"Wow," the baldy said. "Just… wow."
"It is indeed impressive, sensei."
Standing in Saitama's room, the two heroes were staring proudly at their latest masterpiece.
A backpack. Filled to the brim with toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, soap — anything the two could lay their hands on, basically. The poor thing looked more like a deformed sphere than anything else, and it was doubtful that the handles were usable. They were completely stretched out.
"I'll carry it halfway, then we'll switch, okay?" Saitama said, then rubbed his chin. "Do you think we could fit some pillows in here?"
The cyborg shook his head regretfully.
"I do not think so, sensei," he said, eyes bright as they calculated. "The bag is at 99.5 percent capacity. The remaining o.5% is the amount needed to assure it doesn't burst."
"Ah," Saitama said. "Well, that's fine."
There was around half an hour left before the heroes had to check out of the hot springs. After the ordeal with Zombieman, the two quickly made use of the rest of their time to relax and gather on-the-house items from the acclaimed resort. As such, it was quite inevitable that they stumbled across other S-Class heroes, packing their own things. They seemed a little distrusting, which didn't bother Saitama that much. Genos on the other hand, glared back at them. Despite what he knew his master wished, the cyborg wasn't in the best of moods after finding out Saitama had taken the blame for a certain green-haired esper.
"I may be able to buy another backpack if there is a convenience store nearby," Genos said, watching his master inspect his room's pillows and blankets. Thankfully, working together with his master seemed to calm him down a little.
"Actually," the bald man said, sweating. He brought a cushion up for Genos to see and pulled down its casing to show a small line of stitched-on text inside:
'Property of the Resort. Do not misplace.'
"We can't take them," the man said, defeated.
Was this how it felt to be powerless? The word 'free' seemed so distant. Like a dream on a summer night.
"Grhh," Genos clicked his tongue. "How ungrateful of them. I'll personally demand for the resort to give us some beddings immediately!"
"Ah, wait!"
But the man's disciple was already on his way. The sliding door loudly clacked shut. His muffled footsteps faded soon after.
"Geh," Saitama said, unsure what to do. It seemed the kid was still angry, after all. Maybe it was best to just let him be.
With nothing much left to prepare, the baldy meandered about. He considered taking a nap. Make some use of those not-for-free cushions while he still could.
Three knocks sounded from the door. The baldy raised an eyebrow.
"Who is it?" he called.
A pale-skinned hero peeked in from outside the room.
"Expecting me?" he asked, his silhouette visible through the thin sliding panel.
"Not really," the baldy said, shaking his head. "Did you wanna talk?"
"A little," Zombieman said. "May I come in?"
Saitama shrugged.
"I guess."
The hero stepped lightly inside, gracefully closing the door behind him. Saitama raised an eyebrow.
"So, what's up?" he asked lightly.
The immortal hero took a seat by the center table, gesturing for the bald hero to do the same.
"Nothing much," he said, shrugging. "Just continuing where we left off a while ago. Clear things up, you know?."
Saitama had already forgotten the man's name.
"Uhh… and where exactly did we leave off…?"
Zombieman chuckled. "I was asking you why you'd trash your reputation for little miss sunshine," he explained. "I was the one she stabbed, by the way."
"Ah!" The baldy raised his eyebrows in recognition. "I said she has a reputation to uphold," the man scratched his chin, trying to recall. "And I don't. You asked this question already."
The pale hero smiled and shook his head.
"That might've fooled sir Silverfang," he said, looking straight at the baldy. His smirk had faded. "But not me."
"Huh?" Saitama looked confused. "I'm telling you the truth."
Zombieman shook his head.
"We're the only ones here," the hero said, leaning forward over the table. "I think it's in our best interests if you tell me the truth."
"I am." the baldy said. There was nothing else to what he did, right? Of course he was also able to prove a point to the esper, but it wasn't what the man in front of him wanted to hear, either. He could feel it.
Saitama had a hunch that the S-Class was looking for another answer altogether. And the baldy just didn't have any to give.
Zombieman stared at him for a second. A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through the pale hero's head and his expression betrayed it. His eyes narrowed. His leg tapped slowly against the cushions. The baldy might believe his own words, but there was something else there that could be snatched and scrutinized. He was so close to reaching out and grasping it…
Tak!
