Rise of the Mega Horse Part 4 END

     All three flashlights whirled to shine on her face. That must have looked so cool to see a mare standing up to a full ten foot height and placing hands on her hips. If only she had a video camera to capture the view.
     
     The thugs had ski masks hiding their faces, but she could easily smell their immediate fear. One was carrying a large sledgehammer in his spar hand, while another had the crowbar used to break the door.

     "You won't be hurting Hazel, John, or anyone for that matter." Hazel snorted before flexing to make her muscles puff up. "Not while I'm breathing!"

     The thugs took turns staring up at Hazel and each other.

     "Who the...WHAT the hell are YOU!?" the one carrying the crowbar choked out.

     "No one special really," she gave a cocky grin and wink. Hazel made one step toward them, making sure to put a lot of force into it so it caused another small tremor. She was starting to see a perk in her large size. These guys looked ready to wet themselves as they all scrambled against the fence of her pen. "Just call me the Mega Horse."

     They stared at Hazel.

     Hazel stared back.

     They gave each other unsure side glances.

     "Soooo...."

     "SO you punks want to come to jail quietly or am I going to have to get rough!!" Hazel tried to hide her blush by trying to crack her knuckles. Instead it just came off as making awkward hand rubbing. Lightning Bunny made looking cool so much easier.

     "Oh, the furry freak thinks she's tough, huh?!" the thug with the crowbar apparently got some of his nerve back at seeing Hazel's confidence wane. Before she could react, he dropped his flashlight to swing the metal tool with both hands. It impacted right against her stomach with a loud 'thwump,' making the mare gasp.

     It certainly knocked the wind out of her, but Hazel simply drew another breath and straightened up. She certainly felt the attack, and there would be a red spot for a while, but he might as well have swung nerf foam. The thug blinked at her almost casual raised eyebrow before looking at his crowbar. The tool was now bent in a very sloppy L shape, rendering it fairly useless.

     "Looks like she is! Hey Phil, take care of her for me!" he said while whipping around into a dash for the exit.

     He got two steps before Hazels hoof collided with his retreating backside. The extra push sent him outside at a much higher velocity than desired. Good thing Hazel had some keen eyes. He had some perfectly good trash cans to crash into for an abrupt stop. After which the thug decided to just take a nap waiting for feeling to return in his arms.

     "You're about to be Mega DEAD for that!"

     Phil, or Hazel assumed that was the man's name, capitalized on the distraction to swing with his sledgehammer. It impacted right into her beach ball of a left breast giving off a flump sound as though striking a pillow. The soft flesh gave deep around its head but only visibly caused Hazel the inconvenience of staggering a step. Something she quickly recovered from with an angry snort. That had stung something fierce and she was not about to let it show.

     Phil pulled back for another strike, only to gawk as the sledgehammers head formed several cracks. A second later it shattered into a small pile of steel shards on the floor. He stared at the now ordinarily shaft of wood and dropped it to raise hands high in the air.

     "But of course we're all willing to negotiate, right?"

     Hazel used one hand to heft Phil up by the scoff of his shirt. His feet dangled a good five feet in the air upon being brought nose to snout with the mare. Her lips twitched, then turned into a smile that made his blood freeze.

     "Right..."

     The fourth man, who had been pondering robbing jockey lockers as long as he was playing look out, had been making his way towards the stable at the first sign of raised voices. He had gotten about halfway there when the sight of one of his colleagues sailing out for a crash landing amidst some garbage cans caused him to skid to a halt. Before there was time to comprehend that another flew out screaming like a little girl. Except this one had his underwear pulled over his head in a very painful looking wedgie as he collided with the other man into a stunned heap.

     Their look out blinked before pressing himself against the stable wall. Inching along carefully to the door, he risked a peek inside to see just what was going on. Not that he believed it when he saw the last man being loomed over by a giant monster. Especially when the flash light swept over her, briefly illuminating a horse-like face covered in brown fur and blond hair. The sound of hooves clopping echoed into the darkness as she lumbered forward.

     "Oh nuts to this!" Hazels last opponent screamed.

     There was just enough time to catch a glint of something metallic before a gunshot caused several horses to shriek in terror. Hazel grunted feeling the impact hit hard over her heart. Her eyes bulged out as she gulped for breath. That was it. She had gotten so cocky as to walk right into being mortally wounded. On her debut assignment no less!

