CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
lamb to the slaughter
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
THE DAY NADINE learned about the death of Reginald Hargreeves—which led to her accosting the Hargreeves siblings at his funeral, a decision that ended up being simultaneously the best and worst one she'd made in her life—she'd thought about the bond between mother and child, and why the one between her and Louise had always been so strained. Back then, she'd compared mothers to robots, programmed to love the children they'd conceived the moment they first laid eyes on them. It's a necessary process, as humans, unlike other species, are born helpless, unable to walk or talk or even feed themselves on their own (which is due to the fact that humans are all technically born prematurely so their heads can actually be extracted from a mother's womb). An infant needs its mother in order to survive, needs her to nurse it until it develops the necessary functions itself. Without it—or, at least, without any parental figure—it is destined to die.
Back then, Nadine had wondered if the miraculous conditions of her birth had led to that strain. She hadn't lived inside her mother for nine months, developing and growing from a clump of cells to a human being of her own right. Instead, she'd just sprung into existence, filling Louise's stomach like a creature right out of a horror film. So, of course, that programming wouldn't have been instated. Nadine's birth hadn't been natural. Her mother's body didn't have time to develop those parental instincts.
Thinking back to it, though, Nadine wasn't exactly sure if that was true. A mother didn't need to nurse a child herself in order to love them. After all, if that was the case, then the love between parents who used surrogates and adoption would be less real. That was a dangerous way of thinking, and veered deep into the idea that the only real family was the nuclear one—heterosexual parents and 'properly conceived' children.
So, no, Nadine's mother wasn't just missing some instincts she'd been supposed to develop. She was just a horrible person, one who claimed she wanted children but then mistreated them when they arrived. And maybe a lot of her animosity to Nadine stemmed from her abilities—normal children couldn't form butterflies and bees out of nowhere, after all, and all Louise wanted was a normal child—but, perhaps, if she'd had someone who wasn't Nadine—a child born in perfectly ordinary conditions, with nothing so supernatural about them—she would've found something else to hate. Maybe they wouldn't want to be dressed up like a doll and paraded in front of others like a show donkey. Maybe they wore ripped jeans instead of skirts and listened to heavy metal instead of classical. Maybe they would be transgender or nonbinary or, God forbid, asexual. Anything that broke Louise's mould of what a child should've been like... well, they'd be kicked to the curb, too.
At least, Nadine hoped, because then it would mean that she wasn't just born wrong.
That was what Viktor had been saying, anyway, when Nadine had first believed that Sabine's mother—and, God, both of them had probably been snuffed out of existence by now—was Louise. That it was Louise's fault, not hers. That some people were just not meant to be parents, even if they believed they wanted to. And Louise Vidal—and Reginald Hargreeves and The Handler—was a part of that group.
Even so, Nadine had never wanted her dead.
She hated her mother. She'd hated her since she was ten years old and began to comprehend that her Papa was a lot nicer to be around. Louise was cruel, and biting, and a game of Russian Roulette—you never knew what you were going to get with her. But, even then, a part of Nadine still continued to love her.
Finding out that she'd passed away—or, apparently, been killed—the day she was born had sent a whirlwind of emotions rushing through her. Oh, there had been a twinge of sadness there, but it had been overruled by overwhelming shock. First of all, she didn't technically exist. Second, the woman whose phone had connected to hers might not have even been another version of herself at all. Third, this whole thing would undoubtedly have quite literal earth-shattering consequences.
Now, though, learning that Harlan had been the one to do it... Nadine couldn't help but be angry. Even with Harlan's insistence that it had been an accident, he had killed her mother. He had been the one to end her life, to pull the last breaths from her chest.
She might even have boiled over, exhaling a plume of fire in typical Nadine Vidal fashion. That was to be expected, especially considering Harlan was also the reason this whole universe-ending kugelblitz was occurring. But any rage that might have bared its ugly teeth was yanked to a halt by Allison. Allison, who was staring at Harlan with murder shining in her eyes. Allison, who Nadine knew was a capable killer.
There was no question about it—Allison was going to annihilate Harlan where he stood.
And Nadine couldn't let that happen.
"Wait, Allison, stop." When Allison took a slow step forward, Nadine leaped into action, putting herself in between her friend and the lamb she meant to slaughter. She was breathless, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession, and her vision was spotted with red, but she firmly threw her arms out, regardless, forming a human shield. "You don't want to do this."
"I think I fucking do, Nadine," Allison growled, her face as dark as the storm that Harlan and Viktor had wrought. "He killed—he killed our mothers. He wiped my daughter from existence!"