The immortal hero clapped his hands together and leaned backwards. Any trace of tension was completely gone.
"Well," the pale man exhaled deeply, his smile quickly returning. "What an interesting turn of events!"
"Um… what?" Saitama wasn't completely sure how Zombieman had gotten anything 'interesting' just by getting the exact same reply as before.
The S-Class nodded.
"She's worth it now," he said quietly. There was a light in his eyes. "Ain't that right?"
Before the baldy could reply, Zombieman stood up.
"I'll check up on you and little miss esper again someday, 'sensei,'" the man winked, his newly replaced yukata fluttering as he walked. "Maybe I'll be able to explain things once some other evidence surfaces."
The pale hero looked back at the baldy. "And by the way, don't worry about your points getting taken away. I'll talk to Sitch."
"Uhh… thanks, I guess."
The fusuma shut quietly, leaving the hero more confused than he had been all day. Zombieman had most certainly not cleared things up.
The afternoon sun shone brightly. Heat seeped through into Saitama's room, and the baldy groaned. Dropping from his cushion on the table, the man laid down on the floor. It was a refreshing, chilly breath that fought off the dryness in the air.
He stared at the ceiling — completely, utterly, bored.
The only thing left to do was fiddle with the words that the pale hero carelessly tossed to him.
.
'She's worth it now.'
What was that supposed to mean?
.
.
"You will never arrange for my sister to be somewhere without my permission again," Tatsumaki said coldly. "Do you understand?"
Beads of sweat dripped down Sitch's neck. It seemed that his plan had… backfired. Very much so.
The stocky man was currently being held upside-down on the roof of the hot spring's third floor by a thin thread of psychic power. His limp body hung above the scalding waters, around thirty feet below.
"Hey. Do. You. Understand?!" the girl repeated, annoyed by the man's silence.
Sitch gulped. "Y-yes, Miss Tatsumaki…"
The man's sweat dropped down onto the scalding waters and rocks below. The rising steam made his head spin.
Tatsumaki sat beside him, her feet dangling quaintly by the roof's edge. She looked relatively calm, but her emerald eyes were seething.
"I know that you have information about where I'm living right now," she said. "And I think people have been much too careless about giving it out."
"A-absolutely not!" the man spluttered. "I was informed by the two workers I sent to Genos' apartment, and sent one of those trusted two to invite you here! There has been no one els—"
"Silverfang found out," the esper said, looking at her nails. "By asking that 'trusted' man you gave the invitations. Doesn't sound quite so foolproof, does it?"
"I- ah… well…"
"Your eagerness to resolve things caused this whole mess," she said. "And things could have turned out much worse."
Sitch hung his head. At least, however much one could do so upside-down.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I apologize."
"How much did those little worker ants of yours really tell you?"
The blood rushing to Sitch's head was making him breathless.
"They told me where you were… and that you were able to escape the ship unharmed. They-they also informed me that you wished for the media to think the heroes saved you."
"I told them not to say where I stayed," she scoffed.
"I didn't believe it until I was told how they'd attained that information," he said. "Took a bit of time to get it out of them."
Tatsumaki leaned back.
"So it's really just your fault, then," she said. "Fine."
The girl raised a finger, and Sitch was lifted beside her on the roof. His head was not-so-gently planted face-down onto the roof tiles, and his body followed soon after with a dull 'thunk.' The man took two deep breaths. The first was in relief that his circulation was flowing smoothly again, and the second was to stifle the deep pain from hitting his face.
Tatsumaki stood up.
"The next time this happens," the girl warned. "I'll drop you. Off a mountain."
Sitch nodded slowly.
"Oh, and by the way," she said. "What kind of host docks points off of heroes on vacation? Give the B-Class a break."
Humiliated as Sitch was, he was still angry about the bald man's recklessness. Stabbing an S-Class was no minor offense, after all.
The man tried to argue. "But he…"
"Was drunk." Tatsumaki cut him off. "And nobody got hurt in the end. Just lay off, geez."
"I'll have to ask Zombieman." Sitch closed his eyes in resignation. Fair as it may seem, the man knew that there was no way the victim would let his aggressor slide. "Does that sound reasonable?"
