#timeless posts

"I didn't do anything!" Five retorted before softening his tone and asking "What's going on, mon chérie?"

Forcing yourself to sit upright again you breathed in and out trying to redistribute and balance the molecules around you. Between breaths, you responded,

"Something's wrong up ahead."

"What do you mean?" Allison questioned

"There's a massive molecular disturbance, I don't know what it is yet but I can sure as hell feel it getting closer." You answered

The group looked around at each other, concern forming across their faces. What did they just get themselves into? As you got in the rhythm of redirecting the molecules, you noticed as the weather outside began to shift. Blue skies became gray and cloudy and as you pulled into the driveway for the farm you could see the green grasses turned into snow-covered ones. A strong storm swirled in the sky above as lightning flashed angrily across it. You looked on in shock as the car came to an abrupt halt. Quickly, everyone opened the doors, rushing out of the car. You watched as Vanya ran from the driver's side up a snow-covered hill calling out,

"Sissy! Sissy!"

As Five finished exiting the door he turned back and extended his hand to help you out. Sliding out of the front seat you carefully stood up continuing to make sure you kept redirecting molecules as best as you could. It was difficult, especially when it felt like someone was twisting a machete all around your gut, but you managed to keep the pain at bay enough to function. As you took a moment to yourself getting ready to join the others, Diego and Five walked slightly ahead, looking with concern at the mess in the sky.

"You think whatever's going on inside is causing the cold front?" Diego questioned

"Well, the correlation is high." Five responded

Stepping up beside the two Klaus placed a hand on Diego's shoulder as he commented,

"Man November twenty-second just gets worse and worse, huh?"

The reminder of what day it was sent a shot realization through your system making you plop back down into the seat of the car. All of the action and mess of what had occurred in the past 24 hours had made you forget up until now but as that realization processed, the chill of the cold set deeper into your bones. The white of the snow falling down blurred your vision, your mind being thrown back to that fateful day where you came home and found your whole life gone. November 22nd, 2013...exactly 50 years in the future. November 22nd was not getting worse, no, November 22nd was already the worst. You sat frozen in place as you clenched your eyes shut trying to prevent yourself from remembering. You could hear your harrowing sobs echoing across your memory the same way they did in the empty academy. You wanted to scream, you wanted to run, you wanted some kind of reaction, but you couldn't move. You opened your eyes and instead of a snow-covered farm, it was a snow-covered street. To the left was your old house and the right, the academy still standing. You know what you were seeing was fake, just a replication in your mind of the world that once existed for you. But the coldness, the emptiness, the silence was just as real as the day it occurred. You stood in the middle of the street in your mind looking back and forth between the two places you called home. Both desolate and both gone. The pain of the day had overwhelmingly brought you back to the beginning of your story, your first sorrow, but there were other things at hand. At this point, it was far behind and nothing could be done to change it so unfortunately, you had to move forward. You looked at your two lost homes once more knowing that for now and until anything changed they would only be in your memory. Looking forward you blinked a couple of times clearing your vision as the chill you had felt started to go away. Standing up you looked up ahead at your brother and Five as you said to yourself,

"It's just a day on the calendar, I can't let it hurt me now."

Taking a breath you readied yourself and walked over towards where everyone else was watching Vanya as she called out to someone named Sissy again. As you started to pass Five he placed a hand on your shoulder stopping you in your tracks. As you looked over at him you could see the concern on his face.

"What was that? Are you okay?" He asks

You didn't realize he had noticed what had gone on, but of course, he would notice. He's the observant type and he's your boyfriend, you could never shake his gaze. You locked eyes with him, not saying anything. You wanted to tell him what it was because you weren't okay, but you couldn't. Not here, not now. There were things bigger than your tragic memory of a day 50 years in the future. The longer you stayed silent the more his concern would grow though so you quickly replied,

"I just remembered some things. Things have just been rough and November 22nd has never been a good day for me anyway. We can talk about it another time."

Maybe you were just trying to protect his feelings, but it didn't take a lot of thought for Five to know what was so wrong with November 22nd. He knew what the day was and what it represented but he had no clue what to say to make it better at this moment. Obviously, it affected you and he wanted to make it better, but the truth was he knew he would never be able to fully make it up to you. The only hope he had was that if you and the rest of his family got out of here soon then he would have the chance to at least try to fix it. Respecting the fact you didn't want to talk about the issue now, he reached his hand to take yours, but before he could grab it he heard the sound of someone racking a shotgun. Instinctively, he stepped in front of you as he looked towards where the sound came from. Standing on the hill leading up to the barn was a woman with blonde hair. A look of anger and confusion on her face as she continuously moved the shotgun, pointing it at everyone but Vanya.

"Get back! All of you, just get the hell back!" She yelled

You all watched as Vanya took a few steps forward, putting her hands out as if trying to calm the woman on the hill down. You could only assume that this was Sissy, the woman she had been staying with in Dallas and the one she had fallen in love with. In a gentle voice, Vanya questioned,

"Sissy! Hey! Hey! What's wrong?"

Sissy lowered her gun slightly at the sight of Vanya before her. You could see the way her face softened a bit as she gave a sad look to her and could only wonder what had happened before you all got here. Taking a step down the hill, Sissy quietly responded,

"Carl..."

"What did he do to you?" Vanya asks

"He's...he's dead. Harlan tossed him aside like a rag doll, same way you sent those policemen flyin'." Sissy replies hesitantly before growing more aggressive and aiming the shotgun again "What did you do to him? What the hell did you do to my son?"

You looked around at the group for their reacts. Allison and Klaus stood shocked, while Luther and Five cared more about protecting their ladies than the actual scenario at hand. And then there was Diego who you could see was growing more and more impatient by the second. Stepping forward he tries to walk towards the barn as he states,

"We don't have time for this,"

Without hesitation Sissy lifted the gun back up, whipping it in his direction. Your eyes went wide as you recognized the barrel of the gun being pointed in his direction. Worried, you called out,

"Diego!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Sissy firmly demanded

Freezing in place, Diego's looked at the gun pointed towards him before looking back at you. He could see the concern for his safety on your face and knew he had to stop. He didn't want to do something where you would see him get hurt. Carefully he put his hands up as to show he's not a threat and turning his attention towards Sissy, he replies calmly,

"To help your son."

"Look, Sissy, I found my family. These are my brothers and my sister and friend so close that she's family." Vanya tries to explain stepping forward

Sissy looks around and the group as she slowly lowers the gun one more time. Taking a deep breath she looks back to Vanya, the pain and worry evident in her tone as she asks,

"Were you lyin' to me the whole time?"

"Of course not. Look, I didn't know who I was. But I do now. And we are not the monsters that they say we are. We did not kill the president. We are not terrorists. We're not here to hurt anyone." Vanya explains

"Then...who are you?" Sissy questions

"The only one who can help Harlan." Vanya states

Quietly, Sissy looks around at the group of you all once more. A crowd of random people, most that she had never met, stood here to support Vanya in helping Harlan. She had no clue if they were actually terrorists or not but she trusted Vanya. And if Vanya trusted them enough to bring them along then there was no reason for her to turn them away. With a small nod of her head, she gestured towards the barn, silently agreeing to the offered assistance. Quickly after, Vanya took off up the hill with Sissy in tow as you all rushed behind. Racing towards the barn, you could feel as the disturbance Harlan was causing got stronger and stronger the closer you got to it. Each pulse of energy was like a spear forcing its way through your entire body. You pushed through as best as you could but you knew your redistribution efforts that had worked farther away were could only last you so long the more you approached. You had to keep pushing through though, you were there to help. As you all made it to the door of the barn, you stood behind the rest of the group trying to use them as some type of protection from the uncontrollable child inside. Swinging the door open Vanya rushed in calling out,

"Harlan? Harlan, it's Vanya!"

The group followed suit and spread out amongst the barn watching the scene unfold before them as a massive amount of blue-colored energy spun around like a cyclone, and right in the middle of that swirling mass was a child levitating in the air, unresponsive. Standing between Diego and Five you saw as Harlan gasped for air within the energy field. The panic on Vanya's face became stronger as she yelled,

"Look Harlan, I know you're really scared, but I can help you! I need you to listen to me! Can you do that?"

Vanya looked over to Sissy with a look on her face asking if what she was going to do next was okay and Sissy could do nothing else but nod yes because no one else could help him but her. Recognizing that it was okay, Vanya started to resonate her energy as well. Her eyes glowed blue as she slowly stepped within the vortex. You could feel your knees going weak and your body starting to rip itself apart in a similar way to that night at the Icarus Theatre. You couldn't be in here any longer or else you were going to get hurt. Rushing away from the group you exited a set of doors on the other side of the barn, taking deep breaths as you tried to restabilize yourself. Your efforts didn't do much to change how you felt but at least your own molecules were not trying to rip themselves apart anymore to fix the disturbances around you. As your state of being steadied, you felt something off in the distance. Looking far into the field you saw a quick flash of blue and then two figures standing in place unmoving. It didn't take much thought to know out who the figures were but you knew this was the worst time to have them here.

"Uh, guys?" You called to the group still inside

Distracted by the intense scenario in front of them, Diego and Five had not realized that you had left, but hearing your voice call out the two immediately turned in your direction. As the pair approached the door frame the rest of the siblings followed wondering what had grabbed your attention. You didn't turn towards the rest of the group as they all laid eyes on the figures in the field.

"Ah, shit," Diego said from behind you

"What, who are they?" Klaus questioned confused

"One's the Handler, the other's Diego's girlfriend." Five explains

"Lila. That's my ex-girlfriend." Diego corrected

Hearing your brother call that two-timing miscreant a girlfriend was enough to make you forget you were even in any pain. Quickly turning on your heel to face your brother, you look him dead in the eyes as you question harshly,

"You consider her a girlfriend?"

"I said, ex-girlfriend." Diego tried to defend

It didn't matter that he specified ex-girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend meant that at one point he viewed her as a girlfriend. How could he ever consider her a girlfriend? And how could he continue to view her as such even after he found out that she was a plant and was working for the enemy?

"You knew her for a week and all she did was lie to you! She shouldn't be a girlfriend at all Diego!" You criticized

The rest of the group looked on between you and Diego. While Five had seen the on and off again contention over this issue since the minute you found out, the rest of the group had never seen you get angry at him before. Hell, just moments ago you were concerned for his safety when Sissy had pointed her shotgun at him. The two of you and him were typically on the same page but this anger and defiance was news to them. In any other case, some would say you were having a late-stage rebellion phase against a guardian figure but your rationale was too correct to be rebellion.

