A/N: Fun Fact - There's a pepsi commercial done with Cyborg 009, and Garou is a cola-drinker... Yup, Garou and 009 are pretty much destined to be enemies. XD.
Enjoy Reading!
Intermission Arc
Chapter 19: Heroes and Villains
The dome-shaped coliseum size building encompassed the area upon a hill, a sleek silver surface as its head and the rest white concrete. Emma's directions guided Killua here, seeing several hundreds of competitors head up the stairs and towards the massive building, and he followed along with them.
Passing the automatic doors that opened to every person, many competitors roamed the large lobby inside. Bantering and conversations filling the air, as NPCs assisted each and every one of them behind their stations within a wall that had an open window. Killua's short figure easily moves through the crowd, hardly any of them giving notice to the boy and his silent steps, perhaps there are a few who had been keen enough, but Killua's only focus was to the counter at the end of the lobby.
After waiting in line, Killua finally met with an NPC worker behind the counter. "Hello! How may I help you?" The worker greeted happily, a pale haired woman with pinkish red eyes and a warm smile. Her uniform was a simple white and brown. She sat beside a computer desktop whose screen could not be seen by Killua, although he was just tall enough to rest his arms over the counter.
"Is this the place where competitors can train?" Killua asked.
The woman nodded. "That's right! We provide all training necessities and available spaces. Most of the training areas we have here have already been booked, but we still have a few rooms available. How long do you wish to train for?"
"Anything available for the whole day?"
The worker turned aside and typed something into the computer, looking at the monitor for only a brief moment.
"We do have one more room, but you'll have to share it with another competitor. We value every competitor's privacy and need for total concentration in a secluded environment, so we'll assigned you a section of the room for you to freely train for the whole day."
"How big are these rooms?"
"The rooms are essentially pocket-dimensions that can range from ten to thirty-thousand kilometers - even if they may not seem like it at first glance," the woman answered, "The room constructs a virtualize world suiting the preference setting of your request. You can also adjust them during training. We can also provide you training dummies, moving targets, equipment, or AI combatant to spar with. There'll be a tutorial video and pamphlet to explain the process in more details once you reach your room. All we ask is for you to respect the privacy of the competitor you'll be sharing the room with and not to cross into their section without their permission."
The woman added with a point of her finger and emphasized, "You'll be warned if you happen to be crossing into the other competitor's section, and there'll be a visible barrier to dictate this. If you violate these terms, you will be escorted out of the coliseum and will not be allowed re-entry for a total period of five hours. If these transgressions continue to occur, you will be banned from entering the coliseum for the entirety of the Two-Day Intermission. Killing competitors during training is also forbidden."
"Hm," Killua thinks to himself for a moment, he wouldn't want to repeat what happened at his first Hunter Exam. The worst that can happen this time though is that there won't be any second chances, and that meant he won't be able to help Gon. "Alright then, I'll take the room."
The woman typed something in her computer. "Very good. It looks like you'll be sharing a training room with that other competitor over there."
Following her gaze, Killua's sight settles upon another individual standing beside him who was also standing in front of an NPC worker.
A teenager with black hair, light grey shirt with parted collars that reached up his chin. Dark blue fabric covering from the waist to his knees around his black pants, held up by a thick purple rope as a belt. Gray socks and dark sandals, providing light mobility for this young man.
"-and there you have it!" The male NPC worker said to the dark-haired competitor, "Your training room is ready. You'll be sharing it with that boy next to you. Is that going to be okay?"
Sasuke Uchiha looked over to Killua. Dark eyes in cold regard before looking away, "Doesn't matter to me."
"Then if you will follow the arrows here," the two workers simultaneously said, together gesturing the floor where a line of flashing white arrows points to one of the hallways that leaves the lobby area.
"It'll guide you to the training room you two will be sharing," the male worker addressed, "Please respect each other's designated areas."
"We wish you the best in your training!" The female NPC added with exuberance.
