AN: Before you read, there are a few things to note!
To new readers, the first 11 chapters were written back in 2018. I've gotten exponentially better since then, so I'm currently editing/restructuring 1-11. Aside from this one, the edited chapters will not have an Author's note, only a disclaimer. This is to give a more accurate word count when the story is finished. For more info on this story, check my profile. Thanks for reading.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters. All rights go to their respective owners.
"This is Kiori Choo reporting live from just south of the potential Dragon Level threat. Absolute devastation has ravaged city J. Buildings toppled; homes and businesses reduced to rubble... bodies of slain or defeated heroes scattered amongst the debris. I... I don't know how much more carnage this city can take."
This was the current reality the scarcely surviving civilians looked upon in dread from within the destroyed city bunker #153, one of the many havens designed to shield them in times of crisis. So often had they done their duty, but as many deliberating experts and casual fanatics suspected, they wouldn't always be enough. When they weren't, when the peril at hand was so overwhelming, that's when the heroes were at their best; individuals with extraordinary abilities willing to lay down their lives in the pursuit of justice. They come in many different shapes and sizes, and just as the evils they've come to face, bigger didn't always mean stronger.
The most feared, most admired, most-watched hero of all in service today comes in the form of Tatsumaki, better known by her hero moniker, The Tornado of Terror.
A grown woman with an unfortunately petite physique, reminiscent of a girl much younger, gifted with unmatched psychic prowess. She had never failed to defeat whatever manner of creature that emerged seeking villainy. No beast could withstand the pressure of her psychic grip long enough to escape with its life. Three years of service and she hadn't even broken a nail in one of her many battles. Some began to speculate that her power was limitless, but today the entire world was realizing otherwise.
"And, we are getting reports that Tatsumaki, though still standing, is not fairing any better against the Sea King than any of the other S-Class heroes have. We don't know for sure, but the monster is speculated to have some sort of resistance to Esper-like abilities. There is still hope as we have still yet to see an appearance from World's Strongest Man 'King,' the tech-savvy 'Metal Knight,' or the number one hero himself, 'Blast.' As it stands, we can only pray that things take a turn for the better for Tatsumaki or that the others arrive sooner rather than later."
The Sea King truly lived up to its name with slick green skin and a somewhat humanoid form. The only clothing it wore was a crown, an elegantly fur-lined cape, and a speedo for whatever reason. It was disturbingly monstrous in the face, and its jarring physique rippled with muscle upon muscle, and yet somehow, its most attention-grabbing feature was the heart-shaped coloring that took the place of its nipples.
In complete contrast, the woman struggling to breathe before the beast was tiny, easily mistakable for a child. Her hair was as green as fresh grass with eyes to match. Her attire consisted of a form-fitting black dress with long sleeves and four slits that traveled up to her hips, exposing her legs. With a faint green hue surrounding her body, she floated at the monster's eye level, wholly exhausted and bleeding from her hairline. Her position in the air swayed and dipped, speaking volumes about how worn out she was.
"Heh, you're a tenacious little monkey... aren't you?" the monster spoke in a patronizing manner, utterly unaffected by the seemingly lengthy battle they've been fighting. Aside from the damaged cape, he didn't seem as if he'd fought at all. "You Esper can be quite a nuisance, but when you've reached the limit of your psychic prowess, you're quite useless, it seems. I am likely the sole creature that is the bane to your existence as my scales secrete a high-pitched frequency that rattles even the strongest of minds. The effects vary, but most of you land dwellers succumb to the mental strain within seconds of exposure. I commend you for your grit, but our fight is now over. I didn't think I would have to use such a tactic, but you were a formidable opponent for quite a while. Now that your brain has been overwhelmed with pain, you can no longer continue to fight."
The girl slowly lowered, that green hue around her flickering in and out like a fading light. Eventually, the tips of her toes met the wet cement below, and she fell to her knees, still determined to do what she could. "sh-... Shut up..." she muttered out through bated breaths as she stuck her hand out. 'I c-can... still-..' she tried her hardest to mentally lift a sizeable piece of rubble near her in an attempt to use it as a weapon of sorts. More so to see if she even had anything left. It shook ever so slightly, but it did not budge. The searing pain that flooded her mind was much more than an average headache.
"Try as you might; you are defeated, child," the monster stated, getting closer and closer to the downed girl.
