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MY PAST DECIDED TO BITE BACK
"We have to get him to the academy. Now."
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Five took his last sip of coffee, and threw the cup across the living room. The card board holder separating. "I don't know... yet."
***
Leonard Peabody stood on the second floor, quietly. Listening in on the Hargreeves siblings' conversation.
"But I do know that he's responsible for the apocalypse. So we have to find him. And we have to do it now."
Leonard slowly opened the glass pyramid shaped cabinet. Opening it slowly, and pulled out the Reginald Hargreeves figurine.
"How is he connected to what's gonna happen?" Luther asked.
"I don't know."
***
"Wait, so you just know his name?" Diego stepped forward, with his broken arm. "That's it?"
***
Leonard looked towards downstairs, as he closed the cabinet quietly.
"That's enough."
***
"There's probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city."
***
Leonard Peabody continued eavesdropping. They'd find him sooner or later. He couldn't go back to jail. Back to that hellhole. But he needed to help Vanya with her powers. So he could protect himself.
"Well, we just better start looking, then."
***
Thunder rumbled in the sky. Rain poured.
"No, it's my fault." Vanya and Leonard walked quickly down the street. "I just wanted them to be proud of me for once." Cars rocked back and forth. Lampposts bent over like they were melting. "I mean, how-- how could I even presume to be worthy of their attention? Nothing's ever big enough next to their holier-than-thou, weight-of-the-world bullshit. And, and, Y/N, who honestly just decides to walk back into everybody's life, with saying nothing. Nothing at all. And you know, Allison was right. Y/N never cared about me, she never has. She's just as bad as the rest of them!"
"Vanya!"
"What?"
Leonard pointed at the lampposts. She looked down the entire street. Everything was, well, off. Very off. "What the hell is happening?"
"You happened."
***
"I'm sorry. Am I the only one that's skeptical here?" Allison asked.
"Yes." Y/N coughed, as she took a sip of her bourbon. Klaus chuckled.
Five grimaced, as he looked down at his stomach. And Y/N noticed. She noticed in a second.
"I mean, how exactly do you know all of this about what's his name?"
"Harold Jenkins." Five repeated. Stabling himself. Y/N went into thought. Where had she heard that name before? "You know those lunatics in masks who attacked the house?"
"Oh, yeah, I think I remember those guys." Klaus murmured.
"Oh, yes. We had a very nice chat in my dream." Y/N said sarcastically, as she cracked her knuckles. Five chuckled.
"Yeah, the ones that attacked us while you were getting drunk." Diego added.
"Yeah. Them." Five murmured.
"Wait, that's actually true?" Y/N laughed.
"Yeah, you should've been there. He almost threw up on me." Luther said.
"And he compared you to Natasha Romanoff and Cruella De Vil." Diego added.
"...Well... I mean, it's kind of true." Y/N said.
"Whatever. Who cares." Five said embarrassed. "They were sent by the Temps Commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of life on Earth."
"The Temps what?" Allison asked.
"My former employer. They monitor all of time and space to make sure that whatever is supposed to happen... happens." The boy explained. Klaus sat bored on the bench. Knuckle holding his head up. "They believe the apocalypse is coming in three days." Diego looked down, Allison stared at him, and Luther also looked down, looking like his head was about to explode. "So I went to Commission headquarters and intercepted a message that was meant for said lunatics. 'Protect Harold Jenkins.' So he must be responsible for the apocalypse."
Seconds went by.
Just a few.
"What do you mean, protect time and space?"
"Where is Hazel, Five?"
"Does that mean the Commission isn't even on Earth?" Y/N asked.
"What are you even talking about, Five?"
"My skin is on fire." Klaus said.
"Do you have any idea how insane this sounds?" Allison asked.
Five looked up from his stomach. "You know what else is insane? Me and Y/N look like 16-year-old kids. Klaus talks to the dead, Y/N can turn herself into wind, and Luther thinks he's fooling everybody with that overcoat. Everything about us is insane. It always has been."
"He's got a point." Klaus says, leaning over in his seat.
"We didn't choose this life, we're just living it. For the next three days, anyway." Five continued.
"But the last time we tried to stop it, we all died. Why is this time any different? Why shouldn't I go home to my daughter?" Allison asked.
"Because this time, I'm here." Five said confidently. "We have the name of the man responsible. Guys, we actually have the chance of saving the lives of billions of people." Allison looked down. "Including Claire."
Y/N dropped her glass cup, making it crash into pieces on the floor. Everybody looked at her. She moved the glass shards behind the bar counter with her powers. After a few seconds of awkwardness, she disappeared into thin air. Klaus chuckled softly. "Poor Y/N is such an introvert." He said.
Allison rolled her eyes. "You know her name?"
"I do, and I'd like to live long enough to meet her."
"All right." She said. Diego nodded his head softly. "Let's get this bastard."
"You had me at Gerald Jenkins." Diego said.
"Harold Jenkins." Five corrected.
"Whatever. I've already lost two people this week, I'm not losing anyone else."
"And Luther?" Five asked.
"Yeah, you go. I'm gonna stay and go through Dad's files. I still think this has something to do with why he sent me to the Moon."
"Seriously? Now you wanna make the end of the world about you and Dad?" Diego asked irritated.
"No. 'Watch for threats.' That's what he told me. You think that's a coincidence? This all has to be connected somehow."
"No, we should all stick together." Allison said.
"We don't have time for this." Five spoke.
"Let's roll. I know where we can find this asshole. Klaus, you're with me." Diego said.
"Yeah. I-- I'm good." He sat up. "I think I'll, uh..." He stood up to walk away. "I think I'll pass, I'm... Feeling a little under the weather, so, uh... Hey, maybe Y/N will come with you. Wherever she is." Klaus walked out of the living room.
"Where is Y/N?" Diego asked.
"Y/N!" Five called.
"God! Stop yelling. You're gonna make my eardrums bleed." Y/N said, as she speed walked into the living room.
"You okay?" Diego asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing, you just... You seem jittery, is all."
"No, it's just... I may have a lead on who Harold Jenkins is."
"Really?" Allison asked.
"No, you don't." Five said. Everyone looked at him weirdly.
"Uh, yeah, I do." Y/N said.
"No, you don't. You know what I think? I think we should go together and never leave each other's side. How about that?" Five asked. Almost too quickly.
"...Okay, Five, can I talk to you?" Y/N asked.
"Yeah." The boy stepped forward. Nobody moved.
"Alone?"
"Oh, yeah. C'mon guys, let's go." Diego, Allison, and Luther walked out of the living room.
Y/N watched them leave, then turned back to Five. "What is up with you today?"
"Nothing. What are you so worried about?" Five chuckled.
"I'm saying that I have a lead on Harold Jenkins, and then you stop me. Why?"
He shook his head. "No reason."
"If it was a no reason, then you wouldn't be standing here right now." She saw him look down. "Look, whatever happened when you were gone, it's over, now. If there's something you want to tell me, then just tell me. 'Cause I think I've been through enough to know that I can handle anything."
Five took a deep breath, and sat on the couch. She stood in front of him. "Five, look at me." He didn't. "Hey." She kneeled down and took his hand. His breath was shaky as he squeezed her hand. It was warm. She was warm. She was alive. He'd push off the memory of her dead body. But it always came back.
"You..." He started. "When I went to find you... I found you... lying on the floor... dead." He finished. Y/N looked down, and nodded her head. She stood up and sat next to him.
"Thank you, for telling me."
Five looked at her in bewilderment. "That's it? That... That's all your gonna say? Y/N, you were dead, I saw you dead! That means something!"
"I heard you the first time, Five." She looked at him.
Five stayed in his puzzled and baffled state. "But you..." He came into realization. And he felt depressed about it. Very, very depressed. "You have a death wish, don't you."
Y/N looked away. "Five-"
"No, no. Don't 'Five', me. You say that you've been through enough to handle anything, but I think you've been through enough to know that you're this close to breaking. Y/N, death is the one thing you should never play with."
