Gonna keep on dancing
To the rock and roll
On Saturday night, Saturday night
Dancin' to the rhythm
In our heart and soul
On Saturday night, Saturday night
-Saturday Night; by Bay City Rollers
Jane Foster, astrophysicist and astronomer. A passionate scientist desperate for recognition. A young woman who's too stubborn and impulsive to give up. An individual who holds little to no regard for herself or others once her head is in her research. Jane had went to very credible schools in order to become an astrophysicist and astronomer. She befriended seasoned scientist Erik Selvig and later college student Darcy Lewis and newly-freed Rosaleen Hargreeves. That desire, that need to impress and gain some kind of recognition is what drove Jane to be the passionate woman she is. But it also gave her a degree of recklessness. Her research was almost always on her mind, so she held little to no regard to the well-being or safety of herself or her friends. She wanted some kind of solution to present itself to her, in one way or another, and she didn't care how she got it. Needless to say, her friends were worried and a bit frustrated of her.
For Rosaleen, she tried to be as patient as possible. She'd gone on practically every late-night adventure. She tried her best to help Jane with her tech and with organizing the files and countless paperwork she kept her notes on. Rosaleen, just like Erik and Darcy, went above and beyond for Jane. But it was never enough, apparently. She always needed more. And on this day in particular, Rosaleen's patience was incredibly thin. The morning, for starters, went off horribly. The young Hargreeves' alarm hadn't gone off, so Darcy had to wake her up and explain the details of Jane's plans for the day. On top of that, Rosaleen's hair wasn't cooperating, nothing seemed to be working, and then she remembered the date.
It was the anniversary of Ben's death.
Ben Hargreeves had died a rather gruesome death when the Hargreeves siblings were all younger. That was one of the main reasons the Umbrella Academy fell apart. And to make matters worse, Reginald didn't seem to care one bit. He had a statue made to commemorate Ben's passing, but other than that, it didn't seem to matter. Ben had been such a good soul, he was loved and respected by his siblings; by his mother and Pogo, too. It had been his untimely death, and Reginald's apparent dismissal of it, that caused the seed of animosity in Rosaleen to grow.
Of course, the young Hargreeves, upon befriending Jane and the others, tried keeping her background a secret. She didn't want them to know of Ben's death or Reginald's treatment of his adopted children. She didn't want them to know about Five's disappearance or the true feelings that swirled around in the hearts and minds of everyone involved in the Umbrella Academy. Of course, there were still questions Rosaleen had herself, but she never expressed them. She didn't know if she'd ever get an answer, so she believed it was best to leave them unasked. Naturally there were questions from the others, but Rosaleen didn't have it in her to answer. She couldn't answer. No amount of trust could bring out that kind of information.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Rosaleen wrapped her arms around herself. She and Darcy chose to walk over to Jane's. A long, deep silence fell between the two women, neither really working up the courage to break it. Occasionally, Darcy would look Rosaleen's way, mostly out of concern but also out of curiosity. The young Hargreeves kept herself so closed off sometimes it was hard to tell what was really going on in her head. Sure, her abilities were both telepathic and psionic in nature, but it didn't seem to matter. Rosaleen could read people like a book but made sure not to show even the slightest bit of weakness if she could help it.
Brushing some hair out of her face, Rosaleen tried to find something to distract herself with. She tried focusing on the lowering temperatures. Puente Antiguo was a small town located near a desert, and during the night the air became much cooler, to everyone's delight. Rosaleen appreciated the cool, she liked how it felt. The way the goosebumps prickled her skin. The sensation was almost therapeutic for her.
Darcy turned to look at Rosaleen one more time. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "Honestly, we can let Jane know it's not a good time. . ."
"I'm fine." The response was short and sharp.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Darcy nodded and dropped the subject. If Rosaleen didn't want to talk about it, then that was that. If it was impossible to get even the smallest bit of personal information out, then expressing emotional turmoils would be just as impossible.
-the infinity series-
The remainder of the trip to Jane's went on in silence. Rosaleen kept her shoulders hunched, her hands shoved in her pockets, and her eyes forward. She gave every indication of not wanting to be bothered, and Darcy was more than willing to comply. During that remaining trip, Darcy was doing everything in her power to distract herself, to find something to keep her mind off the looming silence. Unfortunately, it felt like nothing was working. The silence weighed down so much on her she couldn't keep herself busy for long. Once Jane's apartment building came into view, however, the atmosphere changed only a little. The silence didn't feel so heavy, for starters. And both women were able to remind themselves of the duties they'd probably be assigned.
