AN: Hello, and welcome back. Another chapter in the books. I hope you enjoy it. I'm gonna be introducing some new characters throughout the next few chapters. I hope they read well. Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Saitama sat in his seat on the helicopter mindlessly listening to the chatter of the four Association tactical escorts he's come to know over the past week. They were on their way back to HQ after another successful mission. Hopefully, his last of the week before the other heroes took over to give him a break. He sat next to the window and watched the cities glide by along their way.
When they first started doing missions together, the four soldiers almost never spoke in any capacity. They only ever communicated mission details when required. Now, they were freely talking as if they were all old friends. In the group, there was the Captain of their four-man squad, Denji. There were two other guys, Jin and Sasori, and the only female, Mai.
Though they worked together, he couldn't really say he knew too much about them, just yet. Denji seemed to be the cold-calculated type, but he had started loosening up in the past few days. Jin was almost always quiet, even now. Sasori was a real chatterbox and seemed to have some sort of crush on Mai who obviously didn't like him back. They were a strange concoction, but it didn't stop them from having fun and enjoying each other's company.
"Aw, come on Mai!" Sasori said with a beaming smile. "What's wrong with co-workers wanting to grab a few drinks after work?"
"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I just don't want to," she said with a smile and a cutesy shrug.
"Why not? You nervous?"
"Tch, yeah right, you idiot," she rolled her eyes. "As if I'd ever give YOU the time of day."
"Oof," Denji said with a shake of his head. "That's cold, Mai. Sasori's a pretty good guy."
"Yeah! You heard the Captain!" he agreed. "Honestly, you should probably jump at this opportunity before someone else does!"
"Keh-! Yeah, I can tell you're just beating women off with a stick, these days," she retorted.
Sasori laughed along with her, even though the joke was on him. "Heh-heh! I actually kinda am! Sometimes, I just happen to mention that I work with One Punch Man and suddenly, I'm like the most popular guy at the bar! Can't explain it, myself, really."
"Tch," she shook her head with a knowing grin. "Yeah... it's a mystery..."
"Don't let him fool you, Mai," the meek voice of Jin said. "I've seen him strike out more often than not."
She gave him a knowing grin. "Yeah, I was definitely worried. Thanks... And by the way, Sasori, women don't respect a man who uses his connections as a selling point, just so ya know."
"Tch, what?" he scoffed. "I'm not 'using' my connections. It just happens to pop up every now and then, heh... and if it happens to work, then that just proves you wrong, right?"
"Hah, no, you idiot," Mai said. "It just proves that you're desperate enough to let yourself be used by a pretty woman. If they hear that and suddenly seem more interested, trust me when I say that they're only looking for a chance at... well, you know..."
They all glanced at the bald man staring out the window in complete disinterest.
Sasori chuckled and shook his head. "... yeah, I know... but I guess it really doesn't matter, though. I really only have eyes for you, after all."
"Aww," she said, holding a hand to her chest dramatically. "... that's adorable." They all shared a laugh at Sasori's misfortune and relished the moment of peace as they approached HQ.
Though he wasn't involved in the conversation, and he was hardly paying attention, Saitama found it a bit more relaxing to hear how comfortable everyone was. Sure, the missions were boring, but at least it felt like his work environment wasn't as cold and restricted as he thought it would be. It kind of felt similar to the work banter he would hear at the corner store and his old desk job. A lighter atmosphere always seemed to make the day go by quicker.
They were all so different from the four soldiers he met just a week ago... and it really made him wonder, '... are they getting bored of this too...?'
("Please remain seated as we approach our drop point,") the pilot said over the intercom. ("... Uh, check that. There's uh... someone in the landing zone.")
"Hm...?" Saitama zoned in on the person in question through his window.
"... is that Metal Bat?" Sasori asked. "What's he doing here...?"
The teen hero stared up at the chopper with an intense look in his eyes. '... There you are...' His gaze locked in on the bald man in the window. '... Saitama...'
The chopper hovered around for a moment until the side door slid open. The yellow-clad hero stuck his head out before he dropped down to the helipad. He didn't say anything when he landed. They both knew what this was...
Metal Bat tapped his club against his shoulder a few times before he pointed it Saitama's way. "... I paid the fee... You owe me a fight..."
Tatsumaki sat on her couch slurping a bowl of noodles and staring intently at her TV. She was watching a true crime documentary about the monster attacks that predated the Hero Association. Back then, they ran rampant, and the only heroes standing against them were the police and occasionally the military when the situation called for it. It wasn't too interesting, but it distracted her from whatever her sister was talking about.
