Chapter 24

Ah... sorry for taking so long, I'll try to post the next chapter in at most two weeks, but honestly? No promises.

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Anakin raced through the city, Force speed allowing him to leap through buildings as if they were even ground, each step consuming several meters. The sense he got from the faint bond with the youngling making him extremely worried.

He knew she was not dead, but there were no feelings being shared between them, even a coma could not have stopped her mind so completely. In the distance, he heard the distinctive noise of a sonic weapon, one different from those employed by Dragon.

Looking in the workshop's direction, he saw space distorting before a wooden table impacted on the edge of a building, burst into a shower of splinters and shattered the stone roof, dust and broken bricks raining on the street.

A second later, he noticed a shadow leaping from a nearby roof, shooting down at the street with a crossbow and starting to fall towards a building on the other side of the street before phasing through the walls.

Rage filled Anakin, muscles tensing, teeth clenching, the familiar headache hitting him, one that had been his companion for more than half his life. Worse, the feeling that he could have done more, arrived at the youngling's side earlier if only he hadn't let his anger get the best of him, was also familiar. 

It only served to make him angrier, the emotion fuelling his power.

With iron will, Anakin took hold of the Force, further enhancing his speed until he could almost match Velocity. Within only a few seconds he saw the state of the workshop.

The door was blown wide open, every single one of his turrets destroyed and there was a large hole on the side of the wall. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of one of Dragon's drones, damaged but still capable of flight, pursuing something away from the workshop. 

Still, the bond, muted as it was, already told him Dinah wasn't there. No, she laid closer to the workshop and wasn't moving.

Something exploded inside the workshop, then there was a distinctive roar of an unstable repulsorlift, followed closely by a massive cry of pain.

With a deafening impact, a large creature came flying out of the workshop, breaking through the wall almost as fast as Anakin had been moving. Smaller than a bantha, it was still as large as those so called buses the locals used, with a mane of hair and large horns.

The beast tried to get up, but another wave of force hit it, widening the hole in the wall and smashing into the creature with enough power to pulverize its bones.

Anakin ignored the being, focusing inside the workshop and trying to sense the youngling's presence inside it; instead, he only found the old woman and her cats. She felt giddy with a weapon in her hand, but worried about the girl.

Stepping over the broken remains of the wall, Hal glared at the creature, his optics glowing red as he carried Anakin's unfinished repulsorlift engine over his shoulder like a canon with all four of his arms.

Aiming the turbine down at the beast, he pulled a lever and reversed the repulsolift's effects, releasing a massive shockwave of gravitational power, then did it again and again until the beast was pulped, blood and bones turning into a shapeless mass, even the ground around the creature had sunk almost two meters. A second later, the projection dissolved into dust.

Dinah's emotions hammered against Anakin's senses, the bond snapping back into place without warning and bombarding him with pain, fear and disappointment, to the point he almost stumbled, then it was gone again.

It had been enough.

With pinpoint precision, Akain turned towards the girl and leaped, Force jump carrying him a whole block before he touched down on the street with unnatural grace, his cape falling around his shoulders.

His eyes immediately focused on Dinah's fallen body, a tiny, fragile thing. Staring at her, Anakin tightened his fist, the Force distorting the air around him and bending the lampposts all around the sidewalk, almost as if even the metal didn't want to be near him.

Some kind of power was keeping the girl from him, muting their connection while locking her in place. Kneeling by her side, Anakin saw two of the so-called Heroes, sensing another hidden behind them, a group as incompetent as they were foolish.

He knew one of them was the source of that power.

Of the two he could see, one wore a golden costume with a helmet in the shape of a local animal he recognized as a lion, radiating a mixture of worry, anger and guilt. The second wore a skintight white suit, with a few armored plates blocking the vitals, gray clocks inscribed on them, he reeked of fear. Triumph and Clockblocker.

The full might of Anakin's fury descended on the 'heroes', filling them with absolute dread and locking them in place, their entire bodies thrumming with adrenaline.

Triumph had a hand behind his back, trying to shield their hidden member from Anakin's sight while cold sweat ran down his face. More importantly, Clockblocker held the youngling's shoulder, hand already shaking.

