One Punch Man: Attitude Adjustment
Chapter 10: The Greatest Mistake Ever Made.
More the half a year ago, Randal Hogan was a different man. He was bitter, depressed and constantly trying to find a way to take his mind off of things. This included drinking, drugs, sex, fighting and if it was a really good night some kind of combination with all four. Everything he did felt like it was pointless, pulling jobs and cons just didn't have that same rush of satisfaction anymore. At this point, most of the men he knew and worked with over the years were gone. Some were dead, others were in jail and probably never getting out. The rest were smart enough to lay low and stick to small time stuff like Ted. The life he lived cost him friends, family and more than one chance to be with the women he loved.
In a world full of people running around in capes, you need to be crazy enough to start calling yourself a super villain if you want to do what Randal had done since he was just a kid. But even if he could quit living this way for good, his record made finding a decent job almost impossible. Even when he did manged to get some kind of work, the old itch to take something extra for himself would kick in. Eventually the boss would find out and tell Randal to get out, hopefully without police waiting for him.
That's what lead to him sitting on a curve, not sure about what to do next. His hair was long and messy, matching his beard and the cloths that had not been washed in three days. Another potential job turn him away, this time they heard about the crap he pulled at the last one. All he wanted to do was go to the liquor store down the street to drink until he couldn't think straight. But as he pulled out his wallet and looked inside, he sighed as he realized it was empty again.
As he stared at the wallet in his hands, Randal couldn't help but show his frustration. He had enough going wrong in his life already and refused to go home broke again. He never liked doing something like this, but at this point he knew that pride wouldn't keep him fed and off the street.
The first thing he had to do was pick someone out. He was in a fairly crowded street, so that wouldn't be too hard. After looking around for a bit, somebody caught his eye. Average height, scrawny body and a bald head that Randal assumed a guy that young had by choice. His cloths were nothing special either. A red and white hoodie, blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. What sold him the most was the face, the guy looked like he barely knew what was going on around him. In others words, perfect target.
Randal followed him for a while, making sure to keep his distance. He was waiting for a chance to see what he was working with. Luckily, it wasn't to long before baldy stopped at a grocery stand. Randal got a bit closer to the man as he picked out food and was able to to spot which pocket his wallet was in.
"Will that be everything for you?" The polite cashier said as she finished scanning the items.
"Yes, thank you very..." The bald man said as he reached for his coin purse.
Suddenly, a large and surprisingly fast presence was felt going by. His hand was close to his pocket when it happened, but when he reached inside the bald man couldn't feel his coin purse there. He looked over his shoulder, saw a big man leave the store quickly and then realized what was going on.
"Did...he...just?!" The bald man said, his teeth gritting and his eye twitching angrily.
Randal cut through the nearest alleyway before he looked checked to see if he was followed. No one else was behind him, so he let himself relax a bit as he looked at the coin purse he just stole.
"Great...didn't even have very much." Randal grumbled as he counted all the change. "Oh well, at least I can pay for dinner tonight."
After just a few more steps, Randal's body came to an abrupt stop as he felt something grab the wrist of his right hand. He turned and was completely shocked to see the man he just robbed, holding Randal's wrist like a child following a parent.
"Hey." The bald man said, staring with a blank expression and speaking with a monotone voice. "I'm gonna try to be nice, so can please give me back my money?" He said less like a threat and more like a casual question.
Randal's mind was working overtime to figure out how a nobody like this kid could sneak up on him. Maybe his hearing was starting to go with age, or maybe he just underestimated this guy. Either way, Randal wasn't going to let anyone make him back down.
"Piss off twerp." Randal said before trying to walk away.
Again, Randal's body stopped no matter how hard he tried to walk forward. He wanted to get his arm out of the bald mans grip but started panic as he realized it was just too strong for him to break.
"Wha...what?" Randal said, completely stunned by this little man's amount of strength.
"I'll say it one more time, give back what you stole." The bald man said in a much different away.
