"S-Sis…!" Fubuki caught Tatsumaki as she fell.
The green-haired esper took a sharp breath as she bumped against her sister.
"Ugh…" Tatsumaki muttered, clutching her head. "What— What're you doing here?"
"Visiting an injured member of my group," Fubuki said, tilting her head. The fact that Tatsumaki still managed to be the first to demand an answer — it stifled her worries a bit. "And you?"
The older girl stayed silent.
'Of all the times we could meet again,' Tatsumaki thought, breathing out slowly. 'This is the absolute worst.'
Addled as she was, her frustration took priority. She pushed off of her sister gently, making a point not to look anywhere further than the glass entrance she came in from. She had half a heart to walk out right then and there.
Tatsumaki clicked her tongue.
She should've come up with a plan. Thought a little longer before deciding to just up and go with Saitama to a damned hospital of all places.
Of course, Tatsumaki reasoned, with Saitama involved, thinking straight was easier said than done.
The girl caught herself.
Solely because his presence seemed to bring other people's intelligence down — nothing more!
"Sister?" Fubuki asked again.
The green-haired girl shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. To sickening, sanitized, white-walled reality.
She held Fubuki's arm.
"I figured it was about time I got used to visiting one of these hell-holes," Tatsumaki muttered.
"Because you're sick or something?" The raven-haired esper was genuinely confused. Unlike yesterday, where all the puzzle pieces seemed to fit together in her head — seeing her sister just up and decide to visit a hospital, the exact same hospital she was visiting herself? It was a little too much of a coincidence. There had to be something she was missing.
Tatsumaki crossed her arms.
The esper watched her sister try — and fail — to make sense of things. She quietly considered her own side of things. Whether to tell her about Saitama accompanying her, the C-Class hero the baldy seemed so interested in, and what that would imply considering that Fubuki had seen them together yesterday evening.
Fubuki's response to Saitama that day, it was less… negative than she expected. She was astonished. In disbelief — sure. But she wasn't at all annoyed.
Tatsumaki expected Fubuki to call her out. About making connections, about how she always spoke so highly about independence and saying 'being alone makes you strong.'
But she hadn't.
"I'm not sick," Tatsumaki said finally, eyeing her sister.
Why was that?
"Ah. Thank goodness," The raven-haired girl sighed in relief. Not sick. Good. That was one question answered. A really… unhelpful question, now that she thought about it. "So… what exactly are you doing here?"
With her free hand, Tatsumaki twirled her hair.
She knew Fubuki would find out one way or another. It was just a matter of time. The green-haired girl was willing to bet he'd show up any second now, bananas in hand and a funny story to tell about its price.
She wanted to wait for him. Just so she didn't have to admit… it… out loud. That he'd so easily gotten her to come to a place she despised. That she'd been convinced to talk to a C-Class that had absolutely nothing to do with her.
That he'd spent the night beneath her.
The esper felt herself heat up.
Letting the baldy speak was not an option.
There really was no avoiding it. Another 'heart-to-heart,' two days in a row. Tatsumaki took a deep breath.
But before that…
"Fubuki…" Tatsumaki said, blinking slowly. She pulled her sister's arm. "Let's go outside for a bit."
"U-Uh, okay…"
She really hated hospitals.
.
.
Walking slowly with flowers and fruits in hand, a girl in a black suit was deep in thought.
Fubuki had asked Lily to go on an errand alone. Sent her off to quite the faraway flower shop to buy excessively pricey flowers. It was a little off-putting, she felt. Which was odd. An hour or so leaving Fubuki alone was usually no big deal, even through her leader's preference for company. Fubuki had always sent her off on little missions and welcomed her back right away.
There was a nagging feeling in Lily's gut that today would be different — if yesterday was no indication.
.
"You… uh, met your sister, I take it?" Eyelashes had said, he and Lily having just gone outside of the restaurant to greet her.
Fubuki nodded, standing dazed in the middle of the road.
The two members of the Fubuki Group knew that look. It was the one their leader wore whenever the subject of Tatsumaki was brought up.
Lily walked closer. She knew that Fubuki always preferred to distract herself when matters like this came up.
But the raven-haired girl didn't even glance upward.
Lily was a little taken aback.
