I don't own One Punch Man, nor do I own My Hero Academia. Each Franchise i owned by their respective owner..
ENJOY!
...
A man with pompadour hair hung his bat over his shoulder, taking a short stroll in front of a buffet. He leaned against the wall, his eyes darting to the turquoise sky above, "...Shit." He said, "Out of all people, they gotta choose me. Me. Of all the myriad of heroes. Don't they know I'm busy?" He lamented to himself, "And what the fuck is taking these guys so long?"
And, as if on cue, a vehicle approached the restaurant at a decent proximity. "Finally. Took you suits long enough." Metal Bat said, leaning forward.
A man came out of the car, along with a...?
"Wait," Metal Bat squinted his eyes, before realising, "The higher-ups never mentioned a kid."
Oh great, he's gotta deal with a kid.
"Greetings, Metal Bat." The man walked forward, gesturing his hand for a shake, "My name is-"
"Yeah, yeah, cut the bullshit. I know who you are. Offspring of the guy who funded the Hero Commission, Agoni, right? Just go inside and take your order." Metal Bat cut him off rudely.
Figures. This whole operation were kickstarted by the Commission's neverending lust for money.
"Hasty, are we?" The man laughed, "Let's drop the unnecessary hostility. I've always wanted to meet an upper ranked hero of your caliber."
"And? Like I give a shit." Metal Bat replied, before entering the buffet in hopes of dropping this whole needless conversation.
"What a hard-headed guy." The man ruffled the kid's hair, as the both of them entered the restaurant.
...
Garou wiped his forehead with his towel. Another day. Another hero. Another unsatisfactory results. No one seems to acknowledge his...'deeds'.
That kid's encyclopedia would come in handy when the time comes for him to face Tatsumaki, but the bitch is a hard person to get in touch with. She's never even seen in public!
The itch to hunt gnawed in his skin, like an uncontrollable contained splash of water inside of a breaking enclosed receptacle, threatening to free itself. It's like his way of living at this point.
But what good does a hobby do, when it bears no gratifying outcome? Should he just drop it? Maybe-
"Goro!"
The voice of that kid again...
"Ho?" Garou looked to his behind, "Dick Kami?"
"Try again." Kaminari stopped short, crossing his arms.
"Dinkle Gandhi."
"Nope."
"Decking Karma-"
"IT'S KAMINARI DENKI!"
"...oh." Garou's brow raised, "The hell are you doing here?"
"That a way to greet your friend? And what's up with you? You look like you've just finished a running marathon from one country to another." Kaminari asked.
"Plethora of stuff that I don't feel like talking about right now." Garou continued, "You haven't answered my question."
"I was just going home from school, then I saw you standing here like an oblivious weirdo, so I thought..why not?"
"In a deep thought." Garou corrected. Then, he asked, "Brought the hero encyclopedia?"
"No." Kaminari shook his head, "Am I like a walking library now?"
"Aren't you exactly that?"
"Shut up, let's just sit somewhere. You look pretty roughed up. Want me to buy something?"
"No." Yes. Why the fuck did he say no?
"Ah-ah-ah, your face says otherwise."
"Don't act like you can read my emotions."
"Nah, but I know a conflicted expression when I see one."
"Tch. Fine. Buy me anything you want, including that doll across the street. Might make an edible consumption." Garou said, his voice leeching with sarcasm.
"Okay, sure."
"You want to actually buy me a fucking doll?"
"You asked for it."
"It's called sarcasm. Need me spelling it out again? S-A-R-C-A-S--"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Kaminari laughed, "Let's just sit..oh, there's no bench."
"I can stand. Been doing that for the past few hours, so why not now."
"Okay. What do you want?"
"Anything that can sate my starvation." Garou replied, a grumbling noise can be heard from the inside of his abdomen.
"Haven't eaten anything, I can tell." Kaminari said.
"Shut the fuck up, before I ram your 'jamming-yay' skull straight through a concrete."
"Lovely."
While they walked, Garou occasionally took a stare at the kid. Then, he decided to ask, "Kid... how's school?"
"Nothing much going on." Kaminari said, "Well, except for the fact that I'm...probably going to be expelled."
"Eh?"
"The dorms. The students are required to stay in that residue for..safety purposes. My parents doesn't want me to, obviously, but..well, you know how the school is. Very demanding." Kaminari said, "Being a pro-hero has been a dream of mine, but judging by how gloomy things are right now.."