     Hazel finally managed to catch a breath, then cocked an ear. Wait, bullet wounds were supposed to kill as far as she knew. She glanced down and in the illumination of the flashlight saw why her attacker looked as shocked as her. The bullet struck horse flesh with perfect accuracy, but with no more success than the blunt weapons that had tried before. A small metal welt gleamed out of the fur of her left breast nearly flattened from impact. Hazel curiously pinched it between thumb and pointer finger to yank it off as easily as removing a sticker. Only a small reddening of skin, mostly hidden by fur, remained to give any sign of an attack at all.

     This did not deter the man from trying again. Hazel instinctively raised her arms to block her face as shot after shot rang through the dusk morning. A good thing as she felt a few bullets strike open palm and forearms. Thankfully it was not long before the pelting stopped and sounds changed to a hollow clicking. She tentatively lowered her arms to peek at the man, resuming her approach upon seeing his gun had its chamber pulled back in the empty position. Her entire front was decorated in flattened bullets, but one sweep of the hand sent them all to the floor with the other failed weapons collecting there.

     The man backpedaled with a startled yelp. He flung the empty pistol at Hazel, which she caught without flinching. In one flex it crumpled into a mesh ball that she let drop.

     "What made you think that would work?"

     "Well it's not like I have a plan B."

     Hazel did not hesitate this time. With a spring in her hooves, she socked the man right in his gut with all she had. Something she immediately regretted at the sounds of crunching bones. That was definitely a few cracked ribs. Still, the man coughed, staggered, and finally collapsed into a fetal position wailing in agony. It was better than giving them another chance to kill her.

     She tried her best to be gentle with the injured men afterwards. Grabbing some rope from the stable supplies, she bound them all together into a bundle. That was when a thought occurred to Hazel that made her cautiously look around the rest of the track. There was no doubt she had heard four voices, but apparently their companion high tailed it out of here long before she had noticed.

     Hazel shrugged before kneeling down to gently bend one of the men's head so he was staring up at her eyes. For some reason these guys kept wandering their gazes at her chest smashing against her knees.

     "Now you listen to me, punks. You ever try to mess with Hazel or ANY horse or person around here again I won't let you off so easily. This area is under Mega Horse protection. Got it!"

     The men grumbled, but in a way that acknowledged her terms. Happy with that, she hefted the whole trio up over one shoulder. Their groans of defeated anger quickly turned into cries of horror when she bounded clear over the entrance gate into a cracking impact on the road opposite. A morning sun was just poking out into the open sky, but the mare was surprised to find a lot of denizens already nearby. Most likely they had been attracted by all that gunfire. Oh well, a few witnesses can really help her image if this played in her favor. Hazel ignored her prisoners panicked pleas as she took off carrying them like a grocery bag.

     Events that another man was completely unaware of a few blocks away. The aspiring twenty five year old brunette was more occupied with the cell phone pressed against his left ear while navigating his usual route to work.

     "Relax, Diane. The interview is all taken care of for tomorrow." He rolled his eyes since it would not be seen. "Look the guy is visiting from China, I'm sure he won't be offended by your choices in catering." There was a pause in his step. "Okay why exactly is yellow such a problem? Really? How the hell is THAT going to be interpreted as racially insensitive!?"

     A sudden tapping on the man's shoulder nearly scared him silly. He lowered his phone to turn to the interrupting individual.

     And then he looked up past the wall of abs in front of him, over the mountainous breasts, at the kindly blond haired muzzle grinning down at him.

     "I'm sorry sir. Could you tell me where the police station is? I think I got myself a little lost."

     "Oh, um, right." He pointed back in the direction he had been walking. "Just head that way until you hit Churchill Avenue, then take a right. Keep going 'til you see it on the right. Can't miss it."

     "Thank you very much!" the giant mare beamed and took off down the street with her cargo of tied people.

     "Tourists..." the man scoffed, resuming his own walk while bringing the cell phone back to his ear. "Sorry about that. A talking horse needed directions. Anyway, if yellow is such a problem I'll just come in early to rearrange some things. I got a nice assortment of red..."

     The man stopped in mid-stride to whirl back around. His eyes widening to encompass most of his face. The figure had already gone a considerable distance, but passing under a streetlamp gave him ample opportunity to make out her muscle rich backside in a green thong. And the fact it was covered in brown fur with a thick blond horse tail waving behind it. Then she reached Churchill Ave and turned so he could make out her thick equine muzzle in profile.
     
     "I'll call you back!!"
     
