The Siren's Song [ The Umbrella Academy ]

Chapter One

Number Eight, 'The Song'

Wind whipping my face, toes in the warm sand, sweltering hot sun pounding on my back. My long blonde hair dances around and gets caught in my mouth. Mother told me to stay out of her way today. She told me to go to the beach, be a good girl. No one here to supervise, no one cared.

I stand on my tiptoes and follow the seaweed, down to the ocean. The cold water meets my toes but I don't jump, scream, cry, I continue walking.

Ankle deep, my feet like the feel of the water.

Knee deep, my overalls are getting wet. Mother will be mad.

Waist deep, my hands skim the water, and by now it's not cold. It's warm and inviting.

Chest deep, my long hair flows out in the water behind me and the warm, salty water licks my chin.

Neck deep, I decide to take a deep breath. I plunge my head underwater. It's like a whole world down there. Fish swim in schools, bits of seaweed float by, and I find that I can breathe.

My legs propel me forward, and my eyes don't sting from the salt. It feels although my feet have flippers. I scream, but only bubbles come out as a scaly, grey face appears in front of me. It smiles, and it's teeth are sharp. It holds out one scaly hand to me. I reach forward, prepared to take it... then it looks up in fear and swims away. I catch a glimpse of it's mermaid tail. Someone is lifting me up by the back of my overalls.

"Andromeda, what on earth do you think you're doing?" It's the old fisherman.

"I-I saw a mermaid!" I splutter, my eyes ironically stinging as I resurface. He shakes his head and sets me down as I wade through the shallow water with him back to the shore.

"Your mother wants to see you." He mutters, leading me by the arm, a little harder than I would have liked. He leads me back to our village and my mother stands by her shop with a strange old man next to her. She looks at me with utter disgust as she sees me.

"Andromeda, this is Sir Reginald Hargreeves. He's here to take you." She says, gesturing to the man.

"Where?" I ask, moving my wet hair out of my eyes.

"America." I stare at her with wide eyes. Where was that?

The man turns to my mother. "How much do you want?" They turn their backs to me. I see them exchanging money, and soon, I am crying and being led away by this man. My mother doesn't even look at me as I am shoved into his car and driven away.

***

"She is so cute!"

"What's her name?"

"She'll never replace Five."

I stare up at these strangers with wide eyes. I was told these were my new siblings.

"Now now children, give her some space." My new mom Grace says, stepping in.

"What are her powers, mom?" A large boy with blonde hair leans into me. I furrow my brows. Powers?

"I'll tell you all later," Mom says, she robot smile stretching across her face.

"If she was born on the same day as us, why does she look like that?" A girl with long brown hair asks. All of the others shoot her dirty looks.

"Again, I'll tell you later. Now, why don't you introduce yourselves."

The same blonde boy steps forward. "I'm Luther, number one," He says with a prideful look.