"I know," Nadine said. She was trembling from head to toe. "I can't—I'm angry at him too, Allison. But we can't just—we can't just kill him."
"Why the hell not?" By now, Allison's eyes had become slits. Her entire face was contorted, twisted. Barely any glimpse of the friend Nadine knew remained. The rest had been replaced by pure bloodthirst.
"Because—because... because it was an accident," Nadine said, even though her own thoughts were chiming a chorus of some fucking accident. "He didn't—he didn't mean to do it. And if we killed him... well, we'd be hypocrites, wouldn't we? Viktor ended the world, and we gave him a second chance. We can—we can do the same for Harlan. No matter how fucking awful it is."
"No. No goddamn way. There is no goddamn way I am letting him live after he eviscerated my daughter!"
"I—I didn't—" Harlan stuttered. Nadine wished he hadn't spoken. He was probably just making it worse.
"Get the fuck out of my way, Nadine!" Allison shrieked.
Nadine stood her ground. "I can't let you do this."
"Like hell! Get out of my way."
Allison stepped forward, shoving Nadine in the chest so hard, she nearly fell backward. Even so, she kept her ground, ensuring that she was still shielding Harlan from harm. "No."
"You know I can make you if I want to." Allison's eyes were pitiless pools of black. "Don't make me do that, Nadine."
"You wouldn't do that." Nadine shook even harder. "You're—we're friends, Allison."
"I don't care. You have three seconds."
"Allison, please." A tear dripped down Nadine's cheek. "I promise we won't give Harlan a free pass for what he's done. But killing... it isn't the answer. We came all the way out here because Harlan deserves to live. He's not some—some dog that you can just put down. He's a person. I thought you believed in that."
"I never did. I just wanted to make sure you two dumbasses didn't get yourselves killed. And, even if I did, it wouldn't matter. Harlan deserves to die for what he's done. I think a part of you knows it, too." She cocked her head. "Unless Viktor told you everything earlier. Unless you were lying to me, too."
"No!" Nadine raised her hands in surrender. "No, I didn't know. I promise, I didn't. I'm—I'm as angry as you are. I'm just as betrayed. But I just—I can't. I can't let you kill him."
Allison took another step forward. "You're giving me no choice, Nadine."
"You have a choice. You can choose the right path."
"Like fucking hell letting him live is the right path. Three."
"Allison—" Nadine turned to Harlan, who continued to stand behind her with a mixture of terror and resignation on his face. Go, she mouthed, but he didn't move. Perhaps he was paralyzed, or maybe he just thought she'd be better protection.
"Two."
"Don't. Don't."
"One."
Allison moved forward again, until her nose was only a few inches from Nadine's. She was shaking, too, rage consuming every bit of her.
Nadine stared back, heart pounding. Allison wasn't really going to do it, was she? They were friends. Friends didn't use mind control on one another, especially when they couldn't fight back.
But Allison's fury had taken over the part of her that didn't want to hurt Nadine. There was nothing behind her eyes but murderous intent.
She opened her mouth. And Nadine knew that there was no way she was escaping this.
"I heard a rumor..." she began. Her voice washed over Nadine, killing any instinct she might have to fight back. "...You got out of my way."
Nadine tried to fight the words as soon as they came, but there was no fighting it. Allison's command washed away everything else, leaving it, all-consuming and final. Get out of Allison's way. Get out of Allison's way. It echoed, and, before Nadine knew it, her limbs were moving.
She stepped out of Allison's way.
"Good," Allison said. She faced Harlan, who still had that stupid blanket around his shoulders. His eyes had drifted closed, and his entire body quivered in anticipation. "And now, for you."
"Don't," Nadine urged. Now in control of her body, she stepped forward, but her feet simply wouldn't let her get anywhere near Allison. It was like there was an invisible circle, preventing her from breaking her rule. "Allison—"
Allison whirled to her. "You know what? I heard a rumor that you went back to the hotel. I don't need you here."
The new order sunk into Nadine's body. There was no resisting it, either.
Out of her control—like someone else was pulling her puppet strings—Nadine turned and started walking away. Her feet crunched on gravel, and the entire time she was silently screaming, but there was nothing she could do. Allison's word was absolute. That was the horror of her abilities.
What made things even worse was that she wasn't making her way to the car, either. No, she was going to walk there, each step agony, without any chance of warning Viktor. She was trapped. Completely under Allison's spell.
She couldn't even turn her head to look behind her. But that turned out not to matter.
The snap of Harlan's neck was clear as day.
