Chapter 5: Class S x Mask x Blast.
Two years and two months before the Vaccine Man's attack.
Greetings, brave hero.
In view of your performance in carrying out your heroic duty, the Board of Directors of the Hero Association invites you to report next Monday, at 8:00 am, at the Headquarters of the Association of Heroes, located in A-City, Region A. The headquarters staff will be waiting for you.
In advance, we are honored to tell you that you have received a promotion in your status as a hero. Details about the new status, the responsibilities it entails and the benefits it brings will be explained upon arrival at headquarters by executive staff.
We insist that you honor us with your presence and please make sure you arrive on time. You can show up in the uniform with which you perform your daily heroic activities.
Headquarters of the Hero Association.
Two years, one month and three weeks before Vaccine Man's attack.
The day began in A-City, spring was beginning to manifest, although Region A experienced rains instead of snowfall, the flowering of the flowers of its parks and streets was a beautiful reminder to all the inhabitants of the beginning of a new year. Although, for many, every day alive was a fact to be grateful for. But while some were happy with what they had, Tatsumaki only got more upset with every second he spent waiting in the waiting room of the Hero Association building. A smaller building than the others and glass-coated like any other.
On her watch, it dialed 8:00 a.m., she thought she arrived just in time, but terrible was her surprise when she was told she arrived 15 minutes before the scheduled time, at 7:45 a.m. She complained, saying she arrived at 8:00 a.m. and the poor secretary who had to attend to her had to tell her that the time of the letter was region A. This filled Tatsumaki with shame, and she was willing to strangle the secretary in front of her if she made a comment about what happened. Luckily for both of them, the secretary just remained silent and invited her to what will happen to the meeting room.
The clock was ticking and Tatsumaki decided to spend time covering the whole facility with his aura, perhaps to gossip a little. She still couldn't find sense of the letter, what kind of promotion could they give her, the #1 class A heroine? AA-class heroine? Pay raise? It wouldn't be badly to buy one luxury or another. Or were they going to make her an executive? That would be boring.
When the clock was set at 7:55 am, two other presences arrived that were led to where she was, and behind them followed a third. All three felt calm, serene, but one of them emits overwhelming force. When the door opened, Tatsumaki saw two strong, muscular mastodons enter. One of them was naked! Hold on. It wasn't, he was wearing a thong. The sight struck her a little, she had seen men like that a few times, but never with so many muscles. There weren't even men like that in magazines. They may have been a couple of brute gorillas. What would the third one look like?
-Good morning, miss -Said the dark-skinned man.
-Good morning, Tornado of Terror -Said the blond man who wore a Tanktop.
Well, this was a surprise. Apes with manners and courtesy. Time to give them back the greeting and give them the privilege of her looking at them.
-What's so good about it? They've got us here losing the...
-Oh, so I'm not the only one, I hope I haven't been late -Said an elderly man who walked through the door, interrupting Tatsumaki
-Don't worry sir, it's still a few minutes before 8 o'clock -Darkshine replied.
-We too worry about being late -Tanktop Master said.
And as the three heroes started chatting, Tatsumaki was thinking only of one thing... how dare they ignore her?! This disrespect wasn't going to stay that way, now they'd see...
A shiver ran through Tatsumaki's back, two new presences arriving at the building. One emitted a strange air of... Lust? What was this? She'd better focus on the other one. This one was moving fast, too much. Wait, he stopped. He was emanating the typical aura of a murderer, but she didn't feel any malice. Wait, he stopped that too. He hid his presence almost completely, and now he was looking in all directions... was he looking for her? Good luck with that.
Tatsumaki reattracted her aura and stopped spying on all the movements in the installation, in the end there was nothing interesting to see. As for the two guys she detect, if they were heroes, they would have to get here whether they wanted it or not, and if they weren't, they would at least encourage the atmosphere a little bit for her if they tried some stupidity, the fact that they weren't monsters, of which she was sure after feeling their auras, would not make her gentler with them.
