They were so close to being ready for the attack on Scorpion.
The upcoming week was packed. Several groups of altered were being sent on missions to fetch supplies for the Newmans and their team. As far as Eric knew, there was a rough plan in place, and the Newmans just needed to finish building a few pieces of equipment.
Today, he, Adam, and Summer would be picking up some fancy batteries from a manufacturer located in a forest up north. He and Adam had been there a couple of weeks earlier to pick up parts for the bomb.
Everyone had been on edge in the days since the fight at the warehouse. That, compounded with the Newmans' announcement that the equipment for the attack was nearly ready, had injected a heavy tension into the air.
One way or another, things were going to change soon.
"So, the manufacturer's located at the edge of Gamble Forest," Summer read off her phone. "It's pretty far north but still in California, so it shouldn't take more than half an hour to get there at our usual speed."
Eric nodded and glanced at Adam. "That sounds about right."
Sam, who was passing by on the way to another chopper, stopped. "Wait, what's the forest called?"
"Gamble Forest," Summer answered. Why?"
"Oh, that was in the news the other day!" Sam turned and waved to Veronica. "Didn't you send me that post about the forest, Veronica?"
Veronica walked over. She and Sam would be picking up medical supplies while Eric and the others were on their mission. "Oh, the one with the monster sighting?" she asked.
"Monster sighting?" Adam repeated.
"Are we sure it wasn't an alien?" Eric asked.
"People have been calling it a monster, a cryptid, and yeah some people are saying it's an alien." Veronica rested a hand on her hip. "It's mostly jokes, though. I don't think anyone actually believes the guy. He was wandering around the forest at night drunk."
Adam lifted an eyebrow. "Well, what exactly did he see?"
"He said a hairless pale creature with a lot of legs ran past him really fast. Too fast for him to get a good look."
"Adam and I didn't see anything weird when we were there," Eric said with a frown.
"Well, this was just the other day." Veronica shrugged. "But hey, if there is a monster running around, I'm sure you three can handle it."
Summer clasped her hands together. "Oh, I don't know. If there's a big scary monster, I might need someone to protect me."
Veronica rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a grin from crossing her face. "Just electrocute it, genius."
Eric managed a weak laugh, but he found Veronica's description of the creature unsettling. Maybe the guy had been drunk, but the details were too odd for him to brush off.
Veronica and Sam left to prep their chopper for takeoff, leaving Eric and the others to climb into theirs. Summer took the controls while Eric and Adam sat down by the open cockpit door.
Eric yawned. "I'm going to need a nap when we get back. I swear I woke up five times last night." He glanced at Adam. "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty well, actually." Adam sounded surprised.
"Lucky you." Eric laid on his back on the chopper's bench. "The closer we get to attacking Scorpion, the worse I sleep." The math didn't exactly bode well for his physical state.
The flight was uneventful. When they reached their destination, Summer brought the chopper down in a clearing next to the building.
The Newmans' contact met the three at the door and handed over a small box. "I have one more box for you, my coworker's just rounding up the last few batteries," the man said as Summer took it from his hands.
"Cool. I'll run this back to the chopper," Summer said.
Eric gave her a nod. "We'll wait here."
Less than a minute later, the man returned with the second box. He handed it off to Adam.
"Tell Charles and Beth I said hi," the man said as he grabbed the door handle.
"Sure thing," Eric replied. He waved goodbye, the door closed, and he and Adam started across the clearing toward the chopper.
"Should I start it up?" Summer called as they approached.
"Yeah, go ahead—"
Eric was cut off by a scream from somewhere deep in the forest. Dozens of birds erupted from the trees and took to the sky, screeching in alarm.
"What was that?" Adam asked.
Eric took a tentative step in the direction of the sound. "Should—should we check it out?"
A beat of silence followed. "I think we should," Summer said, though the hesitation in her expression suggested otherwise.
"I mean, it was probably just a wild animal or something," Adam said as he moved to set his box inside the chopper. "Like a mountain lion."
