"Sometimes you need to be your own hero"

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Flashback start...

17 years ago...

"Nietzsche once said 'Man is as a rope stretched between the animal and the superhuman. A rope over an abyss. It is a dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting'" Reginald read from his book. He was standing on a top of the staircase with his notebook. Vanya was standing next to him, she had a clipboard in one hand, a stopwatch in the other and a whistle around her neck.

The eight other kids were all standing at the button of the staircase. They were all wearing the same shirt. It was a green tracksuit with white trainers.

This was a race up the stairs and none of the kids wanted to be the last.

Reginald closed the book and Vanya blow the whistle making all the kids to start running up the stairs.

"As much as you must strive for individual greatness, and strive you must, for it won't come to you of its own accord...you must also remember that there is no individual stronger than the collective" Reginald said as the kids ran up the stairs.

Diego and Luther took the lead, behind them was Five and Maddie with Freddy behind them.

Then Five grabbed Maddie's hand before he blinked in front of Diego and Luther "That's not fair, Five's cheating!" Diego said.

Maddie created a small energy blast before throwing it at Luther and Diego causing them to stumble back. "Maddie is cheating too" Luther said "The dynamic duo are cheating" Diego said. Then Freddy shifted into a bird and flew up in front of Luther and Diego before he shifted back to human and ran after Maddie and Five "And now Freddy" Luther said "They adapted" Reginald said as Maddie and Five looked at each other with a smile.

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"The ties that bind you together, make you stronger than you are alone" Reginald said.

Maddie was sitting in a chair which was a temporary tattoo parlor. The tattoo machine buzzed and the needle was piercing into her skin causing Maddie to squirmed in the seat as she could feel the needle.

Just like the rest of the kids except for Vanya, Maddie was getting an Umbrella Academy tattoo on her left wrist. Their Dad found it necessary to give the kids tattoos at the age of 13 cause he wanted to show them that they were part of The Umbrella Academy.

The tattoo was a black umbrella inside a circle.

Allison was crying while Klaus comforted her as the two and Five already have gotten their tattoos done.

Maddie closed her eyes tight, trying not to cry as she could feel the needle on her skin "Breathe" she could hear Five whispered behind her and she tried to take a deep breaths but it didn't worked and her body started shaking.

Maddie could feel that her eyes started to glow red and her body was about to power up.

But before anything could happen, she heard Five humming quietly behind her which cause her to power down before she took a deep breath and calmed down.

While Maddie was getting her tattoo, the rest of the kids were waiting for theirs turn while they were sitting in a row of chairs.

Five kept humming quietly until Maddie was done and she quickly got up from the chair before walking over to Five who quickly wrapped an arm around her "It's okay, I'm here" he whispered "Thank you" she said "Anytime" he said.

Maddie looked at the tattoo on her left wrist. It look a little bruised and bloody.

Then Diego was next, you could see how scared he was. And he almost started crying when he sat down on the chair.

Diego sob quietly as he could hear the machine buzzing and he could feel the needle in his skin causing him to start groaning. Grace was about to take his hand but he took his hand away.

"They will make you impervious to the pain and hardship the world will thrust upon you. And believe me when I tell you, life will be hard. It will be painful" Reginald said.

As soon as Diego was done, he quickly got up from the chair and walked over to the others "You okay?" Maddie asked him "It's just hurt, I hate needles" Diego said "I know, but it will get better, you just have to fight through the pain" Maddie said.

"Custos, it's your turn" Reginald said and Freddy rolled his eyes before he got up, walked over to the chair and sat down, without fear.

"We can accomplish anything when we accept responsibility together. This is what creates trust. Together, you will stand against the reign of evil" Reginald said.

Flashback ends...

Maddie was sitting by the table in the kitchen reading while Freddy was in his cat form laying on one of the kitchen shelf, with his paws and tail hanging over the edge.

Five was searching all the shelves in the kitchen, looking for something while Klaus was sitting at the end of the table, hugging a guitar to his chest.

"Hey Maddie?" Klaus asked and Maddie looked at him "Is this your guitar?" he asked "No, mine is at home and much prettier" Maddie said "Don't listen to her little one, you are pretty" Klaus said, looking at the guitar and hugged it tighter causing Maddie to roll her eyes with a smile.

"Where's Vanya" Allison asked as she walk into the kitchen "Oh, she's gone" Klaus said "That's unfortunate" Five said "Yeah" Allison said "An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee" Five said "Dad hated caffeine" Allison said "Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us" Klaus said and let out a small laugh "True" Maddie said, not looking up from her book.

"I'm taking the car. Maddie, you wanna come?" Five asked, looking at Maddie "Absolutely" she said and closed her book before she stood up "Where are you going?" Klaus asked as he leaned forward in his chair "To get a decent cup of coffee" Five said, "Well, I think I also need a good cup of coffee" Maddie said "Do you even know how to drive?" Allison asked Five "I know how to do everything" he replied.