.
"Did you bring back the newbie?" Eyelashes asked, raising an eyebrow.
Fubuki stared at him, surprised.
It looked like the esper was processing something aside from that, but she shook her head.
"Ah… I…" Fubuki began. "I forgot."
Her two subordinates frowned.
"Then we should go look for—!" Lily began, but was interrupted by Eyelashes.
"He probably went home," the older man said. "I talked to a few of the guys, and they said they tricked the poor guy into getting lost. He's probably a little angry at them."
Lily gave the man a questioning look, but he waved it away.
Fubuki nodded slowly.
"Then…" she said. "We're done here. Let's go."
.
The drive home was excruciating.
.
Fubuki never withdrew into her shell. Whenever she was faced with problems, she faced them logically. Made plans. Moved forward.
Even with matters surrounding her sister, their leader was always talking to her group. About how they could bring their names higher. Or invited them to eat. Anything to keep her mind off of any negativity.
Which was why being sent off to buy get-well-soon gifts alone didn't sit right with Lily.
Did Fubuki think it was her fault that the newbie was beaten by a monster that night? That they didn't look for him?
Or was this about her sister?
Either way, it unnerved the young girl.
'This all began after she failed to recruit the baldy,' the girl thought. Fubuki's quiet moments. Her inclination to keep to herself. Two visits to the baldy's house in a row — and both times, Fubuki had seemed… affected.
Lily sighed. If Fubuki was to distance herself, there really wasn't much to be done.
The girl looked down at the flowers she bought, along with the handwritten apology from each of the Fubuki Group's members that she'd been told to attach to them.
She knew that despite it all, Fubuki was still doing her best.
.
.
"So you're here…" the raven-haired esper said slowly. "Because Saitama is visiting a friend?"
Tatsumaki nodded.
Fubuki shook her head.
"Why?"
If the older girl hadn't felt that the bench was too small when they first sat down — she definitely did now. There was practically no distance between the green-haired girl and her confused, interrogative sister. Not on the bench. Not with their words.
"I want to see the kind of person he is," Tatsumaki said, looking away. "That's all there is to it."
Again, Fubuki shook her head.
"No, no," the raven-haired girl said. "That's definitely not 'all there is to it.' You. Are going to a hospital. To see what kind of person a C-Class hero is."
Fubuki stood up.
The distance grew.
"Since when?!"
"What?" Tatsumaki was a little taken aback. She felt a pit in her stomach.
"Since when have you—" Realizing she'd begun to raise her voice, Fubuki paused. She took a deep breath.
And sat back down.
Close again.
"For you to do all this." Her tone was soft now. A little disheartened. "Saitama… Since when did anyone mean this much to you?"
Fubuki looked at her sister.
The wind began to pick up.
Tatsumaki opened her mouth to speak—
"No. Don't answer that," Fubuki said.
She didn't have it in her to hear a reply.
.
.
The sun had risen completely in the sky. It was a cloudless day and the heat bore down, unhindered, on the dry street. On occasion, a small flutter of wind blew by; the only solace against the fiery sun. It seemed to help, if only a little bit. And only if one was already sweating.
In a scenario like that, one would never expect to catch any sane person in a good mood.
Knowing all this, and seeing the two sisters sitting quietly, completely shade-less in the midday heat, Saitama came to a conclusion.
"Yo! Tats! Bananas!" the baldy raised two bunches in the air. "Thirty off!"
Tatsumaki looked up, the wind ruffling her hair. She glanced at Fubuki, then looked down again.
"Uh… bad time?"
A little late, but a conclusion nonetheless.
"Mm." Saitama shrugged. Family business was best left as just that — between the family. And that was especially true for these two.
"I'll look for Mumen," Saitama said simply.
The bald man walked inside and slipped out of sight.
.
As the two sat in silence, Fubuki couldn't help but sneak glances at her sister. Despite controlling herself, she'd snapped for just a moment. At someone who should never be snapped at.
Fubuki wanted to believe that it wasn't all that big of an issue. Saitama and her sister. Her sister actually finding someone to talk to… it could only be a good thing, right?
Tatsumaki hadn't met her anger in kind. Hadn't denied anything. And was about to answer her ill-considered question.
