Something was wrong.
It wasn't from the monsters roaming around, or the terrified fans screaming. No, Sweet Mask knew there was something greater coming for him. Something worse than the monsters.
He glowered at the blood on his hands, and the corpses of monsters at the feet. He was infuriated. How dare those monsters interrupt his show, and put the lives of his fans in danger. They were innocent people.
He became even more infuriated thinking about what was coming for him.
Whatever's out there, I'm not going to let it hurt my fans or anymore innocent people, he thought.
He slipped backstage, determined to put an end to it all. He approached his manager, who was on the phone, speaking in a hurried tone.
"Keep an eye out," Sweet Mask told him. "Something bad is coming."
His manager stared at him. "What do you mean, Sweet Mask-sama?"
"The monsters weren't the end of it," the hero said. "I can tell."
His manager frowned, hanging up on whoever he was talking to. "Well, um, that reminds me… a hacker of some kind was bad-mouthing you on a lot of online forums…"
"I'm not concerned about that," Sweet Mask said, scowling. "Make sure all the security cameras and trackers are on. I'm getting to the bottom of this."
His manager nodded, preparing to call a different person. Sweet Mask frowned, turning away from him. He walked down the hallway, past crew members and security.
"Sweet Mask-sama!" a man wearing a security jacket ran up to him. "Where are you going?"
"I have to deal with something," the hero replied, seriously.
"What do you mean?" the man asked.
"Get everyone evacuated," Sweet Mask assured him. "I can handle it."
The man nodded, racing off. Sweet Mask continued walking, fists clenched. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. A figure of some kind.
I knew it, he thought. He sped over to it, but it was gone. He looked left and right, but there was nothing.
He frowned, and continued looking around. He took a few steps, getting further and further away from the crowd of people. He saw a few flashes of something lurking behind the walls, but every time he checked, there was nothing there.
Is it taunting me? He thought. Hmph. It can't hide from me forever.
He made a stride forward. A small room with a half-open door caught his attention. There was someone in there.
He opened the door, and clearly saw a figure standing in the room. He took another step, but it disappeared.
He scowled, holding up his hands. "Show yourself. I won't play your little game of hide and seek anymore."
He felt a presence behind him. He turned around. His eyes narrowed.
"Of course," he said, coldly. "It's you."
Ayano Aishi gave him an innocent smile. Sweet Mask eyed the knife in her hand.
"I knew it from the start," he spat. "You're not a hero at all, are you?"
"It's true," Ayano admitted, sneaking her knife back into her pocket. "I'm behind all of the deaths. I was the one who killed the aliens on that spaceship. I'm the one you're looking for." She smirked. "What are you going to do now, Sweet Mask-sama?"
Sweet Mask's eyes turned red. "You will die, you monster."
He slashed her across the chest, sending her flying. She crashed into the wall. She weakly forced herself to sit up, coughing blood. A tear rolled down her cheek.
Is she crying? Sweet Mask thought. She must be faking.
As she got onto her knees, Sweet Mask leaped towards her. He brought his hand down, snapping her arm. She meekly fell over, still fake-crying. It was almost pathetic. He sliced her across the face, making blood spill down her cheeks. She didn't move, but she was still alive.
Why isn't she fighting back? Sweet Mask thought.
He approached her again, slamming her into the wall. Even though she could still get up, she wasn't fighting back. She wasn't even defending herself.
What is she doing? The hero thought. He scowled. Whatever. It doesn't matter. She is evil, and she will be exterminated.
He was about to attack her again, but then suddenly the door burst open. A ton of people, including news reporters, police and fans were standing at the entrance.
"Sweet Mask-sama!" Sweet Mask's manager pushed himself to the front. "What's going on here?!"
"He… attacked me…" Ayano coughed, too weak to even sit up.
Everyone gasped.
"What?" Sweet Mask demanded. "That's a lie, I-"
"He attacked me," Ayano repeated, sounding frail and weak. "I'm a big fan of his so I came backstage to visit him, but… then he suddenly attacked me!" She began to cry.
"That's a lie," Sweet Mask insisted. "That thing is behind the death of the heroes. She is a liar and a manipulator, and-"
"She's correct," said a mysterious person dressed in dark clothing. "Sweet Mask attacked her."
