THE OTHER ━ DIEGO HARGREEVES

CHAPTER THREE ━ THERE'S A CHILD ON THE FLOOR.

(chapter three.) there's a child on the floor.
❝ YOU! I KNOW YOU! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. ❞

☂

POET SAT ON ALLISON'S BED, TWIRLING AROUND A PENCIL SHE had found randomly on the floor. She was bored, mindlessly picking up random stuff around Allison's room. Poet watched Allison hold onto a necklace and Poet let herself wander to her thoughts.

"You and Luther shared a special connection didn't you?" She asked the actress, who was smiling softly as if a memory passed by her. "He really cares about you."

"You read his thoughts?" Allison looked at her friend through the mirror. Poet smiled innocently, snickering as she stood up to stand next to Allison. They stared at each other in the mirror.

"Of course I did," Poet confessed. "My curiosity got the best of me."

"Not surprised."

Poet turned to face the door, her hand on the knob. Just as she was opening it, Allison questioned where she was going.

"I'm gonna go sit in the couch and maybe just see if I can distract myself from these migraines," Poet sighed, rubbing her temples. "Your siblings have really... interesting thoughts."

Allison seemed to agree. She nodded and Poet wandered off, admiring the things on the walls and whatever was around. She trailed her fingers on them, her fingertips igniting a scarlet color as she felt herself let the flowers on the corner dance around.

She headed towards where she and the siblings were just at moments ago, flopping on a chair as she let out another sigh yet again.

She heard footsteps and she felt herself close her eyes, focusing on her breathing. The thoughts she could hear coming from the person, made her already know who it was. It was Allison's brother. Diego.

"You're still here?" He chuckled, lying down on the couch.

"No," Poet sarcastically said in a soft tone. "I'm just a ghost wandering around, seeking revenge to those who betrayed me."

"Wouldn't be surprised," he breathed in and she heard him crack his fingers, both of them enjoying the silence. "Gonna admit, but... I'm not sorry for throwing you those knives."

"And I'm not sorry for kicking your ass."

Poet heard him let out another chuckle, just as soft as the first one. It was silent again and they enjoyed that silence. Poet only had silence at night when she was about to go to sleep. Being the assistant of Allison Hargreeves was really a handful.

The silence was broken when the music started, and Poet couldn't help but smile softly when she heard the familiar tune of I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany.

Poet immediately sat up, sticking her hand out. The knife was not so far away from her head and she grabbed it, wrapping her slender fingers around it. She looked at Diego, who was smirking, sitting up.

"You're a dick," Poet said, throwing him his knife back. He grabbed it, impressed by the throw. Poet heard the question in his head. "My father taught me how to throw a knife."

"Shitty dad as well?"

"Shitty parents."

The girl hit her fingernails on the arm of the chair, nodding her head along the beat of the song. She closed her eyes yet again, hearing Diego stand up. She heard him close the doors and she didn't bother opening her eyes.

"Throw me a knife and I'll make you see your worst fear. I'm not kidding," she threatened, her eyes still closed. Diego hummed. "You can dance by the way. Don't be shy. I won't judge. If you want, I'll keep my eyes close."

"How'd you—oh," she smirked, "you can read minds."

"Yep."

She kept bopping her head to the music, the silence she received letting her know that Diego was doing his thing. She heard his feet sliding on the carpet and she smiled to herself as she for once felt herself in a serene mood.

But, she immediately opened her eyes when her powers went haywire.

Diego looked at her, watching the way her fingers glowed and when she opened her eyes, he saw her irises a scarlet color.

They looked outside and saw that everything was blue.

They ran outside.

The other joined, just as curious about what was happening. All of them, except Klaus, watched upon a blue like portal hovering above them.

"What is it?"

"Don't get too close!"

"Yeah, no shit!"

"Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly."

"Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two."

"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan," Diego looked at his side as Poet appeared next to him. He pushed her behind him but she rolled her eyes, pushing away his arm.

"Out of the way!" Diego bumped into her when Klaus pushed past them and Poet held Vanya's forearms to stop her from falling. Diego, without meaning to, grabbed her waist and placed her behind him again.

"What are you..."

Klaus threw a fire extinguisher at it and they were all confused when it did nothing but go through it.

"What is that gonna do?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. Poet felt her hands glow as she broke a pot filled with dead plants. "Do you have a better idea?" Klaus backed away. "Woah, woah, woah."

"Everybody get behind me," Luther order, pushing Klaus behind him.

"Yeah, get behind us."

Diego again pushed Poet back, glaring at her to make her stay behind him. She glared back at him, crossing her arms.

"I vote for running!" Klaus yelled. "C'mon."

Poet stopped Klaus from running with her powers, making him huff and pout like a child would.

They all watched, though, as a person appeared. They noticed it was an older man, his appearance turning younger. Their eyes were on the figure that fell, faceplanting on the floor.

"There's a child on the floor," Poet said, latching on to Diego's arm to calm down her powers. They headed towards the kid and the Hargreeves' immediately recognized him when he stood up slowly, the clothes too big to fit on him.

"Does anyone else see little Number Five," Klaus started, "or is that just me?"

"Shit," the kid cursed when he looked down at himself. He stared at each one of his siblings before he came upon the girl latching on to a man's arm. "You!" He pointed at Poet. "I know you! I know who you are!"

"Um..." Poet started, looking up Diego, who looked down at her. "That's nice. But, I don't know you at all."

"I know your name is Poet Capulet, huge fan by the way, and your powers are extraordinary and I need help."