By now, Saitama had gotten used to seeing people's shocked faces. You'd think that wouldn't happen so much after the initial mind-numbness of his strength. But, surprise, surprise, in multiple ways, Saitama continued to bewilder various people. Two of which currently sat across from him in his new apartment.
Mizuki and Satoru, otherwise known as Captain Mizuki and Mumen Rider. They had come to the newly-built apartment building assuming they would only receive an interview with Saitama. Then, once the trio sat down, they received a total shock to the system. Saitama told the duo they'd be the heads of an upcoming "Heroes Only" news outlet.
Don't get it twisted; it's not as extreme as it sounds. Mizuki and Satoru wouldn't need to dress in suits again and sit at a news desk in a big studio. They'd go about these new duties like how they managed the fan club. The only difference is that they'd broaden their information gathering and reporting to the rest of the roster.
However, Saitama did stress that this was THEIR decision. He wasn't forcing it onto them whatsoever. He chose them for this idea because he knew they were trustworthy and weren't zealous maniacs that worshipped him and S-Class like gods. Saitama genuinely couldn't think of anyone better to handle this project than these two.
Sadly, it'd been five minutes since he revealed this to the duo. During this period, Saitama had gotten up from his seat, gone to his kitchen, and poured all of them a nice glass of refreshing juice. He'd gotten so accustomed to shocking people like this that he'd perfectly worked out the time it'd take them to return to their senses. To the degree that right as Saitama sat down and placed the glasses on the table, Mizuki and Satoru began speaking again.
"...S...Saitama..." Satoru tried to form a coherent sentence.
"Mhm?" Saitama responded while taking a sip from his glass.
"Are...you sure?..." Satoru questioned, doubt already setting in.
"If I weren't, I wouldn't have told you," Saitama stated.
"But...it's...so...so..."
"SO AMAZING!" Mizuki shouted as she sprang up from her chair. When she did this, a few things happened. Her seat fell backward onto the floor. Satoru nearly vaulted from his chair due to the suddenness of her outburst. Thanks to his strength, Saitama held the table with one hand, keeping ANYTHING from moving. Mizuki's expression instantly changed alongside her exclamation to show excitement, joy, and intense passion.
"So, you accept, then?" Saitama inquired. Despite his non-reacting face, he was humored and relieved by her eager acceptance.
"ABSOLUTELY!" Mizuki replied, maintaining her volume. It was highly unlike it'd be going down anytime soon. "THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! MY HERO, MY ROLE MODEL, IS ASKING ME TO HANDLE AN IMPORTANT TASK! THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!" She cheered with an ear-to-ear grin. "Oh, sorry! Don't mean to fangirl so much!" She quickly apologized, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
"It's fine. You're not a psychopath." Saitama said so casually. It was true, but still, quite a humorous way to compliment her. "How about you, Satoru? What're your feelings?" He asked, shifting focus onto the cyclist for justice.
"Well...it IS an amazing honor..." Satoru began, only to sigh afterward. "But...I don't know how up to the task we are..." He confessed.
"WHAT?!" Mizuki shouted again, once more making him jump. "SATORU! THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHANCE OF OUR HERO CAREERS! NO, SCRATCH THAT, OUR LIVES! WE CAN'T PASS THIS UP!" She argued, hoping to energize him through the power of her words.
"Oh, I'm well aware. But still, someone shouldn't accept an opportunity if they know they can't handle it. That'll only lead to disappointments and unintentionally betray the trust placed in them." Satoru countered.
"Solid points," Saitama commented, getting them to look back at him. "Still, it's not like you guys would be forced to do it alone. You'd just be the leaders. You could bring in any heroes you trust or Association personnel. Also, regarding my expectations, I don't have any. I won't dump a bunch of unrealistic or absurd goals onto your shoulders. All I want or expect is for you to do what you already do with the fan club but on a much larger scale with more people and resources to help you. Oh, and it's all focused on the heroes too." He told them.
