Tree leaves and shrubbery swayed back and forth. The cause of their rustling was several gusts. However, these powerful bursts of wind were not natural. They were caused by a single entity moving at incredible speeds.

Rather than running, this figure swiftly hopped. Each landing was only a second, long enough to push itself forward with another mighty leap. With this stride, the entity traveled to a specific location. An isolated facility far from civilization, secluded for the sake of privacy.

"I can detect the structure now." The figure thought, assessing the environment it approached. "There will likely be more than the monster I saw yesterday. A pre-emptive strike would be the best course of action." They reasoned.

After a few seconds, the entity's destination came into view. A tall building built from the side of a mountain. This was the base of operation for a sinister syndicate. There could be no other explanation.

"I shouldn't give them any opportunity to react." The figure thought as it placed both hands in front of itself. They were pressed together at the wrist, as were the arms against each other. "One burst. I'll put everything I have into a single devastating attack." They decided.

Rapidly, an orange light began to build in the figure's arms. The source was fire, which they planned to release in a violent torrent. However, at the halfway point, the action was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that." A voice spoke from the figure's right, followed by a mechanical hand grabbing their arm.

In reaction, the figure performed an immediate roundhouse kick. Unfortunately, the attack was easily blocked by the stranger. Now locked in place, both persons could properly look at the other. Each was surprised by what they saw.

On one side, a blonde-headed cyborg in fairly normal clothes. On the other, an impressively-sized robot that was built for combat.

"Easy there. I'm not your enemy." The robot told the cyborg, maintaining its hold on his leg until it was sure he'd behave. "I am the S-Class hero Metal Knight." It stated.

"Wait, what?!" The cyborg questioned in alarm, his eyes shooting wide open.

"Ah. So, you know of me?" Metal Knight inquired.

"No. Not you, specifically." The cyborg clarified, quickly returning to his neutrally stoic expression. "I am aware of the Hero Association. By extension, I know about its Hero Rankings. S-Class is the highest rank a hero can be given. To be S-Rank, you must be incredibly capable, powerful, or both." He explained.

"Very good. It seems you know enough." Metal Knight complimented him. "Now then, if you refrain from further violence, I will release your leg." He offered.

In response, the cyborg nodded. In return, Metal Knight followed through and unhanded the limb.

"What's your name? Or alias, if you prefer." Metal Knight asked.

"Genos." The cyborg answered.

"A pleasure, Genos." Metal Knight politely replied while extending his hand, to which the young cyborg shook it.

"Tell me, Metal Knight. Are you here on a mission? Is the Association planning to attack the House of Evolution?" Genos inquired.

"I'm afraid the situation is too complex to be easily described. The best summary I can offer is that this is a diplomatic mission." Metal Knight responded, causing the cyborg's eyes to widen once more.

"Diplomacy? The Association would consider such a thing with an organization that creates monsters?" Genus questioned.

"You know quite a lot, Genos." Metal Knight pointed out. "How is that?" He asked.

However, before the S-Class hero could get an answer, both men were caught off guard by a sudden new voice.

"Metal Knight!" Saitama called out from the front of the building. As Genos and Metal Knight looked at the House of Evolution, they saw him, all of S-Class, Sweet Mask, Blizzard of Hell, and many monsters outside the entrance. One, in particular, was familiar to Genos. "Can you hear me? Did you run into the cyborg? You've gone quiet on your scouting drone!" He continued to shout.

"One moment, please." Metal Knight requested from Genos.

With a simple button press at his control station, Metal Knight switched his audio output from the combat unit next to Genos to his scouting drone.

"Apologies." Metal Knight spoke, getting everyone's attention. "To answer your question, One Punch Man, yes. I have made contact with the cyborg." He informed before raising the drone's arm and pointing straight ahead. "We're positioned far enough into the forest where we can't be easily seen." He told them.

"Wait, seriously?" Bad questioned with a raised brow. "Why the Hell aren't you fighting him, then?" He asked.

"Simple. He's not mindless." Metal Knight began. "The cyborg in question is named Genos. A quick guess as to his age would be late teens or early twenties." He stated.

"Wait..." Mosquito Girl muttered, squinting her eyes. "Excuse me; I don't mean to butt in. But can I ask you something?" She requested.

In reaction, Metal Knight looked at Saitama for his approval. Upon doing so, he received a thumbs up.

"Yes. You may." Metal Knight permitted, focusing back on her.

"Thanks." Mosquito Girl said to show her appreciation before continuing. "Out of curiosity, does this cyborg have blonde hair, a stiff face, and a general demeanor of I don't know what's going on?" She asked.

