The Umbrella Academy: The End

The Reveal

Later that night, they gathered in Five's room once the heat cooled. Anticipating some sort of gathering, Five flashed to the kitchen earlier and brought up supplies. Their father rarely sent them to bed without supper. Supper was a great time for more lessons. Five wished he could smash the gramophone.

Tonight, the old man hadn't released them from their rooms long after the dinner hour passed. Whispers sounded in the hallway, kids passing on their way to the bathroom. Or Vanya passing notes as she didn't get punished.

By 10 pm, the group was starving. Luther arrived first.

"Hey Five, can I ask a..." He eyed the boxes and bags of food on the desk. "I was gonna ask you to..." He grinned.

"Help yourself," Five waved at the stash, "But save some for the rest. They'll be here shortly."

Luther, with his infamous appetite, asked through a mouthful of cookies, "Did you call another meeting without me."

Five shook his head. "I don't call meetings. I hang out with my siblings. No more leaders, right?"

Luther hung his head and sat heavily on the desk chair. "You don't like my leadership." He pouted.

"Luther, that's not it. We don't want anyone to be the leader. Not you, not me, not Diego, or anyone else."

"What about me?" Diego asked, sneaking through the door, and closing it quickly. He spotted the food right away. "I knew you'd be on it." He grabbed a banana and a granola bar. He saluted Five with the fruit and chowed down.

"I was just saying," Five continued. "No one's the leader anymore. No one has to be forced to do anything they don't want to."

Diego swallowed hard. "Like get a tattoo." He looked pale.

"Exactly." Five grabbed his own granola bar before they disappeared into Diego's pocket. "Save some for the others."

"So, you don't want me to be leader?" Luther looked teary.

"Do you even want to be leader?" Five asked, knowing this was a moment for Luther.

His brother chewed away on an apple. "No. It's annoying to make you guys do stuff. And I worry I make bad decisions. And Dad gets mad if I'm not perfect." His shoulders slumped lower.

"I can be leader then." Diego grinned, and Five popped between his brothers to stop the ensuing brawl.

"No, that's the point, Diego. No leaders. No more competition between you two. You both have these exceptional skills, but you spend too much time bickering with each other, fighting for dominance that..." He waved his arm.

Diego pressed his lips and looked down at the banana peel. He tossed it in the garbage. "I remember reading something about people wasting time over pecking order."

So that was the section Diego read. Vanya had been brutal in her inspection of Diego, hinting how he allowed the designation of "Number Two" to define him as second best.

"So," Luther tossed the apple core. "Fight bad guys, not each other."

Five laughed. "That's the Umbrella Academy's new motto."

Allison and Vanya stole in a few minutes later. Five was thrilled to see the two girls together. Their personalities were opposite enough to complement each other perfectly. And Allison appeared to understand the big picture about saving Ben and Vanya. Klaus and Ben showed eventually, laughing about some stupid prank or another.