Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.
"Ergh! That fucking asshole!" Tatsumaki shouted as she floated back and forth in the HQ of her sister's little organization. Fubuki sat behind her desk watching her curiously. "Ohoh! You should've seen him walk in there with his stupid high and mighty act, dictating the meeting like he's the fucking president or something! I should've crushed that little A-Class head of his! I mean, who the hell does he think he is barging in on an S-Class meeting like that!?"
"Uh... just to be clear, we're still talking about Amai Mask, right?"
"Yes, Fubuki!" Tatsumaki exclaimed, shooting her an irritated look. "I'm so sick of that slimy bastard slithering into business he's got no reason being in!"
"Well, he does have a lot of pull from the sponsors due to his public image," Fubuki reasoned. "I mean, you've gotta admit the situation seems awfully similar to the circumstances of King's infiltration into the S-Class. Perhaps the sponsors sent him."
"Fuck the sponsors!" she shouted in irritation. "Those greedy bastards don't give a rat's ass about what we do! They just care about the stupid merch we bring in!"
"They also fund the organization as a whole," she pointed out, shrinking back when those daring green eyes darted towards her again. "i-.. I'm just saying."
Tatsumaki sighed and shook her head. "Well, I don't care! They think they know everything, but they don't!" Tatsumaki nibbled on the nail of her thumb as she continued her levitated pacing. "... Rank 16," she muttered lowly with a shake of her head. Fubuki didn't quite catch it. She was about to ask her what she said, but she reiterated loud enough. "Rank six-fucking-teen!"
"That's what they gave him?"
Tatsumaki slowed her pacing at the surprise in her sister's voice. "h-yeah! Can you believe that!? Even knowing he was the one to defeat the Sea King and that Alien freak and they give him the lowest rank in the S-Class division!"
Fubuki furrowed her brow a bit at that information. "Uh... did you, by chance, tell them about the fight between you two...?"
Tatsumaki stopped with her back to her younger sister. "n-.. No! Why would I do that!? What the hell does that have to do with anything!?"
"o-Okay," Fubuki fumbled out, trying to keep her calm. "i-I was just thinking that that would've probably changed a lot of their minds... I mean, knowing that not even you could hurt him surely would've placed hi-.."
"Who said I couldn't hurt him!? Huh!? I wasn't even going all out! I held back like a ton! It's not like I was actually trying to kill him or anything! It was just a sparing match! That's all!"
"a-Ah! o-Of course! I didn't mean you couldn't hurt him, I just meant that h-he hung in there with you! Heh-heh! Of course, you could've won that if you wanted to!" Fubuki quickly sputtered. She didn't need her sister tearing the roof off of their headquarters. '... a spar through 11 different cities...?'
Tatsumaki huffed in irritation and turned away from her. "Hmph! It's not their business what happened that day! I'm the number 1 hero! They should just take my word for it!"
The more they spoke, the less Fubuki understood her sister's intentions. "... Uh... I'm sorry, but... do you still want him to be the number 1 hero orrr... I thought that's what all this was about."
"It-..! It is!" she shouted. "He's... stronger than me... so, he deserves to be the number 1 hero..."
That was another thing catching Fubuki's attention. Tatsumaki speaking of someone other than Blast in a way that wasn't degrading or demeaning? Showing a humbled side to her? '... How strange...' After all this time, she thought that was impossible. Though, there was something weird here. Why would she be so offended by her comment earlier if she was willing to admit he was stronger? Perhaps it was the thought of being so far behind him that struck a chord. She knows he's stronger, but to believe that he is so far beyond her that she can't even harm him... yeah, that's not something she'd ever be willing to admit.
"... Okay," Fubuki muttered. "... ssssoooo what're you gonna do?"
"... Nothing, I guess," Tatsumaki huffed with a childish pout. "I mean... he's strong, right? So... so, he'll defeat monsters. He'll defeat a lot of them! And this time, people will see it! He'll rise through the ranks faster than anyone ever has! I mean, he's leagues above those other losers! He'll probably be top five by the end of the week! And number 1 soon after that!"