With visible effort, the Lion themed 'Hero' used his anger as a shield, relying on it to drive away his fear before getting up from his knees and taking a few steps towards Anakin.

Opening his mouth, the 'Hero' shouted, releasing a visible shockwave towards Anakin, the blast strong enough to send the nearby cars skidding to the sides and rip anything in its way, sending them flying.

This time, Anakin wasn't caught by surprise, the blast hitting his body and briefly making him turn his head, but doing no more than causing his cape to wave behind him.

Ignoring the constant attack, Anakin continued to march towards his charge at the same pace, lightsaber igniting at his side.

Unable to keep his attack up, Triumph almost collapsed, the tension leaving him exhausted and gasping for breath

Finally, a smaller, green figure pushed Clockblocker's hand away and stepped to the side, a green visor covered her eyes, but the former Sith Lord could clearly see concentration on her face despite Vista's fear. It was more than many could say against his anger.

The four didn't move, but they were suddenly farther away, the street seeming to stretch with every step he took, the distance between them shifting by the second. Anakin narrowed his eyes, the one exposed without his mask appearing to glow with power. 

He would not be kept from his charge.

Lifting his free hand, Anakin made a grasping motion, seeming to take hold of reality itself and refusing to let it change.

For the first time since slaying the Emperor, he faced true resistance, something vast and alien focusing on his position and contesting his will seemingly from a planet away, and yet he could almost see it behind the young girl's eyes.

The young girl fell to her knees as they clashed, blood leaking from her nose, the space between them seeming to bend and twist as Anakin had to actually struggle against the true source of her power.

His enemy did not feel malicious, it did not have the same sickness as most Sith's creations. All Anakin felt was a faint sense of curiosity, but even that felt different from any other sentient he had met, muted and robotic.

Anakin was also sure it was not exerting itself fully, either because it underestimated him or because there was something binding its ability. Before that changed, Anakin acted.

"Begone, I will not be denied," gathering the full might of his control over the Force, he lifted a second hand and smashed a wave of power against the interloper, completely overcoming its control, reality itself seeming to crack with a deafening noise as the street snapped back to normal.

Vista started to collapse face first into the ground, the clash making her pass out but leaving her alive. 

Around the falling Ward, both parahumans seemed to stumble, almost losing consciousness themselves, but they recovered, Triumph attempting to charge him while Clockblocker threw himself towards Vista, catching her small body before she could hit the ground and drawing her closer, but still remaining within arm's reach of the youngling. 

With a flick of his wrist, Anakin sent Triumph flying to the side, his body bouncing along the street before his back hit the curb and stopped. Then he stepped in front of the remaining nuisances.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?" The young boy asked, his innocent eyes staring up at him with hope.

He just looked back at the boy, anger and hate at what the Jedi had become clouding his judgment, Sidious honeyed words echoing in his mind. The Jedi had to end, be ripped out of the Empire root and all.

Even a single survivor could spread the Jedi teachings through the galaxy, their corrupt belief in following the will of the Senate over establishing order.

A large part of him rebelled at what he was about to do, but that was only the remains of Anakin inside him, and he was no longer that weak slave, unable to change the Galaxy, bound by the will of the Jedi Council. Their deaths were a necessary sacrifice, his Master demanded it.

More than that, the very act would give him power, the Dark Side filling him fully and giving him the strength to overcome anything, to finally fulfill his destiny and spread true order into the galaxy… The power to protect his family.

Their lives were a price he was willing to pay to be reborn and, in all honesty, death would be a mercy to them…

Anakin stared down at the two Wards before him, Vista's unconscious body reminding him of the countless others he had slain to become Dath Vader, the way he was willing to sacrifice anything for that power.

The ease with which he regressed sickened him, Vista was no older than Dinah and even Triumph was barely an adult… For a second, he hadn't been sure he'd spare them.

Taking a deep breath, he deactivated his lightsaber, hanging it back on his belt and ordered. "Step away from the girl."

With Vista in his arms, the Ward just stared up at Anakin, fingers digging into the smaller girl's arm for support. 

