Wild Horses

“The path of a hero is hard. You never get to take time off, not really. One day, you take on a villain and drive him off, tail between his leg. Then the next, you’re trying to do your Christmas shopping, and he hits you from behind with a rocket launcher.”

“I still get nervous looks when I visit that shopping center.:”

Pinnacle, leader of the Guardians in reference to Marauder’s assassination attempt on him

"I think that's pretty much being a..." His powers flared to life as senses he still didn’t understand detected a threat before he was consciously aware, impacted from behind and flying across the street and into the wall, bouncing off but leaving a cracked shape in the concrete.

“Th-fuck!” Nahoa said running to his friend before spinning to look around curling his big hands into fists and preparing to use his abilities. “Marcus, you okay man?”

"What the hell hit me?" Marcus asked, shaking the shock out of his head. He wasn't hurt, but he was glowing and looking around.

“That big, ugly looking mother right there, I think.” Nahoa said, pointing.

Marcus recognized the guy. He’d tried to confront him earlier. The cracked horse skull helmet was a clue "Oh shit. It's the fucking Stallion. I might have pissed him off a few days ago. How'd he know it was me, though?"

“Your costume sucks.” The Cuban villain growled. “And a punk thinking he’s a hero goes in with Solaris, and your stupid ass comes out. That math wasn’t hard.”

Nahoa reached into his pocket turning on his phone’s recorder. “Listen Stallion, or whoever you are, we don’t want trouble. Why don’t you just leave and go get a sandwich or something. We are nothing to someone like you.”

"You’re right, you’re not." He growled at the big man "Fuck off and you can live. You're not what I'm here for. I'm going to stomp that punk into the ground for fucking with me."

"God you're an asshole." Marcus grumbled. "Run, Thud, call the cops. I'll kick this idiot’s ass."

"Yeah, cause you did so well before." The speedy tank surged forward, driving a one two punch into Marcus, bouncing him into the wall again, Marcus too slow to block the punches, pain penetrating his shield, though he didn’t take as much damage as the wall.

“Dude, not cool. Marc, Surfs Up.” The big man let out a deep guttural shout and stomped, the ground around him rippling out like water rushing towards the angry Cuban.

The Stallion tried to avoid the wave, but it was too wide even for his speed, the stone reaching up to smack into him like a hammer, tossing him into the air like a North Shore wave would a surfer. He slammed into the same wall Marcus had, above the younger man’s head.

Marcus, not wanting to give The Stallion a chance to get even, threw an uppercut as the larger man fell from the wall . The lack of technique less important than the force of his force-field sheathed fist as it drove into the Latino gangsters ribs, the air filling with the cracking of bone.

Marcus staggered back as the body slammed to the ground, catching his breath as the criminal pushed himself up, clutching his ribs. "You fucks." He snarled, his free hand ripping a golden Desert Eagle from behind him, aiming at the big Samoan. "Die you fat fuck!"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I’m not fat I’m fluffy!” Thud turned, trying to minimize his profile, as well as get closer to the guy with the shields.

The muscular man fired twice, but Marcus managed to get into the way, grunting with the impact of two .50 action express rounds slamming into his shield, watching them pancake only millimeters away from his eyes. He fell against his friend, ice running through his veins at the sight.

Panicked, feeling Marcus stagger, Thud reached out and instinctively grabbed the closest thing he could reach. Ripping the no parking sign from the concrete, he swung it fast and hard, slamming the blow into Semental, the Cuban flew down the alley, allowing Nahoa to heft his smaller partner and take off in the other direction Running as quick as he could.

“Jesus Christ, this is not how I wanna figure out how bullet proof I am. Is he following us?” Thud growled

Marcus looked up, from where he was bouncing on his big friend’s shoulder, then started laughing. "I think you blew him through two dumpsters, buddy. Based on the shaking, he's still trying to get out."

Thud slid into a side alley, setting Marcus down. “Okay, so you wanna call Penny? I turned on my recorder, so we have him threatening us and the gunshots. Fortunately, we are a one-party consent state.”

"Um, I don't think that matters when they're trying to kill you, man." Marcus pulled out his phone and dialing. "Come on, we should keep moving. We get back to the car and we can get the hell out of here. Hey, Penny, I need a hand."

“Dude, I am studying to be a lawyer. I have to remember this shit. Oh fuck.” He picked the smaller man back up and began running as the Cuban Death Horse came around the corner. Does that asshole know what car you’re driving?

"I don't know! Yeah, Penny, that guy found me. You know, horse head guy. Stallion. He's chasing me and a friend. Duck!"

Thud activated his gift again as he dropped into a slide surfing on the earth waves. Using them to give him a boost of speed. As two more rounds flew over his head.

Despite the pavement surfing, the Cuban was catching up. Desperately Marcus stretched and snatched up a trashcan lid as they ran past, his blue aura spreading over it, allowing him to use it as a shield. Bullets impacted and fell away again and again, before the gun ran dry. Then the gaudy side arm flew by their heads. "Did that fucker throw his gun at us? The fuck good does that do?"

"Try and remember where it is for the cops, if we live you can tell them where it is.” Thud knew he couldn’t outrun the other man. He was big and strong, but he was no speedster. "Marcus. Do you think you can Blue my arms? We can’t keep running.”

"Do what, I’ve never…” He shook his head, clearing it. “Okay... hold on....." Closing his eyes, concentrating, he willed his azure aura to spread, the energy abandoning his adopted shield and flowing over not just the big guys arms, but his torso and head too. "I can't hold long! Do what you're going to do!"

“Oh. this is going to suuuuck!” The guy nicknamed Thud spun around, changing the direction of his surfing, spinning to face the villain. "Earth mother lend me your strength!”

He pulled the rippling heartbeat of earth to his hands his arms, his momentum combining with Stallions as he slammed his powerful fist into the villains unarmored gut, the combined force of the boys powers lifting the Stallion into the air. Even with the shielding, pain sang up Thuds arm from the impact as he followed up the punch with a spinning kick, blasting the now airborne villain into an ally wall.

"Oh hell... that..." Marcus scrambled off the big guy’s shoulder and vomited, his shield flickering off. The gangster did nothing more than groan, slumping unconsciously. "That felt really, really weird."

Fuck, that guys freaking granite. Thud rubbed his knuckles. "Penny still on the phone? Can you have her call the cops before this asshole wakes up? I'm going to try and find his gun before some kid picks it up cause it's gold."

"She hung up to call someone. It hit that dumpster back there." The smaller boy said, gasping for breath and to avoid another session of retching.

Put your head between your knees and sit down, lemme know if he moves.” Thud walked back to the dumpster and found the scuffed golden gun. He sighed, realizing he didn't have anything to pick it up with. “Ah well, the pants are ruined anyway.” He ripped the lower half off his left pant leg off and used it to pick the gun up. A deep purple mark on his leg from where he kicked the villain. He limped back and leaned against the wall, “Adrenalin is a hell of a drug.” Thuds heart was pounding. "How you doing man. Are you hurt?"

"No, not hurt... just... haven't spread the shield thing over another person before, and then you hit him and it all went plaid."

"Plaid?" The question went unanswered as two different streaks of light came flying into the alley. One was a Latina woman with long hair and burning aura, while the other was Solaris in reasonable slacks carrying a white and orange truck with Penny sitting in the driver’s seat.

"Um. Hello Lieutenant Ward." The Samoan greeted, a bit shell shocked.

“Hi Nahoa. Having an interesting night?” Penny asked as Solaris set the truck down gently.