Hunter Amongst Villains Draft Scene - Foreigner Scenes (Patreon)

Heyo. 

I am still working on the From Beyond the World Tree chapter. It is going slowly at the moment since I am not that adept in writing the DxD characters and I am trying to not sound repetitive in my scenes. In short, I'm trying to get through my writer's block which sucks. 

Anyways, in this scene, you will see test scenes regarding the foreign villains since Hirokoshi never went into depth with the foreign heroes and villains. This is all test from years ago, so I did not know about the recent characters back then. Gonna post a lot of scenes here for you guys anyways. 

Also still working on the original fiction. Might post a draft or two for you guys to understand what I am working with. Anyways, enjoy. Lots of foreshadowing here heheheh

Confrontation and Foreshadowing

The three heroes marched into UA, Gawain, the Metal Knight, Sola the Sun Valkyr, and Araca The Spider Girl, heading towards the meeting room of the infamous Principal of UA High School. They were all in their hero costumes, except for Gawain, who had been quite badly chastised for stripping the metal of yet another bus. Therefore, he was just wearing a plain suit and tie.

After numerous distractions, they had finally got back on track. Sola cast a disapproving glance over to Gawain. They would have gotten to UA much sooner, had he not insisted on constantly stopping to greet their fans along the way.

As they walked through the hallways of UA towards the meeting room, Gawain’s thoughts momentarily turned to the young silver-haired boy he’d met. His jaw tightened in worry as he thought of the struggle Ghin was going through. He hoped he’d see the kid again, if not just to check up on him.

His thoughts were abruptly cut off as Sola pushed open the large wooden doors with some force. She was growing noticeably impatient. On the other hand, Araca had her spider legs tucked close to her body, nervously eyeing everyone she saw.

Inside the meeting room was the Principal, Nezu along with Snipe, Mt Lady, Kamui Woods and of course, the former No.1 Hero All Might. All their eyes turned to the three heroes entering through the double doors. Clearly they had been awaiting their arrival.

“Principal Nezu, we’d like to thank you for meeting with us.”
As usual, the no-nonsense Sola led the conversation. All three American heroes approached the large table their Japanese counterparts were seated at.

“It is no problem Sola. We were all hoping to be able to discuss that topic with you.”
Nezu waved a paw dismissively, in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere.

“Yes, I believe you are here to discuss the Hero-Hunter?”

All Might followed Nezu, asking the three Americans directly. They flinched a little at being addressed by All Might so suddenly.

Pulling out their individual chairs with a loud scrape, Gawain, Sola and Araca all seated themselves. Araca fidgeted in discomfort for a moment, trying to find a position that was comfortable for her arachnoid legs on her back.

“Yeah. That is why we’re here. You can understand that some Heroes in other countries have some… concerns that some unknown figure comes out of nowhere and defeats their Number One Hero so quickly.”

Gawain steepled his fingers as he looked across the table. The Japanese Heroes were listening with rapt attention. He could see the slightest discomfort on All Might’s face as he was reminded of his ordeal. Gawain raised one palm in consolation.

“No offence of course All Might.”

All Might only shook his head in response, a thin smile on his skeletal expression.

“None taken my boy. It is perfectly reasonable to be concerned.”

Mt.Lady spoke up from her seat, looking at the American Heroes with an inquisitive expression on her face.

“But Garou had ‘reformed’ recently. We don’t really have anything to fear from him.”

“Aside from him sneaking up on you…”

That last part was barely a whisper.

Gawain cocked one eyebrow as he looked at the heroine.

“We are unfortunately uninformed when it comes to the Hero-Hunter.”
He gave a apologetic shrug.

“Word about the Hero-Hunter is limited overseas. That’s why we came to you in person. We’d heard mention of him cooperating with certain UA heroes.”

“I see… from your fans, I take it?” Nezu asked, aware of the three’s reputation.

Gawain leant back further into his chair, resting his hands on his lap.

“You would be correct there. We didn’t even know that the Hero-Hunter was targeting villains until a kid told us during one of our meetups.”

“In any case, what questions do you have in regards to the Hero Hunter now that you're here?” Nezu inquired as he gently rested his paws on the table.

The golden-haired Sola leant forwards, a slight frown on her face. The lack of information was truly frustrating. They were operating entirely in the dark.

“You mentioned Garou had ‘reformed’? What did you mean by that?”

Nezu raised one of his eyebrows in mild shock. Was information about such issues so hard to come by overseas?

“Recently, with the defeat of All Might, there was a rather drastic increase in crime and Villain activity.”

Nezu paused to take a breath and to allow the three heroes to take it all in.

“That was when we began receiving reports of villain groups being found by the dozen. They were all similar in the way they were found. All of them were unconscious, badly beaten and bloodied. There were always signs of a struggle, but we could never find who perpetrated them. After some analysis, we all easily recognised the ‘style’.”

Sola cocked her head to one side, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked down at the furry Principal. She could feel a layer of frustration slowly building.

“What do you mean ‘style’? You’re just creating more questions!”

All Might raised one bony hand in consolation as the golden-haired female turned her attention to him.

“It was the fighting style of the Hero-Hunter. I could tell almost immediately. Having experienced it first hand, after all.”

A sudden creak came from Gawain’s chair as he straightened up, returning his hands to their previous position on the table.

“Ok, so the Hero-Hunter began targeting villains. But he doesn’t exactly seem like the sort to contact you directly. I mean, he’s such a mysterious figure. How did you get in touch with him?”

“…” The Heroes of Japan averted their eyes, avoiding eye contact with his.

“…he came to us himself…” Nezu dryly replied.

A confused silence filled the air as the three American heroes could do nothing but stare at their Japanese counterparts. Partially in disbelief, but also surprise.

Sola narrowed her eyes as she saw all of the Japanese Heroes averting their eyes. Something was off. She could feel it.

“So, what? He just strolled in one morning? ‘Oh hey! I’m good now!’ Something like that?”

Gawain’s voice carried a layer of biting sarcasm, but he also seemed pretty critical. Such a thing didn’t really seem… believable.

“…it is much more complicated than that. If Garou caught wind of your tone, you would’ve been sent to the hospital in one second.” Nezu pursed his mouse lips with concern.

“If you wish, I could inform you the full story behind the Hero Hunter. Although, it will take time. Some parts of the story is not believable until you met and conversed with him daily.” Nezu offered. The Hero Hunter was more than just a man who wanted to become a villain. By far, he is the most complex human that walked the earth.

“Well go on then. I’m interested now.”
The bearded American grinned widely. So they had been in contact with Garou for quite some time. He knew this meeting was a good idea.

“Very well… now where to begin…” Nezu then started telling them Garou’s story, from beginning to end.

…

“…and thus, we are currently attempting to reform Garou into a proper hero, with the help of his landlord to push him into the right direction. I know it has never been done, but he is too powerful to be left alone. I take it you have questions?”

Nezu asked the three wide-eyed jaw-dropped heroes, who did not expect the contents of Garou’s story to be so… outlandish.

Gawain bore a bewildered expression on his face, his mouth slightly agape. The more that Nezu said, the more unbelievable Garou’s story seemed. Another world? A monstrous form? He had to take a moment to process it all. He cast a gaze over to his two female compatriots.

As usual, Sola bore her expressionless mask. However, he could tell that she was merely masking her confusion. She was probably more confused than he was. Araca on the other hand…

A rhythmic tapping came from the arachnoid woman as she rapidly tapped her large spider legs on the floor. They were quivering quite noticeably. Gawain could only look at her with sympathy. She’d never been good with this kind of thing.

Turning back to the Japanese heroes who seemed to be awaiting their questions, Gawain could only sigh and rub his face with one of his hands.

“Ok, so… where to begin. His… disciples. How many are there?”

Nezu stroked his furry chin as he tilted his head to one side in an attempt to recall exactly how many Garou had trained.

“Three… no, four, currently. We are planning to persuade Garou to take in more disciples given the results of the ones he trained.” Nezu answered.

“How effective his ‘training’?” Gawain was very curious of his methods in uplifting heroes his way.

“One of the disciples is a child. And he took on all the older students of Class 1-A without much difficulty, and that was before he got his Quirk.”

Sola seemed to have pulled herself out of her stupor as she suddenly turned her head to stare at all of the UA heroes. She shifted the seat slightly close to the table, sat bolt upright.

“So, I can assume that the possibility of Garou working with villains is low?”

They still needed to verify something. Ensuring that the Hero-Hunter was no threat to the people of Japan was sadly, a secondary objective.

“Hah! Him, villains? Really?” Mt.Lady laughed at Sola’s presumption.

“He hates villains more than anything to be honest! Him working with villains is like the world coming to an end ahahaha! …but seriously, if he did work with villains, we would all die. No joke.” Mt.Lady’s joking demeanor switched to a serious, morbid attitude at the last second.

“W-we were j-just asking. We needed to be sure…”

The six-eyed Hero mumbled from her seat, shrinking further into her seat as the focus landed squarely on her.

Gawain reached out a hand, placing on the table in a gesture of support for his friend.

“It’s alright. I’ll take it from here.”

Straightening himself, he turned back to the UA heroes. His expression had changed to one of utmost seriousness. His jaw was set and his eyebrows were furrowed.

“The reason we were asking is because there is the possibility of foreign villains infiltrating Japan to recruit Garou. That was the main purpose for us coming here. We can’t be sure of how many villain groups are attempting to convince him, but we do know that one particular group has their sights set on him.”

The atmosphere in the room changed swiftly. Everyone present knew the potential danger of such a large number of villainous organisations secretly entering Japan would spell catastrophe for the country and the heroes in it. With All Might out of commission, there was barely a chance that they could stop them.

“This is… worrying to say the least. What do you know about this ‘one particular group’?”

Nezu sat there, his mousy face unreadable. His paws were steepled as he considered their options.

“Well, we know that they are extremely secretive. We still aren’t sure what their capabilities are. Barely anything is known about them at all. However, we do know their name. DarkLight.”

Gawain paused for a moment, to allow this to sink in, before continuing.

“They seem to based in the US, but if they keep up their current pace, they’ll have the capability to go global. There’s no underworld group in the States that these guys aren’t involved with, they're even more active after All Might’s retirement. And now they’ve set their sights on Garou. You can probably see why we’re be a bit concerned about the Hero-Hunter.”

The Three sitting on the other side paused upon hearing about DarkLight. It was a first, since usually the villains operate in their respective nations, leaving the other nations untouched.

“…I do not know whether I should feel happy, or feel sorry for them.” Mt.Lady said as she recalled Muscular. While the heroes couldn’t stop the foreign villains… Garou was another matter. Unless the foreign villains had something powerful enough to threaten even Garou, they had no choice but to resign themselves to the hospital. Then jail.

“Thing is, we had to come here. We didn’t know anything about Garou. He could have already joined them for all we knew. That was why we had to be sure. And they might still have some way to… convince him.”

“…one question, have you watched the live recording of Garou defeating All Might?” Mt.Lady asked.

Sola nodded slowly. She had been disbelieving when she was first told that Garou had defeated All Might on live television. Her mind flashed back momentarily to the impassioned silver-haired kid that had told them.

“We checked it out on the way here. It was… something. I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”

Nezu nodded, sharing her feelings.

“Garou has many titles. The Breaker of Heroes, the Nightmare of Heroes, Incarnation of Death and Fear. And for good reason. His power defies logic, even the logic of Quirks. Right now, as far as we know, Garou is literally invincible. All manner of Quirks are ineffective against him, as well as any form of harm. His speed is his greatest strength, moving so fast it is like he can stop time itself. Not only that, recently, we learned that he could copy the moves of others and used it against them… even All Might’s famous ‘Smash’ techniques despite only experiencing them at first glance. With great effect.”

Gawain could feel his throat going dry. This was out of their league. In fact, the way they describe him, Garou seems out of everyone’s league. A man who was far superior to All Might in each and every way.

“I don’t suppose… we could meet him?”

The moment he asked that, Nezu and the others twitched their brows.

“…are you sure you want that? While he is decent, he can be evil… especially to heroes.” Mt.Lady asked.

The bearded American broke out into a nervous smile as he shrugged his shoulders. They’d come all this way. They might as well try and meet Garou.

