Um….hi.
It's been quite a while. I do want to apologize for taking so long to update. My job is one that requires a ton of my mental and emotional capacity, which leaves me pretty depleted at the end of the day. I'm finally on a break from it and I'm working on getting this chapter out, as well as possibly another, to you within the next week or so.
Once summer rolls in, I'll have way more free time to write. Please be patient with me! I'm doing my best. I am determined to get Penny's story told.
This chapter was hard to write, to be honest. I am not fully satisfied with it, but it's been deemed good enough to get out to you all. You've been so patient with me! :)
Mature language warning! Not that they don't already cuss, but…just as a warning lol.
Chapter 7: The Day that Penny Forgot
Wednesday, 8:15 am…
"Three days?"
"That's what Five said."
The remaining Hargreeves siblings, excluding Vanya, had gathered in their childhood manor home to discuss the apocalypse's impending doom the morning after the meet up with Cha-Cha and Hazel that had ended with Five's second disappearance.
Diego slouched on the sofa, nursing several injuries from the previous day.
Klaus slumped in a hung over daze on the hardwood floor.
Allison handed out takeaway coffees she'd bought in bulk from a local coffee shop down the road.
Luther sagged on the swivel stools by the bar.
And, last but not least, an annoyed Penny sat next to Diego, tapping her hand impatiently on the sofa arm as she sipped on her black coffee with sugar and no cream. She popped her knuckles anxiously, earning a disgusted look from her adopted brother, whose arm was in a sling. He'd never liked that sound, even when they were kids.
"The old bastard did mention the apocalypse, come to think of it," Klaus chimed in. "He just left out the part about how soon."
"But can we trust him?" wondered Allison. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Five's a little…" She whistled while making a circular motion near her temple.
"Our little psycho," Klaus chuckled.
"He's not crazy," Penny retorted. "He told me what happened the very first day he returned. He wouldn't make this up for laughs. I fully trust him in this."
"You've known this entire time?" Allison demanded, eyebrows shooting up. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"Five didn't think you'd take it well, which you're clearly not," Penny pointed out. "He didn't want to ruffle any feathers until he had figured out a solution."
"And has he?"
"Clearly not, which is why you didn't know until now."
"And those two lunatics who attacked the house were trying to stop him from stopping the apocalypse," Luther said.
"That's why they kidnapped me and Penny and took out her tooth and smacked me around?" asked Klaus, seemingly in disbelief.
Allison waved her coffee around, shaking her head. "I'm sorry…what?"
"Did you not notice the bruises on her face when she came downstairs?" Diego questioned, pointing at Penny.
Number Three leaned forward, eyes scanning her sister's face. "Oh, my gosh."
"She's missing a molar now, too," Number Four said enthusiastically.
"Are you serious?" Allison exclaimed. "What the hell! I never get told anything, apparently!" She slammed her hand onto the bar counter. "Okay, then, what did Five even see when he jumped forward in time?"
"Uh…apparently we all fought together against whoever was responsible," Luther explained vaguely.
Penny waited for him to talk about Five finding their bodies in the rubble, but it never happened. She cocked an eyebrow at him.
He acutely ignored her, purposefully not making eye contact as he stood from his stool. "Okay, so here's the plan -,"
She couldn't sit around and brush the cold hard facts under the rug. "He saw more than that. Sure, he saw evidence of us attempting to foil the apocalypse…by finding our dead bodies in the collapsed rubble that is the manor."
A long beat of shocked silence followed.
"And you kept that to yourself, too?" Allison scoffed. "Are you kidding me, Penny?"
"It wasn't just her that knew, Allison," Diego defended. "I've known for a couple days, and so has Luther."
"Wait a tick, wait a tick, wait a tick," Klaus interrupted, his hand waving around in the air. "You three knew that we had died in a previous timeline and decided not to tell me and Allison?"
"Would you have believed us?" Penny countered.
Klaus opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, shrugged, and then nodded.
Allison sighed. "Even if I hadn't believed you, it still would have been nice to know."
"It's gotten to the point where we knew we couldn't sit on it any longer," Penny told them. "Five is somewhere on the timeline figuring out how to stop the apocalypse. I'm sure he'll return once he has some answers."
"Somewhere on the timeline?" repeated Allison.
"The organization he used to work for works on restoring the right timeline," Luther told her. "From what I understand, they operate in a specific time. I don't know when it is…or where."
"Our assumption is that he's at the organization's headquarters right now sorting it out with the woman in charge. The two assassins that attacked the house are called Hazel and Cha-Cha, and they're in the corrections division," Penny explained.
"Field agents," Diego assumed.
She nodded. "Exactly. That's what Five did before he deferred and came back to save us."
