THE MOMENT
"You're okay?" Fast-Breaker helped the downed hero to his feet, then released him when he felt steady. The downtown area was mostly evacuated by now with only a handful of Supers regrouping on each side. Two blocks away, an awkward stegosaurus was being cornered into an alley by a muscular man in a black costume. "I've gotta help Light Stego! Why hasn't he changed shape??" Fast-Breaker wondered aloud as he positioned himself to dash to the dino's aid.
"Hold on there, speedy," Knoller called him before he took off. It'd been a heck of a battle, and things seemed to be winding down, but any miscommunication could be dangerous. "What do you mean, ‘why hasn't he changed shape?’ Why do you think he can?"
"Well, can't he?" Fast-Breaker asked. "I mean, it's not like someone just gave a stegosaurus a costume and called him a hero, right?"
"Well no, but there's quite a gulf of possibilities between the two options," Knoller nodded. "He is a real stegosaurus," he added.
"Wait, the new superhero is not an animal shapeshifter in the form of a stegosaurus, and not a person at all?" Fast-Breaker asked.
"That is what I am telling you," Knoller answered.
"Unbelievable," Fast-Breaker commented. Light Stego refused to give up any more ground, and the musclebound Villain seemed content to monologue at the angry stegosaurus. "But, he passed the Licensing exam, right?" Fast-Breaker asked. He was mildly surprised that the stegosaurus was a real stegosaurus and not a shape-shifter. But, Knoller was right. There were myriad possibilities, and all of them involved official paperwork for a stegosaurus to be accepted as a 'hero'.
"Oh yeah," Knoller chuckled. "He's got a Super-level intellect, top scores on the essay portion." Now that he was in less of a hurry, Fast-Breaker could see Light Stego actually engaging in the discussion with the villain; it wasn't a one-sided monologue like he'd assumed.
"Is that his Superpower?" Fast-Breaker asked. He could move at Super speed and Knoller could manipulate and organize tiny objects. Knoller's powers weren't great for combat, but his abilities gave him a certain strategic view of situations. "He's just super-genius smart?"
"He is, but that's not what his registered power is," Knoller smiled as he pointed across at Light Stego and the villain. "Look, he's gonna use it."
The pair watched the other pair in the distance. The villain in black was giving a passionate speech, completely focused on Light Stego's small, masked head, and he didn't notice the dino's tail raising up behind the large creature. His tail rose at an almost 90-degree angle and the four spikes at the tip of the tail began to glow red with energy.
"YEEeeeeAAAGGhh!" Fast-Breaker and Knoller chuckled as the villain flew backwards from the blast. Four intense red beams fired from Light Stego's tail and hit their target square in the chest. The dinosaur seemed to notice the two of them laughing, and he began to approach them while they started forward to cross paths. On the way, Knoller clearly answered Fast-Breaker's question.
"That's his registered Superpower," he grinned. "He can fire lazers from his eyes or any of his plates, but his favorite is the Thagomizer."