"… And please, feel free to visit the dining hall any time you wish."
The middle-aged owner of the building smiled warmly as he finished his welcoming speech and spread his arms towards his precious guests. The guests in question, twelve S-Class heroes in total, mumbled about in their yukatas. They seemed less eager than he would've liked.
The man twiddled his beard thoughtfully.
The man — or rather, the heroes' host — for the next two days was someone who had been in the business for many years. As such, he was no stranger to dealing with people of high esteem. Be it actors or actresses, leaders or athletes, the man had steeled himself and entertained his guests without so much as a hair falling out of place. It was a necessity for his business to bloom — and bloom it did. After years and years of grand celebrations and humble gatherings, the man had seen it all. At least, he thought he'd seen it all.
In his famed resort that very day, were the S-Class. Arguably the most dangerous, powerful people on the planet. That… well, that was something he hadn't seen, ever.
The man knew that they were mostly secretive — which gave rise to rumors upon rumors surrounding them. The heroes were incomplete at the moment — the top-ranked hero Blast, the second-ranked hero Tatsumaki, Metal Knight, Drive Knight, and Genos were absent. He secretly hoped that it would stay that way. That was because the stories he'd heard about the ones present scared him enough.
Puri Puri Prisoner. An unbelievably powerful inmate who escapes maximum security prisons with ease — and was said to assault any man who catches his eye. The Association was rumored to keep him under mind control so as to keep him from attacking. Sometimes, though, even that didn't stop him.
Tank Top Master. The leader of the Tank-Topper group, and the embodiment of delusion. He apparently led cult meetings for his fellow Tank-Tops, and has been trying to recruit more and more members in order to overthrow the Association. His strength was frightening.
Zombieman. Pig God. Watchdog Man. Flashy Flash. All of them were supposed to be heroes completely trusted by the Association, but their recent inactivity during the alien invasion gave rise to even more doubt around circles of skeptics. They were said to have gone off to solve different problems that came up in other cities, but their claims were dubious.
The man knew they were just rumors, but for a business owner with as many connections as him, it was best to think of any guest as a glass half-empty. Both sides of the coin were considered, and that way the best preparations could be made.
There wasn't much of a chance that they would get thrown over the edge in such a relaxing place, he knew. But even still, a bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.
There was just one wild card. Something he could never prepare for even if he tried.
The Tornado of Terror.
A veritable risk to host according to many of his peers, she would be attending the celebration as well. If all the other heroes had a risk of around 5% taking into account the rumors surrounding them, Tatsumaki would be around 50%.
Very stuck-up, high standards, and the occasional bouts of anger that came from seemingly nowhere! If he was given the chance, he would humbly reject letting her in. Unfortunately, he found that the celebration revolved completely around her. The Association was paying a very reasonable sum for the whole ordeal, and there was no way he would refuse every S-Class hero a stay. He didn't have a choice.
Just thinking about the next few days was giving him indigestion.
"Well, make yourselves at home!" The man spoke with practiced elegance. "But not too at home, okay? Once again, we welcome you to our humble hot spring!"
As the man took a deep bow, a few of the S-Class chuckled. Soon, they all went on their way.
Walking out of the large entrance hall and from the heroes' view, the man took a deep breath.
He walked to a waiting attendant and listed instructions for each of the heroes. She jotted them dutifully down in a small notepad and scurried off to spread the word.
As she disappeared around a corner, the man let out a deep sigh.
"Gods help me," he muttered, still hoping that the present heroes were all he had to deal with. If anything happened, his business would pay the price.
Whichever gods he prayed to — they weren't listening.
.
.
"I already told you, I'm going in ahead of you two idiots! Stay behind for a few minutes so we don't get associated."
The esper put her hands on her hips as they walked. The baldy sighed.
"You're still on that?" he asked, tilting his head. "We're late. No one's gonna care."
"Why take the risk in the first place? There's no poin—"
"Sensei!" The cyborg cut her off, urgently pointing to the street. The large backpack he was carrying made the quick movement ungraceful.
"Yeah, Genos?" the baldy turned to look. The esper scoffed.
A bright red convertible made its way past the three heroes, the wind from its passing ruffled their clothes.
"Red car!"
"Oh, red car! That's… uh… What's our score again?"