     Not many others witnessed the lumbering mare trotting down Churchill Avenue that morning. Most of the city was asleep at this early hour. Yet, somehow, Hazel managed to veer a sharp turn at the intersection right into the path of the only two oncoming cars in that street. Thankfully, Hazel managed to leap aside just barely scrapping the paint of an SUV with one of her hooves. It would not make a good impression having tomorrows papers talk about her ability to take vehicles head on, giving innocent drivers concussions.
     
     At least there were no more pedestrians the rest of her short jog to the police station. Indeed it was impossible to miss; towering over its adjacent buildings with a well lit 'police' sign over a small stairway. As luck would have it, a pair of officers were just exiting as she approached. That saved her time from downshifting to go inside and get someone.
     
     "Hey guys!" she sang happily to get their attention. They did not finish turning around before she unloaded her cargo at the base of the steps. "Hope you're not off duty. Got a present all wrapped up for you."
     
     The guards were, understandably, dumbstruck by her crashing entrance onto the path before them. They spent almost a minute exchanging looks between Hazel, the tied up crooks, and each other before declaring in unison, "What the hell are you!?"
     
     Hazel took a step forward, only to backpedal when the officers reached for their guns. She quickly raised both hands while shooting off a recounting of what transpired at the race track. Explaining how she had happened to be passing by in time to overhear these thugs plans to mutilate an innocent horse. And her desire to keep the peace made her perform a public service to protect all the racers from the Dragon. Though she might have fibbed a bit when it came to the part where they wrestled around in the mud with attack dogs.
     
     "Isn't that right?" she ended, bending down to give the half conscious prisoners a smirking glare. While this did give them a view of her canyon cleavage, they were more pale faced about the rippling pecks and biceps behind it.
     
     "Yes yes!!" one of them squeaked. "Get us away from her and we'll confess to everything!"
     
     "See?" Hazel stood up striking a pose. "Nothing left to do but lock'em up, right?"
     
     This should have been the part like in Lightning Bunnies cartoons. Hazel beamed in anticipation for the stunned praise these law enforcers were supposed to give her for a job well done. Instead their expressions turned oddly serious, their brows furrowing in anger. They exchanged a look , one of them nodding as if in answer to some unspoken question.
     
     "So you mean to say you're just waltzing in to declare war on the Dragon?" one of them said.
     
     "Y-yeah," Hazel replied. This was a bit confusing and unnerving. Their hands had yet to move from their holsters. "Isn't that what you guys are already doing? I'm here to help!"
     
     She barely finished that sentence when both guards drew their guns on her. Hands immediately returned to the air in the international sign of surrender.
     
     "Whoah! Whoah! Hey, I'm the good girl here!"
     
     "And that's the problem," the other guard said. They both cracked wicked grins that made Hazels heart sink.
     
     "Yeah. Nothing personal, miss monster horse. The dragon just happens to pay us a lot more than a state pension. He won't like it if we suddenly decide to bust his goons because you say so."
     
     "Though I bet we'll get a nice bonus for turning her fuzzy ass over to some scientists."
     
     "Or a freak show."
     
     Hazel winched at the sound of cocking guns. Now what was she going to do? There was little doubt about her imperviousness at this point, giving everything else that she had gone through, but fighting lawmen was not part of the plan at all. She might have to just bolt for it, even if it meant all that hard work amounted to the trio getting off with a fine. Or worse, SHE might end up becoming the public criminal.
     
     A loud snap, like a loaded spring, broke her out of such panicked thoughts. One of the guards suddenly dropped their gun, crying out as limbs flailed in a complete spastic breakdown. Hazel and the guys comrade watched this continue for a few seconds before the man finally collapsed face first onto the steps. This gave them a chance to see two bolts had struck into his right shoulder, connected to wires that extended back towards the station doors.
     
     "What the fu-" the other officer followed the wires only to get met with a face full of knuckles. The blow knocked him off balance, tripping on the first step to take a tumble that ended at Hazel hooves. His body twitched in gasping breaths, but now one of his legs and arms were bent in a funny way.
     
     "Sorry about that, ma'am." Hazel's head whipped back up the stairs to see a third officer had joined the party. Unlike the others, he appeared surprisingly young. Could not have been much older than John, with his scruffy hair and thin build. His eyes, on the other hand, told a whole different story. They had dedication and strength in them. The exact kind of eyes Hazel admired in comic books.
     
     "Who are you?" she had intended to say 'thank you' but the words came out before she could think.
     
     The man laughed, most likely from her blush through the brown fur. He reached into his coat, making Hazel tense again before realizing it was simply to show off a wallet badge. "I'm lieutenant Jackson Stockwell, at your service Mega Horse. Those two were some of my subordinates, but I opened the door just in time to hear them confess to taking bribes. I assure you they'll have a lot of things to worry about as they rot in a cell tonight."
     
