Mod Superhero (Book 4 STUB on JULY 30th)

Chapter 4.50 - Monstrosity, Revisited

Mod sprinted across the rooftops of Belport, bladed bo staff in one hand and fusion rifle in the other. Arsenal followed in the air above.

The swarm of Deep Ones was following them. Fish-men soldiers swarmed the rooftops, clambering over each to get at Mod. He didn't lose stride while cutting them down. He cleaved through single creatures with his axe, cut through swathes with his fusion rifle, and barreled through others.

He was moving so fast that he barely had to jump to get across the alleys. In another few seconds, he'd be on top of the mage wearing crystalline armor.

But the mage had already conjured another spell. Dark clouds swirled and a hail of icicles streaked toward Mod and Arsenal. The world dimmed as icicles blotted out the sky.

In the sky above, three explosions sounded—the first two like the thunk of a heavy gear turning. It was the sound of Arsenal's concussive discharge. The sound of her exosuit overloading.

Mod skidded across the roof. He cut down another fish-man and glanced in a panic at his teammate. The third explosion sounded, sending a shockwave across half the sky. Icicles shattered, surrounding Arsenal in a nimbus of frost.

TINA said, "Arsenal's fine. Take cover."

The other half of the sky—the sky above Mod—was still filled with icy death.

Mod let his rifle hang free. He bent down and, in one swift motion, punched through the roof and hauled himself through. He somersaulted to land on his feet while chunks of drywall and plaster fell around him.

A breath later, a hail of icicles fell on the roof. Sections of roof groaned under the damage and the weight, followed by thumps of any fish-men that had been caught in the barrage.

"Arsenal, are you okay?"

"I didn't know I could do that!"

"You can now."

Mod grabbed his axe and rifle again. "What was that?"

"A limited concussive discharge," TINA replied. "I'll explain more when you have time."

A new batch of fish-men were already breaking through the large windows. Blue blood trickled down as they cut themselves on the glass.

"Mod, the monstrosity is heading directly toward you."

Mod had already started running. He slashed his way through two fish-men soldiers, then crossed his arms in front of him as he leapt through the window. Mod hurtled across the flooded alley. Shards of glass rained down, and fish-men snapped and clawed at him from below. Mod crashed through the next window and kept running.

Arsenal said, "You might want to stay down there... Oh shit."

Mod heard distant thumps that sounded like Arsenal's kinetic blasts. Whatever was going on up there, he needed to hurry. Maybe the mage had conjured another storm of icicles or the monstrosity was after her.

Then the first giant ball of ice crashed through the roof. Easily four feet across, it smashed through the ceiling and the next floor like a cannonball. The Mod dodged to the side, barely avoiding a support beam. The fish-men outside were crazed and trying to break through the next window, even as more destruction rained down on them.

Mod crashed through the window. He ignored the fish-men and used his whip to swing one floor lower. Now he was only one floor above the flooding, but the further away he was from the giant icy balls of death, the better.

"You good?" Arsenal asked.

"Yeah. I'm ready to get even."

More titanic hail crashed through the floors above, but Mod didn't slow. He was outrunning the destruction. A building collapsed behind him.