"So, this is where you've been hiding..." Zombieman muttered beneath his breath as he looked ahead at the structure in front of him and the rest of S class.
He didn't think this day would come so soon, the chance to confront the man that made him. Furthermore, Zombieman always assumed this would be a confrontation he'd handle by himself since what he needed to settle with doctor Genus was his business and his alone. And yet, here he stood, the Association's personnel carrier to his back and his fellow S class members at both sides.
"Alright, what's the game plan?" Metal Bat asked, his weapon resting comfortably on his shoulders. "Do we storm the castle? Wait for them to come to us? What?" He added.
"Why don't we ask the tin man?" Tatsumaki suggested as she put her hands on her hips. "You haven't said a word this entire time, Metal Knight! Even before we left!" She exclaimed while raising a finger to point at the drone.
Per the norm, Metal Knight didn't grace the other heroes with his ACTUAL presence. Instead, he sent another robot from his seemingly endless supply to serve as his stand-in.
"Unlike you, Tornado. I don't waste my time letting out hot air." He responded, which immediately lit her fuse.
"DO YOU WANT ME TO CRUSH YOUR TOY?!" She asked, not putting up with his attitude.
"If you do that, you won't be able to hear the intel I've gathered." He answered.
"What intel?" Child Emperor inquired, everyone now listening intently.
"This doctor Genus is NOT to be taken lightly." He began, a holographic projection of the building being cast from the robot's optic. "The building, although made to look inconspicuous with its design, is an impenetrable fortress. Furthermore, I cannot get any readings on what kinds of machines or potential traps await us inside." He continued.
"Gee, this is SUPER helpful. I'm SO glad I didn't crush you." Tatsumaki sarcastically told him.
"However, I can identify several heat signatures. Most of them appear to be the same individual, which is quite interesting." He said.
"Clones, most likely," Zombieman responded, offering his knowledge of their opponent.
"My thoughts as well. But apart from them, there are multiple other signatures. Including one that is unquestionably One Punch Man." He concluded as the holographic projection ended.
"Where is he in the building?" Bang asked.
"On his way out." He answered, catching them all by surprise.
"Wait, are you serious? One Punch Man's coming out?" Atomic Samurai questioned.
"Yes. And he's bringing company." He told them.
Upon hearing that, every member of S class directed their focus to the building's entrance, some even entering combat-ready stances in case they needed to fight. After a few minutes passed, the hero they all came to see and potentially rescue appeared. And walking alongside him was a menagerie of monsters, with the only normal-looking people being a doctor and a cyborg.
"Hey, guys." Saitama casually greeted with a wave of his hand, acting as if this weren't an unusual situation.
"Hey, guys?!" Tastumaski responded, surprisingly being the first. "What the hell is wrong with you, baldy?! You make us come out to the middle of NOWHERE, and THAT'S the first thing you say to us?!" She asked.
"What else am I supposed to say?" He answered with a question.
"Uh, I don't know, maybe an EXPLANATION?" She suggested while putting her hands on her hips for the second time.
"And why exactly does One Punch Man need to explain anything to you?" Mosquito Girl spoke up. Her arms were crossed, and an annoyed expression was on her face. "The last time I checked, he's the strongest hero in the world AND the top-ranking member of S class. So, if anyone needs to do some explaining, it's you." She said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I speaking to you?" Tatsumaki replied, now folding her arms as well. "No, I don't think I was. I can't imagine why I would ever talk to a LITERAL bug." She insulted.
"Uh, guys? I think we're losing sight of what we're-"
"Ha! Wow! That's SO original! Pointing out the fact that I'm half Mosquito. Incredible. You must be the smart one in S class." Mosquito Girl retorted, both she and Tatsumaki ignoring Saitama's attempt at diffusing the situation. "Is that why you're pint-sized? Because all the mass that would've gone to giving you a REAL woman's body went to your head instead?" She asked while flaunting her physique.
Oh...no...Mosquito Girl knew not what fury she incurred. But before Tatsumaki had the chance to do anything, which she was about to, given her clenched fists and the sudden look of murder, someone stepped in to get control over the situation.
"Enough!" Dr. Genus exclaimed with authority as he walked forward. "Please, there is no point to any of this petty squabbling. Nor is there a reason for there to be any conflict." He said before bowing towards Tatsumaki. "I apologize for the rude outburst of my creation. Please, forgive her, and don't let this lead to anything rash." He told her.
"Huh, the doctor's pretty diplomatic." Saitama thought, impressed by his willingness to extend an olive branch.
Thankfully, it seemed as though doctor Genus's attempt at peace worked. Tatsumaki's hot head began to cool down, and her expression changed from anger to irritation.
"Hmph! I'll accept your apology, so long as you keep your bug under control!" She replied with a demand.
