Secter was back at the grocery store the next day, heading straight for the coffee aisle. The world refused to stop spinning for him, and every sound amplified the pain in his head tenfold. Fumbling through instant coffee cups and grinds, he grabbed what looked best based purely on the rising urge to leave, but then left for the juice aisle.
Coffee, he thought. Juice and eggs.
He couldn't read any of the juice labels, as his vision was too blurry. Instead, he stared at the cold lines of refrigerated juices, probably looking like an idiot to any passersby.
"Hey, you ok buddy?" came a voice from next to him.
Secter turned. A bald man stood beside him, adorned in a yellow jumpsuit with a white cape.
"Eh," said Secter. "Been better."
"Need to get that juice there," said the man. "It's the best price."
Secter coughed, which set his throat aflame.
"Really?" he squeaked.
"Yep. Just need you to move."
Apparently this was Saitama, according to a mind search.
"No problem," said Secter. He stumbled out of the way to allow Saitama through. A few feet away he grabbed a random jug of orange juice, and did his best to turn a long exhale into a pain alleviator. Relief only came for a moment, but the headache came rushing back. Secter started to leave, before stopping in his tracks.
"Wait," he said, mostly to himself.
He spun around, and to his delight, found that Saitama was still there, eyeing the label underneath the juice he had pointed out earlier.
"That's not right," said Saitama. "Did they get the wrong stuff?"
"You're Saitama, right?" asked Secter.
Saitama blinked at Secter, as if confused why Secter was still there.
"Uh, yes," said Saitama. "You've heard of me?"
"Through Bang," said Secter. "And your disciple. Who was rough on that Charanko guy, by the way."
"Eh, he'll be ok," said Saitama with a shrug. "He's seen worse I'm sure."
"Mmm," said Secter. Rubbing his forehead helped about as much as deep breathing did.
"They must have the prices wrong," said Saitama. "Guess I gotta ask now."
"Did you fight Tatsumaki once, by the way?" asked Secter.
"Yeah."
"Did her…" Secter gave a circular wave motion around his skull. "Head bleed?"
"It did. She got roughed up in a different fight a while ago."
"Oh, ok."
"Why, did you fight with her?" Saitama's eyes, at first devoid of expression, began to shine with interest.
"She attacked me," said Secter. "Supposedly after I pissed her off, but I think my existence pisses her off."
"Everybody's does. She's got some issues."
"Yeah, no shit."
Saitama went back to examining the juice.
"So, did you get hurt?" asked Saitama. "You seem a little out of it."
"Alcohol," said Secter.
"Ah."
"But no, not really. Even when she blasted me to space."
"You've been to space?" asked Saitama. "Me too! It's neat up there, isn't it?"
"Oh, I've been to space ma-" Secter paused and rubbed his forehead again. "Once or twice."
"I got launched up there by an alien," said Saitama. "But it was all good."
"I see."
A deeper mind search revealed the battle, with Saitama obliterating foe after foe in single strikes before defeating the commander of the ship. More exploration revealed almost every fight Saitama had to be this way. Shades of boredom were always present within him, even before a battle began, and Saitama looked the same whether he was about to fight a monster or scrutinize the price of some juice at the market.
"You're pretty strong, aren't you?" asked Secter.
"Yeah," said Saitama. "I guess."
"As in, really strong."
"Mmhmm."
"You've beaten most opponents easily."
"Yeeess," said Saitama, a skeptical air about him.
"But you're only A-class?" asked Secter.
Saitama shrugged.
"Ha!" said Secter. "Well, just more proof the system is broken."
"What system?"
"Hero Association. I don't like how it treats its people. Lower classes get no support, and then they get obsessed over power and class."
Saitama's attention began to turn from the juice, which was turning room temperature by this point, to the messy man standing over by the refrigerated peas.
"A lot of people are," said Saitama. "I don't really care."
"I do," said Secter. "This whole view, it poisons everything. And I'm gonna fix it, just not sure how."
"Well, good luck with that."
"Yeah."
Saitama sighed and went to put the juice back where it came from.
"You almost seemed bored with this whole situation," said Secter.
"Hmm?"
"With fighting monsters and everything," said Secter. "You seem bored of it."
Who the hell is this guy? thought Saitama. Man needs to lay off the alcohol, his breath still reeks of it.
"I suppose," said Saitama. "Not a lot gives me a challenge these days."
"That should be a good thing."
"Eh, not when it's a hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be fun."
"And getting a challenge in a fight is fun?"
"It can be," said Saitama. "Beating my opponents easy all the time gets old."
"Meh," said Secter. "If I were ever in your position, I'd just be happy that I could save people so easily."
"Saving people is nice," said Saitama. "Assuming you even get the credit half the time."
"Bah, credit isn't necessary. Least not all the time. Heroes should obviously get some support, but they should also be prepared to save people without getting a ton of attention."
"Mmm. You seem very focused on this."
"I have some experience."
"You a hero?"
"I suppose so. I killed some monsters and saved some people, so I guess that counts by regular standards."
"Sounds good enough to me," said Saitama. "Say, how did you know that I beat my opponents easily?"
"I pay attention," said Secter. "And give credit where credit is due."
"Yeah, but I don't even know you, nor have I ever seen you."
"The name's Secter," he said. "And no, you probably haven't. Even still, that doesn't mean I didn't know about a lot of the stuff you did."
"Ah. I guess you saw some of it or something."
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Well, that's good I guess," said Saitama. "I'm going to be heading out now."
"Yeah, me too," said Secter. "Need some aspirin or something."
The two walked their separate ways, and Secter returned home, his forehead growing damp and the world beginning to stabilize. He treated himself to a nice breakfast at 2 pm, complete with two cups of coffee, before dragging himself outside to go on patrol. Along the way he saw a multitude of heroes, all dressed in different kinds of clothing and adorned with various weapons. Some were scanning crowds for threats, others seemed to just be going about their normal day, but in costume. Secter looked down at his own costume, a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Blinking at himself, he shrugged and moved on. No one seemed to be panicking for the most part, save for a couple of people who caught sight of some of the higher-class heroes, and the day went by peacefully. Secter walked into a delicatessen and came back out with his late lunch, before finding a nice place to sit out in the dipping sun.
Munching on an Italian sandwich, Secter watched a nearby festival of colors head down a nearby street, a parade of people in costumes of all kinds. Only this time, they didn't seem to be heroes. Hats of feathers, and suits of colored bells all shook along to a blaring tune played from the floats which chugged along the street, and Secter could spot a few people with megaphones shouting from atop the mechanized vehicles of fancy.
What the hell is all that? he thought. Hang on, does that say Neo Heroes on the side?
"Huh," said Secter. He kept chewing along, before turning his attention to across the street. There, sitting at another deli just across the way was Fubuki, her arms folded in the insides of her fur-lined jacket. Secter's mouth opened and he dropped his sandwich into his tray.
She's not with her sister this time, he thought. Interesting. Well, maybe she can answer some questions I have.
He strode across the street, but failed to notice the group of people in black suits stream out from an adjacent ice cream parlor. Fubuki finally noticed Secter coming towards her, and her reaction was not dissimilar to his when he saw her earlier. The group of suited people noticed his approach.
In a flash, they formed a barrier between Secter and Fubuki, shuffling through chairs and tables alike to form a living wall. One of the members fell back and began whispering something to Fubuki, who responded just out of Secter's hearing range. The suited man nodded and walked to the front of the group, giving his best staredown he possibly could to the sweatshirted stranger.
"Miss Blizzard doesn't wish to see you," said the man. "So get lost."
"Look," said Secter. He held up his hands to show he was holding nothing. "Just have some questions about things."
"She does not wish to see you," said the man.
"Get out of here," came a young suited girl within the group. "Fubuki's our boss, and you'll listen like we do."
"Or you'll regret it," said the man.
"Did she tell you about yesterday?" asked Secter, struggling to stand on his tiptoes to peer over the top of the group. "She's not dead, is she?"
