Once Thea left the room, leaving both Vanya and Luther behind, she felt the despondency within her seep a little deeper. It seemed like nothing was going right and the miscommunication between her family members had once again brought about even more trouble and discrepancy.
Pushing open the door and taking in a deep breath of the cool breeze outside, Thea shuffled over and sat on the sidewalk, leaning her back against the building she was in moments before.
Five was still stood beside the car, waiting. He opened his mouth to speak to her but his gaze was caught by Vanya walking out of the building a second later. Thea ignored them both, unable to gather up the energy to really be bothered.
Have I done it again? Have I chosen the wrong route and alienated those I care about? Being a part of this family is exhausting. Trying to get along for longer than a couple of minutes without somebody inevitably arguing is like getting blood from a stone. Impossible.
Just as she thought that, she heard the sound of a car revving its engine and wheels squealing against the asphalt as Vanya drove away from Five.
The boy turned his head and with a glance at the wall above her, his thick brows furrowed into a frown. He sighed in a mix of disappointment and exasperation.
"Looks like it's back down to two," he muttered bitterly.
His stare was cold and Thea knew that he was more than likely cursing their siblings in his mind for being so uncooperative.
"Is it too late to be un-adopted?" he hissed and began pacing back and forth.
Thea wasn't sure what was right anymore. Why were Vanya and Luther so against helping them save the world? If they had anything to lose, surely it was worth protecting? Even at the risk of danger?
Am I truly the one in the right...or are they?
"I can still count on you, can't I, Z?"
Thea blinked owlishly up at Five's imploring gaze.
His hand was outstretched, his blue eyes warm and trusting as he looked back at her. It was obvious he didn't doubt her promise and yet he still extended his hand her way, silently vowing that just like she had promised him, he'd promised her, too.
Who cares if any of us are right.
All that matters is stopping the apocalypse so that I can continue enjoying moments like these. I should take my own advice and just like I told Luther, trust my place with Five.
Thea took his hand in hers. "Always," she promised.
Five's crooked grin answered her back. He pulled her up and onto her feet again, waiting for her to steady herself before raising a brow in question.
"Ready," she said.
Five nodded and the two disappeared out of sight within the blink of an eye.
They reappeared in the entryway of Elliott's place, making their way up the spiral staircase and greeting Diego, Lila and Elliott.
Diego was slouching on the sofa, his head tipped back while Lila was removing the bandage from his stomach wound, cleaning it and replacing it with a fresh one.
Five had made a beeline straight to the coffee machine and began chugging down the piping hot liquid without a seconds hesitation. Thea, almost in a daze, had simply sat down on the sofa opposite Diego and stared at her hands as they talked.
While she was resolute to follow Five and his plan, she couldn't help the melancholia that was hosted within her bones.
She'd been trying to ignore it as the days passed by since Five's reappearance, trusting that her brother would make everything better, but as the days passed the coldness under her skin was becoming harder to ignore.
Listlessly, she stared at her hands, one of her thumbs rubbing soothing patterns on her wrist. The pads of her thumb lightly kissed the dark ink that was forever engrained there, the tip of the tentacle seemingly hugging her wrist in its grasp, lovingly.
That's right... it's like my bones are aching the longer I'm away from them both...I feel cold clawing beneath my skin just at the thought of this world ending and not being able to see them one last time...
Her eyes focused intently on the newest addition to her skin, the tiny letter that had been engraved upon her wrist a couple of months into her stay stuck in the past.
Done at a shady bar by a man uncaring of her reasons or the unusual umbrella tattoo already inked onto her forearm, he'd simply followed her instructions and engraved the small 'K' in a royal font into her skin.
The letter was tucked within the curl of the tentacle and once it had been revealed to her, Thea had loved it.
The tips of the 'K' were elegant and fancy - the complete opposite of her brother - but it reminded her of the meaning behind his name, the name he'd been given so long ago, the dark cursive a pretty contrast to her porcelain skin.
Most of the nights she'd been unable to sleep, Thea had taken to staring at her arm, eyes tracing all three of her tattoos and seeking comfort from them.
It didn't matter anymore that the umbrella had been forcefully imprinted upon her skin. She no longer felt like it was a brand and instead, it connected all of her siblings together, forever. It was a permanent bond between them.
I wish it could somehow bring me to you...transport me to wherever you are right now.
"Thea?" a voice broke her train of thoughts and she blinked at the sight of Diego's concerned expression.
"What?" she asked, quietly.
"You okay? You're looking a little...dazed," he said slowly.
Five was stood behind their sofa, gazing across at Thea with the same pinched expression.
Thea let her head fall back against the cushions, blinking up at the dreary ceiling.
"When are we going to get Klaus and Ben?" she almost whispered.
Both brothers paused at her question, their faces pinching in worry at her line of thinking. Before they could speak, however, she continued; her voice a little hollow...monotone.
"I've been waiting all this time...going along with everything just like you wanted...but if we can't do anything and the world is still going to end, then I just want to see them...one last time."
"Z, I've told you already, our priority right now is finding Dad," Five answered, a little bluntly.
