A/N: Hey guys, thanks for all the response! I'm glad you're already interested. Here's the long-awaited chapter 2.
As well as that, page 1 of the comic is up now on my deviantart, iHateFridays. That's all, happy reading.
For the past week, Ayano had been doing nothing but training. Every second she wasn't in class, she was exercising. She was already starting to feel the burn. Her whole body was aching all the time, and her arms and legs felt like mush.
She'd actually started eating more food, too. Before her epiphany, she only ate enough food to keep up the image of a normal school girl. Now she was eating more food to keep up with her body's demands. If this kept up, she'd need to go shopping twice a week.
She was also working on her fighting skills. She spent a lot of time boxing. Some would say too much time - she'd punched and punched until her knuckles were bloody. Her emotions were still a raging pit of determination. She had no limits, no little voice in her head telling her to stop. She was a machine, a creature with a purpose. The only limit was her physical ability, and eventually, she'd break through that. Nothing would hold her back.
It was a pleasant Tuesday when Ayano met Saitama for the second time.
School had been cancelled due to some sort of mosquito outbreak. Apparently, the mosquitoes were a lot more dangerous than average mosquitoes. Ayano wasn't upset at all about missing school. She could finally spend a full day working out, with no interruptions.
She was currently in the middle of doing sit-ups on a yoga mat. She was in her clean, spacious living room, the TV on in the background. It was showing the newest episode of Life Note, an anime Ayano pretended to enjoy. Ayano was only partly paying attention. It was mostly just background noise.
"We interrupt this program with a breaking news bulletin," said a news man, interrupting the broadcast. "A large swarm of mosquitoes has been sighted in City Z. Mummified remains of farm animals have also been found. If you encounter a swarm of mosquitoes, it is strongly suggested that you flee immediately."
Ayano gazed at the mummified remains of cows and other livestock on the television. A thought crossed her mind. If she disposed of these mosquitoes, would Saitama take her in?
He'd have to. She'd already gotten much stronger over a week. And soon, she'd catch up to him.
Making up her mind, Ayano slipped into her sports clothes and headed outside. It was time to kill some mosquitoes.
Unbeknownst to her, Ayano was not the only one hunting the mosquitoes.
A young blonde cyborg, narrowing his golden irises, watched the swarm of mosquitoes as they swept through the city. His robotic arms tensed. Alarm sirens blared, warning residents to stay indoors. The cyborg trailed after the bugs, already putting together a plan to eliminate them.
His trackers stayed on the vermin. They were quick, but so was he. He continued pursuing them. It seemed they'd gathered around a dead end. The cyborg could sense some kind of being hiding within the mosquitoes.
Then he saw it: a monster. A curvaceous woman, covered in black and white stripes. She had the abdomen of a mosquito attached to her back, and large, black mosquito eyes on top of her head. Some extra appendages were attached to her body. Large, crystalline wings kept her above ground. The swarm of mosquitoes flew around her, like a tornado.
"Oh, come on," the woman's voice moaned. "That wasn't nearly enough blood. Go get some more."
The cyborg held out his hand. A fire formed at the end of it.
"Target acquired," he said. He blasted a wave of fire at the monster, catching her attention.
"I see," the cyborg mused, "you make the mosquitoes suck the blood, and then take it all for yourself." He gazed at a mummified human corpse, who was lying next to a broken TV. "You must be controlling each one using some sort of signal. That explains the mysterious behaviour. So if I were to get rid of you, their leader, would the swarm disperse as well?"
The monster chuckled. "Our next meal is here. Go drain that fool dry."
The mosquitoes surrounded the cyborg in a black tornado. He didn't even look dazed.
"Incinerate," he said. A wave of fire escaped his body, destroying the mosquitoes in an instant. The leader gasped.
"I will eliminate you," the cyborg told her. "Stay right where you are."
The Mosquito Girl's laugh resembled that of a psychopath. "You think that you can eliminate me? Then go on and try!"
The cyborg launched himself towards the monster. He attempted to punch her, but she shoved him back with her appendages. He was slammed into the outside of a building. He jumped back towards the monster, firing up his gun.
He fired his gun, but the monster swerved around it. She speedily flew towards him, narrowing her beady eyes. The cyborg gritted his teeth as she approached.
"Incinerate." he repeated. He increased his firepower, forcing the Mosquito Girl back once more. She flew higher, glaring at him. He adjusted his arm. It was now or never.