His words, although brutal, were the truth, and she knew it. She could not defeat this creature, no matter how hard she tried. All these years of hero work would be coming to an end for all of them. This monster took down every S-class hero from Puri-Puri prisoner to herself. Only three had not yet shown to stand against it, and those three would be their last hope. 'k-... King... Metal Knight...' she mentally muttered, reduced to a begging mess for the first time in a long time. '... Blast... if there was ever a time we needed you... it's now...!'
(On the television)
'As of now, City J is all but demolished and... oh... oh dear god, it seems even the Tornado of Terror has fallen to the power of the beast. Now thirteen of the S-Rank heroes have failed to stop the monster. The severity of the threat, and the defeat of these valiant heroes, has prompted the situation be raised to threat level DRAGON for safety reasons. As it stands, we now rest this matter in the hands of the remaining three: King, Metal Knight, and Blast. The Association is asking that we all remain calm and put faith in the standing three. Even though the situation is taking place in City-J, everyone is advised to find their way to a shelter as soon as possible, no matter the distance. This is exactly a situation in which we are expecting to see Blast make an appearance...'
At a local gas station in City-Y, an elderly woman stared in horror at the screen on the wall behind the cashier who was now bagging her items. "Oh-..! Dear God..." she muttered quietly, catching the young man's attention.
"... Hm?" The man was of fair height, standing at about 5'10 with a rather basic-looking build at first glance. He had a very plain face, easily forgettable in a crowd of people if not for his unnaturally bald head. Not a single strand of hair sat atop his dome, and it almost seemed to reflect the light above him. He followed her gaze up toward the television and figured he understood her worry. "Oh, uh... Want me to change it to the weather channel?"
"w-What? Did you not hear what she said!?" she asked, pointing at the screen with a trembling hand.
He dug a finger in his ear with an uninterested look on his face. "Not really. I don't like the news. It's all boring nowadays... Would you like a bag?"
"h-Hoh!" The woman booked it out of the store as fast as her frail legs could scurry away, leaving the young man confused. She left her items after already paying for them.
"h-Hey!" he called after her. His gaze followed her out the window, eventually bringing the oddly crowded street into view. He was shocked to see so many people rushing into the shelter across the street. '... Are we being attacked...?
He turned back to look at the screen and saw a helicopter view of some kind of monster standing outside of a different bunker. The caption of the report is what caught his attention. 'DRAGON LEVEL THREAT: Find shelter.'
"Oh... a Dragon level," he muttered. For a moment, he remembered the times when something like this would excite him. Now, however, '... This means I can close the store early and still get paid,' he thought to himself with a rather bland smile.
So, that's what he did. He went through the daily shutdown procedure of checking over the produce and ensuring everything was ready for the morning crew. Somewhere along the way, h reached into his pocket and turned his phone back on. As he went to turn off the television, he stopped and took one last glance at the screen. It was still showing the very distant helicopter view of the same monster now being confronted by a hero on a bicycle, strangely enough. The man peeked over at the clock next to the television with a disinterested look.
Just as he did, his phone cut on completely and began to fire off rapid notifications from a single number. "o-Oh..." he muttered as he watched it continue to beep. There were a ton of missed calls and unread messages on the screen. When it finally stopped, he opened it up to see it was all from none other than his cybernetically enhanced student, Genos. 'Was he fighting this monster too?'
'We are receiving even more disturbing news from our inside source within the bunker of City-J that is truly distressing in a time like this.'
Saitama glanced back towards the television to hear the rest from the newswoman.
(On the television)
'It would seem that the S-Class: rank-7 member, King, widely known 'strongest man in the world' was... a-actually just a normal man with no special ability or strength whatsoever. He coward in the face of this Sea-King and confessed before the other downed S-Class heroes, at least those still conscious, before running off... obviously, there's... not a worse time for such a revelation, however, there is still hope as S-Class: rank-6 member, Metal Knight, has just arrived and is engaging the beast with an onslaught of powerful robots. His abilities at the moment are sorely restricted due to their proximity to the downed heroes and civilians. He is the last line of defense unless we truly do witness a return of S-Class rank-1 member Blast. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, we can only hope Blast can.'
"If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster... it's all over," a man sitting behind a desk said. He was an average-looking guy with a huge nose resting on his face, dressed in an all-black professional business suit. The one he was speaking with was a younger-looking man with a robotic right eye, with some sort of metallic line beneath it, wearing a suit of his own.
This enemy of theirs was far more dangerous than they anticipated. "Maybe it is time to contact Blast," the younger man suggested.
