Everyone quieted down as the next episode began.
Scene begins by showing the outside of Saitama's home in the Ghost Town of City-Z.
"What could be the cause of the massive mosquito outbreak this year?" someone asked by the scene shifted to the inside of the apartment, showing the television was on the news.
"Ugh, I hate mosquitoes." Fubuki groaned.
"Who doesn't hate them?" Metal Bat rhetorically asked.
"They don't bother me." Darkshine said before flexing his arm. "Those little things can't get through these hardened muscles of mine."
"We ask Mr. Kafetch, a mosquito expert who has written several books on the subject." the news anchorman said as the scene shifts to show a small watering that looked like a green elephant being filled in a sink with water.
"Thank you for having me." said Mr. Kafetch. "These mosquitoes belong to an entirely new species. Therefore, I honestly know nothing about them."
"Well that was useful." Atomic Samurai said in sarcasm.
"Aw come on! What good are you?! Get him off my show!" the anchorman snapped before the scene shifted, showing the same man coughing and recomposing himself. "I mean interesting." he said as various warnings were shown on the screen, advising people to run if they see a mosquito. The screen then showed a map that showed the mosquitoes flight path, which was City-Z.
"Man. City-Z's right in there path." Saitama commented as he walked towards his balcony while leaving the TV on. "Now we've got a mosquito plague to deal with?" he asked while walking towards the tiny cactus plant. Scene then shifts to back inside the apartment as a different anchorman appears on the screen.
"We interrupt this program with a breaking news bulletin! A large swarm of mosquitoes has been sighted in City-Z!" they announced as the scene zoomed in on the TV, which now showed dead cows that looked like dried husks. "Mummified remains of attacked farm animals have also been found."
"Those look just like the cattle from earlier." an executive stated.
"Perhaps this was caused by the mosquitoes that everyone is talking about?" Sitch guessed.
"What kind of mosquito could drain animals dry like that?" a female executive asked.
"Maybe..." Tareo began, holding his book tight to his chest and trembling in his seat. "Maybe they're monsters?"
"Could be. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes." Saitama said while munching on some popcorn.
"If you encounter a large swarm of mosquitoes, flee immediately!" the anchorman instructed as the scene zoomed in the on a dead cow. Scene then shifts to Saitama over-watering his cactus plant before a buzzing sound catches his attention.
"Are you trying to drown that cactus?" asked one of the executives.
"What? That's how much I usually water it." Saitama answered.
"Cacti don't need that much. If you've been watering it that much, I'm amazed it looks so healthy." the executive huffed.
"How would you know?" another executive asked.
"Because I have a cactus that I take care of myself." the first executive answered.
"Oh. Thanks." Saitama answered.
Scene shifts to a close-up of Saitama's right hand as a mosquito lands on it. Scene then shifts to show Saitama raising his free hand before slapping his right hand with enough strength to cause a tiny shockwave.
"Isn't that a little overkill?" Darkshine asked. "It was just one mosquito."
Scene shows a close-up of Saitama lifting his hand a little before the mosquito flew away, completely unharmed.
"What the heck?" Child Emperor asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Maybe he missed?" Tank-Top Master guessed.
Scene shows Saitama looking at nothing but trying to catch it twice. Both times with the same force as the slap, and both times the mosquito slipped out of his hand. It then shifted to a close-up of his face, which the mosquito landed on. He slapped a hand to his face, but the mosquito flew away again.
"How is that mosquito still alive?" Bofoi gaped slightly, the rest of the crowd wondering the same thing.
"Maybe it managed to get some of your blood before you smacked it made it invincible?" Puri Puri Prisoner guessed.
"Sure. A mosquito managed to hurt a guy that got pummeled by a monster bigger than a whole city without taking a scratch. USE YOUR HEAD, YOU IDIOT!" Tornado snapped.
Saitama merely tilted his head in confusion. He had smashed tons of monsters, yet this one little mosquito wasn't dying?
"That's just weird." he finally said.
Scene shifts to Saitama placing the watering can down before it shifts to his face, his expression saying that he was quite irked. His eyes slowly glanced over before the scene shifted, showing Saitama moving around so fast that it looked like he was teleporting, shock waves going off after each attempt to smash that one mosquito.
"That's...kind of pathetic." Tareo admitted, a sweat drop on his forehead at seeing a powerful human like Saitama having so much difficulty swatting one tiny mosquito.
"'Kind of?' More like absolutely pathetic." Tornado scoffed.
"And yet...slightly funny." one executive said with a tiny smile.
Saitama couldn't say anything to their words, for he too was having trouble understanding this as well.
Scene zooms out far from the building, where a massive cloud comprised completely of mosquitoes flew through the air.
"Whoa! That's a lot of mosquitoes." Metal Bat said in shock.
"There's gotta be hundreds of thousands of them!" Fubuki whimpered.
"Perhaps that is why there were so many dried husks everywhere." Flashy Flash guessed. "If all of them attacked something at once, they would drain their target within seconds."
"M-M-Mr. Zack. Ho-How many are there?!" Tareo asked in a shaky voice.
"One...two...a lot." Zack answered while pointing at the screen.
Scene shifts to a loudspeaker just a woman's voice comes over.
"THIS IS AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WARNING. THREAT LEVEL: DEMON." they said as the scene shifts to a mummified bird, a shadow coming over it. Scene then shows a pair of legs before panning up to show Genos staring down at the bird before looking up at the mosquito cloud, which was slowly having more and more mosquitoes join it as it flew through the air. "NO RESIDENT IS TO GO OUTSIDE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES."
"Acquiring target." Genos said after the scene shifted to a close-up of his face, the woman's voice repeating her warning in the background.