"I'm not sure about that last one, but the other two check out." Metal Knight confirmed, causing her eyes to widen.

"Oh...my...god..." Mosquito Girl muttered in horror. "It's him. It's HIM. The jackass! The one who attacked me earlier!" She realized.

"Hold on." Fubuki, surprisingly, was the next to speak. "THAT cyborg? How did he figure out where to find you? Isn't the House of Evolution meant to be a secret?" She inquired.

In the seconds that followed, there was silence. All eyes fell onto Mosquito Girl. The heroes looked at her curiously, wondering what her reply would be. Contrastly, the other members of the House of Evolution, including her creator, furrowed their brows. In their minds, they shared the same hope that they wouldn't hear what they expected.

"...I...guess he has a tracking system..." Mosquito Girl replied after ten seconds of quiet. "That's the only way it can be explained. Yup. The only way." She insisted.

The heroes, of course, could tell that something was up with her statement. The same could be said for Doctor Genus and his other creations. However, since they knew Mosquito Girl, they knew what she was doing, attempting to lie. Of her many strengths, this was not one of them. It's how Mosquito Girl always lost at cards. The poor woman couldn't bluff to a gullible child.

"Anyway..." Saitama said, preventing an awkward pause from occurring. "Metal Knight, would you say that Genos is dangerous?" He asked.

"I've performed a quick scan of his mechanical components. He's capable of impressive heat-based damage. But in the short time I've talked with him, Genos appears to be a rational person. I wouldn't say he's a threat, and I would strongly advise he be debriefed on the situation. He certainly won't walk away without knowing what is going on." Metal Knight answered.

"Alright, then. Bring him here. We'll sort everything out." Saitama told him.

Rather than responding, Metal Knight returned his audio output to his combat drone to speak to Genos again. From there, the young cyborg would come forward, and an explanation would follow.


Half An Hour Later...


"It sure is taking them a long time," Bad commented before sipping his soda.

Saitama, Sitch, his subordinates, and Doctor Genus took it upon themselves to fill Genos in on everything. S-Class, Sweet Mask, Fubuki, and Doctor Genus's creations, including the clones, waited for them to finish. In the meantime, as the Doctor promised, the clones provided ample food and refreshments for their guests. Everyone rested in a large room of the facility that could be considered a lounge as it had plenty of furniture and even a few TVs.

The other heroes weren't included in this debriefing because they barely knew anything about the situation before coming here. The only ones with all the details were Doctor Genus, Saitama, and the Association employees since they'd been investigating the House of Evolution. Zombieman could've joined them, but he chose not to. His reason was that, even now, he had strong opinions and feelings about everything; he couldn't treat it with the same level of diplomatic neutrality as them.

So, here they waited. Sitting in remarkably comfortable chairs or couches. The heroes had eaten back at HQ, so they weren't hungry. But the beverages they were served, all in finely cleaned glasses, put anything the Association could offer to SHAME. Oh, and as for the Doctor's creations, they stayed on the opposite side of the room to avoid making the heroes feel uncomfortable.

"Honestly, this is the least we should expect," Zombieman replied. "Think about it. One Punch Man has to explain what happened a few hours ago and how we ended up here. Then, most likely, Sitch will provide additional information and details that the Association has accumulated in their investigation. After that, Genus will have to explain himself and go through the sales pitch he gave us when we arrived. Finally, Genos must tell them why he was pursuing Mosquito Girl, how he found the House of Evolution's location and his backstory. They probably won't be done for another fifteen minutes, maybe even another half hour." He said.

"Eh, that makes sense," Bad responded. Astoundingly, he didn't have a sarcastic remark or brazen comeback. "Well, at least we can put our feet up for now. Plus, these drinks are AMAZING." He carried on, taking another sip afterward.

"Agreed. It would seem that genetics are not the Doctor's only skill. I don't think I've ever had a serving of liquor this good." Atomic Samurai chimed in.

"We shouldn't become too relaxed." Drive Knight advised. "Keep in mind; I don't say this out of suspicion of Genus. So far, he's done nothing to warrant wariness." He said.

"Then why should we keep our guard up?" Watchdog Man questioned since it seemed like he contradicted himself.

"Because it would negatively impact our image." Drive Knight clarified. "Remember, we're S-Class. We're meant to reflect the best of the Association and heroes as a whole. Furthermore, we're directly beneath One Punch Man in the chain of command. What will it say about his leadership if we're perceived as slacking when he's not around?" He asked.

