Saitama returned to the couch with Tatsumaki in tow, where King and Satoru were finishing up a match. They were playing a fighting game on King's console: the one that Saitama had yet to beat King in even once. Both their health bars were nearly empty, but Saitama figured that King was merely taking it easy on Satoru, as the man had with him so many times before.

Tatsumaki watched King as he played; she had never taken him as one to play video games, but didn't judge his hobby too harshly, even if she did think they were a waste of time. What impressed her, though, was King's demeanor; the King Engine was silent, so he was clearly focused, but that didn't prevent him from remaining calm, cool, collected, and confident. She watched as, on a sliver of health, he cleanly executed a flurry of blows, bringing down the opposing character in a mere second.

"Even in his hobbies he shows competence and mastery…that's King alright…" she thought as he set the controller down and complimented the other man on his performance.

"Alright, King, now it's my turn to kick your ass," Saitama threatened with a confident smile, turning the heads of both King and Satoru.

"You're free to try," he responded before addressing Tatsumaki. "Oh, Tornado, I wasn't expecting you to see you here."

"Well, surprise," she responded with a smirk, "I'd heard that you played video games, but I had no idea you were this skilled; I guess it shouldn't really come as a surprise."

"Yeah, he's pretty good," Satoru added before introducing himself, extending his hand towards her. "My hero name is Mumen Rider, but you can call me Satoru. It's great to meet you, Tornado."

Tatsumaki stared at his outstretched hand. She had heard about Mumen Rider before, everyone had; he was ranked at the top of C-Class, and had been for some time, but being at the top of something didn't make you strong. Fubuki proved that.

"Why did that baldy have to invite some C-Class nobody…I thought this was an event for strong heroes…" she lamented internally.

Satoru's hand hung there for an uncomfortable period as Tatsumaki considered whether or not she would shake his hand, but as she took notice of Saitama's expectant stare, she felt compelled to oblige.

"Yeah, hi," the woman responded flatly as she reluctantly shook his hand.

"Alright," Saitama began, "now that introductions are out of the way, how about you and me have a proper match, King? I gotta give Tats here a look at my skills."

As Tatsumaki rolled her eyes, King responded, "Oh, does she have a magnifying glass with her?"

Both Saitama and Tatsumaki looked at King, puzzled as to what he meant or why he was asking.

"Uhh, I don't think so," Saitama answered as he glanced at Tatsumaki. "Why?"

"Well, if you want her to see your skills, she's going to need one. Y'know, given how small your level of skill is."

Saitama's confident smile turned into a look of dull frustration at the comment and his voice was filled with determined frustration "Pick up the damn controller…"

Without another word, King grabbed his controller and held the other out to Saitama, who snatched it out of his hand. The whole time, Tatsumaki had a wide smile on her face, clearly enjoying the scene as King set the bald man off, and she had a feeling it was only going to get better.

As King selected his character, Saitama glanced at Tatsumaki, finding her wearing the exact expression he expected. "You'd better wipe that smile off your face, Tats, because you're about to watch King get annihilated!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."

As the two men started their match, Tatsumaki found herself stuck on one word. He used it again, her nickname. She was unsure how she felt about him using it around other people; the ESPer was confident that King had taken note of it. For some reason, it felt very…personal, almost like an inside joke; it was something that no one else would really get, although not to say that she entirely understood it either. Why he had given her the nickname and why she felt so…protective…over it, remained a mystery. Maybe it was because it WAS so personal; she definitely wouldn't have let anyone else give her a nickname, aside from her hero name of course, but coming from Saitama, it just felt…different. He wasn't doing it to make fun of her or to push her buttons. Rather, it felt more natural and friendly.

Despite the odd look from King, no one really seemed to notice or care, so Tatsumaki decided to let it slide. In fact, as she thought about it, she found that she really didn't care if anyone noticed, which again, was something that surprised her. It was their little thing, and if other people decided to give her shit for it…well, she could put a stop to that very quickly.

Tatsumaki's mocking smile transitioned into one of contentment. "Yep," she thought to herself as King absorbed Saitama's flurry of spam attacks, "our little thing. Tats and…Baldy…" She frowned slightly, realizing she may have to come up with a better name. It wasn't that she didn't like the name 'Baldy'; it was fun to call him that in jest, but 'Tats' wasn't a sarcastic name. It was genuine and…kind of sweet.

Tatsumaki decided she would give it some more thought. She wasn't going to force it, but if she happened to think of one, then all the better.

Disembarking her train of thought and rejoining the real world, Tatsumaki refocused herself on the match at hand. Saitama's character was at full health while King's had lost all but a sliver of his. However, the health bars were misleading to the situation. Despite his seemingly assured victory, Saitama looked more stressed than she had ever seen him. His face was contorted in a desperate, focused grimace, and his arms twitched erratically, moving with the game. King, on the other hand, looked as calm and stalwart as ever, his fingers barely moving as he effortlessly blocked Saitama's attacks.

"Come on, come on, go down already! You're so close!" Saitama shouted as he furiously spammed the attack button.

"Tornado, Satoru, watch now as I demonstrate my full power," King instructed calmly, causing Saitama to spam even harder, hoping that by some chance he could avoid the fate of defeat he knew all too well.

"King, don't even try-" Saitama started before his opponent cut him off.

"Execute."

With a series of quick, precise attacks, and in just three seconds, Saitama had been defeated, or rather, annihilated. King's character danced victoriously next to Saitama's unconscious one, mocking his defeat.

"You fought hard, Saitama," King admired, "but you're still just exclusively using that one move. If you want to improve, you should branch out and try some other techniques. The best type of skill set is a well-rounded one."

"Thanks for the advice…" Saitama mumbled back, his head pressed against the controller.

"Just so you know, Saitama, King's just being polite; he absolutely crushed you. You never even stood a chance," Tatsumaki taunted with a devious grin, knowing she was pressing one of his admittedly few buttons.

"You think I don't know that?!" the frustrated man exclaimed as he struggled to prevent himself from crushing the controller.

"It's hard to tell what you know."

Saitama leaned his head back to glare up at the girl for a moment before an idea popped into his head and a new wave of confidence washed over him, his pride sparking back to life.

"You know, you do an awful lot of talking, so how about you do some playing instead? Consider it…a test."

Saitama smiled internally, watching as the ESPer's face switched from mocking glee to defiant offense in an instant. He knew how fiercely she protected her ego, so challenging her was a surefire way to get her to play him.

