Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

THREE

CHAPTER THREE
' OPPOSE THE
PATRIARCHY AND
SHITTY SOCIETIES! '

During the descent of the stairs, Eddie pulled out her phone, and the words on the screen channelled her entire focus, causing her to stop halfway down. Simultaneously, Allison and Vanya moved deeper into the foyer, the quietness of the house odd and off-putting, before they noticed something heartwarmingly familiar - the sight of their sister. It was almost as if time hadn't passed, and they were kids again. Eddie hadn't seemed to age a day - her face still mimicked the teenage paintings along the hallway, at least, after the juvenile roundness had sharpened into right angles.

"Eddie?"

She didn't react to her name immediately. Her head slowly moved from the device, but her eyes remained on it for a beat or two longer. They waited for her to reply, and eventually, she flickered her gaze between the two women before a smile appeared. "Oh, hey! Look, it's my girls!" she descended the rest of the steps, sliding her phone into her pocket and finger-gunning them.

Allison tilted her head as she crossed her arms, sharing a look with Vanya.

"Did-did you just finger-gun us?"

Eddie shifted before letting her hands slowly drop to her side. "Kind of."

"Kind of?" Allison repeated.

"Yeah, well, I'm not thrilled with it either. It just slipped out."

"Ed, that happens with words, not actions." Allison shook her head, a fondness in her gaze.

"Whatever, man." Her tone didn't hold malice, and she walked past them, heading to the living room.

\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/

The living room finally filled as the last of the (alive or found) Hargreeves siblings entered. Eddie's gaze flickered to Vanya as she entered from her position on an armchair, body sunk into the cushions in an angle which should have been entirely uncomfortable. One hand held a screwdriver while the other clutched a fuse box. Above Five's painting, there was a hole in the ceiling, various wires hanging down and a step ladder under it. Before their eyes could meet, she returned to prodding a fuse box with a screwdriver.

"So, I guess I'll get this started," Luther began, shifting awkwardly in front of his siblings. "I think we should have a small ceremony at sundown at his favourite spot."

"Dad had a favourite spot?" Allison furrowed her eyebrows.

Eddie pulled out one of the needles of the fuse box, shoving the screwdriver between her teeth and shrugged as the actress glanced at her. The redhead didn't remove her eyes from the work, but she still watched the events in her peripheral vision.

"Yeah, under the oak tree." His eyes flickered over the others, who all wore blank expressions. "He used to sit out there with me to talk. He never did that with you?"

"Will there be refreshments?" Klaus waltzed towards them, two drinks in his hands. He stopped before her chair and brandished it before her. "M'lady."

Grinning around the screwdriver and laying the fuse box in her lap, Eddie took the new drink from Klaus. "A merry merry, kind sir." She took a long sip, half-welcoming the burn of the alcohol, before setting it down on the side table beside the armchair.

"Tea? Scones? Those little cucumber sandwiches are always a winner," Klaus continued, falling into the seat next to Vanya. He pulled out a cigarette and took a long drag of it.

"What? No!" Luther furrowed his eyebrows, and Klaus frowned, looking at Eddie with a pout.

"He has a point," Eddie defended absent-mindedly, shifting to hang one of her legs over the armrest of her chair. "Don't people just come to funerals for the free food?"