#Allison Hargreeves cosplay | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

messers-moony · 2 years

Text

Devotion: Chapter Twenty-Eight | F.H

Paring: Five Hargreeves X Fem!Reader (Series)

Summary: In which the Hargreeves siblings come together to stop the end of the world.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Umbrella Academy. All rights go to the creators of the show, the comics and everyone in between. Gifs used in these chapters are NOT mine and are/were found on Pinterest.

Warnings: Cursing, Sex, Nudity, Violence, Gore, Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking, Intense Scenes, and Abuse (if I missed any let me know)

—The Curse

❝Is this guardian a Jedi?❞

They danced. As the world continued to end around them, they danced together. Y/n still had a sinking feeling in her chest, and as the seconds went on, it got deeper. She sighed. Sloane and Luther continued to sway in the middle of the floor. Allison and Ben sat at a table together. Viktor and Klaus did their own subtle dance. Lila and Diego danced together under the blue dotted lights.

Y/n felt someone tap her shoulder, and she looked up. Diego was standing behind her, “May I take her away for a dance?”

Five looked down. His chest felt empty without her leaning on it. Y/n smiled, and Five sighed, “You may.”

Y/n took Diego’s hand and let him pull her into a clumsy dance. She watched Five go back to the table. She felt Diego step on her shoes multiple times and chuckled, “God, you are awful at this.”

“Well, Klaus was always my partner.” Diego replied, “You don’t learn much when your partner is giggling and not listening.”

She smiled and took the lead. Diego’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but he let her lead him in a waltz. Y/n chuckled every time he would accidentally trip over his own feet. They danced until they were out of breath. Diego smiled before twirling her. Her hair flipped, and she laughed before letting go of his hand to sit beside Five at the table. She could smell the alcohol on him.

Y/n pulled out the chair on Five’s right and grabbed a glass of water. She knew that if Five kept drinking, someone would have to take care of him. The glass had condensation on it, and it left her fingertips wet. It thudded against the plastic table. Five was eating beside her. Klaus was wandering around with a champagne flute.

“Cinco! Ocho!” Klaus did finger guns, “Mi Hermano. Mi Hermana.”

“Oh, God.” Five muttered as Klaus sat down on his left, “What do you want?”

“Listen to me. Dad is upstairs right now with a plan to save everything. So what say we pop up to the suite for a little chitchat?”

Five narrowed his eyes, “Are you like Frick and Frack with the old man now?”

“This dad's different. He's a turtle.” Klaus said, “Hard on the outside, but all cute and wrinkly and occasionally delicious on the inside.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,”

“Klaus?”

“Yeah?”

Five took a sip of champagne, “Old dogs like me and him never change. He has never had our best interests at heart.”

“So, my only plan for tonight is to get fucked up beyond all recognition,” Five continued, ��And make love to my wonderful girlfriend.”

Y/n choked on her water, “For fucks sake.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

“Sure.” Klaus clinked their glasses, “Have at it.”

“I shall!”

She shook her head and placed her cup down. Five continued to eat beside her. Klaus looked over at Diego and Lila. Y/n watched Lila come over and mutter something. She tilted her head at them. Then Chet walked around with an old camera. She watched him press the button, and a white flash filled her vision.

Cameras flashed on every block on the way back to the Academy. A thirteen-year-old Y/n sat in the back of the limousine. Ben sat beside her. He had blood all over his uniform and his hands. Five sat in front of her, and Klaus was on his left. She picked at the blood beneath her nails. Her hair was matted with blood, and it stained her cheeks. She could feel it drying. It made her feel sticky.

Y/n looked out the window. Fans lined up on every sidewalk with posters, cosplays, and signs. Most fans had Spaceboy, The Rumor, and The Boy posters. Some kids had The Horror posters. One kid had even dressed up like him. Ben was horrified. She saw very few of the Séance and the Kraken. Y/n knew they weren’t trendy. Not one kid or teen had anything to do with her.

The Curse was precisely that, a Curse. She felt the weight of the pistol on her hip and sighed. She sat crossed-legged in the back as Ben fidgeted. She could hear Allison and Diego arguing in the front. Luther said nothing in the passenger seat. Five and Klaus whispered together. Ben didn’t like to talk. Y/n appreciated it. She wasn’t fond of talking.

