"Saitama!" Mitsumi gasped when he woke her up. He rolled with her to have her on his chest now to hug tight. "I don't know…if I can go to the restaurant today. How many times…last night?"

"Lost count," he muttered and kissed her before moving onto his side to let her snuggle into him. He finally felt tired enough that he could sleep. He just didn't know what time it was.

"Should we take a bath?" she asked. He yawned and moved slightly before pausing. Why do I feel like I'm sticking to her? He pulled back the bed sheet and gaped. "Um…I think we do need a bath…"

"How?!" he cringed. "I mean…I didn't…did I…?"

"Saitama, I was a virgin. You…opened me. So…this is actually a bit…normal?" she grinned and gave a shrug.

"Normal?! I need to see if I ripped you in half," he grimaced.

"I'm fine," she sighed.

:Inichi! Hey!: Saitama called out.

:Mr. Saitama?! Ah…oh! Yes, I'll send in Kamiko and Tacki. What are you doing up? It's not even dawn yet.: Inichi mused.

:It isn't? Huh. Oh. How long until dawn? I mean…we should still clean up. I can keep resting with her after.: Saitama mentally shrugged. "Tacki and Kamiko are being sent in now. They'll help us."

"We should scrub down first and then take a bath. Otherwise the water won't be clean properly. I'll have Kamiko check me over, too, to make sure nothing is wrong with me," she said. Kamiko came in first to gently clean Mitsumi enough with a damp rag to evaluate everything. Saitama was now able to see how Mitsumi was carefully examined for any damage.

"She'll be fine. Maybe a bit sore, but it's fine," Kamiko assured him. "Let's get you some soapy water to clean yourselves up. Then we'll set up the bath. While you both soak, we'll tackle the bed. It really isn't as bad as you think it is. Richoo can clean this up."

"Um…can you scrub the sheets first and then let him get what's left? I mean…it's a bit personal…you know?" Mitsumi frowned.

"Ah! Yes, Lady Mitsumi. We can do that," Kamiko nodded with complete understanding. Tacki was soon bringing in two buckets of hot water and several rags with various soaps. Kamiko and Tacki left the room after that to let Saitama and Mitsumi scrub each other down over the bathroom tiling. Once they knew they were cleaned up, they put on the bathrobes to give the soiled water and rags over for disposal.

"Give us ten minutes," Tacki said.

"Thank you," Mitsumi nodded.

"You don't really have to do all this," Saitama frowned.

"We want to!" Tacki said with a joyful tune. "Lady Mitsumi freed us. This is the most we can do to show our gratitude. This is something I always did, anyways. It helps me feel useful."

"Oh. I see. Okay," Saitama nodded. "Thank you for everything."

"Of course!" she nodded. "Oh. Um…Lightning Max and I had a pretty long talk. He'd like to try and help us become human. He was going to help investigate what changed us."

"That would be wonderful if he can help," Mitsumi smiled. The tub was soon filled with hot water, and they left the room to let Saitama and Mitsumi settle in the heated bath. While they both soaked and relaxed now, the bed was quickly seen to by the female monsters to get the sheets removed, mattress examined and fresh sheets placed on. It was ten minutes later when they were alone again.

"I never thought I'd be in a situation where I'd be catered to by monsters. And completely in love with the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen," Saitama chuckled and pulled Mitsumi close.

"I never thought that I'd finally be free from a cursed life," she sighed and pressed into him. "Much less engaged to be married to someone who's stupidly strong, eh?"

"Totally stupidly strong," he agreed.

"I wonder if it would pass to any of our children," she mused.

"I actually did meet Blast's son. I can't remember his name. Blast is the first ranked hero in class S. He was quite strong, too. I do think some attributes do get passed down," he said.

"I…do need to admit something…"

"Oh?"

"Remember…how I said I wasn't feeling right? That I was 'off'?" she winced. Now he paused to study her.

"Mitsumi?" he now looked at her with complete concern.

