Red lights flashed against dark metallic surfaces as Saitama walked swiftly behind Boros. On more than one occasion, he turned around to make sure Genos was still with them, not wanting to lose his disciple in all the twists and turns they were taking down large halls. The occasional ring of the alarm that sounded was interrupted as a high voice spoke through the intercom system.

"Secure all loose items in your stations, jumping will commence in five minutes." The voice was crystal clear somehow, not even managing an echo in the large halls they walked through. Saitama absently wondered if large concerts back on Earth could make sure of that technology. He came to a stop when he noticed Boros pause and raise a bare hand to a panel in the wall. A door materialized and slid open, revealing the control deck of the spaceship. They walked in right into an elevated platform that held three seats in a triangle pattern. Boros sat in the frontmost and motioned for Saitama to take the one on his right.

Saitama looked back at Genos once more and motioned for the cyborg to take the seat on Boros' left. Once settled into the overly large chair, a seatbelt with way too many straps crossed around his chest and secured him snugly to the back of the seat. He let his eyes wander, his curiosity overwhelming him. On the lower platform there was a flurry of activity from being of all types. Each sat secured to their own chair and were typing away furiously.

The voice of the announcer spoke once more, but this time Saitama could see it was Urisyura that had been the one speaking as she/he leaned into the microphone and gave a final warning.

"Two minutes until we jump."

Saitama looked away and a haze of blue caught his eye. He had only seen this view once when Boros had launched him to the moon, but it was still as marvelous. The giant window that took up the entire front of the control deck captivated Saitama with what it displayed. Below them, Earth spun lazily in the blackness of the sky. He could see the moon as it began to slowly peek out from behind the massive sphere and he marveled at how far it actually was.

He turned to Boros who was studying him with an intense look and pointed haphazardly to the moon. "You kick kinda hard."

A chuckle escaped the pink haired alien and Saitama couldn't help but laugh along at the reminder of the battle.

"And you're far too durable." Boros mocked back, teasing Saitama for having been able to survive the hit and jump back.

Saitama gave a half smile and his eyes met Genos' who had a look of confusion on his face. "Oh right, I forgot you didn't see that Genos." Saitama tilted his head towards the far-off rocky body. "Boros kicked me so far, he sent me to the moon, huh I feel like there's a saying about that." He trailed off and barely managed to see the stunned look Genos now wore.

Before questions could be asked though, the announcer spoke again, the voice steady. "Prepare to jump in 10, 9, 8.."

Saitama realized then that he never bothered to ask Boros what they were doing.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

He guessed he'd figure it out anyways.

"Brace!"

A weird, twisting motion started in Saitama's gut as he stared at the Earth. It felt like his stomach was dropping from under him even if it looked like nothing was happening. He gave Genos a quick glance and suddenly knew what a sick cyborg looked like.

The twisting feeling continued, crawling its way up his throat as he watched a storm of black lightning form to obscure the view of the blue planet. The ship lurched and Saitama was glad he hadn't eaten yet. The harsh vibrations that rocked the ship made him nervous, but Boros looked as if he did this every day, so he tried to remain calm. A deep groaning sound of metal under heavy pressure vibrated through his skull as the ship began to slowly slide towards the black cloud of electricity. Soon, all Saitama could see was the storm with no hint of Earth nearby. Once the ship stopped shaking and seemed to be fully in the mass of dark clouds he relaxed, sure that the worst of it was over.

The universe did like to mess with him though, something that he had somehow forgotten about. An explosion of color blinded him momentarily, but before his eyes could adjust, he felt himself lurched forward as if he had been flung with speeds stronger then even Boros was capable of. He gripped the arms of his chair hard, his teeth clenched as he squinted through the light. At first he just saw millions of stars, but then he watched as their hue shifted to a deep red and they simply faded out of existence in an instant.

The interior of the ship was now the only source of light and Saitama thought he felt the remnants of long forgotten fear turn its ugly head. He looked back at Genos again and watched as he held the chair in a death grip. Boros looked ahead, his hair being flung about in a wind Saitama couldn't feel.

The bottomless feeling that had threatened to stretch him apart dissipated suddenly and the ship lurched once more. Stars now dotted the sky outside of the window and giant nebulas of bright hues stretched for as far as the eye could see.