The older man chuckled. "Heh... We would've done so already if it were that easy." His head fell into his hands, and he gripped his hair in frustration.
"I don't understand. Why isn't it...?"
The man sighed as he reached down into the drawer on the left side of his desk, pulling out a bottle of alcohol. "Sekingar... It is widely known that Blast suddenly went missing a few years back... There are a lot of theories about where he's gone and what he's doing, but..." he poured two shot glasses full, sliding one over to him. "The truth is, he's dead."
"Uh-! s-Sitch...!" the younger man exclaimed, completely surprised by this revelation. It did explain quite a bit, though.
"We kept the story of Blast alive, leaving that S-Class: rank-1 position vacant as to give people a sliver of hope that no matter what monster appears, there will always be someone strong enough to stop it... Now, the time has come, and a monster has appeared far more powerful than even Tornado can handle... So, I say it again. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, it's all over."
Sekingar's gaze drifted back to the screen and they watched the robotic creation bombard the creature with shots of all kinds, trying to get it away from the bunker. With a worrying sigh, he reached down and picked up the glass his co-worker passed him, drinking the liquor down in one gulp.
Machinegun rounds left the robotic arms of Metal knight at a rapid pace as he barraged the creature consecutively to no avail. The bullets simply bounced off its thick skin, but for the moment, it was all he could do as he put his mechanical body between the monster and the bunker, quite literally working as the last line of defense for those inside. The machine gun blows, although ineffective, did well to irritate the beast who had his hands full, thrashing the onslaught of other battle bots that were getting in close, attempting to land direct physical hits. Hundreds upon hundreds of these mechanical beings came charging the Sea-King's way, and he had no choice but to stand his ground and focus on them.
With him busy, Metal knight scoped out the surrounding area. Outside of the bunker, there are 9 unconscious heroes. Of that 9, 7 were S-Classed heroes, including The Tornado of Terror, Atomic Samurai, Flashy Flash, Watchdog man, Demon Cyborg, Silver Fang, and Tank-top Master. The other two were the C-Classed Mumen Rider and the respected martial artist Bomb. Then, there was the spineless fool King, cowering somewhere in the city, having fled as soon as they dropped him from the aircraft.
If he wanted to defeat this creature, he needed to do it as violently as possible, but he could not be responsible for directly killing these heroes. Not with that helicopter watching the battle, anyways. As if told by telepathy, nine of the robots diverted from attacking the Sea-King and made their way to a downed hero, scooping them up and dropping them into the broken bunker, much to the people's surprise. With them out of the way, he stopped firing and watched intently as the monster destroyed bot after bot. ["Engaging Target with intent to destroy,"] his robotic voice sounded. The bots suddenly stopped attacking close and hovered, staring directly at the beast.
The Sea-King was not deterred in the slightest. "Ehehe! You humans do enjoy your toys, don't you?" he asked rhetorically as he eyed the biggest bot down, knowing that was the one with the most control. The surrounding bots, in unison, aimed their arms at him, multiple missiles extending out, ready to fire. Still, the Sea-King looked unperturbed as he watched them.
["... Fire!"] As one, a barrage of missiles and machinegun bullets blasted towards the aquatic monster, pelting him and exploding upon impact; it was a light show of shells, scraps, and fire. There was so much smoke that no one watching could even see the Sea-King anymore. By all accounts, he could very well be obliterated.
The onlookers, staring out from the hole in the bunker, watched the spectacle with pleading eyes. The morale was still very low, especially seeing Tornado fall, but there was a shred of unenthused hope that rang through the crowd of civilians.
"d-.. Do you see that barrage...?" A random man asked rhetorically with a tone that sounded a lot less impressed than the statement implied. "Maybe... maybe that got him..."
Sure enough, the firing stopped, leaving behind a glob of smoke that was quickly dispersing with the help of the rain. When it finally broke through enough, the onlookers were greeted by the sight of the Sea-King with multiple injuries and punctures to his form that were already visibly healing.
"Hehehe! Impressive attack. Not quite strong enough, but I commend your efforts," he praised insincerely.
Another man fell to his knees at the sight, drawing the gaze of the group around him. He was entirely out of whatever hope was still settled into his heart. "... We're gonna die..." his voice quivered.
The woman next to him was holding her son in her arms. "n-No w-..." she tried to deny when her boy looked up at her in worry. She just had to say something to refute the guy's words, but... the sounds of the battle had her knees shaking, and she couldn't find her voice.