     "Ah...uh...t-thank you, Mr. Stockwell." Hazel shifted her weight. It was hard to put a cloven finger on why, but the confidence he radiated while cuffing the other officers totally threw off her hero rhythm.
     
     "These guys with you?" Stockwell asked upon noticing the bundle of thugs.
     
     "Oh! Yeah, that's right!" Hazel gave him another recount of her endeavors against crime. This time being short and less embellished.
     
     When she was finished it was very reassuring to see Stockwell smile. Although those pearly whites did cause a fluttering in the horses stomachs.
     
     "Well it's nice to meet a person, er, equine willing to stand up to the dragon. He's got so much of the city under his thumb the rest is too scared to want to get involved." He then sighed a bit more glumly. "I'm not surprised some of the force is in his pocket. Doubt I'll be able to get these bozos on much, unless you want to testify for it?"
     
     Hazel scratched the back of her head. "Ah heh! I don't think that'd be a very safe thing for me to do right now."
     
     "Didn't think so." Stockwell seemed bemused as he piled everyone up at the base of the stairs. He took a moment to radio for back up to help bring them in, then turned back to Hazel. "So I take it your services are about to become a regular thing around here?"
     
     "Oh, you better believe it!" Hazel flexed her arms, trying to show off a bit of muscle on impulse. She had sort of mixed feelings when Stockwell showed no apparent interest to her imposing display or humanly figure. She quickly recovered trying to keep her voice sounding deep and confident. "This is one super hero that'll make this Dragon afraid to sneeze on illegal activity."
     
     "Right. So you have any method of knowing when said illegal activity is taking place? Or were you just planning to go running down streets looking for trouble?"
     
     Hazels panicked silence was not reassuring for either of them.
     
     "You really were a normal horse at some point, weren't you?" Stockwell said with a chuckle that made Hazels whole muzzle turn red. Before she could rebuttal, though, he shoved the radio in his hand against her abs. He began to point out the dials, showing how they worked, while continuing, "You might as well take this. Channel eight is for police dispatch, channel thirteen is for crime reports, and I'll be checking channel seven every day at noon if you ever need to talk to me directly. Otherwise I don't suggest you talk into it unless a dire emergency arises. Got it?"
     
     "O-okay," Hazel said as she took the offered device. Not having any pockets, she settled for tucking it into the breast folds of her stretched top while trying to remember all the channels that had been listed. "T-thank you, Jack."
     
     ""I'll probably be thanking you later. This city needs all the help it can get."
     
     Hazel wanted to ask a bit more about this Dragon that kept getting mentioned, but that was when the stations doors opened for the half dozen armed officers that came charging out. They took one look at her and almost staggered back into a dog pile. Most of which scrambled for the batons and guns at their sides.
     
     "Relax guys! I have everything under control!" Stockwell walked up the steps between the group and Hazel with arms raised. He looked over his shoulder to signal this might be her cue to skedaddle, but the ample amount of space Mega Horse had been occupying was already vacant.
     
     Hazel, herself, had paused a block away behind a garbage bin to catch her breath. Super pumped or not, her body still seemed to have limits. Running around a city and being sleep depraved were not two of her favorites. Still, tonight had been one rollercoaster of an introduction. She was just glad to have met someone with similar ideals. There was no way one horse could fight for an entire city on her own. Even if said horse could grow to a size matching some of its buildings. A few more successful crime busting jobs and maybe more could be inspired in the right direction.
     
     "That was totally fantastic!!"
     
     Hazel screamed as she leapt onto the garbage bin in a fright. It was immediately crushed under her weight, which did nothing to detour the young man waving a cell phone at her face. Or at least Hazel hoped it was directed at her face. What was with everyone's fascination over her udders?
     
     "Larry Singed, Channel 5 news!" the man introduced himself while stepping back to let Hazel stand up. She recognized that voice as the man she had asked directions from not too long ago. "Hope you don't mind I couldn't help following you. Got some great footage of that little exchange at the steps of our cities finest. Shame this thing has a weak mic, but regardless, any words you'd like to say to our viewers for the morning news!?"
     
     Hazel stared blankly at the man. After a few seconds her mind snapped out of it and a grin stretched her muzzle so tight it exposed all her teeth. Putting one hand on her hip, she thrusted her chest proudly while pointing at the little lens on Larry's phone. Her tail thrashing wildly high like a blonde flag as she tried to speak in a booming voice.
     
