Hero. Model. Actor. Singer. These professions are highly sought after, as they promise fame, fortune, and an endless amount of adoring fans. Occasionally, certain individuals will seek to obtain more than one. Wanting to, as the saying often goes, go big or go home.
However, one man achieved all of these lofty life goals. As he was known publicly, Sweet Mask was the top-ranking A-class hero and the most well-known celebrity in the world. Honestly, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't at least vaguely familiar with him and his status. And yet, there was another position of notoriety Sweet Mask held; he was a member of the Association's ranking evaluation board.
This meant that whenever a hero was up for a promotion into another class, he, along with the other members, would discuss and determine the hero's rise within the organization. Now, more often than not, Sweet Mask automatically gave his approval whenever a promotion was brought to his attention. As most of the time, it was C and B class heroes who were the topic of discussion among the board's members. But on the rare occasion, there was a ranking shift in either A or S class, and that's when Sweet Mask meticulously scrutinized every detail about the candidate.
No stone was left unturned. No corner of the hero's past was left to speculation or mystery. A personality, emotional, and psychiatric evaluation would be conducted. All to ensure that the Heroes Association wouldn't tarnish its image and reputation by putting some egotistical, self-interested disgrace of a human being in the spotlight. A bit extreme, perhaps, but that was how dedicated Sweet Mask was to preserving the image of heroes in the population's eyes.
Thankfully, the Association hadn't contacted him in quite some time to oversee a promotion. If there had been any, they were undoubtedly C class or very low ranking B class; either way, they were not worth his time. This allowed Sweet Mask to focus on his other careers and interests, such as promoting his latest album on a daytime talk show.
"Twenty minutes, sir!" A voice called from outside the green room, accompanied by a few knocks on the door to get his attention.
"Thank you!" Sweet Mask responded, only to release an irritated sigh afterward. "That's the third time he's come by here to tell me the time..." He said, fairly confident that the station employee was a fan. And if he wasn't, then he was just annoying.
Although he appreciated and cared about his fans, Sweet Mask, like anyone else, found the more obsessive to be particularly bothersome. ESPECIALLY when obsession naturally evolved into the handful of stalkers, he's had to deal with. But there was no avoiding such issues, not when you were as famous and important of a person as he was. That said, you'd think Sweet Mask would be allowed a few minutes alone.
Knock Knock
"Another reminder?" He thought, his irritation slowly becoming anger. "Let me guess, nineteen minutes?" He asked, unable to keep from being sarcastic.
"Apologies, sir." A new voice, belonging to one of the Association employees who worked directly for him, responded from the other side of the door. "I don't mean to disturb you as you're about to go on, but I felt you should see this." The man explained.
"Oh. No, please, come in." Sweet Mask invited with a far warmer tone, now that he knew it wasn't the obsessed employee.
Watching the door open and his subordinate enter the room, Sweet Mask immediately noticed a tablet in the man's hands.
"Has something happened?" Sweet Mask asked, assuming this had to be hero related.
"Yes, sir. A mall in City J was attacked by what we assume to be a terrorist. They used several explosives to destroy the building, kill the people inside, or possibly both." The man answered while walking over.
"Were there any casualties?" Sweet Mask inquired as he was handed the tablet.
"Luckily, no. The worst is some fairly large flesh wounds and broken bones, but nothing life-threatening. Everyone managed to survive." He informed.
Hearing that brought pause to Sweet Mask for a few seconds, as this information raised a question.
"Forgive me for saying this, but I don't understand why you've brought this to my attention." He began, setting the device in his lap. "While the news of a potential terrorist attack is significant, it sounds like the situation is resolved and currently being handled. So, why did you feel that I needed to be informed?" He asked.
"Well, sir. It's...a very odd situation. I genuinely couldn't think of any way to describe it to you as I came here. I thought it'd be best if you saw it for yourself." The man answered, being oddly cryptic.
