Alright guys. This is where the fun begins.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man. Obviously.

Chapter Three: Despair

Day Five. Only a few more hours until she was back on the job. Yesterday, Amai Mask revealed himself to be a monster. She always knew there was wrong with that overhyped gaylord. He creeped her out.

She assumed that would be her first mission. To hunt him down and get rid of him once and for all. Tatsumaki couldn't wait for the chance to see the look on his new ugly face when she utterly destroyed him. Who was the beautiful face of heroism now?

Tatsumaki smiled to herself. The pretty boy had it coming. Always looking down on those he deemed, "not beautiful". He even looked down on her! Unthinkable! Tatsumaki was the epitome of heroism! He was an A-Class grunt, and apparently a monster. He was nothing compared to her.

Tatsumaki was currently on her couch, scrolling through the news. Most of it was concerned with Amai Mask's sudden revelation. For the last few days, this was what Tatsumaki spent most of her time doing. She watched the video of Amai Mask being unmasked at least a hundred times.

She also saw the videos of the bald bastard himself, Saitama, protecting Amai Mask. Her hatred of him only steepened every time she watched the video.

But she also had done some things around her house. She cleaned and reorganized her entire house at least three times. She downloaded a few stupid time consuming games like Crush Candy to waste her time. In two days, she beat the game.

Suddenly her phone went off. Immediately she answered it.

"Hello!" Tatsumaki almost screamed.

"Hello Tatsumaki," a different voice than last time answered. It was Sitch, one of the higher ranking officials in the Hero Association, and had the most interaction with actual Heroes.

"I assume you're calling to ask me to deal with Amai Mask," Tatsumaki said calmly, inspecting her nails nonchalantly.

"Miss Tatsumaki-"

"No no, it's fine. I'm glad to finally be rid of his filth. He was a nuisance and held the Hero Association back from what it truly could be. Do you have any information on his location?" Tatsumaki asked.

"Miss Tatsumaki, if you please-"

"You know what? Don't answer. I'd rather have the pleasure of hunting him down on my own. I'll start immediately. I'll call back when I have his head in my hands."

"Tatsumaki please. I need to ask you something," Sitch said in a strange voice.

"What is it? You realize any delay in my search only means the trail gets colder," Tatsumaki replied.

"Tatsumaki, a few days ago, the HA HQ suffered serious damage from the lower levels." Tatsumaki's heart sank to the floor. " And later, we detected power surges from the nearby fields. Was this your doing?"

"Well, you see, Psykos was-"

"Tatsumaki," Sitch said sternly. "Was it you?"

Tatsumaki sighed. "Yes, I broke your little monster cages. But I only did it so I could get rid of Psykos! She was the true threat there, and I was trying to get rid of her! I just don't understand why she was allowed to live anyways. She should have been executed the second she was captured."

"I see," Sitch said. There was silence on the phone for a moment. "And the power surges outside? I have reports that you were engaged in battle with another hero. Is this also true?"

An image of the bald man's blank face appeared in Tatsumaki's mind. Hate filled her. She didn't notice a green light lifting several objects into the air.

"Yeah, I beat up some newby overstepping his boundaries. He should have known better than to interrupt me when I'm exterminating threats."

"I see," Sitch repeated. There was more silence. Then Sitch sighed. "I'm sorry Tatsumaki. But the board has spoken-"

"What do you mean the board has spoken? What do they want?" Tatsumaki interrupted.

"They believe you are too reckless and hard to control. As such-"

"Too hard to control? I am no puppet to be wielded-"

"And as such," Sitch said over her rant. "You are stripped of your Hero status, and due to your dangerous behavior, you are being labelled as a Dragon Level Threat."

All the objects in the air smashed to the floor.

Tatsumaki was shocked. A full minute went by before she could respond. "You can't do this! You need me! I'm your top Hero! I single handedly kill more monsters than anyone in the Association, even King! And what about the public image! You just lost Amai Mask! And Bang! You can't afford to lose me too! You need me!"

"The Board has decided we don't need an uncontrollable person who causes more collateral damage than most monsters. I'm sorry Tatsumaki." There was a click and Sitch was gone.

Tatsumaki sat on her couch for who knows how much time. She was in complete shock.

When she finally was able to comprehend what just happened, she felt a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. Not in 18 years. Not since Blast had rescued her from The Facility.

Despair.

She had nothing. She had no job, no friends, no place to go. Even her own sister had rejected her.

And for the first time in 18 years, Tatsumaki cried. Hot, wet tears rolled down her face. Her tears turned into sobs. Tatsumaki curled in a ball and grabbed her legs. Pulling them in close to protect herself.