Diego understood that you were upset about his complex views of Lila and that the way he had phrased their relationship was probably wrong but this wasn't a discussion the two of you could get into right now given everything else that was happening. Trying to be supportive, he gently pats your shoulder as he calmly states,

"(Y/N), I love you and I understand you are upset but we really don't have the time to argue about this right now."

No time right now? You were his sister!

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you manage to forget that she kidnapped BOTH OF US only a few hours ago?" You state angrily

Five turns his head to look at an obviously frazzled Diego as he inquires,

"Kidnapped? I thought you said you said you were headhunted."

"Stay out of this asshole." Diego snaps at him

His anger made the answer evident. He was kidnapped. Five knew back at Elliott's place that he wasn't Commission material. He said so to everyone but Diego had to argue that he was wrong. Of course, there was no way they would've actively chosen him. But kidnapping him? Now that made a lot more sense.

Diego looked away from Five knowing that the smug little bastard knew he was right all along. Turning back to you he took on a more stern tone as he firmly stated,

"(Y/N), I'm serious, you need to stop. I'd be happy to sit down and discuss the issue later."

The flames you had created start to die out as you calm down. Letting out an annoyed huff, you rolled your eyes as you replied,

"Fine. I'm just saying, that maybe if you just grieved like a normal person instead of sticking your dick in crazy we wouldn't have to do this."

Looking at the Handler and Lila continuing to stand menacingly in the field, Luther comments,

"Y'know it doesn't matter. They both look angry."

"Yeah well, our brothers have that effect on people," Allison replies

Five knew the group couldn't stand here forever. There was a reason the two of them had shown up in the field and he didn't want to wait until they did something to find out. He knew that it would be safest if everyone else stayed here while he went and talked to them. If there was anyone that they wanted to fight with it was going to be him. Turning to the group, Five states,

"I'm gonna go find out what they want. You guys stay with Vanya and the kid."

"I'm coming with you," Diego says

Reluctantly, Five nods allowing Diego to join him, but as the two of them start to walk away you step forward.

"I'm coming as well." You add

The two of them stop in their tracks and turn to look back at you. As they each give you a concerned look, they simultaneously reply,

"No."

"It's not up for debate. I'm probably in more danger staying by this energy field than I am with some D-list villain and her incompetent daughter. Anyway, how are you gonna stop me?" You explain before mocking "Is someone gonna tie me up? Oooooh, I'm sure that will hold me so well!"

You were right. There really was no way to stop you from coming and being by that mass of energy probably was worse for you. Although both boys were frustrated by your insistence, they both knew that if you were with them they could be there to make sure nothing happened to you. The two guys looked at each other before looking back towards you, as you waited for a response. Diego let out a sigh that only a frustrated parent would before nodding his head and turning around to start walking. Five, on the other hand, extended his hand out to take your own. He was going to keep you by his side because it was the only way to make sure that you stayed safe. Taking his hand, your fingers intertwined with his as the two of you walked together and quickly caught up with Diego. You walked down from the snowy barn into the grassy field with Five on your left and Diego on your right. None of you had any clue of what they wanted but you three were the most involved with them so together you were going to find out. Finally arriving in front of the pair, Five stepped forward and questioned condescendingly,

"What do you want?"

"To watch you suffer." Lila quips back

"What about me?" Diego asks

"You're not even worth my wrath." Lila answers

Ugh, you couldn't stand Lila. Just earlier today she was trying to recruit Diego to join the commission but now he wasn't even worth her wrath? Her intimidation tactics were lame at best and her flip-flop attitude and incompetence shined through in literally every circumstance. You had no idea how your brother could see something in her still. Trying to get her to shut up you remarked,

"Oh fuck off, homewrecker. You're not even worth his time."

Your comment caught the attention of everyone else who could hear you, but you stood with a straight face and a cold glare, unwavering. From the corner of your eye, you could see the confused expression your brother had. Turning your head slightly you stared him down.

"Just because I'm mad at you for falling in love with the commission's number one harlot doesn't mean I don't care about you." You bluntly stated

Anger filled Lila with each comment you made. You were such a little brat, always running that mouth of yours. She was absolutely worth Diego's time and more worth it than you were as well. And she wasn't a harlot! Attempting to get in your face, Lila takes a step forward but was stopped when the Handler sticks her arm out holding her back. She was not going to let her emotion-ridden daughter ruin all her hard work because of a few offhand comments. Turning her attention to Five, the Handler states,

"We're here on official business."

"And what business is that?" He inquires

"As the head of the Commission, I've decided to eliminate the criminals responsible for the assassination of the former board of directors." The Handler responds

With her response, you and Five turn to look at each other with wide eyes as you come to realize she was talking about you two. Five had made a deal with the devil and now the devil had come to collect.

"Yeah, right. We didn't kill the board." Diego scoffed

Five shot you a look before looking towards Diego and hesitantly correcting,

"Uh, actually, Diego, that's not entirely accurate."

The two brothers held their eye contact as their expressions shifted from the recent admission. Diego's face grew with disbelief while Five's face could only be described as the look of someone who just admitted they fucked up. A malevolent smile creeps onto the Handler's face as she realizes that Five hadn't mentioned the murders to anyone else in the family.

"You didn't tell them? Oh Five,"  The Handler remarks, fake pity lacing her tone

You could see the amusement on the Handler's face as she watched Five struggle to find the words to explain what he had done.  You despised the constant manipulation she put Five through and if the two boys beside you weren't so set on talking right now you would've already blown the Handler and Lila to bits. Now that would be amusing.

Leaning down slightly to get closer to you and Five, Diego's disbelief turned to anger as he questioned,

"What the hell did you do?"

"I did what I had to do to get my family home and keep (Y/N) safe." Five snapped frustratedly "That was until somebody reneged on our deal."

"Somebody wouldn't have reneged if somebody could've met a simple deadline." The Handler shot back

"You set me up to fail." Five criticized

"You set yourself up to fail, friend. You and your brothers and sisters and this lovely girlfriend you have. Kinda the running theme of your little life, isn't it?" The handler laughed

Your patience started to wear thin at the Handler's constant mockery and belittling of you, your boyfriend, and the rest of the Hargreeves. None of you had set yourselves up for failure. Everyone was a victim of circumstances out of their control. That was the theme of the Hargreeves' lives ever since birth and yours since you were 13. Before you could insult the Handler back, Diego interjected,

"Dude, I can't believe you killed the board of directors."

Trying to take some of the heat off of Five you look at Diego and mention,

"If it makes you feel better, I helped."

Diego's head slowly turns from Five to look at you and as his anger started to fade so did a little bit of light from his eyes.

"(Y/N)." Diego says despondently "That makes me feel worse."

"Oh." You reply blankly

You really thought that it would help him feel better but then again you were also never very good at reassuring guardian figures of your safety. If you made it out of this alive, you really needed to work on that.

"What have you two done?" Diego scolded "You have no idea how messed up the Commission is right now."

The handler's head quickly turned to Diego as she urgently questioned,

"Messed up? Who's saying that?"

"Everybody. Christ, even the janitors think it's going to shit." Diego retorted

"That's not all he killed," Lila interjected

The current conversation came to a halt as everyone turned their attention towards Lila. You and Diego looked towards Five, confused expressions on your faces as you tried to figure out what she meant and what he knew. Five returned with his own confused look before turning back to Lila.

"What are you talking about?" He questions confused

"Don't play dumb, you pubescent piece of shit." Lila spat

"One more word to him and I slit your throat." You threatened, summoning a knife to your hand

"Enough." The handler interjects, "The point is, all of you are going to die today."

"Well, I don't like your chances. Eight of us, two of you." Diego remarks confidently

"You know, you're right. Let's change that." The handler states

With a maniacal smirk, the handler lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Everything was calm for a second but in the pit of your gut, you could feel something happening. And then one by one hundreds of commission agents popped out of nowhere each in their own flash of light, rifles brandished in each of their hands. You could feel your knees slightly go weak with each new burst of blue energy and grabbed onto your boyfriend and brother for support. Both looked at you with concern as they each wrapped an arm around your waist to keep you standing. With the final flash, you regained your ability to stand but the field behind Lila and the handler that was once empty was now filled with blue-suited agents as far the eye could see. You could hear as your boyfriend exhaled shakily, his grip around your waist tightening as he saw every commission agent standing before him. This was not good.

"Oh, my God." You said in disbelief

"So what do we do now?" Diego asked leaning down towards Five

"Well, we got two choices: fight and die now or run and die later. Either way, we're food for worms." Five answers

"Preference?" Diego replies

"I'd prefer to go out on my own terms." You mention

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind a few more minutes breathing air through the old windbags." Five adds

As the three of you come to the agreement to run away the handler looks down at her watch. The time that she had given you three in addition to the rest of the Hargreeves siblings to live was long enough. You all were an obstacle in her way that in a few moments, she would no longer have to deal with.

"All right." The handler says pulling out a red scarf and holding it in the air "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Immediately your brain recognizes what that scarf is supposed to symbolize but your body refuses to catch up until Five yells,

"Run!"

Grabbing your hand, Five pulls you along as the three of you run away from the incoming danger you were about to all face. In the distance, you can see Luther, Allison, and Klaus running as well but there was no time to catch up to them. There was no time at all because from behind you could hear the yells of hundreds of individuals, their feet pounding on the ground behind you all like the sound of war drums. As you continued to run the people and bullets behind you grew closer and closer. Taking a glance back Diego shouts,

"We're not gonna make it!"

Five only had one option of what to do now. Still holding on to your hand, he grabbed Diego's arm tightly. Noticing this action Diego questions,

"What are you doing?"

Five didn't respond though and instead flashed the three of you far ahead. As you all regained your footing and continued to run forward you could feel your stomach doing flips. Spatial jumping was really not your strong suit and it must not have been Diego's either as he comments,

"Five, I think I'm gonna puke."

"Same." You add

"No time!" Five replies

Seeing a large tractor up ahead, you hide behind it for cover. If you were in the open for any longer, someone was going to end up getting shot. Ducking down you try your best to catch your breath as bullets race by and hit the metal of the tractor on the other side.

"What now?" Five asks looking between the two of you

"We blink into the house, man!" Diego exclaims

"Okay." Five replies

Grabbing on to you and Diego again a small amount of blue energy starts to whir but quickly it fizzles out. Five quickly tries again but it's to no avail as the energy fades once more. Sitting back Five states,

"Shit, I'm out of fuel. I'm too tired."

