As the sun rises over the now destroyed hills, the sound of car horns, bird chirps, and alarm clocks can be heard across the apartments of the Hero Association headquarters. The bright yellow and orange hue penetrates Tatsumaki's blinds signaling to her that a new day has just begun. Tatsumaki groaned as she turned her body to face away from the blinds after being hit by an unexpected light beam. She slowly but surely starts to open her eyes, feeling the rheum separate from her eyelids, rubbing it as she lets out a big yawn. She slowly propped herself up to lean against the headboard stand, struggling and failing for some time as her arms could not provide her the necessary strength to bring herself up. Tatsumaki sighed as she rubbed her eyes once more before opening them fully, taking in her surroundings.

The bedroom was simple, pure black wallpaper with dark wooden floorboards and a lonely opened black wardrobe with enough of Tatsumaki's dress that could fill an entire store. It's so simple in fact that the employees responsible for customizing Tatsumaki's apartment were even convinced that no one has changed anything on the apartment form. Tatsumaki looked around for a while, focusing on parts of the room where dust started to form, wondering how she even slept in these conditions. Tatsumkai felt a feeling of uneasiness in her as if the room was encasing her in a dark void where she could not express anything beyond it. It's as if she's in a room dedicated to an insane asylum but it felt like she was the one who built it from the ground up and locked herself in it, never letting anyone see her true self again.

"I need to change the wallpaper," Tatsumaki muttered, as she pulled the blankets off her body.

As Tatsumaki begins her daily routine: brushing her teeth, shower, fixing her bed, and making breakfast; She could feel the wall closing in on her, encasing her, forbidding her to leave the apartment. Tatsumaki shrugged it off but could sense her instinct crying for her to leave, but she shut it down, covering her true emotions and instinct with her familiar mask. Tatsumaki felt this before, it's not like it's new to her but in order for her to be the protector and a role model to everyone around her, especially Fubuki, she vowed to not allow her to feel weakness or emotions. However, the walls are different, as if they are beginning to be aggressive. Tatsumaki senses that but felt it was just an illusion of emotions based on the color she picked for her wallpaper. Tatsumaki slowly floated to make her omelet and cereal, sneaking a giant candy apple in her breakfast to satisfy her sweet teeth.

"Haven't made my own food for a while, hope I cooked it right," Tatsumaki wondered, as she plopped her food on her black wooden dining table as she slowly sat herself down. She raised her index finger as her food slowly floated towards her mouth, giving Tatsumaki a sense of satisfaction. But the aftertaste gave her a completely different feeling as if every positive thing she experienced was now covered. Tatsumaki stared at her omelet, wondering if there's something wrong with it, but there isn't. "Nothing wrong with it, but why does it taste, no, felt so weird?"

Tatsumaki scratched her head, wondering if she's missing something in her food. Tatsumaki composed herself, as she slowly lifted her candy apple using her telekinesis. "I'm just overthinking it, my food is perfect as it is," Tatsumaki boasted before taking a giant bite out of her candy apple. She chewed it for a while before slowly gulping it before feeling the same terrible aftertaste. Tatsumaki was now irritated as she lifted her candy apple for her to focus on.

"There's no conceivable way a damn candy apple made me hate it, right?" Tatsumaki pondered, before placing it back down as she slowly looked around her, taking in the number of empty seats that surrounded her. "Am I missing something or someone important? Or enjoy?"

Tatsumkai sighed as she threw her food in the trash can including the plates as she quietly opened her freezer, lifting all the meat packaging she received from Bang. She stared at it for a while, taking in the memories and wisdom she gathered from her visit from Bang. "I hope Baldy likes these. Bang said that Baldy is the key for Fubuki and me so I hope my plan I created on the way back home works." Tatsumaki wondered as she floated towards her front door with an unrecognizable smile on her face. "I mean I plan everything so I'm sure it will work out."

