CHAPTER FORTY-THREE:
THE GOODBYE

Running, That's what he was doing, He had to be there. he had to.

Vanya looked down at the brain in front of her. She didn't want to eat it, she really didn't, but the rest of the academy were staring at her, they all had eaten some, and now they were all staring at her, waiting for her to eat the brain. Reginald's eyes were dead, he stared at her with his cold eyes, waiting.

hesitatingly, she picked up her spoon and scooped up a little of the brain, and slowly raised it to her mouth.

with the first chew, it seemed like doors were starting to open in her brain, and then-

and then she remembered.

He had to run faster, he was needed, he needed to be faster.

"One more bite and then you can go," Reginald told her. It was suddenly just the two of them.

Vanya didn't want to, she already remembered more than she did before, but she still scooped up some more and ate her second bite of the brain.

she remembered, she remembered everything.

Her mother, her siblings, her time at the academy, her powers, Harold Jenkins, Allison's throat, Alex dying, Pogo, the light-

the end of the world.

faster, faster-

Klaus struggled to look outside the elevator. the raw power coming from Vanya was overwhelming.

"Umm, guys a question, who are we trying to save Vanya from?"

"FBI!" Diego and Allison answered at the same time.

The three were hiding behind a table, trying to shield themselves against Vanya's power.

"Well, they're all stuck at the ceiling right now, why hasn't she stopped?"

Diego and Allison exchanged a look before looking at Klaus.

They had to get to the room at the end of the hall, Vanya was in there.

Faster-

Allison was the first to try, she ignored Klaus and Diego fighting and left the shelter they had found.

The plan backfired on her when a giant blast of powers threw her back against the shelter and knocked her out.

Diego was next.

"Wait, wait, there's something I need to tell you," Klaus said before Diego could throw himself out there.

"Klaus, I don't have time for this," Diego groaned.

"Please."

"What?"

"You look like Antonio Banderas with long hair, I thought it's best you know."

"Thanks, man," Diego said sincerely.

Bonding time.

And then Diego went out there. He used his knives to steady himself and crawled on the ground.

"Klaus, I'm not gonna make it, It's up to you, you have to save the world," Diego shouted and then released the fire hoes on one of the walls.

Faster, this wasn't fast enough-

Klaus took a hold of the hoes and started going forwards, and then flung himself at the door, only for the energy to explode and pushed him back next to Allison and Diego.

Ben looked down at Klaus, before starting to move forward, his sister needed him.

He was finally there.

——𖠺——

Ben looked around the blue halls located inside Vanya's brain.

"Vanya?"

He found her white violin, sitting on a table, and looked inside.

in there, curled up, was Vanya.

He walked towards her, "Vanya?"

She uncurled and looked at him with shock

"Do you remember me?"

"I remember everything, I'm doing it again aren't I?" Vanya started sobbing, "Why can't I control it like the rest of you?"

"It's not too late, You can go back. there's still time," Ben's smile was comforting.

"I don't deserve to live," Vanya forced the words out between her sobs, "I killed Pogo, I almost killed Allison, I destroyed the world...I'm a monster."

"Dad treated you like a bomb before you ever were one, he was so scared of your power he never let you use it, drugged you up, kept it up for years, that's messed up Vanya. no wonder you couldn't control it, dad couldn't handle your anger that doesn't mean you can't.

"maybe you have a right to be pissed up and sad and messed up, but it's a shitty world full of shitty ppl sometimes, you're not a monster you're my sister, and right now out siblings are out there risking everything to save you, you're not alone at the table any more Vanya, you can do this."

Vanya nodded at Ben before Ben started to glow, "Ben, What's happening to you?"

"He's going to rest, even the dead need sleep Vanya," They both turned and looked at Alex, who was a little out of breath and his hair was not like it usually was, "Or you can look at it as a vacation."

"Alex," Vanya said softly, with her memories back she remembered how long they thought he was dead, how much she missed both her brothers.

"Am I hurting him? It's me, isn't it?" She looked between Ben and Alex.

They shared a look, like they know something she doesn't know, like they're sharing an important secret, like this...is the last time they're gonna see each other...

"It's not your fault, I've been holding on as long as I can but..."

"You shouldn't have come for me," Vanya cried out.

"Vanya, I died seventeen years ago, all the rest of this, these years with Klaus and Alex, It's all been gravy."

Ben continued to fall apart, parts of him flowing around like fireflies, ready to fly away.

"At least this time I can say goodbye," Ben looked at Vanya and then looked at Alex.

Alex had tears in his eyes, but he still managed a shaky smile, "You were never good at saying goodbye."

Ben chuckled softly and held back his tears.

Vanya kept staring at Ben, she didn't want to lose Ben. She just got him back.

"Can I ask you a weird favor?" He directed that at both Vanya and Alex.

Alex moved closer, "Sure bro, anything you want."

"Can you hug me as I go, It's been a long time since-" Ben asked, his voice wavering.

Alex made a sound, something between a laugh and sob, "Come here, you idiot."

And he pulled Vanya and Ben close to him and hugged them tightly.

Alex could feel Ben fading, he could feel one of the bodies she was holding falling apart, leaving empty space in its leave.

Alex didn't want to lose Ben, he might have joked about never wanting to see Ben again, but damn it! He didn't want to lose Ben.

"Tell Klaus something for me, will you?" Ben hen leaned close and whispered something in her ear and then-

and then he was gone.

Only Vanya and Alex were left in their three-way hug.

——𖠺——

Vanya woke up sitting on the chair she was tortured on.

She ran out the door and looked around until she saw three of her siblings slump somewhere like sacks of potato.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Vanya!" Allison sounded relieved.

"Physically or emotionally?" Klaus groaned still scrawled on the ground.

"You're alive," Diego said as he sat on the floor.

"Did we save the world or what?" Klaus said and sat up.

"I think so, the building's still here."

Vanya looked around, "Where's Alex?"

Klaus looked at her with confusion, "He wasn't with us. why? Is there something wrong with him?"

"No he was-" Vanya looked around again, "He was there..."

Behind here, somewhere, someone groaned.

The Hargreeves all turned their heads around to where the voice came from, but there was nothing there.

"Alex?"

"Here!" the invisible groaning person shouted and a second later Alex appeared. He was sitting on the floor and clutching his head, "My head..."

Diego sighed and then looked at his watch.

From what Alex could decipher while dealing with his headache, Diego was still going to do his 'save-my-boyfriend-aka-Kennedy plan. Alex would be all in for young love, but the guy was going to die.

"Why is he obsessed with Kennedy?" Alex groaned and accepted the hand Klaus offered him and got up, "Couldn't it be JoJo Siwa or something?"

"Who's JoJo Siwa?" Klaus asked as he tugged Alex close to him, not trusting his husband to not go sprawling on the ground and lead him to the window, where they watched Diego run towards Reginald, only to discover it wasn't him, and then watched Kennedy get assassinated.

"Fuck."

Yes, Fuck.

☆彡WORDS: 1500☆彡

Privyet!

I have to admit, I cried writing this chapter. It was very emotional. I love writing Ben and not being able to write him is gonna...yeah I'm gonna cry.

Hope you liked it, it was a little different from how I usually write, but in the end, I'm pleased with it.

Also, we only got one episode left, which is sad, so we're going to have maybe 2-3 more chapters.

:,)

Meme of the chapter:

Yeah this is all I've had in my head for the past week

Stay safe!
Love ya! ❤️