Just as Saitama had predicted, Tatsumaki was immediately confrontational about the matter; her posture changed from lounging in the air to levitating upright, hands on her hips and back straight, looking down at the bald man.

"A test? You're going to test me?!"

Saitama merely smiled up at her, eyes wide and cheekily innocuous.

Tatsumaki frowned at the man before holding her hand out to King.

"King, if you'd be so kind as to pass me the controller," she requested properly, taking on a more static, almost formal attitude.

Without a word, King handed the controller to Tatsumaki and stood up, offering her his seat, which she accepted with a polite nod. King looked at Satoru and grinned, eager to see who the victor would be, hoping desperately that it would be Tatsumaki.

Satoru smiled in return before moving his eyes back to the screen, similarly eager to watch the battle, but rooting for Saitama instead. After seeing King annihilate the bald man in four consecutive matches, he figured it was time for the underdog to get a win, not to mention that it looked like Saitama might burst from stress if he lost another round.

The match began, and both Tatsumaki and Saitama were deadly focused on the game. Furious clicking emanated from both controllers as the players utilized nothing but spam attacks, not even considering blocking, or maybe having forgotten the feature altogether. Saitama's breath quickened and his heart began to race as he watched Tatsumaki's health bar drain bit by bit while his remained high. The two battled it out for a little over two minutes before, finally, Tatsumaki's character succumbed to the relentless blows, and for the first time, it was Saitama's character who danced in victory.

"Yes!"/"Damn it!" they exclaimed in tandem.

"I finally won!" Saitama cried out in joy, his fists tight in glee.

"Only because this is my first time playing!" Tatsumaki argued, pointing at what remained of Saitama's health bar. "I got you down to below half health on my first try! It wasn't any more of a victory than shoving a little kid!"

"I thought you didn't like it when people called you a kid?" Saitama retorted cheekily with a grin to match.

"Shut up, Baldy, you know that's not what I meant! You're brushing off my whole point!"

"The point about how I won?"

"You didn't- That match was unfair! Let's go again and I'll kick your ass!"

"Unfair? What about all that shit you were talking? Don't talk if you can't walk."

"That's not even how the saying goes, idiot!"

"Oh, I'm the idiot, huh? You're the one who…"

As the duo argued, King and Satoru merely observed, both gleaming different ideas about the pair.

From what Satoru had gathered over the years, and from firsthand experience, Tornado wasn't remotely friendly, even to other heroes. Though she likely didn't remember it, they had technically already met. A little over a year ago, Satoru and some other heroes of varying classes and ranks were fighting off a Threat-Level Demon monster. It had been a long fight, dragging out more than half an hour, when she swooped in and crushed it in mere seconds using her psychic abilities. He had tried to thank her for the assistance, but she interrupted with belittling beratement, telling the lot of heroes that if they couldn't handle a threat, they should go home, or better yet, quit.

That day, several of the C and B-Class heroes resigned, the S-Class hero's words too harsh to bear, but Satoru had found determination in her discouragement. He didn't entirely hold it against her; when you're that powerful, it's easy to overlook how hard it is for those weaker than yourself, and being ranked two in the S-Class, it seemed Tornado couldn't even see the effort anymore. She was a loner by choice. The woman didn't work well with others and sure as Hell didn't take shit from them…but she seemed to get along well with Saitama.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise," Satoru thought as they continued to bicker. "If there's anyone who could get Tornado to see what it really means to be a hero, it'd be him."

As Satoru appreciated and pondered Tatsumaki's affinity for Saitama, King's mind was aboard a different train of thought…

The S-Class hero watched as the two argued back and forth, tossing out insults and jabs in every sentence. It wasn't her usual sort of jeering, though, which she tended to make loud enough for the whole room to hear, her goal to humiliate her target and discourage criticism. Rather, it sounded more like snarky banter meant for just the two of them. That's not to say it was quiet, but it was clearly meant specifically for his ears, rather than the whole room's.

It was beyond odd, seeing Tornado be…friendly with someone. In his time working for the Hero Association, aside from the few times she had noticed and praised his (Saitama's) deeds, King had really only ever seen her dismissive, frustrated, or angry. With Saitama, though, she seemed…not quite relaxed, but less on edge, at the very least.

"It seems Saitama may have started to crack her hard exterior…" King thought, "But for the love of god, Saitama, whatever you do, however friendly you get, please, please, PLEASE don't tell her I'm not strong."

King knew that any of the S-Class heroes discovering his secret would be disastrous for his reputation and livelihood, but if Tatsumaki found out, he would very likely be in danger, both physically and socially. She held disdain for any hero lacking great strength, and regularly battered and berated such people, so he could only imagine what she would do to someone faking power.

Along with slamming him into a wall, she would be sure to make him public enemy number one; there would be a watch hunt for him from the Hero Association and general populace alike. There's no telling what legal action the Hero Association would take against him, and with how volatile the public could be, there's a solid chance that he might actually be killed.

Lost in thought, King realized he could hear his heart beating, and caught Satoru glancing worriedly at him, uneasy at the sound of the "King Engine". He breathed, trying to steady himself and force his heartbeat down.

"I probably shouldn't worry about it too much." he argued to himself. "Saitama may be nonchalant, but he's not stupid; he knows not to reveal me to anyone. I mean, he's kept it to himself this long; no reason to assume he'll spill now."

As King's heartbeat subsided, he turned around at the sound of footsteps, and saw Genos and Fubuki walking over to join the group.

"Hello, Fubuki." King greeted simply.

Despite having been around King on a multitude of occasions, Fubuki couldn't stop her stomach from tightening in his presence. She could hear the light pounding of the King Engine slowly fading, curious as to why it was active in the first place.

"Was he that focused on the match he was playing when I walked in? I truly am surrounded by titans of the hero world."

She nodded at him respectfully before her gaze fell upon Mumen Rider, who she recognized immediately.

"Mumen Rider, I am Blizzard of Hell, rank one of the B-Class."

She stuck out her hand for a handshake, which Satoru accepted kindly.

"I'm familiar. A lot of people in C-Class have their mind set on joining the Blizzard Bunch," he responded with a knowing nod.

"I do wish you would join the B-Class; we could use someone with an attitude and determination as fierce as yours," Fubuki said earnestly, having had her eye on him for a while, hoping he would move up.

Satoru shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll have to turn you down; I'm just not cut out for B-Class."

Fubuki sighed loudly, expressing her disappointment, but kept a kind smile. She understood better than anyone his choice to remain in his current class. "Well, there's always a spot open for you. Just say the word."

