Chapter Text
Klaus was intimately familiar with death. The notion of dying had long lost its mystery, and he had often thought about what it would be like to be dead.
He could get up to all kinds of ghostly shenanigans with his dear brother Ben, and would never have to wonder about mortal things like a roof over his head. His family certainly wouldn’t care – except maybe Diego, he had that whole wanting-to-protect-thingy still going on for him.
So, in conclusion: no more hunger, no more being hunted by scary ghosts, and if he was super, super lucky he’d find his little Number Five – either as a fellow ghost, or in the afterlife. Klaus often thought about Five when his breathing faded out. Bossy, arrogant, selfish, run-away, brave, brave Five. Klaus thought about how Fivey had run away, how he had mourned for months and looked out for his missing brother in every bloodied ghost he encountered.
He had never seen Five and over time the resentment had faded into the deep, painful wish that his brother was safe, wherever he was. The afterlife, as a ghost or living it up in the Bahamas.
For Klaus, death meant many things. Somehow, loneliness wasn’t one of them. He was never alone, the only people that seemed to want to be far away from him were the Living. The Dead screamed and begged, whispered and reached out their bloody, clammy-cold hands. Drugs did keep them away, but it was a long process and Klaus was really trying not to take them again. And no, Ben, it wasn’t solely because of the cute army vet he always saw on the bus stop by the academy.
Dave, as he had introduced himself, was motivation, sure, but Klaus was also tired of Ben punching him whenever he tried to light his joint. He did that a lot since he had figured out he could.
So for the last few days Klaus had totally gone cold turkey and it totally sucked balls. But anyway – back to the problem at hand: Klaus was intimately familiar with death, but if he had to make a guess then this was probably hell.
Everything was on fire, there was ash flying around, and he was currently staring at his own body, half buried under rubble and debris. The only good thing was that Klaus could happily say that he served face even in death. Amazing.
“What the fuck.”
Ah, yes. Of course he wasn’t alone even in this hellish wasteland – he never was. Figures. Klaus turned around and nodded to Ben, who nodded back. Diego turned in a slow circle then tried nudging his own body with his foot. It went through with a blueish glimmer and he repeated “what the fuck” quieter to himself.
“Are we dead?” Klaus' head whipped around to face Vanya. Just like the rest of his siblings Vanya starred in anguish at the ruins around them. Klaus hummed in agreement and like the sensible queen he was, settled down on a big stone to watch as Luther, Diego and Allison immediately started a screaming match with their sister about killing them, and pushing blame around.
Ben sat down next to him, and reached out to pat his back, just like he did when Klaus was still alive. While the occasional punch landed quite well, they still had problems with softer, non-anger fuelled connections. Except this time, his hand made contact and the two brothers stopped and stared at each other. “Ah,” Ben remarked. “Forgot that ghosts can touch each other.”
Klaus squealed in elation and threw himself into his brother’s arms. “Oh Benny-boy! Look at us! Hugging!”
Ben rolled his eyes, but his hands clutched at Klaus’ back with surprising strength, and he didn’t make a single move to withdraw from the hug, until – “Ben?”
Klaus reluctantly let him go, taking a step back and watching with silent vindication as Ben stepped forward and slapped all of them in the face, starting with Luther who stood closest, continuing with Allison and Diego, and not even sparing Vanya who had asked the question. “That’s for not believing Klaus, you arrogant assholes.”
Then he grabbed Klaus’ hand and pulled them all in one giant sibling hug. “Listen here,” he began, ignoring the incredulous looks he received. “I've had a lot of time to judge all of your life decisions and most of them are shit. All your stupid problems only exist because you're incapable of talking to each other, so this is what we’ll do right now.”
If Ben wouldn’t have looked so menacing and also didn’t have a vice grip on Klaus’ arm he would’ve run away from this truly uncomfortable moment. Alas – here they were, sitting before the burning entrance of what once was their home; talking it out.
To be honest Klaus was only half listening as they resolved their issues. He didn’t have issues with Vanya ending the world – it had sucked anyway. And as far as he could tell there were no other ghosts around except for them, which was great. Not even Vanya’s slimy new boyfriend who – “Hey!” Klaus exclaimed excitedly. “I think we should blame that Leonard guy! He was like, really weird and kinda talked Vanny into blowing up, don’tcha think?”
