A/N: this is technically the end of the rewrites as I have rewritten all of the original story and then some. Chapter 8 is still technically a rewrite but will now be where I planned to take the story after Hunters carnival corpse. If you've made it this far thank you and I hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy the Fanfic that I am now finally taking the time to finish.

Well maybe finish is the wrong word because I am nowhere near done with this.

Chapter 7: Learning experience

Alex and Hunter stood ten feet apart in a well stocked gym. Alex seemed slightly annoyed and was tapping his foot in a rhythm. A few seconds of awkward silence later and Alex spoke up.

"Well, come on then bleed." This surprised Hunter who in all honesty didn't know what to expect.

"Wait we're starting already, shouldn't I do some stretches or something like that?" Alex sighed and shook his head.

"No, im not teaching you how to fight im teaching you how to use your powers so get bleeding."

"Well can I just have a second to get myself rea-" Alex cut him off and spoke to the third person in the room.

"Minatsuki how long does he have until his physical?"

"Maybe twenty minutes, twenty-two tops." She spoke softly and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry, there was nowhere closer to go."

"Hear that Hunter? That's how long you have to pussyfoot around before you're fucked." With no other options Hunter let out a shaky sigh and started to dig his nails under the scabs on his hand. He hesitated briefly before ripping them off with some tearing skin off as well. He yelled out and before long blood started dripping off his fingers and onto the floor. "Good now try moving it like you would any other part of your body." Hunter paused before looking down at his hand and concentrating, he concentrated as hard as he could trying to send his blood around his arm again but it wasn't working it was just dripping down his arm and pooling in the palm of his hand. Alex and Minatsuki looked to one another, Minatsuki raised her hand a bit before stopping and seemed to be reconsidering. Alex rolled his eyes at this and motioned for her to try whatever it was she wanted to try.

"Um, Hunter try thinking about it like moving your hand, you don't think about grabbing something before you do it you just garb it. Try doing that but with your blood." Hunter was getting frustrated and shook his hand back and forth trying to generate a reaction.

"But its not the same! My hand has muscles and bones this is just blood it doesn't work the same way!" Perceiving this as another excuse Alex moved out of Hunters sight, reached down and pull off his shoe before aiming it at him.

"Oh for fucks sake, watch me then." And as Hunter turned Alex chucked the shoe at him. Hunter quickly raised his arms in defense and to everyone's surprise Hunters blood lashed out once again taking its electric form around his arm. As the shoe was about to hit him the blood moved and shot out at it, sending it past Alex hitting the wall before falling to the floor. "Well, that works I guess." Hunter Looked at his arm in awe. As he moved and rotated his arm the blood electricity didn't miss a beat and followed without issue. Hunter looked back up to Alex and asked.

"Well, now what?"

"Now we figure out how it works, sure we know you can hit someone with it but what else can you use it for?" Alex then copied Hunters method of drawing blood scratching at one of his many scabs and forming his claws. "Right hold out your arm im gonna try hitting it."

"Hold on, what?" Alex rolled his eyes again before saying.

"Relax im not gonna cut you, Im just gonna give you a little jab on the arm to see if my blood cancels it out." Hunter reluctantly held his arm out and braced for the punch as Alex walked over and pulled his fist back before hitting it with a quick jab. Hunter winced a little and pulled his arm back rubbing it, the electricity had no effect on his other hand but instead spread to it connecting in between his hands almost like two live wires. Alex however took the brunt of the hit as Hunters blood instantly jumped to Alex attacking his nervous system causing his arm to spasm and his entire body to lock up for five seconds. Seeing this minatsuki took a step back and looked between the two. Hunter then looked up just in time to see Alex start moving again and immediately started shaking his hand trying to wave off the pain to no avail.

"Holy crap are you alright?" Hunter said about to reach out to try and help before realizing what that would do and pulled his hands back and Calling his blood back into his hand. Alex then said.

"Fuck! im never letting you get a hit on me again that hurt like a bitch!" Hunter looked away feeling guilty. "Alright then try and turning it back on."

"Wait but I don't-"

"Do I have to throw the other shoe?" Hunter flinched before starting to clench his hand before finally relaxing and calling forth his branch of sin as it recovered his arm.

"Okay I think I got it down." He said once again turning it off.

"Alright, a few tips for fighting in general. Hit them first, aim for the soft spots, but your weight into each punch, and for god's sake if they're moving around aim for where they're going instead of where they are." Hunter nodded at each tip committing them to memory. "Alright then the guard should be here any minute now so get ready, this Robin guy could be a real piece of work so don't let your guard down." something seemed to be on Minatsukis mind as she rubbed her chin.

"Wait Robin?" Before she could remember her thought a guard walked in and pointed to Hunter.

"Falcon, it's time for your physical, lets go." Hunter begrudgingly followed as Alex and Minatsuki wished him luck.

