Number Zero: The Shadow| Five x OC

7: Shootout at Griddy's

"By far my biggest observation was figuring out that Zero's powers grow when she's around Number Five. They have a unique fighting system, each trying to outperform the other, but not in a Number One and Number Two way. It's something entirely different all together,"- Reginald Hargreeves.

Seventeen years ago

Zero's POV

"Nietzsche once said, 'Man is as a rope stretched between the animal and the superhuman. A robe over an abyss. It is a dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting."

I rolled my eyes as I waited in my green tracksuit at the bottom of the stairs with the rest of my siblings. Each one of us, anxiously waiting for the okay. Vanya then blew the whistle symboling we could all start.

I pushed through the crowd and began to make my way to the top. Diego was violently shoving everyone so he could make it to the top and beat 'number one'. 

"As much as you must strive for individual greatness, and strive you must, for it won't come to you of its own accord...you must also remember that there is no individual stronger than the collective."

We kept running up higher and higher- sweat dripping down my forehead and exhaustion overtaking my legs. Five then thought it would be fun to spatial jump in front of everyone.

Diego whined, "That's not fair, Five's cheating!"

"He adapted," Dad claimed.

'He adapted, huh?' I thought. I quickly used my shadows to propel me further up.

"See ya suckers," I laughed, making it closer to the top. I made sure to travel myself one step higher than Five. For winning's sake.

Five's fists were clenched as he sputtered, "Wh-what, huh- w-why?" 

"I adapted," I told him, crossing the finish line first. I gave Five a wink as he slumped down in defeat.

"Diego!" He shouted, "Do you have a knife I could borrow?"

☂︎     ☂︎     ☂︎     ☂︎

"The ties that bind you together, make you stronger than you are alone."

I sat on the chair, leg bouncing up and down in nervousness. I watched as Alison and Klaus held each in tears- their arms looking painfully red. Diego was in the chair currently. He held back his pain and tears as the machine buzzed against his arm. Mom tried to hold his hand but he was too 'manly' for that.

"They will make you impervious to the pain and hardship the world will thrust upon you. And believe me when I tell you, life will be hard. It will be painful."

Luther was next in line, his worried demeanour being downplayed because dad was standing next to him. His arms were crossed tightly.

Then Ben, his eyes were glassy as he stared straight forward taking deep breaths. He sat with his arms clasped together.

Five was next to me, his face scrunched up and tense. His one leg crossed against himself. I held his hand, as I myself, took some thoughtful breaths.