Chapter 5- Troubles.

Star was flustered, at first the conversation went well. She introduced herself and everything, despite the fact she was an A Class hero, things got difficult very quickly. "Miss, I was wondering if your son could help me with something…"

"Tareo? What can you possibly help a hero with?"

"It's my friend, he's been imprisoned due to an event involving your son. I need him to write or speak with the heroes association about the incident with Garou…"

Instantly, the woman's face soured. "That beast! No, my son has nothing to do with him, you need to go."

"Please, it's an emergency…"

"I said stay away from my son!"

"Miss, please, I need his help. My friend is in trouble and others will be too if…"

"No, it was because of that monster, my son was taken! He still cries about it, he hasn't gotten over the trauma, and I want nothing to do in helping you or that… that… THING!"

"His name is Garou, and he risked his own life to save your son!" Star snapped back. "Forget it then, tell Tareo that I will return his book soon. He lent it to Garou,"

"Big Brother!?"

Tareo appeared out from behind his mother. "Is he here? Big Brother!"

"I said get inside!" the mother scolded. "What would you get mixed up with something like that? That thing is a monster!"

"He isn't!" Tareo muttered. "He's my big brother."

"You need to leave, now" the mother said bitterly to Star.

She was reluctant, but left anyway. The day was nearly over, she will have to pull an all nighter or at the latest try again tomorrow if need be. No doubt he will be starving if she doesn't move quickly. She decided to make one more pass by Saitama's house, with a quick knock on the door, she found no one was home. "Just my luck," she sighed.

It was getting late, and tonight… tonight was something Star dreaded. She would do this every year, the anniversary of her family's death. She would go out and drink in their memory, she thought for a moment that perhaps, this year, she would have someone with her for company and comfort. But that won't be happening anymore. She went to the nearest bar in City Z, and ordered four beers. She took them to a table and placed three near her and one was for herself. "To dad, Knuckle and Street. My father, my brothers. As our family mottos says. When we fight together, we fight as one. If you stand alone, fight till there are none!" With that she took her drink.

Star never liked beer, the taste of it wasn't that enjoyable. But she did it for her father, it was his favorite brew to relax with. She made certain to have a drink on his behalf every year.

Star finished her drink, when she felt a presence lingering beside her. "Brawler's family motto huh? We got more in common than you think!" It was Tank Top Master. Of course, the Tank top crew was here. "I use to look up to the Brawler of City B, long before there was the heroes association he fought off monsters as best as he could. His sons took up the cause too. How do you know of them?"

For a moment, she thought Tank Top Master would have known the truth after the last S Class hero meeting about Garou, but then, she remembered, he wasn't there. So, Star smirked. "He was my father."

The looks on their faces were almost worth coming into this particular bar. Tank Top Tiger's jaw dropped. "You? You're a Brawler? No!" he protested. "A Brawler doesn't do what you do. They don't go making friends with a freak like Garou! They don't betray humanity by trying to humanize a beast like that!"

"Tiger, enough" said Tank Top Master.

"You know… I get it… I reaaallllyyy get it." She said. "I so get why Garou kicked your asses. And I don't blame him the least bit."

"What did you say?" said Black Hole.

"So called Heroes… become heroes for the sake of helping others. Some do it just for the praise and credit… Some do it… to push others around. It seems to me, sometimes a hero isn't all what they are cracked up to be. They just become glorified bullies."

"You may want to lay off the beer there Star, before you say something that could get you in trouble." Warned Tank Top Master.

Star only smirked. "You guys may know OF my family, but you don't know the whole family motto." She paused and toyed with her empty beer bottle. "Stand your ground, even if you stand alone. Fight for what is right in your heart and it won't steer you wrong…" The last part she stared at the gang. "Stand up for your friends, when you know they do the same for you."

"You're taking about Garou, aren't you?" demanded Tank Top Girl.

"He is no friend, he is NO ONE'S friend in case you haven't noticed. Garou only does what he wants and what makes him stronger. You are nothing to him, you do know that right?" said Tank Top Master.

Star shrugged. "And honestly, I don't give a damn if that's the case. I am like him in many ways. I have been alone most of my life, I have yearned to be stronger each and every day just so I know I will survive. And every once in a while, I like to see a monster win. Not all fight for the sake of destruction, some fight for the same things we do. Their homes, loved ones, we aren't too far apart from them."

The crew looked sick to their stomachs. Tank Top Tiger then said something that no one expected. "Hm, looks like the monster took the wrong Brawler from this world."

The room fell silent, Star placed her beer bottle to the side before she stood up from her seat and approached the Tank Top crew. She stood over Tank Top Tiger, leaned down and said. "Care to say that… one more time?"

