𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 ~ 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴

~ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣: 𝙄 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝘼 𝙍𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧... ~

"We should've given them Harlan," Luther secretly stressed but tried to show a put-together and logical expression. "Luther, please don't say that," Viktor shook his head. "What about Harlan?" Diego asked, looking up from his glass. Viktor hesitated to answer the question on his own. And as much as it might've pained him to reveal the extension of the Sparrow's agreements to a truce, Astrid had no choice but to inform them herself.

"The Sparrows said if we turned him over, we could end the fighting and then work together to save the world," She sighed, patting Viktor's back as a subtle way to comfort him. "But, if we didn't... then I guess the fight will continue until we're all dead," "We tried to make peace, Astrid! The step-siblings from hell attacked, kidnapped you, and tried to kill us. Come on, we can't trust them!" Viktor persuaded. "Working together would be like trying to defuse a bomb by pouring gas. It's only gonna make things burn down faster," 

While Astrid could agree that this added part of the truce was sketchy, and the arguments over how to defeat the Kugelblitz were inevitable, there was no other option for them. It was a chance they had to take. "But don't we need the big bad glowy-thing in their basement?" Klaus perked up. Everyone went silent as they looked toward him. Did he somehow figure out the location of the Kugelblitz?

"How do you know where the Kugelblitz is? And when did you find the time to do that?" Astrid questioned. "It's actually a cute story, Ast. I was going to visit Dad, and you know the old storage room where Mom always kept her luggage? Well, the monster's down there too!" Klaus explained. "Well, why didn't you tell anyone?" Five inquired. "I did! I told you!" Klaus pointed to Diego. "You say stupid shit all the time! How are we supposed to know whether you're talking facts or being serious?" Diego scoffed.

Klaus continued to protest and said he was telling the truth, but the Kraken continued not believing him. And it got to the point where Astrid started considering getting up and leaving. But as Viktor rose from his seat, she and Luther followed him as he headed towards the staircase. "V, wait up!" Astrid called. Viktor turned around and looked at the both of them, clearly exhausted. "Why are you protecting this guy? This is like Peabody all over again," Luther whispered. "Harlan is nothing like Leonard, okay?" Viktor reasoned.

"He's clearly got some hold over you. Viktor, I know you care about him, but you need to stop covering for him. Actions have consequences, and the longer he avoids them, the more in danger we all are," Astrid exhaled. "Covering for what? What's going on?" Five questioned as he and the rest of the siblings joined them, having overheard their conversation. "He didn't mean to hurt anyone," Viktor looked back to Astrid and Luther.

"Really? Did he mean to hurt you when he did that?" Luther pointed to the cut on his brother's cheek. Everyone else noticed the cut, inhaling sharply at how bad it must've hurt, while Five and Diego looked at Viktor with wide eyes of surprise. "He did that?" Five asked, a hint of anger at the end of his question. "That's it, I'm gonna end him," Diego growled, but Astrid placed a firm hand on his chest, keeping him in his place.

Viktor continued his justification for Harlan's life and tried to reason why they shouldn't give him up to the Sparrows. But no matter how times he kept repeating himself like a broken record, the siblings had already made their final decision. Now, they could either take Harlan the easy way or the hard way. "No, Harlan killed Jayme and Alphonso, not you. He's the reason we're in this mess, and he's our only ticket out of it!" Astrid insisted.