"Okay," Fubuki muttered. "How can you get Saitama's attention...? First, we should find out what kind of woman he likes. If we can do that, then making you stand out should be a cakewalk..." She was drifting in the air in front of the TV, but Tatsumaki managed to ignore her, all the same. "He already said you're amazing, so I think your foot's already in the door... maybe..."
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes with a quiet sigh. She was still embarrassed by her behavior yesterday. If there was one thing she hated most, it was being treated like a child, and that's exactly what it felt like when Fubuki forced that confession... and she cried again...
'Tch... some example I am,' she brooded. Even knowing that her sister knew the answer, she was hellbent on denying it for a reason that she didn't even fully understand, herself. In some way, having a silly little crush felt like a weakness. It was almost as useless as Fubuki clinging to that group of underlings she had. It was a distraction that she didn't need, especially considering all that's happened... but it wasn't like she could just forget about it. No matter what she did, the thought of it managed to worm its way to the forefront of her mind every other second of the day.
"There's also the issue of finding him," Fubuki was saying when she tuned back in. "I've been researching a lot of dating advice online, and many experts agree that the best way to attract your crush is to spend a lot of time near each other. Obviously, that's an issue, considering we don't know where he lives."
Tatsumaki glanced at her for a moment before she turned back to the TV. She couldn't let her find out that he lives right across the hall. It was a relief to know that she hadn't run into him, yet.
"Honestly, we should start hanging around HQ a little more. It's probably your best option to run into each other... Maybe if we can find out where he lives, we can-.."
"Fubuki," Tatsumaki stopped her.
The girl in question halted her floating pace and stared at her sister.
"... Can we just... not talk about that, today...?"
"... Oh... Yeah, okay. I guess... we don't have to talk about that, right now... But... we should probably think about what we're gonna do, right...?"
Tatsumaki shook her head and continued watching her show. "Nope... I don't wanna do anything..."
Now, Fubuki was confused. "Huh...? But... I thought you said-.."
"It's just a crush, Fubuki... Not like I'm in love with him or anything..."
Fubuki stared at the side of her face with disappointment quickly settling in. She thought they were past all this. "Heh... I know you're not in love... but, that's why you have to get to know him better through dating. Maybe you will be, one day."
"I know how dating works," Tatsumaki replied, clearly getting annoyed. "I just... don't wanna do that..."
"... But, yesterday, you said you-.."
"I know what I said...!" Fubuki flinched when she slightly raised her voice, and Tatsumaki begrudgingly noticed. She huffed out an irritated sigh and floated her bowl of noodles onto the coffee table in front of her. "I... I know what I said, but..." The look on her little sister's face froze her for a second. Why was she so disappointed? "... I just don't wanna act on it, okay...? I just want it to go away..."
Fubuki continued watching her as she tried to tune back into the show she was watching. She doubted every word she had just said. It didn't make sense for her to act the way she did yesterday just to turn around and say it doesn't matter. If she really felt that, "... then why did you cry...?"
Tatsumaki's eyes flickered to hers for a fraction of a second before she looked back to the screen. She shook her head and proceeded to ignore her question as if she didn't even hear her.
"... If it doesn't matter to you, then why were you crying yesterday...? Tatsumaki, I'm not gonna let you do this... I mean, I understand how you feel, but-.."
"No, you don't," Tatsumaki cut her off with a hollow tone to her voice. "... You don't understand anything... and that's not why I was crying..." She kept her eyes on the screen, mindlessly watching a camera recording of an old monster attack as she lost herself in thought.
If there was one positive she could pull from their heartfelt breakthrough the day before, it was opening herself up to the idea of keying her sister in on the struggles in her life. Fubuki was clinging to that stupid crush, but if Tatsumaki could shift her focus, maybe Fubuki would forget about it, eventually. Unfortunately, to do that meant that she would have to open up again, which was something she was never any good at, but... if it helped her cause, it was worth a shot.
"... Yesterday, you said that... I don't have to be alone to be strong... but I am," she said, looking back at her. "... I am alone... and it feels like I'm not strong enough anymore... Feels like I'm always getting saved... So, how am I the number 1 hero...?"
Fubuki could see her eyes glimmering, and she finally understood what was truly going on. Tatsumaki wasn't crying yesterday out of some stubborn urge to protect herself from the embarrassment of admitting her feelings. It was the mounting stress of being the number 1 hero that was truly weighing on her and Fubuki forcing that confession was like another reminder of her slipping control over her life.
