Hello there! I am aware that there was no intro or outro to the chapter last time, and I wanted to see how that would work because it was sort of an experimental chapter! I hope you guys liked it.

That being said, this'll just be another chapter and after the next few chapters I'll probably be getting back to normal writing where I'm just writing normal stuff that I'm just writing!

Initial Release Date: October 15, 2020


"Garou. You are talking about being low?" Glasses spits out, seething. "You have no idea how it feels as a hero to witness the disservices you've done upon humanity! You have no morals! You have no understanding of what the world actually is!"

"What, do you think I'm not a human? There's a reason I'm called the Human Monster," Garou scoffs. "Don't shoot. I'm going to help Tareo after this fight, okay? He's got a few bullies and I'm planning to bring it up with the principal of Salt Middle School after this. Don't even try to get in the way of this, though. It's his battle and I'm helping him."

That's odd, honestly. I, even before I was a cyborg, could not imagine somebody taking such a task for somebody else other than family. From what we know, and from what Bang has informed me about, Garou has no family other than his mother who he still keeps in contact with. Unfortunately, his father had died a few years into his adulthood.

And for a little child who clearly isn't related to him? There must be a reason for this.

Perhaps the Hero Hunter is more human than I initially believed him to be.

"Tch. You think you can try to redeem yourself by helping out this little kid?" Death Gatling grunts. "Do not think your crimes will be forgiven."

"And they aren't. That's not the point of this, dumbass," Garou interrupts. "Wait, that gives me an idea. Tareo!"

"Y-Yes?" I hear the kid whisper quietly, quieter than what is most likely audible to some of the heroes.

The tone Garou uses is softer than what I expect from such a cruel man, one far more sympathetic, "Look, Tareo. It's the guys from your catalogue." In an instant, I see the child's head whip up, almost in disbelief. It's quite the shock to the heroes as well, seeing somebody as notorious as Garou be so kind and gentle to someone in such distress.

"You know each and every one of these guys, right? They're the ones who'll keep you safe at night," Garou recalls.

There's a gasp from the child. Tareo, it seems. There's a little bit of silence from everyone there. Garou out of understanding, Tareo out of excitement, and the heroes and I in complete shock.

That's when I realized what was going on within Garou's mind.

Or at least, what I theorize to have been what had happened.

Garou doesn't care about who he fights, necessarily. He isn't trying to make a point that he's strong or that all heroes are bad. He even seems to care about what people have hope in and want to keep pushing forward for.

He thinks that he's actually helping people do that.

That's quite the interesting take on the matter, actually. Usually, when people do it, they believe that their method is the only correct way and they'd disregard all other means. I admit, I used to be that way before I met Saitama-Sensei.

"If you wanna talk to them, I'll wait a few minutes," Garou offers, taking a knee so Tareo could get off. While he was extremely ecstatic, the young boy was also somewhat intimidated and shocked by the presence of so many heroes in front of him.

"D-Did you bring all of these heroes here?" Tareo squeaks, causing Garou to shrug a little bit. It's a valid action, after all. Technically speaking, he obviously did. It was for the reason that made this a little more complicated.

I see some of the other heroes tense up a little bit, their breath hitching at the little boy's words. It was almost...strange, seeing Garou act so casual despite everything surrounding him and threatening his very existence.

"I did. Pretty cool, huh?" Garou rhetorically asks. He has a wistful tone in his voice, his countenance somewhat vague. It was clear he didn't really know how to approach the situation as he explained, "Did a few things to get their attention, and they decided to band together to come here."

"T-Thank you," Tareo briefly nods, before walking up to Glasses. "Y-You're Glasses, Class B? I-I heard how you're like one of the bestest support heroes in the entire Hero world." There's a sniffle, but I notice that slowly but surely, the fear is slowly leaving his body and being filled with adoration.

As I notice Tareo and Glasses partake in some conversation, the latter not being sure how to react considering how he was just hunting the man who was helping the kid out, it seems as if Death Gatling and Smile Man decided to take this time to interrogate Garou.

I suppose my own interrogation wouldn't hurt, after all. There's a reason that I'm here, and it's to confront Garou. If there's a way to at least have a little insight into his character, perhaps I could see a little bit into his strengths and potential vulnerabilities.

Or perhaps his motivation after all.