And as if she were a queen calling her subjects, those two commoners arrived. The first was another muscular man in a prison suit. Hold on. This guy was a criminal?
-Oh, I didn't know there would be more guests, I would have brought something to share -Said the Prisoner with a face of the most innocent and in the gentlest way, thereby drawing the attention of those present.
-Don't worry, none of us knew either -Silver Fang replied.
They were still ignoring her! How dare... The other one's here.
This time it was a man, or maybe a woman, with long blond hair and wearing a black armor with occasional metal plates. If it wasn't for him or her alerting her a few moments ago, Tatsumaki would say she has some appeal. Wait, did that mean she was looking at a woman?
The blond in armor disappeared from where he was. Tatsumaki felt it pass right behind her.
-So you were the one with the aura -The blond ninja said.
In less than a flicker, the blonde appeared sitting on one of the chairs in the room around a large table. At least now Tatsumaki knew he was a man by his voice.
The clock was 8:00 a.m., and as if they had been waiting for that moment, other heroes arrived. The first was a masked guy full of interrogation symbols. He said nothing or looked at anyone, and just sat down. And to Tatsumaki's surprise, he did what her presence failed to achieve. To strain the androgen blond, who had his sword in everyone's sight.
The second was a samurai. One minute. A samurai? What was a relic of the past doing here?
-Greetings to all! This is Atomic Samurai to serve them -Said the swordsman with a smile and closing his eyes.
Old-fashioned even in manners. For Tatsumaki, this must have been a madman whose mind got caught up in the Middle Ages. There was nothing more to see him. Time to bring him to the present.
-When I need... -Tatsumaki said before being ignored again.
-Wow, well, it looks like I'm not the only practitioner of the sword road that was summoned -The Samurai said, reaching out to the blond ninja.
The blond ninja didn't react in the slightest.
-Well, it seems that today will not be the day where we reduce the size of the schism between our schools -Atomic Samurai said with his eyes closed and his best smile of confidence, though a throbbing vein uttered from his neck in the face of such rudeness.
Once again. Again she had been ignored in the most brazen way possible. All right, she didn't need their attention anyway. None of these commoners deserved the attention of a queen like her. They don't even deserve her to show them her anger. Not with the meeting about to begin.
The minutes kept passing. The clock was 8:17 a.m., there were 8 heroes sitting in the meeting room and the meeting hadn't started yet. They were alone there waiting. Even the executives at the Board of Directors or whoever was going to serve them had not even arrived. So much incompetence. Would she have to bring them by force using their powers?
The door to the room reopened. Another hero came, this one was big, maybe too much. It got stuck in the door frame. One minute, was that fat guy a hero? Was he here for the same reason she was? She has never heard of group promotions. Did the association think this fat guy was on the same level as her?!
Superalloy Darkshine and Tanktop Master got up to help the fat guy get out of his predicament and untie him from the door. But before they could pull, something pushed the fat guy from behind, causing him to fall. The manager briefly landed on the fat one. That's when Tatsumaki saw him, a subnormal in a dog suit.
The man in a dog suit jumped and went straight to one of the chairs around the table, where he sat like a dog. Who thought these two to make them wait and take the luxury of being late as if they were the most important here?
-Good time to get to the meeting, you're late -Tatsumaki said firmly to the two newcomers.
The man dressed as a dog did not answer. And the fat guy just stood up, went to a chair, took food out of his backpack and started eating right in front of Tatsumaki, ignoring her. Enough, this time she wouldn't let it go.
-Hey, don't ignore me! If you're a hero, how dare you be late? Do you think you're too important to have others waiting for you? Didn't you fat let you get there on time? No bus wanted to take you? Should you have rested every three steps because you couldn't get some exercise?
-In fact, I've been here since 7:30 a.m., it's just that I stayed in the dining room to take breakfast -The fat hero said quietly and gently-. By the way, have you had breakfast yet?
-Well, you were late, and my breakfast is none of your business -Tatsumaki replied with an air of superiority and without facing the fat guy.
