The Apocalypse | The Umbrella Academy

xiii.

Seventeen years ago...

Grace's high heels clicked on the oak floor of the dining room. She put a vinyl on a record player and it played automatically. She walked over to the entrance of the dining room and lightly jingled a small bell.

All of the children rushed downstairs in silence. An air of ecstatic energy circled around them all. Their father walked in and came to a stop at his seat: the head of the table.

"You may sit," he said.

The scraping of chairs filled the space suddenly. Vanya occupied the other head of the table. Then, there was Five and Ben sitting opposite each other. Then, Diego and Klaus sat opposite. Evelyn sat opposite no-one. Allison and Luther sat opposite, smiling at each other. It was no secret that Allison and Luther were going out and the siblings found it equally disgusting. Evelyn nudged Allison's arm, making her look at her. Evelyn put her finger in her throat, symbolising that she was going to be sick. Allison hit her on the arm and Luther kicked her from under the table. Evelyn just smirked.

Evelyn ate her food while listening to music on her Walkman that she stole on a mission. Klaus was rolling a joint. Diego was carving the chair with his knife. Ben was reading. Five observed the scene before stabbing a knife in the table. This attracted both the siblings' attention and his father's. Evelyn pulled down her orange headphones.

"I want to time travel," he said.

"Number Five. No talking while Herr Carlson is," their father droned. Most of the siblings rolled their eyes but continued to watch; it was the most entertaining thing that had happened all month.

"I'm ready," Five continued and stood up out of his chair. "I've been practising my spatial jumps just like you said." Five stopped and strained, disappearing in blue energy before reappearing again at his father's side. "See?"

"It is not a matter if you are ready or not. Spatial jumps and time travel are many different than one another. One is like sliding across the ice and another is plunging into the icy depths and resurfacing an acorn." He held his glass in the air as if he were saying a toast and then took a sip of the red wine.

"I don't get it."

"Hence why you are not ready."

"I'm not scared," Five tried.

"I forbid you to talk about this any longer!" his father boomed. Five looked at Vanya and she shook her head at him. Five ignored her and walked out of the house, his father calling after him.

Five walked down the street, putting his wrists together in a cross, blue energy circling around them. He reappeared in the same street, only brighter and with different people.

"Not ready my ass." He did it again, this time at a jog. The scenery changed to winter. He smiled and started to run, time travelling again.

Five suddenly stopped. The scenery was destroyed. Everything was rubble and dust-covered. Entire buildings were smashed down. Five ran back up the street, stopping at his house. The remains were only the front wall and the gates. "Dad?" Five yelled. "Ben? Vanya?" He got no answer and sunk to his knees, wishing he'd listened to his father.