Chapter 1: The Family Reunion No One Wanted
On the twelfth hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began.
Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.
He got eight of them.
"Dr. Hargreeves!"
The woman in question spun on her heel, her messenger bag slapping her leg. Her eyes narrowed. Her new assistant zookeeper, May, had followed her out of the enclosure, eyes wild and cheeks flushed.
"Are you okay, May?" she wondered, puzzled. "Did something happen with Vinny?"
The redhead flailed about. "No, no, he's fine. It's – it's you, Dr. Hargreeves!"
"Please, call me Penny."
The younger woman blinked. "S-sorry. Penny, this is about you."
Penny's nose scrunched, brow lowered. "Me?"
"Just come see the TV!"
Penny followed her flustered assistant into the break room of the chimpanzee enclosure. Several other zookeepers sat in the uncomfortable green pleather chairs around the plastic folding tables. An old TV mounted on the wall had a hazy picture of the nightly news report.
"Moments ago, the police reported the death of the most eccentric and reclusive billionaire. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the founder of the infamous children's crime-fighting superhuman organization was pronounced dead by the EMTs only thirty minutes ago."
Her heart stopped.
The tattoo tingled as May's eyes flitted to her arm. She shook the sleeve over her wrist.
"You didn't tell anyone else, did you?" she whispered almost inaudibly to her assistant.
The redhead's glasses jiggled as she shook her head incessantly. She hissed back, "no, no, of course not."
Penny smiled, the expression not quite reaching her eyes. "Thank you. I'll let the director know I'll need some time off."
May nodded this time. "Of course, Dr. – I mean, Penny. Of course."
"Don't worry about submitting any paperwork for me," she told the younger woman. "I can do it. I'll inform the team myself, too. You'll be in charge while I'm gone for a couple weeks."
Her assistant glanced back to the door that led to the enclosure sadly. "Vinny will be so disappointed."
"I know, but there's not much I can do," Penny shrugged. "I'll have to explain when I return. He trusts you. The rest of the pack will be fine with the members of our team."
May nodded once more, red curls bouncing lightly.
"I hope you have a good couple weeks, May," she said softly. "Please give my regards to Dr. Schultz."
"He'll ask a lot of questions about why you can't go to dinner," May replied, amused.
This time, Penny's smile ignited her whole face. "Just let him know I've had a tragedy occur in my family."
"Gotcha, boss," the redhead saluted.
"In the meantime, I've got a plane to catch."
Penny went to exit, May scrambling after her, again chasing her out of the enclosure break room.
"To the Academy?" May questioned breathlessly, halting in her tracks.
A large manor and several paintings, including a portrait, flashed through Penny's mind. She halted in her tracks as a rare rainstorm pelted them suddenly. Thunder rumbled darkly.
She looked over her shoulder. She gulped. "Yes, the Umbrella Academy."
Penelope Hargreeves had not had a normal childhood. She knew that from the very beginning. She had seen glimpses of television shows where other kids played with toys that didn't have a mechanism that you pulled for it to explode. Scenes where parents sat and spoke with their children about what had happened to them at school and not about how many people they had killed on a mission. Situations where kids went to school somewhere other than their own home and learned the proper way to write an essay, not how to dislodge an adult's jaw with a single punch.
She was reminded of the awful things her father had put her and her adopted siblings through the closer she got to the Hargreeves Manor.
Her plane flight from San Diego, where she lived and worked, to the Hargreeves Manor, where she grew up, was plagued with horrible dreams where she relived some of the worst parts of her childhood. And, of course, the one part that was good…or the one person that made it good for a short time.
She saw Luther screaming at her.
Allison's rumoring taking hold of her body.
Diego's insults hurtling towards her, full of spite.
Klaus's frequent screams of terror from the crypt near the house.
Five and herself in seclusion, huddled together with various books spread about.
Ben died again in front her. Her fault, obviously.
Vanya's written words haunting her, the venomous truth of their lives spilt for the world to mull over and criticize.
By the time Penny reached the front steps of the house, her blood had run cold. Her right hand twitched, threatening to increase the weight of the suitcase it grasped so tightly.
Number Eight shuddered; the warm feeling that had begun to creep down her arm flew away. She hadn't lost control of her powers in a long time – not since she had left twelve years ago.
She steadied herself, squaring her shoulders, and walked in.
The foyer was grand, but the smell was nostalgic – cleaning products. Lemon, specifically. Penny had always enjoyed the spray Mom had used on the wooden table in the entryway. It reminded her of simpler times.
