Mod Superhero

Chapter 4.3 - First Encounter

Mod was the first one out of the helicopter. He stepped out and took position near the edge of the roof. They'd set down on the roof of a department store—it was a good choice. It was one of the tallest, and one of the few that wasn't an office building. One of the few that was mostly brick instead of glass.

They were four or five stories up, and flooding held steady about one story above the ground. The rain was falling steadily now, and the gray waves swirled and churned below.

Mod spared a quick glance behind him and saw the other two helicopters landing on adjacent buildings. Together, their positions formed a triangle, with Mod's team at the front, pointing toward South Side and toward their enemies.

Serenity wasn't kidding when she said that this was their evaluation.

Mod heard the faint footsteps of his teammates behind him, almost completely drowned out by the whirr of the helicopter blades. But he kept his eyes forward, half-fixed on the group of Deep Ones and half-scanning the water.

Their targets were only a block away, close enough for Arsenal, Cherry, and the others to engage. The Deep Ones were a shade of green so dark it was almost black. Thin spines stuck out of their joints and in a ridge along their backs. Most of the Deep Ones were crouched and mulling about the roof, their long-limbs folded back like bats when they crawled. They seemed to paw at the surface of the roof, maybe trying to find a way inside.

The other half of the group stood straight up and were staring directly at the capes. Their eyes were huge and white and their mouths were half-open, their needle-sharp teeth extending past their lips. Each time Mod met their eyes, his stomach turned. It felt like staring at a school of sharks.

Only one stood out from the group, and it too was watching them. It was paler than the others, its spines smaller. At first glance it might've looked young, but Mod quickly decided that it looked older than the others.

The Deep Ones were clustered close enough together that Mod might be able to land a shot with his pistol, but that wasn't his job today. He was on defense.

Arsenal landed beside him. McGuire, Cherry, Larian, and Krystal stepped up a moment later.

Cherry brushed back her red hair. She muttered, "They really went and put us at the front."

Serenity appeared beside them. "Yes. As I said, this is your evaluation, and I wanted to see how you do for myself. Especially since some of you have gotten upgrades since we last spoke."

Mod tried to ignore her, but McGuire elbowed him. "Good job, Mod... Hey, that rhymes."

Serenity said, "I'm going to maintain an overwatch position and a soft psychic link between our group. You'll have a general sense of where your teammates are at any moment and whether they are in immediate danger, but that's all. I'll be the only voice you hear in your heads."

Mod glanced at Arsenal. With her helmet on, she was immune to psychic influence.

"I am here too," TINA replied in their comms. "I will relay information if needed."

Mod stiffened. It might've been his imagination, but it felt like their entire group did as well.

Krystal chuckled awkwardly and glanced in their direction. "At least we're not alone."

"You're welcome."

Serenity eyed the Deep Ones for a moment. They were still clustered on the roof, but the mages in the center had started gesturing and clattering its teeth. Mod didn't need to hear or understand it to know that it was casting a spell.