"Yeah, he makes a good point." Tank Top Master agreed. "We can't do anything to disgrace our leader or heroes themselves. Even though everything seems to be on the up and up, we can't become careless." He stated.

"I think it's fine," King spoke, surprising everyone. Nearly all the time, King rarely said anything unless directly addressed. Even then, the only person who could get more than a few words out of him consistently was their leader. "One of the things Saitama always tries to do is lessen the stiffness of our job. He prefers it when we act casually rather than formally. It made sense when we were first introduced to one another, but we've known each other long enough that there doesn't need to be this insistence on politeness. Additionally, if we showed Genus's clones and his creations a more easily approachable side of ourselves, it could make interacting with them in the future much easier. Even something as simple as allowing our shoulders to slump and our faces to soften when drinking a cool refreshing beverage could go a long way." He told them.

"That's easy for YOU to say. You're One Punch Man's best friend and disciple! You've known him longer than anyone else!" Child Emperor exclaimed.

"Well, I've known him and King for about as long." Bad mentioned. "And that's not a brag, I swear. Just putting it out there." He added, not wanting to be misinterpreted.

"That only supports what Child Emperor said." Flashy Flash replied. "You and King met One Punch Man when he was still normal. You established a proper relationship with him in the early days of the Association and S-Class. Meanwhile, the rest of us behaved like asses. Or, at the very least, we thought very little of him, and we weren't the only ones. Genus said as much himself; nearly everyone everywhere believed that our leader had the number one spot because of favoritism. Our egos and ignorance kept us from seeing the obvious potential that Agoni saw. Only when our leader became One Punch Man did we realize our hubris. Many, if not all, expected a harsh humiliation from him as punishment for our behavior. Yet, One Punch Man did no such thing. He didn't even demand an apology, which ANY of us would have if we were in his place. We haven't earned the right to behave so friendly. We still have a lot to make up for." He stated.

"Yeah, we were pretty big jerks then," Superalloy admitted. Even though he was among the most chill of S-Class, he too had moments where he behaved a tad arrogant.

"Hmph. Speak for yourselves." Tatsumaki said with a scoff. "I have no regrets about the past nor the present. If anything, that walking eggshell should be GRATEFUL I've allowed him to be considered an associate." She asserted.

"Wow. The brat's acting like a brat. Who could've predicted something so SHOCKING." Bad responded with an eye roll. He'd happily whack her a few times, hoping it'd improve her personality. But he knew Saitama would give him the scolding of his life if he did that.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" Tatsumaki slowly questioned, turning to face him with eyes full of building rage.

"You got ears; use 'em," Bad told her, unaffected by her glare.

Like a lit match to a barrel of kerosene, an explosion followed. Tatsumaki and Bad would begin their usual verbal fight to the death, each threatening the other in several colorful ways. The others would do their best to calm them down, but it was like trying to put out a wildfire with a water gun.

"Sorry, Saitama. I did what I could..." King thought as he silently watched the scene unfold. He always tried to help make his buddy's life easier, but it sadly turned out like this every time. Or, in the more tragic instances, things would somehow get worse.

As the heroes continued to devolve into their usual chaos, which seemed to happen only when Saitama wasn't around, Doctor Genus's creations watched it from where they were seated.

"Huh, they're just like us." Frog Man said, amazed to see the S-Class act so normally.

"Yeah. Maybe things will work out after all." Carnage Kabuto replied, sounding unusually hopeful and inspiring.

"I'm surprised to hear YOU say that, Kabuto." Ground Dragon confessed. While not a pessimist, the beetle-man was not the one who tried to boost morale. Funnily enough, that honor went to Mosquito Girl. Making her earlier deflated state incredibly ironic.

"You know what? So am I." Carnage Kabuto admitted. "But think about it, guys. If everything goes well, the WHOLE world opens up for us. We'll be able to do all KINDS of things once the public gets used to us." He said.

"I didn't know you thought about that stuff," Slugerous responded. A bit strange coming from the psychic of their group. Then again, he respected the others' privacy. He wouldn't discretely invade their minds and read their thoughts.

"Only recently. When the doc first mentioned finally contacting One Punch Man." Carnage Kabuto started. "Look, I'll be the first to say I ain't a looker. Even after the doc remakes us, I'll still be the ugliest one here. But that doesn't mean I can't earn everybody's trust in OTHER ways. Once I accomplish that, it'll be smooth sailing." He told them.

"What do you have in mind?" Kamakyuri inquired, voicing the growing curiosity he and the others had.

