Disclaimer: I don't own One Punch Man.

A/N: This story picks up after the King arc, the day after Genos's fight with G4.

Edit: I did some spelling corrections and other adjustments.

Chapter 1

The Meeting

She was dangling at the edge of oblivion; the only thing between her and the water below was the diminishing strength of her fingertips and the cracked frame of the window above. She could see the body of a co-worker dangling down a steel pole sticking out of whatever was left of her office, and she could smell the remains of other friends on her bloodied blouse. The sudden death by the meteor had almost been a small mercy when the other alternative was an excruciating one at the hands of a rampaging monster. She had known him; they had worked together, and then he was fired. He had come back for vengeance.

She wondered if dying by his hand was preferable to drown, or flying into pieces. She couldn't swim, and she was sure that if she were to crash into the water from this height, the twentieth floor of her workplace, then there wouldn't be much left of her to drown. It was strange, there was no coast in City Z, but there she was, threatened by a large body of water.

The water had appeared from nowhere. First, there had been a thunderous bang that still rang in her ears, and the building had collapsed sideways. Between the gaps, water had flowed in, cascading from somewhere outside the city. She guessed it to be the water of the great Lake Ashi. She could feel its coldness from above. If its bed had been disrupted by those flaming rocks, and it wouldn't surprise her to see this part of the city flooded.

But knowing all of these did not improve her predicament at all.

Her situation reminded her of the monkey bars she used to play when she was in primary school. Being a fat child, she always failed to advance after the first couple of flights. And now, her own body was working against her again. She might have lost a lot of weight, but she was still weak without a shred of muscle. She hadn't changed an iota even after over two decades. She still failed at monkey bars. Even though it had only been a few minutes at most, her arms were quivering spastically, and her hands drenched in cold sweat were slipping.

The foreboding thought of her slipping fingers haunted her. She dreaded the moment she would fall and the surface of the water would break her bones apart like they were rice paper. She feared the moment where she would no longer be.

She let out a cry of anger that reverberated in the dim chamber she was in. She dug her fingers into the pane and felt her painted nails bend outwards. She would not give up yet, not to this. She had endured for years to become what she was; she had risen above from everyone else, and she would do the same now; she would not give up-

A whiplash sound of breaking plaster pierced through her angry convictions, and she became weightless for a moment. She flew for a glorious moment before slamming into the water. She sank to her end: her mangled fingers oozing out a thick black blood, and her hair trailing quietly after her as she disappeared into the darkness.

00oo00

Genos's day so far had been quiet. He had spent the morning with Dr Kuseno working on his repairs and the modifications produced from G4's remains. Now though, he was back in City Z and feeling celebratory; he had purchased saltwater eel (which was getting rather pricey these due to over-fishing). And-

And- Was that the sound of screaming?

Genos dashed into the street to the left, his grocery bag swinging at his side. He could detect the sounds of distressed citizens up north, around the fences surrounding the abandoned city, not too far from Saitama-sensei's and Genos' apartment. It was over 400 metres away, and he guessed the screams would've travelled more if it not been for the tall apartment buildings.

He jumped up, perching on the roof of a convenience store. He could see people fleeing. He moved closer, returning to the streets, and followed the telltale trail the fleeing crowd had set for him.

"You," a woman gasped, choking on air, "Y-you're a hero right?"

Before Genos can answer he was flooded with scared exclamations.

"It was horrible!" a man cried, "Everything blew up!"

"She devoured my dog," another sobbed, clutching a broken purple leash, "He was just a puppy!"

"Where is the creature?" asked Genos.

"She was behind that building, then she ran back into the deserted city towards the old market," the first woman said.

"With my puppy!"

"It's tall and oozing of black matter, like a giant slug!" the man next to Genos piped in. And with that last tidbit of information, Genos was off.

00oo00

Genos was well into the abandoned city and had been scouting the perimeter for some time. He was getting irritated, and the eel in his bag was getting gelatinous in the heat. If he galloped along with it any longer, he might have to serve instant rice and egg again tonight.

Whatever that had haunted the streets before had vanished in thin air, leaving only cleaved pavements, and collapsed manholes; and foul-smelling surface runoff gushing out of the storm drains. Genos could still sense demonic life forms, their energy levels flickering in and out his sensors, but most were far away, and only one near him was weak like it was being suppressed on purpose. It was making it hard for him to pinpoint its location.

