apocalypsehow | Around the Unnamed City

Because no one really talked to each other, Five had no clue that his brother was investigating his little run in with agents of The Temps Commission. And it was for the best all around it stayed that way.

But he had Dolores again and a lead. Kind of.

Things were looking up! Hence him sneaking out of his childhood home using the fire escape to avoid awkward questions.

Klaus	Klaus was dumpster diving outside of their childhood home, so good luck avoiding awkward questions. He hadn't noticed Five yet, and was instead focused on looking for...something. "I have to get whatever priceless crap is in that priceless box so Pogo will get off my ass!" Klaus snapped...to himself, apparently.
Five	Five paused every so slightly before just continuing down that fire escape. "I'd ask what you're up to Klaus, but then it occurred to me. I don't care." He loved his siblings just so much, you know?
Klaus	"Hey!" Klaus said, righting himself like he wasn't going through the trash. Just hanging out in a dumpster. Like you do. "You know there are easier ways out of the house, buddy?"
Five	"This one involved the least amount of talking. Or so I thought," Five said with a pointed look at Klaus.
Klaus	"Hey, do you need more company today?" he asked, ignoring the part where Five clearly wanted to be alone. "I could clear my schedule." Dumpster diving and getting blackout drunk could wait a few more hours.
Five	Oh, goody! Five's attention had been drawn to a plumber parking his van at the end of the alley way before he spared a glance over at Klaus. "Looks like you've got your hands full."
Klaus	"Oh, this?" he asked, gesturing to the dumpster. "I can do this whenever." "Found it! Thank god," Klaus said, bending down to pick up the first thing he could find. Which happened to be a half-eaten bagel. He took a bite of the bagel, ignoring Ben's snort of disgust. "Delicious."
Five	"I'm not funding your drug habit," Five said, dashing forward to get into the van once the plumber was out of sight. Sucked to be him, but this is what happens when you leave the keys in the ignition.
Klaus	"Come on! You don't--maybe I just want to hang out with my brother--" He whipped his head around to look at Ben. "Not you." "Mi hermano!" Klaus called, finally spitting out what was left of the bagel. "I love you! Even if you can't love yourself!"

Five	Staking out Meritech and Grant (it was Grant, right?) to see when that eyeball would be sold and to whom was less interesting than one might think it would be. But there he was in his stolen van. Not looking out of place at all with his age and the creepy white van thing.
Luther	Would a 6'5" man built like a brick shithouse hovering at the van door help with the stake out? Would it? "Five? Hey, Five--" Luther opened the van door and started to get in on the passenger side. It just took some maneuvering and grumbling to get it done. Again, brick shithouse.
Five	It would, in fact, hinder it greatly! Five clutched at the steering wheel and the driver seat as the van rocked. A lot. It was rocking a lot. He was also frantically looking around in case people were noticing this over at Meritech. "What are you--" he sputtered, trying to will Luther away through sheer force of will.
Luther	Look, he made it in there without toppling over the van and that was what counted. "Are you okay?"
Klaus	"You shouldn't be here," Five hissed now that Luther and his lumbering form was in the damn van and it stopped rocking so violently. "How did you even find me?"
Luther	"Um." Luther suddenly looked a little ashamed, and his eyes darted towards the back of the van.
Klaus	Unfortunately, that was where Klaus was sitting, having some alone time with Dolores. "Hey, baby--guys, a little privacy? We're really hitting it off back here."
Five	"Get out!" Five immediately reached back to smack at Klaus for that, trying to snatch Dolores away from him. "You can't be here, I'm in the middle of something." Why did being back here revert him to a child? This was the worst.
Klaus	"Any luck finding your one-eyed man?" Klaus asked, knowing that would get Luther's attention. Because why do anything Five asked of him? He disappeared while Klaus was telling the heartfelt story of his three week relationship.
Five	Did you even remember their name, Klaus? Did you? "No," Five huffed, looking back out the windshield.
Luther	Luther gave Five a look. "What is he talking about?"
Five	Don't you look at him in that tone of voice! "What does it matter? It's Klaus." Rude, Five. Rude. "What do you want, Luther?"
Luther	Rude, but not inaccurate. "Um, so Grace may have had something to do with Dad's death," he said. "So I need you to come back to the academy, alright? It's important."
Five	"It's important," Five repeated dryly. "You have no concept of what is important." The world ending? Important. Their father's possibly mysterious death? Eh.
Klaus	Klaus rolled his eyes. This again. "Blah, blah, blah..."
Luther	Luther turned to face Klaus. "What are you still doing here?"
Klaus	"What, I need an excuse to talk to my family?" Klaus asked, putting a hand over his chest like he was so terribly insulted.
Luther	Luther gestured to himself and Five. "We are trying to have a serious conversation."
Klaus	"And I'm incapable of being serious?" Klaus did his best to channel Dad and look like he hadn't known a moment of happiness in life. "Is that what you're saying?"
Five	Five nodded along with that statement because, yes Klaus. You were incapable of being serious. "Luther's got a point, you should get out." Nothing said sibling time like ganging up on each other.
Klaus	"What?" Klaus looked like he had been shot. He huffed, throwing open the doors to the back of the van. "Fine!"
Luther	Luther shook his head as he watched Klaus leave, before turning his attention back onto Five. "What the hell are you up to?" A one-eyed man search seemed like a bit of a thing.
Five	"You wouldn't understand." Because Five didn't like sharing, but also because, well... Luther.
Luther	"Try me," he said. "Last I checked I'm still the leader of this family." He would never stop playing the Number One card. Never.
Five	Ugh, it was so stupid. "Well last I checked, I'm 28 years older than you." So suck on them facts, Luther.
Luther	It was still so weird to hear that coming from a child in knee socks. So weird. "You know what your problem is?" Luther asked. Bold of him to assume Five just had one problem.
Five	Well, his biggest problem right now wouldn't stop talking, so... "Really hoping you'll tell me," Five said, sighing in resigned annoyance as he watched people come and go from the building across from them rather than give Luther any of his attention.
Luther	"You think you're better than us." Big talk coming from him. "You always have, even when we were kids. But the truth is you're just as messed up as the rest of us are. We're all you have, and you know it." He did kind of nail it, you had to admit.
Five	Wow, maybe all that time completely isolated from humanity on the moon helped him in some way. "I don't think I'm better than you, Number One," Five said, since they were playing the 'I'm in charge because I was arbitrarily named Number One as an infant' game. "I know I am." Five looked over at him to make sure Luther knew for a fact that he wasn't lying about that. "I've done unimaginable things you can't even comprehend."
Luther	Luther really, really had to hold back from starting a 'no u' fight. He was better than that. Kind of. "Right." Did you become an ape man, Five? Because try comprehending that.
Five	His boss was a goldfish, Luther. A goldfish. "Just to get back here and save you all," Five said, narrowing his eyes like he could sense the 'no u' urge rising in Luther. And maybe he could! Sibling 6th senses!
Klaus	Oooh the 'no u' fight was totally brewing. But that's when Klaus ran by, in perhaps another sibling 6th sense move, carrying armfuls of snacks and being chased by an angry looking store owner. "Hey, bitches!" Klaus yelled, dropping an armful of bags just so he could wave.
Five	Five broke eye contact with Luther to look at what fresh hell Klaus was up to now. And sigh heavily. "Now I'm starting to wonder if that was the wisest decision. "