Chapter 154 - Fear Or Something Else

Age 1991

"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."

"What 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 resting 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! But why did it shoot up so fast?" He sounded a bit worried as he bit his lip and crossed his arms.

"When you use Monster-Point it speeds up the growth. Thus you can't rely on that power otherwise you'll go to fast, and either burn yourself out, or tip over thye edge of being a Seraphin and become a full Monster."

"That can't be good!"

"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. You've grown. Even holding your power back you still forced yourself to get this strong."

"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. I'll hold onto this humanity."

"You know just because you'll become a Monster you're still Hero Otoko right?"

'Am I though. Mentally, and physically I might be there. But I would be forever changed. And I already said I don't like change. I'm Hero Otoko, the third strongest human alive. A Seraphin is on the edge of Human and Monster. I'll stay on that edge and see her."

"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 c.o.c.king 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. Also you would have to beat 'him' as well..."

"Him?"

"Ignore him." The Big Labby stated. "My smaller form seems to think there is something else in here. But we have both scanned. Only your signature, as well as the Monsterfication signature, and your Mothers signature have come back. We are the only thing in here."

"About that." Hero said frowning. "What's the thing that takes over the Seraphins and turn them into mindless monsters?" He asked.

"The Monsterficaation of course?"

"And yet." Hero pointed towards the massive white Hospital that rested in the distance. "She doesn't seem to be doing anything. Are you sure that's what takes control of us?" Hero asked raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I haven't felt Rage. At least not to a pure extent. Nor have I felt a wave of saddness. Come to think of it I don't think I ever cried after I became a Seraphin." Hero said frowing again He folded his arms bowing his head slightly as he became deep in thought. "And you said when we go through an Enhancement that power goes somewhere right... It gets stored up somewhere... I wonder where, if it isn't any of you that are getting that power, and it isn't the Monsterfication that takes the user over..."

"If that's the case... And there really is something else in here, the Doctor Hyde must have had no idea... This isn't good. But it's just a theory... I'll look into this though."

"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... Although I'm kind of scared at what is in here, if there really is something else crawling around my mind? 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. You're choosing to hold yourself back..."

"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. I know that in the end it wouldn't change much, but to give up on this... It feels wrong. To just give up my humanity..."

"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."