Saitama paused at the sight of Neutral Ground's new entrance look. The entrance was fully widened out an extra twenty feet to include the photos of his friends, monster family and employees. A velvet red rope kept customers from getting too close to them, and there was plenty of room for more photos. Bronze plaques were listed under each photo for the name of the monster and cured monster there. Soft lamps were lit now from the sun setting to shed a gentle light over the various artifacts that heroes had also donated to be viewed. There were also photos of heroes that visited Neutral Grounds, and many of them even autographed their photos for display.
Kamikaze smiled at the sight of the first knife he ever had with an apprentice tryout box underneath it. Bane had offered his first set of fighting gloves and had the same box for tryouts. Sweet Mask donated a copy of his favorite book. Sneck even donated a set of his gloves for viewing. Mumen Rider had found an old set of goggles with a picture of his first bike. Even Tanktop Master had his first weight set there in a small corner and roped off. Death Gatling found his first pistol to display. Quite a few heroes had some of their old belongings to show off, and they felt that it was needed to donate for a time.
"This is amazing," Mitsumi said with a form of awe. "I should donate a set of my performance fans."
"That would be good. I don't really have anything other than my first suit," Saitama shrugged. Then he blinked. "Actually…I have my track suit…"
"The blue and white one, Master?" Genos asked. "Ah! I know where it is! I can fetch it if that is the one."
"Yep. That one. I think I can donate that. I want Mitsumi's fans in the same display case, though," Saitama nodded.
"I could donate a set of sunglasses," Zenchu grinned. "Wind Crane can donate a feather, too."
"Use a scale from me," Blue Ripple chuckled. Saitama nodded at this and continued to carry Mitsumi in. When he stepped in with her, he looked around to see the place was empty in preparation for the karaoke event. Tacki had gone straight to the stage to prepare it and set up a place for props. The hanging microphone was tested for sound, and a song list was quickly uploaded.
"Did you want to make some teddy bears to raffle?" Kamiko asked her.
"Yes! I need fabric, buttons, cotton stuffing and ribbons for bows. Also, get some cards to be signed by heroes unless they want to sign on the bears directly," Tacki said. Sweet Mask found a seat with Tajima and was handed a stack of blank cards to sign. On looking at Tacki, she grinned. "We can sell your signatures for Hero Association profit."
"Ah," Sweet Mask nodded and started to sign a few. "Not too many, though. Maybe other heroes can sign near mine on these to make them worth more? It wouldn't hurt."
"I'll take a few," Flashy Flash said from where he claimed a seat with Iwasaki. "I don't mind at all. It helps the restaurant and the association. The benefit far outweighs everything."
"That's the idea," Kianna chuckled and let King sign his name on a few of them. The other cards were passed around to be autographed, and even Saitama signed a few with Mitsumi. A few were now signed by others to make them even more valuable and set aside to be set in the security room vault.
"Miss Mitsumi," Anno said when he approached her at the usual table she sat at with Saitama. "I need to talk about something with you."
"Of course, Anno," she nodded and gestured for him to sit with them. Fumio had Black Sperm sitting in his lap, a stool was brought over for Blue Ripple's small tub to settle on and Overgrown Rover was happily reclining on its owners with solid contentment.
"What's up?" Saitama asked and accepted a cup of tea from the Orotsu's outstretched tentacle from the floor entrance.
"Takeda has been a solid mess on remembering what that bastard, Fumihiro, did to her," Anno sighed hard. "I'm doing my best to help her, but…"
"Bring her here," Mitsumi said softly. Anno got up swiftly and moved into the kitchen. He brought Takeda to them, and Mitsumi had her sit down. Now she looked at Overgrown Rover and whispered softly.
"Hmm?" Saitama blinked at what he heard and found himself grinning lightly. The monster dog shrunk smaller and jumped over to Takeda to lick her face non-stop to get her laughing with complete joy at it.
"Good puppy!" Mitsumi laughed.
"Oh…!" Takeda said and wiped her face off. Anno found himself sighing with relief that her sad mood was finally broken.
"Takeda, I know. My brother…he was…yeah," Mitsumi sighed. "But he's dead now. He tried to attack me here. He became a monster. Saitama had to kill him. He even agreed to have my older sister killed! We saved her! So just know that he's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. If anyone else tries to do something like that again, you come straight to me. To Saitama. To Anno, too. You are not unprotected anymore. Okay?"
"I know," Takeda nodded and pet Overgrown Rover. "It was just the shock. I had forgotten everything, and then it just…it was like a freight train!"
