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author5 · 3 years

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part nineteen.

I don’t know where I am going but decide to keep walking. While I walk, I let my mind wandering and put my feet and autopilot. ‘I really miss him.’ ‘Where is he right now?’ ‘Does he miss me?’ ‘Is he safe?’ All these intrusive thoughts ran over me faster than a bullet train. I just want to see him again. I just want to see him and forget about all the bad and just go back to normal.

I look up to see the entrance to the gym that Diego worked and lived. Cool, I automatically walked here. I walk into the gym to the sight and smell of sweaty men boxing and yelling. I look around the space and catch the eye of a small man that seemed to be balding on the top and wearing musty clothing that had not been washed in over a week.

“Hey kid! You need something?” He yells to me turning and leaning on the ropes of the elevated boxing ring.

“Um, no not really.” I say starting to walk to the back of the gym to go to Diego’s room.

“Who are you?” He asks and the two boxers that were fighting in the arena stopped and waled over to lean on the ropes next to him looking down at me.

“Irrelevant.” I say and turn to look up at them. Smirks spread across the two boxers faces.

“Ok, irrelevant, get out of my gym.” He says and points to the doors.

“Fine. I’m Diego’s sister.” I say and walk up to the arena trying to stay.

“Diego has a sister?” The boxer on the right asks. “He never mentioned you.” He speaks.

“Diego can really fight. Does it run in the family?” The older man in the middle asks.

“I dabble in hand-to-hand combat.” I say knowing very well where this was going and knowing that I had nothing better to do and could use a workout.

“Get in here.” The man says and pulls up the lowest rope inviting me to climb under and join them in the ring.

“What the hell, YOLO!” I say to myself and climb into the ring standing up and facing the three men.

“Fight one of our younger pupils and we’ll see how it goes.” The man goes out of the ring and makes his way over to a group of young boys and starts talking to them and all their hands shoot up in volunteer.

“Don’t be nervous, they won’t aim for your face too much.” One of the boxers says and walks out of the ring with his buddy snickering and pulling out their phones to get it on camera.

I knew that all the people in the gym were either going to gather around the ring or watch the match discretely. They all underestimate me. They all think that I am going to lose. But they don’t know me.

A boy about the age that I look comes into the ring with a big smirk on his face. He looks me up and down, his eyes lingering on my skirt and the parts of my thighs and legs that are visible. He looks into my eyes, and I smile at him.

“What’s your name?” I ask sweetly lowering his guard.

“Aiden. What’s yours pretty lady?” He asks getting closer to me. He reaches out his hand to stroke my face. I grab his wrist and bend it to the right harshly. Doing a half cartwheel I wrap my legs around his neck and roll him forward pinning his arm to side with my upper body and legs still around his neck.

He struggles for a minute or so trying to get out, I only squeeze my legs tighter and he finally taps my thigh in surrender. I get up and stand before the brown skinned boy laying on his back looking up at the ceiling gasping for air. I sigh and look up at the people in the gym. Some standing near punching bags and others standing near the arena looking at me. All with open mouths.

“Sorry?” I suggest looking around at the people wandering what I could say to snap them out of their trance. I walk out of the arena and make my way to the doors that lead to the back where Diego’s room is when I feel a hand on my upper arm I stop and look at the person. I guy that seemed to be around 14 but gave off a different vibe. That interested me.

“What’s your name?” He asks, this was different from the other times that these Neanderthals asked me. I wanted him to know my name because I wanted to know his.

“Charlie.” I say his hand still clutching my bicep.

“Javon, nice to meet you.” He speaks with a slight smile of interest. It’s contagious. I smile and notice the slit in his eyebrow that reminded me of my Diego and the buzzed sides of his head that connects with the short dark brown hair with a severe cut line. He has Hispanic features and light skin. His arms are strong but careful with their grip.

“You’re really good.” He says letting go of my arm. Once the pressure releases, I am left only wanting more.

“I could be better.” I say searching his eyes for anything.

He chuckles and looks around, “Couldn’t we all. I know Diego, and I can say that you are definitely better than him.” He half whispers the last part to me putting his hand on the side of his mouth like a third-grade girl gossiping.

I laugh and smile. “Well, I should go. Tell Aiden that I didn’t mean to hit him that hard.” I say and briskly walk to Diego’s room closing the door and smiling the biggest smile in the world.

What just happened?

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author5 · 3 years

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part eighteen.

I try not to let my mind wander off to the thoughts of the injured Five Hargreeves that I should be helping right now, instead trying to turn my attention to the staticky black and white surveillance footage replaying over and over on the small screen.

“I mean do you really think that Mom would hurt Dad?” Vanya queries after examining the video for what feels like the twentieth time. She is standing off to the side of Luther, him and Diego standing as close as possible to the screen looking manly as ever.

Luther looks back at her, “You haven’t been home in a long time, Vanya. Maybe you don’t know Grace anymore.” He shoots back insistent that he had found the key to unlocking all the secrets.

“If he was poisoned, it would’ve shown in the coroner’s report.” I hear Diego retort trying to match Luther.

“Yeah, well I don’t need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes.” Luther states agitated.

“Maybe all that low gravity in space messed with your vision.” Diego says moving closer to the device licking a button on the side, “Look closer. Dad has his monocle, Mom stands up, monocle’s gone.” Diego says proving his point and moving back to the couch next to me.

On the other side of my body Klaus stands and takes a break from chewing his caramel popcorn, which I have no idea where he got it from, and points to screen chuckling. “Oh yeah!”

“She wasn’t poisoning him. She was… taking it. To clean it.” He says passing Allison who was leaning on a big column and making his way to my side leaning back on the couch’s back with me casually playing with one of his knives.

“Then where is it?” Luther challenges, “No, I have searched the house, including all of her things. She doesn’t have it.” He says.

“Creep.” I say looking the large man up and down unapprovingly.

“That’s because I took it from her. After the funeral.” He says hanging his head down avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“You’ve had the monocle this whole time? What the hell, Diego?” Allison says standing from the column and shooting him a death glare.

“Give it to me.” Luther says sticking his hand out for the monocle.

“I threw it away.” Diego states plainly with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“You what.” Luther fumes walking up to him a little. Allison scoffs in disbelief.

“Look, I knew that if you found it on mom, you’d loser your shit. Just like you’re doing right now.” Diego says pointing his knife at Luther and walking up to him furiously.

“Diego, you son of a bitch.” Luther says visibly infuriated.

Diego jumps into his fighting stances with his arms up and hands in fists. “Hey. No. Calm down. Look, I know that Dad wasn’t exactly and open book, but I do remember one thing he said. Mom was well, designed to be a caretaker, but… also as a protector.” Vanya reasons. I walk up to Diego and put my hand on his shoulder telling him to back off.

“What does that mean?” Allison asks confused.

“She was programmed to intervene if someone’s life was in jeopardy.” Vanya explains calmly.

“Well, if her hardwire is degrading, then… we need to turn her off.” Luther says I retract my hand from Diego’s shoulder letting him fill with anger once more. Luther deserves it.

“Woah, woah, woah, woah. She’s not just a vacuum cleaner that you can just shove in a closet. She feels things. I’ve seen it!” He says pointing his knife and Luther accusingly and walking up to him.

“She just stood there and watched our father die!” Luther shouts.

“I would have too.” I say crossing my arms and looking up at everyone. All their stunned and concerned faces staring at me.

“Charlie, what are you talking about?” Vanya asks.

“She is your mother! She feels things. She tucked you in at night, she made you cookies when you were sad and gave you medicine when you were sick. She did everything in her power to make you guys feels safe and loved, and now you want to throw it all away! You want to throw all that love and kindness away because you’re scared. Because you’re scared! You want to discredit all that genuine affection and care because you think that she did something bad. You THINK that she did something bad. That is disgusting, it disgusts me how tow-faced all of you are! You can let her into your lives and let her take care of you, then just flip a switch, kill her, and shove her in a closet. I can’t even comprehend it.” I pace the room and look into all their eyes.

“You would understand if you were part of this family.” Luther mutters out so everyone could hear. I stop in my tracks and turn to him my mouth open, appalled that he had the nerve to say that.

“I am glad that I don’t have to call myself part of this ‘family’. Cause if this is what family is, I don’t want any part of it.” I say and storm out of the house.

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author5 · 3 years

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part seventeen.

A few minutes pass and I start walking to the stairs needing a break and going to my room when the door opens to reveal four people, all varying in height and size. The first person to walk through the is Luther, the big built man that was waiting for Diego in his room. Then Allison walks in wearing a black leather jacket that is fitted on the top then flares out at the bottom with Vanya next to her sporting her usual big clothing and Klaus trails behind.

Luther looks at me and nods a little acknowledging me then turns and enters the living room. Allison smiles brightly at me and waves a little following Luther and Vanya waves half-heartedly following in suit after Allison. Klaus is the first and only one to approach me as my eyes follow the adults walking into the room and Luther messing with a tape and a small T.V set up on the bar.

“There is my favorite killer!” He says and walks up to me embracing me in a weird hug which I return. He smells of alcohol, sweat, and must.

“What are you talking about?” I ask concerned on why he chose that nickname and not another one? He can’t know… can he?

“You nearly killed me the other night! Remember, iron fist?” He says chuckling. I laugh a little and look back into the room where Diego started walking into as well joining Luther in messing with the T.V and trying to let him do it to prove that he is ‘more of a man’?

“Family meeting. I don’t know what it’s about I was dragged here.” He says noticing the confusion plastered on my face.

“Oh ok.” I say starting to make my way over to the entrance when Klaus pulls me back.

“I saw Five.” He says making smooching noises.

“Fun.” I say blandly.

“It really wasn’t. He and Luther just yelled at me to get out of the van because they wanted to have a ‘serious conversation!’” He says putting his hands on his hips at the last part. I laugh at his stupidity.

“Is he okay? What is he doing?” I ask finally letting myself think about him and what he was doing and what he did after we parted ways.

“Yeah, he seemed fine, but you never really know with Five.” I nod understanding and wanting him to go on. “He is sitting in a van watching the building where the eye is supposed to made. I don’t know why but he seems to be having a blast!” He smiles and I ask him what happened after we parted.

“Well, he came to me and told me to get dressed up and then we went to the office for his second time I’m guessing. We pretended like I was his dad, and the man still wouldn’t give us the information. He was talking about consent and shit when I got up and started acting. I was all like ‘what about my consent?’ Then he was confused, and I asked him when I consented to him laying his hands on my son? He was all like, ‘I never touched your son.’ Then I was like, ‘how did he get the swollen lip then’ and before he could say anything I slapped Five so hard and mad his lip bleed. Then he gave us the information!” Klaus says turning himself throughout the conversation and lowering his voice signifying that the doctor was talking.

“You fucking slapped him?” I whisper shout up at the man raising my hands in anger.

“What’s all the fuss about Char? You would’ve done the same thing.” He says confused on why I am so mad.

