» ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴀ ꜰᴏx || ꜰɪᴠᴇ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴇᴇᴠᴇꜱ

Part 11 : 55

Grace, an android mother created by the deceased founder of The Umbrella Academy - was gingerly mopping away the remains of Five's crimson blood from his pale skin, using a damp alcohol infused cloth.

Tom had once again found the little assassin bleeding out heavily on the woollen carpet, steely blue eyes barely opened - dark glistening liquid drenched his clothing, as if someone had just spilt a tall glass of blood red wine on him.

Just the sight of the little boy, a crumpled bloody mess on the floor - sent ... a feeling of fear? Crashing into him, like the freezing water balloons Peeves had always dropped ceremonially onto the unfortunate first years within two minutes of entering Hogwarts.

Of course, who wouldn't feel that way if someone saw Five in such conditions - the obstinate brunet would have bled to death if he were alone. The raven thought to himself.

Now Tom was seated on an old Windsor chair beside the brunet, book in hand, the android working on the opposite side - beginning to cautiously wrap the boy's torso in a thin layer of alabaster bandage, the foreign piece of shrapnel discarded on the metal tray - along with the stitching materials and bloody cloths.

She had informed everyone the that the wound didn't dive deep enough to damage any significant internal organs, but must have torn the skin wider apart while he was sleeping belly down earlier.

The the brunet should be feeling better after a full day of rest - that he should keep his movement to a minimum if he didn't want to re-open the carefully stitched gap and bleed out again.

Upon hearing the news the Slytherin prefect had sighed inwardly in relief, the other Hargreeves scattering after a minute or so with the knowledge that their oldest younger brother hadn't dropped dead.

The objects on the silver tray clattered against each other a fraction as Grace stood up soundlessly, happy with her work - taking it and Five's blood-inked shirt and blazer to the wash, heels clicking impossibly quiet as she exited the room.

"Do you know what happened to our dead old man?" Klaus asked shakily, stumbling through the opened door the android mother had just passed through - speaking again without waiting for an answer, too impatient to wait for one.

"He died from a good ol 'heart attack, Fivie there absolutely hated dad's guts more than saying anyone of us did - despised him more than he despises Luther , which is something." Number Four chuckled out drunkly, grasping onto the birch door frame like it was the last bottle of alcohol left in the world - using it as a crutch to prevent him from falling painfully to the ground.

"Are you going any with this." The dark haired boy asked calmly, staring at Klaus blankly - the man child giving him a loopy grin as he shook his head.
"Oh, I'm not - just though that you'd like to know.
I want to have a drinking competition with Five." Klaus suddenly announced, then turning clumsily on his bare-footed heel and leaving - cross eyed for some unexplained reason.

---

It was Friday when Grace finally let Five get off the bed and start moving around.
The impatient brunet had woken the night of the day he had been carried over to the med-bay, which was inconveniently placed on the opposite side of the mansion from his room.

He was impatient, and stubborn - yes.

Five's eyes had widened like he had forgotten something important after a few moments of complete silence - attempting to scramble off the off-white mattress while whispering a curse under his breath, only to be met with a blinding flash of pain in his abdomen - the android mother quite literally having to hold him back down by the arms until he grudgingly agreed to stay put until she discharged him.

Grace was now replacing the partially bloodied bandage with a fresh one, Tom leaning patiently with the book he had recently finished reading in hands - a figure walking through the door.

"Hey mom, teen I don't know - did you know that little Five here took a nice little field trip a few months ago?" Diego's favourite silver throwing knife was pointed towards the brunet, who scowled with his back still turned to him.

"Whatever do you mean dear?" The android asked her adopted son curiously, passing the steely eyed boy his freshly washed and pressed uniform.
"He went to Griddy's donuts and killed a ton of people there - and don't try to deny it, you know it was you."

"Killed? Five, wh - what? You can't just murder innocent people like that!" Luther's tone was shocked, the smell of slightly burnt toast wafting throughout the room - the bread now a little bit squashed within the ape man's large hands.

All he wanted was to have some breakfast, and was starting to greatly regret following the voices to med-bay.

"They weren't innocent, Luther - grow up." The boy retorted, pulling on the blazer without bothering with the crisp white shirt - he was going to take a shower as soon as he could escape this conversation, so he saw no point in wasting time buttoning it up - only for it to be removed shortly after.

The dark haired boy stood straight and flashed a partially menacing grin at the half ape man, the exit (and entrance) cleared as Luther uncoordinatedly stepped off to the side - Five tailing Tom and slipping out the cleared door without uttering another word.

"Hey- Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" Luther shouted through a mouthful of toast, Diego for once agreeing with what the larger just said.

"Yeah, get back here."

"Not until I've had my coffee." The brunet called over his shoulder, heading towards the large winding stairs - the jet black pistol he had used to knock Gloria out bumping against his hip with every small step, his unoccupied hand placing within the other navy blazer pocket - grasping onto the folded beige paper.

"Thanks for staying, Tom." Five thanked with a small sincere grin once they had reached their rooms, the taller frowning slightly before bending down a fraction so that he was roughly eye-level with him - almost pleading.

"Don't do that to me again, Five." To which he replied.

"No promises."

☂︎