"What?" asked Fubuki, eying the straining man.
"Your sister," said Secter.
"Why would she be dead?" asked Fubuki.
"Oh, so I guess you don't know," said Secter. "Well, that's a shame. Guess I'll just head out then, leave you to it."
He turned his back to the group and began to walk, whistling to himself as he did so. Shuffling could be heard behind him, followed by a quiet yet firm:
"Wait."
Secter turned around. The sea of suited heroes had been parted, and Fubuki stared at Secter with brilliant eyes. For once, Secter was taken aback, as Fubuki actually looked healthier than she did before.
Damn, he thought. She's nice to look at.
He strode forward, taking a seat across from Fubuki. She jerked her head back, and the group began to dissipate, each member scattering to a sitting place not far from the deli where she was located. Secter watched each one of them go to their designated sitting spots, before raising an eyebrow at Fubuki.
"They going to watch us the whole time?" he asked.
"They'll only come in if I want them to," she said.
"Alright."
"So what's this about my sister?" asked Fubuki. "Did you do something to her?"
"Hold on, hold on, hold on," said Secter. "I get to go first, since I had to deal with your goons a second ago."
Fubuki sighed, but turned her palms upward in a sign of defeat.
"Why did you look so sick a few days ago?" asked Secter.
Fubuki's eyes widened, and her arms retreated back into the crossed position.
"Tch," she said. "That's personal."
"Fine, fine," said Secter. "Although I know it has something to do with your sister."
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing! She attacked me!"
Fubuki nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds like something she would do. Especially after you pissed her off a while ago. Don't know why you would do that, you're lucky to be alive."
"Apparently she doesn't like what I have to say, what I believe, or my very existence really."
"Sounds about right. You're best off avoiding her."
"I intend to. Even still, I wanted to know that she was ok."
"I haven't seen her since yesterday morning," said Fubuki. "I want to keep it that way."
Secter shifted in his seat, the metal design of the chair digging into his legs.
"Do you hate your sister?" asked Secter.
"I really don't like her right now," said Fubuki. "But this isn't stuff that concerns you."
"I tend to be concerned for other people in general. Especially if they are people who help civilians."
"This isn't something for you," said Fubuki. "You're an outsider, to the association, and especially to me and her. Don't go around thinking you can fix every problem you see."
"You must not know me very well. Hi, I'm Secter, and I'm here to help you out."
He extended a hand to Fubuki, a gesture which she refused with a dead stare.
"Well," said Secter. "It was worth a shot."
"Why are you so concerned about this?" asked Fubuki. "Getting involved with me or my sister could get you killed."
"Because a couple days ago, you looked like you wanted to die. And just yesterday, your sister looked about the same."
"What? What happened?"
"Like I said, she attacked me. Nothing of hers worked, so she got really pissed. Threw rocks and buildings at me, then her head started to bleed. And just as I thought she was calming down, she threw me into space."
Fubuki coughed, almost choking on the drink she had been raising to her mouth. It took a few sputters for her to regain her composure, and even then, her eyes were wide.
"She sent you into space?" asked Fubuki.
"Well, she dislodged the ground beneath me and sent that into space," said Secter. "I was just along for the ride apparently."
"How are you…"
"I've had worse."
Fubuki raised the drink to her chin once more, her face a maelstrom of emotions. Confusion, irritation, and anger were chief among them, but Secter also spotted raindrops of fear amongst the storm that was Fubuki's expression. Her hand shook as she sipped from a long, slender glass.
"Mmph," said Fubuki. "And then what?"
"Well, I came back," said Secter. "Gave your sister quite the shock too. Was kind of funny, until I saw that she had vomited on herself."
"She puked on herself?"
"Bunch of blood. From her mouth, her head, her nose too although I don't think she even noticed."
"Huh," said Fubuki. "So, she's still hurt…"
"She said that she had been fighting some dragons before she faced me, so that's why she was weaker. Don't know what the hell that means, I assume dragon is another class?"
Fubuki's mind was elsewhere, her gaze far off. Thinking to herself, she gripped the drink in her hand until her knuckles turned white. Then she looked back at Secter.
"And this was all last night?" she asked.
"Yes," said Secter. "She went back home I think, but she wasn't doing well. I didn't know if you knew whether she was alright or not. To tell you the truth, I don't mind if she got roughed up, but I don't necessarily want her to die per se…"
He tilted his head back and forth, as if weighing his options.
"Although she is a prick," said Secter. "That much I will say."
"We need to go," said Fubuki. "Now."
"What?" asked Secter. "Why? Is she in trouble or something?"
"She's about to be," said Fubuki. "Blizzard Group! Assemble! We're leaving!"
"They're named after you?" asked Secter.
"Will you come with us?" asked Fubuki.
Secter stared up at her for a second, then stretched his arms out in opposite directions.
"How can I say no to a face like that?" asked Secter.
Then they were off, Fubuki, and suited hero, and confused black-haired man alike. Reaching Tatsumaki's house didn't take long, but Fubuki paused and paced back and forth for what felt like hours as they reached the entrance. Eventually, she straightened out her hands parallel to the ground, and took a deep breath.
"We're going in," she said.
"Finally," said Secter. "What are you so worried about? Do you really think she's dead?"
"If all goes well, she'll be close," said Fubuki. Then, in a small voice: "This may be my only chance."
"Miss Fubuki, should we get Bang or the others as backup?" asked one of the group.
"No time," said Fubuki. "My sister can recover quick. We need to do this here and now."
Another deep breath. Fubuki stood in front of the door.
This is it, Fubuki, she thought to herself. We have to break free. I can't live like this, not for one more fucking day. This is it. It has to be. I won't hurt her, especially if she's as bad as Secter says, but I have to do something. I have to let her know that she's destroying us. And she'll have to listen if she's weak.
With a thrust of her hand, the door came crashing down, and Fubuki rushed forward, her first step into the house like a declaration of war.
"Tatsumaki, I'm done being your captive!" she yelled. "Come out here and face-"
In front of the tv, eating a bowl of cereal, sat Tatsumaki. She wore pink patterned pajamas, and gave her sister a mildly annoyed look.
"Face…" said Fubuki. "You – you're not injured." Her voice began to quaver, and she backed up into the doorway, blocking the entrance.
"Of course I'm not," said Tatsumaki. "Where would you hear such a thing? And what did you do to my door!?"
"I…" said Fubuki.
"Miss Fubuki!" asked one of the group behind her. "Should we come in to assist?"
Tatsumaki stopped mid-chew.
"Are you serious?" she asked. "You're still with them? I thought I told you that they were holding you back!"
Secter shouldered his way past Fubuki into the living room, and gawked at the spaciousness of the house.
Tatsumaki dropped her bowl to the floor. The spoon she had in her hand bent over backwards, before twisting into a metallic spiral. It snapped apart as it twisted, and the head of the utensil fell into her bowl.
"And him?!" yelled Tatsumaki. "He's here?"
"He's with my group!" shouted Fubuki. She thrust out an arm to bar Secter from moving any deeper into the house.
"I am not in your group," said Secter, giving Fubuki an annoyed look.
"Just one moment, sis," said Tatsumaki. "I'll be right with you."
Fubuki was flung outside by a psychic wave emanating from a flick of Tatsumaki's wrist, and with the lifting of her hand the door flipped upwards and sealed itself back into its original position.
Outside, Fubuki fell into the arms of her assembled group, who looked just as panicky as she did.
"He's going to die in there," said Fubuki.
"What do we do?" asked Lily.
Sweat began to pour down from her forehead, and Fubuki cast her eyes to the ground, despair infiltrating every recess of her mind.
"We have to retreat," said Fubuki. "While there's still time."
"But that guy…"
"Maybe he'll turn out alright," said Fubuki. "If what he said earlier was true. But if he was lying about Tatsumaki the whole time, then he's as good as dead. Let's go."
