Chapter 8: Vanya

[Third Person's PoV] 

A few months later…

*knock* *knock* 

Reginald Hargreaves continued writing in his notebook, seemingly unfazed by the persistent knocking on his door. It wasn't until Nathaniel's voice, singing cheerily through the keyhole, reached his ears that he reluctantly put down his pen. 

"Would you like to build a snowman~ It doesn't have to be a snowman~" Nathaniel's voice was light and playful, "I'm going to keep on bothering you~ until you answer the door~"

Reginald sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Come in, Number 8."

Nathaniel floated in with a flourish, using his telekinesis to open the door and close it behind him while twirling in the air. "The name's Nathaniel~ or Nathan if you're feeling lazy, or if you're feeling really lazy, it's Nate," he said with a grin.

Reginald shifted in his seat, placing one hand atop the other. "You know, I must be honest—I really dislike you."

"Awww, thank you, old man. The feeling's mutual. Knowing you at least feel something for me in that cold, black heart of yours means the world to me," Nathaniel replied, placing a hand on his chest with a theatrically touched expression.

"Get to the point," Reginald said, his tone frosty.

"I want to help Vanya control her power," Nathaniel said matter-of-factly.

"Who?" Reginald asked, feigning ignorance.

"Number 7," Nathaniel clarified.

"She's useless. She doesn't have any powers," Reginald stated dismissively.

"Uh huh, stop playing the fool. We both know I'm an empath. I can feel your fears, not to mention I'm aware of the pills you've been giving her," Nathaniel said, his voice low.

Reginald clicked his tongue in annoyance. "My dislike for you continues to grow."

"You and I both know that if you forcefully suppress something for too long, it will end badly for everyone involved. All that suppressed energy will explode. Instead of suppressing it, let's help her control it."

"You have no idea the power you are meddling with. As you said, it could end badly for everyone. That creature could destroy the world if left unchecked," Reginald countered.

"And I can't?" Nathaniel shot back, his eyes glowing fiercely with power.

"You have control of your power and the beast within you. She doesn't possess that control. It will result in the death of thousands," Reginald said sternly.

"You're aware of her…" Nathaniel muttered in disbelief.

Reginald adjusted his monocle, "Of course I'm aware. I've been aware since the moment I saw you. Both you and Number 6 possess creatures of unimaginable power."

"Okay, so it's like you said. Vanya doesn't possess control. So let's help her gain it. It should be easy with my abilities. If she becomes emotionally unstable, I'll be able to calm her down or, if necessary, put her to sleep. Tell me, old man, do you want to live with a bomb locked in your basement?"

The room was heavy with tension as Reginald and Nathaniel stared each other down. Reginald closed his eyes and sighed regretfully. "I shouldn't have bought you from your mother…"

"Ouch… You know, that one actually hurt my feelings a little. Who says that to a child? Aren't I supposed to be your son? Harsh man, words hurt. So, is that a yes?"

Reginald nodded begrudgingly. "But on the condition that I am kept far away from that child. If you get yourself killed in the process, I would consider myself rather lucky."

"Dude, stop digging at me already. What's your problem?"

"Didn't I tell you earlier? I dislike you."

"Oh, right…" Nathaniel said with a wry smile, clearly unfazed.

…

Later today In an open field…

As Vanya looked down, tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands gripping her skirt as she sobbed. Nathaniel, noticing her distress, approached her with a curious expression. "Alright, why are you crying?"

Wiping her tears away, Vanya's voice trembled. "We were abandoned, weren't we? Our father dislikes us… he thinks of me as a burden and you and him don't get along very well. We're the last numbers, 7 and 8. He sent us away, had Pogo fly us to the middle of nowhere and left us."

*Is she an idiot?* the Phoenix asked curiously.

Nathaniel walked over and placed a hand on her head, using his abilities to calm her emotions. "Are you an idiot?"

"Huh?" Vanya looked up, puzzled, as her emotions began to settle.

"First of all, our father dislikes everyone, not just us. Second, I'm too great for him to even think of abandoning me. And third, the reason we're here is because I wanted to reveal the truth to you."

"The truth? What truth?" Vanya asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

"Vanya, you have powers…" Nathaniel revealed slowly.

"What…" Vanya's eyes widened in shock, her pupils shrinking. "What do you mean I have powers? But didn't Father say…"

Vanya started to hyperventilate, her emotions spiraling out of control. "He's been lying this entire time!" she shouted, her eyes glowing a whitish-blue as she clenched her fists.

Suddenly, her eyes dimmed as Nathaniel used his abilities to forcefully calm her. "What are you doing, Nathan? Why are you calming me down? I deserve to be angry!"

"Yes, you have every right to be angry. But your emotions are tied to your abilities. The more out of control your emotions are, the more your abilities will be too. Believe it or not, you're the second strongest person in the Academy," Nathaniel explained.

Vanya looked at her hands, clenching them tightly. She bit her lip and recalled the pills she'd been given. "The pills…"

Nathaniel nodded. "They were to suppress your emotions and, consequently, your powers."

"Did you know?" Vanya asked, tears welling up again as she looked at Nathaniel with a mix of sadness and hope.

He nodded solemnly. 

"And you never told me! You let me believe I was useless!" Vanya's anger erupted, causing a wave of energy to burst out of her, sending violent waves through the environment.

Nathaniel quickly used his telekinesis to create a protective barrier around them, trying to contain her uncontrolled power.

"If I had told you, you might have destroyed everything around you and hurt the people you care about. I had to wait until I was confident I could control my abilities enough to help you without causing significant harm. And who let you believe you were useless? Didn't I always support you? What you're doing now is called slander."

Vanya's emotional gaze faltered slightly as she listened to Nathaniel's explanation, though she still felt betrayed by his secrecy.

"Do you remember the exercises I made you do to calm yourself when you were nervous or anxious? Although I couldn't tell you directly, I was guiding you for when your powers manifested. Your power is the ability to control and manipulate sound. Father was afraid of that potential. So, remember the exercises we practiced."

Despite her turbulent emotions, Vanya began mimicking the violin exercise, breathing deeply and calming herself with the movement of the imagery bow. The energy around her began to settle.

As her emotions calmed, she looked down, her voice softening. "Since you were helping me control my abilities during practice… Did you even enjoy spending time with me? Was it just a chore to help me control my powers?" she asked disheartened

Nathaniel gently floated towards Vanya and gave her a tight hug, causing tears to form in her eyes as she returned the embrace tightly. "Oh Vanya, of course I enjoyed spending time with you. You're my little sister. Why wouldn't I? I always liked how you played the violin."

Vanya let out a soft laugh, "What do you mean little sister? We were all born at the same time, even so I should be your big sister. I'm Number 7, you're Number 8, which means I'm before you."

"Ah, but you see, 8 is more than 7, which makes me the older brother by default. Not to mention, I'm the strongest, so that makes me the oldest," Nathaniel said with a playful grin.

"Now that I have a strong ability, whether you're the strongest is up for debate. It seems even Father was afraid of it."

"Oh? Is someone getting cocky now that they have an ability? Looks like I need to keep that ego of yours in check, Vanya."

They both smiled at each other before bursting into laughter, their bond strengthened by the revelation and their shared understanding.