Somehow, it felt infuriating.
But the fact that she didn't follow through and hear her sister out…
That was a tad more frustrating than everything else.
.
Fubuki caught Tatsumaki glancing towards the sliding glass doors more than once.
Her sister's breaths weren't steady. Neither were her hands. But her eyes — they were as still as ever.
'She really does want to go through with this, huh?'
Taking a deep sigh, Fubuki stood up. She pushed her thoughts aside. Along with all the simmering feelings churning within.
"C'mon," she said, making sure her sister could hear. "I know where the rooms are."
Without waiting for a response, Fubuki stood up and walked inside.
The green-haired esper had no choice but to follow.
.
.
"Heard it in the news," Saitama said, munching on a banana. "How you and dozens of other heroes got beat up by a monster."
Mumen Rider looked up at him curiously. His body was wrapped completely in bandages.
"I'm glad you're not dead," the baldy continued. He pulled another banana from his bunch, holding it out to the C-Class hero. "Here."
Of course, the injured hero had no means of taking it.
Mumen decided to pay attention to the bald man's words instead.
"He wasn't a monster," the hero said.
"Hm?"
"The Association calls him that," Mumen Rider continued. "But he's human."
Saitama raised an eyebrow. It seemed Genos' suspicions had some merit. "A punk, then?"
Mumen shook his head.
"More than that."
He could still remember it. The manic eyes. The bloodlust.
Faced with the sight of evil in the pale moonlight, Garou's brutish will reverberated through into his bones.
All their bones.
Again and again and again.
"He was horribly strong."
Saitama's ear twitched.
"… As strong as that fish monster?" the bald man asked.
"You mean the Deep Sea King?" Mumen tried to tilt his head, then realized it was in a cast. "Er. How do I put this…"
.
The two sisters entered the room in earnest.
"There he is," Fubuki muttered, closing the door silently. "Mumen Rider."
The sisters watched as Saitama and the C-Class hero chatted idly across the room.
Fubuki noted the serious air hanging about. Mumen's conversation with Saitama seemed to have kept the both of them from noticing the newcomers. He was describing how a monster's attacks felt — in quite a more detailed fashion than was usually considered comfortable — to try and get Saitama to understand the difference between the two kinds of power he experienced first-hand.
The raven-haired girl glanced beside her.
Seeming not to hear the conversation at all, Tatsumaki seemed to be enveloped in her own heavy air.
Instead of floating as she usually did, Tatsumaki stood still. Her energy was almost undetectable. Try as she might to look composed, it was clear that simply being inside the hospital had brought her back to a dark place.
She only ever hid her powers once, after all.
Tatsumaki's hands were clasped together. Her breaths were deliberately slow.
Fubuki put a hand on her sister's shoulder, and was hit with shock as she felt the green-haired girl flinch from the contact.
The raven-haired girl felt a pang of empathy for her sister.
"What are they talking about?" Tatsumaki asked softly. Clearly she didn't want to acknowledge her present discomfort.
"The Deep Sea King," Fubuki replied. "The monster that rampaged a few weeks ago."
"They fought it?"
"Not just them," Fubuki said, allowing a certain cyborg's recounting of the story to enter her mind. "Almost a dozen heroes from all classes tried — and failed — to defeat him, two S-Class heroes included. Genos was there. He would've been killed if it weren't for—"
"The baldy," Tatsumaki said. The steadiness seemed to return to her voice for just a moment.
"Not quite," Fubuki replied. "Mumen Rider was able to keep the Deep Sea King's attention away. Just long enough for Saitama to arrive."
Tatsumaki was silent.
"You said you wanted to know about Mumen Rider," Fubuki said. "Don't you want to know what he—"
Tatsumaki shook her head, interrupting her sister.
'He endured many trials within the Association before you two met.'
"Who got the credit?" she asked, Genos' words surfacing in her mind.
"What?"
Tatsumaki gestured to Mumen Rider, who was still busy talking to Saitama.
"There's no way a small fry like him could beat what Genos couldn't. Or any other hero in any other class, for that matter."
'Shamed by people he saved. Looked down on by his peers.'
"So who got the credit?"
.