A little bit of light faded from your eyes as you realized that you were practically trapped. Sure you could try to fight the hundreds of people with guns charging at you but you could only take on so many people for so long. We're you going to die here? Looking between Diego and Five, you questioned sadly,

"So what do we do now?"

Diego peered around the tire of the tractor and saw the mob of commission agents approaching closer and closer. It was his job to protect you and keep you safe, no matter what the outcome may be. Diego looked at you, remorse somehow taking over his face before looking towards his brother.

"Five." He said seriously

Five's confused expression turned into shock as he started to realize what Diego was planning to do. He was going to sacrifice himself so you could be safe. Sure, it was one of the only things they agreed on but Five couldn't let him die. He was family.

"Diego..." Five stated quietly "No."

Diego placed a hand on his brother's shoulder as he looked him dead in the eye and said,

"No matter what you take care of her, okay?"

"What?" You questioned

You looked between the two of them hoping for some kind of acknowledgment or response but got none. Five looked away from Diego and towards you. He could see the concern on your face as you waited for someone to tell you what was going on, but nobody could. If they did it would break your heart and you would never agree. Five didn't want to agree but as the sound of yelling grew closer and the number of bullets ricocheting off the tractor grew in number, this was the best bet to keep you safe. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Five looks back at Diego and quietly replies,

"Okay."

"Now go..." Diego replied

Five froze in place. He heard what Diego had said but for some reason, something in him didn't process it. Maybe it was because Five didn't want to believe this was the only option or maybe it was the knowledge of how much this would hurt you that was stopping him. His mind started to wander of blankly until Diego yelled,

"GO!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Five jumped up and grabbed your wrist starting to quickly pull you along behind him. Finally realizing what was going on you broke free of his grasp as you tried to run back towards Diego. You couldn't lose anyone else, you had lost enough already.

"Diego!" You yelled

Diego looked towards you, his eyes snapping wide as he saw you trying to make your way back towards him. He could see the pain in your face knowing what you knew now. Of course, Diego knew you would never willingly leave him behind, but you weren't going to be able to do what you wanted. Diego watched as Five wrapped his arms around your waist and started pulling you back towards the house.

"Get off me Five!" You shouted as you tried to break out of his grasp once more

"I'm sorry," Five responded remorsefully "It's what he wanted."

Your eyes shot over to Diego and for a moment you stopped fighting against Five as he pulled you back along.

"EGGO NO!" You shouted

Diego, still shielded by the tractor peered around the tire and saw the advancing hoard. He was your older brother, he was the one who you could always fall back on when you needed someone most, and he would do anything for you. And in this moment the best thing he could do for you would be to buy you some time to get away. It's all he had left. Standing up, he looked at you, tears pricking his eyes as he watch his little girl slip farther and farther away. With a small smile, he said loud enough for you to hear,

"I love you princess."

And with those words he stepped out from behind the tractor, facing the incoming onslaught of bullets, and placed his arms out trying to stop them.

"NO!" You cried out "NO!!"

As Five practically dragged you up the porch stairs, an overwhelming sense of grief overcame you. Your arms stretched out to grab something that was already so far out of reach as tears started to form. You shut your eyes tightly not wanting to see the most probable outcome of the situation your brother had placed himself in. And now the only sound you could hear was a trail of bullets heading your way. You stopped fighting against Five as he pulled you into the house and down to the ground underneath a table just as bullets started to fly through the walls and windows, the sound of the destruction drowning out your pained sobs. Holding you as tight as he could he used his own body as a shield for yours. He promised Diego he was going to keep you safe no matter what. He had to because it's what Diego would've done. It's what Diego did.

As the bullets continued to fly, a feeling started to build in your gut in the same way as when you were driving up to the farm. You could hear the slight tone of a sound resonating accompanied by the feeling of small disturbance. You had no clue what was going on outside but you could only imagine from experience that it had to deal with Vanya. But just like before as the energy grew stronger and stronger so did the pain you felt. And for the first time since that night at the theatre the disturbance you were feeling started to become too much for you to redistribute or control by yourself. Your sobs of grief turned into sobs of pain as the energy coursing through you threatened to tear you apart from the inside out.

Your painful cries from the energy were drowned out by the sound of Vanya's energy resonating but they rang through Five's ears clear as day. His body shook slightly as he held you closer to him. He had no clue what you were feeling but if your screams were any sign he could only assume that it was agony. He felt helpless not being able to stop the mass amount of disturbance you were feeling but hoped that whatever Vanya was doing would be over soon.

The pressure from Vanya's energy continued to build and build until like a bubble it just popped. You could feel a wave of energy move away from the farm and off into the distance and as the energy moved away so did your pain. Carefully, Five let go of you allowing you space to sit up and catch your breath. Getting up from under the table, Five carefully goes to peer outside the window, and far in the distance he sees a sight he would not expect. Surrounded by the dead bodies of hundreds of commission agents stood Lila and the handler, alive. How were they still standing?

As you started to return to normal all you could still feel was a slow, steady pressure in your gut. Something was obviously still disturbing energy but it wasn't close or large enough to affect you. Maybe it was over? Whatever problems you could've had with the commission in the future were now obsolete. Maybe things could truly just be "normal" for once. But the minute you thought of those things your opinion started to change as you felt that steady pressure in your gut begin to grow. The odd thing was there was no sound resonating this time to signify it was the work of Vanya. Looking up towards Five you worriedly stated,

"Five, something doesn't feel right."

Although Five heard you, no words could come out of his mouth to acknowledge what you said because you were right. Something was very wrong. Right before his eyes, he watched from afar as Lila started to rise into the air, glowing blue energy forming on her in a similar fashion to Vanya.

You couldn't see out the window from where you sat but you could feel a new pressure building in your gut which morphed into pain very quickly. You collapsed from your sitting position under the table to curling up into a ball on the ground. You used your arms to grip tightly around your waist and tried to focus on your breathing, preparing in any way you could for another burst of energy. Growing more concerned at Five's lack of response and movement though you called out,

"Five!"

Five watched as the ball of blue started small but continued to grow before his own eyes. Realizing what was about to happen Five turned away from the window shouting,

"Shit. Shit. Get down!"

Diving back under the table, Five covered you with his own body once more, right as another blast of energy shot off. This time coming in the direction of you and his family members rather than away. He could feel as one of your hands, found one of his own, and gripped it with all the strength you had. Your tortured screams of pain grew louder as the wave of blue energy crept closer and moved through the house. From not too far away you both could hear the sound of a loud crash and wood falling down.

"It's gone." You mentioned as you caught your breath once more

"For now." Five replied

He was right, and you had no clue what you would do if more of these energy bursts were to occur. They were painful and starting to wear you down. You could still move and fight if you had to, you had done so before, but you still felt tired. Five helped you get up from under the table and stand but your knees felt unsteady. Holding on to Five, the two of you hurried away from the table and towards Luther who was laying on the floor after crashing through the roof of the house.

"Luther, you all right?" Five asked

"I think I swallowed my tongue," Luther replied, the wind obviously knocked out of him

"Luther, if you swallowed your tongue, you wouldn't be talking, you big moron." Five corrected

Five waited for Luther to stand up, but seeing that he wasn't going to get past his shock without help, Five knew he would have to assist in getting him back on his feet. Turning to look at you, Five explained,

"Let me put you down so I can help him up."

Bringing you around a corner, Five gently sat you down out of sight from the field side of the house.

"Take some breaths while I help him and try to regain your strength if you can." Five explained

"Okay." You replied

Nodding his head, Five quickly stood back up and made his way over to Luther.

"Come on, on your feet." Five said

Grabbing Luther's arm Five helped to pull him up to his feet. Luther stumbled about a bit trying to regain his balance but managed to do so after a few seconds.

"So what the hell happened? What was that?" Luther questioned confused

"She must've redirected Vanya's energy wave." Five explained

Your ears perked up at the conversation they were having just around the corner. Someone had redirected Vanya's energy wave? Trying to get some clarification on what they meant you stood up from your spot and walked out from behind the corner asking,

"I'm sorry who did what?"

"Lila," Five replied to you "She somehow reflected Vanya's energy."

"I know, but how?" Luther questioned

Before Five could respond the sound of bricks falling could be heard from above. Looking up Five immediate saw as the fireplace next to him and his brother was about to come toppling down. Trying to keep him safe, Five pushed Luther out of the way of the falling bricks shouting,

"Luther, watch out!"

In a moment's notice, the bricks came toppling down on top of Five, knocking him out and burying him underneath.

"Five!" Both you and Luther shouted concerned

While Luther approached the bricks you quickly tried to rush forward as well but Luther turned back around putting his arm out to stop you.

"(Y/N), get back behind that corner." He commanded

"But Five-" You tried to fight gesturing to the pile of bricks

"Would want you to stay safe," Luther interjected

You stood there frozen for a moment. Sure Five would want you to stay safe but you couldn't just leave him lying under a pile of fallen brick. What if he was hurt? What if he was bleeding and needed help. He was your boyfriend, you couldn't ignore him now. You tried to take another step forward but Luther blocked your way again. What was his deal? Was this some kind of need to be the leader and play hero once more or did he get some brain damage from the fall he took and was just being an idiot? Either was plausible. You narrowed your eyes at him in frustration.

"(Y/N), I know it might be difficult, but I need you to trust me." Luther stated softly "Please."

There was something about the way he spoke that made you pause for a second. It was almost as if this request was not truly just on the behalf of Five who would want you to be safe but because he wanted you to as well. It was almost as if he cared. Did he care? After so many times of seeing anger or contempt in his eyes, you were surprised that it wasn't there this time. They were softer and sincere. You didn't know what had happened to cause the shift but something in you decided to trust him.

"Okay." You said quietly as you made your way back behind the corner and out of sight

Quickly, Luther kneeled down on the ground and started to pick bricks off of the pile but there were still many covering his brother. As he tried to find his sibling under the pile a flash of blue appeared before him. Standing up, Luther moved himself to block the way to get to you. You couldn't be seen by Lila from where you were hiding but if he could use his enlarged form to block you from her more then he was going to do so.

"What are you?" Luther questions

"Someone who wants to kill your brother," Lila replies making her way over to him, looking about the place

As she approached, Luther readjusted his position so that he was still close to the pile Five was under but was still putting his body in the way of getting to you. Trying to distract her from looking for anyone Luther responds,

"Well, that's understandable. Diego can be a lot to handle."

"Yeah, I was talking about Five." Lila shoots back "Although it might be better to kill that brat they love so much first."