THE LONE CYBORG
"I just realized something." an executive whispered to his colleagues as the theme song played. "Isn't that the same cyborg we've been looking for?"
"Indeed. When this is all over, perhaps we should approach him as well." the Bespectacled Worker suggested before they went back to the theme song.
"I still want to know why I'm not there." Fubuki muttered.
"Because you don't make much of an appearance until later." Zack whispered behind her ear, making her jump while he teleported back to his seat just as the song ended.
Scene shows a random shot of City-Z before glass breaking is heard. Scene then shifts to show a man walking out of a random store with a crowbar over his shoulder, laughing all the while.
"Thanks to that warning, they're all empty!" he exclaimed before the scene shifts to a close-up of the man. "Like anyone's gonna die from a mosquito bite." he scoffed with a smile before looking down at his overstuffed sack of stolen loot. "What's losing a little blood if I get all this?"
"Idiot." Tornado mumbled while the other heroes just gave the screen 'are you for real' looks.
"Those warnings are sent out for a reason, dipshit." Metal Bat grunted.
"This isn't the first time someone has tried using the Hero Association's warnings to try something like this." Metal Knight said.
"Indeed. Various shop owners have all called in about thefts and vandalism that had taken place during a monster crisis, all of which were unrelated to the crisis in question." Sitch added, having read numerous reports brought in to the Association.
"Do not fret. I could straighten that young man out." Puri Puri Prisoner declared, confidence in his voice. The others all looked at each other before shivering at the implications.
Scene shifts to show a cloud of mosquitoes flying over the ground before flying past him, the force knocking the thief's beanie off his head and far away.
"Was that the wind?" he asked as he looked to the sky in confusion, missing the cloud of mosquitoes coming in from behind.
"Aw crap!" Metal Bat yelped.
"RUN MR. THIEF!" Tareo yelled.
Scene shifts a few times to show the mosquitoes swarming the thief, making him move around when he finally realized what was happening.
"What the-?!" he yelped before he started to thrash about in his attempts to get the mosquitoes off of him. Scene shows him screaming as the mosquitoes have him completely covered, his eyes and mouth the only things visible. It then showed each mosquito beginning to suck his blood, causing his screams to come out in little gasps and his eyes to shrivel. Scene then shifts to show the mosquitoes flying away, leaving a dried up corpse behind that snapped into two as it fell over.
"Dear Lord in Heaven!" one executive muttered in horror.
"AHHH! THEY SUCKED ALL HIS BLOOD OUT!" Tareo wailed, tears in his eyes.
"That poor man!" PPP cried while biting his prison uniform.
"Yuck." Sonic grimaced in disgust. He wasn't a stranger to death, but at least most of his victims never saw it coming, nor did he prolong their end.
Pig God stopped eating for a half second before he continued to eat his food.
"Shit. Dead in seconds. I honestly don't think I could smash 'em fast enough." Metal Bat confessed, looking a little green.
Scene then shifts to show the mosquito cloud joining others as they swarmed around in a sphere in the sky, which glowed blood red. Scene then shifts to show a feminine figure in the middle, moaning in delight and licking her lips as something swelled with blood.
"That must be their leader." Genos said, completely unfazed by the behavior of the monster.
The mosquitoes fly away, revealing a human/mosquito hybrid monster.
Zack gave out a wolf whistle, earning odd looks from everyone. "What?"
"You do know that she's a monster, right?" Atomic Samurai pointed out.
"And that's stopped Okamaitchi when?" Zack asked.
"...Touché." Atomic Samurai admitted with a smirk before they turned back to the screen.
"Come on. That wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my needs." she whined before the scene shifted to a close-up on her face. "Now, go get some more for me." she ordered before she blinked as she sensed something wrong.
"Target acquired." Genos said after the scene showed a close up of him from the nose down, his right hand held up and powering up. It then shows him firing at Mosquito Girl, who dodges at the last second before scowling down at him. "I see. You make them suck the blood, and then take it all for yourself." he said as the scene showed the shriveled up corpse, then back to the two of them. "You must be controlling the mosquitoes via some sort of signal. That would explain their mysterious behavior."
"So that's why so many mosquitos were moving and acting in such a manner." Drive Knight said after hearing Genos's explanation.
"So if I were to get rid of you, the leader, would the swarm disperse too?" he asked as the scene shifted to show a shot of him looking up at her and the gathering swarm of mosquitos. Scene shifts to a close-up of her, who gave a light chuckle towards him.
"Our next meal is here. Go drain that fool dry." she ordered. Scene shifts as the mosquitoes converged onto Genos. Scene then shifts to a close up to his lips.
"Incinerate." he said in a calm tone. Scene then shifts to show the mosquitoes surrounding him going up in flames before the scene shifts to a shocked Mosquito Girl. Scene then shows Genos holding his smoking hand up towards her. "I will eliminate you. Stay right where you are." he said, his hand powering up again.
"Yeah, that never works." Zombieman deadpanned.
"That was cool." Tareo said after watching Genos torch the mosquitos before turning to him. "What else can you do?"
"Are you asking me to list every single one of my functions?" Genos asked.
"Can we do that later? I wanna watch the fight that's about to happen!" Metal Bat griped.
"All in favor of saving explanations for later?" Zack asked.
"I!" chorused a few dozen other Zacks before they disappeared and the viewing continued.
Scene goes back to Mosquito Girl still looking shocked before giggling.
"You think you can eliminate me?" she asked before gaining a slightly mad grin. "THEN GO ON AND TRY!"
Scene shows a burst of flame before suddenly cutting to an irate looking Saitama, multiple veins showing on his face and head, and smoking hands held together as if in prayer.
"Are you still trying to kill that one mosquito?" Tornado asked in disbelief while Flash pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Okay. Now it's just sad." Tank-Top Master said with a blank look.