"The Deep Sea King was strong." A voice boomed from behind a hospital curtain, interrupting Saitama's and Mumen's conversation. "I saw the footage. His brute strength and ferocity were second to none."
The man's shadow betrayed his size.
"But this was different," he continued. "Garou… His strength lay not in sheer force."
Mumen weakly pulled the curtain aside.
Tank-Top Master met them with piercing eyes.
"It was technique."
With his uninjured arm, the S-Class rubbed his face in frustration.
"Usually a single punch would be enough to end a fight against a punk," Tank-Top Master said, grimacing. "But his instincts were inhuman. He used my strength against me."
Saitama raised an eyebrow.
"You…" he began.
.
"Do I know you?"
"Wh—?!"
.
Across the room, Fubuki continued the conversation with her sister. As the younger esper fully explained the situation to Tatsumaki, her eyes grew darker and darker.
"The very first letter he received was filled with red. 'Cowardly, cheating bastard. No one likes you.'" Fubuki said softly. Genos made sure she remembered it word-for-word. "'Baldy.'"
However morose the topic was, at the very least it seemed to distract the green-haired girl from her own conflicts. Fubuki continued.
"The second letter was—"
"Stop," Tatsumaki said. "I've heard enough."
Fubuki trailed off.
Tatsumaki let her thoughts wander. Settle around what she already knew and what she'd just learned.
"Genos put you up to this somehow, didn't he?" she said suddenly.
"What?"
"For you to know all this," Tatsumaki explained. "He told you everything he wrote in his little notebook."
Fubuki frowned. These were strange connections to be making, but it somehow felt that her sister wasn't quite in the right state of mind at the moment. She had no choice but to humor her.
"He did," Fubuki replied. "And his notebook isn't small. Or singular."
Tatsumaki nodded impatiently.
"Clearly I'm not on his priority list of 'people to tell stupidly necessary facts about sensei,'" she said mockingly. It seemed like she'd completely forgotten why she was there in the first place. "So go on then."
"Go on with what?"
"List down every single person who hurt Saitama. Now."
.
"So you're saying," Saitama said, rubbing his chin. "That this Garou fella… he's as strong as an S-Class?"
Tank-Top Master nodded.
"I daresay he's more skilled than most of us," he said. "Silverfang trained a demon. One that's trained specifically to take down human foes."
"How can you tell if someone has skill?" Saitama mused. "I mean, in a fight, the one who can dish out the most damage will always win."
"Exactly. But there are ways to do that besides strength or speed," Tank-Top Master said. "Technique allows you to hit 'em where it hurts. To bring out the absolute maximum your body can handle, and to keep from being hurt at the same time."
"Sounds like Bang's Water Polo thingy."
"Silverfang has found the perfect balance of offense and defense," Tank-Top Master said. "I'd say it's the pinnacle of martial arts, and Garou just so happens to be a blessed with the talent to wield it."
A hint of light graced Saitama's eyes.
"He sounds strong," the bald hero said. "Real strong."
Tank-Top Master closed his eyes.
"I'll settle the deal with him," he said. "He may have won now, but the next time we face off, I'll have trained. And I'll be the victor."
Saitama smiled.
"Not if I beat him first."
Tank-Top Master's laughter boomed across the room.
.
.
'Give it up! Give it up!'
Tatsumaki pictured Saitama standing in the middle of a ravenous crowd.
'Give it up! Give it up!'
Overwhelmed by the gall. The abhorrent jeering of the people he'd just saved.
The esper snapped away from her thoughts and looked at the burly man in the tank-top. Her eyes were filled with venom.
.
Fubuki wondered why she felt the need to get a rise out of her sister.
Because it was directed to someone else. Because she'd never seen her sister act so out of place. Because she wanted to distract Tatsumaki from her fear for just a moment. Was she helping? Was she making it worse?
Or was it simply an unavoidable outcome?
Fubuki bit her lip.
'Since when did anyone mean this much to you?'
It was unfair.
She'd always been told to be alone. To keep away from forming connections.
Outside, watching her sister consider her question.
The look in her eyes…
It was unfair!
Explaining Saitama's situation out loud… it might have been rationalization. By all accounts, he was an extraordinary person. Someone that even her sister respected.