"Thanks," Killua said, and follows the printed arrows along with the older boy ahead of him. A mild interest in observance to Sasuke's back, where Killua sees a symbol shaped of a folding fan with red feathers, and they entered the corridor without a single word of exchange.
"You sure look like you're having fun."
A crowd gathering in a circle upon a street. A kendo dojo at the middle between buildings. Several kendo practioners lay on the ground, their bodies battered, and their broken faces bloodied. In the midst of this body count of the injured defeated, two men of blood red hair stood at the center.
"Being a little rough on them though, don't you think?"
The one who spoke in mild manner, a seemingly carefree tone. His velvet red hair tied in a low ponytail. Cherry lavender fabric of his hakama with the chest exposed, a grayish lower half of his kimono-like outfit, and black socks that wore sandals. His left cheek permanently kissed by two long scars, marked into an X.
"How about leaving these gentlemen alone, and have a little spar with me instead?" Kenshin Himura challenged with the most collected voice that held an underline chill, the crowd around them hearing it clearly.
The other blood hair competitor stood in stark contrast, taller, with wilder hair that was bloodier than the samurai before him. His body adorn in muscles, a massive figure in black shirt and baggy black pants, his face gnarly like that of an ogre. The face that many who have seen last night's Preliminary footage would recognize.
The ogre-man, Yujiro Hanma, curled his mouth into a slight grin, a condescending glare down at the man. "If it's a fight you're looking for," his voice bellows a deep, merciless tone, "you'll be getting more than just a little dance."
Suddenly, a swing of a shiny blade goes between Yujiro's eyes. His gaze widened for a split second before he struck the side of the sword with his hand, and he slid back quickly.
The blood-hair swordsman had unshielded his weapon with impressive speed. Many bystanders do not even recall when he had ever unsheathed his katana.
"That was a quick reaction," Kenshin spoke, holding up his katana, a glint of a serious expression in his eyes. "I thought about just giving you a little scare, but it looks like you're no ordinary brute."
The crowd inwardly trembled when they saw Yujiro's grin widened, "Interesting. You got my attention now!"
"-Two other guardians are on their way. Be careful 009. One of the competitors is a Red Level Threat," The distant caller, 003 informed. "Keep heading north!"
"Got it!" 009 announced as he sprinted across roof after roof. He crosses overhead the streets, avoiding the people walking at ground level. Some noticing a dash of red and orange hopping in the sky and looked up out of curiosity.
They were thus caught by surprised when a fleeting figure in black dashed by them, chasing after the dancing tail of 009's orange scarf. Garou paid no mind to the surprised gasps of others as he pursued after the unknowing speeding cyborg. Passing two young couples - a long orange hair girl in white and a black hair boy in black, both looked to have stepped out of an RPG. He also sprinted pass two young girls - one with pink hair and the other with black hair in braids - walking out of a clothing store. He jumped over a railing where a blue haired boy in twin tails and a young man with black hair and glasses were crossing paths, and Garou simply kept going.
There was only the cyborg in his sight. Nothing else, not even from the shouts of surprise and anger.
You're not getting away from me!
Just as Garou swore this, 009 made a sharp right turn, launching from the beam between glass windows of a tall building. It was then that a traffic of flyers and vehicles rushed by, witches on broomsticks, winged people, and riders of various creatures that made a certainly interesting sight for Garou, but he pulled himself away from it when he lost sight at the cyborg's turn.
He pondered whether to just barrel through the traffic, then he looked to his right. A wide long alleyway exposed, where a cut-off could be done at the end of it. He quickly darted into the alley then.
The alleyway was long, with several more people showing themselves, a slum of some kind, with all gruff-looking or average appearing people and competitors. He avoided all of them as he spotted the red cyborg through each tiny crevice between buildings to his left. He increased his speed gradually, dealing with speedsters was something he can manage, especially if he intends to fight the fastest hero in his world.
