I don't own One-Punch Man
(All of this Belongs to the one and only: ONE)
Chapter 13: Just like Brothers
A Champion's Challenge
In the Middle of the Arena Lobby...
Help
Something that Saitama could always provide whenever possible. Weirdly enough, Saitama could always read a person's emotions pretty easily. If he saw someone mad, he would try to bring them out of it, or if he see someone sad, he would listen to their problems. Well, only for as long as 20 words goes, mind you. But overall, Saitama can read people like reading posters with sales pitches on them, and with how many people that have recently taken residence in his life, this skill couldn't come any handier. Saitama now found himself talking with a random kid, who felt like he wasn't random at all.
Fubuki and Genos could only watch, as Saitama talked casually with Child Emperor, of all people. But both of the heroes asked themselves why Child Emperor was back in the first place. Why would he need to be back here, when he no longer held a spot on the bracket of the tournament. Questions like these bombarded Genos's and Fubuki's mind, as time went on.
The reason for Child Emperor coming back to the Arena was simple, watch heroes fight each other, and put that same information inside robots. He had hoped to gain some useful data from all the matches, considering the robots he used in the last match were pathetic. He came in dark blue shorts, and shoes that light up a bright blue whenever he took a step. He had a white shirt covered in bright red stripes, while also wearing his signature black backpack. His hair was messily cute as ever, much like a kid who didn't know how to brush their hair. Child Emperor was about to walk towards the elevator area, only to catch a glimpse of a certain green haired esper in the lobby, riding on the shoulders of someone else. Curiosity flooding every inch of his body, Child Emperor walked towards the direction the esper was in, only to then shield his eyes from something flashing in his eyes, that being a bald guy's head. It only took a couple of seconds for Child Emperor to realize that the esper was sitting on that bald guy's shoulders. With a sigh, Child Emperor then pulled out a lollipop from his back, a started licking it slowly. After a short walk, he soon came close enough to call out for the green haired esper.
"Oi, Tornado of Terror, what are you doing on that guy's shoulders." Child Emperor said loudly, hands in his pants pockets, getting the attention of both Saitama and Tatsumaki, his light up shoes shining through the Arena lobby. As soon as Saitama turned, and Tatsumaki saw Child Emperor, her face turned into a frown.
"Hey baldy, just ignore that kid calling us." Tatsumaki whispered to Saitama, getting his attention by tapping his head.
"Why? He's just a kid, and it looks like he knows you Tats." Saitama reasoned, shrugging his shoulders in the process.
"Grr, why can't you just listen to me for once, baldy?!" Tatsumaki yelled softly at Saitama, squeezing her thighs on his head hard, only to be ignored by Saitama.
"Eh, It'd be rude if we ignored a kid, plus, we're not in a hurry for any matches, right?" Saitama said easily, walking over towards Child Emperor.
Tatsumaki kept squeezing her thighs hard, even drilling her knuckles on his head, only to hurt her hands in the end. Tatsumaki quietly cursed Saitama, and simply prepared herself to talk with Child Emperor. Saitama soon reached Child Emperor, watching him suck intently on his lollipop.
"Sup kid, you know this woman on me, right?" Saitama said easily to Child Emperor, sticking a thumb out, pointing at Tatsumaki. Although a little mad at Saitama's bluntness, she was secretly very happy to hear him say that she was a woman, instead of a brat this time.
"Yes, she's the S-Class Ranked: 2 Hero, Tornado of Terror. I get the impression that you know that too, right?" Child Emperor answered back just as easily, pulling out his lollipop from his mouth to talk.
"Yup." Saitama answered back with a deadpan face, surprising Child Emperor as he spoke.
"I see… And who might you be?" Child Emperor asked again, now even more curious as to who the man before him is. He definitely looked familiar to Child Emperor, but nothing was coming to mind at the moment.
"Oh, my name's Saitama. But my hero name is Caped Baldy." Saitama said, watching as Child Emperor eyes light up, while struggling to keep in a laugh. Recollection flooded Child Emperor, as soon as the bald guy stated his name.
