"Pogo, what's the point of still training if Dad's dead?"
Pogo sighed and gripped his cane patiently. "You shouldn't speak of Master Reginald's death so lightly, Miss Y/N."
Y/N rolled her eyes and straightened her posture before slouching slightly again. She was Number Eight. One of the world-famous children that fought for the city and lived under the roof of the Umbrella Academy, taught by Reginald Hargreeves.
Mr. Hargreeves had however died from a heart attack a couple days ago, leaving the rest of the world slightly unbothered.
Y/N had been with Reginald since she was a baby. And as all her siblings started drifting away by time, Y/N had stayed. She wasn't stupid enough to go out into the world of expenses and annoying people.
"Besides, we still have the city to worry about," Pogo continued after a while.
"I don't think they really care. The people these days are too suicidal," Y/N flopped onto a chair.
"Miss Y/N," Pogo said sternly.
"Sorry, Pogo. But it's a little too hard to take a chimpanzee seriously."
Pogo shook his head but fought off a smile as he laid his gaze upon Y/N again. "You are thirty years of age. You should start taking some things a little seriously."
Yes, she was in fact thirty years in age but she had always been put under as a child due to her appearances. She hadn't yet grown out of her 13 year old body, with the ruling from Reginald that she had hypopituitarism.
As this was a known fact to those living in the house hold, Y/N gave Pogo a pointed look, crossing her arms. She didn't like it.
Pogo shook his head at her antics and stood at the doorway. "Fine. Your siblings will be arriving soon. I suggest that you prepare yourself until then."
With that, Pogo left the room, his cane's clanks against the wood floor echoing their way out before the girl was left with silence.
Y/N groaned and rubbed her temples before sitting up and smoothing over her uniform and pulling on her sleeve slightly. She didn't know what to say to her siblings. She didn't know how they'd react. For some, it's been years since she last met and none of them had left with good terms.
Walking over to the kitchen, Y/N grabbed an apple and began to eat it, looking over her shoulder at the clock that hung over the refrigerator before she turned back to the table.
Grace was sitting nearby on the taller barstool as she looked down at her hands, working in progress a small knitted scarf, with red borderline and a small bow in the corner, humming happily to herself as she used her fingers to finish the last knots.
Everyone in the Umbrella Academy knew that Grace as designed by Reginald Hargreeves as a mother figure. But, they had always had a soft spot for her. Grace may be a robot, but she was the only thing remotely close to a parent they could get, so they loved her for it.
She was there for the mourning of Ben, the disappearance of Five, and always helped Diego with his stuttering.
Y/N was especially fond of Grace, especially since she was living alone for so long in a huge house. She was the only one she felt she could talk to.
Even if they didn't always agree on things, it hurt all of the kids after seeing how harshly Grace was treated by Reginald.
Y/N opened her mouth to speak with Grace before small footsteps further down the hall interrupted her and a familiar man wearing all black with a small pouch on his chest stepped into the kitchen, looking around before his eyes finally landed on Y/N and Grace.
This man was Diego Hargreeves, the Umbrella Academy's Number Two, the Kraken. When he was working in the academy, he found his talent to be throwing knives, and controlling the path it took before it reached an enemy. There were many times where small fits in the household gave him yet another opportunity to practice his talent, and it always had a bloody ending.
"Diego. What a surprise. I thought you were too busy playing Batman to bother coming over," Y/N smiled at Diego's direction only to see him frowning as he looked at Y/N with a puzzled expression.
"Is there something on my face?"
"No. It's just, you haven't changed. You're still a teen. And you still have that attitude too."
"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional," Y/N said, hands locked together behind her back.
Diego rolled his eyes. "You could just tell me you don't know."
"I could. You're right about that," Y/N answered.
"Hey, mom," Diego greeted, offering a wave to Grace's direction.
Grace, however, wasn't aware of that and Y/N shook her head lightly as she turned to Diego.
"She's been like that ever since dad died."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It must've shocked her. But still, not even a robot created to help us accept death can feel for someone like Reginald."
Diego glared at Y/N's choice of words.
"That's not what I meant," Y/N sighed, turning to look at Grace.
"Hm," Diego spat, leaving the room with crossed arms as his mood immediately turned sour.
He never liked Y/N in the first place. None of them did, anyway.
~~~
After her encounter with Diego, Y/N planned to be a little more careful with her words, meaning, she practically recited her whole conversation with her fellow siblings in her head.
It started with Vanya, which went quite well, but how would it not go well. Besides, Y/N was practically the only one on good terms with Vanya after she published her book.
Why her siblings were mad, Y/N didn't know, but Vanya still didn't quite deserve it.
She talked with Vanya for a little while, learning about her job as a violinist and how she wanted to try out for 1st position during a big recital later on, and basically what happened in the last decade of their lives.
Soon after, Vanya has gone to meet Allison, who had arrived not to later.
Y/N and Allison only greeted each other before going her separate ways because of their rocky relationship as siblings and all.
In the end, they were both relieved they didn't have to exchange many words.
About a half hour later, Luther had arrived but he had went straight to Reginald's room, encouraging the part of Y/N that wanted to not even bother greeting him.
Besides, there wasn't much to talk about since the last time they saw each other was only about four years earlier.
Klaus turned out to be there for some time already, snooping through Reginald's office drawers, trying to look for some cash before Y/N scared him when she caught him sneaking around and told him Reginald kept his balance and savings in a private account that would be near to impossible to access, unless he were Pogo.
So, Klaus started to bother Pogo for a good fifteen minutes before giving up. But Y/N didn't miss the rectangular shaped box Klaus had tried to hide under his coat.....she decided to say nothing.
It was then around two o'clock in the afternoon and everyone had already seen the other, sharing a few words before leaving and doing something else around the house.
By then, everyone was going on a trip down memory lane, remembering the small accents of their childhood, which all included the tattoo beneath their sleeves and the small nooks and corners of the mansion of the Umbrella Academy.
Y/N was also walking around the house, trying to find something to do until she saw Pogo and Vanya standing together in the formal living, staring at something on the wall, and Y/N scowled once she realized what they were looking at.
The portrait of Five Hargreeves hung before them, a picture of the thirteen year old boy in all his glory.
Y/N tried to take it down many times, as it had only been a haunting reminder to everyone about who they lost, but she was scolded by Reginald to the point where he forbid her from going within five feet of the painting.
Like the others, Y/N's relationship with Five was not one that would be missed.
Although they had many similarities, they were still somehow polar opposites. Five was like a 58 year old man living in his teen years, having a traditional point of view, while Y/N related to the present and thought more about solving things in the future. Five dwelled on the past, so when it was time to get involved with the future, there was no way for him to get back.
So, Y/N forever hated him for taking the spotlight for something she had already been focused on for years. It was a nasty feeling, similar to jealousy, which blossomed into hate.
But who knew Five's perspective of their rivalry. Maybe he was alive somewhere with the prospect that he won their competition.
"He's gone, Vanya. Get over it," Y/N said lowly, looking anywhere but at the two people beside her as she unintentionally glared at the portrait.
"How long has it been since Five disappeared," Vanya questioned, ignoring Y/N with ease. It's been on and on forever, she didn't really care anymore either.
"It's been 16 years, four months, and 14 days," Pogo answered calmly. "Your father insisted I keep track."
"You wanna know something stupid," Vanya asked the both of them.
Y/N raised an eyebrow, telling her to continue.
"I always used to leave the lights on for him. I was scared that he would come back, it would be late and the house would be dark and he wouldn't be able to find us, so he'd leave again. So every night I'd make a little snack and make sure all the lights were on."
"Oh, those were for him? I remember. I ate them thinking it was for me," Y/N frowned. "He doesn't deserve sandwiches."
"Oh I remember those peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches. I'm pretty sure I stepped in half of the ones Miss Y/N didn't digest," Pogo chuckled slightly.
He sighed afterward and looked back at the portrait.
"You wanna know another funny thing," Vanya asked, looking at Y/N who was looking at the books on the bookshelf
"Hm?"
"I always thought that you two would end being the closest friends."
Vanya smiled and Y/N clenched her jaw out of disgust from the mere thought. "With that hothead? Hell no..."
"Your father always believed that Number Five was still out there somewhere. He never lost hope."
"Well, look where that got him," Y/N mumbled, walking away.
~~~