Enforcers 156 My Shell

Hero walked down the halls with a stern look on his face. He passed by several Enforcers who all stopped and looked at him.

He was still dressed in burnt broken clothing, and covered in burns, and cuts, so he looked very odd, to say the least.

It didn't help that he had a pretty scary look on his face.

He walked down the halls clenching his teeth with a look of anger and rage present on his face. 

'I really am an idiot! I was so focused on my own powers, being all over the place I didn't even realize that their smells... It was so similar. I wonder how Kitsune would react if he knew what I was going to do... He'd probably be pissed... Labby would call me an idiot. Ken would punch me. Cloud would... So North would likely also punch me. This is dumb...'

"Hero?"

The boy stopped turning around and seeing Emma was staring at him.

"Oh. Hi Emm"

'Punch!'

Hero dropped down to his knees as the girl pulled her fist back. "Let's fight!" She announced.

"No... Kind of can't..." Hero gasped out.

"What? Oh, don't tell me you already spent all your power already?" Emma sighed pulling the hot back up. "I guess I should have put that together based on your destroyed outfit huh? Oh well."

"Hey. How is your? How is your Squad holding up?" Hero questioned?

Emma went silent for a moment as she looked down. "Things have... Have been a bit awkward. Lady Sif is in a bit of a depression... She's been sleeping way more then she used to. Which is saying something..."

"Yeah... Dawson has also been in a funk. I think he was starting to like Ren..." Hero said sadly.

"I can't believe she's gone..." Emma sighed as she turned to look out the window seeing the vast landscape before them. Piles and piles of snow. "It's crazy. Ren seemed so strong and yet got floored... I wish I had been there."

"Did you know how well?"

"Well. She was a part of our squad. She helped train me, Sera, and Lucy."

"That reminds me. How is Sera?"

"Bad... Well. Kind of. She's doing well physically but her personality has almost completely changed. She's started throwing herself into the training working until she blacks out." 

"That can't be good..." Hero threw his hands behind his back as he shrugged. "Then again I'm not in much of a better position. After all, my Squad has been doing the same."

"Really? We should fight then-"

Hero chopped the girl on the forehead as he frowned. "Is that all you think about?"

"Oww!" She rubbed her head as she frowned. "Fighting fun? I mean why do you fight?"

"I thought that was obvious."

"What? Don't tell me it's some boring reason to save your friends and junk-"

"I mean that's part of it. But I'm fighting to save the love of my life Ava, so that I may finally here her claim me as her own, and say it name in her sweet angelic voice, and plant a kiss upon my forehead, and possibly my lips!" He announced happily. 

Emma looked at him with a frown as she backed away slowly. "I see..."

Hero jumped back up as he pointed up to the sky. "I will find Ava no matter what I have to do!" He announced loudly. "I will save my Ava!"

"You seem... Way happier about this now?"

"Well." Hero smirked. "Recently I've actually seen my beloved." He announced giving a smirk. "Well, kind of. It wasn't really her, more like an image of her. But that alone was more than enough to motive me! I will save her!"

Emma gave a small smile as she reached out patting the boy's head. "You know. You've really changed? You've even stopped wearing your contacts-"

Hero reached up placing a hand over his eye as if surprised by this reveal. "That's right! I forgot to put them in!"

"Does it matter? Everyone knows you're a Seraphin, and your eyes are silver?"

"Of course it matters!" Hero announced. "I'm still holding onto my humanity. I haven't become a Monster yet. I'm staying in this shell."

"Shell?"

"It's what the Giant lab coat in my head says. He says I'm holding my power back constantly not powering myself up to my best of my abilities by holding onto my human side or something? I dunno?"

"Well, are you holding back?"

"Yeah."

"Why!"

"I like being a human. I'm at the edge right now. If I push any further I drop off, and I become more then a Seraphin. I become a Monster. Not a Bestia Macht. My body would forever be altered. I might look human but my insides... I would be different. A Seraphin means you're at the edge. I'm not quite human, but I'm not a monster. So. Just for now. I'll continue to be a caterpillar and remain in my shell." Hero said giving a smile. He reached our patting the girl on the head. 

"Hero?"

"Anyways. I got to go!" Hero announced pushing past her. 

"Why do you always smile?"

Hero didn't answer her still giving his smile. "Cause it's what a hero would do!" Hero laughed. 

"You've changed so much Hero. Or is it that I don't even know you?"

Age 1987

"Oww!" A twelve-year-old Hero whined as he crashed down into the floor. 

"Not good enough!" A loud roar echoed out.

"I'm trying my best!" Hero whined. He looked up into the eyes of Okami Otoko. His grandfather, and what he thought was the strongest man alive.

The old man sighed as he walked over to Hero. He reached out placing a hand on the boy's head and began to mess with his white and black hair. 

"Hero." He said softly.

His fist flew out smashing into the gut of the young boy and throwing him back, as he crashed through the wall of the room they were in.

"You idiot!" He shouted. "You don't even realize how gifted you are! You are the Son of Life! Evolved to be able to fight to your heart's content. You have your own powerful Attribute, your mother's Attribute, and the Monsterfication! You possess so much power within you! Yet you let it all go to a waste! The amount your body has improved but you hold it back!"

"I'm sorry..." Hero whined.

Okami let out another sigh. He slowly moved over to the kid's body as he reached out once again rubbing his hand through the child's hair. This time he set down next to the boy.

"What does it mean to fight?" Hero asked.

"What?"

"What does it mean to fight..." He asked again in a sheepish tone this time. "Why do we fight? Why do we need to fight? You told me about the Bestia Macht, but I've never even seen one?"

Okami was silent for a few moments as he considered the question. "We fight. For ourselves. For others. For our dreams. For our race. For power. For money. For life. For religion. Pleasure. War. Hate. Protection. We fight to fight. When we fight we can really go all out."

"I don't think I get it?"

Okami reached out patting the boy.

"Fighting is something that you'll have to learn. As you age you'll develop a reason to fight. Something you desire more than anything. That is what you will fight for. And when you fight for that, you'll be able to go all out. You'll be able to convince yourself to drop all morals, and unlock your full power. Hero. I'm not training you to fight. I'm training so that when you need to fight, you'll have the power to push forward. You'll have the built-up energy to draw upon."

"So we need a reason to fight?"

"Yes, Hero. In life, you'll discover that the power you're at right now isn't enough. Staying in your shell isn't enough. When you feel the need to break past your shell you will."

"Ava..."

"What?"

"I want to see Ava. I want to save her."

"You mean that brat that we used to turn you into a Seraphin?"

"I want her."

"Hero... No offense but I don't see her liking you..."

"I don't care." Hero stood up giving a smile as he reached up. "Ava. I'll save her. I'll hold onto my humanity for her. I'll use this power to free her. I don't care if staying in my shell makes me weak. I don't care about power. I like being human."

"Sure. Keep telling yourself." Okami stood up giving a smirk. "One day Hero. I know. I know that one day holding back won't work. One day you'll have to break past your limit. On day you'll crave more power."

"I won't-"

"You'll start to pull more power... And when you do. Those walls will come. And with them, that shell will break."

Chapter end