AFTER A LOT OF GLARES, warnings, a slight detour, two good cups of coffee and donuts for two certain hungover and fed-up assassins later, they wound up back at the Umbrella Academy.
Jay and Five had managed to ditch Luther and were wandering aimlessly about the house when they happened across Klaus struggling to get dressed. His movements were sluggish, his nails - now devoid of their usual black polish - racked across his skin restlessly. After watching for a moment Jay and Five shared a knowing nod and headed in.
Jay knocked softly on the open door.
"You okay?" Five asked.
"Hey. Yeah, just... long night." Klaus said groggily, slowing pulling on a t-shirt.
"More than one by the looks of it." Five said.
"Yeah," Klaus said absently.
"Don't remember the dog tags."
"Oh, yeah, they belonged to a friend." Klaus said, picking one up and studying it, a sudden longing love in his eyes that made Jay's heart constrict.
She knew that look. Whatever thoughts she had of interrogation vanished as, for a moment, she was sat in her flat reading that letter over and over announcing his death. She felt sick all at once, ghosts clawing at her throat with a unifying guilt and shame and pain that made her swallow, reaching for her flask. She knew that look, but Five didn't.
"How 'bout that new tattoo?" He pushed.
Stop, the word clogged in her haunted throat. As had a short sip of her flask, then a deep gulp.
Klaus looked down at his forearm, a skull tattoo now placed there. "You know I don't totally remember even getting it. Like I said, it was a long night."
Five broke into a smirk. "You did it didn't you?"
"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked, sinking onto his bed.
"You know we can recognise the symptoms Klaus." Five said.
"Symptoms of what?"
"The jet lag. Full body itch. The headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose and through your brain." Five listed with a shrug. He looked down at Klaus. "Wanna tell us about it?"
"Your pals, when they broke into the house and they couldn't find you, they took me hostage instead." Klaus said.
"And we're sorry." Jay said, still leaning against his door, hands buried in her pockets. The sincerity in her voice took Five back slightly, making him look back at her, eyes flicking over her forlorn frame.
Klaus wasn't as convinced. "Well they still did it."
"And in return you stole their briefcase." Five said, slowly turning back to him. He broke into a proud grin for a moment, then started to pace.
"Yeah, I thought there was money in it or I could pawn it or you know, whatever." Klaus shrugged.
"But instead you ended up..." Five threw his hands up. "Where? Or, when?"
"What does it matter?" Klaus sighed.
"What does-" Five stopped himself, sighing. "Okay, how long were you gone?"
"Almost a year."
"A year?" Five asked in disbelief. He stepped towards Klaus. "Do you know what this means?"
"Yeah, I'm ten months older now."
"No this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus. Hazel and Cha-Cha will do whatever they can to get the briefcase. Where is it now?" Five asked.
YOU ARE READING
Ruins (Five Hargreeves)
Fanfiction"You've ruined me, Five." Jay had spent what felt like her whole life at the Commission. She couldn't remember anything else, anything different. She didn't know how to do anything but follow orders and kill. She'd never leave, and she was okay wit...
