When Local Heroes Fall

Section 1: Payback Is a Bitch

Yangtze River let out an angry roar and charged straight at Sean, throwing a powerful punch toward his face.

Sean immediately recognized something familiar in that wild, reckless punch.

Hold on… That kind of power… I’ve seen it before! That crazy Underwear freak! Same brute strength, same reckless fighting style… except this one’s the cheap, watered-down version!

Sean quickly stepped aside, caught her arm, and used the force of her own punch against her. With a swift turn of his body, he threw the massive construction worker over his shoulder.

BAM!

Yangtze River crashed onto the pavement, shaking the ground beneath her.

Sean stood over her, looking unimpressed.

“Seriously? You throw punches like that, you’re practically begging to get taken down!”

He glanced at her enormous breasts, then gave her a suspicious look.

“Hold on a second… Hey, don’t tell me you’re one of those DTO freaks, too!”

“Shut your mouth, you gangster!” Yangtze River snapped.

She sprang back to her feet and charged again, throwing another powerful punch. Sean slipped past it and immediately swept her legs out from under her.

THUD!

Yangtze River hit the pavement hard.

Sean stepped forward, feinting a powerful kick toward her waist.

“Oh, YOU shut up, you she-male!”

Yangtze River immediately rolled sideways to avoid it, only to realize that Sean hadn’t actually thrown the kick.

Before she could recover, Sean pivoted sharply and whipped his leg around. The hard toe of his leather shoe came crashing down onto her yellow construction helmet like a sledgehammer.

CRAAAAACK!

The impact shattered the helmet, sending broken pieces flying across the pavement.

Yangtze River scrambled to her feet and reached up, feeling the top of her bare head. She stared at the shattered remains of her helmet in horror.

“What have you done, you monster?! Do you have any idea what that hard hat meant to me?! I’ve had that thing for years! Years!”

Sean lowered his leg and gave her a cold look.

“That’s what I call payback! You smashed the helmet that clueless little brat gave me! You really thought I was gonna let that slide?!”

Section 2: The Hook of Justice

Yangtze River’s fists were still trembling with rage.

“You son of a bitch! You’re gonna pay for what you did to my hard hat!”

Sean stood calmly with his arms crossed.

“I’m right here. Give it your best shot!”

Yangtze River took a deep breath, spreading her arms wide and pushing her enormous chest forward.

“You want a fight?! Then get ready for my ultimate move!”

Suddenly, she kicked off the ground with tremendous force, launching her massive body straight toward Sean, her gigantic breasts leading the charge.

BREAST SLAM!

A powerful gust of wind swept through Local Alley. Loose newspapers flew into the air, leaves scattered across the pavement, and even the nearby trash bins rattled violently.

Sean’s eyes widened.

Holy cow! Those things are like two wrecking balls! If they hit me head-on, I’m toast!

The enormous chest was closing in fast.

But at the very last moment, Sean casually stepped to the side.

WHOOSH!

Yangtze River flew right past him.

Sean immediately grabbed her arm, twisted his body, and used her own momentum to throw her toward a nearby utility pole.

BAAAAAAM!

Her massive body slammed into the pole with tremendous force.

Unfortunately for Yangtze River, a sharp metal hook was sticking out from its side—the very same hook that had torn Marvel’s Zhongshan suit earlier.

SQUELCH!

The hook pierced straight into the side of her belly.

“Aaaaargh! Jesus Christ! That hurts like hell! Who the fuck put that hook there?!” Yangtze River screamed in agony, her body trembling from the pain.

She glanced down at the metal hook buried in her thick belly.

“Thank God for this big belly of mine! If I were any skinnier, that damn thing would’ve gone straight through my kidney!”

Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the pole with both hands, braced herself, and violently yanked her belly free from the hook.

“AAAAAAAH!”

She stumbled backward, clutching her wounded belly.

Sean stood several steps away, watching her. Then he noticed the bloodstained hook sticking out of the pole.

“Hold on… that hook looks pretty rusty. You could get tetanus from that thing. You’d better get yourself to a hospital, and fast.”

He paused, then continued in a serious tone.

“Listen. I didn’t come here to ruin your life. What you did to that innocent kid was wrong, and you know it. Admit your mistake, promise me it won’t happen again, and I’ll let you walk away. We can put this whole thing behind us. You can even keep serving as a part-time Local Hero.”