Jane was, in Rosaleen's opinion, the kind of person who as both organized and disorganized. She was able to keep tabs on all of her notes and machines, and she could give a detailed description on what mission was going to be done in the moment. But heaven forbid the woman could keep a cohesive thought going once her head was in the research. Jane would go from one thing to the next, typing away on her laptop one minute then running over to her countless notebooks and blinking machines hoping to catch something extraordinary. She'd ramble on about one thing, then cut herself off and start shouting out theories and hypothesis about something else. Jane's mind would go a mile a minute and nothing could calm her down.
Entering the building, Darcy and Rosaleen made a beeline to Jane's apartment. The two women were more than relieved knowing their friend lived on the first floor. With all the crap that had to be carried to and from Jane's van and apartment, being anywhere but on the first floor would've been unacceptable.
"You think she'll have something crazy in mind?" Darcy asked. "She's asking us out to help later than usual."
"I don't know," Rosaleen responded. "It's always hard to tell with her."
Nodding, Darcy gave a half-hearted shrug. "I guess we'll wait and see," she stated.
It took them a moment to find Jane's apartment, Rosaleen knocked on the door and waited. The two women could hear shuffling on the other end, accompanied by muffled voices and things being rearranged. When the door finally did open, Erik was on the other end, looking a bit frazzled.
"Is it Darcy and Rose?" Jane's voice came from somewhere in the apartment, sounding stressed, even a little angry.
"Yeah," Erik exclaimed. He moved aside and let them in, letting out a heavy sigh as he did.
"Well, I need Rose in the dining room with me. Darcy can go through my paperwork."
That's when the true chaotic feel of it started to sink in. Paperwork was scattered on every tabletop, Jane's laptop was open on the kitchen counter and her machines — in all various shapes and sizes — were everywhere. It looked like a madman lived there.
"She's on a rampage today," Erik murmured, kneeling down so Roslaeen and Darcy could hear him better. "She's all wound up about the aurora tonight. Just do what she says and it'll be easier for all of us."
Without another word, Darcy and Erik went off in another direction while Rosaleen went to find Jane. The young scientist was trying to organize some of her machinery, putting wires and plugs where they should be; pushing all the right buttons and listening to make sure everything sounded right. Once Jane saw Rosaleen, a big smile came across her face.
"I'm so happy you're here," she exclaimed. "It's been crazy practically all day. Erik's been helping me organize stuff, but extra help is always appreciated."
"This has been an all-day thing for you?" Rosaleen asked. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Jane with furrowed brows.
"There's supposed to be a subtle aurora tonight." Jane turned her attention back to her gadgets. "I'm making sure everything's organized and working properly. I don't want a single thing out of place."
"So what do you want me to do?" Rosaleen asked.
"If you could help bring some of this stuff into the van." Jane turned her head slightly to look at her friend. "I know you don't like using your powers all that much, but it'll be easier for the rest of us. . ."
"No, I get it." Shrugging, the young Hargreeves dropped her arms to her side. Using her powers was one thing she wasn't very fond of doing. In fact, she looked for every possible excuse to not use them. But when it came to Jane, it was almost guaranteed Rosaleen's powers would be used in some way. Whether she wanted to use them or not. "What needs to go out?" Rosaleen asked.
-the infinity series-*
Rosaleen's powers always made her feel uneasy. For starters, a black mist would come from her hands and her irises — along with the veins in and around her eyes — would turn black. Her abilities made her look almost demonic. It was unsettling. Now for Rosaleen, she understood the benefits that came with what she could do. Psionic energy manipulation had tons of benefits. She had access to telekinesis, she could throw out energy blasts and all that, and she gained a lot of added features to what she could do. Her telepathy was the one she wasn't very confident in, only because she hated the idea of intruding in on other people's thoughts. But Rosaleen also knew that her powers extended far beyond the basic human understanding. Reginald's forced training made Rosaleen's abilities advance beyond what she was comfortable with. And while she tended to use them for fairly basic things, the idea of going too far — or even losing control in some way — crossed her mind from time to time. It was horrifying.
The psionic energy, the telekinesis and telepathy, it all reminded Rosaleen just how different she was. It reminded her of her unconventional upbringing and the strangeness surrounding her birth. No one had the slightest clue on why forty three women spontaneously gave birth. No one knew why Reginald Hargreeves decided to hunt down and adopt eight of those forty three children. All anyone really knew was that the children were just different and the Hargreeves children were groomed from a young age to be heroes. The only problem with the Hargreeves children was that the idea of heroes didn't really stick the way Reginald wanted it to. Luther was the only one still dedicated to the Academy, and aside from Ben's death and Five's disappearance, the others were living life the best they could. None of the siblings kept in touch with each other, and it was probably for the best. Too many painful memories.