The truth is, she hadn't had breakfast. Fearing that the meeting will take quite a while, Tatsumaki skipped breakfast to kill a few monsters before heading to A-City. And now she felt her stomach roaring asking for food. It was easier to ignore hunger with the euphoria of seeing the terror of monsters. If those executives didn't come soon to tell them why they were here, she'd take breakfast at the dining room and then pay them a visit. Maybe she'd scare them a little bit by dropping them from a building a couple of times.
All 10 heroes waited seated, until the Hero Association executives finally arrived at 8:30 a.m. 30 minutes after the time they agreed to!
-We felt the delay, we were finalizing details -Said a woman with thick scarlet lips, deep blue eyes and wavy purple hair pulled back. She was wearing refined lenses, a necklace with a medal that matched his earrings and wore an executive attire with a large neckline that highlighted his bust.
Secegi.
Executive Member - Hero Association.
Secretary of Human Resources - Member of the Board of Directors.
Style: None.
Tatsumaki felt the urge to cross his arms when she saw the executive. Behind her were followed by other executives.
-We were trying to get the last guest to attend in person, but it was in vain -Sitch said as he placed his cover cell phone on the table, but without cutting off the call he had in progress.
Sitch.
Executive Member - Hero Association.
Legal Secretary - Member of the Board of Directors.
Style: Unknown.
-He misses it, like the other members of the board, this will be a historic day -Said one man with a patch.
McCoy.
Executive Member - Hero Association.
Secretary of Communications - Member of the Board of Directors.
Style: None.
Tatsumaki watched them, only three executives? Where was the rest? Did they have more important things to leave her waiting with these inferior beings?
-Greetings, as you have already heard, unfortunately we could not count on the presence of Mr Agoni, Director of the Association; Sig, the Financial Secretary; Exegi, the administrative secretariat; nor that of one of the guest heroes -Secegi explained-. But if we keep waiting for them, we'll stay here all day bored, so let's start this meeting.
-Okay, let me introduce myself, my name is Sitch, I am the Legal Secretary of the association, and those next to me are Secegi, Secretariat of Human Resources and McCoy, Secretary of Communications.
-We don't care who they are, tell us why we're here -Atomic Samurai said with his hands behind his head-. My ward is waiting outside to continue his training.
-Well... -Said McCoy hesitantly-. As you know, the Hero Association was created to organize heroes against the Wolf, Tiger, and Demon level monsters, although we thought of the latter as a hypothetical level until recently.
-Around that classification -Continued Secegi-, we designate the number of heroes needed to deal with each disaster:
"3 Class C heroes or one Class B for Wolf level monsters".
"5 Class B heroes or one Class A for Tiger level monsters".
"And recently we've discovered that an average of 10 Class A heroes are needed for Demon level monsters"
-Did you bring us here to give us a chair of the organization?! Listen, get to the point and say once and for all, why are we here? The letter said a promotion, I understand that they can promote these garbage to Class B, even Class A at most, but why am I here?! -Tatsumaki screams.
-Could you please remain silent and let them speak? -The masked hero said.
-And who do you think you are to talk to me like that? You're just a...
As Tatsumaki began to unleash all her bile on the masked hero, the oldest of all the heroes present intervened.
-I think she'll take a while to get tired and calm down -Bang said-. Please continue.
-Okay... -Cough McCoy and he took the floor again-. As we uncover Demon Disaster Level monsters, we also discover you heroes capable of facing them one by one.
Sitch picked up a remote and pointed it at the flat-screen TV in the living room. Turning it on and playing a video.
-At first, the board was dubious from internet videos of heroes outside class A defeating Demon-level monsters on their own, but when we received reports from other heroes who were present at the fact site, it became inevitable to investigate -Sitch explained.
