The Loudest Hero

2. Bobby Santiago - Payout

Lincoln strained against the monster from the outside, punching and kicking with all his might, but the molars were as strong as steel. The boys yelling, more from surprise and discomfort than pain, was muffled and the monster, confused as to why its meal was still moving after he had bit down on it, bit again but this time grinded the meat between its teeth.

The boys body outside twisted around and his throat crumpled like a paper bag against his spine. His shouting, and more importantly his breathing, got cut though Lincoln wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing as the air inside the monsters mouth smelled like rotten meat. After a few seconds the grinding stopped, the monster eased the pressure and Lincoln resumed pinching the mouth to free his head as his neck popped right back up like a balloon.

The monster thoroughly confused that something in its mouth was still in its mouth after grinding switched tactics and started to violently chew before a powerful blow knocked its jaw open, flinging Lincoln against a brick wall which crumpled to dust.

Lincoln felt two hands pick him up and shake him by the shoulder. "Please be alive, please be al- Lincoln?" Came a familiar, if hysterical, voice.

Ignoring the ache that craddled his entire being, monster spit dripped down from his hair and Lincoln wiped his face with his shirt and looked up at the superhero holding him. "Bobby? You're a superhero?"

The young adult was dressed in a simple loose fitting green spandex costume complete with golden gloves, yellow boots, and a shiny silk cape. Around his waist was a copper colored belt with the initials PO engraved on the buckle and on his chest was were nine white screens arranged in a square. Tall, dark, and with a snazzy goatee, he would have looked heroic if his faced wasn't melted in a half-smile, half frown, half thank you god, expression.

"Sidekick actually, the names Payout," Bobby replied sniffing his nose to prevent tears of joy from falling. "One sec."

Turning around, the hero closed his eyes hard and the screens on his chest lit up. They cycled through different symbols and when he opened his eyes three red diamonds had lined up in the middle row. His body rippled to life as the young mans muscles expanded, turning his loose costume into a skin tight suit that threatened to burst. Balling his hand into a fist, Bobby swung a wild haymaker at the monster who tried a sneak attack, sending it flying into a parked car.

Back to Lincoln the hero grabbed him by the shoulders again, his muscles deflating and the screens fading white again. "You have to get out-," He stopped mid sentence and a light bulb turned on in his mind. "You have to help me! I can't tale it down by myself!"

"Can't you just keep punching it till it stops moving?" The boy asked trying to focus on his friends face while being shaken.

"No cause that keeps happening," He stated holding Lincoln up to see the monster properly for the first time.

Light blue and stubby, half its body was made up of a giant mouth whose teeth were bared in a permanent smile. The monster was steaming at where Bobby's punch had landed but as it stumbled around, dazed, the steam reversed its flow to heal the monster.

"I've got this glowing grenade that your supposed to blow it up with but it moves around to much and can't hold it down to pull the pin without being blown sky high myself!" The hysteria was palpable in his voice as he held Lincoln in one hand and a wonky white oblong object that sort of looked like a three year olds drawing of a grenade with a thin rope about s meter long attached to the top.

Lincoln had been here long enough and had just formulated the best plan to get out of here, which was to just say he was busy and book it, until Bobby said this last statement. Clyde's light in the sky was still flashing and a light bulb, a little brighter than the hero's, lit up in Lincolns head.

"I have a plan but your gonna have to put me down for it."