They held up a screen, showing security camera footage of Sweet Mask attacking Ayano. Everyone watched it with horror.
No… Sweet Mask thought. She… she planned all of this… she tricked me!
He wanted to claw that girl's face off, but he realised if he did, it would only make him look worse. She'd lured him into a trap. No wonder she had fake-cried. It was all for this.
Everyone was staring at him with horror, shock, betrayal. The police appeared, putting hand-cuffs over his hands.
"She tricked me!" the hero shouted. "She's a liar! She tricked me!"
But no one was listening. How could they lose faith in him so quickly? Was it the deaths of heroes? Was the Monster Association to blame?
Or was humanity truly that awful?
As the police took him out of the room, he saw Ayano's face one more time. Someone had put a towel around her shoulder. A doctor was looking at her broken arm. Another person was attempting to console her. But her eyes were on Sweet Mask. She gave him the tiniest of smiles. That expression almost made him lose it.
But there was nothing he could do. He'd been tricked.
Where is Goddess? Why won't she do something?
Yeah, isn't she supposed to be the 2nd best hero in the entire Association?
Smh, heroes are dying, Sweet Mask attacked an innocent hero, and she's not even doing anything. I heard the Monster Association is supposed to be coming after her, but it's like she doesn't even care? Ah, what am I saying? The entire Hero Association is going to Hell!
Aoi glared furiously at the comments on her phone. How she wanted to get out of this useless hospital and beat up whoever sent them. But she couldn't move. The doctors had already had to stop her from getting up a few times. So instead, she was stuck lying on a stupid bed with cords sticking in her arms. She barely even remembered how she got her injuries. All she did know was that she was extremely pissed off.
"Ignore them, Aoi," Akane told her, from the bed beside her. "We still have Shiromi and Kuroko. The Hero Association will act when they can. And besides, if it comes down to it, I'm sure dear Megami will do something. She would never let things get too out of hand."
Aoi gritted her teeth. She glanced at the ridiculous amount of gifts sitting on Akane's coffee table. There was everything there from boxes of chocolate to flowers, as well as the usual stack of love letters. Sometimes it was annoying remembering how many admirers Akane had.
"Y'know, I kinda wish Meg would do something," Aoi admitted. "I wish she would stop listening to her stupid dad and get over here and kick Garou's ass and take down that stupid Monster Association!"
"She doesn't have a choice, dear," Akane replied.
"Yes she does," Aoi said. "She's the 2nd highest ranked hero in the entire Association! She…" She clenched her fists, looking away. "Dammit!"
Akane sighed. "Oh, dear… Megami, dear… I hope you do something as well."
"Omg, the fall formal is, like, only a few weeks away!"
Ayano half-paid attention to the bullies as they strutted down the hall, discussing the upcoming fall formal. Ayano didn't care much about the event. It was just some school dance that didn't have anything to do with her, and she didn't think it was worth attending.
"My dress is going to be the most beau one there!" Ayano recognised Kizana's tone as the purple-haired girl stood in the center of the hall. Her club surrounded her like an entourage.
"It costs more yen than all of you could ever dream of," Kizana bragged. "And it was made specifically for moi, from the most magnifique silk you can imagine!"
"Who cares?" some students muttered, used to Kizana's attention-seeking behaviour.
"Fall formal?" a young voice asked. "Big bro, what's that?"
Ayano turned around, facing Taro, and his younger sister Hanako clinging onto his arm. She was wearing the Akademi uniform.
"It's basically a prom," he explained. "Everyone gets dressed up in dresses and tuxedos, and we dance in the assembly hall for a few hours."
"My partner is totally gonna be one of the hot boys from the Sports Club," said some female students, as they passed.
"That club disbanded ages ago," another laughed, as they continued walking.
"You have to bring a partner to the fall formal?" Hanako asked.
Taro blushed. "You sure do."
"I'll be your partner!" Hanako cheered.
"Actually, Hanako," Taro rubbed the back of his head. "I was… kinda thinking of asking someone else…"
Hanako's smile turned to a scowl. "What?! But big bro, we always go to events together! Are you choosing another girl over me?!"
