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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLRyxgWfNM
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoGvoBj5Y2
She never watched it happen, but she remembered the image her mind crafted of seeing her mother in Zeus’ place.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIt8W6AvLX9
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRnZ82OZYP
Kronos’ voice snapped Achlys back to reality.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfpGIe2C1V
“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?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZdIaSIJa1
“I remember,” Achlys choked out.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkolvUNskm
“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.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVUMsIWSUs
Achlys was trembling and tears stung her eyes. “He... he’s not yours.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RsuV3R6tX
“What?” Kronos stood up taller, towering over Achlys, nearly twice her size.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs81o2BhXIy
“A-and I’m not either.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGfPM18lVB
Kronos clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, lifting his hand to strike Achlys across her already injured face.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsZqpHaISL
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtAxyA3vUa
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDM4BQRv9Ot
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgmaUQIvly
She was staring down death.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmp4NBcqL6j
He finally caught up to her.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox0i9iC6X7
The moment she dreaded facing every day over the last decade.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eiscNOQx3
Kronos slowly approached Achlys again. “Get up.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8UnQcpFqU
Achlys closed her fists around a handful of ash and shook. Tears soaked the ground below her. “Please...” Achlys whispered her plea.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbKSyRje0Q
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?28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhNatL31FD
“I said get up!” Kronos demanded, kicking her curled up from across the ashes and dirt.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcoOhYvjvh
It took all her strength to finally obey. She saw no point in sitting around to be killed.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevU59rtk7u
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY0aJ4g6vN
“No- no-” she meekly protested.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWv5p4mJw7
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFefWCehQP5
Every muscle in her body seized up, desperate to flee but too afraid that they restricted their own movement.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc97zdSKta
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4pkxEl24g
Abyssal’s eyes stopped sparking and settled on the pure black color that signified his power at work.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TwzJLBuEr
“Abyss?... What are you doing?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAxD8ZkkJi
“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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9zd5uyinU
“How come you were able to be electrocuted multiple times without any powers and live, but he has to be gone?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyqSGPnr1x
Achlys’s eyes travelled to Abyss sitting at the bedside with his back turned to her.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDnNQUu6yy
“How did you know I was awake?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tjPBR5V3l
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjkWoda5NB
There was a long moment of silence before Achlys spoke again.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mphg877k3
“Why did you save me?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rrQRK7hxZ
“Sometimes people just save other people, even when they shouldn’t.” 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWGKCc97d6
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaenCEiCMY
“Thank you.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPx9QRynDe
No response.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUbC7GhaIJ
Achlys felt clamps lock around her heart.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MrZGfvMro
“And...” she added, “I know it doesn’t help anything... but I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to kill him.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91VzOcSv0W
“But you did. Twice.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqAu85ffov
Achlys winced. She deserved that. She knew she did.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHyVCWh0oV
“I saved you because you happened to be there. Enemy of the enemy. Kronos had to be stopped, whether you were involved.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX0m7RZr4C
“How did you stop him yourself?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ftm7AmMAs
“I had a head start. Not much you can do once you’re locked down by devour.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko220CqbAo
“You can say that again.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPb7x1MFXb
Achlys saw Abyss’ shoulders tense.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZNS6A62vZ
His tone was quieter when he spoke again. “How did it feel?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcjcnSYxdv
Achlys’ eyes widened and she grabbed her right arm. “It... was worse than I ever imagined.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9D3EvYG0iv
“You’ve imagined yourself in that position?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRwBCWrmDd
“...More times than I can count.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWH8Ojfr7N
Abyss turned around at last and looked at Achlys in the hospital sheets.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZzA1ldtSg
“Why?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDYvYe2eiD
“Kronos was the famil patriarch. I was in the line destined to kill him.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYgeuPdJgH
Abyssal’s eyes fell to the corner of the bed. It was obvious he felt awkward looking at her. Achlys wished he didn’t.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeureUsQ7f
“Why do you ask?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHepgnBKts
“I... It was my power. It hurt others, but I never knew how bad it was.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRgGou4Mh0
“We’ve both hurt people with our powers. I just wish I could undo it. I wish I could bring him back for you.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrXo6jRD3a
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKDA6LWQLX
“Achlys? Achlys?” Abyss said, growing worried.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBdLpxSoDh
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtLZgw9YL5
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiothQPltaj
“What was that?” Abyss asked, sitting on the ground at staring at the space where he literally saw a ghost.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVXxq8DRV3
“I- I don’t know,” Achlys stammered. “I think... it was my father’s power.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBBKb9JwwZ
“Hades?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4bcuX8ZOE
“Abyss,” Achlys said astonished, “I think we could bring them back.”
THE END
-To Be Continued-
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