AN: Before you read, there are a few things to note!
This story was originally written before 2019, so it is a bit outdated. I did change a few things about the original storyline that may jar a few of the newcomers. For one, the power scaling is a little different. You'll see a good example in this chapter specifically. The Sea King is considerably stronger than in the original source material. Different power scaling may be a recurring theme throughout. I say this now to avoid any confusion. I have also finally caught up with the manga in preparation for my continuance. I will definitely be incorporating a few elements from the current canon into future chapters.
I originally gave this story to another author on here, but for whatever reason, they didn't continue it. After a two-year break, I rekindled my passion for it and decided to finish it myself.
Chapters may not always be frequent, but I promise you they will be worth it. For starters, I feel I've improved immensely in my grammar and technical writing ability. So, hopefully, everything reads a little better this time around.
Also, the chapters I already have written will not be drastically altered, just... generally edited, I suppose. If you see this under the disclaimer of chapters 1-11 "(edited)" that means the chapter has been updated. If not, I am getting around to it.
Honestly, I would have left this story to die had it not been for some of the comments I read during my break. I am so glad so many of you enjoyed what you've seen thus far. I truly hope to impress you with what's coming next. As for the new readers, I welcome you all, and thank you for reading!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters. All rights go to their respective owners.
(edited)
"This is Kiori Choo reporting live from just south of the potential Dragon Level threat. Absolute devastation has ravaged city J. Buildings toppled; homes and businesses reduced to rubble... bodies of slain or defeated heroes scattered amongst the debris. I... I don't know how much more carnage this city can take."
This was the current reality the scarcely surviving civilians looked upon in dread from within the destroyed city bunker #153, one of the many havens designed to shield them in times of crisis. So often had they done their duty, but as many deliberating experts and casual fanatics suspected, they wouldn't always be enough. When they weren't, when the peril at hand was so overwhelming, that's when the heroes were at their best; individuals with extraordinary abilities willing to lay down their lives in the pursuit of justice. They come in many different shapes and sizes, and just as the evils they've come to face, bigger didn't always mean stronger.
The most feared, most admired, most-watched hero of all in service today comes in the form of Tatsumaki, better known by her hero moniker, The Tornado of Terror.
A grown woman with an unfortunately petite physique, reminiscent of a girl much younger, gifted with unmatched psychic prowess. She had never failed to defeat whatever manner of creature that emerged seeking villainy. No beast could withstand the pressure of her psychic grip long enough to escape with its life. Three years of service and she hadn't even broken a nail in one of her many battles. Some began to speculate that her power was limitless, but today the entire world was realizing otherwise.
"And, we are getting reports that Tatsumaki, though still standing, is not fairing any better against the Sea King than any of the other S-Class heroes have. We don't know for sure, but the monster is speculated to have some sort of resistance to Esper-like abilities. There is still hope as we have still yet to see an appearance from World's Strongest Man 'King,' the tech-savvy 'Metal Knight,' or the number one hero himself, 'Blast.' As it stands, we can only pray that things take a turn for the better for Tatsumaki or that the others arrive sooner rather than later."
The Sea King truly lived up to its name with slick green skin and a somewhat humanoid form. The only clothing it wore was a crown, an elegantly fur-lined cape, and a speedo for whatever reason. It was disturbingly monstrous in the face, and its jarring physique rippled with muscle upon muscle, and yet somehow, its most attention-grabbing feature was the heart-shaped coloring that took the place of its nipples.
In complete contrast, the woman struggling to breathe before the beast was tiny, easily mistakable for a child. Her hair was as green as fresh grass with eyes to match. Her attire consisted of a form-fitting black dress with long sleeves and four slits that traveled up to her hips, exposing her legs. With a faint green hue surrounding her body, she floated at the monster's eye level, wholly exhausted and bleeding from her hairline. Her position in the air swayed and dipped, speaking volumes about how worn out she was.
"Heh, you're a tenacious little monkey... aren't you?" the monster spoke in a patronizing manner, utterly unaffected by the seemingly lengthy battle they've been fighting. Aside from the damaged cape, he didn't seem as if he'd fought at all. "You Esper can be quite a nuisance, but when you've reached the limit of your psychic prowess, you're quite useless, it seems. I am likely the sole creature that is the bane to your existence as my scales secrete a high-pitched frequency that rattles even the strongest of minds. The effects vary, but most of you land dwellers succumb to the mental strain within seconds of exposure. I commend you for your grit, but our fight is now over. I didn't think I would have to use such a tactic, but you were a formidable opponent for quite a while. Now that your brain has been overwhelmed with pain, you can no longer continue to fight."
The girl slowly lowered, that green hue around her flickering in and out like a fading light. Eventually, the tips of her toes met the wet cement below, and she fell to her knees, still determined to do what she could. "sh-... Shut up..." she muttered out through bated breaths as she stuck her hand out. 'I c-can... still-..' she tried her hardest to mentally lift a sizeable piece of rubble near her in an attempt to use it as a weapon of sorts. More so to see if she even had anything left. It shook ever so slightly, but it did not budge. The searing pain that flooded her mind was much more than an average headache.
"Try as you might; you are defeated, child," the monster stated, getting closer and closer to the downed girl.
His words, although brutal, were the truth, and she knew it. She could not defeat this creature, no matter how hard she tried. All these years of hero work would be coming to an end for all of them. This monster took down every S-class hero from Puri-Puri prisoner to herself. Only three had not yet shown to stand against it, and those three would be their last hope. 'k-... King... Metal Knight...' she mentally muttered, reduced to a begging mess for the first time in a long time. '... Blast... if there was ever a time we needed you... it's now.'
(On the television)
'As of now, City J is all but demolished and... oh... oh dear god, it seems even the Tornado of Terror has fallen to the power of the beast. Now thirteen of the S-Rank heroes have failed to stop the monster. The severity of the threat, and the defeat of these valiant heroes, has prompted the situation be raised to threat level DRAGON for safety reasons. As it stands, we now rest this matter in the hands of the remaining three: King, Metal Knight, and Blast. The Association is asking that we all remain calm and put faith in the standing three. Even though the situation is taking place in City-J, everyone is advised to find their way to a shelter as soon as possible, no matter the distance. This is exactly a situation in which we are expecting to see Blast make an appearance...'
At a local gas station in City-Y, an elderly woman stared in horror at the screen on the wall behind the cashier who was now bagging her items. "Oh-..! Dear God..." she muttered quietly, catching the young man's attention.
"... Hm?" The man was of fair height, standing at about 5'10 with a rather basic-looking build at first glance. He had a very plain face, easily forgettable in a crowd of people if not for his unnaturally bald head. Not a single strand of hair sat atop his dome, and it almost seemed to reflect the light above him. He followed her gaze up toward the television and figured he understood her worry. "Oh, uh... Want me to change it to the weather channel?"
"w-What? Did you not hear what she said!?" she asked, pointing at the screen with a trembling hand.
He dug a finger in his ear with an uninterested look on his face. "Not really. I don't like the news. It's all boring nowadays... Would you like a bag?"
"h-Hoh!" The woman booked it out the store as fast as her frail legs could scurry away, leaving the young man confused. She left her items after already paying for them.
"h-Hey!" he called after her. His gaze followed her out the window, eventually bringing the oddly crowded street into view. He was shocked to see so many people rushing into the shelter across the street. '... Are we being attacked...?