“Exactly, I would have done the same thing. That doesn’t permit you to do it for me!” I say huffing and turning to enter the living room for the family meeting.

“Ok, sorry! I guess it’s her time of the month.” Klaus mutters under his breath slowly following me. I almost turn around again to say something snarky about me not getting my period but restrain myself, clenching my fists and seething through my teeth shakily breathing out, I don’t want to start anything, so I just continue my path the back of the couch where I sit down on the back panel facing the small T.V with the group of adults gathered around me.

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author5 · 3 years

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part sixteen.

I trudge through the corridor into the kitchen lugging the two bags of food along with me, no thanks to my loving brother. “Oh yeah thanks for the help!” I say sarcastically as I plop the bags on the counter in front of the man who looks up from his phone and smirks.

“I bought it so.” He says and puts his phone in his back pocket and gets up from his seat to open the bags and start eating.

He tears open the plastic and pulls out one smaller paper bag from one of the plastic ones then something wrapped in silver tin. The smell of grease and meat hits me in the face and makes me feel warm on the inside, burgers. I push him over and grab the small paper bag opening it and finding fries. I love fries so much. I pop a few into my mouth and feel the slight crunch of the potato stick between my teeth. He separates our food and puts my burger and some fries on the countertop closer to the right while he puts his on the left.

We scurry over to our spots and sit down to eat. We don’t even bother to put anything on plates, Grace would not be please with us but what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her! Between bites I look out the window of the glass doors that we came through earlier that lead out to the alley and street. I see through the parts where the newspapers are peeling from the glass and drooping. I never understood why Reginald plastered those on the windows.

I see the night sky giving way and loosing the battle with the light. The sun is peering over the city’s buildings and saying hi to the new day. I decide it must be around 8 in the morning. The things that happened just a few hours ago at Gimble Brothers seem years before and distant memories. I focus back on my burger and take another big bite already ¾ of the way done with it.

“So… What’s going on in the world of half-pint?” Diego asks out of the blue catching me off guard.

“Um- nothing. Nothing really, I just came back like yesterday and been trying to enjoy life if you know what I mean.” I say shrugging my shoulders lightly and asking myself what is going on the world of Charlie?

“Anything interesting happen?” He asks prying for information about something, but I can’t tell what.

“No, not really.” I say glancing at him from the side of my eye.

“Well, tell me what happened when you like came back.” He says wanting a ‘day in the life of your sister coming back to the house after being tortured and assassinating people for 17 years and still looking thirteen years old.’

“Ok, well. I got the tracker out of my leg walked to the academy, was like looking around and stuff.” I turn to him and set down my burger, “I go up to my room and change into this stellar ensemble,” I get up and twirl a little showing off my uniform as if it was Prada. “Then go downstairs to get something to eat you know? Then I like hear these people in here and I hide and grab my gun.” I run to the wall right outside the kitchen and demonstrate with my gun what I was doing really getting into the role.

“The woman was asking where Vanya was and stuff, then this man was talking about how she left. Then FIVE was complaining about how there is no coffee. That’s when I was like, ‘who the fuck are you guys and is that five?’ I come around the corner with my gun and everyone is like ‘Eight it’s us! Allison, Klaus, Five!’ Then Five and I have this whole moment that is sweet, and I cry of course.”

I walk back over to my seat and sit back down tired from all my amazing acting. “Then Five takes me to a little diner to get doughnuts and coffee, and the rest is history I guess.” I say conveniently leaving out all the killing parts.

“So… You and Five?” He asks with a smirk that he tries to mask by taking a bite from his burger.

“No. At least definitely not anymore.” I say looking back out the window trying to get rid of the thoughts from the other day of Five. I miss him so much. I just want to see him again.

“What are you talking about Griddy’s is the most romantic spot! I remember when we used to go there and stuff our faces and talk about everything. Now that I think about it, whenever someone brought up you Five would get really flustered and blush and shit.” The man says looking at me and smirking a little bit.

“Well, what can I say. I ten to have that effect on people!” I say flipping my hair and getting up to throw away my trash, crossing the room to the bin.

He turns and follows me with his eyes confused on how this information had no effect on me, “What are you talking about? Charlie this guy is crazy about you, and you just ignore it!” He almost shouts frustrated over the fact that the most rom-com love story of the century is being passed up.

“Diego, he doesn’t like me. He doesn’t like me like that, or in any other way!” I say throwing my things in the bin and shooting my hands up at him in anger that he keeps bringing Five up.

“Fine. Be ignorant, but just answer one question before you die alone. Do you feel for him the way that I was describing?” He asks questioning spread across his face in a brotherly ‘I won’t tell anyone way.’

I take a breath and look him in the eye, “I did.”

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author5 · 3 years

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part fifteen.

Diego and I drive back to the academy not really knowing what tour next move is or what to do with our lives. We get out of the car once it is parked in the alley on the side of the Umbrella Academy near the entrance to the kitchen. He starts walking towards the stairs to go up to the main floor then his room. I stop and check all the cupboards frantically.

“What are you doing?” Diego asks hearing the rattling of the shelves and banging around of the boxes and various things I am pushing aside.

“Irrelevant.” I say still focused on the task at hand, finding it.

“Char, are you okay? Do you need help or something? Like… in the brain?” He asks concerned and walking up to me putting a hand on my shoulder.

I rummage around a little longer and finally come out victorious! “YES!” I exclaim practically jumping up and down. I stand up from my crouched position holding a small box of Oreos close to my chest. “I found them!” I say happily looking at my brother.

“Are you being serious right now?” He asks unamused and stern.

“What do you mean, these are a hot commodity, Diego.” I say pulling back the top cover and shoving a cookie in my mouth smiling up at him.

“Are you actually that hungry?” He asks removing his hand and crossing his arms looking down into my eyes. I shake my head ‘yes’ frantically. I am famished. “Didn’t you like just eat?” I look down trying to get my best puppy eyes and sad face. I swallow the delicious cookies and look back up at the man slowly.

I see his face totally change when he sees my dramatically saddened face peering up at him. “Yes. I am just so hungry, you wouldn’t understand… Brother.” I say looking through his face to see if my lies were registering and setting in.

“Fine. I’ll order delivery.” He says giving up and thrusting his arms down in defeat.

“Yay! Best vigilante ever!” I say jumping into his arms hugging him tight. I love him, for his food.

“You just love me for my food.” He says hugging back. I push away from the embrace with a dramatic look of hurt on my face that he knew what I was just thinking.

“I cannot believe that you would ever think that of me!” I say putting my right hand on my chest over my heart signifying that he hurt me so badly. I gasped out a fake cry.

“It’s ringing Char, you can drop the act.” He says referring to the call that he is making to the restaurant to order the food. He turns and makes his way up the stairs to his bedroom. I just stand there in the middle of the kitchen between the island and the sink all painted a light-ish shade of green that contrasts nicely with the brick walls around the whole downstairs area.

“So, it was just that easy.” I ask myself stunned that it was that quick and easy to convince him to order me food. “I think that I can get used to this.” I say and turn and follow the man upstairs to his room.

We just stay in his room talking and listening to records that played in Luther’s room down the hall at full blast because it was so far away. I snuck in there to play some tunes awhile ago because I miss the comfort and release that I always found in music. It was playing Scrub by Destiny’s Child.

“Oh my god! I love this song so much!” I get up and start swaying to the music. When it reaches the chorus Diego joins me and he starts break dancing and going crazy. “Damn, you’re really good!” I say turning and looking at him while getting into the music. I start lip-singing the lyrics and adding lots of sass and rhythm to it shaking my hips and bouncing.

After a little while we stop listening to music and enjoy one another’s company. I go downstairs and steal a book from the large bookshelf in the living room. I choose the one with the picture of young Vanya on the front and her name on the spine as the author. I yell up to Diego hoping that he can hear me through the large house, “I didn’t know that Vanya wrote a book!” I shout and hear him reply.

“Don’t read it! It’s shit anyway!” He says forcefully. Oh, well now I must read it. I pluck it off the shelf and turn it over to inspect the cover. ‘Extra Ordinary The Life As Number Seven’ is written in old font across the front.

“Oh no she didn’t.” I mumble to myself knowing that she wrote a whole book about not being included in kickball a few times. Oh my god Vanya this is your lowest man. Really shallow of you but okay.

I open the book to see a handwritten small note to someone on the first page before the chapter starts.

‘Dad, I figured why not? -V’ It reads. That breaks my heart because I know that he never read it. Just another thing that one of his kids does and he doesn’t even recognize them for it. Typical.

I start making my way back to the room when I hear a knock on the door. Our food. “Food is here Diego get your ass down here bitch!” I yell out to the man. I go to the door and open it my mouth already watering. There is a small rugged looking man on the other side holding two plastic bags in his hands.

“Diego?” He asks looking down at the receipt verifying the name. He looks up at me in confusion knowing very well that I’m not Diego.

“Yeah, my brother.” I say lifting my arm to the bags to grab them he gives them to me and tells me to have a good day and hops back in his sad looking car and drives off.

I turn around and see Diego coming down the stairs and making his way into the kitchen to eat. I just realized that I have no idea what he bought. Oh no.

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author5 · 3 years

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part fourteen.

Later that night I am sitting on the edge of the boxing ring reading a book that I found in Diego’s room while Diego was mopping the floor when his police radio went off.

“We have a 10-14 at Gimble Brothers Department Store. Shots fired. Repeat, shots fired. 6045 Vanderbilt.” A woman’s voice says robotically threw the machine. Diego rushes over to the device and zips up a black duffle bag. We hope in the car and Diego has this look on his face that can only be described as pure determination, so I know not to ask questions or get in his way.

I look out the window of the car when I hear the sirens and wailing of multiple alarms famously known to belong to police cars. I see troves of police cars, flashing blue, red and white lights, and yellow tape masking the large store front.

We hop out of the car once it is parked discretely behind a dumpster around the back of the department store that reads in big neon red letters, ‘Gimble Brothers’ on the front. I jog up to the side of my brother and skip beside him trying to math his fast pace.

“So, Bitch face? What’s going on?” I ask clasping my hands in front of my skirt that was swaying with the movements of my skipping like a little girl.

“Work.” He says examining the back of the building for an entrance, I think.

“Ok then, don’t spill all of your secrets to me!” I say throwing up my hands sarcastically and rolling my eyes annoyed that he wasn’t telling me anything when I just spilled everything to him.

We walk into the large one-room store with bright white lights and an overall vibe that something is off. I look around and see the mannequins and their parts strewn across the floor. The many racks of clothes slightly moved and shifted. The small half-wall displays either have holes in them or are tipped over on the ground.

I follow Diego to a spot in the middle of the room where he crouches down and examines a small bullet casing. I see a lot of police officers and officials roaming throughout the room, some taking pictures as evidence, others talking others, etcetera.