Klaus shook his head distractedly. "I need a drink. And a bagel." He wandered around behind the bar, followed by Diego, who decided that was the time to polish his knives.
Penny took a seat next to Luther, who had turned around the face the rest of their adopted siblings.
"So when you say apocalypse…do you mean everyone?" Allison inquired slowly.
"Yes, everyone," confirmed Luther.
"Not just us in the house, the whole world," Penny agreed.
"Everyone died."
"The whole planet?"
"Yes, not just us."
"Hey," came a familiar voice from behind them.
Penny turned quickly in her seat to see Vanya standing in the living room, her hands in her coat pockets. A man she'd never seen before was trailing behind Vanya, seemingly amazed. He stood with a stupid grin on his face next to her as he caught up.
"What's going on?" Vanya asked curiously.
"It's a family matter," Allison answered hesitantly.
Penny sighed. Why did she have to phrase it like that? It seemed callous – like they'd purposely not contacted Vanya. And, of course, without an explanation, that's how it would be interpreted.
"A family matter. So of course, you couldn't bother to include me," Vanya scoffed.
"No, it's not like that. We were -," Luther attempted to resolve the situation.
"Don't let me interrupt." Her tone was icy.
"Vanya, you already know what we're discussing," Penny announced. "Five and I spoke with you the night he returned."
"Are you kidding me? You think I actually will fall for that?" spat Vanya, marching towards the door.
Allison scurried towards their adopted sister. "Vanya, I'll fill you in later when we're alone."
"Please, please don't bother. And I won't either."
"Vanya, that's not fair."
"Fair? There's nothing fair about being your sister. I have been left out of everything for as long as I can remember. And I used to think it was dad's fault, but he's dead. So it turns out you're the assholes."
And with that, she'd said her piece. She stomped out of the double doors.
Just for a moment, the man that had accompanied her narrowed his eyes at them, as if scolding them nonverbally.
Penny popped her knuckles as the room fell quiet once again.
The comment Vanya had made about them leaving her out constantly…it had finally gotten on her last nerve. First, she had said Penny had been asking their father to leave her out, and then this?
Penny hurried out into the foyer, where the man was walking in the opposite direction of her adopted sister, who made a beeline for the front doors.
"Hey!" called Penny. "Wait a second!"
Vanya spun on her heel, anger still burning in her pupils.
"What?" she retorted.
"Five wasn't lying that night," blurted Penny. "The world is going to end in three days and we have to figure out how to stop it. We can't do this without you."
"Seems like you were doing just fine without my presence," Vanya snapped.
"I didn't think it pertinent to call you here because you already knew," reasoned Penny. "We weren't purposely trying to exclude you."
"This is the same bullshit you used to spew when we were kids." Vanya's tone was like venom.
Penny huffed, not wanting to get into that at the moment. "Don't bring your perspective of our messed up childhood into this. We're adults now. Can't we talk about this as adults?"
"No, everything you're doing right now is a perfect imitation of what you used to do every single damn day."
"I meant it when I said I wanted you in the Umbrella Academy, Vanya."
"Bullshit! Why did you always go secretly speak with Dad in his study, then?"
"I was trying to convince him to let you join the Academy!"
Vanya's face fell, her mouth dropping open. "Are you…are you serious?"
"Yes! I know what you thought I was doing – I read all about myself in your stupid book."
"I-I didn't…"
"I know you didn't think about it because you just assumed I hated your guts. Guess what, Vanya? I wanted you in the Umbrella Academy the whole goddamn time! You were the only person who seemed to pay attention to me outside of missions when Five left! I thought we were friends."
Vanya stayed silent.
Penny continued. "And that night when I stormed out of the study? Dad had threatened my place in the Academy – in the family. He threatened to kick me out of the house without any of my belongings if I continued to ask about you joining us. He told me how worthless I was. How no one, not even you, would miss me if I suddenly disappeared like Five. He said how much he wished it was me that had vanished instead of him. That's why I was so angry with you…and then you walked in on one of my most despicable, embarrassing habits I ever let myself get into. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I never wished you out of my life, nor did I encourage Dad to make sure you were isolated."
Number 7 was flabbergasted. Never had she expected such an explanation from the sister she thought had been her friend before Five left. She wasn't sure how to respond.
She shuffled her feet. "I…I'll talk to you later."
Penny was astonished that after her entire rant, the pouring out of her most frustrated emotions, that Vanya would just…walk away. "Fine. Believe what you want."
And before Vanya could respond, Penny had stalked back into the living area. Her adopted siblings at the bar stared back at her, eyes wide.
Diego somehow was snickering. "Ah, Miss Penny Perfect finally snapped."
"You know what, Number Two, call me that one more time and I'll snap your fucking fingers in half," she snipped.