He turned back to look at the screen and saw a helicopter view of some kind of monster standing outside of a different bunker. The caption of the report is what caught his attention. 'DRAGON LEVEL THREAT: Find shelter.'
"Oh... a Dragon level," he muttered. For a moment, he remembered the times when something like this would excite him. Now, however, '... This means I can close the store early and still get paid,' he thought to himself with a rather bland smile.
So, that's what he did. He went through the daily shutdown procedure of checking over the produce and ensuring everything was ready for the morning crew. Somewhere along the way, h reached into his pocket and turned his phone back on. As he went to turn off the television, he stopped and took one last glance at the screen. It was still showing the very distant helicopter view of the same monster now being confronted by a hero on a bicycle, strangely enough. The man peeked over at the clock next to the television with a disinterested look.
Just as he did, his phone cut on completely and began to fire off rapid notifications from a single number. "o-Oh..." he muttered as he watched it continue to beep. There were a ton of missed calls and unread messages on the screen. When it finally stopped, he opened it up to see it was all from none other than his cybernetically enhanced student, Genos. 'Was he fighting this monster too?'
'We are receiving even more disturbing news from our inside source within the bunker of City-J that is truly distressing in a time like this.'
Saitama glanced back towards the television to hear the rest from the newswoman.
(On the television)
'It would seem that the S-Class: rank-7 member, King, widely known 'strongest man in the world' was... a-actually just a normal man with no special ability or strength whatsoever. He coward in the face of this Sea-King and confessed before the other downed S-Class heroes, at least those still conscious, before running off... obviously, there's... not a worse time for such a revelation, however, there is still hope as S-Class: rank-6 member, Metal Knight, has just arrived and is engaging the beast with an onslaught of powerful robots. His abilities at the moment are sorely restricted due to their proximity to the downed heroes and civilians. He is the last line of defense unless we truly do witness a return of S-Class rank-1 member Blast. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, we can only hope Blast can.'
"If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster... it's all over," a man sitting behind a desk said. He was an average-looking guy with a huge nose resting on his face, dressed in an all-black professional business suit. The one he was speaking with was a younger-looking man with a robotic right eye, with some sort of metallic line beneath it, wearing a suit of his own.
This enemy of theirs was far more dangerous than they anticipated. "Maybe it is time to contact Blast," the younger man suggested.
The older man chuckled. "Heh... We would've done so already if it were that easy." His head fell into his hands, and he gripped his hair in frustration.
"I don't understand. Why isn't it...?"
The man sighed as he reached down into the drawer on the left side of his desk, pulling out a bottle of alcohol. "Sekingar... It is widely known that Blast suddenly went missing a few years back... There are a lot of theories about where he's gone and what he's doing, but..." he poured two shot glasses full, sliding one over to him. "The truth is, he's dead."
"Uh-! s-Sitch...!" the younger man exclaimed, completely surprised by this revelation. It did explain quite a bit, though.
"We kept the story of Blast alive, leaving that S-Class: rank-1 position vacant as to give people a sliver of hope that no matter what monster appears, there will always be someone strong enough to stop it... Now, the time has come, and a monster has appeared far more powerful than even Tornado can handle... So, I say it again. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, it's all over."
Sekingar's gaze drifted back to the screen and they watched the robotic creation bombard the creature with shots of all kinds, trying to get it away from the bunker. With a worrying sigh, he reached down and picked up the glass his co-worker passed him, drinking the liquor down in one gulp.
Machinegun rounds left the robotic arms of Metal knight at a rapid pace as he barraged the creature consecutively to no avail. The bullets simply bounced off its thick skin, but for the moment, it was all he could do as he put his mechanical body between the monster and the bunker, quite literally working as the last line of defense for those inside. The machine gun blows, although ineffective, did well to irritate the beast who had his hands full, thrashing the onslaught of other battle bots that were getting in close, attempting to land direct physical hits. Hundreds upon hundreds of these mechanical beings came charging the Sea-King's way, and he had no choice but to stand his ground and focus on them.
With him busy, Metal knight scoped out the surrounding area. Outside of the bunker, there are 9 unconscious heroes. Of that 9, 7 were S-Classed heroes, including The Tornado of Terror, Atomic Samurai, Flashy Flash, Watchdog man, Demon Cyborg, Silver Fang, and Tank-top Master. The other two were the C-Classed Mumen Rider and the respected martial artist Bomb. Then, there was the spineless fool King, cowering somewhere in the city, having fled as soon as they dropped him from the aircraft.
If he wanted to defeat this creature, he needed to do it as violently as possible, but he could not be responsible for directly killing these heroes. Not with that helicopter watching the battle, anyways. As if told by telepathy, nine of the robots diverted from attacking the Sea-King and made their way to a downed hero, scooping them up and dropping them into the broken bunker, much to the people's surprise. With them out of the way, he stopped firing and watched intently as the monster destroyed bot after bot. ["Engaging Target with intent to destroy,"] his robotic voice sounded. The bots suddenly stopped attacking close and hovered, staring directly at the beast.
The Sea-King was not deterred in the slightest. "Ehehe! You humans do enjoy your toys, don't you?" he asked rhetorically as he eyed the biggest bot down, knowing that was the one with the most control. The surrounding bots, in unison, aimed their arms at him, multiple missiles extending out, ready to fire. Still, the Sea-King looked unperturbed as he watched them.
["... Fire!"] As one, a barrage of missiles and machinegun bullets blasted towards the aquatic monster, pelting him and exploding upon impact; it was a light show of shells, scraps, and fire. There was so much smoke that no one watching could even see the Sea-King anymore. By all accounts, he could very well be obliterated.
The onlookers, staring out from the hole in the bunker, watched the spectacle with pleading eyes. The morale was still very low, especially seeing Tornado fall, but there was a shred of unenthused hope that rang through the crowd of civilians.
"d-.. Do you see that barrage...?" A random man asked rhetorically with a tone that sounded a lot less impressed than the statement implied. "Maybe... maybe that got him..."
Sure enough, the firing stopped, leaving behind a glob of smoke that was quickly dispersing with the help of the rain. When it finally broke through enough, the onlookers were greeted by the sight of the Sea-King with multiple injuries and punctures to his form that were already visibly healing.
"Hehehe! Impressive attack. Not quite strong enough, but I commend your efforts," he praised insincerely.
Another man fell to his knees at the sight, drawing the gaze of the group around him. He was entirely out of whatever hope was still settled into his heart. "... We're gonna die..." his voice quivered.
The woman next to him was holding her son in her arms. "n-No w-..." she tried to deny when her boy looked up at her in worry. She just had to say something to refute the guy's words, but... the sounds of the battle had her knees shaking, and she couldn't find her voice.
"m-Mommy...? w-We're not gonna die... r-Right?" he stuttered out, his voice cracking along the way.
She pursed her lips together, trying not to cry, herself. Seeing that face lit a fire in her eyes, and she vehemently shook her head. "No, baby... We're not gonna-.."
"We are..." the man on his knees said, undercutting her words of comfort. "There is no... hope... We are going-to die."
"Hey! Shut the hell up!" another man roared, jumping to the woman's defense. He stepped toward the man in a threatening way, but he didn't even flinch.
"It's the truth," he chuckled, sadly. "The Tornado of Terror was the last chance we had... And, not even she could kill that thing..." Suddenly, the other guy grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tried to pull him forward.