Luther's eyes glanced down at the pile of bricks for a moment and then out of his peripheral, he could see the wall where you were hidden on the other side. Five and you had fought so much for this family even when the rest of them decided fighting wasn't worth it. If he was going to make up for the way he had treated you two he was going to start by fighting back for you guys. You were his family and he wasn't going to let anything happen to either of you. Staring Lila down, Luther takes on a more serious tone as he states,

"Well, unfortunately, they're all family, so you're shit out of luck."

Immediately, he swung to punch Lila hoping his superior strength would be enough to stop her but his fist was stopped by her hand. Luther continued to push his fist forward but it didn't budge. From behind the wall, you could hear the sounds of Luther struggling. Worried if he was okay you elected to semi-ignore his request as you made yourself invisible and leaned your head through the wall to see what was happening. Before you, you saw Lila holding back all of Luther's strength with just one hand.

"How is this possible?" Luther groans

"Gotta believe in yourself, big boy." Lila mocked

And only a split second after she made that comment you watched as Lila threw Luther through the wall of the house and out onto the snow-covered field. You could see through the giant hole in the wall as Allison ran over to Luther calling out,

"Luther, Luther, Luther! Are you okay?"

You held still as Lila sauntered away from where she had just stood off against Luther and towards the giant hole in the wall of the house. Jumping down onto the snow-covered ground she made her way over towards Allison. You looked over towards the pile of bricks where your boyfriend still laid under before looking back at Allison and Lila. The two of them were currently throwing punches at each other and although you felt a sickness in your gut about doing so, you turned away from the scene and went to the pile of bricks. Dropping to your knees at the pile's side you started to move brick by brick away quietly calling,

"Five? Five?"

You stopped digging for a moment when your heard Allison loudly speak her iconic phrase,

"I heard a rumor..."

But instead of the sentence being finished, you could see through the hole in the wall her stumbling back gasping for air. Luther catching her in his arms as he exclaimed,

"No! Allison! No! Breathe!"

You stared on in horror as another one of the Hargreeves had their powers used against them by Lila. Her sadistic laughs echoed through the air as she watched Allison struggle to breathe. Pain gripped your heart as you watched another person you cared about get hurt, causing you to drop your invisibility. In that same moment, Five regained his consciousness and sat up from the pile of bricks. He saw you kneeling on the ground to his left, fear in your eyes. Following your line of sight, he looked through the hole in the wall at the scene playing out. Lila looming over his brother and sister, glimpses of a smile on her face at what she caused. He wasn't going to let Lila hurt anyone else. Standing up from the brick pile, he helps you to your feet, your eyes still trained on the scene outside. Grabbing onto your shoulders, Five calls,

"(Y/N),"

You heard a voice call your name but it was almost like a distant echo in the background. Your head moved to look at where the sound came from but you didn't quite acknowledge what was occurring. Your eyes were slightly hazed over as your mind raced with thoughts about the safety of the Hargreeves. You could hear the sound of talking but it was all droned out until you felt the sensation of someone shaking your shoulders. Blinking a few times your mind finally returned to the present as you focused on your boyfriend in front of you. You glanced down at the now-empty pile of bricks and back towards him confused.

"Go invisible, I'll take care of Lila." Five explains

"What? No." You stated, "Let me help you."

"(Y/N) please." Five begged

"Five, I'm not powerless." You replied

Five knew that you weren't powerless. He had seen on multiple occasions how capable you were with your abilities. That did not change the fact though that Lila could reflect Vanya's powers and therefore put you in a type of danger that Five wouldn't be able to fight against nor help you with. He already saw how it affected you the first time Lila reflected Vanya's powers and he was not going to let you go through that again. Holding your shoulders a little tighter, Five looked you dead in the eye.

"And I'm not letting you get hurt." Five states firmly "Lila is after me, not you."

You couldn't get in another word before he turned away and marched towards the hole in the wall. Reluctantly, you took a step back away from the middle of the room and turned invisible but the minute things started going south you were going to step in, no matter what anyone else said or did.

Standing in the hole in the wall Five looked out at Lila, the feeling of contempt growing within him as he saw the cruel smile still on her face as she watched his siblings suffer. He was done with her shit, and he was going to put a stop to it. This would be the end. Staring her down, Five calls out tauntingly,

"You looking for me?"

Lila's eyes dart over toward the voice that called to her, the smile disappearing from her face as she saw Five standing there.

"You little turd," Lila spat

"Let's dance." Five retorted before spatial jumping away

Immediately, Lila spatial jumps after him into the house. She came here to kill him and that's what she was going to do. Landing inside the house Five immediately throws a few punches towards her, all of which Lila manages to block. Spatial jumping behind her Five throws another punch trying to catch her off guard, but Lila turned around too quickly and stops the punch in its tracks before nailing Five right in the face. Five immediately punches her in the face twice before getting kicked in the gut and stumbling backward a few steps. Rushing forward he attempts to kick her back but she spatial jumps away before his kick could even make contact. Reappearing behind him Lila grabs onto his shoulder turning him around. Reacting quickly, Five headbutts Lila, but when he pulls back she manages to land a blow on his face. Pulling back her hand to punch him, Lila swings again but Five manages to block her second punch. Seizing the advantage that he has, Five punches Lila in the gut causing her to double over. With Lila thrown off her rhythm, Five attempted to grab her in a way in which he could've flipped her to the ground, but once again Lila spatial jumps away towards the kitchen counter. Sitting on the counter she catches her breath and as Five does the same, he asks,

"How are you doing this?"

"Oh, anything that you can do, I can do better." Lila ridicules

Five rushes towards the counter attempting to grab her but by the time he makes it there she's already jumped behind him again. Five turns around to face his opponent once more and you can see the mix of determination and hatred on his face.

"Careful, now, or you are going to tire yourself out." Lila suggests mockingly "Although it'll be much easy to kill your girlfriend if you're too tired to save her."

"This is between you and me!" Five yells "You leave her out of it!"

"Why? Are you afraid you won't save her in time again?" Lila questions looking about the room

Five knew that Lila couldn't see you. Nobody here had the power to see you when you were invisible so she couldn't copy that but it didn't stop his worry. He wasn't going to let Lila or the handler or anyone else from the commission harm you. Nothing would happen to you, not again, not if he could help it. Five knew that Lila was mainly after him for some unnamed injustice she think he caused, and if he could just get Lila away from the house then you could be safer from her. Trying to push Lila to focus on him he baited,

"Listen, if you really want to kill someone, then come get me."

And with that he spatial jumped away, hoping that Lila would follow. As you saw the last bits of blue of Five's jump fade away his words kept repeating in your mind. There was something about Five's words, about his willingness to die for your sake that sparked a change in you. You had lost so many people already. More people than you could even count on your fingers at this point. You thought about each one of those that you lost, all your parents, your friends, all of them. And the unresolved grief and pain you felt with each came flooding into your system. The flashbacks to each person and what they meant to you rushed into your mind like an overwhelming wave and as each memory played out there was one thing that connected them all. All this loss and all this pain came right back to the commission. The commission left Five to rot alone in the apocalypse, Commission agents killed your mom in 2019, The commission was fine with the apocalypse that killed all your friends, all the mess with the commission in this timeline was part of why you had to say goodbye to this mom and Charlie, the commission most likely murdered your brother. And now Lila, a woman you despised from the very beginning and devoted member of the commission, was trying to take away the only people you had left. And so as you stood there invisible, watching Lila about to flash away after your boyfriend something within you...

snapped.

Before you could even process you did so, a knife came flying from your hand. The blade grazed Lila's cheek before flying past her and landing in the wall right next to the giant hole she had caused. You could see as blood started to drip down from her newly fresh wound and you felt a twisted pride swell within you. Your grief had turned to anger and your pain morphed into fury. You could feel your system start to course with unbridled energy and power. Your breathing was steady as you dropped your invisibility and narrowed your eyes on Lila.

Lila turned from looking at the knife that had just cut her towards the direction in which the blade came and there you stood. Lila's grimace grew into a smile as she saw you stand there. If only your boyfriend had known you were in the house. But alas, he couldn't defend you now that he had run away.

"Well, well, well, looks like someone takes after her big brother, huh?" Lila comments

"Maybe in knife skills, but unlike him, I don't have conflicted feelings about you. I know what you are." You remarked

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Lila questioned

"Well besides a manipulative bitch, you're a mimic. You can copy everyone here, but that means you're nothing without us" You stated firmly

"I'm better than you all." Lila touted

"You're better off dead." You replied flatly

The smile that Lila had only a moment ago quickly faded as her expression filled with anger. Although she wanted to save her energy to kill Five, she wasn't just going to let you get away with whatever game you were trying to play.

"Why you little-" Lila started to say as she rushed over to you

You watch her hand form into a fist and pull back ready to punch, but you didn't react. Instead, you held firm even as her fist started drawing closer and closer to your face before ultimately making contact. Your head dropped down, now facing the ground and your eyes stayed closed. Lila could feel a pride swell in her but it was short-lived as your head quickly jerked back up to look at her. Blood dripped from your nose down your face and where you once had a set of eyes was now replaced with a set of burning blue flames. Your mouth contorted into a horrific smile as you threatened cheerfully,

"My turn."

Before she can even react you punch her in the gut and use your powers to send her flying out of the hole of the house and into the snow-covered field. From afar the rest of the Hargreeves siblings minus Five had gathered together and come to the conclusion that Lila must've been another one of them. But as they discussed though, they saw a familiar figure fly out of the house and land on the ground. Turning towards the group Klaus questioned,

"Did anyone else just see Diego's girlfriend tossed like a ragdoll too?"

"Ex-girlfriend." Diego corrected

"Yeah...but how?" Vanya asked

Realization flashed over Diego's eyes as he looked towards the rest of his siblings and said quietly,

"...(Y/N)."

You could see from inside the house the way that Lila harshly landed and tumbled on the ground, but you knew you weren't done with her yet. With eyes trained on her, you walked towards the hole in the wall, adrenaline coursing through your veins and fueling your power. You saw the knife you threw plunged into the wall next to the hole and pulled it out. Looking down at the blade in your hand you saw not your own reflection but that of your brother. The one who had gifted you the blade, the same one who you last saw had stepped in front of oncoming bullets. Commission bullets. The flames in your eyes flashed brighter as the ground beneath you started to burn. Your head whipped back towards Lila who was starting to get up from the ground and with your blade gripped tightly in hand you step out of the house and marched over to her. With each step you took towards her flames shot up from under your shoes and scorched the ground only leaving behind a trail of ash and fire. You were no longer you. No, you were an unbridled reckoning ready to be unleashed upon Lila for all she had done. Her blood would rain upon the earth, watering it with overdue karmic justice, and no longer would she threaten those you love. You were only a few yards away when Lila stood up from the ground, frustration clearly represented on her face.