Satoru nodded in response before turning his attention to Genos and extending a hand toward the cyborg.

"I don't think we've officially met," Satoru said.

"Indeed. It is good to finally meet you. Master Saitama speaks highly of you and I admire you, myself; your participation in the fight against the Deep Sea King was commendable."

Satoru smiled wide at the cyborg before pointing a thumb over his shoulder toward Saitama and Tatsumaki, who were still bickering on the couch. "Seems like Saitama made a new friend," he pointed out sarcastically.

Both Genos and Fubuki turned their attention to the duo, joining Satoru and King in listening to them argue.

It seemed Tatsumaki had gained the upper hand, judging by her derisive smile and crossed arms, compared to Saitama's scowl and frustrated head-shaking..

Genos and Fubuki exchanged knowing glances before Genis interrupted, "Excuse me, Master," the arguing stopped and both Saitama and Tatsumaki turned to Genos, "the hot-pot will be ready soon; perhaps now is a good time to stop and prepare to eat?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Saitama remembered, "I guess now's a good time to-"

"Absolutely not! Not yet!" Tatsumaki interjected loudly, "We're not ending this with Saitama lording over everyone with his "victory"." She made quotes in the air with her fingers. "If we do, he'll never shut-up about it!"

Tatsumaki took a breath and calmed herself down to a quiet, dignified frustration as she picked up the controller and held it out to King.

"King, would you mind knocking "Mister Victorious" over here down a peg so we can all actually enjoy the hot-pot?"

Saitama smirked. "Getting King to fight your battles for you, huh? Too scared to face all this power?" he asked, mimicking button pressing as he spoke, drawing a harsh glare from the short woman.

"You don't have any power!" Tatsumaki yelled in response, rising into the air subconsciously, hands balled into fists at her sides. "You only won because it was my first time-"

"Look," King interrupted, throwing a hand out in between them, "as easy as it would be to swiftly defeat Saitama, we're all ready to eat. You two can argue about whether or not the victory is legitimate later." King turned his back to the duo and made his way over to the simmering hot-pot.

"Yeah, we can always play more later," added Satoru as he followed King. "Let's go eat."

"Not a bad excuse." King thought as he stepped away from what was surely a furious glare from Tornado. "Looks like she's accepting it…"

In reality, King actually wouldn't mind facing Saitama again then, but given how this was the first time he'd ever seen Saitama win, King figured he'd let the man enjoy the taste of victory, even though in reality he was probably only bragging to get a rise out of Tornado. It wasn't a lot, but given all the credit, fame, and fortune he had essentially stolen from Saitama, King figured he owed the hero at least that much.

Saitama's grin widened as Tatsumaki glowered and crossed her arms, frustrated and disappointed that King had turned his back on her.

"Looks like you're just gonna have to accept defeat for now…or keep fussing over it; one of the two," Saitama shrugged, aiming his teasing smile up at the levitating ESPer.

Tatsumaki did her best to remain composed in front of King…and Saitama, as going into another tizzy would only serve to further fuel his teasing. As much as she had been enjoying their banter and arguing, the ESPer couldn't deny that she was becoming legitimately frustrated and slightly flustered.

Tatsumaki was beyond competitive and found it near impossible to let someone else have "the last laugh". That, combined with Saitama's over-the-top bragging, was really starting to rile her up.

She knew deep down it was deserved, given that she had intentionally pushed his buttons just minutes earlier, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. In fact, as she considered her feelings, the agitated woman found herself feeling slightly guilty for being annoyed at something she had started. Her quickness to anger and lack of patience had really only ever helped affirm her reputation as someone who was not to be questioned or trifled with. Now, though, those same qualities were actively preventing her from enjoying herself with the one person she might consider a friend.

"It's fine…It's just friendly banter, so get ahold of yourself; it's just a stupid video game, anyway!" she mentally berated, taking in and releasing a deep breath as she descended to the floor, averting her eyes from Saitama's.

"Fine, let's go eat," she said flatly, pushing the thought out of her head.

Saitama frowned as he tried, and failed, to meet her eyes.

"Damn, took it too far. Another problem that could have been avoided with the 20-words-or-less rule," he thought sarcastically as he watched the short girl's spirit quickly dissipate.

Saitama took a step closer to the short woman and nudged her with his elbow, offering a kind grin. "You know I'm just messing with you, right? No one starts out good at anything. You did really well for your first match…annoyingly well, actually," he said, masking the compliment with some friendly frustration, trying again to meet her eyes.

Tatsumaki felt heat rise in her cheeks at the compliment, although more out of embarrassment than appreciation or flattery this time. While she usually felt warm when Saitama complimented her, the ESPer couldn't help but interpret the praise as pity, even if he really did mean it.

Still avoiding Saitama's gaze, and desperate to shake the discomfiture, Tatsumaki responded shortly, "Yeah, well, it's just a stupid game anyway, so it doesn't really matter."

Realizing his attempt at eye contact was in vain, Saitama lifted his gaze from the girl to the steaming hot-pot. "Yep, just a stupid game, " he agreed before pausing

"Heh, you should see me when I lose to King, especially when he gives me shit for it."

At that, Tatsumaki perked up slightly, ears attentive.

"I mean, pretty much every gaming session ends with me fuming to the point where I have to go kill some monsters or something to cool off. And I don't even want to think about how many of King's controllers I've crushed after losing to him…shit, that's probably starting to add up…" he trailed off, trying to calculate how much money he's had to pay King in broken controllers, completely unaware of Tatsumaki staring at him, incredulous.

"He gets frustrated at losing too…" she pondered, unsure as to why she was so surprised by the fact. "He's always so nonchalant, I guess I didn't think he had any room to get frustrated…although, he did just sit and argue with me for five minutes…" Tatsumaki felt the knot in her stomach loosen, finding comfort in his relatability and understanding demeanor. She exhaled slowly as he continued on, finding it slight amusement at how he had lost himself in thought.

"...anyway," Saitama articulated, finally wrapping up his rambling, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that video games, and King, piss me off sometimes."

As he finished, Saitama looked down at Tatsumaki to see if his words had struck any chords, and found himself pleasantly surprised at their meeting eyes. It seemed his words had indeed struck a chord with the woman, judging from the sliver of a smile on her lips and the shine in her eyes. Saitama grinned stupidly at the light that, however faintly, shone from her features, drawing a question out of Tatsumaki as she playfully crossed her arms.

"And just what are you smiling at?" she asked as her smirk grew wider, the red of embarrassment beginning to fade from her cheeks.

