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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWYk87uuSJ
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8m5mGPpjO
She never watched it happen, but she remembered the image her mind crafted of seeing her mother in Zeus’ place.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMhXhZmd7a
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheP88dLMmG
Kronos’ voice snapped Achlys back to reality.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMwfRHRhYc
“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?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnjfoguBHH
“I remember,” Achlys choked out.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MQiONYsBZ
“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.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0EOs3MqfI
Achlys was trembling and tears stung her eyes. “He... he’s not yours.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MWt7HLX8n
“What?” Kronos stood up taller, towering over Achlys, nearly twice her size.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3U37mQjNs
“A-and I’m not either.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2gbR4aGGQ
Kronos clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, lifting his hand to strike Achlys across her already injured face.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirgPRa6qP4
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNRwHX8lvK
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HlxmjyEOe
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGPvmCHWLx
She was staring down death.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f52UnNkzx
He finally caught up to her.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7XQ3Q2oNd
The moment she dreaded facing every day over the last decade.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvNKqH8W7V
Kronos slowly approached Achlys again. “Get up.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnOkgrJgJT
Achlys closed her fists around a handful of ash and shook. Tears soaked the ground below her. “Please...” Achlys whispered her plea.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FczqrHQkr
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?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewIeW2FQ0I
“I said get up!” Kronos demanded, kicking her curled up from across the ashes and dirt.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfzC2b2WRp
It took all her strength to finally obey. She saw no point in sitting around to be killed.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8916LgfNVS
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M80VhzF8t
“No- no-” she meekly protested.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iA4bVa9mH
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxPjSH0j2c
Every muscle in her body seized up, desperate to flee but too afraid that they restricted their own movement.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8oiIXCx6t
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx3lIA7ukz
Abyssal’s eyes stopped sparking and settled on the pure black color that signified his power at work.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdNH0nSywb
“Abyss?... What are you doing?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoH6T6VewRi
“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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMSKmjKVp5
“How come you were able to be electrocuted multiple times without any powers and live, but he has to be gone?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8DIRUti4y
Achlys’s eyes travelled to Abyss sitting at the bedside with his back turned to her.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OtLH3zMTZ
“How did you know I was awake?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbsV4aOywk
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaA1n3gYoZ
There was a long moment of silence before Achlys spoke again.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKMn7HGxi4
“Why did you save me?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1otX1Cy6C
“Sometimes people just save other people, even when they shouldn’t.” 35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5MnJ4uu2s
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsYIM21lPH
“Thank you.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVWhl9xwi1
No response.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH9JsFsxlW
Achlys felt clamps lock around her heart.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOipXnJezl
“And...” she added, “I know it doesn’t help anything... but I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to kill him.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQnX5dnuc9
“But you did. Twice.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFqo8bpqXW
Achlys winced. She deserved that. She knew she did.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCULjcf8Ls
“I saved you because you happened to be there. Enemy of the enemy. Kronos had to be stopped, whether you were involved.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqTJV8Z9ZY
“How did you stop him yourself?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzqAssGXjr
“I had a head start. Not much you can do once you’re locked down by devour.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXX1kbDmUc
“You can say that again.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzNWQ77rcS
Achlys saw Abyss’ shoulders tense.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiD7yJcyQR
His tone was quieter when he spoke again. “How did it feel?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AjpbhObhJ
Achlys’ eyes widened and she grabbed her right arm. “It... was worse than I ever imagined.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWe9SRAdBe
“You’ve imagined yourself in that position?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11FMCnis6z
“...More times than I can count.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdYF5LZkGi
Abyss turned around at last and looked at Achlys in the hospital sheets.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqucIfPyfgY
“Why?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy1IkkfMol
“Kronos was the famil patriarch. I was in the line destined to kill him.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dR5O1mPuB
Abyssal’s eyes fell to the corner of the bed. It was obvious he felt awkward looking at her. Achlys wished he didn’t.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ModMWizvt
“Why do you ask?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDRU3K4fsn
“I... It was my power. It hurt others, but I never knew how bad it was.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3n68y0fJL
“We’ve both hurt people with our powers. I just wish I could undo it. I wish I could bring him back for you.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDY28Pl0vLa
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAg8agqpWc
“Achlys? Achlys?” Abyss said, growing worried.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihkar1suuy
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8uYgPc78a
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.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L87dzEaX6
“What was that?” Abyss asked, sitting on the ground at staring at the space where he literally saw a ghost.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJXmXXoy8t
“I- I don’t know,” Achlys stammered. “I think... it was my father’s power.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FHZZO1Eb3
“Hades?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcPcYnSjFH
“Abyss,” Achlys said astonished, “I think we could bring them back.”
THE END
-To Be Continued-
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