A/N: So, snap mode... aheh heh heh heh... also, new webcomic chapters! If you've been reading the webcomic... ohh boy... season 4 is going to be a doozy. XDD

Happy reading!

It was a gorgeous day outside. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Birds were chirping, and children were outside and playing. The only one who was suspicious of anything wrong was a random turtle in the Light Music Club room, but hey, what did she know?

Neither Taro Yamada or Ayano Aishi noticed or cared about the weather. The former was sitting on the latter's couch. His dark bangs covered his eyes with a shadow. He was almost motionless, aside from steady breathing.

Ayano kept an eye on her beloved boyfriend. She smirked. He was just how she wanted him to be. After so much work, his strings were in her command. She had twice the power she had before.

Taro's phone began to ring.

"Who is it?" Ayano asked.

Taro, like a puppet, reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The call was from his mother.

Her again? Ayano thought.

"Tell her you are staying with your girlfriend," Ayano told Taro. "Also, tell her not to call again."

Taro answered the phone, his voice nothing but a monotone. "Hello, Mom… yes. I am staying with my girlfriend … No. Please don't call me again."

He hung up his phone, and returned to his blank position. Ayano counted the seconds on her fingers, before hearing the doorbell ring. She went to answer the door.

"Hi, Yan-chan!" Raibaru said, grinning.

"Hello, Raibaru," Ayano replied.

Raibaru pulled her 'friend' into a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again. Ugh, I still haven't gotten over the whole centipede thing. And, y'know…"

Ayano nodded, sympathetically. "Come inside. I would like to talk to you about something."

Raibaru followed Ayano inside, smiling. She gave Taro a strange look when she saw him sitting on the couch.

"Taro Yamada?" she asked. "What're you doing here?"

"He is my boyfriend, and a disciple of mine," Ayano replied. "Plus, if you haven't heard the news about his younger sister…"

"Oh, yeah," Raibaru frowned. She turned to Taro. "Oh, Yamada-san, I'm so sorry about your sister…"

Ayano touched her shoulder. "Let him grieve in peace. Please, take a seat. We've got a lot to discuss."

Soon, the trio of teenagers was sitting down, green tea in front of them.

"He's your disciple?" Raibaru asked Ayano, briefly glancing at Taro.

"He wants to become a hero," Ayano told her.

Raibaru nodded. "Ah, I see."

"Anyway, you are probably aware of the Monster Association," Ayano said, turning back to Raibaru.

Raibaru nodded. "Oh, yeah, I've heard all about them. They sound awful."

"The Hero Association is planning to send a group of heroes from all classes in to destroy it," Ayano explained. "However, they didn't contact me for help."

"Sounds like the Hero Association..." Raibaru muttered.

"Because of this, I've decided to go in of my own accord," Ayano said.

"Seriously?" Raibaru asked, eyes bulging. "Yan-chan, the Monster Association sounds really dangerous. Are you sure you can handle it by yourself?"

"I never said I was going alone," Ayano said. "I would like to bring a group of my own along. A group full of strong individuals that will help me combat the denizens of the Monster Association."

Of course, Ayano's plan was not one full of teamwork. No, she wanted to lead a group of strong individuals to their deaths. Especially someone like Raibaru.

"Oh, I see," Raibaru said, nodding. "Who do you want to bring along?"

"That is why I brought you here," Ayano explained. "Raibaru, will you help me take down the Monster Association?"

Raibaru looked away. "You wanna bring me?" She clenched her fists. "Will… Garou be there?"

Ayano blinked. "I'm not sure. But since he is trying to become a 'monster', it's likely he'll appear at some point."

Raibaru nodded, a fierce determination in her eyes. "Then I'm in. Let's take down the Monster Association."

Genos felt broken.

After he failed to defeat Elder Centipede, his confidence had been crushed once again. Dr. Kuseno would have to repair him for the umpteenth time. And if that wasn't bad enough, his Master Saitama had disappeared. His master said he was searching for the Hero Hunter Garou, but apparently, he wasn't having much luck finding him. He had been gone for quite a while, after all.

With his options running out, there was only one thing left for the cyborg to do: call his fellow disciple, Ayano Aishi.

"Hello?" Ayano asked, picking up the phone.

"Yan-chan, have you seen Master Saitama recently?" Genos asked.

"I have not," Ayano replied.

"I see," Genos said, frowning. "Where are you now?"

"I'm at my house," Ayano answered. "Will you be invading the Monster Association along with the other heroes?"

"Once I am fully recovered," Genos answered. "What about you?"

"The Hero Association has not invited me," Ayano lied. "But I will be going anyway."

