"One Punch Man has established communication with the presumed Seafolk messenger." Metal Knight informed everyone as he monitored the interaction. Genus gave him access to the House of Evolution's security system in another show of trust. "As he proceeds, we should begin the conference." He suggested.

After Metal Knight and Zombieman discovered the badly injured monster, Metal Knight's drone picked it up, and they rushed back to the apartments. From there, a series of swift actions unfolded. Ignoring the obvious shock of the situation, S-Class quickly gathered and departed. Regarding the members not present at the time, they'd rendezvous at the House of Evolution.

Fubuki and the Blizzard Group opted to remain at the apartments. Sure, they weren't S-Class. But still, they were capable enough to handle a few monsters as a team. If this messenger weren't the only one sent by the Seafolk, they'd be the defensive line to hold back any attackers until support arrived.

Additionally, Sweet Mask was called and told about what had happened. Unsurprisingly, he came to the House of Evolution the moment he could. The mysterious messenger being injured wasn't his concern; they could keep that from public knowledge with no issue. However, The declaration of war they brought with them would be unavoidable. This was, no sea-faring pun intended, an all-hands-on-deck situation.

"King." Sweet Mask spoke, getting all eyes on him. "You know One Punch Man better than anyone else. What would be his desired direction?" He asked, shifting the attention to the world's second-strongest hero.

King closed his eyes and carefully considered his response for a few seconds. He wasn't bothered by the question. It made sense that everyone would look to him due to Saitama's absence.

"...One Punch Man has one week to reply. That's what the message said." King began as he opened his eyes. "Assuming we can trust the Seafolk, that gives us six days. Waiting for the full seven wouldn't be wise. We might even consider going only for five to avoid potentially angering them and causing conflict sooner than the message says. Unfortunately, even if we approach this scenario diplomatically and prevent an all-out war, that doesn't mean the purpose of this summons is good in its intent. As their leader calls himself, the Deep Sea King had no issue savagely beating and presumably torturing one of his people before sending them out as the messenger. Even if someone else did it, which is unlikely since he signed the message himself, that still shows a lack of empathy. However, we've never seen any entity directly ask to meet with One Punch Man, be they monster or otherwise. So, before determining a course of action, I think it'd be wise to discuss what the Deep Sea King wants." He told them.

"I agree." Silver Fang replied, all eyes now on him. "Doctor Genus reaching out to our leader for peaceful negotiation is one thing. All we had to debate was the legitimacy of his gesture of cooperation. But a non-human creature, whom none of us knew existed, has requested to see One Punch Man. As King has mentioned, there can be no confusion about the nature of the Deep Sea King. He's given us more than enough to go on with the state of his messenger. But how bold are his intentions? Is this nothing more than an invitation to fight? Even if the Deep Sea King is honest and doesn't declare war, should our leader meet his demand, will he still attempt something horrible? Or, as outlandish as it sounds, is the Deep Sea King trying to assert his sovereign status over One Punch Man? Regardless of the truth, none of the options are pleasant." He said.

"I say we kill'em." Bad proposed without hesitation. "And before ANYONE thinks to comment on how the guy who wields a bat is suggesting the blunt option, let me explain. I'm not saying we just get it done and over with because we know our leader could do it without breaking a sweat. As we keep bringing up, the state of that monster was terrible. The Deep Sea King's a bastard as far as I'm concerned. So, what if the Seafolks' situation is a regime? Maybe their leader is a tyrant, and they're ALL suffering. Or, at the very least, those who aren't close to their ruler. If anything, going off personal experience with monsters, it's probably a matter of power. The Deep Sea King's not the big boss because they want him to be; it's because he'll kill whoever tries to stand against him. If that is the situation, then that's why he's reached out to One Punch Man. The guy sees our leader as a threat to his position. So, he's gotta be dealt with." He reasoned.

"...I...can't believe it..." Flashy Flash spoke in amazement. "Metal Bat...made a sound argument..." He muttered.

"Hey! What did I say about smartass comments?" Metal Bat questioned.

"It wasn't a jab at you, Metal Bat. I'm genuinely impressed." Flashy Flash clarified. "Honestly, I agree with your logic. The Deep Sea King could've made any first impression. Yet, he opted for cruelty. Perhaps the best solution is the simplest one." He said.

"Huh. Gee, thanks." Metal Bat responded. He never thought he'd see the day when the ninja boy agreed with him.

