Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

TEN

CHAPTER TEN
' HE LOOKS NOTHING LIKE
A SQUIRREL . ' 

Eddie couldn't explain what had occurred in the last few minutes, other than her dead brother was processing her other brother and her other other brother had ditched them in such a hurry that she didn't fully process he was gone until... well then. Her body crawled, and the overwhelming desire to remove her skin and clean it on a washboard nearly convinced her to enter a butcher's. If it wasn't for the fact that they had just under ten minutes to return to the meeting point Five had specified and the high likelihood he would skin her if they missed it, she managed to contain her urges.

The whole way back, the redhead continued to look out for Diego, the itch in her brain telling her he wouldn't make it. She wasn't sure what Five would do if some of their family missed the deadline. What would he choose? The world or his siblings?

"I like your new aesthetic."

Eddie looked at Ben, his words ripping her from her thoughts. "Oh. Thanks." She looked behind them again, just in case Diego turned up. "I assume you're still emo?"

"I was never emo!"

"You did dress like you were going to a funeral every day. I would wake up and wonder if I'd missed anything, or maybe Dad got too spiteful, and it did his heart in."

"I guess we could only have hoped."

"I did."

Ben glanced at her before nodding his head in understanding. Out of nowhere, he fell into a stumble but managed to catch himself on the wall. Eddie quickly sidestepped to keep out of his way as her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"You okay?"

"Klaus," he managed, gripping his stomach before pushing something Eddie couldn't see back into his head.

"Can you hold him off until we get there?"

He replied with a grunt, "I can try."

Beckoning him on, Eddie picked up her pace, and he managed to move forward, but he looked more like a fawn trying to walk for the first time. The itching feeling of getting somewhere at a designated time began to tickle the back of her neck. Although she tried to be compassionate, the idea of being anywhere late, let alone their only ticket out of the sixties, was enough to make her nearly lose her mind.

"Ben, please, come on!"

Her brother managed to take two more steps forward before he convulsed again. Eddie clenched her jaw before she stormed towards him, her eyes glowing. The sight was unexpected, and Ben could only watch as she slammed a hand against his chest.

Nothing happened for a moment before Ben's pupils dilated. "Jesus," he managed out.

"Come on!" she urged, and he practically jumped to his feet.

"Is this how you always feel?" His blood was rushing through his ears, and he could hear his heartbeat in his chest. Colours were brighter and sounds clearer, and it washed any sense of exhaustion away.

"Used to," she answered before moving to sprint. Ben was quickly on her tail, quiet noises of delight leaving him with all the energy raving through his body. The first few streets were quiet, but as they approached busier roads, they had to avoid slamming into people. Eddie managed to avoid brushing too many shoulders, but sometimes she was unlucky, and the contact sent her arms alight.

She knew the running wouldn't lead to good things. The heaviness of her bones was getting stronger, and she nearly fell flat on her face when they reached the alleyway. For the first few minutes, she couldn't remember how to breathe, her body locking up and sending her stumbling to the ground behind Luther.