IGNIS : the umbrella academy [COMPLETE]

II

     CARLA WAS PERCHED ON A RATHER LARGE WINDOWSILL, right foot tapping out a quick rhythm as she watched Klaus lay on the floor, rummaging through various drawers and cabinets, occasionally stuffing expensive-looking items into his coat.

     "Carla, if you were an old and miserable prick, where would you leave all your cash?"

     "Uh, the bottom drawer?" she suggested.

     "I've already tried there," he groaned, shoving an expensive-looking pen up his sleeve.

     Carla crouched down to where he was, lying on the floor and opening the bottom drawer, before rummaging around, her fingers finding a small lever. She flicked it, and the bottom on the drawer slid back to reveal a black and gold box.

     Klaus, who was looking through another drawer on the other side of the desk turned to her, eyes going wide, "Holy shit, Carl! How did you know?"

     She shrugged, giving him the box, "Lucky guess?"

     Klaus admired the pearl engravings, "You can get half the money."

     "Oddly generous for you... I'll take it," she grinned as he somehow shoved the box in the depths of his roadkill coat.

      They opened a few more drawers, rifling through the contents, when Carla heard a voice say, "Klaus? What're you doing in here?"

     Both Klaus and Carla looked up, equal amounts of surprise on their faces, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

     Klaus stood up first, "Allison? Wow, is that you? Hey, come here," he pulled her into a hug, while Carla slowly stood up, standing off to the side as Klaus continued, "It's been a long time, too long. Hey, I was hoping to see you actually, because I wanted to get your autograph added to my collection."

     Allison was tall and incredibly pretty, with curly hair that fell down her back in ringlets, and skin the colour of coffee. She definitely possessed what most people whould recognise as star quality.

     She grabbed Klaus's hand, the smile melting off her face when she saw the band hanging loosely on his wrist, "You're just out of rehab."

     "No," he snatched his hand away, shaking his head, "No, no, no, no, no. I'm- I'm done with all that."

     Carla couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, a small scoff leaving her lips, and Allison's attention moved to her.

     "Uh, hi?" Allison said, clearly confused at the sight of the teenage girl standing in her father's office.

     "Hi, I'm Carla Jenkins, Klaus's friend," she stuck out a gloved hand that Allison hesitantly shook.

     Klaus looked around to face the portrait of his father hanging on the wall, "Y'know, I just came down here to prove to myself that the old man was really gone. And he is!"

     He grinned widely, "He's dead! Yay! You know how I know? Because if he were still alive, not one of us would be allowed to set foot in this room."

     The man turned around, taking a few steps towards the desk, "He was always in here our whole childhood, plotting his next torment," he sat down in the chair, propping his feet up on the desk, "Do you remember how he used to look at us? With that scowl? Thank Christ he's not our real father so we couldn't inherit those cold, dead eyes!"

     He used his fingers to stretch his eyes wider, looking at Allison, who chuckled, before a voice said sternly, "Get out of his chair."

     Carla's head turned to see a burly man standing by the door, walking in, and she assumed by the sheer size of him that he was Luther, the man who had been sent to the moon.