"m-Mommy...? w-We're not gonna die... r-Right?" he stuttered out, his voice cracking along the way.
She pursed her lips together, trying not to cry, herself. Seeing that face lit a fire in her eyes, and she vehemently shook her head. "No, baby... We're not gonna-.."
"We are..." the man on his knees said, undercutting her words of comfort. "There is no... hope... We are going-to die."
"Hey! Shut the hell up!" another man roared, jumping to the woman's defense. He stepped toward the man in a threatening way, but he didn't even flinch.
"It's the truth," he chuckled, sadly. "The Tornado of Terror was the last chance we had... And, not even she could kill that thing..." Suddenly, the other guy grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tried to pull him forward.
"I said, shut the hell up! There are children here!"
From further in the bunker, towards the more open area where the earlier heroes made their stand against the beast, S-Class rank-15, Metal Bat, sat against a wall, completely broken and incapacitated next to S-Class, rank- 3, Silver Fang, who was finally starting to stir awake once more.
"m-.. mrrr..." the old man groaned out as he tried to move.
"Finally awake, huh?" Metal Bat muttered, staring at the budding commotion taking place among the despairing civilians.
Bang glanced at him before following his line of sight. "... What is going on?" he questioned.
For a moment, Metal Bat just tiredly shook his head, still looking over to the group. "They're... desperate," he said plainly. "Ready to tear each other apart... even though they're all about to die..."
The old man shut his eyes, disguising his realization of the pain that surged through his body. Turning to his left, he saw several other S-Class heroes sitting up against the wall, most of them out cold. "So... I take it no one was able to defeat the Sea-King," he muttered, seeing their heaviest hitters out of commission, namely Tornado.
"Nope," the delinquent kid said plainly. For a moment, that's where they left it. The sounds of the civilians bickering drowned out everything else. "... Did'ya think it'd end like this?"
Bang pondered his words, still watching that commotion play out in interest. "No, I-.. I had always imagined it would be of old age," he replied.
The younger man chuckled tiredly, "Heh-heh... heh... You weren't too far off, old timer."
Much to his surprise, another voice from his other side responded. "No, Bang still had a few good years left."
It was Bang's older brother, Bomb. Another great martial artist in the same state, broken and defeated. "You old people sure do stir awake fast," the teen noted.
The two both chuckled at the amusing statement. "Years of intense training," Bang replied. It was then that a series of explosions shook the bunker to its core, stirring a few others awake. "Someone is still standing?" he asked, looking toward Metal Bat for confirmation.
"Yeah," he said lazily. "Think it's Metal Knight. His bots are the ones that brought you all in."
From Bang's other side, a new voice joined the conversation. S-Class rank-8 Zombieman. "Well, I doubt it'll be much use going out there then," he said, looking down at his still-reforming legs. "He's probably blowin' everything in sight."
"Not that we'd be much help," said the person next to him, S-Class rank-4, Atomic Samurai. His sword was not with him, and his right arm looked limp, almost as if dislocated. "Whatever the hell that thing is... it's not something a mere human can beat... If it could lay out even Tornado like that, I doubt anything could take it out."
"... Blast, maybe," Metal Bat muttered.
"Heh," Zombieman chuckled, shaking his head. "He's not showin' up... not until at least two more cities get wiped, maybe..."
"He'll be here..." Yet again, someone else entered the conversation. This time it was the unusually quiet green-haired woman whose gaze was focused down on the cement beneath her. The blood staining her face made her look rather unsightly.
The others refrained from further shooting her hopes down, all a bit stunned by how... small she seemed. Not in the physical sense. Of course, she was small, and she absolutely hated being reminded of that fact, but she seemed fragile at this moment, defeated. Essentially, the collective feeling of all of them.
They were put on alert when a considerable blast launched Metal Knight's assault bot through the gaping hole of the bunker. It clattered down and tumbled towards them, stopping just in front of Bang, sliding five feet in front of him. The bot raised its head enough to look at the group, the lights in its eye sockets flickering out. Slowly, it began to flicker out. It was all over... the Sea-King had defeated their final standing hero...
With a gust of wind and rain, the monster landed back within the broken opening of the bunker, eyeing the others in glee. Again, a few injuries on his form were already healing. "Heh-heh-heh!" he chuckled menacingly as he stood to his full height.