Urisyura leaned forward, its pitched voice slightly rough when it spoke. "Jump sequence completed."

Saitama let out a breath, not realizing he had been holding it in. He let go of his chair and jumped when the sound of heavy metal falling to the floor sounded near him. He looked down and winced when he realized he had accidentally torn the front corners of the arm rests clear off, the twisted metal jutting out in sharp angles from where he gripped it.

Boros laughed openly at him and his annoyance grew. "Don't worry," the lord said between chuckles. "You'll get used to it."

Saitama wasn't so sure. He looked over at Genos who seemed to be gathering his wits about him while taking calming breaths and Saitama pretended not to see the way his hands shook. He turned his head back to Boros and shook his head, "That's an interesting thing to get used to." He gestured towards the different region of space they seemed to occupy. "Where are we now? Are we near your capitol?"

Boros shook his head and Saitama was slightly disappointed. "No, we still have several jumps to go through before we approach my capitol. We have just reentered my universal space though."

Saitama nodded, pretending to know what he said. If anything he was sure Genos would inform him later. Speaking of..

"Hey Genos, you okay?" He didn't get a verbal response but he was satisfied enough with the stiff nod of his student's head.

Something Boros said decided to register in his head then. "Wait," Saitama turned to look at Boros, not caring that he interrupted Urisyura update. "We have to do more of that!?" Saitama groaned and rubbed his temples. Once had been enough for him.

Boros' eye glowed in mirth, not caring that his second in command was so easy to antagonize. It made it interesting. "Why of course, that's why I said you'd get used to it after all." A savage grin split across his face as Saitama slammed his head back against the chair.

"My lord," Urisyura piped up, frowning in annoyance. Saitama turned to them and listened idly as the being continued its update. He still couldn't figure out if it was a boy or girl.

Urisyura held a tablet out once more, bringing up the map of the superclusters before zooming in. A red dot pinged, and Saitama could only assume that's where they currently were. It gave him no reference to anything he knew and he suddenly wondered how far away they were from Earth. Saitama stood up and leaned an arm against Boros' chair to get a better view, noting that Urisyura only paused briefly before continuing.

"-and the engines will need to refuel before we can jump our maximum distance again. At the current rate, it should take 3 more jumps to reach the capitol." The hologram moved to show the path the ship was currently taking, ending at what Saitama assumed was their destination.

"Hey where's Earth from here?" He asked when he was sure it was no longer going to speak. The being ignored him and he frowned, about to ask again but Boros beat him to it.

"Will you make my lieutenant ask again, Urisyura?" The carefree voice full of mirth was gone, replaced by the throaty, scathing tone that spoke of displeasure. Saitama could see Boros flex his gauntlet covered hand, the electricity arching off even with the power limiter.

Urisyura tensed, its whole body going impossibly still. "N-no lord Boros," it turned to Saitama and bowed low. "Please forgive me, lieutenant Saitama." Its voice was a shallow whisper full of fear and Saitama was about to reassure the being that he wasn't mad until Boros stopped him. He had grabbed Saitama's left arm that was supporting him against the throne and stared him down hard, as if trying to communicate without saying a word. He flicked his blue eye to Genos and that was all Saitama needed to understand.

His brown eyes landed back on the still bowing Urisyura, noting how hard it was shaking. He felt bad, he didn't want to be the bad guy, but this wasn't his territory anymore. And if there was anything or anyone he wanted to protect, it was Genos. Saitama steeled his heart and blanked his expression, shoving away any emotions that may have been even distantly present.

"Don't let it happen again."

Boros gave him a nod of approval before turning back to the bowing crewmember and kicking straight up, catching it on the chest. Urisyura didn't make a sound as its body was flung up and was forced onto its back. Black blood spewed from its mouth onto its blindingly white body, staining a path as it gushed out.

Saitama clenched his jaw but forced himself to remain impassive, to not look away.

"Now then, let's try that again. Show me Earth relative to my location." Boros spoke as he placed a heavy boot on its chest, causing it to wheeze. Boros was large enough that he didn't even have to move from his seat as he sneered down at the white alien. There was a low keening sound emitting from it, but it did as told, raising the tablet as high as it's arms would allow and pressing several buttons to bring up the desired map.

