—chapter thirty-six.

  ❛ we're in this together. ❜

ELODIE LEANT AGAINST THE BRIDGE RAILING, staring down half-smiling to the water below. It was chilly that night, and all around them people wandered in fall jackets and cherry-red noses. She stood out in just a t-shirt, but the breeze whistling around her was too soothing on her skin to worry about changing. Let them wonder about her fashion choices; so long as she wasn't burning the bridge down, it wasn't really their business.

Beside her stood Ellis, propped up in a similar fashion. He looked smaller than he usually did; with his soft fringe blowing in the wind and eyes half-lidded, staring at the small picture in his hands -- one of the ones that had made her panic, merely a day before. He looked like a kid again, small and smiling with all the weight he normally wore on his shoulders pulled off for the night.

It was nice to know her little brother still existed, under the layers of wisdom and trauma-induced maturity he'd taken on. 

"So...that's it."

Elodie nodded, taking the picture of Jimena back and slipping it into her pocket. "Yeah. That's it."

"It feels...I don't know what to think about all that."

She hadn't told him everything of course. Only the bare bones (and leaving out all the stuff about her being an 'anomaly' and 'danger to society'). Elodie explained to him a modified tale about her birth mother; that she had died several years before, and had had to give up her daughter due to religious ideals, but always wanted to meet her again. In an ideal world, she'd tell Ellis everything. He deserved the truth, and even if it would hurt him and her, she would give it all.

But it wasn't, and there was still so much she didn't know. What if she told him one thing, only for everything to turn out absolutely opposite that? What if he hated her even more, after that? Elodie could live with his anger, and upset -- she'd expect as much, from lying to him. But she would deal with that after she knew all the facts.

"Yeah," she said simply. "Yeah, you and me both."

Her arm bumped against Ellis', who had sidled over and copied her out-facing position. He looked up to her, eyes large and soft. "What now, then?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I mean...now that the end of the world's out of the way, what do you plan to do now?"

Oh. She'd also told him about that. Or the happier parts of that story, at least, just so he was in the loop (and definitely nothing about Diego's weird showdown with some time travelling geek named Walnut or something). Ellis had taken it rather quietly, which she hadn't expected...though the boy had always processed news much more maturely than her. If the idea of an apocalypse coming and going had bothered him, or even phased him, she couldn't tell.

But she didn't have an answer for the only question he had about it. She hadn't really thought much on what came next, only focused on solving the present and not thinking about their future. It hadn't mattered before. Things went by the minute and she was content enough just surviving through it. But the idea of having so much possibility and time at her fingertips, more than she had ever considered, was absolutely terrifying.

"I don't know," Elodie finally replied. She hoped he couldn't hear the worry in her voice. "I have no idea. I just...there's so much to piece together now, you know?"

"Like with your family?"

"Like with our family." Ellis frowned up at her, looking perplexed, and she hurried to explain. "The guy who raised us, he's not your father. He was an asshole who's only good deed was letting me meet you. But he is not our family, yours or mine."

"Well, that's not--"

"--I don't giv'a crap about what science says," she cut in, "We make our own family. And that's you and me and whoever else we allow to butt their head in. Okay?"

To that, Ellis just smiled softly, and moved even closer so his head was pressed against her arm. Elodie shifted so she could move it around his shoulders, hugging him into her warm body. The pair of them then just stood there, staring out at the passing people, each with shy grins painted on their worn faces. Signs of a great victory that no one but them knew about.

Finally, Elodie broke the silence once more, though she spoke quieter and did not bother to glance his way that time. "I was thinking though, about...saving up for a flight. Out over to Chile."

"You're want to go visit?"

"Well, I might try. I know Jimena's not around anymore, but I want to find out a little more about her." And maybe that wasn't the entire truth, but it was some of it. She did want to pay her respects, one way or another. "Figured it might be worth a shot to know where I came from."

Ellis nodded against her jacket. "That makes sense."

"Are you up for taking a couple days off school, then, in a couple months?"

"For that? Of course."

She just laughed, and tightened her grasp on the boy. "Good. Good. Then it's settled, we'll make that trip soon. Just to give it a shot."

