Origins- Protectors

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Blakkened Soul

The heat of the explosion singed Noctum even as the sound of the chopper dissipated into the balmy night air. It was a kind of pain that rivalled the electricity that had burned his skin for two years. He felt the skin of his hands begin to burn as the train terminal went up in flames, just as the stadium had. Screaming voices overpowered the ringing sound in his ears as the civilians that had thought they had won a giveaway were engulfed in fire. Noctum knew that his friends were gone. They couldn't survive an explosion like that, hell, even though he was having a hard time. He noticed that the heat was gone and trembled as he struggled to his feet. The carnage was insane. Thick black smoke filled the air, engulfing the stars like a black blanket. Fires covered the whole city, which had been levelled to the very ground. Noctum began to run, desperation and adrenaline driving him towards Optus Stadium, forcing him towards the place where his friends may have survived,

"Guys!" He shouted, all of his strength used up by pouring out the words,

"Adam!" Lochlan yelled back, deactivating his energy shield,

"Where are the others!" He screamed,

"Comms say that they're gone, Adam," Lochlan said mournfully, checking his wristband, "there's no way that they could have survived that,"

Fear consumed the vigilante. He despised himself for it. He had been tortured, and he had killed every single person that had made him feel like that. Nighthawk had outwitted him, tricked him into trying to save the civilians,

"If I'd left them, we would have won," Adam said, almost dreamily,

"What?" Draedon asked,

"If I had just left those people at the station, I would have been there to stop Nighthawk,"

"Don't be ridiculous. You were just saving lives,"

Noctum shook himself out of his dreamlike state, staring down Draedon, and Lochlan could see that Adam was filled with the same void-like rage that had led to Kinetic's downfall,

"I was never in this to save people," Adam said blankly, "only to rain hellfire on those who hurt others,"

"Saving people is what being a hero's all about!" Lochlan shouted, features livid, "this tragedy is messing with me just as fucking much as it's messing with you! Don't act like you're alone with this,"

Adam stiffened, 

"You act like you have so much hurt," He began, "but at the end of the day, you have a family to go back to, you have a life to live! What do I have? Nothing!"

"Why do you think I came out here to fight Kinetic and live with you guys!" Lochlan retaliated, "Kinetic killed my parents!"

Noctum didn't even pause in his verbal assault,

"Wow, I guess you know a little bit of how I feel, but tell me, did they die in front of you, force-feed electricity or torn to literal shreds by a chainsaw?"

Lochlan paused, anger flashing across his features, before he turned, walking away from the stadium,

"I'm leaving, don't expect me back,"

Noctum ignored him, going back to the search for any sign of his friends,

"Oh, and Noctum!" Draedon shouted, "He took Zachary, obviously needs him for something," 

Adam contemplated Lochlan's words, considering the many reasons that a terrorist might want a superhuman. Then he remembered something that Jones had told him once,

"Jones," Adam greeted as the agent picked up,

"Noctum, what the hell is going on?" Jones shouted, "the entire city just got levelled!"