✔ The Hunters | Garou

SIXTEENTH HUNT

DEATH GRAPPLING

"Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of grief." 

- Anne Carson

I chokeslammed her to the earth, and she conked out immediately.

I felt my heart tear in pieces as I saw the result of my beating. Her previously lovely hair, now jagged, was bloody; her angelic face was red and purple from bruising; her mouth and lips, the very ones I've wanted to kiss, were smeared with blood that she coughed out; there could be more to her injuries, but I couldn't see it.

Why did you become a hero, Tenrou? You could've just sat still and been pretty and let all the men do the dirty work of fighting. We would've never met and I wouldn't have to beat you up like this.

My hand was still around her neck and I paid attention to the fingers which were nearest to her vital artery. It throbbed. She's still alive.

I then proceeded to lift her limp body up again and throw her aside like she was a garbage bag.

Damn, I hate this. I don't want to treat her like she's a piece of shit. But I have to stick to the plot to keep her safe.

After all, I'm the monster.

Death Gatling watched as Tenrou was slammed against the trunk of a tree, conveniently far away from both of us. Her body fell limp against the roots.

"You don't go easy on women, do you?" he asked, "Even with that traitor who gave you shelter."

"When it comes to heroes, I don't discriminate." I said with a smirk, fighting the urge to snap, "Besides, she means nothing to me. I forced her to give me shelter, that's all."

Gatling sighed, now raising his machine gun arm. "You've crossed the rubicon, and now I can't let you run away." he said, "You've abandoned your shield," he glanced at Glasses, who I decked already, "you've beaten up a female hero, Infernogun without hesitation. You cannot be called a human anymore."

I listened as I panted for breath.

His gun pointed at me. "It's over, Monster Garou."

I raised my palm, and he cocked a brow at me. I said, "There's a brat in the shack. If you shoot, he's gonna get hurt."

"Yeah, right. You've been fooling us left and right since earlier. It's not going to work on me."

I inhaled, now thinking of the kid in the shack. I announced to him and to the hero in front of me, screaming from the bottom of my lungs,

"WATCH CLOSELY! THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE THE MONSTER WINS!"

Gatling answered, "Only justice will win. Now die."

Only justice will win? What do you hypocrites know about justice? What do you know about me?

Gatling unleashed a barrage of bullets, his Death Shower as I read before, from his machine gun. I felt all my senses heighten. The hair on my body stood up straight, as if alert; the sharp smell of gunpowder smoke reached me before the bullets did. I could see every bullet come at me despite the speed and the bright sparks.

I raised my arms and with the old man's moves, I deflected every single bullet. Not one was missed. All of them flew in different directions; some to the sides, some upwards, some downwards. The shack was unfortunately mostly destroyed.

I reveled in the look of shock and horror on Gatling's face.

"I know about your moves, Gatling," I said, chuckling, "This may have reduced other monsters to mincemeat but..." I smirked, flexing my injured fingers as I looked at him, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me learn that guns don't kill me!"

The hero was still dumbfounded by what just happened. It was hilarious.

"Shame on you heroes!" I laughed, "I bet you can't believe all this." I inhaled again, "Tell ya what. Your teamwork and strategies were undoubtedly good, but each of you all, on your own, were just shit.

"Besides, what are you all without your weapons? You guys practically don't know how to fight with your bodies! At least Ten- Infernogun knows martial arts. At this point, you could've probably turned the tide against me by calling an S-class hero." I said with a deriding laugh.

Gatling grit his teeth and glared at me. Damn, he sure looks offended by what I said. What's so offensive though? I'm just telling the plain, simple truth.

He started screaming at me about how A-class heroes aren't backup for S-class heroes. Dude's seriously insecure about his standing.

"I was the one who cornered you, I, A-class hero Death Gatling!" he yelled, "If I defeat you, it will be proof that we A-class heroes aren't useless!"

So noisy. I clicked my tongue.

I punched him in the face, breaking his machine gun arm in the process. "Who gives a shit?! Not me!"

Gatling flew back a few yards from me and fell unconscious. I clicked my tongue again and stomped on the remainder of his machine gun arm, breaking it in half. These damn heroes and their clamor for rankings sicken me.

"U-uncle?" I heard a familiar little voice squeak behind me.

I turned around. "Oh, you're alive, kid."

The kid went pale upon seeing me. Huh? Am I that scary? He then looked around at the fallen heroes, and all the remaining colour on his face disappeared.

He shrieked in fright and scampered away as fast as he could before I even managed to get a word out.

I watched him go. A sense of forlorn crept up on me as I stood there motionless. My chest felt tight as I heaved for breath. I feel so drained. Not just physically, but mentally.

Having to see Tareo, the child I unintentionally got attached to, run away from me felt like just deserts for rejecting Tenrou. It hurt.

It is what it is.

I looked at Tenrou's unconscious body lying limp afar off. I wanted to go to her and check if she was okay, but I stopped myself. I have to stick to the script even if nobody's watching.

I felt my eyes burn and water.

However, I blinked back the tears and pushed away the feelings to deal with later. Without another murmur, I reached for the arrows lodged in my shoulder blade, and pulled them out with a painful grunt. It was a bad move because blood started spurting out of the wounds like a fountain.

My mouth and throat felt dry and parched, my body burned with its feverish heat, and the blood loss was making my head numb and my vision blurry. I needed medicine and bandages and water.

Man, what a day. I just want to dig a hole and sleep in it for a few days. With how worn out I am, I think hibernation could heal me.

As I trudged away, something crash landed on the ground a distance behind me with a loud explosion. The impact sent a gust of wind, smoke, and dirt flying everywhere.

What the hell?

I looked back to see what it was. A bright, glowing yellow light shone dimly through the gust as it dissipated, revealing a blond cyborg with glowing yellow eyes: Demon Cyborg, S-class rank 16. His metallic hand was raised, his palm glowing threateningly.

"So, you're the rumored Hero Hunter? I will eliminate you."

I clicked my tongue. Can't get a rest.

You want a fight? A fight's what you get.