☂ inspiring leadership ☂
We only manage to make it halfway out the driveway before Diego jumps into the van.
'I'm joining you,' Is all he says. Five shrugs.
'The more the merrier, I guess.'
The drive to Harold Jenkin's house is oddly silent, and it's even worse once we reach the house.
'Be careful, okay?' Alison warns, slamming the door shut. 'We don't know what Peabody's capable of.'
'Yeah, he didn't seem dangerous when I first saw him.' Diego scoffs, flipping one of his knives. 'Looked kinda scrawny.'
'Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murderers.' Alison counters, hooking a thumb at Five. 'I mean, look at him.'
'Thanks.' Five smirks.
'It wasn't a compliment, dingus,' I roll my eyes, stealing one of Diego's knives out of his back pocket.
'Those are not lendable,' Diego tries to snatch it back.
'Whoa, whoa, whoa,' I hold it just above his head with my powers. 'You're going to let a little girl go into a serial killers house unarmed?'
Diego mutters to himself. 'You better not get any blood on it.'
'Like I would actually stab someone with this tiny toothpick,' I stuff it in my back pocket. 'It's just for show.'
'So what's this guy want with Vanya?' Diego asks, changing the subject.
'I don't know. How about we ask him after we kill him?' Five says.
'I don't think that's a good idea,' I say. 'Vanya won't be too happy if you kill her boyfriend.'
'Yeah, well she'll just have to deal with it.' Five responds.
'Hey, look, I'm gonna burst through...' Diego trails off as he realizes Five has spacial jumped away, and I am not even the least bit interested in his idiotic plan. 'You know what? It would be nice for people just to stick to-'
'Coming?' Five asks, jumping back.
'Yeah,' I unlock the door with my powers just as Diego takes a flying leap through the glass. Shards come flying at my face, and I have to stop them before I lose an eye.
Diego grunts in pain, laying on the floor, groaning.
'Subtle.' Alison comments.
'You know, the door was unlocked.' Five jiggles the handle, glancing down at our brother.
'Yeah, well, my way works just fine.' Diego huffs. 'Spread out. Yell if you, uh...you know, you're in trouble.'
'Ah, inspiring leadership.' Five says with a long sigh.
'One of the greats.' Alison says sarcastically.
'The best of the best,' I add with a smirk.
Not long after we part ways, Alison calls from the other room.
'Guys, you need to see this.' We climb the small ladder into the crawl space, looking around at all the Umbrella Academy merch that this creep collected.
'All your faces are burnt off.' I cringe, holding up a Luther figurine.
'Well, that's not creepy.' Diego raises his eyebrows. 'This guy's got some serious issues.'
'Shit.'Five exclaims.
'This was never about Vanya.' Alison gasps. 'This was about us.'
'Five, are you alright?' I glance at him. He looks back at me, wincing and clutching his side.
'Yeah, just fine.'
Like a tiny leaf, he floats the ground. I catch his head with a random pillow before it hits the floor.
'Five. Wh...' Alison surveys his wound. 'Wh... Blood.'
I pull back his shirt with a flick of my hand and sigh.
'Five...'
'Jesus, Five.' Diego echoes. 'Why didn't you say anything?'
'You have to keep going.' He grunts. 'So... close.'
'Five.' Alison inhales sharply.
'Five!'