It was the early hours of the morning when a weary, rain-soaked Genos returned home to the lab. Long shadows were cast all around the forest surrounding the building, the moon low in the sky, yet still so bright. A slight breeze rustled the trees, a few leaves fluttering to the ground.
Once passed the security protocols, Genos entered the heavily protected building, large reinforced metal doors closing behind him as he walked down the long corridor.
Up ahead, deeper within the lab, Genos could hear the familiar sounds of the assistants, interns and technicians working away, hydraulics huffing, metal screeching and clanking. Such an array of knowledge and enginuinty between them all. They truly had some of the greatest minds out there working under the Doctor's employ.
Following the noise, Genos gave a small smile as one of the younger female interns spotted him and waved her hand. "Hey, welcome back, Genos!". Her words caused a few others to look up from what they were working on, welcoming him home as he walked over to her. As he got closer, she tilted her head, an eyebrow raised. "What happened to your nose? You look like you've been in a fist fight and your clothes are soaked through".
"It's good to be back, Akari, and... it's a long story", he mumbled.
She sighed dramatically as she grabbed a rag from her bench and leaned up on her tiptoes to clean the smudge of oil from beneath the blondes nose. Genos was too tired to shoo her away. That and, secretly, he had somewhat of a soft spot for her. It was like having a little sister again.
As she cleaned his face up, not wanting to make things awkward, his eyes drifted down to her workbench. Seeing his quizzical look as he looked to what she was currently working on, she gave a chuckle. "We're finishing off a new upgrade for you. The Doc wanted to finish it later on today, but we insisted on finishing it now before we sleep".
"I see. Thank you, it's much appreciated. Speaking of, is Doctor Kuseno around?".
Happy that she had cleaned most of the oil away, Akari took a step back and placed the rag back on her workbench. "We sent him to get some sleep. He's been working too many hours lately. It's time that man took a break", she answered, then smiled brightly up at him. "Wanna come grab a coffee? I feel I need a top up to keep me awake".
"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll pass this time. It's been a long day. Besides that, sleep mode keeps trying to initiate", Genos replied with a small roll of his eyes, which in turn made Akari laugh, bringing a brighter smile to the cyborgs lips.
"Alright, maybe next time then. Go get some rest and I'll see you later, okay?".
Giving a nod, Genos left the lab, heading to the living quarters and making a beeline for his bedroom. He didn't wanted to wake the Doctor, knowing how little sleep he'd gotten in the last few days. His broken nose could wait. Changing his clothes and settling down for the night, the teen closed his eyes and drifted off.
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"Genos? Genos, breakfast's ready", a female voice called from not too far away. The teen roused from his slumber upon hearing his name, bleary eyed. The low morning sun filtered into his room, its rays warm. The light felt a little too bright on his eyes after only just waking, causing him to squint some. As he started to wake a little more, he could just make out the sounds of the female singing softly.
Shifting on his bed, the teen threw back the bed covers, his feet carrying him slowly towards the voice. Louder it grew the closer he got, the scent of pancakes wafting through the corridor.
Reaching the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. Stood at the cooker, making the pancakes, was a familiar figure. Taking a step closer, the floorboard under his foot creaked and her singing stopped. In turn, Genos froze. The woman turned around, looking directly at Genos, her smile as soft as he remembered.
"Good morning, dear".
"...Mom?".
"Did you sleep well?", she asked, returning her attention back to the pancake, scooping it out onto the plate of other pancakes. Picking it up, she bought the plate over to the table, placing it down. When Genos didn't move, she tilted her head, hazel eyes gazing back quizzically. "Is everything alright, Genos? You look like you've seen a ghost".
The teen stood there, wordless. His body felt rooted to the spot in which he stood. Those bright golden eyes, that luminous blonde hair, her smile, it was just how he remembered her.
"Darling?", his mother urged gently when he didn't answer, her expression changing to concern. Tears began rolling down his cheeks as he bit his lip. Moving from the spot, he padded hurriedly over to her, wrapping his arms around her back as he took her into a tight hug. Immediately, her arms encircled her son, her own eyes wide at the sudden embrace.