"A-Ah, I get it now. If I remember correctly, you're the hero that managed to finish off the Hero Hunter, Garou, right?" Child Emperor pried with a smile, waiting patiently for Saitama's response.
"You're talking about that guy with a weird obsession with being a monster/hero thing? Then yeah, I'm that same hero, why do you ask?" Saitama spoke back, folding his arms in the process. Tatsumaki was listening intently to the conversation, wanting to know more about Saitama.
"Oh, nothing in particular, it's just funny to see an S-Class hero riding on an A-Class hero, that's all. It's even funnier to see the same hero that saved us all, being used as a riding horse." Child Emperor giggled, looking at Tatsumaki in the process, making her blush.
"You're mean, Tornado of Terror, making Caped Baldy a horse for you to sit on." Child Emperor said smiling, now looking at esper, who was currently lying her head down on Saitama's.
"I-It's not like that, Child Emperor!" Tatsumaki blurted out, her face soon glowing a dull red.
"I'm with her on that one, Me and Tats are just friends, that's it." Saitama chimed in, getting the attention from Child Emperor again.
"Tats? Who are we talking about here?" Child Emperor asked, only to piece together that that was a nickname for the esper sitting on his shoulders. Saitama also noticed a name that Tatsumaki called out, that being Child Emperor.
"So the Tornado of Terror made a friend, huh?" Child Emperor thought to himself, wondering why she would ever be friends with this guy.
"B-Baldy! D-Don't use that name in public!" Tatsumaki shouted, only to get another shrug from Saitama, making Child Emperor giggle a little more.
"This guy has nerves of steel if have can handle the Tornado of Terror acting like that." Child Emperor thought, watching as the esper drilled her fist into the bald guy's head, getting injury herself in the process.
"Haha, she looks like she's having fun…" Child Emperor said to himself, now taking on a forlorn look, wishing he could act like that, being a kid.
"Yeah, a kid could dream, haha…" Child Emperor thought on, now feeling bummed out for some reason, as he kept watching the two heroes act out their scene. Saitama then spoke up, getting Child Emperor's attention.
"You're the hero Child Emperor, right?" Saitama asked, ignoring Tatsumaki's thigh squeezes.
"That's correct." Child Emperor said, feeling bummed out as he was talking with the Caped Baldy.
"Alright, so that means you gotta be that hero from the last match. That was a nice fight yesterday. Also, those were some cool robots you used. Though they were kinda weak, if I'm gonna be honest with you." Saitama said easily to Child Emperor, making him who look upwards at him with starry eyes. Almost anybody, including most of the people in the Organization, would kiss up to him, since he's the smartest kid in Japan. But with the Caped Baldy, he simply spoke his mind, and that itself was a very refreshing breath of fresh air.
"Caped Baldy is a person that speaks his mind truthfully, how nice…" Child Emperor thought to himself, slowly making a smile as he did so. A few moments passed, with Child Emperor staring at Saitama with curious eyes. But just as he was looking intently at Saitama, he focused his attention on Saitama's bald head, causing him to laugh out loud.
"Y-You're right, my machines are a bit on the weaker side. But on another topic, to think that the Organization would actually make your hero name that!" Child Emperor said with a huge smile, remembering Saitama's hero name. As he was laughing, his lollipop was on the verge of falling out of his mouth. Saitama simply smiled at the kid's innocence, and decided to tease him back.
"Pfft, at least I don't have Child in my name." Saitama reasoned out with a smile of his own, instantly shutting up Child Emperor's laughing. This also earned a light giggle from Tatsumaki, who was still on Saitama's shoulders.
"A-And what do you mean by that?! Do you think I'm a child?!" Child Emperor called loudly, holding his lollipop in one hand, clearly embarrassed by Saitama's comment. His face instantly developed a blush for some reason, since on one would ever tease him back.
"Yup." Saitama simply said smiling, watching as the kid in front of him, pull out a compact stun gun from his backpack, now aiming it in front of him.
"What I'm holding in my hands is an experimental stun gun. If you don't want to get electrocuted a hundred times over, you will retract the comment you made earlier." Child Emperor said embarrassingly, sticking his lollipop back in his mouth. His hands shook wildly as he held the stun gun. He had never acted this outlandishly before in his short life, but with Caped Baldy, he felt like he could do this for some reason.