     "I certainly do! Better watch your step criminals, thugs, and especially Mr. Dragon. My name is Mega Horse and this city is now under official super equine protection. If I find out any of you are up to no good, I'll be on you like a spider on flies. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure these poor citizens look forward to a better tomorrow."
     
     "And there you have it," Tom the anchorman said after Hazel's speech had been rebroadcast for the third time that day. "Our cities new mysterious monster horse declares war on organize crime, and criminals in general. Whether or not she'll do any good with talents that big, time will have to tell. And now for your weekly weather report..."
     
     Hazel squealed in her chair after watching the full report that night. News traveled like wildfire across the city. Papers reprinted extra copies pinning for interviews with this strange new creature from out of nowhere. Even the New York Times made mention of Hazel's shocking appearance. It was not even sunset before there was even mention of Hazels likeness popping up in memes across the internet. Granted those were more about the ample curves of her body than anything she had to say. Still, people were now paying attention to Mega Horse. Milking up this onslaught of attention, good or bad, was total heaven for Hazel in the comfort of her stall.
     
     Elsewhere downtown, a TV showing the same broadcast had been turned off. Almost no fading sunlight shinned through the shades of these penthouse windows. The little that did only outlined the Dragons large figure, drawing emphasis to his heavy footsteps approaching a desk custom crafted for his frame. Not like the two standard chairs before it that Rob and Frank occupied. For them this place had just turned into a living hell.
     
     "So it seems I found out what happened to that third vial of enhancer you promised me." The Dragons face became briefly illuminated as he lit up a cigar. "And here I believed you when you said it was a simple matter of miscounting under stress."
     
     "It was his idea!" Rob squealed louder than he intended with a fat finger waved at Frank. "He wanted to give it to a random horse just for kicks!"
     
     "Shut up fat ass!" Frank smacked the hand away. "I didn't think this stuff sounded legit enough to actually work."
     
     "And I don't pay either of you to think," the dragon said, silencing them both. "Now I've already had to...'fire' poor Squid. I'd rather not lose more employees so soon. Just answer me this; which horse did you give this chemical to!?"
     
     Rob and Frank opened their mouths to say something, only to instantly shut them.
     
     "I think it was a scrawny brown one," Rob mused.
     
     "No, it had to have been that black one," Frank replied.
     
     "You sure? I could have sworn it was the white one with a brown mane."
     
     "Maybe it was that amber colored one with the black patches."
     
     "I thought it had white patches."
     
     "Or maybe..."
     
     "Enough!" The dragon slammed a fist on his desk making both thugs jump. "Apparently I need to heavily reevaluate my hiring policy. TOM!"
     
     The blond suit strode forward to produce two vials for Rob and Frank. The fact they generated a decent amount of green light told them exactly what they contained.
     
     "Drink," the dragon said bluntly.
     
     Rob gulped. "But...sir..."
     
     "TOM!"
     
     The suit promptly produced two pistols from his coat, pointing one at each of their heads. Almost in unison the tops came off and the vials contents were swallowed in one gulp. The penthouse went completely silent for several painstaking minutes.
     
     "Well?" The dragon finally demanded. "Does it work?"
     
     "I..don't know..." Frank looked down at himself, hands roaming his chest. "Everything feels the same."
     
     "I feel a bit queasy sir," Rob offered. "Does that count?"
     
     "Get out of my office." The Dragon opened a desk drawer. On instinct the two thugs raised their hands before spotting a brandy bottle and shot glass in their bosses hands. He paused upon noticing they remained glued in their seats wide eyed. "NOW!!"
     
     They were all too happy to wrestle over each other for the exit. Once the doors slammed shut, the dragon popped open his bottle to his small glass with an amber fluid.
     
     "So the refined formula only work on animals," he muttered before kicking back his drink. "Looks like I owe those science boys an apology."
     
     "What should we do, sir?" Tom asked after holstering his guns. "The human trials all reported the effects wearing off in under an hour. even if it had worked on those two..."
     
     "Start work on synthesizing more of that formula from the sample we have left."
     
     "But what about that horse?"
     
     "It doesn't matter." Pouring another glass, the dragon stood up to admire the sunset from behind his window. "Those race horses rotate almost every race. We'll never figure out which one those morons bestowed godhood. Better to start work on countering this new problem as soon as possible."
     
     "Very good sir. I'll start looking into the zoos for potential candidates."
     
     "You do that." The dragon downed his shot glass, smacking his lips with a chuckle. "If I'm going to be a match for this Mega Horse I'll have to fight fire with fire."
     
     
     End.