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✧*̥˚ CHAPTER THREE *̥˚✧
"I don't have to worry. Mine is dead."
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Iris sighed as she watched her siblings trying to fit all of them through the same entrance.
"Oh, okay. Honestly? Okay. We don't all need to be squeezed..." Allison complained same as the others as they squeeze themselves through the entrance.
"There were two entrances, by the way." Five said.
"Well, here I am thinking that you are the brilliant one." Iris said sarcastically as she come from another entrance.
"Oh, Hotel Obsidian. I missed you, you slutty old dame." Klaus took a deep breath in. "Absorb her. Absorb her into your bosom. You know, 'cause back in her day, she played host to world leaders. Roosevelt, Gandhi, Stalin, Gorbachev, Castro, King Olaf of Norway, one of the Kim Jongs, Tito, Dalai Lama, Elvis, and not one but two Kardashians, allegedly." Klaus explained. "Wouldn't that- Where you going?
"I gotta make a call." Allison start walking away.
"How come you know that and don't know what is a trigonometry?" Iris asked, looking around the hotel.
"Is that a... brand..." Iris turned to him, shaking her head slowly as Klaus tried to guess. "Medicine... sickness... Oh! A country."
"Just continue." Iris said, wanting him to stop guessing.
"Okay." He clap his hand. "Nowadays, she's just a flophouse, a party house for those of us not looking to be judged by society's rules and norms." Klaus continued.
"You mean, a place to hide?" Luther asked.
Klaus claim. "Exactly! It's perfect! And the best part of it is, she's gonna look after us, no questions asked. Never ever. Right? Come on."
"I may have questions." Diego said.
"Me too," Luther said as they follow Klaus.
"I believe all of us have questions." Iris added.
"This place is weird." Vanya spoke.
"Of course. It's recommend by Klaus. You should expect that, my dear sister." Iris said as she followed them.
Klaus ring the bell. "Chet! Mon frère! It's so great to see you. I'd like my usual suite, por favor."
The staff worker rung the bell faintly. "I've never seen you before."
"See?" Klaus motioned. "Told you. discreet."
"Please stop scaring my dog." The worker told Luther and Diego who were cooing over it. The dog gave a whimper.
"It's enough that you scare us with your face." Iris cross her arm earning a glared from both her brother. She gladly gave them a mocking smile.
"We need some rooms, please." Vanya said.
"Super. And how will we be paying today?" He asked, placing a sign reading 'Cash Up Front' on the desk.
"Fine. Empty your pockets." Luther ordered. "Why do I have a hairnet?" Luther asked himself. The rest obliged, holding up condoms, a knife, some peppermints, teeth, and... a gun. Five immediately lower her hand that's holding a gun as her siblings turn to her.
"What?"
"Where did you get that?" Diego asked looking at her, horrified.
"Someone drop it... I think." They still looked at her, still surprised. The question in their head was who did she shot with those? "And he has a knife, what's the difference."
"It's part of my power."
"Fine, it's seem kinda bad. But it's empty." Iris said as she paused trying to remember if it's really empty. "I think... let me try."
"No." Diego immediately grab her gun before she could do anything.
"Oh." Luther removed a watch from his wrist, placing it on the table while ignoring his two siblings. "What does this get us?"
"Don't do that." Diego said to Iris as he check the bullet. He sighed in relief. "Thank god. It's empty. You check it not try it."
She scoffed. "Like I didn't know that. I just wanna shot something again."
"Again? There's again. What the hell did you shot? Oh sorry. Who the hell did you shoot?" He asked in disbelief. Iris just smiled innocently. "You are terrifying." He shook his head slowly.
The worker picked it up, and examined it. He then take two keys and place them on the desk as Allison walked towards them. "Two rooms. Mazel tov."
"Awesome." Klaus took a key.
"Alright. Well, let's Brady Bunch this bitch." Allison said.
"Uh, meet back in the bar in two hours so we can make a plan." Five tell them as they all walked to the elevators.
"I have a plan." Diego said, walking ahead of them to turn and face his siblings. Iris sighed knowing it's gonna be a stupid plan even before he could tell them. "We attack the Sparrows, and we take back our house, and then we punch Dad a bit until he admits that we're better and he loves us more. Boom! Done! We're wasting time!"
"Brother, it's enough that you're already an idiot. You don't have to make it obvious.." Iris patted his shoulder before walked pass him.
"Relax. Don't sweat it, man. Those shit birds are staying put for a while. I bet they're as wiped as we are." Klaus consoled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, kicking our asses looked exhausting." Klaus smiled humorlessly.
