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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzA0zhV0Gw
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEPRUv4DEH
She never watched it happen, but she remembered the image her mind crafted of seeing her mother in Zeus’ place.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFz5ZZSqR9
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FmQAD2ZuP
Kronos’ voice snapped Achlys back to reality.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq5nhJS4RO
“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?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1fkCopEL5
“I remember,” Achlys choked out.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB7JELMZnA
“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.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9AUUZulGp
Achlys was trembling and tears stung her eyes. “He... he’s not yours.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx3bSlHkz8
“What?” Kronos stood up taller, towering over Achlys, nearly twice her size.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd79X4UPToZ
“A-and I’m not either.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN7VHgMHDN
Kronos clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, lifting his hand to strike Achlys across her already injured face.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFpxbgDlgm
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDP6WvgkKY
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyLf8RSLrk
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbhVNhPw3B
She was staring down death.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgCHl9eJwt
He finally caught up to her.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIJgv17TJ3
The moment she dreaded facing every day over the last decade.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aLU5ouEAT
Kronos slowly approached Achlys again. “Get up.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6nS6sQxXw
Achlys closed her fists around a handful of ash and shook. Tears soaked the ground below her. “Please...” Achlys whispered her plea.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzpjY3ToSG
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?106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINabnxph6Q
“I said get up!” Kronos demanded, kicking her curled up from across the ashes and dirt.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HxxhMKoJK
It took all her strength to finally obey. She saw no point in sitting around to be killed.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMhz0wJmlb
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHWaQApyAh
“No- no-” she meekly protested.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIN7OSmlux
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3r6DQzMcAw
Every muscle in her body seized up, desperate to flee but too afraid that they restricted their own movement.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuQJBi5H3g
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMV3OzTHIy
Abyssal’s eyes stopped sparking and settled on the pure black color that signified his power at work.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wQU1CvBaL
“Abyss?... What are you doing?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn5W4dK2lH
“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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tblGAgux8
“How come you were able to be electrocuted multiple times without any powers and live, but he has to be gone?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcg1XnU23U
Achlys’s eyes travelled to Abyss sitting at the bedside with his back turned to her.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzACIZoQEC
“How did you know I was awake?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZir7EcXMm
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9LbCyiFL1
There was a long moment of silence before Achlys spoke again.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXHB8IDmhB
“Why did you save me?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7Yza3rIYG
“Sometimes people just save other people, even when they shouldn’t.” 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEn6QSzy3C
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzhAKxTpck
“Thank you.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbjLPjrBec
No response.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizM62YFnUO
Achlys felt clamps lock around her heart.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCcd3mioIH
“And...” she added, “I know it doesn’t help anything... but I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to kill him.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMLRq73OmP
“But you did. Twice.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3RvF6BA1P
Achlys winced. She deserved that. She knew she did.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPvFXiQvLo
“I saved you because you happened to be there. Enemy of the enemy. Kronos had to be stopped, whether you were involved.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiIHCsUC75
“How did you stop him yourself?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GKLKeceUI
“I had a head start. Not much you can do once you’re locked down by devour.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonMXN4XmPk
“You can say that again.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPi73HZmDt
Achlys saw Abyss’ shoulders tense.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAfX1fjkyO
His tone was quieter when he spoke again. “How did it feel?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqFHPtoub3
Achlys’ eyes widened and she grabbed her right arm. “It... was worse than I ever imagined.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWCkNncD31
“You’ve imagined yourself in that position?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bs4LNerCb
“...More times than I can count.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFQGKYgYQ5
Abyss turned around at last and looked at Achlys in the hospital sheets.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmfdGZbZeo
“Why?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeuVjmaSVq
“Kronos was the famil patriarch. I was in the line destined to kill him.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSSuykAMN7
Abyssal’s eyes fell to the corner of the bed. It was obvious he felt awkward looking at her. Achlys wished he didn’t.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1fh6Jrfbj
“Why do you ask?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivRSL0pq65
“I... It was my power. It hurt others, but I never knew how bad it was.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2up5XjDnJ
“We’ve both hurt people with our powers. I just wish I could undo it. I wish I could bring him back for you.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKlmL1gnCI
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7IRZN5kez
“Achlys? Achlys?” Abyss said, growing worried.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cdd2qtrYw
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENIR7c7QHN
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.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakbqmEUzNN
“What was that?” Abyss asked, sitting on the ground at staring at the space where he literally saw a ghost.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7wuywRj7y
“I- I don’t know,” Achlys stammered. “I think... it was my father’s power.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueH98C6Jzy
“Hades?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LKP99Ga6J
“Abyss,” Achlys said astonished, “I think we could bring them back.”
THE END
-To Be Continued-
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