"I said, shut the hell up! There are children here!"
From further in the bunker, towards the more open area where the earlier heroes made their stand against the beast, S-Class rank-15, Metal Bat, sat against a wall, completely broken and incapacitated next to S-Class, rank- 3, Silver Fang, who was finally starting to stir awake once more.
"m-.. mrrr..." the old man groaned out as he tried to move.
"Finally awake, huh?" Metal Bat muttered, staring at the budding commotion taking place among the despairing civilians.
Bang glanced at him before following his line of sight. "... What is going on?" he questioned.
For a moment, Metal Bat just tiredly shook his head, still looking over to the group. "They're... desperate," he said plainly. "Ready to tear each other apart... even though they're all about to die..."
The old man shut his eyes, disguising his realization of the pain that surged through his body. Turning to his left, he saw several other S-Class heroes sitting up against the wall, most of them out cold. "So... I take it no one was able to defeat the Sea-King," he muttered, seeing their heaviest hitters out of commission, namely Tornado.
"Nope," the delinquent kid said plainly. For a moment, that's where they left it. The sounds of the civilians bickering drowned out everything else. "... Did'ya think it'd end like this?"
Bang pondered his words, still watching that commotion play out in interest. "No, I-.. I had always imagined it would be of old age," he replied.
The younger man chuckled tiredly, "Heh-heh... heh... You weren't too far off, old timer..."
Much to his surprise, another voice from his other side responded. "No, Bang still had a few good years left."
It was Bang's older brother, Bomb. Another great martial artist in the same state, broken and defeated. "You old people sure do stir awake fast," the teen noted.
The two both chuckled at the amusing statement. "Years of intense training," Bang replied. It was then that a series of explosions shook the bunker to its core, stirring a few others awake. "Someone is still standing?" he asked, looking toward Metal Bat for confirmation.
"Yeah," he said lazily. "Think it's Metal Knight. His bots are the ones that brought you all in."
From Bang's other side, a new voice joined the conversation. S-Class rank-8 Zombieman. "Well, I doubt it'll be much use going out there then," he said, looking down at his still-reforming legs. "He's probably blowin' everything in sight."
"Not that we'd be much help," said the person next to him, S-Class rank-4, Atomic Samurai. His sword was not with him, and his right arm looked limp, almost as if dislocated. "Whatever the hell that thing is... it's not something a mere human can beat... If it could lay out even Tornado like that, I doubt anything could take it out."
"... Blast, maybe," Metal Bat muttered.
"Heh," Zombieman chuckled, shaking his head. "He's not showin' up... not until at least two more cities get wiped, maybe..."
"He'll be here..." Yet again, someone else entered the conversation. This time it was the unusually quiet green-haired woman whose gaze was focused down on the cement beneath her. The blood staining her face made her look rather unsightly.
The others refrained from further shooting her hopes down, all a bit stunned by how... small she seemed. Not in the physical sense. Of course, she was small, and she absolutely hated being reminded of that fact, but she seemed fragile at this moment, defeated. Essentially, the collective feeling of all of them.
They were put on alert when a considerable blast launched Metal Knight's assault bot through the gaping hole of the bunker. It clattered down and tumbled towards them, stopping just in front of Bang, sliding five feet in front of him. The bot raised its head enough to look at the group, the lights in its eye sockets flickering out. Slowly, it began to flicker out. It was all over... the Sea-King had defeated their final standing hero...
With a gust of wind and rain, the monster landed back within the broken opening of the bunker, eyeing the others in glee. Again, a few injuries on his form were already healing. "Heh-heh-heh!" he chuckled menacingly as he stood to his full height.
The civilians who were previously crowding the entrance in hopes he would be defeated scrambled back as far as they could get in a panic.
"That sure was an interesting bout, but in the end, you surface dwellers rely too much on outside influences to win your battles. You deprive yourselves of true power, placing your trust in machines and special abilities; that is why you lot are a vulnerable species. I will reclaim this world for the Sea-Folk. As a pyramid scheme, all life originated from the depths of the seas, and as its ruler, I am the sole ruler of all life on earth."
To his shock, one of the already defeated heroes tried to move. It was the armless Cyborg, pushing himself up to a sitting position using his head, the first one to confront him after those weaklings before. He was lying face-down next to Bomb at the end of the line of heroes.
"Heheh... You...?" the Sea-King mocked, looking his way. "How foolish can you be...? Still wanna fight?"
The other heroes watched him scramble as much as he could until he made it to his feet in a hunched-over position. For a moment, he seemed to steady himself before taking broken yet courageous steps towards the monster towering within the opening of the bunker.
"Genos..." Bang called muttered. "... What are you doing?"
"t-... tch!" the cyborg grunted in frustration as he continued his trek towards the beast. "I-... I cannot allow you... t-to hurt anyone else..." he muttered. "I will do everything in my power... to stall you until he arrives."
"Hmm...?" The Sea-King hummed curiously. His interest was definitely piqued. "... Whoever it is you are waiting on will meet a similar fate when they arrive," he growled out as he stepped closer to him. "But, as it stands, I am tired of waiting. All of you put up admirable attempts, but you have lost. This means you all must die."
The civilians gasped in shock at his claim as they watched the Cyborg ignore his threat completely, drawing closer and closer to his doom. It was truly over then... This was it...
"If I am to be fair, I started with you, so you shall be the first one I kill," he proclaimed, directing his statement towards the approaching Cyborg. A bullet met the monster's cheek before Genos made it into the Sea-King's range, stopping everything.
It was completely ineffective, and it simply bounced off, but the audacity of whoever it was brought everyone's attention to a halt. Everyone's gaze shifted towards the slowly rising Zombieman whose legs were finally healed. He held his focused gaze sharp on the monster who looked his way. "Hey, as long as I can fight, I'll side with Demon Cyborg, on this one. You won't be harming anyone while we're still standing."
The Sea-King gave him a curious look. "You...? I thought I killed you already."
"Yeah, that's what they all say," he said coolly.
"Hehehe! No matter. I'll get to you soon," he muttered as he looked back to Genos. He made to step towards him and into the cover of the bunker but found he could not move his legs. Some force was preventing him from doing so. This time, everyone's gaze turned toward the person they were sure was responsible. Sure enough, Tornado had her hand stretched out, restricting his movements as she struggled to her feet. "The Esper as well...?" he questioned, somewhat surprised.
"You.. will not hurt anyone else..." she said, essentially repeating the words of the Cyborg. "w-... When he gets here, you'll..." She never finished her statement. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else, they were not speaking of the same person. Regardless, the sentiment was there. They would hold out for as long as they could, no matter what, waiting on a savior. Slowly, it seemed the other heroes were getting on board with the idea of fighting to their deaths and were preparing to do what they could, but they didn't get the chance.
The Sea-King chuckled once more before overpowering her hold and standing upright once more. "Hehe! You insolent fools. Your death here is certain. No matter who you pray to for survival... I will start with you, Cyborg," he said, looking down at Genos. His gaze then shifted over to Tatsumaki on the other side of the wall. "But, I assure you, I will take the most pleasure in ending your life, Esper." He returned his focus to the broken bot before him in interest. For a few tense moments, he just watched the poor hero try and fail to hobble his way toward him. "... You are clearly defeated... Why approach me defenseless... knowing you will only die sooner? Come to beg for your life...?"