A monster. She had told Tatsumaki she was a monster. Maybe she was right. Tatsmaki had pushed away everyone she cared about. She yelled at everyone she came across. She told herself she was the best, but was she really? She punished her own sister for having friends, Goddamnit! What was wrong with her?

Then a moment of clarity came over her. It was the baldy. It was his fault. He reported her for damaging the HA HQ. He blamed their fault on her. It was him that drove Fubuki away. Everything was HIS fault!

Hate. That is what she felt. Hate unlike anything she had ever felt. Hate consumed her mind, her heart, the very corners of her blackened soul. Her entire house vibrated from the very force of her hate.

The stupid eggheaded freak! He did this to her! He cost her her job! He took away everything she had! It was all his fault!

"Atomic Slash!"

Tatsumaki barely had time to put up a barrier before she was launched through the wall of her house.

"Ugh," Tatsumaki groaned, laying on the street.

A force hit her and she sailed through the air and smashed into another house. She didn't have enough time to put up a barrier this time, and took the full force of the blow. She coughed. Blood flowed out of her mouth.

She sensed something coming towards her and flew away at the last second. The house she had landed in was now totally destroyed.

From the air, she looked down on her former comrades who were now trying to kill her.

Atomic Samurai stood below her, trademark sword on his shoulder and even more trademark toothpick in his mouth.

In front of him was Tanktop Master. He stood with both hands on guard, muscles bared and flexed.

Behind Tanktop Master and next to Atomic Samurai was Zombieman. He regarded with cold, dead eyes, holding his guns in his hands.

"Come now Tatsumaki, there is no need to fight. You are outnumbered here. Surrender." Atomic Samurai called up to her.

"Surrender? Ha!" Tatsumaki laughed. "To you bozos who call themselves Heroes? I don't think so. You couldn't kill a Demon level threat on your own. What makes you think you have any chance against me?"

Tatsumaki's aura intensified. She had been kept from a true battle for too long. She was itching to fight. And even more so, she was pissed. Seriously pissed. How DARE they attack her? In her own home? HOW DARE the Association fire her? HOW DARE THEY?

Zombieman sighed. "Figured she'd say that."

He jumped into the air. Tatsumaki sent pieces of rubble to crush him from either side. To her surprise, Zombieman's pistols destroyed them both with a single shot, then he fired several shots at her.

Tatsumak's barrier's deflected the bullet's but the surprising power behind them forced her to the ground. But before she could reach the earth, a fist appeared in front of her face. Tatsumaki only had time to widen her eyes in shock before she was punched down four blocks. As soon as she landed, she erected a barrier around herself.

It was a good thing she did, because only seconds later it was barraged by what seemed to be a hundred swords. Something red dripped down into her eye. She wiped it away angrily. It was time to stop playing nice.

Tatsumaki was no fool. Clearly these three had coordinated their attacks beforehand. They had time to prepare, and likely spent hours going over her strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Not that she had many weaknesses of course.

If she had been at a hundred percent, she'd wipe the floor with these buffoons. But she hadn't been totally recovered before they attacked her. And those first few attacks had caught her off guard and done more damage than she'd care to admit.

She could see the heroes surrounding her barrier, waiting for her to make a move.

Well, it was best not to disappoint.

With a wave of her hand, she gathered rocks and debris and created a tornado around her barrier.

The wind and power of the tornado knocked them back. Zombieman immediately recovered and blasted her barrier with bullets.

But the tornado was only a distraction.

Tatsumaki erupted from behind Atomic Samurai and hit him with a boulder. He went sailing away. Tanktop Master rushed towards her, but with an upward motion, Tatsumaki ripped the road up like a wave and sent Tanktop Master into the sky. Without a pause, she gathered the ruined road and smacked Tanktop Master back down to the ground. Then she dropped the rubble and buried him.

That just left Zombieman. He stared at her from his position from where he fell for her diversion. Tatsumaki saw his shocked face turn serious. Zombieman immediately raised his guns toward her.

Before he could fire off a single round, Tatsumaki made a sinkhole under Zombieman that swallowed him. He let out a surprised Hrrk before she closed her fist and started to crush him.

Tatsumaki floated over to Zombieman. Only his head was aboveground now. He struggled in his hole.

"The next time the Hero Association sends people to kill me," Tatsumaki growled. "Make sure they send real heroes."

Tatsumaki turned and flew off into the sky.

AN: alright my first fight sequence. What do you guys think? I originally had Metal Bat instead of Zombieman with Atomic Samurai and Tank Top Master before I remembered he switched to the Neo Heroes.