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“Classic,” Allison said, rolling her eyes.
Seconds after she spoke, the double doors swung violently open and Reginald Hargreeves marched in. It changed the entire attitude in the room, almost as if all of them immediately regressed back into their childhood selves. Diego, who was closest to the door, stumbled away with a look of mild panic on his face, as if he thought Reginald might swat him out of the way. Five froze in place, in shock. Allison’s eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe it was really him, and Klaus started pouring straight vodka into a martini glass, ignoring the bartender completely.
Reginald Hargreeves, steely look in his eyes, immediately claimed a chair at the head of the table and started speaking before anyone else could get a word in, “Not only have you burglarised my lab, set my chimp loose, conned your way into the Mexican consulate," He shot Diego a pointed look, "Repeatedly stalked and attacked me, but you have, on numerous occasions called me-“
They all scrambled to seat themselves at the table, each of them determined not to end up next to their father, and Luther ended up being the unlucky one. He looked slightly uncomfortable being at his father's hand, reminded of his childhood as Number One. Gliding over with his drink in hand, Klaus slid into the seat next to his father nonchalantly and didn't spare him a glance as he spoke:
“Hey, Pop. How’s it hanging?” He was obviously too drunk to remember how much Dad hated both them speaking at meals and being cut off when he was speaking. Klaus's voice was uncharacteristically flat. Just being in the same room as his father seemed to have sucked the life out of him, rendering him empty.
“… Dad,” Reginald finished, looking displeased that he’d been interrupted, “My reconnaissance tells me you’re not CIA, not KGB, certainly not MI5, so… Who are you?”
There was an uncomfortable silence that none of them wanted to fill. Ever the courageous leader, Luther looked around at his siblings and prayed that one of them would jump in, so that he didn’t have to. Allison opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, her lips pursing as if she wasn’t sure what to say, while Diego feared his stutter might resurface if he gave it a shot. As for Klaus, he looked very interested in his drink all of a sudden. Still suffering from amnesia, Vanya shifted in her seat and waited expectantly.
Eventually, Five spoke up with a frown, “We’re your children.”
This revelation didn't seem to please their father- but it didn't surprise him much either. He gave a quick recap of how Reginald had adopted and raised them to save the world, while everyone else avoided their dad’s gaze. Diego stared very pointedly down at the table in front of him, eyes glazed over as if his mind were somewhere else. Having no memory of their childhood, (making her the lucky one really), Vanya just glanced sideways at Luther and he shrugged back at her, as if to say ‘I know’.
“Called us the Umbrella Academy,” Five concluded and Klaus raised his drink as if to toast, clinking his glass against a dazed Diego's.
“Why on earth would I adopt six-“
Before Reginald could even finish his question, Allison quickly corrected him, “Seven.”
Everyone except Vanya bristled uncomfortably and Klaus glanced over his shoulder, waving away something invisible.
“One of us is dead,” Diego filled in, helpfully, finally lifting his head to look at his father. It was clear that he was trying to drive home that it was Reginald’s fault, that he was responsible for Ben’s death. A few of the others were nodding in agreement, as if to say that they backed him up- there weren't very many things they all agreed on but their anger at Ben's death was among the few. And it seemed that, despite being dead, Ben himself was at the table (or at least nearby) as Klaus started arguing with a patch of air behind his shoulder, waving him away.
"Who, uh, who is he talking to?" asked poor Vanya, who was out of the loop.
Allison leaned forward, excitedly, "Ben?"
“Is he here?” Luther asked, eyes widening a little. Everyone looked to Klaus, expectantly, who was still engaged in a one-sided argument with the ghost. They all remembered (sans those with amnesia) how Klaus had been able to manifest the spirit of their brother during the showdown at the Icarus Theatre a few days ago. It had been the first time the rest of them had seen Ben since he died, back during the Academy’s heyday, and it had been a bit of a shock to the system. Nobody had seen Klaus summon a ghost before or since then.
Who even knew if he was capable of doing it when it wasn't a life or death situation?
Reginald looked like he was about to raise a question, so Five jumped in quickly: “Klaus can commune with the dead. You called him The Seánce.”
"Fascinating," their father murmured. Remembering how Reginald had treated Klaus as a child, how he had pushed him relentlessly to use his powers despite it making Klaus cry, Luther and Diego exchanged irritated looks. Of course, he found it fascinating. He had always been more interested in playing with their powers than he was in who they were as people.
“Ugh, fine,” Klaus groaned loudly, rolling his head back in annoyance, clearly having lost whatever he was arguing about. He pushed his chair back sulkily and got up from the table, a look of concentration on his face. All eyes were on him as he shifted his stance, hunching over and clenching his fists as his side as if he was about to charge somebody.
