The aftermath of the battle between the Sparrows and Umbrellas left a huge mess in the living room. Furniture had been battered and thrown around like children's toys, mounted animal heads became dislodged from their places on the walls, and shattered glass covered every inch of the floor. As her siblings cleaned up the mess, Sloane fought against the intense throbbing in the back of her head. Whether she got it from being thrown into the bar or being smacked into the wall by Astrid, she didn't know.
"Bastards, thinking they can come in and try to take our house?" Ben muttered under his breath. "Now that takes some balls," Alphonso nodded in agreement. The gravity girl used her powers to gather the pieces of broken glass behind the bar, dropping them into the nearby trashcan. While most of the room could be salvaged, the coffee table was left in ruins, leaving them to use a smaller makeshift table to set out their takeaway dinners.
"Sparrows, take a half-hour break. We'll meet in the rec room for a little talk," Marcus instructed from the balcony once the cleaning was taken care of. Sloane retreated to the upstairs bathroom and washed up. As she stared at her reflection, she wiped away the dried blood from her nose, picking out the few glass shards caught in her light brunette hair.
As she looked back at the mirror, her body completely froze. The only movement she could feel was the inhale and exhale of her breath. Instead of seeing her reflection, there was another person in her place. Astrid. What the... why is she here? Sloane wondered, looking out the corner of her eye to make sure she wasn't actually in the room. But even though she looked away, Astrid's figure remained in the mirror.
"What do you want?" Sloane asked, determined to find an answer and calm her nerves. But the blonde's reflection flashed a small smile before disappearing. Was I hallucinating? Sloane gripped the sides of the sink, keeping herself steady. A knock came from the bathroom door, and she opened it to see Jayme already dressed in her dark red workout uniform. "Who are you talking to?" she squinted.
"Oh, it was nobody," Sloane brushed it off, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Jayme looked her up and down with suspicion but dismissed it, reminding her of Marcus's meeting. "I know, I'll be there," the gravity girl replied. Sloane hurriedly changed into the red outfit, pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, and met up with her siblings in the rec room. As she stepped inside, she saw everybody had already gathered on the treadmills. Without saying a word, she took the last treadmill in-between Fei and Alphonso.
The security camera recordings played on the two large TVs in front of them, and the Sparrows watched while powering up their machines and mentally taking notes. "Big one is strong but slow, possibly stupid. Some sort of... simian hybrid," Marcus said as he watched the replay of Luther trying to swing at him. Suddenly, the recordings caught a dark flash and at first, the Sparrows had no idea what they witnessed.
"Who was that? I didn't get a good look," Fei questioned. "That's the blondie! Shadow Girl," Alphonso answered. "So... what? She uses shadows to scare people? Her powers are lame compared to my venom!" Jayme sneered. Though they had to play the tape back a few times to study the woman's abilities, Sloane had to disagree with her sister. She couldn't say it out loud, but watching Alphonso charge through the black cloud in hopes of tackling Astrid and the confused look on his face when he couldn't, made her snicker.
Not only that, but the way she reappeared and disappeared so quickly impressed Sloane even more. Come on, Slo. Focus! These people tried to attack us! She shook her head as she continued running on the treadmill. "Who took the little jumpy guy?" She asked, continuing the conversation, acting like she wasn't just fawning over a stranger. "Me! Just gave him a spanking and sent him to school," Jayme answered smugly, giving Alphonso a fist bump.
"The skinny one is their weak link," Fei noted as Umbrella Four ran around, sometimes huddling in a corner trying to hide. "Unless hiding behind couches and shouting, 'Where's my Daddy?' is his superpower," Ben taunted. The Squid Boy pressed a button on his machine, causing it to slow down. "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 flipped to another recording, making his brother and the others relive the moment they were thrown all over the living room by a bright and powerful wave that erupted from one of the Umbrella's chests. How could such a tiny person hold so much power inside of them? One by one, the Sparrows powered off their machines, watching Marcus as he stood between the two televisions. "Can someone explain to me how you got your asses handed to you in thirty seconds? Do you have any idea what would happen to our reputation if anyone had seen that?" Sparrow One lectured.
As their brother continued, all the Sparrows could do was stare down at their feet, absorbing every word. Hearing the disappointment in Marcus's voice instantly made Sloane feel guilty. They all had a duty to defend their people. But how could they do that if they couldn't defeat their newest threat? Who knew what else these Umbrellas had in store? "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," Marcus explained.