"Well, I'm the only one here besides Mosquito Girl who can fly. Maybe I can do some easy stuff at first, like helping people get where they need to go. Or I could use my speed in the air to get to major disasters before another hero, deal with it, and show that I'm one of the good guys. It'll take some time, even with One Punch Man vouching for us. But we can do all KINDS of things once it gets going." Carnage Kabuto explained.

"Like what?" Armored Gorilla pressed, wanting to hear more.

"...Uh..." Carnage Kabuto trailed off, trying to think of something. "...I...don't know. The doc hasn't gotten around to teaching us how the world works and what the people do in it yet." He realized before suddenly looking at Mosquito Girl. "You're the only one who's gone beyond the forest. Did you see anything interesting before the fight happened?" He asked.

"Hey, I was out there too." Ground Dragon reminded.

"Yeah, in the dirt." Carnage Kabuto countered. Ground Dragon raised his hand and opened his mouth to reply. However, he didn't since the beetle-man was completely accurate.

"Hmm...let me think..." Mosquito Girl hummed, recalling if she saw anything of interest when traveling to and arriving at City Z. "I...mainly saw a bunch of buildings. Sent that jackass flying through one. Most of them were abandoned or closed. But I think I saw a few with some cool stuff in them. Like items that humans buy or stuff to interact with." She said.

"Ooh! I want to buy stuff!" Frog Man excitedly exclaimed.

"We'll have to wait until we become heroes and get paid before we can do that." Kamakyuri reminded. "As for the interaction, Mosquito Girl and I still need hands..." He added while raising and looking at his bladed arms.

"IF that happens." Beast King corrected. "We still need to wait and see how today finishes up. One Punch Man sees potential in us, our organization, and the Doctor. However, something could happen that suddenly changes everything." He said, not wanting them to get TOO excited.

"I dunno. I don't see that happening." Mosquito Girl refuted, followed by a sneer. "Although, I suppose if that jackass does something stupid, things could get worse..." She muttered.

"Man, you REALLY hate that guy." Armored Gorilla noted, saying what everyone thought.

"HE TRIED TO COOK ME! OF COURSE, I'D HATE HIM!" Mosquito Girl shouted while slamming the table. Just the mere THOUGHT of that blonde-haired jerk boiled her blood.

CLAP

That sudden loud sound caught everyone's attention, including the S-Class Heroes. An impressive display of how Doctor Genus could command the attention of a room with a simple action. Yes, Doctor Genus. Not one of his clones, but the man himself.

He had arrived a few seconds ago. As expected, accompanying Doctor Genus was Saitama, Sitch, his subordinates, and Genos. Once everyone processed this, the room became silent and still. All eyes fell onto the men. Ears waiting to hear what was to be said.

"Thank you." Dr. Genus spoke before turning to Saitama. "The floor is yours, One Punch Man." He stated.

"Appreciate it," Saitama replied as the Doctor stepped back. "Okay. So, here's what's going on. First off, Genos. Long story short, and trust me, it WAS. Genos, alongside a man named Kuseno, is on the side of justice. Kuseno is the one who saved Genos' life after an incident involving another cyborg. Since then, he's been trying to get stronger while searching for that cyborg. When animals in the countryside started getting attacked by mosquitos, he investigated it. That's what led him to Mosquito Girl. As for how he found this place, she had mentioned it when they were fighting, and with Kuseno's aid, they figured out the House of Evolution's location." He said.

Briefly, all eyes went to Mosquito Girl, who preemptively hid her face in her hands to conceal her uncontrollable blush of embarrassment.

"Moving on." Saitama began again, getting the attention back on him. "Like before, long story short, we explained everything to Genos. Similar to Zombieman, he has doubts about Genus. But since we're all here, even if something did happen, there's no way he could get away with it." He told them before looking at Sitch. "From here, Sitch will explain the rest." He concluded.

"Thank you, One Punch Man," Sitch responded before stepping forward. "I'll try to keep this as brief as possible per One Punch Man's request. After Genos was brought up to speed and everyone was on the same page, One Punch Man suggested we conclude our investigation of Genus and his organization then and there. He didn't want to waste any more of our time, even though he hadn't. As always, very considerate." He said.

"Ahem." Saitama cleared his throat, making sure he stayed on topic.

"Er, anyway." Sitch continued, slightly embarrassed by that. "Genus, to help further dispel all of our concerns, showed us much of his research. He also allowed us to connect a device we brought to his personal computer that gives those back at HQ full access, courtesy of Child Emperor. At this point, it'd be impossible for Genus to hide anything from us. However, even if he is, as One Punch Man said, there's nothing he could accomplish now. We know far too much about him and his creations for them to run, hide, or plan a sneak attack. As such, while there are still many things we need to work out and more meetings to be held, we're confident that the Association will become allies with the House of Evolution." He finished.

