"So, I was thinking this would be like a simple memorial service. We can dump his ashes at his favorite spot."

Allison looked confused, "He had a favorite spot?" She asked.

"Yeah, by the oak tree? Did none of you ever notice?"

Then Klaus interrupted, carrying a glass of rum and a lit cigarette. "Maybe we could have refreshments, like tea, scones, cucumber sandwiches are always a winner."

"What? No, and put that out, you know Dad didn't allow smoking in here."

Klaus rolled his eyes and set his drink down.

"Hey, whose skirt is that?" I asked, gesturing to the garment Klaus was wearing around his waist.

"Allison's. I found in her room, it's a little dated, but very breathable on the... bits."

I grimaced and Luther barked, "Hey, listen up. There's still some important things that we need to discuss."

"Oh lord Luther, like what?" Allison asked.

"Like how he died."

"Oh, no need. It was heart failure. I talked to the coroner myself." I told him.

"Yeah." He said rather dismissively.

"Well wouldn't they know?" Vanya asked.

"Theoretically."

"Luther, stop giving one word answers and spit it out." I groaned. He was so dark and broody sometimes.

"Look, I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. The last time I talked to dad he sounded strange." Luther had his 'There's a mystery, gang' face on and I didn't like it. I stopped going on missions, and I didn't intend to start again now.

Next to me, Klaus gargled his drink and said something that sounded like, "Cow surprise!"

I hit him in the stomach and hissed, "Cut it out!"

Then Allison asked, "Strange how?"

"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who I trust."

Then Diego spoke, "Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles." He got up and stood in front of Luther.

"No, he must've known something was going to happen."

"Luther, he never, ever seemed on edge around me. I was around him everyday." I told him, getting up and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, maybe he didn't want to scare you," He turned his attention to Klaus, leaving me very confused, "Look, I know you don't like to do it, but you need to talk to Dad."

Allison scoffed and took a drink from her glass.

Klaus sat up, "Hey it's not like I can just call up Dad in the afterlife and be like, "Hey Dad, can you stop playing tennis with Hitler for a second and come take a call?" I mean, I'm not in the right frame of mind!"

"You're high?" Allison guessed.

"Klaus, really? I thought you were going to rehab!" I huffed in annoyance, he needed to get clean or else he was going to die.

"I was, I was, but now I'm high again. How can you not be with all this shit going on?"

Luther again, "Well sober up, this is important. And then there's the issue of the missing monocle."

"Who give a shit about a stupid monocle?" Diego muttered.

"Exactly, so it must have been taken by someone close to him," He locked eyes with me, "Someone with a grudge."

"Hold on, what are you implying here?" I snapped, stepping away from Luther.

"Isn't it obvious, Izzy? He thinks one of us killed Dad."

Silence. I had never felt so angry. I stayed with that man for years. Devoted my life to keeping him alive. I didn't murder him.

Klaus read his face for a second before coming to a conclusion. "You do?" He asked.

Vanya stiffened, "How could you think that?"

Diego sneered, "Great job, Luther. Way to lead." And then he left.

"Wait, that's not what I'm saying."

"You're crazy, man. You're crazy." Klaus got up.

"I'm not done!" Luther blurted.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just going to go murder Mom, be right back." Klaus joked coldly. He left and so did Vanya, her frown more obvious than before.

"That's not what I was saying... I didn't-," He tried to finish, but Allison shut him up with a glare as she left.

Then there were two.

"Luther, I can't believe you. I know you think it was me, but I spent my life caring for him. You and everyone else left him." I got up, "Seriously poor move, brother." I stretched my arms up to the second floor banister and pulled myself up. I needed to get out of there as fast as I could, walking just didn't cut it.

~•~
17 Years Ago...

"In five, four, three, two, one... This is Jim Hellerman reporting live for Channel 2 News outside the Capital West Bank on Main and Sixth. A group of heavily armed men stormed the bank not three hours ago, taking an unknown amount of hostages..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gun shots, it was go time. I ran along the museum roof behind Luther. All I could think was that I couldn't let any hostages die. We were trained for a reason. Then, my thoughts were interrupted as we reached a skylight, which Luther shattered and jumped through. I heard his body land on the armed robbers and I launched into action.

