It had been 10 minutes since the Tank-Top Army and the Hero Association executives all left into separate rooms. All was quiet in the audience....except for the fact that most of the heroes tried to crowd around the doors to listen in 30 seconds after they left.
"Out of the way! I wanna hear!"
"I was here first!"
"Move it!"
The rest of the audience either talked amongst themselves or watched the others in the room make a spectacle of themselves.
"Children." Sonic said as he watched the mass of heroes try to listen in and argue with each other. "The Heroes are nothing but stupid children."
"*Ahem*" Child Emperor coughed with a glare before the heroes were suddenly yanked away from the door.
"Enough! You're all giving me a headache!" Tornado snapped as she dropped them all.
"Come on! You can't tell us that you're not interested in what they're saying!" Red Nose huffed.
"I am, but I'm not gonna crowd around the door and bicker like you idiots!" Tornado answered.
"There'd be no point anyway." said Twin Tails. "I can't hear a sound coming from the doors."
"Not even with your superb hearing?" Spring Mustachio asked in surprise.
"Yes. I think the room was soundproofed." she said. A lot of the heroes then turned to Zack, who was relaxing in his chair before raising his hand.
"Guilty." he said.
"Is that why this one's being totally useless?" a monster asked while pointing at a little pink monster named Manako, her one big eye shining a light towards the rooms the two groups disappeared into.
"Guilty." Zack repeated.
"Is it trying to attack them?!" Fubuki asked, setting the heroes on edge.
"No no no!" Manako yelled, her light shining in a lot of heroes faces.
"AHH! HEY!"
"TURN IT OFF!"
"MY EYES!" some heroes yelled before Manako clicked her left horn, switching her eye off.
"That was cool! I saw your skeleton!" Tareo exclaimed.
"So did I." said the Class C hero, Horse-Bone, before turning towards Manako. "Was that x-ray vision?"
"Uh....yes?" Manako answered with a nervous grin before the Tank-Top Army's door opened, allowing the Tank-Toppers to return. The moment the Tank-Top Brothers were seen, the room was instantly filled with booing.
"BOOO!
"BOOOOO!"
"YOU SUCK!"
The two brothers merely hung their heads in shame as they and the rest of the Tank-Toppers sat back down in their seats.
"Nuts! I was hoping they'd be nothing but bloody pulps!" a monster groaned.
"Trust me, we wanted to beat some sense into them." said Tank-Top Vegetarian.
"Our Master decided that doing so would make us no better than thugs." Tank-Top Racer said. "However, he did threaten to expel them from the Tank-Top Army if they try something like this when we return."
"Of course. I won't make them quit being heroes, but I won't have those who would shame the Tank-Top be in my army." Tank-Top Master said in a firm voice, making the two brothers gulp in fear of the reminder.
"Can we start the next one already?" a monster groaned.
"The executives haven't come back yet." Flash answered.
"Who....cares?" the same monster asked before Zack coughed and held up three fingers. He silently counted down to one finger before the doors opened, allowing the Hero Association Executives, Agoni and Narinki to come back in. The doors shut behind them and disappeared as they all found their seats. The only one who didn't sit was Sitch.
"You guys all done talking?" Metal Bat asked. "Can we get back to the show already?"
"Not quite yet." Sitch said before raising his voice. "We have a message to all of the heroes. After four hours of discussion-"
"Four hours?! You've only been gone for 10 minutes!" exclaimed the old monster.
"Depending on the topic, it sometimes feels like forever." the old executive said before they laughed, then recoiled when they realized they were laughing together.
"Four hours in there but 10 minutes out here?" Child Emperor asked before everyone looked at Zack.
".....Guilty." was all he said.
"As I was saying." Sitch spoke up. "After seeing the actions that a few certain heroes have committed, we have come to a decision." He sent a glare at all the heroes in the room. "Rookie Crushing will no longer be tolerated in any way, shape or form! If you have a problem with another hero, you bring it to us and let the Hero Association handle it. We won't be counting what we've seen against any of you..." he said, his gaze landed on both Sneck and the Tank-Top Brothers. "...seeing as these events haven't happened yet, but any who are caught doing so after we return will be severely punished."
"How severe are we talking?" Forte asked.
