Wolf growls a bit before smirking with a frustrated look.
“I can’t believe you guys. Do you ever listen to me?” She asks, focusing on the villain. Killian cracks his knuckles as Phoenix cracks her neck and Tadashi adjusts his glasses.
“Nope.” Phoenix smirks.
“Not in my nature.” Killian says seriously.
“If we stick together, we can beat this guy.” Tadashi says with a sharp gaze.
“Baha! Beat me? I’d like to see you try!” The boar-man bellows. Suddenly, Tadashi is above the man with his arms above his head, preparing to strike him.
“With pleasure.” He says sharply before slamming his fists upon the man’s head. He is shocked a bit as he stumbles back, grunting. Phoenix dashes behind him and kicks his legs out from under him. He grunts as he begins to fall back before his eyes widen when he sees Wolf and Killian flipping above him. With a shout, they slam their feet into his face and straight into the ground, a booming thud rings out as he slams into the stone floor. They jump back and regroup for a moment.
“Not bad for a warm up.” Wolf says with a smirk.
“Stay sharp, you know he’s not done.” Killian says. As soon as he says that, the stranger begins laughing once again, this time with a more hysterical tone to his voice.
“BAHAHA! Guess I was wrong! Turns out you are all more bark than bite!” He shouts as he thrusts himself up off the ground and back to his feet, the ground shaking as he stomps. The group stumbles a bit as Phoenix gives a nervous, unnatural smile.
“Seriously?”
The boar-man crouches down a bit before blitzing behind the group with shocking speed. All of them are caught off guard as Killian turns with a shocked look.
‘So fast!’
With barely enough time to think, the man’s large fist flies his way. Unable to do anything but watch, Killian waits for impact but suddenly, he is yanked backwards and out of harm's way. He looks over to see Wolf throwing him by his shirt collar but putting her in the path of his punch. It collides with Wolf sending her tumbling across the ground and into a pillar behind them, yelping in pain on impact.
The man smirks before looking back only to be met by a drop kick from a furious Phoenix into his stomach. He steps back a bit as she falls to the ground head first, catches herself on her hands and launches herself back at the man with to drop kick his face. The man stumbles back as she falls through the air. The boar-man growls and goes for an attack with a frustrated look at Phoenix who is still helpless in the air.
Before the attack can hit, Killian quickly slams himself into the man’s side, knocking him back. Phoenix lands on her feet and quickly looks up at Killian. He then slams a fist into the stranger’s side and again on his other side. Despite the man’s grunts of seeming pain, Killian’s face shows strain.
‘He’s so tough, it’s like punching a wall of ballistic rubber.’
“You little- Guh!” The man looks down at Killian and pulls his arm back to smack him but is interrupted when Tadashi drives his fist into his chin, uppercutting the man.
“Don’t let up! He will fall!” Tadashi shouts as the others get determined looks and rush the man.
‘It doesn’t matter if this is the first real villain we’ve seen in person…’ Tadashi thinks.
‘It doesn’t matter if his strength is absurd…’ Phoenix thinks.
‘It doesn’t matter because…’ Killian thinks before the three of them fall in line together.
‘Because we’re doing this together!’
The three of them think, but before anything else can be done, before Tadashi can even gain his footing on the ground again, the man speaks as if reading their minds.
“If you think you’re doing anything to me, you’re very mistaken.”
Tadashi’s eyes widen as the man’s large hand smacks him across the face, shattering his glasses and sending him tumbling across the ground and into a wall behind them, blood flying from his nose and mouth.
“Tadashi!” Phoenix shouts while looking back at him. She turns around when she hears a loud smash behind her only to see Killian getting slammed by the neck against the ground. He shouts in pain as a small amount of blood spits from his mouth.
Phoenix is stunned at the sight before her as the man steps closer. She stares with fear in her eyes as he strikes her. She blocks with her arms up but is sent flying with a pained yelp, slamming against the wall behind her, cracking the stone even, and collapsing to the ground. The boar-man then turns back to Killian who struggles to get back up but can’t find the strength.
“You runts really are pathetic! Let me do you a favor and crush your dreams here!” He shouts with a crooked smile as he lifts his leg above Killian, preparing to stomp on him. The man yells hysterically but before he can stomp on him, Wolf comes flying at him with blistering speed and a yell, her eyes sharp and intense, different from her normal eyes, as her fist slams into the man’s face, a black mist surrounding her arm. The man grunts in pain as he is sent flying, smashing through the stairs. Wolf lands next to Killian with her fist out. Killian watches in awe but misses the black mist as it fades away. Wolf gets a frustrated look as she stares at her fist.
“No! That was wrong! Not again!” She shouts angrily.
“W-wolf!” Killian calls out. She turns around with a worried look as she rushes to his side.
