Saitama and the SCPs

by Reflectionist

For Saitama, he was about to see some SCPs that began to appear into his world, attacking monsters and humans alike. There are forces beyond the mortal realm, dangerous and powerful that the Foundation has tried to understand and contain. Brute force is not the necessary solution to the problems they present, though that does not apply to Saitama... with his unmatched power.

6. My Country Tis of Thee

To clarify the guest in the rant below was NOT THE ONE WHO SENT THREATENING MESSAGES. IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE DIRECTING THEIR HATRED AND MALICE AT MY OLDER WORKS AND THAT I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN THE PAST THROUGH DISCORD AND FROM A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY. Like bro get a life.

3/14/2021
Honestly, the story starts after all this A/N shit. Skip if you want. Just me ranting and rambling in a fit of lucidity and running on 3 hours of sleep. Most guest review replies at the end. Like come one, my spirit and motivation to write this story was killed for a long time thanks to a hostile person sending me threatening messages.

10/23/2020: Thanks to Lawoi, I read the tale for SCP-231-7 on Montauk Procedure. ARGH! I could go back and retcon everything because it isn't what I expected. The tale was wholesome and fluffy. I could go back and retcon everything, but I won't. Because if I do, I would have to change the course of the story entirely. So I'm sorry guys, but AGH! If I knew about it earlier… And sorry for the delay. Just been hectic and working on fine tuning Grimm Containment.

[RANT STARTS]

To the guest that said Saitama took damage, he didn't. I looked in the physical copy of the manga and it wasn't present there. That has been disproved many times, and its mind-boggling on how some people still use it as a talking point when I browsed a discussion thread. It was likely Boros's thoughts, or simply a fan addition. Either way, since it isn't in the official manga, it doesn't matter. Saitama's whole purpose when ONE made him, was to show a gag character. A superhero who reached the top and is now bored. Like what the other guest says, nearly all crossover OPM fics are just Saitama displaying his strength and shenanigans. So yeah, that delayed the work too overall. Just kinda killed my spirit for a while.

Just go with what the Insane Wombat says, sit back and enjoy the story. Power Scaling and all that is just a waste of time for me. I'm not gonna argue with others here on who is stronger and anime arguments and shit. The only point I will refute is that Boros never damaged Saitama in their battle, as shown in the official manga. Not an online translation with unreliable credibility. This is a SCP-OPM fic, not Gurren Lagann or Dies Irae. I understand that the guest points out to nth dimension entities and their powers, but what they need to understand is that I need to juggle that and OPM's entire premise. Saitama, the strongest hero who is bored. OPM is more focused on comedy. When we make a fic, we need to take note and incorporate elements from both.

I can go the super shitty route, if that's what you all want. Have Saitama steamroll the SCPverse because "hE Is sAiTAma" and get thousands of favs and follows. It's crazy really, how the shittiest fics get the most follows and favorites. Do you guys want me to do that? Have the female cast fall for Saitama after their first interaction?

"Who's this sassy lost child?"

"You baldy!" Tatsumaki snapped, while blushing.

Or

*Saitama returns to the stadium after one-shotting SCP-682

"I'm just a hero for fun"

'He's so hot…' Lin Lin thought.

Is that what you all want? A shitty fic, where Saitama gets all the bitches and the bad guys get OWNED like them LIB-RALs talking to Ben Shapiro.

Good God, this story was originally supposed to be a two shot and ending there. But it evolved into something more. I created a plot, and decided to go beyond what is expected. A good storyline, a decent structure. I'm not fucking perfect, I can't write consistantly or good like Coeur Al Aran. But I still try. I don't strive for fucking mediocrity, and I sure as hell don't take the easy route. Imagine, if this whole story was structured like chapter 1. Around 1k words, little development, and trashy layout. I'd rather watch Bridesmaids than writing an entire story like that. And I fucking hate those movies.

I'm trying my best here, and I got people spouting about how Saitama isn't invincible, on how he is a speck of dust. You're right! If it was any other fandom, who had a similar character, then it would be! They wouldn't last much against the Grand Karcist Ion or the Scarlet King! But the thing is, I need to take serious consideration into the overall nature of OPM and what ONE intended. A character that is so overpowered, that nothing can stop him. When we make a crossover fic, the characteristics of the two worlds need to be considered and blended together.

Man… RWBY-SCP is easier to work with because you can imagine what the RWBY cast cna do, and what they can put up with. GOC Operatives? Hell yeah! Get curb stomped by a 15 year old scythe-wielding girl. Adam Taurus is looking for Blake in Beacon? Send Able to the fight!

Oops, just spoiled that last bit there for Grimm Containment. But it is sure as hell easier to work with, and the Grimm Containment rewritten has been delayed due to this fic. Guess I'll have to aim for that around for late october.

Anyway, back to my original point, I have to balance both OPM and SCP together. And Saitama's nature and purpose in OPM needs to be taken seriously as the writer. Don't like what I'm writing? For the love of God, I can't make all of you happy. But I can tell you this with absolute certainty, I won't take the easy way out and write a shitty fic. I'll try to weave a plot, an exciting story that can be used as a hallmark. And breaking convention.

[RANT OVER]

P.S FGO Guest, you're good. You've been positive and nice all the way. [Review response at the bottom of the story]

[Las Vegas, Nevada]

[United States of the North American Union][Commonly called the NAU]

[13th Armored Regiment]

[4th Infantry Division]

"The ETs bombed everything from LA to Barstow before they headed someplace in central Nevada for a bit and came down here to Boulder City." Colonel Stalwizcky explained as he looked away from the TV screen displaying the ET mothership and NAU units nearby. Lieutenant Richard Trier listened alongside other assembled infantry and armored officers.

"Now, the main ET ground force has consolidated their gains in Boulder City and overwhelmed the police units. Special forces and National Guard have been moved to the Hoover Dam and so far haven't been any ET attacks in that direction. Either by ground or air."

"However recently they've begun moving from Railroad Pass on I-11 towards Henderson. Small probing attacks at best until the 8th Infantry Regiment arrived and then the ETs gave it their all. So far, the 8th Infantry has been reduced to mere platoons working their way back around the nearby countryside while our latest report half an hour ago showed the ETs arrived at Nevada State College and formed a line to Wagonwheel Drive."

Colonel Stalwizcky traced his finger across a digital map of the Henderson area, where it also showed a 91st Infantry Battalion moving to Clark County Museum. Even inside the building, looking out of the window eastwards, you could make out the Alien mothership. A purple-tooth shaped starship that cast a dark shadow over all of Boulder City.

"Our orders are to support the 91st, 3rd and 17th Infantry Battalion in holding the center line until the rest of the Army gets here."

Another officer raised his hand, who Colonel Stalwizcky addressed him. "What's your question Captain?"

"Sir- what about air support? It's all open terrain. Also what are the ETs capable of?" the captain questioned and some other officers murmured the same.

"For air support, we don't have any." Colonel Stalwizcky admitted, and continued to talk. "As for the ET capabilities, from what reports we got they've got some sort of phasers and light hovering vehicles for transport on the ground. Most of our air force in the area fought the ETs as they moved from LA. You all have your orders. Support the infantry and kill every single one of them." He ended briskly.

With some muttered grumbling, the other officers alongside him exited the building and rushed over to their vehicles.

"ROLLOUT 5 MINUTES!" Major Meyers shouted as he stood on top of his M2 Bradley, and repeated twice before hopping inside. Richard simply sneered as the Bradley moved forward in advance. The newest battalion commander wasn't very popular. As the major had been in some cushy administrative post for the last few years while soldiers like himself fought in NAU protectorates of Thailand and Iraq.

But he shook his head, and walked over to his track. The M1 Abrams shone brightly in the midday sun, and Trier climbed up and looked towards the alien mothership looming over in the distance. It filled him with foreboding dread, that he pushed aside and entered through the hatch. In Thailand, they fought Burmese and Chinese irregulars in border skirmishes, and in Iraq against militants supplied by Fascist Italy. But you knew what you could expect, whether it would be an RPG shot while the hatch was open, or kidnapped and getting cut up by said irregulars after you spent a night with a local woman, it was to be expected.

There was no telling what the ETs had in store, from something akin to xenomorphs to even Wookies and Mon Calamari from Star Wars. "Corporal, start her up." He instructed while reaching for the radio. Turning the dials, he called out to the others under his command.

"All Sandstorm Tanks, this is Sandstorm 1, prepare for battle and sound off-"

After a moment

"This is Sandstorm 2, ready when you are."

"Sandstorm 3, locked and loaded."

His own tank roared to life, the familiar strum of the engine soothing him temporarily. "Corporal, move forward…" Trier peeked before speaking again. "Follow Rook Platoon, our target is Henderson."

"Yes sir" Corporal Hammond replied as he followed after the Major's unit. After some moments, Trier popped open the hatch and looked outside as they moved. Along the main road to Henderson, the 582, cars with civilians were hastily shoved to the side by state police and Nevada National Guard units. Roads were jam packed as the endless column of civilians headed for perceived safety as they waited to get on I-15.

Shrills of whistles and megaphone speakers rang out as the authorities tried to keep order. Telling people in cars to remain calm. Many people walked alongside the road, likely because the cars were probably going to run out of gas first before even leaving the city at the rate they were moving. They walked between the two roads, and kept a small distance from the Abrams and Strykers in the column.

He watched as they carried suitcases and roller bags, possessions of what he presumed were clothing and valuables. Many of the people also had pistols and larger guns in their cases, Trier had rumors that on the I-15 and the California-Nevada desert there were already roaming groups of bandits running amok. Of robbing, raping and murdering defenseless citizens of the Union. An hour ago, the President had signed an executive order declaring that any "bandits" or "raiders" were labeled as terrorists and to be dealt with lethal force on the spot.

In his opinion, the ET attack had given a chance for those undesirable elements to expose themselves and made it all easier for the FBI and DHS to hunt them down. One of the groups in the fleeing civilians watched the armor column in awe, a young boy shaking his fist at Trier.

"Go kill the aliens Mr. Soldier!"

Grinning, Trier snapped off a salute to the boy and he laughed as the column passed them. The people at least were sensible enough to bring more water than personal effects. After a couple more minutes, Trier hopped back inside in an attempt to ward off the heat.

"Sir- how are things outside?" Asked the loader, Corporal Wade as he fiddled with a .50 cal bullet.

"Chaotic, but organized. Long lines of traffic of people on foot and in cars heading on the I-15. No signs of the ETs other than the mothership." Trier replied, wiping sweat off his forehead before putting on the helmet again.