A series of videos began to appear on television. The first was from the Tornado of Terror fighting a giant fungal-like monstrosity, showing how she defeated the building-sized creature, and all from an angle that, if it were n't for the intentional fold of one of the slats that were part of her suit, would reveal all her intimacy to the internet. All the heroes, except the ninja, looked with interest at the video, surprised by the tremendous display of power that Tatsumaki unleashed to pulverize the giant monster. Tatsumaki was pleased to be the center of attention.
As a second video, the hero appeared with a question mark, facing a kind of combat machine. The machine appearing defeating several heroes until he arrived. The hero kicked the monster, generating dents on his armor, the robot tried to counterattack him, but the hero gave the robot a karate blow to the robot's neck, disoriented it, and flashed it with a coup de grace, destroying the machine's chest and shattering it.
The third video was one recorded from a distance. It showed how a giant monstrous cow generated a great wreck in a factory, until multiple beams of blue light appeared on its body. And in seconds, one last beam appeared, and something pierced the monster's head, like an unstoppable bullet, killing the creature and blowing it up. The scene then switches to a newscast in which witnesses of the event were interviewed and testified to the great feat of hero Silver Fang.
The fourth, showing how the samurai approaches a multicolored monster, stopped his fist with his sword, then without the slightest movement, the monster's arm exploded. Just so that a few seconds later, the hero disappeared from where he was to appear elsewhere wielding his sword and keeping it, the monster fell apart.
The fifth was a museum recording showing several members of the capital pirate group Devil Storm, being suddenly killed, only so that for a second a blond ninja would be seen on the scene, contemplating his feat and disappearing in a flicker. Flashy Flash took note of the fact and will try to not leave any more evidence of his actions identifying him again.
The sixth was a video of a man disguised as a dog defeating several Tiger-level monsters that together make a demon-level, before a real demon-level monster arrived that the hero beheaded by ripping his head off.
The seventh video was from the fat man gobbling up a gigantic spaghetti monster.
The eighth was a security recording of the Tanktop hero defeating a monster-like monster with a gloved punching bag.
The ninth was news recordings where a prisoner was seen fighting and defeating with his blows a kind of demonic creature, before being left naked and pixelated by camera censorship.
And as a tenth video, a dark man appeared who blew up a tortoise monster full of thorns and transformed into a sphere full of spikes. Ending this video stream when paused by Sitch when another video was about to come.
Tatsumaki was a little surprised that the other heroes beside her were able to deal with demon-level monsters, perhaps they weren't so weak... or maybe the disaster measurement was excessive for some. That was most likely and logical.
-At first we discussed why most of you stayed below the radar being heroes with even higher talent than Class A expectations -Sitch said-. But after careful discussion, the Board of Directors...
-At my suggestion... -McCoy interrupted nervously.
-... decided that, in order to organize a better response against monsters and maintain talents like you, it was necessary to restructure the classification of heroes -Sitch explained-. And as a result of that process, we decided to create a higher rank than Class A, Class S.
-Class S? -Darkshine said.
-As you heard -McCoy took the floor-. A new category above Class A where the strongest heroes, those capable of dealing with demon-level monsters, will be located. And I'm honored to tell you that all of you have been promoted to this special class.
Secegi began walking around the room and handing over Class S hero licenses to each of those present. They were silver cards with the barcode and shield of the association on the one hand and the identification of the hero on the other. They had a metallic texture and a watermark that gave them a multicolored glow under the light.
-Of course, we don't expect them to take the risks and responsibilities of this new rank without good pay -McCoy said as each of the heroes inspected his credential upon receiving it-. We have prepared for you quite a few things that you will surely find attractive...
-I refuse -Said a serious voice that caught everyone's attention.
Everyone turned to see the masked man with question marks, who raised his hand as a rejection, when the executive was going to give him the credential.
Secret Mask, Beauto.
Hero Class A rank #2
Style: Specialist.
-W-what? -Muttered tremblingly McCoy.
-What you heard, I just refuse to accept this rank promotion -Secret Mask said.
-W-why? You can't do it -McCoy said nervously and worryingly about what seemed to be the beginning of the end of the Class S initiative.