Tatsumaki slowly opened the door handle before the wall rapidly closed in on her, causing her to feel like she was pushing her body inwards as if she was crushing her very own core. Tatsumaki, stunned, looked behind her as she could see the black wall beginning to encase her, forbidding her from leaving her very own apartment. Sweat began dripping from every corner of her skull as she threw herself out of the apartment before slamming her apartment door shut with her telekinesis. "Am I going crazy? What the hell did I just see?" Tatsumaki panted, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. She then heard scratching noises and whimpers down the hallway which caused her to instantly froze in place. "Am I in a damn haunted house?! This is a nightmare, ghost?"

Tatsumaki froze for a while before realizing the meat packaging has already started to defrost, signaling to her that she needs to give it to Saitama now before it gets ruined. Tatsumaki composed herself before taking the courage to float down the hallway towards the sound. Tatsumaki then sees a small black figure on all fours, scratching Saitama's apartment door.

"What the hell is that thing?" Tatsumaki wondered, as she slowly went closer to it before letting out a sigh of relief as she realized it was just a dog breed or some sort. "Sigh, thank god it wasn't a ghost."

Tatsumaki then slowly floated towards it before a door next to her swing opened, giving Tatsumaki a giant shock as she flew herself back, hitting the back of her own head as the meat packaging immediately dropped to the ground.

"Oh, good morning Tatsumaki," King announced, before placing his signature hat on his head.

"Damn you, King! Don't suddenly scare me like that," Tatsumaki cursed, as she floated towards King, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh Tatsumaki, what's with all this food?" King exclaimed as he pointed towards the scattered meat packaging all across the hallway behind Tatsumaki.

"It's just a gift for Baldy," Tatsumaki boasted, feeling a sense of pride as if it's truly an accomplishment to satisfy Saitama.

King could only snicker to himself as he began to question Tatsumaki's intentions before quickly composing himself while Tatsumaki was distracted by her own ego; but, it was too late.

"What are you snickering at?" Tatsumaki questioned, with her arm crossed. "What? You don't think I don't give gifts? I gave you a free coupon for a haircut last time!"

"N-No No you can definitely give gifts," King quickly replied, sensing his mistake as the King Engine began to rumble.

"Whatever, what are you even doing outside? Are you going to go play with Baldy again?" Tatsumaki questioned, taking in the number of video game packaging behind King.

"Not today, Saitama-bro will break another one of my controllers. I'm just going out to grab some sushi," King explained, before grabbing his sunglasses from his side.

"Whatever, I'm just going to go give these to Baldy now, you can do whatever," Tatsumkai explained as she patiently waited for King's response.

King slowly felt a sign of fear as Tatsumaki could very slightly see King's uneasiness as if there was something wrong. King slowly pointed something behind Tatsumaki before Tatsumaki raised her eyebrow wondering what King was pointing at. "Uh, Tatsumaki?" King silently expressed, as his voice ever so slightly shook. Tatsumaki turned back around to see most of the plastic packing ripped as pieces of meat were scattered across the hallway. A black monster-like animal with six glowing eyes was on top of the last packaging, struggling to rip the plastic with its mouth. Tatsumaki looked at it for a while, as King swore silence filled the air as if sound never existed. Background noises of cars, birds, crickets, TV, everything went silent as he could see Tatsumaki's shoulder twitch ever so slightly.

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUC-" Tatsumaki exploded, as green energy surrounds her in a fiery aura with every strand of her hair raising towards the sky. The wallpaper, carpet, and the color of the floorboard of the hallway were completely obliterated and burnt from Tatsumaki's outburst leaving a giant empty hallway with no color in sight. As if the person responsible for painting never did their job. Tatsumaki raised her hand towards the animal as she stared at it with her now glowing green eyes. The animal begins to whimper as she slowly forces it towards the air, slowly crushing it. The animal whimpers loudly each time Tatsumaki moves her fingers as it struggles to move from Tatsumaki's grasp. Tatsumaki was silent during all of this as blood begins to drip from the side of her head, the animal continued to whimper loudly, alerting somebody, anybody to stop the rampaging green beast.

