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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙ. ʙ. ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ . . . ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ ꒱　


❝ YOU WERE ALWAYS MY
FAVORITE SISTER! ❞

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On October first, 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many children as possible.

He got eight of them.

Alexandra Hargreeves— or as she was known to her father, Number Eight— had built a reasonably successful life for herself after the Academy collapsed. At age seventeen, she'd left the house to start a new life on the uptown side of the city. Having been homeschooled by her father, she attended the local community college to have more of an academic career before she transferred to a four-year university to become an art teacher for an elementary school. She was fond of the children she taught and she was especially good at telling stories about superheroes during class time.

Her apartment reflected her personality with a bright and airy space that was small and charming. She'd bought white wallpaper that she painted herself and could constantly add to whenever she was in the mood. The main part of the space was the kitchen, eating area and living room (which was practically all one) with her bedroom— her favorite room— being separate. While that space wasn't very big either, it held her favorite possessions: her art supplies, her books, a chalkboard filled with numerous equations, and perhaps most importantly, her bed.

Although she didn't have much of a life outside work and home, she was as happy as could be expected as long as she didn't think about her separated family members. Alexa had kept in touch with Vanya and Diego briefly but the communication soon fell apart and she was left on her own. Allison had quickly risen to fame, Klaus had slipped beyond her reach and Alexa had never been close to Luther. A part of her was guilty that this was so, as she was supposed to protect all of them and she'd failed at that. She didn't want to dwell on the thought, though, so she forced it to the back of her mind and out of sight. Alexa had even stopped using her powers since she didn't have need of them in her current life. Her invulnerability was always there, of course, but her shields and power transfers remained obsolete and unused for seventeen years.

A rainy day on March twentieth brought a change to her usual routine. Having returned home from teaching class, Alexa had set about relaxing for the evening and her routine of sketching while listening to the news. She sat down on the couch— which wasn't the most comfortable in the world with its rough, brown cushions and wooden frame, but it was hers— and placed her sketchpad on her lap as her feet were placed on the low coffee table in front of her. Reaching for the remote, she powered on the TV before she picked up the hot tea she'd made a few minutes ago as she took a sip. Alexa let the noise of the TV drone on as her pencil moved across the pad while she traced curving lines and sharp angles, only to be pulled out of her stupor when the breaking news noise sounded:

'Moments ago, police reported the death of the world's most eccentric and reclusive billionaire.'

Alexa's head jerked up from being bent over her drawing and she stared at the screen in shock when her father's face was shown. Dad! she thought. He can't die, can he? This was rather stupid since of course he could die, but when he was alive he seemed invincible. The blonde's heart pounded in her chest as the screen switched to something else and there was a twist of something heavy in her stomach that made her nauseous— she'd have to go back to the Academy. The bastard had probably planned for them to reconvene because no matter how they all hated their past, they would never miss the funeral. Besides, she hadn't expected Sir Reginald Hargreeves to die so. . . quietly.

All their lives pretty much, he'd been barking orders and throwing his reign of terror over them. For him to go out like a light was very suspicious; he'd certainly want to yell at them one last time before he died, anyway. Alexa sighed and put down her drawing of a young boy in favor of standing up and stretching. She'd have to call the school so they could find a substitute which she decided she'd do tomorrow.

☂☂☂

After taking a cab to the place of her childhood, Alexa stood in front of the building anxiously before heading up the steps and pushing the door open. Inside was much the same with dark wood wall and eclectic antiques that was a mixture of figurines and weaponry. On the walls were landscapes and portraits, all of which were her previous works. It had been the only way to keep up her hobby, after all, and Pogo had been the one to suggest it to Reginald after her drawings were discovered.

Walking down the main hall, she entered the living room where a figure was sitting in a chair by the fireplace. A large portrait of a boy clothed in an Umbrella Academy uniform hung from the mantle— her work as well.

"Mom?" Alexa asked.

The robotic woman looked up from her sewing and smiled serenely. "Alexa, dear, it is so good to see you."

