Chapter 29

He was starting to see it now.

Amai realized the M Class was no monster association to say the least, however he didn't quite see the point of them being in the heroes association either. So far he has witnessed them patrol and Garou would hunt down monsters to eat. Nothing really changed his opinion on that.

Until October 17th.

He was watching the disaster new network, it was suddenly announced there were 10 high demon to dragon level threats occurring in 10 different cities! He was about to say something until the family began to mobilize. "Suiryu, Alley, you two take City G. Lightning Max, Stinger has requested your assistance in City J. Garou and I will head to City D, Pac is joining Metal Bat at City S. Hunter is already on location in City P. Twins, divide and conquer!"

"I'll take one of them with me," said Alley.

"Draven, come with me!" said Max.

Amai stood. "Can I help?" he questioned.

"With us!" called Suiryu. "City G has the most monsters in it now. High Demons at that. Ready to go?"

Amai nodded as he joined the family outside. Alley took them to City G where the monsters were already rampaging. They were just descending from the sky when Amai turned to her. "Alley, throw me!"

"I never thought I would hear you ask me that!" she said with a grin, but gladly launched Amai down into the thick of battle. There were three massive creatures about to tear the city apart. In one motion, Amai took the head off one, snapped the neck of another and used the momentum to swing around and launch himself at the third shattering its ribcage! Three high demons were taken down and out before he even hit the ground.

But there were plenty more to fight. He followed Alley as she suddenly stopped. Goliath dropped from her hold as he came crashing down to the earth. Sweet Mask felt the world trembled from the impact and even saw a small burst of gore reach into the sky! "I never realized he was that strong…" He slithered quickly to catch up and found Goliath covered in monster gore.

"Huh, I didn't think they blew up that easily" he said offhandedly.

"Oh, they do, you just need to know where to hit them! Come on, there's plenty more to take out!"

The raced about the city streets, encountering these monsters. Amai took down six more before he was able to find Alley and Suiryu. Goliath took down just as many, but found something difficult to deal with.

The monsters were gone. Alley did one more sweep of the city before calling for the all clear to the heroes association. However, Amai noticed a look of devastation on Goliath's face. There were massive buildings that were taken down. Collapsed from the monster attack, and yet he saw something in the rubble. "Were… were there people still in there?" he asked Amai.

He looked to one of the piles and noticed a hand within the wreckage. Even Sweet Mask looked away, but his eyes came to a very sad young man. "Yes," he said. "It is why when you are a hero, you act quickly, you show no mercy to who you battle so you can prevent things like this… sometimes, one comes too late." Yet something troubled him. Amai approached the wreckage of the building before him. He felt something.

"What you got Sweet?" asked Suiryu.

He felt something resonate through his scales. "I feel vibrations… deep under this mess… heartbeats? Yes… yes for certain, I feel heartbeats under this!"

Alley was quick to descend from the sky. "What did you say?"

"Heartbeat!" Amai announced. "There's survivors in there!"

"There isn't much time, we have to help them!" said Goliath.

"I got this, I need you boys to be on the ready. I can't lift too much with this power so be quick, okay?" she announced.

Amai, Suiryu and Goliath stood at the ready. Alley began to focus and began to lift the rubble. He saw them. People huddled together, bracing one another in fear and panic. They moved in quickly. Amai snatched up as many people as he could, Goliath and Suiryu took the others and managed to get the people out of harms way just as Alley could no longer hold the wreckage. It all came crashing down. She fell to her knees in weakness and began to develop a nosebleed.

"ALLEY!" called Suiryu.

"I'm okay" she insisted. "Did you get everyone?"

"We did… but there are more." Said Amai. "I can feel them. Over there… I know there are 20 people at the very least buried alive."

"We can't wait for help… we just can't. We have to keep going! Big Sister, can you manage?" asked Goliath.

She tried to summon her strength, clearing the blood from her nose, Alley stood once more. "There's no choice, I'll push through, just be ready okay?"

It was the first time Amai has seen Garou's children struggle. He thought everything came to them easily and naturally. Yet, even just now, Alley put every ounce of strength she could into lifting a four-story building up to save the survivors. She was no Tatsumaki by any means, but the fact she was pushing herself and trying her best to help the people, showed a lot to Amai. They went to the next building. With deep breaths she began to lift the debris. However, before she did, Amai stopped her. "Wait… don't do it all at once, if you can't manage it, do it in sections. Small portions at a time." He suggested.

Alley paused. "I would, but what if I take a portion off, it collapses the bottom… I can't risk it!" she said. "Look at the way the rocks are balanced, if one slips down it could start a chain reactions. Amai… I have to do it all in one shot, or I risk killing the people we are trying to save."

He saw her point and nodded. "Very well, be careful okay. Gentlemen are we ready?"

Goliath nodded, Suiryu grinned. "When am I ever not ready?" he said.

Once more they took their positions. Alley summoned her strength as once more, she levitated the building. People screamed in fear, yet when they saw Amai and the others, their fear subsided. Amai was the first to get in there, he found eight survivors and told them to get on his back and hold tight. Goliath just cleared the top and Suiryu got the middle. Before he could get himself and the others out. Alley screamed out in pain!