...
"Her is white... same as when Iris..." Jayme trailed off, her treadmill getting slower.
"Iris' monster was out." Fei continues but everyone went silent after the mention of 'monster'. Until someone began to spoke.
"Is that her if she ever... survive that thing?" Sloane feeling sad inside remembering about their Iris that died.
"An asshole?" Ben said showing no emotion.
"No, Alive... All grown up. And don't have any fear of herself. Look at how well she control her power." Sloane remarked. All of them were silent once again.
"Well... She did look good with white hair. I'm not saying that her black hair is bad. It's beautiful but her white hair also suit her." Alphonso commented as the others couldn't help but agreed with his statement.
Ben was still look like he didn't care but they still can see sadness in his eyes because they know how Ben feel towards their Iris. Seeing her again, must be so hard especially when she doesn't know any of them.
That's how Iris feel too after seeing Ben. The disappointment when your love one doesn't recognize you but this two souls had that in a different way. They recognized each other, they missed each other, but they don't know each other.
"Ben..." Jayme began.
"Whatever she is. She is not my Iris... Our Iris... Iris died in my arms. That heartless bitch you saw earlier wasn't our Iris. That just her from another messed up timeline." Ben exclaimed as he scoffed.
Marcus put the treadmill on a higher setting. "I agree. Let's move on to the first one. Big one is strong, but slow. Possibly stupid. Some sort of... Simian hybrid."
"Who took the little jumpy guy?" Sloane asked.
"Me." Jayme said. "Just gave him a spanking and sent him to school."
"Hey-oh!" Alphonso give fist bump to Jayme who was next to him.
Christopher said something. "The skinny one is their weakling." Fei added.
"Unless hiding behind the couches shouting 'Where's my daddy?' is his superpower." Ben remarked. "Enough post-gaming. They disrespected us, Marcus. We need to be out there finding these freaks and taking them out."
"Oh. You mean like this?"
Marcus turn on the TV. It showed a slow-mo playback of Iris summoning the shadows. Marcus got off his treadmill.
"Can someone explain how you got your asses handed to you in 30 seconds? Do you have any idea what would happen to our reputation if anyone had seen that?!" Everyone just went silent as they stop the treadmill. "We haven't faced decent enemies for years. This could be good for us - good for business - but only if we're smart with our next move."
"Smart with our next move? We use to live with Iris, my-" He paused. "Our Iris who coincidentally have the same power as her? Do you forgot what that 'thing' could do?" Ben reminds him as he said 'that thing' instead of mentioning the word 'monster'.
But before Marcus could reply, Reginald entered the room. "You summoned, Number One?"
"Sit. You spent time with these people. What's your assessment?"
"Unimpressive Neanderthals on a day pass. Cried too much and showered too little. The only thing they lacked more than the gift was regard for one another." Reginald explained sounding like an insult, well actually an insult.
"No loyalty." Ben nodded. "We can use that."
"Good. Give a full report to Christopher." Marcus command.
"...And Iris?" Jayme asked as everyone turned to her.
"Not the same person you all grew up with. You might address your Number Eight as a kind and loving. But she is the exact opposite. The opposite of mercy even. A demon that can control the darkness. The nightmare of every children."
Reginald stated as the others have a bit fear formed in their eyes. Before he left, Reginald gave his final words.
"Still. I wouldn't underestimate the Umbrella Academy. Yes, their skills are as lacking as their hygiene, yet somehow they saved the world in 1963. Had they not, none of you would be standing here now. Perhaps I misjudged them." The stares the Sparrow Academy gave him as Christopher said something. "Yes, yes. I'm going." He turned to leave the room.
After Reginald is out of sight, Ben got off his treadmill and walked away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Marcus said firmly but Ben ignores him.
"Just give him some time." Sloane feel sympathy towards her brother. "It must be so hard for him seeing her again." The other nod in agreement as Marcus sighed.
"I wonder how did that Iris survive that thing. I mean you saw what's inside of our Iris." Alphonso said trying not to mention the word 'monster' as he don't want to refer their dead sister as a monster.
"She seems different too. Not like our Iris. She always had this emotionless face and cold stare. And always sounds like she's threatening. Definitely the opposite of our Iris." Jayme explain. Of course she's different. If only their Iris been through the same shit as that Iris, their Iris will be no different from her. Tragedy change her. Same as tragedy change Ben...
"A demon that can control the darkness...." Fei repeating the word that Reginald said earlier about the other Iris.
...
It's dark outside and it's Iris favourite time of the day. She approach her brothers who were eating like they have never eaten in months except for Klaus, who was surprisingly have some manners.