The civilians who were previously crowding the entrance in hopes he would be defeated scrambled back as far as they could get in a panic.
"That sure was an interesting bout, but in the end, you surface dwellers rely too much on outside influences to win your battles. You deprive yourselves of true power, placing your trust in machines and special abilities; that is why you lot are a vulnerable species. I will reclaim this world for the Sea-Folk. As a pyramid scheme, all life originated from the depths of the seas, and as its ruler, I am the sole ruler of all life on earth."
To his shock, one of the already defeated heroes tried to move. It was the armless Cyborg, pushing himself up to a sitting position using his head, the first one to confront him after those weaklings before. He was lying face-down next to Bomb at the end of the line of heroes.
"Heheh... You...?" the Sea-King mocked, looking his way. "How foolish can you be...? Still wanna fight?"
The other heroes watched him scramble as much as he could until he made it to his feet in a hunched-over position. For a moment, he seemed to steady himself before taking broken yet courageous steps towards the monster towering within the opening of the bunker.
"Genos..." Bang called muttered. "... What are you doing?"
"t-... tch!" the cyborg grunted in frustration as he continued his trek towards the beast. "I-... I cannot allow you... t-to hurt anyone else..." he muttered. "I will do everything in my power... to stall you until he arrives."
"Hmm...?" The Sea-King hummed curiously. His interest was definitely piqued. "... Whoever it is you are waiting on will meet a similar fate when they arrive," he growled out as he stepped closer to him. "But, as it stands, I am tired of waiting. All of you put up admirable attempts, but you have lost. This means you all must die."
The civilians gasped in shock at his claim as they watched the Cyborg ignore his threat completely, drawing closer and closer to his doom. It was truly over then... This was it...
"If I am to be fair, I started with you, so you shall be the first one I kill," he proclaimed, directing his statement towards the approaching Cyborg. A bullet met the monster's cheek before Genos made it into the Sea-King's range, stopping everything.
It was completely ineffective, and it simply bounced off, but the audacity of whoever it was brought everyone's attention to a halt. Everyone's gaze shifted towards the slowly rising Zombieman whose legs were finally healed. He held his focused gaze sharp on the monster who looked his way. "Hey, as long as I can fight, I'll side with Demon Cyborg, on this one. You won't be harming anyone while we're still standing."
The Sea-King gave him a curious look. "You... I thought I killed you already."
"Yeah, that's what they all say," he said coolly.
"Hehehe! No matter. I'll get to you soon," he muttered as he looked back to Genos. He made to step towards him and into the cover of the bunker but found he could not move his legs. Some force was preventing him from doing so. This time, everyone's gaze turned toward the person they were sure was responsible. Sure enough, Tornado had her hand stretched out, restricting his movements as she struggled to her feet. "The Esper as well...?" he questioned, somewhat surprised.
"You.. will not hurt anyone else..." she said, essentially repeating the words of the Cyborg. "w-... When he gets here, you'll..." She never finished her statement. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else, they were not speaking of the same person. Regardless, the sentiment was there. They would hold out for as long as they could, no matter what, waiting on a savior. Slowly, it seemed the other heroes were getting on board with the idea of fighting to their deaths and were preparing to do what they could, but they didn't get the chance.
The Sea-King chuckled once more before overpowering her hold and standing upright once more. "Hehe! You insolent fools. Your death here is certain. No matter who you pray to for survival... I will start with you, Cyborg," he said, looking down at Genos. His gaze then shifted over to Tatsumaki on the other side of the wall. "But, I assure you, I will take the most pleasure in ending your life, Esper." He returned his focus to the broken bot before him in interest. For a few tense moments, he just watched the poor hero try and fail to hobble his way toward him. "... You are clearly defeated... Why approach me defenseless... knowing you will only die sooner? Come to beg for your life...?"
Genos stood there with his head held low. He had no arms, and his body was far too broken for him to do anything with, and he couldn't self-destruct with the civilians and other heroes within range. Why he stood before this monster defenseless? That's probably what everyone is likely asking right now. "Heh... because... there is... there is only one creature in existence that I would ever bow to... and I know that even if we die here-.."
"When..." The Sea King corrected, rather arrogantly, as he grinned at his prey's words.
Genos steadied himself once more before taking a few more steps, eventually ending up beneath the rain, meaning he reached the opening of the broken part of the bunker. "Even when we die... you will eventually run into him... and when you do, "-his eyes shot up at the monster with a new flame of defiance-, "you will TREMBLE IN THE FACE OF TRUE POWER!" He locked eyes with the beast's mocking glare with true conviction and unrivaled fury piercing through him.
