a mannequin and a boy • the umbrella academy ON HOLD

volume two, issue 13

     The sound of Dolores's head hitting the ground was as loud as a feather but still hurt like it should've, her head pounding as she sat up from the cold stone floor. Reginald was great at hitting her in a way that it was silent. 

"Why are you punishing me?" She gasped out, her body transparent but shifting in and out from her human form. Every time Reginald made contact with her, she'd be completely human. 

As a human, Dolores looked ugly. Some of her natural beauty may have remained but it was all tainted by the bruises and blood smearing on her doll face cheeks. Her cheeks were also puffy, from swelling and crying. 

"Don't try to escape me, Dolores! I own you!" He declared, taking a step back. "Now, regain yourself. Your job is far from over," he spoke, a sinister tone in his voice. Dolores grunted, using her last bit of strength to switch back to her perfectly fine appearance as a spirit.

No one could see her, so it's not like it mattered. 

"Your job is simple," Reginald instructed, opening the warehouse doors to the blinding sunlight. The two were driving to the lawn, the very same place that the president was to be shot in later that day. 

"Stay with the decoy, just in case. See to it that no one gets in my way," Reginald finished, dropping her off a block or so down for her to walk herself. He drove away earnestly, with his own job to do.

Dolores may have been strong physically as a spirit, even able to float now above the ground, but mentally, she was breaking down. 

How long would this vicious cycle continue? How long would she be a puppet? 

She spotted the man in suspicious black clothing paired with a black umbrella from far away, hovering to where he stood and taking her place beside him.

Just as Five was, her mind was torn between her 'loyalty' to Reginald, and her own sanity and well-being. There was nothing she could do at this point, and she couldn't even reach out for help. 

She heard the gunshots and gasped as Diego suddenly appeared, knocking both the decoy and her down. Out of pure shock her spirit appearance faded and the human appeared, bruised and weak. 

"No!" Diego hollered, raising himself to his feet. He didn't seem to notice Dolores, who was heeling over on the ground, recovering herself. 

"You!" Diego exclaimed before turning around, his angry expression turning to shock. "Dolores?"

Dolores yelped, hopping to her feet. She took a deep breath and backed up as she observed her surroundings. Mostly everyone was fleeing the scene, but she caught sight of two certain boys sticking around, hiding behind a fence.

She and Five made swift eye contact as his eyebrows widened. She took his moment of shock to her advantage as she started running, running away from Diego and away from Five, trying to shift back to being unseen. 

If she can just manage to do that, she'll be safe. Well, as safe as she can be with a psychotic 'owner'.

Before she could complete it, Five suddenly appeared before her, a manic look in his eyes as he grabbed her arms, forcing her to stay. 

"No. Not this time. You don't get to run away from me," he commanded, and his voice was almost as threatening as Reginald's. Almost. 

"You... you don't understand, Five... it's not my fault..." she managed to sputter out, her breaths coming in short heaves. Five looked over her, his expression mixed with confusion and concern as he held onto her, trying to support her now instead of keep her in place.

"Let's go somewhere private," he settled, suddenly taking the two back to some weird house building, where Five placed her into a comfortable sofa. 

She collapsed there, her head uncomfortably hitting the side.

By the time Dolores woke up, the big windows were dark with the night sky, and her head was pounding like crazy. She downed the water beside her in one gulp, sitting up slowly. 

Her head perked up to see Five sitting there, his hair obviously unkempt and his clothes a mess. Her heart panged in her chest, feeling guilty, like she did this somehow. 

"Five..." she finally said, watching his head shoot up from his doze. He leapt from his seat, joining her side on the sofa immediately.

"Dolores. I can't begin to tell you how happy and sad I am that you're here. Happy, because you're here, and alive, but sad and mad that you're in the state you are. How did this happen?" He asked. Dolores took a staggered breath, tears prickling at her eyes. 

His hand raised slowly, gently brushing against her forehead where the fading scar of the gunshot still remained. Dolores melted in his touch, noticing how much safer it felt compared to Reginald's. 

She eventually succumbed to her woe and started sobbing, falling into Five's embrace. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her, digging his head into her neck. 

For the moment, the two were finally reunited, finally together again, enjoying each others presence. 

"Five, we're here!" A voice rang out, known only to be Luther's as the entire parade of siblings piled in. Dolores wiped her tears as Five sighed, standing back up and going down the steps to meet the group. 

"Not a good time, guys," she heard him say, and she sunk further into the sofa, timid.

"Yeah, well, it's not a very good time for the nation, either," Klaus mentioned, and she perked back up again, wanting to see her brother. Klaus huffed, shutting a door loudly as he went to lay down, and she sunk back down, waiting. 

Little did she know, her brother was gone, and she didn't even get to say goodbye.

author's note

two updates one day?? who am I???? well, someone that really liked this idea for this chapter and wanted to get it out there. 

question of the chapter: plans for spring break?

my answer: eat, sleep, repeat! 

thanks for reading!