Chapter 7

I did indeed grow as I assumed I would. I began to notice how much though. I was a foot taller the next morning than the triplets. Luna was surprised to my growth and honestly so was I.

I haven't done anything strenuous to earn such a growth, but perhaps it was also the situation at home. There was a strange, veiny person they called Amai, making meals and tending to the triplets. I didn't care for the murderous look in his eyes nor killing intent he emitted towards me. However the one named Goliath quickly quelled that.

I had assumed he was the older brother to mother figure due to his size. However, he was in fact younger than she was! But his words carried weight in the room. I ate a tremendous meals and began to reflect on the past. What action we took, what has happened… it was all done out of greed wasn't it? The original was looking for someone strong to fight, and yet in doing so, many people had to die for it?

The logic no longer made sense to me. It was then I decided to go out into the world alone, but I wished to speak with Mother figure on the lesson from the day before.

I went out into the human world alone for the first time, but in disguise of course.

I took the lessons from the day before and incorporated them, I even stopped and armed robbery since a man felt he had the power all because of a blade he carried.

Pathetic.

When I reached mother and explained to her what happened. She wasn't the least bit upset. In fact, she appeared proud of what I did, although I did break the man's arm…

"Perhaps you will understand better if you went out on patrols?" she asked of me.

"Patrols?"

She nodded her head. "Let me ask Suiryu to take you along!" she then called him. Father figure came within ten minutes but was smiling a wicked grin. "Oh? You want to hang out with me today?"

I didn't know what to make of the notion, yet I learned quite a bit from mother figure just the day before. I wonder what lessons he could offer me…

#

He allowed me to ride on his back.

Father figure had wings that permitted him to fly though the air rather effortlessly. Yet from this vantage point, he could see many things. "You okay?" He called to me.

"I survive the vacuum of space, this is nothing!" I said to him.

"Okay, so go faster?"

"What?"

Suddenly, his speed picked up!

I held on to him for dear life, but he was laughing it up!

He came to a stop on a rooftop, from there I was able to regain myself and bearings as he looked over the city.

I joined him as well, I saw people far and wide and yet I wondered still. "How do people go about their lives when they know monsters can attack at any moment?" I asked of him.

Father figure smirked as he took a seat on the roof's edge. "Because, they know there are people out there to stop them." He said. "Before, I couldn't be bothered to stop a monster. I didn't think it was my place after all, I also didn't care about anyone but myself for a long time."

I took a seat next to him as he explained when he was human, he was one of the best martial artists in the world. However, using his abilities to help others wasn't something he wanted to do. "I wanted to live a relaxing life, I wanted to be happy, and explore. I went from girl to girl often, always someone cute who would make me happy for the moment… until I got board of them."

I smirked a little. "You sound like the original in some aspects."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, when I met Saitama, and he saved me from a monster. I began to feel inspired. I wanted to be a hero… in fact, I nearly joined a group called the Neo Heroes!"

"Oh? What happened?" I asked.

He then pointed to himself. "This," he said and smirked. "Ended up nearly becoming a monster, the very thing a hero is suppose to fight against…"

Curious now, I knew there was a reason why he appeared this way, and yet if he is claiming to be a monster, does that mean he is fighting for the wrong side? "Mother figure said before that the family are classified as monsters… correct?"

"Yeah, sucks, but we are,"

"Then why aren't you acting like the monsters?" I asked. "It makes no sense to me for you and this kin of a family to be labeled as such beings when you do not act like them the least bit."

Father figure sighed aloud. "People try to explain things as best they can with what they don't know. Sadly, since we look more like the monsters, they tended to rope us in the same category as them. Garou, I heard tried to become one before, but once again, was stopped by a familiar hero in a yellow suit." He said and smiled.

"Ah, so Garou fears him as well…"

"Not fear… more like respects him."

I paused. Did I respect Saitama?

No, I fear him. I have the same fear that the original possessed after he was defeated, he understood at the cost of his life how powerful that hero is. Even to this day I shutter at the name and thought of Saitama.

Wait, isn't this what Mother figure mentioned before?

The difference between fear and respect?

"Do you fear Saitama?" I asked.

He laughed aloud to the notion. "I respect him! He was the one that inspired me to become a hero!" he explained. "You have a different experience with him, since you remember how your battle with him went down, correct?"

I nodded.

"Perhaps, the more you see of this world, the better you will come to understand it. As well, when you have something worth fighting for, it makes you a lot stronger."

"What do you fight for?"

He paused for a moment, he stared blankly out into the city and sighed. "Sometimes, not even I know. But there is one thing for certain… I will always fight for Alley. She is the first woman to ever look beyond my strength, she wanted to know me for me… not to mention, I haven't met a girl who could kick my ass!" he said with a proud smile.