"Kick his ass man!"

"Be careful!" As Hunter was lead away and it was just the two left Minatsuki turned to Alex and asked. "Do you think, he can do this? Robin wont try to kill him but sometimes..." She looked away with a sad look. "Accidents happen."

"Truth is, I don't know. I hope he'll do fine but I don't know anything about this Robin guy so it's not like I could give specific advice. He just has to play his cards right." Minatsuki nodded but the concerned look on her face didn't change.

"I just can't shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something really important."

Inside his cage Hunter practiced turning his branch off and on again before it hit the ground. He wasn't ready, not mentally, and not physically, but he had no choice as the announcer yelled out.

"Alright Carnival Corpse fans Its our last matchup of the night and we've got another noob in the ring! First up, All the way from America Falcon!" He hesitated not sure if he could even do this. "Come now Falcon don't be shy!" Forcing himself to move he walked out into the arena, dried blood and cracks littered the ground, it had apparently been a long day. "And now our last Deadman for the night. A gladiator with a heart of gold, Robin!" A tan man with shoulder length dirty blond hair and a beard stepped out. He wore a red cotton long sleeve shirt and forest green knee-length shorts. He had a tired expression on his face and rubbed his neck.

"So they threw you in with me huh new kid? For what it's worth I am sorry about this." Hunter clenched his fist and looked down.

"So am I."

"Deadmen, Bleed!" Hunter ran forth activating his branch and readying his arm to hit Robin who just stood still watching. Hunter got in close and swung at his head but Robin leaned back at the last second avoiding the hit. Hunter swung again this time aiming for his midsection but once again he hoped back avoiding the hit. Hunter then swung again and again but Robin simply avoided every hit moving at the very last moment until finally Hunter jumped at him trying to tackle him to the ground but to no avail as he slipped under his arms and spun as Hunter caught himself on his knees. as he tried to get back up he felt a sharp pain on his stomach and looking down he realized he had been cut across the midsection. He held his new wound groaning as he stood and turned back to see Robin was now holding a knife in the shape of a feather in his hand. Robin then reached over his shoulder to his back and made a shallow cut along his spine.

"you have enthusiasm but clearly lack experience, is this your first fight?" Hunter was taken off guard at this.

"Kind of, why do you care?!" Robin smiled sadly before saying.

"Just because you and I face each other now does not mean we must be enemies." Two blood wings sprung forth from his wounds. They were large both around six feet long and three feet wide and were comprised of the six inch feather like blades. "Forgive me." he said as the wings flapped and he took flight. as he rose hunter took a step back and thought. He had to come down at some point so Hunter just had to dodge his attack when he came down, easier said than done but he was confident he could pull it off. Just then one wing flapped in his direction sending three blades at him he rose his arm up to block one with his branch but it did nothing as one blade went right in between his forearm bones getting stuck halfway through. Another blade went into his thigh and scraped against his bone. The third thankfully only grazed he calf. Letting out a scream of pain Hunter fell to his knees and grabbed the blade in his arm. He then pulled it out seemingly screaming louder with every inch.

Alex slammed his fist down at Minatsuki causing her to quickly move as far from him as she could.

"How the FUCK Did you forget something as important as Robin being a ranged fighter!?" She shook her head tears forming as she tried to explain.

"I'm so sorry! I-it just slipped my mind! I swear i didn't..." She then devolved into a mess of sobs and continued saying. "Im sorry, Im so so sorry." Alex however was having none of it and snapped at her screaming.

"You! Are! Fucking! USELESS!" She turned away now shaking as he got up and walked to the door. Chaplin stood in front of him and put her hand on his chest only for him to swat it off off. "Get out of my way."

"And what will you do if I move? Run all the way to the arena, brake in and fight Robin yourself?"

"That's the plan, yeah." Chaplin laughed and Alex tried to walk past but she held out her arm.

"Alex that's stupid, if you did that you and Hunter would be forced to play the penalty game." Alex had a confused look on his face as he tilted his head.

"Penalty game? What the hell is that?"

"Well if you lose a match they strap you to a chair, then they use a slot machine to pick out an organ for them to harvest from your body." Alex went slack jawed at how nonchalant she seemed while saying this.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people? Why are you acting like this shit is normal? Aren't you angry? Aren't you afraid? Aren-" Chaplin silenced him by putting a finger to his lips.

"Yes, we are. But there's nothing we can do about it. And yes it takes some time to get over what happens here but after six and a half years I got the hell over it." She said clearly irritated. Alex took a step back in shock.

"You've been here for six years?" She nodded and continued.

"Yes I have, Idaki has been here for seven, and Minatsuki three. We know how messed up this place is and we know what you're going through watching your friend get hurt, but we try not to let it control and ruin our lives. Do you understand?" Alex said nothing but looked down with a scowl before turning back and taking his seat.