"-Oh hey, did we get drinks?"
"Yeah, he's got it back there."
Garou looked away from the cyborg. Ahead of him, two boys walked out of a small convenient store, a boy with white hair and a tattoo over his eye, and another boy with dark blue hair and a red boxed weapon on his back, both carrying groceries in plastic bags.
The tattooed-eye boy, Allen Walker, first noticed the speedily approaching Garou, and Rin Okumura followed Allen's surprised gaze.
It was a split second of a reaction when they realized one another. Rin Okumura clutched the strap that carried a red sheathe box on his back. "What the hell-?!"
Garou kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, over the boys that nearly fell on their backs as they looked up.
Whew, that was close. Garou first thought until-
"Watch out!" Allen shouted. A warning Garou made note, though it was not only directed to him, as he quickly began to descend towards a group of delinquents in front of him.
The leader of the group, with black hair slicked back, and a leather jacket, all following the checklist of a delinquents attire, raised his head. "Huh? He reacted rather dumbly, his brain failing to quickly register the incoming figure threatening to crash into him.
Garou threw forth his arms and snatched the shoulders of the leading delinquent. "What the-?!" Ignoring the surprise, Garou swiftly pushed himself over the delinquent's head, lunging himself over the entire delinquent group, and as soon as he landed on the other side, ge proceeded to sprint down the alley as if nothing had happened.
"M-Maeda-san! Are you alright?!" One member of the group asked their leader.
Maeda was utterly baffled. He remained like for a few seconds before his face slowly became red. "Wha, wha-?"
Maeda swore that he had just been jumped on - or rather, jumped over. Either way, Taison Maeda was not happy, especially with how quickly the silver-haired stranger simply ignored him afterwards. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! H-HEY!"
He turned for Garou who already left the scene. Slighted by this disregard without even so much as an apology - although an apology wouldn't really make up for the scare, Maeda began to barrel through his own group to chase after the fleeing Hero Hunter.
"HEY! G-Get back here! Think you can just, just c-come at me like that and-and-!"
"Crap. He's really pissed. His stuttering is a mess..." One of the delinquents said, needing to be quiet or else he would get a beating from Maeda if he heard this.
"Maeda-san! He's already gone!" One of the other friends said.
Maeda huffed, "D-dammit! Let me through! I'm going after that guy!"
His group tried to, but there wasn't enough space for all of them to move out of the way. "There isn't enough room!" One of them shouted.
"Dammit! Who's the idiot that thought we should walk through this tight alley together?!"
"Maeda did! You want to tell him that?!"
"Uh, not really..."
It was a show of a single young man climbing over his posse as Rin and Allen watched bemused. As they stared and tried to figure out just what the hell happened, there was a jingle sound from the opened doors of the convenient store again, and they turned to a friend of theirs joining them at last.
"Sorry for the wait, there was a few extra patties I wanted to get," a brown-haired boy casually said, wearing orange headphones as he carried plastic bags of food and drinks. There was a store bought, cooked burger he held in one of his hand, taking a bite from it as his attention turns to the chaos near him, witnessing Maeda practically swimming through his group with vehement determination.
"Did I miss something?" Yoh Asakura asked relaxed. Rin and Allen glanced at each other, unsure how to even begin.
Running through the curved alleyway, Garou found his exit, dashing around the corner that led out onto the sidewalk, and stopped with an anticipated grin right in the path of the running cyborg.
But 009 did not appear as he was expecting, and his grin dropped. He hears the swift taps of running from above and he looked up. Garou found 009 leaping from one building to the next across the elevated structures, not a single notice to being pursued as 009 pursues to his own destination.
"Tch!" The nerve of this hero ignoring Garou. Garou sprung up after in suit while everyone else was distracted with their own busy plans, though several noticed and looked up after him in awe and wonder. Garou pounces from one foundation to the side of the building and ran up, matching the movement of 009 before eventually reaching the roofs.