"Yeah. I know the feeling," Mitsumi nodded. Then she giggled when Blue Ripple snuggled into her to make her happy. "This is why I have so many around me. There are so many times that visions of my past torment hits me. I'll be fine. Perfectly fine. And then…I get slammed down and nearly forced to remember things…"
"Ah, no," Saitama said and squeezed her. "You tell me when those things hit you. I will remove the bad memories with good ones. Like that hallway. And Daiki falling into the pool with his clothes on."
"Stop it!" Mitsumi grimaced with complete mirth at the memories.
"See? Good memories!" he grinned and kissed her gently. "No one will ever hurt my wife again. Never."
"I'm glad," she smiled and pressed into him. Overgrown Rover licked Takeda's cheek again before jumping back over to Saitama and Mitsumi. It mouthed Saitama's hand gently to lift and place over Mitsumi's belly. Then it protectively leaned into his hand with a huff.
"What is it, doggy?" Saitama asked. It whined and started up a small argument to get them all laughing. Anno gestured to Takeda to help with the kitchen, and she got up to get escorted away. He even kissed her forehead to show that everything was going to be fine. Kamiko was next to get their attention when a male member of the Hero Association appeared with a small mission. A small manila envelope was handed over before bowing to them with respect.
"Caped Baldy and Fan Dancer. The board knows you have been finding places to live in various cities. It is our prestigious honor to allow the Hero Association to grant you a room within the tower. This way you do not need to search for a place to stay in City A. In the envelope is a key to apartment 104. Should we need you for future events, you can stay there until such events are seen to. You may come and go as you please," the employee said.
"Oh! How unexpected!" Mitsumi blinked with solid surprise.
"Yeah. Um…" Saitama blinked.
"We'll need copies of the key," Zenchu said.
"I will want to inspect that room!" Tacki said with a demanding air. "If it's not up to my standards for Lady Mitsumi, I'll fix it! "
"I shall ensure a window is there to install furniture quickly," Inichi agreed.
"Wow! To actually stay in the Hero Association tower? Rent free? That's…generous!" Fubuki admitted from where she sat.
"The apartment is spacious enough for four people, but we know how missions will be needed all over. As for payment on staying there, it will be deducted from the funds made here at Neutral Grounds," the employee nodded. "The room is ready now and prepared for your arrival."
"Thank you," Mitsumi smiled and nodded back. She watched the employee leave to do the next task on his list. Then she looked at Saitama and said, "We should still invest in a small home outside of the city, but I can see why they did this. Emergency stays are still nice and appreciated. Especially for the assessments we have to do now. I'd much rather pay for the room in full, though. Maybe we can plan for that."
"True. We don't need another expense. But I'd like to see the place, though. I want it inspected," Saitama frowned. Metal Knight had a robot appear with a small display.
"Siren was able to access the apartment. She's sending us footage," Metal Knight chuckled through the robot. "Ah! I almost forgot…"
"Hmm?" Mitsumi smiled and blinked at the sight of various keycards being offered over. She took one up and noticed it appeared to be made of gold. "What's this?"
"Your requested access cards to Neutral Grounds. These are your new restaurant keys. The base is titanium with platinum and gold inlays," Metal Knight chuckled. "I can also upgrade the locks to respond to your new apartment, too. The keycards you have now will work fine by the time I upgrade your locks."
"Can you do the same thing with the City Z mansion? However, do not tell my family about it," Mitsumi said softly and put the card in her small purse at her side. Saitama put his in his pocket by his phone. "I know I can trust them, but…"
"I understand. I can have a security system set in with your card keys as an override. In fact, I'll do this with every door in the mansion. It will be done by tonight," Metal Knight promised. "That's not a challenge at all."
"Oh! Look at the bed!" Saitama said and saw the footage of the master bedroom. "The shower looks nice, too!"
"It does!" Mitsumi beamed. "We'll need to stock the place up with good soaps. I know what you like now. That's easy to do."
"I think we have enough to do a secondary treasure bed…" Saitama mused. "As much as I do like that bed, we can easily provide our own…"
"No," Mitsumi said to get him pouting. "We don't need the Hero Association to know we have that much wealth."
"But…! Well…treasure bed!" Saitama frowned.
"We'll see. It does spoil you," Mitsumi sighed and got kissed intensely to show he really wanted another treasure bed. "I suppose we'll work on it. I just don't want anyone we don't know to have any access to the room if we do it."
"I want a treasure bed in each house. Other than the mansion. But any house or place for us? Treasure bed!" Saitama insisted. Mitsumi rolled her eyes at him and laughed at his tickling poke to her sides.
"We can disguise the treasure to look just like that bed. But I don't like the carpet. We'll change that out for tile," Tacki said. "Carpet can be too much of a hassle. It's better with tile. We can even decorate the floor with versatile rugs. Much easier to clean."
"Give me a list of what needs to be upgraded," Metal Knight suggested. Tacki beamed at this and had the robot follow her back to Kamikaze. She settled in his lap to work on teddy bears while talking about what needed to be changed out. It was soon announced that the karaoke event was about to begin. There was already a small crowd at the entrance, and Kamiko was there with Chikao to start collecting tickets for karaoke singers and song choices.
"Glad I made it," Tanktop Master chuckled and settled to sit down. He was handed a few blank cards to sign, and he signed other cards with other signatures. Zombieman appeared with Himiko to find a place to sit, and even he was now signing cards for raffles. Then he gave a small pocket knife to Kianna.
"That's for display. My first weapon, in a sense," Zombieman nodded.
"Got it!" Kianna chuckled and set it in the security vault behind Tsuruga. The bull monster snorted and flicked his tail to show that no one was getting past him to the security room. He was letting Tanktop Girl lean into him with her arms crossed over her chest. He knew Lightning Max was planning to donate his first set of sneakers for display, too.
"Do you have anything you plan to display?" Kamiko asked Genos when he moved to stand with her.
"Hmm. I am unsure. I could display one of my shirts," Genos paused in thought. "I will need to recollect what I believe I still have available."
"How about your first prototype dick?" Zenchu asked.
"I'm currently using it," Genos smirked. "And it likely works better than yours. Kamiko can attest."
"Ah…" Kamiko turned beat red and got Zenchu dying with laughter. "To yours, yes. And Zenchu? That is disgusting. I don't even think he has one."
"What?!" Zenchu gaped now to get Kamiko barking out laughter at him. Genos rose a brow and chuckled softly.
"What's funny to you?" Kamiko asked. She noticed that Chikao was purposely not listening to anything and catering to the line.
"I think Master Saitama has all of us beat. He did tell me that he was…larger in stature," Genos muttered.
"Now that you mention it, Lady Mitsumi did ask what she was looking at when I gave her some ointment for him to use with her," Kamiko blinked at the memory. Now Genos looked at her with shock. "She distinctly asked what the hell she was looking at. I kept my back to them, but I knew something was…different."
Genos's yellow eyes flashed to compile various bits of information before he pressed a kiss to Kamiko's cheek and moved over to approach Saitama. He was signing a few autographs with Mitsumi when he looked up. "Eh? Genos? What? Is something wrong?"
"Master Saitama, I must know," Genos started before Inichi stopped him. The intricate question was mentally asked to Saitama to get the bald man pausing and glancing at his disciple.
"Really? That? Why?" Saitama frowned. "It's not anyone's business except for Mitsumi's. Don't ask."
"About what?" Mitsumi frowned. Saitama whispered softly to her and got her blushing a deep, vibrant red. Now she looked at him. "Why?!"
"My own personal research," Genos promised. She shook her head and gestured for him to come close to hear the soft whisper. His face went completely expressionless on what she said. "I…see…"
"Don't share the knowledge," Saitama warned. The warning also went to any others that could hear whispers and thoughts. Inichi was slapping his small hands over his face from his own shock.
"I won't comment when I grow to full size," Blue Ripple smirked.
"Shut up," Saitama said to get hissing laughter in returned. Genos nodded and moved to stand next to Kamiko and clear his throat to show that things were well for now. The next ten minutes were spent with fans singing alone or with various heroes. Even Bane and Kamikaze did a local traveling song together to delight the crowd. There was some rather excellent quality alcohol there, and Tsuruga kept an eye on any of the heavy drinkers. When Genus and Armored Gorilla appeared, they were floored at how many customers were there.
"Get them to me!" Orotsu demanded while working the stoves in an overtime mode. "We can utilize their help!"
"To the kitchen, please," Inichi said to the two cooks and ushered them over. Suiryu was already handing out plates and snagging dirty dishes. Kianna moved to help, but King had her stay put. Rendor glanced at Tatsumaki to whisper to her and have her help a little with some mental support.
"Thank you, Tatsi. They're a bit overwhelmed in the kitchen now," Rendor frowned. Then he looked over at some of The Blizzard Group rushing in to help.
"Miss Blizzard called us!" Eyelashes said and moved to help with the kitchen. Saitama rolled his eyes, but Mitsumi was quite pleased with the help.
"I should help them," Lily said.
"Nope. You're helping me by keeping me calm and happy. Stay here," Garou chuckled and squeezed her.
"Should I help, too?" Iwasaki asked Flashy Flash from where they sat.
"They have it under control," Flashy Flash chuckled.
:Inichi, please keep track of who showed up for bonus pay?: Mitsumi asked gently. :This can show we mean true on extra pay for their assistance here.:
:Ah! Of course, Lady Mitsumi!: Inichi agreed readily. After the next song, Sweet Mask sighed and figured it was time to do something he planned. Inichi gave him a wary glance and he even mentally nudged Saitama. The strong hero watched everything neutrally and kept Mitsumi in his lap.
"Hello!" Sweet Mask said through the hanging microphone to get the small crowd cheering. "Yes, it is I. Sweet Mask. How would you all wish to see Fan Dancer and I sing a small duet together?"
"Yes!" a girl screamed.
"Do it!" a man cheered. Others in the crowd were now cheering at this, and Saitama rose up to set Mitsumi on her feet. Overgrown Rover was set in their chair now, and he rose up his red gloved hands for attention.
"I'll allow this only if I'm standing up there with her," Saitama said calmly. "Someone was taking pictures of me with my wife and blurring her out of them. I will not let myself sit alone without her at my side at any given time. After that happened? Absolutely not. I can't."
"Ah. I remember. Very well," Sweet Mask agreed. When Mitsumi started to walk away from the table with Saitama, Overgrown Rover shrunk tiny and whined to get his attention.
"Doggy? What?" Saitama asked. It huffed and jumped down to trot over to him and sit up on its hind legs to beg for appeasement. "What?"
"It wishes to be with you," Inichi chuckled. Many of the young girls in the crowd were giggling at how cute it all was. The tiny monster dog whined again and blinked all six eyes at him.
"Awww!" Mitsumi clamored and scooped it up to get her cheek licked. "You are such a good puppy!"
It grunted and nuzzled her happily. Then it looked at Sweet Mask and gave a warning snarl. Saitama rose his brows up and moved to let the monster dog see him to show importance.
"Be nice. For now," Saitama said to get Overgrown Rover sighing. "I know. Just be nice. Okay? A lot of people are watching. Don't be mean."
"Does puppy want to sing with us?" Mitsumi asked and got a rewarding grumble in response. Saitama nodded and noticed that Blue Ripple was keeping an eye on things, too.
:Can you hear me?: Saitama asked Blue Ripple out of curiosity.
:I CAN. AND THIS IS WHY I DON'T DO MENTAL SPEAK TO THOSE THAT CANNOT HANDLE IT.:
:You're a GOD monster! You knew it! I knew it, too!: Saitama was in complete shock at the intensely booming voice in his mind. This is stronger than Wind Crane! What the hell?!
:AND THAT WILL BE PROVEN WHEN MY FANS MOVE. PROTECT MITSUMI. I WILL DETER ANY THAT TRY TO INTERVENE. I KNOW YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR ME NOW. I WANT TO WATCH THIS EVENT FIRST. WE WILL HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS AFTER.:
Saitama sighed and gave an amusing glance at Blue Ripple's chuckle. Child Emperor showed he was ready to play any song selected, and a song was agreed on. Mitsumi's crane fans came out to hover and swirl around with a touch of excitement. Sweet Mask started the song with his gentle, bold tone. Mitsumi was followed up with a sweet soprano. Saitama found himself dancing lightly with Mitsumi while her fans made intricate designs to the beat of the song that played.
"Their voices go well together," Inichi muttered to Fubuki.
"Very true. As long as it's just singing," she chuckled.
"Ah. I have an idea for a story for Tajima to write," he mused and floated over to Tajima to whisper softly in her ear. She blinked at the idea.
"Yes. That's…" she smiled softly and quickly jotted it down. "I see why you mentioned this…"
"Indeed. A relationship starting and threatening to sway just by the sound of another's voice. A reminder is needed to keep the current relationship strong. I told Sweet Mask that you were good for him. He admitted that you were good for him, too," Inichi said gently. Tajima looked at him with surprise. "You brought out a rarely seen quality when he saw to your wounds. A sense of caring humanity that I'm sure he thought he lost. He needs that. Desperately."
"I see…" she swallowed.
"Let him make the first set of moves. You may need to make the last one," he said with a small wink. He returned to Fubuki's side and watched the song come to a close. Saitama had Mitsumi in a loving kiss when it was done, and he swept her off her feet to carry her back over to their table. Overgrown Rover was licking both of their faces with excitement at the whole thing.
"That was awesome, Mom!" Fumio grinned.
"Very good!" Black Sperm beamed at them.
"Thank you," she chuckled and tucked into her luxurious dish of tempura shrimp, Peking duck on a stick and gently sautéed Wagyu beef with lobster. A side of delicately steamed vegetables was also tackled, and Saitama was sharing her dish with intense delight.
"Girls!" Tacki said and jumped onto the stage. "Kamiko! Kianna! Ah, Lady Mitsumi, you stay there and eat."
"Tacki, what are you doing?" Kamikaze blinked.
"It's our turn to sing!" Tacki beamed. The other two girls laughed and rushed over to climb up and pick a song. It was rather risqué from the lyrics they chose, and Genos was clearly shocked at the singing voice that Kamiko had. Tacki had a rather robust voice from her stature. Kianna had a soothing dulcet voice that smoothed over both of them neatly and blended them all together. The crowd cheered when it was over, and King pulled Kianna into his lap.
"You didn't tell me you could sing," he grinned lightly.
"You never asked," she giggled and got kissed by him.
"Why did you choose a song about sexual needs?" Genos asked Kamiko.
"Maybe it's what I feel like we need to do later?" she winked in a sultry way at him. He sighed and moved to stand behind her protectively now. She squeaked at the slight feel of vibration and scowled at his small grin at her. "Cheating!"
"I have to with you. Just a bit," he admitted.
"Tacki…" Kamikaze mused when she settled in his lap to stitch together another bear. "What am I gonna do with you?"
"You don't like being kept on your toes?" she grinned and laughed at his fond squeeze. He looked up to see Iaian and Spring Mustachio walking over to sit with them now.
"Master. When do we search?" Iaian asked.
"When we're done here," Kamikaze said and chewed the stick in his mouth. "I don't think any of us will get much sleep."
"I took several naps today," Spring Mustachio agreed. "Ah, I was wondering, though. Can we…let Golden Ball in on this? He is a dear friend of mine. He can be trusted."
"Hmm…" Kamikaze frowned and looked over at Inichi. The blue monster was quick to move and hover over the group.
"I can definitely test your friend's resolve," Inichi nodded. "Bring him over? Ah. I would suggest a karaoke song to even the mood first. Then meet here. Do so?"
"Oh! Ah…sure," Spring Mustachio nodded with agreement.
"Golden Ball has been giving thoughts of wanting to have some fun. So, go do that first," Inichi chuckled. Iaian chuckled and looked over at his master.
"Iaian," Kamikaze grunted out. "I need to ask you something."
"Of course, Master," Iaian nodded.
"If you had a chance to bring your arm back…would you want it?" he asked.
"My arm?! To…hmm…" Iaian frowned at the thought. "You know what? I don't. And I'll tell you why."
"Go for it," Kamikaze said and signed a finished teddy bear. He even chuckled at the atomic symbol it had stitched on the back to be something exclusive from him.
"On losing my arm, it made me focus even more," Iaian admitted. "It forced me to improve myself to become more than what I already was. As much as I would be…relieved to have my arm back…I just think I'll lose the focus I have now. I hope I'm making sense…"
"You are," Inichi said lightly. "A traumatic experience such as losing your limb will always force you to do better than you already have been. It's a balancing act. You found a new way to balance. Hmm. You should become S class ranking. In fact, you should have already been in S class from your skills alone. Why are you not in S class?! It appears that I need to have a rather intense discussion. Sweet Mask?"
"My friend?" Sweet Mask asked from where he sat with Tajima.
"Why isn't Iaian in S class ranking?" Inichi asked. "He is clearly at a point that he is ready for such an upgrade in rank. Why is he still under you?"
"Oh. Well…" Sweet Mask started and found himself at a loss for words.
"You and I are going to have a serious discussion in the coming days ahead," Inichi muttered. "The last thing you want is for me to pick you apart like a faulty script. You told me why it wasn't done yet. With your own thoughts. I do recall what Mister Saitama told you when you tried and failed to attack him that night. You need to let certain standings go. You will have no choice. So, we will discuss this at length and check over various heroes that would qualify for S class. Prepare yourself for my lecture."
"Shit…" Sweet Mask grumbled and sighed miserably.
"Did you want me to stand with you?" Tajima asked softly.
"Ah…yes. I would," Sweet Mask nodded. She nodded back with a small smile before finding herself pulled against him gently. "Maybe it would give you a script idea if you hear something useful."
"Really?" she mused and got a soft laugh from him now. Then she showed him the idea that Inichi gave her. He blinked at it and sighed. They both turned their attention to the stage to hear the jaunty song being sung by Golden Ball and Spring Mustachio. When it was finished, there was a commotion at the Neutral Grounds entrance.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting! Punch Out Pete is here!" Macho Pete said when he strode in wearing a silvery white tank top, solid black spandex shorts and his usual sandals. He looked at Kamiko and grinned. "Where can I sit, Sweet Cheeks? You able to find me a good seat?"
"Ah. Rank 400 in C class. You are a hero for two more days," Kamiko nodded after checking the online hero roster.
