"I can't see the compartment, Prime!" Ben's voice echoed from inside the cramped vent in Reginald's office. His words were tinged with frustration, the silence in the room amplifying the tension.

"Ben, it's at the bottom," Prime called out, not taking her eyes off the shelves in front of her. "Just keep feeling around, and you'll find it. You'll know when you hit the false door."

She quickly turned her attention back to Klaus, who was crouched by Reginald's desk, carefully working through the locked drawers. His concentration was intense, but Prime couldn't help but remind him, "Klaus, make sure you don't leave any evidence behind. Dad's a freak about things being in the right place. If something's off, he'll notice."

Klaus muttered a half-hearted response, his focus on the locks. Prime shifted her attention back to the large bookshelf on the far side of the room. She started pulling out book after book, each one revealing hidden compartments. Her movements were swift but precise, but despite her best efforts, she found nothing of interest. Her gut told her that the compartment she was looking for hadn't even been created yet in this timeline.

Frustration tugged at her as she glanced toward Ben. He was emerging from the vent, looking unusually pale.

"Uh, guys," Ben said hesitantly, holding something in his hands.

Both Prime and Klaus turned to look at him, their curiosity piqued. Ben was holding a book, its cover unmistakable. Prime's heart skipped a beat as she recognized it instantly. It was Vanya's book, the one that hadn't even been published yet. It should have been impossible for it to be here, at this time.

"How in the world is this here?!" Prime exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief. She reached out, almost as if the book might vanish if she didn't grab it quickly. "This doesn't make sense!"

Klaus, leaning over her shoulder to inspect it, narrowed his eyes. "I'm starting to think Dad knows everything," he said, his voice laced with a mixture of awe and dread.

Prime's stomach churned as she grimaced. "So... there's a chance he knew exactly what was going on all along, huh?" she muttered under her breath, the weight of the realization settling heavily on her.

Before she could process it further, a cold, familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "You are exactly right, No Number."

Prime froze, her blood running cold at the sound of their father's voice directly behind her. She spun around, her face paling as she saw Reginald standing there, his piercing gaze fixed on her.

Ben, the only one who hadn't turned away in time, visibly paled, his face draining of colour as he stared at their father. Reginald's cold expression never wavered.

Klaus, ever the one to try to defuse tense situations, attempted to lighten the mood. "Well, I think it's time for all of us to have a family meeting, don't you think?" His words carried a touch of forced levity, but Prime couldn't help but appreciate how he stepped in at just the right moment. She could feel the heaviness in the air, but Klaus's attempt at humour made her feel just a little bit lighter.

Reginald nodded curtly, his voice sharp as he issued his command. "Indeed, Number Four. To the living room. All of you." Without another word, he turned and left the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Prime let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, her body sagging in relief. It wasn't until now that she realized how tense she had been, her nerves on edge since the moment they had begun their search.

As she made her way toward the door, Ben and Klaus following close behind, she muttered under her breath, "I should have known this was all meant to happen. It was all a trap from the start."

Ben, ever the optimist, tried to reassure her. "At least we'll finally get some answers, right?"

Prime glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the chaos of the situation. "Benny, you're too good to us mischievous siblings," she said, shaking her head fondly as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Ben grumbled, "That's what happens when I spend so many years beside the two biggest troublemakers."

Prime chuckled lightly, her voice teasing but warm. "Well, you're pretty much stuck with us now. You'll be the voice of reason if anything goes down," she said with a wink.

Ben sighed, his exasperation clearly fake. Reaching out, he pinched her cheek, a small but affectionate gesture. "Yeah, yeah. I've got my work cut out for me."

But despite the tension still hanging in the air, the bond between them was undeniable. Even in the face of their father's manipulation, they were a team—mischievous and flawed, but stronger together.

...

The group sat together in the living room, eyes trained on the fireplace where Reginald stood, his posture rigid as he surveyed them. "I'll be honest," he began, his voice cutting through the tense silence, "I didn't expect any of this to unfold so quickly, especially not on the second day since all of you returned."

Five was the first to speak up, his voice sharp with suspicion. "So, you knew? You knew this was going to happen all along?"

