Hours passed since the Hargreeves Seven checked themselves into the Hotel Obsidian. And after adjusting to their temporary residence, a few of the siblings ordered Chinese takeout. Seated around one of the small circular tables near the bar, Astrid, Luther, Diego, and Klaus dipped their chopsticks into the red and white boxes. Astrid took a bite out of one of the mini eggrolls, relieved to finally eat something after days of anxiety attacks and fighting for her life.
Halfway into her meal, the sounds of slurping and hurried eating made her look up. "You should try chewing. You might actually taste the food," Klaus murmured, shaking his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Astrid sighing at her brother's frenzied act. "I swear, they have no manners," Klaus whispered into her ear. "Oh come on, I haven't eaten in days!" The Apeman rolled his eyes.
A set of footsteps approached the table, and they all looked up to see Five dressed in a white fluffy robe with a big smile on his face. Something that the siblings didn't see often. "What's wrong? You look happy," Luther spoke through another mouthful of noodles. "I am plenty happy. Had a nap and a shvitz, what else does a man need?" Five answered, taking the empty chair between Astrid and Diego.
"Brothers who don't eat like barn animals?" Ast teased. Diego glared at her as his food hung halfway out of his mouth. Luther on the other hand, just rolled his eyes, thinking Diego took her comment too seriously. "Anyway, 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 spoke up. "Really? No new apocalypses? No Swedish Mafias?" Klaus questioned.
"Well, there is one... small thing. But it's nothing we can't manage," Five admitted. His brothers and sister bit back quiet sighs as there was always a catch when everything seemed back to normal. While his siblings looked at him, questioning what it was, Five looked through the unopened takeout boxes. "Spit it out, boomer!" Diego pulled the time traveler's attention back to them. "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,"
Astrid's eyes widened the more Five continued, claiming there was a chance they each had an identical version of themselves living life outside of the Academy's clutches. Luther gasped as he recalled having heard his brother say something very similar the day they went to confront Five's older self. "Our doppelgangers!" He sputtered. "Isn't that a made-up word?" Astrid squinted. "No! I learned all about this in Texas! Tell them about the paranoid psychosis, Five!"
"Whoa, hang on! I thought you said this wasn't a problem anymore!" Diego interrupted. "Calm down. Technically if you're near your doppel for too long, you'll go insane. So, if you see your other self..." Before Five could finish, they all jumped in, guessing his response was either kill or sleep with them. "AVOID them," Five finished with a hint of annoyance. "What is the matter with you?" Luther looked to the eccentric brother. "As if you wouldn't climb Luther Mountain," Klaus smirked.
"Five, how are we supposed to guarantee we don't cross paths with ourselves?" Astrid inquired. "It's easy. We're the Benetton ad of superheroes, sis. Born all over the world until Dad brought us here, which he no longer did. Doppels probably aren't in the same time zone as us." Maybe we won't even come into contact with them! Astrid shrugged before taking a sip of her mojito. Diego excused himself and walked down the hall towards the bathrooms. But something seemed off. In his right hand, he twirled one of his blades.
When Astrid caught the gleam of his knife, she thought she was just seeing things and went back to conversing with her brothers. "Would you pass the moo shu, Trid?" Five asked, pointing to the unopened box closest to Luther. The blonde handed it to him, and before digging in, Five had to get in one final thought. "Guys, we did it. We saved the world. We stopped the apocalypse and made it home just in time for dinner. So whatever Dad changed, whatever timeline we're in now... we can handle it,"
Five lifted his glass of Margarita in a toast, and the other Umbrellas also lifted their alcoholic beverages, clinking glasses and taking in their victory. But of course, the story was far from over.
~~~~~~~
⚠ Just want to give a brief trigger warning, there is going to be homophobia in the next few paragraphs. So, if you're uncomfortable, feel free to skip ahead. Look out for the ✨ meaning that the triggering scene is over. ⚠
Seven years earlier...
Astrid's breath hitched in her throat as she walked towards Reginald's office. Hearing him call her name over the house's intercom sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know whether or not he had another potentially dangerous mission for her to go on, or if there was an important matter that required both her and Luther's attention. But that wasn't the only thing that scared her. The thing that scared her the most was her deepest darkest secret.
Since her teenage years, Astrid constantly questioned her sexuality and who she was attracted to. Sometimes she thought she was straight, while other times she was attracted to women but still liked men. She wanted to open up about it to her family but given how dysfunctional and hot-tempered some of them were, she feared resentment or being told she was just confused or hadn't met the right person.
It wasn't until she was nineteen that she finally realized who she was. A few weeks before Allison moved to Los Angeles, the two snuck out to a bar that allowed them in during specific times. And while she was on the dance floor, she came across a woman her age with long silky jet-black hair and sparkling green eyes, who kept encouraging her to dance. At first, Astrid was nervous, but as the night continued, she and the mysterious woman grew closer and closer. And in the back corner of the bar during their exhilarating makeout, it was there that Astrid accepted a part of herself that she never knew before.
