"Rich, over here!" A voice came from somewhere. Who was that again?
Some idiot with a hockey stick flew toward him, zipping so fast that it looked like he was teleporting between eye blinks. But there was also movement on the other side of the cave as well, but Hal couldn't quite see it, too freakin blurry.
Just as the giant metal ball was about to crush him into paste again, the blur hit pushed the hockey stick dude at exactly the right moment, like a bouncing billiard ball, and Hal was the corner pocket.
Hockey stick dude bounced off of him hard right as the metal ball slammed into the place where he'd just been again, and Hall got knocked on his back, rolling out of the way hard until he was hurdling towards the rocks blocking the cave's exit.
Hal focused on his amulet, managing to decrease the gravity of the rocks just as he hit them, so that he bounced right through them as if they were giant balls of Styrofoam and not something that probably would've killed his ass otherwise.
The effect ended right as he caromed out of range of the last of the rock pile, and the rocks all clattered back to earth, but this time, Hal's ass slamming through them all had a positive side effect.
There was a hole now at the top.
Hal hurt everywhere but he got his ass back up again.
"Yo," He shouted back through the hole. "There's a gap now. Get Collin and get the hell out!"
"Roger," Came Rich's voice, though it was drowned out almost immediately by the screeching-metal scream of that armadillo thing.
Hal wanted to run back in there and help, but that would just block the exit. What else could he freakin do?
He could move some more rocks around to clear more room, but what if they jumped up there while he was doing it? He 'd just make them fall.
Fortunately, a second later, both Adrian and Rick appeared, supporting Collin between them, who was looking shittier by the second.
Hal helped them get Collin to the ground.
"Dude," He said when he saw Hal. "It's just like the fortune cookie I had this morning said- 'When a giant metal armadillo is falling toward you, break the laws of physics and jump out of the way.'
"I doubt that," Rich said faintly, but his heart just wasn't into being a dick at the moment.
For his own part, Hal grunted, managing to not quite laugh. Kid looked like someone had taken a bat to him without leaving any bruises. He was all weak and sweating.
For a moment everyone just sat there, heaving to catch their breath, and looking down at an obviously in pain Collin.
There was a BANG suddenly, and the cave entrance rocked with the impact of something big, heavy and ugly.
"I suggest we exact an expeditious retreat," Rich said.
"Really, are you sure?" Adrian asked. "You don't have anyone else to taser?"
"I do not," Rich said, sticking out his tongue.
But it was just banter or whatever, without saying anything about it, they had already picked up Collin between them and started running off away from the cave.
Since it looked like they had him, Hal hung back a bit n case he had to slow down a freakin space lizard or whatever.
Jeremy, where the hell are you man, Hal thought as the rocks blocking the cage exploded outward, revealing a glint of metal from a huge foot.
Ah, Hal, my apologies, Michael had some trouble establishing the connection, but you are reading clearly now.
There were some excited shouts from behind him, so Hal risked a glance over his shoulder.
A portal had opened there, and some guys had come running out. Hal vaguely recognized them from the House. They were wearing robes, and carrying a gimonguous paper seal between them, with geometric figures on it.
Sorry man, we got our asses kicked, Hal thought back.
Really? Please bring back any injured members immediately!
Hal told the guys passing him, "Good luck!" and then raced to catch up with the trio in front of him.
Just before they went through the portal, Collin said brightly, "Well I thought that went really well, eh guys?"