The Occult: DOOMSDAY

[ chapter eleven ]

"Melanie!" Klaus calls as he bursts into Ben's room, Melanie already on her feet as the house starts to settle beneath them.

"Are you okay?!" She asks panicked, thinking something might have hurt him during the earthquake.

"Luther, he has Vanya, he's taken her into the basement-"

Klaus can't even finish his statement before Melanie's blood runs cold, the colour draining from her face as she feels her body go numb, reacting on pure instinct as she storms past Klaus who runs after her as she marches towards the elevator.

"Luther!" Melanie's voice booms as soon as the doors open, the hall alone sending her back to the childhood memories she would do anything to forget.

"What in the hell have you done?!" She asks as he turns to face her, the rage inside her obvious as the veins in her neck started to glow.

"Vanya has powers, Pogo told me." He says calmly, Diego turning to the two of them from where he stands beside the door of the chamber.

"Am I the only one that didn't know this place existed?"

"It shouldn't. This place is a hell hole and you have no right to lock her in there." Melanie spits, Luther's unwavering stance only infuriating her more.

"He hid it from us because he was afraid. Of her." He replies to Diego, turning around and looking at Vanya through the glass.

"Oh, that's ridiculous." Klaus argues, only to be shut down.

"Is it? Dad's lied about everything else, why is this so far fetched?"

"If you're right, then maybe she's the one who killed Peabody." Diego realises.

"And cut Allison's throat." Luther adds, but this time it's Klaus who shuts him down.

"Woah, no. Let's, I just, sorry just, let's go back, all right?" Klaus argues, hands flying up in frustration. "This is Vanya we're talking about. Our sister."

"Our sister who doesn't deserve this." Melanie adds, shoving past Luther and scolding his jacket as she connects with him, pushing past to stand at Klaus's side.

"She's right. She's the one who always cried when we stepped on ants as kids."

"Yeah I know. I know it's difficult to accept-"

Luther tries to assert, but Klaus finds himself at his wits end, turning to face him as he yells frustratedly.

"It's not difficult to accept, it's impossible to accept!"

"No he's right," Diego says, agreeing with Klaus, "we can't keep her locked up without proof."

"What more proof do you need?" Luther replies arrogantly, the three siblings quickly becoming more and more agitated at him and his stubborn ways.

"Why don't we just open the door and ask her?" Klaus suggests, reaching for the locking wheel before Luther grabs him in an attempt at stopping him, but stopping himself as Melanie is suddenly the same height as him, her feet in mid-air as she levitates in front of him with her face only inches from his.

"Take your hands off of him. Now." She commands, Luther staring her down, but dropping his arm as he still talked past her.

"She's not going anywhere."

"No, even if you're right," Diego fights, "she needs our help and we can't do that if she's locked in a cage!"

"Yeah, for all we know, she might be struggling with this new power. I mean it must be scary. Terrifying, really, to discover you can do something that you never thought you could do."