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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙ. ʙ. ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐎𝐍𝐄 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. . . ꒱　


❝ I LOVE YOU ❞

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Often, the correct chronological order for a story is to start at the beginning in order to explain how the events led up to the end. Sometimes, however, the story doesn't have a clear beginning. For example, take mine. Would it start the eight days before the Apocalypse, at my father's death? Or before that, when The Umbrella Academy abandoned each other in pursuit of their own interests and desire to forget their beginnings? At my birth, perhaps, when my mother sold me to Reginald Hargreeves? Or even earlier, before my father even came to have the idea of crime-fighting superheroes? 

So, you can see my dilemma— which is why I think my story would be best started from the end rather than the beginning. 

☂☂☂

Alexa ran up the theater steps with her siblings as her heart pounded in her chest. While she wasn't necessarily at risk for being shot by the gunmen, having bullets flying around was definitely a good way to get one's adrenaline going. Out of breath, the five Hargreeves siblings reconvened on the main floor. Alexa's sister, Allison, stopped and put her hand against Luther's chest before she lifted her notepad for him to see what she had written: I need to go alone. The remaining siblings slowed to watch the exchange. 

"Allison, I can't let you do that, alright?" Luther protested predictably. "She's beyond reasoning."

Allison shoved him, trying to get him to understand. Diego spoke loudly over the noise: "do you hear the music? It's started!" 

"Do you want us to think she's going to listen?" Luther continued. "After everything that's happened?" 

Alexa looked at her sister's hurt expression and felt something tug in her chest. It wasn't that she wanted to hurt Vanya— they were sisters! But what choice did they have to save the world? The blonde bit her lip and glanced at the theater doors. They were losing time.

Klaus seemed to have the same idea as he said urgently, "we don't have time for this." 

A sudden thought occurred to the last Hargreeves and the idea lit up her expression. Stepping between Allison and Luther, she said, "I'll go with her and make sure Vanya doesn't hurt us." 

The ape-man (Alexa still couldn't believe it) gave her a look through narrowed eyes which she met with her own blue ones. After a moment, he nodded and she turned to her sister, who gave her a grateful look. The blonde reached out and gently touched Allison's shoulder to allow a connection to open between them. Alexa's blue eyes became more intense and her surrounding siblings watched as a thin blue film seemed to peel away from Alexa, move across her arm, and spread over Allison's body until the blue faded away like nothing had changed. But, if one were to look in the other woman's eyes, they would see a light ring of blue around the brown irises. It wasn't much protection but it was certainly better than nothing. 

"Let's go," Alexa said and she gently grabbed her sister's arm to pull her into the theater. 

The two women made their way quickly down the aisle with their eyes fixed on the stage where Vanya played with the orchestra. They stopped several feet away as they listened to their sister's playing. Alexa had to admit that it was very beautiful and she wished they were there under different circumstances. The violinist glanced up from her music and when the two sisters on the floor met her eyes, all three smiled. Maybe this won't be bad, Alexa thought. 

But it was then that Diego and Luther ran out from the sides, towards Vanya. Their sister's power seemed to suck in to her before she stood up and cut through the air with her bow to send a shockwave towards them that caused them to fly back. The audience started panicking and screams came from all around them. Alexa gripped her sister's arm tighter, not wanting to be separated in the chaos as everyone left their seats. Another blast of Vanya's power sent the orchestra to their positions and they continued playing. When she approached the edge of the stage, the third swipe of her bow sent everyone running for the doors. 

The four Hargreeves met up on the floor underneath her as Diego was saying, "she's stronger than expected."

Allison picked up a dropped purse and threw it at Luther angrily at the same time Alexa called across the aisle: "what were you two idiots thinking?! We had it under control!" 

"We're fine, thanks for asking," Luther replied snarkily, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. They didn't have time for that, thanks to her stupid brothers. He turned to Allison. "Look, I almost lost you once. I wasn't about to lose you again." 

"Alright, so much for the element of surprise. What else you got?" Diego asked. Allison got their attention and made a violin motion, causing him to say, "yeah, no shit Allison. Tell us something we don't already know." 

"She's talking about the violin!" Luther exclaimed. "It's her lightning rod!" 

Wow, the first bright idea he's had all day, Alexa thought irritably as she glanced up at their sister on stage. 

"If we take it from her we can stop her from playing. It's worth a shot." 

Alexa's eyes narrowed. "Don't hurt her!" she insisted, but either she wasn't heard or they didn't care because her comment went unacknowledged. 

Or, it could be that rapid gunfire of the incoming gunmen that followed them could've covered it up. 

