☂
OPEN UP YOUR EYES
"Because Dad only loved himself."
☂
5 YEARS AGO
Vanya walked across the street. It was daytime, and bit cold. She wore her gray sweater and her green puff jacket. Her violin case strap over her shoulder. She stopped in front of a book store. She looked in the window. There were comics of the tales of the seven extraordinary children on display. But you could never really know what she was really looking at.
'Here goes nothing.' She thought.
She walked inside the door, asking the cashier for the red one-hundred-twenty dollar type writer.
***
Vanya sat at her table and began typing words onto her vanilla colored pages.
"My name is Vanya Hargreeves, and this is my story."
The bell on the typewriter went off, so she pushed the gear back into the starting position.
- Don't know where to run to -
- Don't know where to hide -
It became night, and she was still typing.
- Seen my future comin' -
She even ate her dinner as she typed. Editing her paper with a pencil.
- Like the rising of the tide -
- But I lost you -
Morning would come around, again. She was still at the table typing.
- Lonely woman -
***
Vanya mailed her book to the publishing company.
A woman opened the yellow package, which contained a stack of vanilla colored pages. With the whole story written on the them.
"We were never a real family. We were our father's creation, family in name...
***
Vanya sat on a wooden stool as the photographer took her picture for her autobiography.
"And smile." The man said.
"...but not in fact."
Her hair was down. She wore comfortable clothes. Even though inside her mind, she most definitely was not comfortable.
***
"In the end, after our brother Ben had died, and our sister Y/N had disappeared, there was nothing really connecting us."
Vanya's book had been in book stores and shopping malls all over the world. People even showed up for her book read.
"We were just strangers living under the same roof..."
***
Luther-- in his normal body-- did pushups in his room as he read the famous true story of the Umbrella Academy.
"...destined to be alone..."
***
Allison sat in her chair as the makeup artist was doing her makeup. She read the book with an irritated face.
"...starved for attention..."
Allison had purposely moved her head. The makeup artist groaned quietly as she thought that she had made a mistake. Allison had said nothing but moved her hair out of her face.
***
"...damaged by our upbringing..."
Diego punched a punching bag, which had the cover of Vanya's book duct taped to the leather.
***
Y/N sat at a table in a cafe. She had a cap on and read the book that was written by Vanya Hargreeves as she drank her coffee.
"...broken by pain and anger..."
***
"Oh, my God. She wrote that?" Ben asked as he stood next to Klaus, who was sitting with group of people who had problems, and were also in rehab. "I can't believe she would do that."
"Shh!" Klaus shushed him. The people that sat in the therapy circle with him gave him a look.
"...and haunted by what might have been."
***
Five sat in the apocalyptic world. His skin and clothes were dusty. Delores sat in the corner. He had her book in his hands.
"We all wanted to be loved by a man incapable of giving love."
***
Reginald stood by his book shelf in the living room. The autobiography was held in his hands. So, he had read the book. But his eyes were stuck on that one page that had a note directed to him.
Dad,
I figured, why not?
V.
"Our father never missed an opportunity to remind me that I was ordinary."
He closed the book and put it back in the shelf.
"A hard thing for a little girl to hear."
***
A worker at the book store put a sign up on the window display of Vanya's book. '50% off'.
"If you're raised to believe nothing about you is special, if the benchmark is extraordinary, what do you do if you're not?" Vanya finished. There were only two people left in the bookstore.
They clapped solemnly. From the looks of it, I don't think the book was that great.
***
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." Vanya panted as she ran for the hills. Well, not literally. The weight of her violin case slowed her down. She was late for rehearsal.
Vanya opened the wooden door. The orchestra was already playing music. "Shit." She murmured. She rushed over to her seat. Setting her case on the floor, and opening it noisily. The conductor stopped moving his hands as he heard Vanya's clatter. She looked up awkwardly. "Um... I'm so sorry I'm late." She says.
"I hadn't noticed." He said as he cleared his throat. He grinned at her, so she quickly picked up her violin.
The conductor tapped his baton. "From the top." The music resumed. He looked at the woman who sat in first chair. Her violin skills were excellent. She had something quite special.
***
Luther and Allison watched the footage of their father's true death.
In the footage, Grace stood by the door, as she held a monocle in her hand. Y/N stood next to Reginald. Her eyes all black as a black mist shot from her hand, and into his chest. His body shook as he fell back. Y/N's eyes went back to its normal color, and she walked to the door, with Grace leading her out.
"Play it again." Luther said.