"All this time, I've been trying to show you, but... I don't think I know what it means anymore..." Tatsumaki ran a hand through her curly hair and stared down at her steaming bowl of noodles. "I don't know what it means to be strong... yet everyone expects me to be the strongest..." She took a deep breath and sunk back against the couch, her irritated gaze drifting up to the ceiling. "... and I don't know what to do..."
'... What does it mean to be strong...?' That was the question plaguing the thoughts of Metal Bat, especially now as he casually trailed behind Saitama away from HQ and further into the desolate area that used to be City-A. There was a point in time, not too long ago, when he thought he had a firm grasp on that concept... and in a single day, that Hero Hunter changed the definition... and then, Saitama changed it again...
During his first encounter with the self-proclaimed "Human Monster", Metal Bat truly started to believe that there was some actual merit to martial arts. Of course, watching Bang in the top three over the years, he already knew that, and at times he even thought of asking the old man for a lesson or two, but... it never felt like a good fit for him...
In all his years of fighting monsters, he's gotten by on speed, power, and an unbeatable will to win, and it's hardly ever failed him... So, why change it up, now? '... I just need more... That's the formula for me... More speed... and more power...'
Eventually, Saitama came to a stop and turned around, casually crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay... Here should be good..."
Metal Bat stopped a few yards away and held his lazy gaze for a long while. His blood was already boiling in anticipation... Staring into those blank eyes felt like standing at the foot of a mountain that ascended high into the clouds... So high that he couldn't see the top...
Saitama watched as a grin suddenly crept across the kid's face. '... wow, he seems excited...' He watched as he started stretching like a baseball player about to take the field. They hadn't spoken a single word to each other since meeting on the helipad. The silence between them was swallowed by the whoosh and whistle of the wind.
As he stretched out his still slightly aching muscles, Metal Bat continued to eye him down with a scrutinizing glare. If there was one thing he was certain about in life, it's that everyone has a weakness. No matter how small or insignificant it seemed, so did Saitama... and he just had to find it once...
"Urghhh..." he groaned with a final stretch before he steadied himself. "... Alright... Just so we're clear, you said one, right...?"
"Huh...?"
Metal Bat tapped his bat against his shoulder a few times. "... One hit, and you'll train me... That's what you said the other day..."
"Oh... yeah, I guess I did, huh...?" Still, Saitama didn't uncross his arms. He almost looked completely bored already.
"You forgot...?"
"Yeah..."
Metal Bat looked up to the clear blue sky and sighed through his nostrils. "... heh... You shouldn't have made it so easy, ya know... Almost feels like charity."
"... okay..."
The kid drew his leg back in a lazy stance and twirled his bat with a flourish. "Just so you know... I ain't goin' easy... I plan on bashin' your head in, so you better not take this lightly..."
"Sure..."
"... There a time limit...?
Saitama shrugged, "Nope... Just give up whenever I guess..."
Metal Bat tightened his grip on his club, shaking his head at the prospect. As if he'd ever give up. "... Ready...?"
"Yup. Whenever you're r-.."
(DING! WHOOSH!)
Saitama leaned his head out of the way just as a jagged rock came screaming by, inches from his face.
Metal Bat slammed his weapon into the ground, kicking up more chunks of rock. He watched them hover before the drop. When they came in range, he stepped into a perfect form swing, shooting them off like bullets with a ding from his bat.
Saitama avoided the projectiles by casually hopping aside when needed. When they stopped coming, he looked back across the field to see the teen was gone. "Hm...?" His eyes shot up when he noticed the glint of the silver club in the air. Metal Bat came roaring down. Saitama couldn't see him through the glare of the sun, so he slammed his foot into the ground, kicking up a sizeable boulder that he gently tossed his way with a flick of the wrist.
Metal Bat shattered the large rock in one swing, and as soon as he did, he blindly swung through the resulting smoke, but Saitama sidestepped the wild attack. Without a moment of hesitation, he continued his assault, swinging like a madman.
Saitama avoided every strike as if he wasn't even trying. His lazy gaze followed the bat's every move.
'Damn it!' Metal Bat mulled as he continued his pressure. 'It's like he's reading every swing!' Suddenly, his attacks slowed down, but only for a moment. "... Tch-!... DRAGON THRASHING!"
"... whoa," Saitama muttered when he started going even faster. His attacks were all aimed at his head, but the strikes were coming from very sporadic angles, making it a lot harder to keep track. Still, he evaded with a plain look on his face.
(WOOSH! BOOM!)
Metal Bat slammed his club into the ground, shattering the area completely, yet still missing his target. He stood in the destruction of his strike, seething with frustration.
Saitama stumbled a bit as he landed a few feet behind him. When he got his footing, he stared at the teen with a hint of a hollow smile tickling the corners of his mouth. 'heh... Not bad...'
