Number Eight - The Viper ┃ Five Hargreeves ┃1┃

III - A Freak Magnetic Earthquake?

Number Eight sat on her childhood bed, surrounded by dolls and stuffed animals. The room hasn't changed in twelve years. Everything was just how she left it, even the unmade bed sheets. The teenager perched herself on the very edge of the bed frame, spinning a silver ring in between her fingers thoughtfully. It was Five's ring that Eight had given him when they were young children. She had found it on the street outside of the academy, but her fingers were too small to wear it herself at the time, therefore she gave it to Five. When he went missing, she noticed it sitting on a shelf in his bedroom, and she had been wearing it ever since. Her fingers were still too small, but luckily the ring fit on her thumb.

The overhead lights in the room began to flicker and the walls started to rattle. The ring began to vibrate in her palm of her hand and suddenly hurled across the room, hitting into the wall. 

"What is happening? Some kind of freak magnetic earthquake?!" Number Eight yelled over the noise, hoping that at least of her adoptive siblings would be able to hear her. Other magnetic items from the bedroom started slamming into the walls, including her old jewellery and picture frames. She stumbled across the room, her legs unsteady as the room shook, and grabbed Five's ring that had fallen by the skirting board. She placed the ring on her thumb securely before scrambling out of the room in an attempt to find her family. 

The family, including Grace and Pogo, burst out of the mansion and tumbled into the courtyard, where they found a blazing electromagnetic disturbance that hovered just above the paves, hissing and crackling like a fireball. The air around them was alive, ripped by gale force winds.

Klaus took one look at the fireball, then ducked back inside.

"What is it?" Viktor yelled, trying to be heard over the warping uproar. 

"Get back. Don't touch it!" Luther shouted, placing his hands out by his sides in an attempt to protect his family. 

"Yeah, no shit." Said both Number Eight and Diego in unison. 

"It appears to be some sort of temporal anomaly. Or possibly a black hole." Pogo said, surprisingly calm. He stumbled slightly, trying to keep his balance upon his walking stick, though Grace was close beside him. She looked completely unfazed. 

"Pretty big difference there, Pogo!" Number Eight yelled, her short hair being blown in her face by the fireball. 

Klaus suddenly returned, holding a tiny fire extinguisher.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?" Yelled Allison, looking at Klaus, bewildered. 

"I don't know! Do you have a better idea?!" Klaus exclaimed erratically. It was clear that he was freaking out. He threw the fire extinguisher into the fireball, only to find that it got sucked in and was never to be seen again. 

"Well, that's just great. Nice one, Klaus!" Said Number Eight, sticking her thumb in the air in the direction of Klaus. Despite her sarcasm, he smiled at her proudly. She chuckled, before turning her attention back to the fireball. The disturbance was getting brighter, more powerful. The observers were forced to shield their eyes.

"Umm...running? I vote for running?" Viktor shouted, though his voice was drowned out by the sound of the disturbance. 

"Everyone get behind me." Luther said, gesturing for his family to hide behind his large stature. Instinctively, Allison reached out, taking Luther's hand. He glanced down, surprised.

A loud bang ricocheted through the atmosphere and without warning, the disturbance seemed to implode, folding in upon itself. The winds abruptly subsided.

The disturbance was gone. In its place was a small form, smoke rising from his body. The figure straightened up. 

"Holy shit." Said Number Eight, quietly.