"Why do we gotta do this again?" Carnage Kabuto groaned as he walked.
"Mosquit-, I mean Mutsuko became a hero so now we have to." Beast King replied.
"Yeah I know THAT." Carnage Kabuto said "What I'm asking though is why WE have to become heroes because of that." He explained.
"Because the doctor believes this will not only better our partnership with the association but also show the world what The House of Evolution is capable of." Armored Gorilla Explained in his robot voice.
"What did we say?" Beast King asked as he cast a glance at the other.
"No robot voice..." Armored Gorilla answered looking down at the ground as he did.
"Then why aren't the others with us?" Carnage Kabuto asked.
"Slugerous, Frog Man, and Ground Dragon aren't fit to be heroes." Beast King answered "And as for Kamakyuri he's already a hero." He added.
"Wait what?!" Carnage Kabuto asked with widened eyes "Since when?!" He added.
"Right after One Punch Man's exam." Armored Gorilla answered "He was really inspired by his performance and he asked the doctor if he could become a hero, after we all got our hearing back of course." He explained.
"If I remember correctly his ranking is B class, though I don't know the number..." Beast King said as he put a finger to his chin trying to remember.
"Heh well I guess that makes sense at least." Carnage Kabuto replied with a scoff "That guy's nowhere NEAR our strength we'll pass him no problem." He assured.
"We're here." Armored Gorilla said causing them to stop.
Looking up at the building before them the trio while not intimidated had to give credit where it was due as this branch of the association was both tall and big.
"Huh not bad..." Carnage Kabuto complimented before looking ahead "Alright let's get this over with." He said as he headed for the doors.
Following their companion the trio would soon find themselves stopping once more as they encountered a problem, which admittedly they should have already thought of but it hadn't occurred to them until this exact moment.
"Um..." Beast King sounded before pointing towards the doors "How're we supposed to get in?" He asked.
While the doors to the building were by no means superbly small they were of course meant for humans and while Armored Gorilla could possibly fit through them unfortunately there was no way the other two would be able.
"Excuse me!" A female voice called coming from their left.
Looking to their lefts as to see who was calling them the trio found a woman standing at five foot five inches dressed in association attire complete with a headset which rested on top of her brown hair standing a few feet away from them.
"Are you three from The House Of Evolution?" She asked.
"Yes we are." All three answered in unison causing a smile to appear on her face.
"Excellent! we received a call from doctor Genus that you three would be arriving." She explained as she turned around "If you will follow me I will show you inside." She instructed before walking away.
Feeling a bit of relief come over them as their creator was smart enough to call ahead the trio followed the woman around the building where they were soon brought to a very large door which they entered.
"This is the part of the building we use for applicants who might be a bit too large for the regular space." She explained "And beyond this we also have rooms, chairs, and equipment all increased in size and made with stronger material for your specific needs." She continued "However besides calling us ahead and letting us know you'd be coming doctor Genus also gave us copies of your files which contain nearly all the information we need to score your physical tests." She finished.
"What else is there?" Beast King asked.
"Oh you'll still need to take the physical exam, but thanks to the files you'll only need to partake in a few tests which were designed for you." She answered "However since this will only take but a few minutes overall we thought it would be best if we gave you the written exam first then had you take the physical." She explained.
"There's a written exam?" Armored Gorilla asked.
"Yes but I can assure you it's only there for us to gauge your dedication to being a hero, in short based on how you describe the reason you want to be a hero will be how you are scored." She explained.
"Pfft that'll be easy." Carnage Kabuto said with a relaxed cocksure grin.
Continuing to walk a bit further they soon came to a stop outside what seemed to be a classroom door.
"There are three pencils on each desk should they break, two erasers, and there is no set time limit so when you are done simply leave the room and proceed down the hall where I will be waiting for you." She instructed before taking her leave.
Watching her go down the hall until she disappeared around a corner the trio then looked to each other for a brief moment before opening the door and going inside. And just as the woman had described everything including the room had clearly been made with the idea of large occupants in mind. Walking over to the first three desks each of them took a seat before picking up a pencil and taking the test.
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm~" The woman hummed as she waited for the trio.
Though it had only been a few minutes since she left them to take the written exam the woman while not impatient was very eager for them to be finished due to the fact she had only ever dealt with human candidates before and was excited to see what these three were capable of.
"I bet the lion has HUGE claws." She thought as she twiddled her thumbs "And the gorilla's a cyborg, so I wonder if he has any cool gadgets?" She wondered "And as for the beetle he seems really docile, so why did the doctor tell us to have knockout gas ready?..." She questioned.
However before she could continue her thoughts the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears, and upon looking down the hall to see who was coming she found it was the beetle.
"Oh you're finished already?" She asked causing him to adorn another relaxed cocksure grin.
"Like I said it was easy." He told her as he reached her.