Everyone immediately ducked for cover and Alexa scrambled across the gap to reach her brothers. No matter how stupid they were, she still cared about them. She reached out both hands to place on Diego and Luther and allowed the same actions to take place as they had for Allison. Both brothers gave her a surprised look as Diego's became more reprimanding. "You're putting yourself at risk!" he called to her over the sound of the gunfire.

Alexa shook her head. She didn't care. If they were going to die anyway she might as well fight it for as long as she could. If spreading her power thin was what made that happen then she would be happy to make that sacrifice. 

By this time, the orchestra didn't seem to care about Vanya's power and hightailed it off the stage. The blonde didn't blame them. If she was caught unaware she would've done the same. Vanya continued to play despite the mounting chaos.

"Where the hell is Klaus, he's supposed to be our lookout!" Diego shouted. 

"Yeah are you surprised?" Luther responded. 

Alexa ducked back into the cover of the rows now that avoiding gunfire was actually necessary for her. Five reappeared and she felt relief swamp over her. She hadn't even realized she'd been so worried as caught up in the pandemonium as she was. I have to get to him, she thought. 

"What's with all the lollygagging?" he asked. 

"Watch out!" Luther cried as the bullets started aiming at him, too. 

The boy fell towards the chairs and Alexa reached out to grab him by the arm. She yanked him between the seats with her. Twisting around, Five saw who it was that pulled him down and he smirked. "My hero. How shall I thank you?" 

The blonde's eyes narrowed, not amused at a time like this. As gunfire rained over them, she reached out a hand and grabbed his shoulder. The boy looked confused for a moment before the familiar blue flash traveled down her arm. 

"You can't!" he exclaimed as his green eyes widened. A thin blue line was visible around the edge.

Alexa's blue ones narrowed. "And why the hell not? You put yourself at risk for us. "It's only right that I get to do it, too!" 

He opened his mouth to argue back but Luther interrupted them: "what the hell, I thought you bailed on us!" 

Five glanced at his siblings. "I had an errand to run. This is not good." 

"You know these guys?" Diego asked. 

"Yeah, I do." 

More gunmen came down the aisle and Alexa backed further into the seats as Five commented, "we're screwed."

Maybe she shouldn't have stretched her power over all of them because then she'd be able to take the guys down. But she also knew that she wouldn't forgive herself if one of them got hurt because she hadn't. I didn't for Ben, after all, she thought. 

Diego threw his knives in quick succession but they did little damage. Klaus then decided to make an appearance as he yelled "guys, guys!" frantically until he was forced to duck between the seats as well. 

Five disappeared in front of her to land on the back of one of the men. Alexa sucked in a breath, glad that he was at least minimally protected— especially if he was going to be doing something stupid like that. There wasn't much she could do otherwise and she kept her head down. Vanya was still playing, which amazed her. Alexa had to give her sister credit for being so persevering. 

In a chance, she glanced up in time to see Klaus rising as his fists glowed blue and Ben of all people appeared in front of him, ghostlike. Alexa's chest gave a painful squeeze at the sight of her dead brother and as she was wont to do at the mention of him, thought: Ben, I'm sorry. It's my fault. All mine. Klaus was somehow able to manifest Ben's powers. The tentacles came out of her brother and began to pull their attackers down four at a time. Her mouth opened in awe and she regretted when— if there was ever a time— she misjudged Klaus. 

When the gunfire slowed, she stood and noticed her siblings had as well— they had also recognized the figure their brother had summoned. Alexa turned back to her sister on stage and watched as white began to cover her figure as the building shook with the force of her power. Once everything had been taken care of, the six (since Ben was present) met in the center. 

"How do you want to end this thing?" Diego asked. 

 "We surround her— come at her from all sides," Luther answered, practically yelling over the projected sound of the violin and crumbling building. 

"So it's a suicide mission," Klaus clarified. 

Glancing up at the stage, Alexa's heart sank. She'd really been hoping for a different outcome—they all had— but now was not the time to think about what could've been. 

"If one of us could get through it's the only chance we have," Five said. His green eyes met hers. The blonde swallowed; the tables had turned. Now they were the distraction and I'm the one who's supposed to stop this. It only made sense, after all. Even with her power spread over five of her siblings she was still strong enough to withstand major attacks. 

"Are we all in?" Luther asked and in turn, they each nodded except for Allison.

Luther ignored her protest and assigned them their angles; Alexa would be upfront with Five and Klaus. As the moved to their positions, she touched Allison's shoulder again, as much a reassurance as to get some of her power back. Facing the front, Alexa began making determined strides towards her sister and sped up until she was running onto the stage with her siblings. As she did so, her powers flared up again, even alighting around the boys as she reached for the source. 

