Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 174: Python the Cthulian

Jace was standing on the roof of the structure. Across from him, opposing him with a two handed wrench, was one of Lord Hoodwink’s suspected inner circle. There was no actual evidence, but he was able to get rumors from Qwan about them.

"You are definitely one of Hoodwink’s inner circle. Let me guess... Python? That is your nickname right?" Jace asked as he looked around. There was no one else except the giant Cthulian.

Cthulian were typically smaller in stature and not violent. But this one was eight feet tall with rather disgusting looking muscles throughout its body. He could see the metal just beneath the skin that appears to have replaced the bones. But his skin was still light green spattered with dark green spots. While its head had its face tentacles but some were cut and scarred.

The Cthulian grunted while stepping forward. Jace raised his assault rifle to fire. "Guess we are skipping the introductions."

But as he pulled the trigger the assault rifle was hit out of his hand. The bullet bounced off of the Cthulian’s giant wrench. While Jace looked toward the person that hit him. But all he saw was a shimmer of light.

"Son of a- Invisibility? Two against one." Jace backed up and glanced at his assault rifle which was lying on the ground. It had been sliced in two. The area where it was cut was glowing red. It was likely cut by a heated blade or even a laser blade. He was lucky he did not use an arm.

Python the Cthulian marched toward him. He raised his giant wrench as he stormed toward Jace. But Jace ignored him in favor of the invisible enemy that was around. He glanced around looking for the tell-tell signs of an invisible enemy. While at the same time listening intently to see if he could pick up the enemy with his enhanced hearing.

He sidestepped as Python slammed his wrench down. There was a loud cracking noise as cement shattered and cracks spiderwebbed through the floor. Jace then heard a noise and saw a line of red light appear. He stepped back dodging the strike as it went for one of his arms.

SHING!

His shielding suddenly shimmered and pain blossomed in his abdomen as another heated blade came from behind. Jace groaned in pain while he looked at the blood covered sword in surprise. "More than two?"

As Python raised his wrench for another swing. Jace sprung into action. There was a flash of electricity as the gladius appeared in his left hand. While with his right hand he grabbed the air. Grabbing the invisible sword wielding enemy that appeared first.

He managed to grab ahold of what he decided was the thing’s shoulder and then stabbed with the gladius. Electricity arced off its body while its body itself appeared and it began loudly screeching.

He jumped backwards pushing the one that stabbed him backwards. He pulled his gladius out of the first one and it was covered in electricity as it extended and turned into Longsword that he used to block the incoming giant wrench. He felt the impact move through his body and into the cement under his feet which cracked.

Jace forced the massive amount of electricity racing around his body that he took from the structure through the sword that was running through his abdomen. He could hear the creature screech for a moment before it went quiet. While Python the Cthulian backed up when an arc of electricity hit him. He grunted while he backed up.

Jace kicked backwards and the sword was pulled out of his body while the invisible thing flew backwards. He looked over them while he had the moment. While his heads up display restarted after being overloaded with electricity.

The invisible biomechanical being was covered in white armor with black material underneath it. One of its arms was replaced with a sword that had a heated edge that was cooling down. The rest of its limbs were normal except it was bleeding blue blood and the corpses were smoking a little too much for normal electrified bodies.

A moment later they burst into green flames. Jaced hummed in surprise while he glanced at the hole in his armor. He could still feel the pain but it had mostly disappeared. Seemed his wound was healing. But even then he doubted it would heal completely without help since they used heated weapons.

His heads up display started working as he switched the longsword back into a gladius. His armor’s shield flashed yellow as it appeared. A quick glance at his HUD showed that there were multiple failing motors in his armor. There were also multiple breaches throughout his armor. But otherwise his suit was still operational. He looked at the Cthulian and saw him glance behind Jace.

Jace dove to the side just as another sword swiped downward where he was a second ago. He switched his heads up display to heat night vision mode. For a moment it was blinding under light coming from the gas layer above. But after his eyes adjusted he could see not just Python but the others as well.

Others as in three more of these invisible enemies. A quick glance around the roof showed that the rest of the roof was empty of combatants while the cannons and guns were all aimed at the sky.

Suddenly one of these invisible biomechanical creatures was running right toward him. He ran towards Python again at the same time he watched the invisible creatures’ reactions. One ran towards his side while another stood in his path while the last ran out of his sight, going behind him.

Jace staggered his movement as he ran forward. The first one which was coming at his side pulled back its blade arm. Like it was getting ready to swing. His heads up display lit up as the heat was registered on the night vision as a white light.

As it swung its arm forward he swung his own electrified gladius. The two blades bounced off of eachother. The invisible creature was bounced back while Jace leaned into the strike going from an upward parry to a horizontal slice. His sword bounced off something and the creature went for another strike going downward.

Jace spun his body as he passed the creature and stabbed backwards with the Gladius. This time it went through something as the creature screeched loudly and electricity arced off of its body. He cut sideways through the body. Blue blood burst out of the creature’s stomach.

Jace ran past it, going straight towards the creature that was standing in the way as it moved in confusion when the creature seemed to process that Jace could see them. Its blade arm lit up and Jace swung his sword forward.

This time the creature pressed forward the blade. The only thing that kept the electricity from going through the blade was the heat from the creature’s own blade. Jace kicked one of the creature’s legs out from under it. Causing it to fall to a kneeling position, which he used to overpower the creature and decapitate it.

As its head went flying through the air its body went limp. He moved around it and looked from the Cthulian that was running towards him and then saw the other invisible creature just in time to step backward.

The heated blade passed right in front of him. Blinding him for a moment as he tripped over something and fell backward. As his head slammed backward the night vision function switched off. Jace could still see the heated blade so he had enough time to roll to the side as it cut down, slamming into the ground.

He kicked toward where the blade was coming from and made contact with something. The blade went from vertical to diagonal as it fell. He pulled himself up and switched the gladius to a longsword. Just in time for the Cthulian’s wrench to slam off the side of Jace’s blade. But It flinched and backed off as electricity went through the blade and wrench. The Cthulian pulled back before he could send a lethal amount of electricity.

Jace took Python’s off positioned moment to pull back the longsword and swing downward at the last invisible creature. The creature did not even get a chance to screech as the top half of its body was disconnected from the lower half. As the blue blood splashed over his boots he turned his full attention to Python the Cthulian.

Python stepped forward to slam his wrench on top of Jace. Instead of taking the hit again and blocking it with the side of the longsword he instead ducked under the attack and moved closer. The longsword turned back into a gladius as he got close and stabbed the sword into Python’s midsection.

He was suddenly backhanded and went flying through the air. Leaving the gladius inside of Python. His metal armor creaked as he was backhanded. Jace crashed into something metal and fell to the ground. He quickly pulled himself up and glanced at Python to see the Cthulian grunting in pain while it spun around.

The Cthulian held its midsection while it turned to him. Jace pulled his sidearm and fired a shot at the Cthulian’s head. Which exploded in a flurry of green blood and skin. Jace waved his hand and the gladius disappeared from the Cthulian’s midsection while the body collapsed to the ground.

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