Chapter 4: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
"So the Commission is an organization that monitors time, and anything that may alter what their version of the timeline is supposed to look like has to be wiped from existence?"
Penny and Five sat across from each other on the carpeted floor by the bed, legs crisscrossed.
It had been at least an hour since Five had admitted that two highly skilled, ruthless assassins were on his tail on trying to kill him. Penny had, understandably, been very angry that he had not shared this information with her earlier, especially after the Griddy's Doughnut shop incident from the night before. He had decided that secrets no longer had their place between them, and spilled his guts on everything he could think of regarding the apocalypse situation. She also relayed everything in accordance to their father's untimely demise, which she had witnessed on camera with Allison.
"Yes, I worked for them for almost twenty-five years," Five nodded. He winced as he shifted.
Penny's eyes narrowed at the bloodstain on his sleeve. "Now that you're done talking, I'm fixing up that arm of yours."
Five scowled, shrugging off his blazer and loosening his tie, before griping, "I can do it myself."
"Don't go all jack-ass on me," Penny retorted. "Now sit on the bed and I'll get my first aid kit."
"You still carry around a first aid kit?"
"You can keep questioning me, but that won't stop me from helping you."
She scurried into her room, rifled around her suitcase, snatched up the first aid kid, and hurried back into Five's room, where she promptly shut the door.
Five had unbuttoned his red-splattered shirt, revealing a white under shirt tinted pink in places where the blood had soaked through. But his arm…
"Shit," cursed Penny. "How did you not complain before?"
He winced as she sanitized the wound. "High pain tolerance."
"You didn't when we were kids," she said quietly. "Or maybe now you're just better at hiding it."
She recalled an instance where Five had fractured a couple ribs on a mission. He complained constantly when it was just the two of them, and had been on edge, more so than usual, around the rest of the family.
Five's eyebrows raised. "Maybe it's both."
"Well, the worst of this is yet to come. You'll definitely require stitches."
"No surprise there."
There was silence between them as Penny readied the needle. Five grunted as she began to sew his skin back together.
She clenched her jaw. She despised seeing him in any sort of pain – especially pain that she was inflicting. "Sorry."
"Stop apologizing," he hissed through gritted teeth. "It's a necessity at this point."
She huffed, nodded, and continued on, the graze still leaking blood.
Her mood worsened as she thought of the two people that had caused her favorite person to be such a wreck. Her blood began to slowly boil at the thought of their weapons aimed at him.
"Hazel and Cha-Cha won't last long if I see them," she told him, voice low. "They won't get close to you if I can help it."
She couldn't see it, but Five smiled at her, cheeks turning slightly pink. He forgot the operation happening on his arm for a moment as he admired her tenacity.
"If I could spacial jump to them both into a trash compactor, I would," he agreed.
"I'm almost done," she announced. "Just short while longer."
They said nothing as Penny tied off the end of the medical string and cleaned up the wound. She sighed as she looked at what she had to cover it.
"I don't have any gauze, but I do have Billy the Choo-Choo band aids," she chuckled, tossing him a cartoon-character covered box.
He shrugged. "It'll do."
She told him to stay there as she went to clean her hands in the bathroom. When she returned, he had already changed into fresh clothes. He sat staring off into space on his twin bed, face somber.
She closed the door and sat down in the desk chair across from him.
"Hey…" she said softly, grabbing his attention. "Are you alright?" She noticed a small red mark on his bottom lip. "What happened there?"
He put a hand up to his mouth. "That was Klaus."
"Klaus did that? Where did you get him back?"
"I didn't. It was at Meritech."
"You still haven't told me about that, either."
So Five filled her in on their shenanigans. She laughed heartily when she heard their adopted brother had smashed an entire snow globe from the man's desk over his head to prove a point.
"That would not have happened if I was there," she chuckled. "It's probably a good thing I didn't go to serve as your faux parental figure. But what are you going to do now? If the eye hasn't even been manufactured yet, what does that mean?"
Five sighed. "It means I have to keep a close eye on that unintelligent douchebag in charge. Probably stake out the building until something happens regarding this stupid thing."
She nodded, then yawned profusely.
"You're tired," he observed.
"I'm always tired," she replied.
"You can go get in bed. We'll reconvene in the morning."
She shook her head. "Allison is probably in there with Luther talking about Dad. I don't feel like dealing with him at the moment. We never see eye to eye on anything. I don't feel like listening to him bragging about being right. Besides, I'll be honest…I don't want to leave you by yourself."
"You can always sleep here. You used to all the time when we were kids."
"What about you?"
Five shrugged again. "I'm not as tired as you are. I was used to spending days on end without resting for more than a few hours at a time. My brain is accustomed to less REM cycles than the average human. I'll be fine. Just take off your shoes. I don't want dirty soles in my sheets."
"Are you sure?"
"Would you get in the damn bed already?"
Penny did as Five requested, kicking off her converse before sliding between the covers and resting her head on the soft pillow. She'd always thought his mattress more comfortable than hers ever was.
He turned off the overhead light, leaving his desk lamp on.
She watched as slumped down into his chair, putting his head in his hands. His shuddering exhale worried her greatly. He had seen so much more darkness in his life; more than she had.
"Five."
He looked over his shoulder at her, eyes cloudy.