MAYBE SLOANE—SWEET, naïve Sloane who would look up if someone told her 'gullible' was written on the ceiling—had thought that, once Luther officially became a part of the Sparrow Academy, her siblings' minds would change about him. He was one of them now, after all, and they couldn't give him the cold shoulder the entire time they worked together.
Of course, she underestimated the grudges her siblings—specifically Kadence and Fei—could hold. Which came into demonstration the moment the remaining members of the Sparrow Academy met up in the living room.
Ben was there, leaning against the wall and periodically glancing back at Luther with an expression Kadence couldn't discern. Fei sat on a sofa, eating trail mix methodically, piece by piece. Christopher hovered by her shoulder, rotating slowly. Sloane was on the couch.
When Kadence entered, Luther had been sitting beside her, but he'd launched to his feet at her appearance. Now, he held out a hand for Kadence to shake.
"Hi," he said. "I, uh, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Earlier."
"You mean because you were a part of the team that seeks to undermine everything we've worked for?" Kadence asked. Even as she said it, though, something in her twinged, remembering her fight with Nadine, the way she'd shed her wolf skin in favour of someone far more genuine. But the woman's honesty still didn't mean she could trust every member of the Umbrella Academy. Especially not this oaf, weird lover to Sloane or not.
Luther cleared his throat. "Yeah. That. And, you know, the whole kidnapping debacle... anyway. No hard feelings, right?"
"I wouldn't exactly say that." Kadence narrowed her eyes. "Ever since you and your family have shown up, you've turned everything to shit. I mean, my siblings are dead, the world is on fire, and there's an orb of death growing in our basement. Which I can feel, by the way. It's not exactly pleasant."
"Kadence!" Sloane reprimanded. "That's not his fault."
Kadence shrugged. "It might as well be. So, yeah, Luther Hargreeves, I think there are some hard feelings remaining. And they aren't just going to magically go away now that Ben's decided you're on our team. Especially since you guys haven't given us Harlan yet."
Fei put a raisin to her tongue and stifled a smile—the twitch of her lips ruined her stoic expression. Christopher outright laughed, his body flashing red, then green, then blue. Ben just scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Kadence!" Sloane said again. Kadence ignored her.
"For the record, the plan was to hand him over," Luther said. "It's just, uh, some things got in the way."
"What things?" Kadence asked.
"Um. Family disagreement. Some people... well, I wouldn't say they betrayed us, but they weren't exactly happy with our decision. They took Harlan and ran. We still have no idea where he is."
"Isn't that convenient," Fei muttered. Luther shot her a look.
"It's the truth!"
"Who was it, then?" Kadence challenged. "Specifically. Tell us the truth, and we may go after just then rather than your whole family. Wouldn't you prefer only a few of them to die instead of all of them?"
Luther's face whitened. Sloane shot to her feet.
"Kadence!"
"What? Are Ben's conditions suddenly off the table now that this dunce's a part of the team?"
"Don't call him that." Sloane's lips pinched together. "You don't even know him."
"And you do? It hasn't even been a week! Just because you fuck a man doesn't mean you can suddenly trust him. Especially not when he and his wack-ass family have ruined everything."
Luther moved forward, looming over her. His brawny frame cast a dark shadow across her, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she just crossed her arms and tipped her head up, meeting his eyes in challenge.
"You're not touching my family," he said quietly.
"I doubt you could stop me."
"All right, enough."
Ben finally peeled himself from the wall, striding over and gripping Kadence by the arm. "What are you even doing here? You're supposed to be resting."
Kadence resisted the urge to pull herself from his grasp. "Like that would fucking help. It's not going to go away, Ben. This isn't a head cold. I can't just take some medicine and let Grace bring me chicken noodle soup and suddenly be better."
Christopher garbled something. Kadence rolled her eyes, and Ben held up a hand.
"We need to stop fighting," he said. "We have more important things to worry about than old grudges, Kadence. Especially with this—this apocalypse getting worse. Luther is a part of the team, now. And the rest of the Umbrellas are gonna be, too. Sure, we're still gonna go after them if they don't hand over Harlan, but I doubt it'll come to that. They'll weigh the odds and come to the conclusion that they need us."
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Kadence asked. "Two days ago you were all for polishing them off. What's different now?"
"Simple. First, they're assholes, but they're useful assholes. They're the only other people we've ever met with superpowers. We've all seen first-hand what they're capable of, even if they go about it sloppily. Viktor, in particular, is quite interesting. He might come in handy."
"Uh-huh," Kadence said dryly. She sincerely doubted it.
