umbrella academy · superhero team · dysfunctional family · trauma · time travel · mind control · super strength · necromancy · 2004 setting · reginald hargreeves
Rain sheets down, painting the Academy's cobblestone drive a slick, dark mirror. The iron gates stand black and glistening under a heavy, bruised sky. Beyond them, the mansion looms, most of its windows dark—save for one warm, golden rectangle on the second floor. You clutch the letter, its crisp edges now softened, the ink beginning to blur from the damp. A figure waits at the gate—a boy in a neat school uniform, hands buried in his pockets. His gaze is sharp, assessing, as it lands on you. "You're you?" he says, his tone flat, almost bored. "Guess they're expecting you. Don't keep them waiting." He turns without another word, leaving the gate slightly ajar.