𝖑𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖈𝖎𝖊𝖘||𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘

0.4

march 12 2001

Nakia was chuckling to herself as she ate breakfast the next morning. She looked over at Klaus who had been staring at his oatmeal for six minutes. The night before, after everyone had eaten a doughnut, Ben had dared Klaus to eat as much as he could have. He had managed to eat at least seven until he toppled over a garbage can and puked.

She looked over at Ben who snickered at him. Klaus gave him a deadly glare, while Five kicked Ben in the shin. It was always a risk sneaking out, and he wasn't about to let the idiots he called siblings ruin it for him.

Diego's gaze shifted from Five to Nakia who playfully shrugged. Diego rolled his eyes and then went back to eating. Nakia was reading one of her books from Five while she waited for breakfast to end. It was on calming breathing exercises. She was tired of letting Luther get to her, and she was tired of that stupid basement. She was going to master her powers. Her curly her fell from her ponytail when she turned pages, causing her to keep tucking it back in.

Soon Reginald stood up. He looked towards Vanya. She took it as a hint and went upstairs.

"Follow me, children,"

Nakia and her siblings followed their father into their sitting room. There was a chair, and six stools beside it. Sitting in the chair was a middle-aged man with tattoos covering his arms. He was bald with a long beard, and he was holding a sharp needle. Nakia's heart plummeted into her stomach.

Reginald took a stance next to Grace and motioned for one of them to step forward.

Klaus took the risk and inched closer to the man slowly. The man stood up motioning for Klaus to sit. He grabbed his wrist and started to give Klaus his first tattoo.

Their father stepped forward and spoke, "Nietzsche once said, 'Man is as a rope stretched between the animals and the superhuman. A rope over an abyss. It is a dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling, and halting.'"

As the man finished with Klaus, he motioned for another child to step forward. Allison hesitantly stepped forward, while Reginald continued, glancing at a tearful Klaus gripping his arm that had a nasty looking burn on it

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,"

As soon as Allison was finished she ran into Klaus's arms, who cradled her as she cried. Diego stepped towards the man. He looked physically in pain but rejected any type of sympathy.

Between Allison's crying, the buzzing of the machine, and her father's rambling, Number Eight could barely think straight. What if she sat in that chair, and the entire house burned down?

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

Nakia noticed that Luther stood up. Her heart began moving at a hundred miles an hour. She wasn't frightened of the tattoo. She was frightened of what it would cause. What if she was in so much pain she hurt her siblings or her mother? As if sensing her fear, Five lightly gripped her left hand giving it a light squeeze. Ben grabbed her right arm. Nakia smiled. They always knew how to cheer her up. Luther got up a new tattoo on his wrist, going to comfort Allison.

Nakia stood up slowly, sitting in the chair and holding out her wrist.

"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. We can accomplish anything when we accept responsibility together. This is what creates trust."

Nakia closed her eyes as the needle pierced her skin. Hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. It hurt terribly. It was here Nakia noticed it was the shape of an umbrella.

"Together, you will stand against the reign of evil."

Suddenly the house began to shake slightly. Grace looked at Reginald who was staring intently at Nakia. Her eyes began to grow red. Her father stepped forward to tell the man to stop, fear of his plans in jeopardy.

Nakia was losing control. She closed her eyes breathing slightly in and out. The breathing exercises were keeping her calm. The house stopped shaking and when Nakia opened her eyes they were the familiar grey.

Reginald sighed relieved. The tattoo was finished, and Nakia stood up tears blurring her vision. She wiped her face and ran past her father, sitting on the steps.

She cried softly looking at her wrist. She felt the burning of her skin and saw a big splotch, an umbrella tattoo in the middle. She buried her face in her knees. Her hair enveloped her. She had never realized her hair was that long, almost hitting her waist; her curly hair stopped in the middle of her back. She didn't really care though. She didn't want this stupid tattoo.

She knew no other eleven year olds had to worry about this. They were worried about homework, and what outfits they were going to wear to school. They didn't have to be scared of murdering their families. They were scared of the boogeyman and getting the flu.

It wasn't fair. Nobody else in this family was treated like a disease or something that needed to be under control. This wasn't a team she wanted to be a part of.

"Kia," Vanya spoke softly, standing at the top staircase. "Are you alright?"

"Yes Vanya," Nakia replied hoarsely. She quickly wiped her face. Vanya didn't deserve her tears. Vanya was too pure for that. She climbed the staircase stopping beside the straight haired girl.

"What happened," Vanya questioned.

"This," Nakia showed her, holding out her arm to show the new flaky, red puffy patched tattoo.

"Oh," Seven sighed. "Did you all get that?"

"Yeah,"

"Thought so,"

Vanya sat on the steps. Nakia stared at her in shame. If anyone knew what she was going through if not more was Vanya. She was overshadowed by all of her siblings.

Nakia felt ashamed of whining in self pity. She had what Vanya could only dream of. Powers. And here Nakia was complaining 'woe is me'. Vanya couldn't see how cool she was without her powers. She took out a marker that she kept in her pocket. She sat next to her and pulled out her wrist.

She drew out the image of the umbrella tattoo identically onto Vanya's wrist.

"There," she spoke softly. "Now you're extra special than the rest of us."

"Thanks," Vanya replied smiling. "I like the way you're growing your hair out." She pointed to her own hair.

Suddenly she rested her head on Nakia's shoulders.

Maybe the Umbrella Academy wasn't the worst thing that could happen to her.