LEX

Orion sat quiet, head bowed.

Lex sat in a chair facing him. She’d made sure she was on the door side.

“No funny business, all right?” said Lex.

Orion did not react.

“Okay, then,” said Lex.

And she sat. And sat. And waited. What the hell was taking so long? What was she even waiting for, for them to wake Helio or something? Good thing Vonn isn’t here, she thought. He’d be beside himself with worry.

Orion’s head snapped upright. “Lex,” he said in his usual commanding tone.

Lex raised an eyebrow. “What do you want, big boy?”

“Your brother is in grave danger.”

“What are you, some kinda mind reader? And no he’s not, shut up.”

“I know what Aethelinde injected him with. I gave it to her. Even now, he lies unconscious on the floor of the Hyperbotics facility, slowly dying. And she can’t reverse that. But I can.”

“You’re lying. And you think I give a shit about my pain in the ass of a brother?”

“Am I lying?”

Lex paused. Orion’s hands were bound. He didn’t seem very threatening in this position. But of course he had every reason to lie here.

“Yep.”

“I have in my pocket a device that will let you see Vonn. It connects to the Hyperbotics network. You can see him through the security cameras. You can see for yourself what bad shape he’s in.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday. There’s no way you hacked that network. And I told you, I don’t care.”

“Lex, does it bother you that we hacked the network? That your friend Flashfire couldn’t keep it safe?”

“She’s not my FRIEND, asshole.” Lex’s hands crackled with a few embers. Ugh…she knew he was only trying to annoy her, and it was still annoying her!

“No, no of course she isn’t. After all, only a friend would protect your brother in his time of need.”

Lex angrily shoved a hand under Orion’s chin and singed it lightly.

“You think your fire bothers me, little one?”

“Okay, how about this?” said Lex, trying to twist his arm behind his back. It was difficult with his hands bound. She punched him in the arm instead, feeling stupid for having even attempted the other.

“You’ll have to try harder than that,” laughed the empyrean.

“Fuck you,” rejoined Lex, sitting down and glaring at him.

“How does it feel, knowing that Daddy Meridian can’t fix Helio? You know, I can solve that one, too.”

“Shut up. You’re the one who caused that.”

“And I can fix it. I can do anything.” He paused for dramatic effect. Fucking megalomaniac, thought Lex. “I’m sorry your ‘family’ is so pitiful. It’s really a shame what Hyperion’s best have come to. No wonder Lady Brynn won’t have anything to do with you.”

That touched a nerve. Lex flew out of her chair and engulfed Orion’s head in a fireball. “You take that back!”

“Agh! It hurts so badly! Please stop,” said Orion. Lex couldn’t tell if his tone was sarcastic or serious.

“You take it BACK!” shouted Lex, intensifying the flames.

“Do you think…that will make…Brynn take you back?” grunted Orion through the pain.

“AAAAAH!!!!” shouted Lex, her temper fully flaring. She punched him, hard. Twice. Thrice. She slammed her fists and fire into him, not holding back at all.

After a moment Orion grew quiet and Lex paused, ceasing the firestorm so she could see the prisoner’s face. It was twisted into a wry grin. Lex’s heart sank as she realized she had burned through part of the ropes restraining him.

“Idiot girl. Did you forget how pain affects me?” said Orion. Fueled by the pain, powerful empyrean energy flared around him as he broke free of the weakened restraints.

With the tiniest gesture of his hand, a blast of energy knocked Lex back against the wall.

Orion pulled out a dark blue device — presumably the one he said could spy on Hyperbotics.

“Are you showing me Vonn?” spat Lex, pulling herself to her feet.

“No,” said Orion. “I’m leaving.”

He tapped the bright yellow button and vanished.