Chap 106: Super Sonic

The waters peeled away from Tee’s face as her scream blasted the monster in front of her. The creature was hurled into the wall of its energy barrier, its exoskeleton shattering on impact. The powerful force that continued to pound it to a pulp broke through its energy bubble and freed her neck. The water split into two towering waves as the monster was flung back like a jet ski.

But even after her neck was free, she didn’t stop yelling. The rage that had flooded her head now surged to her throat, desperate for release. Claws burst from her right hand as stronger waves of energy poured from her mouth. She shut her eyes, trying to regain control, but her teeth stretched farther from her gums.

The monster, still being shoved backward toward land, took the full brunt of her intensified sonic waves. Its body flattened before bursting apart with a loud pop, scattering its remains across the swamp. The explosion sent water surging into a fifty-foot-wide wave.

Zod, Kie, and Saeda heard the strange echo rumbling through the swamp. Then came a faint breeze. Miko, realizing she’d veered off course from the earlier sound, changed direction and zipped toward the new disturbance. The others followed, pushing through the murky water that slowed them down.

The loud pop never reached Tee’s numbed ear, but the pounding rain prickled against her scalp, snapping her back to herself. One deep inhale steadied her, cutting off the vibration in her throat as she clamped her jaw shut.

Then she froze. Why was she breathing air when she was still underwater? Her eyes flew open to see the towering walls of water around her—just before they came crashing down. She held her breath as the dark green waves roared in to fill the space around her.

The force swept over her head, surrounding her in a storm of bubbles. She avoided moving her injured left leg, using her good arm and right leg to swim toward the surface.

Cold, foul wind lashed her face as she broke through the surface. Every gasp through her mouth, every slap of water, told her her left ear was working again.

She looked up at the dim blue sky, the water gently rocking her body. The moment of calm ended when her cheek began to fuse back together. The strange sensation made her glance at the scattered monster remains floating nearby—and the ones washed up onshore. As the memories connected, her brows furrowed deeply.

Something shifted inside her. She raised her right hand and stared at the metal claws. Those didn’t surprise her—but the reflection of her blackened eyes, glowing faintly with a fiery dot, pierced her chest with dread.

What the freck was happening to her? Had her mouth really split apart to unleash that sonic wave?

She blinked several times, flashes of memory confirming it. Her gaze darted between her claws and the fast-moving blur in her peripheral vision. When she caught the red-and-black streak, her breath hitched.

“Miko.”

The sight jolted her out of her trance. She quickly hid her clawed hand beneath the water, her black sclera fading back to white. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as her eyes locked on the red-and-black figure speeding across the surface.

Miko stopped over the waterlogged land in the distance and shouted, “Tee, you’re alive!” She splashed a few steps into the morass but froze when she spotted a chunk of monster flesh floating nearby.

Tee didn’t need her foresight to imagine the wide grin on Miko’s face. The joy in her voice said enough. But what did she mean alive? Why would she think she was dead?

Flashes of the last few seconds filled Tee’s mind, deepening her unease. She had defeated the Leak with a supersonic scream that split her cheeks open and unhinged her jaw. The ghostly sensation of her cheek knitting back together made her shudder.

That was one ability she had no interest in mastering. It would only bring back those black, glassy eyes, and questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

Beneath the water, her claws slowly retracted into her fingers. Her reflection in the dark surface showed her eyes were normal again. Taking it as her cue, she turned toward Miko and began paddling with her one good hand.

Chunks of the monster floated across the swamp while others littered the muddy land, their bright pink flesh stark against the green surroundings. There was more than enough evidence she had killed the Leak. Now she just needed a convincing story to explain how.

Miko was busy talking into her telecom as Tee swam closer. Every so often she tilted her head toward the treetops, distracted, and Tee couldn’t tell who she was talking to.

Maybe her super hearing was selective—or maybe it was because her left ear was gone.

When Tee reached the edge of the morass, her boots sank into solid ground. Pain shot up her leg from her injured ankle, forcing her to hop toward a nearby tree for support.

The sloshing sounds caught Miko’s attention. She turned and, seeing Tee leaning against the tree, dropped her telecom and rushed over. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Her brows knit together as she took in Tee’s missing ear, short right arm, and wounded ankle.

“I’ll patch you up until the others get here,” Miko said, rummaging through her pouches. “Then we’ll teleport and get you real help—wait.” She paused, looking up to meet Tee’s eyes. “The Leak… those chunks—did you—?”