Genos stood there with his head held low. He had no arms, and his body was far too broken for him to do anything with, and he couldn't self-destruct with the civilians and other heroes within range. Why he stood before this monster defenseless? That's probably what everyone is likely asking right now. "Heh... because... there is... there is only one creature in existence that I would ever bow to... and I know that, even if we die here-.."
"When..." The Sea King corrected, rather arrogantly, as he grinned at his prey's words.
Genos steadied himself once more before taking a few more steps, eventually ending up beneath the rain, meaning he reached the opening of the broken part of the bunker. "Even when we die... you will eventually run into him... and when you do, "-his eyes shot up at the monster with a new fire within them-, "you will TREMBLE IN THE FACE OF TRUE POWER!" He locked eyes with the beast's mocking glare with true conviction and unrivaled fury piercing through him.
Silence befell them all as they watched the Sea-King stare down at Demon Cyborg with uninterested eyes. "Heh... heh-heh! HA HA HA!" The Sea King bellowed out his evil cackle shaking the very foundation of the bunker. They all watched on in dread until he finally quelled his amusement. "True power...? Have I not shown you true power?" He held his hands out, gesturing towards the other downed heroes, those who were conscious were trying to scramble their way to their feet as well. "Is this not the pinnacle form of life on this planet...? Look at you humans: nothing but weak flesh and misguided convictions. A few of you... blessed with unrivaled ability, yet you still fall at my feet. The strongest of your defenders have fallen victim to my apex power, and you believe there is someone far superior...? If you are trying to save face for your society of land-dwellers or possibly inspire hope of possible survival... allow me to correct that." His form turned much darker as he morphed back into his mutated form and prepared to strike. "I AM UNKILLABLE! I AM UNBEATABLE! I AM THE SEA-K-..!"
(KA-THEW)
Everything stopped as they watched the black blood of the Sea King spurt out the side of his head almost as if he were shot, the wall of the bunker to their right suddenly impaled by an object of some kind. An apparent sniper shot, but that couldn't be... They just witnessed Zombieman's bullet bounce off his cheek, and not even Metal Knight's missiles could drop it permanently, so what the hell kind of gun was that? Whatever the case, the massive body fell over to its side right on the edge of the broken wall.
The people watched the dead body of the Sea-King slip out of the bunker, all but assuring them this was all over. Still, their speechless gazes turned to look at the spider crack that appeared within the wall opposite all of them. It was unscathed until just then, and even the civilians could guess that's where the projectile must have landed. With unmatched curiosity at such a feat, Zombieman (also being the only hero able to move without pain) ran towards the wall to inspect the bullet that had taken this monster down. Everyone's gaze watched him in anticipation, most of them waiting desperately to hear who they could praise for their salvation.
He made it and looked into the center of the spiderweb-like crack, his eyes slowly but surely widening upon his revelation. "... Uh-!" he gasped, catching everyone's attention in a death-like grip as they held their breath. He dug his fingers inside and pulled the projectile free to examin it for himself.
"... Well!?" Metal Bat called out. The suspense was killing him. "What the hell is it!?"
Slowly, Zombieman turned around, allowing them to see that absolute shock on his face. "It's... It's a pebble!" he shouted, holding it up.
Mass confusion ran through them all as their brains scrambled to make sense of such an incomprehensible revelation. There was no way... Unless... of course!
"i-... It was TORNADO!" One of the civilians shouted, pointing his finger toward the small green-haired woman who looked just as shocked as everyone else. "She used the last of her power to SAVE US!"
His words finally seemed to rally the others as they all shouted, rejoicing in their rescue. Their screams of appreciation, as well as the appraisal of a few of her fellow co-workers, brought her back to reality. She looked around, confused for a moment before she realized what was happening. They believed it was her who had saved them here today, but... it wasn't... she hadn't done a thing, right there. And, if it wasn't her... then, who was it...?
(Elsewhere within City-J, 5 mins earlier)
Saitama, now adorning his bright yellow suit with the bright red boots and gloves to match, walked along a cliffside overlooking the city with a map in his hands. He had his usual disinterested look on his face as he used his cape to cover the sheet of paper. 'Heh... I even saw it was raining on the news, and I still forgot an umbrella...' he mulled. 'Where the hell is this Sea-Thing, anyways...? I've been looking everywhere and I still can't find that bunker... This map is so confusing... most of it's smudged from the rain, now...'
How he ended up on this cliffside neighborhood was a mystery, but at least he could see City-J a little clearer. He halted his steps when he noticed an old man sweeping his porch peacefully, despite the rain. An odd sight indeed... "Hey! Old man!" he called out through the roaring of the shower.
He didn't seem to hear him, so he walked up the walkway leading to the porch. "Hey!" he called again.
"... Hm?" the old-timer muttered, looking toward him. He adjusted his glasses to see him better. "Oh, yes? What can I do for you...?"
"... It's raining out here," he pointed out, giving him a curious look. "You shouldn't sweep while it's all windy and stuff, right...? It's kinda pointless... Anyways, could you tell me how to get to bunker 243?"
The old man stepped closer to get a better look. "o-Oh, no, I'm afraid not, friend. I've never been one for going to the bunkers." Saitama sighed and turned to take his leave before the old man stopped him. "Say... are you a hero?"
Saitama turned back. "Hm...? Oh, uh... Not anymore. I was for a little while."
The old man grew rather curious. "How come you stopped?"
Saitama stared at him strangely for a moment, not saying anything. "... I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Just got kind of boring, is all..."
"w-Well, you seem dressed up like a hero," he pointed out, looking at his outfit.
Saitama glanced down at his hero attire. He almost forgot he had it on. "Oh... yeah. I actually quit not too long ago, but there's some kind of super strong monster somewhere in this city. They said it could kill a lot of people if no one stops it, so... " He shrugged his shoulders again, "Figured I'd come check it out. Sounds kinda interesting."
"Ah, I see... That does sound interesting..." Suddenly, the old man went back to his sweeping. "You take care now..."
Saitama raised an eyebrow. 'Is he still gonna sweep? What is this guy..? An NPC...?' His eyes traveled up to his head and he started longingly at his silver locks. '... Even he has hair at his age...'
"Hurgh," he grumbled as he walked away. With that behind him, he headed down the gravel road once again. His boots crunched against the small rocks beneath him as he went. 'Well... was really hoping he knew his way around the city since he lives here, but...' A serious expression overtook his visage as he stared straight ahead. 'Whatever the case, I have to find it soon. Genos could be in serious trouble... Plus, I put a hotpot on to boil before I left home.'
With that thought in mind, he prepared to launch himself up into the air to see if he could see it through this heavy rain, but before he did, his attention turned toward the city.
It was very far away. So far, he had to squint to see it, but there was a bunker over there that looked like it was in trouble. He could see a big green beast standing within its busted-out opening. 'Oh... could that be it?' he wondered. 'Wait... I thought that Sea-turtle guy was supposed to be brown... not green...' Before he could think more on it, he heard it start yelling something he couldn't exactly hear. 'Well... I guess there could be people in there...' He considered making the leap over but stopped when he heard the monster get louder. 'That's kinda far, though... might not make it in time...'