"I got you." Saitama said a moment before the mosquito flew out from between his hands, then flew away.
Almost everyone in the audience were giving the screen a blank look after seeing that.
Scene then shifts to a close up of Saitama gnashing his teeth together before his eyes shifted.
"Damn...Mosquitos!" he growled.
"Strange. How could that one mosquito elude you?" Genos asked while holding his chin between his fingers.
"Perhaps our esteemed host can answer that." Stich suggested before turning to Zack, only to blink when he saw the haunted look he was sporting.
"I don't know." he said in an empty voice. "I have looked at this scenario over and over, and through so many different versions of this world." He then proceeded to melt into a puddle that had his face on it. "I...can't find the answer."
"Hmph. Some cosmic entity." Tornado scoffed.
"Shut up! My job isn't to know everything about everything about the worlds! Only to watch them!" Zack snapped after reforming before sitting down and pouting.
Scene then shifts to Genos running and jumping towards Mosquito Girl. Both Cyborg and monster swinging at each other in mid-air before Genos blocks a strike from here. Scene then shows his face before his eyes light up, then shifts to show his arm thrusters activating and launching himself away from her. He then lands on the side of a building before launching off, the force leaving a hole where he once was. He then goes in for a punch, but is blocked with one of her claws before being smacked away by the other. Scene shifts to show him stabilizing himself with his thrusters before landing on his feet a good distance away.
"Incinerate!" he says as he launches a fireball from his left hand, which she dodges. He then notices her getting closer as she dodges while he keeps firing before flying into him. Scene then shifts to show his left arm on her extended horn while she smiles down at him with a laugh before it shifts to show the wires from what remained of his left arm.
"Oh no! Your arm!" Tareo cried.
"It is easily replaceable. Do not worry." Genos told him.
"Maybe a leg next time?" she chuckled before the scene shifts to show her grunting in confusion before looking down at her legs, which were shown to be mostly gone when the scene shifted to show them. "What the-?! What happened to my legs?"
Scene shows Genos tossing both legs aside with his remaining arm before the scene shifts to show him glaring up at her.
"Nice grab." Darkshine complimented while Genos himself took notes. If he was to fight her in the future, he wanted to make sure he did not repeat any mistakes he may see.
Scene shows her staring down in shock and slight fear before she starts flying away.
"Impossible." Genos states as the scene shows an extreme close up of his right hand charging up. Scene then shifts again, showing him launching a fireball straight at her, only for it to be intercepted by a wall of mosquitos, destroying them all and cancelling his attack. "You cannot escape from me."
"Then maybe you should stop talking and get after her." Tornado huffed.
Scene shows Mosquito Girl flying in the sky while scowling down at him.
"What the hell is that guy?" she growled before the scene shifts to a close up on her face. "He's gonna get me if I don't do something." she said before smiling while licking her lips. Scene then shifts a few times to show her flying high above City-Z, then to the forest full of mummified animals. "The townspeople may all be hiding, but there are plenty of animals around." she said as mosquitoes start to fly through the surrounding forest. "Come here, littles ones!" as the scene shifts to show her flying high and preparing herself. "Empty all the delicious juices you carry into ME!"
"...That...sounded very wrong." an executive muttered, some of the other audience thinking the same thing as well.
Scene shifts to show Genos running towards the growing massive ball of mosquitoes before stopping and staring up at it.
"Mother of mercy." an executive gasped in terror. And they weren't the only one.
"I stand corrected. That...is a lot of mosquitoes." Metal Bat said.
"And it's getting bigger." Fubuki added after swallowing the lump in her throat.
"If she wanted to, she could use those mosquitoes to drain an entire city if they were caught unprepared." Bang stated in a grim tone.
"Just watching them is making my skin crawl." Child Emperor shuddered while rubbing his arms.
'So many. If she's been collecting blood from the whole town and beyond, then it may not simply be a food source for her.' Genos thought before he started powering up his remaining arm. 'I should put an end to this as soon as possible.'
"GET BACK HERE, DAMMIT!" came Saitama's shout from off screen. Genos stops and looks as the scene shifts, showing Saitama chasing the same mosquito while spraying at it with a can of bug spray. "YOU AND I AREN'T DONE YET, YA LITTLE BASTARD!"
Most of the audience began to laugh at the situation.
"For crying out loud." Zombieman mumbled under his breath while his shoulders shook from suppressed laughter.
"When superhuman strength fails, go for the bug spray." King joked with a light chuckle.
"What? No fly swatter?" Metal Bat snickered.
"HAHAHA! YOU PATHETIC BALDY!" Tatsumaki laughed while holding her sides.
"I didn't know she could laugh." one executive whispered to the other.
'Who is this idiot?' Genos thought as he stared at the approaching Saitama.
"IT'S IN MY MOUTH!" Saitama said after the scene shifted to him looking grossed out before he started spitting, then wiped his mouth. "Nasty little-...huh?" he said before the scene shifted to show him looking up at the ball of bugs. "What's that squirming over there? Is that...mosquitoes?!" he asked before the scene shifted to show Saitama looking up at the ball in worry.
"I don't blame you." Atomic Samurai said before smiling. "If you couldn't smash one, how are you gonna handle all of those?"
"I'd...get a bigger can of bug spray?" Saitama answered with a shrug, making a few of them chuckle.
"You there." Genos said, getting Saitama's attention. "Evacuate. That swarm is conscious. If it senses you, it will immediately attack." he warned as the scene shifted between the swarm and him. It then shifted to Saitama looking a little blue in the face at the thought of all those mosquitoes attacking at once.
"Why do you look so freaked out? They can't penetrate your skin, so you wouldn't die from them." Watchdog Man said.