He didn't want to word it so harshly but it was for the best. They couldn't waste time by searching blindly for their siblings when they had a possible lead right in front of them. Prioritising one thing would eventually lead them to everybody else.
At least, he hoped.
"Ah..." Thea murmured, closing her eyes. "I guess you're right."
"Thea..." Diego called her name gently, urging her to meet his stare. "We'll find them eventually, okay? But we need to find out what Dad's hiding before its too late."
"I know," she replied tonelessly. "I just thought I'd ask."
Her answers were short and her tone had become scarily monotone. She wasn't being curt or rude, but the lack of emotion behind her words concerned both brothers, whose gaze met briefly, an understanding shared between the two.
Five walked over to stand behind the sofa she was sat on, brushing back a loose strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. The touch caught her attention and Thea peeked open her eyes, staring up at Five silently.
"Once we know what Dad's plan is, you can track down Klaus. But right now, I need your faith in me, Z. This is our best option if we want to stop the apocalypse."
His words seemed to get through to her because Thea sat up from her sleepy position, her hands resting on her knees. Her eyes still held the same sadness within them as she gazed down at the tattoo on her wrist, but she quirked a small smile.
"Okay."
Five nodded, a small quirk of his lips showing his pleasure at her understanding before he began pacing once again, voicing out his thoughts and theories regarding their father and his involvement in the political schemes of this time period.
Diego, who had been watching his siblings interaction with interest, smiled when Thea looked his way.
With a little push forward and a grimace for his efforts, Diego managed to lean across the coffee table and pat her head softly, ruffling her hair for good measure and messing up the ponytail it was in.
Thea swatted his hand away, grumbling all the while. Ignoring Diego's snickering, she began undoing the hair tie and letting the golden locks tumble around her messily. She gathered it all up again within her hands, the chore so mindlessly engraved into her routine that she hardly spared a moment to wrap the band around the hair tightly, atop her head.
Once it was done, Thea felt a little lost again. She wasn't sure why the emotions she'd been holding back for so long had suddenly crept upon her all at once but ignoring them wasn't so easy when she wasn't distracting herself with something.
Five promised we could look for Klaus and Ben once we're done figuring out whatever Dad is hiding...but how long will that take? What state will they be in? Are they struggling or have they managed to keep each other happy?
She mumbled out a soft 'thank you' when Elliott placed a steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of her. Reaching out to hold the mug between her hands, she hoped it could give her body the warmth it was lacking.
Five finally sat down in the space beside her, his legs crossed in a truly aloof manner. He was drinking his third cup of coffee in less than ten minutes.
Thea wondered if his tiny body was sustained purely on caffeine and smug insolence...
"Forget everything else. Right now, our priority is finding Dad and getting answers," he said with a bossy tone.
"Which, for the record, I already found him," Diego muttered petulantly.
Five's responding smile was pure sarcasm at its finest. "And then let him go before you could have a meaningful conversation."
"Think I'd rather get shanked than speak to Dad again..." Thea mumbled from behind her mug.
"He stabbed me!" Diego said, speaking directly over Thea, who just continued sipping from her drink and watched her brothers from the top of the rim.
"I'm surprised he waited this long, Diego. We've all had the urge," Five drawled with zero sympathy for his brother's feelings.
Lila laughed at his words while Thea simply muttered "mood."
Lila lifted both of her hands towards Thea and Five, eager for a high five but both siblings stared back at her with matching blank expressions.
"Does she want me to touch her?" Thea whispered not-so-quietly.
"Just ignore her," Five whispered back. He turned to face Diego and pinched his brows together. "Good thing I know where Dad's going to be tonight."
"Wait, really?" Thea asked in surprise, lowering her mug to look at Five. He nodded, a smug smile on his face.
"Of course, did you doubt me?"
"I'm afraid of saying 'no' in case your head gets any bigger," she drawled, rolling her eyes.
Five scoffed and with a flourish, procured a piece of paper from his pocket and spread it upon the coffee table for them all to see. It was a fancy invitation directed to their father. The paper was thick and the engravings upon the edgings looked regal.
"Hoyt Hillenkoetter and the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas cordially invites you to a Gala..." Thea read out the words on the invitation, inscribed in a looped font that spiralled much too many times for her liking.
"Where'd you get this?" Diego asked as his eyes scanned the page.
"Found it in his office while he was busy stabbing you," Five replied, a satisfied smirk on his lips.
"Wait- Hoyt Hillenkoetter?" Elliott's sudden interruption caused all four of them to turn and face him. His face was scrunched in confusion, his head titled like he was trying to remember something forgotten.
"That's what it says," Thea replied, picking up the invitation and turning it around for him to see.
"You know him?" Five asked, grabbing onto the slightest hint at a connection with vigour.
"No..." Elliott mumbled, shaking his head. He ran a hand through his hair. "Hillenkoetter is one of the Majestic Twelve." He stressed the last part like it was important and Thea blinked, her mind completely blank.
"Is that supposed to mean something?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in utter confusion.
"Don't you know anything about politics?" Elliott asked, askance at her dopey expression.
"It's my solemn duty to stay as far away from politics as humanly possible," she replied with a hand against her chest, smiling at Elliott's agitation. "Especially during this time period."
