[21] red converse high tops

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chapter twenty-one: red converse high tops

All this running was starting to annoy Nova. She had been chasing Lila all over town and now they were in some kind of train yard. The girl had only met Lila once and tensions were high then. Five had explained his suspicions about the woman.

He told Nova that Lila asked him for a high five which wasn't a thing until the 1970s so that set off a lot of red flags for him. Nova didn't know if she was impressed by that fact or sad by it. She couldn't help but wonder who actually knew the history of the high five.

Nova watched as Lila used a pipe to break the window in the door of the warehouse. She hurried across the yard and into the building to catch up with Lila.

"Hey Wicked Witch of the East, do you have a death wish or something? I mean I could have Luther drop a house on you if you want," Nova called out getting Lila to turn around with a grin.

"I just like playing games, love," Lila called gesturing for Nova to come closer.

"So what version of this game are we playing? Do you want me to just drain the life out of you right now or do you want to go hand to hand and I can kill you with a can opener?" Nova asked and Lila smirked.

"Hand to hand if you can take it, old-timer," Lila said and Nova cracked her neck before going after Lila.

The woman blocked Nova's punch and kicked her in the ribs causing her to the floor. At first, Nova was surprised then she remembered Lila fighting the Swedes. She fights like the Commission drones. This has the work of the Handler all over it.

Lila takes off down the hall and Nova quickly follows. The girl jumps onto the table and vaults over it landing in front of Lila. Before the woman had time to react Nova did an aerial flip kicking her straight in the jaw.

The two of them go back and forth like this for a while. They exchange punches, kicks, and dodges. Each of them only lands about fifty percent of their intended blows. Nova is convinced now that Lila is a Commission drone purely based on her fighting style. Lila manages to shove Nova into a corner where she lands next to a pipe.

The young girl picks up the pipe piece before wiping the blood dripping from her nose with the sleeve of her striped shirt. Nova balances the pipe between her two hands and she thinks about how weird it is that Lila brought her all the way out here. Everything about this plan has the Handler written all over it.

When Lila comes running towards the girl again Nova ducks under her swinging leg and uses her pipe to hook behind Lila's ankle. The girl gives a strong tug and Lila goes tumbling to the ground. Before the woman can react Nova puts her Converse-covered foot harshly on Lila's neck.

"You're better than I thought," Lila gasped and Nova tossed the pipe off to the side.

"You, love, are entirely average," Nova said throwing Lila's words back at her. "Yo, Handler you can come out now."

"Well done, Genova. How'd you figure it out?" the Handler asked as she walked out of a side hall.

"For starters red combat boots. Dead giveaway. But besides that, she fights like every other Commission drone," Nova said as she adjusted her frizzy pigtails.

"Very clever, dear girl. Not many people would have noticed the shoes," the Handler compliments.

"It's hard to forget since you made me wear those red Converse high tops for so many years," Nova shrugged.

"No matter, you're here now. I've gotta ask did you miss me, mija?" the Handler asked and Nova narrowed her eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not your mija," Nova growled. Her mother used to call her that before she died. Every time the Handler used that term of endearment it was like an insult to her mother.

"You know you and Five both have good instincts. Both of you were immediately suspicious of her," the Handler compliments.

"Putting her in a psych ward to trick the second most simple-minded Academy member, was kind of smart. But having her take on the Swedes was your main downfall," Nova said as Lila struggled as the girl continued to choke her with her Converse.

"Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," the Handler said as she took a drag of her cigarette.

"She's your..." Nova started but the Handler cut her off.

"Daughter? Yes, and my only one so I would appreciate it if you didn't crush her windpipe," the Handler said and after a moment Nova let the woman go. As Lila is standing up Nova pulls out a cigarette of her own and lights it before taking a long drag.

"I am so going to enjoy killing you and your little buddies someday," Lila growled and Nova raised an unimpressed eyebrow before blowing her cigarette smoke into the woman's face.

"Lila, darling, would you give us a minute please," the Handler said.

"Yes, dear the grownups are talking. Why don't you go over there and sip your juice box?" Nova asked sassily. Lila glared at the girl before stalking out of the room and throwing a pale at the door. "So, what do you want?"

"Do you like jazz, Genova?" the Handler asked.

"Sometimes I appreciate it but I know someone who would rather lick a cheese grater," Nova shrugged and the Handler smiled.

