#diana8

Diana tried not to focus on the way every cell in her body felt like it was being split in half.

Something had definitely gone wrong in the jump. She just hoped they hadn’t been separated again.

Diana let out a yelp as she fell, dropping to the floor in a barrel roll and hitting the wall with a grunt.

To say everything hurt was an understatement. Her bones physically hurt, her muscles felt weak. She curled into herself, hoping the pain would quickly subside.

Her body screamed in excruciating pain, but her mind was yelling at her. Get up. Get up. Get up. 

Diana reached out to the closest stable surface, small fingers reaching out to grab something - anything - that would help her stand.

Her eyes locked on her hands and she fell back. Maybe her vision was blurry, maybe her mind was playing tricks on herself, but her hands were… small and smooth.

She willed herself to crawl towards the nearest reflective surface and tried to get a glimpse of herself.

In the glass was a face Diana hadn’t seen in decades.

“No-” She got closer to the glass cabinet, her reflection refracted by the glass. “No, no, no, no…!”

Behind her, Kyra groaned, dragging herself upright. Thirteen rubbed her shoulder, holding herself up against a very fancy looking couch.

“Are we... in a house?” Thirteen murmured.

“A museum, maybe,” Diana muttered. She tore her eyes away from the reflection, clutching her jacket tighter. “This is bad. This is really bad.”

Kyra seemed to have quickly recuperated from any injuries from the landing and began walking towards a door.

“Let’s go,” she said quietly, like it explained everything.

Thirteen frowned. “Where?”

Kyra had already moved, not giving an answer as she walked toward two grand doors that seemed to lead to an outside area.

“Unbelievelabe,” Diana muttered, hesitantly following Kyra with an eyeroll. This bitch so cryptic!

Behind it, yelling could be heard.

Diana opened her mouth to protest, only to mutter ’unbelieveable..’ as her sister began to walk to the sound.

 ???: “After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away!”

???: “Diego, stop talking.”

The trio peeked through the partially opened doors to find a group of people all dressed in black, seeming like they should be mourning, but instead were watching two men arguing.

“That’s how much he couldn’t stand the sight of you!” Diego poked a finger into the other man’s chest. That was his breaking point.

The taller, burlier man threw multiple punches, but Diego ducked to dodge it. In the background, the other ‘attendees’ backed away as their fight ensued. Someone else audibly laughed.

“Boys, stop this at once!”

A monkey in a suit spoke, but his words fell to deaf ears. Their little tantrum continued as the ape-like man threw yet another punch and missed completely, giving Diego an opening to land a barrage of hits.

“Come on, big boy!”

???: “Stop it!”

The same skrunkly little man continued to egg them on, clutching the cigarette in his hand like a mom cheering for her son at a football game.

“Hit him! Hit him!”

The fight continued. The monkey walked away, shaking his head in what seemed to be disappointment.

The ape-ish man finally landed a hit, but Diego escaped his grasp, taunting him for another punch which was gladly attempted.

Diego ducked away, and the burly ape man punched directly at the crotch of a nearby statue.

The sound of crackling stone echoed across the courtyard, sharp enough to stall every movement.

The statue toppled, too far gone now to catch. It slammed into the ground, shattering into three massive pieces.

For a moment, no one breathed—not a single sound save for the soft patter of the rain.

The person who was cheering them on now seemed visibly pained now. He let out a quiet, Oh, no… and his shoulders sagged.

And, as if taking that as her cue, Kyra pushed the door to the courtyard open.

The sisters, now presenting themselves, stood framed in the doorway like some baroque painting.

Kyra first, Diana right next to her (visibly annoyed), and Thirteen behind their shoulders.

A strange man holding a pink umbrella whispered to one of his nearby companions, “You see them too, right?”

Five was the first to question squinting at the trio as though he could place them from memory.

“Who the hell are you?”

No one answered, trying to find the right words to explain without sounding like they had just escaped a mental asylum and had been hiding in their home. 

A woman chimed in, her hand moving to her hip. “Yeah, that’s a good question. Who are you and why are you in our house?”

Kyra glanced at Diana and Thirteen, then stepped forward.

“We don’t want trouble. We didn’t exactly mean to end up here.”

Thirteen finally found her voice, quiet but steady.

“We’re just.. lost.”

Diana let out a short, dry laugh.

“That’s one way to put it.”

Diego took a step toward them, jaw tight. “Then maybe you should get unlost. This isn’t a bed and breakfast.”

“Are you guys like a lesbian couple and she’s your kid? If so, I totally support you guys.”

Diego slapped the eccentric man across the head and he made a face at him, muttering ‘Klaus, dude…’ 

Klaus shrugged and took another hit of the cigarette perched between his fingers.

Viktor took a step forward, the first of his siblings to offer an olive branch instead of an argument.

“Hi. Vanya. Um, but you can call me V.”

“V, wait…” Allison called out as she approached the trio.

Thirteen spoke first, taking her hand to shake it.

“Thirteen. No other nickname. Just Thirteen.”

The rest of the family visibly perked up.

More numbers?

Kyra cleared her throat as Thirteen held the handshake for way too long.

“You can let go now, Thirteen.”

Thirteen let go and backed away as Kyra introduced herself and Diana to the family.

Luther was almost excited, but suspicion was still thick in the air.

“So… you are one of us? I mean… I knew he hadn’t adopted all of us, but I didn’t think we would ever meet some of you guys.”

The assumption filtered through the rest of the family. More Umbrella’s, more of those who had been born from mothers who hadn’t asked for the abruption, more of those raised away from Reginald.

“Um, I don’t know. Who are you?” Diana asked.

Five scoffed and, as if one cue, all seven of them seemed to unconsciously step closer together, loosely getting into a movie poster formation.

“We’re the Umbrella Academy.”

How… flashy.

Diana glanced at the statue. “Who’s that?”

Klaus spoke for the rest of them. “Ben. Ben Hargreeves.”

Kyra pointed to the sad pile of ashes on the ground.

“Right. And who’s that?”

“Our father. Reginald Hargreeves.”

Thirteen’s jaw dropped.

Kyra sucked in air through her teeth.

Diana watched Kyra eye Viktor indiscriminately. 

She knows something.

Kyra tore her gaze away. “...Yeah, okay. I think we all need to have a talk.”

Five was unimpressed. Unfortunately for them, he had end-of-the-world- matters to attend to, which trumped anything they had to say. 

