Tacki was the first one to jump off of Wind Crane's back to start looking for her new building. She was thrilled to see a small warehouse cut away to help expel heat from a new forge that was burning with nearly volcanic measures. Kamikaze couldn't stop her from running around to fill the place up with supplies, and he was eventually forced to just sit down and let her do what she needed to do under his watchful eye. Of course, Bane and Bomb joined him to keep him company.

"Let's go take a bath. If it's not time to dance by the time we get out, we'll dress normally," Saitama said and jumped off Bright Bolt's back before pulling Mitsumi into his arms to carry her.

"We have four hours," Blue Ripple judged.

"Fire Flight, how do you normally sleep?" Mitsumi asked the fiery-winged serpent. Fire Flight let those she carried down before tilting her head in thought.

"I rarely slept. I tended to rest while flying. Or I rested at the bottom of my lava lake. Ah. If I shift small and we make a container to hold lava, I can rest there easily," she said.

"Much like my tub of water," Blue Ripple nodded.

"I just rest outside," Bright Bolt snorted and shifted to his smaller size.

"So…we're taking a bath now?" Mitsumi asked as Saitama carried her off. Overgrown Rover huffed and trotted along with them.

"Yes," Saitama nodded.

"But you took a bath in lava," she pointed out.

"Eh…when lava dries, it makes me feel…itchy. All over," he said.

"Need me to help scrub you…everywhere?" she murmured in his ear.

"Yes. Yes, you'll help me with that," he said with a nod and a neutral tone to show he was being serious.

"Should I nibble where I cleaned…?" she giggled and traced a finger over his cheek. Now he looked at her and stopped walking.

"You're in trouble," he said with a small grin.

"Good. Punish me, then," she grinned back to get him growling at her. "I'll make sure to punish right back!"

"Doggy! Keep up!" Saitama said and started to run off with her laughing form. Overgrown Rover huffed and ran after them happily.

"We should go to their balcony," Blue Ripple said.

"Allow me," Inichi chuckled and was quick to move Blue Ripple and Bright Bolt there. He turned to look at Fire Flight and asked, "You will also go there?"

"In time. I am curious of the monster eater," Fire Flight said.

"I can summon him to us," Inichi nodded. "Oh. Ah, Fubuki? I told you a gift was delivered a day or so ago. Please check the small garage north of the apartment. A few others are there, but you'll know which one is yours."

"Ah…oh!" Fubuki blinked and had her jaw drop.

"Garou had secretly requested for Lily to have one, too. Hers is purple in color. Lady Mitsumi has one, too, and hers is the pearl white one in the back," Inichi chuckled. Lily now looked at Garou curiously from where they were standing. Garou nodded and was quick to lead Lily away to inspect her gift.

"You got me a car?!" Lily was heard shrieking with absolute shock.

"Yep! Only the best for you," Garou chuckled and got squeezed by her. He gave her the keys to it right after and kept hugging her.

"I love you, Garou," she whispered.

"You know I love you, too, Lily," he chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Now, eh…you know how to drive this, right?"

"Yes, I do. There were plenty of times I had to drive around Miss Blizzard. But, do you know how to drive?" she grinned.

"Ah…in a game…maybe?" Garou shrugged to get her giggling.

"I'm sure we can set up a driving school," Inichi mused when he floated in with Fubuki to show her the sleek, gold-embellished, dark green car of intense luxury standards.

"I…have never seen such…" Fubuki whispered with awe and ran her hand over the hood.

"And it is yours, my love," Inichi said while floating the keys to her. "We'll need to set up some road repairs, but I'll ensure you get a chance to drive whenever you feel the need. Just let me know."

"We have plans soon, though, don't we?" Fubuki frowned.

"We do, but we may have time after. I wonder…ever want to drive a flying car?" Inichi said with a small grin. Now she looked at him with a look of sheer delight at the thought. "We'll plan for that later."

As they discussed possible car rides now, Fire Flight was patiently waiting for Shenjou to appear. The moment he saw her, he found himself pausing with complete awe. She flicked a pale, forked tongue and blinked her glowing, fiery red eyes in study of him. "Ah. You appeared. I was told you are a venomous monster eater. Is that right?"

"I am," Shenjou nodded and found himself flexing his cobra hood out. Why do I feel a need to…impress her? Interesting…

"You are most curious, indeed. A venomous blue and white snake with human limbs. Then again, I am told I am of the same semblance, yet I am crimson in color, have large wings and create fire. You also have all the limbs of a human. I only have the upper part of my limbs with no lower limbs. You have a rattle on your tail where I have a cruel spike. You have a hood, yet I am sleek in all areas with little to no roughness in scales. It helps with my flight, though. I also tend to rest in lava. Hmm. We appear to be the same in height, too. Most beneficial. Where do you rest?" she asked.