"Um, which one? The one where I called you a child, or the one where I said you were acting very childish right now? Oops, that last one was in my head, my bad." Saitama said easily, quickly catching two, fairly decent sized electrified spikes flying at him at high speeds. Child Emperor just looked at Saitama in awe, realizing that he had caught his attack in mid air.
"Hey now, kids like you shouldn't hurt others, just because they're teasing you a bit. That just makes you look immature." Saitama said sternly, a furrowed brow replacing his smile, tossing the two spikes off to the side of him. Child Emperor was very red in the face as he heard Saitama scold him, feeling like a kid at this time.
"Oi, you look like you're about to cry on me. What's wrong, kid?" Saitama said softly, taking it a little easier on Child Emperor him.
"W-Why do you care?! I-I don't need some bald guy to tell me what to do! Jeez, I'm not some kid, you know! I'm the smartest kid in Japan! A freaking kid!" Child Emperor said in response, his voice falling back to his normal kid accent, on the verge of crying. Saitama just shrugged it off, and walked up to Child Emperor. Just as Child Emperor was about to cry, he felt Caped Baldy patting his head firmly, and spoke calmly.
"That's right, you don't need some bald guy telling you what to do. It's also true that I shouldn't care about some random kid's feelings. But if you're smart enough to know all of that, stop acting like brat, and tell me your troubles. You gotta remember here, I'm a hero, just like you. Jeez, you're just like the woman sitting on top of me right now." Saitama said gently, slowly patting Child Emperor's head, while getting a soft squeeze from Tatsumaki as well.
Child Emperor just stood there, letting a few tears fall gently to the ground. He had to put an arm up to cover his face, feeling all types of emotions as Caped Baldy patted his head firmly. No one has ever patted his head, not even his parents, and as soon as it happened, it was over in an instant. Child Emperor looked up instinctively, wondering why Caped Baldy had stopped.
"Well, if you can't tell me now, tell me later. I'll listen to everything you gotta say, I promise." Saitama said with an acknowledging smile, making Child Emperor blush heavily, instantly stopping him from crying.
"Just remember, don't be a brat, and you should be fine." Saitama said with a small smile, ruffling up Child Emperor's hair gently, making him feel a deep relief within him.
"Well, time to go to our seats, right Tats?" Saitama asked Tatsumaki, only to receive a cute grunt as an answer. Saitama shook his head, and soon made his was to the elevator area. Saitama stopped however, when he heard Child Emperor say something outloud.
"Y-You know I'm an entire class above you, right?" Child Emperor said in a questioning matter, his childish accent still present.
"So?" Saitama fired back, perking up Child Emperor's ears in response.
"N-Nothing in particular. A-Anyway, I look forward to seeing you in the patio, Caped Baldy." Child Emperor said in a respectful manner, bowing slightly as he did so.
"Eh? Why so formal? I already gave you my name. Just call me Saitama, alright?" Saitama said with a shrug, watching as Child Emperor grew red in the face again.
"A-Are you ok with that? You're o-older than me..." Child Emperor asked in an expectant manner, not knowing what to expect.
"Yeah?" Saitama said again, wondering why it's such a big deal for people to use first names.
"T-Then you have to call me by my first name!" Child Emperor yelled, never feeling this embarrassed about anything before. Very few people addressed Child Emperor by his first name, since it was an extreme honor for most. So for Child Emperor to give his own name, was really hard to do. Yet, he felt like he could trust Caped Baldy for some reason.
"Uh, sure? Look kid, I wanna get to my seat already, so…" Saitama said bluntly, but had the decency to wait for Child Emperor's response.
"M-M-M-My name… My name is SHOTEN!" Child Emperor screamed out, hoping to die at this moment for some reason.
"Ok, then let's go, Shoten." Saitama said easily with a smile, turning back towards the elevator area, walking briskly as he did so.
