Two Can Keep A Secret(if one of them is dead)
On the day of Reginald's funeral, Pogo decides to go against his teachings and help out the estranged children. It is a decision he does not regret.
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It was quite the pity that Reginald Hargreeves felt the need to die.
Pogo muses on this for awhile, even after the deed is done. Granted, his knowledge is severely limited, and he thinks there is much to learn about the world outside the Academy's door. However, he does believe that if a man has to die to bring his children home…
...well, that does seem a tad bit extreme, doesn't it?
Pogo thinks he loves the children. On the other hand, he doesn't know if he knows what love is. Sure, he programmed affection into Grace many a year ago - a quiet act of affection, one that Reginald never learned of - but can that be considered love? Human emotions are so foreign to him.
Reginald created him to be a guide, an accomplice, a helping hand. As such, he has bore witness to many a deed, whether it be good or bad. He had the privilege of witnessing the children grow. He knew them.
And yet, he thinks as he watches them one by one trickle in to the Academy, yet they don't know him. They don't know the secrets he's held. He remembers the feelings of pain, the clenching of his chest as Reginald locked the tiniest of his children away, as he used his sharp tongue to belittle the kids that he called his children.
Pogo knows that he owes much to Reginald. It is a debt he was never quite able to pay, not fully. How does one pay the price of existence?
Not like this, he muses, listening to the five children - adults, they are adults now - bicker about the circumstances of Reginald's death. That both sides are incorrect is faintly amusing, and yet… the urge to reveal his Master's secrets is one that Pogo wishes he had the strength to ignore. Perhaps, in another time, he did.
He doesn't, this time.
Pogo pulls out the journal, glad he had the foresight to relocate it after Reginald passed. It had been a miracle that Vanya had not found it, perusing the books as she was. The spine didn't really stand out, he supposes.
Oh, Vanya. Of all the children, Pogo thinks he pities her the most. Reginald had never touched the autobiography she had written, but Pogo had been enticed with the thought of hearing the words she had not been permitted to say. It becomes a lump in his throat he cannot swallow, all the pain and misery she writes about. So lonely, so scarred, and yet she only knew half of it.
It was seeing Vanya again - watching the way she flinches from her siblings, ducks her head in meek submission - that confirms Pogo's own thoughts. He cannot play the accomplice any longer. Reginald's secrecy must die with him.
"Master Luther," he says as he steps into the light of the sitting room, pursing his lips in fondness as the heads of all five present children turn. Pogo holds the journal loosely, allowing them all to see it.
"What is it, Pogo?" Luther asks, his voice gruff and firm. He's lost most of his brash confidence that he had in his youth, and yet he has been the one to hold on to Reginald's ideals for the longest. Pogo can only imagine the pain Luther will feel once he learns the truth.
"Forgive me for being so quiet," Pogo starts, drawing his gaze from Luther to Diego, bristling, to Allison, poised, to Klaus, relaxed, to Vanya, curling in on herself, "but I believe I can answer any of your questions."
"You mean like who killed Dad," Diego states flatly - it's no question.
Still, Pogo allows himself to chuckle, "Yes, precisely like that, Master Diego. In fact, I believe that will be the easiest question you all will have." He lifts his head a little, "your father was a complicated man who believed that he held the answers to everything. Once his mind was made up, he wouldn't allow anything to change it."
"Cut to the chase."
"Reginald's death was no accident," Pogo pauses, if only to watch the way Luther's eyes light up in victory, "nor was it murder. He believed his death would be the only way to reunite the five of you and bring you home."
Unsurprisingly - to Pogo, at least - Klaus is the first to put the pieces together with a near-hysterical giggle, "so dear old daddy killed himself?"
"That's insane," Luther bites out.
"I'm afraid not, Master Luther." Pogo sighs, watching the shock flash across all of their faces, "and, I'm also afraid, that is not the worst of your father's secrets."
With the foreboding tone of his carefully selected words, he presents the notebook, lips pursed as he mentally selects which of the estranged siblings to give it to. Aware of questioning stares, he sighs once more and holds out the notebook to a rather confused Klaus.
“You were always rather neutral in the rift your father maintained between your siblings,” Pogo explains, “I believe you should read this first.” He looks up once more to all of them, “do not take Sir Reginald’s words to heart - I’m afraid he had little experience with children when he brought you seven together.”
“Can’t you just tell us, Pogo?” Luther asks, brow furrowed, “I mean, what did Father really have to hide?”
Klaus, flipping through the journal’s pages in disbelief, scoffs at the words, “wow, Daddy Dearest really did hate us, didn’t he?”
