Chapter Text
Allison
Allison Hargreeves could barely think around the pain in her jaw and couldn’t even warn Luther as he’d come up the stairs behind her to look out for the woman wielding their father’s antique fishbat with surprising accuracy before vanishing with a swish of her voluminous black skirt.
As things stood they had both been knocked silly by the blows and were now huddled together listening to Diego and Patch engage Cha-Cha above them. Following behind them, sedate as ever Grace had appeared at the top of the stairs and began to tend to their injuries.
Luther leaned heavily against the wall and looked around blinking confusedly.
“Where did she go?” He asked Allison in pained groan.
Allison could only shrug helplessly as she felt Grace’s cold fingers on her face.
“Allison dear, I’m going to have to pop your jaw back into place. It will be painful but the bone itself isn’t cracked. Luther if you could tear a strip off your overcoat so I can bind her jaw it would be most helpful,” Grace directed them both in her smooth but commanding voice.
Luther, his temple still trickling blood far too quickly for Allison’s liking, nodded grimly and clumsily reached for the edge of his overcoat.
The front door burst open and a slender man with dark brown hair jerked to a halt as he took in the chaos.
If Allison could have frowned, she would have. Who the hell was this guy?
The Handler
The Handler felt her blood red lips pull into a smile as she listened to the chaos unfolding in the next room. She’d missed field work since she’d been promoted to management, and even as an agent it had been rare to have a target with such fine taste in antique weapons. She hadn’t seen such a nice Priest’s Tool since she was a child and she’d used her father’s prized fishing tool to kill her younger brother.
Maybe imminent death really did make people nostalgic the Handler thought as she methodically reloaded her gun and rolled her shoulders. Number Five would be back soon. Despite his claims to have no attachments, there was no way he wouldn’t show up to an attack on his idiot siblings.
Humming quietly to herself she ran her fingers down the spines of the books until she came to the copy of Extra Ordinary My Life as Number Seven by Vanya Hargreeves.
The Handler snorted quietly; Reginald Hargreeves was the dumbest smart person she had ever come across, and she’d personally recruited Number Five.
Afraid of the girl’s power and all he’d done was put it a pressure cooker and set the heat on low. Idiot. That’s what happens when you attempt to mess with things you do not fully understand, and human emotions would always be beyond Reginald Hargreeves grasp.
The front door burst open with a bang, and the Handler’s smile grew wider.
Putting her weight on her toes to avoid clicking her heels on the floor the Handler moved to the doorway and managed to get a good look of the horrified expression on Number Five’s face. He was younger than he’d been when she’d first met him, closer to his siblings’ age, and that was a clever bit of camouflage she couldn’t help but think approvingly. She clicked her right heel down on the floor to bring his attention to the gun she had trained at his chest.
“Hello Number Five,” she said, her voice almost sickly sweet. “Did you really think you would get away with this? You should have known better Number Five, it was always going to end with your family. Even you can’t change that.”
Five looked like he was preparing to Jump the necessary distance to rip out her throat when he was knocked to the side by a wall of White. Vanya Hargreeves stood in the middle of the foyer of the Umbrella Academy screaming with grief and rage.
The Handler smiled even as her feet left the ground.
What will be, will be.
And the Apocalypse was back on schedule at last.
Vanya
Vanya Hargreeves felt like someone had ripped her heart out of her chest and crushed it in their hands.
Klaus was dead.
Klaus was dead.
Klaus was dead .
Allison and Luther’s injuries, Diego and Eudora’s fight on the mezzanine, Five rushing in ahead of her, even Dave’s screaming grief took a backseat in Vanya’s mind, busy as it was trying to understand the information it was being given, because...Klaus couldn’t be dead. It wasn’t allowed. She’d told Klaus he wasn’t allowed to get hurt, they’d survived the Vietnam War, and she had just taken out the biggest threat to her family. They were safe. Klaus...Klaus couldn’t be dead.
Vanya had frozen in the entryway, unable to get any closer but unable to look away. Her heart refusing to accept what her mind already knew.
Amid the screaming and the gunfire Vanya heard a woman speak.
