COPYCAT ✾ The Umbrella Academy

{ THIRTY }

The elevator dings and the doors slid open, revealing the same hotel lobby, only a little different. "It's magnificent," Reginald comments as we begin to walk. "You guys should've stayed here. This place is way nicer." Ben adds. "Lila and I barely got out alive last time. Remember?" Dad says. "But I'm here this time, and the numbers are in our favor." Ben counters.

Mom rolls her eyes, her grip on my hand tightening. "Well, whatever it was, it was strong, fast, and super pissed." "Alright, so whatever you do, do not ring this bell," Dad adds, stepping in front of the bell at the front desk. "Unless you wanna lose a finger or a tentacle." He looks at Ben.

Ben rolls his eyes, as Sloane steps up to the bell, saying, "I'll take my chances." "Don't!" Mom blocks her way, letting go of my hand to do so. "Get out of my way," Sloane says angrily. Mom shakes her head. "To take out this thing, we need to be in the right state of mind, okay?"

Sloane steps back, looking slightly offended. " 'State of mind'?" She echoes. "Do you mean, am I angry? Yes, I am angry. I wanna kill whatever it is that hurt Luther." "Luther isn't the only one that's gone." Viktor points out. "We lost Klaus too. I'm angry, okay? We all are. But we have to be smart about this."

"Yeah. When the time is right, we'll act." Mom says reassuringly while Five walks across the lobby to the front doors. "Don't even try it, Five," Dad calls, halting Five in his tracks. "Doors won't let you out." "So we're stuck in here?" I ask. "This place is a test and a trap and a means of salvation, all at once," Reginald says to all of us.

"Does anyone know what that sign says?" Viktor asks, pointing at the sign in Japanese on the counter. "Yeah, it says, 'Do not ring the bell'. That's what that means." Dad says. "We get it, Diego." Five says. "Bell bad. What do we do now? Does anybody know?"

We all look at Reginald, who is supposed to know what to do. Or at least that's what he implied. "Reggie?" Allison asks, trying to get the old man's attention, however, he seems more occupied by flipping through pages of his journal or something.

Mom sighs. "I'm hungry. Does anyone fancy an unagi roll?" "How can you possibly eat at a time like this?" Ben asks as mom starts walking toward the sushi bar. "I don't know. How can you be a dick at a time like this?" She asks, stopping as she turns to face him.

"Oh, you'll-" "Hey!" Dad shouts, cutting Ben off before he can even start. "Back off, all right? She's eating for-," "Strength." Mom cuts dad off before he can say "two". "In these trying times. Diego, can you come with me for a second?" She adds, grabbing dad's arm and pulling him away.

A round of sighs and scoffs echo around the rest of the group before they go their separate ways. Allison and Sloane sit on the stairs, cleaning Luther's blood off their hands, while Ben broods in the corner. Viktor sits in another corner, staring off into space as Reginald wanders around the lobby, half looking in his book and half looking at his surroundings.

Meanwhile, I'm examining the stars on the tiled floors. Seven of them. One in the middle of a ring of six. "What are you looking at?" Five asks, suddenly appearing next to me. I shrug. "I don't know," I say, copying Five's power, and blinking up to the sushi bar.

"...something to fight for." Dad was saying as I appear next to him. Mom considers his words for a long moment before saying, "Can you shut up and eat your fish?" Dad looks at her, smiles, and kisses her cheek, while I cringe. "You two disgust me," I say. Both my parents jump, noticing me for the first time

"How long-" Dad starts to ask. I cut him off. "Long enough." I grab a plate of sushi off the conveyor belt before blinking away again. Ben jumps as I appear in front of him. "Still brooding, I see," I say. Ben glares at me. "I don't brood." He says.

I nod, eating a piece of sushi off my plate. Ben sighs. "Are you gonna start throwing fish at me again or do you want something?" He asks angrily. "Do you want me to start throwing fish at you again?" I ask, putting my feet up on the table as I lean back in my chair.

Ben looks at me for a long moment. "You're annoying. You know that." He says finally. "Some may say you are too," I say, taking another bite of sushi. "Unagi roll?" I hold out the plate, offering the last sushi to Ben. I'm surprised when he actually takes and eats it, before standing up. As he leaves, I call, out, "And yes! I know!"