"Why are you asking me? It hasn't happened yet." Saitama answered.
"Seriously?" he said before the scene shifted a bit away to show both of them. "That's pretty bad. We should get-"
Scene suddenly cuts to a close up of Mosquito Girl's mad grin and laughter.
"Something tells me she's not letting either of you get away." Child Emperor said while licking his lollipop before they saw the scene shift, showing the mosquitoes descending on Genos and Saitama.
"Incoming." Flash said.
The next few scenes showed the mosquitoes spreading out with such force that they smashed through windows and caused buildings to tilt and topple over.
"I didn't know mosquitoes could do that." Tareo said in quiet awe.
"Those mosquitoes all obey a monster and that 'expert' said that they were a new species. Perhaps that is why they are capable of such feats when brought together." Bang pondered out loud
Scene shows Genos's arm struggling amongst the mosquitoes before electricity began to shoot out. Scene then shows the mosquito dome from afar as bright lights sparkled amongst it before the entire swarm went up in a massive ball of flames. Scene then shifts to show the flames spreading around before it showed the area from the sky.
"You did it! You burned them all up!" Tareo exclaimed.
"Nice." Zack whispered while wearing sunglasses before tossing them over his shoulder.
"Yeah. You totally made the bugs bug out of there. Badum tsh." Saitama joked, earning a chuckle from Zack and looks from everyone else.
"That was so bad I felt it." Sekingar muttered under his breath.
"Wait a second! What about the monster woman? Did she survive?" Atomic Samurai asked
"And don't forget Saitama! He was standing right there!" Puri Puri Prisoner reminded them.
"Oh crap! You're right!" Metal Bat yelped.
"I wouldn't worry." King said. "Somehow, I doubt even that would scratch him."
Scene goes back to Genos standing in the middle of the street.
"Since you spoke, I thought you would have at least human-level intelligence. But you were just a bug. You brought all the mosquitoes together into one, easy-to-burn swarm." he says as the scene shifts to show the area after the fight. "When I spotted you, I confirmed there were no living beings within 500 meters, so I should have been free to fire away."
"What?! But what about Mr. Saitama?!" Tareo cried out.
Scene shows Genos's eyes widen in realization. "Wait, that guy might have-"
"Man, you saved me. You're amazing." Saitama said as the scene panned over to show Saitama standing there, perfectly okay. His clothes had been burned off, but a column of smoke hid his manhood from view.
"Told you." King said with a smirk.
"I need to bring my hero costume when this happens." Saitama commented, not wanting to have his normal clothes burned if he could help it.
"What was that just now? You totally made them bug out. Badum-tsh." Saitama joked as the camera zoomed in on him before shifting to a stunned Genos.
Saitama chuckled at his future self, having said something similar moments ago.
"Idiot." Tornado mumbled with an eye roll.
"Oh, I was just trying to make a joke about the mosquitos being bugs, and..." he explained after the scene shifted to show him again, a street sign bending over and stopping in front of Saitama when the smoke dissipated.
"Was that good timing, or are you influencing the video?" Bofoi asked.
"Who knows. Whether I am or not, it's still good. After all, there are children present." Zack answered.
Both of them look up when a familiar laugh rings out in the area.
"She survived that?!" Fubuki asked in shock.
Scene shifts to show her descending from the sky before it closes in on her, showing that she had changed. Her legs had regrown, and her body changed colors from black and white to a mixture of light and dark reds.
"You idiot. I no longer need the tiny ones. I mean..." she says before she slashes at a nearby building, blasting it away from the force. Scene shifts to show a shocked Genos an impassive Saitama watching before it goes back to show the building she destroyed. "JUST LOOK AT HOW STRONG I'VE BECOME!"
"That's all?" Atomic Samurai asked in a bored tone. "Most of us here could do more with less."
"Careful. It's best not to underestimate monsters, no matter how they look or what threat level they're assigned." Tank-Top Master warned.
Scene shifts to a close up of Mosquito Girl as she grins down at Genos before she flies towards him. Genos prepares himself, but is nearly cut in half when she flies behind him. He turns and throws a punch, but is knocked skyward with such force that bits of him fall off while she gives chase.
"HAHAHA! Can't your macho punches kill a little mosquito?" she mockingly asked as the scene showed her zipping everywhere and striking him, each hit damaging him more and more. Scene then shows her flying by while looking down at him. "What a weakling."
"Shit. She's literally tearing you to pieces." Metal Bat said as they all watched Genos taking a beating.
"It would seem that I underestimate her." Genos said while writing more notes.
'I see now. The more blood she consumes, the stronger she becomes.' he thought as the scene showed him flying upwards before shifting to Mosquito Girl lounging in the air, as if she was relaxing before she moved.
"I think I'll have YOUR HEAD NEXT!" she declared before the scene shifted back to Genos falling towards the sky.
'I let my guard down. I have no chance of winning.' he thought as it looked like the scene slowed down before shifting to a close up of Genos's exposed insides, a blue light beginning to glow with building intensity. 'All I can do is self-destruct.'
The audience grew tense at that while Genos grit his teeth. He did not like the idea of dying before he had completed his goal of stopping the insane cyborg that wrecked his town years ago.
'Forgive me...Doctor.' he thought as the scene shifted, showing Mosquito Girl about to attack him.
Tareo shut his eyes, not wanting to see Genos die.
Scene shows a close up of a laughing Mosquito Girl before a hand appears out of nowhere and smashes into the side of her face. Scene shifts to show Saitama sending her flying, with part of her hitting a building, leaving a massive blood splatter while the rest was sent soaring away, a shockwave emitting a second later.
"I forgot he was there for a moment." Zombieman admitted while Tareo peeked through his fingers.
"He...He's alive?" the child asked.