She always have a soft spot for her brothers especially Klaus and Diego but she never admit it even though they annoy her the most. Five on the other hand, is her favourite because she can relate to him even though he can be crazy sometimes, which was fun to laughed at for her.
"You should try chewing. You might actually taste the food." Klaus said as he turn to his two brothers.
"I haven't eaten in days." Luther said with mouth full of food.
"Don't talk when your mouth is full." Iris scolded him as she appeared besides Luther making all of them flinched. She always do that, appears out of nowhere but they never get used to it.
"Iris..." Luther sighed as Klaus put his hand on this chest.
"Hate to admit it but Klaus was right. It's not like someone is going to steal your food or something." Iris said ignoring the fact that she's scares them.
"Iris, please for once... walk. Don't scare us." Luther said feeling tired of his sister using her power to appear out of no where and scared the living out of them.
"I am walking." She turned to him.
"Not through the shadows!" Diego said almost yelling.
"All right. Fine." She walked and sat beside Diego. "Happy now, brothers?" She turned to them with a fed up face.
"Yes." Luther and Diego replied making her rolled her eyes in annoyance as Five approach them.
"What's wrong? You look happy." Luther said to Five.
"Great, because someone is not." Iris stated.
"You don't do 'happy'." Diego said with his mouth full of food.
"Don't talk when your mouth is full." Iris remind him.
"I am plenty happy. Had a nap and a shvitz. What does a man need?" Five said as he sat down in between Iris and Klaus.
"Brothers who don't eat like barn animals." Klaus said earning a look from Luther and Diego, noodles hanging on their mouth.
"Exactly." Iris laughed. "I like that." Klaus raised his hand for high five and Iris eventually gave it.
"So I've been thinking through our little timeline snafu, and I'm pleased to report that in my professional, expert opinion, we are totally in the clear." Five said.
"Brilliant," Iris said.
"Awesome"
"Huh"
"Great"
"So everything's totally fine?" Luther asked.
"More or less. I mean there is one... small thing. It's noting we can manage." Five said picking up a chopstick as they gave him a fed up face.
"So spit it out, Boomer!" Diego shouted with mouth full of noodles. Iris glared at him for talking with mouth full since she was beside him. Diego immediately looked down at his food before muttering, "Sorry."
"Fine, Diego. It's like this. Dad didn't adopt us as babies but those babies still existed here. We just grew up in different places with different people." Five explained.
"So?" Diego asked.
"So where are they now? Odds are, we each have identical versions of ourselves walking around out there living completely different lives... except for Iris." Five said as he turn to Iris knowing that Iris in this timeline had died.
Then Luther grasped. "Our doppelgangers!"
"That's a made up word." Klaus said as Iris sighed.
"No no! I learned all about this in Texas. Tell him about the paranoid psychosis, Five." Luther said.
"Klaus, a doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person." Iris explained as Klaus nod his head understanding and Five thank her.
"Oh whoa whoa whoa! I thought you said this wasn't a problem." said Diego
"Okay, yes, technically if you're near your doppel for long, you'll go insane. So if you ever see your other self-" said Five.
"Kill them." said Diego cutting Five's sentences.
"Scare them." Iris added.
"Sleep with them." Klaus said.
"Avoid them!" Five corrected them.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Said Luther to Klaus.
"Oh come on! As If you wouldn't climb Luther mountain." Klaus said earning a disgust groan from Iris.
"Wait. How are we supposed to guarantee we don't cross paths with ourselves?" Diego asked.
"I don't have to worry. Mine is dead." Iris said calmly which make her brothers turned to her horrified by how calm she said it with no sympathy.
"Easy. We're the Benetton ad of superheroes, born all around the world until dad brought us here which he no longer did. So your doppels probably aren't even in the same time zone as us." Five told them.
"Living their life, better than your life right now perhaps." Iris continued.
"Exactly," Five gesture his hand towards her.
"That's true." Luther added.
"By the way, give me back my gun?" She held out her hand, didn't even bother to look at him.
He swallowed his food first before he talk. "No, I'm keeping it. A weapon is dangerous in your hand."
"A weapon is dangerous in everyone's hand." She replied bluntly.
"With you is extra dangerous. Combine with your shadow thingy." Diego said causing her to rolled her eyes.
"All right. I'm off to bed. Goodnight, brothers." Iris said as disappeared again.
"Man, could she just walk like normal people. She's probably going to scare the living out of Vanya in their room." Luther sighed. The brothers couldn't help but agreed with his statement.
...