This fanfic was based off of pieces of a dream I had, and then meshed with lots of other things to give a better layout to an actual story, rather than to be a ramble. Some parts, Will seem less, I don't know, correct(?) as to how the character might act. But it's a fanfic. I did this more for people to read I guess? I had written a One Shot fanfic for One Punch Man, but it's not something that needs to be read prior this one. This story is to follow after the most recent OPM chapter: Chapter 130. It's not really a spoiler for anything, but it can be read as an alternative to what could happen. :)

A Second Option

Chapter one

Bang stood before Garou, ready to deliver his final blow to his once prodigy student; a stern but bitter expression on his face. He didn't want to have to do this to him. He had so much potential, but had now turned away from the path of light and hope. This "hero hunting" had to end, and he would have to do it with his own fists. He couldn't rest with Garou just to be left alone, any longer. His pathetic pupil lay against a tree. His head slumped forward as many blows had been inflicted upon this weakened body. He was already on his last breath, but he had the decency to at least follow through to put Garou out of his misery. His clenched fist recoiling back as he took a final stance. This Monster, no… Garou. Garou would have to become no more in the world. His bloody and torn up body so lifeless; his breathing so shallow, his muscles flexing from the tension as the muscle spasms were still running their course through this fighter's body.

"This is the end… Garou…" Bang spoke calmly and closed his eyes, preparing for the finale.

"Wait…!" a voice cut threw just moments before the connection of Bang's fist met with the body of 'Garou the monster'. Not only his attention would look up, but as would the two other commrads that stood to watch and witness the end of this hero hunter. Between his fist and the body, was a crouched woman who had shoved her way between them at the last moment; either to be stupid, or have the faith that she would be in time not to be struck herself, she resided where she was. Dark dark brown hair swayed over her shoulders as it began to settle from his rash movement to be between them. She wasn't an unfamiliar face to them. Red markings, dark brown hair, clothes that made her seem like she was tucked into the forest for longer than she should have been, and ears… Not just any ears, canine ears. Pointy white ears upon the top of her head, like that on a husky dog.

"Kyo." Bang pulled back calmly and put his hands behind his back as he stood upright to look down at her. "You are better off staying away from this failure of a student of mine."

She remained as she was, as if covering over Garou to protect him. Her golden yellow eyes stern as she looked up at Bang.

"Let me take him from here."

Bang sighed and shook his head.

"He is a lost cause. I will put him out of his misery. Now move aside, child."

She gave a small growl, with her eyes still on Bang.

"No. Let me take him from this point. He might die anyways. But let me have a try at him."

"He's not your play thing, Kyo."

"I know that…" she turned her gaze to look back at Garou who sat unconscious, before her gaze went back to Bang.

He sighed, again. "Very well."

"But Bang-!" Genos started.

"It's alright. I will let her do as she pleases… However." He looked down at her. "If you cannot change his view on the heroes then you personally will have to take his life."

She nodded.

"Come on Genos, we have other matters to deal with. This one is no longer ours." He spoke as he turned away from the two.

"But bang, we can't just-!"

"It's alright." He placed a hand on the cyborg's shoulder, his head turning to look back over his shoulder as he looked back to see this Kyo woman attending to Garou. "As we all know, she IS a monster, but the association has allowed her to fall under the protection of heroes. She still wants to help out, and what better way to try then to take care of someone who is against the heroes, like the other monsters, then a monster herself?" he let out a short chuckle as he then walked past Genos. "A monster converting another monster to become good…. I wish her luck." He ended his words before leaving the area with both of the comrades at arms.

Lying on his back, his eyes would open to look at a ceiling; his body in pain and hardly able to move, other than his head being able to turn from side to side. A look of frustration and anger on his face, for himself as he not only wasn't able to stand up against his old master, but the fact that he was still alive; lying there; wherever 'there' was. How pathetic. And now, all he could do was wait, lying there. Who was taking care of him now? It wasn't going to be his old teacher, he already knew what that fight was going to lead to. And he was going to die trying to come out of it, but the whole dying part had to be postponed it seemed. He wasn't dead, not yet. He wouldn't be unable to move if he was dead.