"Indeed. Saitama defeated her at the last second." Bang answered.
"HAHA! He bitch slapped her!" Metal Bat laughed.
"Well, that was surprising." Tornado said.
"What was surprising?" Sekingar asked.
"That the baldy finally managed to hit a mosquito." she finished with a small smile, making a few of them chuckle and Saitama throw her a small glare.
Scene shifts to a close up of Genos's busted face, his jaw dropping and his functioning eye widening at the display of power he'd just witnessed. Scene then shifts to Saitama smiling up at where he sent Mosquito Girl flying.
"Bugs. They suck." he said.
A few of them actually smiled and gave a small chuckle to that one.
The scene shifted again, showing Genos falling in a broken heap on the ground and Saitama's butt in view before he walked off screen.
"Nice." PPP whispered to himself.
'Why do I keep feeling weirded out for some reason?' Saitama thought, not noticing the way a certain Class-S hero was looking at the screen.
"Hold on!" Genos shouted while looking up at Saitama. Scene shifts to show Saitama stopping and looking down at Genos. "Please tell me your name!" the cyborg said. Scene shifts to show a view of the sky and street, a split in both the clouds and street.
"Unbelievable." Bofoi muttered as he and a few others realized what made the splits.
"He practically split the heavens and the earth." an executive whispered in shock.
"Man, I wish I was that strong." Darkshine said to himself. He was proud of his strength and muscles, but having that much power would be amazing.
"Coooool." Tareo gasped in amazement.
"Oh. It's Saitama."
"I would like to be your disciple."
"Wait, what?" Saitama asked while Genos's eyes widened.
'If I become his disciple.' the cyborg thought.
"Oh, okay." Saitama answered after the scene shifted to him before he turned to walk off, but then stopped and looked back down at him before the scene shifted to Genos's face. "Huh?"
"I would be honored if you were to take me on as a disciple." Genos said while standing next to Saitama, making the bald hero look up at him in confusion.
"Wait a second! I don't know anything about having a disciple!" Saitama protested.
"Too late. Your future self agreed." Zack chuckled before he suddenly jerked up in his seat, his eyes shining. "Whoop! Gotta go for a bit."
"What are you talking about?" Sitch asked.
"Duty calls." Zack answered as he headed for the doors.
"So we just sit here until you get back?" Amai Mask asked.
"Hmm. That would be boring, but I don't want to miss this." Zack muttered before snapping his fingers. "I know! Watch this." he said before looking at the screen, his eyes flashing again before opening the doors and jumping out, leaving them to shut and the audience with questions.
"What could he need to do?" one executive asked as a new image came to the screen.
The Shadow That Snuck Up Too Close
"What does that mean?" Tareo asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Scene appears outside of Saitama's home late at night, a man's scream being heard.
The heroes all tensed at that, wondering what could be happening.
"Could she have checked my call history with asking?!" came a man's worried voice. Scene then shifts to Saitama watching something on the TV in the dark while snacking on some food.
"Oh, it's just television." Puri Puri Prisoner said as he and the other heroes relaxed.
"Dammit. We've lost the alien's location." another man said before the scene shifts a few times, one scene showing Saitama getting something from his fridge.
"There it is, standing in front of the spacecraft!" a man said as Saitama sat back down, drink in his hand.
"Your mom got a call from someone saying she was your fiancée!" another man exclaimed before the scene shifted, showing a close up of Saitama, the screen reflecting off his eyes.
"No, it can't be! And the alien's been taken out."
"She contacted me too! 'Everyone in my way's been eliminated. I can't wait for our date tomorrow.'"
"I never agreed to any dates! That woman's more dangerous than the aliens!"
"What kind of movie are you watching? Or...going to watch?" an executive asked before rubbing his temples. "I keep forgetting that these things haven't happened yet."
"I know the movie. It's Alien Vs. Stalker." another answered while rubbing his temples. "It's stupid. I know. I watched it myself once. Bad idea."
Scene shifts to outside of Saitama's home before the light turns on, then shifts to the disc tray of the player coming out before Saitama retrieves it.
"Man...Stalkers really are scary." he said as he put the disc back in it's case.
"You can kill Dragon level threats and monsters bigger than cities with one punch, and you're afraid of stalkers?" Pig God asked curiously before eating more food.
"Don't underestimate a stalker." Amai Mask said with a serious face. "They're the kind of people who will go to unimaginable lengths to get what they desire, no matter what it is."
"Personal experience?" Metal Bat asked with a smirk. Amai Mask simply cast a glance at him before looking at the screen.
Scene shifts to show a laundry basket before shifting to Saitama hanging laundry on his balcony.
'Come to think of it, lately I've been feeling eyes on me, too.' he thought as the scene shifts a few times while he's thinking. 'I've defeated a lot of bad guys in the past. Maybe someone's got a grudge against me.'
"You would not be the only one." Bang said. "I've had many adversaries from rival dojos spy on me."
"Yeah. I get a few thugs from massive street gangs I take out come and try to kill me." Metal Bat added.
"And I've had numerous assassins and such come after me as well." Flashy Flash spoke up.
"Seriously?" Saitama asked with slightly widened eyes. "Wow."
'It's no big deal if it's just someone with a grudge. But if that grudge or anger turned into some kind of warped love, like that movie, how should I handle it?' he thought as the scene shifted to show a close up of him. Suddenly, a shadow moved behind him, making his eyes turn serious before he turns and looks inside his home. Scene shifts to show no one is there.
"Looks like you were right about having a stalker." Atomic Samurai said.
"Whoever they are, they have guts. That's the abandoned zone." Darkshine reminded them. "That place is full of monsters."
"This place is getting pretty messy." the bald hero said before the screen went black. It then shifted to a scene of the area before shifting to a lens looking out of a little tent.
