01
It’s a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like these, kids like you. Should be burning in hell.
Sike!
You were singing loudly to Instanbul (not Constantinople) as you danced around the kitchen, waiting for your noodles to finish cooking. Umbrella Academy was playing for the fourth time again on your tv, the volume up as much as you could without disturbing your neighbours and frightening them with the gunshots.
“Even old New York was once New Amsterdam!” You belted out the words, typing up your report on your laptop that was resting on the countertop. You hummed softly, turning the stove off and spinning around with your laptop in your hands. You were home alone again since your lil sis was out at school and your mum was working.
Not like I hate it.
I love having the house to myself!
“What the fuck!?” Before you could even taste your noodles, a flash of blinding blue light engulfs you, causing you to cover your eyes before they melted.
I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t want to lose my eyesight.
You shivered from the sudden gust of cold wind biting at your bare feet and face, the rest of your body covered in your oversized hoodie and trackies. You heard a loud thud in front of you and slowly opened your eyes, looking around the apartment to see nothing out of the ordinary.
“Ok?” You were confused but shrugged, going back to eat your noodles when you heard a painful groan. You peered over the counter and gasp, seeing a boy just laying on the floor.
Five groans out in pain as he struggled to get up, quietly thanking the carpet to soften his landing when he fell out his portal. He heard a gasp as he stood up, coming face to face with a girl in front of him with wide eyes and a fork in her hand.
“What the fuck?” He looked around in confusion, not recognising where he was and furrowed his brows at the girl. Five immediately grew suspicious, glancing at the butcher’s knife that was laying next to the girl.
You saw the boy’s eyes flit towards the knife and you quickly grab it, growling. “Don’t even think about it.” You hissed, both hands holding a fork in one and the knife in the other. The boy slowly raised his hands in submission and you realised the TV was playing in the background.
Your eyes caught a familiar acter walking out of Griddy’s. “Holy shit.” You looked at the boy standing in front of you in person and scanning the one on the TV. “Five Hargreeves!?” Five glared at you as you dropped your weapons on the kitchen counter.
“How do you know my name-”
“-what the fuck are you doing in my universe!?” Five stumbles back at the sudden question as the girl clad in pj’s ran past him and towards her TV.
“What?”
“You need to go home!” Five turned around and furrowed his brows when he saw himself in the TV talking to Vanya. “Teleport home!” Five watched in confusion as he watched himself talk about the apocalypse.
“How?” You paced in front of Five as he just stood in shock.
“What happened? What did you do before you dropped here?” You turned to face Five to see him drop on your couch with a blank face.
“I went out to get more alcohol for Dolores and I when we ran out of margaritas. I thought I teleported to a bar but I ended up here.” Five mutters out, scratching his head to try and figure out what happened.
“You what!?” He jumped in his seat and looked up to see you facepalm.
“Ok, is after the apocalypse?” Five nods and you sigh out in relief. “So you jumped to another universe by accident.”
“I what?” Five jumps up, not believing you.
“Yes. This place you landed in, is another universe believe it or not.” You gasped. “Holy shit, that means there is a real TUA universe! You’re real! You’re actually real! Diego, Vanya, Ben, Klaus and the other two I don’t like, but everything in the show is real!? Oh my god.”
“A show!? What do you mean show!?” Five screeches out in anxiety and you just point at your TV.
“You need to sit down for this.” You slowly push Five back to sit on the couch before giving your speech. “In this universe, your whole world, your whole life and everyone around you are fictional characters in a made-up story. These people on the screen you see right now are actors.” You grimace as Five frowns, his shoulder slumping at the notion of his whole lives turmoil was just someone’s imagination written out on paper.
“So I don’t exist in this world?”
“You do, but as someone else.” You point at the screen again to see Five drinking whiskey in Vanya’s apartment. “The you in this world is Aidan Gallagher. He’s your actor that plays Five Hargreeves.” Five watches Aidan as he takes out the glass eye to inspect it.
“So there is no apocalypse here?” You shake your head.
“So far no.” You narrow your eyes at Five when you were about to turn the TV off but notice something weird. “Wait, you look older than Aidan here.”
“Of course I would be. I’m 18. That pipsqueak is playing the 13-year-old me if I’m guessing correctly.” Five huffs out and you just blink at him.
“Aidan’s actually 16, turning 17 but that doesn’t matter. You’re 18 so that means its been 5 years since the apocalypse?” Five nods. “That’s odd. Why did you come here then? Out of all the times to use your power throughout the years and you end up here.”
“I don’t know why either but I need to go back to my universe.”
“Ok, I guess.” You shrug and Five stands up. “I’m a big fan by the way.” Five raises a brow at you as you just smiled at him. He shakes his head and fists his hands, focusing on opening a portal but his power just fizzes out.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me right now!” Five growls out, trying again but nothing.
“Look, I think you just need to rest. Anything important happening back at your place?” Five sighs out but shakes his head no. “Great, you can just hang out here until you can go back home.”
“Yeah, I’m not sticking around anywhere with you.” Five glances at you up and down and you shrug again.
“Fair enough but this ain’t your world. You can go out on your own but good luck if you get lost.” You salute to Five, showing him your open balcony and going back to eat your now cold noodles. You chuckle as you hear Five huff out, picking up your phone when it starts ringing. “Hello?”
“I’m near the house. Is your little sister there with you or at your dad’s place? Are you home?” your mum’s voice filters out from your phones speaker and you panic, noticing Five didn’t leave. Instead, he was wandering around and looking at the apartment.
“Uh no, shes at dads place. I’m not home. I’m at my apartment.” You easily lie through your teeth, packing up your stuff in your bag.
“Ok then. When are you coming to visit?” You hiss at Five as he picks up a chess piece, eyeing him to put it down as you tried to clean up the utensils you used to cook your noodles.
“Soon. A bit busy with work and uni but I’ll come by the weekend.”
“Ok then. I’ll see you then.”
“Bye mum.” You quickly end the call, packing up your noodles in a container and stuffing it in your bag as you grabbed your copy of the house keys. “We need to leave. Now.” You quickly grabbed Five’s hand and bolt out through the balcony. You climb over the barrier and into the garden, running to the right through the garden walkway and jumping down onto the street. “Get in!” You shove Five into your car and throw your bag on his lap and running to the driver’s side. You see your mum walking closer and you turn the engine on, quickly driving off.