"What about Diego?"

"What...what about Diego?"

Ellis pulled away, turning so he was facing his sister that time. He folded his arms up around his jacket, growing cold away from her abnormal warmth. "What about the two of you? You can't just leave your story like that, running off to Chile without even a goodbye."

She scoffed. "I know. M'not that bad."

"Really?"

"Hey!" Elodie jabbed her elbow at her brother. "I didn't tell you all this just so you could feel like you can play love guru again, you little dork."

"I'm sorry, but--"

"I'm kidding." She watched as the boy's face brightened once more, and she smiled, a little softer that time. Her cheeks heated and flushed, but that time it was not from body heat - rather an influx of emotions flooding her system too fast. "Um...well, I don't know what happens next. But if you're curious...we are...we're going to keep talking. And I won't run off to Chile without letting him know...of course."

"Really?"

Elodie nodded. "Yeah. I..." her words trailed off, the train of thought lost as a strange sight caught her eye. There was an odd shaped cloud, billowing from the centre of the city. It was so large she could see it from the pier, watching it float up high into the sky to join its brethren. Only, it didn't look like any cloud hanging above then, and while she wasn't a fucking weather girl, she probably didn't have to be to glean this wasn't normal.

Realisation set in all too quickly. She knew where it was coming from, where it had to be coming from, and fear billowed in her throat like the smoke she gaped at. A thousand possibilities, all pessimistic and terrifying, pounded through her mind.

"Oh, shit."

"What? Elodie?"

"The-there's something wrong at the Academy," she mumbled. Her mouth was dry; the cloud of fear was clinging to her tongue, her throat, making it impossible to swallow and barely breathe. Panic begged for a chance to take her out. It held her lungs in its thorny hands and squeezed until she was gasping for air, choking on her cowardice. Her hand slipped from the bridge railing and she fell to her knees. Her fingers scrabbled at her throat; they couldn't dislodge the smoke. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't do anything, like she was her father's child all over again.

She felt Ellis' tiny hands press into her side, heard him trying to calm her down, but it wasn't enough. All of her thoughts ran rampant, trying to piece together an adequate answer, but nothing came through.

Was Harold Jenkins alive? Back from the dead? Or was it one of their own -- Allison, or-or maybe the Not-A-Kid named Five, losing track of his reality and letting insanity sink in? Maybe the house was under attack from something brand new. Maybe they were wrong about the apocalypse, or maybe their idiotic bigoted father decided to wreak revenge from the grave, choosing to--

"--ELODIE!"

As Elodie blinked up to the source of Ellis' voice, she found herself looking up, blearily blinking back tears she hadn't noticed forming. He stood above her, scared and small, and a spear of guilt stabbed the fear. She couldn't fall apart. Not when Ellis needed her.

Elodie used the guilt as a crutch, forcing herself to breathe, even as the panic squeezed. "Sorry," she muttered, forcing herself to get up and right herself. There wasn't time for being small; not like this. "I-the-we-we gotta go."

"What? We're going to the smoke?!"

"We have to," Elodie urged, tugging at his hands. "We-I have to help them, Ellie. You can stay behind. I can give you money for a cab, but I-I have to help Diego."

Ellis' face went through a plethora of emotions in only a second. Dropping from worry to confusion, to a mixture of fear and excitement and then to resolve. His smaller fingers laced with hers and he nodded, grim and seemingly ready for anything. Even if the poor boy didn't know what was coming, he was determined to face it anyways.

"I'm staying with you."

And in her state, Elodie didn't have the strength to argue with him.

"I...okay. Let's go." 

There was no way to know just what was going on. And she knew she shouldn't let her mind work without the facts, that only led down bad paths and she didn't have the mental stamina to fight back. But even as the pair ran down the street, her gut turned. Whatever was happening, she knew for a fact, it was not going to be good.

THE DUO FOUND THE INFAMOUS UMBRELLA ACADEMY in ruins. 