“You should have known better Number Five, it was always going to end with your family. Even you can’t change that.”
Oh, thought Vanya in a detached sort of way. That must be the Handler.
When the howling started it took Vanya a long time to realize it was coming from her.
Klaus
Klaus Hargreeves opened his eyes in time to see the start of the end of the world. Klaus would be the first to tell you he had opened his eyes in some pretty bad places before: crackhouses, foxholes, dumpsters, ambulances, mausoleums, Limbo, and on one memorable occasion trapped in a clown car with a chain smoking man who didn’t like to be called a midget, but opening his eyes to find himself caught in a whirlwind of white energy and violent shaking was bad even by his admittedly low standards.
To make matters worse, Dave seemed to be crying inconsolably into Klaus’s chest, and Klaus didn’t even think before reaching out to run his fingers through Dave’s short hair.
“Are you okay?” Klaus asked the bent head resting on his torso, because even with everything else Klaus was dimly aware of happening around him, Dave was going to take first priority.
Dave choked on his next sob and jerked his head up so fast something popped in his neck to stare at Klaus with horrified red rimmed eyes.
“Klaus?” He whispered, almost too quietly to be heard over the roaring wind and the furious screaming, looking at Klaus as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Klaus looked around at the devastated atrium in minor confusion; ignoring the chandelier on the floor it hadn’t looked this bad earlier.
“Yeah, what happ--,” Klaus started to ask, but then he saw Vanya. His diminutive sister was glowing like the moon, holding the Handler suspended in the air with her power, screaming bloody murder as she sucked the life out of the other woman.
“Ah, I see,” Klaus said with a nod. “Help me up Dave, I need to get to Vanya.”
There is a flash of blue light and a slender man with dark hair and a pointed chin pops into existence next to Klaus.
“How the fuck are you alive?” Five growls out as his hands fly over Klaus’s chest looking for wounds.
“Klaus?” Dave croaked out in a lost voice even as his hands moved to help Klaus stand on his own feet.
“God didn’t like me,” Klaus said with a shrug. “How are you an adult Fivey?”
“Math too complicated for you to understand,” Five grit out as he looked around again. “Vanya’s energy keeps me from Jumping close, I don’t think you can get to her Klaus.”
“She’ll tear everything apart without meaning to, I have to try!” Klaus shouted over the din.
Glancing around he saw Allison, Luther, and Mom huddled together against the wall with Grace’s pale hands at Allison’s face, Luther’s bulk attempting to shield them from the worst of the wind. With a grunt of pain from Allison, Mom popped Allison’s jaw back into place.
Okie dokie then, they’ll have to worry about that later.
Klaus missed it on his trek to his favorite sister, but Allison had noticed him making his way across the foyer and had cried out in shock, trying to say his name despite the agonizing pain in her jaw. Her pointing however did not go unnoticed by Luther or Grace who both turned around and stared with shock at Klaus who had brushed death off and was strolling towards the Apocalypse herself.
Ben met Klaus halfway across the foyer with a wild look in his eyes, his chest heaving with breaths he no longer needed.
“Klaus, what the hell?!” Ben screamed over the howling wind.
“God’s a bratty twelve year old who didn’t like me and sent me back!” Klaus yelled back. Next to him Dave jerked his head back in confusion but said nothing.
Vanya was only ten feet away from where Klaus now stood but Vanya stood with her back to the foyer and focused entirely on the Handler as her powers went absolutely haywire around her, as she lost herself to her rage.
“VANYA!” Klaus screamed helplessly as he and Dave struggled to remain upright.
Ben shook his head. “I can barely hear you Klaus, there’s no way Vanya can! You’ll have to get closer!”
Thanks ever so much for your insight Ben!
Klaus pulled Dave behind him as he moved forward, he was pretty sure his plan would work. Like 60% sure. He hoped.
Vanya’s power had always felt warm to Klaus, like sun warmed silk rippling across his skin. This maelstrom felt more like a summer squall. Hot and violent and messy and Klaus struggled to keep upright until he was able to wrap his arms around Vanya’s shoulders.
“You have to let go Vanya,” Klaus whispered into his sister’s hair. “I’m okay, but you’re going to burn yourself up, you have to let go now.”