Her uniform was splattered all over. It was no longer navy blue. She had been too close when Allison exploded a man’s mind. Y/n was instantly covered in his blood. Allison didn’t look the slightest apologetic and ran off to Luther. She sighed and wiped her face with her sleeve. It turned darker instantly. She turned to see Five being cornered by a man and tucked her hair away.

Diego’s knife was left on the ground. Y/n picked it up and threw it at one of the men, and he crumbled to the floor. Five looked baffled as the other collapsed with no warning. He looked down to see Y/n clenching her fist. She looked determined, “What the hell are you waiting for, Number Five? Get off your ass!”

Y/n heard a wisp, and he was gone. She held out her hand, and the knife flew back into her palm. It was covered in blood. She wiped it on her skirt before throwing it to Diego. He caught it seamlessly, “You know, you could be nicer to him, yeah?”

“I saved his life,” She retorted, “That’s plenty nice.”

He snorted. She saw Klaus get distracted. A man was reloading his gun, and Y/n walked over to him. She kicked him on the back of the knees, and they buckled. Y/n grabbed the gun from his hand and shot him in the back of the skull. She looked up and shook the hair out of her face. Klaus had wide eyes, and Y/n unloaded the gun before throwing it out, “Watch your ass, Number Four.”

She whipped around at a gun firing. Behind her, a bullet was flying threw the room toward her. Y/n huffed and turned it around. It penetrated the man’s chest and hit the wall behind him. Everyone stared. Y/n knew she looked ridiculous. Her foot was on a dead man’s neck, with blood covering every inch of her body. She walked away from the man and looked around the room. She heard Diego whistle.

“Thank god, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Y/n walked toward the entrance and threw the doors open. The flashes blinded her. They were bright white, and all she could hear was clicking. People crowded the gate, and she navigated through them. Everyone followed behind her to the road where the limousine waited. Y/n growled with frustration.

“Get the fuck out of the way!” She yelled, “We would all like to go home now.”

People parted on the steps, and she sighed. Her shoes left bloody footprints all down the stairs. Y/n opened the car door and walked to the back row. It was a twenty-minute drive to the Academy. Everyone exited in number order. Y/n watched them exit. Luther had no blood on him. Diego had some on his cheek. Allison had some splatters on her arm. Klaus had none. Five had some on his face. Ben had some on his uniform and hands. Y/n exited the car covered from head to toe with blood.

Reginald held out his cane and stopped her from entering the Academy. She backed up from the doors and narrowed her eyes. Then she felt her knees give out. He’d hit the back of her knees with his cane, and the crowd was laughing like it was entertainment. She growled and went to stand, but he hit her again. Y/n was tired, sticky, and annoyed. She looked up to see Ben, Vanya, and Diego in the door window.

Y/n felt a burning pain on her back and her hands slid against the sidewalk. Her palms burned, and he slammed his cane down on her back. No one complained or yelled for her. No one cried for the villain. No one wanted to save the villain. Her head was pushed down, and all she heard was laughing before everything darkened.

She shook her head. She felt her heart pound beneath her chest. Y/n pushed out of her chair, and Five furrowed his eyebrows, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Y/n pushed in her chair, “I’m just going to get some air.”

Five nodded, and Y/n walked out of the banquet hall onto a balcony. The air hit her face. It was warm and soothing. The patio had yellow string lights going across the top. Big rocks made a small railing for the area. She sighed, and her hands trembled. Y/n walked up to the rocks and leaned on them. She looked up and saw the Kugelblitz looming over the building. Y/n grabbed the Rubik cube from her pocket.

It had been a long time. Reginald stopped the treatment after she came back from the Commission. There were no stars anymore—just orange gas. Y/n looked down at the cube in her hand. It was familiar and felt light in her hand. She remembered yearning for one in Dallas, where everyone thought too much. She stared down at her hands. If she looked long enough, she could see the blood on them.

It was never hers. Sometimes she wished it was. Y/n turned her back to the rocks and sat down on one of them. It was smooth and cool to the touch. She leaned her cheek against the wall of rock. It cooled her skin. She sighed and closed her eyes. Y/n heard the surrounding noises left. Trees swayed, music played inside the banquet hall and the faint rumbling.