There was nothing left of the once formidable mansion but ash and destruction. Smoke echoed throughout everything, billowing from tiny fires all across the wreckage. Bricks and glass and remnants of belongings -- furniture, paintings, old memories that must have been made within the walls were all blown to absolute bits. Nothing remained in one piece, nothing but the five slumped individuals standing amongst the wreck.

"Stay there," Elodie muttered to Ellis, pressing once on his hand. He didn't say a word back, just stood silently and watched as she stepped towards the group. No one looked up or asked; it was like they didn't hear her at all. They just remained frozen, staring down at the mess that was once their home, covered in dirt and blood Elodie hoped wasn't their own.

"Diego?"

She found him alone on the edge of the mess. Even in all the smoke and ash and the dirt clinging to his clothes, she would recognise him anywhere. A dry sob echoed from her throat as she half-ran, half stumbled to his side, falling down to match his kneeling position.

"I-oh, thank god you're alive." She grasped at his face, taking in every detail of his skin, trying to piece together a story with all the scraps and cuts littered across his face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"W-w-what, y-you can't be here." But he didn't seem to have the strength to put into the words. They were soft, almost relieved as he stared back at her, hands finding her wrists and pressing into the pale skin. "W-what are you doing here?"

A small sob left her lips again, before she could stop or control it. She pressed her forehead against his. "I saw the smoke and had to come. I -- I was so scared I was going to get here and find you, find you dead, or...I don't know."

"I'm okay," Diego said, but he didn't really sound it. His hands moved from her wrists to her own cheeks, thumbs rubbing circles into her skin, leaving black marks behind. "We're...I...we lost mom, though."

"Diego..."

"And Pogo."

Elodie felt like she couldn't breathe, all over again. Maybe the smoke from all the fire was getting to her, corrupting her lungs like fire had never before she could heave another word. "I..." She had to speak though, had to for him, because what kind of person would leave their loved ones to drown in that sorrow alone? "I'm...so sorry, baby."

He nodded against her skin, full lips quivering. 

"What happened? Who did this?"

"Vanya."

"Vanya?!" She pulled away then, staring at him in shock. "The...your sister?" All that she remembered from that Hargreeves was, well it wasn't much, but the seventh sibling was the quiet one. Soft and grey-toned and powerless, if her spluttering mind could recall. "How?!"

"There's no time to explain," Diego told her. "But-but-but you have to go. Both of you."

"I'm not just going to leave you here!"

Footsteps echoed behind her, soft enough for her to guess it was Ellis. A small hand patted her shoulder.

"Careful, Ellie," she muttered back, shifting her own weight on the unsteady ground. "Diego, I'm not going anywhere."

"You have to. It's not safe."

"Like hell I'm going to leave you here."

"You have to. This ain't your fight."

"It is when it's your ass on the line," she murmured, tracing tenderly into his face. She tried to look as supportive as possible, staring at him in what she hoped was a comforting way -- though honestly, she probably just looked as terrified as he did. "I'm - I'm helping you through this. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

Diego heaved in a deep breath. "I can't ask that of you."

"You're not. I'm choosing my fight. Now..." Elodie glanced up and around, frowning as she realised something new. "Where did everyone go?"

He must have realised he wasn't going to win that fight, because Diego didn't argue for her to leave anymore. He just nodded around listlessly, "gone. We're all regrouping, tryin' to avoid the police so we can find Vanya."

Somewhere a little ways away, her brother walked. A part of her wanted to yell him back, but she also didn't want him to hear all of this, just in case it led somewhere less savory.

"So why are you..." Elodie trailed off, realising her answer too late. "Your mom."

His broken expression nearly killed her. His face was riddled with grief and she could only imagine how tortured he must feel after losing her again. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes; she wondered if he would ever let them go. "I..." he sniffled. "I wanted to find her. Or p-part..."

Just as his face crumpled even more, Elodie pulled him back in. His face fell to her shoulder and his body heaved in her grasp, weighted almost entirely against her. He didn't seem to care anymore about keeping up a façade. Guess that was what happened, though, when you lost your mother twice.

A part of her selfishly wished she could care about her own. But she didn't share that thought with him.

