Fingers busily danced across keyboards. Several pairs of feet moved atop a well-polished floor. A myriad of chatter filled the air every second. This described the average work day for those stationed at the Hero Association Headquarters.
Monitoring the status of every city in the world was no simple task. The employees of the Association needed to be as vigilant as the heroes the organization proudly enlisted. The moment something happened, regardless of what it might be, they would know about it and proceed as protocol instructed. The safety of every civilian rested on their shoulders no differently than the caped crusaders.
Sitting at the center of this complex operation was a man named Busho. He possessed black hair and a scruffy face. He took his job seriously like anyone else. However, as a person in his position, Busho needed to be exceptionally attentive.
Like most employees, Busho had a partner to assist with the intimidating workload. Jinzuren was a younger man with hazel hair and matching eyes who wore glasses. Of the two, Jinzuren was often the more reserved. He prioritized critical thinking and properly assessing their options concerning the problems to find the proper solutions.
Together, the pair were incredibly efficient. Busho served the role of "commander" quite well. In contrast, Jinzuren was happy to be the "strategist" who focused more on analytics and general information. They helped ensure that the Association ran properly. There could be no miscommunication or complications should something suddenly happen.
Fortunately, even with the day-to-day chaos that the world provided, there was RARELY a scenario where the Association was unprepared. Why, it'd take something of considerable magnitude to leave them shocked.
"...Hm?" Busho noticed something peculiar. He was receiving a call from their sector dedicated to monitoring the universe. You know, in the event a massive meteor suddenly began approaching the Earth. "Yes? What is it?" He asked after allowing the transmission to go through.
"Sir...I...don't know how to say this to you..." The voice on the other end started. From their tone alone, Busho could tell something unusual was occurring. "We've...detected something...it's quite large...and it appeared from...seemingly nowhere..." They said.
"Are there any other details?" Busho questioned. The lack of description was perplexing.
"We're trying to obtain more information...but all we can make out is a shape...something is disrupting our instruments, and we can't discern more than that..." They replied.
Well, that only heightened the curious nature of the situation.
"Is it a danger to the Earth? Will there be cataclysmic damage?" Busho asked, hoping for SOMETHING.
"We...don't think so, sir. Its speed is incredibly slow. While it is on a direct course for our planet, that much we're certain of, there will be no damage unless it suddenly accelerates. This also considers the speed the Earth's gravitational pull generates as it enters the atmosphere." They answered.
"Do you have any projections for where it will land? If so, we'll send someone out to investigate." Busho inquired.
"Yes, sir. If it maintains its current trajectory, the object should touch down near City D. It won't impact the populace or the city itself. Again, if its path doesn't change, which we're confident of, it'll land in an isolated plain. There's nothing there for miles. It's entirely barren." They stated.
"Alright, then. I'll see to this immediately. Contact me through my phone if or when you've learned more." Busho told them before ending the call.
Standing from his seat, Busho went to find his partner. He wouldn't need to inform his subordinates and colleagues of his departure since everyone in the Association was in constant motion. Fortunately, Jinzuren was right where Busho expected. Typically, his partner kept himself in the "Data Collection" department.
In this part of the building, the Association gathered and analyzed ANY information that could have ANYTHING to do with a potential disaster. Sudden changes in the weather. Reports of unusual creatures or persons. Seismic activity. You name it; they tracked it.
"Jinzuren," Busho called as he entered the room, quickly getting the other man's attention.
"Busho? What's up?" Jinzuren inquired while turning to face him.
"There's an unidentified object coming toward the Earth. It's moving slowly enough that it's not an imminent threat. Furthermore, it will make contact near City D, but not close enough to require an evacuation alarm." Busho explained before smiling. "I figured since we haven't gone out into the field for a bit, why not take this opportunity to investigate it ourselves?" He proposed.
"Hm, sure." Jinzuren accepted. Following that, both men exited the room. "Do we have any details on the object?" He asked.
"None. Something's disrupting our equipment. Unless it gets resolved before the object reaches us, we'll be walking into a surprise." Busho answered.
"Should we bring along a hero, then? Perhaps Tornado?" Jinzuren suggested.
"I don't think that'd be wise. If this turns out to be nothing, she'll chew our ears off for calling her. Let's verify what this thing even is before we consider backup." Busho said.
"Fair. Besides, we won't need to get too close to it. We'll maintain a safe distance, discern what we can then go from there." Jinzuren reasoned.
"Sounds good to me." Busho agreed.
A Short While Later, In The Middle of Nowhere...