Garou was silent for a few moments, but then..
He placed his hands above Kaminari, "Don't need em anyway."
"Sounds like you got your own fair share of issues with heroes."
"A fuckton of them." Garou replied, "Heroes are so shit, fuckin' grind my gears how even with how shitty they are, they still receive public approval."
"How are they 'shit', exactly?" Kaminari asked.
"They call themselves heroes, yet there are tons of people that they didn't save. They didn't even bother to find the hidden catalysts, wrapped under the blanket, the villains that has their hearts tainted by the phony peace that they shat out like it's no one's business." Garou went on a long rant, "Their concept of justice is biased, and that bias has caused anguish to a lot of us."
"By hidden catalysts, do you mean people who are considered as good, but are otherwise the opposite deep inside?" Kaminari asked.
"Not quite." Garou replied, "Discrimination, separation, bullying...do you know how many quirkless people have suffered because of those things I listed above?"
"...yeah, it sucks, honestly." Kaminari said.
"Saw it with my own eyes. Few weeks earlier, a kid jumping from his own flat, his carcass rolling off the ground like an unattended trashbag. After a little digging, I found out he was separated from his friends at school, and bullied afterwards, all because of what? That he didn't win the genetic lottery?"
"I get what you're saying.." Kaminari continued, "I mean, my sister, she's going through the exact same thing that you're describing to me right now, though not as severe, and she's not exactly quirkless, per se...still, it sucks. Unfortunately, there's not a thing that we can do about it.."
"We can." Garou then emphasized, "Well at least...someone can."
"You mean like a movement leader or something."
"Nah." Garou replied, "Just one individual. One man, against the entire world."
But before they can converse even further, Kaminari pointed at the cart in front of them, "There! It's my favourite."
"Takoyaki?"
"Yeah. Common street food around here, though this one's the best."
"Cool. Order whatever you want. I'll wait." Garou crossed his arms, tapping the ground with his foot.
When they finished ordering, they sat at the ledge of the sidewalk, near the Takoyaki cart.
Garou sniffed the air around him, encapsulated by the exquisite aroma. He took a deep breath, and Kaminari noticed that something was about to happen.
"Yo, in case you forgot, those chopsticks are for-"
"MMMMGHH?" Garou already has a mouthful of the Takoyaki's.
Kaminari awkwardly stared at the man before him, holding back the laughter that was about to follow, "Pfffttt..."
"Dwont lawaugh you fwucking iiot." Garou mumbled with the food still stuffing his mouth.
Kaminari held himself even more. The man looked even more ridiculous than he did before!
Garou swallowed the bunch, "You fucking brat, I told you to knock it off."
"I'm sorry it's just...when did you last eat?" Kaminari asked.
".. none of your business." Garou said as he took another bite from the Takoyaki's.
"Hey, it became my business when we became friends." Kaminari replied, "Come on, talk me through it."
"A few days ago." Garou answered, "Happy now?"
"A- a few days ago? D- dude, where do you even- how do you live?" Kaminari stumbled on his words, still reeling in shock at the revelation.
"Sitting my ass back at home, doing nothing mostly. 'S why I haven't eaten anything."
"Really? I thought you're an outdoor type of guy."
"No." Garou denied. He continued, "I was just.." He rubbed his nose, "Know what, let's just drop it."
"You can talk to me about it, yknow.."
"Maybe later." Garou replied as he threw the empty box of Takoyaki's into the sidewalk.
"Hey, you can't do that!"
"Can't do what?"
"Throwing your litter on a place that wasn't meant to be for them. C'mon, you gotta keep it environment friendly!" Kaminari said as he stood up, picking the empty box, before throwing em into the nearest trashcan.
"What does it matter anyway?"
"Do I really have to explain to you about this?"
"I know why you were against it. But it still doesn't matter." Garou replied, "'Sides, you threw the damn thing into the trashcan anyway."
Kaminari was about to say something, but he knew better than to set the man off even further.
"Hey, I know you were going to say something. Spill it."
"Nah, I don't feel like..debating."
"Debating?" Garou slyly smiled, "It's called friendly discussion. Go ahead, I ain't gonna bite."
"Nah, you'll drill your hand through my chest and rip the heart out."
"You still remember that?"
"You really think I'd forget about all that blood smearing all over my face?"
"Oops." Garou kicked the dust, stretching his legs forward, "It's a learning experience, at least."