Across the rec room, the sound of a new voice cleared their throat. The siblings looked over to see Reginald staring back at them. "You summoned, Number One?" The old man asked, pulling out a chair. "You spent time with these people. What's your assessment?" Marcus asked. "Unimpressive. Neanderthals on a day pass, cried too much and showered too little. The only thing they lacked more than anything was any regard for one another," Reginald described.
"No loyalty. We could use that," Ben nodded in approval. With the explanation, the Sparrows seemed to be pointed in the right direction. But as they were about to return to making a plan, Reginald opened his mouth again. "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,"
Reginald looked down, muttering under his breath as an unusual thought came to mind. Perhaps he misjudged the Umbrellas...
~~~~~~~
With only two rooms at the Umbrella Academy's disposal, the siblings had to bunch together. But when they stepped into their rooms, it wasn't nearly as bad as they thought. The rooms could've used a fresh coat of paint and a few more functioning lightbulbs. They were no five-star luxury rooms by any means, but it was better than nothing. Vanya shrugged and said, "It's not too small," while Allison squinted as she looked around the room, swearing that she saw black mold growing in one corner.
Astrid sat on the nearby sofa, slightly bouncing as she tested the comfortability of the pillows. Not too stiff, but not too soft either. "You guys can have the beds. I'll take the couch," she looked over her shoulder before laying her head on one of the Mamie Pink throw pillows. As their sister made herself comfortable, Vanya and Allison lay in their beds, staring at the ceiling as they reflected on their journey to yet another timeline.
"Last night, I was sleeping in my bed next to my amazing husband," Allison whispered, already missing the man who loved and truly understood her. "I kissed Sissy goodbye a few hours ago. Give or take 50 years," Vanya explained. Astrid stayed silent on the couch, a heavy breath escaping her lips. Ever since landing in that '60s alleyway, she roamed the streets looking for her siblings for days. She could remember the pumps of anxiety as she ran down the sidewalks, her voice dry and hoarse from all the shouting.
It wasn't until she ran into a married couple with their two children when it seemed like things were looking up for her. They tried to help as best they could, but after weeks of no luck, the couple agreed to let her stay with them full time. She enjoyed caring for their children, Sarah and Matthew. But the longer she stayed with the family, she could tell something seemed off with the wife, Marian.
When her husband was around, she acted like the most cheerful person in existence. But when she thought nobody was looking, the longing look in her eyes was crystal clear. Like she longed for something foreign, something new. Something that most of society at the time would deem as not normal. And though the puzzle was difficult for Astrid to solve, she realized that Marian had a longing to be with another woman. In particular, the new neighbor that moved in around the time Astrid arrived in Dallas.
"I tucked in Sarah and Matthew for the last time a few days ago," Astrid reflected, finally breaking her silence. "I miss their giggles and mischievous smiles. It felt like I was their big sister." Allison slowly sat up and looked in her sibling's direction. "I'm glad you both found people who treated you right," She smiled. "Sissy saw me for who I really am. I'm not ready to give that up," Vanya sighed. "I feel the same about Ray. We better not have left them to die in some superhero turf war," Allison shook her head at the thought.
"You should go home. Hug your daughter," Astrid spoke softly, knowing how much Allison longed to see her daughter again. Even if she wasn't a parent, Astrid couldn't imagine someone being away from their child for so long. As The Rumor considered leaving that night, Diego's words replayed in her mind. Immediately, she feared the Sparrows attacking them again. "What if Diego's right about the Sparrows?" She questioned. "We fought an entire Commission. I think we can handle seven jerks in uniforms. They just caught us off-guard," Vanya shrugged it off.
It took a moment for the words to absorb into Allison and Astrid's minds. All they could do was hope they could eventually defeat the red-uniformed supernaturals and maybe just maybe have their lives return to normal. Allison stood up from her bed and gestured her open arms to her siblings. Vanya and Astrid got up as well, enveloping themselves in their sister's embrace. "I love you guys so much," Allison muffled. "We love you too," Astrid whispered.
Shortly thereafter, Allison worked up the courage to find her daughter. With a final smile, she walked out of the hotel and into a waiting taxi. Astrid continued to stare at the ceiling, almost like she was waiting for something to come out and surprise her. Her hand slowly crept towards her collarbone, and she reached inside her shirt.
Around her neck hung a silver-chained necklace, and hanging from it were two silver rings. One had a few tiny gemstones, and the other was a simple silver band. She had no idea how long it remained in her possession or how she even acquired it in the first place. But every time she glanced down at the jewelry, she felt at peace and like a circle of positive energy had been cast around her.
She fumbled around with it for a while, watching as beams of sunlight made the stones twinkle like stars. Feeling her eyes grow heavy, Astrid shifted to her side and closed her eyes, hoping for at least a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.