The hologram shifted and Saitama saw it zoom out and out and out… His eyes widened slightly. They were in another galaxy. He swallowed and nodded, "thanks," he said lamely.

With his question answered, Boros stood and stepped on Urisyura on his way back towards the door they came from, Saitama motioning Genos to follow along. He could see the impassive face of his disciple briefly, but he didn't miss the small hiss of steam leaving his vents. Behind him lay a moaning Urisyura covered in blood.

They walked in silence though a part of the ship that was solid wall on the left and open window on the right. The nebulas outside clashed in blues and greens, small bursts of light escaping them here in there. Saitama would have been more captivated if he wasn't so distracted by what just happened.

When he found himself paying attention again, he was in a large room that he could only described as a bedroom. There was a massive bed in the middle and armors strewn about.

"It was necessary" Boros' voice broke the tense silence that had overcome them.

Saitama turned to him, watching as the tall alien stripped himself of his armor and put on more comfortable, loose flowing clothes. He threw the pieces haphazardly around, not caring where they landed before taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

Saitama didn't say anything, instead choosing to look around and distract himself. He heard Boros sigh and turned back around only to find himself directly in front of the lord. From this angle he had to strain his neck to look up at him and was glad there were no excessively bright lights in this room.

He didn't miss when Genos moved closer to him though, his student ever faithful and at his back in a heartbeat.

"Saitama," Boros began, his voice slightly hesitant. "You know I've been honest to you, about my titles?"

Saitama furrowed his brows, Boros knew he had said as much already. Why bother saying it again? His confusion must have been plain on his face because Boros continued.

This time Boros simply chose to emphasize one word. "Dominator, Saitama." Boros' face was hard and closed off as he looked down at him, trying to make him understand.

Saitama blinked and felt stupid for ever having forgotten. Boros nodded at him and continued once he was sure he got the message.

"I have razed cities to the ground, reduced planets to dust and collapsed stars in my conquest, they obey because they fear." Boros stepped back from him, and Saitama stretched his neck from side to side.

"My species lives for a long time, some longer than others. I started my conquest when I was young and have watched new generations of beings know of nothing but my empire, their knowledge of their homeland gone. But their hate went with it." Boros sat back down with a heavy sigh and Saitama wondered just how old the being was to look so tired.

"Not all need to be treated the same, but most on the ship do" he gestured broadly. "Those that are higher in command have been part of my empire for some time, so they understand the dealings, but there's only a handful of them on each ship. The main cities are where you can be..." Boros trailed off and searched for a word. "Yourself."

Saitama hummed in thought, his eyes still staring at the set of Boros' shoulders and how it seemed like there was a giant weight on his back. "Hey Boros, how old are you?" His voice was low, even to himself, but Boros didn't miss the question.

He watched as a blue eye looked up in thought, his pastel pink hair tickling his upper back. Gold earrings flashed in the light as Boros nodded at himself before speaking.

"About… 2,700? 3300?" Boros paused, his lips pulled down in thought. "That's about as narrow as I could make it."

Saitama wanted to laugh.

"That's a difference of 600 years." Saitama was startled when Genos spoke, his student had been so quiet since they boarded, but perhaps he felt more comfortable when it was just the three of them there.

"Yeah, Genos has a point. How do you just misplace 600 years?" All he got from Boros was a shrug. Saitama would have pulled all of his hair out if he had any.

Boros waved them off, his tone light. "Strength makes people live longer, it's a good thing. After all, you'll be around just as long as me, if not longer."

Saitama's mind skidded to a halt, his eyes widening. Boros caught the look and his smile wavered.

"Did you not know?"

Saitama wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to him, hoping he hadn't relied on him staying around nearly as long as Boros himself.

"Boros," he started, "humans don't live that long. If I'm lucky I'll get 60 more years, if I'm unlucky I'll get longer." Saitama didn't really want to be alive to watch his body fall apart around him. He could do with just enough years to live life to the fullest.

