The bear thundered after him, and Ethan followed, launching bolts of lightning and Qi-blasts to harass the fleeing Commander. The helicopters banked overhead, their chain guns raking the ground around Boris, but the man was desperate.
As he reached the water's edge, Boris didn't sink. The moment his boot touched the waves, a small fragment of the sea flash-froze, creating a platform of ice. He sprinted across the dark Arctic waters, the ice forming beneath his feet with every step.
The Great Bear skidded to a halt at the shoreline, letting out a frustrated roar; it was too heavy to follow onto the thin ice. Ethan stopped beside it, his chest heaving as he watched Boris retreat into the mist of the open sea.
Two small, violent cyclones of ice and wind erupted from the water behind Boris, buffeting the helicopters and forcing them to gain altitude to avoid a stall.
