Ricky groaned as he woke up, feeling the sting of a few bruises from the fall. He glanced around frantically.
—Dawn? Dicky?? Mom?! Dad?! —he shouted, but no response came.
With no sign of his family, Ricky stumbled onto a nearby street, feeling uneasy in his pajamas. He was about to panic when an old woman approached him.
—Excuse me, young man, are you lost? —the woman asked kindly.
Ricky felt his face flush with embarrassment, suddenly realizing how ridiculous he looked.
—Oh, um, yes. —he mumbled—. And I don't even have my phone...
—There's a landline over there —she pointed to a nearby public phone—. You can call your parents.
—Oh! Thank you! —Ricky said gratefully.
He rushed over to the landline, dialing his mom's number first. But as the signal attempted to connect, it failed. Confused, he tried his dad's number, only to face the same issue.
—Did they pick up? —she noticed his frustration.
—No, I can't get through to either of them. It's like the number can't even be identified... —Ricky's voice wavered—. Where can I even stay?
The old woman, Marie, gave him a soft smile.
—Well, I do have an extra room after my son moved out. You can stay at my house until you find your family.
—Are you sure? I really appreciate the help, but you don't need to go out of your way...
—Nonsense! —she said, waving off his concerns—. Of course, you can stay with me! I can't let a child live in the streets with no food, no money, no bed.
—Wow, thank you so much —Ricky sighed in relief—. My name's Ricky Harper.
—And I'm Marie —she replied—. Now, let's take you home.
Ricky glanced down at his pajamas again, awkwardly shifting his weight.
—Yeah... about that... It's pretty awkward walking outside like this...
Marie chuckled and took off her coat, draping it over him.
—There, now you're all set. No one will even notice.
—Thank you! —Ricky smiled gratefully.
Together, they walked toward Marie's house, hoping for some answers and a bit of comfort.
Dicky groaned as he crawled out of the dumpster, covered in dirt and grime. He brushed off his pajamas.
—Mom! Dad! Ricky?! Dawn! Dicky?!— He paused, realizing what he just said —Oh wait, that's me...
He glanced around, hoping for any sign of his family, when three girls passed by, giving him weird looks.
—Why, hey there, beautiful ladies! —he called out confidently, though the girls only quickened their pace, moving away from him—. Hey! I just wanna know where my family is! Oh...
Looking up at the sky, he sighed dramatically.
—Hey! God! I'm not sure if this is heaven, but I want to assure you that I'm a good kid! Just like my mom says! —he paused—. If I had to look for my family, please give me a sign!
After standing there in silence, waiting for some divine intervention, Dicky noticed a man who looked vaguely familiar—partly bald, wearing a green and blue flannel shirt.
—Dad?? —he approached him eagerly, and the man turned around, confused, which he's not Tom—. Oh, wow, Dad! You've changed a lot! You even got a beard!
—Uh, I think you're mistaken, kid. I'm not your dad —the man replied, chuckling awkwardly.
—God! Why did you bring me a random dude that looks like my dad with a beard?! —Dicky glanced back at the sky.
—How did you end up like this? —he asked, eyeing Dicky's dirty clothes.
—Oh, I fell into a dumpster, and now I lost my family... —Dicky shrugged.
—Well, that sounds rough —the man said—. Maybe I could help you out!
—Help me? How? —Dicky raised an eyebrow.
—See, I'm a cameraman, and I'm on the lookout for young models to promote textile companies. You've got the right look for it.
—So... you're saying you want me to be a model?
—Exactly! —the man nodded— You'll be rich and famous. Chicks will think you're hot as fuck!
—Chicks?! Ooh, Dicky likey!
—So, what do you say? —the man smirked.
—I'm in! But... I need my parents to accept this first. You know, I'm still a kid, I can't just take jobs like that.
—No worries, kid. You don't need their permission —the man reassured him smoothly—. Once you're famous, your parents will come looking for you.
Dicky considered it for a moment and then grinned.
—Alright, let's do it!
—Great! Let's head to my apartment and clean you up —the man said, motioning for Dicky to follow—. This will also help you to get your family back!
YOU ARE READING
Extraordinary Quad #2 // NRDD x TUA crossover
FanfikceThe Harpers are now living their life without Nicky, whose fate is swept into the fold of The Umbrella Academy. He no longer recalls a single shred of his former life, not even his given name, now known simply as Number Five. On the 1st of April 201...
