>>004{ I Know How To Do Everything }five.ic - Tumblr Posts

For everyone: Describe paradise.

Jordi hummed to himself, considering the request. After a long deliberation, he shrugged, giving a big smile, “With my gun in hand and money in the bank, I’m already in paradise. What could be better than what I’m already living?”

Dusan raised the glass to his lips, taking a sip of his whiskey, “Paradise? If you’re implying I think there’s some sort of afterlife, you can just stop right there,” he set the glass down, folding his arms, “Paradise isn’t real, it can’t be achieved, man. The only thing we can do is make the best of life while we’re here. And I’m on my way to it,” he smirked. 

“Paradise...” the monk’s systems whirred as he pressed his hands together and his censors blinked excitedly, “It is a place where all are equal, all are at peace, and the world is finally one. Within the light of the Iris, it will be achieved. Whether or not you hate or love, or believe, you will be one with all some day.”

Elias simply hummed at the request as he continued to write on the page he was writing, “Paradise is too good for us, isn’t it? What’s life without a little fear, after all?” he stopped writing just long enough to glance up at the anon and give a wide smirk. 

“Times like these, I’m reminded of advice that one of my brothers once told his followers,” the boy cleared his throat, preparing to get into the zone of such wise words,” ‘ You don't know what you got 'til it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,’ “ he let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders and shook his head, “Paradise for me is probably a place where my family is safe, but so, so, far away from me.”

Five new tags- 

>>004{ i know how to do everything }five.ic

>>004{ sass and caffeine }five.aes

>>004{ turns out i don’t care }five.musing

>>004{ the time gremlin }five hargreeves

>>004{ i have seniority here }five.drabble

>>004{ we only get together for funerals }five.hc

>>000{ faceclaim: five }ooc

verses-

>>104{ saving the world and other extreme sports }v.canon

>>204{ no one is insignificant }v.canon 2

>>304{ time and space is my bitch }v.free

Time travel is a funny thing. Five was perfectly capable of moving through time, his power certainly allowed it, but there was so much more to it than he had originally thought so long ago. It's easy to jump forward at random, but trying to jump back? And to a specific point? Even more difficult. The calculations had to be perfect, exact down to the last decimal. And this time, this time he was absolutely sure he had it right. The time and place were set, the jump should have been precise.

Yet, something went wrong. As usual.

He had made it to the academy, there was no doubting that fact. But, the place was empty. It didn't even seem like anyone had even been there, or if they had they certainly didn't spend any length of time there. Clearly, the rest of his siblings took whatever chance they could to get out of there. Five wasn't even completely sure he'd find them even still in the same city.

More pressing than the empty house was the fact that, as he moved around, he felt the difference the jump had on him. His once well tailored suit now hung off of him like it was 4 sizes too big. Looking at his hands and the rest of himself showed the truth. He went back in time - in every sense. "Shit," he exhales a sigh, "...no, this isn't important right now."

There was no time to waste. With a pop of his spatial abilities, he jumped up to his room... Surprised to find it was exactly how he had left it. Down to the last thing he had written on the little desk. There was something eerie about that fact, but Five didn't think it wise to dwell on that fact. Instead, he quickly changed into one of the old uniforms and made his way back out to leave.

Taking advantage of the silence, he peeked into the other rooms for any sign of where or how long the others had been gone. The bedrooms weren't helpful, of course. All of them looked the same as they had when they were kids, neat and untouched. Likewise we're the other rooms like the kitchen and sitting areas. Each room as unhelpful as the last. It wasn’t until he was passing by his father’s office that he found even anything of value. The children had never been allowed to enter the office... But, he didn’t see Reginald around anywhere, so, a quick peek wouldn’t hurt. On the desk was a single note with an address and the name “Benjamin” handwritten. 

“Ben...?” If it really was Ben, then maybe Five could get some real answers. Maybe he knew where all the others were and some way they could get everyone together again. There was little time to waste... But at least it seemed like doom wasn’t immediately upon them. Tucking the note into his pocket, he hurried out, jumping once more to the outside of the building at the address. Apartments or penthouses? Either way it seemed like he would need to be granted access. Five rang the bell and stepped back, looking up the scale of the building, checking it out. 

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

The tower was certainly a spectacle on its own, and not one that Five could fully remember seeing before. But, he chalked that up to skewed memories of a childhood tainted by crime fighting and strict training. It wasn't like the Umbrella Academy kids were allowed to really go anywhere on their own. The first time Five really took the time to slow down and look around wasn't until everything had been destroyed... A future he still hopes he can prevent.

