He hadn't seen Klaus in a while. Barty was not certain just how long it had been. He tried to keep track of time by counting meals, but that was fairly pointless when he couldn't know the schedule.
When Klaus wasn't there, there was little else. The people who brought his food wore headphones and when they saw him speak, he got punished. The experiments happened in controlled environment, obviously, and he hated them. He hated even more that part of him longed for them, because at least it was something. Like the hands touching him to hold him down when he got another spinal tap. They were contact. Something other than the empty silence he was trapped in.
He had started scratching his skin, wondering how long it'd be before they'd notice and before someone would have to treat his arms for it. That'd be something too.
And maybe it was that something that made them bring Klaus in again. Barty walked up to the door when it opened, eyes widening when he saw Klaus. He wanted to step closer, but he got shocked for that. The reason for the collar he wore. One of the guards gestured to him and he glared, rolled his eyes, but followed the instructions. Both hands over his mouth and he stepped back against the wall.
"You are going to stay with Number Two, Number Four, do you understand?" It was a scientist that had led Klaus here, accompanied by two guards, and she spoke to Klaus now, sounding almost kind. It really was the worst. "You remember him, right?"
"I remember." Klaus spoke softly, he always did. He wasn't a particularly brave boy, he was clearly terrified right now and his body language showed it. He was half curled into himself as he looked up at Barty. He knew Barty, he remembered him from before. Klaus nodded his head to show his understanding but didn't dare move away from the scientist in case he wasn't supposed to.
Klaus was so tired, his eyes were blurring and the bags under his eyes were darker than they had ever been. He spent all of last night with ghosts screaming at him, clawing at him, and he was still locked so deeply in the terror of it all.
It was hard to process that he was here. With Barty. A rare treat.
He scientist pushed him forward and Klaus moved reluctantly. He knew bad things happened if he disobey and people were being nice lately so he didn't want to spoil it. He knew he always did. He got too selfish, he wanted too much, he didn't behave as he should.
Looking up, he met Barty's eyes and the faintest smile show. "Hi."
Barty wanted to do something like offer a smile or even reach out, but obviously he couldn't do that. Not with that guard ready to shock him at any sign of misbehaviour. So he simply looked at Klaus and hoped they'd leave them alone soon.
"You know Number Two's power. He has abused it not that long ago. He has used it to kill. Perhaps being around you will teach him how serious death is." She crouched down a little to be level with Klaus, smiling at him. "You have been a very good boy, Number Four. I want you to keep trying your best. Promise that you will? Then I will bring you a gift."
Klaus always hated when they spoke nicely because he wanted it and he craved it but he knew it was going to end badly. When they were nice to him, when they touched him or spoke gently, it meant he was about to hurt. He tensed and all of his body locked in panic but he didn't make a move to retreat or fight. "I promise."
He looked at Barty, suddenly hyper aware because whoever he killed, they might still be here and he didn't want to meet them. He was sure if they were dead because of Barty, they were probably bad people. "I always try my best."
"I know you do. Now play nice with Number Two and... I suppose yell if he scares you." Maybe that was the best way to handle that. She smiled again and then turned away, leaving with the two guards. Barty's eyes were trained to the door, counting until three before he lowered his hands. He didn't fancy getting shocked again.
Looking at Klaus, he smiled. He stepped closer to him and reached for his hands, touching him before he had the chance to build up to it in his mind and make it an impossible thing to do. Klaus's hands felt clammier than they ought to, so he took them between both of his and looked at him. "All right."
He hesitated for a few moments, looked at the cameras and debated if it was worth it or not. But it always was. Affection was weakness, he knew that, but how many more chances would he get to have a hug? So he hugged Barty before anyone could stop it from happening. It was an awkward hug, he wasn't sure how to do it properly so he just held onto Barty before the wonderful feeling.
It was like a drug. Touch - nice touch, safe touch, controlled touch.
He pulled back and gave Barty a nervous look. "Sorry. I don't get --- a lot. I wanted to."
"I know. We don't get it." Not anywhere else. Barty wrapped his arms around Klaus and held him, looking up at the camera with defiance on his face while he held Klaus as tightly as he could without hurting him. He'd never done that before. It felt nice. Klaus was trembling. He wondered whether he was more cold or scared.
Lowering his head, he whispered by his ear. "Don't be scared." Not a bad command, was it?
"I'm trying." Klaus admitted but telling him not to feel something didn't make his body not feel it. It just gave him a wave, a moment of bravery, so he could finally look at what he hadn't wanted to look at this whole time. He swallowed hard but the fear was ebbed and buried so he could control his heart as he looked at what seemed like nothing to everyone else.
"You killed him. He's not very happy. He keeps yelling." He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Number Two - what's a cunt?"
"I don't know. He was one. It's an insult. A bad thing to call someone." Not overly impressed by it, Barty turned his head to look in the direction that Klaus was staring. "You are a stupid cunt. You gave me an in. That's on you."