"I can't imagine what you've been through," she told him. "And I'm sorry you had to go through it alone. Is there anything I can do to…to make it easier for you?"
Five spun in his chair so that he was fully facing her in the bed. His soft smile said it all. "Work with me. I know it will be difficult, but I can't do this without you. I can't stop the apocalypse without you."
Whether it was her exhaustive state of mind or purely out of giddiness from the way he smiled at her, she couldn't help but comply.
"Okay, Five. I'll do it."
Five woke her early, shaking her arm lightly.
"Penelope, we need to get moving."
She rolled over, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, and sat bolt upright. "I'm awake. What time is it?"
"Six."
"Do I have time to take quick shower?"
"Please do."
"Are you implying I have an…odor?"
"I'm not implying it. I'm telling you that you have an odor."
"Well, thank you for that. You're such a gentleman."
"That's me."
Their sarcastic exchange ended as Penny exited the room to shower and change.
After doing so, she returned to see Five zipping up the duffel bag and slinging it onto his back.
"Can we get coffee on the way to stake out Meritech? I've got a massive headache," Penny asked, pulling a green utility jacket over her maroon turtleneck.
"We'll get there, and then you can go fetch us some," he told her distractedly.
"Great, so I'm the errand girl."
"You know, I appreciated your snark when I first returned, but now it's starting to get on my nerves, Penelope."
She chuckled. "Then you've gotten a good taste of your own medicine."
Five unlatched the window, sliding carefully out onto the fire escape. "Come on."
"We have a front door," Penny pointed out.
"There's less interaction with people we'd rather not talk to with this method."
She shrugged, admitting it was a good point.
She followed him out into the biting chill of early spring, breath turning to silvery puffs of air as she exhaled.
Five started down the fire escape as Penny latched the window closed. She could hear Klaus rambling to himself from down below in the alley. When she looked down to spot him, she realized he was in a dumpster, drinking again, and ranting about Pogo getting off his ass (whatever he meant by that).
"I'd ask what you're up to, Klaus," Five said, announcing his presence in a dull tone, "but then it occurred to me…I don't care."
He hopped down off the small ladder, Penny doing the same just moments later.
"Hey!" their adopted brother greeting, leaning casually on the edge of the dumpster. "You kids know there's an easier way out of the house, right?"
"This one involved the least amount of talking…or so I thought," Five countered.
"Although, I'd rather talk to you than our other siblings, so I'm not angry about it," Penny chimed in.
Klaus held a hand to his heart. "Aw! This is why you're my favorite, Doc. You always know just what to say." He pointed at Five. "So you need any more company today? I could, uh…clear my schedule."
"Penny and I have got it. Besides, it looks like you've got your hands full."
"Oh this? No, no, I can do this whenever. I'm just -," And all of a sudden, he threw himself backwards. "I just misplaced something, that's all. Oh! Found it – thank god." He reemerged from the pile of trash holding what Penny thought might be half of a stale glazed doughnut. He made direct eye contact with Five as he, very convincingly, said, "Delicious."
Penny's nose scrunched. "Ew."
Five was resolute. "I'm done funding your drug habit." He motioned down the alley. "Penny and I have to get moving."
Penny waved. "See you later, Klaus."
Klaus, however, was not happy. "Come on! You don't – maybe I just want to hang out with my brother and sister!"
Penny heard him mumbling something to himself, then calling out after them, but she tuned him out as Five gestured to get into the passenger seat of a plumbing company van.
As she buckled her seatbelt, he flung the duffel into the back and quickly shifted the van into gear, speeding away down the alley and back to the main road.
"Five?"
"Hm?"
"When you finally retrieve the eyeball…what are we going to do?"
Five sighed deeply. "You really want to know?"
"I'm going to need to know if you expect me to want to work with you. I thought keeping secrets wasn't a good idea?"
"We kill him…or her…or them. Whoever they are."
"We really have to kill them?"
"I know you're not apt with murder, Penny, but I will gladly take one life it means billions will be spared."
Penny had to admit that one person dying over billions was the lesser evil. "I would agree. I'd rather one person die than the entire population of our planet."
There was a beat.
"We're here," Five said.
He positioned the van perfectly by the curb, parking with a soft jolt.
Penny pulled out her phone. "There's a coffee shop near here. I'll be back. Want any food?"
Five shrugged. "Not particularly."
She shrugged back. "I'll get you a croissant."
He sent her an annoyed look.
"You have to eat, Five. Like you said at the house – you're a growing boy."
Satisfied with her light teasing, she exited the van before he could have a chance to comment something snarky back.
She wrapped her jacket around herself, the crisp morning fully waking her up. Wondering if her still slightly-damp hair would freeze a little, she went on her way to the coffee shop, following directions on her phone.
While waiting in line inside the warm shop, smelling like delicious coffee and breakfast sandwiches, her phone buzzed suddenly from inside her pocket.
When she pulled it out, her stomach tightened, head aching more fervently than before. The name read Dr. Jayden Schultz. She gulped, answering softly as to not disturb any of the other customers in line.
"Hello?"
"Penelope," he said, surprised. "You picked up."
"I'm so sorry I haven't been answering any of your texts, Jay," she apologized.
"That's okay, I understand. I was just worried."