Boros didn't look surprised, and Saitama had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Maybe the weak, but your power will keep you alive as long as it is available." It should have been good news, to have been able to grow thousands of years old and experience everything the universe had to offer. But it wasn't. Some part of him was hesitant at the idea, and another wondered if he could find someone as strong as him. It had taken Boros who knows how long. His breath hitched. Would he ever?

"That's..." he trailed off, unable to even form coherent thoughts anymore.

"How do you know?" Genos stepped from behind him and looked at Boros with such intensity, it made Saitama wonder if he had gotten laser vision.

"It has occurred with every species I have come across. Yours isn't special in that regard."

Genos seemed to contemplate his words before nodding slowly, agreeing with the lord. Saitama felt his eyes widen, feeling as if he were fighting a losing battle. If only this issue could have been punched away.

"You're not serious!?" He shouted at Genos, wondering why the cyborg agreed so easily. His disciple's mouth was set in a hard line as he directed his attention back to him.

"Sensei…" Genos paused and glanced back at Boros briefly who had looked away as if to give them some semblance of privacy. "Lord Boros has technology we are hardly aware of and has vast knowledge of numerous species. It is… unwise to think he could be wrong in this regard." Genos placed a hand on his shoulder, his head bowed slightly.

"I will bare this with you, sensei."

Saitama looked at his disciple and a feeling of dread welled up from somewhere deep. Genos wasn't as strong as him, would that mean…? Saitama looked at Boros who glanced away just as their eyes met. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled Genos in for a hug, the cyborg shocked at the rare display of affection.

"S-sensei?" Genos was surprised but he didn't pull away.

Saitama had never known how much he appreciated Genos until then, and his resolve hardened. Saitama pulled Genos back to arm's length but kept his hands firmly on his disciple's shoulders.

"You need to get strong."

He saw his disciple furrow his brows before realization dawned on him. Instead of being sad or remorseful Genos simply nodded and smiled. "Of course, sensei."

Saitama wasn't going to let him go that easily though. "Great, we will spar every day from now on." He felt Genos stiffen slightly under his hands but the smile and resolve quickly returned.

"Yes sensei!"


Boros waited until the two of them finished their conversation, not wanting to intrude on the moment, at least not when it was life altering news. He wasn't the best with such things, and they didn't look like they fared any better than him, but at least the communication was there. He met Saitama's eyes over his disciples' shoulder and the man nodded to him, indicating he was ready to talk again. Boros stood from his seat of the bed and gestured vaguely at it.

"It is my understanding that humans require more sleep than I do. You may use my quarters until your own are properly secured. The washroom is there," he walked as he pointed things out. "And the ships systems are here, though you can do more with it than just control the ship, so be careful."

He saw Saitama eye the device warily, but he nodded either way, letting out a big yawn.

"What about you?" Saitama asked around his stretching.

"I require less sleep, I'll be fine." He gestured to the bed again as he flicked off the lights with the control module in the wall.

"Sleep." He set the doors to lock after he stepped out and watched as they slid closed, another yawn breaking through until he was left alone in the hall. Boros clenched his fists as he hade his way back to the control deck, his anger still burning inside him. He stalked down the corridor, the light of the clashing nebula outside illuminating him in shades of green and blue, making him more menacing in a way. The green clashed with his pink hair, but the blue light made his skin look richer. The halls were mostly clear but anyone that saw him come down slinked closer to the walls and averted their gaze, not daring to make him angry when they could already sense he was in a certain kind of mood.

He threw the door open to the command hall and he saw several of his crew flinch, but they refused to stop their work. No one had stood up for Urisyura, the 3rd lieutenant of the ship when he had punished her for speaking out of turn. She may have commanded the ship in the absence of her superiors, but he was the one who gave it to her in the first place. When Boros strode forward he saw that she was still on the floor, the black blood of her species staining her and the ground she laid on. Good, he hadn't given her permission to stand up, nor had she been forgiven.

Boros' anger returned full force, his mouth set in a snarl, showing off his sharp teeth. "What the fuck was that!" His voice boomed out, his native tongue at the forefront now that Saitama was no longer nearby. The rough language of his people made her shiver hard on the ground, her lips trembling in fear. Boros could feel the fear from the rest of the crew inside the main deck and forced himself to calm down, calling back the lightning that threatened to scorch his subordinate to death.

