AETHER ~ UMBRELLA ACADEMY

1.02

Run Boy Run

Grace had turned the vinyl on with instructions playing before she rang the bell signalling for the children to come downstairs, Lillith taking her place opposite Five and in between Ben and Vanya.

Hargreeves came in before ordering them to sit, causing the eight children to simultaneously take their seats and start eating their food. 

Lillith hated any meals served in the house. The texture of the foods were never nice, despite how well it tasted. And no one was allowed to talk, something Lillith found very difficult so she always ended up with two hair bobbles and twisting them around each other the entire time.

Ben always had a book with him, Vanya just sat there nicely, Klaus was almost always rolling up a cigarette ready for later, Diego was either staring at Lillith or carving into the table using his knife and Luther and Allison tried to hold in their childish giggles as they looked at each other across the table. 

Today however was clearly going to be an unusual day when it began with Five stabbing his knife into the table.

“Number Five,” Hargreeves said sternly.

“I have a question.”

“Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during meal times. You are interrupting Herr Carlson.”

“I want to time travel,” Five started, which Hargreeves very quickly dismissed. “But I’m ready. I've been practising my spatial jumps, just like you said.”

After Five demonstrated his practised talent Hargreevs said, “A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn.”

“Well, I don't get it,” Five comp;ained.

“Hence the reason you're not ready.”

Five looked over at Vanya and Lillith who very subtly shook their heads.

“I’m not afraid,” Five defended himself.

“Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too complicated. Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore.” Five then ran out of the room. “Number Five! You haven't been excused!”

Without even thinking for another second, Lillith got up and started running after him, ignoring the yells of the man telling her to come back. She sprinted through the house and out of the door after the boy, yelling his name as he started walking away. Then just after he turned back to her to quickly apologise he spatially jumped away.

It didn't make sense. The waves from the radiation emitted from the jump were wrong. They didn't make any sense.

Vanya came running out to see Lillith practically falling to the floor on the steps of their house, tears flooding her eyes. 

“He’s gone, Vanya,” she said, clinging onto her sister as if it was the last thing she’d ever do.

~~~~~

She struggled to move. Hours turned into days, turned into weeks, turned into months.

Over and over and over and over.

She was sitting on the floor, leaning against a cupboard with a disgusting looking sandwich in front of her.

Klaus and Ben had sat with her for hours, trying to tell her funny jokes, but she didn't smile. Not anymore.  She didn't even blink most of the time, just void of emotion.