"I see." She replied with a smile.
Having silence come between them as either didn't really know how to continue the conversation they simply waited in silence for the others. Which thankfully would be very long as another set of footsteps reached their ears this one belonging to Beast King.
"Hey Beast King!" Carnage Kabuto greeted as the other approached "Glad to see the second strongest person here finish after me! I'd never let it go if Armored Gorilla beat you!" He exclaimed.
"It's not a race Carnage Kabuto." The other replied as he reached them "I just felt I said everything I had to say is all." He stated.
"Wait." The woman spoke gaining their attention "Your names are Carnage Kabuto, Beast King, and Armored Gorilla?" She asked.
"Uh yeah." Carnage Kabuto confirmed "Didn't it say that on those files the doc sent ya?" He asked.
"Well yes but I thought those were just your hero names." She admitted "But those can't serve as your names!" She added.
"Why not?" Beast King asked.
"Because they're not names! they're more like titles or mantles but not names!" She answered "You three need ACTUAL names! so give me a moment..." She told them as she began to think.
Unsure as to how to respond to this sudden development the two exchanged a brief look to each other before she snapped her fingers.
"I got it!" She exclaimed "Your name should be Chikara!" She said pointing to Carnage Kabuto as she did "Yours Bunji!" She said now pointing at Beast King "And Armored Gorilla's should be Atomu!" She finished crossing her arms proudly as she did.
Taking a moment to think on the names she gave them both Carnage Kabuto and Beast King while still a bit surprised at how sudden this all was had to admit that those names did sound fitting for them.
"Yeah...Chikara...I like that!" Carnage Kabuto exclaimed with a satisfied grin.
"And Bunji seems perfect for me." Beast King said a similar expression on his face.
"Then it's settled!" The woman exclaimed as she pointed to them "From this day forward your hero names will be Carnage Kabuto, Beast King, and Armored Gorilla but your REAL names will be Chikara, Bunji, and Atomu!" She proclaimed.
Nodding in agreement to her statement before the two could respond to her vocally they heard footsteps approaching from behind telling them that Atomu had finished.
"Hey Atomu! what took you so long?" Chikara asked as the other approached.
"Wait...what did you call me?" Atomu asked confused.
"Don't worry we'll explain inside." Bunji assured as they looked towards the woman.
"Well it seems as though you're all ready to start the physical exam so let's get to it!" She exclaimed with a bit of excitement as she walked through the twin doors behind her.
"Seriously what did you call me?" Atomu asked as he followed his companions through the door.
Now normally the physical exam would consist of several different tests to gauge one's physical potential (hence the exam's name) but as it has been made evident thanks to...the woman, due to doctor Genus sending them the trio's files nearly all information regarding their physical capabilities has already been cleared. So really what awaited them behind those two doors was an arena of sorts somewhat similar to the combat testing room back at the facility, where once they were inside they faced off against multiple targets all varying from still, to moving, to "attacking". However per doctor Genus's request Atomu and Bunji were to go before Chikara as he had stated in bold lettering in the file "CARNAGE MODE IS STILL UNSTABLE" followed by instructions on what kind of knockout gas to have on standby as well as how much they would need to use.
"Alright." The woman spoke as she looked to Bunji who was just now exiting the arena "Thank you Bunji that was an amazing display." She complimented.
"It was nothing really." He said nonchalantly though admittedly he was flattered by the praise.
"Now the only one left is you Chikara." She said as she looked to him "Please step into the arena." She instructed.
"FINALLY some action!" He exclaimed as he went inside.
Going into the center of the arena as the door shut behind him both Atomu and Bunji began whispering to each other.
"You don't think he's going to go into carnage mode do you?" Atomu asked.
"Nah, he'd have to be either super pissed off or be facing a serious challenge." Bunji answered.
"Oh and Chikara." The woman spoke into a microphone which broad casted her voice across several speakers inside the arena "Doctor Genus told us to tell you that it would be best for your exam score if you used something called carnage mode." She said causing the others eyes to widen.
"WAIT WHAT?!" They both asked in unison all the while Chikara had a big toothy grin appear on his face.
"You SURE about that?" He asked INSANELY eager to go all out.
"Mhm absolutely." She answered "So since it seems like this is some sort of power or transformation I'm just going to send out all of the targets at once is that alright?" She asked.
"Bring it on!" He exclaimed as he got into a stance.
"Okay then here we go." She said as she began the test.
Pressing a few buttons on the console in front of her once this had been done every opening in both the floor and the arena's walls and ceilings opened and from them came all of the test's targets heading straight for him. However instead of attacking or even moving Chikara seemed only to flex his muscles and strain which caused veins all across his body to pulse.
"Chikara?" She asked as what she was seeing concerned her "Are you okay?" She added.
However before she could say more she was suddenly grabbed from behind by Atomu who placed her behind him and Bunji.
