COPYCAT ✾ The Umbrella Academy

{ THIRTY-ONE }

Reginald comes walking down the stairs, saying, "Gather up children." We all get up from where we are, walking to form a circle around the old man. "Now that we've had a chance to catch our breath, the real work can begin."

"The myth of the seven bells, eh?" Five asks. Reginald nods. "Exactly. Someone's been paying attention."  "Okay, so we find the bells, then what?" Dad asks, standing at my shoulder. "No, no, no. The bells are just a metaphor for this." Reginald says, holding up his notebook so that we can see the symbol drawn on one of the pages.

"A sigil." Five and I say in unison. Dad looks down at me. "How'd you know that?"  "Stan's into some weird stuff," I answer. "Correct," Reginald says before dad can respond. "The sigil is the key to the seven bells. Once we find this symbol we're one step closer to resetting the universe."

"What do we do when we find it?" Sloane asks. "I don't know," Reginald says. Of course, I sigh. "Excuse me?" Viktor asks. "We're here because you said you have a plan."  "I do," He replies, "up to a point."

Mom snickers. "Great. So we'll just stay in the hotel forever, staring at the walls and eating bad sushi."  "Finding the sigil is our only way out of here and the best chance we have of resetting the universe," Allison says. "Funny how you and dad are on the same page again." Five comments.

"Okay, uh, where do we start?" Viktor asks before the argument can start. "We'll split into groups," Reginald announces. "I will go with Allison and Sloane. Ben and Five'll be with Viktor."  "No, we want Allison," Viktor argues.

"Ben for Allison. We've trained together so it makes more sense if we take Allison." Five explains. Allison rolls her eyes. "Yeah. No, thanks."  "Why not?" Viktor asks. "Splendid idea," Reginald says sharply. "Allison, you go with the umbrellas. Sparrows, stick together. Everyone takes a different floor. We must find that sigil."

"What about us?" Dad asks as the others start to move. "You three together. I thought that was obvious." Reginald replies. "We'll meet back here in thirty minutes." We all nod, making our way to the elevators to go our separate ways.

Mom, dad, and I get off on floor six. In front of the elevator sits a cleaning trolley. Dad walks slightly ahead of us as we start down the left corridor, holding his speargun aloft. "Hey. We're gonna make it out of this mess, all right." He says. I think to settle his own nerves more than mine and mom's. "The four of us are gonna be fine."

"And then what?" Mom asks. Dad turns to look at her. "And then we'll be a happy family." Mom nods as we continue. The walls all look the same, ugly green wallpaper with the occasional light or portrait or decorative table or something.

At the next corner, we turn, and dad stops. "Did we end up back at the same elevator?" Dad asks. I look around him, indeed, it looks like we did. Even the same cleaning trolley sits in front of the elevator. However, one thing is different, the floor sign on the wall next to the elevator.

"Weren't we on floor six?" I ask, pointing at the sign that now reads floor eight. My parents shrug. Clearly, they weren't paying enough attention. We continue walking, at least until the building starts shaking and the lights take on a more yellow appearance.

"Does no one listen to me?" Dad asks. "No, honey, we don't," Mom says as the building stops shaking and we continue walking. As we do, mom and dad make me stand between them.

"Who did it?" Dad grumbles, grabbing one of my hands as mom grabs the other. We turn the corner, hoping to find our way back to the elevators when suddenly something loud and metal-sounding thuds behind us, making us stop dead. We turn around slowly.

At the end of the hallway stands a suit of Japanese armor, which if I'm taking a wild guess, is the guardian Reginald mentioned. "Maybe we should go," I say as the guardian roars, swinging its sickle on a chain in its hand. Mom and dad glance at me. "Right behind you, sweetie," Mum says. "Me too," Dad agrees before we take off sprinting back down the hall we came.

Mom and dad let go of my hands as we run, and somehow we end up on floor six again. Once we find the elevator, dad repeatedly presses the button, mumbling, "Come on! Come on!"

The guardian roars again from down the hall getting closer and closer. "Screw this," Dad says, giving up on the elevator. "Diego, wait." Mom calls as we chase after him. My heart pounding.

From the end of the hall, the guardian snarls. Dad grabs one of his knives, throwing it in the guardian's direction, only for it to sink into the wall behind him. Mom grabs another knife and throws it. The metal clangs against the guardian's suit of armor and falls to the ground.

I grab a knife, throwing it at the guardian, where it sinks into his eye. Mom and dad look down at me, both proud and impressed. "Nice shot sweetie." Mom smiles. However, I don't smile as I watch the guardian pull the knife from his eyes, not even fazed.

"Shit," I say under my breath.