Number Eight ~ Umbrella Academy [ 1 ]

9

Five took a deep breath before jumping again. What he saw before him made him freeze in his tracks.

Tomorrow is another day
And you won't have to hide away
You'll be a man, boy

The city he had used to know was utterly destroyed. There didn't seem to be a single building still standing and the crackling of fire was the only sound that could be heard. He looked around in fright and tried to see if there was anyone around. When he came up empty handed, he felt his heart constrict. His eyes widened and he breathlessly whispered out, "Emilia."

But for now, it's time to run.
It's time to run.

Five had never ran faster than he did in that moment as he made his way back down the very street he had only seconds before been walking down. He felt the wind get knocked out of him when he came to a stop in front of the spot where the academy used to be standing.

Run, boy, run
This ride is a journey to
Run, boy, run
The secret inside of you

"Emilia!" Five cried out, his voice filled with fear at the thought of there being no response. When he got none, he felt his heart ache. "Vanya! Ben! Dad! Anyone!"

Run, boy, run
This race is a prophecy
Run, boy, run
And disappear in the trees

Five looked around one more time, his breathing becoming heavier and more rapid as he struggled to stay calm. He quickly looked to his hands and attempted to jump back to his time, but his hands only flickered with a small blue force before the light disappeared.

"Come on!" He yelled as he continued to try and jump back to his time. His throat was tight as he whispered, "Come on, please ."

When it still didn't work, he dropped his hands and muttered out, "Shit." He looked back up and around at the decay before him. Five felt sick to his stomach as he realized it was going to be a while before he saw his family again, before he saw Emilia.

He told himself not to cry, but a single tear rolled down his face as he thought about what he had just left behind. And as the consequences of his actions began to fully set in, Five only thought of one thing.

Of how he should've stayed back and talked to his sister. The same sister who, at that exact moment back in the time period he had left her, was calling out for the boy who had just ran out of the academy upset.

Five wanted nothing more in the world to be back with his family. . .with Emilia. . .but that wasn't possible anymore because of what he did. A small sob left his mouth. "What have I done?" he whispered.

Tomorrow is another day
And you won't have to hide away
You'll be man, boy
But for now it's time to run
It's time to run

In both the future and the present that Five had just left behind, Five and Emilia fell to their knees with tears rolling down their faces and their best friend on their minds.

- - -

Present. . .

Emilia let out a small hiss of pain as she attempted to clean the cut on her face. The washcloth she used was bloodied by the time she was finished and she looked at herself in the mirror. There was now a line going from the side of her face to just above the corner of her mouth in a diagonal line. Her fingers brushed gently across the top and she sighed as she tried to tell herself it wasn't as noticeable as she thought it was.