The name Hargreeves was plastered everywhere. Apparently a part of a perfect world was to build an empire dedicated in Reginald Hargreeves' honour. As Five made his way through the city, there wasn't anything of value that didn't have his dad's name slapped on. Nice to know that he practically sacrificed his family to get a fast food chain named after him. Here he thought his dad had a bit more class than that.
Dismissing all the changes in buildings, Five only had one place he wanted to go. Eventually he came to his destination that was untouched by his dad; Meritech Prosthetics. With hands in his pockets to somewhat keep warm, he sat down on a nearby bench to stay watch. The sun had a few hours left until it would finish its ascension. The same for when people finally would start to arrive. And hopefully she would appear too. Any form of her.
Five gently took Cielo's cracked watch into his hands. His fingers lightly tracing over the cracks. He knew that it was coming. She had followed in all the steps that the other Cielo had. Her brain had all her memories. She had been doing so many things behind his back and he knew it. Yet why couldn't he stop her? As much as he blamed his adoptive dad for her death, it was equally his own fault for letting her die.
Now in this completely new world, he was powerless and knew nothing of what's to come. Normally in these types of scenarios, this would be when she appeared. She was always the one to find him when he was lost. Whether it be because of her memories he didn't care. She was gone and with her any ounce of strength he had left.
A pair of shoes came into his vision. Lifting his head up he was met with one of his brothers. The most dangerous one of the bunch. Though he was slightly glad that it was one of them that found him and not some cop.
"What do you want, Viktor?"
"I was looking for you. Took me a while to remember that Cielo worked in prosthetics. Can I sit?" He sighed but shuffled over to make room for his brother.
The two sat for a while. Five never taking his eyes off the building. This was the only place he could go. It wasn't until now that he realized that he knew nothing about Cielo. He didn't know where she liked to hang out. Nor her hobbies, friends, family, or anything for that matter. All he knew was that she worked in prosthetics; something so base level that even Viktor knew it. And they were just neighbours.
"That's a nice watch. Did you break it during Oblivion?"
"It's Cielo's. It broke the day she died."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Sometimes he forgot how blunt his brother could be. "You know, Allison told me that she didn't plan for any of their deaths. That it was all dad's work. She had no part and didn't want any of that to happen."
"That doesn't change that she should have spoken with us prior. That she's been on edge since we got to that timeline. I told you this. That she was unpredictable and could have done a lot worse. Why didn't you stop her back there?" Viktor shook his head, not really understanding his own actions.
"When I got my memories back, I wondered that too. Why didn't she shoot me in the head back in the Icarus theatre? But we're family Five. No matter how much we fight or get at each other's throats, we've always somehow gotten together when we needed each other the most. She needed me at that moment. So I couldn't stop her. I thought you out of all people would have understood that."
"I thought so too. Then I found out that she made a deal with dad, killed Cielo, Luther, Klaus, and left us all here without powers, while she's off who knows where. Probably living her perfect life."
"Probably. But I don't blame her really. Losing Claire was a lot. Raymond too. I would have taken the chance too." Five nodded along. "Do you hate her?"
"Surprising no. I promised Cielo awhile ago that I wouldn't blindly hate any of you. To look at each of you individually and try to understand where you are all coming from. It's not like I don't know what it's like to break my morals to save my family. So no, I don't hate her for leaving us like this. And I don't hate you for saving her."
Viktor took in how tired Five appeared. He had been running around for years. With this sudden stop, he finally realized how much that young face had truly represented his old age. Some of it being due to him being lost like the rest of them. Finding Cielo being the first step to recollecting himself.
"I never did get to ask how you and Cielo actually got to know each other. I mean, you mentioned that she became the Commission head but then next time I saw her she was in hotel Obsidian arguing with Luther. Then you tell us that you love her. She's been quite the influence on my older brother."
He never really had the chance to tell any of them about who Cielo was. It just seemed not important for them to learn this part of his life when the world was at stake. Thinking back on it, he had no idea how they got to this point. It was so natural that she was with him that she already felt like family. Including how unpredictable she was. Despite it all, he never had a moment to just consider how much he was lost without her beside him.