"That feeling…it never left…!" she whimpered softly. "I think…it's getting stronger. Like something feels wrong with me…"

"What?!" he said with wide eyes. Then he paused and saw her right wrist. On pulling up her arm gently, he stammered at the sight of a snake imprint. It looks like her bracelet! What the hell?! :INICHI!:

"I'm here!" he said when he had the door open for him to examine her wrist. "This is not good! I have a feeling that this is a setback from not getting the venom. Much like Kianna said before. We were wrong to think it was a sleep schedule. I'm going to consult with Genos. Get dressed. We need to keep a very close eye on her today."

When he left and closed the door, Saitama lifted Mitsumi out of the tub to help dry her and carefully help her dress in a sleeping gown. He dressed in boxers, a loose set of blue sweat pants and a grey shirt for now. He already noticed that she was having trouble standing on her own. He set her on the bed and reclined next to her to keep her close.

"Master!" Genos said and walked in to pull up a chair to sit by the bed. "I have scanned through everything that I collected from the laboratory computer. We need to go back there. One of the notations I scanned stated a hidden drug stash under the floor. It contains rare chemicals and medical plant extracts that he used for the creation of the venom and the antidote. We may be able to recreate it. If there was one thing that he did properly it was the intense notes he did on his discoveries. We may be able to just make the antidote. But with the items under a steel flooring…I just don't know how to get to it without destroying everything below the steel tiles. I may be able to use a laser to help pry up the steel, but…"

"Get Shenjou to help," Saitama said. "His venom melts things. You can use it with moderation. I just don't know how else to do it carefully unless I apply it to the floor. But I can't leave Mitsumi here alone. Not while she's like this."

"We don't want his venom to melt what we need, either. I will contact Child Emperor. He can help us and run tests on her blood. We need the ingredients first, but Child Emperor can at least start to get the diagnosis needed for her," Genos said. They looked over when Zenchu stormed in.

"I'm sober. I'll go. My claws can rip through steel. If the box has an issue to get it opened, then you can help with the venom," he said to Saitama.

"Fine. Go," Saitama nodded. "She was having problems standing."

"Shit!" Zenchu hissed and glared at Inichi. The blue monster wasted no time to show he was ready to travel.

:Inichi?: Fubuki asked.

:Lady Mitsumi's health is in decline! I need to escort Zenchu back to that lab to find an antidote! It was as we all feared. The venom decline is hitting her.: he said sadly.

:I'll go with you all as Hero Association support!: she said and was soon out of the bed to dress.

"Miss Fubuki will join us as an ambassador for the Hero Association. She is dressing now. We will go the moment she is outside. Anyone that is coming with us needs to show up now," Inichi said.

"I'm here! So early!" Child Emperor said when he was let in to check on his equipment. "If I'm late for school, then it's fine. The main faculty knows I work for the Hero Association in secret. Let me get a shot of her blood first. Fumio's tests are almost done, so we'll leave them alone. I can sterilize and use what isn't in use now to get her blood filtered and analyzed."

"I can help you. I also am very well-practiced in the medical arts," Kamiko nodded. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "I'll collect her blood now."

"Here," Child Emperor said and gave her a clean syringe. Kamiko walked over to the bedroom quickly.

"I need to draw some blood from her. I want to get it from the snake imprint," she said. Saitama grimaced, but he nodded and helped her with Mitsumi's arm. When she collected the blood, they realized that she wasn't fighting it or making any noises from the slight pinch of pain. That was when they noticed she was unconscious. Then they saw her hair start to slowly change grey.

"No. No. No!" Saitama hissed in panic and pulled her up to his chest. "Mitsumi! Don't do this! Wake up! Please!"

Kamiko rushed back into the main room and saw Inichi already making a bubble around Fubuki, Genos and Zenchu. Genos had the information on where the stash should be, and he already left notes for Child Emperor to start working on. Inichi was in the air and focused on where to go with the three in his traveling bubble. The light of the moon was easy to follow from how it was still in the night sky. He was livid and not happy at all.