Where he lost 009 yet again. Garou stopped at the center of the roof and scanned the surroundings, throughout the distance of some lacking sensible structuring, buildings on top of other buildings, though they still stood regardless. There were even taller constructions from afar, but no sign of the hero in red.
He spotted a red triangular-like tower though, and an idea came to him. Garou sprinted across the roofs, passing over, under, and by other characters doing their shopping, hanging out on the roofs, and flying over the city while only everyone could wonder where the hell was this silver hair young man was going.
"Wow, this view is amazing. Don't you think so, Keichii?" A beautiful blonde teen in spectacles exclaimed beside her brown-haired companion, looking through the windows of the red tower they stood inside at the highest floor.
Keichii smiled happily, not only in agreement which more than baffled his mind at such a place outside this familiar tower, but on this date of his with Miu. Granted, he didn't quite call it a date to her outright, this was more so their attempt to familiarize themselves with this city. But even so, Keichii Shirahama was happy to be on this not-date with Miu Furinji.
The preliminary had been a nightmare for Keichii, by far crazier than most things he's been through where it was his fists, his courage if he gathered enough, and the rest of himself he had to rely on, even worse than what his sensei's put him through with their insane training. He was more than glad for this chance of leisure. Granted, there were still plenty of strange things here he thought would only ever exist in Mangas, and some of the things he saw in the Preliminary made his eyes nearly pop out of his head.
He hears another girl excitedly chime beside him, bright scarlet hair tied into a long braided tail chatting amongst her friends. "Isn't it cool how much this tower looks like Tokyo Tower? And just look at all those buildings! They're standing on top of each other!" The girl name Hikaru Shidou exclaimed.
"Honestly, sometimes I really do think you're in grade school with how you are," Umi Ryuuzaki said, earning an angry expressive retort from Hikaru. Another girl next to them, Fuu Hououji, smiled in mirth, holding back a chuckle behind her hand before hearing a bell ring behind them.
"Oh, look," Fuu said. "They're giving away ice cream."
Hikaru spun around and saw the ice cream cart that just stepped out of an elevator. "Awesome! Just what we needed!"
Miu also turned at the noise of the bell as Keichii continued to look out of the window, a little preoccupied with his thoughts, and all he's hoping for today is to not have any more heart attacks.
And just as he thought of this, the fleeting face of Garou and his intense gaze through the glass window nearly knocked him right off his feet. "Wha-?!" Keichii watched only the brief second of the dark shirted man leaping to the next level above him, and the silver hair man was just gone out of sight.
"Let's go get some ice cream too!" Miu said, completely unaware of what just happened as she started for the ice-cream cart.
"Huh?! Wait-!" Keichii's befuddled and troubled face darted from the window to Miu to back to the window. "There was-! What just-?!"
"Hm? What's wrong?" Miu noticed the hesitation and surprised look on Keichii.
Keichii didn't know how to answer that, at all. "U-uh. Well…"
Maybe… maybe he was just seeing things. Yeah...
Garou reached at the top point of the red tower. With just a huff of breath he quickly took control over after all the running he's been doing; his gold eyes scanned the entire area in view.
"Tch! This guy really has the gall to keep me chasing after his tail." It was like the red cyborg was just mocking him at this point, but Garou is sure to get a hold of him soon enough.
"Where are you...?" He turned his head and spots his target. The fast figure in red and his orange scarf dashing down a single street. Tall buildings between him. The red cyborg was at a considerable distant from Garou, miles even.
But Garou was certain he can close the gap between them. He revved himself up, his legs feeling the intensity as he prepares for the longest jump imaginable.
Unconsciously, aura began to surround his legs. "I got you now cyborg."
He sprung from the tower. The tip of the tower shook tremendously with flakes of the exterior paint and bits of metal falling off, and everyone inside felt a slight tremor in the building. Keichii in particular scrambling for his ice cream that fell to the floor. M-maybe that wasn't my imagination after all.