However… he had definitely seen the dragon freak one before. And the short, curly haired girl who had remained mostly silent. He knew exactly who she was (he had to hold back a laugh to remain composed).

“About what?” He asked dryly.

“About your father– and our curator.” Kyra responded.

⚜

Everyone had congregated in the long living area within the Academy.

Kyra, Thirteen, and Klaus had sort of banded together, helping Thirteen experience her first cigarette, and introducing themselves.

Diana kept to herself, not really wanting to interact with the equally freaky and dysfunctional band of Umbrellas.

As everyone settled into a chair, or by a couch, Kyra spoke. “I won’t make us wait any longer. I’m sure you’re all confused as to why we’re here.”

She cleared her throat. “So, my sisters and I are from a different timeline.”

The Umbrella siblings blinked back at them. Five crossed his arms, face still as blank as it was earlier.

He still managed to be menacing, even in such a prepubescent state.

“I’m sorry?” Allison asked.

“What do you mean, a different timeline?” Luther frowned.

“Well… you heard me mention our relationship to your father.”

“You called him your creator.” Five said cooly.

“That’s right. Your brother, Ben-”

“Whoa whoa, Ben? Like Ben-Ben? What does Benerino have to do with this?” Klaus suddenly perked up.

“I’m getting to that. When Ben died, Reginald Hargreeves deemed his previously built Umbrella Academy a.. a failure. So, in our timeline, he did not adopt any more children. He decided to make new children instead.”

Diana gave Klaus a weird look as he cocked his head back and whispered something over his shoulder. Was he schizophrenic?

Klaus then raised his hand. “Dad can do that?”

“Um, no. I mean he created us scientifically. We’re artificial beings of science. Lab rats, if you will. Patched together with a selection of body parts and organs, and injected with a selection of superpowers he saw fit for each experiment. And that’s what he called us. Experiments.”

“So are you… real human beings?” Klaus asked.

“Hard to say. Anyway, I-”

“So, you guys are what, the better versions of us?” Luther asked.

“That’s what he wanted us to be.”

“But you’re not?” Diego pressed. “You said that’s what he wanted. Why weren’t you guys better?”

He seemed a little bitter.

“Maybe we were better.” Diana stood up. “But we weren’t going to let him continue experimenting on us so we could spend the rest of our lives being his perfect little soldiers. So we escaped.”

“You escaped. And that’s how you ended up here?” Diego continued.

Diana, Thirteen and Kyra shared a look.

“Sort of.” Kyra finally answered.

“What do you mean, sort of?” Allison stepped closer.

Diego stood up.

“She’s right. I mean, how are we supposed to believe these Frankensteins who just waltzed into our home telling us they-”

“Creature.”

Diego blinked, stepping his build up to whip around and face Five.

“What?”

“You mean creatures. Frankenstein is the name of the creator, idiot.” Five said flatly.

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Diego said, sounding juvenile. “And that’s beside the point.”

“What’s the point, then?” Five asked, tone unchanged.

“The point is that these people were built to be better after our failures, is that right?” Diego said, crossing his arms toward Kyra.

“That’s not what I said.” Kyra replied, refusing to back up.

“Okay, I feel like we need to ask it again.” Luther cut in. “What do you mean, sort of?”

“It means the situation is a little too complicated for us to explain over tea. Do you understand, or does that need an explanation too?”

Diana gave Luther a pointed look, as if challenging him to try and intimidate them again.

Luther raised his hands in surrender, and took a step back.

“Alright, just so that we’re all on the same page,” Five stood up, his words stinging as if Kyra were full of bullshit. “You guys are from a different timeline where Ben’s death affected Dad so bad, that he decided to start experimenting and creating super powered kids of his own.”

“Yep.” Kyra confirmed.

“And you guys had enough of that, and decided to escape, but somehow you ended up in the middle of our house?”

“Just about.” Diana nodded.

“That sounds… insane. Truthful, maybe, but insane,” Allison blinked. “Do you even have a place to stay?”

“How about we concentrate on what we should do next?” Luther asked, trying to step back into a position of leadership.

“Not what we do,” Five stepped forward. “What I do.”

“Is this the part where you tell us where you’ve been for the past… what? Seventeen years now?” Klaus asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Five rubbed his face. 

“I need some coffee before I even attempt to explain what’s going to happen to any of you.”

He turned on his heel and left the room.

Viktor quickly stood up, looking panicked.

“Wait, you’re just going to leave again?”

“I’m going to the kitchen, Vanya. I’m not going to disappear into time again.” he called, not bothering to turn around or slow down to answer her.

Diana heard the other siblings beginning to argue. 

She watched as they got into another physical altercation and leaned to her side.

“Is your family always like this?” Diana asked Klaus.

Klaus snickered and leaned forward to put his cigarette out on the now destroyed coffee table.

“Isn’t yours?”

Diana glanced at both her sisters. All three of them were thinking of the horrors of the lab.

She turned to frown at Klaus. “No, not really.”

Klaus shrugged. “Then you’re lucky.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t say that.”

⚜

V had called them into the kitchen. The two macho men of the family seemed to be calmer now, and Diego even stood up, approaching the three sisters with an outstretched hand.

“I’m Diego.”

Thirteen shook his hand lightly. Diana barely touched his hand. Kyra gave him a firm handshake.

“Kyra. And I know who you are.” “You do? How?” Diego frowned.

“Oh!” Klaus perked up. “Did dear old dad happen to mention us at some point or another while he was… piecing you together?”

Allison shot him a look at that last part.

Kyra whistled lowly. “You could say that.”

“And not just that.” Five suddenly spoke from his place leaning against the edge of the table, eyes squinted and an empty mug in hand.

“You’re the Seer, aren’t you?”

The entire band of siblings turned their attention to Kyra as Klaus asked “The who?”

He was ignored.

Five scoffed, starting to step closer.

“I’m surprised we never ran into each other. They must have kept you quite busy up in that office.”

Kyra matched his gaze. Something accusatory was hiding in his look, becoming increasingly less subtle as he stepped closer.

“You could definitely say that.”

He sighed again. “The psychic. I honestly thought the Commission would’ve taken out someone like you. How did you come to work for them in the first place?”

“I think you have a better question on your mind.” Kyra told him.

Diana was staring back at him now, too. The three Commission members.

“How much do you know?”

Five asked Kyra, setting his coffee cup down. His eyes darted from Kyra to Diana to Thirteen, then back to Diana again.