Elliott frowned at her words, seemingly not understanding her severe hatred of the political climate.
It wasn't that Thea was opposed to politics in general – some of our greatest changes have been thanks to the efforts of political discourse and effort – but to take any kind of interest in the politics of the sixties was like pulling teeth.
Nobody was willing to speak sensibly with a woman – especially one such as herself, one so 'delicate' and 'young' – which Thea knew actually translated into 'you're naïve and better at nothing than sitting there looking pretty'.
"They're a secret committee," Elliott explained, hurrying over to his desk and shuffling through the multiple piles of paper with eager hands. "Scientists...military...uh- deep state. No one knows what they really do."
Diego looked much more interested in the conversation now as he sat forward with some effort, giving Elliott his full attention. "So they're government?"
"Shadow government," Elliott corrected. "Kennedy was the first president that tried bringing them into the light, but these guys are not to be trifled with."
A little more shuffling of papers before Elliott exclaimed in triumph. "Ah! Here it is..." he brought over a thick piece of paper, laying it upon the table for them all to see.
Thea leant forward with the others and squinted at the grainy photograph of a dozen men sat around a table.
Elliott pointed to a man whose face was closest to the camera, the flash brightening his face and leaving his features easy to distinguish. "That's Hoyt, right there."
"Huh," Five murmured, his eyes scanning every detail of the photograph intently.
Thea wasn't quite sure what exactly they were supposed to be looking for...from her perspective, it was an old dusty photo of a bunch of haughty men with too much time on their hands. She was about to point this out when she paused, her eyes taking in each face and quickly realising that there were only eleven men sat at that table.
Lila voiced her thoughts before she could, and all four of them looked up to gauge each other's reactions.
"That's because they've only identified eleven so far," Elliott chimed in and Thea's eyes widened, realising just who the mystery twelfth man must be.
All of the dots connected and the answer seemed just as obvious as it was unbelievable.
"Dad?" she whispered in shock.
"Holy shit," Diego muttered, his face much the same as hers.
Five's lips were pursed, holding in his emotions as his mind quickly stored the revelation and filed it away for further scrutiny.
"So, what's the plan?" Diego asked, getting them all back on track. His posture was eager, leaning forward with his hands clasped together.
He was staring right at Five and Thea thought it amusing that her brother had finally recognised Five's natural ease at leading, especially in these kinds of situations where his experience gave them an edge.
"We're going to infiltrate the Gala," Five replied, his tone suggesting it was the most obvious conclusion.
"Without an invitation?" Thea pointed out the tiny flaw in his plan. She glanced around at them all, her brow raised in scepticism. "And looking like this?"
Five looked between Thea's poppy outfit, Diego's scruffy appearance and Lila's casual clothing and pursed his lips.
"Perhaps a change of wardrobe would be beneficial," he conceded.
"Leave that to me!" Elliott butt in with enthusiasm, wanting to help in any way he could.
"I will smother you in your sleep if you make me wear any of his clothing," Thea hissed toward Five, her voice low enough that Elliott couldn't hear her.
Seeing their sceptical expressions, Elliott hurriedly explained further. "My wife! Ah- well, ex-wife. The wardrobe still has most of her clothing in it." He pointed at Thea and Lila, "You're free to use whatever you can find."
"What about Diego and Five?" Thea pointed out.
"Just give him a suit jacket and pants," Five said with a flippant wave.
"And you?" Diego pressed.
"I have no need to change," he dismissed.
"Just admit it, you love the little shorts," Thea teased, her lips twitching into a smile. She giggled when Five's eye twitched and she quickly shot from her seat to avoid his swatting hand.
Lila jumped from her position beside Diego, a beaming grin on her face that screamed mischief. She linked her arm with Thea's, ignoring the girl's surprised squeak and dragged her towards a back room that had so far been hidden behind textured-glass.
"Let's go! Dress-up time!"
Hearing his chuckles at her predicament, Thea shot Diego the middle finger before she was yanked out of sight and the door slammed shut.
Once they were inside the room, Thea watched as Lila threw open the double wardrobe doors to reveal all of the clothing inside.
Glancing around the room and finding the décor a little dreary, she noticed that the room seemed a little lost – hollow. The bed had two bedside tables and yet only one held a lamp and some miscellaneous bottles on top. The second was completely bare.
I thought Elliott was just a bumbling fool – one of those crazy conspiracists – but it looks like even he can't seem to catch a break when it comes to the real world, huh?
"Thea, look!" Lila turned to stare back at her and the blonde walked closer to peek inside the closet herself. Her eyes widened at the multitude of lace and silk inside.
"Looks like Elliott's wife enjoyed the luxurious life," Lila commented, making grabby hands for a dress that looked entirely made of blue silk fabric and cascaded into a puffy skirt.
"So then why leave it all here?" Thea murmured in confusion.
Did his wife want to leave so quickly that she'd just leave all of her stuff behind? Or...did she find a man with more money?
That seemed to be the only conclusion Thea could come to and if that was the case, she felt awful for the chipper man that had been helpful to them all so far.
