THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: WE'RE THE PHOENIX ACADEMY

Written By: peachyhxlland

°•.☆.•°

Five looked around, disoriented, as he found himself in an unfamiliar house. Confusion washed over him like a tide as he scanned the cozy rooms, each one oozing a warmth that felt foreign yet oddly comforting. 'Where am I?' He wondered, his thoughts racing. He stepped into the living room, the sunlight filtering through the curtains, illuminating the space in a soft glow. 'This isn't Allison's house, nor is it Viktor's ex-lover's house, so whose is it?'

His thoughts were interrupted by a cheerful voice calling out, "Dada!" Five turned sharply, his eyes widening as a little boy rushed toward him, wrapping his arms around his leg with a force that caught him off guard. "You're home!"

"Dada...?" He whispered to himself, his heart pounding in confusion. He scanned the boy's face for answers but found only innocent joy. "Who...?"

Before he could piece together the puzzle, a little girl emerged from the kitchen, her hands flour-covered, a frown creasing her small face. "Nicky, it's my turn to hug Dada!" She declared, jumping to cling to his other leg.

"Stop being so clingy, Ellie!"

"You're clingy too, Nicky!"

Overwhelmed by the chaotic banter of the two children, Five's mind spiraled. Why were they calling him 'Dada'? He had no memory of being a father to two energetic kids. His heart raced, caught between confusion and a strange tug of affection.

"Alright, you two, that's enough." Five's breath hitched when he heard your sweet voice coming from the kitchen. He turned to see you walking toward him, clad in a playful apron with oven mitts on your hands. The scent of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air, mixing with the warmth of the moment. "Sorry, hun, I was baking cookies for the kids. Don't worry, I prepared a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich for you."

In that instant, the chaos in his head melted away, and all his confusion faded at the sight of you. It felt like a missing piece had clicked into place. The longing he had pushed down since your disappearance surged to the surface, overwhelming him. Whether this was a dream or a different reality didn't matter; he just wanted to hold onto this moment.

You looked at him with a hint of concern, your brow furrowing as you caught him staring. "Five, are you okay?"

Nicky's cheerful giggle rang out, breaking the moment. "Dada's in loveee!" he teased, prompting Ellie to giggle along.

You placed your hands on your hips, your expression softening into a playful grin. "Okay, you two. Upstairs, now. Go play with Mr. Pennycrumb and Ms. Snowpeach."

Nicky and Ellie released their grip on Five's legs and scampered upstairs, laughter echoing behind them. You sighed. "No running or you'll trip!" You shook your head tiredly. "Kids..."

With a sudden rush of emotion, Five closed the distance between you, wrapping you in a tight embrace. You gasped in surprise, your warmth enveloping him as he buried his face in the crook of your neck. The familiar scent of you sent waves of comfort washing over him.

"Are you okay, darling?" You asked, your voice a soothing balm.

"I... I just missed you." He pulled back, cupping your face in his hands and leaning in for a kiss. The softness of your lips against his ignited a fire within him, something he thought he had lost.

You kissed him back and pulled away as you cupped Five's cheeks. "Oh, you're exhausted, aren't you?" you said, your gaze softening as you cupped his face.

Five nodded as he leaned against your touch. "So much..." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes briefly. "I don't want you leaving my side again."

"I won't leave. I promise."

But as he looked into your eyes, he noticed something⸺a shadow of pain lurking behind your smile. Half of your face bore scars that resembled burns, marking you with an anguish he couldn't fathom. "Love, what happened?" He asked as he cupped your face with tender, worry knotting in his stomach.

You smiled somberly. "A lot. For all of us."

"Five!"

Five blinked, still groggy and disoriented, as Lila yanked him back into reality. His mind struggled to leave the remnants of the dream behind⸺the warmth of the house, the sound of the children's laughter, your comforting presence. It felt so real like he had slipped into another timeline, one where things had turned out differently. A timeline where he had a family, a home, a place he truly belonged.

The rattle of the train and the bustling crowd brought him crashing back to reality. Shaking his head, Five sat up straight, rubbing his eyes. His legs felt strangely heavy as if the ghostly memory of the children's tight grip still lingered. "Dada..." The word echoed in his mind. The little boy's voice, the girl's laughter, your smile⸺was it all just a figment of his imagination? Or could it be something more?