Presumably, Pogo thinks, Klaus is reading each carefully written entry, although he’s skimming through the pages far too quickly to tell.
“What does it say?” Allison prompts, shifting to stand up as if to make her way over to the journal. Luther and Diego both look as if they are doing the same - a subtle crane of the neck, fingers flexing together. Unsurprisingly - to Pogo at least - Vanya appears to be showing the most restraint, making no move to peer over Klaus’s shoulder.
There is quiet for a few minutes before Klaus’s eyes widen minisculely - Pogo allows his shoulders to slump in anticipated stress. Undoubtedly, he’s reached the notes on what is perhaps Reginald’s biggest secret.
“Woah, okay, that’s a lot to unpack,” Klaus says finally, slamming the journal shut, “thanks for choosing me, Pogo, wow. So… let me get this straight.”
Pogo straightens his shoulders once again, folding his hands in front of him, “I will answer any of your questions.”
Klaus nods, then glances at Luther, “dad sent Luther to the moon for nothing - he just wanted to focus his loyalty somewhere else.”
“That is correct,” Pogo confirms, “Sir Reginald believed giving Master Luther purpose was what was most beneficial to him.”
“Dad festered the rivalry between Luther and Diego because it was the only way to ensure Diego’s cooperation.”
“He believed the rivalry improved both of their motivation and helped them to be the best they could be.”
“Dad wanted Allison to be manipulative, which is why he didn’t teach her much about word choice and let her get away with nearly anything she wanted.”
“I don’t believe Sir Reginald saw the difference in her wording, but yes, he did allow her more liberties to keep her in his control.”
“Dad purposefully wanted me to be scared of the ghosts so that I’d be more motivated to get them to go away.”
“He always believed that you hadn’t reached the full potential of your powers - he never once thought to question his methods.”
“Dad knew that Five was going to run away and encouraged it, for whatever reasons he didn’t write down.”
“Yes. He wanted Master Five to pursue time travel in the hopes of learning more about the future.”
“Dad,” and Klaus falters here, glancing around at his siblings in panicked support. Of course, all of them - save Vanya - seemed to be in different states of shock, which is to be expected, “Dad was scared of losing control of Ben and knew that mission was going to kill him.”
Pogo releases a deep sigh, hoping his mournful expression is enough to convey his feelings towards that particular entry. “I am afraid so, yes. Sir Reginald believed that Master Ben was going to lose control at some point and he chose to sacrifice him to save the rest of you, despite my opinions.”
This elicits a round of shocked gasps - Klaus hangs his head, while Vanya stares mournfully at the ground, and Luther looks so surprised and guilty, and Diego hisses with gritted teeth, and Allison rubs at her eyes.
“I believe you are not finished, Master Klaus,” Pogo prods gently, soothingly.
“No… no, I’m not.” Klaus turns to the smallest of his siblings, leaning over to take her hand in comfort, “Dad… when we were four, Dad decided that Vanya was too hard to control, so he drugged her powers away and had Allison rumor her and told her she was ordinary to keep her subdued.”
Pogo looks at Vanya, who glances up sharply in disbelief, already shaking her head. Allison’s eyes widen in shock and then in guilt - she must finally remember her actions all those years ago. Pogo had all but begged Reginald to change her wording a little, or maybe try a bit harder to train Vanya, to no avail.
“That is correct,” he says, as sadly as he can muster, “Reginald was afraid of what Miss Vanya could accomplish - she was quite powerful at such a young age - especially since her powers were tied to her emotions. He thought she could’ve caused destructive things - she did cause destructive things, but she was a child prone to violent outbursts of emotions, just like the rest of you.” He looks to Vanya, whose shock was quickly giving way to anger, “do not blame Miss Allison. She did nothing more than what Reginald forced upon her.”
“I have powers?” Vanya pulls out a cylindrical orange vial, staring at the contents in disbelief, “all this time… I was…”
“Special,” Allison supplies, and she’s moved in the minutes Pogo has spent watching Vanya - enough to sit next to her, tug her into a hug, “I’m so sorry, Vanya, I didn’t… I don’t…”
“We were four,” Vanya mumbles in reply, and Pogo smiles softly, glad, in that instant, that he chose to reveal everything now.
All of the siblings look like they’re about to collapse in on each other - Diego and Luther stand side by side, both sharing sorrowful looks, Klaus still has Vanya's hand, even as he stares off into the distance.
They don't even notice the blue flashes of light, the way the house shakes, the secondary flash that brings with it the presence of someone long thought dead.
"I'm… home?"