"Fine, it's -"
"HUMAN MONSTER!"
Garou's senses flared, as he moved on autopilot and wrapped his arms around the boy, avoiding whoever assaulted them from their backs. They both slid across the ground, ending up in the middle of the road.
"Goro, wha-?"
Garou immediately stood up, putting a shushing gesture in the direction of the boy.
Their assailant was revealed to be some sort of phoenix creature, his wings hanging over his back, it's feet clashing back and fort against the ground to show it's agitation.
"What the hell are you?" Garou put up a protective stance, stretching his hand to his side, where Kaminari laid.
"A fine reaction time you got there." Phoenix guy said, "The average thug would've had their bodies obliterated by that attack alone. Now I know there's more to you than it meets the eye."
"Comparin' me to a goddamn thug? A bit of a low standard, don't ya think?"
"You still have a lot more to prove, human monster."
"Human monster?" Kaminari uttered the words with obliviousness, "Goro, wha-?"
"Be quiet." Garou sternly said, as he took a step forward, "Look, dunno who the fuck do you think you are, barging in and thinkin' you can best me, but you better head back before you find yourself being stuck under the fucking pavement with half of your organs missing."
"There's no need for further escalation, young one. I come here to bear good news for you. Join the Monster Association, and your dreams of becoming the most fearsome and powerful monster will be realised!"
...The Monster Association? Sounds like a group of wackjobs.
"...not interested." Garou declined, "Don't wanna rely on a band of misfits to make my uprising happen."
"You really want to let this opportunity pass? You seem to despise your humanity. Is it not sensible for you to reach for us, who can rid you of that despicable trait of yours?" As he said that, Garou could see multiple silhouettes hiding behind the building, ready to strike him should he ever make the wrong move.
"...I can see your lackeys hiding. Don't need enhanced perception to tell." Garou replied, "Is this some sort of lure you're trying to ensnare me into?"
"My offer is pure from any ulterior motives, young monster." Phoenix guy said, "However, we don't take kindly to those who reject our generosity. Ungrateful worms in their likeness will be eliminated."
"Already said my answer the first time, don't wanna repeat it."
"...perhaps that boy over there can be used as a bargaining chip?" The Phoenix guy smiled. Fucking smiled at the thought of using a kid as the means to get him in line with all of those wannabe monsters.
"Don't you fucking dare." Garou took a step back, pushing Kaminari away even more.
"Consider this as an alternative path. Refusing means the death of that boy, and you'll join us nonetheless."
"Touch one hair from him and you'll regret it." Garou threatened.
"Fine. ATTACK!"
Garou prepped himself, as multiple creatures emerged out of the encased space, out for his blood.
"Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist."
..
"I'm sorry, I think the ear wax problem is happening again," Yagi leaned forward, digging his ears, before asking, "Did you just say that I'm...going to be the economic teacher?"
"A fine promotion, is it not? Especially with one at your area of expertise." Nezu asked rhetorically.
"Your obsession with money-saving and scavenging for specific sales alone is enough qualification for you to be the economic teacher of our school." Bang added.
"That's not a goddamn qualification!" Yagi yelled, "It's called being thrifty!"
"But for one to save his money, they must understand the economic value as well."
"No, I don't!"
"Actually," Aizawa interjected from behind, both his hands and his face bandaged "Yagi offered to teach economy in his first day."
"Did I?"
"You did."
"Must've slipped my mind." Yagi rubbed his forehead, "Look, choose someone else. I might teach the wrong things-"
"Doesn't matter." Aizawa replied, "As much as it hurts me to admit, I lack the knowledge in this field, and I had to look for tutorials and guides in my time as the economic teacher. You can do better."
"One million yen says I'll screw everything up." Yagi argued, "Know what, fine. I got nothing better to do anyway."
"Good. Now I don't have to put up with your exasperatingly exhausting presence for a little while." Aizawa's lips curled.
"I knew it. This whole thing was just a ploy to get rid of me."
"You're obnoxious. Don't blame me."
"Yagi." Bang's voice turned serious, "I need to talk to you about something. Can you two leave us to it?"
"As you wish." Nezu replied as he stood up, while Aizawa merely nodded. Both of them walked away and exited the office, leaving Yagi and Bang to themselves, added with the intense atmosphere surrounding them.
"Now, to crosscheck the events that transpired a few days ago," Bang began, "I haven't gotten the chance to.. let's say, to give you a little scolding about what happened back at the USJ."
