The abomination lunged.
Its shadowed wings swept forward, creating a gust that sent banners tearing from the walls. Its barbed tail lashed like a whip, cracking the marble floor where Julian had stood a heartbeat before.
Julian was already moving.
[Boost].
His body blurred, sidestepping the tail's arc, ducking under a clawed hand that could have crushed a tank. He rolled, came up behind the creature, and drove his black blade into its lower back.
The steel bit deep. Black ichor sprayed.
The abomination didn't even seem to notice.
It twisted, its dozens of red eyes swiveling to track him, and backhanded him across the throne room. Julian crashed into a marble column, cracking it. He landed on his feet, blood on his lip, but his eyes never left Darwin.
"Emma. Fey. Zoe. Dori." Julian's voice was calm despite the chaos. "Handle the monster. I'll take Darwin."
Emma's voice crackled through the communicator, already breathless. "Handle the boss, that thing is huge!"
