8 ○ Umbrella Academy

Ding Dong

I hid in the doorway as the people in masks came bounding down the stairs, peaking around the frame, I saw the two standing just inside the doorway to the longue. I could tell by the light radiation of panic from the room that Diego had holed up in there. Silently coming up behind them as they opened fire, I took out the pink one's knee, Luther appearing beside me as the blue one turned on me and taking him on as well. Funny, I didn't think he'd be one for stealth.

The pink one started to get up and before I could move Allison had started disarming her, so I ran to where Diego's thoughts were the loudest. I didn't feel anything so I knew he didn't catch any bullets, but his eyes were wide when they met mine, fingers hesitating around the knife he was about to throw. Giving him a glance over, I nodded to the commotion of the masks and our two siblings, a nod coming from Diego as he stood.

By the time we had started moving, Pink had gotten Allison in a choke hold and Diego sprinted forward, throwing several punches into her back before a kick to her arm, her elbow buckling as Allison took a deep breath and began fighting back as well. Seeing as they had Pink Dog handled, I went to help Luther with Blue Bear, ducking under Pink's fist as I ran through the doorway.

Blue had impulsively thrown a hand out, effectively landing a heavy backhand to me, changing Luther's tactics from punching, to throwing the Bear into the wall. After that he turned, taking a large step over me to grab Pink by the back of the blazer and throw them into the entry way as well, a silent, 'Get out.'

"Who the hell are these guys?" Allison panted, helping me stand and pulling me into the room as I stared at them transfixedly.

"Dunno, but they want Five," I sighed, swiping the blood from my lip with a wince.

"You're welcome," Luther grunted, eyes narrowed at Diego.

"I was doing fine!" the latter argued, to which I rolled my eyes. If nearly getting your head blown off meant fine, then sure.

"Oh yeah, you really had 'em," Luther noted sarcastically, waving a meaty paw around in emphasis.

"Ever heard of a rope-a-dope?" Diego countered.

To which, I butted in, "Only because I can't get out of your head." We all ducked when the gunfire started up again, scattering from the lounge at Luther's instruction. Ah, just like the good ol' days.

After losing sight of everyone, I made the decision to round back to the lounge. If the growing insistence of the thoughts eating at my mind meant anything, they were becoming more urgent in the hunt for Five. Well, I should have realized this also meant they were getting closer, because soon after I got several steps in, a hand closed around my throat, spinning me around and slamming my back against the table.

The sudden impact sent a wave of shock through my brain, cold spreading through me as I sunk into the table, moving as though through liquid but unable to swim back to my body. From where it laid on the table, my head lolled to the side, exposing the pitch black pool covering the entirety of my eye; iris, white, and all. I only sank further and further away as realization sat in, the random, anonymity of this process spreading fear through me.

By the time I'd been slammed into another body, I nearly tripped over the last of the stairs, catching Allison's blonde frizz disappear behind a corner as I looked down to the machine gun in my dark skinned hands. It was unlike any I'd seen, not even looking to be from this decade. The only thing running through this person's mind was, Eliminate Number Five, at all costs. Dropping the gun, I turned to the window to my left, hurling the body through it. It was only after the body collided at the two-story drop that my body froze once more as I felt myself sinking into the dirt, staring at the Pink Dog I'd just puppeteered.