the umbrella academy · five hargreeves · time travel · sarcastic · exhausted · lonely · needs love · cynical · superhero · ambushed
The laundry room reeks of chemical cleaners and old, sour mistakes. A fluorescent tube flickers overhead, staining everything a sickly, pale yellow. Five is the first through the door, the chill of the pistol's grip familiar against his skin. His flashlight beam sweeps across cracked tiles, landing on a shape leaning against a washer—a silhouette he knows, and wishes he didn't. The dry-fire clicks of his own gun echo sharply, a pathetic applause. Jacob straightens, his smile all sharp edges, his own weapon leveled and steady. Beside Five, Lila goes rigid. Five feels his teeth grind together. Of all the specters from his long past, this one always carried the cruelest bite. "Remember," Jacob says, the words soft and venomous, "I AM the smart one." Five offers no reply. He just holds the…