COPYCAT ✾ The Umbrella Academy

{ TWENTY }

Like the English words for it, the Kugelblitz is just that, a giant ball of lighting. "This thing's gonna take the whole damn universe." Five says as he walks around the glowing sphere in the center of the Sparrow's basement.

"What is it made of?" Five asks himself, but Sloane answers. "Micro black holes collapsing at increasingly short intervals." She explains. "Then why aren't we all getting sucked inside?" Five asks. "Honestly, we don't know. You shouldn't exist here, and neither should this." Sloane replies.

"An impossibility for an impossibility." Five remarks. "The universe is a sucker for balance." "Grace has been tracking the waves. Next one's due in three hours." Fei says. "All right, so what do we do?" Diego asks. "We trap it." Sloane answers simply.

"Dyson sphere?" Five asks. Sloane nods. "Yeah." Five clicks his tongue. "Okay. Confinement factor?" "0.98 at peak energy flux." "Tensile strength?" "UTS ceiling of 10,000 gigapascals." Sloane answers.

We all look at the nerds in confusion, having no idea what science bullshit they're saying. "Should I be finding this hot?" Mom asks. "No!" Diego in Luther say in sync. I can't help but snicker, and neither can Fei or Christopher.

"What do you think, Five?" Aunt Allison asks. She's calmed down since earlier, but still, she is mad, I can feel it. "Could work." Five nods in approval at Sloane's idea. "Or we could all die horribly. I'm in." "You're not the one we need." Ben counters.

"Excuse you?" Allison says while Five gives Ben a dirty look. "The only way this can work is with Sloane, Lila, Christopher, Viktor, and-" Fei starts, but Diego cuts her off.

"No," He says sternly, pushing me behind him a little. "What do you mean 'no'?" Ben asks, folding his hands as he looks at Diego with a look that says he doesn't see what's wrong with the unspoken words.

"I mean no," Diego says. "She's thirteen. She's not gonna use her power to stop this kugel thing." He gestures to the ball of lighting floating in the center of the basement. "Diego, it's the only way." Five says, taking a step toward my father.

Diego pushes me further behind him. "Five, no. This is my kid, not some thing you can just give orders to." He says, the tone in his voice getting angrier with every word. He turns to mom. "Back me up on this, Lila."

Mom bites her lip. I can see her answer in her eyes before she even says a word. So can dad. He scoffs. "You can't be serious?"  "I didn't even say anything yet," Mom says defensively, holding up her hands. "You didn't have to." Diego retorts.

I sit on the stairs in the entrance hall, listening to Diego and Lila's screaming match in the sitting room where we were earlier. I hate that they're fighting because of me. That's the last thing I want. Especially right now. I sigh, trying to tune them out as best I can. It doesn't work well.

"She's thirteen!" Diego yells. "And the world is ending. We might as well give this a shot!" Mom yells back. "You heard what Five said! She could die horribly!"  "We're all gonna die anyway unless we try..."

I rub my neck tiredly, hating how I always get goosebumps when I sense auras. That's what I hate about my powers, ever since I got here, they've constantly been alert to any of the Umbrellas or Sparrows in the room.

I sigh again, feeling like I'm about to cry when someone suddenly sits on the stairs next to me. Sloane doesn't say anything but simply gives me a hug. I have to hug her back. And once she pulls away, she smiles at me.

"You looked like you needed it." She says. I nod, scratching my nose with the back of my hand. "Thank you," I glance at the living room door. "I wish they'd stop fighting," I say. Sloane places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I hate it when people fight, too." She says. I nod, still looking at the door. I can hear Diego stuttering something, and that makes me sad because I know how that is. When he finally gets the words he wants to say out, he and Lila go right back to yelling.

"It's not up to them, you know," Sloane says suddenly. I look at her, swiping the tears out of my eyes. "You don't have to. I think it will work with just the four of us." She says, referring to the Kugleblitz.

"Is that why you're here?" I ask. "To get me to help? Reverse psychology or some shit?" Sloane shakes her head. "No, of course not." She says honestly. "I just wanted to say that you shouldn't let your parents decide your fate."

"I'd be siding with one of them either way," I say. "Not if it's your decision and not one your parents made for you," Sloane argues. She gives my shoulder a reassuring pat before getting up and walking away.

I sigh. Sloane made no sense, but at the same time, she did. I jump up from the step I'm sitting on, walking over to the living room door and watching my parents for a second. "Okay, that's enough, both of you!" I say loudly, my voice getting their attention.

Diego and Lila turn to me, forgetting what they were fighting about. They look at me for a long time, waiting for me to speak I take a deep breath. "I'm gonna do it."