Twenty Nine:

By the time they pulled up the the Academy and got Allison out, Luther was panicking.

"I don't think she's breathing!"

Lotus was out and rushing up the stairs with Klaus, holding open the doors.

"If we don't get her upstairs, she's gonna die." Klaus yelled as Luther slipped through the door, not hesitating to take the stairs two at a time.

"Grace!" Lotus yelled as she trailed behind the group, "Pogo!"

Grace came from nowhere on the second floor, stopping in her tracks as her eyes landed on Allison's torn throat. The women regained her composure and raced towards her, leading the group into a room and told Luther to place her on a bed. Grace placed a plastic apron over her clothes as Pogo leaped in, face falling as he stared at Allison.

"She's suffered a severe laceration to her larynx." Grace announced.

"One of you will need to give blood." Pogo stood beside Lotus.

"I will." All the guys said at the same time. But Luther glared at his brothers as he rolled up his sleeve, "I'm doing it."

Pogo raised a hand, "I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy. Your blood is more compatible with mine.

Klaus nodded, "I got this, big guy. I love needles."

"Your blood is, how should I say this, too polluted."

"Move." Diego took a step forward. "I'll do it."

But as soon as Grace turned to face him with a giant needle he fainted, and Pogo sighed.

"I can do it, if you need it." Lotus looked to Grace, but the women shook her head.

"Stick him." Pogo said turning around, "Everyone else follow me."

Luther protested but ended up following everyone out, to which everyone went their separate ways. Klaus disappeared to his room and Luther stormed off. Diego was still unconscious, and she realized they had left him behind. Five stood awkwardly next to Lotus, his foot tapping on the ground.

"We need to find that man." She turned to him, "And we need to do it soon."

"Find whoever you can again and meet me in the living room. Family meeting."

Lotus opened her mouth to protest but he was already down the hall and gone. She pursed her lips, deciding to go after Klaus first. His room was the closest and what she found was Klaus holding a hand to his cheek and staring wide eyed at nothing.

"Lotus!" He exclaimed when he saw her, "He just Patrick Swayzeed me!"

Lotus looked to where he was staring, and nothing was there. That's when she remembered Ben, the one he could only see.

"How is that possible?"

"Don't know."

She blinked, not seeing Klaus' mouth move but heard a voice nevertheless. "Uhm." She mumbled looking around, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"You didn't hear that?"

"No."

"Oh."

Klaus' lips formed a straight line, "Ben says hi."

She laughed, "And where is he right now?"

He pointed towards the window, Lotus took a step forward and faced it, hoping she was looking at him.

"Can he hear me?"

"Yes."

"Hey, Ben." She waved at the air, "How're you doing?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, "I'm not saying that."

"Not saying what?"

"He says he's good, you know, for being dead." He sighed, "Did you want to tell me something?"

"Ignore Klaus, he's just being a dipshit."

Lotus' brows furrowed as she looked around, hearing the voice again.

"You heard that right?"

"Hear what?!"

She shook her head, "Never mind. Five wants everyone down in the living room to discuss what we do next."

Lotus turned and left, hearing his footsteps behind her as they made their way down the stairs. She could hear Diego's voice floating from the living room, followed by Luther and Five.

"I found Klaus." She said skipping into the living room, her dress bouncing after her. She received looks from all of them, and Five shot her a weird look. "Did Klaus share his drugs with you?"

She shook her head, "No. Why do you ask?"

"Who cares." Diego snapped, "That bastard who nearly killed our sister is still out there, with Vanya."

"Weren't you just unconscious? Did they even take any blood?"

Diego glared, "Yes they did."

"We need to go after her." Luther nodded, ignoring everyone, but Five had other plans. "Vanya's not important."

Lotus' brows scrunched as she looked at him, "Woah—"

"That's your sister." Diego cut her off, "That's a little heartless, even for you, Five."

The boy shook his head, "I'm not saying I don't care about her, but if the apocalypse happens today, she dies along with the other seven billion of us." He finished, "Harold Jenkins is our first priority."

"I agree."

"Let's go."

Klaus yawned, "You guys count me out."

"But Klaus—" Lotus began, but he waved her off. "I mean, you know, no offence or whatever."

He walked over and flopped down onto a couch, he leaned back watching the rest of them. "It's just, I kind of feel like this is a whole lot of pressure for newly sober me."

Diego shook her head, "You're coming."

"No, no, no." Klaus pointed a finger, "I think we can all agree that my powers are pretty much useless. I'd just be holding you guys back."

"Mine's useless too." Lotus chimed in, "I still want to help."

"Klaus, get up." Diego glared, unclipping a knife from his belt.

"You can't make me—"

Diego threw the knife, it curving threw air and landing right in between his brothers open legs. Klaus flinched, staring down at the knife sticking out from the couch. He slowly stood up, nodding along. "On the other hand, a little exercise couldn't hurt."

"Yeah." Diego clicked his tongue, leading them all out. They all followed him out of the room, all except for Luther.

"I'm staying with Allison. I want to be there when she wakes up."

Lotus shrugged, pushing past Diego and made her way towards the front door. In all honesty, she didn't like Luther. She tried to, but whenever she played nice he just bit back with his own issues and rage. He didn't give her a chance when she tried to give him one, to her he was just a big asshole at that point. Besides, it was probably better that he stayed with Allison anyways, especially if what she heard was true and that they both liked each other.