"Ah yes, Five. How is my favorite boy? Still wearing those delicious little shorts?" the Handler asked and Nova tried not to show her disgust. "You know I made the mistake of offering him the deal last time. I thought you were the one too emotionally invested in your work but now I know he was the weak link of you two."

"I really hope there is a point to all of this," Nova grumbled as she took a final drag of her cigarette.

"The Commission has needed new leadership for a long time. And under my rule, the Commission would sound more like jazz," the Handler said and Nova dropped the bud of her cigarette and extinguished it with her foot.

"What about the board of directors? You know, AJ and all of them?" Nova asked and the Handler smiled menacingly.

"You see my dear, Genova, that's where you come in," the Handler said and Nova got a sinking feeling in her gut. The same one she always got before the Handler asked her to do her dirty work.

"Yeah, nope. I think you have me confused with one of your mindless robots," Nova said shaking her head.

"In exchange for the assassination of the board, I am willing to get you and the entire Hargreeves bunch out of this timeline and back to 2019 where you belong," the Handler offered, and Nova knows there is going to be a catch.

"What about World War III, that we brought with us?" Nova asked as she crossed her arms.

"Once you and the Hargreeves are gone the war will go poof," the Handler assures her, and Nova's mind races rapidly at all this information.

"What about the apocalypse in 2019?" Nova inquired.

"That will also disappear," the Handler said and Nova narrowed her eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken you kept telling Five and me that the apocalypse had to happen, that it was supposed to happen," Nova growled.

"Back then I was toeing the company line, but once I'm in charge... We can riff!" The handler exclaimed as she continued to mimic the sounds of jazz music.

"Jazz. And you'll leave us alone if I do your dirty work?" Nova asked and the Handler placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Genova, my dearest, do not think of this as dirty work. Think of this as doing a favor for an old friend," the Handler said and Nova bites her lip as she's deep in thought.

"But nobody even knows who the board of directors are. Well except for AJ since he's in charge of everything," Nova said.

"That is true but once every fiscal quarter they get together for a board meeting," the Handler said, and Nova nodded.

"Let me guess that meeting changes different time periods each time?" Nova asked and the Handler smiled coyly.

"Exactly. The location and date of these board meetings is the most closely guarded secret in the Commission," the Handler explained.

"And you know where it's going to be," Nova chuckled as she wiped some blood from the side of her lip.

"Would I be any good at what I do if I didn't?" the Handler asked.

"Give me time to think about it," Nova said as she moved to leave the building.

"The clock is ticking, dearest Genova. Doomsday is right around the corner and I'm your only option!" the Handler called as the girl walked away.

"Not yet you aren't!" Nova called but deep down she knew that was a lie. She had a bad feeling that even if they did get to talk to Hargreeves it wouldn't end well.

When Nova was walking to Elliott's apartment she walked past the hair salon that Allison worked at. The windows were closed but she could hear familiar voices from inside. She recognized the voices as belonging to Allison, Klaus, and Vanya.

"Guys open up it's me, Nova!" Nova called as she knocked on the door. Allison quickly opened the door and pulled Nova inside.

"Novie, our last sister has joined the party!" Klaus slurred and Allison locked the door as Nova sat in the chair next to Vanya.

"Ooh pass me a cigarette!" Nova exclaimed, making a grabbing motion with her hands toward Klaus.

"Since when do you smoke?" Klaus asked as he passed the pack to Nova.

"Since I got stuck in a racist and sexist timeline for like three years alone as an eighteen-year-old," Nova shrugged as she lit the cigarette.

"At least you got to grow up a little bit. I mean you can be considered hot now and you got to grow boobs," Klaus said and Nova rolled her eyes.

"Yes, like I couldn't grow boobs in 2019," Nova said while rolling her eyes. "Also remember this is my second time being sixteen. I knew these boobs were coming."

"Whoa, you know what would be really weird?" Klaus asked and they all stared at him. "What if like Five grew up to be really hot?"

"I'm sure Nova wouldn't mind that," Vanay giggled drunkenly and Nova gaped at her in surprise.

"Eww!" Allison exclaimed at the same time in response to Klaus' statement. Nova just blushed at Vanya's suggestion.

"Oh please Ms.-Luther-is-my-lover," Klaus taunts his sister drunkenly.