Something catches my eye from under one of the clothing racks. I walk over to it and bend down to get closer. Looking around before I pick it up to see if anyone was watching me, clear. I reach down to pick it up. The small square-shaped picture of an old man with grayish hair and matching bushy mustache wearing a black fedora and matching black suit staring straight into the camera. His eyes dark green, I feel something like I know him somehow. Then it hits me.

Five. It’s five. Five grew old in the apocalypse so that is what he must have looked like! But how did he take a picture of himself? How would he have a camera in the apocalypse? The picture he a small but noticeable smudge of red blood on the corner.

I hear Diego talking to someone, so I shove the image in the inside pocket of my blazer and turn on my heels to face him from a few feet away. A woman was standing over the crouched man. She has very light brown skin and chocolate brown hair that she pulls back into a ponytail slicked from a side part. She wears a black jeans, a white button down under a burnt orange sweater which is topped with a brown leather jacket.

“If you touch it, I can’t use it.” The woman says standing over Diego from the back sounding annoyed.

He waves his hand back motioning her to stop talking, “Let me save you some time running ballistics. These nine-millimeters haven’t been manufactured since 19 –” He starts by picking up the casing from the ground and staring at it while standing up in front of her.

“1963. Odd, I know. Matching casing were found at a murder scene last night. Ishmael’s Towing.” She says taking the casing from him and cutting him off. I like her. No BS type of girl.

“The driver?” Diego pries.

“Found him hanging from the ceiling. Looks like he must have known something after all.” She says scanning my body and looking me up and down trying to figure out who and why I was there.

“Um –” The woman starts looking at me and tilting her head slightly.

“My sister, get over it.” Diego says. The woman shrugs her shoulders and turns to walk away to do something important probably. Diego and I follow her I stand on his left and he is on hers. Big happy family moment even though I don’t know who the woman is.

“In the span of 24 hours, I’ve had attacks in three different places across town. Whatever this is, whoever this is, they’re not slowing down. So, if you really give a shit and you’ve got any fresh ideas, I’m all ears.” She says sassily. Scratch my previous statement, I love this woman.

“Who are you?” I ask stepping closer to the woman examining everything about her.

“Detective Eudora Patch –”

“Eudora. The kid –” Diego starts trying to get back on the subject.

“Patch. It’s Patch to your dumbass.” I say elbowing him hard in the side. He grunts and grabs his side in slight pain. Patch smiles and laughs a little.

“Who are you is the real question.”

I hesitate to answer not wanting anyone that didn’t have to know me get into any more danger by knowing me. “Diego’s sister. Does he not talk about me? Little twerp.” I say sarcastically in a joking tone trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“As I was saying, the kids in the doughnut shop?” He tries.

“I’ve got units tracking the extended family in case anyone goes after them.”

“Well, this place must have surveillance footage.” Diego states the absolute obvious thing in the world, and I roll my eyes.

“No, it doesn’t exist. The first unit on the scene clocked two shooters fleeing the premises, wearing, get this, creepy kids’ masks.” She says really confused on the last part.

“The city is really going to shit, huh?” Diego asks.

“It was always shit Diego, but some people like you didn’t have to go threw the shit or even look at it like others. Grow up.” I say getting really frustrated.

“Coming form the guy wearing spandex.” Eudora says.

“It’s not spandex, it’s leather. And you used to like. A lot if I recall.” Diego says smirking.

“God, please un-remember that.” She pleads.

“Etched into the data bank, Eudora.” Diego says his smirk widening and my look of disgust widening with it.

“Ditto. I really didn’t want to know that.”

“And we’re done.” She walks away from us. Diego says something cringy about filling out forms and playing by the rules while he is going to ‘hunt these animals down’ then something about him giving a shit. He says it with the stoic tone that I always hate hearing from sad looking men.

We make our way out threw the back door that we came from and to the car again. We get in and I look at him before he starts the car.

“You’re not hot enough to pull someone like her Diego.” He smirks.

“Well tell that to the hickeys that I gave her… All over, and I mean. ALL- O-V-E-R.” He says emphasizing the last part to prove his masculinity.

“I think that she was having a bad day of not being able to choose between Channing Tatum and Zach Efron to fuck next, so she just used you because she needed to feel good about herself and take a breather from all of the BIG DICK that she gets every night from people that are worthy.” He rolls his eyes and starts the car flipping me off in the process.

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author5 · 3 years

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part thirteen.

I decided to stay with Diego for a while, or at least until I had something better to do. We walk into the boxing gym that he works at in exchange to live in the boiler room. We are deep in a debate about who was better, Batman or Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel being the obvious choice.

“No Diego! You don’t understand who significance Captain Marvel is to the entirety of the multiverse! She is the whole reason that Marvel is called Marvel! She was exposed to the literal power of the tesseract while being one of the top Air Force jet pilots. You can’t tell me that that is not amazing.” I say following Diego threw the gym and to the backroom, the stench of sweat and filth hitting my nostrils like a smack in the face.

“Not gonna lie, that’s pretty fucking badass! But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Batman is the obvious choice in anything and is just better then anyone in the whole Marvel Cinematic universe.” He says looking back at my stunned face while proceeding forward.

“No! I am not going to tell you that Batman is not significant to the city of Gotham and the DC universe but he quite literally cannot compare to any of Marvels’ protagonists.” I almost shout the last part raising my hands at him in anger. “I mean for crying out loud, his superpower is bring rich and looking remotely good in black.” He turns around at this statement visibly perturbed.

“Charlie Batman is not just his wardrobe and economical status! He can fight and he has to live a double life! Not everyone can do either of those things!” He says pushing open the door leading to the narrow hallway that houses everyone’s lockers and the door to his boiler room at the end of it.

“You have to be kidding me! Is that the only reason that you like him? Like come on that is not an argument at all! Diego, all superheroes and people in general lead double lives.” I say trying to convince him that he is wrong and stupid. “We all have something else that makes us happy or that we have to do that we don’t tell people.”

“Is your other life… you know?” He says turning to look at me halfway down the hall. He sees my sullen face and looks away pretending his fingers are guns and shooting imaginary obstacles making ‘pew pew’ sounds as the bullets. I laugh and shake my head yes.

“My old life. And that wasn’t a double life, that was my life. Or what I did.” He nods his head and continues down the hallway.

“Captain Marvel is cool.” He states half mumbling because he knows I’m right.

“I know right- “I cut off my celebration and put my arm in front of Diego’s body sensing someone in his room.

“What- “He starts I walk in front of him putting a finger to my lips telling him to be quiet.

I walk up to the door and press my back to the wall peering into the small opening between the door and the frame. I see a big figure inside sitting in a chair looking around the room. I can’t make out the features of it, but I hear the breathing, deep and rough, It’s a man. A big man.

I pull up the hem of my skirt slightly and pull out a small flat knife from the holster. I hold it up to my chest gathering my thoughts and closing my eyes. I throw the knife inside the room knowing exactly where it is going. It sticks into the wall an inch away from the man’s head.

“Ow, what the –“The man says pinching his ear lightly as Diego walks in before me. I recognize his voice.

“I could smell it was you.” Diego says trying to make it seem like he threw the perfect knife.

“What the hell?” The man looks up from the magazine that he was reading and meets eyes with Diego. “You could’ve killed me.” I hear the scraping of a chai r being moved and the man standing up.

“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” Diego says walking further into the room, his tone and voice completely changing to a lower and more stoic tone that I hadn’t missed hearing. He always let himself be him around me more than other people. I think he always felt like he needed to be a tougher person around the world and everyone in it. This included his own siblings which was very sad.

Diego walks down the small steps in his room to where his brother was standing near his bed. He sighs taking the knife from the big man.

“Is this my knife?” Diego asks me to know that I am still hiding and skeptical of the intruder.

I come out from the space next to the door and walk into the room closing it behind me. I look at the big man a few feet away from me given that it was a very small room you could see everything from any spot that you stood. The bed was plopped on the floor, crammed in the far-right corner and there were posters and other things sparsely framed and taped up on the brick walls. The lighting was dim and there were small windows near the top of the walls touching the ceiling.

“Eight?” The big man asks looking past Diego and meeting eyes with me. I know who it is immediately. The look in his eyes and the slight glint of child-like innocence and the indescribable longing to do something good for humanity

“Luther.” I squeak out looking away. I never really like Luther. He was ‘Number One’ and he didn’t loose a single chance to remind everyone of that especially Diego who was number two. Diego always was fighting with the thoughts that Luther was somehow better than him even though their father randomly gave out the numbers when he adopted them as newborns. Grace later gave them normal names like Allison, Diego, Vanya, Luther, Ben, and Klaus. She did this for all of them, except Five. I never understood why.

He looks away from me and continues his conversation with Diego. “It’s a nice place.” Luther says referring to Diego’s living conditions. I walk over to a desk shoved against the left wall and sit down on it looking over the top to see a few old comics with ‘Umbrella Academy’ written on the covers in big action print and drawings of little kids running somewhere unknown. I laugh to myself examining one and picking it up. I see a small frame on the corner of the desk. I pick it up and see that it has a picture of me on Diego’s back, both of us mid laugh. He looks so much younger in the picture while I look the same.

I remember that day. Allison had just gotten a new camera for all their birthdays, and she wanted to take a picture of everyone to test it out. She would run around the whole academy and just snap picture of everyone doing whatever. I didn’t know that she had given him the picture though.

I look up and see Diego undoing the harness that he wore holding all his knives over his chest and taking it off revealing his plain black turtleneck. He smiled at Luther and responds to his statement, “I like it.” Talking about his room.

“So why didn’t you tell me?” Luther asks annoyed. I am just taking in how huge Luther actually is. Luther has always been muscular for his age since he was born with super strength as his power. This is on another level; he looks like he ate another full-grown man and conjoined their muscles and height. His arms are practically ripping threw his overcoat in bulging mounds of strength.

“Tell you what?” Diego gives in finishing, laying his harness of knives down on a chair and turning to face the man.

“You were fighting the night that Dad died.” Luther states holding up a poster advertising Diego and another man fighting on the night of March 21. “Checked with the guys out there.” Luther motions his arm to the gym outside of the room.

“Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have to prove my innocence to you... or anyone else in this family.” Diego cracks an egg from the small fridge near the sink and pours it into his mouth throwing away the shell.

“Yeah, you’re right. But I just thought that –”

“Yeah, I know what you thought.” Diego cuts his off, “Now. You have a nice day, brother.” He states slowly walking up to Luther and saying the last part like a threat.

“All right.” Luther says putting down the poster and walking up the stairs to the door.

He looks at me when he opens the door, I wave at him and smile weakly. “Good to see you Eight.” He says and walks out of the room closing the door behind him.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part twelve.

I have no idea where five went and if I were lying to myself, I would say something like, ‘and I couldn’t care less where the little ass wipe was!’ but I’m being honest with myself for the first time in forever when I say. I can’t stop think about him. I can’t stop thinking about what I should’ve said or what I shouldn’t have said. I miss him. I miss him so much. I also hate him. A lot.

