The Burning Hearts of Valor.

A_Painful_Metamorphosis.

Part 1

1:15 PM

Touma and Saitama engaged in an awkward staring contest. Something about a bald stranger in a cape and a one piece jump suit staring coldly into your soul rightfully made Touma uncomfortable.

"Uh…" Touma uncomfortably said as he rubbed the back of his head.

(He looks like a western superhero. I wonder if he's looking for a convention? But, Academy City doesn't have these kinds of conventions…)

"Hey," Saitama finally said after sometime. "Do you work out?"

Touma nervously pointed at himself with his right hand. A light sweat dampened his face and his body subtly shook like an underfed cat.

(S-shit. He's talking to me. Quickly, say something nice and then find an excuse to walk away without arousing suspicion.)

"W-who me? Well, er, no. I mean, I'm always running around and getting into fights but it's not a daily regimen or anything."

(Nice.) Touma sarcastically derided himself.

Saitama walked up to Touma who cautiously observed him. Saitama placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked him in the eye. Touma gulped as a drop of sweat rolled down his the side of his temple.

"Don't do it."

"...What?"

"DON'T FUCKING DO IT KID! I'M TELLING YOU! LIFE GETS PRETTY DULL WHEN YOU'RE STRONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, YOU HEAR?!"

"W-what are you talking about?!"

Saitama rapidly shook Touma back and forth.

"You're young! You still have a chance! You still have a nice, long life ahead of yourself! Do you want to end up like me?! Hmm?! Bald before you even turn twenty-five?! Full of utter despair and lacking all motivation to excel life?! Is that your goal?! HM?!"

Touma winced as the strange man babbling nonsense shook him. A second later he broke free of Saitama's light grip and backed up a few steps. He pulled out his phone and quickly punched in a number with his thumbs. He turned to the side and covered his mouth with his left hand to obscure Saitama's hearing.

"...Hello, is this the Anti-Skill hotline? Yes, I'm being attacked by a pervert. Yes, I'll hold."

Saitama's face practically melted off. He speed up to Touma.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! I'm not a pervert! I just tried to save you!"

"Normal people don't walk around in their PJs pretending to be superheroes!"

"Pretending?! Listen, I am hero. A professional hero actually! Surely, you've heard of me! Saitama the hero?! Or even the… *sigh* Caped Baldy?"

"No!"

Saitama's face lost color and appeared frozen solid as the despair consumed his face.

"And besides, what the hell is a "professional hero?" Do you know how you sound right now? You sound like someone with Schizophrenia."

Silence filled the air as Saitama realized how obscure he was.

"Okay, that was kind of harsh. Look, I'm really sorry but I don't have time to entertain your delusions."

Touma jogged towards Abicus' semiconscious laid out body. He kneeled down on one knee and patted his torso down like an airport security guard.

"I need to do something very important right now."

"Hey, shouldn't you be in school?"

Touma paused for a second.

"Shouldn't you be at your job?"

He rummaged through the inside of Abicus' vest.

"This is my job," Saitama said in an irritated tone.

(Hmmm…) Touma ponders. (He doesn't seem to have to saws on him. What if I…?)

Touma then patted Abicus' sleeves.

(I guess there really isn't anything up his sleeves. Damn, he must be using magic to hide them in some pocket dimension or something. Give me a break, is he a cartoon character? … Actually, that would explain his weird facial proportions. He is from another universe after all.)

After that ludicrous comparison, a thought occurred to Kamijou.

(Wait a sec...If Necessarius has been looking for Oswald's Saws for over two decades and had a device that could detect its presence, why would they just now discover its whereabouts? Could it be possible that...)

Touma is too immersed in his thoughts to notice Saitama walking towards him.

(...maybe it wasn't even on this planet the entire time?)

Saitama grabbed Abicus by the shoulder. Touma looked up and pressed down on Abicus' gut. Saitama could have easily overpowered him but decided to hear him out instead.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I told you already, I'm a hero. And I've been chasing this guy all the way from Z-City."

