Replacement (The Umbrella Academy)

Chapter 9: Where's Five?

Ashlinn sighs as she stands up and walks away from her vanity. She sat there for most of the night, trying to fully process, everything that was happening. She also worked out what she was going to do today. Her main mission was to find Five. Then, once she's done that, she'll get more satisfactory answers from the eccentric boy.

She quickly changed her clothes before rushing downstairs. She was somehow full of energy as she continues walking through the mansion, but she stopped when she saw Grace.

"Mom?" Ashlinn slowly walks towards Grace as she looks down at her wrist, which had wires exposed and sticking out everywhere. Ashlinn crouched in front of her, examining the wires.

"This had to have been those psychos from last night." She mumbles to herself with tears in her eyes. She closed her eyes as she urged herself not to cry.

"Focus. You have a goal today." Ashlinn stands up but just as she does, Allison and Luther approach.

"It's horrible. Isn't it?"Allison says to Ashlinn as Luther crouches in front of Grace.

"It was those assholes in the masks last night." Ashlinn was now angry. She now had determination festering inside. She runs off, leaving Allison and Luther. They call out to her but she didn't have time to stop. Finding Five and getting proper answers was way more important than whatever questionnaire they had planned.

She ran out of the academy and flagged down a taxi. She sat in and she took a deep breath.

"Meritech Prosthetics, please." She says to the driver. She sits back and tries to relax as she gets herself mentally ready for Five's complicated and vague answers.

The driver pulls up and Ashlinn pays him before exiting the taxi. She immediately runs over to the van but to her disappointment, Five was gone.

"Shit!" She exclaims as she stomps her foot. A habit of hers that shows she's frustrated. She opens the driver's door and she begins looking around for any clues as to where the hell Five might be.

She searches everywhere for any sort of clue as to where he ran off to. She looked under the seats, through the glove box, the side door. She then climbs into the back of the van and she begins searching around there. She was going through all his things for about half an hour before she sat back. She was more frustrated than ever.

"Where the fuck are you?" Ashlinn sits back and she kicks a bag that lies in front of her. She was exhausted and her sleep deprivation was catching up to her.

"I'll rest for five minutes..." Ashlinn leans back and she closes her eyes to rest her eyes. She smiles as she recalls a memory she hadn't thought about in a while. A memory of Ben.

Ben sat across Ashlinn on her bed. They were just sitting there talking and laughing about stupid things. Ever since he helped her, they've been very close. She was grateful to have Ben. They fell silent for a moment and Ben looked around the room. His eyes landed on the photo of Ashlinn and her parents. He frowns and Ashlinn follows where he is looking.

"Can I?" Ben gestures to the photo and Ashlinn nods. Ben reaches over and he takes the photo. He smiles at it.

"What were they like?" Ben looks up at her and she smiles.

"They were the best. I mean, yeah, we had our ups and downs but...everything always sorted itself out. I just wish they were still here. I miss them so much." Ashlinn looks at the photo.

"I wish I had grown up with my mother. I think anything would've been better than growing up here." Ben says and Ashlinn frowns at him.

"I understand.." Ashlinn takes the photo and she places it on the bed before taking Ben's hand. "But think of it this way, if you had then you never would've met your siblings. And think of all those people you've saved."

"I never would've met you." Ben smiles at her. Ashlinn could feel her cheeks heating up. She looks down smiling to herself.

Their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. She takes her hand out of Ben's as the door opens to reveal Pogo.

"Master Ben, your father needs you," Pogo says and Ben nods.

"Okay, I'll be down right away," Ben says and Pogo nods as he walks away.

"I have to go," Ben says and Ashlinn smiles at him.

"I'll see you." She waves as Ben gets off the bed.

"Bye."

Ashlinn is disturbed from her memory when she felt the van shaking. She leaned forward just as the side door opened to reveal Diego.

"Diego?" Ashlinn looks at the front and passenger seats. "Luther? What are you two doing here?" Ashlinn asks as Luther and Diego search around the van.

"We're looking for Five. I presume you're doing the same." Diego answers as he rummages through a bag.

"Yeah, but so far I've had no luck," Ashlinn says and Diego pulls out a book from the bag.

"You're just a bad detective." Diego holds up the book to reveal a library stamp. "I know where to find Five."

"I'm not a bad detective. I'm just sleep-deprived because of your idiot brother." Ashlinn grumbles and Diego laughs at her.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Diego, Luther and Ashlinn walk to the library which was halfway across town.

"Tell me again why we couldn't get a taxi?" Ashlinn complains and Diego rolls his eyes.

"Because exercise is good," Diego says and Ashlinn pouts playfully.

"But I do enough exercise in the field." Ashlinn whines and Diego looks at her with confusion.

"In the field?"

"Mhm, I'm FBI." Ashlinn states proudly and Diego smiles.

"I didn't know that," Diego says and Ashlinn looks up at him.

"I know. You don't like me enough to know that much." Ashlinn says and Diego looked like he was about to protest, but decided against it.

"Yeah, you're right," Diego says before he nudges Ashlinn playfully. "But I suppose you're not that bad now."

"I suppose you're not that bad either." Ashlinn nudges him back.

"Are you two done flirting?" Luther jabs and both Diego and Ashlinn cringe.

"Ew!"

"Gross."

Diego and Ashlinn look at each other.

"I would be offended, but I'm glad we both agree," Ashlinn says and Diego agrees.

"Whatever. We're here." Luther says as Diego and Ashlinn look at the door to the library.