DAUNTLESS. (The Umbrella Academy!) [1]

CHAPTER FOUR

❝WE ONLY SEE EACH OTHER AT WEDDINGS AND FUNERAL❞

⸺

17 YEARS AGO...

"Nietzsche once said, 'Man is a rope, stretched between the animal and the superhuman. A rope over an abyss. It is dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling, and haltering."

Sir Reginald Hargreeves was standing at the top of the stairs, holding a book as Vanya stood on one side of him, a whistle around her neck.

The seven children downstairs watch their father to read some quotes in the books. They waited for Vanya to blow the whistle for the race to start.

"What he's taking so long?" Whispered Klaus.

"You know his poetry self," Bridget whispered back as they both silently chuckle.

Vanya blew the whistle as they all alarmed and started to race up the stairs. In the middle of the way up, Five uses his ability to spatial to the second flight of stairs, now he's at the top.

"That's not fair. Five's cheating!" Accused Diego.

"He's adapted." Sir Reginald told them.

"I can adapt too!" Bridget exclaimed as she fire float all her way to Vanya's side. Her siblings all groan of frustration as the redhead girl just laughed at them.

"You should use that earlier, Number Zero." Sir Reginald Hargreeves sternly told her. She just sighs and rolled her eyes.

Vanya blew the whistle once again, indicating that there's already a winner in the race.

"That's not really fair," Diego muttered as they all already in the upstairs.

"I was winning, Bri!" Five complained as Bridget just winked at him, "Nice try but try harder next time."

Ben congratulated the redhead wholeheartedly. He was a supportive one in the family. Klaus just stuffed a laugh and Luther frown at her. Allison just pouted but congratulated the girl nonetheless. And Vanya gave her a hug for winning.

All of her siblings pouted, so as soon as Sir Reginald leaves. She whispered to them, "So...Who wants Griddy's for tonight?" She smiled as her siblings' frown faltered.

║

The three Hargreeves siblings retreated in the kitchen. Five was scouring the kitchen for some caffeine. Klaus was sitting on the chair with a guitar on his hands, and Bridget was sitting next to Klaus, her elbow laying on the table.

Allison comes in and looked around as she asked, "Where's Vanya?"

"She left not too long ago." Bridget told her, "I was gonna stop her but she seems in a hurry to get out of here. I understand her in that, you know."

"She didn't even say goodbye," Allison told them as the redhead just shrugged.

"That's unfortunate." Five said and slammed the empty container of a ground coffee on the table, "An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, Nineteen bathrooms, but not a single drop of coffee."