The god was carrying groceries while escorting a little woman across the street, a feat that he thought was important. The elderly of this era seemed forgotten, left alone to fend for themselves in a city that didn’t have time for them. The cross walk turned a few moments ago but Hercules stood tall as the angry drivers laid on their horns yelling at him to get out of the way. They neglected to see the old woman with a walker shuffling along the cross walk.

“Thank you, young man.” the woman said softly adjusting her glasses as she moved with small steps, “I was out of milk and I have my grandson coming over today. Not grandmas without cookies.” she said apologetically as she slowly forced herself up onto the sidewalk. A car rolled into the gods glowing backside as he refused to budge till the woman was across. She was more than capable to do it herself she just needed time and that was mostly what Hercules had now.

”Think nothing of it!” Hercules roared with laughter remembering all the elderly he met in his long life and the wisdom they had to impart on him. ”I wish you and your grandson well! Happy holidays!” he rested the bag of groceries on the woman’s walker and she continued shuffling along. ”If you no longer need me I shall be off!” Hercules still didn’t move from the car that rolled into him and debated flipping the vehicle. Without him the woman would have been hit or trapped in the intersection. Why was everyone in this era in such a hurry?

Flashing lights zoomed by as a squad car made a sharp turn catching the gods attention. ”Trouble? At last!” literally seconds after finishing his last task ”Another chance to prove myself!” Hercules roared and leaned on the hood slightly denting it before taking off. Hopefully it taught the man some manners.

Leaping was a quick way to travel however it was a problem when there was nowhere to land. This wasn’t the case today he followed the squad car from the roof tops bounding and leaping till he came across a bridge. One that seemed to be blocked off on both sides of the bridge preventing anyone from driving or walking across it. Police barricaded the roads and sidewalks saying there is a standoff.

”What’s the problem officers!” the god roared when he approached. The were dismissive at first till they saw the glowing giant. They looked to each other and explained it as if he was an X-man or someone on the payroll. Most of the references Hercules missed but he got the gist of it. There was a robbery underway of an armored vehicle, due to the commotion a bus full of children veered off and hit the median of the bridge causing the thing to be sitting on a tipping point to the streets below where even more people were driving and walking.

”Say no more officers! You are in the company of Hercules! Son of Zeus! I shall save them!” he roared with laughter and leapt again getting a birds eye view of everything before deciding the best place to land was the bus that already had someone trying to hold it back. Mortals. They never cease to amaze him. Most mortals couldn’t hold a bus full of passengers from falling off the road but this man seemed more than capable. Should he go fight with the robbers who were surrounding the armored vehicle?

No, money was insured. The lives of the mortals were not. At least not the way that they should. ”Fear not mortals! I Hercules! Have arrived!” he landed near the bus and put his arms on his hips glowing in his heroic stance. ”Would you like some assistance!?!” he asked and waited for a response. It would have been rude to just interject himself into this situation.

Contrary to popular belief, super strength did not solve that many problems. Javier knew this, which is why he never considered putting his - admittedly crappy - powers to work. But every once in a while, even with the careful lifestyle he lived, trouble found him, and in those cases he had to act. Or try, anyway.

He had been walking across the bridge when the screeching and crashing started. There was some kind of a car chase in progress after an armored vehicle that got cut off in the middle of the bridge. Cars spun out of the way, and Javier backed up to the railing of the sidewalk to try to avoid becoming collateral damage. There was a lot of yelling and screaming and... gunshots...?

A big yellow bus crashed into the railing on the opposite side of te bridge. It tilted dangerously towards the road below; Javi could see the children in their colorful winter clothes flailing in the windows. With the car chase on, not many people were paying any attention.

before he knew what he was doing, Javi sprinted across the bridge, narrowly avoiding swerving cars and jumping over at least one before he skidded to a halt at the back of the bus, and grabbed hold of it. The vehicle jerked, then came to a halt before tipping over. For once, his damn powers actually worked.

This, however, did not solve a number of different issues.

1. It was very hard to find purchase on the back of a school bus.
2. All the super strength in the world was useless without friction. Javi slid forward, managing to brace his feet against the sidewalk, but it was not going to be a very long term solution.
3. Holding a bus seesawing on a bridge was not going to help anyone if he could not pull it back to safety.

