Synthesis (Five Hargreeves/OC)

Chapter 1

Detroit: Become Human - Song of the Lost Girl + And Then Time Stops

The sun shone through the blinds of the window, lighting up the small bedroom. The teenager's eyes flickered open at the pleasant disturbance and she took a deep breath. Her small frame barely covered the twin bed so she never struggled to stay warm during the cold New York nights. She laid there for a few moments, planning out the day ahead of her. She knew it wouldn't be much of a difference from the day before, or the day before that, or any day for that matter.

    She sat up in the bed, taking a big stretch with a yawn then pushing the blanket away from her. The tan carpet was soft in comparison to the tile and hardwood floor in the rest of the house. She made her way to the bathroom to freshen up, brushing out her soft brown hair. It sat just above her shoulders. Not in the way, but just long enough to throw it into a ponytail. The others all wore uniforms, all but her. All but Zero. She never questioned it, not only because she got in trouble if she did, but also because she just didn't care. Her style was quirky, mainly consisting of a dress, tights and jacket with converse or boots to compliment it. She didn't mind it, and it wasn't like she had many curves to show. With a new book in hand, she made her way to the kitchen to see her other siblings already sitting at the table.

    "I wonder what our next mission will be," Diego started as she grabbed her favorite bowl from the cupboard, deciding on cereal. "Did you see the way I scared that guy yesterday?" He proudly stated, mimicking what happened with added sound effects. She just shook her head with a small smile as she took her seat between Ben and Five, favoring the fact that they bothered her the least. She took a bite of her Frosted Flakes, opening her book to the first chapter and started skimming the words.

    "Good morning." Ben greeted softly beside her. She returned the greeting with the faintest smile before quickly turning back to her book. Five glanced down at what she was reading and furrowed his brow.

    "Forensics?" He watched her absentmindedly nod as she took another bite. He hummed shortly. "I never took you as the science-y type." She giggled softly and barely looked up at him.

    "I'm an all-kinds-of-things-y type."

    "Well, then." He put his attention elsewhere knowing she wanted her privacy.

    Rowan smiled softly at the memory, her eyes watering. It saddened her knowing they all went their separate ways while her and Luther stayed back. However, unlike him, she went out and enjoyed herself. Losing Five was hard enough on her, but losing Ben shortly after? She had to take her mind off of things somehow and she knew staying at the academy all day would only further her depressive state. She considered them to be her best friends. Her and Ben were the closest, undoubtedly the strongest bond in the family. Her and Five were a close second, but she wasn't sure if he felt the same way about it. It hurt all the same either way.

    The boy heard a soft knock on his door, making him turn to face the door in his chair. "What?"

"Five?" He heard a soft voice say. His face grew concerned when he saw his sister enter the room, face red with swollen eyes. He sighed and stood up as she softly shut the door, meeting her halfway in the room. She immediately clung to him and he returned the hug to comfort her. He patiently waited for her to slow her cries, rubbing her back with his thumb in small circles as his chin rested at the top of her head. The boy felt her slowly pull away, but she refused to look up at him. "Come on," He led her to his bed and he laid down, sitting up against the frame and patting the spot next to him. The girl crawled next to him, laying her head in his lap and practically attaching herself to his leg. "Diego?" He felt her grip on his leg tighten and that was all he needed. He bit his cheek in irritation, knowing it was the third time this week she had come to him in tears because of something her brothers had said.

It was almost routine for her to come crying to either Ben or Five at least once a week. She was surprised they never got tired of it, or they did but never said anything. Ben was easy to get along with. They just about immediately clicked. Five was a bit of a struggle, however. He would give her a hard time about how reserved she was, teasing her about how she was never seen without her nose in a book. It wasn't until she finally nipped back with her own snarky comments that he began to slow down with his teasing and wanted to get to know her better. It was hard for him to say, but he respected her. He wasn't sure if it was because of her intelligence, how closed off she was or if it was just how simply innocent she was. He just knew she was a mystery to him.

She made her way back to the academy after having been out for a few hours, the morning hours close to becoming afternoon. The news of her father's death was a surprise, to say the least. And she knew her family would've been there by now. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face them again, childhood memories getting the best of her. She reached the gate, her fragile hand holding onto one of the iron bars. She exhaled, then opened the gate and made her way through the large front doors. It seemed empty, but then she heard voices coming from the living area and she sighed. She decided to vanish, hiding her from the others as she crept further into the room. "Then there's the issue with the missing monocle." Luther brought up. Her eyebrows closed in on each other.

"Who gives a shit about the stupid monocle?" Diego mumbled.

"Exactly. It's worthless. So, whoever took it, I think it was personal. Someone close to him, someone with a grudge." She sat down in a nearby chair.

"Where are you going with this?" Klaus asked incredulously. Knowing where this was going, Rowan decided to finally come to.

"He thinks one of us killed Dad."

"Rowan!" They all exclaimed in different tones, some more surprised than others, some disappointed.

"Wait-Ro-? Hi-," Klaus started, then turned back to Luther. "You do!"

"How could you think that?" Vanya piped in.

"Great job, Luther. Way to lead." Diego targeted before making an exit. Rowan sighed and disappeared once more, making her way back up to her room.

"Ro-? You just got here!" She heard Klaus call from his spot on the couch. He sighed before standing up. "Sorry, I'm just gonna go murder Mom, I'll be right back." The girl chuckled to herself, wondering why she would've thought anything would change with their 'family'. She reappeared in her room, closing the door with her foot.

The edge of her bed sunk with her weight, her head resting in her hands when she heard the soft humming of music through the house. It was the siblings' song. The one they all grew up with. While the others danced, she stayed put. She felt a certain heaviness on her chest, her grief overtaking her as her watering eyes spilled over. She hugged herself as the tears fell, the salty water leaving spots on her tights cold. Then there was a rumble. Followed by thunder. Time seemed to slow as a blue hue ghosted the house.

"Rowan!" Allison yelled down the hallway, her footsteps thundering. "Rowan!" Her door flung open and her sister gave her an almost terrified expression. "Rowan, you need to see this." She bolted from the bed, running after her sister to the courtyard. The others were already there, gaping at a large blue anomaly, electrifying the environment around them.

"Everyone, get behind me!" Luther exclaimed.

"Yeah, get behind us!" Diego followed. Rowan couldn't help but roll her eyes at the two of them.

"I vote for running!" Klaus jumped in, but no one listened. They all watched as a man tried to push through whatever it was, eventually breaking through and inevitably falling to the ground. At this, the anomaly disappeared and they all started at the man, which seemed more like a kid now. Possibly around Rowan's age? As the boy stood up, she felt her life fall apart around her. The reason for her slow undoing, her grief, her nightmares stood right in front of her. The boy who had been haunting her for the last 17 years of her stilled life. There stood Five, looking confused as ever in an oversized suit.

Her eyes grew glossy and everyone turned to look at her, parting so she was in view of the boy. She watched as his emerald eyes widened, seeing that his friend looked the exact same as when he left. She didn't move a muscle. She couldn't. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She felt a tear slowly make its way down her cheek, and she did the only thing she knew to do. Disappear.