Scaling the side their apartment building with loralite-encrusted fingers, Theodore was easily able to slide in through his bedroom window without being noticed by Mama—which in the end turned out to be a good thing. "Is that…?" Loren questioned at the sensual sounds that floated down the hall.
"Oh God!" Theodore gagged, identifying his mother's voice in the cacophony of noise.
"Go! Go! Go!"
"I'm going!" Theodore hurriedly moved about his room, exchanging his rumpled school uniform for a pair of worn jeans, a faded 'Hard Rock Cafe' tee and a creamy cable knit cardigan that encompassed his hands and fell to his thighs. "Ugh…how long do think they're keep doing that?"
"I don't wanna even think about it!"
"Fair point—let's just go" Theodore nodded, scribbling a quick message on the sticky note which he then stuck to the outside of his bedroom door, telling Mama where he was. After grabbing some cash for the gala, Theodore disappeared out the bedroom window to the sound of his mother's moaning.
The next time Theodore saw Helga she was dressed in a burgundy cable knit sweater dress that fell to her thighs (at first he had thought it was just a large sweater—it still could have been, to be fair) overtop of black tights and suede knee-high boots. The outfit was topped off with a matching burgundy beanie and hoop earrings. Standing there beneath the glittering lights of the hired ferris wheel, Helga glowed in the blinking lights—although her current company left a lot to be desired.
Matthew Cunnings was a tall blonde bloke with gorgeous eyes and a physique typical to that of an athlete. He was considered to be a ladies' man and perfect student, with money and power to boot. He was also a massive pervert. The bet he had running with his best friend, John Whittmore, was also not as inconspicuous as they believed—at the beginning of the year, the two teens had made a bet to see who could bed the most girls. The loser would have to buy the winner a keg of beer and the winner would be decreed as the ultimate ladies' man. They were both pigs.
Uh…what do we do? Theodore blanched, worrying his lower lip in thought. Thankfully, before Loren could suggest ripping off heads, Helga happened to glance over Cunnings' shoulder and see the curly-haired brunette standing next to the pretzel vendor. Narrowed green eyes followed the blonde girl all the way through the crowd and Theodore couldn't help the petty vindication that flowed through him at the action.
"Hey Theo" Helga smiled in greeting.
"Hi" Theodore replied. "Pretzel?"
"No thanks" She giggled, leading him off towards more glittering lights "C'me on, let's go this way"
After a beat or two, Theodore finally plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been burning in his mind most of that evening, since finding out she was a member of the Loric Garde. "So, Helga…"
"Mm?" She hummed around the fairy floss she had been nibbling on. Theodore shyly smiled at the sight of the melted pink sugar around her lips.
"Why didn't you say you were Garde earlier?" He asked, "If you suspected—like you said, I mean"
"When you first meet somebody, do you dump all your stuff on them?" She sighed, "All your mistakes? Your secrets?" She paused to search his eyes for any sign of understanding or acknowledgement. "Look, I couldn't be sure—y'know what it's like, always running, not trusting anyone, who's in league? Who's not? It's exhausting and I just—I wanted friends that wouldn't turn me in or like me just for my crazy powers. Is that so bad?"
" 'M sorry" Theodore mumbled, unsure what he was really apologising for. "I—I guess after a while you just forget…"
"Well, that's enough of that. So uh" Helga grinned, silently accepting the awkward not-quite apology. "What's the hottest attraction in this joint?"
"C'me on" Theodore smiled tentatively, holding his hand out to her. "You'll like this"
The attraction in question—Haunted Hayrides—was the academy's version of a haunted house. A section of the field had been cornered off and decorated in various spooky items, a small tractor pulled a stack of hay bales along behind it for people to sit on. Everyone involved in the hay ride was dressed to the nines, with fake blood and spouting guts and so on.
Upon entering into the maze, the pair were met with several fake bloody heads on pikes—some with flies and others with scavenging crows on them. The sound of whispering voices (most promising death) and buzzing flies echoed throughout the dark corridor as they passed. "RAAAHHH!" Shouted a crazed farmer as he jumped out from behind tree and scaring the shit out of the two teens.
