Chapter 8

"Good god, Klaus, how on earth did you know the answer was Euripides?" Quentin asked as they entered his dressing room. The game show had been paused momentarily for a commercial break, an intermission which would last about fifteen minutes. Quentin motioned for Klaus to sit on a chair next to him.

"I've read his plays since I turned eleven," Klaus replied as he thought back to his younger days, before the fire. Those memories now seemed so foreign to him, as if he lived two lifetimes, one filled with happiness and the other filled with woe. "I've always liked Euripides. His work often showed sympathy to the underrepresented people of society."

"Kind of like what you're doing for the Scabs," Quentin replied with a smirk as he offered Klaus a drink, a gesture that Klaus gratefully accepted. "You know, I'm beginning to think I was right backing you all this time. You're more than just a smart cookie, aren't you? A prodigy, I daresay."

"My sister's the genius, not me," Klaus replied as Quentin shook his head.

"Perhaps she is but so are you. Which makes me wonder…?" Quentin said as he brought his seat closer to Klaus. "If you're really capable of murder, thievery and a whole assortment of crimes that currently have not been reviewed as of late."

"Excuse me?!" Klaus cried in surprise as Quentin chuckled.

"Surely you don't think I would put you in my game show without doing a background check on you? Come on, Klaus. Give me some credit."

"I…I don't know…what to say…" Klaus replied, his voice trembling as Quentin gave a laugh before shaking his head.

"Never thought I'll see you at a loss for words," Quentin replied as he smiled at Klaus. "I'm a pretty good judge of character and even then, I doubt that someone who wanted his identity and the past kept secret would have exposed himself to the entire world just before we started. But I can surmise a guess as to what your motives are."

"My motives?"

"Klaus," Quentin replied, no longer smiling as he stared at him. "The reason you're so calm about the game show is because, your intention is not to win it. You just want to find your sister. The Favour is sort of a last-ditch attempt on your part if your initial plan doesn't work. The reason you exposed who you are is that you're hoping beyond hope that either your sisters are watching or someone who knows where they are would be. You really don't expect it to make it to the Final Question, do you?"

"Actually," Klaus sighed as he stared back at Quentin. "I do. You see, you were right in guessing my initial plan as to what I intended to do. I'm hoping beyond hope that Violet or Sunny sees me on television and they have an idea as to where I am so that they can find me. But in the weeks prior to this, I've had a change of heart."

"Really?" Quentin said as he gave Klaus a bemused stare.

"Yes," Klaus replied as he smiled at Quentin. " Firstly, I made a promise to you that I would do whatever it takes to get to the final question so there's that. Secondly, it has to do with the Favour, Quentin. According to the laws of the game show as established by the previous Mayors, the Favour is more of an order that has to be granted according to the rules of the game."

" And in accordance to the Mayor's powers," Quentin added. "You can't ask for something unreasonable like turning night into day, of course."

"Of course," Klaus replied as he smiled at Quentin. "Naturally, if I win the game show which I fully intend to do, it would seem that the Favour I would ask of the Mayor is to use his technological devices and influence to find my sisters."

"An easy feat for a Mayor," Quentin replied.

"Precisely. Except that…"Klaus whispered before darting his eyes around the room. "That isn't what I intend to do. What I intend to do is…." Klaus whispered the next part into Quentin's ears whose eyes widened upon hearing it.

"My god, are you really?" Quentin replied as Klaus nodded. Quentin stood to his feet as he paced around the room, the look on his face was one of amazement and excitement.

"I mean…," Quentin spoke as Klaus watched him paced about. "I mean…if you could actually pull this off, it would be huge! And I daresay the Mayor has no choice but to grant it. But Klaus, I got to know. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It was never sudden," Klaus spoke as he averted his gaze. "It was always there. I was just too blinded by my sisters to see it and yet…even after all these years, I guess I was always going to be the man that my parents wanted me to be."

"And that is?" Quentin asked as Klaus turned his mind back to the past, back to a time when he visited the Village of Fowl Devotees for a second and final time.

"A volunteer."

…..

