Grand Theft (The Umbrella Academy)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: To Kill or Not to Kill

The sun had long since vanished now, coating them in a blanket of stars. Fleur laid her seat back, half asleep. The two lovers had both reached their limits on alcohol and they still haven't seen Lance come back outside so things weren't looking too great. Definitely something sketchy going on but they were unable to catch what yet. "Six days," Fleur mutely murmured. "Starting to think we should've chose a month before to show up."

"We'll find them. We have to." Fleur softly nodded in response. Five sat upright in his seat as something caught his eye outside then jumped up. "There's our guy. Finally." The guy stalked up to a car and handed a duffel bag to the driver in return for a brown paper one then looked around and walked away inconspicuously.

"What're you hiding, Grant?" Fleur uttered as she narrowed her eyes inquisitively at him.

"What the hell is he up to?"

"I dunno... I think we should go. We'll recoup what we saw and get the information out of him in the morning, yeah?"

"Yeah, all right." Five spatial jumped them to a bus stop.

There was only three other people on it at that time of night. Fleur's eyes watered at the rumble of the bus and the quiet conversation between two of the passengers. She hadn't fully taken in the new-old world around her. A world full of life. A world she had to save. "Everything about this is insane. We could be riding the bus home from work or a night out like normal people but instead we're stopping a very vexing apocalypse." Fleur softly chuckled as she rested her head on her fiancé's shoulder.

He put his head on hers and quietly chuckled back. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He planted a kiss on her hair. Fleur nuzzled her head into his neck and he hummed. "What are we gonna do when this is over?"

"I have no idea. I haven't thought about it that far. Our lives are gonna be flipped upside down in a few short days one way or another."

"What would you say to retirement?" He stared absently in thought.

"Aren't you a little young?" Fleur lightly laughed.

Five started to justify himself. "Well, I'm actually—"

"I know, I know. I'm just kidding." Fleur playfully bumped into his side. "I've thought about it too. Nothing can really compare to what we've been through. If I can even get a job without the crew tearing me in two for 'corrupting' you." They both laughed but there was a still in the air.

"I never did ask you if you were okay with being with an older man." Five went stiff and took his hand back as he stared intently out the window at the passing buildings and the lamps lighting up the street below.

I took his hand back into mine and grinned. "You do realize you're saying this in a thirteen year old's body, right? Also, I can be whatever age you want, Five." I chuckled. "Ah can't age unless I choose to, 'member? Ultimately, I can't die... and I dunno how I feel about that," Fleur said with a shaky breath and a shrug. "When you die, my heart will die with you." Fleur fiddled with his hands.

He kissed her knuckles. "The same with me. I'm not losing you, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled and leaned against him. The bus made a squeaky hush sound as it halted a block away from the Umbrella Academy. "Let's go home."

They trekked in the building to see it completely trashed. Fleur cautiously stepped around the fallen chandelier to a painting of Sir Reginald peppered with bullet holes. "I don't think that many parties around here include bullets." Fleur's worry bubbled higher the more she looked around. "Where are the others?"

He rubbed her back in a calming way. "They're fine I'm sure." This didn't help. Fleur needed to see them. Despite everything, they meant the world to her. Fleur and Five frantically searched every square inch of all forty-two bedrooms and nineteen bathrooms, the old fart's office and sleeping quarters, the kitchen, courtyard, and living room but they couldn't find any trace of them except for a single blood stain behind the couch.