COPYCAT ✾ The Umbrella Academy

{ THIRTEEN }

I fiddle nervously with the wooden beads on mom's bracelet as Diego heaves Klaus's body, which he wrapped in a carpet, against the wall next to the elevator. He presses the call button and sighs before looking at me as I speak up.

"What- what are we gonna do?" I ask, looking down. Dad sighs again, struggling not to let Klaus's body fall. "We're gonna go talk to the family. Together. They'll, uh, understand that this was an accident." He explains.

I nod, still looking off to the side, at nothing in particular. "Hey," Diego calls, getting my attention. I glance at him. "No matter what happens, I got your back, okay?" He says. I nod again, just as Klaus's body buckles, and dad catches it before it can fall.

"Eres mi sangre," Dad adds, making me actually look up at him. "I still don't speak Spanish." I remind him, still absently twisting the bracelet around my wrist. "And I accept your flaws, all right?" He translates, but I don't think that is what it translates to.

"Now..." Diego grunts, adjusting Klaus's body as the elevator door opens. Dad goes to toss the body over his shoulder, but before he can, Chet walks out of the elevator and stares at us. His emotionless expression does not change.

"Uh... yeah, we're, uh, playing a game." Dad quickly makes something up. "What's it called?" Chet asks, stone-faced. "Uh..." "Guy in a carpet." I make up when no ideas spark with Diego. Chet nods. "I hope you win." He says before walking down the hall acting as if nothing happened.

Chet turns the corner, and once he does, Diego looks at me. "Go get the door." He says, inclining his head to the elevator. I move to stand at the door so it doesn't close as dad lifts Klaus's body onto his shoulder with a grunt. "Klaus was right." He sighs to himself. "I love this place."

Dad carries uncle Klaus's body into the elevator and attempts to lean him against the wall. "Get his head, get his head," Diego instructs when he only half manages to fulfill this task. I grab Klaus's head, pushing it against the wall so that Diego can actually stand up.

With dad keeping Klaus from falling over, he points to the panel of buttons on the wall. "Ground, ground. G. There you go." He points as I press the button to get back to the first floor.

Once the elevator door closes and starts whirring down, Diego and I sigh in sync. I press my back against the wall opposite the door, and in the corner diagonal from Klaus and Diego. My fingers find my bracelet again as I absently begin to twist one of its wooden beads. I can feel dad's eyes on me, watching my every move.

I'm terrified. What will the family say? Surely aunt Allison, who's been acting more hysterical every hour, will kill me. And Viktor and Luther will be so upset with me. God knows what Five might do. Mom's gonna be disappointed. Dad, I know, hates me, even though he says he doesn't. And my fun uncle is dead.

Everyone's gonna hate me. And what's going to happen? It's the question that runs through my mind. To Klaus? To mom? To dad? To me? Will they throw me out on the streets? Send me back to Berlin? Hate me forever? Definitely.

"Everything's gonna-" Dad suddenly starts, reading my mind before he abruptly gets cut off by a sudden gasp from the man that's supposed to be dead. Both I and dad scream in shock at Klaus suddenly waking up.

Diego scrambles to the side of the elevator I'm on, yelling, "Oh my God," as Klaus starts screaming along with us. "You told me he was dead, puta!" I shout. "He was, and now you speak Spanish?!" Dad yells back just as Klaus collapses in his arms.

"Let's just turn down the volume a smidge, shall we?" Klaus groans squeezing his eyes shut against the light. Dad glances at me as Klaus's body twitches. "Celestial come down is a bitch!" Klaus adds before dad throws him against the wall opposite us and crouches down beside him.

"Oh, you scared the shit out of me, Klaus! I thought you were dead." Dad says. "Yeah," Klaus whines. "Me too." Suddenly, he starts laughing maniacally before bursting into sobs. Dad smiles sadly. Meanwhile, I watch them both, my mouth hanging open in pure shock.