“Yes,” Tee blurted out. “I killed the Leak.”

She pressed her lips together to hide the proud grin threatening to break through. Smiling too much would ruin her innocent act. Instead, she loosened her bun and shook the water from her hair.

Miko tapped the telecom on her neck. “Um… Kie. I just got the confirmation you needed. The Leak’s dead—and Tee’s the one who killed it.”

Tee held her breath, listening for Kie’s reply. Two minutes passed in silence before Zod’s voice suddenly boomed across the swamp.

“Tee, what did you do!?”

Both girls turned to see him in the distance, kicking a chunk of pink flesh into the water before charging toward them.

Miko’s eyes shifted past Zod—then widened when she saw Saeda stepping out from behind the tree Tee leaned on.

At that moment, Zod landed two feet away with a heavy thud that sent ripples through the soggy ground. The tree trembled, and both Miko and Saeda braced themselves against the wave that rolled beneath them.

When Zod straightened, he found himself facing three pairs of sharp glares. Scratching the back of his head, he gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Was I too close?”

Saeda looked away, and he turned his attention to Tee. “I knew you weren’t dead.” His eyes swept her up and down. “So, I’m guessing those chunks are from the Leak we were supposed to take down. Damn—what did you do?”

Tee smiled faintly. “I suffocated it underwater until it exploded.” She shrugged her right shoulder. “Guess it was allergic to water. Easy, actually.”

Saeda rolled her eyes. “Easy? Look at you. You’re missing an arm and an ear.”

Tee tucked her damp hair behind her ears. “The arm wasn’t from the Leak. I got eaten by a drake.”

Saeda folded her arms. “Oh yes, the boss told us he found your arm and that we could no longer track you.”

Zod puffed and patted Tee’s left shoulder, glancing at the red-stained bandages on the stump below it. “No drake can take you down. You’re a beast.”

“Again, you disobeyed a direct order,” Kie’s deadpan voice cut through, making them all flinch.

Kie stepped out from behind a tree on their right, kicking a large pincer claw out of the way. “What part of no heroics didn’t you get?” His damp grey hair clung to his forehead as he looked at Tee.

Tee’s wet hair stuck to her face, water dripping from her chin. She had never looked so frail as she leaned against the tree, bloodstained, her soaked shirt accentuating her collarbone and beating chest.

Kie controlled his gaze, keeping it on her forehead. Miko’s earlier idea of a pool party made him imagine Tee in a bikini, soaking wet—and that was definitely not the time.

Tee inhaled, filling her chest with confidence, and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

“I didn’t have my telecom, so how was I to report where the Leak was? After I escaped the drake, I used my foreseeing vision trying to find you guys—but found the Leak first. The thing looked half dead, so I decided to get a win for the team before fainting from blood loss.” She shot Kie a hurtful look.

Kie sighed. “Alright, that’s a reasonable explanation. Let’s get out of here.”

Tee smiled. As she limped closer, his heart twisted. In an instant, he had one arm under hers, helping her stand. “Let me help you, darling.”

“Cooper, you’re too sweet,” Tee said.

They kissed. Tee could never get used to his lips on hers.

Saeda fake-cleared her throat, breaking their moment.

“Can we teleport now?”

Kie handed Tee her telecom, and they did. Once their feet hit the mission base, Tee felt herself lifted from the ground, into Kie’s arms.

“I can walk on my own,” Tee said, their faces close.

“Yeah, but my heart can’t watch you in pain when I’m not. I’ll get you to the medics.”

Tee swore Kie was the Jack she’d lost—caring and an amazing kisser. But she reminded herself it was all an outer shell. For someone who wanted to be an MG off, he had to be acting. He was corrupt, and she was going to prove it.

Not long after, her eyes opened to the bright infirmary lights. She was alone. Her mind wandered to the strange thing that had happened to her mouth during the mission. She knew it had to do with the Leak being blasted into chunks by her supersonic scream. Her mouth had opened far beyond its normal limit. Something was changing—but should she worry?

A growl from her stomach pulled her attention to the leftovers from breakfast. If it was already dinner time, she had something to look forward to. She left the infirmary, zipping past Primus workers to reach an elevator. While waiting for the doors to open, a tempting aroma hit her nose. It smelled like meat, exciting her grumbling tummy.

She glanced back at the passing herd of Primus workers. All their hands were empty, but the thought of them wearing meat-scented cologne made her chuckle. Vergants were weird!