She closed the door quietly behind her, hoping to not draw too much attention to herself as she entered.
"Ah, Miss Penelope," echoed a voice from the staircase.
And there stood one of the most wonderful beings on planet Earth. Penelope grinned for the first time since hearing her father had passed.
"Pogo."
She rushed to the bottom step, leaping into the old chimpanzee's arms just like old times.
"It is so good to see you again, Miss Penny," he greeted warmly, "or should I say, Doctor Penelope Hargreeves. I'm so proud of you.
"At least someone is," remarked Penny as she let go. "Let me see you, Pogo."
The two loosed their hold on one another, each at an arm's length. A smile played about her mouth as she inspected her childhood hero.
"You've gotten old, my friend," she teased.
"You would know, wouldn't you?" he laughed. "You're the expert now."
"The only reason I got my degree in chimpanzee biology and behavior is because of you," she replied happily. "You inspired me to look past their physical bodies and see them for what they are – sentient and intelligent creatures who deserve respect and love."
Pogo grinned, his hairy hand tapped her cheek lightly. "And you have not changed a bit. Still the kind spirit I remember you to be."
Penny's face fell slightly as they began to make their way to the sitting room. "Kind isn't a word I'd use to describe a murderer, Pogo."
The old chimp sighed. "Your past doesn't define you, Miss Penny."
"Tell that to Vanya," she quipped. She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so bitter towards my sister."
Pogo rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know all that you did for her as a child. She does not. She only sees what she experienced, not what you did in order to improve her experience. She may have come around. The book was published several years ago."
"I know, but…I pride myself in understanding psychology of not only chimpanzees, but also humans. It's not healthy for her to hold on to something that happened to her because of me as a ten year old. It has to be wearing on her mental health," retorted Penny.
"Oh, Penelope!"
The woman turned to see Grace, her mother, standing with open arms in the doorway to the sitting room.
"Hi, Mom."
The two embraced for a long while before her mother pulled back to inspect the state of her daughter.
"You look lovely, Penny. Your work is treating you well."
"I love what I do," said her daughter. "It's so good to see you, Mom. I've missed you."
"Pogo has been showing me all the emails you sent, and all the pictures, too. We are so proud of you, dear. Your father is, too."
Penny's nose scrunched, eyes flicking to Pogo. "Mom…Dad isn't here."
Grace's eyes went blank. "What do you mean?"
Before Penny could correct her mother again, Pogo interrupted them.
"Grace, I do believe the mailman left a package by the back door," he told her.
Her mother's face lit up once again, returning to its cheery expression. "I'll go fetch it. It's probably the new dusters you ordered, Pogo."
As the automaton walked away, Penny's gaze shifted to the portrait over the mantelpiece. A familiar sinking feeling overcame her. She turned away quickly.
"I miss him, too," Pogo said sadly.
It hurt her to see his again after so many years. In fact, it hurt so much, she chose not to respond. Instead, she turned and faced her dear friend.
"When do the others arrive?"
"Miss Allison got here just minutes before you. I expect she's in her room. Master Luther is also here, but I don't know where. I suspect the same of Master Klaus. Master Diego is inspecting the study."
"Not anymore," a male voice responded.
Penny turned to see her brother, Diego Hargreeves, dressed in what she recognized to be a leather combat suit with various blades strapped to his limbs. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That man and his weapons…
"Nice to see you, too, Diego," she greeted as he walked out from the next room.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the prestigious Doctor Penelope Delores Hargreeves," he mocked.
"Wow, adding in the middle name, too, huh?" she quipped. "Still playing with knives, I see."
"Still making shit weigh what it's not supposed to?"
He threw a knife her way.
In most situations, the average person would shriek or dive out of the way of a knife hurtling towards their face. Thankfully, Penny was not the average person.
Without flinching, Penny caught the knife by the handle with her right hand, waited a moment until it glowed red, and then tossed it back.
She smirked as her pesky brother laughed, attempted to grasp the handle, and ended up flat on the ground as the now extremely weighted knife plummeted into the floorboards.
"I did not miss that," he grouched, attempting to pull it from the floor. It was lodged and seemed to be sinking in further. "You really stuck this one in. Have you gotten stronger?"
"More accurate maybe," she sneered.
She watched in amusement as he continued to struggle with pulling it free.
"So are you just going to stand there, or are you going to make it normal again?" he remarked snidely.
