One Punch Man: Attitude Adjustment
Chapter 34: Epilogue
In the following months, new stories about the battle at Spade's hideout would give credit to every Hero that participated in the fight but ultimately gave credit to Demon Cyborg for ensuring their victory. Their exploits would also appear in every newspaper, on page seven. The front page was taken up by news that Metal Knight was able to completely obliterate the Unicorn King. Despite the minor public attention, the Hero Association would make sure to properly honor and promote its members for a job well done.
Everyone but two advanced in Rank. The true story about what happened between Nordic, Bushwhacker and Randal was revealed to the board along with more than one report about the pairs rookie crushing hobby. Because of this, it was decided their participation during the fight with Spade gave them just enough credit to avoid demotion.
Even though she was still in Class-C, Tennis Tammy quickly rose in popularity thanks to becoming one the most popular Heroes online. Her vlogs, on-screen interviews and various promotional appearances would get millions of views overnight and even help land a role in a series starring Amai Mask. She loved to get other Heroes involved, with Kathy and the rest being some of her favorite guest stars.
After healing fast and throwing himself into work, John Burns would soon find himself among the elite Heroes of Class-A. He was wealthy, well-liked, had the respect of all his employers and worked tirelessly to protect innocent people. Yet even with all this John would never be able to achieve his one true goal, making women everywhere adore him instead of that blue-haired pretty boy.
Along with Tammy, Kathy would also be given a meeting with the man sitting at the top of Class-A. Meeting for dinner at a restaurant meant for only the richest people in the world, Amai Mask presented his offer for a show surrounding a team of young Heroes and their exploits. It seemed tempting at first, until Amai Mask felt the need to emphasize the word young. He was quite blunt about the show having no need for an old, "dirty looking" old man like Randal. The entire restaurant stopped and stared as Kathy threw a glass of Champaign in his face. Every vein in his neck and head was visible, he made a very clear threat about Kathy's career but the young woman simply smiled as she put on her outback hat.
"Mess with me or my team, and my family stops being one your boss's biggest partners. Good luck explaining that one to the board." Kathy said before strutting out the door.
Amazoa and Crossing Guardian proudly accepted their raise in rank, both keeping up their position as dedicated Heroes for the association. After another chance meeting, Randal convinced Amazoa to meet with him for an occasional training exercise. Hoping it could turn into something more, Randal quickly realized he just agreed to spend hours at a time ducking a sword. She started using his name instead of just calling him "fellow warrior" after the first month, Randal figured that meant he was at least making progress.
Using reputation to help his goals, Crossing Guardian met with the board privately to pitch something that he claimed would make the Association's efforts to protect people several times more effective. He got all of their hopes up, only to leave every executive feeling like a fool as they had to sit and listen to a long presentation about the importance of traffic safety P.S.A's.
Most of the Heroes were able to bounce back in a short amount of time, Mr. Olympian was not so lucky. A broken back would leave him bedbound in the hospital, the doctors said his spine would fully heal but not without a long and serious recovery process. As he laid next to a stack of protein filled meals in Tupperware with a note that said "Keep up your strength, my little Olympian. Love Mom" was not enough to stop feeling like he was going stir crazy in those first few days. He was in no better mood when a nurse dropped off a copy of the newspaper that talked about the fight with Spade, mumbling the words as he expected the story to play out like all the rest.
"Though Demon Cyborg was responsible for Spade's capture; additional help was provided by the likes of Amazoa, Crossing Guardian, Outback Girl and...and..." His lips quivered on the next name, he double checked the nurse left the room before letting out tears from a long-awaited feeling of recognition. "And Mr. Olympian...they even spelled it right..."
Jeremy's arm and shoulder would also take time to fully heal and he fully embraced the time off that provided. Having one good arm left to paint, Jeremy now had enough free time to start tagging walls he was eyeing for weeks after seeing them during Hero work. One of those walls was on the side of Randal's apartment building, after getting permission from the landlord and hearing a bit more about the old-timer's past the perfect thing to paint. A few hours later, Randal would walk around the corner to check on Jeremy's progress and for a moment was speechless. Taking up the entire wall, the mural depicted a long stretch of highway in the middle of a beautifully displayed desert. The road was almost fully occupied with bikers, all dressed the same and riding together towards the horizon.
"So, what do you think?" Jeremy said, unsure about Randal's reaction.
"It's good...really good." Randal said, still looking at the mural and remembering the good old days.
"Great, now let's talk about my pay." Jeremy said, sticking out his hand for a tip.
"Not gonna happen kid." Randal said with a grin.
Resting her injuries at home, Mia and her father would eventually sit together in the garden to fully discuss what happened. Master Wing apologized again, saying his behavior was all for her sake while still being able to admit the mistakes that came with it. Mia understood, but also made it clear that she was old enough to make her own decisions. Master Wing begrudgingly agreed, which would make explaining something else to him a little bit easier. Getting tense, Mia described her fight with Simian and also her decision to let him live despite everything he did to them. There was no expression on his face as Mia felt the need to explain herself.
"I can't do it, no matter how much you've said it's needed for a fighter to survive. I want to use what you taught me to save lives, not take them..." Mia said, her head leaning down as she braced herself for his reaction.
