Chaotic Good | the umbrella academy

TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
' A LOT OF
EXPERIENCE . '

Eddie and Vanya entered the barn, covering their eyes slightly as the wind picked up and lightning flashed around them. Eddie winced, squeezing her eyes shut as she grimaced. Harlan was suspended in the air, a cyclone of wind and energy surrounding him as he screamed silently. The sisters shared a glance before approaching him. Eddie took in a breath as she lifted her hand, the corners of her lips twitching as she offered her hand to Vanya.

'Are you sure?' Vanya asked.

'Are you sure you wanna get pulverized?' Eddie shot back. Vanya blinked a few times before she tried to hide her smile. Vanya gripped Eddie's hand loosely, her fingers wrapping around her palm as they stepped into the cage. Eddie closed her eyes as she dipped her head, her hand tightening around Vanya's. They made it through, and Eddie let out a breath, her hand dropping as she hunched over slightly, wiggling her fingers. 'He's a bit feisty,' she managed out.

'Harlan!' Vanya began. 'Look, Harlan, I know you're really scared, but we can help you!' Eddie straightened and took a step forward.

'Hello, dear,' she spoke softly. 'My name's Eddie, and I need you to listen to me. I know you're confused, and I know that it's hard to focus on anything, but, try to focus on my voice. I'm going to speak a bit louder, so it's easier to concentrate. Before the invention of alarm clocks, there used to be a profession where people would wake clients up by hitting doors or windows with sticks.' Eddie glanced at Vanya before taking a step further forward. 'If you lick someone's elbow when they're not paying attention, they won't feel it.' The winds began to slow, and Eddie let out a sigh. 'Handshakes originated from people checking for carried weapons with the shake to check that there were none concealed in sleeves.'

Gently, Harlan began to descend to the ground, and Eddie stepped out of the way as Vanya dropped to her knees, cradling him into her hands. The winds stopped, and the cyclone disappeared.

'How'd you do that?' Sissy asked as she fell to the ground next to Vanya, and Eddie turned to face her. She did not speak for a moment as she pushed her hands into her pockets.

'A lot of experience,' she replied quietly.

'You have a baby like Harlan?'

Eddie let out a piece of laughter as she shook her head. 'No, I am like Harlan.'

'You mean, he can have a life?' She asked softly, though her eyes were shocked and full of hope.

Eddie's mouth flickered. 'Maybe. It's different for everyone; some have more constricting symptoms, while others are barely noticeable.'

'Thank you,' Sissy breathed out, pulling Harlan into a long hug. Eddie furrowed her eyebrows as she turned away, moving to the door and exiting the barn. Her eyes widened at the sight of the swarm of people.

'Well, they were definitely not there before.' She pursed her lips as she moved to get a better look. At that moment, the hoards began to open fire, the explosions meeting her ears with furious howls. She squeezed her eyes shut as she clamped her hands over her ears, hunching over. She let out a whimper and dropped to her knees, balling her fists against her head as she began to hit herself with them. She curled into a ball, dragging her nails down her face as her back spasmed unevenly. The noise grew and grew, its violent crescendo evolving new ways of savage domination. It seemed to swirl around Eddie like a tornado as it constantly sliced her mockingly.

Five appeared beside her, wrapping his arms around her body and disappearing almost instantly. They dropped to the ground, and Five dived under a table as Eddie grasped his blazer with a vice grip. His hands seized her arms as he buried his head into her neck. Bullets reigned through the glass as the two siblings shook under the feeble wooden structure. Eddie's breathing was rapid, and a burning sensation arrested her chest as she curled up next to Five, her eyes squeezed shut. Eddie let out a gasp, taking in a deep, shaking breath as her eyes fluttered. She flopped against Five, exhaustion ripping away her control and her forehead resting against his shoulder as her body became limp and her grip loosened. Five squeezed his eyes shut, curling further into his sister as the firing continued.

Then silence.

Neither sibling reacted as they remained in their positions, either from the massive ringing puncturing their ears or exhaustion. Five let out a shaky breath, pulling Eddie closer to him as she lethargically leaned against him, body still recovering from the sensory overload. Five pulled away from her, his hands coming to rest on her cheeks. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as it lolled back.