And then he saw something he didn't expect to see.
A teenage girl was standing on a building, behind the Mosquito Girl. She was dressed in active wear, and her jet-black hair was tied back into a high ponytail. In one of her hands was a baseball bat. Her expression was unreadable. The cyborg blinked. Where had she come from? He hadn't picked her up on his sensors…
Before the cyborg could say anything, the girl jumped off the building, landing on the monster.
"What the-" the Mosquito Girl screeched. "Where did you come from?!"
The girl ignored the monster's questioning, instead raising the baseball bat over her head. She brought it down on the monster's head. The Mosquito Girl screamed, and began rocking back and forth like a wild horse. The girl hit the monster again. She roared in pure fury, and forcibly flung the teenager off. The girl plummeted towards he ground.
The cyborg raced towards the girl, catching her in his arms. Now that he could see her up close, she… reminded him of a doll. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, yet her body was tensed up.
"Thank you," Ayano told him, her voice void of any feeling. It was the first noise he'd heard from her. She hadn't even screamed while she was falling.
"Who are you?" the cyborg demanded. "How come I couldn't detect you on my sensors?" He scowled, before continuing. "It was very dangerous of you to try something like that. This monster is quite strong."
"I'm here to defeat the monster anyway," Ayano told him.
"You should evacuate," the cyborg retorted. "It is too dangerous. There is a high chance you will get hurt."
Ayano didn't respond. Instead, she looked at the monster. The Mosquito Lady was suddenly being surrounded by a tornado of mosquitoes. There were so many it looked more like a giant black ball.
"She must be retrieving power from all the mosquitoes," the cyborg said. "It seems the blood is more than just a food source."
Ayano held up her bat.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted them: "Get back here, you little bastard!"
The two turned towards the sound of the voice. A bald man wearing a yellow shirt and green khaki shorts was running towards them, holding up a can of fly spray. He appeared to be chasing a mosquito.
The man stopped and coughed. "Ugh, it's in my mouth!"
Ayano gasped. "Saitama!"
"You know this man?" the cyborg asked her.
"Huh?" Saitama stared at her. "Oh… hey! You're that school girl I met the other day, right?"
Ayano nodded. "I've gotten stronger, Sensei. Let me show you."
"Whoa, whoa," Saitama waved his hands. "Girl, I don't even know your name. Let alone being your 'sensei'."
Ayano bowed. "Sorry, Master. My name is Ayano. Ayano Aishi."
"Well, Ayano," Saitama sighed, "don't call me 'Master', either."
"But I'm going to be your disciple," Ayano replied.
The cyborg frowned. Why would this girl want to be some random idiot's disciple?
Saitama sweat-beaded. He turned to the cyborg. "So, what's your deal? Are you Ayano's friend or something?"
"No," the cyborg replied. "She is a complete stranger. I only met her mere moments ago. Besides that, the both of you should evacuate. The swarm is sentient, and it will attack."
His sentence was finished by a psychotic laugh from above. The Mosquito Lady's eyes were glowing red. The wave of mosquitoes descended towards the trio. They began to spread throughout the city, like a virus. Windows shattered. Buildings tilted. The earth shook.
The cyborg's hands were covered in lightning. And the swarm of mosquitoes went ablaze.
As smoke curled around, the cyborg lowered his hand. "I thought she had human-level intelligence. But in the end, she was just a bug. Bringing the mosquitoes together made them easier to burst. When I first spotted her, I could confirm there were no living beings for 600 meters, excluding that girl. So in the end… wait, that man and the girl-"
"Phew," Saitama said. His clothes had been completely burned off. He was standing over Ayano, acting as a human shield. "You saved us. You could say… you made her bug off."
Ayano's clothes were mostly fine, with only a few burns. Her hair was a little messier, but overall, she was okay. Her bat, however, had been burned away in the fire.
The cyborg's mouth went agape. How did the two survive?
The cyborg's thoughts were interrupted by an evil laugh. The Mosquito Lady had survived the fire. She had turned red, and her white hair had turned pink. Her wings fluttered heavily, and her body was covered in long, sharp appendages.
"You idiot," she cackled. "I no longer need my tiny little helpers. I've got all the power I need!"
She swiped one of her appendages, destroying a building.
"Just look at how strong I've become!" she screamed. She laughed again, and flew towards the cyborg. With a sharp point on her head, she sliced through his stomach. He raised his fist to punch her, but she launched him into the air. Up there, she sliced him back and forth, shredding his body.