"L-l-lord B-Boros" she stammered out, a sickly clear goo sliding down her body as fear took hold. "I-I meant n-no disresp-pect" Her plain white face erupted in color as the photoreceptors that acted as her eyes flashed in her fear. Boros kicked her aside so he could sit down without having to get her bodily fluids on his boots.

"Stand up, finish your earlier report." His voice still came out as a growl, but his anger was slowly dissipating. He hated the whining of pathetic beings.

Urisyura wasted no time and stood abruptly, the photoreceptors on her head still flashing wildly as trembling hands brought up the holographic map before having it shift to his fleet of ships.

"O-only your ship was destroyed, the rest are still at the stations you assigned before your brief absence." Her breathing had calmed significantly as she had something to focus on other than her possible death. "The capitol has been informed of this and they should have your new ship ready in seven rotations after our arrival."

Boros closed his eye and nodded, "that's acceptable." He pursed his lips in thought before continuing. "Have Ivarneria meet with Saitama in 10 hours, I want armor for him and his assistant made."

Urisyura nodded and typed the information down, informing the tailor of her new duties and canceling any existing appointments.

Boros figured it might be hard to get them to leave behind the last remnants of their home, but for Saitama to be recognized as his second in command on sight, they would have to show it.

He ripped his mind away from those thoughts and turned to more useful endeavors. "How much longer until refueling is done?"

"We arrived within the star's corona 20 minutes ago, it is nearly depleted already so it has gone slower than usual. Estimations are at 2 hours for full fuel."

That was fine with him. By then Saitama and genos would be in deep sleep and the jump shouldn't wake them. "As soon as it's done set the engines for another jump. No alarms this time, the lights will have to be enough."

If Urisyura found his request strange she didn't show it. She simply nodded and took note, looking up when she was finished. Boros waved her off, "we're done here." Just as she turned to leave Boros stopped her.

"Oh, and Urisyura?" She spun back around immediately but kept her gaze low. "Next time, I'll find a black hole for you to play with." He looked away and she fled as fast as she could.


Genos snapped his eyes open and found himself being flung though the air. He smashed bodily into a wall and his breath was stollen on impact. He quickly gathered his bearings and looked around for a threat, but only say his sensei half asleep and finishing a punch in the other direction. Genos stilled, realizing that the shockwave of the blast was what had thrown him back so abruptly. He had previously been sound asleep on the bed that was massive enough to share with his sensei, but now he was on high alert, his golden eyes scanning the room and trying to see past the dissipating smoke. A heat signal on the ceiling altered him to someone else's presence and he raised his hand up, his eyes locking onto the target before he fired. Just as the heat seeped past his fingertips, Boros appeared before him, his large hand crushing the blast and sealing his hand in his massive fist.

"Stop." The command came out rough and Genos immediately fired down his cannons, the built-up heat being expelled though his shoulder vents.

Boros let him go and Genos looked past his massive frame, seeing his sensei rub sleep from his eyes and yawn loudly. His sensei blinked at him as if he just noticed he was there. "Oh, Genos. Why are you smoking?"

He seemed completely unaware, and Genos wondered if he was being played with. The lights flickered on courtesy of Boros who pointed at the cratered in wall behind Genos.

"You threw your disciple into the wall." Boros pointed out vaguely.

Genos shook his head. "No, sensei did not aim for me, it was simply the shockwave."

Boros ran a hand down his face before muttering under his breath and shaking his head. "Never mind. Why?"

Genos turned towards the being on the ceiling and Boros followed his gaze up before frowning.

"Ivarneria, you were supposed to wait for them to let you in for this very reason." Boros didn't look angry but slight annoyance was laced in his tone.

The octopus like creature on the ceiling looked indignant. "How was I supposed to know he was freakishly strong!?" Ivarneria used her tentacles to slide herself onto the ground, the suctioning never seeming to hinder her movements. The dark green color of its body shimmered in luminescence as it gave his sensei a wide space, hiding behind an exasperated Boros. Suddenly the tentacle creature smacked Boros on the back of his pink head. "Wait hey! I almost died!"

"Ah, sorry" his sensei spoke up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "You kinda scared me."

Boros gestured sharply towards Saitama, "that's why I told you to wait!"