Tiger smiled as he stood from his seat. Despite the fact he was a good foot taller than her, Star wasn't the least bit intimidated. He made certain to get in her face to ensure his words were clear as a bell. "Looks like…" before he could finish. Star grabbed him by his belt and threw him threw the window! The whole crew sprang to their feet as Star followed him out through the shattered glass. Tiger was cut up pretty good, but that wasn't going to stop her.

"Get up" she said.

Tiger refused.

"GET THE HELL UP! ON YOUR FEET!" she demanded.

The rest of the crew came out, some helped Tiger to his feet, Tank Top Master came between the two. "Let's let cooler heads prevail here," he insisted.

"Then apologize to me!"

Tiger cleared the blood from his lip, he glared at her but didn't utter a single apology. Instead, he spat at her feet. "You can't control your boys, Tank. Teach them some respect or I will personally beat it into them,"

Tank Top Master smirked. "Oh, I would like to see you try. You certainly act like him you know. Garou has been a terrible influence on you."

She smirked. "Oh darling, I've always had this mean streak, it kept me going when I lost everything. Besides, if I were Garou, I would have knocked the lot of you senseless by now. I could too, you know."

Tank Top Master smiled. "Go ahead and try!"

Star began to turn away, but quickly turned back around and struck Tank Top Master. Not with fists, but mere jabs at his body. 10 shots in total, none appeared to have bothered him the least bit. "What that it?" he demanded.

She smiled; with a single finger she nudged him back. He couldn't stop himself from falling, letting alone breaking his fall. In fact, he couldn't move! Star smiled as Tank Top Master fell into the broken class, with his arms still crossed. "Yeah, that is all."

However, the rest of the crew didn't take kindly to the insult. They gathered around her, ready to fight. Star shrugged to them all and said. "If it's going to be like this, then it's going to be like this. I am sure my father would be THRILLED to see me kicking your asses tonight!"

"Your father must have been upset he got a girl that's too soft to hold up to the Brawler name!" said Tank top girl.

"You're the first to go down, bitch!" Star warned.

"You can't take us all on. Your pet isn't here to help you!" said Tank top Hatter.

Star sneered "He is not my pet, he is my friend, my partner and I don't need his help!"

Star was surrounded, despite the odds not being in her favor, she recalled what her father always said when outnumbered. "When surrounded, don't move at the first flinch. It's usually the decoy. Look for the ones with strength and assume they will strike first." Luckily for her, she knew the two who would be brash enough to do so.

She kept cool, but there was one little thing she could do to throw them off their game. With a deep breath, she roared and pumped herself up by shouting. "BBBBRRRAAWWWWLLL!" at the top of her lungs as deep as her voice could go. It was the family battle cry, and it was always done when they went against the odds. This time, it worked. The tank Top crew didn't expect such a sound to come from her, and it startled them.

It was time to strike!

Tank Top Black Hole was the first to drop. A stiff elbow to the face and fist to the gut set him back. Then she landed a stiff palm shot to Tank Top Tiger, right in the gut. She followed up with a knee to the chin. But she didn't let him drop. Instead she managed to grab his arm, swing him just enough to propel him into Tank Top Girl. He smothered her against the sidewalk pinning her down for the moment. That left six more. Star charge at the six, she moved nearly too fast for them to act, but just as she was in striking range, she suddenly back flipped just as Black Hole came barreling through. He took out his own teammates. Star landed on her feet as the Crew was down. But she stood ready. Slowly, the Tank Tops got to their feet once more. They were just embarrassed and now, they are going to be out for blood.

Star was too!

"You want more, fine! Come on then!" she yelled.

Taking her stance she waited for them to move, the Tank Tops began to gather before converging towards her, yet suddenly, they stopped. Their eyes widened in shock as they began to back away slowly.

"Wait, I thought it was…"

"He was! Just this morning, wasn't he?"

"Why the hell is it here?!"

Star didn't need to look over her shoulder, she already knew he was there. He said nothing as he stood next to her and then, he stood before her. Garou blocked Star from moving any closer. "OOoo, you need your monster pet to protect you!" laughed Tiger.

Star was about to go for the attack, yet of all people to stop her, it was Garou. His arm blocked her from going forward. "Not tonight," he said gently. He turned his head oddly to the side. "This is the last time I save you." Garou announced.

"Ooo, needs her pet to save her does she?" snickered Tank Top Black Hole.

Garou gave a demonic roar to the Crew "I was talking to you idiots!" With that he turned, his wing arched over her whisking Star back and away from the Tank Top crew. "Let's go"

She didn't want to leave, after all it was her fight. But tonight… tonight wasn't the night to spill blood. Despite the fact she already did so. Still, she was reluctant to leave, but chose to. They were barely down the street when for the first time in years. Star began to cry. She refused to let Garou see her in such a mess. But he never stared down, never asked her what was wrong. He kept her close to him, and continued to walk the streets until she settled down.