It felt comforting to feel his brotherâs embrace. It wasnât something he was even entirely used toâ after all, Claus had never been one to be so sentimental his fingers gripping onto the otherâs clothes as if he might disappear. After all, his family had already slipped away, the bitter pain that wrung his heart so. Yet even so, he couldnât be angry or bitter, only sadness and pain filled his heart with grief as he felt the other pull back a little.Â
 His arms dropped back to his side as he tried to look at his brother clearly through the tears that wouldnât stop trickling down his face. He knew he shouldnât be crying, yet they wouldnât stopâ holding back so much all this time was hard, being stripped from his home to a place that reminded him of the horrible person that destroyed his family put him in a state of unease.Â
 A hand lifted to his face to wipe his tears away. Though he didnât like the sound of how Claus had addressed Porky, it wasnât as if he didnât understand. Claus recognized him, and that was a miracle in itself. It had been 3 years since he last saw his brother before that moment, the faint of breath and the static from the lightning that Claus had been struck with as he said his final words.Â
   â âŚI-Iâm sorry, I know I âŚshouldnât be crying at a time like this⌠but⌠â
 He somehow managed to choke out the words that suffocated him, trying to hold them back as the memories of their final battle rushed through his memory. A hand moved to his chest where his franklin badge would have been, but now was gone. If Claus remembered him.. then there was nothing to worry about. If Porky was gone, then ⌠there was nothing to fret.Â
  â âŚThis place⌠reminds me of New Pork City, is he really goneâŚ? â
 Anything was possible in this city⌠he wasnât sure what that meant, he had only just got here after all⌠with everything being new and foreign to him he found the courage to hold back his tears, the last of them still clinging to his chin as he looked down at his feet.Â
  â âŚI donât even know how I got here⌠Everything just ⌠reminds me of that place, but⌠if youâre here, maybe itâll be ok⌠â
Yeah, it was an awful lot like New Pork City. Heâd thought the same thing when he first woke up here, dazed and sluggish and still smelling the scents of lightning and sunflowers. No rest for the wicked, just yet. No going back to Mom so soon...
Claus shook his head. Get it together! Lucas was a sniffling mess! He was...better, a bit better, if only because he could barely cry, something rigid inside of him telling him to press on, that he had something to do--and this time, Claus would decide his own mission.
Claus took his metal hand off of Lucasâs shoulder, leaving his other hand there as he rubbed the back of his neck, pushing past the ruff of his jacket. âLook...as far as I know, heâs not here. And good riddance, right? I donât even think this has anything to do with the Needles.â
âItâs all just...big, and weird, like how King P came from somewhere. This city is just...here, pulling in all kinds of people, and--look, I donât know either! Itâs just how it is!â
Claus took one of Lucasâs hands, squeezing it. When faced with grief, Claus took action.
âBut youâre right. Since weâre both here, itâll be okay. Iâll...Iâll protect you!â