"It's gonna be okay," Elodie assured him, trying to sound like she actually believed that. When words failed her, she pressed kisses into every inch of skin she could reach. Her lips grazed his scalp, down the nape of his neck, ignoring the dirt and cuts and only looking to offer comfort. "It's gonna be okay."

"Don't say that. You don't kno-kno-know that."

And she did not know that. It was foolish to say or think otherwise. Everything seemed to be quite literally falling apart. Hell, she wanted to do the same. But she didn't have that luxury anymore. She had people depending on her, a man she loved and a brother too, and they needed her to be strong. Elodie wasn't sure she could be that pillar they needed to lean against, but she knew she would give her life trying.

And so, she tried to smile and cupped his face in her arms.

"We're going to get Vanya back," she mumbled, "and fix this. Once and for all. We just...we have to find your sister and then we'll figure it out. Okay?"

Diego still looked like he didn't really believe her, but at least nodded, albeit dully.

"Where are you supposed to meet your siblings?"

"Super Star."

"The bowling place?" Elodie frowned. "Vanya's some sort of champion bowler, or somethin'?"

Despite himself, Diego's lip twitched and lifted just the tiniest bit. He shook his head, and pulled back, though only wrapping his arm around her side. "No. We're regrouping there as a safe place."

"Right. Well, we better go then, now. I..." Elodie glanced around and finally found Ellis, sitting on a pile of rubble a couple feet away. "Ellis, c'mere."

The boy trudged forward dutifully.

"Are you going to be...well, do you want--"

"--I'm coming too." Ellis looked half scared out of his wits, but still determined, and his hands formed into fists even as the two of them watched. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

Elodie glanced over to Diego, who shrugged. A bitter smile flickered on his cracked lips. "At this rate, he's probably safer with you."

"Y'sure?"

"Considering you can light any ass on fi--"

"--okay then," she cut off hurriedly. No way was she going to tell her little brother about her pyromaniac tendencies in the middle of a crisis. "He'll stay. But by my side the entire time, and if there's even a whiff of trouble, I'm shoving you in a closet or something."

Ellis' nose wrinkled, "a closet?"

"A-just, y'know, trying to keep you safe. Whatever." She glanced over to the man beside her, cheeks reddening by the second. "Can you walk?"

He nodded and moved to stand. She took his hand when it was offered, only to smile as he tugged her close into his side.

"Great. Let's go save the world...or somethin' like that."

"You don't have to do this," he muttered to her. "This is my family, my problem."

"And you don't have a choice, Robin Hood." Elodie lifted on her toes to plant a soft kiss to his cheek, sweeping back his hair with her free hand before falling back down again. "You think Robin Hood made it through life without, uh, who was his girlfriend again, Ellie?"

"Maid Marian."

She nodded determinedly. "Right. You can't get through this without your Maid Marian. Or any of the like, Merry Dudes, whatever the tale is. I...I'm messing my point up again. Crap." Elodie sighed and looked past him to the wreckage around them. "Point is, we're coming with you. And I'll be with you, every step of the way."

Diego chuckled mirthlessly. His hand squeezed her side. "I forgot how cheesy you are."

"You say cheesy, I say a damn inspiration."

"No, that was pretty cliché," Ellis piped in, smiling up at her. "I think you stole that from a movie."

"I -- who's side are you on, bro?!"

ELODIE COULD NOT HONESTLY REMEMBER THE LAST TIME she had been at a bowling alley -- willingly, at least. And she really wasn't feeling it that night, surrounded by grim faces, booming thuds of shitty throws, and the pungent scent of prepubescent sweat. Meeting there of all places was a choice. And not one she would have made, that was for sure. Whatever the sentiment. It stunk.

Around her, four of the Hargreeves squabbled. She wasn't really sure what it was about anymore. Truthfully, Elodie didn't really care. Maybe she should, but hell -- Vanya had been just a name a couple of hours ago. Who was she to decide the woman's fate, regardless of what she'd done? And certainly while her crimes against her family were huge, Elodie couldn't entirely fault her.

She'd done worse under her father's influence. Miserable acts that haunted her to that day, things she couldn't let go no matter how many 'hail mary's' she could sing. Maybe there was more to Vanya that she just didn't know. Maybe the woman wasn't herself; it certainly sounded like that. Diego never talked about her like she was violent, so...