Y/n felt herself dozing and heard the ocean. She wished she could see it one last time. She looked up to see the stars glittering at her. It all felt like a subtle tease of what could’ve been. It felt nice to sleep. It felt nice to let go of the sinking feeling for two hours while her body dozed. She woke up when someone opened the door again. It was Diego and Lila. They smiled at her and sat on another rock to her left.

Lila laid her head in Diego’s lap, and Diego leaned back against the rocks. Five was next to stumble out with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Y/n chuckled, and Five perked up. His face lit up, and he came to sit beside her. She felt him snuggle against her left arm. Viktor gave a sheepish smile before sitting on the rocks. Five offered Y/n the bottle, and she shook her head. Luther and Sloane were next.

“Hey, guys.”

Y/n gave a subtle wave. They sat between Viktor and Diego. Luther sat on the back rocks, and Sloane sat between his legs beneath him. She felt someone nudging her, and Five was nosing at her arm. Y/n chuckled and brought it around his shoulders. She saw Klaus and Ben exit the building next.

“Oh, no, no, no, no!” Diego shook his head, “No!”

Five grimaced, “Klaus, why are you bringing Ben here?”

“Hear me out before-“

“Hear him out,” Ben said.

“The brother that you all knew as Ben is gone. And not- I don't mean our Ben, the nice Ben. I mean this, Ben.” Y/n tilted her head, “The asshole, he's gone now. Gone.”

Luther furrowed his eyebrows, “Klaus, what are you talking about?”

“And the man that stands in front of you is new new Ben, and he's one of us, and he's a member of the team. And he's part of the family!” They both laughed.

“And as a welcome gift, I suggest we throw him off the roof.” Five said.

“Yeah. I'll help.”

“You know what? You know what?” Luther replied, “He can stay. He can stay.”

“Why?”

“'Cause, it's my wedding day, man.” Luther retorted, “Come on. He can stay.”

Ben and Klaus exclaimed happily as they sat in front of Viktor. Five took another swig of the bottle. Y/n gently took it from him and placed it on her other side. Five didn’t seem bothered. He just snuggled into her side. She carded her fingers through his hair. Y/n stared at the orange and pink sky.

“Hey, you know something?” Luther called, “Tonight is all I ever really wanted.”

Diego snorted, “To get hitched?”

“Just… everybody coming together when it really matters.”

“One big real family.”

Y/n felt a jolt at her side, and Five was standing up. She watched him almost fall forward before catching himself. He coughed. Everyone laughed, “Whoa! Whoa!”

“Oh, I think I'm gonna hurl.”

Y/n snickered as he looked around cluelessly, “Actually, uh, I think I'm hungry. See ya, guys. I'm gonna hit the buffet.”

Five walked back inside. Viktor looked at Y/n, “Is he gonna be okay?”

“I dunno,” Y/n shrugged.

“It's Five.” Diego replied, “What do you think?”

She blew a raspberry and got up, “Thank you for tonight. Congratulations, Luther and Sloane.”

“Thank you.”

Y/n got up and walked into the banquet hall. She looked around, and Five was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and walked to the elevator. She clicked floor six and felt it move beneath her feet. It took two minutes before the doors opened again. Y/n walked down to room nineteen and pulled the key from her pocket. The door clicked open, and she locked it behind her. Y/n sighed.

She took off the belt and placed it on a table. Her knife, wallet, first aid kit, and Rubik cube were on top. She unlaced her shoes and kicked them off. Then, she walked to the bottom bunk and pulled the comforter before slipping beneath it. Her head hit the pillow and her eyes closed. The beach was so soothing. She felt the waves at her feet and the sand beneath her. Y/n ran her fingers through the sand and felt it dissolve into the beach beneath her.

She felt the spritz of water hit her cheeks. It was cooling, refreshing, and sweet. It was like being on vacation after a long year at work. It felt like waking up on a Saturday after a long week. It was a cold glass of water at twilight. It was reading on an autumn day in the shade. It was watching the sun set and rise. It was everything she needed.

Y/n squeezed her eyes closed when the light drifted in. The curtains had been thrown open days ago, and she forgot to close them. She groaned and threw the comforter off. She slid her legs off the side of the mattress and felt a heavy weight on her chest. Y/n rubbed her eyes and tucked her hair back. She looked out the window to see nothing but orange light.