The moment they landed outside the destroyed lab entrance and the bubble dissipated, Zenchu rushed in to start looking through the darkness around him. Genos activated his flashlight from the palm of his left hand to search with. That was when Zenchu grumbled, "Someone was here recently. Notice how Inichi was able to land us in front of the entrance? It was cleared out. Some of this mess was removed, too. However, the steel flooring hasn't been touched. Genos, where was the stash supposed to be?"

"Wait. I'm sensing something," Genos frowned.

:You are correct. There is another in there, too.: Inichi muttered to them all. :Genos, shine your light in the far left corner. There is a destroyed desk there. The culprit is hiding behind it.:

Zenchu now saw who was hiding before Genos could even shine the light. He was quick to dart over and knock out the infiltrator. "Done. Out of commission. We'll take him outside and examine him after we secure what we need."

:Hurry! Others are closing in! We may have no time for questioning!: Inichi warned. Zenchu spat out a warning, but Genos was already shining his light near the middle of the floor.

"Open it there!" the cyborg nodded.

"This is not good…" Fubuki muttered.

"Tell me about it!" Zenchu snarled and tore into the steel tile. It was here that he carefully pulled out the little hidden safe of vials. "We'll open it at home. Leave the schmuck here. Let's go."

"I see nothing else of value. Let's leave," Genos nodded. There was one thing that the infiltrator had on him that Zenchu spotted and it was an ornate ring. This was now taken for inspection later. The moment they walked outside, Inichi was swift to snatch them up and dart off.

"That was very close," Inichi sighed. "Another minute and we would have been compromised. The Takashi family was extremely relentless in trying to get those vials."

"It was them?!" Fubuki gasped.

"The ring you found. It's their seal," Inichi muttered. "We'll discuss it later. We need to cure Lady Mitsumi for good."

"Right," Zenchu nodded.

"We need to do this before dawn fully arrives," Genos said. "I think that's why she felt the signs when she did. Her body knew. If we don't cure her by then…well…"

"We don't know…if she'll become young…" Zenchu gaped at the realization. "Inichi!"

"We're home!" Inichi said and let them free of his bubble.

"Open this!" Zenchu said and put the box in front of Child Emperor. "We're running out of time! We only have until dawn!"

"What?!" Child Emperor gaped. Now Saitama walked into the room with Mitsumi in his arms to set her on a couch. Her skin was aging again. Her entire figure was reverting into an old woman. "Oh! Um…okay!"

"Get me Shenjou's venom!" Saitama snapped out in a panic.

"Wait!" Genos cringed. "His notes…there is a trap in the safe. If we do one wrong move then everything is crushed by an internal mechanism."

"Where is the mechanism?" Saitama asked.

"Here…" Genos said and pointed to a corner. Saitama poked a finger through the box and pulled out the trap.

"Fixed. Open the damned thing! Now!" he demanded. Genos was trying to see how to open it, but Shenjou was quick to poke his scaled muzzle in the door to show he was ready to supply his venom. Saitama only got a small drop on his finger to carefully smear along the safe door. Then he got another drop to put on the main locking mechanism. Right after it sizzled away, Child Emperor was able to take it apart to access the vials.

"Okay. I need this one. This one. And this one. The rest can be frozen in case we need it," he said and was quick to start mixing the lightly colored vials carefully into a clean test tube. "We don't need a lot, but I'm going to make a good batch in case it happens again. If we can find out what these primary ingredients are to get more of them, then it can help. Her blood is even aging in the petri dish I have. I'm just going to use a small drop of this stuff…okay…"

"We have a freezer in the kitchen. We'll acquire another one just for this to keep it hidden," Orotsu said and helped make a hidden spot for the precious vials in their current freezer.

"It worked! Her blood is young! Okay, let me calculate how much blood is in her system…got it! Here!" Child Emperor said and gave over the syringe with the correct measurements to Kamiko. She took the syringe to directly inject it into the snake image on Mitsumi's wrist.