A lone black car drove through an entirely flat area. There wasn't a single mound of...well, anything. The ground was a beige color, bleached and dried from the sun's exposure. If someone were stranded out here for too long, it would lead to an unfortunate end.
Thankfully, the two men driving to the anticipated landing location of a mysterious object had working AC. Even more so, this was top-of-the-line AC. The inside of their car felt like a freezer, not that either man complained in their well-tailored full-body suit.
"Has the object's trajectory changed at all?" Jinzuren asked, speaking into his phone. As the men drew closer, he decided to call back to HQ to check for any updates.
"No, sir. It's currently moving past Mars on the predicted path. It'll still take some time before it reaches us." The person on the other end answered.
"Eh, that's fine. Not like I mind waiting in a cold car." Busho commented from behind the wheel.
"Given your position, sirs, I'd recommend stopping after another mile or so traveled. The object's size will allow you to see it perfectly at that distance. This will also ensure absolute safety." The person advised.
"Understood," Jinzuren responded.
Suddenly, a myriad of chatter was heard on the other end of the call. It sounded as if something had happened.
"What?...What do you mean?...An energy signature?...What kind of energy?..." The person questioned, speaking to someone else.
"What's going on?" Jinzuren inquired.
"It...would appear that the object is now emanating an unknown energy...it's building up...and..."
FWOOM
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH
Those loud noises were separate from one another. The first was the result of an unexplainable event unfolding. Busho caused the second as he slammed on the brakes. He did so in reaction to the former.
Within the blink of an eye, something appeared on the horizon. What? Neither man knew. They were too overcome with shock from the suddenness of the scenario that their brains weren't focused on the mysterious thing.
As for the phone that Jinzuren now tightly gripped with enough strength that he almost broke it, the phone call it was a part of had ended. Not due to the other person having hung up. The presence of this unknown thing disrupted the signal. And, while neither would notice, it also caused the car to shut off.
In the minutes that followed, Busho and Jinzuren tried their best to gather themselves. Breathing in and out. Assessing their condition and surroundings. Slowly but surely, they were returning to normal.
However, before either of them could say a word or mutter a sound, the mysterious thing in front of them began to move. Carefully, the thing descended. It did so to land on the Earth below it. Now that their minds weren't rattled, Busho and Jinzuren could understand what they were looking at. It was a vessel of some kind. Perhaps a ship?
Yet again, more movement was seen before either could do something. Gradually, a long and large piece of the ship lowered itself. This was undoubtedly how whoever rode inside it entered and exited the vehicle. Luckily, neither man would have to wonder who the riders were. They were revealed once the door was open.
Walking down the ramp that had been made, four organisms traveled as a group. Each was incredibly distinct from the other. Even so, one word fittingly summarized the party of strangers: Alien.
Upon reaching the ground and placing their feet on the soil, these visitors from the stars quickly noticed the black car near their ship. When they did, they started their approach.
Now, reacting purely on instinct, Busho and Jinzuren exited their vehicle. They straightened their ties and ensured they were presentable. There were far too many questions to be asked, so they wouldn't. The pair of partners prioritized establishing communication with these extraterrestrials before anything else was done.
"Greetings, Earthlings." One of the aliens spoke as the group reached them. It resembled a blue octopus. "Here stands before you, the Ruler of Worlds. Conqueror of the Cosmos. Dominator of the Universe. Her name, as all others should speak it, is Lady Boros. Do keep in mind her status as you engage in conversation. No disrespect is allowed. The slightest movement or action interpreted as aggression will be met with a swift death." He stated.
After hearing that, Busho and Jinzuren locked eyes with Lady Boros. Her mono-eyed gaze stared past their physical selves and straight into their souls.
"Uh...hello, Lady Boros." Busho greeted while extending his hand. "My name is Busho. This is my partner Jinzuren. We represent an organization on this planet that you could say is a higher authority regarding the matters of our people. So, consider us diplomats or whatever the proper equivalent for this situation would be." He introduced.
"A pleasure." Lady Boros said as she grabbed his hand and shook it. Her voice was monotone; there was no emotion at all. Additionally, despite using as little strength as possible, her grip felt like it would crush Busho's hand. "Forgive the abruptness of our arrival. We've come here for business." She informed them.
"What kind of business?" Jinzuren questioned with noticeable worry.
"It's a story too long to tell in our first meeting. The important piece of knowledge you should be made aware of is that I've come seeking an opponent. A reliable source, one that is never wrong, told us of a champion of your people who could help with an issue of mine. Be at ease; we're not here to conquer or kill you. That said, we will begin our search for this individual immediately." Lady Boros explained.
