Hey whats up, I'm back with another epic chapter for ya'll. Hope you enjoy or whatever.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Punch Man, or I wouldn't be writing a fanfiction dipshit.
Chapter Eight: Tatsumaki Alone
Dawn. A time Tatsumaki used to look forward to. She had always arisen from her sleep in her house and answered her phone and incinerated whatever monster the Hero Association deemed worthy enough for Tatsumaki to rid the world of.
Today, it was the time Tatsumaki dreaded most. She hadn't slept well last night. When she finally fell asleep, she tossed and turned in the night, a thousand different nightmares plaguing her mind. Luckily, she had learned control over her mind long ago, or she might have caused another earthquake in her sleep.
Finally, when Tatsumaki awoke, and the first rays of sunlight streamed through the shuttered windows, Tatsumaki was not ready for today. She wasn't ready to leave this shack, and the illusion of safety it provided. As long as it was here, she could pretend like nothing was going to change.
She could pretend Amai Mask wasn't leaving her.
But that wasn't the reality. In truth, she knew she was going to be alone. But she didn't want to be. She hated that. But she hated that she didn't know why even more.
Tatsumaki lay in her bed, motionless, staring unblinking at the ceiling for almost half an hour before she heard Amai Mask rise out of his bed. She waited for him to enter this room before she also sat up.
Amai Mask looked at her as she rose up and smiled at her. It was strange to realize this was the only monster Tatsumaki had ever seen smile at her. "Good morning Tatsumaki. What shall we have this fine morning?"
Tatsumaki shrugged, floating up and over to the table in the center of the room. She sat across Amai Mask, as she had so often recently. He extended his arms and handed her a bowl of cereal. She accepted it.
Both of them ate slowly. They took small bites and swallowed the small bits of cereal in small portions. It took them the better part of an hour to eat the small breakfast Amai Mask had prepared.
But that hour didn't last forever. Eventually, both of their bowls were empty. Amai Mask took her bowl as well as her own and dropped them in the sink, not bothering to wash them. It wasn't as they were going to be here much longer anyways.
"How are you feeling, Tatsumaki?" Amai Mask asked her.
"I'm feeling fine," Tatsumaki replied coldly.
Amai Mask nodded, ignoring the bitterness in her voice. Silence followed, neither wanting to say what was going to be said.
"Then I suppose this is where I take my leave of you," Amai Mask said sullenly.
"I guess so," Tatsumaki said, staring at the floor.
It was a few minutes before Amai Mask stood up. Wordlessly, he turned away from her and walked towards the door. He paused for a moment. Then he was gone.
Tatsumaki stared at the door. A breeze swept through the room, causing her to shiver. Tatsumaki was alone again.
Tatsumaki floated upwards. She looked around the barren room once. She used her telekinesis to grab all the food in the house. Then she floated out the door and whisked away into the dawn light.
At first, Tatsumaki flew aimlessly. She was currently in the rubble of the City Z ghosttown, so there was no threat of being seen by humans. Metal Knight's robots would be an issue if they found her however.
But she couldn't stay in City Z. It wasn't safe.
Tatsumaki almost scoffed at that. Since when was anything unsafe for her? Except for Blast and King, no one, human or monster could rival her power.
Tatsumaki would eventually need more provisions however. The little food she had wouldn't last forever. The problem was how to get them.
It wasn't like Tatsumaki could get a job. For one, most people would recognize her and call the Hero Association. Even if they didn't, many would assume she was too young to work. Tatsumaki had that problem frequently before the Hero Association came into existence.
Which left Tatsumaki with pretty much two options. Scavenge food from trash cans or steal it.
Tatsumaki sneered. How far she had fallen. But a few weeks ago, Tatsumaki was on top of the world. Now she was digging in the dirt like a dog. It was disgraceful.
What would Blast say if he saw her like this? He would be ashamed of her as well. And in the end, he was right. She had relied on people for the last few weeks and look where that got her. Amai Mask was gone, Bang was probably dead, and Metal Knight was scouring all over for her. Tatsumaki couldn't trust anyone.
With those thoughts in her head, Tatsumaki decided to head into a city. She could probably find somewhere to hide until she could figure out what she would do.
Tatsumaki flew until she could see the outskirts of City Y. There little to no signs of life here, the outskirts likely becoming a smaller version of the City Z ghost town. She landed on the ground and began to walk. As much as she hated walking long distances, she couldn't afford to draw attention to herself. Not only did she have to deal with the Hero Association, and probably the Neo Heroes now too, but she had Metal Knight probably following her every move with his satellites. With that thought she made a mental note to destroy those later. After she found a place to sleep.
Looking around her, she realized she could occupy one of these houses. They weren't great and they certainly wouldn't fit her standards, but lacking any kind of income, she doubted she would find a better option. Using her telekinesis, she scouted out all the houses within twenty blocks of her. Within a few seconds she had established there was no one nearby, she went into the nearest house.