She snatched her coffee of the counter without a word from anyone else. She was fuming. She walked out and up the stairs onto the landing of the top floor. She didn't know what else to do other pace.
She hadn't meant to bite back so harshly at Diego. It was a behavior she had recently begun to realize. When she was in a sour mood, she tended to take it out on others around her. She mentally smacked herself for doing so. The entire Umbrella Academy had to band together, to work as a team once more to stop the apocalypse, and she was throwing a hissy fit because Vanya was butt hurt about what happened when they were kids? Priorities, priorities…
She groaned, leaning against the banister.
Without Five, the siblings were already falling apart. Metaphorical glue he was.
Penny then heard muffled footsteps behind her. She spun quickly, the coffee cup glowing red in her hand.
It was that stranger that had been with Vanya downstairs. His eyes went huge, like a deer caught in the headlights. He seemed guilty.
"Who are you?" she demanded firmly. "Why are you with my sister?"
The man seemed flustered. "I-I'm Leonard. S-sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I accidentally left my coat up here. Vanya was, uh, showing me around is all."
Penny nodded, but said nothing, observing him carefully. His eyes…one of them had a prominent streak of constant color on one eye. It was unusual. Why did it seem so familiar?
"I, uh, I'm a big fan…" he trailed off, a smile fading away after a moment.
"Thank you," Penny said stiffly, "but you still didn't answer my question. Why are you with my sister?"
He chuckled awkwardly. "Well, you see…I'm her b-boyfriend."
She frowned. "I stayed with her just five days ago. She never mentioned you."
Leonard shrugged, as if somewhat smug. "We weren't really a thing until a few days ago. Besides, from what I've heard, you don't really pay much attention to her anyways."
This pushed her right over the edge. She was furious now.
"Excuse me?" Penny snapped. "Even if that's true, it is not your place to comment on my relationship with Vanya. If it's only been a few days, then that still doesn't warrant much opinion, if any opinion at all, on the matter. I understand that you might be interested in her, but before shoving your nose into a familial relationship that is far more complicated that the one side of the coin you probably read about in her book, why don't you hold your tongue and keep your haughty comments to yourself?"
Leonard was taken aback. He stammered for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I-I don't…I…I thought y-you were supposed to be the-the nice one?"
"I'm nice enough until someone insults my character without knowing my character," she spat. "I would suggest getting the fuck out…now."
Leonard huffed and stomped past her down the stairs.
She was tempted to yell something like, 'don't let the door hit you on your way out' but decided that her reign of terror needed to end.
She felt like she was turning into Five. Maybe Vanya was right. Maybe she was an asshole…
Wednesday, 1:32 pm…
The brunette sat on her unmade twin bed, typing furiously on her laptop. May had sent another update on Vinny, who seemed to be acting out in Penny's absence. She had worked with the chimp since he was a baby, so it made sense that he was experiencing some distress.
TAP TAP!
There came a soft knocking at the door.
"Come in."
With a squeak of the knob came Allison's head popping in.
"Hi," Penny said shortly.
"Hey," Allison replied. She shuffled in, closing the door behind her. "I need to book a flight back to LA. Don't let me interrupt."
"No, no, you're fine. I'm just…emailing my assistant back at the zoo."
"I have to admit; I think out of all of us, you have the coolest job ever."
This brought a smile to Penny's face. "Thanks, Allison. Although, your job is pretty cool, too."
"There's lots of people in the industry – no, yours takes brains, talent, and grit. You worked hard to be in the place you are today. I just…rumored my way in."
Penny glanced at her sister's glum expression as she slumped gracefully onto her own bed. She scrolled through her phone.
"You may have had some help from your powers, but that doesn't mean you didn't earn anything," Penny told her gently. "Directors wouldn't keep putting you in movies if you didn't have the talent. I mean, for goodness sakes, you were nominated for an Emmy for that guest role you did on Grey's Anatomy. How many people in the industry can say that?"
Allison was sheepish. "Well, thank you. I sincerely appreciate that."
Number Three focused on her own laptop screen, scrolling through the flights leaving for Los Angeles that day.
The two women were quiet.
Penny and Allison had actually gotten along fairly well as children. They obviously disagreed at times, Allison tending to pick Luther's side at pretty much all times, and Penny standing her ground with Five. They both respected each other enough to know that disagreements weren't the end of the world. Luther had always taken it personally when Penny had picked apart his plans or didn't have the same perspective of a mission. Allison understood that missions were missions and everyday life was simply everyday life. They'd been civil enough where at some point, Reginald had decided that the two needed to share a room while Vanya, for some reason, had gotten her own. Penny hadn't minded much, but Allison had been quite angry at first. The two learned to live with each other very quickly and had almost no problems afterwards.