The group stormed out, a distraught Fubuki quickly following them.
Back inside the house, Secter couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"How big is this tv?" he asked. "No, seriously. This thing is almost as tall as I am!"
"Secter," said Tatsumaki.
"And this living room! It's got a skylight, and a full blown kitchen… Man, I never had anything this nice. Not since I was a kid, anyways."
"Secter."
"And the refrigerator, I'll bet that's one of those refrigerators that dispenses ice through that thingy on the door. And hey, what's with all that milk on the counter?"
"Secter! Listen to me!"
"What?" shouted Secter, turning back to her. He didn't like what he saw.
Tatsumaki was smiling at him, still holding the half-broken spoon in one hand.
"What did you tell my dear sister?" she asked.
"Just about the incident yesterday," said Secter. "Wanted to make sure you didn't die."
"I see. Well, do you know what's going to happen today, Secter?"
"Enlighten me."
"I've gotten my strength back, and I've been practicing some new methods I would like to try on you."
"Did you get your strength back from that milk?" He pointed at the cluster of white drinks that adorned Tatsumaki's table.
"Ignore those!" she shouted. With a slice of her hand through the air, the milk spilled off of the table and out of view.
"Did those say growth milk?" asked Secter. "Tatsumaki, you're twenty-eight. You're not growing any more."
She smiled again, but Secter saw her eye twitch.
"Shut up now," said Tatsumaki. "And let me explain what's going to happen."
Secter sighed.
"Go for it," he said.
"I've been practicing this new method, I like to call it brain-twisting," said Tatsumaki. "It's where I control the brain stem of a victim and twist it just like I did this spoon." She lifted the remnants of the spoon to show Secter. "And when I twist enough, the whole brain twists."
"Who the hell have you been practicing this on?"
"Monsters, you idiot," said Tatsumaki. "What do you take me for, some kind of psycho?"
"Yes, actually. Well, definitely not all there."
Tatsumaki crushed the spoon in her hand.
"I'm going to make this hurt. So badly in fact, that you'll beg me to stop, and then I won't. I won't stop until you're almost dead and begging for forgiveness. Do you understand?"
"There's a ridiculous amount of hate in you," said Secter.
"Only for you, Secter. Only for you."
"What for?"
"You embarrassed me, insulted me, and worst of all, you are a failure who thought he could stand up to me."
A fire lit up within Secter's mind. His temper rose and he began to imagine how nice Tatsumaki might look as she was being tossed out a window.
"What did you say?" he asked.
Tatsumaki smirked.
Got you, she thought. Seems like you aren't impervious to everything after all.
"I said," said Tatsumaki, the sweetest of smiles on her face. "That you, are. A. Failure. Colossal. Monumentous. Enormous. The worst I know. Failure."
Secter's leg muscles tensed up. From the look on her face, he must've looked ready to hit her, as Tatsumaki smiled something devilish at him.
"Are you ready to have your brain twisted, failure?" asked Tatsumaki.
"Are you ready to accept the fact that you're a childish piece of shit who's hated by everyone?" asked Secter. Every ounce of venom that he had was poured into his words, every piece of hatred that he had gained for Tatsumaki used to cobble together that insult. But by the end of it, his gaze fell a little.
"You idiot," said Tatsumaki. She raised her hand, and began to slowly curl her fingers inward. "You're about to die."
Half a minute passed, with Tatsumaki flexing her fingers in an out while Secter glared at her from over by the tv. Ever so often, he would glance around the room, and shake his head at the sights.
A minute passed. Tatsumaki sneered at Secter, her lip curling upwards in utter disgust.
Then, Secter began to rub at his head. Tatsumaki's eyes opened wide.
"Ugh," said Secter.
"Yes!" yelled Tatsumaki. "Are you feeling it now, you piece of shit? Your brain is beginning to twist and turn to my command, and soon you'll be on the floor, in endless pain."
Ice began to run down Tatsumaki's back, and she focused harder. Bending her fingers until she had almost made a closed fist, she concentrated all her power on the man before her.
He's faltering, thought Tatsumaki. He resisted for longer than I thought, but I've got him now. She smirked. It's all over.
Secter buried his face in his hands, his head aching all over. His palms just made his forehead greasier as the sweat that embalmed them mixed with the oil near his hair. Then, he remembered it was time to take another dose of aspirin.
Reaching into his pocket, he began to pull out a small bottle.
"What," said Tatsumaki. "What are you doing?"
"Had a hangover this morning," said Secter. "Keep this on me for emergencies."
Tatsumaki glared at him while he swallowed a pill. By the end of it, Secter sighed and leaned on top of her tv, no longer rubbing away at his head.
"Did you, did you break it?" she asked.
"Break what?"
"My control, you asshole!"
"You never had any," said Secter. "I only had a headache because I drank too much last night. Your little stunt failed completely."
Tatsumaki stomped her foot on the ground, and Secter snorted at her.
"You're lying," said Tatsumaki. "You were faltering, I could feel it."
"Then maybe you should re-examine your abilities," said Secter. "Seems like you don't have a full grasp on them yet."
Tatsumaki lowered her hand, before drawing the longest breath Secter had ever seen. It was as if she was inhaling all the wind of the world, and blowing out her own soul in return.
"Fuck this," she said. "You're leaving. Get out of my house."
"Sure thing," said Secter. "Although I can tell you right now, you're not going to see Fubuki."
"You don't get to tell her where to go!" yelled Tatsumaki. "She doesn't know any better!"
"She's an adult, like you," said Secter. "Not sure what you're doing to her, or why you think that group is so bad for her, but it needs to stop. She looks miserable."
"Why are you even-" Tatsumaki stopped, and the shadow of a realization crept along her face. "Ohhhh."
"What?" asked Secter. "What are you ohhhh-ing for?"
"I see how it is now," said Tatsumaki. "Why you're trying to 'help' my sister."
"What?"
"You like her," said Tatsumaki. "Figures, don't know why I didn't see it earlier."
"Not really," said Secter. "Actually, she was kind of a jerk to me. Names a whole group of people after herself too. Although I will admit." He stretched, both hands extending out from his sides. "She is nice to look at."
"If you don't like her then why are you getting involved?"
"Because as irritating as she can be, she doesn't deserve whatever this-" Secter made a circling motion with his hand around Tatsumaki. "Is."
"You just motioned to all of me."
"You seem to be the root of the problem."
"There is no problem! Fubuki just doesn't understand what's best for her, what can make her strongest!"
"Here we go with the strong bullshit again."
"What bullshit?" asked Tatsumaki. "Are you some kind of an idiot? Scratch that, I know you're an idiot." She shook her head, resisting the urge to flatten Secter with her own tv. "You don't understand that you have to be strong in this world to survive."
"Lots of heroes that aren't as strong as you survive every day," said Secter.
"They're worthless. Barely help anything."
Secter narrowed his eyes at her, and slowly pushed over Tatsumaki's television. Despite her panicked thrusting of her arm, the device came crashing to the ground.
"You idiot!" yelled Tatsumaki. "Are you just here to torture me or something?"
"I'm no-" Secter halted mid-sentence.
The longer I keep her here, the further Fubuki gets, thought Secter. Maybe…maybe I'm on to something here. Keep Tatsumaki's hatred focused on me so she gets less focused on Fubuki. Yes! That could work!
"Yes, actually," said Secter. "I like it when pieces of shit like you struggle in life."
Tatsumaki stared up at him, her eyes narrowed. Secter tugged at the collar on his shirt.
Did…did she buy that? he thought.
"You know what this means, right?" asked Tatsumaki.
"What's that?"
"I'm going to make your life miserable," said Tatsumaki. "No lazy, idiotic, useless piece of shit who isn't even ranked in the association is going to get the better of me."
"Out of curiosity, what class do you think I would be in if I joined?"
"I don't care! I just want you out! Now leave, before I get really pissed!"