Metal Bat snapped his head around and caught sight of him in his peripheral. With a quick chop at the ground next to him, he sent a shockwave tearing through the ground right at him.
Saitama jumped away again, but this time, Metal Bat was ready for him. The teen smashed the ground even harder, and like sand on a snare drum, the rubble from his previous attack popped up around him. He glared daggers at the bald man who was still caught in mid-air. 'Try this one!' With his bat in hand, he began rapidly twisting, knocking the falling rocks around in a swirling storm of destruction. "SAVAGE TORNADO!"
"... shit," Saitama muttered as he watched the first wave of incoming rocks. He began bending and twisting his body away, desperately trying to avoid getting hit while in such a vulnerable position. His attack was damn near unavoidable, and the force of his spin was tearing away at the ground around him, so the chips and jagged stones were never-ending.
When he finally landed, he stuck his hands into the ground and pulled a huge chunk for cover. 'Geez... this kid's serious... Kinda reminds me of Genos that one time...' With a gentle push from his palm, the boulder went flying at the spinning hero as if it were shot out of a cannon. He shattered it, but it killed the momentum of his attack and sent the teen skidding back against the ground. 'Speaking of Genos, I haven't heard from him today, either... wonder what he's been up to...'
"I got it," Bang said, staring down at the paper in his hands. "Komiki didn't accept our proposal because we decided to skip the shower. She is clearly someone who values cleanliness, so that misstep was more vital to our failure than we realized..."
Genos scanned his own paper as well, intently looking for their error. "Ah... I see. So, the first rule of thumb is to ensure you are properly washed before proposing a date to a woman. Had we taken our time to complete our morning routine, we would have had a higher chance of success."
King looked absolutely exhausted as he stood behind the couch watching them struggle. 'That's not it at all, though it is good advice...' His gaze shifted over to the screen that displayed a still shot of a beautiful woman slapping the main character across the face. 'If you just approach a woman without any form of small talk and demand a date 'or else...' of course, she'll say no...'
This was day three of their training, and still, there was little progress in their understanding of modern dating. Genos was starting to seem more robotic by the day. All of his decisions were strictly based on logic and shoddy analytics, and Bang was somehow even worse. The old man claimed to have been 'quite the casanova' in his younger days, but King was starting to wonder if he had ever even spoken to a woman before...
Though, when he thought about it, Bang was a world-renowned martial artist for years before the Hero Association. He likely didn't have to do much when it came to attracting women, because of his fame. Of course, he'd like to think the same would be true for Saitama, but they weren't exactly attempting to court a civilian woman, here.
"Um... okay," King said, drawing their attention. "I think that's enough of the simulation for today." He stepped around the couch and shut the game off. Bang and Genos were still adamantly studying the game guides he prepared for them last night. It was just general knowledge of the important likes and dislikes of the romanceable characters. He was hoping they'd do a little better with some insight.
"Ah, I see," Bang muttered with a finger to his chin. "Mito values family above all else, and her younger brother is very dear to her. He is a delinquent punk who has run away from home after being caught graffitiing the train station..."
"Then, next time, we should find him," Genos said.
'Obviously,' King mulled. 'It's vital to the success of courting Mito. You find her brother and convince him to turn over a new leaf. This way, Mito comes to see your good fatherhood qualities and-..'
"-and have him arrested," the cyborg finished.
"Mmm," Bang hummed. "That way she will not worry about him being out on the streets."
"And he will pay for his crimes... Then, she will accept our proposal..."
King took a deep breath and stared at the two wondering how the hell he got himself into this mess. Of course, he wanted to progress his story, but was it really worth besmirching the image he held of these two S-Class heroes? "... Uh, okay," he said, grabbing their attention. "I think we should really start game-planning ways to get Saitama and Tornado to interact more often."
"Oh-.. really?" Bang asked. "Do you really think we're read-.."
"No..." he answered, a little too quickly, "... but, we should at least confirm whether or not Saitama is attracted to Tornado, or not... a-and vice versa..." Though, he already knew Tornado was in. He didn't divulge that information to them because they were potential side characters. So, for authenticity, they had to go in as blind as a normal side character would. That made it harder to keep the focus on the specific pairing he had in mind, but as clueless as they were, King knew he could work around that if need be. "We need a good first scenario. Something that will pit them in a neutral area together in which we can observe their mannerisms... Got any ideas...?"
"Yes," Genos started, standing to his feet. "... We break their coffee makers..."
King and Bang shared a perplexed look before they both voiced their confusion, "... huh...?"