"Fine," Tatsumaki said, gracefully hopping off the roof. The girl floated down to the ground below with barely a sound. She nodded in satisfaction. Her psychic powers were returning.
Sitch sat up, sighing.
He was gonna be stuck for quite a while, wasn't he?
.
The girl walked inside, feeling quite satisfied with herself. For a few steps, at least.
"Is this how you treat a hero that participated in the fight to save cities from further destruction?" a familiar voice echoed a few meters ahead of Tatsumaki. It seemed a certain disciple was up to some more of the patented nonsense she'd gotten so used to. The girl rolled her eyes. "My master deserves at least some form of thanks!"
"I— Our policies— haah, fine…" Ona sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "Please, feel free to bring a set of our beddings home, mister Genos."
"Much appreciated," Genos said, bowing.
Making his way to leave, he caught sight of the esper behind him.
"Why are you following me?" he asked. He hid none of the venom in his voice.
"I'm not," she growled back. "Don't be stupid."
"Tch," Genos was not convinced. He began walking towards the stairs. "If you are looking for sensei, do not bother. I need to relay some news to him."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Just make sure you guys are at the exit by check-out time."
"If you are not there by then, we will leave you," called the cyborg in response, disappearing to the next floor.
"Grrh," Tatsumaki said, ruffling her hair. The baldy's disciple was normally a pain to talk to. After his master had taken the blame for her little drunk expedition, any conversation she had with the cyborg was absolutely horrid. If Genos remained that way after the three of them got to the apartment, she would be forced to confront him.
'Ugh.'
The esper half-wished that it could just be her and the bal—
She shook her head, dispelling the thought before it could even finish.
Looking around for something to do, her eyes caught sight of a certain resort owner slowly trying to inch away from the esper without being seen.
"Oi," she called out, recognizing Ona. "You were the one who set me up yesterday, right?"
The man flinched at her accusation.
"I…"
Tatsumaki prodded him with her finger. "Shut up. I don't care if it was you or someone working for you that planned all this. What kind of host allows for their guests to be treated like pieces in a board game?"
Before the man could come up with a reply, he was lifted up in a bubble of green energy.
The girl threw the man outside, in full view of the slowly gathering crowd of attendants around them. As the sphere of psychic power disappeared, the man raised his arms in submission.
"Please u-understand!" he stammered. "I-I-I was just trying to make sure you were properly enjoying your stay! A-and not causing trouble!"
"Trouble?! The only trouble I caused was because of you and the Association's stupid decisions!" she spat, walking towards the frightened man. "What do you people think of me, huh?! I'm a hero, goddammit!"
She grabbed the man's collar and stared him straight in his eyes.
"Don't you ever mess with me or my sister again."
The man was bound by an emerald ring and tossed upwards, flying high into the air and landing painfully down with a loud thunk!
Ona groaned. His back felt like it had been hit by several bags of stone.
.
"You too, huh?"
The resort owner turned his head to the source of the voice. It was a big-nosed man sitting a few meters away, looking sympathetic.
"Who…?" Ona muttered.
"Did you build any way down from here?" Sitch said to him.
Ona looked around, slowly realizing that he hadn't landed on the ground just then.
"No," he said. He had his roof made fully tiled years ago. There was no way inside without breaking in, nor was there any way down without using a ladder. Unfortunately, as far as the man could recall, their resort had exactly zero ladders.
"I thought so," Sitch said sadly.
At least now he had some company.
.
.
The three heroes were outside right as scheduled, packed and ready to go. Genos carried a backpack, filled to the brim. Saitama lugged a folded blanket and pillow. Tatsumaki carried her tattered dress with a few items folded inside it.
Other heroes were there as well, spread out along the entranceway.
"This whole trip was nice," Metal Bat said to himself. "But it's about time I get back to Zenko."
Flashy Flash touched the handle of his blade, thinking of where he could train next.
"I guess two days is all we get, huh?" the delinquent said to the silent man, scratching his head. "I shoulda taken a longer dip at the hot spring."
"Indeed." The ninja closed his eyes. "Such is our duty."
The two heroes sighed. After handling all the media and chaos following the alien invasion for a whole week, a two-day break was practically nothing for any of the S-Class.
Another figure approached the small group gathered in front of the hot springs, a large brown bag in tow.