"Thank you." Dr. Genus said as he straightened himself. "Now, if we can all take a few moments to allow One Punch Man to explain the situation. I'm sure we can avoid any unnecessary-"
KLANG
The sound of clashing metal rang out through the air at a high volume. Its cause? Zombieman's long-bearded ax as it struck Genos's arm. During Tatsumaki and Mosquito Girl's trade of insults, Zombieman, using it as a distraction, slipped away from the rest of S class into the forest surrounding them and the House of Evolution.
Unfortunately for him, Genos, who was keeping track of everyone present, noticed his absence and thus was ready for when the S class hero attempted to assassinate the doctor. However, it didn't come without injury, for although he wasn't one of the strongest members of the S class, that didn't mean Zombieman was weak. So, when combined with the size and sharpness of his weapon's blade, Zombieman nearly severed Genos's appendage, stopping halfway through the forearm.
"Whoa!" Superalloy Darkshine exclaimed, expressing everyone's shock at this sudden development. "Zombieman?! What're you doing?!" He asked.
"Zombieman?" Dr. Genus inquired while looking at his attacker, being the calmest of them all despite almost dying. "...Ah. That's why. Subject sixty-six." He realized, recognizing the hero.
"So, you do remember me," Zombieman said, his ax still embedded in Genos's limb as the cyborg held him back.
"How could I forget?" He asked, now turning to face him. "The only success of the immortal series. And you also destroyed my current facility at the time when you escaped. I'd have to be senile or brain dead to forget you." He told him.
"Wait...you...made Zombieman?..." Child Emperor inquired, asking the question everyone had on their minds.
"Yes. He did." Zombieman answered for doctor Genus. "Along with sixty-five others before me. All in his pursuit of genetic superiority." He told the prodigy before looking towards Saitama. "I don't know what he's told you, One Punch Man, but doctor Genus is a devoted egomaniacal monster who'll do anything to achieve his dream. And if he's asked you to come here, it can't be for anything good." He stated.
"That was true back then, sixty-six. But not anymore." Dr. Genus replied as he gestured to Saitama. "When I first saw One Punch Man's strength, I was...many things. Terrified. Amazed. Intrigued. The list goes on. But the first thing to strike me was a realization. No matter what I could produce, even my greatest creation which stands before you, Carnage Kabuto, I would never be able to overcome what One Punch Man has managed to achieve. Although it may sound absurd or even like a bad attempt at deceiving you, I've changed. And now, rather than destroy the world and reshape it in my image as a self-proclaimed god, I want to help it." He explained.
A tense silence gripped the air for several seconds as everyone waited to see how Zombieman would respond. They could tell he was struggling to believe any of what the doctor had told him, which was understandable due to their complicated history. And for a moment, it seemed as though things would end well as Zombieman removed his ax from Genos's arm. But sadly, peace didn't seem to be an option for the immortal hero as he used the long handle of his weapon to knock the cyborg to the side, giving him a clear shot at doctor Genus.
In a single instant, many things happened. Zombieman drew from his trench coat a desert eagle and pointed it at doctor Genus's face. Both S class and the doctor's creations all reacted and rushed forward to try and stop him from shooting. And as for Genos, he did his best to quickly get back to his feet to prevent the doctor's death alongside everyone else but struggled since one of his arms now barely functioned.
Staring down the gun barrel, watching as Zombieman's finger slowly began to squeeze the trigger, doctor Genus showed no signs of fear or any other emotion. He stared directly into his killer's eyes, as did the killer with his, unblinking as they waited for this situation to end.
CRUNCH
That was the only word that could accurately describe the sound that just occurred, for what caused the noise was even more shocking than Zombieman's nearly successful murder. Without anyone seeing him do it, Saitama managed to move from where he stood to where Zombieman's hand and gun were. Then, before Zombieman even noticed Saitama's presence, he reached out, grabbed onto the weapon, and crushed the barrel in his hand. Watching as several different pieces and metallic parts that were once the barrel fall to the ground, everyone's eyes now locked onto Saitama to see what would happen next.
"Hey, Zombieman." He spoke, still as casual as he always is.
"Y...Yes, One Punch Man?" Zombieman responded, admittedly nervous and slightly scared at what the world's strongest hero was about to say or do.
"Let me ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me." He began as he pointed to doctor Genus with his thumb. "So far, has the doctor killed anyone? Maybe kidnapped innocent people for weird experiments or something like that?" He inquired.
"To my knowledge...no. He's never kidnapped or harmed a civilian." Zombieman said.
"Okay. Then why do you want to kill him so badly?" He asked.