Okay, now his interest was piqued. This was worth Sweet Mask's time if his subordinate couldn't even figure out how to tell him all the details. So, he looked down at the tablet sitting on his lap and was surprised to find an ongoing news broadcast that had been muted.
"Things are still pretty hectic here. Apart from the Heroes Association, no one knows the full story of what happened at this ordinary shopping mall." A female reporter stated while looking directly into the camera. "However, as you can see, a LOT is going on behind me." She continued, taking a moment to step out of the way to allow the camera to focus on what was happening in the background. "The Deep-Sea Queen, who earlier today prevented the loss of human life by defeating a group of Seafolk with murderous intentions, is helping rescue survivors and clean up debris. However, she isn't alone. Working alongside her are multiple monsters. Most of which are Seafolk that, unlike the others from before, are peaceful and have no desire to cause harm or destruction. The three that stand out from the Deep-Sea Queen and her people are the Sky, Ancient, and Subterranean Queens. As for the presence of any heroes, top ranking C class hero Mumen Rider is helping EMTs with the injured civilians." She explained as she stepped back into the center of the camera's view. "All of the information we can provide comes directly from the Association. We're still pressing them as much as we can for additional details for a clearer picture of the events that led to this disaster. But at this time, they are refusing to share anything more." She concluded.
"Alright! We're ready for you, mister Sweet Mask!" The station employee exclaimed as he pushed open the door.
Looking into the room with a cheery and excited demeanor. That quickly changed once the employee discovered the absence of Sweet Mask. Frozen stiff from the shock at the sudden disappearance of the biggest celebrity on the planet. It'd take close to a minute for the poor man to notice that a lone tablet now resided where Sweet Mask had been sitting.
Meanwhile, In City J...
"Hey! There's more over here!" Konbu called out while pointing to a large pile of debris.
The destruction wrought by Sonic's explosives was greater than anticipated. Even now, after thirty minutes of constant work, people were still trapped in the aftermath of the devastation.
"I'M ON IT!" Legion shouted while raising his claws. "NO AMOUNT OF BOULDERS WILL PROVE TOO MUCH FOR-"
"KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!" The Deep-Sea Queen demanded before smacking him upside the head. She was still in her transformed state due to the broken fountain's water supply remaining active. Allowing her to receive a constant stream of H20. "These people are hurt and scared! They don't need you screaming at the top of your lungs as you help them out of the rubble!" She told him.
Normally, as he showed on the beach, Legion would immediately give an apology to his queen along with one of his many appendages. But he knew how serious this situation and his matriarch were, which brought forth the knightly nature buried beneath his stubborn ignorance.
"Whoa," Konbu said, watching in disbelief as Legion proceeded to free the trapped humans without saying anything else. "I didn't think he could be quiet." He admitted.
"Hmph, despite how difficult he is at times, you'll find no one more capable of following orders when given." Deep-Sea Queen praised. "As for you, get back to searching. We haven't the time to be idle." She ordered.
"Yes, mam!" Konbu responded before following her command.
Despite her personality and the frightening appearance she possessed when hydrated, the Deep-Sea Queen was beyond capable of being a proper leader. However, only the Seafolk knew this. So when those close to her witnessed this behavior, they were pretty amazed.
"I never thought I'd see such a side from her in a million years." Sky Queen confessed; her eyes were wide with shock.
"It's like She's a completely different person. Even during the war, I never saw Deep assert such authority while showing restraint. She's always so boisterous." The Subterranean Queen said, equally surprised.
"It is impressive, but nothing beyond my expectations." The Ancient Queen told them.
"Oh? Care to expand upon that?" Sky Queen challenged, finding that hard to believe.