"Hey, we have never even kissed," Allison said and Nova scoffed.

"Not in this timeline at least," Nova chuckled as she took a drag of her cigarette.

"What do you mean not in this timeline?" Allison asked.

"In a timeline that Five erased you and Luther kissed. Klaus had me and Diego tie him up so he could get sober. And I accidentally killed all the plants in the greenhouse. But then poof. The day was reset and instead, we broke into Harold Jenkins's house before he murdered me," Nova said with a shrug.

"Well, that is some interesting news," Klaus says thoughtfully.

"Wait aren't we all brothers and sisters? Like is Nova and Five and Luther and Allison allowed?" Vanya asked.

"I mean I am like family but Hargreeves never legally adopted me. He kind of just found me after my mom died and made me come live with them," Nova attempted to explain.

"And technically Luther and I are not biologically related," Allison said.

"Technically? I mean if you have to use the word technically you are already in trouble." Klaus slurred as he slumped into a chair next to the girl.

"Okay, can we just focus? Clearly, we are not saving the world today but can we at least maybe save my marriage?" Allison asked.

"No! No, because that's like asking a nun how to hump someone's leg," Klaus slurred as he struggled to pour some alcohol into his flask.

"Yeah, Allison, that's like asking schools to respect students' mental health," Nova giggled as she extinguished her cigarette in an ashtray.

"Like who in this room knows shit about relationships? This one in secret love with some farm Frau," Klaus points to Vanya who pouts.

"Her name is Sissy," Vanya said with a frown.

"Which is a huge improvement from her previous love interest, the serial killer," Klaus said and Nova threw a comb at him as Allison glared.

"What?" Vanya asked and Nova whispered that she would explain later.

"Meanwhile I'm carrying a torch for a soldier I haven't technically met yet. Who Nova's fifty-something-year-old self is going to murder in a few years," Klaus said and Vanya gave the girl a confused look.

"Don't ask," Nova said, shaking her head.

"Oh, and Luther is in love with his sister," Klaus said.

"Again we are not biological!" Allison exclaimed.

"Let's not forget Diego who is hot for my former employer's psychopathic daughter who only thinks of him as a mission," Nova muttered as she considered maybe getting drunk with them. Then she thought about the last time she lost control and quickly dismissed the idea.

"When did that happen?" Allison asked.

"Yesterday? Two days ago something like that," Nova shrugged.

"And we all know Nova's been madly in love with Five all this time and they are just now getting together. No offense to you Nova but the healthiest long-term relationship in this family is when Five was banging that mannequin," Klaus said and Nova didn't take offense because honestly, she agreed with him. "The only thing the Umbrella Academy knows about love is how to screw it up!"

"How do you guys deal with this?" Vanya asked.

"What?" Allison asked.

"I mean all of it. Time travel, seeing the dead, the end of the world," Vanya said.

"I get really high. Allison... Allison lies to herself and Nova well I'm pretty sure Nova either accidentally or on purpose kills people. She also drinks a lot of coffee and apparently now smokes. Vanya, you suppress all of your emotions deep deep until you blow shit up," Klaus explained and Allison kicked a stool at him while Nova threw another comb at him.

"Yeah, I would really like to not do that anymore," Vanya said.

"Well you got six more days to work on that, Vee," Nova mused, using their childhood nickname for the older woman.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with six days?" Allison groaned.

"Party?" Klaus offered.

"I'm gonna tell Sissy that I love her. I don't want any secrets," Vanya said as she sat up.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right because if things are going to go titts-up then I might as well be honest with my husband!" Allison exclaimed as she stood up wobbling slightly.

"Oh... does that mean I have to face my cult? I just hate group break ups that's why I stopped dating twins," Klaus said.

"I'm probably going to take a nap. I don't have any secrets or breakups that need to come clean," Nova said thoughtfully.

"This family is amazing," Vanya mused while the three others in the room burst out laughing.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Allison chuckles.

"Ah come here, Vanya. You too Novie," Klaus mused as he and Allison began a group hug. Nova and Vanya both hop over and they all hug tightly. "I love you guys."

"Oh, I love this song!" Allison exclaimed as she went to turn up the radio. The four of them let loose and just dance around. Nova had to admit this was the most fun she's had in a long time. She's missed the three of them.