"Sitch, there's been another incident regarding the Hero Hunter."
"Another?" I ask, sighing. "The damn board...we need to do something of it."
"What do you recommend?"
How am I supposed to know? There's never been something that's taken out this many heroes before! What am I even supposed to do?
"I'm not sure. If you ask me...we need to get some S-Class heroes in there; I hear that one of Tank Top Master's apprentices has been incapacitated because of this. Maybe he'll take care of it in his own time," I rant. I seriously think that may be the best bet we have. Either that or have a strong monster take him out in collateral damage.
This is...the third time he's done something like this. I didn't think he would hunt down so many of them. From what I hear, Golden Ball and Spring Mustachio were already taken out. This time it was one of the Tank Top Crew.
This won't blow over well with Tank Top Master. I have faith.
~~~
"Oy, you. In the lame green outfit," I call out to the bicyclist. "You a hero?" He just oozes of justice and righteousness. It's deplorable.
"Yes. I am Mumen Rider."
Mumen Rider, Mumen Rider...isn't that the guy who fought against the Sea guy? I heard all about him. He's actually pretty admirable. Pretty tough, I think.
That's a shame.
"I'm here to hunt you," I simply explain; there's no point in making it longer than necessary. If he's a C-Class Hero, he probably isn't worth my time in the long run. Besides, he's helping me become a monster!
"You," someone calls out, stepping from the shadows. Is it another hero trying to protect Mumen Rider? Well, killing two birds with one stone sounds great!
Hm? Who's this guy? Why's he all bandaged up?
Wait a minute. I did that! This guy's one of those Tank Top guys! I remember him! Tank Top Vegetarian!
"Garou..." he scowls, and I nearly crack up at that in itself. This guy, coming back after I messed him up?! Don't heroes know when they're beat?!
"Whatcha want, Veggie?" I interrupt. "Didn't learn your lesson yet? Or do I gotta teach you once again?"
"It's not me you're facing," he coughs, holding his nose in fear. "It's all of us."
"Oh, so you and your muscle-head bros wanna wrestle?" I mock, taking a quick battle stance. "Class is in session, and I'm gonna teach you what pain is." Lame line, I know. Sounds like something you'd hear from one of the old guys at the golf club, but it's actually from Justice-Man! The main bad guy, my own personal hero, said it himself!
Crack!
I cough, spitting out blood in an instant. That force. It's not something any of those Tank Top Fools could put out.
Wait. Where'd that hit come from? I roll on the pavement, feeling some of my clothes tear a little bit before regaining my sense of balance, skidding to a stop a little past Bike Boy.
"I heard you hurt my pupil. I will teach you a lesson."
Woah, woah, woah! There's only one person who that voice could belong to, and if I'm right, then damn I'm strong!
And it is!
"An S-Class hero? Man, I caught a big one!" I cheer, clenching my fists. Tank Top Master standing in front of me? Being able to fight both him and all of his pupils at the same time? Man, it's easy pickings tonight! I'll be fed for the next week if this stuff keeps happening!
"Don't cheer," he instructs, sounding like that one mom at a movie theater. In an instant, he punches the ground with full force, knocking me off ground before I can jump. He's faster than I thought, actually!
Now, you ever feel like time's going in slow motion? You just see stuff happen before it happens? Ever dropped something before catching it, like when you drop your phone in bed and dodge out the way?
Yeah, when you do that, you feel like a badass.
I feel like a badass right now. Somewhat.
Cause I realize that he's about to tackle me, but I can't react fast enough to dodge the hit. So instead, I brace myself as I get launched what seems like about 40 feet, before I twist and turn to land on the ground again.
I cough, feeling my blood boil but also spurt out of my nose, before cracking it back into place.. Man, this rush, it never gets old, I tell ya!
Oh, boy, this is gonna be good!
Of course, most people'd know where this is gonna go. The hero (disgusting) realizes that he did something beyond his moral code, tries to spare me and walks off, feeling himself, all self-righteous and courteous like a white knight. It's the most cliché thing someone can do.