With Garou, he was quickly overcoming the distance, rushing across the air and closer to 009. He sees the cyborg running down a single street, the perfect moment.
"Should have paid more attention to your surroundings-!"
009 abruptly stops in the middle of the street, and the Hero Hunter flew right passed him, his feet not meeting the ground yet.
What?!
The unintended powering of his leap from his awakened aura, adding more than what he intended in his jump. He passed the abruptly stopped hero in red and kept flying. "Hey wait! Hold on a second-!"
Cyborg 009 felt a rush of wind behind him. "Huh?" He glanced back but found nothing. "Did I just felt something-?"
His attention was pulled back to the area he arrived to, where a fight was taking place.
The hood of a car was crushed under the weight of a fist. Feet in sandals rushed across the vehicle, the sword unsheathed by his side and he swung for the head of the ogre man behind him.
Yujiro met the blade of the sword with his backhand, grinning even as blood trickled from under the sharp metal. "Not bad. But moving around instead of going for the kill is such a waste of breath. You really think you could keep living a life like that?"
As a man who has seen many battles, have been through war, and has his share of many deaths, Yujiro saw the blood in this samurai's sharp gaze. Blood that no doubt had met the end of this blade Yujiro bare-knuckled with ease. What irked the Ogre slightly was how much this so-called samurai was actively holding himself back, judging by how it's only the back of the blade that's being used. This would have been a lot more fun if his opponent could let lose a bit more.
"Come on! I want to see your real face. The face of a killer!" Yujiro shouted with anticipation, a demand that he won't be - nor had he ever been - denied of.
Kenshin glared at Yujiro, a piercing gaze that sees the strength before himself. Kenshin knew in an instant, any moment of a hit from this inhumanly strong man would be an end. No sharp blade could break him more than the fist of this Ogre.
Why do I always have to deal with lunatics? He could have preferred a quiet life, and he hates more than anything to fight against a man with no weapon.
But all the same, a killer with a fist would be no different than a killer with a sword. Kenshin at least managed to help spare those kendo-practitioner men from a likelier fate as he had witnessed on the big screen, with this muscled red-haired man having won a fight against a humanoid monster. Kenshin knew not to go easy on this man, though the more he is under threat of those fist, the greater his own bones shook.
He had stared death in the face several times before, but this was an entirely new experience for him. Well, frankly, all of this was. He's still convinced he might be having a dream with all the monsters and magic and every other crazy thing happening around him. But if there's one thing he can be sure of, it's the imminent threat he currently faces.
His sword then met a kick from a third party, breaking apart Kenshiro and Yujiro as the Ogre retreated his fist.
"That's enough!" 009 declared, landing on the smashed hood of the car. "Both of you, stand down!"
Yujiro assessed the cyborg in front of him. A deep growl in his throat, "You got a lot of nerve butting in on my fun." If there's one thing Yujiro hates more than anything, it's someone interrupting him in the middle of a fight.
"I mean it," 009 warned, "Stand down, Yujiro Hanma. You're going to answer for all the people you've injured and the damages you've done."
He then glances back at Kenshin. The samurai suddenly looked like a startled deer and he urgently waved his hand, "H-hey now! I was just trying to be a good Samaritan and stop this guy."
"I see..." 009 said, although he had this confirmed by 003 already. Before he could say more, Yujiro swiftly kicked under the bumper of the car. The hit lifted the entire car right off the street and onto its back wheels, astounding both 009 and Kenshin as both hopped away from the car.
"He lifted that entire car with just his foot?" 009 said in shock as he landed beside Kenshin, "Is that man really human?!"
"I'd sure like to know that as well," Kenshin said, readying his sword. "Normally, using a sword on someone unarmed is despicable, but he's not exactly defenseless. So maybe I shouldn't feel too guilty about it."
Yujiro calmly approaches both 009 and Kenshin, stopping just in front of the standing car. With a smug grin as if holding back a laugh, he pressed his hand against the underbelly of the car. Strength rushed into his arm and muscles, and he pushed the car with a wild smile.