"..."
Oh. Shit.
"Look, er, Bang, I already paid my share-"
"This sort of thing can't just be resolved with a few quick financial throwaway." Bang interrupted, "You risked the lives of the young ones by being lenient in your duty as the assistant. Had you been there, the needless collateral damage could've been prevented, including young Midoriya's current predicament."
"I...know." Yagi replied, "Listen, I know I fucked up, I treated the whole situation too lightly cause..I didn't know a bunch'a villains would show up out of nowhere and try to kill the kids."
"I understand. But you need to be made aware of your most prominent issue: You tend to arrive too late in most cases."
"Yeah.." Yagi sighed, "I'll try harder."
"Don't just say that. You need to accompany your words with action." Bang said.
"Yeah. Duly noted." Yagi nodded, before asking again, "Who were those villains anyway?"
"They call themselves the Monster Association from what I've heard." Bang said, "However, not much is known about this anonymity. The Hero Commission got the wind of it, and are trying to figure out what this organisation actually is."
"You think.. they're connected to Garou?"
That question alone caused a shift in Bang's expression, "I.. don't know."
"Ah." Yagi said, "You know, I've been trying to find him for the past few months. There's this unending feeling of slight anxiety, might be one of the reasons why I accepted your offer."
"... you feel like he's your responsibility." Bang said.
"The guy's probably turned out the way he is now partly because of that one incident three decades ago." Yagi replied, "So, of course, yeah. A little bit."
"He's not your responsibility, Yagi." Bang replied, "He is mine."
"...what happened between you two?"
But before he can reply, suddenly, he felt a vibration spreading across the entire room.
A villain attack.
...
Garou felt his entire body weighing him down. These monsters, they were tougher than he anticipated. They wore him down enough for him to almost collapse on himself.
He was about to give that phoenix fucker a beating or two, but the coward flew away. The audacity...
What the fuck were they?
"G- Goro..."
That voice..
"Kid..."
"S- should we g- go to the.." Kaminari pointed to the other direction, "...hospital?"
"N- no need.." Yes, he desperately needs medical attention, but who the fuck cares?! His body can take i-
No, his body definitely can't take it. He felt his vision fading, but he can't just fall unconscious in front of the kid. That'll put him in a tight spot, having the literal fucking Hero Hunter in his hands. Kid could get in trouble.
No.
He had to get away, collapse somewhere secluded. He'll recover. He always do.
"Goro, please, I have money, my parents, they can lend me a few yen so you'll get proper medical treatment."
"No.."
"Please."
"No."
"I insist."
"..you don't want to do this, kid. I.. I've wasted enough of your money, anyway."
"Cut the bullshit!" Kaminari yelled, "The hospital is a must, whether you like it or not! I'll drag you there myself if you're so hard-headed!"
"If you know the real me, we wouldn't be in this situation right now!"
"What do you mean?"
"I keep asking..about your hero encyclopedia.." Garou said, barely having any strength left to speak, "What the fuck did you think it was for?"
"I still... don't catch what you're meaning to say." Kaminari replied.
"... I'm the Hero Hunter."
This was the moment that terror dawned on the boy. The realisation that he's partly responsible for the beatings of several pro-heroes for the past few days..
The Hero Hunter? He hadn't heard of that name for a long time. No one has ever seen him in action before.
But to hear it from the man himself...
He's been lying to him all along? Using him?
The hurt is... indescribable.
"You...lied?" Kaminari asked, on the verge of tears.
"I..." Garou didn't find the suitable words to reply with, "...yes."
"You've been using me? All this time...you contacted me again because you thought it would be a good idea to use my Encyclopedia to beat up a bunch of heroes..?"
"...no, kid, I wasn't..."
"Can it..." Kaminari's expression contorted, as he began to turn around, "Screw you."
He then went into a full sprint, until he was fading away from Garou's line of vision.
"H- hey, wait.." Garou tried to reach for the boy, but realised his body was restraining him from doing so.
Couldn't do anything. Couldn't do shit right. Couldn't straighten himself up.
He lost one of the only friends that he has ever made over an impulse.
He shouldn't have said that. He should've kept up the facade.
Taking a step forward, forcing himself to move, he felt some of his blood dripping to the asphalt below. No one was there. They ran away at the sight of a fight. A couple of pro-heroes are probably en-route.
No, they are most definitely en-route. To try to settle the dispute or whatever the fuck.