'It has been three days since I started investigating the secret of Master Saitama's power.'
"Wait. Is that...?" Child Emperor started to ask, wondering if the voice he heard was the one he was thinking of.
Scene shows a high-end telescope before shifting to Saitama's balcony, which was also being recorded.
'I have yet to gain any information and time is ticking away...' the same voice thought before the scene shifted, showing that it was a fully repaired Genos watching Saitama and writing in a notebook.
"You're the one stalking me?! What is wrong with you?!" Saitama snapped at Genos.
"I am unsure, as these events haven't happened yet." Genos answered.
"Well don't do it!" Saitama ordered.
"Yes, Master!" Genos said, making Saitama blanche.
"Who said I'm your master?!" Saitama yelled.
"You will in the future." Genos answered.
"It's true. We all saw it." Metal Bat said with a smirk, making Saitama groan in frustration.
"Still, stalking the guy you want to be your teacher? Not the kind of thing a disciple should do." Atomic Samurai said with a disapproving frown.
"Is he purposely being cautious so no one can find out?" he asked himself while looking again. "I hope I come up with something soon." Scene shifts to show a lot of writing and drawings in the notebook, with one of Saitama hanging his laundry before he shut it.
"I doubt that writing about how he does his laundry will give you answers on how got so strong." Flashy Flash commented, having read the notes when they were on screen.
Scene shifts to show it was the next day. Saitama was calmly walking down the street in his hero outfit. Scene zooms in on him and Genos leans out from behind a tree. Saitama blinks and straightens up before looking over his shoulder, but Genos had already leaned out of view behind the tree. Saitama then looks forwards and rests his chin in his fingers in thought.
"Tch. Amateur." Sonic grunted. "You're too out in the open."
"Agreed. There are far better ways to shadow someone." said Flashy Flash.
'As I suspected, he is on guard.' Genos thought after the scene shifted to a close up of him watching Saitama. 'I must hurry.' Scene shifts a few times as Saitama walks into a building. Genos looks at the sign that read 'Jonasama' on it.
"Oh, a family restaurant. Good choice." Pig God commented.
"Thanks. Money's usually tight, so I don't eat out often." Saitama replied before looking down at his bucket. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them to see it full of food he could never afford and smiled.
"Of course you'd know all about restaurants." Tornado said while casting Pig God a glance before turning back to the screen.
'Investigation: Day 4. He is eating out for the first time. I see. Perhaps the secret of his power lies in his food.' Genos thought as he pulled out his notebook and began writing in it.
"No. That's me." Pig God chuckled, which a few others joining him.
Scene shifts to show Saitama sitting in a middle booth by himself before shifting to a close up of the menu he was reading.
Quite a few of audience found themselves a little hungry from seeing the food. Some could even smell the food before looking around to see some had remembered about the food buckets, had decided to have some food appear and were eating.
"This is quite convenient." McCoy said with a smile.
"I'm tempted to ask that Zack fellow if we can take these with us." an executive joked.
"I am gonna ask if we can take them with us." another said with a serious look.
"Right now we have specials on steaks." came a woman's voice. Scene shifts to show a waitress standing next to Saitama, ready to take his order. "They're all very good!" she added. Saitama looked up at her before the scene shifted again. It showed him taking out his change purse and opening it to look inside, showing that he hadn't much money.
"Is that all you have?" Tareo asked. "I get more than that for allowance."
"Well, usually I only have that, but only because the part-time jobs I manage to get don't pay much." Saitama answered.
An executive's eyes widened before he gestured for his colleagues to listen.
"Perhaps when we offer him a chance to join the Hero Association, we can show him how much they earn." he whispered to them. "It may help with his decision if he wants to make more money." The other executives nodded to this before they looked back at the screen.
"Uh...I guess...just give me...whatever's cheapest." he decided as the scene shifted to him, then to her.
"The 150 gram steak?" she asked.
"Uh, no." he said before the scene shifted to the steak part of the menu before it panned over to the side orders. "This." he decided while pointing at the fries.
"That's all you're getting?" Fubuki asked.
"That's all I can afford." Saitama answered with a sigh.
"One side order of French fries." the waitress said while punching in the order before she waited with a smile...and still waited. Scene then cut to Saitama staring before glancing up at her.
"Oh, that's all." he said. The scene shifted to the smiling waitress before it shifted again, showing her walking off and leaving Saitama alone.
"She looked like she wanted you to order more." Zombieman stated.
"Well I can't order more without more money." Saitama countered.
"Looks like it's time for a job again. Damn it." Saitama lamented as the scene panned away from him and towards Genos, who was staring at Saitama while holding a drink of some kind.
"Dude...you're starting to creep me out." Saitama said while shooting Genos a look, who merely looked back.
Scene changes to show a plate of hot french fries with a tiny cup for ketchup and mustard on the side.
"Enjoy." the waitress says before the scene shifts, showing her walking off to wait on other tables, leaving Saitama to stare down at his food.
"Seriously? The portion's so small. This is 300 yen?" he asked himself as the scene shifts to his disappointed face before shifting back to the fries. "Plus there's only one long, soft one like I like. The rest are all short and crispy. It sure isn't my day today." he lamented as the scene shifted back to Genos staring before it switched to Genos's point of view.
"Is that how you see everything?" Tareo asked the cyborg.
"Indeed." Genos nodded.
'Is that it?' Genos thought as he stared at the fries before he saw Saitama get up. Scene shifts to him taking a drink to better hide himself. Scene shifts a few times, showing Genos's gaze following Saitama as the bald hero walked into the bathroom. It then shifted back to his eye before it took on a more robotic image.
"What are you planning?" Bofoi asked himself, slightly curious as to what Genos would do.
Scene shifts to show Saitama coming back and sitting down in front of his food. "Huh...Huh?" he muttered as he leaned down to examine his plate. Scene then shifts to show that the one long fry was gone. "The nice long one is...gone!" he muttered with a glare.
"Seriously?" Saitama said while giving Genos a deadpanned, yet slightly aggravated look. "Did you seriously take the one fry that was the way I like?"
"I apologize for my future self's behavior if that is the case, Master." Genos said, making Saitama groan in frustration.
"If any of my disciples acted like this guy, I'd never had taken them in as a teacher in the first place." Atomic Samurai whispered to Silverfang, who nodded a little. Though if the elderly hero was honest, he would like another disciple to train since his dojo was mostly empty.
Scene shifts again to show the waitress from before walking by before Saitama spoke up.
"Excuse me." he said, making her stop and look at him.
"Don't tell me you're going to complain about one stinkin' french fry." Tatsumaki groaned. "You can't be that petty."
"I don't eat out often because I don't get much income. Any food I do get in these rare moments, I want to eat." Saitama stated with crossed arms.
"Yes?" she asked. Scene shifts a little closer to the two of them.
"I'm missing...a fry." he said, confusing the woman as the scene shifted to just her.
"Huh?" she said.
"Yeah, my fries." he continued as the scene shifted back to the fries. "The long one...There was one that was on the longer side, and while I was in the bathroom..." he explained as the scene shifted and he stood up out of the booth. "Uh...You didn't eat it, did you?" he asked the scene shifted to her.
"What?" she said, wondering why he was accusing her all of a sudden.
"That poor waitress." Atomic Samurai chuckled. The whole thing was so absurd, he couldn't help but find it funny.
"And I bet you don't tip her either, do you?" Tank-Top Master joked, making a few others snicker.
"Hey, I'd tip the right amount." Saitama huffed, feeling like they were picking on him.
"I mean, did anyone eat it?" he asked after the scene shifted back to him.
"How would she know? She's not watching you like he is." King said while gesturing to Genos.
"Would you like me to call the manager?" she asked in a quiet voice after the scene shifted to her worried look before shifting back to Saitama.
"Oh, no...it's okay." he declined. The scene shifted again to show the both of them. "Don't worry about it." The waitress walks off while Saitama sits down and begins to eat his fries.
'He makes a special trip to a chain restaurant and orders only french fries.' Genos thought as the scene shifts to the fries before fading to Genos's face. 'No normal person would dream of such behavior.' he thought as the scene shifts to the long french fry sealed in a plastic bag in his hand. 'And in that case, there is a strong possibility that this is a special foodstuff and that it holds the key to Master Saitama's power.'
"One. It's not. And two. Keep your hands off my food!" Saitama snapped.
"It's appearance seems normal. Could there be a secret ingredient? No..." he said to himself as the scene shifts a few times before he puts on a rubber glove and takes the fry out of the bag to examine more closely. "No matter how I look at it, all I see is a regular french fry. Perhaps there is no secret to his diet?" he wondered before the scene shifts, showing him taking out his phone and texting something. "I will send the data and have it analyzed."
"Maybe we should reconsider asking him to join." an executive whispered to the others with a concerned look on her face.
Scene shifts to the back of Saitama's feet as he walked down the sidewalk.
"Who the hell ate my fry?!" he angrily asked before the scene shifted, showing him walking with an angered look on his face. "And did it have to be the only long one?!"
"You're still upset? Let it go already." Child Emperor sighed.
"Yeah. If you want fries like that, then why not make them yourself?" Metal Bat asked before noticing Genos writing in a notebook. "What are you writing?"
"I am writing down Master Saitama's preferred food for future reference." Genos answered.
"...Now you're starting to scare me." Metal Bat muttered, looking as creeped out as many others in the audience.
"Wait." Saitama said after suddenly stopping and looking down in thought before the scene zoomed in on his face. "Don't tell me I really do have...a stalker?" he asked as he began to look around in a paranoid fashion.
Some of the audience felt bad for Saitama, especially with the behavior Genos was exhibiting.
Scene shifts to outside of Saitama's home.
"Thieving bastard!" Saitama growled before the scene shifted, showing Saitama squatting and staring up at his home. "I'm so gonna kick your ass!" Scene shifts a few times to show the area around. 'I'll hide right here until he comes past. The area around here is deserted, so I should be the only one around. In other words, if someone shows up at my house, that person has got to be my stalker-no, my french fry thief for sure.'
"Sadly, it's both." Sekingar muttered.
Scene shows Saitama waiting for a moment before speaking. "No one's coming."
"You're out in the open. They could see you if they came up from behind you." Flashy Flash explained.
"Huh. Guess I am a little out in the open." Saitama replied.
Scene then shifts to Genos's point of view as he watched Saitama from behind.
"See?" Flashy Flash asked.
"Master, what are you up to?" Genos asked as the scene shifted to show his face. 'The same position for two hours now.'
"Two hours like that? That would hurt my knees after only 15 minutes." Sitch commented.
'Is he engaging in some kind of visualization exercise?' Genos thought from where he was as he spied on Saitama. A ring tone sounded out before he leapt off and out of sight to answer it. "Is the analysis complete? Thank you, Doctor. I'll head back now." he said before hanging up.
Some of the audience were wondering who this doctor he kept mentioning is.
Scene changes to a different part of City-Z.
"Dang it. No one came." Saitama grumbled as he stuck the DVD he rented into a drop off box. Suddenly, a man's terrified screaming could be heard, causing Saitama to perk up and look towards the source.
"Oh dear." Puri Puri Prisoner gasped as the heroes all tensed.
"I wonder what it could be." Bofoi said aloud.
