H.E.R.O. - Horde (32 page)

I said, “Welcome back – you know he’s staring at you now.”

She continued grinning, “I hope so.  Do these do my butt good?”

She turned and stuck her backside out at me.

I smiled, “Hmm, you look awesome in them.  I’d probably have to see your costume and then them to really tell though.”

“You’re bad – and you’re on.  Let’s finish this, shall we?”

We finished picking out clothes – she tried on each piece of apparel to ensure it fit well.  The last items on her list were some free weights.  I had her buy a short barbell and some small weights as well as a pack of heavy weights.  I wasn’t sure if the photographer would be looking to have her appear as a normal woman in exceptional shape, or as a brick.

She flew me home on the way back to her place, since she wanted to clean up and ensure her hair looked its best.  She gave me a big hug and promised to let me compare the costume versus the spandex soon.

I watched her fly off and then headed back into the house to get my martial arts training outfit and staff.  I threw my costume from the washer into the dryer before leaving the house.  Then I rode the cycle over to the dojo to practice with the tamping bar.

Master Kinsa was working with a group, so I went into one of the extra rooms of the dojo to practice.  After about an hour, he came in.

He said, “Greetings, Rael.”

“Greetings, Sensei.”

“More training?”

“Yes – I want the staff to feel as natural as my old bo staff.”

“A wise course of action.  I see dents on your staff, have you been using it in battle?”

“I have.  A new type of foe has appeared, one that is armored and exceptionally strong.  Punches and claws don’t do enough damage to truly harm them.”

“Did you try pressure points?”

“No.  These creatures don’t appear willing to give up, one must knock them unconscious.”

“I see.  Would you like feedback on your staff form?”

“Please do.”

I spent the next hour with him.  He gave me pointers on my technique, as well as a reminder to use the sharp side of the tamping bar to maximize the force in a single spot from the blow.

He left to train another group of students, and I continued working for several more hours with the weapon.  I left for home, changed back into costume and drove downtown to both patrol and to get a better layout of the streets for times I would be tearing through them with the cycle for an emergency.  Lance had to work at Score! and turned down the offer to join me on patrol.

I couldn't figure out why he didn't just leave the night job as a bouncer.  He'd pulled in far more money in a week as an H.E.R.O. agent as he had in at least six months as a bouncer.  In addition, he'd make even more by hitting that one or two events that could pop up during the hours he'd be out on patrol rather than working the club job.

I knew he enjoyed it, though.  Before he was a superhero, being a bouncer allowed him to protect others at times, sometimes if only from themselves.  I thought he secretly liked watching the ladies in their club wear - the miniskirts and dresses, and all the skin showing.  At least that would be a draw to me.

I saw a person with a flat tire on the side of the road.  A middle-aged man, he was struggling with the bar to loosen the lug nuts.  It wasn't in our mandate to help with things like that, but on the other hand; I didn't exactly have anything going on at the moment.  I pulled over into the nearest parking spot available and walked over.

He looked up when my shadow crossed over him and jumped.

He immediately tossed down the bar and said, "Oh my god, oh my god.  Here take it!"

He threw his wallet onto the ground between us.

I said, "Dude, I'm here to help you with the tire."

"You are?"

"Yeah.  I'm Black Tiger - I'm in H.E.R.O.  Haven't you seen the news in the last week or two?"

"Not much.  Why?"

"I've been on numerous times.  Shit - it's the black costume, isn't it?"

He nodded.  "The black mask too."

I continued, "Damn Spartan, I wish he'd have gotten on my case about that when I had it made.  Anyway - let me in and I'll get those off."

He shifted back a few feet and said, "Have at it."

I hadn't tried using just my hands for something like this, but just for the heck of it, I tried working the lug nuts with my fingers.  I knew I could lift something like five tons, which ought to be a lot more than a person with a bar could do.  Sure enough, in moments I worked each of the nuts off and set them on the sidewalk.  He took the spare tire out of his trunk and set it down by me as I pulled the old tire off.