"Is that all you got?" She tried to mock

"I'm just getting started." You replied

You rush towards Lila trying to lessen the distance, but as quickly as you approach she spatial jumps away. Coward. Stopping in your tracks you close your eyes and rely on your gut feeling to where she would be showing up. If you could sense your boyfriend's spatial jumps then you sure as hell could manage to sense her copycat ones. Feeling a change in the energy behind you, you turn fast on your heel and release the blade from your hand once more. And just as Lila's figure starts to materialize you increase the frequency in which the molecules of your knife vibrate turning it from a solid blade into molten metal. The hot liquid grazing her side, tattering her jacket and shirt and burning some of the skin underneath. You materialized the knife in your hand and back to its original form, grinning maniacally as Lila grabbed at her side gritting her teeth in pain. Electricity shot through your system each time you caused her harm, it was intoxicating.

Lila stood up straight, her hand still gripping her side as she narrowed her eyes on you. You weren't as easy a challenge as she suspected you were going to be. With how easy it was to take you out in that alleyway and all the people in this family trying to protect you, she could've sworn you weren't going to be a difficult opponent to take on. But as of so far, you had proven that theory wrong and that infuriated her. Sneak attacks were obviously out of the question and until she could get a chance to focus on copying your powers she was going to have to get a bit more reckless.

Spatial jumping in front of you Lila immediately throws a punch towards your face, but you use your powers to let it fly through you.

"Ha! Missed me." You mocked

Kicking your leg up you attempt to sweep her legs out from under her but she jumps out of the way in time, kicking you in the back and down to the ground. Turning your fall into a barrel roll you manage to get back on your feet and swiftly roundhouse kick Lila in her burned side, sending her stumbling a few steps back. Gaining her footing, Lila runs back towards you, closing the distance and ready to punch again. You couldn't think, there wasn't the time to, and so you let go of any control you had left and let your reactions take over. In one swift motion, you turned the snow on the ground into liquid and raised it into the air to form a wall and as Lila's arm broke through, you froze the water into ice locking her in place. Her fist just millimeters from your face.

Your heartbeat slowed and your body relaxed as you caught your breath, watching Lila struggle on the other side of the ice. You caught your reflection in the wall you had created and watched as the flames dimmed and your eyes returned to their normal state. You wondered for a second if this was the best course of action to get what you wanted done, but before you could continue your thought you felt an unusual warmth hit your face. It was steam. Looking up at the ice wall you stared in shock as it started to melt rapidly. You, however, stayed frozen as Lila stepped through the ice with a malicious look in her eye.

"How about a taste of your own medicine, huh?" Lila stated

Before you could even react Lila flung you farther into the field, the same way you had done to her only a few minutes ago. She had copied your powers. You landed hard on the ground, knocking most of the wind out of you. You rolled yourself over and forced yourself onto your hands and knees only to be met with a pair of boots on the ground. You looked up from the pair to see Lila towering over you, a wicked look upon her face as she leans down towards you and wraps a hand tightly around your neck. Using the powers she copied from you, she lifts you up into the air with ease. You look up at the sky gasping for air as her hand grips tighter around your throat.

"I can't wait to tell your boyfriend all about how I killed you." Lila states

Between your gasps for air, you started to laugh. It started small but grew into a twisted, haunting laugh. One that echoed across the field and sent chills down the spines of the Hargreeves who could only stand and stare, paralyzed by the thought of what could happen to you.

"What are you laughing at?" Lila demanded

Your head quickly snapped down to look at her as your eyes reignited in their former flames.

"You're not very good at thinking ahead are you?" You said raspily

You saw confusion cross over Lila's face for a moment. But then, her hand started to shake, and fear crept onto her face. Letting go of your neck, she wrapped her arms around her waist, dropping to her knees and in a reversal of roles, it was now you who towered over her. This was your plan all along. In the meeting with the handler when you were kidnapped to the commission, she had mentioned that someone could copy your powers and in the moment you scoffed at how bad an idea that was. But when you found out that Lila was a mimic, well the two dots connected and that bad idea became your best plan. You had never stopped using your powers on the other side of the ice wall, you were just giving her the time to copy yours. And now you watched the pieces of your plan start to come together, but you weren't done yet. Your mind craved more damage, more destruction, more retribution. You descended further into the dark recesses of unbridled violence that lied beneath your calculated surface. And as Lila fully collapsed to the ground you knew this was only the beginning of the end for her.

"What is this?" She cried out

"Oh no, mother dearest didn't tell you about my drawback did she?" You replied sarcastically

"W-what?" She choked

"Tsk-tsk, and here I thought you were smarter than that. You really think feeling and controlling the things that make up the universe is an easy feat that you can just copy? No practice necessary?" You explained, vile lacing your voice "It took me a very long time to become accustomed to the weight of the world. Molecules are everywhere you know."

You paused for a moment and looked at Lila on the ground, tears already pricking her eyes, and you felt no sympathy. If she had no mercy for the Hargreeves then you had no mercy for her.

"But you must not be a verbal learner." You continued "So I guess you'll just have to learn by example."

Igniting a wall of flames around yourself and Lila, you separated the two of you from the rest of the world. Wind violently whipped around the circle you created as the dark storm already in the sky moved in closer. Pulling the negative charges from the storm down towards the earth you created pillars of lightning that rapidly flashed. One after another they struck the ground sending shockwaves through it and disturbing the rest of the molecules in the air.  You could hear as Lila screamed in agony, the world around her pulsing with an energy she had never experienced before. But her pain was only a fraction of what you had experienced when she copied Vanya's powers, so you pressed on. With each step closer to Lila, you could hear her cry out more and more because you were the epicenter of energy. This time you were the disturbance. You took a deep breath in, siphoning the energy around you and redirecting it as a physical force towards Lila. You had lost control, all you were now was a beacon of raw power fueled by anger, pain, and a need to protect the Hargreeves. As you took in more and more energy you could feel a stabbing pain growing in your gut. You had thrown your self -preservation so far out the window that the disturbance of your own creation was starting to harm you. Your knees began to buckle as energy ripped through you threatening to tear you apart from the inside out. You dug your feet into the ground for support as an ungodly scream erupted from your throat.

From across the field, the Hargreeves watched in shock at the scene playing out before them. It had been years since most of the Hargreeves had seen you fight with your powers. The closest any had really come was when you almost accidentally killed Luther over his criticisms of Diego and even then that was nothing compared to what you were displaying now.

"No wonder she was Dad's favorite." Klaus comments

"Not the time, Klaus." Diego remarks

"Hey, I'm just saying." Klaus defends putting his hands up

"It's like she's lost control," Allison says

"It's because she has." Luther states

"What do you mean?" Vanya questions

"Pogo told me that she loses control of her powers when she's protecting people she loves," Luther explains

Realization crosses Diego's face as he turns to Luther and states,

"Like the time she lost control on you when you were insulting me."

"Exactly." Luther replies

"Wait. If she's lost control...oh my god, she's going to kill Lila!" Diego exclaims

The rest of the siblings gave Diego a disappointed side-eye. After all, she had done so far they honestly did not care what you ended up doing to her. Luther however knew something the rest of his siblings didn't. That day that you lost it on him, when Pogo privately pulled him aside to apologize for your behavior, he had mentioned that if your powers went too far it would start to cause you harm as well. Slowly, Luther turned to look at Diego and stated,

"Or herself."

Diego's head snapped towards his brother, a look of concern filling his face.

"What?" Diego asked quietly

"She's pushing her powers trying to hurt Lila. After you had left, Pogo told me if she goes too far it becomes self-destructive. In trying to kill Lila she might end up killing herself, Diego." Luther explains

It took a moment for Luther's words to sink in, but once they finally processed Diego's instincts jumped into overdrive. Without even thinking, Diego takes off running in your direction as fast as he can, calling your name over and over again.

"(Y/N)!" He shouted "(Y/N) stop!"

Between the wind, flames, and the cries of agony from you and Lila, you couldn't hear your brother calling out to you. Diego pushed on though, he had to stop you before it was too late. Putting his arms up, Diego braced himself to jump through the wall of flames you had made and as he rushed forward with reckless abandon all he could think about was getting to you. Bursting through the wall, Diego ran over to you tackling you to the ground and in that instant, everything stopped. The wind calmed, the lightning ceased, the fire extinguished, and things returned to normal. Except you weren't conscious. Your body laid still on the ground. Sitting up, Diego grabbed you by your shoulders and tried to wake you. Shaking your shoulders, he said,

"(Y/N) get up."

The rest of the Hargreeves run up behind Diego as he shakes your shoulders harder. You had to get up. You needed to get up. He couldn't lose you.

"(Y/N) wake up!" He pleads

Like a distant echo you heard the sound of someone calling your name as you began to regain your consciousness. The voice was muffled but the way they kept asking you to wake up was familiar. You had heard a similar voice call that out to you before. You opened your eyes slightly,  the light blurring most of your vision but you could make out a figure above you.

"De? Is that you?" You groaned

Diego's face lit up as he heard you speak. You were okay! Happily, he replied,

"Yeah, it's me. I'm here princess. It's okay, just open your eyes".

Princess? You were confused for a moment but slowly as your eyes adjusted, your vision came into focus and you saw exactly who was there. Staring down at you were most of the Hargreeves and right there by your side was your older brother.

"Eggo! You're not dead!" You exclaimed

Although your body was sore and tired, you managed to sit up and wrap your brother in a hug. Diego wrapped his arms back around you happy to know you were okay but he was still concerned about the actions you had taken. Pulling back from the hug, Diego gave you a serious look as he stated,

"No, I'm not dead, but you could've been! What were you thinking going so far with your powers like that."

You sheepish looked off to the side as you quietly replied,

"I couldn't help it, you guys are all I have left."

"I know..." Diego sighed pulling you back into the hug before adding "But you did that without reason. Promise me you'll never do something like that without thinking again."

"I promise I'll think before making a decision like that again." You said

For a moment the world was quiet as you hugged your living brother but that was interrupted when Klaus asked,

"Hey guys, where did Lila go?"

All of you started to look around the area where she had just been. She was barely a few feet away from you only a few minutes ago but now she was gone. You stood up from the ground and walked towards the last spot that she was. Looking at the imprints in the snow you saw footsteps leading away from the field. Looking back at the group you say,

"I don't know where she is but I definitely know where she's going."

