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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴛʏ ᴍᴄғʟʏ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐒𝐈𝐗 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴀ sɪɴᴄᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢʏ ꒱　


❝ I'M SORRY ❞

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Training was a given, daily part of The Umbrella Academy. Sometimes there was one-on-one training with Sir Reginald Hargreeves, sometimes there was individual training and sometimes there was group training. There were times where all three could be happening at once in different rooms. Today, though, the children were practicing their abilities together on dummy robots that mimicked real villains.

Their task was to devise and execute a foolproof strategy as they worked succinctly as a team. Luther, as leader, came up with the plan with little pushback from everyone else (mostly because of their father's presence.) The robots wielded guns filled with rubber bullets that, while painful, weren't terribly deadly. The most useful power against these would be Alexa's shield which would prevent any of her siblings from getting hurt.

Then, with their barrier in place, Luther and Diego would take out the dummies while the rest of the team waited safely for the next step (here, Five said that they should call the dummies something else because he was afraid that Numbers One and Two would think they were talking about themselves. He was promptly (gently) smacked on the back of the head by Alexa.)

The training commenced. The blue of the shield lit up the already bright space and the simulation began. Alexa, still new to her powers, struggled to maintain her shield against the force of the bullets. Luther sprang into action and charged forward through the small opening she allowed. Diego hesitated, worried that his stutter would prevent him from alerting their siblings that it was safe to come out.

Luther needed help, though, and Number Eight grit her teeth as she struggled to keep up with the steady force against her. In trying to be encouraging, she gave a shout: "go, Diego, go!"

That got him into action and as he and Luther completed their part of the plan successfully, a familiar blue light flashed next to her and Five spoke quietly in her ear with amusement in his voice as he observed, "you know, it would just be easier to call him Go-Go."

☂☂☂

When they returned to Elliot's house, Five and Alexa made sure to keep plenty of space between themselves. The girl chose to sit on Diego's other side while Five paced away from them as one of his hands reached behind his head to scratch at the back of his neck in apparent discomfort. "Oh, he isn't dead."

"Disappointed?" Diego asked.

"To see you? Always."

Despite their recent argument, the past few years of being alone made her more forgiving as she asked with concern, "are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," her brother grunted.

"So much hostility in such a tiny package," Lila commented.

Alexa gave a snort. "He wouldn't be so cocky if I hadn't just saved him a great deal of pain."

Both the woman and Diego turned to look at her curiously but before she could say anything, Five brushed her off. "Yeah, thanks for that." He turned his gaze towards Elliot who was now snoring in his chair. "You didn't untie him?"

"Was I supposed to?" Lila asked.

Five didn't reply and freed the sleeping man before he kicked him awake. He jerked in response. "You guys tied me up!"

"Be lucky that's all we did," the boy returned which seemed to shut him up. Then, both Lila and Elliot disappeared to do their own thing leaving the three Hargreeves.

Eventually, it was just Alexa and Diego left and the two sat in an awkward silence. The blonde girl hesitated for a moment, biting her lip as she considered what she wanted to say. Her hand curled around the blonde strands of her hair as she began to speak: "um, Diego?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I've had a lot of time to think these past few years since I've been on my own and. . ." She hesitated. "It was different than when I was on my own the first time. I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch after we left. I know I'm supposed to protect all of you and I-I let go too easily. I should've tried harder to keep us tied together." She sighed, paused, and then added tentatively, "and I'm sorry for hating you."

He turned to look at her in surprise. "You hated me?"

She gave a jerky nod. "Do you remember that first training session with Dad and Five? When he had you throw knives that I had to stop?" As the remembrance dawned on him, she continued: "I never forgave you for putting Five in danger but I know now none of us had a choice. I know you wouldn't have done it if Dad hadn't told you, so I'm sorry."

She startled slightly as his large, warm hand enveloped her smaller one and she raised her head to look at him. Thankfully, all of his previous anger at her seemed to have disappeared. "Hey, you weren't the only one at fault here. You're right, as much of a prick as Five is, I wouldn't want to actually hurt him. I know you guys care about each other so that's understandable and something I can forgive you for. What doesn't need to be forgiven is that you didn't keep in touch." He gently squeezed her hand. "Communication is a two-way street. We were all hard on you for Ben's death which was really all of our faults." His gaze softened as she tensed at that particular mention. "You lost the most out of all of us. Just because Dad told you to protect us doesn't mean you don't need to be protected, too."

Tears pricked her eyes again and for a moment, it seemed that all today would bring was crying but luckily none fell as she looked hopefully up at her brother. "Really?" she whispered. "Do you really mean it?"

"Of course." He sounded slightly confused as to why he wouldn't.

She sighed. "We could've been really close, I think."

His face lit up in a smirk. "Who's to say we can't be?" Then her back was pressed against the couch as his fingers attacked her sides.

Alexa wiggled underneath him as she tried to quell the giggles that were growing in volume as he tickled her. "Diego! Diego, stop!" she squealed happily.

"Not until you accept you're forgiven!" he exclaimed, doubling the force of his fingers.

This time, tears pricked her eyes for a different reason and she gasped for breath. "Okay, okay, I believe you!"

He paused, placing his palms flat on either side of her on the couch as he loomed over her, his eyes searching for a trace of lie on her face. "Are you telling the truth?" he asked with a grin. "Because if you aren't. . ."

"I am!" she cried immediately. "Jesus, Go-Go, no more, please!"

He chuckled. "Alright, fine. I'll let you get off easy this time. Next time, you get the real brother treatment."

They shifted again and sat up properly as Alexa's blue eyes continued to shine from the recent laughter that had seemed buried within her for years. There was only a moment of hesitation before she threw her arms around his neck, careful of his wound, and she squeezed him tightly as his arms wrapped around her in possibly the warmest hug she'd ever received. Quietly in his ear, she whispered, "I missed you so much."

He hugged her tighter. "M-me too." 

☂☂☂

A loud beeping caught Alexa's attention. Diego had left not long ago to go do. . . something, leaving her alone on the couch. Despite the new apocalypse hanging over their heads, she felt happier, lighter, than she had in years— even before their father's funeral. She figured it had something to do with her recent apology.

Following the sound, she scrambled up and made her way to where it was coming from and found Five and Elliot already there. "What's going on?"

"Vanya," was Five's short answer as he peered at one of the screens. "Her sound waves got triggered."

Excitement leapt in her stomach. Would she really get to see her third sibling in just two days? After so long of no luck, it seemed almost unbelievable.

"Can I come with you?" The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.

The boy turned to look at her and she visibly slumped, already seeing the answer no in his expression. He sighed. "Fine. But try not to start the end of the world as we know it, yeah?"

She brightened and gave him a teasing smile. "That's much more Luther's area of expertise. You underestimate me."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said, and turned away so that she couldn't see the amused quirk of his lips.