"What're you doing?" She asked.
"Trust us miss this is for your own protection." He told her.
Confused by what he meant by that she looked between them back into the arena where in just the few seconds she had taken her eyes off of him Chikara had lost some of his armor plating but had also gotten bigger and seemed to be changing color.
"What's happening?" She asked astonished by what she was seeing.
"During his creation doctor Genus wanted to instill within him a sort of last resort where if something should ever come close to killing him he could use it to save himself." Atomu explained.
"However after he was complete it was discovered that his mental state wasn't stable and he also possessed a lack of morality and so instead of using this as a last resort he turned it into a power up so to say." Bunji continued.
"In truth we all possess something like this but because Chikara was meant to be the culmination of the doctor's finest research it was as stated meant to be nothing more than a second wind healing all wounds and returning all stamina." Atomu continued.
"But after a few sessions within the combat testing room he somehow evolved it to not only increase his natural healing capabilities but also his strength, speed, and durability, but the cost was his intelligence and what little sanity he had." Bunji continued.
"Then why would he want to use it at all?" She asked.
"When we were first created the doctor told us our purpose in life was to replace humanity, WE were meant to be the new and improved race." Atomu answered "Which is why he did it so when he was unleashed onto the world he'd be the ultimate killing machine hence why it's called carnage mode." He concluded.
All the while they had talked while it was no surprise to Bunji or Atomu as the woman looked back to Chikara she was shocked to find him even bigger than before near the size of a building. But that wasn't the only change which shocked her his former brown coloration had been replaced by a purple one and his teeth and horn seemed to have grown as well making them more pointed and sharp.
"Here we go." They said in unison as the other's transformation was complete.
"CARNAGE MODE!" Chikara screamed into the air before disappearing from sight.
Unsure as to what had just happened the woman's already present shock grew as without warning the targets around the space began to explode into countless pieces as if they were being struck by a force of inconceivable power. Yet no matter how hard she tried to find the cause all she could see moving in the space besides the targets was quick flashes of purple.
"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!" Chikara's voice shouted as more and more targets quickly met the same fate.
"How long does this last?" She asked those being the only words present in her mind.
"So far it seems he becomes so lost in blood lust that he doesn't come out of it for a week." Bunji answered causing her to look to him with widened eyes.
"A WEEK?!" She questioned as any person would.
"Yes, but that is why the doctor if he told you to let him do this he also had some sort of way to get him to stop right?" Atomu asked.
"THE GAS!" She answered before running past them and back to the console.
"WAIT DON'T!" They both shouted as her sudden action caught them by surprise.
But their words unfortunately fell onto deaf ears as the only thing the woman was focused on was calming down Chikara. Yet as she reached the console and began to initiate the gas she fell backwards to the ground as a loud bang occurred right in front of her in the arena.
"YOU THERE! COME HERE SO I CAN KILL YOU! I WANT TO TASTE YOUR BLOOD!" Chikara shouted as he began assaulting the glass.
Unable to move as the sight before her paralyzed her with fear the woman's rapidly beating heart began to try and calm itself as Bunji appeared by her side.
"Hey you okay?" He asked as he helped her up.
Sadly due to both the shock and fear of what just happened she couldn't respond either verbally or even with a simple nod of the head. Thankfully though just as she was somewhat steadied back on her feet the sound of the gas nozzles spraying their contents into the arena caught her ears and upon looking towards the console she found Atomu standing there with his back turned to them.
"There." He spoke as he lowered his hand to his side "That should calm him." He said.
Within but a matter of seconds the entire space of the arena was filled with a bright blue gas and after a few more moments passed a loud thud was heard from inside indicating that Chikara had been knocked out. Still unable to really speak or move on her own the woman watched as Atomu moved from the console to the arena door before proceeding to open it and go inside.
"His robot parts." Bunji spoke as he looked to her "He's got a bunch of stuff built into him some of it helps him filter air so he can't be knocked out or poisoned." He explained.
Having that question be answered though in her state she hadn't even thought about it she watched as Atomu dragged the unconscious form of Chikara out of the arena and over to them.
"I'm guessing this is a fail isn't it?" He asked as the other began to snore.
Silence filled the air as the trio stood outside of the building awaiting their test results. Which admittedly they didn't think they were going to get as due to Chikara's display earlier and how it had affected the woman more than likely they were going to be told to just leave. But it had been nearly an hour since then in which both Chikara woke up and the woman had been taken away by more employees to be treated in the infirmary they had on site so the fact it was taking so long did give them some hope.
"...It's not my fault." Chikara said defensively causing the other two to look at him "You heard what she said the doc TOLD them to let me go all out!" He reasoned.
"We're not blaming you Chikara." Bunji assured "But the whole purpose of this was to bring some good attention to The House of Evolution as well as better the relationship between us and the association." He explained.
