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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj90gOZIx9
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8wq76tdlr
“What brings you here, human?” She demanded.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAEDNEd6Hb
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTZAPlKkko
“Who are you?” she hissed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeODeqkQOB
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81xVtVNzMd
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLwpnd8cte
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMokObo8aZ
His whole perspective changed when he noticed her hands start to grip Volt’s shirt tightly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4Ji14B5Uu
Abyss had to speak up and slow her down.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NGnSHfWPO
“Who are you?” Abyss forced out.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky8STUcs2d
She froze; her hair faded quickly as she tried to compose herself42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei3KNFrxyb
Slowly, she looked Abyss up and down, eyes narrow.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡew6zQqNbxW
“Achlys,” she answered carefully. “My name is Achlys.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP6SeLiKh2
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQj5Kr5SyS
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC6XYaz3Fu
“Why not announce our presence to the world, then?!” another shouted.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVJOl4IWUa
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLrGEohiVY
His eyes widened in panic as she dragged him away. Volt!42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OPRUFvciA
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw8P8lY6rO
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlVgpVviJS
* * *
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkl5dnTAvZ
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGIZ4PoxgC
“Volt! Volt! Where are you?! Are you okay?!”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08D722Turx
“Those people with the guns carried him away around 20 minutes ago. They’re long gone.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRZQGLRpC7
Abyss became aware of his heavy breathing as he looked at his captor.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlS3Yeca8o2
“Achlys. Remember?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBjCUzyPng
Abyss clenched his teeth and nodded.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wXDLDOLFH
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8S0wHmam1F
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI76HnAjTKF
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLngpN6X0PU
“I- I’m a member of PISTOL.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToh7Xw28t4
“PISTOL? What does that stand for?” Achlys’ eyes narrowed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3CwnjmN6D
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHboEoCFoGb
Achlys seemed taken aback by this response, she was quiet for a long moment, processing this information.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oikd1WedR
“That’s what it stands fo-”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33XJHjqlEp
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwXvyE8Agl
“Who is in charge here?” She asked slowly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJd080vHy7o
“Uh.. Commander... H?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobijNrgrP6
She took in a short, stifled breath of air before narrowing her eyes. “H... Does that stand for anything?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SjGIRTZCi
“He... didn’t say.” Abyss hoped she would believe the truth, but her eye twitched.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiAXj9czZx
Achlys’ hair began to glow again, and the original smell wafted back to Abyss. Is she creating some kind of gas?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS6BG6e104
She looked back at him and asked again, “Does H stand for anything?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uZenrwAig
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mq80AcK5s
Achlys sighed in annoyance. “Fine... You said something earlier about having powers. What kind of powers could a human possess?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivVbRl7odd
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?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4EsmyFOiH
“I was implanted with a Crystal Cartridge when I was young.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveZQndYA7L
“You possess a Crystal Cartridge? But how? Human vessels get destroyed when exposed to the energy in those cores.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0074AL0wkX
“Don’t you know that? The advancement in science reached that point in 2049.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6vCHwOnr8
Achlys went quiet for an uncomfortable space of time. “What year is it?” She asked uneasily.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYznUJVocV
Abyss was stunned. Was she trapped down here all that time? “2055 ,” he answered slowly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jgnmIfIJU
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJc5MmQL7k2
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...”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPyl83eunL
“What are you talking about?” Abyss asked.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW0TCfQUQd
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?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcClU9oyuZC
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxK152eCSz
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?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzYcPbtH6K
“N-no. He... he is my master. I don’t think I’m the successor of anything.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7GS6I2HGg
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4fLnxDL02
“I’m a weapon and a living battery. For all I know, I’m expendable.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm65XF8uGYK
“Yes. You are. But the cartridge you hold inside is valuable. Legends speak of the destruction it could bring.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSulipQ3zZp
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k5Boqhes5
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3n33bFw6bK
She paused before she addressed Kronos as such. Abyss began to wonder if she knew him in some other way.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfbJLJAs5g
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgeZ3XL2KG
“Take him down?!” Abyss blurted unwittingly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqaE3Fq1Kh
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2so8J6sBm5
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPBwLyF26V
“Have you ever used your power on a person?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZHOPgr44Z
“A few times on my brother. It never hurts more than some stinging on occasion or a small shock.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6YAnMFf8h
“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?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0NeedCr4M
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5K3mgvuyh
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWx2y9VFyI
Abyss was stunned. Every inch of him shook, thinking of the things Achlys foretold. “Are you going to kill me?” he whispered.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRYwMS1Qry
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoYZUpyY1l
“How will that do anything? I thought the goal was to stop Kronos from doing that! Not push it along!”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV6z7R2OdP
“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!”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMcarVmWt7
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vNgqmZG0u
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4CzjTu9Q8
“How did I never hear about him?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCJiYHnAT2
“Kronos banned any and all mention of his brother after he died one night mysteriously.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuw5T1DjC0
Something about how she said that told Abyss she didn’t believe it was so mysterious.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8xv9UF4Jw
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeptifO2GlH
“How does that work? How do you know?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUs6RbyxKY
“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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdIagLjnbF
But why was she sealed away?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfVI15KOwz
“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?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS7AkZkJ04
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.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WxwH2Erfv
“You don’t know.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMdSrFyqWG
That was the exact answer Abyss didn’t want to hear.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTvDaMRuBT
“But my two points still stand. I don’t hate you, and I can and will kill you if you don’t cooperate.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0aJ1Aig9H
“That’s comforting.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sviLhLBJJ
“I do hope we can build some form of mutual trust.” 42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPcGLEfidg
“ABYSS?!... ABYSSAL?!.... SOL! WHERE THE XOUYA ARE YOU?!”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTf8ZFyoZe
That was Volt! Abyssal’s heart leapt with hope that was instantly squashed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSwID6K4ay
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68gu3DXIoc
“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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSSnyzAeOd
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuVnRewmcI
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6DgprPGaJ
and then Add to home screen.