It was a nice, calm, peaceful day in City Z. The temperature was cool, and a gentle wind was blowing. A few white clouds lazily drifted across the sky. Everything was wonderful.
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Saitama didn't like this. Even though he was making the most of his final day before his vacation, he couldn't shake off his usual paranoia. Whenever City Z got TOO quiet, that's when it happened. What? SOMETHING. IT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING!
Most people would be too focused on their game of frisbee with their dog to be worried about spontaneous happenings. Funnily enough, when the Subterranean King burned down all those trees, he unintentionally created a perfect play space for the dog. Speaking of the canine, Saitama had chosen the name Pochi. A simple name from a simple man.
Anyway, while Saitama was tossing a custom-made frisbee, courtesy of Metal Knight, for Pochi to run and catch, he stayed vigilant for anything abnormal. It had to be coming. Maybe the recently discovered evil organization would try and attack Saitama directly. A natural disaster could occur elsewhere in the world, forcing all of S-Class to lend their aid. Heck, knowing Saitama's luck, maybe the Devil himself would rise from Hell to try and conquer-
"Saitama!"
Thankfully, like always, King arrived to help his buddy destress. That wasn't the intention behind his appearance, mind you. It was simply an inevitable result of King hanging out with Saitama in a casual context, such as the one happening right now.
"Oh, hey, King!" Saitama greeted his pal with a wave. "What're you doing out here?" He asked.
"I just wanted to check on you," King answered, coming to a stop beside him. "I can see that you and Pochi are getting along great." He commented.
"Yup. Man's best friend and all," Saitama replied as Pochi trotted over.
Per Saitama's instruction, Pochi was to be mindful of his size and physical power. You wouldn't think a dog so large could be so soft on its feet. Then again, how else could Pochi be so sneaky when it felt like it?
"Are you sure you don't mind looking after him?" Saitama inquired as Pochi sat down, holding its frisbee in its mouth. "I'm sure the House of Evolution could handle it," He suggested.
"Nah, it's fine. Really." King insisted, walking over to Pochi. "I'm scared of monsters, but this guy's just a big puppy. Aren't you, Pochi?" He said, ending with a playful question aimed at the pooch.
In response, Pochi gently pushed his head against King. Despite not being around each other at all, Pochi could see how comfortable and safe its master was around this person. So, any hesitation or "testing" period to figure out King's deal wasn't needed. That was proven true as King returned the nuzzling with a few face scratches, which Pochi reacted to with some light tail wagging.
"Aw, that's awesome. I'm glad to see you two are hitting it off," Saitama said with a smile. "But what are you going to do about toys? You're not strong enough for something like this." He asked, pointing at the frisbee.
"Don't worry. I've been doing plenty of research on how to keep a dog entertained. My biggest concern is food. Where am I going to get enough puppy chow?" King answered, followed by another question.
"The House of Evolution's got us covered there," Saitama revealed. "We've already got enough food for a week, but more's getting delivered thanks to Metal Knight's drones." He shared.
"Oh, that's nice of them," King responded, still scratching Pochi. "Apart from providing us with giant dog supplies, how're things going with the others' training and Sub's recovery?" He inquired.
"From what everyone tells me, they're coming along great. Zombieman also promised me that Mosquito Girl would learn from her mistake. I didn't press him for details since he was freaking me out a little from the vibes he was giving off. As for Sub, Fubuki's been spending her evenings with him. Those two are becoming friends from how it sounds, which is nice. Fortunately, despite the mysterious machine's destruction, Metal Knight and Drive Knight were able to recover the remaining quantity of that substance in the cave. So, Genus was able to figure out what it's made of, meaning that they can treat Sub more efficiently." Saitama told him.
"How fast will the recovery be? We could use Sub's help in finding the Sky and Ancient Kings." King asked.
"Sub's already said that he'd help us. I'll need to think of a way to reward Fubuki for her contribution when I get back. Also, apparently, the Association knows where the Ancient King is. They've been monitoring this massive dinosaur frozen in ice that's inside a mountain. It'd be an amazing coincidence if that is an unrelated giant lizard." Saitama answered.
"Hm, so it's just the Skyfolk, then?" King questioned.
"Seems like it. The Skyfolk may know about more monster rulers that the Subterraneans weren't aware of, but that's just speculation." Saitama replied, only to remember something. "Oh! By the way, the Seafolk think they can help out, too. While their former leader might be in the wind, they still have any records and other information they've kept. When they get done taking me to my getaway, they'll bring all that stuff to shore." He said.
Hearing that caused King to stop scratching Pochi, who was now lying down and enjoying the gentle affection. Despite wanting it to continue like any dog, Pochi rested its head on one of its front legs as the men continued to converse.
"The Seafolk are taking you somewhere?" King inquired. His tone wasn't worried or scared. That news just caught him off guard.
"It was an out-of-the-blue offer, and I swear that's not an ocean pun." Saitama began. "I was in City J for the reasons I mentioned. It made sense that if the Subterraneans knew about the other species, then the Seafolk would as well. Of course, all of them wanted to see and talk to me. We got to chatting about the important stuff, and then we talked about everything else. The Seafolk expressed how much they were loving their new lives, and I let it slip that I was going to be away for a bit to relax. That's when Lord Great White, who's acting as their leader in my stead, suggested that the Seafolk could take me to a completely isolated island. No people, barely any animals, and it's located in a part of the ocean where the weather's always pleasant. Since the point of this vacation was to separate myself from the world, it sounded like the perfect idea, so I took them up on it." He explained.