Looking at the floor, Mia was expecting to her another lecture. Instead, there was moment of contemplating silence before she felt Master Wing's hand on her shoulder.
"Strong, wise and a better person then I could ever hope to be..." Master Wind remarked with a soft, reassured tone. "Thank you for taking after your mother."
Looking up, Mia thought she dreaming at first. Master Wing was smiling, but not in the subtle way that seemed that always seemed so forced. This smile was real; genuine. It let Mia see a side of her father that seemed to be lost a long time ago. Emotions were welling up again, but she managed to hold back tears the two hugged with a picture of a loving mother and wife smiling behind them.
The Heroes were not the only ones dealing with changes. The Hero Association made sure that Spade's trail and sentence was headline news in every city for the sake of making him an example. They considered putting him in the same high security prison as Puri-Puri Prisoner, but that option was thrown out after estimating the damage and casualties that would follow. Sent to another prison with equal security, Spade was quick to establish the new top dog of the place by beating the old one into a coma. His gang was quickly formed and became the dominant faction of prisoners. It was definitely a step down, but Spade just considered it a set back. Little by little, with every gang fight in the yard and dollar made from smuggled contraband he would make a new Crime Association that would completely dwarf what came before.
With Jackson dead and Tommy Escobar going to a prisoner with normal in exchange for information left Simian as only lieutenant that was locked up with Spade. Having nothing better to do, he became Spade's right hand man. This gave him plenty of fighting with other gangs along with a few other martial arts themed villains to he could really spar. Pulling pranks on the guards also had its moments but the one thing Simian seemed to always be fighting in Prison was boredom.
Despite trying to hide it, years of records and a D.N.A test made it clear that Spade and Rose were related. This, along with how involved she was in the organization had Rose sent to a similar prison for women. During her first day, she was cornered by Candy and Bella Zera. Both made it clear how much they wanted payback on their former boss and decided killing her would suffice. They were expecting daddy's little princess to panic and cry, but they started to see the resemblance when Rose stood her ground and used her persuasive wit to win them over. Working as partners, the trio would put their skills together for one simple goal; escape.
Three months after Spade was taken in, Kathy and the rest of her gang would receive a special invitation letter for "The Greatest Grand Opening Ever!". Seeing who was hosting the event, Randal laughed and realized they were in for a fun night. Putting the invitation down on the kitchen counter, he walked through the clean and renovated living room he bought with Kathy's generous paycheck. It was the same with his bedroom as he opened up the closet, bringing out his best looking leather jacket that was triple checked for wire tapping. He also checked the bathroom mirror, making sure his short cut hair and trimmed goatee looked good enough for a night out.
"Do we know what kind of food they'll have?" Jeremy asked from his usual seat inside the Bulldog.
"Does it really matter? The invitation says it's all you can eat." Kathy replied as she drove them to the event.
"Yeah, but that could mean anything! All you can eat Barbecue, Chinese food, Italian..." Jeremy said, counting his fingers.
"We get it!" Kathy said to cut him off.
"Let's be honest..." Mia said, looking behind her cheer with a playful smile. "You'll eat anything on the menu."
"Well, yeah..." Jeremy said, smiling back as he shrugged. "Still curious."
Randal still liked riding in The Bulldog for work, but time off was reserved for the motorbike he got from the personal collection of Isaac Irwin. He never bothered with a helmet, no need to with a head that's already tough enough to handle hits from monsters three times his size. It also let enjoy ever bit of wind rushing over his face, along with the occasion bug.
In the busiest epicenter of City-T, the surrounding streets were packed with parked cars except for a reserved space directly behind The Bulldog. Stepping off the bike, Randal looked up and shook his head from the sign for the building he was heading into. A big, bright neon sign of a drunk teddy bear with cocktail in its paw and crooked sunglass. The flashing words underneath "The Tipsy Teddy."
"Just couldn't help yourself..." Randal muttered with a smirk, walking through the front door that was opened by a bouncer.
Over the years, Randal had been to plenty of bars and clubs but this one was definitely one of the most extravagant. Four stories, with a huge stage and dance floor taking up most of the ground level. Dozens of waitresses that could easily double as super models quickly moved between tables and crowds. Every bar was packed with three highly trained professionals working together behind each counter. Randal recognized most of the men hired to be bouncers. They were around his age and came from a similar background, which meant this place would not have to worry about anyone causing trouble.
As he looked around and tried to ignore the annoying club music, Randal spotted Kathy enjoying herself on the dance floor. A waitress approached the clubs owner to let him know the final guest of honor had arrived. Not long after, the music died down as Ted stepped up to the fourth floor balcony. Wearing a flashy white suit with a matching fedora, he was handed a microphone to address all of his well-paying customers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the final Hero of the night just walked in the door. Give it up for my long time pal, Savage Senior!" Ted exclaimed, putting extra energy into Randal's Hero name. "And since I knew he'd get a kick out of this, it's time for the main event folks! Give it up for Van Haegar!" He shouted while pointing down to the stage, signaling the spotlights.
