Argonaut - The Kinetic (Part I)

Chapter 13 - Running

Chapter Thirteen – Running

27th Dec 1:45 AM

 

He still had nightmares, visions of the tank. It was the one thing in this world that truly scared him, and he wasn’t quite sure why. Even as he paced the centre of the Archon’s chamber it stuck in his mind.   

The chamber’s once solid door lay smashed against the wall, the floor was torn apart by the conflict only a few hours ago. The hallway leading to the disabled elevator shaft was equally damaged. In a room beyond a false wall of this very chamber lay the laboratory in which he had been created, and inside was the object of his fear.    

He could hear footsteps behind him, coming from the hallway. He span around, filling it with pale green lightning. After a few seconds he stopped, there was nothing there. But there had been; there was always something. Something to keep him on his toes, someone waiting around the corner.

He wasn’t crazy; he was the greatest Kinetic alive. His loud laughter filled the hallway - he was the only Kinetic alive. And the most powerful person alive couldn’t be crazy, gods weren’t insane.

“What are you going to do then?” Atlas mocked, floating above his head.

“Shut up” Prometheus snarled, “I know you’re not real.”

“Who’s to say what’s real brother?” the floating phantom grinned philosophically, “I’m real to you aren’t I?”

“I killed you” put Prometheus simply, as if this was a logical answer to Atlas’s question.

“Did you?” he laughed, “I’m here aren’t I? I’ll never die as long as you live Prometheus. We’re one and the same.”

“Shut up” Prometheus snapped, giving up on trying to talk to the spectre.

When it continued to swoop over his head he muttered a few lines to himself, something that had been present in his mind since before he could remember; of course he could only remember back a few days to where he had been ‘born’ so to speak.

“One, two, buckle my shoe” The clone muttered, “Three, four, shut the door. Five, six, pick up sticks. Seven, eight, lay them straight.”

He didn’t know where it had come from; Archaean shoes didn’t have buckles, nor did doors need shutting here. Had the Archons implanted it into his mind to make him go mad? He barked with laughter, Atlas had vanished.

“Make me go mad will you?” he mumbled as he paced, “no you won’t. I’ll show you, I’ll show you all.”  

Metatron walked into the destroyed room, interrupting the Kinetic’s private thoughts. He made no sound, which disturbed Prometheus; he didn’t like it when people could sneak up on him. Just after he had killed Atlas he could have sworn he felt something touch his mind, but he was probably just imagining that too.

“What do you want” Prometheus muttered, keeping a dozen paces away from the Archon. They may not be out to kill him yet but you never knew…

“I have a gift for you Prometheus” Metatron rumbled, pulling a small object from his side and holding it out to the Kinetic.

The clone eyed it suspiciously; as if it was poisonous “What is it?” 

“It’s a Gladius” Metatron answered, “since Atlas took to them quite naturally we assumed you would benefit from one similarly.”

“Why are you comparing me to him?” Prometheus snarled violently, a piece of the ceiling fell beside him, “I am better than the original! If you didn’t want anything different why didn’t you just keep him?”