Questions | Five Hargreeves • The Umbrella Academy •

Ch. 21

"I must admit, Number Five, Amura, in all the time that I've been here, I've never met anyone quite like you both." The Handler stated while the three walked to the Head Quarters, back in 1955.

"Hazel and Cha-Cha, for example, are talented, certainly, but... they can't see the big picture." The two young-looking adults kept quiet.

Following The Handler while looking around, the woman continued, "Your spunk, your enterprising spirit, well, it reminds me a great deal of myself, if..."

She placed an arm around Five which Amura glared at, "I may be so vainglorious. If things work out for you here, either one of you could potentially make a fine successor."

"Can we stop the nonsense and get back to business, please." Amura asked sarcastically polite.

"I'd like to discuss the logistics
of my family's safety at your earliest convenience. As well as our body replacement." Five calmly said, reversing their roles this time.

As Amura always had kept her temper at her sponsor. The Handler.

"Such chutzpah. It's refreshing, I'll admit." The Handler said with Five by her side, eyeing him down.

"Slow down, Five. All in good time. In fact, now that the both of you finally agreed to work with us, we've got all the time in the world." She continued while giving the two a tour.

As if they didn't worked at the place before.

"The Commission works in support
of a delicate balance between the time line of events and mankind's free will." The Handler saw Amura eyeing the briefcases at the briefcase room.

"The briefcase is no longer a part of your kit, Amura. Free your mind." The Handler placed an arm on Amura's shoulder, leading her away.

When they arrived at the next floor, The Handler walked ahead, giving the two a chance to make eye contact.

Wordless conversation.

"All the people on this floor are case managers, each one responsible for one major event at a time." She said making the two walk to her side.

"So many of them." Five just said while Amura looked at the employees quietly.

"Impressive, isn't it? Being part of something... so grand." She smiled at the two before moving on, "Come along."

And the two followed the lady.

"Whenever someone chooses the wrong path and the time line is changed, the Commission gets a report from field agents on the ground. These field reports are sorted and assigned to a case manager. They determine if anyone needs to be... removed from the equation to assure that their event happens as it should. Based on that determination, the case manager sends instructions via pneumatic tube to..." They stopped at a room full of pipes, wherein an old lady was putting the tubes in.

"...temporal assassins like you formerly were, Number Five and Amura."

"Any queries so far?" The Handler asked.

"Yeah. Who was the case manager handling us?" Five asked.

"Ah. You mean the apocalypse." The Handler trailed her finger on Five's jaw and tapped his cheek, snapping Amura to the final straw.

"Quite touchy, don't you think? Handler?" She asked with a straight face but Five knew she wasn't as calm as she look.

And he's just trying not to smile by pursing his lips.

The Handler awkwardly retrieved her hand back and smiled before they moved on.

When they arrived at a room where sounds of typewriters can only be heard, The Handler stopped in front of a certain desk.

"Five, Amura, meet Dot." She introduced the quite, smiley woman.

"Oh, hi." The lady greeted, oh, so, happily.

Which Five and Amura only responded with a stoic expression.

"Dot is responsible for all apocalypse matters. But of course, Amura was the one who flagged your first appearance in 2019." The Handler looked at the two.

"Well, you certainly put us through the ringer. Outsmarting two of our so-called best temporal assassins. If that doesn't spell leadership material..." She proudly announce throughout the room that made all the employee stop on their works.

"...I just don't know."

"I suspect... you like a challenge, Five." The Handler said while she lead him to his office chair.

"Which is why I've given you a particularly complex first case." She continued and gave Five a red folder.

"It's too bad Joseph Späh decided against sabotaging the fuel tank. It would've been so much easier. Anyhoo... if you have any questions... I'll be right behind you." The Handler then gestured for Amura to follow.

"Come on now Amura, let's get you back to your throne." She said while Amura followed behind her quietly.

The same old emotionless Amura came back.

Well not that as emotionless as she thought, "Didn't know you and Five are in that kind of relationship." The Handler smiled at her while they walk.

"Whatever do you mean?" Amura asked, with no trace of bashfulness or embarrassment in her face.

"Well, why would you even follow him everywhere? You could've go and be free on your own but you stayed by his side." The woman said almost mockingly.

"Are you asking me to escape by myself?" The visually younger woman asked.

"You could've, but I know that you won't." The Handler had a smirk on her face.

"Don't act like you know me Handler." Amura said with venom in her voice.

Which the latter only chuckled at, "I'm afraid that can't be true, after all... I raised you."

They finally arrived the Infinite Switchboard.

"Well, as per usual. Any-"

"Wrong or mistakes within a timeline shall be reported back to The Handler. I know my job." Amura cut off.

The Handler smiled at that, "Such a good girl." She ruffled her hair and left.

Amura just clenched her jaw, her current appearance was hurting her pride as The Handler knows how to push her buttons.

The girl then proceeded to her job, checking every timeline, every day, every part of the world with the use of the machine she was entrusted with.

And when lunch came, she didn't left her seat and looked around her surroundings.

When there's no one around, she used her Clairvoyance and saw Five in a cubicle, a red folder in his hand and a message in his arm.

Happened earlier than the present time.

"She's too uptight." It said but was immediately covered.

"Usage of power is extremely prohibited in the premises... Don't you know that?" A woman's voice asked, which she recognized as The Handler's despite her back in front of the woman.

She turned her eyes back to normal and turned around, "Says the woman who asked me to look into Five Hargreeves' whereabouts and timeline... Anywho... I'm not using them, but I was eyeing this surveillance at 1968." Amura pointed to the screen.

"Vietnam War? My favorite." The Handler asked and leaned forward to see the screen.

"Write the report and I'll send it to one of the case managers, if you're lucky, it might land on Number Five." The woman instructed and tapped her shoulder before leaving.

'She's too uptight with me too.' Amura thought to herself and continued to make a report.