That is, until the incident…
Penny had hit a low point in her destructive self-harming habit. Allison had figured it out. She'd been nosy, as she usually was. She was too curious for her own good. She had peeked under Number Eight's bed to see the scissor halves stained with crimson. At seventeen, the two had become very private, but this was something else entirely.
It occurred in the hallway.
Penny's arms were covered in bandages.
Allison interrogated.
Penny denied. And denied. And denied.
Allison finally yelled.
"I heard a rumor…that you stopped self-harming and never had any desire to do it again."
And so it goes.
Penny had never felt so rigid before. Something in her brain flipped. She wasn't interested in doing so any longer.
And she hated Allison for it.
She had known it was a problem and had been planning on going to a therapist Pogo had suggested. She wanted to solve the problem on her own terms, in her own way. The way that she saw as right. But she was never given the chance because of Allison and her powers.
There had always been something unspoken between them since; a rock sitting in the middle of a pathway separating them. To a certain extent, Allison regretted it. Another part of her was glad to have done so. Her adopted sister had needed serious help.
Penny huffed, slamming her laptop shut. A part of her was still angry with Vanya's new boyfriend.
"Allison – have you met Leonard?"
Number Three spun in her seat to face Penny, a firm expression on her features. "I have."
"How do you feel about him?"
"I don't trust him."
"Neither do I. Did he say something strange to you, too?"
"Strange? When did he tell you something strange?"
"Just a couple hours ago. After I snapped at Diego, I found him upstairs near all the Academy memorabilia. He was…inspecting it. We had a very short exchange where I asked how long he and Vanya had been together and then he made a very passive-aggressive statement about how much he knew that I ignored Vanya."
Allison's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, my gosh. What did you tell him?"
Penny scoffed whilst recalling her response. "I believe I said something to the effect of 'your opinion is shit because you don't know my character or what the rest of us have been through so get out.' It was fairly effective, as he scurried away quite quickly afterwards."
Allison's jaw dropped. "Wow. You really gave it to him. Not that I'm surprised. You are deceivingly quiet, but I've learned that when you're angry, you won't take anything lying down."
Penny raised her eyebrows, averting her gaze to the carpet. "Yeah, well…I don't mean to be a steamroller."
Her adopted sister shrugged. "It's kind of funny at times – at least when I'm not the one getting steamrolled. Maybe that's why you and Five got along so well. He can be a massive dick, but you kept him in check when we were kids."
"Really?"
"How many times have you stopped him from making an irrational decision when he's riled up?"
Penny nodded. "You're right, actually."
"So Five is off trying to solve the apocalypse problem?"
"So he told me."
"Are you doubting him?"
"It's not him I'm doubting, it's his former employment. They're ruthless, unforgiving. They don't care who stands in their way. I've seen it firsthand. The methods they require their field agents to use turns them…inhuman. Robot-like. They've lost all sense of compassion and empathy."
"What about Five? Do you think he's like that?"
Penny shook her head slowly. "No. As unfeeling and cold as Five pretends to be…he cares a lot deep down. He feels more than he lets on. I sincerely believe he wouldn't have deferred from the Commission and come back to save us all if he didn't."
Allison smiled a little as she nodded. "And I think he missed you."
Penny couldn't help but smile back. "I missed him, too." But then her face fell. She sighed.
"What?"
"It's just…I actually broke up with someone I was kind of seeing back in San Diego."
"Because of Five?"
She nodded. "Yes, but…nothing is ever going to happen."
"Ah, because of the physical age difference."
"Exactly."
"You two were always close when we were younger. I think we all assumed that you two would end up together at some point."
"I assumed the same with you and Luther."
Allison ended up chuckling somewhat nervously. "Would that be…incest of we did?"
Penny laughed. "I honestly hadn't considered that! I've certainly never seen Five as a brother. We're not related in any way. We were all adopted from different parts of the world. I mean, I wouldn't think it weird if you and Luther somehow ended up together…if we stop the apocalypse, that is."
Her sister's smile faded. There was a moment of silence. "And that's why I have to get back to Claire. I can't imagine leaving this world without seeing her one last time."
Penny popped her knuckles and stood. "I can't pretend to understand what it's like to have a daughter, but I can only imagine what you must be feeling."
Allison nodded. "Are you…leaving?"
"I…I'm going to go find Diego. Maybe apologize for being such an asshole to him earlier."
"If you need someone to talk to again…you know where to find me."
Penny appreciated her sister's offer. "Thanks."
And then she left their shared bedroom.
She finally found Diego upstairs in the attic, tying Klaus to a chair with a long blue rope.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," Klaus was whispering as Diego wound it around him.
"I hate this room," Diego huffed.