Reginald corrected him coolly. "Correction, I theorized it. There is a significant difference, Number Five."

Five glared at him, preparing to retort, but Vanya, sitting beside him, stomped on his foot, silencing him.

"Can you just explain it to us clearly?" Diego demanded, his frustration evident. "No more riddles or games, we want answers. We're all together like you wanted, so tell us what's going on!"

The group turned their attention to their father, who remained silent for a moment, as though weighing his words carefully.

Prime spoke up, breaking the silence. "Start from the beginning," she said, locking eyes with Reginald. He knew better than to try to hide anything from her—Prime could see through any attempt to evade the truth.

With a sigh, Reginald began to speak, his voice heavy with the weight of years of secrecy. "I made a mistake when I suppressed Number Seven's powers, which ultimately led to the Apocalypse. I feared the magnitude of her abilities, so I had Number Three erase her memory of them. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but then Number Five left, and that's when everything fell apart. The Umbrella Academy lost its strength without him."

Prime nodded, piecing it together. "So, you finally realized that suppressing Vanya's powers was what set everything off from the start, right?" she said, looking around at her siblings in surprise. "Isn't that the truth?"

Reginald nodded reluctantly. "Yes, No Number, that's exactly it. But there's something you may not know—do you remember why I never gave you a number?"

Prime raised an eyebrow, her mind quickly recalling the years of feeling like an outsider, despite having powers and going on missions. "At first, I thought you didn't give me a number to make me feel isolated, to make me feel like I wasn't part of the group. Even though I had powers, I always felt like I didn't belong. But then I figured it out. You didn't give me a number because I knew too much. As The Mind, I saw both sides of everything, I remembered things like they were second nature. I didn't need to ask questions because I already knew the answers."

Reginald looked at her, clearly impressed by her insight. "You were a walking library," he said, his tone almost admiring. "But your intelligence—your knowledge—was something I couldn't risk. So, I gave you the Reverse Brainwashing power."

Prime froze. "Wait a minute... Reverse Brainwashing?" She frowned. "It can only be activated by your voice... and Pogo's."

Reginald nodded, confirming her realization. "Exactly. Your ability can only be triggered by our voices. That's why you didn't understand what was happening until now. It's a failsafe to prevent you from leaking information."

Prime's mind was racing. "So, we're stuck in one of the timelines that hasn't been messed up yet?" she said, more to herself than anyone else.

Five furrowed his brow, clearly confused. "Are you saying we've done this before?"

"And if we have, why don't we remember?" Allison added, voicing the question everyone was thinking.

Klaus then spoke, "Because that was a different timeline. And we're in this one now."

Everyone turned to Klaus, who gave them a knowing look. "That's exactly right," Prime agreed, her voice soft with disbelief. "It all makes sense now."

Luther, ever the sceptic, asked the next obvious question. "What makes this timeline different from the others? Why hasn't it been messed up yet?"

Prime sighed, her patience running thin. "It's because of Vanya. She was always the missing piece. Everything we've tried in the past failed because we didn't address her powers properly." She paused, her gaze darkening. "And after all the failed attempts, after all the deaths..."

"Deaths?" Diego interrupted, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Prime nodded grimly. "Yes, in the last timeline, Ben and I died. And I'm pretty sure all of us have died at some point in other timelines."

Reginald cut in, his voice tinged with resignation. "Yes, No Number is correct. But my death? That will always happen. I will always die."

Luther looked at him with concern. "Why?" he asked, his voice laced with worry, glancing at Prime.

Prime, frustrated, rubbed her temples. "I may have most of the answers, but even I have my limits," she muttered.

Five spoke up, his tone serious. "It's because you've altered the timeline too many times. Your death, in every timeline, has always been the same. That's why you didn't want me time-traveling."

Reginald nodded, confirming the truth. "Exactly. Time travel is not a power to be used lightly, which is why, Number Five, this will be your last journey. And that means none of you can afford to make mistakes this time."

Prime crossed her arms, her mind still working through the puzzle. "You keep talking about messing up, but what exactly are we trying to avoid?"

Reginald's face darkened. "The Handler. She will continue to alter the timeline, pushing us toward the Apocalypse. If we don't stop her, it will happen again."

