The Ties That Bind: An Unlicensed Umbrella Academy Prequel

Chapter 18: Ben

After successful missions, there was always a sense of elation that lasted days. Everyone performed better in training, felt more confident in their classes, and got along better with each other. Though their exams loomed, Reginald's curt decree of their latest mission being "commendable" gave everyone a certain amount of hope for the future. The excitement of the mission kept everyone up late that night, even Luther, who played loud music from his room until 1:30 in the morning.

The late night should have made getting up hard. Usually, they were roused around 5:30 a.m. and expected to be at morning briefing by 6 a.m. sharp. But their excitement carried over to the next morning, and the bathroom endured its usual stampede of teenagers. Luther and Diego elbowed each other for use of the sink; Allison ducked back and forth behind them, trying to use the mirror to brush out her hair.

Vanya rose early with the rest, but because she was the last number, she had to wait her turn, and she stood in the hallway watching the three of them jostling for space. Klaus wandered from his room last, yawning, his hair a mess. He sat on the floor of the hallway to wait next to Ben, back against the floor, forearms on his knees. After five minutes, he said, "Can I at least get my toothbrush?"

Diego flung it at him; it hit the wall.

"Hey! You nearly hit me!" cried Ben.

"Yeah! Watch it, jerk!" cried Klaus. "Also, some toothpaste would be ni-- duck!"

Ben ducked in time to avoid the tube of toothpaste that came flying out of the bathroom.

"I hate being Number Four," grumbled Klaus, putting some toothpaste on his brush and beginning to brush without water in the hallway.

"You should try being Number Six," said Ben.

After Luther, Diego, and Allison were finished, Klaus, Ben, and Vanya hurried in to clean themselves up. Klaus and Ben loped down the stairs for the briefing, leaving Vanya to her own devices; she was present for meals such as breakfast, but was under no obligation to make it to the morning briefing, and as she'd grown older, she was more and more liable to skip it, or at least to watch from the mezzanine like a ghost instead of joining the group on the ground floor as if she belonged.

Klaus and Ben skidded into the main hall with only a minute to spare. Reginald was already waiting, with Luther on his right, and Diego and Allison on his left. Klaus and Ben completed the circle. They all waited. The grandfather clock in the hall went off, chiming out six tones that echoed in the hall because of the high ceilings and the hard tile floor.

Everyone waited, secretly hoping Reginald would begin by giving them another compliment on their mission the previous day.

Instead, he pulled out his pocket watch, checked it, wound it, held it up to his ear to confirm that it was ticking properly, and then checked it again.

They all looked at each other in confusion.

One hand on his cane and the other holding his watch, Reginald allowed silence to spool out. He checked it again, then looked at the stairs, then checked the watch a third time.

Allison got Luther's eye and raised her eyebrows. Luther offered an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

After two minutes of awkwardly standing there, Ben finally said, "Sir? ...what are we waiting for?"

Reginald did not answer. He checked his pocket-watch again instead, frowning.

"Sir?" prompted Klaus.

"Yes, Number Four?"

"What are we waiting for?"

"For Number Six," said Reginald, looking increasingly irritated.