David

The sight of Hush left the Vipers - their leader included - silent. Not a one of them said a word as he was brought before the people he'd once stood over, broken and bloodied beyond anything he'd ever been forced to endure before. That alone would've been enough to leave an impression, but when Kyou's people emerged from beyond the mounds, the Vipers watching began to murmur amongst themselves once they'd gotten over that second bout of shock. Some were indignant, others fearful... But it all cemented one thing. That they were not playing at war, that this was not some petty little skirmish. Akuma was waging total warfare against them, and those Vipers were just the beginning.

Bertha looked on in anger. Or, rather, that was the act she put on. Her eyes were pitiless, devoid of emotion, surveying the situation coldly. So far, it was all going according to plan. From atop the mound she was standing on with Goliath, she turned to him, feigning concern with inhuman precision, the tone of her voice mimicking a mix of desperation and anger without even a hint of wavering.
"Goliath, I can take him out from here, let me-"
The Vipers' leader, standing next to her upon that spire of misshapen steel and twisted plastic, held his hand up as if to silence her - and his people.

"Medics. Take Hush and the rest of them. See to their wounds. I'll deal with these mongrels myself."
His voice was as thunder. Loud, deep, commanding - something to inspire fear in lesser men. Hyousuke suppressed it as much as his body would allow, but there was nothing that could stop the shiver running down his spine, nor the burning in his scar. That voice, the memories it evoked, the pain that he remembered at just hearing that smug, self-serving tone command the masses before him... He'd be lying if he said that there wasn't fear inside him. Some sort of trepidation, his mind pondering if it would all be in vain.

But, more than that, there was something else. There was fire, burning deep in his soul, scorching every inch of him as it consumed his very being. There was rage - the product of hatred and a ravenous, all-consuming desire for revenge, once bottled and left to fester, suddenly being released and laying claim to his every thought. It drowned out the fear, like a storm upon a puddle, spurring him into action. There was no desire for justice, no righteous motivation. What Hyousuke had against Goliath, that was personal. And he would have his revenge if it killed him.

As he stepped forward, bringing himself into view of the audience, Goliath once more began to speak, his voice booming out across the scrapyard's landscape, and echoing off the bent and contorted piles of refuse that reached up towards the stygian sky.
"So. You must be Akuma. And you... I'm familiar with you already, Suzuki." He began to step down from his twisted throne, before stepping harshly down into the dirt. "I care for my people, you know. Everything I do, everything I say, it's all to make sure that I can provide for them. You may view this expansion of our territory as greed, but I can assure you, I do it for the good of those I care about.”

Bertha almost broke the facade at that statement. Goliath was, to put it simply, full of shit, and she knew it. Hyousuke, however, had no such obligations. Though he remained quiet while Goliath approached, the scowl he took on said everything he needed it to.
"So you can imagine how I must feel, looking at this. Loyal Vipers, working tirelessly to ensure our success thrown into the dirt like garbage. One of my most trusted men, mauled and mutilated, before being tossed about and left to crawl towards me. Sending the traitor here to fight me, knowing full well that he doesn't stand a chance. Anger does not begin to describe it. But I will deal with you in time. You’re saying you want this treacherous mutt to fight me? Fine. So be it. But know this, Akuma - when I have broken him, I will have your head next."

The threats and the anger weren't what Hyousuke remembered of Goliath. His memories were of someone smug, self-serving, their ego matched only by their strength. But as he watched the loyalists and the broken Hush being hauled away, it truly began to settle in how much truth there was to Goliath's words. He didn't believe for a second that the Viper cared for his men more than he cared for a particularly useful wrench, of course. But in mere seconds, control of the atmosphere had been wrested from him. Akuma had shown how easily he could strike down any of the Vipers he so chose, and that fear - more than anger - plagued his people's minds, threatening to loosen the control he had over them.

Goliath was a manipulator. And if there was anything that would damage him, it would be taking away his control.