"Hanako, it's not like that…" Taro tried to calm her down, but she started crying anyway. Taro went red when other students started staring at him and his sister.
"Hanako, please, people are staring," he pleaded.
"I don't care!" Hanako whined.
"Hello," Ayano walked over to the siblings, getting an idea. "Let's go outside."
Taro shot her a grateful look as the trio made their way outside. They stood in the school plaza, by the fountain. Hanako was still pouting.
"If you're not gonna bring me to the formal, then don't go at all!" Hanako told her brother.
"Hanako…" Taro whimpered.
"It would be a shame to miss out on the formal," Ayano interjected. "There will be free food, and live music. It will be a fun night."
"Big bro and I will only go if he is my partner!" Hanako replied.
"Whoever said you can't bring more than one partner?" Ayano asked. She faced Taro. "Senpai, ask whoever it is you want to go to the formal with, and take your sister along as well."
"That's… a really good idea!" Taro's face lit up. "Yan-chan, you're a genius!"
Ayano just smiled sweetly.
Hanako pouted. "Well, if the other girl was Osana, I'd be okay with it, but not anyone else!"
"Osana is dead, Hanako," Taro sighed, his voice downtrodden. He twitched for a moment, and that dead look appeared in his eyes. He blinked, clearing it away.
"Then who do you want to come along?" his sister inquired.
Taro turned to Ayano, and smiled. "Aishi-san, will you be my partner for the fall formal?"
"So, the Hero Hunter we keep hearing about is in that shack?"
The group of A Class and B Class heroes faced a run-down shack. They were infuriated. After all, Garou was the Hero Hunter, and was currently a major nuisance, distracting them from the Monster Association.
"Where's Ditzy Nurse?" the A Class hero Wildhorn asked.
"Must be late," Smile Man answered.
"Ooh, sorry!" a feminine voice giggled. "I got held up!"
The Class B hero Ditzy Nurse tripped over herself, blushing intensely. The other heroes sighed, used to her behaviour.
"As soon as that bastard steps out, we shoot," said Stinger, confidently.
Meanwhile, inside the shack, Garou scowled. He was stuck in there with a kid named Tareo, who he couldn't let walk out or he'd be killed. He poked a hole in the side of the shack, and peered out. He spotted:
The Class A heroes Stinger, Smile Man, and Wildhorn.
The Class B heroes Glasses, Chain Toad, Ditzy Nurse, Blam Blam, and Shooter.
A total of eight, he thought, scowling. Wait a second… his eyes narrowed. Is there… someone in that bush? He sighed. Under normal circumstances, they'd be easy to take care of. But that damn bitch Goddess gave me all these wounds… He looked down at the hero guide in his grip. Thankfully, there's actually some useful information in this guide.
"There's someone outside, old dude," Tareo told him.
"Don't talk to me right now," Garou replied, frowning. He tch-ed. There's no time.
"Hero hunter, get out here!" Wildhorn demanded.
Garou frowned. "Hey, dumb brat, take cover on the floor."
He made his way outside, putting on some kind of smile. "Alright, I'm coming out, so don't shoot. Please don't shoot the shack."
"Cooperating just like that?" Stinger taunted. "Are you giving up?"
"Give me a break," Garou scoffed. "I just don't want to lose the comfy bed I come back to after I hunt you all down."
"You're going to hunt us?" Wildhorn chortled. "As if we'd believe words from a pest!"
Garou made a face, laughing. "A pest? Now that's just mean."
"Enough, guys," Glasses said. "He's weakened. We will take him back to the Association, alive."
"We'll make sure he gets what he deserves," Wildhorn declared.
Garou chuckled. "How kind of you not to kill me. Or are you just stalling so you don't have to deal with the Monster Association killing the rest of you heroes?"
"You're just a pest we need to get rid of before we deal with the Monster Association," Wildhorn retorted. "You're nothing more than an annoyance. We'll make you regret calling yourself a monster."
"Same goes for you guys," Garou said, glare hardening. "You'll pay big for calling yourselves heroes." He stood on top of the shed, glaring down at the heroes. "Once I eliminate you guys, I've officially hunted over a hundred heroes!"
"You're finished!" Blam Blam shouted, raising his guns.