The walk to the police station took a long time but one that was necessary. Rule 67 of the Village stated that the use of mechanical devices was prohibited and Klaus knew better than to drive a car into the Village without any official reason as to why he would be there using one. He had hidden his car inside the barn where Hector first hid his self-sustaining hot air mobile home. It seemed that even after all these time, Hector's home had been abandoned. As thoughts of Hector and his device brought back memories of Isadora, Klaus pushed those thoughts at the back of his head. He had already placed Hector's hat back in his home and though Klaus wanted nothing more than to drive away from the vile place, his need to find about his sisters' whereabouts drew him towards the police station. He had already searched Hector's home for clues or signs of anyone living there but after an hour of looking, Klaus was drawn to a blank. Surely a quick visit to the police station wouldn't hurt.

It is often said that there are a few choices we make in our lives that would forever alter or change the course of our lives. Years later, while in Viceroy City, Klaus would often look back to this day several times and wondered what would have happened if he had just driven off. Would he have found his sisters sooner? Would he never have made it to Viceroy City? It seemed like such a small decision at that time, one that couldn't possibly have an impact and yet as Klaus entered the police station, the same one from which he and his sisters had broken out from, that he had no idea just how much his life was about to change.

Being such a small police station in an otherwise tiny and dreary village, Klaus could quickly spot two individuals being locked up inside the same cell where he had celebrated his thirteenth birthday. He could see the spot where Violet had broken them out which had now been covered up. Not wanting to waste any more time, Klaus walked up to the sheriff's office where he knocked three times.

"Enter." A gruff voice replied as Klaus pushed the door open. There, in the centre of the room which looked almost bare, was a short, pudgy man in a police chief's outfit eating a piece of bread as he looked surprised to see Klaus standing there.

"And who might you be?" the man said as Klaus entered the room.

"Detective Herman Melville," Klaus replied as he waved a fake badge at him, one he had tirelessly prepared in Hector's home using a piece of paper, pens, and a laminating machine. The pudgy police chief appeared completely nonplussed before standing up awkwardly to shake his hand. Klaus noted that the police chief tried to tiptoe, no doubt hoping to shorten the considerable height difference between the pair.

"I'm Police Chief Pepper." the man spoke as he eyed Klaus carefully. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Detective Herman?"

"I'm here with regards to two orphans," Klaus replied as Pepper's eyes began to widen.

"You're here for the orphans? I'm sorry but they're under my custody and have already been sentenced."

"They have?!" Klaus replied, shocked before realising to whom Pepper might have been referring to. "You mean the convicts in the cells?"

"Yes!" Pepper replied enthusiastically. "They have been charged with the most heinous crime of all."

"Which is?"

"They murdered a crow and ate it!" Pepper whispered as he shuddered at the thought. Klaus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As a victim of kidnapping and a witness to murder, the thought of someone killing a crow to eat seemed more of a decision of necessity than a crime of passion. Nevertheless, Klaus composed himself.

"I'm not here about those orphans," Klaus said as Pepper gave him a puzzled expression. "I'm looking for two orphans, one is a girl a year older than me and the other is a younger girl, around the ages of four to six. I was wondering if you or anyone in this village might have come across such a pair."

"Well, Detective," Pepper said as he reached from under his desk. "To be honest, I've only been appointed as police chief for a month. I would need to consult our records to see if there have been any such persons coming to the town. May I please have their names?"

"I can give you aliases but not their actual names as the pair would probably have changed it over time," Klaus said as he proceeded to give a list of names that Violet or Sunny might have used, including a detailed description of his sisters.

"Alright, give me time," Pepper said as he lifted a large loaf of bread as well as a metal pitcher of water on the table. "I'm wondering if you could perhaps assist me with something."

"What would that be?"

"Help me send this to our prisoners. I was supposed to give it to them as part of their last meal." Pepper replied as Klaus raised his eyebrow.

"Last meal?"

"Oh yes," Pepper said as he handed the items to Klaus. "It's our law here in the village. Any killings of the crows result in being burned alive at the stake."