“Fucking hormones!” I yell at the top of my lungs throwing my hands up in the air and getting up to go to the kitchen or just somewhere else. I find myself sitting on a couch in an open gallery in the house. I used to sit here and talk to Grace as she cross stitched or repaired one of the kids uniforms or something else maternal like that. It was always interesting to me how she genuinely cared for the kids as if she were their actual giver of birth. This interested me because Grace was nothing more than an android made by Reginald to clean, cook, and serve as a caretaker for all the kids.

Grace was the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen with her cream like skin, blonde hair always swooped in some sort of 1950’s hairstyle matching all of her clothes, and her smile that just radiated kindness and warmth. I never was keen on trust, but I would trust Grace with my life.

I sat there and admired all the magnificent painting hung before me. Reginald was rich, to say the least so I was reassured that all the paintings were real.

“Beautiful.” I mutter under my breath staring into the eyes of a portrait of a medieval queen.

“I’m sure that Five would say the same thing about you.” I hear a man’s voice call behind me cheekily. I would notice that smirky gruff voice anywhere.

“Diego.” I say jumping up and running into the arms of the man that I consider my brother and one of my closest friends.

“Charlie!” He says excitedly until I knock the air out of his chest by jumping on him. I missed him so much. But I can never tell him that.

After a while we let go of each other and I take the chance to punch him square in the chest. HE doubles over in pain. “Ow! What was that for? I thought that we just had a moment!” He says whining.

“We did. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that you mentioned Five to me.” I say while he stands up looking me in the eyes.

“Where were you? And why do you look so good? I mean compared to you; I look ancient!” He exclaims looking me up and down realizing that I haven’t aged a day in the last 17 years ago.

“I need to tell you something. It’s important and you are the person that I want to tell. Not anyone else.” I say partially lying because I wanted to tell Five first but here, we are, and we all know how that turned out so here goes nothing.

“Oh shit! You’re pregnant.” He says looking disappointed and sad suddenly.

“What the fuck? How would I get pregnant when I look 13 years old Diego? Is someone trying to catch a case or something!” I say stating the obvious.

“Ok. Ok! What is it then?” He asks following me to the couch and sitting down. I look at my hands in my lap trying to find the right words to make the years of trauma not sound, well. Traumatizing.

“Half pint? What is going on,” he chuckles nervously, “God, Char! Just tell me!” He almost shouts after a while of silence, throwing his hands up.

“Ok. So, you know how hard it was for me when five. When five…” I couldn’t finish the sentence feeling all the emotions stirring inside

“When he left? Yeah, I remember.” He says, his eyes turning from frustration to empathy and sorrow.

“Well, you don’t know the half of it. I didn’t eat or sleep. I couldn’t use my powers on missions or anything. I know that you were there. You were there for me Diego and I am so thankful to you but…”

“It was still hard?” He offers cutting me off.

“Yeah.”

“What happened after you got sick?” He asks, I didn’t know what he was talking about. I hadn’t gotten sick.

“What? I wasn’t sick.” I say looking at his confused and concerned face. His skin tone showing his beautiful Hispanic features. His hair cut into a style with the sides buzzed and the top swooping up a little with two identical scars on either side of his head stretching forward.

“What are you talking about? Charlie, you got really sick, and they took you to a facility to get better!” He says fear and concern in his eyes wondering what the truth was.

“They took me! They took me Diego!” I shout at him angered that someone lied to my whole family about what had happened to what I would like to think as ‘one of their own’.

“Someone came into the room and stuck a needle in my neck! The next thing I know, I am waking up on the cold ground of a clean dark room in my Bra and underwear. You think that I would be scared shitless, I wasn’t. I didn’t have anything to live for so why I should fear death right?” I ask rhetorically and dryly chuckling the pain away. Diego puts his hand on my clasped ones in my lap as a sign to keep going with his support.

“A man came in and explained to me that I was selected by himself, General Dreykov, to join the Red Room as its newest recruit. He said that the Red Room trains girls that go through an infant selector or are sold into it, like me, to become the best and most efficient assassins in the world. I went through the training, missions, and surgeries. One of the surgeries was to start this mental subjugation on my neuro pathways.” I look at him because he was unusually quiet. His face was contorted in confusion. I could see the wheels turning in his head trying to make sense of the words that had just come out of my mouth.

“That makes no sense.” He states baffled.

“It would if you were smarter.” He laughs at seemingly nothing because absolutely no part about this is hilarious.

“Is my trauma funny to you, Shit bucket?” I say looking at him with hurt on my face.

“No. Absolutely not. It’s just that five said the same exact thing when he came back… It’s just so crazy how different you two are but still have unironic parallels.” He says, demonstrating the word parallel with his hands putting one hovering above the other looking like an equal’s sign.

“Yeah.” I mumble not wanting to think about him. About how much I miss him.

“So sub-subjima-litigation?” He stumbles over the words trying to get back on topic.

“Yes. Brain control.” I say trying to ‘dumb it down’ for him. This would be so much easier with Five. He nods. “It was like I was fully conscious, but I didn’t know which part was me and which part was them. Dreykov.” I say putting my hands to the sides of my head almost crying.

“I always was the top of my class. The best of the best. Between my previous knack for combat, powers, and the monthly injections they gave me to stop my physical aging process I was unstoppable. The perfect weapon.” My back stiffens in my seat, sitting up looking forward. “I graduated the training. Diego, I- I graduated.” I say a stray tear finding its way sliding down my cheek.

“Yay?” He asks wondering why the word graduation was causing me so much pain.

“The- the graduation ceremony had some requirements, tests, et cetera. I passed all of them with flying colors, off the charts! There was one part that I only remembered a few days ago when I got back. The last part.” I look into his eyes. “They sterilized me… Diego. I- I can’t…” He pulls me into a tight hug holding me for what feels like no time but, was a few minutes. His black sweater smells of cedar, ash, and blood. I see the knives slipped in the harness that he has clipped onto his chest for the weapons. I scream and cry into his chest, “I can’t have kids! I can’t have kids! I can –” I am devastated all over again. My future is ruined.

After he lets go, I continue with the horrible story.

“I was sent on hundreds of missions. I killed thousands of people. I don’t remember their names. Not all of them. I do remember their faces. I remember their eyes, some of them tried to squeak out last words when I first graduated and was still getting the hang of being out in the field. That changed very quickly. Hearing them begging, crying, or telling me something about their children or parents or loved ones sparked the real me in my head. It was so painful. I watched; I watched my body kill all these virtually innocent people receiving a fate that they didn’t deserve. Me.

“The worst memories that I have of that place was during the training. Some of the other girls – Some of the other girls didn’t get as lucky as me. They got injured, couldn’t meet the demands, killed by another girl, or something else. Dreykov would just send them to be killed. Sometimes, I would have to do it. I see their faces still. Their faces could tell anyone that they were already dead. They weren’t there anymore, and I wonder if that’s what it was like for someone normal to look me in the eyes?” I sniffle between sentences trying to keep it together.

“I’m so sorry. Words cannot do justice to all of the pain that I am feeling for you right now.” He says bending over in his seat and leaning on his legs looking at the ground in pain.

“It’s okay. I don’t know why I told you. It’s stupid.” I say trying to dismiss the awkwardness of the torture.

“NO! It’s not stupid to tell me! You are my little sister Charlie! I care about you so much and –” He starts tearing up and sniffling, “I am so – so sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you. I should have known.” He says full on crying which was something that I never thought I would see. Then again, I never thought that I would see the apocalypse but here we are.

I get up and stand in front of the crying man. He stands up and I pull him into a weird hug. He isn’t tall for thirty years old and I am not tall for thirteen years old. Even though we are both short, the height difference is not a laughing matter. I was hugging his waist and he was bending down and hug my shoulders.

“You could’ve known. Don’t blame yourself, it wasn’t your fault. Trust me, I know a lot about blame because I have had years of practice!” I say sarcastically into his lower torso. I feel the vibrations of him laughing lowly. “We’re the same age Piss stain.” I say forcefully telling him that even though we look 17 years apart I am still 30 years old and will win in a fight with him any day.

“Oh yeah? Who pays taxes?” He asks pulling away and crossing his arms sarcastically looking down at me.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I was too busy kicking ass to get the memo that all adults pay the government, while I was taking down governments.” I say rolling my eyes and crossing my arms looking sassily at him.

“Hey! I kick ass!” He says walking to his room to get something.

“Who?” I ask following him planning to stay with him for a while because I don’t think about Five or the Red Room when I am with Diego. He is my best friend and my brother. But if anyone ever tells him that I will deny it.

“Just you know, typical bad guys. Robbers, Murders, Rapi- “

“Who asked?” I interrupt throwing my hands up in the air proud of my deceit. He rolls his eyes, and we continue to his room.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part eleven.

Five is visibly furious. He fast-walks back to the academy to try and find another way to obtain the valuable information from the dickwad employees. I make an executive decision to stay back and not try and engage with him. I really didn’t need to deal with any angsty-teen bullshit now.

I walk into the academy trailing behind five, a safe continent-sized space between us, and head up the flights of stairs and hallways to my room. I open my window and sit on my cream-colored sheets, staring at the clouds of smoke pillowing out of the chimneys and immersing myself into the sounds of honking and yelled profanities radiating throughout the city.

After a few minutes I feel the presence of someone next to me. I didn’t bother looking to see who it was, knowing that it was Five by the sound of footsteps being replaced by a ‘warbling’ noise. He sits on the space next to me in silence knowing that he had limited time but wanted to stay here forever.

“I’m going to tell you everything.” I say almost commanding. Although the words coming from my lips were my own and forceful, they surprised me as much as Five. “I am going to talk, and you are going to listen because I can quite literally only do this once.” I say looking down at my hands clasped in my lap then back out the window.

I take a deep breath and begin, “When you – When you left it really hurt some people. When I say people don’t make the mistake of thinking that I am referring to myself, because I am not! I loved you being gone Five! No competition for me,” I chuckle to myself feeling the tears coming, “So. It hurt. It hurt a lot, to say the least –”

“It hurt me too Charlie.” Five cuts me off. Prick.

“You are the one who left. So, you don’t get to act like you know my pain!” I almost yell frustrated that he was trying to make it about him.

“Charlie, I lost everyone!” Five almost yells getting up from his seat and standing over me.

I get up, matching his anger with my tone, “You lost everyone? I lost you! I lost you… I lost you and that is the worst thing that could happen. I lost you…” I start to lose it and whimper the last few parts melting back down into my seat. Five sits on his knees in front of me trying to look in my eyes and comfort me.

I pull my face away from his touch. “No… You don’t get to leave then come back like nothing happened. You fucked it up Five. You. And I am done blaming myself for this.” He takes away his hand with a pained expression on his face. “I’m just here. I’m just here with you right now because you need me to save the world with you. I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for the 7 billion people out there that need me.” I motion beyond him and out the window to the citizens minding their own business and going about their days.