The blonde smiled in return. "It's good to see you too, mom."

"Can I make you some cookies?" she wondered, seemingly out of the blue.

The woman's eyes widened slightly before she replied slowly, "I'm good, thanks. Are you okay?"

"Of course, dear," was the answer.

Alexa backed away. "I'm going to find the others."

Her mother didn't seem to hear, having returned to her sewing. Exiting the room, she wondered what was wrong with her mother. It wasn't that it was odd for Grace to offer to make cookies but her voice was much more distant than it used to be. It must be because she lived in a house by herself for all this time, she thought and she felt the guilt creep up again. I'm supposed to protect them all.

Leaving the living room, she made her way up the stairs where she saw Klaus leaving their father's study as he pulled out an ornate box.

"Stealing, are we?" Alexa teased him. The man looked up, startled, before a wide grin showed on his face. 

"Lexi!" he exclaimed. His eyes widened dramatically and he shoved the box underneath his coat. "Accusing me of stealing? Never! You wound me!" He jokingly placed his hand over his heart, causing her to laugh. "I was merely saving the box from an unfortunate dusty life in the bowls of Dad's desk. I promise I'll treasure it forever!"

Alexa rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, Klaus. The only thing you're going to treasure with that is the money you get but don't worry— I won't tell Luther," she added with a smirk.

Blowing her a kiss, Klaus swept by her as he called over his shoulder: "you were always my favorite sister!"

Laughing, she headed into their father's office where Luther and Allison were having a private, awkward reunion. Her heart twisted in her chest as she wished she could have her own, but that dream had left fifteen years ago. Letting out a cough to alert them, she greeted them uncomfortably, "uh, hey guys." Then she noticed exactly what changed. "Whoa, Luther. You got big!"

He scowled irritably. "That's what everyone's said."

Alexa's brother now towered over her and was several times her size. Allison, on the other hand, was pretty much the same. The sisters smiled awkwardly at each other. Turning back to her brother, she asked, "how are you coping with. . . you know. . .?"

He looked at her, surprised, but then his expression softened. "I'm alright, thanks."

Alexa nodded before she glanced at her sister. "Are Diego and Vanya here?"

"Yes. I think Diego's in the kitchen but I don't know where Vanya is," Allison answered.

The blonde gave another smile and thanked her before she headed to the directed areas— except she encountered Pogo first.

"Pogo!" she exclaimed happily. As far as caring adults in her childhood went, Pogo was her favorite as he'd encouraged her drawing talent.

The chimpanzee smiled at the woman. "Miss Alexandra, it's wonderful to see you."

The woman walked down the last few stairs and bent to give him a hug. "It's good to see you too, Pogo." He'd always called her 'Miss Alexandra' and he was the only one who could pull it off without it sounding like a reprimand.

"I was just going to see Diego and Vanya," she explained.

Pogo nodded. "Miss Vanya is in the living room, I just saw her. Master Diego is still in the kitchen, I believe."

Alexa smiled at him. "Thanks Pogo. I'll see Vanya now, I guess."

The blonde went to the room she started in to see her sister staring at the portrait of Five. At her approach, Vanya looked to her. "How long has it been since Five left?" if anyone knew, it would be Alexa.

"Fourteen years, four months and fourteen days," she replied promptly. She felt the familiar clench in her chest whenever she thought of the lost boy. Vanya glanced at her, surprised that she knew the exact count. Alexa looked sheepish. "I thought keeping track would make the time pass faster but I don't think it worked."

Despite the book her sister had written where she'd made Alexa to be a control freak and a dumb blonde, she still cared about her and wasn't too mad about the description. It was nicer than others, anyway.

"I read your book, you know," Alexa said as amusement glinted in her eyes. "I guess I should start taking over from Luther as leader with my controlling tendencies, huh?"

Vanya laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. . . it was something I just had to do."

She shook her head. "It's alright. How's Diego taking it, though?"

Her sister smiled slightly but looked sad. "He hates me."

Alexa rolled her eyes. "He's a baby. He'll get over it."