Replacement (The Umbrella Academy)

Chapter 23: Blue

The car ride was slow and agonising. Ashlinn was in the front passenger seat, Five was driving and Klaus, Luther and Diego sat in the back. Luther kept getting impatient and asking Five to faster but after Five threatened him with the cigarette lighter, he stopped. Other than that, it was dead silent and painfully so. It took every ounce of willpower to stop Ashlinn from making jokes as she usually does in uncomfortable situations.

By the time they had arrived at the cabin in the middle of nowhere, it was dark out. Everyone had clambered out of the car and they ran towards the front door. Luther busts the door open to reveal Allison laying on the floor with her throat cut. Ashlinn gasps as her hands fly to her mouth in shock. Luther kneels beside her, sobbing as he held her.

"We need to get her back, she's still alive," Diego says to Luther who nods and carries her out to the car. Ashlinn was overwhelmed with everyone's thoughts as they drove back, breaking every law there is. None of their thoughts were positive nor hopeful.

They finally arrived back at the Academy and they carried Allison inside. Luther and Klaus carried her upstairs, Five followed them, Diego got Grace, Ashlinn got Pogo and soon enough everyone was surrounding her and Grace assessed her injuries as Five held her throat to stop any more blood from seeping out.

"She suffered a severe laceration to her larynx. One of you will need to give blood."

"I will." All of them collectively said at the same time, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. No one even hesitated.

"I'm doing it." Luther determines but his heroism was cut short.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy. Your blood is more compatible with mine." Pogo explains and Ashlinn had to stifle her laugh by biting her bottom lip.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh." She mutters to herself and Five looks at her.

"You're a terrible person." He says and Ashlinn glares at him.

"I laugh at uncomfortable situations. It's a coping mechanism." She grumbles at him.

"Hey, don't sweat it. I-I got this big guy." Klaus swaps places with Luther "I love needles." But he too was stopped by Pogo.

"Master Klaus. Your blood is...how shall I say this? Too polluted." 

"Move." Diego steps up instantly and he takes Klaus' place. Grace gets the needle ready and as soon as she turns to face Diego with it, he took one look at it and collapsed. Everyone stared at him for a moment before Ashlinn sighed. 

"You're all useless, I swear. I'm O-Neg. Here." She stepped over Diego's unconscious body and she lets Grace take her blood.

Everything after that flew by in a haze for Ashlinn. The blood transfusion, patching her up etc etc. Eventually, Ashlinn made her way back to her room and she practically collapsed onto her bed. She takes a deep breath as she took a look at her hands. No mysterious glowing blue cloud since this morning.

"Fuck, I really want to know what that was," She says aloud to herself.

"So do I. I'd like to see what you were on about." Five says from the doorway. Ashlinn shoots up in the bed a bit too fast considering the blood donation. She sees Five leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"I'd love to do it but I don't know how I did it in the first place." Ashlinn looks down at her hands dejectedly and Five sits on the bed beside her.

"And you're gonna get nowhere if you keep that frown and can't do attitude." She laughs at him as she looks at him.

"Okay, Mister Know-It-All, how do you suppose I do this." She questions and he narrows his eyes at her.

"You don't believe I can figure it out." He says and Ashlinn nods.