"I didn't mean to worry you. I-I've just had a lot happen these past few days."
"I heard. May told me. I tried not to bother you at first. My condolences for your loss."
Penny cleared her throat. Really, she wasn't all that sad about losing her father. "Thank you."
There was an awkward silence for a moment as both zoologists attempted to figure out something else to say to carry on their conversation.
"I…I'm so sorry I missed dinner the other night," she told him. "I just knew I had to get here quickly. My brothers and sisters are…different, and don't handle things very, uh, gracefully."
Jayden laughed. "No, no, I completely understand. My younger sister and I always used to bicker about the stupidest things in public."
Penny forced a chuckle.
Bicker about things in public? She thought darkly. Try an argument because one of your siblings set a hospital on fire and no one would confess and screamed at each other outside while still dressed in your team uniform?
But she didn't say that because he wouldn't have understood.
She moved up in line to the register. "Sorry, Jay, one second."
She quickly ordered two large black coffees, one croissant, and one everything bagel with cream cheese.
"Sorry," she told him as she stood waiting for the order, "I didn't mean to cut you off. I had to order breakfast for me and my…brother."
"Totally okay. Hey, when are you coming back into town?"
Penny scraped her shoe along the ground, right hand itching as warmth crept down her limb. She shook it off, popping the knuckles in her free hand as she spoke. "I'm not sure, to be quite honest. My, uh, my brother who was missing…he's returned."
The other line was silent for a moment. "O-oh."
"Yeah."
"So…so what does that mean for us…?"
"I'm going to stay a little while longer just to help him get back on his feet," Penny said. "He's pretty traumatized by what happened when he disappeared and I can't just…leave him here. He needs me."
Jayden said nothing again.
"And at the same time, I kind of reunited with my childhood sweetheart." She inhaled sharply after admitting so, anxiety flooding her heart.
"Alright."
"I…"
She had no clue what to tell him – that her adopted brother and the kid she had a crush on when she was younger was the same person? Would that be considered incest? Technically…no? Or…yes? Jay wouldn't believe that anyways.
"I don't know what I feel anymore," she admitted quietly. "I don't want to – to string you alone and think that I…that we –,"
"No, no, please don't apologize," Jayden said sincerely. "I think you're a beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves every happiness in life. I would never want to stand in the way of fate."
While Penny didn't necessarily believe in fate, she appreciated his kindness. "Jayden, I'm really, really sorry. I've really enjoyed our dinners and getting to know you. You will make another girl so happy someday. If you need something, please let me know."
His voice cracked as he spoke. "I will. And please, don't apologize. I'll, um…I'll talk to you later. Bye."
And before Penny could bid him goodbye, the line went dead.
She hung her head, feeling guilty for letting such an incredible man go. But she had to stay true to herself. She didn't want to string him along while she struggled with her own feelings.
She pocketed her phone, sighing.
"Penny!" called a voice at the counter.
Her order was up.
She thanked the workers in the coffee shop and left, hurrying to the van, her emotions swirling like a smoking potion in a cauldron.
When she reached the van, she knocked on the window of the passenger side door with her elbow. Five was staring blankly ahead at the Meritech building, mouth set in a firm line. He wouldn't have noticed her if she hadn't knocked.
He reached over and unlocked the latch, opening the door for her.
Penny attempted a half-hearted smile as she got in. Her hands were full.
"Ah!" she cried, startled at the bust of a bald female mannequin with a pointy nose settled between the front seats.
"Careful with the coffee," scolded Five, taking the one closest to him in the drink holder.
She handed him a small bag, eyes still fixed, baffled, on the bald mannequin.
"This is Delores," she realized, voice small.
Five sipped his coffee, nodding. "Why, yes. Delores, meet Penelope. Penelope, Delores. Delores, this is the one you were named after."
Penny's brow lowered, eyes flicking between him and his strange mannequin. She leaned back in her seat at Five chomped away on the croissant.
"Delores, that's very kind of you," Five nodded.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Five…"
"What?"
"You do realize I can't…hear her talking, right?"
He rolled his eyes as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Yes, I understand you're not capable of interpreting her speech, Penelope. I will make sure I correctly transcribe any messages Delores has to you aloud."
Penny reasoned that while Five was normally a very reasonable person, years of isolation could drive any rational human to be desperate for a connection. Take the movie Castaway for example – the main character found a volleyball and named it Wilson, talking with it and believing it to have sentience. Penny figured Delores was Five's Wilson. She couldn't exactly joke with him about her, as he still clung to what she once was to him. He would be very hurt if she went about trying to convince him that Delores was nothing but a large hunk of molded, painted plastic. So she decided to simply go along with it.
"What did she say that was kind?" she wondered.
"She said that you were quite pretty and that your freckles were something of envy."
Penny knew that this statement was from Five's own mind, passed off as another being's thoughts, so her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Thank you greatly, Delores," she replied, feeling very strange thanking a mannequin that obviously could not hear her.
She turned back around to face out the front window, sipping her coffee and biting into her bagel. "Anything happen while I was gone?"
"The doctor entered the building with four coffees," answered Five. "Been a few patients who have entered, couple come out. None that I could tell with just one eye…yet. But monitoring the doctor's actions will assist in keeping track of what he sells and doesn't sell to patients."