The car came flying and the crowd quickly dispersed in a panic. Kenshin swiftly sprung aside as 009 did the same to avoid the thrown vehicle.
Hearing the frightened cries of the people, Kenshin quickly made himself work to have the people at his back, holding up his arm, "Everyone! Clear the area now! Run!"
Meanwhile, 009 ran towards the car and dropped right on top of it. His robotic enhanced limbs pushing the nose of the car to skid it to a halt and causing it to drop back down with a damaging bounce; this sort of feat would have been better handled by 005 he realized.
Just when he thought he stopped a disaster from happening, a mailbox was suddenly thrown his way. 009 leapt off from the car and avoided the crash that shatter the front windows of the vehicle. Landing back on the ground, he witnessed as Yujiro was approaching another vehicle parked on the road, seemingly intent to cause more damage as if to spite 009.
"Stop!" 009 sped to the back of Yujiro and swung his leg. Yujiro was surprised by the speed, but he quickly raised his fist to punch the incoming kick.
He blocked it?! This man's reflexes were incredible! 009 would have believed this man to be a cyborg if anything.
Yujiro grabbed the leg of 009 and with ease, he tossed 009 towards the destroyed car. 009's back struck against the mailbox and caused the vehicle to be pushed back as well. Tire marks across the street at its parked state, the car struck against a lamp post, and stopped onto another street where an incoming truck had saw the accident in his way. The trucker tried to desperately steer to avoid, and managed to do so, but in his split-second decision mixed with panic, he lost focus and control of the vehicle.
Kenshin heard the screeching tires that was heading straight for him and looked too late at the truck that came like a bull aiming for the redness of his hair, "Uh oh-!"
Kenshin braced for impact. If he reacted fast enough, he might be able to either jump over it, or jump aside and risk breaking his leg. There were just too little seconds for him to choose, so he had to go by gut instincts.
But that choice never had to come, as there was a sound of rockets bursting, and the truck was suddenly lifted.
"Uh, Huh?" Kenshin looked up in bulging-eye bafflement at the truck now being held right above him, its shadow fallen over his whole figure. His savior greeted him with a smile.
"Hey Mister! Are you alright?"
Holding up the entire truck in mid-air were small hands. A robotic humanoid in the shape of a child, with metal black hair of two pointy ends, wearing just black shorts with a green belt. His legs to his feet wore red boots, where rocket boosts exert its flames - the source of his flight
"Astro!" 009 called out surprised, pushing himself up from the destroyed car,
"Hi 009! Sorry I'm late!" The flying boy named Astro said, taking the truck away and casually yet carefully setting it back down on the street.
"Uhhh..." Kenshin's eyes were comically wide and dumbfounded. "Is it me or is that child actually flying?"
"Hm?" Yujiro frowned at the new boy that just arrived. Never mind that the boy himself was flying, that certainly was a surprise, but he swore that there was something familiar about that kid. Something he's seen in a cartoon poster perhaps-?
A golden chain suddenly wrapped around his ankle, and he felt its clench. Yujiro's brows rose in surprise as he looked down, and he was suddenly yanked right off his feet before he could react. Dragged to the side and up along a tall building, he disappears beyond the roof.
"Ah-! That was-" 009 saw what happened to Yujiro, and recognized the chain rope he had only a glimpse of. "Archer! He's here too? How long had he been watching?"
He arrived just before Astro did, 009 heard 003 inform him through the comms, He was actually able to see the fight much further than that, but he wanted to assess the situation first. I had to urge him to act.
"That sounds like Archer alright. He was always a cautious man," 009 slightly sighed, removing himself from the destroyed car. He felt sympathy for the owner of this vehicle, hopefully they can have one of the other guardians come and possibly repair this. Maybe Archer or Roy might be able to fix it.