"What, and start vomiting up on the carpet again?" asked Secter.
Something snapped inside Tatsumaki's brain. Her hands balled into fists, and her left eye began to flutter, as if free of all mental control. She opened her fingers back up, and lifted them to encircle Secter's neck from afar. Closing them until her fingers turned red, she imagined a blue-faced Secter in between her grasp.
"Uh," said Secter, leaning back from the tv, which was eagerly reporting the weather from its downward position. "Are you ok?"
"Why are you asking me that," said Tatsumaki, her mouth beginning to froth. "Right after you piss me off so much? I don't understand you, are you some kind of a crazy person?"
"Mildly," said Secter. "But this is starting to make me uncomfortable, I'm going to leave."
"Yes!" shouted Tatsumaki. "Do that! And never, ever approach me or my sister again! Do you understand?"
"Ah fuck off," said Secter. "And let your sister be. She seems miserable whenever she's with you."
"Only because she's weak," said Tatsumaki. With every word of hers, Secter had to move closer to hear, as waves of spittle turned her sentences into frothy garbles. "She'll grow to respect what I've done for her."
"Like what? What have you done?"
"I taught her, that she needs no one. She needs no one but herself. I need no one but myself. I am stronger than almost anyone else, and anyone who doubts that is going to be destroyed. Now leave!"
Secter took a step back, his mouth hanging wide open.
"Hang on a second, Tatsu," said Secter. "You ever hear of this thing called morale?"
"Leave!"
"You might think you're the strongest, but when the time comes, you'll be glad to know that people have your back, or are even coming to have your back."
"And if they aren't?" shot Tatsumaki. "When there's no one?"
"If you've done enough good, there will always be someone," said Secter. "And even if you know they can't make it, you'd be surprised what it can still do for your mental fortitude. That someone out there is willing to help you, even if it puts themselves in danger."
"Leave."
Secter sighed.
"You're a troubled woman, Tatsu," said Secter. "I don't know why, but you've got some major issues."
"And like you're any different?" said Tatsumaki. Her voice blasted through the room. Cups and glasses began to shake and fall from the cupboards in the kitchen, and Secter snapped his head sideways in shock.
"You come into my life," said Tatsumaki. "Out of nowhere, forcing yourself between me and my sister and claiming that you can help her when you don't even know or like her. That's not something normal people do!" At the last word, milk exploded all over the kitchen, splattering walls and ceiling alike with streams of white.
"I'm not the most normal person around," said Secter. "And you uh, you destroyed your milk."
"I'm going to lose my mind," said Tatsumaki. "Congratulations, Secter, you got what you wanted. No person has ever made me this angry or distraught in a long, long time. Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted?"
Secter gave a troubled look at Tatsumaki, and he brushed his already combed-upwards hair even further up.
Say yes? he thought. Keep the plan going.
"I…don't," said Secter. "No?"
"Don't lie," said Tatsumaki. "You love this. You love seeing me suffer, because you hate me. Because you're jealous that I'm at the top and you never could be."
"I think we've established that you're not much of a threat to me," said Secter. "And I think I've further established that I hate the HA's class system and want no part of it."
"Go away," said Tatsumaki.
"Sure," said Secter. "You look like you're about to have a stroke anyways."
He turned from her, his eyes still on the lookout for any floating objects, and started heading for the door. Tatsumaki's breathing sounded off in his ears even as he passed the foyer.
"Don't join her group," said Tatsumaki from somewhere behind him.
"Hmm?" asked Secter.
"Her group, don't join it."
"I didn't want to. But why not?"
"I'll kill you and everyone in it if you do."
"Will you?"
"I will."
"Mmm."
Secter pushed the door open, and gave one last look at Tatsumaki as he began to leave.
"Leave your sister be," he said. "Try to make things right with her after a little while."
A smile, crooked and bent beyond recognition, was the only feature visible on Tatsumaki's face. The top half of her expression was hidden in darkness as she let her hair fall down in front of her eyes.
"Oh, I'll make things right, for sure," said Tatsumaki.
Good God, thought Secter.
He left the house, and to his delight, Fubuki and the others were gone.
Wait a second, they just left me here! he thought. Bastards! Well, I guess it's for the best.
He strode down the street, a light rain falling all around him. The sky was grey and a thin sheen of fog covered the area. Secter pulled up his hood as the rain picked up, and from behind him, he could hear the door to Tatsumaki's house open. He froze in his tracks.
Spinning towards the house, Secter raised both his arms to stop any speeding bits of shrapnel or furniture that might be rocketing towards his body. Instead, there was nothing. Not even the door looked as if it had been touched. But high in the air, growing fainter in the afternoon mist, was a dark speck, black trails flowing off of its tail end.
. . .
She knows she can't get away, thought Tatsumaki as she blazed through the air. Squinting ahead, she swerved to avoid an oncoming building, which flew past her, a black obelisk in the fog.
So why are you hiding? Do you really think that pathetic little group can protect you? Why are you being so fucking difficult?
Tatsumaki halted in midair, barely able to make out the shape of Fubuki's house down below. Dark shapes passed by the home, none of whom so much as glanced up at the person above.
Surely she didn't go home, thought Tatsumaki. She's not that dumb. She sighed, watching her breath cascade out in front of her to merge with the fog. Then where the hell did she go?
"Fuck," she muttered.
Her eyes grew wide in horror. Fists clenched together, Tatsumaki reared forward for another mid-air takeoff.
Don't tell me, don't fucking tell me, she thought. Don't tell me she went to Saitama's house. Wait, where does that bastard live? He mentioned something about his home being destroyed in Z-city, maybe he still lives somewhere in that area.
More flying. Tatsumaki's eyelids began to droop as the streetlights below flickered on, and she sighed as she drew closer to the ground.
She could be anywhere by this point, can't let her get away with them…
Up ahead, she caught a glimpse of a group dressed in black, hurrying along a sidewalk alone. Tatsumaki shot forward, a sadistic grin spread across her face. She was almost upon them, with eyes being illuminated like some kind of demon, until someone stepped out from a nearby café and stopped her dead in her tracks.
"What the hell, move!" she yelled. The figure stood its ground.
Tatsumaki glared up at the person. She gasped.
"No, not you," she said. "How? How did you find me?"
"Not that hard, really," said Secter. "With you flying all over the place."
She wanted to see the man burn alive. Have his skull ripped into pieces. Watch as he was tossed through a building. No amount of harm was too great to the barrier that blocked her way.
Tatsumaki's mind began to swirl in shades of red and yellow, hatred rising from deep within her. This man was different than Saitama, for unlike him, Secter was here. And he wouldn't leave.
He's a freak, thought Tatsumaki. Getting involved with things that he doesn't even know about, he's a freak.
"You just gonna stand there?" asked Secter. "Brooding at me? Because honestly, I guess I'm fine with that as opposed to the alternative."
"You're a nightmare," said Tatsumaki. "At least Saitama…at least he doesn't get involved with these things! At least he leaves me alone!"
"I would much prefer to leave you alone, and will, if you let your sister be," said Secter.
"You are so goddamned annoying," said Tatsumaki. "Leave us be!"
Secter shook his head, his lips pursing in disdain.
"She doesn't deserve whatever misery you're bringing to her," he said.
"You think I'm making her miserable," said Tatsumaki. "She is going to make herself miserable with those idiots. And with you, if you're part of her group."
"Not part of her group. Don't want to be."
"So you're barely even an acquaintance. You're just a freak."
"Leave her be, and I'll let you be."
Tatsumaki groaned. Her mind was beginning to calm a little, and her shoulders eased.
"Fine," said Tatsumaki.
"Do you mean it?" asked Secter. His arms crossed at her, giving her a look of suspicion.
"Yes, I mean it," said Tatsumaki. "You've become too much of a pain to deal with."
"Alright then," said Secter. He smiled and spread his arms out wide. In his other hand was the wrapped up roll of a partly-eaten sandwich. "Not so hard, isn't it?"
