Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 715: Cassius escapes.

Peter looked at Moon. She wasn’t smiling anymore. Her expression was cold, clinical, and utterly bored. "You bitch," he growled out as hard as he could. He had known that she could not be trusted, but he had been cornered and too afraid to confront the fire army personally. But still, he had been holding on to the hope that they had a mutual understanding.

As it turned out, a woman that could betray his son for him, could betray him for another man. The big red hickey on her throat was evidence of whose bed she had been rolling around in.

Moon was gloating, and it was clear in her eyes. "How dare you take me prisoner and humiliate me after everything that I have done for you! Did you think I would just sweep that under the rug?" She laughed like a maniac fresh out of the psychiatric hospital. "You really thought I’d let you keep the Fortress and continue to treat me the way you have been doing?" Moon asked, her voice carrying over the crackle of growing flames. "You’ve served your purpose, Peter. You provided the bridge. You were only a steppingstone in my path to final glory." She pointed at the Fire King, "This is he! This is the man that will rebuild the world with me!"

She turned and raised her voice, making a sweeping declaration. "Pyrokinetics will rule the new world."

The pyrokinetic army erupted in a roar of approval, their flames flickering in rhythmic pulses as they drank in every word Moon spoke. To them, her every word was the gospel truth.

"She is lying to you. She will only use and then discard you after, like she is doing with me." Peter shouted, his head shaking frantically but his words fell on deaf ears.

Moon turned to the Fire King and touched his shoulder. Giving him her best sultry look, in a forced hoarse voice she said, "His end is the beginning of your success journey."

The Fire King didn’t say a word. He simply increased the fire output. Peter saw his life flash in front of him; he had been wrong underestimating Moon. He regretted many things but mostly not listening to Cassius. Everything that he had struggled for, everything that he had done to get this far had all been for nothing! All of it had been destroyed by a serpent in female form.

In a brilliant, horrific flash of white-hot intensity, the leader of Crosstown was reduced to a pillar of ash. The wind caught what was left of him before his boots even hit the ground.

"Now listen up, I gave you the names of Peter’s most trusted allies. They cannot be left alive_ not a single one of them. The last thing I need is someone plotting revenge." Moon commanded, her voice ringing out like a bell. "And most importantly find me the son. Find Cassius Strauss and I want him alive, he has something that belongs to me."

From his window, Cassius saw the pyrokinetics roam the place like they owned it, breaking into bunkers. He didn’t need to be told what was happening.

"Power has shifted hands, time to go," he said, standing up so fast his chair tipped over.

"What? What happened?" Denise cried, clutching a sleeping child to her chest as she peeped through the window.

"My father must be dead by now. I hear fighting--superhuman kind of fighting. There is no way our men will win against an army that strong and organized." Cassius said grimly. He grabbed his jacket and his ready to go bag. He was always prepared for a day like this. "We’re leaving. Now."

Denise was flustered, "W-what about the rest? Your other children and..."

"I do not care!" Cassius shouted, "If you drag, I will leave you behind as well." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

They didn’t head for the main gates. Peter had spent years worrying about his many enemies, so he had secretly paid a crew of workers to dig a tunnel from the basements of their house to the outer wastelands. It was a dirty, cramped crawlspace that had never been used, but it was safe.

Only he, Tigan and Cassius were aware of it. The builders had been killed off as soon as they finished the job. So, Cassius was very sure they would never be found if they used that route, and he was right.

As they emerged into an abandoned mall miles away, the darkness was thicker than the midnight hour. They stood near a broken window, watching the chaotic mess of orange light and listening to the screams in Crosstown that were carried by the wind.

"What do we do now? where are we going?" Denise hissed, her voice trembling. "We have no home. No soldiers. And I have a baby, Cassius! We can’t just wander the wastes!"

Cassius looked down at the bracelet on his wrist. It shimmered even in the dim light.

"We’re going to Fortress Four," he said.

Denise stopped dead in her tracks. "To your former lover? To Sunshine Quinn?"

"Yes....I mean no! I am a Quinn, and my father will welcome me with open arms. I only separated from my family because Moon told me lies." Cassius said with a confident smile. He knew that Hades could never turn him away.

Denise looked back at the burning city, then at the dark, terrifying road ahead. She scoffed, shifting the baby’s weight. "I hope you are right."

"I am," he muttered. "Hades Quinn is my father and that name alone will help us get to where we are going."

"How do you plan on getting there in this darkness?" Denise gestured at their surroundings.

Cassius seemed confused, the only reason he had brought her with him was because she was a pyrokinetic. "Light up the way for a start, we will follow the road that leads to the forest in Westbrook, this way, we don’t run into the fire army."

"I am a budding fire wielder," Denise held up her free hand, and a small, steady flame flickered to life on her fingertips. It wasn’t the roaring, murderous fire of experienced pyrokinetics; it was a small_ too small for Cassius’ liking.

"I’ll lead," she sighed. "You hold the baby."

"Fair enough," Cassius said, taking the baby.

They left the mall, nervous and afraid to run into mutated animals. For the moment, there were none. No people, no animals. Just empty space, trash and wind.

"That damn Moon, you should have killed her when I told you to" Denise said, stepping over human bones that had dried months ago. "Maybe we should have taken her to Fortress four and claimed the bounty."

Cassius rubbed the red links of the bracelet. "I’m bringing something that is more valuable than Moon especially to Sunshine."

"Yeah, I am sure you cannot wait to reunite with her." Denise said in a mocking tone.

Cassius smiled.

They disappeared into the shadows, a tiny spark of light guided by a woman, followed by a man who was carrying a baby, a bracelet and a very big hope for a second chance.