Penny rolled her eyes, marched over, stuck her left hand out, and snagged the knife from its place in the wood. It glowed blue, this time, but then returned to its original shine.
She handed it over, another smirk on her face.
"Thanks, Miss Penny Perfect," he snarked, shoving the blade back into a sheath at his hip.
The woman in question frowned. Her voice lowered. "You know I hate that nickname, Diego."
"That's why I used it," he quipped.
"So you're still a sniveling asshole."
"And you're still a pretentious bitch."
"That's a big word. Are you sure you didn't ask Mom how to say it before I walked in?"
This was why she didn't come home unless there was a wedding or a funeral.
Diego, apparently at a loss for words, stalked out of the sitting room.
Penny rolled her eyes. If any one of her siblings was able to get on her last nerve, it was Number Two. They had never been the closest of friends, even as children.
Diego struggled with stuttering for much of his childhood, which Penny was quite affluent in assisting with. But once he was over that phase of his life, he cared little for her much longer.
"Ah. What is she doing here?" his voice reverberated from the foyer.
Penny quickly walked out to see Diego striding past their two sisters, Allison and Vanya, neither of whom had noticed her presence yet. They were turned to speak to Diego, who was still insulting everyone in sight, obviously bitter about his interactions with Penny.
"You don't belong here," he deadpanned, "not after what you did."
"You're seriously going to do this today?" demanded Allison.
"Sorry, that's my fault," Penny waved her hand, drawing attention away from the fuming Number Two.
Vanya's head snapped towards her sister, face lighting up slightly. Penny did her best to return the look, but it was a struggle. After everything she had written in her autobiography, Penny had not been able to see Number 7 in a positive light. It had taken her several years to combat the feelings of betrayal she harbored towards Vanya.
Penny remembered the countless times she had confronted Reginald about including Vanya. Little did she know, her father had taken out his frustrations on Vanya, and not her.
Allison was still wrapped up in defending her sister. "Way to dress for the occasion, by the way."
"At least I'm wearing black," he quipped.
"At least Allison isn't an asshole," Penny called back. She went to stand with her sisters.
"You know what, I – maybe he's right and I shouldn't –,"
"Forget about him," Allison interrupted, "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," Penny chimed in. "It's good to see you, Vanya. You too, Allison."
She shared a short hug with each of them.
"I hear you're quite the violinist, Van," said Penny. She wanted to start off the visit on a positive note. "Congratulations."
Vanya looked sheepish. "No, I'm only third chair."
Penny shook her head. "That's still incredible. So many people would kill to be in a professional symphony. You earned it. You practiced so much when we were kids. I knew you'd do something amazing like this."
Vanya accepted the compliment, but didn't seem convinced. "Well, it's nothing compared to you. You've got a doctorate in zoology and chimpanzee psychology and biology. You work at the San Diego Zoo as head of the chimpanzee enclosure. That's way more interesting."
Penny shook her head. "Either way, I would love to hear you play sometime."
Allison nodded. "When this all is over, I'd love the same."
Vanya's smile widened just a little. "Thank you. And Allison, I actually really enjoyed your last movie."
Number Three looked bewildered. "You saw it?"
Vanya nodded.
"I've seen every one," admitted Penny. "You're a fantastic actress."
Allison's eyebrows shot up as Vanya said the same.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
There was a moment of awkward silence. Penny popped her knuckles, a nervous habit she developed from a young age.
"I think I'm going to go take a look at my old room," she announced. She started for the stairs.
"They all are the exact same way we left them," Allison told her. "Mom didn't change a thing."
"Great – all my stuffed animals will still be there then," grinned Penny.
She left her two adopted sisters in the foyer as she ascended the steps, directly heading towards the children's wing.
As she descended the stairs on the opposite side of the house, she saw herself and her siblings again as children in her mind's eye.
Luther and Allison whisking each other away to each other's rooms – whether just talking or listening to music together…
Diego zooming up and down the hallway, chasing them all with various blades while laughing his head off…
Ben and Klaus pulling pranks on Diego for revenge…
Five spacial jumping from one room to the next, scaring them all out of their wits…
Herself, holed up in a thick blanket on her bed in her shared room with Allison, reading about densities, and the science behind her own powers, then Five interrupting by spacial jumping onto her bed.
She stared in nostalgic disgust at the various debilitating fight moves illustrated on posters along the hall as she walked into her shared room.
Then, with a small push and twist of an ancient knob, the door to her childhood bedroom creaked open. She flicked on the light, a warm smile playing about her lips.