“It’d help the Heroes back home. If we met this ‘Hero-Hunter’, and found out that he wasn’t that bad of a guy, it’d assuage some of the worries.”

Gawain pointed one finger in the general direction of the UA heroes.

“Plus, it’d stop more Heroes from the ‘States popping over and potentially causing trouble and getting your way.”

The Japanese Heroes remained silent. It was true that the last thing they wanted was a sudden influx of foreign Heroes showing up and challenging Garou. That would create an unnecessary strain on hospitals and those with healing Quirks.

Nezu paused for a moment, considering the choices.

“We’ll see what we can do. But be warned, Garou is quite… overwhelming.”

Gawain could only shrug again in response. The surreal nature of the situation he and his friends found themselves in only created a feeling of passiveness inside of him. All he could do now was roll with the punches.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. Maybe before we meet him, we could interview some people who have been in direct contact with the Hero-Hunter for an extended period of time. Get a better picture of the guy.”

“…it actually depends on the Hero Hunter himself. We can’t force Garou to meet you. He might actually refuse to see any of you no matter how many times we plea.”

Sola grimaced. They needed face-to-face proof that the Hero-Hunter wasn’t a potential threat. They needed to meet him.

“What could we do to convince him to meet with us?”

*Knock Knock.*

A few knocks came from the door, wordlessly asking Nezu for permission to enter. Confused, Nezu answered the door wondering who could it be at this time.

“Please, we’re at a meeting. You are interrupting important bus-“

The door opened without any care for Nezu’s consideration. Entering the meeting with an obnoxious gait, a certain silver-haired man locked his gaze at the mouse Bear.

“Yo, Mouse Bear. I need you for something.”

Everyone in the room gaped at who entered, except for the three Americans. The foreigners stared at the intruder with mild surprise. They had absolutely no idea who this guy was, and he just barged right in? It seemed quite rude.

“I need your help on settling something… who are these clowns?” The silver-haired man asked pointing at the three foreign heroes.

All six of Araca’s eyes fixated on the figure who had entered so abruptly. She raised a finger, pointing at him as she turned to look at the gaping Japanese Heroes. The nervous tapping from her arachnoid legs increased in speed slightly.

“D-do you know t-this guy?”

All of the UA heroes looked at the spider woman, then back to the silver-haired intruder. They all seemed to have the same expression on their faces. Even Nezu’s animal features bore the same hallmarks of dumbfoundment and shock.

“They look like perverts playing dress up.” The intruder verbally lashed at the heroes without hesitation or regard.

Sola and Gawain both rose out of their seats, frowning at the new ‘visitor’. Gawain crossed his arms in mild displeasure, whilst Sola remained stood straight and proud. Araca kept her six eyes on the man, analysing him. Tap, tap, tap. Her rhythmic tapping sped up as she scrutinized him.

“Ok. Is anyone gonna tell us who this guy is?”

Frustration continued to cultivate within the bearded American. None seemed willing to give any clear answers.

“...…what are you doing here, Garou?” All Might managed to ask the intruder who was wearing the uniform of UA.

Hearing this, the three Americans blinked rapidly, turning their heads back and forth between Nezu and the ‘visitor’. Suddenly, a smile spread rapidly across Gawain’s face as a understanding dawned on him.

“Oh I get it. This is some big ‘let's prank the foreign heroes’ kinda deal?”

Waving his hands around in the air, he gestured in the general direction of ‘Garou’.

“I mean, from what you’ve all told us, Garou would never, ever join a hero school! Come on guys. This is in bad taste.”

From the point of view of the Japanese, they could see Garou in his monster form right behind their back, his aura threatening to end their lives without the three knowing. It was indeed like a prank… one not of UA’s design. The three probably does not even know of Garou’s tendency to mess with heroes in general.

The three suddenly felt their spines tingling, some unknown energy digging into their backs. All three turned around, concern etched on their faces. This energy… A shiver passed over the three collectively as they took a closer look at ‘Garou’. He looked like a senior. His hair was particularly noticeable and he possessed a certain… quality. The three couldn’t quite put their finger on it.

Narrowing his eyes, Gawain could swear this student looked familiar…

“Do I know you?”

“Do I know you?” Garou countered with a hint of satire.

“It is rude for a stranger to suddenly ask personal questions without an introduction.” Garou pointed out as his fierce eyes stared into that of Gawain’s.

Raising his hands in an apologetic gesture, the bearded American attempted to calm the atmosphere down. He could feel the tension in the air. It didn’t help that the UA Heroes were glaring straight at them.

“Listen buddy, I’m sorry, but you’re not acting so friendly either.”

“Says the one digging his own grave.” Garou rebuked.

Sola stepped forwards at the threat. Her hands hung by her sides as she stared down at the silver-haired young man.

“That’s quite enough. I can understand my colleague is being somewhat brash, but there’s no reason to be so aggressive about it.”

“Oh ho.” However, her passive words fell on deaf ears. The silver-haired man’s eyes were still emanated hostility.

“Garou… would you please stop messing with them? Or else I will tell Ms. Shinjitsu on you.” Mt.Lady asked as she buried her face in her hands. She does not want them to experience Garou’s ‘pranks’ so soon, having experienced them first hand. Or be the one to tell Garou off and risked the potential consequence of receiving Garou’s ire.

In response, Garou stared at the three before them, his face impassively unreadable, as he sighed and grumbled.

“Fine. It was getting juicy. Killjoy.” Garou grumbled.

“So, you look like foreigners. Never seen any of your type here before. Why you're here? Visiting fans all over the world? Or to meet a certain Nightmare of Heroes?” Garou asked the three, his eyes licking over their bodies with a predatory gaze.

Gawain raised both hands in a gesture mimicking a scale, as he raised and lowered his hands. He had his usual smirk on his face, but he had an underlying sense of something else…

“A little of column A, a little of column B.”

Sola walked up swiftly beside him and gave him a smack on his head. She looked down on him with a serious look.

“No joking around. We don’t have the time.”

She turned to look at the young man, shocked by his sudden sternness.

“If you really need to know, we are here to retrieve information on the Hero-Hunter Garou.”

“You're looking at him. What do you foreigners want with me? A fight? If so, prepare to die in the hospital.” Garou belligerently demanded.

Sola and Gawain shared a glance. This joke seemed to be going on for too long. Gawain still had that niggling feeling inside of him. He was sure that if he forced this feeling out into the open, then he’d regret it. But he needed to be sure.

“So, let’s say that you actually are Garou. Why are you in a school uniform? Isn’t a man of your ‘standing’ supposed to be out in the world?”

“I go where I please, old man.” Garou chided.

Nezu, All Might, and Mt.Lady shivered in their seats. Gawain was antagonizing him. It would not end well for the foreign hero if he cross the line.

The American man only shrugged in response.

“Well that only answers one of my questions.”

“And that’s the only question that will be answered.” Garou’s form was instantly replaced by the… same form Gawain saw in the recording. The same man that offed All Might and the other Pro Heroes with overwhelming Might.

Sola and Gawain took several steps backwards in surprise and sudden fear. They had been wrong. He was the real deal. Audible scuttling came over from Araca’s corner of the room. Barely able to tear their eyes away from Garou, they could see that their arachnoid teammate had climbed up the wall, huddling up in the corner of the ceiling using her arachnoid limbs to stick to the walls and ceiling. She kept her six eyes focused on the terrifying figure of Garou.

“H-hey. We were just joking around… Sorry.”

Gawain attempted to apologise swiftly, trying to ease the situation they found themselves in. Nezu did inform them of Garou’s infamous Fear Aura. It was something that came along with his monster form, instilling dread into the hearts of all that laid gaze upon his dark visage.

“I have half a mind to turn you all into bloody paste.” Garou grimly warned.

The only sound in the room was the panicked tapping of Araca’s spider legs as she nestled in the corner. Sola and Gawain could tell that the situation they were in was bad.

“We offer our apologies. We weren’t aware of your identity. We meant no harm.”

The golden-haired American’s typical stern voice wavered slightly, a sign of her nerves.

“The skeleton using my name isn't enough of an indication? You're being very, very rude about an eighteen year old being the Nightmare of Heroes.” Garou voice called from behind Sola.

Aracha couldn't see it from the corner of her ceiling. One moment he was there, but when she heard his voice, she came to from her stupor as she saw Garou somehow appearing right behind Sola and Gawain.

As Garou suddenly disappeared from their vision, Sola and Gawain whipped around to try and find where he had gone. They stopped as they saw him stood behind them, now uncomfortably close. The aura he was emanating was so intense, that the three Americans could feel it pushing them down.

“We were just… surprised is all.”

Gawain raised one hand. He was trying desperately to get out of the situation. Or at least calm Garou down in the slightest.

“I hope we can put this all behind us?”

He phrased his attempt as more of a suggestion.

“After I put you all in a hospital?” Garou asked.

Feeling that combat was inevitable, all three Americans began bracing for the battle. Gawain began using his Quirk to find all of the nearby metal, preparing to ‘make use’ of it. Sola clenched her fists and began to glow ever so brighter. The heat in the room went up slightly. Araca, began to move out of the corner, using her arachnoid legs to pin herself to the ceiling.

“We just came here to talk. We don’t need to fight.”

Gawain made one final plea to Garou, hoping that by some miracle, conflict would be avoided.

“It won't be a fight. It would be a slaughter. None of you can defeat me.” Garou corrected.

The three tensed for combat, at least they hope it will end in combat. Otherwise, the visions of their broken bodies flashing in their minds will soon come to fruition.

“Garou.” Nezu called out from his seat.

“Please keep in mind your promise with Ms. Shinjitsu. Do you wish for me to inform the landlord about your transgression?” Nezu asked as Garou paused, his black hole for eyes locked onto the two trembling forms of heroes.

“...........tsk.” clicking his tongue, Garou instantly reverted back to his human form faster than the heroes can see.

“Fine.” Garou started walking. He moved past the two heroes and heading for the door.

“I'm done here.” he said as he left the room, his mood befouled and ruined, leaving the heroes alone in the room.

The three heroes relaxed, letting go of their Quirks. Araca dropped to the ground, landing on her feet with a quiet thud. Gawain turned back to the UA heroes.

“Does he do this often?”

“No, he's usually more… manageable. Until you antagonized him. Before he reformed, those like you would’ve been sent to the hospital or reduced to a bloody paste.” Nezu answered as he gave them an awkward laugh to console them.

He gave a nervous laugh in response. He’d been so close. But, looking on the bright side, at least they met Garou.

“So… what next?”

“First, apologize to Garou. He is here as a student because we have successfully coerced him into attending. Despite him being invincible in combat, he does have his fair share of weaknesses… quite normal ones in fact.” Nezu gave him a reassuring smile.

Sola crossed her arms, as she forcefully stopped the shivers that passed throughout her body. She could feel her body temperature lower as her Quirk slowly deactivated.

“He… has weaknesses? What could possibly count as a weakness for him?”

“Well… he is weak to the more normal things in life hahaha. Such as friends or any personal bonds with those he trusts.” Nezu smiled.

“Despite his overwhelming power, he is normal deep down inside, although he is brash and independent.”

Pointing a thumb in the direction that Garou had gone, Gawain could only look at Nezu with an incredulous expression. How long had they been dealing with this kind of thing?

“Normal? I’m gonna agree to disagree. Did you guys not see what we saw?”

All Might shrugged in response, a small smile on his face. Garou seemed to have this effect on everyone he met. They just needed to be around him for long enough to get a clear picture of the person called Garou.

“It takes some getting used to. But he is still human underneath his monstrous disguise.”

“Yep. We’re still alive, aren’t we?” Mt. Lady interjected with a sassy point.

The three Americans walked back over to their former seats and slumped down, mentally exhausted from the little ‘experience’ they had just undergone. The Japanese heroes could only look at the drained Americans with little smirks on their faces. This probably wouldn’t be their first experience with Garou, nor would it be their last. With Garou’s tendency to just show up uninvited, they would absolutely meet him again.

“I take it your first time experiencing his fear aura was… impactful?” Nezu jabbed a little regarding their first experiences with a sympathetic and teasing face.