"Hey Trier, what do you think the ETs are up to? We're practically sitting ducks out here. The fuck is command thinking?" Sergeant Carlowe piped up as he nervously tapped his sidearm.

"Shut it, you'll jinx us!" Trier snapped back before glancing up for a moment at the turret hatch. "You think I know what the hell the ETs are thinking of? From what I've heard, the air force scared them back at Anaheim. And we got a few AA shit in the regiment." Though he wasn't quite sure about that one.

They continued on in silence towards Henderson as the minutes ticked off. Early on they'd blast music inside, but after fighting in Thailand and Iraq, silence was better since you had to be aware. Especially this close to battle. The radio played chatter from forward units, and from the sound of it once the NAU brought numbers the ETs were being driven back.

Moving forward, silence reigned for several minutes, the radio chatter fading in the background as Corporal Hammond simply followed the Stryker in front of him. It was an odd unit Trier reflected. The 13th Armored Regiment as they were called, were hastily thrown together. That also went for the infantry division as well, the original 4th ID had been destroyed in San Bernardino.

"Units be advised, four additional starships have appeared near the mothership. Forward artillery observers have seen what appears to be small-" An explosion cut off the radio, one that he heard through his own tank.

Before he could even say anything, a second explosion outside shook the M1 Abrams harder as Corporal Hammond tried to keep control. And then the unthinkable happened. Trier watched in wordless horror as the armor of the M1 Abrams was pried apart by a giant hand. The turret came off with a pop. And Trier with his comrades collapsed on top of the turretless tank and he found himself peering at his first alien. It was a colossal creature, standing some 40ft tall that stood over all the buildings around the alien. With casual ease, the alien crushed the turret of the M1 Abrams and tossed to the side, impacting a Burger King on Boulder Highway.

"I sense fear" One of the five heads on the alien spoke.

"Fear- yes. They are militant and cautious." The second replied.

"Inferior life forms. Weak armored units." A third head said, as if to emphasise the point, Trier realized that one of the alien's feet had completely crushed the Stryker in front of them.

"Dealing with our lower class fighters proved difficult. There are more of them now- lets kill all of them."

The five heads looked down on Trier and his crew, a sadistic grin appearing on the front face while they began to split. Sergeant Carlowe fired a shot at the alien with his sidearm, the bullet bouncing off harmlessly. And it was sheer instinct that caused Trier to roll to his side and off the tank, as the alien crushed the whole thing. With Hammond, Carlowe, and Wade in it. Sandstorm 2 opened up with her machine guns at the ET. The heavier caliber bullets made a small noticeable impact but the ET seemed to shrug it off. Picking up Sandstorm 1, the ET flung it towards Sandstorm 2, where the crushed tank tore through the second one. Causing a fiery explosion as a result.

As if forgetting him, the five-headed ET moved forward to the rest of the column. Moving at high speeds, the alien killed everything in its path in a wanton spree of destruction. Gunfire erupted all around, while other shells missed as the target was too fast. One of the shells hit civilians in the area, and sent blood and gore everywhere. The remaining ones scattered, screaming and running away while a single ET destroyed the armored regiment.

Trier felt a hand on him, and saw Major Meyers pulling him up. Looking forward, he saw a M2 Bradley tipped on its side among the burning wrecks of civilian vehicles and crushed military ones.

"That fucker just about ripped a new asshole for the 91st. Couldn't believe my eyes when it came at Riley's track that fast." The major snarled as he brandished his pistol. The ET was flying away now, back towards the mothership as tracer rounds missed it.

"13th! Rally on me!" Major Meyers shouted, as disoriented stragglers moved forward to them or pulled out survivors from the attack. The civilians were making a run for it while the remaining armor pushed their way around the wrecked vehicles. He saw the burning chunk of metal, and clenched his teeth together at the loss of his comrades. Sandstorm 3 was slightly off the road, but it's left side caved in. Leaving a fist print on it while smoke seeped out from the hatches.

Trier took a step towards Sandstorm 3 to rescue his men, until the top hatch opened up and someone crawled out of it. Rushing forward- "HEY!"

He recognized the person, Sergeant Halser, and once he was near immediately helped him up stand. "Halser- is there anyone else alive in there?"

Halser coughed at Trier, before shaking his head in negative. "Ralph got crushed… Simmons and Eddie went the same way. I'm sorry Lieutenant, we couldn't fire our main gun cause we saw you exposed out there."

"Don't worry about that…" Trier tried to see if he could spot a medic. There was two, and they were both working on civilians that looked near dead. So he looked over Halser on his own, who overall was a bit concussed, but okay.

"Do- do we keep on going?" Halser asked as he stood on shaky feet. And Major Meyers marched over to the two.

"Do we keep on going? YES!" He snapped, waving his pistol around without a care in the world. "Orders are orders. Lieutenant Quincy's tanks are still operational, and we've got some Bradleys left, including mine once we get it back on its feet- or track. Now, we've arrived at Tropicana Avenue. That's still about 6-8 miles till Clark County Museum."

"THOSE OF YOU ON FOOT, HOP ON THE REMAINING VEHICLES! WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE ET'S OUT OF HENDERSON! THAT ET CAN'T STOP ALL OF US!"

"Sir- with all due respect what if that ET comes back?" One of the soldiers nearby asked.

The Major waved aside the question flippantly. "We'll kill it. He got the jump on us the first time, but we're ready now. We cannot waste time here and await orders from command. As of now, this battalion will support the forces in Henderson. That ET is probably their Gilgamesh, from reports on foot the ET infantry we can deal with."

And so, the leading battalion of the 13th Armored Regiment moved forward.

[-]

Of course, the NAU soldiers didn't know it yet as many were being transferred to Vegas and Henderson. The forward units, such as the 91st Infantry Battalion, were considered "battalions" on a paper level. In terms of manpower, they had only about three hundred soldiers under the command of a captain. While a sizable company, the troops were all greenhorns, rushed through basic training and limited service. Most of the NAU troops, the elites and the best were in NAU Protectorates in Southeast Asia pinned in border skirmishes in Thailand. Or in West Africa against incursions from the Bolshevik Spanish Republic. And the armies of NAU were vastly different in quality and effectiveness compared to the armies in old USA. It became more of a quantity over quality, as basic training was reduced to five weeks to prop up divisions in said protectorates. Though those applied for recruits going to infantry. Now, high school students who didn't graduate and dropped out, were grabbed by MPs and sent to the military.

Another factor for the captain was that a good chunk of his men were in penal units. Thus he had to devote troops to watch their backs and stiffen their resolve in combat. As those in penal units (both labour and combat) were likely to bolt and run, or overpower a lone soldier. As such, he didn't have enough troops for combat roles themselves as they arrived at Clark County Museum. Nor were those troopers ready to face Melzargard suddenly plowing through them.

Of course, even if they were elite NAU soldiers, Melzargard would've had no problem crushing them. The NAU didn't know it yet (they would discover the HA Disaster Rating later) but Melzargard was a Dragon Level threat. By Hero Association standards, anyone who could defeat a Demon-Level threat one-on-one was eligible for S-Class ranking. The disaster rating wasn't accurate, as nothing was ever perfect of course. The nature of Mysterious Beings made it difficult to classify the threats properly. Sometimes Tiger level monsters equaled in power to a Demon, but could be subdued by A-Class heroes that had an effective counter to them. Or a Demon level monster being defeated by powerful A-Class heroes such as the Disciples of Atomic Samurai.

But S-Class heroes existed in a realm separately from A-Class heroes. That applied for Demon Level Monsters as well. Both had surpassed a limit that most would be stopped by. S-Class heroes could match the power of an entire military division, and much much more. That also applied to beings with Demon-Level ranking. Because of the difficulty of subduing Demon level monsters, they thought that would be it. However, the HA also discovered Disaster Level Dragon.

Dragon-Level threats required multiple S-Class Heroes to eliminate them. There were difficult ones, and responsible for wiping out hundreds of thousands of people in the Alphabet Cities. The alien crew of the Dark Matter Thieves aboard the Infinitum were picked from planets of the Intergalactic Confederacy. When Boros first took to the stars, he destroyed entire systems with his power alone, and soon the Confederacy bowed to him. The Dark Matter Thieves (likely to be renamed since the entire Confederacy lived in fear of Boros and any ship unlucky to be caught surrendered quickly anyway) selected the strongest and the brightest beings for the crew. The Infinitum was their flagship, and while there were other starships bigger, the Infinitum outdid all in power. The Power Sphere was connected to Boros as an outlet of his energy, as the armor he wore could only restrict so much to begin with.

As he left the rest of his fleet behind, eager for his prophetic battle, they only managed to catch up to him recently by following the exact hyperspace route. And perhaps with a hint of third-party interference that they caught up to the flagship on Earth. The crew of the DMT, from simple cooks to 4th Dimensional Hyperoute Analysts were capable of combat. And by HA standards, ranged from Tiger-Level to Demon level in strength. However there were relatively very few that would count as a Dragon level, and those were mostly placed as generals by Boros. In battle, they always threw away the most worthless troops. Ones that C to B Class can handle.

Their numbers and technological superiority crushed the police and some civilian defenders in Boulder City easily. And brushed off small attacks by the Nevada National Guard. Though once more NAU troops arrived, the battles became even and fiercely contested. But as always, the officers of the DMT began sending in the main battle force. The Tiger and Demon level threat aliens, equipped with better blaster rifles and armor, and several of them had abilities of their own.

So of course, the NAU were going to be in a lot of pain.

[Dark Matter Thieves Flagship- Infinitum]

"We already have a full grasp of their weaponry and units. Admiral- why can't we simply bomb these Terrans?" One of the command staff officers asked Geryguanshoop, the hologram before him reflecting troop movements from Las Vegas and Henderson.

"Lord Boros has instructed us as such. He battled that creature in the desert earlier from our bombardment. The leaders of this Foundation allowed us to go ahead with this attack." Geryguanshoop replied.

The officer nodded and returned to his station.

"Admiral, we have starfight- I mean atmospheric craft heading our way. Scanners indicate them as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors from the 706th Fighter Squadron." Another officer spoke, and the main holograms switched to show primitive airspeeders coming towards the ship.

"Send in the 4th Starfighter Wing to engage any small aerial craft, and the 12th Bomber Squadron on the forward units. Let me see…." The hologram projector shifted to reveal several military units coming from Las Vegas and in Henderson proper. After a moment, the NAU units were named.

"They may begin bombing runs in Las Vegas, particularly the bulk of the 79th and 4th Infantry Divisions."