"You okay?"

Elodie glanced over to Ellis and moved to answer, only to stop when a blonde employee approached the group. The siblings stopped talking as she neared, all of them sharing some sort of glare her way.

Poor girl, Elodie mused to herself. She was probably trying not to wet herself, under their disgruntled gang's glares.

"I hate to intrude," she said awkwardly, grinning like a gun was kissing her temple, "but my manager says if you're not gonna bowl, you gotta leave."

Elodie shifted her gaze to the manager, a much grumpier man who slammed a pair of shoes on the counter angrily, accenting the girl's -- Midge, according to her name tag -- point perfectly. She huffed but before she could talk, she was  interrupted by a pissed off Luther.

"Oh, for..." he stomped up and grabbed a bowling ball. Carefully maintaining his glare-off with the manager, Luther threw the ball. It bounced through several lanes. 

"Nice shot," Elodie muttered. 

Luther just sank back into his seat. He read Allison's outthrust notepad and sighed. "We're the only ones capable of stopping this." 'This' being Vanya, she guessed. "We have a responsibility to dad." 

"To dad?" scoffed Diego. Elodie moved to grab his arm, hoping to calm him before he reacted too harshly, but he shook her off before her fingers could latch on. "No. I've heard enough about--"

"--he sacrificed everything to bring us back together."

Elodie knew it wasn't her place to speak and wisely chose to keep her thoughts to herself. That didn't stop her lips from twisting up, though, perturbed by the man's choice to stand with Reginald Hargreeves.

She thought back to the box sent to her, the one littered with scribbled notes from (presumably) Jimena. The woman had been adamantly against Reginald; she'd said as much to the mysterious 'Sul'. Claimed he was a monster and she would never put her baby in his hands, regardless of circumstance. If Jimena had went to Archibald over him...what did that say, about 'Sir Hargreeves'?

"I'm with Luther on this one," cut in Five, interrupting Elodie's mess of thoughts. He glanced up at his siblings. "We can't give her a chance to fight back. There are billions of lives at stake; we're past trying to save just one."

And before anyone else could respond to the grim words, Klaus moved forward. Which was a surprise; he hadn't really been a part of the arguments before, choosing to sit with Elodie and Ellis on the sidelines instead. But he was stepping into the circle, smiling hesitantly like he was about to drop another bomb. "You know, guys, uh...maybe I could help."

"Now is not the time--"

"--no, let him finish," scowled Diego. "He saved my life today."

Elodie frowned. "He did?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did..." Klaus paused before standing up, sighing. "...take credit for it. But the truth is, the real hero today, was Ben."

At once, everyone fell silent and just stared at the man incredulously, including Elodie and Ellis. Neither of the Verbecks knew much about the other Hargreeves sibling (especially not Ellis), but they did know that he was very much dead. And while Klaus' power was a whole other house to bash through, with all sort of spooky spectral shit going on in his head, surely he wasn't able to bring a whole man from the dead. Especially not knowing his coping mechanisms...right?

Seeing everyone's shocked faces, Klaus ploughed forward. "Today...listen. Today, he punched me in the face. And earlier at the house, he was the one that saved Diego's life, not me."

Silence fell, thick and uncomfortably heavy. Only Luther dared break it, scowling. "You're unbelievable, Klaus."

"You want proof, is that it? Alright, I'll -- I'll give you proof." The man whirled back around, staring out into seemingly nothing before grabbing a bowling ball. "It's showtime, baby."

Elodie watched in a mixture of confusion and worry as Klaus screamed 'catch' to the air and launched the bowling ball up, not unlike how Luther had five minutes before. Only the ball fell just a couple feet away, slamming against the lacquered floors before rolling away.

For a moment, there was just awkward silence. And then,

"Is there any way to silence the voice in your head that screams out to be the centre of attention?"

Klaus scoffed, turning back to face his brother. "You know, I liked you a lot better before you got laid."

Once more, the group fell quiet again, though that time for reasons Elodie could not completely discern. She awkwardly held her hands over Ellis' ears (much to his disgruntlement) as the Hargreeves reacted to that bomb.