She waltzed her way to the car and slipped into the drivers seat, grinning that the door was unlocked. A knock sounded on the window and she turned, seeing Diego glowering at her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Driving."

The passenger door opened and she glanced to see Five getting in, tossing her the keys.

"Where did you get those?" Diego huffed, staring at his brother. Five only shrugged and pointed to the back seat where Klaus already was. He pursed his lips but with a shake of his head he was in. Lotus put the keys in and the engine roared to life, she smiled, finally driving again after years. Five leaned over and whispered, "You do know how to drive, right?"

She nodded, "Yes I do. But why do you care, you could just blink out and be fine."

She pulled out of the parking space and drove off down the street, "Where are we going, actually."

"You don't know where we're going?" Klaus leaned up, peeking at Lotus.

"Jenkins' house. They weren't at the cabin so they must've headed there." Diego chimed in, "Vanya thinks she's safe with him, no doubt that's where they are."

Lotus nodded, turning right. The man's house wasn't to far from here, he just lived on the outskirts of downtown.

"Do you remember the name Harold Jenkins?" She asked, "I mean, you all must've done something to turn him into a psychopath."

"I don't remember anything. It was so long ago." Five admitted, "We met so many people back then, all they're faces blurred together at some point."

She shrugged, "I bet it was Luther."

A laugh escaped from Klaus, "You know what, she's probably right. His ego hasn't changed, probably grew bigger when he did."

Diego snorted, and Lotus grinned glancing at him through the mirror. She wasn't sure if he liked her either, but she was making process. Maybe he finally accepted that she'd be here helping, an outsider that he wasn't sure of. The only ones who she thought liked her, were Five, Klaus and Allison. She assumed Vanya hated her, considering the last time she saw the women, Lotus was in a family meeting while she wasn't.

"Left here." Five's voice snapped her out of her own little world, she nodded, turning left. She pulled up in front of the house and parked the car, there was no vehicle in the drive way and the front door where Diego had thrown himself threw was still left untouched.

"Are you sure they've been back?" She asked getting out of the car, "Wouldn't he fix the door?"

"To much time to waste after an attempted murder." Diego called as he raced up the porch steps. Lotus was behind the group as they all piled into the home, Diego was already kneeling on the floor in the dining room when she finally got a peek at what was going on.

"Is that him?" She asked, grimacing at the sight.

"Yes." Diego mumbled.

Harold Jenkins was laying on his back on the smashed dining room table, anything sharp or that could impale someone was dug into his chest. She wanted to throw up, but now wasn't the time. She looked around, "Everything in here is destroyed. It looks like a tornado went through this place."

Diego stood up, "Come on—"

Five brushed past him and pulled something out from his pocket, he knelt down where Diego had just been and removed a bandage that covered Harold's eye.

Klaus made a retching noise, "Ugh, wow."

Five held an eyeball in his hand and he jammed in into the empty eye socket, Lotus cringed watching as he stared closer.

"Same eye colour, same pupil size." He glanced back at them, "Guys this is it."

"Yeah, I think we collected that information as soon as we got in here." Diego mumbled.

Five shook his head widely, eyes filled with fever. "No. The eye I've been carrying around for decades! It's- it's found its rightful home." He grinned at them, "We got the guy we needed to kill to stop the apocalypse."

"Yay!" Klaus beamed, backing away from the dead guy. "Let's go!"

"No, no. Wait. It can't be this easy." Diego shook his head.

Five glared pulling something else out from his pocket, it was crumbled piece of paper and he waved it in all their faces. "Look, this is the note that I stole from the Commission." He pointed at the ink, "The one that says, "Protect Harold Jenkins," aka Lenard Peabody."

Lotus frowned, "Yeah, but who killed him? Who did—" she trailed off, waving a hand in the direction of Harold. "That."

Klaus clicked his tongue, "I have an a idea, it's real crazy. Um, why don't we just find Vanya, and ask her what happened."

"If Vanya got away from this asshole, she might be headed back to the Academy." Diego agreed, "We should go now, before the cops come."

Lotus nodded as Diego walked up to her and plucked the keys from her hands. "I'm driving." He flashed her a wink before disappearing with Klaus out the front door. Five went to follow but she grabbed him by his blazer and yanked him backwards.

"The eye?"

"Right." He nodded walking back over and kneeling next to the dead man again, he rolled up his sleeves then paused, looking back at Lotus. "Would you like to do the honours?"

Her eyes widened, "Honours?"

"Yeah. Pull the eye out."

She shook her head, "No."

He shrugged and dug it out himself, he held it with two fingers and jumped up, holding it out as he walked towards her.

"Want to hold it?"

Lotus' face scrunched, "You are insane."

The boy wrapped the eye up and shoved it back into his pocket, he walked by her, brushing his shoulder with hers and let out a small laugh.

"You like it."

Lotus watched him leave, mind racing. Then she remembered the scene behind her and she rushed from the house, practically throwing herself into the car.

"Let's go, please."

Diego looked at her through the mirror, "We were just going to leave without you."

"You'd never do that." Lotus said matching his gaze, "You're starting to like me."

They pulled away from the house, and he gave her a small smile. "Damn it." He mumbled.