"Understood Admiral" The first officer replied and tapped the comm gear attached to his black helmet.

"Major General Versivius, the 12th Bomber Squadron will begin aerial assaults on the following units, and locations in the two cities. Standby for Beacon Markers."

An alert flashed by on screen as small anti air superlasers opened up at the NAU aircraft. The lasers tore through two of the F-16s and sent them crashing onto the shield, while a third one caused the pilot to eject, and a superlaser bolt tore the pilot in two. The other aircraft fired missiles and slugs that made no impact nor damage to the shields.

"Quite primitive aren't they? This is their main air fleet of this nation. Our sensors did detect more advanced craft in these Foundation sites. Notably in this "Site-19" we've found a few small starships capable of hypertravel. Not to mention their communications we're unable to crack." One of the officers remarked, causing Geryguanshoop to silently agree with his assessment.

"No matter, Lord Boros and Groribas are in discussion with their leaders right now. Why are we unable to decrypt Foundation channels?"

"It's not that we've decrypted them… they seem to be using several different electronic sources of communication. The first few matches with what the majority on this planet seems to be using. However, the remaining ones are rather tricky. To be honest, it's something that I've never seen before in my life!" The officer went back to scanning the stream of data coming to the ship.

"Admiral-" Birgill spoke up as he tapped across the holographic keyboard. "The Primordial, Triumvirate, Ravager and the Solarius have arrived. They've followed our hyperspace lane trails and we've reestablished comms. It seems the 11th Starfleet is the one that followed us as per Lord Boros's orders. Admiral Fletkei is requesting orders."

"Instruct him to maintain small fire support and prepare for ground invasion. The ultimate target is Las Vegas and to establish a ring around the city."

"Understood."

[Z-City Underground]

"To think, all these monsters have been hiding down here." Saitama commented as the group walked through one of the larger tunnels. He paid no heed to the lesser monsters hovering away at a respectable distance. They occasionally murmured a taunt or foretold a warning of how Orochi would slaughter him.

And with every jeer and taunt, it excited Saitama. A king of monsters who could keep all these monsters in line. Some of these guys looked pretty powerful too, glancing at a vampire who watched the procession with a disgusted sneer, or the man with long hair speaking in rhymes or haikus.

But they stood by and let him, and his group pass, pointing to a central dark hallway. On the walls, strange murals were depicted, mixed with ancient pillars of some sort. It took him a moment, but he recognized the forms as the Subterraneans and various centipedes around it. Something flashed within, remembering the amazing dream he had. The Subterraneans had suffered from overpopulation in the dream… was it the case in real life as well? Unease flickered within him, as Saitama realized that he had condemned the Subterraneans to death by these monsters.

It was confirmed when he walked across a bridge, where in the pit, the faint glimmer of bronze cuffs was seen. Peering down deeper, he could see the piled bodies of the Subterraneans. The eyes that once glowed red, were empty and hollow. Various weaponry lie scattered about. Swords, halberds, spears.

"The unity of the Subterraneans were broken when their king perished."

Saitama turned to see the speaker, a phoenix costumed monster. "It quickly led to infighting, strife and horrific deeds committed to one another. By the time the Monster Association arrived, there wasn't much left among them."

He heard Genos tense up behind him and gestured towards him to calm down. And Saitama didn't respond to the phoenix monster.

"The Subterraneans were already broken, the remaining survivors before their deaths confirmed that a bald hero defeated their king with a single curbstomp." The phoenix monster chuckled before he continued.

"The Subterranean children had such high hopes of living on the surface… before they perished in the internal battles, or in the bellies of some of our more hungry monsters. I suppose we should thank you for that."

An annoyed slap lashed out at the phoenix monster, sending it into one of the stone pillars. The fate of the Subterraneans churning a bit more of unease within him. He was responsible for their demise… now that he thought about it, why didn't he land on the ground next to the Subterranean King? Being a hero wasn't just about fighting monsters, it was also helping those in need. The Subterraneans needed a place to live, from the Monster Association coming down on them, and overpopulation below. There was room in the Ghost Town district… wasn't there?

Why do I feel more emotions recently?

Regret trickled through him, as Saitama took a moment to examine the murals on the walls, and the scattered remains of the bronze or iron laying about. It was fascinating in its own way. A beauty of a bygone era. Archeology never interested him much before, but he took time to appreciate the exotic artifacts. In his pursuit of strength, how often did he overlook the simpler aspects of life?

A gasp from Diana caused Saitama to focus forward, a bandaged humanoid monster stepped forward, a metallic grating noise coming from its blade arms being dragged on the floor. The single visible eye was filled with dark amusement as it walked towards them.

"If it isn't the same girl that escaped our clutches last time in the forest… where is Speed O Sound Sonic now?" The voice was a chilling haunt, its hungry gaze unnerving even Saitama for a moment. Ah, of course, how could I forget Sonic saved Diana. But then again, he was gonna attack that old dude, who turned out to be an S-Class hero… argh, at least Sonic had a decent bounty on his head.

"Royal Ripper" Diana spoke out, a courageous sound with not a hint of fear. "We'll kick your ass for real once Saitama kills Orochi!" A feeling of warmth flushed through Saitama briefly. Diana's presence in his life… was a pleasant delight. And her courage now in the heart of a monster lair made him admire her more. Even observing the monsters around, some of them looked pretty powerful, especially for Genos and monumentally so for the two women.

He would protect them all. The newfound feeling was like a dowsing rush, and his vision sharpened greatly, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Royal Ripper, immediately noticed the change, and stepped to the side, raising one of its bladed arms to the distant light.

"The Monster King Orochi awaits. I hope there are bits of you all that I can play with." The cold laugh echoed as Royal Ripper walked away elsewhere, even other monsters unwilling to go near him.

Saitama walked towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

[-]

The chamber widened greatly, as Saitama's gaze fell upon the colossal entity sitting on the throne. Red scales, dragon heads, and a vacant humanoid face that looked back at him from above. Among all the monsters here, there was a noticeable difference in power between this one, and all the others.

This must be Orochi, the King of Monsters. The Big Kahuna, he looks really powerful.

At Orochi's side, a giant humanoid monster and its numerous eyes focused on Saitama, while the head of a giant centipede glared at him from a tunnel nearby. Saitama didn't say anything at first, taking in the sight before him, and looked into Orochi's eyes. Vacant and empty, and yet the monster's eyes shimmered with something inside.

"Well, well, C-Class Hero Saitama… and S-Class Hero Genos." The echoing voice came from a pinkish cyclopean being off to the side near Orochi. "Welcome to the Monster Association! I am Gyoro Gyoro, the chief operations officer, and this is Lord Orochi, the King of Monsters."

"Before we begin, any last words from the humans?"

"You seem pretty strong." Saitama called out for all to hear, the assembled monsters peering from the stands. "I hope you can put up a decent fight."

At those words, the monsters began to mutter, but quickly silenced when Orochi moved. Stone and concrete grinded against each other, as the floor beneath him cracked. As Orochi stood, his body blocked the illuminating light from above, casting a dark shadow over Saitama and the others.

"Sensei, his disaster level may be above Dragon. I cannot gauge his strength compared to the others." Genos warned him, standing behind Agatha and Diana. The older woman looked incredibly unsettled, while Diana smiled at him and sent him a thumbs up.

"I understand Genos, keep those two safe. I have high hopes for Orochi."

"You're different from all the humans…" The gravelly sound came from Orochi, the tentacles on his shoulders flailing wildly. "Clearly, you are a much more dangerous threat than I initially expected. I see now that you are the Ghost Town Monster running above, killing powerful monsters coming to the area."

Orochi's entire form began to shake and change, as flames flickered out underneath the cracks. The countless dragon heads, tentacles and orbs moved about throughout the body of the monster king, sending hot gusts of wind throughout. They all withdrew within, becoming more compact, and the horns on his head turning into a bright white from the heat. Soon enough, his newer form was revealed.

Rows of teeth and eyes appeared on the legs, as longer horns and tentacles spread out, nine of them in all, as Orochi's chest, shoulders and face burned brightly with white flames that enveloped the area. Heat rolled off of Orochi in waves, as Saitama's own eyes widened at the newer form. And much more powerful than before. The two eye sockets shone like twin stars, its hands curling into fists in anticipation as Orochi hovered over the ground. Soon, the horn tentacles on his head began to move slowly, increasing in speed. It's light, easily illuminating the underground chamber.

A soft fwoosh meant that Genos had grabbed both Diana and Agatha to watch at a safe distance.

"I haven't been this excited in years… It seems this will be the decisive battle. You've certainly got my attention now, since you somehow reached a pinnacle of strength while remaining human. I wonder… how far will that strength take you, when you battle me! I too expect you to put up a fight as well. Will you be able to draw my emotions from their haze? To alleviate my boredom?"

Saitama froze at the last statement, the flickers of light occurring when the tentacles moved in front of the light.

"I have become the ultimate lifeform! I am the monster that will become humanity's greatest threat, I hold the Disaster Level of GOD!"

The words shot out like thunder, and a tentacle crashed unto Saitama at a blink of an eye for a bystander. It shook the ground violently, tearing up the smooth concrete as the heat from the tentacle caused the metal rebar to melt at a fast rate. But soon enough, Saitama appeared by slashing his arm to the side to sever the tentacle and jumping outwards.

He's bored, just like me… I won't kill him. I'll hold back.

Numerous tentacles shot towards Saitama, each of them bearing a dragon head, energy beams charging up within them. They shot out quickly, the energy particles enveloped Saitama mid-air, the temperature reaching soaring heights as Goketsu and Elder Centipede withdrew. Any remaining monster unlucky enough to be in the blast zone, disintegrated instantly upon contact.

"Consecutive Normal Punches" the voice of Saitama rang out from within the energy sphere, the barrage of punches blasting apart the dragonheads. Numerous other tentacles grabbed Saitama, pinning him in place as more energy and electrical blasts fell on the simple bald hero.

[-]

Incredible… this is a battle between two supreme beings… Gyoro Gyoro thought, the energy shield protecting him from harm.

To witness this, a clash of titans… what an honor. If Saitama wins, Elder Centipede and Goketsu will be sufficient to finish him off, or weakened for me to take control.

[-]

A normal punch from Saitama sent a chunk of Orochi flying out, and yet without missing a beat, Orochi returned fire with his core.

[-]

What the hell is that? Tatsumaki wondered as she arrived at the outskirts of Z-City, in the distance, at the Ghost Town District, a singular beam of light shot through the skies, before it disappeared again. With renewed vigor, she flew faster. Passing over the tips of skyscrapers and buildings as she slowly descended.