Saitama hadn't realized how big he had been smiling, and faltered at the question, slightly perplexed himself.

"Oh, umm, I guess you," he responded nonchalantly with a shrug, focusing his attention over to the hot-pot. "Come on, let's go eat."

And with that, Saitama made his way over to the hot-pot, where King and Satoru were standing, pausing their conversation as he began to distribute chopsticks into bowls. He would be serving everyone portions of the meal this time, rather than allowing everyone to take from the main pot, so as to avoid the chaotic scramble that occurred over the last hot-pot.

Tatsumaki held back for a moment, that increasingly familiar warmth growing inside of her once again as her cheeks and ears grew hot, the discomfort she had felt quickly dissipating. She puffed out a quick, nervous laugh, a smile matching Saitama's spreading across her features.

"'Let's go eat.'...You're stupid, Saitama." Tatsumaki muttered quietly in a tone a mixture of scoff and giggle, her thoughts reflecting the confused, but pleasant buzz that filled her head.

She bit her lip to quell the flushed look she knew she wore and breathed in deep to steady her suddenly racing heartbeat before following the bald man to the hot-pot, similarly eager to partake in the meal.

As Tatsumaki made her way over to Saitama, Genos and Fubuki stood at the far end of the room, exchanging knowing glances about what they had just witnessed.

"It appears evidence is mounting much quicker than expected," Genos whispered to the taller of the two sisters, who leaned in close to ensure the privacy of their conversation.

"Indeed," Fubuki agreed, also whispering, "but have we ruled out the possibility that this isn't Tatsumaki? Maybe she's been kidnapped and replaced with…whoever this is; I think it would be more believable than what I'm seeing here."

"Yes, I am quite sure that is not the case," Genos responded matter-of-factly. "However, your hyperbole is warranted."

Fubuki brought her hand to her chin, taking a moment to think as she watched Saitama switch off the burner and prepare to serve up the hot-pot. "I know we just settled for observing," she said, turning back to Genos, "but asking some probing questions over dinner may yield some valuable information without revealing our goal. I mean, they seem comfortable enough around everyone, so it shouldn't come across as prying."

"Hmm…" Genos considered the suggestion for a moment. "I suppose that is true…Alright. We will ask them a few probing questions, but we must keep them benign; if we are too obvious, they will discover our motive and hamper our investigation.

Fubuki nodded and they both walked over to join the group in time to collect their portions, which Saitama had just finished divvying out. Everyone around the counter took hold of a bowl and brought their portion over to the square, wooden table that sat opposite the counter.

The table was only ever meant for use by Saitama himself and maybe Genos, not six people, so four of them would need to double up on two sides. Satoru and King, having already been chatting, sat next to one another on the side closest to the counter. Fubuki sat herself on the side to the right of King while Saitama sat in the spot across from him and Satoru.

Genos went to take a seat next to his master, but was too slow, watching as Tatsumaki quickly levitated herself over the table to seat herself at Saitama's right side, across from King and with Fubuki to her left.

Genos shot Tatsumaki a deadpan stare, which the ESPer didn't seem to pick up as she settled herself, before taking a seat at the last empty side of the table, between Saitama and King, and across from Fubuki.

"Alright, dig in!" Saitama announced, dipping his chopsticks into the bowl and grabbing a bite consisting of lamb, carrots, and kombu.

Everyone at the table eagerly followed suit, dipping their own chopsticks in and taking a bite of the spicy lamb hot-pot. A collective groan of satisfaction emanated from the group, several of them, including Saitama, nodding in approval of the dish.

"Nice job finding this recipe Genos," Saitama complimented as he gathered up another bite, "This may be my new favorite hotpot!"

"Thank you, Master," Genos responded graciously, "Your execution of the dish is impressive."

"Agreed/Definitely/That's right," King, Satoru, and Fubuki agreed in unison, all giving Saitama an appreciative smile.

Tatsumaki swallowed the bite she was chewing and looked up at the bald man, a coy grin marking her lips. "Y'know, now that I know you're a good cook, I'll just have you make me a meal as payment the next time you decide to butt in to my work." she said, using her chopsticks to grab another piece of lamb.

Genos raised a finger and opened his mouth in protest, but held his tongue as he noticed Fubuki staring at him and shaking her head, just enough for him to get the message.

"If you buy the ingredients, you've got a deal. Heck, if you're buying, I'll cook for you anytime!" Saitama responded enthusiastically.

Tatsumaki was slightly taken aback at his response, not expecting such a broad invitation, but hummed happily at it anyway.

After finishing his first bite, Saitama stood up and walked over to the counter, procuring six glasses from the cabinet above. "Wine, anyone?" he offered?

The procurer of wine received four yeses, the only one to deny the drink being Genos, whom the bald man had already planned not to serve alcohol on account of him being nineteen.

Saitama set the glasses down, pinched the cork out of the wine bottle with his finger and thumb, and began pouring the fancy alcohol into five glasses, filling all but one up three-quarters full; the last glass he filled just under halfway. Once the wine was poured, he filled an additional glass with water for Genos, and began delivering the drinks to the table, being careful not to spill any as he walked. He set down a drink in front of Fubuki first, thanking her for bringing the wine as he handed the second glass to King, before retrieving both Satoru and Genos' drinks and promptly delivering them. As Saitama went to retrieve the last two glasses of wine, he smirked, eyeing the lesser filled one mischievously.

"Here you go, Tats!" Saitama announced, setting the half-full glass down in front of her. "Figured you might need a bit less, y'know, given your size and all." He ruffled her hair playfully as he sat down, drawing a shocked expression from Fubuki, who nearly spit out her wine.

"Ha-ha, you're hilarious," she responded dryly, fixing the kinks in her hair with her psychic powers before eyeing her glass. "Well, whoever washed these glasses did a great job." Genos smiled. "They're almost as shiny as your head." Genos stopped smiling.

"I'll remember to keep a smudged glass for you next time we do something like this," he retorted. "For now, just enjoy your kid-sized swig of wine from a clean glass."

Tatsumaki took a long sip of her wine and set it down. Then, using her psychic ability, she took hold of all the liquid inside of Saitama's glass, lifting it out above the rim and swirling it around his head tauntingly before using it to fill her own glass all the way to the top. "Aw, looks like your glass is empty now, just like your head," she condescended, looking up at him with a smug smirk.

"Another bald joke? Is that really the best insult you could come up with?" he asked dismissively, looking back down at her. "You gotta get more creative, Tats."