"I tend to rest on a mound of gold to guard it. It's below us," he said.

"Interesting! I may melt it by accident in my current state…but…I am wondering now. Can you change your form?" she asked demurely.

"I do not have that ability. As much as a cure for me to return to human form is offered…my venom is very helpful. I have rescued some and defended many with it. I have chosen to keep this form," he nodded.

"And…if you were given an opportunity to…change back and forth on a whim?" she hinted with a chuckle.

"Ah. I would take it. I would be like Rendor, then. As long as I keep my mind like he does in both forms, I could do that," Shenjou chuckled back. "But I doubt such a thing will work. I can't shift like he does."

"I can give you the gift," she said calmly.

"Ah…why?" he blinked with surprise.

"Your talents…surpass my expectations. I find you…worthy of me. I am the one of fire that they sought," she explained.

"You're one of the GOD monsters?!" Shenjou asked with shock.

"That I am. It is very rare that I find one…appealing. At first, I thought Mitsumi's mate was that. But…I was wrong. And I respect that he is claimed by her. He is needed for her. I agreed to be her pet while I am with her in this form, but even I have separate needs. And, if I do become a human form, I will not see myself as her pet. More like an older sister. I have been thinking of much," Fire Flight sighed. "What would you say?"

"Is there a cost for such a gift?" he had to ask.

"Interesting for you to ask. You are wary on the side of caution. Very astute. Well…" she tilted her head in thought. "Let me build up to my answer. As I said before, I find you worthy of me. In all my thousand years of being here, I have only found two others of such worth. The first was the one that discovered me and helped me find my way. The second was Saitama. Now it is you. I have spent over eight hundred years alone. I vowed that none would ever be like my first mate. And he was human like Saitama. Not as strong, obviously, but yes."

"You had a human mate before?" Shenjou asked with interest.

"Yes. When I was a mere fifty years of age, he found me in a mountain lair that I had claimed to be in solitude. He soothed me with words. He helped me see things in a new light with his kindness and loving care. It was why I rarely listened to any others. Unless they caught my interest. He gained my trust.

"As for Saitama, he swam in my lava lake untouched by burns of molten rock. He survived my fiery temper unscathed. He showed only bravery in the heat of battle! His courage knows no boundaries. He is a true warrior at heart. I thought I could keep him, but he said no. He loved another. Thus, he is not only brave…but humble and loyal.

"I met the one he loved when she braved my lava lake to seek his safety. Now that I think about it, I realize the lengths they both go through for each other. How much they love each other and protect each other. She makes sacrifices to protect her family, too. Like I did long ago. I love her now like family. Saitama now gives me…a family feel, too. Like kin I never had before. Needless to say, I saw clarity when I was able to get the scent from the fans. It broke my anger."

"What were you so angry about, then?"

"My mate…I granted him the gift of longer life to help him cope with me. But…he was not invincible to harm. He didn't want to be too strong in that way, or I would have made him exactly that. He didn't want gifts of power. It made him different from the others around him. He appreciated love and humility where others wanted power and greed. I actually…pleaded with him to accept the gift of longer life to be with me. After much thought…he accepted.

"He hid himself away with me unless he had no choice to collect things from a nearby village. But…he was murdered by jealous rivals from this. They discovered his gift of longevity. They saw me on a rare occasion, too. I was a beautiful human female for him that surpassed the beauty of many other females. They learned of his gift of long life from me and what I truly was. We had no offspring of human nature. I should have had offspring for him in this form, but it didn't come to pass. That was because…" she paused and shivered hard. "my offspring…were…"

"You laid eggs and they were destroyed," Shenjou said quietly with understanding. She nodded slowly and winced when the painful memory resurfaced. "If eggs did come about now, they would be guarded heavily."

"Yes. As sister Wind Crane was able to tell me. I kept that anger with me after discovering what happened. Forgive me if my tale is lengthy, but it must be told at last. To understand why I have so much anger. My mate died defending them. I had gone off to hunt. Obviously, I was the better hunter. But…when I got back…I saw I was too late. The villagers struck swiftly.

"For years…they tracked where our home was with scouts. I could have made defensive barriers, but my mate pleaded not to in order to preserve the life around us. We were also deep in solid wilderness. It was hard to reach us, but they did reach us with careful marking and tracking. They found the small nest I built within a small housing together with my mate in secret. The nest was only created within a week, so it wasn't that long ago that offspring were done. The small housing was much older. Human offspring just never happened. We knew then…it had to be done with me in my current state.

"My mate and I…we were together for close to twenty years, and we heavily contemplated when the time would be right. We thought it would be safe enough to try for offspring with our love so strong, but we also knew the scouts were closing in. My mate didn't want me to expose myself. My true power. He feared in full for my safety and wanted no harm to anyone done.

"The patient attackers waited for me to leave and struck the moment I was out of hearing to know what was to happen. Yet, they not only attacked out of jealousy for him…but out of fear from what I was. They feared what was going to happen with the offspring if they hatched, grew and discovered themselves. Even when proven that we meant no harm. We were planning to move everything, too, once the offspring were with us. We thought we had time. We were...clearly wrong. I should have been more vigilant!

"When I returned from the hunt…saw my slain nest and mate…I struck back just as swiftly by destroying the village the attackers came from. The very one my mate had been peacefully trading with! When I scanned their thoughts, they believed I would have fled in terror from their show of force. They were wrong. As to where that cursed village is…in truth…my lava lake is the exact location," she said with a soft, cold chuckle. "I vowed to let no settlements or humans live there after that. To rule over it with an undying fire that raged as hot as my anger. And as deep as my unending sorrow."

"Now, I do have a question for you," Shenjou said to get her nodding at him. "Wind Crane had pieces of her shell long ago. They made fantastic crystals from their hiding places. We even have a piece down below in a hollow boulder that grows such crystals now. Do you have any shards from your egg or offspring? In case those shells can do the same thing?"

"I…" she paused and started to curl up on herself. He moved right next to her and pressed into her gently to encourage her. "It may be possible. I am honestly unsure. Such painful memories may be under the ocean, though."

"Think Blue Ripple could help us search?" Shenjou asked.

"Oh! He could!" she blinked with surprise at the idea.

"We will have to ask. I'm sure he would help. However, when it comes to you being here now, do you plan to destroy this place at all? Our home here that we guard and make safe?" he asked.

"No. Mitsumi helped me see clarity. She freed me of my anger. She gave me a reason to rejoice again! And now…I have met you. I never wanted to try and start my life anew. To attempt to see if it could be possible. I owe her so much now! I held onto my anger and sorrow for so long…"

"If I can change back and forth at will, then I would not mind accepting your gift. And I will use it to protect the home and family," Shenjou nodded. "I'm unsure of aging, though. That we will have to see. But, when it comes to shifting back and forth, would I have the ability to become what I used to be as a human?"

"Of course. With a few changes, though. To accompany your other self here. The gift will let you change your mass to a point. But your height would need to become excess muscle, in a sense," she chuckled.

"So, I'd become one of those muscle-bound meatheads?" he snickered and got her laughing with him. "It wouldn't be too far off to what I was before. And, of course, the venom would stay with this form and not the other?"

"You could grow claws to excrete your venom," she hinted.

"Oh…" he blinked and found himself grinning.

"Much like how I can make lava spouts and fire burst out of nowhere wherever I wished. It would be like that," she nodded.

"I do like that. But…there is a price…?" he asked again.

"To let me keep you when I am human in form. That is my price," she said softly. "In this form, I will seek to protect all and be in a pet-like mindset to Mitsumi. In my human form, though…"

"You'll be with me. I get it. And I, too, always vowed to serve and help Lady Mitsumi. She freed me from my monster mind. I was broken away from it and able to see reason again. I don't remember how I became like this. Only that I was…bitten. My memory is still fuzzy on a lot of things. I was a professional handler of reptiles, so I had to stay in shape and perfect health to work with such animals. I woke up this way after handling a unique snake. The snake was gone, and so was my mind.

"She found me after I was like this for a few months. I was randomly terrorizing humans not far from where she was, actually. Something just…pulled me there. She showed me the flower and gave the same show of concerned care as she did for you. Saitama kept others back to ensure I woke up safely. She even helped me with Saitama when I was used against her as a baited trap not even a day later! Like you, I owe her much. So, as monsters together, we will always protect her and others in the home. As humans, you and I will be together in peace. I accept your gift," he nodded.

"The gift is granted. It is done," she said.

"Ah…that's it?" he blinked.

"Yes. That's it. Now…where would you like to try this?" she asked.

"Follow me to the treasury below," he said. "We can surprise them all later tonight. Will that work?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Hmm. I may have to say that I will have a new place of resting, then. Mitsumi and Saitama can have their bedroom without me. Unless an emergency happens. They can still set up a crucible for lava just in case. Now that I think on this, even heated coals can work on suspension as they do in monasteries and dojos. I shall make arrangements."

