Heroic

by H D Forth

  Frustrated, I stopped trying and continued examining the situation.

  He nodded enviously and backed towards it, both hand still raised. I carefully snuck around the corner, in a crouch I ran down the street hugging the opposite side, keeping her back to me.

  I saw them disappear into the alleyway. "Use two fingers and pinch out the wallet." She said. She sounded nervous; her voice quavering slightly. I crossed the last bit of distance to the alleyway, keeping away from the entrance. I could feel a sot of artificial calm settle over me, helping me keep my cool. I swallowed nervously and peered around the corner.

  The man was slowly pulling out his wallet with pointer and thumb finger. It looked awkward, he was wearing some really tight pants. I winced in discomfort looking at them, before dodging back behind cover.

  I would obviously need to stop her, somehow. I should do my best to avoid her taking him hostage and stop her from getting away with his wallet. I considered a few options, before crouching down and picking up some random debris that had been worn loose, either from a building or the road. It was hard to tell in the darkening light. It was about the size of my palm and fit well in my fist.

  One, two… Three! I counted down in my own head, before bursting around the corner.

  “Hey!” I yelled demandingly as I turned towards her. “Leave him alone!”

  Startled she turned around, looking for whoever yelled at her. I throw the stone after her, aiming for her gun hand. I keep up the charge, rushing her. We both watch as the stone sailed far above her hand and nearly hits the man being robbed. I winced, but didn't allow myself to be slowed down, she can’t be allowed to take him hostage.

  Instead, she raises her gun toward me. My eyes widened as I watch her raise her weapon towards me. Just for that moment, I wonder how truly bulletproof I really was. Then I got close enough to bat at her hand.

  The shot goes off. I feel it ping off my chest before I slap the gun out of her hand. I stagger for a moment, surprised by the amount of pain I felt at getting shot. We both stare at each other for a moment. She clearly looks shocked as she realized what she’s just done.

  Now's my best chance! I realize. I jab at her with my left arm. I hoped that the shot had done any real damage, it wasn't like I was going to die from blood loss anymore, right?

  My jab hits her right on her collar bone, sending her stumbling back. She tried to lash out at me, but I manage to deflect her blow before it landed adequately. I still see her wince as her fist skitters off my jaw ‘bone'.

  My next jab sends her stumbling into the wall of the alleyway. She grunts as she falls into it. I can tell that my punches hit her harder than I realized. While they were light and fast jabs. They were still punches send by someone at least 20 cm taller than her and 10 kilos heavier. I only weigh around 70 kgs, since I’m mostly made out of a lightweight metal skeleton, with some other components made of stronger stuff.

  I grab her before she can punch me again and lift her off her feet. She stares at me bewildered. “Who are you?” She asked. Her eyes wide, feet kicking helplessly against the wall behind her. I made sure that I wasn't choking her, so I knew she would be fine.

  I turn my head slightly and look at the guys she attempted to rob. “You alright sir?” I ask.

  "I'm fine, thank you." He answered, shakily.

  “Why don’t you gather your things and go home, just to be safe.” He nods mutely, grabs his wallet and bouquet, then runs out of the alley. I heard him grab the brown bag before he left.

  "Now what to do about you," I said, turning towards the troublemaker. As I do, I feel her place a dirty boot against my face and push off. I might be stronger and bigger than her, but at that very moment, she had something I didn't. Leverage.

  Pushing herself against the wall and using all her strength, she shoves me backwards, causing me to stumble and fall. Unluckily for her, I’m a very tenacious person and didn't let go of her collar. So we both went to the ground when I fell. Unluckily for me, she fell within reach of a stone very similar to the one I threw at her.

  For a second I see her almost try to pry my hand loose with her stone, then she changes her mind and slams it for my head. I raise my other hand to block her strikes, but she manages to get enough blows through that I start to fear she might break one of my eyes, and I figured those were pretty expensive.

  Fearing the worst, I threw her away, further into the alley. I hear the sounds of her crashing into what sounds like a trashcan. Then I get to my feet. It was starting to become dimly lit outside of the alley, but in here it was outright dark, especially all the way in the back like she was. It was hard to even make out any details.

  The alley wasn't wide enough for her to slip around me, but there were a series of plastic trash cans set against one wall. She was lying in a jumbled heap of them. She quickly jumped to her feet, looking at me wearily.

  I start closing in on her, wearily stepping forwards. "Let me go." She pleaded in a scared voice. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again." For a moment I feel a pang of guilt at what I'm doing. Then she hit me in the face with a trashcan.

  I let out a grunt and fell to the ground. She managed to get past me as I struggled to my feet. She wasn’t very fast though, and she didn't have her gun. I pelted after her, she barely made it out of the alley before I caught her.

  "You're going with me to the police station, and then you're going to have a long chat with one of the officers," I growled as I spun her around.