"You're first!" Garou roared, zooming towards him. However, before his fist could make impact, he was interjected by Stinger's bamboo shoot. The shoot narrowly missed him, only slicing his cheek.
He dodged that in midair, Stinger thought. Holy crap…
That was close, Garou thought, landing. That thrust definitely wasn't meant to take me in alive.
Garou looked up, realising there were arrows above his head. He jumped out of the way,
He knows my attacks, even though I'm not that well known, Shooter thought.
"He's resisting to the end, despite these odds," Chain Toad said. "Is that Hero Hunter just a fool?"
"Oh my, he shouldn't even be able to fight with injuries that bad," Ditzy Nurse added. "Who exactly is this guy?"
"Tank Top Master and Metal Bat were severely injured by him," Glasses said, "not to mention Blue Dragon and Red Bird. He also could've killed a few heroes, too. Please don't forget about how we talked about taking him down. Even if he didn't kill any heroes, we still need to get rid of him before he causes more trouble."
"Not letting our guard down," Chain Toad added, bringing up his chain. "I'm not going to show any mercy!"
He sent his chain zooming towards the Hero Hunter, who leaped out of the way.
"Wow, he is fast," Ditzy Nurse giggled. "Can you boys handle this?"
The males murmured their agreement, while Garou dodged another thrust from Stinger. Smile Man swung his kendama, which barely scratched the Hero Hunter.
"He's definitely Silver Fang's student," Smile Man said.
"He's got some crazy instincts," Chain Toad agreed.
Smile Man jumped into the air, raising his kendama.
At mid-range, Smile Man and Chain Toad attack endlessly, Garou thought.
He crawled away, only to get shot by Shooter and Blam Blam.
But if I move too far away, Shooter and Blam Blam shoot me, Garou cursed. Also, what the Hell are those two doing?
He gazed at Glasses, who was filling up a quiver with arrows, and Ditzy Nurse, who was unrolling a bandage. She accidentally dropped the bandage, causing it to roll away.
"Here!" Glasses said, giving the quiver to Shooter.
So they're support, Garou thought. Ditzy Nurse must be the stand-on doctor… in that case…
"I'll make you my shield!" Garou yelled. He raced towards Ditzy Nurse, who gasped and tripped over herself.
Are you kidding me, Garou thought, making a face. She tripped over before I even hit her!
He felt bullets prick his back, and Glasses kick him from the front.
"Our job is also to keep you from running away," Glasses explained. "When it comes to stamina and persistence, I'm unstoppable."
Garou glowered, staring at the 8 heroes surrounding him.
Damn, he thought. Can I really take on all of these guys now?
"This is your last chance to surrender, Garou!" Wildhorn shouted. "Not going how you'd figured, huh? Well, that's just too bad, hero hunter. Every hero here is a veteran who's faced down death countless times!"
Garou smiled. "Veterans, you say?" He laughed. "Am I the only one who feels something's off about that term? Where are the Class S heroes? Doesn't the Hero Association understand how dangerous I am? These bargain-basement mediocrities barely get my blood up!"
"So even a criminal like you only cares about Class S, huh?" Wildhorn asked.
"Huh?" Garou asked.
"They sure are popular, the Class S heroes," Wildhorn continued. "They get paid off the charts by the Hero Association, and they get let in on secrets we're not privy to. Even though we're all heroes, the gap is huge! The rankings to decide who's on top are so arbitrary, that lots of capable heroes don't get fairly recognised. They may not be Class S, but they're tough as hell. We'll prove our point when we take you out!"
Garou chuckled. "So that's why there's no Class S. You guys want to take all the credit. Any kid who heard you would be so let down." He scowled, feeling dizzy. It's hard to breathe… the poison is kicking in…
"I heard there's some 'Monster Association' kicking your teeth in, and they're killing all your precious heroes," Garou said. "You really think some 'pest' should be your priority? What about that hostage who needs rescuing?"
"Once you're dealt with, the Monster Association is next," Wildhorn said. "We'll take you and the rest of you monsters out!"
These guys are just steps on my path to becoming a monster, Garou thought. I'm not backing down!
He dodged a few more attacks from the heroes. Yet, his movements were slowing.
"Oh dear," Ditzy Nurse said. "Looks like the poison's kicking in!"
