Reception to Triumph

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Yoruichi couldn't believe what both her eyes and senses were telling her, she had to be dreaming, maybe even hallucinating. There was no way the being standing before her and Zaraki was real, this guy just couldn't be! He had just landed from what had to be a two hundred foot drop or over, and he had risen like he had merely been kneeling!

She could tell from the dark figure's voice that he was most definitely a male, it was far too deep and masculine to be a female, and she also knew, from the few rumours there were at the Aura Academy regarding the 'Shadowed Avenger', that he was supposed to be a male, but that's what she always thought he was, a rumour! A myth! A legend with no basis in fact!

'T-This doesn't make any sense, it's not possible!' Yoruichi thought to herself. 'This guy's supposed to be a myth! An urban legend! He can't be real..... Can he?'

Zaraki was still wearing that same all knowing smirk beside her, and it was driving her insane! Had Zaraki know that this was going to happen? Is this why he hadn't allowed her to attack the Rockets? Had he known of the 'Shadowed Avenger's' existence? All the possibilities were making the young Aura master's head hurt!

The thing which rattled her most of all though, was the sheer level of Aura the dark avenger of justice was outputting, the air around him was shimmering with it! She had only witnessed such a spectacle when watching Zaraki in battle, and Zaraki was the most powerful Aura user alive! However, Yoruichi could easily sense that the Aura both surrounding and coursing through the Shadowed Avenger was unfocused, unschooled and unused. He might not even be aware of his Aura powers, or that he was outputting incredible levels of Aura at this exact moment in time.

Yet despite her inner turmoil, all Yoruichi could seem to do now was exactly what everyone in the now silent reception hall had resorted to doing; stare in a mixture of both awe and disbelief at the dark figure that now stood before them.

'What's that stuff he's wearing?' She suddenly thought to herself in confusion. 'It.... It looks like...... Shadows? That's not possible either! What's going on?!?'

Yoruichi's inner monologue was cut short however, as the darkened figure finally began to speak....

Mewtwo couldn't help but smirk beneath his shadowy concealment as he witnessed the three Rocket's desperately fleeing and cowering before him in terror, the almost blinding light from his blazing blue irises having masked his quick mental manipulations upon the aforementioned men and woman.

He had very quickly and simply used his psychic powers to enter the minds of the three Rockets when he had been dropping down from the roof, forcing a chemical imbalance in their brains that had greatly heightened their perception of fear. It only worked on the weak minded and it wouldn't last for long, but it had done its job well.

'Three down...... Four to go.......'

The powerful psychic inwardly groaned as he looked towards the podium where the group's leader and the three Machamps still stood, the four momentarily stunned by his sudden entrance, though he knew from experience that they would quickly get over their surprise and try to either escape or attack him. Although it was more than likely going to be the latter rather than the former.

He also quickly discovered he had been right not to simply teleport here when he sensed that the leader of these pitiful excuses for both Humans and Pokemon was indeed a psychic, a weak one, but a psychic nonetheless.

Mewtwo knew that what he had done just now was dangerous. In exposing himself to not only the criminals here, but the hundreds of innocent civilians he was now protecting, he knew that it was only a matter of hours before he would become fact rather than fiction, a known and hunted vigilante instead of an urban legend..... And worse still, he couldn't erase their memories with his telepathy without attracting some extremely unwanted and dangerous company...... But this was a risk he had known and accepted as a possibility when he became the Shadowed Avenger all those years ago. Something inside him just couldn't allow himself to sit there and watch all these people being mugged and possibly hurt whilst he watched and waited for the criminals to leave so he could disarm and restrain them under cover of darkness.

'I guess there's more of a 'Hero' in me than I thought.....'

Deciding that he should probably break the ever mounting tension in the crowded room and save his nostalgic realizations for later, Mewtwo finally opened in his mouth and spoke up once again, his coarse baritone voice calm and collected yet frigidly cold in the ears of all those present whilst his burning blue iris's gaze locked with the leader of the Rocket's motley group.

"I give you one chance to save yourself, Rocket..... Give yourself up now, and I will not harm you or your cohorts......"


Zaraki couldn't deny that he was impressed by the 'Shadow Avenger's' timely yet dramatic entrance, though he had found himself repressing snorts of hysteric laughter as he watched the three Rockets cowering in terror after the darkened figure had 'got the drop on them'..... Quite literally as a matter of fact.