Sean lowered his fists.

“Everybody deserves a second chance. Don’t waste yours.”

Section 3: Heroes United

Yangtze River’s face twisted with fury.

“You! You ruined my one and only shot at true love! I’ll never forgive you for this!”

She clenched both fists, threw her head back, and unleashed a thunderous roar.

“ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!”

A fierce wind swirled around her massive body, sending dust and fallen leaves spinning through the air. Her white tank top fluttered violently as she stood like a legendary warrior awakening some unimaginable power.

“I’M A WOMAN IN LOVE! AND WITH THE POWER OF LOVE, I SHALL STRIKE YOU DOWN, VILLAIN!”

Sean watched the spectacle with a serious expression.

Holy cow… What’s with all these flashy effects? I can beat this guy, no problem. But taking down a brute that size is gonna take a while. And it’s already lunchtime. Man, I’m starving! I’ve gotta wrap this up fast.

Sean raised one hand impatiently.

“Hey! Come on! Can we hurry this up? I’ve got lunch to—”

Before he could finish, he spotted someone approaching from the far end of Local Alley.

A man was strolling toward them, casually enjoying a chocolate bar without a care in the world.

It was Lazy Guy, a full-time Local Hero.

Sean’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, perfect timing!”

With Lazy Guy backing me up, we can finish this guy off in no time! Heck, we could even grab lunch together afterward!

“Hey! Lazy Guy! Over here!”

Lazy Guy looked up from his chocolate.

“Oh, hey, Sean. What’s going on?”

“We’ve got a rogue Local Hero on our hands! He’s dangerous, so watch yourself!”

Lazy Guy glanced at Yangtze River.

“Uh… okay. What’s the plan?”

Sean grinned confidently.

“Easy! You hit him from behind, I’ll take him from the front! We’ll bring him down together!”

Lazy Guy immediately stuffed the remaining half of his chocolate bar into his mouth, raised his fist, and charged straight at Yangtze River.

“Justice Punch!”

Sean rushed forward from the opposite direction.

“That’s what I’m talking about, Lazy Guy! I knew I could count on you! Let’s take him down and grab some—”

Suddenly, Yangtze River spun around, swinging both enormous hands toward Lazy Guy’s head.

DEMOLITION CLAP!

CRAAAAACK!

Her massive palms slammed together with devastating force, crushing Lazy Guy’s skull between them.

Deep cracks spread across his skull, branching in several directions. Blood began seeping through the fractures, trickling down his forehead, temples, and cheeks.

Sean froze. His clenched fist slowly loosened and fell to his side.

Lazy Guy staggered backward, his eyes wide with disbelief. The half-eaten chocolate bar was still stuffed inside his mouth.

Summoning the very last ounce of strength in his dying body, he forced himself to swallow it.

GULP!

He slowly looked toward Sean.

“Oh… I’m done for… Guess I won’t be making it to lunch with you after all…”

Sean stood frozen, watching from the other side of Yangtze River as Lazy Guy’s knees buckled. The dying hero sank to his knees, swayed helplessly for a moment, then toppled sideways onto the pavement. His arms and legs twitched several times. One final shudder passed through his body. Then he went completely still.

Silence fell over Local Alley.

“What the… No way… This can’t be happening…”

Sean’s voice trembled.

“I… I had no idea he was that weak. If I’d known, I never would’ve dragged him into this!”

Yangtze River turned toward Sean with a bitter grin.

“Ha! Now you’ve lost your comrade! How does it feel, huh?! Now you know what it’s like to lose your one and only true love!”

Sean stood motionless, struggling to process what he had just heard.

Then, slowly, the shock and grief in his eyes gave way to fury. His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. His voice trembled with anger.

“You sick bastard… You’re no hero. Not anymore.”

He stepped forward, his Chinese-flag cape fluttering behind him.

“I gave you a chance! You could’ve walked away! You could’ve made things right! But instead, you murdered one of your own!”

Sean raised his head, his expression hardening.

“That chance is gone. You’re not walking away from this.”

He raised both fists.

“IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE AND EVERY TRUE LOCAL HERO, I’LL EXECUTE YOU RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!”

Section 4: The Fury of Justice

Sean charged forward in a fury. His movements were faster, his strikes more vicious, and this time, he wasn’t holding anything back.