"I will admit, I am surprised. I did not expect you to be this sympathetic to a little kid, let alone someone who genuinely looks like they were tossed in a dumpster," Death Gatling sneers, tossing a glance at Tareo, who was in full adoration of the hero in front of them. It was only a matter of time until the young boy had moved on to question another hero.

Meanwhile, the remaining heroes (Stinger, Chain'n'Toad, Wild Horn, Gun Gun and Shooter) decided to keep watch, making sure there was nothing that was going to approach.

"Hey, I'm not that much of an asshole," Garou shrugs. "Besides, my fight is with you guys, the Hero Association. Not with civilians. Besides, he's been a sort of a teacher to me."

"But why him?" Smile Man interrupts. "There are tons of other people out there that you could've become friends with, and you choose him? Is it because it's an underdog sort of story?"

"He reminds me of me. Case closed."

"So, what happens if he finds out about the news? That the man who's been helping him all along is hunting down all of his idols?" Stinger joins in, hearing the conversation and feeling a little shocked. It's for good reason. What do you do when you learn the true ideals of your idol, and their true actions?

"You give up, don't you? That's practically what I did, learning what my idol was to the world. Thing is, even if you lose, he'll still believe in you guys. Everyone does, don't they?" He spits, feeling disgusted at the words that he said.

There was a type of venom within his voice. It wasn't hate. There was sheer resentment, some sort of grudge held with his last sentence. His face morphed into something akin to enmity, or almost unguided rage.

"Wow! You're Stinger!" Tareo interrupts their conversation, sprinting up to the conversation. "You're so cool! You helped all the heroes take care of the Deep Sea Meanie!" He doesn't even notice what they were talking about as he sprints up to Stinger with a great smile on his face, wiping away his tears from earlier.

Garou bites the inside of his cheek, kneeling down to Tareo, "Yeah. He's pretty cool, isn't he? Why don't you ask him about when he fought the invaders from the sea?" His tone seemed somewhat forced, yet he spoke as if it was second nature.

"U-Uh. Sure," Stinger nods, hearing Garou urge Tareo, before offering a striking smile. "So, little buddy, what do ya wanna know about?"

As Tareo becomes more and more occupied with some of the other heroes, Garou stands back up, "Well? What else do you want to say?"

"I've got a question."

"Huh? Who was that?" Garou asks, not seeing a face to attach to the voice.

"Behind you," the voice comes out again, a thud onto the ground. Turning around, Garou smirks a little bit.

"Well, well. Another S-Class hero. Demon Cyborg, right?" Garou raises an eyebrow. "Didn't think you'd be here, either. Looks like there's another person that I'm gonna have to take care of." He puts a hand on his hip, leaning on it a little bit, yawning. He felt excitement within, of course, though his exterior made it seem like such a hassle, as if it was beneath him.

"Yes, I'm here to fight as well. But it's unwise to fight with that little kid here. Tareo, if I heard correctly. What is your business with him?" Genos goes from one point to another, not having a moment of reprieve to really comprehend all of it.

"I gotta tell you too? I already told all of these guys, so just ask them later," Garou huffs. "What were you talking about again, Death Gatling?"

"There is one thing left on my mind. You already answered who he is, what he's like, and why you're friends with him for both selfish and selfless reasons. Yet, one thing evades me."

"And that is? Come on, you're dragging this out too long."

"Simply put...if you're this rational...if you have such a grasp on morality, motive, drive, empathy, and all of these human traits, why fight against us in the first place? Why do you choose the immoral path that harms everyone in the long run? Why choose the side of the enemy of humanity, the path that is truly immoral?"

"That's the thing, asswipe. That's subjective, isn't it? What's moral and immoral? C'mon now."


It takes a few more minutes for Tareo to speak with the hero guys, and honestly, I'm surprised I was able to hold back my instinct to fight for so long. With all of these pricks in front of me, who always said that their way was right, it was almost natural to punch them in the face.

Of course, it takes him the longest to speak with Demon Cyborg. Not everyday you get to meet an S-Class hero, I guess. I've met three now. Just gotta meet the rest.

"So, what's going on now?" I ask, having requested that Tareo head out quickly. I remember specifically telling him to take a different path than what he normally took, since it was probably festering with some of those assholes who keep messing with him.

"I will admit, you are more human than I initially believed." How many times does he have to say 'I will admit?' Can't you have a little more variety in what you say, or are you just that braindead? Doesn't matter, but that's just not creative in the slightest.