"I missed you...", came Genos' muffled voice, face buried against her shoulder. Her worry eased, a heart warming smile gracing her lips as she returned the hug. "Oh Genos, I've never gone away. I'm always here with you, sweetheart", she replied as she carded her fingers through her son's blonde hair.
The two remained in a silent embrace, with Genos not wanting to let go. His mother, however, pulled back a little from the hug, looking into her sons golden eyes with a tender smile. "You're growing up so fast, it's scary".
Genos canted his head. "Scary?".
She gave him a small nod. "Well, we're not getting any younger and I've always been scared of the day I won't be able to do anything for you anymore once I'm gone", came her answer.
Genos' brows furrowed some. "But you're—".
She placed her finger on her lips. "Sshhh, I know. But as long as I'm here, I'm alive in your heart, and that's all that matters". She then eased herself away from her son's hold and walked back over to the cooker.
"Your food's getting cold, wake up!".
"Huh?".
A hand jostled him by his shoulder, his eyes flying wide open as he was startled awake. His eyes followed up the arm to see Akari stood beside his bed. "I've been calling you for ages, your food is gonna be too cold to eat. I made breakfast for you". Her voice sounded a little strange as his systems began to boot so suddenly, but he made out most of what she'd said.
"Thank you. You didn't have to", he spoke in a groggy tone as he sat himself up in bed, still feeling disorientated from such a vivid dream.
Akari noted how out-of-it Genos looked, voice softening. "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to, so come on, before it gets cold". Stepping outside his room, she waited for Genos to get himself out of bed, then they walked to the kitchen together.
"Take a seat, Genos, and I'll make us some coffee".
The first thing Genos saw when he entered was the plate of pancakes in the middle of the table, just like he'd seen in the dream. Hesitantly, he stepped closer to the table. Pulling a chair out, he sat down, staring at the pancakes, the dream still very much fresh in his head. Once the coffee was made, Akari bought them over, the strong aroma of their drinks pleasantly filling the room. As she placed the cups down, she saw Genos staring, unmoving. "Hey", she's started as she sat opposite Genos, "are you sure you're alright? You seem a little spaced out".
Genos tore his gaze away from the food on the table to glance across at Akari. "I'm fine. Just had a strange dream, that's all".
She had a feeling of what the 'strange dream' was about. "Well you know I'm always here if ever you want to talk about anything", she assured him. It was reassurance enough as Genos gave a nod and half a smile. She really did know how to comfort others, Genos especially.
"Thank you, Akari".
The two ate and drank coffee while conversing about the new upgrade the assistants were working on, some components that should make him faster. No soon as they were finished, Genos got up to clean everything. "It's almost time for the Doctor to wake. I'll finish off here and will make him some breakfast. Go and get some sleep", Genos told her as he reached into the fridge for some sausages, an egg and bacon, mushrooms too. He knew how much the Doctor loved his fry ups for breakfast.
Pushing up from her chair, Akari headed to the doorway. "If you need me, you know where I am". That said, she left with a wave, leaving Genos to get on with the cooking.
As Genos was finishing off making breakfast, Doctor Kuseno ambled sleepily into the kitchen with a yawn. "Ahh, I thought I could smell something delicious. Good morning, my boy".
"Good morning, Doctor. Did you sleep well?", Genos greeted briefly, looking over his shoulder at the old man before returning attention to the pan, the egg spitting as it was fried.
"I did, actually. Best night's sleep I've had in a while. If it wasn't for my assistants, I would've still been in the lab, working away all night. They really are a good bunch", Kuseno replied as he snuck behind Genos and pinched a mushroom off the plate with a mischievous chuckle before taking a seat at the table.
Plating everything up, the teen carried the food over, placing a glass of fresh orange juice down on the table too. Genos then returned to his seat opposite the Doctor. Picking up his cutlery, the Doctor was about to take his first bite when he got his first good look at Genos. "My word, what happened to your nose, Genos?".