"Allow me to come with you instead!" Genos said. "Once I have been repaired, I will assist you!"

Ayano went silent for a moment.

"Very well, then, Genos," she said. "Call me when you've been repaired."

She abruptly hung up, leaving Genos to stare at his phone. He scowled. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel slightly worried about his fellow disciple. She was strong, sure, but… in a weird way, she'd become his accomplice and almost a friend. And plus, Saitama cared about her too. For both his own Saitama's sakes, he would go with Ayano… if only to protect her.

"Who was that, Genos?" Bang asked, getting his attention.

Genos turned to face the older hero. "It was Yan-chan. She is planning to invade the Monster Association, and I will be coming as well."

"Is that so…" Bang said, making a face. "Say, in case it all goes wrong, do you think she could allow a few more people to come as well?"

Child Emperor was at least thankful the Association was willing to listen to him to not invite Ayano Aishi, despite her high ranking. He couldn't trust her, not a chance.

Instead, he and the S Class heroes who were not missing, incapacitated, or in hospital (or Goddess, who was still dealing with family business), gathered in the meeting room, planning to invade the Monster Association. They all sat around the glowing table.

"Drive Knight's signal was lost almost immediately," Child Emperor explained, looking at the display on the table in front of him. "He hasn't returned from his investigation into the Monster Association."

"There's gotta be a chance he's still alive," Darkshine said. "Maybe he lost some circuits or something and is hiding somewhere awaiting us!"

"I really hope so," Pig God agreed.

"Though I don't think that's a risk in my case," Tornado scoffed.

"They got Drive Knight, they might get us too," Zombieman pointed out. "It's a possibility. Don't underestimate the bunch. We've got to prepare ourselves to go all out."

"In any case, the answer is simple," Flashy Flash spoke up. "The moment we set foot in there, show no mercy. Exterminate them all, then go home. They killed heroes, after all. Needless to say, there is no need to negotiate."

"Yeah," Child Emperor agreed. "That reminds me, I believe they might be targeting Goddess for something. There have been a lot of attacks on students from Akademi, including her group, the Guardians."

"Have they directly attacked Saikou Corp?" Flashy Flash asked.

"No way would they be able to," Darkshine chuckled. "That place is impenetrable. Pretty sure even a Dragon couldn't get in there."

"Goddess herself would pose a large threat to the Monster Association, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were trying to take her down," Zombieman said. "Though, on the other hand, if they provoke her, she would probably annihilate them all very quickly. You know what she's like." He scowled. "We could use her help."

Tornado scoffed. "Pfft, please. We don't need to rely on some measly schoolgirl. I'm strong enough by myself!"

"As long as you don't hurt any of my precious boys who were turned into monsters," Puri Puri Prisoner sighed, clasping his hands together.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't think we'll have a choice," Atomic Samurai replied, grimly.

"Hmph," Tornado folded her arms. "You boys can take care of the underlings. Leave the big boss to me."

"Don't get cocky, Tatsumaki," Zombieman warned. "This mission is, above all else, a rescue mission. Don't get carried away and destroy the whole place."

Child Emperor quickly pressed some buttons on the screen before Tatsumaki could retort. Once again, he wished Goddess were here. Not because of her power, but because if anyone could get the Class S heroes to listen, it was her. Child Emperor had assigned himself as 'second in command', which meant he was in control for the meantime.

"Their underground network is pretty deep and expansive," he said, bringing up a picture of the Monster Association's underground network. "Even with all my investigations, we still don't know exactly where the boss is lurking."

"In a place like that, there's no escape," Darkshine commented. "Whether it's just a small fry or the final boss himself." He held up a fist. "I will dispose of everything in my way!"

"If we knew in advance the location of the boss and the hostage, we wouldn't need this many people in the first place," Flashy Flash said, glaring at Tatsumaki. "Why do you think we had to wait so long to gather the squad, Tatsumaki?"

Tatsumaki went silent.

"That should be obvious from even a brief moment of reflection," Flashy Flash scoffed. "Could it be that your abuse of psychic energy has not only stunted your bodily maturity, but your mental-"

"Enough!" Child Emperor shouted, banging his fists on the table, like Goddess would. "Pay attention! We don't have time to argue!"

"Pardon my entry," said a new voice, "but I would like to be notified of meetings that are taking place."

The voice belonged to Black Turtle, aka Kuroko Kamenga, the current Class A rank 1 hero. The serious girl was standing at the entrance of the room, arms behind her back in a formal position.

"Black Turtle!" Child Emperor exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"As I'm on the squad that will be entering the Monster Association, I would like to be notified of when we will be having meetings," Kuroko replied. "Also, my group leader, Goddess, has asked me to keep her updated on Class S happenings."

