Fear and hope filled Lucas' heart when he pulled the final needle. He was furious with Porky, and still crying about Claus, but one way or another the needle had to be pulled. Maybe everything will be fine when he pulls it. Maybe Mom and Claus will come back? Lucas held onto the little hope he had, even if it was difficult. Once he had pulled the needle, he could feel the destruction before he saw it, and saw it before he understood what it meant. He had failed. He had failed and everything would be destroyed and there was nothing he could do. Oh gosh, this is EXACTLY what Porky had wanted. His own brother had killed himself trying to stop this from happening, and Lucas messed it up and, now, who knows what would happen? Lucas closed his eyes and curled up into a ball and started crying and crying more and more, until he couldn't anymore. He opened his eyes and… everything was… back to normal. He sat up in his bed, and looked around, and he was back at his grandfather's house. That day. That day when everything happened.
Soft. It's soft. It's soft and warm. It smells nice. It feels familiar. It feels normal. It feels… normal. What was happening to him? Claus moved his arm carefully, the one he recalled being more normal of the two. Yep. Still an arm. That was pointless. But what wasn't was that… he was still alive! And… HE moved the arm. Not anything else that might be a part of him. Claus did it… himself. He dizzily pushed himself up using the same arm he just moved, and tried to figure out where he was. Was he dead? Was this the afterlife? Claus opened his eyes, both at once, and realized where he was. Home. Not home home, as it wasn't the house he was normally in, but… darn it, where was he?! He tried to recall any memories he could of before everything, but to no avail. Why was this so hard? Confused. That's the word for the feeling. Confused. And… curious too. Yeah. He was those two things. He could smell something. Something that smelled delicious, and he wanted some of it, whatever it was. "... Claus?" Familiar. Claus looked at the source of the voice, someone who looked like the way he used to. Lucas. That's Lucas. That's my brother. Claus remembered that from earlier. Claus spoke carefully with little emotion. "Lucas." Lucas ran to Claus and wrapped his arms around him. It was a hug, right? It'd be nice to hug him back. So he did. Claus grabbed onto Lucas and decided not to let go. Not to let go for fear that if he did, he might lose him and never find him again. Fear. Being scared of losing something. Lucas is irreplaceable. Lucas is human. What is human? Lucas. Lucas is human. Was Claus human? No, he decided he was not. It's been too long since he has been. How long was too long? Claus couldn't remember, but it felt long. But he let Lucas go when he started gasping for air.
"Claus, I'm so happy you're alive! Can you… can you think on your own?" Claus sat for a moment, eyes focused on nothing. But speaking of eyes… oh gosh, why was one of his eyes red? No. No no no no nonononononoNO! It didn't work. Why was he still a chimera? Why? But Claus did answer, and while robotic sounding, it was steady and had something human to it. "Alive. I am alive. And I can think on my own. You are Lucas. My brother. I'm Claus. That is me. Claus is me." "YES! Yes, I am Lucas, and you are Claus! You are Claus and always will be! You will always be my brother!" Claus smiled, a sight Lucas had missed for the past three years. "I am… happy. Happy right? That's the right word?" "Yes. Yes it is." Lucas felt a smile spread across his face too, and a warm feeling inside of his heart. Even if Claus is unsure of what he's feeling, he's still FEELING, and that's what matters. Lucas wondered just how MUCH Claus could feel, but he seemed to be fine. That's when someone started knocking on the door to their room.
"Lucas, Claus, it's time to get up! Breakfast is almost ready! You don't want it to get cold!" Claus KNEW that voice. Tears started rolling down Lucas' face, but Claus thought he could recall that being common. However, Lucas whispered one word quietly. "Mom." Yet that one word sent a reaction through Claus that he couldn't really explain. Not a glitch, right? That would be inconvenient due to the fact Claus wasn't sure where the nearest scientist was. No. It was something more. That voice… was his mom. ... But she died. Claus thought, without realizing it. She died and left us behind and I will help I will avenge I will become stronger I will destroy the destroyer I will overcome I will… Claus cut his train of thought off when Lucas has went from crying a couple tears to water simply streaming right down his face. Claus thought he should comfort Lucas… but how? Before Claus knew what he was doing, he stood up much quicker than he should have, as his vision started swimming. It seemed his head didn't want to keep up with his body, but Claus' body was moving on it's own… in a good way. In the past if he wasn't trying to do something, it was because he was being controlled or commanded. But… no. He could stop this at any time if he wanted to. He just didn't want to. Because he knew where he was going, and he knew exactly what he was going to do, and he wanted to do so. On his way out, Claus grabbed the arm of a Lucas who was now on the floor crying even harder, and pulled him up with no effort, and dragged Lucas out with him to see someone. His mother. No. Their mother. They were brothers, and Claus was going to remember that forever, and never let it go. Now to go face what was going to happen. Claus wasn't sure what word to use to describe his current feeling.