Gasps echoed all around him and awe filled faces gazed at him, the admiration all but radiating from the men and women making him feel uncomfortable.
He stoically ignored the excited whispers and the pointing fingers.
Choosing to bear it all in stoic silence as he strode through the Association building's hallways without a destination in mind.
After all, the meeting wasn't for some time still, he had to pass the time somehow!
The excited squeal coming from his left, nearly causing his eardrum to burst, almost caused him to jump in fright.
'Ba-dump!'
He avoided doing so. Barely.
Turning his head a tad, his gaze landed on an awestruck gorgeous woman, the redhead staring at him with stars in her eyes as she handed him a pen and stretched out her forearm.
"C-could I have a-an autograph, p-please?"
His face felt as if it carved from the finest marble.
Not trusting himself to speak a word, and doing his best to keep his cheeks from growing hot, he offered a tiny nod and jotted his name on the woman's arm, the redhead's pupils dilating and her breath coming in quick brief gasps.
"T-thank you, sir!" the girl squealed again. "I'll treasure this forever! I'm never washing this arm again!" she cried and his eyes widened at that, a tiny wheeze escaping past his lips as he tried, and failed, to speak in the face of such beauty.
Surely that was a bit much, wasn't it?
"You lucky bitch! Why I should—"
Hearing the beauty's friend exchange heated whispers with her, he decided that no, the girl was a grown woman and could make her own decisions and so, he power-walked out of there.
"Ah! I lost my chance…" the redhead's friend cried behind him, proving that his decision was the right one. "Say…how much for the arm?"
"Forget it you skunk! This shall be my family's good luck charm for generations to come!"
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
The urge to run grew.
For a few moments, Yuha knew not where he was. His return to the world of the living being a slow, gradual thing, similar to someone waking up after surgery.
His thoughts felt scattered, incoherent, as did the connection to his body.
To his addled brain, the time spent collecting the bits and pieces of his psyche back into a coherent whole, felt close to a small eternity, and yet it was unlikely that more than a few seconds, or at most, a minute or two had passed since he woke up.
Still, after an eternity and a second, the task was compete.
And, as the bone-deep ache hit him, so did the realization of what he'd just done.
Holy shit! He cried within his own thoughts. How the fuck am I still alive?! Without the Saiyan battle-lust coloring his thoughts during combat and with the benefit of hindsight, Yuha could say that what he'd just gone through, and what he'd done, was foolish to the extreme.
But, despite how much he agreed with, and liked the idea of a small part of his brain crying out in terror, one that all but demanded they find a deep dark hole and stay there until the craziness stopped and it was safe to come out?
He knew that that way lay failure and death.
And so it was out of the question.
The other part of his brain, the one that was the result of so many months spent in the company of battle-junkies, and one that had hit it off with his new Saiyan-Arcosian instincts, agreed. The duo proceeding to grab the fearful nerd side of his brain followed by taking it into a nearby toilet and…
Putting the mental squeals intermingled with the sounds of flushing and the resultant questions regarding his sanity out of his mind, Yuha focused his…mind on his current circumstances, and with a mental sigh took stock of his situation.
All limbs still attached…check. Nothing restraining me…also check. Although there was a heavy weight on his chest.
He ignored it, the realization that his fleeting memories after the battle hadn't been hallucinations after all, and that Tatsumaki had, in fact, carried him towards the association's building after all taking precedence.
Good to know. But then again, there was no way dat ass was an illusion!
Then that meant he was most likely back within the association's bowels and probably in the same or a similar room to the one before.
So, they managed to fix him up…well, the physical side of him, at least.
For he was spent. His body, even if technically in tip-top shape, warning him through the bone-deep wariness that even if he could move, he should avoid fighting for some time.
But, speaking of fighting.
With a mental command, his loyal computer brought up the requested data.
"Dammit!" Yuha growled, eyes flying open as his lips pulled into a scowl and—
Came face to face with the nerd. The man laying on top of him, magnifying glass in hand, panting and with his glasses covered visage close enough to almost kiss.
"Ayeeeeee!"
"Eep!"
Startled by his shout, a feminine yelp echoed from somewhere to his left, followed by the sound of a chair being pushed away from a table, and from the sounds of cursing and 'eeps' the person barely avoided landing on their butt.
The nerd continued to close the distance.
"W-what? Yuha, sir, you're awake?" a female voice questioned with excitement, which quickly shifted into rage. "You! What are you doing with Yuha? Mistress! Help!"
The door to the room barged open.