In that moment, the seemingly harmless bald man changed dramatically. The way he talked and looked were serious to the point where Randal could feel a chill going down his spine. This guy did not just feel strong, he felt like something more. At that point Randal realized one thing, he just made a very big mistake.
"Look...I..." Randal said, his hand trembling as he was about to hand the coin purse over.
"Help! Somebody help!" The voice came from a nearby person shouting in fear. "Monsters! Monsters are attacking us!"
"Huh?" The bald man said, his heard turning right away as if he ears were trained to listen to that sort that of thing.
In that brief moment he was distracted, Randal could feel this strange man loosen his grip. Without hesitating, he pulled his hand away and ran as fast as he could down the alley. His heart was pounding in his chest, not knowing if he was going to be caught at any moment. Randal fled like his life was on the line and he hated every second of it.
"But...But...!" The bald man said with same frustrated look as before.
This left the young man with a very annoying decision. He could easily catch the man who took his money, but somebody could get hurt while that happened. But if he turned around to go help whoever was in danger it might give the thief enough time to get away. In the end, his choice was easily made after he considered one simple question. What would a Hero do?
"Yes, Yes! It's time for all over you humans to go! This land now belongs to the Gargoyle Clan!" A brutish monster shouted triumphantly.
It was as tall as an elephant and as stout as a grizzly bear. Its skinned was bronzed and had slight glimmer as the sunshine reflected off it. The body had wings and claws like a devil but a head that resembled a dragon. A pair of bat-like wings were on the back that were also bronze, along with all of his razor sharp teeth.
"Anyone who tries to resist will be devoured by the mighty Bronze Gargoyle!" The monster said before laughing like a bad guy in a cartoon.
"Don't be so sure about that!" A confident, perky female voice said from down the street.
Standing alone was a woman wearing a white tennis outfit with a matching visor. He skin was dark and her black hair was long, curly and tied in a ponytail that hung over her visor. She also had a very sturdy looking black tennis racket along with multiple tubes holding tennis balls that were hanging from a utility belt on her hip.
"You're out of luck ugly, because now you're gonna lose to Tennis Tammy!" She declared while striking a pose like a pop-star, with two fingers out in a peace sign.
"Ha, what kind of joke is this? Are you really the best humanity has to offer?" Bronze Gargoyle said, not taking the woman seriously.
"You bet, let me show you why." Tammy said as she reached for a tennis ball.
The monster stood without any fear, hands on his hips as he waited to see what the weak little human would do. What he didn't realize is that Tammy had a record setting swing and before he knew what was happening a rather dense tennis ball flew down the street and hit the Bronze Gargoyle right between the eyes. His eyes watered as the monster roared with complete rage.
"How dare you?!" Bronze Gargoyle shouted.
"That's nothing, try my extra special Triple Shot!" Tammy said as she took a whole tube of tennis balls off her belt.
With good reflexes and well-trained timing, Tammy was able to toss three tennis balls in the air and hit all of them at the same time with her racket. She was sure the monster would go down as the balls flew towards it, which made her all the more afraid when the monster blocked the Triple Shot with his wings. Besides a few scuff marks on the skin, the large beast did not seem effected at all.
Tammy was afraid, but did not think she could outrun a monster like this. She reached for another tennis ball but then panicked as the Bronze Gargoyle flew straight towards her with tremendous speed. All she could do is use the racket to cover her face before she was slammed into the side of a parked car with a simple swing of the monsters arm. Tammy tried to keep fighting and get up, but was too badly hurt and passed out.
"Just as I thought, another weakling." The Bronze Gargoyle said as he stomped towards Tammy. "Oh well, at least you'll make a good snack." He said with a bloodthirsty look in his eye, until he suddenly felt a very strange prescience beside him. "And just who might you..."
In a moment that was faster than the blink of an eye, the monster was destroyed. A force of incredible power left Bronze Gargoyle's body scattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Everyone had already fled and Tammy was still unconscious, which means no one was around to see a man completely obliterate the savage monster with just one punch.
