Chapter 102 - My CO Stash #2 - The Hunter Amongst Villains by i4md347h (OnePunchManXMyHeroAcademia) (2/2)

”But, y-you look you're thirty!” The boy uttered without thinking as he rudely pointed at Garou's face.

”You want to be socked?” Garou threatened as he started applying the antiseptic, gritting his teeth in response to the liquid stinging the blood-crusted wounds before wrapping the white cloth around them one by one.

The boy shook his head rapidly in response, unwilling to endure the same fates as the villains there before.

Staring at Garou, the boy watched as the man tended to his severe wounds, wondering what had he been through to look so bloody.

”...uhh… why did you fall out of the sky?” The boy asked. A man falling out of the heavens was by far the strangest occurrence now that Garou thought about it.

”...a bird dropped me,” Garou replied bluntly upon remembering Phoenixman, a promise to skin the monster strong in his heart.

”Eh?” The boy blinked again, trying to process his answer as the atmosphere turned awkward.

”...a bird? What? How big is the bird?” The confused boy asked, unable to picture such a big bird.

”...big,” Garou tersely answered as he finished bandaging his arms.

As he continued treating himself with the medical supplies, Garou cast a thought back to the three heroes that had cornered him. The memory elicited a slight frown, grimacing at the pain and shame that occurred. It may only have happened a few minutes ago, but it wedged itself firmly deep inside the recesses of Garou's mind. After that, another question arose in him.

However, a question followed Garou after the memory. What happened to him?

”...kid, where am I?” Garou asked. Grasping his location was crucial, as he cannot determine the distance between him and the three heroes - well, two heroes and another master martial artist that rivaled the old fart.

”U-Um,” The kid stuttered, gathering the vestiges of his courage to answer the scary man.

”H-Hosu…”

”...Hosu?” Garou repeated himself as he blinked. There was no place he knew in Z City called Hosu.

”Is it a new place in Z City?”

”...uh… what's Z City?” The boy asked, evidently confused.

”Eh?”

Confusion was written all over Garou's face as he stared down at the equally bewildered boy. Where was he? The boy's knowledge of the location was impossibly absent, replaced by a word Garou never knew existed. The atmosphere teemed with mutual bewilderment as the two exchanged blank, questioning stares.

”...kid, do you have a map?” Garou asked, fear and trepidation creeping into his heart.

Standing up quickly, the young boy rushed over to one of the nearby open doors in the house. Garou could hear him rustling around various miscellaneous items in his search. After a moment of silence, footsteps grew closer from around the door. Suddenly, the kid appeared from behind the door, holding a large sheet of paper up for him. Clasping both edges of the layer, the young boy continued approaching Garou, the paper rustling as he moved.

As he stopped before Garou, the young boy placed down the map on the floor. Straightening it out with his hands, he glanced up at Garou.

”Is this o-okay?” The boy asked the Hero Hunter as he stared at the geography of the land he now resided.

Garou cast his eyes over the map. After careful scrutinization, Garou's brows began to furrow. He didn't recognize any of these locations. The names and landmarks were alien to him - a sense of unease began to fill Garou as he glared at the unfamiliar map. He didn't even notice the kid staring intently at him.

”U-Um… where does mister come from?” The boy asked, albeit still scared deep down. The only thing holding him steady was the fact that this man saved him from abduction, and he did not kill him in cold blood as he did with the villains.

”...kid, do you have a globe or something?” Garou asked as the kid blinked.

Throwing his head left and right, the boy found a toppled globe that used to atop of a wooden cabinet and ran towards it. Picking it up, the kid returned to Garou and presented the sculpted representation of the world they call home.

Garou's bewilderment only grew as he reached out and took the globe. Glaring at the world model, Garou began spinning it. His glare was practically burning through the spherical model of the earth as it rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. Just like the map, Garou did not recognize anything on the orb. Moreover, there was more than one continent.

The crimson-haired hunter's mind reeled as he parsed the unexpected revelation. He was no longer at home - a pastiche of the world he called home.

