Abyss looked at his brother’s unconscious body in horror. He looked up at the strange woman that just knocked Volt out. He clenched his fists and teeth. He wanted to strike back and rescue his now vulnerable brother, but a bizarre strip of green in her black hair began to glow. Abyss was worried that this was a bad sign that he didn’t want to test. She was still on top of Volt and looked ready to react at any moment.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Qo0TxOhW
He began to relax as he picked up on her scent; she smelled sweet. It was to a point that Abyss wanted to trust her, but as he reminded himself of the threat, she just revealed herself to be, it quickly became sickly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmyZEnybsl
“What brings you here, human?” She demanded.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3szAhGPVcu
Abyss knew he had to provide her with an answer if he wanted to ensure the safety of him and his brother. “Exploring.” That was the truth. He didn’t know how else to answer anyway.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPPdxuNYdf
“Who are you?” she hissed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IYsJXdTaR
Abyss didn’t understand why she was being so aggressive; there was no way he’d even think about lying to her. Not that he wanted to just tell anything and everything to a random stranger, but this was his only choice.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0VsJZa8CV
“My name is Abyssal,” he answered. He measured his tone so as not to aggravate her further and answered everything politely. The constant sound of the alarms also added to his air of caution. Whoever this girl was, she was clearly bad news.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXrZxwyU4p
The girl began to look around frantically. Abyss realized she was likely looking for an escape. Abyss didn’t want her to off before he could get his own answers, but part of him hoped she would leave.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStTKJkvtAn
His whole perspective changed when he noticed her hands start to grip Volt’s shirt tightly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwBe02xkQq
Abyss had to speak up and slow her down.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY52YZovQBD
“Who are you?” Abyss forced out.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRWCNePFgt
She froze; her hair faded quickly as she tried to compose herself19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gBUDRLuno
Slowly, she looked Abyss up and down, eyes narrow.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxTWw2mWF2
“Achlys,” she answered carefully. “My name is Achlys.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wjW3lxNZA
Abyss nodded. He panicked. He didn’t know what else to say. That’s when he heard the faint ding of the elevator. He only needed to hold her attention a moment longer.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07TzAd2jL4
“Be careful! She could be hiding anywhere! She’s extremely dangerous!” a voice called out from a little way across the room. The soldiers couldn’t be seen from the trio’s position, but they could hear the soldiers clearly and see a few beams of light.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIicdHLyMUg
“Why not announce our presence to the world, then?!” another shouted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7deNY0saOd
Achlys instantly became aware of her time frame as they heard the commotion, now joined by the sound of several loading guns. Her hair glowed again and she tore off a portion of her shirt, using it to cover Abyssal’s mouth.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4dqVSrJMC
His eyes widened in panic as she dragged him away. Volt!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U8HCTfvkA
Abyss reached out to his unconscious brother and tried to struggle, but Achlys caught him in a headlock and quickened her pace. He couldn’t leave Volt like this! He didn’t want to be separated in a situation so dire. Abyss’s adrenaline-fueled thrashing wasn’t enough to save him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vqpkRU0mu
The cloth slipped off of Abyss’s mouth and he took a deep breath in to call out for help, but the air he breathed in was different, and before he knew it, Abyssal’s mind began to shut down. His body went limp and his vision went black before the world went quiet.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbLZwUTuRT
* * *
The alarms and soldiers were long gone before Abyss woke up. He was pinned to a large machine by scraggly wires. They seemed to have been ripped from their original places to be used as rope substitutes. The very thought made Abyss shiver as he imagined electrical sparks flying out of control.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFYhGsb59V
When Abyss tried to absorb the energy using his ability, he found himself relieved that any voltage they held had dissipated long ago. He began to struggle in an attempt to break free, but these chords were something else. They held fast.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQ9FMKwirX
“Volt! Volt! Where are you?! Are you okay?!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAN3SFHnNHV
“Those people with the guns carried him away around 20 minutes ago. They’re long gone.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmdLmXX5af
Abyss became aware of his heavy breathing as he looked at his captor.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHXZfj42kA
“Achlys. Remember?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRcFVoBdJG
Abyss clenched his teeth and nodded.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjtDQilFsG
“Good. You haven’t lost your memory from the fumes. I wish you hadn’t struggled so much. I waited for hours for you to wake back up.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvEnZDPOkT
“Hours?” Abyss breathed the word out. He was out for hours? How come Achlys didn’t pass out. Was Volt okay? Abyssal’s mind spiraled before Achlys snapped him out of it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JcxhbCfLh
“If you try anything, I have multiple means in which to kill you before you can even scream, not that it’ll help you down here... I would know...” Achlys shook herself and continued, “What are you doing here? And I mean in this building. I have a hard time believing you got through.... his forces and down here simply by exploring.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPc6sjpl9x
“I- I’m a member of PISTOL.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWauwpkQAKH
“PISTOL? What does that stand for?” Achlys’ eyes narrowed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfGAzSvEQz
Abyssal’s brows furrowed in confusion. He wanted to make a quip, but held it back. I have a hard time believing you would be down here if you don’t know what PISTOL is. Regardless, Abyss swallowed his remark and answered, “Purging Inhuman Species To Overthrow Leadership.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvS6Ke9Rb5
Achlys seemed taken aback by this response, she was quiet for a long moment, processing this information.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWGam1IOcu
“That’s what it stands fo-”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXsa7HKO5z
“I figured that out, thank you,” Achlys snapped, grabbing Abyssal’s shoulder and bringing her face uncomfortably close to his face. Abyss flinched at the sudden show of ferocity. He realized he shouldn’t have spoken and his mind lingered, replaying the moment in his mind even after she pulled back. His shoulders were tense and breathing shallow. He felt suffocated by the situation itself.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28JAe4coug
“Who is in charge here?” She asked slowly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYWV8qmUd3
“Uh.. Commander... H?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUS2c5jC5V
She took in a short, stifled breath of air before narrowing her eyes. “H... Does that stand for anything?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvJ475yh1X
“He... didn’t say.” Abyss hoped she would believe the truth, but her eye twitched.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWKZCcxozS
Achlys’ hair began to glow again, and the original smell wafted back to Abyss. Is she creating some kind of gas?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTHHYMwF5M
She looked back at him and asked again, “Does H stand for anything?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE40wMTqy0F
Abyss didn’t know what kind of answer she was searching for, so he tried once again, hoping against hope that she would let the topic- and him- go. “Probably? Like I said, I don’t know.” He was surprised how stern his own voice sounded. Abyss began to worry Achlys would snap at him again, but she didn’t.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBns0FYECn
Achlys sighed in annoyance. “Fine... You said something earlier about having powers. What kind of powers could a human possess?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvtLlMMzz0
Abyss always took for granted the Crystal Cartridges. He forgot that not many people had one, but when one of the biggest powers happened to be a second-generation mutant with her own Cartridge, it was surprising that anyone might not know about them.... especially when she had powers of her own. Was she... not human?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwzwVpMKQa
“I was implanted with a Crystal Cartridge when I was young.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePPjugRDFz
“You possess a Crystal Cartridge? But how? Human vessels get destroyed when exposed to the energy in those cores.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu3wqMvSwv
“Don’t you know that? The advancement in science reached that point in 2049.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLixtdp1hgO
Achlys went quiet for an uncomfortable space of time. “What year is it?” She asked uneasily.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwt1lYqdZs
Abyss was stunned. Was she trapped down here all that time? “2055 ,” he answered slowly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDg1rgwHHS
Achlys’ eyes widened it what seemed to be fury and distress before dark swirls surrounded her clenched fists and she struck the machine behind Abyss with enough power to break a hole in the metal and send sparks flying dangerously close to Abyssal’s face. He ducked in panic do dodge both the strike and the after affects. His breathing quickened again, heart thundering. The chords prevented him from leaping out of the way and reminded him of how dire his situation was.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLptNVei17X
Achlys’ voice was broken up as she spoke softly, “9 years... Almost half my life... How did I not notice?... Why am I surprised? They were never going to beat him... not after Zeus... I had no chance of freedom.” Tears glistened and fell to the floor, until a spark of realization flashed in her eyes. “Until now.... You saved me. Unwillingly, but regardless...”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5cA4HPFXA
“What are you talking about?” Abyss asked.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RQyposjRJ