For lack of a better option, he held, praying that his powers would not give out. He knew they would.

>>”Fear not mortals! I Hercules! Have arrived!”

A large, burly glowing man came out of nowhere. Okay then. He looked like he was... competent.

>>”Would you like some assistance!?!”

"YES!" Javi yelled, desperately holding on to the bus. "Can you help pull?..."

Before he could finish his reply Hercules’s was already moving towards the lowest point he could reach on the bus finding a good spot to pull with all his might. ”Allow me to demonstrate the art of lifting that has been passed down for generations!” he glowed and grunted feeling the strain. With the man pulling the buss from behind them and Hercules a little closer to the center of gravity for the bus they lifted the mechanical behemoth off the ground.

The demi-gods strength indented the side of the bus where he grabbed on and revealed as the bus full of passengers started to cheer as the vehicle started to move backwards from the ledge. ”I will lose no mortals today!” he roared and continued to strain until the bus was walked back a few inches, then a few feet. The bus was heavy, he could have gotten it alone but it was far easier with the olive skinned man helping him with the feat. No, it was Hercules who was helping the man save a bus full of people.

The situation reminded him of the times of old where he’d chance upon someone during a catastrophe only to become allies in an upcoming battle. The god started to chuckle, then roared with laughter the further the bus got from the edge. ”Yes! Ha ha! The forces of Gravity pales in comparison to us! Hercules and....” Hercules paused then looked around the bus the best he could to see the man, ”What is your name!?!”

Just as Hercules asked there was a bullet that whizzed by and impacted the god on the shoulder, if he wasn’t already channeling there would have been some damage. ”What’s this?!?” another bullet impacted the god in the side. ”I will be with you shortly!” he roared wishing to fully save the vehicle from falling before engaging in battle. Mortals. So impatient.

>> ”Allow me to demonstrate the art of lifting that has been passed down for generations!”

"Please do!"

Less talk, more work. The man was glowing, that meant he had powers, right? Hopefully, strength, because Javi was nut sure his was not failing. And the bus was slipping. The man walked around to the side, grabbing on, and the bus slowly tiled back. Javi pulled as hard as he could, and the vehicle started inching back to safety.

>>”Yes! Ha ha! The forces of Gravity pales in comparison to us! Hercules and.... What is your name!?!”

Was this guy for real?

"Javier" Javi said through gritted teeth. He wanted toe bus completely back on the pavement before shaking any hands.

A shot rang off and a bullet hit something nearby. Javier yelped. "Get down!" The kids in the bus squealed and disappeared from the windows. Who the hell was shooting at a school bus?!

>> ”What’s this?!? I will be with you shortly!”

The bus creaked, jerked, and then the front wheels finally settled back on the bridge. Javier fell backwards, panting. He was not sure how much longer his powers would have lasted. Another shot rang out nearby. He rolled, trying to get to cover. "Watch out!"

The son of Zues roared in outrage as his heroic deed with a new hero was stalled as the gunman continued to fire no doubt seeing his glow and deciding it was a challenge. IT WAS! What’s more there were children on the bus! Foolish mortals! There are few things he didn’t tolerate harming or endangering the lives of children wasn’t one of them.

Hercules heard Javier the strong warn him to watch out for incoming fire. The bullet rang out as it impacted his skin and drilled into his body vanishing into his arm. The god looked down and roared in anger. It hurt but he’d heal, if the bullets missed him then he was sure they’d drill into the flimsy walls of the bus and kill a child. Not on his watch.

”Evacuate the bus! Javier the strong! I will make short work of these villains!” Another shot and Hercules raised his hands up not to surrender but to call his club, if they wanted a throwing match allow him to show them who was the reason gods were banned from the true Olympic games! A bullet also caught his hand which was dumb luck for the god. No one was dying today... well, no innocents!

”Club!” somewhere across the city his club vibrated to life and freed itself from the secure spot in his Master’s ‘backyard’. The weapon was no longer allowed to dwell in the house hold if he continued to call upon it. His masters would feel the draw of it being called and feel faint for a moment as it surged through the air.

