EMBERS : the umbrella academy [2] [COMPLETE]

III

CARLA WALKED THROUGH DEALEY PLAZA, following the three adults as they approached the Federal Building.

"And Kennedy is supposed to get shot here?" Carla squinted slightly at the corner. She had seen the footage once, seen pictures from that fateful day that she was apparently now about to live through.

Diego shook his head, "Not anymore. Now this blows up."

He pointed to a high corner of the building, and Carla imagined it exploding, pieces of rubble falling onto the crowds below, screams of panic, and the hazy figure of Vanya Hargreeves.

"I feel bad for her," she mused, "It's never really been her fault, has it?"

Perhaps Carla was feeling guilt, or a strange sense of sympathy, because she was aware that during the apocalypse she had lost control of her own powers.

She had almost killed Five (and he had ended up killing her), so she could understand that such abilities could be a curse, and too much power to even comprehand.

Thinking back to when she had set the Wilson Manor on fire, Carla remembered the surge of power that had been expelled. She had brought the mansion to ruins in under a minute.

A small, twisted part of her wondered what more she could do with those powers, how far she could go.

As they entered the Federal Building, things seemed normal, and Carla glanced around at all the people in suits, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible.

The four got into an elevator, pressing the button for the top floor, and the doors slid shut with a ding.

"I hope we find Vanya in time," Allison muttered.

Carla reached down, gently brushing Allison's had with her own.

The woman looked at her, and Carla smiled as reassuringly as she could, "We will."

Allison couldn't hide her surprise, still not entirely used to the lack of bright pink washing up gloves on the teen's hands.

The lift was at around the third floor when it shuddered, and Carla held onto the walls with alarm.

She could hear the hinges and mechanics rattling as whatever power surge seemed to shake the building to its very core. Overhead, the lights flickered, and Carla looked at them, before meeting Klaus's gaze.

It was clearly Vanya.

On one hand, the power surge meant that she was alive. On the other, it also meant they were rising straight into the explosion zone.

Exploding might not be the worst way to go, Carla mused, not as bad as bleeding out due to a slit throat, anyway.

Once at the top floor, there was a second of calm, before the door opened and Carla was pressed against the lift walls, the cold metal harsh against her back.

There were screaming winds, and a pulsating light coming fron the room at the end of the corridor. Vanya.

Klaus grabbed Carla's hand, pulling her to behind the safety of the front desk, and she fell to her knees.

Stuck to all the walls were the corpses of dead FBI agents, blood dripping from their eye sockets. She stared in horror at one trapped in the corner, his eyes no more than gaping black holes, face sallow and sickly.

"Question, guys," Klaus had to raise his voice in order to be heard, "Who are we trying to save Vanya from?"

"FBI!" Diego and Allison replied.

Carla remained fixated on the eyeless agent above her.

"But if they're all stuck to the ceiling right now, why hasn't she stopped?"

Carla had to admit - that was a very good point.

"Vanya's in the room at the emd of the hall," Diego gestured to the source of the energy pulses.

Allison turned to him, "And how do you propose we get to her?"

"I haven't figured that one out yet," he muttered.

However, Carla had diverted her attention from the body of the agent, to the room at the end of the hall. The corridor was long, but if she just had a way to reach the door without being forced back...

"You can count me out," Kluas said simply.

"Klaus!" Allison scolded.

"What?" he turned to her, incredulous, "You guys should save her - you're great at all the hero shit."

Allison was clearly disappointed at his already defeated attitude, lightly swatting at his arm.

"Listen, listen," Klaus raised his hands defensively, "Vanya would understand because she has realistic expectations of what I am. And what I am is sexy trash!"

Carla looked down at her hands, willing them to start heating up.

"You're a big pussy, that's what you are," Diego spat.

"Guys, now is not the time," Allison tried, but it was no use.

"Why? Because I don't want to die? Who does?" Klaus asked, "And martyrs aren't around to enjoy the victory pa- Carla!"

The teen had started moving.

"No, no, no," he exclaimed desperately, "I meant one of them has to save the day!"

She didn't even look behind her, before throwing herself outside of the desk's shelter and into line of fire.

Her hot hands sunk into the floor like butter, and slowly she began to inch up the length of the hallway.

With her stomach pressed against the floor, and hair being blown violently around her face, she did her best to ignore the adults calling her name.

Because I don't want to die? Klaus had said, Who does?

Carla had to be honest, the possibility of death didn't seem quite as scary as it had been a year ago.

After so much had be taken, her own life seemed almost trivial in comparison.

Her mother, Sarah, Marie, Quentin.

She felt a trickle of blood roll down from her nose, gathering in her cupids bow before spilling over her lips, the taste of metal filling her mouth.

She was so close to the door.

Continuing to inch her way towards it, Carla reached one hand up, clasping the doorknob and using it to haul herself to a standing position.

It took all her energy not to get sent flying back by the energy coming from inside, and she staggered back a step, before beginning to twist the knob.

Then there was a blast of white light, and Carla was thrown back by the force of it.

She slid all the way down the hall, before crashing against the metal door of the lift and being knocked out cold.

a/n: HELLO EVERYONE

im sorry for the non-daily uploads :( ive been super busy with school and stuff but i only have like two chapters left to write then im Done!!

what do u guys think will happen at the end of the fic 😈 let me know RN 😡

ILY ALL!! hope u had a GREAT day xox