"And now it seems as though we might have failed miserably." Atomu said causing them all to sigh in unison.
"Why would the doc tell her to do that though?" Chikara asked.
"Perhaps he wanted to show not only what he was capable of creating but what his creations could do as well." Atomu suggested.
"Yeah but now it seems like they're more afraid than impressed." Bunji argued which caused them all to sigh once more.
However before their conversation could continue the sound of the door opening caught their attention and as they looked to see who it was that had come out they found none other than woman holding some papers with a smile on her face as well.
"Glad to see you three didn't leave." She told them as she walked over.
"Are you alright miss?" Atomu asked receiving a nod in response.
"Oh yes I'm fine it was nothing more than a bit of shock is all." She assured.
"Are you sure?" Bunji asked as she stopped in front of him.
"Of course I'm sure! I'm standing here aren't I?" She asked before she held out the papers "Anyways though here are you rankings!" She exclaimed causing their eyes to widen.
"Wait you mean we're actually still gonna be heroes?" Chikara asked causing her to giggle.
"Of course you are!" She answered as she wagged the papers slightly "Now go on and take a look at where all of you ended up!" She ordered.
Though surprised that they had still been cleared to be heroes they each swiftly took their paper from her looking it over.
"I'm C class?!" Chikara asked as he gripped his paper.
"I'm B class." Bunji said while a bit disappointed was still content with the result.
"..." Atomu remained silent as he slowly turned his paper around "I'm A class..." He said seeming to be in a state of disbelief.
"Mhm that is correct!" She replied as she pointed to Chikara "While your physical exam score was perfect your written exam only got one point as the only thing you said was "I'm a hero" and nothing more." She explained before pointing to Bunji "You physical test was perfect as well and even though you didn't get a perfect on the written exam what you wrote felt inspired and dedicated which is what got you to B." She explained before pointing to Atomu "And as for you, you are one of the few people to ever get a perfect on both exams because what you wrote as simply as can be described felt like the words of a real genuine hero." She explained before lowering her hand to her side "Overall you all should feel proud of what you accomplished here today for even though you each received different rankings you gave it your all." She praised.
Having silence overcome them once again even though Chikara was unhappy about his ranking he still surprisingly felt proud though it was only because of her words.
"Thank you miss." They all said in unison slightly bowing their heads as they did.
"Oh no need to be so formal, my name's Aki." She told them this time receiving nods from them "Also if you ever want to train or have any questions or issues regarding your hero duties and the association feel free to come back at any time." She added.
Feeling smiles of their own now come to their faces the trio turned around and began to leave. Though after having taken but a few steps Aki spoke once more which caused them to stop.
"Before you go!" She called as they looked back to her "Earlier during Chikara's exam you told me that he had a lack of morality and was mentally unstable." She recalled "But looking past when he went into carnage mode he seemed to be perfectly normal." She noted "So my question is how is it he seems so normal now if he wasn't when doctor Genus created him?" She asked.
Looking between themselves as if silently trying to determine how they should answer this it was surprisingly Chikara who stepped forward first.
"I dunno how much these two told ya but when I was made I was basically supposed to be a walking death machine." He began "But after a few weeks passed and I was locked away due to how dangerous I was the doctor came to me and showed me a video." He continued "The video showed One Punch Man fighting some big octopus and after I saw him kill it in a single punch that's when for the first time in my life I felt afraid." He went on "And the doctor saw it too which is exactly why he gave me a choice, either work to better myself or stay the way I was and be killed by One Punch Man." He admitted "So ever since then I've tried more and more to be like a person than a monster though as you saw I still can't control carnage mode and I DO still get pretty full of myself when fighting's concerned." He concluded.
Letting all of the information he just gave her sink in Aki unable to keep her smile from growing a tad bit bigger replied.
"I'm so glad to hear that." She told him "Because you are strong Chikara and when you're able to control carnage mode there's not a doubt in my mind you'll reach even S class someday." She complimented "But if there's one piece of advice that I can offer even though I'm just an employee and not a hero is that you should try to let others help you, because I've seen so many heroes with amazing potential give up because they let their egos get too big." She said which caused him to smile.
"Thanks I'll keep that in mind." He replied "Oh and sorry for scaring you." He apologized.
"Think nothing of it." She told him before wagging her fingers in front of her "Now off you guys go it's gonna be dark soon!" She said.
Feeling an unusual but pleasant feeling of joy come to them the trio with everything that needed or wanted to be said out of the way proceeded to head back to The House Of Evolution.
"Hey." Bunji spoke as they walked gaining their attentions "I bet ya Kamakyuri's gonna love to hear he's a higher ranking than you." He said which while causing Atomu to laugh angered Chikara.
"YOU TELL HIM AND I'LL MAKE YOU INTO A THROW RUG!" He threatened which only caused Atomu to laugh more.