"I ran into some trouble while on a mission last night", he mumbled as he looked across to Kuseno, subconsciously touching his broken nose. He continued on. "It turned out a complete bust. A... villain appeared on the scene and ruined everything. One of the men I had been trailing was unfortunately killed before I could stop it from happening".
"Oh dear, that's not good at all. Did you manage to catch the villain and hand them over to the Association?", Kuseno asked as he began eating, listening intently.
Genos cast his gaze down at the table, shaking his head. "No, I... let them go. I don't know what came over me. I was seething, Doctor. I just wanted them out of my sight". He couldn't possibly reveal the identity of the man to the Doctor. Especially when the villain was his soulmate.
'He let them go? How unlike him', Kuseno thought as he lifted his cup to his lips. "You'll have to think of an excuse for your report", the old man told him with a slurp of his drink. "One that they'll believe".
"I know. I received a text message from them on my way back to the lab, asking me to report back to them in a meeting later on this afternoon in City A". It didn't leave him much time to prepare. He really needed to think of something, fast.
Taking a bite of egg, Doctor Kuseno hummed appreciatively at the delicious taste. "Mm, well, I'll get your nose fixed once I've finished eating this so that you can get yourself ready to leave. You've outdone yourself again with your cooking, Genos".
For a moment, he didn't answer upon receiving the praise. Golden hues then looked bashfully through equally golden hair, features softening, lips slowly curving up into a gentle smile. "Thank you, Doctor".
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Nose all fixed and bidding the Doctor goodbye, Genos made his way over to City A where the Hero Association Headquarters were located. Landing on the sidewalk garnered attention. Just the type that made his skin crawl. Brows furrowed, he heard them before he saw them. Lifting his head, he saw a throng of young women fast approaching him, the word having spread like wildfire within a close proximity.
"It's Demon Cyborg!"
"Isn't he cute?"
"Can I have a photo with you?"
Doing his best to ignore them, Genos swiftly turned and hurriedly marched his way up the steps, hearing their calls behind him. 'Just leave me alone', he thought, feeling irked by them. A few tried to climb the steps after him but stopped short as their cries went unnoticed.
Pushing open the door in front of him, Genos stepped into the building, breathing a sigh of relief in the empty foyer. It was much more peaceful in there, the building blocking out most of their noise.
"Good Morning, Mr Demon Cyborg, sir", came a polite voice off to the side. Glancing over, he saw a young female sat at the reception desk, giving him a sympathetic smile as she greeted him. 'She must've heard the commotion outside'. The other receptionist seemed too immersed in a phone call to even notice him.
"Good Morning", he replied to her as he walked towards the elevators and made his way up to the 51st floor. It took a while, the music within the small confined space irritating the blonde. Taking a deep breath, Genos sighed, closing his eyes. It really wasn't helping his already foul mood.
As the elevator finally stopped on the 51st floor, he took a step forward, the doors opening. As he opened his eyes, he stopped upon hearing a surprised cry, seeing a familiar face take a few steps back.
Waiting for the elevator was Lily of the Blizzard Bunch. "Geez, Genos, you scared me!", she exclaimed, hands clutched at her chest as her heart pounded. Her cheeks flushed faintly seeing the cyborg.
"I'm sorry, Lily, I didn't mean to frighten you", he apologised to the younger teen as he stepped out of the elevator. Standing to the side, Genos put his hand out by the elevator sensor so the doors wouldn't close. "What're you doing up here?".
"Ah, I was just handing some paperwork in for Miss Fubuki". Regaining her composure, the female smiled up at the older teen as she straightened her tie. "You okay? You look real grouchy today".
"I have a meeting today to discuss what went wrong with my latest mission", Genos grumbled. He really wasn't looking forward to it...
"'What went wrong'? That's not like you. Well, just try stay calm, alright? I know how you get", she told him as she headed into the elevator, giving his arm a gentle pat along the way. "Let me know how things go".
"I will", the blonde answered, moving his hand away. He watched as the doors closed, Lily giving him a small wave, still smiling. He was really grateful to have her as a friend. He didn't have many.