Randal was still on the run, but stopped when he heard what sounded like a sonic boom in the distance. He figured that some Hero must've started fighting a monster and hoped that would be enough of a distraction to let him get home. The hand that was grabbed by that bald guy was still shaking and he kept his ears open for any sign of that freak coming back. He was still on edge, which is why another nearby scream made him flinch. It was coming from around the corner and even though Randal wanted to just run, he also wanted to know what was going on. He carefully walked along the buildings wall until it reached a four-way stop. The scream came from the left, so he looked around the corner of the building but then quickly pulled his head back after getting his answer.
"Please...please just leave us alone!" A mother said, terrified as she and her husband held onto their two little girls.
"There's no need to afraid, if anything you should be grateful." A deep, sensual woman's voice said.
She was seventeen feet tall, her body looked demonic but also had the figure of a supermodel. Her flawless silver skin had a natural gleam and she stood like someone who enjoyed showing off their body.
"When most people die by another hands, the last face they see is so hideous. But you all get the honor of basking in my beauty before your meaningless lives come to an end." The Silver Gargoyle said, like someone who thought they were gods gift to everyone with eyes.
Randal's brain was telling him to run away as fast as he could, but for some reason his legs wouldn't move. Leaving a family to die would probably haunt him for the rest of his life, but fighting a monster like that would more then likely end his life in a very painful way. One of the reasons he survived for this long is because he knew when something wasn't worth the trouble.
"Now...who would like to go first?" The Silver Gargoyle said in a menacing way, her razor-sharp teeth showing as she reached for the family.
The parents got in front of their children to protect them, they cried and pleaded for help as the gargoyle's hand got closer. The monster was so focused on playing with her food, she was completely blindsided by a motorcycle flying through the air and smashing into her side. It was thrown with enough force to knock the Silver Gargoyle down, the family all looked down the street in awe as Randal stood alone.
"That way, now!" Randal said to the family as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.
After a moment of getting over the shock, the parents took the children into their arms and ran towards Randal. The father said thank you as they passed, but Randal was more focused on walking towards the monster that was starting to get up.
"Father said some humans are stronger than they look..." The Silver Gargoyle said, looking amused as she stood up again. "Does a puny thing like you really think there's a chance against a work of art like me?"
There was no response, Randal stared at the monster that towered over him. His heart raced from a mix of fear and fury, but he was ready to fight. Randal wasn't going to run from another intimidating presence, he was either going to win or at the very least be done with a life of growing misery. He charged, pushing all thoughts out of his mind except for the need to hit something as hard as he could. The Silver Gargoyle did not even flinch, her arms crossed as she waited for her prey to come closer. After a full sprint, Randal jumped high enough to face to face with the smug looking monster and was ready to punch her right in the jaw.
With little effort, Randal was swatted out of the air like a fly and slammed into the pavement. He wanted to get up, but a foot that was almost as big as he was pinned him down. As he squirmed and struggled underneath her, the Silver Gargoyle laughed to mock him.
"Looks like someone had more bravery then brains." The monster said as she took her foot of Randal. "I think I need to make an example out of you."
A single hand grabbed Randal by the torso before tossing him high into the air like a rag-doll. With a playful smile, the Silver Gargoyle flew up to slash and strike at Randal dozens of times before his body hit the ground again. She gave him just enough time to get back to his feet before kicking Randal hard enough to sending him flying down the street. Randal's vision was starting to get blurry, he coughed up a small puddle of blood before the monster grabbed him by the head. She ran down the street, laughing as she literally dragged Randal through the side of a concrete building. By the time she was done, Randal's body was completely battered and broken. Thinking she had enough fun for now, the Silver Gargoyle dropped Randal on the ground and smirked as she heard one more pained gasp from his lips.
"Still alive after all that? You're pretty sturdy for such a weak little man." She said with a look of pure satisfaction. "I really do hope there's more like you."