”Kid, what do you know of monsters?” Garou asked.

”Uhhh… like the boogieman?”

”...The Hero Association?”

”Um, there are heroes, but… I don't know about an association.”

”...S-Class?”

”...” The boy's silence was deafening.

”Oh my god…” Garou blinked as he dropped the globe to the floor, letting it clattered on the wooden planks. Now, he had confirmed it.

”...how?” He asked himself. Just how in all things supernatural was he transported to another planet, one so similar to his? No, he shook his head. He should not focus on questions he can't answer in a single day. He does not know, and he doubted that the kid knows as well. The situation with him and the monsters, assuming they were monsters, spoke of considerable confusion among them.

”All right kid, tell me everything you know here. The people, the… heroes?” Garou demandingly queried for information.

”U-Um… are you a foreigner?” The kid asked now confused by his sudden demand.

”...you can say that…” Garou thought it wise to leave him out of his life.

”...t-the heroes… well, they are a force of good and justice. Every one of them possesses Quirks that separates their individuality and uniqueness.” The boy explained with a surprisingly fluid tone and used words others his age would've had trouble comprehending.

”...what are Quirks?” Garou asked, not letting go of the term.

”Eh?”

Garou did not like how the boy was eyeing him, as if seeing a new breed of species standing before him.

”...don't make me repeat myself. What are Quirks?” Garou asked, in a forceful tone.

”W-well… Quirks are kind of like superpowers. They're unique to each person. Eighty percent of the planet has a Quirk! Everyone, even kids!”

”...” The words that came out of his mouth sounded utterly retarded.

”Superpowers?” There were things that Garou despised most in the world. One of them was the concept of powers given without proper testing. In summary, he hated those with power unearned.

The boy continued eyeing Garou, mildly surprised and curious as for how this strange man didn't know of Quirks.”Y-yeah. Every Hero has a Quirk. There are even schools to teach you how to control your Quirk!'

”…do you have this… Quirk?” Garou required an affront example.

How the boy sulked before Garou's eyes didn't leave his notice.

”…no…” The boy answered, one with great sorrow in his tone.

”…what of those who do not have this… Quirk?” Garou asked not liking where this was going.

The boy's head lowered, looking at the ground dejectedly.

”W-well... they don't become Heroes… they live out a normal life. They're usually called the Quirkless.”

The silver-haired youth's tone was one of sadness and disappointment. Despite not being able to see the kid's face, Garou could tell from the emotions in his voice.

”...” The words he uttered debased the world he lived in even more. The concept of superpowers was absurd to Garou. A superhero society based on superpowers was even worse than the capitalistic version in his home. The reason being at least anyone had a better chance of being a hero there.

”...that's bullshit,” Garou cursed.

”Anyone can become a hero where I'm from. Quirk or not.”

”A-anyone? Where do you come from?”The youth's head rose up, locking eyes with Garou. An interested, curious look now shone in his eyes. Garou could see that kid was warming up to him, the fear diminishing in his voice.

”...best you don't know, kid,” Garou said as he looked around the place.

”Got any food?” Garou's stomach rumbled within. His body was in need of desperate replenishing. That and he needed a place to rest and recover before setting out into the world outside.

Glancing once at Garou, the young boy rushed over to the nearby destroyed kitchen. He began searching high and low for any food they had in their stores. He could feel Garou's gaze on his back as he continued searching. Opening a nearby pantry door, a large bowl of wrapped up rice sat there. Reaching out and grabbing the container, the silver-haired youth began rushing back over to the still figure of his savior.

”I-Is rice ok?”Holding out the large bowl of rice to Garou, the boy smiled slightly at Garou.

”...got any meat? Protein?” Garou asked as he took a good look at the rice. It seems cold and hard. He needed to warm it before it's edible, but the microwave was ripped from the outlet.

”S-sorry… the villains broke the fridge. This is the only thing intact.” The boy dejectedly replied.

”...screw it. Bring those too. I don't care if it came from the floor; I need it now.” Garou had no room for fickleness. He needed his blood sugar to boost his healing, and he needed it now.

