"What could be worse than that?"
"I just'a had to ask…" Luigi grumbled to himself as he crouched behind a large pile of rubble as a blast of lightning arced over the area, tearing apart buildings and knocking heroes from the ground and sky alike. This particular villain had shown up out of nowhere and screeched something far too fast for anyone to hear before he - it was assumed the being was male based on perceived body shape - had begun to blast indiscriminately at anything around him, plainly seeking to cause as much damage as possible and specifically targeting anything that accessed the internet...which apparently was just about everything. At first, B and A Class heroes in the area had attempted to deal with him, but they had promptly been blasted away, and so S Class heroes had been called in to provide backup and take the creature down. Luigi and Genos had paused long enough to get a briefing, but nothing was known...until Genos had listened to the recording of what the creature had said. Genos had...not translated what was said, but he had looked very awkward and uncomfortable as a result. "So what are we'a fighting, anyway?" he demanded Genos in confusion.
"It calls itself Web Soul," Genos explained calmly, "and…" He coughed awkwardly. "He was apparently born in the internet and...traumatized and enraged by human usage of it to the point he has burst free to eradicate human ability to use the internet so he can purify his home...or just eradicate humanity, whichever is easier."
Luigi blinked in confusion. "What could'a be so bad on the net to make him wanna do that?"
Genos stared at Luigi in disbelief for a time, then finally sighed. "For your sake, I hope you never find out," he avowed firmly.
"Well for now-" Luigi began, only to duck as another blast from Web Soul ripped a building in half, sending down a rain of rubble...that froze in midair surrounded by green energy. "Huh?"
"Looks like we have backup," Genos stated calmly as he pointed to where a figure could be seen beneath the building that had been broken in half. A very young seeming woman hovered in midair, surrounded by green energy as she glared contemptuously up at Web Soul. She had emerald eyes, short green hair that curled up at the tips, and wore a form-fitting black dress with four slits from the waist down, showing off her legs and low heels.
As Luigi watched, the young woman smirked as she sent the rubble flying at Web Soul, only for it to pass right through him as he reshaped around it. He unleashed another high-speed screech of words as he danced around out of the grip of the green energy that took shape.
"...we should be glad she couldn't understand that," Genos murmured softly as he coughed awkwardly. "That would have definitely set off her temper."
"Why would that-" Luigi began, only to freeze as he saw Web Soul unleash another blast of lightning. The green-haired woman smirked contemptuously, and the green energy wrapped around the blast...only to have no effect. Her eyes widened in shock. Luigi saw things move slowly as she started to move to dodge the blast, too little too late-
Genos stared in shock as the air tore around him in a whirlwind that made Speed-o-Sound Sonic look like a snail by comparison. One moment, Luigi had been watching the blast of lightning making its way towards Tatsumaki. The next, the ground between where he'd been and Tatsumaki was torn upwards by the shockwave and he stood between her and the blast, the lightning striking his right hand as he charged it with his Thunderhand technique, managing to keep the energies from racing through and overwhelming his body. "...this might be bad…" he murmured to himself as he watched.
Tatsumaki stared in shock at the well-muscled figure that had appeared between her and the blast that had been about to hit her. It wasn't someone leaping to her defense that left her so shocked, as that would normally just make her pissed at someone thinking she needed protection. It also wasn't seeing someone so well muscled so close to her, as she'd seen that before...though never quite this close, as she usually ensured any muscle-heads kept their distance. It also wasn't him seeming to absorb the blast that nearly hit her, as she'd seen things like that happen before too.
No, what had her in shock was that the psychic barrier she'd raised at the last moment to try and block the blast - one strong enough to send other S Class heroes flying - was parting around him like water before a stone. She hadn't been certain it would deflect the lightning since she hadn't been able to grasp the energy, but it should have protected her from the force of the explosion if she'd managed to raise the ground to block as well...but this man had simply appeared within it, slipping in so smoothly she hadn't even felt it. No one had ever been able to get this close to her without her knowing or sensing it ahead of time before. Even that bald fool set off her senses, even if she couldn't easily stop him (not that she'd ever admit that).
"You alright, miss?" the strange man asked worriedly, his voice and eyes full of warm concern.
Tatsumaki stared up into those bright, kind blue eyes, that honest face, that bushy mustache… She quickly looked away to focus on the enemy before he could see her blush. "I'm fine," she insisted firmly as she floated up to where she had more maneuvering room. "I can handle this guy easily."