Penny nodded, distracted by her phone call earlier.
"Why are you so quiet?"
Her head whipped around to face Five, who seemed mildly concerned.
"I had an interesting conversation in the coffee shop is all," she relayed.
"Was some guy being a dick to you?"
"No, no. I got a phone call from my – friend back in San Diego. He's a veterinarian where I work. He mainly treats the reptiles at the zoo."
"You were seeing him, weren't you?"
She nodded. "It was for maybe a couple of months. We've had dinner a few times. We just wanted to get to know each other better. I thought he was…nice."
Five's jaw clenched. He said nothing.
Penny continued. "To be quite honest, I've been feeling uncertain about him for a couple weeks. I didn't feel any kind of…spark. If that makes any sense at all…It just felt like something was missing. I said I'd be here for longer than what I originally planned. I told him my missing adopted brother had returned and also I had reconnected with someone from my childhood that meant a lot to me. Of course, I didn't say it was the same person and that he's in the body of a thirteen year old boy, but…I told him I couldn't."
Five nodded, still silent.
"You don't care, do you?" chuckled Penny when she saw his facial expression.
He seemed frustrated, but with himself. "It's not that I don't care. It's that I…do care."
Penny's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"
Five groaned. "I mean, yes and no."
Instead of also being confused and irritated with her own indecisive emotions, Penny simply laughed. "We're a shit show, Five. This is insanity, it really is."
He ended up laughing a bit, too. "It is a shit show."
Hours later, the two sat still in the van, observing the people passing the van on the street.
Penny almost envied them. They all went about their business, unaware of the impending doom of the apocalypse nearing second by second. Six days. That was all the time that was left. Six days to discover who this one-eyed person was and what they did in order to bring about the end of the world.
She glanced over at Five whose eyes were glazed over, head moving jerkily, as if remembering something horrific. Her stomach dropped as she realized he was having a flashback to the apocalypse.
She wanted to grab his shoulder but knew it would probably freak him out even more. Instead, she very gently called his name.
"Five."
His breathing increased, shoulders moving up and down.
"Five, it's okay. You're not in the apocalypse anymore. You're not alone. Five…"
A sharp rap on the window startled her, jumping in her seat. Five did the same, scowling as he saw the figure outside the car.
"Holy shit, Luther! Don't sneak up on us like that!" she scolded.
He opened the door, face set. "Move over."
Penny's nose scrunched. "To what seat?"
Before answering his adopted sister, Luther waved a hand and attempted to climb into the van.
Penny had to very quickly dash out of his way, sitting on the floor between Five in the driver's seat, and the passenger side, which Luther was very much struggling to sit in.
"What are you…" Five began to question.
The car jostled about as the very large man finally stuffed himself in, slamming the door with more force than necessary. "Oh, my god."
Penny huffed, unhappy with being moved out of her seat. "You could have climbed in the back, you know."
"This was faster," shrugged Luther.
"In what way?"
He shrugged again, glancing at Five. "You okay?
"You shouldn't be…how did you find us?" demanded Five.
"Um…" Luther stammered, then nodded his head to the back of the van.
Penny twisted her head back to see that Klaus had somehow snuck in the back and had his arms looped around Delores.
"Hey, baby," he was muttering. Then he noticed their attention turned on him. "Hey, a little privacy, guys. We're really hitting it off back here."
Penny ducked as Five threw his empty coffee cup at Number Four, who shrieked.
"Get out! You can't be here!" yelled Five. "Penny and I are in the middle of something."
"Why does she get to be here and I can't?" Klaus wondered, tossing Delores down carelessly.
"Maybe because she's got a brain that isn't polluted with various substances," spat Five.
"That's the only reason?" Luther asked suspiciously.
"Do you really care?" countered Penny. "I don't remember asking for your input, anyways."
Klaus scrambled to the front of the van, putting his hands on his sister's shoulders and leaning upwards, winking once. "Any luck finding your one-eyed man?"
"No," whispered Five adamantly.
Penny groaned, pushing Klaus's hands off her. He immediately stumbled, hitting his chin on the chair beside him. He straightened out, giggling manically, a distant look in his eye. She had never seen him this out of it before. How many drugs was he currently on?
"What's he talkin' about?" Luther asked.v
"Does it matter? It's Klaus," Five reasoned. "What do you want, Luther?"
"Um…So, Grace may have had something to do with Dad's death."
"Wait, you're calling our mother Grace?" Penny cut in. "I've seen the tape, too, remember? I went over it several times and I don't think she did anything. Why can't you call her Mom?"
"When she became a suspect in our father's murder, that's when," retorted Luther. "I need you both to come back to the Academy, all right? It's important."
Penny rolled her eyes.
Five was clearly frustrated. "It's important. You have no concept of what's important."
"Hey!" Klaus chimed in suddenly. "Did I ever tell you guys about the time I waxed my ass with chocolate pudding?"
He laughed loudly.
Penny's eyes widened and she pressed her lips together, trying not to find his comment amusing. She cleared her throat. "I don't think this is the time, Klaus…"
"But it was so painful!" he replied gleefully.
"What are you still doing here?" Luther questioned.
"Ay, ay, ay…what? I – what? I need an excuse to hang out with my family?"