For the first time since Oblivion, Five relaxed a bit. "It's a long story. Or I guess not really. Cielo was just... I could never figure her out. She didn't care that I was an assassin or anything about messed up background for that matter. At the beginning all she wanted was a please and thank you. Everything I could have done wrong, I did. She never truly left me though. She praised the parts that I hated about me. She cared when all I did was destroy myself. She was there when I needed her. But now for the first time that she needs me, and I don't even know where to start to find her."
Any sane person would have been crying at this point. Her ghost had hugged him. He should have used that moment to tell her everything. Her at the wedding was beautiful. He wasn't joking when he said he would rejoin Commission if it was for her. Regardless of her memories, he would have listened to any advice she gave. He wouldn't even blink for the rest of his life if it caused her the tiniest bit of pain.
That he was sorry for her death. Through the chaos of constant apocalypses and his dysfunctional family, she was the only constant. He loves her. He needed her to stay. For even just a second more. Instead he just kept facing forward. Not once looking at the ghost of the woman that so selflessly helped him survive.
Five only wanted to find Cielo. It was the only thing he could do for her. She saved him, not the other way round.
"Well I have a start. Stay with me and let's find a place for a bit."
"I don't need a parental guardian Viktor."
"I know, I know. But you still look 13 and without your powers you can't be blinking in and out of situations. You can't find her if CPS finds you first." He scoffed. "Come on Five. Cielo cared a lot about you. If she saw you sitting outside her workplace for hours in the cold dawn she would throw a fit. You're no good to her like this."
"Using her name to make me take care of myself is a low blow."
"Is it working?" He rolled his eyes. She always was telling him that he needed to take a break. There was no question about the validity of his statement. Viktor was, out of his siblings, most well adjusted to society that he was the best choice to stay with for the time being anyways.
"Only because I need time to recoup and figure out what the old man did. Don't suppose you still have the keys to your apartment." He slid the watch back onto his wrist.
"Unfortunately no. Pretty sure that I left it back in 1963. But there is one place that I wanted to try. If it works out, we'll have a roof over our heads for a bit."
Five looked over to Viktor fidgeting in his spot. There was only one place that he could think of to spark this kind of nervous reaction. And same as Viktor, he couldn't think of anywhere else to go.
"Luther! Luther! Lutherrrrr! Oof!" Klaus slammed into Luther's, not so hairy, back.
"What Klaus? What is so important that you've been following me around for hours?" Luther finally stopped to turn to his brother.
"Come on buddy don't be like that. You were dead only a few hours ago. You're not even all ape like anymore. You're fragile. Just a little boy in a big, scary, lonely world."
"Yeah sure. Whatever you say buddy." While he appreciated his brother's care in his strange way, Klaus was the one he least expected to help him in this scenario. Unless his powers came back and summoned Sloane like he had done earlier with himself, he was pretty useless in Luther's eyes. And given how the rest of the family was just as lost as to what's happening, Luther only wanted to focus on finding his wife. He couldn't be sparing any moment to watch over his equally lost brother.
"All I'm saying is that me and you, we need to stick together. And I have something that you might need to find Sloane."
This peeked Luther's attention. Though questionable at times, Klaus was someone that had a lot of resources throughout the city. "What do you mean?"
Digging through his many pockets and even his shoes, Klaus was able to produce a small stack of 100 dollar bills and some expensive looking jewellery. Luther quickly hid the collection from any stray night prowlers. Holding his brother close, he awkwardly pulled them to the side to avoid the public eye.
"How did you get these?" He whispered.
"Well between dad constantly murdering me and the world exploding, old habits die hard."
Luther tried to reach for the money but Klaus was too fast for him. If there was one thing that he could do, it was keep money to himself. His loose self being almost unstoppable when his brother couldn't pick him and chuck him around without fear of the mortal body getting hurt.
