☂ 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 || 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝚡 𝙾𝙲 || 𝐁𝐤. 𝟑 ☂

01. SPARROW ME YOUR EXCUSES

Well, this was all for a lack of better words, an utter and completely botched up situation – like seriously, what the fuck was going on? One moment, the Hargreeves were on top of the world, finally, finally able to put the past behind them as they actually succeeded (or at least thought they succeeded) in beating the end of the world! But no! No... Like everything else in their Godforsaken lives, this was not the case apparently as they stood there, metaphorical dicks in their hands, as they looked up to the "Sparrow Academy".

Really though... The WHO?!

"This can't be happening," mumbled Elaina as she leaned closer to Five, still staring up in disbelief at the group that obviously replaced them.

Ben, or at least some version of their beloved brother, appeared before them. Unlike their Ben, this Ben's face held a hard expression with a diagonal scar across his nose. His face showed nothing but disdain and disgust as he looked over to the Umbrella Academy.

"Dad, who the hell are these assholes?"

Oh yeah, definitely NOT their Ben.

"Shit," said all the Hargreeves in unison as they looked at 'Ben'.

"Ben," Klaus murmured with nostalgic relief.

Luther was the first of the group to step forward. "Is that really you?"

"And who are the weirdos on the balcony?" shouted Diego, ready to confront whoever dared to come down from the balcony.

"They are the Sparrows," announced Reggie. "My children,"

"I'm sorry, what do you mean your children?" asked Five, stepping away from Elaina as he moved towards their father's direction. "That's not possible, old man."

"Of course it is!" spoke the Hargreeves patriarch. "I think I'd know, wouldn't I?"

"'Be certain that he who has betrayed thee once will betray thee again'," bitterly quoted Elaina an old Shakespearian line she recalled from one of the many books the old man forced them to read as children. "Isn't that right, Reggie?"

The saying caught Reginald's attention as he moved his gaze to Elaina's heated ones. She guess that small moment of understanding between them back in 1963 meant nothing. To say he possibly forgot would not be true because that focused and unreadable look in his eyes told a different story. What was the story? She didn't know. But something about the look unsettled her. Due to that, Elaina was the one to pull her eyes away first.

The Sparrows took the chance to make their way from the balcony down to the first floor with the rest of Reginald's children from another timeline. Elaina eyed them all and came to one conclusion: this bunch definitely was different than them. They had what appeared to be a blind girl, a floating cube (seriously, what the hell was that about?), and a human blob. The rest appeared to be normal, but she's been fooled by appearances in the past.

Klaus looked over too but was way more focused on one particular Sparrow. "Everybody else can see Ben, right?" he asked with excitement in his voice.

"Cute hat, Sundance," sarcastically responded 'Ben'.

"They call themselves the Umbrella Academy," explained Reggie. "A group of scheming, perfidious malcontents who accosted me in the fall on 1963 when I was away on business in Dallas. Be warned, they claim to be my spawn."

Allison stepped up to him. "Claim?" the disbelief in her voice was prominent.

Elaina scoffed at this. "Like anyone would willingly want that title,"

Allison then turned over to Five. "Look, Five, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know yet, but it's concerning,"