To Nightfall

Chapter 7: Kugelblitz

Warnings: corpses, implications of suicidal thoughts, mentions of blood and death

Word Count: 4649

The revolving doors spun until Klaus entered the hotel lobby, dressed in a red raincoat. His eyes widened at the sight of the two corpses on the ground, his siblings and some old man standing before them. "Oh, man. Heavens to Betsy... What did you do? Did Viktor go full 'Carrie' again?"

"We didn't do this." Allison answered, her eyes discreetly motioning to the old man. Viktor stepped closer to him.

"Harlan?"

"Don't!" Harlan flinched and brought his hands up to his temples. "Don't come near me, please."

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay," Viktor's mind raced at the sight of Harlan heavily breathing. "You can... You can talk now. It's-"

Harlan opened his eyes and held up a hand. "I can do a lot of things now."

Behind the two, Allison, Diego and Klaus grouped together to quietly talk and watch them. "Who the hell is creepy grandpa?" Klaus asked.

"That's the kid Viktor saved in Dallas." Diego answered, the two gasping in realization.

"Oh, yeah, shit."

"Oh, shit! You're right!"

"But didn't he get rid of all the kid's mojo when he did all 'that'?" Klaus pretended to spasm, mimicking Harlan when they had last seen him. Allison crossed her arms at his question.

"Yeah, I guess that didn't stick."

"What's he doing here now?"

Diego tilted his head. "Who cares? He saved us from the Sparrows."

Klaus gaped at the corpses on the ground. "Wow, he did that?"

A little ways away from Jayme and Alphonso, Luther was trying to wake the unconscious Sloane. When she finally did, she winced in pain and sat up with his help. The first sight she set her eyes on was her dead siblings, the side of their faces brutally burnt off. She fearfully gasped and got to her feet.

"It's alright." Luther whispered. "Sloane, it's alright."

She turned to him with a look of betrayal before fleeing up the stairs. "Sloane!" He called out.

"You got a live one, Luther!" Diego shouted, running after Luther who ran after Sloane. While everyone was distracted, Harlan made his escape up the opposite staircase.

"Harlan, wait!" Viktor called out. When he noticed Allison was going to follow him, he quickly stopped her. "Um... no. Go help Luther."

"What about you?"

"I can handle it. Go!"

"Okay, okay, okay."

The two split, leaving Klaus to get a closer look at Jayme and Alphonso, letting out a breath through his nose and shaking his head.

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The Commission was not in the same state either of them had left it. Entering the building, Five and Lila found themselves in an empty, broken version of what used to be a polished interior, now devoid of its loyal workers walking throughout the halls and stairs.

"Holy shit." Lila gasped. "I was just here. How long was I bloody gone?"

"It seems the grandfather paradox is affecting everything," Five set the briefcase on the ground and massaged his wrist. "Even places out of time."