"We've watched it over and over, Luther. It's the same every time." Allison said as Luther sighed. He knew his mother. And he definitely knew Y/N. She wouldn't do this... right?
"Er... What is Mom doing? And Y/N... what is that? How is she doing that?" Luther asked.
Allison shook her head in confusion.
"Her eyes. Is there another Y/N?" Luther asked.
"Uh-- I don't know. Maybe-- Maybe she has other powers that she's not telling us about. I don't know." Allison said.
Luther sighed as he rubbed his head. They've been watching the same footage since last night. "Where did you find this?" He asked her.
"I was looking at old footage of us as kids," Allison stood up. "And I saw the tape just sitting there."
"Yeah, Dad must have started using the security system again. He was getting more and more paranoid. He thought people were out to get him. Well... I guess maybe he was right." Luther stated.
"But Mom? And Y/N? I mean, Y/N. We both know she hated him but she'd never do this. And she can't be capable of whatever... that, is. And Mom? I mean, she's not capable of..." She stopped. Luther looked to her. She was thinking, of all the possibilities. "Is she?"
Luther looked back at the screen.
They were gonna go talk to Grace.
***
Grace hummed as he dropped in a fourth egg from the shell and into the pan. She wore the same pink and black polka-dot dress, with her her white button up and apron.
Luther looked towards one another. Table settings and a glass of orange juice in front of them.
"Mom? We need to ask you some questions about the night that Dad died. Do you remember anything?" Luther asked her.
She turned around animatedly. "Of course. Sunset, 7:33 p.m. Moon was waxing crescent, dinner was Cornish hen, wild rice, and carrots." She spoke quickly. Almost like something was wrong.
"No. No, uh... later that night. In his bedroom. With Y/N. Did you two go and see him?" Luther questioned.
Grace smiled. "I don't recall." She turned back around and started scraping the eggs as she continued humming a beautiful tune.
Luther and Allison looked back at one another. He nodded to her as she rolled her eyes, but tried talking to her anyway.
"Were you ever... I don't know, angry with Dad?" Allison asked.
Grace scraped the pan a little more harder than usual. "Your father was a good man. A kind man. He was very good to me." Grace said.
"Yes, but after we all left, it must have been difficult." Allison said.
"Oh, there were days. You kids kept me oh so busy, and then..." She stopped abruptly. A sad face appeared.
"What?" Luther asked.
Grace just smiled, as if nothing had happened.
"What were you gonna say?" Allison asked.
"Eggs are ready!" Grace exclaimed as she quickly turned back around.
Allison turned back to Luther. At this point, they knew she wasn't going to say anything.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Grace walked over to the table. Two plates in her hands. It had two over medium eggs, that were set as eyes, and a strip of bacon, as mouth. "Now, eat up. Both of you."
They both looked at their breakfast.
Something is up. With everything.
***
The police had arrived at the second shooting this week. Gimbel Brothers. They set little yellow cones with numbers on the floors. Detective Eudora Patch took pictures of anything with bullet holes. The place was full of police department staff. Just not witnesses.
Diego walked over to the middle of the store. He picked up what looked to be a bullet shell.
"Do you seriously still not understand the chain of custody? If you touch it, I can't use it." The woman argued as she stood over Diego.
Diego put his hand up for her to listen. "Let me save you some time running ballistics. These nine-millimeters haven't been manufactured since 19-" He was cut off.
"1963. Odd, I know. Matching casings were found at a murder scene last night. Ishmael's Towing." She began.
"The driver?" He asked.
"Found him hanging from the ceiling. Looks like he must have known something after all."
"It's a shame nobody told you to go talk to him." Diego teased. Eudora rolled her eyes. Another detective walked over to her. A bag of evidence in her hands.
"In a span of 24 hours, I've had attacks in three different places across town. Whatever this is, whoever this is, they're not slowing down. So, if you really give a shit and you've got any fresh ideas, I'm all ears." Eudora finalized. She decided to have faith and put her trust in Diego. She knew he seemed to have a sort of thing for stuff like this, which she was glad. But she would never admit it out loud.
"The guy's kids, in the doughnut shop?" Diego asked her.
"I've got units tracking extended family in case anyone goes after them." She said.
"Well, this place must have surveillance footage."
"No, it doesn't exist. The first unit on the scene clocked two shooters fleeing the premises, wearing, get this, creepy kids' masks." Eudora mocked.
"This city really is going to shit, huh?" Diego remarked.