Turning, Genos headed on down the corridor. Reaching the double doors, he came to a stop. Stealing himself, he took a breath to calm himself. The organisation was just doing its job. An S class hero failing their mission was almost unheard of, so it was no wonder he was called in.
Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. It was a few seconds before he heard an 'enter' from inside the room. Brows furrowing, Genos turned the handle and pushed the door open, stepping in. Before he could close the door behind him, he noticed a female walking towards him from inside the room, giving a wave behind her at who was sat at the desk. Upon leaving, she brushed passed Genos purposely. His eyes narrowed as she gave him a flirtatious smile and a wink as she exited.
Genos pushed the door shut a little too loudly behind her, before turning towards the male sat at the desk. The teens annoyance began to bubble within as he recognised the other. He had to bite the inside of his lip to keep it all in, although the look on his face spoke volumes. He hadn't expected his meeting to be with him, so it must be bad.
"You wanted to see me?", Genos asked, standing by the door still.
The man rose from his chair with a wide smile, arms spreading out in mock greeting. "Ah, Genos! Mr. Demon Cyborg himself, how lovely to see you! Please, have a seat", he gestured to the chair the opposite side of the desk.
"I'd rather stand, if you don't mind, Amai". The further apart they were, the better.
"I insist", Amai frowned, his smile disappearing instantly.
"No".
"Sit!".
At the raised voice, Genos pressed his lips into a thin line, brows in as deep a furrow as he could possibly muster. He looked ready to incinerate the pop idol. Reluctantly, Genos clomped heavily as he walked the few steps to the chair and plopped himself down, glaring golden eyes fixed on the older hero as he sat in silence.
Amai smirked. "Good boy. And there's no need to glare at me".
Gritting his teeth, Genos' hands balled into fists on his thighs. "Fuck you...", he hissed a whisper.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that", Amai warned, lowering himself back into his seat. "Now, I've heard that your previous mission ended with one of the men being killed. Care to enlighten me on what happened?", he asked, leaning forward, hands clasped on the table.
Genos hesitated. He couldn't possibly tell him about Caped Darkness. At the same time, he had to tread lightly, not wanting to ruin his reputation as an S class hero.
"A monster appeared and killed him before I could get to him. It appeared to be a hybrid. I incinerated it when I—", Genos started, only then to be interrupted.
"I don't believe there were any scorch marks on-site".
Genos felt anger welling up. "They could fl—".
"Where are the remains?", Amai raised an eyebrow.
The blonde grit his teeth. "It was wet last night, they would have soaked into the ground or blown away in th—".
"Are you telling me you reduced the monster to ash?".
"Are you going to keep interrupting me?!", Genos barked. "And yes, I turned them into ash. That's why it's called 'incinerate'. Now, are we done here? You're wasting my time. I have better things to do than play 20 questions with you", the cyborg growled, rising from his seat.
"Sit. Back. Down", the older hero ordered in a firm voice.
Hesitating, Genos lowered himself back down into the seat.
Amai shot an irritated smile at the cyborg. "You're a stubborn young fellow, aren't you".
"Just hurry up and get this over with", Genos spat. He was losing his patience with the other.
"You need to watch your temper, Genos. Being hot blooded is fine, but, if you take it too far, you'll get burned", the older hero warned.
Genos' eyes narrowed more, teeth grit. "I said get on with it".
Leaning back in his chair, Amai leaned on the arm of the chair, resting his head on his hand, heaving a sigh. "Genos, you have to understand that I'm doing 'my' job, and I expect you to do yours. I'm sure you understand what the association expects of you. You, being an S class hero, shouldn't have failed such an easy task that, might I add, 'you' asked to take on. You're lucky you're still an S class hero at all, especially with your cockiness. Heroes aren't supposed to make mistakes, Genos. A man lost his life because of your carelessness".
"I know that, and I'm not—".
"What, not going to apologise?".
"Apologise? Fine, I'm sorry, but—".