To be completely honest, Luther had no idea where his strength lay now. He felt amazing. Better than he's felt in years without the weight of hundreds pounds of muscles on him. It was even a bit chilly not having an extra layer of hair all over his body. It was relaxing but at the same time, oddly ominous. He had lived as a human forced hybrid ape for years. To take that all away at once didn't feel real. He didn't even care too much about his powers being taken away like the others.
"Okay what do you want Klaus?"
"This is a very strange turn of events. Two, maybe three, timelines ago you would be the one with money and I would be begging you for it. Normally for drugs or a yummy snack but that's besides the point. See, all I want is for you is to keep it away from me!"
"Keep it away from you?"
"I can't control myself!" He suddenly clung tightly onto his brother's arm. "And Luther, I don't hear any voices right now."
"Yeah? So?" He recognized the desperation in his eyes. The shaking of his hands, his pale face, and nervous eyes twitching. For the first time in years Klaus's head was quiet and without the craziness of drugs to entertain him. "Oh. Are you okay?"
Klaus took a step back, holding the sides of his head in confusion. "No I'm not okay. Here the reset gave you your body back and Diego's fingers and whatever else is going on but I'm just a drug addict and no longer immortal. After all the work I put into mastering it too. With all this money I can buy as much drugs I can but what's the point if I'm just going to actually die from it? Actually that sounds kind of?"
Luther quickly grabbed Klaus's arm before he could run off. He gave him a good shake as if that would make him come to his senses. "No Klaus. This is not the way but hey- hey you want to be sober? I'm proud of you."
He sighed, placing the pile of cash and jewellery in his hands. "Save me the theatrics, I've heard it a thousand times. I don't want to be sober it's just... I'm mortal. I mean before I didn't really care and I didn't know, but now? If I actually cross that boundary, what happens? Now I'm just a mortal junkie. I'm powerless."
Klaus took a deep breath. He was breathing. For now. A few hours ago, he wasn't. What's to say that in the next few hours that wouldn't be the case again? With Klaus's luck and history too? Keeping alive was as nonexistent as their powers. The fear of dying, really dying was new. He had seen what it had done to people. Was it finally his turn to became a ghost? Forgotten and sticking around the living for the rest of their petty roaming reasons? That sounds absolutely awful. It was a painful thing to experience too.
For a second, Luther forgot about Sloane and focused on his brother. Klaus used drugs as a means to silence the voices. What happens when those voices were gone? His reason was gone but the effect was still there. He was going through withdrawal with the full repercussions. Where ever Sloane was didn't erase that in front of him was Klaus relying on Luther for help. He had let them down as kids, but he promised himself in the afterlife that it wouldn't happen again.
"You aren't completely powerless. Well I mean we all are in a superpower sense kinda way but what I mean is, you're not just a regular junkie. You saved the world. Three times. Don't you remember? You're the Prince of Darkness!"
"That was with my powers though."
"Yes it was but it was still you. You were the one that warned the family about dad murdering us. You risked your life, multiple lives or not, to save our family. You welcomed the Sparrow Ben when we didn't. You comforted me and took care of me when I found out about dad not caring about my moon samples. Klaus, you are a hero in your own weird but kind way. With or without powers, this reset isn't going to change your heart."
Klaus looked down at Luther's finger roughly pressing on his chest. Right next to the dog tags hidden under his loose Hawaiian shirt. Holding back his tears, he held Luther's hand. For a moment, questioning a warmth that simmered underneath his skin. "Do you really believe in that?"
"I do. Hey, how about you and I go find Sloane together?"
"Really?" This was probably the first time that one of his siblings wanted him to tag along on one of their adventures.
"Yeah. I'm going to need your creative mind and this can take your mind off of everything. Give you a fresh start with me to make sure you don't fall back down too deeply. And honestly I don't know where to start in finding her. Maybe just finding a place to stay for the night would be best."
"Oh I know just the place. A lot of rooms, rent free, and the most questionable form of decoration. Used to come back to this place every time I got out of rehab. No reset of the universe could take this place away." Luther raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Then it came to him. How he wished he threw his brother around more in the after life. But if it still stood, it would be a good resting spot for a bit. Maybe even hold a hint to where Sloane was.