"Coming from the guy dressed in spandex?" She mocked.
"It's not spandex, it's leather. And you used to like it. A lot, if I recall." He said, stepping a bit closer to her.
"God, please un-remember that."
"Etched into the data bank, Eudora." Diego said.
"And we're done." She said as she walked away.
"Yeah, well, you go fill out your forms while I go hunt these animals down." Diego said as she continued walking. "And, Detective," He called out. She turned around. "I do give a shit." The woman grinned at him. At least there was a bit of progress.
Her partner walked over to her. "I still can't get over the fact that you two used to--" He began.
"Not another word, Beeman. Not another damn word." She said as she walked towards the door.
***
Vanya walked into the bathroom of the orchestra building. She heard the violins play from outside the door. She went over to wash her hands, until she saw the woman who played beautifully in first chair.
"Helen..." Vanya walked over to her. Allison's harsh words still stayed in her mind. It was a new day. Reginald was dead. It was time to change. "You were great today. Really, really great."
"Thanks." Helen answered as she finished adjusting her hair for the last time, and went to pick up her jacket.
"It's those runs in Stravinsky. I've been hacking at them for weeks, and you just make--"
"Make them look easy?" Helen asked. Vanya nodded her head. She thought she was weird. She thought that talking to Vanya was waste of time. But would she ever want to hurt her feelings? No. "What's your name again?" She asked.
"Vanya."
"Vanya. And how many years have you been stuck in third chair?" She asked her. Vanya looked down. She felt that the woman was almost lecturing her. "At a certain point, it's not about practice. It's whether you've got something special. And maybe you just... don't. You can put in your 10,000 hours, or... you can go find something you're actually passionate about and stop slogging away at Stravinsky like a scared 13-year-old."
Vanya looked down. Helen meant well. Well, that's probably not what Vanya thought. "Think it over." Helen said softly, and walked away. Taking her jacket and violin with her. Vanya took another one of her pills and swallowed it down.
***
Cha-Cha stood in the kitchen of the motel room. She held a curling iron in her hand as the heat sizzled on her skin to seal the cut that Five had gave her with a garden knife.
"...at an RV park. But they can have generators on them, they can have their own tanks for waste, everything. All these materials, this is what I'd use on a normal house..."
Cha-Cha listened to the TV play as she put down her curling iron and walked over to grab her white button up shirt. "I don't understand how you can watch this crap." She argued.
"You don't find it interesting, how ordinary people live their lives. They're agonizing over kitchen cabinets as if the entire fate of the universe rests on whether they choose azure blue or asparagus green." Hazel answered her remark.
"And your point is?" She asked. Her shirt had blood from her cut before she "treated" it.
"Sometimes there's beauty in the mundane, you know?" He asked her.
"Well, then, this is the most beautiful room I've ever seen." She mocked. Hazel chuckled. Until he heard a whoosh and clank from the wall. They two looked at each other, then made their way to the bathroom.
Cha-Cha opened the little tiled door, as she pulled out an old fashioned metal jar from what looked like an air pipe of some sort. She opened the jar and poured the small folded note into Hazel's hand. They stood in the shower. Not noticing how awkward and weird it was right now.
He unfolded the note and squinted his eyes as he read. "Seven percent reduction in payment due to job delay. Further reduction every 24 hours until job completion." He crumbled the paper and threw it on the ground. "That is just... I mean... It's only been one lousy day." He grabbed the jar from Cha-Cha's hand and put it back in the air pipe. He slammed the tiled door. But not enough the close it completely. "Let's see 'em get out from behind their desks, get their hands dirty for once. Damn lazy bastards."
Cha-Cha closed the door all the way, making the pipe fly all the way back to headquarters. "Are you done?" She asked.
"Yeah." He answered. Taking his hands out of his pockets.
"Well, let's get back out there and kill this little shit."
***
Five sat in his room, on his bed. He stitched the cut that was set on his shoulder. He didn't even bother to clean up the blood. He then put a 'Billy the Choo-Choo Train' band-aid on his stitches. He put on his button up shirt, then his vest, then his tie, then his blazer. He wondered where Y/N had gone. He hadn't seen her since last night. Where had she gone? Had she walked away like she did seventeen years ago? Or was something actually wrong. But Five knew she could take care of herself. She has been for seventeen years, after all.
Five zipped the bag that carried Delores inside. He opened the window and climbed out, taking the fire escape. He saw Klaus standing in the green stained dumpster. Throwing the trash bags anywhere and everywhere.