The sound of a sliding door could be heard off to his left; his gaze turning to look out the corners of his eyes in that direction as he started to notice that he was in an old fashion style of a Japanese house. Tatami floors, wooden open ceilings, him lying on a futon in the middle of an empty room, and those rice paper made walls. He imagined it would be his rescuer, he guessed, since he wasn't dead. In fact, his body, now that he thought about it, was wrapped up as if someone had attended to his injuries. Someone was trying to help, more than not. How pathetic of him.

The sliding door that his gaze had turned to was much higher aimed then what came through the door. A split moment of confusion in seeing no one was then shifted downward as the image of a white husky looking of a dog came into the room. It's mouth carrying a tray that had what looked like towels on it. How strange. The dog then set the tray down alongside Garou as the dog started sniffing over his body before starting to lick at the top of his head and on his arms.

"Oi…! Knock it off, mutt. I'm not dead." He grumbled at the dog, but with his present state, he couldn't even lift a hand to try and shove off the dog. Instead he could only watch as the dog continued to lick at wounds that hadn't been covered or attended to, at least not at that moment. A very unhappy look on his face crossed him as he felt his head get slightly pushed around every time the dog licked at his hair line, and face. No longer was he covered in blood, but now dog saliva. How pathetic. "Oi…! I said knock it off, mutt…!" he called out again, but the dog ignored and only licked from the opposite side of his head before it turned to pick up a towel and begin to… wipe him off? The dog no longer licking, but acting as though to clean him off, or whatever was left, other than that dog saliva. "First you lick me, and now you're cleaning me off? Gee, thanks." He rolled his eyes in sarcasm and stared up at the ceiling again. There was nothing he could do, just put up with his caretaker's actions.

"Woof." The dark let out a low bark, as it then bowed its head and turned, leaving the room. Garou's eyes had turned to follow the dog, catching a glimpse from the dog behind, only to notice this dog was female., it's not hard to tell when you're laying on the floor. Garou's nose let out a deep exhale as he turned to look back up at the ceiling. This whole situation was pathetic for him.

A week or so had soon passed, and he had at some point, been able to push himself up to a sitting position. There was always a tray of food next to him when he woke up, as well as in the evening, after he slept again. But the lunch was always brought in by the same mutt that was his caretaker. He never saw anyone else, other than this dog. She often would bring a tray of oranges, or some kind of fruit, with a fish. No doubt that the fish was caught by the dog, it always had bite marks in it, like it was caught with her mouth. And soon, it became routine. He woke up, ate, sat around until the dog came, the dog would leave, bring lunch, then leave again before he took a nap, and then dinner would be there, as well as the dog, sitting nearby. At least now he was sitting up on his own. The first few days the dog was offering in feeding him as it would hold pieces of food in its mouth to his mouth. How pathetic. It did, however, make him more motivated to be able to sit up on his own, and after that second day of that, he was at least sitting up enough to eat on his own. The dog seemed pleased with that, and her tail would often sway back and forth.

It also became routine for the dog to lick him over some, while he ate lunch. And with him now able to sit up, she would lick at his back and arms where wounds had been. He never thought much on it, but it always felt like the wounds were healing faster every time the dog would come lick them.

"You know… I don't need you always here. I'm fine without food for a few days." He started talking to her, as the week moved into the next. "You damn owner should come visit, though. Instead of always sending this mutt in their place." He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

She made a low growl.

"What? You can understand when I'm bad mouthing you coward owner?" he gave a chuckle and turned his gaze away from the dog. "Maybe YOU'RE the owner here." He said, jokingly out loud to himself. Not like the dog could fully understand him anyways.

"Woof…!" she huffed again and stood up as she went over to his backside and began to nudge him as though to move.

"Oi! Watch it mutt..! I'm still injured..!" Garou began to shove the dog off. She often started trying to get him to move just the day before, usually more around evening after dinner.

"Woof..!" she growled and began to shove a bit more aggressive at him.