"You think I care about that anymore? I have been closer to death than anyone could possibly imagine, and I haven't died." She scoffed. "And you know, for a long time, I used to think me dying was impossible, but now that you've told me, I think I'm kind of glad."
"Glad? Y/N, you haven't even started living yet."
"And what makes you think you aren't any different?" She stood up. "I've lived many lives, Five. I've made mistakes. I went on without being forgiven." Five looked at her. Tears in his eyes. "You know, when you and I came back, I used to think we were the same. And then when I heard you talk, I realized. You're nothing like me. You're still good. Kind-hearted."
"Heard me talk? About what?" Five stood up.
"When me, you, and Luther were in the car to meet the Handler. You and I are different."
"And in what way is that?"
"You killed because you had to. I killed because I wanted to."
Silence, had swallowed the room, but Five's mind grew loud. Thoughts swarmed his brain. And they were all about one thing. 'When me, you, and Luther were in the car to meet the Handler.' The Handler. He looked up at her. "How do you know that name?"
Y/N's eyebrows furrowed. "What name?"
"The Handler. I never told you about her. And of course, time had froze when we met with her, but I..." His mind came into realization once again. "She'd talk to you before I did. That's why." The girl had looked away from him. "What did she tell you? Did she offer you something? Did she try manipulating you?"
Y/N breathed in shakily. "I'll see you in the car, Five." And then she walked away. Leaving Number Five in the uttermost confusion, and bewilderment he'd ever felt in his entire lifetime.
***
A pneumatic tube whooshed into a random spot for either Hazel or Cha-Cha to get.
But it was Hazel he open the copper canister. He snorted as he read the type writer words on the vanilla colored paper. "Contract to kill Number Five terminated. Await further instructions." Cha-Cha shook her head. "Obviously, Number Five cleared things up with the Commission." Hazel declared.
"You think they let that little shit off so easy?" Cha-Cha remarked. "It doesn't make any sense!"
"Sure it does. He's a legend."
"And what are we? Chopped liver?" Cha-Cha asked harshly.
"Whatever, whatever." Hazel looked at her. "I need a hit of sucrose." He turned towards the door. "I'm headin' to the vending machine."
"Fine." Cha-Cha didn't bother to follow him.
"Fine. Fine." Hazel walked out of the motel room, and closed the door. He sighed in relief that he was out of there. "Oh, my God." He murmured to himself. He walked in front of the red soda machine outside. He heard a sound of whooshing. Before he even put money into the slot, something fell into the soda catcher, but he knew exactly what it was. And it was in fact, not edible whatsoever. "Damn it." He looked around. Making sure nobody was watching him. He grabbed the copper canister from the bottom, and open the lid, rolling open the message. "Terminate Cha-Cha for immediate extraction." He read. He looked into the distance in deep thought and confusion.
'TERMINATE CHA-CHA FOR IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION.'
***
Diego stopped the car next to the sidewalk, and a few feet away from the police station. "I know this Jenkins dude has to have a record." He unbuckled his seat belt. "We just gotta get our hands on this file." Allison, in the backseat with Y/N, look out the back window, trying to make sure nobody had followed them.
"And your plan is to what? Waltz in there and just ask for it?" Allison asked.
"I know the station like the back of my hand, sis. I've spent a lot of time inside." Diego said.
Y/N scoffed. "Handcuffed." Allison said.
"Whatever. Here's the plan."
"Plan?" Five asked. "I'm just gonna blink in and get the file." Five said.
'Not with that stomach wound, you're not.' Y/N thought. She knew. Of course she did. She always did.
"No, that's not.. You don't know the ins and outs of this place, okay?"
"I literally just did this yesterday." Five said.
"What?"
"Well, my yesterday, not your yesterday. It'll take me two seconds. Why don't I just go in?"
"Listen to me. You are not going in there. I made a call." Diego was interrupted.
"To who? Was it Detective Patch? Did she finally tell you to get your shit together for the billionth time?" Y/N asked. Allison snickered.
