1995
Amber had been hearing stories of children with powers taking on criminals and saving the world. No one from her family or the circus wanted Amber to know about those children since it distracted her from her calling from the circus. She was lucky enough to find an old newspaper dumped on the ground and saw a story about the children with powers. They were called the Umbrella Academy and this gave the young nine-year-old some hope that she had a way out of this life. Amber swiftly went to Maude and smiled widely as she showed Maude the article.
"What's this fluer de feu?" she asked, taking the article from her.
"They call themselves the Umbrella Academy. They have powers like I do. Isn't that something Maude?" Amber asked.
Maude scoffed at the article and simply tossed it to the floor. She had seen the futures of Amber unhappy there and it wasn't what Maude wanted for her.
"You shouldn't fill your head with these thoughts. Your parents hate the man who made this and they won't let you go; you know this Amber."
Amber rolled her eyes since well of course they wouldn't but she didn't care. Hearing people were like her and doing something grand with their lives inspired her. Plus, these children would be siblings to her and she always wanted a family with other children to play with.
"I know, maybe this can be my way out though. You always tell me that I should start thinking of a future beyond this place and this can be it. I can be free and I will be happy. Besides maybe I can…"
"Absolutely not!" Maude dismissed as she teared the newspaper.
This angered Amber and she stomped her foot.
"Why not!?"
Maude sighed and shook her head.
"You think your father is horrid, their father is worse! I will not aid in helping you running away with this man and these broken children. You're better than this. You best to listen to me and the futures I have in store for you." Maude informed her.
Amber's fire emerged from her wrists and shook her head. This could be their chance reputation or not. Life was about chances and this was one Amber would take if it meant leaving home. Maude went on about her happiness and she was dashing the first chance she had. Amber felt betrayed by Maude's debate.
"I don't care! I doubt I will be starved, abused, be called either a monster or a brat by people there! They might even see me as a person and not just a girl on fire! I hate it here and you know it Maude! Why can't I just leave!" Amber yelled.
Maude looked at the girl and her tempers were flaring up. She had tried to have Amber's flames not be tuned to her emotions but that was a fruitless endeavor. Maude was terrified of the young girl and saw her as the end of the world waiting to happen. She couldn't allow Hargreaves to harness that power, or worse suppress it until he no longer could. Maude had seen multiple futures with the academy and most ended in fire. Even the one that seemed hopeful, Maude didn't want to accept or risk.
"The stars tell me you won't even get far and that you will not be taken."
The dryness in Maude's tone told Amber Maude was lying and this angered her even more.
"You're just pulling that out of your butt Maude! You just don't want me to be happy like everyone else!" Amber argued.
Flames swirled around her and Maude shook her head. Her eyes had a slight fear to them but she couldn't let Amber see that she saw her as a monster like everyone else. She had to be the one-person Amber can trust and the one person that didn't see her as a horrible monster though she was being one at the current moment.
"I do want you happy Amber, but this isn't the right way to do so. Now please calm down, your flames..."
"Flames this, fire that, I'm sick of being treated poorly Maude! I want a life where I don't perform for my meals and be seen as something greater than a monster or carny! I want this!"
Maude's face fell and she sighed.
"Do I really treat you so poorly? You really think I wouldn't want to take you away; I do. But now is not the time and Hargreaves is not the way. You need to be patient..."
"I'm through waiting! You say I am in charge of my destiny so I want to take it and go! I will go without you if that's what I need to do Maude!"
Maude watched as Amber was losing control of her powers. Embers and fire casted off from Amber's body and started to burn away at the tent above them. The ground was smoking below Amber's feet and her nose was breathing out fire. Amber let out a loud yell and exclaimed,
"I don't want to be here! Take me away Maude or I will go on my own without you! I hate this place and I hate you! I hate you!"
Footsteps could be heard from behind her and sure enough it was Amber's father. His brown eyes went to his daughter and he was in horror that Amber was burning down the tent with such anger. If left to her own devices, her fire could spread to the whole circus and maybe even wider spaces. He glared over to Maude and growled,
"Why is my daughter furious at you Maude! I thought you can control her!"