"Oh, it got me high enough," their brother replied with a breathy giggle, "I picked it clean of anything of value once Dad kicked the bucket. That's it, tighter and higher!"
Penny stood in the doorway, her arms crossed. "Why the hell are you having Diego tie you up like a captured rodeo animal?"
"Reasons," came Klaus's very specific answer. He winced as Number Two tugged on the line. "Oof! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."
"If I see a boner, I'm out," deadpanned Diego.
"That already happened when we were tortured by Hazel and Cha-Cha," Penny pointed out.
Diego paused, staring down disgustedly at their brother, who just grinned back.
"That was the only good part about that whole fiasco," Klaus said enthusiastically. "The worst part was when I talked with their past victims."
Penny's eyebrows merely shot up.
"Is that why you want to get sober all of a sudden at the end of the world?" Diego wondered. "Don't get wrong, man. Good for you. But I'd think you'd wanna pop every pill on the planet."
"I certainly feel like doing that," Penny sighed, sitting against the wall across from them.
Klaus chuckled. "Ah, Penny, if I wasn't in this chair, we could have a lot of fun. And believe me, Diego, the thought did cross my mind, but…there's something I need to do and the whole pesky thing doesn't seem to work unless I'm sober."
"Who are you trying to contact?" asked Penny.
"Is this about conjuring the one you lost?" Diego questioned.
Klaus was quiet, somber.
"What was her name?"
Penny frowned, looking back at Klaus. She knew he didn't define himself with heteronormative standards, so it very well could have been anyone. And connecting the dots with the dog tags…
"His name was Dave," announced Klaus, a faraway look in his eyes. As he spoke, he seemed to be transported back. "We soldiered together in the A Shau Valley…in the Mountain of the Crouching Beast."
"You fought in Vietnam," Penny realized, voice flat.
Klaus met her eyes and nodded.
Her eyes burned with fresh tears. She couldn't fathom the loss he must be suffering. She assumed it was a painful death – one that he had to witness. "Klaus…" she told him, voice wavering, "I'm so sorry."
He nodded again, lower lip trembling. He hung his head.
"Well, Dave must have been a very special person to put up with all your weird-ass shit," Diego said gently.
Klaus snorted through the tears. "Yeah, he was – he was…He was kind, and strong, and vulnerable, and…beautiful. Beautiful. And I was…foolish enough to follow him all the way to front line."
"So like Penny said…you really fought in that shit?"
"Oh, yeah."
"And they didn't question how you ended up there at all?" Penny asked.
"Not at all," Klaus confirmed. "Just kind of…threw me to the wolves. I learned as I went. No basic training. They kept moving me with him."
"How'd they let ya do that?"
"Let me? War couldn't take enough bodies, please. Including his." Klaus's face contorted as he attempted to hold back his grief. He turned to joking around instead. "Hey, look at us. Loggin' in some quality brother-sister time before the end of the world."
"Yeah, might as well," Diego replied, tying up the back of the ropes. "Everyone I like is already dead."
Penny wiped tears from her eyes, standing. "Good to know you still don't like me."
"Ah, shut up."
"Oh…yes…the lady cop," Klaus chimed in.
"Mom, too," sighed Diego. "I let them both down. So here I am…alone with you." He patted Klaus on the shoulder, then looked up at Penny. "And you, unfortunately."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks." She uncrossed her arms. "Hey, I'm going to need your help."
"With what?"
"I've got a hunch and I may need your assistance following up on it."
"Is this about our catalyst?"
She nodded. "I can't stop thinking about it."
"Then let's go."
Diego turned to follow her out of the room when Klaus cried out.
"Ah, shit!"
"What?"
"I need to pee!"
Diego groaned. "Great. Penny, I've got to get this clown out of this stupid chair and then tie him back up. It's going to be awhile."
"That's okay," she told him. "It might be better if I do this alone, actually. Have fun, morons."
Wednesday, 2:15 pm…
Penny pulled her utility jacket on over her burnt orange turtleneck sweater then laced up her converse in a hurry. She fumbled with the knots. Her fingers were moving faster than her mind.
She snagged her wallet from her suitcase and rushed from her bedroom. She had to find Allison – and fast. Her suitcase was out of their room, so Penny assumed she had to be leaving for the airport soon.
Thankfully, she found her adopted sister with Luther heading up the stairs near the attic.
"Allison!"
The woman in question turned quickly. "What's up, Penny?"
"Leonard – what else do you know about him?" she said rapid-fire.
"What do you mean?"
"I have an inkling you know more about him than you let on earlier."
"He works at this wood-working shop."
"How about his address?"
Luther's eyes widened. "Why do you need to know where Vanya's new boyfriend lives?"
"I just…I need to talk to Vanya is all," Penny lied smoothly. "I assume that they're at Leonard's place."
