Enforcers 154 Fear

"Oh. You're back again..." Labby said letting out a sigh. The chains around him clattered as he moved further up in the air getting away from the boy who just suddenly appeared.

"Yep!" Hero announced giving a sheepish wave. "I'm back."

"Why is it this time..." Labby sighed out, shaking the closet thing he had to a head.

"I think you know."

The small Labby let out a sigh of his own as he floated down. His sleeve came out testing on Hero's black and white hair as the three of them went completely silent. 

"Ahh." Small Labby said giving a nod.

"Well?" Hero asked raising his silver eyes.

"30.1%"

"I finally hit 30%," Hero asked excitedly. "Alright!"

"Yes. It seems you have grown stronger. On top of that, your body improved greatly as well. You are now at a total of 90.3% total power nearing your max. On top of improving your power output, you also have improved your body and your skill at using your Attributes. You're now weaving through them so much quicker then you used to be able to."

"Yep." Hero said giving a large cheeky grin as he clenched his fist. "I'm getting better. I'm learning how these powers work and how far I can push my body. I'll get all the way to 50% and beyond. I'll do it the human way and not require any of your help."

"Then why even come here." Small lab coat asked.

"Well I need to know where I stand? How else will I know when I hit 50% of my power?"

"Why just 50%," The large Lab coat asked cocking its not head, to the side. "At 50% you would have a total of 150%, still only being half of your total potential."

"Well, you said I couldn't get to a 100% unless I beat all of you right?" Hero asked curiously.

"That's right!" Little Labby announced. "In order to reach 100% or 300% max, you would have to absorb my full power, the manifestation of the Monsterfication, and the Red Lake. By absorbing all of us you would unlock 100% in each Attribute, giving you a total of 300% max power. Of course, your body would need to be at an insane level to handle all that power."

"Well, there you go." Hero said turning away from the Lab Coats as he gave a half wave. "The reason why I'm not interested in 100%"

"Ahh. Because you know your body would be unable to handle all that power." The massive Labby said nodding his not head. 

"What no." Hero turned giving a small smile to them. "Because if I absorbed you all, I'd be alone."

"...What..."

Hero faced away from them again as he let out a small laugh. "I don't like you guys. Well, I like Ava, but you two. I just don't like. You're annoying, and you're a total bully. But... But, you keep me company. Even in the real world, as long as you are all here I'm not alone. That was always my biggest fear... When my mother died, I was left alone in the room with her corpse for nearly four days... I thought I would die. And then my Grandfather Okami Otoko, saved me. That's why. Even if his methods were extreme. Even if he turned me into this monster. Even if he was only ever using me as a tool for revenge on the group that took my mother away... Even if... Even if all of that happened to me. I still love him. Because he's my grandfather. So. Instead of acting out of power, I will instead chose to act out of Love. My love him. My love for her. My love for Cloud, North, Ken, Kitsune."

"Hmph... Love. Such a strange human emotion." Labby announced slowly lowering himself down causing his chains to go wild as he pulled against it. "You humans follow along it way too much?"

"Oh? Am I human? I was under the impression that me being a Seraphin made me different." Hero chuckled.

"It does. A Seraphin is someone who will give up on life, for their power. And yet here you are, again and again, doing the stupidest decision you can make, for love rather than power. You claim you love Ava, and yet rejected the experiments your Grandfather wanted to do to you. You rejected the monster within you. Even now as you slowly increase in power you chose to hold back the full range of your abilities and cut loose. You could have reached a stage of power several years back if you went all out, and would have already saved the girl you claim you love. But you don't. Because you're scared. We both know the power is beating inside of you. You're like a Caterpillar that is refusing to build a shell so that it may become a butterfly. All you're doing is holding yourself back, and failing to save those you care about. You aren't doing anything out of love. You're acting out of fear."

"Fear. Love. Emotions are weird." Hero laughed off as he raised his hand up. His smile faded for a second as he slowly brought his hand down. "I'm just not ready to become a monster. I'm not ready to give up being a human."

"Bye."

"Later." Hero vanished with a quiet pop leaving the two lab coats alone. 

"What a strange boy." The small lab coat said letting out a laugh. "Was that true about what you said? Is he really holding back?"

"Of course. Think back to all his fights. He has had access to Monster-Point for years now and yet has only used it a total of four times. The first was on accident. The second was on his Grandfather. The third of that boy named Max. And the fourth was last month when he fought that powerful man. Yet even then Otoko, has had more power he can draw on. Think about it. It is true he can't pass 50% of his power as long as we still exist and yet, he could always draw on us for more power to at least boost himself up to 50%, and yet he doesn't. Monster-Point draws on power from the girl he calls Ava. He could do that with any of us, or even all of us, but chooses not to out of a fear. Each of our abilities are really quite monstrous after all. Having all three at once, would surely turn him into a new beast. Something more Bestia Macht, then human."

"I think I get his decision then."

"What?"

"His want, to not change. He's an Enforcer. They hunt and kill monsters. His death would be swift if he lost control-"

"You're an idiot." The big lab coat announced.

"I... I'm you though?"

"Hero Otoko is not afraid of death. He is afraid of failing."

"What?"

"Failing. He isn't afraid of losing control and becoming a monster that will be killed. He is afraid of losing control, and failing his allies."

Chapter end