It was almost a dream come true to be running through the night with her lover. Lila couldn't stop smiling at how freeing the whole experience was. A new timeline had nothing holding her back. She could become a completely new person. To make things even better, she had someone that she loved more than anyone holding her hand. Their common goal being the small being growing inside of her. A chance to start a family that wasn't plagued by hardship and expectations to fulfil their parents selfish, cruel wishes.
On the other hand, the chance to start anew was only short lived for Diego. He was glad that he had Lila, the baby and all his fingers but he had been down this path once before. When he first left the Umbrella Academy at the ripe of 18, he had the same thoughts of Lila. That this was his chance to be something more than what his dad had set up for them. That he could be his own person that he was proud of. This time with Lila and his soon to be baby.
That was easier said than done. When he first left the academy, he had a duffel bag of clothes, some food from their mom, cash from Pogo, and powers. He had a plan to become a police officer that was easily accepted given his superhero past. This time? He had nothing. Nothing but the clothes on his back, useless knives, and a child on the way. If he struggled back then, he had no idea where to even start here.
Their running came to stop when Diego had to pull Lila away from a stumbling drunk. The drunk threw their head around, trying to take a good look at the couple. Slurring some words that neither of them were able to decipher. Though Diego had tried to stand between the drunk and Lila, she was kind of interested in the strange person. People like this were always easy targets.
"Hey buddy! Have a fun night out tonight? Celebrating something?" She slung an arm around the person's shoulders. Only having a second of contact before Diego pulled her back again.
Diego patted the person on the back and sent the bumbling person away. When he looked back at Lila to scold her for interacting with them, he was surprised to see her holding a wallet that clearly wasn't hers. "Is that theirs?"
"Yeah. The bloke only has a few dollars but it should be enough for a meal. Wonder if it'll be easy to convince the bank to convert their notes to cash." Diego snatched the wallet out of her hands.
"Lila, no. This is not the way. We do not steal from innocent people."
"Don't think about it as stealing from the innocent. Just think of it as payback for us saving the world. Besides, if they didn't want to be robbed, they wouldn't have gotten so wasted. If it makes you feel any better, we can return the ids. It's not like either of us look like them to steal their identity." He looked around to see if the person was still around to no avail. While he knew that Lila had a colourful past, he didn't think that she would so easily rob someone without a second thought.
"No, we are returning this to the police station. All of it."
"Come on Diego. You and I both know that we have nothing to our names here. Some cash here and there is going to be helpful."
"Okay no. Lila, this isn't- we don't have to work in this way. That kind of lifestyle, it isn't healthy. Or legal. Let's just find some part time type of jobs and slowly work our way to a more permanent solution."
"Yeah and until we get said jobs, we need somewhere to stay for the night and some food. I don't know about you but nearly being sucked of my life force works up an appetite. I would kill for something that isn't sushi that may have been cockroach touched." He didn't want her to prove that desperation in her language knowing that she was capable of doing such.
She was right. As hopeful as Diego was to support his family, she already was one step ahead by getting them some cash. It wasn't the right way but it was a way that was working. Already in this new timeline and he was failing as a father.
Digging into his pockets, he found some crumbled up bills that was given to him from Stanley raiding hotel rooms while he was tasked with cleaning. At least with the reset, it was safe to assume that the kid went back to his real family. The image of the poor kid getting vaporized vividly playing in his mind. Just another kid that he already let down.
"Look. This is more than what the wallet has. We should be fine for tonight. Same with tomorrow. We don't have to steal from this person."
"But-"
"Please Lila. I know this city like the back of my hand. I don't want this kind of life for us, our kid, and I know that you don't either. That's why you can just leave it up to me to take care of everything. I'll watch over all of us, so please just focus on yourself. Not on chatting up drunks to take their possessions."
"That's the thing Diego. I don't need you to watch over me. And what happened in the hotel? Locking me in the room while you went after the guardian? Are you kidding me? Just because I'm pregnant does not mean that I am completely useless."