Just like at the Icarus Theatre, his hands begin to emit a bright blue energy, similar to the one that flashed through the air when Five jumped. Slowly, a shimmering image began to form behind him and after a minute or so, Ben was sitting there- transparent, ghostly, but there. It seemed to drain Klaus, who shuddered in discomfort and gasped softly as if someone had socked him in the stomach.
Unsurprisingly, Reginald Hargreeves was remarkably un-phased and just jotted something down in the notebook he’d brought with him. He muttered the word “extraordinary” under his breath, which made Vanya flinch instinctively- but she didn’t know why. Ben looked down at his hands, seeming pleased to see his semi-corporal form, and flashed them a familiar grin. The rest of the Academy were much more emotional, ranging from Diego gasping behind his hands to Allison leaping to her feet.
“Hi Dad,” Ben said, sitting on the ledge casually and swinging his legs, “How’s it going?”
"Holy shit!" Diego still had his hands cupped around his mouth; at the same time, Allison cried out, "Ben!"
Five nodded to him, casual despite his look of surprise, and Ben nodded back at all of them. It seemed he was genuinely pleased to see them, even if it was only for a moment. But before any of them could say anything else, (probably for the best, since Luther was about to ask how he was doing), Ben faded away again and the blueish glow dispersed.
Letting out a groan, Klaus pitched forward suddenly and was only saved from a nasty concussion by Diego's quick reflexes. Unsteady on his feet, Klaus shrugged and slid down in his chair, looking a little paler from the effort he’d exerted. He gestured for everyone else to continue talking, as if absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and took a long swig of his drink. Looking disappointed, Allison sat back down.
“We all have special abilities,” Five seemed to have taken the lead in the conversation, as the oldest one in the room.
Reginald nodded at this, processing, “Special? In what sense?”
“Special in the… superpower sense,” Luther explained sheepishly. He didn't think of himself as much of a superhero nowadays, but as more of a freak of nature, and it was clear on his face. Gently, his sister reached over to touch his shoulder lightly and he gave her a grateful nod. Even if Vanya didn't remember the apocalypse, he was glad that she'd forgiven him and was still looking out for the rest of them. Losing her memory obviously hadn't affected her kind nature.
“Call me old-fashioned but I’m a stickler for a little thing called ‘evidence’,” Reginald said, as if his dead son hadn't just appeared before his very eyes, “Show me.”
Both Allison and Luther started to protest that they weren’t circus animals but before either of them could finish making their points, Diego tossed a knife across the table and directed the trajectory so that it grazed his father’s ear. It landed with a metallic thud in one of the wooden pillars behind him, drawing everyone’s attention to where the knife protruded proudly. Klaus looked baffled, as if he wasn’t sure what had just happened, but Luther just rolled his eyes. As for Reginald Hargreeves, he wrote another note in his book and this time, Diego leaned forward nervously.
“What are you writing?” He demanded, almost sounding paranoid.
“You are zero for two, young man,” His father replied and it felt like fire shot through Diego’s veins, remembering how his father had marked him in down in the same way when he was a kid. Back then, his father had questioned whether Diego’s powers might be completely useless and it had hurt. He'd worked hard to prove him wrong. The repressed anger propelled him to his feet, prepared to knock the old man out. Warping across the table, Five pressed one hand to his brother’s chest to stop him.
“Hey, he missed you on purpose. He wasn't aiming for you,” Luther argued, sticking up for his brother.
At the same time, Klaus mumbled, “If he wanted to hit you, he would’ve hit you, Reggie.”
Reluctantly, Diego sat back down, a sour look on his face. He still looked angry but was clearly trying to keep it under wraps.
“What about the rest of you?” Reginald asked, looking at each of them in turn.
Sitting back down, Five explained, “Luther has super strength-“
Luther said nothing, just staring at his father miserably. He hadn't forgiven him for leaving him on the moon all those years.
“Allison can rumour anyone to do anything-“
She smirked into her drink, thinking of the protest, and wondered if she should demonstrate her ability on her father. After decades of watching him putting them all down, bullying them, it would certainly feel nice to embarrass him. Ray's words echoed in her head, ('honour and dignity') and thinking of her sweet, gentle husband was enough to keep her anchored to her seat.
“And Vanya…”
Blew up the moon goes without saying, all of them looking uncomfortable at it being brought up. Nobody brought up what Ben’s power was either, since he remained a (now invisible) elephant in the room. There was a long pause as several things went unsaid, Luther clearing his throat and Five straightening his tie. Should they open Pandora's box and mention how Reginald had treated them? Finishing his drink, Klaus got up to get another one from the bar and muttered something about substance dependency being his real super power under his breath- none of them laughed. Reginald quirked an eyebrow.