Child Emperor stood there dumbfounded, feeling exhausted, and oddly refreshed after all of that yelling and crying. But after a few moments of recollection, he soon walked towards the elevator himself, smiling stupidly. Shoten also had the piece of mind to pull out another lollipop, and started sucking on it intently, feeling happy all over. As he walked, you could see his shoes light up just a little bit brighter for no reason at all.
During that whole ordeal, Genos and Fubuki silently watched as Saitama worked his magic. Fubuki couldn't piece together the whole scene at all, while Genos was slightly mad at Child Emperor, to even attempt to taser his Sensei over something so trivial.
"U-Um, Demon Cyborg, what just happened?" Fubuki asked Genos, still trying to figure out the whole situation.
"Sensei simply made another friend in his long list of them, nothing unusual for someone like him." Genos answered flatly, walking to the elevator, having Fubuki chase after him.
In the Patio Space…
After an eventful shouting match between Ava and Tatsumaki in the elevator, and countless rounds of free samples from the stands, Saitama finally managed get to his seat, and took great pleasure sitting on it. Everything was all peaceful, up until Tatsumaki spoke up again.
"Hmph, that robot woman has no tact at all…" Tatsumaki said with huff, unconsciously tightening her grip on Saitama with her legs.
"You can't get mad, since you started it." Saitama said, chuckling as he felt Tatsumaki respond back with a series of thigh squeezes.
"I-It's not my fault, badly! She called me a bite-sized mystic! Besides, you expect me not to defend myself?" Tatsumaki said with a bigger huff, feeling heated as she was remembering Ava's sass.
"Hehe, I know, that was a good one if you ask me. Also, what kind of response is ~You're so shiny, you look like a walking stack of coins~, huh? Talk about weak, Tats." Saitama said with a laugh, remembering how red Tatsumaki was when she realized how bad that comeback was.
"S-Shut up! I was in the heat of the moment, and it was the only thing that I could come up with!" Tatsumaki said hastily, trying to defend herself.
"Pfft, ok Tats, say whatever you want. Just know you lost that one." Saitama said smugly, hearing an annoyed huff from Tatsumaki.
With all of the commuting done, Saitama now turned his attention towards the Arena field before him, ready for today's round of matches. Just as everything was getting settled in, Child Emperor came through the patio doors, taking a seat right behind Saitama. This caught Saitama attention, and turned towards him in response.
"Sup Shoten, feeling a little better?" Saitama asked easily, watching Child Emperor blush heavily.
"Y-Yes, I'm feeling a lot better… Thank you, Saitama." Shoten said with a genuine smile, feeling at ease as he looked at Saitama. He was about to converse with Saitama, just when a man wielding a metal bat came bursting through the doors with a front kick, pissed off to hell. This caught the attention of both Saitama and Shoten, even Tatsumaki, who was being respectful to Child Emperor's time with Saitama. Thing was, Shoten wasn't happy at all from the man's appearance.
"Could you have arrived here any later, Metal Bat? What terrible timing you have..." Shoten said to himself disappointedly, wishing he could engage in small talk with Saitama.
Metal Bat stood tall, wearing a long sleeved, dark maroon shirt, and a black school jacket that draped over his shoulders and covered his back. His pants were dark black, and he wore white shoes that resembled sneakers. His bat was clad in a chromatic silver, and the handle was covered in black rubber stripes showing signs of heavy wear. But Metal Bat's most prominent feature was his glorious pompadour, his hair shining even brighter than the glare that came of Saitama's bald head. Metal Bat always had a history of bad temper, and today was nothing different, as Metal Bat walked annoyingly among the rows of seats with holographic faces on them, looking for one to sit on.
Metal Bat then walked right up to a seat that had Genos's face, and slammed his ass down on it, kicking up a leg as he sat. Metal Bat's bat laid on his side, sitting there idle, yet giving off an aura that said it was also pissed. Saitama didn't take too kindly to Metal Bat's behavior, especially since this guy was sitting next to him.
"Oi, wanna sit in your own seat?" Saitama said with a deadpan face, thinking that the guy simply didn't see his face on the seat. Metal Bat then turned his attention towards Saitama, his face heavily pissed off.