His attention returned to the door once it opened, and immediately the doubt started to set in. This... Kid, for lack of a better term, was certainly not the brother he was looking for - any of them really. But, there was still a chance. Maybe they just lived in the same building.

"Well, I certainly hope not," Five forced a pleasant smile, tucking his hands into the pockets of his shorts, looking up slightly at the boy in front of him, "I'm looking for Ben, actually. I understand I might find him here. It's... A family matter." The sinking feeling in his stomach only started to grow the more he spoke. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't place it just yet.

@bottledmoonlight / xxx

Seeing this kid tense and start to really examine him made Five tense in return. Eyes narrowed, following his gaze down to the crest on the jacket of his uniform. The Latin mantra of the Umbrella Academy was about as ridiculous as it sounded. They had figured it was their father’s strange sense of humor, but maybe he just liked to keep things seriously on brand. And umbrellas were his motif. 

Five shifted his shoulder back almost defensively, as if the observation of the crest and how the boy seemed to focus on it bothered him. It was taking away from the conversation when all he needed was answers. But, the answers that did come at last just yielded more questions. 

“You’re Ben,” Five repeated, giving a slow nod, “But you’re not Ben. Shit, I knew that had to be too easy,” he reached up to scratch at the back of his head, glancing back behind himself briefly. His only lead was a bust. Trying to find the others could take way more time than they had. Time would move quickly and they really didn’t want to waste any of it. He rocked back on his heels, anxiously wanting to move on and start over again, but the train of thought brought him back once more to Ben, this other Ben. 

Five turned quickly back to Ben, the serious look on his face as he narrowed his eyes slightly, “I’ll answer whatever questions you want, but I need you to answer some of mine. We don’t have as much time as I would like, so we need to move quickly. First off, what is the date? The exact date today?”

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

December 2007. Five couldn’t decide if this was good news or bad news. He definitely messed the jump up in a much bigger way than he anticipated, and now he’s 12 years early. He ran his hands over his face briefly and exhaled a sigh. At least it was more time, and he wasn’t too far back that he could run the risk of running into his younger self. But, this meant his siblings were likely not going to be as much help as he needed them to be. Wherever they were, they were probably still playing crime fighters with Dad. 

“Coffee, I could use a cup myself.” Once invited in, Five took the chance to step around Ben and move inside. His mind began to rush, trying to figure out just where he went wrong, while also trying to focus on the situation at hand with this stranger, “Really fucked up that calculation,” he mumbled to himself, “Back to the drawing board, but what went so wrong...?”

He turned to look at Ben once again, this time taking the opportunity to really look him over. Late teens maybe? And the state of himself and his clothing seemed to imply he was some sort of mechanic or builder. To what extent, well, maybe Ben would be willing to share that information.

“Family, yeah - Ben is one of my brothers, but it doesn’t matter right now. The time is wrong, which means none of my family is going to be of any help. And you likely won’t either. But,” his eyes narrowed briefly as he took the paper out with Ben’s name and address on it, “one thing I want to know is what your connection to the Umbrella Academy is. you aren’t - part of it, so... Who are you then?”

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

Five busied himself looking around as he followed Ben, a fascination and curiosity popping up once his eyes searched around the workshop. After spending so long without any technology, it was almost like whiplash to step in here and see so much of it. Even growing up at the academy, there was hardly anything up to date, Reginald liked things to stay simple, he guessed. But this - this was the future. Well, it would be anyway if it weren’t for the apocalypse coming. He had to wonder what kind of world would be built if the world wasn’t going to end and all of this technology was allowed to flourish. 

“Research and Development? Of what exactly?” The question was sort of skeptical, but offered up as if he were just thinking out loud. He lingered close to the pieces and half finished projects, looking them over with a gentle touch. “Certainly seems like you keep busy in here -” turning back to give his attention back to Ben, his eyes fell briefly on the blueprint. He stared for only a second before turning to step back closer. 

Five nodded as he listened to his story, but his face twisted slightly into one of confusion and fascination, “He came for you - so you are like us then?” he exhaled a sharp breath like a scoff, “Smart move denying it. It’s just as shitty as you might imagine.”

