Number Eight {The Umbrella Academy} -- [On Hold]

Eight

When I woke up, all I could see was darkness.

I tried to ask "Klaus?" but it came out more like "Koof?". There was something over my mouth (tape, it felt like), and something around my hands, stopping me from being able to move my arms freely.

I analysed my surroundings instead of panicking, figuring that would be a little more productive to do. There was something hard pressing against my back, and when I tried to extend my legs, they ran into something hard too.

I stopped for a moment and listened. Cars honking, jazz music, and an engine's quiet purr. I decided I was in the trunk of the car, and while I'm normally open for new experiences, I wasn't the biggest fan of this one.

I moved my tape-covered hands forward, trying to find the door of the trunk, but instead ran into a face.

"Koof? Ta oo?" I was muffled by the tape.

I moved my elbows up and accidently poked the person's bare chest, leaving me hoping that it was my brother I was stuck with.

He mumbled out something that sounded similar to my name, successfully identifying himself as Klaus, and smacked into my leg with his knee. I poked him in the chest in retaliation, which he whined at.

I tried to think as Klaus squirmed about, trying to free himself from the tape. I had a total of two fingers free, my left hand's middle and index, so I could flip off the masked man if he opened the trunk. That was something, at least. My legs weren't bound, so I could run if there was a chance, but I wasn't going to leave Klaus behind.

I ran through any and all ideas I could think of before coming back to the fact that I had two fingers free. I could take off the tape on my mouth.

I shifted so my hands were close to my face, and scratched at the edge of the tape with my nails. Once I got an edge loose, I held it tight between the fingers and pulled slowly. Within a few seconds, I was free to speak.

"I got the tape on my mouth off. Are you okay?" I asked.

"Mmh."

"Hold on, bring your head closer to me," I instructed. He moved eagerly and bonked our heads together with a loud bang. We let out simultaneous groans of pain. "Not that close, dufus."

I fumbled around, and after finding his face, repeated the process of taking off the tape.

"My head hurts," he moaned.

"No shit, Sherlock. We need to get out of here, now. Are your hands taped up?"

"Tragically, yes."

"Wonderful."

I twisted my hands around, trying at no avail to loosen the tape binding them together.

"I swear to everything holy, if Luther and Diego are currently arguing and not noticing that we're gone, I will murder them."

"I'll bet you twenty bucks they won't notice until Pogo says something."

"I'm not losing money that easily, Klaus."

He laughed, then groaned as the car went over something and slammed our heads into the side of the car.

"Remind me not to ride in car trunks in my free time." I muttered, trying to roll into a more comfortable position.

"Shut up! God, I'm trying!" Klaus exclaimed. I was confused before I remember that my brother could talk to the dead.

"Ghost pal being annoying?" I asked.

"He's been annoying me for fourteen years, but especially so today."

I grinned, then froze.

Our best friend had been dead for fourteen years.