No, he didn't feel any guilt. Instead he pulled them closer to the wall and sat down, tugging Klaus down with him. "Look at me. Ignore him. He doesn't matter."
It was quiet in Barty's room, which was what he was used to. he took a certain comfort from it. It was empty, but it was also a sort of calm. He missed the presence of Klaus, as he always did. He missed having anything to do, but he didn't scratch himself today. Klaus had noticed some of the scratches last time and he didn't like worrying Klaus. No worries for any boy, not that yellow-haired one and not his Klaus.
So he sat on the ground and leaned back against the wall and finally he looked up. He had heard the steps, quiet as they had been, and he looked at the door. Who could it be? Likely someone with their ears plugged, if they approached him. So Barty gestured, while he spoke. "What do you want?"
Maybe the sound had just been in his head, but he doubted it. He knew what true silence was. He knew when he wasn't alone.
"Come now, can I not visit my kin without an agenda?"
Standing in front of Barty was Koschei. Somehow. Someway. He had gotten himself into another cell. That didn't happen, that never happened. The subjects never got loose. And what was more, the red blinking light on the camera wasn't working.
"I just wanted to say hello." Koschei cocked his head to the side, looking at Barty with curious eyes. He was a strange boy, that was for sure. He had been here before Barty but he still had a youthful body. Despite that, he talked like a man, held himself like one too. He had confidence that few subjects could wish to have. "We never get much time together. Not since the Pressure Incident."
"Such a shame. I don't know why. You can't harm me." It was a command, but spoken almost as if Barty wasn't aware of that, as if it just came out that way. He was a lot more powerful these days. So wary of everything he said. And entirely capable of making it sound casual. He stayed seated on the ground, looking up at Koschei. "Almost anyone who's ever come to see me had an agenda. It's how it works, isn't it? Everyone wants something."
"Ultimately, yes. Everyone wants something." Koschei agreed as he untucked his white shirt from his white trousers and gently pulled free a small book. Slender and easy to smuggle, he had stolen it from his guard before he'd pulled this little stunt. "I brought you a present. Demian: The Story of a Boyhood - perhaps it will help you with your own boyhood."
Koschei had read it before. He always stole books, reading had been one of his biggest interests since he was able to look at those symbols and form meaning. "Can you read, Number Two?"
"Yes, I can read." He reached for the book and read the title himself, then pulled the book close against himself, holding it protectively. He wanted to read. He had rarely ever gotten to read anything other than instructions or other very carefully selected teaching material. "I'm so sorry. I have no present for you."
Obviously. He had preciously little. Klaus and him had gifted each other hugs before. And one time Klaus had made a small ring out of his own hair, he kept that safe in his pocket. But obviously Koschei wasn't just here to give him something. There was more to it. There always was. "It's a better gift than you gave Number Three."
"Number Three did not understand his gift. His gift is really a gift for everyone." Koschei explained cryptically but made no move to explain himself. He felt that soon, Barty would understand so why waste time explaining now? It was all precious time wasted. "Of course, if his gift has scared you, I'm disappointed but I will accept that. I can leave and no longer bother you."
Koschei threw his arms out and sighed. "I'm hoping you're the smart one here and you won't be. Scared or not, you have something you want. And want is very powerful. It can allow you to ... overlook a lot of things." He looked to the door and then back to Barty. "If you want, I can tell you what his gift was. Or I can leave. Choice, Number Two. They're beautiful, aren't they? We so rarely have them."
"I'm not scared." Barty didn't know if he had ever been scared. If so, he couldn't remember what it had been like. He'd seen it in Klaus. Klaus was better at emotions than he was. He was his way of understanding them. "And I know want is powerful." It was why he was here.
"Tell me what his gift was." He had made the choice and now he wanted to make it clear, even if that meant not giving Koschei a choice. He supposed that Koschei had made up his mind before ever coming here.
Koschei had no fear, he didn't mind Barty using his powers. In a life of powerlessness, it was nice to see his fellow kin revelling in what they had. "His gift was love in return for sacrifice. He died so we can all live. Prosper. I gave him the honour of being my favourite and in return, I took him into me. He is part of me now."
It wasn't easy, the inhibitors stunted all he wanted to do but his darling brother, the healer, gave him enough freedom to break free. And he drained him dry in return. Killing him hadn't been intentional. "I had time again. To fix myself. To remove the inhibitors. To change who I am. You can heal a lot of things - like the wonky piece of DNA that gives some pills a power over you."
Koschei was now immune to their pills. They barely worked now. Three had saved him. "I loved Three. As I love you and Four."
It started off with noise. Then it was alarms. Then it was screaming. So much screaming. So much noise. He watched the guards rush from his cell and through the security doors and they didn't come back. The base went dark and Klaus whined in fear. He didn't like the dark. He didn't like uncertainty. He raised his hands and covered his eyes, breathing heavily as he waited to see what was happening.