"Tatsumaki! Stop! That's Saitama's pet!" King yelled, hesitantly grabbing Tatsumaki's shoulder before letting it go as he burnt his hand from the intense heat that Tatsumaki is generating. Tatsumaki did not twitch as she could not even hear King's request before the whimper grew louder and louder. King stared in shock and horror as he dropped to the ground wondering how he could stop this madness. As King was forcing himself to think, he could ever so slightly hear giant footsteps from a familiar apartment.


"Sensei, there is no need for you to exert your strength to deal with the sound, I could deal with it just fine," Genos explained, but it was silently muffled behind the apartment door.

"Yeah, but the sound was there for a while, you just couldn't hear it since you were washing the dishes," Saitama explained.

"I apologized for not recognizing the sound earlier. I will eliminate the sound as it disturbed you from your TV session." Genos expressed as mechanical sounds can be heard through the apartment.

"It is not needed Genos, it's just a feeling that something was in trouble about that sound since the sound changed," Saitama revealed, as the sound grew louder and louder.

"Is it Rover, Sensei? I could hear it now," Genos replied, as he slowly opened the front door to let Saitama through. "It is incredible that you are able to understand the signs of help, no matter the method."

"If it is Rover then I hope he isn't in trouble, I don't want animal protection services to arrest me sinc-" Saitama explained before staring in silence at the sight of the situation. Saitama felt a small drop of sweat drip down the side of his head before yelling at Tatsumaki.

"Tats! Let go of Rover now!" Saitama yelled, pointing at Tatsumaki but she had her back turned on Saitama as Rover continued to whimper for help. The whimper grew so intense that King began to cover his ears as he quickly crawled towards Saitama.

"It's no use Saitama-bro, she's completely clueless of her surroundings," King shakily explained, placing both his hands on his ears to cover them from the intense shrieking noise generated by Rover.

"Sensei, both Tatsumaki and Rover are in critical condition, Tatsumaki is bleeding violently and Rover is currently dying from asphyxiation, I must take action now!" Genos quickly explained as he began to walk towards the two before Saitama placed his arm in front of him, gesturing him to stop. Genos glanced at Saitama with a focused expression before backing off immediately as Saitama stared him down with his recognizable serious expression.

"Sigh, back off Genos, I got this," Saitama commended as he slowly walks towards the two, walking around Tatsumaki to stare at Tatsumaki's eyes which her pupil has completely vanished, replacing it with a giant green glow. Saitama stared her down with his serious expression as Rover began to lose his breath over the constant choking. Saitama then points his index finger directly at Tatsumaki as if he was a parent disciplining his child before commanding, "Serious Series: Serious Parenting, Tatsumaki! Let go of Rover this instant!"

Tatsumaki instantly shakes her head as her pupil begins to appear again before letting out a giant squeak over the sudden appearance of Saitama. Tatsumaki instantly drops to the floor as her aura instantly vanishes allowing Rover to drop as well. Rover whimpers but suddenly starts to run around in joy before jumping towards Saitama. Saitama catches him and places him in a bridal hold as he comforts him, giving him a sense of relief as he doesn't need to face animal protection services anymore. Tatsumaki pants heavily as she crouched on all fours, dripping blood on the colorless floorboards. Tatsumaki slowly looks up at Saitama's expressionless face as he holds Rover in his arms. Saitama stared at Tatsumaki with a face of disappointment or that's what Tatsumaki perceived to be before Saitama slowly walked past her.

"Crap, I messed up have I?" Tatsumaki quietly wondered as she slowly stared at the now bloody ground embarrassed. "W-Why can't I do anything right?"

Genos was in pure happiness and shock over the display of power of his Sensei as he quickly clapped his hands in awe. King was out of breath just by watching as he wiped his forehead over the quick ending. Saitama sighed as he handed Genos Rover, before gesturing the two to go in without him.

"Sensei, I take it that you will deal with it yourself?" Genos questioned, as he slowly comforted Rover in his arms.

"Y-Yeah, just give me a second, go in for a while alright?" Saitama quickly replied before turning his back on him.

"Be careful Sensei, I have analyzed Tatasumaki, and never have I seen her like this before. Her symptoms of her twitching violently and nervousness may cause a giant menta-" Genos quickly explained, as he read his notebook before Saitama gestured to him to leave him with a wave.