“Impactful? More like soul crushing! How does he do that? Is it one of his abilities?”

Sola seemed drained from the little meeting with Garou. The aura the Hero-Hunter had outputted was beyond anything she’d felt.

“We don’t know, but it is not a Quirk. It is something that defies the logic of Quirks as well… probably even more profound than them. Why, when I first experienced it, I had to scream for almost an hour to get it out of my system hahaha. It is much more effective on animals like me, despite my already high intelligence.” Nezu said pointing at himself.

Frowning slightly, Gawain massaged the bridge of his nose. They had asked for a meeting with Garou. They weren’t expecting it so soon.

“So, judging from that meeting, we won’t have to worry about any villains recruiting him for now.”
Raising his eyes to the UA heroes, he had a resigned look about him.

“But to be sure, we’ll stay in Japan on the lookout for any villains on the prowl. Besides, we might get a lead on the infamous agents of DarkLight if we do this right.

Meanwhile…

Sitting in the same estate, Chisaki and Tomura sat at the opposite ends of the low table, both sitting on their knees. The light above them was dim, the atmosphere heavy with dread as two rivals congregated for their secret meetings.

“Tomura, while I respect your abilities as a leader… I am afraid this is where we part ways. The next time we meet, we will be enemies. I’ve decided to sever all ties to the League of Villains.” Chisaki broke the news in a dire tone.

Tomura sat there, glaring at the man across the table from him. His fists were clenched with so much fury, his hands almost seemed to threaten to decay his arms from the palms up.

“What are you talking about? We had a perfectly good deal.”
His voice could barely contain his frustration and rage.

“You are wrong. Do you know that the drug trade is in jeopardy? All because of the Hero Hunter was hounding the one who made the serum with his own blood. The price for Trigger has skyrocketed as well due to the many drug labs destroyed in the Hero Hunter’s crusade. Ours is the only one unscathed. I believe you know why.” Chisaki then narrowed his eyes at villain.

“…you bastard. You sold them out?!” Tomura accused with a snarl.

“I had to get rid of the competition in some way. Plus, I am starting to find doing business with the Hero Hunter much more profitable than with you. He is a very reasonable man once you get on his good side.” Chisaki said something that Tomura cannot let go.

“Oh, so that’s what it is. You inform the Hero-Hunter, and then pick up the pieces he leaves behind? Have you really sunk so low as to cooperate with that pseudo-Hero?”

“It is because we are more.. of a kindred spirit than we thought. Also… the age of villains is dying. Look at the news. All of your attempts to uplift the villains are being torn down. Even the ones you empowered with Garou’s own blood are treated as misbehaving brats. I’ve seen him effortlessly tear the arms of the woman from the socket with the sword fingers without even seeing him move. You don’t possess any card that can even faze him. The villains are far more terrified than ever after the fall of All Might. Do you know that some of them wished that All Might didn’t retire because of Garou’s brutal nature? It is like trading an evil with an even worse evil.” Chisaki brought Tomura to reality.

Shigaraki remained silent. His teeth were clenched, a furious scowl adorned his face. Chisaki was correct in some ways however. The villains were scattered and beaten from the Hero-Hunter. The League of Villains had lost so much power over the last few months, all by the hand of single man.

“We still have an ace up our sleeves.”

“…and that is?” Chisaki quirked a brow at the mention of said ‘ace’.

“We have begun to implement a new ‘ingredient’ into our Noumus. They are beyond the capabilities of any Hero.”

Tomura allowed a small smile to spread across his face as he revealed his ace.

“…if it is the same as the blood serum failures, I am not interested.” Chisaki said half-disinterested.

Shigaraki shook his head as he kept his eyes on the masked man on the other side of the table.

“Even the failures exceed all of our expectations. While not at the level of Garou, we are still tinkering.”

“…I heard that the empowered villains lost most of their reason and self-control the moment they took the serum. Even killing other villains. Tell me, is your ‘ace’ even controllable?” Chisaki asked, aware of the side-effects of The Quirk Enhancing Serum.

“They are still controllable. But if we want mindless destruction, we can just release our failures. No one, short of Garou, can stop them. And even he can’t be everywhere at once.”

“…” Chisaki paused, contemplating at his revelation. Bioweapons that not even the current heroes can handle, and threaten the stability of the public. Ones that could be very useful in his arsenal to enforce the influence of the Eight Precepts of Death even further, though at the cost of receiving Garou’s ire.

“…is it possible for me to inspect the goods before reaching my conclusion?” Chisaki asked.

Gesturing towards the table they sat around, Shigaraki maintained a magnanimous air, even if it was just for show.

“If we maintain our current ‘deal’, then I see no problems.”

“…you have only one chance, Shigaraki. That’s all I can promise. Know this, you are standing on a thin line. Failure means the end of your career, and my trust in you.” Chisaki warned Tomura that he was prepared to cut the line at any moment’s notice.

“Of course. You won’t be disappointed. I can assure you.”

A tense silence greeted the two rivals, as the bargain had been made.

“Before you leave… there are rumors of competition arriving from overseas. Quite powerful competition in fact.” Chisaki informed the moment Tomura rose to his feet.

Shigaraki froze as he heard this. It was the first he’d heard of foreign villains from overseas coming here. A sudden need to defend his territory began to build up inside Tomura as he thought about the idea. The idea that some other group of Villains could just swoop in and undermine his operations frustrated him to no end. He silently thought of his mentor and how he would manage such a situation.

Tomura inwardly smiled as he thought about it. If Sensei was still in power, then they wouldn’t be in such a poor position. All he can do is attempt to follow his mentor’s footsteps.

“Do you have any more… details on these foreigners?”

“…all I can say is, they are either here to see legacy of All For One for themselves. Or… to see the one who defeated All Might with their very own eyes.” Chisaki informed.

His expression and attitude soured suddenly. Were they here for Garou?

“Like it or not, Garou is responsible for All Might’s retirement. The villains in other countries most likely prospered since All Might’s fall. The Hero Hunter actually did them a favor.”

Tomura remained still as a furious scowl adorned his face. Every single problem he was facing was due to one person. The image of the Hero-Hunter, beating Sensei without mercy was burned into Tomura’s mind. Every passing day, as more information regarding Garou’s exploits comes in, his hatred for the Hero-Hunter only grew more fierce.

“As for the others… I am not informed. But I can guess. Since All For One is a legendary figure, I am very sure that you, being his legacy, will be tested to see who will become the Kingpin of the underworld.” Chisaki added.

“Everything I’m doing, is to follow in the footsteps of Sensei. Garou won’t stop me.”

Chisaki paused after hearing Tomura’s confident words.

“…do you know why Garou is not stopping you in the first place? Why you’re still standing, unbroken before me?” Chisaki asked, changing the subject.

Pointing one hand at Chisaki, Tomura gestured for him to continue.

“Garou does not register you as a threat. I asked him about his thoughts on you, Tomura… do you want to know what he said?”

His jaw tightened and his knuckles turned white from the force he was clenching his fists with.

“Go ahead.”

“He told me you are nothing. An ant by the side of the road. You are everything Garou considers weak, scum playing the final boss. He even left the other heroes to take care of you. You don’t even catch his eye, Tomura. To him, you don’t exist.”

The room descended into a tense silence as Tomura cast his eyes over to Chisaki. Inside his eyes seemed to be a burning rage and an overwhelming sense of frustration. Every turn he took, there was a wall labeled ‘Hero-Hunter’. And worse, the Hero Hunter didn’t even pay him any attention in the first place.

“If you wish to vent, please do it outside my property. I am merely conveying you his thoughts. Besides, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Save that anger for the competition that will soon arrive. You’ll need it.” Chisaki advised as he dismissed Tomura, gesturing him to leave his humble abode.

Nodding, Shigaraki turned to leave Chisaki’s home. As he began to leave, he turned his thoughts to the mountain of obstacles he’d need to overcome. His ‘ace’ would require some tweaking before it was fully ready. But once it was… There would be so very little that could stop him.

The moment Shigaraki left, waiting until his presence no longer in his abode’s vicinity, Chisaki pulled out a cellphone from his pocket, dialed in a certain number, and made a call.

“Apologies if I’m interrupting you, but I possess information that might interest you. Would you care to pay more than the standard fee?” Chisaki asked Garou on the other side of the line.

At the same time…

Arriving at the airport in Japan, and by the boat in the seas, many dark figures entered the land of the rising sun. Each and every one cloaked and daggered.

Under the hood of one, metal cubic rings dangled from the straps of their collar, shining under the sunlight as he stepped out of the white airplane. He looked at the sky, blue, misty white, and radiant yellow greeting his eyes, smiling as he inhaled the polluted air of the airfield.

“So this is what Japan smells like.” He commented as he melded into the crowd of passengers crowding into the jet bridge leading to the airport.

Going through many security checks, showing his ticket, identification, and signing various troublesome papers through counters in the vast spacious building of clean white, he walked towards the luggage area, where conveyor belts carry luggages for the passengers to pick up.

The hooded man waited at the ovular conveyor belt, until he saw a red and black striped suitcase at the corner of his eyes. The suitcase was large, rectangular with rolling wheels on the bottom with a extendable handle for ease of grip.

Placing his luggage wheel-first on the clean marble tiles under his feet, he extended the handle as he walked pulling the luggage behind him while the tune of rolling wheels constantly grated his ears without end.

As he found the exit, the hooded man was joined by several others. One being a female with serpent-like eyes, bearing pale skin and a doll-like face, and twin-tails of black silky hair each ponytail supported by an adorable scrunchie with the face of a cat etched into it. Her attire was in a gothic lolita, frilled black skirt and pantyhose with a blouse dotted in white at the hem of her dress. For shoes, she wore high heel boots that reach to her ankles, the soles clacking on the tiled floor as she waved her hand in greeting, while her other hand held a cane in hand.

“Yahoo! It took you long enough.” The woman jubilantly spoke.

The man’s gaze licked over the girl with… gothic features, her smile mimicking the radiance of a positive sun despite bearing the appearance of a vampire. Though the man knew better, aware of the true face behind the smiling mask.

“Security procedures are a major hassle these days. Are our belongings transported from overseas yet?” The man asked, his lips visible under the hood curling into a slight frown.

“Hahaha, you already know! The ‘smugs’ are like, stupidly dimwitted! Some idiots alarmed the navy and gave away the main routes. It would take, like, a hundred years to come if they don't get it right!” Replying in english, she giggled as she walked alongside the hooded man. The man groaned.

“Just great… are the men ready at least?” He asked.

“Yep! They're already here before us! The losers are waiting in the cheap run down trash!”

By trash, she meant the inconspicuous hotel that houses only villains and criminals of high standing. However, unlike the other similar hotels, this one… was poorer than average, mainly because the presence of villains was near nonexistent after All Might arrived in Japan.

“Good.” The two exited through the automatic slide doors of glass, immediately entering a taxi reserved the two as they both entered the vehicle.

“How’s the status of ‘The Myth’?” He asked, regarding All For One.

“Broken like a used toy! And locked up as a sad, crying cripple.” She mockingly rubbed her eyes pretending to weep.

“Hah! The legendary man who can steal Quirks taken down by a stranger… oh, how the mighty have fallen.” The man laughed within the taxi as the driver, a gruff mutant with amphibian skin covered in a mucus like secretion, hit the pedal as they drove through the trafficking streets, the sight of moving vehicles and random civilians passing through the windows.

The car weaved through the streets of the city, as the passengers stared out of the windows, analyzing every detail they drove past. It appeared to be peak time, as the road was full of cars and the sidewalk contained a similar number of people. They all appeared to simply be going about their day.

The amphibian driver occasionally casted his eyes over to the two strangely dressed foreigners. The longer he seemed to look at the girl, the more tired he seemed to grow. He tore his eyes away from her and back to focusing on the road.

“Hey! Hey! I want to meet this Garou now! I am bored!” Emily whined like a child despite her age.

“Shut up. We don't know how to meet this Hero Hunter. Why do you think the boss sent us here in the first place?” The man chided as he slightly arched his head back, revealing the face underneath the hood. Revealing a flash of cubic eyes, eyes perfectly square instead of normal round.