Allison's side of the room was decidedly girly – pink, an antique vanity with various magazine cutouts pasted to the mirror, a feather boa.
Penny's side of the room was like a step into the jungle. There were greens and blues and oranges, including various fake plants everywhere, as she couldn't keep a real one alive long enough for it to grow up. She had faux vines strung across above her bed, a few twinkled lights strung across the walls, and a pile of stuffed animal chimpanzees stacked high by her pillows. Orange and white lilies littered the windowsill. And on the wall was a painted waterfall. Penny had done it herself in secret one night when she couldn't sleep after a mission. Allison didn't mind it, and Mom never dared tell Dad. He believed time well spent was in the training room, or sleeping to recharge after training long and hard. He also never set foot in any of the Hargreeves children's bedrooms, he wouldn't have known even after everyone had moved away.
She plopped down on her bed, eyes drawn to the full bookshelves to her right next to the end of her bed. The genres of the texts varied greatly. Her eyes scanned the various titles on the worn spines lovingly, remembering each one well.
Penny's gaze then landed on her absolute favorite stuffed chimp – Anastasia.
History wasn't a strong interest of hers, but the story of Anastasia of Russia always intrigued her. Their father always informed them of grievous, gory tales of history when he felt up to speaking with them about something other than their powers and training. One of her favorites was of a possible surviving princess who was whisked away to live in secret, alive and well, away from the murderous wretches who murdered her entire family. For some reason, Penny always identified with Anastasia. If she was alive, then she was somewhere in the world, anonymously living out the rest of her days in peace. Penny knew her childhood was anything but anonymous. Anastasia being taken from her family to live a life that was not meant to be her own was something Penny identified with on a level that no one understood but her. Thus, when Pogo gave her the stuffed animal as a birthday present, its name became Anastasia.
Penny squeezed Anastasia in her arms. The familiar soft body of the toy was comforting. It was an action she had done repeatedly throughout her life when she lived at the manor.
Allison entered the room quietly, tapping lightly on the doorframe. She smiled slightly as she saw the toy in her sister's arms.
"I forgot about Anastasia," she said.
Penny smiled back. "I didn't."
She set the chimpanzee back, carefully making sure each toy was in the perfect place, just as they had been so neatly arranged as before.
There was a beat.
"How…how is your mental health, Penny?" questioned Allison quietly.
Penny huffed lightly as her sister went to sit on the bed opposite her. Her mind raced, jumbling words and memories together in an almost sickening swirl of regret and depression. There were glimpses of scissor halves hidden in a secret area beneath her bed, the crimson stains on the blades. A moment of conviction, brought upon by a certain sister's rumor abilities, one that had haunted Penny's dreams for years.
Yet still, she attempted to remain fairly vague. She wasn't sure how Allison remembered that event, nor did she want to continue to relive it in her mind.
"Since I moved out, it's been great," she replied. "There's been no one on my back making sure I do the right thing except for me. I can tell myself when enough is enough, or when I've done the perfect job. It's been the best it's ever been."
"That's so good to hear," her sister replied sincerely. "I know you don't want to hear it, but…you worried me so much at times. I knew that leaving Dad would be better for you in the long run."
Penny nodded solemnly. "He was the worst perpetrator."
"He pushed you so much harder than the rest of us at certain times," Allison agreed. "I never understood why. He held you to this -,"
"Impossible standard of perfection," Penny finished. She sighed. "Trust me, I know."
The two women were silent for a moment.
"I'm really glad you're better," Allison told her warmly.
"Thank you, me too," said Penny. "Um…not to pry, but how is Claire?"
Allison's face immediately fell, her shoulders growing stiff.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Penny retracted rapidly, "I didn't mean to make it hurt more."
"No, no, you're fine," Allison shook her head, plastering on a happier expression. "I just haven't seen her in a while. I assume you heard about the divorce."
"I did," Penny confirmed. "I wanted to call, but…"
"I understand."
"I know you do."
Allison chuckled suddenly. "I used to tell her stories about all of us, our adventures."
"Adventures? You called them adventures?" Penny laughed. "They were far from it."
"I can't scare my own kid." Allison laughed, too. "But she came up with these names for all of you."
"Did she really?"
"It's really cute. Her favorites were about Luther. She called him Spaceboy."
"That is really adorable. How about me?"
"Her name for you was The Scale."
"As in the tool used to weigh two objects?"
Allison laughed again. "Yeah, I'm sorry."
Penny shook her head, smiling. "No, no, I kind of like that."