"In order of least to greatest." Sitch began. "Decrease in pay. Loss of points. Demotion of Rank. Demotion of Class. And finally, expulsion from the Hero Association." Sitch listed off, each one making some of the heroes more and more nervous with each punishment. "These penalties go from the lowest of Class C all the way up to the top of Class S. No exceptions!" he declared. Some of the heroes began to protest before Agoni stood up from his seat.
"When I founded the Hero Association three years ago, it was for the purpose of gathering strong individuals with a sense of duty and righteousness to fight against the growing threat of monsters. It was not made for you all to fight amongst yourselves or attack other Heroes when they surpass you in rank for one reason or the other!" Agoni explained, his voice raised during the last sentence. A good portion of the Heroes flinched at Agoni's harsh words before they looked at the floor in shame.
"We will not punish anyone we see committing these horrendous acts on screen. However, we will be keeping a close eye on them when we return. Understood?" Sitch asked.
"Yes, Director Sitch!" almost all the Heroes answered, either with vigor or with reluctance.
"Good." Sitch said before he and Agoni took their seats.
"Can we start the next one already?" Tornado asked with a bored look.
"Everybody ready?" Zack asked. When no one objected, he smiled. "Then let's start." With that, the lights dimmed and everyone was quiet.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed a monster, it's face filling the screen before it swapped to humans fleeing. "Humans! If you wished to be spared from annihilation, TAKE HEED! I come bearing a message from the depths!" he said.
"Ah, one of my most loyal subjects." the Deep Sea King said with fondness.
The scene shows Mumen Rider speeding through the streets on his bicycle before changing back to the monster.
"You will surrender the surface to us, the Clan of the Sea Folk!" the octopus monster declared as more people ran. The scene showed Mumen Rider still pedaling through the street.
"If you're going to face that monster, I'd strongly recommend against it." Zombieman said.
"We know that you don't run from fights, Mumen Rider, but you really should leave it to stronger heroes." an executive said.
"Even if I can't beat the monster, I won't run away!" Mumen Rider declared.
"Thereafter, ye shall become our nourishment, bipedal human scum! Hmm?" the monster finished before looking down. The scene shows Saitama's back as he slowly walks towards the monster.
"Oh man. That monster picked the worst time to come out of the water." Golden Ball said with a chuckle.
"What a head! Are you related to an octopus, by any chance? WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-" the monster laughed before the scene suddenly went to black.
"I think it's safe to assume that that monster is now dead." Watchdog Man said with a dull look while others in the room either chuckled or snickered with smiles.
"Of all the things to say, he had to say something like that." Black Sperm snickered.
"Any guesses on how much is and isn't smeared everywhere?" Metal Bat joked.
"I say he only took his head off."
"I bet everything is nothing but pulp!
"I bet....one eye is left intact."
Soon the whole room was guessing as to how badly the monster was destroyed. After they all made a guess, the viewing resumed.
The scene returns with Mumen Rider stopping and looking with other people in the crowd.
"Look at this. And I heard it was that same guy again." a man said as the scene panned down to show some blue blood and octopus remains.
"What was his name?" another man asked.
"I forget. But he's super strong!" the first man exclaimed as the scene showed the octopus monster's lower half still standing, everything from the waist up completely gone.
"Looks like I guessed right." said the Class C Hero, Poison. Others simply shrugged or pouted at getting it wrong. The Deep Sea King, however, was giving a light scowl at seeing one of his loyal subjects destroyed.
Mumen Rider was panting as he looked at the aftermath. The scene then shifts to a computer screen scrolling through messages on a forum, the topic being Saitama.
[He takes out every opponent with a single punch]
[Didn't he turn out to be a fraud?]
[Ya he just keeps stealing credit from others]
[He's just some lousy Class-C]
[He's also bald]
The heroes groaned at the forum messages they read off the screen.
"Oh, come on." Saitama griped before rubbing his head. "Why does everyone keep pointing out my head?"
"Really? That's what's upsetting you? Not the fact that everyone still thinks you're a fraud?" asked Eyelashes.
'Class-C?' Mumen Rider thought before he brought up a website with various pictures of heroes on it. 'I've never seen him before.' He scrolled down until he found Saitama's info. 'I've gotta keep up.' he thought as the screen zoomed in on Saitama's pictures.
"Keep up with Saitama? Not happening." Sonic chuckled with a smirk.