"That makes sense to me," he chuckled and led her away to the underground passage below the apartment. As he began to experiment with a new form under Fire Flight's guidance, Deep Sea Prince and Akiyama were sitting around the roasting pit with Iwasaki and Flashy Flash. It was lightly lit up, and there were hinted plans of a massive barbecue to happen after Mitsumi's performance.

"How are you doing?" Flashy Flash asked Deep Sea Prince.

"I can't complain. I've been able to send messages to my people below the waves. So far, things are calm. They rejoiced when they learned I was…courting," he chuckled and let Akiyama lean into him. "Do you know of the plans at this time?"

"We have been gathering together monsters that surpass all we know. Much like Blue Ripple, but others like him. Of different elements," Iwasaki said.

"Further Great Ones?! I mean…so much power in one place! What do they hope to do?" Deep Sea Prince frowned with concern.

"There is one of greater power they hope to call on," Flashy Flash shrugged. "They want this one to show up to express the urgency."

"Such is true," Inichi said when he hovered over them with Fubuki to let her sit with them all. "We are informed that this one surpasses them all in age. Lady Mitsumi does plan to do a private dance around sunset to ensure favorable conditions for this summoning. However, the Hero Association board will also be here to witness such a gathering. This is to show that nothing vile is to be done to the humans around us. An act of trust."

"Yes. Such a thing would be needed," Deep Sea Prince agreed.

"How many plan to appear?" Akiyama asked.

"Only those of importance. Of course, Kamikaze kindly requested to exclude the one called Stitch. I am inclined to agree," Inichi muttered.

"Just have him write a script for you," Flashy Flash shrugged.

"Do not make me recall the mental asylum that Sweet Mask has already committed me to!" Inichi snapped to get them all laughing hard. "I shall have to make a rule to only read the scripted writings from Miss Tajima. Her writing actually holds structure. And a plot."

"I'm glad I was able to help heal her back," Akiyama admitted. "It was so bad! So much was done with no treatment!"

"What's this?" Deep Sea Prince frowned. Inichi sent him the images to make the sea monster's jaw drop. "Amazing! You hold such healing with your beautiful form! Of course, such a thing must be kept secret."

"Yes. We shall not exploit it," Inichi agreed.

"What is the plan now?" Flashy Flash asked.

"Orotsu and Anno shall arrive shortly to help set up the barbecue pit. Ah…hmm…this is…interesting…" Inichi frowned and looked over at Bane to mentally call him over.

"Is something wrong?" Bane asked when he calmly walked over.

"Your senseless disciple plans to visit. He gets closer to the main entrance," Inichi said. Bane sighed and shook his head.

"Charanko…what is he planning?" Bane muttered and moved to where Grigos was stationed.

"Something wrong?" Grigos asked.

"My disciple, Charanko, may come here looking for me. Give him two chances to leave and return to the dojo. If he does not agree, cage him and bring him over. If you would do so?" Bane asked with a small smile.

"I can do that," Grigos snickered softly. Bane nodded and went back to sit with his friends. Tacki had almost filled up the storage of the new blacksmith building by the time Grigos had walked over with Charanko dangling in his cage-like hand. "Special delivery."

"Oh," Bane sighed and watched Charanko get dropped on the ground.

"Master! Why aren't you…oh…" Charanko blinked at the sight of Bomb.

"Hmm…" Bomb frowned and ran a hand over his beard. Then he looked at his brother with a raised brow. "What has he learned?"

"Nothing," Bane admitted to get Kamikaze snickering.

"I…I have learned!" Charanko insisted.

"Not following instructions, apparently," Tacki chimed in to get Kamikaze bursting out with laughter. "Honey, I don't think he's worth holding a torch. Much less a matchstick. I doubt he can walk to the entrance and back protecting a lit candle, too."

"I totally can!" Charanko said.

"Very well. Here," Bane said and took a lit candle from Tacki to hand over.

"That candle lasts an hour exact," she nodded.

"Good. Charanko, walk this candle to the entrance and back here. Do not let the flame go out under any circumstance," Bane instructed.

"Yes, Master!" Charanko said and began to move with the candle. He found himself pausing when the flame nearly sputtered out, and he forced himself to move slower. Inichi now looked over and thought to Bane. :Any circumstances?:

:Yes. So…feel free to test his resolve.: Bane mused back.

"Hmm. We were supposed to test the swords today," Tacki frowned. Kamikaze looked at her and grimaced at the thought. "But…with everything that happened…okay. The Moon Blade just whispered that it's okay. It's actually excited about the GOD monsters now! It wants to try and have them attack with it when we plan to check out what the swords can do, so it's willing to wait until we are ready for that."

