Forty three minutes before Sententia.
"I really don't understand," said .05 as he scratched his head, looking surprised for the first time since Séance had seen him, "By all accounts she should be pushing daisies right now."
The Hargreeves were back in the medical ward. Now though it was less of a sickbed/deathbed and more of a what-the-hell-is-going-on-bed. Séance edged a little closer curiously. Things were finally getting interesting enough for him. Hopefully his valuable services would be required soon.
"Well she's not," snapped Kraken defensively.
"Hold your horses Romeo," .05 as he raised his eyebrows, "You might also notice that she's not responding to anything we're saying. All she's doing right now is blinking. Normally I'd say that it's some sort of involuntary action caused by the brain cells not dying in their proper sequence. That's what should happen for a few minutes. But she's been doing it for hours."
"Hours are something we don't have," Space said as he shook his head, "We've got minutes until the game starts or we forfeit Earth. Seeing as I don't want to do that it seems like we should get going."
"What about Vanya?" asked Pogo.
"We have to take her with us," shrugged Space.
"In her condition?" Kraken snapped.
"If she's alive she has to come. Or we forfeit," said Space.
"How do you intend to do this?" said .05, "Figure out she's alive that is. Not even I'm one hundred percent sure what the hell is going on with her. Besides, the machines are broken."
Space nodded to Séance.
"See if you can get a response."
"Thought you'd never ask," he smirked.
Slowly he put a hand to her forehead. Oh yes, he could see a mind there. Only it didn't look like any mind he'd been in, dead or alive though. There was the usual thoughts he'd gotten from her mind before when he'd read it behind her back. Now though but they were obscured by something like a veil. As he digged deeper he saw that it was more like a sheet with movable music notes.
The music notes felt like thoughts though from the way that they moved. They showed black as night on a snow-white sheet of paper. The margins were written in dark ruby-red blood. Somewhere something was playing the tune. At first it was playing softly. Then it started getting louder and louder. It sounded like a violin playing; only he couldn't be sure.
Each note sounded like a whirlpool of madness and destruction. B, B, C, G, G, C, B, A in quick succession. With each and every note he felt himself getting drawn to the music. The tune should've been cheerful and magnificent. Instead it felt like every nightmare he'd ever had on acid and compressed into one.
The whole thing sounded terrible. Even so all he wanted to do was lose himself in it. A, A, B, G, A, B, C, B, G. Like quicksand beneath him he could feel his legs sinking slowly as the music started to swallow him up. Everything was becoming crescendos and staccatos in one big messy swirl. The world he knew was becoming less and less like a real place and more and more like a drea-
"SÉANCE!"
Séance blinked and quickly removed his hand. He looked up and blinked again at his siblings who were all staring at him.
"You were screaming Séance," said Space by way of an explanation, "Did you managed to make contact?"
"Man," said Séance, "That is one fucked-up mind she's got right now."
"I'll take that as a no," Space said coolly, "Either way that means she's alive. It seems that we'll just have to carry her."
.
.
.
"Speak roughly to your little boy, and beat him when he sneezes. He only does it to annoy, because he knows it teases!" sang Cat cheerfully as she twirled back and forth on the carpeted floor with ballet shoes.
"Cat-" started Comet.
"Let her be," said Reaper, "It's nearly out of her system. She'll be fine in a few minutes."
"Wow, wow, wow!" trilled Cat.
Cat twirled around shakily like a drunken ballerina. She tripped on her long dress and fell on the floor. She blinked once before giggling and getting up. Almost immediately she resumed her graceless dance.
Arkady straightened his mask and turned to Reaper.
"So you don't think that Music Box is a threat anymore?"
"I speak severely to my boy," continued Cat, "I beat him when he sneezes-"
"Keep an eye open," he said, "but from what I've seen it looks like their .01 is going to be our biggest threat. I'll take care of him. .02 is unpredictable so keep a close eye on him. No more freaking out Arkady. If things get bad ask Comet to come over. Alchemist you stay on Perjurer like we planned. Remember, I'll take care of it if it all goes wrong."
"For he can then thoroughly enjoy," sang Cat, "the pepper when he pleases!"
"What?" Alchemist pouted, "She's boring. She didn't use her power once when I fought her. Why can't I take another one, like the pale one or something? He looks like he'd put up a decent fight-"
"Wow, wow, wow!" finished Cat in a spectacular twirl, her arms reaching towards the ceiling.
"Stick to the plan," Reaper said sharply, "As for you Comet, you're our tag team. Help anyone who needs it. You're also in charge of making sure that their .04 can't get to Cat again. She's our best defense."
Reaper turned to Cat.
"You know what you're supposed to do."
Suddenly Cat's cheerful and giggly mood disappeared. Her face fell and something like fear flickered across it. She walked up to Reaper and grabbed the front of his jacket, gripping it desperately like a drowning man would grip a lifeline.
"If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later," she pleaded desperately.
"You know what you're supposed to do," repeated Reaper coldly.
Blinking once Cat let go of his jacket.
"I understand," she said softly.
"Good," said Reaper, giving a semi-cheerful smile, "Then let's get going."
.
.
.
"Everyone is here yes?" Georgiana asked brightly.
The Sentinels stood off to one side, glaring coldly at the Umbrella Academy. The feelings and looks were mutual.
"All accounted for," said Reaper smoothly.
Space gave a cursory glance to the rest of the group. .05 was busy loading bullets into his gun with one hand and flipping Hargreeves's old monocle in the air and catching it. With the other Kraken kept looking at Vanya who was standing by herself off to the side. Someone had thrown a coat over her shoulders and she stood limply without taking in the scene. Nervously Rumor tried to think about what she was going to be responsibe. Séance was counting the rainbows.
"Same here," he said.
"Good," said Georgiana, "this is live feed. Now, team leaders shake hands."
Reaper and Space shot looks at her which plainly said that they wouldn't.
"It's traditional," she said, her smile becoming brittle, "Part of the proceedings."
Reluctantly Space put out his hand. Reaper gripped it a tad firmer then he needed too. Space did so back and it looked more like they were trying to break each other's fingers then exchange pleasantries.
"You can let go now," said Georgiana, smiling brighter, "Now you all know the rules. Complete annihilation and you win."
Reaper shot her a look.
"That's not what you told us."
The Umbrella Academy turned and looked at her. Georgiana laughed nervously.
"All right, all right. If you have two members of your group left then you automatically lose as you won't have as many people to continue."
"You didn't tell us that," said Space sharply.
Georgiana shrugged.
"Hargreeves didn't tell me to."
Space was about to say something when Georgiana smoothly cut in;
"Now is there anything you wish to say to each other before you start?"
"We have someone who can't fight back," said Space with a nod at Vanya, "she can't move without instruction. We would appreciate it if she could sit at the sidelines."
Almost curiously Reaper looked at Vanya. She stared listlessly ahead of her. Kraken moved a little closer to her, almost protectively.
"She looks different," he said, "what happened?"
"We have no idea," said Space, "No one was with her when it did."
"They can't even keep track of their own siblings!" laughed Alchemist.
"Alchemist," said Reaper reproachfully, "In any case, if she doesn't attack us then we won't attack her. It's agreed."
Carefully Kraken lead Vanya over to a theater chair wher he applied faint pressure to her shoulders. Almost immediately she sat down.
"Anything else?" Georgiana asked.
"Yeah," said Kraken, "Go to hell."
"Well then," said Georgiana smiling again and stepping backwards, "I suppose that means you can begin."