Chapter Thirty Five:

Turns out, the Super Star was a bowling alley located in a quiet area of the city. It wasn't as busy as she assumed when she finally found the place, but a few birthday parties were being held on various lanes. At least these kids were having a bit of fun before the world imploded around them.

Lotus found the group sitting at one of the lanes, all looking glum. All the seats were taken so she plopped herself down on the floor next to Five, he looked down at her and shot her a weird look.

"Bullshit." Diego spat, continuing their conversation. "There's always another option."

"What are we taking about?" Lotus asked, looking around.

"To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya." Klaus mumbled, Lotus looked right to Luther and glared. "This is your plan, I'm assuming? Since it's shit."

He opened his mouth to say something when Diego waved him off, "Look, whatever we decide, we need to find Vanya."

"But she could be anywhere."

"Or here." She followed everyone's gaze to a poster pinned onto a board, it was a picture of her with a violin, telling the world she had first chair. "Her concert is tonight."

Five raised a finger as a new voice caught their attention, an employee stood behind everyone and pursed her lips. "Hello. I- Uh, hate to intrude, but my manager says if you're not gonna bowl, you gotta leave."

Five sighed, "Who's turn is it?"

Luther stood up, marching is way to the lane and picked up a bowling bowl. He met the gaze of the employee and manager and chucked the thing in the air towards the other side. He retook his seat and leaned forward, "We are the only ones capable of stopping this. We have a responsibility to Dad."

"To Dad? No, I've heard enough about how he sacrificed everything to bring us back together."

"I'm with Luther on this one." Five spat, "We can't give her a fighting chance. There are a billion lives at stake and I'm past just trying to save one."

Klaus rubbed his eyes, "Hey, Uh- you know, maybe I could help."

"Now is not the time—"

Diego shook his head, "No, let him finish. He saved my life today."

"Really?" Lotus asked, "Is that true?"

"Yeah, Yeah. I did take credit for it." He rambled, "But the true hero, is in fact Ben."

Everyone was staring at him, their expressions falling as soon as he finished talking. Klaus shook his head, "Today— Listen, he punched me in the face. And earlier at the house, he was the one who saved Diego's life. Not me."

"You are unbelievable, Klaus." Diego tisked.

"You want proof? Is that it?" He bounced, walking over and picking up a bowling ball. "I'll give you proof. All right, it's showtime baby!"

Lotus leaned forward as he threw the ball, it just hitting the ground with a loud thud and rolling away.

"Is there anyway to silence that voice in your head that screams out to be the centre of attention?" Luther asked, staring at him.

"You know what!" Klaus shouted dropping his hands to his side, "I liked you a lot better before you got laid."

Luther shot his brother a look of panic as Allison stared down at him, most likely looking into his very soul. Klaus' eyes widened, "Which was a complete— it, it wasn't fault cause' he was ridiculously high, right? And the girl, he thought she was a furry—"

"Stop!" Luther stood up and Klaus trailed off. Allison turned and rushed from the building, "Allison wait." He followed her out.

Lotus pulled herself up off the floor and flopped down next to Five, "So." She mumbled.

"Excuse me!" A shrill voice called out, "Excuse me!"

A women holding a boy by his shoulders stood where Lotus had just sat, she smiled down at Five. "It's my son Kenny's birthday today and, uh, wouldn't you be more comfortable playing with kids your own age? If that's ok with you two dads?"

Lotus bit back a laugh, covering her mouth with a hand. Five glared at her and then turned it onto the women and her child, "I'd rather chew off my own foot."

Her hand dropped and she actually began cackling as she pulled herself up, earning another glare from Five.

"I'll hang out with you, Kenny!" She laughed walking up to him and slinging an arm around his shoulder, "Which lane are you on?"

The kid looked over at her, eyes wide with what she hoped wasn't terror. He smacked his lips, "Uh—"

A hand wrapped around her arm and she was yanked away from Kenny, she turned to see Five glaring at her once again.

"How do you not have any wrinkles with you making that face at everyone all of the time."

"The world is about to end and you want to bowl with a child?"

"To be fair... I look like a child."

A bowling ball popped back up from the returns and he squinted over her shoulder at it. He pushed her out of the way and rushed forward, staring at the metal of the machine. She watched as he tapped on something and it clicked open, revealing a large glass tube.

"Not again." She rushed up next to him. He pulled out a slip of paper with an address. "How did she find you?"

He stood up, brows scrunched together as he shoved a hand in his pocket and pulled out a few candies. She watched as he unravelled one, revealing a pill size tracker that blinked green.

"Five." Lotus warned, knowing what he was about to do. "Don't you—"

But he vanished anyways, leaving Lotus alone with his two brothers in a bowling alley that smelt an awful lot like wet dogs. She trudged back to their lane and crossed her arms, staring between Klaus and Diego. "What do we now?"

Luther trailed in, keeping Allison close. He eyed everybody and sighed, "Where's Five?"

Klaus looked around, "Don't know.

"He didn't say where he was going." Lotus added, "He just blinked out."

"We'll, we're not waiting around for him. The concert starts in 30 minutes."

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Diego looked at Luther. The big man pursed his lips, "Well, I think- Uh, that we go to Icarus Theatre."

Diego huffed, "That's not a plan, that's a location."

"What—"

"No. You want to be Number One?" Diego stood up, "Fine, but you're going to have to get us on the same page because right now, we're all over the place."

"He's right." Lotus said, earning a nod from Diego. "We need a real plan—"

But she was cut off by gunshots, they all turned towards the door where people in masks and guns piled in, bullets flying everywhere.

"Get down!"

Klaus came from nowhere, pulling her down with him. They crawled there way behind a table, staring around with wide eyes.

"Who the hell are these guys!" Luther shouted, shielding Allison.

Klaus shrugged, voice shaky, "Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday party?"

Lotus whacked his arm, shaking her head. "Klaus!"

He raised his hands in defeat, shrinking lower towards the ground as more rounds fired off.

"Not in the mood for jokes?"

She rolled her eyes, flopping onto her knees so she could peek out. A flood of people dressed in black wielding guns, wearing odd masks continued to spread out.

"They're blocking the exit!" Klaus hollered.

"So, what's the plan now, Luther?" Diego yelled over the chaos. Luther turned and nodded his head at Allison before peeking his own head out towards the lanes.

"The lanes!" He yelled, already throwing himself up and running towards them. Klaus yanked Lotus up, throwing her in front of him. She stumbled as her feet crossed the line of normal flooring to the slippery ones of the lane. She noticed all the others wore bowling shoes, while she flopped along in her sneakers.

"Damn it." Arms wrapped around Lotus and she was hailed up onto Klaus' shoulders. "Dress appropriately next time, Lo."

She couldn't even yell at him for the terrible nickname as he dropped her onto the ground and shoved her underneath the wall, she scrambled as she pulled herself threw, grabbing his own arms and yanking him with her. When Klaus jumped up, Lotus was already following the others out the back door and through an emergency exit.

"What do we do now?" Lotus yelled as they continued running across the street, the sun was setting as they hid themselves within the shadows.

"We go to the theatre." Diego shouted back, not stopping. "It's the only chance we got at stopping, Vanya."

Lotus hated to admit he was right, and that maybe there was no other way to winning this battle other than to take out their sister. She hated the idea, but they were out of options.