"W-Wait, Lady Boros!" Busho exclaimed as their handshake ended. "We need to contact our superiors! You need to meet with them! There's so much that needs to be done!" He told her.
"I will handle that." The octopus interjected while raising one of its tendrils. "I am Geryuganshoop. I oversee all communication and security for Lady Boros and her subordinates." He introduced himself. "However, as part of our precautions, any communication devices in your possession are temporarily disabled. Give me a moment, and this shall be corrected." He stated.
A few seconds passed of Geryuganshoop doing nothing. Afterward, Busho's cell phone suddenly started ringing.
"Uh, hello?" Busho answered the call with a surprised expression after scrambling to get the device out of his pocket.
"Sir! Thank god we finally got through to you!" The voice of one of his subordinates exclaimed.
"If this is about the unknown object, we're currently-"
"Sir!" The subordinate cut him off. "There's a massive monster near City D! It appeared from nowhere! You need to be careful!" They shouted.
"A monster?" Lady Boros questioned. She could easily hear the other person.
"Er, yes. That's...a bit complicated to easily explain." Jinzuren fielded the question so Busho could focus on the call. "In this world, there are entities whose existence is still a mystery. Furthermore, sometimes, these beings are transformed humans. As you can guess, the process that causes this is unknown." He stated.
"How do you deal with them?" Lady Boros asked.
"With heroes. They're people with remarkable talents and abilities who protect the population." Jinzuren answered.
"How significant is this particular monster?" Lady Boros inquired, now looking at Busho. "I heard the voice say for you two to be careful. It must be dangerous, given we're nowhere near its location." She said.
"Dragon." Busho reflexively replied, only to realize she wouldn't know what that meant. "Er, sorry. That's part of a classification system we've created. Dragon is the highest possible threat." He clarified.
"Hm, I see." Lady Boros mutered, a thought coming to mind. "For such a creature, would you not send your strongest?" She inquired.
"Um...yes. Why?" Busho responded, followed by a question.
"The one I seek, I would assume, is the strongest your species has to offer. Perhaps they will appear." Lady Boros explained.
For a brief moment, Busho and Jinzuren exchanged a look. The strongest person in the world was an S-Class hero named Blast. But there's no WAY he'd show up to this! However, before either man could say that, the mono-eyed woman spoke again.
"Geryuganshoop," Lady Boros started as she looked at her elite. "Attend to these men. Melzargard and Groribas, return to the ship and watch over the crew." She instructed.
"Wait, Lady Boros, what are you-"
FWOOM
Before the men could stop her, Lady Boros had taken to the sky. In a flash of purple light, she was gone, leaving the two bewildered gentlemen in the care of her elites.
Lady Boros's speed and senses were beyond exceptional. With enough focus, she could not only find this "monster", but she could also get to its location. After a handful of seconds, the Dominator of the Universe heard the sounds of destruction not too far from her current position. With one quick change of direction, she was headed for the source.
Soon, a city came into view. Along with it, the sight of a massive humanoid entity. It stomped and carried on without a care in the world, seemingly targeting a specific spot within the metropolis. A mindless behemoth, nothing more.
Yet, as Lady Boros grew closer, something happened that'd bring her to a full stop. A figure shot up like a rocket from the ground where the giant had been striking. It reached his head instantaneously. Then, in that same instance, this happened:
BAM
...One...Punch...that's all it took...a single blow from the person...the giant was dead...knocked off his feet...his skull was completely shattered...and his neck bent and twisted horrifyingly...
But...that wasn't what Lady Boros paid attention to. Instead, her gaze fixated on the person who now gently floated in the air. Gravity had not yet caused them to plummet to the Earth.
A shiny bald head. A long white cape. A yellow full-body suit. A pair of red gloves with matching boots. That was the description of this individual.
When this mysterious man finally began his descent, Lady Boros tracked him with her eye. She observed as he dusted himself off and casually walked away from the scene as if nothing happened. Lady Boros also noticed how the man's expression lacked emotion. There was no reaction of any sort. Killing that giant in a single strike was meaningless to this man.
"...It's him." Lady Boros quietly whispered. Upon muttering those words, she felt her heart beat differently than its usual rhythm. "There's no mistaking it. He matches the seer's vision. I found you." She said while watching him leave.
Although wanting to go after the man, Lady Boros knew she'd need to inform her elites. So, with haste, she returned to her vessel. All the while, her heart maintained that irregular rate. Excitement. Anticipation. Could it truly be? Someone who was just like her?