"Uh... wow, that sure is a lot of faith."
"Tch," Tatsumaki scoffed. "It's not faith. It's just the truth." She floated to the window with that confident smirk on her face. "He's got some kind of... idiot strength. I don't understand it myself, but... it's amazing..."
Fubuki watched her the whole way, and with every word she spoke, there was this swelling feeling in her chest that she couldn't describe. '... Is this... really my older sister...?' This whole situation felt like a hallucination. Tatsumaki's never been able to praise anyone other than Blast. Though, that was partially due to him saving their lives all those years ago. It was a moment that inspired her sister far beyond anything. It's why she's come so far in her psychic powers. He was number 1 for a reason when he was alive, sure, but... Fubuki always felt that there was a point in time when Tatsumaki was even stronger than him. Her sister wouldn't admit that, of course, but it was something she herself just had a sneaking suspicion about.
Point is, there was not a soul alive she respected enough to be placed anywhere near Blast in Tatsumaki's mind. Yet, here she is, helping... and actively fighting for a man she just met to be given the number 1 spot. It was mind-blowing. '... Why?' Fubuki wondered as she traced her older sister's face, oblivious to the words funneling out of her mouth. 'What is it that entices you so much about Saitama...?'
It couldn't possibly just be his strength. She was a strong hero herself. Though taking that loss to him was surely humbling for her, she was usually the type to throw out an excuse for why she lost rather than accept it. Something about Saitama seemed to have broken through that if even a little... Whatever it is, it had to be something shared between him and Blast in Tatsumaki's mind. There was the obvious factor of both of them saving her life, but... for some reason, Fubuki couldn't see that being the main reason. Surely, there were a lot of little factors that added to the case, but she just felt like there was one big reason that she was missing...
Mentally, she had to take a few steps back and build the base of this theory she was concocting. 'So... Blast... what did she like about Blast...?' There were so many things that came to mind from that question. She was definitely hit with at least a bit of hero worship, which was somewhat expected given how young they were. She admired his power, that was a given. She liked his philosophy of not being reliant on others being there to save you – something Tatsumaki constantly reminded her of. She... worshipped him... no... maybe that wasn't the right phraseology... She...
'loved... him...'
Her mouth slowly parted in a shocked realization. It seemed like a long shot, even thinking it in her head, but... Tatsumaki has always valued strength. Despite her view on relying on people, she's always felt a type of relief with the reassurance of Blast. Fubuki was able to deduce that much from their years of being around each other. Though they are in different classes and hang around drastically different circles, the downtime is spent with each other. It's always been that way. If she remembered her sister saying anything – absolutely anything – it was that, no matter what idiot monster came crashing down, they'd always win, because...
'Because we have Blast! If they can barely beat me, there's no way they'd ever be able to take him on!'
With the revelation of his death and nearly dying herself... perhaps she was feeling lonely...
Vulnerable...
Helpless...
Saitama's just like Blast in a lot of ways. Unrivaled power, casual take to the Hero business... but, more importantly – something she just recently noticed with them being in conversation – he doesn't shy away from her. There were others who didn't. A lot of the more vulgar or... bullheaded members of the S and A class didn't either, but those were more out of arrogance. With Saitama, he's so powerful that she's, in some way, just like everybody else. He's not afraid of her, he doesn't worship her, in fact, he doesn't even seem to acknowledge her all that much... In a way that not even Blast could, maybe he just makes her feel a little more normal... and maybe... just maybe... she likes that... 'Maybe... she likes him...'
For some reason, that thought alone sent a flutter through her heart. A pang of pride even. When they were in that facility all those years ago, when they weren't being trained, they were given things for their downtime to keep them 'happy'. One thing they were given was a book. It was just a cheesy little book about a princess wanting love or something, but for two little girls trapped in their own tower of sorts, it was beautiful. Sometimes she herself would just dream of some beautiful boy coming to save her in her time of need. They've become so synonymous with power that... many people forget that they are still women. They are still people who crave things just like everyone else.