Tatsumaki slapped her forehead.
The three were sauntering along a relatively rural sidewalk, where there were just as many trees as buildings and flat fields as far as the eye could see. It was like walking into a painting; the yellows and greens of the flora complemented by the grays, whites and browns of the houses along the road. The only break to the beautiful flat scene lay in front of them: small hills that rose gently, splashes of red and white hinting towards a well-tended array of paths. A larger patch of red caught the esper's eye. There seemed to be a small temple half-hidden beneath the canopy of the nearest hill. A faint, winding path could be made out from it — and it led straight down to where the three were headed.
Across the street, a few blocks northwest from where Tatsumaki was walking, a traditional-Japanese looking building quietly sat, nestled between the plains and the hills. Steam rose lazily up behind it — the hot spring, no doubt. It was a soft indication that the building was different from the rest of the town.
Of course, it also stood apart in size. It was a grand building among a sea of humble houses — much larger than Tatsumaki expected. It looked to be around three floors high and decently wide. That meant there was a lot of space to move about inside.
Despite the little esper's dour mood, she found herself smiling a little. It would be a blessing to be rid of the strain she'd built up in the baldy's cramped little apartment.
Swoosh…
A car drove slowly past the three heroes — a non-red one, thankfully — reflecting the late-afternoon light around the heroes. The esper was brought sharply back into reality.
The three were an hour and a half behind the scheduled arrival time. It was mostly the esper's doing, but she would never admit that. To summarize many of the problems and arguments the three had, the esper frankly thought that going to a hot spring in her condition was stupid.
That is, until she found out that Sitch would be there, too. After all the worry he'd caused the girl, she was very much looking forward to meeting him face-to-face. Maybe fist-to-face, once the esper was done with him.
"So… you're gonna go, then?" Saitama asked before they left, already dressed in his most formal t-shirt (a plain white tee with a printed-on tie).
"Yep." Tatsumaki's dark smile creeped the baldy out.
.
Some quick preparations, a very awkward taxi ride, and a long walk later — left the trio at the present: currently walking towards the resort. A dark-colored car passed by.
"Ah, red car!" Saitama pointed. "That's what, 37?"
"Sensei," Genos' eyes flared yellow, analyzing the vehicle passing by. "It seems to be more plum than red."
"Wha—? No! That's definitely…"
Saitama walked over to Genos, ready to argue about the intricacies of hue. Tatsumaki was left to groan.
A small green aura enveloped the esper and she began to hover above the ground.
Even if it had been a few days since her… outburst, flight still took a toll on the esper's body. The moment her feet left the sidewalk, a painful ring echoed inside her head. She pressed her head, hoping that it would go away.
"Hey, are you supposed to be flying already?" Saitama raised an eyebrow.
"Weren't you talking about cars or something?" the esper asked. The bald man was surprisingly perceptive when the esper didn't want him to be.
Tatsumaki flew off towards the large entrance gate, hoping that the two would get the message and not try to catch up.
The sensation of flight relaxed the esper to no end. The familiar breeze against her cheek, the calm, cold wind against her hair — she'd missed it. It was a shame that the sensations were so short. It seemed that she had already reached the entrance of the hot spring.
The girl landed as gracefully as she could. Which, at the moment, wasn't all that graceful at all. The esper's legs, already very much unthankful for her whole 'walking' idea, didn't really appreciate the landing at all. They almost buckled underneath her.
An attendant in a yukata — who seemed to be expecting Tatsumaki — ran briskly to support the pained esper. She held out her hand.
"Miss! Welcome!" the short-haired girl said breathlessly. "Please, allow me to—"
The esper shook her head.
"I'm fine," Tatsumaki said, wiggling her aching legs one by one. "Where's my room?"
"Oh? Ah, yes! This way, please," the girl nervously led the esper inside.
.
The smell of leaves and air-purifiers filled the halls as Tatsumaki walked beside her jittery guide. The interior was exactly as the esper expected; a thoroughly-waxed floor, a variety of plants, and thin sliding doors — fusuma, if the esper remembered correctly. Everything was all freakishly well-kempt.
Occasionally, the girl would spot a worker darting through the main passage and into another sliding door to the left, looking quite busy. Sounds of utensils and dishes could be heard from where they entered. Probably the dining area, then.