Lila stood before him, arms crossed, an amused smirk on her face. "You overslept, you lunatic. Come on before we miss our stop."

Five stood up and followed Lila out of the subway train, his head spinning. 'It was all a dream...' He thought, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clear the lingering images from his mind.

Five still hadn't figured out why he kept having those dreams or visions. Every time they occurred, they left him with an unsettling sense of longing and confusion. He assumed, at first, that they might be linked to his powers. The visions were too real to be a figment of his imagination, and that's what unnerved him the most.

"What the hell do these mean?" Five muttered under his breath as he rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the emotions the dreams left behind. He knew these visions weren't random, and it bothered him. But if they weren't connected to his powers, then what were they?

Five and Lila exited the subway station together and looked around to find themselves in the same timeline they were once before, where they were almost killed. "Okay," Five spoke up, his voice steady despite the tumultuous feelings inside him. "Do exactly what we did last time. Just avoid getting killed, and let's warp back to 2006. We need to stop Ben from ever going on the Moldovan mission. Got that?"

Lila snickered beside him, her usual sass returning. "Relax. It's a rookie time travel mission, Five. We've done this a thousand times."

"Well, I'm just trying to remind your pea brain," He shot back.

Lila rolled her eyes, exasperated. "But time travel-wise," she began, shifting the conversation, "I don't really get this whole subway thing, right? I'm more of a DeLorean kind of person, yeah?"

Ignoring her quip, Five pulled out his binoculars, focusing on the area where his past self resided in this apocalyptic timeline. His gaze narrowed as he searched for signs of life, his heart racing with each passing second. When he saw no one but Delores, his old mannequin, he nodded to Lila. "Alright, there's no sign of him."

Lila nodded along as she stood idly. "Okay, well, let's get going before you start farting," She teased, prompting a half-hearted glare from Five.

"Yeah."

"Ready? 2006, here we come."

They clasped each other's arms tightly, and Five began to power up, feeling the familiar surge of energy coursing through him. Lila mimicked his powers, and in an instant, both of them were transported back to 2006 in that timeline. Five and Lila found themselves inside the Academy. "Did it work?" Lila asked, scanning the room. "Are we here?"

Five quickly let go of Lila's arm, his eyes darting to a stack of newspapers in a nearby drawer. He grabbed one, his breath catching as he read the date aloud. "October 14, 2006."

Lila quickly approached Five. "Great!" She exclaimed as applied her lip balm. "Okay, so we go in, we snuff Ben out, we get back on the tube, we're back before bath time."

"We're not here to kill him, Lila," Five reminded her, their footsteps echoing down the hallway as they passed by doors leading to familiar rooms. "We're just diverting him. Making sure he doesn't go on the Moldova mission. In this timeline, I haven't seen him in, like, five years. So, he might be a little jumpy. Just play it cool."

Lila nodded. "Like polar bear nipples."

Suddenly, the alarms went blaring, and Five immediately widened his eyes. "Oh, shit!" He quickly grabbed Lila and went into hiding near the staircase. Five and Lila peered out to see Reginald Hargreeves stepping out of a nearby hallway, barking orders to the children. "Step lively, children. We have a mission to do!" he exclaimed, his voice authoritative and commanding. "Number One, round up the children!"

Five and Lila watched as a young Luther emerged from his room, wearing a bright yellow blazer uniform that looked entirely different from the usual Umbrella Academy attire. "Let's go! Get your asses in gear!" He called, his excitement palpable. His eyes landed on Diego, who stood by the hallway, already dressed and ready. "My man, Diego."

"My ass is always in gear," Diego commented.

"Come on, guys!" Luther called out to the rest.

As they observed from their hiding spot, Five and Lila heard Klaus giggling from the bathroom, the sound of mischief evident. "Are you kidding me? You just got out of rehab." A voice chimed in from inside the bathroom, followed by Klaus' muffled laugh.

"I'm California sober, Alphonso!" Klaus declared, stumbling out of the bathroom with a flask in hand, laughter bubbling from his lips.

Lila glanced at Five, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Alphonso?"