Fubuki was the only one to really remember that fact. She remembered that only for herself it seemed. Tatsumaki got so strong, it just seemed to her like she didn't care for things like that. Though, thinking back to when she comforted her over the news of Blast... your heart doesn't break like that if there's nothing to lose. Tatsumaki took to that saying of Blast's so thoroughly, it just felt like she had somehow transcended such petty things. But... maybe...
That's all this was. A maybe. A maybe that sent her heart aflutter with the thought of it being true. Despite her usually harsh words toward her, Fubuki knew deep in her heart that Tatsumaki just wanted the best for her, and vice versa. Her older sister had done so much good in this life that... she deserves love too. She deserves happiness just like everyone else. Why not with someone like Saitama? Sure, he's not a prime candidate. He's dull, he's... not very emotional, oblivious to literally everything, bald, but... in some strange, unbelievable way, all those traits somehow made him perfect for a woman like her sister... other than that last one. His dullness makes him view even Tatsumaki as just anyone else, his lack of emotion means Tatsumaki's random spurts of anger (which are inevitable) won't affect him, and his obliviousness is... well, that could be a problem.
Fubuki had been so engrossed in her thoughts on her sister's possible feelings, but what about Saitama's? Does he have any feelings? She's only met him once, very briefly, but it didn't seem like he cared very much about anything... other than groceries apparently (she was told the whole story by her sister). It wouldn't mean much of anything for Tatsumaki to have a crush on a guy who couldn't care less... Maybe... maybe he just needs a reason to care for something... Maybe if he hung around her enough, he'd come to like her. She's not the most tolerable person, and they don't, at face value, seem that compatible, but, '... hey, opposites attract, right...? Maybe... Heh... it'd be a long shot, but... mayb-..'
"FUBUKI!?" Tatsumaki yelled, staring at her.
"What!? w-Wha-.. huh?" she fumbled out in shock, blinking her daze away.
"You weren't even listening!?" she shouted. "Did you not hear anything I said, you idiot!? You are such a child sometimes!"
Fubuki took a deep breath and rubbed at her temples as she endured the stream of reprimands from her sister. 'Sheesh, maybe I should just leave it alone...'
"Ha-a-a-a-a-argh!" Metal Bat yawned. "Man, it's too early for this crap." He leaned back in his seat in the HQ meeting room with his legs propped up on the table. About half of the heroes were already in attendance, and the others were funneling in one after the other.
Atomic Samurai, sitting next to him, couldn't agree more. "Yeah, you said it, kid. I thought we were gonna be gettin' a bit of a break after that last meeting. Didn't think they were planning on retaliating this soon."
"Well, with the kidnap of the president's son, it's only expected," Zombieman reasoned from across the table.
"Tch, if that damn centipede hadn't shown up, it would've been a cakewalk keepin' that brat safe," Metal Bat replied.
"Didn't you get knocked out by that Hero Hunter guy?" Child Emperor asked, catching the tail end of the conversation as he took a seat next to Pig God.
"No! Who said that!?" Metal Bat demanded. "I was gonna crush that guy! Then, something hit me outta nowhere!"
"Uhuh," Child Emperor said sarcastically. "Well, whatever the case, it's actually a good thing that centipede freak showed up." He set up his laptop and started frantically typing away. "It left some pretty obvious entry points into their base of operations."
"Great," Tanktop Master spoke up. "Then, we'll take the fight straight to them and get him back."
"Sounds like a trap to me," Atomic Samurai said.
Child Emperor used a robotic arm sticking out of his backpack to pull the sucker from his mouth. "Most likely, but, it's the best option we've got. Better to fight them on their turf than ours. Minimize damage and what-not."
"They wouldn't foolishly provoke us unless they were sure they had some heavy hitters in the ranks," Tanktop Master deduced. "It's gonna be one hell-of-a fight."