-If this were a promotion in the rankings, I could not, but according to the Association handbook, at an class promotion meeting, the summoned hero is the one who has the final say when deciding whether or not to be promoted from the category -Secret Mask said dry.
-At least listen to the benefits of being Class S before making a decision -McCoy suggested.
-He's right, it would be rude to reject the promotion without first hearing it -Darkshine said.
-I agree, I still don't know what it's about, but I think at least we should listen to it before we turn it down -Silver Fang said.
-I don't need to listen to them, my decision is made -Secret Mask replied-. However, I ask you to please accept the promotion, it would be beneficial for people who have a specialized class to deal with demon-level monsters. Now please proceed.
McCoy was sweating on his nerves, one of the candidates refused to ascend. He feared that someone else would follow him, but seeing that no one had anything more to say during the awkward seconds that followed the masked hero's statement, regained a little composure, at least for Secegi to take care of this part of the meeting, after making minimal adjustments to some papers he had on his hands.
-All right, let's move on -Secegi said-. Here are the benefits of Class S:
"Four times the average Class A salary for each Class S hero, regardless of rank."
"Free access, subsidized by the association, to public services in all regions".
"Preferential attention when accessing the services of the association. Including the special heroic sourcing and training service, where they can request everything they need for their heroic activities and we will serve it as much as possible for free."
"Access to a heroic discount pack 50% onwards, for any purchases they make in civilian stores, using the Class S Hero credential."
"Insurance for you, which will cover medical costs and claims against you for damage to private property."
"And all S-class heroes are exempt from the activity sanctions system, which means their rank cannot be reduced due to inactivity, just because of the rise of their colleagues."
-That's where the benefits end -Secegi said-. Now, the responsibilities:
"S-class heroes have a duty to attend all meetings summoned to them."
"S-class heroes can be requested for special, classified, high-risk missions, unless they have an excuse to justify their absence."
"And the rest of the responsibilities are the same as Class A heroes, although you are exempt from having to lead the seminar to the new recruits."
Tatsumaki liked the latter. She was already bored of having to be a teacher at those seminars to instruct new recruits. It was fun to do so when Fubuki passed the test, but after her, she had only seen pure losers.
-Any questions about the new status or something to say? -Ask Secegi.
All the heroes remained silent.
-If there are no more questions, I proceed to say the ranks of Class S -Secegi recited.
-"Class S rank #10: Superalloy Darkshine".
Now Tatsumaki was sure that such muscles were just to show. Last place in the new S-class. Likely the Demon level monster that he defeated was an estimated error in the disaster level, it was sure to be a simple Tiger level. This guy was just a walking sculpture, and one with too many muscles for his taste. A little scare and she's sure he'd be traumatized by her. Although it would be very cruel to abuse a little of it.
-"Class S rank #9: Puri-Puri Prisoner".
Tatsumaki had long since stopped spreading her aura throughout the facility since some presences made her uncomfortable. But even so, she hadn't stopped feeling like the presence of this guy felt... stranger. She didn't know if he was a top-notch criminal or a clown. She didn't understand his situation either, how the hell can a hero be in prison? That didn't make sense, unless this was one of those books of tragic heroes that kids liked. Of course, she liked them at the time, too, but that wasn't the case. The best thing would be to keep it under her sights, for now, maybe he would kill the monsters of discomfort, which wouldn't be strange.
-"Class S rank #8: Tanktop Master".
To Tatsumaki's surprise, this guy was the most normal of all the heroes who were here. It was a ball of pure muscle just like the other two from a moment ago, although at least he had in his favor a more pleasant face and his blond hair. Anyway, she was still a loser to her, no matter if he defeated a demon-level monster, she could take care of many more at once. Maybe, when she could, she'd give him a sample of his psychic power to see how he reacted. She hoped it was worth seeing his expression of surprise and, who knows, fear.
-"Class S rank #7: Watchdog Man".