But no, he would not fail. It was still there, he didn't need the digital output to find it. He picked up his speed and rounded the corner. And he was surprised to see a thin woman in the middle of the street. She jumped back, yelping, just as startled at his sudden appearance as he was of hers.

And with that, the demonic presence evaporated.

The woman barely had any energy presence, it was unlikely she was the source of the demonic aura. Genos inspected her, noticing how timid and weak she looked hiding part of her face behind patches of entangled brown hair. She had wrung fingers drawn to her chest, gloved in what he might guess to be black shiny leather. Only a scared civilian. The monster must be hiding somewhere near, then. Her cry must've alerted it to his presence.

"You-" she started.

"Have you seen a tall dark monster?" he asked as he approached her. His vision roamed the environment for any clues.

"Yes, the monster was behind me, so I ran here," she paused, grappling with words, "I am scared, can I stay with you?"

Genos frowned at her, "No. You should head that way and you'll be safe."

She looked more miserable if that was possible, "But, isn't this place no-notorious for monsters? Please, I don't feel safe."

"No," replied Genos, "You must leave, the area is clear in that direction."

She cocked her head to a side, "How do you know?"

"I- That is irrelevant. Leave, it is not safe you to remain here."

"B-but, I must find my dog."

Genos was not sympathetic. "Your dog."

She did two quick successive blinks, "I mean- um, it is my friend's, but I cannot leave it here, it is just a puppy. I think the monster has it."

Speaking of the devil, the demonic presence had changed positions. Genos had to move on. "Do what you must."

"Thank you!" She did a quick bow.

"Don't thank me yet," he muttered under his breath. Feeling mildly sadistic, he wondered if he should run just to make her quit, but he dismissed that thought. He could afford to be more careful, now he knew the monster was near. There was no need to rush into danger. Not to mention it was rather cruel of him to do so. She had been rather polite until now.

"I think I know you. You are Demon Cyborg, right?"

"Yes."

"Your name is Genos."

He did not acknowledge that. Where was that monster? He was picking up something again, a sudden jump, a couple of streets down this time. Was it running away? How did it move that fast?

"It was you who destroyed that meteor, right?"

"... No." Perhaps he should've ditched the girl.

He heard her stop. "You didn't?

"Was it Metal Knight then?" There was an edge in her voice.

He too stopped, turning back towards her, "No."

"Then who?"

Genos hesitated. It was strange, here was a person who wanted to know the truth, he could give Saitama-sensei the credit he deserved, but something about her expression told him to be careful, "It was a collective effort."

"That's hardly an answer. Am I to take it as the reports were then: you, Metal Knight and a C-class hero who rode the shoulders of the giants."

She looked irritated when she spoke those words, and he didn't know what to make of her, but he was sure it added up to his desire to get rid of her as soon as possible.

"Stop dallying me if you wish to find your dog and be quiet." The words came out harsher than he had intended.

"Well- I," she started, flushing.

"You," he enunciated as clear as he can, "are slowing me down."

Her unassuming expression crumbled as her supposed shyness was overcome by fury. "You are not forthcoming, are you brat? Ordering people around so rudely."

A crack appeared in the wall of an apartment next to them.

Genos's anger flared, brat? "And you are rather pretentious, aren't you? I don't have to tolerate your inflated ego, pipsqueak. Scram."

A water pipe burst, splattering both of their feet in liquid. Genos frowned, looking at the wall. He raised his palm up and-

"I have to wonder who is the egoist here, you nasty toaster-"

-a small flame jumped to life.

And the building shook and crumbled; a monster, huge enough to tower Tank Top Master, burst from the concrete slabs. It was a big, dark, and ugly brute with a bovine head that was crowned by four large demon horns. It looked strong with all of its body rippling with sweaty muscles. For a moment it looked as if it would attack them, but it seemed to reconsider his decision, looking at them as empty as his grass chewing cousins did to trains, and then like an overgrown school bully it ran back.

Genos did not hesitate to mutter "incinerate". This monster might not be the one he was looking for -it obviously was not a female-, but its death would do for now. A wave of wildfire erupted from his hands, engulfing the monster like coursing water.

"What are you doing!" she shouted over the roar of the fire, through her shielding arms, "He was running away!"

Genos let the torrent of fire go out and watched as the flames curl in and dwindle on their own.

"He was a monster," he glared at the charred piece of meat, stuck under a sizzling construction pole, "They deserve nothing but elimination."

Unbeknownst to him, while he was speaking his truth, the woman's face had contorted into an ugly sneer.