A/N

Thank you for taking the time to read this story :) If you would, please review and tell me what you think!

-Louise


It took years for him to build the wall that kept unwanted feelings out.

When it first began, Matthew couldn't bear to be around large groups of people for too long. Their emotions swarmed his mind, so many at once it was impossible to discern one from the next. He lost himself for a while, unable to tell his own emotions from the storm that hit him at full force every time he left his bedroom.

Alfred understood. He lay with Matthew for hours at a time, waiting patiently while Matthew tried to train himself to push the feelings away. Alfred was what Matthew soon discovered to be a never-ending pool of emotion, each one burning with such intensity that made him a perfect practice dummy.

Likewise, when Alfred came to him in the middle of the night with his computer mouse little more than dust in his hand, Matthew became the dummy. Alfred would take his hand and slowly squeeze it, trying to control the strength that he suddenly possessed.

They were thirteen years old when they got their abilities. Nothing extraordinary happened to spark them, it was if they had changed overnight. One morning Matthew's head was his own and Alfred could high-five someone without snapping their wrist, the next they were different. Freaks. Abnormal.

Gilbert was a little different. With pale-white hair and blood-red eyes, he could never be classified as normal. When his canines sharpened to deadly points and his fingernails became more claw-like than human, however, he knew his problem was more than just lack of pigmentation. He was an athletic superstar, able to jump higher, run faster and move in ways that left the other kids in the dust. His senses grew to new heights and he got stronger, but each Google search on what was happening to him came up empty. He was alone, until Ludwig caught him with his gloves off and he was forced to explain.

He expected a therapist. What Ludwig showed him was understanding, and he'd never forget that kindness from his twelve year old brother.

Feliciano and Lovino Vargas were twins, but it was easy to see that they were polar opposites. Feliciano had always been cheerful and friendly, while Lovino kept to himself and never allowed anyone near him aside from his brother. It had always been that way, even before their abilities manifested and they were forced to move from foster family number four to foster family number five.

Feliciano's ability appeared first. Lovino fell from the tree in their backyard and broke his wrist, the splintered bone breaking the skin. Feliciano had climbed down after him, sobbing like he was the one who had a bone sticking through his skin. Then, he'd placed his hands over the injury and closed his eyes. The bones realigned, the bleeding stop and the wound healed, all within a matter of minutes.

They didn't tell anyone about what had happened, not even when their foster parents came running outside after hearing the screaming.

Lovino's ability was far more dangerous. He'd begrudgingly allowed their foster mother to wrap him in a tight hug before bed before she started to convulse and shriek. When she pulled away her arms were covered in angry red marks where she'd touched his skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the room.

Feliciano healed her, but needless to say they were sent back to their social worker the very next day. Lovino never let anyone touch him again aside from Feliciano, who was apparently immune to Lovino's power. Lovino would never admit it, but whenever Feliciano curled up to him or grabbed his un-gloved hand, he felt a rush of gratitude that he could at least still be close with one person.

Mathias met Lukas in kindergarten. The boy refused to talk to anyone in class and only interacted with the teacher when he absolutely had to. That intrigued Matthias. He had to know why. So he sat with Lukas every day, talking about nothing and everything while Lukas said nothing, refusing to meet Mathias' eyes.

Until one day he did speak. If you don't leave me alone, I'll have Jotnar bash your skull in! You idiotic Dane.

Mathias had blinked once, then grinned. Who's Jotnar?

Lukas scowled in return. You'll just think I'm crazy too.

Years later, after Mathias discovered he was more like the quiet Norwegian than he'd originally thought, he finally understood what it was like for Lukas. His body had no limitations – he could run for hours and not get tired, he could go for days with no sleep and he never felt hungry. His curse was that eventually his body would break down without warning because his brain couldn't tell him to slow down. Lukas, who could summon creatures from his mind and control them, became his inhibitor. He would be dead without him, just like Lukas would be lost inside his head with the trolls and the fae without Mathias to bring him back to reality.

They needed each other, and no one else.

All over the world, similar things happen. Antonio Carreido caused a landslide that destroyed half of his small village in Spain. Francis Bonnefoy tore apart the foundations of his family home when he walked in on his father cheating on his mother with another woman. Arthur Kirkland caused a blackout that took out half of London. None of them were normal and none of them could understand why.

Until Yao brought them all together.