“In any case, tell me something. Have the grunts investigated our competition?” He asked.

“It's a wasteland!” She smiled.

“For others coming here, no idea! But for the natives… nada! None besides the loser League as far as I know!”

“Hah! Them? They're still kicking?” He smiled mockingly. His organization was aware of Garou’s hatred for the League of Villains, and was surprised that it still stood considering how Garou beat down All For One so brutally it even made the boss wince for a brief second.

“Hahahaha, we gonna off them? Pop them like a balloon?” She asked as her smile darkened, a sinister glint emanating from her porcelain features.

“Let's see what the Myth’s legacy is like first. I want to see the pitiful mashup of trash before we end their miserable existence.” Under his hood, he smiled as he his palm raised to his face. On the palm, Emily could see a teal cube of light conjured before her eyes.

“Old relics should fade away for others to take their place, don’t you think?” He grinned.

Within a dark, shadowy room, laden with metal, glass, and ceramics, stood several figures. A row of large figures stood motionless, whilst a far shorter figure strolled back and forth. The familiar form of a doctor examined the immobile Noumus. Like statues, they showed no reaction to his prodding and poking.

The former doctor of All For One continued the task he had been assigned. Shigaraki had been extremely insistent that the ‘testing’ continued. With the League of Villains pushed into the corner, their leader was growing more and more desperate. As he walked over to the nearby table, he examined the objects lined up on the table.

The five, throbbing lumps of strange flesh lay out before him, like a grotesque display. The unnatural, pulsing sludge seemed to react as he reached out for them, twitching as he grew closer. A strange feeling passed over the doctor. Something he couldn’t quite explain, even using all of his formidable medical knowledge accumulated over his long years.

These five lumps represented the entirety of the League of Villains assets poured into one endeavour. With the massive, sudden reduction of their organization’s influence over the villains, these ‘growths’ were their ace in the hole. Their way back to the top of the food chain. The amount of nutrients these ‘growths’ needed to grow to this size was absurd. They could have used the resources spent on these lumps to make dozens of more Noumus. But Tomura had turned that down. After Noumu had proven to be incapable of taking down All Might, Tomura was infuriated. However, when Garou appeared and defeated both All Might and All For One, he was livid. To him, it didn’t matter how many Noumus they made. None could possibly stand against the Hero-Hunter.

Thus, he had begun searching for different avenues of improvement. Ways of empowering the Noumus. However, this possibility Tomura chose… was a high risk. With a very low chance of high gain. The doctor warned Tomura that All For One could barely restrain it, and told him how the affected Noumu mutated into something else. It even ate the other Noumus that aided Sensei to help restrain it before he incapacitated it and locked it away for further study.

After that debacle, they had ultimately decided to lower the strength of the nutrients being fed to their ‘growths’, thus weakening their capabilities. The doctor had initially noticed that, once sufficiently fed, the lumps would split apart. Much like a cell and multiply, creating more for personal use.

Walking back over to the still Noumus, growth in hand, he held it out for the first one to take. It’s gigantic, muscular hand reaching out and grasping the lump.

“Eat it.”

The doctor gave a simple, stern order to the giant monstrous shape before him. The Noumu took a moment before acting. Opening up its fanged maw, it released hold of the growth and it landed in that gaping abyss with an unceremonious slap. It took a moment to chew, and then to swallow.

The doctor stepped back as he waited for the inevitable. Suddenly, a small groan came from the Noumu. Underneath it’s pitch dark skin, the doctor could see the squirming and writhing of muscle and bone, as the Noumu’s body began reshaping itself before his eyes.

An unearthly scream came from the mouth of the Noumu as it hunched over. A tremendous crack caused the doctor to perk his ears up. It was beginning. The head of the Noumu seemed to begin to melt. However, a tumour-like growth began to appear out of the melting flesh on one side of it’s head. The Noumu writhed and screamed in agony as the growth became larger and larger. After a few moments, a clearly defined shape had emerged. Another head had grown from the right side of its current head. Crazed panicked eyes darted around the room as the new head attempted to gain a bearing.

Then, the process began again. This time, on the other side of its deformed head. The synchronized howling screams of both heads formed a horrific choir as the doctor watched on, intrigued by the whole transformation.

After a slightly shorter amount of time than the first growth, the second new face became noticeable. However, this one seemed to be far more monstrous, with oversized teeth too big for it’s mouth and one eye that was far larger than the other. Viscous slime oozed out from the corners of the distended eye.

The arms of the Noumu seemed to crack and splinter as the transformation began again. Similar to cell mitosis, the arms began to split into new, fresh copies. The revolting odour of rotting flesh, combined with the telltale metallic smell of blood filled the air, making the doctor gag slightly. Then, from the lower half of the Noumu’s torso, grew two smaller lumps. As the arms continued to split apart, the lower growths on its body began to lengthen and take shape. Soon, four new arms had appeared on the body of the Noumu. As it stood there, trembling, the colour on the arms began to to shift as the skin slowly began to lighten. Its typical dark purple skin faded away, only to be replaced by a fiery orange colour. More groaning came from the Noumu, except it wasn’t the Noumu’s mouth that was making the noise. The skin on the now orange arms thickened and grew, groaning like a piece of old wood at the verge of collapse. Before long, the entirety of its monstrous arms were covered in what looked like layers upon layers of orange-tinted bone. Parts of skin burst open, revealing pulsing pink muscle.

The Noumu had transformed into a grotesque monster of pink muscles. A gaping hole appeared in the middle of its chest splitting vertically as a new mouth had formed. It turned to the Noumu next to it and devoured the upper half of its first victim with one great bite.

This one, however, turned out much differently than he expected. He was under the impression that the mutations will be predictably constant, though he was wrong. Experimental mind control techniques were implemented in the Noumus before him, augmented to better control the artificial humans can cull their instincts. If that failed, failsafes were installed inside the Noumus before him, one that will reduce the Noumus into a gory paste via powerful bombs implanted in their bodies.

Even with that comforting knowledge, the doctor couldn’t help but feel a little anxious as he witnessed the monstrous Noumu effortlessly murdering its fellow monsters. It tore through flesh and bone like paper. A wayward strike from the three-headed Noumu struck a nearby metal table. It crumpled like a wet tissue paper.

The bestial cry of the now transformed Noumu seemed to shake the entire room, the might of its cry distorting the very air into visual blurs. The other Noumus seemed to shake upon seeing their monstrous compatriot, a surprising evidence of fear.

Walking back over to a nearby metal table, an array of different tools and materials. A large handsaw, numerous sizes of scalpels and so on. However, next to all these tools was a large pile of raw flesh. As the doctor approached the pile of meat, he could feel three pairs of ravenous eyes focus directly on him. A trickle of sweat ran down his forehead.

As he grabbed a handful of the meat, he could only feel the glares drilling further into the back of his head. He turned and began approaching the now-monstrous Noumu. It had frozen in its violent outburst, watching the doctor approach. As the doctor stood before the monster, he held out a red slab of the glistening flesh as he raised his other hand.

“Two steps backwards, please.”

A simple order was given to the Noumu. The doctor watched as the Noumu considered it, glaring down at the meat. The doctor had designed numerous theories. Perhaps the sudden monstrous transformations of the Noumu would bring with them a number of possibilities. Judging by the way it was looking at the raw flesh he held, the doctor had assumed that it had developed a ravenous hunger. Drool seemed to stream out of each of the three heads as it looked down at the tiny form of the doctor.

Suddenly, the Noumu took two gigantic steps backwards, easily knocking over tables that were in the way. It stood there as it awaited the doctor’s reaction. Nodding once, he threw the clump of flesh through the air towards the Noumu. The middle face caught it in its mouth as the other two faces turned inwards and began fighting amongst themselves. The horrific sound of tearing filled the room as the monster ripped into the meat.

With the sound of rending flesh behind him, the doctor walked back over to the table. Allowing a small smile to cross his face. Tomura would be extremely pleased with these results. Not only had they created a formidable beast, but they had finally found a way to control them. It appears that once they consume these ‘growths’, they develop a unbridled hunger and desire for flesh. Judging by the way it tore into its meal, it didn’t seem to matter what kind. The doctor stroked his chin as he began to wonder. Does the effectiveness depend on the type of meat?

The sudden silence behind him forced a shiver down his spine, as the doctor heard two steps that appeared to grow louder. Turning back, he could see that the Noumu was glaring at him again and had taken two steps forwards. The doctor clenched his teeth as he realised that the Noumu seemed to be sending him a silent message. To continue the feeding, or else he’d be the monster’s next victim.

Nervously, two more chunks of meat were flung through the air and caught by the gaping maws of the beast, one in the teeth of the middle and the other in the maw of the left. This time, the Noumu took three steps backwards, as opposed to two before. A chill passed down his spine as All For One’s doctor realised the potential threat these ‘growths’ possessed. Even though it seemed to be incapable of speech, the Noumu seemed perfectly capable of thought, conveyed through wordless threats. In other words, its developing a working but nascent intelligence.

They might evolve into a full intelligence, meaning they would soon break free from his control and rampage. With almost no one capable of stopping them.

Reaching into his pocket, the doctor pulled out a phone. Anxiously shifting his eyes between the phone screen and the feeding monster, he began to nervously type out a phone number. As he watched the Noumu continue devouring the flesh, he realised that they’d need far more meat than the amount they currently possessed. However, given the sudden breakthrough in controlling the transformed Noumus, he was sure that Shigaraki would be more than willing to greenlight such purchases.

An army marches on its stomach after all. As as the doctor looked at the Noumu, it looked very, very hungry. He must ask for more meat to be sent to his room. As much meat as possible.

Slice of Life 2

In his class again, Garou endured the torment of boredom. The teachers of his class slowly adapted to his presence, and were currently attempting to teach Garou their ways, albeit with subtlety. For instance, Midnight attempted to teach Garou about history, using Mirio to hand him a small booklet regarding the summary of their world’s history. One about iconic heroes and their memorable moments. Garou immediately shredded it to ribbons with his modified skill derived from a combination of the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist and All Might’s Smash Moves. The result, high pressured wind that can cleanly cut through anything he chooses, a dangerous murderous long range skill that can slay armies should he choose so. When he demonstrated it to Mirio, tossing the booklet in the air, and slicing it with his hand as it blurred after reading half the contents, Mirio remained silent, as if he expected Garou to toss it away in his way.

Now, Garou was busy enduring more lectures from Snipe, mostly regarding being a hero and such, words of wisdom for the third years as well as mentions of the ‘Hero Hunter’ these days.

“... working with the police is of the utmost importance!”

Snipe paused his lecture as he noticed one particular student staring into space with his feet up on his desk. A twinge of annoyance passed over Snipe, but he brought it back under control, barely.

“Ahem. Mr.Silverfang?”

“You were yammering about the importance of cooperation with the police since a working relationship determines the health of public safety and trust between heroes and those serving the law. Happy? Then get on with it.” Garou replied with an iota of derision as he continued staring into space.

A small smile crossed Snipe’s face under his mask as he heard Garou’s response. Truthfully, if Garou was not so… extreme when it came to his methods, he’d make the ideal student. Focused, driven and attentive. Not to mention his unparalleled skill in combat. A funny image popped into Snipe’s head, as he imagined Garou as the typical high school student. It seemed so strange.

“I was just making sure you were paying attention. Can’t have you slacking off.”

His tone was slightly sarcastic as he attempted to prevent his smile growing.

“I am bored. Move on with the lesson already.”

The students behind him snickered a little, still finding how Garou was somehow listening despite looking like his mind appeared somewhere else.

Garou suddenly felt a light tapping on his shoulder. As he slowly turned his head, he could see the familiar fairy face of Hado staring at him, a rolled up magazine in her hand. A somewhat disapproving expression was on her face.

“These lessons are important you know? If you want to become a Hero, you’ll need to pass!”

A small chuckle came from Mirio’s direction as he watched all of this.

