What's up guys im back. If you are as well I hope you're having a fantastic day and just vibing.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Punch Man. All credit goes to One and Murata.

Chapter Fifteen: Epilogue

Tatsumaki floated in her room. She had packed her stuff up and had it tucked away in a duffel bag.

Her room. It was strange to call it that since it was in Fubuki's house.

But lately, many things have been strange. This was perhaps the least strange thing that happened to her recently.

It had only been yesterday when Amai Mask had killed Ryu. Yet it felt like a lifetime. Tatsumaki was still unsure how to process that.

Tatsumaki was glad he was dead. He was an awful person that did terrible things. He had tormented her for nearly her whole life.

But yet, Tatsumaki had the strange feeling that hearing his neck snap would cause her nightmares beyond anything before.

Tatsumaki had not slept last night. She had been staring at the wall, barely moving or breathing even. For so long she had harbored this hatred, this unquenchable rage inside her. It lashed out at everything around her, tearing and destroying without thought. But now, that spark had all but disappeared. Without her anger, her persona of strength, Tatsumaki just felt cold. Cold and empty.

What would she do now? Now that she was changed? Now that all remaining fragments of her false life had been stripped away, leaving her bare for the world to see. Now that she had no more secrets to hide. Now that she had nothing left except her fear and hopelessness.

Tatsumaki looked down, staring at her hands. She could see the blood dripping off them, staining her forever.

Tatsumaki sighed, clenching her fists. She would do what she always did then. When the nightmares came, she would face them head on. But now, she would do so with a knowledge she wasn't perfect. She wasn't the greatest. Not even close.

It was time for Tatsumaki to stop living in the past. What had happened to her would always be a part of her, but it was time to move on, and instead look to the future.

Tatsumaki still had a long way to go. And now that she had started down this path, it was impossible to turn around and go back. She didn't understand the full scope of this revelation, this truth. But Tatsumaki had a feeling she would find out. But Tatsumaki would now no longer hide from this truth. She would face it and accept it.

Fubuki had begged Tatsumaki to let her come with her. But she refused. This was something she had to do herself. She didn't know exactly where she was going to go or what she was going to do.

But she would find her way.

Tatsumaki raised her head at the sound of footsteps. They reached the doorway of her room and stopped.

"Hello, Amai Mask," Tatsumaki greeted.

"Is it true? Are you leaving?" He asked.

"I am," Tatsumaki said.

"Then let me come with you," Amai Mask declared.

Tatsumaki turned to face him. His green face held nothing but determination.

"Why?" Tatsumaki asked.

"Well I think it would be best if I got out of your sisters hair, and I thought-"

"No. Why do you want to come with me?"

Amai Mask sighed. "You're going through a serious change right now. A serious rebirth. I feel like I'm having the same change done to me. Maybe...maybe I just don't want to feel alone."

They stared at each other for a moment. Tatsumaki floated towards him and landed a foot in front of him. She looked up at his face.

"I guess that makes two of us."

Amai Mask grinned-or so she assumed. "So you'll let me come?"

"On two conditions. First you have to promise not to back out on me."

Amai Mask nodded. "Tatsumaki I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was cruel and-"

Tatsumaki waved her hand, stopping him. "I don't want an apology or an excuse or anything. I want assurance that it won't happen again. I want to know that you'll have my back even when the going gets tough. I don't know where I'll be going right now, but I know a few things. Both Hero Associations are going to be looking for us. And I've got a score to settle with Metal Knight. And sometime soon, there will be a civil war between heroes, and if it turns ugly, we might need to step in. We may not be professional heroes anymore, but we still have a responsibility to the people. Is that clear?"

Amai Mask nodded. "I can agree with that."

"Good. As for my second request.."

Tatsumaki floated up until she was eye level with him. She stared into his yellow eyes, boring into his soul, making sure there was no room for doubt.

"Take off your mask."

Amai Mask recoiled. "What?"

"If we're going to travel together, we can't hold back anything. No lies. No secrets. No masks."

Tatsumaki held out her hand. "Are you willing to show me the truth?"

Amai Mask stared at her. Tatsumaki couldn't read his mind, but if she could, she expected that she would see a conflict of emotions warring inside him. Strangely enough, she could relate.

Finally Amai Mask smiled. "Very well. No more masks."

Amai Mask took her hand with his. And just like that, he began to change. He grew shorter and scrawnier. His face and skin lost its green leathery appeal. Finally, he stood there, in front of her. It was not the face of the idol that stared back at her. This man had a piggish nose and eyes that didn't fit quite right in his head.

And yet, if he had learned anything, it was that people aren't defined by how they look. It was their actions that defined them. Tatsumaki decided to respect that. She looked at him, took in his flaws and failures. And she accepted them. She looked over his strength and successes. She saw how drastically he had an affect on people. She saw all the good he had done. She accepted that too. She looked at this man and saw him, everything about him, the good, the bad, the in-between.

Tatsumaki smiled at him. "Come on then, Beaut. We have a long road ahead of us."

Alright guys this is the end of my fanfiction. I do plan on making a sequel in the future but I've got no time frames planned out. I also subtly hinted at what I plan to write about, but I've got no idea what order they'll go in or if they'll go in at all. If you want to give me suggestions I'm totally open to that as well. I have also decided that I will post this story on Archive of our Own as well as soon as I get a chance, hopefully soon. Well lads, it's been real. I'll see you all next fanfic!