Love Even Near the End; Five Hagreeves

01

I put down my book after hearing the academy alarm go off. I sighed, puffing out my skirt, and headed down the hall to see what was happening today.

My family, the Sparrow Academy, was of the infamous well-known 'superheroes' of New York. And the rest of the world, of course. Though, I was never really particularly close to my family. All we really had in common was the fact that we lived together. Though it was like living with strangers sometimes. It was always quiet for me.

I quickly went to the second-floor balcony, my room being the farthest from it, so I was the last one there. As I took my regular formal spot next to Sloane, I looked down, noticing the fact that we had a whole group of people in our living room.

Mondays.

Ben was the first one to speak, already down the stairs, in an attempt to take control of the situation before Marcus.

"Dad, who the hell are these assholes?"

The family quickly paused, then all in unison replied, "Shit."

The long-haired hippie-looking one, who looked like he just left a funeral spoke next, "Ben."

Ben looked over at him, astonished at the fact that a complete stranger knew his name.

The tall, monkey-looking guy went next, walking closer to him, the look on his face, full of nothing but pure confusion, "Is that really you?"

Ben didn't reply quick enough, causing the other long-haired one, who looked like Edward Knives-for-clothes, to say something, "And who are the weirdos on the balcony?"

I quietly snort, covering my hand over my mouth to hide it.

Reginald spoke next, "They are the Sparrows. My children."

The family, looked around, shocked. Though I don't exactly understand why. Or who they are. Though I do have one question. But I'll save that for later.

The short one, who looks like he just got out of a chimney, speaks next, "I'm sorry. What do you mean, your children? That's not possible, old man." He speaks, with the sound of venom laced in his tone.

Dad replies saying, "Of course it is! I think I'd know, wouldn't I?"

The one from the start, speaks once more, "Everybody else can see Ben, right?"

My eyebrows draw together in confusion, wondering why they wouldn't see him. I mean, he's right in front of them.

Ben quickly snaps back with a snarky reply, "Cute hat, Sundance."

Reginald speaks again, "They call themselves the Umbrella Academy, a group of scheming perfidious malcontents who accosted me in the fall of 1963 when I was away on business in Dallas. Be warned, they claim to be my spawn."

As I look at the family, analyzing them, I quickly realize that the little one's eyes fall away from Reggie as he looks out to the corridor, looking at something I can't quite spot.

The taller lady quickly turns around to respond, but my gaze is stuck on him, questions too busy filling my mind to notice what she says.

He looks away from the corridor, causing me to remove my gaze from him, back to paying attention to the situation around me.

"I don't know yet, but it's concerning." He says.

Marcus quickly responds, questioning our father, "Is he telling the truth?"

(A/N: I'm going to say 'person' in respect of Elliot's gender identity.)

The other person speaks up next, "Not the part about us being perfidious."