“Look, we know that you’re involved in a plot to assassinate the president,” Diego got up again, causing several of his siblings to look exasperated. He just didn't seem to be able to let the Kennedy thing go.
Rather being than taken aback, his father just seemed mildly aggravated.
“You were recently hospitalised, isn’t that correct?” Reginald Hargreeves said, not giving him the chance to answer before continuing, “You still appear to be suffering from delusions of grandeur and acute paranoia.”
This time, it was Five protested, “What part of the future don’t you understand? We know Kennedy gets shot in two days and we’ve seen footage of you on the grassy knoll where it happens.”
“There is nothing wrong with being hospitalised,” Klaus added in a drawl, waving a hand in the air vaguely. As someone who'd spent a lot of time in institutions, both voluntarily and against his will, he hated the notion that anyone who did so should be looked down upon. He was used to being the family disappointment and hearing Reginald speak to his brother like that, in the voice he usually reserved for Klaus, ruffled his feathers. Nobody paid him any attention except Vanya. She nodded at him fervently, obviously in agreement.
Pulling out a picture from his pocket and unfolding it, Diego tosses it down on the table, “That’s you, Hargreeves. Don’t even try and deny it.”
Giving him an unreadable look, Reginald tells him coolly, “Well done, young man, you’ve unearthed my evil plot... Is that what you want to hear?”
Looking uncertain of himself, Diego opened his mouth but couldn’t seem to force any words out, a lump lodged in his throat. He wasn't sure what game his father was playing with him but he didn't like it one bit. A few of his siblings were shooting him sympathetic looks, even the usually apathetic Five, and Allison mouthed something at him: don’t give him what he wants. He didn’t notice, of course, too riled up to pay attention his sister. He swallowed hard but the lump in his throat remained.
“You fancy yourself a do-gooder?” Hargreeves continued, his eyes fixed firmly on Diego, “The last man who will save us from our descent into corruption and conspiracy?” Again, he didn’t wait for him to reply, “This is a fantastic delusion.”
Diego had started shaking, his tough outer-shell crumbling, and he looked like he might be on the verge of tears. Nobody had seen him reduced to this stammering, trembling state since he was seven years old and had been faced with a tattoo needle. He'd long ago learned to wear his tough persona as if it was armour, making it easier for him to shoulder the world without crumbling under its weight. Right now, he looked a lot more like the little boy they'd always teased for being a crybaby.
“Now, listen here,” Klaus was stumbling away from the bar with another drink in his hand, swaying as he jabbed a finger in his father’s direction, “Dee here has spent his entire life trying to make you happy. I will not- no, I won’t stand here and listen to this.”
Nodding, Allison added, “Klaus is right. All you ever do- all you’ve ever done- is put us down.”
The rest of them looked to their father for his response; none of them had ever stood up to him like that before.
It seemed to only spur Reginald on, his gaze still fixed on his youngest son, “You’re a desperate man, tragically aware of his own insignificance,” Even Luther, who was usually Diego’s biggest critic, had narrowed his eyes at his father now, “Desperately clinging to his own ineffectual reasoning. More succinctly, a man in over his h-“
That was when the pile of fruit in the middle of the table violently exploded, as if a bomb had gone off, splattering every single one of them. Vanya, her eyes flashing white for a moment, had her fists clenched on the table in anger. Nobody had been paying attention as their sister had grown quieter, tuning out the discussion to focus on the cheerful tiki music playing over speakers, and concentrated on her ability. Like the rest of them, she had deemed Reginald’s bullying unacceptable and she had let the anger take her over slowly. It rushed out of her in a sound wave, taking everyone by surprise. They'd underestimated Vanya, yet again.
“Oops,” She smiled, a little shyly, and Allison patted her on the arm proudly.
Finally, Diego seemed able to speak, his words tripping over each other pathetically, “You’re w-wr-wrong.”
He jabbed his index finger at his father, trying to drive his scrambled point home. A single tear had rolled down his cheek and this seemed to be enough to launch Five into action, stabbing a butter knife into the table so loudly that it made everyone jump. He didn’t say anything but the ugly scowl on his face spoke for itself, showing his displeasure. Meanwhile, Klaus sloped back to the table and stood over his father, leaning in very close to hiss at him like a cat. When he pulled away, he was still bearing his teeth as if he might bite him. He handed off his drink to Diego, who looked like he probably needed it more, and his brother downed half of it in one.
“I see,” Reginald stated, matter-of-factly, “So, these are the children I raised: a pathetically delusional man, an angry child, a useless drunk-“
“A drug addict, actually,” Klaus wasn’t able to resist dropping it into the conversation, "Just on the softer stuff right now."
But Hargreeves was on a roll now just like when he used to lecture them as kids.
