Chapter 13 - The Sacrifice
Before Vance could squeeze the trigger, a blur of motion crossed the floor.
Leo threw himself between Vance’s gun and Sarah. A loud crack shattered the silence of the penthouse.
The bullet struck Leo directly in the center of his chest.
"NO!" Sarah screamed, her voice tearing her throat.
Leo stumbled back, but he didn't fall. He looked down at the bleeding wound in his chest, then looked up at Vance. The blue glow of his tattoos had turned into a blinding, incandescent white.
"What... what are you?" Vance whispered, stepping back in sudden, genuine horror.
"I am the weapon you built," Leo said, his voice echoing with a strange, metallic double-tone.
Leo reached out and grabbed the barrel of Vance’s revolver. The metal melted instantly under his touch, dripping onto the floor like hot wax. Vance shrieked as the thermal heat scorched his hand, dropping the ruined weapon.
Leo stepped past Vance, walking straight onto the rain-slicked helipad toward the pulsing satellite transmitter.
"Leo, don't!" Sarah sobbed, dragging herself across the floor toward him. "If you discharge that much energy, your body won't survive!"
Leo turned back to look at her one last time. For the first time since they had met in the night market, a faint, genuine smile appeared on his small face.
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"Thank you for coming back for me, Sarah," he said softly.
He placed both hands onto the satellite transmitter.