And it's exactly what Tank Top Master tries to do.
Now, I'll be honest. He's strong. Can't lie. He's strong.
But he isn't strong enough to do something like that.
"Sure, sure, I'm sorry," I feign, standing up with better posture; before I can even start walking away, the disgust gets to me. "Not! I'm gonna finish all of you off!"
"Yep. That's what I thought," Tank Top Master sighs, almost seeming disappointed. Now that...that sorta set me off. I see his fist come at me, and instinctively, I rely on what I learned from that old geezer.
Where do I hit? There are so many places that I can zone in on! The arm? No. Abdomen? Nah. Chest? Meh.
The face? Sure!
I don't like using this style. It sucks, honestly. But just cause I don't like it doesn't mean I won't use it. Right now, it's stronger than what I know and what I can use, but if I just keep using it just for now, I'll be strong enough to ignore it altogether. Makes sense, right? Like how you use a toy until you get a better version of it, so you throw the old one away?
"Oops! Guess I just used the 'Water Stream, Rock Smashing Fist!'" I declare, smirking. I see him recoil from the blow, and I take that time to deal all the damage I need.
It's like I'm painting, almost. Every single blow does some sort of beautiful damage, some sort of harmonic irony in using the hero's art to crush them. Each pressure point, every joint, any vulnerability? I see it right in front of me, and it's gorgeous. Is this what it's like, being a monster? You see the weakness and flaws in your opponent?
As I deal the final blow, Tank Top Master flies into the nearby wall, causing cracks to flow through the wall like lightning. A real wonder.
"An S-Class hero on their knees!" I cheer, not being able to help the gigantic smirk making its way onto my face. "Now, Tank Top Master, watch as I, Garou the Hero Hunter, turn your entire crew into shreds!"
And when I see his eyes widen? That fear? That concern, that feeling of hopelessness? It's...euphoric to witness. I'm in love with that sort of feeling. That chaos, that fear, that pizzazz only held in fearful eyes. He begs and he pleads, but I'm not hearing any of that.
So even when Mumen Rider tries to interrupt? Even after I clean up the Tank Top Crew? Even when that worthless brat who was that old geezer's apprentice tries to save the day?
I walk away from the sight, knowing that the start of my hero hunting journey began with that little tidbit of joy when those eyes have that inkling of fear and humility within.
~~~
"Oy, Baldy," I call out, with what's on my mind itching at me and I just need to know. "You know how you beat up Garou without even knowing?"
He nods.
"So, apparently there was something that happened before that. He took out two other heroes. I think they were A-Class," I start.
"Why do you ask?" He interrupts, plopping down at my table. We're eating breakfast right now, and this sort of thought process just hit me out of nowhere. I don't know why, but it did.
"Well, I was reading the news article about Garou and felt like telling you about what I read. Maybe you can tell me what you noticed about Garou if you remember anything about him," I shrug, taking a sip from my coffee.
"I don't see why not," Saitama shrugs in return. "Why don't you tell me a bit more about it?"
~~~
You see, that little kid's been a huge help to me! He's a pretty cool person!
He showed me that entire hero catalogue and I got to learn a bunch of cool stuff about the heroes who I'm gonna hunt. Like how that Demon Cyborg goes for tough monsters (which I can respect cause he wants a good fight, I think), how King can reportedly kill a monster without moving a muscle, and how the two psychic sisters can bring meteor showers down. I'm really curious how the King Engine works. Would it be able to repel me if it repels monsters?
Speaking of, aren't they both in relationships? I know one of them's dating Demon Cyborg, but I don't know who the Tornado of Terror is with.
Didn't think professional heroes would be allowed to be in a relationship in the first place.
Anyways, that's besides the point.
You see, I should probably explain who this little kid is. Name's Tareo. He apparently finds this hero stuff to be the coolest stuff in the world. I mean, I don't agree with it, but hey, he's like what, younger than ten? He's allowed to change his mind.