"Looks like this isn't a waste of time after all…"

The explosions in the distance became more numerous, and she could feel the energy of the unknown force in the distance. And the whole landscape suddenly moved up, as if someone was shaking it like a blanket. The buildings somehow managed to stand intact as the ground stopped moving. She flew at a lower pace, until Tatsumaki noticed something else. A reptilian creature that moved through a different street in the Ghost Town.

She instantly flew closer, grabbing it with ESP. Recognizing it as the Immortal Reptile, the Dragon Level Monster who gave S-Classes such a hard time a while back. She squeezed it with ESP, forcing it to flail wildly. Given its size and appearance, she doubted that the lizard caused the energy blasts.

With nary a second thought, she willed that the monster would be smashed and splattered. It was only when… when the monster began to slip away, and Tatsumaki realized that the Immortal Reptile was suddenly building up resistance to her ESP.

Shock rippled through Tatsumaki, when the Immortal Reptile countered her ESP by sending a violent shockwave back. It felt like a hot knife was being driven into her head, and blood trickled from her mouth as her ESP flickered.

"It's been a while since I've faced an esper, powerful until their ESP is negated." The Immortal Reptile spoke, a mocking drawl coming as Tatsumaki struggled to maintain her grip on the monster.

"You're a strong esper, probably the strongest I've faced so far. But…" The monster began to chuckle and laugh. "I wonder how long you'll last. I was going to annihilate the Monster Association. You'll make a good warmup."

Coughing up some more blood, Tatsumaki glared at the reptilian monster, the many eyes focused on her with a mocking sneer. "So you can block ESP, big whoop." She tore out pieces of debris from a destroyed building nearby and flung the pieces at the monster, intent on crushing it. The chunks of concrete and building blocks tore into the monster's flesh, inciting a painful cry. However, it's injuries regenerated in a blink of an eye.

"Is that all you can do? Throw stuff at me?" The monster snarled and jumped upwards, crossing the distance between them in an instant. It was her barrier that kept her intact when the Immortal Reptile crashed onto it. The sharp scythe-like claws and hundreds of teeth threatened to pierce the barrier, and Tatsumaki flew backwards into the air, hovering high above.

"You're weak and pathetic. When I arrived in this world, I fought a few monsters that utilize elemental attacks. You'll be able to witness my new ascent to power, and you'll be nothing more than a speck in the sand when I destroy all human life."

She responded to him by throwing the rest of the dilapidated building.

"You know who the fuck I am? I'm the Hero Association's Ace in the Hole, Tornado of Terror. You should be honored that I'm even talking to you, you retarded lizard!" Tatsumaki shot back.

"You're their ace? Then they're dumber than I thought. Superalloy Darkshine, Tank Top Master and Zombieman all put up a more challenging fight than you. Of course, you'd say that, coming from a bitch whore like you."

"I'm stronger than all of those tards combined! I'm gonna turn you into a huge shit stain in this street!"

Concentrating her ESP, she tore out several of the other buildings in the area, the people having fled long ago in the Ghost Town. Each of them hit the Immortal Reptile like a giant artillery barrage. It shook the Earth violently, causing a miniature earthquake in the resulting process. She tried to grab the monster with her ESP, but she wasn't able to. It's resistance was perfected. From the rubble, it tore its way out of the concrete and steel, glaring hatefully at her and opened its mouth.

Electrical, and energy beams blasted out from the mouth of the monster. Her barrier deflected the attack, and she sent it back towards the Immortal Reptile. The explosion ripped chunks of flesh and body parts from the monster, but it was rapidly regenerating. For a moment, both of them stared hatefully at one another. She wasn't able to harm him, and he wouldn't be able to get her. Before either of them could do anything, the ground below the monster rumbled, and it exploded as the same white energy beam came up. Tatsumaki's barrier prevented the white hot load from getting her, but she saw the Immortal Reptile disappear in the flash.

And it was so bright that she had to raise her arm over her eyes. The brightness was enough to temporarily illuminate the evening sky, and soon enough it stopped. Looking above, Tatsumaki gaped at how the sky was split in a cylindrical fashion. Looking down, a wide pit leading to an unknown depth where flashes of light flickered. The Immortal Reptile was nowhere to be seen. And she figured the energy blast was enough to put an end to him.

A smaller figure caught her eye, recognizing the S-Class hero Genos holding two civilians as he flew out of the hole and landed nearby. The golden eyes focused on her as she flew towards him.

"S-Class Rank 2, Tornado of Terror… were you sent by the Hero Association regarding the urgent summons? If so-"

She cut him off.

"The fuck?! You think I'm their delivery girl? They got others for that kinda job." She sneered at him as Genos's expression darkened. "What the hell is going on here, huh? The fuck was that energy beam?"

"Tornado of Terror, refrain from using such expletives in the presence of a child and a woman. It is unbecoming of a hero." The cyborg replied tersely as Tatsumaki glanced at the civilians. A woman and a girl. Most likely daughter and mother. However, her temper focused on the cyborg.

"I'll say whatever the fuck I want mannequin boy, answer my damn question on what's going on." She snapped, as Genos tensed up.

"Master Saitama has located a large number of monsters, and he has just defeated the leader in combat. He is currently speaking with the remaining monsters by showing them his mercy. The threat has been resolved and I must head back to his residence to prepare dinner."

Tatsumaki opened her mouth to talk, only for no words to come out for some moments.

"You're telling me… that a C-Class nobody fought the monster causing the energy beams?! I saw those blasts, and how strong they were."

"That C-Class nobody you are referring to, is Master Saitama. He is the strongest being on the planet, and only due to an administrative error, he was placed into the C-Class." Genos shot back right away.

"We shall take our leave, and return to Master's home." The cyborg turned and walked away, the two civilians following him.

"That green girl was a bitch." The girl told Genos.

In an instant, Tatsumaki was blocking their path, a vein nearing close to popping.

"The fuck you say to me little girl?"

The girl stared back at her defiantly, not a trace of fear apparent.

"You heard me… you're a stuck up-" the girl's face scrunched up in concentration for a moment. "Cunt!"

The last word caused Tatsumaki to momentarily lose her momentum, but she returned right away. Two can play this game…

"You little shit!" Tatsumaki snarled, as the girl smirked at her. Tatsumaki continued to speak. "Show some respect to adults you little brat!"

The girl blinked. "You're an adult? I thought you were 12, I thought I was older than you."

"Indeed" Genos spoke before Tatsumaki could answer. "I believed her age to be that of a child until I looked into the Hero Association records during my crusade as a vigilante. It is hard to believe that you are 28 Tatsumaki."

Using her power, she slammed Genos into a wall. Which caused the two civilians to freeze up.

Pointing her finger at the woman, she gestured to the girl. "You raised your daughter like this? Get her under control."

"Um… she's not my daughter, she's a ward of Genos and Saitama. Diana here, escaped scientists experimenting on her." The woman suddenly sneezed again.

The fire inside Tatsumaki died a little at the last statement, as Diana stared back impassively at her.

"If you just apologize, Diana, I'll accept it." She offered a rare olive branch to the girl. The revelation of the lab striking at her core.

"You apologize bean sprout!"

The fire returned full force.

She grabbed Diana with her ESP, not too hard, just to lift her into the air. "Listen here Diana, you're the one that needs to apologize!" So focused on the girl, that Tatsumaki didn't hear the sound of heavy footsteps.

"Harming civilians now Tatsumaki? I'll report you to the Hero Association Board." Tatsumaki turned to see Zombieman leaning against the wall, snuffing out a lit cigarette. "I heard you were on thin ice already… and I'm sure Amai Mask would love to throw you in the ringer."

She let go of Diana, turning her ire towards Zombieman, who smirked at her as he walked towards her. The mere thought of that blue-haired washed up celebrity telling her what to do, sparking a bigger inferno within.

"In the Hero Association Rule of Conduct, Chapter 4, page 32, section 2 in the fourth paragraph… 'Individuals under the employment of the Hero Association found to have been engaging in criminal activity, abuse of power, abuse of status, will have their employment terminated. Further criminal acts will result in bounties being placed, or a disaster level rating."

He smiled at her, a warm smile but the eyes held an arctic coldness. She sensed him with her ESP and what Fubuki had said was true. There was something about Zombieman, something elusive and mysterious that her ESP couldn't grasp on. She wanted to say something back at him, an insult already being formed to-

DANGER!

Her senses suddenly screamed out within, a primordial sense of urgency that enraptured her. Zombieman kept that genial smile on his face, but Tatsumaki could see the dark, savage glee that moved in the eyes. A cold, glacial feeling went over her entire body as Zombieman's eyes bore into hers.

It seemed as if time stopped in that moment. The surrounding city dissipated as it wavered and moved. Her mouth remained opened slightly, unable to speak, nor move. The ESP within her… Tatsumaki felt it snuffed out. Like pouring a bucket of water on a single spark of ember. Fear trickled in slowly, from the dark recesses of her mind. It had been years, when she was truly afraid. Locked in the lab, until Blast swooped in and destroyed the facility. From then on, no monster scared her, no one truly ever did.

Until now

The terrifying sensation of being helpless and powerlessness twisted like a whirlwind. The surroundings were a dark void, only Zombieman stood in front of her, the same genial expression remaining on his face. And soon, the void morphed into a city.

Her breathing returned suddenly, as she exhaled loudly before she stumbled forward. Zombieman caught her by the arm, and made her stand up again.

"W- where?" Her blubbers stopped when Zombieman examined the surroundings, and the smile on his face widened.

"My home. Exactly as it was before my sudden departure. Come, I'll show you around."

The trench coat swooshed as he turned, a bark of laughter that ripped through the air as he began to walk. The only sound was coming from his boots.

She fast walked up to him, a bit difficult to keep up with Zombieman's stride. The pressurizing fear lessened, but remained strongly present, and a quick check confirmed that her ESP was gone. It was an empty sensation in her head, the power that had been with her since birth. Her hands shook occasionally involuntarily as the city structure loomed over them.

"I… What happened-" Her voice cracked as she spoke, the words coming out slowly like a slur. "My power-"

"Won't work here." The simple response broke through her, and she had to jog to keep up with Zombieman. Fear ate through her as they moved through the city. Looking up at the sky, a murky greenish yellow expanse filled the distant horizon. Marred by countless smaller black dots, and it took Tatsumaki a moment to realize that the stars were howling. A faint screech from above coming from the stars.

"Zombieman… What is this place?" She asked timidly, the fiery temper fully snuffed out, and the lack of her ESP burning within. "I- how did you do-"

"This was my home, my domain." The voice took a darker edge as Zombieman stopped and turned a corner.