“What do you think?” Kyra asked him. 

The air was tense. Finally Luther broke the silence that Five was taking as an opportunity to ponder his next move.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

“Don’t bother asking. Five doesn’t have time to let you in on all his big secrets.” Diego responded. He stood up from his chair, prepared to leave the scene.

Luther ignored him.

“Five? Do you know these people?”

Five ignored Luther.

“You’re right,” he muttered, agreeing with Diego. “We don’t have the time.”

He gave Diana a sideways glance. “We need to talk. Immediately.”

And then, he was gone.

A look of severe annoyance crossed Diana’s face as Five blinked away, reappearing at the edge of the stairs before starting to walk up them.

“All three of you.” 

He called out to the trio, not stopping like he expected them to just pick up and follow. 

Diana had already started walking forward. Thirteen gave Kyra a quizzical look. Kyra nodded back to her, a quick form of assurance.

 The three of them headed upstairs, behind Five, through the hallways lined with posters of kids demonstrating basic fighter techniques. The ornate wallpaper was peeling ever so slightly on one of the walls.

Diana admired it all. It was definitely a well-lived home. She could only imagine what it was like to grow up with so much life.

Five didn’t say a word as they walked, hands stuffed in his pockets with an even face. 

Then, finally, Five opened a door that led to a spacious office.

As soon as the office door clicked shut, the air seemed to change.

Five stood circled towards Reginald’s desk, hands in his pockets, posture deceptively casual as he looked the trio over.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Diana took a step back as she felt the familiar force of Five blinking.

“Why exactly are you here? He asked. “To kill me?”

It had only been a second. He was behind Thirteen, who was down on her knees, a mail opener pressed up against her neck.

Maybe she hadn't noticed, but her hands had drifted up just ever so slightly in surrender. 

Kyra looked at Five. She could see it all written in his eyes, unfurling with ease and calculation.

“Alright look. The way I see it, you three are hiding far too much for me to actually be able to trust anything you say. So in order to make sure you tell the truth…” Five pressed the knife closer to Thirteen’s neck. Crimson began to trickle from the blade on her skin.

“I’ll use this one as collateral damage.”

“Don’t do this, Five.” Diana said, her hands also lifting now. She gave the warning like she had done it many times before.

“Stay there,” Five commanded. “No one leaves this room, no one does anything until you tell me what you’re hiding.”

Kyra swallowed thickly as the room began to buzz with tension. It settled in the air as Five seemed to drop his shoulders, still poised with the blade.

“Okay, okay. Just… don’t hurt her.”

“Alright. I’ll ask again. Are you here to kill me?”

Kyra held her hand up, trying to calmly motion that it was her turn now. Wrong steps could not be taken.

“No, we’re not. Now, I have a question for you.”

“That’s not how this works.”

He returned, flat and demanding, the knife pressing closer.

Kyra took a breath.

“Eight days. Does that mean anything to you?”

He shifted slightly, but did not move from his position.

“The end of everything. The apocalypse.”

He only took a moment to readjust, getting the upper hand again.

“So three Commission workers.” He started.

“I know what your job was,” Five motioned to Kyra, only tilting his head so he could keep Thirteen tightly locked.

“And you, of course,” he said to Diana. And then he looked down at Thirteen.

“But I don’t recognize you. What did you do for them?”

“I didn’t do anything for them.” Thirteen gritted her teeth while eyeing the steel against her throat. “But they did a lot to me.”

“The hell does that mean?”

“It means she was kept prisoner.” Diana said flatly to him.

He turned and looked at her, holding her gaze.

“So you were all there at the same time, whether employed or prisoner, and none of you had any idea? They kept you from each other.”

Diana and Kyra both nodded at each, murmuring a little ‘yea.’

“Well, I’m… sorry. That’s terrible.”

It was obvious he was wondering how the hell the trio hadn’t managed to find each other sooner.

“They’re going to come after you, you know. They don’t like their property escaping from them.”

He eyed Thirteen on that last part. Thirteen was giving him a withering glare back.

“They’re going to come after all of us, dipwad,” Kyra hissed in response. “We’re four runaways from the Commission who have vowed to stop one of the most major events in the history of this universe.”

Five scoffed. “I’m not a ‘runaway.’ I broke my contract.”

“The only way to break a contract is if they let you go or you die on a mission,” Kyra responded.

“The only way out is death.” Diana said, quieter than the other two.

Five cleared his throat.

“So what was your plan then? Escape and live out the rest of your lives on the run from the Commission?”

Diana and Kyra winced at how weak he was making their plan sound. Like they had been desperate. And they were.

He took note of their silence, scoffing again. He continued to rub in the point.

“Some plan. How’d you manage to pull this off, hm? Steal a briefcase? Make one? Jump through time by the skin of your teeth?” He shook his head. “Amateurs.”

Kyra’s face was steaming, literally. She was visibly angry at how redundant he had made it all seem. Assuming he had the full picture with little knowledge of how difficult the process had been to even discover her siblings were there in the first place, let alone leave all together. Abolished with a single word.

“Some plan? Really? Nice boy shorts, by the way.” Diana gave him a pointed look, and Number Five became increasingly aware that he was a tiny thirteen year old holding a knife to a woman in her mid twenties. Five almost looked tomato red at her retort. Why had that gotten to him?

“You’re one to talk,” He said, noting the exact same predicament Diana had landed in.

Diana sighed. “I know things went wrong on our end. But don’t act like you jumped without making any mistakes either. I mean, look at yourself.”

Kyra cut in.

“Listen, Five. Diana and I have worked at the Commission far longer than you have, twice as long, actually. We jumped with the intention of stopping the apocalypse. So, maybe instead of constantly antagonizing us at every turn, I recommend you stop and think about this. You know my position, and you know I’m damn good at what I do. I’ve seen things about the upcoming eight days. Things that you’d never be able to find on your own.”

Kyra took a breath, calming herself down. The heat simmered down on her skin, as if cooling off.

“And regarding our escape? That was our chance to finally be with our family. To be free, even if we had to constantly be on the run. It’s better than being locked up in that godforsaken lab or working for the Commission. So if we have to live on the run, we will, but we won’t let our freedom be taken away by the end of the fucking world.”

Silence.

“I don’t need your help.”

Kyra threw her hands up in frustration.

Diana let out a strangled groan.

And then Thirteen grabbed Five’s arm and bit down on it. He let out a yell, grappling with her as she only sunk her teeth in deeper.