"Can't your macho punches kill a little mosquito?" she cackled. She glared down at Ayano, who looked as emotionless as ever. "Don't look so bummed out, dear - you're next!"
Ayano didn't respond. The cyborg plummeted towards the Earth.
"I think I'll have your head next!" the monster screeched, flying towards the cyborg.
I let my guard down, he thought. I have no chance of winning. All I can do… is self destruct. Forgive me… doctor.
Just as he was about to self-destruct, Saitama slapped the Mosquito Lady, killing her instantly.
"Bugs," he said cheerfully. "They suck."
The cyborg nearly choked on his own saliva. He crashed onto the ground, his legs twisted backwards.
"Incredible," Ayano told Saitama. "Please, you have to let me be your disciple!"
"You aren't gonna give up on that, are you?" Saitama asked her.
The cyborg watched the two with wide eyes. Now he understood why she wanted his tutelage. That man's strength… he'd never seen anything like it.
"Wait!" the cyborg shouted. "That… power! I'd like to be your disciple too!"
"Seriously?" Saitama asked. "Both of you want to be my disciple?"
Ayano bit her lip. So this cyborg thought he could steal her idea? He thought he could match her strength? She wanted to disassemble him right then and there. She reminded herself to be patient. She would get her chance.
Another week went by. Ayano left school as soon as the bell went, giving an excuse to the teacher to skip cleaning time. She had something much more important to attend to.
After a short train ride, she arrived at the ghost town of City Z. She'd heard rumors about this place. Apparently, it was full of monsters. The Occult Club back at school sometimes travelled there (if they were feeling brave enough) to 'scout out' monsters. Usually, they ended up running away screaming.
Ayano headed to Saitama's apartment. She stood next to the cyborg from last week. Like her, he kept on a serious facade. Ayano didn't like to talk unless necessary, but she wanted to give off the impression that she was a friendly, kind, normal schoolgirl. She'd entice him in with charm and stab him from behind when he least expected it. Emotions, after all, were a dangerous weapon.
Genos himself knew almost nothing about this schoolgirl. She seemed normal enough, aside from having strength that was definitely above what most schoolgirls had. He would keep an eye on her, if she was to be his training partner. He felt a rush of competitiveness as well. He wouldn't just keep an eye on her, he'd have to do better than her.
"Hello," Ayano said, giving the cyborg a friendly smile. "I'm Ayano."
"Genos," he replied. They shook hands.
"Are you feeling nervous?" she asked.
"No," Genos replied. "I am hoping that I will be able to convince Saitama-sensei that I am worthy of being his disciple."
"Well," Ayano kept smiling, "I'm sure it will be a pleasure to work with you."
Genos nodded. She was rather polite. Saitama then opened the door.
"You guys actually showed up," he said. He sighed. "What're your names again?"
"Genos, sensei-sir!" Genos replied.
"Ayano Aishi," Ayano answered, bowing. "Sensei."
"Lay off with the sensei stuff, guys," Saitama grumbled.
"Yes, Master!" they both replied, simultaneously.
"Not Master, either," Saitama sighed.
A few minutes later, they were all sitting around a table in Saitama's small apartment, sipping green tea.
"Have your drinks and go home," he told the two. "I'm not looking for disciples." He gazed at Genos. "Wait, Genos, you're back in one piece?"
"Indeed," Genos replied. "My body is mostly mechanical. Meaning my parts can be replaced."
Ayano mentally scowled. That would make him harder to dispose of. The advantage was he wouldn't leave any blood lying around.
"You're an odd one, aren't cha?" Saitama asked.
"What kind of parts have you installed on your body, Master?" Genos asked.
Saitama shrugged. "Don't use any."
"What about the skin-coloured armour on your head?" Genos asked, pointing at Saitama's scalp.
"Yeah, that's just my skin dude." Saitama said.
"Strange," Genos mused. "You appear far too young to already be bald."
Saitama scowled. "So I'm bald! What's your problem, huh?!"
"My problems?" Genos asked. "You are asking me to list each one of them?"
Saitama sweat-beaded. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm good."
"Four years ago, when I was fifteen, I was still a normal human being," Genos said.
Saitama frowned. "You heard me say no thanks, right?"
