𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐗𝐘𝐆𝐄𝐍 - the umbrella academy

A Light Supper: Part 2

Zero sat outside on the curb for a very long time, drawing shapes in the mud. Her head ached, her leg stung and she was starving, but she would've jumped in front of a train before going back in to her father.

Just when she was beginning to wander if her siblings had been eaten alive, they flooded out of the main entrance doors, still squabbling. For a moment, they all stood awkwardly, gathered around Zero in a little circle.

Vanya swallowed, glancing at Diego. "Are you okay?"

He glared into space. "So much for having my back in there. There was a reason I called it Team Zero."

He sunk down on the edge of the sidewalk next to his youngest sister, wrapping an arm around her, and then the rest of her family scattered, uncomfortably guilty.

Zero leant her head against Diego's arm. "What happened after I left?"

"Luther ripped open his shirt in front of Dad, Klaus got possessed and Five went off with father dearest." Diego said bitterly. "He wants you to wait for him, by the way. Five, not Dad."

"He's got some nerve expecting me to." Zero muttered. Her brother gave her a sideways glance.

"What's up with you two? You're always yin and yang and that shit. What happened?"

"I dunno. Five's mad at me and won't tell me why."

"Well, that's bullshit on his behalf. He's missing out on one hell of a good sister." Diego said softly. He kissed Zero's forehead, hauling himself to his feet. "Thanks for sticking up for me. That's the bravest shit I've seen anyone do in a while."

Zero shrugged, smiling sadly. "It had to be done."

"Yeah. It did." He ruffled her hair. "Night, Zee."

"Good night, knife man."

Diego laughed as walked away down the street.

------

Zero waited for another Five minutes before Five showed up, slinking out of the shadows and nudging her with his shoe.

"Ah, there you are. You know, stalking off is really immature."

"Whatever." Zero spat. She trailed along beside him, rubbing her arms in the cold. "Where are we going now?"

"The Handler."

Zero stopped in her tracks. "I'd get crushed by Luther."

"Tough. You're coming."

"No, I'm not."

"Of course you are. I need you for the agreement."

"What fucking agreement?" Zero snarled. Five raised his eyebrows, taken aback by her wave of aggression.

"Cool it, Zero, okay? Sure, I get that you don't like Dad, but I'm not him. Fix your attitude."

"Fix my attitude?! Fix my fucking – " Zero said loudly, her adrenaline spiking. "You need to fix your attitude! You've been an asshole for a day now and I don't get a reason why? And then you expect me to just follow you wherever? Fuck you, Five."

"Hey, fuck you! You ditched me to go cut off your hair with your favourite siblings." Five sneered.

"I didn't ditch you! You ran off to go fight Lila and I didn't know where you were?" Zero sighed exasperatedly. "Five, I'm allowed to hang out with my other siblings too. It doesn't mean I like you any less, or I love them more. Klaus hasn't seen me in years, Allison months and Vanya has no memories. If we die in a few days I want to have had a chance to see them too, not just fight the Temps Commission."

Zero ran a hand through her hair as Five scowled. He started walking again. She shouted after him:

"Where are you going now?"

"To save our stupid lives, Zero, and I don't care what your opinions on me are right now, because I need you to come anyway."

And against all her best wishes, Zero went.

She hated Five Hargreeves sometimes.

------

A peeling, green hotel, with peeling green doors, the one they needed labelled 217 was where Five and Zero ended up, looking into the eyes of a widely grinning Handler.

Zero physically flinched at her face, which made the woman laugh as she beckoned them in.

"My two favourite adolescent serial killers! Do come in."

She poured them both cocktails but for once, Five didn't look enthused. He looked like he wanted to get on with it.

"Just to verify," He said slowly, "We take out the board, you get me and my family home."

The Handler smiled wryly, sinking down onto a chaise longue. "Affirmative. However, there's a little flaw in your sentence, Number Five."

"Which is?"

"You said we. 'We' take down the board."

"Yes. And?"

"Hmm, you see, it's not 'we'. It's you. That's where the teeny, little favour I asked for comes in. you remember, when we discussed it all earlier? Oh, don't give me that look. It's just a teeny tiny thing."

Five's eyes narrowed in interest as the woman licked her lips.

"What d'you want?"

"Zero."

Both children flinched, Five instinctively drawing his sister closer to him despite their argument. The Handler laughed at their expressions.

"Not forever! Just an hour or so, or however long it takes little Five-o over here to kill the board. Me and Zero can spend some quality girl time together, hmm?"

Zero swallowed, glancing at Five as he stared straight ahead. Very gently, he traced out a few words on the palm of her hand, and then nodded.

"It's a deal."

"Perfect!"

The Handler looked delighted as she waved them on their way, and Zero, although still afraid, let Five's touch-message run through her veins.

I'll be quick. I promise.