The days at the Academy left its mark on all the survivors, Five and her all-consuming madness that complemented her greatness, Twelve and his plastic smiles, his staged lighthearted attitude that let him fit in with the rest of the world, those traits were only the tip of the iceberg.
Along with his nightmares, Nine had developed an odd habit of sorts. When god knows how many drugs were being pumped into his system, he found a tactic to keep him sane. Cling to something, a number, a name, the specific color of the sky after it rains, anything to take your mind off things.
Nine chose the periodic table. It was a solid part of science, something that could be trusted. When the pain was almost too much to bear, he repeated those facts til they turned into utter nonsense.
But once those hellish days were gone, Nine put his trust in Twelve. For he was real and tangible. He could hold him after a bad night, he walked and talked and laughed, grounding him in this world Nine knew he wouldn't last long on.
Hydrogen-1-most common element on Earth. Those facts start bouncing around his head when the helicopters showed up.
Calm, calm, focus on those things instead of the panic bubbling up inside you.
Helium-2-a noble gas, stable, never bonding to any other atoms. Nine speaks while holding the trigger. Loud and confident, he tries to hide any of his conflicting emotions swirling inside him.
On and on he goes down the table, trying to stop the cracks from showing. Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen-
A shot is heard around the world, and Nine turns in time to see Twelve fall as the bullet tears through him.
Fluorine-9. The part of him that can still function faintly recalls as Nine falls on his knees.
Never not bonded with another element.
For when alone, it's highly unstable.
It's that moment, Nine finally breaks
A.N. This week is ZNT Week! Prepare for more angst (I need to get on to working on the other prompts)