Allison's brows lowered and her eyes flicked to Luther. "Okay. Let me write it down."
Luther backed down the steps so that Allison could use a scrap sticky note they'd found on a table to write down Leonard's address.
Penny thanked Number Three and rushed out of the manor. She hailed a taxi outside the house, and requested that the driver take her to the address on the sticky note.
The driver informed her it was a good hour and a half to two hour drive out to that location and would cost a fair amount, but Penny didn't care. She told him she'd pay extra if he stepped on it.
Rain pelted all sides of the yellow cab as the driver sped down the highway. Penny had no clue where this house of Vanya's boyfriend was. Wherever they were headed, the weather seemed to worsen as they got closer.
Penny sighed as she watched water droplets race across the window, forming a constant stream. She wasn't sure what she was going to do once she got there. Would she talk with Vanya and Leonard? What would she actually say to them at all? 'Hey, Vanya, sorry to barge in like this, but I think your boyfriend is the cause of the end of the world. Does he have a glass eye?'
Wednesday, 4:27 pm…
She felt bile burn the back of her throat as the car came to a slow, bumpy halt.
The sky was darkening. The rain seemed to get worse. A storm was approaching.
Penny paid the cab driver for her long journey, thanked him, and climbed out of the vehicle carefully. She observed the property in front of her as the taxi cab drove away.
It was a nice cabin. It looked cozy and warm inside.
A car was parked in the driveway. Leonard's.
Penny, wishing she had worn darker colors, slunk around to the side of the house. She peered cautiously through a window. There didn't seem to be anyone home so far. She still had to do more observing in order to confirm that there really wasn't anyone there.
She felt water dripping down the back of her neck, plastering her hair to her olive-toned skin. She flung drops from her hair as her head whipped around, taking in everything she could.
She crept towards the back door, peeking through the glass panes in the door. The lights were off. Still not a person in sight.
She took a chance and backed up to check the upstairs windows for light. Nothing again.
But then, she heard something that made her heart stop beating – voices coming from the forest behind her. Two voices, one male and one female, from what she could tell.
She inhaled sharply, eyes scanning the yard. There was nowhere to hide.
She scampered back towards the house, hoping that she could hide in a bush somewhere.
Snapping and breaking of small branches and twigs on the ground rose in decibels. They were getting closer!
Penny ducked next to a large juniper bush on the side of the house. She hoped they didn't come back around to the front to go inside, or else they'd pass her in plain sight!
She crouched in the mud, rain now soaking through her clothing. Her hands were slick with rainwater and one of her fingers had turned white. Great. It was numb. That hadn't happened since she was a teenager. She knew she'd been out in the cold for too long already.
Her back pressed up against the paneling.
And it happened again, just like in the hotel room closet.
Her entire body went tingly, like when a foot falls asleep, and backwards she went – through the wall, landing sprawled on her back on a carpet inside of Leonard's house.
Penny scrambled to her feet, leaving a damp puddle on the rug beneath her.
In front of her, where she had just fallen through the wall, was a glowing orange spot. It was large, spanning the height and width of her body.
Instantly, she was taken back to the motel parking lot only days before.
She glanced up – there wasn't a hole in the wall. There was a faint orange glow to one spot on the second story directly above her, but…nothing else. She had landed beside rows of cars. Was this a motel?
A muffled jangling of keys shook her out of her daze. They were almost inside!
Hoping upon hope that Vanya and her creepy boyfriend couldn't see the glow from the wall, Penny shot up the stairs. She used her training from childhood to creep silently but swiftly up the steps and into the first spare room she could find. She hastily closed the door, thankful its hinges didn't squeal as she did so.
She heard her adopted sister's voice echo up the stairs. "Yeah, let me just go hang up my jacket."
Penny's eyes went wide. What if the room she was in was Leonard's? What if Vanya was staying in there?
She scanned the room for hiding spots. Not the closet – if Vanya was going to hang her coat, wouldn't she do so in the closet? Not beside the bed – easy to spot. What if she hid…under the bed?
Without another thought, Penny got to her stomach and wiggled underneath the queen sized mattress. Leonard didn't seem to stuff many things beneath his bed, which Penny was thankful for. She was always the type of person to keep her cardboard shoe boxes under her own in case she needed a box for something.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage as Vanya's footsteps grew nearer.
When the door of the room opened, Penny was very glad she had chosen to hide. What would Vanya had said if she'd found Number Eight standing in her boyfriend's bedroom?
Penny waited with baited breath as Vanya moved about the room, kicking off her shoes and hanging her coat in the closet. Her sister left quickly, shutting the door on her way out.
Number Eight sighed in relief, stretching her arm out beside her. Her fingers brushed something soft and smooth, not the rough shag carpet she was lying on beneath the bed. To her left was a book she instantly recognized. RH. The initials on the cover were RH.