"Have you chosen something?" Lila asked, and Thea turned around to answer her but quickly shot her face forward again when she saw way too much skin for comfort.
She coughed awkwardly, blinking fast to rid herself of the mental image.
Grabbing the first thing her hands came across, Thea quickly and swiftly undressed and threw on the dress she'd blindly chosen. When she finally managed to get a look at her attire, Thea wanted to gag at how...classic it looked.
The dress itself wasn't so bad at first glance, the fabric a soft cream with lace finishing, but with the cut and vintage style, it looked far too similar to a wedding dress that Thea was left questioning Elliott's ex-wife's overall fashion sense.
Luckily for her, the dress only touched her knees and was tasteful enough that she wouldn't draw attention to herself.
The last thing I need is for people to think I'm late for my own wedding...
"Wow, you certainly look..." Lila trailed off and Thea shot her a sarcastic smile.
"No need to strain yourself for a compliment," she muttered. She looked at the deep blue dress the other girl was wearing and couldn't stop her grimace from showing. "You're not in a much better position yourself."
Lila laughed, unbothered by her rude remark. Her eyes were alight and she looked as though their current predicament was the most fun she could be having.
"We look dreadful, don't we?" she laughed again and Thea couldn't help but join in.
She was still suspicious of Lila but was willing to leave it to Five's decision on whether or not she could be trusted. Thea was done figuring these things out herself, especially after the disaster of Leonard – or Harold Jenkins.
It had shown her that despite her powerful abilities, she was dismally poor at judging a person's character.
I can't help it, even knowing she's so suspicious and way too carefree for any normal person, she's easy to like. I can't help but get caught up with her easy-going attitude. She reminds me a little bit of Klaus...
That last thought was the truth behind Thea's amicability towards Lila.
If Five turned around and told Thea she was dangerous, the girl was ready to go against her at any minute, but for now, at least, she wanted to enjoy having another woman around and Lila's attitude helped soothe the ache of missing Klaus – even if it was by a minuscule amount.
"Are you both done?" Diego's voice called out from behind the bedroom door. Thea and Lila turned to see his figure blurred by the textured-glass.
"Coming!" Thea answered and after folding her clothes into a neat pile on the end of the bed, she hurried towards the door to greet her brother.
Diego took a step back at her appearance and rose a brow as he looked down at her outfit. He pursed his lips in what Thea knew was his poor attempt at holding in his laughter.
"Oh shut up," she muttered as she pushed past him, making her way into the living room.
Five turned to greet her and paused, his brows raised as he took her in. Thea pointed a finger towards him, her eyes narrowed into slits. "You too. Not. A. Word."
Five raised his hands in a sign of peace but the shit-eating smirk on his face was in plain view. "My lips are sealed, Z," he said mockingly, his fingers zipping his mouth to further illustrate his point.
"Let's just get this over with," she said with a sigh, already tired and they hadn't even infiltrated the party yet.
The day had been stressful enough and she was still trying to ignore the heartache from this morning and Vanya leaving once again. She just wanted to find out whatever it was their father was hiding and hoped it didn't drag on any longer than necessary.
She just wanted to see Klaus again.
"So, what's the plan for getting inside?" Lila asked as the four of them were hiding behind a car.
They were in front of the grand building that was housing the Gala, multiple guests wearing fancy outfits were being greeted at the doorway by imposing-looking guards and Thea didn't think they'd manage to slip inside without being suspected.
Even if I were to force our way in, that doesn't help with those around us becoming suspicious...
If Allison were here, she could make the guards believe that they belonged at this party, however, Thea's powers didn't work like that. She could control people, yes, but that was only for as long as she held onto them – she couldn't make somebody believe a lie that would continue all throughout the night.
Though, who knows what I can do if I really pushed it... she shook her head. No, it's not worth attempting it at such a crucial moment like this. I'll add it to the list of shit I need to test out.
Procrastination at its finest.
"We infiltrate, we identify, we extract. Double time," Diego said lowly, peeking over the hood of the car to spy on the people entering the house.
Lila frowned at his wordy response, looking back at Thea and Five with a blank look. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
Five sighed, truly put-upon. "He means we find our old man, then get out fast."
"That's what I said," Diego said slowly, as though they were all stupid and Thea scoffed.
"No, you said some mumbo-jumbo spy talk you probably heard once in a movie," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "We'll follow your lead, James Bond."
Diego opened his mouth to argue back but with an impatient push from Five, he huffed and turned back towards the house, quickly running towards the next parked car and keeping out of sight.
Five nodded his head towards Thea and the girl followed his lead, ducking behind the cars and following Diego as the man inched his way closer and closer to a side-door that was conveniently propped open.
"Bingo," Diego grinned – and with his scruffy appearance, it appeared truly manic.
Sirius Black, indeed.
She looked back to see Lila and Five finally making their own way over before once again checking that they hadn't been spotted.
Once they made it inside, Thea immediately straightened her posture and changed her expression into something a little more...pretentious. They needed to act like they belonged there if they were to avoid any doubt from other guests.
Five had grabbed two glasses of champagne and offered one to Thea. She took it with a smile and lightly sipped it in an effort to look comfortable and at ease.
