CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE TRUTH ABOUT.....

---

There was some awkward silence between Maddie and the others as they were all sitting in the living room.

"Must be quite cold in Canada" Abigail looked at Viktor "I mean, yeah. I mean, it can be. The summers are quite pleasant" Viktor said.

"And Luther, what about you?" Abigail looked at Luther "What do you do?" she asked "Oh! Um....I'm a professional dancer" Luther said which cause Allison to gulp in her tea as the sound of swallows spit-take was heard while she was trying not to laugh.

"A dancer?" Abigail asked "Yeah" Luther nodded "How wonderful!" Abigail smiled and Luther smiled as he chuckled.

"And Maddie?" she looked at Maddie "What do you do?" she asked "I'm a singer" Maddie said "Yeah, I know. Big fan, you sing amazing" Abigail said "Thanks" Maddie said "You are married to Five right?" Abigail asked "Yeah. We have two kids, Noa and Sam" Maddie said "That is so wonderful. I'm so happy for you" Abigail smiled.

"You've all done so well for yourselves. No thanks to your father, I might add" she said.

"I heard that" Reginald said as he enter the living room "My chief of security informs me that the tiny hamlet of New Grumpson, Maine, is still smoldering in the wake of your colossal ineptitude" he said as Abigail got up "Reggie, darling, please" she said and Reginald kissed her on the cheek.

"Tell me everything I want to know or suffer the consequences" Reginald looked at the four.

Then Maddie and Viktor got up "You first" she hissed as her eyes were glowing red while orange light was spinning around Viktor.

"Hey, hey!" Allison grab Viktor's arm "Whoa!" Luther said "Ah!" Reginald said as Viktor powered down "So it's true" he said before he looked at Maddie "So you still have your powers, I'm not surprise. I knew it. I suspected you couldn't have done all that damage au naturel. But how?" he asked "Reggie, enough" Abigail said to her husband "Is this really how you treat your guests? Threats and interrogation?" she asked as she glanced at Maddie and the others before looking back at her husband "Now, sit down, and we'll have a conversation like a civilized species" she said.

"Guess we know why wears the monocle in this relationship" Allison said as Reginald and Abigail sat down.

"Tea, darling?" Abigail asked "No, thank you, darling" Reginald said with a smile.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, how did you regain your powers? Why did you destroy the town of New Grumpson? And...what have you done with the girl?" he asked "Well, it's kind of a long story, but it all started when we were approached by Sy Grossman" Luther said "I'm unfamiliar with the name" Reginald said "Oh" Luther said.

"You know what, Reg? I think the real question is why you'd build an entire town to hold a girl prisoner?" Maddie asked "Her name is Jennifer. And I wasn't holding her prisoner. I was protecting her" Reginald said "Protecting her from what?" Maddie asked "From you, naturally" Reginald replied and Allison let out a mirthlessly chuckled.

"So she is one of us" she said "I'm afraid not. She's nothing like you. In fact, she's your complete opposite in every way imaginable. And she has more powers than all of you put together. Just as much powers as you have Maddie" Reginald looked at Maddie.

Then the main door opened "Hey!" a guard said as the door closed again and Diego enter the living room with Five and Lila.

"Honey" Maddie got up "Hey My love" Five smiled as his wife approached him and they gave each other a quick kiss.

"We need to talk about Ben" Diego said as he was holding the file in his hand.

"No" Maddie said "Love, we need to know what really happen" Five told his wife.

"Not until I want answers" Maddie looked at Reginald "About what?" Five asked.

"I want to know why I never lost my powers" Maddie said "Are you sure that it is a good idea?" Five asked "I want answers, Five" Maddie looked at her husband.

"Fine" Five looked at Diego "Let Maddie get some answers first" he said and Diego nodded.

Maddie then looked back at Reginald "Why did I never lose my powers?" she asked "Because you are the Red Dragon" Reginald said "I know that" Maddie said a little annoying.

"I want to know why I still have them" she said "Well you are actually not born the first day of October or from the Marigold" Reginald said "What?" Maddie and the others all widened their eyes.

