MHA #2 | Wednesday Evening

[knife_bender]

It wasn't often that Diego spoke to Pogo, less often that Pogo called him, so when his phone rang that evening he knew that it was probably important.

And it was.

"He what?" Diego asked. "That's not--I just saw him."

...

"What do you mean he hasn't left the house in---oh." It all made sense now, why his father had visited last weekend. It was easy to brush off as a coincidence at the time since he hadn't known he was dead. Now...

"When's the funeral?" he asked. "Okay. Okay, I'll be there."

Diego hung up a few moments later and immediately shot off a text to Five. This was news best told in person.

[For a few!]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Did Pogo say what happened?" Annie asked, staying sympathetic and resisting the urge to agree. Even if she definitely did, especially after meeting the man this weekend. But that was...uncharitable, and not very kind, and outright un-Christian of her.

But maybe some people also deserved that whole eternal damnation thing. She was pretty sure that man was one of them.

[knife_bender]

Diego shook his head. "No, just said he was dead, and hadn't left the house for awhile so it wasn't some car accident or something."

So that also confirmed the ghost thing.

"I would probably be able to get the coroner's report from work."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe eventually," Annie agreed, wrapping her arm across his back and leaning in against him a little. If getting the coroner's report from work was what he needed to process whatever feelings he had about his dad's death, Annie was all for it. "Do you want, like, a glass of water, maybe?" A pause. "Something stronger?"

She knew what to do when someone who wasn't an abusive, confusing mess died. This was trickier.

[knife_bender]

"No, I'm good, thanks," he said, leaning against her. "Are you okay?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm fine," Annie said softly, reaching her free hand up to run over his hair. Other than clearly and obviously concerned about him and a little worried about saying or doing the wrong thing. "How are you doing with this, though?"

[knife_bender]

"I'm fine." At least he thought he was doing fine. It might be obvious how wrong he was by the time Friday rolled along. "I mean, if anything last weekend makes more sense now."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie suspected he was not doing fine -- or, really, that 'not-fine' was probably lurking around the corner, once he'd had more time to process it -- but that was also part of why she was really glad he'd asked her to go with him.

"It does," Annie agreed quietly. "I can't believe he didn't say anything. I mean, I can, but it would have been nice if he had."

It also looked like she wasn't really going to have much opportunity to repair his impression of her. Oh well.

[knife_bender]

"He wouldn't be Dad if he was straightforward with stuff." Speaking of Hargreeves who never explained themselves-- "Oh shit. We're all going to be there Friday."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yeah." Which meant Annie was going to meet the four living Hargreeves siblings she hadn't already been introduced to, and probably Pogo, and probably Diego's mother while she was at it, and that was a lot. But she could worry about that later, on her own time. "Are you ready for that?"

Luther would probably come back from the moon and everything.

[knife_bender]

"Yeah, well no, but Annie--" Diego said. "What's the one thing Five bothered telling me about the apocalypse?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

...oh, shit.

"...that you were all together," Annie said softly, putting it together reluctantly.

There was another thing Five had told him, but Annie wasn't repeating it. Because childishly, that felt like it would make it come true.

"That doesn't mean anything," she added, stubbornly. "Maybe it -- maybe everyone won't come. It's short notice. Allison's probably really busy?"

And again: Luther was probably on the moon.

[knife_bender]

Yeah, no, Luther would figure out a way to walk from the moon to pine over Dad publicly.

"Maybe," he said, even if he didn't really believe it. "And maybe Five doesn't know what he's talking about. He was alone for a really long time."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe," Annie agreed, telling herself it was totally likely. Five was wrong about so many things! She would never ask Five's advice about almost anything!

But if there was one thing it did seem likely he'd double-and-triple-check for accuracy, it was the apocalypse.

"He didn't say anything about me being there," she added, because hey, that was different, too! If Annie was there, then obviously the apocalypse couldn't happen. Logic! Logic that would surely hold up to literally any scrutiny!

[knife_bender]

"It'll be fine," he said with a nod. "Only thing we need to worry about is not killing my siblings."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Annie said, underestimating things by a lot. "And it's just one day. A few hours, probably." She shifted so she could wrap both arms loosely around his midsection. "I love you."

And she would be there, for whatever he needed. Even if it was just to hear those words occasionally while dealing with all of this.

[knife_bender]

"I love you too," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry the family drama keeps on coming."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I know what I signed up for," Annie told him with a tiny smile. (She, actually, did not really grasp the extent of the family drama here, but she would still roll with it.) "Don't, like, worry about me or how much drama it is or whatever. I'm here for you through anything, okay?"

Ideally, even the apocalypse that she refused to think about.

[knife_bender]

"I know," he said, kissing her cheek. "But I'm going to keep worrying about you. I don't think you fully understand what you're walking into."

Five was bad enough, but they were worse when they were all together. IQ's dropped significantly.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I kind of figured I'd meet them all eventually," Annie noted gently. "Maybe even all at once." Though she had, admittedly, had kind of thought that there might someday be a wedding, rather than a funeral, that they'd all want to attend. "And like...what are they gonna do, attack me?"

Because she could deal with it if they did, honestly. That might be one of the relatively easier options for how this would all go.

[knife_bender]

"No, if anything they'd attack me." Or he would attack them first. That was the more likely scenario.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"We'll figure it out. I'll protect you," Annie told him, only half-teasing. You know, unless someone needed protection from him. She was really just wildly unprepared for this, no matter what she told herself. "We can get through an afternoon. And besides, I want to meet everyone. Especially your mom."

Siblings, yes, she was dying to meet. But she'd actually already corresponded a little with his mother and she was maybe a little extra-eager to hopefully impress a parent after, you know, that little scene with Reginald on Saturday.

[knife_bender]

"I want you to meet my mom too," he said with a small smile. "She wants to meet you."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Pogo, too," Annie added, running her hands lightly along his arms. "I wish it was different circumstances, but this doesn't have to be a disaster."

But it did, Annie. It did.

[knife_bender]

"Oh it's gonna be a disaster regardless," Diego said. "We can only hope it's just a minor disaster."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Or just a relatively pleasant if somewhat sad time, like a normal family funeral," Annie tried. "Besides, it won't just be your family, right?"

The man had been awful, yes, but also famous. Surely Reginald would have colleagues or associates or whatever who would come to pay their respects.