Heroes. Everyone has an idea of what a hero is and should be. A figure of justice. One that fights against evil.
But... is that really what it takes to be a hero? Is it being strong? Can the path of a hero be so simple and straightforward?
Satisfaction solely from fighting is inherently wrong. Therefore, what gives meaning to the existence of a hero is battling with great courage and benefitting society. Then in that sense, the members working in law enforcement, who risk their lives every day for the sake of keeping their cities safe, can also be called heroes. Then what about the ultimate hero? What lies at the peak? Is it to have an unflinching sense of justice? The courage to face any and all hardship? The answer to such questions remain unclear, which means that there is still a long way to travel on this path.
Saitama thinks back on King's words when he'd voiced his complaints about being too strong is boring. Though he is fairly certain that King probably pulled those words from either out of his ass or some manga he read, they still left a lasting impact on him. No matter where King got this speech from, there is a modicum of truth to it. Maybe King is right after all, that thinking he'd reached the peak just because he's become overwhelmingly strong is a bit shallow.
He is currently walking through the edge of downtown Vale towards his apartment complex. He'd just finished catching a bargain sale at a nearby supermarket and is returning home with his groceries. 50% discount sale for a limited time! Who would ever give up such a bargain?
As he walks down the streets at a leisurely pace, several passersby turn and stare at him for a prolonged period of time, likely due to the glare of the sunlight reflecting off of his smooth dome. Whether it is back on Earth or here on Remnant, Saitama has long grown used to such looks and is able to ignore them. Even though he's been living in this part of town for several months now, there are always some people who can't help but stare whenever he roams the streets.
'I guess they just don't have anything better to do. That might be a good thing, I guess.'
He lazily yawns into a hand as he continues to stroll. Back on Earth, City A was invaded once again by an intergalactic ship. Thankfully, the city's defenses were upgraded by Metal Knight, so the overall damage caused by the spaceship's bombardment was greatly reduced. Like he'd done with Boros' ship, Saitama jumped onto this one and proceeded to rampage through the labyrinth of walls and corridors. One his way towards the boss room, he overheard that the aliens were here to take revenge on Boros, and that they'd followed his tracks here to Earth as a result.
When Saitama heard this, he felt a great surge of anticipation. Boros was, by far, the most powerful opponent he'd faced since he started one punching everything. Considering that these aliens felt confident enough to enact revenge on Boros, then logic followed that their boss must be comparable or maybe even more powerful than the one eyed alien.
Unfortunately for Saitama, reality was a disappointment. The boss ended up being small fry and was evaporated after consecutive normal punches. Though disheartened by the anticlimactic fight, the invasion was in effect dealt with, so Saitama began to make his way out of the spaceship. However, he ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere and stumbled into a room with a strange portal machine. As a result, he ended up being transported onto this planet he later learned is called Remnant. Ever since, he's been stranded here.
'I'm sure Genos and the others can take care of themselves. Wait... Doesn't Genos know some scientist? The one that made his body like that? Doctor... What was it? Koopa? Kookoo? There's also that guy that helped rebuild City A. Metallic Man or something. Maybe those two will figure something out about that portal machine that brought me here.'
Luckily for Saitama, there turns out to be humans living on Remnant, and they even happen to speak the same language! Because of that, adjusting to this foreign world was a lot easier than expected. How there could be such a convenience, he doesn't have a single clue, nor does he really care.
For the most part, life on Remnant is fairly similar with Earth's. Humans live in cities, work normal jobs, and have families. Meanwhile, groups of talented fighters, known as Huntsmen, fend off monsters called the creatures of Grimm. It's not too much different compared to the lifestyle of Earth where there is the Hero Association and the frequent monster threats. One notable difference are the ones people here call the Faunus, though from Saitama's point of view, the Faunus are nothing but humans with a few extra body parts like tails, ears, or wings. Honestly speaking, Genos is far more exotic than any Faunus. Heck, back on Earth, guys like King would probably go crazy for the cat girls he sees on occasion just walking around.
When he'd first appeared on Remnant, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest. He thought that he was still somewhere on the alien spaceship, but had doubts when he looked up into the sky and saw the shattered moon. Once he located and reached the nearest city, he was certain that this was not on the spaceship, or even Earth. Thankfully, the guards looking over Vale's walls were quick to bring him in and sign the required paperwork to take him inside the city.
The city guards took a quick look at his strange and dirtied attire, lack of identification, survival gear, and transportation to conclude that this strange bald man was probably a sole survivor of a gruesome Grimm attack. In their minds, his lack of hair and the dead look in his eyes are all signs of extreme mental, emotional, and physical stress. As such, they marked him with a refugee status and signed him onto the aid programs in place to help such individuals.