Diego paused his widely illustrative explanation about his heroic vigilantism and squinted at him. “Yeah,” he blinked. “We came to that conclusion like ten minutes ago.”
Ben poked a finger into his chest. “Were you not listening?”
“I was!” He totally wasn’t.
“Mhm.” Great, now Ben was suspicious. And a suspicious Ben could be quite persistent. Sadly, Klaus spoke from experience.
“We’re trying to figure out what business we have left here, that turned us into the only ghosts on this planet.” Allison supplied helpfully.
Oh well. If it was just that – they should have told him ages ago; he has lots of ideas. Something in Ben’s gaze told Klaus he shouldn’t say it like that, because they probably did. Why else would they be listening to Diego’s adventures as wish-ordered Batman right now. Even death in the apocalypse wasn’t that boring.
Instead he opted to nod knowingly. “Maybe it’s ‘cause we’re not really complete.”
“Klaus, if you're telling me, we just need to find ourselves to move on, I'm actually going to kill you.” Luther ground out.
Klaus giggled. “No, silly.” He gestured around their semi-circle. “I meant number wise. Little Number Five is still missing!”
Vanya opened her mouth to say something pitiful, grimace already in place – their siblings (and with ‘their’ he meant himself and Ben because they knew better) had the odd conviction for ages now that Five had died when he had run away all those years ago. But Klaus and Ben hadn’t seen him once as a ghost, and Five had loved them. In his own, weird, stunted, little way, but he could never just march into the afterlife without saying goodbye, right?
Klaus glanced at Ben who nodded like a freakish mind-reader. Right.
“No.” In the end it wasn’t Vanya that spoke her disagreement out loud. Diego clenched his jaw and glared at a pile of ash. “Five left us.”
“And he’s not here. If he had died like us he’d surely be here right now.” Allison tried to explain when Klaus frowned at Diego’s harsh words.
Ben shook his head. “Five wasn’t a ghost when you were alive. He must be somewhere out there!”
“Yeah, well he’s not, face it, Ben!” Diego’s voice got louder. “He probably skipped being a ghost because there was nothing holding him back! Just like when he left the academy!”
Klaus didn’t often get mad. Mostly he got sad, numb or aroused. Or high. But being high wasn’t an option right now and Five had always been a sensitive topic for every one of them. They had all lost a brother, Five had been special for everyone. He stood up for shit, never gave up – Diego was being unfair, and in Klaus’ mind Five never truly changed. It was like his image was frozen in time, and he stayed the small, brave, sassy child he once was. Klaus always did have a soft spot for small, brave, sassy children.
“Five isn’t dead!” Maybe springing up from his place in the dirt wasn’t exactly necessary, but Klaus had a flair for the dramatics.
“Yes, he is!” Diego got to his feet as well because he also had a flair for the dramatics. “Dead and being his bossy fucking self in the afterlife somewhere!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ben, as became more and more apparent, had a flair for slapping people in the face. His ghostly hand connected with Diego’s ghostly cheek and Klaus took a surprised step back. “How could you say that!”
“Because,” Diego spit out, rubbing his jaw. He glared at Ben, who raised his hand again, but then Diego deflated, all fight leaving him in a hopeless sigh. “Because he's happy there. He made it out; he’s safe.”
Klaus winced. Even Ben looked away and sat back down. None of the siblings said anything after that, and Klaus wished Five would just show up and magically solve all their issues. Just like he had when they were kids. Saving the day by rebellion against their dad or by saving their asses on missions.
Silently, Klaus agreed with Diego. Better a selfish Five as a hurt one.
He repeated the sentiment out loud, only for Vanya to look at him with big eyes. "Don't jinx it."
Klaus harrumphed. "We're ghosts. This is literally the end of the world. I'm sure jinxes don't work anymore."
Luther was just about to chime in by listing the rules of jinx – really, Klaus could see it in his eyes - when suddenly a blue light appeared a bit further down the ruined street, and a figure stumbled out of it with a swooshing sound.
"What the-" Number Five's voice carried over to them, and Klaus froze. Oh shit. He had jinxed it.