"What? No! I mean leadership wise, and... How do you even know Patch?" Diego asked.
"... I... May or may not have done a few favors for her." Y/N explained.
"What kind of favors?" Five asked, looking at the girl with caution.
"Okay, thing is, somewhere around the city, there is a building called the NCIC. It's technically just a black market cover, but they store all the files of every criminal and prisoner in the entire world. I took a look at a few that she needed and gave them to her."
Diego grinned. He felt a bit satisfied that Eudora lied to him about always following the rules. He guessed no one was pure. Just positive minded. "See? That's what a leader does, Five." He looked at the boy, who rolled his eyes. "He leads. Or in this case, she." Allison and Y/N smiled at him.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go get it before Diego starts making a speech about leadership, because if we were normal, he'd have four years time for that in high school." Y/N opened the door. She had to speak to someone. Someone important.
***
Detective Beeman walked down the dull and gloomy alleyway. A voice startled him, as he was almost passed the metal doors that lead to the exit of the police station.
"Beeman." Y/N said.
"Jesus Christ." He turned around. Y/N walked into the light. "You shouldn't be here."
"I need to look at a file. A guy name Harold Jenkins." Y/N said.
"No. Eudora never had that file, and if you've seen your brother, tell him that he needs to leave town. Look, I shouldn't be telling you this, but they're looking at him for her murder."
"You're gonna have to be more specific. I have five brothers... Actually, scratch that. One of them is in La-La land. Four brothers." Y/N said irritably. She needed the file. And she needed it now.
"Diego." Beeman clarified.
She looked at him in bewilderment. "You can't be serious."
"His prints were all over the crime scene. Him and Eudora had a lot of heated arguments over the years. It doesn't look good, that's all I'm saying."
"Unbelievable."
"The only reason I'm telling you this, of all people, is 'cause I know you and her used to be close. Personally, I think you were her number one supporter. And I also know for a fact that Diego's a real pain in the ass." Y/N looked at him. "I also know that he'd never do something like that."
Y/N chuckled. "That explorer always got himself into trouble. No matter what it was, he was always there.
Beeman gave him the object in his hand. "Just do me a favor and tell him to stay out of sight, until I have more to go on." He turned around the walk away.
"I will." He turned back to her. "I just... I can't leave without that file."
"You understand I could lose my job, right?"
"That file, it won't bring Eudora back, but it could save some lives. A lot of lives, if I'm thinking about it correctly. I can't explain to you how, I... I just need you to trust me, one last time."
Beeman looked down, then back at the girl. "You gave her the file along with the others, remember?" Y/N grinned at him for be cooperative. "But you better hurry. They're cleaning her stuff out for her memorial, so be quick. There's only so much I can do to open the door for you."
"Thank you, Beeman. This helps. This helps a lot."
***
"This is Vanya. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you." The phone beeped.
"Hey, Vanya, it's me." Allison started. Five leaned on the building behind her. Listening to Allison talk as he wondered why Y/N had lied to him, and he wondered what else she was hiding. "I just wanted to... Things have gotten so messed up. And... All I ever wanted was to be a good sister to you. Guess I pretty much failed at that. But you need to call me. Okay? I love you, sis." She put the phone back into its holder.
"What do you think is taking her so long?" Five asked.
"She's probably talking to Beeman. He likes to talk a lot, so I wouldn't be so surprised." Diego answered.
Y/N then appeared next to the three of them. A file in her hand.
"So?" Five asked. His arms crossed.
"I knew it, Allison. I was right." Y/N gave her the file. Allison opened it. She saw the picture of Leonard Peabody. Or in this case, Harold Jenkins.
"Holy shit." Allison cursed.
"What?" Diego asked.
Allison turned the file towards them. "Harold Jenkins is Leonard Peabody."
'You were right all along, Y/N.'
***
Luther dug through all the unopened bags of rock samples. He felt his stress levels rise as he went the four years worth of bags. "He never even looked at them. Why would he...? Why not?" He gasped, and looked up at Pogo. "Why not?!"