The former Sith Lord could sense the boy's fear spiking, muscles twitching as he considered lunging, trying to use his power. After a second, he looked at Anakin's lightsaber, then down at Vista and decided against it.

Good, at least the boy had some semblance of intelligence left.

"I-I…" Swallowing hard, Clockblocker looked into Anakin's visible eye and finally managed to shake his head. "I can't. Sh-she won't make it."

A pink dressed 'hero' briefly landed beside Triumph, the woman's arm was a mess, twisted and bleeding, but she prioritized the boy, checking if he was alive before putting herself between him and Anakin but, with two Wards so close to the Force user, she didn't dare attack, radiating anxiety, confusion and pain.

Inside another apartment, Anakin felt yet another Ward, this one didn't even dare look through the window, filled with absolute terror, but also a good dose of self-loathing.

Stepping closer to the youngling, he saw every 'hero' tensing, but he ignored them and took off his broken mask, dropping it beside the girl as he keeled over her form, rage no longer clouding his judgment.

With a gentle touch, he laid a gloved hand on her frozen body, sensing exactly what had been blocking their bond so effectively, Clockblocker's power laid over her, halting her in time. 

Anakin immediately knew he could break that power, but now that he was closer, he could also recognize the damage she had received. The boy was right, she would not survive alone.

The laser weapons he built with the materials acquired from Coil were not the same as blaster bolts, but the wounds they left were alike, burning their way through flesh and cooking the flesh around it, almost guaranteeing a kill in all but the most superficial wounds.

Dinah had been shot twice, once on the shoulder, the damage almost reaching her neck, and a second time through the liver, affecting several of her nearby organs, a fatal blow and one beyond his current power to heal.

Oh, he could refuse to let her go, using the Dark Side to keep her alive almost indefinitely, but he could not heal the wound, he could not give her back a normal life free of pain.

Now that he was back in control, Anakin understood what had been done, Cockblocker's power was keeping the girl intact, working almost like carbon-freezing to stop the wounds from claiming her life.

"How many times?" he said without turning away from his apprentice, voice just loud enough for the boy to hear.

"Wh-what?"

"Your power, it persists for an arbitrary duration, but does it have another limit?"

"N-no," Clockbloquer answered, then he seemed to gather himself, voice becoming more certain. "No, I can apply it as many times as I want and even the Siberian couldn't break it."

Good, the boy's confidence may be misplaced, but it meant his power would not be exhausted, Dinah had time.

If they were back in the Empire, Anakin could easily have access to the technology and skill necessary to heal her but, here, even recreating bacta was impossible unless he found a way through the Force.

He will have to rely on Panacea, but he already felt indebted to the healer and had to wish to force her. Worse, he did not have the means to force her in his current situation.

After what he had done, no authority would allow Panacea anywhere near him and Dinah could not be moved while under Clockblocker's power. 

For a second, Anakin almost lost control of his power as he came to a conclusion, he would have to leave the youngling's side again, relying on the Protectorate to care about her, the very ones who caused this situation.

With heavy steps, Hal approached from the workshop, repulsorlift turbine still held above his right shoulder and sparks flying from his damaged torso. 

The droid released an electronic sight when he noticed the battle was already over, then his optics focused on Anakin. "How regrettable, it appears the enemies have already escaped. Reducing them to a semiliquid estate would be quite satisfying."

"You have failed the girl," Anakin said, voice dangerously low.

"Indeed, thus the urgent need for relaxation," at Anakin's glare, the droid continued. "Before I'm decommissioned, I'd like to point out I lacked both the numbers and armaments to properly repel the attack."

The droid was right, the situation was not its fault. No, Anakin was the one who decided to take the risk of leaving, relying on Dinah's predictions, the defenses around the workshop and his ability to return in only a few minutes.

In truth, Anakin was unused to protecting someone, there had not been anyone he cared to protect in decades, he made a mistake.

Overhead, Dragon's last drone returned, the armor was missing a right leg and there was a large dent on its chest plate, but most of the weapons were still operational and its flight did not appear affected.

Anakin resisted the urge to crush the robot and looked up. "The girl will not survive transportation, you will need to bring Panacea or another healer here."