"What?" he blinked.
"You need to prove that you can be a hero in order to stay as a hero," Genos said calmly. "You must do one good deed a week for civilians that is recognized as a heroic act. It is part of the C class quota."
"Yeah. A stupid quota. Glad I don't have to do that anymore," Saitama muttered and kissed Mitsumi's forehead. Overgrown Rover huffed and started to sense distrust in the room. Blue Ripple turned his milk-white gaze over at the low class hero and snorted.
"Not impressed. At all," Blue Ripple grunted.
"Don't be," Tacki frowned and grimaced. Now Blue Ripple looked over with alarm and seemed to bristle.
"If he comes over to us, I'm fucking punching him," Kamikaze growled. "Again."
"Again?" Iaian asked.
"Inichi can tell you," Tacki muttered. The news was shared with those that wanted to know. Tanktop Master now moved to sit in the direct path to get to her to help deter any thoughts. Even Bane did the same thing. That was when Mitsumi rose up her hand.
"Atomic Samurai, please sit up here with us. Bring Tacki, please," Mitsumi said calmly. Saitama nodded at this decision and made a motion to join them. Kamikaze was quick to rise up and move to settle with them. Sweet Mask was grimacing with the knowledge shared. Overgrown Rover snarled when it was looked at to show it wasn't going to let the man get to them easily.
"Calm down, doggy," Saitama said and pet his monster dog.
"Just by me being here should be a worthy act of being a hero!" Macho Pete argued. "Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of girls here that would like to be rescued. Aren't there?"
"Um…ew…" a pretty girl grimaced.
"So creepy…" another girl whispered.
"Should I escort him out, Lady Mitsumi?" Tsuruga asked. Rendor was ready to help the moment it was offered. Zenchu was sitting right in front of the stairway to Mitsumi's table. Garou was soon sitting next to him with Lily in his lap. Now with tension in the air, it was clearly not a good situation.
"Not yet. If he gives any misconduct, then he may be escorted out," Mitsumi nodded lightly. She saw Tanktop Black Hole walk in calmly to wave at people and find a place to sit by Tanktop Master. He was clearly keeping an eye on Macho Pete at all times.
"Hello, you wonderful people! And men!" Puri-Puri Prisoner said when he walked in. He was even wearing the suit that Tacki made for him. "I was granted another leave! I'm so happy!"
"Hmm…" Tsuruga grunted and blinked his glowing red eyes. Tanktop Girl sensed his alarm now, and she moved to fully lean against his chest in front of him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and seemed to smirk at Puri-Puri Prisoner's look of surprise. "Sorry. I bonded with her. You couldn't change your ways. We are still friends. It's nice to see you again."
"Oh! Ah…of course…" Puri-Puri Prisoner said with a small frown.
"He's disappointed?" Tanktop Girl asked softly.
"Not my concern," Tsuruga snorted and gently rested his muzzled chin on top of her head to make her blush. He grinned lightly and glared at Macho Pete. "Please behave yourself. I will chase you out of here if you misbehave. Only warning from me."
"Pay no mind to that one," Mitsumi mumbled to Kamikaze. She knew he was completely on edge to protect Tacki from her old tormentor.
"But I'm a hero! You should be glad!" Macho Pete said.
"Being a hero is not about status. It's about heart," Saitama finally said to get everyone's attention in the restaurant. "From what we were told, you are using your hero status as a privilege. Such a thing is earned. You clearly don't act like a hero. I'm sure you worked hard at the assessment. And that's good. But it's likely the only thing you ever worked hard at your whole life."
"You don't know that!" Macho Pete said defensively.
"You couldn't even shake my hand much less squeeze it," Saitama pointed out to get the muscular man paling at the memory. "Even now, I scare you. Just by reminding you of that moment. You saying you want to shake my hand again?"
"No!" Macho Pete said and blinked at the small snickers from the crowd.
"It appears that you are a cause of distress?" Puri-Puri Prisoner frowned. Inichi sent him a few images and what happened with Tacki. Now he narrowed his eyes. "You would dare to hurt the one that made me my amazing clothes?!"
"What?! Well…that was a long time ago!" Macho Pete now turned to face the taller, far more muscular S class hero.
"Do you not learn from your mistakes?! Caped Baldy is so true to form on your attitude! So, as this is a night of revelry with karaoke, I propose a true contest for you to lighten this mood," Puri-Puri Prisoner said.
"And that would be?" Macho Pete asked with a haughty tone.
"Not a hero…" Tanktop Master mumbled to Bane. "Not at all."
"I can fully agree," Bane nodded and signed a few autographs.
"I'll just put him back on a high tower," Tatsumaki smirked.