Ivarneria didn't seem cowed in the least and Genos wondered at what kind of relationship they held. Many others in the ship feared even walking in the same hallways as the lord and he wasn't one to forget the prior nights(?) conversation. Boros rolled his eye at the nonsense Ivarneria was spouting before speaking over her.

"Well now that you're awake, Saitama, Genos, this is Ivarneria. She is a diplomat and armor designer. Ivarneria, this is Saitama, he is my second in command." Boros turned and pointed at him. "And Genos, his assistant."

Ivarneria was suddenly all smiles and hugs as her tentacles extended and shoved them both towards her. "Oh wonderful!"

Genos wasn't sure how to react at the overly friendly alien and Boros seemed to sense their surprise.

"Ivarneria is from one of the first planets that came under my rule 3 millennia ago, at the beginning of my travels. Her parents ended up being good friends of mine and I've known her since she was still confined to the water."

That didn't give Genos much to go on considering he knew nothing of her species. At his blank look, Boros continued.

"So give or take 200 years."

Genos could see his sensei's brain practically steam as he crunched the numbers and was more than likely remembering Boros' prior speech to them. His sensei nodded to himself and grabbed one of her tentacles in his hand, shaking it in an odd mimic of a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, Iva."

Genos sighed at his sensei's inability to remember names but was relieved when Ivarneria didn't seem to mind. Or maybe she knew better than to speak up? Her face had mostly human like features, so her emotions were easier for Genos to decipher than others. She beamed at them and unfurled her tentacles from around them, making sure they didn't stumble when she let go. It was almost motherly.

"Hmm a change of clothes would be nice right now; these are starting to get a little…stuffy" His sensei tugged at the collar of his hero attire with a finger and made a face.

"I assumed as much," Boros nodded to him. "Ivarneria will take care of you, call me when you're finished." He turned to leave, passing the crater that had been made and idly threw over his shoulder, "and make sure an engineer patches this up."

Ivarneria didn't seem to hear him as she began running her tentacles along his sensei's form, making the man squirm. "Hold still! I can't get your measurements if you wiggle around more than my larvae!" Her voice was chastising as Genos drew his gaze to his sensei before noticing how distinct the movements were.

"Sensei, are you ticklish?"

"Ticklish?" Ivarneria repeated, as if never hearing the word. Genos nodded to her.

"Yes, ticklish: the act of touching a part of a body in a way that causes involuntary twitching movements or laughter" Genos read off his dictionary just as his sensei let out a burst of laughter.

"Stop it! I-I can't!" His sensei wiggled his way out of Ivarneria's grip and took deep breaths to calm his breathing.

"How…interesting." Ivarneria eyed them up and down in thought before forcefully pulling his sensei back. His laughter started again and Ivarneria held him down and quickly worked through the measurements she needed, though Genos wasn't sure how she was taking them.

Amusement flooded Genos as he watched his sensei be man- no, alien-handled and tried desperately to squirm away without hurting her.

"All done!"

Genos was slightly disappointed, but he filed away the recoding for future laughs.

"Oi! Genos delete that! I saw that!"

Genos didn't get a chance to come up with a reasonable excuse before he was snatched from his position. Ivarneria was running her tentacles long his metal body and frowning here and there, taking the circumference of his thighs and waist. Among other things like his fingers, though he wasn't sure why she could possibly need that. One of her green arms wiggled hard at his side and Genos smirked, realizing she had been trying to get him to laugh.

"Your efforts are futile; I am not ticklish." He smiled at her as she gave a delicate shrug.

"Well, I tried."

Genos looked over his shoulder and saw his sensei gaping at them.

"You did it on PURPOSE!?"


Boros ignored a particularly loud shout that echoed down the hall from his personal chambers. He kept his face impassive even as he felt the cracks along his head light up with electricity.

"What was that?" One of his councilmen spoke, the hologram of the grand table they sat at displayed before him.

"Nothing." Boros shoved his hands into his pockets and forced a frown onto his face even as the screeching continued.