"AHH!" Helga screeched as Theodore jumped before the two dissolved into laughter. The next one was a man strapped to an electric chair who frothed and screamed as they passed. After that was a screaming cheerleader being chopped into little pieces.
"Last year she was drawn and quartered" Theodore explained. "It was awesome"
"So—AHHHH!" The sudden appearance of screaming skeletons falling from the trees caused more laughter and shrieks to escape. Pushing aside the raggedly-dressed skeletons, Theodore and Helga drifted on through the dark maze until the tractor came to a stop in front of a dark gate. "Hell's gate" The driver (Mr Wilson, the drama teacher) turned to the two with a creepy smile. "Everybody off"
This year, Hell's gate was simply decorated like the entrance to a mine shaft. A couple of bodies—fake and actors—lay on the ground at the entrance and a couple of spooky signs were plastered all over the front entrance warning their doom. The tolling of a bell melted into a wolf's howl as it echoed throughout the dark as whatever Halloween playlist was broadcast to set the mood. Moaning from the girl in the pink prom dress to their right accompanied the flash of light that illuminated the gate in front of them as Mr Wilson drove the tractor off. "Heh, quite a production" Helga commented.
"Hm, small school" Theodore replied, holding the door open for her.
No sooner had the door creaked shut behind them, were the two suddenly chased cackling and screeching down the dark twisting hallway by a chainsaw-wielding zombie and two screeching ghosts. The road through Hell's gate was short, and the two teens eventually collided out the other side in a pile of giggly limbs and pounding hearts. "That last bit got me!" Helga laughed, draping herself over Theodore's shoulders as she laughed.
"What is that?" Theodore spun around, his attention suddenly grabbed by the sound of fast approaching footsteps.
The next few moments passed in a blur. One moment he had been staring out into the dark wood and the next he was flat on his back, wheezing as he tried to regain his breath from being tackled to the floor. Punches were thrown at him and pleading screams could be heard from Helga as she struggled against her captors. But it was no use. Thoughts immediately going to a dark place, Theodore wasted no time in using his Legacies.
Loralite erupted up and down his limbs as he and Loren moved in tandem, first throwing the big guy off of him so he could stand and then mercilessly tossing the others around like ragdolls. Two hit the deck and were out cold, one was flung up into the canopy and another was launched towards the school fence. Alien blue eyes scanned the area around him as he looked for the blonde he'd been with. Mouth open tasting for scents and ears pricked for any noise, was how he heard the faint sound of her screams echoing back at him and the sight of lumen piercing the dark.
"HELGA!" Theodore cried as he raced after the source, intent on reaching the Loric before the Mogadorians or soldiers who'd somehow found them.
"There!" Loren called as the scent of coconut and fire became stronger than ever.
"Helga!" Theodore burst from the treeline to find Helga on the ground with her clothes slightly rumpled and Matthew standing over her, his pants around his ankles and cock in his hands. "Are you okay?"
"Theo…" Helga breathed, tearfully weaving her arms around his neck and clinging to the human Garde like her life depended on it. "He tried to—he was going to—" She didn't need to finish the sentence, Theodore could figure it out. Gently peeling her arms off of him, he slowly rose to his feet as pulled off the cardigan he had been wearing and gently slid it over Helga like a blanket; not once did his vengeful eyes leave Matthew.
Completely uncaring of the situation nor of his state of dress, Matthew met Theodore in his challenge, both teens eager to fight for the blonde. In the end though, it wasn't much of a fight. Sidestepping the punch thrown, Theodore easily shifted his weight and gripped tight to the outstretched arm before flinging Matthew over his shoulder in the same manner he'd done to his friends earlier. Next Loren to the reins, merging more of his crystallised features with Theodore as the human Garde strode over to wear the human boy was wheezing for breath.