“............feh.” he returned to face the teacher with a scowl on his face, not giving Hado a reply. This time, he did not stare into space like before, his eyes focused on the hero waiting for him to continue. Mirio smiled, as Hado had an effect on Garou, and then chuckled now realizing that he was swayed because Hado was a cute, caring girl. He wondered if the Hero Hunter ever experienced puberty before…

Faced with Garou’s sudden and full attention, Snipe blanked for a moment, rapidly trying to remember where he was in the lecture. As the class continued to wait, Snipe began thinking of any possible way he could regain his train of thought. One sudden idea flashed through his head, although he wasn’t entirely sure if it was a good one. Oh well. Anything to get out of the current situation he was in.

“Regarding some recent ‘events’, I’ve been thinking.”

Snipe began addressing the entire class, gesturing across the classroom.

“What are your opinions when it comes to the Hero-Hunter?”

A silence filled the room as the students considered their answers. However, Snipe could feel three fierce stares on him. Two seemed to be saying ‘What are you thinking?’ and the other didn’t really need to say anything at all. He knew exactly what that meant.

A moment passed, before the large, boisterous voice of Susumu filled the entire room, shattering the silence.

“I think he’s pretty cool! Although he did seem a little on the scrawny side…”

‘I'll show you scrawny with my fists’ was the face that Snipe could see on Garou’s face, anger with veins popping under his skull alongside a furious scowl.

Both Mirio and Snipe couldn’t help a smirk from appearing on their face. Snipe was especially thankful that he was wearing his mask today.

“Thank you Susumu for your… addition. What does everyone else think?”

“He’s too scary for me.”

“What's with those horns of his? He some kinda bull?”

“I dunno, he did look pretty cool. Even if he's so violent…”

“A danger to society that must be dealt with.”

A myriad of voices spoke up as the class took to discussing their personal opinions of the one who took down All Might. Mirio, Tamaki and Hado all watched Garou with interest, waiting for his reactions to the various opinions unknowingly voiced about him. A fierce debate seemed to have started up in one corner of the room between a female student and a familiarly short boy.

“I’m telling you. He’s got the potential to change the world in ways we can't predict. You’re being too close-minded.”

Ran was debating furiously with the girl sat in front of him, who had turned around to face him, an outraged look on her face.

“Change the world? Like how? Filling up the hospitals?”

The girl’s biting tone caused Ran to recoil slightly as if struck.

Snipe raised one hand in an attempt to calm the atmosphere, which was growing more and more heated by the moment as opinions and egos clashed violently.

“Now, now everyone. This was not supposed to be a debate class. We all have our own thoughts and feelings.”

He pointed one finger towards the ‘Big Three’, Tamaki, Hado and Mirio.

“What do you three think of him?”

A sudden, stifling feeling seemed to encompass their area of the room. As Mirio looked over at Garou, he could see Garou slowly and deliberately turning to face him, an expectant grin on his face.

“Well? What do you think?”

Gulping slightly, Mirio steeled himself.

“Well, I believe that Ran is correct. That he has to make the world a very different place. Whether it is a better place or a worse place is entirely up to him.”

He responded to Garou’s stare with one of his own, a message hidden specifically for the Hero-Hunter.

Garou raised a brow on that.

“......he is terrifying…” Tamaki gave his own opinion.

As for Hado…

She sat there, her hand cupping her chin as she appeared to be deep in thought. Dropping her hand, she appeared to have come to a conclusion.

“I… don’t know. I’m not sure what to think about him. He seemed very cocky and angry. But on the other hand, unlike the villains, he hasn’t actually killed anyone.”

She shook her head as she continued.

“I don’t think it’s so easy. He’s quite the divisive person.”

Snipe nodded at such a mature response. She was true. The matter of the Hero-Hunter was not such a simple matter. Smiling as he turned to the only person in the class who had not given their thoughts, Snipe gestured towards ‘Bang’.

“What about you Bang? What are your thoughts on the Hero-Hunter?”

A few murmurs spread around the classroom as people began debating on who would win, Garou or Bang. Bang displayed quite a plethora of skills in martial arts like they've on a level never seen, while Garou was of the same cloth, only a thousand times more menacing and for good reason. A few favoured Garou, while a few preferred Bang instead.

“No way. Bang’s only like 18! He’s got way more potential than that old guy!”

“But Garou took down All Might!”

Little did they know, veins bulge under his skull, swelling in anger upon hearing them calling him ‘old’. He promised that he will pay them back in some way one day. He swore that with his life.

“...Garou is an ideal personified.” ‘Bang’ gave his opinion with surprising clarity.

Rubbing his chin in interest, Snipe gesture for Garou to continue. It could give valuable information on how Garou actually thinks.

“Please continue Mr. Silverfang.”

“A man who achieved his own ideal strength, one that the world cannot defy or oppress. One that will answer the sins of the many when no one else could. Or would.”

A heavy silence filled the room as ‘Bang’ revealed his thoughts on the Hero-Hunter. Snipe looked at the silver-haired ‘student’. As he looked at Garou, something approaching sympathy began to build up inside him.

“And do you think he’d ever… pass the torch to someone else?”

“...depends.” he vaguely answered.

Snipe wasn’t surprised at Garou’s vague answer. Still, he was still surprised he’d even answered the question at all.

“Well, it was quite interesting to see each of your respective opinions regarding Garou. It is entirely possible that some of you may go on to be Pro Heroes and actually meet him. If you do, remember not to annoy him!”

Snipe ended his little segue with a joke, causing a round of light chuckles and snickers. Suddenly, he seemed to light up as he remembered something. It seemed like all of his thoughts today were bad ones.

He turned back to face ‘Bang’.

“So, Mr. Silverfang. Have you considered your internship? You’re running out of time for choices.”

“...a few, but…” ‘Bang’ does not want to reveal that he planned to go to all internships just to mess around. It would spoil the surprise.

“Well? Share with the class your potential choices!”

Snipe was reaaally pushing the limits he’d been given. But he was so invested at this point. He had to keep prodding to see how far he could go.

Garou paused, his hesitation due to internal contemplation on whether or not the should destroy Snipe in the most horrendous of ways.

“...one, Endeavor…” Garou reluctantly answered.

Snipe nodded in acknowledgment as he gesture to continue.

“Two, All Might’s Sidekick…” He continued.

“Three… I have no idea. There are no other offices that caught my eye.”

“What about Hawk? Edgeshot? Or… Mirko?” Hado added the last one for effect.

Eyes twitched, pupils dilating, body trembling at the mere mention of that name, Snipe grinned under his mask upon seeing Garou react in a manner so reminiscent of apprehensive fear. He wondered what it was that could possibly draw so much anxiety out of Garou. A part of him was morbidly curious.

“I could call up a number of Heroes if you’d like. I could introduce you to them!”

“Ah… no, you don't need to…” Garou was evidently trying to worm his way out of this, without resorting to violence or threats. A sign of progress for him.

Reaching into his long duster, he swiftly produced a phone, more than willing to capitalize on this moment. He had no idea how long it’d be before Garou would be in a similar situation. The rest of the class watched the exchange between the two, slightly bewildered by what was occurring

“Are you sure? I’ve got quite a few numbers on my contacts list…”

“No, no. Don't you dare…” Garou warned, this time threatening him. However, his threats had little power past this point.

Snipe raised both hands in a mock surrender. So he’d found the limits. But it was quite interesting to see Garou react in such unorthodox manners. He wondered if anyone else knew of Garou’s little ‘weakness’.

“Alright, alright. Was just joking around.”

Lowering his hands and placing his phone back into his pocket, he turned to Garou again, more seriously this time.

“But seriously. An internship is invaluable in terms of real world Hero experience. The sooner you make the choice, the better it’ll be for you.”

Garou gave him a death stare, as if telling him that it won't be very likely.

Leaning back slightly, Snipe conceded.

“Well just think about it alright?”

“........fine.” Garou decided to check the places at least. He will definitely threaten them to test their worth at least.

After school…

Garou stood in front of Endeavor’s place, a grand skyscraper that emanates wealth of the upper class. Now that Garou saw this, it reminded him of the Hero Association’s Headquarters in City A, where he made his first debut as the Hero Hunter. The black obsidian sheen of the building being the only thing similar in comparison. That, and it has glass unlike the HA Headquarters.

Entering the main lobby of the building, a large number of staff was hard at work. Cleaners went around making sure every surface was perfect. Receptionists quickly and efficiently dealt with each and every visitor. One had already noticed Garou and called out to him.

“Excuse me? Sir? Can I help you?”

“Hello, my name is Bang. I am currently in my third year of UA, and I am looking for Endeavor. I wish to apply for an internship here.” Garou asked the receptionist as politely as he could.

Looking down towards a sheet of paper she had in her hands, she grabbed a nearby pen. Looking back up at Garou, she waited expectantly.

“Can I have your Hero name?”

“...Fenrir, The White God Slaying Wolf.”

As she wrote down the name on the sheet of paper, she raised both of her eyebrows in exclamation. She smiled as she attempted to make small talk.

“That’s uh… quite full on the name box. Oh yes. What is your Quirk? If you don’t wish to disclose such information, please sign here then.”

She pointed out towards a box at the bottom of the page.

“...it doesn't have a name but, it involves great strength and speed.” Garou said as he started writing on the paper, filling in his name, date of birth, and etcetera with pen in hand.

After the receptionist had ensured that all the required details had been filled out, she handed it off to one of her colleagues, who strolled off with it. She turned back to Garou, an accommodating smile on her face.

“Would you please take a seat over there? When Endeavour is ready, he’ll buzz.”

She gestured to a row of extremely fancy looking chairs.

Nodding in acceptance, he strolled off to an array of cushioned seats, resting his rear on one of them as he lifted one leg over the other, and stared off into space as he waited. He contemplated on the idea of an internship. He never considered such a possibility in his life, as he was a free, independent spirit, now possessing the strength to live here free from the chains of society. No need for a job, no fear of the threats this world has to offer… in a sense, he now realized that he was truly free. Free from the worries of man, money, food… he can practically do anything… so why even bother applying for a job in the first place?

“...is it because I am still human? Or…”

Could it be he longed for something like this deep down? A place where he can belong, or live without need for hate? Another reason beside the fact that he desired to be a hero in the end?

Garou remained there for some time, still feeling wildly conflicted. Numerous kinds of people came in through the wide automatic slide doors . People in suits, costumed Heroes, the Press. They caught his attention, wondering if Endeavor had to deal with them constantly from time to time. If he was in his shoes, he would threaten them to go away or they will experience ‘Death by Garou’.

After the fourth group of suits had come in, a loud buzzing sound perked Garou’s ears. The woman at the counter gestured for him to come over. Clearly Endeavour was ready to meet him. Or so he thought…

As he approached, the receptionist gestured towards the elevators nearby.

“He is ready to meet with you. Please take the elevator to the top floor. Oh yeah, good luck!”

She gave him a little thumbs up in encouragement.

Yawning from inactivity, Garou rose up from his seat as he headed towards the elevator door. He wondered how Endeavor will react to his presence in his office. He will drink in his reaction like fine wine, to sate his sadistic need for entertainment, making his lips curl into a wicked smirk as he entered the elevator and stared at the closing doors. The moment he hit the button leading to the top floor, the elevator jumped back to life, lifting him towards his destination with a steady speed.

Standing in the elevator, the only sound Garou could hear was the occasional ding as he passed the different floors. As it reached the top of the building, the doors slid open, revealing a long hallway, with wooden double doors at the end. Stepping out of the elevator, Garou began approaching the double doors.

Opening the doors, his eyes were greeted with a large office, the lights from the ceiling dark yet somber. At the end of the room, was the muscular fire form of Endeavor in his spandex hero costume, sitting at the small desk with stacks of papers before him. The face on Endeavor was now one of shock, abject shock, his jaw dropping and pupils dilating as various turbulent emotions rushed through his being. Old wounds, despite being healed, throbbed with pain at the sight of the scariest man on earth.

“Relax, Hothead. I'm not here to destroy you. Or anything really.” Garou said as he entered the room with a casual gait. Endeavor blinked upon hearing Garou calling him… Hothead. If his memory served him right, Garou usually called him failure.

“Ah. Garou. This is… unexpected. What made you stop by?”

“I'm the guy who requested an Internship. In case you don't know, the landlord demon managed to force me into UA. I'm now a Third Year. And Third Years must intern as Snipe said.” Endeavor can see the scowl ever present on his face frowning further.

