TRUCE | D. Hargreeves

i. death in the family

i. death in the family

                     KNOX VIENNA MORRIS was many things. She was smart, brave, and deceptively beautiful. For a man with no heart, and no true friends, she was also the perfect personal assistant. Easy to talk to, never willing to fight with her employer, and always, always on time.

This morning, Knox Morris was hopping around on one foot, reading aloud the file in her hand. She was dressed for the day - wearing a no nonsense dress that hugged her curves nicely but not too tightly, one tall black high heeled pump, and small tasteful pearl earrings. In her hand, she held a file that contained material considered confidential to the public. To her, it was normal information.

"To my closest acquaintance," she read, eyes scanning the page. She was still hobbling around, attempting to slip on her other heel. To an outsider, she looked insane, but Knox Morris was too busy to worry about what others thought. "I leave my life's work and data ... Luther Hargreeves will receive one sixth of my fortune and estate."

The black heel slipped onto her foot and she sighed, finally relaxing enough to stand still. With eyes still scanning the papers, she collected her things - a black tote bag that held her calendar, wallet, and umbrella. She was sure to tuck the file into the tote with care, as to not bend the corners or wrinkle the pages.

When ready, she flipped the lights in her apartment out, being sure to turn the air conditioning off and the crockpot containing her dinner of pot roast on. She double checked the time, positive that she had more than enough time to get to work, then exited her home.

The drive to the house where she spent most of her weekdays was easy enough to do in her sleep. Knox Morris expertly took the turns and curves necessary to drive her downtown. Above her, the sky was turning the light yellow shades of early morning. The sun glinted off of windows and cars, causing Knox to squint as she drove.

She was used to it.

As the high-rises of downtown rose above the skyline, Knox relaxed. She was fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, which wouldn't be an issue. Sir Reginald Hargreeves was always up early, sitting in his office with a cup of coffee in front of him as he wrote aimlessly in one of his numerous moleskin journals.

Knox was coming in purely by request. The day, a Thursday, was usually spent at home, filing and tending to press releases for the Academy. Sir Hargreeves had asked specifically for help on this Thursday, just so he could walk through his will and testament with a pair of unbiased eyes. It was a favor. A favor that would add a healthy number to her bank account.

Like clockwork, Knox found a parking spot on the side of the street. She was sure to edge the vehicle close to the curb, and then she grabbed her black tote. Once on the sidewalk, she smoothed down her dress, and checked her reflection in the window of her car.

Her brown hair was curled softly over her shoulders, and her eyes trailed meticulously over the pieces that framed her face. Happy with her appearance, Knox turned on her heel and made her way down the street, stopping only when she reached the imposing cement block known to the public as the Umbrella Academy.

It was shoehorned between two red brick buildings, gray palette standing out in the midst of warmer tones. The iron gate that protected the premises was locked and closed. In front stood two men. They had their hands wrapped around the other's, and they were staring at the building with starry eyes. Fans.

"Excuse me," Knox said softly as she passed them, ignoring the surprised looks she received as she pulled open the iron gate and stepped up to the imposing front door of the building. No one spent much time leaving the premises except for her.