Dave walked down the hallway with his parents, leading them toward the room where Sarah lay. The air was thick with tension, his parents unsure of what to expect after everything they had already witnessed. Linda clutched her hands together, her knuckles pale from the grip. John, though more composed, wore a grim expression, his mind undoubtedly racing with worry for his daughters.
They entered the room, and there she was—Sarah, lying peacefully in the bed, unmoving, her chest rising and falling ever so slightly with each breath. She looked serene, as if she were merely sleeping, but Dave knew the truth. He stood at the foot of the bed, eyes fixed on his sister, before turning to his parents.
"Mom, Dad, this is Sarah," Dave said softly, his voice weighed with emotion. "She's in a deep sleep, and... for now, I can't wake her."
Linda gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh God, she looks so pale... So fragile..."
John stepped forward, his face twisted in anguish as he stared at his daughter. "Why can't she wake up, Dave? What happened to her?"
Dave took a deep breath, trying to explain it as gently as he could. "Sarah was... taken, just like Emily. But what they did to her—" He paused, the words catching in his throat. "It's something different. It's not something I can fix right now. The system... it told me that Earth doesn't have the technology to bring her out of this. Not yet."
"Not yet?" John echoed, his voice laced with confusion. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Dave began, trying to find the right words, "that one day, I'll be able to create the technology to help her. But until then, she has to stay like this. She's alive, and she's not in pain, but she can't wake up." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, the frustration of his helplessness creeping through.
Linda's eyes filled with tears. She walked over to the bed and gently brushed a lock of hair away from Sarah's face. "She doesn't deserve this... Our poor baby..."
Dave clenched his fists. He had tried everything he could to find a solution, but the system's cold logic kept reminding him that there was no shortcut, no easy way out. If he wanted Sarah to wake up, he would have to advance the world's technology himself—or wait for that possibility to become a reality.
"I won't let this be her fate," Dave promised, his voice hardening with resolve. "I'll find a way to fix this, no matter what it takes."
John glanced at Dave, sensing something deeper within his son. "And what are you planning to do, Dave?"
There was a long silence as Dave weighed his words. His thoughts had been churning ever since he saw what had happened to his sisters, ever since he realized how powerless normal people were against these superhumans. He had the power to change that, to make sure no one would ever suffer like this again.
"I've made a decision," Dave said, his voice cold and determined. "I'm going to eliminate every superhuman on Earth."
Linda and John both stared at him in shock, unable to process the weight of his words.
"Every single one of them is a threat," Dave continued, his eyes blazing with intensity. "If they can hurt Emily and Sarah like this, they can hurt anyone. The world will never be safe as long as people like Helios exist. So I'm going to find them all... and I'm going to make sure they can never hurt anyone again."
"Dave..." Linda whispered, horrified. "That's... you can't... you're talking about wiping out an entire group of people!"
"They aren't people anymore!" Dave snapped, his anger boiling over. "They're monsters—monsters who think they can do whatever they want because they have powers! I'm done letting them control everything. I have the power to stop them, and I will. I'm not going to lose anyone else."
John looked at his son, his expression conflicted. "But, Dave... you have powers too."
Dave's gaze hardened. "And I'll use them to protect everyone. To make sure no one has to suffer like Sarah is right now."
He turned away from his parents, pulling out his smartwatch. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen as he tapped into the system's databases. He had been preparing for this moment, gathering information, piecing together the network of superhumans across the world. He knew where they were, their ranks, their strengths—and now, he was ready to act.
Within seconds, the screen flashed, and a list appeared in front of him. Names, ranks, and locations of every known superhuman on Earth.
"I have them," Dave said quietly, his eyes scanning the list. "I know where they are. Every last one of them."
He could feel the weight of the decision he had made, the irreversible path he was about to walk down. But there was no turning back now. Not after everything that had happened. Not after seeing his sisters in the condition they were in.
"Dave, please..." Linda pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Don't do this. There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Dave said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I'm going to end this once and for all."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving his parents standing in stunned silence.