"And why not?" Saitama asked as he turned to look at the ninja. "I mean, I got that strong, and I'm just an average guy. Doesn't that mean anyone could do it?"
"He's right. Besides, you never know unless you try." King said, his stoic gaze still on the screen. 'Maybe I should try that workout?'
The scene changes to the view of a city from on the water. Multiple shadows appear under the surface before it shows aquatic forms swimming in the water before surfacing, their faces in shadows before a monstrous fish's face filled the screen, their eyes all shining a piercing yellow.
THE DEEP SEA KING
"And now my people and I take center stage." the Deep Sea King said with a smile.
"Yeah, until we turn you all into fish sticks!" a hero boasted, earning a roar of agreement from the heroes. All that did was make the Deep Sea King chuckle.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Saitama is far stronger than I am. I admit that." he said. "But the rest of you? Don't make me laugh. You'd be lucky if any of your attacks hit me at all." That got a lot of the heroes yelling at the Deep Sea King.
"Alright! Knock it off!" Zack yelled to the heroes, making them shut up. "And Deep Sea King? Quit antagonizing them, or else!" Zack warned before he walked over and tapped the barrier a few times.
"GAAH!" the Deep Sea King yelled as he held his head in pain.
"And that, dear children, is why you should never tap the glass of an aquarium." Zack said with a smile as he returned to his seat, ignoring the hateful glare the Deep Sea King threw at him.
"AAAAHHHH! HELP! SOMEBODY!" a female surfer yelled in terror.
"WE, THE CLAN OF THE SEAFOLK, NOW RULES THE SURFACE, HUMANS! IT IS USELESS TO RESIST!" the fish monster at the head of the pack declared, a man being waved about in one of his tentacles. The tentacle was suddenly pierced, freeing the man and making the monster grunt in pain. He looked to see Stinger land on a nearby car with enough force to dent the top. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, HUMAN!" the monster bellowed before Stinger spun his Bamboo Shoot before striking a pose.
"Don't worry! The Class-A hero, Stinger! I'm just 11th and rising in the rankings, but I'm the first one here to help! At your service, everyone!" Stinger announced.
"Alright! I've finally appeared!" Stinger cheered.
"But will you be enough for them? Or will you end up a victim?" Gearsper asked.
"Relax. I'm not in Class-A because of my friendly attitude. I'll finish all these guys off before you know it." Stinger boasted.
"*cough*red flag*cough*" a monster coughed, making the other monsters laugh.
"Yes! It's Stinger!"
"We're safe for sure!"
"Show him who's boss!" the citizens cheered as the Seafolk began to converge on Stinger, who spun his spear about like an expert.
"Listen up, fish! Anyone who needs a new blowhole drilled into their torso, step right on up!" he challenged.
"Nice taunt. Now let's see if you can back it up." Amai Mask said as the intro played.
"You can do it, Stinger!" Tareo cheered.
"You know, this song grows on you after a while." the old executive said.
"Yeah, like a fungus!" the old monster added. Both of them laughed before they....actually, they didn't stop this time.
The scene returns to Genos drying the dishes with hot steam from his Incinerator Cannon.
"Master! It seems you have moved up to Rank 2 in Class-C. You are close to entering into Class-B." Genos explained with a smile.
"Let me guess. He gets promoted after kicking the Deep Sea King's ass, right?" Metal Bat asked with a smirk.
"Don't ruin the ending, big bro. Even if it is obvious." Zenko chastised him.
"Class-B, huh?" Saitama said before looking up from his manga. "So, that means I won't have anymore weekly Hero quotas, right?"
"That's only one perk." Captain Mizuki said with a smile.
"Really? What else is there?" Saitama asked.
"More recognition from the public. Better pay. Not to mention that Class-B Heroes are called for tougher assignments." Fubuki listed off.
"Huh. Okay." Saitama said with a shrug.
"Correct." Genos confirmed before his cellphone went off. "Oh, excuse me." he said before answering his phone and walking out of the room. "Hello? City-J? It is a bit far. Are there no other competent Heroes nearby?"
"That's one busy guy." Saitama commented before closing his manga and turning the TV on with the remote. Genos then returned, his phone call ended.