After you had been taken down, Lila tried her best to get up from the ground and as far away from you as possible. She was done fighting you and instead decided to revert to her main goal of finding and killing Five. Making her way back into the house she looked around the place but saw no sign of him. Picking up a cast iron pan from the counter Lila made her way to the only other place Five could be. Walking into the barn she saw Five standing ahead and attempted to throw the pan at him, but before she could let go Five had spatial jumped away. Anticipating his next move she turned quickly around as he reappeared behind her. Throwing the pan, it hit him directly in the head knocking him to the ground. Rushing over Lila places her boot on his neck, crushing him in the same way he had done to her only a few days prior. Placing his hands on the bottom of her boot, Five tries to push back against Lila and prevent her from crushing his throat anymore.

"Doesn't feel so good, does it?" Lila remarked

"Eat shit and die." Five rasped back

Lila pushed her boot down further onto Five's throat as Five forced his hands up continuing to push back. The two struggled for a moment before Five gained the upper hand, pushing up on Lila hard enough to send her falling back onto the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Five stood his ground readying himself to fight as he watched Lila get up. Calling her attention to him, Five stated,

"Come on. What are you waiting for? Let's finish this thing."

"No. This isn't gonna be quick." Lila sniffled

Five looked at Lila confused. He could see the glint of tears pricking her and her voice trembled as she spoke,

"You are going to suffer for what you did."

"Lady, I got no idea what you're talkin' about." Five replied confused

"Ronnie and Anita Gill." Lila elaborated

"Mean nothing to me." Five responded

"1993, East London. You hog-tied them and you shot them in the head." Lila explained

Five had done so many kills with the commission that it was hard to keep track of them all but he remembered that particular hit.

"The flower merchants." Five recalled

And then it hit him. There was a reason Lila was bringing up that killing. Five's eyes went wide with shock and he took a step back from her as he questioned,

"They were your parents?"

"And they never did anything to anyone. They didn't deserve to die like that." Lila replied

"You're right, all right? I killed them. But I killed a lot of people over the years. It was all just a job. All right? That was never personal." Five tried to explain

"Never personal, my ass." Lila scoffed "Yeah, I've killed. It's always, always personal."

"That's why you're not cut out to be an assassin." Five blankly stated

"Bet your life on that?" Lila questioned pulling out a knife

Five backed away from Lila a few steps more. He knew he could fight her if he had to but in such an emotional state she was acting more volatile and reckless than usual. She was blinded by whatever the Handler has told her or instilled in her but maybe there was a chance that if he explained she would listen.

"You wanna blame someone? Blame the Handler, all right? She faked the kill order." Five stated

"Bullshit. I saw the kill order. AJ Carmichael ordered it and you carried it out." Lila shot back

"Lila, listen to what I'm telling you, all right? The Handler gave me the kill order. She came on the job, which she'd never done before." Five emphasized "You're Commission. You know execs never go on jobs, but that day in London, she was there. Ask yourself why."

"Stop trying to muddy the waters," Lila demanded

"I never realized what she was up to at the time, but...now it all makes sense." Five replies

"What?" Lila questions

"She never cared about your parents. She was looking for you." Five answers

"Why?" Lila whispered

"Cause you're one of us. The Handler stole you, Lila. Just like our asshole, father took all of us." Diego explained

You and the rest of the Hargreeves had followed the trail Lila left in the snow to the barn only arriving just a few moments ago to hear the conversation that was going on. You watched as Lila turned to face Diego, a pained expression upon her face. You looked behind Lila locking eyes with Five. You could see the worry in his face at seeing how unstable she was but it only grew when he saw the small cuts and dried blood on your face. The two of you both looked back when Lila rejected saying,

"No. It's not the same thing."

"You're right. Because he didn't have our parents murdered." Diego continued calmly slowly approaching her "Listen to me, Lila. You were born October 1, 1989, the same day as all of us."

"Stay back!" Lila yelled flailing her knife around

The group quickly moved in on her but trying to protect Diego but reluctantly backed down when Diego yelled,

"Hey! Hey, stop! Wait. Wait. Hey! Lila? Lila, stop."

Slowly the group moved to surround the pair and you made your way to Five's side. You all watched her with caution, preparing to fight her if she made any more sudden movements. She couldn't be immediately trusted no matter how calm Diego was being with her.

"I trusted you, I got you a job, I even introduced you to my mother, and then you took off on me," Lila exclaimed frustratedly

"As he should." You remarked

"(Y/N)." Diego scolded firmly

You shrugged your shoulders in response and watched as Diego turned back to Lila and explained,

"I needed to save the world. But she's using you, Lila. The Handler."

"You're wrong. She raised me. She loves me." Lila retorted

"Yeah, you know what?" Luther interjected, "Love shouldn't have to hurt this much."

Everyone stopped and looked in Luther's direction. He was right. Genuine love would never hurt. It would never have conditions, expectations or ultimatums just to be received. Real love made people feel secure, not fearful. You waited to see what Lila would say but instead, she just made a gagging sound and motion.

"All right, I tried," Luther comments annoyed

"He's right. We have to kill her." Five says

The group starts to move-in ready to attack when Diego demands,

"Hey! Five! Five, stop. I got it."

The group takes a few steps back, still surrounding Lila as Diego approaches her closer.

"Hey, Lila. Truth? She's dangerous. And you're scared of what she'll do with all that new power. That's why you dragged me to the Commission. Because I know what it's like to love dangerous people. Difference is..." Diego says looking around at all his siblings "they love me back."

"Shut up," Lila says weakly holding up the knife towards Diego

Diego stepped closer to Lila, the tip of the knife now pressing against his chest. He didn't care though, he needed Lila to listen. To understand. He could see the emotion in her eyes and knew he was getting somewhere with this. He knew she knew he was right but she didn't want to say it. She couldn't say it, because who would want to admit that their whole life they were wrong.

"The only thing she loves is power. Now, the minute she can't use you, she will turn on you, and deep down, I know you know that." Diego emphasized

"You don't know me, Diego." Lila whispered

"Don't I? I know that we can help you if you just let us." Diego responded softly

Lila looked around the group and saw as the expressions on Klaus and Allison's faces softened up. There was something about the thought of being away from her mother's rule that seemed so enticing. Lila opened her mouth to say something but before she could say anything, the sound of automatic gunfire rang out through the barn.

You watched in horror as all the Hargreeves fell to the ground, most of them completely shot dead. It was like a nightmare playing out in slow motion right before your very eyes. You almost didn't believe it happened until you saw the blood draining from the bodies littered around. Overwhelmed by the sight you collapsed to your knees unable to stand. You looked down at your own self expecting to see bullet holes within your own body but there was none. And you knew exactly why. Back in your early training with Reginald after you had returned in 2013 where he classically conditioned you to respond to gunfire by becoming permeable. You thought it was stupid and demeaning at the time but now you were alive while everyone else suffered. You didn't want this to be the case. Why did it have to be?

And then from beside you, you heard a gasp. You turned to look and saw Five still alive, gasping for air. You rushed to his side placing your hands on his abdomen to signify you were there but when you lifted them up for a moment all you could see was blood. Your hands shook as you looked on in horror. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening.

"Mon chérie..." Five called quietly between his breaths

"I'm here, I'm here," you said quietly

You placed your hands back down on his abdomen trying to stop the bleeding, your hands still shaking profusely. You could feel your chest start to clench up as you tried to hold back your sobs and tears fell from your eyes even as you tried to put on a brave face. Trying to muster his strength, Five lifted his hand to cup your cheek using his thumb to wipe away your tears. He knew the situation was bad but even so he gave you a small smile. He loved you so much and you needed to know.

"I love you..." He whispered

"Don't say it like that. You're going to be fine." you cried, your throat starting to close up "I- I'll use my powers to keep the blood in and circulating. I'll give you more oxygen. I'll get you help, I just can't lose you."

You were about to say more when you heard another gunshot ring out. Looking to the side you saw the handler with her gun extended out and Lila's body now deceased on the floor. From where you were you could hear the handler say,

"Que será, será."

You audibly gasped at what had just happened. No matter how much disdain you had for Lila you were still shocked that the woman who raised her shot her dead like she didn't mean a thing. Hearing your gasp the handler looked in the direction of you and Five. Slowly she walked over towards the two of you, a vile smile forming on her face.

"Oh, good, you two are still alive. Lucky you. You got to see how this all played out." She said

You watched as her arm started to raise but before she could even point the gun in her hand towards you and Five, bullets shot through her tearing her apart and sending her blood splattering everywhere. You saw as she fell to the ground dead, only to be met with yet another person with another gun. You recognized the man that stood before you, he was one of those swedes hired by the commission. The same ones you had fought at the consulate and who killed Elliott. The man lifted his gun aiming it specifically at Five. You had lost everything already and if you lost Five, you would have nothing left live for anyway. Straightening your posture you leaned forward in front of Five, putting yourself between him and the gun. Looking up at the man you stated monotonously,

"Om du vill skjuta honom måste det gå via mig"

Even in his weakened state Five couldn't believe what you had just said. If you want to shoot him, it has to go through me. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let any of this happen. This shouldn't be the end. It couldn't be. And as his last thoughts were wracked with what to do to get out of this situation he recalled a piece of advice his father gave him a few nights ago.

Maybe your appetite is disproportionate to the size of your abilities. Start small. Seconds, not decades.

With all that he had left in him, he tried to do something that seemed impossible. Something he had never done before, time travel with purpose. For a second he wondered if it would even work but then things started to change. One thing after another the world started to reverse itself. He saw your tears recede, Lila and his family start to stand up and come back to life, and the handler exit the barn. Appearing by the barn door entrance Five pat down his body, the bullets and bullet wounds gone. He looked around and saw the scenario that had played out earlier and saw Diego giving his same speech to Lila saying,

"I know that we can help you if you just let us."

He knew what would happen next and as the handler walked into the barn Five jumped in front of her grabbing the gun from her hand and turning it on her. The handler put her hands in the air as Lila took a step towards her and questioned,

"It's true, isn't it? What Five said."

The handler's eyes shifted away from Lila and towards Five but her lack of response only prompted Lila to yell,

"Answer me! Is it true?"

"Well-" The handler started to say

But the handler wouldn't get to finish what she was saying as one of the swedes entered the barn and immediately filled her body with bullets. Everyone but Five and the swede looked on in shock at what had just occurred. All of this had happened so fast, and so out of nowhere. Everything froze for a moment until Lila bolted towards the briefcase the handler had dropped.