The chatter within the room was assorted with the grand classical music playing in the background. The four of them eased themselves into the mingling crowd and subtly looked around for the man they were here for. Reginald Hargreeves.
"I don't see him anywhere," Diego said quietly enough for only them to hear.
"Well, it was never Dad's style to make things easy for us, was it?" Thea mumbled into her glass, eyes scanning the room.
"Just keep an eye out for the Majestic Twelve," Five advised as his gaze narrowed in on the staircase spiralling up above. "I've got the upstairs."
He turned to both of his siblings, looking at Diego first. "Diego, try not to do anything too stupid," he said with a sarcastic smile before turning to Thea. "Z, do what you do best."
"Read them?" she said softly, just loud enough for the both of them to hear.
"I was going to say flirt your way into their secrets, but that works too," Five said with a smug smirk.
"You know me too well," she said blandly before knocking back the champagne in one go.
Liquid courage. This isn't enough to get me even a little tipsy – living with Klaus raises your alcohol tolerance to inhuman levels – but if I'm going to be getting a headache, I can at least blame it on the champagne.
Watching Five disappear up the stairs and Lila drag Diego off towards the dance floor, Thea pursed her lips before slowly lowering her mental shields and allowing the passing thoughts of all the people around her to filter in.
It hurt. Like a bitch.
Thea had gotten used to living her life free from the overwhelming pressure of reading the minds around her and it had been a while since she'd felt this way.
She knew Five wasn't aware that doing this kind of thing still hurt her so much, even as an adult and she wasn't planning on telling him, either. The guilt he'd feel wasn't something she wanted him to suffer and she could handle this.
Holding back a grimace, she persuaded herself. I can handle this.
Relaxing her face into a pleasant and pretty smile, Thea ignored the feeling of a hammer banging against her skull and floated through the guests – smiling back at the faces she met and trying her hardest not to react to their wandering thoughts.
'...even notice the new dress I'm wearing?... look at me...'
'...the plans will go on as suggested...contractor at the firm...'
'gorgeous...those legs...'
'fuck it...get pissed...cheating bastard...more wine...'
Thea pinched her nose as the mindless droll continued filtering in. Having a power like hers was more a curse than a blessing, as Thea was forced to listen to the boring tirades or selfish desires of complete strangers.
Her eyes would inevitably wander towards where the thoughts were the loudest and she'd compare whatever it was they were thinking to their appearance, their private lives becoming more and more transparent as they unknowingly displayed their problems all too clearly for her to witness.
She felt bad, especially when it came to those who were struggling within their own minds.
A cheating husband whose wife was drinking too much to ignore his wandering eyes...a stressed businessman fretting over his work while lying right to his boss' face...a lecherous pig who was eyeing every woman that passed him.
Okay - so that last one had none of Thea's sympathy and she made sure to glare daggers when his sight set on herself.
"Are you alright, Miss?" a deep voice asked from very close and Thea's head snapped up to meet curious grey eyes.
"Yes...I apologise if I was in your way," she said slowly, glancing around to ensure she hadn't unknowingly made a scene while struggling with her headache.
"Oh no, nothing of the sort," he laughed kindly.
The man was easily taller than her and she guessed he was in his early-fifties, even if he did look good for his age. His smile was genuine and after a quick focus on his thoughts, Thea knew he had no ill-intentions.
"You looked like you were in pain, are you feeling alright?"
Thea nodded her head, her lips pulling into a bright smile that was purposefully inviting. "I'm quite sure, Sir. Thank you for your concern, it's very much appreciated."
He laughed again, offering his hand her way.
"I'm Theodore Anderson. It's truly a pleasure to meet you..." he trailed off, purposely waiting for Thea to introduce herself.
She blinked at his suave tone of voice but placed her hand in his own, a smile at her lips.
"Thea Baudelaire," she introduced herself, using a false surname as a precaution.
It would be very bad news if this man knew anything about her father and wondered why a random girl was using the Hargreeves surname. Thea didn't think their surname was popular enough to go unnoticed.
"Baudelaire?" Theodore questioned with interest. "I hadn't taken you as French, my dear."
"Lost the accent as a child once my parents moved us here," she lied quickly.
"Though, my French flows as easily as I breathe. Wonderful, isn't it?" she said in perfect French, surprising the man in front of her.
The last thing she needed was to ruin her own alibi – she just thanked the gods she was such a sore loser when it came to competing with Five about learning languages.
"Truly," Theodore replied in French, pressing his lips against the back of her hand in greeting.
Thea stopped herself from pulling her hand back at the unwanted contact, reminding herself that she was here to blend in and that men of this time didn't seem to understand the concept of personal space.
"Could I interest you in some more champagne, Mademoiselle?"
Thea glanced subtly around the room, trying to find any sign of Diego or Lila but found nothing.
She looked back at Theodore, especially at his smart attire and the confidence at which he held himself and wondered if it was worth trying to dig deeper into his knowledge. He could even know something important about the Majestic Twelve-
All of her thoughts were abruptly cut off when a single man passed her by – his hair a shade of blonde even lighter than her own and wearing a cream coloured tuxedo. He was holding an empty silver tray in his hands and made his way casually up the stairs.