It would seem that Lady Luck had deigned to at last smile at him, for it would seem that the previous encounter was but a one off. At least for today.
His shoulders minutely slumped.
'Ba-dump…'
He hated going outside.
But what choice did he have?
His unwanted fame all but demanded he continue to do so.
Especially in times of crisis, like say, the invasion of the mole people.
He'd been all but certain that this was it, and that his time was up.
And yet, despite how pointless it was, he'd still marched on to his death towards the very building he was now inside off and where the fighting had been thickest, even when he had every opportunity to make a run for it.
For if he could stall until the true Heroes arrived, if he could buy the people of this world but another second…Then he would've been content.
But to his great luck, disaster had been averted.
…And he would get to live another day.
"-et off!"
"I-I appreciate your forwardness, but I don't swing that way!"
The voices coming from within the room up ahead made him pause and then resume with slow steps now aimed towards the infirmary, morbidly curious.
And that explained something else as well.
Namely, why nobody had bothered him again.
After all, so deep inside the building, the only people that could be found were those who had the clearance for it, a very good reason for being here or both.
And thus, over-inflated reputation or not, the workers and low-ranking heroes he'd passed on his way here were frankly too busy to do anything but nod, or at worst, spend a second or two gawking.
Passing a bench by the door—dark like most of the rest of the building, why, just why? His gaze fell on a white fur-coat that lay haphazardly on the bench, curious…
Coming to a stop next to the door, again, why was everything hues of black?! He inched closer to the window, peeking just a tad to get a glimpse within and—
He blinked.
Pulled back, raised an arm, and rubbed his eyes, followed by chancing another glance and nodded.
Nope. Still the same.
On the one hand, much as he was glad and would like to thank the man within, for if the news outlets were to be believed, the recovering mutant was the reason he remained amongst the living…
Well, what was going on inside the room was either a misunderstanding of epic proportions or something which he wanted to take no part in.
And thus, with his mind set, he spun around, intending to leave, but then—
Yuha, within the privacy of his mind, had to admit that to anyone looking in, this would probably seem quite comical.
"Let go of my subordinate, you obstinate fool!"
"H-how is he so strong, Mistress?"
"I don't know! Keep puling, Lily!"
As Fubuki and Lily, arms wrapped around the Nerd struggled to pull the lewdly moaning man away from Yuha, he also had to grudgingly admit it would probably also seem quite erotic as well, for even if the duo weren't Tatsumaki, they were still beautiful women in their own right, as for the Nerd…
Yuha's back arched further backwards, causing the metal gurney beneath him to whine piteously as his head pushed further and further away from that of the approaching scientist whose legs were wrapped around Yuha's back in a manner that would make the evil creatures known as 'fujoshi' blush.
"I'm not Naruto and you're not Sasuke! Dammit, stop this, my good man!"
"Ehehe, just one experiment—" The Nerd blinked. "Wait, whose Sasuke?"
And yet, this was the opening the girls had been waiting for.
"Mistress!"
"I know!" and with a roar, power pulsed away from the black-haired beauty, skidding and knocking things all over the room as her hair danced to the tune of an unseen wind and with a swipe of her arm, the amorous scientist flailed impotently as he was lifted away from Yuha, despite the frantic, if pointless grasping of his limbs.
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
But just as the threat to his life—or at least Yuha hoped it was only to his life—was seemingly being dealt with, a thunderous crush, akin to a powerful limb slamming against a hard surface was heard, followed by the door to the room slamming open. Causing everyone to turn towards it and—
"I-Its King!" Lily squealed, and even Fubuki's eyes seemed to widen upon seeing the earth's 'strongest man' standing on the room's threshold. Massive fist all but punching through the door as the tall blond stared at them all with an aloof gaze and took a single step forward.
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
Oh wow! Yuha marveled as he swung his feet to the side, touching the ground, glad to be able to do so. It does sound different, powerful, foreboding even. I can see why everyone would fear the man, what with his Yakuza like looks and that drumming in their ears. Although… knowing what he did of the kind-hearted if very… 'risk-averse' man, the way he stood and seemingly refused to speak, but opting to glance at them with judgment in his eyes? It was familiar. He probably tripped, didn't he?
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
It huuuurts! He stoically bore the pain of his throbbing fist as he took in the room's occupants, refusing to open his mouth lest the facade crack.
King was barely holding back the tears as it was.
Oh, why did Miss Blizzard release her power when she did, causing him to trip and barely manage to catch himself?
Now he was caught up in this…weirdness and he didn't like it. Not one bit!
