I don't own One Punch Man, nor do I own My Hero Academia. Each Franchise i owned by their respective owner..
ENJOY!
...
Arrogance precedes downfall. A boastful, raging fire is bound to extinguish no matter how much of a threat it presents. Absolute things cannot stay absolute. The same can be said about Garou's pitiful state.
He once thought of himself capable of being an absolute concept, and now he finds himself...
Stuck inside of a hollow room, with a solid, uncomfortable bedrock for him to rest his head on.
Granted, he could get himself out of him if he willed it, but he was in too much of a strain to even move a muscle. Everything hurts. The host of whatever the fuck this place didn't even bother to give him some medications, or at least a proper first-aid treatment. Clearly they aren't one for courtesies.
He was in the same state as he was before. Hell, he could feel the aftereffects of the poison worsening as time passes.
Gotta move...
As soon as he thought that, he could hear an agonising shriek echoing from outside of his room. He could make them out to be the sounds that an adult human would make. Humans in a hideout solely only for monsters? That could mean bad news.
Then, the next, he could hear the horrific sounds of a bone being crushed.
Damn. He really should get out of here. He's in no state to fight.
He tried his best to move his muscles, only to find a few obstacles in doing so, mainly the pain that comes with it.
He managed to stand, although barely. Twisting the doorknob, he exited the cramed room. Stepping outside, the atmosphere that whatever this place is emits gives him the creeps.
The amount of dust creeping on the floor, a width comparable to a fucking death casket (He's a bit of a claustrophobic person, mind you), and goddamn the numerous unattended cobwebs attached to the roofs.
They're monsters, so of course they're unsanitary, though he himself has no say in the matter, since he is the walking manifestation of the concept of unsanitary itself.
He hadn't showered in god knows how many long. He felt gross occasionally.
Maybe he could try to find a public bathroom once he gets out of here.
As he walks, he could feel multiple presences from behind the end of a curved wall.
He took cover, hiding parts of his body, only showing his head to take a peek to whatever commotion is going on.
There were bodies. Eight of them, to be exact. They were piled upon each other. Multiple monsters stood around them, most notably, the pink monster with one-eye and four protrusions from it's head, sitting on a floating chair, and someone else behind it that he couldn't make out.
Trespassers, I assume...
"You can come out, wherever you're hiding." The one-eyed monsters said.
He got figured out. How the hell-?!
"Garou."
That creature emphasized, clearing every ounce of doubt that Garou had about whether the monster was referring to him or not.
Garou reluctantly came out of his hiding, wary of the potential adversaries in front of him.
Lo and behold, a massive creature towering above even the one-eyed monster, with seven horns protruding from each side of it's head.
"You woke up quite fast. Wasn't sure you'd make it." The one-eyed fatass remarked.
The nerve for it to underestimate him..
"Wow, is that really the hero hunter?" One monster from among them asked with awe.
"Big fan!"
"He looks very menacing up close."
"As expected from the human monster."
"Wait, why does he get to be the one with special treatment?"
"Is he a human or a monster?"
"Man, he looks half dead. Let's just gang up on him, see if he could-"
"SILENCE!" The voice of the one-eyed monster echoed across the room, prompting for everyone to shut their mouth, "I have important matters to discuss with him."
The hell's that gigantic thing? I'm still confused. Garou thought, his eyes darting back to the massive monster.
"The hell is it that you want from me?" Garou took a step forward, "My quirk?"
"Your quirk is versatile indeed, being able to copy one's powers with only a glance. You are a prodigy among the human kin, worthy of being considered as a monster." The one-eyed monster said, "You possess a potential beyond any of these lump of worthless meat could ever offer. With your power, triumph will go into the Monster Association's favour. Not to mention the leverage that we have against them. At this exact moment, the son of their most notable funder is being held hostage."
"And you think I'll help you because...?"
"Is this not what you want?" The one-eyed monster moved it's floating throne closer to Garou's space, "To be a true monster? To be a symbol of terror that instills fear into the hearts of every humans?"
"My goal doesn't involve a buncha nutjobs backing me up." Garou corrected.
"Oh, believe me, choosing to do all this heavy lifting by yourself will achieve nought. All Might and Tatsumaki themselves have the power to crush you beneath their palms like it's fetching day. You are strong, indeed, but the Hero Commission's strongest weapons are enough to put you down."
"All Might? You know him?"
A monster that recognises his power?
"Everyone still remains ignorant to the power that lies within him, I see. But yes, I know him." The one-eyed monster cleared the confusion.
After a long while of silence, Garou crossed his arms, "What are your...terms?"
"Our boss, Lord Orochi still needs one more qualification from you. From what we've observed, you refuse to resort to lethal measures when it comes to battling pro-heroes, and we find it very...problematic."