It was drab. That was the only word for it. But luckily, Tatsumaki had no intention of staying there. She took note of the street number of the house. Then she floated to the center of the room. And then she descended.
It was a neat little trick Tatsumaki had learned. A way to seamlessly move solid earth around herself to effectively swim through rock. Tatsumaki sunk a few miles beneath the earth's surface and traveled over to where the house she had picked was. She then swam up to the surface.
This house was much better. Not perfect, but good enough. It had a large kitchen, three bedrooms and a nice living room. It was part of an apartment complex, so it was only single storied, but that only meant it would be more difficult for people to locate.
Tatsumaki sighed. She disliked having to use her powers in such a way, but it was easy enough for her to do. It would likely confuse Metal Knight, throwing him off her trail. This house was miles away from the house she entered, and by diving that far down he most likely wouldn't be able to track her heat signature. The only issue would be if he were somehow able to detect her psychic presence. Tatsumaki doubted this, but Metal Knight was smart. If anyone could do it, it was him.
As such, Tatsumaki decided to see if this house had any food. The cereal she had this morning wasn't exactly filling. Tatsumaki explored the kitchen, opening cabinets with her mind, and closing them. Finally, Tatsumaki found something that caught her eyes. In the pantry, there was a bag of candy apples.
Tatsumaki's mouth watered. This is exactly what she needed after what she'd been through. Tatsumaki grabbed the bag and sat down at the table. She grabbed the first apple and bit into it. Gods these things were delicious. Usually when she ate them at fairs, she would get looks from parents watching their own children struggling to do the same. She didn't care. They were just so FUCKING GOOD.
Tatsumaki devoured her first own and moved on to the second one. Then the next. Soon the entire bag was gone. Tatsumaki sighed. They were good while they lasted.
Tatsumaki surveyed the rest of the house. She flipped a light switch. The apartment still had power. There were no signs anyone used this apartment for a week or more however. No personal belongings were here, and a thin layer of dust and dirt covered everything.
Tatsumaki turned on the computer. She needed to know what she had missed in her days of exile. She saw the various monsters that had shown up. She read about the rising tensions between the new Heroes. She watched videos of some heroes nearly coming to blows in the middle of the street. Zombieman had also quit the Hero Association in favor of the Neo Heroes. The only remaining S Class heroes were now Blast, Atomic Samurai, King, Pig God, Drive Knight, Flashy Flash, Demon Cyborg, Watchdog Man, Tanktop Master and Puri Puri Prisoner.
The seventeen S Class had been reduced to ten.
Metal Knight's word rang through her head. It truly did seem like someone was trying to bring down the Hero Association from the inside out.
Tatsumaki sat at the chair for a moment. At this rate the Hero Association would have no heroes able to deal with any high level threats. That would have serious backlash if a high level monster appeared and the Hero Association was unable to take care of it. By then it would be up to the Neo Heroes to eliminate the threat.
If someone really was playing a game behind the scenes, they were winning.
Tatsumaki sank back in the chair. The true ramifications of this conflict were coming out. The Hero Association was going to be destroyed. The Neo Heroes would be the new power. And they kept a much tighter fist on their heroes. They also had the power to remove heroes if they spoke out. That was an advantage to having such large numbers. No one would notice if one disappeared. The Neo Heroes would keep their Heroes on a tight leash, essentially becoming the new world order, being more powerful than the government and military. No one would dare challenge them. They would be the unrivalled supreme authority, able to do whatever they wished without anyone being able to stop them.
As Tatsumaki realized this, she noticed something. A whirring sound, slowly getting louder. She floated up and looked out the window.
Suddenly the wall behind her exploded. She erected a barrier that deflected all the debris. Tatsumaki swung around.
"Hello, Tatsumaki," Metal Knight said.
Closing her fist, Tatsumaki crushed the robot. It collapsed like an empty soda can. Tatsumaki scanned the skies around her. She could feel Metal Knights robots around her. There were thirty four robots waiting for her to make a move.
Tatsumaki grinned. She recalled something she had wanted to do earlier.
Reaching out with her telekinesis, she sent her power into space. She felt around for the satellites Metal Knight had. She was careful not to disrupt the ones he didn't control, though those could still be dangerous. In all, Metal Knight had fourteen satellites. She grabbed them all with her telekinesis and converged them over the city she was in.
Bringing her hands down, Tatsumaki ripped all the satellites back into orbit, sending them plummeting towards the area she was in.
Tatsumaki grinned. That had certainly gotten Metal Knights attention. Fourteen of the robots went to deal with the satellites, although she suspected it was more for keeping the satellites intact than concern for civilians. Metal Knight had proven he was indifferent to the suffering of humans.
Tatsumaki knew she should probably deal with the remaining bots. She didn't want to give up her secret. With her hands, she directed the robots out of their hiding places into a single spot. They engaged their thrusters, trying to fight off Tatsumaki's hold, but she would not let go. She gathered all the robots into a ball, then like the first bot, she crushed them all, constricting them like a snake crushed a rodent. She squeezed them, sparking and jolts flying. She double checked to make sure they were no longer functional. Satisfied that they were, Tatsumaki checked to see how the satellite robots fared. She smiled, seeing not a single robot or satellite survived.
