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It was strange to be away from familiar faces for so long.
Klaus couldn't deny that he missed Alex and Eli. Loneliness weighed on him too heavily to pretend he didn't. Feeling alone was not something he was accustomed to, but he had no regrets about leaving them behind. Whenever he thought about what they did, a sense of betrayal gnawed at Klaus's heart like a relentless beast. The trust he had once placed in them was like a joke.
He did his best not to think of them.
All things considered, Klaus was relatively lucky so far. He'd been able to find a place to sleep, courtesy of the Enhanced couple he ran into a few days ago. Neither of them asked him for a name and they didn't offer theirs, so he didn't ask either. He settled into a weird routine at the couple's hideout. He didn't know much about them, but they'd given him shelter, so he was cool with it. It was safer that way. He often spent his nights by the small fire they let him build in a secluded corner of their makeshift shelter. The dim glow of the flames gave him a sense of comfort and control in a world that seemed increasingly chaotic.
Klaus was determined to find Aria. He knew he couldn't just ask around, not in a world where information was more valuable than gold. So he adopted a different strategy: he followed the rumors. The whispers that circulated among the Enhanced about a mysterious figure who would appear from shadows to make the lives of the Hunters miserable before melting back into them. He listened keenly to every tale, every rumor that hinted at her presence. Klaus lurked in the dark corners of the Enhanced community, listening intently to every story and rumor about her.
Klaus couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, hoping it was her. There was no confirmation, no concrete evidence that this person was Aria. None of the rumors had a description. Every tale he heard was like a fragile thread, holding the promise of hope but also the weight of uncertainty. He did his best to push aside the nagging thought that Aria might be gone. That maybe she hadn't survived whatever had happened that night.
Klaus wasn't one to just sit around and do nothing while chasing rumors. As he followed the whispers about the girl with black hair and dark eyes, he helped out wherever he could. During raids, he'd cause a ruckus – inconvenient fires here, Republic vehicles set ablaze there. It wasn't stopping anything, but at least he was making it harder for them.
He figured the couple knew what he was up to. Surely, he smelled of smoke whenever he got back. Sometimes he brought back food or toiletries so they didn't kick him out too soon.
On a night when he was headed back empty-handed, he could hear the commotion from a distance – shouts and the clatter of boots. It was when he saw black, tinted vans that he started heading toward it.
As Klaus got closer, he saw a house shrouded in darkness with its windows boarded up. The Republic agents were closing in, flashlights cutting through the night. There was noise coming from inside the house - crying and what was probably panicked conversation.
Without a second thought, Klaus raised his hand. Heat surged from him like wildfire- flames erupting around him, creating a blazing wall of fire that blocked the agents' path.
Chaos ensued as the agents scrambled to contain the fire, giving the residents of the house precious time to escape. Klaus continued to manipulate the flames, ensuring that the blaze remained controlled, threatening but not deadly.
As Klaus continued to manipulate the flames, keeping the Republic agents at bay, he shouted to the people inside, hoping his voice carried over the crackling of the fire. "Get out of here!"
One of the boards on the windows was smashed out - a few frightened faces staring out. It looked like a group of families - parents and kids. They started coming out, one by one, slipping into the night while Klaus kept the agents at bay, his eyes blazing with determination.
A Republic agent, frustrated by Klaus's interference, swore at the top of his lungs.
Klaus grinned, a wild, defiant glint in his eyes. He focused, intensifying the flames, making them dance higher and brighter. Maybe he should have tried something more subtle - he was outnumbered and he couldn't keep them at bay forever.
Another agent, a young recruit, hesitated, fear in his eyes. "What do we do? We can't get close to him!"
The experienced officer barked orders. "Shoot at him! Use the extinguishers! Pin him down and advance slowly. He can't keep this up forever!"
Klaus ducked around what he could - the building, the foliage around them, vehicles, all to try and avoid the spray of bullets flying his way. When he caught sight of the first extinguisher, he sent tendrils of flames snaking towards it, melting the plastic casing.
Amidst the chaos, a calm voice cut through the night. It was the officer Klaus had locked eyes with earlier. "Even if he gets away, I've got his description. We'll find him."
Klaus's expression darkened, his bravado momentarily faltering. He gestured, and the flames roared higher, a fiery barrier between him and the agents.
Amidst the chaos of gunfire and the blinding flashes of light, Klaus struggled to maintain control over the flames he conjured. The Republic soldiers, relentless in their pursuit, fired round after round, attempting to overpower him.
Exhaustion clawed at him, threatening to snuff out the flames he wielded. His breaths came in ragged gasps, and beads of sweat trickled down his face. Just as he felt his strength waning, he noticed a sudden shift in the soldiers' demeanor. Confusion flickered in their eyes, and then, one by one, they began to drop, collapsing to the ground as if struck down by an unseen force.
There was a figure some distance away. With deadly accuracy, they picked off the remaining soldiers, forcing the survivors into a hasty retreat. Tired started to squeal and Klaus had the vague thought of blowing them up, but found himself dropping to his knees instead.
The man from across the street came forward and Klaus groaned where he was, wishing he'd been left to die instead. "Not you."
"You looked like you could use some help," Ian said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Klaus scoffed, but couldn't argue, acknowledging the truth in Ian's statement. For a moment, their eyes met, a grudging respect flickering in the depths of their mutual disdain.
"Where's your better half?" he asked. "I wanted to get her to join me a few days ago, but she ran off so fast. Maybe seeing me save you would do it."
"A few days ago?" he repeated, louder than he meant to.
"I thought she would have at least mentioned it to you," Ian said. "I guess she means what she says. Huh."
"When did you meet her?" Klaus demanded.
"Outside the R&D facility while you were cleaning up. You two beat me to it."
Klaus could have dropped to his knees again out of sheer relief. She was alive. Of course, she was. And of course, she'd be behind the destruction of a Republic building. He should have known it would be her.