The bathroom door swung open, revealing a young Alphonso Hargreeves, his expression weary as he helped Klaus regain his balance. Five's eyes widened in shock as you stepped out behind them, crossing your arms and shooting a disapproving look at Klaus.

Luther pushed Klaus away and walked away as Diego and Alphonso followed him from behind. You sent Luther a sharp glare before trailing after Klaus, your brows furrowed in annoyance. Lila whispered, "Umbrellas," her gaze darting to the children.

Suddenly, a young Fei Hargreeves emerged from her room, joining Luther and the others. Lila's eyes went wide as realization dawned on her. "Sparrows," she gasped. She squinted at a figure she didn't recognize. "Who's that?"

"We're in the wrong timeline," Five whispered, panic creeping into his voice. "We need to go."

"Hey!" The unknown boy shouted, spotting Lila and Five hiding near the staircase. "Who the hell are you?"

Forced out of their hiding spot, Five and Lila stood before the group of kids, tension thick in the air. "Rude," Lila muttered, shrugging her shoulders defiantly. "I was gonna ask you the same thing," She replied coolly.

Fei snorted in disbelief, her earphones staying in her ears, showing how unbothered she was. "We're the Phoenix Academy." Her gaze fell on Five, and confusion crossed her features. "Number Five?"

Five pressed his lips together, his mind racing for a suitable response. Your eyes locked onto his, uncertainty clouding your expression. You weren't sure if he was the Five you remembered.

"He must be an impostor," The unknown member stated, a spark igniting in his hands as he prepared to unleash his fire powers. "We're about to fuck you up."

Your eyes widened. "Phil, wait!" You shouted, reaching out, but it was too late. In an instant, the boy hurled a fireball toward them. With reflexes honed by years of survival, Five quickly pushed Lila away, tapping into his powers to teleport them away from the danger just in time.

The two of them found themselves back at the subway station, the flickering fluorescent lights casting a dull glow over the tiled floor. Lila cackled, her laughter echoing in the otherwise empty space as they walked down the worn stairs. "Okay, slight hiccup," she said, her tone playful, but a glint of mischief danced in her eyes.

"You think?" Five shot back, his sarcasm sharp as he adjusted the cuffs of his suit.

Lila shrugged, unfazed. "Okay, well, look. We're in the wrong timeline, but clearly, we're in the neighborhood."

Five halted mid-step, disbelief etched on his face. "Neighborhood of what?" He scoffed. "Christ, I never should have listened to you."

"Chill out, Five!" Lila groaned, throwing her head back in exasperation. "We'll figure it out, okay? You know why?" She pulled out the subway map she had taken earlier before she and Five boarded the train. "Because someone brought a map," Lila added, her voice laced with playful confidence.

Lila plopped down onto a bench, her eyes scanning the map with determination. Meanwhile, Five, feeling the anxious energy buzzing within him, tried to sit beside her, but his impatience got the better of him. He stood up again, pacing slightly as he waited for the train to arrive.

Lila squinted at the map, her brow furrowed in concentration, but it quickly became apparent she was struggling to decipher its cryptic symbols and lines. Five sighed, relief flooding him when the train finally rumbled into view, its doors sliding open with a hiss. "Lila," Five called, glancing back at her. "No more winging it! Let's get back to where we came from."

His irritation flared when he noticed Lila was still seated, seemingly lost in thought, her eyes darting over the map without making any progress. "Now!" Five scolded loudly, the urgency in his voice echoing off the tiled walls.

Lila flinched, her head snapping up as she scrambled to her feet. "Hey!" She whined.

"What? Do you wanna miss the train?" Five shot back, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

"Well, who made you in charge?" Lila complained. "Jesus! You were gonna leave without me."

"I will if I grow more tired of you, so zip it."

-•-°-•-°-☆

If any of you are wondering, Nicky is short for Nicholas, meaning Nicky was named after (Y/n)'s grandfather. So yeah, it wasn't from Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn hehe

For Ellie, she was named after Elliott Gussman (if anyone remembers him). I like to think Five let (Y/n) named their kids since he sucks at naming stuff lmao

Nicky = Nicholas Elliott Hargreeves
Ellie = Ellie Nicole Hargreeves