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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX the trojan horse
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
ON THE FIRST OF April, 2019, a continent away from her birthplace of Dijon, France, Nadine Vidal came to a halt in front of the Icarus Theatre. Her hair was plastered to the back of her neck with sweat, her head was throbbing beneath her bandages, and her chest heaved as she attempted to catch her breath. Beside her were the Hargreeves, similarly dishevelled, their hearts still racing from the attack at the bowling alley. Nadine wasn't one hundred percent sure who their pursuers were, but if she had to take a guess, she'd assume they were Commission-bred. They may have exchanged their cartoony animal faces for more practical gas masks, but it was still the same idea. They were hired guns recruited to eliminate any threats to the timeline—and right now, Nadine Vidal and the Umbrella Academy were certainly threats. They were the only ones who had a chance of helping Vanya, of saving the world from potential destruction.
It was a lot of pressure heaped upon six shoulders, but Nadine was used to pressure—thrived in it, sometimes. Now, she clenched her jaw, taking in a deep breath as a haunting melody pumped from within the theatre. Vanya's orchestra. Just like her music at the cabin, this harmony was alluring, intriguing. It filled you up until it made you feel like you could float away. Until you could take off to explore the skies.
They were just about to enter the theatre with only an inkling of a plan when Allison put a hand on Luther's chest, preventing him from taking another step. "Wha—" Luther began, but quieted when he saw Allison hold up her notepad.
I NEED TO GO ALONE
Immediately, Luther was shaking his head. "Allison, I can't let you do that, all right? She's beyond reasoning."
Nadine gave him a withering look.
"You hear the music?" Diego snapped, trying to remind them that they were under a strict time limit. "It's started."
Luther stepped forward. "Do you honestly think she's gonna listen? After everything that's happened?"
"She will." Nadine stepped towards Allison, raising her chin defiantly. "She'll listen to us. If I can come with you," she added to Allison, who hadn't said anything about going with a partner. "I'm supposed to be the ones that stops this. I think... I think I can help her."
"We don't have time for this," Klaus muttered, looking close to pulling his hair out.
"Allison?" Nadine looked to her for permission. Allison took a second to think, pursing her lips, and then, finally, nodded. Luther let out a sigh.
"Okay."
Nadine turned to him in surprise. "You're letting us go?"
Luther took a step back, gesturing towards the theatre. "We'll stay outside until we know something goes wrong. If that happens, we'll follow you inside, and the six of us can try and take down Vanya." He swallowed. "But for now... you two can go ahead."