"Nothin' we can't handle if they're sending all of us," Metal Bat boasted confidently as he twirled the handle of his bat between his fingers. "Besides, if things go south, we could always just leave it to Tornado and her new boyfriend. Pfft-heh-haha!"
"Watch out," Child Emperor warned him with a cautious look. "She wasn't far behind me when I was walking in."
The teen scoffed at his words. "Tch, yeah whatever... I don't get it. He didn't seem like much to me... I mean, what do you think?" he asked, throwing the question out there for anyone.
Zombieman was the first to respond. "I was apprehensive myself, but having the backing of Tornado, Demon Cyborg, and Bang has to be noteworthy."
"Pfft, I think the old man's senile. The guy just looks like he's got no fighting spirit."
"I'll side with Zombieman on the matter," Tanktop Master said. "We all witnessed the strength of the first creature in that invasion. If this guy took down its leader, it's possible there is some truth to his power."
"Uh, yeah," Child Emperor interjected. "And I think you're forgetting about the Sea-King. She says he took that thing down too... To do that with a rock?"
"Come ooon," Metal Bat drawled out with a tone of disbelief. "You really believe that? I mean, we all just blindly believed King was the one to defeat those Dragon levels in one hit. Look what happened there. It's sketchy. That's all I'm saying."
Atomic Samurai shrugged his shoulders with an apprehensive look. "Honestly, I'm pretty split on this one. On one hand, if he's a fraud, it'll look bad on the organization. On the other, if he's legit, then he's a worthy comrade... Either way, something tells me this next mission is gonna answer it for us."
The entire group went silent when the door opened up again. Tatsumaki came flying in, sparing them all an uninterested look on her way to the head of the table. The group shared a few awkward glances before they broke up and got to their own seats.
Not long after, Bang, Genos, and the newcomer finally entered.
"Wow," Saitama said plainly. "So, this is the meeting room...?" He couldn't help but notice the leering eyes, but no one really held his gaze for too long. "... That's a big table."
"Indeed, Master," Genos said with a small smile. He was just glad to finally have him here among the strongest heroes in the world. Even if he wasn't going to be sitting where he should. "We have assigned seats. You must sit at your assigned rank."
Saitama nodded and made to walk away before he stopped. "o-Oh... what was my rank again?" he whispered to him.
"16," Genos said, pointing down to the end.
"Oh... okay..."
Saitama walked towards the end of the table, not looking at anyone in particular. At this point, he was oblivious to the curious (skeptical in some cases) eyes on him. He looked down at the table going from number to number before he finally found his spot. When he finally sat down, he took note of a few of his seat neighbors still watching him with a keen eye.
"... Oh, uh... hi," he said with a plain smile. Seemingly all at once, they turned away from him as if to disregard his presence completely. 'Whoa... This kinda reminds me of school.'
"Hello," the booming voice next to him caught his ear. "I am Tanktop Master, rank 14."
"Oh, hey. Saitama," he said, shaking his hand.
The big man nodded his way. "It is a pleasure to greet you, Saitama. I hope we will work well, together."
Saitama noted how professional he sounded as his gaze drifted down the table. "Uh, yeah. Sure..." Eventually, he caught sight of that familiar bright green in his peripheral. To his surprise, Tatsumaki was staring right at him with her arms crossed over her chest. With a small grin, he raised his hand at her... and in return, she sharply looked away with a sneer. "... Hey, can we like-.. order stuff to eat or like a cup of coffee?" he asked.
Tanktop Master was taken back by that a bit. "u-.. Uh..."
Before he could respond fully, the door swung open again. Sitch and Sekingar came marching in with digital tablets, still discussing something with each other until they reached the front of the room.
"S-Class heroes," Sitch began. "Welcome, and thank you for meeting with us today. As you should know by now, there is a pressing matter at hand. This Monster Organization has attacked multiple cities and has taken a very influential child. His safe return is the top priority." He went on, explaining their plan of action.