It was almost interesting to hear how someone on the outside might have viewed them, at least apart from the admirers they’d had since they went public. Ben was almost one of them, but he could see how ridiculous trying to be a hero was as well. Five took a breath and just let it out as a sigh, “I was number five. Reginald Hargreeves only ever referred to us by number, like the great father he is,” the disdain was clear in his tone as he scrunched his nose with the words, “Problem is, I got stuck in the future with no way back. It’s 2007... That means I’ve been missing for five years roughly from this timeline. Give or take a bit.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, taking a step to the side to begin to pace in front of Ben, “I was supposed to land in 2019, not here... I don’t understand how the calculation went so wrong. But - at least this way theres more time,” he started to rub at his neck, looking ahead in his stride. Turning back in his pace, he looked up to Ben again, “Do you know anything about the Umbrella’s in your present time? I assume they’re still fighting crime.”

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

Five could think of at least a couple of his siblings that probably jumped ship as soon as they turned 18. He didn’t blame them, but he still had to wonder if any of them thought it through first. Allison surely wouldn’t have to worry, she could get anything she wanted, and Luther would probably follow her like a lost puppy. Klaus might get into trouble, but that seemed normal for him. Ben and Vanya... They might like their own lives away from the crime fighting. Diego on the other hand - 

“Split up, maybe. The house was empty when I arrived. But... it didn’t seem quite like they’d left entirely,” there was also the matter of Reginald not being there either. Where had they all gone? “I was the smartest of the team, so, without me I think they’ll be lucky to still be alive.”

He stopped slowly in his steps, his back to Ben as the thought sank in. If they were alive. The sight of their faces the last time he had seen them flashed in his mind. Older, but cold and still buried under the debris of the academy. Different, but he knew them. It was a weight he carried all these years, even though he knew they were all alive and well somewhere in the world at that moment. Walking around like they don’t know the world is going to end sooner than they think, and he still had no idea why or how to stop it. 

Five turned quickly to look at Ben, focusing in on what he had said, “Theoretical blackholes... Maybe you could help me after all. If you are as intelligent as you seem to be implying - I can make jumps across space and time, though one is much easier -” he leaned into a jump and popped onto the couch beside Ben, looking up at him “- than the other. I got the calculations wrong somewhere, but perhaps...” he took a breath and sighed, shaking his head, “I need to get to March of 2019. It’s of dire importance. Because I can’t wait around in this time line in case they come for me - and they will come for me. It’s not safe.”

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

This all sounded really promising... And yet somehow too good to be true. It was all starting to feel very convenient. Five manages to get back in an almost correct timeline, even if it is too far back, but finds a clue leading to someone who was, like them, and yet might able to actually help him. One who might have the brains to know exactly what he needs? Could it be just another test from the old man? Like he somehow knew Five would find a way back and just wanted to show him up once more?

The thought made him suddenly uneasy. He stood again from the couch, opting to pace around the room once more. He tried to distract himself with the equations Ben had pointed out. It was certainly advanced enough, and far beyond what he knew most people would understand. But, he could follow it easily enough. It was interesting. 

“Who is after me - isn’t the important thing right now,” Five just lightly flicked his hand to the side, “I can handle anyone who even tries. They’re just my previous employers.”

Five shook his head, turning to step back towards Ben, “None of that matter, the bigger picture here is much worse and why I need to get back on track as soon as possible. The world literally depends on it - “ he paused a second on that, reaching up to run his hand just once through his hair, pushing it neatly back, “Because it’s going to all end if I can’t. Everything will be left in ruin. Every moment now needs to be utilized.”

@bottledmoonlight​ / xxx

Irritation was starting to grow in Five. Ben was right, but it just didn't seem like he really grasped the gravity of this situation. Like he didn't get the severity. But, as Five stepped back over to him, ready to snap, he had to stop himself. This wasn't a fight. And Ben wasn't trying to start one. He was trying to understand and Five wasn't doing a great job telling him anything. He needed to think, to actually put everything together and explain himself.

But, before that, that coffee was calling to him. He stepped closer and took the cup, taking a gulp. He gave a hum, a satisfied sound as it warmed him from inside. How long had it been since he had even decent coffee? This was definitely better than that, may be the best he's had.

"Alright," he took a breath and sighed, tapping a finger against the cup, "The only way you will understand is if I start from the beginning," he leaned to one side, slowly starting to pace again, a less panicked sort of motion.

"I jumped forward in time, too far, and ended up in a world that had been completely destroyed. I don't know what caused it, I only know when it happened - April 1st, 2019. Which is, incidentally enough, a little over a week after my father dies. Something I don't believe to be coincidence, but, I have no way to prove that.

