✔ The Hunters | Garou

EIGHTEENTH HUNT

INJUSTICE

"How much can you change and get away with it, before you turn into someone else, before it's some kind of murder?" 

- Richard Siken (Portrait of Fryderyk in Shifting Light)

"Long time no see, Garou."

Who else was it but the old man!

I loudly clicked my tongue as I raised my head to look up at him. My eyesight was a blur. "The one man I didn't want to see is here, huh?" I griped through my harsh, raspy breaths.

The old man pitifully clicked his tongue at me. "Look at what you've become." He took in a laboured breath, and now looked far away to his left, where a certain female hero laid unconscious. "Tenrou has gotten herself involved either way, huh?" he murmured.

I laughed painfully. "Damn right. I thought she'd be good since she's your precious little brat, but it turns out that she's just weak."

That was a total lie. I did not mean it at all.

The old man exhaled, "Stand up, boy. Let's finish this."

I stood up on my shaky legs with my back weakly hunched over. It's crazy how I still have strength. I'm truly a monster.

I raised my trembling arms in front of me and flexed my aching fingers. My body was practically begging me to call it quits and just fall over. But no. I felt more adrenaline pump into my blood.

The old man and I took our stances. His movements were as graceful as always. We stood for a short moment, looking at each other, and I was reminded of my days in the dojo.

So damn annoying!

With a hellish roar, I leaped to attack the old man.

But I was attacked left, right, center, and all over by the quick successive blows of his very polished martial arts style. With another annoyed, aggravated roar, I managed to get a hold of myself to counterattack with the same style he taught me.

I might have kept up with him, but he made sure to deal severe blows on my face, unfortunately one of the most vital parts of the body.

He raised both his arms straight, his fingers straight too, pointing right at me, ready to attack, but I grabbed his wrists and raised my knee to knee him in the face, but the old man was faster than me. He kneed me under my jaw, sending my face snapping upwards, and a significant amount of blood out my mouth.

More blows ensued, and he sent me flying into several trees. When he found that I was lying on the ground, he didn't let me breathe. He jumped up on me, and attempted to punch me in the solar plexus, but I blocked his fist by crossing my arms. Regardless, the blow coursed through me like I was being hit by a wave in the high tide, and it crumbled the earth underneath me.

I was helplessly battered, and battered, and battered, without stop.

What the hell? The old man's especially fierce today.

I could feel my vision blur and go into a haze. My head felt heavy and light at the same time. Every inch of my body was screaming out in pain, begging my brain to shut down my system. But for some reason, my brain and my self were adamant to shut down.