𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄
⋆⋅✧⋅⋆
(the day that wasn't)
𝐓here was no reality within Nyx's mind that she'd ever actually meet Five's family. As far as she was concerned, they were nothing but pale bodies rotting beneath ash and rubble. The apocalypse was a set point in time, one she'd dedicated her entire life to protecting. In turning away from the Commission, she had given up all hope for any other life. She had disassociated from her powers, accepted she'd never see blue skies or life again, and voided herself of her family. In loving Five she had given up her life many times before her death. She had never imagined seeing life outside the apocalypse again, let alone seeing his family. Yet here she was, sitting on a couch with a price tag higher than anything she had ever owned. She couldn't say it was a pleasant experience, not after she had raided their home and attacked them. They never tied her up or knocked her unconscious but it was clear enough by the watchful eyes that she remained their prisoner and not a guest. So she remained silent as they talked amongst themselves and did her best to hide her discomfort as she sipped from the mug of hot chocolate Luther had gifted her.
"Three days?" Allison asked as she handed Luther one of the two remaining coffees on her tray.
"That's what Five said," Luther clarified as he graciously took the paper cup from her hands and held it within his own.
"The old bastard did mention the apocalypse, come to think of it," Klaus said with a small shrug. "He just left out the part about how soon."
"But can we trust him?" Allison asked, her eyes subconsciously drifting to Nyx. "I don't know if you've noticed but Five's a little-" She placed her finger beside her temple and twirled it in tune with a whistle.
"Our little psycho," Klaus happily chimed as he sat on the floor beside Nyx's feet.
But Allison ignored his comment as she continued speaking. "I mean, he's working with the girl who raided our home and tried to kill us," She accused while sending a pointed look to Nyx.
Nyx rolled her eyes in response. "Oh get over yourselves, all of you." She shook her head in disbelief as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're all so entitled, filled with egocentric self-importance. We weren't there for you."
Diego was quick to shoot her a glare as he muttered, "That's not the point."
"Nyx has had a change of heart." The words earned Luther stray glances from each of his siblings. "Trust me," He insisted in her defense. Nyx raised a brow at his sudden urgency to defend her after nearly wanting to kill her the night prior. It seemed everyone else was taken back by the action also, well everyone but Klaus who was too far gone in his own world to process their conversation. "Five was pretty convincing," He explained himself. "If he wasn't trying to stop an apocalypse, those lunatics wouldn't be chasing him."
"That's why you're after him?" Diego suddenly questioned as his min pieced together the information. His gaze burned into Nyx, demanding a response.
"Duh," She stated as though it were the most obvious thing ever.
Confusion pulled onto Allison's brows as she softly inquired, "What did Five even see?"
As though Nyx herself somehow had the answer, all eyes in the room fell upon her. Of course she had part of an answer, she had spent two years of her life living in that wasteland with him. But she never had the full one. As much as she comforted him to sleep, wished away his nightmares, and eased his anxiety, he never did tell her what he witnessed in his first few days there. She had only seen their aftermath. Instead of giving them all the answers they desire, Nyx sipped on her hot chocolate. Their gazes all turned impatient as she eyed each and every one of them.
"Are you going to say it, or am I?" Luther suddenly asked after a moment of silence.
Nyx merely shrugged as she lowered her cup. "I'm not usually one to spoil things."
"Ok-" Luther dragged out the word on his tongue as though it would somehow prepare him for what was about to be said. There really was no good way to tell someone they were going to be dead by the end of the week. "Um, apparently we all fought together against whoever was responsible-" His word abruptly cut off before he could finish his sentence. His gaze slowly drifted to Nyx, his eyes pleading with her to say what needed to be said. He recovered quickly from her refusal with a firm nod of his head and the decision to not elaborate any further. His siblings all eyed him skeptically as he stood up from his chair and walked toward the center of where they all sat around. "So here's the plan; we go through Dad's research..."
"Wait, what?" Allison spoke up, interrupting him and halting his sentence for a second time. "Hold on," Diego also cut in.
"Wait a tick, wait a tick," Klaus protested as he held his hand up to stop Luther from saying anything more. "What actually happened the first time around?"
"Yeah," Diego agreed, his stare burning into Luther. Luther could feel his panic multiply with the weight of the stares upon him. "What aren't you telling us?" Diego asked accusingly. All Luther could do was stand there in silence as his panicked eyes traveled to each of his siblings. "Come on, big boy. Spit it out."