"Think about it logically. The Skyfolk have the least amount of tangible ground to rule over. Yes, you have all of the skies, but without any terrain, you can't do anything with it. My people had the land to rule, but it wasn't much larger than the Skyfolk's domain. The Subterraneans have all of the ground below our feet, but where they live and spend most of their time is close to the planet's core. So much of the Earth is untouched by their species. But then we have the Seafolk, whose territory FAR outclasses any that we combined have. Additionally, there are places within the ocean that we can't get to. To manage all of that, or even just most of it, Deep would need to be capable of handling an empire that spans nearly every inch of the globe. If she weren't, regardless of her and her kin's abilities, they wouldn't have lasted long during our conflict." She explained.
Taking a moment to consider that, the Ancient Queen did make a good point, a terrifyingly good point. Until now, neither the Sky nor Subterranean Queen thought about how many Seafolk there were or how massive their civilization might be. If left alone, the two of them would've been lost in thought for several minutes, but the matriarchs were snapped back to reality by someone clapping their hands.
"Hey! You two okay?" Bearded Worker asked, noticing that they suddenly stopped what they were doing and seemed to space out.
"Uh, yes! Sorry!" Both apologized before getting back to work, each having a faint blush of embarrassment on their face. Thankfully, no one could see it.
Although still curious about the unusual pause, Bearded Worker's attention was directed elsewhere as he heard someone walking up behind him.
"How're things progressing?" Bespectacled Worker asked, having just finished another phone call in what had been a never-ending series since the incident occurred.
"Good. We think we're close to getting everybody. But there are still a few specific locations, like the security office and the hallways behind the stores, that we need to sweep through." Bearded Worker answered. "How's HQ handling the PR?" He inquired.
"They're ecstatic. The positive press coverage on the queens and the Seafolk helping people rather than attacking them will do wonders for the upcoming announcement. Their words, not mine." Bespectacled Worker replied.
"Well, that's good at least. I'm glad the queens and Lady Boros aren't getting slammed by the major news outlets." He said.
"Likewise. However, between this AND what happened earlier, I'm fully expecting that others within the Association will start putting the pieces together. It'd be impossible for them not to." Bespectacled Worker responded, making his partner sigh.
"Yeah, but we would have to deal with it eventually. Does a day or two make that much of a difference when it comes to something like this?" He asked.
Before Bespectacled Worker could answer that question, his cellphone began to ring again.
"Hello?" He greeted after accepting the call. "...What!?" He suddenly exclaimed, catching his partner off guard. "When did he leave? Is he close to arriving?" He asked.
"What's going on?" Bearded Worker inquired, unable to wait until the call was finished to learn what was happening.
"We have a problem, a VERY big problem. Sweet Mask is on his way." He informed while putting his hand over the phone's receiver, causing his partner's eyes to widen.
"What?! I thought he had something else to do today! What was it, an interview? A talk show? Some promotional event?" Bearded Worker guessed, unable to remember exactly what it was due to the alarming nature of this news.
"He did! But he immediately left the studio once he found out about this." He explained before returning his attention to the call. "Yes. I'm still here and listening." He told the person on the other end.
"Shit! This isn't good! If Sweet Mask was willing to drop everything to come out here, that means he either wants to get control over the situation, or he's pissed." Bearded Worker thought.
However, as Bearded Worker's mind began racing with how they would greet Sweet Mask when he arrived and prevent things from getting out of hand, he remembered something.
"DAMN IT!" He screamed in his mind, panic rapidly setting in.
Elsewhere In City J...
"It was super nice of everyone to let us take off," Saitama said as he and Lady Boros walked down the street.
The one good thing to come out of a mall exploding in the middle of the day was that it got everyone's attention. People across City J watched the news coverage on their televisions, listened to it on radios, or even went to the mall to see if they could help somehow. This allowed Lady Boros, and to a lesser degree Saitama, to go where they wanted without curious glances and people talking about them in whispers.
"I...don't know if I'd call it that." Lady Boros replied, thinking back to it. "It was more like we either left of our own free will, or they'd pick us up and throw us as far as they could. We didn't have a real choice to stay or not." She argued.
"Eh, it was still nice of them. I would've been more than happy to help." He responded.
"So would I. But that's what we get for telling them we had plans today." She said.