"See? We can do this!" Mizuki exclaimed, her steam not faltering in the slightest.
"What about our hero duties? Won't this interfere?" Satoru asked, receiving a groan from his partner as she threw her head back in exasperation.
"I don't see how. There wouldn't be a set time or date you'd need to have updates by. Like I just said, do what you've been doing. I don't intend this to be stressful for you or anyone else. I thought it'd be a good way for all heroes to know what's happening across the ranks. A sort of "heroes only" social media platform." Saitama explained.
"Yeah! Plus, with more people helping us, we won't have to worry about not keeping up to date!" Mizuki said before surprisingly falling to her knees. "PLEASE, SATORU! JUST SAY YES!" She begged with hands clasped together.
Satoru, being a very practical man, still had reservations and worries. But Saitama and the pleading Amazon next to him made a solid case. If anything, this could help Satoru overcome his hesitations regarding limitations. After all, sitting across from him was someone who managed to achieve godly strength with nothing more than a standard workout regimen. Honestly, anything was possible so long as you worked hard at it.
"...Okay." Satoru agreed with a smile.
"YES! THANK YOU!" Mizuki cheered in victory as she hugged the man.
"Glad we could settle this. A LOT more excitement than I expected." Saitama said, drinking again from his glass. "However, there IS one more thing I need to talk to you about." He revealed.
"Another surprise? I don't know if I can take another so soon!" Mizuki exclaimed with widened eyes.
"Yeah, same here..." Satoru responded, feeling pretty nervous since his neck was between two muscular arms that could snap it like a twig if their owner wasn't careful.
"I think this one will be more confusing and curious to you than exciting," Saitama said.
"Ooh! Intrigue!" Mizuki replied, quickly resetting her chair to an upright position so she could sit down.
"Yeah, that's one way to describe it..." Saitama started as Satoru and Mizuki finally began drinking their juice. "So, first of all, you guys know about Genos. However, like everyone else, you don't know where he came from or how he suddenly became my disciple." He stated.
"I thought it was due to his insane destructive powers?" Satoru mentioned.
"I mean, that DOES play some part in this..." Saitama admitted before continuing. "Yet, the catalyst for this ENTIRE situation, including this new apartment building and the other renovations, is due to another agency previously not partnered with the Association." He shared.
"Was this a criminal organization? A band of mercenaries?" Mizuki guessed, far more composed than before.
"Uh...that's...complicated..." Saitama confessed, deciding to let Zombieman handle that one later. "Putting the history and details aside for now, what you need to know and what I need to tell you is this. A new group will be partnering with the Association. It's called the House of Evolution. It was created by a man named Genus. He was a prominent figure in the scientific community several decades ago. Near the end of his life, he accomplished the research he'd spent all those years working on. Renewed youth. Cloning technology. A whole bunch of sci-fi stuff. But the BIGGEST thing he achieved was perfecting human design. At least, HIS idea of perfection. He did this by creating human-animal hybrids. Those creations...are going to be heroes..." He informed them. That last bit was spoken with hesitation since he knew it'd get a strong reaction.
PFFFT
That was the sound of Mizuki and Satoru spitting out their juice as they coughed it up. The mere concept of non-humans becoming heroes was so outlandish that it was more shocking than what Saitama had already told them. Unsurprised by this response, Saitama got up from his seat, went to his kitchen, then returned with paper towels to clean up the juice on the tabletop.
" Saitama... *COUGH* did...we hear you correctly?... *COUGH*" Satoru asked.
"I didn't stutter or misspeak." Saitama calmly answered while wiping down the table. He acted as if he didn't drop a verbal bombshell on them.
"But...from how it sounds...Genus essentially created monsters!" Mizuki exclaimed.
"By most people's definition, yes, they are monsters," Saitama confirmed.
"And...you trust them?" Satoru inquired.