"Unfortunately. There is one factor that makes this route impossible." Drive Knight spoke. "Our leader has made it clear that he wants non-humans to be accepted by society. His assigning Genus's creations to us as disciples is further proof of this being his mindset. As such, if One Punch Man, even with proper cause, were to deal with the Deep Sea King like any other opponent, it would cause discourse and distrust. Not with humanity but with all non-human entities currently in hiding. It could also lead to friction with the Seafolk. What if the nature of their society isn't a regime but still operates on proving one's self through combat? Even if the Deep Sea King is a savage, if this is how their culture functions, they could perceive our leader's preemptive killing blow as cowardice. Potentially leading to a war that we're trying to avoid. If that outcome comes to pass, all of S-Class would need to kill the aggressive Seafolk, which could be all of them. This would only worsen future attempts by One Punch Man to achieve peaceful co-existence. It could also make humanity far more resistant to Genus's creations than they are right now." He stated.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too," Isamu admitted as he folded his arms. "However, there's something we're overlooking. The message wasn't specifically addressed to the surface dwellers, heroes, or S-Class. The Deep Sea King directly called out One Punch Man. So, he knows our leader can defeat ANY opponent in a single blow. Savage or not, you'd have to lack ALL brain function to challenge him to a normal fight. I'm not saying that he DOESN'T plan to fight One Punch Man, only that it can't be as simple as we're assuming. Even something like an ambush or elaborate trap wouldn't make sense. If the Deep Sea King knows about our leader's strength, he's also aware of his resilience, stamina, and other notable traits. Whatever One Punch Man would be walking into is something we're not considering. There HAS to be some level of complexity here." He said.

"...Maybe...it's about us." Atomic Samurai started. "Hear me out. As Child Emperor said, no matter how you view it, confrontation with One Punch Man is suicide. And yet, the Deep Sea King is threatening war. That could just be a bluff to incentivize our leader into coming. We know he wouldn't ignore a threat like that. Or it could be that the "war" is something we're not considering. We're thinking traditionally. Fists. Weapons. Plain and simple combat. But if the Deep Sea King was smart enough to send a message, albeit a gruesome one, then he's certainly working strategy. The core problem of this scenario is we know nothing about the Seafolk apart from sightings of monsters in various bodies of water across the globe. Some of these might not even be connected to them. So, we have no idea what their numbers are. We don't know how varied their species are. And, ignoring One Punch Man's existence for a second, we don't know how well most humans would measure up to them. It's safe to assume that people like Tornado and Blast would be fine. The same goes for the rest of us in S-Class. But what if we're dealing with the greatest opposition we've faced to date? That could be the case; we just don't know if it is." He explained.

"To add onto that, we can't perform any reconnaissance. The Seafolk would see it as us trying to get intel, which it would be." Metal Knight chimed in.

"Regarding intel, I don't think we should be too concerned. Remember, our leader's currently talking to a Seafolk. I don't mean this to sound so manipulative, but they're undoubtedly grateful for us saving their lives and treating their injuries. I know One Punch Man will be able to learn a lot from them." Zombieman said.

"True. At the very least, the Seafolk will tell One Punch Man where they came onto land from. That'll help us determine an area of contact. It'll also allow us to prepare the nearby populace should it be near a city or town." Tanktop Master pointed out.

"But what if they have Seafolk positioned in multiple locations? There's nothing we can do about that." Pig God asked.

"One Punch Man was the only one the Deep Sea King requested. The rest of us can be positioned in every city during the meeting." Watchdog Man proposed as he looked at Metal Knight's drone. "Could you protect smaller areas like towns and other locations? Like amusement parks, for example. Places where large quantities of people will be." He asked.

"It'll be no issue. I have more than enough automated defenses and machines to form secure perimeters discretely. None will be alerted and they will go about their day unless something changes." Metal Knight answered.

"I would like to say something," Genos spoke while raising his hand. "Zombieman, you mentioned how One Punch Man will get intel from the Seafolk messenger. What if we learn from them that it is a regime, as Metal Bat suggested? Or what if this outreach for discussion is nothing but a façade and the Seafolk, as a united collective, have agreed to carry out violence on humanity? As it stands, I don't think there is much left for us to talk about without knowing what One Punch Man has obtained from the messenger." He said.

"Yeah, I agree with the new guy, even if he is an idiot." Tatsumaki joined in. "We're standing around talking about plans and strategies when it could all be pointless. We need to bring Baldy into this." She told them.

Ignoring her remark about Genos, Tornado, and their newly-recruited cyborg made a solid point. This meeting began with them looking to King for insight into what One Punch Man would say. But in the end, he wasn't their leader. Then there was the intel gained from the Seafolk messenger, which would greatly help their plans.

So, the heroes agreed to disband for now. King was sent to check in on One Punch Man and the Seafolk without needing to elect himself or be chosen. He was simply the best option, given he was their leader's best friend. As for the others, they'd continued to talk among themselves or relax before the next meeting.

...Except for one.