She padded over to her shoes and laced them up. Y/n grabbed her belt and wrapped it around her waist. The first aid kit went into her back left pocket, the Rubik cube in her right, and the knife in her front right. She left the wallet. Y/n looked into a mirror and flattened her hair before walking out of the room. She put the key in her front left pocket and walked to the elevator. It took three minutes to reach the lobby.

Everyone aside from Viktor and Five was in the sitting area to the left of the doors. Y/n tilted her head, “Where’s Five?”

“Outside.”

Y/n nodded and walked through the revolving doors. He was sitting with his legs hanging off the edge of the world. A bottle was placed beside him. She recognized it as the same bottle from the night before. Y/n shoes made crumbling noises against the broken asphalt. She sat on his right, and he held out the bottle.

“No, thanks.”

Five quirked an eyebrow, “You don’t drink or smoke. How do you even have fun?”

“You’re an asshole, sometimes.”

“Well, what’s your secret?”

She crossed her arms, “Drinking and smoking are delaying the inevitable. I’d rather get over it than delay it.”

Five took another swig of the bottle, “I saw something last night.”

“I’m surprised,” Y/n replied, “You seemed pretty drunk.”

“Reginald made a deal with someone.”

Y/n tilted her head, “A deal? What kind of deal?”

“I don’t know. I only got the ass end of the conversation, and I didn’t see who it was with.”

“I haven’t felt right lately,” Y/n said, “There’s a sinking feeling in my gut, and I’ve always listened to it before, but right now, I can’t figure out what it is. But, I don’t think this deal will end with anything good.”

Five took her hand in his and squeezed, “I’ve always trusted you. I trusted you as a kid, on missions, in the apocalypse, at the Commission, back in twenty-nineteen, and in Dallas. I will always trust you; we will figure it out together if you think this deal is trouble. You’ve never steered me wrong before.”

“You make it sound like I have you wrapped around my finger.”

“You do,” He took another sip, “I’m not ashamed.”

She chuckled and squeezed his hand. He did the same. Y/n heard footsteps and perked up. An older man was leaving the hotel. He had slick back grey hair and a monocle. He wore black pants, shoes, a blazer, and a tie. He had on a patterned vest and white button-up beneath it. He held a book in his right hand.

“Reginald.”

“I take it you know why I'm here.”

“How 'bout we save you some time? Give you the ‘no’ upfront.” Five replied, “We’re not interested in this bullshit plan you've been cooking.”

Reginald deadpanned, “It's not, as you so colorfully called it, bullshit.”

Y/n rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle from Five’s hand. She took a swig before putting it down on the asphalt, “Mind if I join you?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t,” Y/n said as he sat down, “However, it seems like you don’t give a shit regardless.”

Five handed Reginald the bottle. He took a small sip and grimaced, “Dear God!”

Five hummed, “Louis XIII, it ain’t.”

“I've had worse,” Reginald replied and looked forward, “It is impressive, isn't it?”

“All the ways we could have screwed the pooch, this way is the most complete. I'm relieved, actually. This time, everything goes.” He took his hand and put his arm around Y/n’s shoulders, “There's no Commission, no leaping away. No life spent going mad with the desperation to see a familiar face.”

“I've seen worlds end in ways that would knock your socks off, old man."

Five deadpanned, “Wow! Reginald Hargreeves, you never cease to surprise me.”

“That is some comfort.” Reginald said, “You know, they all run together after a while. But you never forget your first. Your home. Your original sin. You never stop wondering, ‘Did I do enough to save the people I loved?’”

“Did you?”

“No, but I was hoping you children could help me out with that.”

Y/n took another sip from the bottle, “And there it is!”

“Sorry, Reg.” Five replied, “I got a message from the future.”

“What future?”

“My future self told me very explicitly not to save this world.”

Reginald laughed, “You are an arrogant son of a bitch, aren't you? ‘Future you.’ ‘Present you.’ The past is as much a mystery as the future.”

Five took a long sip from the bottle and held Y/n closer to him. Reginald narrowed his eyes, “You ruined your life once before by not listening to me. Are you prepared to do that again?”