"You mean you." He corrected, much to her chagrin.
"Okay, me." She accepted, owning up to it. "But what else could I have said? That I didn't want to go shopping with Deep? That would've hurt her feelings." She asked.
"Hmm...you could have told her you went shopping not too long ago. After our second fight." He answered.
"...Yeah, that would've been better..." She agreed, mentally kicking herself that she hadn't remembered that. "If I had, I wouldn't have caused everyone so much trouble..." She said with a sigh.
"What're you talking about? You're not the one who destroyed the mall." He questioned.
"No. But if I never crossed paths with Sonic, he wouldn't have done what he did after seeing me today." She told him.
"But that could happen anywhere." He countered. "Think about it. It could've been tomorrow if you didn't run into him. Or the day after that. Maybe a week or month from now. At some point, you two would see each other again. And unless he somehow discovered where your ship is or stumbled onto us while we're out at the canyon, your next encounter would happen somewhere public." He reasoned.
"Even so, Saitama. Had I never engaged with him, Sonic wouldn't have this fixation on me. I'm ultimately the one to blame." She argued, not letting up on herself.
Without warning, Saitama slapped Lady Boros on her left arm, startling her.
"What was that for!?" She shouted with a shocked expression.
"I thought you'd know that was coming. I guess I was wrong." He casually replied as if randomly slapping someone was normal.
"HOW would I know you'd slap me out of nowhere?" She questioned, still taken aback.
"Because from what you've been saying, you're giving off the impression that you're psychic. And despite knowing that you'd meet Sonic in the future, you chose to do it anyway." He explained. "But since I was able to slap you and you didn't do anything about it, I guess seeing into the future isn't one of your powers." He said.
Oh. This cheeky little bastard. This entire stunt was to get through Lady Boros's thick head that her meeting Sonic was an accident, as nearly all encounters are. She had no idea that she'd run into a ninja in the forest that day, nor that said ninja would turn out to be a psychotic sociopath.
"...You didn't need to slap me to get your point across..." She mumbled with a blush after realizing his plan. "And being sarcastic wasn't necessary either." She added.
"Hey, it worked. You can't argue with the results." He replied with a smile. Both to make her feel better and because he was proud of his success.
"Shut up." She said, begrudgingly accepting defeat. "So, are you taking me somewhere, or will you assault me some more?" She asked, wanting to change the topic.
"I didn't have any place in mind. I was just enjoying talking and walking with you." He answered, worsening her blush.
"Always the charmer, aren't you?" She questioned.
"I guess. I'm just being honest." He replied.
Continuing to walk until they reached the end of the street they were on, Lady Boros and Saitama came to a stop to see if anything caught their interest.
"...What about that?" She suggested while pointing to what her eye had spotted.
Looking in the direction she was, Saitama saw an empty park nearby.
"You sure?" He asked, returning his focus to Lady Boros. "I figured you'd want to do something exciting today." He admitted.
"I DID. But after EVERYTHING else we've been put through already, I just want to relax." She said. "And...you know...spend time with you..." She added in a mutter, those pesky emotions getting the better of her again.
Most people, like her elites, might find it strange that this mono-eyed Amazon-like alien conqueror could be embarrassed and bashful so frequently. But for Saitama, he thought it was cute. Getting to see such a different side to Lady Boros was something special. At least, that was his opinion.
"Alright. To the park." He decided before walking towards it.
"W-Wait!" She exclaimed as she followed, not expecting him to start walking.
Upon entering the park, the duo looked around to see if there was a bench they could sit on to relax. As expected, one perfectly positioned in the middle of the area was empty and waiting.
"Ah, there we go," Saitama said as they sat down simultaneously.
"Hm, sturdy. Nice." Lady Boros commented, impressed by the quality of this bench.
In the minutes that followed, there was silence. For Saitama, he was quiet because he was enjoying the serene setting and the company of his...friend? Best Friend? In progress, girlfriend? There wasn't a simple or easy way to describe the current stage of their relationship.