“Where does he come from?” Luther’s voice sounded small. Unfitting, for such a huge specimen, Klaus decided. Once again, everyone kept silent. It wasn’t really necessary after all. They were awfully acquainted with this specific look on little Five’s face.
Klaus was, at least. He saw it in his mind during every rendezvous with death. Burned into the back of his brain, the oh so arrogant expression on Five’s face as he turned around to storm out. The glint in his eyes as if he had known that this was his big – only – chance to get out and away. Klaus had always hated seeing that particular expression on Five, and here between the burning ruins he watched it slide off his face and get replaced by the most heart-breaking panic.
“Five!” Allison shook herself out of her staring and together they watched as he broke out into a run and skidded to a halt in front of them.
No , Klaus thought, swallowing back the unpleasant feeling of bile rising in his throat. Not in front of them . He stopped in front of the academy’s entrance , looking right through them, because for some sick, twisted reason the universe hated Five and he was still –
“You're alive,” Diego breathed out. Vanya moved forward staring at the face of Number Five. “You actually time travelled?” Slowly she reached her hand out. “And ended up here?” She looked close to tears, when suddenly Five moved forward and right through her.
“Vanya!” Five looked around frantically, yelling their sister’s name without reacting to the sob she let out upon hearing him scream for her.
“Ben!” Next to him, Ben shifted, and Klaus barely managed to hold him back. Ben snarled at him in an unlikely, but for Klaus as an empath highly understandable display of hurt and anger. Only a second later, Ben’s expression softened a touch, as Klaus’ hand tightened vice-like on his arm when Five screamed out his name next.
“Diego!” Unlike Klaus and Ben, Diego did not have someone to hold him back. He rushed forward, growling in frustration when his hands passed through Five’s shoulders that he kept trying to shake.
“Five, come on, w-w-we’re right h-here!” Diego’s shaken voice caught on a stutter and Klaus winced in sympathy.
“Allison! Luther!” Five kept whipping his head in every direction, eyes searching for the others. In a heartbeat his small shoulders sank. Then: “Dad!” Next to them the remaining wall of a building collapsed into more ash and broken stone. The sound of the rolling cement pieces faded out and Five’s shoulders stayed down, caved inward like the wall had been placed on his back instead.
“Anyone!”
Diego was still by his smaller brother’s side, murmuring reassurances and empty promises. “Just jump back, Five! Come on, you can do it!”
Allison and Vanya hugged, crying loudly and holding each other up on shaky legs. Luther stared, jaw and fists clenched as if his anger would somehow transport Five back in time. Even Ben managed to free himself from Klaus' grasp and joined Diego in his fruitless quest of talking to their alive brother.
Klaus had seen many ghosts try to reach and go mad over the fact that they couldn’t. Five clenched his hands into fists, and numbly Klaus watched as space and reality wobbled around them in a faint blue glow before it snuffed out.
For a moment his siblings looked just as manic and disturbed as all the lost and forever travelling souls Klaus had encountered during his life as they swarmed around the teen, trying to reach, to help, to change a world they were no longer a part of.
Five cursed and tried again. And again.
Klaus’ chest felt heavily empty as he came to a terrifying conclusion. The past that Five was so desperately trying to reach was one Klaus had already lived. Without his brother. Five hadn’t returned to them. So he couldn’t now.
“He’s stuck.” Klaus mumbled. “He can't leave.”
Just like that, his siblings froze. Before them, Five screamed, falling to his knees in exhaustion, small frame shaking and blue shimmer around his hands dying once again.
Finally the tears started to win and rolled slowly down the boy’s face. What an absurd sight, Klaus thought to himself – or said quite possibly aloud, who could tell these things apart these days. He had never seen Five cry before. The child had been so stoic; untouchable by silly things like emotions.
It seemed fundamentally wrong for the salty water drops to take up residence on such a strong person’s face. Five had been here for merely seconds, but those were all it took to have his façade crumbling like everything around them. And suddenly, Klaus was scared, because his brother was breaking and he. Couldn’t. Leave.
On April 1 st , 2019 Klaus stood next to his siblings in a burning world, helpless and petrified for the fate of his baby brother.
In front of him, little Number Five cried on his knees and screamed for a robot he had always insisted on calling by its name. “MOM!”