Thinking on his dilemma, he looked down at his feet. "... Ah," he muttered as he picked up a pretty sizeable rock that was lining the side of the pathway. He gave it a few tosses to test its weight before locking onto his target. With a single swift motion, he threw the rock like one would throw a baseball with their feet squared kicking up a concussive blast that pushed away the rain for a slight second. From his spot, he could see it hitting the monster directly in the head, dropping its body down just like that. The splatter of black liquid that hit the wall was also a rather clear sign that he had hit his mark. After a moment, the enormous body slipped out and tumbled down onto the street below. "Huh... kinda lame," he muttered. "Must have been a weaker one... Guess I'll keep searching until I find it..."
(The Next Day)
Again, unusually quiet, Tatsumaki sat in her seat in their meeting room, listening to the blabbering of the other's drone on continuously to no end. A curious look in her eyes as she was lost in thought. She heard their words, but they were dwarfed by the words swimming within her head. Her thoughts consisted of just what the hell happened the day before and something she was told not too long ago.
All-day long, she has been praised for her defeat of the Sea King by everyone. All of the heroes injured were kept here within HQ for healing and recovery. There were dozens of televisions plastered about in the infirmary, displaying the news channels and talk shows. Without fail, every single channel was talking about the recent disaster, namely her saving the day. What's more, they were talking about Blast not showing himself when it was clearly a situation in which he was desperately needed.
Earlier this morning, those headlines of theirs pissed her off. Many of them, she assumed, were the collective thoughts of the people. 'Blast is GONE, time for a new No. 1' They had lost faith in that all-mighty hero spoken about in hushed whispers and tales of unbelievable heroics. The one she herself, trusted with her life. Now, it became a debate about moving everyone up a rank and stopping the worshipping of heroes long gone. They were going to put her at the number 1 rank within S-Class. That bothered her now for a very different reason than it did just a few hours ago.
"Er, Tatsumaki," Sitch said, trying to calm the small woman down to no avail.
She hovered over his desk, staring down at him with an expression that promised pain. Her head was wrapped up from the injuries she sustained the day before. "Did you hear me!? I said I want to know!"
"We would definitely tell you if that were the case, but it's not," he replied, doing all he could to calm her down. "You're saying it wasn't you who delivered that killing blow, and we believe you. That's not something you'd lie about, but I can assure you, it wasn't Blast either. You should know that as well as anyone. That's not how his power works."
"You don't know that! He's been gone for a long time! He could have been training all this time! I DON'T KNOW! But, I DO know that you know where he is! So, tell me now, or I walk!" she demanded.
"Tatsu-... ergh," he groaned. "... Look, you can't just up and walk. These people need you now more than ever... If you were wondering about this recent news, then I can assure you, it is likely going to happen."
"What!?" she yelled out incredulously. "No! You can't do that! Blast is supposed to be number 1!"
"The people have spoken already, Tornado," Sitch said, closing his eyes. "Blast has not shown himself, not even the day before when we desperately needed him. They don't want a hero who waits until the last possible moment to step in. They can no longer put their faith in someone that allows thousands to die before they are saved. But you... you were on the scene as fast as you could be, and you put up more of a fight than any of the other heroes."
"And still, I couldn't kill that thing! I'm telling you. It HAS to have been Blast! No one else could've-.."
"Blast is dead-Tatsumaki," Sitch admitted. He watched the shock play out across her face. She seemed too stunned even to speak, so he took the opportunity to explain himself on behalf of the organization as a whole. "... He succumbed to his injuries against Elder Centipede 2 years ago... As his dying wish, he requested we keep his name alive until the people find a new symbol of hope to stand against unparalleled evil when no one else can." He watched as she slowly descended from her floating position, landing in the chair opposite him. "... I am sorry we could not tell you Tatsumaki... I know you cared for him deeply."
Despite what he said, her mind was on something else entirely. Yeah, finding out Blast is dead was a big hit to her gut, but... even so. "Then... who was it that killed the Sea King?"
Who was it that killed the Sea King? That's what she really wanted to know. 'If there is someone who could kill a monster that strong, then they deserve to be the number 1 hero... Not me...' As prideful as she is of her own strength, she knew for a fact that nothing she threw at that beast could even hope to stop the monster that was the Sea King. She had pelted him with pieces of rubble equal to the size of that pebble, crushed him with huge chunks of debris from the broken bunker, and even hit him with a couple of nearby cars, but still. None of that hurt him enough to where he couldn't regenerate. Sure, had she been in a more open space without the fear of hitting the civilians, it would've been a cakewalk. She'd have crushed him with a meteor before he could use his little scale screech technique, but there was no way she could have beaten him with a pebble.
The people were desperate yesterday. Not only desperate to live, but even after their salvation, they were desperate to thank whoever it was who killed it. Too desperate to see reason. If they had just rationalized with themselves and saw her previous attacks were useless, then they'd know she did not throw that pebble.
"Symbol of Hope..." she muttered quietly to herself, drawing the attention of the old man sitting next to her.
Bang watched the internal struggle play out on her face. He was well aware of the dilemma she was in at the moment. It may have slipped by the untrained eyes of the civilians and even a few of the heroes, but he knew she was not the one to deliver that final blow. This feat was done by the same man who split that meteor that nearly crushed his dojo. He didn't see it, but he knew it without a doubt. Having met Saitama before, this was exactly something he would do. That man is beyond anything Bang has ever seen, and he witnessed the battle between Blast and Elder Centipede firsthand.
Part of him wanted to tell her that... or rather, tell everyone that, but it didn't feel right. If people knew someone like him existed, there'd be more chaos than peace. Power is magnetic. It is best if someone like him stays hidden. Catching wind of someone so powerful would draw bigger and more dangerous threats. The world is set to balance itself out that way. It was bad enough that Tatsumaki existed. He used to believe her power was limitless... or even Blast's, but meeting that bald man humbled his beliefs and made him question his beliefs on what true strength really is... Not Tatsumaki or Blast could even hold a candle, or even a fading ember, to the flame that is Saitama's power. If God or some other deity sent him? Bang didn't know. But, no crisis they endured did he fear could be the end of humanity. There will always be salvation as long as he is here and on the side of righteousness.
"Blast is dead," Sitch said yet again. This time a solemn proclamation to all of the S-Class heroes in attendance who looked on in disbelief. "A few of you already know this, but for those of you who do not, please listen closely." He began before he was cut off.
Metal Bat stood up, planting his hands on the table. "Wait! What did you just say!? He's dead!?"
"If you would calm yourself, you may hear his reasoning," Flashy Flash reprimanded him.
Sitch nodded toward the effeminate blonde man. "Thank you, Flashy. As I was saying, please listen closely. 2 years ago, after the appearance of Elder Centipede, Blast appeared for the last time, fighting and nearly killing the monster. Elder Centipede, however, inflicted just as much damage upon Blast himself before escaping. It is unknown if that monster survived his injuries, but Blast did not. Per his instruction, we were not to inform anyone who was not in the room upon his death as he believed there would be more panic than necessary. He wanted his name to remain as a Symbol of Hope in any situation until the people found another to take that mantle. If you've been watching these broadcasts today, it is clear that people have begun to lose faith in his name... for they've set their sights on a new pillar of strength. Someone who has held the second rank for quite some time now has gained the admiration and the trust of many. That is why the circumstances of Blast's death have now been released to the public on the Heroes website just before I arrived. All of you will be moved up one rank, placing Tornado of Terror in that number 1 S-Class position."