"Seriously?" Klaus replied incredulously as Pepper ushered him out from the room.

"Oh yes," Pepper said as he gave Klaus a strange look. "I must say, you seem to be a little too young to be a detective."

"You get promoted faster when you're competent at the job," Klaus replied grimly as he made his way down to the cell.

….

As Klaus placed the hard loaf of bread and the pitcher of water through the opening of the cell, he could see that both the individuals inside the cell were watching him cautiously. Klaus noted that the boy appeared to be the older of the two, his long, blonde hair combed neatly along the side of his face and was as tall and lanky as Klaus himself. The girl next to him had a blonde ponytail and looked extremely thin wearing similar, raggedy clothes as the boy. Both were fair-skinned and had hazel eyes as the boy opened his mouth to speak.

"Who are you?" the boy said as the girl sat on the bench in the cell, watching Klaus curiously.

"I'm Detective Herman Melville," Klaus replied as he pointed to the items. "I was told to give you these."

"You're not from around here, are you?" the girl asked as Klaus shook his head.

"You look to be a little too young to be a detective." the boy replied in a suspicious tone. "Who are you really?"

"You know, people usually introduce themselves when someone does the same," Klaus replied. "It's only courtesy." The boy scoffed at Klaus's question.

"My name is Mark Twain and this is my friend, Jane Austen."

"Really? You expect me to believe that?" Klaus replied incredulously as the girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Believe what you want, Herman Melville," Jane replied putting emphasis on Klaus's fake name. "It's not like anything is going to change. We'll be dead tomorrow, anyways."

"For murdering a crow," Klaus replied. "Surely you know better than to do that inside a village called the Village of Fowl Devotees."

"We didn't know about that stupid law or the name of this village!" Mark spoke in anger. "My friend and I were starving by the time we came across this godforsaken village and when we begged the Council of Elders to let us stay here and give us food and shelter in return for us doing chores, they turned us away. So we hid in an abandoned bar in this dry county where we found drinks but no food. We killed a crow to cook and eat it but we were discovered and before we knew it, we were transported here and are now being sentenced to the death penalty!"

"How on earth did you happen to come so far into the Hinterlands?" Klaus asked as Jane replied.

"I and Mark here come from two rich families far away from this country. Both our parents were killed making us orphans. We've been traded about from guardian to guardian, place to place until finally, we decided to escape. We've been on the run ever since."

"How did you become orphans? Were your parents killed in a fire?" Klaus asked as Mark who had tried unsuccessfully to tear a piece of bread off the loaf dropped it suddenly to the floor as Jane gasped out loud.

"How did you know?" Mark whispered as Klaus felt a wave of sympathy come over him. Klaus took a moment to assess the situation. It might be too dangerous to reveal who he really was, particularly in a village where his name was still associated with murder. Nevertheless, Klaus took up a chair as he recounted parts of his story to both Mark and Jane, careful as to not mention his or his sisters' real names or how they looked like. He could see both Mark and Jane listening intently to his story as the loaf of bread and water laid forgotten.

"And I thought my life was bad," Mark spoke. "I recognise some of the places you've been to. Like Heimlich Hospital."

"The hospital was destroyed," Klaus replied as Jane shook her head.

"No, it's been rebuilt," Jane replied. "By an organisation known as V.F.D, the same one you and your sisters encountered. Do you think they're the ones responsible for our parents' death?"

"Probay the ones from the fire- starting side," Klaus replied as Mark nodded his head eagerly.

"Hey! If you're on the hunt for your sisters, we could follow you!" Mark replied as Jane nodded. "Help us get out of here and we can help."

Klaus paused for the moment. He had been feeling lonely ever since his departure from Prufrock. Giving Mark and Jane a smile, Klaus nodded his head.

"Wait, you said you've escaped from this situation once before," Jane said excitedly. "Could you describe to us what your sister did?"

Before he could utter a single world, Pepper called Klaus back to his office.

"I'll be back," Klaus promised as he made his way upstairs. He could hear both Mark and Jane nodding and discussing excitedly amongst themselves as Klaus soon found himself back in Pepper's office, with Pepper giving Klaus a rather strange look.