“I’m sorry! I blacked out for a second, I didn’t-” She quickly apologizes, worrying for her friend as he snaps her attention from himself to the right direction.
“No, focus!” He points to the man as the boar-man gets back up.
“Ugh, damnit! You broke my tooth! What the Hell was that?!” He shouts, pulling one of his boar like teeth from his mouth and tossing it over. Wolf turns and faces him, her eyes still intense but not like when she struck the man.
“I’m not gonna let you hurt my friends anymore!” She says aggressively. The man, still angry, chuckles a bit before laughing at her.
“Bahaha! Only the strong can make claims like that!” He shouts. He charges her as she charges him in return. They slam their feet close to each other as their fists collide, the painful sound of flesh smashing from their strength. Wolf struggles as the boarish man laughs before throwing her back. She flips through the air only to see him jumping at her with an open hand trying to grab her.
She stares at him for a moment before flipping herself over his hand and slamming her foot onto the top of his head and into the ground, bursting a large cloud of dust and smoke around him. As she falls through the air, her eyes never leaving the dust cloud, the boar-man bursts out and grabs her leg and with a loud laugh, swinging her around and slamming her against a wall. She yelps in pain before he charges her and slams his hand against her body, into the wall even harder. Wolf has a pained look as she struggles in his grasp.
“What happened to that power a bit ago? Why don’t you show it to me again?” The boar-man asks with a vicious smirk.
“Fuck you..” Wolf growls, bleeding from her head.
“At least then it would be a challenge! Come on!” He shouts with a crooked smile, physically pressuring her before looking back at Killian making his way to Phoenix and Tadashi on the ground. His smile twists as he speaks.
“It looked like I struck a nerve when I threatened your friends..” He looks at her with an evil look. “Maybe I should kill them first and make you watch instead.”
Wolf’s eyes sharpen again like before as the black mist begins to form around her hands, gripping the man’s wrist harder.
“I won’t let you touch them..!” She growls, her eyes sharpening with an inhuman look unlike anything before as an overwhelming heat builds in her chest. The man smiles at her but suddenly a heavy weight is felt upon his shoulders as the man’s look instantly shifts from one of sinister intent to shocked fear.
“Please, if you would, put down the girl.”
A man says from behind the man as he turns, sweating. The boar-man smiles but this time is seems almost nervous.
“You…” He says with a low tone. The new man smiles a big smile like he always does as the hero puts his hands on his hips. Killian looks back with wide eyes as the others start to wake up.
“It’s him..!” He says.
“Southpaw.” The boar-man says as he drops Wolf, who hits the ground and coughs a bit from the man’s grip. The stranger turns and faces Southpaw who stands a head taller than even the man himself. “Finally, something actually entertaining. Don’t be a disappointment now!” He shouts as he rushes Southpaw, pulling his heavy fist back, preparing to strike him. Southpaw smiles as he raises his hand and prepares to snap his fingers. As soon as the man is close enough, he snaps his fingers, lightly tapping him on the forehead. The man stops with a confused look on his face when suddenly an explosive amount of force strikes right into his face, sending him flying back and smashing into a wall, knocking him unconscious instantly. Blood leaks from his nose and mouth as he falls to his knees then slams onto his face on the ground, grumbling to himself. The others watch in awe as Southpaw turns to them, Killian’s eyes shining.
“He really was strong. Even a 3rd Tier might’ve had some trouble with him. I hope you all are alright.” The great hero asks. Killian jumps up, dropping Tadashi, who he was helping a moment ago.
“Alright?? We just got to witness the Southpaw in action! How could we be better??” He shouts enthusiastically. Wolf rushes past Southpaw and to Phoenix and Tadashi and helps them up, her eyes normal and the burning feeling gone.
“You guys okay? I’m so sorry, I should’ve handled him sooner.” Wolf apologizes with a worried look.
“Wolfy, we’re fine. Just a little bruised up.” Phoenix says, calming her down with a soft smile. Wolf looks worried as they try to calm her down. Southpaw watches them with a slightly surprised look and a sweat.
“They get beaten by a high 2nd Tier threat and only get a little bruised? They really can take a hit…” he says to himself, rubbing his chin. Tadashi then steps towards Southpaw with a slightly pained and disappointed look on his face.
“Southpaw, sir? I’d like to apologize… for our performance..” he says, lowering his head. Southpaw looks at him confused.
“Performance?” He asks as Tadashi continues.
“Even though it was our first real villain attack, we should’ve done better. I think we could have done better.” Tadashi says as Southpaw stares at him, blinking twice blankly.
“You mean to tell me that was the first time any of you have actually fought a villain?” He asks with wide eyes. Killian steps up enthusiastically.
“We’ve faced bad guys before but nothing to this level!” He says with a smile and his hands on his hips. Southpaw’s jaw drops a little before he chuckles, shocked.
“Heh. Wow, that’s amazing! That’s great!” He says loudly, smiling at them. They look at him confused, Wolf even upset by his words as he corrects himself. “Wait, no, not great. I mean, villain attacks are bad but if that’s how you did for your first time, then you’re already ahead of the curve!” He says supportively as Killian smiles wide and Tadashi looks confused next to him.
“We did alright?..” Tadashi asks softly.
“Better than alright! None of you died or even came close to it. You even managed to hurt him! If the fight continued, he certainly would have lost.” Southpaw says, looking at the unconscious man. The pack of friends look confused by his words as he smiles at them. “And you even had backup to spare!” He says as Moshiro and Saika approach them, still holding the injured hero.
“Southpaw. It’s an honor sir but, if you could, he was hurt fighting the villain.” Moshiro says softly as she motions towards the hero on her shoulders. Southpaw takes the hero in his arms and lays him down gently against a wall sitting up. He gently places his hand on the man’s chest for a moment.
“Poor guy. If he had been an agent for my ASA, he wouldn’t have been alone in his fight.” Southpaw says before taking his hand away, the random hero taking a deep, soft breath. He stands up and looks at Moshiro with a soft smile. “I’ve boosted his healing, he should be fine. You two did a good job protecting him while he was down.” He says with a smile. Saika and Moshiro both nod, pleased to be praised by Southpaw but still disappointed they couldn’t do more. He turns and looks at the others.
“Speaking of protecting, I heard you all protecting the innocent people here from that villain. You put yourselves on the line just to buy time for me to arrive. I’m very proud of you all.” He says as Killian faints from the praise and Phoenix blushes while rubbing the back of her head bashfully. Southpaw then looks at Wolf who isn’t interested in the praise but gets a surprised look at his shifting attention.
“Especially you. I heard you tell your friends to run. You planned on fighting the villain all by yourself even though you had no idea if you would win, didn’t you?”
Wolf looks away a bit embarrassed but also not impressed by the hero before her.
“I didn’t do it to buy you time to arrive. I did it to protect my friends.” She says confidently even if her gaze is soft. Southpaw smiles warmly before looking at the others.
“I have seen incredible work done here today by a group of young, inspiring heroes.” He says boldly. Phoenix eyes widen as Killian snaps up with a smile on his face.
“Heroes?” They both say in unison. Wolf looks disappointed.
“Heroes..” she mumbles.
“All of whom I think would fit in perfectly at my Academy of Superior Abilities!” Southpaw says confidently while outstretching his arms to them. Everyone looks shocked as they stare at him.
“What???” They all scream.
“I think I might faint again, catch me.” Killian says, overly dramatic as Phoenix does catch him in her arms. Southpaw looks back at Wolf and offers his hand.
“My academy is a symbol of protection to every human on this planet. We lay Torn to rest, stop villains and their corrupt souls, and maintain peace around the world. And I haven’t seen young souls like yours stand for that better than you here today.” He says with a proud smile. “What do you say?” He offers. Wolf looks at his hand for a moment with wide eyes.
“You mean, you, the greatest hero in the world, are offering all of us a spot in the Academy of Superior Abilities? An elite school for training the most powerful and amazing heroes the world has ever seen?” She asks softly with her big eyes staring at his hand, thinking about all the possibilities this chance could unlock. Not just for her, but for all of them. The adventures to be had and the lessons to be learned. She looks at his hand before smiling warmly, looking up at Southpaw. “Nah, I’m good.” She says casually. Southpaw is stunned as all the others get shocked.
“WHAT?!” Phoenix and Killian scream as they charge her and tackle her over.
“One moment please. Our friend is a dumbass.” Phoenix says with a cute smile to Southpaw before turning back to face Wolf with an angry but also confused look. “Wolf, what are you doing?? Are you trying to sabotage my entire life??” Phoenix shouts.
“I swear to god, if you just blew the biggest chance of our life-” Killian growls. They turn around and force Wolf to bow along with them.
“We’d like to apologize for our friend’s stupidity and accept your offer, if it’s still available, please.” The two of them say in unison. Southpaw sighs and scratches the back of his head with a confused smile.
“Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed. I mean, usually I’m the one turning people down but it’s not like I can make you. It’s not like you guys have powers or anything… or do you?” Southpaw asks with a wink and a smirk. This actions leads Phoenix and Killian’s eyes to shine brightly as they look at each other. Tadashi smirks and chuckles to himself as Wolf only looks away with a conflicted look.
“Well, sleep on it. You all can expect something in the mail from my academy and should you choose to accept, I’ll look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, let’s get you home, shall we?” Southpaw says with a smile, offering his back to be jumped on to take them home.
“Ooh! Me first!” Killian giggles as he jumps up and onto Southpaw’s back as all the others follow, stacking upon each other onto this great hero’s powerful shoulders.