The esper was led up a flight of stairs at the right end of the hall, where she was met with another series of sliding doors and wooden walls. A few attendants were going around, seemingly very rattled. The esper wasn't surprised. Anything that involved most of the S-Class population would be rattling, in the least. The girl recalled interacting with her peers once in a blue moon, and she could safely say that they were all… eccentric.
The esper's attendant swiftly brought her train of thought to a stop as she opened a sliding door nearest to the stairs. That was to be her room, the esper figured.
"Please make yourself at home, miss." the girl said, confirming Tatsumaki's suspicions.
The esper's guide pushed the door open, bowed, then left. Her quick steps pittered softly down the stairs, heading off to who knew where. Probably to the entrance to wait for more guests.
Tatsumaki walked inside her room: a white, beautifully plain area that was surprisingly well-matched with the esper's taste. A low bed laid on the far-left corner, with a small desk and TV set placed across it on the right. In the middle of the room was a short-set circular table with four cushions. The esper found that odd. Why would she let anyone in her room?
The wall beside her sported wide cabinets, which would be great if the esper had any belongings to put inside. Seeing as to how her house had been blown to smithereens, however, the cabinets would just be there for show. There were a few towels and pink yukata folded neatly in the bottom, however. They looked more comfortable than the ragged dress she'd been washing and reusing for the past couple of days. The idea of wearing the same beat-up dress didn't appeal to the esper, but she had no choice. Admittedly, there was always the option of borrowing some of the baldy's clothes, but that was a definite no-go. When Saitama asked her about the matter, she'd said that she would rather wait for her clothes to dry than wear anything he had. After seeing a bunch of the baldy's outfits (especially that hideous oppai hoodie!), she quickly realized the man had zero fashion sense.
Compared to all those, the pink yukata in the closet looked appealing. It was brighter than what she usually wore, but it was fine. She folded her torn-up dress and placed it inside the cabinet. After walking around to see if it fit, the girl explored the room further.
A door on the left wall led to the girl's bathroom. It was a regular resort-style bathroom: a narrow affair with a sink, toilet, bathtub and shower. Neat.
Now that everything was settled, it was time to look for Sitch. She needed to know exactly what his two little helpers told him. And beat him up.
"Miss Tatsumaki!"
A man the esper didn't recognize came to greet her, accompanied by the attendant that had left a few minutes ago. She'd told on her! The icy glare Tatsumaki gave the girl sent her into hiding.
"Now who are you?" the esper said, raising an eyebrow at the older man.
"The owner of this humble hot spring home," the man replied, smiling. The esper thought it looked fake. "You can call me Ona."
"Uh huh. What do you want?"
"Firstly — and most importantly — I'd like to know if everything is well in your room," he said smoothly.
"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Tatsumaki waved her hand in dismissal. "Hey, if you own this place, do you know where Sitch is?"
"Ah," the man looked up in thought. "Unfortunately, I do not. However, I may have something else that—"
"See you, then," Tatsumaki walked past the man and down the stairs.
As the esper went out of view, the man let out a deep breath.
"Oh, dear," Ona said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His attendant peeked at him from around the corner. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."
.
"Whdtchd duim obur thbr, Tdts?" The bald man walked up to the esper, holding a few sticks of food that were all half-eaten.
"I'm busy. Your mouth is full," Tatsumaki began. "Go away."
"M'kae," the man shrugged and left to go who knew where. The esper shook her head, baffled.
"Anyway!" The green-haired girl turned back to face the young man she'd been speaking with before the baldy interrupted: a jittery lobby attendant who had been forced into conversation. Even though there was a desk between them, the man still felt as if he could be attacked at any second. "Tell me which room Sitch is in."
The man shook his head vigorously.
"I'm sorry Miss, but we really can't tell others whe—!"
The esper slammed her hand on the table, causing the worker to jump.
"This place is useless," the esper muttered angrily, leaving the frightened lobby attendant to cower behind his desk.
.
Tatsumaki had been wandering the hot spring for a while, looking in vain for the Association authority. Asking around or just vaguely hoping for a sighting left the esper with absolutely zero information about the man's whereabouts. It almost seemed like he wasn't even there! But he had to be! He was the one who called them all to the resort — and it even said on her invitation that he was going to be there to organize some events! So where was he?