"I do. I genuinely believe Genus and his creations are not secretly plotting against us. If they are, I'll just punch them. That'll be that." Saitama said. "Plus, I have Zombieman monitoring and investigating them since he's one of Genus's former experiments. If anyone will be able to see through his deception, it's him." He added.
"WAIT, WHAT?!" Mizuki and Satoru shouted in alarm.
"...Oh...right...only S-Class and the Association know that right now..." Saitama remembered. "Uh...yeah. Genus created Zombieman." He repeated for confirmation.
"This...This is insane!" Mizuki exclaimed. "And...what's even crazier...you...trust us to know this..." She slowly realized in disbelief.
"Well, yeah. We might not be super close friends yet, but we've spent enough time with each other through the fan club and its activities for me to know you guys are trustworthy." Saitama responded.
"Even so, why tell us this? I'm a bit confused about the logic." Satoru asked.
"Simple. You guys are the new heads of the hero-only news network. So, you will help us announce the non-humans to the heroes first, which will, in turn, aid in better controlling the reaction to this." Saitama answered.
"That...is going to explode..." Mizuki told him bluntly.
"Yup. That's what we're expecting. But we're hoping it'll be far more manageable with this new focused outlet for heroes to interact and communicate with each other." Saitama said.
"How long will we have to get it up and running before they're ready to join the Association?" Satoru inquired.
"A few weeks if everything goes smoothly. Also, you'll have Child Emperor and Metal Knight offering assistance. So, as I've been saying, you won't have any lack of support. Just take your time; it's not urgent." Saitama replied.
For a moment, the duo fell silent. They considered if they had any further questions on the matter.
"...Will we get to meet these non-humans? I mean, before we reveal them to the other heroes." Mizuki asked.
"Of course. It'll just be a bit since you'll be busy, and they'll be occupied with training." Saitama answered.
"Who's training them? Zombieman?" Satoru assumed.
"Silver Fang's taking the bulk of them. The rest have been assigned to S-Class heroes that best suit their needs." Saitama explained.
"That makes sense. It'd be weird to pair a hero whose abilities and fighting style don't match that of one of the monsters." Satoru responded. "...Wait, is that offensive? Should we call them something else if they will be our allies?" He inquired.
"Uh...non-humans should work fine. But we'll get that sorted before revealing them." Saitama said. "Anything else?" He asked.
Again, the duo pondered. However, this time, they had no more questions pop into their minds.
"Nope. I think we're good." Mizuki answered.
"Alright, then. I'll see you guys later." Saitama told them as he rose from his seat to walk them out. "Metal Knight and Child Emperor will contact you when they're ready to start. Until then, just relax or go about your normal hero duties." He instructed.
"Yes, sir!" Mizuki exclaimed with a smile and salute, even though they were now on personal terms.
Satoru opted to reply with a nod rather than an enthusiastic outburst. Afterward, they left Saitama's apartment. Allowing him to continue his relaxation. Hopefully, with his business taken care of, Saitama wouldn't have to deal with any unexpected occurrences.
Meanwhile, At The House of Evolution...
Every movement. Every object. Every action. Every detail. Nothing was overlooked. Everything was examined. The keen eyes of Zombieman were unmatched. The smallest, slightest suspiciousness would be noticed.
Zombieman walked through every room and hallway multiple times. By the end of the day, he will have used the elevator more than anyone who lived in the building as he constantly transitioned floors. In addition to his weapons, Zombieman brought a camera capable of videos and photography. If ONE thing were suddenly different, he'd lock down the scene to investigate.
Some might find this behavior far too paranoid. Others would say it was excessive. But, even without his impressive regenerative capabilities, Zombieman's skills as a detective would've made him a hero. Or, at the very least, he'd have a high-standing position within the Association.
Although an S-Class hero, Zombieman busied himself with work that might go to police officers and other similar agencies. Crime syndicates. Monster production facilities. Organizations specializing in illegal experiments and technology. More than any other, that last one hit close to home for him.
