#0.08 : The Mimic //COMPLETE//

1.4 - The Light

Claudia's immediate instinct was to make sure Klaus and the others were okay. They all poured out of their rooms into the hallway simultaneously, and Claudia grabbed out for Klaus's arm.

"We have to go," Claudia pleaded, "Vanya is dangerous. All I can feel is her rage, and the last time that happened..." she trailed off and glanced toward Allison.

Pogo nodded, "Everyone needs to get to safety outside of the Academy. Go!"

Klaus and Diego bolted ahead, and Luther got ahold of Allison and they made their way up the stairs. Claudia lingered back with Pogo, helping him quickly make his way up the stairs.

She chewed on her lip, remembering all of the things her and Klaus had bonded over in this house. Explosions from the bedrooms shook her from the brief montage of memories and her eyes full of fear met Pogo's.

"I have to do it, Pogo," she said as they rounded the corner into the living room. "I know it might not work, but I have to try."

After her fuck ups with Luther and Ben, she wasn't sure she would be able to fix such broken emotions. After all, she had lead Ben to his death, and Luther to a rave. She couldn't doubt herself now, though. Their childhood home was crumbling down around her.

Klaus and Diego were on the balcony up above, and Claudia watched as they were nearly struck by falling debris. Ben yanked both of them out of the way, making eye contact with her. Claudia smiled and nodded at him, trying to reassure both Ben and Klaus that she was going to be okay.

Claudia mustered up what little strength she could spare, focusing the love she had in her out toward Klaus. His hands came up to his chest and covered his heart when he felt it flutter. He blew her a kiss before disappearing to continue his search for Grace.

Pogo nodded back at her, "You've done it just now without any trouble. You always should have balanced her out, but your father could not see the way you two could work off of each other. He was more concerned of the danger it would pose if you had also mimicked her powers."

Vanya entered the room then, explosions still shaking the building's walls. Claudia blinked a few times, hoping her eyes were tricking her, but they weren't. Vanya's eyes were a curious shade of light blue, and her skin had paled considerably. The room shook around them. Pillars threatened to crumble to dust.

Pogo tried his best to distract her, "Miss Vanya, that is quite enough." She turned to face them, then. Her eyes returning briefly to their normal color. "I understand how upset you are."

Claudia's eyes averted to the balcony where they locked with Luther's. He stared down at them for a second but with a nod toward the door, Claudia urged them to leave while they could.

"But I assure you, none of your siblings bare any responsibility for what happened to you as a child," Pogo's words made Claudia feel some sort of comfort, even while Vanya's own anger and rage seethed mere feet from her.

"Did you know?" She asked Pogo, quietly at first.

"Your father discovered that you were capable of great things, much like your brothers and sisters. But your powers were.. too great," He explained, "he only wanted to protect you from yourself, as well as your siblings."

"Did you know?" Vanya repeated, making Claudia start to feel majorly uncomfortable. Claudia instinctively reached out an arm in front of Pogo but he just pushed it away.

"Yes, miss Vanya," Pogo answered, "I knew."

The building began to crumble again, and Claudia felt the overwhelming feeling of the darkness starting to take over her again. The thin tendrils of smoke made their way around her to serve as a shield again as she walked in the dark realm of auras.