Tatsumaki ripped a hand through the air, and Secter's sandwich went flying out of his grip into a nearby puddle. Time seemed to freeze on Secter's face for a moment, before he creaked his head towards the fallen gyro. Absolute horror seeped into his expression.
"No," he said. "Why. Why would you do that?"
"It's just a sandwich," said Tatsumaki. "You'll live."
Secter snapped back to attention.
"That was uncalled for," he said.
"So is stalking me and my sister," said Tatsumaki.
"I'm not stalking anybody! I don't even want to be around you two!"
Looks from people inside the café, many of whom had stopped eating their meals to see what was going on.
"Oh for God's sakes," said Secter.
Tatsumaki turned her back to Secter, and began to walk in the opposite direction.
"We have a deal now," said Secter. "You should honor it."
"Fuck off," said Tatsumaki.
She grew more and more distant as the fog rolled in, and Secter threw his hands up in the air before turning away. He gave one last mournful look at the drowning sandwich before making his way back home.
Well, I don't expect this to last long, he thought. But maybe I can buy Fubuki some time, let Tatsumaki cool off for a bit, however long that may take. Christ, why is she like this anyway?
. . .
It had been a quiet day, with people milling about in the streets. Tatsumaki sat on the edge of a domed building, her back slouched and her face grey. No amount of sunlight seemed to warm her disposition, and she watched as people down below went about their business. Sighing to herself, she lay flat on the top of the building, arms and legs spread out in an star position.
"So bored…" she muttered.
Eventually she made her way down to the streets, darting past civilians and heroes alike. She spent half an hour looking around, growing more irritable as time went on. As she neared a hostpital, she saw her worst nemesis standing outside its entrance in the parking lot. He looked pale and sweaty, as if he were recovering from a cold but was outside nonetheless. Secter was chatting to one of the nurses who was on her way to the front doors. Tatsumaki spotted him handing her an envelope, to which she nodded at the offer, beaming.
"Ugh," said Tatsumaki. She flew away from the place. Her head began to pound just from the sight of that man.
Wait, thought Tatsumaki. He's distracted.
Tatsumaki rushed towards Fubuki's home, which came into full view within seconds. As she reached up to pound on the door, she heard someone walking up beside her. Tatsumaki whipped around, only to spot Secter standing next to her, his face entrenched in a scowl and his eyes dark.
"You," said Tatsumaki, all the breath escaping from her lungs. "How."
"What did I say," said Secter. "At least give her some time, for God's sakes. She looked terrified of you."
"You're obsessed," said Tatsumaki.
"You're obsessed."
"She's my sister! I can visit her whenever!"
"And what were you going to do next?"
Tatsumaki scoffed at him, her arms crossing. She pulled away from the scene in a hurry, her back muscles twitching and pulling as if she were losing control of them. Surely this had to be a nightmare. No one could just get to places that fast like that.
Can he teleport? thought Tatsumaki. There's no way to tell, since that coward won't take the hero test. Maybe he's even stronger than I thought.
She pulled at the strands of her hair that danced in front of her face, nearly tearing them out in the process. Clumps of green hair were the results of her efforts, being strangled by tightly clenched fingers.
No, no, he can't be, thought Tatsumaki. He can't be.
. . .
The following day, Tatsumaki walked up to a group of what looked to be businesspeople all clustered around a nearby float. She was aware of the potential for Secter to show up at any time, but she was growing more irritated by the day. Tatsumaki needed to do something, or risk losing Fubuki to her wretched cronies. Blizzard's crew oohed and awwed at the sights of the parade, but when Tatsumaki came into view, they stiffened in fear. Each member ran forward to form a circle around the esper, readying themselves into their fighting stances. This got an amused smirk from Tatsumaki, which turned into chuckling as one by one the Fubuki group got flung into the air in all different directions.
Back to full strength, she thought. I could destroy Secter now, if he shows up.
In the middle of the scattered group was a terrified woman, who took a step back when Tatsumaki drew close.
"You didn't do a good job of hiding, now did you," said Tatsumaki. "And your little group is still just as pathetic as before."
"I figured you'd find me," said Fubuki, standing firm but feeling her resolve slip away at the mere presence of her sister.
"There's no one to save you now," said Tatsumaki, grinning. "Would you imagine that."
"Saitama-"
"Saitama's not here! And neither is that other idiot!"
"Then I guess I'll have to fight you myself," said Fubuki. She readied herself into position, her hands raised for psychic waves but her legs quivering.
"Don't do it, Miss Fubuki!" shouted one of the group. "She'll take you away again!"
"I have to do it," said Fubuki. Her mouth was beginning to tremble. "I can't let her think she's won."
"I already have," said Tatsumaki. She began to flex her fingers back and forth, and Fubuki moaned in pain. Swaying to the rhythm of Tatsumaki's fingers, the whole world went dark for Fubuki, and she passed out onto the pavement.
"Sorry sis," said Tatsumaki. "But you know it needed to be done."
Both Fubuki and Tatsumaki rose up above, and Tatsumaki along with a limp Fubuki flew from the sight of the group down below. No matter how quick they ran, they could not keep up with the sisters. Some of the group fell to their knees, tears in their eyes. Others got lost in random streets. A few unlucky members got caught up in battles with low-level monsters, while Tatsumaki brought the ailing Fubuki back to her home.
It took a couple hours for Fubuki to come to, and when she did, her entire vision was blocked by a wall of white. The wall began to rescind, further and further back to reveal a cylindrical shape hovering in the air. Fubuki blinked at the cup, and let out a small groan. She swallowed, the spit going down like molasses through sandpaper. Wincing at the pain, she froze when she saw Tatsumaki standing near her.
"Tea?" asked Tatsumaki.
"You…" began Fubuki.
"Drink it," said Tatsumaki. "You'll need it to recover."
"Why…"
"We're going to start training again, of course. Last time, you weren't good enough. And obviously, your little group is holding you back, so you're not going to see them again for a while."
"I want to go…"
"No. You don't need anybody else. You can get stronger on your own, and I…well, I am going to be so gracious as to keep training you."
"I can get stronger with them…"
Tatsumaki laughed.
"You haven't got at all stronger with them, while I have only learned new techniques," said Tatsumaki.
"That's because you do nothing else," said Fubuki, straightening up in her seat. "You have no friends."
"I don't need any," said Tatsumaki. "No one can get an advantage over me if I'm the strongest."
"Saitama could fight you," said Fubuki. "I will fight you."
"Saitama fought me while I was weaker, and you will lose. You already know that."
"I'm so sick of this…"
"Too bad. We begin training in a little bit, once you're back to full strength. Well, close to it. Obviously I'm going to have to weaken you a bit so you don't try to fly away when I'm not looking."
Tatsumaki held the tea closer to Fubuki's face.
"Drink it," said Tatsumaki. "It's good."
"I don't want it," said Fubuki. Dark circles appeared like abyssal crescents under her eyes, and a thin film of sweat coated her face and upper chest. "Let me go."
"I'll set it down," said Tatsumaki. The cup settled on a coffee table next to Fubuki. She turned towards it.
"Agh," said Fubuki, struggling to raise one of her arms.
"Do you need help or something?" asked Tatsumaki.
Sheesh, maybe I went a little too hard this time, thought Tatsumaki. Well, guess it can't be helped with my power-
The cup came toppling off the coffee table with a swipe of Fubuki's arm. It vomited its contents all over the carpet. Tatsumaki's mouth hung open at the results.
"You asshole!" she yelled. "Well, then you get nothing!"
Tatsumaki stormed off towards her bedroom, while Fubuki collapsed into the couch. Fubuki pulled the blanket that was draped around her shoulders tighter around her body, and she did her best not to cry into the pillow she buried her head into.
A few hours later, Tatsumaki returned from her bedroom to find Fubuki still crumpled on the couch, her brain still quivering at Tatsumaki's command.