"Because...of the things he was willing to do," Zombieman answered before he too pointed at doctor Genus. "Remember what he said before? Number sixty-six. It took sixty-five people, clones, experiments, whatever you want to call them, to achieve his goal. He played god without an ounce of care or consideration for what he was doing. Creating life just to have it destroyed or tossed to the side if it didn't meet his expectations and desires. And even when I, the successful experiment, escaped and destroyed everything around me on my way out, Genus just sets up shop somewhere else and continues his work as if nothing happened. Someone like that can't change for the better. After a lifetime of trying to prove humanity is flawed and that he deserves to replace it with something better, there's no way that he'd suddenly decide to stop just because he saw you. If anything, that would fuel his madness as he'd want to create something that could surpass the world's strongest hero." He explained.
"Hmm...so...it sounds like what you need...is proof..." Saitama hummed, thinking about what his fellow hero told him.
"Proof? Of what? That he's turned a new leaf?" He questioned.
"Yeah. If doctor Genus proved he was different, you wouldn't have any reason to kill him." Saitama said.
"But there's no way he can prove that One Punch Man. I've been trying to track him down for years. Why? Because he has remained in hiding. He is constantly on the move to continue his research. And I find it HARD to believe that if he wanted to help people, he would continue to make more of his creations. Since they're designed to be destructive." He argued.
"I mean, you could say that about most of us." Saitama countered as he pointed to the other S class heroes. "Tatsumaki could lift a city and crush it into the size of a baseball. I've seen Atomic Samurai slice through walls, cars, and even entire buildings whenever he's dealing with a monster. Metal Knight has robots that can shoot missiles, bullets, etc. Metal Bat can swing so hard he can make massive craters in anything he hits. Drive Knight has all kinds of crazy transformations that make him a walking weapon." He listed before focusing back on Zombieman. "I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. Everyone here, in some way or another, is strong. And could use that strength to get whatever we wanted, even if it meant hurting people. But we don't. And people trust us never even to consider that. So, if we can be trusted with our power to protect people, why can't we trust that doctor Genus and his creations will do the same?" He asked.
Everyone reacted to what Saitama said just then, and all of these reactions could be put into nice and neat categories. Most of those present felt inspiration or awe at Saitama's words, such as doctor Genus's creations, the majority of S class, and Genos. Then there were those who, while surprised, fully expected Saitama to say something like this, such as King. And lastly, there was the smallest category of the bunch, consisting of only two people who felt their hearts skip a beat when they saw him speak so "passionately" about this, Mosquito Girl and a certain vocal heroine.
But what did Zombieman think of that? What thoughts raced through his mind after hearing Saitama's speech? In truth, not even he knew. On the one hand, he agreed with what the top-ranked hero said, that if S class and most of the heroes within the Association could be trusted not to abuse their abilities, then that same trust should be shown to others, including doctor Genus. And yet, despite that, Zombieman couldn't forget about the past, about the man he'd been hunting all these years; it wouldn't be possible for him to pretend like doctor Genus, the man with an ego larger than the planet, would suddenly give up his conquest to drive humanity to extinction and replace it with something of his design.
So, where did that leave them? What was the course of action since it was clear that One Punch Man wouldn't allow doctor Genus to be harmed?
"...I'm sorry, One Punch Man. But I can't ignore the past." Zombieman apologized as he finally lowered what remained of his former firearm. "If I'm going to believe that the doctor's changed, I need to see it myself. I can't take it on goodwill, even if it's yours." He told him.
"If that's the issue, there's a simple solution," Saitama replied, now pointing at Zombieman. "You two can work together." He said.
"...We can what?" Both Zombieman and Dr. Genus questioned in unison.
"Work together. Like partners. Or coworkers who, at the very least, can tolerate each other." He repeated with a bit more clarification. "That is unless you want to try and shoot him again?" He asked.
"Heh, would there even be a point in trying? You'd just stop me again and break another of my guns." Zombieman inquired, amused by his question.
"Not really. But I figured I'd still give you the offer." He responded before he walked past both men.
"One Punch Man? Where are you going?" Dr. Genus asked, confused by the hero's sudden departure.
"Home. This kind of stuff tires me out." He answered while putting his arms behind his head.
"But...we haven't finished the tests..." Dr. Genus reminded.
"We can do that another day. Plus, it'll give you time to study the results and make more for me." He suggested.
"Uh...One Punch Man?..." Child Emperor spoke up as Saitama approached and soon walked past S class. "What about us?" He inquired.
"You guys showed up all of a sudden. You can stay here and investigate doctor Genus's building or go home. Doesn't matter to me which you do." He told them.
"Hm, that's not a bad idea. It would help us dispel any concerns we may have regarding the doctor." Metal Knight agreed, most likely out of self-interest.
"Metal Knight's got the spirit." He said, continuing to walk away. "See you guys later." He bid farewell before disappearing into the forest, leaving everyone behind to sort this mess.
(A/N: Per the request of a polite reader, and for my sanity to never receive the same message repeatedly from so many different people, chapters will now not be deleted and replaced until their updated versions are updated and prepared for immediate replacement. So, until then, peace.)