Kapitel 12: Chapter 11
The wind howled as Ax-el and Anissa streaked through the sky, leaving the recently restored city far behind. Anissa, her usual smugness dulled by the magnitude of what had just happened, seemed lost in thought. She had questions—Ax-el could tell—but for now, she kept them to herself.
Ax-el's mind, however, wasn't on the aftermath of his reality-warping moment. He didn't dwell on it much—he had the power to fix things, and that's all that mattered. He flew ahead, focused on the next task at hand: finding Nolan. Anissa, on the other hand, was far more curious.
"You know," she finally spoke, breaking the silence, "I didn't expect you to fix everything back there."
"I didn't either," Ax-el responded without much emotion.
Anissa's eyes narrowed as she studied him. "That was more than just brute force. It was like you bent reality itself."
Ax-el shrugged. He wasn't interested in dissecting it. Power was power. He had used it, and now he had to deal with what came next. The whole situation with Nolan was a minor inconvenience compared to what was stirring inside him.
"So," Anissa pressed, "what's the plan now? We confront Nolan? Figure out why he's dragging his feet on this mission?"
Ax-el glanced at her, then turned his gaze back to the horizon. "I don't really care what Nolan's up to. He's not my problem."
Anissa scoffed. "Not your problem? You know he's been here for years, right? His mission's practically stalled. Shouldn't that concern you?"
"It doesn't," Ax-el replied coolly. "You want to know why it's taking him so long? Fine. I'm just here for answers about my own situation."
Anissa rolled her eyes. "Figures. Leave it to me to want to dig into the details." She shifted slightly, her face taking on a more serious expression. "But I want to know, Ax-el. Nolan's been here long enough to conquer Earth twice over. Something's up, and I want to know what it is."
They descended toward Earth, heading directly for Chicago, where Nolan had been recently spotted. Ax-el could easily sense his presence, the familiar Viltrumite energy standing out among the human populace. Anissa's keen tracking abilities had already done most of the work—she was more eager than ever to get to the bottom of things.
"So, Earth," Anissa said as they broke through the atmosphere. "Why haven't we taken it over yet?"
Ax-el shrugged again, indifferent. "You'll find out soon enough."
They hovered over the bustling city, blending in with the clouds as they approached a skyscraper where Nolan stood like a statue, surveying the city.
As they touched down softly on the rooftop, Nolan turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he took in Ax-el and Anissa.
"You," he said, addressing Ax-el with suspicion. "Who are you?"
Ax-el didn't bother with pleasantries. "Does it matter? I'm not here to stop you, Nolan. Anissa's got some questions about why you've been dragging your heels, though."
Anissa crossed her arms, watching Nolan intently. "It's been years. Earth should be under Viltrumite rule by now. What's the holdup?"
Nolan's expression darkened. "You don't understand the situation here. Earth isn't like other planets."
"Then explain," Anissa retorted, stepping forward. "We've waited long enough for results, and all you've done is play hero."
Nolan's jaw clenched as he glanced between them, clearly on edge. "There's more to this planet than you realize. These people... they're not ready for the kind of rule Viltrum demands. If I push too hard, they'll be wiped out."
Ax-el stayed silent, disinterested in the philosophical dilemma Nolan was wrestling with. He wasn't here to judge, just to move on.
"Sounds like you've gone soft," Anissa said, her voice laced with contempt. "That's not how we operate."
Nolan's eyes flashed with anger. "And what would you know about it, Anissa? You've never had to make these decisions."
Anissa laughed coldly. "I've made plenty of decisions. Just not ones that involve coddling weak species."
Ax-el watched the exchange with mild amusement, but he could tell that Anissa wasn't going to let this go easily. "You're stalling, Nolan," she pressed. "If Earth is so important, why aren't you conquering it like you're supposed to?"
Nolan's fists clenched at his sides, his frustration evident. "It's not that simple," he growled. "There are things you don't understand. If I act too soon, Earth will be destroyed before it can become what it's meant to be."
Anissa shook her head. "Spare me the moral high ground. Either you're doing your job or you're not. Which is it?"
Ax-el finally stepped forward, breaking his silence. "She's right, Nolan. You're either following through on your mission, or you're not. Make up your mind."
Nolan's gaze hardened as he faced Ax-el. "This isn't just about following orders. There's more at stake here than you realize."
Ax-el's patience was wearing thin. "I don't care about your reasons. If you're not going to finish what you started, then I will."
Nolan's eyes widened slightly. "You don't understand what you're getting involved in."
Ax-el smirked. "I don't need to. Just remember—this is your mess to clean up, not mine."
Without another word, he turned and took to the sky, leaving Nolan and Anissa behind. As they flew off, Anissa looked back at Nolan, her expression unreadable.
"So," she said as they soared over the city, "what now?"
Ax-el didn't answer right away. He didn't care about Nolan's inner conflict or Earth's fate. He had bigger things to worry about—like the power coursing through him and the forces lurking on the horizon.
"We move forward," Ax-el finally said, his voice steady. "And we deal with whatever comes next."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein