Night One Hundred And Sixty Three
Age 1991
Gladious City...
Squad Two Base...
"You got some explaining to do..." Hero said flatly. Him and... Okami... Mary... Okary? Were both currently seated at the wooden table in the bar.
"I know. But first which are you?" Mary asked.
"What?"
"Row? Or Hero? Which are you?"
"Hero."
"Okay." Mary nodded. "This must have shocked you right?"
"Shocked is a word some might use to describe how I currently feel."
'What the hell! Okami is our mom! I hate this! I hate all of this!'
"Row would describe it in a different manner..."
Mary let out a small giggle. Now that he was up closer to her he noticed she had aged a bit. She had some grays as well as a few scars here and there. Finally though she let out a sigh. "Well Hero... I'm a Second Gen. A Project Rebirth... After your creation with the Dream Crest killed me I thought that was it for me... But than Mr. Hyde came along... Rotten bastard... Forced me onto Mary... Or rather I had Okami forced onto me. It's a little weird. I'm 55% Mary, 45% Okami. I still go by Mary, and have most of her memories but all the powers of skills of Okami. It was odd going through all the memories..."
'What did she mean your creation killed Okami?'
"I told you Row... I killed Okami not you... I tried to use the Dream Crest Once but it got all messed up... I brought back a Bestia Macht by accident and Okami suffered the fatal blow for my mistake..."
'There is a lot more to this story you aren't telling me isn't there...'
"So Row's just in your head?" Mary asked giving a small frown.
"Yeah. Never shuts up..."
'Because last time I was gone you cried like a little bitc-'
"So Hero... You really did it... You really went and became an Enforcer..." Mary asked staring at him.
"Yeah... I guess I did didn't I..." Hero said staring at the jacket he wore. It suddenly felt heavy on him...
Mary smiled as she reached out and placed her hand on the top of his head. "I am... So... So proud of you. You've become a real Hero. Haven't you."
"I wouldn't say that...." Hero said his cheeks lightning up slightly as he looked down at the table. "I met Light... He's back to... I guess he doesn't know that you're back?"
"I'd suspect not..." Mary sighed shaking her head. "Honestly it wasn't until two Ages before you became an Enforcer that I got this body... Still... Rather its Okami's mind, or Mary's mind, I feel nothing but a joy when I look at you Hero."
"Why... Why didn't you..." Hero stopped for a moment covering his face with his hands as he let out a sigh. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive. I thought I was... I figured I was alone."
Mary patted him on the shoulder for a moment. "Why are you crying Hero?" Mary laughed. A few of the other Enforcers took note for a second looking down towards them. "After all a brave hero should never cry. Tears won't change anything. They only bring out despair in a person. So smile. Because a smile has way more Hope inside of it. And I think you know the answer as to why I never came and got you... Okami is dead. And there isn't enough of Mary left to really be your mother... Just like Light, I may share her name and body, but really... I'm someone new. Those two are... So to how you are not Row Law, I am not Mary or Okami but someone totally different. I'm Mary Law. And that's who I want to be. I never came to get you because I needed to know who I really am... I still care about you... I still think of you as a son from both their minds... But... The struggle of learning what's from what... The pain I thought I'd feel if it I got it wrong... Being a Second Generation really is a torment..." She smiled for a moment. "But... Sitting here with you now... Talking to you. I see that what was really tormenting was being away from you. My son."
Hero let out a heavy sigh reaching into the pocket of his jacket. "I've uh... I've had this for a while... I get that you're saying you aren't really Okami or Mary anymore... But could you take this back... The weight from holding it has always hurt so much." Hero said pulling out a small golden dented up badge. "An Enforcers badge is one of the most important things to them, I had no choice but to return that back to you."
"You've had it all this time..." Mary said gently taking it and looking down at it. She slowly placed it in her coat pocket as she looked up meeting his ruby red eyes once more and flashing him a smile. "Oh Hero... You've really grown up haven't you? I'm so glad I got to see this day."
"Mary. Who's this..." A voice said. Hero felt an arm on his shoulder and looked up. It was a gruff looking man with dirty messy black hair and a black beard as well as tired black eyes. He wore only a pair of pants, and the Enforcer jacket which was unzipped and he didn't have a shirt on underneath. His right hand had an Equation in it much like Hero's. Squad Two Captain. Kong.
"Well... I guess you could say he's kind of like my son?" Mary said giving a sly smile. "Hero. Meet Kong Blight! He's the older brother of that Dawson guy you have in your Squad. He's also kind of my boyfriend so think of him as your step dad!"
"This is so weird..." Hero said flatly.
'I hate this. I hate it all... Why are Mary and Okami one! We must kill Mr. Hyde next we see him.'
"100% agree with you Row. He will pay for his sins."
Kong looked down at Hero frowning. "He's a weird one ain't he. Talking to himself and about sins? Ahh well... I really don't care." He patted Hero on the shoulders nearly knocking the boy down. "Welcome to Squad Two. The second best Squad. Though I think we're the best... You think your Squad's weird? Everyone in my Squads some kind of monster or devil." He laughed. "The worst of the worst, the weird and vile. Those are who stay here!"
"Sounds... Lovely..." Hero said flatly.
"We're really not so bad once you get to know us." Mary laughed. "Speaking of which why don't you meet the Squad recruits will be going up against you in the games! Get your asses over here recruits!" She whistled.
Five people suddenly appeared. Four were girls, and one was a guy.
