Ceraunophile || Umbrella Academy

III

"Miss Diaz." A young boy came running into his superior's office, notebook against his arm.

"What is it?" The older woman questioned, eyes briefly glancing up from the paper work that she was scribbling down on at a leisurely pace.

"Call on the line for you." The boy explained, "He says he's an old family friend was some urgent news."

"Right," The woman nodded cautiously to the boy whilst sliding her glasses from the bridge of her nose to the top of her head, "Thanks, Thompson." The boy proceeded to scurried out of the room without a single thought of hesitation.

The woman barely let her eyes move from the stack of paperwork under her pen. The words were beginning to merge into one as she reached for the phone.

"Hello, Mariah Diaz speaking." Mariah answered the phone, pulling her hair to once side of her head before moving her hand against the growing pain between her eyes.

"Long time, Miss Valerie." The voice greeted.

Mariah's stomach sank at the sound of the familiar voice. "Pogo?" Her elbow slipped on the paperwork as she hurried to check the caller's number, sending papers scattering to the floor.

The moment Mariah left the Umbrella Academy all those years ago, she changed her name. She wanted to sever all ties with the Academy and ensure her family couldn't track her down. Yet here she was, on the phone with the very mammal that had practically raised her.

"Indeed." Pogo hummed back to the girl.

"How?-" Mariah breathed out, trying to figure out why the old monkey was calling her, "Why-?" Yet she couldn't find the words. Mariah continued to stumble over her words as a woman came rushing into the room, moving to grab a remote off of Mariah's desk.

"I am terribly sorry about the unexpected call." Pogo explained, ignoring the confusion the girl was in.

Mariah tried to reach out to the woman to retrieve the remote back but before her finger tips brushed against the plastic object, the woman switched on the tiny tv that rested across the room.

Breaking news!

Mariah's heart dropped as she read the screen.

Sir Reginald Hargreaves died earlier this evening.

Pogo's voice was no longer talking in the background. He kept quiet as Mariah's breath staggered.

"Dad." She breathed quietly, her grip tightening against the phone. Mariah's eyes never left the screen, even after her friend made a quiet exit out of the room.

Mariah had no reason to be so affected by her father's death, especially not after what he did to her whole family during the first 18 years of her life. Now, 12 years later without any contact to any of them during that time, it call came flooding back.

"I suspect you now know the purpose of this call." Pogo spoke softly to break the silence. "My intentions was to reach you before the news did."

"What's next?" Mariah forced herself to break contact with the screen, turning it off in the process.

Preferably, Mariah would have happily stayed within the life she made herself if this was any normal circumstance. But this was her father's death, she had to go back one last time. Even if that meant seeing the very people she left behind.

"The rest are gathering here for the funeral within the next few days. It is optional, so you're not obliged to go." Pogo explained.

At this point, going to the Academy wasn't an option. She had to. What would everyone think if she didn't? Valerie Hargreaves never forgave her father for letting her so called boy toy die. She could see the headlines now.

Mariah Diaz, refuses to attend her late father's funeral.

Everything Mariah built for herself without the reputation of the umbrella academy would crumble. And her family. They wouldn't forgive her if they ever ran into each other again. Mariah needed to see them again at least one last time. Right?

"At the academy?"

"You will have your old room. It has been untouched apart from Grace and I's cleaning." Pogo confirms.

Reginald Hargreeves never did anything for his children over the course of their childhood so why should Mariah go and pay her respects. He wasn't respectful during Ben's funeral so why should she at his?

Mariah nods herself despite the ape not being able to see it. "I'll see you in a few days then, Pogo."

"It will be great to see your presence again." Mariah smiled at Pogo's words as she put the phone down.

As she did everything came flooding in all at once. The memories the girl fought so hard to block out, Ben, Diego. Everything.

In the end, Mariah just sat there at her desk with her head in her hands as she sobbed. The scurrying of people past her office didn't faze Mariah once. All she could think about was the terrible shit that happened at the Academy and the terrible shit that could happen when she returns.

Mariah couldn't stay in this state forever. After a while, the woman whipped up her tears from her face and pressed a button on her intercom next to her.

"Send in Lacey." She commanded with a shaky voice. Anymore words than that will cause Mariah's voice to break and with that shows weakness. She couldn't let her employees see her weak.

Shortly after, a small knock came from her door with a soft voice following after. "Riah." Lacey attempted to comfort her old friend in the best way she could. She knew everything, from the Academy to how Mariah could lie about how she felt right now. Out of all things Lacey knew, she knew exactly what that call was about before anyone else, hence why she rushed in previously to change the channel.

"Will you take over?" Mariah questioned, her eyes locked onto the paper work rather than her friend. "Just for a few days."

"Of course." Lacey answered, careful not to say the wrong thing that could send Mariah spiralling like she used to do. The streets used to have blackouts for months. "You sure you want to go alone?" She questioned her friend, knowing why Mariah was stepping down for a while.

"It's better if I do rather than explaining more than I have to already." Lacey nodded at Mariah's response. "I'm sorry about putting this all on you."

"Don't be." Lacey sat on the seat in front of her friend's desk, taking Mariah's hands into hers. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't control this." Mariah nodded slowly as she gripped Lacey's hands tightly. "Why else do you need an awesome best friend aka business partner if it isn't for stuff like this, aye?"

The two let out small chuckles of laughter. "I have no idea." Mariah smiled, her eyes focusing on her friend's hands. "Three days, max. I won't be any longer than that."

"Mariah." Lacey said firmly, moving to lift Mariah's chin so the girl's gaze was on herself, "Don't rush coming back here. Everything will still be standing when you return. Go to your family."

"Thank you." Mariah smiled, "For everything. I wouldn't be out of there and happier without you."

Despite the years away from The Academy, Mariah had never been happier. Working on her company and making new friends helped her found herself in a new way. There was nothing better than a new identity to help express the new version.

However without Valerie Hargreaves, Mariah Diez would have never existed. Well, without the inclusion of Lacey, of course. But maybe she could go back to being Valerie for a few days.