"I CAN'T HOLD IT!" She called. The building was coming back down! Amai couldn't get out in time! He did the only thing he could do. He made a coil ball around the eight as the building came crashing down on top of him!

He cringed! Sweet Mask felt something impale his body, and it was painful. However, compared to what he should have felt with a building coming down on him, it was nothing!

"Mommy, I'm scared… the snake man is going to eat us isn't he?" one little girl said.

"No, no child, that's Amai Mask! He's a hero!" the mother explained.

"No one will harm you, not while I am here." Amai said in a gentle voice. "I'm sorry I scare you, little one. My appearance isn't the most eye appealing isn't it?" he said and tried to smile warmly to her. But first things first, he has to see what has happened around him. He slowly began to unravel himself yet kept the people within his coil. There were in a pocket of sorts… One made by Suiryu who was holding up the building! "Suiryu?"

"Hey… sorry about that… miner setback." He explained.

"Why… why are you here?"

The rocks began to come down a little, but he managed to push them back up again ensuring they don't crush them. "Oh well, you know. I figured if I had this monster like strength, I should be able to keep a six story building from crushing you and the nice people there waiting to be rescued."

"What if… What if it can't be lifted?" Amai asked.

Suiryu only smiled. "What? You don't think I can lift this? Please, this is nothing!" he laughed. "Besides, I've been through worst than this. Trying having two level dragon monsters try and beat the unholy hell out of you! That and one trying to break every bone in my body with a mere flick of his fingers! So… yeah… I think this isn't the worst thing I have endured."

He could hear it now, the glass and concrete breaking apart, crumbling from the weight above. It wouldn't matter of Suiryu could hold up the mass over his head. It's whether or not it will stay together to allow him to. "So… what do you think of us now huh? The M Class isn't about sitting on their asses you know…"

"I see that…"

Suddenly, the whole building began to glow green! Every piece of rock and material lifted up into the sky! "Tatsumaki?" Amai asked.

He looked up, it wasn't her… it was Goliath!

"Come on, out we go! Better still, coil up Sweet, I'll get you out!" Suiryu said. Amai coiled up once more into a ball, with care, Suiryu lifted him up and out with the people still within his body. When the all clear was given, as Goliath gently placed everything back down again. Amai uncoiled himself and the people were released.

"Nice! Since when did you learn your esper power?" Suiryu asked.

"I've been training that for a while. I didn't use it at its fullest until now." Goliath explained.

Medics soon arrived to tend to the people. They went through the other wreckage and saved 40 more lives. When it was all said and done, Amai was pleased, yet, he was in some discomfort. The piercing he felt earlier was from a piece of metal that impaled his body. "I should have healed from that ages ago," he muttered.

Suiryu noticed his wound. "Damn, it got you good. But remember, it's colder out. Your body may not be at 100% with a chill in the air."

"That wound was nothing, I have taken a projectile shot from a monster called evil supernatural water. One in the chest, and the other cut my arm clean off! I healed from those instantly, yet not a mere flesh wound like this?" he protested.

Amai the paused when he felt someone pressing down on the lesion, he turned and saw the little girl who was scared of him early; she was dressing it for him! A nice big piece of gaze, and some medical tape made a big enough band-aid for him. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you." She said.

Amai smiled back, he leaned down, took her hand and gently kissed it. "And I get to thank you."

She giggled to his actions and went back to her mother. "Smooth!" Suiryu laughed.

Amai rolled his eyes. "Are there any other places we need to go, what of the other threats?" he asked.

Suiryu checked his phone. All threats are now eliminated. "There are no more monsters, they are taken care of." He announced.

Amai was surprised. "Really? We were barely at this for an hour, and they are defeated already?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, when we get the call, we get out there. Did you really think the M Class only goes out when called? Nah, Melee and Garou insist, if we see something on TV we go and check it out, just to be certain."

Goliath joined them, while he kept Alley up on her feet. "Easy sis, you did a number on yourself."

Alley was in a weakened state. She began to collapse until Suiryu caught her. "Whoa there… Jeeze, you got to be more careful!"

"Did… did we get everyone we could?" she asked weakly.

"Yes, you were brilliant." Said Amai. "Truly quick, elegant and strong. You should be pleased with yourself."

Alley only smiled. Her eyes rolled back as she passed out. Suiryu carried her from that moment on. Goliath stated he could get everyone home without an issue. "Just a moment, I am going to go back over the fallen monsters." Goliath nodded as Amai slithered back to the first three monsters he killed. Yet, he couldn't help but think along his way. He just witnessed the M Class in action. Despite the heroes already on the scene from what he saw on the news, there was no hesitation in the family. The twins and Pac who are not even registered as heroes took the call to arms. There was no refusal in the family, no one had a 'wait and see' attitude as he has seen in many heroes. Despite the damage done, some lives were indeed lost, yet not as many that could have been.

"They are doing something remarkable." Amai thought aloud to himself. "Even with Snek being like this, I never would have known there were survivors in that wreck if I was my old self."

Amai paused as he came to see what fallen monsters appeared the most… appetizing.