"Before I inhibited the body of Zombieman."

It took her a moment for the word to register home. Shock ran through her at the word inhibit.

"You… what are you?!"

Zombieman, or whatever it was, turned to look at her. The face of Zombieman, that was a mask. She could see the eyes, the darkness within. And slowly, the trenchcoat and his clothing turned into different clothes. And soon it was just like the medieval times if she had to guess. The fine luxurious clothing screamed nobility, and from within one of the folds a mask appeared into existence.

"I am not Zombieman. He is merely a host that can support the excess of my power in the mortal realm. Zombieman was an orphaned boy sold off to a laboratory to the House of Evolution and experimented upon."

With a large sweeping gesture, he stood taller.

"I am the Black Lord of Alagadda, wearer of the Anguished Mask, and one of the four Masked Lords of Alagadda."

The mask covered his features, but Tatsumaki could feel the slight anger coming from within. None of the titles rang any bells in her head, and she remained silent in fear and confusion.

"I don't expect you to recognize any of those names" He spoke as if reading her thoughts. "Especially not in your world Tatsumaki. The only evidence I've seen so far… the Gate Guardian of- no…" Zombieman, or the Black Lord of Alagadda, seemed to be talking to himself at the last part.

"The Seafolk, Skyfolk and the Subterraneans… I've seen Daevite calligraphy in some of the murals through the history books. But why were monsters in D-City, why would they worship the Gate Guardian specifically?"

He stopped in his talks, and turned back and began walking down a set of stairs that she hadn't seen before. "Follow me."

It was a brusque command, one that she found herself involuntarily following. The two descended down the stairs, for how long she didn't know. The pressure around her increased, and the air grew colder. But eventually it was the same city again and much darker. Not a single soul was in sight, and the buildings looked more worn and damaged.

In the distance however, a castle stood over the buildings. Jet-black towers pointed towards the sky, jagged spikes pointed at an outward angle from the walls. And yet, despite all of that, the main part of the castle still held a certain beauty to it. A fairy-tale charm of a bygone era.

She followed after him and soon they entered a throne room. It was a massive interior, the walls lit by low purplish flames that radiated just barely the light around them. The footsteps of the two echoed loudly on the stone floor, while huge banners bearing a sigil hung on the walls closer.

"Look and behold, the throne room of Alagadda." A figure materialized on the giant throne, a mummified being that was wrapped up in ragged cloth. Dark chains bound the being to the throne, while three other figures materialized on the ground. The Black Lord walked over to them, as Tatsumaki examined them too.

"I was stabbed in the back by them!" The three figures also had similar porcelain masks on. With a rush, the Black Lord decapitated all three. None of the bodies made a sound as they fell, and they dissipated into nothingness.

The figure on the throne disappeared too, and the scenery around them switched to reveal them back on the surface of the city. The murky sky returned and howling stars getting larger, devouring the horizon.

"This is a mental realm that I created Tatsumaki. Only a mere fraction of the power I am capable of."

"Wh- why show me all this? What happened to the real Zombieman?"

The mask turned into a smile. Black liquid pooled out from the orifices.

"To simply demonstrate what I am capable of. Outside the mortal realm, I can do many things, especially within Alagadda. I will destroy the others who betrayed me, and I shall usurp the throne from the Hanged King. As for the real Zombieman, his soul passed on I suppose. His body was perfect for a host when he found the mask."

He walked over to her, the mask looming over as her height only brought her up to his chest.

"And to knock you down a few pegs-" Zombieman flicked her head with a finger. Causing her to flinch and tremble.

"Look at you, before, you were an arrogant fool. And now, a mess of emotions"

Tatsumaki shook, inside that mask, was just as Fubuki had described. The liquid that seeped from the mask hissed on his neck, and the ground when it hit. The eye slits were like black holes, only staring into the depths, did she see the lunatic gleam of power.

"Hey, you shouldn't try to solicit young girls dude."

The new voice caused the Black Lord to jerk back in surprise and Tatsumaki looked behind her to see a bald hero in a simple yellow suit.

"HOW did you-" The Black Lord spluttered, pointing a finger at the hero. "This is a MENTAL landscape! How did you get inside?!"

"I was coming up from underground, then I heard a voice saying they're gonna knock someone up. It sounded really suspicious, so I came to investigate."

He stepped up towards the Black Lord as Tatsumaki watched in wordless surprise. "I just fought the King of Monsters underground, and it wasn't the fight I wanted." He jabbed a finger into the Black Lords chest, causing him to stumble back. "So if you're looking to play around, go find an adult woman, not a preteen." At the last part, the bald hero gestured to Tatsumaki with a thumb.

The Black Lord didn't say anything, but instead a beam of dark energy crackled and enveloped the bald hero at once. Tatsumaki managed to stumble out of the way as the beam shot past. It quickly stopped by what sounded like a cannon going off. The bald hero punched the Black Lord in the face, at the mask and sent him sprawling. However, the baldie let out a gasp of small surprise when the Black Lord didn't go down and instead dug his feet into the ground.

"You were holding back!" He accused the hero, and the scenery changed back into Z-City.

Her ESP came back full force, and Tatsumaki immediately created a barrier around herself. Diana and the woman looked confused and surprised at the hero's sudden appearance.

The Masked Lord, now Zombieman, righted his jaw with a sickening crunch as he warily looked at the hero.

"Oh I recognize you, you're one of the S-Class heroes aren't you?" The bald hero asked.

"Yes… I am Zombieman. What you've heard was a misunderstanding. I merely wished to teach Tatsumaki a lesson in humility and selflessness." He gritted out.

[-]

That punch… He's holding back. Hell, that uncanny pressure. It's just like King! Thanks to my power infused with the body, I managed to keep it together. But if we fought for real… even in Alagadda I would've lost definitely… there is a barrier between Gods and mortals and lesser beings. This man, he IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY!

The Black Lord of Alagadda suddenly began to plot on the inside.

There is a way to open a portal to Alagadda. I just need conclusive proof that Daevite presence along with the Gate Guardian is rooted in this world. I sense no limit to this man's power. This must be Saitama himself. If I can open the portal to Alagadda, I am certain I can convince Saitama to join me in Alagadda. To overthrow the Hanged King. I must know his personality and character.

[-]

"Yeah! That midget was gonna attack us!" The girl called out, and the Black Lord, now Zombieman, could feel the lingering energy of the Children of the Scarlet King. Okay, definitely gonna work on that portal. This girl must be one of the seven. He traced his eyes over the girl's stomach, indicating that birth occurred. What entity came from the womb I wonder, the seventh was supposed to be the bastion of humanity…

He didn't detect anything outwards that had a similar signature. Other than an unusual sense of joy coming from a distant apartment building. That was probably it. He narrowed his eyes at Tatsumaki, and she flinched before quickly flying off.

"Yes…" he spoke, agreeing with the girl. "S-Class Rank 2, Terrible Tornado was abusing her powers as a hero. You are well within your rights to report her."

Saitama glanced at the girl for a moment, before nodding.

"I suppose I'll report her. Genos, can you help me with that?"

The cyborg nodded vehemently. The golden eyes narrowed in stemming anger towards the Esper. "At once sensei! That witch is a horrible person. The only reason the Association keeps her around, is due to her paranormal abilities." He said hotly.

Zombieman agreed with them, and he didn't even have to manipulate Genos. "I will attest to your statements as well. Tatsumaki has a consistent track record of causing chaos and making a mess of things. Numerous complaints have been lodged by civilians whose homes have been destroyed by Tatsumaki's reckless tactics." He spoke, adding another nail to Tatsumaki's coffin, to her career.

"Sensei, I will file a report at once!" Genos declared, as the girl nodded vehemently as well.

He observed Saitama again, visually, a plain looking person. A simple expression. Saitama was just like any other person in the street. A background face in a crowd. And yet, he could pick up the subtle aura emanating off the man. The strength… the power… it was unmatched. I sense no limit to his power. Arguably, Saitama was the strongest being he encountered on the mortal plane. Measuring the power and strength of Gods and deities were trickier, but Saitama was the clear winner among mortals.

"You seem pretty strong Zombieman-" Saitama grinned at him as he raised one fist "How does a sparring match sound?"

Zombieman immediately declined, he knew the capabilities of himself. And while he could regenerate from the hits, it would take a long time and he wouldn't deal any damage.

"I don't think I'd be able to scratch you… let alone defeat you." He replied with sincerity, and something- disappointment? Flashed for a moment in Saitama's eyes.

"Ah, well I suppose I should get going then." Saitama said, his voice becoming resignedly neutral. He passed by the Immortal Hero, and did a small wave at him. "See ya dude."

Zombieman watched for a moment, his gaze lingering on the older woman instead of Saitama. That was Agatha Rights, A Foundation Director. Some of his previous subjects remembered her, either as colleagues or through acquaintances. He turned away, and walked near the edge of the hole.

The Foundation is here, or well not entirely I suppose. Gotta be on my guard. As he looked for a way to go down safely, his eyes noticed a fiailing reptile in the distance.

"Speak of the devil…" He whispered to himself, and immediately leapt into the air. Crossing the distance easily and landing on the other side of the hole. The reptilian froze for a moment, before it drew out a scathing tone.

"Oh it's you…"

[-]

"This is the headquarters of the Monster Association. I was preparing my assault on it, but if what you're saying is tru-"

"Yes!" Zombieman snapped back at SCP-682, "I am telling the truth."

"Words coming from a denizen of Alagadda are not to be believed easily. It seems you found a body to inhabit after all."

"Yes I did find a body, and it was more than sufficient." He replied, leaning against a wall and lit a cigarette. Smoking, it didn't harm him in the slightest, but it was something to do idly. Something that the previous Zombieman had done for a long time, that it was almost an unconscious action for him.

"I smelled a familiar scent, the girl you've talked about. She was nearby when I first appeared."

"Yes… she was the Seventh Bride of the King."

The two stared at each other silently, with SCP-682's lack of facial expressions made it impossible to determine his mood.

"I shall kill the Seventh."

The reptile tried to move forward, but Zombieman used his strength to hold him back, before delivering a sharp kick that sent SCP-682 crashing into the wrecked building behind him.

"Are you insane? Saitama will turn both of us into paste on the ground before we could even manage to get close. The Child should be the least of your worries as of right now. There are bigger things to worry about than that."

The remains of the building crumpled on top of the reptile, who soon tore through the concrete and debris, its eyes positively glowing with murderous intent. He watched impassively, as the reptile formulated a response again.

