H.E.R.O. - Horde Read Online Free PDF Page B

interesting.  She reminded me a lot of Shrinker - odd eyes, although hers had a star iris rather than cat eyes.  While her teeth were all sharp fangs, several were longer than the rest.  She had a web tattoo on her neck.  It stretched up slightly onto the bottom of her jaw and went down over her collarbone.
    She said, "I and mine have work to do, dark hero.  Leave us."
    "Have a good night ... well ... as good as can be given the mess."
    I glanced back at Spartan and Zonk.  They were collecting the red guys and bringing them outside.  I walked to the nearest pair, grabbed them and carried them out.
    I noticed on those that had taking stabbing and slashing wounds that the injuries were closing, but very slowly - even more so than any brick I'd seen.  The clothing was the oddest thing about them.  They wore jeans and t-shirts for the most part.  Half of the shirts had a heavy metal band as a logo, and the leather jewelry with studs and spikes also fit in with that theme.  It was all stretched to the maximum and beyond, however.
    Several of the shirts had large tears in the seams because they were so tight.  That made me think that something had changed a bunch of guys.  And why only guys?  None of them are female.
    Outside, the police secured the red men - or as Kar put it, 'the Horde.'  Rayna was already speaking with Agent Carrigan - she was the night equivalent to Agent Carson of H.E.R.O.  On my second trip with some Horde guys, I handed them off to the officers, and then stopped over by the pair of ladies.
    Rayna glanced at me and said, "Hey Tiger."  I had a momentary flash of Stephanie calling me that.  It made me like the cute hero in pink and white even more.  I grinned at her.
    Agent Carrigan said, "Greetings, Black Tiger."
    She held a pair of wallets in her hand.
    I replied, "Hello.  Find anything useful?"
    The agent said, "They are - or were - human.  The similarity to their photos is there.  I think we have to assume that something changed all these young men."
    I said, "I didn't think anything could change someone into a super - barring radiation from the meteorites?  I mean, I know it just happened yesterday at Fargene, but from what you guys said they didn't look similar."
    Rayna shook her head.  "No, I fought them.  They were extraordinary mutants.  Each of them appeared totally different from the others.  One had four tentacles and a squid arm, one looked like a scorpion and centipede combo, and the last was more like a huge evil demon.  These all look far too consistent with each other."
    Her little dragon said, "They are a horde of humanoids.  Look, here's a picture on my phone."
    He held his tiny arm out with a large smartphone.  I stepped closer and looked at the picture.  He'd pulled up Google images and showed picture after picture of orcs.  They were all green, but the appearance was fairly similar to the red guys, even though the pictures were from different games.
    I said, "So these orc things are super strong and armored?"
    Rayna opened her mouth, but the dragon shook its head and spoke first.  "No, they are slightly stronger than a human, although they are very warlike.  They often level as human warriors do, and can have spellcasters as well."
    Rayna smiled and stroked the dragon under the chin, "Kar, we can't assume these are the same as in a game.  They are stronger than most mutants, have body armor - now how many orcs in games have body armor?"
    Kar said, "But they are a horde of something!  Maybe they are an offshoot of orcs!  Maybe the city is under siege by a War Horde on the edge!  We need to fortify the city gates and call in the adventurers!"
    She gently said, "Kar, we are the adventurers.  Metrocity doesn't even have gates, and I'm pretty sure word would have come in about hundreds or thousands of warriors outside it somewhere.  Besides, these could be bugbears, orogs, or based on who knows what else?"
    I said, "If someone can mutate people into these,