𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐌𝐂𝐅𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ━ five hargreeves²

III│INTERLUDE III: WHEN ALEXA SAW FIVE

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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴛʏ ᴍᴄғʟʏ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐈𝐈 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀʟᴇxᴀ sᴀᴡ ғɪᴠᴇ ꒱　


❝ BLACKBIRD SINGING IN
THE DEAD OF NIGHT TAKE
THESE BROKEN WINGS &
LEARN TO FLY ❞

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2006

The day was snowy, cold and miserable— perfect for a funeral. Silently, the remaining six children filed out of the house in a line with their father, mother and Pogo trailing behind them as all members of the party held large, black umbrellas. Alexa refused to even shiver as the cold hit her face. Ben will never get the chance to feel cold again, she thought, the place in her chest where her heart was supposed to be aching terribly. It was all her fault.

They surrounded Ben's casket with three of them on each side, all staring at the snow-covered wood that bore the last view of Ben's face surrounded by meticulously created metal tentacles. Alexa gripped the handle of her umbrella tightly as if that were the last tether available to keep her from slipping away. Their father, mother and Pogo closed the circle at the head of Ben's coffin.

"Your father is ready to give the eulogy, children," Pogo announced softly.

A flicker of resentment burned in Alexa. Their father knew nothing about Ben, what right did he have to speak final thoughts on their brother? She didn't have any rights, either, she knew— Klaus should have been the one to send him off.

"The world is full of injustice." Her father's familiar cadence sounded irritating in her ears. "Good people die along with the bad. This cosmic equation will never change unless evil itself is wiped from existence. Thankfully, there are powerful forces pushing back against the wicked and iniquitous, individuals who have the strength to pull together against insurmountable odds to face adversity with unblinking courage and not to hesitate to sacrifice themselves for another. Unfortunately, none of you are such people. Despite years of training and weeks of preparation, you allowed Number Six to die on this mission—"

Alexa hunched her shoulders as guilt washed over her, the first of many times she would shrink at the mention of her brother's death.

"It wasn't our fault!" Allison protested in a gasping breath.

"Excuses?" their father barked. "I will not hear them. The Umbrella Academy has failed one of their own, the consequences of which are dire. Hold on to this feeling, children. Let it fester in your hearts so there is never a next time. Training will be canceled today out of respect for your brother. We resume tomorrow at six a.m.." With that, he turned and stalked away without sparing a backward glance or comforting word to his six remaining children.

There was silence as their mother and Pogo left as well, broken only by quiet sniffles and muted crying. At least, until Vanya spoke, her voice breaking: "it wasn't anybody's fault—"

"How would you know, Vanya? You weren't even on the mission. Besides, we all know who's fault it really is," Diego sneered. His eyes landed on the blonde standing next to her sister. "You were supposed to protect him, Eight." He wasn't even going to give her the decency of using her given name.

The brunette gave a teary sniff and raced away as Luther glared at him. "Nice going, asshole."

"What? We all know the truth. Eight is supposed to protect us and she's the one who let Ben down."