"We're trying to have a serious conversation here."
"What, and I'm incapable of being serious? Is that what you're saying?"
"Luther's got a point, you should get out," Five agreed.
"What?" cried Klaus.
Penny, feeling bad for Klaus all of a sudden, defended him. "Guys, he's on copious amounts of drugs, he probably can't stop himself from saying stupid things."
"Hey, that was a real event where I experience valid feelings!" protested Klaus.
"Penny, do you have to argue with everything I want to do?" Luther said, irritated.
"Do you have to be an absolute ass to me every time we speak?" countered Penny quickly.
Luther shot her a warning look.
"Klaus, just get out," Five demanded.
Penny sighed, "Five, he's our brother."
"Adopted brother," he corrected firmly. "This is a life and death situation, Penelope." He turned back to Number Four. "Get out."
Klaus grumbled, sliding the side door open dramatically. "Fine!"
He sauntered away, his purple scarf flowing in the wind. Penny sighed as she watched him leave.
"What the hell are you two up to?" Luther commanded.
"You wouldn't understand," Five snapped.
"Try me. Last I checked, I'm still the leader of this family."
"Last I checked, Dad only said that because you were Number One. We aren't kids fulfilling missions anymore, Luther. That may have been true when we were using our powers to…do what we were assigned, but we're adults now. I don't need you to lead me anywhere," Penny jumped in.
"And last I checked, I'm twenty-eight years older than you," Five agreed spitefully.
Luther glared at them both. "You know what your problem is, Penny?"
She smiled sarcastically. "I don't, but I'd love for you to tell me."
"You think you're so high and mighty. You always know the right thing to say at the right time. You always know how to make people stop fighting. You've got a fancy-ass job that no one but someone of your nature would enjoy. You thrive on being worshiped for the very ground you walk on. Miss Penny Perfect? She isn't so perfect after all. You're an annoying know-it-all. You don't have your own opinions – you agree with everything Five says. You've got some cuts on your arms? Big deal! Try being sent to the moon!"
Penny's blood boiled, her eyes welling up. The volume of her voice decreased drastically. "How dare you."
"Hey!" Five cut in loudly, anger prevalent on his features. "You can't talk to her that way. What the hell is wrong with you, Luther?"
"You know what your problem is, Number Five?" Luther pointed at him angrily.
"Really hoping you'll tell me," spit Five.
Penny sniffed loudly, trying to cover up a few tears that had splashed onto her cheeks.
Luther's tone was accusatory, but he ignored Penny. "You think you're better than us. Even Penny. You always have. Even when we were kids. But the truth is, you're just as messed up as the rest of us. We're all you have. And you know it."
Five's jawline clenched as he heard Penny struggling to keep her emotions under control. "I don't think I'm better than you, Number One. I know I am. And to make it very clear, Penelope is an equal. I don't think I'm better than her, she's better than I am. Not only that, I've done unimaginable things, things you couldn't even comprehend."
Penny glanced up at Five, eyebrows raised. However, he simply stared, smirking, at Luther.
"Right," Number One grumped.
"Just to get back here and save you all," Five concluded.
The blowing of a whistle suddenly caught their attention, and a figure holding several packages in his arms whipped past, yelling, "Hey, bitches! Doc, look! I finally got my own snack!"
"You get back here!" bellowed the security guard.
Klaus crashed directly with the side of another vehicle, littering the road with bags and other food items in the process. "Out of the way, asshole!"
In a regular situation, Penny would have laughed. But given who she was sitting next to and the awful things that had just been said, the only reaction she had was to widen her eyes.
"Now I'm starting to wonder if that was the wisest decision," Five said.
Luther's glare deepened, eyes flicking from Penny on the floor of the van to Five, who sat smugly in the driver's seat. "You know what? You idiots do whatever you want. I'm going to be an adult and deal with Grace with the rest of the family. If either of you want to grow up, we'll be back at the house discussing what to do."
Penny stared at the dirty carpet by her feet as Luther ungracefully attempted to depart the vehicle.
Everything she had struggled with as a kid had swallowed her like a tidal wave. Luther had pointed out some major flaws that she was very much aware of, but had tried to work on throughout her years in therapy. She didn't need to hear them out loud. She didn't need them to be used against her like a weapon. And to be coming from someone who was a part of her family dug it deeper into her skin.
She didn't try to get back into the passenger seat. She leaned her head against the side of the chair, knees to her chest. She didn't dare look at Five. She didn't want to let him see her cry. He had never known how to deal with vulnerable situations well, even when they were younger.
But she was surprised when he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Penelope."
She wiped a hand across her face.
"Penny."
The gentleness in his voice was one she had never heard before. She slowly turned her head to look at him.
His expression was one of concern. "Forget what Luther said."
She shook her head. "How can I when what he said was so true?"
"No, he was wrong." This time, Five shook his head. His voice was firm. "I know you don't have a 'holier than thou' mentality. Luther has chosen to see you in this light because he's jealous of you."
"Jealous?" scoffed Penny, lifting herself into the passenger seat and throwing her hands up in the air. "What is there to be jealous of?"
"He continually mentions your career. He must feel inadequate compared to what you've accomplished."
Penny's nose scrunched. "Since when do you have a good reading on emotions?"