"Hmph," said Tatsumaki.
Heading into the kitchen, she pulled out a carton of eggs and cracked one over a heated skillet. Steam rose into the air as the egg fried within the pan, crackling drops of grease jumping in glee out of the sides of the skillet. A murmuring could be heard from the couch, and Tatsumaki turned to the sound, only to see Fubuki shifting from under her blanket. Tatsumaki dumped the eggs onto a nearby plate, and shuffled over to where Fubuki was laying.
"Wake up," said Tatsumaki.
"Mmph," said Fubuki.
"I made some food," said Tatsumaki. "Eat it, you'll need the sustenance."
Fubuki raised her head out from the pillow. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she reached out to take the plate from Tatsumaki.
Tatsumaki frowned at the sight of her, and went back into the kitchen to get herself some food.
"Meet me out back in thirty minutes," said Tatsumaki. "And bring your A-game this time."
Fubuki's gaze hit the ground. Slowly she munched on the eggs, sniffling to herself.
. . .
Tatsumaki stood on the opposite side of her lawn, watching as Fubuki shambled outside. Fubuki's head was hung low, but Tatsumaki could see that her fists were clenched.
"Well, get ready," said Tatsumaki. "I won't accept failure."
"Just start it," said Fubuki.
Multiple crumbling chunks of dirt and earth ripped themselves up from the ground in a floating circle around Tatsumaki's head.
"Stop this," said Tatsumaki. She pointed at Fubuki, and the clusters flew forward at her sister.
Her head raising to look at the incoming projectiles, Fubuki raised both of her arms to try and stop them mid-flight. Shock encompassed her face when the earth spun around away from her to her sides, and when Fubuki turned to face the threat from one angle, the chunks of earth that spun from the other side came slamming into her back. All the air was knocked from Fubuki, and she stumbled forward, only to have the other chunks crash directly into her front. Fubuki's eyes and nose stung as they were clogged with dirt, and she toppled to the ground, something warm trickling from the side of her face.
"See?" asked Tatsumaki. "Aren't I a good trainer? Now you know that you focus too much on one threat at a time, sometimes you need to be aware of your-"
She was cut off by a section of house that flew apart at her, bricks firing off like bullets and sections of glass blasting at her like translucent flying knives. Tatsumaki waved her hand at the debris, and it scattered to the wind, all the bits of walls and windows crashing in the grass beside her.
"Hey!" yelled Tatsumaki. "That's my house, asshole! I told you not to do that!"
I knew I should've brought her somewhere else, thought Tatsumaki. But with that Secter idiot running around, who knows if he might've saw me. We probably would've fought, and Fubuki would've run off again. But if she had stayed, and it went just like last time… She might get encouraged again. That I am weak. That she can train with her group instead of me.
No response from Fubuki, who was hunched over by the massive hole in the wall that was the edge of Tatsumaki's house. Just the sight of her made Tatsumaki scowl.
Still thinks she can win, thought Tatsumaki. Good, little sis, good. Keep trying. Maybe one day, you'll even make it to S-class, and then no one will try and take advantage of you.
"Well?" asked Tatsumaki. "I'm right here."
Nothing.
"Fine!" shouted Tatsumaki. "I'll make you pay for what you did to my house!"
The ground began to rumble beneath Fubuki, and she glanced down in panic as she started to rise into the air. Both of her hands shot to the ground as sweat as blood streamed down her face. Meanwhile, Tatsumaki could feel the slightest of downward tugs as the ground stuttered up higher.
Ugh, she's not even close, thought Tatsumaki. How long is it gonna take you, sis?
Circling her finger, Fubuki's platform circled itself as well. Fubuki was knocked back into the ground where the section of earth had come from, and she blinked in disbelief at the spinning dirt up above. Then, drops of ground, like rain on a cloudy day, began to fall onto Fubuki, and she scrambled to get up as the dirt coated her dress brown. Raising both arms into the air, she shook and gasped at the invisible force pushing down on her from above.
Just focus everything you got, thought Fubuki. Otherwise you'll get buried alive. Just…focus…everything.
Beads of sweat ran down Fubuki's nose before leaping off into the hole below. Fubuki watched them as they fell, refusing to look at the impending doom that was creeping closer from above.
No, thought Fubuki. No. No. No. No!
Something poked her back, and Fubuki shivered. Waves of dirt were pouring all around her, smothering her hair and spine with endless showers of soil and grass. A solid chunk of rock, the size of a bowling ball, cascaded from the side of the meteoric cluster directly onto Fubuki's neck. She gasped, the force of the impact sending her to the ground. There was little sunlight around her now, with the earth shuffling closer and closer to bury her in. Fubuki lowered her arms, letting the ground collapse down on top of her.
Up above, Tatsumaki tapped her foot, waiting for the sound of the impact. She bolted upright when it came.
That was quicker than I thought, thought Tatsumaki. Did she give up?
The ground ripped itself asunder and was sent flying off a nearby cliff by Tatsumaki's psychic command. She approached the hole within which Fubuki lie, her body encased in layers of dirt and rocks. Tatsumaki could see small rivers of red streaming off of her sister's face and from behind her neck, and Fubuki turned to look up at her.
"Hmph," said Tatsumaki. "Guess we'll just have to try again later. Honestly, I really don't know why you weren't able to hold that back for longer-"
The doorbell rang. Tatsumaki's mouth stopped mid-sentence.
"What?" she asked.
It rang again.
"Goddamnit, you stay here," said Tatsumaki. She floated past the crippled woman below to head to the front door.
. . .
Secter was none too pleased when a massive cloud of dirt and earth nearly collided with him on the trek up to Tatsumaki's house. It made him about as happy as the fact that he needed to go to this place anyways, but when he peered through the fence as to what was going on, he ground his teeth together, enamel scraping apart at the sheer pressure in his mouth. Running to the front of the house, he noticed that a group of suited individuals had beat him to the punch. They stood right outside, each one nervously checking their weapons.
"We have to get her back," said one of the group. "Tornado could kill her!"
"She won't do that, right?" asked Lily.
No responses from the rest of the group.
"Hey!" said Secter, approaching the demoralized heroes. "You guys are the Fubuki group, right?"
"Yes, we are," said one of the members.
"And you're her friends, right?" asked Secter.
"Yeah!" yelled Lily. "We're going to get her back!"
"Well good, because I could use your help," said Secter. "I have a plan to get Fubuki out of there, but I need you guys in on it."
"We can help!" yelled another member. "Wait, you're that guy who told Ms. Fubuki about Tatsumaki being injured the one time, right?"
"Yeah, that was me."
"You lied!" yelled Lily.
"No I didn't, she just recovered kinda quick," said Secter. "And it doesn't matter now, you guys got away and left me there, so we're even anyways."
The group exchanged uncomfortable looks with one another.
"We didn't want to leave you," said Lily.
"But we had to get Ms. Fubuki out of there!" came another member.
"It's alright," said Secter. "I forgive you. Now, let's just focus on getting Fubuki out. Her sister is tormenting her in there, and I have no fucking clue as to why."
"What's the plan?" asked Lily.
"Simple," said Secter. "I'll distract the green demon while you guys grab Fubuki."
"Are you gonna be ok?" asked Lily. "Fighting Tornado, I mean."
"I can handle Tatsu," said Secter. "You guys just need to run. Like, as soon as you get Fubuki. Otherwise, things are gonna get a little chaotic."
"Ok!" said the group in unison.
"Alright, I'm gonna ring the doorbell," said Secter. "You guys stay out of view, so Tatsumaki doesn't kill you on sight."
Nods and readied weapons amongst the Fubuki group.
"I'm ringing the doorbell," said Secter as he reached the doorway and extended a hand. "Get ready."
"We're ready!" shouted Lily.
A pleasant, sonorous tune echoed from inside the house. Somewhere in the distance, an irritated "what?" could be heard.
