The mansion was heavy with silence when Number 0 returned from his private world—a small planet of his own creation where time flowed differently, where he could rest and plan without interruption. But no matter how far he traveled, the isolation always clawed at him, pulling him back to the fractured family he struggled to connect with.
Tonight, the air was thick with tension, the kind that settled deep into bones and refused to budge. Zero could hear the faint murmur of voices from the living room—siblings gathered, talking in low tones, their faces drawn and tired. They needed him, even if they didn't say it outright.
(They want me to be here. They just don't know how to ask.)
He stepped inside quietly, his presence immediately noticed. Allison's eyes met his, a flicker of surprise mixed with hope.
"We've been waiting," she said softly.
Vanya looked up, her gaze guarded but warmer than it had been in weeks.
Diego's arms were crossed, skepticism etched across his features. Luther's jaw was clenched, and Klaus watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable.
Five stood near the window, eyes sharp but wary.
Zero swallowed the lump rising in his throat. This was his family—fractured, messy, but still his.
"I want to help," he said simply. "Not from a distance. Here, with you."
The conversation that followed was tense but honest. Old wounds surfaced, accusations were voiced, but beneath the sharp edges lay a shared pain.
Luther admitted, "We've been scared. Losing each other felt like losing ourselves."
Vanya whispered, "I was scared of what I could do. Afraid of being a monster."
Zero nodded. "I've been scared too. Of losing control. Of losing you all."
Klaus, surprisingly, reached out. "Maybe it's time we stop hiding behind our powers and just be a family."
But the calm was fragile.
News arrived that the Commission was tightening its grip—agents spotted near key locations, rumors of a plan to erase the Hargreeves once and for all.
Zero's mind raced. (We don't just have to fight the Commission—we have to outthink them.)
He shared his knowledge of their tactics, his glimpses into future possibilities.
Together, the siblings began to craft a new plan—one that relied on their combined strengths, not just brute force.
Zero felt the shift inside himself—a growing confidence, a rekindled hope.
Maybe, just maybe, they could rewrite their story.