euphoria ➞ number five, tua [completed]

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - CHILDREN BEHAVE

"He said, take care of your mother, watch out for your sister. That's when Daddy looked at me."

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE — CHILDREN BEHAVE

We found Luther at a bar.

"Look," Klaus pointed at Number One as we walked into the dimly-lit place towards Luther. "Trying a little hair of a dog, are we? Hm?"

"Leave me alone," Luther didn't even try to shoo us away.

"Give us a minute," Diego waved, putting his gloves on the table and waving us away.

Klaus shrugged. "Okay. Come one. Maybe they'll brood each other to death."

The three of us walked over to an empty table nearby.

I stared at Luther and Diego as Klaus' eyes darted to and forth from me and Five.

"Look, Dad was wrong to lie to you. To all of us," Diego said.

"Look, I did my time. All right?" Luther interrupted him. "Four years up there, watching and waiting because he said the world needed me. Four years of nothing but soy paste and processed air because I was naive enough to believe that dads don't lie to their kids. But guess what? The joke's on me."

Diego glanced over at the three of us as Luther continued. "I'm done. With all of it. With him. With you. With this family. You wanna save the world, you go right ahead."

Klaus nudged Five and me, tapping his left waist impatiently.

"Klaus, wait," I scowled, crossing my arms.

Luther carried on, "I'm fine to sit here and finish my beer and get my buzz on."

"You want to turn your back on me, the guys, our sister, that's fine," Diego sighed. "But Allison deserves better than that."

Luther sat straighter. "Allison? What are you talkin' about?"

"Well, we got ahold of Harold Jenkins' police file, turns out Vanya's boyfriend is a convicted murderer. Who would've saw that one coming?" Diego replied.

I shrugged, "Honesty, I expected worse."

Diego went on, "A little hard to trust anyone who wears corduroy."

"Wait, so, where's Allison now?" Luther asked.

"She decided to go after Harold Jenkins," Diego paused. "Alone."

Luther glared at him, raising his voice, "You should have led with that! Jesus Christ!"

Luther bolted up and yanked open the door, taking it down from its bolts and breaking the glass in the process. "Shit."

I saw Diego smirked slightly before we followed him outside and to find Allison.

-

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We drove up to the mountain as we sat in silence. Five was manning the wheel as I sat beside him in the passenger seat uncomfortably. Klaus was squished between Luther and Diego as the tiny car took us up to the Jenkins' residence.

Luther grabbed the back of Five's seat and leaned forward. "Hey. Can you go any faster?"

"Ask me again, and I'll burn you with the cigarette lighter," Five didn't even flinch.

I couldn't help the smirk that took over my face as Luther glared at the back of Five's head.

Five sneaked a glance at me. "Zero, I-"

"We're here," Klaus grinned as we turned up to the wooden cabin.

"Thank God," Luther climbed out from his seat.

We dashed up the stairs and Luther kicked down the door.

I saw the blood first, then Allison.

"Allison! No!" Luther dropped down on his knees as he scooped Allison in his arms.

Allison laid limply as Luther examined her wound. "Oh my God, Allison!"

Klaus had his hands over his mouth as Luther sobbed. "Allison, please look at me, please!" 

She had a cut across her throat, still fresh as the blood was still a bright red and wet, judging from the state of the carpet.

"Luther, we have to get her back to the Academy," Diego grabbed his shoulder.

Luther sobbed, his figure shaking as he picked up Allison.

We barely crammed into the car and we sped back to the city at an ungodly speed.

The tires screeched as we pulled up to the Academy.

"Come on! Let's go!" Five said, dashing up the steps.

Luther looked over at us, "I don't think she's breathing."

"If we don't get her upstairs, she's gonna die," Klaus shooed us in.

"Luther, get Pogo and Mom, and give Allison to me," I said, holding up my arms. "I can get her to the infirmary quicker."

Luther passed me Allison and I ran into the Academy, jumping up and through the floorboards with Allison as I walked through the infirmary doors and placed her down on the table in the middle of the room.

Mom and Pogo came in along with the rest of the Academy.

Mom moved through me and pressed her hands against Allison's neck. "She's suffered a severe laceration to her larynx. One of you will need to give her blood."

"I will," all five of us chimed at the same time without hesitation.

Luther looked at us funny. "I'm doing it."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy," Pogo stared at Luther. "Your blood is more compatible with mine."

Klaus perked up. "Hey, don't sweat it. I-I got this, big guy," he said, circling over to Mum and patting his bare arm. "I-I love needles."

"Master Klaus," Pogo sighed. "Your blood is- How should I say this? Too polluted."

"Move," Diego mumbled.

"Yeah, go on," Luther moved aside for Diego, actually letting Diego boss him around for once.

"I'll do it," Diego yanked his sleeves up.

Mom expertly cleaned the needle and turned to Diego.

My brother took one look at the syringe, whimpered, and passed out.

"Wimp," I sighed, already pulling off my jacket and holding my arm out to Mom. "Hit me."

Mom looked at Diego on the floor, back at me, and nodded, "One, two, three."

And she pushed the needle into my skin. 

I winced as she drew blood from me and watched as the blood dripped into the plastic medical bag.

Five looked away, biting his lip as I moaned quietly, feeling a bit lightheaded.

"Done," Mom pulled out the needle and patted a cloth over the spot where she drew the blood. "Now all of you, out."

"But-"

"Out!" Mom repeated again, her voice slightly louder than usual.

Luther frowned but grabbed Diego and dragged him out of the room.

Klaus bowed his head and headed up the stairs.

"Five, Zero, out," Mom said sternly, looking at the two of us and furrowed her brows, setting out the surgery tools out on a metal plate.

The two of us walked out of the room and Pogo closed the door behind us.

"Zero, can we talk?"