Penny did her best not to gasp as she pulled the familiar item towards her.
This book was her father's from her childhood – the one he used to take notes in when they were doing various training exercises or demonstrating their powers.
Her mind itched with anticipation. There was always a part of her that was curious about what he had written about her.
Trembling, still hidden under the mattress in Leonard's bedroom, Penny carefully lifted the cover of her father's most prized possession and began to read.
Sir Reginald had laid out a Table of Contents for his own convenience, taped to the inside cover of the leather bound book. Penny's finger trailed the titles and page numbers as she searched for herself. But something stopped her.
Number Seven. Page 56.
What Penny read was the most shocking news she'd ever received.
Number Seven.
…unlimited, uncontrollable, and dangerous…
…I believe for the greater good that her abilities should remain a secret…
…methods of limiting her power: mood altering medication to keep her sedated…
…easily the most powerful of them all…
…never be permitted to participate in Academy missions and activities…
…unstoppable grief if control is not found…
Her heart leapt to her throat. Her stomach churned unpleasantly.
All these years, Vanya had powers and not once did her father allow the rest of the children to know that. Maybe if they'd known before, they would have treated Vanya with more respect and kindness.
But more importantly…how had Leonard come to acquire this book?
Penny felt confirmation that he was, indeed, the catalyst for the apocalypse. The glass eye was irrelevant. No one has this book and just so happens to get into a relationship with one of the subjects written about…
But she wanted to know more; more about her adopted siblings. More about herself. So she began on the first page.
As she read through her father's notes, the more her dislike for him grew. She'd always thought of him as a callous, careless man, but this made him seem more like the mad scientist she had read about in the papers. He referred to them only by their number, never their name. He wrote detailed entries about their powers and missions, their injuries and trainings, their limits and weaknesses. He wrote about each individual's full extent of their powers, too. Penny learned more about Luther's strange new body than she ever wished to.
But then she came to her own powers.
Number Eight.
…adapts to new situations well…
…has learned control of both adding and taking weight away from objects…
…she seems to have the potential to change atoms themselves, rearranging them into new shapes…
…this may even lead to molecular manipulation, or even molecular creation – making new objects out of old ones…
…has lacked growth since the departure of Number Five…
…may not continue develop of her abilities until emotionally healed, which is likely never to occur…
Penny's mind reeled. Molecular manipulation? Molecular creation? Was that why she was able to pass through the walls those two times before? What could she go through if she tried? What other atoms could she manipulate?
But then she flipped to the very last page. Taped on the inside back cover was a small scrap of paper obviously torn out of a college rule notebook.
Number Seven is the key.
This was not her father's refined cursive, but an unfamiliar, sloppy print.
Leonard.
Vanya needed to know.
Taking a deep breath, she rolled out from under the bed and stormed out of the room. She heard gasps echo from below. She stormed down the stairs, thundering as she went. Anger wasn't even the beginning of what she felt.
She came to a stop in the doorway of the living room. Vanya and Leonard stared at her in shock. Her face was set in a deathly glare set in Leonard's direction.
Vanya stood suddenly. "Penny? What…what are you doing here?"
"Did you break into my house?" Leonard asked, very puzzled.
"I didn't break in, I changed the molecular structure of your wall and phased through it," Penny told him in a low voice. "Vanya, Leonard is not who he says he is."
Vanya looked back and forth between her boyfriend and her sister. "What the hell are you talking about? Penny, Leonard is…Leonard is someone I trust. Why did you come here? Just to tell me that?"
"I came here because I was following a lead," Penny snapped. "Leonard is using you. I have proof."
"The hell you do. Get out of my house!" Leonard demanded, standing from the couch.
Vanya was exasperated. "Is it your life mission to make sure that I'm unhappy?"
Penny, still staring daggers at Leonard, slowly held up Sir Reginald Hargreeves' book for Vanya to see. Her sister's jaw dropped.
"How did…how did you…"
"I found it upstairs in Leonard's room. It was under the bed. Vanya, listen to me…you have powers. You are powerful, and you belonged in the Umbrella Academy," Penny told her firmly. "It's all here. Dad wrote down everything. He's been using that medication to sedate you, to hold you back."
Penny could see the wheels in Vanya's mind turning, all the puzzle pieces connecting.
Vanya turned and glanced at Leonard in dismay. "Why do you have my father's book? He wouldn't have just left that lying around, Leonard. Why do you have it?"
Leonard seemed lost for words. "Why are you questioning me? Shouldn't you be more concerned that your sister broke into my house and is accusing me of stealing and manipulating you?"