“A monster of a man, a daughter with no respect for her superiors-“ This made Allison roll her eyes and take a long sip from her drink, “And a young woman incapable of controlling her own abilities. I can imagine I was quite disappointed with how you turned out but don’t direct your anger at me. You’re the ones who failed to live up to your own potential.”
It was Luther’s term to stand up, knocking his chair halfway across the room in his haste, “You did this to us! You did this to me!” He thumped a fist against his chest angrily, making him look even more gorilla-like than usual but nobody dared say anything, “You locked Vanya away and pretended it was for her own good. You locked Klaus in a mausoleum and told him that you were helping him!”
“Which, by the way,” Klaus slurred, staggering backwards as he waved his arms about passionately, “You were not! And Ben agrees with me!”
“You k-k-ki-kill-killed B-Be-Ben,” Diego added, the words sticking in his throat no matter how vividly he pictured them in his mind, “Y-you-“
Finally, Reginald drew himself up to his full height, “I will not stand here and be insulted by my own subpar, so-called children from the future-“
“I heard a rumour,” Allison cut him off smugly, lowering her drink from her mouth, and his eyes glazed over immediately, “I heard a rumour you punched yourself in the face.”
He promptly did, knocking his monocle off his face, and Klaus started laughing wheezily, clapping his hands together as if he was watching a brilliant show. Their father reeled backwards, just about managing to keep his balance, but looked taken aback as if he wasn't sure what had just happened. Blood started to drip from his nose. It was the first time during the entire supper that he'd looked uncertain of himself and it was satisfying for Allison to see him knocked off course. Even Five couldn’t hide his smirk.
“Perhaps all of you should think about why I thought it was necessary to be strict with you. If this is how you act unrestrained. Regardless of what happened to you, you aren't children anymore and it's time to grow up,” Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and self-acclaimed genius, finished and he swept his way towards the elevator. He stepped inside, seemingly unbothered by several sets of eyes glowering at him from the table, and pressed the button to leave.
Impulsive as ever, Diego stormed over to where his knife was stuck in the wooden pillar and pulled it free. Then, just as the elevator doors were closing, he tossed it behind him in the same way that someone might throw a jacket over their shoulder. It whizzed through the air, spinning in circles, and swinging around the corner towards the elevator. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on one’s view), it was a fraction too late and bounced off the closed elevator doors with a ringing noise. The knife clattered to the floor and, without even looking, Diego sighed.
"What an asshole," came a small voice, Vanya shaking her head. She was staring at the closed elevator doors.
It had gone about as well as they had suspected it would. Standing up to their father was more complicated in practice than it was in theory, as they had found out again and again over the years, and his lingering presence left them all feeling as miserable as they had been as children. Diego certainly felt about seven years old as he stood there, his entire body trembling from head to toe- whether in anger or upset, it wasn't clear. A chair scraped against the ground, as Allison got to her feet and walked over to Diego, wrapping her arms around his middle. He had never been one for hugs, especially from his siblings, but just seemed to accept it and sink defeatedly into her arms. She pressed her face into his shoulder, feeling his chest rise and fall rapidly with shaky breaths.
Without hesitation, Klaus walked over and slung his arms around the two of them, "Team Zero, right?"
"Team Zero," Vanya agreed. He gestured for her to come over, waving his hand wildly, until she conceded and shuffled over to where her siblings were standing. She wasn't given much of a choice in the group hug as Klaus pulled her in and pressed her tightly against his side. If she looked up, (short as she was), she could see tears were still forming in Diego's eyes but was nice enough not to say anything about it. She wouldn't have had a chance to anyway, as she was suddenly crushed by Luther's strong arms holding them all tightly.
He didn't say anything, just nodding to Diego wordlessly, and the five of them stood clumped together in the middle of the room. After a minute or so, Luther broke away to turn back to where their remaining brother was scowling at them- Five had never been a fan of family togetherness or hugs for that matter. When they were little, he had refused to let Mom hug him, even when he'd broken his arm and had rode in an ambulance to the hospital. He'd just clutched his arm to his chest and held his breath, pretending nobody else was there.
"Come on, old man," Luther called and his siblings murmured their agreement, making space for the smallest of them.
Reluctantly, Five strode over with his hands in his pockets and reluctantly clapped Luther on the back, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere else. But he let his sisters pull him into the family hug, looking annoyed when Allison ruffled his hair. Nobody said anything for a long time, awkwardly avoiding the topic of Reginald or the fact that they'd let him walk away. At least, this time, he hadn't managed to succeed in tearing them apart again. In fact, they were closer than ever. Team Zero.
Klaus rested his chin on top of Vanya's head, mumbling into her hair, "Ben says he missed you guys."