I said, "Don't get freaked out by my tentacles, I want to try something."

I focused on bringing my tentacles out of my trapezius muscles on each side of my neck.  I used them to pick up the tire - without letting the super sharp claw that tipped off the finger at the end of each tentacle touch the tire itself.  Then I used my hands to lift up the vehicle and moved the tire onto the car.

It was the first time I used the tentacles in a non-combat situation, but they felt like I had fine control over them - I could even wiggle the finger at the end if I wished.  I kept the car up with one hand, picked up a nut with one of my tentacle fingers and proceeded to screw each of them back on.

It was the coolest non-fighting use I'd had for them, and it felt good to know they had other uses.  I tightened each of the lug nuts and gently set the car back down.

He said, "That's ... interesting.  Those things are part of you?"

"Yeah.  Normally I only use them for fighting."

No longer needed, the tentacles slid back into my body, allowing the costume to slowly repair over the tears.

"Thanks for the help here.  I appreciate it."

"Not a problem.  Careful driving on this tire for long, it's a temporary spare."

"Sure, I'll get it replaced soon."

"Well, I'm off.  Crime doesn't wait...."

I walked back to my cycle, glancing once at the bystanders that stood on the sidewalk and watched me do the work.  Then I went back to riding around the streets, studying the alleys, objects on each street and sidewalk and so on.

After half an hour of driving around an alert came over the H.E.R.O. phone.  I glanced at the screen - it was an alert from an auction house.

I flicked on the red and blues on the cycle and tore off toward the location.  The auction house was a classy building with steps leading up to a large archway covering the front entrance.  Pillars on each side bordered it.

A huge man walked down the front step.  He had a crate in one hand; the other was behind his back.  He watched me approach.  More red and blue lights on another motorcycle caught my eye from the opposite direction of the street some distance ahead.  The red and black uniform and large glasses were unmistakable - it was Hellshock.  He turned off his red and blues as he approached, he must have seen me.

I stopped the cycle, kicked down the stand and sprinted toward the brick.  I flicked my wrists and the last digit of every finger changed into a razor-sharp, two-inch black talon.  My tentacles sprang out again.

I was close to him when he made a throwing motion with the hand behind his back.  I expected to have to dodge something, and certainly didn't expect to see a child be thrown over my head.

With the power of a brick's arm behind the throw I knew the child would die in an instant once they hit something.  The girl was well out of reach, so I slammed my tentacle talons into the concrete of the steps to stop me and yanked the opposite direction.  Then I ran at full speed after the girl above me.

I heard the whine of Hellshock's motorcycle come to a stop behind the brick and me, and while I ran, I listened for the crackling that signaled a buildup of his electricity.  I wasn't disappointed - he wasted no time in starting it up.

Several times while I sprinted after the girl my short range teleportation went off, closing the distance.  She neared the building across the street as I leaped after her.  My teleportation went off one more time and I was able to wrap my tentacles around the girl, wrap her up and spin in the air to take the impact against the building for her.

As I struck the building with my shoulder, I remembered Diva's conversation with Kell about how Stephanie had struck a wall after hitting Mach 1 at the least.  Hitting a wall at sixty or seventy miles an hour had nothing on that impact.

I protected the girl as we hit and slid down the wall.  I watched as Hellshock launched his lightning ball, striking the brick in the side.  The big man seized up for a few seconds before he shook off the effect.  The villain grabbed a sign pole and tore it out of the ground on the way toward the lightning hero.

I released the girl on the ground as the brick swung at Hellshock.  The hero dodged the swing and unleashed a line of lightning from his arm.  I knew from prior experience with Hellshock that those were his fast blasts, but unlikely to do much damage to a brick.

I sprinted back toward them while the brick grabbed a car and flung it at Hellshock.  It clipped my friend as he dodged to the side, knocking the hero to the ground.

The brick stepped up to the hero, raising the signpost with both hands over his head, obviously planning to smash down onto the lightning hero.

Hellshock smiled - I was guessing that he saw me closing on the brick from behind.  He unleashed a line of lightning from each hand, stunning the brick for a second, but that was long enough for me to reach the brick.