"According to an online study, a coffee shop is one of the most popular dating locations. So, if we break their coffee makers, I will suggest that Master Saitama come with me to a coffee shop. There, we will run into Tornado and I will suggest we share a table as co-workers and gauge their conversation..."
"... Uhh..." King uttered. "That's... something..." There were way too many unknowns and implausible steps for that to ever work, but it wasn't nothing. It also told King that Genos was really taking inspiration from the game.
"But, how exactly would you know what coffee shop Tatsumaki will be at?" Bang pointed out, "... And how are you so sure you'd be there at the same time?"
"That's simple," Genos said. "I do not know the extent of your relationship, but from observation alone, it seems like you and Tornado are on civil terms."
"Hm...?" Bang thought about it for a moment. "... well, I suppose that's true, but I'm afraid I don't think she would accept an invitation from me. I mean... I suppose if I died my hair again and used some good face cream I could look a few years younger, but..."
"w-Wait," King stopped him. "i-I'm sure Genos meant for you to invite her as a friend."
"Ah," Bang uttered, coughing into his fist. "Of course... Even so, I can't say for sure she would accept such a sudden invitation."
"We will keep that as a potential option," King said, making a mental note to edit the specifics later. "Bang...? Got any ideas?"
The old man scratched his head and thought it over. "... hm... Perhaps we falsify a meeting request..."
"Ah," King said. "You mean deliver a fake meeting request and have them show up alone."
"And since Genos is typically by Saitama's side," Bang continued, "he can accompany him and view their interaction."
King continued to think over the specifics in his head as the two talked. 'So... he's going with Sakura's storyline from yesterday... Though maybe having Genos there would disrupt the natural flow of the awkward situation... and I'm not sure he'll even be able to tell if there is a connection.' He looked at the cyborg and pondered a thought that suddenly occurred to him. Something that he hadn't considered in the few months he's known of him. '... Is Genos a full machine, or was he once human...? I assume he must have been considering his love and admiration for Saitama, but... how human was he...?'
"If she attempts to leave," Genos was saying, "I will not allow it... by force if necessary."
"Uh-heh-heh," Bang chuckled awkwardly. "i-I don't think that is a wise decision, Genos. Tatsumaki can be quite... ruthless."
Genos thought it over to himself. He knew he stood no chance against Tornado, but if she wouldn't stay the plan had no merit. '... perhaps if I convince Master Saitama to contain her...'
"It's a good plan," King said, drawing their attention back. "They both are... but there are a lot of unknowns to consider before we put anything into action. That being said, I think it's important that I say we shouldn't act alone." His gaze was shifting between the two of them, but it was clear his statement was more directed at Genos. He cleared his throat and focused in on the cyborg with a timid look in his eyes. "It's... fair to say that you may know Saitama better than anyone, but you shouldn't just badger him with accusations. Obviously, I can't restrict you from doing so, but... I at least have to ask..."
Genos seemed to ponder his words for a tense moment before Bang added his two cents. "He may be right, Genos. I can't say I am too familiar with this kind of situation, but I was a young man myself at one point, and as I've said before, every beating heart eventually craves the comfort of another... though sometimes we may not always see it... We can guide him to the answer, but it is ultimately up to Saitama to decide what it is his heart desires... and if he truly does feel a connection with Tatsumaki, it is best to let him come to that realization on his own... as we all must..."
Step after step, Garou trudged down the barren field that resembled the destroyed City-Z. It wasn't the real one. He could tell because every so often he passed by a mirage of the bald man that defeated him, even though he never changed directions. This illusion of Saitama would just stare at him and watch him drift by. It felt like some oddly personal form of torture to see this unfair hero linger around as he walked in circles.
Whatever this... artificial world was... it was on an endless loop, and it didn't matter where he went or what he tried to do...
He was trapped...
After his revealing first encounter with the man known as Code, he refused his offer, and in response, the man just faded away... as if he never even existed...
Garou had been walking ever since. There was no true indication of time, but it felt like he had been there for weeks already. Despite that, he never seemed to grow hungry... or sleepy... It was like his body itself was stuck in some kind of stasis. Every injury he received from his fight with Saitama was still there and refused to heal, but he wasn't bleeding out. It felt like he was truly frozen in time, somehow...
He had long since given up hope of finding a way home. '... not like I had a home to get back to, anyways...'
There were no words he could drudge up to describe the empty feeling he had as he traversed this purgatory. He wasn't devastated, frightened, or even angry. The only sensation he could firmly grasp was his exhaustion. His body felt a thousand pounds heavier, and he couldn't even find the strength to raise his head anymore to see where he was walking, yet he just couldn't seem to shut down and sleep. His only viable option was to walk this road that led to nowhere in hopes that his captor would return... so he could kill him...