Yangtze River desperately tried to block his punches and grab his arms, but Sean slipped past every attempt, hammering her neck, abdomen, and legs from every angle.

It was almost like his Dragon and Tiger Frenzy—only without the wrenches.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Yangtze River could barely fight back. She stumbled backward under the relentless assault, retreating step by step until the battle spilled out of Local Alley and onto the main street.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Sean drove a devastating punch straight into her square face.

BAAAAM!

Yangtze River’s head snapped backward, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips.

She staggered several steps, barely keeping her balance. Her entire body was covered in bruises, her face badly swollen, and blood continued dripping from her mouth.

Sean advanced, his fists still clenched.

Just a few more minutes… That’s all I need. A few more minutes, and I’ll beat this bastard to death with my bare hands!

Suddenly—

HONNNNNK!

A large truck loaded with live pigs came rumbling down the street.

OINK! OINK! OINK!

Yangtze River glanced at the approaching truck, then spotted a woman in a short skirt walking nearby.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the innocent woman and hurled her straight at Sean.

“WHAAAAAAAA!”

The terrified woman flew through the air, her short skirt fluttering wildly. She was so frightened that she lost control of her bladder, sending a spray of urine flying out from underneath her skirt.

Sean’s eyes widened.

“HEY!”

If he dodged, the woman would hit the pavement and most likely die.

He caught the flying woman in both arms, staggering backward from the impact, only for the urine flying alongside her to splash all over him, soaking his clothes and Chinese-flag cape.

By the time Sean regained his balance, Yangtze River had already leaped toward the passing truck and grabbed the metal bars at its rear.

The truck sped away, its pigs squealing as Yangtze River clung desperately to the rear bars, her battered body swinging behind it.

Sean hurriedly set the frightened woman down on the pavement and sprinted back into Local Alley without wasting another second.

That bastard’s not getting away! With my bicycle and my incredible pedaling power, I can still catch him!

He raced toward the street-sign pole where he had locked his brand-new bicycle.

But the moment he arrived, he froze.

His bicycle was gone.

All that remained was the front wheel, still securely locked to the pole.

“What the… You’ve gotta be kidding me. Where’s the rest of my bike?”

Sean looked back toward the main road, but the truck was already long gone.

“Damn it!”

Section 5: The Heroic Scientist

Meanwhile, at the Deepsuck Research Center, scientists were working around the clock to develop a vaccine for HJV—the Human Junkodisappearance Virus.

Researchers examined blood samples, studied microscopic images, and ran simulations on powerful computers, searching desperately for a breakthrough.

In a conference room, several senior researchers gathered around Karl, the young CEO of Deepsuck.

Suffering from advanced ALS, Karl was almost completely paralyzed. His body had wasted away to little more than skin and bones, making him look like a living skeleton. He sat in his motorized wheelchair, communicating through a synthesized British voice.

“Gentlemen, how close are we to a working vaccine?”

One researcher replied confidently.

“Very close, sir. We’ve made tremendous progress. If everything goes according to plan, we should have a vaccine ready in just a few months.”

Karl fell silent.

“But I don’t have months.”

The researchers exchanged uneasy glances.

Karl continued, his electronic voice remaining calm.

“As a scientist, I want to devote whatever time I have left to helping humanity defeat this terrible virus. If I could live long enough to see that day, it would be my final—and greatest—contribution to mankind.”

He paused.

“Unless… a miracle happens.”

Section 6: The Fallen Hero

A few days later, the Local Hero Association held a small funeral for Lazy Guy.

A framed photograph stood beside his coffin, surrounded by flowers. In the picture, Lazy Guy wore his usual carefree expression, holding a chocolate bar to his mouth, caught in the middle of taking a bite.

Several Local Heroes gathered to pay their respects.

Among them stood Sean, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

“It’s all my fault…” he muttered. “If I hadn’t dragged him into that fight… he’d still be alive.”

The Local Hero Association also stripped Yangtze River of her Local Hero status and issued a citywide bounty, open to everyone—not just Local Heroes.

Soon, wanted posters appeared across Flushing City.

One was pasted onto a utility pole beside a busy street. It featured a large photograph of Yangtze River’s unmistakable square face, along with the following details:

WANTED
NAME: YANGTZE RIVER
SEX: MALE
AGE: IN HIS TWENTIES
DEAD OR ALIVE
REWARD: $1,000