"What?" Maddie asked "You were born a day before, and you were born with those powers. The other Hargreeves must have heard about you and decided to adopt you with the other children, because he needed something call the Red Dragon's blood to reset the universe, and you were the one" Reginald said "But why use Freddy's too?" Maddie asked.

"Because The Guardian is the only one that can travel through timelines" Reginald said which made Lila and Five to glanced at each other.

"Every thousand years the Red Dragon choose a host. And The Guardian choose a host too, someone to give their powers to and those two are meant to destroy each other, their battle will last for years, it will shock the world. The Red Dragon's fate is to destroy the world while The Guardian is meant to protect it which mean they are born to fight each other to the death" Reginald explain.

"So my destiny is to destroy the world?" Maddie asked and Reginald nodded which made Maddie looked down.

Then Five grab her hand which caused her to look at him "We're gonna change that, you are not a monster, you are the most caring person I know. You have proof that" he said "I'm a monster, I killed Ben" Maddie said.

"Maybe there is another explanation to it" Lila said which caused Maddie to look at her "What do you mean?" she asked

"That is why we need to talk about this" Five said before he looked at Diego and he started telling the others what he found.

"In Moldovan. From Moldova. And it's mostly redacted" he gave the file to Allison "Great. So we can't read it or see it" Allison looked down at the file "From what I can tell, this document is from our original timeline" Five pointed at the file "It explain how Ben died" he said and Maddie looked down before letting out a small sob.

Five wrapped an arm around her shoulder before rubbing his hand up and down on her arm.

"It refers to it as the 'Jennifer incident'" he said "We already know how Ben died" Luther said "Okay, then. Tell us" Five said "I killed him, I already told you that" Maddie said "Well, it was a tragic accident. Ben, our Ben died because Maddie killed him 'cause we failed as team and..." Luther stopped himself.

Five raise a brow as he tilted his head "And what?" he asked and Luther looked confused.

"Allison, how did Ben really died?" Five looked at Allison "It was a tragic accident. Ben died because Maddie killed him 'cause we failed as a team" her and Luther said the last part at the same time which made them look at each other while Maddie said "I killed him" she looked down.

"Maddie killed him because she lost control and 'cause we fail as a team. Maddie is responsible" Luther, Diego and Allison said at the same time.

"I killed him because I lost control, I'm responsible for his death. I'm the one that did it. I'm a monster that killed her own brother" Maddie said but it was like it was put into her mind and Five noticed that.

"Ben Hargreeves represented the best of us" Maddie, Diego and Allison said at the same time which glancing at each other.

"Ben was The Umbrella Academy" the three said like robots "But I killed him, me and me alone is reason he is dead. I destroyed the Umbrellas" Maddie said like a robot and that made Five glanced at his wife.

These was words that none of the siblings would usually use, but it was like they were engraved in their heads.

But for Maddie, all there was inside her mind was disturbing, self-thoughts. Her heart ached for something she couldn't remember.

"Love, do you know something?" Five turned to Maddie. He seemed to have realized her silence.

"It was a tragic accident. Ben died because we failed as a team. Nobody was responsible..." Maddie's heart skipped a beat once her next words appeared on her mind. Her eyes reached Five's.

"Except for me" Maddie included. That was all that appeared in her brain.

There was silence filled with shock, until Lila interrupted. 

"What kind of sick party trick is this?" Lila looked at Reginald.

"Okay, can any one of you remember how Ben actually died?" Five asked as he glanced at them "Because I killed him" Maddie said "Yeah, but how?" Five asked "I lost control, because I took down some armed men" Maddie said "Yeah, but why were you guys there, why did you have to take them down all alone, where were the others?" Five asked and Maddie couldn't answer that.

"Anything?" Five glanced at the others "I...I wasn't there" Viktor said "Well, neither was I, but the rest of you were. You think you'd remember all the details about the death of your beloved brother, but you don't" Five said.

