Ceraunophile || Umbrella Academy

IV

"Thanks," Valerie called out to the driver as the taxi drove away from the Academy.

She struggled to turn away from the road before her, to look at the one place she thought she'd never return to. Yet, when she finally saw it again, everything was exactly as she had left it. The glass doors, engraved with the umbrella symbol, gleamed just as brightly as she remembered. It was almost as if time stood still ever since Valerie left the academy.

She was home. Well, not exactly home. It hadn't been her home for a long time. It was far from it. But at least here she can go back to being Valerie and not some made up version of herself. Even if it's for a small period of time. No Mariah Diaz and this big company she built up. For the next few days it's Valerie Hargreaves, the girl who fled without a care of everyone else's feelings.

After the few days are up, She can fly back home and pretend none of it ever happened.

God that's going to hurt. No doubt some of her siblings held grudges against that. Luther sure would have. He'd never let anything go no matter how small it was, even as kids.

The only question left was whether it felt right for Valerie to be back here

Sure other people in the family fucked up the family's name far more than Valerie did. Allison rumoured too much and ended up getting a divorce that was publicised throughout Valerie's magazine. Vanya wrote a best selling book, exposing most of the family's secrets. A lot of them weren't even for Vanya to share.

And the others? Klaus, Diego, Luther. Who knows what happened to them? For all she knows, they could be dead. No, someone would have told her if they were.

Just seeing the building itself brought back so many different memories, good and bad.

"Vee?" A voice called from the side of Valerie in a staggered tone, bringing the woman's attention away from the academy.

A small, soft smile fought its way onto Valerie's face as she recognised the voice almost instantly, Diego. His face held a different emotion to Valerie's, Diego's brows furrowed as his mouth hung slightly agape.

"Hey." The women greeted as she turned to greet the man. "It's been a while."

"A while?" Diego joked before rushing towards his old friend. His face dropped into a smile before taking Valerie into his arms. "More like an eternity."

Valerie gave a soft smile as she pulled away from Diego. Neither of them said a word afterward; they simply gazed at each other. It wasn't awkward, but rather a shared moment of comfort. Despite how everything had ended, seeing Diego again felt nice to Valerie.

The duo could have stayed the way they were for all eternity if it wasn't for Allison's voice.

"Hey," the woman greeted cautiously as she approached them.

"Allison," Valerie acknowledged with a nod, while Diego moved to greet his sister as well.

"Has anyone else arrived?" Allison asked, glancing toward the academy's front door.

Val shrugged. "No idea, I just got here."

Allison was the first to step into the old academy, her footsteps echoing through the familiar halls. Valerie and Diego followed closely behind, their presence adding to the sense of déjà vu that washed over Val. As she took in her surroundings, she was struck by how little had changed since she'd last been there. The walls, the fixtures, even the faint smell of old wood and dust—it was all exactly as she remembered. It felt as if time had stood still in this place, preserving it in a way that was both comforting and unsettling.