Gasps of surprise and joyful looks turned toward the green-haired Esper, who didn't seem to care much. Her unfocused gaze was still set on the edge of the table, deep in thought. When she did notice the attention on her, she turned towards Sitch with a curious look.
"Tatsumaki. I do hope you accept the rank 1 position with the highest honors and step fearlessly into the role of the Symbol of Hope that the people desperately need," Sitch said his words with an air of hope behind them that vibrated strongly throughout the room, flooding smiles onto the faces of a few of the others... buuut; his words were quickly shot down.
"No," she said suddenly, shocking everyone and ending that epic moment where it stood.
"GAH!" Atomic Samurai exclaimed. "Did she just say no!?"
"Oh, Tatsumaki, honey," Puri-puri prisoner cooed with a sincere tone. "What are you doing?"
She floated out of her seat and towards the television, which was playing the aerial shot of the Sea-King's death over and over again. "I said no." She repeated, pointing at the image, further drawing their attention. "You see this?... this wasn't me. I don't know what the heck did that, but the rubble I was pelting that thing with wasn't nearly as effective! Although I probably could've beaten that Sea-Freak, no problem in an open area, I was just as useless as all of you because of how close we were to the freakin' bunker. But... someone or something did this to this monster with a pebble... a FREAKING pebble!" she shouted. "That's who should be number 1."
"Wait-wait-wait, you didn't kill that thing?" Child Emperor asked from his position as he licked on a colorful lollipop.
"But, it was a pebble," Metal Bat stated, lounging back in his seat as if he didn't want to be there. "Isn't that like your main weapon or whatever?"
"NO! SHUT UP!"
Before she could continue, Bang threw in his two cents. "Ah, so my assumption was correct," he muttered, just loud enough to draw everyone's attention. "That pebble that Zombieman pulled from the wall was far too smooth to have been from anywhere near the city-oriented section we were in. I was sure it must have come from quite a ways away. But, the question then becomes: who did throw it?"
Child Emperor thought hard on it before pulling out some kind of tablet. "Well, if I can get the feed of the precise trajectory from the aerial shot, maybe I can find at the very least a general location as to where our pebble thrower was."
As he spoke, a hologram of City-J right before the death of the Sea King came up, covering the table. They all watched intently as he zoomed in on the bunker, displaying vividly the scene they were subjected to just the previous day down to the detail of even the civilians and Metal Knight's broken bots.
Zooming in even further to where the Sea King and the crack in the wall were, he stopped there and continued explaining. "So, assuming there was absolutely no curve to the pebbles path due to precisely how fast it had to be moving for it to pierce the Sea King's skin... our thrower will have been... way over here." He said, drawing the map over to the cliff side a solid 1800 meters away.
"Uh-!" The others exclaimed in utter surprise.
Before anyone protested the theory, he fully explained his hypothesis. "It's no question. This road is a residential walkway with a parking garage at the front of their community. All of these roads are paved with gravel walkways, and lining those walkways are an assortment of marble chips. I don't think our pebble thrower actually threw a pebble... I think they threw a marble chip that eroded from the force of the throw, and somehow, the Sea-King's tough skin was enough to kill its velocity after it split his head open. Which is why it didn't tear through the wall as well."
"Well, was there a camera over there that you could hack into, so we can see who was over there at the time?" Zombieman asked curiously, the others muttering in agreement.
The kid shook his head. "Uh-uh. The power to the city was funneled into the bunkers, meaning all street cams and security cams would have stopped running unless powered by a generator. The only possible way we could ever hope to see who was over there is from the broadcast."
With that, he tapped on his screen a few times before wiping his hand up, seemingly throwing his screen onto the television next to Tatsumaki. It showed the same scene of the aerial shot, but from the direction, the news helicopter was facing, that cliff could be seen.
"They were already backed up quite a bit, so there's no way I'll be able to get a good picture of whoever was over there, but..." He began zooming in behind the back of the Sea King, aiming at the cliff. The distance, coupled with the hellish rain, made it almost impossible to see anything. The further he zoomed, the more everything just looked like colorful smudges. You could make out a red car, but not much else.
"Scroll along the whole cliffside," Tatsumaki demanded, looking far more intense than the rest of them.
Child Emperor did as instructed, going back and forth between both visible ends, but there was just nothing to be found. With a sigh, he stopped scrolling. "Look, I don't think we're gonna find anything. Not through that thick of a storm. Besides, why are we trying to find this guy anyway? If he's really that strong, then I bet he's already a hero. I say we just wait until someone comes to actually claim the kill. Or... maybe they don't want to be a hero."
"The boy is right," Bang said, drawing everyone's attention further. "Whoever this individual is must clearly not want to be seen as they intentionally attacked from afar, avoiding the broadcast camera and our detection."
"Seems like it," Atomic Samurai muttered. "But, there's also a possibility that this thing ain't a hero at all... You're all so quick to assume that because it killed a monster, but monsters killing monsters is nothin' new. If it took that thing down with a pebble, we better make damn sure whatever it is... is on our side."
This new debate topic kicked off, drawing the intense focus of everyone there aside from three—Tatsumaki, who was staring at the screen intently, apparently squinting to see better. There was something there, and she was sure of it. Along the cliff, a small, hardly noticeable smudge of... of yellow perhaps?
The other two not paying attention were Bang and Genos, who were watching her in interest. Genos knew very well who it must have been. Even though he had yet to return any of his 196 calls or respond to one of his 354 SOS messages, he was sure it was Master Saitama. He hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him yet as he's been under lock and key here, but no one else could accomplish such a feat. But, he was also aware Saitama is retired from hero work. So, maybe that meant he didn't want to be found out.
Then, there was what Atomic Samurai had pointed out... What if... what if it is a villain that strong? At that point, only Master Saitama could stand against them. His mind was running a thousand miles a minute with possible scenarios that could play out, but he ultimately decided he'd just ask the man himself upon his return. He still had to see the Doctor for some upgrades, but he had to see if Master Saitama was okay with all of this... or if he even knew.
Walking down the hall of his Master's apartment building, Genos continued to think about the possible threat. He truly believed it had to be him who killed the Sea King, but that sliver of doubt was still there. A monster no other S-Class hero could beat was taken down with a single pebble. It was just the difference of strength between himself and his Master, but if he were to find out it wasn't him? It could be perilous.
He stepped into his apartment without knocking. "Master!" he called out, not seeing him sitting on the couch or cooking as usual. Was he here?
Suddenly, the bald man stepped out of the bathroom in his work clothes. "Oh, Genos... You're all fixed up."
"Not yet, Master. I received basic repairs from S-Class rank-5 member Child Emperor. But, my weapons systems were too deeply intertwined with my human parts for him to repair with confidence. In order to be back to one hundred percent and receive upgrades, I must go to see Doctor Kuseno."
It didn't seem Saitama was fully listening as he pulled a bag from off the counter. "Huh...? Uh... Okay... Lock the door if you leave."
"Wait, Master," Genos said, stopping him before he made it to the door. He suddenly bowed deeply at the waste. "Please allow me to walk you to work!"
Saitama lifted an eyebrow curiously. "Uh.. sure... Do you think it will rain again today?" He asked, on their way out.
Only a few minutes into their walk, Genos came right out and stated what was on his mind, never being one to beat around the bush. "Master. The Sea King was recently defeated."
Saitama glanced over to him curiously. "Oh, yeah...Think I saw that on the news this morning. It was that green-haired kid, right? Torpedo of Time or something?"