"I was stuck there for 45 years. On my own trying to survive," Five paused to take another sip of the cup, "that was where they found me. The 'Temps Commission'. Time agents who claim their mission is to protect the timeline - the right timeline. And that the world ending is supposed to happen. I worked for them just long enough until I figured out just how to jump again to get back to my family, to stop the end of the world... Guess I jumped the gun again." Scolding himself for his eagerness to move. He had been so sure, but naturally he was proven wrong once again.

"The Commission don't like when their agents go rogue. So, they will be sending others to try and kill me. Not that they will succeed. I'm a better fighter than any of them could ever dream to be," he looked to Ben again, shaking his head, "I know the risks, but if we do nothing then the world will just end and humanity will be erased. Everyone you know and care about."

"can you tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy?" Lila @ Five?

"There is no difference." Growing up with the forced mentality of the "hero" gave Five perspective on the world once he was forced to kill to get his way back. He wouldn't call the Commission "villains" exactly, no more than any other pencil pushing bureaucrat, but calling them "good guys" definitely didn't feel right either.

"Good and bad is already subjective, but when you start applying it to people? It gets messy. What happens when a 'good guy' does something bad? Does that instantly make him a 'bad guy'? What if what he did was good in his mind? If the world thinks him a 'bad guy' but he knows himself to be 'good', then which side matters?" Five shrugged, pressing his lips together in a nonchalant smile, "The lines are blurred." Not unlike a man killing people throughout history just so he could make it back to save his family and the entire world from destruction.

"Precisely," Five nodded, immediately grateful that Ben really seemed to get what he was saying, "You've got it all." Maybe part of what had been weighing on him was the fact that he was going to have to tell someone about this and hope they believe him. He wasn't even sure his siblings would buy into it, despite the fact that Five was the last person to joke about this sort of thing. He might have been a bit too serious, with more snark than the rest of them, but surely even they wouldn't think this a joke.

"That's the thing - I don't know," he stepped closer to Ben once more, setting the half empty cup on a surface as he passed it, not paying much mind to what the surface even was, "I only know what I could gather from what I found in the rubble. And what I found were - "he paused, picturing that first day so clearly in his mind, finding the dead bodies of his family still fresh from whatever happened. He went on with a slightly hardened tone, pushing the memory away, " - what I found was enough to tell me that what happened between my father's death and Volcano Day may be my only reliable window to stop whatever is happening. There's one thing you have to understand about the Umbrella Academy. We might have been a team... But we didn't always exactly get along. And... That day, after the end of the world... They were all together. It's not a coincidence."

There was no way to tell that they could even stop what was happening, but he knew they had to try. Maybe that was the innate hero complex that had been basically beaten into him ringing out, maybe he just didn't want the world to end. But, most importantly he didn't want to lose the only family he had. Even if he would never really admit that out loud.

Five just shakes his head, "The only thing I could tell from here is that, maybe, there's some way we could figure out if it's something more planned out than just a sudden end. Perhaps there's something that could be found by digging a bit. It's highly unlikely, but I'm stuck here until I can figure out how to get to 2019."

@bottledmoonlight / xxx

Logical, that's the way Ben seemed to be approaching this. The way Five had hoped he could approach it. But, there was just something incredibly illogical about this whole thing. Like logic didn’t apply to time travel - a fact that made as much sense as it didn’t. 

“The problem with time travel and something like - like the end of the world is that every little thing matters. Every little thing pushes us one step closer to the end,” he fidgeted his hands a bit, giving one shake of his head, “Nothing is insignificant and that’s exactly what makes it so hard to figure out what is going to happen. What is going to go exactly right - exactly as planned.” 

As planned. The Handler always said that this timeline was meant to go this way. The apocalypse was a fixed event that was always supposed to happen. That never sat right with Five. Why was the world meant to end so soon? So seemingly random? It clearly wasn’t some divine intervention, rather just some specific series of events that were meant to kill everyone and everything. 

He focused his attention back on Ben, squelching the helpless feeling building up once more in his chest. This he could control, this he could handle. There was still time before it all ended. “The spatial jumps are not the same as the time jumps. Yes, I can jump anywhere no problem - could do it in my sleep if I wanted to. But, time travel isn’t the same. You have to take into account the calculations for the precise time and place. Just moving through time could see you end up inside of something, or even too far underwater. It has to be exact.”

Five turned back to the rest of the room and the various whiteboards around. He gave a little, thoughtful tilt to his head as he approached them once again, “It would be easier to show you. So, which one of these are you willing to part with?”

@bottledmoonlight / xxx