"Are you done mouthing off?" Hyousuke said eventually, to turn Goliath's attention back to him. "In case you don't remember, we still have a score to settle. Or are you just planning on boring me to death?" Despite the rage that burned within him, Hyousuke's tone was... smug. It was cocky, confident, as if there was no doubt in his mind that he would not only beat Goliath, but do it without so much as flinching. Much to Hyousuke's pleasure, it worked. Goliath wanted people to be in awe of him, or to fear his presence. But when someone didn't take him seriously - someone that he considered a threat to his power - all while he'd already been shaken by the sight of his fallen men? It got deep under his skin, spreading through his mind like a cancer.

"You really are a fool, aren't you? I've already beaten you, in case you've forgotten about that scar I gave you. What makes you think that this will end any differently?"
Hyousuke tossed his jacket to the side, letting it crumple in a heap while he stood before his foe. He was a far cry from the boy that had flung himself mindlessly against Goliath all those months ago. Both his mind and his body had been honed, disciplined, and trained - forged into something far beyond what Goliath had faced before. It only took a glance at him to see it.

"Why don't you come here and find out?"

A single speech wasn’t enough to destroy the Vipers’ faith in their leader. If it was, they wouldn’t have followed him to what might as well have been foreign territory, into a fight that they were ill-equipped for by every stretch of the imagination. But it was enough to start some whispers. Murmurs among the crowd, asking about what he meant, pondering if it could be true. Most dismissed it, as they’d been conditioned to, but while the murmurs never stopped, they never quite died down. Hearing that was enough to have Goliath even more on edge than before, and Hyousuke made no attempt to hide how smug he was at the fact.

The crowd watched and held its breath, the tension in the air thick as Goliath began to power up. Hyousuke made no attempt to interrupt - not this time. He just watched as the Viper's muscles began to swell and shift, pulsing beneath his shirt until it began to rip - and then a little further, once he'd torn the thing from his chest, and cast it aside. By the time he'd finished, Goliath easily loomed over Hyousuke, his frame wider and taller than even the blond's. And yet, Hyousuke stood firmly, casually glancing over his enemy... before cocking a brow and folding his arms.

"This again? And they say I'm narrow-minded!" The way he spoke was as derisive as he could possibly force himself to be. Goliath, even when he was strong enough to tear his limbs from their sockets with his bare hands, was a joke. Something to gawk and laugh at, a spectacle to be mocked and forgotten about once the novelty had worn off. And Goliath hated it.
"I broke you with this once before, you insolent mongrel, and I'll do it again!" With a great, guttural roar, the behemoth came lumbering towards Hyousuke - a bull charging down its victim.

Hyousuke was quick to shift his stance. The moment that Goliath started towards him, his feet were in position, his arms raised into a tight guard. He waited, watching, his eyes scanning every subtle movement that Goliath made. When the giant swung, though, he stood his ground and took the hit. The Vipers looked on eagerly, wanting to see their leader pummel this traitor more, and put him in his place. But Bertha's slight smile wasn't from watching Hyousuke be hurt. She'd watched how his body twisted and his feet moved back, and the pinpoint precision of his timing. He'd taken the blow, but he'd rolled with it expertly. For all the strength Goliath had put behind the blow, he might as well have been slapping Hyousuke.

“You’re slow, Suzuki! You’re still sloppy as ever!”
Emboldened, he swung again, that wild haymaker driven down towards the blond with every ounce of force he could muster, as if he were trying to reduce Hyousuke to a crimson smear across the dirt. But it was a slow punch - an imprecise one, telegraphed every second that he was winding up for it. Onlookers might have thought it fast, but to Hyousuke, Goliath moved as though he were slogging through water. The strike was dodged, knuckles only grazing against his skin as he ducked below, and drove his hand upwards. Not in an uppercut - it was an open-palm strike, the heel hammering up against Goliath's nose.