Pogo looked down. His back slumping. He should've tried harder. Instead, he fed his master's children lies.
***
And, so Luther was at the bar. Drinking his sorrow with alcohol. His father's alcohol. But then again, who cared? Reginald lied to everyone. He deserved everyone's hatred. He open the bottle. Dropping the cap clumsily, and poured himself a big drink.
"Luther!" Klaus yelled. "Luther, you need to tie me up so I can--" Klaus stopped talking as he walked closer to his bulky brother. "Are you drinking?" Luther to a big gulp of his drink, and looked at Klaus, drunk. Big purple bags under his eyes. "Holy sh..." Klaus laughed. "Holy shit, you're drunk. And you busted into Dad's liquor cabinet." He pointed towards the ancient wooden cabinet. "He's gonna be so pissed."
"Get him." Luther said, leaning in the bar counter. Glass in his hand. He could barely speak, let alone stand. "Dad. Do it, now."
Klaus looked at him. "I told you already, all right? I-- I can't!" He then gasped as he felt Luther's big hand wrap around his neck. He was heading backyards, and he wasn't even walking.
"Little shit!"
Klaus felt his back touch one of the marble stoned pillars, and he was lifted higher as he felt his throat close. "Please... I..." He tapped on Luther's hand, and he let him go. Klaus fell down with a loud thud, and began coughing. "Jesus Christ! Luther!" He watched him just walk around. "Of course I tried! All right? God knows, I've tried, but he is as he was in life, he's a stubborn prick!"
"He needs to answer for what he did. For sending me up there." Luther pointed up. "I sacrificed everything for him, my entire life. I never left this house. I never had friends. And for what? For nothing."
"Oh, no, no, no, no." Klaus walked towards him in worry. "Hey, just... just... Just relax, okay? Just-- Just relax. I-- I could try again." Luther took a seat on one of the benches. "I mean, I can't promise I'm clean enough. But just--" He saw him take another gulp of his drink. "Hey, come on. Hey, hey, hey, come on. That's-- That's enough of that. Enough of that. Come on." He reached for Luther's hand to put it down. "Come on, come on. Chin up there, big guy."
"It's okay. Just go." Luther said.
"Why-- Why don't we go find the others? I'm sure Allison could help."
"I don't want her. I don't want them to see me like this. Besides, I-- You know, I'd just hold them back. What they're doing is too important." Luther said.
"What are you talking about? You're our Number One, remember? "O Captain! My Captain!"" Luther chuckled. Klaus took a seat next to him. "Remember?" They both laughed at the memories. "Yeah, right?" He watched as Luther's face went from happy to very sad, and sobbed as he put his head on Klaus's shoulder. Klaus never really hugged anyone before. Well, not before, but in a while. He felt awkward as he placed a hand on Luther's shoulder. "Luther."
"You know, Diego was right. Dad sent me up to the Moon... because he couldn't stand the sight of this. Of what... Of what he did to me. Of what I've become."
"No, no, no. That's... That's not... Damn it, Dad was such an asshole right to the end." Klaus sighed. "You know, if... If there's anything else... That I can do, or..."
"I wanna be like you." Luther looked at him with his red eyes. "I wanna do whatever it is that you--"
"No, no, no no."
"Yeah, I do. Yeah."
"You don't. No. Absolutely not."
"Come on, Klaus. 'Cause you... You always seem so carefree, and I just need it. I... I wanna be Number Four."
"Trust me. Trust me. You don't want that."
"I do..."
"You don't want that. What you need is just... Just lay down, sleep it off. You'll feel better in the morning. Okay?" Klaus nodded his head.
"Fine, I'll go by myself." Luther hurriedly got up and headed towards the door.
"What? No. No, no, no, Luther!" Klaus ran after him. "Luther, I can't let you--" Luther pushed him by the chest. Klaus slid smoothly across the checker tiled floor. He groaned and sat up as he heard the door open. "Oh, shit."
