Abyss looked at his brother’s unconscious body in horror. He looked up at the strange woman that just knocked Volt out. He clenched his fists and teeth. He wanted to strike back and rescue his now vulnerable brother, but a bizarre strip of green in her black hair began to glow. Abyss was worried that this was a bad sign that he didn’t want to test. She was still on top of Volt and looked ready to react at any moment.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2Jo6oi5cS
He began to relax as he picked up on her scent; she smelled sweet. It was to a point that Abyss wanted to trust her, but as he reminded himself of the threat, she just revealed herself to be, it quickly became sickly.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBEOLlg6yX
“What brings you here, human?” She demanded.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf3OkhRHBS
Abyss knew he had to provide her with an answer if he wanted to ensure the safety of him and his brother. “Exploring.” That was the truth. He didn’t know how else to answer anyway.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQRJwTbfce
“Who are you?” she hissed.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5QiNxrcFU
Abyss didn’t understand why she was being so aggressive; there was no way he’d even think about lying to her. Not that he wanted to just tell anything and everything to a random stranger, but this was his only choice.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIejPUmxSpg
“My name is Abyssal,” he answered. He measured his tone so as not to aggravate her further and answered everything politely. The constant sound of the alarms also added to his air of caution. Whoever this girl was, she was clearly bad news.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7JDmf7KfF
The girl began to look around frantically. Abyss realized she was likely looking for an escape. Abyss didn’t want her to off before he could get his own answers, but part of him hoped she would leave.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYiKyhS4It
His whole perspective changed when he noticed her hands start to grip Volt’s shirt tightly.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMJzfc7u6Q
Abyss had to speak up and slow her down.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTt4MjeSyx
“Who are you?” Abyss forced out.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡML8vvQL9xS
She froze; her hair faded quickly as she tried to compose herself26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSu0CVX9eA
Slowly, she looked Abyss up and down, eyes narrow.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumTd9UdMSq
“Achlys,” she answered carefully. “My name is Achlys.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3BSIQlr5n
Abyss nodded. He panicked. He didn’t know what else to say. That’s when he heard the faint ding of the elevator. He only needed to hold her attention a moment longer.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcqUuZFYS6
“Be careful! She could be hiding anywhere! She’s extremely dangerous!” a voice called out from a little way across the room. The soldiers couldn’t be seen from the trio’s position, but they could hear the soldiers clearly and see a few beams of light.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslFyYMikuU
“Why not announce our presence to the world, then?!” another shouted.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tBpoXLzpY
Achlys instantly became aware of her time frame as they heard the commotion, now joined by the sound of several loading guns. Her hair glowed again and she tore off a portion of her shirt, using it to cover Abyssal’s mouth.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh8jpIAbmb
His eyes widened in panic as she dragged him away. Volt!26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZMZNOUj5G
Abyss reached out to his unconscious brother and tried to struggle, but Achlys caught him in a headlock and quickened her pace. He couldn’t leave Volt like this! He didn’t want to be separated in a situation so dire. Abyss’s adrenaline-fueled thrashing wasn’t enough to save him.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVS1F1A5rmn
The cloth slipped off of Abyss’s mouth and he took a deep breath in to call out for help, but the air he breathed in was different, and before he knew it, Abyssal’s mind began to shut down. His body went limp and his vision went black before the world went quiet.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTy4nJKIBs
* * *
The alarms and soldiers were long gone before Abyss woke up. He was pinned to a large machine by scraggly wires. They seemed to have been ripped from their original places to be used as rope substitutes. The very thought made Abyss shiver as he imagined electrical sparks flying out of control.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5KB407fG0
When Abyss tried to absorb the energy using his ability, he found himself relieved that any voltage they held had dissipated long ago. He began to struggle in an attempt to break free, but these chords were something else. They held fast.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPig46W2ODh
“Volt! Volt! Where are you?! Are you okay?!”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoemTIbTmo
“Those people with the guns carried him away around 20 minutes ago. They’re long gone.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtrOSCZX6K
Abyss became aware of his heavy breathing as he looked at his captor.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHGD4HVUi1
“Achlys. Remember?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp0aS4TVV8
Abyss clenched his teeth and nodded.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvaNLTWISe
“Good. You haven’t lost your memory from the fumes. I wish you hadn’t struggled so much. I waited for hours for you to wake back up.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25WJ7EidIm
“Hours?” Abyss breathed the word out. He was out for hours? How come Achlys didn’t pass out. Was Volt okay? Abyssal’s mind spiraled before Achlys snapped him out of it.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGErT4i99LH
“If you try anything, I have multiple means in which to kill you before you can even scream, not that it’ll help you down here... I would know...” Achlys shook herself and continued, “What are you doing here? And I mean in this building. I have a hard time believing you got through.... his forces and down here simply by exploring.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpxjEIK4Zn
“I- I’m a member of PISTOL.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xFiw1dFQi
“PISTOL? What does that stand for?” Achlys’ eyes narrowed.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszeFazbQIb
Abyssal’s brows furrowed in confusion. He wanted to make a quip, but held it back. I have a hard time believing you would be down here if you don’t know what PISTOL is. Regardless, Abyss swallowed his remark and answered, “Purging Inhuman Species To Overthrow Leadership.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0GpIbp9bE
Achlys seemed taken aback by this response, she was quiet for a long moment, processing this information.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡempXIqql5x
“That’s what it stands fo-”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGSHXiF3fA
“I figured that out, thank you,” Achlys snapped, grabbing Abyssal’s shoulder and bringing her face uncomfortably close to his face. Abyss flinched at the sudden show of ferocity. He realized he shouldn’t have spoken and his mind lingered, replaying the moment in his mind even after she pulled back. His shoulders were tense and breathing shallow. He felt suffocated by the situation itself.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpJRktshB5
“Who is in charge here?” She asked slowly.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7f2M5dBhS
“Uh.. Commander... H?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXejl9hID8
She took in a short, stifled breath of air before narrowing her eyes. “H... Does that stand for anything?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeGNQiWiC9
“He... didn’t say.” Abyss hoped she would believe the truth, but her eye twitched.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeB5TravvXo
Achlys’ hair began to glow again, and the original smell wafted back to Abyss. Is she creating some kind of gas?26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNbELZ1gNE
She looked back at him and asked again, “Does H stand for anything?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYonUtFO0QT
Abyss didn’t know what kind of answer she was searching for, so he tried once again, hoping against hope that she would let the topic- and him- go. “Probably? Like I said, I don’t know.” He was surprised how stern his own voice sounded. Abyss began to worry Achlys would snap at him again, but she didn’t.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniNj1sGEkV
Achlys sighed in annoyance. “Fine... You said something earlier about having powers. What kind of powers could a human possess?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaqIGxrFhN
Abyss always took for granted the Crystal Cartridges. He forgot that not many people had one, but when one of the biggest powers happened to be a second-generation mutant with her own Cartridge, it was surprising that anyone might not know about them.... especially when she had powers of her own. Was she... not human?26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePGAv1TOX4
“I was implanted with a Crystal Cartridge when I was young.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtA8vw4xRJ
“You possess a Crystal Cartridge? But how? Human vessels get destroyed when exposed to the energy in those cores.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEWoHrHnDs
“Don’t you know that? The advancement in science reached that point in 2049.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjRwSmlrvW
Achlys went quiet for an uncomfortable space of time. “What year is it?” She asked uneasily.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNoeqsgShG
Abyss was stunned. Was she trapped down here all that time? “2055 ,” he answered slowly.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb5Blx53Yz
Achlys’ eyes widened it what seemed to be fury and distress before dark swirls surrounded her clenched fists and she struck the machine behind Abyss with enough power to break a hole in the metal and send sparks flying dangerously close to Abyssal’s face. He ducked in panic do dodge both the strike and the after affects. His breathing quickened again, heart thundering. The chords prevented him from leaping out of the way and reminded him of how dire his situation was.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtR5ntt2Oh
Achlys’ voice was broken up as she spoke softly, “9 years... Almost half my life... How did I not notice?... Why am I surprised? They were never going to beat him... not after Zeus... I had no chance of freedom.” Tears glistened and fell to the floor, until a spark of realization flashed in her eyes. “Until now.... You saved me. Unwillingly, but regardless...”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7LTu1Tz6z
“What are you talking about?” Abyss asked.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDGHMXJeem
Achlys glared into Abyssal’s eyes, their noses almost touching. “What power does your cartridge provide you? You must have figured out I have one too. We are one in the same. Created as tools for the world’s destruction, yes?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqcv1zXnWM
Abyssal’s eyes were wide. He didn’t dare blink. She has the same goal? She was.. created for destruction? Abyss didn’t know how to respond. “Y-yeah... I can.. absorb powers and energy by touching the source.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMgwsCjhO1
Instantly she pulled away out of his already limited reach. “You have his power. Devour. Are you Kronos’ successor? Are you his descendant? Blood convoluted by human breeding?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hvL2dlARt
“N-no. He... he is my master. I don’t think I’m the successor of anything.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdYwKQnwPj
Achlys furrowed her brows. She began to speak in Rosorken as if she didn’t think he could understand. “Why would Kronos grant his power to a human like this? Unless.... this human is the key to his plans.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakROZzCISP
“I’m a weapon and a living battery. For all I know, I’m expendable.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUV7rhvOPZp
“Yes. You are. But the cartridge you hold inside is valuable. Legends speak of the destruction it could bring.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe4PBHB1C4
“Legends?” Abyss muttered in Rosorken. Achlys’ eyes narrowed as she realized he knew her language. It was his first language, so his thoughts, as well as when he thought out loud, would be Rosorken. He didn’t even think about it. He did have to think to speak English. After this, they would continue to speak in the alien language, to the hidden relief of both ends.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBvN3KlF0z
“I know it sounds strange, as the technology is still new, but when I was young, my father told me that Grecians prophesied of our generation. When they spoke of the titan Kronos, they spoke of... your master.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq8dck9FY8
She paused before she addressed Kronos as such. Abyss began to wonder if she knew him in some other way.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBohLfl7P69
“He said that we may have to use false names for a time to avoid confusion and suspicion. I never even considered what my human name would be before I was brought here. Either way, that is not my standard. My father will never dictate my life again. I will execute my own plans for taking down Kronos. His methods are clearly ineffective.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFyEgx5iO3
“Take him down?!” Abyss blurted unwittingly.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuchsPH8UM
Achlys’ expression darkened. “Kronos plans to harvest the lifeblood of every creature on this planet. Humans and animals will suffer to fuel his machines and the planet will die. Do you want to be the person who causes this suffering? Do you want to follow him? I say put them out of their misery so that Kronos can’t win and move on to another planet. The Morbitor is stranded without significant fuel which will be used to move on to the next living planet and repeat the process.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrP3hXDPnyx
Abyss shook his head; he couldn’t believe it. He thought the plan was to harvest just enough energy to pay back humanity’s debt to the Rosorken. He didn’t ever plan to hurt beyond the forces that stood in his path. “I didn’t think I would be hurting anyone with my power. I’d collect what we needed and leave.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDATMF5NH5
“Have you ever used your power on a person?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nqthzAUF3
“A few times on my brother. It never hurts more than some stinging on occasion or a small shock.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATLyWGjoQ7
“Did you ever drain all his energy? Leave nothing but a dying, unconscious husk? Does he have a cartridge or are you dragging out his lifeforce?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu31vq7k7iK
“H-he has a cartridge. I guess I only use it to borrow some of his power.” Now that Abyss thought about it, he never even borrowed enough of Volt’s power to be affected by water.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO2g18ybE4
“It isn’t the same. I have seen the full extent of your power. Draining lifeforce is different from borrowing an ability. The amount of power Kronos needs far exceeds the limits this planet could take. Not only will he force you to use your power to kill the planet, this project of his would push his own abilities. It might even kill you. And if you refuse him, it won’t be long before he’ll come for you. Kill you and recycle the cartridge. He has both time and patience. He’ll live at least four human lifetimes. Your power will bring prolonged agony to every living being before leaving the planet as nothing but a rotting husk. The only way to stop him is to destroy his fuel source in totality.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sUW3bFZV6
Abyss was stunned. Every inch of him shook, thinking of the things Achlys foretold. “Are you going to kill me?” he whispered.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2KnW8mGWZ
“No. Not yet at least. If you die, even if I rip out and destroy the cartridge in your heart, it won’t stop Kronos. He’ll make another as soon as he learns of the predicament. It would be nothing more than a minor setback, a mere annoyance. Our best bet is to destroy the entire planet before he can.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLvYvZqHBa
“How will that do anything? I thought the goal was to stop Kronos from doing that! Not push it along!”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DQBxAGIDh
“I’ve suffered 10 years doing nothing but thinking about my hate for Kronos. Worrying that the planet would be destroyed and that when I was found, I would suffer the same fate as Zues before I had a chance to fight back to try and stop him!”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03kCIY5ibL
Zues? Like the god? The same god meant to kill Kronos? Is that why he was never worried when he heard the name? Zues is already gone? “If Kronos killed Zues-” Achlys flinched, clearly a painful memory, “-how are we supposed to stand in between him.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sPFN9S9ub
“The truth is, I don’t know for certain, but he won’t stop here. As soon as he’s finished turning this planet into an empty shell he’ll move on to the next living planet and do the same thing. If a planet must die to spare hundreds, so be it. And if you’re still so worried about hurting people here, he’d make you do it anyway. It would be slower, and he would take pleasure in watching each individual person suffer, including you. And for my plan to work, I’ll need you. My family always talked about a more obscure part of this mythology. Kronos’s brother, Hyperion was the embodiment of light, the old Rosork Emperor.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mqK5HghVU
“How did I never hear about him?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVafEragt
“Kronos banned any and all mention of his brother after he died one night mysteriously.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNY6dxpKt52
Something about how she said that told Abyss she didn’t believe it was so mysterious.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9iC98kQnu
“But before he died, he had a son, Helios. Helios had the power of a thousand suns but disappeared one day. For some time, everyone was convinced Helios had somehow given the power to his cousin, Apollo. Apollo eventually... came clean and admitted that Helios had asked him to make such claims, and came up with a plan to convince everyone that such was the truth. Instead, we believe Helios had run off with some human woman.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QbapXpYlu
“How does that work? How do you know?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUn6sBHfr5
“You have heard of the sun chariot, yes? Phony. A literal trick of the light. Shortly after I received my cartridge, a blank cartridge vanished. Now there is a princess my age who has a power dubbed Sol Fire. The family learned of this development around two months before I was sealed away.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZayLmlncDW
But why was she sealed away?26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsSJDQhPxy
“We have theorized the end of times would be brought about by the power of pure darkness combined with the power of divine light . I need you in order to fulfill this biblical event and spare humanity it’s suffering and the death of countless other planets . Desitny has brought us together, and if you refuse, I’ll have no choice but to kill you and re-house the Devour Cartridge myself. Which is a shame considering I don’t hate you. What do you say?”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzYSuyo54B
Abyss was quiet for a long time trying to gather his thoughts. “How do I know I can trust you? You said you were sealed away for almost a decade.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoRAbsyteL
“You don’t know.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKyhQVHTq6
That was the exact answer Abyss didn’t want to hear.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkejMYAYqe
“But my two points still stand. I don’t hate you, and I can and will kill you if you don’t cooperate.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiu0X2nQ9y
“That’s comforting.”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRXBApWB1Q
“I do hope we can build some form of mutual trust.” 26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaA6uyGd4j
“ABYSS?!... ABYSSAL?!.... SOL! WHERE THE XOUYA ARE YOU?!”26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI4VvdFIYf
That was Volt! Abyssal’s heart leapt with hope that was instantly squashed.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp2y3l24vF
Achlys’ hair began to glow again. Whatever drug she was trying to use, he didn’t want Volt to breathe it in. “I’M FINE! JUST GO!” Abyss roared. Abyss held his breath to avoid breathing in the toxin himself as he struggled against the chords holding him.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf0JiB5f4w
“Oh, calm down. You’ll be fine. Just breathe,” Achlys instructed. She bent over and gently pressed against Abyssal’s chest, forcing him to breathe out, coughing. He couldn’t draw her power through his shirt. He needed air. He tried to avoid drawing in a breath, but he didn’t last long. He gasped for oxygen and a sweet formula filled his lungs. He recognized this gas; she used it earlier when the soldiers came.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTCVLdrzWM
Abyss did his best not to breathe in anymore, but Achlys had other plans. She continued to force the breath from his body without making direct contact with him. He was regretting telling her the limitations of his power, but for all he knew, she could have already known them. Not many lungfuls later, Abyss felt himself slip away into unconsciousness again.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzWCf8uv91
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HhX6b8i4p
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