Mostly everyone was paying attention, regardless if they looked like they wanted to be there or not... Others, however, were a bit distracted by the continuous sound of an adjusting chair. Like a domino effect traveling down both sides of the long table, the eyes of the heroes were traveling back to Saitama.
He lifted up, raising the chair a bit before lowering it a few times... then a few more... then, just a smidge more, this time a bit too much it seemed as he reset and tried again.
The notable people distracted by the annoyance were Tatsumaki, Metal Bat, Sekingar, Zombieman, and Tanktop Master which was likely due to him sitting right next to him. Eventually, more and more heads turned his way prompting a halt in Sitch's explanation when he noticed the lack of eyes on him.
"If we are to enter through Elder Centipedes' last retreating point, it'll force their hand and direct more damage away from th-..." He followed their eyes to the oblivious bald man still trying to get the right position. "... Uh... Saitama?" he called out.
"Hm?" he responded, now noting the entire room staring at him... he lowered his seat a notch.
"Is there an issue with your chair?" the executive asked.
He raised a confused brow. "With my chair...? No, why? Did I sit in something?"
"No, stupid!" Tatsumaki yelled, drawing his gaze. "You keep adjusting it!"
"o-Oh," Saitama muttered, raising it back up all the way. "Sorry..."
Slowly, their eyes returned to Sitch who was staring at the man with a furrowed brow. "r... Right... Well, as I was saying. If we enter through th-.."
(fshhh... fshh...)
Again, everyone looked back to Saitama. He raised a hand as if to tell on himself. "eh-hehe," he awkwardly chuckled. "Sorry, it was too high... It's good now, though..."
Again, the eyes that deviated turned back to Sitch who just picked up where he left off. "...-through the escape tunnel of Elder Centipedes' final retreat, we will be able to minimize the damage to the major cities. As this happens, we will have the cities pile into the bunkers for protection. Though we are taking the fight to them, we cannot be certain it will not be pushed back out to our turf."
"What of the other heroes? Are they to play contain?" Atomic Samurai asked, thinking of his underlings.
As Sitch answered his question, Saitama leaned over and got Tanktop Master's attention. "Uh, hey."
"Hm?"
"Who do I talk to about the grocery card? They said it would be in my welcome bag, but it wasn't."
"Ah. I assume you speak with Sekingar or Sitch. Or perhaps the receptionist could help you with that," he explained, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the meeting.
"Oh... The receptionist in the lobby?" he asked just to be clear.
The big man nodded. "Yes. I had a similar issue when receiving my welcome bag. She is very kind and will assist you in acquiring forgotten items."
Saitama nodded. "Okay... and what if I lose it? Could I perhaps get a rep-.."
"Saitama, Tanktop Master," Sitch called out, momentarily halting the entire meeting when he noticed them having their own conversation. "Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of us?"
They turned back down the table to see everyone staring right at them.
"No sir," Tanktop Master said. "Saitama was simply inquiring more about the organization."
Sitch took a deep breath and stared at the newest member for a long moment. "... Very well. Please, save it for after the debriefing. The information being provided is important."
"Yes sir..."
Metal Bat chuckled in disbelief, staring at Saitama with an amused look. 'There's no way this idiot's legit... He is funny, though...'
Tatsumaki saw that look of his and quietly huffed out a sigh of her own. She looked at Saitama and tuned the rest of the room out as she pondered her thoughts. Just looking at him made her irritated for some reason. He was like a child who couldn't pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds. Even now, he was just staring off into space, digging in his ear without a care in the world. 'Does he not understand the situation we're in!? The situation he's in...!?'
If she stood back and saw things objectively, she had to admit, it was fishy. He wasn't exactly the ideal S-Class hero, and that said a lot considering they were at the table with a human garbage disposal slobbering on himself, a literal child, and a guy in a dog costume. Even with how diverse they are, Saitama still found some way to stand out.