"Well actually, her name is Tornado of Terror, but no. Apparently, it was not her. That was the original analysis of all who witnessed the finishing blow, but she has revealed to all of us S-Class heroes that she, in fact, did not defeat that monster."
"Oh, yeah...? Then who did?" He opened his packed lunch to ensure he didn't forget anything.
"That is something the association cannot seem to discover. But, the finishing blow was delivered with a mere pebble." A shocked look immediately overtook the bald man as he halted his steps. Genos was immediately alert as well. "uh-! Master...!?"
Saitama's eyes were wide, and he looked absolutely terrified. "... oh, never mind. Here it is." He said, returning to normal once he found the item he was looking for. "So, you said a pebble? That's funny... I beat a monster with a rock yesterday..."
"Uh-!" Genos gasped, recalling the hypothesis of Child Emperor. "You did!?"
"Hm...?" Saitama hummed, surprised by his sudden tone of excitement. "Uh... yeah. It was kinda far away, so I just threw a rock at it to get its attention... I guess I threw it too hard..."
"... Heh-!" Genos chuckled. "Master...! I had no doubt it was you who saved us!" he exclaimed, overjoyed and relieved.
Saitama raised an eyebrow. "Huh...? I saved you...? w-.. wait, was the Ocean queen like a big green monster?" he asked curiously, already forgetting the name.
Genos nodded, "Yes. It was your feat that saved our lives, and I thank you on behalf of my colleagues." He bowed lowly, halting their walk momentarily.
"... Oh... well, it was nothing, really. I thought it was one of the minions or something." His statement was said far too casually for it to be meant as an insult. "... Well, I guess it did have that crown thing on its head. Hey, do you think we could have pawned that for some money? How much do you think it would have gone for?"
Genos seemed to disregard his question, instead opting to inform him of further knowledge he's acquired. "There is also a new revelation that has just been released to the public. It would appear that Blast has been dead for quite some time."
"Blast?" Saitama asked, clearly confused by that name.
"Blast was the S-Class rank-1 hero. He was known as the strongest there has ever been. As one of the founding heroes, it was said his abilities were unrivaled. Until today, his death was kept secret, leading people to believe he only appears when the world's fate is at stake. It would appear that this was simply a rouse to inspire hope in people no matter the situation, but now that the Tornado of Terror has garnished the praise in such a moment, the association has decided to come clean with the death of the rank 1 hero in order to promote everyone, but Tornado of Terror does not wish t-.."
"Yeah-yeah," Saitama called out, waving him off of his long-winded explanation. In truth, he only heard about half of it. "I got it. So, you've been promoted?" he asked, at least picking that piece out of everything he said.
"Yes, Master. But, not due to everyone moving up. As you may or may not know, the previous S-Class rank-7 member, King, otherwise known as the strongest man in the world, was outed as a fraud. He, in fact, was a mere regular man with an incredibly audible heartbeat. With his resignation from the Hero Association, everyone beneath him has been promoted, moving me to S-Class rank-13."
"Ah, rank-13, huh? It looks like you're almost in the top ten," he remarked rather calmly, praising his progress on the outside... on the inside. 'Crap! He's already almost top ten!? That was way too fast! What goal am I supposed to give him after he reaches that?'
"Uh-! Sensei!? What is wrong!?" Genos asked urgently, seeing the somewhat troubled look on his face.
"n-Nothing!" Saitama remarked, looking away from him. "I was-.. just working on my sales face, that's all!"
"I understand," Genos said, with a far too serious look in his eyes as he watched him. "I believe that look may be far too intense for a cashier. May I recommend a more inviting look? More pleasant and welcoming, perhaps a smile."
"... Yeah, I guess so," he muttered. Their conversation ended when they reached the quarantine gate of City-Z, approaching the border of City-Y. Saitama's store a block away, he turned to Genos. "Hey, didn't you say you had to go and see your doctor?"
"Yes. I shall be home by the time you get off. Is there a meal you would like me to prepare for your arrival?" his cybernetic student inquired.
Saitama thought it over. "Mmm... Nah. Just whatever you feel like making, I guess. I decided to pull the late shift as well to impress my superiors. Maybe I can get a promotion... I should be home around midnight. See you later, Genos," he said, waving over his shoulder.
Genos watched him walk away, a small smile appearing on his face. 'Master Saitama is always striving to improve, no matter what he's doing... I shall do the same,' he thought before turning the other way.
(Hours later)
Saitama sat on his stool behind the counter, reading a manga while waiting for a customer. He's been working all day, and it's been a relatively steady flow of business. With it being the later hours of the night, it was actually a bit peaceful. It would be just him handling the store for the next few minutes or so as his coworker was in the back, packing up to end their shift. He was waiting on the late-night worker to arrive; apparently, he was running a little late.
The bell ringing above the door let him know someone was entering. It was an elderly man. "Welcome," he called out rather blandly before going back to reading. A few moments later, his coworker, a younger guy maybe in his teens, came trotting out from the back room.
"Bye, Saitama! I'll see you tomorrow!" the kid called out happily.
"Yup," Saitama replied casually.
A few more moments and the old man finally made his way back to the counter carrying a small carton of milk and a single noodle cup. Saitama stood to his feet, ready to check him out.
"Will this be all, old man?" He asked.
The old-timer nodded his head. "Yes, sir. Just getting a little dinner is all."
"Ah," the bald man remarked pointlessly. "Ramen isn't very nutritious."
The old man chuckled rather dryly. "Ohoh-hoh. Yeah... I know, but since my wife passed, I don't really want to eat anything that's not her cooking. These little cup noodles aren't great, but when we were down on our luck, we'd sit down with a few of these and make a night of it."
Saitama bagged his items with a confused expression plastered on his face. 'Geez, I was only joking. He didn't have to give me his life story or anything.' He finished collecting his change and handed it over. "There you go. Enjoy," he said, his expression still as plain as ever.
"Thank you, young man. You have a nice day now." The old man happily plodded his way toward the door. When he made it, he opened it up and stepped aside, allowing the small figure wrapped in a dark green hoodie inside before he stepped out. "There you go, little lady," he muttered before leaving himself.
Saitama watched the person enter and head straight back toward the fridges. They didn't even glance his way. "Welcome," he called out regardless. With that, he retook his seat back on the stool, reading through his manga. For a few moments, it was just that as he waited for that customer to return to pay. He was alerted to the door opening yet again. Another hooded figure dressed in all black stepped inside, this one far bigger, clearly a man. 'Is it raining? Why is everyone wearing hoodies?' "Welcome," he muttered again, his eyes shifting back to his manga.
A clicking sound caught his attention, and he looked up to see the man who had just entered standing in front of him, a pistol in his hand with a silencer muzzling the barrel. "Alright buddy, just- give me the money, a-and I'll leave," he growled out in a threatening voice that didn't hold up through his own quivering.
Saitama's completely uninterested stare watched him curiously. "Huh? Give you the money?"
"Yes! Give me the damn money! All of it!" He struggled to pull a bag out from his back pocket before slapping it down on the counter. "Put it in the bag! And-nd I'll walk...! I won't shoot you! I just need the money!"
"Oh!" Saitama exclaimed as if he had made an interesting revelation. "Are you a robber?"