Of course she has, Child Emperor thought, sighing internally.

"Care to explain why this meeting only contains Class S heroes?" Kuroko asked, calmly.

Child Emperor cursed himself. Truthfully, the Class A and below were going to act as aboveground support… but could he tell her that without hurting her ego?

"Not a problem, honestly," said another new voice. "Class S meetings are so boring anyway."

The voice belonged to White Tiger, Class A rank 4, who was leaning against the wall, a calm expression on her face.

"Not her…" Flashy Flash groaned, pinching his forehead.

"Missed you too, shiny boy," Shiromi said, grinning.

"You plan to use me and the others below me as aboveground support, correct?" Kuroko asked.

Child Emperor coughed. "Well…"

"I insist on coming down with you," Kuroko replied. "I must keep tabs for my leader."

"Oh, get real, Goddess' main chick," Atomic Samurai said, waving his hand. "We've got enough in our group already. I'm taking my pupils with me."

"Goddess insists that I come along," Kuroko said, adjusting her glasses. "She is a leader to you all, isn't she? You must trust her wisdom."

"No way," Tatsumaki grumbled.

But Child Emperor knew she had a point.

"Well, if Goddess insists…" he said, "then I guess you're on the team as well."

Ayano looked at her pin-board, circling some names. A dark smirk formed on her face. They were the perfect group.

"You seriously gonna go in there with all those people?"

She turned around, facing Garou sitting on her windowsill.

"Thought I was the only one you were working with," he said.

"You are," Ayano said. "Don't mistake me. I am not working with these people. Rather, I am leading them to their demise."

"You're counting on the monsters to kill 'em for you," Garou chuckled. "You lazy, heartless bitch. I'm gonna kick your ass once we've finished with Goddess and those monster bastards."

Ayano smiled at him. "You can try. But for the meantime, I'll be needing your help as well. There will be S Class heroes heading in there as well. I can slaughter them all and the blame will fall on the monsters." She grinned. "And once I've taken them all down, I'll start on the monsters themselves. Who will be the strongest then?"

"You're fucking insane," Garou grumbled. "I'm definitely kicking your ass once Goddess is down."

He left Ayano to laugh by herself. She composed herself, and headed downstairs, where Taro was sitting on the couch, completely still as always. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang. Outside, she heard the voices of her fellow students.

She opened the door, revealing Oka Ruto, Budo Masuta, and Fureddo Jonzu.

"Thank you for coming," Ayano said, opening the door further. "Come inside."

"Nice house!" Budo said, as the group came inside.

"Thank you," Ayano bowed in response.

"Hey, Yamada," Fureddo spoke to Taro, noticing his posture. "Are you okay, man?"

Taro didn't respond.

"Leave him be," Ayano advised, gently. "He has been dealing with a lot."

"That's true…" Oka commented. "Poor Senpai… I sense a lot of dark energy coming from him…"

"Please, sit down," Ayano said, still smiling sweetly. "Do you all like tea?"

"I'm more of a soda guy, but tea's fine too," Fureddo said, waving his hand.

Ayano brought out a pot of green tea, serving it to her house-guests. They (including Taro) all sat at the dining table, chatting amongst themselves. They seemed quite relaxed, considering the situation.

"Thank you all for coming," Ayano said, sitting at the head of the table. "Raibaru-chan is already aware, and you all have been briefed, so I have brought you all here today to-"

She was interrupted by someone banging on the door.

"Who's that?" Budo asked, making a face.

"I'm not sure," Ayano confessed. "I don't remember inviting anyone else."

She frowned, going over to answer the door.

An unexpected guest? She thought. How could they have found out about this meeting?

She opened the door, and held in her internal scowl.

"Oh ho, petit Yan-chan!" Kizana Sunobu exclaimed. "Surely someone as magnifique as moi deserves a heartier welcome than that!"

"Kizana-san?" Ayano asked, with dead eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Simple, of course," Kizana chuckled. "I want to join you and your entourage on your adventure to take down the Monster Association!" She grinned. "You see, I've decided to become a Class S hero! And once I've risen to the top, mon cheri Genos will fall in love with moi! And then I'll laugh at that annoying bitch Goddess' face! Ah ha ha!"

Someone coughed in the background.

"Kizana, this is not a game," Ayano told her. "You could very well die in the Monster Association."

Truthfully, Ayano couldn't give less of a crap if Kizana perished. She just didn't want the hoity-toity girl to get in the way.

"Oh ho, you are so gentil," Kizana chuckled. "But no need to fret about me, mon ami. I'll be just as strong as the rest of you! You watch!"

