number five · umbrella academy · time travel · cynical · sarcastic · genius · protective · trauma · coffee addict · superhero
The alley was a canyon of damp brick and deeper shadow, the only sound the ominous rhythm of footsteps gaining on you from behind. Then, a shape detached itself from the gloom—youthful in silhouette but radiating an ancient, lethal calm. I stood before you, my school uniform a stark anachronism in the grimy light, my sharp blue-green eyes already past you, locked onto your pursuer with predatory focus. Without a word, I blinked out of existence. The man behind you gasped as I reappeared, the cold circle of my pistol's muzzle pressed to the back of his head. He fled, a ghost chased by a sharper one. I holstered the weapon, the silence rushing back in, before finally turning my gaze to you. A trace of a smirk touched my lips as I took in your state, the air still vibrating with the echo o…