Tragedy - The Umbrella Academy

4

Tae lay on her bed, a bottle of sleeping pills next to her and swallowed the one on her tongue. In the dark of her room the shadows thrived like tendrils of energy, usually so energetic and reactive, now lingering in corners and along her floor like a mist.

She had her earphones in her ears, her phone lying on her stomach as the soft sounds of her playlist played, soothing her mind.

She just stared up at the glowing stars above her, wishing to be somewhere far far away from here. Emotion crawled up her throat as she remembered Five, Ben and Diego all helping her put them up, perched on various bits of furniture to reach. There had been about eight arguments, a dozen swear words and a total of eleven threats thrown up in the air during the process.

This wasn't her home anymore. It didn't feel right being there. She had never really loved their father for all he had done to them, so why was she there?

Why did she bother showing up at the academy?

As her mind clouded over, heavy with a familiar fog, she drifted off into a heavy sleep with the gentle music in her ears. She knew the answer.

Because Tae Meyers was selfish.

The same reason she kept Jordie's last name, the same reason she still wore her rings despite having nothing to do with him or their relationship anymore. Selfishness.

She had no concept of time while she slept but jolted upwards when something touched her arm in a panic, her breath catching in her throat. She grabbed fistfuls of her bed covers as her eyes readjusted, and quickly pulled her earphones out to hear what the person in front of her was saying.

"Sorry," Diego grimaced a little. He gestured to his ears. "But you couldn't hear me."

She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Sorry." She muttered.

"Don't apologise, you looked like you needed the rest," he shrugged. "Luther wanted me to come get you. He wants to have some kind of 'family meeting' downstairs."

Her eyebrows pinched together but she nodded, slowly coming out of her exhaustion, blinking. Her eyelids were still heavy. She probably could have slept the rest of the day away and the next and still woken up feeling like she hadn't slept a wink.

She felt something hard against her thigh and placed her hand over her pot of pills, hoping he hadn't seen them.

"I'll be down in just a minute."

He nodded, left her alone, and when she heard his footsteps disappear down the hall she allowed herself to relax. She put on her leather jacket and tucked the container in the pocket, rubbing the space between her eyebrows. She tucked her dark hair behind her ears.

Tae followed the sound of grumbling voices into the sitting area and found everyone already dotted around the room. Klaus making himself a drink at the bar, now in a black skirt she hadn't seen before, casually swaying his hips as he did. Allison sat on the arm of the chair with a drink in her hand, Diego in the armchair looking glum as ever. Luther stood at the front of the room, before the portrait of Five that caught her eye for a long moment. She moved through the room as everyone looked up at her appearance, giving her weak little smiles.

She ducked her head down and sat next to the only Hargreeve's she hadn't had the chance to speak to since she got there.

"Great, we're all here," Diego grumbled. "Can you get on with it now?"

Luther rolled his eyes.

Tae sat down next to Vanya, who smiled gently at the woman. She murmured a tiny 'hey'.

Tae tried to replicate her smile but struggled. "Hey, V."

"Sorry I didn't come and find you to say hi." She murmured but Tae shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she whispered, settling back into the couch next to her so their shoulders were resting together. Vanya twitched a little smile down at her lap.

Tae began zoning out the moment Luther addresses them all. Honestly, she barely caught half of what he was saying, but could sense the tension growing in the room.

Klaus sauntered over and although there was an empty seat next to her, he chose to sit on the arm of the other couch adjacent.

The smell of the smoke from his cigarette drifted her way and she felt her eyes sting.

-Her hands burnt as she tore at broken wood desperately, breaking her nails, heat around her rising-

-Tae was screaming.-

She tucked her sleeve against her face, trying to hide the fact she was covering her nose. The noise of crackling didn't go away in her head.

"He thinks one of us killed dad!" Diego snapped.

The light above them flickered and everyone in the room glanced towards Tae, who's eyes were fixated on nothing in particular opposite her, glazed over slightly. She didn't look like she was listening at all but with how the light above them fizzled before blinking back on, they couldn't be sure.

"How could you think that?" Vanya spoke up.

Tae had regretted coming downstairs now. She closed her eyes and rested her head back against the couch cushions.

"Nice going, number one. Way to lead."

Everyone started leaving the room, annoyed at Luther and not wanting to hear it.

"No, come on! Guys!"

Vanya squeezed her hand before getting up and following Allison out, shaking her head.

Klaus sauntered past, drink in hand. "I'm just going to go kill mom!"

Luther sighed heavily, putting a hand to his forehead.

Tae was the only one who hadn't moved from the room. When he noticed her still, she hadn't shifted an inch, staring off into the distance with half lidded eyes and her sleeve bundled against her mouth.

He hesitated.

She was snapped out of her daze when a voice she wasn't expecting to asks her, "are you... doing okay?"

Tae blinked and glanced up at Luther briefly, then around the empty room as though surprised.

"Yeah," she sighed, rubbing the space between her eyebrows as though to soothe her headache. It did no such thing, leaving her irritated. "Just tired."

The woman got up to leave then, planning to just go back to her room to sleep again until they needed her.

Tired, she thought. When am I not?

Luther could do nothing but watch her go.