Man, Elodie thought to herself, and I thought my family was fucked up. Was Chile a bad idea?

"Which," Klaus continued, obviously trying to patch up his mistake, "was a complete...it -- it wasn't his fault, cause he was ridiculously high, right? And -- and the girl, she thought he was a furry--"

Elodie had to stifle her laughter as Luther groaned. She covered Ellis' ears, whispering a, 'I'm not screwin' your innocence with this' when he protested.

"Stop, Klaus!"

Klaus did stop, to his credit. But it seemed too late.

The odd news seemed to hit Allison the hardest. She looked completely mortified and had stormed out of the alley the second 'furry' left Klaus' lips. Luther could only follow behind haplessly, and that only left the six of them to stand and sit there, unsure where to go from there.

Though, it would not be for long. Just before anyone could say anything else shocking, a woman came up with a small boy just under her arm. She smiled at the group and then centered her gaze on both Ellis and Five in ways that made the younger boy squirm.

"Excuse me," she gushed, and sort of forced her shy looking son to stand more in the spotlight. "Excuse me, but it's my son Kenny's birthday today, and...uh, wouldn't your sons be more comfortable playing with kids their own age?" 

Her eyes darted over to Diego and Klaus, the former immediately glaring her down. "Assuming it's okay with your two dads. And, uh, mom...?"

"I..." Elodie bit back her laughter once more at Diego's shocked and humiliated expression. He didn't have anything to offer to the woman, stuck in her bonkers insinuation. He scooted himself closer to Elodie, though, before catching a glance at her expression and scowling more. 

"Shut up," he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. He looked more like a petulant child than ever. "S'not funny."

She cackled even harder at that, wheezing as she patted his shoulder. "Oh, but -- but it is."

Diego childishly stuck his tongue out at her before looking back to his brother -- or, in Kenny's moms eyes, husband. "If I was going to date a man, you'd be the last man I'd date."

Klaus scoffed. "You'd be lucky to get me."

"Jesu-shut up."

Elodie let her giggles die out, finally. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, squeezing tight. "Poor baby. I forgot how fragile your dignity was."

"Shuddup, asshole." He jabbed at her side, making her squeal. "I just don't -- there's already two lover-weirdos in this family. I'm not gonna be the next Luther," Diego grumbled. "And -- okay, stop laughing at me! Ellis, tell your sister to stop laughing at me."

Elodie snorted and just moved to rest her head on her disgruntled partner's shoulder. Even in his outrage, Diego embraced her back, wrapping a hand low around her waist. "You can't stop me, neither one of you. I'm unstoppable."

"You're annoying, that's what you are."

Elodie lifted her head lazily, grinning at her brother. "Do you hear this? The mockery this man makes of me?!"

Ellis smiled back shyly. The boy looked finally a little more at ease; he'd been uncomfortable for most of the time at the alley, with no surprise. But he loosened up as the tensions eased -- or as the group thinned out, maybe. 

"I don't even know why we came here," Elodie grumbled, even as her thumb rubbed circles into Diego's arm. "What a waste, eh Ellie?"

"Please," he mumbled back gently. "You hate being away from him, fer'even a second."

"Oh, ha-ha. Liar."

But Diego sat up straighter and glanced over to where Ellis sat. "You think she missed me?"

The boy bobbed his head up and down, wide eyes mockingly innocent. "Absolutely. The entire time."

"Knew it," he muttered into her ear, making Elodie shiver. 

She stuck out her tongue at her little brother. "Shut up, loser."

"She talked about you a lot, you know." Ellis ignored her reaching hands and smiled at Diego. "Or she wouldn't talk and just stared sadly into her tea, like she was in an old movie."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did."

"Uhhh...nope."

"Yes--"

"--no," she finished, cutting him off. Her cheeks felt hot, flushing under her brother's embarrassing accusations. "No, Ellis is delusional, he knows nothing, and that's -- that's -- that's what's going on. Enough outta you, dude."