"So? You gonna hold back?" I sneer, staring at all of the heroes in front of me.

Genos narrows his eyes, "You wouldn't be such an apparent threat if everyone who fought you so far had held back." It was a simple statement, yet a true one. "That being said, I trust that these men will likely be able to take you on. I'll be doing idle reconnaissance to see if...that child is safe."

"You know what? I'll deal with you later," I smirk, a little bit of gratitude still within me. "So, your plan's to take me alive?"

"We will. You will pay the piper," Chain'n'toad nods. "If you think we will let you continue on your reign of terror, you are severely mistaken."

Death Gatling quickly raises his left arm and fires, but I'm quick enough to dodge upwards and land on the barn itself.

"Well, that was cool. After I take care of you chumps, I'll have over 100 kills!" I declare proudly, before Gun Gun goes into this entire country movie speak. "And my first target is you!" I leap at him, dodging all of his bullets and charging in quick before I notice the tip of Stinger's weapon quickly approach. I barely have time to avoid the attack, getting nicked a little bit on my cheek.

"Arrow Rain!" Wait, what'd that guide say about Legolas over there? Comes from above...so I just gotta dodge back!

"Be careful! He may know our moves!" Legolas-impersonator calls out. Well, duh. You guys literally put your special moves into the Hero Catalogue. Any competent villain would read up on that to at least be prepared.

"You fight against these odds foolishly," Death Gatling informs. Foolish isn't the word I'd use, though. Courageous and brave would be better, fighting against what I think's unjust in the world.

"Sure, I do. What are you doing, then? What happens when you come across a Dragon-Level monster, or something that I'm gonna become after I beat you? Aren't those odds pretty foolish?!" I cackle.

"A nincompoop, you are," Chain'n'toad insults. I roll my eyes. Is that the best he's got?

"He defeated both Tank-Top Master and Metal Bat. Do not think you can hold back," Glasses lectures.

As they talk amongst themselves to regroup, I realize their group composition. Getting close results in Wild Horn and Stinger zoning in, especially with Death Gatling. Chain'n'Toad and Smile man continuously rain down mid-range attacks. And Shooter and Gun Gun keep a far distance in case I try to run.

What's Glasses doing?

He's a supporting hero.

That's it.

"If I use you as a shield, they're done for!" I smirk, charging in towards him, faster than what they can keep up with from such an explosive change of pace.

"You're not getting away," I scowl as he starts throwing pebbles at me. What does he think he's doing with them? It's not like they're at the same level of attacks that the other has. I hear a blast, and dodge out of the way where I would have been shot by Gun Gun. Unfortunately, my lack of focus allows Shooter to hit me with some of his poison arrows.

"Got him! The poison should be effective within two minutes!"

I'll admit, he's fast. Faster than I expected. I glance around, and realize that Genos isn't there anymore.

Fuck. Did something happen? Are those douchebags from the Monster Association going to come and try something?

"Pay attention," Death Gatling criticizes. "You are strong, and have good instincts, but lack discipline."

"Do not underestimate him. He was Silver Fang's top pupil, after all," Glasses interrupts once again.

I scowl. It doesn't matter if they're doing this for fame, to show that some heroes deserve merit, to prove themselves, whatever they wanna call it.

They're still nothing better than second-rate fighters, at best. They're the stepping stones on my path to being a monster.

And they will fall as I transcend.

That, I can promise.

/

Did you see Justice Man yesterday?!

Yeah, he showed that new move! Justice Fire Kick! And when Crab Demon couldn't protect its hoard of eggs? That was so funny!

Man, I used to love Crab Demon. He was an ugly piece of shit, but I still idolized him.

Why do I talk about Crab Demon?

I feel just like him right now.

Man, it's almost like Justice Man was so cool and strong that the lightning just came out of nowhere just for him!

Lightning. Just at the wrong time, wrong place.

I remember talking about Crab Demon with my classmates.

Even though Little Justice and Mach Woman were there too, and even though it wa fight, Crab Demon still almost won. He just wanted to protect what he loved, to reclaim the sea from overfishing and all that.

He fought against the heroes for one reason.

Because he thought it was the right thing to do.

Huh? Why are you rooting for Crab Demon?

He fought so hard. He couldn't protect what he loved, what he truly cared about in life.