"Damn it, where's Dad's stuff?" Klaus whined. A cigarette in his mouth.
"Can we go see a movie or something? Or the ocean?" Ben asked as he sat on the fire escape.
"Shut up! I'm trying to find whatever... priceless crap was in that priceless box so that Pogo will get off my ass!" Klaus yelled.
Five climbed down the black ladder. "I'd ask what you're up to, Klaus, but then it occurred to me... I don't care." Five remarked.
"Hey!" Klaus laughed. "You know there are easier ways out of the house, buddy?"
"This one involved the least amount of talking. Or so I thought." Five jumped the ladder and began walking away.
"Hey, hey, hey, so... You need anymore company today?" Klaus asked. His canister in his hand, as he leaned on the rim of the dumpster. "I'm sure Y/N could come with you. You know. Stir the pot again, like last time. I could, uh... clear my schedule."
"Looks like you've got your hands full." Five said.
"Oh, this? No, no. I can do this whenever. I'm just--" Klaus fell into the pile of trash. "I just misplaced something. That's all." Five waited for him to shut up so he could leave. "Oh! Found it! Thank God!" Klaus held up a half eaten bagel. He took a bite of it and gulped it down. "Delicious."
"I'm done funding your drug habit." Five snarled as he walked away.
"Come on! You don't-- Maybe I just wanna hang out with my brother. Not you." He looked towards Ben who sat on the rim of the dumpster. "¡Mi hermano! I love you!" Five walked slowly towards the plumbing truck as the driver walked away. "Even if you can't love yourself!" Klaus spit out the pieces of bagel he just ate. He even ate a damn rotten bagel for Five.
"Take Y/N with you!"
***
Five got into the truck. He pulled out his knife and aimed at the unknown person next to him. They raised their hand as Five's hand stopped in mid air.
"When are you not going to pull a knife on the person next to you?" Y/N asked calmly. Deep inside, she was cackling.
"When are you gonna stop doing that?" Five asked as he turned the engine on. Y/N smirked to herself as they started driving.
"What was that?" Five asked as he drove.
"What was what?" Y/N asked.
"Oh, don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about. At the office. I saw you. Y/N, your entire personality changed in seconds. It's like you weren't Y/N anymore. You were... someone else." Five said.
Y/N looked out the window. "I don't know. It... It happens a lot, lately. And I don't know why."
"What do you do when it does happen?" Five asked. For once, he was actually concerned. For once, he felt soft.
"Sometimes when... when I hurt, someone, I can feel it happening. And I feel like... I don't wanna ever stop."
It became quiet between the two siblings. Five kept his eyes on the road. But he felt his heart beat faster. And he didn't know why.
***
Five and Y/N sat still in silence as they kept their eyes peeled. Looking towards the MeriTech building. Lance, the same doctor they threatened, walked towards the building. A paper cupholder with four coffee cups in his hands as he looked around. The Hargreeves siblings arrival made him paranoid. He wanted nothing more than to forget that havoc situation.
Five looked away from the building, still lost in thought. Until he remembered something. He looked the back of the van to see the green duffel bag he'd stuffed Delores in. "Oh, shit." He unzipped the bag. Taking out a bottle of vodka before her. "Hey. Sorry you were in there for so long, Delores." Five looked towards Y/N with pleading eyes. She rolled her eyes, but took Delores into her lap.
"Do you talk to her?" She asked him.
"Yeah. Even in the apocalypse, I did." He answered her.
"And does she answer back?" Y/N asked.
"In my mind, yes. I'm not sure about anyone else's. A relationship with a mannequin? Not something you see everyday." Five remarked. Y/N chuckled in her mind.
The boy looked quietly out the window. Hearing Delores's voice in his head.
"Are you drunk, again?"
"No, I'm not drunk. I'm working."
"Is this about the eye thing?"
"Yes, it's about the eye thing. This is the place it was made. Or... will be made." He sighed as he put his focus back on the building. "We just have to wait."
***
"I don't like this anymore than you do, but she's hiding something." Luther said to Allison as they stood in the living room. Let's just it's been a rough few days.
"Hiding? To me, she just sounded confused." Allison answered. Her arms crossed.
"Well, uh... You saw the tape. Y/N knew what she was doing. So did Grace."
"Grace? This morning, she was Mom."
"She's a machine, Allison." Luther remarked.
"Who read to us and cleaned up after us and put us to bed. And then we left her here, alone, in this house for thirteen years. I mean, no wonder she lost her mind. To be away from your kids?" Allison stated. She was on the brink of having a breakdown.
