Lotus |1| The Umbrella Academy

Two

Chapter Two:

"Forty-Three children were born on October 1st, 1989." The boy, or Five as he said his name was, told her as they walked between buildings, making sure they remained in the shadows. Lotus had no idea where they were going but was listening intently to his stories.

"And that's weird because?" She asked. Nothing was odd about Forty-Three kids being born on that day, in fact she was sure more were.

"Because none of the women were pregnant when the day began."

She pursed her lips, "Ok, yeah. That's a little weird."

They turned another corner, walking on Main Street now. Lotus looked around, not as familiar with this area of the city as she probably should've been. "How do you know all this?" She asked, "And if you're really born in 1989, why do you look like a kid?"

He glared at her, "I could ask you the same."

Lotus shrugged, remembering the day she had seemingly stopped ageing. Her mother called it a blessing but than two weeks later she was found dead and Lotus was forced to live on the streets.

"I stopped ageing on my sixteenth birthday." She explained, wondering if he even cared. "Don't know why or how because my gift didn't show up until my twenty fifth."

He nodded as if he understood, "I travelled into the future and got stuck. I grew old there, all alone. But my calculations were off and when I finally came back, I came back in the body I left in."

"At least it's a good body."

"What?" His brows furrowed glancing at her. She only chuckled, enjoying having real company.

"The minds of elderly." She shook her head, "Never clue in to good conversation."

He shook his head as they crossed another intersection, coming to a stop in front of a nice looking building. He pushed open a gate and walked up to the double doors, a black umbrella in a circle etched beautifully onto the glass. He let himself in, motioning for her to follow. And she did, jaw dropping as the doors shut behind her.

"My god." She mumbled looking around, the grand space stretching out in front of her. She went to the right and ran a hand along the wall of bookcases, not helping a smile grow on her lips. "Is this your home?"

"Yes."

Her hand fell away as the wall ended, an archway turning into a new room. She took a few steps in, eyes instantly falling to a portrait that had been hung overtop a fireplace.

"Did you put that there?"

"Of course not." He walked up beside her, hands still in his pockets. "I went missing, and when I was stuck in the future my father must've made that and hung it up."

"Five?"

The two turned around and Lotus's eyes widened, staring down at them was a rather large man. "This is Lotus." He told the man, "She's like us."

And with that Five walked off, straight towards the front doors.

"Where are you going?" The man called out, but got no reply as the door slammed shut. The man turned and gave her an odd look, something that seemed popular among Five and whoever these people were.

"I'm Luther." He finally said, giving a shrug of his rather large shoulders. "I'm Five's brother."

"I'm Lotus Ingrid." She smiled, sticking her hand out. The man took it and shook it twice before she dropped her own hand, turning back around to admire the large rooms. She walked fully into the one she had been examining first, a hand gracing a couch as she walked towards the fireplace.