Luther looked down at his coffee mug to avoid the stares. He had never wished to see Five more than this moment. He had told him so easily and explained it so well. Luther doubted he could do the same for his siblings now. Unlike Five, he had lived a good remaining portion of his life with them. They hadn't been corpses in his mind. It was much harder for him to inform them of such a thing when he never imagined them dying in the first place. "We died," He finally squeaked out before taking a sip of his coffee.
"What was that?" Allison questioned, her brows lifting slightly.
Luther's heart dropped at the question. Of course, they hadn't heard. He cleared his throat, his voice coming out louder but much squeaker as he said again, "I said, uh, we died."
At once, all three siblings presented a look of shock. "Just now you're telling us this?!" Diego questioned as he too rose from his chair to follow Luther as he walked back to take his seat at the bar beside Allison. "Can't we just talk about the new plan?" Luther asked with a loud sigh. "No," Diego quickly shut down as Klaus moved to join them. "We need to figure this out."
"Is it just us?" Allison asked, her brows knitting together as her mind struggled to process the new information.
"It's everybody," Nyx spoke up, gaining the attention of everyone in the room as she too moved to stand beside them at the bar.
"In this house?" Diego asked, his eyes following her carefully as she took the empty space beside him.
Nyx's brows furrowed together at his question. "Are you daft?" She inquired. "In this house?" She mimicked his voice with a shake of her head. "Of course not, Diego. It's an apocalypse. That means everyone, everyone."
"Hey," A soft voice interrupted any reply Diego could spew out. All heads turned toward the source to find a girl Nyx had never seen before now standing in the room. She was accompanied by a man who looked at the five of them with an awe-filled smile. The woman looked at them in confusion as she eyed each of them. "What's going on?" She asked.
An awkward silence filled the air ad Diego and Klaus both looked away from her and Allison and Luther shared a glance. "It's a family matter," Came Allison's response.
"A family matter?" The woman repeated the words, a tight-lipped smile taking to her lips. Her eyes drifted to Nyx who merely crossed her arms over her chest with an intimidating look. A flash of anger appeared in the woman's eyes but it was gone just as quick as it had come. "So you couldn't bother to include me?" Nyx wasn't entirely sure if she had been madder about them not including her or the fact that a stranger was allowed in over her.
"No, it's not like that," Luther insisted. "We were-"
"Don't let me interrupt," The woman said before turning to leave, a frown beginning to tug at the corners of her lips. The man that accompanied her turned his expression sour as he eyed each of them. Though Nyx couldn't help but notice how his gaze lingered on her a moment longer as though he were trying to piece together why she was there.
"Vanya, wait," Allison pleaded as she moved to step toward her. "I'll fill you in when we're alone-"
"Please don't bother," Vanya said as she spun around to face Allison. Her frown only grew as she continued to speak. "And I won't either-"
Allison shook her head with a scolding look on her face. "Vanya, that's not fair."
"Fair?" Vanya questioned with a pained look. Her eyes bore pathetically into Allison's as she said, "Nothing's ever fair about being your sister." The words caused a small look of anger to form on Allison's face. "I've been left out of everything for as long as I can remember. I used to think it was Dad's fault but he's dead, so turns out you're the assholes."
"Ouch," Both Nyx and Klaus commented at the same time.
"Jinx!" Klaus suddenly exclaimed as he pointed to her. Nyx's brows quickly pulled together in confusion as she repeated, "Jinx?"
"Yes," Klaus stated matter of factually. "You owe me a soda."
She shook her head with a scoff before muttering, "That's absurd."
"It's the rules," Klaus insisted with a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't make the rules."
"Not the time, Klaus." Diego scolded.
Allison let out a sigh as she turned back to the group now that Vanya had stormed out. "I'm going to find Vanya and explain," She said before she too made her exit.
"No, there isn't time," Luther suddenly spoke up, halting her steps. "We need to figure out what causes the apocalypse." In the distance, the faint sound of a door shutting confirmed Vanya's exit of the house. A look of regret washed upon Allison's face as she hung her head with a sigh. Slowly, she moved to walk back to the group. "Now there are loads of possibilities. Nuclear war, asteroids," Luther listed off. "But I'm thinking this is about the moon. Right? Dad must have sent me up there for a reason." Nyx couldn't help the laugh escaping past her lips at his reasoning. She didn't know their father or what he could have possibly wanted on the moon but she doubted it had anything to do with an apocalypse. Besides, she knew Luther well enough now to know that he believed himself the center of everything. He turned to glare at her but everyone else in the room seemed to agree with the absurd looks they had all given him. "I was giving him daily updates on the conditions and I sent the field samples. So the first thing we need to do is find his research."
"Hold on. Hold the phone." Klaus interrupted Luther's train of thought. "We all died fighting this thing the first time around. Remember?"
