Achlys looked up at her grandfather with terrified eyes. Every muscle in her body was tense as she slowly got to her feet. Her muscles were still shaky from being electrocuted. She took her hand away from her face to show a large, scorched scar like a spider’s web next to her left eye.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kCarFNyPh
Memories of being exposed to dangerous chemicals for her to reproduce as a child flashed in her mind’s eye. Remembering waking up the day night her mother died from a nightmare, only to find it real. Her mother a clammy corpse in her bed, father beaten and sobbing next to her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsThcNrLqHC
She never watched it happen, but she remembered the image her mind crafted of seeing her mother in Zeus’ place.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuKREDRKI6
Achlys remembered her father telling her she’d be next if they didn’t run from her grandfather, only to be called together for a family meeting. Her grandfather’s cold, alien eyes glaring down at her like she was a curse.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRT5yTMp5W
Kronos’ voice snapped Achlys back to reality.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrlN6ftTOG
“All the effort I put into taming you and you attempt to destroy my energy reserves. You’re a traitor, Achlys. You’re so disloyal to your own family. Don’t you remember what I told you would happen if you ever turned against me?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5ZWBV1hLd
“I remember,” Achlys choked out.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iRwP05UJs
“You did cause anarchy at the palace and cause the fall of PISTOL, so at least you fulfilled your purpose before you scarred my creation and began to burn my fuel.” He gestured to Abyss and the land around them. “But now, I have no reason to keep you around.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡso6t8ug4C3
Achlys was trembling and tears stung her eyes. “He... he’s not yours.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEhzRrUb62
“What?” Kronos stood up taller, towering over Achlys, nearly twice her size.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSIrQ8nzQc
“A-and I’m not either.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y1soMYSpg
Kronos clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, lifting his hand to strike Achlys across her already injured face.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6lX0sJdzW
She was blown a yard away from the blow and a small line of neon green steam came up from her cheek, flowing steadily to Kronos’ face. He breathed in deeply, eyes turning from a cold grey to a menacing black.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAzSl5SrhH
Coughing, Achlys choked back a sob. Her past had finally come for her before she could finish her destiny, before she could ensure the safety of the universe. She thought the hardest part of everything was over multiple times over now.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IX8xXXHBO
She thought Abyss was okay, but then he disappeared and left her behind. She thought she’d found him and be able to reason with him, but Volt came back and turned him against her. She thought she’d dealt with the one coming between her and her plans, but it just made Abyss come after her. She thought she’d dealt with Abyss and done away with any barriers or emotion that would keep her from global devastation. Instead, she was faced with an indestructible wall.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28hLS4IHIf
She was staring down death.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8f8wVMHuB
He finally caught up to her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBnB0IV2TR
The moment she dreaded facing every day over the last decade.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLLIcTsrnS
Kronos slowly approached Achlys again. “Get up.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAD4MLrMw3
Achlys closed her fists around a handful of ash and shook. Tears soaked the ground below her. “Please...” Achlys whispered her plea.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO5IANTNya
What am I doing? Please what? Please spare me? You were planning to turn the planet into a wasteland where you’d rot away slowly. You planned your own death. What makes this any different?27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5FzuhRgPZ
“I said get up!” Kronos demanded, kicking her curled up from across the ashes and dirt.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM637CbeCOK
It took all her strength to finally obey. She saw no point in sitting around to be killed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSSYOMeJr9
Kronos sneered mockingly, alien features communicating a sense of superiority. He again began to approach her. He reached down and grabbed her neck, lifting her with two fingers as she gasped for breath.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2eCJcH01Z
“No- no-” she meekly protested.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV8SECsf5w
She felt her breath begin to be drawn from her body. The neon color seemed to flake away from her hair and the green streak began to turn white, shortly after the black hair followed. He lungs strained for breath and her vision blurred as the red fire in her eyes faded back to a deep green before it began to fade to an empty white.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx35lxX4t7H
Every muscle in her body seized up, desperate to flee but too afraid that they restricted their own movement.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FUWozkd5g
But then electricity surged through Kronos and Achlys respectively. The two let out cries of pain. The draining stopped and as the shock faded, Achlys was dropped to the ground where she saw Abyss grasping Kronos’ ankle.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1ugyKoZ65
Abyssal’s eyes stopped sparking and settled on the pure black color that signified his power at work.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HUAfMFHLN
“Abyss?... What are you doing?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMNR8CxYlU
“Saving you,” he answered firmly just as Achlys faded into unconsciousness.