He must have been so disappointed.

Yes, it was a kids' show. Yes, it was pretty cut and dry. Yes, there was little to it other than Justice Man winning.

But if kids are being taught such a deranged sense of morality that doesn't work anymore?

I just gotta teach them otherwise.

/

There's something ironic about this hunt of theirs. They wanted to rise up the ranks. They wanted to become more popular. They wanted to prove their worth.

That's fine and all.

I just find it interesting.

Isn't that what I'm trying to do?

We're both fighting people with violence. We're both hoping to become stronger. We're both fighting for what we think is right.

So, what's so wrong with me doing it to people I find ignorant? What's so different about them doing it to monsters that don't even have a conscience most of the time, and me doing it to people who have the conscience to change?

How...ridiculous.


"Oy, Baldy, you're getting a call from King," Tatsumaki observes. "You were supposed to meet up with him, right? Can I come with?" She scratches her chin, a little bored with the whole situation.

"Yeah, apparently he was supposed to call me when to meet up with him. I guess so...it shouldn't be too tough, should it? Apparently Elder Centipede's supposed to come, whatever that is."

"Wait, wait, wait, Elder Centipede?" Tatsumaki interrupts. "As in, the Elder Centipede that Blast almost killed?" She seems a little interested at the thought, quirking an eyebrow at the name that she'd heard.

"He did? That's cool," Saitama calmly reacted as he closed some Tupperware that he'd had out for something.

"No, Baldy, you don't get it. Blast? He's super strong." Tornado explains. "At least, that's what I'll acknowledge. And he almost killed the damn thing. Key word? Almost. Meaning he didn't." She stuck her hands out, as if it was almost idiotic not to listen to her words.

"Genos said you'd be able to hurt him," Saitama shrugs. "If you can hurt him, you can probably kill him. Besides, he probably isn't that tough, anyways, if he came back from the verge of death. There's no way he's at his peak." He cracks his back, groaning at the old man feeling in his veins.

"Are you stupid, Baldy? Of course he's as strong as before, if not stronger! You know what, I'll come with you either way," Tornado sighs, her emerald eyes seeming determined for some reason.

"Ok, do you wanna be the one to fight him?" Saitama prompts, turning back to face his girlfriend, who's looking at him with an apprehensive expression.

"I don't see why not. I doubt King'll fight, because you know, he's a literal fucking wimp. Besides, you'll probably just cause a forest to go down or something."

Saitama rolled his eyes, following her along for the time being, "Hey Tats, after we take care of Elder Centipede, you wanna go on a date? I feel like we haven't really done much. Besides, apparently Silver Fang and his older brother are on a hunt for Garou. Garou may be strong with that martial arts style but he is sort of his teacher."

At this, she's caught off guard; she didn't expect him to just ask her on a date so casually and nonchalantly. It was clear that he'd just asked on the spot as well, without any organization or thought behind the question despite anything that could've popped up.

Tornado blushes as she shrugs, "I guess...but we could just take care of Garou now. Why wouldn't we? He's already taken out some of the other S-Class...but it was Tank Top Master. He's more like an A-Class hero." She scratches the back of her head, a little confused with the entire situation.

As the two of them leave the home, they hear a slight rumbling in the ground. The rumbling gets louder. And louder.

And louder.

In an instant, even though they're in City Z, they see the large body of a gigantic monster beginning to spiral out of the ground, easily spanning hundreds upon hundreds of meters long.

"Oh, I think that might be what you're looking for, Tats."

"You think, Baldy?"


Hi!

I'm sorry that these chapters aren't really romance-related, but I promise that the next few chapters are going to be dedicated to romance and all that sort of stuff.

And of course, I know there's some canon divergence in terms of Garou's interactions with Tareo, but with that, I can't really care less. Personally, Garou's one of, if not my favorite character, and I feel like while they did develop him and bring up interesting points about good vs. evil, but I feel like they could've done a bunch more with him, even in the webcomic.

In addition to that, I'm planning for some heavy development in the next few chapters, and I'll be emphasizing on the romantic aspect of the story, more than ever. Promise. Hell, I think in the next month or two may be some of the most development in the story and in their relationship thus far, and I hope it's a good transition from all the plot that's been happening.

And of course, I hope you enjoyed! If there's anything that I messed up, please let me know!

Sincerely,

SpiritBloodDragon