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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE nadine, as a whole
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
WHEN NADINE ENTERED the barn, she did so with her blood singing for a fight. She may have lost one match with Lila, but that didn't mean she had to lose again. This time, she would attack with all she had, battle until she was spitting out blood, and she would win. Lila had hurt the Umbrella Academy. She'd manipulated Diego, then drugged and kidnapped him. She'd lied to Nadine, pretending to be her friend when her real intentions were malicious. She'd exploded on Vanya, snatched the breath from Allison, and tossed Luther through a wall. She'd worked for the corporation that had hundreds of thousands of innocent people murdered. She deserved to pay the price for that.
But when Nadine walked into the barn and caught onto the tail end of Five and Lila's conversation, all thoughts of vengeance faded away. Because Lila—strong Lila, who laughed while Nadine blinded her, who kept up a cheery conversation in the middle of combat—was crying.
"Ask yourself why," Five was saying, somewhat breathlessly.
"Stop trying to muddy the waters." Lila's voice had cracks in it, ones Nadine recognized. She halted in her tracks, and, inadvertently, seized Vanya's hand again.
"I never realized what she was up to at the time, but... now it all makes sense."
"What?"
"She never cared about your parents. She was looking for you."
Lila's voice was a whisper when it came out next. "Why?"
"'Cause you're one of us," said Diego, stepping forward. Lila whirled, holding out a knife as the Umbrella Academy cautiously shuffled into the light. Her lip was bloodied, her mascara smudged. For once, she wasn't smiling. She was staring back at them with wide eyes, her posture tense.
"The Handler stole you, Lila," Diego continued gently. There was a softness in his tone that Nadine didn't recognize. She wondered at that. How could Diego still be so tender towards her, after their whole relationship had been fabricated? "Just like she wanted to do with Nadine. Just like how our asshole father took all of us."
Lila shook her head desperately. "No. It's not the same thing."
"You're right. Because he didn't have our parents murdered."
Fuck. Nadine took in a breath. That was what had happened. That was why The Handler had taken Lila in. She'd had Lila's parents killed—which meant that she'd wanted to do it to Nadine's, as well. Nadine being an anomaly, set to potentially save the world, had inadvertently saved their lives.
At least one good thing had come out of it.
"Listen to me, Lila." Even though Lila was still armed, Diego drew closer to her. "You were born October 1st, 1989, the same day as all of us."