"I said knock it off you damn dog!" he growled back as she continued to push more. "Fine..!" he finally reacted and threw the blanket off of his body. His pants were soaked in old blood, but his legs were wrapped up in bandages, like the rest of his body. "Not sure how your owner pulled off in bandaging me with my pants on, but at least I got to keep my pants" He pushed the dog back as he began to bend his legs and eventually push himself up to his feet, on shaky legs. His body still sending waves of pain through his body, making him tense and growl.

"There, I'm up, happy, you stupid mutt?" he glared down at her with his hands in tight fists.

"Woof…!" she nodded as if in approval as she then began to head out of the room and then stopping at the door to look back at him.

"What? Now you want me to follow you, stupid mutt?" he glared. He hated this dog in some way, but she was still the only other thing he saw in almost two weeks. "fine." He grumbled and slowly began to walk off after her.

She would hop off ahead a few feet before looking back at him, as if to say "Are you coming? Are you coming?" and then would move ahead a bit more. This process continuing on until she had finally led him to an outdoor hot spring, where the steam was visible as it was already dark outside.

"Tsk, damn. Your owner must be rich, to have this old house as well as their own hot spring." He glanced about, thinking he might get the chance to see this owner, but to no anvil.

"Woof." She gestured her head towards the edge of the hot spring and to him.

"I'm guessing you want me to get in? Just when I was starting to get use to your tongue baths." He chuckled and carefully began to strip off his remaining clothes, as well as some of the bandages that he was able to rip off more easily than others. His person then to step into the hot spring carefully, as he took a seat and looked back at the dog. "Oi, bring me a towel, servant." He called out to her, as he could see her head turned away from him."Hey..! are ya listening to me, mutt…!" he called out a bit louder, as she then took off inside where the original changing rooms would be, and emerge with a towel in her mouth.

"Ya, bring that here." He gestured a finger at her, to bring it to him.

She walked carefully, with her head turned away and her gaze turned anywhere but to him, as she placed the towel in his hand.

"Don't tell me your owner taught you how to respect someone taking a bath." He chuckled again and took the towel and placed it over his eyes as he leaned his head back.

The dog had left once more, after bringing him a few more towels to set just outside the edge of the hot spring; taking off to who knew where.

His routine finally able to change as he was now able to walk, and with the bonus of a hot spring, he made healing seem to go faster, as he replaced naps with hot spring trips; but the dog always to go a-wall whenever he began to strip down.

A few more days would pass and he was already on his feet with ease. Still sore, but at least he was mobile now and no longer stuck in that damn room. But no matter how much he walked around, he still never saw anyone else, other than the dog that was always with him when he went exploring.

"Damn, this place is huge.." he commented, while looking into another empty room. He clicked his tongue in annoyance in finding no one and would continue on. "Can't you take me to your owner, mutt?" he asked with his hands behind his head. He now walked about in clean new clothes, and no longer to go shirtless with his ripped up, stained pants; something that was provided to him by the mouth of the dog, after his old pants had been taken away after a hot spring trip.

"Is anyone even here?!" he called out, in annoyance. But the day would pass without seeing anyone.

That evening, after his food had been finished off, he sat on his bed, leaned back on his arms. He didn't take baths right after eating anymore and would usually just hang out in the room for an hour or so, till the dog came to check up on him. But this time, Garou had decided to take an early dip. He might as well; nothing else to do. He pushed himself up to his feet and already had stripped off his shirt, leaving it in the room as his very well toned body was looking much better now, compared to when he first came. It never really crossed his mind how quickly he was healing. He could of sworn he felt like more than half his ribs were either broken or cracked when he first was there. But now, it was as if he had never had any major problems, and was just on a vacation. He was still sore, and recovering, and hey, a free place to stay with food, bed, and a hot spring; there wasn't too much of a rush to get going.

His step felt a bit lighter as he half smiled at the thought of an early dip; his feet knowing the way without the aid of the mutt. She wasn't even around anyways. "The mutt's starting to slack in checking on me." He talked to himself. "But it's not like I need her anymore." He added in, and stepped into view of the hot spring. But his tracks were shut off as he was forced into his top, looking over the hot spring.

Turning her head around, a woman stood in the hot spring. A towel wrapped around her as he could see her hair had been pulled over one of her shoulders as she looked back towards him. It was like time had slowed down, as he could feel his face turn red, as he felt in shock. He could feel his body pulse as his eyes seemed fixated on the woman. He hadn't seen her around, he knew that for sure. And his first time to see her to be in the hot springs?