  I saw her reel her leg back. For a moment I felt confused, afraid that I might’ve spun her too hard. Then she kicked.

  My world contracted to two points of pain.

  For some long moments, all I could feel was a nauseous pain that made the world around me spin as my entire body contracted around my groin.

  Then other thoughts start to arrive, like Why, oh god why!

  Then I got a little more coherent. What kind of sick bitch would make them that sensitive? I knew that she had added the sensation of pain, but why should I still be susceptible there? Why!

  I let out a long groan as I struggled to my hands and knees.

  "Hey, you okay?" Someone asked. I looked over, it appeared to be a teenager snacking on some chips.

  “Someone just kicked me in the balls.” I groaned.

  “Aww fuck!” He said, grabbing his groin in sympathetic pain.

  Then I decided that hero work for the day was done and I walked home bruised ego and all. At least I stopped a robbery.

  Heroic Deed:

  Stop a robbery.

  Rewards: 75 Tessian Points and 40 Credits received.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  I helped Rachel clean up the street for another 200 meters, until she called it for the day.

  “We stopping already?” I asked, giving her back her trash-picker-upper.

  She grimaced and looked into the sky. “Yeah. If I stay out too late it might get dangerous.” She looked back at me with a smile. “Also, they don’t pay overtime that well.”

  “Well It’s been nice meeting ya.” I said, offering her a hand. She smiled and shook it.

  “Like wise friendly, if ominously dressed stranger,” she said with a wink. Then she got in the van and shut the door, I watched as the car drove away.

  I checked my watch, wondering if it was about time to head home. It was a little over eight. It was also a weird time for a girl to be working, didn't make much sense for her to be working such hours, now that I thought about it.

  I considered it for a moment, then shrugged and restarted my patrol. I would keep going till a little past 9 then head back, I decided. They sky quickly darkened while I finished up my patrol. I was sorta surprised by how quickly the light went.

  Not half an hour later, the shadows had significantly lengthened and the street lights had tuned on. I wasn’t that worried, the neighborhood didn't seem to be all that frightful. Then again, I rarely left the apartment past six o’clock, so what did I know.

  I was just about t
o decide to head home early when I heard a man cry out. He sounded surprised, but it wasn't too far away, though it could be hard to tell. Sometimes noises could travel insanely far, in these close confines.

  I started running towards the noise, immediately bringing up a hundred different possibilities. All of them more outrageous than the last, but still unable to dismiss even a single one of them. Instead I sped up. I had been going pretty easily and the it had been a cloud less day. My power core was still sitting comfortably in the mid 70’s percentage.

  I rounded a corner and ran out into a street where I could see someone small pointing a gun at a man. For a moment the two images didn't jell in my head. The one holding the gun couldn’t be more than 160 cm tall, and weighed at maximum 60 kilos. While the man was way taller than me, if not then almost 2 meters tall. He had the brawny physique of a working man, his arms were bigger than the gun toting robber’s thighs.

  He could've thrown the small criminal over a building, but he wasn't the one holding the gun. I could see that he had dropped what looked like a brown bag, with something greasy inside it. He was still holding a bouquet of flowers in one as he slowly backed towards an alleyway.

  I managed to dive around the corner, before they spotted me. “Faster,” The criminal called. The criminal was obviously female, her voice coming clearly to my ears. She looked around nervously and gestured with the gun towards the alley.

  He nodded enviously and backed towards it, both hand still raised. I carefully snuck around the corner, in a crouch I ran down the street hugging the opposite side, keeping her back to me.

  I saw them disappear into the alleyway. “Use two fingers and pinch out the wallet.” She said. She sounded nervous her voice quavering slightly. I crossed the last bit of distance to the alleyway, keeping away from the entrance. I could feel a sot of artificial calm settle over me, helping me keep my cool. I swallowed nervously and peered around the corner.

  The man was slowly pulling out his wallet with pointer and thumb finger. It looked difficult, he was wearing some really tight pants. I winced in discomfort looking at them, before dodging back behind cover.

  I would obviously need to stop her, somehow. I should do my best to avoid her taking him hostage and stop her from getting away with his wallet. I considered a few options, before crouching down and picking up some random debris that had been worn loose, either from a building or the road. It was hard to tell in the darkening light. It was about the size of my palm and fit well in my fist.

  One, two… Three! I counted down in my own head, before bursting around the corner.

  “Hey!” I yelled demandingly as I turned towards her. “Leave him alone!”

  Startled she turned around, looking for whoever yelled at her. I throw the stone after her, aiming for her gun hand. I keep up the charge, rushing her. We both watch as the stone sails far above her hand, and nearly hits the man being robbed. I winced, but didn't allow myself to be slowed down, she can’t be allowed to take him hostage.

  Instead she raises her gun towards me. My eyes widened as I watch her raise her gun towards me. Just for that moment I wonder how truly bullet proof I really was. Then I got close enough to bat at her hand.