The door to his cell opened with a loud click. It unlocked. The alarms stopped. The emergency lighting came on.
Where was Number Two? Klaus took a deep breathe and put his head in his hands, trying to calm himself. It was okay. It would all be okay. He just had to wait here. Maybe it was a test? He could stay safe if he stayed still.
"Stay in here, Four. That's safest." Theta knew that Klaus struggled with accepting his presence, but he wanted to comfort the boy when he was so scared. He sat down close to him and wished he could reach out to touch him, but that wasn't an option. "One and Three, they are... They are doing something."
He could try and guess what it was but he didn't really want to imagine it. He just hoped that Klaus really would be safe in here.
"They're screaming." Klaus mumbled as he covered his ears for a moment and tried to block it all out. It didn't help. Nothing helped. There was just a feeling. An unpleasant, unsettling feeling. He felt as if everything in this place, alive and dead, was screaming at him and he couldn't do anything.
"Number Two will come for me." Klaus insisted as he slowly lowered his hands now he felt a bit calmer. "I hope he comes alone. I don't want to end up like you... no offence, Three, but I don't want to die."
"I think you are right, Four. He would never let you get hurt and definitely not killed. I don't think he'd be working with Number One if he didn't have that guaranteed." Theta looked at Klaus and tried a friendly smile, hoping that it would distract him a little. "You know, we all have names. Your name is Klaus. It fits you." It was sweet. It rhymed with mouse. "I'm Theta."
"I'm Four." Klaus responded, confused what he meant. Names were for doctors and adults, not for idiot children or lab rats. Only professionals needed names like Dr O'Neil or Mrs Johnson. Those were names. "Names don't work like that. You have to be older and they all have the little things in front of them. Dr Klaus sounds silly. So does Mr Klaus. And Mrs Klaus. Miss Klaus... is better."
Klaus mused idly as he pulled himself upright and approached his door tentatively, pushing it open so he could look down the hallway. "Can you pick the little thing before your name yourself or is it given to you?"
"I don't know... I don't think I have one." Just Theta. Which he was fairly sure Koschei had picked for him. He liked that, it made it more special. "Klaus, you shouldn't look out there right now. Don't leave the room."
Worried, Theta got up to stand next to him, knowing there was really nothing he could do to stop him. "Miss Klaus does sound nice." He was right about that. Had a certain melody to it.
"I have to make sure Number Two is okay." If he left Two alone, he could get hurt and that idea made his stomach all sick and unpleasant. If they got punished then they got punished together but maybe he could help Barty. Maybe he could make sure to stop him before he went too far. He didn't want to go, he was terrified but he was worried and he wasn't very comfortable here either.
It was dark and no one else was here but him and the ghosts. He wanted the living so badly.
Klaus left the room and started to tentatively walk along the hall to the now opened security doors. "I'm sorry you're dead. I hear it isn't nice."
"Oh, it's not so bad," Theta said lightly, because he was nothing if not an eternal optimist. Also, he wanted to make Klaus feel better. Braver. He walked with him, not that he had that much of a choice. He could only really exist near Klaus. "It's nice to be with you, I've always wanted to spend more time with you."
It wasn't as if it was a lie. "You are like my little brother, aren't you?"
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When Klaus wasn't there, there was little else. The people who brought his food wore headphones and when they saw him speak, he got punished. The experiments happened in controlled environment, obviously, and he hated them. He hated even more that part of him longed for them, because at least it was something. Like the hands touching him to hold him down when he got another spinal tap. They were contact. Something other than the empty silence he was trapped in.
He had started scratching his skin, wondering how long it'd be before they'd notice and before someone would have to treat his arms for it. That'd be something too.
And maybe it was that something that made them bring Klaus in again. Barty walked up to the door when it opened, eyes widening when he saw Klaus. He wanted to step closer, but he got shocked for that. The reason for the collar he wore. One of the guards gestured to him and he glared, rolled his eyes, but followed the instructions. Both hands over his mouth and he stepped back against the wall.
"You are going to stay with Number Two, Number Four, do you understand?" It was a scientist that had led Klaus here, accompanied by two guards, and she spoke to Klaus now, sounding almost kind. It really was the worst. "You remember him, right?"
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Klaus was so tired, his eyes were blurring and the bags under his eyes were darker than they had ever been. He spent all of last night with ghosts screaming at him, clawing at him, and he was still locked so deeply in the terror of it all.
It was hard to process that he was here. With Barty. A rare treat.
He scientist pushed him forward and Klaus moved reluctantly. He knew bad things happened if he disobey and people were being nice lately so he didn't want to spoil it. He knew he always did. He got too selfish, he wanted too much, he didn't behave as he should.
