Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
' ANYTHING'S
BETTER THAN A
FLOOR COVERED
WITH STDS . '

Eddie and Diego stood outside the mansion for a moment, blinking a few times as neither one moved. Silence sat between them as grimaces pulled on their features.

'Do we really have to go in there?' Eddie asked quietly. 'What if we accidentally disturb a massive orgy?'

'We won't find a massive orgy,' Diego replied gently, and she glanced at him, her grimace deepening. Diego looked away, pursing his lips. 'I mean it's not off the table...'

'It's Klaus. I dunno if you remember life before the sixties, but I can imagine, for Klaus, orgies were a reoccurring occasion.'

'I think that's just Klaus being Klaus,' Diego tried again.

'He used to date twins, Diego. By definition, it's an orgy.'

Diego grimaced again. 'I really didn't need that mental image, Eddie.'

'Neither did I but if I have to be plagued with it, so do you. It's a fair game now.'

Diego rolled his eyes as he rocked his shoulders, giving Eddie a glance. 'We gotta get in there. We're running low on time.'

Eddie sighed before following after her brother. She crossed her fingers as she trailed after him. 'Please don't be an orgy. Please don't be an orgy. Please don't be an orgy.' They entered the house as Eddie let out a sneeze, incense flooding her senses. She waved her hand in front of her face as her eyes watered.

'God, there's gonna be an orgy, let's go round the back.' Diego whipped around, practically jumping out of the house as Eddie followed. They caught their breath for a moment and moved to a gap between the house and a row of hedges. They squeezed through the space with every sign of reluctance and when they reached the end, a sigh left them as their faces regained their grimaces.

'I swear, when I find Five, I'm gonna lose it,' Eddie mumbled, dusting off her shoulders as her eyes flickered over the area. They did not move for a moment, and silence sat between them. Various colours painted the surroundings, from plants to pavements to small outlet buildings. 'Okay... maybe it's a gardening cult?' Eddie offered.

'I'm not gonna lie; it's not as bad as I expected.'

Eddie gave him a dry look. 'Anything's better than a floor covered in STDs, Diego.'

'Good point.' They set off as people mingled around them. They offered smiles, all of which Eddie was wary of returning as she gave ones that looked more like grimaces while they wandered around the gardens. Eventually, they stumbled upon Klaus.

With a girl.

Eddie covered her face. 'I told you there was going to be an orgy!' she cried out, turning around. The girl looked up as did Klaus as Diego stared at him with a disappointed silence.

'Hello.' Klaus smiled, and Eddie uncovered her face, turning to look at him with a squint.

'Hello?' she repeated as if the word would burn her.

'Hello?'

'Why'd you say it like that?'

'Like what?'

'Like, really weirdly.'

'I said it normally.'

'Exactly.'

Silence filled the area for a moment before Diego filled in. 'Five's found a way to get us all back home.' Eddie squinted again as Klaus stood.

'Okay, what's happened?' She crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow. 'You did not stand like Klaus stands, what the fuck is up with you?'

'Oh, I'm not Klaus.' He shook his head. Diego and Eddie shared a glance.

'What have you taken this time?' she sighed out.

'I'm Ben!' Eddie did not react, she just stood there, blinking blankly at him.

Diego's eyes darkened slightly. 'Dude, I know you struggle, sometimes, with human decency, but this is low, even for you. She remembers. You know what that means.'

'No, I am, I promise!' Klaus sighed. 'Ask me something only Ben would know.'

Diego let out a breath, looking away as he crossed his arms. 'Fine... When we were little, what did we get Eddie to program Hermes to say when Luther walked into the room?'

A smile formed on Klaus' face as he glanced at Eddie. 'Luther sniffs Dad's underwear.' Both Eddie and Diego's demeanour changed and a bright smile formed on the brother's face. Diego launched himself towards him and embraced him. Eddie shifted for a moment, a small smile forming on her face. Diego pulled away, glancing at Eddie as she looked to the ground.

'I guess you're angry-' she began sheepishly.

'-I could never be angry at you, Eddie.' Ben shook his head as he smiled gently.

She perked up slightly. 'You're not?'

'Of course not.' An uncontainable smile slipped onto her face as her eyes sparkled a bit. She hesitantly took a step forward, bouncing on her feet slightly as she clenched her fists.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and hinting with terror. 'Can-can I hug you?' she asked quietly.

Ben seemed taken back before a gentle smile spread onto his face. 'Why not?' he asked as his smile widened.

Eddie took a deep breath, closing her eyes before she stepped forward, gingerly wrapping her arms around his waist. She was rigid, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt Ben's arms move lightly around her back. Eddie let out the air gently as the red-head rested her head against his shoulder, relaxing into his embrace. She tried to fight the overwhelming pressure forming in her chest for a little bit longer as her brother's warmth surrounded her.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered out, her arms wrapping around him a bit firmer.

'I don't blame you, I never had.' Ben mumbled back, slightly hunching over as he continued to hug his sister.

'Okay.'