Tempus Edax Rerum

We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals - 3

The camera focused on the decapitated head of Ben's statue when Reginald's Hargreeves voice started speaking,

"Nietzsche once said, man is as a rope."

The scene transitioned to a staircase.

"19 years ago" 

On top of the staircase stood a prepubescent Vanya with a stopwatch and Sir Reginald writing on a notebook.

The siblings looked at each other at the familiar sight.

"Stretched between the animal and the superhuman. A rope over an abyss."

At the bottom of the long spiraling staircase, the rest of the 6 siblings looked up then, all wearing green jumpsuits.

Cassiopeia grimaced at the shade of green, "That's an absolute horrid uniform."
"Isn't it just," Sirius muttered back.

"Trust me," Alison assured the two, "None of us liked those ugly tracksuits."

"It is a dangerous crossing,"

The camera slid back to Sir Reginald and Vanya,

"A dangerous looking back, a dangerous trembling and halting."

He closed his book and gave a firm nod. Vanya blew the whistle, the shrill sound echoing down.

Immediately the children ran up the stairs, pushing and shoving at each other to get to the top.

"As much as you must strive for individual greatness," Reginald narrated, as Luther surged ahead of the group.

"And strive you must, for it won't come to you of its own accord...

Diego pushed past Luther, taking the lead.

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

Diego was in the lead, running up the stairs when the air a few staircases up warped and Five appeared.

"That's not fair! Five's cheating!" Diego shouted, indignantly.

Sir Reginald looked down at the scrambling children, "She adapted." The air next to Vanya trembled and Five appeared next to her with smirk, startling the other girl.

"I still think it's cheating," Diego scoffed. Cas shrugged, "He never specified that you couldn't use your powers."

Diego side-eyed the young girl, "You really are Five," he mumbled.

The scene cut to an umbrella being tattooed onto red irritated skin, blood welling up where the needle pierced the skin.

Hands clutched at their wrists. It was a cruel thing, having their most painful memories laid out like this when they had all tried so hard to forget them.

"The ties that bind you together 

Over the arm of the tattoo artist, Allison and Klaus could be seen huddling, leaning against each other. Allison let out small pained cries and Klaus whimpered.