Either way, the reason he looks up to heroes is sort of because of why I look up to monsters and villains.
We were both bullied as kids.
There, I said it. Weird, that the rising human monster was bullied as a little kid.
Now, don't get me wrong. I loved monsters before I was bullied. It was just because of it that I...sort of turned to villainy rather than that stereotypical hero stuff. It's when...Tacchan showed up.
Probably four people in this world knows who he is now, but back then? He was the talk of the school playground. He was practically the poster child for the school. Teachers loved him, he was your typical pretty boy who was super popular.
He...he picked on me.
That's when I learned about the dichotomy of society, about the good and evil, the popular and unpopular, all of that. And it helped me learn a few things.
But that dichotomy? That's all crap, and I suppose the whole reason I'm fighting's sort of to get rid of that. Besides, who's to say who's good and evil in the first place? Certainly not their place. Not mine, either.
So, Tareo?
I guess I sort of see a little bit of myself in him.
I know. He's a little snot-nosed brat who's super impressionable to the world around him and loves heroes and all that stuff that a normal kid would love. But after he told me his story, couldn't help but meet up with him a few more times. I'm actually trying to help him deal with it in his own little way, even if it isn't how I'd personally deal with it. Unfortunately, he's not got that sort of gift to fight like I do.
Besides, he's like a little teacher to me. With that hero catalogue of his, he's been showing me all the heroes. Of course, I had to ask about all the S-Class heroes. But afterwards? I learned a bit more about the A-Class heroes, The B-Class heroes, even the C-Class heroes. That's how I predicted when Tank Top Master was going to punch me before I used some martial arts, and how I predicted the rest of his crew's movements.
Learned a bunch about the cliques too. Turns out, there's a bunch of gangs in the hero world. Like the Blizzard group and whatnot.
Anyways, why am I talking about all this, you may ask?
Golden Ball. He's not super well-known thanks to his ruffian sort of behavior. He's like that high school cool guy who'd smoke weed. Wasn't an asshole, seemed pretty chill overall.
And what's important to me right now? He's an A-Class hero.
He's a pretty easy target, so it's not the ideal choice for a hero hunt, but all the other heroes are usually out and about, so I gotta take what I can get. Beggars can't be choosers, after all.
It's a decently quiet night, save for how the city seems to never take a break. People wandering around, everyone just drinking and partying. And that includes Golden Ball. If the hero catalogue is still accurate, he should be a little tipsy by the time I encounter him, and any other time he's doing hero work. I don't really have too much of a chance to find a random hero just walking around unless they look explicitly like a hero.
Someone like Tornado? Yeah, no way am I missing her in a street of people. But someone like Zombieman? Sure, he's pretty famous and you could recognize him, but he just looks like...another average joe, if I'm being honest.
I enter the bar where Golden Ball frequents, and instantly, he stands out like a sore thumb. Sitting in the corner, looking shady with his eyes downcast. All the signs of someone who's in despair. Unfortunately, he really isn't that good of an actor, you see?
"You. You're that A-Class hero, Golden Ball, right? I got some business with you," I slyly introduce, and I can tell from that glint in his eyes that he knows exactly what I've got on my mind. Him? He's the crafty type. I see it in his general posture. His shoulders, especially.
He groans, coolly shrugging, "You another punk? Fine, we can take this outside in a bit. Lemme finish this drink." I raise an eyebrow; he's clearly been nursing that drink for the last fifteen minutes. There's no way he's finishing that before I fall asleep out of boredom.
"How much that drink cost?" I ask, pulling him out of his slump.
"About ten bucks. Why?"
"I got ten bucks."
Why I say that turns pretty obvious, as I slice through his drink with a single chop. "I'll pay five bucks for the cup too. C'mon, I'm not waiting."
He blinks, as if trying to process what just went on in front of him. There's a little bit of shock, but what I'm really glad to see, or not see for this case, is fear. He's not afraid. In fact, he's irked. Irate. And it's perfect.