While it was on it’s way Hercules examined a car nearby a small four door with a small panther on the hood of it. Excellent! There was no one inside. ”You stand no hope of besting me this day!” he stepped on the hood of the car tilting it upwards then catching it as it fell back over his head. Hercules didn’t throw the car but rather stood in front of the bus using the vehicle and himself to act as a barrier till his club arrived.

”Javier the strong! Hurry!”

Alright, yeah, sure, posturing or not, this guy was way beyond Javier's level. Javi was pretty sure he was getting hit by bullets, but not going down. The gunman must not have realized that yet.

>>”Evacuate the bus! Javier the strong! I will make short work of these villains!”

Um.

Javier rolled under the bus, and to the far side of it from the gunfire. Luckily, that was the side with the doors. He stood, prying the door open (he at least had enough strength for that), and pokes his head inside. Some children squealed.

"Come on, quick! Stay low!"

The children started moving towards him. He helped them off the bus, and made sure they were huddled low along the railing of the bridge, still in the cover of the vehicles. "It's okay. You're going to be okay. We are here to help..."

"Is that man holding a car?!"

He was.

>>”Javier the strong! Hurry!”

"How am I supposed to get them off the bridge?" There were like two dozen children, and the walk from the bus to the end of the bridge did not have much cover, other than the vehicles. Damn.

The car rang out as a spray of bullets impacted the vehicle. Hercules was unaware of what types of gun the vile evil doers wielded but was thankful they weren’t the kind that went through said vehicle. His brown eyes looked around for something else to use as he could hear the panic of children behind him.

There was a loud clanging sound that drew his attention to the armored vehicle, someone was trying to open it. It mattered not, the money he knew from his previous exploits was insured and would be tracked down eventually. That task could wait, for now the protection of the future mattered more to the Prince of Power.

>>> "How am I supposed to get them off the bridge?"

”With haste!” there was a lull in the fire hitting the tiny car he took this as an opportunity and threw the vehicle in the direction of the gunman it would fall short more of a distraction and a warning. While he did not care for these mortals, he still felt that with time they could captured and given a stern warning. One that would encourage them not to commit any more crimes. Mortals had it hard enough as it was.

“Move!” one of the gunman shouted as a handful of them scattered and rolled out of the way. It was then he could feel the presences of his club it was closer. ”Can you tip the bus?” Hercules shouted as his hand raised into the air. A large burly and knotty club sipped through the air and into a hand. The sound of it hitting flesh would cause those with weak constitutions to cringe. Hercules however roared with laughter.

”YES! Focus on me! I am your challenger today! I will stop you!” and with that he threw the club at the back of the armored vehicle causing it to launch forward and the back of the vault door to indent slightly so it would have been even more difficult to open it. The men working on it took a second to realize what had happened before they saw the club flying over their head as Hercules called it back.

”Lay down your arms!” they had no chance and while he was distracting them, he was hoping that Javier would have either tipped the bus or relocated the kids.

>>"With haste!”

"Oh screw you" Javier muttered, running around. People were still shooting, although the man tossing the vehicle at them seriously dampened their enthusiasm. That, and not being bothered by bullets. But Javier knew he was not that sturdy. And neither were the children.

>>”Can you tip the bus?”

"What?" Javi blinked, but the conversation was interrupted by... a flying club. Ookay then. Hercules was clearly the strongest player on the bridge, but not everyone was ready to accept that yet. "FINE!"

Javier motioned to the kids and the driver to huddle in cover, and grabbed a hold under the edge of the bus. He could do this. His power crapped out often, but lifting things, he knew he could do that. And hope for the better. The bus creaked as it tilted. "NOW WHAT?"

The sound of a bus upending was a relief, the task would have been fine for the ancient Greek but the burden of expending that much strength while being shot at and wielding his club would have been more stress on his masters than he would have liked. The others could handle the strain but William’s supposed to be healing. The god was preventing him from doing so.

The gunman turned to face Hercules and stared for a moment before one of them shouted, “End him!” ”Very well!” getting his answer.

Hercules caught the club along with another spray of bullets. One managed to dig into his skin. His glowing green tattoo’s flickered for a second as his strength faltered to heal. He cursed his burden as he placed the club down and jumped backwards to the bus that was upended.

