The cabin roared with chaos, twelve voices screaming in unison, a storm of powers colliding with steel walls and flashing alarms.
Hermes spread his six radiant wings wide, light pouring from him in rivers, shielding Raphael and himself as best he could. Electricity arced across the walls, shards of crystal flew, and fire seared through the air.
Each blast slammed into him with enough force to tear a man in half, but his Paragon body only flared brighter, mending wounds as quickly as they formed.
Still, the pain was real. His chest heaved as he forced himself to stay upright.
"Raphael, we cannot kill them," Hermes shouted, his voice strained under the pressure. "They are children!"
Raphael's body blazed with fire, his phoenix wings cutting through the haze of smoke. He blocked a spear of diamond with a single strike of his arm, shattering it to dust. His face twisted, not in anger, but in conflict.
He knew Hermes was right.
