You Better Bring an Umbrella, Vol. 1

Chapter 23: Alcohol Helps Forgive

  I wrapped my hand around one of the columns in the hallway and used it to swing myself around, meeting up with Five, Klaus, and Diego following our house-wide search for Vanya. I'd let things go for now, more focused on trying to find Vanya and make sure she was safe above all else.

"No sign of Vanya," Five sighed.

"She's not in any of the rooms."

"She's not downstairs, either." Diego reached out and pat Klaus' shoulder.

"Well, I'm out." The three of us whipped around to watch him as he started to make his way down the stairs.

"Wait. Wait, wait..."

"Where are you going?" I demanded. "Vanya's still out there, so are Hazel and Cha-Cha."

If it came to it, one of those silks of mine was right below us. I could just swing down and take him out so he couldn't leave. It wouldn't be the first time I'd done that to one of our siblings, but last time, it was Luther, and now Dad wasn't here to yell at me because it 'was not part of our training to attack each other'.

I felt no guilt that day.

"I know. I'm gonna get my things and then I'm outta here." I sighed, crossing my arms. Diego couldn't bail now, we needed everyone we could get in case things went wrong. "I got some unfinished business with those fools."

"Should I go after him?" I muttered, leaning down so only Five could hear me.

"Leave him. He's not worth the fight."

Klaus sighed and leaned against the railing protecting us from falling. A moment later, I joined him, resting a hand on the crook of his elbow. He offered me a smile and reached up, squeezing my hand for a second before releasing it. We both understood the intensity in the other's brain at the moment, and how hard we were fighting just to stand here without any sort of help.

"Hey, did Dad say anything about the apocalypse when you spoke to him?" Five asked, limping a little closer to his brother. I tried my best to cover my scoff up. The apocalypse part of all this seemed over and done with. Harold Jenkins, the person who causes the apocalypse, was dead. Was it a completely sure and secure plan? No. But it was all we had for now. "Any clues as to how it happened?"

"No. No clues. Truly terrific shave. But no clues." I shook my head. Even in the most serious moments, the strangest things came out of Klaus' mouth.

"Jeez."

As Five started to storm away, I reached over the railing and unfurled the silk suspended from it, allowing it to delicately flutter to the ground. Five and Klaus continued to run down as I wrapped my hands around the soft fabric and prepared myself to jump off and slide down.

"You know, come to think of it, he did mention something about my potential, and how I've barely even scratched the surface of my--"

"How did he know about the apocalypse?"

"I don't know, but listen. This whole 'jumping through time' thing of yours, how did..." I made my way down the silk, landing softly on the floor and causing Five to jump and glare at me before shaking his head and brushing past. "How did you know how to do that?"

"I didn't," Five snapped. "You'd realize that if you were actually sober."

"Hey, I am sober. I've been sober for two-- almost two days now."

"Yeah, two days."

"It feels like 45 years..." Klaus muttered, running a hand through his hair.