If what his tuxedo implied was true, then the man was permitted to roam the house as he wished, likely bringing other guests their beverages.
What had caught Thea's attention, however, was the man's thoughts. He had been eerily silent, no words to be heard but instead, a single image of an all-too-familiar boy was prevalent, clear as day.
Five.
Sparing no attention to her surroundings, Thea had instinctively moved to follow the blonde stranger, wanting to know why the fuck he was thinking about her brother so intently but her wrist was caught in a hold, causing her to look back at Theodore with shock.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he said with a deep chuckle and if the man wasn't so damn suave, Thea would have punched him in the throat already for touching her so casually.
Instead, she moved the man's grip from around her wrist and gave him a smile so sardonic that it would have looked more fitting on Five's face. She spoke to him bluntly.
"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Mr Anderson, but I'm wholly uninterested in having another drink with you. I'm not interested in men, you see, so I can't in good faith continue leading you on like this."
She was spouting pretty half-lies to hopefully put him off but as she spotted the blonde waiter disappear around the corner of the staircase she knew she needed to leave quickly, without raising any suspicions.
The last thing she needed was this man following her and getting caught up in their business.
"I don't understand-" Theodore tried to say and Thea pulled the man's face closer to her own by his tie, staring into his eyes.
"I'll make this very clear for you. I like to fuck women, Mr Anderson. That's about the only thing we have in common, I'm afraid."
She pushed him back and patted down his wrinkled tie, a polite smile back on her face. "Now, enjoy your night and walk away."
Theodore blinked slowly at her order and followed suit, turning away with her empty champagne glass in his hand.
Thea didn't waste a second to watch him leave and with quick steps – trying to not look outwardly rushed or frantic – she descended the stairs in the same direction the blonde waiter had left.
The first thing that raised her hackles was the soft grunting and thuds of heavy footing against the ground. The floor was a plush carpet beneath her feet and so Thea knew that whatever was going on had to be physical enough to cause such a noise.
She sped up in rising concern and when she finally turned the corner and spied the scene playing out in front of her, she paused for a brief second to take it all in.
There was Five, as well as the blonde waiter she'd spied earlier, only now they were locked in a fierce battle – one that Five was currently losing. Neither of them had spotted her yet, too focused on their fight and using that to her advantage, Thea acted.
Without a seconds thought and her body moving on pure instinctual adrenaline, Thea raced forward and sent a kick toward the waiter's legs, and once he staggered, she aimed for his face, too.
The kick sent him tumbling away with a grunt and subsequently released the headlock he had Five in moments ago. The boy coughed and looked up at her in surprise.
"Who the hell is that?" she asked with a frown, keeping her eyes on the blonde man who was now rising to his feet, flexing his sore jaw.
"Remember the guys that attacked Vanya?" he asked lowly.
"The IKEA mafia?" she said sceptically. Even saying the words out loud made her feel silly.
"Got it in one," Five drawled and both of them tensed when the man finally straightened fully, facing them both.
He took in Thea's appearance with calculating eyes and she was about to go on the attack again when the man's stare shifted ever so slightly behind her – which was enough warning for Thea to yank Five to the ground and spin herself, effectively avoiding the grab from behind.
She looked up only to see another blonde – the same slicked-back hair and adorned in a waiters attire just like the first.
Who the hell are these guys? Brothers? Bloody clones!?
"You take one, I'll take the other," she muttered towards Five, who nodded after a grim look her way.
"Don't worry about me and focus on winning," she insisted.
The last thing she wanted was for him to be too occupied with keeping her safe that he was caught unaware in his own fight.
These guys look skilled enough that we'll both have a struggle on our hands. Though, if I have to, I'm not against frying a bitch.
Her head was still banging from earlier on and so, really, she'd prefer to get this fight over with as quickly as possible. If Five looks like he's in trouble, then shit's going down, even at my own expense.
The two blondes approached with determined footsteps, their gaits confident and strong. Thea eyed up the one closest to her, watching his posture for any sign of weakness.
When he finally charged forward, Thea knew she wouldn't be able to evade him and so she allowed his body to tackle hers and used the momentum to wrap her legs around his neck, flipping them both over so that she landed on top of him.
Knowing all too well that her body weight wasn't enough to subdue a man so much larger than her for very long, Thea desperately grabbed a hold of his head with her hands and ignored the horrible aching of her head to try to take hold of his mind.
It was always such a pain when trying to control somebody who was mentally strong-willed. Somebody like Five, who was almost a natural at dominating his own mind and had lived a long life to perfect it, would be much harder for her to will than he was when they were children.
It seemed the blonde beneath her was a strong-minded individual too, because it took her a couple of seconds longer than she'd hoped to slip through his defences – Thea ended up muttering 'fuck it' and had bulldozed her way into his head, taking pleasure at his shout of pain at the unwanted intrusion.
Thea had commanded him to relax his muscles, demanding he loosen his grip on her body but all of her hard work went down the drain when she heard a surprised call of her name.
"Thea?"
Her head shot up at the sound of his voice and Thea – stupidly, foolishly – let her concentration slip as she stared back at Diego.
