Vide Noir | The Umbrella Academy

Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four:
March 24th, 2019

"Where are we?"

The ground was hard underneath her feet, cement mixed with patches of grass. It was raining, cold against her burning skin. Della turned to Five, who stood next to her looking just as confused.

"Why do you look like that?"

His suit, which moments ago fit him perfectly, was now hanging off his thin frame. On top of that, he was longer 58, but 14, maybe 15. Her eyes widened, "What did you do?"

"What the hell is going on?"

She took a deep breath, turning to face a group of various people. They all stared at them, eyes just as wide as hers.

"Does anyone else see little Number Five or is that just me?"

"Shit." Five cursed, brows knotting, "What's the date? The exact date!"

One of the two woman, the smallest one— Vanya replied, "The 24th."

"Of what?" Della questioned, arms crossing against her chest.

"March."

"Good." He took off, leaving Della and who she assumed was the family he always talked off, out and alone in some courtyard. Della ran after him, grabbing ahold of his sleeve.

"Where are you going?" She hissed next to him, yet he continued on, dragging her with him. "We need to go back!"

"We're not going back."

"What?"

He glanced at her, "Look, this isn't ideal—"

"Ideal?" Della huffed, "I'm not supposed to be here! I was supposed to help get you home, I wasn't supposed to join you—"

Five shook his head, swinging open the door as she slipped in behind. This was crazy, all to crazy. They were back to being kids— fully grown adults in the bodies of children.

"I must've got the math wrong." He said, "That's why we look like this."

Della shook her head, "I need to go back—"

"You can't!" He glared, stopping in his tracks. She had gotten shorter, a few inches less than him. It was weird, having to stare up at him. "There is no going back, Adella."

"Five—"

"Please." He hushed her, "I can't go back."

Della dropped her arm, pausing in the doorway of what appeared to be the living room. She had no idea where she was, whose house she was in, if it was even where Five wanted to be.

"Are we gonna talk about what happened?" One of the men barged in, clad in an all black jumpsuit, an array of knives strapped to him. "It's been 17 years."

Five scoffed, "It's been a lot longer than that."

"Where'd you go?"

"The future." He spat, "It's shit, by the way."

The rest of the family filed in, all gawking at their newly found, little looking brother.

"Who's this?" The one in the skirt said, eyeing her down. "Found someone you could actually be nice too?"

"My name's Della." She said quickly, "And you're thinking way to highly of him."

Klaus' brows raised, head slightly nodding. "I like you."

Della huffed, "Well, then, I suppose we should part ways."

"What?" Five snapped.

"They're gonna be after both of us." She glared, "We're practically teasing them being together. Might as well make it a challenge, considering the prize is our lives."

Luther, the man's name she later learned, shook his head widely. "What the hell is she talking about, Five?"

"We should be lucky if we never see each other again." She told him, ignoring the hard expression on his face— was that sadness in his eyes? "It's been fun, Five."

She turned, making her way back the way she came. Della stomped up the steps, down a short hallway as her hands grasped the door knob when footsteps echoed behind her and a hand landed on her arm. Another step, and she was no longer in the hallway, but what looked to be a boy's room.

"Five—"

"Look." He said, ruffling through his closet. There was a dozen uniforms all the same, yet he shuffled through them like they were all completely different. "I'm sorry you fell in with me and that this is the opposite of what I wanted— both wanted, but there's no changing it. And leaving isn't the best option right now."

"I have no business being here. I don't belong here—"

"You're from here, Della!" He huffed, "You were born here!"

"The only place I know is the commission!" She shouted, glowering at him. "That's the only home I've ever known— the only one I'm used too. Yes, I was born here, by a mother I never knew and a father I probably never had to begin with!"

"Join the club!"

"I lived alone on the streets for as long as I can remember!" She ran up to him, "The Handler kicked me awake on some park bench and offered me a life—"

"That was no life, Adella." He lowered his voice, "That was prison."

She shook her head, panic slowly seeping into her bones. What the hell was she supposed to do now? At least Five had his family, a place to live, food in the fridge— everything all planned out.

"Not all of us killed people all day, Five."

His face dropped, eyes staring into hers. "I never wanted to kill anybody. You know that."

She frowned, not knowing what else to say. She turned, walking to the edge of the twin sized bed and sat down, rubbing her tired eyes.

This was ridiculous. She was ridiculous. Della had no clue to how she even fell in with him to begin with, she was steady footed, feet planted in the ground. She knew she had to go, had to leave. It wasn't safe for her there, and it wasn't for his family either. The bed dipped beside her,

"They're gonna send people, you know." She looked up, turning her head to him. He had changed, now in a blue and red uniform, dress shoes and knee high socks. A tie was nearly tucked under a sweater vest, accompanied by a blazer. "They're gonna want us dead."

"I know."

Della pursed her lips, "What are we supposed to do when they find us?"

His eyes narrowed, not turning from hers. His back was straight, shoulders pushed back, ready for anything that came his way. Even despite what she knew she was telling her, that behind his stone cold expression, his eyes told another story. One of fear, something he never showed. Of loss, and fighting and confusion. Of knowing he might never see her again.

"Fight like hell."