"Hmm? What did ya say, middle-aged crisis?" Metal Bat said defiantly, a visible vein on his forehead, clearly not wanting to talk to the bald guy in front of him.
"You're in the wrong seat, hair spray. Move." Saitama fired back sternly, making Tatsumaki and Shoten giggle hard. Metal Bat looked at Saitama with disbelief in his eyes, wondering if this guy wanted to die today.
"Hmph, at least ya got balls, cue ball, I'll give ya that." Metal Bat said honestly, eyeing Saitama with curious eyes. Few people had ever talked to him straightly, and even fewer had ever talked back to him. So for the guy in front of him to easily say what he wants to, made Metal Bat weirdly respect him. Metal Bat also took notice of the green haired esper on the bald guy's shoulders, and the bratty kid with a thing for robots.
"Oi, green hair, robot boy, what're ya doing here with cue ball?" Metal Bat asked bluntly, getting a glare from Tatsumaki, and a bored look from Shoten.
"For today's matches, Metal Bat. Ugh, why else would a group of heroes be here?" Shoten said with a sigh, wondering if it was possible for someone to be as slow as Metal Bat.
"Baldy here is a friend of mine, what of it, Metal Bat?" Tatsumaki said angrily, a subtle green aura glowing around her, and Saitama. The flow of events between everyone was turning ugly, so Saitama stepped in to clear up the mood.
"Hey, relax Tats, I'm just asking this guy to move to his own seat. And you Shoten, what did I just say 5 minutes ago about being a brat?" Saitama said to the two heroes, stroking one of Tatsumaki's legs to calm her down, which it did greatly. While facing Shoten, and gently caressing his head with another hand, making him silent, while enjoying the patting heavily.
Metal Bat was stunned, watching as this bald guy had calmed down two S-Class heroes with ease, like a big brother watching over his siblings. This resonated with Metal Bat deeply, finding even more respect for the bald guy even more. Metal Bat took another look at the bald guy, and after a couple of seconds, finally remembered where he saw this guy from. It was when him, and a bunch of other S-Class heroes had met with the Hero Hunter guy, and this bald guy was the hero that finished him off. Metal Bat was indeed curious now about the bald guy in front of him, wondering what he was doing here.
"Oi, cue ball, yer dat guy who buried da Hero Hunter jackass, right?" Metal Bat asked bluntly, watching Saitama continue patting Child Emperor's head, and stroking Tornado's leg.
"You mean the guy with the monster hobby, or something? Then yeah, I'm that guy. Name's Saitama, but my hero name is Caped Baldy." Saitama said easily, slowing down on his actions with Tatsumaki and Shoten. Funny enough, both Shoten and Tatsumaki placed their hands on Saitama at the same time, looking at him with pleading eyes. It was like they were asking him to keep going, not caring that Metal Bat was there to watch them. Saitama could only sigh, and kept caressing the both of them, making the two heroes sigh with happiness. Metal Bat just laughed from the whole scene, nodding his head in resounding acknowledgment, knowing what Saitama going through.
"Hey man, I know dat feeling better den anyone!" Metal Bat said with an honest smile, slugging Saitama in the arm. Metal Bat knew how spoiled kids could be, and this was no exception. It looked exactly like him and his little sister, who would always make him hold hands whenever they were together. Metal Bat then remembered that hero name, Caped Baldy.
"Oi, cue ball, aren't we supposed tah fight, or something? I'm mean I challenged ya eariler, and stuff, so shouldn't we get going?" Metal Bat asked bluntly, waiting for Saitama's response.
"Yeah, but not now. Just wait for the announcer to call us down, and then we'll go at it, ok?" Saitama said easily, now taking away his hand from both Shoten and Tatsumaki, who both huffed quietly, wishing it would last longer.
"Alright den, if its like dat." Metal Bat said easily, satisfied with the cue ball's answer. It then hit him that he was sitting in the wrong seat, and made sure he would sit in his own.
"Well, see ya in a few minutes den." Metal Bat said bluntly, getting the attention of Tatsumaki and Shoten quickly.
"Same here." Saitama said easily, waving a free hand at Metal Bat, who answered back accordingly. Metal Bat then got up from Genos's seat, and walked over to the seat with his face on it.