"Second," Ben continued, shooting her a dirty look, "they're too dumb to even think about betraying us. They wouldn't be able to coordinate it—they can't even coordinate their own team."
"You know I am standing right here," Luther said. Ben ignored him.
"So why don't you quit your bitching, Kadence. It's not helping. And Sloane, stop pissing your pants every time Kadence opens her mouth. You've lived with her for years; you know what she's like. Christopher and Fei—" he turned to them, only to find that they were both quiet. Fei continued calmly eating her trail mix. "—Just stop being dicks in general."
"Aye-aye, captain," Fei drawled, giving him a sarcastic salute.
"Whatever," Kadence grumbled. "But I still refuse to get all chummy with anyone from the Umbrella Academy. And that includes Luther."
"Again. I'm right here," Luther said.
"Fine. Do what you want," said Ben. "I really don't care. As long as you don't pass out on us again—"
"I didn't pass out—" Kadence protested.
"You can stick around. Just don't be a fucking idiot."
Kadence huffed, then sank down onto the spot on the couch Sloane had just vacated. Sloane eyed her, but said nothing. Perhaps she was already taking Ben's advice.
Whatever. Kadence glanced at Fei. She hadn't forgotten what her sister had said in the infirmary. She hated the Umbrella Academy, too. A part of her itched to finally end their lives, even if another thought that teaming up with them was their best option. She, at least, would follow Kadence's lead if she decided to start cutting throats.
Fei pretended not to notice, but Kadence saw the raven in the corner. When Kadence met its eyes, Fei shifted in place.
Luther cleared his throat. "Nice to be here," he said. Kadence didn't even bother dignifying that with a response.
IT HAD BEEN FOUR hours since Allison had Rumoured Nadine into heading back to the hotel, and her feet were beginning to bleed. She could feel the slow trickle of liquid within her shoes and the biting pain that accompanied the opening of calluses. Within minutes of this, she could tell that her socks were stained red, and at least a few layers of skin had been rubbed off her heels.
Even so, she couldn't even stop to examine the damage. She had to keep walking, so keep walking she did, even with the pain in her feet and the stitch slowly forming in her side. Even with her mind screaming at her, begging her to rest for just a second. She wasn't allowed a break.
Being Allison's puppet, having no autonomy of her own... it was as excruciating as stepping onto a bed of hot coals. It was as heart-wrenching as the death of a beloved pet—or girlfriend. It was a betrayal that cut deep into Nadine's chest, the blade dragging out in order to ensure that the pain was prolonged. And it was infuriating.
Harlan was dead. Harlan was dead, and Nadine hadn't been able to do anything about it. After everything she'd done—going against the Umbrella Academy, coming out here, and begrudgingly allowing Viktor to attempt his dangerous transfer of powers—she still hadn't been enough to keep him alive. All it had taken were two rage-filled orders, and she was as obedient as a beaten dog.
Allison had done that to her. Allison, the woman she'd considered one of her best friends—and a member of her family—had snatched Nadine's free will as surely as she'd snatched the heartbeat from Harlan. Then she'd killed Harlan, bundled him up in her trunk—Nadine had heard her wheezes as she dragged his body across the gravel—and drove off.
Tears spilled down Nadine's cheeks, even though it was a waste of water and her mouth was drier than it had ever been. She'd known that Allison had been a little rocky ever since she found out that her daughter didn't exist in this timeline—and even suspected that she was going off the rails, after what she'd done to Sloane—but this? This was beyond even her worse fears. This was something she wouldn't have even come up with in her worst nightmares.
By now, she was nearing the city—the burning, broken city, with chunks carved out of buildings, fires blooming on every available surface, and the constant trill of fire trucks and ambulances ringing through the air—though she suspected it would take at least another two hours of walking before she actually reached the hotel. That meant two more hours of being unable to even pause and tie her shoes. That meant two more hours of silent screams.
The sun had already set, covering the world in a cloak of night. Even so, when Nadine craned her head up, she couldn't spot any stars in the darkness. There was too much smoke for that—she could feel it in the air. It surged into her throat with every breath she took and made its home there, so that every time she coughed, it came out gravelly and laboured.
The Moon wasn't out, either, and that almost hurt more than Allison's perfidy. Before, she'd at least been able to look up and see a remnant of Molly smiling down at her. But now, she had nothing but her own memories and the charm bracelet on her wrist.
I miss you, Molly, Nadine thought, not for the first time. If Molly had been here... well, somehow, things would have gone differently. She just had a way of making even the bleakest scenarios seem all right. She would have managed to coax Allison from the shadows she'd slipped into and bring back the friend Nadine loved. She would have stood beside Nadine in keeping Harlan alive at whatever cost.