It wasn't that he was opposed to the man's goal. He just wasn't one for joining up with a villain like him... The last time that happened, he almost lost himself.
'... Haven't you noticed...?' The voice of Saitama came to mind.
Suddenly, Garou stopped in the middle of the road when something caught his eye. That illusionary image of the caped baldy was no longer looking at him. It was now standing face to face with what he once became. A big mindless winged creature that could only growl out his frustrations.
'... You're a lot weaker than before...'
Though he heard the bald man's voice, the illusionary Saitama wasn't moving his lips. With labored breaths, he watched the thoughtless beast across from him snarl and growl like a hungry bear. It looked scary, but it wasn't him... It wasn't the image he saw when he thought of Garou, the human monster... It was just another loser that was always meant to lose... but why was he seeing it, now...?
"... Wow," an unfamiliar voice said from behind him. Slowly, he turned around to see a girl sitting cross-legged on a stone bench that he was sure he hadn't seen before. She had black hair that was done up in a bun held together by two pins. Her skin was pale, contrasting the nearly all-black outfit she wore that matched the dark of her black eyes. "... That thing was you...? It's pretty ugly..."
Garou stared at the strange girl for a long moment, wondering if she were just Code in disguise. "... Who are you...?"
Her black eyes flickered to his gaze for a second until she looked back behind him at the bald hero facing his former self. "... Yoru..."
(BOOM!)
Without warning, Garou tackled her through the bench shattering it to pieces. "w-What the-!" Her words caught in her throat when he suddenly pulled one of the long pins from her hair. "n-No, wait!" Mercilessly, he stabbed her right through the heart.
"... Enough games, Code..." He watched her spew blood from her gaping mouth as he stood back to his feet. "I won't help you... so, just die already..." The girl writhed in pain before the life left her eyes.
"... I'm not Code..."
With an internal groan, Garou slowly turned around to find the girl standing behind him, still watching the face-off between Saitama and his former self in the distance. Even though he knew it already, he looked back down at the one he stabbed to see she was gone, as if she never even existed.
"Don't worry," she said, "... it's not the first time I've died..."
He turned back around and examined her fully. She was wearing a black sundress that fanned out at the hips. Over that, she wore a black hoodie, and Garou noted that she was barefooted. "... You're trapped here too."
"I am not," she quickly replied. "... I can leave if I wish..."
"Then, you know the way out?"
"I do..."
His gaze shifted over to Saitama for a moment. "... So, tell me."
"I cannot... I don't know why, but... Code wants your cooperation..."
"So... you work for him," Garou deduced.
"I do," she confirmed. "... Unfortunately, I do..."
He narrowed his gaze suspiciously. "Doesn't sound like you have a choice..."
"... heh... yeah... I guess I don't..."
"... Why are you here?" he asked.
Yoru sighed and looked up to the grey sky above. "... Code had something to do... So, he sent me to see if you've changed your mind..." She turned around and met his gaze with her cold lifeless eyes. "I'm guessing you haven't?"
"No..."
She stared at him for a long beat as if she were judging the weight of his answer. "... huh," she said, turning away. "... even after all this time..."
"How long has it been...?"
She chuckled lightly through her nostrils and strolled over to the bench that he had destroyed moments ago. As everything in this strange limbo, it was back as if nothing even happened. "... In the real world, only a week... but time moves differently when you're here, in case you haven't noticed..." She plopped down and retook her cross-legged position. "You've been walking this road for months, now..."
Garou watched her the whole way until something else caught his attention. The illusion of Saitama and his former self were gone. In its place was... them... A perfect mirror image of themselves, only it wasn't a mirror. He stared across at himself for a moment before he lifted his hand and slowly waved it side to side. His doppelganger mimicked him, completely.
"Most people would've lost their minds, by now," Yoru said.
Garou noted how her mirror image didn't speak along with her voice. "... Is that so...?" And neither did his. They were just mimicking their movements like lifeless puppets. "... You seem to know a lot about this world..."
"Hmh... I should hope so... It is my power, after all..."
His gaze shifted over to Yoru when her words fully registered in his clouded mind. "... Guess that solves the mystery, then..." She looked up at him, wondering what he meant. "Of why you're working for Code," he clarified.
She turned back and stared at herself again. "Wow... I didn't think he'd tell you that much..."
"He sure likes to talk," Garou grumbled as he strolled over and took a seat next to her.