"Not yet," Rendor grinned and kissed her forehead. Puri-Puri Prisoner moved to the stage to jump up on it and chuckled at the lightly cheering crowd of people to show he was ready to state his challenge.
"If I can sing better than you…you leave," Puri-Puri Prisoner said to Macho Pete. "Should you do better than me, perhaps you can stay."
"As long as he behaves himself," Mitsumi nodded.
"Eh…I guess…" Saitama shrugged. "But I'm slapping him if he does anything stupid. Even if he wins. I own this restaurant with my wife. I will not sit aside and watch someone come in like they own the place."
"Everything is being recorded on the cameras," Metal Knight said calmly from the robot. "Ah. Siren is with me again, so she is safe."
"Good," Mitsumi chuckled.
"Until he leaves, I'm staying here with Tacki," Kamikaze growled and watched Kianna bring over some of Tacki's crafting materials. Tacki smiled, but she looked away from it. Now Kamikaze was alarmed. "This is bad. That guy isn't letting her focus on making stuff. Okay. Just press into me."
"He's just really depressing," Tacki frowned and let him squeeze her close.
"I know. Ignore him," he muttered and shielded her from it all.
"I don't need to really watch this," Saitama said and reached up to pull the red curtains closed a bit. "Inichi can tell us who wins."
"True," Mitsumi nodded and sipped some tea. Now Tacki smiled with a bit of relief and reached for some fabric to make a teddy bear. Then she paused and took out her diagrams for making a fan from Blue Ripple's scales and teeth.
"I think…hmm…" she mused. Inichi caught the thought and reached out to Metal Knight as Child Emperor was working with the karaoke machine. Metal Knight's robot was still there, and he was quick to move it to Tacki's side to help with suggestions on the mechanism.
"You ready for this?" Puri-Puri Prisoner asked Macho Pete when the lesser hero got on the stage.
"Let's do this!" Macho Pete said boldly. They both belted out the words and took turns at several verses when the time came. When the song ended, Inichi waved his hands to get the crowd's attention. He pointed at Macho Pete and got a few rewarding claps. He pointed at Puri-Puri Prisoner and the cheer was far more intense. Macho Pete's jaw dropped and he glared at the S class hero.
"What? The crowd has clearly spoken! I can sign au-to-graaaaphs!" Puri-Puri Prisoner sang out and moved to sit down to do just that.
"You have to have cheated!" Macho Pete accused him now.
"He did not. You simply cannot admit defeat," Inichi said. "You should go and try to improve yourself. And maybe actually help someone to keep your heroic ranking in the association."
"What does a monster like you know?!" Macho Pete spat out. Now the crowd hushed and the curtains were pulled away by Saitama at his table. His pupils were flickering with a fiery smolder of coals now to show he was pissed.
"You would dare to insult someone that I see as family?!" Saitama growled out to show he was losing his patience. "Someone that has saved our lives, the lives of others and kept my wife sane through most of her torment?! You piece of shit! You are not worthy of being hero! You're not even worthy being here! You're scared of heights. You're scared of me. You're scared of yourself. Admit it. Just admit it."
"Master Saitama…" Genos started, but Saitama rose up his hand to keep him quiet. Mitsumi just sighed and shook her head.
"This is the second time you outright attacked a monster in my restaurant. Even though it was only verbal abuse, it was still an attack. I need you to leave before my fans make the decision for you," she said softly.
"Your fans? I don't get it," Macho Pete frowned.
"You have not yet watched any of the live feeds?" Genos asked now.
"Come, love," Mitsumi said and got up while holding Overgrown Rover in her arms. Saitama got up to move with her, and they walked over to the stage to jump up on it. She let her fans leave the belts to hover over them both. Then they split into their three counterparts to get the crowd gasping with awe. She thought to Inichi to get a song to start playing, but he took control of several instruments hiding under the stage.
"Clever," Saitama chuckled. He did hear Wind Crane land on the roof gently, though, and that got him to blink. What's going on now?
Blue Ripple rumbled and focused lightly. Tacki had just completed the very first set of his fans, and they were quick to come to life. Saitama's jaw dropped at the sight of new fans shimmering with blue-green scales with flecks of gold. The teeth blades flicked out like deadly spikes, and it had a far more scalloped look to them to work with the scale patterns that were clasped into the fabric on each side. It was much like a circular saw blade in design with a slight handle for holding them at the very base to control them. They even split into three fans to be true to form with the crane fans.
"What?!" Sweet Mask gaped at the sight. Everyone was in shock at this intense event that was unfolding. Now Blue Ripple took in a mouthful of water and sprayed it out like a fine mist of dew. Then he focused to freeze the drops in the air to let them sparkle and glitter like crystal specks around Mitsumi and Saitama. The entire effect looked mystical and enchanting.