"And when I do this, 'lethal' measure, what would become of me in this association of yours?" Garou asked.
"You rise to the ranks of a cadre."
"Bringing him up to the ranks of a cadre immediately?" A monster resembling a sperm came out of the shadows interjected, "Not gonna lie, sounds to me like you're just playing favourites."
"This association needs a figure with strong leadership skills. This man could bring us just that. But we only need one more test to be passed with him."
"Bring the head of a hero, it doesn't matter who." Orochi said with a booming voice.
Ah. So that's what this is.
"You want bodies? Didn't I literally just-"
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news," Phoenix Man interrupted, "But Silverfang and Floatie both survived their encounter with you. Elder Centipede was defeated."
"This is a must for you, Garou. We cannot verify whether you're a true monster or not. Not yet."
"Ah. I'm guessing you want me to grow some horns." Garou waved them off, as he walked away, "I'll be going."
As Garou went out of the room they were in, the one-eyed monster approached a long haired man with bandages wrapped around half of his body, his sword sheathed in his waist, "Garou is heading out. Follow him."
Class 1-A Dorms...
Izuku walked towards the dorms amidst the darkness, the sensation of pain still lingered in his muscles. He could barely feel the pain, but it was still there, putting him in a slight discomfort, so it was more of a minor inconvenience at this point.
His body healed fast. Inhumanely fast. Maybe this is one of the perks that comes with the training? He'd have to thank his Sensei for that.
Speaking of his Sensei...
Would he be okay living alone? Most likely, yes, since he likes to be alone most of the time.
The sentiment that being away from his Sensei is detrimental to his growth still stayed in his mind, but he could understand where the UA higher-ups were coming from.
The Commission is out to recruit every single last hero they can, including literal children.
But he could find one more merit in staying with his Sensei: He'd grown to see him more than just simply a mentor figure. Being away from him feels a bit...
Empty. Shallow.
He'd gotten used to his company. More than anyone he's ever met. He's just..natural, straightforward.
When he reached the front door of the dorms, he reluctantly tried to open it. But as it seems, someone was expecting him tonight.
The doorknob moved on it's own, and the form of an exhausted, bandaged man with a pair of dry eyes greeted him, "Midoriya."
"...A-Aizawa Sensei?"
Izuku knew he was about to chastise him. But against his expectations, Aizawa let out a slight chuckle, "I don't know whether to call you foolish, or brave, but I can't lie and say that I'm not grateful for what you did."
Izuku widened his eyes in surprise, his mouth left slack jawed.
"Don't be so surprised. You might lack the provisional license, but there comes the time where taking an action is a necessity. I was immobilised, and so was Thirteen." Aizawa said with a tone that kind of implies...regret?
Izuku nodded, "Thank you, Sensei."
"But of course," Aizawa's returned to his stoic mannerism, and Izuku shuddered at that, "putting all that aside, you are still not free of your due punishment."
Izuku sighed in resignation, "Do I have to clean every corners of the room?"
"No." Aizawa's lips curled as he said that, "You are going to endure much, much worse, and I'm not even sure if you'll recuperate from it."
...
"You're going to make me watch..." Izuku's eyes darted between each movie disks, "What are these?"
"Steven Seagal movies. Usually, oldies like these are labelled as the 'classics', but considering it's atrocious quality, they aren't considered as such." Aizawa replied.
"Watching doesn't seem like an exhausting task.." Izuku replied, "Even if they lack the quality."
"Oh, no, no, they aren't the worst aspect of this punishment." Aizawa corrected, "After watching these, you are to make a twenty minute length essay video for each individual movies analysing their respective pros and cons."
"Oops."
"Oops indeed. But don't worry, the deadline for this task is indefinite, so feel free to get creative with your videos." Aizawa had another devious intent, "Oh, and don't forget to post it on your own social media."
"S- social media?! You want me to-"
"Hey, I didn't say you would go along with this voluntarily, did I?" Aizawa crossed his arms, then continued, "It's a punishment for a reason. Let this be a reminder to you that you should think it through before getting yourself into a reckless situation."
"But we're talking about publicising my face-"
"I didn't say anything about publicising your face. You can hide it for all I care."
"-And the prospect of having my voice be heard throughout the entirety of internet is jarring in itself. Imagine the embarrassment!"
Aizawa cleared his throat, "You're an aspiring future pro-hero. Getting your voice to be known to the public is part of the job, which might as well include the publication of your face. Everyone will soon recognise you. This embarrasment of yours shouldn't hold you back, unless you want me to deem you as a student with zero potential."
"N- no sir." Izuku gulped.
"That's what I thought." Aizawa then said, "Now I'm sure your friends, or rather, classmates, are concerned about your whereabouts, but it seems that they've already fallen asleep. They're all exhausted from all the commotion that happened this morning. You should join them soon."