Genos continued, "Even in this harsh world, I had a pretty happy and peaceful life with my family until then. But one day, a crazy cyborg attacked our town all of a sudden. He had completely lost his mind... I guess, his brain had been damaged during its transplantation into his cyborg body. He left after destroying everything in the town. The parks, the schools, the buildings, my home... Of course... my family didn't survive. Only I was miraculously spared, but as I was just a meek 15-year-old boy back then, I wouldn't have survived long all alone in the ruins of a town if Dr. Kuseno hadn't passed town by chance and found me. Dr. Kuseno is a scientist of justice and was pursuing the cyborg to stop him. I begged Dr. Kuseno to transform me into a cyborg and was reborn as a cyborg who fights for justice. I made a promise to Dr. Kuseno to find that cyborg one day and destroy him."
"I see," Saitama said. "Well-"
"It's been four years since that day," Genos continued. "Since then, I've been focused and driven. I wander from town to town, eliminating evil. The monsters and criminal organisations I've destroyed are numerous. However, I've been unable to locate any clues about the rampaging cyborg and have become agitated and restless. I find myself chasing a virtual image of that cyborg whenever I chase my enemies. Last week, during the attack with the mosquito monster, I lost concentration. I thought I could lose to no one but the rampaging cyborg, and I didn't analyse the data from my enemy. If you had not been in the area, Master Saitama, I surely would have perished. You saved my life, Master Saitama, the same life that was saved by Dr. Kuseno. And I felt the weight by that responsibility. I must not allow myself to…"
He dragged on and on. Ayano stared at the steam curling up from her tea. Saitama looked like he wanted to punch Genos.
"ENOUGH YOU IDIOT!" Saitama finally snapped. "SHORTEN THE STUPID STORY TO 20 WORDS OR LESS!"
There was a silence.
"Here is the shortened version as you requested, master," Genos said. "Please teach me to become strong like you are. I beg of you."
Saitama sighed. He turned to Ayano. "And you, kid? What's your story?"
"I'm just an ordinary school girl who wants to become strong," Ayano responded, simply.
Saitama narrowed his eyes. "Genos. Ayano. How old are you guys again?"
"Nineteen, sir," Genos responded.
"Seventeen," Ayano said.
Saitama sighed. "You're both so young. I'm sure you'll surpass me in no time. I mean, it's only been a few weeks, and you've already gotten stronger than the last time I saw you, Ayano."
Ayano bowed. "Thank you, Sensei."
Genos tried not to glower. "Do you really believe that we can surpass you?"
Saitama closed his eyes. "I'm 25 years old now, but I didn't even begin training until I was 22."
Genos gasped. Even Ayano had to raise an eyebrow.
Saitama made a serious expression. "Fine, I'll teach you. But it won't be easy. Sure you can handle it?"
"Yessir!" both of the teenagers replied.
Ayano could barely wait. She was only going to get stronger.
It was a nice Saturday morning. Ayano was at Saitama's house, as well as Genos. Said cyborg was sitting in the hallway, golden eyes flashing. He felt a competitive urge inside him. He wanted to prove he could be the best disciple, better than Ayano.
"High-speed object approaching," he said. "It is here."
Ayano wanted to see this high speed object for herself. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, her vision went red, and time seemed to slow down. Outside the apartment, a red, disformed figure was approaching. In the distance were two more. Genos was outlined in red as well. Ayano knew what this was: 'Yan Vision'. An ability exclusive to the Aishi family. With it, she could sense all kinds of things.
"Whoa, Ayano," Saitama said, outlined in gold. Strangely enough, he was in real time. "What happened to your eyes? They've gone red."
"Oh," Ayano blinked. Time returned to normal. "It's just my keen senses."
Before Saitama could ask anymore questions, a monster smashed through the ceiling. Saitama killed it in one punch.
"You're gonna pay for my ceiling," he growled.
"Two more outside," Genos said. "I will deal with them, Master."
He proceeded to jump out the window. But Saitama got there before him, and had already defeated the two monsters.
"Enough, okay?" Saitama asked. "There's a front door for a reason."
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around Saitama's feet and pulled him underground.
"Master!" Genos exclaimed. Ayano appeared next to him, covering her mouth.
"Nah, it's cool," Saitama said. "I kind of feel like a young bamboo shoot."
Ayano turned on her Yan Vision again. Something was approaching from above.
A cyborg. Genos glared at it.
"I will deal with this," Genos told Ayano, an edge in his tone. "Help Master."