For one horrible terrifying moment Vanya did not react at all and then ever so slowly she began to turn in his arms staring at him with huge white eyes.
“Klaus?” She whispered so quietly that he felt it against his skin more than he heard it but he nodded all the same.
“Yeah, it's me. I’m okay, can you let go now?” Klaus looked down at the top of Vanya’s head even as he braced his feet against the shaking.
“Nonononono, you were dead,” Vanya whimpered against his chest, the shaking around them getting worse by the second.
“I was, but I’m okay now. See?” Klaus pulled back a little and tried to muster up a smile.
Vanya still did not look up.
“Seven please, please look at me,” Klaus said desperately, and slowly, slowly Vanya looked up. There were tear tracts knifed down her face and her eyes were still white. Klaus swallowed again. “I need you to let go Seven, you’ve got to let go or we’re all going to die.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you Four, I’m sorry,” Vanya whimpered reaching up to touch his face.
Klaus smiled weakly and with a small shudder they white glow fell from Vanya’s eyes and Klaus felt a warm pulse go through his entire body as Vanya slumped into his arms, exhausted but still awake.
“ You ,” the Handler’s hate filled voice hissed out from where she was slumped on the floor clutching a broken ankle and glaring at Klaus. “You’re what changed, what did you do?! ”
The Handler was screaming by the end of her sentence, eyes darting around as if looking for a weapon to kill Klaus with, again, but Klaus was more focused on the ghosts around her. They looked more focused than he remembered most ghosts ever looking and the underlying terror he always felt in their presence had dulled to a low throb. More importantly the delicate feeling of control he hadn’t felt in well over a decade was humming under his skin.
Oh, the ghosts were glowing now. Okie dokie then, this was a thing that happened apparently.
“Klaus, what’s happening to you?” Vanya’s terrified whisper brought his attention back to his hands...which were now glowing the same blue glow that surrounded the ghosts.
Oh boy.
“Ben?!” Diego, still fighting with Cha-Cha on the mezzanine, called in a shocked voice as he took in the ghostly specter of his long dead brother.
All of the other Hargreeves turned in time to see their dead brother jerk in surprise at being noticed before spinning around and lifting his hoodie to reveal The Horror to a suddenly nervous looking Cha-Cha.
It was only the high pitched scream of agony coming from the Handler that caused Klaus to jerk back around and.. .wow. Angry ghosts sure don’t waste time when they’re suddenly solid again apparently.
It was easy to tell when the ghosts were done; the screaming cut off like someone had flipped a switch. Klaus. Like Klaus had flipped a switch.
“We did it Klaus,” Vanya’s soft voice floated up from around Klaus’s elbow. “We stopped the Apocalypse.”
“Huh,” Klaus grunted in surprise. “How about that.”
And then he fainted.
Epilogue: And I’m Doing Just Fine
Ben
Benjamin Hargreeves sprawled back against the couch as he watched his family begin to relax around each other for the first time since The Umbrella Academy had been introduced to the world when they were children.
“So what should we do for Apocalypse day?” Klaus asked as he painstakingly painted Vanya’s nails a glittery white.
Vanya shrugged as well as she could while keeping her right hand still.
“My concert isn’t until seven, we could have dinner with all the things we wanted as children but weren’t allowed to have. Pizza, cake, ice cream, the whole nine yards.”
“Brownies with ice cream,” Allison said wistfully.
“With peanut M&Ms in the batter,” Klaus agreed with a nod.
“I like strawberry rhubarb pie,” Luther offered cautiously, as if expecting to be told no.
“Pie’s good,” Diego agreed easily. “Especially warm with vanilla ice cream.”
“Mom’s got a recipe for bacon wrapped brie that looks good,” Five offered from where he was pouring himself a cup of coffee from the french press Vanya had brought over from her apartment.
He looked good; with a face that looked thirty instead of thirteen their brother looked dapper in Reginald’s suits rather than the almost elfin appearance he’d had as an adolescent.
“Latkes!” Dave offered from where he was lounging on the sofa breaking Vanya out of her reverie.