"But nothing. Your incompetence means that these men now know the Association is on to them. This could put the entire mission in jeopardy. Maybe I should ask someone to help you, or perhaps I should pull you from this mission entirely", Amai spoke, frowning across at the teen on the other side of the desk.
"I can handle this. Just give me another chance, if anything to redeem myself. I won't fail next time".
The idol stared at Genos, thinking things over. Silently, he opened a drawer, retrieving some paperwork, before closing it again. It was a good few seconds before he finally spoke, holding the paperwork out towards Genos. "You know the rules; I need you to write a full report and submit it by the end of tomorrow. Only then can you return to your current mission. I look forward to reading your report. Just don't let this happen again".
Reaching forward, the teen took the papers from the other. Amai then waved his hand to shoo Genos away. "You may leave now. Thank you again for your time. Close the door behind you. Oh, and please don't get yourself into any more trouble. I'd rather not keep having to see you face to face".
He waited until he was sure Amai was finished talking before he stood. Turning and not looking back, Genos made his way out of the room, feeling Amai's eyes on his back the whole time.
As the door closed behind him, Genos let out the breath he didn't remember holding. He looked at the paperwork in his hand. 'Might as well get this filled in before I leave'.
It was starting to grow dark outside when Genos left the building. His forms were all filled in and submitted. He could have left sooner but had been spotted by Silverfang. Not wanting to be disrespectful, he spoke with him about this and that.
The air outside was cool, tousling his blonde locks. About to take his first step down the stairs, he froze in his tracks, hearing "Hey, Blondie", from behind him. Spinning around, he narrowed his eyes at the dark figure hiding against the association building doors. He was perfectly hidden in the shadow of the sunset, clad in his black and red villain outfit.
"What are you doing here?", the teen bit.
Saitama placed a hand on his hip, pushing himself from leaning against the wall. He grinned at the other. "That's no way to say 'hello' now, is it? I came to see you".
Each slow step Saitama took towards him, Genos felt his body tensing up defensively, battle systems gearing up. "Why? What do you want?", he asked, taking a couple of cautious steps backwards down the stairs before stopping again, maintaining a safe distance.
"Well, if you must know, I came to see if you would tell anyone you'd seen me... did you?", Saitama asked, also coming to a stop.
"I did not", Genos assured. "The association is none the wiser, but you being here is putting that chance of us being seen together at a greater risk. I suggest you leave immediately".
Saitama's brows furrowed. "I also wanted to make sure you didn't get into too much trouble after what happened yesterday", he spoke, voice firmer.
This confused Genos, the blonde canting his head. "Why would that matter to you?".
Caped Darkess shrugged nonchalantly. "I'unno. Just though I'd check is all". The bald villain looked down at Genos on the steps, giving him a wry grin. "Still thinking that I give a shit about you?".
Genos swallowed. "I didn't expect anything of the sort from a villain, especially you. Yesterday, when we fought, why didn't you use your strength against me? Aren't you worried that I'll reveal your identity?".
"I'm not worried, I know you'll be a sensible kid and keep those lips of yours firmly shut if you value your life. As for the reason why I didn't kill you? I just didn't feel like it".
As the villain spoke, Genos' eyes glanced down towards Saitama's left wrist. Noticing this, Saitama instinctively tugged his sleeve down a little more.
"You know, don't you?", Saitama asked in a low tone.
The hero looked back up into Saitama's chocolate hues with an almost pained expression. "Why didn't you say anything?".
"I—".
"Demon Cyborg's back outside the Hero headquarters!", a female voice called from the foot of the steps, interrupting their talk. Genos peered over his shoulder at her briefly, quickly looking back, but Saitama had already vanished, the gust from his lightening speed brushing against his frame.
Releasing a deflated sigh and a roll of his eyes, Genos turned to walk down the steps, walking away from the growing throng of people waiting for him. He'd been so close to finding out why Saitama hadn't mentioned anything when he knew about them being soulmates.
He would just have to wait that little bit longer to find out.
As the crowd neared him, Genos made a quick retreat skyward, disappearing into the distance, ignoring the disappointed expressions on his fans faces.