Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN
' WOULDN'T YOU
LIKE TO KNOW,
WEATHER BOY? '

A thunderous noise greeted Eddie as she shook off her disociation. She recognised the surroundings of her childhood bedroom, the memories of travelling back with Five after they met with Mr Bigg. The events after she stepped into the house were forgotten or hidden deep in her mind.

Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet from the corner of her room and stumbled slightly. Crashing and short grunts filtered through the door, and her eyes began to glow in anticipation of a fight. She looked down at the handle of her room and grimaced before pulling her sleeve over her hand and carefully pulling it open.

She furrowed her eyebrows and stepped out of her room, tracing the corridor wall as chaos swarmed downstairs. Klaus pranced into her view, headphones on his head as he swayed his hips with a dizzy smile.

"Klaus-"

Her brain shut off, awareness of everything around her dying as soon as she felt the hand cover her mouth. Eddie thrashed immediately, chest tightening and skin crawling. She kicked and punched, eyes glowing violently. Sickness brewed in her stomach, and her mind could think of nothing but the desperate need to get out. She didn't care about the consequences as she felt the raw power brew under her skin. She rose to meet it, calling and embracing it.

Out of her notice, the metal band on her wrist flashed red, detecting the sudden build-up of energy in her body, and it hissed.

The sedatives injected into her bloodstream worked almost immediately, the glow of her eyes suddenly dying and her body collapsing against the one confining her.

\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/

When Eddie began to shake off the sedative, information returned to her in bits and pieces. The world swirled around her, her brain thumping in her head, and her vision blurred. Clenching her fists, she found them restrained, which prompted her senses to return more quickly with adrenaline. Her eyes darted over the dark motel room, the stale smell and stained floor causing her stomach to churn.

She could still feel the person's hand over her mouth, and there was nothing she could do to stop the vomit from leaving her mouth. Luckily, she directed her mouth to the floor and not herself.

The movement allowed her to see Klaus, also restrained but beaten to unconsciousness. "Klaus," she breathed out, her eyes widening with concern before she began to thrash against her restraints. She felt her power brew under her skin again, but she saw the flashing of her band out of the corner of her eye.

Realisation ploughed into her, and she tried to push the energy down. She couldn't afford to be sedated again; she needed to get her and Klaus out of there.

"You're finally awake."

Eddie's head whipped in the direction of the voice. "What the Hell did you do to my brother?" she seethed, clenching her fists and her eyes glowing subconsciously.

A woman with a pink mask let out a piece of laughter as she approached, a man with a blue one following after. "You think this glowing fiasco is gonna scare us? We know that bracelet stops you from doing any real damage. See-" She leaned down to eye level. "-We know a lot about you, Doctor Hargreeves, and what you're capable of. Your brother was very helpful in that respect."

Eddie's eyes flickered to Klaus briefly.

"Not him," the man corrected.

"Who are you?" Eddie asked, even though she knew the answer.

"You're a smart girl," the woman replied. "I think you know, but you're trying to play dumb."

"Okay," she yielded with a sigh, leaning back in her seat. "Then what do you want from us?"

"Where is the boy?"

The redhead's eyebrows pulled into a furrow. "Who?"

"Tell us what we need, and everything will work out for you."

"Funnily enough, I don't have friends who are kids cause then I'd get arrested-"

The woman struck her, Eddie's head whipping to the side from the force of it. The pain was second to the revolt of being touched, and the metal band began to flash red again. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep on top of her breathing, which was steadily increasing in pace. Slowly, she moved her head back in their direction, hair covering her face.

"I don't know... who you're... talking about," she bit out, voice quiet and wavering slightly.

The pink-masked woman crouched before Eddie, placing her hands on her knees. Her body tightened immediately, pulling against her restraints as the sensation trickled through her, poisoning her nerves with revolt.

"Tell us where your brother is."

Her brain hyperfocused on the woman's hands. She couldn't do anything other than try not to fall into the clasps of full-blown panic. Eddie's head remained ducked, her breathing laboured and on the verge of sending her consciousness into her world.

"I don't know," she whispered.

The woman grumbled in frustration, and suddenly, her grip was gone. Eddie exhaled heavily, body nearly bending in half with relief. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes following them as they retreated into the bathroom, their low voices only noises to her. The redhead looked back at Klaus, the blood dripping from the wounds and the bruises littering his body.

"Klaus?" she whispered.

If he was awake, he didn't react to her, and she turned her attention back to the room. She spied a door, window and something which could have been an air ventilator. All escape routes, only if she could get her and Klaus out of the restraints with or without having to deal with the kidnappers.

Eddie returned her gaze to the restraints. They were rope, which meant that they could burn. It wouldn't have been an obstacle if she'd not worn the band. With that, she was practically powerless.

Her brain moved slowly, still recovering from the sedation while also trying to grapple with the adrenaline and panic racing through her veins. She could feel the threat of dissociation sitting at the back of her head, and she would have fallen into its embrace if it wasn't for Klaus. As long as she was awake, they would focus on her. She just had to be brave. Emotionless. She had to shut herself off.

Eddie clenched her fists tighter, her breathing laboured. "No," she mumbled to herself. Her eyes glazed over, but she shook her head to rid it. "I can do it. Stay here."

"Stay here? Where else you going?"

Her eyes flickered up, and she blinked rapidly. They stopped in front of her again. "Where's Five?"

She had to be brave.

"What do you want with him?"

Emotionless.

"That doesn't concern you," the woman snapped. "We're gonna ask once more... Where is Five?"

She had to shut herself off.

Eddie lifted her head as she smiled, eyes void of emotion. "Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?"

The man moved around the back of her chair and wrapped a wire around her neck, tugging to shut off her airways.

She had to be brave. Emotionless. She had to shut herself off.