"Do I have to organise my roo-"
"No." Aizawa cut him short, "Yagi already has that covered."
Izuku adapted a warm smile. The kind of stuff that his Sensei would do for him is kind of thoughtful. He never thought that the man who used to think of him as nothing more than a nuisance be this considerate and caring.
"Speaking of which," Aizawa decided to be forward, "Am I going crazy, or does it seem like Yagi is playing favourites with you?"
"Why would you think that, Aizawa-Sensei?"
"The fact that you're the only one that has his room organised by him kind of speaks for itself, does it?" Aizawa reminded, "Not to mention his slight protectiveness over you."
"His what now?"
"Every time I speak 'ill'," Aizawa put quotation marks over his head, "Of you, his face would contort in discomfort. Occasionally, he'd make witty remarks against me."
"I don't have problem with your growing relationship with him, but playing favourites is what I'm not pretty keen on." Aizawa added, "He even tried to give you a perfect score whilst leaving everyone in the dust back at the entrance exam."
Wait what?!
"He was one of the judges, and I was one of the committee's of the exam." Aizawa replied, "I saw his paper. You were given a perfect score while everyone got zero."
Izuku wasn't prepared for what he'd heard. He needs to talk about this the next time he meets Yagi.
His Sensei, while wise and amazing, is still human, and has flaws. He would try to correct that flaw.
"You should try to talk to him about it." Aizawa continued, "Preferring one student over another isn't something that a teacher should do, given that their duty is to maintain a solid supervision over all the students without exceptions. This could cause your class to segregate. Disparity could ensue, students might even question their own value, breaking their self-esteem."
"Yes, but..did you try to talk about it?" Izuku asked.
"We did. He didn't seem to mind the rebuke that much. What I've learned from him overall, is that he barely takes anything seriously, at least, when it comes to things other than you." Aizawa replied, settling into the couch.
"Has something to do with his past, I think..." Izuku uttered mostly to himself.
"Well, that's enough discussion for today. You've been missing most of your classes, so it's best if you sleep now before you wake up late." Aizawa dismissed him.
"Aren't you going to sleep, too?" Izuku asked.
"No." Aizawa turned on the television, decreasing the volume, "I'm a nocturnal, kid."
"That explains you napping all the-"
"Just get to the bedroom already." Aizawa cut him, his eyes shining with dim red light.
"A- alright!" Izuku quickly grabbed his bag, before heading straight to his-
"Wait, where is my room?" Izuku halted in the middle.
Aizawa looked at him for a while, before sighing. Everyone can be a little stupid sometimes.
...
To say that he was disappointed is an understatement. He was livid, angry, and frustrated, most of those negative emotions are directed towards himself.
Bang had been careless, didn't foresaw that surprise attack coming. Of course, anyone would say that he couldn't have known, but his irrational mind seems to think that he's at fault here.
He couldn't sleep, thinking about his former disciple who had just been outrightly kidnapped by something else. Those mysterious assailants, who might or might not be one of the Monster Association.
Leaning against the back of the seat, he pondered as he stared at the ceiling of his office.
He had been in UA for the past few hours, refusing to go home.
As he thought hard, the doorknob moved and...
A man wearing a hoodie with the color scheme of red over his shoulder parts and white over his lower parts entered the room.
"Yagi-san? What are you doing out this late? In here, of all places?"
"Uh, I'm concerned for you?" Yagi replied, as he took off his glasses.
"I don't remember you wearing a glasses." Bang remarked.
"I bought this, for fun." Yagi replied, "Well, mostly for fun. Thing has it's own merits, it even functions like a smartphone of some sorts."
"You're throwing your money away over a measly tech." Bang replied with a look that screams disappointment.
"Measly tech? Hey, you're the one who chose me as the economy teacher!" Yagi said as he sat in front of the desk.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Bang asked.
"I need this, obviously, because I don't understand that much about economy, especially the accounting part!" Yagi replied, "I mean I understand it a little, of course-"
"Now, now, you're doubting yourself a little there." Bang's gaze turned warm, "Years of saving money and being placed in the middle of an economic trading place, I'm sure that you'd picked a thing or two."
"Nah." Yagi shrugged, as his gaze turning serious, "How did this conversation turned into a discussion about my 'specialty'?"
"I'd rather talk about th-"
"You." Yagi interrupted, "Let's talk about you, being in here, depriving yourself of sleep, in your aging state nevertheless."
"...I can't let myself be at peace until I know for sure that Garou is okay." Bang replied.
"He's fine. He'll pull out." Yagi reassured, "All we need to do is figure out this whole Monster Association fiasco, their base, and we'll snatch Garou away in no time."
"Easier said than done."
"Eh, yeah, I mean, no one said anything about it being easy when it comes to being a hero." Yagi said.