Diana screamed as he threw her aside, watching the knife lodge itself into her neck.

With blood pouring out of the gash in her neck in nasty, greedy spurts, Number Thirteen fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, dead.

Diana ran to Thirteen, kneeling at her side, trying to figure out how to bring her back. “No- no, no, no!”

She sobbed, her sister's body continuing to seep its life from the wound.

It was too late now.

Diana slowly stood, her body moving before she could think, crossing the room in three strides and slamming her fist into Five’s face.

The impact sent him staggering back, colliding with Reginald’s desk hard enough to knock over a stack of papers. His nose was already bleeding when he straightened, one hand gripping his arm where teeth marks were still seeping red while the other covered the flow of blood from his nostrils.

“You son of a bitch!”

Five didn’t answer. He just wiped the blood from under his nose, jaw tight, eyes still locked on them like they were dangerous animals.

Diana loomed over him, fingers wrapped around his collar, ready to keep punching his lights out.

Thirteen’s limp body began to stand, pushing itself out of the pool of blood that surrounded her, staining the carpet and furniture. 

Thirteen pulled the knife out of her neck, the blood now pouring out harder, staining her clothes and sticking it to her skin. 

She took a while to get to her feet, almost slipping in the dangerous amounts of crimson liquid that was spreading through the office, along with the coughing and hacking as life started to hum into her body again. It was frankly a horrific scene, a Frankensteinish display of reanimation.

Thirteen clawed at her neck, feeling the gaping absence of closed skin as her hands stained red.

Five took care to observe the gash in her neck slowly stitching itself closed, allowing less blood to flow out over her body. He was nursing his own wound, blood flowering at his forearm where Thirteen had bit him.

Diana and Kyra looked at one another.

“Stop.” Thirteen, hoarse like the dead. “We need him… alive.”

Kyra’s eyes widened. Thirteen took the bloodied knife she had pulled from neck, and pointed it at Five.

“No. More. Tricks.” Her voice was barely audible. “Just. Talk.”

Kyra swallowed, attempting to get her voice back. The situation had turned around fast.

“Listen, Five. You might not want our help, but you will certainly need it. You know what my job is. I’m the Seer. And In every vision I’ve gotten, it shows my family working with yours,” She said, firmer, more authoritative than before. “If you want to disregard what I say, go right ahead. But I’ve seen how your way ends, and I’m letting you know, no one survives.”

She took care to press in the last part. This man cared about his family more than anything, after all. You could say they had all escaped for a similar reason.

Five returned, staring at the recovering Thirteen. He turned to look at his own wound.

He didn’t take too long to answer. Number Five always thought quickly.

“How do you plan to help?”

Kyra couldn’t help breaking into a smile, even as tired as it was. Diana audibly sighed with relief. So did Thirteen, although it was accompanied by a strange gurgling sound coming from the blood pouring out of her neck. 

⚜

“What you said before… about all of us vowing to stop the apocalypse. How did you know that’s what I came back for?”

Kyra blinked at Five. She was recovering from the whiplash of a dead sibling who was very much alive again. 

She cleared her throat.

“Because I saw you. That one day, when we bumped into each other in the Commission cafeteria. You were only ever thinking of your family.”

Five was silent for a moment. “We’ll talk more later. But for now..”

His head turned to Diana.

“Come with me.”

Before Diana could question him, he was already grabbing her by the elbow.

“Hey! What the hell is your problem, grandpa?”

“My problem is the Commission.” His eyes narrowed. “You were the Handler’s little protege. Which means you know things. A lot of things. And right now, I need answers.”

Diana scoffed incredulously. “Excuse me? That’s your pitch? Drag me off because you decided I must be full of secrets?”

“That’s exactly my pitch. You don’t want me assuming the worst? Then start talking.”

Diana folded her arms. “You don’t get to boss me around like I’m one of your little soldiers.”

“Funny. You let her boss you around.”

That landed like a slap. Diana froze for just a second, her jaw tightening.

“Don’t.”

“Why not? Truth stings?”

Kyra and Thirteen exchanged a knowing glance, tension thick between them.

“Fine. But not like this,” She gestured to her oversized clothes. “If you think I’m setting foot in public looking like a kid playing dress up, you’re insane. Two minutes.” Five huffed in annoyance, but agreed. “Two minutes. That’s all you get.”

Diana mocked him. “You practice this little dictator act in the mirror, or does it just come naturally?”

Five walked away, towards the foyer area of the house. “One minute, fifty five seconds.”

Diana turned to Kyra and Thirteen, filled with rage and annoyance.

“Can you believe this guy?”

“He’s kind of not wrong, though.”

Diana narrowed her eyes. “Seriously? You’re taking his side now?” “I’m not taking his side. I am just saying it might be worth hearing him out.” Thirteen added, her voice slightly less raspy now. “He… doesn’t seem like the type to wait long.”

Diana groaned, throwing her hands up like the whole world was conspiring against her.

“Unbelieveable. Betrayed by my own sisters,” a pause. “Fine. But if he blinks away, I’m crawling into the closest bed and letting him deal with his caffeine withdrawal alone. This day has been way too long for my liking.”

She stormed off, muttering under her breath about ‘self important little time travelers’ and ‘short men with god complexes.’

She threw open a wardrobe only to find rows of perfectly pressed Umbrella Academy uniforms stared back at her like soldiers waiting for orders.

“Seriously? Do these people own anything that isn’t a school uniform? Would it kill to invest in a nice dress?”

She yanked out a pair of navy blue trousers, and a button down shirt. May the forces that be strike her down if she ever had to wear the same embellished Umbrella blazer as Five.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror as she put everything on. The clean lines of the uniform did fit her better than the oversized clothes she’d been swimming in since they landed.

“This is in no way better than what I had on before. But it’ll have to work…”

She shoved her feet into some black knee length socks and matching black loafers. She walked over to the bathroom and quickly gathered her frizzy curls into a pony tail, slicking it back with water, to the best of her ability.

She twisted the faucet off and behind her, she heard the tail end woosh.

PFFT-TIK.

A metallic thud now.

Her fingers tensed.

She turned and saw a gleaming light behind a tile in the wall. 

Diana pushed it, and it opened as she expected, to reveal a pneumatic tube.

She snatched it instantly.

The cap twisted open with a soft hiss.

A single, rolled up card slid out.