A man, dressed in a dog suit, made a top hero, for defeating a demon-level monster on his own... was this a hidden camera show? This guy was a bad joke. But still, despite everything, Tatsumaki didn't know what to think of this guy. While an unexpressed face was for her like a wrap waiting to be opened to reveal something very delicious, something made her think that this time it was an empty wrapper from which she would get nothing no matter how much she will try. Maybe he was truly able to accomplish everything she heard. It would be best to ignore this madman in his stinking dog suit, which was probably filled with lead.
-"Class S rank #6: Pig God".
Grotesque. That was the only word that came to Tatsumaki's mind to see this hero and hear his feat. Out of shape. Carefree face. Always eating. This guy wasn't hero material, he wasn't even normal human material. Defeat monsters by eating them? That was disgusting. He for sure was one of those freaks that live in people's basements, surf the internet all day and consume any rubbish that tastes salty or sweet. Why was he a hero in the first place? She didn't know, he may have hacked the database from his computer and attributed the defeat of one of the monsters in the records. Well, if that's the case, enjoy it while you can. Someday your time will come.
-"Class S rank #5: Flashy Flash".
It had been for this guy that Tatsumaki stopped covering the facility with his aura. When she felt his presence, she sensed the encouragement of a cold-blooded killer. One who was able to feel his aura, to feel that he was being watched by someone else and to come into guard even if he did not seem to let out his bloodthothing. But for a reason she did not yet understand, she felt no evil coming from him. And this is what baffled her the most and convinced her to stop wrapping it with her aura, not because she was afraid of him, but to avoid generating tensions unnecessarily. From afar it was seen that he was capable of everything attributed to him. It's not like murdering a gang was the big deal. However, none of those things negated the fact that this blond had some appeal. Although, something in his stoic androgen face made her think he wasn't one of the guys who was afraid. Like something's missing from his brain.
-"Class S rank #4: Silver Fang".
What was such an old guy doing being a hero? Yes, he could be a martial arts master. Yes, he could have defeated that cow monster, but he looked so fragile and emaciated. God, anyone couldn't see any trace of a heroic or warrior character. All she could see was an old nice guy and gentile. What can this dude offer to deal with monsters?
-"Class S rank #3: Atomic Samurai".
For Tatsumaki, this was the fool who took all the prizes. We're not in the feudal age, man. Yes, he could have a sword. But that thing is nothing in front of a monster. Without that, what did this old-fashioned guy have left? nothing. Maybe she'd give her a chance, while she was taking care of the real monsters, that samurai can take care of supporting the other S-class heroes when a real monster makes them cry.
-"Class S rank #2: Tornado of Terror".
Wait, how she wasn't the number 1 hero? She had been the #1 in Class A. There was no one more active, dedicated, powerful and committed to being a hero like her. Who was the bastard these scumbag office workers considered superior to her? It can't be that wretched masked man. Was he meant to be hero number one? No. He refused. Who was chosen to be number one was so scoundrel as not to come? If it was the case, he didn't even deserve to be a hero next to someone like her.
-"And finally, Class S rank #1: Blast".
Blast? Did she hear that right? Did she say Blast?! Was Blast among them? If so, why wasn't he here? Tatsumaki never heard of him joining the Hero Association under any rank. Were he directly promoted to Class S? It must be. There's no doubt about it.
Tatsumaki looked in disguise at the other heroes. Apparently she wasn't the only one who shuddered to hear that name. The only ones who didn't seem to react to that name were that old man with white hair and the freak dressed in a dog suit. They took it as something commonly, and if they felt any surprise, this was the same as that of finding a coin in a pocket. And here she was, losing all the anger they had just to hear a name. It was nice that she didn't say what she thought, otherwise she'd feel even more ridiculous than she already felt after even thinking about comparing her exploits to those of someone as imposing as Blast.
-"Additionally, the Class A hero #2 known as Secret Mask, climbs the Class A rank #1, due to his reluctance to climb class S".
