Untapped Potential: his greatest disappointment.

Here's where the story ends

"Have you seen Klaus?" Ben questioned- what felt like the hundredth person- but was only the fifth. Luther, Allison, Diego, Pogo, and Grace- not a single one of them knew where the necromancer was. Ben didn't understand how they spent seventeen years training to notice things that normal people couldn't, and yet- they lost a six-foot man in their own house.

It was ridiculous.

Ben wasn't mad- per se- considering he also had no inkling of where his brother could've gone, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried.

Klaus was capable of taking care of himself, and Ben knew that the necromancer had a good hold on his addiction- for now, but that didn't mean that he wasn't about to make a mistake. Just like Ben had. Ben handed his brother a source of guilt- that's all that file was. Especially to Klaus. The medium was going to read what was in there, and he's going to blame himself. It was just how he was- well, how he is now, Ben supposed.

He handed the man the missing piece for a downward spiral. Ben did that, and goddammit- how'd he mess up so bad?

"Not for a couple of hours. Why?" Vanya responded. Ben snapped his attention back to his sister, her legs crossed on her twin bed, her eyebrows furrowed as worry etched on her skin.

"I think I made a mistake," Ben countered; vaguely. He wasn't exactly keen on explaining, but when he saw panic set on his sister's face, he knew that he wasn't getting out of the room without saying something.

She paused, hesitant, "What kind of mistake?"

"The kind that might set him off," Ben paused, "Again."

"Okay..." she trailed, closing her violin case with a loud snap, "What exactly- did you do?"

"I gave him that file... but there was something in there that I don't think he should've seen. I don't even think he knew that it happened," Ben entrusted. Vanya nodded, meeting Ben's eyes with a sense of determination that Ben knew he wasn't capable of.

"Uh-huh," she stood from her bed, the wood creaking under the shift of weight, "You checked his room, living room, courtyard?"

She listed the places, and Ben couldn't do anything more than frantically nod. Of course, he looked. He knew Klaus. He knew the medium better than anyone.

How'd he let this happen?

In his state of panic, Vanya seemed to realize that this was much worse than just a missing person, "When was the last time you saw him?"

She didn't know if Ben was panicked that Klaus relapsed or... died again, he could tell- and maybe he made that up: but, to be honest, he had no answer either way. It didn't matter. She had asked a question.

How long had it been?

He was silent for too long.

In another frenzy, another panic that settled deep inside his chest rather than his gut, he swallowed and forced his brain to think, "Um... I think I saw him an hour ago. He was in the kitchen. I didn't ask what he was doing- cause I've been feeling weird again, but it looked like he was making something."

He stopped.

"I should've asked. Dammit! How'd I let this happen?"

"How'd I let this happen? How'd I let this happen? How'd I let this happen?"

"Ben," Vanya snapped, grabbing onto the ghost's shoulders with firm hands. Even if they were trembling slightly- Ben said nothing, "It's not your fault."

"You don't even know what happened," Ben argued- but his voice sounded defeated. He didn't know whether he was looking for reassurance or the truth- but Vanya seemed to.