Entrapped in their telekinetic hold, Matthew was unable to move no matter how he struggled or cried. Grunts fell from his lips and tears tracked down his cheeks as Loren bought him down until they were face-to-face. So fuelled by pageful vengeance, Theodore didn't hesitate when Loren cracked their jaw wide open to reveal a monstrous blue tongue. Trailing their massive tongue over the jock's fearful face, Loren took such great pleasure in torturing the teen in his grasp that he barely remembered they weren't alone. Barely.
"THEO! NO!" Helga shouted, causing the loralite beast to pause in his actions. "WE DO NOT EAT PEOPLE!"
"Loren gerir! Loren suaro! Loren et!" Loren protested turning to the girl, the sweet-sounding Loric feeling rough and clunky on his tongue.
"Th—Loren, can I have Theo back? Please?" Helga's eyes lit up at the use of her mothertongue and her heart twanged at the sound she had not heard in a long time. She cautiously stepped forward and held a hand up to him. He bowed his head to her and she caressed his crystallised cheeks and searched his blue orbs with such gentleness; one the loralite beast had not seen in a long time. "Pretty please?"
With head bowed, Loren silently acquiesced the reins back to Theodore as shards of loralite fell away and shattered to dust at their feet. Theodore came to, blinking rapidly with a confused expression engraved in his features. A quick glance was spared between his slightly bruised body and the splayed hand holding Matthew high in the air. Although Theodore couldn't remember what Loren had done during his turn at the reins, he could remember what was going on beforehand.
He turned to Matthew, gently settling him down, though he didn't let go of his charge. Bending down to speak in the bully's ear, Theodore hissed his threats. "If you so much as look at her again, I won't hold back got it? If you make her cry, I'll make you cry. Clear?"
"Mmhm!" Matthew mumbled his assertions before scrambling backwards and over the pants still tangled around his ankles in his attempt to retreat.
With Matthew now gone, Theodore shyly turned to Helga. Gone was the confident boy with razor-sharp claws and threatening stare, instead replaced by the usual timid and shy creature that inhabited the teen stood in the dark with shoulders hunched up around his ears and feet scuffing the mulch-covered ground beneath them. "Theo…" Helga breathed, wrapping his cardigan tightly around her shoulders like a large blanket. Understanding flitted through her hazel eyes as she watched Theodore fold in on himself as if he was expecting a blow. Timid blue eyes remained glued to the floor as the blonde Loric slowly came forward and earnestly wrapped the human in a tight hug. "Thank you" Theodore reflexively snapped his arms up to return the hug as Helga melted into him, her shaking body melding with his. "Will you walk me home?"
Stars twinkled above the city as Theodore shuffled back through the streets on his way home after dropping Helga off. The two had parted with a clingy hug that was only broken up by the flickering of the porch light and Helga's mother sitting in the bay window with a smug smile, a camera & a cup of tea. Both had parted with red cheeks and embarrassed smiles.
"You think they're still going?" Theodore asked, as he stood out on the curb and looked up at their apartment building.
"Let's not risk it" Loren replied. Both the human and the alien rock were tired from their night out and were looking forward to sleep.
"Yeah…but where then? Milton's on the other side of the city…"
"Well, there's always the family home"
"The Umbrella Academy? But we said we'd never go back there!"
"Yeah, well we're outta options—unless you wanna sleep on the roof or a park bench"
"Umbrella Academy it is!" Theodore agreed as he made his way towards the nearest subway entrance.
Slipping through the gates and onto the sparse subway car, Theodore situated himself towards one of the doors and sat back, trying his best to beat the languid lizard blinks of sleep. As tired as he was, Theodore didn't even blink at the odd sight going on just a couple of seats down. A man—probably drunk or high—was dressed only in the top-half of a Spongebob Squarepants costume and wrestling a businessman (he kept kicking away his large black briefcase) in a two-piece black suit & a cartoonic pig mask (full head). The best part? Not one person got up to help.
"Mm, this is our stop" Loren mumbled, bringing Theodore out of his thoughts.