"The Seventh-"

"Is not a priority now." He cut in. "Saitama's strength is something to be terrified of. Now we must formulate a strategy to strengthen our position on this world to deal with the Foundation once they arrive." And before the lizard could talk-

"Cain is already present!" He hissed, causing SCP-682 to shut up for a moment. "And you can be certain that Cain divulged information to the Hero Association. I did some digging on my own and found out that Cain told the Association of the Foundation. It was luck that he never saw my mask! They must've kept him hidden away until later."

"Cain is present? Haven't seen him since… what did the humans call it- Afghanistan in their year of 1840. During that little conflict of theirs, I attacked retreating British troops that camped nearby and Cain-"

"Yes, yes, fascinating that you took part in the First Anglo-Afghan War, I know of it quite well myself. If Cain is here, then Able must be as well."

"Able… yes I've fought him."

The two were interrupted from their musings, when a triumphant howl came from the hole. Turning, Zombieman saw a ball of light shooting out into the night sky, settling above them some distance away.

"Ahahaha! What strength! This is POWER!" The ball of light exclaimed, and it shone even brighter, a large form seemingly materializing… a pair of wings-!

"The GATE GUARDIAN?!" He exclaimed out of surprise, and trepidation.

"No! You dumbass, though its power is something to be reckoned with." The scathing response came from the reptile. And now he immediately realized the differences. But he was good at swallowing his foot and moving along. "A new foe arrives." He spoke, focusing on the ball of light instead.

The light dimmed, and the larger form, a transparent outline, disappeared. A heteromorphic avian, a phoenix. It laughed again, ringing loud and clear.

"Rebirth! Truly fitting for a phoenix- Saitama! I ought to thank you for bringing me to such heights of power!" It turned its gaze towards Zombieman and SCP-682.

The beak opened, to reveal a face of a man. The man's empty eyes observed them, before his features twisted into a sneer. "Ah, S-Class Zombieman and Dragon Level Threat, Immortal Reptile. I thought Goketsu killed you. Well no matter, I'll kill both of you now."

The phoenix glowed again, the beak closing. "The START OF MY ASCENT TO GODHOOD!" The air around them grew hotter, as Zombieman reached for the Desert Eagle.

"NOW- Let's battle!"

Awakened Phoenix Man

DISASTER LEVEL: ABOVE DRAGON

[Sometime Earlier]

[Skyfolk Colony]

The remaining Skyfolk gathered on top of a mountain peak. Female Skyfolk, youngling Skyfolk, and the elderly watched as the warriors prepared themselves for their journey. The Sky King murmured a few words to those nearby. Half of his warriors led the way, leading the old, the young and the females to their new home. Across the distant lands and sea, to the islands beyond the mainland.

"Father, we are ready to go." Kite spoke, and the Sky King nodded. The old king had lived some two centuries in his lifetime. Watched as humans, achieved greatness that outshone anything else. They had some things the humans called a newspaper, easy to find and get and use as a source of information. The Deep Sea King was done for. The remaining Seafolk had scattered, with some of the Shellfolk confirming the demise. There were rumors from the Shellfolk, and from Lord Great White himself.

Earlier, at one of the cliff sides near the ocean, Lord Great White had come out with the last remnants of the Seafolk warriors and spoke with his son, Falcon. Lord Great White had talked of visions, dreams and whispers coming from the depths of the ocean. The Bronze Serpent, he had called it. The Sky King didn't think much of it, until Falcon reported that Lord Great White was clearly distressed and suffered from memory blackouts. Traditionally, the Seafolk and the Skyfolk never had a reason to quarrel, and Falcon had helped Lord Great White regain his bearings at that time.

The Sky King prayed to the Wild Gods for Lord Great White's wellbeing. He glanced at his side, where a group of Subterraneans gathered to see them off. The deaths of countless Subterraneans was a huge shock to the Skyfolk and others. Monsters… the Sky King's mouth curled into an unconscious sneer at the thought of those abominations. Humans were obnoxious and bothersome, but they were natural. Just like themselves.

Monsters on the other hand, aberrant beings that did not fit in the natural order. They simply popped into existence one day. Sometimes a couple of them would wander to the nests, and would be dealt with quickly. Others, there were others who were stronger. Strong enough to lay waste to mountains, and destroy cities. Most of them had a fixture towards humans, attacking their homes and infrastructure. But more destructive ones had forced the Skyfolk to relocate more than once.

And tracing back their history, the Skyfolk were returning to the islands across the sea. It was for the best, for his people after the destruction of the other races.

"Farewell Skyfolk!" One of the Subterraneans squeaked out and waved at the Sky King. "Lord Pluton has offered us a home, we will pray for you!" And with a final nod of respect, the Subterraneans began their trek down the mountain.

Pluton was strong, but doubt gnawed at the edges of the Sky King's mind. But he didn't voice them. His thoughts wandered again, as his eyes roamed over his people for the nth time. He remembered the one human that showed up to this colony. The human, who had journeyed hard. And yet, the human was delighted in finding them. And instead of having the human killed outright, the human only wanted to learn. He had begged at the Sky King's feet, begged that he desired knowledge only.

Hikori, he called himself. A scholar, who merely wished to learn of the Skyfolk and its customs. It was intriguing, to see a human going above and beyond in honoring their customs. Listening and observing their lifestyle, the human was like a ghost. Hardly ever seen and interfering.

The Sky King had given him a divine blessing, and a gold-bronze necklace signifying him as an honorary member. Perhaps, Hikori was the only human the Skyfolk would treat with respect and honor. He feared initially then that Hikori inadvertently told other humans of their existence, but that never happened. Sometimes, he wondered what had become of the human. And his fascination with costumes and flight.

Without further ado, he pulled himself to his people staring at him expectantly.

"Let us take flight- and leave." He announced as his wings unfurled, and as some of the Skyfolk took to the air, a sudden force enveloped itself around the Sky King. "Ack!-ac" He rasped out before he was silenced. Looking in front of him, the other Skyfolk couldn't move either. He saw them straining in futile effort against this unknown force. The Sky King tried to create a fireball, but as soon as it manifested- the fireball had disappeared.

Footsteps, he heard them to his left, out of his line of sight. Then, it came into view. Shock rippled through the Sky King as he took in the being before him. It's body was human, wearing royal robes and a crown sat adjourned on top of its head. Countless eyes remained unblinking around the visible portions of skin. The being kept its back turned from the Sky King for a moment, and when it turned the Sky King wanted to scream. It was only the force holding him in place, preventing him from doing just that.

He had seen monsters, their hideous, frightening faces. But this being standing in front of him, it's face was a whirling storm. Like looking into a hurricane, churning and churning and a hole in the middle. With its eyes, dark and empty observing him. After some moments of silence, it spoke.

"Greetings, Skyfolk. I am Jeser, a prince of a far away kingdom. Today, instead of your journey to the Old World, you will embark on a glorious quest in the name of the Crimson King. The humans of this world, their shining beacon of City-A, will be washed with fire and blood today. I shall grant you all strength to accomplish this task. The last Terror Lizard will join you soon."

The Sky King wanted to shout, to say something at Jeser as the being walked up towards him. It's long black arm twitched as Jeser placed his hand on the Sky King's head, and the Sky King thought no more.

[United States of the North American Union]

[Henderson, Nevada]

[10th Mountain Division]

[7th Infantry Division]

[Several Days After O5 Meeting]

"-casualties Major, we're probably looking at around five to six hundred-"

"-the Air Fleet got massacred, I think I saw a couple jets turn back."

"-there was this five-headed ET, the fucker took out Meyer's battalion-"

"-I saw Colonel Zeichner, in two pieces next to Warlord-5-"

"-Some of them had fucking superpowers I tell ya. Turned Major Meyer the remaining Bradley into.-"

"Never really liked Meyer, fucking jackass, but the others like Trier-"

The surrounding soldiers continued to murmur as they searched for survivors in the ruins. Some of the nearby soldiers snapped to attention and saluted as O5-6 walked by. He returned the salute and continued to walk to his destination. He adjusted his collar and glanced at the surrounding people. They all looked at him, before turning to their own work. Of course, his blue uniform was a stick in the mud.

As of right now, he was Colonel Edward Morgan. A senior official in the Unusual Incidents Unit. At this point, about a few years after the UIU was created, it effectively became part of the SCP Foundation. The UIU genuinely tried their best, only hindered by the bureaucracy of the US Federal Government, and interference from politicians. The Foundation took control over the group, due to its closer proximity and involvement with the federal government. It just made things easier in the long run, especially involving relations with the government and the public.

The aliens had arrived from the west coast, turning the west coast into rubble before coming above a certain containment site, and then a series of events later they went over Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City. After shelling the city, their troops fought a mixture of police and National Guard units. They suffered heavy casualties, the aliens being physically stronger, and holding powers. Not to mention their energy-based weapons tore through just about everything they had. And the arriving NAU troops didn't do much either.

O5-6 arrived at an office building used as HQ surrounded by a mixture of soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division and the Secret Service agents. The Secret Service agents sized him up as he came close, one of them gesturing him to stop while pressing his finger against an earpiece and murmuring a few words. After a moment, the agent nodded to his partner and stepped slightly to the side.

"The President is waiting for you inside, Colonel."

He nodded to the agent in acknowledgement, and stepped inside the air-conditioned building. He passed by the aides and staff moving about, and walked through a room where the air force officers were arguing with their army counterparts. Currently, the aliens were hovering distantly in the Nevadean desert. The army wanted the air force to launch an attack now that the squadrons were gathered. The air force officer, a Brigadier General Williams, cited casualties.

"-Miller! The 706th Squadron took nearly one-Hundred percent casualties. The ET spacecraft went back to that mothership before we arrived. We've been shooting missiles and all of our flak at it. It has energy shields and whatnot, hell I've heard some bigwigs at the Pentagon wanting to go nuclear-"

They bickered back and forth, the air force nursing their pride as the F-22s and F-35s did absolutely nothing to scratch that alien ship, and getting turned into Swiss cheese.

(A/N: My headcanon is that Boros's ship had shields but Saitama literally destroyed them with his kick sending back an artillery shell, followed by his fight with Boros simply overloaded the generators.)

O5-6 finally reached the upper office floor, where he saw more Secret Service agents standing guard. They let him pass, and he stood across from the table, President Eden shifted some papers to the side. True to his cover, he snapped to attention and saluted President Eden.

"Ah, Colonel Morgan. I take it you've had time to familiarize yourself with the entire situation on your flight." President Eden spoke, his tone unwavering and cold.