"Get that right in its head!" Saitama spat out and was able to carefully secure her arm. Nothing happened for the first five minutes after the injection. Saitama was the first one to notice that the snake image fully faded out. Then the reversion to youth happened. The moment her hair become the lush black it was before, she gasped awake with a harsh cry of relief. All Saitama could do was hug her tight to comfort her and breathe his own harsh breaths of relief.

"She might be a virgin again," Kamiko warned gently.

"Okay…" Saitama muttered and continued to hold her close. "Easy. It's okay now. When you can talk, tell us how you feel."

"I…I don't feel…strange anymore…" Mitsumi admitted and let herself get rocked gently by him. "Like…it's how I felt before everything happened to me!"

"The first rays of dawn have just touched the sky. We beat the clock," Inichi said with his own sigh of relief.

"It's highly possible that the prior snake just gave enough of each venom and antidote to combat the other. But…with the way the seasons changed and how long the venom set in, the normal antidote amount wasn't enough. If it was winter, then I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem," Genos surmised. "You needed the extra antidote boost to fully counter the venom that was dormant."

"Right. Now, let's see what this is all about," Zenchu said and took out the ring that was confiscated. "Lady Mitsumi, do you know this?"

"What?" she frowned and took the heavy gold ring. "I…it can't be…it's my brother's ring! We all had very specific rings. Where did you get this?"

"He was infiltrating the old lab," Inichi said.

"It's true," Fubuki nodded.

"Yes. We believe he was looking for the vials," Genos said. She cringed and gave it back to Zenchu.

"I don't want to see it. That family is dead to me. All of you here. You are my family now," she trembled and squeaked at the small dog-pile of a hug the monsters gave her and Saitama.

"Okay, that's enough," Saitama found himself chuckling to have them all back away. "Child Emperor. Thank you. I don't know what could have happened if you weren't here."

"Those chemicals are extremely rare and toxic, too. But…they sort of neutralized each other. I'll study the names of them and see what else I can find out about them. I made enough for three more doses in case something happens. Just bring me here first so I can make sure it goes well," the child nodded.

"Rendor, make sure he gets a lifetime pass to whatever he wants at Neutral Grounds," Mitsumi nodded.

"Definitely!" Rendor agreed.

"Mitsumi and I might take today off," Saitama said and lifted her in his arms again. "We'll see how we are later today."

"That is fine," Orotsu nodded.

"We can have Genos with us," Tsuruga nodded in agreement.

"I'll be there, too," Fubuki agreed.

"Do you need a lift home, Child Emperor?" Inichi asked.

"Yeah. I might be able to make it in time for school," he nodded and waved to the others. "I'll be back later to check on Fumio's tests."

"That's fine," Mitsumi nodded. Zenchu was too restless to lay back on the couch and decided to watch the television. Saitama took Mitsumi into the bedroom to sit on the bed with her. She noticed that he was shaking. "Saitama?"

"I…thought I was losing you…" he swallowed.

"Oh…" she frowned. Now she saw a tear fall from him. She reached up to gently wipe it away and he pulled her close. He lifted up her hand to reveal her engagement ring and kissed it.

"I take you as my wife," he muttered.

"I accept you as my husband," she whispered. The kiss they shared now was deep and intense.

"Every day. For as long as I remember. I'm saying that to you. Even after we become official," he whispered and let her press into his neck.

"I would like that," she said with a soft blush and got kissed again.

"We still have bath water," he mused. "It might still be warm."

"For what?" she frowned.

"I was told you might be a virgin again."

"Oh. True…it would be easier to work with."

"Should we…?" he asked and kissed her.

"If you think we should. Of course…me being a possible virgin again…maybe we should wait," she smiled and let him undress her then himself. He gave her a look that clearly said 'no' to get her laughing. He carried her into the tub shortly after and kissed her to muffle her shout of pain. He held her until she stopped shaking and could only shake her head weakly.

"What?" he muttered and kissed her.

"How can you…keep up with this?" she mused and gasped.

"You are the hottest woman I have ever known. How can't I?" he chuckled. "And I'll never stop thinking that, either."

"Saitama…" she sighed and surrendered to his advances once again.