Truth be told, he was amazed that the Shadowed Avenger had been the being he had been sensing all throughout the day, not to mention the skill and ability the dark figure had already demonstrated were without the manipulation of Aura. Yes indeed, Zaraki was greatly looking forward to seeing this being in action. The Shadowed Avenger practically radiated both power and mystery with his presence, whilst his voice commanded authority and respect, his actions, the way he moved and the precision and accuracy of his earlier jump were truly a testament to both this Dark warrior's skill and power. The upcoming fight would most definitely prove to be an interesting spectacle indeed.

'It's a sure sign you're getting on a bit when you find entertainment in a youngster squaring off against a gang of crooks' Zaraki inwardly mused to himself. 'Oh well, I guess I'll have to start thinking about writing a will of some sort...... In another ten or so years.'

Mewtwo successfully repressed a smirk when he saw the Rocket leader visibly falter upon hearing his threatening words, though the humour he felt was quickly replaced with resignation when he heard the overpaid thug's less than optimistic reply.

"Not going to happen, Shadow boy. We came here to do a job, and we're not leaving until it's done."

Mewtwo narrowed his already solemn gaze at the Rocket upon hearing the suddenly cocky Human's retort, the blazing blue light of his eyes intensifying as he responded in turn.

"Your funeral......"

If the overly confident Rocket felt threatened by Mewtwo's words then he certainly didn't show it as he jerked his head towards the three burly Machamps, who were already cracking their knuckles in anticipation of a fight, the aforementioned fighting type Pokemon quickly and obediently sprang up upon seeing their trainer's signal, beginning to advance on the dark knight with clearly hostile intentions.

"Walk all over him, boys......"

Mewtwo simply let out an inaudible sigh as the Machamps began to approach him, wordlessly extending his large left paw, currently concealed in darkness, and slowly bringing it backwards and then forwards again in the universally known sign of 'Bring in on', knowing full well that these 'proud' fighting type Pokemon would take this as a great insult.

The Machamps responded in exactly the way Mewtwo had anticipated, all three of them bristled angrily as clearly surprised gasps and murmurs broke out within the crowds of the watchful yet terrified civilians, the trapped crowds obviously believed that the Shadowed Avenger had gone quite mad to openly challenge not one, but three of one of the most powerful fighting type Pokemon in the known world. Even such a lithe and agile fighter couldn't hope to survive such a confrontation..... Could he?

The dark cloak clad warrior clearly thought differently as he suddenly broke into a sprint towards the three hulking Pokemon, his long brown cloak whipping noisily out behind him before he suddenly seemed to become a blur, Mewtwo having used his 'Extremespeed' technique once again, appearing before the first of the Machamps in an instant.

Mewtwo took a split second to relish the sudden fear that bloomed upon the giant creature's face before he brought his clenched right fist up to meet his jaw in an uppercut that would make a Hitmonchan's look like a light tap in comparison, the Machamp's head snapping backwards in an instant before he was sent on brief flight backwards through the air, he'd undoubtably have agonising whiplash when he awoke.

'I doubt he'll be getting up anytime soon' Mewtwo thought to himself as the Machamp in question came down upon the podium with an almighty 'Crack' of splintering wood, before finally coming to rest at the feet of his trainer. The once confident smirks of the Rocket leader and his Pokemon quickly dropped from their respective faces as they visibly paled, the remaining two Machamps hesitating momentarily as Mewtwo slowly rose to his full 6'7 height with his paws at his sides.

Silence once again reigned supreme within the enormous reception hall as everyone, save for a certain smiling Lucario, stared open mouthed at the unbelievable feat of both speed and strength the Shadowed Avenger had just displayed, he had just sent a Machamp flying with a single punch! Supposedly one of the physically strongest Pokemon of all time......

"You had your chance, Rocket.....Your Pokemon can't defeat me....."

The Rocket clearly didn't share that sentiment as he screamed out orders to his two remaining Pokemon, nervous sweat beginning to accumulate on his pale skin as he returned the unconscious Machamp to his pokeball in a narrow beam of dull red energy.

"Get him! Attack him together and you'll beat him!"

The two Machamps, perhaps emboldened by their trainer's words, quickly shook themselves out of their stupor and broke into a sprint towards the dark knight, the tiled floor shook beneath their weight as the right fists of the Machamp on the left began to glow with a bright white light, the same happening to the other Machamp's twin left fists, both Superpower Pokemon summoning their powerful 'Mega Punch' technique in an attempt to crush the being who had so easily despatched their fellow Machamp.

Mewtwo held his ground as the two fighting types bore down upon his position, his large paws clenching into tight fists at his sides as he dropped into a crouch, gathering energy in his powerful leg muscles before he launched himself backwards into graceful backflip mere milliseconds before the Machamp's four fists turned the spot he stood not a moment ago into little more than rubble.