"I have bad news, worse news and good news." Pepper replied as Klaus closed the door. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"Give me the news in that order," Klaus replied, not wanting to get his hopes up before being crushed again.

"The bad news is that there is no sign of the pair you just described ever entering the village," Pepper spoke as Klaus felt a wave of disappointment. Though his hopes had been slim, Klaus still had faith at the improbability of his sisters' return to this accursed place.

"What's the worse news?" Klaus said. Pepper started to glare at Klaus before giving him a smug look as he threw a large brown book on the desk.

"This is, of course, the revised Volume of Formal Detectives that every detective in the country is currently listed in, including officers and recruits in the running to become a detective. Your name fails to appear even once, Detective Herman, which brings me to the conclusion that you are not a real detective." Pepper drawled as Klaus felt his nerves stand on end. It was a completely unexpected move as Klaus watched Pepper remove a silver revolver from his holster.

"I should lock you up as well for impersonating an officer, not to mention question you as to why you would use such an identity," Pepper spoke.

"I can explain…" Klaus replied as Pepper raised his other hand, not wishing to be interrupted.

"However, here comes the good news for you. In order for me to question you, you must first appear before the Council of Elders who can only conduct the trial tomorrow, not to mention that I would have to do a ton of paperwork. So here's what I'm going to do. Seeing that I have already gotten two heinous criminals and have to oversee a burning tomorrow, I'm in no mood to go through prosecuting someone whom I'm met so late in the night. Rather, I'm going to let you off the hook provided you leave this office and village immediately. If I do see you again, I will place you under arrest. How's that for competency?" Pepper spoke as he slammed his knuckles onto his desk.

As Klaus was being escorted out of the station by Pepper, he gave both Mark and Jane an apologetic look as they both stared at him wordlessly in despair.

….

Though Hector's home still had the beds that Klaus, Violet, and Sunny slept in during the time back when they first entered the Village of Fowl Devotees, Klaus preferred the comfort of his car as he laid down a blanket to rest his head.

He had thought of doubling-back to tell Mark and Jane about how he and his sisters had managed to break out of the cell but it was too risky. Chief Pepper had proven himself to be a most difficult opponent and the thought of his revolver in the hand of an unruly police officer was not one Klaus wanted to face.

As he laid down on the blanket, Klaus's mind began to rationalise the situation. On one hand, he owed Mark and Jane nothing and the idea of him driving into the village to help them escape seemed like a fool's choice as not only were the odds against him but Klaus knew it was not only his life that would be at risk but Violet's and Sunny's as well. Finding his family was his number one priority and staying in the village to help two people whom he barely knew didn't seem like a wise choice.

Yet Klaus knew, deep in his heart, that there was no choice as well. As soon as he reached his car, Klaus had already formulated a plan to help the two teenagers escape. He took comfort in the knowledge that Violet if she knew what Klaus was planning to do, would not only have approved of the idea but would have been proud of her younger brother as she was on the first night at Hector's home.

…

"She sleeps like a star." Klaus chuckled as Violet giggled at the sight of their little sister sprawled wide open on one of the twin beds in the room. Violet gently covered Sunny with a blanket while placing a soft pillow at the back of her head, careful not to wake her up. Both Klaus and Violet knew the dangers of waking Sunny up from her nap, the countless soft bites on their hands in their younger days serve as a reminder not to mess with a cranky Sunny.

"Klaus, what are you doing?" Violet asked as Klaus threw a pillow and blanket on the floor.

"Well, there's no space on Sunny's bed for you or I to sleep without rousing her up," Klaus replied. "You take the other bed and I'll take the floor."

"My brother the gentleman." Violet laughed as she shook her head. "You do realise we can share the bed. Like we did when you were little."

"That's because I was afraid of the dark." Klaus groaned. "Besides, we're older now. We can't share a bed."

"Oh please," Violet said as she pushed her pillow aside to allow another to be placed next to it. "Klaus, you're never too old to sleep with your sister."