The girl's stomach, which rumbled just then, seemed not to care. Tatsumaki groaned. Her half-hour long search brought her both empty-handed and empty-stomach-ed. Her mood was getting worse and worse!
The esper decided it was about time to take a break and headed towards what she presumed to be the dining hall. As soon as she opened the double doors, she was met with a blast of different aromas, as well as the sight of several little buffet-style tables with a bunch of food.
A few heroes looked up from their tables, but Tatsumaki ignored them. She went off to get something to eat.
.
"So, did we ever find out who saved her?" Metal Bat leaned back on his chair, chewing a piece of meat. The two other heroes around him shrugged.
"Association said that Tatsumaki-chan got out by herself," Puri Puri Prisoner said, sipping a smoothie. "That's probably what happened."
"You must not be getting much news in jail — no offense, by the way," Metal Bat said. "News says someone saved her."
"Oh," Puri Puri said, rubbing his chin. "How interesting."
Metal Bat fiddled around with a toothpick. He didn't like the devious look on the prisoner's face.
"What?" he asked. Puri Puri smiled.
"Don't you think she's hiding something?" he said, glancing at the esper.
"Bah!" a self-proclaimed not middle-aged samurai finally decided to butt in. "The esper's always hiding something," he said, twiddling the blade of grass in his mouth. "What I want to know is what kind of creature she fought on that damned ship. That huge explosion, the whole thing sinking — now that's gotta have been from something strong."
The three sat in silence. It might have been easy to talk a few days after the disaster, but the sight they witnessed that day was far from faded away. During that last explosion, even for just a split second, everyone was brought to reality. Had Tatsumaki not been on the battlefield…
"Hey, what's got you all so down?" A pale-skinned man walked over behind the heroes, carrying a tray of food. "Reminiscing about the battle?"
"Zombieman, was it?" asked Atomic Samurai, putting an arm around the back of his chair.
"Yep," the hero replied.
"If I recall," the samurai narrowed his eyes. "You weren't there when we fought the aliens."
The gray hero sighed and took a seat.
"Me and the other heroes were dealing with impromptu attacks everywhere else," Zombieman said. "Figured with the top 2, 3, and 4 heroes on the main stage, we could deal with those smaller problems by ourselves."
"Tch," the samurai said. "You're lucky that we were enough for it."
The gray-skinned hero raised an eyebrow. It wasn't normal for Atomic Samurai to admit something like that. The air became awkward.
"Well," Zombieman said, wanting to break the tension. "I'm glad we're still here to celebrate, then."
The other three nodded in consent, and the pale hero sighed in relief. A sour mood made for difficult conversation — and he had some things to ask them.
"Now," Zombieman leaned forward at Metal Bat and Puri Puri, sliding over some food to share. "What was that about the media saying Tatsumaki was saved?"
.
The esper raised an eyebrow at the small gathering of heroes at the corner of the room, but figured it wasn't worth her time. Tatsumaki's meal had given her some time to think. If Sitch was going to show up eventually, then there would be no use wasting precious recovery time on the matter at all. Hate it as she did, the esper concluded that the best option was to just… relax.
Going to the hot spring was the first thing that came into her head, but she decided against it. An evening dip was far more appealing to the esper than a late-afternoon one. The sound of crickets, the cold air — nighttime was just the better option. She'd already eaten, and a walk outside would just kill her tired feet. There really wasn't much to do.
Back upstairs it was, then.
A short walk brought the esper into her room. It was exactly as the girl left it. She headed immediately for her bed. As soon as she sat down, she could tell it was the good kind. The esper felt herself sink into the fabric. Slowly, she drifted off to slee—
"Where's our room again, Genos?"
The esper snapped up. The voice came from outside her room.
"Don't tell me," she muttered.
"Our rooms are separate, master. But yours is over here." A sliding door could be heard opening to the room beside her, and the esper's stomach dropped.
"Oh, right," Saitama's voice rang clear through the thin walls. "Guess we have to unpack. You can keep the bag."
"Sensei, are you sure?"
"Yep."
Tatsumaki covered her ears with a pillow.
"But I am perfectly capable without it," the cyborg reasoned. "Surely you would like to have the bag for ease of use?"
"I'm telling you it's no big deal! Just keep it."