Maddie pulled up the keys to her car "Fred" she said and throw the keys towards Freddy who jumped down and shifted back to human before he grabbed the keys "Take the car back to the house" Maddie said "Shall I find you after?" Freddy asked "No. I can handle myself, I will be fine, I will meet you back at the house later" Maddie said before Five grabbed her hand and blinked them out to the car.

"Put your seatbelt on" Five said and Maddie did what he said "Are you sure, you know how to drive?" she asked "Of course, I know how to drive. I have picked more than a few things while I was gone" Five said and started the car before they drove away.

"I feel like we should try and stop them, but then again, I also just kinda want to see what happens" Klaus said "Do you think that Maddie and Five are people you would be able to stop" Freddy said as he was playing with the keys in his hand.

"All right, I guess I'll see you guys in what, ten years? When Pogo dies?" Diego said as he walked into the kitchen "Not if you die first" Allison said "Yeah, love you too, sis. Good luck on your next film. Hope it turns out better than your marriage, huh?" Diego said and took a bite of some food that was standing on the table "See you later, little knight" Diego said, looking at Freddy "See you later, Diego" Freddy said and Diego walked towards the exit again.

"Are--Are we leaving?" Klaus asked Diego "No, I'm leaving, by myself" Diego said "Oh, fabulous! I'll get my things" Klaus said and turned around "See you soon, Freddy" Klaus said and ran out of the kitchen to get his things "See you soon" Freddy said as Allison left the kitchen.

"It was good seeing you all again" Freddy whispered and sighed as he was swinging the keys around his finger one more time, before he left.

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Five stopped the car by a place called Griddy's Doughnuts.

Maddie and Five stepped out of the car and started walking towards the place "Of course you will choice this place" she said as they entered the diner.

When they walked in, Maddie looked around the diner, she haven't been here in a long time. Her and her siblings used to meet up on nights after missions and sneak out of the house to go to Griddy's together. When Five disappeared, Maddie, Freddy and Ben constantly tried to encourage the others to keep going but they refused. But they went once more, and that was the night of Ben's funeral and Maddie hasn't being in the place since then.

Maddie and Five sat down by the counter and Five impatiently hit on the bell that was in front of him. "Where is everyone?" he asked "Calm down Five, they are probably busy, someone will come" Maddie said.

Then the door opened and a man entered the Café before taking a seat next to Five.

The man had a yellow and black plaid shirt on underneath a puffy vest. He wore jeans and boots.

The man exhales deeply before he looked down at the menu he was holding in his hand. Five looked up and down at the man before he sighed as he looked down at his hands that were clasped together on the counter while Maddie looked down at her fingers.

The sound of dished clattering was heard before the door to the back opened and an older woman in a pink uniform walked out from a room behind the counter before she approached the three.

Maddie spotted the name Agnes was written on her uniform.

"Sorry, sink was clogged" she said and chuckled "So, what'll it be?" she asked as she pulled out a pen and a small notepad out of her apron before looking at the man next to Five.

"Uh, give me a chocolate éclair" the man said "Mm-hmm. Sure" Agnes said and wrote it down before she looked at Maddie and Five.

"Can I get the kids a glass of milk or something?" she asked as she looked back at the man, thinking that it was his kids and Five scoffs.

"The kids wants coffee. Black" he said and Agnes looked at Five with widened eyes for a few seconds before she looked back at the man "Cute kids" the woman said and chuckled.

Agnes looked back at Five who gave her a fake but a little creepy smile.

"Okay" Agnes said sounding a little uncomfortable before she turned away to get the order.

Five let out a sigh "Don't remember this place being such a shithole" he said "We used to come here as kids" Maddie said "Yeah, we used to sneak out with our brothers and sisters and eat doughnuts till we puked" Five said "It was simpler times" Maddie said as the two thought back to those moments "I supposed" the man said.

Agnes came back with the ordres "Here" she said as she gave Maddie and Five their coffee "I got theirs" the man said as he took some money up from his wallet while Agnes handing him his order "Thanks" Maddie and Five said.

Five then noticed the man's work clothes "You must know your way around the city" he said "I hope so. I've veen driving it for 20 years" the man said "Good. We need an address" Five said.

The man gave Five an address to a place before he left.

Five folded the napkin where the address was on and put it in his blazer's pocket.

He was about to take a sip of his coffee when he saw in the bell's mirror a bunch of armed men all in black, walking into the diner.

"Who the hell are these" Maddie said inside her head.

Five looked at her and it was like he told her with his eyes to calm down, but be ready for a fight and Maddie gave him a small nod.

The men all pointed their guns on Maddie and Five "Hmm. That was fast" Five said in a calm voice "I thought I'd have more time before they found me" he said "Okay. So let's all be professional about this, yeah? On your feet and come with us. They want to talk" one of the men said.