It only took a moment for Violet to realise the mistake she had just made but as soon as Violet gasped and placed her hand over her mouth, Klaus was grinning widely from ear to ear.

"What did you say?" Klaus replied as Violet blushed from ear to ear before composing herself.

"Nothing!" Violet replied hastily as she glared at Klaus who looked beside himself.

"Well, how about we compromise? You won't bring up my horny remark and I won't bring up the time you suggested we sleep together." Klaus said as Violet raised her hands in defeat.

"Fine! But if you bring it up, I'm so kicking you to the floor." Violet said as Klaus gave her a mock look of hurt before grinning at his sister. Violet and Klaus both squeezed onto the tiny bed with Klaus having his left leg dangling from the side of the bed.

"Remind me never to let Sunny go to sleep before us," Klaus grumbled as he turned to his sister who had become silent as she stared out at Hector's barn. "Violet, what is it?"

"Do you really think his invention would work?" Violet whispered.

"I hope so. Can you imagine living in a mobile home, just us, the Quagmires and Hector? That would be awesome." Klaus replied as Violet gave him a slight nudge.

"First we have to find them." Violet sighed as Klaus nodded his head.

"We will."

"How can you be so sure?" Violet asked as she turned to face him.

"Because it's you and me. How can we not?" Klaus whispered back, his eyes studying his sister's face. For many years, Klaus often saw his sister as a child, a kid just like him and yet, even without his glasses that Klaus had placed safely in a drawer, Klaus could see that the person staring back at him was no longer a child. Violet was slowly but surely growing up into a beautiful woman and one whom Klaus knew, would be the envy of women and the joy of men everywhere. His thoughts turned to Duncan as Klaus chuckled at the thought of how Duncan Quagmire might react if he was in Klaus's position right now.

"You're right," Violet said as she beamed at him. "We'll find them and all of us can live with Hector. He seems genuinely nice."

"If only he was more assertive." Klaus sighed. Too often in their journey, Klaus found himself having less faith in the adults around them even those of whom had good intentions. From Charlie to Jerome Squalor and now Hector, Klaus often found himself rolling his eyes or shaking his head as to the thought of the character of these individuals.

"He's just scared, Klaus," Violet replied as Klaus shook his head.

"I know he's scared, Violet. And while I do like Hector a lot, I do, but I'm honestly tired of all these adults not being able to stand up for what's right. I mean, sure Hector is a good guardian but does he really have to faint all the time?"

"Maybe he went through a traumatic experience when he was younger." Violet reasoned as she patted her brother's hand. "We shouldn't judge people too much."

"True." Klaus relented as he agreed with his sister. "But it's just difficult sometimes. If one of the adults in our lives just stood up to believe us and fought for what's right regardless of the consequences that could happen to them, I believe we wouldn't be in so much of a mess as we are now. Imagine if Jerome had stood up to Esme? Or if Charles had stood up to Sir?"

"You can't blame people for thinking about themselves." Violet sighed. "Both Jerome and Charles wanted to believe in the best of their partners. It's difficult for people to think about others when they're suffering themselves."

"Well, in any case, I'm not going to be like that." Klaus sighed. "If someone needed me even if it comes with dangerous consequences, I'm going to help them. Like the Quagmires."

"Duncan and Isadora helped us because we're friends, Klaus," Violet replied.

"Even if they were strangers, I would help them." Klaus reiterated as Violet gave him a smile.

"I'm proud of you, Klaus," Violet replied as she gave him a peck on his forehead. "Our parents really did raise us well, didn't they?"

"So did you." Klaus replied as Violet blushed under his compliment. "You're the most selfless person I know, Violet."

"Stop it." Violet giggled as she turned away, embarrassed by Klaus's comment. "Well, let's hope you keep that value of helping people in greateer need with you always, Klaus. Who knows, it could come in handy one day if you ever choose to run for a political office. It's sad to see some politicians only thinking about themselves nowadays.

"Tell me about it. Though I doubt I'll ever be a politician, Violet." Klaus replied with a laugh.

…

"Mayor!" Quentin exclaimed once more. "You're going to ask the Mayor to appoint you as his immediate successor."