"She's right," Wildhorn agreed. "This won't take much longer."
Garou grimaced, remembering lessons he learned from his childhood. He'd always pitied the monster, but everyone else rooted for the hero.
"Earth-Shattering Spin!" Smile Man yelled, while Chain Toad wrapped his chain around Garou.
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Garou broke free from the chains, slamming the kendama towards the heroes. It knocked Blam Blam out, causing blood to spill.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" Ditzy Nurse yelled, only to drop all of her medical supplies.
Wildhorn charged towards Garou, only to realise chains were wrapped around him. He put the hero above him, allowing Shooter's arrows to rain down on him.
He's figured out all our attacks, Glasses thought. But he's open from the front!
He threw some rocks at Garou, but the Hero Hunter caught them. He threw the rocks at Shooter, taking him out.
"Oh my!" Ditzy Nurse began to panic. "Blood everywhere! Oh dear!"
"Roar, bamboo shoot!" Stinger yelled, charging towards Garou. He paused when the Hero Hunter held up Chain Toad as a shield.
"Halfway there," Garou said, grinning.
Glasses began sweat-beading, while Ditzy Nurse was trying to find all the medical supplies she'd dropped.
Forget about taking him alive, Smile Man thought. He's going down!
Garou began running away, only to have Glasses chase after him. Garou changed his directory, charging towards Stinger.
"Stinger!" he roared. "Fight me, one on one!"
Stinger turned and glared at him. "I accept your challenge! Stay out of this, guys!"
"Don't!" Smile Man warned. "We have to fight him together!"
"Found it!" Ditzy Nurse cheered. "My favourite bandages!"
Garou kicked Smile Man in the head, sending him flying.
"You're as dumb as they say, Stinger," Garou taunted.
"You tricked me!" Stinger cursed.
He prepared to thrust his shoot again, while Ditzy Nurse was patching up Wildhorn.
"You're gonna need to rest for a long time, Senpai," she told him.
Garou cackled, punching Stinger in the stomach, taking him out. He chased after Glasses, who remembered the time he was saved by a man who encouraged him to push past his limits. He scowled. He wanted to do better. He wanted to be stronger. But of course, he was taken out too.
"Looks like it's just you, Ditzy Nurse," Garou chuckled, peering down at the said hero. "I don't even know how you became a hero. You can't even hold something for five seconds without dropping it."
Ditzy Nurse stood up, staring into his eyes.
"I'm more of a healer than a hero, silly," she said. "If you read the hero guide, you should've known that." She smiled. "But I have something they didn't put in the hero guide."
She suddenly jabbed him with a needle.
"Lethal poison," she told him. "You'll be dead within 15 minutes. I didn't want to have to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. But for something like you… you're nothing more than an animal that needs to be euthanized."
Garou grinned, then began to cackle. He punched the woman, sending her flying into the forest, hidden from view. He glared down at his hands, and the arrows sticking out of his back.
Then he heard something.
He whipped around, noticing that something had ripped a hole through Smile Man's chest. Blood pooled around his body. The other heroes were in a similar fashion.
Then he saw her. A teenage girl in a sailor uniform, wielding a bloody knife. She was staring right at him.
"You make my job a lot easier," she said. "Thank you, Garou."
"You're that girl from the meeting," Garou said. "The girl who wanted to work with me… you're a hero."
Ayano smiled. "Have you re-considered my offer, Garou?"
"You're the one who's been killing heroes," Garou said. "And you attacked the Guardians, too." He tch-ed. "What's your plan?"
"To become the strongest," Ayano answered. "And help you, too. I have powers no one else has. Imagine if we worked together. You'd become a monster twice as fast. Plus, I can do something about the poison Ditzy Nurse injected into you."
Garou grimaced, thinking of his encounter with Goddess.
"Twice as fast," he repeated.
Ayano kept smiling at him.
"Alright, fine," Garou offered his hand. "Let's be partners."
Tareo's eyes widened as he stared the two down.
That girl… he thought. She killed them all! She's a monster!
A/N: Wow guys Happy New Year! 2020 is here! We're getting close to the end of season 2 (Ikr?)... hope you guys are ready for some more Garou lol