Mewtwo's padded feet landed squarely upon the pale pink paint of the wall behind him as he finished his flip, a smirk raising the corners of his lips unbiddenly before he executed a manoeuvre that all but the Aura users in the room thought impossible, he quickly gathered energy in his legs once more before launching himself down towards the rapidly regrouping Machamps with all the force he could summon, turning himself into a shadowy torpedo as he shot through the air with his paws outstretched before him.

The sickening 'crack' of a shattering ribcage filled the reception hall as Mewtwo's fists collided with the chest of the Machamp on the left, his chest cratering with the force of the blow and his eyes bulging in slow motion before he was plowed into the wall on the opposite side of the room! The plaster and brickwork quickly giving way beneath the force of Mewtwo's attack and the combined weight of both the wounded Machamp and Mewtwo himself.

The Rocket leader and remaining Machamp could only gape at the hole in the wall their comrade had disappeared into, their eyes almost widening beyond what was anatomically possible as they felt a deep sense of foreboding settle within their respective stomachs.

'H-He...... He...... He just smashed Rocky through that wall...... What the hell is this guy?!?' The now trembling Rocket thought to himself. 'Zeus doesn't even stand a chance!'

Yoruichi let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding as she and Zaraki watched the Shadowed Avenger throw the supposedly powerful Pokemon around as if they were nothing but a minor irritation! She could tell that the dark figure was holding back by a tremendous degree, it was obvious by the almost casual way he was dealing with them.

Though Yoruichi could sense a great deal of inner turmoil projected from within the Shadowed Avenger's Aura, she could sense a multitude of conflicting emotions within the mysterious vigilante all of which caused her feel a great deal of confusion. Within the dark knight she could sense an iron resolve to protect those who could not protect themselves, steadfast and unyielding bravery, great compassion, fortitude, kindness and many more admirable emotions. Yet, as she flexed her Aura and delved deeper within the Shadowed Avenger's own, she could also sense some troubling emotions as well. Loneliness practically drenched his Aura, Sadness, disdain and self loathing did also, these emotions were so powerful that they made her feel like she was being weighed down by simply sensing them.

However, that was not what truly concerned or frightened the young Aura master, what did was the underlying emotion she could just detect within the very center of the dark warrior's Aura..... Rage burned within his heart..... Unrestrained, unstoppable and unequallable rage...... A burning rage so savage and ferocious that it threatened to consume him entirely......

Zaraki had clearly sensed the same thing she had as she saw the smile vanish from his face in a moment when she glanced down at him, great sympathy blanketing his usually cheerful expression as he finally opened his mouth in order to speak to Yoruichi for the first time since the Shadowed Avenger's arrival, his tone low and soft as both he and she seemed to forget about the ongoing battle for a moment.

"You feel it too, do you not, Yoruichi? This poor creature has suffered a truly terrible existence..... I can feel his pain as if it were my own......"

Yoruichi could only nod as she swallowed loudly, blinking back tears as she fought to regain control over her emotions and free her Aura of the lingering traces of negative emotions she had received from the Shadowed Avenger, not trusting her own voice at the moment and even disregarding Zaraki's use of her actual name.

"I believe that we could help him, given time..... Do you agree, old friend?"

Yoruichi managed to smile despite the lingering unhappy emotions upon hearing Zaraki's words, she had guessed that he would say something like that, he always wanted to help everyone that needed or wanted his aid.

"I do, Zaraki..... Though do you think he'll even want our help? Let alone agree to come to the academy with us?"

Zaraki's slightly wrinkled face brightened into it's usual smile as he finally glanced up at Yoruichi, that ever present twinkle in his eyes shining brightly up at her as he spoke one again.

"I believe that he may find our offer tempting, as it offers him the things he subconsciously craves..... Companionship, trust, acceptance, kindness..... And most importantly, hope......"

Mewtwo couldn't help but feel a brief surge of sympathy for the wounded Pokemon lying at his feet, it was likely that his injuries would leave him incapable of walking or any serious movement for a considerable length of time. Quickly pushing aside all feelings of sympathy and guilt for another time, Mewtwo left the unconscious Pokemon where he was and stepped back through the gaping hole in the wall, finding all eyes upon him as he slowly strode towards his the final opponent.

"I offer you one final chance to surrender...... I would take it if I you....."

The last of the three Machamps, now known as Zeus, prepared to do battle once again as he steeled his shaken nerves, knowing full well that he didn't have much of a chance as he opened his yellow beak-like mouth in order to speak for the first time tonight.

"Machamp, Mach Ma......" (A true warrior never surrenders)

"A true warrior would not lie, cheat or steal......"