* * *
Achlys woke up in a hospital, the steady beeping pulse of a heart monitor sounded behind her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DnWKUqzKj
“How come you were able to be electrocuted multiple times without any powers and live, but he has to be gone?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8xHcyaLBH
Achlys’s eyes travelled to Abyss sitting at the bedside with his back turned to her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hzf2oxQxa
“How did you know I was awake?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxZjR6CYLa
He just shrugged. “I can sense everyone’s lifeforce now... and I can’t feel others. I don’t know how or why.” He still wouldn’t look at her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5kuwjSPHP
There was a long moment of silence before Achlys spoke again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMDTu9qglS
“Why did you save me?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IDhv2ExhK
“Sometimes people just save other people, even when they shouldn’t.” 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunlFtS3eCQ
Achlys didn’t know what to think of that. She knew she didn’t deserve to be saved. She thought she was dead. She thought she’d killed Abyss, and she did kill his brother. But it still didn’t make sense why. She stared at the plain, grey floor.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcejbl7aOAo
“Thank you.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yyNh2oEMO
No response.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunYBWJc1X5
Achlys felt clamps lock around her heart.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2OHsdYkBV
“And...” she added, “I know it doesn’t help anything... but I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to kill him.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUPNEi4xsf
“But you did. Twice.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwj2fEAZ8h
Achlys winced. She deserved that. She knew she did.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOolQKkv8Iz
“I saved you because you happened to be there. Enemy of the enemy. Kronos had to be stopped, whether you were involved.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTksADipgR
“How did you stop him yourself?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlbpbjxfpM
“I had a head start. Not much you can do once you’re locked down by devour.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGy0sRhayt
“You can say that again.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlgkV7yeGk
Achlys saw Abyss’ shoulders tense.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ240ETQc3DF
His tone was quieter when he spoke again. “How did it feel?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDJGAlW35M
Achlys’ eyes widened and she grabbed her right arm. “It... was worse than I ever imagined.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MaypSl8z2
“You’ve imagined yourself in that position?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKySGpqBZaO
“...More times than I can count.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uVNOWA1aj
Abyss turned around at last and looked at Achlys in the hospital sheets.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUt7ehK76WH
“Why?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oYyqt8TZE
“Kronos was the famil patriarch. I was in the line destined to kill him.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCBlqCFYHe
Abyssal’s eyes fell to the corner of the bed. It was obvious he felt awkward looking at her. Achlys wished he didn’t.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9cZcUg9Xs
“Why do you ask?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW6JstBWgA
“I... It was my power. It hurt others, but I never knew how bad it was.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9DeEWusdR
“We’ve both hurt people with our powers. I just wish I could undo it. I wish I could bring him back for you.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiLC4eVWFj
Suddenly, the lights flickered and the monitor flatlined before everything powered on again. But for Achlys, the strange occurrence only became worse. The echoes of Volt’s dying screams repeated on an overlapping loop in her mind. She gripped her head and stared at the sheets, curling up into the fetal position.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvbZTQbTEL
“Achlys? Achlys?” Abyss said, growing worried.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxwusPC2G7
Achlys didn’t hear him. The sound was growing to a crescendo. It was deafening. The screams pierced her ears and began to melt her brain. The world around her continued to flicker the way it did as the electricity fried Volt’s nervous system.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G0S1EG51J
Abyss touched her shoulder, and she jumped away as the earth split below them. A green light rose up and the ghost of Volt appeared. He was still tied to the chair screaming. Abyss leapt away in terror as he stared up, helpless at his brother for just a moment before the earth sealed itself again and he vanished.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuSfbmLgqU
“What was that?” Abyss asked, sitting on the ground at staring at the space where he literally saw a ghost.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1i4lNpTJN
“I- I don’t know,” Achlys stammered. “I think... it was my father’s power.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PyAhWvzjC
“Hades?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4j1ZePhwp
“Abyss,” Achlys said astonished, “I think we could bring them back.”
THE END
-To Be Continued-
ns216.73.216.224da2
然後按「加至主畫面」