The forgotten ones

Childhood 2

What were you thinking Number 8!" Reginald Hargreeves snapped at the girl, eyes coated in fury. Zeus knew she shouldn't have done it, but she couldn't help what she did. She got angry, pis*ed was the better term to put it as, but it didn't matter to Reginald. "I'm sorry Dad, I didn't mean to." Zeus apologized, trying her hardest to maintain eye contact, but ended up looking at her shifting feet at the icy glare her father sent her. "Sorry isn't going to cut it, Number 8. I've told you numerous amounts of times that you are forbidden to use your Elemental Control powers outside of training to avoid disaster. At this rate, I am considering about banning you from coming on missions with your siblings until you can control your temper." Reginald stated making Zeus snap up at him, eyes wide. The siblings started trying to explain what had happened in the bank, in an attempt to not have their sister banned from participating. Reginald looked across the room at his adoptive children and let out a disapproving glare to each of them. "But Dad! It wasn't Zeus'es fault her anger got out of control. If I had noticed the robber creeping up on me, she wouldn't have lost her temper." Diego stated, staring their father down. Reginald shook his head at the boy. "Even if that was the case, Number 2. Number 8 should have more control of her emotions. There will be no excuses for her disappointing behavior. I have no choice but to punish her. Come along Number 8." Reginald took Zeus'es hand and led her out of the living room, the Hargreeves siblings shouting in protest. Five ran after them, but was stopped by Grace who smiled sweetly at him. "Would anyone like some snacks?" She asked and whisked Five away to the kitchen, the others following him hesitantly, staring at the direction Reginald took Zeus in. ~~~ Reginald Hargreeves led little Zeus into the basement and walked her down the corridor to the spiked room that he had put Vanya in years prior. Reginald instructed Zeus to get inside the enclosed room and sealed the entrance shut. Zeus looked at her father and around the room in confusion as she took in her new surroundings, mentally preparing herself for the upcoming hours she knew were coming, knowing her father. "Now Number 8, you will be staying here every time you are not able to control your temper or your powers. So I suggest, you get used to your surroundings fairly quickly." Reginald turned his back at his daughter and left the room, only coming back to fetch her 5 hours later. He opened the entryway to the enclosed room to find his 13 year old daughter lying on the ground, fast asleep, curled up in a ball trying to regulate her body heat in the freezing cold room. Reginald stared at the girl before calling Grace to the basement to carry her upstairs. Upon hearing Grace's footsteps coming up the stairs, everyone peeked their heads out of their bedroom doors, attempting to catch a glimpse of what she was doing. Five quickly teleported out of his room as soon as he saw the figure Grace was holding in her hands and landed in front of her, swiftly taking his twin sister. Grace smiled at the boy, as if she was expecting him to act as he did, and turned around, descending down the flight of stairs. Five easily carried the thirteen year old girl into their shared room and tucked her into bed, glaring at his siblings before slamming the bedroom door.

~~~

Footsteps could be heard from the ground floor as Grace played the record of the day, walking towards the arched doorway and ringing the bell, immediately seeing 8 children rush down the stairs and enter the dining room. The children all walked towards a chair, all but one skipping the chairs closest to Reginald. Zeus sighed as she saw which two chairs she was forced to choose from, but rounded the dining table and held the chair's frame in her hands. Reginald Hargreeves walked into the dining room and pulled out his chair from the end of the table, parallel to Vanya's own seat. He stared at his adoptive children, eventually commanding them to sit, which they gladly did. Suddenly, Five stuck his knife into the dining table, making Zeus flinch at the sudden sound and movement before staring at her brother in disbelief, the latter giving her a small shrug and smirk. "I have a question." Five said calmly. Zeus let out a silent groan and prayed to the Gods that Five wouldn't do something stupid. "Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herl Carrson." Five pushed away his plate and cutlery to the side, obviously frustrated. Calypso groaned and knew that the conversation that was about to unfold wouldn't be a good one. "I want to time travel." Five stated. Zeus tried to ignore the conversation, but it was pretty hard to do that, considering the fact that her twin brother had just stated that he wanted to TIME TRAVEL. "No." Reginald said simply. "But I'm ready." Zeus scoffed at that sentence, Five glaring daggers at her. "I've been practicing my spacial jumps, just like you said. Even Zeus believes that." Zeus spun her head around and glared at him, but he seemed to ignore her. He stood from his chair and warped from his spot at the dinner table and appeared next to Reginald. "See?" "A spacial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn." Five looked at Zeus before turning back to his father. "Well, I don't get it." "Hence the reason you're not ready." Reginald stated, putting down his glass. Zeus stared at Five, eyes brimming with concern and she shook her head. "Five, just drop the subject please." Zeus pleaded. Five stared at her before shaking his head and turning back to Reginald. "I'm not afraid." "Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too unpredictable. It would be wise to heed your sister's advice. Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore." Five stared at the ground before walking off. "Number Five! You haven't been excused! Come back here!" Reginald shouted as Zeus ran out of her seat and after her brother. "Five! Where are you going? Come back!" Zeus shouted as she ran past the doors of the academy. She looked around, but couldn't spot her brother anywhere nearby. "FIVE?! Where are you?!" She shouted in a panic as she zipped through the sidewalk, desperately searching for her twin. "Excuse me ma'am, have you seen my brother? He's about this tall and has short brow-" "I'm so sorry dearie, but I haven't seen anyone like that today." The woman smiled and walked off. She ran through the sidewalks, asking any passerby if they had seen her brother, but to no avail. Finally, Klaus caught up to her and attempted to calm her down as they entered the house. "Hey Z, don't worry. Five will be back soon, I hope." Klaus attempted to calm her down, but it was no use. The girl was in hysterics, crying and wheezing and yelling for Five to come back. The siblings had no idea what to do with their sister, looking at her helpless, clearly wanting to do something but none had the slightest clue on how. It was after a few moments that Allison had gotten an idea. She knelt down in front of Calypso and held a comforting hand on her sister's shaking ones. "I heard a rumor that you calmed down." Calypso's eyes turned a milky gray color as her breathing started to regulate to a normal pace and her hands stopped shaking. She looked at Allison, a sad smile on her lips as she promptly fainted onto Klaus, who looked very panicked. "She's probably tired. Better get her to bed." Diego said crouching in front of Calypso and tucking a rogue strand of hair behind her ears as he lifted her up into his arms and made his way up the stairs.