Astro had placed down truck and gave the trucker a wave, which was returned with gratitude, and sees off the vehicle down the road. Astro then flew back to 009, where he greeted his fellow guardian happily, "Are you okay, Joe?"
009 nodded, dusting off the debris from his clothes, "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for the help," He then looked back to the still dumbfounded Kenshin, who was just standing aside. "And thank you too, for getting all the people out of here, and for stepping up against that rogue competitor."
"Huh? Oh, yeah! It was no trouble," the earlier show of a serious expression was replaced with a sudden carefree, bumbling attitude. "Uh, sorry about the mess."
"It's fine. I know that it was Yujiro who started it," 009 looked to all the injured fallen kendo practitioners, assisted by others as they helped them to the clinic that was just next door to their dojo. The things people do just for a fight. He'll never understand what makes it so thrilling. Chaotic more like.
"003," 009 spoke through his intercommunication, although confusing Kenshin as to who he is talking to, "An NPC group of trainers were harmed by Yujiro Hanma. They're all being taken to the nearest clinic now but send an ambulance anyway. There's a lot that's been damaged here too."
"This car is completely wrecked but thankfully there's no gas leaking from it," Astro informed as he went and knelt in front of the car, seemingly looking at nothing but the door of the vehicle. "It should be safe for repair."
"Understood. Archer was able to successfully send Hanma to solitary. Good work, 009. Astro. I'll contact someone to help repair all the damage that's been done- Ah!
009 and Astro suddenly jerked at the surprised sound from 003.
There's another fight going on at the other side of the city's section. Both of you are needed there now!"
"Got it." 009 looked back to the injured.
Kenshin saw his expression and was able to read his thoughts, giving a reassuring wave. "If you're worried about those guys, I can look out for them. Sounds like you're needed elsewhere - with whoever you were talking to."
"Thanks. Keep everyone away from this area until the authorities come," 009 smiled before turning around. "Let's go Astro."
Astro nodded enthusiastically, pointing to his head, "Right! I'm right behind you!"
From around the passing truck that had been rescued by Astro, Garou at last arrived at the scene after having been in mid-air for too long and needing to drag his fingers across the concrete road. He had to rush back here and was huffing with beads of sweat falling from his face and his fingers dirtied with stone powder.
"Hah," Garou breathed, taking a brief stop and grasping his knees to keep himself standing, "Damn. I really overshoot it with that jump."
He then saw his target cyborg in red taking a leap up at one of the buildings and reached the rooftops, with Astro flying behind. Utterly lost as to what in the world happened here, barely blinking at the sight of a half-dressed boy flying with rockets from his shoes, and what looks like a wreckage had just happened, as well as a lot of bloodied and bruised keno practitioners being taken in, Garou's greatest concern was the fact that his sole purpose of his hunt was already leaving the scene!
"What the-! Hey!"
The audacity of his continuing unnoticed presence pops a vein at his temple as Garou ran after the leaving 009, surprising Kenshin when he was suddenly passed by the Hero Hunter.
"Damn it! Don't you start running again!" Garou dashed and sprang up to the lamp post that was slightly bent from the crashed car and used it as his leverage to reach the top of the building.
The lamp post suddenly snaps at the bent where the car had hit. It started leaning towards the opening doors of a toy store, where a young man carrying a bag of toy had just stepped out from.
Kenshin saw the leaning lamp post and the person it was falling towards, and he shouted urgently. "Hey! Watch out!" He sprang to action, running with his sword at hand.
But the young man did not seem panicked in the slightest. As he calmly looked up to the falling post, he raised his hand to the black mechanical collar around his neck and turned its dial.
Garou halted his climb at the creaking noise of metal tearing. Then his instincts rattled, and his head pulled back just as the head of the lamp post shot for him, the bulb shattering against the building's edge that broke a small chunk of it, remnants of it fell on his pants.
"Hey! You up there!"
Garou looked down to the person calling him, the young man carrying a bag of purchased items.