"What?!" Kamikaze gaped at her. Then he blinked and looked at where the Sun Blade was hidden to hear its own form of agreeable vibes. "I can't believe it. Geez! Anyways…hmm. Oh. Looks like your disciple is doing rather well with that candle. We could use some help setting up that fire pit, though…"

"Excuse me!" Tsuruga snorted on charging past Charanko to let the air threaten the candlelight. The youth yelped and quickly held his hand in front of the flickering flame. Then Tanktop Girl ran past him to help Tsuruga with the fire to help set it. Zenchu darted past him and nearly killed the flame shortly after that.

"Stop it! You'll make my candle die!" Charanko hissed.

"Charanko, you must think internally here," Bane warned. "Keep to being patient on the outside, please."

"But…Master! They're doing this on purpose!" Charanko winced.

"I told them to," Bane smirked at his stunned disciple. "Get walking."

"But…I…damn it!" he grimaced and started to walk again.

"What will this prove?" Bomb asked.

"It will show how much patience he has. Otherwise, it keeps him out of my hair for a bit longer," Bane chuckled lightly.

"Or it proves nothing," Kamikaze snorted.

"Maybe he needs a coloring book…" Tacki mused. Kamikaze glared at her. "What? I bet he'd have no idea what he was even coloring in!"

"Ah…hmm…" Kamikaze blinked at the thought. Tacki now had Inichi reach out to Genos for him to appear with a quick bubble ride.

"Neutral Grounds is nearly done for the day. You requested me?" Genos asked. Tacki grinned and set down the stack of metal sheets she was moving.

"I need you to sketch something for someone to color in," she said.

"Shit…" Kamikaze grimaced and hid his face in his palm.

"I have to admit that I'm rather curious…" Bane snickered softly.

"If Charanko has no idea about this…hmm. He may need to be involved in a relationship of sorts," Bomb sighed with a touch of pity.

"King does hold games of such simulations," Genos nodded and got to work on a sketch pad. "Any details here?"

"Nah. Just a guy and a girl in a bed clearly doing the horizontal mambo," Tacki chuckled. "No nudity needed. Maybe clothing all over the floor and stuff."

"Understood," Genos nodded. Kamikaze was still hiding his face in his palm, but he was laughing all the same.

"Damn it, girl! Shit. Make one for Iaian, too…" he said. "I'm curious if he'll notice what he's doing…"

"I can make a duplicate copy," Genos confirmed.

"Okay! Hmm. Do we have colored pencils or crayons?" Tacki frowned.

"We will shortly," Inichi grinned. Fubuki was simply in tears laughing from what he was mentally telling her from where she sat. The others around her soon had to know and were in their own fits of laughter.

"I hear laughter out there," Saitama blinked and looked at the opened balcony window. He was holding Mitsumi close in their bath and was highly curious on everything now. Overgrown Rover, Blue Ripple and Bright Bolt were resting and clearly not paying much attention to anything.

"Hmm? Oh…" Mitsumi blinked and burst out into her own fits of giggles from what Inichi mentally told her. "Bane's…disciple is here…"

"And…?" Saitama looked at her.

"Tacki is having Genos make a page for coloring something in to see if Charanko realizes it's two people having sex…" she cringed.

"Huh. I don't think he'll notice," he shrugged to get her laughing hard. "He still doesn't notice how strong I am."

"I doubt he'd even notice if a girl was flirting with him," she chuckled.

"I know I didn't. You didn't flirt with me, either. I just wanted to help you," he said and kissed her softly. "And protect you. And love you…"

"Stop it…" she giggled and got squeezed.

"Never," he grinned. "Hmm…"

"What?" she asked.

"Blue Ripple said I can breathe underwater now. This bath…I wonder…" he mused. "I need to test something."

"What?!" she gasped and saw him duck down to fully submerse himself. At what she felt next, she squealed and dropped her jaw with disbelief. For a full twenty minutes, he had her breathless and in complete shock of what was going on. When he came back up, he smirked and hugged her tight to him.

"Yeah. It works," he grinned and lifted her weakened form out of the tub. He had set towels down on the bed before the bath, and now they were gratefully used when he laid her down on them. She was panting and focusing on coming back around from what she felt from him.

"So…bad…" she whispered softly and got pulled against him to rest.

"You enjoyed every bit of it. And so did I," he chuckled and kissed her gently. "Rest now. Okay?"

"Okay…" she mumbled and fell asleep. He checked the time and turned on the television. At the feel of the monsters climbing into the bed to rest with them, he only sighed and relaxed. We'll go back out there in an hour. Maybe in our hero costumes. Actually…it's a dance and summoning. I'm not sure what we'll wear. Eh…I'll see what time it is by then and we'll decide what to do.