(A/N: Before we begin I just wanted to give a personal thank you to a guest reviewer by the name of Amrita, who not only reads this story herself but also her daughter does as well, thank you so much for your kind words and you will be happy to know that I already do have plans for the C class hero Swim in the near future, again thank you so much for your review as I personally have been feeling incredibly depressed lately and that motivated me to get this chapter out, sorry for the pre-chapter ramble and without further hindrance, enjoy)
You know, some would think that after being thrown through a building, having all your stuff be tossed around on the grass, then having to pick said stuff up from the ground and carry it back in would leave that person quite unhappy. But of course Saitama wasn't the kind of guy to get angry over something like that, though it was partly because he just didn't feel any kind of pain. Instead he just headed back inside and back to his room, where Tatsumaki of course had already left and now there was just a big gaping hole where his door once was. This then led him to simply turn in for the rest of the day, for while he wasn't really tired he didn't feel like trying to explain the situation to Tatsumaki at the moment, as well as deal with everyone else and all of their questions about what was going on.
And while by the time he woke up his room was completely fixed and all of the clothes he had brought back in had been washed to perfection, he knew that the moment he ran into someone he'd be getting an earful. Which is exactly why as of this moment as he headed down to the ground floor in one of the elevators, he did his best to think of a way to maybe try and keep the focus off of what happened, or at the very least figure out a way to continuously change the topic.
"Maybe I could talk about the weather?" He thought only to shake his head dismissively "Nah that's boring, plus it's been nothing but sunshine all week." He noted as a sigh escaped him "God this is gonna suck..." He groaned as the elevator came to a stop.
Stepping out once the doors were open, Saitama wanting to get this over with as a fast as possible headed straight for the dining hall. But the moment he reached the two ornate wooden doors that led to the space and opened them, he was not met with a bombardment of questions or even a mob that wanted to talk with him about the matter, instead he found everyone just sitting there at the table with their food quietly eating. Admittedly shocked by this he slowly entered the room somewhat on guard in case something was afoot.
"Hey Saitama." King called as he pointed to an empty chair between him and Genos "Saved you a seat."
"Thanks." Saitama replied as he walked over and sat down.
"We got you some pancakes and bacon, figured that'd be all you'd want anyways." King told him as he went back to eating.
Looking down at the plate in front of him before taking another look at everyone, he slowly leaned over to Genos before whispering in his ear.
"Psst, Genos." He spoke softly as to gain the other's attention "Why's everyone so calm?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" Genos questioned in a softened tone as well.
"Doesn't everyone know about...well you know?" Saitama wondered.
"Are you referring to you and Fubuki?" Genos asked.
"Of course I am." Saitama confirmed with a nod.
"Well, the truth is they were all talking about it a few minutes ago, but they had Suguru stay on alert for when you were coming." Genos explained.
"...Who?" Saitama asked as he had never heard that name before.
"Him." Genos clarified as he pointed down the table.
Looking in the direction he was pointing Saitama saw at the end of the table all of the members of the House of Evolution, excluding the clones of course. And while yes he did in fact see them when he walked in along with everyone else at the table, he only really registered doctor Genus and Mutsuko as they were the only two he really knew. But beyond being slightly surprised that they were all there he found which member Genos was pointing to specifically, a five foot ten creature that had pinkish skin and looked like some kind of cross between a man and a slug. Now given the fact this was one of doctor Genus's creations Saitama of course was expecting it to look a little strange given it was basically a human animal hybrid, but this one was without question the weirdest looking one of the bunch.
And it wasn't because of it's skin nor because it was a slug human mix, it was because it didn't have any facial features other than a mouth which was almost impossible to see when it was closed.
"Dude what the hell?!" He asked as he just stared at it unable to look away "Why doesn't that one look like the others?!"
"Actually he did, before the Sea King killed him." Genos admitted as he readied a bite of his meal on his fork "After that doctor Genus decided the improve the designs of him, Fujio, and Genjiro." He explained as he pointed to the frog and mole looking ones.
"And THAT'S the improved version?" Saitama asked.
"Yes, both functionally as well as aesthetically." Genos assured as he pointed to Suguru's head "Thanks to this new form his telekinetic powers are much greater and it also allows more room for improvement." He explained as he placed his fork in his mouth.
"Okay but still, did he REALLY look that bad before?" Saitama asked.
Deciding not to answer verbally as he was currently chewing, Genos instead took out his cellphone and showed Saitama a picture of what he looked like before.
"Oh." He said simply as he now stared at the photo "...Wait...why do you have this?" He asked.
"Just like you I too had questions regarding his new appearance." Genos answered after swallowing "So when I asked Mutsuko, she sent me these pictures for comparison." He admitted as he began to scroll through his photos.