What I would give to be ignorant once more.

I take a deep breath and look around my room needing the strength to not cry and keep my composure.

“Well, if that’s how you really feel then I’ll do you a favor and figure out how to do it myself.” Five says standing up from his knees and walking towards the door. I just sit there, on my bed. Knowing that this was the second last day.

Little did I know that there would be many, many more of them to come.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part ten.

We walk a few blocks together in silence. The silence is comfortable though, if you need to talk to make it not weird then you are not right for each other. I am not saying that five and I are right for each other, but in the same token I am not saying that.

My mind wonders to the days in the 17 years. The bad days, the bad guys, and what the criteria is for someone to be a bad person. I know that it doesn’t matter because I am without a doubt a horrible monster. Those aren’t even my words they come from the countless of lives that I have taken.

“What do you think makes someone a bad person?” I ask Five not bothering to look at him just continue walking forward.

“What do you mean, like the qualifications?” He questions my odd question.

“Yeah. Like if you were hiring a person to be a ‘bad person’ what would you be looking for on their resume? Murder? Arson? Eating dairy if they are lactose intolerant?” I ask knowing very well that I have history of doing all those daily.

“I mean like definitely murder. But I would understand the murder part because,” he looks at me and makes the weirdest face that awakens the butterflies in my stomach, “You gotta do, what you gotta do.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” I say laughing.

“But in all seriousness. The lactose one is a straight ticket to hell.” He looks at me and raises his eyebrow seeing where I would be going in the afterlife.

“Oh no!” I say dramatically and throw my hands up in surrender. We both burst out laughing at the random conversations that we have.

We finally make it to the building. It is big with professional white lettering on the front above the glass doors that reads, ‘MeriTech’ I recognize the name from the back of the glass eye with the serial number on it that Five is carrying around like a maniac.

It makes sense now; we are going to find who the eye belongs to because they are somehow connected to the end of the world as we know it. Fun!

Five takes a moment to take a big breath and collect himself. I leave him behind and start walking up the concrete stairs to the doors. Loser. He runs up next to me and we walk through the doors together. The lobby is big and pretty. The left and right walls and the receptionists’ desk are made of white marble and the wall opposite the door that we just walked in is made of glass windows looking out on the skyline. There are benches pressed up against the walls for normal people to sit and wait patiently for the employees.

Apparently, five is not one of those people. He chooses to stand in the middle of the lobby and pace like a creep. I sit on the bench on the left wall reading a magazine that was left on it. I see an ad for the Icarus theatre and the orchestra and when they will be playing. One thing that I do like about Vanya is that she plays the violin. She is good and joined the orchestra as third chair, but I believe that she deserves to be first.

After a while of sitting and reminiscing about the times Vanya would play for me and try to teach me but fail. Simpler times, huh? A man walks up to Five and starts talking to him.

“Can I help you?” The man asks. He is wearing a long white lab coat over a plain plaid button down and khakis.

“I need to know who this belongs to.” Five says forcefully walking up to the man a little bit.

“Where did you get that?” The man asks him to wonder where a teen found a glass eye perfectly intact.

“Why do you – “I cut five’s rude remark off by walking up next to him and saying something very believable.

“We found it, at a playground actually. Must have just popped out.” I say clicking my tongue on the roof of my mouth before saying popped.

“We just want to return it to its rightful owner.” Five says with a slight smile.

“Oh, what a sweet young man.” The receptionist says looking at five.

“I know right,” I say touching his face lovingly “look up the name for me, will ya?” I say forcefully because she made me mad by talking about five like that.

“Well, all patient records are strictly confidential, that means –” the man starts getting cut off by five.

“Yeah, I know what confidential means!” He almost shouts angrily.

“I’ll tell you what I can do though I will take that eye and give it back to its owners. I’m sure that either he or she will be very grateful. So if I could just.” The man starts to reach for the eye from five’s hand but five pulls it away and puts it in his pocket.

“Yeah, you’re not touching this eye.” He snarls at the man.

“Now you listen here young man –” The man starts trying to sound authoritative.

Five grabs the man by the collar and pulls him down to his level near his face, “No you listen to me asshole. I’ve come a long way for this, through some shit your little pea brain could even comprehend. So you’re going to give me the information that I need, and we’ll be on our merry little way.” He stares at him a little and takes a breath. “And call me ‘young man’ one more time and I’ll put your head through that damn wall.” Five says referring to the marble wall.

“And that’ll leave a bruise for sure.” I say picking at my nails and glaring at the man bent over to Five.

“Call security.” He says to the receptionist, and she mumbles and ‘yeah’ under her breath. Five looks between both and pushes the man away stomping out the door, leaving me behind.

I look at the two. Both staring at me with a hint of fear in their eyes, “Teens, am I right?” I ask rhetorically and run out of the building going after Five.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part nine.

I hear someone calling someone but am too exhausted to lift my head an see who it was or even try to open my eyes.

“Love? --- Charlie? --- Sunshine? ---” I guess that Five had given up and thought that I couldn’t hear him, “Love of my life?” He tries again quieter this time, like he didn’t want me to hear it even though I was laying on top of him. I hear it and pretend I don’t so that things don’t get awkward.

After a little bit he shakes me awake saying, “Sunshine, it’s time to get up.” And patting my back. I whine and groan not wanting to leave the comforts of his chest clothed is a sweater vest. I finally fall out of bed. Even though I hate the mornings I wouldn’t choose any other way to wake up then Five forcing my eyes open.

He pulls on his socks, shoes, and blazer quickly and heads to the door expecting me to follow. When he reaches for the handle, he realizes that I am no longer behind him. “Love? We have to go.” Five states looking around the room for me.

I am standing in the bathroom putting half of my hair up in a ponytail near the top of my head and the rest of my hair in a ponytail under the previous one. After I finish my hair, I open his medicine cabinet and grab some Listerine, swishing it around in my mouth while observing the long dark brown curls pulled back in two sections behind my head.

I bend over the sink to spit the stinging liquid out of my mouth when I feel two strong hands on my hips mid-spit. I assume that the sight is not very desirable or appropriate: a teen girl spitting out blue liquid and a boy holding onto her hips from behind.

I stand up and wipe some wetness from my top lip and feel the two hands snake around my waist pulling me into a hug from behind.

“Five, you cheeky bastard.” I say giggling at how he seized the opportunity to touch me.

He laughs and bends down a little to put his chin on my shoulder looking in the mirror at us. The forementioned sight of the girl spitting and the boy holding her was complete trash compared to this, for this was a real beauty. People would die to see this for themselves. Young Love. The white boy with the green eyes and ‘I’m better than you’ stance fades away when he is holding the little mixed girl with curly brown hair and more power than anyone could ever imagine. This was the poster for ‘Combatting Racism!’ to a T.

I place my left hand on the side of his face looking at him through the mirror and instantly knowing that I would do anything for him. He leans into the touch and smiles. Five spins me around to face him, our noses only centimeters away from each other.

I can feel his hot breath on my lips. It smells of coffee and a hint of alcohol. It is the best smell in the world and that is not an exaggeration. He starts leaning in, I rub our noses together and say, “We’re going to be late honey bun.” And walk off looking back at the boy who was still standing there, amazed at the effect that I have on him.

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author5 · 3 years

Text

part eight.

When I finally make it to sleep, I am plagued with the memory of the worst day of my life. The last day. The memory of it always makes its way into my thoughts and dreams when I let myself close my eyes.

I wake up just like any other day, get dressed, and sneak into the hallway and knock lightly on Five’s door. He doesn’t answer which is unusual, he is usually waiting for me to come into his room to ask for help tying my necktie because I never got the hang of doing it myself.

“Five?” I whisper earning a slight creak as it opens showing the teenage boy dressed in a school uniform letting me inside his room. “So… I know that I said the I knew how to do it my self last time, and the time before that, but.” I state holding up the navy blue in my left hand offering it to him.

He takes it and leads me into his room. I follow and stand in the middle of the square like room to match his square like personality, adorned with light greenish walls and a bed that I know for a fact is way too stiff for my liking. Prick. While he is tying the thing around my neck, I look into his eyes that haven’t dared meet mine yet today. They are pensive and thinking. It scares me so much, what could be on his mind?

“No, no spare me the lecture…” I say sarcastically trying to start up a playful conversation about anything even if it means the topic will be about how dumb I am. “Ok fine, I’ll start you off: Charlie I knew that you were not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I didn’t know that you were this dumb. You have been living with us for almost 365 days, that means that you have had almost 365 days of training on this specific thing!”

He still ignores all the words coming from my mouth and finishes the tie, turning and going to his bed to grab his blazer to put on top of the collared shirt, tie, and sweater vest. These outfits were not made for the heat!

I grab his arm as he is walking past me forcing him to finally look into my eyes. “Hey. What’s going on?” I try to sympathize. “Ok well, I’m here for you. You know?” I try letting him know but to no avail. He just yanks his arm out of my grasp and continues marching out of his room.

Just then the bell rings signifying that breakfast was ready. We all hurry down the halls and stairwells excited for the meal. Once we get inside the big ornate room, we all stand behind our chairs waiting for the command to sit by Reginald. After a few moments he comes in stands behind his seat at the head of the table opposite of Vanya on the other head and commands, “Sit.”

My seat is between Five and Diego. Five on the right and Diego on the left. I look up from my meal and look around the table: Allison and Luther are making ‘love eyes’ at each other they are siblings so that is disgusting, Klaus is ‘secretively’ rolling a joint under the table, Ben is reading a book by Shakespeare, Vanya is enjoying her meal, Diego is carving something into the wooden arm of his chair, and Five has his elbows on the table and is leaning to glare into his father’s eyes.

After a minute or so of the weird tensions in the room Five stabs a butter knife into the table causing everyone to jump but not me. I place my hand lightly on his thigh and continue eating with my other one. I really hope that this doesn’t get to heated. He ignores my hand and glares at his father.

“Number Five!” Reginald shouts.

“I have a question.” Five states intimidatingly.

“Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules: No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson.” The old man says waving his butter knife in the air referring to the record playing in the background of a man talking about climbing a mountain.

“I want to time travel.” Five sneers leaning forward. I rub little patterns on his leg trying to calm him down. Even though I don’t know what will happen next I know that it probably wont be good.

“No.”

“But I’m ready! I’ve practicing my spatial jumps just like you said,” The boy gets up from his seat and uses his poser to disappear in a blue light then reappear in a blue light next to his father. “See.” He gestures to his body as proof.

“A spatial jump is trivial when compared to the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice while the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the water and reappearing as an acorn.” Reginald states taking a sip from his glass. The old man must pride himself on using absurd analogies and big words every day. This family is weird.

“Well, I don’t get it.” Five admits in defeat.