The door opened. Tatsumaki looked up at Secter with murder in her eyes.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," said Tatsumaki. "You're a little late."
"I got busy," said Secter. "Doing…stuff."
"That's nice," said Tatsumaki. "Are you ready to die now?"
"And you still owe me for that sandwich, you piece of shit," said Secter. "Believe it or not, that thing cost twelve dollars. Twelve dollars! It wasn't half bad though, aside from the half that you threw in the puddle."
"Shut up," said Tatsumaki. "I'm back to full strength, so now I can kill you within seconds."
"Let's take it away from the house then," said Secter. He jerked a thumb towards a clearing a few blocks down the street.
"We'll-" began Tatsumaki. "Actually, yes, let's do that."
Tatsumaki cast a glance down through her house, only to see Fubuki limping up from the hole she had once been buried in.
"I'll make this quick," said Tatsumaki.
The two of the them reached the clearing, Secter with his hands in his pockets and narrowed eyes, Tatsumaki with a scowl on her face.
"And don't think that I don't know about the idiots hiding beside my house," said Tatsumaki. "They're not taking her back."
"Why are you holding your sister hostage," said Secter. "And beating the shit out of her."
"She doesn't know any better," said Tatsumaki. "She doesn't know what's best for her."
"And how are you able to make that judgement?! Why can't Fubuki decide for herself?"
"She doesn't need any relationships with anyone. They're only going to use her."
Secter shook his head, utter confusion plaguing his mind.
"I…I don't understand you," he said. "You make no sense to me."
"You don't make sense to me either," said Tatsumaki. "Subjecting yourself to the beating you're about to get for a person you don't even like that much."
"I told you," said Secter. "I may not like her that much, but I don't like seeing other people in pain. Especially not like this…between you two. I can tell you care about your sister, and I think she cares about you. But this…" He pointed at Tatsumaki's backyard. "This is horrendous."
"It's necessary," said Tatsumaki. "For her to get stronger."
"Everyone's consumed by this. Everyone. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get stronger, especially to help others, but everyone's letting it decide who they are. Letting it determine their worth and doing crazy things to get stronger!"
"It's not crazy," said Tatsumaki. She raised a finger towards Secter. "Only the strong survive."
"Survive what?" asked Secter. "Survive-"
His words were cut off as a brick wall slammed into his back, sending him stumbling forward. Tatsumaki smiled in delight, and sent another section of wall from a nearby building into Secter's front, smashing him in between the two layers like a human sandwich. Sliding the walls together at the top and bottom, she hurled the entire layer cake of debris and Secter hundreds of meters away directly into the earth. Concrete and gravel smashed itself upwards into jagged little mountains alongside the flying debris as the sections of wall skidded to a halt near the end of a road.
Secter emerged from the rubble, dirt and dust coating his face and clothes. Tears adorned his sweatshirt and pants, and Secter's face grew furious at the sight of his tattered clothing.
Tatsumaki appeared before him, her eyes gleaming, and her mouth twisted into a demented grin.
"I'll bet that hurt, didn't it?" asked Tatsumaki. "You look rough already."
Good, she's getting further from her house, thought Secter. The group should've been able to grab Fubuki by now.
"Today's the day," said Tatsumaki. "Today's the day I end you."
"Then get on with it," said Secter. "Do your worst."
"Oh this is gonna hurt you," said Tatsumaki. "But it's going to make me so happy."
"You're a sadistic bastard, aren't you?"
"Only when I'm against someone I hate. And I haven't hated someone this much in a long time."
"To be honest, I don't like you either. But for some reason, I don't really hate you."
Secter paused for a moment, and brushed some of the dirt off of his cheek.
"And I don't really know why," said Secter. "Maybe, maybe it's because of when I was first meeting you, and you stopped that table from hitting somebody. Like, for some reason, you cared about the life of a random civilian, even for all your threatening to kill me. I knew there had to be a reason why people called you hero, why you were one of the more popular ones. And it always seemed like you were pushing people away anyways, isolating yourself…"
Tatsumaki raised an eyebrow at Secter.
"Were…were you going to kill your sister?" asked Secter.
"No, I wasn't going to kill her!" yelled Tatsumaki. "I was only training her. What the hell do you take me for?"
"I don't know…I just…don't know."
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Tatsumaki. "Because you're about to die."
Both hands in the air, she turned the rubble beneath Secter into a flying platform, which she sent colliding into a nearby house. Secter crashed into a coffee table, his head banging on the concrete flooring beneath it.
If he can jump down from space, then he's no small fry, thought Tatsumaki. I'm going to have to give him one of the strongest moves I have.
Swirling winds and crackling psychic waves began to surround the still-immobile Secter, who watched as the world around him shifted and warped into a green cyclone. The house came flying apart at the seams, and Secter's eyes widened as Tatsumaki and everything else vanished from view. He jumped to his feet. Floor and walls alike wobbled and shook as Secter struggled to maintain his balance, and he fell to the ground again as the swirls of psychic energy tore at his clothes and skin. Secter grumbled, then gasped as the world around him went dark. He was falling, faster and faster, and a rising heat from beneath him started to intensify. Soon the entire house began to melt, wood and concrete alike dripping and dissolving away from him. Secter found himself with no more floor to stand on, and with the psychic waves dissipating, he tumbled deep into the endless, scorching dark.
Tatsumaki admired her masterpiece, a crater in the ground large enough to encompass an entire city block. Both the house Secter was in, as well as the remaining half-constructed homes of nearby were all gone, having fallen into the blackness below. Nothing could be seen down inside the hole from above, save for some spiky rocks and bits of debris. Tatsumaki squinted at the wound inside the earth she had created, before dusting her hands off and flying back to the spot where Secter had originally crash landed.
You might be able to survive heights, but what about the planet's core? thought Tatsumaki. It…probably won't kill you. Scorch you, yes, but if you can survive my other attacks, then maybe…
She looked back at the crater, half-expecting Secter to be leaping out of it only to do a somersault and fold himself up right in front of her. Instead, there was nothing.
"Huh," said Tatsumaki. "Guess you weren't as strong as I thought."
She swiveled back towards her house, and to her shock, she spotted someone coming towards her.
"Fu-Fubuki?" asked Tatsumaki.
Fubuki stood across from Tatsumaki, her face and head still bleeding, her clothes still ripped and stained brown. Not far from where she stood, clustered around a building, were the frightened and confused faces of the Fubuki group.
"Well, well, well," said Tatsumaki. "Are you ready for another round then? Because I'm riding high after beating S-"
"I hate you," said Fubuki. Her expression was half hidden by strands of brown and red hair clinging to her face.
"What?" asked Tatsumaki.
"I hate you. I don't want to fight you anymore."
"You-"
"I don't want to see you anymore, I don't want to fight you anymore, I am done with you."
Tatsumaki stood, speechless. Her mind tossed and turned as she thought of something to say.
"You're a bad person, and above all else, a terrible sister."
"No, no," said Tatsumaki. "I'm a good sister. You're just confused-"
"I'm not confused!" yelled Fubuki. "I know what I want in life, and you just take everything away from me!"
Tatsumaki gave her a confused look, which only enraged Fubuki further.
"You don't even understand. You don't even fucking understand. This is why I hate you, sister, nothing I do gets through to you. You treat me like an object, like I have no feelings or thoughts of my own. Like I can never find happiness unless it's approved by you."
"What is this? Are you trying to rile me up?"
"You still don't understand?" asked Fubuki. "Then let me make this abundantly clear." She took in a deep breath. "I. Hate. You."
"No you don't."
"I hate you more than anything. You're the only one who's been holding me back. I can't stand the sight of you. Every time you show up, I just think about how you're going to hurt me or my friends. Just like how you hurt my group, how you hurt me, how you just hurt Saitama!"
"Saitama?" asked Tatsumaki. "No, that was-"
"I'm through with you, you understand?" asked Fubuki. Tears were flowing down her face, mixing with the dirt to form streams of clouded earth. "I despise you."