"And you're still as dumb day I met you."
Goliath reeled back from that single blow. It was difficult to tell whether it was pain or surprise that had him staggering like that - but it shocked the audience as much as it did him. "I'm disappointed. If all it takes get you like this is a lovetap, I might as well just leave you for Akuma. You wouldn't be worth my time."
The taunt drew exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. Goliath, already shaken by the events that'd happened not even minutes prior, was enraged even further. He was like a bull as he bore down on Hyousuke - strong, fearsome, but flailing and imprecise.


As far as she could remember, Goliath had been a force of nature to new Vipers. An unstoppable paragon of strength. But they didn't know better. She could tell that Hyousuke had clashed against people smarter, stronger, and faster than Goliath could ever hope to be. Each bout had given him new experiences, new techniques, new lessons - each one an edge over Goliath. He'd changed since he'd been expelled from the gang, while Goliath had remained mired in his ways. Never once had he fought a serious battle, instead leveraging his charisma and his strength to decimate the opposition before they had a chance to fight back. Efficient, yes, but he'd gained nothing but ego from his experiences. Against a true fighter with real training and experience? He might as well have been swinging at air.

The battle kept on for only a minute - perhaps two. But to those watching with bated breath, and to the combatants themselves, it lasted an age. Goliath, swinging and draining himself with every failed blow, while Hyousuke danced about him and picked him apart piece by piece. As arrogant as he was, however, Goliath was not stupid. Blinded by rage, with a singular focus that left him with tunnel vision, but he was far from unintelligent. He saw what Hyousuke was doing, and shunted him away, leaving the two of them standing apart from each other, glaring their opponent down.

"Fine." Goliath growled between his heavy, heaving breaths, "If this is how you're going to do it... I'll play along." His form began to settle, shrinking back down. Though he still remained toned, he was a far cry from the towering giant that had faced Hyousuke before. Even so, Hyousuke refused to interrupt, instead watching, observing, prying for a weakness. In truth, however, the damage had already been done. When Goliath struck forward to lash out at Hyousuke, he was indeed faster, but he was also desperate. The blond could see it in his eyes and in his movements - he'd banked on ending the fight like he had before, and by the time he'd realised that he'd needed to change tactics, he'd spent the majority of his strength.

There was barely inches between them as they clashed once more. But it was Hyousuke's turn to go on the offensive. Goliath's blows were heavy, but still Hyousuke guarded against them. They left him aching, his muscles crying out with every strike they took, but he endured. His expression remained unflinching, unchanging - and it left Goliath unsettled. His movements grew more sloppy, and left openings. Enough for Hyousuke to push in, and slam his fist like hammer into his chin. Goliath staggered back, his brain sent rattling around in his skull. He was open.

He darted forward to drive his fist deep into Goliath's side. His knuckles, bare save for the thin layer of cloth wrapped about them, dug into his liver, forcing the air from his lungs with the sheer, shocking, pain that was sent surging through his body. Hyousuke moved fluidly into the next blow - a shot to his temple from the right, snapping his enemy's head to the side, leaving him staggering and open to another savage body blow. True, Goliath was still stronger and more durable than Hyousuke, even if he only used a portion of his Quirk's power. But Hyousuke was fighting at full capacity. Even the aching in his arms had been numbed by adrenaline. Combined with the practised precision and power of his attacks, Goliath had lost the moment he’d brought his defenses down.

There was a glare in Hyousuke's eyes as he stepped forward, twisting his body and shifting his arms to drive a savage uppercut into Goliath's jaw, snapping his head back, and sending him collapsing into the dirt with a dull, resounding thud. Devoid of strength, and left close to unconscious by the savage beating that Hyousuke had given him, Goliath could barely keep himself awake, let alone prop himself up to see Hyousuke loom over him, a cold and brutal look to his expression. Nor could he turn his head to watch as a crowbar, wedged into a mound beside them, was dragged unceremoniously out and beaten into the hero’s palm.

