Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

SIX

CHAPTER SIX
' THAT'S ENOUGH. '

Waiting by the side of the building, Eddie pushed her hands into her pockets and quietly waited for Hargreeves to appear in his car. Her siblings had already filed into the building, round housing and roughing each other up as they went. The dread built steadily in her chest, and she ground her jaw in anticipation of the shit show on the horizon.

The sound of an engine slowly grew to a crescendo, and the redhead watched it approach under the brim of her fedora. When the car slowed to a stop in a car parking space, Hargreeves stepped out before buttoning his blazer and murmuring a few words to the Grace inside.

Eddie stepped forward from the shadows and into the territory of the street lights. When Hargreeves had his back turned, she adjusted her dark red flowered blazer and tightened her black tie, and her hands found the comfort of her pockets again. They locked gazes, and even then, it took Eddie all her composure not to shrink under the intensity. She met him halfway at the bottom of the stairs.

"Evening, sir," she offered, voice lowering to accommodate her male persona.

"Mr Halen," he replied in his usual gruff voice, not even sparing him a glance and only inspecting the building in front of them.

"Just to be clear. These folks declare me to be their... father?"

With a shrug, Eddie let out a quiet sigh. "I think it's best if I let them introduce themselves. They were very... adamant of seeing you, Mr Hargreeves."

He only grunted and began forward.

The duo made their way into the building and stepped into the elevator. Immediately, Eddie's nose wrinkled at the potent smell, and her hands tightened in her pockets. She lowered her head slightly to hide her expression under the brim of her fedora.

"If this stench is anything to go by, I would assume they are a pack of wild dogs," Hargreeves remarked after a brief silence.

A quiet snort of laughter escaped her. "You said it."

"Hey, no more numbers. No more bullshit. We're all team Zero." She made out Diego's voice through the elevator doors as they stopped at the right floor. Eddie steeled her shoulders and lifted her head again.

"Uh, Diego, you don't have the conch."

Just as the door opened, she caught sight of a conch shell flying through the air and shattering on the ground. For a moment, Hargreeves stood, inspecting the group, and with Eddie standing behind him, she offered them a small tip of her hat.

Don't let him get to you. We're facing him together this time.

He stepped out of the elevator, and Eddie followed behind them. Without seeing his face, she knew what expression he wore. His glare was capable of shrivelling, and his mouth probably pulled tight in annoyance. He pulled out a chair, dropped his books on the table, and began to speak before he lowered into his seat.

"Not only have you burglarized my lab, set my chimp loose, conned your way into the Mexican Consulate, repeatedly stalked and attacked me, but you have, on numerous occasions, called me-"

"-Hey, pops, how's it hanging?" Klaus lowered into a chair, sipping on a cocktail.

"-Dad," Hargreeves finished in a resigned voice and shot Eddie a look. She didn't sit but rather stood behind him, hands still in her pocket. "My reconnaissance tells me you're not CIA, not KGB, certainly not MI5, so who are you?"

Five glanced around the table, his gaze lingering on Eddie's for a second longer. He grimaced before forcing the words out. "We're your children. We're from the future."