"You…you don't know what you're saying."
"I know exactly what I'm saying. You're a monster, Tatsumaki. Way worse than any I've fought. A terrible person. An awful human being. A bad sister."
Tatsumaki's voice caught in her throat. She tried to force something to come out of her mouth, but nothing happened.
"I had hoped that we could've fixed this," said Fubuki. "But you just got worse and worse, even after the fight with Saitama. I wish…I wish I had put you in the hospital or something after you were weakened, so I wouldn't have to deal with you."
"You…you don't mean that." Tatsumaki's words were as weak as her limbs, quivering and shaking.
"I do mean that. And…I…I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, sis. Just…please, don't talk to me again."
"I can't leave you be, what if you are in trouble?"
"You said it yourself, I shouldn't expect someone to save me."
"I can't…I can't just leave you!" said Tatsumaki. "I won't!"
"For my sake," said Fubuki. "You will. I'll get stronger without you in my life. Goodbye, Tatsumaki."
She turned from her sister, and began walking back down the road towards home.
Tatsumaki rubbed at her eyes, staunching the flow of tears that threatened to burst forth.
"You don't mean any of this, sis!" yelled Tatsumaki. "You're just angry after the loss!"
Fubuki looked back at Tatsumaki, pure venom in her gaze.
"I'm angry…" said Fubuki. "Because you don't respect me. I'm angry, because you're a horrible human being. I'm angry, because you make everything wrong. I'm angry, because you ruined my fucking life!"
Fubuki turned away again, leaving a frozen Tatsumaki in her wake. Tatsumaki watched as her sister reunited with her real friends, and disappeared as they all rounded the nearest corner.
"I…" said Tatsumaki, to the ears of no one. "Just wanted you to be safe."
She plopped down on the ground, her chest growing hot as burning dread filled her entire body. Wrapping both her arms around herself, she squeezed her ribcage tight, as if trying to crush what was inside.
She's just emotional, thought Tatsumaki. She doesn't really hate me. It's tough love, Fubuki. I'm doing this so you can get stronger! Don't you know that people out there will hurt you, will use you! I…am I losing you, Fubuki? Fubuki?
She did her best not to cry, but couldn't help but have some tears escape.
Come back sis, thought Tatsumaki. Please.
Movement out of the corner of her eye made Tatsumaki turn her head. There, slumped against the remnants of another house, half-hidden behind a wrecked fence and a tattered bush, sat Secter, his eyes trained on the ground.
"You…" said Tatsumaki. "You're not dead?"
"No," said Secter. "That whole thing didn't go so well, did it?"
Tatsumaki turned back towards the road where he sister once was.
"No," she said. "It didn't."
"You ok?"
"No."
"You didn't seem it."
Secter carried himself over to Tatsumaki, and sat down on the road beside her.
Tatsumaki sneered in disgust at him for a second, before turning away again. To her surprise, Secter looked about the same as before she had thrown him in the hole, the only differences being his ripped clothes and the fact that he somehow looked even more tired than usual. She sighed.
Sorry Tatsu, I hate to do this, thought Secter. I really, truly do. But, I need to find out what's really going on with you. I don't like seeing you hurt like this. Even if you did just try to kill me again.
Secter looked at her, and with a quick mind-search he went a bit deeper into her memories. From her fight with Saitama, to some vague images of her being locked in a cell by suited people, her arms barely able to reach the dim opening that adorned the top of the door to her cage, to her bloody battle with a strange horned demon of a man, Secter frowned at what he saw.
"I've lost her, haven't I?" asked Tatsumaki. She looked over at him, and Secter frowned at the sheer despair that was pulling her down. "You…you read into these things or something, right? Giving advice and all that. Make sense of this!"
"Do you not understand?" asked Secter. "Why she's angry at you?"
"I…I think I get why she might be upset, but she hates me?"
"You keep acting like she's not able to do things for herself, then tell her the only way to get stronger is to overcome you, some impossible barrier. You're supposed to be her sister, not her kidnapper."
"She might be able to beat me one day."
"I think she's more concerned about the way you treat her, then beating you for now. She wants some compassion from you, not constant put downs. Also, I think other people wouldn't mind you not putting them down verbally either."
"I do it because they're not strong enough," said Tatsumaki. "If they're not worth my time, then they're not going to be able to stand up against monsters."
"Sometimes the act of trying alone is respectable enough."
"But that won't save people!"
"Well…" said Secter. "You might be surprised. And maybe yes, not every hero can save every person from every threat. And it's a tragedy. But do we really expect that of every hero? I mean, if we did, we would really only have S-class. And even then, I'm sure there are threats that even you guys need help with."
Tatsumaki went silent. She contemplated what to do next – running seemed like an option, but she lacked the energy. Eventually she groaned, and leaned further back.
"I…don't want Fubuki to go," said Tatsumaki. "This is…something I have trouble with."
"Trouble?" asked Secter.
"I don't know…how to tell her…how I feel, really, I…"
"It can be hard to get feelings across, I know."
"I want her to be safe," said Tatsumaki. "I don't want other people to use her."
"Who's going to use her?"
"People who are stronger than her."
"Like how the Hero Association uses you?"
"That's not! That's…it's different! I work for them because they give me stuff in return for my work."
"But you'd be a hero whether you got something out of it or not, right?"
"I don't know. I guess. Maybe."
"I think you would."
Tatsumaki leaned forward, to the point where her head was halfway to the ground.
"Why are you doing this, Secter?" she asked. "Talking to me? I just tried to kill you."
"You did, and I don't care," said Secter. "I've always…I've always tried to help people who were hurting. I just don't like seeing people suffer, and have done everything I can to try and help them."
"What do you get out of this?"
"I don't know, seeing you two happy?"
"That's your reward?"
"Seems good to me."
"No one's that nice."
Secter smiled.
"I've always been told by my siblings that I had a big heart," said Secter. Quiet chuckles emanated from his mouth. "Back when we were all younger, with me being the oldest, around Christmas time, I'd always find out where my brother and sis had their lists, since they didn't really show em to anybody, and I'd go to the toy store and wait for in line to get them something nice, although I could really only afford a couple things, and I'd…"
Tatsumaki looked at Secter, expecting him to finish. His eyes had turned distant and grey.
"Well, that was a while ago," said Secter. "And besides, you don't want to hear any of that stuff anyways. We have a sister to get back!" He bolted upright, a big smile on his face.
Tatsumaki stared at him, her mood glum.
"Don't worry, we can fix this, together," said Secter.
"We'll see," said Tatsumaki.
"She really does care about you," said Secter. "She looked torn up to say those things about you."
"I guess a little…"
"Exactly. Now let's get up, no sense in sitting here all night."
Tatsumaki sighed, but rose from her seat. Despite clouds rolling in, everything seemed a bit brighter for her.
"Secter," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell anybody about this, ok? About what you heard, or what you saw."
"I won't."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise," said Secter. "Do you really think I would just go around spilling personal stuff like that?"
"No, I guess not," said Tatsumaki. "You're…just…different, I suppose."
"A little bit," said Secter. "But you're starting to make more sense to me now. And I don't like seeing you like this."
"After all those fights, after all those insults," said Tatsumaki. "And you still want to help me."
"I do."
"I'll…think about it. But only because this is about something different, ok? Not because I'm weak or need to rely on anyone!"
Secter opened his mouth as if to speak, before shutting it again. He took a few seconds to compose himself.
"You're not weak," said Secter. "Nothing wrong with this."
"She didn't even know, by the way," said Tatsumaki. "That you were trying to distract me from her. She thought it was Saitama for some reason."
"Oh. Well…that's fine. Is Saitama a friend of hers?"
"Supposedly not."
"Oh…ok then. Well, I don't mind if she doesn't know I'm involved."
"I think that would be for the best," said Tatsumaki.
"Fair enough."