Blinking rapidly, Endeavour could only stare at Garou, a bewildered look in his eye. He cocked one eyebrow as he straightened himself in his seat.

“You’re a third year? And here I thought you couldn’t be more surprising.”

“I'm eighteen, you know? Anyways, can we skip the interview and get to the questions? I hate wasting time.” Garou scoffed as Endeavour paused to consider his request… no, it is more of a demand.

“Alright. Let me just get your form.”
As he sorted through his pile of papers, he found the one he was looking for. Clearing his throat in preparation, Endeavour coughed.

“Alright. So you are Fenrir I would assume?”

“...my disciple picked the name for me. The White God Slaying Wolf… I got to say, I like it.”

As he continued to look over Garou’s sheet he’d filled out, a strange surreal feeling came over him. He did allow a small smile to cross his face. He was honestly a little happy that Garou had come to him first. The man who defeated All Might saw some worth in him as a hero, a good sign of progress.

“And what are your reasons for choosing me?”

“...I wish to see your definition of a hero. I was forced here, so I will make the best of it. In other words, impress me with your years of experience and wisdom.” Garou bluntly stated. He then took a look around. The office screamed wealth and influence no matter how he looked at it. He wondered if what he learn will be of his tastes.

Placing down the sheet of paper on the table, Endeavour steepled his hands as he looked at Garou. He knew he had to impress. He had no desire to undergo another round of ‘testing’.

“Well, while you’re interning here, you will be performing all the duties that a Hero would be expected to perform. Patrolling the streets, apprehending criminals, maintaining public order and safety.”

“Been there, done that.” Garou bluntly reminded with a snort.

“But of course you may be asked to take part in interviews, dealing with the media.”

In response, an ugly scowl donned Garou’s face.

“I will not take part in pleasing the dumb masses with honeyed words.”

Endeavour shook his head in response to Garou’s derisive tone. There was much he still had to learn when it came to internship.

“Television appearances and interviews also serve to ‘maintaining public order’. It is our job to ensure that the public can feel safe as they go about their day to day lives.”

“Feeling safe and being safe are two different things. If they just continue on with their days safe

from fear, how will they grow? How will they adapt? They will always remain the same. I will not take part in entertaining the masses with prettied words. It is ugly and disgraceful.” Garou argued.

Leaning forwards, Endeavour stared at Garou. This was to be expected from someone like him. He was brutally honest when it came to such matters.

“No one is ever truly safe. It is our responsibility to make them think that they are.”

“And why is that? I will not tell them they are safe just because.” Garou stubbornly stood his ground.

Endeavour rubbed the bridge of his nose in mental exhaustion. He knew that Garou would be a handful. This argument could also be counted as a test, this time he must defeat Garou in a battle of philosophy.

“Because it is our job to protect the peace however we can. I am not asking you to lie for the sake of the masses, or to play to their tastes, but to not bring them fear and to preserve their trust in us. Our image as a hero is also important in maintaining efficiency in our duties. You don’t need to act like a perfect hero, but be a capable hero to the masses no matter what opinions are thrown your way.”

This time, he watched Garou stunned to silence from his speech.

“…huh, you actually impressed me for once. Not bad.” Garou complimented Endeavour, which was a first after the test.

The Flame Hero lowered his head in a small bow.

“I’m glad you think so.”

Raising his head once again, he locked eyes with Garou.

“Your ‘interview’ is over. But it is still up to you if you wish to intern here.”

“…I see. There is one more place I wish to see. Anyways, later, Hothead. Don’t forget your lesson, or the next test will be ten times more brutal.” Garou said as he turned around, facing the exit while showing Endeavor his back.

“Well call me next time you decide to ‘pop’ by.”

The voice of Endeavour shouted after him, in an attempt to remind Garou to call in next time.

A few hours later…

He stood before the agency of the one known as Sir Nighteye. The building he stood in front of was a fairly plain looking multi-story building. Unlike Endeavour’s building, which screamed out the position that he held, Sir Nighteye’s building seemed more… regular.

As he entered the building, a winding hallway led Garou through the building. Unlike Endeavour, Sir Nighteye didn’t seem to have any receptionists or anyone to greet them at the door. As he turned corner after corner, he came face to face with a plain metal door. Approaching the simple door, he reached out for the door handle. With a click, the door handle slid down, opening the door.

Behind the door, Garou was greeted with the sight of a bespectacled man wearing a white suit. The man was thin, his arms longer than average, his short black hair groomed and combed with a certain tidiness that irked Garou’s free spirited nature.

“…let me guess. You are the former sidekick of the skeleton?” Garou didn't guess. Merely assumed due to how the man was surrounded by various goods of All Might in this room. So much that he started to find it disturbing.

“...you are correct. What are you doing here?”

The stoic stare of Nighteye seemed more focused, as he looked directly at the one he knew as Garou.

“Good question. Besides inspecting what the sidekick of the skeleton I defeated personally?” Garou asked with sarcasm.

Nighteye’s face was an unreadable mask as he raised one hand to adjust his glasses. The Hero-Hunter stared back, replying to Nighteye’s stony glare.

“If you are trying to get a raise out of me, you’re wasting your time. What are you here for Garou?”

“Seeing if this place is worth my time as an intern.” He bluntly replied as his eyes wandered around the room.

“I got to say, your appearance highly contradicts what this room suggests though. Never met a true All Might fan.” He commented.

Gesturing around the room at all of the All Might themed memorabilia, Sir Nighteye softened his expression slightly.

“All Might is a true hero. The fact that he strikes fear into the hearts of villains and inspires the public makes him a ideal Number One Hero.”

“I admit he is more experienced as a hero, but what he represents is a curse… how much do you know about me?” Garou asked inquisitively.

“You already know my face, so I take it you know more about me than others do.”

“I am aware of your… disposition towards the society we live in.”
The glasses-wearing hero nodded in acknowledgment. There weren’t many who didn’t know of the Hero-Hunter’s hatred for Quirks.

“Then you are aware of what I despise about All Might. Tell me, what do YOU think about All Might representing the fallacy of Quirks?” Garou asked, probing the man before him his character.

Taking a moment to parse his response, Nighteye’s featured hardened once again.

“All Might earned his position as the Number One. He fought countless villains, putting his own life at risk. He didn’t need to go so far, yet he did. “

“Your definition and my definition of ‘earn’ are different. And mine is superior.” Garou replied with absolute confidence.

“All Might never earned his power in the first place.”

Sir Nighteye’s face now bore a frown. While he was aware of Garou’s reputation, it didn’t stop him from feeling frustrated at Garou’s verbal assault. Even more so when he cannot find the words to deny Garou.

“…but I will admit that he deserves it.” Garou added.

“…care to elaborate?” Sir Nighteye asked for details, his frustration interrupted by contrasting surprise.

“He possess a disposition that I never expected someone like him to exist in the first place. He has good intentions as an individual, I will not deny. But I cannot accept what he represents as a whole on the end. And the message he brings.”

“And what is the message that he brings?”
Nighteye was mildly curious to see what Garou had to say on this ‘message’.

“The definition of strength and the value of a hero. Only those with excellent Quirks are most fit to be heroes. And that heroism can never be truly earned with effort.”

A long period of silence passed between the two as they stood there, staring at each other. Leaning back slightly, adjusted his glasses once again. The information he had on the Hero-Hunter was indeed correct. He was quite the fierce debater when it came to such matters.

“... I assume you didn’t come here to exchange perspectives on society?”

“In case you aren’t aware, I’m now a third year student of UA. Albeit against my will. You can guess why I’m here.” Garou informed.

Nighteye fought to keep a smile off of his face as he heard this. How the tables had turned. He spared a thought for the teachers who would have to attempt to teach him.

“Ah yes. Have you visited anywhere else?”

“Endeavour’s. Truthfully, I find this place more comfortable in terms of atmosphere.” Garou answered.

“And do you have… anywhere else in mind?”

“Nope.” Garou said. He absolutely didn’t think of the rabbit. Definitely, definitely not.

Nighteye turned away. Out of all of the certain information he had on the Hero-Hunter, Garou’s reactions were some of the most… intriguing. He had Snipe to thank for that.

“You know… I received some interesting information from a colleague recently.”

“I don’t like your tone. Should I hunt this colleague and send him to the hospital?” Garou’s left eye twitched in irritation.

“I would never sell out a colleague. Especially after they practically begged me not to for good reason.”

Nighteye remained still, his hands behind his back.

“I am going to destroy that gunslinger when I get back then.” Garou already guessed who it was, and he will throw him into the ocean. One filled with sharks.

Nighteye fought desperately to prevent his stoic face from cracking. The position he had Garou in was indeed an amusing one. He wondered if Snipe felt the same way.

“Now, Garou. What would Miss.Shinjitsu say to such behaviour?”

“…why is it that everyone uses my landlord as a shield these days…” Garou’s body trembled with rage as he his fists clenched with further irritation. That the heroes were beginning to get wise with his weaknesses.

Turning his head around to face Garou, Nighteye locked eyes with the Hero-Hunter, who seemed to be quite frustrated. He knew of the the Hero-Hunter’s tendency for outbursts. But with the shield of his landlord, his threats were mostly moot.

“Besides, I never mentioned Snipe. What possibly made you think so?”

“Who else could give you information? Recent information?” Garou raised a brow.

Nighteye raised one of his eyebrows in a look of mock surprise.

“What information? I believe you’ll need to clarify yourself.”

“…” Garou narrowed his eyes in a sharp glare. He was not amused by the obvious evidence that he was being messed with. And he did not like it.

In all truth, Nighteye knew exactly what was making Garou so frustrated and anxious. Snipe had told him that Garou had quite the reaction upon the mention of the rabbit hero Mirko. It was not hard to see that he had an encounter with the fiery heroine. What intrigued him, however, was what had happened to possibly cause such a reaction. Reaching into his suit pocket, Nighteye pulled out his phone. He could feel the glare of Garou settle on him as he held it. Scrolling through the ‘Contacts’, he settled on one specific contact.

He held out his phone to Garou, showing him the screen. His thumb hovered over the green call button. Garou’s facial expressions revealed it all. Garou could only stare at the contacts screen that held the familiar name of ‘Mirko’. Seriously? Does everyone have her on speed dial or something? Nighteye stared at Garou, not needing to say anything as his thumb grew closer the the ‘Call’ button.

“Touch that and kiss that hand goodbye.” Garou warned, this time, he transformed into his monster form for effect, emitting his Fear Aura to the best of his ability.

Even though faced with Garou’s most terrifying form, Nighteye couldn’t help the smallest smile from breaking his stony expression. If Garou was a regular student, the mere fact that he made him smile meant that he would have been accepted as an intern. Placing the phone back into his suit pocket, he straightened his suit.

“I was merely clarifying the information I had been given.”

“...you assshole.” Reverting back to his human form, Garou made the fiercest scowl he ever made in his life. One radiating anger of untold levels, making him look like an Asura version of Bakugou at his peak. Nighteye could see an actual Asura looming behind Garou, wreathed in fiery red and its three fierce heads eyeing Nighteye with the rage of a thousand white suns.

“...I have chosen to accept you as an intern. I did not expect to be amused as I was when it came to you. But you proved me wrong.” Nighteye informed, while ignoring the intense, impacting aura of Garou as best he could.

“It does not make me feel better in the slightest.” Garou seethed at the healthier skeleton.

Examining Garou’s Hero costume for a moment, Nighteye nodded, as if he was acknowledging something.

“Now that I have accepted you as a intern, I have a request of you.”

“I have every urge to say ‘no’ to your request.” Garou informed as pulsing veins still swelled in his skull.

He raised one hand in consolation as he attempted to calm the frustrated Garou. It appeared that he had struck a tender point for the Hero-Hunter.

“All I wish is to use my Quirk on you.”

“...why?” Garou asked, his rage briefly halted.

Adjusting his glasses once again as he straightened his posture, he faced the Hero-Hunter.

“My Quirk, Foresight, allows me to foresee the future lifetime of the target. I would like to see what I could pry from you.”

“Oh?” Garou now looked at the bespectacled man, intrigued at the revelation.

