With file in hand, you skipped through the academy's front doors and ran straight into a hard surface. What the hell...

"Watch where you're going," Diego said, pushing you away. You sputtered and pulled the papers to your chest, looking up at him. His face was contorted with annoyance and impatient-ness.

"Sorry," you muttered, seeing Klaus round the corner. He slipped a fur coat over his sleeveless shirt. Your eyes squinted and you barely caught the dark ink on his arm. When did he get a tattoo?

"I'm ready," he said, swaying in his spot.
"Where are you guys going," you asked, unmoving as you looked at the duo.

"We aren't going anywhere," Diego scoffed, "why do you care?"

You pondered, staring down at the wooden floors with feigned intent. "I'm coming with!" You quickly turned on your heels and headed back for the open door.

If I'm out and about, maybe Rob will spy on me and I can get my questions answered.

"I thought you had 'things to do'," he quoted, following a bouncy you and a sulky Klaus out of the door.

You opened the back door of the car and hopped in, sending him a wink. "Those can wait."

He rolled his eyes and got in, Klaus following and sitting in the passenger seat. He was uncharacteristically silent and watching the raindrops slide down the window.

He pulled out a large bottle of alcohol and starting to take large gulps of it, pursing his lips sadly.

"You okay," Diego asked as he drove the car down te road. You gave a worried glance at Klaus.

Another sip.
"Wow. This is a first. My brother Klaus is silent."
You winced seeing the liquor easily go down.
"Last time you were this quiet, we were twelve. Ran down the stairs wearing Grace's heels, tripped over, and broke your jaw."

"How long was it wired shut again," you hesitantly asked.
"Eight weeks," Klaus replied, still in his seat and his voice sounding dry but heavy at the same time.
Is he okay? This is worse than any other time I've seen him.

"Eight glorious weeks of bliss."
You wanted to say something but Klaus's head perked up and his eyes caught sight of something outside the car. "Hey, just...just drop me off here."

Diego had barely pulled into a parking spot before Klaus practically fell out of the car, bottle still in hand.

"You sure you okay, man?" Diego called after Klaus. He didn't turn back, only stumbled ahead.

You and Diego shared a look of confusion and slight worry. He doesn't seem okay...
"We sh-should, uh, go after him, right," you asked, placing down the file and nervously playing with your seat belt.

With a deep sigh and a worried frown, Diego unbuckled himself from the seat and motioned for you to do the same. "Probably for the best."

You followed Diego into the building. It was a bar for veterans. It made you wonder why would Klaus go here?

No one really noticed you and Diego slip into the bar, looking for your brother. He wasn't hard to find. Back turned to you, his hands placed on a picture that -from what you could see- held men dressed in army clothing and each holding guns.

The way his shoulders shook and he was curled into himself, you could tell he was crying. But, why?
His coat was discarded and on full view was the tattoo of the skull that seemed to have randomly appeared.

The veterans also in the bar seemed to keep their eye on Klaus, two of them stood and walked towards him. They didn't look happy.

Diego stepped between them and pulled Klaus from whatever he was thinking. "Just go away, please," Klaus sighed.

"Not until you talk to me," Diego said. You hoped he noticed the veterans surrounding him and Klaus with curious looks.

You picked up the tossed away coat and kept it close to you. You watched the scene before you with cautious eyes.

"Hey, guys," the first vet to approach them said. He had a shaggy white beard and a beer belly. "This bar? It's for vets only."

"I am a vet."

Your head tilted to the side and you took a step forward at Klaus's words. He can't be serious, right? Diego had the same look: eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"Really?" The veteran chuckled, obviously not believing a word. "Where'd you serve?"

"None of your business."
"You got balls comin' in here, pretendin' you're one of us."
"Oh, I have every right to be here, just like you."

Klaus then turns around and pulls his lips back, sneering out an "asshole".
The vet took a threatening step forward and Diego was quick to place a soft hand to stop him. "Hey. Slow down, Marine."

Your arms fell from your chest and you watched carefully. What the hell is Klaus thinking?

"My brother's just had a few too many. Let's just call it a day, all go our own way."
"Sure thing-"
"Thank you."

You almost gave a breath of relief and went for Klaus, but you stopped in your steps.
"-As long as you apologize."

