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thewatermelloncat · 3 years

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Leaders Set the Example

Summary: Written from the prompt given to me by Anonymous:

Can I request a young/teen sickfic where Luther is sick and tries to push through training but ends up performing terribly and Reginald yells at him in front of everyone for setting a bad example to everyone as "leader" etc.? And Luther is trying really hard not to cry but... it's Luther. And someone either sticks up for him or they comfort him after?

Warnings: None

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From adoption they were all told that they are privileged. From the outside that is easy to see: the big mansion, the exceptional education, their well-presented appearance. But it is all superficial. Going deeper into what is harder to stomach, is their father’s constant assurance that it is a privilege to be the saviours of the world.

From a young age it had been drilled in Luther to be obedient, to train harder, to be better, to be a leader – that was most important. And for the most part he is a good leader, especially with his siblings being hard to manage. He always trains harder and works to be better. Though when it gets to obedience, and although it doesn’t look it, at times he questions his father’s motives.

It doesn’t quite sit right with him that their father appointed them as saviours of the world despite the fact that they are kids. By all means his family like isn’t ordinary but he knows enough about the outside world to know that parents are supposed to nurture their children. That parents learn their child’s limits and don’t force them to exceed them. He’s has never had that. Which is why he joins his siblings outside for group training despite feeling like he is dying on his feet.

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The beginning of training had started off relatively fine. He guessed he had good enough fitness to push through the warmup run even with the cough that he had woken up with. A few coughs here and there weren’t a problem but the pointed stares from his father made him uncomfortable.

Sparring with Diego had started off rough but that was to be expected. Diego was always at his throat and took every opportunity to gain the upper hand in any competition between the two of them. Numerous times Luther found himself unable to block jabs and kicks with his defence wide open. He was also missing punches as Diego was able to quickly move out of the way. And more often than he would have liked, he was sent down to the mat by a well-executed attack, each time finding it harder to stand back up again.

Though he began to notice Diego’s pace slowing and his blows getting weaker. Every now and again he would watch his brother’s eyes flick over to their father before letting Luther land a punch to keep him a little more under the radar. Over time it seemed that Diego was realising how poorly Luther felt and was going easier on him, and Luther doesn’t know if he appreciates it or not.

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The time of Diego going easy on him was short lived. At a certain point their father blew his whistle and the sparring stopped for them all to file in line. From there Luther and Diego were called forward to demonstrate their sparring while the other siblings critiqued their technique. From here it was impossible that Diego would go easy on him.

And go easy on him he didn’t.

Luther would like to believe that he was doing better than he was. From his own perspective it seemed like he was still putting up a good fight, landing a few punches here and there. Though he knew through his adrenaline he wasn’t feeling all the hits Diego was landing.

“Halt!” Reginald’s voice suddenly rings out.

Breathlessly Luther steps apart from Diego and turns to face his father.

“Why do you hesitate?” his father addresses him. For a moment Luther gawks, unsure how to answer, before his father continues again, “would you like him to hit you again?”

“No, sir” Luther answers, still short of breath.

“You have enhanced durability, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then Number Two’s punches should have no effect on you” Reginald finalises.

For no reason in particular Luther flicks his eyes over to Diego standing next to him, finding his expression blank but looking slightly uncomfortable.

“Are there any excuses you would like to make?” his father’s words draw Luther’s attention back to him.

Undoubtedly, he would like to raise the excuse of poor health and may have done so if he didn’t know any better. But he does know better and he knows it is a trap – no excuses are ever allowed. “No, sir. I’ll try harder.”

“You will try harder” Reginald scoffs before repeating, “you will try harder next time?”

“Yes, sir.”

His father scoffs again with a shake of his head. “As a member of this academy I thought it would be known to you that there may be no next time. A mission cannot be repeated once it has been failed” he outlines. “Was I wrong to assume this?”

“No, sir.”

Reginald opens his mouth to continue but it is not his voice that speaks next.

“All right, if Luther won’t make any excuses, I will” Klaus speaks out, his voice surprisingly strong considering his fear of their father. “He’s sick.”

“Is he?” Reginald turns toward him and Klaus shrinks under his gaze. “And how did this come into your notice?”

“It’s fairly obvious” Five puts simply. Speaking instead of Klaus since it is clear that he regrets speaking.

“Whether true or not, it is no matter” their father begins, though clearly aware of Luther’s ailment. “On any mission arisen, all members of this academy must be present no matter the circumstances. Is this clear?”

All around the children nod.

“Are you ill?” Reginald turns to Luther.

“No, I-I’m fine, sir” Luther stutters out due to stubbornness and his refusal for his father to see him as weak.

“So, your brother was lying?”

“No, sir” Luther quickly amends finding himself at a catch-22. “I’m not feeling well” his voice goes quiet in pain of admitting.

“Has this affected your performance?”

Luther wants to deny and say that it hadn’t but he knows his father can see through him. So, he doesn’t lie. “Yes, sir.”

All Luther’s hopes of the conversation being over are shattered as his father draws in a breath. “In which case Number One, I am disappointed.”

Although the lecture has just begun, Luther feels tears stinging behind his eyes. He always holds his father’s words to heart whether positive or negative.

“If a minor inconvenience has the ability to hinder your performance towards the team effort, I question your position as leader. The team is only as strong as the weakest link and a leader needs to be the strongest…”

The rest of Reginald’s words fade out and all Luther can hear is his stuttering breath in his ears. For anything he is grateful that no tears have come yet, though he knows they will later. He doesn’t dare look at the expressions of his siblings choosing to stare at the ground until he senses the words come to a stop.

Hesitantly looking up he sees his father draw in a breath and adjust his suit. “If you feel you cannot complete this training you may leave with consequence to be decided at a later time” Reginald lays out. Although his words may seem like Luther has an option, he knows it is an instruction for him to leave. And so, he does.

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Before he has even left the courtyard, he feels the tears slipping from his eyes and he doesn’t dare look back. When he pushes through the glass door into the depths if the mansion he barely flinches as he senses Pogo’s presence next to him. No doubt that he had been observing from the window.

He doesn’t spare him more than a look as he moves past him, wiping tears away from his eyes with a frustrated sniffle. And he means to ignore it as the master of the house falls into stride beside him.

“Your father only wants what is best for you” Pogo attempts to convince, struggling to keep up with Luther’s long strides.

“How is this what is best for us?” Luther doesn’t bother to slow down despite Pogo falling slightly behind.

A sorry expression falls across Pogo’s face. “I don’t know, Master Luther” he admits solemnly as he stops in his tracks. “I don’t know.”

#tua #umbrella academy #umbrella academy fanfiction #luther hargreeves #Space boy #reginald hargreeves #pogo #sick

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