Hey ya'll, we're back with fun times with Tatsumaki, it's gonna be a Blast.
Disclaimer: I still don't One Punch Man, I am far to poor.
Chapter Nine: Terror
The world came into focus slowly as Tatsumaki opened her eyes. Above her was a white ceiling. It was strange. There was no distinctive pattern, but Tatsumaki's eyes made a path across the roof. It was relaxing.
Tatsumaki stared at the ceiling for several minutes as she was waking up. When she was fully awake, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. She sat up and looked around the room. She was on a white bed with white sheets. All the walls and floors were white. In fact, it was hard to distinguish where the walls and floor met. It seemed like one continuous surface.
On instinct, Tatsumaki tried to float up. Immediately, a powerful and painful jolt of electricity coursed through her body.
Tatsumaki screamed. She turned around to notice a chain attached to the wall neatly coiled up next to the bed. It disappeared from her vision. Tatsumaki felt her neck. A metal collar wrapped tightly around her throat. At the back, she could feel two prongs piercing her neck.
All at once the memories flooded back to her. Panic seized Tatsumaki. No. She was in a prison. A cell. A cage.
Fear crawled up her spine. It wrapped around her skull and filled her brain.
"No," Tatsumaki whispered.
"No," she repeated louder.
"No, no no no," Tatsumaki pleaded.
"No! No no no! No! Ahhh!" Tatsumaki screamed. Tatsumaki tugged at the chain. She screamed and pulled and punched it and bit it. She used her powers, ignoring the pain, trying to rip it out of the wall. She tried to split the collar but it wouldn't break. She screamed and cried and begged. She pleaded, screaming at Metal Knight to let her out. She didn't notice or care that there were tears on her face.
Tatsumaki was trapped. She was caged. Just like in THE FACILITY. She was stuck. Trapped. Imprisoned. This time there was no one coming for her. There was no Blast. He wouldn't save her.
Tatsumaki curled up on the bed. Tatsumaki had spent years trying to get the nightmares out of her head. And here she was. She was alone. How did she ever manage to believe she could escape? Maybe these last years have been a simulation. Another cruel test to see what would be.
It didn't matter now. She was back. She was here. Trapped and alone. Then men back there were right. She would never leave. She would always be a lab rat. A test subject. A plaything to be used, then broken and discarded like an old doll. They've already succeeded at the first two. When would they throw her away?
A series of beeps followed a section of wall opposite of Tatsumaki opening up. A robot entered the room and approached Tatsumaki. She tried to focus her powers, but the electric shock broke her concentration.
"Oh yes, I wouldn't advise trying to use your psychic powers," the voice of Bofoi said through the robot. "You'll only hurt yourself."
"Coward! Come over here so I can kill you myself!" Tatsumaki screamed at the robot.
"Ah, no. You don't even have your powers. You are nothing but a little girl," Bofoi taunted.
"Oh yeah? Then stop hiding behind your stupid machines and be a real Hero! Show your face you coward!" Tatsumaki demanded.
"You're one to talk. What do you do except hide behind your shields and use your psychic powers? I defeat my enemies with intellect and imagination, of which you have neither," Bofoi stated.
"We'll see how creative I get once I get to the basement you're hiding in," Tatsumaki growled.
"Did you know there are 216 bones in the human body? It would take me less than a second to break all of yours," Tatsumaki warned.
"I'm sure it would," Bofo chuckled. "If you could use your powers. But you can't. You are powerless. Worthless. Weak. You will never leave this place unless I so choose."
Tatsumaki reeled as the truth of that hit her. Her life was in Bofoi's hands. That was not a welcoming thought. "What do you want from me?" Tatsumaki asked.
"Other than revenge for destroying my satellites? Nothing really. I have a single theory to test, but other than that I want you to cease to be a problem for me."
Tatsumaki's heart froze. At her expression, Bofoi spoke. "I don't mean to kill you. Not yet anyway. I simply want assurance you won't interfere with my research."
"You want a promise? Fine. I won't touch your toys. Now let me out."
"I don't think so. You did destroy all my satellites. And I did mention a test. Speaking of…" the robot Bofoi spoke through walked towards her.
"W-what are you doing?" Tatsumaki said, shaking.
"I need a blood sample," Bofoi said simply, the robot producing a needle.
"No!" Tatsumaki cried out, leaping away from the robot. She crawled as far away as she could attempting to destroy the bot, but the chain prevented her from doing so. She cried out, begging for Bofoi not to put the needle in her. She kicked and fought as the robot grabbed her and stabbed her arm, sucking blood out of her arm. She even tried to bite the robot, but that got her nowhere.