Curious, he is attracted to a powerful woman?

"What about you? What did you live for?" he asked of me.

"To fight, that was it, nothing more. It was to seek out strong opponents and battle them to the death. There wasn't anyone who could have stood up to me in power until the original came here. However, I am starting to question my own existence. If I am to take this world, I will have to battle Saitama once more, and I don't believe I will be able to win."

He listened attentively as I spoke of the reasoning for my creation. Yet each time I am with mother and father figure, the existence of it all appears to be pointless. "What does it matter if you are strong… what is the purpose of defeating an opponent greater than yourself only to have to continue the search once more? Why grow stronger if there is nothing to give you a meaningful battle?" I asked. "Is my creation just a mistake… or am I to be sacrificed for the sake of a battle?"

I turned to him for an answer, yet father figure appeared to be dumbfounded by my words. "Damn, I never knew such a burden was placed on you…" he said. "Well, I think you need to decide what you want in life. If you want to grow strong to try and continue what the original was doing, so be it. But this family will stop you along side Saitama. And trust me, the last thing you would want is to be eaten by the family!"

"Ah yes, I recall Mother figure's actions… wait, they grow stronger by what they consume?"

He nodded. "They can retain power from other monsters they eat." He explained.

"That does explain a few things…"

"But, you can also train hard. By the sounds of it, you are a lot like me, naturally talented, so you didn't have to train right?"

I nodded to him. "BUT, if we do train you, perhaps you can learn more about yourself. Also, didn't Alley say strength isn't everything? Have you tried learning something new?"

I never considered the notion. After all, when Lord Boros had a ship, his crew did everything for him. He never had to soil his hands unless it was for battle and the challenger was worthy to face him. Perhaps, I should, since I don't have a crew, and I doubt I will be able to sway this family into joining me.

"What… is there to learn?"

"Oh? Having a little pep talk?"

Father figure and I turned to see the alpha standing behind us. He was smiling a wicked grin. "Hey Garou, Boros here was just trying to decide on what to do next. Wanting to learn something new and even try training."

He took a seat on a large metal unit on the rooftop. "Training huh? Well, what move did you have that was difficult?"

"Move? Oh… well… there was one called Meteoric burst. However it strains my body greatly. It is the third and final form I can achieve, however it can take years off my life…"

"Why?" he asked. "Why would a power like that take years off your life?"

"I… never used it often…" I began to explain.

Garou paused as he thought it over. "Ah, I think I get it now. You hardly use the move, with strains your body, it's like working out without stretching first… interesting…" he was deep in thought shortly after.

"I don't like that look on your face." Father figure stated.

"I say we train him in that!" he announced.

"What? You train me to achieve third form?" I asked with a laugh. "My body is currently too small for that!"

"No, it's not. You just haven't tried yet… Suiryu, mind if I take your brat home with me for a while?"

He nodded. I was suddenly plucked off the rooftop by Garou's tail, he took to the skies without warning, and just as fast, we returned home! He dropped me into the spar pit, before his focus turned to the house. "LUNA PLAYTIME!"

I froze.

He is summoning her?!

She came out in a flash. "Playtime?!" she asked with great excitement.

"I want you to show Boros what you can do. Can you show him please? You look really good in that color too!"

Her eyes widened as she nodded. Suddenly, she began to power herself up.

Luna went from second form… but then her hair altered.

It changed to a cherry redish white… like my third form…

Wait… a child so young can achieve that!?

Her power level was incredible! She… she rivaled the original!

Then she was quick to calm and power down. The moment she did, she appeared tired. "Wow… that was a lot daddy, I need a nap!"

"Go ahead sweetheart,"

That was playtime to her?

Yet, Garou peered over towards me. "What do you say, you want to train? Or you want to sit and wait for something better to happen?"

I never felt like this before, in fact the similar sensation came over the original when he first saw Saitama… but this. This was different. I nodded my head to him.

Garou smirked as he explained what we would do. He will help me achieve stage three, then when I can obtain it, for a short time each day he wants me to be in stage three for five minutes, when it becomes simple, he extends it. "We will slowly build you up, again this will be like a muscle, you work at it slowly until you obtain your end result, we won't rush this since you said so yourself. This can take years off your life, but we are not having you expel that power. Merely obtaining it. Sounds good?"

I agreed to the terms. At the same time, I decided that I would learn as well. "When mother figure goes to her lair tomorrow… will I be able to go with her?"

He smiled to me and said. "Ask her, not me."

"But, you will make her take me if she says no, correct? You are the alpha male here!"

He laughed aloud to my comment. "Make her? No, we don't roll like that. You need to respect when a person says no. There are times to break that rule, but, when it comes to a woman. Respect it… always!" he said in a warning tone. "But, if you ask nice enough, I can't see her refusing to take you."