Again, Yoru chuckled lightly at his words before a silence settled in. They sat on the bench and listened to the wind whistle its hollow tune all around them for a moment before she posed a question. "... Why won't you accept his offer...?"
Garou sighed and continued to eye the doppelganger down from across the way. All this time being alone with his thoughts, he wondered that as well, but the truth was, "... I don't know..."
Yoru looked over and stared intently at the side of his face. "Heh... not much of an answer," she mocked. "... You could be free again..."
Garou leaned back against the bench until his head was hanging over the back and he was staring up at the sky. "Yeah, well... maybe someone like me isn't meant to be free, anyways... Maybe I'm right where I need to be... For the things I've done, I should probably be dead, but... for some reason, he decided to spare me..."
"Code...?"
Garou's eye's flickered to her for a moment before he looked away. When he said that, it wasn't Code that came to mind... but that bald-headed tank of a man, '... Saitama...'
"... Oh," Yoru said, drawing his attention. "... That guy, again..."
She was looking back across the way, and when he followed her line of sight, there he was... staring with that disinterested look of his.
"... Who is that...? A friend of yours...?"
Garou stared the illusion right in the eyes for a moment. He slowly shook his head, "No... He's a hero... and I'm a monster... We could never be friends..."
"That monster from earlier," Yoru said, "... was that your real form...?"
Garou shook his head again.
"... So... this is the real you..." She cocked her head and stared at the side of his face for a long moment. Then, for seemingly no reason, she poked his cheek with her pointer finger, drawing his gaze.
As if it were the first time their eyes had ever met, Garou was frozen in the beam of her gaze. There was no expression on her face at all. She was as deadpanned as the illusion of Saitama across the way. Maybe the corners of her lips were just slightly curled, or her eyes were just a bit squinted, but for some reason, he felt like she was smiling.
"... You don't look like a monster to me..."
(KRRRAAAACK!)
Metal Bat split the ground with his swing for what felt like the thousandth time. No matter how hard or fast he swung, it was like he was fighting Saitama's shadow. There was a streak of blood leaking down the length of his face. With a crazed look in his eyes, he tracked the speedy man down and was right back on his trail. It's been three hours at least and he hasn't even scratched him... yet the most annoying part of the fight was the fact that Saitama wasn't fighting back. He only ever attacked to get himself out of a tough spot, and even then it was just a method to create some space. So, why did it feel like he was fighting for his life...? 'Hergh! Damn it...! I can't land anything!'
(Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!)
Saitama bobbed and weaved the sporadic strikes with little interest. Internally, he was wondering how this compared to fighting Genos that one time.
"HRRRAAAARRGGHHH!" Metal Bat kicked it into overdrive, swinging as hard and as fast as he could physically manage. Every strike came at different intervals and angles, and still, he was always just too slow. His bat met nothing but the air around the bald man. The swings tore the ground to shreds from the force of the shockwaves.
'Huh...' Saitama thought as he evaded the strikes, 'Feels kinda the same... though Genos was a lot flashier...' He stomped at the ground in front of him when the teen caught him backpedaling. The ground exploded from the force kicking up a cloud of dust and crumbling in Metal Bat's path making him slip. Saitama jumped back and got some distance. 'As for who's stronger... I can't really tell... huh?' His eyes tracked a glint of the bat flying out the top of the rising dust cloud. Readying himself to defend, he suddenly realized that it was just the bat. His eyes quickly shot back to the center of the explosion to see Metal Bat already stepping into a perfect throw like an experienced baseball pitcher.
(FWOOSH!)
The ball of rock whistled like the shot of a silenced pistol when it left his hand. Saitama jumped just in time, spreading his legs to leap the projectile. For the first time in the fight, his eyes got wide with worry when he thought he didn't jump high enough. It looked like the jagged baseball was headed right for his jewels, but at the peak of his job, he willed himself just a bit higher, and the stone passed just beneath him. "Whew-!" he huffed in relief. Looking back to the pitcher, he saw him stepping into another throw, so he reached up and snatched the handle of the flying bat from the air and used it to crush the stone on his way back down.
Metal Bat watched him land a few yards away. With his foot, he kicked up another well-sized piece of rubble and caught it in his hand. His daring gaze eyed the bald man down across the field.
Saitama held his bat in one hand and twirled it around a bit to test its weight. He had thought it'd be pretty heavy considering the damage it dealt, but it seemed like a normal bat.
"Hey..." Metal Bat called out, grabbing his attention. For some reason, he spat on the slab of rock in his right hand before he used both to crush it down into a more spherical shape like a kid with a handful of snow.
"Hm...? You give up...?"