"Actually, that was a joke on both your baldness AND your intelligence. How's that for creativity?" she asked before sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well that's…Alright, I'll give you that one; that was pretty good," Saitama shrugged as he grabbed his empty glass and tilted it towards the shorter woman. "Now give me back my wine."

Tatsumaki closed her eyes and beamed pridefully, splitting the difference in wine between both of their glasses before returning to her bowl.

With the wine poured and food on the table, the group was quiet, focusing on enjoying the meal and the satisfaction that came from quelling their hunger, the occasional groan of contentment and approving nod being all that filled the silence. Eventually, once the atmosphere started to become more lively again, Saitama looked across the table to Satoru and asked, "Satoru, I think I saw on the news the other week that you beat some bird monster, right?"

"Well, I didn't exactly beat it," Satoru responded, setting his chopsticks down.

"Oh? What happened then?" Saitama questioned further.

"Well, it was really timid when I went to fight it, and was a little more evasive than most monsters, so the fight was pretty drawn out. We exchanged blows back and forth, and after ten minutes, the monster and I were both hurt pretty badly, but I managed to get one more good hit on it and it scampered off. I don't remember it, but I guess I collapsed afterwards, and I woke up in the hospital. Thankfully, some other heroes managed to track it down and finish it off a few hours later."

"Sounds like a victory to me," Saitama commented, throwing the C-Class hero a thumbs-up.

He smiled in response, but the grin quickly faded as Tatsumaki chimed in with her assessment of his performance.

"A victory?" Tatsumaki asked bitingly, crossing her arms and staring at Saitama. "He let the monster get away; some other heroes had to finish the job! All he did was kick the can down the road for someone else to clean up." She turned her stare across to Satoru in what was almost a glare.

"If the threat is too dangerous for you to handle ENTIRELY, you should just stay out of the way and let a more capable hero take care of it."

Though Tatsumaki's eyes were locked with Satoru's, the rest of the table's were on her. While King, Genos, and Fubuki were used to this argument from the short-tempered ESPer, and would normally not bat an eye at it, they all knew, to differing degrees, Saitama's opposition to the ideal. Everyone waited anxiously for his response, looking from Tatsumaki, to him, and back to her. However, Saitama's eyes were fixed on Satoru, seemingly in wait for the bicyclist's reaction.

Satoru sat in silence, meeting Tatsumaki's stare with his own. "There were no other heroes," he said quietly.

Surprised by the response, Tatsumaki's glare faltered. "W-well, it still would have been better if you had just retreated and waited for backup." She furrowed her brow. "There's no point in getting the shit beat out of you if you can't win."

Satoru's gaze fell to the table, frowning slightly, but perked up as Genos spoke.

"If he were to have run away, then there would have been no one to help the civilians. That is what it means to be a hero: to fight, even when victory is unassured."

Saitama nodded proudly at Genos, who took no notice, instead focusing on Tatsumaki, who replied, frustrated, "What good is a hero if they're stuck in the hospital? Bravery is a disguise for stupidity; this isn't a fairy-tale where believing in yourself wins you the fight." She thrust a finger at Genos. "You of all people should know that. One of these days, you're going to pick a fight with someone who will break you so bad no one will be able to put you back together, and no amount of believing in yourself will change that."

Genos lowered at Tatsumaki, angry with her dismissal of bravery as a whole. Genos felt a burning sensation rise in his chest: a desire to fight, to demonstrate what it meant to fight a battle knowing full well it would end in defeat, but Saitama spoke up first, and the cyborg calmed himself, listening intently to his master's words.

"You really believe that, Tats?" he asked, his head cocked to the side, "That bravery is worthless?"

"I said it's a disguise for stupidity, idiot," she snapped back, "If you're out of the fight, you can't help anyone, so you're better off avoiding threats you can't handle."

Saitama and Tatsumaki stared at each other, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and a fierce confidence in hers. The focus of the table was on them, and no one at the table dared make a sound, each of them nearly as eager, and slightly worried, as Genos to hear how Saitama would respond.

"...So, if you came across a foe that you couldn't defeat, and there was no one else around to take it on, you would run away?"

Tatsumaki squinted her eyes, incredulous that he would ask what she considered a redundant question. "That's a stupid question; what kind of foe do you think you could beat me?"

"The kind you and Genos fought after you destroyed the Monster Association's hideout," Saitama responded simply. reminding Tatsumaki of her and Genos' defeat by Black Sperm.

Her cheeks and ears grew warm in embarrassment; having successfully avoided thinking about her defeat since the incident, the sudden mentioning of it, and to the whole group no less, made her incredibly uncomfortable. Tatsumaki was, somehow, already on the defense, which seemed to happen whenever she argued with him…and she could tell that everyone knew it too. She uncrossed her arms, balled her hands into fists, and propped herself up on her knees, bringing her to eye level with Saitama, who sat cross-legged on the floor.

"T-that's not fair! I was exhausted after fighting all day and was finally overrun after destroying the ENTIRETY of the Monster-Association's headquarters AND stopping Psykos, single-handedly!"

Genos frowned at the ESPer's omission of the assistance she received from himself, Drive Knight, and others, but given that she was clearly flustered, and was summarizing the situation, he decided to let it go.

"Plus," Tatsumaki added, "there were others who were able to fight even after I fell, so your analogy is stupid anyway!"

"Yeah, maybe, but the point is, you still fought, even when you knew you weren't going to win," Saitama argued, "I know how hard you fought. I know how hard you ALL fought."

He looked around the table, letting his eyes stop on each of them for just a beat before moving on to the next, ending with Tatsumaki, on whom he let his gaze rest as he continued, "You say that if there's no chance of winning a fight, you should run, but you didn't do that. And if it ever came down to the worst-case-scenario, and you were the last line of defense against a foe that you had no hope of defeating…" Saitama made sure to hold kind, but serious eye contact with her as he finished, "I think you would stay and fight…and there's nothing stupid about that."

The table was quiet. Everyone was staring at Tatsumaki, waiting to see her reaction. TO her surprise, Tatsumaki felt a small smile begin to creep onto her face. But, after glancing around and taking note of everyone's stares, she forced it down, instead crossing her arms and turning her head towards nowhere in particular.

Inside, the comfort that came from his kind words and confidence in her heroism mixed uneasily with her stubbornness. It was stupid, even just strategically, to fight for a lost cause. Had that baldy never heard of the term 'tactical retreat'? Even if there was some good you could do, surely that would be outweighed by the consequences of losing?