.

Hunter dropped the second blade onto the ground as the amount of blood electricity started to increase and was now moving over his leg as well. Standing up and looking at Robin who was circling in the air.

"Just stay down, it will be easier on the both of us." Hunter shook his head and started to think he needed to hit him but there was no chance from their current positions, which meant he had to find a way to bring Robin down. Robin then sent more blades at him but Hunter managed to roll out of the way in time. He then looked at the blades and got an idea, quickly moving over to the blades and picking them up and pulled his arm back ready to throw them. Robin simply repeated his previous action and sent more blades at Hunter. Hunter then threw the blades but something unexpected happened, his blood went with them coming off of his arm lessening the amount but sending them flying into the blades Robin threw at high speeds. As two of the blades collided and Hunters actually cut through Robins and flew right past his head embedding itself into the ceiling. Robin Frowned realizing his usual strategy wouldn't work, but then got an idea as he flew as high as he could to the opposite side of the arena and then dived at Hunter. Hunter ran under Robin who easily swerved and began circling again. This was going nowhere, Hunter couldn't hit Robin without his blades and Robin wasn't stupid enough to keep giving him more. But then Robin got an idea and using both of his wings sent eight blades at in a way that meant Hunter had to dodge forward. Jumping a few feet ahead Hunter got up and looked up to see where Robin was only for the older man to dive straight down onto Hunter Forcing him to the ground with a crack. Hunter groaned as Robin brought one of his wings in close before he pulled it back in preparation to finish the fight once and for all. Hunter reacted quickly by throwing a jab at Robins chin but just like before he hopped back just in time. But unlike last time Hunters blood shot out into Robins chest stunning him as well as making him lose control of his blood as it fell to the ground in two large puddles. Taking this opportunity Hunter pushed himself up and grabbed Robin by the waist before using all of his strength to lift the Older man up and slam him back into the ground before throwing another punch, this one connecting to his cheek starting the process over again. Hunter then decided this needed to end here and grabbed Robins face holding his hand there as the blood attached itself to Robins face causing him to spasm. Hunter took his hand off of Robin and held it at the ready to punch again in case he tried getting up. But then, nothing Robin lay still unmoving and from Hunters position he couldn't even tell if he was breathing. Now with a worried face he deactivated his branch before feeling for a pulse.

"No no no no, come on you can't be dead!" Thankfully there was a pulse albeit faint and irregular but it was there nonetheless.

"And with that we have our winner!" the announcer called out as cheers from the audience rang out.

"Nice work kid!"

"It's a good day in my book!"

"And that end our round of carnival corpses for today folks! But be sure to tune in tomorrow for that batch of fights as well as the penalty rounds from today!"

.

Hunter stood in the clothes shop Looking through shirts. He found one he liked but the price stopped him.

"Hey, are you sure about this? its a bit pricey." He said looking over to Alex.

"Like I said it's my treat, Im tired of looking at that ugly ass uniform anyway." Hunter shrugged and picked up the shirt before moving into the changing room. When he came out he was wearing a digital camo t-shirt, Black skinny jeans made to look worn at the knees, and white tennis shoes with red stripes facing his sides. Alex looked him up and down before nodding. "Not bad, I'd even go as far as to say you look good." Hunter smiled and admired his new outfit in the mirror.

"I do look good don't I?" with that Alex payed for the clothes and they stepped out to be met face to face with minatsuki who stood holding her arm and looking way. Hunter looked happy to see her while Alex tried to avoid eye contact. "Hey Minatsuki, how are yo-" He was cut off when she blurted out.

"Im so sorry, its my fault, I knew Robin used ranged attacks but I forgot then you both wasted your time and...and..." By the end tears were running down her face.

"H-hey it's ok what's the matter?" Minatsuki shook her head still crying when Alex tried to speak up.

"Minatsuki im-" Once again she cut him off and said.

"Im so sorry!" She then ran off crying. Hunter looked to Alex confused

"Did something happen?" Alex sighed and rubbed the back of his head before saying.

"Yeah that would be my fault." He looked away and swore under his breath before continuing. "When we found out Robin was a ranged fighter I got pissed and snapped at her." Hunters face became disappointed and he shook his head.

"Dude, really?" Alex looked away even further to try and hide the guilt on his face.

"I know im an asshole I was just worried."

"I get that but it's not like she was trying to screw us over." Alex sighed and finally looked back to Hunter.

"I know and I'll fix it tomorrow, but right now im exhausted."

"Yeah I get what you mean, see ya." Hunter said holding out his fist. Alex bumped it and said.

"Later" And with that the two parted ways into their cells.

Major story Changes: Alex is the one to train Hunter to use his branch instead of Senji. Besides that Almost the entire chapter is new story content so this is where these little rewrite notes will end.