~~~

The next few weeks that passed by after the disappearance of Five proved brutal for the Hargreeves. Most times, Reginald would send somebody to go search for the missing boy, only to end up with nothing in the end. Zeus holed herself up in their shared room, crying her eyes out on Five's bed, making sure that it was ready made and pristine if he ever to come back home. She would emerge from her room for training and meals with bloodshot eyes and a permanent frown placed upon her face. Her siblings desperately wanted to help their sister, but their father reassured them that she was only going through the mourning process and would eventually get better. It was only four months after that dreaded day that things started looking up for Zeus. She stunned everybody at the dining table one morning when she skipped in, eyes shining bright, though still fairly bloodshot, and a huge smile plastered on her face. She skipped right over to Five's usual seat and started eating as if the events from the past few months hadn't happened. Her siblings gaped at her, each of their eyes wide. "What? Is there something on my face?" Calypso asked in confusion when she realized that most of the room's occupants were staring at her. "H-how are you so happy? Not that it's a bad thing, but just last night you were crying your eyes out." Klaus pointed out, using his fork to emulate the dark circles under Calypso's eyes. "Well, I figured that it wasn't alright to cry hysterically for my missing brother forever." Zeus shrugged. "Children, no talking at the dinner table. You know the rules." Reginald scolded them, not looking up from his plate. The room immediately fell silent as though Hades himself passed through and told each of the occupants that if they were to make a single noise, he'd banish them to a lifetime of suffering in the Fields of Punishment. "I'm glad you made a full recovery, Number 8." Reginald said to her, which broke out the biggest grin out of Zeus. although it quickly deflated at the sound of his next few words. "Your training and studies have been lacking due to your, depressive attitude. I sincerely hope that you quickly catch up. I expect more from you." Zeus nodded and continued eating her breakfast with a neutral expression on her face, inwardly scolding herself for thinking that her father cared about her beyond the necessary needs of a parent...