And, while Rosaleen helped move some of Jane's equipment, with the black mist surrounding the tech, those thoughts came into the young Hargreeves mind in full force. She was reminded of her time back home, as a member of the Umbrella Academy. She remembered Reginald forcing them to get tattoos and to fight — and maybe even kill bad guys. She remembered those stupid uniforms and those awful masks. And she remembered the emotions. Every single Hargreeves sibling was hurting in some way.
God, those feelings were so overwhelming. The fear and anger and hatred — they swirled in all of them, filling them to the brim, suffocating them. And then Reginald would assign the kids lessons, little practice sessions so they could practice their powers. They all hated it. Klaus had been locked in a tomb to help strengthen his ability. He became an addict as a result. Rosaleen had been locked in a psychiatric hospital. That was when her telepathy was developing. Reginald kept her in that hospital, alone and scared, for a month and a half. Rosaleen's telepathy was out of control, she could hear every little thought going through everyone's head. She nearly brought the hospital down as a result. Pogo and their mother had to intervene.
That hospital still haunts Rosaleen, even as an adult. It reminds her of everything that could have happened had an intervention not taken place. It reminded her of. . .
"Rose!" Jane's voice snapped the young Hargreeves out of her thoughts. It also snapped her out of her concentration. Jane's machines would've fallen had Rosaleen not composed herself and caught them. The black mist flickered around the tech, struggling along with her focus. "Are you okay?" Jane asked. She stepped in front of Rosaleen, her brows furrowed in concern. "You looked like you were in a dark place."
"I'm fine, just open the door."
The two managed to make it outside without much trouble. The receptionist that was usually in the lobby went on lunch and no one really left their apartments once the sun started setting. When the two women made it to the van, Jane pursed her lips and opened the back. Rosaleen motioned for the machines to go inside, and the mist carried them all the way inside, gently placing them in their appropriate spots.
"Look, I don't know what's going on but maybe you should sit this one out." The suggestion hung heavily over Rosaleen's head. It made her chest tighten and her stomach jump. It wasn't often Jane Foster offered to give someone the night off from her late-night adventures.
"I've got nothing else going on," Rosaleen said. "I'd rather do something than sit around all night doing nothing."
Closing the van's back doors, Jane brushed some hair out of her face before turning to look at her friend. Rosaleen was a good person, she truly was, but she was so closed off from other people. No one really knew anything on her, and it was a challenge to even get the littlest details from her.
"The offer still stands," Jane said. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. I don't want you doing anything you don't want to."
"For starters, I don't fully understand why you need me in the first place." Rosaleen placed her hands on her hips, shrugging lazily. "I guess I'd be good for protection or to help you pack your gear, but other than that I'm not useful for anything. And besides, I don't want to be sitting in my apartment bored out of my mind."
There was a brief moment of silence, both women just looking at each other, hoping to gouge each other's reactions. Jane wanted to believe she may find a hint of dishonesty in Rosaleen's eyes, but she couldn't. Rosaleen hoped that the hesitation on Jane's face would go away, but it wouldn't. It made them both tense and uneasy. But they both knew they were, in one way or another, too stubborn and too tired to really argue any further.
"Fine," Jane said, giving a half-hearted shrug. "If you really want to do this, then we'll continue on like normal."
"Great." Rosaleen nodded in return. "Let's get this thing over with."
-the infinity series-
It took a while for all of Jane's materials to get organized and prepared for departure. The young scientist was very particular. Everything had a place and there was a place for everything, that seemed to be a motto for her. But once everything was where it belonged, all that was left to do was go to the spot Jane had in mind. Which, from what Rosaleen understood, was a couple miles outside of Puente Antiguo, in the desert, in the middle of the night. She wasn't sure how long the drive was supposed to be, but that didn't seem to matter. Just as long as Jane got the data on the aurora, that was all that mattered.
"Are we able to play the radio when we get there?" Darcy asked. She'd been appointed the designated driver, considering she was the safest out of all of them. While Erik was acknowledged as safe and orderly when it came to driving, he was put aside to help with Jane in the back.
"No," Jane exclaimed. "It'll disrupt my tech. I can't afford to have anything go wrong tonight."
Letting out a huff, Darcy settled to grumpily mumble under her breath.
"Are we able to use our phones or anything?" Rosaleen asked.
"No phones, no radios, no more questions." Throwing a sharp look Darcy's and Rosaleen's way, Jane settled back where she was, her fingers tapping against her leg anxiously. "We're almost at the spot."
