Now…what to do.
Run.
What was that?
Be fast
Oh, shit, my centaur has joined the chat. I think about what it said. I know I’m a real speedy Steve these days, but I’m not so sure I can run fast enough to avoid bullets or whatever.
Shift.
Fuck yeah! I suddenly realize my body is fully willing to shift for the first time since returning to the Earth realm. “So, Zola, this might be a little freaky, but I’m going to change my body into a half-horse. Then you can climb on my back and we are going to gallop on out of here. Sound good?”
I can tell she’s mega confused, but who can blame her.
That’s not an everyday sentence.
I scoop her up onto my hip, then head up into the aquatic center basement. Putting on my best listening ears, I can’t hear anyone around. “Sshh, quiet as a mouse,” I tell her as I pull open the door and we slink into the main corridor.
Outside the big glass windows, I see the silhouettes of soldiers carrying green-glowing lights.
“Clippity clop,” I whisper as we sneak towards the emergency exit. “I’m going pony-style now, then once you’re on my back, make sure you hold on real fucking tight, OK?”
“Swear,” she whispers back.
“Shit, sorry.”
I hear a giggle. “Alright, here we go.”
My spine stretches, my muscles tear and reform, and in a flurry of heat and snapping bone, I become a centaur.
Feels sooo good. Totally been too long.
Zola’s eyes get even bigger, which doesn’t seem like it should be humanly possible, but she scrambles happily onboard when I kneel down. “Good job, kiddo. Now let’s Bojack out of here.”
Taking a deep breath, I put one hand on the exit bar, then shove it open. I head for the campus perimeter, almost flying with speed, within seconds me and Zee are in the shadows of the forest.
—We’re in the trees, thinking of jumping the main gates—
—Dono, wait, be careful, the wards—
Nah. My centaur brain is completely convinced this is the right course of action and who am I to question him?
I’m a blur of hooves and torso as we race around the perimeter wall. Only a few seconds to go. No way anyone can see us at this speed, and if the bio-scanners pick something up, it’ll only be a tiny beep.
I hit the gravel driveway at a full gallop. Gates coming up. Time to…
Leap.
We’re airborne, the cold November air cooling my hot skin, then my hooves hit the asphalt road on the other side.
Did it!
No idea where River is, but I decide it’s not a good idea to stop just here, so veer into the treeline and keep galloping.
—We’re out— I tell the link—I’m in the trees. Where’s River—
I tear through the underbrush, my hooves skipping over roots that would have tripped a lesser man, or horse.
