𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ━ five hargreeves

15│THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS

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❛ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇʟᴀɴᴅs ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴛʜᴇ
ᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴇɴᴅs ꒱


❝ BUT HEAR THIS, SIR
HARGREEVES: YOU ARE
JULIUS CAESAR & I AM
YOUR SOOTHSAYER ❞

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Throughout the twenty-four hour period that marked the first day of October, 1989, 380,738 women around the world gave birth. Of these natural births, sixteen were determined to be 'unusual.' This is because those specific women had not been pregnant when the day first began. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. However, this story is not about them.

Instead, the focus is on a pair of twins that were born amongst the 380,738 on that fateful day. Their birth was completely natural: Alan and Lois Gimbel had planned to continue their family lineage months in advance of the baby's arrival. Sometimes, though, the fertilized egg will accidentally split in two, especially when an otherworldly phenomenon acts upon it. Edmund Gimbel was born on the eighth hour of October first, 1989. Four hours later— at precisely twelve noon— Edward Gimbel was born.

The addition of a second baby came as a surprise and joy to the parents of the now-twins. Luckily, they had the means and finances to support this unexpected family member and welcomed him into the family just as they did his brother. This 'extra baby' escaped Sir Reginald Hargreeves' grasp; his unintended camouflage immediately after his brother's birth hid him from the man's sight. . . for the time being.

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[ 2000-2008 ]

Growing up, the two boys displayed the stereotypes that were usually made on twins: they finished each other's sentences, switched places and claimed that they could feel each other's pain. The brothers were as close as siblings could be and rarely ever fought (many who met them were often unsettled by their camaraderie.) This was especially noteworthy because their personalities could not be more different. Where Edmund was easygoing, extroverted and popular, Edward was detached, bookish and isolated. However, their differing personalities seemed to be the glue that kept them together and they balanced each other's extreme sides.

After school, Edmund could be found with his arm thrown over a girl's shoulders (this is unspecified because he was often with a new partner before the week was out.) His group of friends would usually go to the diner that was near their school and claim a booth in the back whilst they also hogged the pool table. Their boisterous laughter would drown out the conversations of the other patrons as they caused a ruckus in the back. (They were never reprimanded, though, because one of Edmund's friend's mom's ran the restaurant.) If he wasn't there, then he was either at one of his friend's houses or playing whatever sport was currently in season.

On the other hand, Edward's location was far more predictable: he was either at the public library or in his room. As much as he loved his brother, he merely tolerated the friends that came with him; he found the group to be unnecessarily loud and uncultured. He much preferred to be holed away in his room, reading about how the world worked.

You might be wondering: if Edward Gimbel was born on the twelfth hour of October first, where are his powers? When did he become interested in tinkering? What does his presence have to do with the love story between his niece and the boy named Five? And: how on Earth did he always seem to know when things happened before they did?

There is no need to be concerned— these questions will be answered in short order.

Firstly— and perhaps because of the lack of Reginald Hargreeves' presence in his early life— Edward did not figure out his powers until much later. Yes; from a young age, he already knew that he was different from his peers. In Kindergarten, he sensed when his classmate's milk was going to spill before it did. (This could easily be written off as children being careless, but there is further proof.) In second grade as he walked home from school after a particularly heavy rainstorm, his vision flashed forward to nighttime where a speeding car would swerve on a rain puddle and cause an accident. (After dinner that night when his father turned on the news, there was a report of a traffic buildup due to a totaled car.)