Ayano nodded. She ran over to Saitama, but was intercepted by a large monster. He appeared to have the body of a muscular man and the head of a ferocious lion. His eyes glowed red.
"Out of my way, little girl," he told her. "Or you'll end up getting a scratch!"
Another monster emerged from the ground. He appeared to be some kind of large, brown mole, with kanji written on his chest. It read 'Ground Dragon'.
"It complicates things if they put up a fight," Ground Dragon hissed.
Ayano pulled a katana out of her hoodie. She zoomed over towards Ground Dragon, aiming her katana at his head. She missed by an inch, and he disappeared underground at just the right moment. Her hands glowed red, for just a second.
"Stupid girl!" the lion roared. "You dare try and hide from me?"
The lion swiped his claws at her. She battled them off with her katana. He was strong. Stronger than her. That thought made her hands glow brighter. There was some kind of power there, but she didn't know how to harness it.
Yet.
"Not bad," the monster told her. "But you won't be able to fight me forever! The Beast King never loses!"
Ayano didn't say anything, and kept swinging the katana. But the monster was ready for her. He kept a smirk on his face as he continued to parry her attacks. Ayano's arms were beginning to tire. She cursed her physical strength for being so incompetent. Then she got slashed. The Beast King managed to scratch her arm. The physical pain stung, and she fumbled backwards. Blood stained her grey hoodie, turning it red.
"Whoa, Ayano!" Saitama called. "You okay?"
The monster laughed, preparing to strike Ayano again. That feeling returned. No more sitting back. She jumped out of the way. She re-appeared behind the Beast King, raising her katana. She slammed the weapon into his back. He roared in pain, blood spurting out.
"You bitch!" he screamed. "You'll die for that!" He raised his claws. "Lion smash!"
Ayano dodged the attack, which instead sliced up a temple of some kind. She made her way over to Saitama, who was still in the ground.
"That's a pretty nasty cut you got there," he told her. "Need some help?"
Ayano shook her head. She kept her eye on the Beast King, who was racing towards her. She prepared to hit him with her katana again, but he'd gotten much more robust. He was growing in size. His claws had grown longer and sharper. He was faster, too, and Ayano was starting to struggle again. Her hands glowed red. She wished she could figure out how to harness this new power. Before she could attempt anything more, the Beast King swiped her across the chest, and she was slammed into a building.
"Ha ha!" the Beast King cackled. "She was nothing but a mere weakling!"
"Oh no, dude," Saitama said, getting out of the ground. "That was not cool."
After all, Ayano was still a minor, and as strong as she was, Saitama didn't like the thought of her getting injured. He walked over to the Beast King and defeated him with one punch. The Ground Dragon began sweating, and disappeared beneath the ground. Saitama dived in after him.
Meanwhile, Genos was holding the cyborg at gunpoint. The cyborg was actually a gorilla wearing a robot suit. They were surrounded by destruction and curling smoke.
"You will answer the question, or you are going to be eliminated," Genos told the gorilla. "Your choice."
"It is you who is going to be eliminated, you blithering fool," the gorilla said, in a robotic voice. "I am the 3rd most powerful fighter in the House of Evolution. At your power level, you will never beat the Beast King, the 2nd most powerful fighter. You will be destroyed."
Saitama walked over, Ayano trailing behind. While her hoodie had been ruined, and she currently looked like a psychopath, what, with all the blood on her, she'd only received scratches and nothing fatal happened.
"Is this the guy you mean?" Saitama asked, holding up the Beast King's eye.
"I believe it is," Genos agreed.
The gorilla went silent for a moment. Then he began to cry. "Hey, look, I'm sorry! I'll tell you everything, just please don't kill me."
"Wait, what happened to your high-tech robot voice?" Saitama asked.
"Sorry about that," the gorilla sweat-beaded. "I was just trying to sound cool."
A man, known as Dr. Genus, was sitting behind a computer screen. He adjusted his glasses, a clone of his nervously standing to his side. On his computer screen were images of various Class S heroes, and a picture of Saitama. Beside him were Ayano and Genos.
"A specimen worthy of my attention," Genus said. "Finally. But he is not the only one I'm interested in…" He zoomed in on the picture of Ayano. A flash of red was in her eyes.
"This girl," he mused. "There is something… different about her. She suffers from a rare condition… how interesting." He smiled. "I'd like to investigate her, too."