"Master. The aggressive monster you defeated on your way home the other day. It called itself one of the Seafolk, right?" he asked, his voice drowning out the voice on the TV.
"I don't remember." Saitama answered as Genos looked at the TV.
"Several monsters calling themselves the Clan of the Seafolk have appeared in City-J." the reporter on the TV announced.
"There is a Class-A Hero who is fighting them who's all alone....and on the brink of defeat." Genos explained as the TV showed an overhead view of Stinger being surrounded by the Clan of the Seafolk.
"Guess the Seafolk are too tough for you, hero!" a monster laughed in delight.
"Oh yeah? Then how come I'm still standing?" Stinger countered.
"-but the media believes he is at his limit." the reporter announced before the scene changed to Mumen Rider gearing up. "His extreme fatigue and pain are apparent. A response from the Hero Association is desperately needed."
"Hang on, buddy!" the top Class-C hero yelled as he raced out the door.
"You idiot! If someone in Class-A is having trouble, then what good can a weakling like you?!" Tornado snapped.
"Anything I can!" Mumen Rider shot back.
"Good answer." Saitama said with a smile while Tornado was annoyed that someone talked back to her.
"And it's nice to have backup." Stinger said in a grateful tone towards Mumen Rider.
"The threat level is Tiger. All citizens should stay out of the area for their own safety." the reporter suggested before the scene switched to Stinger, a smile on his bruised and swollen face.
"Hehehehe. I gotta say, you got spunk, ya slimy bastards." Stinger chuckled, his breathing ragged from exhaustion. "My beloved Bamboo Shoot here....is stoked to battle enemies with some grit for a change. But I'm afraid it's time to end this!"
"QUIT YOU BOASTING, HUMAN! YOUR RIDICULOUS 'FAN CLUB' RAN OFF LONG AGO!" one of the four remaining Seafolk yelled.
"YOUR DEATH WITH BE PAINFUL! FOR THE TAKING OF OUR BROTHERS LIVES, YOU WILL SUFFER!" another Seafolk monster declared.
"Four fish to go." Stinger said before he moved. "It's actually a lot easier....WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE!" he roared as he jumped and spun his bamboo shoot like a propeller. A tentacle shot at him, but Stinger attacked. "SING, BAMBOO SHOOT! GIGANTIC DRILL STINGER: QUADRUPLE THRUST!" One by one, all four monster were killed, a giant hole drilled into each of them before Stinger landed on the ground.
The heroes applauded Stinger for dealing with the threat by himself, making the Hero puff up in pride.
"I did it....I beat those bastards! These monsters were probably a God level threat, AND I DEFEATED THEM! ALL BY MYSE-"
BAM!
"You know....when something's so annoying, watching it die is a pleasure." the Deep Sea King said, an unconscious Stinger molded around the monster's fist. A lightning bolt flashed across the sky, the scene zooms in on the Deep Sea King's sneer.
Stinger's smile fell at the sight of himself being beaten.
"Uh....Stinger? In case you didn't realize....YOU MISSED ONE!" Rhino Wrestler yelled, sending the monsters into laughter.
"Did you seriously think those monsters were a God level threat?" Forte asked, bringing Stinger lower than he already felt.
"If there were that strong, you'd have been dead already." Tank-Top Mask said.
"And if they were that strong, they'd have sent me to deal with it. Not some weak idiot like you." Tornado huffed.
"Not to mention-"
"ALRIGHT! I GET IT!" Stinger yelled, having been fed up with everyone dissing him. He slumped and pouted in his seat as the viewing continued.
The scene changed to Saitama and Genos running down the road at high speed, the wind whipping against them as they did.
"Beats taking the bus." said a random hero.
"Wow! I wish I could run that fast!" Tareo exclaimed.
"If you train hard, you can do it too." Saitama said with a small but confident smile, making Tareo grin at the thought.
"How much farther is it to City-J?" Saitama asked.
"We are almost there, but I am not getting any readings." Genos answered as he scanned the city. "I will scout ahead. Once their location is confirmed, I will let you know." He then rockets ahead, leaving Saitama behind.
"Oh...Hey!" Saitama shouts before looking in the direction that an announcement was coming from.
"THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE HERO ASSOCIATION! THE THREAT LEVEL IS TIGER! TIGER! ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF THE AREA!" a woman announced.