“Hence the reason that you aren’t ready. He declares looking at the boy standing next to him.

Five looks around the table seeing Vanya shaking her head ‘no’ and looking eyes with me in between my bites of eggs. “I’m not afraid.” Five tries again pushing his father.

“Fear isn’t the issue the effects it could have on your body, even your mind are far too unpredictable. Now, I forbid you from talking about this anymore!” Five looks displeased and looks back at me I sit up and flip him off. He chuckles slightly, turns, and runs out of the academy.

Before I know it, I am right behind him, chasing him. God, I hate running! “Five! Five wait you little shitbag!” I yell catching his attention and he turns to me. I finally make it to him. “You are fast! You should go out for track or something!” I say trying to catch my breath and wheezing in between words.

“What do you want Eight?” Hearing him use the name that his father assigned to me when I came to live here hurt because he always called me ‘Charlie’ or ‘sunshine’ instead.

“Wow. No need to get so defensive about it! Calm your tits its okay.” I say putting my hands up in defense. “I just wanted to see what was going on with you. That’s all.” I say getting closer to him making sure that worry was present on my face.

“I need to do this Charlie.” He says getting antsy and turning to run away and travel to ‘who knows where or should I say when’. “I need to know that I can.”

“Why? I know that you can. Damn, even your dear old dad knows that you can. Why do you need validation so bad Five?” I ask putting my hand on his shoulder.

“He doesn’t think I can do it.”

“If he knew that you couldn’t do it, he would be trying to help you, do it right now. But he isn’t so that means that he knows that you can.” I say trying to convince him.

“Fine. Give me one reason to stay. Why should I stay this place is hell.” Five says pushing me to try and make him stay. HE wasn’t wrong about the hell part.

“I-I-I do-don’t know.” I stutter out my mind flooding with all the reasons that he should stay but one sticking out.

“Exactly.” He turns and runs away disappearing in a flash of blue light.

I fall to the ground and let a few tears roll down my face. I was still in shock of what had just happened. Why? Why did he want to leave me so bad? I don’t understand.

After an hour of sitting in the middle of the empty sidewalk Diego comes out of the academy and walks up behind me. Standing over me.

“Is he – “I nod my head slightly and break down into a fit of loud sobs and cries, yelling his name. Diego gets down on his knees in front of me and pulls me into a tight hug letting my tears soak into his blazer.

“Five.” I whisper now understanding two words: Love and Loss. Over the years the words began interchangeable for each other. You can’t have one without the other.

I shoot up, wide awake soaked in sweat and tears streaming down my face. I was heaving for breath and scared out of my mind that it was happening all over again. Five sits up right away looking around for the danger.

“What’s wrong? What happened.” He looks at me and knows immediately. “Bad dream?” He asks. I nod my head ‘yes’ and he pulls me into a big hug laying me down on his chest as he lays down. I start to calm down, listening to his breathing really helps. He rubs his hand up and down on my back ‘shh’ me into a state of peace again. We both fall asleep like this together and never wanting to let go.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part seven.

I trade Fives lap for the floor between his legs. Vanya comes back with two mugs of coffee knowing that I hate the toxic brown liquid. She hands him the mug and he drape his left arm over my shoulder and intertwines our fingers tracing patterns on the back of my hand, sensing my anxiety.

“I survived on scraps, canned foods, cockroaches. Anything I could find,” he chuckles to himself, “You know that rumor that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well, it’s total bullshit.”

“I can’t even imagine.” Vanya offers trying to sympathize.

“You do whatever it takes to survive, or you die. So, we adapted. Whatever the world threw at us we learned to overcome it.” Five says sounding sad and mournful.

“We?” Vanya and I question in unison.

“You got anything stronger?” Five asks holding up his mug.

I hold up two fingers and say, “Make it two.”

Vanya nods and heads to the kitchen pouring to small portions of almost transparent pink alcohol. Five and I get up and stand in the kitchen area drinking.

Five scoffs, “You think I’m crazy.” He says referencing the way that Vanya is looking at him in disbelief.

“No, i-it-its-it’s just it’s a lot to take in.” Vanya defends.

“Exactly what don’t you understand?” Five pushes.

“Why didn’t you just time travel back?” She’s done it! She has found the stupidest question of all and got up the guts to actually ask it.

Five sighs sarcastically, “Ah, Gee, Wish I’d thought of that. Time travel is a crap shoot. I went into the ice and never acorn-ed. You don’t think that I tried everything to get back to Char-my family?”

“If you grew old there, you know the apocalypse. How come you look like a little kid?” Vanya asks yet another stupid question.

“He just wanted to maximize his years of looking really hot and sexy so he decided that coming back from the impending apocalypse would be his chance!” I say throwing my hands up sarcastically.

I see out of the corner of my eye Five blushing a little bit. I meant the parts about him being hot and sexy, but he will never know.

Five walks over to the counter to pour more alcohol in his cup, “I told you already, I must have gotten the equations wrong.”

“I mean, Dad always used to say that… time travel could mess up your mind. Well, maybe that’s what’s happening?” Vanya offered not letting herself believe that her life along with billions of others were in imminent danger.

“This was a mistake. You’re too young. Too naïve to understand.” Five concludes grabbing something off of the kitchen table, grabbing my hand and heading for the door.

“No. Five…Five, wait. I haven’t seen either of you in a long time and I don’t want to lose you guys again. That’s all. And you know what, it’s getting late, and… I have lessons early, and I need to sleep and I’m sure you guys do, too.” Vanya puts out a blanket and a pillow on the couch. “We’ll talk about it more in the morning, Okay? I promise.”

Vanya goes in her room and closes the door. I sit down on the couch and five joins me. He pulls out a piece of cloth from his pocket. Unfolding it holds a glass prosthetic eye which he flips to the back to look over the serial number and the name of the company. He stands up to leave.

“Wait. You promised that we could sleep.” I look at him with a stern glare.

“I know but I have work to do.” He tries and break free of my grasp on his wrist but fails.

“Me too. I have important shit going on that you don’t even know about Five. But my work doesn’t make sleep any less crucial in the survival of the body.” I give him ‘the look’ that my mom always used to do to me after she said something smart and snarky.

“Fine I’ll jump us home.” He says I jump up into his arms. Wrapping my legs and arms around his torso and neck.

“Ok ready,” I say my voice muffled through his blazer. He laughs and I close my eyes. When I open them, we are in my room? He walks with me still attached to him to my bed, laying me down on my back still clinging onto him.

“Sunshine, you have to let go now.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that you went through that lover. I wish I could take it all back. That’s horrible.” I start sniffling into his shoulder.

“It was horrible. But let’s look on the bright side, never thought I would be saying that because that is your job but whatever, I have you now and that is all I could ever ask for! Charlie, I would do the 45 years all over again just to see your smile, just for you to laugh, just for you to hug me. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Shucks.” I say letting go and sitting on the edge of my bed.

I take off my blazer, dress, tie, shoes, and sock only left in my underwear and bra and white button down. I get comfortable under the covers in my bed and look for Five who I spot at the door.

“Five what are you doing?” I ask wondering where he was going.

“I’m going to my room.” He says twisting the knob.

“No, if you leave, I know that you won’t sleep. Come here.” I say patting the space in the bed behind me.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” I nod and pat the space again. He takes off his blazer shoes and socks and cuddles under the covers. When I’m about to fall asleep I feel an arm snaking around my waist pulling me closer to him.

“Five, when you left that day. You asked me for a reason to stay. I couldn’t say one, but I just want you to know that I have tons now. And I had tons at the time, but I was just too scared to say them.”

“Charlie, I had reasons too. I was just too scared to say them too and decided that leaving and proving my dad wrong was more important, but I was wrong. And I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” I say backing up into Five more longing for his warmth and safety. I need him so much.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part six.

Vanya opens the door and is greeted by the same sight that I was greeted with: Five sitting stoically in a faded green chair dramatically turning on the standup lamp to mark his presence.

“Jesus.” Vanya says surprised at the sight of her teenage looking brother holding a teenage looking girl on his lap after breaking into her apartment.

“You should have locks on your windows.” Five says in place of his greeting.

Vanya turns and shuts the door, “You guys are so weird.”

“Hey! Leave me out of that! I am perfectly normal and cool. Weird is not an adjective that is used to describe Charlie.” I say flipping my hair to signify my cool standing.

Vanya sits down on the couch nodding along with my mantra. She looks at Five and the me the Five again. “Is that blood?” She asks referring to the spot of blood on Five’s white shirt collar.

“It’s nothing.” Five tries to reassure.

“Why are you here?” Vanya asks both of us, but I don’t know the answer, so I let Five have it.

“I’ve decided that you are the only one that I can trust.” Five says catching me way off guard.

“Wow, And I thought that we really had something…slaughtering together. I started making our friendship bracelets and everything! Darn!” I say a little hurt that Vanya is more trustworthy than me in Five’s eyes but whatever.

Everyone ignores me, “Why me?” Vanya practically reads my mind.

“Because your ordinary.” I shove five with my elbow telling him that that wasn’t nice.

“Because you’ll listen.” He revises. Good boy.

Vanya mumbles an ‘okay’ under her breath and retreats to her bathroom. I look up at Five who is looking down at me, we smile at each other then I realize that something is wrong. ‘what’s wrong?’ I mouth out to him which he just returns with.

“You’ll see.” Wow real incognito right there Five. Boys.

Vanya comes back with some bottle of peroxide and cotton swabs to clean him up. I sit up in his lap and take his arm to start to clean it. I don’t trust Vanya to do a good enough job. While I’m patching him up he continues talking to Vanya.

“When I jumped and got stuck in the future. Do you know what I found?” Five asks rhetorically. No one knew.

“No.” She responds.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As far as I could tell I was the only human left alive… I never figured out what killed the human race, but I found something else, the date it happens. The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it.” I look up at his eyes that were fixated on Vanya and wouldn’t meet mine. The once beautiful green eyes were now swapped with eyes drowning in destruction, fear, and death. It hurts me to look at him like this. I finish up on his arm and wrap it up in some clean gauze and give it a kiss like a mom does for her kids boo boos.

“I’ll go put on a pot of coffee.” Vanya finally breaks the silence.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part five.

We walked out of the diner with a newfound confidence and happiness that neither of us knew what it was, I would later find out that this bliss can only be awarded after the slaughtering bad people that want to hurt Five with the one that you care about most. I hop in the passengers’ seat losing my desire to drive to my desire to be lazy and tired. Five starts the car and pulls out of what I call, ‘the ultimate parking spot’ and drives on the empty road.

“Where are we going?” I query hoping that the answer is home so that I can go to sleep.

“Vanya’s apartment.” He says, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

“You know what would be better?” I ask with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

“What?” Five says chuckling to himself.

“Going home and falling asleep during a movie or just sleeping! Doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun?!” I say trying to get him to turn back and let me sink into my mattress and never think about anything ever again.

