twenty-three

Cronus laughs as the lighting strikes fall closer and closer towards him, and yet they never quite reach him. He knows they know he has the girl.

Pulling her off his shoulder, he throws her into the air and freezes time. Kai watches on in horror at the base of the skyscraper, looking up at her floating body.

Chen flies towards Cronus in his god-form, eyes a blinding white, bolts of lightning in his hands as he stares down at the Titan. “Stay your hand or feel my wrath,” he warns, voice rumbling like the storm clouds above.

“Hahaha! Oh really?” Cronus taunts, eyes narrowing, “Try me.”

Chen dives towards Cronus, arms raised high with the lightning bolts held fast in his hands. The air electrifies with the swing of his arm as he aims at Cronus, singeing the ends of the Titan’s hair as he dodges to the side. The Titan raises a somewhat singed eyebrow as he runs a hand through his hair

“Oh ho, I see you’ve improved since your younger days.” Chen doesn’t reply as he rushes the Titan, throwing more bolts of lightning. His eyes flash as he rains more lightning down from the sky. Yet the Titan doesn’t even flinch. “I think that tickles actually,” he smiles.

“Why are you even trying to take over the world? Give it up, Cronus, we’re taking you down. Back down to Tartarus where you belong!” Chen yells as he runs, left leg spinning around to roundhouse kick Cronus in the chest, followed by an uppercut blow to his chin.

Cronus blocks Chen’s next punch, and shrugs as the other continues to throws consecutive punches and kicks. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s been so long since I ruled over everything. I feel like it’s time for a little change of pace around here,” Cronus says, as another blow comes flying at him. He sidesteps and elbows hard into Chen’s side.

Doubling over, Chen looks up as he clutches his side and glares at the Titan. “Yeah, well, try as you might, you’re not taking over.” He lunges forward and grabs the Titan around the waist, before throwing him down on his back. Chen lifts his bolt of lightning and points it at the Titan’s throat. “Release the girl to safety. She has nothing to do with you,” Chen commands with a glare.

Except, Cronus doesn’t obey, instead, grabbing Chen’s ankle and throwing him down, his body leaving cracks in the concrete. He bends down and picks his son up by the collar, “Are you sure? I can let her go but who knows what will happen,” Cronus laughs.

Chen narrows his eyes and aims a bolt right into Cronus’ chest, sending electricity through the Titan’s very veins. Cronus’ grip loosens and Chen drops down to his knees, before launching himself once again at the Titan, gripping his neck in one hand and holding a lightning bolt to his throat in the other.

“Stop! Stop it, Cronus! Leave her out of this!” Kai yells as he arrives on the rooftop.

“Look at you, my poor pathetic son of darkness. Why do you not join me in ruling over the world? Together with our powers over Time and Death, every single being will surrender themselves to us,” Cronus replies, even as Chen continues pinning him down.

With no reply from Kai, Cronus lets out a chilling laugh, “I see. You want me to let her go? Fine.” He snaps his fingers and time flows again around her.

Kai watches in horror as she falls from the building in slow motion, her body limp as a rag doll and unmoving. He becomes deaf to the world except for her voice, but no matter how much he strains his ears, he can't hear a single scream from her as she continues to fall. He knows there’s no way for her to save herself.

Instead, it is his own voice that he hears. Kai lets out a string of curse words as he rushes to catch her, only able to watch her body plummet down. He closes his eyes, ready to teleport to grab her in mid-air, if it would lessen her fall. He'd do anything to keep her safe, to keep her alive.

However, at that moment, Chen yells, “Look!” His grip only tightens around Cronus, knowing the Titan would try to escape should he have the opportunity to.

As everyone’s eyes are locked on her, her body bursts into dozens of light green butterflies just like the colour of her eyes. The butterflies fly back up and re-form back into her body, only she is now wearing what Kai recognised as Persephone’s favourite clothes – a flowing white gown making her appear almost like a blooming flower.

Kai watches in amazement, jaws slack as she turns to send a dazzling smile in his direction. She lifts a hand and a single emerald butterfly flies towards him, fluttering close to his face then bursting into a warm shower of light. “Persephone, is that you?” he whispers.

“Yes,” she replies quietly, before turning back to face Cronus, “Stop this fighting at once,” she commands, “No matter what you may try, Cronus, know that your reign has long been over.”

“Ahahaha! I don’t need some girl to tell me that,” Cronus smirks even as Chen continues to glare down at him. In the blink of an eye, Cronus has flipped Chen over onto his back, pinning him down. “I’ll take over no matter what you try!”

Cronus aims, pauses with a look of pity, then lands a punch on Chen’s guts and knocks him out with a strategic blow to his neck. He stands and brushes the dust from his clothes, facing Kai and Persephone. “My my, to think that my own children and grandchildren are rebelling. Oh, how