But the thing that stood above Goliath, weapon in hand, looked as far from a hero as one could imagine. There was savagery in his glare, unrelenting and unrepentant, focussed solely on the broken leader laying at his feet. He drove his foot unceremoniously into Goliath's chest, the heel pinning him to the dirt, while that emerald gaze looked down upon him.
"A-alright, you've won... It's over... Please, we can-"
"No. Not this time."
"Wh- what? What do you mean, no?"
"All those months ago, when I demanded answers. When you beat me, scarred me, threw me out like a dog - you could have talked then. But that time has long since passed. I'm here to exact justice, Goliath. An eye for an eye."

Hyousuke faced away from Kyou, even while he spoke at him, trying to convince him that this wasn't what he wanted. His expression remained unchanged throughout it all, though - cold, piercing, judging Goliath and finding the Viper wanting. Save for the quiet breaths he was taking while he looked down upon his quivering prey, he was silent and still, a statue poised to strike. The only thing that even showed he was even moving the pale shade of white that took over his knuckles as he clenched onto the length of steel held above his prey. And it was there he remained, contemplating, before he finally spoke.

"I never told you about my scar, did I?"
His tone was deathly serious. He didn't bother to raise his voice - he knew Kyou was listening, no matter how far away they each were. "About what it means to me. What it probably means to him. It's a symbol. It's there to remind me of him. To remind me of my failures and my weakness every time I look in the mirror. And I want him to feel that. I want him to flinch whenever he sees himself in a window while walks by it. I want him to wake up each morning, a line down his face burning as he remembers his shame. I want him to suffer. I want to take from him what he took from me."

Another pause filled the air with deafening silence, all while Hyousuke affixed Goliath with that frigid look. "I want him to face justice - not just for what he did to me, but for what he did for every Viper that he threw out onto the streets, and for those he keeps under his thumb. Scarring him like he did me is the least I can do to make him pay for what he's done." He moved the crowbar higher, winding up to strike with it. Slowly, drawing out the process - like two halves of himself were wrestling with each other, one to stop him, the other to spur him on. Then, with it raised as far as he could take it, he let it fall.

Though the thud of steel hitting dirt was quiet, it might as well have been thunder in the silence that plagued the scrapyard. "At least... that's what I tell myself. What I told myself all those months ago. I wanted to call my vengeance justice. To make it seem more than it really is.” A breath escaped him, long and quiet, and his arms hung limp by his side, as though he hadn’t the strength to move them any more.

“That anger will always be a part of me... You let a fire like that burn inside you this long, it's going to leave its mark. But it won’t define me. Not any more.” Hyousuke stepped off of Goliath, and moved backwards, away from his enemy - now reduced to a shadow of the man he’d thought him to be. “Go. Scurry back to whatever den you crawled out of, and never return. I can’t guarantee that I’ll show this much mercy again.”

Bertha caught the phone unceremoniously, a stony look across her face. Despite that hiccup at the last minute, everything had more or less gone according to plan - she was pleased, of course, but she couldn't show it. She'd have to put on a show, make it seem like she'd suddenly been given leadership of the gang as the only senior member with any degree of respect left for her. She'd already decided to leave, of course, not wanting to involve herself or anyone else with the police more than they had to. The first chance she got, she'd have as many of her people as she could do the same as well. But there had to be some theatrics first.

"Fine." She said firmly. "But if you want a decision, leave us. I don't want to talk with everyone else while you've got your grunts breathing my neck." She'd already made her decision, but it'd look a lot better for her if she didn't need Akuma hanging the threat of death over their heads to convince the rest of the Vipers. She slipped the phone into her pocket, and called out - this time to the rest of her people. "I want everyone at Site C in the next hour! Spread the word! Medics, keep Goliath and Hush stable!" She affixed Akuma with a cold glance, but gave him a small, subtle nod before she made her way out of the scrapyard, a few of her people in tow. She'd need time, but she'd be true to her word. As many vipers as she could, she'd get out of Musutafu - even if they had to be dragged, kicking and screaming.

Hyousuke, throughout it all, just watched. It just didn't feel real. After all he'd done, after every moment he'd spent thinking on and preparing for the chance to have his revenge, it was all just... gone. Save for waiting for Bertha to round up the Vipers, everything was finished. He'd won.

And yet, he still felt hollow.