"Klaus might" Viktor said "But we can't find him" Maddie said "He might have had the same respons. Beside we don't if our Ben actually said something to him about his death" Five said "I think Klaus would have told us if he did" Maddie said.

"What the hell is going on here?" Luther asked "Isn't it obvious?" Five glanced at Reginald.

"Someone's been playing putty with your hippocampus" he said "Messing with our memories" Diego glanced at Reginald and everyone glanced at Reginald.

"As fascinating as this may be, I assure you I haven't the foggiest notion of what this is about" Reginald said "You know something, old man" Diego approached Reginald.

"You are speculating about the actions of a completely different version of myself from a completely different timeline. That said, it does sound like something I might do" Reginald said "Oh, here we go" Allison said "You messed with my wife's mind" Five hissed as he glanced angry at their dad.

"There may or may not have been a certain clandestine project with a certain clandestine intelligence agency" Reginald said "Human experiments on the mind. I should have know" Five said "Psychological warfare was all the rage in the '60s, but it was only a brief contract. Immensely lucrative" Reginald "So you can erase memories?" Luther asked "With the human mind, anything is possible, young mand" Reginald said.

"You use that against Freddy, you erase his memories of his past life before you experimented on him, right?" Maddie glanced at Reginald who nodded.

"If you can erase them, you can restore them?" Lila looked at Reginald "With the proper technology" Reginald replied "Which you have?" Maddie asked and Reginald looked at her "Naturally. I'm sure it is in this building somewhere" he said "All right, old man, you're gonna put 'em back, each and every memory to do with Ben's death because if you erased the Jennifer incident, that means there was something important enough that you'd take the time to get rid of it. And also I don't want my wife to spend the rest of her life believing that she did it" Five said which caused Maddie to look at him.

"I will do no such thing! Right now we need to track down the girl before it's too late" Reginald said "Reggie, please" Abigail reach out her hand for Reginald to take it which he did "Darling, this is messy work. It could take hours, days" he said "Whatever chain of events has been set in motion is ultimately your handiwork. Whatever timeline it happened in, help them. Please" she said and Reginald glanced at Maddie and the others.

"Fine, come with me" he said before getting up and the others followed him.

---

Reginald lead Maddie and the others to room that was glowing where some machines was.

"So is was the same machine you put Freddy into, so he lost his memories about his life?" Maddie looked at the machines.

"Allison, Luther, Diego and Maddie get ready" Reginald said and the four nodded before they walked over and lay down in each of them.

"NO" Five grab Maddie's wrist "I don't want you to do this" he said "Five, I need to know what really happen" she looked at her husband "Please" she said and he sighed before he nodded as he let go of her and she walked over to lay down on one of the machine.

"Just lean back and relax, Luther" Reginald said to Luther as he was getting coupling him to the machine "Yeah, right" Luther said.

"Do we all have to do this? Can't you just do it to one of us?" Allison asked "Fragment of your original memories are still locked away in your minds. They are all integrals pieces of a bigger puzzle" Reginald said before putting something on the side of Allison's head.

"I wanna be connected too" Viktor said "But you weren't on the mission" Luther said "I wasn't on the team then, but I am now, and I wanna know the truth as much as you do" Viktor said "Excellent. Please take a seat" Reginald pointed on one of the machine that was empty and Viktor nodded before he walked over to the machine.

"How about you?" Reginald looked at Lila "Yeah, I think I'm going to spectate" Lila relied "Ditto. No offense, but I'm not letting you near my gray matter. I'm not even comfortable with my wife doing it" Five said "Very well. Perhaps you could help" Reginald said and Five walked over to Maddie while Lila walked over to Diego to buckled them to the machine.

"Any last words before Dad liquifies my brain?" Diego asked Lila as she buckled him to the machine. "I'm sorry I lied about book club" she said "Good" he said as she buckled something on the side of his head.

"You know, a husband and wife shouldn't have any secrets, Lila. That's a rule" he said "You're right. No more secrets" she said and Diego smiled.

"I think that we need a break from each other. Time to reusseres our marriage" she quickly said before putting something in his mouth "What?" he muffled and she walked back to her spot. Indignant, muffled yelling was coming from him.