The paper was a little yellow, and the message was clearly written with a typewriter, but the tone was all the same.

Don’t disappoint me.

Before she could mull over it longer, a knock rang through the bathroom. 

Her pulse sped up.

Diana didn’t think. She crumpled the note and shoved it into her mouth, teeth sinking into the some-what sweet paper just as a knock rang loudly.

“You done?”

She turned on the tap, letting the water run like she’d just finished washing her hands.

Diana leaned forward, cupping her hands to her lips like she was wiping water off her face, chewing quietly.

“Yeah, hold on.”

She swallowed the sharp paper, but her face didn’t change.

She dried her hands with a towel as Five opened the door.

“You look tense.”

“Seeing your baby face in the mirror might do that. Let’s go.”

Five huffed and followed after her, stepping down the stairs in sync like the twins from the Shining.

He looked her over once, his expression unreadable as always.

“At least you look less ridiculous.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?” “Whichever gets you to the door faster.” She rolled her eyes but followed him, brushing past.

“Just for the record, if this ends with you throwing me in a ditch somewhere, Kyra will burn this house down.” “Then I’ll make sure it doesn’t end that way.”

⚜

The bell over the door gave a cheerful little ding that felt almost insulting in a place this run down. Five pushed in first, shoulders squared like he owned the place. Diana followed, catching the door before it swung shut.

Another figure slipped inside behind her. A man in a weathered jacket that read Ishmael’s Towing. She gave him a quick glance, but he just tipped his head politely and made for the counter.

Five dropped onto a creaky stool. Diana slid onto the one beside him, more out of resignation than choice. The man took the seat just down from them, nodding a faint hello before setting his elbows on the counter. 

The waitress bustled out of the back, drying her hands on her pink and white apron, her smile automatic and kind.

The waitress came by, her nametag read AGNES,“Sorry, sink was clogged. So- what’ll it be?”

The older man spoke first. “Chocolate eclair.”

Agnes wrote his order down on her little notepad. “Mmhmm, sure thing,” Her pen hovered as she looked at Diana, then Five.

“And for the kids? A glass of milk?” Diana let out a quiet laugh, but Five’s eyes narrowed.

“The kid wants coffee. Black.”

Five’s expression formed into a vicious smile, a smile weird enough that it made her step back a little faster than she meant to. She turned toward the kitchen.

Agnes chuckled nervously. “Cute kid.” Diana leaned her cheek onto her hand, side eyeing him.

“So did you bring me here to interrogate me or did you just wanna be alone with me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Five drummed his fingers against the countertop, eyes never leaving her.

“You, of all people, should be able to give me a straight answer. The Seer always responds in riddles and the other one doesn’t know anything.”

“Her name is Thirteen, not the other one. And don’t expect me to just hand everything I know to you on a silver platter. What’s in this for me?”

“Well, I didn’t drag you here for your winning personality. You want me to believe you’re not a threat? Start talking.”

Diana let out a frustrated sigh, her mind wandering back to the tube she had received.

“Fine. What do you wanna know?”

Five leaned in just slightly.

“How did you get here?” Diana held his stare, then leaned back slowly on her stool, arms crossing.

“My contract ended. So, I took my sisters and we left.”

“You’re lying.” Five quickly bit back.

“I answered your question, so don’t accuse me of lying.” Diana huffed, clenching her fingers into a fist.

Their tension was interrupted by Agnes returning, setting down a mug of steaming coffee in front of Five and a plate with the man’s eclair. She left a glazed donut in front of Diana , no questions asked.

“Here you go. Anything else?”

“No. This’ll do.”

The man pulled a bill from his wallet and slid it across the counter, towards Agnes. “Here. I’ve got theirs too.”

Five blinked, caught off guard.

“...Thanks.”

The man got up to leave, and Five’s eyes landed on a patch on the man’s jacket. “Ishmael’s Towing Company.”

“You been driving around the city for long?” “Twenty years.”

Five leaned in, “Good. I need an address.” The man hesitated, studying him with mild confusion, but eventually scribbled something on a napkin and pushed it across the counter. Five folded it nearly and slipped it into his pocket.

The man left soon after, the little bell above the door jingling faintly as it swung shut.

Diana took a bite of her donut, eyeing Five.

His eyes flicked to the reflection of the door in the small service bell on the counter.

Four new figures stepped inside. They were definitely not here for donuts. Diana could see the subtle bulge at their sides where weapons hid under fabric.

“Commission agents.” Diana whispered under her breath.

Five’s lips curved in the faintest smirk.

“Took them long enough.”

The lead man didn’t waste time. He pulled a silenced rifle, barrel trained squarely at Five. Five slid off the stool slowly.

“You really think this ends well for you?”

The first shot cracked off. Five blinked and the bullet punched harmlessly into the wall. He reappeared behind the shooter, coffee mug in hand, and smashed it across the back of his head.

Five grunted as he stabbed a knife into one of the agent’s neck, blood spraying on his uniform. “Try to keep up, Dolly.”

One agent charged Diana. She pushed the barrel of his gun down, throwing it out of his hands.

Diana slowly approached him, eyes glazing over a milky white color, watching as the man fell to his knees, yelling in agony. His partner began to shakily raise his hands, gun pointing at the man breaking down. His finger trembled as it pulled the trigger back until there was a click, and the other man fell to the floor, lifeless. He then reluctantly pointed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger once more, his dead body hitting the tile.

The neon sign buzzed overhead, its reflection bleeding into puddles of crimson scattered across the peeling floor. Diana leaned against the wall, wiping a trickle of blood away from her nose. Five stood a few feet away, eyes sweeping the parking lot like he was already a dozen moves ahead on some invisible chessboard.

“That surely wasn’t a coincidence.”

“It wasn’t. We’re tagged.”

Diana frowned, not following. 

“Tagged?” Five bent down and picked a hand held device that beeped angrily. A little red dot flashed on the screen. He traces it up and down his forearm before finally finding the spot where the beeping seemed to hit a million miles a minute.

Five walked over to the counter and grabbed the blunt butter knife as he tugged his sleeve up, exposing his forearm. Without hesitation, he roughly pressed the knife to his skin.

“What the hell are you doing?” “What I should’ve done the minute I got here.”

The knife sliced into his arm. Diana grimaced as she watched Five dig out a small metal capsule from his arm.

“Is that?-”

“A tracker. They’ve had their eyes on us from the second we landed.”