For Lady Boros, however, her lack of speech was entirely different. As time went by, her brain became more and more of a jumbled mess, trying desperately to think of something to talk with him about now that they were all alone.
"It's okay, girl. You've got this. You've talked to plenty of people, and Saitama is on that list." She thought, amping herself up. "...So...what do you think about...my clothes?..." She asked.
"You mean the clothes you always wear?" He inquired, confused by the question.
Surprisingly, Saitama referred to Lady Boros's current outfit: her standard black tank top, white baggy pants, and black boots.
"Uh...yeah..." She replied, her usual panicked mental screaming happening on schedule as she fumbled again.
"Honestly, I'm surprised they survived. Those are some insanely durable clothes." He answered, unknowingly giving her an opportunity she desperately needed.
"YES! A WAY TO SALVAGE THIS!" She cheered in her head before speaking. "That's thanks to Geryuganshoop. In addition to his adjustments, he makes all of my attire more durable. He's been insistent on that since our first fight when I was...less than decent by the end of it." She explained.
"A shame he couldn't do that with your new clothes." He said, making her groan.
"Ugh, don't remind me." She requested as she threw her head back. "All of that time changing was pointless in the end. AND I intend to pay Deep back for what she spent. I cannot allow her money to go to waste like that. It's unacceptable." She told him.
"That's very nice of you, Boros." He complimented her, causing her to smile.
"It's the least I can do. Genuinely. The bare minimum." She replied. "I need to compensate her because she and the other queens were excited about my new outfits. And, if I'm being truthful, so was I. Even if I didn't say it." She shared.
"Well, there's always next time. And if anything, without us having plans to hang out, you and the others will have an entire day to try on clothes and get even more than you did today." He suggested.
"Yeah, that's true." She responded.
Again, silence came between them. But this time, Lady Boros didn't feel as pressured to keep the conversation going; having one while they sat on this bench was more than enough. And yet, her mind kept thinking of things to talk about; only they were more "sensitive" topics this time. To be specific, anything that had the slightest bit to do with their relationship as it was currently and what it could be in the near or distant future. Despite this, Lady Boros managed to muster enough courage to bring one up.
"Saitama." She spoke, her voice far less nervous than before as she did her best to remain composed. "I know that this wasn't a date. And even if today hadn't been crazy, it wouldn't be. But, with all of that being said, what would our first date be like? If you have any ideas to offer?" She asked.
For a brief second, that question got a reaction out of Saitama, as he wouldn't expect her to bring it up due to her shyness about these sorts of things. But then he returned to his usual expression, needing at least a minute to consider his response.
"...I...have something...but I'm not sure how good it is..." He told her, debating whether or not he should share it.
"Saitama, it'd take a LOT for anything you could suggest to come close to bad." She said. Partly to make him feel better and partly because she wanted to hear it.
"Alright. Well, for our first date, I think it'd be nice if we went to all the places we've spent time at before. Only now, we'd make them romantic." He began as he held up his hand to count the locations with his fingers. "The canyon's the first choice. It's where we've had both our fights and where I learned you had feelings for me. The movie theater I took you to after you arrived would be next. And then finally my apartment because it's where we've spent most of our time together playing that RPG." He listed. "What do you think?" He asked afterward.
"Hmm...could I make a suggestion?" She inquired. "Not because I think it's bad; I just have some thoughts." She clarified, not wanting to send the wrong message.
"Of course. This date will involve both of us." He replied.
"Thank you." She said before continuing. "I like your idea, Saitama. And I'm not just saying that to be nice. However, I think it'll be a rather short date. The longest part of it will be our time in your apartment. But if we agree to begin the date in the morning, we could do a lot more before going back to your place. And I think that'd be the best way to do this." She told him.
"What would we do?" He asked, wanting to hear her ideas.