"Yes," Klaus replied as Quentin stared at Klaus with awe. "I figured why should I bother asking the Mayor to look for my sisters when I can take over and do it myself. Besides, it wouldn't be right. All this talk about Scabs and Uppers shouldn't exist. Everyone should be gauged by their character, not their reputation or social class or economic status. I figured that if I used the Favour to become Mayor, not only can I get what I want but I could do so much more to help this city."

"Not to mention," Quentin replied with a grin. "Overruling your previous convictions."

"I can do that?!" Klaus exclaimed in surprise as Quentin nodded.

"But of course!" Quentin said as he beamed at Klaus. "Being Mayor of Viceroy City gives you immense power. Not only will you be diplomatically immune to future convictions but you could use your power and influence to overturn any previous ones, including those involving your sisters."

"I didn't know that," Klaus said excitedly as Quentin laughed.

"Fancy that, Klaus Baudelaire not knowing something."

A loud annoying ringing, akin to that of fire bell, rang throughout the room as Quentin and Klaus covered their ears.

"That's the sound that the intermission is about to be over soon," Quentin said as he glared at the speakers which had brought out the sound. "We better hurry back or else that blasted sound is going to go off again."

"Let's do this," Klaus said as Quentin reached for the door before pausing and looking back at Klaus.

"You know," Quentin spoke in an earnest tone as he turned back to Klaus. "Before this game show, all I saw was a contestant that I was willing to sponsor as he displayed the tenacity and willingness to take this game all the way to the end. I was rooting for you to win before but now, now I'm more than just hoping. I want nothing else but you to win, Klaus Baudelaire. You're going to do it, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you, Quentin," Klaus replied as he shook the man's hand. "I should thank you for having faith in me. Before this game show, I always wondered what kind of man you are but now, I'm glad to have trusted you. You're a good man, Quentin."

"What can I say?" Quentin said as he reached into his drawer and pulled out an item. Klaus gasped in astonishment as Quentin handed him a green band. "I empathise with you."

"You were a Scab?" Klaus exclaimed as Quentin nodded his head.

"I was," Quentin answered. "And I had to work my way to becoming an Upper so I can tell you, from the bottom of my heart, that I want nothing more than to see you succeed, Klaus Baudelaire. Although the stakes may be high and the road is not without its huge obstacles, I believe that you will triumph! We need you as mayor, Klaus."

Another ringing filled the air abruptly as Quentin cursed out loudly before dragging Klaus out of the room.

"Remember, Klaus, stay focused," Quentin yelled above the noise. "Whatever it is, don't lose sight of the end and go through everything calmly. Keep both hands on the wheel." As Klaus re-entered the arena to a chorus of applause from the audience members, he could still hear the faint ringing of the fire alarm as Klaus readied himself for what lies ahead.

….

I must be crazy!

The thought rang through Klaus's head as he grabbed both hands on the steering wheel. With the use of binoculars and a good vantage point from a branch of the Nevermore Tree, Klaus had seen the village mob finishing the final touches on their stake on top a wooden pyre. He could see both Mark and Jane being escorted out of the police station by Chief Pepper as Klaus turned his engine on. He had only one shot at this as Klaus slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.

The only good thing about a frenzied mob, Klaus noted, is that the loud chanting drew their attention away from the loud roaring engine of his car as Klaus rode it towards the village. It was only when he drew closer towards the mob that a few of the villagers turned their attention to him, screaming as Klaus drove his car in between the pyre where Mark and Jane were and the villagers themselves. The swift turn of his car caused a large cloud of dust to gather, giving Klaus enough time to get out of the car and throw six bags of flour he had found in Hector's home on the ground, causing an even larger cloud blinding the villagers as he raced up the pyre.

Mark and Jane could cry out in astonishment as Klaus noted that they were both gagged and bound to the stakes. Taking out a knife, Klaus released them from their bonds as they spat out the gags.

"Herman!" Mark cried out in relief.

"You came for us!" Jane added.