Diana rubbed her arm. She pressed a hand to her wrist instinctively, as if she could feel it lodged under skin.

“She uhm… She never told me.”

“Of course she didn’t. You think the Handler gave you anything without strings attached?”

Diana bristled, but the heat in her chest was muddied by something else. Fear, betrayal. She swallowed hard.

Five held the knife out to her. 

She hesitated to take it, but the minute she blade touched her fingers, it didn’t matter. She pressed the sharp edge against her skin.

“I better not be digging for nothing.”

She dug in. The pain was sharp, searing, but she forced herself to keep going until the tip scraped against something unnatural. She fished out the capsule, blood slicking her fingers, and she dropped it to the floor.

“Happy now?” She muttered dryly.

“Ecstatic.”

He crushed both chips under his heel. The sound of glass and circuitry crunching like breaking bones drowned out behind the buzzing of the lights.

“No more leash. Welcome to the club.”

For a moment, silence hung heavy between them. Two runaways, bleeding in the dark, both pretending it didn’t hurt like hell.

Five finally met her eyes.

“We need to head back now.”

Diana let out a bitter laugh.

“Great. Can’t wait for round two of ‘things the Handler forgot to mention.’”

Before she could say more, Five grabbed her arm, dragging her back to Reginald's pristine Rolls Royce.

“Can you stop dragging me around? I can handle myself, thanks.” Diana muttered, opening her door.

Five didn’t answer, only turning the car on and pulling it out of the Griddy’s parking lot.

⚜

The house was quiet when they returned. The air smelled faintly of rain and smoke. 

The blood on Diana’s sleeve was tacky where it clung to her skin. She smoothed her curls down with one hand.

“Um. Hello. Out having fun, I see.” 

Kyra was waiting at the base of the stairs. She straightened the second she saw them.

“You’re bleeding.”

“I know.”

Kyra caught Diana’s wrist before she could tuck it away. The cut was clean, purposeful. She didn’t fight Kyra’s grip.

Five came forward. “Alright Seer. You’re next.”

Kyra turned, still holding Diana’s wrist, brows furrowed. “The Commission’s been tracking us. That’s how they found us at the diner. Five and I cut ours out.” “And where’s the other one? Your last sister” Both anomalies shrugged.

“You don’t know?”

“Thirteen’s fine. Probably in a room somewhere in the academy.” Five shoved his hands into his pockets and stomped up the stairs, muttering under his breath. Critical thinking skills, nonexistent… poor planning, unbelievable… if he could do this himself, he would…

Diana and Kyra traded a look, rolled their eyes in unison and followed. 

⚜

The room was empty. It was dark, the bed vacant.

“You’re kidding.”

Five’s voice was teetering on the edge of Of course.

“It’s fine. We’ll just do Kyra’s tonight and get Thirteen’s out tomorrow.”

Diana half-whispered to him. 

“If we wait that long, you might be cutting the tracker out of her dead body.”

“Are you serious right now?” “No. I’m joking.” Five said flatly. “You think the Commission is going to wait that long to take any of us out? They run efficiently. They always have.”

Kyra was already halfway down the hallway during this conversation when Five realized she was walking away from them.

“Where are you going?”

“To find a knife.”

Kyra replied.

The three made their way into Reginad’s office. It was out of the way, and although Pogo and Grace had done their best to clean up the colossal amount of bloodstains covering the carpet and furniture, the room was still evidently messy, like a crime scene cleaning crew had run out of time.

Diana and Five ran the scanner they had taken from the Griddy’s up and down Kyra to find any evidence of a small chip embedded into her skin.

“Usualy, the field agents have them on the wrist, like us. For positions like you, I’m not totally sure.”

Eventually, the scanner went crazy by her neck. Kyra reached back and felt a very small but noticeable bump, right where it met the base of her skull. Eerie and elusive if you weren’t actively trying to search for it.

“Found it.”

Five spun the knife, the hilt facing away from him, and held it out to Diana. Waiting.

“Well?” He shook the knife at her expectantly.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can cut that thing out of my sister.”

“Oh, for god’s sake.”

Without hesitation, he secured Kyra’s neck and cut into not the spot where the tracker was embedded.

Diana smacked him on the shoulder. Five’s expression was completely barren of remorse. Except for a little smirk.

“I missed.”

“Do you actually have a problem?”

Five shrugged.

“Oh my god,” Diana huffed, exasperated. “Give me the fucking knife, before you kill her, too.”

Diana set the knife to the side and grabbed a handful of paper towels to wipe away the small line of blood starting to spill out of Kyra’s neck.

With more precision, Diana drew a larger cut with the blade, big enough for someone to reach in with their fingers.

“Are your hands clean?”

“Uhm… no.”

Diana dug her fingers around as blood continued to wash her neck red, the pain stopping her from biting back.

And then Diana pulled out a small, cylindrical chip. Blinking and angry, like it wanted to make itself at home again in her skin.

She handed it to Kyra, and Kyra pinched it between her fingers and crushed it beneath her foot.

Diana smiled as she handed the bloody knife back to Five. 

Kyra wrapped her hand around the blade of the knife, making sure the hilt was still secure in Five’s hold.

The blade turned bright hot, and Five immediately let go of the handle with a high-pitched shriek.

Diana chuckled, mumbling ‘loser…’ under her breath.

The steel of the knife melted away, spilling over Kyra’s fingers as she pressed harder, the entire object having lost its shape and singing with smoke illuminating the room.

This was accompanied by quite the glare pointed at Five.

Kyra dropped the deconstructed knife and it clattered onto the desk, coldened and hardened and permanently changed.

“She’s pissed.” Five said, amused.

“Understandably,” Diana replied. “...Why did you cut her?” “To be frank, I’m not totally sure I can trust her.”

Diana bristled.

“She’s my sister.”

“And?” He headed towards the doorway.

“She worked at the Commission for a full decade, as did you. She had access to an Alexandria level library of knowledge about the time continuum that I’m sure she’s not planning on handing out. I can’t exactly trust most of my family. I suggest you watch yours.”

And with that, he left.

Diana sighed. “He hasn’t changed one bit.”

She turned, and Kyra was gone. Why was everyone leaving without telling her?

She walked down the hall and passed a room, the spray of a shower audible from behind it. 

Probably Kyra or Thirteen.

She kept walking, inspecting the rooms. Each one had their own decorations, a reflection of each siblings’ lives during the Academy.