Randal was barely conscious, every breath felt like something was stabbing him in the chest. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't lift his arms or legs. All he could do was lift his head enough to look at the monster that was about to kill him in the eyes. His life didn't quite flash before his eyes, but he did have a few moments to wish he made better choices with the time he had on earth. The monster's hand slowly reached down, she purposely took her time to see the panic on her victims face. Randal tried to hide it, but he did not want to die. As the clawed hand of death hovered over him, Randal closed his eyes and just hoped the end would be quick.
Tense silence was suddenly cut off by the what sounded like a dozen cannons firing at the same time. A gust of wind pasted over Randal's body that felt like something coming out of a jet engine. The shock was enough to make him more conscious, but his body was still in too poor of a shape to move. His eyes opened and he was dumbfounded when he realized the Silver Gargoyle was gone. He started looking around, only to see the monster's remains splattered all over the street and buildings. His eyes went wide with shock, nothing about this made sense. He looked where the monster used to be again, raising his head just enough to see who destroyed it.
"Great...just one again..." The bald man said before in a very sarcastic way, he looked at his fist with what seemed to be disappointment.
"H...How did you..." Randal said in complete disbelief.
"Oh...there you are." The Bald Man said as he noticed Randal.
The bald man was about to walk over to Randal, but both of them were distracted by a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the sky above them. A large shadow passed over for a moment before the street shook from the impact of another monster landing.
"Oh my god..." Randal said, his mouth hanging open.
The beast was more then thirty feet tall, crushing the street beneath it's feet. The body was broad and had a chiseled physique. The face looked a devil that had crawled out of hell, with teeth like swords as well as spikes coming out of the elbows and down the monsters back. It's skin was covered in a perfect, glistening coat of gold; making it look like a godly figure of destruction.
"You! You are the one who has murdered my children!" The Golden Gargoyle said, his voice booming as he stared down at the bald man.
Using his last bit of strength, Randal tried to crawl backwards to get away. He could feel the thirst for blood, the air felt heavy and tense again. Meanwhile, the bald man just looked up at the giant monster like he didn't have a care in the world.
"How dare you not be aware of your place in this world, human! My Gargoyle family has been waiting centuries for the day, hibernating until the time was right to claim this world for ourselves. You may think you've won, but all you have done is seal your fate!. A crowd will be forced to gather, just so they may see one of there own being tortured to the brink of...!" The monster said, ranting and raving about all the ways he would make the killer of his children suffer.
"Look...I really don't care about what your deal is." The bald man after a bored sigh. "So do me a favor and sum your big speech up in 20 words or less."
"H-He's out of his mind..." Randal mumbled, stopping in sheer shock from the bald man's disregard for his own life.
"What?!" The Golden Gargoyle replied in disgust, raising his arm until his mood took a very dramatic shift. "Actually...perhaps your right. Someone powerful enough to defeat my children deserves a proper explanation." The monster said, seemingly more calm but with a vicious intent behind his smile. "We are simply here to..."
Faster then Randal could see, the Golden Gargoyle's tail swung under the bald mans legs hard enough to leave him lying in mid-air on side side. Just as quickly, the monster kicked high into the sky. Randal tried to keep track, but lost sight of him when the body went into the clouds. The monsters skin began to glow, specifically in the center of it's body before it looked up and fired a huge mass of golden energy from it's mouth. The beam was like a tower of light descending into the heavens, until the shot met it's target and lit up the entire sky bright enough to make Randal have to cover his eyes.
When the flash faded, Randal looked up again in despair. All of the clouds were gone and the sky was completely clear, with no sign of the bald man's corpse. He prayed that all of this was some kind of nightmare, but the fear that coursed through his body when the monster looked at him felt very real.
"Did you see that human? That is what happens to those who cross me!" The monster said triumphantly. "All that's left to do is purge humanity in my children's name. You will have the honor of being the newest victim." The monster said before his torso glowed again, ready to fire another blast that would wipe out a large portion of the city.