"I know but," he grabbed her hands, "I don't know what's happening right now. I didn't know what was happening in the hotel. All I know is that I want to protect you and the baby. That's all I ever wanted. So please just let me take the lead this time."
Lila let out an exasperated sigh. He wasn't listening then and he wasn't listening now. More than anything Lila didn't want to feel protected. Yes, she cared about the baby growing inside her but that didn't have to limit her. She wasn't the baby herself. And as much as she loved Diego, it wasn't an insult to say that she was the brains of the duo. She should have been leading the two, not the other way around solely because of her being pregnant.
However, being the more logical one of the two meant that she had recognized that this was going to happen even before she got Stanley. Both of them had a bad history with what family meant. Especially being a child of someone that couldn't handle the responsibility. They both knew that raising this kid would be near impossible if they don't make major changes to themselves. Now add on this reset, she had no idea where to start being a societal good person.
A good start might actually be to listen to Diego and not commit crimes to gain a footing. She had to give it to him that she didn't actually want to resort to this. If he had some plan that didn't revolve on her relying on her old set of skills, that would be best. Not only for their relationship but for the baby to come. Their childhood may be fucked but if she gave birth in prison, that wouldn't be any better for their kid.
She pecked him on the lips to soothe her anger in admitting that he may be right. "Fine. We'll do things your way. For now."
"I'll take that. And lucky for you, I already know a possible place that we can stay for a bit. I used to work for him cleaning up his gym in exchange for his backroom. He's a bit of a prick but he isn't a bad guy. Should be enough room for both of us and work until we can hit the ground running."
"And if that doesn't work?"
He harshly rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to have to resort to his second choice. "There is another place that comes to mind if it comes to that. Let's just keep that idea on the back burner."
Hargreeves home for wayward boys. What a very fitting phrase for Ben at the moment. It was almost ironic given that his dad turned his home into an orphanage of sorts. He really knew how to joke with them. It wasn't even cared for. Truly selling what he and his siblings knew all along. This man really just hated having children.
The old building looked as if it hadn't been inhabited in decades. The chains barely holding the gates closed came off with a singular pull. At least the walls were held together by the greenery dressing the outside. It may not hold up to the glory that it once did but it'll do for a night. Especially given how much of a toll the past few days were for him.
He scratched his forearm.
This place was his home. Was. It was supposed to have his family's legacy covering the walls. Signs of their numerous achievements were just nonexistent here. No awards for how many crimes they solved. No key to cities that owed all their gratitude. And no family photos. Even the cringy ones of the family that Marcus forced them to take were gone.
He was the only Sparrow left. Sure, Luther was determined to find Sloane but if she was alive she would have exited the elevator with them. He had to face it and not get his hopes up for nothing. His family had all died.
It wasn't fair. They got all their siblings back. They were having their merry time projecting their Ben onto him. To think that another version of himself went around with such buffoons was embarrassing. The night of the wedding even more so. He blamed it on the alcohol and Sloane's constant berating to get along with them.
He tripped over the steps barely illuminated by the full moon creeping through the windows. He blamed the stress of Oblivion for his weak state. With a groan, he ripped off his jacket that was starting to feel too hot. Christopher's letters falling out of his pocket.
Ben clicked his tongue seeing them. Christopher was too soft. That's why he died. Why they all died. It was survival of the fittest and him being alive now was proof of that. He didn't even open his letter knowing that it would only break him. Let alone give Sloane's letter to her before she... disappeared. Cielo's words for him ringing in his head. "They should have just listened to me from the start. We never should have gotten involved with the Umbrella Academy."
Another scratch on the arm.
Gathering up the letters, he forced himself back onto his stumbling feet. Faintly, he could hear voices and chains rattling outside. Someone was coming into the academy. While normally he would stand his ground, he was in too much pain to even stand properly. All he could do right now is retreat back to his room.
A poof of dust came with Ben collapsing onto his bed. The room bare of all his possessions as he predicted but hoped wasn't true. He could barely hold his eyes open to look at where his desk should be. All of his drawings were gone.
"Jennifer..." he said before lulling into a heavy slumber.