Shoten was utterly speechless, watching as Saitama had made the headstrong Metal Bat listen to him with no problems. If only Saitama was present with him when he asked Metal Bat to conduct a few test for him. Tatsumaki was also caught off guard on how easy it was for Saitama to tell Metal Bat to do something. Metal Bat was known to never listen to anyone if it wasn't anyone he cared for, even from people high up in the Organization. Saitama was full of surprises, and both Tatsumaki and Shoten were waiting to see what else he would do today.
Just then, a group of heroes came through the patio doors, all of them being in Saitama's group. Genos and Bang took up their respected seats, along with King taking a seat right next to Shoten. Genos then informed Saitama that Styles had to deal with a few errands for the Organization today, so he wouldn't be here today. He also stated Ava was at work, and that Fubuki wasn't allowed to come up in the patio area, since she was only B-Class. Tatsumaki giggled from that piece of information, and Genos kept going.
"We apologize greatly from our absence! Please forgive us, Sensei!" Genos said loudly, bowing in his seat as he did so. Satiama simply laughed, and ruffled up Genos's hair in the process.
"Dude, stop it. I don't care if you're a couple minutes late, and you don't need to ask me for shit. You, and everyone else here is an adult, so start acting like one." Saitama said with a smile, dropping his hand from Genos's hair, Genos blushing lightly.
"U-Understood Sensei…" Genos meekly said, facing towards the Arena field, waiting for the announcer to speak. Shoten was speechless again, seeing that an S-Class hero had just called Saitama a Sensei. Everything with this guy was getting a lot more interesting by the second, and Shoten was willing to go along with the ride.
"Saitama-bro, you good for the figh-, oh, hey Child Emperor, you here for the matches?" King was about to say to Saitama, but then noticed Child Emperor sitting next to him.
"Yes, I'm here to collect a polished data set for a new line of robots. The ones I used yesterday were pitiful, so I'm hopeful that today's data might prove useful." Shoten said easily, also taking note that King was also very familiar with Saitama.
"I am sorry to ask Saitama, but our we going to see your fight first?" Bang said with a hushed voice, not to cause much ruckus.
"Dunno, probably? These things are random, so I don't know for sure, Bang." Saitama said honestly, Shoten making another mental as he talked.
"I see, then I am sorry for my rudeness Saitama." Bang said with closed eyes, with a Saitama raising a free hand towards Bang, telling him it's fine.
Shoten watched quietly, seeing as Saitama had just interacted with three S-Class heroes like they were good friends, and deep down, he knew that they were. Though, Shoten was wishing he could also be part of this little haven of heroes. But something told him that Saitama might not be a person that let's people in his group so easily.
"W-Wait, so what if I'm not in his group! I've been going alone for all my life, so w-why does it matter if Saitama doesn't want me in his group?!" Shoten said angrily to himself, yet in the end, felt very scared if Saitama didn't really want him in his group of friends.
"That reminds me Saitama-bro, do you know Child Emperor here?" King asked, waiting for Saitama response.
"Oh, you mean Shoten? Yeah, me and him are friends, why do you ask?" Saitama said easily, King nodding his head in response.
"Gotcha, makes sense if I think about it now." King reasoned out, moving about in his seat. Shoten, on the other hand, could be seen with his face on fire, his mouth wide open.
Shoten at this very moment felt his heart explode, feeling a rush of happiness foreign to him. It was a good feeling, no, a great one. Scratch that, it was the best feeling Shoten had ever felt, period. It was like receiving love for the first time, and it felt bizarre, yet amazing at the same time. Like a brilliant warmth had completely floored him, covering his being in a wave a happiness. Yes, this feeling was an awesome one, and Shoten made sure to ride it all the way to the end. He found himself speechless for the third time, and hoped he could talk to Saitama soon.
Metal Bat watched from a few seats away, as Saitama interacted with three S-Class heroes easily, and let out a small smile. He even got the legendary King, and the disciplined Bang to chat with him normally. Metal Bat's respect had grown once again, and rightfully so. Just because that bald guy was an A-Class hero, don't mean he can't act like himself amongst a bunch of high class heroes. Indeed, Saitama reminded Metal Bat what being yourself meant, and was excited to see what the Caped Baldy could do in a fight.
