A Hero's Song (Darkest Secrets Volume 1)

Chapter 7 - Lost to the Void

Terra lobbed one of the security slabs as the team scrambled back.

The door struck Lucian's shield a meter away from his face. The impact pushed him down the hall. He landed on his feet and the makeshift weapon fell to the floor, bent and twisted.

Taking advantage of his brother's momentary lapse in concentration, Gabriel activated his Hard Lasers and shot at the Telepath's legs. The blasts scored a direct hit on the left, searing through with a hiss. Lucian shrieked.

Helios followed up Gabriel's attack by peeking out from behind Terra and sending off a burst of flame. It went wide.

Long-Arm chose that moment to rush in on stretching legs. His first swing was dodged, as was his second. Lucian didn't lack any physical skill in a brawl.

After dodging the punches Lucian rose again in the air, distorting the space around him and releasing a blast of telekinetic force. Long-Arm went flying down the hall, bouncing like a toy off the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Gabriel narrowly dodged Longarm's body and shot again, this time on a higher setting, but Lucian's shield dispersed the beams.

Helios attempted to turn the tide of the battle in one attack. He spent all of his fire on a raging fireball. He threw it past Gabriel and it exploded, only in front of Terra instead of Lucian. The team leader yelped in surprise and bumped against a doorframe.

Lucian took advantage of the team's pause and flung the crumpled door telekinetically back at Terra. Luckily the super had recovered in time and managed to block it with the door in her hands. This time both doors were mangled, but Terra kept a firm grip on hers.

Gabriel fired his lasers one more time but watched helplessly as Lucian managed to use his mind to bend the lasers around him without using his shield.

Helios unleashed streams of fire and managed a hit, but by then Lucian had already put his shield back up. The flames cascaded around the almost translucent wall.

Terra threw her second door, in a gesture of defiance rather than hoping to hurt Lucian. The door didn't just crumple this time when it hit the telekinetic barrier, it rebounded right at Terra!

Lucian had thrown it back the moment it touched his shield. The Super had no time to get out of the way and the metal door struck her head-on, crushing her legs into chunks.

The giant went down hard, not letting out a sound where most would be screaming. Helios backed away from the toppling behemoth, only to catch a psionic fist to the jaw as Lucian jetted forward. Helios was flung into the wall, indenting into it and sticking there, unconscious.

Lucian turned towards Gabriel, slowly floating towards him. Terra tried to claw her way towards them to help, but Lucian blasted her back down the hallway. Gabriel readied himself for a last-ditch assault when his brother spoke. "Why would you hurt me, Gabriel? Do you not love your brother as I love you?"

Gabriel stared at Lucian in shock. "What do you mean Lucian, you're slaughtering these innocent people! Why wouldn't I stop you, even if you are my brother!?"

Lucian tilted his head and laughed. "Innocent? Is that what you believe? Each one of the workers here is part of a criminal empire endangering the human race. Selling weapons to terrorists and warlords, developing biotic weapons that only affect humans, you name it. They deserve this."

Lucian's face darkened, a mask of hatred taking hold. "But that isn't the only reason they aren't innocent. You see Gabriel, most humans aren't truly innocent.

All the greed, all the rage, the lust, and jealousy. All the thoughts of causing harm for personal benefit. It's disgusting. No more! I won't feel it all anymore!