The entire club went crazy for as one of the worlds most famous rock bands took the stage. Knowing the crowd had been waiting all night, the band went straight into their first song that got most of the club jumping up and down. Randal smirked, trying to remember how long it had been since he snuck into one of their concerts.
"Now get your ass up here pal, I'll be waiting in my office!" Ted yelled.
Making his way through the crowd, Randal received pats on the back and thanks from drunks as he stepped through the crowd. Before he got to the stairs, someone tugged on the back of his jacket to get his attention.
"Not up for dancing big guy?" Kathy asked, raising her voice with music blaring beside her.
"Nah, seems like kid stuff." Randal replied with a coy expression. "But by all means, go nuts on my behalf."
Heading up the stairs, he accepted a complimentary glass of whiskey on the to Ted's spacious office. He walked in to find Ted and the rest of his management staff in the middle of a very important poker game. Horace was the new head of security, which would explain why he was dressed like a secret service agent. Chuck was in charge of the waiting staff and figured that meant tying his hair into a ponytail and dressing like a cartoon matradee. Their old friend Sam the street vendor got upgraded to running a massive kitchen staff, but he still insisted on wearing the same stained-covered apron that was in his possession for decades.
"There he is!" Chuck said, happily raising his glass to Randal.
"What took ya this time? A dragon or some cute little pixies?" Sam asked.
"Just stopping by your sister's place, she says hi." Randal replied with a smirk, which made Sam and the others laugh.
"Alright Randy sit down and grab some chips, no ones saving you from getting cleaned out tonight." Ted warned as he shuffled the cards.
As the night went on and they all got more drunk, the older men all started to joke about old times. From the countless bar fights Randal got in, to Horace spending the night with a mobsters wife which led to him hiding in Chuck basement for a couple of weeks. They all laughed hard when Ted brought up Chuck swallowing a whole bag of magic mushroom which ended with him waking up naked in the middle of a zoo.
With his chair in front of the office window, Randal still had a view of the club going wild. Eventually, he spotted Mia and Jeremy sitting together on the second floor. It was easy to spot the table that was covered in plates of food for just two people. As expected, the kid was eating most of it while Mia leaned her head against his shoulder and enjoyed her salad. It was good to see them together like that, partly because it meant his little scheme back at the power plant worked but they also made a cute couple. It was a bit too cute at first, Kathy had to make a new rule about hands to yourself inside the Bulldog. It seemed to give Jeremy a reason to clean up a bit since he bothered to wear cloths that weren't always covered in paint. Mia seemed to let her hair down, metaphorically and literally since she let it grow past her shoulders. Randal chuckled Mia heard her favorite Van Haegar song, she practically dragged Jeremy by the collar so they could both head down to the dance floor.
To no ones surprise, Kathy made herself the life of the party and hopped on stage. She danced and sang along with the band, who she knew well thanks to her parents hiring them for plenty of birthday parties and corporate events. She eventually jumped down to join Mia and Jeremy in the crowd while their other teammate was dealing with a far more tense situation.
"Come on Randy..." Horace said. "I know you're bluffing..."
"Oh yeah?" Randal asked, laying a full house on the table. "Bluff this."
"Son of a..." Horace grumbled.
"If it helps, think of it as donating to the Hero Association." Randal joked as he raked into the pot.
"Oh damn, that reminds me!" Ted remarked. "Some contacts got back to me on your special friend. Turns out someone's been moving in and out of the ghost town in City-Z and tends to leave a trail of dead monsters along the way. Nobody got close enough to see who, but theirs also been news about the Cyborg kid going that way all the time. You follow him, it's gonna lead you lead right to Mr. Cue Ball Head."
"Pretty cool, huh Randy?" Chuck asked. "Bet you've got a lot to ask him."
"I don't think so Chuck." Randal replied, surprising the others. "Way I see it, if somebody that strong feels the need to lay low they've probably got a good reason. Besides that, if he's been around for as long as I think then I'm just part of a long line of folks that owe him one."
"Wouldn't it be two? Last I heard baldy bailed your ass out twice." Sam said.
"Yeah...guess your right." Randal replied.
The party went on until the sun came up, everyone had a great time but would have trouble remembering most of it the net morning. Randal and his old friends kept up their card game while Kathy, Mia and Jeremy danced until they're legs ached. In the middle of it all, Randal caught himself in a moment of contemplation. It was probably just the liquor talking, or maybe it was from hearing a song that took him all the way back to his youth.
Everything had changed so quickly, from living as someone who only worried about himself to becoming a public figure who's purpose was focused around keeping others safe. The job was starting to seem worthwhile, even if he still had to put up with irritating press and businessmen. Randal lost too many friends and coworkers to count over the year, some had it coming more than others. His newest crew was probably the strangest bunch he ever decided to work with and that suited him just fine. Hard work, good pay with Kathy's extra funds, good people to work with and even a handful of old friends when it was time to punch out and relax. Besides a beautiful woman waiting for him back home, Randal realized he had everything a man really needs in life. It made him quiet for a second, a soft smile on his grizzled face as he raised the whiskey glass to lips and whispered his appreciation for the complete stranger that gave him so much.
"Cheers Saitama."
The End.