***
The motor sputtered as Cha-Cha drove into the woods with Hazel. She parked the car on a path. Hazel got out of the car. He closed the door. A sad expression of his face. He pulled out the message that was sent to him by the Commission. And suddenly, words replayed in his mind. 'Would it really be so bad if we didn't find the briefcase?' He put the note in his back pocket. 'You know what happens to people who step out of line.' He heard Cha-Cha in his head. He watched as he saw her get out of the driver's seat. He continued to hear the voices in his head as they walked through the forest. 'I guess I'm just tired of being told what to do, where to go. Wouldn't it be nice to kill who you want for change? Not who the Commission tells us to?' "Sure are in the middle of nowhere." He said. He took out his empty gun, and kneeled down. Taking the magazine that hid behind a log, which was placed intentionally, and put it into his gun.
"What are you doing?" Cha-Cha asked.
"Just tying my shoes." He answered.
"Our only choice is to do what they say. One way or another, they always get you." Cha-Cha spoke. And she lifted her gun, aiming at Hazel's head from behind.
"You're right. I know you're right." Hazel said. Staring off into the green view. "Doesn't change I feel like we ought to do somethin' that matters."
"What we do matters."
"I mean, to us. Not to some asshole executives in polyester suits. You and I've been doin' that they say so long, I don't even know what I think anymore." He heard a bird in the distance. "You hear that? Listen? That's a pileated woodpecker." The bird started drilling into a tree. Cha-Cha cocked her gun. "Yeah. If there's one, I bet there's two." He took out a little notebook from inside his blazer. "They mate for life. The male will bring his partner food to show he can provide, some seem, or bug, or critter. It's all part of the mating ritual." Hazel smiled. "Look at him. When he's hungry, he eats, when he's tired, he nests, when he's horny, he screws, free to be free. Pretty sure they got it figured out."
"And what's that?" Cha-Cha asked. Her trigger hand still aimed and ready.
"A simple life with a partner." Cha-Cha blinked. "Sometimes what you want's right in front of you. By the time you realize, it's too late."
Cha-Cha put her trigger hand down. She was unsure of herself. And she hasn't felt that way in a very long time.
***
Cha-Cha parked the car in the motel parking lot. They sat there for a few seconds. Their secrets unknown to each other. "Home, sweet home." Hazel said.
"Yep."
They got off the car, and headed for their room door. "Hey, um... you hungry?" Hazel asked.
"I could eat." Cha-Cha answered.
After a minute of debate, Hazel took the car and went to get some food for the both of them.
***
Hazel stopped in front of Griddy's Doughnuts, and honked the horn. Agnes turned to the open door. Her face filled with joy as she saw Hazel. "Hi!" She waved with her free hand. A coffee holder in the other.
"Hey." Hazel pointed towards the front seat, then to the view in front of him. Agnes nodded her head, and pointed to the back of her shop. Hazel drove towards the back, to pick up the woman he was in love with.
***
Diego, Allison, Five, and Y/N got off their car. They looked at the house in front of them. "Be careful, okay? We don't know what Peabody's capable of." Allison warned.
"Yeah, he didn't seem dangerous when I first saw him." Diego said. "Looked kinda scrawny."
"Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murderers." Allison commented. "I mean, look at them." She pointed towards the two children.
"Thanks." Five and Y/N said in unity.
"Good point. So what's this guy want with Vanya?" Diego asked.
"I don't know. How about we ask him after we kill him?" Five said.
"Whoa, whoa. Hey, look, I'm gonna burst through--" Diego stopped talking when he couldn't find Allison.
"Who cares? She's a grown woman." Y/N commented.
"You know what? It would be nice for people to stick to--" Five jumped away. "The plan." Y/N laughed hysterically. "Don't laugh. That wasn't funny."
"I know it wasn't. But look like a 16-year-old girl. None of that helps." She continued laughing.
Diego rolled his eyes and turned towards the door. "Great." Y/N stopped laughing, so she could evaporate under the door. She appeared on the other side of the door, but didn't bother to open it. Diego jumped through the glass and landed on the floor. He inhaled sharply as he stood up. Allison and Five walked passed.
