Vide Noir | The Umbrella Academy

Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Two:

Five's lips formed a line, gazing around the barn. Most of his family had filed out after Vanya, answering to the pleas of a fearful mother. Now it was only Diego, his words swarming around his mind.

"What?" He questioned, brows knotting.

Diego looked around again, "She's not here. Wasn't she behind you?"

His eyes widened, the Handler's voice stuck in his head. He could still see her leaning over him as he battled for air, a sick smile on her face as she pointed a gun to his head. "You'll never find her, darling. She's not in this timeline."

"No." He shook his head, muttering under his breath. "He took her."

"Who took her?"

He felt colder, knowing she wasn't there. They'd been inseparable since they ran into each other, and now she was gone. He promised himself he wouldn't let anything happen to her, yet, there he was. He had tried to tell her that, to explain that they'd use her to get to him. And even if that wasn't the purpose anymore, it still hurt.

"Alfred." Five blinked, hugging himself tightly. "He got her."

"I can't leave him!" Adella cried out, "Not here!"

He wanted to move, wanted so badly to stand up and rip Alfred to shreds. His chest ached, with every desperate breath he could feel his shirt soak up with blood. It was numb, everything. He wondered if it was the shock or pure adrenaline that kept him from feeling much of the pain.

The only noises he could hear were her, occasionally Alfred's voice hushed her own, but she persisted nonetheless. Within seconds he felt her presence next to him, her warm hands on his shoulders, gently shaking them.

He peeled his eyes open, meeting her worried gaze. Adella gave a soft smile, despite the bruises and blood crusting her face. "Thank god, thank you— Keep your eyes open for me, alright?"

"Something was happening to her, like the night I got her back to the apartment." He continued, staring down at the spot where he had fallen. She had been right there, and now the area was empty of any trace of her. "She wasn't well."

Diego looked concerned, but not to the extent he was expecting. His expression was stuck in a mix between confusion and slight worry. The others weren't aware of the other ending, they had no idea of their initial failures. Diego had no idea he had died, sprawled on the floor of a dirty barn amongst his family. That the Handler had gotten what she wanted, right after offing her own daughter.

"Lila did this to her." Five mumbled, brows furrowing as he met Diego's gaze. Adella's voice echoed in his mind, of her tired voice as she rested her head against his back, mumbling about Lila. She had sounded so defeated, shame lingered where she thought herself of no help, of being able to do better.

Diego shook his head, eyes narrowing. He couldn't believe the man wasn't more upset, or that he lacked to believe that Lila had done such a thing, as if she was incapable. The thought angered him, staring accusingly over at his brother.

"How do we know she isn't here somewhere?"

Five scoffed, looking around the area, "Are you serious?"

"What--"

Lila had done something to her, and then moved onto attacking him. It had to be while they were both in the house, yet he had been with her the entire time, except for a frame that only consisted of a few minutes.

"Your biological sister is missing and it's because of your back-stabbing, insane girlfriend who's only job was to take us down and you're more concerned about believing that she didn't do anything?" Five stepped towards him, the cold no longer biting at his skin. "She doesn't care about you, Diego!"

"Why are you so convinced Della didn't just, like, walk off?"

He took another step, with another few he'd be right in front of him. His chest rose in long, calculating heaves, anger threatening to boil over.

"Because you don't know everything, Diego. You never have."

"Woah," He countered, mimicking a hurtful expression, "It's as if I've heard you talk this way at me for my whole life, thinking you're better than everyone. Just because I don't rush to conclusions doesn't mean I'm believing that you're wrong, and for once how about you don't blame Lila for everything--"

His jaw clenched, heart beat slowly increasing. "You die."

"What?"

Five shook his head, jaw clenched. That wasn't important right now, and despite everything, he still wanted to protect his family from that knowledge. "Adella is gone, Diego."

He hated asking for help, he worked better on his own. Though, he hated Alfred more, and knew the man would kill her if given the chance. And now, with the aid of Lila, he could.

"Five, come on--"

"You don't understand!" He lunged at his brother, grabbing a fistful of his collar and shoving him down closer, eyes level with his own. "I swear to god, if you try to reason with me one more time, Diego, I will hurl you so far into the next dimension you'll end up in hell. Do you hear me? Adella is gone, and she's in trouble, and I need to find her."

Diego blinked, eyes trying to read his mind. Five figured the man would get some basic answers to his flared anger, which were very blunt, but he'd never get the whole story.

"Okay, okay." Diego said slowly, moving away when his grip loosened.

"She's weak right now, alright. And, and... he's going to kill her, I know it. He's been after her all this time, he almost had killed her before she landed here." He shook his head, rambling wasn't important either. "The Handler said she isn't in this timeline anymore."

"What?"

"I think she's lying. I think he took her out of the timeline knowing I'd jump back and re-do time. I think he brought her back here after to trick me."

Apart of him didn't believe that, no matter how much he wanted too. Deep down he knew she wasn't anywhere in town, nor in 1963. He could just feel it, the lack of her presence.

"What do you mean jump back?"

Five took a deep breath, his anger slowly seeping into fear. He met the gaze of his brother, now wasn't the time to argue. "I need your help. I need everybody's help."