Placing the whole bowl of rice down on the ground next to Garou, the boy rushed back over to the kitchen. Opening a nearby drawer, he pulled out a plate. Going around the kitchen, he began collecting all of the food that had been spilled out onto the floor — half of a chicken, a small pile of beef, many small, scattered sushi rolls and more layers on the ground in the kitchen. Scooping them up, the young boy placed them on the plate. Before long, the dish had a giant pile of assorted foodstuffs on top, the boy barely able to hold it steady.

Slowly, the boy began to make his way back to Garou, trying to not topple over from the weight of the food piled up. As he neared Garou, he noticed that the bowl he had put on the ground was now empty. It looked like nothing had been in the container. Placing the plate on the ground next to Garou, the boy huffed from the exertion.

”Thanks, kid.”

Garou sat down cross-legged, starting to gorge on the food with his b_a_r_e hands. He needed to tough out the cold-hard mortal fuel and work his stomach past its limits. It was hard to eat raw rice, but at least the trace moisture contained in the wrappings made it soft enough for him to swallow — cold meat and vegetables. He regretted leaving them uncooked, but pickiness was not a luxury to afford. He needed the energy, and he needs it now.

Watching Garou devouring that massive pile of food fiercely, the silver-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise, witnessing pound after pound wolfed down at an incredible pace. Not only was he capable of effortlessly handling a group of villains by himself without taking a scratch, but he could also engorge himself a feast meant for tens!

”...Wow.”

The sound of Garou's consumption filled the silent air of the devastated kitchen. After a few moments, the plate was licked clean, the one clattering to the ground noisily. The young boy gaped at the man, glancing over at the cleared plate. A few moments had passed until the entire pile of food to disappear into Garou's maw.

”Got water? A large jug or something?” Garou asked as he burped a little, his breath now smelled like a rotten collage of junk.

Turning back around, the boy once again rushed over to the kitchen. He began looking around for anything that he could fill with water for his hungry, parched guest. In one corner of the kitchen, lay an empty gallon jug. After picking it up, the silver-haired youth began quickly filling it with the only undamaged tap available. The boy waited and waited as the pitcher continued filling up. Feeling the weight in his hand increase steadily, the boy glanced over to the still seated Garou.

Once the jug was filled to the brim, grasping the handle with both of his hands, the youth began heaving the pitcher over to the awaiting Garou. Just like the plate, the child placed the pitcher beside Garou, water sloshing around inside. The silver-haired boy straightened back to his feet, panting heavily from the repeated trips back to the kitchen.

Raising the jug to his lips quickly, Garou drank deeply, dumping all of the clear liquid from above. Within a few moments, the water had almost entirely disappeared. After a few more seconds of audible gulping, only empty air remained within.

”Ahhhh~” Garou took a refreshing breath of relief as he stood up. He was ready to go out once again.

”Thanks.” He would need to find a place to stay here among other things. Garou looked out the broken window, seeing the sun illuminating from the other side. A new world… one for him to explore. An enticing prospect the more Garou mulled it over, leaving him a smile over his lips.

It would seem God had plans for him, whatever they may be. However, nonetheless, Garou refused to allow God the p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e of seeing his design work as he pleased.

Within the shadows of modern day society, in a room who almost no light can touch, two figures lay within the darkness, one wreathed by the black fog of malice and the other marred by death.

”Hah… Hah…” Kurogiri wheezed, his breaths heavy, standing on his hands and knees before a specific stout, faceless figure, his energy depleted after his third trial with the trigger drug injected in his veins.

”Your control over your empowered Quirk had not improved in the slightest, Kurogiri.” The man sitting in his chair 'looked' at the man prostrating before him with a tone of undeniable disappointment.

”Forgive me… Sensei.” The black mist man prostrated before the faceless man with utmost reverence.

”I do not hold you in any account, Kurogiri. Remember that I never expected this experiment to succeed in the first place. There was no loss in your failure, rest assured. Just try harder next time. For the League of Villain's sake.”