It was annoying, but truth be told, there was almost something funny about it. He was easily stronger than everyone in the room, yet they all saw him as an idiot. There were only three people there that truly knew what he was. She wasn't sure how Bang and Genos felt, but she almost had a giddy feeling knowing the truth. 'Heh... just wait... when the action starts, they'll see what I'm talking about... He's strong... Really strong... He'll jump ahead of all of these losers in one mission, probably... Just stop being dumb already...'
"Hm...?" Saitama's floating gaze suddenly shot straight her way, and they locked eyes as if she had called out to him. Immediately, her face went red in embarrassment.
"Tatsumaki?" Sitch said expectantly.
She looked his way in a panic, only then noting that everyone else was looking her way as well. "w-What!?"
Sitch sputtered at her sudden anger. "u-Uh. I apologize. I didn't realize you were lost in thought," he said. "Flashy Flash says you were in City-Y yesterday, defeating monsters. We were wondering if you had some information on tougher opponents."
"No! I don't know! Why are you asking me!? Isn't that your job!?" she yelled out angrily. It was like an automatic self-defense method. They definitely just caught her staring at Saitama. 'Oh, shit... was I smiling...?'
"r-Right," Sitch replied. "Anyways, there is the matter of having to face Elder Centipede without the help of Blast which is a task in itself. We're not certain there isn't something stronger, but it'd be tough to imagine. We must remain vigilant. Now, please prepare in whatever way necessary and meet at the location marked on your transponders in two hours. Thank you..."
Tatsumaki's face was flushed as she angrily stared around the room, locking eyes with a few suspicious glances as everyone scrambled to leave. 'Damn it... They definitely saw that...'
"Urgh," Saitama groaned as he and Genos stepped out of the building. "Do they have those meetings all the time?"
"No, Master. I believe it is just for important instances," his disciple replied. "Also, I overheard your conversation with Tanktop Master and have retrieved your grocery card."
"Oh, thanks. I completely forgot that." Saitama took it from his hand and examined it himself. "Well, I can't really use it until I get paid, but... it's good to have it."
"Master, I must apologize for letting this perk go to waste," Genos said. "I too have this discount and could have been buying groceries for you this whole time."
Saitama waved him off. "Nah, it's cool. That's nice and all, but I think a guy should buy his own groceries."
"Uh-...!" Genos pulled something from his back pocket. "I see..."
Saitama peeked over to see him penning it in his notepad as if it were some kind of infinite wisdom. He looked away with an awkward smile 'Geez, you don't have to write down everything I say...'
Genos stashed it away as they continued walking. "So, it seems we have some time to prepare," he stated. "What should we do, Master?"
Saitama's visage shifted suddenly into an intense look. "Well... I've got some business to take care of..."
Genos was shocked by the sudden shift in demeanor. 'Uh-! Master Saitama... Is he in some kind of trouble...? I shall accompany him for backup. Even though I do not think he will need it...' That's what he thought, but at the back of his mind, he wondered what kind of beast could pull this serious side out of him. If it shook someone as powerful as Saitama, it had to be something really bad...
"So... Mr. Saitama," an elderly man sitting on the opposite side of a desk said. He was a rather skinny guy wearing a tropical shirt and shorts. There was a stack of papers set down in front of him. "You were staying in theeee Sunlit Apartment complex, correct?" His voice was creaky and weak sounding, a testament to his age.
"Yup," Saitama nodded.
The guy nodded back and put his glasses on the tip of his nose, reading down onto the first page. "Okay, and it says here that... the building was destroyed by a meteor, right?"
"Uhuh."
"Okay..."
Genos and Saitama watched plainly as he continued to read through the first page. Every now and then, he would slop his tongue around in his mouth as if to moisten it. The disgusting sound it made was amplified by the silence of the room.
Genos now understood the complexity of the situation. 'This is Master Saitama's previous landlord, Mr. Sorata. He must be here to assess the damage fee...'
"o-Okay, Mr. Saitama," the old man began, flipping to the next page. "Please allow me to read through the damage report and inform you of the amount due."
"Huh?" Saitama voiced. "I thought you said you already read it..."