“Hey asshole,” Y/n spat, “Maybe if you weren’t trying to hold him back or gave him the training he needed, he would’ve listened.”

He kissed her temple and sighed, “Fine, I'll attend your stupid meeting.”

“And you?”

“I’ll listen.”

“Excellent!”

Reginald stood up, and Five glared, “If you tell me what happened with you in the Buffalo Suite last night. Whom were you talking to? Was it Klaus? Was it Ben?”

“No one. I was alone.” Reginald said, “Though I doubt you were in any condition to remember.”

Y/n narrowed her eyes. Reginald gave her a subtle smile, “We should go. Don't want to be late for the meeting.”

Five looked forward, “I would move if I were you.”

“What,” Five asked, “Are you threatening us?”

Y/n felt the ground beneath her shake, and she stood up. She pulled Five’s arm, and he was pulled back. The land they had been sitting on fell from the earth. She heard him sigh and looked down at where they had been sitting. Her heart pounded. Reginald smirked.

“Shall we?”

She shook her head. Five followed Reginald into the hotel. Y/n followed closely behind them. She let them walk through the revolving door together and followed behind them. When she walked in, she heard everyone cheering from the same place they had been. Diego, Lila, Sloane, and Luther sat on a couch together. Viktor was seated on a chair to the right of the sofa. Ben and Klaus sat together on a round couch. Allison sat on a luggage cart.

“Woo! Five! Yeah!”

Luther clapped loudly, “Here he is!”

Diego snickered, “That speech last night! Wow!”

“Brought me to tears, you big softy,” Lila said.

“I especially liked when you referred to us as a family bound by destiny and love,” Viktor replied.

Y/n tilted her head, and Diego smiled, “Oh, shorty, you missed it! Five made a fantastic speech last night at the wedding-“

“Okay. Enough.” Five said, “It was the booze talking. In the light of day, you're all still deplorable.”

She coughed, and Five turned around, “Not you.”

Five walked toward a cushioned chair in the back. As he passed Lila, she jumped up and held her arms out. Five ignored them and walked to the chair. Y/n walked around the other side and sat beside him. He put his arm around her. Reginald stood before them, “And your day's about to get worse.”

“The Norse had eight sleepers. The Blackfoot, eight stars. As a boy, I heard the legend of the eight bells.” He explained, “All these stories are the same. The village is under threat by flood, by fire, by a night that never ends. A shaman brings his disciples to a sacred cave. He tells them if they can ring the eight magic bells, the village will be saved, and all will be restored just as it was.”

Lila raised her hand, “Reggie? Can we get a little less Brothers Grimm and more ‘What the hell does this have to do with us?’”

“There is a truth to these myths. None of you can deny what's going on around us. All existence will be gone by the end of the day, but whoever or whatever wove together space and time left a way to put things back together if the universe ever faced total annihilation.” Reginald explained, “There is a portal in the universe. I built this hotel around it, and on the other side is the answer.”

Y/n leaned, “Klaus never gets to pick the hotel again.”

Five shook his head with a subtle grin. Luther sighed, “And… we're supposed to, what? Just stroll in there, ring some bells, and fix this shit?”

“Sarcasm aside, you are mostly right.” Reginald replied, “Except for the guardian.”

Y/n tilted her head, “What kind of guardian?”

“Kinda guardian that does this.” Diego held up his hand, “He had a sword.”

“It is a force to be reckoned with.”

“A force?” Y/n snorted, “Is this guardian a Jedi? Cause if he’s not, he is not to be reckoned with.”

Lila snorted, and Luther rolled his eyes, “See? Yeah. This is where you lose me.”

“This is where he loses you?” Lila replied, “I checked out at the sacred cave.”

“Why would the builders of this ‘back door’ need to have a guardian?”

“Ah! To protect it from people who want to use it for nefarious means.”

Reginald smiled, “Correct, Sloane.”

“So it's gonna take all of us to defeat the thing protecting the bells.”

“You're actually buying his crap?” Five asked.

Allison deadpanned, “How is a guardian and bells any crazier than time-traveling briefcases and assassins with cartoon masks?”

“Actually, she's got you there.” Five sighed.

Ben stood up and walked to Reginald’s side, “I'm in.

