a mannequin and a boy • the umbrella academy ON HOLD

volume two, issue 3

Even though this wasn't the trio's first car ride together since they arrived in the 60's, the trip hurt Dolores just the same. At least now, three years later, she had a little more control and could switch out of her human form, but the moment she came back, it was immediate motion sickness.

Klaus wouldn't even let her sit in the front out of fear that a police officer would pull him over, but sitting closer to the front usually eased the nausea a little.

Considering the fact that three years had passed, it sure didn't show in Dolores's appearance. She looked the same, maybe a year older, but a large portion of that time was spent in her spirit form, and she didn't age unless she was in her human body.

"If it was that much of an issue, Dolores, we could've dropped you off at an orphanage—" Klaus started, driving the beaten down car at a speed it couldn't handle.

"Klaus!" Ben cut him off.

"What? I'm just saying!"

"They wouldn't accept an Asian kid, Klaus. Especially one that disappears half the time," Dolores reasoned, turning her attention to the endless field that started right off the road.

She found focusing on nature and talking helped, sometimes, but talking to Klaus certainly didn't.

"Okay, but they wouldn't exactly have a choice." Dolores scoffed, shaking her head at the comment.

"They'd ask me questions," she countered, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Pretend you have an issue talking."

"And if they discover my powers?"

"Well, I don't have all the answers, Dolores?"

"And I'm supposed to?!?"

"You're the older one here!"

"Then I should be the one driving, but no, it's not 'legal'. When did we ever do anything legal?"

"It's okay, Dolores, at least you didn't start a cult," Ben chimed, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face as he looks over at an offended Klaus.

"I did not! They started it themselves, I'm just a figure head."

"That's still like starting one, Klaus," Dolores told him, laughing along with Ben. At least she wasn't stuck alone, even if they were stuck somewhere in time.

The engine sputtered before stopping completely, leaving them with a broken car in the middle of the road.

Smoke came from Klaus's side of the car, and Dolores was just thankful that she was on the opposite side as her and Ben exited the car with Klaus.

"Now what?" Klaus whined.

"Remember when I told you the engine was overheating?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, well, being smart doesn't make you interesting."

"Neither does your beard."

"I can't believe I'm stuck with two people half my age. Where are we even going?" Dolores interrupted them, looking between the two.

"Going back to Dallas." Klaus nonchalantly opened the top of the car, coughing as the smoke increased.

"That far? For how long?" Klaus started laughing, although Ben and Dolores were serious.

"None of your beeswax."

"Really?" The twins responded in sync.

"I'm done with this," Dolores mentioned, going back into spirit form. Klaus looked around quickly, paranoid that she'd miss with him.

In the past three years, Dolores has been using her powers for relatively useless things, but one of her favorites would be pranking Klaus.

She'd eat his food when his back was turned, give him wedgies, trim his hair; if she could do it, it'd be done.

Even Ben had helped her a few times, but as he looked at Dolores walking down the road, he knew this wasn't one of those times.

The two adoptive siblings continued their conversation but Dolores tuned it out, letting her body go weightless.

The good thing about her transparent body, despite it taking some energy, is that she didn't have to worry about food, weight, the sun, or anything a human needs. She didn't age, didn't grow, and wasn't bound to the earth.

But she found it difficult to use her emotions, her mind, or anything a human has. She was nothing but a soul that appeared human, and for a long time, she didn't even appear human.

Although she had more control over her powers than she did then, Dolores was still terrified she'd get stuck as an object or a simple spirit again. It took fifty years for her to fall in love, she couldn't imagine how stunted her heart would be if she had to go through it again.

Dolores looked back only to see her two companions fighting on the side of the road, and absolved her spirit form to walk over and possibly film the fight. If only she had a phone.

"Miss, do you need help?" A police officer asked her while he was passing. She stifled a laugh, shaking her head.

The officer just kept going, shaking her head at the crazy bunch. He couldn't even see that there was an actual fight going on, just a crazy man.

"Okay, okay, break it up, we've got to get going," Dolores told them, laughing quietly as she started back down the road, going back into her little ghost mode.

By the time they reached a building-- some sketchy bar with gas services-- Klaus was exhausted. Ben and Dolores were just fine, of course.

Dolores took one look at the patrons and knew she wouldn't become visible for a while. The entire place was full of white guys all drinking, smoking or playing poker, and that didn't sit right with Dolores.

Dolores took her place standing beside Ben as Klaus started playing a poker game. "Out of all the things I've seen him do, this doesn't surprise me," Ben told her, amused at his actions.

"Oh, look who's bluffing," Dolores chuckled, walking around the table of men without any repercussions.

"And look who isn't," she said about another guy, watching with interest.

"You should tell Klaus that this man is being serious, and that he's gonna lose his necklace," Dolores told Ben, smiling. Ben did the exact opposite, but Dolores found it to be funny.

In fact, she found the whole scene to be funnier, but she could certainly make it even funnier.

She kicked one of their chairs, which led that guy to kick another guy's chair, and so forth until Klaus stole the pickup keys from the pool and made a run for it.

The twins laughed as the brawl continued behind them, knowing they didn't have to worry about getting hurt.

After a moment of struggling, Klaus finally got the truck to start, and the three fled down the road again, in fits of laughter.

Dolores finally felt like she had some sort of a family. And even if she knew it wouldn't last, because it never did, it was enough for her.

authors note
this chapter isn't any longer, rip, and once again SOME dialogue was copied from the episode. I liked writing this better than Five's chapter tbh.

Question of the chapter: if you could be time traveled to any time period whatsoever, which would you pick?

My answer: probably the 80's or the 90's, as long as it's a good area. there was too much racism and stuff in the years before, but things weren't so technology involved during the 80/90's, and Leonardo DiCaprio was super cute back then 😼

thanks for reading! bye!