repressed love | ben hargreeves

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I had begun walking back to the lobby, to make my vote. "Hey, Sadie," Luther stopped me.

"What's up?" I asked, smiling at my brother. Luther was one of my favorite brothers, he wasn't too annoying.

"When were you going to tell me?"

I furrowed my brows, "tell you what?"

"About you and Ben..." he gestured with his hands. How the hell did he know? Did he see us? Did Ben tell him?

I pulled him closer, bringing my voice low. "How do you know about that?"

He let out a loud gasp, "so you and Ben screwed last night?"

"We didn't fuck. We only kissed."

"Why the hell would you kiss Ben?" He asked, a look of disgust written on his face.

"I was drunk." I pointed out.

"Drunk actions are sober thoughts."

"That's not the phrase."

"What are we talking about?" Sloane walked up to us, interrupting our conversation.

"Her and Ben kissed." Luther confessed. I hit his arm, giving him a scolding look.

"Both of you will never speak of this." I threatened, turning on my heel as I continued to walk to the lobby.

We all gathered back in the same spot as earlier, ready with our votes on who will be going through the portal and who will be staying.

"I think you can all guess which way I'll be voting," Allison spoke. "We've all been through a lot. We've all lost people. Mannequins...but their deaths have to mean something. Which is why I'll be voting to go with Dad."

"Let's go save the bloody universe!" Lila exclaimed, voting to go with Dad as well.

"All right, well, since she said yes, I vote stay." Diego replied. "How's that for nice?"

"You're not being serious," Lila scoffed.

"It's his vote, Lila." Allison spoke, not pleased with his vote either. "Klaus?"

"I am with Father." He answered. Ben nodded in agreement, making his vote known.

"Okay, that's four to one." Allison spoke, "Viktor?"

"Look, I wanna believe, okay? I really do. I just can't shake the feeling we don't know what we're getting ourselves into." Viktor answered.

"No, but we know what we've got if we don't." Allison tried convincing him. "We have to go into this together. Viktor. A family."

"You can't just keep throwing the word 'family' around. It isn't enough. I vote stay."

Allison looked annoyed, turning, "Luther?"

"Um...Sloane and I talked, and, well, we're out. Look, we wanna spend whatever time we have left together, and not fighting some guy with a sword and ringing bells and stuff." Luther answered.

"Well, dead even. Four in, four out." Viktor spoke.

"That leaves you, Number Five and Eight." Dad spoke, looking between us.

"I saw the future,"  Five began speaking. "And it told me to sit this one out. I vote stay. It's time we accept our fate."

Allison looked at me, expecting me to tie it. "I vote stay as well."

"You're all pathetic," Allison spoke to the six of us, walking away.

"Why can't we go in there, just the four of us?" Ben asked Dad.

"That would mean certain failure," Dad responded simply. "There must be eight. Children, I can't say I'm happy with this. But I see now the blame falls on me. I failed you when you were young, and I have failed you now. And in doing so, I have doomed the entire universe. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the courtyard...awaiting the end."

"Idiots," Ben muttered before walking away.

"Was that a real apology?" Viktor asked, looking at Luther.

"The man's never apologized for anything in his life. I actually feel bad for him."

"Don't worry. It'll pass." Five reassured.

"So now what?" Sloane asked.

"We wait for the end. See you around. It's been interesting."

I walked away, lingering on the stairs. Was voting stay a good idea? Had I chosen to go, it wouldn't have mattered. It would be a tie and Dad would've broken it. I was not going to regret my decision. Out of nowhere, a scream was heard upstairs. It sounded like Sloane. I ran upstairs, using my speed. I found her in the White Buffalo Suite, holding Luther's body in her arms. Luther was dead.

"Oh my god," I exhaled, putting my hands over my mouth as a couple tears escaped my eyes. My brother was dead. Who killed him? Why would they kill him? One by one, everyone else filled the room, shocked by this outcome. Ben came to my side, putting an arm around my shoulders, slightly rubbing his hand on my arm.

"Oh my god, Luther." Viktor spoke, coming to kneel at his body.

"What happened?" Five asked.

"He went to get ice...he didn't come back." Sloane spoke, sobbing. "I..I don't know."

"It must have been him. The guardian." Lila spoke, gesturing to the portal door, slightly opened.

"She's right. Whatever did this had a long curved blade." Diego spoke, using his knowledge on weapons.

"How...how can you be sure?" Viktor questioned.

"I don't know much, but I know knives."

"Children, what's going on?" Dad entered, gasping at Luther's body. "Oh God! Luther."

"If we attacked first, he would still be alive." Ben spoke from next to me, tightening his grip on me.

The building slowly started collapsing, signaling the Kugelblitz was taking its final run in swallowing everything. Ben looked out the door, "g-guys? Hey, guys!"

"What are we gonna do with Luther?" Sloane asked.

"Okay, we're out of time! The Kugelblitz is here." Five announced, Diego grabbing the gun off the mantelpiece.

"Into the passage! It's the only way!" Dad spoke, Lila opening the door for him.

"We agreed to stay!" Viktor stopped Diego and I.

"They killed Luther, all right?" Diego responded, pushing past him.

"Come on, children! Hurry!" Dad ushered.

"We can't leave him," Sloane replied, holding Luther's body.

I went over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Sloane, we have to go. He would want this, okay? Come on." Allison helped me drag her away, Sloane giving one last kiss to Luther. Ben grabbed my hand, dragging me down the passage. It was white with weird blue lines. It seemed alien.