From her point of view, she looked back over her shoulder, before her body began to turn as well; a hand holding onto the top of her towel as she looked to make eye contact with Garou. Her mind going blank, for a moment, before her face too began to turn red; and not from being in the water too long.

"A-ah…S-sorry!" Garou quickly turned away as a hand came up to cover over his face, just below his nose; as though to try and cover the red in his face. He had to admit, she was beautiful. But then again, he had been stuck in this house for almost 3 weeks without seeing anyone else, let alone a woman. His sudden shock made him walk back quickly to his room, leaving the door open. His feet taking him to start pacing back and forth around the room, as though to try and calm himself down.

It was within minutes that the woman would come to his room, now wherein a black tank top and a pair of pants that looked more for sparring in, rather than to casually go out. "U-uh… Garou…?" she called out as she poked her head around the corner to look into his room. His pacing to halt as he looked up at her with his eyes still in shock. Not only had he never seen her before, but now she was at his room?

"Sorry to um.. Have you catch me.." she started and stepped into the room and knelt down on her knees with her hands to rest on her lap as she looked up at him. "I didn't think you'd go to the hot spring so early." She forced a small smile, as if to have a seat drop down her face.

Garou looked down at her. His heart pounding as he now was getting a much better view of her, but then question began to come arise as he finally took notice to the red markings about her, and the white ears a top of her head that looked very familiar. He was at a loss of words and just stood there looking down at her with his hands in fists.

She took notice that he was now registering that she wasn't all human looking, as her gaze went downward, and her ears to flatten back down to her head. "I didn't think you'd take too well to a monster taking care of you, so I um…" she rubbed at the back of her neck, keeping her eyes away from him. "I thought a dog was more comfortable for you." She looked back up at him with that same uncomfortable smile.

It clicked.

"YOU'RE THE MUTT?!" he exclaimed.

"Ya…" she looked down again.

With a deep exhale, he ran a hand over his face, and to rub the back of his own neck as his own gaze turned away from hers, and he finally felt calmed down enough to sit down with his legs crossed, on his bed.

"So if you're the mutt…. Then you must be the owner as well?" he leaned an elbow on one of his knees as he looked at her as this serious expression began to take over as the caught off guard moment was being shoved off..

"Ya… But!" she looked up at him quickly. " I promise I wasn't trying to deceive you in bad tastes! I just…" her gaze went back to the floor. "Most people don't take too kindly to 'monsters'…."

They both sat there in awkward silence for a long while. Then to have it broken as Garou took a deep breath threw his nose, and sit up more upright. " Then explain to me from the beginning why you, one." He put up his index finger. "Started licking me all over the first night."

"Well um, you see I-"

"And two, why am I here?!" His voice wounding harsher as though anger starting to rise.

" Well… I was helping your wounds to heal faster with my saliva… If you didn't notice, your wounds on the outside of your body are closed and healed up, wherever I licked you. Regular humans don't heal that fast."

"And my second question?" he crossed his arms, with his eyes narrowed on her.

"I.. asked Bang if I could take care of you." She kept her eyes downward, as if caught doing wrong, and knew she was in trouble. "He gave me permission… also though!" she looked up at him, quickly once more. "But without me, you'd never have healed..! I.." she recoiled back a ways, like a dog, in trouble. "I would put drops of my blood in your food, to help your internal wounds heal quickly."

He put a hand to his side, where his ribcage was.

"You…" a look of question turned into anger, on his face. "You put blood in my food!?" he stood up suddenly, and she followed after, to stand up as well. "I was helping you to heal!"

"By using blood!?"

"It wasn't in bad taste!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he gritted his teeth and pulled back an arm with his fist as though to strike her.

"I'm….! I'm sorry..!" She pulled her head down and turned away as she took off running out of the room and down the hall."

He let out a very frustrated deep breath and put his arm down as he plopped back on his bed. Looking at his hand that he just risen as though to punch her with it.

"Damn." He cursed at himself, with a scowl expression on his face as he closed his eyes.