The umbrella academy: In which Five gets all the love he deserves

Untitled Part 16

Five wanted to get away from his father, from his siblings, and from the house. From everything. Just for a few minutes. So after everyone had been sent to bed, it was 21 in the evening only. But no one dared to protest. Five sneaked out of the house to take a walk. He would not stay much. Just a few minutes of fresh air and then he would blink back and his father would not know that he had left.

As he walked, without direction, he passed by a park. He stopped as he watched kids his own age as they still playing outside. Five sighed sadly. How much he would give to be in their own place. To be a normal kid who plays with his friends, and who goes to school. And whatever else a normal kid does. But instead, he and his siblings, are stuck in a house, where they have to train every day. They are not permitted to play. They can't leave the house, if it's not for a mission, or if they don't sneak out. At least they are fed. Even though some food is not exactly to his liking.

He remembered when he was, maybe 10? For dinner they had salmon. And Five didn't like the taste of it. He said that he doesn't want to eat that because he doesn't like it. You know. Typical children tantrum. His siblings looked horrified at him, but they keep quiet. And his father. Oh. His father. He was so pissed. He had hit him with the cane a few times for being ungrateful and sent him to his room without any food, that night.

Five shook his head and returned back to the present. With one last longing look at the park, he walked away. He was walking through an alley when he heard some noise. A man yelled something and a woman screamed in terror. He rushed to the scene, thinking that he could help. But when he got there, he flinched as he heard the loud sound of a gunshot and he saw the woman's body falling to the ground, lifeless. The boy's eyes widened and was frozen in shock. The man didn't notice him. Too busy to look through the purse. When he finally managed to recover a little from the shock, he blinked away back home.

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Vanya was started awake when she heard some noise coming from her room. She rubbed her eyes and opened her bedside lamp to see Five, on the ground, shaking.

"Five", she said worriedly and she got out of the bed. The girl kneeled in front of the boy and she touched his shoulder. She was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "Five. What's wrong? Has dad done something to you?" she asked with a surprising protectiveness in her voice. Even she knew that she can do nothing if that was the case.

But Five shook his head as he continued to shake.

"Then what's wrong? You are scaring me Five? What happened?" Vanya asked as she dabbed the tears away with her sleeve. "Talk to me. Please"

"I sneaked out"

Vanya sighed. "Five. You know that you shouldn't do that. But continue"

"I... I just wanted to get some fresh air... And I walked through an alley. And I heard some screaming. I thought that I could help... But I wasn't fast enough. And now someone is dead because I wasn't fast enough Vanya", Five said as he started to cry.

"Oh Five.", she said gently and she hugged the boy. "It's not your fault. You can't save everyone. It's ok. It's alright", she said as she rubbed his back. Five continued to cry against her shoulder, as she comforted her brother. When he had calmed down a little, Vanya urged him to climb into the bed with her.

"You can sleep here tonight if it would make you feel better"

"But dad?"

"Fuck dad", she said and Five was surprised at the words that had come out from her 12 years old sister. But it made him chuckle as he climbed into the bed. Vanya climbed into the bed, beside him, and she curled protectively around her little brother. Even they are all the same age. He had always been there for her when no one was. Now it was her turn to be there for him.