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

Fifteen

"You think they'll buy it?" Luther turned my wandering attention to the briefcase sitting between himself and Five, tapping his thumb against the steering wheel.

"Well, what I do know is they're desperate. It's like a cop losing his gun. If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit. Not to mention they'll be stuck here until they get it back," Five said, staring out at the road before us.

"I should hang on to it. In case they make a move on you."

"Okay, Luther, but be careful. I mean... I've lived a long life, but you're still a young man. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it."

I almost laughed at that. Here was an old man in the body of thirteen year old, telling a thirty year old man bigger than both of us combined that he was a young man.

Luther sent a glance back at me, then looked forward as the blue car that had held me captive for so long came into view over the hill.

"Here we go."

We all got out of the car, and Five grabbed my arm.

"Stay in the car, Vivian."

"Five, I'm fine."

"You were dead this morning."

"And?"

"You're weak right now. If this ends badly, you don't need to be in the middle of it. The fact that you can heal yourself doesn't mean you should actively seek out dangerous situations."

"I'd beg to differ. I can do whatever, and not be permanently hurt! Ooh, I should try skydiving!" I grinned, then remembered where we were, and got back to the point. "Besides, it's too late." I brushed past my brother and waved at Hazel and Cha-Cha, whose eyes widened when they saw me up and about and not dead.

Five groaned, but joined me in walking up to Luther. He stopped for a moment, then turned to us.

"If this all goes sideways, tell Delores I'm sorry." I had no clue what he was talking about, but Luther seemed to, and nodded. At that, Five turned around and began walking towards the partners, and I followed my brother towards my former captors. They had covered their faces with masks again, which was pointless seeing as I had already what they looked like, and seemed on edge.

"Didn't I shoot you earlier?" Cha-Cha asked as we grew closer.

"Yep. I died, too. Luckily, I got on Satan's nerves so much that he threw me right out of hell and all the way back up here." I smiled as Five and I stopped walking a little ways away from the duo.

"The masks really necessary?" Five asked, unfazed by my story. Hazel and Cha-Cha pulled the bear and dog masks from their faces and threw them in opposite directions into the grass.

"Where is it, kid?"

"Wow, that's how you're gonna start. You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day," Five said, shoving his hands into his pockets with a smirk on his face.

Cha-Cha pulled out the same gun she had killed me with and pointed it straight at Five's face.

"You won't even make it halfway there."

"Maybe. But as I'm sure you found out in your previous forays, my sister isn't exactly killable, and my brother isn't your average giant. By the time you took all of us down, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp."

"Probably us too, right?" Hazel said, gesturing with his gun. "So how do we help each other?"

"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her. Face-to-face."