Chapter Text
Cold.
He could not tell if it was just the temperature surrounding him in a biting embrace or if it was the dread that had been building for months. Luther knew he had a purpose to fulfill, an obligation to his father, but he still felt the niggling doubt in his mind.
Luther had been sent up to the moon in order to help move Reginald Hargreeves’ studies along. He bore the responsibility with pride. He was Number One. He was chosen for the mission. No one but him was capable of the task. Not Diego, the knife-throwing idiot, or Klaus, drugged out of his mind. Not useless Vanya, not even…
Not even Allison.
Luther winced as his shoulders strained to lift a moon rock. He bitterly contemplated the state of his relationships with his remaining family members. Though he was never close to the latter half of the Hargreeves, he felt a twinge of regret toward how he had treated them growing up. Little Number Five, bless him, had been lost to the family. Luther, of course, continued on with his head held high, but Five’s loss hit the family hard. Klaus and Ben had withdrawn even more from the group without the middle child of their sequence.
Four Five Six. Four, Five, Six. One Two Three… Four Five Six… Seven.
He had found himself reflecting upon the most forgotten Hargreeves. She, of all people, knew the meaning of solitude, of being ignored. Only Five had consistently acknowledged her growing up, and Luther especially looked down upon her.
One and Seven. Completely opposite.
Luther led the six siblings. Vanya watched passively alongside their father, begging to be permitted to fight for good with the others. Any time he heard such requests for responsibility, Luther laughed. Laughed at her incompetence.
Imagine not having something to show for all of the dedication from Father .
Luther therefore stuck with his most dedicated siblings, the ones who complied with at least some authoritative figures. Number T-- Diego was his right hand man in leading, and Allison, his dearest Allison, was his best friend. Klaus and Ben were too weak to have any leadership skills. Five got under the senior Hargreeves’ skin on purpose, for a reason Luther could not begin to fathom. Vanya herself didn’t even count… did she?
Was he being unfair?
Luther contemplated the idea. He was, of course, the closest confidante their father had. He was the one their father trusted. He was Number One, the first of a sequence.
But the doubt crept back in.
Super strength? Stronger than a tentacle monster coming out of Ben’s stomach? Better than teleportation and hypothetical time travel? Superior to manipulating any person with words?
He dropped the rock suddenly. It floated down and onto the ground, landing with a thunk on the surface of the crater.
While he had his simian body and extreme strength, his brother had an alien monster . His other brother could teleport anywhere and maybe even time travel. Klaus could commune with the dead. And Allison held control over essentially any living thing with her rumoring.
Had she rumored him?
Of course she hadn’t-- right? He loved her, and she loved him. He wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t gone off and made a career for herself. How life would have been if they weren’t brother and sister, members of the Umbrella Academy. Their past interactions were taboo, wrong even, but he held no regret for his actions. They were only coping with their job, their obligation to their father.
Luther did not hate Reginald Hargreeves. How could he, after the man saved his life? Sure, he was now a beast, not even fully human, but he was alive. He held purpose . What more could he ask for? His siblings had all left as soon as possible, each unappreciative of what their father had done for them. Diego became a vigilante, Allison a movie star, Klaus a roaming drug addict, and the others, well…
The dread settled in his being. He had an important job to be doing, but he couldn’t help the racing thoughts plaguing him.
Should I have treated them better?
Do they even care?
Does Dad care?
...Was it all worth it?
Of course, he shook off such notions. Dad had taught him to be better than weak.
He kept his head held high and continued his mission, obedient as ever.