Maude scoffed and shook her head.
"What do you suggest I do? As you've said before I'm a frail aging old woman who is only good for tarot readings and crystal balls. She definitely has inherited the Auclair temper and her powers only fan those tempers at a fever pitch." Maude explained.
He noticed the newspaper and saw the headline of 'Umbrella Academy Saves the Day', causing Hank to pick it up and tear the article to bits.
"You will not be going to that man Amber! You're our star and you can't let down your family! You will stop this fire tantrum at once and conserve your power for your show tonight! Am I clear!" Hank yelled.
Amber instead shot a fire ball at her father's feet in rage and yelled,
"I'm sick of performing! If I didn't have these powers you wouldn't love me would you!"
"Nobody would Amber! They might say all these things about your fires but without your powers you'd be just another worthless mouth to feed! Now last warning, calm the fuck down Amber or you will not be getting meals for three full days and you'll be in the holding cage!" Hank yelled.
Amber began to cry and started to encircle her father in flames. He gulped in horror as he saw his daughter slowly rising up in the air, which scared him deeply. Hank felt fire on his thighs and he tried to put them out with his top hat with little success. Her amber eyes were ablaze with anger and her tears soon shifted into flames.
"You can't stop me from leaving father! I will leave here! I hate this place, I hate you, I hate everyone!"
Hank glanced over to someone and Amber soon felt a pain in her neck and her eyes began to droop. She reached the back of her neck and felt a dart in her neck. Amber knew this was a tranquilizer, one she had been shot with before and the drowsy feeling took over her body. Soon her flames were dying down and she plopped on the floor as darkness soon took her.
When Amber woke up, she was in a steel iron cage that barely had enough room for her to lie down in. Her stomach growled and she couldn't recall how long she had been out cold. Shortly after she woke up, she saw Maude sneaking in with some bread, an apple, and water. Amber tried to summon her fire but smoke only came out from her hands. Amber turned away from Maude and wrapped her hands around her knees. Maude sighed and offered her the apple.
"You're not getting food from the mess hall for another 2 days, so you better eat what I give you now Amber." Maude offered.
Amber looked up to her and snatched the apple. She devoured it and Maude sighed.
"You caused a lot of damage to the equipment and tent yesterday Amber. Once more, your father received some burns on his legs. Thank your lucky stars this is the worse he is doing to you for what you did and wanted to do. I reasoned with him but you can't keep having these tantrums."
Amber hung her head back. This wasn't the first time Amber had done something like this, but this was the first time she had actually harmed her father. Her body shook at the realization and buried her head in her knees.
"People are going to call me a monster, again aren't they?"
Maude said nothing and Amber teared up.
"They will, I know they will! Nobody understands me Maude! I'm just a little girl who didn't ask for these powers. I just want to be loved for me and not be this monster!
"I won't call you a monster fleur de feu, they don't understand that you're young and growing your powers. Plus, a child can get angry at times but you now understand why you must remain with me. Only I understand how you are and the Umbrella kids and their father might fear you like the others do. You don't want that now do you and be without me do you?" Maude expressed.
Amber knew Maude should be fearful or furious at her, but she remained sweet to her. Amber started to cry and sobbed,
"I'm so sorry! I won't leave until you tell me I'm ready and that I can master my powers."
Maude smiled and walked close to the cage. She reached into the bars and stroked the young girl's cheek.
"As it should be Amber. You will have your time to leave here, that is my promise to you."
Amber woke up at 3am in a cold sweat and looked to see she was back at the academy. Her stomach felt sick about having that dream twofold. It was a moment where she didn't have control and from the night's events, Maude hid her true feelings and motives. Maude saw her as a monster like everyone else, even worse Maude saw her as a bomb to end the world. She glanced over to Five who was still sleeping and saw that nothing was damaged or burned. Amber smiled softly at the realization but soon felt sad about Maude's confessions. Quietly, she got out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen to grab a late-night snack to eat away her pain in her stomach.