An unfamiliar silence settled between them as they surveyed their shared childhood bedroom.
"A weird part of me missed this room," Allison said. "I almost missed your poorly painted waterfall."
"Wow, I'm offended," Penny teased. "You know how hard I worked on that. It is a masterpiece."
"Five hated it," giggled Allison.
Penny's stomach pooled with nostalgic sadness for the second time that day. Her laughs faded into a strangled sigh.
She noticed the scars on the tattoo on her wrist, and tugged the fabric of her sleeve down to hide it.
It took a second for Allison to notice her adopted sister's plummeting mood.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I always forget how much he meant to you."
For some reason, Penny smiled lightly. "He was the best, but he was also a major asshole."
To this, Allison grinned. "He really was, wasn't he? Even at thirteen, he was a massive dick."
"It was so great to see him call out Dad, though. I mean, he just went for it. He grabbed that steak knife and suddenly, it was sticking out of the table," Penny reminisced fondly.
"We were shocked, that's for sure. I found it more entertaining when he yelled at Dad in his study."
"We weren't allowed in that study unless on official Umbrella Academy business."
A mischievous light entered Allison's eyes. "We should go check it out."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's go into the study. It's not like he can stop us."
Penny's eyebrows shot up. She had always been curious about the mysterious study, and now that her father was no longer in the land of the living and they were adults, he couldn't do anything about it.
She nodded slowly. "Sure, why not?"
The two made their way back up the back stairwell, then down the main steps and through the living room to the late Sir Reginald Hargreeves' enigmatic study.
Allison pushed the sliding door open, the blue light of the fading daylight casting pale shadows across the carpeted floor.
The desk to the right was piled high with countless volumes of who-knows-what. The intricately carved cabinets and delicate candelabras behind the desk across the room were familiar, but still, an air of mystery surrounded them. The curtains were parted, which was where all the blue light of evening was coming from. Penny couldn't remember a time where she saw the world from behind that particular pane of glass. The red velvet drapes were always pulled shut, and the warm glow of the lamps from the desk scattered about the room was the norm. It was strange for Number Three and Eight to see the study so differently from before.
But then, there was a rustling from behind the desk, and a male voice muttered to himself.
"Where's the cash, Dad?"
The drawers clattered.
Allison and Penny shared a knowing look and dared approach.
"Where's the cash?" he murmured again.
"Klaus? What are you doing in here?" wondered Allison, leaning over the side to spot their addict brother.
Penny stood just a bit behind her, arms folded, one eyebrow cocked.
Klaus Hargreeves' head popped up from just behind the desk. His eyes were glazed over, but his expression was one of elation. "Oh! Allison! Wow, is that you?" His eyes went to Penny. "And our magnificent little Penny! Oh goodness! You look…the same! Hey, come here, you two."
Penny resisted a small laugh as she and her sister both hugged their adopted brother.
"Long time. Too long," said Klaus. "Penny, you're a doctor now! That means you can judge me for all my previous ailments. Maybe you should take a quick look at this weird mole on my arm. Is it malignant? Please, I must know." He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and grinned widely.
"I'm not that kind of doctor, Klaus," chuckled Penny, pulling his sleeve down for him. "I have a doctorate in zoology – specifically chimpanzee behavior and biology."
He gasped. "Ah, yes! Now all those little monkey babies in your room make way more sense. Still, did you see that mole? Do you think it needs to be burned off?" Before Penny could even jokingly answer, he turned his attention to their sister. "You know, I was hoping to see you actually. I wanted to get your autograph. Add it to my collection!"
Allison smiled, then noticed a white band wrapped around his arm. "Just out of rehab?"
Klaus tugged his hand away quickly. "No, no. No, no, no, no. I'm done with all that."
Penny shared a concerned glance with Allison. Number Four was obviously stoned out of his mind at that moment. They'd never seen it so bad before. If he was in and out of rehab, that meant his powers had grown exponentially. He had dabbled in drugs as a teenager, but Penny hadn't realized how bad it had become for him to simply live his life.
"I just came down here to prove to myself that the old man was really gone. And he is! He's dead! Yeah!" he clapped excitedly.
Penny snorted.
"You know how I know?" he questioned.
"Because if he was alive and caught us in here, we'd be dead before we could say oops?" joked Penny darkly.
"Precisely!" exclaimed her brother. "He was always in here, our whole childhood, plotting his next torment, right?" He plopped down into their father's old chair, setting his feet carelessly on the messy desk.
