Promise [Number 5 X Reader]

- Adapting -

17 Years Ago

"'Man is as a rope, stretched between the animal, and the superhuman,'" came your guardian's voice from the top of the massive staircase. Stories above your head, Vanya stood beside the old man with a clipboard and a whistle. "'A rope, over an abyss. It is a dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting.' That's Nietzsche." Seven took the whistle into her mouth and blew it shrilly.

The seven of you bolted up the stairs, roughly shoving past eachother in order to get ahead. Luther pushed his way into the lead of the pack.

"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 and the others had caught up with the blonde by now, clumsily ramming into one another as you each scrambled to reach the top of the stairs first.

"Remember that no one of you can possibly be stronger than the seven of you combined."

Diego shoved forward and sprinted ahead of the rest. Just seconds after, Five warped in front of him in a blue whirl. "Hey, Five's cheating!" Diego whined, fighting to reach him again.

"He's merely improvising, adapting," Hargreeves responded curtly.

A lightbulb went off in your head. If that's adapting . . . You jumped onto the stair railing and pushed yourself past the levels with a crystalline column branching from the rail. "Woo!"

XxX

"Your bonds with each other," Hargreeves said, "make you stronger than you would be on your own."

Klaus held Allison in his arms, the both of them wimpering in pain, clutching their wrists. You sat straight in your chair as ink was imbedded into your tender flesh. Why the hell people get these things for fun is beyond me, you thought bitterly, gritting your teeth and biting back a shout of pain.

"With them you will harden yourselves against the world around you."

You could only stare at the so-called siblings in front of you as they watched the man work on your arm. Luther, Diego, Five, and Ben all looked a mix of impatient and scared, fidgeting in their seats. You locked eyes with Five, who gave you an inquiring look, glancing from your eyes to the forming tattoo on your wrist.

"And the world will hurt you. You can trust that."

Before you could reply you had to bite the inside of your cheek to suppress a cry as the tattoo needle was suddenly a bit too sharp. Five looked like he would've jumped from his seat until you gave him the most subtle shake of your head. You glanced at the staircase and saw Vanya standing there, watching you intently. When you got out of the chair, you walked over to her and saw the black marker in her hand. "Let me," you said, taking it.

She held out her left arm, and you drew on her a decent replica of the marking that the rest of you had been given.

"I don't know why you'd want one," you mumbled to her. "It's more like a brand . . . And it hurts like a bitch," you insisted, glancing over your shoulder to make sure the old geezer didn't hear the whispered swear.

Seven smiled at your whining. "I don't see it that way."

"Then what do you see it as?"

She only shrugged her other shoulder, much like how you shrugged at Five.

"There's nothing we can't accomplish," Hargreeves' voice resonated in your head, "when we act as a unit. When we trust each other completely."