"An amusement park. I've heard so much about them, and they sound like fun. We could also go shopping, just the two of us. I've always loved looking at human wares with you. Oh! And we could maybe go swimming. Although, with Deep having a claim on literally every inch of the ocean, we would need to locate a different body of water. Unless we want her to be a third wheel." She answered.
"I like the amusement park idea. We can kill a lot of time there. Plus, it's something we haven't done together. It'd be fun." He said, which made her smile.
"The amusement park it is then!" She quickly decided, unable to hide her excitement, making him smile as well.
Sadly, this lovely conversation between Lady Boros and Saitama would abruptly end. Caused by the sound of someone nearby clearing their throat.
"Excuse me." A man with blue hair and yellow eyes greeted from only a few feet away. This was immediately concerning as neither Saitama nor Lady Boros had noticed him get that close.
"Can we help you?" Saitama asked, assuming he needed something. Hence why he wasn't upset by this stranger interrupting their conversation. The same, however, could not be said about Lady Boros.
"My name is Sweet Mask. I'm with the Heroes Association. A class, rank one." He answered...kind of.
"Um...okay...that's cool...but that doesn't answer my question. You just told me who you are." Saitama said, which earned him a chuckle from Sweet Mask.
"I suppose that's true." He agreed. "You see, I was on my way to the mall that was attacked not long ago. But as my car drove by this park, I happened to be looking out my window, and that's when I noticed her." He explained while pointing at Lady Boros. "So, to properly answer your question, you can help by talking to me. Because I have a lot of questions." He said.
"And why should I care?" She questioned, already suspicious of this man. "If what you say is true, which you haven't proven yet, that you ARE with the Heroes Association. Then I don't need to answer or speak to you at all. And I'm not saying that to be rude. I'm telling you to talk with your superiors if you have concerns about whether or not I'm a threat." She stated.
"Oh, I know you're not a danger to anyone. At least, not now. That's not what I'm here to discuss." He assured. "I'm here to learn about you and the other monsters who, to my surprise, act like heroes." He revealed.
"Again, speak to your superiors." She repeated, not interested in talking to him any longer.
"Normally, I would. But as of right now, I'm under the assumption they've all gone temporarily insane." He said.
"And why is that?" She asked, even though she had a pretty good guess on what she was about to hear.
"When I called them on my way to the city, they were adamant that no mistake had been made. You and the other monsters everyone is talking about will be heroes." He answered. "Which, to be clear, is an outlandish statement to make. Let alone have it be an official decision made by the Association. It's absurd." He added.
"Oh? Care to elaborate?" She challenged, slowly getting up from her seat so they could have a "proper" conversation.
"Look, I'm not trying to insult or offend you. As far as monsters go, you and the others are the most civil I've ever seen. That's an achievement. You should be proud." He praised, although it felt like a slap across the face coming from him. "However, no matter how civilized you might be. You still aren't human. And that is the important detail to keep in mind." He responded.
"Why?" That was all she had to ask, for she needed to hear his reasoning before saying or doing anything else.
"Because the people of this world are human." He stated, his somewhat friendly attitude now shifting to one of total seriousness. "When a monster has power, it's not surprising. It's not human. Even the weakest, most pathetic monsters have some talent or abilities that humans don't. So, when someone sees a monster causing destruction, doing things that normally wouldn't be possible, no one bats an eye or thinks anything of it. But when a HUMAN does something similar or even greater, it's a big deal because most members of our species are vulnerable. Every day could suddenly be someone's last. Not because of an unexpected natural disaster or a madman wielding a gun who decided to go on a killing spree. But because a monster with terrifying power and abilities appeared and thought, why not? So, heroes must be human. When people see a human hold their own against such forces and creatures and come out victorious, it lets them know they are protected. And, because WE are humans like them, they have no reason to fear us." He explained before he pressed a finger against the center of her chest. "But when people see someone like YOU, protect them. While they might cheer and celebrate at first, they will also wonder if it will always be this way. What if you suddenly turn against them? What if you decide you're tired of keeping those weaker than you safe? What will happen when the day comes where you-"
"Enough," Saitama spoke up, interrupting him.
