3.23

Silas and Jimena joined the edge of the gathered crowd.

Standing in the middle of the crowd was a tall, skinny rabbit. They wore a tuxedo, complete with tails and bowtie. The rabbit’s ears stood to attention, ending above the stovepipe hat they wore.

Next to the rabbit was a floating, three wheeled car. It rotated in the air like a rotisserie, landed back on its wheels and the crowd cheered and clapped.

“For my next trick, I will need a volunteer.” Silas’s arm shot up faster than anyone else. He loved magic tricks and trying to figure out how they worked. The rabbit’s gaze fell on Silas and his heart quickened, only to deflate when the rabbit’s gaze continued to scan the crowd.

“You there.” The rabbit pointed into the crowd. “You look like you’d be perfect for my next trick.” A hulking rhino pushed through the crowd. A large tattoo covered half of their face and a large iron ring sat on their horn.

“What’s your next trick?” Silas called out.

“I’m going to hypnotise my volunteer. They will be completely under my command until I say so.”

“Just try,” snorted the rhino.

The rabbit made a few flourishes with their wrist and contorted their face into an uneasy expression. They faced the rhino and murmured a few quiet words.

As the rabbit stepped back, the rhino snapped to attention, unmoving.

“This rhino is now hypnotised and will do everything I say.” The rabbit’s face swirled back to a pleasant expression and faced the crowd, eyes beaming.

“Prove it,” yelled Silas.

“Yeah, prove it.”

“Prove it.”

“All lies.”

“I can assure you, there are no lies. This rhino will do what I say. You there, do you know this rhino?” The rabbit pointed to a squat man.

“Yeah, we work together.”

“Would you say this fine specimen is the strong sort?”

“Well yeah. Can easily bench press six hundred pounds.”

“Okay. I can make it so they can’t lift this measly feather. You there,” the rabbit pointed directly at Silas.

“Yes?”

“Come here.” Silas went up to the rabbit. “I want you to inspect this feather and tell me what you think about it.”

“It seems pretty normal to me.” Silas waved the feather around.

“Seems pretty normal? Well then, lets see if we can get our rhino friend to lift it off the ground. Please, my dear friend, can you try and lift this feather off the ground?” The rhino nodded and bent down to try and lift the feather.

The rhino heaved and grunted but nothing happened. The rhino went to go again but the rabbit stopped them.

“That’s fake. You’re paying them off.”

“I can assure you, its all real. I’m paying nobody off and my powers are true.”

“Liar.”

“Cheat.”

“Give me back my money.”

“This was a free demonstration. No money was taken.” The rabbit sounded completely flabbergasted. Out of nowhere, an apple core hit the rabbit square between the eyes.

“What, why are you doing this?” The rabbit straightened their tuxedo and glared at the crowd.

“Its so obviously a lie.”

“Well, my new friend. I want you to shut a few of these people up.” The rhino nodded and leapt into the crowd. The rhino’s nostrils flared, and it made a charge for its co-worker.

The little man stepped out of the way just in time. The rhino crashed into another person, sending them flying. The rhino whirled and charged at another random.

Silas inflated himself and launched himself at the person in the way of the rhino charge, knocking them out of the way. The rhino hit Silas and launched him away from the crowd.

“Hey pal, I think its about time you called off your friend.” Jimena stood alone, the crowd had fully dispersed. Her arm was pointed at the rabbit, a slime ball started to coalesce around her arm.

“I’ve already tried, but I can’t seem to do it.” The rabbit looked frightened now.

“Oh yeah, and why’s that?”

“I think maybe I’ve released some kind of repressed rage. This is what they want to do.” The rhino charge at Jimena, who rolled out of the way with ease.

“Can’t you just re-hypnotise them?” Jimena asked.

“No. I’m afraid the only way we can sort this one out is to knock them out, severing the link that I made.” The rabbit started to nervously crack their knuckles.

“Of course it is. Have you seen the size of th-” Jimena had to roll out of the way again, “The size of that thing? What do you think we can do exactly?”

Silas made his way back and collided into the legs of the rhino. The rhino faltered and came crashing down into the road.

Car horns blared as the confused drivers had no idea what they should do. The rhino pulled itself up and roared at the cars. The closest car whipped into reverse and immediately crashed into the car that was behind it.

The rhino pierced the hood of the car with its horn. It then lifted the car and threw it. The car sailed through the air and crashed on top of another car.

“So its somehow gotten stronger?” asked Silas.

“It would appear that way, yes,” said the rabbit.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. I’m not sure if it’ll work though.” Silas scratched his head and looked at the rabbit.

“What are you thinking?” Jimena asked.

“When you hypnotise someone, you form some kind of link with them, yeah?”

“Yes. It’s the extent of my powers. There are others out there far more powerful than myself.” The rabbit patted down their tuxedo.

“Right, so if I do this?” Silas pulled the rabbit’s ankles. The rabbit fell back and hit the ground, out cold.

“I’m gonna go check ahead, be back in a sec.” Silas inflated himself and rocketed in the direction he had heard the rhino.

He came across the rhino and found it fast asleep on the ground.

Silas returned and found Jimena helping the rabbit stand up.

“All good?” Jimena asked.

“Just another day in the life of being a superhero.”