Web Soul let out another rapid screech of speech, gesturing at Tatsumaki and the green-clad stranger in a manner that the esper instinctively found upsetting. Before she could react, however, a green fireball had slammed into Web Soul, causing him to let out a shriek of surprised pain.
"I don'a need to know what you said to know ya don't talk that way to a lady!" the green-clad hero stated firmly, his mustache bristling in anger as his bright blue eyes paled to almost steel gray from his rage, flashes of light within giving the impression of a thunderstorm behind his pupils.
"So that's why I couldn't grasp him or the lightning," Tatsumaki growled as she focused her energy differently, trying to distract herself from this new combatant. "I was trying to freeze him, but he's vulnerable to heat-" She stared in shock as the green-clad figure leapt forward.
Web Soul snarled angrily and unleashed a massive blast straight at his attacker...but the figure caught the lightning in one hand and drew it into his body as he flew straight for Web Soul. Before the energy being could react, the new hero's hands were surrounded in green flames...and lightning lashed through his arms as he delivered a blistering frenzy of flaming punches to the beast as it writhed, flinched, pulsed, and cracked, its energy state fluctuating out of control.
Determined to get her own in, Tatsumaki gathered her psychic energy...and her eyes lit as she had an idea. Once again, she focused on trying to freeze Web Soul. She grinned as she saw the beast writhe in agony from the constant temperature fluctuations until it exploded.
"Yaho!" the green-clad stranger declared, his voice a mix of excitement and relief as he landed at the end of his jump. "That was tough! I dunno if I can handle all of this…" He shook himself off, then patted his cheeks. "Buck up, Luigi," he murmured to himself, though loud enough for Tatsumaki to hear. "Remember why you're doing this. Gotta be strong so you can be brave for your brother…"
A thoughtful expression crossed Tatsumaki's face as she heard that...and she decided to do something she hadn't ever considered for a long time. She floated down to give this new hero some encouragement.
"You're Green Mario, right?"
Luigi blinked in surprise as he turned to face the young woman he'd helped, who had helped him to beat Web Soul. Now that the intensity of combat was passed, he could notice just how...cute and pretty she was. Definitely way out of his league, not that he was looking for romance. "Yeah, thats'a me," he confirmed happily. "I don'ta think I caught your name."
She chuckled indulgently. "That has to be genuine. No one who knew me on sight would pretend not to be aware of the second rank S Class hero...not even the new 18th rank."
Luigi blinked in surprise. He did know about the second rank hero, though he hadn't made the connection immediately. "Tatsumaki," he concluded with a smile. "Should'a figured the lady so pretty she sweeps me off my feet is named for the strongest wind." He saw no reason not to be honest with compliments when he knew he had no chance. An honest kind word opened doors to friendships, after all.
To his surprise, Tatsumaki's eyes widened and she turned aside, clenching her teeth as her cheeks pinked a little. "Bet you're feeling tough after taking out your first Dragon level threat, aren't you?" she asked challengingly.
"Nah," Luigi countered dismissively. "Terrified out of my wits still." He shook himself out. "More luck than anything ta pull that off. Just in'a the right place at the right time with the right skills…"
Tatsumaki looked him over for a time. "...I'll be keeping my eye on you," she observed mysteriously before floating off.
Luigi blinked in confusion as he stared after her. "Uh...thanks?" he offered uncertainly.
Tatsumaki kept her face down so the green curls that framed it hid her blushing cheeks as she headed straight home. He was definitely strong and skilled...but he didn't let that puff himself up. Like her, he had a sibling he was doing this to take care of. And he was genuinely gentle and kind...and found her pretty. And that mustache…
Damn her hormones! She would not lose control over some new pretty face the day he showed up and get turned into a tabloid joke! She was better than that! ...next week she'd scout him out and find out more about him.
The last vestiges of Web Soul floated through the ether, struggling to cling to life...only to be sucked into a vortex of enraged fury barely contained behind a veneer of apathy and disinterest. The amalgam being welcomed him, and made him a part of itself.
Negatama smirked as he read Web Soul's last memories. Saitama had been watching. This 'Green Mario' was a student of his obviously...and he would be fighting many more beasts that rose in the Cities. Soon he would have enough to be at full strength...and in the meantime, Bowser would keep things...fun.