Allison inspected several papers while Penny rifled through the various glass bottles on the left side, curious of their contents. Klaus continued his rambling.
"Remember how he used to look at us? That scowl? Especially you, Penny, he really had it out for you most days. Thank Christ he's not our real father so we couldn't inherit those cold, dead eyes!"
Klaus widened his eyes with his fingers, making a detestably over dramatic expression supposedly mimicking Reginald's own strange features. He squealed as his imitation continued, gaze set decidedly on Penny. "Listen here, Number Eight…"
Penny did her best to hide the icicles that slid down her spine at that phrase. Listen here, Number Eight was one she heard at the worst times during her childhood.
"Get out of his chair."
The demand sounded from across the room, where Luther Hargreeves had stepped through another door, face solemn. He was not in the same mood as his brother.
What surprised Penny the most about Luther's appearance was his almost laughable size. It was as if he had become a professional body builder. Had he been on steroids? What had made him grow to be such a size?
Klaus said the same thoughts aloud, just less tactful. "Oh, wow, Luther! Wow, you really…uh…You really filled out over the years, huh?"
"Klaus," came a warning sigh.
"Save the lecture. We were already leaving. You guys can talk amongst yourselves."
As Klaus passed, he pulled on Penny's arm, guiding her away from the desk.
"Hi, Penny," Luther nodded, only meeting her eyes for a second.
"Luther," replied Penny awkwardly. "Hope you've been well."
While Penny's relationship with Klaus had always been positive and supportive, her interactions with Luther had never gone quite as well. Penny, while fairly quiet by nature, had no problem expressing her opinion to her siblings, and, most of the time, her opinions did not align with Luther's. While he was supposedly the leader, seeing as he was Number One, Penny did not think his obsession with their father was one that was assistive to the Academy. While Penny always wanted to please her father, she understood from a young age that he didn't care much about her as a person. He was more invested in her abilities than her interests. Luther never seemed to understand that Reginald was not interested in his hobbies or personality, and that was what Penny found so infuriating. He was expecting a personal reward for his accomplishments, which was never handed out in a caring, parental figure way.
Luther stopped Klaus, who then dropped Penny's arm.
"Drop it."
"Ex-squeeze me?"
"Do it. Now."
The two brothers stared each other down for a moment before Klaus relented.
"All right, all right." He tossed several knick-knacks out of his feather coat. "It's just an advancement on our inheritance. That's all it is. No need to get your little panties in a bunch." He passed Luther, waving a hand at Penny. "Doctor, we need a snack."
"I guess I'm making a snack," chuckled Penny, striding past Luther to follow Klaus out of the study. She didn't look back as she closed the door behind her.
"What a douche," Klaus laughed as they slumped down the carpeted hall. He made a fake crying face. "Aw, look at me, I'm giant Daddy's Boy! Even though he's dead, I just want everything to stay the same! You don't matter at all!"
Penny couldn't help but laugh. "You're not wrong, Klaus."
"Here, let me show you what that oversized monkey didn't find," he relayed giddily, pulling a box out of the back of his pants. "It helps to have an already flat butt."
The box was ornately decorated, gold and shining. It was obviously worth something more than the few trinkets he had exposed before leaving the study.
Penny's eyebrows shot up as Klaus kissed it.
"I'm only showing you because I know you won't tattle-tale," he winked. He walked down another hall.
"I thought you wanted a snack?"
"I just said that so those two could have some alone time," he joked, twirling the box in his fingers. "I'll catch ya on the flippity flip!"
And with that, Penny was alone once more.
"So, um…" Luther stuttered. "I guess we should get this started."
The Umbrella Academy, or what was left of it, had been sitting in deafening silence just moments before. Number One had called a meeting about the death of their father.
Penny sat slumped with a pillow in her lap on the opposite end of the couch from Vanya. Luther stood across from them, with Diego on a small seat on the same side, and Allison in another chair next to the couch. Klaus was behind them at the bar, making himself a drink.
"So I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown. Say a few words, just at Dad's favorite spot."
"Dad had a favorite spot?" questioned Allison.
Luther nodded. "You know, under the oak tree. We used to sit out there all the time. None of you ever did that?"
"We weren't the favorites, Luther," Penny replied pointedly.
Before he could respond, Klaus rounded the furniture with a lit joint, a glass full of brandy, and Reginald's ashes. "Will there be refreshments? Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner."
"What? No," Luther denied instantly. "And put that out. Dad didn't allow smoking in here."