Zombieman's skills with traditional weaponry, primarily his trademarked arsenal, were remarkable. His bare-handed combat talents were also notable despite lacking a fighting style. Yet, the immortal hero's drive to seek truth and expose evil made him excel as a hero. It's also why he looked up to Saitama like the rest of S-Class.
Their leader was a flawless example of heroism. He didn't care about pointless crap like brand deals or magazine covers. He wasn't a hero because it'd make him rich or famous. Saitama was a hero because he WANTED to be. That kind of person was rare in this world. At least, that was Zombieman's perspective.
Although, if we're truthful, his outlook was slightly biased. His first exposure to humanity and life itself was cruel and cold. An experiment in a test tube made by a man whose perception of himself was grandiose and delusional. Zombieman, despite being alive and sentient, was only meant to be a weapon in service of a master.
Now, that same so-called "master" was attempting redemption. Even with everything he'd seen and been told so far, Zombieman couldn't believe it. Doctor Genus was so self-centered. The man was the embodiment of a god complex. It had to be a ruse; Zombieman's instincts were certain.
Yet, as Zombieman continued his exploration of the House of Evolution, he eventually detected something. All of a sudden, someone was following him. However, the undying investigator didn't brandish his pistol and force them out of hiding. Mainly because the entity pursuing his every movement was...tragically bad at it.
No subtlety at all. The non-human known as Mosquito Girl "hid" behind every corner. In fairness, she WAS shorter and overall smaller in size than previously. Furthermore, her resemblance to a normal human was FAR greater. If Zombieman didn't know who she was, he might've mistaken her for an odd human with peculiar skin coloration, which was also an aspect of himself.
But he did know. And Zombieman allowed Mosquito Girl to follow him without confrontation. He waited to see if this was an assassination attempt. Maybe she was sent to capture him. Perhaps she was reporting back to Genus about his movements and actions.
Seconds became minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Mosquito Girl did nothing but silently follow and observe. By this point, Zombieman's suspicion was replaced with curiosity. He had to bring her out at last.
"...Alright," Zombieman spoke as he stopped in the middle of a vacant hallway. "What're you doing? Why have you been following me so much?" He asked while turning around to look at her.
Upon being "discovered", Mosquito Girl ducked behind her current corner.
"...You're serious?" Zombieman questioned with a raised brow. "You actually believe that I don't know you're there? I literally spoke to you." He said.
Zombieman had to wait several more seconds for Mosquito Girl to appear. When she did, he was honestly shocked. Mosquito Girl, although expectedly looking more human, was...beautiful. If anyone else saw her, even with her black and white skin, they'd think she was a model.
Covering her FAR more human legs was a pair of tight but not suffocating jeans ending in stylish brown boots on her feet. On Mosquito Girl's torso was a white form-fitting t-shirt with "ONE PUNCH MAN!" in bold red lettering on the front. Its length was rather short, revealing her abdomen but still covering her torso's "other" parts. As for her wings, the shirt had two slits to comfortably enter and exit through when the shirt was put on and taken off.
Regarding her face and head, Mosquito Girl was legitimately a normal-looking woman. Well, a gorgeous one, as stated. She no longer had bulbous insect eyes and a large silver proboscis atop her skull. The now six-foot-nine model-quality Mosquito Girl was ready to take on the world! Look out, everyone, here she comes!
...
...Or...maybe not. You'd think the newly transformed Mosquito Girl would be OOZING confidence. Absolutely DRENCHING her environment with a braggadocious attitude. Instead, she stood there like a timid child entering a new classroom for the first time.
"...Are...you okay?..." Zombieman asked. He was confused rather than concerned. He had gotten a solid read on her personality despite knowing her for so little time. She was definitely behaving differently.
"...I'm sorry." Mosquito Girl began with...an apology? "I've been following you all day. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out the best approach. But, as you can see, I came up with squat." She explained.
"The best approach for what?" Zombieman pressed.
"I want to talk to you. Like, an ACTUAL conversation. Not just a series of questions and answers." Mosquito Girl revealed.