"The case!" Luther shouted trying to grab Lila

It was useless though as Diego jumped in front of Luther shouting,

"No!"

As Diego and Luther fell to the ground Five repositioned himself so he was now pointing the gun as the leftover swede. The two of them aimed their guns at each other in a silent stand-off as everyone else watched nervously. Five held firm for a moment before realizing that this promise of violence wasn't worth it. Slowly he let go of the gun, letting it drop to the ground. Putting his hands up Five stated,

"Enough."

The swede looked around at everyone in the room. Fear and tension still running high as he was the only one with a weapon in hand. He stared blankly for a moment before looking back at Five and dropping his weapon.

"Tillräckligt" He replied

Enough. It was over. The swede gave you all one last look before leaving the barn and heading his own way. Luther looked down at Diego, who was pinned below him, and asked,

"I almost had her. Why the hell did you stop me?"

"Because," Diego explained, "I still care for her."

"Who the hell was that guy?" Klaus exclaims

As Luther and Diego stood up from off the ground the sound of Sissy's voice calling out to Vanya could be heard from the basement below the barn. Catching everyone's attention they started following Vanya to the stairs but you remained in place.

"Are you okay?" Five asked

"Yeah, I've just had enough with disturbances for today. I'll stay up here," you explain

"Alright," Five says nodding his head "I'll be right back."

You watched as Five and all but one of the Hargreeves walked downstairs into the basement where Sissy and Harlan were. Luther was the only one who lingered around. You noticed as he looked between going down the stairs and you, finally choosing to walk your way after a moment.

"Hey (Y/N)," He said awkwardly

"Hi Luther," you replied

"I wanted to talk to you back at Elliott's place but then you had to speak with Charlie, and I know I should've brought this up a lot sooner, and looking back it's really long overdue-" Luther rambles

"Luther spit it out," You say

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. You have always been kind and a friend to me and I let my own problems get in the way of seeing that." Luther apologizes "I'm sorry for the things I've said and done and you are very much a part of this family. You always have been since the day we met you."

You looked up at the tall, awkward man before you and for a moment you were reminded of the tall, awkward teenager you had met so many years ago. You smiled as a thought came to your head and said,

"I don't forgive you...yet."

"Huh?" Luther said confused

Leaning down you picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it at him saying,

"Catch!"

Luther reached out to catch the rock but the minute it made contact with his hand you used your powers to make it denser sending him falling to the ground. Luther was shocked for a moment before he started laughing. This was the thing you did to him when you were demonstrating your powers the first time they met you as kids. Leaning down you picked the rock up from his hand with ease and said,

"Now I forgive you."

Standing up from the ground Luther brushes himself off before wrapping you in a tight hug and lifting you off the ground. Maybe it was a little silly, but Luther was happy to have a friend again. As Luther hugged you, you could hear a crowd awws coming from the recently returned Allison, Vanya, and Klaus. You would've most certainly agreed with their feelings if you weren't halfway to having your spine broken. Five must've noticed the feeling on your face as he tapped his brother on the arm and commented,

"Luther, you big oaf, put my girlfriend down before you accidentally hug her to death."

"Oh, sorry." Luther apologized as he put you down on the ground again

As everyone reconvened in the barn you looked out the main doors and saw some familiar figures walking your way. Nudging Five with your arm you pointed it out commenting,

"I think we have some visitors."

Nodding his head, Five took your hand in his using his other hand to gesture Diego to follow him. The three of you made your way out of the barn and down to the field meeting Herb and Dot halfway.

"Herb. Dot." Five called out as you all approached

"Hi." Dot added "Sup, Herbie?" Diego greeted extending out his hand "Hey! My man." Herb replied extending his hand back

The two of them performed some type of handshake that they apparently had found the time to come up with during the brief period you were at the commission. Herb looks around at all the bodies on the ground before looking directly at you and asking,

"So did you do this?"

"Me? Oh no, this was all Vanya's work." You replied

"Ah, it's just we watched the tapes and saw your performance back at the commission, so I just assumed." herb explains "But still that killing spree you went on was wowza! We should've recruited you with the way you took out our security."

"I'd rather not consider that idea." Five interjected

"Ah, we're just joking. It was impressive though." Dot comments, her expressions softening "Your brother and friends would be very proud of you."

"I'd hope so..." You replied quietly

"Well of course I'm proud of her! Look at this little expert fighter!" Diego exclaimed wrapping an arm around your shoulders and ruffling your hair

You laughed at his action but your eyes were trained on Dot. Tears pricked your eyes because you knew she didn't mean Diego and the Hargreeves. she meant Dean and the rest of your friends. God you hoped she was right. With all the things you'd done and all the things you were going to do to get home you hoped it would make them proud.

"Still, it's good to see you guys." Five commented "I can't believe it. Is she...?" Herb starts to question

"Really dead this time?" Five finishes

"Oh, yeah." Diego added, "Although my sister can probably blow her corpse up if you really want to make sure."

You looked between Diego and the two of them nodding aggressively at the opportunity to do such a thing only to be shut down when Dot replied, "No, it's fine."

"Now that the Handler's gone, what happens at Commission?" Five questioned

"Eh... well...we need to elect a new board of directors. But, until then, I, um...I've been voted in as acting chairperson." Herb answered "No shit. Congrats, Herbie. That's huge." Diego congratulated "I'm so goddamn nervous," Herb admitted "You'll do fine." Five encouraged before stating "Herb, we need a favor."

"Oh, sure, anything," Herb replied

"A briefcase. Get back home, where we belong." Five explained

Herb looked around at all the dead commission agent bodies and their scattered briefcases before looking back at the three of you saying, "Take your pick."

"Well then, let's go find one that wasn't damaged by Vanya." Diego stated "Thanks for your help guys."

"Oh no problem, if that's all you need we'll be on our way then." Dot replied

Dot and Herb began to walk off towards the part of the field that was free from commission bodied as Five and Diego walked away to pick a briefcase. You didn't follow Five and Diego though. Instead, you stayed in place for a moment thinking to yourself. These thoughts you were having had crossed your mind a lot and you knew if you didn't act on it now you wouldn't get the chance again. And so turning on your heel you called out,

"Dot, Herb. Hang on a second."

____________________________________________________________________

A/N: I will be doing a “split timeline” type of deal for my story in which I have and ending for season 2 and an intro that leads into season three.

🕰Time Travel To Season 2 Ending: The Grand Finale 

🕰Time Travel To Season 3 Intro: (Not So) Welcome Home [Coming Soon]

____________________________________________________________________

“You should come with me- with us.”

“Five as much as I would love to take a trip to Paris in the middle of the school year I cannot.” You explain

“Why not?” He asked

“I hate to be the person to remind you of this but my parents care for me and would think I’m kidnapped, Five.” You explain

“Shit, you’re right.” Five said as he pull his hands from you and began to pace back and forth

“Hey, if it will make you feel better maybe you can do something touristy for me while you’re there.”

“Like what?” he inquires, stopping his pacing

“I don’t know, look for people who you think are like us and then do whatever it looks like those other people are doing.” You elaborate 

“Children your lack of urgency is putting the world in danger!” Reginald shouts once more

You and Five look at each other once more realizing that he needed to go. It wasn’t fun but it was just something the both of you had to deal with given the differences in your upbringing. He was raised to be a “hero” and would have to leave to fight on behalf of the world and you were just some kid who lived across the street and still needed to finished her advanced algebra homework. Letting out sigh you quickly wrapped your friend in a tight hug which he reciprocated. As you held each other you could hear the sounds of his siblings starting to run downstairs and knew it was time for him to go. Parting ways you looked at your friend one more time and encouraged,

“Go kick some ass with your siblings. I’ll be waiting here for you when you get back.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Five replies, giving you a smile

And with that you watched as he flashed away. You turned back towards the chessboard that you had been playing at with Five only moments ago and sat down in your chair. As you were about to start putting the pieces back in their original spots a voice called out from behind you and asked,

“May I finish this game with you?”

Turning to look at the voice you smiled and said,

“Sure Pogo.”

As Pogo took a seat across from you, he mentioned,

“Just because the children aren’t around does not mean you’re not welcome here Miss (Y/N). This might not be your home but I hope it’s a place where you feel like you can belong.”

“Thank you.”

As you came back into focus you heard the sounds of many people chattering. Looking outside your bedroom window you could see as a crowd started to gather behind barricades across the street at the academy with signs in hand. Dozens of fans of the Umbrella Academy were stood outside the manor to wait and watch for the arrival of their favorite super powered kids. You however were just waiting for you friends to get back so you all could hang out again. Wanting to get out of your room and curious as to what all the fuss looked like in person you decided on heading over to the academy as well.  Walking downstairs you called out to your parents,

“I’m going to go meet up with some friends!”

“Alright, sweetie but be back by 8:30 for dinner and remember the third rule!” Your mom called back

“Uh yeah...I will!” You replied as you quickly hurried out the door rushing over to the academy before you could get caught

Carefully you made your way through the crowd and towards the front of the barricade closest to the house. You looked around at all the people who knew nothing of the reality that your friends were going through. It was crazy what a different world they lived in. As you stood behind the barricade waiting like everyone else for the umbrella academy to show up you felt someone push around you. Looking to the right you saw a kid about your age placing a suitcase down on the ground. He looked around frantically as if trying to find something and you could see that he was dressed up in an academy uniform. Not a good one though. It looked like all the materials were constructed out of tape and paper. You attempted to look away from the weird kid before he noticed but it was too late, you had caught his gaze. Trying to not be weird you quickly commented,

“Uh...hi.”

“Hi! I’m Harold.” He says extending his hand

There was something off about this kid but you couldn’t place it.

“...(Y/N),” You replied slowly shaking it “Nice costume.”

“Oh thanks! I made it myself.” He exclaims

“I can see that.” You comment unimpressed

He must’ve noticed your tone because he followed up with,

“I’ll get a better one soon though!”

You were actually a bit impressed by that. The Umbrella Academy uniforms were custom made so to have an accurate replica created would cost a lot of money.

“Your parents must really love you to pay for a custom made uniform.” You say surprised

The kid looked off to the side for a bit after you had mentioned his parents but when he looked back he explained.

“Oh no, I’m going to get one when I join the academy!”

You blinked a few times in confusion. What did he mean when he joins the academy? It’s not like an after school program you could sign up for free to be a part of. For better or for worse the Umbrella Academy was hand picked. Sir Reginald specifically chose kids who fell under the very rare and odd circumstances such as your friends and yourself. Giving the kid an odd look you questioned,

“Join? Not to be rude kid, but what makes you think you can join?”

