Marvel: Shadow Monarch

I pushed open the ornate door and immediately threw myself sideways as a missile screamed past my head, close enough that I felt the heat of its exhaust.

What the actual hell?!

I rolled behind a stone pillar just as the projectile exploded against the far wall, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. My ears were ringing, and dust filled the air. Pieces of debris bounced off my jumpsuit, and I could taste blood where I'd bitten my tongue.

I am definitely not paid enough for this shit.

Peering around the pillar, I got my first look at the boss. And immediately wished I hadn't.

Nemesis T-Type. I recognized it instantly from those Resident Evil games I'd played during late-night procrastination sessions. Seven feet of pure bioweapon nightmare—pale gray skin stretched over impossibly dense muscle, a black leather coat that somehow made it look even more terrifying, and most importantly, a goddamn rocket launcher clutched in its massive hands.

Of course it's Nemesis. Of course the dungeon boss is a walking weapons platform with anger management issues.

My Perception kicked in automatically, analyzing the monster's stats, and my blood went cold. Strength: 64. Agility: 44. Health: 100. And that wasn't even the worst part—it had a skill called Dash that boosted its speed by fifteen percent. Thank God it hadn't been used that yet.

Those stats are completely insane compared to the zombies. This thing could probably punch through a concrete wall without breaking stride.

Another missile came my way, and I dove behind a different pillar. The explosion was deafening, and stone fragments pelted my back through the jumpsuit. The heat from the blast made sweat break out across my forehead.

"STARS..." the creature growled in that distinctive, bone-chilling voice that had haunted my nightmares as a teenager.

Great. It talks. Because that's exactly what this situation needed. Next it'll probably start making witty one-liners.

I couldn't stay behind cover forever. The room wasn't that big—maybe thirty meters across—and there were only so many pillars to hide behind. Plus, this thing had a rocket launcher with what looked like unlimited ammunition. I was going to run out of cover long before it ran out of missiles.

Think, Lucien. What are its weaknesses?

The rocket launcher was powerful, but it had to be slow to reload. And those missiles were designed for long-range targets, not close-quarters combat. If I could get close enough, maybe I could exploit that.

Another explosion, this one taking out the pillar I'd been hiding behind previously. Chunks of stone rained down like deadly confetti. I rolled to my left, staying low, and started a wide circle around the room. The creature tracked me with the launcher, but I was moving fast enough that it couldn't get a clean shot.

Come on, just a little closer...

WHOOSH! Another missile, this one close enough that the shockwave knocked me off balance. I stumbled but kept moving, using the smoke and dust as cover. My legs were starting to burn from the constant sprinting and diving.

The Nemesis rotated to follow my movement, that massive head turning with mechanical precision. Its dead eyes locked onto me with the kind of focus that made my skin crawl. There was intelligence there—cold, calculating, and absolutely murderous.

Okay, this is working. Sort of. I'm not dead yet, which is something.

I kept circling, gradually tightening the spiral. The creature was powerful, but it was also predictable. It aimed where I was, not where I was going. My speed advantage was the only thing keeping me alive, and I intended to milk it for everything it was worth.

BOOM! Another explosion, this one behind me. I was close enough now to see the details—the way its finger flexed on the trigger, the mechanical whirring sound the launcher made as it tracked targets, the faint wisps of smoke rising from the barrel.

There. The opening of the launcher. If I could get something inside it...

I reached for one of my daggers, weighing it in my hand. It was a long shot—literally—but it might be my only chance. The blade felt solid and reassuring in my grip.

The Nemesis raised the launcher again, aiming directly at me. I waited until the last possible second, watching its finger start to squeeze the trigger, then threw myself into a slide across the stone floor.

The missile passed over my head, and in that brief moment when the launcher was pointed away from me, I hurled the dagger with everything I had.

The blade tumbled end over end through the air and—miracle of miracles—disappeared into the launcher's barrel opening just as the creature tried to fire again.

The result was immediate and spectacular.

The launcher exploded in the Nemesis's hands, engulfing the creature in smoke and flame. The shockwave knocked me backward, and I hit the ground hard, my ears ringing from the blast. The smell of cordite and burned flesh filled the air.

Did that actually work? Please tell me that worked.

Smoke billowed across the room, thick and acrid. I couldn't see anything through the haze, but I could hear something moving—heavy footsteps on stone, accompanied by a low growling sound that made my blood freeze.

It's still alive. Of course it's still alive. Nothing's ever that easy.

I started moving toward the smoke, staying low and trying to make as little noise as possible. Maybe the explosion had damaged it enough that I could finish it off. Maybe—

My senses suddenly screamed danger.

I spun around just in time to see the Nemesis burst through the smoke at impossible speed, its Dash skill activated. The creature was a blur of gray skin and black leather, moving faster than anything that size had any right to move.

I tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go.

The impact felt like being hit by a freight train. The Nemesis's massive fist caught me in the chest, lifting me off my feet and sending me flying across the room. I hit the stone wall with enough force to crack the rock, and white-hot pain exploded through my entire body.

I slumped to the ground, gasping for air that wouldn't come, and watched as the smoke cleared to reveal the boss monster stalking toward me. Half its face was burned from the explosion, and its coat was smoldering, but it was very much still alive.

And very much still pissed off.

Well, I thought groggily as darkness crept in around the edges of my vision, this could be going better.

...

A.N:  Saw some comments that said the length of the chapters is too short. I understand, I will increase the overall length of the chapters, let this batch pass by, and enjoy~

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