"Quick! Get in the car before the flour settles!" Klaus cried but it was too late. A large gust of wind had blown the flour away, leaving a very visible Klaus together with Mark and Jane standing awkwardly on top of the pile. Pepper had composed himself, his revolver gleaming in the sunlight as he pointed the weapon directly at Klaus.

"I thought I told you to leave, Herman," Pepper spoke, his eyes glaring as another voice interjected in.

"That's not Herman." the voice spoke as everyone turned to an elderly woman, one whom Klaus recognised as being a member of the Council of Elders. "That's Klaus Baudelaire."

The mention of his real name garnered whispers and excited chatting amongst the crowd as Pepper looked on, confused. Klaus turned to Mark and Jane. Mark had a look of desperation on his face as he searched for a way out of their predicament but it was Jane who had the most interesting response.

"You're Klaus! Violet's brother!" Jane cried.

Nothing but the astonishment of hearing someone mention his sister's name could have stopped Klaus in his tracks as he attempted to figure a way out. Klaus grabbed Jane by the shoulders.

"You've seen my sister?"

"Of course! She's –"

BANG!

Klaus felt Jane stumbling towards him as he caught her with Mark screaming Jane's name at the top of his lungs. Klaus could see a trickle of blood on the side of Jane's face as he held her in his arms.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU MONSTER!" Mark roared as he leapt from the pyre to tackle Pepper who looked shocked at what he had done. As Mark tackled Pepper to the ground, Klaus grabbed the gun and pointed it around the village.

"Nobody move!" Klaus ordered as his eyes caught sight of Jane's chest which was rising and falling.

She's alive! Klaus thought excitedly as he yelled at Mark who was now struggling with Chief Pepper. "Mark, Jane's alive! She's alive!"

"Of course she's alive!" Pepper retorted as Mark took himself off him to tend to Jane. "I only fired a warning shot!"

"You're lucky the bullet just grazed her skull." Klaus snapped as he aimed the gun at Pepper. Every fibre in his body wanted to put a bullet into Pepper's kneecap for taking such a dangerous shot at an innocent girl and yet, somehow in all the confusion and melee, Klaus could hear Violet's voice urging for him to take control.

Violet.

His sister.

Whom Jane seemed to recognise and know.

Klaus 's brain roared into action.

"Mark, get Jane inside the car. We're leaving." Klaus said as Mark nodded his head before carrying Jane and placing her gently inside the car as Klaus headed to the front of his car.

"You can't just leave!" Pepper yelled though he and the rest of the villagers were still eying the gun that Klaus Baudelaire held in his hand. Klaus gave a look of disgust. He hated this village. Hated it with a burning passion. Other than Count Olaf and Esme Squalor, few others filed Klaus with as much revulsion as the Village of Fowl Devotees who consisted of a bunch of people that had previously tried to execute Klaus and his sisters after a misguided trial in a kangaroo court and it seemed that, even with a couple of years since that incident, not much had changed. As Klaus wondered what good it would be to allow such vile people to continue in their ways, his eyes fell to the gun in his hand. Glaring at the villagers with a particular emphasis on the Council of Elders and Chief Pepper, Klaus raised his gun before pulling the trigger several times.

…..

The applause Klaus received as he entered the arena sounded like gunshots to him. As Klaus Baudelaire sat in his seat with Quentin welcoming them back, he took a moment to look out at the audience.

Klaus could see the Scabs all seated in their back rows cheering him on loudly, their raucous support growing by the minute. In front of them were the Norms, many of whom were cheering him on as well as they waved towards him. Yet Klaus's attention was fully focused on the Uppers. He could see a few of them, clapping for him as they smiled but there were many of whom had sneering looks on their faces as they laughed about smugly. Klaus could even hear some of them commenting on how much they wished to see him fail while others appeared to be placing bets as to when Klaus would lose.