“You have an ability like Shibabawa’s?” Garou asked with great interest.

Nighteye cocked his head to one side as he heard Garou mention some unknown name. Storing the name away for possible future reference, he continued unabated.

“All I need is to touch you and make eye contact-”

“Go for it.” Garou said, interrupting Nighteye.

“I'm always a big fan of prophecies.” Garou admitted, his face emulating interest in his future.

Surprised, Nighteye expected much more fierce resistance from the Hero Hunter, but instead he learned that the man possesses a fondness for fortune telling.

Stepping towards Garou, Nighteye laid a hand on his shoulder. He stared deep into Garou’s eyes as he activated Foresight. Suddenly, he seemed to have been drawn in, as if sucked inside a Black Hole. He was suddenly taken aback. This wasn’t normal procedure. He was supposed to view a film of the target’s future, not like this.

Then, Nighteye was brought to a scene, like diving into a virtual world. Even though they seemed to last for a few scant seconds, what Nighteye saw was enough to burn into his mind. He recoiled in shock as he gasped, breaking his stoicism. Garou stood there, in a gargantuan crater that spanned for miles around. All around him were bubbling pools of white slag. Steam rose all around Garou, obfuscating the battlefield in misty white. As he attempted to get a better view, Nighteye could see that Garou was facing off against someone. He couldn’t get a clear image, but he could see some details.

Garou seemed to be facing off with a monster. The monster’s appearance was beyond anything Nighteye had ever seen before. Power radiated off of it in waves as a bright light almost seemed to blind him, the source coming out from its one eye as the heat around the area flared to even higher, more dangerous levels. The white slag around them was dispersed, like Moses parting the Red Sea, until the deeper layer of hot ground unmelted was seen as the monster charged at Garou with blinding speed, while Garou did the same. When the two clashed, Nighteye could feel the air around him exploding, no, making way for the two fighters as if the very world can't handle the magnitude of the battle as it trembled in their wake.

Watching the clash, Nighteye could almost instinctively tell. This being that Garou was facing off against was of a similar level, which frightened him to his very core.

Then, the vision ended, returning Sir Nighteye back to reality, his eyes now laid upon the grinning Garou filled with expectations.

“So? What'd you see?” Garou asked, evidently eager to learn his future.

Collecting himself, Nighteye produced a small tissue to wipe his now damp forehead. He had truthfully not been expecting to see anything at all. He was aware of Garou’s uncanny resistance to Quirks, but he had been rather curious to test the limits of his invincibility.

“I-I saw you locked in a battle. I don’t know quite how to describe it.”

“Oh? Who was I fighting? Is he strong?” Garou asked, his smile growing wider.

“...yes, he is strong. It seemed to be some kind of monster. It only had one eye… no, two eyes. One on his head, the other on his chest. I could feel the power exuding from it.” The power radiating off it was unlike anything he ever experienced. It is much different than that of Garou’s, as this one emulated raw power beyond imagination instead of overwhelming fear.

“Oh? Another one greater than All Might? Ohhhh la la.” Garou’s smile reached its peak.

“I can't wait to meet it.” Garou had trained and practiced his skills constantly after his duel with All Might. He wanted something to test his skills on, as there was no one else strong enough to even handle a sliver of his true power.

Sighing heavily, Nighteye walked over and sat down in his nearby chair. He massaged his temples as he appeared to have developed a severe headache. Such a vision was quite the cause for concern. He’d must find this ‘opponent’ of Garou before he could do too much damage.

“Now that I’ve accepted you as an intern, what are your plans now?” He switched the topic of conversation back to the matter of his internship.

“Truthfully, I am here to learn anything worth catching my eye. Especially your world’s definition of a hero. So… can you impress me?” Garou asked with a cocky smile, all his previous rage melted from the revelation of his future.

Gesturing around at his office, Sir Nighteye stared at the now grinning form of Garou.

“I assume you can tell from this office.”

No doubt Nighteye was referring to the almost countless amounts of All Might decorations and memorabilia.

“...alright, I admit you got the first blow in with the All Might stuff. Anything else you got?” Garou asked again.

Cupping his chin as he thought, Nighteye wondered what he could possibly do with an intern Garou.

“I take it that our lengthy debate failed to meet your expectations?”

“Yep. You had the same opinion as everyone else before. Anything new? What else you have to offer?” Garou waved off.

Nighteye remained silent as he thought. Turning his head towards a nearby statue of All Might, he allowed himself small smile.

“How about this? Humour is one of the most important parts of any society. Taking yourself too seriously is the hallmark of a bad Hero.”

“Maintaining a good image, I already heard that part. Endeavour already surprised me with that.” Garou shot him down.

Raising one eyebrow in mild shock, Nighteye was surprised that not only had Garou gone to Endeavour first, but that the Flame Hero had placed emphasis on a good image as a valuable prospect of being a hero.

“Not only that, but being a Hero requires meticulous planning and preparation. You need to be capable of thinking of efficient and effective ways out of any troublesome situation you may find yourself in. Without it, you’d just rush in headlong and waste time and resources.”

“Do I look like an idiot?” Garou asked as if he was offended.

“I didn't get this far through sheer recklessness… but you do make a good point.” Garou reflected a little. His fights so far was… indeed reckless in a sense, though it was a means of pushing himself past his limits.

“Care to demonstrate your wisdom through action then?” Garou requested.

“What do you mean?”

Nighteye raised one eyebrow as he was a little confused as to what he meant.

“Show me your lessons through experience. How you deal with problems violence alone cannot solve.”

Rising out of his chair, Nighteye walked around the table as he began to approach Garou. The room was silent, aside from the sound of his footsteps. Garou watched as Nighteye approached him.

“How would you like me to demonstrate?”

“How do you plan to solve a crime you don't know is happening. Like dealing with foreign villains entering Japan.”

Then it clicked with Nighteye. He had been aware that three American Heroes had entered Japan, seeking a meeting to discuss the Hero-Hunter. But with his sudden appearance, it made sense that the rest of the world would take notice. Even the darker sides. There was no doubt that foreign villains were on their way to Japan. They might already be in the country. Nighteye’s jaw tightened as he considered all of the scenarios.

“First of all, we’d need to keep an eye on you. They are going to take an interest in you. This makes you the perfect ‘bait’ to catch these foreign villains.”

“Even though what you just said pissed me off?” Garou asked, veins reemerging under his skin.

“I am anything but bait.”

“You asked me how I would solve such a situation without violence. Keeping an eye on you would allow the perfect position to spring an ambush.”

“...you better not send anyone to my home. It is off limits, and trespassers will suffer death,” Garou warned.

Raising one hand in a solemn vow, Sir Nighteye looked at Garou with sincerity in his eyes, despite his stern face.

“We would do no such a thing. None of us wish Miss Shinjitsu to revoke her protection bestowed on our persons.”

“...on second thought, please send anyone you want there. Please. We would ‘welcome’ you with open arms.” Garou rescinded his previous statement at the mention of the landlord revoking her protection. Nighteye grinned, as he changed topics back to the foreign villains.

“Anyway, back to the foreign villains, what do you know about them?”
With a probing tone, Nighteye began questioning Garou. It appeared that he might know something.

“No idea. I didn't show my real face, you know? I never kept track of villains outside Japan. Never thought I needed to.” The Hero Hunter unfortunately responded.

“Hmmm…”

Nighteye seemed somewhat frustrated by the lack of information. Not knowing the capabilities of these foreign villains was a big problem. What were their Quirks? How many were there? All of these were unknowns.

“These overseas villain organisations pose quite an issue for us. We, as Japanese Heroes, don’t really have the ability to simply travel to another country to operate in. The villains however, seem to be able to come and go as they please.”

“Why not keep tabs on the ships and airplanes then?” Garou asked, stating the obvious.

“I’m sure you’re aware that Quirks can also be used for transportation. All it takes is one person to enter Japan with a Teleport Quirk, and the way had been opened for the rest.”

The mention of teleportation Quirks reminded him of a certain black mist, making his stomach churn with displeasure.

“The chances of that are quite low. Extremely low. I hunted a looooot of would-be villains, you know? I found like… two smugglers with teleportation Quirks, and instantly destroyed them. They have limits. They can't transport a full grown human without nearly killing themselves. Finding a good teleportation Quirk is rare as hell. They would've most likely used transportation because of the limitations.” Garou replied as if it was obvious.

Shifting from one foot to the other, Nighteye pushed his glasses back up on his face.

“The fact that we know nothing about these villain organisations means that they could easily have potential moles. They could find any number of ways to get past the official channels. We have to assume that they’re either already on their way, or that they’re currently in Japan as we speak.

“They're definitely in Japan.” Garou answered for him.

“And this is why we’ll need to cooperate with you quite heavily. Like it or not, but the ‘Hero-Hunter’ has been noticed on the global stage. You’ll be getting a lot more busy.”

Nighteye informed Garou. The number of eyes turning towards Japan was worrying. The number of villains going after the Hero-Hunter was more worrying.

“...I will only allow a few heroes to trail me. But! I will choose who. I will not accept just anyone. He or she must be worthy.” Relenting to Sir Nighteye’s insistence, Garou gave his absolute conditions.

Nodding once, Nighteye pulled out his phone as he appeared to begin typing something in.

“Of course. It is entirely up to you as to who would be your ‘tracker’. We trust your judgement in skill and character.”

Raising his head to focus on the silver-haired youth in front of him, he stopped typing.

“Who do you have in mind?”

Garou paused as he attempted to recall who would be suitable.

“Show me your recommendations first.” Garou requested.

“I need to inspect them thoroughly before giving my final judgement. Bring anyone you think suitable here.”

Holding out the phone, a list of names was present, with their faces next to them.

“...him.” Garou picked Mirio as one of his trackers.

“Mirio? What made you choose him?”

Nighteye was a little surprised that Garou had chosen one of his other interns first out of all of the potential choices.

“He is special among the others. Different.” Garou replied as he locked eyes on the simple, cartoonish face of Mirio.

Nodding in understanding, Nighteye held up the phone again as Garou continued to browse through the list of names.

“Bring the others here so I can inspect them thoroughly. Whether it be today, or tomorrow,  it will be up to you.” Garou said as he turned around.

“I need to leave now. My disciple needs a pickup from school.” Garou said as he started walking away towards the exit.

Watching Garou walk towards the door, Nighteye could only sigh. All the collected info he had on the young man was correct. He was quite the handful. Looking down at the phone, he scrolled through the list of names. He wondered how these Heroes would feel when they found out what task they’d be assigned to.

The next day…

Class was as usual, nothing too boring and his fellow students continued hounding him for his ‘Quirk’. Again, he mulled through his lessons with boredom, finding them too easy for his level. At gym, the lesson was to focus on their respective super moves, which was a moot lesson for him. Every attack Garou had in his arsenal was a super move in itself. There is no kill like overkill, a philosophy Garou favored immensely.

As for his selected super move of choice, he decided to experiment with a move that utilized vibrations of his body as a weapon, though on a minor scale. He tested it on Ectoplasm’s gigantified clone… the result was it exploding from a single punch. The wind pressure even pierced through the clone and reached Ectoplasm behind it. It didn’t splatter him, but it did impact him. The hero couldn’t stop shaking to his very bones for five minutes from that attack.

When Garou asked Ectoplasm’s opinion on his attack, the hero commented that it turned him into a living vibrator, which was a uniquely pleasant feeling since it helped improved his blood circulation and massaged his sore tendons with peak efficiency. Bang vehemently denied that it is not a massaging technique, though in the end he was forced to use his newest killer move to give his class first classes massages as he turned them into human vibrators against his will. Even Mirio, Tamaki, and Hado joined in on the fun. He swore he will never treat his classmates ever again.

After school, Garou arrived here in the agency again, but not without meeting Mirio along the way. His fellow senior went to Sir Nighteye’s office for his daily work, and met Garou along the way. Mirio was quite surprised to see that Garou had actually gone to see Sir Nighteye. They chatted in their travel towards the workplace.

“So I was your first choice?”

Mirio didn’t know exactly how to feel about being selected for this task.

“You have the air of a fighter. Someone who can take on anything he put his mind to.” Garou replied giving his opinion, as the two walked alongside one another towards the elevator.