Finally, the robot dropped her, crying softly and the floor and left her. The door closed with a hiss, leaving Tatsumaki alone.
Tatsumaki couldn't keep track of the time while she was imprisoned. She didn't know how long she had been in this cell. It could have been days or weeks. Bofoi had given her a few meals, but Tatsumaki wasn't sure if he was trying to mess with her head. What was his end game? What was his goal?
Tatsumaki envisioned all the many horrors Bofoi had in store for her. She saw herself being strapped to a table, doctors leaning over her as they peered at her brain. She saw a hundred needles poking themselves into her skin, injecting her with strange liquids and drugs. She herself strapped to a chair, a strange metal contraption around her head, measuring her brainwaves.
Well, at least they would be familiar terrors.
During her time there, a hard truth finally set in. Tatsumaki had been clinging to the hope that the Hero Association would come back. That they would restore her status and she could go back to her life. But sitting here, in this cage, Tatsumaki was finally forced to admit that there was no going back. The Hero Association was now her enemy. Her life would never go back to what it was.
After the fourth time Tatsumaki woke up, the robot Bofoi first visited her with entered the room.
"Hello Tatsumaki. Have you enjoyed your stay?" Bofoi asked.
"Go to hell!" Tatsumaki spat.
"That's no way to speak to your host," Bofoi scolded.
"Maybe if the host wasn't a whiny ass bitch, I'd greet him properly," Tatsumaki snarled.
"Its always a pleasure talking with you. However, I've come for two reasons. One, my theory turned out to be right."
"Why should I care about what a lonely old man does in his spare time?"
"Because it concerns you and all other espers," Bofoi answered.
To that, Tatsumaki had no response.
"I had come across an article a few years ago published by an odd little organization doing research on espers," Bofoi said.
"What were they called," Tatsumaki asked.
"Hmm?" Bofoi asked.
"What. Were. They. Called." Tatsumaki said through gritted teeth.
"Ah yes. The organization conducting the research was known as the Psychic Analysts Society of Science, or PASS."
It was them. The bastards from THE FACILITY. They survived the monster, and they survived Blast. Tatsumaki didn't know how, but they did it. Tatsumaki swore if she got free of Metal Knight, she would hunt down those despicable scientists, down to the last janitor that swept the floors at night.
"As I was saying, they encountered a peculiar phenomenon, which involves a string of bacteria called Minocenphillus in the bloodstream. There seems to be a high connection between one's ability to use psychic powers and these bacteria. However, it was previously unknown if Minocenphillus was the cause of espers, or simply a side effect. I have just proved that Minocenphillus simply reacts to the presence of esper abilities."
Bofoi seemed extremely pleased, but Tatsumaki didn't get it. "Congratulations, your theory was right. Good job. That means you can let me go, right?"
The robot couldn't grin, but Tatsumaki was sure Bofoi was. "Not quite. You see, I don't really care about esper abilities. It's not my forte. But I have become interested in a certain specimen. And as I thought, your sister has recruited his help to free you," Bofoi said.
Tatsumaki's heart stopped. "No," she whispered.
"Oh yes. She's on her way here as we speak," Bofoi taunted.
"Buki no!" Tatsumaki yelled, grabbing the chain with her hands and pulling on it, attempting to rip it out of the wall with her mind. Instead she got a massive electric shock that numbed her entire body. Tears flooded into her eyes.
"That will most certainly get her attention," Bofoi said.
Tatsumaki groaned and tried to look at the robot, but she couldn't move her head. She was in too much pain.
The robot grabbed her and hoisted her onto her shoulder, unhooking the chain from the wall and holding it in its hands. Tatsumaki tried to protest, but she couldn't. Every bone, every muscle burned like it was stuck between Darkshine's thighs while he was flexing. She couldn't move. Even the robot's movements caused immense pain to surge every time it took a step.
Something wet and warm dripped down Tatsumaki's face. Why now? Why? She was the Tornado of Terror. She did not cry.
But she wasn't. She wasn't the Tornado of Terror. She wasn't a Hero, she wasn't anything. She was a monster.
Tatsumaki couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. Tatsumaki closed her eyes, waiting for this to be over. She waited for Metal Knight to finish whatever he was going to do and just kill her.