Looking at the next two photos which were of Fujio and Genjiro, Saitama had to admit they did all look much better than they used to. Fujio's changes consisted of a new height of six feet, a slimmer body for better mobility, and he was now a poison dart tree frog, which in turn changed the color of his skin to yellow with black spots. As for Genjiro he actually didn't get a whole lot changed to him, the only things Saitama could see was he no longer had the kanji of "Ground Dragon" on his chest and his snout had been brought a bit closer to his face, making him admittedly look like a plush toy.
"Huh, well what about him?" Saitama asked as he pointed to Kamakyuri "Didn't he used to be green? and have his brain on display?"
"Yes he did, though he apparently changed his appearance before he was killed by the Sea King." Genos answered "If I remember correctly, she said he changed his form during a battle with a ninja." He noted.
"A ninja?" Saitama asked as he looked to the ceiling "I wonder if...nah." He said as he shrugged off that idea.
With that conversation finally coming to it's end both Saitama and Genos resumed eating their meals, and while Saitama could feel a few glances and occasional stares over the course of the meal it managed to go to the end in relative peace and silence. But the moment he had finished eating his breakfast and carried his plate, glass, and silverware to the proper bin for collection and then went on to leave the room, everyone slowly looked towards the two doors as to make sure he wasn't coming back.
"...Okay, he's out of hearing range." Suguru told them giving them the all clear.
As if those words had been the match to light the fire the room suddenly erupted in a sea of conversations, theories, and gossip all revolving around Saitama and Fubuki.
"I'm surprised they were able to keep it in the whole time he was eating." King admitted as he finished off his juice "Wanna follow Saitama and see if he wants to hang out?" He asked as he looked towards Genos.
"It would be better than listening to this." Genos replied as he gathered his things.
Standing up with their items at the same time the duo both put their things in the bin as Saitama had done before leaving the dining hall.
War drums, cannons firing, planes crashing, and mortar shells exploding, all of these loud booming noises held not a feather to the unbearable pounding that was going on inside of Tatsumaki's head. What made it worse though is that this horrid feeling of sickness and pain had pulled her out a very pleasant dream, the likes of which she hadn't had in quite some time. In the dream she and Fubuki were children again, and unlike their busy lives now as heroes they didn't have a care in the world. They played and ran about as little children do, and they even had a tea party where one of the animals admittedly looked like a stuffed toy version of Geryuganshoop.
But in truth while this was a nice dream that part at the end was probably what actually woke her up, for while most little girls did enjoy tea parties and other girly things of that nature, Tatsumaki had always been fairly mature even back then. But sadly this trip down memory lane was to be saved for a different time, for as consciousness returned to her she really wished it wasn't. Her whole body felt sort especially her throat, her senses felt both numb yet hyper sensitive, and as for her head oh god did it kill her, for if you think a hangover sucks try imagining what it's like for a psychic like her. To put it simply when one becomes a psychic or shows psychic potential, their brain is already far more sensitive to certain things that normal people's brains are not.
And while this isn't meant to imply she was more aware of certain things or perhaps had a sharper wit about her than most, it basically meant that her brain was more easily affected by developments regarding both natural growth as well as things like training or even experiments. But this sensitivity was a two way street, if kept in perfect health and treated properly her brain like any other true psychic's was capable of limitless power and potential, but when subject to things like alcohol it could cause far greater disorientation and in the case of a hangover far greater pain than that of a normal person's.
"Ugh..." She groaned as she slowly placed a heavy hand to her forehead "God I feel like shit..." She said as she tried her best to get out of bed.
And it truly was an effort to even so much as get her legs to dangle off the mattress, as her whole body felt like it had been filled with concrete and tossed to the bottom of a lake. But through willpower and the knowledge that this wouldn't get any better if she just lied there like a paper weight, she managed to get her legs off of the bed and her feet soon on the floor.
"Okay...easy part's done..." She said as she gripped the sheets "Now to not fall on my face..."
Slowly she rose up into a standing position, where immediately she leaned forward and placed her hands against the wall to help her keep balance. From then on it was like a child's first steps as she inched her way across the wall, to the door, and into the hallway. Thankfully she wouldn't need to repeat the process, as the moment she was seen exiting her room her sister rushed over and placed her hands on her back and chest.
"Easy now." Fubuki spoke in a soft comforting voice "I've already made you some tea that should help with the sickness, and I'm making some dry toast for you to eat with it." She told her as she helped her to the table.
"You...don't have to help me..." Tatsumaki told her as Fubuki pulled a chair out with her esp.
"No I do." She replied as she helped her sit down "But not just because I'm your sister, because it's my fault you got sick like this." She said causing Tatsumaki to give her a quizzical look.
"What're you talking about?" She asked.
"I should've told you about me and Saitama going shopping." Fubuki said with a sigh as she straightened herself "I just didn't think it would blow up into something so absurd like this." She explained.
"Yeah well...that's Saitama's fans for you..." Tatsumaki pointed out.
"Still, I should've realized that somehow it would've been blown out of proportion." Fubuki admitted as she picked up the tea kettle that had been resting on the counter "And I should've known you'd react to it like this." She added as she poured both of them a cup.