Elsewhere, In The Building...


FWOOP

Mosquito Girl full-on dolphin-dived onto her bed. All of Genus's creations had rooms now that they were all capable of existing in normal spaces. However, they hadn't been able to customize them yet. So, its appearance resembled the rest of the facility; rather cold and grey.

Still, Mosquito Girl loved having a room to herself. Normally, her mind would be filled with ideas about decorating it. Unfortunately, some fairly scary stuff happened earlier. This is significant to note since Mosquito Girl, like the others, didn't scare easily. But what she faced a few hours ago still sent shivers down her spine.

Those piercing red eyes. The aura of death. An absence of empathy. A voice without compassion. Then, there was the gun. The blackness of its barrel. The shine of its chrome body. The fleeting spark of ignition as the trigger was pulled and-

Knock Knock

"AH!" Mosquito Girl yelled in alarm. She instantly flipped onto her back and started searching her room.

Although the set of knocks was nowhere near as loud as a gunshot, the suddenness of their sound still startled Mosquito Girl. Furthermore, they triggered the memory of the gunfire. Who in the world would be knocking at her door?!

"Mosquito Girl." A voice. HIS voice. It spoke from the other side. "The clones told me this was your room. You have no reason to come to the door. But still, I need to talk to you. We can either do this now when it's convenient. Or we can do it later when it's far more awkward. It's up to you." He said.

Hesitation. Nervousness. Uneasiness. Mosquito Girl had never experienced such strong feelings before. All she could imagine was opening the door and being greeted by that same gun that tormented her thoughts.

However, Mosquito Girl knew he wouldn't leave. So, slowly and with careful steps, she rose from her bed and approached the door. She pulled it open just enough so they could see each other. That was the limit of her comfort right now.

Yet, when their eyes met, Zombieman didn't say anything. Mosquito Girl certainly wasn't going to be the one to initiate conversation when HE was the one who asked her to open the door! But then, not a second later, Zombieman reached into his pocket. From it, he produced a familiar object.

Mosquito Girl's heart stopped. Her eyes were wide. What was this? Another warning? A reminder? She remembered! He didn't need to intimidate her further! She got the message! She-

...

...

Zombieman. He...gently took one of her hands with the one that didn't hold the bullet. Then...he placed the item in her palm. He...was giving it to her.

"There," Zombieman said as he withdrew his arms. "You have the proof now. You can expose what I did whenever you feel like it." He began while putting his hands into his pockets. "I was out of line. No, scratch that. I went so far past the line that it couldn't be seen. My grievances are with the Doctor. Taking them out on you when all you wanted to do was talk was cruel. As you said, we're no different. He made me. He made you. But the Genus you know isn't the one I know. Seeing all of you makes me think back to when I was his creation. It agitates old wounds that, despite my regeneration, will never heal. But still, that's not on you. I'm sorry." He apologized.

Mosquito Girl was in disbelief. This wasn't the same person from earlier today. Sure, he was still stoic. He barely showed emotion but was trying to. And, to top it all off, he gave her something that could get him in MASSIVE trouble with One Punch Man. Zombieman, just who the Hell are you?

"Of course, I don't expect an apology to be enough. Ignoring that Genus could revive you no matter what, only real monsters and irredeemable dirtbags should have a gun pointed at them." Zombieman continued speaking. "So, as an additional show of goodwill and to try and make up for what I did, I'm giving you a wish. Obviously, not an ACTUAL one like a genie or a shooting star. I'll do or give whatever you want regardless of what it is. Also, this isn't a bribe. If you want me to do something degrading, I'll do it. Want me to be your servant for a day while I'm stationed here? Done. You just say the word, and I'll fulfill it if it's within my power." He told her.

One surprise after the other. Seriously, who the Hell WAS this guy? Did Zombieman get secretly replaced by the Doctor? Was this a clone who didn't want to put a slug through Mosquito Girl's head? Or was she still in bed and had fallen asleep, meaning this was all a dream?

"Well, I'll leave you alone now," Zombieman told her while turning away. "I said what I needed to. Whatever happens next is up to you." He added before taking his first step.

THUMP

That was the sound of Mosquito Girl throwing herself at Zombieman. Not in a weird "I suddenly love you" sort of way. She wanted to keep him from leaving while expressing gratitude for his gesture and offer. The best way to do that was with a hug, even if it'd be awkward.

"Thank you." Mosquito Girl whispered with a small smile, the bullet tightly held in her hand.

The embrace lasted only a few seconds. Afterward, Mosquito Girl released him and retreated into her room. Despite not seeing her face, Zombieman felt the fullness of her happiness. The immortal hero felt a bit lighter as he departed to rejoin his colleagues. Almost like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.