Achlys glared into Abyssal’s eyes, their noses almost touching. “What power does your cartridge provide you? You must have figured out I have one too. We are one in the same. Created as tools for the world’s destruction, yes?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs8vioU0Lz
Abyssal’s eyes were wide. He didn’t dare blink. She has the same goal? She was.. created for destruction? Abyss didn’t know how to respond. “Y-yeah... I can.. absorb powers and energy by touching the source.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8uSqB5C7i
Instantly she pulled away out of his already limited reach. “You have his power. Devour. Are you Kronos’ successor? Are you his descendant? Blood convoluted by human breeding?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzwHhtuSMR
“N-no. He... he is my master. I don’t think I’m the successor of anything.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI1VuRwd1o
Achlys furrowed her brows. She began to speak in Rosorken as if she didn’t think he could understand. “Why would Kronos grant his power to a human like this? Unless.... this human is the key to his plans.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3Ra91J7aG
“I’m a weapon and a living battery. For all I know, I’m expendable.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzL5oiWObE
“Yes. You are. But the cartridge you hold inside is valuable. Legends speak of the destruction it could bring.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdgD9yfrqe
“Legends?” Abyss muttered in Rosorken. Achlys’ eyes narrowed as she realized he knew her language. It was his first language, so his thoughts, as well as when he thought out loud, would be Rosorken. He didn’t even think about it. He did have to think to speak English. After this, they would continue to speak in the alien language, to the hidden relief of both ends.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYd3OQlC26
“I know it sounds strange, as the technology is still new, but when I was young, my father told me that Grecians prophesied of our generation. When they spoke of the titan Kronos, they spoke of... your master.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Vtbj1VL0
She paused before she addressed Kronos as such. Abyss began to wonder if she knew him in some other way.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14x45HwU2D
“He said that we may have to use false names for a time to avoid confusion and suspicion. I never even considered what my human name would be before I was brought here. Either way, that is not my standard. My father will never dictate my life again. I will execute my own plans for taking down Kronos. His methods are clearly ineffective.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7QPB28LyT
“Take him down?!” Abyss blurted unwittingly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qhcY4z7Nm
Achlys’ expression darkened. “Kronos plans to harvest the lifeblood of every creature on this planet. Humans and animals will suffer to fuel his machines and the planet will die. Do you want to be the person who causes this suffering? Do you want to follow him? I say put them out of their misery so that Kronos can’t win and move on to another planet. The Morbitor is stranded without significant fuel which will be used to move on to the next living planet and repeat the process.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd99p7uTbgo
Abyss shook his head; he couldn’t believe it. He thought the plan was to harvest just enough energy to pay back humanity’s debt to the Rosorken. He didn’t ever plan to hurt beyond the forces that stood in his path. “I didn’t think I would be hurting anyone with my power. I’d collect what we needed and leave.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSuU8CWpcn
“Have you ever used your power on a person?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFYGm4vFse
“A few times on my brother. It never hurts more than some stinging on occasion or a small shock.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpidvgTRKYb
“Did you ever drain all his energy? Leave nothing but a dying, unconscious husk? Does he have a cartridge or are you dragging out his lifeforce?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHv5RIbin8M
“H-he has a cartridge. I guess I only use it to borrow some of his power.” Now that Abyss thought about it, he never even borrowed enough of Volt’s power to be affected by water.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXcNNZRhhW
“It isn’t the same. I have seen the full extent of your power. Draining lifeforce is different from borrowing an ability. The amount of power Kronos needs far exceeds the limits this planet could take. Not only will he force you to use your power to kill the planet, this project of his would push his own abilities. It might even kill you. And if you refuse him, it won’t be long before he’ll come for you. Kill you and recycle the cartridge. He has both time and patience. He’ll live at least four human lifetimes. Your power will bring prolonged agony to every living being before leaving the planet as nothing but a rotting husk. The only way to stop him is to destroy his fuel source in totality.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlLnB7G1eG
Abyss was stunned. Every inch of him shook, thinking of the things Achlys foretold. “Are you going to kill me?” he whispered.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR4JsCDPDi
“No. Not yet at least. If you die, even if I rip out and destroy the cartridge in your heart, it won’t stop Kronos. He’ll make another as soon as he learns of the predicament. It would be nothing more than a minor setback, a mere annoyance. Our best bet is to destroy the entire planet before he can.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpvrSDumNP
“How will that do anything? I thought the goal was to stop Kronos from doing that! Not push it along!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLZRVPEvXA
“I’ve suffered 10 years doing nothing but thinking about my hate for Kronos. Worrying that the planet would be destroyed and that when I was found, I would suffer the same fate as Zues before I had a chance to fight back to try and stop him!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGObGgPOjrL
Zues? Like the god? The same god meant to kill Kronos? Is that why he was never worried when he heard the name? Zues is already gone? “If Kronos killed Zues-” Achlys flinched, clearly a painful memory, “-how are we supposed to stand in between him.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvaQNZvcDn
“The truth is, I don’t know for certain, but he won’t stop here. As soon as he’s finished turning this planet into an empty shell he’ll move on to the next living planet and do the same thing. If a planet must die to spare hundreds, so be it. And if you’re still so worried about hurting people here, he’d make you do it anyway. It would be slower, and he would take pleasure in watching each individual person suffer, including you. And for my plan to work, I’ll need you. My family always talked about a more obscure part of this mythology. Kronos’s brother, Hyperion was the embodiment of light, the old Rosork Emperor.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgFOeuQ4hV
“How did I never hear about him?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcW2aD0Jc45
“Kronos banned any and all mention of his brother after he died one night mysteriously.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmzdL1FYI0
Something about how she said that told Abyss she didn’t believe it was so mysterious.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmriv9KCFj
“But before he died, he had a son, Helios. Helios had the power of a thousand suns but disappeared one day. For some time, everyone was convinced Helios had somehow given the power to his cousin, Apollo. Apollo eventually... came clean and admitted that Helios had asked him to make such claims, and came up with a plan to convince everyone that such was the truth. Instead, we believe Helios had run off with some human woman.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUWPDkKmW1
“How does that work? How do you know?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjLOg6SnyK
“You have heard of the sun chariot, yes? Phony. A literal trick of the light. Shortly after I received my cartridge, a blank cartridge vanished. Now there is a princess my age who has a power dubbed Sol Fire. The family learned of this development around two months before I was sealed away.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSP03WdPP7
But why was she sealed away?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUgRAFoWr3
“We have theorized the end of times would be brought about by the power of pure darkness combined with the power of divine light . I need you in order to fulfill this biblical event and spare humanity it’s suffering and the death of countless other planets . Desitny has brought us together, and if you refuse, I’ll have no choice but to kill you and re-house the Devour Cartridge myself. Which is a shame considering I don’t hate you. What do you say?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0NZV0lbRR
Abyss was quiet for a long time trying to gather his thoughts. “How do I know I can trust you? You said you were sealed away for almost a decade.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAvCB32WCe
“You don’t know.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyszhTuW56
That was the exact answer Abyss didn’t want to hear.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5mQV6yIQV
“But my two points still stand. I don’t hate you, and I can and will kill you if you don’t cooperate.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIt5yXPsOE
“That’s comforting.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBIZh102OR
“I do hope we can build some form of mutual trust.” 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJNiE7bUeD
“ABYSS?!... ABYSSAL?!.... SOL! WHERE THE XOUYA ARE YOU?!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthO4vGzJC3
That was Volt! Abyssal’s heart leapt with hope that was instantly squashed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiSvFeHzCd
Achlys’ hair began to glow again. Whatever drug she was trying to use, he didn’t want Volt to breathe it in. “I’M FINE! JUST GO!” Abyss roared. Abyss held his breath to avoid breathing in the toxin himself as he struggled against the chords holding him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSTgFWqa23
“Oh, calm down. You’ll be fine. Just breathe,” Achlys instructed. She bent over and gently pressed against Abyssal’s chest, forcing him to breathe out, coughing. He couldn’t draw her power through his shirt. He needed air. He tried to avoid drawing in a breath, but he didn’t last long. He gasped for oxygen and a sweet formula filled his lungs. He recognized this gas; she used it earlier when the soldiers came.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2VzaxzwWb
Abyss did his best not to breathe in anymore, but Achlys had other plans. She continued to force the breath from his body without making direct contact with him. He was regretting telling her the limitations of his power, but for all he knew, she could have already known them. Not many lungfuls later, Abyss felt himself slip away into unconsciousness again.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvNn8ieDvM
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HhQ1YdLrE