Silence befell them all as they watched the Sea-King stare down at Demon Cyborg with uninterested eyes. "Heh... heh-heh! HA HA HA!" The Sea King bellowed out his evil cackle shaking the very foundation of the bunker. They all watched on in dread until he finally quelled his amusement. "True power...? Have I not shown you true power?" He held his hands out, gesturing towards the other downed heroes, those who were conscious were trying to scramble their way to their feet as well. "Is this not the pinnacle form of life on this planet...? Look at you humans: nothing but weak flesh and misguided convictions. A few of you... blessed with unrivaled ability, yet you still fall at my feet. The strongest of your defenders have fallen victim to my apex power, and you believe there is someone far superior...? If you are trying to save face for your society of land-dwellers or possibly inspire hope of possible survival... allow me to correct that." His form turned much darker as he morphed back into his mutated form and prepared to strike. "I AM UNKILLABLE! I AM UNBEATABLE! I AM THE SEA-K-..!"
(KA-THEW!)
Everything stopped as they watched the black blood of the Sea King spurt out the side of his head almost as if he were shot, the wall of the bunker to their right suddenly impaled by an object of some kind. An apparent sniper shot, but that couldn't be... They just witnessed Zombieman's bullet bounce off his cheek, and not even Metal Knight's missiles could drop it permanently, so what the hell kind of gun was that? Whatever the case, the massive body fell over to its side right on the edge of the broken wall.
The people watched the dead body of the Sea-King slip out of the bunker, all but assuring them this was all over. Still, their speechless gazes turned to look at the spider crack that appeared within the wall opposite all of them. It was unscathed until just then, and even the civilians could guess that's where the projectile must have landed. With unmatched curiosity at such a feat, Zombieman (also being the only hero able to move without pain) ran towards the wall to inspect the bullet that had taken this monster down. Everyone's gaze watched him in anticipation, most of them waiting desperately to hear who they could praise for their salvation.
He made it and looked into the center of the spiderweb-like crack, his eyes slowly but surely widening upon his revelation. "... Uh-!" he gasped, catching everyone's attention in a death-like grip as they held their breath. He dug his fingers inside and pulled the projectile free to examine it for himself.
"... Well!?" Metal Bat called out. The suspense was killing him. "What the hell is it!?"
Slowly, Zombieman turned around, allowing them to see that absolute shock on his face. "It's... It's a pebble!" he shouted, holding it up.
Mass confusion ran through them all as their brains scrambled to make sense of such an incomprehensible revelation. There was no way... Unless... of course!
"i-... It was TORNADO!" One of the civilians shouted, pointing his finger toward the small green-haired woman who looked just as shocked as everyone else. "She used the last of her power to SAVE US!"
His words finally seemed to rally the others as they all shouted, rejoicing in their rescue. Their screams of appreciation, as well as the appraisal of a few of her fellow co-workers, brought her back to reality. She looked around, confused for a moment before she realized what was happening. They believed it was her who had saved them here today, but... it wasn't... she hadn't done a thing, right there...
And, if it wasn't her... then, who was it...?
(Elsewhere within City-J, 5 mins earlier)
Saitama, now adorning his bright yellow suit with the bright red boots and gloves to match, walked along a cliffside overlooking the city with a map in his hands. He had his usual disinterested look on his face as he used his cape to cover the sheet of paper. 'Heh... I even saw it was raining on the news, and I still forgot an umbrella...' he mulled. 'Where the hell is this Sea-Thing, anyways...? I've been looking everywhere and I still can't find that bunker... This map is so confusing... most of it's smudged from the rain, now...'
How he ended up in this cliffside neighborhood was a mystery, but at least he could see City-J a little clearer. He halted his steps when he noticed an old man sweeping his porch peacefully, despite the rain. An odd sight indeed... "Hey... old man!" he called out through the roaring of the shower.
He didn't seem to hear him, so he walked up the walkway leading to the porch. "Hey!" he called again.
"... Hm?" the old-timer muttered as he finally noticed him. He adjusted his glasses to see him better. "Oh, yes? What can I do for you...?"
"... It's raining out here," Saitama pointed out, giving him a curious look. "You shouldn't sweep while it's all windy and stuff, right...? It's kinda pointless... Anyways, could you tell me how to get to bunker 243?"