(Z-City?)

"Where the hell is that?"

"Here… In Japan. Man, don't they teach geography in school these days? Although we did go through a wormhole first and I did lose him as soon as we got here. So a wild goose chase would be a more accurate description."

Touma's pupils dilated.

"H-how did he make the wormhole?"

"Oh. He used some saws he pulled out out of somewhere like some cartoon character."

That sentence confirmed Touma's suspicions. Abicus, along with this strange bald man, were from another dimension. This meant that the last place Oswald visited before giving up was their point of origin.

"Anyway, I need to take this guy to the Hero Association before he wakes up. Since you don't seem to know how to get to Z-City from here, I guess I'll just ask around for directions."

Saitama hoisted Abicus over his shoulders. The magician made a low groaning noise. As he began to walk towards the exit of the alley in front of him, Touma stood up.

"Wait. Do you even know where you are?"

"Academy City. But that doesn't tell me how to get home."

"Do you even know what those saws did?"

"I mean. It looks like they just sent me to some city I've never heard of."

"Yeah but that's besides the point! You're in another dimension you idiot! Those saw warped you to a different universe entirely!"

"Say what?!"

"Freeze!" a loud, young female voice interrupted from behind the two.

Saitama and Touma turned to the direction of the voice at the end of the alley. A large group of high school students with green bands on their right arms is lined up. Touma turned to the other side of the alley and noticed another group, blocking their immediate paths of escape. Even though they were just looking forward, Kamijou was startled that a class of teenagers suddenly appeared before them without making a sound. The students wielded four headed metal spears and riot shields. A familiar girl in pigtails continues to talk.

"My name is Kuroko Shirai and in the name of justice, we'll be taking that unconscious magician into custody…"

Kuroko squinted as she made eye contact with Touma.

(Oh no…)

"The troglodyte?"

"Uh…" Saitama said. "What's this all about? Is this a flash mob?"

Kuroko teleported in front of Saitama and looked up to him as she spoke.

"That man over your shoulder is wanted for several accounts of sexaul harassment and theft. As members of Judgement, it is our responsibility to handle espers who use their abilities for injustice. And as a citizen, I advise you not to get yourself involved in such matters. So I'll have to ask you nicely to hand him over to us and please remove yourself and your delinquent cohort from the premises."

"...It's nice to see you too Kuroko." Touma replied with an exhausted expression.

"Citizen? Uh, yeah, no. See, I'm a hero. Just look at my costume."

"Sir, going around in your PJs and punching people does not make you a hero."

(WHO THE FUCK-)

Touma cautiously looked in around him.

None of the Judgement members seemed to have any projectile weapons. And if he used the bald caped man as a spring, he can propel himself high enough to reach the fire escape ladder on his right. However, he is faced with Kuroko who could easily teleport him back to where he was. Unless he manages to touch her that is.

Touma swallows as he asses the situation he is in.

(So asking Judgement to nicely hand over the wanted criminal isn't going to work. Looks like I'll have to flee the scene and ask Tsuchimikado to help me sneak him out later. If this is as serious as I think, chances are more members of Necessarius are going get involved. Most likely they'll be people with intimate knowledge on Academy City. I'll probably have to team up with…)

"Hey, you," Kuroko said referring to the deep in thought Kamijou. He quickly turns his head.

"W-who, me?" he said pointing at himself.

"Why aren't you in school?"

"Uhhhhh, funny story actuall-BLAHHHARG! *Cough*"

As he was trying to find the words to explain the unfortunate circumstances that brought him to the scene without revealing too much, Touma vomited blood and fell to the side, holding his stomach. Kuroko and Saitama shivered at the sight.

"Oh my Lord!" Kuroko frantically exclaimed.

"Oh shit!" Saitama shouted. "I forgot, he got stabbed in the stomach with a sword!"

"How could you forget something as vivid as that?! What kind of hero are you anyway?!"

"Why are children so rude these days?!"