Cholera returned to Tatsumaki again. Who thought himself that bastard to think that he was too good to turn down a rank promotion? He was rejecting a promotion to third place. Did he think it was high enough to reject all those benefits to be a S-class? No, she already knew. He was a cowardly bastard. That must be. The responsibilities might frighten him a lot and he preferred to stay at Number 1 in Class A. It was obviously, this wretch wanted to stay in the comfort zone. She's sure it was a lie that he killed that robot. It was probably already weakened. She's sure that was it.
-And with this ends the introductory meeting to Class S, we will be sending additional information through your cell phones about changes in benefits and responsibilities, as well as...
-Hey, excuse me, miss, but I don't have a cell phone -TankTop Master interrupted.
-What? -Secegi replied confusedly.
-I don't have one of those things either -Atomic Samurai replied.
-Okay, raise your hand if you don't have a cell phone -Request Secegi.
They all raised their hands except Tornado of Terror, Flashy Flash and Puri Puri Prisoner.
-Understand, wait in your residences for a package from the association where a phone will come for you -Secegi replied with an air of laziness for the unforeseen event.
-... As I said, once you have them, you will also receive notifications through them when asked either for a meeting or to face a disaster -Secegi explained.
-That's it, with this ends the opening and introduction meeting to The S-Class -Sitch said-. You can return to your heroic activities, we hope to see you in action soon.
Each of the heroes began to leave the meeting room. Secegi and McCoy followed. Each satisfied, in his own way, with the outcome of the meeting and eager to see what he would be able to achieve in the new S-class. The only one who stayed in the room was Sitch, who waited for everyone to come out, before grabbing his cell phone on the table.
-Did you hear everything? -Ask Sitch.
-Strong and clear, Sitch -Replied the voice, who seemed to be eating something from the other side-. By the way, thank you for erasing the part of attending "in person" to meetings in the rules of procedure, I owe you one.
-With all the ones I owe you, one less is nothing -Sitch said, aware that the person he spoke to gave more importance to his Snack of Cabanossi than to a meeting as it is-. Thank you also for agreeing to join.
-Being about you, I didn't see any problems, I don't reject the extra money -Replied the voice.
-It would have been better if you attended the meeting, so you'll only create a precedent of unreliability -Sitch suggested.
-Hey, easy Sitch -Excused the hero-. When you really need me and there's something no one can face, rest a lot I'm sure I'll be there, fun like that is the one that keeps me in this.
-I hope so...
-Besides, weren't you the ones who needed powerful people in your ranks at any cost? -He questioned the hero over the phone-. The powerful also have things to do in our lives, the more power we are, the busier we are.
-Like what?
-In important things that require a lot of power, a good salary and a lot of privacy, my good Sitch.
Sitch just sighed knowing he had his hands tied when it came to this guy.
-I heard that, that's my sign to retire. We talked later Sitch, and two things, first, please make sure I don't get tormented with calls; and, second, I think you have a visit to attend to.
The call ended and Sitch looked at his phone for a few seconds before leaving the meeting room. What did that mean he had a visit to attend to? He didn't have any meetings scheduled today besides this one.
As he made his way to his office, Sitch saw that there were a lot of people gathered in a hallway and came to see. After overcoming the crowd of secretaries and workers he saw one of the security guards arguing with what appeared to be a robot, whose head appeared to be a bowling ball.
-For the last time, I tell you you have to come with me, you can't be here without authorization -Warn a guard trying to hold the robot's arm.
-I'm sorry, but I have a risk test to take to these facilities -Says the robot without paying attention to the man and taking pictures of the facilities.
-Do you know that taking photos in restricted areas is punished by law, right? -Sitch noted.
-Legal issues should be the least of your -The robot said before realizing who he was talking to-. Ah, a member of the Board of Directors, it's just with you that I wanted to meet.
The robot easily releases itself from the guard's grip.
-Greetings, my name is Bofoi. I have made a diagnosis of your facilities, and so far I have found many damages that...
-I'm sorry, but I can't take care of you without an appointment -Sitch said, trying to get rid of the android.