The sight of her brother was soon replaced with an elbow and Thea yelped as the pain registered in her brain at the hit she'd just received. Her left cheek throbbed and she was thankful the man hadn't managed to catch her eyes or throat.
She heard Diego call her name again and his footsteps come closer but before she could warn him away, she felt a powerful kick at her stomach and could only grunt as she was sent flying down the hallway, hitting the wall roughly.
Fuck me, that hurt.
She let out a shaky breath, struggling to take in much-needed air after such a forceful hit. Her ribs ached when she breathed in and Thea wondered if the man's boots were made out of steel because goddamn that hurt like a bitch.
Trying to ignore the pain she quickly kneeled, using the wall to lift herself up and suddenly felt dizzy as her sight blackened at the edges.
G od, I feel like I'm about to throw up. What the hell are his legs made out of? I seriously need to start going to the gym...I'm up against someone who definitely doesn't skip leg day.
Thea would have laughed if she knew it wouldn't hurt so much.
She began crawling across the carpeted floor towards Diego, seeing that Five was holding his own against his single assailant while Diego was being ganged up on by two of the blonde waiters.
Finally close enough and just in time as one of the men was about to kick Diego in the stomach as he'd done to her – the second man holding his arms back – Thea grabbed his other leg and yanked harshly.
The man was sent tumbling to the ground and using his disorientation at the sudden sneak attack, Thea resolutely ignored the burning pain in her stomach and her pounding head and latched onto his mind with a fiery determination – her anger making it even harsher than intended.
The man couldn't help his pained growl as Thea dug her nails into his skull and forced his eyes to meet her own stormy blue.
"Asshole...don't touch my...brother," she choked out, almost spitting the words in her fury.
The man's grip loosened and his body stopped its attempts at fighting back and just when Thea felt like she'd finally succeeded – raising her hand to hit his vital point and knock him out – she heard the sound of Diego's grunt before her hair was yanked back by her ponytail.
Yelping at the spiking pain at her scalp, Thea opened her mouth to command him to stop but choked in utter surprise when she was unceremoniously punched in the throat.
Her hands immediately flew to wrap around the delicate skin, wide eyes looking up at the dishevelled waiter in stunned horror.
Her body tensed up at the pain – curling in on itself as though trying to hide from the sudden lack of air and yet it seemed to also lax in a sudden decrease in strength.
It was an out of body experience and Thea briefly wondered if this was how Allison felt when Vanya attacked her, rendering her unable to breathe.
Diego yelled out her name but soon it was replaced with the sounds of fists and kicks being thrown – something she couldn't concentrate on as the ringing in her ears became progressively louder, drowning out everything else.
She was struggling to breathe – barely sucking in enough air to keep her lungs going but in her panic, both at her own situation and the safety of her brothers, she was taking in too much at once, leaving her throat tight and her head dizzy.
The sound of lighter footsteps and a flash of royal blue passed by her vision, followed by the sound of a window smashing and faster footsteps but it all blurred past as she continued digging her nails into the skin of her throat as though she could make holes for the air to enter her lungs.
Blinking quickly to rid herself of the tears, Thea twisted her head towards the loudest sound and whined at the sight of Diego pushed against the wall and being punched repeatedly by one of the waiters while the other held his arms at his sides, leaving him open and defenceless.
The awful sight gave Thea strength and with one hand still wrapped around her throat in the hopes of easing the bruising pain, she shuffled closer to the wall opposite them, most importantly closer to the small silver dagger that was protruding from it.
The plaster had crumbled around where it was stuck as with a quick shimmy, the dagger fell free.
Struggling to take in a steadying breath, Thea prayed desperately her plan would work and she threw the dagger towards the assailant's leg, almost sagging in relief when it hit home – sinking into the vulnerable flesh at the back of his knee.
Diego seized the brief moment of weakness and elbowed the man holding him back while Thea used the last of her strength to wrap her legs around the fallen man's neck and twist her body sideways, like a snake enclosing itself around its prey she effectively cut off his airflow, knocking him unconscious.
She sagged in utter exhaustion once the man stopped moving and Diego easily took out the remaining man now it was an even playing field.
At her whine of discomfort, Diego rushed forward, dropping to his knees and cupping her face in his hands.
"Thea? What's wrong? What's happening?" he asked, eyes scanning her face and trying to figure out what was causing her to struggle.
Honestly, the struggle was beginning to ease and it was slowly getting easier to breathe again. That didn't mean the soreness of her throat was any less, but she swallowed with difficulty and wet her lips in order to speak. Her voice was low and scratchy.
"Hurry up...go find...Dad," she urged him, pushing him away when he looked like he wouldn't listen to her. "Quick! Or else...pointless," she whispered hoarsely.
Diego looked down at her, staring back into her determined eyes before nodding. "I promise I'll be back as soon as possible, sis."
He ran towards the window before jumping out and disappearing into the darkening night.
Thea was now alone, coughing into the silence and surrounded by two fallen men. She wasn't sure what they were supposed to do with the two 'mafia' members...
Who sent them and why are they targeting my family?