I stretched my arms down and grabbed the guns Luther handed me. I placed them on the ground next to me and stretched down to the ground in time to watch Five take another guy's gun away and replace it with a stapler and hit him with it.

"Nice going, Five!" I cheered as he bowed from his place on the counter. Then everyone turned their attention to Ben.

"Do I really have to do this?" He asked, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"C'mon Ben, there's more guys in the vault." Luther stated.

I rolled my eyes, which was unseen from behind my mask. I took Ben's arm. "I'll go with you. I'm bulletproof."

Still, he sighed, "I didn't sign up for this."

I opened the door and slipped inside. Six or seven more armed men stood on the other side. "Come at me, gentlemen!"

I felt the hundreds of rounds of bullets hit me in rapid succession.

"What the fuck? She won't die!"

"Fucking freak!"

I giggled, "Now, now, gentlemen, let's hold our tongues, hm?"

I stretched myself as a barrier for Ben, and soon enough, they ran out of ammo.

"Now, Ben!" I yelled.

Then I heard screams as I shut my eyes. I felt the woosh of tentacles flying around, ripping bodies, and the shower of blood staining my skin. The ripping noises finally stopped and I became my normal shape again. We stepped out of the vault soaked in blood.

"Can we go home now?" Ben muttered stiffly. I reached my arm around him and gave him a squeeze.

Outside of the bank, interviewers mobbed us. Asking who we were, how we took out so many grown men, how we got inside, where our parents were, anything and everything to explain what the hell just happened.

Dad soon met up with us and addressed the crowd of awed individuals.
"Our world is changing; has changed. There are some among us, gifted with abilities far beyond the ordinary."

I could feel myself beaming with pride. I glanced over at Klaus, who glanced over at me too. We snickered, but put our eyes forward again.

Dad kept talking, "I have adopted seven such children. I give you, the inaugural class, of the Umbrella Academy."

The Present
I ran my fingers along the old photos of us as babies. All eight of us, lined up perfectly from about 4 months old. We were each wearing a dark blue jumper with our number on it. As babies, there were always defining physical traits to look for to tell certain babies apart, like Klaus and Five for example.

Klaus had crazy, tiny spiral curls from the time he left the womb, and Five had a permanent baby frown on his face. And Diego and Ben. Diego had one tiny, faint dimple on his left cheek, and Ben had giant ears that stuck straight out. For Vanya and I, you had to look into our eyes. Vanya has the deepest brown eyes, while I have navy blue eyes, and as a baby, you could never tell. Also, I was the chubbiest baby on the planet.

Then, I moved on to the photos of Ben and Five. There was one of them when they were three. They were playing with some toy trains, and decided to hug right in the middle of their train tracks. Their little faces smiled brightly at the camera. I felt a tear slip down my cheek.
Oh lord, this is why I don't reminisce.

More tears, and eventually I was just sitting in the attic floor sobbing, clinging the photo to my chest. Then I heard it, a steady drum beat.
(Go crank that video^):

Children behave, that's what they say when we're together
And watch how you play
They don't understand
And so we're

I started twirling around the attic, holding the photo to my chest. I love this song...

Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands
Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground and then you say

I put the photo down and raised my arms above my head.

I think we're alone now,
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now,
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Look at the way we gotta hide what we're doin'
'Cause what would they say
If they ever knew
And so we're
Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands
Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground and then you say
I think we're alone now,
There doesn't seem to be anyone around

I laughed, breaking into the very little tap dancing I know. I finally felt happy, for the first time in a long time.

I think we're alone now,
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now,
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now,
The beating of our hearts is the only sound

Crash!

The music cut out, and suddenly there was thunder and flashing blue light. The photo I was holding flew at my face, but I managed to duck and feel a shower of glass hit my face. I sighed.

"Oh shit..."