Word count: 2084

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 to a sudden stop in front of the Academy. And as soon as the four wheels had screeched against the pavement, the doors were pushed open and everyone jumped out as fast as they could. 

The still unconscious Allison was being carried by Luther, whose nervous eyes were on her every other second. As they sprinted towards the building, he called, "I don't think she's breathing."

"If we don't get her upstairs, she's gonna die!" Klaus exclaimed as they raced through the door that Five held open.

Luther leading the way, the five of them rushed up to the infirmary on the second floor. There, they were met by Pogo and Grace (who had mysteriously been revived the day before). 

Allison was placed on the same bed that Elizabeth had once laid many years before. Grace tilted her head down as she examined the wound with narrowed eyes. She handed Five a cloth, instructing him to press it against Allison's wound, which he quickly heeded.

"She's suffered a severe laceration to her larynx," their mother informed them as she looked up from her bloodied gloves to the family. "One of you will need to give blood."

"I will," everyone immediately said simultaneously.

"I will," Luther followed up, already pulling his jacket's sleeve up to reveal his hairy forearm. "I'm doing it."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy," Pogo said, causing everyone to turn to him with furrowed eyebrows. He gave Luther a humourless smile as he explained, "Your blood is more compatible with mine."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I . . . I got this, big guy," Klaus said comfortingly as he went around the back of the bed and towards Grace. He slapped his left forearm as he held it out to Grace and uttered, "I . . . I love needles."

"Master Klaus. Your blood is . . . How shall I say this?" Pogo paused for a moment, thinking before carefully continuing, "Too polluted."

Diego stared at Allison for a moment before elbowing Luther. "Move. I'll do it."

He walked over to Grace, who was turned in the other direction as she grabbed the syringe she needed. However, once Grace turned around and he caught sight of the long, sharp needle, he passed out.

Pogo sighed as he gave a small nod. "Stick him."

—☾—

Only a few hours later, Elizabeth, Five, Diego, and Klaus were in the living room, their nerves higher than ever. 

It was early morning, and the cool blue light from the outside shone through the glass windows and gushed onto the floor, not helping much in lighting the room.

Klaus and Elizabeth sat on the couch as Five took a chair next to the fireplace. Diego didn't sit, instead walking to the side of the coffee table as he fiddled with his gear.

"The bastard that nearly killed our sister's still out there, with Vanya," Diego muttered to them. "We need to go after her."

"Vanya is not important," Five said as he got up from the chair and hobbled over to the back of the table.

"Hey, that's your sister." Elizabeth frowned as she folded her arms. "A little heartless even for you, Five."

He stared at her. "I'm not saying I don't care about her, but if the apocalypse happens today, she dies along with the other seven billion of us. Harold Jenkins is our first priority."

"I agree." Diego nodded, clapping his hands together. "Let's go."

Elizabeth got up, beginning to follow them towards the exit. The three of them stopped only a few steps in as soon as Klaus spoke up, and they turned to him with furrowed eyebrows.

"You guys count me out," he called as he waved a dismissive hand through the air. "I mean, you know, no offence or whatever. It's just . . . I kind of feel like this is a whole lot of pressure for newly-sober me, so . . ."

"You're coming," Diego said stiffly.

"No, no, no." Klaus waved his hand through the air once again, scrunching his face as he shook his head. "I mean, I think we can all agree that my powers . . . I mean, it's pretty much useless. I'd just be holding you guys back."

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows as she demanded, "Klaus, get up."

"You can't make me," he replied stubbornly.

Without looking at him, Diego drew a knife and threw it right between Klaus's propped-up feet. The knife hit the cushion, a few feathers flying out as he let out a small gasp and jumped slightly in his spot.

He sighed before hopping off of the couch, making sure to avoid the knife as he got up. "Oh, then again, a little exercise couldn't hurt."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes before turning and making a portal. The four of them stepped through, then arriving in the main foyer of the house that they had visited only a couple of days prior.

"Hello?" Klaus called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Vanya? Are you here?"

"Shut up," Five hissed, elbowing Klaus's side. "What if Jenkins is here?"

Diego, who had cautiously walked his way over to the living room, stated, "Yeah, I don't think that's going to be a problem."

Confused, the other three walked over to where Diego was standing and peered over. Their eyes soon widened upon seeing what had caused him to make such a bold claim.

Among the mess of broken wood, shattered glass, and sprawled curtains, was the body of Harold Jenkins, very much dead.

There was an assortment of tools and weapons stabbed into his torso and stomach, varying from crafting scissors to kitchen knives. His right leg was propped up against a broken table, and his face was covered in streams of blood, with his right eye being covered by a white eyepatch.

Klaus leaned forward as he inspected the corpse, his hands resting on his knees. "It's not exactly what I was expecting."

"The understatement of the year," Five replied, his hands in his pockets as he stared at the dead man's face.

"No sign of Vanya," Elizabeth sighed as she peered through the doorway that led to the kitchen that was in disarray.

Diego patted her arm to catch her attention and immediately turned. "Let's get out of here, before the cops come."

"In a minute," Five called back to them, causing them to stop in their tracks and turn back to face him.