"Is that my skirt?" Allison asked suddenly as Klaus handed Penny the jar of ashes.
Penny frowned, setting it loudly on the side table. She found it strange to hold the urn that housed the remains of her late adopted father.
"Oh, yeah, this," said Klaus distractedly, "I found it in your room. It's a little dated, I know, but very breezy on the…bits."
Penny bit the inside of her cheek, holding in an amused smile.
"Listen up. Still some important things we need to discuss, all right?" Luther reprimanded.
Klaus shrugged and flopped down in between Vanya and Penny.
Diego scoffed. "Like what?"
"Like the way he died."
"And here we go."
"I don't understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack," Vanya chimed in.
"Yeah, according to the coroner," said Luther.
"Well, wouldn't they know?" countered Vanya.
"Theoretically."
Allison's eyebrows raised. "Theoretically?"
"They're a coroner," Penny said. "Part of their job is to determine cause of death. A heart attack isn't hard to discern. I've done it with chimps – it's easy to tell based on -,"
Luther was frustrated. "I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. The last time that I talked to Dad, he sounded strange."
"Oh!" exclaimed Klaus with a mouthful of alcohol, "quelle surprise!"
"Strange how?" Allison grilled him.
"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust."
Diego stood from his place. "Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles."
"It must be the end of the world, because for once, I agree with Diego," Penny concluded. "He used to tell us that all the time as kids. That's nothing out of the ordinary."
Luther was clearly in denial. "No. He must have known something was going to happen." He turned to their brother. "Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk with Dad."
Penny rolled her eyes while Allison scoffed.
Klaus was exasperated. "I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad could you just…stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"
Penny couldn't help but join in. "Yeah, and 'Dad, Mussolini will find another partner for a moment – yes, you can sub in Stalin, he's got a great backhand. This will only take a second!'"
Klaus smacked her knee as the two shared a laugh.
"Penny, don't encourage him!" Luther reproached. "You're just as bad as he is."
Penny huffed at him. "You can't just order him to use his powers like that, you know. You're starting to sound like Dad."
"Yeah, besides, I don't exactly…do that anymore, anyways," shrugged Klaus, taking a hit of his joint.
"Since when? That's your thing," Luther complained.
"I'm not in the right…frame of mind!"
"You're high?" Allison concluded.
Klaus laughed maniacally. "Yeah, yeah! I mean, how are you not, listening to this nonsense!"
"Well sober up, this is important," ordered Luther. "Then there's the issue of the missing monocle."
"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?" Diego demanded.
"Exactly, it's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal. Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge."
"Where are you going with this?" Klaus wondered, puzzled.
Penny connected the dots and sighed, disappointed in her brother's 'detective work.' She thought it was absolutely ridiculous.
"Oh, isn't it obvious, Klaus?" Diego interrupted, seemingly amused with Number One's assumptions. "He thinks one of us killed Dad."
There was a shocked moment of silence as Luther sent a guilty look across the sitting room.
"You do?" realized Klaus at last.
"How could you think that?" asked Vanya breathlessly.
"That's bullshit," Penny quipped. "Absolute bullshit."
"Great job, Luther. Way to lead." Diego seemed more disappointed than surprised.
Luther tried to defend himself. "That's not what I'm saying."
"You're crazy, man. You're crazy." Even Klaus was at a breaking point. He stood to leave.
Penny stood, adjusting her black v-neck sweater as she did so. She shook her head at Luther.
"I've not finished!"
"Sorry, I'm just going to go murder Mom. Be right back," spit Klaus.
"That's not I was saying…"
"Then what were you saying, Luther?" Penny pressed. "Huh?" There was no answer from Luther. "I don't know what happened to you, but your mind was obviously affected."
She stormed out of the sitting room, charging to the children's wing.
When she finally came to a stop, she realized she was in Five's room. Instead of slamming the door in anger, she pushed it shut softly, the latch clicking into place.
She stared at the empty bedroom. She had refused to enter it for so many years, and to finally be back felt strange. But it was a comforting strange. Somehow, after almost seventeen years, it still smelled like him – fresh laundry detergent, old books, and a hint of iron. For some reason, his teleporting, or spacial jumps, always left a strange odor that a twinge of iron to it. It was familiar to Penny, and one she thought she'd never smell again.
She sat carefully on the bed, not wanting to wrinkle the pristine, smoothed comforter.
What was Luther thinking? One of their own had ruthlessly murdered Sir Reginald Hargreeves because of their horrible childhood?
