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Reginald Hargreeves knew from the very beginning that the children were special. From the earliest stage of their lives they showed signs of extraordinary abilities and he couldn't have been more satisfied. And so he started monitoring their progress with great interest and even greater expectations.
* * *
Number Seven is his first disappointment. He quickly learns how uncontrollable her powers are. Of course, all of the children's abilities are dangerous, there is no denying that, but hers are the most destructive out of the bunch. The most wild. The most... apocalyptic.
It's a shame, truly, to waste such a potential, but he can't take this risk, not after she attacked him. She's too dangerous.
So he locks her up, hides her along with her powers, away from everyone's sight.
A Pandora's box never to be opened.
* * *
Number Four is his second disappointment, perhaps the greatest one as he never put any real effort, never even tried to understand and control his abilities. Too weak, too soft, too scared of his own shadow to realise how powerful he truly was.
Reginald can only sigh watching him cry and tremble in the corner as he adds another hour to the kid's training.
* * *
Then comes number Five, who was his biggest hope but turns out to be yet another disappointment.
He's smart, logical and driven, focused on the task on hand in a way none of the others could manage to be. But his intellect and the quick pace in which he masters his powers make him arrogant and rash, and Reginald can sense a disaster coming from miles away. He tries to discourage the child, putting him through harder and harder training, showing him how truly unprepared, how incompetent, how unexperienced he is.
But number Five's will is as strong as his and so one day he disappears, leaving the Umbrella Academy one member weaker.
***
Number Six has always been a mix of satisfaction and disappointment. He too is afraid of his powers, of the creatures living inside him, of himself. Scared to fight, scared to train, scared to live. But, unlike number Four, he does try to live up to his father's expectations. He never truly succeeds, but Reginald is satisfied.
Until he isn't.
Number Six's death truly is inconvenient. He was finally getting somewhere, finally taking control over the eldritch monster inside of him.
Disappointing, Reginald sighs, turning away from his son's grave.
***
The Umbrella Academy is falling apart, the children leaving one after the other.
Number Two is one of the first, slamming the door behind him, a bag in his hand and a curse on his tongue.
Reginald's far from surprised. Number Two has always been a temperamental one, seeming to be permanently stuck in his rebellious stage. He shakes his head, not even looking up from the papers on his desk. He might have taught him to use his powers efficiently, but he could never control his temper.
***
Number Three is the last to leave. Her reluctance doesn't change anything though, she has disappointed him a long time ago. The addiction to her powers was her weakness and the greatest failure.
She showed signs of it from an early age - he still remembers the frivolous way she controlled everyone around her long before she learned to tell rumours (the phrase he thought of when he realised how much danger her power posed; a phrase long enough for him to react if used against him) - now he can't believe he's never seen it before.
She leaves in the end, doors closing softly behind her and the Umbrella Academy is no more.
***
Only number One stays, a leader without a team, the one whose powers are insignificant compared to the others.
Reginald sends him to a mission, after mission, after mission, more out of curiosity than necessity. He wonders when number One will finally break like the others did.
Number One's spirit doesn't break, but his body does and Reginald's once again disappointed. What use is to him an undestructable man that can so easily be destroyed?
Reginald Hargreeves looks out of the window. It's a full moon, he notes absently. He sighs and takes off the monocle to rub his eyes tiredly.
The Umbrella Academy was an utter failure, a true disappointment through and through. He wonders if the rest of 43 children would be more competent, if a different set would fare any better.
If he could, he'd try it all again.