  The shot goes off. I feel it ping off my chest, before I slap the gun out of her hand. I stagger for a moment, surprised by the amount of pain I felt at getting shot. We both stare at each other for a moment. She clearly looks shocked as she realized what she’s just done.

  Now’s my best chance! I realize. I jab at her with my left arm. I hoped that the shot had done any real damage, it wasn't like I was going to die from blood loss anymore, right? My jab hits her right on her collar bone, sending her stumbling back. She tried to lash out at me, but I manage to deflect her blow before it landed properly. I still see her wince as her fist skitters off my jaw ‘bone’.

  My next jab sends her stumbling into the wall of the alleyway. She grunts as she falls into it. I can tell that my punches hit her harder than I realized. While they were light and fast jabs. They were still punches send by someone at least 20 cm taller than her and 10 kilos heavier. I know, I only weigh around 70 kgs, I’m mostly made out of a lightweight metal skeleton, with some other components made of stronger stuff.

  I grab her before she can punch me again and lift her off her feet. She stares at me bewildered. “Who are you?” She asked. Her eyes wide, feet kicking helplessly against the wall behind her. I made sure that I wasn't choking her, so I knew she would be fine.

  I turn my head slightly and look at the guys she attempted to rob. “You alright sir?” I ask.

  “I’m fine thank you.” He said quietly.

  “Why don’t you gather your things and go home, just to be safe.” He nods mutely, grabs his wallet and bouquet, then runs out of the alley. I heard him grab the brown bag before he left.

  “Now what to do about you.” I said, trudging towards the troublemaker. As I do, I feel her place on dirty boot against my face and push off. I might be stronger and bigger than her, but at that very moment, sher had something I didn’t. Leverage.

  Pushing herself against the wall and using all her strength, she shoves me backwards, causing me to stumble and fall. Unluckily for her, I’m a very tenacious person and didn't let go of her collar. So we both went to the ground when I fell. Unluckily for me, she fell within reach of a stone very similar to the one I threw at her.

  For a second I see her almost try to pry my hand loose with her stone, then she changes her mind and slams it for my head. I raise my other hand to block her strikes, but she manages to get enough blows through that I start to fear she might break one of my eyes, and I figured those were pretty expensive.

  Fearing the worst, I threw her away, further into the alley. I hear the sounds of her crashing into what sounds like a trashcan. Then I get to my feet. It was starting to become dimly lit outside of the alley, but in here it was outright dark, especially all the way in the back like she was. It was hard to even make out any details.

  The alley wasn’t wide enough for the to slip around me, but there were a series of plastic trash cans set against one wall. She was lying in a jumbled heap of them. She quickly jumped to her feet, looking at me wearily.

  I start closing in on her, wearily stepping forwards. “Let me go.” She pleaded in a scared voice. “I’m sorry, I wont do it again.” For a moment I feel a pang of guilt at what I’m doing. Then she hit me in the face with a trashcan.

  I let out a grunt and fell to the ground. She manged to get past me as I struggled to my feet. She wasn’t very fast though, and she didn't have her gun. I pelted after her, she barely made it out of the alley before I caught her.

  “You’re going with me to the police station and then you’re going to have a long chat with one of the officers.” I said angrily as I spun her around.

  I saw her reel her leg back. For a moment I felt confused, afraid that I might’ve spun her too hard. Then she kicked.

  My world contracted to two points of pain.

  For some long moments all I could feel was a nauseous pain that made the world around me spin as my entire body contracted around my groin.

  Then other thoughts start to arrive, like Why, oh god why!

  Then I got a little more coherent. What kind of sick bitch would make them that sensitive. I knew that she had added the sensation of pain, but why should I still be susceptible there? Why!

  I let out a long groan as I struggled to my hands and knees.

  “Hey you okay?” Someone asked. I looked over, it appeared to be a teenager snacking on some chips.

  “Someone just kicked me in the balls.” I groaned.

  “Aww fuck!” He said, grabbing his groin in sympathetic pain.

  Then I decided that hero work for the day was done and I walked home bruised ego and all. At least I stopped a robbery.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Leric was sitting in his courtroom, the main hall of the warehouse. He had managed to dig out another recliner, and he spen
t most of his day sitting on it, even though it was clearly made for a smaller man.

  Not that he really could complain. His powers were strong enough that it really didn't bother him too much that the chair was uncomfortable, it was more the fact of being stuck in the same place all the time that bothered him. He wanted to move, fight, dominate. Instead, he was stuck here, discussing, planning and solidifying his hold on the criminals.

  That was, in the end, the biggest issue with the most gangs. They rarely come together because all the leftover people in the neighborhood wanted a place to have fun and play board games. They were angry, they were scared. They didn't know their place in the world. All of this didn't lend itself for a stable hierarchy.