These idiots probably mistakes him as some sort of vigilante.
Whatever. He gotta get out of here, and get some water. Yeah. Water would be a good ide-
"Stop where you are, Hero Hunter."
Good grief, they know his fucking identity already? How?
He turned his head, "So you guys came. You really want to duke it out with a vulnerable, injured man? I mean..I was tryin' to maintain the peace by giving those monsters a beatin'..."
The man with the green tracksuit stepped forward, "You sure took your beating. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."
"Good care as in, medical treatment, or..?"
"Don't get smart with us." An aging man with an unkempt hair interjected, aiming his six-barrelled gatling gun at the Hero Hunter, "I have you cornered. With one pull of the trigger, I can reduce your body into a piece of rotting mincemeat."
Garou scoffed, "And risk getting a potential pedestrian involved with this little squabble of ours? Jeez, and here I thought I was the villain."
"Besides, isn't it in your code that you shouldn't kill a villain unless they pose a significant threat?"
"You pose a significant threat." A man with a spear came forward, "Or don't tell me you've forgotten the multitudes of pro-heroes that you sent into the hospital, some of them suffering a permanent injury?"
"So fucking what?!" Garou snapped, "Not like I killed the ones who can't take it, did I?"
"Your lack of remorse is a testament to our sentiment." Death Gatling said, "You must be eliminated at all costs."
Then, the pro-heroes took a step forward without warning, each of them preparing their own attacks.
Oh fuck. Garou quickly slid his feet, a motion of blue energy following the movement of his limbs.
Gotta crush these heroes and be done with it.
He blocked one fist coming from the man with the green tracksuit, before redirecting it into another one of his dumbass peers, spinning his spear in the air to suspend himself from hitting the ground.
When he was about to be hit, he tentatively moved his spear to the side to shield himself from the attack, but the force of the attack vibrated throughout the entire body, the pain scattered across his bones.
He was propelled against the nearest pole, slumping into the ground.
Garou moved forward to attack the man in the green tracksuit, who was named Glasses, but then..
A rain of arrows came from above.
Garou quickly avoided each of them, while simultaneously trying to dodge the heroes's relentless attacks from every side.
They were consistent, and adamant. Garou used his heightened senses to move accordingly to his instincts, to avoid harm at all costs.
But something penetrated his shoulder.
Oh crap.
CRAP!
He could feel the blood gushing out, streaming down his black shirt, all the way to his lower side, "FUCK!" he screamed.
And worst of all, they slipped in some kind of poison into these arrows.
A horned man with armor charged forward, swinging his sword to the side.
Garou quickly dodged it, albeit barely, before using his finger to shatter the weapon into pieces.
He grabbed each of the fragments at a speed that can't be perceived by the average naked eye.
Enhanced by his quirk, he scattered the fragments into all directions, each of them caused the heroes to wince in slight pain.
He took note to their distraction, using it to his advantage.
He crouched to the ground, sweeping his legs in a circular pattern, as each of them lost their balance and fell into the ground afterwards.
But before he could make his next move, he caught the frame of Death Gatling aiming his gun at him.
Oh...
"SHIT!" Garou began to sprint to the side, using every parked cars in sight as a means to shield himself from the shower of bullets.
He did an intense flip, increasing the momentum behind his movement. When he landed on the ground, he used the remaining momentum to swipe the dust from the ground, creating a large quantity of it emitting into the air, obscuring his view.
"Goddamn it." Garou spoke from behind the dust, as he retreated somewhere where he can't be seen, "These damned heroes really are aiming for the kill."
"Maybe retreating is a viable option for now. Can't keep-"
"Where do you think you're going?" A voice came from overhead.
Garou gasped, darting his eyes to where the voice came from, only to see the man wielding the spear from before, spinning his weapon of choice in the air. He subsequently slammed his weapon into the ground where Garou stood, but he quickly sidestepped, "You again."
"You really thought that little cheapshot of yours was enough to put me down?"
"Nah," Garou cracked his neck to the side, "Just wondering when you would stand up again to irritate me."
Stinger wasted no time, as he moved forward to swing his spear into Garou's lower sides, to which he responded by jumping over it, before doing a side kick.
Stinger quickly dodged the attack, then did another swing.
Garou noticed that this man was just blindly swinging his weapon without coordination nor any precision techniques. With that, he could come to the conclusion that he is just some amateur, which is insulting considering that the man has worked as a hero for thirty years.
