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

Eleven

"Vivian? Oh my god, Diego's been worried sick. Are you their brother?" Detective Patch turned to Klaus, who nodded frantically, then wailed out something unintelligible through the tape, gesturing with his head back towards the bathroom.

"Shh, shh." She flipped open a knife, and cut my arms and legs free from the chair. The woman helped me up, then handed me her knife, gesturing towards Klaus.

I cut my brother free as she pulled a gun from her holster.

The bathroom door slowly creaked open, and she fired off several shots, shoving us behind her. Klaus flung himself on the bed, then rolled off, while I made things easier and just ducked behind the bed.

"Police! Drop the gun, or you're going down!" Patch shouted, advancing towards the bathroom.

Klaus jabbed my arm with his elbow, gesturing to a vent he had gotten open. It held a briefcase, but I assumed he was referring to the escape route. I ripped the tape off of my mouth, then spoke, throwing Klaus' jacket to him.

"You go, I'll stay and make sure she gets out alright." Klaus took off his tape, and was going to protest before I stopped him. "Klaus, I'll be okay. Diego'll kill me if I let that woman die, I'm just gonna help her until the police come. I'll go straight home afterwards. Now get out of here, dufus."

Klaus nodded reluctantly, drew me into a quick hug, then squirmed his way into the vent. I shut it behind him before standing.

Hazel was slowly stepping out of the bathroom with his hands held above his head, his gun deposited on the floor.

"Hands behind your head, asshole," Patch demanded.

"Okay." Hazel complied. "Just don't shoot." He kneeled, and Patch advanced towards him.

"Cha-Cha, you come on out too, honey," I shouted, using the same patronizing tone she had used with me.

"What?" Patch asked.

No one came out from the bathroom.

"There's a-"

Two gunshots were the last sound I heard before everything went black.

~~~

Diego sat the disembodied mannequin on a chair, then turned to stare at Five with Luther. The boy-well, elderly man, but boy in body-was sleeping peacefully, seeming to be just a normal teenager.

"Funny. If I didn't know he was such a prick, I'd say he looks almost adorable in his sleep."

"Well, don't worry. He'll sober up eventually. Be back to his normal, unpleasant self," Luther muttered.

"Yeah, I can't wait that long." Diego turned around and began pacing. "I need to find out what his connection is with these lunatics before someone else dies."

"All that stuff he was saying before..." A loud thump sounded above them, catching Diego's attention more than his brother's words. "What do you think he meant by that?" Luther trailed off when he noticed Diego had put a finger to his lips. They both listened for a moment, and footsteps came, increasing in volume.

Diego grabbed a knife from the wall and quietly leapt up the stairs at the end of his room, ready to attack if the door opened. He decided to just take his chances, and opened the door swiftly, raising his throwing arm.

"You throw another one of those goddamn knives at me, I'm pressin' charges." Diego sighed, and swung the door open fully, revealing an older man who looked annoyed.

"What do you want Al?"

"I ain't your secretary."

"Yeah." Diego turned away from the man and walked back down the steps.