Five buckled the last thing on Maddie with a sigh "I don't really like this" he said "I know, but I have to find out the truth, if I really didn't kill Ben, I want proof and I want to know what really happen" she said and he let out a sigh.

"You know I'm afraid to go back to being the one who I used to be. But I still got to let it happen, otherwise I wouldn't be able to save and protect you and the kids" he said "You have protecting us this far, and I'm happy over that life we have now" she said "Me too" he smiled.

"Everything will be okay" they looked at each other "I love you, always and forever" he said "I love you too, always and forever" they smiled to each other before sharing a kiss.

Five pulled away before he put something in Maddie's mouth, he then got up and walked over to stand next to Lila.

Reginald pressed a button and the sound of powers hums was heard before the room started glowing red as the sound of system klaxons blaring was heard.

Reginald pressed some other buttons "Wait! Is this gonna hurt?" Luther asked "Indubitably" Reginald responded before pulling a handle and the machines started.

Maddie and the others started seeing images "It was a tragic accident. Ben died because Maddie killed him, and we failed as a team. Maddie was responsible. Ben Hargreeves represented the best of us. Ben was the Umbrella Academy"

Muffled screaming and straining came from Maddie and the others.

Five could see that Maddie was in pain and he was about to walk forward but Lila grab his arm which made him look at her and she shook her head.

---

Flashback start...

October 14, 2006

The alarm at the Academy was on "Step lively, children. We have a mission to do" Reginald said as Luther walked out of the bedroom "Number One, round up the children" Reginald said and Luther clapped his hands "Let's go. Get your asses in gear" Luther said and Diego walked out of his room "My man, Diego" Luther patted Diego on the shoulder "My ass is always in gear" Diego said "Come on, guys. Come on" Luther walked over to the bathroom to see Allison and Freddy trying to get a drunk Klaus up from the bathtub.

"Are you kidding me, Klaus? You just got back from rehab!" Freddy said as him and Allison tried to lift Klaus up.

"I'm California Sober, bro" Klaus slurring "Come on Klaus, don't be like that, you're better than this" Freddy said.

"Come on, guys. Just hurry up. Dad's waiting!" Luther turned around before going towards Ben's room.

Ben was sitting in his bed reading a book while Vanya was trying Ben's mask as she was standing in front of the mirror.

"Ben!" the door to Ben's room opened and Luther step in "Why aren't you dressed?" Luther asked his brother "I'm not going" Ben said "But we'll be one man down" Luther said "Then take Freddy" Ben said "Dad said that Freddy is not allow on this mission, so we need you" Luther said "Relax. Vanya can take my place" Ben said "I wanna help you guys" Vanya said.

"Dad?" Luther called out "Narc" Ben mumbled and Reginald entered the room "Number Six. What aren't you dressed?" Reginald asked "He say he's not going" Luther said and Reginald looked at Luther before looking back at Ben.

Ben let out a sigh before he closed the book and got up while Reginald looked at Vanya "And what do you think you're doing?" he asked "I just...I thought I could help on this mission" Vanya said "Take that off immediately. You look ridiculous" Reginald turned around before leaving the room and Vanya took off the mask.

"Don't mind him Vanya" Vanya looked towards the door to see Freddy "That man doesn't know what he is talking about. You are just as special as the rest of us. And one day you are gonna feel it and feel a part of the family" Freddy said and Vanya smiled.

"MADDIE!" Luther opened the door to Maddie's room to see her sitting on the window's edge, looking up at that stars while she was holding a picture of her and Five.

Even so he disappeared three years ago, she has not forgotten him, and she miss him every day, and she is wishing and waiting for him to come back home, back to her. So the two could go on that date and he could take her away from this place.

"What are you doing?" Maddie turned her head to see Luther "Why are you not ready?" he asked "I'm not going" Maddie turned back to look up at the stars.

"Really, again with this, Five is not coming back, he left and he is not coming back" Luther said "He is coming back, I know it, he wouldn't just leave me" Maddie said "You need to get over this. It's being three years, you need to move on" Luther said "I'm not going" Maddie said.

