Number Eight: The Untouchable

Chapter VI

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

~ 17 Years Ago ~

Dr. Hargreeves stood at the top of the stairs, a red book in hand with a thirteen-year-old Viktor next to him holding a clipboard and a red stringed whistle. As he waits for the signal, Viktor peers down the stairs to see his seven siblings looking up at them, expectantly. He looks back at his father and sees him jotting notes down before closing the book and giving him a look. Viktor takes that as his cue and blows the whistle.

"As much as you must strive for individual greatness, and strive you must, for it won't come to you of its own accord . . ."

Upon hearing the whistle, the seven siblings rush up the stairs as quickly as possible to be the first to reach the top. In the beginning, there was pushing and shoving one another but soon Luther would be first and then Diego. However, Number Five would use his tricks, aka using his powers to jump ahead of the others. Niki, who saw this, decided to use her own too. No one saw her as she was the last one. She sneaked right through the others with ease. A few seconds later Number Five appeared at the top of the stairs, next to Viktor. Niki made herself visible as she reached the last step, a smile on her face as she stood next to her brother.

"That's not fair, they cheated," Diego calls out.

"They adapted." Mr. Hargreeves states.

"You must also remember that there is no individual stronger than the collective."

~ ~ ~

"The ties that bind you together make you stronger than you are alone. They will make you impervious to the pain and hardship the world will thrust upon you,"

Luther, Ben, Niki, and Five sat in chairs waiting for their turn. Mr. Hargreeves had decided to give the thirteen-year-olds a tattoo of an umbrella on their left forearm. A symbol of their union, to show the world their dedication to the team. Whether they agreed on it or not, it was being done. Klaus had gone first, then Allison, both of them let tears fall from their eyes as they held each other in a comforting hug. Allison continued to let out small whimpers of pain as she looked at the fresh tattoo. Diego was currently in the chair, putting on the bravest face he could hold. Grace went to hold his hand to care for him but Diego snatched his hand away. Not wanting to be seen as weak.

Niki looked at her crying siblings and then at the tattoo artist. With a tight feeling of anxiety in her chest, she moved her left hand over to Ben and gripped his right hand in need of reassurance. He squeezed her hand back.

"And believe me when I tell you, life will be hard. It will be painful."

Viktor stood at the top of the main stairs and watched as his siblings got a permanent reminder of who they were. Although it seems painful, Viktor wished nothing more than to get one himself. Drawing the umbrella symbol on his left forearm with a permanent marker.

~ ~ ~

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

Mr. Hargreeves looks down at a sleeping Number Eight. He carefully finishes placing a small electrode attached to a long green wire to her left temple. He lets out a quiet sigh. He hoped that tonight he could get proper results from her, knowing she had a tendency to turn invisible while she slept, unbeknownst to her.