"Huh," Zombieman walked forward, looking around for someone. "Didn't Sitch say he was gonna talk to us before we left?"
"It's probably nothing important," Metal Bat said. "If he isn't here in five minutes, I'm leaving."
Tatsumaki turned her head to the three other heroes chatting a few meters away from her.
"He won't be coming anytime soon," she said.
Flashy Flash looked confused. "Why?"
"Ah! Heroes!" Sitch's head popped from the rooftop, as if to answer the ninja's question. "Please help m—"
"SHADDUP!" Tatsumaki loudly cut him off, making the man jump back in fear. "YOU'RE THERE 'CUZ YOU DESERVE IT!"
As Sitch blustered apologetically, more heroes began to gather around, bags packed as they got ready to go. The noise had drawn them towards the small commotion that was steadily forming.
"What's all this about?" Atomic Samurai asked, ready to draw his sword. "Has a monster appeared?"
"No," Genos said, annoyed. "It seems that Terrible Tornado has delayed our leave by placing Sitch on the roof of the building."
Tatsumaki whipped her head towards him. "You've been on my case the whole day. Would you just zip your mouth for once?"
"It is only because I respect my master that I am not speaking out," Genos growled. He pointed to the man on the roof. "But this? This is blatant idiocy! I will not tolerate it any further!"
"Like I care!" she said. "This is none of your business! Baldy, get your robot under control!"
Saitama took a step back, not wanting to take part in the argument. Again, while he personally didn't mind taking the blame, he had no obligation to stop his disciple from defending him. It kind of felt good, in a way.
"Grh!" Genos turned to his master. "Sensei, I refuse to allow this… this brat, to continue staying at our ho—"
An enormous impact shook the ground of the road outside the resort.
Something had arrived.
Attention diverted, all of the heroes' focus lay on the pillar of smoke billowing from the ground. The swordsmen drew their blades. The fist-fighters took their stances. Puri Puri Prisoner got ready to strip.
"LOWER YOUR GUARDS." A robotic voice boomed through the cloud of dust. Three shining red dots blinked brightly as machinery whirred and activated.
Genos was the first to identify the mysterious intruder.
"Metal Knight," he said, begrudgingly lowering his glowing hand. "What business do you have here?"
A thin, silver robot stepped loudly towards the heroes. It emerged from a cylindrical escape-pod-like object. It had two long straps dangling on its right side.
"I ASSUME I AM NOT LATE?" beeped the machine. The volume of his voice seemed to be permanently set to 'painfully loud.'
"Late?" Tank-Top Master laughed. It seemed that finally he'd beaten the power of robotics. "You missed the whole stay at the hot spring, silly robot!"
"NEGATIVE."
"Wha…?" the burly man stepped back in shock.
"I HAVE BROUGHT NEWS FOR SITCH." The robot stepped forward once more, eyes analyzing each of the heroes' faces. "BASED ON THE SCHEDULE HE HAS GIVEN ME, I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SITCH IS STILL HERE."
"Ah, yes! Metal Knight!" Sitch called from the rooftop. "You have a message for me?"
Tatsumaki stepped forward, itching to find a way to let out her anger.
"Hey, Metal Meathead!" she said. "If you've got something to say, say it to all of us!"
The machine paused, little lights blinking as the man controlling it considered the suggestion. Tatsumaki tapped her leg. The heroes muttered. Most of them didn't care and just wanted to leave. Metal Knight appearing would soon lose its novelty.
"VERY WELL," the robot decided. It walked towards the heroes, completely oblivious that it was being heard much too loud and much too clear already.
"I HAVE FINISHED THE REBUILDING OF THE HERO ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS," Metal Knight said. "AND HAVE COME TO FETCH SITCH TO OVERSEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT."
"Ah!" Sitch's voice could be heard from the roof. "B-b-but the HQ wasn't planned to be finished for at least seven years… Are you completely sure, Metal Knight?!"
The heroes turned their heads towards the robot. A decade-long project, completed within a week? That was impossible.
Tank-Top Master sat down on the ground.
"Is this… machine power…?" he said, defeated.
Flashy Flash looked unconvinced.
"Explain to me what exactly 'rebuilt' means," he said. "The headquarters was the only thing left standing after the aliens attacked."