Allison’s was her favorite. The bed was grand, the walls pink. Her dresser had a decadent flair that drew her into the living space. It was the kind of room she dreamed of living in.

⚜

After cataloging every room in the house, Diana found herself upstairs again.

As she walked down the hall, she bumped into Five, who had just been talking to Kyra.

She walked past him with a visible grimace.

Five rolled his eyes and stormed off to his ‘pressing’ business.

“Kyra?” Diana called out, just loud enough for her sister to hear.

She made it to the rooms, and only one door was closed.

Diana softly knocked on it, and Kyra answered seconds later.

“Hey,” she murmured, letting herself in.

Kyra closed the door behind her.

“Soo… how goes things?” 

Diana slumped back into a random armchair in a corner of the room. She didn’t really know what else to say.

Kyra huffed a quiet laugh. “You don’t know what to talk about, do you?”

Diana dragged her hands down her face, groaning at her own awkwardness. Kyra was her sister, for crying out loud.

“Yea… I mean, how do you have a normal conversation after you’ve been separated from your sibling for decades, only to find out you’ve been stuck in the same evil time company, escape from said evil time company, and try to live a normal life which is now being threatened by an impending apocalypse.”

“That was a mouthful…” Kyra muttered.

Diana laughed, letting her head cock lazily to the side as she watched Kyra.

“So, what are we going to do about the apocalypse?”

“I’m… not sure yet.”

“Well, we can figure it out together, right?” Diana gave Kyra a cheesy smile, but the glint in her eyes was something almost sinister.

That fucking letter oh my goddd

Another moment of silence, and there was knocking at the door again.

Kyra walked over to open the door.

Thirteen stood outside. Something about her looked different.

“Thirteen, your hair…” Diana murmured, her eyes updating Thirteen’s new look into her memory.

“It was frustrating.” Thirteen responded simply.

“I like it.” Kyra chimed in, towel hanging around her neck.

“Seeing as you two showered, I suppose I should too.”

Thirteen sat on the bed. “What happened to you, by the way? You look like a mess…” She pointed to Diana’s bloodied, wrinkled Umbrella uniform, her finger waving in a circle.

“Long story.” Kyra chuckled, using the towel around her neck to keep drying her wet hair.

“Very long story that I don’t really feel like articulating right now,” Diana muttered, rolling her eyes.

She opened the door and walked out, following the hallway down to Allison’s room to steal some clothes. It’s not like she used it anymore, anyway, right?

From Allison’s closet, Diana stole  a set of pajamas embellished with yet another Umbrella sigil from her drawers.

After successfully getting some clothes to change into, Diana walked off to the bathroom.

The bathroom quickly steamed, fogging up the glass. Diana stood under the spray until her skin flushed pink, washing the fight from Griddy’s off of her.

When she stepped out, she felt marginally more human. She figured out a way to style her curls into something presentable, and tugged on the clothes she had taken earlier. It sucked, but it was better than the tacky, bloody uniform.

Diana stared at herself in the mirror installed in the bathroom. Too young again. Fourteen in the face, forty-six in her head. It was jarring every time she looked.

For a moment, she felt she could forget about everything. About the Commission, the lab, the apocalypse. Life could feel like she’d been the child of an eccentric billionaire who was never home, leaving her and her sisters to fend for themselves in their grandiose home.

But that wasn’t real.

Diana rubbed her eyes and left the room, walking back to find Kyra and Thirteen.

They were on the bed already, seemingly enthralled in a conversation.

“What are you guys up to?”

“Girl talk.” Thirteen smiled, sitting up.

Kyra followed, only sitting up on her elbows to see Diana.

Diana approached the bed, making a swatting motion at Kyra to shift more to the right so there could be space for her sister to sleep in.

She slipped under the sheets, and the three slowly laid back in unison. Their heads were resting on pillows, they were under clean blankets.

Was this a dream?

“This doesn’t feel real.” Kyra spoke. Diana and Thirteen both turned to look at her. “I’ve been thinking about this moment for years. I’ve dreamed about it - not one of my visions, but an actual dream. Now it’s here… I’m not sure it’s real.”

“It’s real,” Thirteen said, trying to reassure her.

“I know it's real,” Kyra replied. “I wouldn’t dream of Diana wearing that tacky vintage uniform.”

Diana scoffed, crossing her arms. ”Tacky? At least I don’t dress like a hippie who has a job interview at Khol’s.”

“I’m not surprised you know what Khol’s is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The two locked into a staring contest of sorts before eventually breaking out into laughter. 

“More than that, we…” Kyra motioned between herself and Thirteen,”...are grown adults. But the oldest sister is physically fourteen and mentally forty-six.”

“Tell me about it…” Diana grumbled, crossing her arms. “And also, I am forty-six. This body does not make me any different.”

Kyra snorted, turning over to face her sisters. “I missed you,” She said quietly. “Both of you.”

“I will admit, I missed your morning philosophical talks.” Diana said, brushing a few loose curls behind her ear.

“Did you really?” Kyra asked, raising a skeptical brow.

“No. I prefer my brain unscrambled in the mornings.”

Thirteen rolled her eyes. She seemed a little more tired than her sisters.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin, sighing softly.

“I think Thirteen’s got the right idea.” Kyra spoke up. “After breaking her out of the Commission and jumping through time, I am exhausted.”

“You’re telling me,” Diana muttered. “I am so not used to being my fourteen year old self again. 

She also pulled the sheets up to cover herself.

“It’s nice to be with you two again,” Kyra admitted. “I just…”

“What is it?” Thirteen asked.

“I really… really wish it could stay like this.”

Diana flipped onto her stomach, resting her cheek on the backs of her hands. “Way to ruin the moment, sis.”

Thirteen pulled the blanket closer to herself. 

“It was always like this in my cage. Back at the Commission, they liked to keep it cold.”

Kyra’s eyes flitted over to her. “Yeah?”

Diana let out a strangled laugh, closing her eyes.

“She’s asking you to turn the heat on, you dweeb.”

“Oh. Right, yea. Sorry.” Kyra quickly brought her hands up and began rubbing them together. Her skin lit up like embers in a fireplace, causing Diana to let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Do you really need to do all those theatrics and rub your hands like a devious little fly?” She asked, sitting up and giving Kyra a deadpanned look.

Thirteen sat up and shoved Diana back down. “Shut up and enjoy the heat. You’re going to get this taken away from us.”

“Me? I’m just saying little miss smoke breather over here doesn’t need to do her whole little magic hands bit to generate some freaking body heat.”