"I know Genos," Saitama revealed.

Genos nodded as King quickly bolted inside to avoid any more conflicts as Saitama walked in front of Tatsumaki who was still staring at the ground. Tatsumaki hesitantly looked up at Saitama as she felt like she was in trouble.

"Tats, what were you thinking, do you want to be locked up by the APS?" Saitama questioned, as he slowly knelt down to be at Tatsumaki's eye level.

"I-I u-h, I j-just a-" Tatsumaki hesitantly explained, too embarrassed and bloody to even come up with an excuse over what she has just done.

"Whatever, it's fine alright? Just don't do that again. I'm going to go back to finish my movie," Saitama explained, as he wiped Tatsumaki's bloody forehead with a couple of tissue paper before standing back up to walk to his apartment door.

Tatsumaki could feel every part of her body twitch as her voice begins to tremble over what she wants to say. But she took every last ounce of power she had to voice her reply. "I-I'm sorry," Tatsumaki announced, as her voice slowly seems to break over the embarrassment. Saitama looked over his shoulder to see Tatsumaki twitching as he could see her clenching her fist. Her green aura appearing and dimming over and over again as her power seems to be uncontrollable. Tatsumaki then smashes her fist into the floorboard but it did not break or shatter. Tatsumaki continued to smash her fist over and over again as her hands began to get bloodier each time with splinters and pieces of wood piercing through her delicate hands. "I just want to give you a damn gift! And obviously, I messed that up as well!"

Tatsumaki cried on the inside over the pain she was inflicting on herself but she ignored it and continued. She could not even express herself anymore through emotions over the constant masking she developed but she felt like this was her breaking point. As she raised her arm to smash her hand one more time, it was caught by a sense of power, justice, and comfort that she felt before.

"Tatsumaki, you haven't messed anything up," Saitama explained, as he catches Tatsumaki's arm.

"I-I have! Y-You just can't accept failure! I can and I accepted it!" Tatsumaki yelled, as her vocal cords tremble and shake as her emotions begin to appear.

"What's the gift you wanted to give me?" Saitama questioned as he slowly lets go of Tatsumaki's arm.

"What do you think you dumb Baldy! Have you seen the burnt plastic packaging around you! It'll be a damn miracle if one of the meat surviv-" Tatsumaki yelled before a realization hit her. Tatsumaki quickly got up as her body buckled each time she took a step. She ravaged a couple of the burnt plastic before staring at a meat packaging with just the corner of the meat which survived the blast. Tatsumaki dropped to her knees before staring at the packaging in disbelief.

"W-Why d-does this happen to me," Tatsumaki quietly muttered under her breath as she punched her fist on the ground once again before Saitama stopped her.

"It's fine Tats, I don't need any rewards or gifts!" Saitama replied as he held Tatsumaki's arm.

"Y-You don't understand! I planned this and nothing worked out! I just can't do anything right!" Tatsumaki yelled as she tried to yank Saitama's grasp off her arm but to no avail.

"Stop it Tats! You're going to hurt yourself," Saitama desperately explained.

"Good! That's the only thing I plan that works!" Tatsumaki sniffled as tears slowly began to water down her eyes. "Everything I planned failed. Throughout my damn life, nothing worked out to my favor, nothing!"

Saitama stared at her in a concentrated and focused face as Tatsumaki tears dropped towards the bloody floorboard. Saitama recognized her state as he could see it in her eyes that she's going through a giant mental breakdown. All those feelings, struggles, regret, all building up in just one tiny petite body, ready to explode to anyone who is unfortunate to see her like this. Saitama knew that feeling, his rather daily mental breakdown of school bullies, low grades, dead-end job, no money, no girlfriend, and no friends. It's just that he found a way to be himself, something greater than what could stop him, be a hero, and that's what broke him into something empty. The feeling of doing what you always wanted instead of following people's rules broke him, he was happy for once, with no mental breakdown or suffering. Alas, it was just a short-term loan for a giant interest rate, and he's back to square one, hoping that maybe his powers are more of a gift rather than a curse.