One girl had long brown hair and light brown eyes. A small smile on her face. In her arms she held what looked like a doll of the girl next to her. This one was Brave Larison.
The girl next to her had long black hair and raven red eyes. She was the one that the doll looked alike. Her name is Fate Willaims.
After them was a strange looking girl with long green hair made out of what looked like thorns, and wooden spikes all along her skin, as well as razor sharp teeth and button like eyes that seemed to be sown in... Her name was Thorn and she did not have a last name.
The fourth girl was the weirdest. She rested on a large crystal ball which Hero guessed was her Equation. It was shining and seemed to give off a weird light. She had long gray hair and tired looking gray eyes, and her skin looked greasy and unclean. Hella Goryo was her name.
And finally the one boy. The others were all dressed in Enforcer jackets but he wore what looked like a black business suit with a red tie that looked fancy. He had neat black hair, and cold brown eyes that stared at Hero with a disinterest. He was Curro Dwight, the star member of Squad Two.
"Who's this pathetic one." Curro asked looking down on Hero with his nose.
"Pathetic!" Hero nearly fell over as he glared back at the man. "I'll show you!" He raised his right arm up but was stopped by Mary.
"Easy tiger. Don't go fighting yet. You can get your fill for that in the matches that are to come. After all there are gonna be a lot of fighters... I'm sure you and Curro will end up fighting each other soon."
"And when we do I'll crush him-" Curro began but was stopped when Brave grabbed him by the ear.
"Play nice Curro." Brave said frowning.
"I'm sorry for his behavior." Fate said bowing.
"Don't apologize to him! He's the enemy." Curro yelled.
"Don't listen to him." Thorn said. "He's just a muscle head. No brains at all."
"I'm standing right here!"
"Indeed..." Hella said nodding. "Curro might be our strongest recruit, but he is also by far our dumbest-"
"I hate all of you!"
"This is a weird team." Hero said flatly. He shook his head giving a small smirk. "But either way. I don't intend to lose any matches to any of you. Hear that."
Brave gave a grin of her own. "Oh a tough guy are ya?"
"I try to be."
"Well kid don't go holding back against any of my recruits." Kong said slapping Hero on the back. "All of them... They're all strong ya got that?"
Before any of them could say a word though the door to the tavern, and or Guild base, opened as Katrina came walking in. She looked around for a bit before her eyes spotted Hero. "There you are..." She sighed marching over to him and grabbing him by the back of his coat. "Come on. We're all at the colosseum. They're setting up and some of the other Squads are arriving. Stop playing around."
"But I was talking-"
"You can talk later."
Hero sighed but managed a small smirk as he stared back at Curro who still had a frown on his face. "I'll see you in the Games. Don't hold back on me when we finally have our match."
Mary watched Hero be dragged out of her Squad Base as her smile faded. "So Hero... You honestly did grow up... Just like me you went and changed... Though unlike me you didn't go an shatter... I've forgiven you for that event so many Ages ago, but it makes me wonder... Will you be able to fogive yourself..."
Meanwhile at the colosseum Katrina was dragging Hero up a flight of metal stairs which rose up off the ground allowing them to reach the floating arena. The inside of it was massive with a huge area on the wall for thousands of spectators. It hadn't even started yet and there were already hundreds seat from all over the Nation of red. Many Drones all like droney flew around filming everything they saw which was live. Down on the floor there were several stone boxes which all had a one, all the way up to twelve on them each a box for a Squad. Currently only Squad Six, and Seven, were in their boxes. The boxes were also all lined up in order so one was next to two which was next to three and so on. In the center of the colosseum a massive stone plat form rested. It was ten feet off the ground rising up and seemed to simply float in the air not actually touching the floor. It was made of a mix of stone and metal. It was nearly one mile long and would allow for plenty of movement. All along it and above it there were other much smaller ramps, walls, floors, and ceilings, a person could jump from, bounce off of, or use to swing around with if their powers needed it.
All in all it was a pretty big system that would allow for a lot of movement. Just looking at it made Hero get a bit excited. He had felt weird earlier due to the fact he was returning home but now he was starting to get pumped up again.
Katrina threw him into the Squad Six brackets as Hero tripped over his feet and landed flat on his face. Dawson, Jackson, and Hannah, as well as Santa weren't in the brackets and instead were in the crowd of people like everyone else.
Hero let out a small sig pushing himself up. "I just had the weirdest encounter..." Hero said rubbing the top of his head.
Kitsune's eyes filled with fear for a moment as he looked around. "Oh crap! Is the Master here?"
"What?" Hero frowned and shook his head. "No. Don't be an idiot. The Master wouldn't come to one of these-"
,,¡ǝɯ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ op ǝslǝ ɹo sǝɯɐƃ ǝsǝɥʇ ɟo punoɹ lɐuᴉɟ ǝɥʇ oʇ ʇᴉ ǝʞɐɯ ʇsnɯ puɐ 'ʇno oƃ ʇou ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ ɟo oʍʇ ǝɥ┴ ¡ǝunsʇᴉʞ ¡oɹǝH,,
A pair of red arms slammed into Hero and Kitsune knocking them both to the ground as a short man in hot pink robes which covered his entire body not showing his face, came crashing down on them both. He landed on Hero now resting on Hero's back.
,,¡ƃuᴉsol ɯoɹɟ noʎ ɟo oʍʇ ǝɥʇ pᴉqɹoɟ I,,
"Master!" Hero and Kitsune both said in shock.