IGNIS : the umbrella academy [COMPLETE]

II

     CARLA WAS SAT ON A SQUISHY ARMCHAIR, legs crossed, eating the pack of fizzy sweets she had taken from the store earlier. The screen in front played the security footage of Sir Reginald Hargreeves drinking from the mug Grace gave him, before lying back on the bed.

     She raised her eyebrows, chewing on a sweet, as Vanya spoke, "And you really think Mom would hurt Dad?"

     "You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya," Luther said, "Maybe you don't know Grace anymore."

     "If he was poisoned," Diego said stiffly, "It would have shown on the autopsy report."

     Luther turned to him, "Yeah, well, I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes."

     "Maybe all the low gravity in space messed with your vision," Diego snapped, and Carla exchanged a wary look with Klaus, "Look closer: Dad has his monocle, Grace stands up, monocle's gone."

     "Oh, yeah!" Klaus said, words garbled by the stolen chips he was eating.

     "She wasn't poisoning him," Diego continued, "She was taking it, to clean it."

     "Then where is it?" Luther snapped, "I've searched the house, including all her things, she doesn't have it."

     Diego sat on the edge of a table, lowering his head, "That's because I took it from her. After the funeral."

     Carla's eyebrows shot up, before her hand dipped into the bag again, drawing out a sweet and popping it in her mouth.

     "You've had the monocle this whole time?" Allison asked, disbelieving, "What the hell, Diego?"

     Again, Carla had no idea what she was doing there. It was a family issue, but once again, Klaus had dragged her along, saying she was just as involved in this family as he was.

     "Give it to me!" Luther demanded.

     Diego just looked him in the eye, "I threw it away."

     "You what ?" Number One snarled, as Allison let out a hollow chuckle.

     "Look, I knew that if you found it on Mom, you'd lose your shit," Diego pointed a knife at his brother, "Just like you're doing now!"

     "Diego..." Luther hissed, taking a step forward, and instantly Diego leapt to his feet, wielding his knife, ready for a fight.

     Carla couldn't help but roll her eyes at the testosterone levels in the room rising.

     Vanya got to her feet, stepping between the two, "Calm down. Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book, but I do remember one thing he said: Mom was designed to be a caretaker, also a protector."

     "What does that mean?" Allison asked, as Klaus wandered to where Carla was sitting, offering her a crisp, which she took, offering him a sweet in return.

     "It means," Vanya said, "She was programmed to intervene is someone's life was in jeopardy."

     Luther spoke up, "Well if her hardware is degrading, then... we need to turn her off."

     Instantly Diego became wary, "Woah, woah, woah, woah, wait! She is not just a vacuum cleaner you can throw in a closet! She feels things, I've seen it!"

     "She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die!" Luther retorted.

     "I'm with Luther," Allison said, after a small pause.