Hearing him speak, Lady Boros and Sweet Mask looked over at Saitama at the same time. And, to his surprise but her delight, he appeared much different than before. Gone was the ordinary expression that Sweet Mask had seen; in its place, one that showed an even greater level of seriousness than that of the A-class hero. However, Sweet Mask wasn't intimidated; rather, he was impressed, for he wouldn't have expected something like this from someone who looked so plain moments ago.
"Is there something you'd like to say?" He asked while doing his best to assess this man.
"Yeah. You need to stop." Saitama answered.
"Why should I?" He pressed, but only out of curiosity.
"Because you don't know anything about her. Or the others." Saitama said before pointing his finger at him. "You keep going on about how heroes need to be human so people will have someone to look up to. While also implying that if a hero isn't human, it somehow defeats the point of heroes entirely. But that's because until now, the only ones who fought to protect humanity were humanity itself. Yet now, we have people like Boros and the queens who want to do the same thing as you and the rest of the heroes do, and they've proven that they can do it, but you are against it. Now, I don't claim to know anything about you, I just met you after all, but wouldn't it be in humanity and the Association's best interest to not oppose but embrace this? Because if they are sincere about their intentions, which I know they are, then that proves the monsters humans are so scared of can change. And if that's the case, maybe there'll come a day when humans won't need heroes to keep them safe anymore." He told him.
On the surface, Lady Boros and Sweet Mask reacted similarly to Saitama's words. Their eyes were wide, voices silent, and minds busy thinking about what he said. But on the inside, it couldn't be more different. She was currently freaking out since her champion stood up for her while he had his intrigue of Saitama increase exponentially.
"...I concede." Sweet Mask spoke after a full minute of contemplative silence, finally removing his finger from Lady Boros's chest as he did.
"...Come again?" Saitama questioned, unsure if he heard him right.
"I said I withdraw. For now, at least." He repeated. "I'll admit, you make a good counterargument. However, don't think you've suddenly changed my mind. Or that I've been convinced about anything." He told him.
"Then...what have I done?" Saitama asked.
"Shown me the merit to...whatever this will turn out to be." He answered. "But again, my feelings have not changed, nor have my doubts been dispelled. I will watch this new group of monster heroes like the rest of the world. Although, given my position and status, I'll be looking a bit more closely." He explained before turning around. "I expect great things from you, Lady Boros." He said as he began to leave.
Saitama watched Sweet Mask make his way from the park to a car that waited for him on a nearby street. And he wouldn't stop watching until the car, with Sweet Mask inside, was out of view.
"Phew. That was intense." He breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see that man gone. "You okay, Boros? He was pretty rude to you." He asked while looking toward her.
However, instead of finding an irritated or even angry Lady Boros, Saitama was met with one that looked...happy?
"Boros?" He addressed her again, confused by her expression.
Luckily for Saitama, he'd get a response this time. Albeit in the form of a surprise hug. Unluckily for Saitama, even with her height decrease, Lady Boros was still taller. And something told him that she wasn't thinking too much about the positioning of this embrace.
"Thank you, Saitama." She said from above him, hugging him tighter.
"For what?" He asked with a slightly muffled voice.
"For standing up for me. I...have never had anyone do that before." She answered.
"What about your elites?" He inquired.
"That's different. They're my subordinates. And, as we've spent time together, they've become a sort of family to me. But seeing you do that...made me feel..." She trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Happy?" He suggested.
"No. It's FAR better than just happy." She replied.
They would continue to hug for a fair bit longer after that. With Saitama offering no objections. Because why in the world would he have any? Eventually, Lady Boros would release him from her hold, and with but a simple wave and farewell smile, she took off into the air.
That was surprising since they wanted to spend the rest of today together. But Saitama, just like his interstellar woman, wasn't thinking about that right now. He was focused on a single thought that commanded the space in his mind:
"They were soft."