Maybe she was trying to convince herself at the expense of her sister's emotions. That he was an exception to her sister's rule. That somehow, his attention was different from all the rest.
Fubuki sighed.
She had come here to attend to her subordinate. A loyal, hard-working member of her group.
Seeing Tatsumaki enter the glass doors immediately put her on-guard. In fear that she'd be told off again. That she'd be told for the hundredth time that teammates were weak.
And all desire to visit her injured comrade were snuffed out.
Her sister did this to her!
And now she was with… with… an intruder!
Fubuki shook her head.
Hearing that Tatsumaki wanted to hear out Mumen Rider's thoughts — it relieved her. It made her believe her sister could see the importance of connections. Of the merit of those weaker than her.
The intruder had breached her sister's walls.
So much change in such a short amount of time.
Fubuki didn't know how to feel about it.
In her confusion, she revealed all she knew. The reasons, her rationalization, her excuses. It didn't matter.
Her sister trusted her implicitly.
Tatsumaki trusted that Genos' words were true.
Which meant that she trusted Saitama as well.
.
Tatsumaki grabbed Fubuki's hand, making her jump.
"Show me where they are," she hissed.
"Huh?! W-Who?"
"The C- and B-Class who hurt him."
Without asking again, the green-haired girl pulled Fubuki away from the room.
.
Saitama glanced backwards as the two left.
"Hm," he said.
Mumen Rider and Tank-Top Master followed his gaze.
"Was that… Miss Tornado?" Mumen asked.
"And the leader of the Fubuki Group," Tank-Top Master noted. "I did hear that a member of her group had been injured as well. Maybe they went to the wrong room."
The baldy turned to Mumen Rider.
"Tats— er, Tatsumaki said she wanted to talk to you," he said.
"Me…?! You know Miss Tornado, Saitama?"
"Yeah," the baldy said. "She's cool."
"She's cheeky, but strong," Tank-Top Master nodded. "Although she didn't look quite herself just now."
The whole building shuddered, as if confirming the man's suspicions.
"Er… maybe I should go and get her," Saitama said.
.
.
"They're still asleep," Tatsumaki said dully.
Tank-Top Tiger and Tank-Top Black Hole were blissfully unaware of the seething esper who had just entered the room. Wrapped in bandages, beat up and injured, several of the Tank-Top Heroes lay unmoving on separate beds, all asleep.
Tatsumaki found the sight of it absolutely disgusting.
"Sister, I don't think it's a good idea to—"
"They're monsters," Tatsumaki spat, pointing at the two heroes Fubuki described. "Walking wastes of air."
"They were beaten—"
"And I'll finish the job," she said. "'Heroes,' tch. Pieces of trash."
"Sister…"
"They don't deserve forgiveness."
The room shook and Fubuki stayed silent.
She looked at the floor in frustration.
This was how she would've been treated, wasn't it? If they weren't sisters.
The raven-haired girl began to step away.
.
And bumped into Saitama.
.
"Um," he said, raising an eyebrow as she stiffened. "Hi."
"H-Hi," she replied.
Tatsumaki turned to the two.
"Saitama," she muttered, frowning.
"That's me," he said, tilting his head. "So what's up with you walking out? I thought you were gonna chat with Mumen."
"I…" Tatsumaki looked as if she was snapped from a trance. Quickly, however, her expression darkened. "Forget about it."
"Um, are you okay?" he said.
The girl didn't reply.
"Hmm." Saitama shrugged, looking around the room.
It wasn't long before two heroes caught his eye. Tatsumaki watched as recognition flashed in the bald man's eyes.
"You know these guys?" Saitama asked, still looking at the two beat-up Tank-Toppers.
"No," Tatsumaki said softly.
Despite the dredged-up thoughts eating away at her, her hostility for the two 'heroes' ebbed. Seeing Saitama's expression washed them away. The only thing she could feel was a tugging at her heart. Those eyes. Again.
.
The bald man walked towards Tank-Top Tiger and Tank-Top Black Hole, pausing for a moment as he reached the foot of their beds. They slept soundly, completely unaware of the air that had settled around the room.
Tatsumaki heard Saitama sigh and watched, painfully silent, as the bald man raised his arm.
Saitama gave them each a banana.
"Your master's a pretty cool dude," he said, setting them on the cushions. "So don't let him down."