Normally, if a group of people were blatantly commenting about his bald head, Saitama would have protested. However, given his circumstances, he decided to let it go. He needs all the help he can get when it comes to food and living under a roof in foreign land. Sure, he can punch most threats out of the way, but that does not necessarily put food on the table. Therefore, he decided to take advantage of being considered a refugee. Besides, in a roundabout way, he kind of is one.
Later, Saitama would learn that he was lucky to have appeared near Vale and not the other three kingdoms. Vale set itself apart from the other three in that the headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin, heavily pushed for these aid programs to be put into place several years ago. Otherwise, Saitama would be in a much worse spot. Should he have a chance in the future, Saitama is considering thanking the man by treating him to some dinner.
He soon arrives at the steps of his apartment complex and begins to make his way up with a blank expression. Once he reaches the third floor, he unlocks the door that leads into his unit. He steps inside and takes his shoes off before setting his bag of groceries on top of a small dining table.
The layout of his apartment is pretty simple, though it is slightly bigger than the one he was living in back on Earth. There is a small kitchen with a sink, stove, cutting area, drawers, and shelves. Leading out from the kitchen is a living room with a sit down table and a television sitting in the corner. Against one of the walls is a couch he'd found for cheap on sale. Unlike Earth's apartment, the living room leads to a small hallway that branches off into a bathroom and small bedroom where he sleeps. To him, there is nothing to complain about living in a place like this.
"The konbu, meat, and veggies were a great bargain today," he smiles to himself. "Shabu-shabu it is for tonight's dinner."
He fills a pot with water, sets it on his stove, and turns on the gas. Afterwards, he sits down at the living room table, turns on the television, and begins to lazily flip through the channels. Vale, unlike Earth, does not seem to need his involvement in dealing with threats. Monsters, or Grimm as they call them here, attack less frequently compared to the ones on Earth, and the ones that do happen to get too close to the city are promptly taken care of by Huntsmen. There was one attack worse than usual about a week ago when an underground train erupted out in the main square of downtown. Apparently a good number of Grimm came out from that hole, but even then, they were killed pretty quickly by nearby Huntsmen and soldiers.
Therefore, Saitama has little to no reason to venture out in his hero outfit in search of monsters to defeat. There are plenty of others already doing that with pretty high efficiency. Besides, these Grimm creatures aren't even all that powerful. He's yet to encounter one that can take more than a single casual punch or slap. Their behavior isn't all that interesting either, since they are animalistic and predictable.
He pauses on a channel that is broadcasting a large tournament that is taking place in the giant floating stadium above Vale and Beacon.
"Oh right," he blankly mutters. "There's some big festival happening right now. What's it called again? Vita... Uh... Vitamin Festival?"
He brings a hand up to his chin.
"... Maybe I should check out this festival? Festivals usually means there's going to be tasty food, and I've been able to save up some Lien lately due to the bargain sales. This tournament sounds pretty interesting too. The one I went to with Genos ended up being pretty fun."
After giving it another second of thought, Saitama stands up and turns the television off. Then, he shuts the gas off on his stove and places his groceries inside of his refrigerator.
'King did say that I should consider taking a break. I might do just that by splurging on myself a little tonight. I should hurry and get there before it starts getting too dark.'
*** Beacon Landing Docks ***
"Mommy. Why is that man's head bald and shiny?"
A young boy inquisitively points a finger up at Saitama's head.
"Don't point," the boy's mother gently reprimands. "You are being rude."
"Sorry," the boy apologizes, but tilts his head. "But why is that?"
The woman coughs into her hand while trying to discreetly sneak a look at the bald man standing nearby.
"Well... It may be a fashion statement. Maybe."
"Really? With those clothes? That's so weird!"
"Shush now. Why don't we go take a look at some of the festival games?"
"Yay! Let's go!" The boy cheers.
'...'
The corner of Saitama's eyes twitch as he overhears the pair's conversation. He is wearing a plain white t-shirt and khaki shorts he'd bought when there was a sale. Sure, it may look a bit plain, but they were comfortable to move around in. What else is he supposed to wear? His yellow hero suit? That would just stand out for no reason, and there isn't even any hero work to be done.
Deep inside, he feels rather disheartened that there are no strong opponents for him to fight. However, he also feels a sense of relief that those living on Remnant can live their lives relatively peacefully because of that. He stares out into the distance with blank eyes, admiring the sun beginning to set in the horizon.
'Pretty nice view up here. Now where are the food stalls? I hope nothing's too expensive.'
He carefreely follows the crowds of people and navigates his way through Beacon's courtyard that is now littered with a variety of food stalls, games, and small shows. His eyes slowly scan through the signs advertising a wide plethora of food being sold.
'Oh. Those skewers sound and smell pretty good.'