Landing hard on the cement Hercules waved the children and Javi towards them so he could tell him his plan, it was simple and direct and with the bus they’d be safe. ”Javi the strong and I Hercules, SON OF ZEUS! Shall keep you safe! Just listen to us and you’ll be fine! Now we shall move the bus, you simply stay behind it!”

The ancient god knew better than to leave a battle without keeping eyes on the enemy, the safety of the children was far more important however. They were the future after all! Tapping the back axle and looking to Javi the strong he continued, ”You shall pull! I shall push! The driver shall keep the kids calm and focused on the task!” that was as far as the plan went but he figured they could improvise from there. Most of his plans formed this way if not all of them.

While rushing to the back of the bus to enact his plan he managed to bump into one of the gunman who thought they could solve their god problem. It was all for not for when Hercules say him he grabbed the gun, bent the barrel then grabbed the gunman. ”Foolish mortal! There are children here! Club!” The gunman struggled as the club was summoned and then caught by the giant.

”Hold this!” Hercules boomed and handed off his weapon. Confused the gunman grabbed at the weapon not realizing what he was doing. As soon as the club left the god’s hand it grew heavy, heavy enough to fall on top of and pin the gunman. ”Now Javi the strong! Move!” Hercules roared getting to the back of the bus slamming his palms into the sturdiest part pushing it.

Javi managed to tip the bus on its side. There was the sound of helicopters in the distance, probably the cops, or maybe the media. Neither came too close while shooting was going on. The children made stunned noises, but Javier's feat was mostly overshadowed by a glowing demigod taking on bullets with his bare skin.

>>”Javi the strong and I Hercules, SON OF ZEUS! Shall keep you safe! Just listen to us and you’ll be fine! Now we shall move the bus, you simply stay behind it!”

"We are moving the bus?!" Javier stared at Hercules. That was the plan?! That was the plan. "... we're moving the bus."

Javier took up a position a moment before a gunman made an appearance. The children screamed, but Hercules dealt with the man in short order. Was he dead? Maybe he was dead. Javi tried not to think about it. He had to move the bus. Keep the kids safe. Move the bus.

They moved the bus.

It felt like an endless distance. Hercules pushed, and Javier pulled, gathering all his strength. Crapping out now was not an option, so he pulled. He'd take this as far as he could. If he collapsed, so be it. Hercules could probably do the rest, if and when that happened.

They moved. The gunmen were still shooting, but they didn't come any closer. They either didn't want to shoot at kids, or learned their lesson about Hercules. Javier looked ahead.

"There!" They only had to make it to the line of piled up empty cars. Not all the way off the bridge. Just to the line of cars that would make enough cover from there on.

The gunman now under the club struggled to tip the heavy weapon off of him. Shouting as he did so, “We didn’t want to hurt anyone! Just empty the truck!” he struggled more and Hercules ignored him. His actions said otherwise. All of their actions said otherwise.

“Fire on the glowing guy!” the gunman shouted as he left the cover of the bus as the two strongmen pushed and pulled the bus. Hercules could have pushed it no problem but knew if he did that he wouldn’t be ready to take the coming assault. At this this way they only shot from a distance and didn’t try to circle them and then shoot the children and Javi the strong!

The sound of gunfire was heard and Hercules clenched his teeth and muscles waiting for the assault. A few bullets hit the bus then the giant as he moved. Some penetrated his glowing green flesh and then were pushed out to fall harmlessly. Feeling his strength sapped for a moment while he healed he continued to push if it was his last action he’d make.

Hercules was always good at taking fire, be it arrows, bullets, or curses. Nothing would prevent him from helping those who needed it. He had carried the world, fought monsters and titans. This... was nothing. This was just another chance to prove himself he was indeed worthy of holding the title ‘Protector of mortals!’

”You get my plan!” Hercules grunted, ignoring the pain, the power that was sapped from his masters to give him such strength. ”Don’t stop!” there was shots hitting his back now, the gunman who worked his way free shouted, “If you’re worried about the kids so much...” it was all he needed to finish the last thrust. Probably with more power than he wanted but it would be enough. His last motion as he pushed the bus was to reach for the back door to the vehicle tearing it free from the hinges.

”Duck!” Hercules shouted as he intercepted the latest round from the gunman he didn’t kill. Such impudence. Hercules spared the man and he returned the favor by firing a round from a handgun at kids and Javi the strong.