A sense of pride swelled in Mirio’s chest as he and Garou walked down the hallways of Sir Nighteye’s office building. Upon reaching the usual metal door, they swung it open and entered the room.

Inside the room, was an array of Heroes stood in a line. They watched, curiosity in their eyes, as the two young men entered the room. Sir Nighteye stood beside there, obviously awaiting for their arrival.

“Ah. You’re here.”

Nighteye gesturing towards the row of Heroes.

“Please make your choice.”

“...it's you again.” Garou saw the familiar image of Edgeshot standing between Ryukyu and Mt Lady.

“Two times I wasted you, and you still come back for more? Are you a masochist? If you actually want a third time, all you had to do was ask.” Garou impishly teased, a wry smirk on his face upon seeing the self-proclaimed ninja.

Edgeshot’s eyes widened upon seeing the all too familiar form of Garou. His teeth clenched behind his scarf and his head turned to Nighteye, clearing demanding answers.

“What is going on? For what reason have you brought us all here?”

The other heroes began gasping as they all noticed a familiar silver-haired young man. They all seemed to have recoiled in shock. Their reactions mirrored Edgeshot, as they all turned to Nighteye for answers.

Nighteye did not respond outwardly to the numerous glares now directed at him. For the task of ‘tailing’ Garou, he’d chosen those who’d had direct experience when it came to the Hero-Hunter. He could only assume that the higher the compatibility of the chosen Hero and Garou, the better they would able to perform.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering why I requested your presences here.”

A few Heroes nodded in response. Every hero stood there, expectantly awaiting the reason they were in a room with Garou and a number of other Heroes.

“We have brought you all here, as you all have experience regarding the Hero-Hunter. I’ll cut right to the chase.”
The heroes all tensed up upon hearing Nighteye’s words.

“We require some Heroes to ‘trail’ Garou for a period of time. We have reason to believe that he will be approached by unknown villains from overseas. Thus, we need someone capable of both tracking Garou, and hiding their own presence.”

Gesturing over towards the two figures of Mirio and Garou, Nighteye continued with his impromptu debrief of the assembled Heroes.

“Garou has already chosen my intern Mirio as one of his choices. He personally requested your presence to judge you.”

The heroes blinked. When his words sunk in, their eyes popped out of their sockets simultaneously.

“Eh? Wait, are you telling me…” Edgeshot could not believe his ears.

“Whoever Garou chooses will be assigned as his entourage.”

‘Who in the world wants to be his entourage?’ Edgeshot thought. He personally experienced Garou’s infinite might. Twice. The first time was brutal and painful, the second time was just downright mean… he does not want to experience a third time. He imagined his third time to be downright evil.

One enthusiastic hand rose into the air, slightly waving around. Hado looked over expectantly at Garou as she held her hand up in the air. A number of bewildered eyes turned to her, Garou included.

Nighteye cocked one eyebrow as he turned his gaze over to the female Third Year.

“And why do you wish to take part in this Miss. Nejire?”

She kept her arm raised in the air as she seemed to ponder. It was true that with Garou recently entering their class, both she and Mirio had quite the experience when it came to dealing with Garou.

“Hmmm… Well, I think it could be interesting! I’d get to see all the kinds of stuff that Garou gets up to during the day! And we’ve all heard that he gets up to alot!”

Her words were posed in a rather innocent manner, but everyone knew exactly the kinds of things Garou gets up to. The information they had didn’t paint a pleasant picture. The picture usually involves a lot of bloody bodies littered around the floor and then the police coming to clean the aftermath.

“...what are you doing here?” Garou asked Hado, very perplexed by her presence in this room.

She pointed over towards Nighteye, as if to explain her presence there. Sir Nighteye noticed and turned to address Garou.

“Miss Nejire is here due to her sharing the same class as you, thus granting her a wealth of experience in regards to you. Not to mention her Quirk is indeed quite powerful.”

“....” Garou remained silent, as he does not know how to express his thoughts.

“...fine, she can come.” Garou pointed his finger at Hado. Lately, he had… adapted to the girl’s presence. Mainly because she was one of the few that did not treat him with fear or apprehension despite being aware of his identity. A strange girl with a unique personality he cannot bring the guts to scare away.

Hado began clapping as she smiled widely at the silver-haired youth. Clearly she was quite excited for such an outing. Now it was just a matter of picking from the rest.

“...now then, which of you I should drag into the pits of hell?” Garou swam his eyes towards the rest of the class, as his lips curled into a devilish smile. If he will pick his entourage, he will enjoy himself while he does so.

From the back of the assembled Heroes, one Hero raised his hand. Stood there, leaning against the wall, was the familiar masked form of Snipe. He had sort of expected this. He’d been dealing with Garou so much recently, that he was beginning to be surprised when something happened without Garou’s involvement.

“....alright you. Mostly because I have a bone to pick with you. How do you feel about sharks?” Pointing his finger at Snipe, Garou asked with a very sinister smile.

The gunslinger was extremely glad that he had chosen to wear his mask. If he hadn’t, Garou might have discerned his anxiety leaking through his face and immediately assigned guilt. Deciding to test his bluff’s efficacy, Snipe shrugged in his attempt to feign ignorance.

“I don’t quite know what you’re on about.”

“You can't fool me. We will head to the ocean after this. I heard the sharks are plenty at this time.” Garou’s smile grew even wider.

A trickle of sweat ran down Snipe’s forehead. He wasn’t entirely sure if Garou was joking. But he had a sinking feeling that he was being serious. The other heroes nervously gave their condolences to their fellow hero, as somehow he incurred Garou’s anger.

“Alright… I can think I can take one more or two. Now, which of you shall be my next victims?” Garou was starting to have fun as he started walking, passing by each and every hero at the vanguard as if he was a wolf cornering sheep.

As Garou continued passing by the Heroes, a familiar voice broke the silence.

“I’ve had enough of Garou to fill a lifetime.”
Eraserhead stood there, looking quite exhausted as usual. He had been one of the people with the most experience when it came to Garou. Combined with his impressive combat skills and his Quirk, he was quite the potential choice.

“Should I pick you so you will experience ten times the amount?” Garou asked with a playfully threatening tone.

“How about you pick your little ‘trainees’ over there?”

Aizawa pointed a thumb towards the forms of Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob, both stood there in their hero costumes, expectantly awaiting Garou’s decision.

“Are you sure you want me to further their training? They will experience ten times the hell in the next session.” Garou’s eyes bore a sinister glint as he said that.

Aizawa shrugged nonchalantly. He wasn’t the only one in the room who was hoping that Garou would simply pass them by.

“It’s up to them. Just as long as you don’t pick me.”

“Too bad. You are too entertaining to let go.” Garou denied.

A grimace appeared on Aizawa’s face as a look of mild disappointment came over the two Pussycats.

“The other two should come as well. I need to further their training anyways.” Garou said as he pointed at the two pussycats, deciding to take more than usual.

The two Pussycats both gave each other a high-five as they quietly celebrated the continuation of their training, their tails waving in waves to illustrate their joy. On the other hand, Aizawa could only look on in despair, his head hung as an ambiance of sorrow filled the air around him.

“We’re done here. You two, drag the mummy out the door if he resists.” Garou ordered the two Pussycats as he turned and leave the door, leaving the building

“Oh, you better arrive at the ocean, Snipe. I'm not kidding.” Garou added before he left the door, and exited the office.

The Heroes watched as Garou left the building, leaving a mixed atmosphere. Some seemed to be happy about their ‘assignment’, but some others didn’t seem so enthusiastic, while one of them was internally panicking for his life. Nighteye looked over the list of Heroes Garou had chosen and read them aloud.

“Snipe, Nejire Hado, Mirio Togata, Ragdoll, Pixie-Bob and Eraserhead. This is the team that Garou has chosen.”

As a few began to mumble under their breath, they were swiftly cut off by the stern tone of Sir Nighteye.

“However, keeping an eye on Garou isn’t the only task I have for you.”

He turned to address those who hadn’t been chosen as well.

“This is in regards to all of you.”

The curiosity in the room peaked. Even those that hadn’t been chosen were intrigued now. What kind of assignment could Nighteye have to go behind Garou’s back?

“Before you all arrived here, I used my Quirk, Foresight on Garou to test the limits of his resistance to Quirks. And what I saw… it was a disaster of the highest level.”

Gasps came from several heroes. They had always been under the impression that Garou was absurdly resistant to Quirks, if not outright immune to them. But what kind of vision had Sir Nighteye seen?

“Upon using Foresight on him, I received a vision of his future unlike any other. I didn’t see much. But what I did see was… something. Garou appeared to be locked in battle with some form of monster. What is worse is that this ‘opponent’… is on the same level as Garou.”

The air in the room seemed to freeze over as the Heroes all stood there, shocked. Whilst it had always been a possibility that someone else of Garou’s level would appear, they had never had to worry about it. But now they were being explicitly warned that the possibility was already coming to fruition.

“This… ‘opponent’, how could you tell he was on Garou’s level?”

The Dragon Hero, Ryukyu had spoken up from one side of the room.

“...unlike the other visions, I can do more than just ‘see’. When I use Foresight, I can only ‘see’ a person’s future. But this time, I can practically ‘feel’ it… like I was there. I can feel the power exuding from this foe… it was on a level I didn't know was possible. Such sheer raw power in tangible form, melting the floor until it’s white liquid hot. The ground burned my feet as I watched the two face off in that brief moment, the air hot and stale, threatening to suffocate my lungs with burning matter… I can even feel Garou’s level of power at full output as well. And I cannot compare the two…”

The silence in the room was almost deafening. Everyone stood there, motionless, as they all paled. With a foe of Garou’s level… there was no way they could even attempt to stop it. The only hope they had was Garou himself. But with the foe being on the same level, doubt filled the hearts of the Heroes.

“My second assignment, is to not fight this foe. But to locate this foe and uncover information on his abilities to the best of your power. It is difficult… no, almost downright impossible. But we are heroes. It is our job to ensure the safety of the world, especially the innocents. We need to minimize the damage this foe will bring once he shows itself to the world. Will you all aid me in this daunting task?”

A moment passed, silence so tangible they could hear the very silence. One by one, the assembled Heroes nodded in acceptance of their task. They had faced off with extreme strength once before. They had come away bloody and beaten, but that hadn’t deterred them. Hearing of such a threat to the world lit the fires of determination in each Hero.

“Only Garou himself could take on this foe, that I am aware of all too well. It will happen eventually, as all my visions will. However, we will not let fate flow as it please. We will not let anyone suffer from this inevitable duel to the best of our abilities. The foe you're looking for, possesses very long white hair and two single eyes. One single eye on his head, and another on his chest.” Sir Nighteye informed the detailed description of the monster.

Nodding in acknowledgment, the Heroes all memorized the details they had been given. It was their job to find it after all.

“Do you have any more inquiries?”

“Do you think that Garou can actually beat this monster?”

Mt Lady voiced her concern. Not only was she concerned by this information, but she was also worried for Garou himself.

“…only time would tell. The future won’t let me see the outcome…” Sir Nighteye answered solemnly.

“Do you know where we could start looking?”

Snipe had pushed himself off the wall, straightening himself. Such information was to be treated seriously.

“No… I do not. I do not recognize the creature. I researched the internet and asked my sources for any indication of such a being, but I could not find any mention of it anywhere. None that would come close to resembling it…”

“Is it possible that this could be a creation of the League of Villains?”

Snipe continued inquiring. The rest of the Heroes agreed. It was entirely possible that this could be some scheme of theirs.

“...I doubt even the League can create something like this. Something this powerful cannot be made by human hands.” Nighteye denied.

“Shouldn’t we get more help? We might need to widen our net.”
Midnight threw in her opinion. The limited number of Heroes in the room ultimately limited their search efforts.

“If we do, it will catch attention. Unwanted attention. It must be small, and filled with those who knew the danger of those standing at Garou’s level.”

The assembled Heroes continued to discuss amongst themselves ways of finding this ‘foe’ of Garou’s. The atmosphere was one of utmost seriousness, as every single Hero prepared themselves for the task ahead of them.