Like being answered by a god, the announcer's voice boomed throughout the Arena, catching everyone's attention in audience.
"Hello fellow audience members, and welcome to the second day of the Arena! Prepare yourselves, as we bring in a whole new line of matches! Unfortunately, the A-Class Rank: 37 - Sneck, will no longer be participating in this year's tournament, due to reasons regarding of mental degradation. On a lighter note however, our first match between A-Class Rank: 7 - Caped Baldy and S-Class Rank: 16 - Metal Bat will begin shortly. We would now ask, at this time, that both of the heroes mentioned will come through Arena field entrance as soon as possible. As for the audience members here today, please relax, and enjoy today's matches to the fullest!" The announcer boomed through the Arena, the entire place buzzing with excitement.
On cue, Saitama rose from his seat, along with Metal Bat, both ready to throw down. But, Tatsumaki released a barrage of thigh squeezes, stopping Saitama in his tracks. Shoten giggled stupidly at Tatsumaki's actions, and pulled out a laptop from backpack, ready to witness Saitama's match with full attention.
"Tats, please. We've talked about this already…" Saitama begged, only for Tatsumaki to squeeze her thighs again.
"Uh uh, I'm watching this match up close this time, and there is nothing you can do to get my off this time." Tatsumaki said flatly, hell bent on staying on Saitama's shoulders, wrapping he legs around Saitama's neck. Saitama thought to himself as to how he was going to get Tatsumaki off him again.
"Hmm… Got it." Saitama said, putting his right fist into left hand. He then proceeded to grab a hold of one of Tatsumaki's feet, rip off her shoe, and tickle the shit out of it. It took only seconds to break into crying laugh, forcing her to get off Saitama. Shoten laughed hard during all of this, watching the The Tornado of Terror cry in laughter.
"T-That's cheating! C'mon baldy, just let me come with you!" Tatsumaki said angrily, letting out cute growls out towards Saitama. Saitama the threw Tatsumaki's shoe at her, which caught with her telekinesis.
"Genos, Bang, can you keep an eye on Tats, please?" Saitama asked to the two heroes, who immediately stood up, and sat next to Tatsumaki, who was sitting on Saitama's seat.
"Leave it to me Sensei!" Genos said passionately, saluting to Saitama.
"Yes, we will make sure Miss Tatsumaki will stay seated. Good fortune on your bout, Saitama." Bang said with a smile, keeping an eye on Tatsumaki.
"Grr, you better come back soon, baldy!" Tatsumaki shouted, putting on her shoe quickly. She then folded her arms, pouting cutely as she did so.
"Knowing Saitama-bro, he'll be back in 10 minutes tops." King said confidently, putting an arm on Saitama's shoulders.
"Guys, stop it. I'll be back afterwards, ok?" Saitama said calmly, making his way towards the patio doors, ready for a fight.
Soon after Saitama passed through patio doors, Metal Bat was on the other side, waiting for him.
"Took yer time, didn't ya?" Metal Bat said bluntly, looking at Saitama with a small smile.
"Tell me about it. It feels like I gotta take care of these guys almost all of the time." Saitama said honestly, giving a smile of his own.
"Ya ain't alone cue ball. I'll tell ya dat much. It's like we got tah watch over da kids, ya know?" Metal Bat said with deep acknowledgement, placing an arm on Saitama's shoulder.
"Yup. Well, let's get to it, hair gel." Saitama said with a smile, slugging Metal Bat in the arm, ready for the fight between.
"Hehe, yer on, cue ball." Metal Bat said back, his smile growing bigger, pointing a finger at him.
The Lifting Area…
Saitama was guided into the lifting room like last time, expect Robin Dabank was there to guide him. Metal Bat soon followed after, taking a stance on the platinum pedestal with stride. Saitama calmly stood on the golden pedestal, and prepared himself for the fight. Saitama then found himself thinking of ways to win the crowd over to his side, since he's seen so many other heroes do it before him. With a quick scan of both heroes, and a thumbs up coming from Robin, the pedestals soon started to rise, platinum being the first, soon followed by the golden one.
