Garou's eyes snapped open, a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He found himself lying in an unfamiliar alley, the setting sun painting the walls an orange-red.
"Uncle, you're finally awake!" Snot-nosed Brat squatted beside him, his small face filled with worry.
Garou sat up, clutching his neck, his silver eyes blazing with fury: "That bastard ambushed me!"
He looked around; the alley was empty, save for a few stray cats rummaging by the trash cans. Garou tried to move his limbs, finding no serious injuries beyond a slight soreness.
"Allen Brother told me to look after you before he left." Snot-nosed Brat pulled a candy from his pocket. "He said you might feel dizzy when you wake up, and candy would help."
Garou slapped the candy away. "Who wants to eat anything from that guy!" He stood up, dusting off his pants. "Kid, take me to him."
Snot-nosed Brat shook his head. "Allen Brother said he has important things to do and told me to take you somewhere safe."
"Somewhere safe?" Garou sneered. "Does Garou need protection?"
He strode out of the alley, only to find the street unusually quiet. Police sirens wailed in the distance, and several vehicles bearing the Hero Association emblem patrolled.
"I heard that rogue Hero was seen nearby," a passerby's conversation drifted into Garou's ears.
Garou narrowed his eyes, his expression under his silver hair turning serious. He turned and picked up Snot-nosed Brat. "Kid, has anything strange happened recently?"
Snot-nosed Brat dangled in mid-air, his short legs kicking. "Yes, yes, many people in black clothes are looking for Allen Brother."
Garou snorted, putting Snot-nosed Brat down. "Looks like that guy's gotten himself into big trouble."
He stroked his chin. "But that just makes it more interesting."
"Uncle, are you going to help Allen Brother?" Snot-nosed Brat looked up and asked.
"Who'd help him!" Garou irritably ran a hand through his hair. "I just want to settle the score with him!"
Just then, Garou keenly sensed he was being followed. He pretended not to notice, leading Snot-nosed Brat down an even more secluded path.
"Come out," Garou suddenly turned, speaking to the empty alley.
Three men in black uniforms emerged from the shadows, Hero Association badges pinned to their chests.
Garou narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the three men in black uniforms. Their Hero Association badges gleamed coldly in the setting sun, and their uniforms were as crisp as if just taken from their packaging.
"Hero Association dogs?" Garou grinned, his silver eyes glinting dangerously. "What do you want with me?"
The leader of the black-clad men expressionlessly pulled out a gilded invitation. "Mr. Garou, the Association invites you to the Hero Association Headquarters for a discussion."
Garou scoffed, reaching to tear the invitation, but Snot-nosed Brat tugged at his clothes. The little boy looked up, his big eyes full of worry. "Uncle, don't be impulsive."
"Kid, let go." Garou impatiently shook off Snot-nosed Brat, turning to the black-clad men. "I'm not interested in your hypocritical Hero games."
"The Association is willing to offer treatment equivalent to a Hero's," the black-clad man added calmly, "as long as you help us deal with a person—no, I should say, a demon."
Garou's eyebrows raised slightly. "Oh? Who's so important that you useless lot specifically sought me out?"
"Allen," the black-clad man uttered the name, his voice unconsciously lowered. "He betrayed the Association and is now colluding with the Monster Association. We need a strong individual like you to keep him in check."
Garou suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter echoing in the empty alley. "Interesting! How very interesting!" He snatched the invitation. "Lead the way. I want to see what tricks you hypocrites can pull."
The three black-clad men visibly relaxed. The leader made a gesturing motion. Garou strode ahead, then, as if remembering something, turned back. "Kid, go home."
Snot-nosed Brat stood still, his small face tight. "I want to go with you!"
"Get lost!" Garou irritably ran a hand through his hair, then turned to the black-clad men. "Take this kid home."
An hour later, Garou stood in the elevator of the Hero Association Headquarters building, looking down at the shrinking city through the glass curtain wall. The elevator went straight to the top floor. When the doors opened, he was met with the rich aroma of coffee and the hum of low conversations.
"Mr. Garou, this way, please." A woman in a business suit greeted him, a standard smile on her face.
Garou followed her down a wide corridor. Portraits of past S-Class Heroes lined the walls. His gaze lingered for a moment on the picture of Silver Fang Bang, his mouth twitching unconsciously.
The conference room door opened, and Garou's pupils contracted slightly. Over a dozen people were already seated in the room, men and women of various appearances, but all exuding a dangerous aura. He recognized a few faces: the notorious demolition expert Powder Keg Jack, the master of poisons Snake Woman Medusa, and even Kahn the Butcher, a mercenary wanted in multiple cities, among others.
"Ah, our last guest has arrived." At the end of the round table, Sitch stood up, his face wreathed in smiles. "Welcome, everyone, to the Hero Association."
Garou raised an eyebrow, casually pulling out an empty chair and sitting down. "What's the big idea? Since when did the Hero Association start taking in wanted criminals?"
Sitch's smile froze for a moment, then quickly returned. "Special times call for special measures. Allen's betrayal made us realize that we must assemble a special team to deal with potential threats."
"So you've brought in us villains?" Powder Keg Jack grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "The Hero Association is really going downhill."
"The Association is willing to offer generous rewards to all of you, as well as..." Sitch ignored Jack's taunt and pressed a button on the table. A holographic projection in the center of the conference room lit up, displaying Allen's portrait and a series of combat data. "...a full pardon for past offenses."
Garou stared at Allen's face in the projection, his silver eyes narrowing slightly. The combat values displayed were ridiculously high, especially the record of his recent battle with the alien leader Boros, which practically broke the upper limit of the conventional evaluation system.
"Is this guy really that strong?" Snake Woman Medusa licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Stronger than the data shows," Sitch said gravely. "We suspect he has begun to Monsterize, which is why he betrayed the Association."
"So the Association has specifically invited you all to assist us in confronting this demon who wants to destroy all of humanity."
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