Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You're wearing my clothes."
Ransom had been sitting outside, looking at the tall statue of a young boy in the courtyard. Ben Hargreeves; May the darkness within you find peace in the light, he winced softly at the name, remembering Five's stories of the kind boy cursed with the monster underneath his skin.
The air was humid, Ransom squinting at the little light that pierced through the dark clouds overhead. He felt unsettled being at the Hargreeves' residence, not knowing any of the people there and feeling out of place in time.
But that wasn't the problem right now, no, the problem was Diego Hargreeves glaring at him and waiting for a reply.
"Oh," he looked down at himself. "I'm sorry, Five told me to grab something. I can go buy something else and give them back."
"Don't worry about it." Diego muttered, flipping a knife around his finger as he looked over Ransom. "How do you know Five?"
"I told you, I'm his guest."
"That's not an answer."
Ransom laughed under his breath, shoving his hands into his pockets and tilting his head as he looked over Diego.
"It doesn't matter how I know Five, you still won't believe or trust me anyway. You're basically overflowing with distrust and skepticism." Diego rose an eyebrow, stilling the knife in his hand. "I'm an empath."
Ransom hummed as he looked down at his watch, feeling Diego's burning glare seeping into his skin.
"Time," he began. Ransom looked back to the statue of the child in front of him. "What a terribly cruel thing."
"Five wasn't kidding when he called you cryptic."
Ransom offered a forced smile, nodding at the words. Suddenly, rain began to lightly fall, the other academy siblings spilling out of the house and gathering around Ben's statue.
Ransom found himself joining Five's side, the boy holding the umbrella over his shoulder and letting his partner stand in the rain.
Klaus then came to the other side of the stranger, sharing his umbrella with Ransom. He gave Klaus a smile, the druggie holding out a cigarette almost as a peace offering.
Ransom smiled, placing it between his lips and leaning forward to let Klaus light it.
"Did something happen?" Grace, their mother, asked with a smile.
"Dad died," Allison frowned, "remember?"
"Oh yes, of course."
Ransom blew smoke out of his mouth, aiming down to be sure it didn't get near Five. The boy had been the one to steer Ransom away from drugs and alcohol, having been a victim of addiction throughout the years at the commission.