"Hey, what happened with... Claire? With Patrick? You never told me." Luther said as he made his way to the cushion bench.
"Yeah, I don't wanna talk about it." Allison said. Making her way to a seat.
"It's just... when we were kids, we used to sit in here and tell each other everything."
"Yeah, and then we grew up." Allison remarked. Luther gave her a pleading look. She sighed in defeat. "Things got ugly between Patrick and me. Now the court says I have to do this mandatory therapy thing before I can have visitation."
"What for?" He asked.
Allison just looked to him, then down to her feet. He already realized. She made a wish, and it came true, and she couldn't take it back.
"You used your power on her."
"I mean, there were days where she'd have these epic meltdowns. And no matter what I said, she wouldn't stop. She was three then, and I... I know that's what three-year-olds are supposed to do. So I said I would do it that one time. Only it wasn't just that one time." She shook her head as tears came to her eyes. "I told myself any... parent with my power would do the same. That it wasn't wrong. I just had an advantage. I mean, from the time I was little, I used to get everything I wanted."
"Mm-hmm." Luther hummed. He remembered those days.
"With Dad, with my career... But now, I know nothing in my life was real."
Luther looked at her sadly. He had tears pricking at his eyes.
"So I'm starting over. I just didn't think it would be so hard." Allison finished. Her tears faded away as she calmed down.
"It'll get easier. Some things just take time." Luther supported.
"Yeah. And some things just stay broken."
The two siblings sat in the living room silently. Nobody said anything else after that.
***
Vanya walked towards a little shop in Bricktown.
'Imperial Woodwares'. The sign said.
She decided to give up the idea of ever meeting Leonard here. But as soon as she turned around, she saw Leonard walk towards her with a small grin in his face. A coffee cup, and some mail in his hands.
"You're still lookin' for Mr. Puddles." He said.
"I-- I got out of rehearsal and was in the neighborhood, so I thought... I--" Vanya started.
"Came all the way to Bricktown?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders and looked down.
"Well, since you're here, you might as well come in." He pulled his keys out of his pocket, and unlocked the door.
Vanya walked inside as he followed after. The store was filled with dozens of wooden lanterns, chairs, tables, lamps. Anything that you could think of made of wood. It was all here.
"These are beautiful." Vanya complimented.
"Ah, thank you. Restoration antiques. It's my bread and butter." Leonard set down the things in his hands. "But I do play around with other things."
"Like what?" She asked as he took off his jacket.
"Oh... I don't know. It's kind of embarrassing. Come on." He picked up his coffee cup and walked over to the back of the store. Pulling the green curtain back for her to walk through. She looked around the see millions of little wooden figures. They were displayed on the rusted metal shelves.
"You made all these?" Vanya asked.
"When I was a kid, my imagination was my escape. And, clearly, I never grew up." Leonard said.
Vanya looked to him with an impressed look. "No, it's amazing. Which one is your favorite?" She asked.
"Ballerina is kind of my best. Or maybe the duck. Or the other duck. Or the other duck." Leonard joked at his wooden duck collection. Vanya chuckled silently.
"But there is one you should see." He walked over to his desk and pick up the wooden figure. It was a figure of a woman playing a violin. It was Vanya.
"Is that...?" She asked him.
"Okay, so I might have... stayed up last night making this." Leonard said.
"Wow. It's beautiful." She complimented.
"Thank you. Take it." He said.
"Oh, no. I..."
"I insist. Please. I made it for you." He said.
She took the little figure in her hand. Nobody had cared for her like this. Not since Y/N.
"You inspired me." He said. They looked at each other and grinned. The figure looked just like her.
***
"This is so bizarre. We've known each other for... two days? I feel like you know me better than anyone in my family. Besides one of my sisters."
He chuckled. "Hey. This might be a little inappropriate, seeing as I'm your... impressionable young student, but... would you want to have dinner with me tonight?" He asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
"Yeah." She nodded her head.
"It's fast..."
"No, I--"
"...I know, but..."
"I'd like that." Vanya said.
"Yeah?"
She grinned at him. Until she saw her tall and famous sister walk up to them. "Allison?" She asked.
"Hey." She greeted. Leonard looked at her with confusion.
"Leonard, this is my sister, Allison." Vanya said.
"Wait a second, I know you. You were in that movie. You're in the movie, the... You were the lawyer. The tough one in the wheelchair, right?" He asked.
