Spider-Man and The Esper

40. I'm Here

"Wow," Lightning Max muttered as he peered up at the main battle through a periscope. "It's like the end of the world."

Behind him, Sneck watched silently as the sky above twisted and morphed with psychic energy. There were massive orbs sparking with power, bright beams shooting in all directions, and floating boulders that circled the massive form of Psychos like the rings of Saturn. To add to the already disastrous situation, Elder Centipede was rampaging around the barrier looking for an escape. The end of the world was a fair comparison. Especially to those of them stuck in the line of fire.

There were dozens of other lower-ranked heroes standing around them. There was a silent desperation that flooded the area. No one was panicked seeing that Tatusumaki was still fighting, but to be trapped so close to the action was daunting. Humbling to those who had made leaps and bounds in their training just to end up a liability in such a desperate situation.

"The Tornado of terror, huh?" Sneck mulled aloud. "... You think she can really do this by herself?"

Lightning Max shrugged as he continued watching in interest. "I don't know... maybe... hopefully..."

Sneck flinched at the sound of a distant blast. The fight was so massive that nowhere within the barrier felt safe from a wayward attack. "... You think they'll evacuate us?"

Lightning Max gently shook his head before wiping a bead of sweat that trickled down his cheek. "... I don't know..."

~~~

Tatsumaki zoomed around the big bad as fast as she could, hiding amongst the debris of her twisting boulders. This was already dragging on too long, but there were too many things to focus on. Maintaining the barrier, dodging attacks, and deflecting the stray shots directed toward the clusters of lower-ranks; it was a little overwhelming, even for her. The only reason this wasn't over in a flash was that annoying unbreakable barrier that surrounded Psykos. None of her attacks could penetrate it, and the more power she absorbed through those roots, the more troublesome it would become. Luckily, she had a plan. All she had to do was put it into action, and wait for the perfect opportunity.

Psykos continued her barrage of endless blasts as her extra set of hands, weilding long, ethereal-looking black blades, chopped and swiped at the debris clogging her view of the annoying little Esper. She couldn't visually track her, but the potency of her power gave her away every time she tried hiding in the rubble. Psychos knew that this was a battle of attrition, and the advantage was hers. No matter how long Tatsumaki wanted to play this game of cat and mouse, the odds would only continue to tilt in her favor.

"Ha-ha-ha! Come on, Number 3 Hero!" she arrogantly bellowed out. "You plan on running the whole time!? Make this fun for me!" It didn't matter where she tried to hide, Psychos had her locked. "You can't hide! I can sense your power! And pinpoint your exact move!" True to her words, her eyes tracked the movement of the Esper's power no matter where she went, and with a precise and devastating blast from one of her dragon heads, she finally got a hit, blowing the boulder and Tatsumaki to hell! "Ha! Heh-HA! I got her! I finally got her!"

Her joy was short-lived, however, as the debris of the blast fell away. It wasn't Tatsumaki she had shot down, but a cluster of rocks psychically held together in a crude humanoid shape, filled with Tatsumaki's power.

'A decoy!?'

"Ha ha! You sure fell for that!"

Psychos snapped her head in every direction, trying to find the source of the mocking voice, but it seemed to come from everyone all at once! Where was she!? "... Uh!" she gasped when she felt a pressure within her right breast. When she looked down, she realized what was going on. Somehow the hero was inside her!