"See? What'd I say?" Bad was the first to comment, predictably smug. "Saitama told us from the get-go these guys were fine. We didn't need to make such a big deal out of it." He said.

"Glad to see you're maintaining that single-digit IQ you're so proud of." Flashy Flash replied.

"Easy, guys," Saitama interjected, not wanting another shouting match.

"Sorry." Both men apologized, not meaning to bother him.

"If I may." Dr. Genus requested, stepping forward again. "I'd like to take a moment and express the gratitude I, my clones, and my creations have for this outcome. While there is still a long road ahead of us before we've fully earned your trust, being given this opportunity is more than we could've hoped for. Thank you all." He stated, going so far as to bow out of respect.

"Hey, it's cool. No need to bow." Saitama assured as the Doctor straightened himself. "At the end of the day, none of us wanted this to get ugly. Plus, this partnership could lead to a lot of good things. Everybody's a winner." He reasoned.

"Well put, One Punch Man." Sitch complimented him.

"Agreed. I couldn't have said it better." Dr. Genus joined in.

"Gee, thanks," Saitama responded with an appreciative smile. "Anyway, I think that's everything. So, unless anyone else needs or wants to say something, we can wrap things up and call this mission a success." He told them.

Now, when that was spoken, everyone expected silence to follow. The heroes, clones, and Genus's creations had nothing to add. Furthermore, none of them had any objections. However, there was a wild card among them. And no one could've predicted what happened next.

"I do," Genos spoke while raising his hand. Everyone, including Saitama, looked at him with surprised expressions.

"You...do?" Saitama questioned with a raised brow. This was weird. Everything was worked out during their meeting. What could be on his mind?

"One Punch Man, sir." Genos began. Oh no. Formality. That was NEVER a good sign. "After receiving all of the information you and Doctor Genus had to share, I realized how foolish I had acted. I rushed into a situation without doing any real investigation. I was tunnel-visioned and only operated on assumptions and preconceived notions about non-human entities. Because of this, I caused many issues for the House of Evolution, the Association, and you. I am deeply sorry." He apologized.

"Oh," Saitama said. A wave of relief washed over him. This wasn't anything weird; Genos just felt regret for his actions. "Don't worry about it, Genos. It was an honest mistake, and no one got hurt. Well, apart from you. But still. Everything's okay now." He told him before looking at Mosquito Girl. "Right?" He asked.

"...Sure..." Mosquito Girl slowly answered. On the one hand, being One Punch Man's biggest and most loyal fan, she couldn't say anything that'd make him angry. On the other, she still despised that jackass with every ounce of her body and soul.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that!" Genos exclaimed, doubling down. "If things had played out differently, then the peaceful outcome you sought might've been impossible! I don't deserve to be let off the hook so easily!" He insisted.

"Genos, it's okay. You don't need to beat yourself up over-"

"Please!" Genos interrupted him. "Let me atone for my mistake!" He demanded.

"Okay! Okay!" Saitama finally caved in. When he set his mind to something, Genos could not be swayed. At least, that's the impression Saitama got. "But Genos, HOW are you going to atone? Because I won't feel comfortable if it's something extreme." He asked.

"It's simple, sir!" Genos exclaimed.

Following that exclamation, Genos suddenly dropped to his knees. His hands were placed on the floor, his head was bowed, and everyone looked on in stunned silence.

"...Oh no." Saitama thought, his eyes wider than anyone else's. "I know this pose. Don't say it. Do NOT say it. Genos, I swear, if you open your mouth and say those damned words I'll-"

"ONE PUNCH MAN!" Genos passionately shouted. "PLEASE! MAKE ME YOUR DISCIPLE! SHOW ME HOW I CAN BE A PROPER HERO OF JUSTICE!" He requested.

Jaws dropped. Glasses were either released and shattered on the floor or crushed in the strong hands that held them. Even Doctor Genus and his clones, who were the best at maintaining their composure among everyone present, showed the same reaction as the others. This young cyborg, who suddenly appeared, asked The World's Strongest Hero to be his master.

As for Saitama, at first, he did nothing. But then, without any words, he left. He'd walk away from the House of Evolution, through the forest, back to City Z, and into his apartment. During this, his mind thought back to the start of the day. A gray day. Oh, how those used to be so wonderful.