No sign of him. So if he's not here…where would he be? Ayano tugged the hood of her coat further forward to shield her eyes from the harsh sunlight. Squinting, she was able to see Saitama sitting at the table in his apartment. Manga in his hands, snacks on the flat surface in front of him, appearing to be enjoying some free time.
With no calls from the Hero Association, and Mumen Rider being out of town on hero business elsewhere, Ayano had some free time herself. Time she had apparently wasted looking for Genos. She gritted her teeth and shook her head, trying to convince herself this was not time wasted.
I could try asking Saitama, but I'm sure he doesn't know. Genos didn't even tell him about the fight with that fake hero. Samurai Catgirl. More like…Samurai Ratgirl. What kind of person would look up to someone like that creepy cyborg cat person? She was obsessed…like she was in love with him.
Ayano turned away from the apartment building and sighed in frustration. She wanted to fight her again. She knew she was stronger now. Between Sonic's training and Garou's self-defense lessons, Ayano was much more confident in her fighting abilities. She just needed the opportunity to prove herself.
I could wait for Genos to come back and then follow him when he goes out again. That could take a while, though. I don't want to be here for that long. I want to be home before Sonic finishes his job. Nodding to herself, she determined that she would just have to get up earlier the next day and stake out Saitama's apartment at sunrise to wait for Genos to go out again.
She left the rooftop and was soon stepping into the desolate street. Gripping the front of her coat closed, she bowed her head and began to walk back toward her own building. Of course, she was disappointed. She had been looking forward to fighting Samurai Catgirl again. Hoping to defeat the Class A hero and prove to herself, as well as Sonic and everyone else, that she was getting stronger.
"Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! Wrong girl! I can smell her! Where is she?!"
Ayano froze in her steps, hearing this snarling voice in the distance. Lifting her gaze, she was unable to see anyone. She darted into an alley and paused, listening. There were rapid footsteps and then a female scream. A crash, a loud growling sound and sniffing. Human whimpering, begging.
The sound of a girl pleading for her life made her stomach turn with familiarity. Despair. It was unbearable because this stranger's desperate pleas for her life sounded so much like Ayano's little sisters. She knew that she had to be quick if she wanted to save this stranger.
Without thinking, she soon had two blades unsheathed and sprinted down the street. What she saw made her quicken her steps even more. There was a girl, no older than thirteen or fourteen, backed against a wall with a monster looming over her. A bipedal beast with two sets of arms, each finger tipped with a sharp claw, and a wolf-like head. It reminded Ayano vaguely of a werewolf from a video game she had played in high school.
The monster drew an arm back as if to slap the girl and Ayano swiftly put herself between the two. One blade raised before the monster's clawed hand could connect with her and the edge dug deep into its forearm. It stumbled back, snarling and glaring down at its arm as crimson droplets speckled the ground.
"You…you! It's you! I smell it! I see it! I found you!" An absurdly fluffy tail whipped back and forth behind the monster as it regarded her with a set of blood-red eyes. Its lips drew back in what could only be described as a canine variation of a smirk and it huffed in satisfaction.
Ayano felt the teenager behind her trembling as the girl gripped the back of her coat. "If you're here for me…why did you attack this girl?"
"That little scrap of meat is just collateral damage. You're the big prize I was after." Drool slickened its lips and dripped from the snout as it leaned down. A clawed hand reached for her shoulder, but she lunged forward and forced it to step back.
"If you're here for me…let her go."
The monster glanced from Ayano to the girl behind her and he huffed again. "Letting a specimen like her go? A waste. Such a waste. Wasted flesh. Wasted material. But you…" A snorting, growling sort of laugh escaped it. "You're the bitch that killed Kenta. You're the bitch that took Samurai Catgirl. I'd probably get a big reward if I brought you in alive. Good material. Good flesh. But I really just wanna eat you!"
Ayano shoved one blade through its shoulder and moved to the side quickly, guiding its attention away from the girl behind her. Shooting her a stern look, Ayano soon had the civilian fleeing the scene. Good. If it's just me and a monster, I can focus. And this is…someone affiliated with Samurai Catgirl. Maybe it's as strong as she was.
The girl left her sword deep in its flesh as she leapt back to avoid a clawed, swiping hand. She felt the tip of a claw brush the end of her nose and grimaced. The monster smelled like layers of old blood and rotting meat. Nausea made her taste bile for a second before she fought it down and reached behind her to unsheathe a dagger.
Side-stepping, she tried to get it to put its back to the wall. She needed every advantage she could get since it was at least two feet taller than her and had four arms. Huge claws, huge teeth. All the better to eat me with. A shiver ran down her spine and she narrowed her eyes.
"Samurai Catgirl…and Kenta. You looked up to them?" she asked, trying to distract the monster.
"We all do! We all did! They were top dog in the organization! Huh! I bet Samurai Catgirl beat you within an inch of your life, didn't she?! How'd that make you feel? That make you feel like a puny little bitch?"
She took a deep breath, trying to maintain a sense of calmness. "Your organization. It's all monsters, isn't it?"
"How dare you! I'm a product of genius genetic design and alterations! You little whelp! You can't even begin to understand! They took our flesh and minds and made us into something way better than you'll ever be!" The monster yanked the sword out of its shoulder and hurled it onto the ground. A clawed foot scuffed at the cement beneath it as he spread his arms.
"They're watching! They're always watching! Even if you take me down, my handler is gonna send in the next guy to beat you to a grimy pulp! Not like you're gonna get another lucky stab at me, though!"