It pained Klaus to admit it but there were times when he had to face the truth. People had a tendency to be cruel. From Count Olaf to Esme Squalor to countless others, Klaus had felt the brunt of cruel and evil people from all walks of life, doing whatever despicable and horrible things they could to destroy as many lives as they possibly can. Klaus Baudelaire wondered how people could do such horrid things, how they could cause havoc on so many victims while they lived a life of comfort and luxury. To Klaus, nothing was worse than a bunch of people forcing their will on others so as to hurt and cause them pain. V.F.D or no V.F.D, Klaus intended to change things for the better.

Yet it was too easy for one to give to emotion when it comes to changing things for the better or dealing out justice.

When it comes to putting out fires, there are several ways in which one can choose to do so. The obvious method of putting out a fire is by throwing water at it or using a substance or device that prevents the fire from receiving heat or oxygen. Another method would be to remove the fire's fuel source and just let it die down. One of the most unconventional methods of fighting a fire is by starting another one. In its literal meaning, the term is derived from methods used in fighting a raging forest fire where one could set up smaller, controlled fires in certain areas so as to burn off any possible fuel that the forest fire could use, thus allowing the forest fire to die out.

The figurative sense of the phrase, however, was what Klaus was more concerned with. Throughout his lifetime, there were only a few occasions where Klaus's burning rage threatened to spill over. Fighting fire with fire meant that one would use similarly extreme methods as one's attackers on the latter, usually done out of spite or vengeance and Klaus knew the dangers of doing so. Though there had been times when he had come close to going over the line, it was to his credit that Klaus managed to control his emotions before doing something he might later regret.

As Klaus stared out at the Uppers, he tried to restrain his anger as he once had to do when coming face to face with a large mob of people who had bad intentions for him. Klaus gazed out at the audience before the glass structure was lowered, leaving Quentin as the only sole person he could see.

"Klaus?" Quentin said as Klaus pulled himself away from his thoughts and onto the game show.

…

"Klaus?"

Klaus stared down at the revolver in his bloodied hands. A part of him relished the power that the weapon gave him, the look of fear on the eyes of the villagers as they saw him brandishing the weapon and raising it towards them. Klaus watched as Chief Pepper together with the Council of Elders cowered under their torches as some of them even begged for their lives. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, Klaus could feel a burning desire to execute justice to a group of people that were so willing to burn children at the stake. All that anger, accrued from months and years of frustration and pain being the victims of wayward and cruel adults were begging to be let out and Klaus could think of no group of people better suited than those from the Village of Fowl Devotees.

"Why didn't you?" Mark spoke, pulling Klaus out of his thoughts. Klaus looked to Mark who seemed to be studying the revolver in Klaus's hands. Though Mark didn't finish his question, Klaus knew as to what he was referring to.

"Can't fight fire with fire," Klaus said as he threw the revolver as far away as he could. He had aimed the gun at the villagers before raising it up in the air and emptying the chamber as much as he could until the weapon was out of ammunition. Throwing it towards a crouched Chief of Police who was in a fetal position, Klaus got into his car and drove as fast as he could away from the Village of Fowl Devotees.

"Can't say the same for myself," Mark replied as he clenched his fists. "God only knows what I would have done to them for hurting Jane."

"How is she anyways?" Klaus asked as Mark's expression became despondent.

"She's stable for now, I think," Mark said as he motioned towards the car which had been parked outside of the gas pumps at the Last Chance General Store. Klaus's high speeds through the Hinterlands had been halted by the lack of gas, causing Klaus to stop at the general store to fill in gas. Mark had offered to do the deed, eager to get his mind off Jane whose condition didn't look to be worsening or improving since they left the village.

"Let's go," Klaus said as Mark reached for his hand.

"Klaus, the Volunteers Fighting Diseases will be stopping by here soon. You don't have to take us there." Mark said as Klaus shook his head.

"Nonsense. Of course, I do. What are friends for?" Klaus replied.

As they drove down the road towards their destination, Klaus could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he sped down the road. Though Mark was grateful for Klaus's intervention and help, Klaus knew as to the other reason for him driving at full speed towards the hospital. Jane Austen was aware of who his sister was and might be his biggest chance for Klaus to find out about her whereabouts. Things were all coming to a head as Klaus, along with his two new companions, made their way towards Heimlich Hospital.

…..