“Well I was born on October 1st.” He states

“Yeah so was I, but you don’t see me standing in one of those uniforms.” You retorted

“But you can be! We both probably have powers, Sir Hargreeves just needs to help us find them out!” Harold replied excitedly

God these people really had no clue what life was like behind those walls. They knew nothing of how dull and damaging academy life could be. Centering yourself you placed a hand on the kid next to you’s shoulder as you stated,

“Listen, Gerald right?”

“Harold.” He correct

“Whatever. Having powers has downsides, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it can be painful or frustrating or caused unintended harm to yourself or others when they get out of control.” You continued

Instead of a look of contemplation you watched as his eyes lit up.

“So you do have powers?!” He exclaimed

“I never said that.” You replied trying to get him off that topic “I’m just saying this academy isn’t the gift you think it is. You shouldn’t delude yourself because you’re only going to end up hurt.”

“Well, if you don’t want to be in the Umbrella Academy and hang with the coolest people around then suit yourself but I’m going to be living it up with my to be discovered powers and new siblings.” Harold stated

“Uh huh. Sure you are.” You remarked

“Just wait and you’ll see.” He replied

The two of you then went silent as you stood and waited for the academy to appear at their house. The thing was the Umbrella Academy had just arrived. The car had pulled into the back of the house where I could not been seen by the public. Turning from the front seat to look back at the academy, Reginald narrowed his eyes on Vanya and Five.

“Number Seven go in the house and wait in the parlor. Number Five I want you to spatial jump to the front of the house while your siblings and I drive around the block to the front in the car.” Reginald stated

“Why?” Five questioned

It didn’t make sense for him to be here while everyone else arrived later.

“Panem et circenses. Bread and circuses. The more the people are entertained the less questions they ask. Now go.” Reginald commanded

“Fine.” Five replied

Annoyed, Five spatial jumped out of the car and to the front of the house like he was told to do. With a flash he appeared in the middle of the two barricades filled with people. The crowd looked on with awe and excitement as they saw him there. Forcing a smile for the public Five gave a small wave as he looked around. And then, he saw you and a genuine smile came to his face. Pulling something from his pocket he flashed over to you. You didn’t say anything, unsure of how to interact given in this context you looked like another fan in the crowd. Granted, you were a fan of him and the rest of the academy just not in the same way as everyone else. Making the move to speak first Five asked,

“Can I sign your comic?”

“Oh wow! Yeah!” Harold said as pushed you away

Frantically, he tried to pull a comic from his pocket and hand it to Five. This was one of the things he hated most about having fans, they only cared about what they wanted and would put anyone else in harms way to get that. It was disgusting behavior to begin with but even worse that this kid had pushed you. Unhappy with the fact that he had pushed you out of the way Five looked at the boy upset and curtly replied,

“Not you. I was talking to her.”

You knew he wanted to talk to you but the question he had asked didn’t make sense. You didn’t have a comic on you. Curious as to what he meant you asked,

“What comic?”

“The one in your jacket pocket. Right there.” Five points out

Looking down your saw a rolled up comic in your pocket. Pulling the comic out you unrolled it and noticed that it was completely in french. He had gotten this comic and placed it in your pocket just so he could talk to you. Clever.

“Now how did that get there?” You questioned, a playful smirk on your face

“No clue. So can I sign it?” Five replied

“Sure, you can sign my comic.” You remarked sarcastically

You handed the comic back to Five and watched as he made no attempts to find a pen or marker to actually sign the comic. Instead, he stood there on the other side of the barricade, ignoring the rest of the crowd, and just focusing on you.

“So what have you been up to while we’ve been gone?” Five asked

“School mostly.” You replied

“Anything new happen?” He followed

“The new guy who sits behind me keeps picking on me and pulling at my hair.” You stated

Five could feel an anger start to rise in him. He was only gone a few days and someone had the audacity to pick on his best friend. No. Absolutely not, not on his watch. 

“I can do something about it for you.” He firmly states

“Absolutely not.” You retorted

It was annoying that this kid shows up and thinks he can just bother you but it’s not something you couldn’t handle. You were in the process of going through the proper channels at school but if nothing got resolved you had no qualms about handling it yourself. You did not need Five handing it because you knew his handling was the equivalent of a death sentence even if he didn’t cause serious physical harm. The psychological damage from someone with super powers threatening them would be enough to make that kid regret his own birth. 

Harold looked at the conversation between you and Five, and although he felt there was something different about it, that’s not what mattered to him. You had just told a member of the umbrella academy you DIDN’T want their help.

“What he’s a hero, he can totally help with your bully.” Harold interjected

Five looked towards the kid who had pushed you earlier and who was now trying to tell you what he thought was best. Taking a step closer to the barricade he stared Harold down. Lowering his voice in a steady tone he questioned,

“Why are you talking to her?”

Harold couldn’t see Five’s eyes from behind his mask but he could feel his piercing gaze and the tone in which he spoke felt less like a question and more like a threat.

Seeing what was starting to build you tried to redirect Five’s attention back to you by saying,

“Number Five, he’s another fan just like me, remember?”

Five turned to look back at you, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Number Five?” He asked, his voice slightly saddened “What did I do?”

“That’s. your. name.” You tried to remind without openly saying anything

It took a moment but Five was able to pick up on the message you were trying to get across and says,

“Oh-uh yeah...Number Five. Thats’s me.”

 “Anyway...” You continued “Did you do anything touristy in Paris?”

“Actually I did.” Five replies cheerfully “I saw a whole bunch of tourists placing these locks on bridges.”

“Interesting. Why?” You asked

“I don’t know but people kept writing them and their friends names on them so I did it too and wrote me and my best friend’s names.” Five explains “Alli- I mean Number Three kept giggling as I did so though which is odd since she did the same thing with Number One.”

“Weird. I’ll-” You catch yourself before finishing “I mean you’ll have to ask her about it then.” 

As Harold watched the two of you talk he felt a little frustrated. He knew that Number Five didn’t really want to talk to him but he needed to find his way into the academy. Trying to interject her said,

“Excuse me Number Five but I really need to talk to you-”

His words were ignored though as someone loudly shouted,

“They're coming! I think I see their car!”

You and Five look towards the street before you looked back to him. You knew that his father didn’t send him out here to talk to you and you worried how he would react if this is what he saw when he showed up. Taking on a more urgent tone you told Five,

“You need to move along, your father will be here any second.”

“I see them! I see the car!” Another person shouted from the crowd

Five stood frozen in place. He knew he needed to move but he also wanted you to come with him. But he couldn’t just drag you with him that would get both of you in trouble but he felt less anxious when you were actually by his side. You knew your best friend and sensing his internal conflict you said,

“Je te verrai à l'intérieur”

Finally looking back from the street, Five can feel his brain and body starting to catch up with each other and really process the situation. Looking at you he quickly replies,

“Á très bientôt”

You give him a small nod acknowledging his statement and Five takes that as his cue to walk away. He’s stopped though when Harold grabs at the sleeve of his jacket exclaiming,

“Wait no!”

With the crowd focused on the arrival of his siblings, Five didn’t want to make a scene. He could flash away but he was concerned the kid would hold on and come through the spatial jump with him. Attempting to just pull his arm away Five stated,

“Get off me kid,”

“No I just need to talk to you!” Harold replied

You were already tired of this kid to begin with but seeing him grab and pull on your friend when he should be keeping his hands to himself was the last straw for you. Placing your hand on top of his you firmly demanded,

“Let go of him. Now.”

Harold refused to let go though and so you were left with no choice. Rapidly, you heated up the molecules of your hand and burned the hand that held onto Five’s sleeve. The kid quickly let go as he saw the dark red burn now on the top of his hand. Looking towards Five you commanded,

“Go.”

And with that Five made his way closer to the entrance of his house. Staring out you with wide eyes, Harold looked between you and the mark on his hand.

“How did you do that?” He questioned shocked

“Do what?” You responded blankly

You had to have had powers. You were born on October 1st and you had just hurt him so he would let go of Five. Maybe you didn’t realize you had them but if you had powers that means he probably did too. Trying to get you to understand he explained

“You burned my hand.”

“No clue what you’re talking about.” You replied

This kid was not going to find out what you could do. Continuing to look at him blankly he saw as the rest of the academy member started to walk towards the house.

“Nevermind. Here come the rest of them, academy life here I come.” He said to himself as he jumped the barricade

You let out a sigh as you realized this wouldn’t end well, and yet you kept watching. He let Ben and Klaus pass him by before grabbing on to Allison’s arm the same way he did for Five.

“Excuse me. I'm your biggest fan.” He said

From behind him you could see Luther approach. And if his body language was any indicator you could tell how pissed he was that this kid was grabbing Allison. Grabbing Harold’s arm firmly, Luther pulls him of Allison and he angrily reprimands, “Hey, hey. You're not supposed to be in here.” “Get back behind the barricade!” Sir Reginald yells at him

You watch as Luther wraps an arm around Allison and walks her towards the house while the crowd’s focus shifts to the incident going on before them. With the crowd distracted, as Diego passes you he gestures for you to follow him. You take a cautionary glance at the crowd and with what seems like the confirmation of no one paying attention you phase through the barricade and quickly follow him towards the academy entrance. Although you thought no one noticed though, Harold did.

“What are you doing?” Reginald demanded

Harold look back from what he had just witnessed and up at Sir Reginald. “It's just...I was born on the same day as the Academy kids. I think I'm like them. I must be. I haven't quite figured out what my power is yet. But maybe with your help, we can find out.” He stuttered “You have no power. You never will have power. Now, go home.” Reginald stated “No, please. Just... I...You have to let me stay. I came all this way. Please don't make me go back.” Harold begged “A little word of advice, my boy. Not everyone in this world can be powerful. Chasing something unattainable is a recipe for a lifetime of disappointment and resentment.” Reginald stated

“No, no! I have to have powers because that girl, she has powers! I just saw it!” Harold exclaimed pointing in your direction

Hearing his words you quickly made yourself invisible before anyone could see you standing with the group. Reginald looked towards the house before looking back at Harold asking,

“What girl?”

The crowd started to laugh hysterically at the antics of the kid before them. He was ridiculous thinking he could join the umbrella academy. Trying to defend himself Harold exclaimed,

“She was just here! She-she disappeared!”

“People don’t just disappear, boy.” Reginald remarked “Now get off my property.”