When Klaus woke up to the familiar ceiling of his bedroom, he wasn't sure whether to be relieved that the previous evening was a dream or be disappointed that it was.

Although he didn't remember returning on his own volition nor Loki escorting him back to the mansion, the latter was the likeliest since Loki was a god, wasn't he? Locating the mansion and dumping Klaus back here must have taken him only a snap of his fingers the same way he brought Klaus to personally see the Aurora Borealis last night.

Loki was a god, and saddling himself with a prepubescent boy was troublesome enough as it was without the said boy's grand delusion of emancipation and living on his own.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Klaus was really freaking stupid for thinking he could make it. It was too frustrating that he couldn't even do something as simple as running away.

No wonder Sir Reginald was always disappointed—Klaus failed even himself after all.

Klaus trudged down to the dining hall for breakfast where his siblings were already present. If he got a critical look from Sir Reginald for being late for a few minutes, it was nothing new.

He ended up pushing his food around his plate as he sat there listless and quiet. It was the usual morning affair for the Hargreeves: the playing lecture by someone named Stiglitz in the background, Mom standing and smiling benignly by Sir Reginald's side as if he couldn't bother at least giving her one of the empty seats, and of course, the rest of them minding their own businesses.

There was not a single furtive glance thrown Klaus's way, and he supposed that pretty much told him that nobody knew. Or they didn't care.

Klaus felt his sleeve being tugged and found Ben's inquisitive stare on top of his book. Klaus opened his mouth to speak but remembered the golden rule. He mouthed a 'later'.

Ben, however, was quite determined to get answers from him immediately, pulling out a small sticky note and pen. Where were you last night?

Klaus took the pen and paper, touched because the fact that Ben noticed meant someone was actually worried. You went to my room?

Ben shrugged when he read the question. Dad didn't catch me. So where were you?

Ah, could Klaus even fit in the small piece of paper what happened and therefore settling for a: I saw the Northern Lights.

"Number Four! Number Six!" Sir Reginald called them to attention. "What did I say about talking during mealtimes?"

They weren't even speaking, Klaus wanted to retort if he had the energy.

"Any form of communication, verbal or otherwise, is not allowed on the table," Sir Reginald reminded them firmly as if reading Klaus's mind.

"Sorry, sir," Ben muttered beside Klaus, crumpling the paper and slipping it in his pocket.

Klaus didn't miss the way Ben sent him a look that basically said: We'll talk later.

"I met a god."

"… A what?"

"A god, Ben. You know your Norse Pantheon, yeah? It was Loki!"

"Loki of Norse Mythology," Ben echoed. "The Trickster God."

"Yes! Him! I didn't know they're real, but he is, Ben. He has magic and he treated me to a diner and teleported me with him where we could see the Northern Lights! It was amazing!"

"Klaus, um," Ben began unsurely. Klaus looked better than how he had been that morning. There was an excited gleam in his eyes when he enthusiastically told Ben what had transpired the night that he was absent. Ben didn't want to discourage Klaus's good mood, but… "Are you okay?"

Klaus stared at him like he didn't know where the sudden question came from until his expression shuttered into that of dismay. "You don't believe me."

Ben bit the inside of his cheek. "Look, Klaus, I know it's not the… grass that you've been experimenting with that you're having these, uh, strange visions," he tried putting in delicately. "All I'm saying is that you tell me if you're not okay. Don't think I didn't notice how ill you look the next morning whenever Dad would take you to train the evening previous. You were always pale, distant, like you were ready to throw up. I never asked you before because I honestly thought you'll tell me if you're not feeling well."

"And you think my sanity broke, is that it?" Klaus accused bitterly. "But I'm not lying or delusional! I was in training then I escaped and met Loki last night."

"How did you escape?"

It took Klaus a moment to reply. "I don't know! I was locked inside the mausoleum and the next thing I knew I was out. It didn't matter, Ben!"

Ben looked horrified at the answer, his mouth open. "Dad locked you up inside a place with the dead? For hours?" he said incredulously. "Oh, Klaus."

The one person Klaus expected to understand him wasn't hearing what he wanted to say. He hated even more the pity that Ben was giving him.

Angry and disappointed, Klaus pushed his way past Ben and rushed back indoors.

It wasn't until three days later when an emerald velvet envelope found its way to Reginald Hargreeves's office, stamped with a wax sigil of two snakes entwined with each other that formed the letter 'S'.

Reginald Hargreeves regarded the parchment with an analytical eye, reading the letter eight times before deciding on the validity of it. Once he was done, Pogo was waiting, steadfast, for the order that he knew was to come.

"Make preparations. We will be receiving a guest this evening."

Pogo nodded without question, excusing himself with a slight bow. "Certainly, sir."

Evening rolled in too quickly and they were sent to their beds earlier than usual. While they knew better than to raise a stink over it, Five was restlessly suspicious.

They were expected to sleep early because someone would be arriving at the mansion, he concluded. It hadn't been his intention to eavesdrop, though he had been there to overhear Sir Reginald talking about a guest later that evening.

Five sneaked out of his room once he was sure that Mom was done checking in on them and was already downstairs to receive this 'guest' with Pogo and Sir Reginald. He dodged the security cameras that he knew were positioned in the hallway, popping in and out to the blind spots. By the time Five was situated by the balustrade, hidden, the front door was opened and Sir Reginald strolled into sight with Mom, Pogo, and a tall man.

Five didn't recognize him one bit. Curiously, he observed the man with a frown and took in the stranger's sharp cheekbones, his black shoulder-length hair, and the way he dressed in all black except for his green scarf the color of poison. He walked beside Sir Reginald with an amiable smile and with a polite disposition.

For a moment, the term 'proper gentleman' came to Five's mind, unbidden.

Five rolled his eyes to himself. This man was probably what Sir Reginald expected the boys to become outside their superhero business.

The guest was led, unsurprisingly, to the drawing room instead of Sir Reginald's office. If Sir Reginald didn't want even the children to enter his office, what more a stranger?

To Five's sudden alarm, though, the man's piercing green eyes met him from down below and held his gaze. Five, shocked, was unable to look away for a second until the man smirked at him and pretended not to see Five when Sir Reginald noticed him taking a pause.

It was Five's signal to beat a hasty retreat.

The following morning, the seven of them were present when a black car came into view. Sir Reginald didn't tell them anything aside from receiving a guest, which was twice in a row now but of course, he never told them of the mysterious man from last evening. Five was the only one aware of the count and was more intrigued than the rest after the previous occurrence.

The vehicle stopped and emerged a boy in an academy uniform that was more green and gold and embroidered with two snakes twisted together; at a distance, the symbol resembled the letter 'S'.

The boy took note of the mansion and the entirety of it, hardly impressed. Sir Reginald was the first to welcome the boy.

"Welcome to the Umbrella Academy, Thomas."

TBC