"Fine."
Diego? Apologize? Never-
"I'm sorry."
-mind.

"So... are we good?"
You wanted to know the same thing. This has already gone out of hand.

There was something, or, someone that passed by the bar's windows and it caught your eyes.
Long brown hair was pulled back in a bun and the person's deep, brown eyes stared straight into yours.

Rob...
You dropped whatever was happening in the bar and shot for the doors. You had barely made it outside when Rob began running and turning the down the nearest corner.

"Get back here," you shouted, receiving strange looks from the people you passed by, turning down the same corner. "I have questions!"

You estimated where he would be and summoned a small force field that would stop him. Sure enough, he tripped over it and sent himself tumbling to the floor.

You were quick to block him in a transparent box, arms strained and outstretched to keep it up. "I have questions for you," you panted, wanting to bend over and catch your breath.

He used one hand to trace around the box and you could feel it within your arms, like he was running his hand under your skin.
It felt uncomfortable.

"Impressive," he said, using a knuckle to knock on the force field. "How long can you keep this up?"

"No, no, no, no," you stopped him, taking a hesitant step towards the man. "I get to ask."
No where to go, now.

"Okay, ask away."
You blinked.
It can't be that simple.

He was the one trapped in a near-indestructible box, so why was he smirking? You bit your lip, feeling the familiar tug of pain in your upper arms.

"What do you want?"
"My paycheck."

Fucker.
You rolled your eyes and shrunk the box around him. He jumped but didn't lose the humor in his face.

"I mean, why am I so important to The Handler that she sent someone to almost kill me?"
"Well, she doesn't want you dead, you're just proving to be a nuisance. I had to take extra measures."

Great. That's so reassuring.
You staggered, the strain on your arms starting to show and beads of sweat pooled around forehead. The box shrank even more.

"Why can't I tell Five about you?"
"So you listened to me."

You grunted, falling to one knee. He's avoiding my questions. It didn't help that he kept tracing the orange walls he was trapped in.
You could feel every pad of his fingers.
It was crawling under your skin.

Your mind felt fuzzy with pressure and the brute effort you had to give to keep such a big shield up was effecting you now. Rob knew how hard this was for you and he was enjoying watching you struggle.

"Why-" you groaned, falling to both knees. "-why aren't you trying to hide?"
"I have no reason to."

"Please, explain," you all but screamed.
"My mission is to get you to The Handler, in any way I can. This is me attempting to do so."

You could no longer support the box and it dissolved around Rob, leaving piles of orange dust behind. You used your arms to push yourself up back to your feet.

The pain flowed through your arms like a splash of water with every movement, except this water was warm.
Very warm.

For the second time, his watch flashed with a familiar blue light. He looked down at the watch, so he missed when you flexed your hands and created a small bat.

"That's her," he said, using a finger to tap the screen of the watch. "She'll be delighted to- ARGH!"

You swing the bat at him again and he used his forearms to block it, face scrunching up in pain. You panted, sweat dripping down your face, but you kept your stance and glared him down.

"Rob Maronova," you said, voice laced with exhaustion, but there was an underlying tone of anger. His eyes widened and he pushed himself away from you.

You smirked.
I have the advantage, now.

"H-How do you know my last name?" His question was asked quickly and he staggered away with each slow step you took towards him.

"Answer me, first."
For the first time you could see the fear in his eyes when he nodded. His eyebrows pulled together and created stressed wrinkles on his forehead.

"You work for The Handler?"
"Yes."
"And she thinks I'm a weakness and accomplice to Five?"
"Yes."
"So, she wants to meet me and possible kill me?"
"Yes."
"How did you disappear?"
"Yes- wait, what?"

You pointed the bat down at his watch, your energy stick disappearing with the seconds passing. You swayed but pushed forward. "Your watch flashed and you disappeared. How?"

His watch flashed with another blue light and you were too fatigued to move when he vanished with it.
You chest heaved and the bat wasted away from your grip.

Fuck.
You had lost him again.
Him and that stupid blue light.
It seemed so similar to Five's powers; his time traveling, his spatial jumping.

Your eyes stared at the ground, it blurry and the colors all mixed together. Your arms weighed heavy at your sides.

I could pass out.
So you did.