"I-I j-just wanted to give you a stupid gift to show my appreciation and hope I can convince you to help me and my sister but obviously! I can't do anything right and I messed it up again like my entire relationship with her!" Tatsumaki cried as she stared at her clenched fist. "I am a complete thorn in everyone's side and a complete failure in everything I touch. Apparently, I am good at being a complete asshole but if I do something nice I just become a bigger asshole!"

Tatsumaki slowly drops one of her arms towards the ground as tears and blood begin dripping down her face like a tsunami. "Oh thank god I figured that one out, it only took me 28 damn years, and only took one stupid bald man and an old decomposing man to show me that!" Tatsumaki sobbed, pinching her eyes with her bloody fingers. "The only good thing I can do is apparently kill monsters for the Hero Association and what does that make me? A damn weapon, tool, a usable and disposable specimen like a stupid dead-end job, something I rejected and promised myself not to be! My stupid powers is a cruel curse which screwed with me for my entire life! I don't feel any joy with my powers and killing monsters doesn't give me joy, what does kill me is my damn life!"

Tatsumaki slowly glanced at Saitama's now concerned face, wondering if she hurt him more than before with her disgusting rant. Saitama stared at her depressed, out-of-character face as she was crying blood like a giant river expressing her tears of pain and suffering she has to endure over her 28 years of life. Feeling worry as her breakdown grew intense as he could see that she might be reaching the climax no matter how much she could stop it. Saitama knew Tatsumaki could not control it, maybe she didn't want him to even see her like this but the gate could not hold her in for any longer.

"I'm always alone, but that didn't matter until today, I felt as if my own self is crushing me, my own creation and consciousness deteriorating over years of chaos that I have released to the world. It's as if I'm paying for my crimes over the suffering I gave to the world, no matter how much good I have done, it would not be enough! I'm a complete failure, I just want Fubuki to know I tried my hardest for her all the time, but it doesn't matter does it?" Tatsumaki cried as she could now feel the pain in her eyes of the tears she released to the world. "No matter what I do now, start a new leaf, change or revert my effects, I could never be someone else but the Tornado of Terror. I'm all alone and I will rather be alone than let someone in to suffer the same fate as me. I'm all alone..."

Saitama slowly lets go of Tatsumaki's arm as her arm slowly plops back to her side as she stares at the bloody ground in defeat. Saitama kneels down right in front of Tatsumaki before lifting her chin up to stare into her empty eyes. Saitama could see the same eyes as he saw through Garou's, the same defeat as if they would rather not be themselves as they lost their own identity over the years of progress which failed.

"Tatsumaki, I'm cool with you failing so long as I know you didn't do it on purpose," Saitama revealed, as he stared at Tatsumaki's eyes but Tatsumaki looked away from him.

"W-What's the point? Even if I didn't do it on purpose, the damage is already done," Tatsumaki sobbed, before staring back at Saitama's concerned wooden eyes, feeling like she has already damaged him enough like the wood of the floorboards. "Just leave me be, I don't want you to suffer the same fate that I created."

"Here let me grab both of your hands," Saitama explained, as he grabbed both of Tatsumaki's hands and placed them gently on her chest, allowing her to feel her rapid heartbeat. "Can you feel it? You're alive for a reason, that is called purpose,"

"W-What purpose do I have in this world? To bring people chaos and evil?" Tatsumaki sniffled, feeling each beat of her heart.

"The purpose of life is to live with it, experiencing life from the positive and the negatives and vice versa," Saitama explained with a smile, "Allowing yourself to reach out to new heights of experience without fear no matter the positives or negatives, instead of cutting the story short. No one wants that? Everyone wants to see how it all ends."

"The purpose of life is to just reproduce, I've studied enough to know that," Tatsumaki explained as she lets go of her hands on her chest.

"The true meaning of life is through our decisions to create our gifts and the purpose of life is to give it to the world, no matter the size or scale," Saitama explained, as he stared at Tatsumaki's broken eyes. "If you want me to help you, then I'm here for you."