The bald hero walked past the two sisters.
"C'mon," he called from the hallway, walking out of sight. "Mumen's waiting for you."
.
.
She never really did understand him.
Staring at a red-inked letter for a few moments, the bald man placed it back onto the table. In its place, he pulled out a flyer, talking to her with a childlike expression on his face.
'Come grocery shopping with me!'
.
He never seemed to feel the need to explain himself.
At least, not unless she initiated the conversation.
Light streamed through the leaves. The hot spring was a fair distance below them. The two sat along a far-too-scenic path.
'Grh, yes! Okay?!' she said, far more roughly than she imagined she would. 'When that alien freak attacked, I thought it was all over! So I said sorry! And ever since, I had to lie to Fubuki just to keep my imag—'
'In what world does saying sorry make you weak?'
.
And even then, she didn't really get him.
'Now, now' Zombieman raised his hands to calm the other heroes down. A difficult task, considering the large, bloody stab wound in his chest. 'It's not that big a deal, really. And it's kind of my fault in the first place.'
The one that stabbed him. He was about to say it.
'It was—'
'It was me,' Saitama said, raising his hand.
'Sorry.'
.
Giving bananas to the loathsome 'heroes' who got what they deserved — Saitama had just baffled her yet again.
Tatsumaki stood, eyeing the empty hallway where Saitama had just walked into. Her disgust for the sights, sounds, and smells of the hospital had waned. In its place was the hollow beating of her heart. And a simmering feeling in her core.
'Saitama…' Fubuki said. As much as the girl tried to hide it, Tatsumaki knew when the girl was angry. 'Since when did anyone mean that much to you?'
"Since you," Tatsumaki whispered to herself.
Fubuki was her darling sister. One that she came to disagreements with once in a while. Or often.
Fubuki was hard to understand. She always went against good advice. Against good intentions. Did things her own way. But, somehow, frustratingly, she made it work. Took it in stride, even.
Just like Saitama.
Tatsumaki looked at her sister, standing in a similar, thoughtful stupor across the room. What she would give to hear Fubuki's thoughts aloud.
A grand delusion. But as long as her sister didn't want to open up, it would be impossible.
As much as she loved Fubuki, the girl almost always made sure to tell her big sister what she wanted to hear. Make an excuse. Or avoid speaking altogether. Anything to avoid confrontation.
The one thing Tatsumaki was able to get from her little sister that day — it was information. About the only other person in her life that she cared at all to receive information about.
The girl sighed.
She felt the furthest from understanding Saitama than ever before.
.
.
Tatsumaki saw Saitama waving to her as she entered the room.
Despite her mood, the esper raised a hand in return.
"Mumen's right here," he said, patting the injured cyclist's injured leg. The cyclist flinched.
"H-Hello, Miss Tornado," Mumen said, trying to keep a pleasant expression on his face. He ended up looking like he was trying to hold a sneeze.
The esper didn't look impressed.
She turned to Saitama.
"Yo bal— Saitama," she whispered. "Do you mind if I talk to this guy in private?"
"Hm?" he asked. "You gonna ask him to tell you embarrassing things about me? 'Cuz I never told him anything."
"No," Tatsumaki said. "What's with you and— you know what? Nevermind. Just go for a bit."
Saitama pouted, but walked off.
Tatsumaki turned to Mumen Rider.
"So you're the famous 'friend of Saitama's,' huh?" Tatsumaki asked.
"Yes, Miss," Mumen nodded. "It's an hon—"
"The one that got beat up to protect Genos," she continued.
Mumen stopped mid-sentence. And nodded.
.
When Fubuki had been explaining Saitama's situation to her, Tatsumaki had noted the respect her sister had shown to Mumen Rider. No doubt directly linked to his saving of Genos. If 'saving' was even the right way to put it. As far as she understood, the C-Class had done nothing but stall for time and eventually get beaten.
But more than that. More than her disappointment with how weak he turned out to be…
.
Tatsumaki clenched her fist.
"Genos should've been stronger," she said slowly.
"Um, pardon me, Miss?"
"You," she spat. "You should've been stronger!"
.