"I have, Mr. President. Quite the predicament we've found ourselves in. I have updated information in regards to that incident in the desert."

President Eden nodded, and turned to the other aides in the room. "Leave us for a moment."

The other aides in the room left quickly, while President Eden gestured to the seat across from him. Taking a seat, O5-6 saw that one of the documents were an execution order of the Old US Government politicians.

"You've noticed, Colonel Morgan- or Six. Some of the last remaining Democrats and Republican Senators from the old days. They'll be put on a little show trial and hanged and finally we wipe the stain of the Old Government."

O5-6 nodded in response, Eden would be an O5 after this anyway.

"I agree John, admittedly, the O5 Council shares the blame in allowing the two-party system to exist. The United Kingdom- excuse me- The Crown realized the efficiency of results. We should've kicked off the politicians around the same time when The Crown hanged David Cameron in 2013."

"Yep. The previous administrations under Biden, Trump, Obama and Bush… hell they've gotten nothing done. Too long we've been at odds cause one person was Blue and the other Red. When we withdrew from the Middle East, the Crown and Fascist Italy seized on that. In Africa-" Eden's tone started to fill with anger-

"We lost much of Northeast Africa. Only Liberia and Sierra Leone remain as protectorates. Though that was to the Bolshevik Spanish Republic than the French or the Italians."

"Crazy times we live in John, do we not? Just a few months ago, Pakistan was annexed by Middleasia and by the New Indian Republic. Split at the middle in Multan, everything east of it went to Middleasia and west to the NIR. It's an age of empires once again, the Socialists in Middleasia and the BSR… they aren't any different than the Crown holding colonies."

"Yes, it is what makes us human. To dominate and conquer. People can hide behind political ideology to delude themselves into thinking differently, but the end result is always the same."

The two men sat in silence for a few moments before Eden spoke again.

"What of the Stag? I assume it's been recontained since you're here."

O5-6 gritted his teeth in irritation for a moment, before replying to Eden.

"There's been a complication. The Foundation made contact with the leader of the aliens."

"And? The alien situation is unique but surely not as important as the Stag-"

"Well, the leader of the aliens… Lord Boros-" O5-6 took a tone akin to respect at the name "And he leads a band of pirates calling themselves as the Dark Matter Thieves."

He took out a photograph and passed it to Eden, who observed it for several moments before his eyes widened and dropped it on the table, revealing a mangled piece of flesh.

"This!" Eden nearly shouted in alarm "The Stag! It's dead?!"

O5-6 nodded in response, staring at the photo as well. "Lord Boros, he fought the Stag and we've managed to throw them in a pocket dimension for the duration of the battle, or Earth would be destroyed."

"Earth destroyed-" incredulity was evident in Eden's voice. "Hell, isn't there a shit ton of SCPs that are already capable of destroying Earth a thousand times over?"

"Well, yes, but Lord Boros, he is already strong enough to destroy entire planets on his lonesome with little effort."

The last sentence stunned Eden into silence, as he tried to speak.

"The skips we have that can cause an XK-Scenario, either gradually or immediate, haven't done so due to the fact that we can contain them in one way or another. Lord Boros on the other hand, can simply destroy Earth on a whim. There are entities capable of doing the same, but we have contingency measures for all of them. Not Lord Boros."

"O5-13 and 8 talked with him after he killed the Stag. He is someone who got too strong and seeks an opponent that can match him, and there is a prophecy that there is an opponent for him. He's destroyed entire planets because he was bored. When he fought the Stag, Boros was almost killed, but got some sort of a power boost and gained the upper hand. And before you ask, yes. We did attack him, and it did not turn out well for us."

"So he came to Earth to fight the Stag? What of the ground attack in Henderson and Boulder City?"

"The thing is, those aliens are lost. They're in unknown space after their hyperspace jumps had an anomaly, and the rest of their fleet followed after. And as for the ground attack, one of his generals followed their usual policy of attacking while their boss goes off to fight."

"That five-headed alien, was that it? The troops were surprised that the aliens spoke the same as we did."

"Yep, the five-headed alien is known as Melzargard, and pretty much invulnerable to most things we have."

"I see, the early action reports from survivors of Major Ted Meyer's battalion and I quote, 'A round from the Major's Bradley went through, and it didn't even do anything to the ET.' and check this: "Tanks of Sandstorm platoon were wiped out."

Eden poured himself some coffee, and offered it to O5-6, who accepted.

"As of now, Boros has pulled back his forces into the starship of theirs and agreed not to make any further attacks, including shelling cities. But his troops still desire blood against aboriginals."

"Well so do our soldiers. They're willing to defend this country and Earth."

"Yeah, that part is inevitable. Boros has agreed to share some alien technology, including small arms and mid-sized shuttles. The Foundation already has some of that stuff before anyway, but this time we can introduce them to the mainstream public as part of "captured material."

"So, from the discussion I assume he's happy with fighting the Stag? It's rather hard to take in that an alien could befall a literal God."

"That as well my friend. But he did it, though it wasn't easy. Another thing we noticed from him- John, do you remember when a lot of skips and personnel in the Foundation just disappeared a while back?"

Eden frowned, as he recalled his days as a Foundation Internal Security Director.

"I- I think I do. I remember… oh what was his name… ah! SCP-4051, Rainer Miller. I recall that he was being transferred from Site-17 and vanished en route. His therapist was under suspicion immediately after that along with 507."

"Yes, and during those disappearances, we picked up a subtle change in a dimensional shift by the Anaximander Research Division. And Boros's ship, they still hold faint traces of it. It's an exact match- that's unique and exactly the same pulsewave as when the staff and SCPs disappeared."

Eden sipped his cup of coffee, registering the words and glancing outside, as a pair of UH-60s flew past the building, and towards the distant ruins of Las Vegas. With a pang, he felt a tug in his heart as he imagined the civilians now homeless and the rebuilding of the large cities. In both Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the casualties were running high, and the most conservative estimates ran high in the millions. Though Las Vegas wasn't as badly touched as Los Angeles.

As if reading O5-6's mind, Eden spoke as he gazed into a different photograph showing the crater that was Los Angeles.

"And I take it that Boros came from that dimension?"

O5-6 nodded, as the man stood up and walked over to the windows, and Eden followed after him. The 10th Mountain Division was hard at work, as trucks moved through the cleared pathways, and several tents with the red cross dotted the landscape.

"Yes, he did. And from our early theories, his hyperdrive is the only one that can traverse back to that dimension."

"Do we not have methods to traverse across dimensions? Can the Worm Crawlers reach them?"

"No, the situation is… tricky. Only the hyperdrive on Boros's ship and fleet can travel back."

Eden hummed a melody, My Country Tis of Thee. "I can tell an idea is forming."

"Yes… you see, the prophecy applied to Boros hasn't been fulfilled. And he still needs to go back, but is unable to do so. And we did neutralize the threat posed by SCP-3003."

Eden saw where this was going, his mind flashing to the polar region of the planet. As before becoming the US President, he had been one of the commanders in the "neutralization" of SCP-3003. Neutralize, such a soft word. More like mass genocide. SCP-3003 was a trial run before the subjugation of SCP-4994. There was a difference between the two worlds. Neutralization and subjugation. SCP-3003 and its government, culture and society as a whole were to be destroyed and wiped out.

He recalled vividly of the battles fought throughout the cities of SCP-3003, how they used an ungodly amount of chemicals and pestilence aimed at killing SCP-3003-1 and SCP-3003-2. Out of around 30 billion humans on SCP-3003, about a billion killed in the first five months alone before their Ruling Committee threw in the towel. What he did over there, would haunt him for the rest of his life. A majority of the Foundation personnel that took part, including the Avennian troops, took amnestics.

John Eden didn't. It was something that he had to live with. To live with the consequences of his actions. After the Ruling Committee surrendered, mass amnestics and newer chemical compounds from the SCP-3003 stock had killed off the bugs and the parasites. Their supercomputers, advancements in technology were implemented, and most especially the prized arctic facility. SCP-3003-4 the treasure that they had fought so hard for. The Instantaneous Space Wormhole Connector, or the ISWC. Though names were still being thrown around as the SCP-3003 designation was inactive now.

"You're going to let this Lord Boros use the ISWC, after letting our scientists and their specialists sort out the finer details of it."

O5-6 nodded, and turned to face him.

"And in return for helping him, a large Foundation detachment will accompany Lord Boros to his destination. The planet he is heading to, after we reviewed it, they're filled with humans like us."

"You think our staff and those skips are still there?"

"A possibility, and not to mention, it's a second world."

The two were silent as the distant sound of machinery filtered in from outside, working to rebuild Henderson and his nation.

"You said the ET's want blood. If they want to have a fight, they can have one."

O5-6 nodded again in response

"I suppose. Lord Boros won't be taking part, but his generals, Groribas and Melzargard will."

"Yes, culling their numbers and a second engagement will no doubt give us a more plausible explanation in tech advancement."

"Yep, so shall we bring in our officers about the alien threat? Just about what has happened so far."

[Z-City]

The flames from Phoenix Man actually cauterized the wound faster than they could regenerate. If he currently had a face, he would've been scowling. The latent energy he had worked at a sluggish rate and he supposed it was natural. Even with his powers, the darkness would always run from the light.

SCP-682, that bumbling fool, was currently taking the brunt of Phoenix Man's attack. His screams and howls filled the night until its vocal cords simply melted. All the while Phoenix Man continued to laugh above them. The entire setting wasn't too dissimilar to what he used to do. Laughing at those in misfortune.

"What STRENGTH! That was merely a tiny morsel of what I'm capable of."

From his undamaged eye, he saw SCP-682 working faster to fix himself. Pretty soon, Phoenix Man will see what the reptile would be capable of. The flames flickered at the outline of Phoenix Man's body, as he glowed like a miniature sun in the night sky. The dark miasma within Zombieman protested as they buckled underneath the heat of the monster.

Damn… This'll be harder than usual.

Zombieman had fought difficult enemies before, some battles lasting days even, until S-Class support arrived. He glanced to the side, the Hero Association Emergency Communicator was a puddle of melted plastic. But he did send a beacon out just moments ago, around the time when Phoenix Man first appeared. As his eyeballs finished regenerating, they flickered over to the direction where Saitama and Genos disappeared to. Surely they would notice the commotion and come running…

[Saitama's Apartment]

"Sensei, there seems to be a disturbance in the distance over the Monster Association hideout."

Saitama walked over to the balcony, where a giant glowing orb hung over the skyline. Causing him to scowl in irritation since it lit the horizon. Damn monsters always causing ruckus. Didn't I just thrash their king? Agatha glanced at him with mild curiosity, no doubt she could see the dark-gold sky as well.