I leaped at him, stabbing each of my tentacles into the back of the big man's arms, directly into his triceps.  My hand talons I dug into the man's back.  His body armor provided no protection from my mutant weaponry - he fell to his knees from the pain of having twelve large and deep puncture wounds in his body.

Something else I'd found about most bricks - they didn't seem to be very used to being injured.  When a person becomes immune to nearly all damage, they lose the sensation of being in pain, much less severe pain.

I tore my hands out of him and Hellshock nailed him with another pair of lightning lines.  I hadn't pulled my tentacles out yet and was stunned with the brick for a few seconds.

The brick recovered faster than I did, being at least partially resistant to lightning.  He swung his massive right arm back and slammed me against the stairs.  Concrete chunks flew around as my body was crushed against the stone.  My tentacle claws came out of his arms from the hit.

I was able to partially block his next swing.  Even badly injured he had unbelievable strength.  I felt and heard my right forearm snap from the glancing blow.

He spit out some blood and grinned at me.  "You gonna pay for that, hero."

I jabbed my tentacle claws at him, causing a pair of chest wounds before he could hit me again, and then I rolled off to the right.  I'd seen the slow buildup of electricity to my left and wanted to force the brick to look away from Hellshock.

I took too long while looking back at the lightning hero.  The brick punched at me with his right arm.  I tried to evade, but only partially succeeded and was knocked back twenty feet to bounce a few times down the steps.

I rolled to my feet and ran back toward him.  He motioned for me to come at him as I approached.  He was moving slower, I noticed - although I was as well.

I skidded to a stop just before him as Hellshock unleashed a large lightning ball behind the brick.  It struck him fully in the back, making him seize up again.

I stepped in and tore two sets of huge gashes down his torso in a giant X shape.  Blood ran down his chest as he fell over and slowly moved.  He wasn't smiling any more as he lay there in pain.  Before the brick had a chance to recover from the combination of lightning and physical attacks, Hellshock summoned another large lightning ball and blast him from ten feet away.  This time the criminal fell unconscious.

Hellshock smiled at me, "Nicely done, BT.  You okay?"

I nodded, "I will be in a few.  Damn, bricks can take a lot of punishment."

"They sure do."

"Do we need to hit him again?"

"No, he's out, and brick's heal pretty slowly.  It'll keep him alive, but he won't be doing a lot for a day or more with that set of wounds you gave him."

"The lightning won't cause him any lasting damage?"

He pulled out his H.E.R.O. phone and pushed a few buttons.

"No.  He'd shake that off after a few minutes.  I can stun them and knock them out for a few, though.  If I have to I'll keep doing it until the bricks with the super paddy wagon show up."

"Rock on."

Several guards and administrative people from the auction house came running out.  The first thing they did was check the large crate the brick had been carrying.

A woman in a business suit walked over and thanked us.  She then returned to the others at the crate.  A semi-crazed woman sprinted across to the far side of the street where I'd left the child.

Hellshock said, "So no Spartan?  That seems odd for you."

"No, he's working tonight."

"Ah, I suppose this would have been
too
easy with him here as well."

I laughed, "Yeah, three on one?  What are you up to tonight?"

"Oh, I'll patrol for a chunk of the evening.  You?"

"I'm reconning a club.  Those red guys you fought at Blacklight last night were changed; the thought is that a new drug might have done it.  So I'm going to go in normal clothes and see if I can get lucky."

"Where did you disappear to while the group was talking?"

"I saw Rayna send off her recon creature, and then I noticed a mutant head off in the same direction, so I followed him.  The mutant trailed the red guys scent to a metal club.  Then we saw Rayna head into the place in street clothes.  Speaking of, where the hell does she keep street clothes in that costume of hers?"

"I wasn't aware that she did.  What'd she wear?"

"Jeans, tennis shoes, and a black t-shirt.  She went heavy on makeup as well."

"That would just fit in for that type place, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, it did."

"So did you go in with her or something?"