"Yeah." She chuckled. "Yeah, that was me."
"You didn't tell me your sister was a movie star. Wow! You were in that Umbrella thing, too, weren't you?"
Allison couldn't really answer that as she turned to Vanya. So did Leonard. "But you weren't in that, were you?" He asked her.
"No, uh... I was sort of the fifth Beatle of the family, so..."
"I never really did like the Beatles. More of a Stones guy, myself." Leonard joked. She grinned at. In the moment, she felt alive.
"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but, uh... could you come back to the house? We're having a family meeting." Allison said.
"And you guys want me there?" Vanya asked.
"Of course." Allison gave the guy a look, as he looked down. "It's about Mom, and Y/N."
Vanya looked towards Leonard. "I'm so sorry. I--"
"Oh, don't be. We'll do a rain check on dinner." Leonard said as he started walking away. "Bye."
"Thanks." She said.
"Yeah."
Vanya turned back around. Looking at Allison. "Who's the guy?" Allison asked.
"He's a... just a friend." Vanya said.
"Friend?" The woman asked her. Vanya rolled her eyes.
"No, it's not... Maybe I'm just trying to not separate myself from everything and everyone." Vanya remarked.
Allison looked down to her feet in guilt.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you yesterday. Especially with that book and Y/N. I was angry with Patrick, and I... I took it out on you. I'm really sorry. I'm uh... I'm not good at this whole sister thing."
"I hadn't noticed." Vanya remarked.
"Ouch. Tell me how you really feel." Allison said.
"Maybe I will." Vanya answered with a grin.
Allison laughed. "Okay!"
***
Five and Y/N were still silently sitting in the van. Five stared at the prosthetic eyeball in his hand. He couldn't find an answer. Not even a theory as to how the world ended. He looked to his side to see Y/N asleep. He saw spot a faded purple on her cheek. That didn't seem fake. He caressed the spot with his hand. He hadn't realized how peaceful she looked when she slept. It almost seemed like she was dead. But her skin was warm, and her chest went up and down as she breathed. He suddenly forgot how to breathe. He'd felt so distracted since he got back. But now he knew why. It was her. He was distracted because he cared about her. Probably a little too much.
Five turned away from the girl and looked out the window once again. He saw a blonde woman walk pass on the sidewalk. Maybe if he'd stayed, he would've grown up. Or if he'd never been born this way, he'd probably be normal. Oh, so beautifully normal. Like everyone else in this world.
"Kick it over here!" He heard. He saw three kids playing soccer on the sidewalk. He could've been a real boy. And not some sixteen-year-old boy who fought crime against his will. Suddenly, he was trapped in his own mind. Ashes began to fall in the van. He opened the van door, and stepped out. Everything was on fire, and destroyed.
"No." His voice echoed.
"Five! Five!" He heard a girl's voice.
"No!" He yelled.
He felt hands grab the sides of his face. He was pulled back to reality as he saw Y/N's face. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked with a concerned expression.
"Yeah." He nodded his head breathlessly.
Her expression back to calm. "Good. Because Luther wants to talk to you, and I don't want to be here when it happens." She says as she crawled to the back.
Luther opened the door and climbed in. "What are you..." Unfortunately he struggled to get into the van, due to his massive height. "Oh my god..." Luther grunted.
Five looked away from him. Secretly he was grinning with laughter. Though, he would never show it. Considering the mad and obnoxious bastard he is.
Luther finally squeezed himself inside. Closing the door after.
"You okay?" Luther asked.
"You shouldn't be... How did you find us?" Five asked.
"Um..." Luther said as he nodded his head towards the back.
"Hey, baby... Hey a little privacy, guys. We're really hitting it off back here." Klaus said. Until Five threw a soda can at him.
"Get out! You can't be here! I'm in the middle of something." Five yelled as Klaus reached the front of the van.
"Any luck finding your one-eyed man?" Klaus asked.
"No." Five whispered.
"What's he talkin' about?" Luther asked.
"Does it matter? It's Klaus." Five sighed. "What do you want, Luther?"
"Um... So, Grace and Y/N may have had something to do with Dad's death. So I need you to come back to the academy, all right? It's important." Luther explained.
"'It's important'. You have no concept of what's important. And why would Y/N be involved?"
"Hey! Did I ever tell you guys about the time I waxed my ass with chocolate pudding?" Klaus laughed. "It was so painful."
"What are you still doing here?" Luther asked.
Five chuckled softly. "Ay, ay, ay..."
