MIDAS ⇾ THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

~ XIV ~

Alexis woke up the next morning to rain, again. She got changed, and tried to beat some sense into her hair, which was stubbornly frizzy. She let it be, knowing that the rain would just undo everything she'd done to it. Putting on a jacket, she left, half a bagel in her mouth. She checked her to-do list, which was unfortunately rather full.

Heading to the grocery store, she checked her phone again. No news, from anyone. Walking along the aisles, she wondered whether she should just go all out on the expensive stuff, considering she might not live to see next week. She eyed the fancy organic produce with intent, and then shoved it in her cart. At least she'd have all her essential vitamins for the apocalypse.

She spent the rest of that day running errands, and worrying about the others. She was lying on her bed as the sky darkened, re-reading an old book.

She jumped as Diego burst through the door.

"Alexis, we need to go. Now!"

"What?"

"It's Allison."

Alexis jumped up, pulling on shoes.

"What's going on?" she asked frantically as they ran out to the car.

"She went to look for Harold Jenkins... alone," replied Diego, opening the passenger seat door for Alexis.

"What the hell? Why didn't you go with her?" she exclaimed, climbing in.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Five started the ignition, and they sped off.

"Can you go any faster?" said Luther impatiently.

"Ask me again, and I'll burn you with the cigarette lighter," hissed Five.

Alexis' leg bounced as she stared out the window. 

"Alexis, some other stuff happened that you need to know about," said Diego.

"Dad sent me to the moon, for nothing." said Luther.

Alexis raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry about that, Luther," she said. "Is it really top priority right now?"

"No, it isn't," said Diego.

"I met Dad, in the afterlife," said Klaus. "Now, that was interesting."

"Just get on with it, Klaus," said Five.

"He... killed himself."

Alexis turned around.

"Seriously? Why?" she said.

"Yeah." said Diego. "What did he say, Klaus? Something about bringing us back together, wasn't it?"

"Wanted us to work as a team," Klaus said airily. "Which obviously turned out well."

"Five?" said Alexis, "Anything on your end?"

"Not that matters at this moment. But in general, yes. Too complicated to explain now."

Alexis stared back out of the window, leg still jittering.

By the time they pulled up to the house, the sky was a sombre grey. The lights were still on. Alexis ran up the stairs and crashed through the door. And then she stopped, the others behind her. Allison was there... lying in a pool of blood.

"Allison. No..."

She rushed to her. Her throat was slashed horribly, still leaking blood onto her clothes.