“He told me he was going to sacrifice himself to slow the cop down,” she says.
“Did he? I swear that’s not what he said,” Landon states. “Are we at least slowing down for Brandon?”
“If I hit him and he goes up on the windshield, do you think you guys could grab him before he slides off the hood?”
“I know he can’t get hurt, but that sounds a bit brutal, Mom. Even for you.”
Patricia tsks. “Fine, fine. Open the hatch. I suppose we’ll let him in.”
“Why the hell is it opening while you’re driving? It shouldn’t open while the vehicle is in motion!” Landon cries.
By this point, Mark has caught up with the police officer and seems to be having a conversation with the confused man.
“Landon, give me your hand!” Brandon shouts.
Landon looks perplexed by this request. “Who do you take me for? These arms have a weight limit of Zacia and books! You’ll pull me right out of the car!”
“Help me!”
“I’ll help you, bro,” Asmodeus says, shoving Landon forward so that Brandon can latch on to him. The issue is that Brandon is a big guy and Landon… Landon would definitely fit more in the “sits on the couch and reads books” category.
Landon is whipped out as he grabs Asmodeus who grabs me and then suddenly we’re all stumbling and falling out of the SUV.
Thankfully, Patricia wasn’t going too terribly fast, so Asmodeus lands perfectly on his feet, keeping Landon and me from face-planting.
“Landon!” August cries after him while Patriciazoomsoff with August still in the vehicle.
Landon tries running two steps before he just gives up. “Go on… without me.”
“I don’t think she has any problem with that,” I say as I watch August jump out before the SUV keeps going.
“Fuck… how do we get home?” Landon asks.
I glance at him. “You remember that one time you lifted our vehicle into the air?”
“Oh damn, I do,” Landon says before he stops the fleeing SUV with his hand. He draws it back to us and walks around to the driver’s door. “Were you going to leave me?”
“Sure was,” Patricia says, and I can hear her still revving the engine.
Landon tsks. “Not even a hint of remorse.”
“I never regret my decisions.”
The police officer has finally caught up as he wheezes and waves his badge around, like we might not have believed he was a real cop after all of this.
“Get… out of… the vehicle,” he pants out.
August pulls his mask off and smiles at the guy, who immediately recognizes him. “I’m so sorry we have inconvenienced you significantly. Superheroes United?—”
“We are actually here on superhero business,” Landon cuts in. “We are working undercover and trying to blend in with this group of strangers who are not related to me in any way.”
“I… I’m so sorry to have inconvenienced you,” the officer says to August.
“It’s okay! We will reimburse you and put in a good word with your boss for the work you’ve done,” August tells him.
The man seems to puff up his chest a bit as I hurry toward the SUV, not wanting to be an accomplice in any of this. I get in, hoping to have a prime spot where I don’t have to straddle any thighs. Asmodeus sees me and then hovers around until everyone else is in the vehicle before going, “Oh no… there’s no room for me.”
And then he crawls onto my lap.