They pushed and pulled, while Hercules was till taking on shots. After what felt like an eternity (and several torn muscles), they made it to the line of cars. Hercules yelled to duck, and Javier did, making sure the kids kept close to the ground. Bullets pinged at the bus around them. Javier felt a flash of anger. That idiot was shooting at a glowing mutant, that was one thing. But directly shooting at a group of kids who just happened to be in the crossfire? That was unacceptable. That was wrong.

"Stay down!" Javier told the children, although they were already huddling without being prompted. He looked around, feeling woefully unarmed. Hercules at least had a club... and a door. Javier blinked, but didn't hesitate. His anger propelled him as he moved to the nearest car, taking the door straight off its hinges. This shooting needed to stop. This whole madness needed to stop. And Javier was one of two people on this bridge who could do something about it.

So before he could think twice, he jumped up on top of the bus, and threw the door at the gunman.

The bus was moved. Step one of his ‘plan’ was completed. Now was to dispatch of all the gunman. Which he had one less to worry about thanks to Javi the strong who lived up to his name. Who managed to throw another bus door at the shooter. Willing his club at the last moment to tilt towards the incoming door Hercules managed to save the man at the last moment.

Hercules didn’t know if Javi the strong intended on killing the man but didn’t wait to ask. It was a battle, lives were lost when two forces collided. Whenever he could Hercules tried to spare mortal lives. They were so fragile and needed to be protected.

With the children out of immediate danger the demi-god set the door down and caught his club hefting it over his shoulder looking to Javi with a smile glad he wasn’t alone for this. The god would have been fine but the kids were another issue he wasn’t sure he’d be able to save alone.

”Well done! I don’t think I could have handled the situation alone! Now! Let us end this!” Hercules roared and leapt over the bus landing on the other side clearing the cars that added a defense for the kids so no stray bullet would fine them. Just them. Hercules, the strongest god in history and Javi the strong.

Across the bridge where the armored truck was a large man managed to rip the doors finally from the armored vehicle. Hercules cackled with joy and slapped Javi on the back the way he would a close one that he had know for countless battles. ”How are you with bullets?” the armored vehicle’s back door was hefted into the air right for them. Hercules ignored the men who reloaded their weapons and tossed his club to the door flying towards them.

When the two projectiles met there was a loud thud and an even louder one when they hit the ground. The prince of power roared in delight. ”Now! Surrender or face the wrath of Hercules and Javi the strong!”

Javi realized a moment too late that the force he had tossed the door with was probably deadly. His stomach sank... but Hercules batted the projectile aside. It didn't kill the gunman, for better or worse. Probably better. Javi gasped.

The pat on the back almost made him fall off the bus. The question didn't help, either.

"Not... good?" he asked, slightly alarmed. He was not goof with bullets. At all. Hercules, on the other hand, was ready to fight. "Not good at all. I'm not... really a fighter."

>>>"Not good at all. I'm not... really a fighter."

”Nonsense!” Hercules roared with laughter, ”You handled yourself well in the face of danger and nearly killed that man!” that or he was just really strong and terribly inexperienced in battle. Hercules was glad he stepped in before the bus door could land on it’s target. If that was the case. For a first battle and killing someone... this was another era. One where they didn’t have to fight for survival often. One with less monsters and gods interfering in the day to day.

”if it makes you feel any better, I too have trouble with them.” Hercules said going into his little pep talk, ”I’m still new to this century and it’s hard to tell what guns are the ones that hurt and the ones that don’t.” he needed more time and experience in this era’s battles.

”Very well, I shall draw the fire! Do what you can to aid me and we shall defeat these fiends with ease! What say you?” before Hercules got a response he crouched and pushed himself off the bus and leapt into the air glowing more to draw their fire while calling out, ”I have given my warning!”

Without fear for his own life Hercules landed to the closest gunman and took two bullets in the chest before the gunman was off his feet and separated from his weapon. Pulling the gun free and collapsing his hand on the barrel he made sure it wouldn’t be any more danger to Javi than it was to him. The two bullets pushed themselves free from the god’s glowing chest and he charged forward with the gunman in hand and the club on the way.

”Count this day as a blessing for you shall battle a god!” he shouted playing all too well at being the distraction.