"What? I-- What? I need an excuse to hang out with my family?" Klaus asked with a hurt expression.
"We're just trying to have a serious conversation." Luther said.
"What, and I'm incapable of being serious? Is that what you're saying?" Klaus asked.
"Luther's got a point, you should get out."
"What?"
Klaus slid open the van door and stepped out. "Fine!" He yelled, and walked away as he walked towards a snack store.
***
"What the hell are you up to?" Luther asked.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me. Last I checked, I'm still the leader of this family."
"Well, last I checked, I'm 28 years older than you." Five said with an irritating grin.
"You know what your problem is?"
"Really hoping you'll tell me."
"You think you're better than us. You always have. Even when we were kids. Even Y/N should know that. Right Y/N?" Luther asked as he looked to the back, only to be answered with silence.
"She left. Right when you decided to barge in." Five said with a snarl.
Luther sighed and looked at Five. "Don't try changing the subject. The truth is, you're just as messed up as the rest of us. We're all you have. And you know it."
Five clenched his jaw, then spoke again. "I don't think that I'm better than you, Number One. I know I am."
Luther chuckled bitterly.
"I've done unimaginable things, things you couldn't even comprehend." Five said. Absolutely boasting about his ego.
"Right." Luther said sarcastically.
"Just to get back here and save you all."
***
Klaus ran out of a snack store. A bunch of things in his hands as some of them fell. "Whoo!" He yelled.
"Stop!" A man yelled from inside.
Klaus started running.
"Hey! Stop right there!" A policeman yelled as he ran after him.
"Hey, bitches!" Klaus greeted as he ran passed Five and Luther.
The policeman began blowing his whistle harshly. "You, get back here!"
Klaus ran into a taxi car. "Out of the way, asshole!"
"Now I'm starting to wonder if that was the wisest decision."
***
"You really love doughnuts, don't you?" Agnes asked the man in the blue suit as he enjoyed his doughnut.
"Is there anything better in this world?" Hazel asked.
She chuckled as she swept the floor. "Well, I suppose not. Though I guess I'm kind of biased, seeing as how I make them all day, every day."
"All day, every day. Elaborate." Hazel said.
"Well, um... I get here before the sun's up. I measure the dry ingredients, I mix in the slurry real slow and load 'em all into the extruder." She explained.
Hazel chuckled. "Extruder."
"Yep. That's what makes them into the doughnut shapes. The real trick is, um..." She walked back behind the counter. "I let 'em rise for about half an hour before I fry 'em up. That's what makes them so... light and fluffy."
"How come your so light and fluffy?" Hazel asked.
She laughed. "Well, I guess you are what you eat."
"Uh, might I try a raspberry jelly?" Hazel asked.
"Oh. Sure." Agnes grabbed some tongs and placed the doughnut on a little plate. Hazel gave her a silent 'thank you' as he took the plate. "The secret's in the jelly." She whispered.
He took a bite into the doughnut. "Agnes. Beautiful name."
"Well, thanks. It means 'pure'." She said.
"Of course it does." Hazel said. They both chuckled at his comment.
Cha-Cha opened the bathroom door as she walked out. Hazel cleared his throat. Ready to do his job. "So, uh... is there anything that you might be able to tell us about the night that this place got shot up?" He asked.
"Um... Well, I-- I mean, I already told the police everything I know. Twice, actually." Agnes chuckled.
"Do you remember the boy from that night?" Cha-Cha asked.
"I didn't really notice him, to be honest. His sister was with him. Uh, them and their father sat right over there." Agnes said as she pointed towards the seat. She remembered that night perfectly. The man. The boy with that sarcastic smile, and the girl. Normal as can be.
"That most definitely was not their father." Cha-Cha said.
"We're just concerned for his... safety, is all. It's a dangerous world out there. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him." Hazel explained.
"Are you with the police?" Agnes asked.
"We were hired by the children's family to help get to the bottom of things." Cha-Cha said.
"So if there's anything you could tell us, we'd really appreciate it. I'd really... appreciate it." Hazel continued.
"I'd-- I'd really would like to help, but I wouldn't know anything about that." Agnes said. Cha-Cha began heading for the door. "Although, come to think of it, there was one thing. They had a... um, a tattoo on their wrists. I mean, who lets their kids get a tattoo?" Agnes asked.
"Unbelievable." Hazel commented.
"You mind drawing that tattoo?" Cha-Cha asked.
"Sure, I... Yeah, I can..." She took out her notepad and pen. She started drawing the Umbrella Academy symbol. "It was a circle... and... Good. And there was... Ah, yeah."