"DAD!" Luther called out which made Maddie rolled her eyes "Always calling out for daddy to come save you, little daddy's boy" she mumbled.

The door opened and their dad entered "Number Eight, why are you not ready?" he asked "She is not going" Luther said "Let me handle this" Reginald said and Luther turned around before leaving.

"I'm not going on this mission dad" she said "Yes you are" Reginald said "I'm not going on any missions anymore, not until Five return" Maddie stood up.

"I can't focus completely without him being with me, I feel empty without him, I need him" she said "Number Five is not coming back, how many times do I have to tell you before you realizes it, he have left you, get that into your head!" Reginald said "He would never leave me on purpose, and he will find his way back to me, I know it" Maddie said "Get ready, unless you want your bedroom to move to the celler in the basement" he said and her eyes widened.

"Fine" she sighed "Good, get ready now" he said "One day dad, you are not in charge of us anymore, one day you wouldn't be able to control us" Maddie said and Reginald scoff "I would like to see" he said sarcastically and Maddie's eyes glow red which made Reginald lift an eyebrow.

"Get ready now" Reginald turned around before leaving, not wanted to show that right there he was actually scared of Maddie. Scared of her powers.

---

Maddie, Klaus, Ben, Diego, Allison and Luther was sitting on the couch in the living room while their dad was explaining the mission as Freddy and Vanya was standing next to each other behind the couch.

"A Moldovan arms dealer has acquired a deadly new weapon. It's being held in a shipping container, awaiting a buyer. Your mission is to locate and destroy the weapon before the deal can be made" Reginald explain before he looked at Luther "Number One will take point" he gave Luther an remote.

"What about me? What should I do?" Diego asked "Stop asking questions" Reginald snapped at Diego "Now, children, whatever you do, it is imperative that you keep the weapon contained. Do not, under any circumstances, open the container. Is that understood?" Reginald asked and they nodded.

"Very well. It's time, children" he said before Maddie and the others got up and went into the jet where Pogo was the pilot.

The room to the Academy open "Buckle up, children. Prepare for departure" Pogo said before the jet took off.

---

Maddie, Ben, Klaus, Allison and Diego was following after Luther as they were sneaking inside a huge warehouse.

The sound of fain, indistinct chatter in distance was heard as Luther signal the others to stop which they did.

"Tango, three o'clock" Luther told them as he peek around a huge box to see the guys as the sound of indistinct chatter continues before the guys walked away.

"Go" Luther said and the five followed after Luther as they walked over to the container.

"Yeah, this is the one. Let's go" Luther said and Ben put down a small box before opened it to revealed some small golden bombs of some kind before him and Diego got them ready.

But then they heard guards yelling in the distance "Guys!" Luther said "Go, I got this!" Ben said "Ben are you sure?" Luther asked "I got this!" Ben said "I will stay with Ben" Maddie said "Okay. Diego, Allison, Klaus, you're on me. Let's go" Luther said and the four left while Maddie stayed with Ben to help him fix the bomb.

"You haven't lose hope right?" Ben looked at Maddie "About Five?" he asked "Of course not. I will never lose hope. I have feeling that he somehow got stuck when he tried to jump through time, and he can't return. I know he is out there somewhere, trying to find his way back to us. Back to me" Maddie said "Well, the two of you have a bond and connection that is hard to explain" he said and she nodded.

"What is your plan when he return?" he asked "Give him a big hug" she replied "Maybe kiss him" she snapped her head at her brother "No" she shook her head "Not kiss" she said "But you love him?" he asked "I don't know, most because I don't know what that feeling is and I have never felt like that before" she said "I know you love him and he loves you, you are in love with him and he is in love with you" he said "You think?" she asked "Before he disappeared I noticed the looks you were sending each other. Only people deeply in love, looks at each other like that" he said "How do you know that?" she asked "I read a lot" he chuckled.

"You and Five have something that most people spend their whole life searching and some people never find it, but you and Five have that" he said and she smiled.