Looking up, he met Barty's eyes and the faintest smile show. "Hi."
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"You know Number Two's power. He has abused it not that long ago. He has used it to kill. Perhaps being around you will teach him how serious death is." She crouched down a little to be level with Klaus, smiling at him. "You have been a very good boy, Number Four. I want you to keep trying your best. Promise that you will? Then I will bring you a gift."
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He looked at Barty, suddenly hyper aware because whoever he killed, they might still be here and he didn't want to meet them. He was sure if they were dead because of Barty, they were probably bad people. "I always try my best."
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Looking at Klaus, he smiled. He stepped closer to him and reached for his hands, touching him before he had the chance to build up to it in his mind and make it an impossible thing to do. Klaus's hands felt clammier than they ought to, so he took them between both of his and looked at him. "All right."
Klaus looked so tired. "Good to see you."
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It was like a drug. Touch - nice touch, safe touch, controlled touch.
He pulled back and gave Barty a nervous look. "Sorry. I don't get --- a lot. I wanted to."
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Lowering his head, he whispered by his ear. "Don't be scared." Not a bad command, was it?
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"You killed him. He's not very happy. He keeps yelling." He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Number Two - what's a cunt?"
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No, he didn't feel any guilt. Instead he pulled them closer to the wall and sat down, tugging Klaus down with him. "Look at me. Ignore him. He doesn't matter."
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So he sat on the ground and leaned back against the wall and finally he looked up. He had heard the steps, quiet as they had been, and he looked at the door. Who could it be? Likely someone with their ears plugged, if they approached him. So Barty gestured, while he spoke. "What do you want?"
Maybe the sound had just been in his head, but he doubted it. He knew what true silence was. He knew when he wasn't alone.
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Standing in front of Barty was Koschei. Somehow. Someway. He had gotten himself into another cell. That didn't happen, that never happened. The subjects never got loose. And what was more, the red blinking light on the camera wasn't working.
"I just wanted to say hello." Koschei cocked his head to the side, looking at Barty with curious eyes. He was a strange boy, that was for sure. He had been here before Barty but he still had a youthful body. Despite that, he talked like a man, held himself like one too. He had confidence that few subjects could wish to have. "We never get much time together. Not since the Pressure Incident."
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Koschei had read it before. He always stole books, reading had been one of his biggest interests since he was able to look at those symbols and form meaning. "Can you read, Number Two?"
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Obviously. He had preciously little. Klaus and him had gifted each other hugs before. And one time Klaus had made a small ring out of his own hair, he kept that safe in his pocket. But obviously Koschei wasn't just here to give him something. There was more to it. There always was. "It's a better gift than you gave Number Three."
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Koschei threw his arms out and sighed. "I'm hoping you're the smart one here and you won't be. Scared or not, you have something you want. And want is very powerful. It can allow you to ... overlook a lot of things." He looked to the door and then back to Barty. "If you want, I can tell you what his gift was. Or I can leave. Choice, Number Two. They're beautiful, aren't they? We so rarely have them."
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"Tell me what his gift was." He had made the choice and now he wanted to make it clear, even if that meant not giving Koschei a choice. He supposed that Koschei had made up his mind before ever coming here.
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It wasn't easy, the inhibitors stunted all he wanted to do but his darling brother, the healer, gave him enough freedom to break free. And he drained him dry in return. Killing him hadn't been intentional. "I had time again. To fix myself. To remove the inhibitors. To change who I am. You can heal a lot of things - like the wonky piece of DNA that gives some pills a power over you."
Koschei was now immune to their pills. They barely worked now. Three had saved him. "I loved Three. As I love you and Four."
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The door to his cell opened with a loud click. It unlocked. The alarms stopped. The emergency lighting came on.
Where was Number Two? Klaus took a deep breathe and put his head in his hands, trying to calm himself. It was okay. It would all be okay. He just had to wait here. Maybe it was a test? He could stay safe if he stayed still.
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He could try and guess what it was but he didn't really want to imagine it. He just hoped that Klaus really would be safe in here.
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"Number Two will come for me." Klaus insisted as he slowly lowered his hands now he felt a bit calmer. "I hope he comes alone. I don't want to end up like you... no offence, Three, but I don't want to die."
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Klaus mused idly as he pulled himself upright and approached his door tentatively, pushing it open so he could look down the hallway. "Can you pick the little thing before your name yourself or is it given to you?"
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Worried, Theta got up to stand next to him, knowing there was really nothing he could do to stop him. "Miss Klaus does sound nice." He was right about that. Had a certain melody to it.
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It was dark and no one else was here but him and the ghosts. He wanted the living so badly.
Klaus left the room and started to tentatively walk along the hall to the now opened security doors. "I'm sorry you're dead. I hear it isn't nice."
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It wasn't as if it was a lie. "You are like my little brother, aren't you?"
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