"Heh..." Metal Bat turned to the side and narrowed his gaze across the field like a pitcher on the mound. "Not a chance..." He stretched his neck around until he was comfortable. "Just wanna know somethin'..."
(FWOOSH!)
He snapped through a perfect form throw and the ball of rock blasted toward Saitama who shattered it with the bat as easily as someone swatting a fly with a flyswatter.
Metal Bat stared at him for a moment before he grabbed another rock and repeated the process. He crushed the stone into a ball and retook his pitching stance. "... Demon Cyborg... He have to do this too...?"
(FWOOSH!)
Saitama swat it away. "Uh... Yeah, more or less..." He watched him make another ball.
Before throwing his next pitch, Metal Bat stared at the jagged rock with a hazy look. '... I wonder... did that kiss-ass actually do it...?' His narrowed gaze shifted across the field and with a deep breath, he threw it much harder than he had before.
(FWOOOOOSSSHHHHH!)
The force of his throwing motion cracked the ground around him and the rock was sent blasting across the field.
(SMACK!)
Saitama caught the throw in the palm of his hand.
Metal Bat just couldn't be amazed anymore. Any impossible feat the bald man pulled was almost expected, at this point. '... Did Demon Cyborg actually land a hit...?'
"Hey," Saitama called out. "I have a question for you, now..."
Metal Bat watched him toss his stone-made baseball in the air a few times. "... Yeah? What is it...?"
Saitama caught the stone and stared at it for a second before he crushed it in the palm of his hand. "Is there some kind of rock-throwing bonus for heroes...?"
"... What...?"
"Like... a bonus for using rocks or whatever," he clarified with a shrug. "It just seems like everyone always uses their power to throw rocks... I mean, even I used a rock that one time..." He held his chin, deep in thought. "Why is it such a popular thing? Anyone can throw a rock, right...? o-Oh, but no offense," he quickly said.
Metal Bat's stupified gaze watched him ramble until he was finished. He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know... Guess it's just what's available..."
"Oh..." he muttered, looking around their scarred battlefield. That made a little more sense. "... so, if we were fighting in like a sandwich shop, you'd use a sandwich...?"
"A sandwich...?"
"Actually, that sounds kinda good... Hey, how bout we call it a day and go grab a sandwich...?"
Metal bat narrowed his eyes. '... what...?'
"I'll pay..." The silence that followed his offer was only swallowed by the whistle of the wind swirling around them. He eyed the kid down with that same look of disinterest.
"... heh," the teen chuckled. "... You think it's that easy...? Think I'm ready to quit...?" Saitama didn't respond, and Metal Bat couldn't really tell what was going on in his head. Clearly, he was getting bored, and he was looking for an excuse to leave, but he couldn't let it end like this. "... not until I win..."
Again, Saitama said nothing. He expected something like this to happen. If there was one key similarity between this kid and his disciple... they never gave up... He looked down at the bat in his hand for a second before he suddenly tossed it with a high arch back over to him.
'huh...?' Metal Bat mulled as he glanced up at his flying club. '... he's giving it back...? Why would h-..' Suddenly, his blood ran cold when a gust of wind brought his gaze back to where Saitama stood only to realize he wasn't there anymore. He only glanced at the bat, and yet the bald man was nowhere to be seen... and there was an incredible pressure on the back of his neck. When he glanced back, Saitama was there, standing behind him... He was faster than he appeared before... and his aura screamed danger...
Metal Bat had never once frozen in battle, yet he couldn't move. It felt like if he did, he was going to die... Saitama had his hands down at his sides. He made no indication that he was going to attack, but the speed he just showed proved that he was holding back more than he thought. '... I wasn't just barely missing him... He made me think that I was close... but I wasn't...' He stared into those blank, cold, eyes and truly wondered just how far that gap really was. '... I was never close, at all... I wa-..'
(DING...!)
Saitama watched the bat smack the teen right on the top of his head before it clattered down to the ground. Metal Bat stumbled a bit with his eyes rolling and Saitama caught him before he toppled over. "... oops..."
AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I have a question for you guys. Not one of my usual general questions though. This one involves the story, so I would really appreciate some feedback.
I can potentially add a character or two from different anime in sort of a "crossover but not really" fashion...? Like, I can pull a specific character from a different show and sort of meld their story into the history of this world, seamlessly... or I could just make original characters based loosely on the characters I have in mind... What do you think? Crossover characters or no crossover characters? I'll take the popular consensus into consideration...
Also, this is unrelated to the characters I'm talking about, but is anyone else watching Chainsawman? What are your thoughts on it so far?