“We have business to take care of right now Sunshine. I’ll tell you what, After I’ll take you home and you can sleep for ages. How does that sound?” He says this trying to entice me into staying with him.

“Fine.” I say sighing dramatically to prove to him that I am unhappy and tired.

I don’t understand why we need to take care of ‘business’ with Vanya or at least at Vanya’s house without Vanya which would make more sense because I don’t know what help Vanya would contribute to our efforts just a few panic attacks and bad style.

I’m not trying to throw shade to Vanya at all because I don’t dislike Vanya. I don’t mind Vanya at all. I do feel bad for her though because she was the only member of the Umbrella Academy that didn’t have powers. Because she was normal, she was excluded from training, missions, and just day-to-day activities such as portraits of the family which was really messed up.

All of this makes me wonder why Reginald would even bother keeping her in the first place. In my case my powers started developing at a fairly young age and from what I gathered it was the same for the other members of the Umbrella Academy so if Reginald knew that she was normal from the get-go why didn’t he give her back to her mother? The kids would have been too young to remember that there was once 7 members of the Umbrella Academy.

We finally arrive at Vanya’s apartment. She lives above an A.V. Shack on the second floor. It is brick on the outside with yellow siding and decoration all over the first floor. We park in a lot across the street from the row of buildings and walk over to the other side coming face-to-face with Vanya’s building.

I look up at the moon and the stars in the night sky. Five joins me and stares up at it from next to me.

“Pretty.” He declares.

“Not for long. Light pollution is going to take care of this ‘prettiness’ in a little bit.” I deadpan. He looks and me and laughs, “What? Light pollution is not a laughing matter Five Hargreeves.”

“You’re so cute when you’re serious.” He says touching his left hand to the side of my face. I lean into the feeling. I missed him so much. I look into his eyes. His eyes have always been a beautiful shade of green that I could get lost in for days on end. He starts to inch closer to me his eyes looking between my lips and my brown eyes.

Apparently, I woke up this morning and chose violence because I use my powers to turn my eyes completely black which startles him so much that he stumbles back and falls on his ass. I chuckle and gather energy in my palms facing them downwards and pushing my torso up I start levitating in the air. I look back down at the boy still laying on the ground a laugh.

“Dumbass!” I shout to him trying to make him chase me or do something instead of just gazing at me while laying on the ground like a weirdo. I steady myself right in front of the window leading into Vanya’s living room. I open it from the outside and slide in. I close it feeling the chilly spring breeze on my cheeks. I look down at the spot on the pavement where the boy was, but he didn’t seem to be there anymore. He was inside with me.

“Five. Do you want something from the kitchen?” I ask the boy that I can’t see but know is in the apartment waiting to scare me or something. “Okay then. More for me then!” I exclaim still trying to lure him out of his hiding place unsuccessfully.

I rummage around in the drawers in Vanya’s kitchen until I find a bag of chips. I don’t take a moment to react but instantly rip open the bag and pop a few of the delicious potatoes in my mouth. I turn around to walk into the living room when the standup lamp turns on revealing Five sitting in a faded green chair staring at me.

“Greetings.” I say un-phased by his charade.

“Hi.” He responds still looking at me. I walk over to him and nonchalantly sit in his lap with my legs over the right armrest and my back leaning on his shoulder resuming my loud munching on my chips. I can feel his stare practically burning holes through my cranium.

“If you look any harder, you’ll see my lice.” I say picking through the bag of Lays for the perfect chip.

“What? You have lice?” Five asks border-line disgusted.

“You want to find out?” I ask putting my head closer to his face which he pulled away and laughed.

“I would rather get your STDs thank you very much!”

“That can be arranged,” I say looking up at him and winking. He blushes a little bit and looks away.

“Charlie, I have a question.”

“Yes, lover?” I respond.

“Out of all of the seats in the room,” he motions to the couch and the other seats strewn throughout the apartment, “Why did you choose to sit in my lap?” He looks down at me and tilts his eyebrow up in question.

“That’s easy Five. I will always choose you. Duh.” I knew that he was dumb, but I didn’t know that he was this dumb. He seems taken aback by my statement and it take shim a moment to respond. I go back to eating my chips waiting for something to happen in my life.

“I will always choose you too, love.” He wraps his arms around my torso lightly snuggling into me.

“Wait, does that mean that you want to sit on me? Because I don’t think that that is a great idea. Sorry to burst your bubble but…”

“I understand.” He says with a fake sad face on and wipes away the tears that aren’t there. We laugh and snuggle closer to each other. I half fall asleep when I hear footsteps in the hall. Five turns out the standup lamp’s light and snuggles me closer to him.

0 notes

author5 · 3 years

Text

part four.

I make my way to the doorway leading to the kitchen. I hear voices on the inside catching my attention. I didn’t think that there would be people in the house other than dad, mom, and pogo. The voices sound distantly familiar but foreign at the same time.

I don’t trust that the people in the room will have the same gut feeling as me so I put my back against the nearest wall listening in on their conversation.

“Where is Vanya?” I hear a women’s voice asking. My heart jolts at the sudden mention of the beloved girl that I thought of as my sister.

“Oh. She left.” I hear another voice answer, this time a man. I focus my ears to try and recognize the voices coming from the room. I hear light shuffling then footsteps. I slightly pull up the hem of my skirt to reveal a small gun holster with a pistol inside it which I grip the handle of.

“That’s unfortunate. A whole square block, 17 bedrooms, 49 bathrooms, but no! Not a single drop of-“ My body stops moving, or so I thought. Apparently, I started falling forwards. To stop the decent, I stepped my left foot forward. The struggle caused a little bit of noise come from me. When I recover, I stood up and decided that I was just making myself crazy and that voice wasn’t the one that I have been longing to hear for half of your life.

I realize that the voices stopped so I take the opportunity to unholster my weapon and get into the firing stance and start to slowly point the tip of the weapon around the side of the wall. I get the courage to swing my whole body around the corner to face my targets.

I come face to face with three people. Two of which appear to be adults. The tall, brown skinned woman standing in a position that looked as if she were just facing the table but turned around at the sound of me entering and threw her hands up in surrender. Her tiny curls in her long light-brown hair cascading down her back and shoulders of her tight black dress that ended at the knees.

The other was a man. He was sitting up in his chair hugging an electric guitar to his bare chest. The man had pale skin and short brown hair with a slight dinge to it. He was wearing a long black robe trimmed in black feathers that he chose not to tie in the front instead letting the world see his flat non-muscular white chest. His legs were draped with a long black fringe skirt that showed everything if you looked at the wrong angle.

The last person in the room was standing on the other side of the table holding an empty coffee pot almost hitting the table. He was just staring at me like all the others. All of them were shocked at the sight before them. A thirteen-year-old wearing a school uniform and wielding a gun with perfect form.

The boy holding the pot set it down and started to make his way over to me. While walking slowly I took in all his features, not letting my grip on the gun waver. His outfits being the Umbrella Academy uniform, like mine, but for the opposite sex. His milky-white skin and small but fearless frame. The effortless swoop of his hair from the left to right in his straight black hair. The jawline that was so sharp and that I loved so much that I would pay good money for him to cut me with it, and the deep green eyes that I would give anything to see just one more time.

It can’t be him.

It can’t actually be him.

Before I can do anything, he was right in front of me. The tip of the gun was slightly pressed against his chest. I had to know.

“Five?” I finally muster the courage to ask.

“Yes, love?” I melt at his response. His voice so perfect and coarse. I let the gun droop in my falling hand and just stood there crying. Seeing my reaction Five takes the moment to pull me into the tightest, most comforting hug in the history of the world. He used his left hand and slowly takes the weapon from me and hands it to the tall women from behind him. He continues to hold me in his arms and sway back and forth, stroking my hair. We stay like this for what feels like no time. When we finally pull apart, I look into his eyes with puffy cheeks and red eyes. I am looking for the proof. The proof that he is real.

I take my right hand and softly place it on his cheek. It feels warm and he presses into my palm smiling down at me softly.

“You’re real? Are you real Five?” I ask hoping with all my might that he answers yes. He chuckles and nods his head lightly. I hear ‘ahhhhhs’ coming from behind us, so I turn around to see the two adults sitting together, the women on the table and the man in his chair.

“Young love.” The man says looking down at his guitar fiddling with it as if he is trying to play a song to fit the mood but failing hopelessly.

Five sticks up the middle finger directed towards the people and walks away to the side of the table that he was standing at when I arrived.

“Eight? Is it you?” The woman asks very curious. She starts standing and walking to me. The man gets up too.

“Depends. Who’s asking.” This earns a soft chuckle from Five who was continuing his search for, what I can only assume is coffee.

“All grown up I see.” The man says sarcastically. He stops right in front of me. He softly grabs my wrist to spin me around but I pull it away and punch him in the stomach. He doubles over in pain while I turn to the woman on my right.

“So. Who are you?” I say asking a little more forceful this time.

“Allison,” She says pointing to herself, “and Klaus.” The woman points to the man the is hunched over in front of me holding his stomach.

“Hey,” the man half-heartedly waves his hand up still in his hunched over state. He groans in pain and I sort of feel bad. I scan the adults faces to try and match the resemblance of them to their supposed ‘younger selves.’

“Shit!” I exclaim suddenly seeing the adults as who they are. They are the people that I used to see as my best friends. My non-related-siblings. As soon as I see them I pull them both into a tight hug. “I missed you guys so much!”

“We missed you too, eight.” Allison says.

“Yeah. I missed the old Charlie who didn’t punch her bestie for no reason.” Klaus says turning and sitting back in his seat.

“Ok, and for your information. I ALWAYS punched people that I like for no reason!” I say sticking my tongue out at him in a childish way, which he returned with a face.

“Where were you?” Allison asked, lightly touching my right arm in a maternal sense.

“I- I was- um-well,” I stutterer out while everyone’s looking at my confused face searching for an answer that doesn’t divulge where I have been for almost 17 years. They can’t know. Not yet.

“It doesn’t matter where she was. Something that actually matters is where the fucking coffee is!” Five almost yells the last part being very frustrated at the lack of sustenance in the house.

“Dad hated caffien.” Allison thankfully turning her attention towards the teenage-looking-boy on the other side of the table than her, crossing her arms.

“Well, he hated children too and he had plenty of us.” Klaus said adding the fakest chuckle at the end slouching down in his seat once again hugging the guitar. I couldn’t help but giggle a little at his comment but tried my best to hide it by turning around and looking at the ceiling.

“I’m taking the car.” Five said. I heard him turning on his heel to start walking away but stopped at the sound of his brother’s voice.

“Where are you going?” I turn around to see Klaus slowly getting up from his chair and Five glare at him.

“To get a decent cup of coffee.” He turned and walked towards me, taking my hand, and using his powers to special jump the both of us out of the room. A blue energy circle develops around us as we walk makes a low ‘warbling’ sound.