“Me too.” Diego stood up, “But I think some of us should stay back. Like Lila.”

“Uh,” She stood up, “Or you can stay, and I can go.”

“No. This is much bigger than all of us.” Allison said, “Nobody can stay back.”

“You, my children, are all that stands between us and oblivion. Are we ready to go?”

Viktor shrugged, “Well, I say we vote.”

“This isn't a democracy.” Ben spat, “Dad's calling the shots.”

“I'm with Viktor. We vote.”

“Me too,”

Reginald looked appalled, “The world is ending, and you want to count hands?”

“You're asking us to risk our lives. I think it's only fair you give us time to discuss it.” Luther said, “Privately.”

Y/n heard Reginald scoff and walk away, “Why don't we meet back here in an hour?”

“Agreed.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Whatever.”

Five stood up and pulled Y/n up with him. She led them back to the elevator. She pressed floor six and took him to room nineteen. The key went into the lock, and the door clicked open. Five closed it behind him, and it shut with a thud. Y/n threw herself on the couch, and Five paced the room. Y/n pulled out the Rubik cube and started twisting it around. Five’s tension eased at the familiar noise.

“I think this is a trap.”

“I believe you.”

Five turned to her, “What do you plan on doing?”

“I don’t know yet.”

She continued to twist the cube in her hands. It didn’t take long for the cube to be solved. The older she got, the easier it was. Five turned an armchair around to face the couch and sat down. She threw the cube, and he mixed it up before throwing it back to her. She started to solve, and Five rubbed his face, “We should warn the others.”

“I agree.”

Y/n stood up and put the cube in her pocket. She followed Five out of the room and walked down the hall. At the end of the hall was Luther and Sloane’s suite. It was nicer than room nineteen. It had a full-size queen bed. It had a couch and armchairs around the room too. Five knocked on the door and opened it. Y/n followed. Luther was sitting on the bed. Sloane was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Luther smiled, “How long do we have left?”

Five made a so-so gesture, “A couple of hours. Could be more, could be less.”

“Where's Sloane?” Y/n asked.

“Raiding the wine cellar for our end-of-the-world party.“

“So I guess you guys know which way you're voting.”

“You're more than welcome to join us.”

Five paced, “I'm still on the fence on that one. I saw something last night that I was not supposed to see.”

“Diego and Lila.” Luther said, “Yeah, they do it on the stairs sometimes.”

“What the fuck.”

Five rolled his eyes, “No, I saw Dad. He was in his room with someone. He was making some kind of deal. Before you ask, I don't know what the deal was or who it was with. Everything is a blur.”

“Wasn't Sloane or me.” He replied, “We were, uh, busy doing other things last night.”

“Yeah, I get it, Luther. Thank you.” Five sighed, “Everyone was boning everyone last night.”

“Wait, you two-“

“Focus, please.”

Y/n face palmed, “That story about the bells? There's something Dad's not telling us. Think about it. When has the old man ever been straight with us?”

“I don't know. He was ruthless in our performance reviews.”

“He always gave me five stars.”

“Really?”

Five took a deep breath, “Look, I'm old enough to trust my instinct, and it's telling me this is a trap. Food for thought.”

Y/n walked out of the room and exhaled heavily. Five tilted his head at her, “You all right?”

“Yeah,” She said, “I think I’m gonna ponder my decision in the lobby.”

“I’ll see you at the voting then.”

She smiled before she walked off. Y/n took the stairs to the lobby. It gave her more time to think. For years, they had trained for this. She had become Reginald’s weapon for this. The thought made her want to vomit—every hit with the cane, palm, and shoe. He had wanted her angry. He knew she could do unpredictable things while angry. He wanted the public to hate her, and they did.

Y/n sat down on the last landing. She could hear the people’s taunts down the street. Even after the Academy disbanded. Her face wasn’t forgettable. People threw things at her on the road, called her names, denied her service, and assaulted her. She’d walk around with her hood up and look down at the sidewalk while she walked. She denied herself the scenery to keep the people around her safe.

She was eighteen years old and just needed her medication. Meritech wasn’t a far walk from the gym. It took her years to finally get help. Diego had pressured her into it. She was thankful for him in more ways than one. He was her saving grace. He was scheduled to fight that night at the gym, and she told him she’d be there. She just needed her medication. Y/n’s hood fell.