But if she believed that, then why hadn't she retreated? Why did she stay and fight Black Sperm instead of running to find King or Bang? And why couldn't she envision herself running from the hypothetical fight Saitama had laid out? The answer bothered her, serving as an itch in her brain that she couldn't help but scratch.

He was right. She would stay and fight, and not because of some lofty ideal about heroism or for the sake of being brave, she thought…but why, then? Why couldn't she square away her opinion with her actions? Maybe…

"Hmph," she grunted, "Fine, I guess there may be SOME…honor, or whatever the Hell you wanna call it, in fighting a lost battle." she admitted disdainfully, waving her hand dismissively before turning to look at Satoru. "But you're still better off leaving the bigger threats to qualified heroes. You can't help anyone if you're dead."

Satoru offered an appreciative smile to Tatsumaki in response, moving the grin over to Saitama as the woman pointed her nose with another, "Hmph!"

Saitama returned to Satoru a deadpan smile before tilting his head to half-face Tatsumaki, who slowly peeked an eye open and, noting his stare, turned to face him fully.

"What are you looking at, Baldy?!"

"Nothing, nothing," he said, waving his hand. "Let's get back to eating; your bowl's starting to get cold."

With yet another, "Hmph," Tatsumaki lowered herself back on her knees and grabbed her chopsticks, using them to pluck another bite from the bowl.

The rest of the table followed suit, a wave of relief following the dispersion of tension that had built up.

"Once again, Master Saitama has imparted his wisdom to those who desperately need it," Genos thought proudly, never ceasing to be impressed by his master's words of wisdom. "I must remember to document his teachings later."

Breaking the temporary quiet, and with her tone having returned to a more pleasant state, Tatsumaki asked, "So, King, has there been any news about that guy who's been picking off the A-Class heroes?"

"Wait, are you talking about Garou?" Saitama inquired, placing a bite of lamb into his mouth. "I thought we stopped him already."

"No, not Garou," Tatsumaki answered, "Before Garou became an issue, there was someone else who was doing his bit first."

"But," King picked up, "this villain isn't hunting heroes. Rather, it seems that whoever it is is "testing" them."

"Testing the A-Class?" Genos questioned.

"Indeed," King responded with a nod, "The villain makes their location known, prompting the Hero Association to dispatch one or a few A-Class heroes to take them down, but they never return on their own. Recovery squads bring them back in critical condition along with a note that always reads, "Send better." The Hero Association was planning on dispatching an S-Class hero, but then everything with Garou and the Monster Association happened, and it's been on the back-burner ever since."

"Are they another martial artist?" Satoru asked.

"Actually, it's another ESPer," King answered, "Or at least, that's what the heroes who fought them have said. Their recollections of their fights are ill-descript; whoever this villain is is apparently making short work of the A-Class."

"Another ESPer? And a powerful one at that?" Genos queired, "They seem to be crawling out from the woodwork as of recent."

"You're right," Fubuki agreed, looking slightly perturbed. "Up until just recently, the Hero Association has come across exceedingly few villainous ESPers. Do you think something has spurred their arrival or is it just a coincidence?" she asked King.

The man was silent, apparently having no sound answer.

"Well, whatever the reason," Tatsumaki interjected, "the Hero Association better take care of it quickly; dealing with one mysterious ESPer is annoying enough already."

"And how is that coming along?" King asked, taking another bite.

"Not great," she admitted. "I thought finding Psykos would be easy, but something's preventing me from detecting her. I bet Tsukuyomi got ahold of her, but it could also be another new ESPer, like you said, Demon Cyborg."

Fubuki felt a pit form in her stomach, having forgotten that her sister was still on the hunt for Psykos. She took a breath to ease the stress, attempting to refocus herself on the investigation at hand, but was only partially successful. She took a long sip of wine, hoping the alcohol might help calm the emerging nerves.

AS everyone ate and moved onto new conversations, something clicked inside of Tatsumaki's head, realizing she may have gotten too comfortable at the table. She glared at Satoru, who noticed the look and met it with confusion. "I think it goes without saying, but all of this information stays here, got it C-Cla-" She glanced at Saitama. "Got it, Mumen Rider?"

"Don't worry, Tats, you can trust him. He's not gonna go revealing your mission to the whole public," Saitama assured, patting her on the shoulder as Satoru nodded in agreement.

"I won't do anything to put you or your mission in Jeopardy, Tatsumaki," he assured.

"Good," she responded simply, taking a sip from her glass of wine.

As the evening went on, the group began to chatter more as more of them began to finish their portions. While they chewed their last bites, Genos and Fubuki locked eyes, the latter raising an eyebrow and dipping her head slightly, glancing at Saitama. Genos nodded in response and Fubuki turned to her right to face Satoru.

"Satoru, I've noticed that you have developed quite the fan-base," she noted, resting her chin on her hand. "In fact, according to recent polls, you're in the top thirty of the most popular heroes, and the public praises you with great affection. So, has that popularity provided you any luck in the dating scene?"

The question seemed odd to Genos, expecting something not quite so on the nose, and definitely not directed at Satoru. The cyborg looked towards her and opened his mouth to interrupt, but halted when he noticed Fubuki's finger outstretched inconspicuously, telling him to wait. Genos closed his mouth, trusting that she knew what she was doing.

"Uh, yeah, actually…" Satoru admitted, rubbing the back of his head with his hand in a sheepish manner.

"Oh?" Fubuki confirmed.

"Yeah. Her name's Emi. We actually just met, uhh, a little over two weeks ago."

"Really? That's great! How did the two of you meet? You must tell!" Fubuki insisted eagerly, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Well," Satoru began, "I was out riding my bike, patrolling City-M, when I noticed a group of five or six punks were harassing this woman. I stepped in and told them to leave her alone, but they got physical with me, so it turned into a fight. I managed to knock two of them down, but with so many of them, there was only so much I could do."

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes at the hero's inability to handle even just a few street thugs, but kept her thoughts to herself, and watched bemusedly at her sister's expression change with the story.

"That's terrible!" she said, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

"Yeah, not a great situation," Satoru agreed. "But as I tried to fend them off, a different woman stopped in and ripped one of them off of me, which distracted the rest of them, and she and I finished the fight together and held them there until the police arrived. I told her that I appreciated the help, and she said that she was a fan of mine, and that she was glad to help. She took me into her home, helped doctor my wounds, and…we ended up hitting it off. We went on a couple dates, and now, well, we're together."

"What a sweet story!" Fubuki said, sharing a warm smile with the man.