I open my eyes a second after to see that we are outside in a dark alley with a regular sized car parked right in front of us. Five let’s go of my hand and starts walking towards the passenger side door. I assume that he wants me to drive, which would be a first because I have never in my life driven a car. A space shuttle, yes. A car, never.

When I reach for the door handle, I hear a whoosh sound in front of me. I look up and my face is centimeters away from Fives’. He is smashed against the door, blocking it.

“Um, excuse me.” I say trying to move around him which he denies.

“You think that I would trust you to drive?” He says raising his eyebrow. I keep my composure because suddenly, I really want to drive. Mostly because he is saying that I can’t.

“I’m a great driver.” I say crossing my arms and looking into his eyes, trying my best to look serious and intimidating.

“Sunshine. Do you even know how to drive?” He asks sort of sounding sincere. He knows that I don’t. Shit.

“Yes.” He gives me a look that says, ‘are you sure?’ and I put my head down, losing the battle.

“No.” I correct myself still moping. He takes his finger underneath my chin and pulls it up to meet his eyes.

“Well, there isn’t any time like the present to start learning.” I smile wide and hug him. I feel him slightly melt into my arms. I take the moment to push him out of the way and jump in the car.

I laugh seeing him get his balance again giving me a look and shaking his head slightly. He gets in the car and tries to show me all the gears and pedals, but I have another idea. I start the car, put it in what I think is forward, and press on the gas. I do it so quick that Five doesn’t have any time to react. I figured that dumber people then I have learned how to drive so I should just be a natural.

I didn’t know the difference between the forward and reverse gears, so the car started going in reverse quickly.

“Oops.” I say stopping the car and putting it in drive. I take a second to glance at Five. He is pressed up against the back of his seat and the door, holding on to the handle. I feel a little bad for scaring him, so I place my hand on his thigh soothingly. Once we make eye contact, he nods, and I keep driving.

Apparently, I drive a little fast. I didn’t think so but in the middle of the drive I feel Five put his hand on my thigh slightly gripping it trying to tell me to slow down. I pat his hand

“You’re a big boy. Suck it up.” Such a baby.

Once we get to the parking lot of the diner I stop in the middle of it trying to decide how I am planning on parking the car.

“What are you doing?” Five asks looking at me and relaxing a little now that we aren’t speeding down the streets.

“Um. Well, I am just so in love with the aesthetic of this parking lot right now that I just wanted to look at it a little further. I mean how does anyone ever park. There are just so many options. I am already a very indecisive person-“I am cut off by Five pointing to a spot on the right in the completely empty lot.

“Oh.” I turn the car and try my best to park as well as I could between the two white lines. I failed. When we got out of the car I saw that it was completely crooked. Five and I stood behind the car admiring my beautiful parking job.

“Wow.”

“I know. Pretty impressive,” I said nodding and smiling “I manage to get the car over both lines and not even have it horizontal!” I pointed at the wonderful piece of art that I had made.

“Yeah, I am very proud and honored to have been in the car while making this piece.”

“Oh shut up.” I say turning and playfully slapping his arm, walking towards the well illuminated diner with a sign on the top advertising, ‘Griddy’s Doughnuts.” In neon yellow and pink lights. The place looks very vintage and not updated at all.

I walk in and take a seat at the counter. Five sits on my left turning to me on his bar stool.

“Charlie. I’m guessing that this is hard for you or something, but I need to know where you were. Or what happened to you.” Five said all of this while looking at my side. I was purposefully not making eye contact with him. If I did then I would cave under his gaze and tell him everything. I can’t tell him anything because then he will be in as much danger as I am right now, and that is not an option.

“It is irrelevant.” I say looking down at the pink-laminate counter. I am trying so hard to stay calm under his crushing gaze.

“That can not be any farther from the truth!” Five says harshly taking my hand in his.

“I’m doing this for you Five! I am doing this so that you can be safe! I’m doing this- “I stop myself before I say anything embarrassing or start crying. Tears are already collecting in my eyes.

“Bullshit!” Five almost yells. Gripping my hands tighter and turning my stool to face him. “I need to know Charlie- “

“Why? Why do you care? I know for a fact that no one else does, so why would you ever car about the girl who started living and training with all the special kids a year before you left? Why? Why Five? No one even cared. No one care- “My own sobs interrupting me. I know that they didn’t care. Five pulled me into a tight hug and wiped away my tears.

He whispered, “I cared. I care. I always will.”

I calm down and sit back in my chair, catching my breath.

“All you can know right now is that I am safe, and I wasn’t safe for almost 17 years.” He nods a little knowing that that is all that he is going to get out of me for a while. We both turn around in our chairs facing the counter when we hear the door jingle, signaling that someone just entered the store. Five being the impatient prick that he is started ringing the small bell in front of him suddenly growing frustrated that he didn’t have his coffee yet.

A man walked in and sat on the other side of Five. I caught a glance of him before looking forward again. He was white with a graying mustache and beard, round stomach, and dressed in greasy-looking plaid button down, jeans and vest with a logo on it for a towing company.

Finally, a woman walked on the other side of the counter wearing a pink uniform dress and name tag reading ‘Agnes’. Pretty name. She was older looking with gray hair put up in a bun and a small build. She pulled out a not pad and pen to write down our orders. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t eaten since before I was sent out on the mission that led me here. I am starving.

“So what’ll it be?” Agnes asked looking up at the weird collection of bodies in front of her. She scanned the group looking for the adult. She looked at the man that had just walked in and directed the question to him.

“Um. Give me a chocolate éclair.” The man said with a gruff voice pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.

“Okay, and can I get the kids a milk or something?” Agnes asked motioning to Five and I with her pen after writing down his order.

“The kids will have coffee, black.” Five said, then looking at me for my order.

“And may I have an apple juice with a strawberry doughnut with sprinkles? Thank you.” I said giving her a big smile after my order that was slightly bigger than everyone else’s.

“Coming right up.” Agnes says giving a weird look at Five for ordering a coffee.

I was going to turn and talk to Five, but he was already turned and talking to the man.

“I don’t remember this place being such a shithole. I used to come here with my brothers and sisters when we were kids.”

I felt sort of out of place because when he said ‘brothers and sisters’ he didn’t mean me, and this had been my first time here. Although, I had moved in with the Hargreeves only a year before everything happened, I still thought of the kids as some of my best friends. Guess they didn’t feel the same way about me.

“We used to sneak out and come here. Eat doughnuts till we puked. Simpler times, am I right.” He sighed and sat back in his chair slowly looking around the place and reminiscing.

“I suppose.” The man replied really confused on why this teenager was talking like his childhood was so far away.

Agnes came back with all of the food and drinks and put them all out for us. We all thanked her again. Five started sipping at his coffee when the man pulled out some cash and handed it to Agnes.

“I got theirs.” He said paying for out food.

“Thanks.” Five said, looking back at the man. He spotted the logo, and it sparked his interest.

“You should know your way around the city.” Five said turning and looking at the man once more.

“I hope so. I have been driving for 30 years.” He responded, taking a bite out of his éclair.

“Good because I need an address.”

After Five got the information that he needed and wrote it on a napkin the man left, driving off in his tow truck. After a few minutes of sitting in silence and enjoying our food/drink there was another jingle of the door. I was going to look over my shoulder at who it was but stopped when Five put a hand on my upper thigh, shaking his head no,

I looked at the bell on the counter, trying to see what was behind us. In the reflation I saw six heavily armed men pointing big guns at out heads. All of them wearing black. I assumed that they were sent from the head to eliminate me or bring me back to the Red Room for more brainwashing and torture.

“Get up. They want to talk.” One of the men said. I saw him in the reflection. He was a tall dark-skinned man aiming his gun at Five who sat calmly touching the rim of his mug.

“I’ve got nothing to say.” Five retorted.

“Look you think that I want to shoot two kids? Go home with that on my concisions?” He said trying to scare Five into going with him to talk to ‘them.’ I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but it doesn't sound good.

“Well. I wouldn’t worry about that. You won’t be going home.” Five said catching everyone off guard but me. I knew by the way that Five held himself that these people would have to go.

He took hold of the butter knife on the table spatial jumping behind the dark-skinned man and stabbing him in the eye. I close my eyes and take a deep breath; the whole world goes quiet for a second. All the motions and things going on around me seem to happen in slow motion. I know what I need to do.

I open my eyes and turn around on my stool to face another man, armed with an assault riffle and a scared look on his pale face. When he meets my eyes, I smirk while he raises his gun, aiming it between my brows. I pull my pistol from my holster and shoot him before he gets a chance to process what was happening. He falls forward almost landing in my lap. I scoot out of the way, cringing at the noise of his head hitting the countertop.

I look around to see Five spatial jumping out of the glass door and knocking on it to get all the men’s attention. They all turn with their guns in their hands, looking at the pubescent boy on the other side of the door.

I take the moment to holster my gun under my skirt and start running to a large white man on the other side of the room then me. I had to jump from table to table to get to him. This made a little bit of noise causing all the men to turn to me and start shooting. They really thought that I didn’t know they were going to do this. Dumb. I flip off the last table dodging all the bullets. I land in my signature ‘superhero pose’. The man that I was aiming for was standing above me. I look up and smile at him, he looks terrified.

I sweep my left leg under his, as he is falling, I kick his neck and head in a swift motion. He falls and immediately goes unconscious. I stand over him and shoot him between the brows. I feel a rush of air go past me fast. A bullet. I don’t even bother turning my head, only lifting my gun in my left hand, and pulling the trigger. I hear a loud thud a few moments later.

I look around the dinning space to find my boy. I don’t see him, then I hear the slight ‘crack’ of bone and I know that it was him. Probably snapping a neck. I walk over and see him getting up from a slumped position over a dead body.

“That was fun. Thank you!” I say laughing, I really needed that!

“I did it just for you sunshine!” My heart leapt at the nickname and lowness and gruff of his voice.

Without looking at me he bends down to the body and picks up a black hand sized boxy device with a small green screen and beeping green dot on it. Tracking device.

“Shit.” I say groaning. I knew that we would have to cut him open. I really didn’t want to.

“Tell me about it.” He said walking past me to the counter and searching for a knife or sharp object. I walk up behind him and place my hand on his back. He turns around and I smile at him. Then I lift up my skirt and pull out a small sharp knife that I had stolen from his brother Diego many years ago. He smiles taking it and putting it to his forearm slowly cutting it open and grunting.

I look away and slightly cry. He hears my whimpers and turns me around to face him with my puffy eyes.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m done. It’s out!” He says raising his arms and talking to me as if I was a baby.

“How are you upset about this when you just brutally murdered three grown men?”

“It’s different Five and you know it!” I say pouting.

“I know, sunshine. I know.” He says pulling me into a hug probably getting blood from his arm on my blazer, but I didn’t care.

“I missed you so much. Asshole”

“I missed you too love.

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