"Y-You can't help me, you have never seen my struggles and experiences! Not to mention, you're broken as well! I could see it through your eyes!" Tatsumaki revealed as she stared at Saitama's expressionless eyes. "You may be a gift to the world but you are no damn gift to me! The person who saved my life is!"

"That person you mentioned saved you physically but someone has to save you mentally," Saitama revealed. "Will you let me see your hardships and experiences?"

Tatsumaki thought of it for a while as she began to recall Bang's explanation. She was willing to let Saitama go not because she wants to but she just doesn't want to let him suffer more than what he already experienced. "Saitama is the key in your happiness and Fubuki, just be yourself and you won't mess it up," Tatsumaki knew he was the key from Bang but she was unwilling to even expressed her life to someone this dull, and especially those horrific experiences she felt when she was in those laboratories.

Tatsumaki sniffed for a bit as she stared at Saitama's concerned face, with his muscular body protruding out from his T-shirt, showing power, comfort, relief, reassurance, and so much more. Tatsumaki knew not to let anyone in her life but for the sake of her sister's happiness, she was willing to take the risk for her. Tatsumaki already concluded that nothing could help her but if Saitama was the one who could fix Fubuki for her, she was willing to let him in, to help her change, one step at a time. Tatsumaki sighed one last time, before slowly opening her arms to hug Saitama. Saitama did not move at all as Tatsumaki laid her head on Saitama's shoulder, crying exponentially as she bled tears of joy and relief on him.

"You say I am broken, but I am willing to help others pick up their shattered parts instead of my own, including you. But are you willing to help pick up mine or leave me to the dust, alone?" Saitama proudly expressed, as he stared at the bloody and shattered floorboards. Wondering if anyone could fix him, as he only used that line as a figure of speech.

"I...I-I will take the chance to help you, Saitama," Tatsumaki sobbed, as she stared at Saitama's expressionless face, seeing a slight bit of his smile exiting his face.

"Then I will gladly help pick up yours too, one step at a time," Saitama expressed as he stared at Tatsumaki's glistening eyes.

"Sigh, No wonder Sour Mask said you're an ideal hero, you are a hero," Tatsumaki scoffed, sniffing for a while as she slowly closed her eyes.

Saitama slowly wrapped his arms around Tatsumaki's fragile body as he gave her a slight squeeze giving Tatsumaki a sense of comfort and pain over the overuse of her powers once again. Saitama glanced over at Tatsumaki who currently had her eyes closed as she slowly submerged herself within Saitama's grasp.

Saitama took a small sigh of relief as he slowly patted her in the back, feeling her heartbeat slowly calming down. He knew she was hesitant to accept his help, but that's all she needs. As he slowly caresses her sweaty green hair, he slowly and comfortably exclaims.

"Not as a hero, but as a friend."


Author Note:

Hey all, just wanted to say that yes I'm still alive and well, just had a lot of problems to deal with which I will explain in a minute. I really wanted to write more, but the ending was perfect as it is so I didn't want to ruin it. I will say that I was surprised how I wrote this one as I just winged it. In fact, I was planning to write more as I have already a lot of ideas but a great ending to a chapter is important. Anyways if it is too graphic then let me know, if it's not and it's like some philosophical whatever then well that's kinda cool, I guess.

Anyways, I have finals in a few days and it's really important but I just had a sudden urge to write so I just wrote it to get it off my chest. Anyways yeah to bring up how important it is, I was offered by two high ranking universities like top 30 QS ranking so big deal, no flex, just wanted to show you how stressed it is and all but really wanted to give something to you guys as the ideas keep itching me to write it down. Gave up studying for a few hours of writing so hope you guys liked it. If you want to know what I'm majoring in then let me know.

In all honesty, thanks for the support and all for this. I would totally enjoy more feedback and reviews instead of pure numbers as it really gives me more motivation to see sentences. Anyways sorry for being really irritating and arrogant but it's just something I kept for a while through the chapters. Planning the next chapter after May 10-14th.

Anyways that's all I gotta say so see you all in the next chapter.

Goosey