"Subtle." Allison commented.
"Why didn't you just open the door? It was unlocked, you know." Five told Y/N.
"No, I know. But I just wanted to see how he works when he's on his own little mission." Y/N watched him stand up. "I'll give it an A or Effort." She turned to Diego. "Diego, if you don't mind. Please, don't be like my brother, where he thinks he can jump through anything, because truth is, he is dumb enough to think that. But he isn't stupid." Y/N said.
"And what about me?" Diego asked.
"No, you're just plain stupid. You mind as well be the worst book ever written." Y/N walked away to go look for clues.
"What's up with all the insults, today?" Allison asked. Five shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. But my way works just fine!" Diego yelled, so Y/N could hear. All he could hear was a small chuckle. "Spread out. Yell if you, uh... You know, you're in trouble." Diego walked away.
"Ah, inspiring leadership." Five commented.
"One of the greats." Allison added.
For a while they were looking around. Allison had gone upstairs, and looked around the halls. She then saw a door on the ceiling. A string with a white ring on it. An attic. She tried to reach, but she couldn't.
***
Diego was walking around the kitchen. He saw a flyer, which was posted up on the refrigerator door with a magnet.
ST. PLUVIUM
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
A picture of Vanya with a violin was on it. She had gotten first chair. She'd wanted her siblings to be happy for her, for just once. Even after years, nothing would change.
***
Y/N was searching the living room. She saw a few bills on the coffee table that were already opened. She saw a bookshelf, fully packed with fictional and non-fictional books. Many things in this house seemed antique. Like it was passed on. But Y/N knew better. And she knew that, that little boy Jenkins hadn't talked to his father, or did the mature thing and called the police. No. He'd killed his own father in cold blood, with an axe, as she'd read in Harold's criminal file.
Y/N always wondered. She'd looked herself everyday in the mirror at her apartment. Wondering what would happen today. Or tomorrow. Or years from now. Ever since she saw that innocent little boy, now turned into a serial killer, she'd wondered. Was she capable of that? Or was she worse?
She heard footsteps approach her. They were careful, but loud.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know how you'd react." She turned around to face him. "To my surprise, you got pretty emotional."
"I wasn't sad, I was stressed. I had no intention of crying." He said.
"Crying is normal, Five. It doesn't mean your eyeballs are sweating. You're not an alien."
"I wasn't implying that."
"Just because you didn't say that, doesn't mean you didn't mean it."
"I say a lot of things, Y/N. Sometimes, I don't think you understand what I mean, half the time." Five said with some attitude in his tone. But she was mad now.
"You-" Y/N was interrupted. It would've been worse, though.
"Guys, you need to see this." Allison called from upstairs.
Y/N looked back at Five. "I'm not done talking to you."
"Neither am I." He answered.
Y/N disappeared into the air. Five sighed, as he knew he made her mad. But she'd lied to him. They were at fault. And to him, that was fair enough.
***
"All our faces are burnt off." Allison said as she looked at the Umbrella Academy posters hanging on the walls. Figurines of the superhero children's heads were melted, as if they were dangerously close to a blow torch.
"Well, that's not creepy." Diego said. "This guy's got some serious issues."
"Shit." Five and Diego said unity.
"But, there's something else." Allison went on. "There's no pictures of Y/N, or figurines of her anywhere." Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. Allison inhaled deeply. "Until I found this." Allison walked towards the small walk-in closet. She opened the door. And when Y/N walked in, her blood went cold.
It wasn't a murder board. Or in this case, wall. He'd been following her around. Since the day she left the academy. Black string, was held up by transparent pins that were pierced through the pictures and post-its, and into the wall. Pictures of her family. No, not the Umbrella Academy.
But the Titan family.
She saw Lily and Lincoln's pictures together in the far left side. She saw Alec's in the middle. She saw Cameron's under Alec's. She saw a post-it note with the name, 'Mickey', on it, with another post-it note under it.
'DEAD?'
