Caught off Guard

Chapter 2

A gunshot echoed through his mind, quiet and weak, but that's all it took for him to snap.

The ground moved beneath his feet and yelling flew over his head. Klaus' already heavy breathing quickened.

No.

This isn't happening.

A bullet hurtled past his face.

He's fine.

He'll be fine.

The pastel street signs and melted into foxholes as the men shuffled along the floor next to him. He could smell the dirt and feel the foreboding in the air.

Then there was Dave, and he was lying on the floor with blood surrounding him. Klaus lunged toward him -

But it's not real.

A sob escaped from his mouth and he slams his hands over his ears and scrunches his eyes closed. The pressure on his chest was too much and he couldn't breath and the air was too dusty and everything was too much and - Five?

Why was Five here?

'Klaus, you gotta breath'

How could he breath when they were going to force him to stay in this battlefield?

'Calm down'

What's that?

'It's the 13th of March, 2019'

Klaus sucked in a breath in surprise. That meant...

'We're gonna take you home'

Home.

He wanted to go home.

Reaching forward he shakily grabbed Five's hand, gasped in another breath and felt himself being hauled upwards towards the sky.

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Five let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Klaus finally allowed himself to be hoisted off the ground and into his arms. He'd known Klaus went on a time traveling trip but the Vietnam War? God, his brother really does have the worst luck.

His skin was pasty and his hands were unsteady as he curled himself into a ball, practically on Five's lap. But Five was fine with it, if only because of the guilt, guilt over his brother.

He should have asked Klaus where he went, or if he was okay, or why he destroyed the suitcase so violently. No wonder he looked so jittery when he first appeared back in the right century, he'd just fought someone else's war. Five had just chalked it up to Klaus being relieved to be home, or perhaps going through withdrawal.

Around him his siblings looked stunned at Klaus' outburst. Ah, of course, they didn't know.

'Is he okay?' Vanya's voice was small as she stared.

Klaus by this point was leaning against a wall with one hand on his face, sucking in deep breaths, but he looked better than a few minutes ago.

'Why don't you ask him?'

Everyone glanced at each other before Allison stooped down next to Klaus and put an arm around his shoulder.

'You feeling any better?' she tried to sound confident.

There was silence, just for a moment.

Then Klaus looked up and grinned awkwardly 'Well I felt like I walked through a major hurricane a few minutes ago, but now it's only a small earthquake so...yes?' the attempt at banter allowed everyone to let out a sigh of relief, not all hope was lost.

Luther heaved Klaus up, setting him in his feet whilst everyone else got into a circle.

And then, they were gone.