "Or do I smell or something?"

"You smell fine."

"It was joke." Klaus called from the passenger seat, "You're sense of humour is shit, little man."

"If you call me little man one more time I will not hesitate to throw you from this car."

"You could never lift me up."

Lotus snorted, "He's not wrong. You do have chicken arms."

Five rolled his eyes, "Allison is in danger and you both are just making fun of me?"

Klaus turned in his seat so he was staring back at his brother, he gave a curt nod, "Yes, that's exactly what we're doing."

She nodded in agreement, waiting as Five clenched and unclenched his jaw. Lotus sat back, adverting her gaze to the scenery outside, even if it wasn't much. Just buildings that looked like they were abandoned and garbage littered streets as they drove across the city.

"Where did you think Luther is?"

"A bar. It's the only one he knows of, I showed him it when we were kids." Klaus replied.

"And you think he'd remember?"

"Turn right." Klaus leaned forward, "Left. Here, stop."

Diego pulled over and parked the car, they all filed out and looked up at the building. It looked small, and the sign that had its name written across it was so rusted so you couldn't really read it. They all walked in, and they spotted Luther sitting alone at a table near the back. It was awfully quiet in the bar, but she remembered it was early in the afternoon and most people didn't drink like their life depended on it before six.

"Look." Klaus pointed at him as if nobody saw him already, he pouted walking over to him. "Trying a little hair of the dog, are we?"

Luther gave him little notice, "Leave me alone."

Diego pushed past Klaus, taking a seat next to him. "Give us a minute."

Lotus moved back to the front, she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. Five stood next to her, hands in his pockets while Klaus bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Do you think he'll help?" She questioned.

"If Allison's at stake, he'll do anything." Five responded. "He thinks nobody notices but we're not idiots. Well, expect maybe Klaus."

"Hey—"

"He's not an idiot." Lotus frowned, "He's just not the greatest decision maker."

"Yah! Thank you, Lotus. You're so sweet."

She laughed, "Why, thank you."

Five only rolled his eyes, focusing back on Diego and Luther sitting at the table. She fell quiet and watched as well, Diego looked back at them and then Luther glanced over before his face fell.

"I'm assuming he mentioned Allison." She whispered. And she had been right, because Luther then got up, shoving his chair back. He rushed to the front door, they followed closely as he fought with the door. Lotus jumped back as he ripped the thing from its hinges and it tumbled towards her. Five grabbed ahold of her arm and yanked her away, she thanked him silently as they wandered back to the car.

"I'm driving." Five said snatching the keys from Diego, throwing himself behind the wheel.

"You want shotgun?'' Klaus asked Lotus, but she shook her head. "Not when he's driving."

Luther took it instead, and the rest of them squeezed into the back. Lotus got a window seat with Klaus pushed up against her, apparently Diego wasn't a fan of sharing spaces and assumed that she was. They drove in silence, it taking Luther almost ten minutes to find the address that Allison had messaged Luther. Apparently she thought they were at his cabin in the woods, and then Lotus thought to point out that that was a horror movie. And how everything she was hearing about this Leonard guy screamed creeper who prayed on young children.

"Are you almost there yet?" Luther asked from the passenger seat.

"Don't know." Five replied.

Luther looked from the windshield to his brother, "You can't drive any faster?"

"If you ask me one more time, I will burn you with a cigarette lighter."

Luther fell silent, but thirty minutes later they drove up a dirt road and parked in front of a log cabin. Lotus was the first one out, something heavy settling in the air.

"Something isn't right." She called out as she rushed up the steps, the door was opened and when she walked in she gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Luther ran in behind her, shoving past and falling to the floor next to Allison. Allison whose throat was slashed, bleeding heavily onto her shirt and falling to the floor. She was making chocking noises as her hands desperately tried to stop the bleeding, her eye wide as saucers.

"No, no, no." Luther mumbled from beside her.

Klaus came in next, staring down at his sister, following by Five who's jaw dropped at the sight. Lotus shuddered, "We need to get her to a hospital."

Luther was in tears as he scooped her up, cradling her against his chest.

"No hospital." Diego said as they rushed from the cabin, "To many questions."

Luther sat in the back now, holding Allison. Diego sat next to him, carefully watching her. Klaus and Lotus were squeezed together in the passenger seat, she prayed that no cop would pull them over.

"That bastard." Klaus muttered shaking his head, his eyes were watering. "He's going to pay."

Five dug the key into the engine and it roared to life, he turned the car around and sped off back onto the dirt road. Lotus' leg bounced up and down as they drove in silence, the only noise coming from Allison as she made choking noises and from Luther as he sobbed all the way back to the Academy.