Y/n didn’t think twice about it. The sunset was beautiful. It was purple, pink, and slowly turning orange. She passed a bar and continued to walk. Y/n heard footsteps behind her, but that was common. People walked the streets all the time. She turned a corner, and a man gripped her by the very low back. She grabbed his wrist and flipped him around. He chuckled at seeing her face.

“Ah, one of the Academy kids,” He smiled, “You’re Number Seven, aren’t ya’?”

She didn’t say anything, “You’re the Curse.”

Y/n rose an eyebrow and lifted her leg. His forearm broke with a snap, and he cried out in pain. The man reached for her hair, but a pain in his leg made him crumble to the floor. Y/n released her grip on the man once he had melted onto the sidewalk. She spat to her right into an alley, “Next time, don’t fucking touch me.”

She sighed. It had been a long walk to Meritech that day. Part of her still yearned for her pills. Despite Five being back, somedays she wished for the white pill to dissolve in her body. Someone knocked on the stairwell, and she looked up. It was Viktor. He gave her a small smile, “We’re ready.”

“Thanks.”

Y/n followed Viktor out to the main lobby. He sat down in the center of the main stairs. Luther and Sloane sat together on the right. Diego and Lila stood on the left side of the stairs. Five leaned up against a pillar, and Y/n leaned against it on his right. Ben was on her right. Allison stood in the middle of everyone, and Klaus leaned on the opposite pillar.

“I think you can all guess which way I'll be voting. We've all been through a lot. We've all lost people.” Allison paused, “Mannequins… But their deaths have to mean something, which is why I'll be voting to go with Dad.”

Lila jumped off the stairs toward Reginald, “Let's go save the bloody universe!”

“Woo-hoo!”

“All right, well, since she said yes,” Diego sat on the stairs, “I vote stay.”

Lila scoffed, and Diego shrugged, “How's that for nice?”

“You're not being serious.”

“It's his vote, Lila.”

Allison turned to Klaus, “Klaus?”

“I am with Father.”

“Okay, that's four to one.” She said, “Viktor?”

He sighed, “Look, I wanna believe, okay? I really do. I just can't shake the feeling we don't know what we're getting ourselves into.”

“No, but we know what we've got if we don't. We have to go into this together. Viktor. A family.”

“You can't just keep throwing the word ‘family’ around. It isn't enough.” He replied, “I vote stay.”

“Luther?”

Luther rubbed Sloane’s shoulders, “Sloane and I talked, and, well, we're out. Look, we wanna spend whatever time we have left together and not fighting some guy with a sword and ringing bells and stuff.”

“Well, dead even. Four in, four out.” Viktor said.

“That leaves you Number Five and Y/n.”

Five sighed, “I saw the future, and it told me to sit this one out.”

“I vote stay.” Five said, “It's time we accept our fate.”

Everyone turned to look at Y/n, “We’re 4 in and 5 out. Looks like it’s up to you, little Y/n.”

Y/n felt their stares. She shivered. It reminded her of the whole city, watching her get beaten with a cane. She looked down at her feet and crossed her ankles. Her hair covered her face like a curtain. She felt Five staring at her with strong intensity. They felt piercing and made her cheeks run hot. She tilted her chin back up.

“I won’t go down without a fight.” Y/n said, “I was born to be a weapon. I might as well die being one.”

“Shorty,”

“None of you get it, okay?” Y/n chuckled bitterly, “You all were the good ones, okay? You all were the heroes. I was never a hero. He,” She pointed at Reginald, “Made me a villain, a weapon, a monster from the moment he gave us our alias’.”

“No one ever thought-“

“That I was a curse?” Y/n chuckled, “Yes, you do. Everyone thought I was a fucking curse. You guys talked and acted like I couldn’t hear. You pretended like I didn’t have emotions and didn’t care. I was completely swallowed in my grief at thirteen years old, and none of you gave a shit. None of you!”

“And you know that boot camp Reginald sent me to?” They all looked intrigued, “Wasn’t a fucking boot camp. I was sent to become a fucking assassin because my grief was consuming me, and if I didn’t get it out somehow, I’d end up killing you all.”

She hesitated, “Just like when I killed Ben.”