❝ oh, you haven't heard? damaged people thrive when side by side. ❞
in which the amateur magician and the intense vigilante cross paths far too many times.
BOOK ONE IN THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY SERIES
SABRINA NILSSON STAND ALONE
UMBRELLA ACADEMY SEASON 1...
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SIXTEEN; DIEGO'S A CHILD, REGGIE'S STILL KIND OF A BITCH
Sabrina had woken up four hours ago. She thought it had been a day since she'd collapsed on the front porch of the Hargreeves home, but eight days had passed. She was floating between being exhausted and being refreshed, and she had yet to test out her legs. It was an odd feeling. There was still a slight ache, but other than that, the pain was almost entirely gone.
She had been alone when she opened her eyes, unlike last time, and instantly her mind tried to figure out what was going on. Was she dead? She didn't think hospital rooms looked like this. It wasn't her apartment, it wasn't Diego or Alicia's homes, not even Sisco's. It was only vaguely familiar; she could've sworn she'd been there before.
Glancing down, Sabrina saw her legs without bandages. Where there had been bullet holes were now ugly rounded scars, and the skin that had been irritated and red was now smooth and new. Was she dreaming? Or had she died? She never took good care of herself.
Pushing herself up on the bed, Sabrina inhaled and took a look around. Upon seeing the ugly decor, it suddenly clicked. She was in the medical room. God, Reggie has a terrible taste in style. "Fuck, it was real."
"Language, Miss Nilsson," Pogo muttered from the doorway, and she glanced over to see him leaning against his walking stick, his lips pursed. "It's good to have you back with us."
"Thanks for helping me out," she said, shifting a little on the bed. She seemed to be hooked up to a bunch of different machines, which wasn't entirely assuring, so she reached for the needle in her arm. Pogo quickly shouted for her to stop. Sabrina glanced over at him and furrowed her brows. "What?"
"You got enough blood on the floor the last few times you've been here," he said, walking towards her and helping remove the tube so that she didn't bleed out. "I'm sure Grace would prefer not to clean up after you again."
Sabrina smiled softly as she was freed from wires and restraints. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and got to her feet, wobbling a little as she regained feeling.
"Be careful when walking around," Pogo instructed, allowing her to take his hand for support. He led her out of the medical room and into the hall, where Grace was speaking with an infuriated Diego. Sabrina froze once she saw the man, panic instantly surging through her.
As if sensing her presence, the man looked up and met her eyes. His jaw set, and he didn't say a word, he just spun on his heel and stormed off.
★☆
A while later, she was sat with her legs crossed outside his childhood bedroom, refusing to move until he talked to her. Her head was rested against the wooden door and she hadn't stopped talking. "Diego, Diego, Diego, Diego."
Silence.
"Diego," she grumbled, her voice trailing off. She'd been there for almost two hours. It wasn't great that the two adults were incredibly stubborn, and neither was planning to give up for a long time to come. "Diego, come on."
"Sabrina, Master Hargreeves wishes to speak with you," Grace's voice chimed, and Sabrina looked up, seeing the woman standing by the stairs, clasping her hands in front of her. There were dark circles around Sabrina's eyes, and a deep frown on her face. "You don't seem too happy. I'll make you a snack."
Sabrina hesitated, glancing back at Diego's door, before she sighed and pushed herself up. She was still a little weak in the legs, but she was practically healed. She was aware that the man on the other side of the wall was pissed at her, but she also knew that for once, she had made the right decision. As exhausting as Reginald was to speak to, she knew that she owed him that much after all he had done for her.
She opened her mouth to make a snarky remark, but she chose not to. She understood Diego's hurt, but at the same time, she was capable of making her own choices. This was something no one in her life seemed to understand. Sure, half the time they ended up with her in hospital, but she was still independent enough to keep herself mostly alive.
Turning away from Diego's room, she walked towards the stairs and heaved herself through the mansion until she had made it to Reginald's study. She didn't bother knocking, she just barged in; it seemed Reginald hadn't expected any less. "Hey, Reggie."
"Sir Hargreeves," Reginald corrected her, not looking up from his diary as Sabrina sat down on the chair. There was a weird silence between them, as Sabrina was waiting for him to talk, and he didn't seem to want to.
So, she began.
"Thanks for all you've done for me," Sabrina leaned forward a little, a polite smile finally making its way onto her face. "You've saved my life twice now."
"I know," Reginald muttered, finally putting his pen down. "But, I did not summon you here to extend your gratitudes. I summoned you here to give you something."
Sabrina fell quiet. She wasn't a quiet person, which had been made clear, constantly.
Reginald picked up a notebook to the side of his desk. It was a brown leather book with the initials R.H inscribed on it, clearly old and worn. He handed it over the desk, and Sabrina slowed got up and accepted it. She went to open it, but he shook his head. "Not yet."
"What is it?" she inquired, running her hands over the material of the outside. It felt expensive; it was probably worth more than anything she owned. Reginald paused, before he picked up his pen once more and continued to write.
"In the next week I am going to die," he said without a moment's hesitation. Sabrina choked on her next words, and the man inhaled, unimpressed. "You are now one of the three individuals that know. You are not to tell anyone else. In that book you will find observations made during your recovery process and theories regarding how to expand and develop your abilities."
"Cool, but, uh, what do you mean you're gonna die?" Sabrina hardly cared about the book anymore. Reginald lips remained downturned. She wondered if he'd ever smiled before.
"I will not elaborate," he said shortly, before waving her away with his free hand. "You are dismissed."
"But-" Sabrina began, only for Reginald to shake his head. She groaned and got to her feet once more, trudging towards the doorway. She looked back and pursed her lips. The man before was a sick bastard, but he had helped her. She had mixed emotions about the limited words he had given her, to say the least. "See you later, Sir Hargreeves."
"It was good to finally meet you," Reginald said as her fingers brushed against the doorknob. She paused and glanced over to him. He still wasn't looking up at her. Her mind trailed to Diego, and a though crossed her mind. Had he ever really cared about his children? All the work he had done surrounded their abilities and how they could protect society, but at the same time, he never cared to get to know their personalities, how they felt things; who they were. This became a little clearer when he said his final words to her. "Number eight."
"Hah," Sabrina released a short laugh, before her face went completely blank. "Fuck off, Reginald."
★☆
wayooo my dudes two updates!! i'm on a roll?!?!? maybe not cause this isn't great but i just wanna get to the main storyline of ua lolololol
