Thea Hargreeves had already experienced loss in her short life, but her family was something she was determined to keep together and close to her heart. No matter what.
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"Dare to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not and to believe in your own individuality."
17 years ago
It was a regular day in the Umbrella Academy household, where several children dressed in matching teal tracksuits, all stood at the bottom of a winding staircase, looking up at their father. Reginald Hargreeves stood with his usual rigid posture, eyes glittering sternly behind his single, shining monocle. He held a book aloft in one hand, while the girl beside him wore a large whistle around her neck. Vanya looked down alongside their father at her siblings, wide brown eyes full of emotions none could decipher.
The tense silence was broken when, with a signal from the man, Vanya blew the whistle as loudly as she could. The children below who had all been waiting anxiously for this moment to come, began running as fast as possible up the stairs. At the front of the pack was the tall blonde, Luther's natural athleticism pulling him ahead. Diego and Allison, neither one of them slouches in the physical department, were soon behind him. All three were racing to see who could finish first.
At the back of the group were the other four, Five and Thea pulling up in the middle while Klaus and Ben paced behind them. The higher they got the more strain was put on their thighs and calves from the many steps.
Reginald Hargreeves continued to watch them all from above, monocle shining ominously. He watched as the children pushed and shoved and panted from exertion. He watched and watched. Because this was a test. An test on their physical abilities, yes, but most importantly, it was a test on their willingness to utilise those powers they had been gifted with for their own gain. To use their unique abilities to their advantage.
His eyes flashed. Ah, yes. Here it comes.
Diego had managed to push ahead from Luther and Allison but from behind them, a boy was calculating and ready to make his next move. Without preamble a flash of blue disappeared from behind them and reappeared several steps ahead. Five had spatial jumped from his last position to a new one that put him directly in the lead.
The boy only smirked at the sounds of annoyance from those he'd passed, but knew that he had started something that would only spiral further out of control. After all, the one who takes the first shot must deal with the consequences.
That was why he wasn't surprised when a boisterous laugh bellowed from behind him and a sweet voice called out. "That's basically permission to cheat, right?" Thea laughed once again. "Say no more!"
The joyful laughter hid a deceitful pettiness as all at once, everybody stopped moving. All except Thea, that was.
The blonde girl continued to run past everybody from her position at the back, blonde hair trailing behind her with laughter that was bright and mischievous. She was like a falling star rushing past them all.