She knocked on the closed office door, hearing her father's scruffy voice allowing her to enter. She pushed her way in, taking a quiet breath as she stood five feet away from his desk. He studied her in a very unsettling matter, his eyes squinting with disgust. "You wanted to see me, father?" Astrid spoke up. "As a matter of fact, yes... If my sources are correct, I would say you've been very deceptive lately," Reginald spoke coldly.
"Deceptive about what?" Astrid questioned, an unsettling feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Reginald pulled back his seat and opened one of the drawers. He plopped a familiar, white-flowered notebook on his desk, paralyzing the young woman with unease. How did he find that? I hid it very well! "Recognize this?" Reginald rested his hands on the desk. "No..." Astrid shook her head. "Lies! It has your signature on every page! Not only did you write false claims that I mistreated you all, but you claim you have feelings for the same gender. This is absolutely unacceptable!"
Reginald slowly stood from his chair, his eyes still locked on hers. Astrid feared this for so long, and knowing her father, he would say anything to force her back into doubting herself. So she tried to hold firm as best she could while fighting for herself. "If you looked at it closer, you would realize I'm attracted to both men and women. I'm bisexual, and no matter what you say, I will never stop being who I am,"
"I raised you better than this, Astrid Hargreeves. I raised you to put an end to corruption and save the world, not run around and act like someone you're not! I demand you snap out of this phase at once!" The monocle snarled. "It's not a phase! All my life, I've been searching for who I truly am! And although it took me a while to realize it, I'm happy that I get to love whoever I choose. This is why I never told you, because of how you're acting right now,"
The old man shook his head, his mentality of "I'm smart, you're dumb, I'm right, you're wrong," continued floating around in his head like a toxic parasite. His leathered hand clenched into a fist as he looked back at her with the same cold stare. "Very well, since you've decided to keep living in this delusion, I will no longer allow you to live here." Astrid's mouth dropped open, he couldn't seriously be kicking her out, could he?
"Father, I-" She stuttered, but Reginald interrupted. "I expect you to be out of this house by tomorrow morning," Though Astrid was still trying to maintain her composure, she could feel tears of anger form at the corners of her eyes. "Very well, I'll be gone. It's clear your pride is more important than the relationship with your children. After tomorrow, your existence will be wiped out of my mind completely. In other words, you're dead to me," With that, Astrid stormed out, not letting her tears fall until she locked herself in her bedroom.
✨✨✨
Even years later, the harshness of his words continued to haunt her. Every venomous word was like a knife repeatedly being plunged into her heart and expected her to keep living. She thought after Reginald died, she would be free from his cage of hate. But after seeing him again in the 60s and the Sparrow's timeline, all Astrid could do was continue to fight the demons. She gasped as she looked around the darkened hotel room. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around herself, curling into a ball and trying to calm down.
Eventually, when her body relaxed, she laid back down, trying to fully bring herself back to reality. Being in that dark room only made her feel like she was still in that nightmare. If she were to escape, she needed to be out in the daylight. Without another thought, she brushed her hair and changed into a sage green workout outfit. Quietly shutting the door behind her, she took the elevator down to the main floor and stepped onto the sidewalk.
The April morning was a combination of foggy and sunny with the temperature dropping to a chill with every harsh blow of the wind. Astrid zipped up her jacket as she ran past the streetlights and passing citizens. As she returned to the park, she briefly caught glimpse of the giant fountain and flower beds, some flowers already open and popping with red, pink, and orange shades.
The longer she stayed outside, the more at ease she felt. The cold air froze what was left of her frightened state, and she could only hope the rest of the day would pass by with no further incident. She soon heard the cawing of birds around her, and as the sound continued, she looked up curiously, watching a few ravens perch on the lampposts. The first few didn't bother her, but the further she ran down the dirt path, the more she saw the unkind staring at her.
All at once, they came swooping down from their places and looked ready to peck her to death. Astrid ran as fast as she could but soon felt her legs begin to cramp up. There was only one other option, but it could risk catching the eyes of nearby citizens who might confuse her for one of the Sparrows. She quickly teleported, only twenty feet away from the ravens. She disappeared into a dark cloud for a second time, still a reasonable distance from her pursuers.
Before she could decide her next move, Astrid wasn't looking where she was going and ended up crashing into a nearby tree. The impact sent waves of pain through Astrid's face, making her fear she lost a few of her teeth. But to her relief, they all remained intact. "Hello stranger," A familiar sweet-sounding voice spoke. Astrid gasped and turned around, coming face to face with three of the Sparrows, Fei, Ben, and Sloane. Suddenly, Umbrella Eight found herself pinned against the tree, unable to free herself. And before she could protest her freedom, Fei stepped forward and punched Astrid into unconsciousness.