Chapter 13

The brothers decided not to go to anymore of the city contests, each time they went, they were confronted. Not that they didn't mind or anything, but the people they defeated began to spread stories and rumors that they were attacking opponents on purpose. "They don't want competition! They want to take everyone out just like their father did!"

"It's true! I was there!"

"They refuse to stop, they won't stop until nothing is left in the way of competitors."

It was all over the news for the past few days. Pac shook his head to it all. "AAAGGGHHH this is SO UNFAIR!" he protested.

"We didn't attack them! They wanted to fight us! What were we suppose to say no?!" demanded Hunter.

"Sometimes, walking away is the best you can do," said their mother. "It's never easy, I know, but it can be the best option so it prevents this."

"I doubt that, they could easily beat each other up and say we did it," muttered Hunter. "Either way, they want to screw with us. They want to mess up our chances and try to get us disqualified!"

"They can't. When it is no longer an official match, and those you defeated are not officially in the tournament, you can't be disqualified."

"Dad?" asked Pac. "How would you know that?"

He shrugged. "I dabbled in the rules." And gave a wink. "Either way, I doubt these are the competitors you need to worry about. It's the ones already in the tournament that you need to focus on. You met one just a few days ago, Snek."

"He's in it?!" the boys demanded.

"Yeah, he's in it every year to keep his skills sharp. He specialized in Biting Snake Fist style of combat… not really affective. He's strong, I will give him credit for that. Excellent reflexes. But, I think he has to broaden his skills."

"You face him before, haven't you dad?" asked Hunter.

"We've crossed paths." He said. "I doubt he knew it was me in that wolf mask a few years ago…"

"Wait, you were in the contest too!?" said Pac.

Their father bore a devilish grin. "Yeah… after I knocked a guy out. He wore a mask so no one knew what he looked like under it… I took his place." He paused as the grin grew. "I wanted to find stronger opponents to face, that was the best place to go to get them."

The boys fell silent. "Mom… how did dad go from being so bad to being… dad?" asked Pac.

"Ask him, he's the one who made the change, not me."

His sons turned to him, Garou only smiled. "You don't get to learn everything about me all at once."

They rolled their eyes. "Come on Hunter, let's go outside and train."

The brother walked out of the house and went to the deep part of the mountains, there was a little valley their father would take them to train. Hunter and Pac stood at the ready before exchanging blows. Their clash could be heard for miles, like thunder. Each strike was powerful, every blow could knock out a normal person. Yet each and every time they sparred, they brought out the best in each other. Pac couldn't help but grin. "I taught you too well." He said. "You are on par with me!"

Hunter smirked. "I learned from the best. You noticed I got faster too!" Time and time again, the brothers would clash, either one landing a strike against the other, both anticipated each other's movement which made it difficult to try and catch the other off guard. They went on for a good hour before calling it off. Hunter then came up with an idea. "If we are going to be in the finals, we got to find a move that neither one knows of. A style that could give us a decent fight!"

Pac was impressed. "Good idea! We both learn something new, but don't use it until it's us in the finals! I like it!"

"Question is… what do we learn, from who?"

Pac thought it over, one came to mind for him. Watchdog man. He knows his father has used his moves before but very rarely. Pac only caught fleeting glimpses of him using the technique of the S Class hero, but not enough to memorize. Hunter was thinking of a martial artist in the tournament, Suiryu, but they will cross paths soon enough and his brother will see his moves too and memorize them. As they pondered, they looked to each other. "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought," at the same time.