"Huh, an island getaway for one. Most people might call that stranded," King joked, making him chuckle.
"Hey, stranded is what I need right now, all of you said so yourselves," Saitama reminded him.
"And we were sincere. You've eared the right to ignore all of us, Saitama. We'll be fine for the two weeks you're gone." King assured. "However, if you're going to an island in the actual middle of nowhere, what're you going to do?" He asked.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Metal Knight's building me a nice little house to use. It's nothing fancy; I made SURE of that. But I'll still have access to electricity, the internet, and TV. The fridge will be fully stocked, too, but if I need anything, Metal Knight provided me with an easy-to-use control method for his drones. It's just a tablet with pre-programmed commands and stuff." Saitama answered.
"Huh, well, it sounds like you're all set," King responded, receiving a nod.
"Mhm. After today, One Punch Man will be trading his costume for some comfy trunks and an open button-up shirt. I can't deny that I'm excited for it," Saitama said, now smiling as the pictures of it all entered his mind.
From here, the duo continued to pass the time with idle conversation while Saitama and Pochi resumed their game of fetch. Would the world be able to function without its strongest hero? Will S-Class keep from self-destructing? Will the House of Evolution members get proper names? Will the Skyfolk be found? What about the heroes' news network? Could the Subterranean King also become a hero? And, most importantly, will we learn the result of Carnage Kabuto and Superalloy Darkshine's arm wrestling match?! A lot can happen in two weeks, and a lot is what we're looking at!
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How long had he been here? When did he get here? What was going on? The last memory unobstructed by darkness was the emergence from the ocean and-
"Deep Sea King," A voice called out from the blackness. It was the same voice that spoke on behalf of an entity that stood above all others. Even the former Seafolk sovereign, whose ego was unrivaled, could recognize that.
"I-It's you!" The Deep Sea King replied, searching the shadows for them. "Where are you? Where am I? Where are we?" He asked.
"The same question repeated thrice; you truly are an imbecile," The voice sighed, dripping with disappointment. "Still, you've been useful for what we wanted, especially the experiment." It said.
"Experiment? What're you talking about?" The Deep Sea King questioned.
"Do you still not comprehend it? Even after you lost?" The voice inquired.
"..." Slowly, the Deep Sea King's eyes widened. "But...But...But I've seen it! You showed me! Those...Those cells! They're capable of providing limitless power!" He exclaimed.
"What you witnessed were the fully tested and proven safe versions. What you were given was our latest batch of possible enhancements. The information we've obtained from your participation has been invaluable." The voice stated.
"...No..." The Deep Sea King whispered, face filled with horror. "You...You...You..." He stammered.
"The body of a predator, but the mind of prey," The voice remarked, sounding amused. "Honestly, you made it so easy. We knew we'd have trouble with the Skyfolk, but you were the perfect little puppet. Thanks for an entertaining show. We really do appreciate your performance." It told him.
"BASTARD!" The Deep Sea King roared, instantly enraged. "I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING! I OFFERED EVEN MORE! WHO WAS IT THAT PROVIDED YOU THE SUBTERRANEANS?!" He shouted.
"Hm? Oh, right, the Subterraneans," The voice recalled, unimpressed by this display of intimidation. "Like you, they and their resources were needed for tests. You can't kill a god without checking all of your weapons first, now can you?" It said, ending with a rhetorical question. "Sadly, much like the show you and your cronies put on, all we've gained from this is certainty that there's nothing more to be done. The possible applications for the Subterraneans' materials are useful but nothing monumental. The data we received from your efforts will help guide us better, yet we still need many more trials before we grasp the proper path forward. But that's just the unavoidable boring part of a conquest if you want to be the winner." It concluded.
"SO WHAT THEN?! WHAT OF ME AND MY SERVICE?!" The Deep Sea King yelled. He tried to maintain a fearsome persona, but the sickening fear and awareness of inescapable danger were rapidly rising to the surface.
"I don't get why you're so unsettled. I never said that you were done, only that you were an experiment," The voice replied.
"..." The Deep Sea King calmed down. Was...it possible? Did he...overreact? "If...what you say is true...then what more is to be asked of me?" He asked.
SNAP
THUD
Simultaneously, the Deep Sea King's arms were broken at the elbows, his legs at the knees, and his bottom jaw at its hinges. However, he could not scream. The same invisible force that crippled the Deep Sea King kept his lungs from moving as he lay on the floor in excruciating pain.
"The brilliant minds we've employed have already come up with another version of the cells," The voice announced as a pulsating organic mass slowly moved inward from the darkness. "We need someone to try it out. Unfortunately, I hear it has a rather nasty taste, hence I broke your jaw to make it go down easier." It added.
Utterly helpless, the Deep Sea King watched the floating thing approach before it entered his mouth. He also felt the object slowly slide down his esophagus and go into the stomach. From here, something would happen to the Deep Sea King. Sadly, whatever it was could not be seen as darkness enveloped him.