CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

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WIND HOWLED, energy thrummed, and the ground beneath her quaked. Freya felt queasy as the building violently shook, and she covered her ears along with Allison as if that would somehow stop the deafening sounds from rattling her brain. Diego glanced over to them once more, that glint in his eyes that made Freya's heart drop. He had his hero-face on.

"Vanya is in the room at the end of the hall," he stated.

"How do you propose we get to her?" Allison questioned.

"I haven't figured that one out yet," Diego admitted, looking into the hallway again.

"You can count me out," Klaus stated, and Freya scowled.

"Klaus!"

"What? You guys should save her. You're great at all the hero shit."

Freya groaned. "Why would you say that? Diego's ego is already big enough as it is!"

"You know what else is—" Diego started, but Freya smacked his stomach.

"Do not finish that sentence, you pervert!"

"Vanya would understand!" Klaus insisted, leaning forward so they could hear him better. "Because she has realistic expectations for what I really am! And what I am is sexy trash."

"You're a big pussy, that's what you are," Diego snapped.

"Hey, Jessica Jones," Freya now moved to slap his arm. "Be nice to him!"

"It's the truth—"

"Guys," Allison interrupted their bickering, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Now is not the time."

"Why? Because I don't wanna die? Who does? And martyrs aren't around to enjoy the victory party, because they're dead!"

Diego lunged at him, Klaus fought him off, wrestling on the floor. As Freya attempted to pull them apart, and Allison had the chance to slip away, it was too late before any of them to notice because she had already started to crawl up the hallway.

She was thrown back in a matter of seconds, landing onto the ground, unconscious, and Diego's eyes sparkled as he inched up towards the opening. "All right. I'm going."

"No!" Freya grabbed his arm, yanking him backwards. "We need a plan."

"My plan is that I'm going to save the day. Got it?"

"Wait!" Klaus yelled, cutting off Freya's response which would've went like:

Diego, you're an idiot. Let's come up with an actual plan before you get yourself killed and I have to haunt you in hell.

Diego paused, and he glanced back to Klaus, looking a mix between annoyed and exhausted. She suddenly noticed the dark bags under his eyes, and felt the need to yell at him in worry because Freya knew he hadn't been taking care of himself. It was written all over his face. "If you don't make it back, there's one thing I need to tell you."

"I don't have time for this."

"Please," he begged, and Diego finally compelled, staring at him expectedly. "You look like Antonio Banderas with the long hair. I just thought you should know."

Freya felt a laugh rise up in her throat as Diego gave him a curt nod. "Thanks, man." And that was all he said before he bolted into the hallway.

The sound of Diego's body hitting against the desk made her flinch, and Freya nervously swallowed, before glancing to Klaus. "And then there were two."

"No, Freya, please."

"If you tell me I look like—"

"No," he cut her off, looking more serious than she had ever seen him before. A pit of worry formed in her stomach at his expression. "Thank you."

"What? What're you talking about?"

"For being there. For me. When nobody else was. I love you, you know."

"I'm not gonna die," she told him, before she let a small smile form on her lips, and she pulled Klaus into a tight hug. "I'm just gonna get, like, electrocuted."

"That makes me feel better."

Freya reluctantly backed away, and stood up with her hands out in front of her in attempt to redirect the airwaves. It worked, but only partially—Vanya's energy was much more powerful than hers, and she didn't even have time to register that she'd fallen onto the ground until she felt her head bounce against the tiled floor. "Klaus!" She screamed, her eyes landing on the fire tape strung against the wall. "I'm not gonna make it! Use this as a rope! It's up to you to save the world."

"That's a terrible idea!" Klaus shouted in response, but everything else seemed to blur as her vision went black, and the last thing that she heard was him say: "And then there was one."

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Freya woke up with a start, shooting up from her position so fast that she was sure she'd just given herself whiplash. The energy was gone—there was no more wind. Bodies laid around her, and she forced her eyes away from them before she got sick. She weakly crawled over to Diego, taking his cheek in her hand as she moved his face from off the ground.

Allison pushed herself up, blinking rapidly as she looked around curiously. Freya heard Klaus grunt from behind her, but when Diego didn't move, her stomach dropped. She lightly shook him, but didn't get a response. "Diego," she whispered. "Diego get up. Diego! If you die you idiot, I'm gonna kill you."

"I hope that's not your eulogy for me," came his scratchy response, and relief flooded through her as Freya leaned her head on his chest. One of his arms came up to wrap around her back, pressing them closer together as they caught their breath.

She inhaled the familiar scent of him, the knowledge that he was okay was enough to calm her nerves. She pried herself away from him, and she didn't know if it was the adrenaline, or her worry that she might've just lost him forever, but her brain was completely scrambled. All she knew was that she was leaning down to kiss him before she had time to think it through.

His lips were soft despite the cuts and bruises on his face, and Freya was sure he was going to pull away like he did last time—but instead he placed a firm hand on her chin, and lifted her head up to deepen the kiss. Her stomach warmed, and she allowed her fingers to find a spot in his hair, tugging on a long strand as they continued to kiss. Somebody whistled, and Freya rolled her eyes, sitting up to give Klaus an annoyed look.

"It's about damn time! You know, the sexual tension between you two was killing me. I thought you guys were gonna rip off each other's clothes like a bunch of horny kids the other day at Elliot's."

Approaching footsteps prevented either of them from answering, and she peered around Klaus to see Vanya rushing over to them. "Are you okay?" She asked, a concern expression plastered across her face.

Klaus made a noise. "Physically or emotionally?"

"You're alive," Diego breathed in relief.

"Did we save the world or what?"

"I think so," Allison answered, still sounding somewhat wary. "Building is still here."

Diego abruptly checked his watch. "Kennedy is a few minutes away," he announced pushing himself up, removing his hand from Freya's waist. "I can still save him."

Freya moved quicker, and she was already blocking the exit by the time he'd gotten to the staircase. "Not happening."

"Freya—"

"Listen to me, Diego," she said, very slowly like she were speaking to a child. "Kennedy's death is already written in history. If you save him, all of this was for nothing. Who knows what that will do to the timeline?"

"But—"

"No buts," she cut him off, putting a hand onto his chest and pushing him backwards. His heart was pounding through his shirt, whether from her or from the recent events, she didn't know. "This isn't happening."

"Fine," he replied sharply after a moment, stepping away from her. Freya watched him storm off towards the opposite side of the hallway, staring out one of the windows as gunshots echoed distinctively in the distance.

She sighed at his posture, coming to stand next to Klaus. Freya nudged him with a grin, which he returned as he followed her gaze. "Looks like I've pissed the princess off."

"Yeah," Klaus shrugged. "You were always good at that, though. Weren't you?"

Freya felt her grin widen. "Yeah. I guess so."

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authors note:

rewritten as of 2/9/22