Lit only by her tablet’s light, Maren fled. As she approached the opening to the sewer – the rancid smell returning – she contemplated closing the tunnel door. But those voices and footsteps were gaining on her and she didn’t know how to seal the door shut, so she pumped her legs as fast as she could and streamed from the tunnel.
Not too far. Maren dashed alongside the running muck that called itself water. Only a couple hundred feet.
She made a left and something whizzed by her back, whipping her hair to the right. A cry sounded then silenced as a resounding splash scattered the disgusting water through the air. Maren leaped and twisted in the air, her light illuminating two other monsters turning the corner. From this close, she could see they didn’t have openings on their faces, only indentations where eyes and a mouth should be. Despite her adrenaline, her skin crawled.
As Maren landed and continued fleeing, she took a deep breath, held, then reached for the sewage water. A small wave roared, crashing into the beasts. They hit the sewer wall, then were pulled into the flowing sludge.
The manhole Maren had climbed down was covered, likely by Koda. Looked like she’d have to heave that thing from below to escape. As she climbed the ladder to it, though, more grunts and curses sounded from the corner.
More were behind her.
She practically soared up the ladder and embarrassingly – and painfully – bonked her head on the manhole. She pushed, but it didn’t budge. Flames blasted about twenty feet away at a creature that was running toward the ladder.
Heart going a mile a minute, Maren pushed both her hands on the manhole, feet planted on the ladder to keep her from falling. With a huge heave and after an agonizing second, the manhole creaked open. The monster reached the ladder, only ten feet away, several men’s voices close behind it. She gripped the edges, then pulled. Blessed light poured into the sewer, providing freedom. Despite only halfway open, Maren pulled herself to the surface.
The manhole surged skyward, then crashed onto an empty sidewalk. The monster vaulted from the sewer and crawled toward Maren. Before she could slice this one, however, a man literally flew from the manhole and hovered between her and the creature. Violent gales buffeted her, coming from the hands and feet of the man, who also wore a Trulson Tech uniform.
A Wind Weaver. A single Wielder opponent wasn’t the end of the world – she’d already sent one to the hospital – but one that was backed up by four men, each armed with flamethrowers? That would make things a little more difficult.
“Take your time, boys,” the Wind Weaver said, his otherwise handsome, dark face morphed by his sneer. “This won’t take long.”
Maren shot a powerful stream at the man. A gust from his palm forced the water to flow around him, but it also sent him ten feet backwards.
So he wasn’t too skilled with his power – few Wielders outside of official organizations were. But what they lacked in skill they usually made up for in violence.
Maren smirked, reaching for the water that had shot beyond the Wind Weaver. As he was readjusting himself in the air, she gathered the water and slammed it into the man’s back. Not expecting the attack, he couldn’t stop the little wave from dashing him into the street.
Maren made to flee – Lord only knew what they’d do to her if she lost this fight. She didn’t have to win, only escape. One of the men, however, was standing in her intended route. Two more moved to flank her, while the fourth was burning the monstrosity. The other three, however, had their flamethrowers fixed upon her
Maren’s mouth parched as she prepared for her assault.
“Leave her to me!” the Wind Weaver roared, wobbling. Blood poured from his forehead.
“We need to do this fast,” the one to Maren’s left said. “Ego can’t get in the way of –”
Maren threw her arms to the side and spun. Small geysers erupted from her palms, blasting the assailants back. She was dashing away before they hit the ground. She only made it halfway down the street, though, before the winds picked up behind her.
She vaulted to the side, just as the Wind Weaver rushed by. He nearly slammed into the ground, but a downward gale kept him aloft.
“Not so fast, girly,” he said.
“How original.” Maren wrapped a halo of water over her head, swirling and ready to strike.
The man flew forward, then clapped his hands. A torrent rushed through the street, buffeting Maren. The halo slid behind her back, her body keeping it from scattering. Maren’s shoes scraped over asphalt, but she leaned against the wind and managed to keep her footing.
The water whipped out when the wind died, slapping the Wind Weaver in the cheek and sending him back to the ground.
To her right, flames reached for her. She stomped the street and water spewed up, protecting her from the fire. Though two more men circled around her, one in front, the other behind.
“Getting really tired of fire,” Maren grumbled.
Before the other two assailants could get in place, she sent a jet of water toward them, knocking them down again. But while they soared away, the last thug ran to her, speaking through a comm in his ear. All the while, the Wind Weaver began getting up.
And Maren’s mouth was practically dry.
Curse it! She couldn’t be reckless with her power. She concentrated on a portion of her water shield. That area shrunk and then shot out in a stream, sailing through her attacker’s shoulder. She sent a similar stream through the legs of the one talking while she removed her canteen from her bag. Before she could press it to her lips, though, a violent gust flung it against the side of a building.
The Wind Weaver, bloodied and wobbly, snarled at her, his hand outstretched from his previous attack.
Alright, plan B. Even with a parched mouth, she’d have enough water to deal with the remaining three assailants. A few more quick bursts through non-lethal parts of the body and –
From both sides of the street, security guards who’d surrounded Sekko Research’s building appeared. Without a word, about a dozen men armed with riot shields and batons closed in on her.
Fighting five armed men was one thing. But twenty?
How would she get out of this now?
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