The moment Dave returned to the base, his mind was laser-focused. There was no time to waste. Helios was out there, and he had the answers Dave desperately needed to free his sister from the twisted brainwashing that held her captive. His heart ached as he recalled the lifeless look in her eyes, the broken girl she had become under Helios' control.
Dave quickly accessed his smartwatch. "System," he said, his voice firm, "locate Helios. I need to find him, now."
The smartwatch's screen flashed for a moment before a calm response came. "Helios is currently in transit, moving westward, approximately 200 kilometers from your current location. He appears to be moving at high speed. Would you like me to track his destination?"
"Yes," Dave replied. His fists clenched as the system worked. He wasn't going to let Helios slip away, not after everything he'd done.
Moments later, the system provided a location—an abandoned research facility deep in the mountains. Dave narrowed his eyes. Of course, Helios would retreat to a remote area, thinking he could hide from the consequences of his crimes. But there was nowhere in the world he could run to that would be far enough. Dave had grown too strong for that now.
With a surge of determination, he teleported instantly to the outskirts of the facility. It was a grim, crumbling structure surrounded by thick forest. Dave could sense the eerie silence that hung in the air. There were no guards, no security measures—nothing to stop him from walking right in. Helios must've thought he was safe here.
Not for long.
Dave marched forward, his thoughts consumed with everything Helios had put him and his family through. He could still feel the echo of that moment when Helios had almost crushed him, back when Dave was weaker. Back when he didn't stand a chance against Helios' power.
But now? Now things had changed. Dave had grown beyond anything Helios could imagine. His strength, his skills, his abilities—he was on a different level. And he was about to make Helios understand just how far he'd come.
As Dave entered the facility, he relied on the smartwatch to guide him through the winding corridors. It didn't take long for him to sense Helios' presence. He was close—too close to escape now.
When Dave rounded the final corner, he found Helios in a small room, standing in front of a control panel. The man hadn't noticed Dave's approach yet, too absorbed in whatever last-minute calculations he was making. Dave's eyes narrowed, his body tensing with anger as memories of his sister's suffering flashed in his mind. The sight of Helios standing there, still breathing, still scheming, only fueled his rage.
Without hesitation, Dave shot forward. In an instant, he was in front of Helios, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off his feet. Helios' eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, the smugness vanished from his face.
"You…" Helios gasped, his voice dripping with disbelief. "How did you—"
Before he could finish, Dave's fist collided with Helios' jaw with a sickening crack. The force of the punch sent Helios flying across the room, crashing into the wall with a thud. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to get up, groaning in pain.
"That was for my sister," Dave growled, his voice low and dangerous. He stepped toward Helios again, his body radiating fury. "For what you did to her, for turning her into your toy. You're going to pay for everything."
Helios attempted to smirk, though his confidence had clearly been shaken. "You… think you've won? You think you can just walk in here and—"
Dave didn't let him finish. Another punch connected, this time to Helios' abdomen, driving the wind from his lungs. Helios doubled over in pain, gasping for air.
"You tortured my sister," Dave said through gritted teeth. "You brainwashed her, and now she's trapped in a nightmare because of you. You think I'm just going to let that slide?"
Helios coughed, blood splattering onto the ground as he wheezed. "You… can't stop me… You'll never save her…"
Dave's hand shot forward, gripping Helios by the throat and lifting him off the ground. Helios' eyes widened in fear as he struggled in Dave's iron grip. For a moment, Dave felt the urge to crush him completely, to end this monster who had caused so much pain. But he couldn't. Not yet.
Killing Helios now wouldn't help Emily. He needed him alive—at least for now.
"I'm not going to kill you," Dave said, his voice cold and calm. "Not yet. But you're going to suffer for what you've done."
With one final, powerful strike, Dave punched Helios directly in the gut, this time pulling his strength back just enough to make Helios pass out. Helios slumped to the floor, unconscious and broken. Dave stood over him, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched with the remnants of his anger.
It wasn't enough. It would never be enough to make up for what Helios had done to his sister, but it was a start. Now came the hard part—finding out how to reverse the damage.
Dave looked down at the unconscious form of Helios, his heart still racing. He had questions that needed answering, and Helios wasn't going anywhere until Dave got them.