The robot smoothly turned its head to him.
"REBUILT, MEANING OVERHAULED AND UPGRADED," it began. "THE RUINS OF A-CITY HAVE BEEN CLEARED AND ROADS HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR EASY ACCESS TO ALL CITIES. THE HEADQUARTERS ITSELF HAS BEEN RESTRUCTURED AND IMPROVED, COMPLETE WITH NEW HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING FACILITIES, GENERAL SHOPPING DISTRICT, AND LODGING FOR HEROES AND VIPS."
The heroes buzzed at his statement. It was an impressive feat of planning to have all that done at all, and even more impressive to have it carried out in only a week. For a man who treated meetings and common etiquette like dust in the wind, Metal Knight was surprisingly reliable when it mattered.
Tatsumaki was slightly more intrigued than the rest.
"Did you say… lodging?" she asked.
"AFFIRMATIVE," the machine replied. "ANY HEROES A-CLASS AND ABOVE WILL BE GIVEN THE OPTION TO STAY AT THE HEADQUARTERS. DETAILS ABOUT COSTS AND REGULATIONS ARE YET TO BE FINALIZED."
That would mean she could leave. Tatsumaki's eyes widened. She would be free of the baldy's stupid daily scrambled eggs, cramped apartment, and idiot disciple — in exchange for being able to stay somewhere she could be alone. It was the best outcome possible.
"You taking any lodging right now?" she asked, eagerness seeping from her voice.
"THAT IS UP TO SITCH," Metal Knight beeped.
The girl walked back towards the resort. She looked up at the man on the roof. In a moment, Sitch was carried to the ground by green energy. The girl put her hands on her hips.
"I'm assuming you're allowing heroes to stay right now," she said, leaning intimidatingly towards the man. "Right?"
"Er — yes, of course!" Sitch said, backing away a tiny bit. "J-just say the word and we'll be off, Miss Tatsumaki!"
"Good, expect me to arrive by tonight," she said. The girl turned to the robot. "Alright, you can take him now."
"Wh—" the large-nosed Association worker was pulled away by the robot.
He was promptly stuffed into the escape-cylinder Metal Knight had arrived in, carried like a backpack by the machine and was whisked off into the sky. As soon as the other S-Class heroes recovered from the surreal sight of their boss being carried to the sky in a glorified tennis ball case, they said their goodbyes and left. Zombieman and Bang waved farewell to the trio of heroes before leaving.
.
"Looks like you got what you wanted, cyborg," Tatsumaki spat. "But don't go getting all big-headed or I'll smash you up."
"Tch," Genos replied. "If you weren't recovering from your injuries, I would gladly incinerate you."
"Alright," The bald man sighed, patting his disciple's shoulder. "I can handle things from here."
The cyborg stepped back slowly. "Gh… as you wish, sensei."
"So," Saitama walked over to the green-haired girl. "You get to be alone like you wanted. That's great!"
The baldy stood beside the esper, smiling faintly. A wind blew through the heroes, carrying with it the scent of leaves from the hillside.
"Yeah," she said. "It was sudden, but we don't need to bother each other now."
"Yeah. The apartment won't be as stuffy," he chuckled. "And I don't need to hide the remote anymore."
Tatsumaki sighed.
"You thinking of how to get to A-City?" Saitama asked. Of course he'd noticed.
"I don't have money right now," she said, readily accepting the reason he'd given. "But if I fly, I can probably make it."
Saitama frowned.
"What?" she asked. There was a hint of expectancy from her voice. "Something wrong?"
"I don't know if you noticed, but you're bleeding a little," he said, pointing to his bald head to show her where. "Can you fly if you're bleeding?"
"Wh…?" the girl touched her forehead. A few specks of blood stuck to her fingertips. Using just that much psychic power had already made her injury open up again? She felt perfectly fine just a few minutes ago. Now that there weren't any more distractions, she could feel the flow of energy in her body ebbing. Her head felt light.
"If you use your powers, your wounds will just open up again," he said, recalling the esper's injury aboard the ship. He walked towards Tatsumaki, hand outstretched.
"Hey, B-Class," a voice rang from behind the three heroes. "If you bother my sister, she'll kill you, you know?"