"It sounded pretty close." Summer lifted her chin. "Let's just walk that way and see if we see anything. Just in case." She pulled the chopper door closed before leading the way toward the tree line.
Eric elbowed Adam as he passed him. "Come on, you're not scared of that monster Sam mentioned, are you?"
"What? This isn't about that!" Adam protested. "I just don't want to run into one of our enemies. Which we have a lot of now."
"They do have a funny way of finding us," Summer muttered. She forced a lighter expression. "Eh, I don't know what Scorpion or SCI would be doing in a forest, though."
"And what do we have to gain by finding a wild animal?"
"Someone could be in danger," Eric pointed out.
"Yeah," Summer said. "We're supposed to be heroes, right?" Her face lit up. "Ooh, Eric, if we do run into something, try to film me if you get a chance, okay?"
"Sure. If I'm not fighting for my life."
They hiked through the trees for about five minutes before a crash came from the undergrowth nearby. They all froze. After a long moment, Summer took a tentative step forward. "Hello?"
A woman stumbled into view, shoving aside branches. "Oh, thank—" She stopped. "What are you kids doing out here?"
"Uh, hiking?" Eric tried.
"What trail—oh, never mind. We need to get out of here. There's something running around." The woman threw a nervous glance over her shoulder. "It might be a bear, but to be honest, I'm not sure. It was moving pretty damn fast."
"Is there anyone out here with you?" Summer asked.
"Nope, just me."
Eric folded his arms as he looked at Summer. "Should we check it out if it's just an animal?" Dangerous or not, he wasn't sure fighting a bear was a good use of their time.
"I don't know, but we could at least get her somewhere safe," Summer replied.
The woman looked concerned. "I appreciate it, kids, but I don't—"
A faint clicking sound echoed through the air.
The group fell quiet. The hush settling over the forest sent a chill racing down Eric's spine. Heads turned as the group searched for the source of the sound.
It came again. Louder. Almost on top of them. Eric found himself frozen in place.
Summer grabbed his arm. "Come on, we should get back to the chopper." She turned to the woman. "I know we don't look like much, but you should stick with us until we get out of here—"
Something dropped from the trees above and crashed into Eric.
The collision with the ground knocked the air from his lungs and blackened the edges of his vision. He managed to roll out from under whatever had landed on him. He was dimly aware of someone screaming—the woman—and Adam yelling something unintelligible. And then, mixed in with their voices, an inhuman screech.
Eric pushed himself to his feet and staggered backward. He meant to look to Summer or Adam to see their reaction, but once his gaze found what had landed on him, it was impossible to look away. His feet hit uneven ground, and he fell backwards before he could find his balance.
The sensation of hitting the hard earth bypassed Eric's brain entirely. He could hardly process what he was looking at. Some part of him screamed to get out of the way, to run as far as he could, but he couldn't take his eyes off the thing standing over him.
His first thought was spider, but it was way too big. At least the size of a horse. And there were only six pale, bony limbs extending from its body. The head was elongated, completely devoid of features except a huge mouth that opened to reveal row after row of dagger-sharp teeth.
"What—?" For a moment, Eric thought he must be dreaming. This couldn't be real. "What is that thing?" His voice wasn't his. It was too high, too fast. His hands shook violently. He forgot how to breathe.
A blast of electricity struck the creature and sent it flying into a tree. Summer lowered her trembling hands as it sank to the ground.
The creature lifted its head and shrieked. It swung its head back toward Eric. His heart skipped a beat or two. Or ten. He scrambled to his feet and hit it with a blast of his lightning. The creature's head dropped. A few of its legs twitched.
"Adam!" Eric yelled. He gestured to the woman who stood frozen in terror, her wide eyes fixed on the creature as it struggled to get back on its feet. "Get her back to the chopper. Summer and I will hold this off for a few minutes, then follow."
Adam stared at the creature for a moment in stunned silence before looking at Eric. "Are you sure?"
"Yes! Just go!"
Adam grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her into the trees.