"Maybe so." Bang clasped his hands, seemingly in deep thought, his brain soaked with anxiety, clamping it like a wrapped towel.
"So are we just going to stare at each other awkwardly, or are we going?"
"Go where?"
"I don't know, home?" Yagi answered.
"I don't feel like it."
"Why not?"
"Staying here overnight will calm the storm whirling inside of my mind." Bang said.
"Staying here overnight will fuck up your sleep schedule." Yagi retorted.
"Such vulgar words."
"Such unhealthy routine."
"Stop trying to imitate every words that comes out of my mouth."
"Stop trying to get yourself a handful of disease by staying here like an incessant hermit."
"Yagi."
"Bang."
...
"Cease from this."
"Cease from staying up late."
"Why you-!"
"Why you-!"
Both of them stopped from continuing, awkwardly staring at each other.
With a long-suffering sigh, Bang conceded, "Know what? Fine. I'll just head home."
"One dose of annoyance is enough to make you rethink your choices?" Yagi's lips bent upwards in a mischievous smile.
Bang didn't respond. Instead, they walked back to the car park in silent.
"You want to walk or should I drive you home?" Bang asked.
"The former, please. My car is still in the service center. God damn, I really lost it back there." Yagi lamented to himself.
"Uh?"
"For context, Izuku told me that his ex-best friend slash tormentor baited him into suicide." Yagi replied bluntly.
"Who-?"
"I am not in liberty to say." Yagi interrupted, "But I'll tell you when the time is right."
That... didn't sound right. Young Midoriya was baited into suicide?
He decided to pay it no further thought.
"I guess it's best if we move on." Bang said as he entered the car, followed by Yagi who did the same.
As they drove to the city, Yagi noticed that some of the buildings had half it's part shattered.
"That centipede caused quite the ruckus." Yagi remarked.
"Thanks to you, no further damage was sustained by the city."
"Still arrived too late, though. Tend to be my habit." Yagi sighed, "I'll just try harder next time."
"Now that's what I'd like to hear." Bang smiled, while they drove towards the direction of the vibrant full moon in the sky.
The Hero Commission's Headquarters...
The workers were in a rush to get information regarding the Monster Association, but to no avail.
Metal Bat, who was still in the medical recovery room provided by the HQ, rubbed his bandaged head, trying to ease the pain.
Sitch was sitting besides him, "How are you feeling, Metal Bad?"
"Like shit. I lost him. The kid." Metal Bat said melancholically, "That centipede really blurred out my focus, I couldn't fight, not even with my quirk."
"...we will not hold your shortcomings against you, Metal Bat. For all it's worth, your safety means a lot more to us than the mission."
"You sure?" Metal Bat furrowed his brows, "You mean you're not at all concerned about the kid of the guy who's your major funder is literally missing?"
"By all means, we are concerned about that." Sitch corrected, "But as one would say, life is more precious than-"
"Don't finish that sentence. It's sappy, and stupid." Metal Bat coughed, as he began again, "Look, I don't get why you're here though. There must be something else that you want other than giving me needless pleasantries and get-well-soon speeches."
"You're perceptive. Yes, I believe that you withhold an information that might be valuable to our cause." Sitch leaned forward, "You said that the centipede, out of misplaced confidence, gave away the location of the Monster Association's base."
"Hm? Oh that." Metal Bat rubbed his head, "I remember it mentioning Yokohama but...I might be mistaken."
"Y- Yokohama?"
That is the same place where the Monster Rehabilitation Department is located. Could it be...?
No. Gyoro-kun would never do something like that. He trusted her, much like how he would trust a close one. But the pieces aren't holding together true. He'd always suspected that the Monster Association could be connected to her in some way but...
Then, the door opened.
"Sitch-kun!"
Sitch turned his back, only to see a brown haired boy with a backpack that hosted technological arms protruding from it's insides.
"Child Emperor."
"We've uncovered the location of the base, and it's located..." Child Emperor's mechanical arms showed a rectangle screen that visualised a familiar building.
"Underneath the Monster Rehabilitation Department building. I've had my suspicions, and I decided to look further into it."
Sitch's emotions were riddled with horror. That feeling of betrayal of trust...
No...
She wouldn't.
She wouldn't!
All the monsters that she retrieved from him, all the monsters that he picked up from the streets...
She's been exploiting them as a means to raise an army?!
"Child Emperor." Sitch stood up with a tone that indicates alert, "Gather the top ranking pro-heroes tomorrow. We will arrange a meeting to discuss this urgency."
"Hey, I'm a bit lost here." Metal Bat said, but they didn't so much as to make an effort to respond.
They left the recovery room, leaving Metal Bat with the deafening sound of silence.
"Fucking jerks."
TO BE CONTINUED!