Five was disgruntled. "Do you not see that I'm trying my best here?"
She sighed. "I apologize."
He nodded. "Apology accepted. But whatever his perspective, know that I meant what I said. You're a hell of a lot smarter than all of our adopted siblings combined. Luther was a kiss-ass when it came to our father, and even dead, he still finds a way to try to please him. It's pathetic."
Penny couldn't help but smile a bit. "He is a little pathetic at times, isn't he?"
"More than a little and I believe he is pathetic at all times." He reached back to set Delores up in between them again. He smiled slightly, as if listening to what she was saying carefully. "Delores would like me to tell you that she thinks Luther was very wrong to say what he did and that you are undeniably better than he is in every aspect."
A smile grew around the corners of Penny's mouth. She knew that what Delores was saying was actually Five, but she thanked the mannequin anyways. "You're a treasure, Delores."
"I've always thought so, too," Five agreed, patting the mannequin lovingly on the arm. His gaze settle once again on Penny. "So you don't think Mom killed Dad?"
"I watched that tape over and over again. I don't think she did anything – nor do I think she's capable of doing such a thing," she relayed confidently. She sighed. "Maybe I should go back to the manor – explain my thoughts to the rest of our siblings."
Five sighed, too. "As much as I would like you here, I would rather you make sure Luther gets put in his place. I concur."
"I'll return later tonight with more food," she told him. "If I don't, then Luther has banished me from the house, or I've been kidnapped."
Five chuckled lightly at her joke. "I'll be here."
When Penny finally arrived back at the manor, she very much regretted not ordering an Uber or hailing a taxi. Then again, the fresh air had helped clear her mind of any static. She was ready for an all-out brawl with Luther over their mother's well-being.
She burst through the double doors, striding in to find the rest of the family gathered in front an old television screen at the bar in the living area.
"Look who decided to join us as an adult," Luther mocked, hands on his hips.
Penny squared her shoulders and strolled in, hands in her utility coat pockets. "Look who decided to verbally attack me for no reason other than not being able to process his own emotions?"
Allison, who had been leaning up against a pillar, widened her eyes, taking a long sip of scotch.
Klaus chuckled. "Damn, what happened to peaceful Penny?"
Vanya's eyebrows merely shot up.
Diego spun on his heel, looking somewhat impressed with her comeback.
Luther, on the other hand, furrowed his brow. "I didn't verbally attack you."
Penny crossed her arms, taking a place next to Klaus, who stood propped up against a coffee table. "I'm sorry, does calling someone out for her flaws and using them against her not count as verbal abuse?"
"Shit," muttered Diego.
Luther glared at her. Instead of backing down, Penny held his gaze.
Allison rolled her eyes. "Can we get on with this, please?"
Luther broke his stare off with Number Eight and switched on the screen. The scene that replayed was one that Penny had seen over and over again that past night.
"Mom had something to do with Dad's death," announced Number One.
They all watched in silence.
"I mean, do you really think Mom would hurt Dad?" asked Vanya skeptically.
Luther was doubtful. "You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya. Maybe you don't know Grace anymore."
"Don't be an ass to her, too," Penny called him out.
Diego shook his head. "If he was poisoned, it would have shown in the coroner's report."
"Well, I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes," Luther argued.
"Maybe all that low gravity messed with your vision. Look closer." Number Two leaned forward and messed with a few buttons on the television. "Dad has his monocle. Mom stands up. Monocle's gone."
Penny raised her eyebrows thoughtfully as she witnessed her adopted brother's narration.
"Oh, yeah!" realized Klaus. He sauntered over behind the bar, probably looking for more ways to keep himself from getting sober.
Penny walked up next to Vanya, both examining the actions of their mother onscreen.
Diego continued. "She wasn't poisoning him. She was…taking it. To clean it."
"Then where is it? No, I've searched the house, including all her things. She doesn't have it," Luther countered.
"Wait, you went through Mom's stuff?" demanded Penny. "Did you go through all of our personal items without telling us looking for that stupid thing?"
Number One shifted under Penny's scrutinized stare. All the siblings objected.
"Shit, Luther!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"That's not cool, dude."
"I can't believe you…"
"She didn't have it because I took it from her," admitted Diego, a small smirk on his face. "After the funeral."
Penny's jaw dropped. He had made such a fuss over that thing!
"You've had the monocle this whole time? What the hell, Diego?" Allison reproached.
"Give it to me." The order came from Luther, whose hand was held out expectantly.
"I threw it away."
"You what?"
Allison scoffed.
"Look," Diego said, waving his knife around, "I knew that if you found it on Mom, you'd lose your shit, just like you're doing right now."
Penny shook her head, plopping down unceremoniously on the sofa behind Vanya. This was unbelievable.
"Diego, you son of a bitch," hissed Luther.
The two took a fighting stance as Vanya attempted to neutralize the situation.
"Hey, no. Calm down." She put a hand on Luther's large arm. The two stared at her. "Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book. But I do remember one thing he said. Mom was, well, designed to be a caretaker, but…also as a protector."
Penny sighed, leaning her elbows on her knees. She knew what Vanya was referring to. Mom's hardware may have been wearing out. She had, after all, been in service of the family for about thirty years.
"What does that mean?" Allison inquired.