"Let's run in opposite directions," Summer called to Eric. She shot the creature a frantic look. "Whoever doesn't get chased can fry it again. It has to go down eventually."
"Sure," Eric said, deciding not to point out that in the middle of a forest, they didn't have access to electricity to recharge. And using fire would be a terrible idea.
And, as he broke into a sprint, Eric couldn't shake the feeling that he already knew who the creature would choose to chase. It had dropped on top of him. Even with three other people nearby, it had focused on him. Turned its head toward him after Summer blasted it. He threw a glance back over his shoulder as the creature gave chase. His fear seemed to be correct.
This thing was after him.
It was alarmingly fast. The moment it chose Eric, Summer turned and unleashed another blast of electricity. By the time her power struck the creature, it was only a few feet from Eric. He stumbled away from it as it collapsed to the ground. And immediately started to get back up.
Eric darted to the left while the creature regained its bearings. "Forget delaying it," he called to Summer. "Let's get to the chopper!" He lifted his hands and summoned everything he had.
Before Eric could let the electricity out, the creature opened its mouth again. Something shot out, lightning fast, and wrapped around Eric's ankle.
Eric let out a shout as he was yanked to the ground. The—tentacle? Tongue?—dragged him across the dirt, toward the monster's gaping mouth.
There was only a brief warning of heat exploding in Eric's chest before his entire leg burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, the creature released him and retracted its tentacle, screeching the whole time. The tentacle seemed to be far more sensitive than its skin.
Summer made it to Eric's side, struggling for air. "I'm running out of energy," she gasped. "If we had more electricity, I'm sure we could fry it, but right now all we're doing is pissing it off."
"Yeah, and I don't want to set the forest on fire," Eric said. He brushed the last few flames off his jeans as he stood up.
"How are we going to get back to the chopper?" Summer asked. "It's way faster than us."
Eric sighed. "I guess let's both hit with as much electricity as we can and run."
Hesitation flashed in Summer's gaze. "You think it's okay for us to leave it alive?"
"We can come back and deal with it when we're better prepared. But if this is the same thing the news was reporting on, then it didn't seem interested in attacking the people who saw it." Eric paused. "Really, the only person it's gone after is me."
Summer nodded. "I hate to say it, but I think you're right." She turned her head.
The creature was back on its feet, stalking toward them. Ready to strike at any moment.
"On the count of three?" Summer suggested.
Eric nodded. "One."
"Two," Summer's voice joined his.
"Three!" Together, they flung out their hands. Eric released all of the electricity he'd generated. The creature flew backward into the trees with a shriek, far enough to fall out of sight when it hit the ground.
Eric and Summer sprinted through the trees at full speed. Well, Eric was moving at full speed. He suspected Summer was holding back a little to let him keep pace with her. She was definitely faster, between the two of them.
By the time they stumbled out of the trees into the clearing, Eric's throat was raw, and genuinely feared he might throw up for a moment. He staggered forward on burning legs and nearly collapsed. Summer grabbed his arm.
"Come on," she gasped. "Almost there."
Adam stood next to the chopper. "Did you guys—?"
"Get in and start the chopper!" Summer shouted.
"It's after me!" Eric added between ragged breaths.
Adam flung open the door and jumped in. The engine came alive with a roar as Eric and Summer reached the chopper.
Eric dropped to the floor the moment he was inside. His legs burned, his lungs burned, his head pounded. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest. He groaned.
Summer grabbed the door and threw it shut. The chopper was already lifting into the air.
Slowly, Eric pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned back against the wall. Summer sank to the floor next to him.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
Eric sucked in a sharp breath and grimaced. "Give me a few minutes."
The chopper shifted into a jet. Once they were cruising at a steady speed, Adam emerged from the cockpit. "The woman went into the manufacturing plant, she's calling someone to pick her up," he said. "I warned Newmans' friend that they should keep everyone inside for a while."
"Eric pointed out that even though other people have seen it, it hasn't attacked anyone," Summer said. "Except him."
