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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLp3rW0tLQ
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7CS5oDZsP
She never watched it happen, but she remembered the image her mind crafted of seeing her mother in Zeus’ place.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzXd0eH2aJ
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0EmJ0oDmz
Kronos’ voice snapped Achlys back to reality.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRRJvqLpw0
“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?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZkLAMbrLi
“I remember,” Achlys choked out.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iIFg8772u
“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.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPguDOePPjq
Achlys was trembling and tears stung her eyes. “He... he’s not yours.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsMgq7cWeU
“What?” Kronos stood up taller, towering over Achlys, nearly twice her size.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5av4l7NKY
“A-and I’m not either.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0vm7Ja2RY
Kronos clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, lifting his hand to strike Achlys across her already injured face.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu99pLKmxKo
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX0hqRw91n
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6VZzHUV2o
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfDrArjDQu
She was staring down death.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HeLnVyeWo
He finally caught up to her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDep4Vz280v
The moment she dreaded facing every day over the last decade.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4B4gUROud
Kronos slowly approached Achlys again. “Get up.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe17gliZ1Y
Achlys closed her fists around a handful of ash and shook. Tears soaked the ground below her. “Please...” Achlys whispered her plea.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH8Rwa0rcP
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?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GQkGkOCS1
“I said get up!” Kronos demanded, kicking her curled up from across the ashes and dirt.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GJuOLG1ho
It took all her strength to finally obey. She saw no point in sitting around to be killed.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSXMb827fl
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxBxDdHo6P
“No- no-” she meekly protested.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8tQKJ5biF
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ420aaWOVLH
Every muscle in her body seized up, desperate to flee but too afraid that they restricted their own movement.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ0lHcAj3H
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJHdx2Z3c8
Abyssal’s eyes stopped sparking and settled on the pure black color that signified his power at work.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQIH0bCJ3K
“Abyss?... What are you doing?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7pKn7RiBx
“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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz6oRBbLFQ
“How come you were able to be electrocuted multiple times without any powers and live, but he has to be gone?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV30I24WLP
Achlys’s eyes travelled to Abyss sitting at the bedside with his back turned to her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRBV22O82w
“How did you know I was awake?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcnkc97LEq
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd63C20kjkY
There was a long moment of silence before Achlys spoke again.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGiCxPhsnY
“Why did you save me?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOid8rNxyrl
“Sometimes people just save other people, even when they shouldn’t.” 23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYnhDEmLAK
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmQlX5Vjfn
“Thank you.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CVbzTcN0A
No response.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGRaKLiMly
Achlys felt clamps lock around her heart.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH657jwR3T6
“And...” she added, “I know it doesn’t help anything... but I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to kill him.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL40XyerfM
“But you did. Twice.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfz2OtMZm7
Achlys winced. She deserved that. She knew she did.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9aIHU3cbL
“I saved you because you happened to be there. Enemy of the enemy. Kronos had to be stopped, whether you were involved.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57K8lWtZP7
“How did you stop him yourself?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dTeEt1z4O
“I had a head start. Not much you can do once you’re locked down by devour.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcWPPwvjnH
“You can say that again.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAZ9SmwdPD
Achlys saw Abyss’ shoulders tense.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqUoi2NH08
His tone was quieter when he spoke again. “How did it feel?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7HFXQlwUa
Achlys’ eyes widened and she grabbed her right arm. “It... was worse than I ever imagined.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ20bk7NeHy
“You’ve imagined yourself in that position?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeGuvabjEk
“...More times than I can count.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlrMYRON0c
Abyss turned around at last and looked at Achlys in the hospital sheets.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPbuuYsWhd
“Why?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5L9y9vupH
“Kronos was the famil patriarch. I was in the line destined to kill him.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOe5FLeDYiE
Abyssal’s eyes fell to the corner of the bed. It was obvious he felt awkward looking at her. Achlys wished he didn’t.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy6OaSGuXk
“Why do you ask?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjM0H7BJcJ
“I... It was my power. It hurt others, but I never knew how bad it was.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7ttBJdbHv
“We’ve both hurt people with our powers. I just wish I could undo it. I wish I could bring him back for you.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSte7k0Lup
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzD1VaENwX
“Achlys? Achlys?” Abyss said, growing worried.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l46oTSDEK
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZCy9NIOH8
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dMnrnPU1x
“What was that?” Abyss asked, sitting on the ground at staring at the space where he literally saw a ghost.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NvG4ITzEd
“I- I don’t know,” Achlys stammered. “I think... it was my father’s power.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDwqX9NQ85
“Hades?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkgPjekJb3
“Abyss,” Achlys said astonished, “I think we could bring them back.”
THE END
-To Be Continued-
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