With no hope let, Randal did not bother with trying to escape. As he looked at the light growing in the monster's mouth, it was hard not too think it was life showing it's morbid sense of humor. Maybe it was supposed to be payback for all that he'd done; put him in a terrible situation, give him just a brief moment of hope and then literally blast that hope until it was more than likely vaporized. The monster looked like it would unleash it's full power at any second, but all Randal did was sigh and watch his version of the light at the end of the tunnel.
"Just...get it over with." Randal said like a man with nothing left to lose.
Golden Gargoyle admired the humans way of accepting death, but it did not stop him from being ready to fire again. But just before he was about to release his stored energy, he was stopped by an odd feeling of something landing on his head. For some reason, a chill started to run down the monsters fine. He could not understand what was going on until he noticed Randal's completely shocked face and how he was staring at the top of the Golden Gargoyle's head. That's when he came to a terrible realization, his entire body trembling in fear from the overwhelming presence that was standing on him.
"But...that's...impossi..." The Golden Gargoyle said, his eyes slowly looking straight up with just enough time to see the bald man again.
With just one, lazy looking punch the bald man punched the monster in the head and made it pop like a water balloon. Randal was too dumbfounded to realize that he was now covered in golden blood and brain matter. He could not believe his eyes as the bald man casually drop down to the ground as the monsters massive body fell with a loud crash behind him. As he approached, Randal wondered how one man could possibly get so strong.
"Hey...can I have my money back?" The bald man ask with the same unassuming face he had before, not caring that his cloths were in scorched ribbons.
"Y-Yeah...t-t-take it." Randal replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin purse that managed to survive his beating.
"Thanks, I needed this for the big grocery sale." The bald man said as he took the money.
With that done, the man turned and prepared to walk away. But after taking one step he looked around and seemed to notice all the collateral damage surrounding him. He took a curious look at Randal and the state he was in but then was able to quickly comprehend what happened.
"Were you fighting that silver monster before I showed up?" The bald man asked?
"More like...getting my ass kicked..." Randal admitted reluctantly.
"Huh..." The bald man said as he looked around again. "If you're strong enough to survive all this, we spend your time picking pockets?" He said as he looked back at Randal.
Even though his face barely had any kind of expression, the bald man's eye still felt like they were stabbing into Randal after that question. Usually, he had a million excuses for his behavior but something about this man made him know there was no point in lying.
"I don't even know anymore..." Randal replied, letting his head lay on the pavement so he could look straight up at the sky and hide a single frustrated tear.
Randal couldn't see it, but the bald man looked empathetic. He was still annoyed about someone trying to take his money, but it was obvious that the old man on the ground was beaten down in more ways than one.
"Well, maybe you can do something else." The bald man suggested, scratching his head as he tried to think. "There's construction, security, some kind of transportation work..." He said while counting with his fingers.
"W...What about you?" Randal asked, still looking at the sky. "All that power...what do you even use it for?"
"Me? I'm just a guy who trained to be a Hero for fun." The bald man replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Actually, if you don't mind fighting monsters again you could try something like that..." He said like someone who just realized that was an option.
"...Really?" Randal said after a long pause, not sure if the bald man was trying to be funny. "You think I could do that?"
There was no response, so Randal lifted his head again but only saw an empty street. After a moment of wondering where he could have gone, the bald man's words were all he could think about. It seemed like a completely insane idea at first, but then Randal started to really contemplate it. Superstition was never something he bothered with, but maybe being a Hero was the best way to make up for all the bad Karma he brought upon himself. Most of his life revolved around finding ways to benefit from other peoples misfortune and even thought he was afraid, helping that family escape felt like the most he had accomplished in a long time. If risking his neck as Hero meant he could feel that way again, then maybe it wasn't so crazy after all.
(Note From the Author)
(Hi, hope everyone who's been reading this story has been enjoying it so far. It started out as a vague idea but has developed into something I am really happy with. I hope this doesn't seem like me begging for reviews, but I would love to hear feedback from those who have read up to this point. Feel free to give me whatever constructive criticism you have, I think hearing the good and bad about your work is one of the best ways to improve. Thanks again for reading and I hope you will like what's to come.)