"If you insist, master."
The two yammered on, and the esper's eye twitched.
"Alright, let's see," Saitama said. "Here's your toothbrush, and here's mine. Okay, we— wait. There's only one tube of toothpaste."
"Keep it, sensei. There are small tubes of toothpaste and soap in every bathroom in this resort. I will use those."
The esper could practically sense the baldy look up in surprise. The drowsy feeling she had just moments ago completely disappeared. She sat up angrily.
"Wait. Do we get those for free?"
"I believe so."
"Well, we're not gonna just sit by an—!"
BANG! BANG!
The esper smacked her arm hard against the wall beside her, interrupting the bald man.
"Would you two shut up?!" the esper shouted. "Any louder and you'll wake up the whole street!"
"Sensei is discussing a matter of utmost importance!" the cyborg replied angrily. "Do not interrupt his thoughts!"
"I don't care! Talk downstairs!"
"Grrh!"
Saitama put a hand on his disciple's shoulder.
"Calm down, Genos," the man said in a whisper.
"Sensei?" the cyborg looked confused.
"She lives with us — think about it for a sec. If we play our cards right, she can get us some toothpaste, too."
Genos' eyes widened.
"How astounding…!"
He brought out his notebook and began to jot things down. Knowing that his apprentice would spend at least five minutes writing his thoughts on paper, Saitama grabbed the bag they brought and headed to the little green esper's room.
Tatsumaki watched the door open in resignation.
"What do you want?" she said, rolling her eyes.
The baldy rummaged through his bag. Eventually, though, he found what he was looking for. A bunch of books plopped to the floor.
"I brought something for 'ya." Saitama placed them on the table.
"Manga?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
The baldy scratched his chin.
"Think of it as payment," he said, walking over to the girl's bathroom. "I'm gonna get some toothpaste."
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes and walked over to the manga. It was a bunch of volumes of a story she'd been reading in the apartment. While not particularly interesting, it was a good time-waster. The esper found just one thing odd, though. It was odd for the bald man to bring manga to a hot spring.
"I got it!" Saitama said triumphantly. In his hand was a small tube of toothpaste. He held a finger up to his lips. "Uhh, please don't tell anyone about this."
The man was just odd in general.
He picked up his bag and left.
Just. Really odd.
.
A few voices downstairs woke Tatsumaki from her light sleep. The esper groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily. Everything felt wonky.
'What time is it?' The girl managed to gather her thoughts together after a while. A lethargic frown was plastered on her face.
The digital clock beside her room's TV read 18:07. There were around twenty minutes until the S-Class gathered downstairs.
She seemed to have fallen asleep reading manga. There was a half-open book right beside her pillow.
'Ugh,' she thought. 'When have I ever fallen asleep reading this kind of stuff?'
Before the esper could continue questioning her poor life decisions, the voices downstairs caught her attention. They were vague, but the tone of one man's voice was completely distinguishable. It was slow, sure, and just a little stuck up.
Sitch was there.
Quickly, the girl popped out of bed and headed onto the first floor.
.
"Yes, if you could find her I— ah! Miss Tatsumaki!" The man named Sitch caught a shock of green and pink, immediately identifying the esper. Much to Tatsumaki's surprise, he seemed unfazed to see her. She shook her head. He would be quite fazed soon enough.
"Sitch," she said angrily, putting her hands on her hips. "Mind explaining something to me?"
A bead of sweat rolled down the man's temple, but he managed to retain his composure.
"Ehrm," the man cleared his throat authoritatively. He seemed to have a plan in mind, and the esper had absolutely no intention to succumb to it. "I'd be glad to, but someone else has been wanting to see you for a long while now. It would be rude to steal you away from them."
"I don't care," Tatsumaki began. "You and me are gonna have a little chat whether you like it or no—"
"Sister!" a certain raven-haired esper's voice rang from across the hall. Tatsumaki's eyes widened.
The esper began to take a few steps back, seeing her sister draw closer and closer. The green-haired girl looked at the older man in complete disgust.
"Sitch, you devious, big-nosed bastar—"
.
.
Sorry for the cliffhanger! I really wanted to fit the whole hot spring trip into one chapter, but it would probably take another 2 weeks before I finish writing the whole thing. Take this new cover to make up for it!