Dave stared through the small, barred window in disbelief. His heart pounded in his chest as he gazed at his sister, Sarah. She looked so fragile, so broken. Her body was a mess of bruises, cuts, and swollen skin. Her once vibrant face was barely recognizable, marred by violence. Her hair, once full of life, was matted and caked with dried blood. She lay slumped against the wall, motionless, as if she had been discarded like an old, useless toy.
The sight of her in such a brutalized state ignited a deep, boiling anger within him. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. But alongside that fury was a sinking, helpless feeling. He had never seen her like this. She had always been strong, lively. This wasn't his sister. Not the one he remembered.
He rushed toward her, bursting through the door. The metal creaked as he tore it off its hinges, and within moments, he was kneeling beside Sarah. His breath came in ragged gasps as he gently touched her bruised face, his hands trembling.
"Sarah," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Sarah, wake up."
But she didn't stir. Her breathing was shallow, almost imperceptible, and her skin felt cold to the touch. A wave of panic washed over Dave. She wasn't just unconscious—something was terribly wrong.
'She's not waking up,' Dave thought in desperation. 'Why isn't she waking up?'
He didn't know what to do. He had fought through Helios' minions, destroyed their ranks, but now, faced with his broken sister, he was powerless. All the strength he had gained, all the power he had accumulated—it felt useless in this moment.
His mind raced for answers. The System! He had relied on it to gain unimaginable strength, to push his limits far beyond what any human could reach. Surely, it could help him now.
"System!" he called out in his mind, his thoughts frantic. "What's wrong with her? Can I heal her?"
The familiar voice of the System responded, calm and cold as always.
"Analyzing condition of subject: Sarah. Subject has sustained significant physical trauma. Signs of prolonged abuse and medical experimentation detected. Neural activity shows abnormal patterns. Subject is in a state of induced coma."
Dave's stomach dropped. A coma? How could she be in a coma? And what did the System mean by induced?
"Is there any way to wake her up? Can you heal her?" Dave asked, his voice full of desperation.
The System paused for a moment, as if calculating the possibilities.
"Currently, Earth's medical technology is insufficient to heal subject. Neural damage and trauma cannot be reversed with available methods. The necessary technology does not exist yet on this planet."
Dave's heart sank. "What do you mean? There's nothing I can do? There has to be something! You have to know something!" His voice was raw with emotion.
The System's reply was as cold as ever. "There is no current method available to you. However, with time, it may be possible to develop or acquire the technology to heal her. That knowledge does not yet exist on Earth, but in the future, you may have the means to create it."
Dave clenched his fists in frustration. Time? How much time did Sarah have? Would she survive long enough for him to figure out how to save her? He didn't know. And that uncertainty gnawed at him like a poison.
Tears stung his eyes as he looked down at his sister. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve any of it. He wanted to rage, to destroy Helios for what he had done. But for now, all he could do was make sure Sarah was safe.
He gently scooped her into his arms, her small, limp body barely weighing anything in his embrace. For a moment, he just held her, the tears slipping down his face as he swore silently to himself that he would find a way to save her. He would never stop trying. No matter how impossible it seemed.
Without a second thought, Dave activated his Teleportation skill. The world around him blurred and shifted, and in an instant, he was back in his house, standing in the familiar warmth of his bedroom.
He carefully laid Sarah down on the bed, tucking her in as though she were merely sleeping. The sight of her in such a peaceful place was jarring compared to the horrors of the lab where he had found her. But even here, her condition hadn't changed. She remained still, trapped in the deep sleep she couldn't wake from.
"Rest now, Sarah," Dave whispered softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I'll find a way. I promise you, I'll fix this."
With a heavy heart, Dave turned and stepped away from the bed. He couldn't stay here. Not yet. There was still work to be done—Helios was still out there, and the rest of his sister's fate, along with so many others, was tied to that monster.
Dave took a deep breath and once again activated his Teleportation, returning to the exact place where he had left. The cold, sterile walls of Helios' underground facility reappeared around him.
His eyes burned with determination. There was no turning back now.