"Delete it!" Saitama's indignant shout carried down the hall louder and Boros let out a breathy sigh, unable to hold back his laughter any longer. He didn't care that his councilmen were staring at him in open shock nor at the looks that they gave each other. A loud crash came right outside the door and Boros turned around just in time to see Ivarneria looking disheveled, carrying Saitama and Genos in her tentacles as far away from each other as possible. She was as large as Boros, so the action didn't seem to be too physically taxing at least.

"You deal with them!"

Boros' eye widened as she boldly threw them at him, and if it weren't for his massive size, he would have missed Genos. He stepped out of the hologram that he found himself in and dumped the two on the floor. Never before had Boros had such chaos on his ship, and it hadn't even been more than two days.

"What is the meaning of this!?" He hadn't even left them that long ago. Genos stood at attention immediately but didn't say a word and Saitama had the decency to look at him sheepishly.

"Ah, nothing?"

Steam blew out of the cyborg's vents and Boros highly doubted it was nothing. He sighed and shook his head and motioned for Saitama to stand to his right, Genos already knowing his position behind his sensei.

Boros turned back to the hologram and cleared his face, ignoring the incredulous looks the other two were receiving. He had hoped to paint this in a better light, but the universe seemed to be fighting against him.

"This is Saitama, my second in command." No one spoke. They just looked at him then to Saitama and back. Boros was starting to get annoyed at the silence but just as he was about to speak Dibjule spoke up from the head of the table.

"Ah, welcome to the empire commander Saitama." His voice seemed to spur the others into action and nods of greeting were send towards Saitama. Boros felt his hackles lower, not realizing when they had raised, and his lips stretched wide enough to show his sharp rows of teeth.

"Good, now where were we?" Boros motioned for them to continue.

"R-right. The new capitol class ship is halfway done, the fuel capacity has been increased by 30% and the jump frame should draw less power bringing the overall efficiency…" Boros felt himself tune the man out. This was all information he could read later. Still, he made an effort to pay attention, not all parts of ruling were fun, and he had his fair share of boring moments such as these. He shot Saitama a glance and almost grimaced when he saw the blank look on his face, completely zoned out.

With a quick strike, Boros slapped him on the back of his head, and he could hear Saitama's disciple's worried 'Sensei!' but acted as if nothing happened. Pretending to have moved in the slightest. The only ones who could have noticed his strike were the two next to him after all.

Saitama cursed under his breath, sending Boros a glare before he forcefully made himself focus on the droning words of the others.

Boros held back the laughter that threatened to surface at Saitama's sour look. Already the hero managed to make his life infinitely more interesting, and the best part was that Saitama didn't fear him one bit. Sure, he worked off the fears of others and their near worship of him, but that was because they were weak. Saitama was strong, it was different between them.

They shared a mutual longing for excitement, though Boros had found his. He glared at nothing in particular, his fist clenching at his side. He was going to make sure he could do the same for Saitama. Maybe not today, but eventually he would give the man the fight he so desperately sought.

"-ome unrest among the population due to it. What do you suggest my lord?"

Boros blinked and found his councilman looking at him expectantly. He swallowed and looked away, trying to play off that fact that he hadn't been paying attention.

"Kill it or fix it."

Dibjule frowned and Boros immediately knew he had not gotten away with it.

"Since the collision path is inevitable, many citizens have worried about the debris. And with our fields down, they won't be able to shield the planet. Your absence has drained a lot of the stored energy, and without you here to replenish it…" His head councilman trailed off, having given Boros just enough information so he could be on track again.

"Ah. Very well, when we arrive we shall deflect any rubble back or simply incinerate it until the shields can work at full power." He had no doubt in his mind that Saitama would be able to deal with a few pesky asteroids while he repowered the machines from his own energy.

"With all due respect my lord, you cannot be in two places at once. You may be able to crush the incoming projectiles but you cannot also charge the forcefields at the same tim-"

"I won't be. Saitama will take care of the asteroids while I charge and fix the equipment." Boros crossed his arms and kept his face passive, knowing full well the implications he was making about Saitama's strength. Before, Boros had been the only one who was strong and fast enough to be able to intercept the space debris, now he was outright saying someone could match him in the job.

He would have been more upset, his pride more stung, but the look on their faces was priceless. He knew they had dismissed Saitama as some other general he had a mild interest in, but now they looked at him, really looked at him. Saitama didn't even seem phased at the fact that he was responsible for destroying large asteroids, and it must have reflected as confidence. Or lack of interest, but the others didn't have to know that.

