A mechanism clicked.
A trap.
The word flashed through Lucian's mind.
Almost simultaneously, white gas began hissing out of the wall vents and gaps in the ceiling, rapidly spreading through the room.
He did not even try to identify the gas, holding his breath immediately. Against Supes, anesthetics often worked better than bullets. Mallory clearly understood that.
Bang! A shallow crater exploded in the thick hardwood floor beneath his feet. His body became a blur as he shot backward through the doorway, landing firmly on the lawn more than twenty meters away.
As he subdued the first squad entering the safe house, five or six figures in black tactical gear darted out in the distance.
The lead agent carried a black case. Without a word, he pressed the switch on it.
Bzzzz!
An extremely shrill, high-frequency sound wave erupted instantly.
Lucian's brow furrowed sharply. The keen hearing provided by Super Senses LV2 had become a weakness. It felt as though millions of steel needles were piercing his eardrums at once, and intense discomfort radiated from deep within his brain.
"A sonic weapon specifically tailored to Supe hearing." He immediately understood what it was for. That old woman Mallory really had kept something in reserve, specifically for dealing with Supes with enhanced senses. Ordinary people would only find this high-frequency sound grating, but for Supes with amplified senses, it was like having their brains churned in a blender.
But that was all it amounted to.
Enduring the churning, stabbing pain in his head, Lucian retreated at a speed beyond ordinary human comprehension. Only after putting dozens of meters between them did the maddening sound's effects ease slightly.
He raised his head, and a deep blue light suddenly blazed in his eyes.
Two searing blue beams tore through the night sky, sweeping