The boy's smile grew a little wider, but he shuffled further as she jabbed her free hand at him. He seemed to give up after that, though it wasn't with much victory left. The 'damage' was done.

Elodie was unfortunately unable to avoid Diego's teasing grin, sitting so close to him. And the fool refused to let go of her waist, which made it worse. Though she was happy to actually see him smile, and really it wasn't the worst reason to make him, the childish part of her heart was already dreading what came next.

"I swear, Diego--"

"--you missed me that much?"

She rolled her eyes and continuing pulling away. "No-o."

"According to your brother, you were a wreck, without me."

"He's a liar!"

"I don't believe you."

"Sucks for you, I guess."

"Now who's embarrassed," Diego teased, jabbing a gloved hand towards her cheek. She immediately batted it away. "Can't believe you were that obsessed with me, baby."

Elodie huffed and folded her arms. "You know, I think the only times I ever talked about you was to say stuff like 'wow, Diego Hargreeves is so annoying', or...you know...cause I didn't talk about anything but how obnoxious and awful you are."

"Ah, I don't buy that."

"Well you should, 'cause that's the truth."

Carefully, Diego spun her torso so she was facing him, and moved closer. Her gaze avoided his, but she could still feel his eyes, digging into her. "You know what I think?"

"I don't care what you think."

"I think..." his hand trailed up her arm, all the way to her neck, tracing a gentle line until it met her chin. "that I..." he hesitated, caught on the words that came out thick and almost garbled, "...missed you too."

Elodie frowned, blinking in confusion. Of all the things she thought he was going to say -- all the teasing remarks he could throw to her, that was not it. "Huh?"

"Even if you're fucking obsessed with me--"

"--Diego, you little--"

"--kidding," he chuckled, soft breath hitting her cheeks. "On the obsession. Not the, the other thing."

Elodie smiled softly, nudging her nose against his, but pulling away just enough so their lips couldn't meet. "Maybe you're the one obsessed with me."

"Maybe. That'd be so bad?"

"Mm." She dodged his attempt to kiss her again, smirking as he pouted. "I don't know yet."

"Let me convince you, then."

She rolled her eyes, "that was such a sop line, even for your cheesy ass."

"What? I--" he got cut off by her lips, too impatient to hear the rest of his teasing response. Not that Diego seemed to mind. He pressed in closer, more urgent their her languid touch, like all he wanted to do at the end of the world was taste her lips. And, well, she couldn't blame him on that count. Even if a tiny part of her was worried if the pizza from earlier still lingered on her tongue, she was too desperate for his touch to think about it.

Maybe she could live with dying by his side.

When the whistles came, both party members tried to ignore it, but it became too hard with Klaus' insistent cat-calls. Elodie pulled away first and groaned, leaning her head against Diego's shoulder. "I really wish we could be in private right now."

He chuckled low in her ear. "Oh?"

"Well, believe it or not but I prefer to make out with people without the presence of both our crazy siblings." She glanced over to Ellis, who was making a heavy point of not looking. "No offense, Ellie."

"None taken," he said, in a rather grossed out voice. 

Diego just laughed and pressed a kiss to her hair before pulling away to stand. He rose his voice over the calls to talk to Allison, who had just stormed back in but his hand remained on Elodie's. It was like the old days all over again; even without realising it maybe, he was rubbing circles across his knuckles, silent promises she hadn't gotten from him in years. 

He only pulled away when Luther arrived, immediately forming his characteristic frown. Not that Luther really noticed their holding hands, anyways.

"All right. Where's Five?"

"Left."

Elodie raised her head, only to realise he was right. The not-a-kid was gone, as though dissipated into thin air. She frowned.

"Oh, for the love of...where'd he go?"

"Didn't tell us."

Luther sighed. "Well, we're not waiting around for him. The concert starts in thirty minutes."

"Alright, so what's the plan?"

The blonde man immediately paused, hesitant and clearly lacking any semblance of a plan. "Uh...well, I think that, uh...we go to the Icarus Theatre."

Diego snorted. "That's a location, not a plan." As he watched his brother squirmed, he moved closer, forming careful fists with either hand. "That all you got?"

Silence.