It said on it. She saw Scarlett's and John's pictures, together, at the top of the middle wall. And then she saw her own picture. And another post-it note under it.
'WHY?'
It said. 'Why' what?' She thought. "This son of a bitch has been following me around for a decade and a half."
"That's definitely not creepy at all." Diego said.
"Who are all these people?" Allison asked.
"I don't know." The girl lied. What would they think? If they ever knew, what would they say?
Diego wandered around the room. A black notebook caught his eye, which laid on a wooden table. It's golden lining was very similar to the features on his "bastard" father's red notebook. In fact, it had the same features. Only it was black. And it had the initials, 'MH' on it. He took the notebook quietly and stuffed it in his jacket as Allison spoke.
"This was never about Vanya." She came into realization. "This was about us."
Five gasped. Diego looked towards Y/N who was still staring at the closet that was covered in pictures and post-it notes and black string. He watched her very carefully. And thankfully he did. Otherwise, he would have never witnessed the incredibly small mysterious thing that would happen in that moment. The fingers on her left hand twitched. And suddenly, her veins on her left wrist glowed a pure black, for just a few seconds. When she suddenly blinked, she turned her head. "Five?" She was quick to catch the boy before he hit the floor. She laid him softly down, and looked at him in worry and concern. He groaned loudly, as Y/N's hand accidentally pushed into his stomach. "Sorry." She moved hand, but then froze. Blood, coated her fingertips. She looked back at the boy, who risked everything to come back.
"Y/N, don't." Five said.
"Allison, check his stomach." She said quickly. Five cursed quietly in frustration. If he thought about, she never really did listen to anything he said. She just did whatever.
"What?" Allison asked. She looked towards Diego, then to Five, who laid on the floor. Diego and her kneeled down. The woman saw blood, slowly seeping through his vest. She was quick to lift up his shirt, and see a large piece of shrapnel piercing into his skin. More blood leaked from his body.
"Jesus, Five." Diego said. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because he's an idiot, who sucks at talking about his feelings. Or, talking about anything really." Y/N put a hand under Five's head.
'Except the apocalypse.' The girl looked around the room. The third time this week, had she started hearing the voice in her head. It sounded male, and sarcastic. She'd always thought she was having a supernatural encounter whilst running around with her siblings. It bothered her. It made her blood boil.
"You have to keep going. So... close." Five's voice faded away. His face was still. He did not move.
"Five." Allison called. "Five!" She shook his body.
Y/N's eyes widened. She flicked the boy's head as a joke, just to keep his stress levels down. But he still didn't move. Deja vu hit her hard. Why were his words so sad like last time. Like every other person she saw die in front of her. Though, John said nothing. And Scarlett died with kindness and hope in her heart. The only thing that left it was her blood.
She felt Five's cheeks grow pale, a bit. Death was coming to him.
'Death is the one thing you should never play with.' She heard him say, back in the academy in the living room. She was always struck confused when it came to death. How it comes so fast. What it is. Was it a person? Was it an energy? Or was it just nothing, and you become nothing when you die.
Nothing.
She didn't want to become nothing. And she definitely didn't want Five, of all people to become nothing. It was true, she hadn't started living yet, but he hadn't either. And maybe she wanted give him the chance to.
"Y/N!" She heard a woman's voice echo.
"Y/N, hey!" Fingers snapped in front of her. Diego's fingers.
The girl looked up at them, as if nothing had ever happened. And nothing did happen. To her, it was nothing.
"We have to get him to the academy. Now."
☂
Author's Note:
Hey Readers! Hope you liked this chapter. I feel like the way I write changes everyday. Some paragraphs are longer than others, and some are just dialogue. But I kinda felt proud about the 'Harold Jenkins House' part. I'm thinking in a few other chapters, I will be testing with Y/N's background, and her Titan encounter, so there will be many flashbacks coming your way.
Also, I started watching Riverdale. I'm on Season 2 now, and it is such a mood.
And if you guys haven't heard, TUA plot for S2 is set, and ready for lift off when this fanfic is complete. Love you guys! Stay safe and sanitize!