"Eh, just close the curtains and we'll be fine. That Zombieman dude can deal with it."

"Yes Sensei!"

[Hero Association Headquarters]

A single lonely red dot blinked from a monitor screen, geographically pinpointing Zombieman's last location before the beacon was destroyed. Under normal circumstances, an operator would answer the call and send a subjugation team. Even when Vaccine Man laid waste nearby the Headquarters, operators were still able to coordinate actions.

However this was no ordinary circumstance. Vaccine Man was considered the strongest monster of all time, mowing down thirty heroes in a span of minutes including Lightning Max and Smile Man, where they only lasted that long due to Vaccine Man's curiosity. No other monster had ever come close to destroying the Hero Association Headquarters than Vaccine Man, and people were grateful that King stopped it before it actually could destroy the HQ. But today, a new kind of monster was approaching City-A. With power that Vaccine Man couldn't even come close to matching… even with God's blessing.

On the radar screen, dozens of dots flashed periodically as technicians ran about.

"The Exterior SAMs defenses are down!" One technician called out, his voice filling with increased hysteria as the dots swept past the Anti Air defenses one by one.

"Metal Knight's automated jets have engaged some of the enemies- wait! They got destroyed!" A second technician shouted as his screens flashed red.

"Call for all the S-Class heroes! They should still be in the area! Begin evacuation procedures including personnel in this building!" Sitch shouted over the noise, and he rushed over to a pair of HA technicians looking at some of the final remaining Air defenses outside the city.

"Do we know what we're being attacked by?" he demanded as one of the technicians rapidly clattered away on the controls.

"Skyfolk, sir. From the early footage before our drones got destroyed."

"Estimated Disaster Level from all this right now, I suggest that each individual Skyfolk is at least Tiger or Demon." a second technician spoke up suddenly.

Sitch swore under his breath… to think the prophecy would come to pass this early.

An image was put on the main screen, taking up much of the enormous wall as other streams of data were pushed to the side.

What he saw on the screen made Sitch recoil slightly in disgust. He'd seen hideous monsters, but this was different.

The image was slightly blurred, no doubt the drone was knocked to the side as they came close. Unlike regular Skyfolk in the museum paintings, or even the photographs by an adventurer some years ago, the Skyfolk on the screen held little resemblance to them.

"By God…"

A huge explosion outside rocked the building, causing Sitch to momentarily lose his balance as more alarms began to flash across the screen.

"They're here!"

"CIW Systems have engaged tertiary targets. Awaiting confirmation on initial casualties!"

Distant explosions were heard outside the HQ as more alarms flashed red and icons representing AA defenses on the roof suddenly crossed with an X.

"Our anti-air is down! However, Atomic Samurai and his disciples are here!"

"What is the status of our other S-Class heroes?"

"Pig God is on his way, and so is Metal Bat!"

More explosions continued to rock the building. And the cameras showed Metal Bat and Puri Puri Prisoner engaging the first ground targets. The two Skyfolk exploded into a shower of gore and the command room cheered. "Heroes are here!"

"We also have multiple C and B class heroes assisting with the evacuation at centerpoints!"

"Good! We'll need all the hands we can get. Get in touch with Metal Knight, there's still too many Skyfolk flying about. Where is Tatsumaki?!" Sitch demanded as he moved frantically about the control room.

"Tatsumaki flew off! And she's not answering her calls. Currently she's flying away from Z-City-!" A technician replied before falling into silence.

"Sir! Zombieman's emergency beacon went off in Z-City! It is possible that Tatsumaki is in retreat after facing a formidable foe!"

Sitch gritted his teeth in frustration and anxiety. What could cause Terrible Tornado of all people to flee in terror… he did not know. And in addition with the sudden Skyfolk attack, the thought that S-Class Genos and C-Class Saitama facing… perhaps the monster responsible for the high level of attacks in the region.

"Send out a summons or an alert to both Genos and Saitama. We need to verify their status as well along with Zombieman!" Sitch ordered, as he ran his hand through his hair. It was going to be a long night.

[-]

He followed the movements taught by Silverfang with his eyes closed. Bringing his arm back in a fluid motion with a slight waver. And his left arm rearing back for a strike against an imaginary foe. He repeated the movements, perfectly each time as Silverfang had demonstrated years ago.

Though he only had one true opponent ever since he joined the dojo. Garou, the self-proclaimed monster and Hero Hunter. Gritting his teeth, he remembered when one day, Garou went ballistic during morning exercises. He fought Garou, but the strength and ferocity of Garou's attacks overwhelmed him. He was left beaten on the ground with Sour Face and others.

Sour Face quit afterwards, followed by the rest of the dojo shortly. He remembered Silverfang's pained expression, as one by one his students left him. Except for himself… and Charanko, who called himself the second best of Fist of Flowing Water, Crushed Rock. But as of now, the dojo was empty. Just himself, carrying out the exercises that were taught from day 1. Once he finished the last maneuver, he called it a day.

With no one present, he created a portal and took out a towel to clean himself up. It answered his beck and call as always. The portal shimmered as he tossed the towel back in, before it closed instantly with his dismissal. Walking over to the side, he picked up the mop and swept the dojo floor.

Once he was done, he turned off the lights and went to his backpack. However, when he picked up his Hero Association-issued phone and turned it on, a huge red alert shone on the forefront. HEROES NEEDED TO REPEL SKYFOLK INVASION AT CITY: A AND PERFORM EVACUATION DUTIES! DISASTER LEVEL: DRAGON

And on the second alert, it welcomed him into his acceptance into the Association as the newest A-Class hero. He had taken the test, with a recommendation from Silverfang and the HA had made an exception for him. His eyes roved up again at the bold alert, and a grin appeared on his face. On Earth, he operated as a vigilante, hunting down criminals and beating them up. And his experience with the Foundation… with the Mobile Task Force under the Wanderer's Library.

He let out a laugh, as he ran his hand through his hair, and put the phone away. He appeared in this world, at Z-City some ten years ago, in the body of a pre-teen. Lost and confused, he survived with his portals, and thought the Foundation was here. But they didn't get him again. Living in alleyways, he created food from his portals and made do. Along with clothes and counterfeit money once he did his best to replicate the yen. But he didn't dare to use it in big stores.

And one day, he met a boy named Garou, who was getting beat on by older boys. He stepped in, and got beat as well. He wasn't going to use the portals on other kids, so it brought him back to his childhood of settling things with fists. But Tacchan had run off afterwards, and he ended up walking to Garou's place that night. They spent the night, watching Justice Man and listened as Garou explained that villains had their reasons as well. And the two became friends.

Garou figured out eventually that he lived on the streets, but promised not to tell.

And one day, the two had ended up in a martial arts tournament among the audience.

It was otherworldly, as the contestants performed acrobatics and moves that could shatter concrete and moved at high speeds with ease. And it was Master Bang, who defeated a guy named Orochi in the finals. Considered the greatest battle in the Super Fight Tournament. From that day onward, Garou told his family he was going to the dojo and got disowned by his family. The two made the long, arduous trek up the stairway, and eventually begged Bang to take them in before passing out.

And the rest was history.

Reinhardt Mueller, as he was known to everyone that met him, exited the dojo that had been his home for years. But he kept another name to himself, Rainer Miller, and that name would always bring haunted whispers in the Foundation.

He headed towards City-A with all haste. His mind burned with the Skyfolk, but always at the real monster behind all of them.

Garou.

A/N: This I feel like is an appropriate stop for this chapter. Next one is the big battles and fighting as the HA duke it out with the enhanced Skyfolk, and the schematics with Boros, and Zombieman's struggle with Awakened Phoenix Man. The next chapter will come out, faster than this one did. Partly cause progress was slow with this one was that, Google Docs for this is laggy as shit. I'm hoping the next chapter comes out asap, and since PSEO is almost over, it means more time to do so.

And just trying to get my motivation on track. Legit wrote 2.5k words on a Spongebob fanfiction and did that in a span of a couple of hours. But yeah, it's just sometimes hard to get my thoughts on track, and simply cause Google Docs is laggy as shit, or at least this doc in particular so that's slowing my writing process down by 80%. I'll give Microsoft Word a shot. And I apologize if the army segment wasn't as correct. But I plan on joining the army as an officer in the future and will get things right then.

Halcyon Days Part 2 is with the next chapter.

Guest Reviews:

Powerfull3000: Muchas gracias para tu palabras. Trabajo para publicar Siguiente capítulo

Okay I used a friend to help and google translate. So sorry in advance for butchering Spanish. German, Chinese or Korean on the other hand…

H20 Ferrum Dominus: Thanks mate. Now, as of right this moment, I just want to finish all of my projects before starting any new ones.

Thewonderfulroach7676: Thank you! Even short reviews like yours keep me going.

SCP Saitama, edboy4926, 123ABIR123: I am happy that you like my story with my crappy writing.

FGO Guest (my man!): I copied and pasted your reviews onto my story planner on Google Slides, so I'll be referring to it once in the future… when I start writing about Fate Grand Order. Still got to watch it :( but in my thing with the O5s, they're not necessarily from the Foundation depictions on their websites, but just my characters from my mythos that I gave boosted powerups. PSEO will be done soon, and summer is rolling so I'll binge Fate Grand Order fairly soon.

Degu: Yeah, I gotta find a good balance because Saitama destroying all the SCPs would make this story less than 2k words.

Monky and Guest: Refer to my rant and review I left

Insane Wombat: Like your vibe. Sit back and relax. And that goes for everyone, while I cannot please everybody, at the very least I do hope some parts of my story is enjoyable.

Pacman: Mumen Rider is a champ.

Epantoja521: Yes, this story is fun.

Kerrowe: Yeah the plot is moving a bit fast, but right now, Saitama did not rank up YET. The Hero Association is still debating on where to put him.

Dia Grail: Yes… King is very strong :)

ADdude: SCP-4197… Ooooh definitely adding on. Let me think on that. Yeah for Orion, I just looked over what he could do, and what affect he exudes on everyone, including SCPs. Given that he managed to affect SCP-682, then… why wouldn't it work on monsters as well? And since that Saitama is practically living with him everyday… he'll perhaps regain emotions in other ways. More Garou coming up once the big battles are wrapped up.

Gaming-is-served: Yeah it was lol

Imperial Stormtrooper: That's probably King's power, or anomalous ability. Luck, and bluffing. He's the dude that'll roll natural 20s at like charisma checks and stuff.

Next chapter when?

Soon.

Very soon.

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