"And you're sure you'll find your aurora here?" Darcy grumbled.
"It'll be here."
"Jane, I think we need to start reconsidering what you're doing," Erik stated. "You're chasing down these atmospheric disruptions like some sort of storm-chaser. You're an astrophysicist."
"I need to make my mark, Erik. What kind of scientist would I be if I haven't made my mark anywhere?"
Humming softly, Rosaleen opted to tune out the little dispute Erik and Jane were having. It wasn't worth listening to. By all means, she didn't know half of the words, subjects, or even ideas any of them were having. Rosaleen was a nurse, not a scientist. She didn't need to interfere with whatever conversations they were having.
"Okay, stop!" Jane exclaimed. Darcy hit the breaks, the van skidding a little before stopping. "Turn the engine off."
Darcy turned the van off, settling into her seat with her arms crossed. Jane was shuffling in the back, muttering to herself and to Erik. That with the sounds of her tech, her laptop, and her writing things down served as the only background noise. It was a nice distraction for the time being, but it quickly grew dull as time went on. The group — or Rosaleen and Darcy, at least — hadn't been in the desert for very long before boredom rained down on them.
"How late do you think we'll be out here?" Darcy murmured, looking over at Rosaleen.
"A couple hours at least." Rosaleen turned to look at Darcy. "I'd imagine it won't be an all nighter."
"God, I hope not."*
"How many credits are you getting for this?"
"Six." Darcy's face scrunched up in irritation. "Starting to wonder if they're really worth it."
Snorting, Rosaleen nodded. "You're almost done, I'm sure," she murmured.
"At least I know why I was the only applicant," Darcy yawned. She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied noise when her arms dropped to her sides.
"You guys done talking?" Jane snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate."
"Will our talking interrupt your tech?" Rosaleen muttered, rolling her eyes.
"I don't appreciate the sarcasm. I'm trying to get something done here."
Opening the van's sunroof, Jane grabbed a few handheld devices and pushed herself out, waiting for something. Erik followed suit, shoving himself through the sunroof and glancing at the sky. The sun had long set at that point, leaving the sky dark and full of stars.
"Can I turn on the radio now?" Darcy asked.
"No," Jane exclaimed.
Rosaleen waved her hand in dismissal, hoping Darcy would drop it. It wasn't worth all the effort.
"Jane, you can't keep doing this," Erik stated.
"The last seventeen occurrences have been predictable. . .," Jane tried.
"You're an astrophysicist," Erik interrupted, "I've told you this. You're not a storm-chaser."
Dropping back into the van, Jane dug through her belongings until she found her journal. That journal of hers was her prized possession, the one thing that held every bit of data she'd ever received. From the very beginning of the whole late-night adventures, Jane Foster kept notes and details and data on every little thing in that book. At least, all the important stuff. Everything else, she'd scribble on stray paper or type into her laptop.
"I'm telling you there's a connection between the atmospheric data and my resarch." Jane started typing away, her fingers flying on the keys. "
Once again, Rosaleen chose to tune out what was being said next. She rested her head against the passenger side window, glancing at the landscape in front of her. Nothing but desert. It looked endless.
Anyone could get lost out there, Rosaleen thought.
"Jane," Darcy announced. "I think you'll wanna see this."
Rosaleen turned her head to look at Darcy for a moment before turning to see what she was looking at. Just a couple feet in front of them, the sky started to change. Thick clouds had appeared, and not far from where the van was parked, in those couple of feet, lights had emerged through the clouds. The clouds were swirling around the lights, getting thicker with each passing second. The lights themselves were vibrant and rainbow-like, holding an array of blinding colors. And in the few moments that went by, the lights and clouds did nothing more than just swirl in the sky, doing nothing more than gain momentum.
"What is that?" Jane murmured.
"I thought you said it was a subtle aurora!" Erik barked.
At that point, the lights were starting to descend, shining brightly on the ground below. Even from where the van was parked, the occupants inside were having to squint a bit from the increasing brightness.
"Go!" Jane shouted.
Letting out a startled yelp, Darcy started the van and sped towards the light-show.
(A/N):
First off, I'd like to apologize for the wait on this chapter. I got side-tracked by personal stuff, so that's the main reason why I couldn't get this out sooner. Hopefully you guys can forgive me. Other than that, feel free to leave constructive criticism where you think it's needed. I'd love to know how I can improve my writing.
Do I own anything in the MCU? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and an excitement for Avengers 4. If you've got ideas for subplots or OCs, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.
And with that, I thank you all immensely!
Vanya Itzkowitz