As much as Penny somehow understood where Luther was coming from, she also realized that she knew their siblings better than he did. While they all were capable of murder, except for maybe Vanya, she knew in her heart that none of them would be able to stomach committing this action against the man who had bought and trained them. It was an inconceivable notion.
And then she heard it. The familiar bass, rhythm, and lyrics.
Children behave…that's what they say when we're together…
Penny smirked. Luther had always loved blasting this song for the entire house to enjoy when Reginald was away on business trips. Pogo had even admitted to enjoying it every once in a while.
And so we're running just as fast as we can. Holdin' on to one another's hand…trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground and then you say – I think we're alone now…
Penny couldn't help it. She stood and began to dance, although rather horribly. Five and Ben had always teased her for not being able to find the beat, but she had never cared. It was the only time she didn't care about getting it right. It was solace.
Doesn't seem to be anyone around. I think we're alone now…the beating of our hearts is the only sound…
And so she kept dancing.
That is, until the music scratched, the lights flickered, and the wind began to rattle the windows.
Penny paused as blue light flashed repeatedly outside.
She rushed to the window, peering down to the courtyard below. Whatever was happening was just out of sight.
She spun on her heel and ran down the stairs, dodging flying metal objects, which seemed to be flying in every which direction.
"What the hell is happening?" she shouted to Vanya as they both grabbed their coats from the rack in the foyer.
"I don't know, I was on the stairs, and all of a sudden, it just went dark!" her sister called back.
The two slid on their jackets, rushing after their siblings, who were charging through the door to courtyard.
She and Vanya exited the manor first, followed directly by Diego.
Above their heads was a static mess of blue, rippling light. It seemed to be charged with electricity, or magnetic waves, as Penny concluded from her previous interactions with ducking under various flying clocks and metal-made décor in the house. There was a scene in the middle of the mass, which looked like what could have been a grassy backyard with a well-made fence.
"What is it?" yelled Vanya.
"Don't get too close!" Allison yelled back.
"Yeah, no shit," Diego countered.
"Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly," Luther observed.
Penny's mind raced with information she had read of before. The conditions were very similar. "Or a miniature black hole!"
"Well, one of the two," agreed Luther.
"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan," quipped Diego.
Klaus came barreling out of the house, a fire extinguisher in his clutches. "Out of the way!" He pushed through Luther and Diego, firing the contents of the extinguisher into the anomaly then chucking it in forcefully. It disappeared with a pop.
Under different circumstances, Penny would have found the action amusing.
"What is that going to do?" Allison inquired.
"I don't know! Do you have a better idea?" Klaus shrugged.
The wind picked up speed and the crackling noise of the blue mess above them grew in decibels. Penny couldn't take her eyes off it. Although, the sound of the fire extinguisher entering the field reminded her of another sound she'd heard before, many times, almost seventeen years ago…
"Everybody get behind me!" Luther told them.
Diego hopped on the bandwagon, pushing Penny and Vanya behind his outstretched arm. "Yeah, get behind us!"
Klaus's hand went to Penny's shoulder, hanging on tightly. He screamed suggestions. "I vote for running, c'mon!"
Another crackling sound split through the air, as if a strike of lightning.
But then a face appeared in the midst of the blue – an elderly man, mouth open wide, as if screaming.
"What on earth…" muttered Penny.
The face quickly transformed, as if aging backwards. Even from that far back, Penny knew exactly what the person looked like – almost identically…
And without another word from any of the seven siblings, the figure dropped straight to the dead-leaf covered ground, the light fading as quickly as it had appeared with one last crash.
The Hargreeves siblings slowly tread towards the figure who had gotten to his feet rather quickly for someone who had just fallen so far.
Klaus's hand squeezed her shoulder. "Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?"
Penny gulped, her hands trembling. A cold sweat ran down the nape of her neck.
This was not what she was expecting when she came back to bid her abusive father farewell for one last time.
Five stood, looked down at himself, and then back at the group, who stood staring, bewildered that their brother was back and looked as if he hadn't aged a day since he vanished into thin air.
"Shit."
Thanks for reading the first chapter of Bright Young Sun! I love the Umbrella Academy and couldn't help but add in Penny, who honestly came together quite quickly as a character. I feel like that's always a good sign when creating an OC. I hope you find her interesting! You'll find out more about her powers and her backstory with each of the other Hargreeves once the story picks up more.
If you want to read more, please let me know by follow, favoriting, or reviewing! I'd love it if you did so.
Until next time, thank you!