"Thanks" Theodore yawned as he hauled himself out of the mysteriously sticky seat and made his way back out onto the street. The trip from the subway station to the academy was brief; occasionally filled with the chatter of a drunk or incessant pleading of the (not-quite) homeless draped around the stoops and side allies.
Soon enough, they found themselves heaving open the large iron front gates of the Umbrella Academy. As late as it was, Theodore wasn't expecting anyone to still be up when he stumbled in through the door; as such the sight he was met with stopped him dead in his tracks. Rubbing the palms of his hands in his eyes, Theodore checked to see if he was really seeing a shirtless Uncle Luther with the upper torso of an ape standing next to a broken chandelier. "Holy shit…" Breathed Uncle Diego from across the room.
"Oh so that's why he smelled like ape!" Loren realised. "I guess that makes him a monkey's uncle?"
Oh haha! Very funny! Theodore sassed, hiding a yawn behind his hands as his very hairy uncle escaped up the stairs. "Mama?" He stepped out into the light, "Wha—what's going on?" Another yawn fell from his lips.
"Teddy!" Mama rushed over and wrapped her son in a tight hug. "What are you doing here? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine Mama, just tired"
"I'm so sorry, wasn't the gala tonight?"
"Mmhm" He nodded tiredly into her shoulder, "I went with a—uh friend"
"Milton?"
"Helga"
"Oh?"
"Mama!"
"Why did you say anything earlier?"
"You were uh…busy when I came home"
"Busy—? Oh…"
"Yeah…"
Just then Auntie Allison returned with an ice pack and Uncle Diego hot on her heels. "Here" Auntie offered the ice pack to his mother when she pulled away.
"Mama, you're hurt!"
"It's just a bump, I'm fine" She reassured him as she moved to sit on one of the couches in the parlour.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Auntie added, sitting on the coffee table in front of Mama as Theodore relaxed into the saggy cushions next to his mother. Mama just nodded as Uncle Diego paced like a caged animal.
"Diego?" Mama queried cautiously.
"What are you still doing here?" Uncle Diego finally asked.
"I'm just trying to help"
"No, you COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! Or gotten any of us killed" He turned to Auntie as if stating a fact. "She is a liability"
Theodore was practically seething at the accusations thrown towards his mother, and towards the supposed loving siblings in front of them. "I'm sick and tired of your chauvinistic vigilante bullcrap!" Theodore hissed, tiredly climbing to his feet and meeting his uncle head on with fists clenched white-knuckled at his sides.
"What did you just say to me?" Uncle Diego growled in warning but Theodore continued on unwavered in his challenge.
"Since the moment we arrived, you've had your head shoved so far up your ass, I'm surprised you can even breath!" Pushing closer, Loren bled into his features and layered over his voice, making Uncle Diego pause slightly.
"Guys!" Auntie scolded tiredly.
"So why don't you grow up or EIN SPADI FOR QVOKI NE SKEFIR DRPR MUNNI NE SVINHQFDI!" It was clear that Uncle Diego had no idea what he'd just said, but understood the tone to mean it was insulting and had clenched one of his fists while the other had hovered over his knives.
"GUYS!"
No longer able to find the words to express how he felt, Theodore pulled back his lips in a snarl, the deep growl sounding animalistic in its tone. The blue and white antique vase that had been violently shaking alongside Theodore's rage, suddenly exploded shattering into a thousand pieces and scattering shards across the floor. It seemed that this was enough to halt Uncle Diego entirely; instead he was now warily eyeing his enraged nephew.
However before things could escalate further, Mama chose that moment to leave. "Mama?" Theodore turned towards his mother, brows furrowed as his mood switched on a dime. "Where are you going?" He didn't receive a reply, instead she simply walked out the door without sparing a second glance back.
"Good riddance" Uncle Diego scoffed, taking the reprieve to dart further back into the house. Theodore turned to him and growled again, but he let his aunt push him back onto the couch behind him. Sagging into the cushions once more, his tired eyes watched Auntie pace back and forth as she scolded him. It was to the sound of his Auntie's scoldings that Theodore drifted off into blissful sleep.