(eng) Michael Carroll - New Heroes 04 by Super Human

Author:Super Human [Human, Super]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

“You failed,” the old woman said to Slaughter. “They are mere children. Inexperienced. Weak. And yet they defeated you.”

The old woman was, as ever, sitting in the shadows in her dark, unfurnished room.

Slaughter stood still, arms clasped behind her back. She kept her expression grim—she didn’t want to give anything away—though the cuts and bruises on her face and her ripped uniform were clear signs of her defeat.

“Well?”

Slaughter began, “I did my part. The failure started with Marcus. He allowed himself to be captured. The next time—”

“The next time?” The woman pushed herself out of her chair.

Slaughter bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep her teeth from chattering. She felt a sick churning in her stomach and prayed that it was caused by fear and nothing else.

The woman stopped in front of Slaughter. She wanted to look away, but knew that to do so would be a sign of weakness.

The old woman’s face was shrouded in pale, translucent skin—shot through with thin red and blue veins—that hung loose around her jaw and neck. Her teeth were yellow-brown, chipped and cracked. Her eyes were so heavily bloodshot they were pink. The sockets were deep, dark-rimmed, half-covered by the sagging flesh from her brow. The eyelids were deformed, covered in styes that constantly seeped thin lines of yellow and white fluid.

The woman’s breath was stale and hot, and when she spoke, tiny drops of spittle landed on Slaughter’s face.

It took every ounce of Slaughter’s will not to flinch.

“Not one of these children has the power to stop you, yet you fled. Like a craven, beaten wretch.”

Carefully, Slaughter said, “I was ill prepared. I allowed my anger to take control.”

“All you are is anger, girl! Do you forget that? You are bile and hatred and fury personified. That is your strength, your very being. The first child, the strong one. You toyed with her like a cat with a vole. Why did you not simply tear out her throat?”

“She—”

“The others. Dalton’s sister. Her power could be formidable, but she lacks the experience and the imagination to use it to the greatest effect. What she does not lack is empathy for her colleagues. She can be defeated simply by threatening to kill one of the others. And the boy called Thunder? He has little physical strength. You should have swatted him as though he were a wasp.” The old woman’s eyes narrowed. “Above all, your task was to kill the human boy. Even in this, you failed.” She turned away, walked slowly back to her chair. “You disappoint me, Slaughter. For four thousand years, The Helotry have been preparing for this time.” She lowered herself into the chair, and resumed her stiff-backed pose. “The Fifth King will rise again.”

Slaughter stared at the woman, thankful that she was now back in shadow. “I will stop the children.”

“Only a fool repeats the same actions in the hope of obtaining a different outcome. The children have now worked together. They were a collection of individuals, now they are becoming a team.

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