Thirteen grabbed the pillow she had been laying on and lunged at Diana with it, shoving her down onto the bed.

“Get off!” Diana exclaimed, voice muffled from under the pillow. She quickly grabbed her arms and pulled her off.

Considering it was a twenty-something year old who had been kept stagnant in a cage for years versus a fourteen year old assassin who had been trained for decades, the scales weren’t exactly even.

Diana began taking control of their little battle.

Unfortunately, Kyra wanted to keep the peace and pulled them apart. “If you two want a personal space heater, then I don’t want anymore fighting.” She said, tearing Thirteen off of Diana.

Thirteen grumbled and reluctantly let go of the pillow, moving to burrow herself in Kyra’s warm arms. 

Diana huffed quietly and moved closer.

“What do we do now?” Thirteen asked Kyra.

Kyra stared up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, and draped her arms behind her sisters. “Sleep. We’ve got a lot of shit to do tomorrow.”

“Like what?” Diana asked.

Kyra mumbled something that sounded like “tomorrow.” Thirteen didn’t bother to decipher as she drifted off to sleep. She let out a quiet yawn, relaxing into the bed.

“Missed you guys…” Thirteen whispered as she closed her eyes.

NEW YORK. 1963

Diana landed hard. 

Concrete scraped her palms, grit biting into skin that still didn’t feel like hers. For a moment she stayed crouched, head bowed, waiting for Reginald’s voice to come from the shadows, for Grace’s hands to seize her shoulders and push her back onto a table.

But there was no voice or cold table. Only the din of the city.

Car horns blared, men in gray suits shouldered past with briefcases, women in pillbox hats clicked by on narrow heels. The air smelled like gasoline, and too many cigarettes. 

Diana staggered forward, arms wrapped tight around herself, bumping shoulders with strangers who cursed and kept moving.

“Watch it, doll,” a man barked, brushing past her without slowing. She flinched as though he’d struck her.

She stumbled down the sidewalk, letting the current of bodies carry her. 

She passed a store window - a blur of dresses on headless mannequins, her own reflection pale and wide eyed in the glass. She barely recognized herself.

The noise was unbearable. Vendors shouted, car radios spilled tinny jazz into the air, heels clattered like hammers against the pavement. It was too much, too fast. She needed to sit. To hide.

When the crowd broke around the corner, she followed blindly, running towards the sound of water. A fountain rose amid a forest of shrubs and trees, its spray catching the sun in broken arcs. A forest in the middle of a city? Diana was confused. Lost. She collapsed onto the edge, curling in on herself.

She dug her nails into her palm and tried to breathe past the weight of it all. Kyra and Thriteen. They were supposed to be here. They were supposed to land together. 

But this place was just a blur of strangers, faces she didn’t know. No sisters. No one.

Her curls clung damp to her temples. Her shoulders ached. And the city moved on without her.

“Rough day?” a voice spoke from behind her.

Diana’s head snapped up. A woman in a fluffy black dress stood at the edge of the fountain, heels gleaming in the sunlight. Not a hair was out of place beneath her pillbox hat, her gloves folded neatly in one hand.

For a moment, Diana thought she must be hallucinating. No one else in the square looked like that. No one else looked at her like that.

The woman smiled, sharp but warm. “You look lost.”

“I’m not,” Diana rasped, though her cracked voice betrayed her.

“Of course not,” The woman’s gaze lingered, studying the torn hospital shift, the too thin frame. “But even those who aren’t lost could use a little direction now and then.”

Diana swallowed hard. Her legs trembled when she tried to stand but the woman extended a hand without hesitation, steady and gloved. Against all instinct, Diana took it.

⚜

The diner was two blocks away, tucked beneath a buzzing neon sign. Inside, the air smelled of fried onions and strong coffee. A waitress in a starched pink uniform appeared without a word, setting down two slices of warm, flaky apple pie. Diana blinked. She hadn't ordered anything.

The woman across from her stirred her tea slowly. “Eat, darling. You’ll feel better.”

Darling.

Diana picked up her fork with trembling fingers. The pie was too sweet, but she ate it anyway.

The woman leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand. “You don’t belong here,” she said softly, as though sharing a secret. “This city will chew up, spit you out, and forget about you. But me-” Her smile grew. “I don’t forget. I make people useful.”

Diana’s throat tightened. “And if I don’t want to be useful?”

The woman brushed her question off and sipped her tea with elegance that felt rehearsed, her eyes never leaving Diana. “You’ve been very brave,” she said, voice warm enough to pass for kindness. “Landing here with nothing. No one.”

Diana’s chest tightened. She gripped her fork too hard, metal biting into her palm.

“But you’re not really alone, are you?” The woman leaned forward, her smile widening just enough. “Two sisters. Kyra. Thirteen.”

Diana’s head snapped up, curls falling into her eyes. “Where- where are they?”

“Oh, darling,” she purred, savoring the tremor in Diana’s voice. “They’re… out there. Scattered, yes. But not gone. I have ways of finding what you can’t.”

Diana’s breath hitched. “Then tell me-”

The woman’s gloved hand lifted, palm out, silencing her. “Not so fast. I can’t just hand you what you want. Where’s the fun in that? Where’s the fairness?” She tapped the table lightly, as if punctuating her words. “No, you don’t have to join me. You can walk out of here right now, and this city will eat you alive. But if you stay-”

Her eyes glittered like the edge of a knife. “If you stay, you’ll have resources. Information. A chance to find them.”

Diana’s fork softly clattered against the plate. Her throat was dry, her vision blurring at the edges.

“So,” The woman leaned back, smile smooth as silk. “Will you sit here like a lost child waiting for the world to notice you? Or will you take my hand, and with it, the only chance you’ll ever have to see them again?”

Diana stared at her plate, the steam from the pie curling upward like smoke. Her hands shook under the table. 

Silence stretched. The hum of the diner pressed in around them.

Finally, Diana swallowed. “Take me with you.” The words were small.

The woman’s smile bloomed. She leaned back in the booth satisfied. “Excellent. I knew you had sense tucked away in there somewhere.”

She extended her hand across the table, palm up like a queen expecting a subject to kneel. “My name, since we’re doing introductions, is the Handler. You’ll find I make good on my promises. And soon enough, you’ll be making good on mine.”

Her gloved fingers brushed Diana’s when she finally, reluctantly, placed her hand on her.