"Good for you, Satoru," Saitama encouraged. "Glad you found someone who really appreciates what you do. Sounds like she's a fighter too, huh?"

"A bit. Emi's really more of a healer than a fighter; she wants to become a medic who treats heroes, actually, but she's not afraid to step in when she needs to."

"An honorable profession," Genos complimented, bowing his head respectfully toward Satoru.

"Thanks. I'm really happy; she's great."

Still smiling, Fubuki turned to King. "King, is there anyone who has caught your eye? Out of all of us, you would surely have the easiest time finding a partner, what with all the women clamoring just to look you in the eyes."

King started intensely at Fubuki, the sound of the King Engine revving up, drawing stares from everyone except Saitama, who was focused on grabbing a particularly evasive piece of lamb with his chopsticks.

Fubuki's cheeks began to heat up out of shame and guilt. "Oh no, I may have angered King." she thought as she pulled back from the table, trying desperately to keep her cool as the strongest man on Earth glared at her, evidently offended at the prying question. "Of course he wouldn't want to tell anyone about his love life, much less some B-Class he barely knew! I better get the conversation moving before-"

"...No," King interrupted, cutting Fubuki's troubled thoughts short.

The younger ESPer let out a nervous breath. "T-that's okay," she stuttered out, attempting to regain her composure as the sound of the King Engine began to die down.

"Why not, King?" Saitama asked, tossing the bit of lamb he had been after into his mouth.

King was quiet for a moment, and while the whole table had their eyes on him, Tatsumaki seemed particularly keen to hear his response as she leaned in, eyeing him curiously.

"Damnit Saitama," King cursed internally, "'no' was a perfectly fine answer! Now I've got to come up with something on the fly! Shit, shit, shit! Umm, what do I say? I've got no excuse, there's women lining up around the block to see me! Can I just say I'm not interested in dating? Would they buy that? Surely Tornado wouldn't, just look at how she's staring at me! She's expecting something good! What do I say?!...Let's see, uhh, how about…no, not that. Damnit, I'm taking too long! I'm just sitting here like an idiot! What do I say!?...Y'know what, let's just be honest. Whatever happens, happens. Saitama won't let her beat the shit out of me, right? Well, whatever, I've waited too long to stall any longer…here goes!"

After thinking carefully about his response, King finally had his answer, and he took a deep breath before elaborating, "There are few women who would be comfortable living the life I lead. With the choices I've made, I couldn't satisfy her emotionally, nor would I expect her to stay with me once she inevitably realized the mess she stumbled into. A relationship wouldn't be fair to any woman who would be my lover, so I remain single."

The table was quiet for a few seconds, absorbing everything the S-Class hero had said.

Tatsumaki smiled. "Of course that's your response, King; I'd expect no less chivalry from you."

"What chivalry?" Saitama questioned, garnering an annoyed, deadpan stare from King.

"Can't you read between the lines, Baldy?" Tatsumaki condescended. "If King starts dating, who do you think all the bad guys who have sworn revenge against him are going to go after? He's keeping any potential girlfriend out of danger by avoiding the dating scene entirely."

"That's not even close to what I meant, but sure, let's go with that," King thought, relieved she bought his explanation.

"King, you really do know how to treat a lady," Fubuki commented, impressed but unsurprised by his strong and commendable values.

"Yeah, unlike SOME PEOPLE," Tatsumaki insinuated as she stared at Saitama, who was in the middle of swapping his empty wine glass for hers, which was still a quarter full.

As the bald man begrudgingly swapped them back under, or rather, above the glare of the short woman, Fubuki turned to pose the question to him.

"Speaking of which, Saitama, do you have your eye on anyone in particular?"

Ignoring the fact that she used his supposed lack of chivalry to move the conversation along, he responded, "No, but I'm not against finding a girlfriend."

"Good thing you're not looking for one. It'd be a complete waste of your time," Tatsumaki taunted with her arms crossed.

"Shut it, brat. If anyone's gonna struggle finding a lover, it's you. It's hard to date someone you can't see half the time."

"I am not a brat! Any man would be lucky to have me, but none of the men around here are strong at all; I'm not gonna be stuck with a boyfriend I have to babysit all the time!"

"'Babysit'? That's rich coming from you."

"Don't even start with me-"

"Okay, okay, thanks Saitama!" Fubuki interrupted, not wanting to be a spectator to a shouting match at the table.

Tatsumaki crossed her arms tight and turned away with an indignant "Hmph!" as King and Satoru exchanged amused glances.

With the sparks of an argument stamped out, the group sat comfortably, all full and content, making light chatter as Genos cleared the empty bowls and glasses from the table. King, knowing how Saitama felt about people overstaying their welcome, was the first to stand.

"Thank you for inviting me to the hot-pot, Saitama. I'll be heading out now," he said, catching him during a pause amidst his and Tatsumaki's conversation.

Satoru stood up next to King. "Yep, same here. Got a long train ride home. Thanks for the invitation. Dinner was great and I had a fun time."

"Oh, okay," Saitama replied simply to the both of them, standing up with them.

"You know, I'd be more than happy to host the next hot-pot if you want," Satoru offered.

Saitama smiled eagerly. "Hell yeah! Just let me know when!"

Satoru returned the bald man's smile before turning to King to offer him a handshake, which the man took. Surprised at how weak the handshake was, Satoru thought, "Probably trying to avoid crushing my hand. Guess the rumors of his keen awareness are true…"

King, on the other hand, found himself wincing at the bicyclist's grip strength, doing his best not to cry out at the pressure exerted on his hand.

"Good to meet you two as well Tornado, Fubuki," he said, giving each of them a small bow.

"Yeah, bye," Tatsumaki responded simply.

Fubuki, after frowning at her sister, returned the bow. "Remember what I said, Satoru: There's always a spot waiting for you in B-Class," she reminded him with a smile.

"If I ever move up, I'll consider it. Thank you."

King nodded to Tatsumaki and Fubuki, both of whom returned the nod.

Finally, both Satoru and King said goodbye to Genos before putting on their shoes and stepping out into the hallway, giving Saitama one last wave goodbye before closing the door behind them.

"Alright Fubuki, I think that's our queue to leave too," Tatsumaki said as she and her younger sister stood up from the table.

"Right," Fubuki responded.

As the sisters went to slip on their flats and pull up their boots, they thanked Saitama for the invitation.

"Thank you very much for the meal, Saitama. It was delicious!" Fubuki complemented, nodding respectfully. "And thank you for the invite, Genos." She said his name with a slight inflection, causing him to stop his dish washing and walk over to the entryway.