Time seemed to slow down as they convened on stage. Alexa's blue light contrasted with her sister's white, which seemed to glow to a blinding intensity. At Luther's war cry, they leapt towards her but she slashed the air with her bow. The boys were lifted up by her power as the little bit of Alexa's was not strong enough to combat it, but the woman herself hadn't been. Instead, their two forces met together with what would've been a resounding crash if the building hadn't already been shaking. The blonde grit her teeth and forced herself to hold against the white, not noticing the pain her brothers were in along with her own. As the five white beams prevented them from reaching her, Allison appeared behind Vanya holding a gun. 

Tears coated her face as she held the weapon to her sister's head, not willing— even now— to kill her. In a split second decision, she moved to the right of her head and pulled the trigger. The sound caused whatever trance Vanya had been in to jerk out of it and she collapsed against her sister as a white beam shot from her chest and out the central window above her. The four dropped to the ground while Alexa stumbled forward as the force she'd been using against her sister carried her face first to the ground. The five of them recovered to scramble around their sisters. 

"Is she alive?" Luther asked as Allison cradled her and checked for a pulse. Alexa reached for her Vanya's hand to squeeze it gently. Even if she had been trying to kill them, her sister was still in there somewhere. Allison nodded and everyone sighed in relief. "We saved the world!" Luther exclaimed. 

Alexa let out a happy breath, not able to believe that they'd actually done it. But apparently it wasn't over yet as Klaus stood up and pointed to the window. "Uh, guys? Do you see that big moon rock coming right towards us?"

The blonde looked up and her eyes widened. "Shit," she breathed. She should've known that it was too easy. Glancing at her, well, biggest brother, she thought rather bitterly: I guess he'll be happy to know that the four years he spent on the moon wasn't for nothing. 

"So this is it, huh?" Klaus asked as Diego and Luther stood up. "So much for saving the world." 

"If only Sir Reginald could see us right now," Diego commented bitterly. "The Umbrella Academy, a total failure." 

Alexa looked away from the sky and flying moon rocks towards Five, who was still on the ground with her. If she was to have her last moments on earth, she didn't want to be looking at her death but at the person she. . . loved. She might as well admit it now since they were all going to die anyway.

Luther had the same thought, as he said, "at least we're together at the end. As a family." 

Five stood up but he seemed to have other ideas. "This doesn't have to be the end." Everyone turned to look at him. "I think I have a way out of here but you gotta trust me on this."

No one seemed keen on the idea but Alexa kept her gaze locked on the boy. "I think we should hear him out, guys," she said.

Five briefly acknowledged her with a short "yeah, thanks," before he continued: "well, we might as well accept our fate because in less than a minute we're going to be vaporized."

"What's your idea, then?"

"We use my ability to time travel but this time I take all of you with me."

"Can you do that?" Diego questioned him.

"I don't know. I've never tried it before." 

"What's the worst that could happen?" 

"You're looking at it: a fifty-eight year old man in a child's body, so there's that." That didn't sound too bad to Alexa— better than death, anyway. As everyone agreed, Five turned to her and she nodded without hesitation. "Okay, great. Luther, grab Vanya," Five directed him as they moved into a circle. 

Alexa stood between Luther and Diego as she glanced up anxiously at the moon rocks that were landing in the atmosphere. Forcing herself not to think about imminent death, she closed her eyes to block out her sibling's voices. She instead focused on her center and reached farther down than she'd ever gone before, especially with her power already being shared. A thin blue globe surrounded them— a bubble that protected the Hargreeves from harm. Her head bent in concentration and Alexa pictured the protective circle glowing brighter, stronger. I will not let my siblings die today, she thought as she tried to buy Five as much time as possible. 

Around them, her shield glowed as it added layer upon layer, darkening until it was almost opaque and it blocked out the sounds of crashing moon rock. Alexa opened her eyes— which were the same color as the shield— to look at Five and she forced herself to nod. Looking up, the blue of a time portal brightened even through the protective layers of the bubble. It spread around them as Five called: "hold on! It's gonna get messy!" 

As she felt the pull of Five's power Alexa felt a tug on her own, causing her to slump slightly between her brothers. She looked down and realized the ground was much closer than it used to be and her clothes felt almost. . . baggy. As she looked at her siblings, a few brief thoughts occurred to her before they disappeared: 

1. Everyone looked younger. 
2. She could see Ben.
3. They weren't going to die

and, as she looked at Five:

4. I love you