-Maybe your secretary didn't notify you, please check your phone again.
Before Sitch could say anything, his phone issued the incoming message tone. Upon viewing it, an on-screen email appeared, with a copy of all the members of the board, traveling from a meeting scheduled for the afternoon. The sender's name was unmistakable, BFI Industries, Region U.
-As I said, damage to your facility could put personnel at risk, but also the heroic response capacity against disasters.
-What does that have to do with you? -Sitch questioned.
-That rightly, I can offer you a special service that would solve all these vulnerabilities.
Sitch also made the guard stop bothering the robot. And he obeyed.
-What kind of special service? -Ask Sitch.
-That's sensitive information that I prefer not to reveal right now to prevent it from falling into dangerous hands.
The robot's eyes shone and seemed to focus.
-But to be precise, more than a service, it is the free sample of a number of special services.
-Explain yourself -Sitch requested.
-You and the rest of the board members will know the details at our meeting -The robot said after turning around and heading to the reception to wait until the meeting time came.
Sitch remained in place as he watched the robot move away and the spectators around him gradually dispersed to return to their work activities. He couldn't stop thinking about the last thing Blast told him and the arrival of this guy. Did Blast know this guy was coming? What would have to offer BFI industries to the Hero Association that they didn't have purchased or hired from him or another supplier? They had practically exhausted all the catalogues by purchasing the latest technology it offered to the market.
Sitch decided to stop thinking about it and head to his office for tea. He was too old to get stressed about things out of his control. If they had a scheduled meeting with that guy, then wait for him to arrive.
At the same time...
In a D-City office complex, on one of the best-view flats in town, a man in a formal suit, sitting in his chair and with his feet on the table, enjoyed his snacks while thinking about the phone meeting he had a few moments ago.
For him, this S-class thing was a surprise. He knew about Tornado of Terror, but he'd never heard of the other 9, 10 if you count the guy who turned down the promotion. He was on the lookout for news of disasters and monsters, but not the show of heroes. That's why he hadn't joined the association before. He didn't want to turn his exotic hobby into a job full of rigid rules and suffocating responsibilities. Lucky that class S standards were more flexible than any other.
As for his new "colleagues," he didn't expect so many powerful people watered around. It was an interesting surprise. If he was a couple of years younger and had his good friend Zero on his side, maybe he'd fight each of them to prove his skill. Too bad those times ended with the Bofoi and G0 incident.
From what he could hear, most S-class members didn't seem to be the kind of heroes who can get to work as a team, unless they have no choice. Just like him. He've known Tatsumaki since he accidentally saved her from the "Scar" program facility when he had to defeat that monster to get the Critical Cube out of him. He didn't know what happened to that unsafe and scary girl since that time, but from what he could hear through the call, her temper had become a little explosive. And if her hunch was true, the other heroes would also be eccentric figures like her or him.
This was a more fun scenario than he could have expected. Perhaps he could leave several of the monsters to them to focus on other much more challenging heroic activities, such as getting the Critical Cubes and screwing Godotto up in the process by defeating his heralds.
As for Bofoi, he hasn't seen him in a couple of decades since he asked her to make his suit. Did age finally soften the heart of that cold old man and eventually put his great intelligence and powers at the service of justice? At least that's how he could pay tribute to poor Zero.
-What kind of plot twist in the history of our world will Godotto have prepared for us? -Ask for himself the man in an executive suit after looking at the city behind his window and making a signal with his hand with which he materialized a portal where he threw the trash from his snack-. Whatever it is, I can't wait to ruin you.
Blast.
Unregistered hero.
Style: Enhancer.
Hi, maybe you're thinking, "Hey, where are the other heroes? You forgot there's more S-class". Well, I haven't. Soon, Class S will receive the arrival of new members, and the association will soon learn about the existence of monsters above the demon level, dragon levels, and the hypothetical God level. I hope you liked the chapter. Soon, you may see new surprises and announcements in this fanfic.
Author's Note:
Edit (27/Apr/2021)