"h-what?" The old man questioned, for whatever reason throwing emphasis on his 'H'.
Saitama blinked a few times. "Uh... On the phone, you said you read it..."
Mr. Sorata shook his head. "n-No... No, I didn't say that..."
Saitama was going to refute that but decided against it. It'd be best to just let him get it over with.
"Okay... it says here that the building was destroyed by a meteor... right?"
'He already asked me that...' Saitama would be frustrated if he cared enough about the inconvenience, but after today, he'd probably never have to deal with the old guy again. "... Yeah..."
Mr. Sorata nodded and went back to reading...
Saitama and Genos sat on the opposite side of his desk watching his every move. The hum of his AC unit only amplified the mind-numbing boredom of the situation. It felt like they were sitting in detention or something.
"... Hey, do you know how long this is gonna take?" Saitama asked him. The old man didn't look up from his reading until he placed his finger on the spot he was on.
"h-What...?"
"Hm...? Uh... How long is it gonna take?" Saitama reiterated. "Because I've kinda got something to do in about..."
"-45 minutes." Genos finished for him as he looked to him for a time check.
The old man's bug-eyed look was disturbing him a bit by the low angle of his chin. He stared at them for a very long moment over the brim of his glasses. "... o-Oh. Not long at all. I just have to read through this damage report..."
They both looked at the stack of papers in front of him with not much reaction. It wasn't too thick, but it also wasn't just a few pages.
"Oh... but, don't worry. i-I'm a pretty fast reader, heh-heh," he chuckled, looking for where he stopped in his reading. "... Oh, dang-it... I lost my spot..."
They watched his finger trail back up to the very first sentence and begin again, slowly dragging along, word for word. "... Master, Saitama," Genos leaned over and whispered to him. "At the speed he is reading, and considering he must read every page, he will not finish in time for us to make it to the rendezvous point..."
Saitama blinked a few times and considered their options. He didn't want to come back at a later time since he was already here. It was looking like he wasn't going to have a good start to his second run at a hero career. "... Yeah, you're right. You should go on ahead and tell them I'll be late. I'll just have to wait until he's finished."
"Huh?" the old man asked, looking up at them.
"o-Oh, nothing," Saitama said, waving him off. "I was talking to Genos..."
"Ah, okie-dokie then... ah, dang it..." He started over again.
One by one the heroes started showing up at the huge hole left by Elder Centipedes' retreat. Tatsumaki was one of the first to arrive. She floated above the deep abyss waiting for everyone else. More importantly, for Saitama. His idiocies in the meeting room reflected badly on her. She could tell by the skeptical looks she's been receiving from a few of the other heroes and, aggravatingly, Sitch and Sekingar. If he didn't come on his A game, ON TIME, then it'd just make things worse...
That aside, she had to say she was getting pretty excited for once. Ever since getting that idiot in, it felt like everyone just looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. She couldn't wait for them to see him in action. That was one reason, but the other was for the creature that made this hole in the first place... the monster responsible for Blast's death...
Yeah, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't excited to tear that thing to shreds. It was the first time in a long time that she had been excited about a mission... until she looked on at possibly the only thing that could ruin that excitement...
Genos came walking up with Bang... and no Saitama... She'd realized by now that that hunk of metal was like Saitama's lap dog. He wouldn't have shown up without him unless...
'Alright, heroes,' the voice of Sitch said over their communication devices. 'It is time we begin our assault. Child Emperor has detected a split about a quarter mile through. A team will take the right and B team will take the left. Please, remain vigilant and retrieve the target.'
Wordlessly, they started jumping down, one by one, but Tatsumaki lingered a bit, hoping that Genos would call a halt to their departure... which he didn't. She watched him nose dive into the black abyss below with an incredible rage boiling over in her gut. '... WHERE IS HE!?'
Mr. Sorata licked his finger and slid the page he was reading off to the side. "Okay... Page 5..."
Saitama sat in his seat and watched him with the patience of a saint, every so often glancing at the clock above his head...