"Look, you wanna be Number one, fine. But you're gonna have to get us on the same page. Cause right now? We're all over the place."

Elodie considered jumping in and trying to rein in her boyfriend (if that's what she could say they were?), but then to her surprise, Luther just nodded. "You're right."

Clearly Diego wasn't expecting that either, stumbling back in confusion. But Luther didn't seem to care. "Yeah. We need a plan."

He moved to say more, but just as he was finally processing the beginnings of a plan, Ellis whimpered. Elodie immediately caught on the sound, following his gaze to the bowling alley entrance. Several beings had started to crowd the entrance and while she wasn't really certain on who was friend and foe with the Hargreeves, the fact that they were running with heavy-duty guns made up her mind pretty quickly.

She screamed and lunged for her brother, forcing him to the ground. "GET DOWN!"

The sound of bullets and cries of fear filled the air, a horrifying cacophony that made Elodie groan. She held her brother as tight as she could, staring up at the ceiling and begging for a way out. Even just for him.

Somewhere around her, someone shuffled and called out, "who the hell are those guys?"

"Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday!"

Oh, Klaus.

"Eyes shut," she barked to Ellis, slapping his hands over his eyes. "Still. You'll get out of this." She didn't wait to explain why it was necessary, but he didn't seem eager to protest, doing her bidding without question. Elodie nodded sharply before glancing up, trying to calculate what she could do next.

Elodie rolled half-assedly over to Diego before ducking out again, raising her hands above her head. She willed them to burn as hot as she had ever let them, and slowly but surely the palms began to grow white hot, extended their rays out to the air above. She gritted her teeth and pushed, heating the air enough to hear soft plats hit the bowling alley floor. But she didn't stop, sending the eager heat towards the uniforms. They scattered, trying to avoid the woman, but it was hard when the burning wave was unstopping, eager to rip through them like paper ran to a flame.

The lines dimmed and music began to drum through the alley. Diego slowed as he glanced back, confused, and Elodie stopped just as soon as she saw Ellis' hands falter. She fell back against the blockade, heaving ragged breaths with her hands in her lap.

"You okay?" Diego shouted over the music.

She just gave him a shaky thumb's up. Luther stood and launched a bowling ball towards the uniforms before screaming something out. No one caught what he said, but Elodie was sure it didn't matter.

Elodie rolled back over to Ellis, making sure to avoid touching him. Klaus scooted over to them too, hands curiously coated in...was that birthday cake? If they survived, she really would have to ask about that.

"They're blocking the exit!" Klaus yelled out.

"So what's the plan now, Luther?"

The group huddled together for a moment, waiting until Luther finally lit up and glanced out. Following Allison's jabbing hand, he looked towards the lanes, where the pins remained somehow still upright.

"The lanes!" He cried, immediately getting back into crouching position. "Let's go!"

Elodie wrapped her arm around the trembling Ellis, hiking him up to his feet and urged him to follow close. One hand remained ignited, however, and even as they crept she held it behind her. It wouldn't do much but at least she could hold the bullets off their back, wavering heat as their shield as they ran to the lanes. 

Ellis dropped to slide into the darkness, Elodie following close behind just before the next spray bullets could fall upon them. Music still drumming through the air, matched only with the sounds of shouts and screams and bullets reigning, the rag-tag group raced out and through the alley, filing through the exit door and out into the outside world once more.

1) I changed a couple things about this episode's flow to work with Elodie; I know the Hargreeves left the Academy together and the police showed up to the wreck much sooner, but it was too hard to merge paths in an organic way otherwise.

2) Sorry for the long hiatus on this book. I have no good excuse, except...honestly I could barely get out of bed most of the last month. I didn't have the energy to do much, and even the simplest of things like posting this chapter, which was already prewritten, was I guess too hard. Sorry for the wait; the last chapter will come at a normal pace, I promise.

Anyways. Cast your speculations and thoughts for what will happen next, I'm pretty sure you won't expect it -- but hey, you might. We'll see. Either way, the last chapter's next and it's...it's going to be about six thousand words of absolute madness. It'll be fun (maybe).

Thank you for reading, let me know what you thought.