Outer Olympus

Outer Olympus: Chapter 29

Rune spewed forth her rage and trauma out onto the railcar station in a brilliant wave of psycho-electric devastation. There was no restraint on this blast, no precision like she had drilled into her technique over the years, just every bit of power she could grab in this one moment, flung forth to bury her opponent in a torrent of destruction.

Her opponent. Hope Beckons. The Shadow of the Future. Her most hated enemy, the one who had taken her arm in the battle at the research station. Who had taken her apart and left her in the merciless hands of VISOR.

Arcs of chaotic energy split from the main blast, striking the ceiling and detonating the light fixtures above. Showers of sparks and shattered glass rained onto the platform. As the lights exploded, the red glow of Rune's lightning became the dominant light source around. Her energy split apart the oxygen in the air, filling the station with the sterile smell of ozone.

Rune was a girl with a solid estimation of her own strengths. She wasn't afraid of Enforcers, because she knew she could take them down without difficulty with a fraction of the force she was exhibiting now. She knew that even to the great mystic masters of the age, this cacophony would be nothing to scoff at.

But it wasn't just rage, pain, and trauma that filled Rune's body at the sight of Hope Beckons in front of her. At the core of her being, a different emotion gripped her heart until Rune had summoned up rage in an unsuccessful attempt to banish it. The feeling that threatened to freeze that furnace heart was a simple one. She was terrified.

Hope was going to take everything away from her again. Her new friends, her chance to escape. Maybe another arm, if she was feeling cruel, which was likely.

As that fear gripped her heart, the well of lightning dried up. The red glow left the room, and a different glow filled its place. The hateful, stark white glow of Hope's psyblade. The Shadow of the Future stood, untouched by Rune's cascading firepower. This was, in truth, not particularly surprising. There was not a person alive with as much experience dealing with Rune's psychic attacks as Hope. Also unsurprising: that stupid, infuriating smile on her lips.

"Really, Rune? Did you think that little temper tantrum would accomplish anything? I'm insulted," Hope mocked, solidly unimpressed. She lowered her blade; its tip narrowly touched the metal floor, causing it to bubble and melt. Rune breathed in deeply. She had to remember her training. Rage was power, but power without precision was power without purpose. She had to think, move strategically, put her considerable power in the right place, if she had any hope of making it out of this intact.

"Come any closer and I'll gut you like a fish, Hope," Rune spat. Keeping herself in the right mindset was difficult when she was dealing with the single most infuriating person she had ever met. Hope scoffed at the threat.

"You'll die trying," Hope knew drawing Rune off balance was a path to victory; she was doing it on purpose, and it was working. Rune breathed deeply again, and Hope's eyes left her for the first time, looking at Rune's companions. Her superior little smirk wavered just a little, "You three will want to get on that train and leave. Things on this platform are going to get a lot messier, and you don't want to be here for that." All the venom that dripped from her voice was gone, and there was evidence of genuine care. Hope wasn't a monster, after all. She had no interest in hurting bystanders.

She only wanted to hurt Rune.

"Do as she says," Rune instructed. Hope was right; what was about to happen would be so much worse with her new friends in the way. "You won't be able to help. She's here for me, not you." Rune didn't take her eyes off Hope as she spoke, but she could feel the concern and doubt from her friends behind her. Geode was the first to move, Viola the last. Rune smiled a bit as the three boarded the train.