Away with You - Five Hargreeves [1]

Chapter 15

I stalked down the stairs slowly, faintly aware of the pain in my shoulder. Luther was sitting at the table, about to drink a mug of coffee when I plucked it out of my hand and took a sip.

Klaus shrugged and poured Luther another but Five grabbed that one straight away.

"Leave the coffee, god damnit," Klaus exclaimed. "Big ole' Luther needs his strength today,"

Klaus poured a third cup of coffee and handed it to Luther, keeping an eye on Five and I in the process.

"Jesus. Who do I gotta to kill to get a decent cup of coffee," Five grumbled, sitting down in the chair beside me.

Luther rubbed his head tiredly and groaned.

"Can we get started?" he muttered.

"Anyone see any of the others? Diego? Allison? No?" Klaus asked. "All right, then, this is the closest thing to a quorum..." Klaus paused and banged on the table. "...that we're gonna get. Now, listening up. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna spit it out,"

Klaus tapped a spatula in his hand and looked ahead blankly, not speaking.

"Yeah..." he mumbled.

"Klaus," Luther interrupted.

"I conjured dad last night," Klaus confessed.

Five, Luther, and I exchanged looks.

"I thought you said you haven't been able to conjure anyone in years," Luther recalled.

"Ah, yes, I know, but I'm sober. Ta-da! I got clean, yesterday, to talk to someone special, and then ended up having this... conversation with dear old Daddy himself," Klaus ranted, throwing up a couple jazz hands.

I looked down at my hands, not sure if I wanted to believe him or not.

"Does anyone got some aspirin," Luther asked, dismissing Klaus.

"Top shelf, next to the crackers," Five responded.

"Hey, hey, hey. This is serious guys, all right? This really happened, I swear," Klaus pleaded.

"What'd the old man have to say?" I questioned.

"Well, he gave me the usual lecture about my appearance and my failures in life. No surprise there. Even the afterlife couldn't soften a hardass like Dad, right?" Klaus laughed.

"Klaus, get on with it," I reminded.

"Right, right. He did mention something about his murder, or lack thereof, because... he killed himself," Klaus explained.

Silence. My mouth was open and I looked around the room, wondering if Five and Luther were having the same reaction.

They weren't.

"I don't have time for your games, Klaus," Luther grumbled, getting up.

"I'm telling you the truth, Luther. I'm telling you the truth," Klaus pleaded.

Five looked at Klaus thoughtfully.

"Why'd he do it then?" he asked.

"He said it was the only way to get us all home again," Klaus answered.

"No. Dad wouldn't just kill himself," Luther argued.

"You said it yourself, he was depressed," Five chipped in.

"No, there weren't any signs. Suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies, strange behaviours," Luther shook his head.

"Like sending someone to the moon for no reason?" Klaus asked.

"I swear to god, Klaus, if you're lying-," Luther threatened.

"I'm not, I'm not," Klaus pleaded.

"Master Klaus is correct,"

I looked over my shoulder to see Pogo standing in the doorway, a solemn look on his face.

"Regretfully... I helped Master Hargreaves enact his plan," Pogo informed us.

"What?" Luther and I asked in sync.

"So did Grace. It was a difficult choice for both of us... Prior to your fathers death, Grace's programming was adjusted so that she was incapable of administering first aid on that night," Pogo explained.

"Sick bastard," Five muttered.

"Jesus," I mumbled.

"So the security tape we saw?" Luther asked.

"It was meant to further the murder mystery," Pogo answered. "Your father hoped that being back here, solving it together... would reignite your desire to be a team again,"

"And to what end?" I asked.

"To save the world, of course,"