Mewtwo finally came to a stop roughly twenty feet from the hulking mass of muscle that was Zeus, his long arms held casually at his sides as he waited for the Machamp to make the first move, remaining perfectly calm and collected even now.

Zeus began to warily circle the lone figure draped in darkness as he tried to come up with a strategy, his dull red eyes frantically sweeping the room for something, anything he could use to gain the advantage in this battle.

Luckily for him, yet unfortunately for everyone else, a startled realization suddenly struck him. 'Wait.... He wants to protect the Humans......' Zeus thought to himself, smirking inwardly as not to arouse the Shadowed Avenger's suspicions. 'Let's see what the big hero does when they're in the line of fire.....'

Zeus continued to circle the dark knight until he was at his original position at the head of the entrance hall, facing the end of the reception area with the Shadowed Avenger standing roughly six or seven meters infront of the, now slightly calmer but still visibly shaken, crowd.

The Machamp planted his feet firmly upon the tiled floor whilst he held his four sets of hands before his chest as if he were holding a large ball approximately three and a half feet in diameter, his dull red eyes flashing with a bright gold light as spirit energy of a matching colour began to rapidly gather between his outstretching hands.

Mewtwo's currently glowing blue eyes widened slightly as the golden energy in the Machamp's hands began to grow at an astonishing rate, whatever this attack was it certainly looked impressive to say the least. Yet Mewtwo couldn't help but think, 'Why would he prepare such a powerful attack when he knows I can evade his every move? It doesn't make any sense..... Unless..... Oh please no......'

Mewtwo felt a cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach as he quickly glanced over his right shoulder, his eyes widening to the fullest possible extent as his worse fears were confirmed, a great many people were directly behind him. At the forefront of the crowd stood a young woman and an elderly Lucario, both of whom were staring at the Machamp with realization quickly dawning upon their faces.

'If I dodge this attack it'll hit the crowd!' Mewtwo thought furiously, turning his now enraged gaze back towards the Machamp who was now preparing to launch his completed attack.

Yoruichi and Zaraki had quickly reached the same conclusion Mewtwo had as they stared on in horror, their respective minds racing as Yoruichi agonised over defying Zaraki's orders and rushing to the Shadowed Avenger's aid.

'That's a 'Focus Blast' attack, it'll kill him if he doesn't move!' Yoruichi mentally screamed. 'But it'll kill hundreds of people if he does move! That monster! He's not even really aiming for the Shadowed Avenger!'

Yoruichi glanced down at the same Zaraki looked up at her, his crimson orb's unusually stern stare locking with her own golden eyed gaze in a look which clearly said 'We mustn't intervene!'

"Zaraki, we've got to do something!" She hissed angrily down at her long-time friend and mentor. "This isn't right!"

"You're underestimating him, Yoruichi....." Zaraki replied in a calm yet somber tone as they watched the Shadowed Avenger plant his feet and brace himself in readiness, he planned to meet the attack head on! "He is holding back his true power to a truly staggering degree...... I don't doubt that he could kill that Machamp with a single attack if he wished to....."

Yoruichi silently fumed as she took in her mentor's words, about to launch into another furious attempt to make Zaraki see sense before she was cut off the Machamp grunting loudly in effort, his glowing golden eyes glinting maliciously as he hurled the enormous sphere of golden energy towards the Shadowed Avenger.

Time seemed to slow down for Yoruichi as the attack neared the lone defender of the night, despite the attack having been known for being exceedingly swift. Feeling desperate, she began to sprint towards him, her cat-like golden eyes filling with silvery white light as she utilized her Aura to greatly enhance her speed and reflexes.

'I've got to reach him in time!' Yoruichi mentally screamed at herself even as she heard Zaraki shout out for her to stop. 'He's risked his own life to save everyone here, I can't just watch him die whilst I do nothing!'

She was almost there, she was only a few feet from him, just a little more and she'd be able to shove him out of harms way! But it was not to be..... For just as her fingertips grazed the Shadowed Avenger's cloak, Zaraki appeared as a black and blue blur and tackled her around her middle, sending the both of them sprawling to the floor a good five and a half meters to the dark figure's immediate left.

'What the-? Zaraki? Oh god, no!'

Yoruichi glanced up from the floor just in time to see the golden sphere collide with the Shadowed Avenger's arms, which were in a protective X-shape infront of his head and chest, before he and it vanished in the furious blast wave of an explosion, the size of which dwarfed even the colossal figure himself.

Yoruichi could only stare in muted horror as the fiery vortex enveloped the Shadowed Avenger in what promised to be a lethal blast, causing her to cry out in desperation to the seemingly doomed hero.....

"NO!!!!"