Lotus |1| The Umbrella Academy

Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen:

After Five explained his plan, everything seemed to blur together into a chaotic mess. Lotus scrambled after both brothers as they winded down the hallways, they ended up turning in different direction and she trailed after Five alone. She recognized the stairs to the attic as soon as she saw them, they both rushed up and he began pulling dusty sheets off of shelves.

"We need to find a black briefcase." Five grumbled digging through boxes, "I'm sure the old man kept some up here."

Lotus walked over to the corner of the room and began sorting threw a pile of forgotten women's clothes and purses. "What if it doesn't look like the one they're looking for?"

"Doesn't matter. It just needs to look convincing until we can get out of there."

"What about this?" She asked pulling out a thick black purse, the strap was missing and it just looked like a black box. "No?"

Five shook his head, "Ah!" His eyes landed on another box and he quickly ripped it open and grabbed something. "This should work." He tossed the black case at her, "Now fill it with heavy objects."

Lotus picked it up and made her way over to the other side of the room where stray car parts and metal things were scattered. She scooped handfuls up and tossed them into the bag, picking it up and jiggling the case up and down as the parts clashed together.

"These people better be deaf." She said walking towards Five, "Or was that magic briefcase this noisy?"

"It's not a magic briefcase." He snatched it away from her and took off back down the stairs.

"Ok. Whatever you say, Maximus."

She could feel the subtle hints of rage emit of of him, she suppressed a satisfied grin as they made it to the base of the stairs where Luther stood waiting with an impatient look on his face. He nodded at his brother and they all continued on, Five seemed eager to enact his plan, one which she didn't think would work. At least her and Luther has agreed on one thing. Lotus was surprised she hadn't seen any of the other siblings circuit throughout the house in awhile, but she supposed they all had there own lives whether or not they wanted to live them.

They all emerged outside through a back door and Luther stopped abruptly in front of a slick black car. He jammed a key into the door and turned it, the single door unlocked with a click and he swung it open. Both Lotus and Five watched as the rather larger man struggled to get it, it only took nearly five minutes and another few seconds for him to sound the horn, snapping them from there gazes. She raced around back and slipped in, clicking her seatbelt into place and leaned behind the two front seats at the two guys.

"Road trip!" She cheered.

"This isn't going to be fun." Five turned and glared, "This is life or death."

She rolled her eyes, "Why don't you get that stick out of your ass and try to have some fun. No, the end result of this little trip may be disastrous but the ride to get there, however, will not be."

The boy fixed his position and stared out the windshield, she could see his face twitch in the mirror. The engine turned on and Luther sped out onto the street.

"C'mon, Five." She tapped a finger on his shoulder, "What if the world does end and you never got the change to actually live a little? With your family and new friend? You need to enjoy this time whether or not you save the world."

"I hate to say this. But, I think she's right." Luther sighed, "You were away a long time. If it wasn't for that obnoxious portrait of you in the living room, I probably would've forgotten what you looked like."