Chapter Text
Ash. It was all Five could see as he stepped out of the Icarus theatre and into the cloudless night sky. He could feel it coating his skin and burning his lungs as he breathed. He could smell the smoke in the air and the decaying flesh that would stick on his clothes almost as bad as the sewage seeping up to the surface. Five stumbled down the steps out of the theatre and in his mind he saw buildings crumbled around him, fires burning, and the body of a dead child clutching a detached hand. He was momentarily blinded by a light and was suddenly pulled back into reality and out of the way of a moving car.
“What the fuck Five?” Diego’s voice cut through the ringing in his ears and he blinked at the street that was suddenly in front of him. Diego had his arm in a vice grip and his face shone with sweat that only made the concern stand out more. “Watch where you’re going!” Without another word, he let go of Five’s arm and turned to the rest of their family as they made their way out onto the sidewalk.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” Diego said, the sound of sirens in the distance were getting closer and Five numbly made his way to his side.
“Maybe we can explain,” Klaus said, his voice tentative as he curled his fingers around the dog tags hung on his neck. “I mean, we’re the Umbrella Academy, maybe we’re just coming out of retirement. Just doing our thing and stopping the apocalypse and saving the world!” God, did they? Was that really it? Five looked up at the sky, clear and calm. The full moon glowed along with stars, a sight Five didn’t see for forty-five years.
“Yeah, but who were we stopping?” Diego muttered cynically and glanced at Five, who could only stare back in silent bewilderment. “Right now all it looks like is Vanya attacked the whole theatre.” Vanya . Five felt his stomach lurch and for a moment his vision blurred as he finally dared to look at his unconscious sister. His body was still buzzing from whatever power she used on them. He still felt like he was floating above that stage, his life draining out of him and of his brothers. As he stared into her strange, white eyes, he knew he had failed.
All this time, all those years working at getting back to his family, it had been Vanya who caused the apocalypse. His sweet sister who had been his closest confidant as a child. The one he would turn too for comfort and companionship. Because she had been ordinary . Normal, she had nothing to prove like him and the others. He didn’t realize she had a very different perspective on her status as the ordinary one. He didn’t realize what that would lead too. That the apocalyptic wasteland he grew up in, could still feel all around him, had been because of her.
“We have to get her out of here,” Luther said, Vanya still limp in his arms, the fabric of the white suit she wore twisting in his fingers. The emotions playing across Luther’s face were hard to decipher, but it was clear that their Number One was crumbling. “We need to get somewhere safe.”
“Where do we go?” Klaus asked. “Vanya blew up the house.” The academy, home, was gone. Five hated growing up there, but the second it was taken from him at thirteen, all he wanted was to go home. He always imagined this moment, stopping the apocalypse, would be followed by a long-awaited sleep in his own bed. Five shuddered and his legs felt as if they would give out on him any second. Without even realizing it, he leaned against Diego next to him. Diego, thankfully, didn’t react.
“The first thing we need to do is at least get out of sight,” Diego said, watching as the lights from that accompanied the sirens blaring came closer. “Come on!” Five was almost pulled off feet as Diego ran forward gripping Five’s arm tightly in his hand. After stumbling a few steps, Five found his footing and pushed Diego’s hand off him. They all ran for the alley behind the theatre where a few cars were still parked.
“Fuck,” Klaus breathed, skidding to a stop, his hands shaking. “We stopped the apocalypse!” Like it had finally dawned on him what happened, Klaus looked relieved and in complete awe. Five was sure this was the appropriate response for saving the world, for completing the mission he has been on for decades, but he couldn’t feel it. The only thing Five felt was the crushing weight of an overwhelming panic that threatened to swallow him up and never bring him back.
“Where can we go?” Luther asked and Diego moved over to one of the cars and found it unlocked. “If the police are after her, Vanya’s apartment isn’t safe.” It wasn’t only the police they needed to worry about. Five felt all the air leave his body and he had to gulp in the air around him. Without Diego’s presence at his side anymore, Five worried for a moment he would collapse.
“What about your place Diego?”
“Not a good idea,”
“What about-”
Their voices began to trail off and all Five could hear was the pounding of his heart. How long did they have until the commission would come after them again? Five was now sure he hadn’t slowed them down as much as he thought he did judging by the team they had sent to kill them. Did they really stop the apocalypse or had they just bought them some time?
“Five?”
They were probably sending someone right now. Five frantically shot his head around, trying to see all the different directions. They wouldn’t have a lot of time, and they were already at a disadvantage. Five was pushing his limits already, Diego was out of knives, and Allison had been struggling already from her injury. Also, if the others were feeling the effects of Vanya’s powers the same as Five, they were all about to pass right out.
“Five? ”
Maybe Klaus still had some juice left in him and he could conjure Ben again. Ben. Had that really happened? Was that really Ben? The lightheaded feeling threatened to fully take over him when Five suddenly found himself being manhandled into the front seat of a car by Diego.
“Sit down for fuck’s sake,” he spat and actually took the time to put the seatbelt across his lap. Five blinked and looked around at the car. Where had this come from?
He tried to speak but only a vague gasp made it out. Instead, he pointed to his surroundings and Diego just shrugged.
“Don’t worry Fivey,” Klaus was suddenly there, a dopey grin on his face. “A little grand theft auto is pretty low on the list of crazy shit that’s happened this past week.” The door behind him opened with a squeak and Luther was struggling to get his large frame through the door. Diego slammed the passenger side shut and Five watched as he and Klaus walked away.
“Pass her over here,’ Luther said once he was seated inside. “Carefully.” Vanya was passed into his waiting arms and Five watched through the rearview mirror as Luther took her like she was made of glass and then held her close to his chest.
Allison got into the driver’s seat, her mouth set in a firm straight line. She gripped the steering wheel and when she made eye contact with Five, he felt a wave of shame and fear crash over him. They should have listened to her. Five should have listened to her. She had been right, all along. If they had just talked to Vanya or gave her creepy new boyfriend more than a passing thought, they could have avoided this. The white bandage on Allison’s neck stood out like a bright beacon of all the ways they had failed their sisters.
“Where are we going?” he finally croaked out. It had been the first words he’d said since dropping to the ground in the theatre. Logically he knew he was in some kind of shock right now, but he could fight past this.
“Allison has a place,” Luther said as Allison put the car in drive. “It’s about an hour from here, and it’s secluded.” Five nodded. That was a good plan, they could debrief there.
Five almost jumped when he realized they were moving. Looking out the window he saw Klaus and Diego still out there, in the open, where anyone could get them. Panic seized him and instinctively he grabbed the door handle but found it was locked.
“It’s okay,” Luther said from behind him. “They’re coming too, they’re just going to find Diego’s car.” Five breathed out a sigh of relief and his hand fell back to his lap. Five watched the street going past. Police and firetrucks were swarming the theatre now and they drove away in the opposite direction. As the blinking lights began to fade and there was more distance between them and spot of the almost apocalypse, Five let his forehead rest against the cool glass of the window. Finally, with his family momentarily safe and the world still intact, Five gave in to the darkness.