Chapter 4
In City S
Hunter was on his first task Class C mission with other heroes. They were confronting a level dragon threat, a massive bullfrog that was gobbling people up left right and center! It's tongue lashed out, ensnaring 10 people before swallowing them down! Hunter had never seen a monster eat people before. The other heroes stood at the ready, yet there was one who was willing to do whatever it took to destroy the beast. Death Gatling was about ready to take aim at it, but Hunter stopped him. "DON'T SHOOT!" he protested.
"Stay out of the way C Class! I know what I am doing!"
"You don't you jackass! There are people in that thing, they are still alive, I can hear them!"
"You can't hear anything through that! Besides, they will be dead and more will die if we don't kill it. Now, step aside and let me finish this thing off!"
Hunter refused and held back Gatling's gunning arm. "Look at how the monster is eating. It isn't chewing them, it swallowing them whole! They are still alive in that thing! Look at its stomach! There's movement! If it eats until its full that's when the people are in danger." Hunter tried time and time again to prevent Gatling from firing, there was little choice now. With a roll of his eyes, Hunter grabbed Gatling and said. "You will thank me later for this… after you curse the hell out of me…" he timed it just right and threw Gatling towards the monster as its tongue lashed out at more civilians. It took the hero instantly and swallowed him down! The others who stood to fight it, froze.
"What the hell did you do that for!" demanded Stinger.
"Just hold off okay. I'm going in!" Hunter charged at the monster and was quickly caught and swallowed down. Despite it's size, in the belly of the beast it was quite spacious! Hunter landed but it was too dark to see. Fortunately, he learned a new trick recently. Clenching his hand, the monster scales began to glow like embers. His mother explained it was probably some of Genos's firepower that he recently inherited. Looking about he saw the civilians, alive and well, but terrified to say the least. "It's okay, I'm going to get you out of here!" said Hunter.
"YOU BASTARD!"
"Call it." Hunter muttered as Death Gatling began to chew him out.
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE! YOU HAD THAT THING EAT ME!"
"Yeah, yeah, shut up already, we're in this together now, besides. Now that I'm in here, I'm about to get everyone out."
"How? How are you going to do anything of the sort!"
"Stand back sunshine and watch." Hunter began to feel about the monster's stomach until he found the hole the dropped out from. So he is now facing the front of the beast's belly. With that he took his stance and did the iron cutting fist technique. In one blow alone, it tore out its stomach! The monster tipped over, everyone was thrown slightly off their feet. Gore burst out on to the street, the world came back into view once more. Hunter lifted up the opening in the monster's gut and proudly displayed the exit. "Women and children first!" he called.
People rushed out of the belly of the beast, Death Gatling merely glared at him as he stormed out of the monster's stomach, Hunter was the last to leave to ensure everyone got out safely. When he exited, the people were cheering him! "He's only a C Class? How did that even happen?"
"Isn't that one of the sons of Garou?"
"I don't know, I heard he had children but they were only 10 year olds, not teenagers!"
The people began to cheer him, for the first time! Hunter smiled and waved to the people before taking his leave. "Where do you think you're going?!" demanded Gatling. "You need to answer me, why did you sacrifice me like that?!"
Hunter turned. "Because, you would have fired on innocent civilians that could still be saved in the monster's stomach. I was going to let myself be consumed anyway to defeat it from the inside, I just wanted to be sure you weren't dumb enough to open fire as I did!" he snapped back. "Now… if you will excuse me. I need a long shower after this…"
Hunter retreated back home, by the time he got through the door, Suiryu was picking up on the smell. He cringed to the stench of it. "Oh God, what happened to you? You reek!" he said.
"Got eaten… blew a monster's stomach out… I'm taking a shower."
"You sure being in C Class is worth it?" Suiryu asked.
"I'll let you know after the shower."
Hunter stayed under the hot water for nearly an hour. He finally got all the slime and stuff off of him and smelt far better than before. When he walked out and changed, he entered the living room. Suiryu was on the computer rolling his eyes, shaking his head.
"What?" Hunter asked.
"You haven't seen yet have you?"
"Seen what?"
Making his way to the computer. Hunter saw the hero registry. Last he recalled he was dead last, number 598 or something. Suiryu found his rank recently, he wasn't at the bottom anymore. "Wait… How did I go that low to number 88!"
"The people," Suiryu explained. "Snek told me this too. The more people see you do heroics, the more your ranks goes up. You must have done a number on that monster, it took you an hour to go from dead last to nearly the top of the C Class!"
"Damn… dad was right. I'll be in A Class by next week!"
"More like in three days if you keep this up!"
Hunter paused for a moment. "Speaking of Snek, where is he? And Max?"
Suiryu shuttered. "Training with Garou! Pray for them!"