Saitama reaches into his pocket and retrieves some Lien bills as he approaches the stall. All of a sudden, his ears twitch when everyone in the courtyard collectively gasp. With a raise eyebrow, he glances at one of the many widescreens set up throughout the courtyard for attendees to use, and he sees the aftermath of what looks like an accident during the latest tournament round.
'Woah. That looks like Genos whenever he gets beat up by a monster,' he instinctively think when he sees the wires, bolts, and nuts strewn about.
Those watching are visibly distraught by the scene, but Saitama merely stares with a blank expression. The camera zooms into the face of the one who just destroyed that robot, Pyrrha Nikos, who is clearly horrified by what she's done.
'Can't they just put the robot back together? What's the big deal? Genos does it all the time and comes back stronger than ever with new upgrades.'
The broadcast abruptly changes to a red background with a sole black queen chess piece in the middle. A young woman's voice starts to address the viewers.
"This is not a tragedy. This is not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians but are in reality nothing more than men..."
Saitama shrugs and picks at his ear with a finger.
'A long speech. Great. No thanks.'
Paying no mind to the long winded speech Cinder is giving, he strolls in front of the skewer shop.
"Can I buy a skewer?" He asks the shop keeper, who is currently preoccupied with the broadcast.
"Hey."
The shop keeper is unresponsive.
"Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong, but I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is equally undesirable..."
Feeling annoyed, Saitama slightly raises his voice.
"Hey!"
The shop keeper jolts in his seat.
"Wh- What?"
"I was asking if I can buy one of those?"
Saitama points down at some of the skewers.
"How much are they?"
The shop keeper blinks once and stares at the strange bald man like he's insane.
"Are... Are you serious right now?" He asks incredulously. "Are you not seeing what's going on?"
"Oh... That?" Saitama blankly replies. "I kind of stopped listening after the first twenty words. Is it important? Anyways, are you going to sell me that food? I haven't had dinner yet, so I'm pretty hungry you know."
The broadcast cuts to black and an alarm loudly begins to blare out from the speakers.
"Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner."
The shop keeper pales.
"Oh gods!" He screams and scrambles out of his stall to run towards the safety of the school.
Like him, the other festival workers and attendees follow suit in the panic that erupts. They either begin to flee towards the bullhead docks or the school's facilities.
In the midst of this chaos, Saitama is standing in front of the stall that has been destroyed and trampled with several Lien bills held out in his hand.
"Eh?"
"SKREEEEE"
An ear piercing cry echoes through the night sky. A massive elder Nevermore appears from above the clouds and dives down towards Beacon's courtyard. Its predatory eyes gleam with anticipation as it outstretches its talons to tear apart the helpless prey below. A boy's fear filled cries catch the beast's attention.
"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?!"
"Shawn!" The boy's mother struggles past the panicked waves of people and embraces her son. It is the same mother and son pair who had commented on Saitama's appearance earlier.
"Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere?"
"Ah! Mommy, it's coming!" The boy screams out in terror.
The mother's face pales as she turns her head around. The Nevermore is diving straight for them. As the surrounding people scatter in all directions, the woman shields her child as they are knocked onto the ground by the crowd. As the dark shadow of the monster looms over them, the mother closes her eyes and hugs her son tightly, waiting helplessly for their impending death. But... it never comes.
"Hey. You alright there?" A monotone voice asks.
The woman squints her eyes open and gasps at what she sees.
A bald man. The same one that she and her son saw earlier when they exited the bullhead, is casually grasping the massive Nevermore by its beak and firmly holding it in place with a single hand. The man's expression can not be described as anything but plain and almost bored.
"Can you move?"
The woman numbly nods in response. The Nevermore is digging its sharp talons into the ground, gouging out chunks of concrete and dirt as it tries to free itself from the man's grasp. However, no matter how hard it flails, it fails to move even a single millimeter from where its held. What is truly incredible is that the man looks completely unconcerned with the monster he's holding back, as if he is exerting the same amount of effort one would need to hold onto a fly.
"That's good," Saitama nods. "You should probably go towards the nearest shelter or something."
He brings his other hand up and casually swats at the Nevermore's head, obliterating the beast in an instant.
A pregnant silence blankets the courtyard, and the bystanders who were in the middle of fleeing are standing in place, frozen and staring at the scene in awe and shock.
"EEEEEEEHHHH?!"
"Did he just slap that Nevermore?!"
"Holy shit! Who is that guy?!"
"W-Were we saved?"
The child stares up at Saitama with glowing eyes of admiration. The fear that filled him moments prior has been completely lifted away.
"Mister, are you a Huntsman?"
Saitama scratches his cheek.
"Er... No. I don't have a license for that."
For some reason, the boy's eyes grow even brighter.
"Then, you must be a superhero!" He excitedly yells.
Saitama blinks and his mouth curls up into a small smile.
"Sir," the mother asks. "Just who are you?"
"Like your kid said, I'm Saitama. I'm a hero. For fun."