Had either of the two been more competent — simply conscious — by the end of the battle, Saitama would never have had to track his name into the dirt for their sake. Never have had to receive that letter. Never have had to experience the hate of the people he saved. All alone. In the rain.
.
"I should've been there," Tatsumaki said bitterly.
She turned to look at Mumen Rider.
The C-Class didn't know how frightening the frustration of an S-Class hero could be. His breath caught. A cold sweat began to pool on his back. Mumen Rider's body was sending every signal it could that he was in danger. And he might really have been; the ground began to tremor ever so slightly.
Tatsumaki's emotions had started to seep into her powers.
"Because of you two… Saitama… " The words came almost forcefully through the esper's mouth. "He—"
.
"He inspired us to be better. Me and Genos both."
.
Mumen Rider managed a reply, pushing through his own fears. Because he knew that frustration. He felt it every day. "Saitama was lauded by the Association. Moved up to B-Class in a snap. Just like that."
"I was useless that day," the cyclist said. "Just a decoy. Delaying the inevitable. Almost letting Genos die… I'm sorry."
Despite his injuries, the C-Class forced himself to bow as deep as his broken body allowed him.
"I swear I'll get stronger," he said, grimacing through the pain. "Just like you say."
The esper's eyes narrowed.
"And next time," she asked. "If— When you lose again. What then?"
"Losing isn't weakness. I'll never stop trying," Mumen Rider replied, head still down. His body was beginning to shake. "I'll do what I can. Until I can't."
Tatsumaki sighed, watching the hero try to maintain his pose.
"Is this some sort of way for you to show off? Get up," she said, shaking her head. "You're embarrassing yourself."
The C-Class obliged. His body creaked in protest as he lay back down. He took deep breaths.
"Mumen Rider, was it?" she asked.
"Yes… ma'am…" He said, feeling a little dizzy.
"I can see why Saitama likes you now."
"I… am honored…" the C-Class said, smiling. And promptly fainted.
.
.
"You don't mind if I take this, right?" Saitama asked, eyeing a piece of paper. The words '3 Million Yen Prize' was plastered on it. He couldn't seem to look away.
"Yeah," Charanko replied. "You can use it to enter the spectator's area."
"Mmm…" the baldy said. Three million was a lot. A lot, a lot.
"Hey, Saitama," the orange-haired student glanced at the esper across the room. "That's the Tornado of Terror, right?"
"Yeah?"
"You know her?"
"Yeah?"
"And her sister?"
"Yeah?"
Bang's disciple rubbed the back of his head.
"Do you mind getting an autograph from both of them for me?"
A pause.
"… Yeah?"
"Wh—" Charanko turned back to look at Saitama.
The baldy was still staring at the ticket.
"Are you even listening to me?! Yo!"
"Hunh?!" Saitama's head snapped up.
"You said that you were interested in martial arts. So I'll give you that ticket," Charanko said. "In exchange for an autograph from the esper sisters. Got that?"
"Ah, yeah. Okay."
The injured boy rolled his eyes.
"Anyway," he said. "What's your deal with the both of them? Are you in Miss Blizzard's group or something?"
"Nah," Saitama replied. "Fubuki is just an acquaintance. I know her from Tats."
"Tats…?"
"Anyway," the baldy said, pocketing the ticket. "You wanted an autograph right? I'll go do that right now."
.
.
Fubuki finally managed to extract herself from her thoughts as Lily entered the hospital, flowers and fruits in hand.
"When did you say the others were coming?" the esper asked, taking the flowers from her subordinate.
Lily checked her phone.
"Any minute now," she said.
"Good, good…"
.
Lily watched as Fubuki seemed to retreat back into her mind.
And then snap right out of it as someone called her name.
"Yo! Fubuki!"
Lily's eyes widened as a bald hero came up to them with a free facemask and pen from the front desk.
"Miss, is that—?!"
Fubuki nodded and handed Lily her flowers back.
.
"Saitama," the esper said. "Where's my sister?"
"Still chatting with Mumen," he said, holding out the facemask and pen. "Listen, I know we haven't really gotten to—"
"I think you should go back to her," Fubuki said. "I'm a little busy right now."
"No, but—"
"Listen here, guy," Lily stepped in angrily. "Lady Fubuki is very busy. I don't know why you want anything to do with her, since you've already rejected her offer once — but please leave us be."