***
"I mean, do you really think Mom and Y/N would hurt Dad? Especially Y/N? If she had come back, we would've known, right?" Vanya asked as her and the rest of her siblings-- minus Y/N, and Five-- watched the tape.
"You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya. Maybe you don't know Grace anymore. Or Y/N." Luther said.
"If he was struck in the chest, it would have shown in the coroner's report." Diego said.
"Well, I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes." Luther remarked.
Diego nodded his head sarcastically. "Maybe all that low gravity in space messed with your vision." Diego pressed a button on the tape player. "Look closer. Dad has his monocle. Mom stands up. Monocle's gone. That's when Y/N strikes him in the chest with her... magic, ju-ju thing." Diego explained.
"Oh, yeah!" Klaus cheered.
"Mom didn't exactly kill Dad. Y/N did. Mom was just taking the monocle. To clean it." Diego said as she walked towards the back.
"Then where is it? No, I've searched the house, including all her things. She doesn't have it. I even checked Y/N's old room. Then I thought she gave it to Y/N, even though she never stayed here, but she would've noticed she had the monocle by now, so where would Grace put the monocle?" Luther asked.
"That's because I took it from her. After the funeral." Diego admitted, his knife in his hand.
"You've had the monocle this whole time? What the hell, Diego?" Allison judged.
"Give it to me." Luther demanded.
"I threw it away."
"You what?" Luther asked with a tone. Allison scoffed as she took a sip of her drink.
"Look, I knew that if you found it on Mom, or Y/N, you'd lose your shit, just like your doing right now." Diego pointed at him with his knife.
"Diego, you son of a bitch." Luther said with tears in his eyes, as he walked towards him. Diego put his fists up in defense.
"Hey. No. Calm down." Vanya said. Stopping the two from fighting again. "Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book. But I do remember thing he said. Mom was, well, designed to be a caretaker, but... also as a protector."
"What does that mean?" Allison asked.
"She was programmed to intervene if someone's life was in jeopardy." Vanya explained.
"Well, if her hardware is degrading, then... We need to turn her off." Luther said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. She's not a vacuum cleaner you can throw in a closet. She feels things, I've seen it!" Diego argued.
"She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die. So did Y/N. We mind as well turn her off than to isolate Y/N somewhere she can't hurt anyone." Luther said.
"I'm with Luther." Allison said.
"Surprise, surprise." Diego taunted.
"Shut up." Allison spat.
They both turned to Vanya. "I-- I don't--"
"Yeah, she shouldn't get a vote" Diego said.
"Wh--" Luther scoffed.
"I was gonna say that I agree with you." Vanya said.
"Okay. She should get a vote. What about you, stoner boy? What do you got?" Diego asked.
"Oh, so what? You need my help now? Oh, 'Get out of the van Klaus!' 'Well, welcome back to the van.'" Klaus joked dryly.
"What van?" The movie star questioned.
"What's it gonna be, Klaus?" Luther asked.
"I'm with Diego, because screw you!" Diego pointed at him in victory. "And if Ben were here, he'd agree with me."
"No, I don't." Ben said dryly. Klaus hissed at him.
"So that's three." Diego put his fingers up.
"Wait."
"To two."
"Vote's not final yet." Allison said.
"What?"
"Five and Y/N are not here. The whole family has to vote. We owe each other that."
"You're right. But maybe Y/N shouldn't vote. She was involved in his death. We should wait for Five, though." Luther said. Him, Allison, and Klaus walked out of the room.
Diego turned around to see Grace standing in the hallway. He walked over to her. "Hey." He put his hand on her shoulder. "How long you been here?" He asked.
Grace looked at him. A smile growing on her face. "You all seem upset. I'll make cookies." She said as she walked away.
Vanya walked over to a silent Diego. "Do you ever wonder..." He turned to her. "All those moments with Mom, the things she said. Like was it her, or was it really Dad?" She asked.
"What are you talking about?" Diego asked.
"Well, he built her. And he programmed her to be a mom, to be our mom. Sometimes when I look at her, I just see him." She explained.
"Maybe that was true at first. But she evolved." Diego said.
"Well how do you know?" She asked.
"Because Dad only loved himself." Diego said, then walked away.
Vanya looked down, then reached into her pocket for her pill bottle. Taking one out, and swallowing it down.
***
Pogo was watching the scene unfold from above. He knew what was to come.
All he had to do was wait.
☂