Explains why his rank plummeted.
And, as predicted, the man took the initiative and jumped over to slam his spear into the ground.
Garou quickly spun around and elbowed him in the air, prompting him to spat out a bit of his saliva, followed by a barrage of midair attacks, suspending Stinger in the air.
When finished, he grabbed the hero in the feet, before slamming him violently into the ground.
He tilted his head to the side, and noticed that these heroes were coming at him again.
Looks like retreating isn't an option here. He gotta face em head on.
Garou could feel the effects of his poison taking a toll on his already weakened body, but he knew he couldn't just fall in here.
But then...
A blur came in front of him, a gust of wind breezing past his skin.
Horror began to dawn on him, as he saw a white cape flowing in the air.
He had no choice but to-
His trail of thoughts was interrupted when he saw a flowing ponytail hair from the back of the figure.
"That's not Yagi." Garou spat in a tone full of hatred.
"You guys are trying to kill him, really?" Nana spoke with a commanding tone, "Get outta here. I can reason with him."
"R- reason?!" Death Gatling stepped forward, "You can't reason with a mounst-"
"Finish that line and you'll regret it." Nana interrupted, clenching her fist, "Let me handle this."
The intimidation finally kicked in. They knew who this person was. Someone who was the mentor of the number one hero.
"I trust you will do the right thing." Death Gatling finally conceded. He was reluctant, but he knew better than to pick a fight that he couldn't win.
As they ran away to the other side, Nana turned her attention to the vulnerable, almost dying Garou.
He looked like shit. Not to mention the blood streaming down his forehead, and the visible stains in his black shirt.
"The guest of the year," Garou commented, "Shimura fucking Nana."
"Not surprised that you know my name, considering your reputation." Nana walked forward, "You can drop this, you know. Your body's not in the condition to fight."
"And if I say no?"
"Then I'll try to get something through that thick head of yours." Nana replied, "Everyone seems to think that you're a monster, but not me."
"That supposed to be a lure? Acting all kind and lovey-dovey only to backstab me when I lower my guard." Garou said, skeptical of the heroine's motives.
"I know my fair share of information about you through a certain someone."
"The old man?"
"You could say that." Nana replied.
"Tell him to fuck off." Garou said, "Don't need his counseling session or some shit."
"I don't think he wants to counsel you. If anything, he really really wants to absolutely massacre you for what you did for the past few months." Nana corrected, "Either that, or you can come with me, where I can help you. I'm missing my old job's already anyway, so why not?"
"...I don't need any help." Garou stumbled on his feet, trying to keep himself conscious, "And certainly not from you of all people."
"...what the hell do you want, honestly?" Nana asked, "I always thought that you hunt heroes for the hell of it, but there's gotta be something deeper."
"Don't need to tell you shit."
"Was it about world peace?"
"The fuck did you get that from?"
"Well, as you quote it so perfectly, 'Don't need to tell you shit'." Nana imitated the opposition's tone.
"Fine. Act like a smartass for a while. I'll wipe that out from ya once I-" Garou coughed a lot of blood, bending his knees, ready to collapse.
He barely could move a muscle.
Muscle spasms wildly jolted his body up, "F- Fuck...!"
"Those guys did a number on you. Couldn't even do their job right, now you're almost dead." Nana approached him, "Listen, what you need is-"
She was interrupted when Garou suddenly turned into a blur, appearing almost instantaneously in front of her, "Gotcha."
Delivering an upward palm strike, Nana was sent hurling towards the nearest lamppost.
She caught on almost immediately, recovering in the air, landing at the top of the lamppost, "Really? A sucker punch?"
"For an old woman with no quirk, you sure keep in touch with your physical fitness." Garou teased.
"No quirk? Aw, you're forgetting that there are embers of what's left from my old quirk." Nana replied, "In my current state, I am in no way are comparable to the level of strength that my protégé possesses," She landed on the asphalt ceremonially, "But-"
"Mistake number one," Garou was suddenly beside her, "You talk too much."
Nana raised her hand to block the incoming attack, only to find herself sliding across the ground, colliding with the nearest building.
Nana felt the remaining embers of One for All coursing through her skin. She propelled herself towards Garou, with her fist cocked back, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you too much."
But when she thrusted her fist, Garou caught it with his palm, almost effortlessly.
Garou twisted her arms, prompting her to spin in the air against her will, before launching a side kick that sent Nana flying through the ground.