"She was programmed to intervene if someone's life was jeopardy," answered Number Seven.
Luther sighed. "Well, if her hardware is degrading, then…we need to turn her off."
He was met with a loud uproar from both Diego and Penny.
"Excuse me?" she demanded, jumping to her feet.
Diego was livid. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. She's not just a vacuum cleaner you can throw in a closet. She feels things, I've seen it!"
"She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die," Luther claimed.
Allison raised her glass. "I'm with Luther."
"Surprise, surprise," Diego disputed maliciously.
"Shut up."
"This is bullshit," Penny told them all. "I agree with Diego."
"Thank you," Diego said firmly, gesturing at her. "Finally you and I are starting to make sense to each other."
They all looked expectantly at Vanya, who was uncomfortable with the attention, and stammered. "I-I don't -,"
"Yeah, she shouldn't get a vote," decided Diego.
"What?" exclaimed Penny.
"I was going to say I agree with you," Vanya defended.
"Okay. She should get a vote." Diego pointed at Klaus with his blade. "What about you, Stoner Boy? What do you got?"
Klaus was bitter. "Oh, so, what? You need my help now? Oh, get out of the van, Klaus. Well, welcome back to the van."
"What van?" Allison wondered, puzzled.
"We were in a van at one point," Penny said quickly.
Luther scoffed. "What's it gonna be, Klaus?"
"I'm with Diego, because screw you! And if Ben were here, he'd agree with me."
"So that's three? To two?" Diego mocked, holding up the numbers on his fingers.
"Vote's not final yet," Allison interjected.
"What?"
"Five's not here. The whole family has to vote. We owe each other that."
"Right," said Luther.
"No, we should wait," Vanya nodded.
"Five deserves a choice in this decision," agreed Penny.
All seemed to agree on that, and started filing out of the room one by one.
She, Vanya, and Diego were left, and all three adults noticed their android mother staring off into space near the door.
The approached slowly.
"Hey," said Diego, "how long have you been standing here?"
"You all seem upset. I'll make cookies," she said quickly, smiling brightly. She walked away, seemingly heading down to the kitchens distractedly.
"Do you ever wonder…?" Vanya asked them, "All those moments with Mom, the things she said. Like, was it her, or was it really Dad?"
"What are you talking about?" Diego questioned.
"Well, he built her," she pointed out. "And he programmed her to a be a mom – to be our mom. Sometimes when I look at her, I just see him."
Penny swallowed thickly. "I've never thought so."
Diego shrugged. "Maybe that was true at first. But she evolved?"
"Well, how do you know?" countered Vanya.
"Because Dad only loved himself," said Diego. He walked off after their mother.
Despite her better judgment, Penny followed. While most of their interactions ended in some sort of spat, she felt like it was time to set the record straight with Diego.
"Hey," she called out after him.
He stopped on the stairs, a bewildered expression on his face. "Hey?"
"Where are you going?"
"To be alone."
"Can…can we talk?"
Diego sighed and continued down the stairs. "About what?"
"I wanted to…" Penny cleared her throat. "I wanted to work things out between us, Diego. We never got along. I'm tired of always bickering with you when clearly, at this moment in time, somehow, we seem to agree on most things concerning Dad's death."
Number Two halted in his tracks. Penny did as well, several steps above him.
He turned quickly, his face thoughtful. "Why not?"
She trailed after him to his bedroom in the children's wing. He sat down on his bed, arms crossed. She took a seat in the rocking chair across from him.
There was a deafening silence between them.
"You do realize that the police are hot on your trail?" he asked, a slight humor in his tone.
Penny's heart dropped. "What?"
"I don't know what you and Five thought you were doing in Griddy's Doughnuts a couple nights ago, but that waitress Agnes spilled the beans to the cops."
She groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. "What am I supposed to do?"
"I've been keeping them off your tracks," he assured her quickly. "You just owe me."
"What do I owe you?"
"A favor – one that I can ask for at any time."
"Will this favor involve anything illegal?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"What I need and when I need it."
"Diego, I can't just…commit crimes left and right. I've got an integral role at the San Diego Zoo. I can't give it up that easily."
"So helping Five murder a bunch of random men in a doughnut shop isn't illegal enough for you?"
"That was self-defense! They were trying to kill us!"
He stared back at her. "Really?"
"Don't sound so doubtful. You know damn well I wouldn't do that unless my life was in danger."
Thankfully, he did know that. "Fine. You're welcome, by the way."
She sighed. "Sure, thank you."
Silence settled over them again.
"Why is it that we're finally agreeing on things?" he asked.
"Because Luther's lost his mind. What does he think turning off Mom will do?"
Diego's eyebrows shot up as he began to polish a knife. "Yeah, I don't know what the hell happened to him, but Dad's death has affected him more than I thought it would." He eyed her sleeves. "I'm, uh…I'm sorry. About the funeral."
She averted her gaze elsewhere in the room, chewing the inside of her cheek. "You didn't know. How could you? I didn't want anyone else to find out."
"I guess I didn't know how bad it got."
"I did my best to cover it all up. Dad expected so much from us – from me. I put up a barrier. If he didn't see me break, maybe I never even broke at all."
Diego was sheepish. "I was wrong to say what I did. I'm sorry."