"You're welcome," the cyborg responded. "Your company was appreciated."

"Well Baldy, this wasn't a total waste of an evening. Tatsumaki said in an obviously joking tone. "I guess you've surprised me again."

"And for the second time in a row, you were only, like, only fifty percent bratty. Two for two's not bad for either of us," Saitama responded with a smirk, which the ESPer returned happily.

"I suppose next time we'll need to have a tie-breaker match of that game, huh?"

"Oh, you're on! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"As if, Baldy! You barely won this time!…"

As the dynamic duo once again trailed off in arguing, Fubuki nudged her head toward the door, and after putting his shoes on, Genos followed her out into the cool evening air.

"Well, I think we can call this session of observation a success, don't you agree?" Fubuki asked after ensuring the door was fully closed.

"Yes," Genos agreed, "we have learned much over just these last few hours. Your question to Master, however, was far from subtle. Our cover could have easily been blown, although I will admit that it offered valuable information."

"Don't worry, I knew what I was doing." she responded, making eye contact with Genos so he knew she was serious. "Like I said, you can trust me."

"I am more confident in that now than I was when we started, but be sure not to become careless. I will do the same."

Fubuki nodded. "I'll keep an eye and ear on my sister. You do the same for Saitama; we can convene once a week or so to share our findings."

"Agreed."

"You know, Demon Cyborg and my sister have been talking an awful lot today," Tatsumaki pointed out, having moved past their playful argument before it escalated again. "You think he's into her or something?" she asked, staring at the door.

"Ehh, hard to tell with Genos, but I don't think so; they're just like-minded." Tatsumaki looked at him curiously. "Y'know, focused on battle data and organization and research and all that," he responded, unconcerned, before pausing and furrowing his brow. "Wait, don't tell me you're gonna put Genos through one of your "tests"," he said with air quotes.

"Don't worry about your disciple. Genos has already proven himself worthy of dating Fubuki," she assured.

"Oh, yeah? And what makes him 'worthy' to you?" Saitama asked.

"He's proven his loyalty. I've seen him on the battlefield. If he did fall in love with my sister, he'd be willing to die to protect her. Really, if there's anyone who I'd be okay with dating Fubuki, It'd be him."

"That's a pretty high bar. She's gonna have trouble finding someone if willingness to die is the standard. Plus, shouldn't she get to choose who she dates?"

"I'm just watching out for her. There's plenty of people out there who would love to take advantage of a B-Class hero like her, especially other heroes, which, need I remind you, has already happened."

Tatsumaki quickly noticed the concerned, almost judging look that came from Saitama.

"Look," she sighed, "I'm trying to let her do more of her own thing, but I'll be damned if I'm just going to let her associate herself with just anyone! Fubuki's smart, but she can be really naive sometimes."

Saitama paused, his eyes focusing on the ceiling as he thought. "I guess you've got a point…sounds a lot like Genos, really." He looked back down to her, his gaze softer this time. "Well, I'm glad you're laying off her a little bit. The only way for her to grow is to let her handle things on her own."

The ESPer frowned slightly. That was the last thing she wanted to hear, despite knowing it was true. Tatsumaki herself held the belief that you should be able to handle things on your own, so there was no debate there, but Fubuki wasn't there yet. She wasn't ready to fully take care of herself in the dangerous world of heroing, and that wasn't just an opinion, either. Her younger sister required saving often, taking on threats she wasn't equipped to handle. She put her faith in people who couldn't protect her or, sometimes, even those who outright sought to harm her! If Tatsumaki were to leave Fubuki solely to her own devices…she didn't want to think about what might happen, and she couldn't let it.

The girl looked up at Saitama, a mixture of sorrow and guilt in her eyes. "Fubuki's strong, but she's not strong enough. There are people out to hurt her in this world and I can't just sit by and let them. You can understand that, can't you?" she asked, her voice quiet and almost strained.

"You're right, Fubuki is strong. She's smart, too. The fact that she's carved out such a big spot in the B-Class where people look up to her should tell you a lot."

Tatsumaki stared at the floor, letting out a disappointed sigh.

"But," he continued, drawing Tatsumaki's eyes back up, "there's nothing wrong with wanting to protect those you care about. Finding the right balance between taking care of someone and giving them room to fail and grow is difficult, but you'll find it." Saitama smiled at her. "Fubuki's lucky to have someone who cares about her as much as you do."

Tatsumaki felt a slight wet form over her eyes as she returned his smile, staring up into his eyes and finding them full of compassion and, surprisingly, understanding. She thought about saying something, but couldn't easily find the words to show her appreciation for his understanding, and so remained silent, pulling her eyes away from his and blinking the forming tears out of her eyes.

They were both silent for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence that followed the several hours of conversation and noise.

The swell in Tatsumaki's chest slowly receded as they stood, leaving a comfortable warmth in its wake. Despite wishing she could stay in there, just appreciating the warm feeling next to a friend, she knew it was time to leave.

"Well, thanks for letting me in. I had a good time," she said sincerely.

"Same here," he agreed. "I'll make sure to send you an actual invitation next time."

"Actually, I think I prefer showing up as a surprise," she shrugged. "Keeps things interesting."

"That's a word for it," Saitama retorted with a smirk.

She smiled at him, releasing a puff of air from her nose in amusement. "I'll see you around, Tama."

"Tama?" he questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah, Tama, as in SaiTAMA. If you're going to call me Tats, then you can't complain about me giving you a name!" she half-shouted, crossing her arms and tapping her foot, her usual snappy attitude having returned.

"What happened to 'Baldy?'" he asked with an amused smile.

"Baldy loses its punch if I use it too often. Tama is better for when I'm not trying to piss you off," she grinned.

Saitama smiled warmly at her. "It's been good seeing you, Tats. Goodnight," he said, reaching for the door handle.

"Goodnight, Tama," she returned, stepping through the door as he opened it for her.

Outside, Genos and Fubuki were waiting for the duo. Tatsumaki stepped out into the hallway and the two sisters waved goodbye as they made their way down the hall. Once they were a few doors down, Genos gave his master a short bow before walking a few steps down to his room. Saitama thanked the cyborg for his help, wished him goodnight, and closed the door.

Tired from the gathering, and with the dishes already done, Saitama went to bed, pleased with the events of the evening.

As he laid on his futon, Saitama reveled in the sort of warmth he felt as he repeated the nickname Tatsumaki had given him over in his mind.

"Tama, huh?...I like it."