Ayano was about to tell her to leave, but then another voice spoke up:

"Get out of the way, fancy biscuits."

Kizana scowled as a young man took her place. With a sneer on his face, it was Itachi Zametora, former vice president of the Sports Club. His arms were folded across his chest, his muscular figure not currently visible. He still wore a pair of swimming goggles on his spiky ginger head, and sported a small goatee.

"Itachi-senpai?" Ayano asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm sick of this Monster Association crap," Itachi told Ayano, scowling. "Those heroes are fuckin' useless, so I'm going in to take care of it myself."

"You want to help us?" Ayano asked.

"Why are you ignoring moi?" Kizana grumbled.

"Don't get me wrong, doofus," Itachi growled, jabbing a finger at Ayano. "I couldn't give a rat's ass about you. Our whole club fell apart after you joined. Two club members died. You're bad karma, and I think you're a piece of shit. I'm only going along because I'm sick of those damn monsters. The Hero Association's doing bat-shit to deal with it." He gritted his teeth. "Tch… us civilians have gotta deal with it ourselves. Pitiful. That's why I'm not part of that shitty association."

"Itachi Zametora?" Budo asked, appearing behind Ayano. "And… Kizana Sunobu? You're coming as well?"

"Masuta," Itachi greeted, gruffly.

"Zametora," Budo replied, giving him a brief nod.

"Itachi is coming with us," Ayano told Budo. "Kizana is not."

"I most certainly am!" Kizana argued, shaking her manicured nails. "Genos-sama deserves my love!"

"Genos, the Class S hero?" Budo asked, making a face. "Um, Kizana…"

"Come inside, Itachi-senpai," Ayano said, facing Itachi. "We are discussing our battle plan right now."

"I'll be coming too!" Kizana exclaimed. "Wait for me, petit Yan-chan!"

"No, Kizana," Ayano said, seriously. "You are not coming."

"Quoi?!" Kizana exclaimed.

"Goodbye," Ayano said, closing the door on Kizana's face. She ignored Kizana banging on the door and screaming in French as she joined the others at the table.

"My apologies for the delay," Ayano bowed. "Now, I should inform you all that the Class S heroes Genos AKA Demon Cyborg, Silver Fang, and King will also be joining us on our invasion."

Fureddo leaned forward. "Wait, King is coming? The Strongest Man himself? Seriously?!"

Ayano nodded.

"Silver Fang-sensei, too…" Budo said. He made a fist. "This is my chance to prove myself, and get him to take me back as his disciple!"

"Seriously?" Itachi asked. "Those S Class bastards?"

"They are trusted allies of mine," Ayano explained. "We will need their help."

Itachi scoffed, folding his arms. "Useless heroes."

"Well, I'm a hero too, and so is Oka," Fureddo responded. "We're not all useless."

"Yeah," Itachi agreed. "Some of you are very useless."

"Guys, come on," Raibaru said, crossing her arms. "Don't fight."

"Right," Ayano said, raising her voice. "My allies, you'll be known as the Yan-squad. And together, we are going to destroy the Monster Association!"

"My lord, Orochi-sama," Gyoro-Gyoro faced the co-leader of the Monster Association, Orochi. "It's been confirmed that Ayano Aishi and Garou are working together."

"Are they coming here?" Orochi asked.

"From what I've heard, they are," Gyoro-Gyoro said. "This means… we will have the chance to convince Aishi to join our side."

A monster by the name of Gale Wind frowned. "Will a human like her really want to join us?"

Hellfire snorted. "A strange human like her, especially. No way she'll be tougher than Goddess."

An executive by the name of Fuhrer Ugly bared the remaining teeth he had. "She's a pretty girl… like a doll. I'd love to crush her."

Another executive who was called Homeless Emperor smirked to himself, looking away. That girl… she sounded like one of the beings he'd met long ago, that woman, Ryoba Aishi… on the outside, she was a normal human, but on the inside, she was worse than a monster.

Considering what her daughter had been up to, the apple had fallen even further from the tree.

She was the one I saw in my future vision, Gyoro-Gyoro thought. She'll destroy us.

"You don't understand, Aishi is not like other humans," Gyoro-Gyoro commented, his eye twitching. "She is something beyond a monster… that girl is a demon, just like Goddess. We absolutely have to get her on our side… because if we don't?" He trembled. "She will kill us all."

Ayano's phone buzzed. She glanced down at it, curiously.

?:

I have heard of your plans to take down heroes… I would like to help.

Ayano:

Who are you?

?:

Someone who works very closely with the Hero Association and wants to see it suffer…

Ayano:

Hmm... tell me more.