"Anakin, you know we can't do that," The drone said with a conflicted voice. 

Despite not showing it, Anakin could feel an extreme level of anxiety coming from the Tinker, enough that he was surprised she wasn't stuttering like the boy by his side. "And if I leave, releasing the girl into your custody?"

The drone kept quiet for almost half a minute, presumably communicating or thinking about the offer. Finally, Dragon spoke again.

"Panacea doesn't work for the PRT, but I don't think she'd refuse to come if you aren't here… or anywhere close."

"Very well. Hal will remain as the girl's bodyguard, but he will obey any order besides harming or leaving her side."

"Under great protest, but very well," the droid grumbled. "Those insufferable meatbags better not attempt to dismantle me."

Dragon's head turned towards the droid, armor freezing for a full second before she visibly shook herself, almost like the drone was a human body. "It won't be allowed to keep weapons."

"Agreed," Hal made a noise of disgust, but the Force user ignored it. "You will keep Dinah safe, personally."

There was no need to say 'or else'. By the way Clockblocker swallowed at his side, it was clear they understood his meaning.

Anakin felt something grabbing his clothes, a weak grasp that he wouldn't even notice if the bond with his apprentice didn't return with full strength, her pain blasting at his senses for a second before turning into relief.

"Y... ma-made it," Dinah gasped, her grimace briefly turning into a smile.

Anakin felt a wave of relief flooding him as he felt the life returning to her, her will to live unaffected by the pain. For a second, he felt incredibly proud.

Squeezing her shoulder, he immediately started channeling Force healing into her body, doing his best to prevent the spread of the damage around her liver. "Rest, you are safe now."

With his free hand, he pulled Clockblocker closer by the hand, the boy released a yelp but quickly gathered his wits, freezing Dinah again as soon as they were touching.

Finally, Anakin got up, pulling the hood of his cape over his head and letting it cover his body. He could already sense several PRT cars keeping their distance, and the remaining heroes were keeping the perimeter safe.

Dinah would have to wait for Panacea, and the more he stayed by her side, the longer it would take the healer to arrive. but he could still do something.

Anakin had tolerated Coil and the Travelers, giving Dinah the chance to fight them, but they had gone too far. It was time he dealt with them. Permanently.

Giving the girl one last look, he took a moment to center himself and started walking. After a dozen steps, he stopped and asked without turning. "Were you able to apprehend any of them?"

The heroes had already started relaxing behind him, but they all froze again, spikes of fear running through their bodies. After a second, Dragon answered. "No, they escaped."

"Very well."

Anakin continued walking, drawing upon the Force to conceal his presence. The Tinker was lying, at least partially, but whoever they had captured could wait in a cell until he was done with the rest of their team.

Turning a corner, the former Sith strode towards the center of the city. He didn't care if anyone followed him, moving with certainty even while closing his eyes, falling deep within a moving meditative state.

In his mind, the world grew dark, the ground turning into a deep ocean of blood that rippled with every step he took. His body lost texture, features fading to leave a dark crimson maelstrom in the shape of a man, the form growing larger and larger as he let his power run free.

The small point of light in his chest had shrunk, several days of progress lost, but Anakin didn't care. He let his senses stretch through the city like an ominous black wind, briefly touching the spots of light representing every life in his range before moving on.

Finally, his senses touched a group of lights deep inside the ocean, fearfully hidden inside a small box. He recognized his targets.

Looking down, Anakin plunged an impossibly large hand into the ocean under his feet and scooped the entire box, lifting it to the surface in a steady effort. 

Opening his eyes, Anakin stood in front of a small cafe near Coil's Endbringer shelter, people desperately running away from his position as the floor shook under their feet, the hidden facility breaking through the ground and pushing nearby buildings away.

Finally, some of the reinforced structure was entirely exposed to the surface, covering an entire block of the wide street, a meter-thick door sitting right in front of Anakin.

With a look, he used a Force push to smash the center of the door, forming a small gap, then slowly prying it open with telekinesis, the metal screaming as if in pain before bending away from his body.

Pulling the lightsaber from his waist, he walked inside.

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