"What do you mean?" Tatsumaki questioned.
"I mean anytime something happens with me you usually get drunk." Fubuki clarified as she walked back over "Whether it's when we have a fight or if I show the SLIGHTEST interest in someone, you get all overprotective of me and go on a binge." She said as she set down the cups.
"You make me sound like an alcoholic." Tatsumaki said as she took her cup into her hands.
"No you just don't know how to deal with your emotions is all." Fubuki said as she took the other cup into hers "I keep telling you it's okay to talk about your feelings, but you just bottle them up until this happens."
"I do not." Tatsumaki argued as she took a sip which caused her eyes to close due to how good it tasted "I show people how much they piss me off all the time."
"Only because that's the only emotion you show when there's more than one person around." Fubuki countered as she also took a sip "When you're alone with me you can show your other emotions sometimes, but whenever there's other people you always act like they just annoy you to no end."
"That's not true I don't act that way around Saitama!" Tatsumaki exclaimed before quickly putting a hand to her head.
"Not all the time no." Fubuki agreed as she kept her sister's cup from spilling with her esp "But you still call him names, make fun of him, and insult him constantly." She pointed out.
Upon hearing that however Tatsumaki suddenly went quiet as she really didn't have an argument against that.
"...He doesn't seem to care when I do..." She replied while looking away, it being so quiet it was nearly a whisper.
"True, but then again he's by far one of the most patient people we've ever met, and I honestly don't know if that's how he's always been or if he became that patient when he became a hero." Fubuki admitted.
"You mean when he started losing his emotions." Tatsumaki corrected.
"Well...yeah..." Fubuki replied as she looked down sadly at her tea.
This time both sisters fell silent as they thought about Saitama, and how rarely he ever showed any kind of emotion whatsoever.
"...Do you...do you think he could even feel the same way?" Tatsumaki asked causing her sister to look at her "I mean...he can still feel emotions...but let's just say that one day one of us decided to try and go for it you know?...can he even feel emotions like that anymore?" She asked.
"I...I don't know..." Fubuki replied "I honestly do feel bad for him, I can't imagine what it must be like to be as bored all the time as he is."
"Maybe that's why he let's us hang out with him all the time." Tatsumaki suggested "I mean we do just drop in whenever we feel like, and yet he's always so okay with it."
"Because we make things interesting?" Fubuki asked.
"Yeah exactly." Tatsumaki said with a nod "You, me, King, Kaemon, Mutsuko, and even Genos make his life a little more exciting."
"What about the fans and the fame though?" Fubuki questioned.
"That crap's nothing but a nuisance at this point." Tatsumaki replied "Sure it was nice at first but now everyone acts like a stalker around him, camping outside his house following his every move, hanging onto every single word he says, he's barely got any kind of private life."
"That's true." Fubuki agreed "But ya know, the fans haven't actually been outside his place for weeks now, same goes for the news crews and reporters."
Upon hearing that be said Tatsumaki casually looked off to the side while taking a unusually long sip from her tea.
"Tatsumaki..." Fubuki said in a very assuming tone.
"Hm?" She sounded still sipping her drink.
"What did you do?" Fubuki asked as her sister lowed her tea.
"Okay look." She said as she looked back to her sibling "One day I went to his place just to check in on Kaemon and see how they were adjusting to their new life on the surface, then like a freaking horde of locusts those idiots all showed up and started chanting over and over again ONE PUNCH ONE PUNCH ONE PUNCH ONE PUNCH!" She recounted while lightly pumping her fist into the air "So I went outside, lifted them all into the air, and told them if they didn't leave Saitama alone I'd throw them into the sun, after that they just stopped showing up." She explained causing her sister to sigh.
"THIS is EXACTLY what I'm talking about." Fubuki said as she placed a hand to her temple "You could've just asked them to leave him alone but no, you instead chose to threaten them."
"Hey it worked didn't it?" Tatsumaki asked "And besides, it's not like Saitama's complaining about it, he probably would thank me if he knew." She said causing her sister to release another sigh.
However, before they could continue their conversation they heard the sounds of movement coming from the couch, causing them to look towards it and see Geryuganshoop waking up. Letting out a yawn as he stretched out his tendrils, he slowly opened his eyes only to find the duo staring at him. An awkward silence came between the three as neither really knew what to say in this situation, but this would not last long as Fubuki brought both the tea kettle as well as another cup over to the table with her esp.
"Would you like some tea?" She offered which not only shocked him but Tatsumaki as well.
"Um yes, thank you." He replied as he got up from the couch and moved to the table.
Taking a seat between the two sisters, once his tea had been poured he took the cup into one of his tendrils before taking a sip.
"This...is excellent tea." He complimented as he looked towards Fubuki "Is it a personal recipe?" He asked causing her to smile.
"Yes actually it is." She answered causing him to smile as well.
And so, with an olive branch seemingly exchanged between them the trio went on to drink their tea as the story of how he came to be in Tatsumaki's company became the new topic of their conversation.
