𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 ~ 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀

~ Chapter One Hundred Nine ~

"No! No! No! No!" Dusk spat out the mouthguard, struggling to break free from her restraints. "Oh my god..." Luther gaped, disconnecting the headrest from the sides of his head. With shaking hands, Dusk finally broke free from the machine, trying to suppress the urge to throw up. All after these years, after all the time we've spent blaming each other for what happened to Ben, it was Dad who caused his death?! "Benerino..." Klaus's voice filled with sorrow. "How could he do that?" Dusk sniffed. Sensing her distress, Klaus tightly embraced her, feeling the desperate rise and fall of her chest as she remembered the blood and tears from that awful night.

"I'm right here, babe," Klaus stroked her hair, wiping away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Dusk nestled her head deeper in his chest, hoping to escape the dreaded nightmare. But Dusk wasn't the only one growing emotional from her past trauma. Victoria sat up in her seat, hot and salty tears streaming down her face, her heavy breathing becoming short and ragged. "You MURDERED our brother!" Allison's voice trembled with anger. "And Jennifer!" Viktor added, shaking his head in disbelief. "You son a bitch..." Diego stared at Reginald, remembering just how evil and demented he truly was.

"Children, whatever anger you may feel towards me is misdirected. May I remind you that it was the other Sir Reginald Hargreeves who committed this horrible act?" Reginald said, his gaze shifting amongst the grief-stricken siblings. "What are you going on about?" Dahlia questioned. "When we were kids, the 'other' Hargreeves killed Ben and Jennifer," Luther answered. "And he had a perfectly valid reason for doing so!" The old man justified. "They were two innocent kids!" Dusk sobbed. "Who would've set off a cataclysmic chain of events, leading to the extinction of all humanity!"

The siblings couldn't believe what they were hearing, even this version of their father was still just as heartless about their brother's life, even six years later. "You are no different than the other Hargreeves!" Luther spat. "You're both FUCKING PSYCHOPATHS!" Diego yelled. While the siblings' voices grew louder and louder with shock and anger. Victoria's body shook with anger, as she slowly rose out of her chair. The occasional sparks flowing through her veins started to make a recurring appearance, the faint green lights ran down into the palms of her hands.

"Children, it's not his fault," Abigail spoke, breaking the tension for the briefest moment. "Reg is not responsible for what happened to your brother and that poor girl. I am..." All eyes fell on her, a wave of confusion crashing over everyone in the room. How could Abigail be responsible when she wasn't a part of their lives up until this point? "Years ago, I synthesized a new element, the very essence of the universe," "The particle we know as Marigold," Reginald added. 

"At the same moment, unbeknownst to me, a second particle was created. Durango. When Marigold and Durango interact, they cause a reaction, a physical reaction. Unstoppable, irrevocable. The extinction of everything we know," Abigail explained. "The Cleanse," Five realized, and Abigail nodded. "By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late for our world," she continued. "Not only did it consume our world, but the aftereffects of the Durango poisoned the both of us," Rosalie spoke up, her voice trailing off at the distant memory. Abigail put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, her face full of remorse. "I never intended to put you in harm's way," She sighed. "You couldn't have known, darling," Reginald replied.

"I... don't mean to be a dick and all, but why the fuck does any of this have to do with us?" Lila squinted. "The other particle is inside of Jennifer. That's why it is imperative that none of you come into contact with her!" Reginald answered. "And what happens if we do?" Dusk inquired. "We end the world," Five spoke bluntly. "Again? Man, we can never settle down, can we?" Klaus whined. "That's a side effect of being a Hargreeves..." Dahlia shook her head. "Uh... guys?" Luther slowly raised his hand, the uneasiness in his voice forming a tight knot within their stomachs. "We... may have a problem,"