The man looked at him with a baffled expression. "Wha- look, just put it in the damn bag already! I don't want to shoot you, but I will! I swear I will!"
"Why would you rob this place if you need money?" he asked curiously, completely disregarding his words of demand. "I think we're hiring right now. Do you want an application?"
"sh-... SHUT UP! Just do what I said!" he shouted.
"Um... honestly, I can't. Not unless you make a purchase."
"A purch-! What the hell are you talking about!? Just open the damn register!" he shouted desperately.
Saitama raised an eyebrow wondering why he was so enraged "I honestly can't. I'm kinda new here, so I don't know how to open the register without scanning in an item... I actually don't think you can."
"Motherf-.. a-alright. Okay, give me... give me a pack of cigarettes. The red bars," he said, nodding back towards the wall of cigarettes, never dropping the gun from pointing right at him.
Saitama turned around to look for what he wanted. When he found it, he turned back. "Ok, that should do," he said with a small smile as he scanned it in. "... ooh, looks like I gotta check your ID..."
"ID!? ID!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" The criminal shook his head, completely past his breaking point. "grrrr. I didn't want to do this guy, but you've left me no choice..." He cocked his gun and narrowed his gaze. The still relatively uninterested look in the bald man's eyes only further infuriated him. He couldn't take it anymore. No one ever took him seriously. Today, that was all gonna change... Slowly but surely, he pulled his trigger. "... Uh-!" he gasped, looking at the bullet that stopped midway to its target, just floating in the air.
Saitama looked at it as well, watching it in interest. "... Whoa," he muttered, finding it rather cool to see. Then, before his eyes, the gun seemed to slip up and out of the robber's hand, levitating along with the floating bullet.
"a-Ah!" the man exclaimed, watching his weapon hover in the air. Of course, he assumed it was the man before him. "What the-.. i-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were an Esper!"
"... A what?"
"Get out," a meek voice echoed from behind the robber. The guy turned around, stepping back and away, giving Saitama a view of the small feminine figure of the well-known child he just couldn't seem to place a name to. Her hood was now down, exposing her curly green hair. She seemed... a bit off. Her nose was a bright red and her sunken eyes had a pink tint to them. She held a bottle of cough medicine in her right hand as she sniffled a few times.
"a-Ah! t-... Tor-..." he tried to mutter out but couldn't seem to find his words. Her sickly eyes shifted over to him with a dangerously irritated look that warned him of anything else. Without any further warning needed, he scrambled his way out the door, tripping over himself a few times before he made it.
Saitama watched curiously before looking down towards the counter. "Huh... he forgot his bag..."
The small woman stepped up towards the counter, setting her item down and holding her other hand up as if expecting Saitama to give her something. He raised his eyebrow curiously until he saw the gun float back down, landing in her palm.
"Oh. He forgot his gun too... You think he'll come back for this stuff?" he asked her.
She squinted her eyes at him before just shaking her head. "Just hurry up, baldy," she muttered, a small handbag floating out from beneath her hoodie.
Saitama cringed heavily at the unprovoked attack. 'TCH! What'd I do to her!?' His look returned to that of casual irritation as he grabbed her item, pulling it to the scanner. Before he scanned it, he stopped himself. "o-.. wait. Are you-"
She internally sighed. She didn't really want to be recognized right now.
"-old enough to buy this?"
Saitama watched on curiously as her body seemed to stiffen suddenly, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
"Yeah. This is cold medicine. I can't sell to anyone under 18. If your mommy told you to come and buy this, then I'd have to ask you to go and get her to pay for this." With every word he spoke, she seemed to shake more and more violently in anger that he simply didn't notice. "Besides, what's a kid like you doing out so late? Is it summertime already?"
"I'M-NOT-A-KID-YOU-STUPID-BALDY! I'M-A-GROWN-WOMAN! WHO-THE-HECK-DO-YOU-THINK-YOU'RE-CALLING-A-KID!? HUH!? DO-YOU-KNOW-WHO-I-AM!?" She began screaming, her words so closely woven together he couldn't exactly pick them apart. "I'M-THE-S-CLASS-RANK-2-HERO! YOU STUPID-EGG-HEAD! WHERE-DO-YOU-GET-OFF-CALLING-ME-A-KID-HUH!?"
"Alright-alright," Saitama said, digging in his ear with his pinky as if a bit annoyed by her voice as he simply scanned it in. "That'll be 1290 yen."
"That too." She muttered, still somewhat irritated as she used her power to plop something else down on the counter.
Saitama picked it up to scan it in, examining what it was as he did. "Hm...? Candy apples?"
"Yeah! They're candy apples! What, you got something to say about that!?" she demanded, still somewhat irritated about him demeaning her earlier.
He raised an eyebrow curiously, still seeming rather disinterested in the whole situation. "Nah. I just don't like this brand. The ones from the amusement park in City-E are a lot better."
She seemed taken aback by that as she watched him scan it in. She was expecting some kind of comment about how childish it was. "Oh.. yeah," she muttered. Those were the best.
"Okay, and that'll bring your total to 1871," he said.
She pulled her little handbag up, a small black card slipping out of it and floating towards the baldy. As he took it, she looked at him a bit closer. What was wrong with this guy? He seemed rather ordinary, but in the face of that gun just now, he didn't even flinch. It was almost as if he didn't even care. Figuring she'd probably never see him again, she asked him. "So, what's your deal, light bulb? You got a death wish?"
Again, he raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding what she was asking. "Huh?"
"You didn't seem to care that you were going to die earlier. Are you depressed or something?"
"Depressed?" he repeated as he mulled over her question. "No, I don't think so."
"Tch, yeah right. It must be your bald head holding you back."
"Hey! So, I'm bald! So what!?" he yelled, clearly struck by that careless comment.
"So, I bet you can't get a girlfriend! That's all you regular guys ever think about, right!? When you don't have any hero responsibilities, it's all about work and dating!"
His flash of anger dissipated almost immediately as he took a better look at her. "Huh? Wait... are you a hero?"
She gave him a look that just screamed he was an idiot. Of course, he didn't notice or care as he finally seemed to recognize her, if even a little.
"Oh, yeah. I think I saw you on the news the other day. You're uh.. t-.. Turbine of Talent or something, right?"
"... Tornado of Terror," she muttered through gritted teeth.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed rather blandly. "You're the one they say killed that Ocean King or whatever, right?" he asked.
She narrowed her eyes curiously. Why did he say it like that? "... yeah."
"Now that I think about it,"—he finished bagging her goods as he spoke—"I think I see you on TV a lot."
Of course, he does. She's been the number 1 broadcasted hero for the past few days.
"Though, Genos did say you're pretty popular," he continued.
'Genos?' Tatsumaki grabbed her bag from his hand, wondering where she had heard that name.
"Oh... my... gosh...!" a new voice caught their attention. A young red-headed girl stood at the door staring at the floating heroine at the counter with that ever-present gleam in her eyes. "t-.. Tornado!?"
Tatsumaki first took note of the shirt she had on which had some kind of Chibi-fan art of herself. Even after three years of service, it still felt weird having fans. She then took note of the shirt draped over her arm and realized she was another employee.
"Oh," Saitama said, drawing her attention back. "I guess my shift is over."
She almost stopped him there to ask him what he meant but was cut off by the girl who began the usual spiel of adoration and requests. By the time she turned back, the bald man was gone. Who the hell was he...?
AN: There it goes.
