The Umbrella Academy: The End

It's all Greek

Training was brutal the next morning as if Dad knew they'd slept little. Five kept his mouth shut, not an easy task, and dealt with the day. All of them were a mess and kept screwing up, much to the consternation of Dad.

He chastised, he punished, but none of them could get their heads in the game. The sibs kept giving Five looks as if their talk last night magically cured this existence. They didn't understand it was only a beginning.

Their father tried several times to worm the problem out of them. No one was talking. Dad kept pushing and pushing them.

During afternoon lessons, their father put Diego in the spotlight, making him recite a long passage from the Iliad in Greek. Diego tried to focus, but the words kept eluding him. He stuttered over a tough word, and Dad ripped him apart. The man was obviously trying to destroying the boy's ego.

Finally, Five couldn't take it any longer. He stood from his desk. "Homer isn't his thing. Diego is more the strong, silent type."

Dad didn't look away from Diego, just kept burning into the kid with those withering looks. "Sit down, Number Five. Do not interrupt."

Asshole.

Five put himself between Dad and his brother. "We're a team, and I'm helping my teammate."

His father stared hard at him. "You are dismissed, Five. Go to your room and remain there until I call you."

Five wasn't done yet. "Why ask him to do this if you know he can't? Why torture him? He's your son."

Dad stood, towering over Five. "Go to your room now, Five. I will not tell you again."

Five ramped up to start in again, but the hollow looks from his sisters stopped him. Vanya shook her head, and Allison looked terrified. Instead of giving his father another earful, Five stepped back.

"Diego is a good kid and does what you ask." Five flashed from the room and headed upstairs. He was in for it now, but their father used psychological warfare to tear them down. Isolating Vanya, degrading Diego, pressuring Allison to be perfect. And with Five, the man dismissed him, his talents, his intellect. Well, he was done being dismissed.

Five ended up in Dad's study through a circuitous route. Pogo and Grace lingered around somewhere. If he got caught, who knew what Dad might do. Being just defiant was boring. Showing Dad Vanya's book would do nothing, but if Five snagged Dad's journal...

"Master Five, what are you doing in here?" Pogo stood by the bookcase door, blinking at Five.

"Dad wanted some book. Sent me to get it. 'Cause I'm fast."

Pogo made a sour face. "You must work on your lying, Master Five. You're terrible. I believe you should be in lessons, and if not, then in your room. You're still grounded."

"Yeah about that. Why does Dad assume he can ground a kid who can teleport?"

Pogo sighed. "Be careful, Master Five. Your father has many resources, and he knows what is important to you."

Five furrowed his brow. "What?" Maybe the Greek lesson was more about punishing Five than Diego. A two for one. "He'd be cruel to them to make me behave?"

"You're a very intelligent young man, Master Five." Pogo's expression looked solemn. "Be careful." He lifted his chin. "And out of the office, please."