A silent nod from Dibjule was all Boros needed to finally end the meeting. Knowing they must have still been too stunned to speak. He couldn't blame them, Boros had been the strongest thing they had ever known, to know there was someone who could at least match his strength must have been a daunting realization.

"We will fast track our arrival." With that, he cut the feed and grabbed a daydreaming Saitama by the arm, pulling him to follow.

"Let's try this again." He would also need to scold Ivarneria for her hasty retreat.


He spit at the floor in frustration, watching as acid ate away at the stone. Dibjule's expression was dark as he brooded over the new information. Boros was enough of a challenge to try and defeat, but now that his lieutenant was apparently just as strong as him…

His plans would have to wait. He needed to observe the being Saitama with his own eyes. Though, he doubted that Boros was lying. That one-eyed menace never gave compliments and he hardly laughed. Dibjule paused and looked to his left towards his son. Maybe there would be a way. If Boros found his newest lieutenant interesting enough to open up to, then maybe…

A vicious smile strained the skin over his mouth, his blunt teeth grinding. Yes, he had time to plan.


King was sprawled out on his bed, his eyes unfocused on the ceiling as he tried to process the past few hours. After his confession and Saitama's departure he had left to his home, not wanting to be bothered. He could finally breathe easy, but now he felt shame whenever he looked at other heroes. A queasy feeling pulled at his stomach and he swallowed heavily. His phone had been going off nonstop, but he didn't have the guts to look at it.

He chuckled dryly to himself. What a joke his life was. He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves, fishing for his phone without moving his eyes from the ceiling of his bedroom. His hand trembled as he brought it up and snagged a peek.

Hey, you okay?- Fubuki.

We need to talk- Child Emperor.

You're still my friend- Mumen.

He glanced away from the phone, a slight feeling of relief chasing away the dread. The people he really cared about were the ones who saw King for King, not what he was as a hero. He rubbed his face and sat up, glancing around his empty apartment before taking another deep breath and making a group chat with those that knew Saitama.

Come over, I'll explain everything- King.

He threw his phone on his bed and got up to clean his messy apartment.


Bang sat quietly in his dojo, the tea cold in his hands. The sun cast long shadows inside and lit the walls up in orange and yellow hues. He tried to find the will in him to be upset at the situation but couldn't. He glanced up, observing Atomic samurai across from him. His friend's face was distant, his eyes glazed over in thought. Bang placed his cup down, and the movement caught the others attention.

"These youngsters are going to give me a heart attack one day."

The black haired man snorted and took a swing of his tea, grimacing when he realized it was cold. He let out a sigh and shook his head, the tension visible in his shoulders.

"To think we were played. I never saw it coming."

Bang could have asked which part he was referring to, but he had a feeling he knew. "King was… he played his part well." Though he still wasn't' fully convinced of the how, Bang did believe the why. Being a strong hero came with a lot of lost normalcy. It would have been impossible for Saitama to live how he had.

"You're hiding something."

Bang met the brown eyes that were boring into him, and he sighed before letting out a chuckle. "You're too observant for your own good, Atomic." Bang resisted the urge to sip his cold tea and instead chose to watch the dancing sunlight as it descended.

Atomic didn't reply and he knew he was waiting for Bang to say something. He frowned but relented.

"My brother and I were the first to fight the elder centipede. None of our attacks were useful." He paused, watching his friend closely from the corner of his eye. "King chased it away, but he was not the one to finish it off. He was the bait."

Bang noted the way Atomic gripped his sword and pretended to seem uninterested before he continued.

"Just as it was about to swallow King up, Saitama came in and killed it in one punch. Only a few spare legs remained." Bang heard a sharp inhale and glanced towards the corner of the room where his last disciple was seated, waiting to be called. He motioned Charanko for more tea and turned back to see Atomic glance away from him, hiding his expression.

"So, it's true after all."

Bang didn't bother to answer. If he had any more doubts, there wasn't much he could say to deter them. The sun's rays vanished from the white walls and the room was flooded in darkness, though neither of them seemed to notice.