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"NUMBER ZERO, LISTEN!" MY FATHER interrupts my thoughts as he goes over ancient greek for the thousandth time for my siblings and I. We do this about twice a week and never look forward to it.

"Sorry, father. Please continue." I say before he continues his ramble. I look back down to the comic book I was reading that is covered by a greek language textbook. Scanning the ink-filled pages I read about the small word in boxes and bubbles and taken every detail of the carefully drawn artwork.

I can feel a set of eyes watching me from the seat next to me. I turn to my head to the right to see Five watching me and my poorly hidden comic book. I nod in a 'what's up?' kind of way, making him blush slightly for noticing his staring.

He looks away quickly and backs down to his textbook. My father soon dismisses us and all go our separate ways. "Fun and games are restricted to Saturdays between noon and half past noon," my father would say.

I hold my closed textbook that holds my comic up to my chest before taking Klaus' hand and dragging him to the kitchen and outside to the small courtyard.

"What?" He asks curiously.

I take out two rolled-up joints and a lighter from my pocket and put them in his hand. "I know dad is going to bring you to that graveyard again so I want you to take these. Don't let him see them," I warn him.

"I wouldn't dare." He grins before giving them a big kiss.

"Now, I don't want you getting addicted to them so don't go overboard," I say carefully.

"I'll be fine, Zero. Really. You don't have to worry about me." He assures.

"Fine. I won't," I lie. "Just, be safe."

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I go into the kitchen where I can see my mother cooking as she hums a French song happily to herself. "Hey, mom."

"Hi, hun. Enjoying your break?" She asks me with a warm smile.

"It's not bad. Can I help?" I walk around the dining table to where she stands, chopping up vegetables by the counter.

"Of course you can. Don't you want to hang out with your siblings?" She asks as I grab a knife and join her.

"No. We never do really." I say. Of course, Luther and Allison do but I didn't mention it.

"I only hang out with Klaus, Vanya, and Ben. Dad just took Klaus to the graveyard again and Vanya is practicing the violin while Ben is reading. But it's fine. I like cooking with you." I tell her as we continue to chop the vegetables.

"I enjoy it too, Zero," She tells me with a smile.

I look out of the small window over the sink as people stroll by, passing the academy as they mind their Business and continue to walk down the sidewalk.

I wish I was allowed to go out, make friends, and go shopping with them when I wanted to. But no. My father, being the pain in the ass he is, says that "Too much fun time is for small-minded children. You are not small-minded. Are you?"

I guess I should just take it as a compliment seeing as I can't do anything about it.

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Once again like every afternoon, I sit with my siblings, around the grand dining table as the record player speaks at a volume that fills the whole room.

I have my head resting on my closed fist as I move what is left of my meal around with my fork. By now I think I could recite all of the speech from memory easily. My father probably has by now, but that doesn't stop him from replaying it over and over again.

I'm drawn out of my thoughts by the aggressive slam of Five hitting the tip of his knife into the table. I furrow my brows at him as my siblings and I try to figure out his next move.

I worriedly look at my father's expression which hasn't changed in the slightest. He merely looks up at the boy who sits glaring from across the table. "Number Five?"

"I have a question." Five tells him as he folds his hand together.

"Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson." Reginald replies simply as he, my siblings, and I all go back to our meals except Five, who is still staring daggers into our father's direction.

He pushes his plate away dramatically before demanding "I want to time travel." To this, my siblings and I all share worrying looks. This definitely won't end well.

"No."

"But I'm ready. I've been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said." Five says as he stands up from his seat before blinking directly in between where my father and I sit, which takes me by surprise. "See?"

"A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn." My father says before taking a sip of water.

I glace up at Five and guessing that he could feel my stare his eyes met mine. "What are you doing?" I mouth to him in a whisper, shaking my head slightly.

"Well, I don't get it." Five answers my father, ignoring my attempt at a warning.

"Hence the reason your not ready."

From the opposite end of the table, I can see Vanya shake her head at Five in the same way I had tried just seconds ago.

Five thinks for a second before saying "I'm not afraid."

"Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too unpredictable. Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore." my father says placing his silverware down to look directly into Five's piercing green eyes.

After another moment of thought, Five turns around and quickly leaves the room and to the front door. "Number Five? You haven't been excused!" My father warns loudly. "Come back here!"

A loud slam of the door closing behind him echos around the room which has gone completely silent other than the rambling of the record player.

The silence is broken with the sound of Vanya's chair scraping against the marble floor as she stands to follow Five. "Number Seven! Sit down at once! Number Zero, find Number Five and bring him back here at once!" My father orders us.

"I- What? But-" I stutter, my wide eyes scanning the room for a way to get out of this task.

"Don't boggle me with questions! GO!" And with that, I speed off my chair and after Five as fast as I can while running, not wanting to be scolded for talking back.

I don't understand. It's not a well kept secret that I've wanted to get out of The Umbrella academy for a while now. Even concidered the possibility of running away all together. Never had the confidence to do so though. So why is dad giving me the oprotunity to do so now?

As soon as the door closes behind me Five turns around in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad wants me to-" I start.

"Do you really care what dad wants?" He asks with his brows furrowed. When I don't answer he does a single nod before walking away a few paces.

Is he insane? What is he gonna do? Runaway? Our Father would surely find him, no doubt. 

When he notices that I haven't left where I stand outside the gates of the property he turns. "You coming?"

I look down at his outstretched hand. It seems too easy, to just run away. Why would our father have me out of all of us try to get Five when I'm the one who wants to leave the most?

"Where would we go?" I ask skeptically.

At this, his lips turn up in a side smile before saying "Any time, any place."

I would be running away. Those thoughts of doing so would no longer be a hypothetical possibility. It would be real. I can't believe I'm doing this. After a moment of thought, I place my hand in his and we start to run down the street past many pedestrians.

Five's hands glow a bright electric blue as does my vision and suddenly the streets look exactly the same but completely different at the same time. People are dressed in a different style of a decade and a few of the shop's signs have changed. "Not ready, my ass." Five scoffs, looking around the sunny area.

"Holy crap!" I exclaim in an awe of surprise.

With a grunt Five's hand glows the same electric blue and suddenly the streets are filled with cloudy skies as snow falls from every corner. Now there are fewer people on the streets and more old-styled cars.

Suddenly an idea pops into my head. "Wait Five! What if we go to the future?"

He grins at my question before his hands glow blue once more.

Instead of the beautiful white snow that flew everywhere just seconds ago, there are now clouds of black smoke that make us stop in our tracks. The smell of toxic gasses and chemicals is strong as I take a moment to look around at the scenery.

The sight before me makes Five and I drop our intertwined hands. Destroyed buildings, fire, smoke, and colorless skies are all that are visible. And unlike before, there are now no pedestrians wandering the streets. Heck, there aren't even streets!

Five and I look back to one another. His heartbroken expression reflects mine. "What- what is this?" I ask quietly, unable to find my voice to speak at my normal volume.

"The future. It's like-."

"The apocalypse."

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