She put both her palm on the ground, using it to recover herself from the initial strike.
He could still move even after all that. Time to stop underestimating him.
Nana charged forward, feeling the adrenaline rush inside her. Garou, too, did the same, and when their velocity reached their peak, their fists collided with each other, rippling the air around them, producing a shockwave that almost shattered the buildings surrounding them.
Garou made a swift motion with his other hand, blue energy followed it behind smoothly.
However, Garou's fist was soon caught by Nana's, who pushed him back with all her strength.
Garou couldn't push her back. Dammit, what the fuck has this woman been eating?
Even with her current state, deprived of most of her quirk, she could still push him back.
He gritted his teeth, pushing as hard as he can, only to find his effort to be ultimately futile.
Damn it. Damn it all. Damn this woman. If she wasn't here, he could've recovered from his wounds.
He decided not to dwell on it. What matters now is for him to put this woman down once and for all, and get some fucking water.
He was caught off guard, when he found a knee striking him in the ribcage. He gulped the saliva that threatened to escape, taking a step back, clutching to the area that he was struck in.
Twenty seconds left until this quirk goes into cooldown mode...gotta make do with the remaining time. Garou thought. He needs to use his other quirks once his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist eventually wears out.
Taking a full sprint to the left, he decided to try to outpace the opposition with his own speed.
By releasing a never-ending assault of consistent attacks from every directions, Garou leaped forward, using the wall near him to build momentum, This will destroy her perception of the battlefield. She will no longer be able to muster enough reaction time to avoid them.
Garou's movements began to turn into a straight line, extending from every side, forming a miniscule constellation.
Nana increased her guard, and with it, her muscle mass increased as well. One for All will never fail her. She knows it.
She caught a glimpse of Garou's figure approaching her. She then ducked below to avoid the attack.
But as soon as she did that, another blur followed, aiming the attack at her lower side.
She did a back flip, avoiding another attack with ease. She noticed the intense flow of blue energy coming from every direction. She took note to the characteristics, connecting the quirk to Bang's own.
So he copied the old man's quirk, eh?
Combining with whatever super speed quirk he got stashed inside, it proved to be quite formidable.
Consistently dodging the attacks while trying to figure out how to get herself out of this, suddenly, she saw Garou in different, separate places, coming after her with his fists cocked back.
Afterimages?!
Nana stomped the ground, followed by a giant rubble emerging upwards to her aid, blocking the attacks, causing it to explode into tiny pieces.
Garou immediately landed on the ground, before almost immediately bouncing from said ground to deliver an uppercut to Nana's jaw.
She immediately caught the lightspeed assault with both her fists. She then wrapped her arms around Garou's own, before using her weight to slam him into the ground, pinning him against it with her feet, "One move and I'll crack your bones open. Got no choice at this point. That old lady back in UA can patch you up anyway."
Garou's intensified aura began to gradually dissipate. It seems that he has exhausted whatever's left of his remaining energy.
It would make sense for him to lose his consciousness, but..
Fate has other plans for him.
Red cracks began to morph itself into existence inside his pupils, his hair gradually changing in color.
Nana was bewildered by this sudden change, but she could tell that his strength has just increased tenfold judging by his grip on her arm alone.
And damn right, he gripped her arms even tighter, lifting her up in the air, before using the center of his foot to hurl Nana away.
Garou spun in the air, before landing on the ground, his knees bent, spreading from each side to the other, his growing claws grasping the ground in it's ensnare.
"D- did you just ...transform?" Nana asked, baffled.
Garou didn't respond. However..
Devious intent began to seep itself, bleeding through his conscience like one would through a ripped skin. It's as if an external factor was deteriorating his mind, robbing him of any humanity that he has left.
Look at her. So pretty. The vastness of her skills! Full of quality, qualities that she never deserved! The absolute unfairness! Everyone loves her. Looking past what atrocity she committed in the past, everyone carries on with their shower of love, it's fuckin' killing my nerves! Her callous nature, her indifference to the crying voice of her only child when she left him stranded! All for the sake of upholding her status as a self-righteous, corporate licking, anguish inducing pro-hero! I want to kill her so bad! Yes! That's right! Killing her will sate this anger riling up inside me! Absolutely! I will kill her! Kill! Kill! Kill! Ki...
"Garou."
That voice. That familiar voice. Garou slowly turned his head, only to find the frame...
Of his long-forgotten mentor.
TO BE CONTINUED!