"You've been making all this racket like it's nobody's problem. You trying hard to be a delinquent or something?"
Although Garou took a second to actually look at the damage that was done to the area - seemed as if a fight happened here was his immediate thought - his interest shifted to the young man in white who was glaring up at him with beady red eyes.
"...I didn't make this mess," Garou stated bluntly, pointing at the guy below, "You're the only one tossing trash around."
"Ha! You sure got some spunk, don't you?"
Kenshin blinked at the power from the young man in white before he shook his head to regain focus. "Actually, he wasn't-"
"But you know, if you're not gonna bother owning up to your work, then you're only half-assing yourself at being a bad guy here."
...The thought of 009 fled from Garou's mind as he heard that taunt. It's one thing to be blamed for something Garou didn't do (sure he might have knocked over that light post but that was an accident). It takes him back to a horrible place in his life back in grade school where he was blamed for everything and for the wrong reasons. Hell, he became a villain so that he wouldn't only face the backlash of misdirected judgement, but that he would earn it willfully. So for someone to tell him that he's falling short on being a bad guy, that's a challenge if he's ever heard one - and a viewpoint he's more than willing to correct.
He casually drops down from the building. "And you know better at what being a real villain is all about-?"
A chunk of the remaining standing lamppost breaks off and darts for Garou's cheek. Had he remained still, it would have left a cut. But Garou's reflexes were quick, and he swatted and sliced the metal pole with his bare fingers, letting its pieces fall in bits of metal all around him.
Kenshin was at a loss of words as he bug-eyed and jaw-droppingly witnessed this inhuman feat. Garou's expression was alert, his surprise evident as he held his defensive stance. As for the young man in white, he held a different reaction.
"Oh? You stopped that attack with your own hands?"
Stepping over the broken glass next to the wreckage of the car, the young man of pale aesthetics drew closer. His white and gray-v striped shirt, and black pants completely untouched by the spreading dirt and wind from whatever invisible force unleashed. A black collar around his neck, with wires attached to his ears. His red eyes peered with unhinged intrigue behind his pure white strands of hair.
"You're pretty strong, aren't you?" The red-eyed young man name Accelerator said in a derange whisper, grinning widely.
Competitors Introduced:
Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden)
Kenshin Himura (Samurai X)
Allen Walker (D Gray Man)
Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)
Yoh Asakura (Shaman King)
Accelerator (A Certain Magical Index, A Certain Magical Accelerator).
NPC (Non-Participating Competitors) Introduced:
Taison Maeda (Rokudenashi Blues)
Astro Boy (Astro Boy/Mighty Atom)
A/N: Oh my gosh I am back. I'm really sorry for having been gone for so long. A lot has happened since last time I updated this story, and to be honest, I don't think this will be the last time I go on Hiatus. Writing stories though really helps me with stress-relief, so I hope you like what I wrote in this chapter!
I've got a decently set storyline in mind for this fic, with mainly Emma as our leading protagonist. She's got Gon and Killua to help her on her quest to save her family, and Garou will be making a return to their group but at the start of the next event. In the meantime, enjoy all the character interactions, introductions, references, and more!
(Warning: I am not entirely familiar with all anime character introduced, so apologies if they seem a bit ooc).
The Intermission Arc is a take on a slice of life anime, all while the competitors prep themselves for the next round. So stay tune! If I ever come back that is! :DDD. Thank you all so much for your wonderful support. I'm gonna be thinking on rewriting the previous chapters, including change some scenes.
Some characters also may perhaps reappear in some chapters, they'll likely be an important addition to our cast of leading characters later on. Now, enough of my long rambles. I hope you all have a wonderful month or so!
Next Time on APBW: Emma and Gon further their discussion in Nen as they take the time to relax and see around the city, coming across various places and meeting many NPCs. Meanwhile, the Hero Hunter is up against a powerful Esper and first villain rival, while a hero guardian oversees them from afar.