"Tiger, hmm? I do believe that your ranking system is flawed if you believe my people and I to be only that threatening." said the Deep Sea King.
"Oh yeah? Well aside from you, all those other Seafolk got wasted by a single Class-A Hero." said Metal Bat. Deep Sea King merely chuckled.
"I'll admit that he was strong, but I, myself, am in a league far greater than all of them combined." he boasted.
The scene changes to City-A, Hero Association HQ.
"Was the warning issued?" Busho asked as the scene changed to a monitoring room.
"The request just went out, sir." said the Z-Branch Operator.
"Good." said Jinzuren as he approached Busho. "But now, it's looking like we're gonna need to update the announcement."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?" Busho asked.
"Stinger is down, sir." Jinzuren explained, making Busho gasp before scowling.
"That's one bit of news we never like to hear." Sekingar said with a grimace.
The scene shows Mumen Rider cycling through.
"Mumen Rider here! I'm heading in now. Give me the location!" he said to his phone.
"We're sorry. All lines are busy at this time." came an automated message before he closed his phone.
"Where are they?" he asked himself.
"HEEEY! BEST FORGET ABOUT IT!" somebody yelled, gaining the Class-C hero's attention. He stopped next to a white truck full of various Class-C heroes that was heading away from the city. "Class-C heroes can't handle this one." said the Class-C hero, Funeral Suspenders.
"Huh?" Mumen Rider said in confusion.
"It's true. The word just came down." said the Class-C hero, D-Pad. Everyone looked back at City-J as a new announcement came over the loudspeakers.
"EMERGENCY EVACUATION WARNING! THE THREAT LEVEL HAS BEEN RAISED FROM TIGER TO DEMON!"
"See what I mean?" Funeral Suspenders asked as the announcement told everyone to evacuate. "HEY!" Funeral Suspenders shouted in surprise when Mumen Rider took off towards the city.
"Brave, but dumb." a monster said with a laugh.
"Leave him be. One more hero we get to see get destroyed." another monster grinned.
"Only if Saitama or a Class-S hero doesn't defeat him first!" Waganma snapped in confidence.
"I REPEAT! ALL RESIDENTS OF CITY-J, PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!" the announcement repeated before the scene switched to the Deep Sea King's grinning face.
"Evacuate? The fools. As if I'd let even one of these apes escape." the Deep Sea King said to himself.
"Hey! Don't going throwing humans and apes together!" the monster, Marshall Gorilla, snapped. "It's an insult for apes like me to be lumped in with these weaklings!"
The scene then shows Lightning Max spying on the Deep Sea King from a distance with a pocket telescope.
"Looks like I'm his next opponent." Lightning Max said. "Hope I survive longer."
"I see. So that's the one that got Stinger. But he's the last of them. Should I wait for backup?" he asked himself from atop a the rooftop water tower he was perched on. 'If it's one-on-one, maybe I can...' he thought before looking up and releasing a small gasp.
"Hmmmhmhmhm~" the Deep Sea King laughed from right behind Lighting Max.
"Uh oh." Lightning Max squeaked.
"I think you're in trouble." Battery Man said with wide eyes.
"YAAAAAHH! YOAKHDOVGKJNSADFOLVHBXDHSKENGBSZGJNOLSKJDB! GAH!" Lightning Max yelled in terror before kicking the Deep Sea King, his shoes releasing an explosion on impact.
Silence.....and then most of the audience erupted with laughter.
"What did you say and in what language did you say it?!" Child Emperor asked with a grin.
"The loo-The look on his face! That was priceless!" Sludge Jellyfish gurgled.
"Hehehe! That was funny!" Zenko snickered.
The more the audience laughed, the redder Lightning Max got in embarrassment.
"I am never going to live this down." the hero muttered into his hands. It took around five minutes for most of the room to get the laughter out of their systems before they all got quiet, though a few did throw some giddy smiles at Lighting Max.
Lightning Max lands on his feet in front of the Deep Sea King, his arms still raised from blocking Lightning Max's kick.
"That stings a little. Why would you do this?" he asked in a mock hurt tone.
"Him, hero. You, monster. Do the math." the monster, Showerhead, joked.
'Dammit! How'd he get behind me?! I was so surprised, my voice went crazy. Plus, my gunpowder charged lighting kick had zero effect. I can't win!' he thought as he stared up at the Deep Sea King.