"Ah. Sorry," Saitama scratched his head. It only then occurred to him why Fubuki might even be in the hospital in the first place. "One of your guys was injured, right?"
Lily nodded haughtily.
"Some of our members told him to go off alone, apparently. We're waiting for them to come here and apologize," she said. "So unless you plan to apologize too, then beat it, bal—"
Fubuki placed a hand on Lily's shoulder.
"We're all here to apologize," she said. "I'm no exception."
"But Miss, it wasn't you who—"
"I forgot about him in the commotion and gave the order to end the mission that day," Fubuki said. "In fact… Saitama. Give me that pen."
"Oh this?" Saitama brought it out. "If you don't mind, I'd—"
Fubuki took it, pulled the apology letter from the flowers, and began to write on it.
After a few moments, she placed it back and nodded.
"Thanks for the pen," Fubuki said.
Saitama took it, raising an eyebrow.
There was a spark in her eyes. A very familiar spark.
"You're not distracted anymore, are you?" Saitama asked.
Fubuki looked at him, wide-eyed. Saitama smiled.
"We never did get to shake on it, did we?"
He held out a hand.
Fubuki took it.
.
The girl frowned.
She felt something in her hand.
A pen?
"Mind signing this for me?" Saitama asked, bringing out the facemask.
Fubuki giggled.
"And I thought I was the sly one…"
.
.
"So my autograph was for that crumpled-up ticket?" Tatsumaki asked. "What's the point?"
"It's a ticket to a martial arts tournament," Saitama said.
"So?"
"That Tank-Top Blaster guy said that martial arts can counter pure strength," the baldy explained. "And that the Hero Hunter fella can use Silverfang's martial arts, so he must be strong. Don't you think it's a good idea to be ready by going to a tournament?"
"I guess."
The two were walking around the hospital grounds, deciding to chat a little in the shade before heading out again.
The wind picked up slightly, sending Tatsumaki's hair aflutter. A few leaves fell, dancing in the air.
"Fubuki told me about the two tank-top guys," she said quietly.
"So that's why you were there," Saitama said, tilting his head. "Your sister must have gotten it from Genos. I don't remember telling anyone else about that."
The breeze grew. Tatsumaki looked to the ground.
"You really think they can be better?"
"Well… yeah. Anyone can."
"You're not mad at them?"
"I beat them up when they tried attacking me," Saitama said. "So I think that makes us even."
Tatsumaki chuckled.
"Fubuki didn't get to that part," she said. "I went to beat them up myself before she could."
"Tats, they were—"
"Injured," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know, I know. I didn't follow through, geez."
Tatsumaki stopped walking.
"It's just… the fact that they could've made you quit. No," she said, hair continuing to flutter about. "Listen. Saitama."
He turned to look at her.
As the shifting sounds of leaves and branches grew around them, Tatsumaki closed her eyes. Her form glowed green for a moment, and the breeze slowly ceased. The path was dipped into a shallow silence, to be broken only at the esper's will.
Opening her eyes to meet Saitama's, she shifted her gaze away.
"O-On behalf… erm!" She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "On behalf of all the people you've saved — including me… I… er… thank you. Please, um, keep it up."
Saitama smiled.
"You sound just like Mumen," he said. "Or Genos."
"What?! Don't tell me— did they thank you for all that stuff already?!"
"A bit more eloquently, but yeah."
The wind blew again.
"G-Good to hear…" the esper said, beginning to walk again.
Saitama watched as she went ahead, green hair flowing in the wind.
.
'Too cute.'
.
.
Whew! Another chapter finished. This one was quite the handful to get wrangled together. So many character moments I wanted to have, so many little issues swimming around Tats' and Fubuki's heads. Mumen Rider was also someone I wanted to give a spotlight here. All in all, it was a chapter that felt a little overwhelming to complete. I hope I did their characters justice.
Usually, I wouldn't have finished such a complicated chapter so quickly, but I had a huge burst of productivity once I was able to talk to and receive comments from those as passionate about this pairing as me. I realize that I didn't ask their permission to thank them directly, but y'all know who you are! And thank you so much!
Have a good one as always.
-bb