"Klaus shockingly has a point," Diego agreed with a nod. "What gives us a win this time?"
"Five," Luther answered like it was the most obvious thing ever. "Last time we didn't have him. We weren't all together. This time we'll have the full force of the Umbrella Academy."
"Alright well now that you're done with that," Nyx interrupted as Klaus gagged beside her, earning him a curious look from the girl. "The real reason you'll win this time is that I am here to stop the people trying to stop you."
Diego eyed her skeptically as he asked, "Where is Five now?"
"Well, he had a plan to change the timeline. He'll be back soon." Luther reassured, though not even he could explain to everyone where Five had gone. It seemed to be a mystery to them all.
"I'm going after Hazel and Cha-Cha," Diego stated walking around the bar.
"What? Right now?" Luther asked in bewilderment as Diego walked past him and towards the door.
He didn't bother to stop nor turn around as he confirmed, "Hell yeah."
Nyx was quick to jump up from her stool and follow after him. "I'm coming with," She urged as she watched him grab his coat from the couch he was previously sitting on. This was her moment. With Five gone, nothing could truly stop her from going after her brothers. He would no doubt be scolding her for acting on impulse but he had abandoned their original plan and left them with no warning. If he could act on impulse, so could she. Was it unwise to run in without a strict plan? Probably. But she was much too blinded by her anger to care. This went beyond feuds and debts. This was her life and it was stolen from her. She'd allowed him air long enough. It was time Theo paid his due.
"No you're not," Diego declared rather firmly.
"Yes, I am," Nyx insisted as she rushed up beside him. "You can't get rid of me. I've made up my mind, I'm going with."
"Wait, Diego, Nyx," Luther protested.
Nyx sent a glare over her shoulder as she said, "Shut up, Luther."
"Three days and I'm losing light by the minute," Diego argued as he looked at her. "I'm not arguing with you. You're not coming," He firmly stated.
Nyx rolled her eyes. "If you don't want to argue the wisest decision is to let me come. Don't be so blind that you cannot see it. Our interests align in this scenario."
Diego scoffed at her words and their entitlement. "And let you band back up with them so you can kill me?" He questioned accusingly. "I'm not an idiot."
"It's not you that I want dead, moron." Nyx firmly stated, her eyes darkening slightly. "It's my brother."
───── ✧ ─────
Ren's mind raced for answers as to why Nyx had turned on them so quickly. He replayed every conversation, every known fact, anything that could lead him to some type of clue. He knew that the discovery around her murder would anger her but he never expected her to act out so brashly. She had to have seen that they didn't know the truth. Ren himself hadn't known anything of it until the day prior and Theo insisted bravely that the Handler never shared with him the killer's name. He had to have found out by pure accident. Nyx had knocked him down, there was no doubt in his mind that Theo fell next before the culprit struck. But the anger in their sister's eyes was so raw and the hatred as she stared at them burned straight through his heart. Ren loved his siblings dearly and they had all gotten into feuds before but none so as strong as this. Nyx was always the hot head of the three of them so seeing her anger and hatred was a regular occurrence, but nothing before had ever hurt him so. This was pure and utter hatred. There was no more love in her heart for them, not even a hairline trace. It was that hatred that told Ren something else was at hand here. Something far more sinister than he could ever imagine.
"Think of it as the beginning of my long reign of revenge." The words replayed themselves over and over in Ren's mind. His hand placed itself over his chin in pondering as he paced around their room. "What are you talking about, Nyx?" He whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Theo's breathing came out frantic as he gripped the edge of the porcelain white sink. His knuckled flashed white under the strength of his grip and the tips of his wet hair dripped water down his cheeks. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as if demanding to be released from his body entirely. She was going to kill him, Theo had no doubts about it. He had been living on limited time ever since he struck his blow but he never believed to met his end the same as she had met hers.
Tears fell from his eyes, mixing together with the drops of water on his skin as quiet sobs fanned past his open lips. He was pathetic like this. A fool for believing he stood a chance in this cruel world and an idiot for thinking he could stand among his siblings as an equal. Every move he had ever made was done for them. At a certain time in his life he was deathly loyal to them but yet they saw him as nothing but weak. They cast him into the shadows and squander over every accomplishment he ever made. They would have never returned the sacrifice he was prepared to make for them. It would always be the same, Ren will always choose her. He can see that now with the desire to know more about her murder and the anger he held toward whoever had done it. Even after her had killed him in cold blood, he chose her. And she will always pick him, that much had been clear when she had threatened to murder Theo and not Ren as well. There was no room for him in their twisted family, nobody that would go to war for him.
