Mod Superhero

Chapter 5.8 - Finally

At Athena's insistence, the group ran the last three blocks to Manning Station. They stopped just before they reached the station and huddled in an alley. Not because they wanted to, but because a patrol was coming their direction. Two biomechs lumbered down the street and swept their searchlights back and forth in a steady pattern.

The mechs would've been easy to avoid if it weren't for the three Fast-Response drones following them. They flew in a lazy orbit above the buildings. The closest one was three stories up, low enough that it weaved between the tops of buildings. The other two were staggered, with the farthest away being another several stories in the air.

Even though they were clearly flying in a set pattern, TINA helped the three heroes avoid their lines of sight.

This was one reason why they needed some kind of personal cloaking tech. Even if they used nanites to blend into the background, the three of them would still give off heat and ultraviolet signatures. For now, staying out of line-of-sight was the best option.

Emmett assumed the mages had their own ways of cloaking their movements. There were likely whole schools of magic devoted to clandestine operations, and Emmett's curiosity only grew the closer they got to their targets.

TINA spoke directly into their earpieces, guiding Emmett, Clara, and Athena through the block—around buildings, between alleys, and under overhangs.

Athena whispered, "When did you get so good at sneaking around, TINA?"

"I've had practice at sneaking through cyberspace. Sneaking through the real world is much, much easier."

"Are those signals still in the station?"

"Yes."

"Good," Athena replied.

The entrance to Manning Station was up ahead. The wide stairs were at the edge of the street, completely out in the open. Emmett adjusted his vision, trying to see with his human eye so he could gauge just how visible they would be. Power was still out to this portion of the city, so the only light was from the stars and the sliver of moon.

But Emmett knew that the patrol of biomechs and drones didn't need visible light to see them. As tempting as it was to run for the stairs, there wasn't any cover between them and their goal.

So the three of them waited for the patrol to pass. The last thing they needed was to get caught on their first night out of the apartment. Not only would that possibly spook Athena's targets, but a fight in the middle of the street could bring down the rest of the city's biomechs on top of them.

Emmett glanced at the Fast-Response drones circling overhead. He was pretty certain they didn't have weapon systems... at least, they didn't use to. On the other hand, the biomechs each had multiple armaments—both lethal and non-lethal guns, net launchers, and other countermeasures.

Emmett knew one day they'd come up against the biomechs, but not tonight.

The three waited at the last holding point for almost a minute. Finally, the biomechs turned a corner down the street and the last drone disappeared from view. Then the heroes ran for the stairs.

They were only out in the open for a second or two, but it felt like time slowed down for Emmett. They reached the stairs and quickly slipped into the darkness.

~

The group paused midway down the stairs to compose themselves and make sure they'd gotten through undiscovered. When TINA was finally satisfied, she gave them permission to continue.

The three walked quickly and quietly down the stairs. The little bit of light from the stars faded quickly, but Emmett's eyes adjusted. With so little light, he saw the world in mostly shades of gray. His UV vision added a tinge of blue and purple, making outlines starker. When they finally found their targets, his infrared vision would make their targets stand out against the background. Clara would see the world much the same way through her exosuit helmet.