Dave's heart pounded in his chest as he rushed through the dimly lit corridors of Helios' underground base. The sharp echo of his footsteps reverberated off the cold, metallic walls, each step heavier with dread. He had already found Sarah, broken and barely alive, but his search wasn't over. Emily—his other sister—was still missing. Somewhere in this nightmarish place, she was waiting for him, and Dave wouldn't stop until he had her back.
The base stretched on like a labyrinth. Dozens of identical doors lined the hallways, each one leading to rooms filled with unknown horrors. Dave gritted his teeth as he threw open door after door, only to find empty cells or twisted remnants of Helios' sick experiments. Human subjects hooked to machines, their bodies transformed beyond recognition, lay unconscious or lifeless, their minds long gone. Dave had to steel himself as he pushed forward, the weight of their suffering pressing down on him.
Each door he opened only made the knot in his stomach tighten. Where is she? His mind screamed with frustration. His hands trembled with rage, but he forced himself to remain calm. Panicking wouldn't help. He had to stay focused. He had to find Emily before it was too late.
He slammed open another door, his heart lurching every time, but each time it was the same. No sign of Emily. Only more evidence of Helios' cruelty. The faces of the mutilated captives blurred together, their hollow expressions haunting him, but none of them were her.
As he moved deeper into the base, the rooms became darker, colder, as though the very air was growing thicker with despair. The flickering lights above cast long shadows across the floor, twisting and distorting everything in sight.
Dave's mind raced. Helios had to be close. The experiments in these rooms were more elaborate, more grotesque. This part of the facility felt more secret, more guarded. This is it. He could feel it. He was getting closer.
Another door. Empty.
Another. A room filled with tubes and medical devices, but no sign of his sister.
With each failed attempt, the frustration built inside him like a storm. His body burned with the desire to lash out, to tear this entire place apart. But he couldn't let the anger control him. Not yet. Not until he had Emily safe.
As he reached the far end of the corridor, the base felt eerily quiet. It was as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something terrible to happen. And Dave knew he was nearing the end of the line. There weren't many doors left. His pulse quickened as his thoughts spiraled into panic. What if I'm too late? What if she's already—
No. He couldn't think like that. He refused to.
He slammed open another door, his hand shaking slightly as he did so. But again, no Emily. Only more devastation, more broken bodies. Dave's jaw clenched as he turned away and moved to the next door. His muscles ached from the constant tension, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop.
He kicked the door down, his eyes scanning the room. But it was empty.
'Where are you, Emily?' he thought desperately. The weight of helplessness started to sink in, but he shoved it away. There were only a few rooms left. He had to keep moving. He had to find her.
Sweat dripped down his brow as he approached another door. His chest tightened, the anticipation building with every step. This has to be it.
He ripped open the door and stopped in his tracks. The room was filled with medical equipment, much like the others, but something was different. The air in the room felt… heavier. Darker. He felt it in his gut—this was a place of significance. And as his eyes scanned the room, they caught sight of a small piece of fabric on the floor.
A piece of cloth. Torn, dirty, but unmistakable.
His heart sank as he picked it up, his fingers brushing against the familiar material. It was part of Emily's shirt. He recognized it immediately. She had been here. She's close.
His mind raced as he clutched the torn fabric. He was on the right track. The last few rooms were nearby, and Helios had to be hiding in one of them. He wouldn't leave without Emily.
Dave's pace quickened as he continued down the final corridor, bursting through each door, tearing through guards and twisted superhumans without hesitation. His rage gave him power, his movements swift and deadly. They were nothing compared to him, their feeble attacks bouncing off him like raindrops on stone.
The facility echoed with the sounds of his brutal fight, but Dave barely noticed. His mind was only on Emily. He had to save her, no matter what.
Finally, he reached the last door at the far end of the base. It was larger than the others, more fortified. The metal was thicker, and there was an ominous hum coming from behind it, as though the very heart of the base lay just beyond. He could feel it in his bones. Helios and Emily were inside.
His breath caught in his throat. This was it. His pulse raced with a mixture of fear and fury. Helios had done the unthinkable to his sisters. Dave had seen enough to know the depths of the man's evil. But he would stop him. No matter what.
Dave's hand rested on the door handle, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow. Everything he had fought for, everything he had sacrificed, had led him to this moment. His muscles tensed, his mind sharpened, and he prepared himself for whatever horrors lay beyond.
With a deep breath, Dave pushed open the door.
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