They enter a large round chamber. In the center, two long metal poles hung down from the ceiling. The robot attached the chain she hung from to the poles. There she dangled, a few feet off the floor.
The collar was choking her. She could barely breathe. She clawed at it, trying to free herself, but she couldn't.
The robot spoke to her. "Don't worry. The collar won't kill you. You're no use to me dead."
Metal Knight was right. The collar was choking her, but not to the point of death. Even as her vision faded in and out, she knew she wouldn't die. Somehow, that made it even worse.
They waited there for several minutes, Tatsumaki on the verge of unconsciousness. The robot stood silently like a statue at the edge of her vision. Finally, Tatsumaki heard multiple thudding sounds, like large metal objects breaking. Finally, the door on the farthest side from Tatsumaki caved in. Tatsumaki could make out six figures.
"Tatsumaki!" Her sister shouted.
Tatsumaki tried to answer but the collar prevented her from doing so.
"Welcome Blizzard of Hell. Silverfang. King. Demon Cyborg. Amai Mask, the monster. And finally, Saitama, the Caped Baldy," Bofoi greeted.
"Let her go!" Fubuki shouted.
"I'm afraid I can't," Metal Knight said. "And I wouldn't suggest trying to free her either. Any use of psychic power on the chain or collar will immediately cause your sister much pain, and breaking the collar will cause an electric surge that may kill her."
"You're a monster!" Fubuki yelled.
"I'm a businessman," Bofoi retorted. "Now, if you will so kindly take a step back. I would speak to the Caped Baldy."
The robot approached the egghead. Tatsumaki wasn't sure what he was doing here, but she was inwardly glad he came. Her sister would certainly be much safer with him.
Tatsumaki could not hear the conversation they had. She could barely see due to her lack of oxygen. The only thing she could see clearly was Fubuki's worried face.
After a minute of speaking, the robot stepped back from Saitama. A mechanical grating sound resonated throughout the dome. Tatsumaki couldn't see what was happening but from the expression on Fubuki's face she assumed it was nothing good. Saitama walked towards the center of the room. A metal behemoth appeared in front of Tatsumaki appeared in front of Tatsumaki, announcing its presence with a BOOM that rocked the dome.
Apparently, Bofoi had been looking for a fight, because the first thing the robot did was smash the egghead into the floor. The robot followed up with even more punches, which sent shockwaves into the stadium. The wind generated by the force of the punches was enough to shake Tatsumaki where she hung, making her feel like a ragdoll in a storm.
The robot broke off its attack to jump up and launch a barrage of missiles at the egghead, who apparently was still in the ground. The heat singed Tatsumaki's clothes and scorched her face. She coughed, exhaling smoke.
The robot went on to perform several more attacks, of which Tatsumaki could not see. The egghead remained in the ground for the entirety of this.
Finally the robot broke off its attack, and went over to the crater to see if the egghead was even alive. Apparently he was, because a second later the arena was raining machine parts. The egghead then climbed out of his pit and went over to the smaller robot and exchanged words. Suddenly there was a click and the collar around her neck snapped open. Tatsumaki gasped, falling to the floor, coughing and gasping.
Fubuki ran over to her, wrapping her in a hug. "It's ok Tatsumaki. I've got you."
Tatsumaki didn't understand why this was so comforting, but she began to cry.
Alright, as I've said, fun times with Tats. Anyways, I got a comment a few chapters back that I wanted to answer. I don't mean any offense or like saying "no you're wrong" but I put quite a bit of thought into this thing and I feel if something doesn't make sense I should try to explain it. Maybe it's just my overinflated ego not wanting to admit valid criticisms, but hey.
Aight, so the comment was basically saying that Tatsumaki would not be affected by the noise because thats not how esper powers work. Which is fair. However, what Metal Knight is doing is not disrupting Tatsumaki's esper powers. The noise his machines were emitting were so high pitched and loud it prevented Tatsumaki's brain from being able to focus her powers. Kind of like a dog whistle, but a thousand times stronger. It'd be like trying to take the hardest math test you've ever taken if you suck at math while fire alarms were blaring. Oh, and the paper was on fire. So yeah, Metal Knight's smart enough to know that none of his standard robots will really pose a threat to Tatsumaki when she's ready for a fight. But all Metal Knight needs is an opening to get close enough to her to do pretty much what I've shown in this chapter. So yeah.
Anyway, thanks for reading, preciate it, do feel free to comment, I do read them, and if you have valid arguments to why this is wrong, I might try and argue but you also might be right and I'll look like an idiot.