Vanya backed away from him towards Penny. "No, no, no…you…you can't – I can't – I don't trust you now…"
"She planted it here, Vanya!" Leonard argued. His voice rose in decibels, the desperation lacing his voice more with every word. "She – she knew I was a fan of the Academy and she…she wanted to make sure you were unhappy! She drove here to manipulate you!"
Vanya stood in solidarity next to Penny. Her voice was more even now. "I believe her. And when I read this book, I'll know what part of me was missing. You…you aren't my missing piece. You used me. You wanted to use me."
Leonard's face grew cherry red. He marched over to a cupboard on the side of the room and dug through it as Penny was speaking.
"How did you get this book, Leonard?"
He was silent, still rifling through the contents.
"Leonard?" Her voice was deadly low.
"Leonard, this isn't up for debate. You took it. How?" Vanya pleaded.
When Leonard whirled around, he had a deadly weapon pointed straight at Penny's chest.
Penny didn't let her expression change, keeping it neutral, eyes narrowed. But internally, she panicked. She wasn't sure what he was capable of and she wasn't keen on finding out.
The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Tension hung thick in the air.
"Put it down, Leonard," Vanya called. Her voice shook.
"We just want to talk," Penny added on, keeping her voice as even and calm as possible.
Leonard's mouth was twisted into a grimace, sweat pouring off his forehead like Niagara Falls. His hands quivered, the gun rattling subtly with each shake.
"I don't WANT to talk!" he growled. "You don't understand!"
"Then help us understand!" Vanya implored. "This isn't going to work if you've got a gun aimed at my sister."
"Don't do something you'll regret," said Penny.
For some reason, this upset him even more. "Regret? Regret?! You want to talk about things I regret? Let's get one thing straight – I don't regret ANYTHING!"
Click.
Boom.
Pain.
Penny crumpled.
One shot. That was all it took. One well aimed shot.
Meanwhile…
Five tugged the pin out with his teeth, tossed the grenade onto the rack, and ran for his damn life.
"Hey, what are you –,"
The man's last words were cut off by a deafening explosion.
But before it could reach Five, he set the date and in a flash of blue, he was back.
Wednesday, 8:15 am (again)…
"Our assumption is that he's at the organization's headquarters right now sorting it out with the woman in charge. The two assassins that attacked the house are called Hazel and Cha-Cha, and they're in the corrections division," Penny explained.
"Field agents," Diego assumed.
She nodded. "Exactly. That's what Five did before he deferred and came back to save us."
Klaus shook his head distractedly. "I need a drink. And a bagel." He wandered around behind the bar, followed by Diego, who decided that was the time to polish his knives.
The air above the bar crackled, lighting splitting the air with an ear-pounding zap. A bright blue light appeared with a wave of electrical currents, and out from midair, clutching a very large suitcase, popped Five.
"Je-Jesus!" cursed Allison, jumping back.
Penny was instantly on her feet. "Five."
"You guys, am I still high or do you see him, too?" Klaus groaned from the opposite couch.
Penny saw Five lose his balance and rushed forward to stop his descent. She caught him under the arms as he tumbled off the bar counter where the suitcase he had arrived with still rested.
"Thank you, Penelope," he said warily.
"Five, what happened?" she berated him.
"Questions already and I haven't had coffee in over twenty four hours. Calm down, Penelope," he grumped as he got to his feet. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Are you alright?" Allison asked concernedly.
His Academy uniform was covered in grime and ash.
"Who did this?" Luther questioned.
"Irrelevant. And again with the questions…" Five replied grouchily, snatching Allison's coffee away from her. He stumbled forwards, slurping it down noisily as he went.
While the rest of the siblings stared at him in awe, Penny crossed her arms and shook her head. While Five was indeed a fifty eight year old man trapped inside of a teenage boy's body, he certainly did still enjoy a flair for the dramatic no matter how much he protested that he did not.
Five turned once he had completely downed Number Three's coffee. "So, the apocalypse is in three days. The only chance we have to save our world is, well, us."
Luther nodded. "The Umbrella Academy."
Five seemed exasperated. "Yeah, but with me, obviously. So if ya'll don't get your sideshow acts together and get over yourselves, we're screwed. Who cares if Dad messed us up? Are we gonna let that define us? No. And to give us a fighting chance to see next week, I've come back with a lead." He brandished a piece of yellowed paper.
There was slight smirk on his face as he made eye contact with Penny. He was proud of himself, she could tell. She'd have to make sure he didn't get too full of himself.
"I know who's responsible for the apocalypse."
I would be answering reviews, but I'm going to save that until I post the next chapter because it's super late and I need to go to bed. :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I promise I'll get another one up as SOON as I possible can! Thank you all SO MUCH for all the love in the reviews and for your favorites and follows. Sending you all virtual hugs and cookies!