When she got to the kitchen, she noticed that she wasn't alone and saw Klaus sleeping at the table. How he got down here after what could have been a painful conjuring baffled Amber. She sighed and gently nudged Klaus.
"Klaus get up. You're going to have a pain in your neck from sleeping here." Amber told him.
Klaus' eyes fluttered open and he saw Amber looking down at him. He noticed the redness in Amber's eyes and he asked,
"Did something go wrong with Maude or you're sad she went to the afterlife?"
Amber sighed and shook her head. Klaus frowned since he thought he was doing something good for Amber and yet she's in lower spirits than before. He watched as Amber made herself some toast and got some butter out. She made a huge stack and offered some to Klaus. He declined and asked,
"Didn't take you as one to feed your feelings away."
Amber rolled her eyes.
"You think I would just burn shit up or scream at the top of my lungs...no that would be childhood me when I didn't have control of my powers..."
Amber drifted off and munched on her toast. Klaus looked to Ben and he too looked down.
"You need to talk to her Klaus." Ben told him.
'I know' Klaus mouthed to him and looked at his sister-in-law. She was there for him when he told her about Dave and now, he needed to be there for whatever Maude did to her. Maude seemed to be a sick bitch and was a pain to conjure, but something informed Klaus that Maude wasn't the woman Amber thought she was.
"Which is worse, having someone telling you you're a monster or someone lying to you that you aren't one but deep down they think the same bloody thing." Amber asked.
Klaus started to understand and asked,
"Let me guess, Maude was a miserable wretch who didn't really love you?"
Amber teared up.
"I'm a 58-year-old woman and yet I'm having an emotional spell like a baby, pathétique."
"You are not pathetic Amber. If I found out that someone that raised me was essentially lying about ever loving me, I would be crushed too. Of course, my Father was an asshole who only cared for himself and 'our true potential'. I'm at least one to admit I have my issues and you are seeing you had more with your surrogate mommy." Klaus comforted.
Amber cracked the smallest of smiles before shoving another bite of toast in her mouth.
"Maude thought I would be the one to bring doomsday in multiple futures with my powers. Now clearly, I'm not causing this doomsday but she mentioned that I needed to be watched by her alone in order for me to have any control. She claimed to see so many futures for me and wanted my best happiness, but now I'm not sure anything she's ever done or said to me was from her heart. She went as far as to plan her death so that I would lose control and escape...but at what cost. I hated my family, but the last thing I wanted was to be a monster and kill them. I'm just thankful my fire that killed my parents and other circus members didn't cause the end of the world...but I am still such a monster and an idiot for not seeing through her."
"You were just a girl looking for love anywhere. Maude was just a very good con artist with a savior complex. Don't blame yourself for what Maude did to you and for hell don't let her take away all you've accomplished. You've for the most part master control of your powers, found someone who does love you for you and the number of people are growing. Let Maude rot in hell with Hitler and my Father. Anyone who can lie and emotionally scar a young girl doesn't deserve anymore tears." Klaus told her.
Amber slowly felt the pain in her heart and throat disappear. Klaus took one of Amber's pieces of toast and munched on it. His eyes widened as he soon ate the whole slice.
"What did you do with this toast Amber? That was the best fucking toast I had in my life."
Amber chuckled and simply summoned a small orb of fire in her hand.
"When you can control flames, you can pretty much master toasting. Plus, love and a good helping of butter also makes toast divine to eat."
"Guess I know who to put on toast duty for any future family brunches. Still toasting talents aside, you know I care about you right? If I'd known Maude was an actual bitch, I wouldn't have summoned her. I wanted to help you and yet..."
"It's fine Klaus. I know you're not one who wants to hurt me. Your heart was in the right place...it was just Maude who had her secrets that she needed to come clean before she wanted to move on. When you look forward into the future, your eyesight can go bad..."