"Don't worry Maddie, Five will come back, I'm sure of it. And I hope I found a woman that is looking at me like the way you are looking at Five" he said "The one who does that is a very lucky woman" the two of them smiled.

Then Ben got up before he walked over to the container and put the device on it causing it to said a whirs hum noise.

But then a muffled thumping sound was heard and it was coming from the inside of the container.

"Did you heard that?" Ben asked and Maddie nodded as she walked closer to the container while Ben leaned his head towards it "Is someone in there?" he asked and someone bang again.

"There is someone in there" Maddie said "Let's check" Ben said "Let's me do it" she was about to crawl up but Ben stopped her "No, let me check, you keep watch" he said before he crawl up on top of the container.

Maddie watch as Ben opened the container on top to see a young girl, the same age as the siblings. "It's okay. I'm here to help. What's your name?" he asked "Jennifer" the girl said and Ben took off his mask "My name is Ben. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? Can you trust me?" he asked before he reach his hand down the container "Ben what are you doing?" Maddie asked.

"Take my hand" Ben told Jennifer.

Then Luther and the others arrive "Ben! What the hell are you doing?" Luther asked "There's someone in here. We have to get her out" Ben said "That wasn't part of the plan" Luther said "So what? You're gonna blow up an innocent girl?" Ben asked "Ben is right guys, we have to help her" Maddie glanced at her siblings.

"But dad said---" "I don't give a fuck what dad said!" Ben cut Luther off "We need to help her" Ben turned back to the container.

"Ben, wait!" Luther said but Ben didn't listen "Shit!" Luther said as the sound of clamoring in the distance was heard.

Luther lifted his right hand up to his right ear "Dad, we got a bit of a problem" he said but he could only hear static crackles. "Dad?" Luther asked again but nothing.

Ben reach out his hand for Jennifer and the sound of energy sparking crackling was heard as Jennifer hand grab Ben's. And as their hands connected some orange light glow around their hands.

Maddie and the others watch as Ben and the girl Jennifer came down from the container.

Jennifer and Ben looked at each other with a smile "It seems like you finally found your other half" Maddie smiled "Okay, let's go. Ben" Luther said.

But suddenly the sound of gunshot was heard as Jennifer got shot right in the forehead before Ben also got shot in the forehead.

"NOO!" Maddie cried out and the others saw their dad standing behind Ben and Jennifer as their bodies fell to the floor.

"I told you not to open the container" Reginald said and Klaus covered his mouth while the siblings was in shock. "Dad?" Luther asked in shock.

"YOU MURDER!" Maddie scream as her eyes glow red "How could you do it, you shot him" she sob "I had no choice, and that would have being avoiding if you haven't opened it. Come along now" Reginald said "I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Maddie's eyes glow more red as the whole place started shaking.

"Calm down Number Eight" Reginald said "NO. I'M NEVER GOING TO TAKE ORDERS FOR YOU ANYMORE! YOU ARE GONNA PAY FOR THIS! I'M FUCKING DONE WITH YOU!" Maddie screamed as the whole place started shaking more.

"Then you give me no other choice" Reginald said and before Maddie could react, he shot her in the chest causing her to flew backward as she passed out.

"MADDIE!" Klaus reach to grab Maddie before she could hit the floor.

"SIS!" Diego rushed over to Maddie "Maddie wake up" Diego shook Maddie, trying to get her to open her eyes.

"Don't worry children, she will wake up, I shot her with a tranquilizer, she will wake up in a few hours, but she is going to suffer the consequences" Reginald said.

When they return home, Maddie and the five other siblings were put in the machine that erase the real memories about what happen and change them out with fake memories and Reginald punished Maddie, because of what she did, and because he wanted her to be scared of her powers, so she wouldn't lose control and destroy the world, therefore he made it seem like it was Maddie that killed Ben because she lost control.

Flashback ends...

A/N: Now you know a little bit more about the red dragon, and how Ben died and why Maddie believe that it was her fault.

Hope I described it well

Vote or comment