Breathing in slowly and wincing at the scratchy feeling in her throat, she grimaced at the thought of how the bruising would turn out, both on her cheek and around her throat.
Her thoughts flashed back to the times she'd managed to ease both Diego and Luther's pain and with a brief pause to weigh the pros and cons, she finally decided to at least test her theory out.
I've got nothing to lose. I either succeed or end up knocking myself out. Either way, the pain disappears.
Focusing in on herself and trying to emulate what all of those ridiculous self-help books Klaus had made her buy that one time when he'd 'sworn off of bad life habits' – she tried picturing that her mind was the centre of her being, to become hyper-aware of her own body's functions and the slightly raised thumping of her pulse.
The rhythmic sound helped ease her anxiety and worry and slowly but surely – alongside her mental chanting focused on ridding the pain – she felt her throat become numb, the built-up pain gradually tapering off until it felt removed from her person altogether.
It was a very disorienting feeling and when she swallowed, she could still feel the tightness and difficulty, only the pain that had accompanied it moments ago had completely disappeared.
She shakily touched her hand against the skin and noticed that while there was a dull, almost numb echo of soreness registering within her mind, the actual pain was absent.
It felt almost like the touch was being felt through a barrier – like the press of someone's hand on yours, only they were wearing thick gloves that muted the initial spark.
Following this thought...would that mean that I could consciously do this to other parts of the body, too? If this is the feeling somebody experiences when I numb the area...would it affect their use of that body part?
I can still breath just fine despite not being able to feel my throat, but that's the body's natural instinct...what if I numbed an arm or leg?
The theories were spiralling and she tried to think of almost everything she'd ever read or seen regarding superpowers in fiction and media.
Rather than body parts, what about the other important functions of a body...perhaps, their senses?
If I could somehow numb or dissociate a person's senses then, theoretically, they wouldn't be able to use them anymore, right? Cutting off their ability to see...smell...hear...touch...even their sense of awareness...would that work?
These thoughts only added to the long list of theories Thea had regarding her power.
Ever since that revelation – Five's apt description of 'acorned' – she had been questioning almost everything about the ability she had been born with.
Another thing added to the never-ending list...would it really be ethical to test this out on somebody or should I wait until we're attacked again before attempting anything?
Her turmoil was interrupted by the sound of a whoosh from beside her and surprisingly strong arms wrapping themselves around her body.
Confused and a little taken aback by the sudden contact, Thea glanced down to see dark, thick hair that was usually slicked back in its dashing style but was now ruffled and pushed up against her exposed neck.
Thea could feel the soft breaths tickle against her collarbone, they were a little shaky and she brought up a hand to rub against the boys back in hopes of comfort.
"Five?" she whispered, grimacing at the scratchy sound of her voice.
It cracked in the middle of his name and reminded her too much of her brothers when they were first experiencing the horrors of puberty.
"You were hurt," his voice was muffled, his face pressed up against her skin. "You were hurt and I just left."
Suddenly understanding the reason for her brother's unusual clinginess, Thea laughed softly, the sound more like a whistling tune.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about...pointless things, Five."
"Your safety is the furthest thing from pointless. Don't ever say something so idiotic," he snapped back, his tone a little biting.
She sighed, knowing first hand how stubborn he was. "Finding Dad was...a bigger priority."
Five pulled back and gripped her face with a surprising aggressiveness. He stared into her eyes, blue on blue and Thea blinked at the intensity.
"You're my sister. You're the only one that's taken me seriously from the beginning – from the moment I travelled back. Even as kids. The only one who trusts me completely."
Her lips curled into a fond smile, her eyes crinkling as she listened to his words.
Why did he say it like it was so surprising? Silly Five...no matter how old you grow; you still act like a child sometimes.
"I trust you...wholly," she whispered. "With everything."
Five sighed but smiled bitterly, the pinch of his face a little rueful at her admission. His fingers eased up on their grip of her face, his touch softer.
"That's why I'm sorry, Z. I had my priorities mixed up for a moment and it won't happen again."
She didn't really understand what he was saying. His priorities? What could be more important than saving the world?
"Don't be silly," she retorted with a smile, ruffling his hair and enjoying the way it fell into his eyes.
"I knew you'd always...put the world first when you...found me." She coughed lightly. "I trust you'll keep me safe...until that point."
Five chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. Thea frowned and blinked innocently back at him, cocking her head to the side.
"You're something else, Z. You know that?" he muttered.
His voice sounded wounded – like he was struggling with his emotions, his thoughts jumbled. If only her head wasn't pounding something fierce, she'd take a quick peek inside...
"Something good, I hope," she replied with a teasing smile.
"Not good. Brilliant," Five smiled back.
This chapter took me so long to write...it hit almost 9k words... I just moved into my new house and my mum (who lives in another country) came down to visit for a few days... so, sorry for the wait! (｡╯︵╰｡)
The next chapter will be the fated reunion...I have lots of things I'm excited to write between Klaus/Thea/Ben _φ(．．)
~ If anybody forgot, the mention of Thea's tentacle tattoo was brought up in the chapter 'the family reunion', while the meanings behind their names are included in the flashback chapter 'Zero becomes Thea'~