Shit, she might've even solved this whole kugelblitz thing. There were no limits to what she could accomplish.
"You should've been here," Nadine said out loud, surprising herself with the sound of her own voice. She hadn't spoken for at least two hours. Screaming at Allison had taken a lot out of her throat. "It's not fair that you weren't. It's not fair that we didn't get more time together."
I know, Molly whispered. Nadine could practically hear her voice in her ear. I didn't want it to end up like this, either. I miss you, my Sun. You know I do.
"Yeah," Nadine said. "I know."
Remember what I told you. If not this life, we'll meet in the next one. I promise you, Nadine. I'll be waiting. I'll wait as long as it takes. But I want you to live, first.
Nadine scoffed, taking a look around. Nothing but barrenness surrounded her. "There's not much to live for, now," she said. "And I'll probably cease to exist before I get to see you, anyway."
You always were a negative one.
"You were my optimist." Nadine wiped her eyes. "Without you, I'm all gray."
That's not true. You have Viktor.
"Not for much longer."
Molly gave her a sad smile. I love you, my Sun. And I'm so sorry.
"Me too," Nadine said. And Molly faded away into nothing.
A sob broke free from her lips, and she sniffled exaggeratedly as her feet carried her across the empty road. Onward she went.
There was quite literally nowhere she could go but forward.
TO KADENCE'S DISMAY, BEN ended up being right about the Umbrella Academy.
Honestly, she hadn't expected them to ever get in touch—after all, Luther had claimed that they no longer possessed Harlan, and, even if they did, why the fuck would they ever trust their sworn enemies? But only five hours after the conversation in the living room, the phone rang.
Allison Hargreeves was on the other end.
"Harlan's dead," she'd said bluntly, when Ben had picked it up. Kadence, Fei, Sloane, and Christopher had all been listening in, and their eyes had gone wide. Kadence had sucked in a harsh breath, especially when Allison continued, "Do whatever you want with his corpse. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
And that had been it.
Kadence had to sit down on the couch to process this news. Her head—which was still throbbing faintly from the presence of the devourer in the basement—actually spun. Her breathing came fast and uneven.
Harlan was dead. He was dead, and judging by Allison's tone of voice, she'd been the one to do it. She hadn't waited for the Sparrow Academy; no, something seemed to have prompted her to finish the act herself. Which wasn't fair, given the fact that he hadn't killed her siblings. She didn't deserve the right to end his life. Kadence did.
A part of her hoped that it was a bluff. Even if that meant Harlan was still alive and at large, it also meant that Kadence still had an opportunity to take a crack at him. But if he was dead, then all she could do was kick the shit out of his corpse. It wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as watching the light die from his eyes.
Unfortunately, she would find herself disappointed.
Three minutes after the twenty-minute mark, a car pulled up in front of the Sparrow Academy. Rain pattered against its roof—the downpour had started only a few minutes ago, though it likely would only last a little while longer. Kadence watched from her position beside her father—who, strangely, had decided to join them—as Allison stepped out, slamming the door behind her. Without saying anything, she headed over to the trunk.
Before she even popped it open, though, it was clear she'd done what she said. The stench of death, sicky and putrid, wafted through the cracks, making its disgusting way into Kadence's nostrils. Outwardly, she wrinkled her nose, but inside, her stomach was sinking to her toes.
Indeed, Harlan's corpse lay inside the trunk, eyes two gaping black holes in his skull. His neck was twisted, his head bloody. His skin was already beginning to turn blue.
"You got what you wanted," Allison said. Fire bloomed behind her. "This is done."
Then, without saying anything further, she pushed past Kadence, Ben, and Fei, and made her way inside.
After all, the conditions of the deal had been met.
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
HAVEN: oooooooof. yeah, i'm not gonna lie, this one was tough to write. i'd known this was happening from pretty much the beginning, but that did not make it any easier. honestly, it just made me more upset about the decline of allison's character. because while she wouldn't have even thought about rumouring nadine in season one, it's definitely not out of character for her to do that now. and that really bums me out :((
this really marks the end of nadine and allison's relationship, too. allison does still care for her (as she'll show later in the fic), but... nadine literally can't forgive her for violating her like that, and that's completely understandable imo. again, it really sucks because, like, one act ago nadine saw her as a sister, but alas. at least she has lila ://
also kadence was in this chapter, i guess. she's also in the next, but... yeah, she's definitely gonna take a backseat to nadine for a bit lmao. i do have delightfully evil plans for her in the future, though, so get ready for that!!
thanks for reading <333