Tatsumaki figured it was time to leave. She needed to find another spot to hide. It should be easier now that Metal Knight didn't have any satellites to track her.
Tatsumaki wove the ground below her and descended into the earth. She moved the rock and dirt around her, determined to sink even deeper, to be sure Metal Knight couldn't find her.
Suddenly, a sonic burst slammed into her, smashing her into the side of the tunnel she made. The ceiling began to fall on her. Tatsumaki thrust her hand up to keep herself from being crushed.
Another sonic blast hit her from behind. Tatsumaki's concentration wavered as she was knocked around the tiny enclave, and dirt fell into her hair. She gritted her teeth and forced the dirt up. Tatsumaki swung around, trying to see what hit her.
Just then something poked itself into her neck. Tatsumaki screamed and clutched her neck. Her concentration broke, and she was bombarded by dirt and stone. She tried to scream but it was stifled by the earth.
Tatsumaki struggled, but she couldn't free herself. The weight was so heavy. Panic crawled up her throat and left her mouth in the sound of a scream, unheard. She was buried.
Tatsumaki's lungs burned. Darkness closed enveloped her. Tatsumaki couldn't see, move, or breathe. Was this how she would die?
"No!" Tatsumaki yelled, pushing all earth away from her. Tatsumaki rocketed towards the surface, desperate for air. Rock and stone parted like the sea for the wave that was Tatsumaki.
She broke through the surface and collapsed on the ground, coughing and sputtering. She inhaled huge gulps of air, trying to put out the fire in her lungs. She gasped, her heart rate slowing to a normal pace.
Tatsumaki looked up to see a robot land from the sky. Tatsumaki reached out a hand to crush it, but a sudden wave of nausea came over her.
"Come now Tatsumaki, you didn't really think you could escape me?" Metal Knight's voice sang.
Tatsumaki struggled to get to her feet but collapsed.
"Dirty...bastard," Tatsumaki slurred. "Drugging...me."
Tatsumaki could almost hear the smirk on Bofoi's face. "You may think you're the top dog, Tatsumaki, but I'll always be three steps ahead."
Tatsumaki's vision blurred.
Tatsumaki looked at the iron feet of Bofoi's robot. This bitch. Blackness creeped in at the corners of her vision. What was his goal? What did he want from her? It made no sense. Metal Knight didn't deal with humans. He was strictly mechanical. He certainly didn't need the money. What was he after?
The robot leaned down towards her. "Still not unconscious? You certainly are a feisty one. Come on now. There's no need to defy the inevitable. Give up. You've lost."
Lost? She lost? She LOST? To this coward? No, Tatsumaki wouldn't allow that. Tatsumaki would show him. She would find his secret little bunker and pull his organs out of his mouth.
Tatsumaki summoned every ounce of her waning strength and pushed the robot. It skidded back a few feet.
"Really? Is that the best you can do? Perhaps I overestimated you Tatsumaki. Maybe the Tornado of Terror really is nothing more than a little girl, too weak to even stand on her own," Metal Knight sneered.
Tatsumaki's blood boiled. WEAK? Who was the fucker calling WEAK?! This coward hid behind robots and gadgets, and called HER WEAK? How dare he?
Tatsumaki screamed, lurching to her feet. She stumbled towards the robot, even as the world spun around her. Tatsumaki grabbed her power and pushed the robot again. It flew back, smashing into a building. Tatsumaki staggered towards him. She pushed out her hand again. The robot smashed through the wall. Tatsumaki advanced on it. She held it down with her telekinesis. She crawled on it, and using her telekinesis, she began ripping chunks and scraps of metal out of the robot. Soon it was just a heap of iron chunks.
Tatsumaki's heart stopped as she felt a thud of something heavy land behind her.
"Did you really think that would work?" Metal Knight asked her.
Tatsumaki closed her eyes. She was so tired. How many more of these things could she break? Tatsumaki could no longer stand. It was hard to even remain awake. But she had to. She wouldn't go to another cell. She couldn't.
But she was so tired. Why couldn't she sleep? When she woke up, she would just kill Bofoi.
"That's it Tatsumaki," Metal Knight hissed. "Sleep."
Metal Knight's words were poison. Tatsumaki knew that. But it was so hard to stay awake. She was so tired. Tatsumaki blinked. Tatsumaki squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus. Suddenly she was in a cold, dark prison cell.
Tatsumaki gasped, forcing her eyes open. No, no no no no. Not that. No cage. She couldn't.
But she couldn't stay awake either. Her arms gave out. Tatsumaki laid on the ground. Clouds formed in her mind. Tatsumaki didn't want to fall asleep. But what else could she do? She couldn't move. She couldn't think.
Unconsciousness crowded her head. Tatsumaki fought, but she was losing. It grabbed her mind and brought it into darkness.
Finally, all Tatsumaki could see was black.