a mannequin and a boy • the umbrella academy ON HOLD

volume one, issue 2

        Five tensed up at the mention of the very name, and considered, just for a second, pulling a dagger on the strange girl. It's not like he's done worse crimes on children. Her being young changed nothing about his impulse. "Cut it with the crap. Who. Are. You?" He grit his teeth, stepping closer with a hard glare on the girl. He wouldn't hesitate murdering the potential threat, if he had to. And then going out for a cup of coffee, maybe. That sounded good.

"My name. Dolores. Know me?" She asked, and Five tensed again. This time, Allison noticed, and immediately stepped in to help the struggling boy.

"We don't. Sorry. Please leave, now," she demanded, standing very tall over the fragile girl. If Five felt pity for the weak, he'd help her, since he knew the girl would normally be shaking in this situation. However, the imposter wasn't. She actually looked very confident.

"I am Dolores," She repeated, brushing past Allison and walking toward Five. He didn't panic, of course, but simply gripped the butter knife to be firm in his hand, just in case. "Five. I know... this hard. Let me... explain." His jaw tensed as he peered at the girl that was an inch or two taller than him.

"Dolores isn't real," Five's eyes held a somber gaze as he stared at the girl's eyes, backing up gradually. "And you're gonna have to leave, unless you want to lose that privilege. Go." His voice was stern as he glared at her.

Of course, using Diego to threaten her would be a better option, as Five didn't appear very intimidating in his current form, but the man had run away far before this. Diego would have a knife in that girl's back quicker than Five with a butter knife. Yet, it was his only defense, and he needed something. Five couldn't even trust the words of a thirteen-year-old girl that was severely underweight and illiterate.

"I... Dolores," she obviously struggled to talk.

"Look. I'll show," she persisted, taking out a crumpled note from a pocket in her oversized jeans. "Note from you." She handed it carefully to Five, who forced the note into his hands and scanned the scribbles over it.

The handwriting was messy, but very familiar. It was his own handwriting.

Dolores,

I know it sounds insane to picture a mannequin as a person. But in you, I saw life. Maybe it was my imagination that picked your name, your interests, your dislikes, but you are the reason I've lasted this long. You're the embodiment of perfection. Well, I haven't heard anything bad about you, at least. It's sad that I never will.

You'll never get to read this note, but I have poured my heart into it. I'll miss you, when the time comes that I can go back home.

A farewell,
Five.

Five wrote the rest of the longueur so long ago, he could barely familiarize himself with it. But this part was recent, and judging by the signature, and the penmanship, he knew that it was his. But it should've belonged to Dolores. Not the imposter.

"Dolores...," He paused, feeling pain to say this. He only just let her mannequin head go a few hours ago. "Isn't real. She was a mannequin. And you, are an imposter." At this point, Five raised his butter knife speedily to her throat, with a vicious scowl. It was clear this girl had poked around a nerve for too long.

"You must be a commissioner, right? Here to kill me. I never knew they were recruiting pathetic kids, but it certainly fooled me for a short minute. Well, hopefully this will be a message enough," his eyes were burning with rage, and he was about to start stabbing at her throat when Luther held him back. (a/n I edited this paragraph so ignore any comments under it, since what five said before ('recruiting pathetic Asian kids') didn't really fit his character :) )

"Five, that won't help anything now. Let's give her a chance," he advised, slowly bringing back his arm. Five may be intelligent, but he'd never have Luther's strength.

"Fine," Five agreed after a while, standing back to his sandwich and taking a bite out of it. "Talk."

"Trouble doing that," 'Dolores' countered, taking a seat where Allison was a few moments ago. She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow at Five, and smiled slightly. Five was reminded of Dolores in her smile- but, as much as he hated to say it, Dolores wasn't real and she had a fake smile.

"I don't care, explain yourself," Five continued, trying to keep his temper in check this time. He needed to start controlling all the times he pulled a knife on someone, especially a thirteen year-old girl. That wasn't accepted that much these days.

"Fine. I'm Dolores. Spirit-Human. Possessed mannequin," the imposter responded, and Five just blinked.

"She's stalling. She must be. I don't have the time for this. I'm getting a cup of coffee," Five announced, getting up and walking out of the small kitchen.

Not long after, he heard soft footsteps behind him. It was the Dolores Imposter, no doubt. He wished she'd just leave him alone and stop reminding him of the past (or rather, the future). The future. That was still something he was working to fix, and he really couldn't afford distractions.

"I gave note. I gave you... proof! Believe me," Dolores begged, and Five could hear sincerity in her voice. Bull. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, and so did she, so they were facing each other and only a meter apart, like before. However, this time, Five did not have a butter knife.

"Why should I do that? I am fifty-eight years old, girl," He stepped forward, glaring at her and staring her down, even in the small distance. "I have seen things you couldn't even dream of. I can do practically anything. So don't try to cross me, "Dolores"."

The girl groaned, rolling her eyes at how stubborn he was being. "I seventy-two, Five. I'm older fourteen years, how I look now. Majority I was with you, as mannequin. Don't give me hard time now," She fired back, also stepping close to get all up in his face. She was glaring a bit too. A bit of her speech was coming back, too.

Five shook his head, his face becoming somber as he shook his head. "I can't right now. Please just stop. Go back to the commission, and tell them I quit a long time ago. Excuse me," he dismissed, continuing back down the hallway.

"I'm one of you! Born in October of 1989. I was invisible since I thirteen, part of the spirit world. Then, apocalypse happened, and I possessed mannequin to save myself. Believe now?" She practically begged again, desperation flooding her eyes. Also tears. A few tears here and there.

"That does make sense..." Five muttered, then shook his head. "It's impossible!" he hollered, turning around and trying to walk back. He was skeptical, but his mindset was changing.

"I like sequins," Dolores quietly mentioned, smiling through her lip quiver. Five turned around, groaning under his breath.

"If it really is you, then why didn't you try to talk to me all those years? You saw me become insane! I was attached to a mannequin!"

"A mannequin that you thought was life. And you right!"

"This is exhausting. Dolores, or whatever your real name is, just leave!" He exclaimed, walking back and pushing her gently.

The problem was, he couldn't touch her. His hand went right through her, as if she wasn't solid- because she wasn't solid. Her body was ghost-like again, and the girl was back to being a spirit- a spirit that could be seen.

Author's Note

yayyy I got a chapter out fast!! although I feel it's rushed, not very good, but I wanted it out there.

I've gotten so much love on this already 🙀 thank you all so much!!

question of the chapter: what's your hair color?
My answer of the post: blonde-ginger-brunette- depends on the lighting. I like saying blonde-gingerette. so, strawberry blonde

thank you!!

edited on june 21st, 2020 : - I changed the ending by a lot so make sure to check that out! everything else is pretty much the same as before.