Ben raised a valid question. "If she keeps altering time, why doesn't she suffer the same consequences you did?"

Prime turned to him, clearly intrigued by the question. "What makes her so different?"

Reginald's expression grew colder. "She resides in a dimension that exists between timelines. It's a place where time never changes. You need to travel there, to her domain, and eliminate her. That's the only way to eradicate her from existence."

Luther's eyes widened in concern. "But how do we get there?"

Five spoke up, a plan forming in his mind. "We lure her," he said, his eyes meeting Vanya's. "With Vanya."

Allison recoiled, clearly shocked. "Wait—are you saying we use her as bait?"

Vanya stood, determination in her eyes. "I'll do it," she said. "We only get one shot at this, and I'll do whatever it takes."

Klaus cheered, clearly impressed. "Look at that! Luther, maybe you should follow her example," he said with a grin.

Prime chuckled, watching Luther scowl. "Focus, guys," she said, then turned to Reginald. "I have one more question. In the timeline we were just in, Klaus was able to summon Ben and me, but something felt off. My powers felt drained. What happened?"

Reginald seemed taken aback. "You didn't realize your true powers?" he asked in disbelief.

Prime raised an eyebrow. "I'm Pyrokinetic and Telekinetic. Is there more?"

"No," he replied, his tone grave. "You're neither of those, No Number. You are The Mind. You have the ability to absorb other people's powers."

Prime nearly fell off the couch. "Excuse me? Can you explain that?"

Reginald continued, his words sinking in. "Your telekinetic abilities were never yours to begin with. They belonged to Number Four. You absorbed them because he wasn't ready for them."

Prime, still stunned, turned to Luther. "So I can't just, like, walk up to Luther and absorb his super strength?"

Luther looked a bit alarmed. "Uh, I'd rather you didn't."

Reginald nodded. "No, you absorb powers that aren't meant for the user, powers that aren't ready or that the user doesn't deserve. But those powers will return when the user is ready."

"When was the last time you used your telekinesis?"

Prime frowned, thinking back. "When was the last time I used Telekinesis?"

Reginald's gaze turned sharp as she spoke, "When Klaus conjured me and Ben."

"Try again, No Number." He said firmly

"Alright, I'll give it a try," Prime said, lifting her hands. She concentrated, but nothing happened. She tried harder, but still nothing. With a frustrated groan, she dropped her hands. "Well, that's disappointing."

"Try it, Klaus," Prime said, turning to him.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Uh, how exactly do I do that?"

"Just imagine lifting something," Prime instructed. "It's easier than it seems."

Klaus did just that, and to everyone's surprise, a bottle of whiskey flew into his hands. He cheered, thrilled by his success. "This is amazing!"

Prime smiled, knowing that Klaus's powers were far more than just communicating with the dead. He was a telekinetic too, with even more potential waiting to be unlocked. As she looked at Ben, he mouthed, "His ego's going to be through the roof now," and Prime couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, what about Pyrokinesis?" Prime asked, turning back to Reginald.

"You absorbed that from a biochemical cell," he explained. "It belonged to a past Pyrokinetic. That's why you struggled to control it when you were younger."

Prime frowned. "What about the switch you said I had before you injected me with Reverse Brainwashing?"

Reginald's face grew more serious. "The Switch is a mechanism that compresses your powers, keeping them from overwhelming you. The reason I gave you Reverse Brainwashing powers was to control you, to prevent you from spilling my plans."

Prime's eyes narrowed. "But that didn't work, did it? What good is it now, unless you and Pogo are planning to silence me again?"

The room grew tense, the others visibly uncomfortable. Reginald's tone softened. "No, that won't happen again, No Number. You have my word—and Pogo's."

Prime's expression hardened. "Then where's the serum?" she demanded. Reginald paused, then reached into his pocket, pulling out a needle filled with blue liquid.

He handed it to her. "We can't afford to make mistakes this time. I'll do whatever I can before I die to make sure this works."

Diego scoffed. "We'll see how well that works for you."

Prime couldn't help but agree. Reginald's track record wasn't exactly stellar.

"No more secrets, no more games," Five said, locking eyes with Reginald. "Promise?"

Reginald sighed deeply. "I promise."