Vanya turned to smile at him. “Miriam gave me her recipe before we left, I’m sure with mom’s help I can manage it.”
“And ruin your paint job,” Klaus asked with a raised eyebrow at Vanya. “I don’t think so Vanya darling.”
“Boo! You’re no fun,” Vanya said easily.
“We should have a toast whenever it was that Five Jumped here in the first timeline,” Klaus said suddenly, screwing the applicator back into the polish bottle and turning to look at Five. “What time did you get here the first time?”
Five shrugged.
“Had to reset every watch I ever found, but I’m pretty sure it was some time in the early afternoon. The evening paper hadn’t been delivered and it was a good few hours before it got dark so it was probably before four.”
“Let’s call it at 2:30 then, shall we?” Vanya asked brightly. “We can make mimosas!”
“And hope that Five doesn’t vanish in a puff of timey wimey contradictions,” Eudora said brightly. She had already started drinking.
Luther froze then whirled around to look at Five.
“You’re not going to disappear are you?”
Five rolled his eyes.
“No Luther, I’m not going to disappear.”
Klaus suddenly started giggling.
“What if the other you showed up and there were two Fives running around?”
Vanya snorted and Five rolled his eyes even harder.
“Don’t be ridiculous Klaus.”
Five
Five Hargreeves balled his fists and prepared to Jump one more time and began to punch through the barrier only he could feel when he felt it snap back into place and sent him sprawling on the pavement.
“Shit!”
An old woman walking a tiny poodle scowled at him as she passed.
“Language!”
“English,” he snapped back sarcastically, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. He balled his fists again and prepared to jump...and nothing. Shit.
“Come on,” he growled in frustration, the familiar blue energy barely appearing at all before vanishing like smoke.
“Shit,” he hissed under his breath before looking around.
The street was moderately crowded and the weather was mild, early spring perhaps, and nobody looked too ridiculous style-wise so he was probably close to his target of five years in the future but he needed to be sure before he returned triumphant to the academy.
Up ahead there’s a man in a suit buying a paper from the newsstand, and Five watches as the man removes the business section and toss the rest down on the bench as he walks away. Five ran forward to grab it and quickly scanned the front for a date.
April 1st 2019
Well... shit.
The entryway looked like a small war had taken place while he’d been gone. The chandelier was missing and there were gouge marks in the wood paneling on the walls. Five couldn’t imagine a scenario that would make Reginald Hargreeves overlook disorder in the “public space” of the Academy. Not anywhere anyone might see at least, if Reginald was bringing someone over to coerce them into something he liked his domicile to inspire feelings of control. This chaos did not suggest control. What the hell had happened while he’d been gone?
Five swallowed and felt his throat click. He had been gone for seventeen years. He’d been gone. Gritting his teeth in frustration he tried once more to Jump back, feeling the now familiar sizzle over his hands that meant he wasn’t going anywhere.
Furious with himself he threw his hands up in disgust and stomped into the parlor to be greeted by his own smirking face above the mantle.
What. The. Fuck.
Five was so focused on the painted image of his face-- his chin wasn’t really that pointed was it? --that it took him a moment to clock the humming and shuffling coming from behind him. Coming down from the second level with his eyes half-closed was a man humming along to the music that must be coming from his bright orange headphones and skipping down the stairs. The man was tall and lanky with bony elbows, wild curly hair and a dusting of facial hair over a familiar jawline.
“Klaus?” Five whispered is surprise. He had figured the odds of finding any of siblings save Luther still in this place after they became adults were pretty low. But here Klaus was dressed in a skirt without a hint of fear that dad was going to come yell at him about appearances. Maybe the old man was out of town?
Klaus shimmied by with a small hand wave of acknowledgement and then stopped dead in his tracks, pushed his headset off his ears, walked backwards until he was level with Five again and stared at him hard.
“Weren’t you older five minutes ago?”
“Uh,” Five almost bit his own tongue. Did he really just say ‘uh’ like some slack jawed yokel, in front of Klaus of all people?
Klaus, who’s eyebrows were now somewhere near his hairline just turned his head back towards the stairs.
“VANYA! WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM!”