Soon enough, the heavy sobs transformed into light chuckles. His frown curled up into a twisted smile as he shook his head. There was no Theo in their family and no twin he would recognize. He was free of them. Finally, after all these years, he was free of their torment. He had always been on his own, he knew that now. It was the way things were and it's the way they will remain. He felt no remorse or grief for the death of his once-strong family. But then again, how can you feel grief for the ending of something you were never truly a part of?
He looked up from the water running into the drain to the mirror, his smile only growing as he took in the sight of himself. He was free. There was no longer anything holding him back. Not from the Commission, not from his family. He was finally his own free agent, his own person. Nobody could define him now. So what he once feared he welcomed with open arms, daring Nyx to come his way. He was far more powerful than she or Ren knew and he was ready for her.
Outside the bathroom Theo had locked himself in, the phone rang viciously from its place on the nightstand. Ren slowly walked toward it, slightly alarmed by the way it nearly jumped out of its stand. He didn't know who would bother to call them, let alone at this hour. The Handler would send them scrolls if she wished to communicate so this had to have been someone else. But who? Cautiously, he picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. He didn't even need to speak a greeting before a voice filled his ear. "I'm coming to collect my due, Theo." Their sister's voice came out in a menacing snarl. He could practically feel the sinister smirk spreading up her cheeks as she said, "Karma's a bitch." And with that the line went dead, leaving him nothing but the ring of a never-ending beep.
His eyes widened slightly as he looked to the bathroom door where the sound of Theo's laughter could be heard. He looked back down to the phone in his hand, realization hitting him hard. All of his confusion in the past few days instantly melted away as he now pieced together the information he had received. Theo's behavior, the constant restless nights, the looking over the shoulder, the sweating, the finger tapping, the fist-clenching, the anger that was always so unlike him. He was so paranoid because he was scared. He was scared of Nyx. And he was scared of Nyx because he killed her.
The phone slipped from Ren's hand, hitting the floor with a loud clatter as his mouth dropped open. His mind couldn't seem to wrap around the truth. How could Theo, innocent Theo, the best of them kill their sister? No. It made no sense. Theo was meant to do good for their family. He was to be the light within his and Nyx's dark and give them hope that one day they could be good. He was meant to be the one to give their mother, their real mother, some rest on the sanity of her children. But how else could Theo have known it was someone else to kill Nyx if it wasn't him? The Handler wanted them to believe it was Five, but Theo knew it wasn't. He always knew.
A newfound rage, one that Ren had never felt before swirled within his chest. His eyebrows knotted into a glare as he marched his way to where Theo was still hysterically laughing in the bathroom. He didn't even bother to acknowledge his entry as he kicked the door open, his hands instantly raising and throwing Theo to the floor.
A groan slipped past his brother's lips as he lay on the ground, a laugh still rumbling up his throat. "You killed her!" Ren seethed as he stood over Theo in a threatening manner. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes at the sad truth of what had happened to his sister as well as of what had become of Theo, but he didn't allow them to roll free. Not yet anyway. "You murdered her in cold blood! Why?!" He demanded, standing over Theo like a hunter would its prey. "She's our family! Our blood!"
"She's a traitor!" Theo roared through his laughter.
Ren's frown merely deepened as he shook his head. "No, she's not."
"Yes, she is!" Theo desperately countered as his laugh slowly silence. "Are you forgetting she killed you?" He tried to sit up but Ren forced him back down so harshly that a thud resonated throughout the room. "I only wanted to avenge you but I see now what I mean to you. I see that I am nothing but the dirt on your shoe."
"She made a mistake." Ren firmly justified.
Theo scoffed at his words. "One she doesn't regret," He spat. "She's a monster."
Ren firmly shook his head, his tears beginning to roll free at the words being said. He couldn't believe it. "She's our sister!"
"I knew you would take her side!" Theo accused with a sad shake of his head. "You did always have a soft spot for her." Ren's face contorted in pain, a strangled gasp emitting from his lips as his eyes widened significantly. A smirk began to grow on Theo's face as he sat up from the floor. Slowly Ren's eyes dropped down to his chest where a beam of light burned through his chest. Theo pushed past Ren as he marched out of the room, causing him to fall to the ground and smash the back of his neck against the uneven flooring. A loud crack resonated through the motel room but Theo barely shared a moment of remorse before opening the door, exposing Ren one last time to the fresh air outside. Ren tried to sputter a reply but what only came from his lips was a spray of blood that coated his chin and the floor beneath him. It was a pathetic sight to see. The almighty Ren laying dead on the floor. It was almost ironic. The man who claims to never die, gone once more. "She'll always be the death of you." And with that, Theo walked away to fulfill his own mission.