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Klaus had always been a pretty bird in a cage, one of those colourful parrots that sang and sang but only to the tune of their owner, only to the words he'd heard before.
In this case that was Reginald Hargreeves.
It was almost ironic when the Sparrows came to be, because Klaus was an Umbrella and yet he was more a bird than his actual avian counterparts.
Even through two apocalypses and three separate timelines, Klaus was still just a pretty bird singing to his Father's every tune.
And the worst part was that no matter how nonchalant Klaus could act, could distract his siblings with wild stories from his teenage years and terrible life choices, he couldn't fool himself, he knew the truth even if he hid it from everyone else.
He'd forever be stuck singing the same song, even when his Father was a man who hadn't even fucking raised him anymore… Not that he'd particularly done so the first time anyway. This man only knew him from a brief encounter in the past and their minor interactions since returning to the present and yet he still had the keys to Klaus' cage. Still repeated the words over and over for Klaus to parrot back like a good bird.
It hurt beyond words, really hurt, every time he was slammed onto, thrown across tarmac by people attempting to flee the inevitable end of the world, no regard for his life when they sped away from burning cities to the apparent safety of the countryside, delaying their inevitable death by the Kugelblitz' unbiased grasp. It hurt even more so that Klaus could stop anytime he wanted, he could side step to freedom instead of willingly splaying his arms wide and waiting for impact all for just one more small smile of satisfaction from his Dad, just one more "Better," murmured by the man as Klaus improved in the time it took from him to chew out the Girl on the Bike for not letting him see Dave, or to pretend he didn't see his Mother's pained looks from her always open table.
He yearned for the smallest of approval, of praise from a man who was significantly nicer than his original Father and yet still a complete bastard in his own way, just better at hiding it thanks to Klaus' own words.
Klaus would never get the approval he yearned for. The only thing he was destined for was to hurt, to heal, and repeat. Over and over. No matter how much progress he felt he made, it would be five steps back in the very next breath.
Nothing was concrete, not even reality.
Timeline to timeline to timeline, Klaus coped well with change, he had to, having spent so long on the streets, but even he could admit he wanted a break. He wanted to live his live without fear of having to up and jump to some new era where nobody would remember him once more, where his every life connection, every memory, every action wouldn’t exist except inside his own head… and let's face it, half of what he remembered might not even be how things had gone down, lest he be high on alcohol or drugs or both sometimes.
Luther had left him behind and Klaus was alone again, no ghostly Ben around nor the alive asshole he’d grown fond of. There was nobody but himself and the eerie silence he hadn’t heard in so long. No ghosts.
He almost hated it. He’d always spent his time drowning them out, getting them to shut up, go away, leave him alone but now the stillness of the city felt wrong, felt bad, screaming fake, fake, fake! Fake!
The car slammed into him before he even realised. Apparently not even a reset to the universe stopped the stupidity of humans behind the wheels, the car screeching away as Klaus lay on the concrete, legs twisted funny and his head light. What a shit reset, to die straight after losing his powers…
But if he was going to be alone in this new scary world… with no Ben to look out for him… wasn’t this for the better really?
Klaus let out a final rasping breath and gave up. He relaxed and faded.
“You shouldn’t be here.” The Girl spoke as soon as he woke up in a field, long overgrown grass around him, monochrome like he’d come accustomed to.
“You can’t send me back now, I’m stuck here!” Klaus giggled gleefully, waving untattooed hands. Finally he’d be able to stay with Dave, maybe even find Ben, bond with his Mother-
“You’re not welcome here.” She snapped and crossed her arms, feet securely on the floor so her bike didn’t tip. Klaus frowned.
“I can’t go back. I don’t have my powers anymore?” Klaus tilted his head, confusion on his face.
“It isn’t your power. I just don’t like you. It was never your powers, it was only ever you.” She explained slowly and Klaus felt his stomach twist.
“Wait- Wait a minute-”
“Your powers were never your inability to stay dead.” The girl explained slowly as though Klaus was a child and Klaus couldn’t contain the hysterical laugh that bubbled through his lips.
“You’re saying even without my powers I can’t die? Y-You won’t let me see Dave?”
“No. Go back. You’ve already been here too long.” The girl frowned and Klaus couldn’t help the tug in his chest that made him blink back to reality against his will.
When he woke he was on his back, in the middle of the road, the car long since gone and no one else around.
His legs slowly snapped back into place and the ringing in his ears slowly faded until the only thing he could hear was the distant sounds of the city. He sat up with a groan, hand brought to his head as it throbbed in pain.
“Fuck.” He laughed, he laughed and laughed and laughed until he cried. Tears streaming down both cheeks because he was alone. He’d always be alone. His family would eventually die and Klaus would never, never be granted such a blessing.
“Fuck you.” Klaus coughed out through the sobs, legs finally back in place, hoisting himself up onto unsteady legs, shouting his words up to the darkened sky.
“Fuck you.” He whispered, head bowed down, hair flopping over his eyes.
Nobody ever responded though.
