-The Phantom-

-Three Jackasses In A Pod-

"So..."

(y/n) shifts her warm (e/c) eyed gaze so that it rests on the back of Diego's shaved head, briefly glancing up into the silver mirror above the steering wheel to meet his curious observance before he is returning his attention onto the grey washed road ahead. Raindrops paint the smudged windshield navy as the car speeds past a city filled with people who knew nothing of the hopeless future that awaits them

"Are you guys going to tell me what the hell is going on-" he questions through a tired sounding sigh, gloved fingers tapping against the leather of the wheel gripped tightly in his hands, "-or am I just supposed to sit in this awkward ass silence?"

Coming to stoplight at an empty intersection, blinking neon casting cherry colored warmth across the groups faces, Diego and (y/n) find themselves taking this opportunity to study the seemingly empty shell of their brother curled up in the passenger seat. Although his body was bathed in the wine colored stoplight above, the siblings saw nothing but an indigo sadness in his eyes. Diego's sharp features soften momentarily upon seeing this, focusing back onto the road once red turns green and silence becomes deafening

"You okay?" he wonders aloud, never fully directing the question towards his brother in the poor attempt to keep himself distant from his family

Klaus, instead of answering him, chooses to fill his mouth with a cheap bottle of rum that he had been cradling to his chest as if it were his own child.

"Well, this is a first..."

"What is?" (y/n) questions quietly, leaning her body forward so that she can better see her brother as he continues through a small smile

"Our brother Klaus being silent..." he explains, glancing towards the girl before returning his gaze onto the rain soaked windshield ahead, "Last time he was this quiet, we were 12. Stole a pair of Grace's heels, tripped on the stairs, and broke his jaw."

As (y/n) listens to Diego, she finds herself glancing towards their dejected looking brother, watching as the vacant look in his eyes slowly disappears. He was listening. It wasn't much, but it meant that he wasn't completely checked out anymore.

"How long was it wired shut again?" Diego finally speaks directly to Klaus this time, more confident in approaching the sibling now that he had something to talk about.

"...Eight weeks"

When Klaus speaks, his voice is quiet, almost robotic as he answers their brother.

"Eight weeks..." Diego echoes through a sigh, reminiscing with a smile as he continues, "Eight weeks of glorious silence-"

"Hey, thanks for the ride-" Klaus suddenly interrupts him, his ocean eyes fixed upon the blacked out windows of a building just across the street, "-Ghost and I will catch you later, alright?"

"What-?"

Before Diego is able to continue, Klaus is throwing open the rusted car door and stumbling out onto the road with (y/n) using her abilities to quickly follow after. At this point in their relationship, the girl realized it was better to not question the unpredictable when she wanted the answers she needed. So, that is exactly what she did. She followed her scruffy looking brother through the cool rain that fell from the ash colored clouds above and never questioned where he was leading her, even when that meant having to step into a bar that catered to veterans who had fought in foreign wars.

Charcoal covered chucks leave dusted footprints upon the velvet 'welcome' mat beneath her feet as she stops in her place, her soft (e/c) eyes moving to quietly scan the honey washed room in all of its musk filled glory. From cracked lightbulbs hanging on rusted chains, the bar is covered in a lemon glow as bearded men sip from glass cups held within their wrinkled hands. Covered in scars and tattoos, (y/n) found herself shrinking slightly in her spot at the annoyed glint in their eyes upon seeing her and her brother waltzing into what she assumed must have been their safe haven. Its then that the girl realizes that said brother is no longer by her side.