"...I'm not telling you anything about One Punch Man," Zombieman stated, managing to upset her.
"That's not why I'm here!" Mosquito Girl defensively exclaimed.
In response, Zombieman pointed at her crop top.
"Yes, I AM his number one fan. But that doesn't mean all I think or talk about is him." Mosquito Girl explained with an eye roll. "...Not all the time..." She muttered to herself afterward.
"...Right..." Zombieman said before turning around. "Well, I'm going to get back to my patrol. See you-"
"WAIT!" Mosquito Girl yelled before latching onto him. "PLEASE! I JUST WANT TO-"
THUD
With a throw that'd make Silver Fang proud, Zombieman grabbed Mosquito Girl's hugging arms and tossed her over his head swiftly and flawlessly. The poor woman landed on her back. Thankfully, she was made of tougher stuff, so this was little more than a nuisance.
"REALLY?!" Mosquito Girl questioned as she looked up at him.
Ignoring her, Zombieman turned back around to go the other way.
THUMP
Mosquito Girl quickly clamped onto his left leg. Her new claws were always present on her fingertips and were as short as they could be. Still, they provided additional strength to her hold.
"Come on! I've been following you all day! Just hear me out!" Mosquito Girl pleaded.
"...No." Zombieman verbally rejected her request and stomped her noggin with his free foot.
"HEY! WATCH MY HAIR!" Mosquito Girl shouted.
"Let go," Zombieman commanded, continuing to stomp.
"NO! NOT UNTIL WE TALK!" Mosquito Girl persisted.
"What could possibly be so important that it's worth enduring this?" Zombieman questioned, baffled by her resolve.
"I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU HATE THE DOCTOR SO MUCH!" Mosquito Girl told him.
...
...
The stomping stopped. Mosquito Girl, wincing with each impact, fully opened her eyes again. When she did, she looked up at Zombieman. However, she'd instantly regret this.
His red eyes glowed with a fire that burned deep within them. His stoic expression, which hadn't changed, now presented controlled anger. His foot, which had been raised, slowly set itself back on the ground next to Mosquito Girl's head. Although not landing with a slam, it filled her with fear that wasn't there with the stomping.
"Let. Go," Zombieman commanded a second time.
"N-No!" Mosquito Girl slightly stuttered in her refusal. This new side of the immortal hero was immensely intimidating, even for someone like her. "I want to know why you're so hateful toward the doctor! But beyond that, I want us to get along! We all do! You're the doctor's first creation! That makes us-"
BAM
A shockwave went through Mosquito Girl's body. She slowly turned to look at a spot one inch to her left. Embedded in the floor was the round of a Desert Eagle Magnum. With nearly impossible-to-perceive quickdraw skills, Zombieman had un-holstered his weapon and had given her a warning shot.
"Finish that sentence, and you're dead," Zombieman told her matter-of-factly. "I am not anything to you people. I'm nothing to Genus. Did he make me? Yes. But who I am, what I've become, is mine and mine alone. I am your keeper, nothing more. With one report to One Punch Man, this façade the doctor crafted will be done. Or I could say that one of his creations attacked me. That'd also do the job." He stated.
"That's...not true..." Mosquito Girl whispered, unable to speak louder as she returned her gaze to him.
"It will be if you don't get your hands off of me," Zombieman warned, now aiming his gun at her face. "If I kill you, Genus will just make another. A copy. You're a replaceable prop on his stageplay. He'll make more, no matter how much you get mangled or how many times you die. Even so, I don't want to shoot you. But if you don't let go of my leg, I will." He said.
For a moment, Mosquito Girl was frozen. She didn't know what to make of this situation or Zombieman's behavior. Still, she didn't want to jeopardize her creator's standing with the Association and One Punch Man. So, she slowly released the undying man.
After that, Zombieman proceeded on his way. Leaving a shaken Mosquito Girl on the floor next to a still-smoking bullet.