Klaus chuckled since Amber was going on to Thnks Fr th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy in her word choice. Amber noticed Klaus laughing and she realized it herself. She soon smiled and shook her head.
"I'm truly one of my own huh."
"That's good since I wouldn't want you to be anyone else, especially if that person doesn't see me as a fuck up." Klaus expressed.
"Every Hargreaves is a fuck up, including Reggie for what he did to all of you. At least you are the only ones to admit it but you have the biggest heart...least that's how I see it."
Klaus awed at her and gave Amber a hug. Amber playfully scoffed but hugged him back as well. The way Klaus hugged her was different from the ones Five and her had. It almost felt the same way that Allison had hugged her. There was an odd warm feeling to his hug that really was removing the remaining pain in her heart. Klaus rested his head on top of Amber's playfully, which caused Amber to laugh.
"Knock that off Klaus, I'm not a headrest." Amber giggled.
"Well, it is comfy and you're still short enough for me to do this. Let your brother rest his head for a bit."
"Brother-in-law you mean." Amber stated with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"No No Amber, I do mean brother. We're family and while yes, you married into our little band of misfits, I still see you like a little sister."
"I'm older than you Klaus." Amber stated.
"Maybe so, but you look like a kid sister to me so until you become more like a woman, kid sister it is." Klaus teased.
"You're so weird." Amber remarked.
"Tell me something I don't know my dear Amber since I knew that since I was four."
Amber simply smiled and hugged him back.
"Okay then well...I am thankful for you summoning Maude. Yes, awful life questioning realizations aside...it did help me to end that chapter of pain in my life. It might take me a bit to move on from her deceit but...I've gained a lot from it. I've gained a brother that I always wanted. Maybe in time I will have the family I always wanted despite the dysfunction you all have."
"Oh, trust me, we are the definition of dysfunctional but we can use a woman like you in it."
"I knew you would be the wild card Klaus, but it was the one I needed."
There was a blip sound and Klaus and Amber looked to see it was a half-awake Five. He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes. Amber smiled softly at Five since he looked so cute yet handsome in those pajamas. Klaus also found it cute that he came down here for his wife.
"Amber, you feeling okay?" Five yawned.
"Thanks to Klaus yes I'm feeling okay Five."
Five yawned and he looked over to Klaus. He was slightly annoyed at Klaus hugging her but he let it go since Klaus was comforting his wife in a way he couldn't. His brothers and sisters were family to Amber so he needed them to treat her like such. There wasn't jealousy in Five's face and he simply motioned Amber to come to his side.
"It's still early darling, come back up to bed with me. If we're killing Harold Jenkins, we need to be rested."
Amber nodded and looked to Klaus to let her go. He did and he playfully bopped her cheek.
"If we need to do another of these brother sister toast bear soul nights, I'm your bro."
Amber smiled and thanked Klaus before going to Five and holding him close. Klaus watched as Five stroked Amber's face and blipped them back to their bedroom to rest. Klaus looked to Ben and he couldn't help but smile at him.
"How is it that you're a good brother to someone who married into the family?" Ben asked.
"Well for one, she has a good heart looking for acceptance in this cruel crazy world. In a way, she's a female me in a sense and I can connect with that. "
"Minus the drug use but...yeah I can see that she's like use and I'm not talking powers. You better not break her trust in you Klaus." Ben told his half-awake brother.
"Oh, Five will kill me if that ever happens and I rather not join you. I knew when I saw her return with Five that day she would fit into our family and I'm glad I'm right. Now I need my beauty rest in case I'm going to share dad's revelations to the family tomorrow."
Ben shook his head and told him,
"Bad idea Klaus. People are going to think you're making this shit..."
Klaus was already going up the stairs to sleep and Ben sighed.
When Five and Amber returned to the bedroom, Amber was more at peace with herself. She kissed Five's cheek before returning to sleep. Like all those years ago, Five shifted his body to embrace Amber from behind her. She smiled and embraced his hands in hers. While many things have changed, their love for each other hasn't and that is what kept Amber going.