Being a shield for those around him is something he should be used to by now, it being something he praises himself highly to be able to do. It still didnât make it all the better when he actually has to end up shielding someone over such a close call. Out of anyone, Manning knew Harper was more than capable to handle the punks, it was the miscalculation thatâd creep up and bite him in the ass. But that was what Manning was here for, to make up for the lack of defense there clearly was. He just took an energy ball to the face, after all.
Eyes fell to the robber who was preparing another energy ball, assessing the situation knowing well enough it were pointless to say anything at the moment while Harper rambled on. Energy balls and beams against explosive sweat and hard skin; two offensives against an offense and defense, the latter of the pairings being the ideal winners here.Â
The robbers lack in any sort of defense was what would end this silly little stunt in a matter of minutes, âEven if they did think they can take us, after the commotion they caused to get in here, we wonât be the only ones theyâll be dealing with.â He said, placing his hands on his hips, eyes still on the two robbers with more attention on the energy ball pointed directly at them. A smirk appeared on his face at the commendation from the other. Those were rare to come by.
ââI got this.â With a roll of his shoulders, Manning began to advance toward the robbers, his entire upper body becoming rugged and tough like rock. In a panic, the one robber let the energy ball fly, connecting directly to his chest. Still, Manning marched on, entirely unfazed by the impact and power behind the attack. Had this been any other moment, heâd smile at the look of sheer fear on the men before him, but his expression remained stoic as ever. Finally propelling himself forward, he craned his right arm back, preparing to punch the energy ball guy to get him out of the way. It shouldnât hurt too bad.
However, it were the actions from the other robber that caught Manning off guard. Without having a secure footing on to the ground, the energy beam he fired off ended up having a direct hit, sending Manning through the air, crashing and bouncing off the side wall. Heâll give it to the punk, it was a good shot, but futile nonetheless. There was another beam, more forceful and controlled this time, pushing him back into the wall. âGet the other one before he pees his pants.â He shouted to Harper before running down the beam toward the robber, who looked like he actually pissed himself at the sight of Manning taking the beam like it were nothing.
Between the training Harper had received at Altimira Academy and at the Inner Sanctum, he really should have made sure his plan of attack was more secure and more stable. Unfortunately, Harper's overconfidence had a tendency to wash over all logic and caution when it came to immediate action. It was a hard habit to break for the blond, but one that often led him into more trouble than needed. At the very least, it seemed that Lady Luck had decided to pay him a visit tonight. He could have handled this - at least, he thought he could - but he wasn't going to complain now that he didn't have to worry too much on the defensive aspect. Manning had always been better than him at it. Not that he would openly admit it, but it was nice to be able to rely on someone other than himself once in awhile.
"Eh, they're fucking idiots," Harper replied as he threw his hands up in the air, letting them go into the universal sign for "I don't know". Though, he did consider most of the villains (and would-be villains) to be complete morons, Harper had come to notice that since the descent of the Dome, they'e started to get bolder than normal. Only two robbers attempting to break into a bank? He didn't like the way this crime sounded. "I mean, they decided to rob a bank in Ceres Centropolis. You'd think they'd know not to do this shit by now."
Harper gestured for Manning to go first. Normally, Harper would have just rushed into this on his own but since Manning was a fellow Altimira alum, he would let the other get a few good hits in. That and Harper really didn't want to deal with energy balls to the face. Harper observed the scene for a moment. His eyes narrowed when that energy beam hit Manning in the chest - that shouldn't hurt him, right? It better not have. That flash of concern was fleeting. Harper's ears picked up the sound of quiet movement from the other robber. He turned his head just in time to see them moving.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" Harper shouted at Manning, "I'm not doing this because you told me to. I'm doing this shit because --," Harper threw his hands back. The sweat in the palm of his hands built up quickly. As his hands were coated with the nitroglycerin, the crackling the explosion filled the silence before the liquid exploded. Harper quickly jumped as the force of the explosion pushed him through the air. With his open palms placed behind, he moved through the air, instantaneously ending up above the robber. Harper threw himself forward. With the force of the last explosion, he ended up above the other robber. He held his right palm out, barely grazing the robber's  head. Then, a soft explosion. Not to kill guy, just enough to knock him out. He landed perfectly on his feet before he turned around to face Manning and finished his words, "That's what heroes fucking do."
Harper twisted his body to full face Manning, "Hurry up. Beat that asshole already." However, after he shouted that command, Harper looked around his immediate area for something to tie the robber down. He really should invest in a utility belt one of these days.