The old man stepped closer to get a better look. "o-Oh, no, I'm afraid not, friend. I've never been one for going to the bunkers." Saitama sighed and turned to take his leave before the old man stopped him. "Say... are you a hero?"
Saitama turned back. "Hm...? Oh, uh... Not anymore. I was for a little while."
The old man grew rather curious. "How come you stopped?"
Saitama stared at him strangely for a moment, not saying anything. "... I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Just got kind of boring, is all..."
"w-Well, you seem dressed up like a hero," he pointed out.
Saitama glanced down at his attire. He almost forgot he had it on. "Oh, yeah... I actually quit not too long ago, but there's some kind of super-strong monster somewhere in this city. They said it could kill a lot of people if no one stops it, so... " He shrugged his shoulders again. "Figured I'd come check it out... Sounds kinda interesting..."
"Ah, I see... That does sound interesting..." Suddenly, the old man went back to his sweeping. "You take care now..."
Saitama raised an eyebrow. 'Is he still gonna sweep? What is this guy, an NPC...?' His eyes traveled up to his head and he stared longingly at his silver locks. '... Even he has hair at his age...'
"Hurgh," he grumbled as he walked away, headed down the gravel road once again. His boots crunched against the small rocks beneath him as he went. 'Well... was really hoping he knew his way around the city since he lives here, but...' A serious expression overtook his visage as he stared straight ahead. 'Whatever the case, I have to find it soon. Genos could be in serious trouble... Plus, I put a hotpot on to boil before I left home.'
With that thought in mind, he prepared to launch himself up into the air to see if he could see it through this heavy rain, but before he did, his attention turned toward the city.
It was very far away. So far, he had to squint to see it, but there was a bunker over there that looked like it was in trouble. He could see a big green beast standing within its busted-out opening. 'Oh... could that be it?' he wondered. 'Wait... I thought that Sea-turtle guy was supposed to be brown... not green... Wait... are sea turtles usually green...?' Before he could think more on it, he heard it start yelling something he couldn't exactly hear. 'Well... I guess there could be people in there...' He considered making the leap over but stopped when he heard the monster get louder. 'That's kinda far, though... might not make it in time...'
Thinking on his dilemma, he looked down at his feet. "... Ah," he muttered as he picked up a pretty sizeable rock that was lining the side of the pathway. It was jagged and just about the size of a baseball. He gave it a few tosses to test its weight before locking in on his target. With a single swift motion, he threw the rock like one would throw a baseball with their feet squared kicking up a concussive blast that pushed away the rain for a slight second. From his spot, he could see it hitting the monster directly in the head, dropping its body down just like that. After a moment, it slipped out and lifelessly tumbled down onto the street below. "... huh... kinda lame," he muttered. He was just trying to get its attention or something. "... Must've been a weaker one... Guess I'll keep searching until I find it..."
After five more minutes of walking around the busier city section with a very ticked-off expression at not finding the location, Saitama grit his teeth rather comically. "Where is this stupid place!? You'd think there'd be some big battle going on or something!" he growled out in frustration until his gaze landed on some movement. One of the bunkers across the street suddenly opened up, relieved-looking citizens funneling out with smiles and rejoicing voices filling the previously dead-quiet street he was on. "Huh...? Uh, excuse me, Miss?" he said, calling out to a woman that was about to pass him. "What's going on? Isn't there a monster or whatever...?"
"Yeah, there was!" she said happily, pointing up at the giant screen built into the top of the bunker entrance, displaying the live coverage of the bunker that the Sea-King attacked. People were funneling out, but the camera seemed focused on the Hero of the day. "It was this big ugly fish king thing, but the Tornado of Terror totally wrecked him a few minutes ago! It was amazing!"
"... Tch! So, I came all this way for nothing!?" he grumbled through his clenched teeth, clearly scaring the girl a bit. That's when another thought hit him. "o-Oh! What about the heroes? Was anyone hurt!?" He urgently gripped her shoulders with a desperate look in his eyes.
"w-Well, yeah... but everyone survived, so I-.. t-think it's gonna be okay." She reeled at his sudden panic and shrunk beneath his intense gaze.
"... Oh... okay..." He let the woman go and she immediately scrambled away from him. He stood there in the crowd of happily chatting civilians for a moment. Their relief was palpable. Whatever that monster was surely had them spooked... but the situation was already handled, so he missed his chance to see it for himself. "... guess I'll just go home, then..."