Shift P.O.V
Handler? He tilted his head and surveyed the area immediately surrounding the fight scene. Even as Ayano ran at the wolfman and began slashing, Sonic kept his eyes elsewhere. He said he had someone with him. They must be viewing remotely from a drone or a body camera on him. I don't see anyone and I don't even sense another presence in the area…besides Saitama.
Looking to the fight again, Sonic subconsciously tensed a little. He had finished his job early; a few quick targets taken out, a generous payment received, and he was back in the ghost town. What he had planned to do was return home and wait for Ayano's return from her hero work. What he actually did was stalk his student for most of the afternoon.
It had been boring up until this point. She made a few phone calls, walked around the ghost town by herself in what seemed to be a half-hearted patrol, and then she did something he himself had done a number of times. Perch on a roof across from Saitama's building and observe the overpowered hero inside.
Watching the monster, he waited for just the right moment before rushing in. Sonic darted around it, searching for a body camera that might be hidden on the monster. Finding nothing, he returned to his hiding place before Ayano could notice he was there.
It doesn't have a camera on it so there must be a camera somewhere in the area. Now the question is how close the viewer is. Even if I find it and destroy it, the handler the monster was talking about might be close. We don't know anything about who, or what, they are. It might be another monster.
Returning his attention to the fight, Sonic frowned. His student was now wielding one normal sword and one armor-piercing dagger. She had been able to dodge and maneuver easily up to this point, but it was it was obvious she was getting tired. She had yet to stop moving since the monster ripped her sword from its shoulder; rushing back and forth to avoid being hit while still trying to damage the creature.
Ayano pushed up her glasses with one finger, ducking to avoid a swiping hand, and rushed forward. Her right knee drove up, slamming between its legs, and the monster released a howl of agony. While still close, she stabbed her armor-piercing dagger through its thigh and quickly pulled it back out so blood spilled onto the ground below it.
That blood is red, he realized. Isn't monster blood usually a different color? The ninja noticed too late that his student had been grabbed. Two clawed hands gripped her shoulders and the monster spun in a quick circle before releasing her. The girl skidded over the ground and the beast charged.
She twisted her body into a low crouch, raising up from the ground just slightly. The dagger stabbed into the monster's gut, but the pain was ignored. A clawed hand slashed across her stomach, opening four gashes and tearing her shirt. Another hand swiped at her face, leaving three deep scratches across her right cheek.
Sonic tensed, waiting to see if she would get up. Of course, he could easily rush in to save her, but he wanted to see how far she was willing to push herself. What are you waiting for? Didn't I train you better than this?
He saw the monster lift a clawed foot and slam it down onto her right thigh. She threw her head back and released a scream of pain, but at the same time drove her sword up and through the monster's throat. She had been lucky that it was leaning down to look at her; it gave her the perfect angle to kill it.
The beast's eyes went wide and its knees buckled. Ayano moved aside quickly to avoid it falling onto her. She pushed herself to stand and wiped her bloody cheek with the back of her hand.
Seeing her like this, with such ferocity and determination in her eyes, Sonic felt a rush of pride. This was his student, his girl, defeating a monster even after taking so much damage. He was tempted to collect her now and take her back to the base. Just as he began planning how he would tend to her wounds, he sensed a presence approaching. Something strong and vicious.
Despite wanting to get Ayano home, he also wanted to see what was coming next and how she would face it. Sonic relocated to a nearby rooftop and waited patiently for whatever monstrous creature was about to approach her.
Shift P.O.V
Ayano ignored the pain in her chest, face, and leg. She ignored the bruises and scrapes she had acquired from skidding over the cement. Her glasses were slipping down a little as she looked at her surroundings. No signs of movement. The girl took this opportunity to gather her weapons and try to sheathe them.
It said it brought a handler. They were probably supposed to keep it in check if it lost control. Just how far were they going to let it go? She licked her lips and tasted blood, making her grimace. The hero knew she had taken a lot of damage. She would likely pass out the second she was home.
Before she could let herself pass out, she needed to find the handler. She wanted answers. Trudging down the street, wary of her surroundings, Ayano pushed up her glasses again. It…said things like what Samurai Catgirl said. Looking up to that perverted cyborg man that was kidnapping girls. Being "created" from genetic manipulation…or something…
Her vision was starting to blur and she paused to lean against a building for support. Stray locks of hair fell forward over her pale face and she found herself staring vacantly as her mind fought to keep conscious. Her body ached, her wounds stung. "…have to…keep going…I won't lose again…"
Ayano shook her head, trying to clear her vision. There were loud, thudding footsteps approaching her from up ahead. She struggled to focus on the swiftly advancing monster and her eyes widened. Not from the creature's appearance, but from what stopped its attack.
Blood covered the pavement in a long, thick line from where its body was now firmly planted into the side of a building. The monster's head was just a pulpy mess of flesh, bone, and blood. The young man standing between her and the corpse turned to face her, scratching his head. "So are you a monster slayer or something?"
The girl stared at him, her body finally reaching its limits. Pain and fatigue made her knees buckle. She was caught before she hit the ground and her arm was slung across his shoulders to half-lift her. "…thanks…"
"Yeah, yeah. What're friends for, right? Whatever messed you up better be dead." Garou saw the other corpse and grinned. "Well that saves me some trouble. You're coming with me, kid. I'll show you how to clean these wounds."