Because I love fighting heroes when they feel this passion, this sort of entitlement that the title gives them.
And I especially love showing heroes how that title doesn't mean they're a god.
Because while they've been shown they are time and time again?
I'm gonna open their eyes.
And I gotta say, when I fight Golden Ball and his friend, Spring Mustachio? It's perfect. It's the 100% you get on a quiz after studying so hard for it, and it makes you feel like you're on top of the world.
That rush, that adrenaline, that pain?
There's nothing better.
Now, if only that asshat didn't spoil the fun.
Who's the asshat? Not a hero, per se.
It's one of the guys who give a ton of money to them, one of the donators, the rich people who act like their corruption is their generosity?
Not to say all rich people are bad, though.
Either way, this guy...he's a perv. He's definitely a creep. I hear him ramble on about how he's such a trooper fighting on the front lines when he likely hasn't seen any blood in his life other than the steak on his daily dinner, and it's sickening.
First off, he's arrogant for no reason. If you can't back it up, you're an asshole. Secondly, he's a womanizer. Also an asshole. And lastly, he's self-righteous. Holy fuck, it's like playing the lottery of douchebaggery, and this guy's the jackpot.
It'd be a disservice to let him be.
Now, I see an egghead while I'm shopping and I think he's another hero, right?
I think I was knocked out by God himself after that.
~~~
"Sensei. There's a call coming from King for you," Genos addresses the buzzing phone on the table. It was quiet, though clearly noticeable if your focus was diverted from something else.
"Oh, sure," Saitama nods. "By the way, where are you going? Hunting for monsters?" Genos blinks. He wasn't sure whether or not to say yes or no to the question, mainly due to the sheer ambiguity surrounding his target at the moment.
Saying yes would only further work in his favor, so even in a subtle way, Genos combatted that theory, "No. The Hero Association requested I help take care of Garou, the Hero Hunter. I'm certain you're familiar with Silver Fang, correct? You've met before."
Another nod.
"From what I recall properly, he and his older brother, Bomb, have taken time off from professional work and their dojos to take care of Garou before he can be out of hand. Furthermore, there is a squad of heroes on their way to ambush him as we speak. I am to join them, if only to be a distraction before Bang and Bomb fight."
"Take care." Of course, Saitama was treating this casually. "Oh, Genos? Apparently, there's going to be a bunch of monsters over there. King wants me to head over there and take care of Elder Centipede, whatever that thing is. Maybe it's a videogame boss."
"Elder Centipede?" Genos quirks an eyebrow. "Are you aware of how famous Elder Centipede is in the Hero and Monster world?"
"No, why?" Saitama asks, and there's a gentle sigh of confusion. With the fame and infamy surrounding the Dragon-Level monster, one would think even Saitama would have heard of him.
"Supposedly, he's one of the strongest Monsters on planet Earth. His armor is also supposed to be so tough that there are only four people on Earth who are known to be strong enough to damage it, let alone kill it."
"And those four are?"
"You know two of them already. King, the one who stole your title as the strongest man of Earth. He is strong, mind you. However, it is rumored that he is strong enough to defeat Elder Centipede. Next is Metal Knight. He came to attack the meteor with missiles."
"Oh, that droid that just ditched?"
"Indeed. Next is Miss Tatsumaki. You can't forget that she's the strongest psychic on Earth, of course. And lastly, Blast."
"Who?"
"The top S-Class hero. Even stronger than Miss Tatsumaki herself, if the hero ranking is supposedly accurate within the S-Class. From what I can tell, Miss Tornado has never been the top S-Class hero because of him."
"Oh, that's cool. I'd like to meet him someday. Well, take care, Genos. I'll prob see you there if Elder Centipede's coming by."
~~~
"Hey, Tareo," I call out, looking at the venue. It's like an abandoned barn. Rotten wood, stinking aroma, flimsy, all the signs of some teens stealing some stuff from here to use for their own needs. "What are you doing here?" I heard the familiar whimpers of the kid, and they were filled with despair. Something happened to him.
