ZERO! the umbrella academy

vingt-sept

SATURDAY NIGHT

LUTHER AND ALLISON RETURNED from wherever they had wandered off to and walked up to Klaus, Diego, (possibly Ben) and I who were solemnly bowling. "Alright." He looked around. "Where's Five?"

"He left," I said.

"Oh, for the love of..." he trailed off, seething in anger. "Where'd he go?"

"He had some business he needed to take care of." I folded my arms over my chest. "Don't worry. He'll be back soon."

"Well, we're not waiting around for him. The concert starts in thirty minutes."

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Diego asked.

"Well, I think that, uh..." Luther had a blank look in his eyes. "We go to the Icarus Theater."

"That's a location, not a plan," Diego stated. When Luther didn't say anything further, he raised his brows. "What? Is that all you got?" He got in his face. "Look, you wanna be Number One, fine. But you're gonna have to get us on the same page because right now, we're all over the place."

Luther stared at Diego, and words I never thought I would hear him say left his lips. "You're right." He nodded. "We need a plan."

"I'm sorry, am I having a stroke, or did you just admit that Diego is right?" My lips curled into a teasing smirk.

Luther opened his mouth to reply, but he never got the chance to as shots rung out inside the bowling alley. "Get down!" he screamed, and we all dropped to the floor.

We took cover behind the tables as the other patrons and employees scrambled for the exits. I peeked around the side of the table to catch a glimpse at who was shooting at us. There were several armed men in full gear wearing red gas masks. This must be the Commission, I thought.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Diego yelled over the sound of gunfire.

"Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday!" Klaus shouted, covering his ears.

Luther lifted his head for one moment, and immediately all of the guns were trained on him. He ducked back down before he could get riddled with bullets. "No, I'm pretty sure they're here for us!"

I watched as the glass on a bubblegum machine shattered, sending balls of bubblegum rolling around on the floor. "I think they're some of Five's friends!"

Diego rolled his eyes. "He really is just the gift that keeps on giving, isn't he?" he mumbled under his breath, and I smacked him in the chest.

A bunch of bowling balls went flying off of the shelves, filled with holes. Diego popped up for a second and threw a knife at one of the men, spearing him in the chest. He stumbled back, bumping into the sound and lighting system. Suddenly, the room was bathed in blue light, and "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers came over the speakers.

Luther grabbed a bowling ball and launched it at one of the men. It hit him smack dab on the head, and he grunted before collapsing in a heap on the floor. Luther continued to throw bowling balls at the men while Diego joined in, picking them off with his knives.

Klaus snuck the birthday cake off of the table we were hiding behind. He lifted his arm to throw it, but I latched onto him. "Wait a second." I stole one of Diego's knives off of his chest harness before he could stop me. I neatly cut myself a piece of cake. "Okay. There you go." I took a bite out of the cake and handed the knife back to Diego. He threw it at one of the men, and it hit him in the neck, causing him to topple over.

Klaus stood up and hurled the cake at one of the men with all his might, a battle cry erupting from his throat. To my surprise, it worked. Frosting smeared all over the man's gas mask, and he fell over, stunned. Klaus ducked back down next to me. "They're blocking the exit!"

"So, what's the plan now, Luther?" Diego asked.

"Should I freeze time and kick these guys' asses or what?" I added.

Allison urgently tapped Klaus and I on the shoulder. When we looked at her, she pointed towards the bowling lanes. Luther noticed her and followed where she was pointing. "The lanes! Let's go!"

We all came out of hiding and bolted for the lanes. Colored lights flashed and swirled inside the bowling alley, and smoke hovered in the air. We slid across the slick, wooden floor as we got to the ends of the lanes, crashing into bowling pins as we did so. We picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves off on the other side and dodged bullets as we made our way for the door.

Next stop: the Icarus Theater.

—

THE MUSIC HAD ALREADY started by the time we got inside. We bounded up the steps to the sound of violins, and Allison got in front of the rest of us. She pressed her hand against Luther's chest, stopping him in his tracks.

He stared down at her. "What?"

She held up her notepad that read, "I NEED TO GO ALONE." I guess Allison and I finally agree on something.

"Allison, I can't let you do that, alright?" he insisted. "She's beyond reasoning."

"You hear the music?" Diego shouted over the melodies and harmonies filling the air. "It's started."

"Do you honestly think she's gonna listen?" Luther asked her. "After everything that's happened?"

"We don't have time for this," Klaus hissed.

Luther stared down at Allison, the wheels in his brain spinning. "Okay," he finally whispered.

She gave him one last look before she took off. She ran through the doors leading to the theater and disappeared around the corner.

Diego leaned over to Luther. "You're using her as a distraction, aren't you?"

"It'll be our best chance to incapacitate Vanya," Luther explained. "She'll thank us later."

"So, what's the plan?" Klaus looked at us eagerly.

"Uh... you wait out front," Luther dismissed him.

His face fell. "What?"

"Yeah, you're the lookout." Luther turned his back on him.

"The lookout?" When Luther didn't respond, Klaus trudged over and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and hanging his head.

Diego and Luther started heading up the stairs, but I blocked their path. "Lee, move," Luther growled.

"Violence isn't going to help her, Luther." I drew my brows together. "Can't you see that?"

"Billions of lives are at risk, Lee, not to mention your own." He lifted his chin. "I've already lost Mom and Pogo. I'm not losing anyone else."

"No. Only your sister." My eyes filled with sorrow.

He groaned. "You want to help? Stay out here with Klaus." He pushed me aside, and he and Diego bounded up the stairs into the theater.

My hands curled into fists so tight that my knuckles turned white. I looked back at Klaus to see that he was still standing neglected on the landing. "Klaus, I'll be right back, okay?"

He barely acknowledged me except for a grumble. "Okay."

I looked back the way Luther and Diego had gone and followed after them. I had my own plan I had come up with, one that didn't involved trading lives, and I was about to put it to the test.