Scene shifts to the front of a drug and cosmetic store, showing people running away in fear.
"What's going on?" a man shouted before the scene shifted, showing a man on his knees and his entire face covered in a white goo.
"I don't want to know what that is. I don't want to know what that is. I don't want to know what this is" Metal Bat muttered on repeat, a look of disgust on his face. Going by how many others were shuddering or looking repulsed, they were thinking about what it might be and hoped it wasn't as well.
"What is that stuff?" Tareo asked, his mind not thinking what the others were thinking.
"I am unsure. I cannot analyze it through the screen." Genos answered.
"Let's not ask about it and say we did." Sitch said, hoping they would drop the subject.
The goo turned to steam as the man groaned in pain before it cleared, showing the man's face turned a light purple and was dried up like a raisin.
"Ick. He turned into a prune." said Saitama.
"My face!" the poor man mumbled through dry lips as the scene shifted, showing the one responsible standing before him.
"I'll make you all dry as dead leaves!" giggled a man with long blonde hair, flamboyant clothing, big eyelashes, and wearing a pink face mask of some kind. He also had some large objects that looked like a beauty item in his right hand while his left hand looked like it was inside a large tube of some kind.
"What a lovely man!" PPP exclaimed.
"Is he...?" Saitama started to whisper to the closest person sitting to him, which was Tank-Top Master.
"Yes, he is." he responded.
"Better be careful." Saitama warned as the scene shifted to a few other dry faced victims on the ground, Saitama's red boots stepping into view. Scene then shifts up to Saitama glaring at the man. "It's been a bad day and I'm in a bad mood."
"That head...I finally meet it again!" the man exclaimed as the scene shifts to him before shifting to both of them.
"You know this guy?" Fubuki asked their Saitama.
"I can't remember. I can't remember every single person and monster I punch." Saitama answered.
"Huh?" was all Saitama said in confusion as the man pointed his weapon at the bald hero.
"You don't remember me? Six months ago, you beat me with a single punch. I am Men's Esthetician Man, the wanted Class-B criminal!" the man introduced as the scene shifted a few times while the latest victim crawled away.
"What kind of a dumb name is that?" Tatsumaki asked with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds as dumb as Vaccine Man."
"The shock of being defeated by you made my luscious skin completely dry out! Ever since, I have kept to a strict training and moisturizing regimen, all the while searching for you!" the man explained as the scene shifted back to Saitama, who blinked and glared at him.
"So, you're-" Saitama began before the other man interrupted.
"That's right, you remember now?" he asked as the scene shifted back to him. "As I wandered about looking for you, I turned into a much more powerful monster!"
"So he's a monster now?" Sekingar asked with a glare of his own.
"I guess that thing on his arm is actually a part of him." Zombieman said while looking at the tube that was the monster's left arm.
"So that's what happened." Saitama said after the scene shifted to both of them.
"I knew that if I kept causing random incidents, you'd turn up again." Men's Esthetician Man explained as the scene shifted to Saitama.
"Everything adds up now." Saitama said to himself before looking up at the monster. "It was you."
"You remember him now?" Watchdog Man asked.
"Nope. Not at all." Saitama answered with a smile.
"I doubt you can keep up with this smoother, softer me!" the monster boasted after the scene shifted to him before shifting to both of them.
"I don't remember you at all." Saitama said, confusing the monster as the Saitama started walking towards him. "But it was you, wasn't it?" he asked before the scene shifted to Saitama. "You're the one who stole my french fry." he accused before his face suddenly sharpened. "You're the stalker!"
"Are you for real?" Sonic asked.
"There's a monster before you ready to take revenge, and you're mind is still on that one french fry?" Amai Mask with a blank look.
Scene shifts to the monster staring at Saitama before slowly backing away in fear, his false eyelashes and face mask falling off of his terrified face.
"Bye-bye Men's Esthe..Ester...whatever Man." Metal Bat said after messing up the name, earning a few chuckles from the others. "Shut up! It's hard to pronounce!"
"Men's Esthetician Man." Flashy Flash said in a bored tone, earning a glare from the bat-swinging hero.
Scene blacks out before coming back, the scene shifting a few times to show a small laboratory, with the french fry slightly cut, most in the plastic bag and a piece in a petri dish.
"Who's lab is this?" Child Emperor asked.
"It is the doctor's lab." Genos answered. "This is where I was made into a cyborg 4 years ago."
"Main ingredient: potato. 24 calories. Sugar: 1.8 grams. Carbohydrates: 4.2 grams. Sodium: 0.035 grams. Protein: 0.32 grams.
Scene shifts again, showing Genos looking at a screen showing all the details from the analysis.
"All that is packed into just one french fry? I'm glad I don't eat that junk food." Darkshine commented.
"Why not? They're delicious." Pig God said as he stuff his mouth full of perfectly salted fries. "Too bad there's no-" he began to say before a large cup of ketchup stuck out of the side of the bucket. "That's nice." he said with a smile before dipping a handful of fries in them.
"Damn! It is just a french fry!" he cursed as he got on one knee in dramatic disappointment as the scene shifted to the fry. 'He has a normal diet. It is no different from an average person's.'
"Well of course I do. I am just a regular guy." said Saitama.
"Regular guys can't do half the things you've done." an executive stated.
'I have not discovered a single thing.' he thought as the scene shifted to him, a look of frustration on his face. 'Could Master be a cyborg like me?'
"Nah. He's flesh and blood from head to toe. No robot parts in him." Zack explained.
"Still, it does bring the question of how you got that strong." Child Emperor said before blinking. He and everyone else turned to see Zack sitting in his seat and smiling at them all.
"Hi." the cosmic entity said with a grin.
"Where'd you come from?!" Sitch asked in shock.