Mitsumi reached out and let the new fans come to her obediently. She smiled with complete delight at them and let her crane fans flutter around like deadly butterflies. Now Saitama looked at Blue Ripple before glancing up at the ceiling where Wind Crane was. At this, Blue Ripple seemed to chuckle. "She had to show me how to give life to the fans. So, yes. You can now call me a GOD monster. As she is also one. However, we are a bit limited to our elements. We knew this. We just don't flaunt it. It brings unwanted attention. And we don't like attacking unless provoked."
"I'll need more fans," Mitsumi smiled.
"You'll get them!" Tacki grinned.
"I want something!" Macho Pete asked.
"For what purpose? To flaunt it?" Blue Ripple grunted with disgust. "To prove something to others? I do not give such things freely. I am Mitsumi's pet. I protect her. I know her story. I know Saitama's story. They want nothing to do with anything unless it is needed to help another in great need. They crush evil the moment it appears.
"You just sit on the sides like a woeful cheerleader hoping for attention and scraps of compliments. You have yet to really know what it is like to grow up and understand how the world works. If you manage to actually help someone in full…multiple times…I shall evaluate and decide. Until then, no. You are also about to lose your status as a hero. You need to get on that if you really want to keep your status."
"Saitama," Mitsumi smiled to get her husband's attention. "Let's end this night on a good note. Hmm?"
"Okay," Saitama agreed and nodded for Inichi to start the song. A screen displayed for the crowd to sing when prompted, and Mitsumi started to sing with Saitama gently twirling her around with the fans floating and soaring among the frozen, shimmering droplets of water. There were several moments in the song that her fans formed fantastic, wing-like images around her with the new fans complimenting them with flashes of blue-green.
The crowd clearly enjoyed being able to sing with her when prompted, and it was going to become a new thing when it was able to be done. Wind Crane now opened a small skylight to let some moonlight flood down and bathe the whole room to further enhance the effect of the fans and water drops. When the song was over, everyone applauded at how well the night went.
"Thank you all for being here! We are closing in ten minutes! We plan to do this once a month to make it a rare event, so please mark your calendars!" Mitsumi said to get the crowd cheering at it.
"Our online site will have an updated calendar with a list of events," Genos nodded to further enforce that.
"Can we build under the restaurant? We may need to for events like this. I've never seen Neutral Grounds so full before!" Inichi chuckled at Metal Knight's robot. "We may need to make a small orchestral set for this."
"I can look into that," Metal Knight agreed.
"This was simply amazing!" Child Emperor said and watched the droplets get pulled into a sphere. It floated back over to Blue Ripple to settle back into his tub. Mitsumi was giggling at the licks from Overgrown Rover before walking back over to her table to settle back in Saitama's lap.
"When do we leave?" Kamikaze asked.
"The moment this place is closed and locked up," Saitama said.
"You are an amazing and wonderful scaled kitty!" Mitsumi beamed and let Blue Ripple snuggle her with complete affection. At how Saitama looked over, she sighed. "Okay. You can say it now."
"GOD monster! We all knew it! How many more fans are you gonna bring to life?" Saitama asked now.
"Wind Crane has eleven sets. It would be fair to have the same amount. Enough teeth were pulled from me to do this. That will be done. As Tacki now knows how to make my fans, I would prefer to have them ready before we go," Blue Ripple admitted. "Wind Crane is not only here to assist me, but for travel."
"Okay," Zenchu nodded from where he sat by the stairs. "That makes sense. And, eh…the moron is still here."
"I got this," Tanktop Master said and got up to walk over to Macho Pete. "I may have a small mission for you, but you will need to work with another in my group. Are you in?"
"Oh? Ah…sure…" Macho Pete blinked with surprise.
"It deals with saving a monster…" Inichi muttered to Fubuki.
"Ah…" she grinned lightly. Kamikaze watched Tacki and Metal Knight's robot piece together another fan set, and Saitama sighed at the extra scales shoved at him to pinch holes through from where they were marked. Iaian and Spring Mustachio were now telling Golden Ball of the secret, intricate mission.
"Count me in," Golden Ball nodded.
"Good. My master has to approach it first," Iaian warned. "That's if we find it. Okay?"
"I get it," Golden Ball nodded again. Kamikaze closed his eyes and sighed with relief. The mission is finally gonna start soon. It's gotta be done. I know if we don't find anything tonight that we do have tomorrow night. After that…ugh. I don't want to wait again. We'll have to see.
*Author's Note - The music of inspiration for the fan dance can be found on YouTube. It is: Two Steps From Hell - Star Sky*