Penny was relieved. "Thank you. I accept your apology. And I'm sorry…for calling you so many awful things. You don't deserve that."
"Thank you."
She considered everything that had happened so far within the past two days – the whirlwind her life had suddenly become.
"What have you and Five been doing?" he wondered, pulling her from the abyss in her own mind.
She sighed. "You wouldn't believe me, Diego."
"You know, after everything that Luther's been spouting about Mom and Dad, I'm pretty open to anything you say at this point. You're one of the only sane ones left."
"Well, you may change your mind after I tell you this," she chuckled darkly. "You know how Five was stuck in the apocalypse for so long?"
"What about it?"
"He knows when it happens."
"Okay, so big deal?"
"Diego…the end of the world happens in six days."
He paused, eyes quickly meeting hers. "You're not serious."
Penny gritted her teeth. "I am."
"So the apocalypse happens in six days?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"That's bullshit." He went back to polishing his knife.
She squinted at him. "Diego. This isn't a joke."
He looked back at her. "You – the world renowned zoologist with the highest paying job of any of us Hargreeves wack-jobs – believe that the end of the world happens in six days, and I'm just supposed to trust you?"
"You know for a fact that I wouldn't say it unless I knew it to be true," she retorted rapidly.
He slid the knife into a halter on his belt. "You wouldn't be so freaked out if it wasn't true."
"Five and I have been looking for someone – someone who brings about the end of the world. Whoever it is needs a glass eye within the next six days. We've been staking out Meritech Prosthetics across town in some plumbing van Five found."
"A glass eye reassured Five that the apocalypse takes place in six days?"
"He saw our bodies, Diego. He got there just after whatever ends the world…ends the world. Luther's corpse was holding this glass eyeball. Five thinks that the owner is the catalyst. We find the catalyst –,"
"We stop the apocalypse," finished Diego. He sat there for a moment, fingers twiddling the end of yet another blade he had pulled from some pocket.
Penny popped her knuckles, waiting for whatever he had to say next.
"I'll help," he told her quietly.
She raised her eyebrows. "You will?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, I'll help you and Five stop the apocalypse."
She smiled. "That's…that's great news."
"But we can't tell anyone else yet," he said thoughtfully. "Luther already lost his shit once today and I don't really want to be a part of that again."
"Listen, Five doesn't know I've told you, but I'm going back soon to help him keep watch. You should come with me. It's not exciting, but once we find that guy, we can figure out what to do next."
Diego nodded, first slowly, and then faster as he made up his mind. "Sure. There's just something I need to do first."
"Perfect. I need to catch up on some work emails. I'll be in my room. Let me know when you're done and we'll get back to Five."
"Sounds like a plan."
The two stood, and Diego began to exit.
"Wait!" Penny called. She hurried over to stand in front of him.
On impulse, she wrapped her arms around his torso, wincing slightly at the bulky suit of knives strapped on his body. "Thank you. It's good to have somebody else I can trust."
To her surprise, Diego hugged her back. "I'm glad we both agree that Luther is stupid."
While it wasn't exactly what she thought of as an appropriate comment for a tender brother-sister moment, she took what she could get. That was Diego's version of vulnerability.
When they let go, Diego cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I'm never doing that again, and if you tell anybody, I'll stick one of these into your pinky toe," he said warningly, a very short blade suddenly weaving in and out of his fingers like a baton.
She held up her hands. "Fine, fine."
He charged out of the room, headed back down the hall.
Penny smiled to herself.
After a half-hour of answering emails to May about her favorite chimp, Vinny, and his hilarious antics, as well as behavioral issues, the sun had finally set behind the dark March evening clouds.
Penny sighed, switching on a small desk lamp beside her. She decided that she and Diego would pick up more coffee on their way back to Five and Delores in the van. Most likely they'd be up the entire night, half asleep, waiting impatiently for their one-eyed apocalypse catalyst.
She leaned her chin in her elbow, which rested against the desk, and scrolled, bored, through a staff-wide email sent out by the directory board of the zoo. More HR trainings…
She spotted movement in the reflection on the corner of her laptop screen. She could barely make out two cartoonish faces behind her, one pink and one blue.
Warmth flooded her hand as she grasped onto a cup of pencils, ready to make it glow red and crush the legs of whoever was behind her.
But before she could do that, a dull throb cracked the back of her skull.
And she remembered nothing.
You guys. I am SHOOK. There are SO MANY of you! I literally can't believe the amount of love this fic is getting in simply follows and favorites! And all the reviews already! THANK YOU! :) I am honestly so shocked that so many people are this interested in Penny and her story within the Umbrella Academy universe. Thank you all so much for everything!
That being said, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter of Bright Young Sun! I'll be honest – I really struggled with this chapter in the first two thousand words, but once Luther got into the van, I wrote these last six thousand or so words within the past four hours – I kid you not! I was so inspired to keep writing.
Again, I am cramming as much writing into my weekends as I can – hectic job! I'll do my best to update this next week. In fact, I'll try to upload weekly. I love writing this story so much and want to continue it.
Let me know your thoughts in the reviews – how do you think Diego knowing about the apocalypse will change things? What about Five expecting Penny back at the van? What do you think is going to happen in general?
LOVE you ALL! :) Talk to you soon!
