AETHER ~ UMBRELLA ACADEMY

1.01

We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals

On the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began.

Sir Reginald Hargeeeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.

"Extraordinary," the man whispered, reaching out to touch the child in awe, before looking up to the mother. "How much do you want for it?"

He got eight of them.

~~~~~

TODAY

["The Phantom of the Opera" playing]

The man on the moon. The superhero. The moviestar. Klaus. . . The drug addict? It sounded a little harsh. Disappeared. Dead. The forgotten. And finally the disappointment. 

Lillith Hargreeves, the first to leave home after her two brothers had died, had never been her father's favourite. He hated how she didn't "fulfil her true potential"- whatever that meant. The torture clearly wasn't enough for the old man.

She didn't do much in her days apart from hiding away in her lab. The chemicals burnt her hands sometimes but she never drew her attention from work. 

The echoing from the music in her earphones caused her foot to instinctively tap on the floor to the beat, but her foot accidentally caught the cloth on the desk and the glass fell onto the floor strangely melodically smashing on the floor.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, turning the music down. "Ben!" The girl called out to the system.

"Yes, Ms Hargreeves, how may I help?" The voice responded in a monotone way.

"Can you give me updates while I try to clean this mess? I will run behind my schedule otherwise."

The system she had created was linked to the girl's mind and body. It knew her thoughts, her feelings and more importantly her physical wellbeing. Despite being a part of a group of the then teenage superheroes, her mind didn't fit in with the life Hargreeves and the public had expected of her.

It was very difficult for her being a child suffering with an undiagnosed neurological disorder she had to try to discover herself after she had left the Academy and if it weren't for Ben, both the system and the namesake, she wouldn't know where life would have taken her. 

"Vitals are all steady, your heart rate increased rapidly however about an hour ago for a few minutes but suddenly dropped again, would you require any more information on that event, Ms Hargreeves?"

The girl thought for a minute. It was quite strange that her heart rate increased, as she didn't remember anything of significance happening at that time, but her heart rate changed often– just usually there was some sort of explanation for it.

"No it is fine Ben, would you mind updating me on the others?" She enquired. 

Okay so maybe Ben wasn't just linked to her, maybe she had linked it to all others of the umbrella academy, but that wasn't a crime to care about those you love. Right? 

"Space Boy is still on the moon, no recent changes in his mission. Knife wife has just now completed a mission saving a family from a robbery. Rumour is currently at a red carpet for her upcoming film, and the reviews so far seem to be very positive. Claire is doing well, she recently became cheer captain at her school, I will set a reminder to congratulate her. The favourite has just relapsed again after coming out of rehab, possibly a new record for his relapsing may I add. Five is still missing, no reports of him being spotted on security cameras. Vanya is playing the violin, her heart rate is exceedingly high however."