Adam glanced at Eric and nodded. "And that woman did tell me the thing just ran past her."
Eric finally found the strength to say more than a few words. "Why the hell is it after me?" He let his head fall back against the wall. "I've never seen anything like it in my entire life."
"We'll figure it out," Summer said, rising to her feet. "Maybe it's connected to Scorpion, somehow."
"Or SCI," Adam added.
"Or some third party who also wants to hunt us down," Eric muttered.
Summer watched him with concern. "Just try to get some rest," she said. "It won't be able to get to us on the Fortuna. We can pull away from the dock, too, just to be safe."
Right. Trade a horrifying monster for the terror of open water. But Eric had to admit that at least the ocean wouldn't try to kill him. "Good idea."
Eric laid down on his back on the floor of the chopper after that. By the time they reached the Fortuna, he felt a little less shaky, but he definitely needed a nap. First, though, they'd have to relive that thrilling incident and tell the others what happened.
When they stepped off the chopper, Veronica and Sam were waiting.
"What happened?" Veronica asked. "The Newmans said you called and needed to talk to them."
"Come with us," Summer said, making no attempt to hide her concern. "It'll be easier if we explain it once."
The two followed them to the lab, where the Newmans were anxiously waiting. Eric let Summer take the lead and tell the story. As she spoke, he rested his hands around the edge of the lab's center table, watched his knuckles turn white while Summer relayed their encounter with the creature.
When she finished, Charles and Beth were silent. Eric looked up and watched them exchange stunned looks.
"What did you say this creature looked like?" Charles finally asked.
"I—I don't know how to describe it," Eric said. "Six legs, they kind of reminded me of a spider's, but it was huge—" He shook his head. "I don't know. It's head was weird."
"I have an idea," Sam said. His gaze swept over the lab table and found a notebook open to a blank page. He held it up and glanced at the Newmans. "Can I use this?"
Beth nodded. "Go ahead."
Sam grabbed a nearby pen and turned to Eric. "Close your eyes and picture what you saw as best you can."
Eric did as Sam asked. His heart quickened in his chest as he recalled the creature, the memory of it attacking him, but he forced himself to hold the image in his mind.
Sam quickly made his sketch. Six spidery legs. Long head. Huge mouth. Sharp teeth. Tentacle-like tongue.
"I want to know how it attacked us," Summer said. "It doesn't have eyes. Or a nose."
"It could be any number of things," Charles said as he took the notebook from Sam to examine the drawing. "It might have heat-sensing pits. Or a way to detect bioelectricity." He paused. "You said you heard clicking? Maybe it's using echolocation."
Veronica leaned forward to peer at the drawing. "It does look like it could have other organs in its head. Or a really big brain."
Charles hesitated. "If someone killed it and brought it in, I could dissect it."
"We could totally kill it," Summer said. She folded her arms. "I just, uh, think we would need a lot more people. To be safe. I mean, if I had unlimited access to electricity, I could probably fry it."
"Luring it into a city isn't a great idea, though," Eric said. "Even if it wouldn't attack civilians unprovoked, we don't want to scare people."
"Where do you think it came from?" Adam asked, glancing at Charles. "Do you think it's a genetic engineering experiment?"
"No idea," Charles said. "I've never heard of anything like this. Beth?"
Beth shook her head. "I've got nothing. But I'll call everyone I know and see what they've heard."
"Well, this is concerning, but I have some news that will hopefully make you all feel a little better," Charles said. "I can't say I'm excited about this, exactly, but I am eager to see Scorpion go down. And watching you kids train these past few weeks has made me optimistic."
"Again, we're only helping you with this because we know you'd be in much more danger trying to fight them on your own," Beth said sternly. "You need to promise us you'll put your safety first. Even if it means retreating. Even if it means losing and trying again other day."
Eric's hands tightened around the counter again. "Are you saying you think we're ready to attack Scorpion?"
"After we add the batteries you picked up today, all of the equipment we want you to have will be ready to go," Charles said. "We can go over the finalized plan tomorrow morning."