"Ah?"
A raven-haired esper walked forward in between the two. Tatsumaki secretively wiped the blood away from her forehead.
"Fubuki," the older esper said, tilting her head. "You…"
"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm already leaving. And baldy? You should know my sister hates being touched."
Even though it was good that Tatsumaki hadn't caused too much commotion, the trip proved to be quite the disaster for the younger esper. Between getting shouted at and practically betting her reputation on a whim, nothing had gone her way. Fubuki absolutely regretted coming.
The raven-haired esper stepped briskly away from her sister and the baldy, followed closely by her two subordinates. She really wasn't in the mood to talk. And she probably wouldn't be for a while. She hoped that keeping busy at the Blizzard Bunch headquarters would take her mind off of things a little bit.
"Wait," Tatsumaki called firmly.
Fubuki stopped but didn't turn around. The younger girl' s face slowly twisted into a scowl. What did she want to say this time? Would her sister berate her for leaving ahead of her? Was it some sort of insult again?
"I…" the green-haired esper began. "I'm…"
'Sick of seeing your face!'
'Tired of you butting into my conversations!'
'Appalled that you came here at all!'
Fubuki balled her hands into fists, bracing for the scathing words her sister had in store.
"I'm not gonna be drunk next time." Tatsumaki said, looking sideways. "So let's talk for real then."
Unbeknownst to the green-haired esper, Fubuki's eyes went wide.
"O-okay," she managed to say.
The raven-haired girl quickly left without further comment. Eyelashes and Lily ran to catch up to her.
Tatsumaki closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting the cold air fill her lungs.
She couldn't say it.
.
.
"Here's some cash for a bus," Saitama handed the girl a few bills as they reached a station. "Just pay me back when you can."
"Sure," Tatsumaki said, taking the money. Her eyes were set determinedly into the distance.
The baldy walked over to Genos, grabbing the set of beddings he'd placed haphazardly on the cyborg's head.
"So," he said, smiling. "I heard there was a market around these parts. Wanna look around for some steals?"
"Yes, sensei!" Genos replied. "According to brochures from the resort, there are many vegetables here that are fresher than those in Z-City. It is a good idea to check around — for kombu especially."
"Kom— hey! Are you still on about the last time I got some?! I'm telling you, I don't care if it can cure baldness!"
The duo's voices slowly receded as they walked further along the road.
.
Tatsumaki sat down on a wooden waiting-bench by the street, absentmindedly spinning the bills of money with psychic energy.
Everything was going by quicker than she was prepared for.
A week ago, she couldn't have cared less. Being forced to stay in a dingy apartment with two wannabe heroes was an absolutely horrible concept, and if it wasn't for her lack of other choices, she would have never accepted the baldy's offer.
Then everything else happened.
Some good food, a dumb shopping invitation, manga.
Cooking, a hot spring invitation, and an apology that wasn't even for her.
Somehow, the baldy had pushed his way into her life. A stupid, meddling, uncharacteristically perceptive baldy that simultaneously did the most idiotic and charming things possible. She tried to hate him, really she did, but the girl just couldn't. No matter how Tatsumaki looked at it, Saitama had gained a lot of her respect. And he wasn't bad company, either. Not that she'd admit that.
But now she was leaving. With a week left before the girl's stay ended in the baldy's apartment, Metal Knight had literally dropped from the heavens to solve all of her problems. In an hour or so, Tatsumaki would go back to living how she used to. All by herself, just like she wanted. She could recover in peace and quiet, checking the news every so often and watching some videos of animals or something.
The idea was less exciting than she thought.
The esper wasn't given much time to think more about it, however. The low rumbling of the street, soon followed by the sight of a bus heading towards A-City signalled that it was time to go. The door of the bus opened with a mechanical hiss, the driver looking boredly to the distance.
The esper stood up and entered hesitantly.
It really wasn't exciting at all.
.
.
AGH, A CLIFFHANGER!?
It seems this first part of the story really, really doesn't want me to be done with it yet. You guessed it— this is gonna be another two-parter! I was going to go all-out and post the whole thing, but having to rewrite parts of the following chapter a few times has led me to conclude that I'm better off giving you all what I'm already done with. More will come shortly, so thanks for being so patient with me!
-bb