On the outside of the Arena field, many of the audience were getting ready for what appears to be an amazing match, considering the fact they'll see Metal Bat fight. Though, the Caped Baldy was starting to become a topic that most audience members talked about. First, with him being able to tangle with a Rank: 1 B-Class hero like it was nothing, made most people wonder what else the Caped Baldy might pull off. Second, him being bald only added to the charm that was Caped Baldy, instantly becoming a fan favorite amongst the kids of the audience. However the match may go down, everyone knew that it was going to be a great one, period.
Soon after, the Arena field opened up with 2 panels, smoke pouring from each of them. The first hero to come out was Metal Bat, who wore a big smirk, and was in a stance that gave off power. The Arena field this time was grassland, full of scattered trees here and there. The trees themselves shook from the presence of Metal Bat, as if they knew how much power he held.
"I am the S-Class Rank: 16 Hero, Metal Bat! Let's hope yer ready for da power dat's gonna be coming from my bat today!" Metal Bat said with heavy swagger, taking a batter's stance. He then swung in the air, causing a large wave of air to blow past, flying fast for miles, before dissipating.
The crowds cheered heavily, fully pumped for today's match. But just as Metal Bat was winning the crowd, the next hero came out of the panel, covered in smoke, his eyes giving off an intense fire. What emerged from the smoke, made Metal Bat grip at his bat instinctively, his smile growing bigger from what he's seeing.
"I am the A-Class Rank: 7 Hero, Caped Baldy! Let my fists carry you all to another world entirely!" Saitama boomed in a serious voice, his serious face present. Within moments, Saitama made a pose, thrusting his right fist into the air.
"Normal Wave Punch." Saitama called out sternly, punching upwards. A visible pulse of air displacement came forth, like Saitama was summoning a gigantic tornado from his fist alone. Like the same move he used against the Blizzard of Hell, the pulse of air erupted far into the sky. And as soon as it appeared, it returned back into air once more.
Once Saitama was done, he fell back into a stance that exhumed determination, one that emitted white-hot fire. At first the crowd was silent, but was followed after with an enormous roar of applause. Adults and kids alike were throttled at that the Caped Baldy managed to do that, and for him to look so fierce since the last fight, made kids throw up from how awesome he looked. Saitama worried for a second in that moment of silence, knowing full well that he didn't like playing up a crowd at all. In fact, he felt like he did way too much for it. He only did it because everyone else did it, so why not do it once?
"Hehe, bit of a show off, huh?" Metal Bat said loudly over the crowd, getting into a stance himself.
"Meh, might as well try to rile them up, right?" Saitama said back, reverting back into his regular, dopey face. The crowd calmed down, and waited for the clock to appear, which it did a few seconds later.
"Best a luck tah ya, cue ball!" Metal Bat said with a large smile, his hands tingling from the anxiousness.
"Back at you, hair gel!" Saitama said with a smile of his own, his fists ready to lay down the law.
Soon the clock ticked down to the 5 second mark, and with that happening, the whole Arena slowed down, playing up to the excitement that coated both the audience members, and the two heros in the field.
5…
The entire world held it's breath, ready for the match to begin…
4…
A child was instantly calmed down from it's crying, to ensure the heroes aren't bothered…
3…
Saitama's group on the patio held onto their seats for no reason at all…
2…
Metal Bat adjusted his bat, preparing for an early attack that might come his way…
1…
Saitama pulled on his gloves, making his fists just that more prominent…
(Dooong)... (Dooong)... (Dooong)...
3 rings of the bells started the match, yet both heroes stood on their respective pedestals, never moving. Both heroes caught themselves smiling, knowing that whoever threw the first move, would be the one to set the pace of the battle.
Sup guys, Chicken here, and I knew I had to give you guys more to chew on, so here ya go! Ready made, and served to eat! I'll get ya guys another chapter soon, so keep throwing those reviews my way. Hope my story's keeping y'all entertained, and I'll see y'all in the next one!