"I have read the reports the association made on your abilities." Genos was at her door the next morning. Mayu tilted her head sipping strawberry milk, nibbling the straw, not particularly surprised that the serious looking cyborg was ready to work, letting him into the bare apartment. "They seem barely complete so I would like to assess your abilities myself before elaborating a training methodology." He paused, noticing her pastel yellow sleeping T-shirt, growing a bit aware of time and moment, looking down, shoulders slumping, self-consciously. "Is it too early?"
"Not really." Mayu chortled, tossing the empty box into the bin, scavenging the countertop. "So how would we do that?" The plain brown paper bag contained half a dozen of big flat sugar cookies. She pulled a pair out and offered one as she bit into the other.
Genos took it, staring.
"We will need readings when idle and when in combat." He continued without eating. "Then we will need to extrapolate the data into tests where your abilities need to be pushed as far as you can and are willing to take them."
"Let me go shower and change." Mayu licked the crumbs and sugar out of her fingertips. "Then we can start." The cyborg just nodded, eating the cookie, sitting down to wait. And got up to sweep the floor out of habit.
"The Lichtenberg Figures should fade an additional 15 to 20 percent but they are unlikely to disappear. These were very deep burns." Genos considered after examining Mayu's arms and neck traced by the paling, now flattened burn marks left behind by the lightning. The pastel green sundress left them rather exposed. She didn't seem to mind the scarring or the exam.
"That sounds better than what the doctors told me." She smiled, letting go of her hair, leaving it unbound, as Genos went around the table and sat with an open notebook, writing. She could have sworn she had seen something like «teaching to grow stronger» scribbled on the first page. "Also they are not red anymore."
It did manage to pull his lips into a sort of semi-smile but little more. It vanished as he proceeded the listing of the findings made in a whole morning of dusting, cleaning and assembling the living quarters.
"You are producing 1 to 10 amperes and around 600 volts, constantly fluctuating. From time to time it drops to milliamps but not by enough to leave the range deadly for normal humans." Mayu looked down frowning, eyes dulling in concern. "Don't." Genos reached out, taking her hand. "I mean…" He hesitated. Unhurt and as a cyborg he could feel the sudden spike of electricity, surprise at the contact, as a prickling sensation spreading over his metal parts, registering as warm, pleasant even. Energy trickled evenly, replacing what he had depleted so far. "Don't feel disheartened. When Doctor Kuseno changed me into a cyborg at first it was hard. Things broke in my hands. Weapons flared when my emotions ran high." Anger and hatred without their target to unleash against. "It will be fine."
Mayu took a deep breath, slowly. The numbers started to lower.
"What do I need to do?" She asked, determined.
"You need to keep your passive output under 4 milliamps to be safe for others." Dr. Kuseno could easily build something for measuring and warning. Training to control her own power should be enough to start. "Now we can…" He paused, noticing that she had fallen asleep on the table, hand still in his.
Sighing he stood, separating, doing the same he had done the day before, opening the futon and letting her rest. This time, instead of doing chores he settled nearby to keep scanning, to see what sleep did to her passive electric generating.
It was clear from the destruction that this was the place where Saitama and Genos trained or sparred. Shattered rock. Melted and vitrified stone. Scorch marks. Craters. Shattered cliffs. Boots prints. Fist prints. A new semi-circular valley carved on the mountainside.
Rather obvious why Genos had taken her to that place if he wanted to see lightning. Less obvious why Saitama had tagged along but Mayu was not about to squabble against the presence of a second person that was in no danger from a casual bump. According to him he was curious.
Mayu stepped away from the two men and took a deep breath. So far she had only a handful of monster encounters to draw from and she did what she had done.
Electricity built, white-blue wisps dancing around her body, crackling. Thunder began to rumble as the charge built up. And as the energy grew it became a bit harder to contain. Focusing she opened her arms, balancing it out. A few moments later her flats scrapped against the dirt as she parted her legs to keep steady.
"Release." Genos called out, taking the readings.
A ring of lightning pulsed from Mayu, the wisps turning into lightning, scorching the area around her. The smell of ozone tainted the air. Thunder was deafening. The flash of light was harsh. Sensei covered his eyes for a moment, looking a bit impressed, a small smile changing his usually blank expression.
"Again. This time aim for the mountain." Genos asked, writing down the first results.
Mayu nodded, straightening, extending her arms instead of letting the charge swirl around. Her hair had fluffed up a bit into wild waves. The wisps gathered around her hands, some licking along the lightning flowers. Genos waited, watching, seeing the figures climb, watching as she adjusted her stance once more to fit the building power, uncaring about sound and brightness.
"Release." He called out. The single bolt of shaped plasma drilled though the stone, burning and melting.
Saitama nodded, impressed. With that ability she was strong.
"Just one more." Genos assured him. "I'll let you decide when enough is enough."
Mayu took another gulp of air, coughing with the ozone that was hanging heavily around her, waving her arms and walking away from the singed area where she had started zapping about. She steadied her legs and started.
It shaped itself like the first attempt, flowing, growing, glowing, roaring.
It burst on release, expanding suddenly.
And it inverted, returning, resurging, growing around her.
Genos shouted in concern, the numbers climbing fast, multiplying the first results. It was enough overcurrent to make Geno's systems flare up, functions going haywire, shutting down, overloading or overclocking. Weapon systems registered peaks and optimal priming. One of his eyes went dark and the readings distorted.
Mayu looked afraid, trying to move, negating or unleashing the charge. But whatever movements she made only seemed to fuel the growing lightning. She knelt down, slamming her palms against the soil. The stone cracked under a sudden roaring discharge but the main bolt continued to grow.
Saitama moved through the wisps, gripping the woman, pulling her up, against him in a full hug, punching into the ground, acting as a lightning rod, allowing the electricity to run through his body, dispersing into the earth.
It took only a few seconds but they seemed too long.
"Thank you." Mayu whispered, her arms winding around Saitama, squeezing a bit, eyes closing in relief.
"That was a bit dangerous. Are you ok?" Mayu nodded, forehead against his shoulder, heartbeat calming down. His attitude was soothing. "Genos?" Saitama pulled his fist from the dirt, shaking it off.
"I'm fine, sensei." The cyborg rebooted the shot systems and stood approaching crouching next to them, placing his hand on Mayu's shoulder.
Static snapped between the three.
Mayu chortled, the tension gone.
Genos smiled, reassured.
"We'll continue another day. The sale is almost starting." Saitama stood, picking up Mayu who barely had time to grab the skirt before it showed something. "Piggyback or over the shoulder?"
"Whatever lets you run faster, sensei." Mayu answered, amused.
"I don't need another one calling me that." He complained half-heartedly.
They could triple the quantity they were buying and grab a few extra discounts. Mayu had seemed thrilled when he had entered the apartment with the promotion pamphlets as she and Genos got ready to leave. Her fridge was empty except for three kinds of flavoured milks.