Sniffles and whimpers. No verbal response. That's it. I'm not waiting anymore.
We agreed that we'd meet up somewhere around this place so we could talk a little more, but after I didn't find him at the bench where we normally meet up, so I decided to look for him. His parents aren't too strict, and he didn't seem to be getting sick, so something must've happened.
Wait a damn minute.
"Tareo, you in here?" I call out, a bit of impatience in my voice as I follow the echoes of whimpers. I blink, met with the sight of Tareo huddled up in a little corner, bawling his eyes out.
I gulp.
There's a lot of things I'm good at. Fighting. Intimidation. Hell, I was a decent student. Charisma, when the time comes to it.
And when it comes to blasting my own emotions of anger and frustration out there, these heroes help a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near my peak. I was humbled. Metal Bat was pretty tough, but his sister interrupted. She didn't deserve to see that happen, and to be honest, she sort of saved me. Same with Watchdog Man. He humbled me. His fighting style was pretty unique, and I've learned to slightly mimic it. However, King? I don't even know what happened then. Same with that Egghead I found after beating up that self-righteous prick.
But helping others with their emotions?
Now that wasn't something I specialized in. Not one bit.
"Tareo. What happened," I ask, my question seeming more like a demand, and it was. My mind instantly went to one potential cause for why he'd be crying this bad, and I didn't like it.
Another sniffle. "T-The bullies at school." He can't muster the strength to finish his explanation, and frankly, he doesn't need to. I know exactly what he's talking about.
Man. Holy goddamn hell. I know I've gotten annoyed at pieces of shit before. That self-righteous perv. That pedo from the hero meeting with that weird ninja. And especially Tacchan.
But seeing it happen to another person? What I went through?
I know beating up kids isn't right. It isn't. Kids shouldn't be exposed to hardcore violence in the slightest until they can comprehend the meaning and impact that this sort of stuff has on people.
I gulp.
Because for me, the harsh reality that I've gotta go through right now is this: Do I help Tareo and beat up his bullies, help him become strong enough to take care of it himself, or let him handle it without my own influence?
Personally, I'd easily choose to beat up his own bullies. But what'd that do for Tareo? Make him think he's invincible? I can't be having that.
I guess I'll have to go through what may be the most annoying thing on planet Earth.
Solving problems that other people have without violence. Cause violence and fighting's sort of all that I know.
"Oy, Tareo. You want me to talk to someone at your school? You go to Salt Middle School, right? The one with the pretty famous Body Improvement Club?" I ask, a hand on my hip as I try to come up with various ideas.
"Garou the Hero Hunter! We know you're in there! You are currently surrounded!" A booming voice comes from outside. I heard a very buzz-like whirring in the background, and from what I remember from the Hero Catalogue, there's only one person who relies on that as an intimidation tactic.
Death Gatling.
"Come out now, or we will open fire!" He instructs, and I blink. Shit, I can't let Tareo get hurt. Do I just risk it? Do I just get out?
I have to.
Instantly, I kick down the door, holding a hand out.
"Don't shoot at me yet!" I call out, and Death Gatling doesn't seem to listen.
"Why, Hero Hunter? Afraid?"
"No, what do you think I am, a coward?" I scoff. "There's a kid in here! I'm not letting him get shot because of what I'm doing!"
They seem to hesitate, staying on guard. Go figure. Then again, considering who I've harmed in the past that they know, I can't really blame them, especially when it seems like I'm cornered right now with about 6 heroes out here, if I count correctly. I'm not focusing on how many there are supposed to be.
"Tareo! Get out of here, now!" I call out to him, and the whimpering form of Tareo stands up. I pick him up, piggyback carrying him. "Death Gatling. Don't get me wrong. I'm not running. I'll be back. But I swear to God, if you even try to fire on me while this kid's in danger? That's just low."
It shuts them up.
And by god, it should.