He kneeled down next to the body as the other three stepped closer, and pulled out the black cloth that contained the object that Elizabeth was so used to seeing in his hands. He twirled the glass eyeball between his fingers for a moment before peeling the eyepatch off to reveal an empty eye socket.

Diego groaned, covering his mouth as he watched. "Come on, Five, what are you . . ."

"Ugh, wow." Klaus made a retching noise as Five popped the eye into the eye socket.

"Same eye colour, same pupil size. Guys, this is it!" Five exclaimed as he glanced back to them before looking back to Harold. "The eye I've been carrying around for decades, it . . . It's found its rightful home."

Diego leaned forward, his hands on his knees as Five took the eyeball back out and wrapped it with the cloth. "We got the guy we needed to kill to stop the apocalypse."

"Yay!" Klaus gave a fake cheer, clapping his hands together before his smile dropped. "Let's go." He turned around, beginning to clamber off before Diego grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back to them.

"No, no. Wait, wait. It can't be this easy," Five said restlessly as he shook his head and stood up. He pulled out the crinkled piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it for them to see. "Look, this is the note that I got from the Commission. The one that says, 'Protect Harold Jenkins,' AKA Leonard Peabody."

"Yeah?" Diego questioned, not following as he raised his eyebrows.

"But who killed him?" Five insisted. "Who did this?"

"I have a crazy idea. Crazy," Elizabeth scoffed, "but why don't we find Vanya . . . and ask her what happened?"

He ignored her and teleported away.

"Rude," she muttered.

Diego disregarded all this as he stared at the corpse with narrowed eyes. "If Vanya got away from this asshole, she might be headed back to the Academy."

"Let's go." Elizabeth pushed her hands out and a rush of gold flowed out of her hands. They collided with each other, creating the portal that she loved to see.

The three of them stepped through and immediately separated as they each began their own search for their sister.

Elizabeth went in and out of each room as fast as she could, looking for any sign of her. Unfortunately, she found none. Not in the bedrooms, nor the living room, nor the kitchen.

She met Five on the second floor, his expression just as hopeless as her own. "Anything?"

"No," she answered as she shook her head, letting out a small exhale.

The two walked toward the staircase, meeting Diego and Klaus, any feelings of optimism dropping as they registered the others' disappointed faces.

"No sign of Vanya," Five sighed.

Diego frowned as he added on, "She's not in any of the rooms."

"She's not downstairs, either," Klaus told them as he shook his head.

"Well, I'm out." Diego patted Klaus's shoulder as he walked past him.

Klaus immediately began to protest, "Wait. Wait. Wait . . ."

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth called out, causing Diego to stop and turn towards them. "Vanya's still out there, and so are Hazel and Cha-Cha."

"I know. I'm gonna get my things and then I'm outta here." His voice dropped to a mutter as he added, "I got some unfinished business with those fools."

Elizabeth sighed as Diego walked away, and then turned to Klaus as she folded her arms. "Hey, did Dad say anything about the apocalypse when you spoke to him? Any clues as to how it happened?"

"No. No clues." Klaus's voice was low as he leaned back against the wooden railing and shook his head. "Truly terrific shave. But no clues. Sorry, Queen Elizabeth."

Five exhaled as he took out the eyeball that was snugly wrapped in the cloth, "Jeez."

He began to walk down the stairs, his free hand tightly clutched on the railing for support as the other two followed him.

Klaus quickly bounded down the steps to get onto Five's level. "You know, come to think of it, he did mention something about my potential, and how I've barely even scratched the surface of my—"

Five ignored him. "How did he know about the apocalypse?"

"I don't know, but listen. This whole jumping through time thing of yours, how did . . ." Klaus paused for a moment as they reached the landing. "How did you know how to do that?"

"I didn't!" Five exclaimed. "You'd realize that if you were actually sober."

He began to walk towards the living room as Klaus whined, "Hey, I am sober! I've been sober for two . . . almost two days now."

Five turned around, shoving a hand in his pocket as he mockingly encouraged, "Yeah, two days."

Klaus exhaled as he stared straight ahead of him, "It feels like forty-five years."

Five scoffed, "Who are you kidding, Klaus? I've seen you fidgeting all day."

Klaus walked towards him, his eyebrows raised as he shrugged. "Well, I guess we're both fighting our addictions, then."

Five's eyebrows knit together tightly as he rebutted, "I'm not an addict."

"Yeah, you are," Klaus insisted, staring straight into his brother's eyes. "You're addicted to a drug called the apocalypse."

He shook his head, letting out a scoff as he told him, "You're wrong."

"First sign." Klaus raised a finger as he turned around to look at Elizabeth with amusement. "Denial."

Five teleported in front of Klaus, pointing his finger at him accusatorily as he seethed, "You and I, we're not the same."

Klaus chuckled. "I've seen that look in the eye of someone who doesn't know who they are without their high anymore. Trust me. You gotta just let it go."

Five stared at him for a few seconds before launching the glass eyeball towards the wall on their left. The eyeball that he had been so focused on for the past week then fragmented, the shards spreading all over the floor.

Klaus turned, his eyes following as Five hobbled his way to the living room. "Figuratively, but yeah, that works, too."