First off all, leaving aside the mutated man's looks, there were an extra pair of dudes too many for his tastes. And even if his tastes ran in that direction… His 'romance simulators' did not adequately prepare him for something like this!
Still, everyone was looking at him expectantly, and the pain was almost tolerable.
So, he took a deep, fortifying breath and opened his mouth.
"What's going on here?"
There, that didn't sound too threatening or demanding. R-right?
"Something I would very much like to know as well," a voice said over the intercom. "H-o-n-e-y~?"
The hovering scientist seemed to pale.
"Y-yes, dear?"
"Why is Miss Blizzard holding you up in the air?"
"N-no idea!" the man squeaked.
"Oh~ Is that so?" the man frantically nodded his head.
"Mmh, that is good," the woman said, causing the man to sigh in relief. "Then, if I play back my camera logs here, I wouldn't happen to find you all but molesting one of our patients again while I took a bathroom break, would I dear?"
"M-Mercy…"
Ah, so he had misunderstood the situation and the entire group wasn't part of some weird sex cult thing. That was good. For, if possible, he wanted to speak and thank the mutated man who had, even if inadvertently and without knowing, saved his life.
Still, watching the whimpering, hovering scientist attempt to bow towards one of the speakers' direction even as he floated through the air, mouthing apologies all the while. King barely held back a shudder.
People and interpersonal relationships were scary!
"S-sir?" blinking and turning away from the hovering man, he watched the young woman approach him with a wide, if timid, smile.
The girl gulping and displaying the nervousness he felt as she lowered her eyes and looked to the side.
"I'm a big fan, so, if you have the time and could please sign an autograph…"
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
He wanted to do nothing of the sort!
The blond made to nod, but was thankfully saved by the girl's own boss whom, with the mutated man's arm over her shoulder, hobbled over towards them.
"Lily stop bothering King," the woman said with an eye-roll.
"Eek!"
"You'll get your chance for an autograph in the future, now, please let the man speak, for he is no doubt quite busy and is here for an important reason," the woman said, firmly if kindly reprimanding her subordinate before sending an apologetic smile his way.
Causing him to nod back.
Even if at her words, his panic grew.
For he was, in fact, here simply to pass the time until the meeting!
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
Shit-shit-shit! He needed to come up with some sort of plausible sounding bullshit and he needed to do it fast so he could get out of here.
His eyes fell on the hero whom, from what King had heard, had been at death's door but mere hours prior. The man whose eyes seemed to be filled with…mirth? And inspiration struck.
"Miss Blizzard," he started, voice low, and nodded in Yuha's direction. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to let go of Mister Yuha, as I need him to come with me."
The woman's eyes widened and her arm, if anything, squeezed tighter against the man's midsection.
"Why?" the woman asked.
'Ba-dump!'
"King, sir?" Lily asked. "He's not in trouble, is he?" she said and her eyes seemed to mist. "Please don't harm him! I know he looks a bit…weird, but he's a true Hero and a good person to boot, and he saved both our lives!"
King's eyes widened at the girl's heartfelt plea.
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
And his mouth opened and closed on its own.
This wasn't what he wished for at all!
The girls had the wrong idea! King had no wish or desire to harm the heroic man, not that he could even if he did, but was merely trying to find a way out of this and—
A female scoff sounded behind his back, causing him to tense and fight the urge to glance over his shoulder.
"Stop being such a worrywart, Fubuki," the voice said before floating into view from and underneath King's side, revealing the familiar green-haired form of Tornado. "And don't worry, Lily. Nothing bad will happen to the Idiot. We merely have need of him as the hero of the hour," the tiny woman said, before scoffing and crossing her arms. Directing a glare at Yuha. "But with the seeming lack of brains between that thick skull of his? I'd say more like, Idiot of the hour. Hmf!"
A dopey grin seemed to spread across Yuha's face at the sight, and words of Tornado, but Blizzard? Unlike the man? She grit her teeth, eyes flickering towards Yuha before she squeezed the palm of her free arm hard enough for the limb to shake.
"I came here to see if the Idiot had woken up, but…" Tornado glanced at him.
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
He both dreaded and longed for the day either of the sisters would dare pick into his mind and end this charade.
"It would seem there was no need, for King had already seen to it, as expected of the world's strongest man. He already knew the meeting had been rescheduled."
Blinking and looking like a stoic bastion to the world outside, King nodded. Even if within the confines of his mind, a long, drawn out panicked scream could be heard.
They rescheduled the meeting? Yuha is supposed to attend? What? I had no idea! Why does nobody ever tell me things?!