A gun cocked causing Maddie to turn her head a little bit to see a gun aimed right at the back of her head "You are coming with us too" the guy said "I don't like being talk to like that" Maddie said "Just shut up and come with us" the guy said "They want to talk, but I don't. Because I've got nothing to say. And you should probably not treat my friend like that, she can get angry when people talk to her or treat her like that, and when she is angry, she can be quite dangerous" Five said before his eyes felled on a butter knife that was laying on the counter next to him "He's right, I can be dangerous, we both can" Maddie said in calm voice.

"It doesn't have to go this way. You think I want to shoot two kids? Go home with that on my conscience?" the guy asked "Well, I wouldn't worry about that. You won't be going home" Five said.

Maddie's eyes started glowing red as Five slowly grabbed the butter knife and blinked away before he appeared behind the guy and stabbed him in the back with the knife making him start shooting causing him to hit one of his own men while the others took cover.

One of the men grabbed Maddie, but she lifted up her leg, kicking him in the face, she then pulled out one of her knives and stabbed him in the chest causing him to fell to the ground.

One of the guys started shooting at Maddie but she reach to created a shield before the bullet could hit her.

As soon as the gun ran out of bullet, the shield disappeared "My turn" Maddie said before a ball appeared on her palm and she lifted up her hand causing the man to float up in the air.

While she was holding the man up with her powers, she turned her other hand and red whisps appeared around her fingers and suddenly some red energy appeared around six other butter knives and they flew up in the air and stopped right above Maddie before they flew towards the man, drilling them into his body and Maddie put the man down causing him to fell dead on the floor.

One of the guys pointed his gun at Maddie but she made a quick move with her head, breaking the guy's neck with her powers, she then jumped behind the counter as the others started shooting at her.

The light started flickered as Five appeared over by a small table "Hey assholes!" he shouted at them.

The guys pointed their guns away from the counter and started shooting at Five but he reach to blink again.

The guys stopped shooting and started looking around. Then Five appeared just outside the door peaking through the window.

Five knocked on the window causing one of the guys to turn around and Five lifted two of his fingers to his head, saluting him while smiling fakely at the guy.

The guy pulled the trigger but Five reach to blink away again while the glass on the door shattered and fell to the floor.

The guy stopped shooting before he walked closer to the door.

Five then appeared next to a guy, he grabbed a broom and broke it before he stabbed the guy with it and quickly disappeared again.

Maddie jumped out from the counter, she grabbed a guy's neck and started suffocate him causing the guy to groaned while trying to breathe.

"Get the girl" one of the guy said as he pointed his gun at Maddie.

"Don't you dare hurt my woman" Five said as he appeared before he grabbed a pencil, stabbing the guy between his leg causing him to grunt in pain as he felled to his knees.

Another guy pointed his gun at Five but while Maddie was strangling another guy, she used her powers, making a plate to flew up in the air and threw it at the guy's face causing him to fell to the floor.

Five took the pencil out of the guy before he stabbed him in the eye causing him to scream before he felled dead on the floor.

Two men got up before they pointed their guns at Five but he ran towards the counter as the men lifted their weapons.

Five went in front of the two men and as they started shooting, Five blinked out of the way.

The two men who was standing directly in front each other, hit each other causing them both to fell to the floor with a scream and a grunt.

Five appeared again before he took a deep breath.

He then heard one of the guy's groan so he calmly walked over to the guy and put his feet on both side of the man's head, grabbing the man's chin and hair before he snapped his neck.

But then the last guy pointed his gun at Five, he pulled the trigger and the bullets came flying towards Five but suddenly some red energy appeared around the bullets making them slow down before falling to the floor.

The guy had a confused look on his face and Five just looked at him with a smile as he saw Maddie appeared from behind the guy and she grabbed the guy's jaw before she snap his neck and the guy felled dead on the floor.

Five and Maddie looked at each other "We're still a pretty good team" he said and Maddie chuckled "Yeah, nothing seems to have change, we are still pretty good together" she said and he smiled.

Five then spotted a small device on the floor next to one of the the guys. He picked it up before walking over to the counter and sat down.

"What is that?" Maddie asked, Five didn't answer and he rolled up his sleeve before he grabbed a knife and started cutting into his own arm "What the hell are you doing?" Maddie shouted at him "Calm down" he said and put down the knife before he stuck his fingers into the cut, he started groaned as he pulled out a small circle with a blinking green dot in the center that kept beeping.

"What is that?" Maddie asked "A tracking chip" Five said "So they were tacking you" Maddie said and Five nodded "That's how they found me" he said before looking around "We need to get out of here, before more people show up" Five said "Let's go to my house and take care of your wound before we go anywhere else, okay?" she asked and he looked at her before nodding "Okay" he said.

Maddie and Five walked out of the diner and Five threw the chip on the ground next to a grate "Good lucky to them in finding you now" Maddie said and Five nodded before he fix his tie as the dynamic duo left the diner.

Maddie and Five jumped into the car "Next stop, my house" Maddie said and they drove away before anyone else showed up.

"Even if someone is bad at something, never give up on them"

A/N: Hope you like this chapter. Vote or comment if you did.