"Gunpowder?" Saitama asked.
"It's right here." Tareo said as he pointed at Lightning Max's information in the Hero Guidebook. "He has on a special pair of shoes called Lightning Shoes. Each kick he delivers packs an explosive punch that shines like a bolt of lightning." Tareo explained with a smile.
"Huh. Neat." Saitama said.
"And who might you be?" the Deep Sea King asked.
"I am....the hero called Lightning Max. FIGHT ME!" Max challenged.
"Fight you?" the Deep Sea King asked.
'I'll run for it as soon as-' Max thought before the Deep Sea King delivered a powerful punch to the hero's gut, sending him screaming through the air before smashing into a building a good distance away.
"Oof! He's gonna be feeling that in the morning!" the monster, Eyesight, chuckled.
"If he lives that long." Do-S giggled.
'Ugh....what the hell happened? I...I can't feel my body...' Lightning Max thought as he laid in a daze on the floor. The room began to rumble before a shadow loomed over the ceiling. Max, wracked with pain, managed to look up to see the Deep Sea King crouching before him, a laugh escaping his sadistic grin. "Dammit....Arrogant guppy!" Max cursed as he stood back up, a bloody grin on his face. The front of his left shoe opened up, revealing tiny jet boosters that activated, sending the hero spinning. "LIGHTNING FLYING BACKWARDS ROUNDHOUSE KICK!" the hero roared before nailing the Deep Sea King in the side of the face, the explosion lighting up the whole room. The scene changes to outside the building moments before an unconscious Lightning Max is smashed through the wall and sent plummeting towards the ground alongside some debris.
"Fuck!" Lightning Max cursed. "I couldn't do a thing!"
"OH NO! LIGHTNING MAX IS GONNA FALL TO HIS DEATH!" Tareo screamed in horror.
"ALRIGHT!" a monster cheered.
"HEAD FIRST! I WANNA SEE BRAINS FLY!" another monster laughed.
The scene shows a pair of striped legs running across the screen before Puri-Puri Prisoner catches Max and runs before the debris hits. He slowly stops afterwards and gently sets Max on the ground.
"Hey, you got rescued. Lucky you." Saitama said.
"Some luck." Lightning Max groaned, confusing the bald hero.
"I'm the Class-S hero, Puri-Puri Prisoner." Prisoner introduced before hearts flew out in the background. "I escaped prison, just to see you."
Many in the audience just stared at the screen in either confusion or with weirded out looks.
"Oh great. He's at it again." an executive grumbled.
"Wish he'd stop acting on that stupid impulse." another executive groaned.
"Well well. Imagine that. A hero serving time in prison." came Sonic's voice as another figure approached Prisoner. "I took a cue from you and decided to escape as well. Thanks for that."
"Prisoner #4188. The name's Sonic, right?" Puri-Puri Prisoner asked, setting Sonic on edge. "You surprised I know? I check up on all the boys who catch my eye. I'm serving a life sentence because I can't seem to control myself. I see a beautiful man and I take him."
"Oh! It looks like Sonic has been transferred to my little prison!" Prisoner said in joy. "Another troubled young man to reshape into a model citizen!"
"Yeah right! You only plan to shape him into your next bedmate!"
"SHHH! Don't draw his attention!"
"Why? He can't get us here."
Prisoner blinked a few times as the last few voices sounded familiar to him.
"Is that....?" he muttered before looking over on the monster side of the room. He glanced around before spotting a familiar set of striped clothing amongst the sea of various monsters and villainous humans. "It is! My boyfriends!" he said with a smile, making the prisoners jump in terror.
"AH CRAP! HE SEES US!"
"STAY AWAY FROM US, YOU FREAK!"
"I AM NOT HERE! I'M INVISIBLE! PLEASE DON'T SEE ME!"
The audience all looked at the grown convicts all cowering in terror as they told Prisoner to keep away.
"Why didn't you all let me know you were here? Where have you been all this time?" Prisoner asked.
"HIDING FROM YOU!" they all roared.
"THIS IS THE FIRST BIT OF ENTERTAINMENT WE'VE HAD SINCE WE GOT THROWN INTO PRISON! YOU STAY AWAY FROM US AND LET US ENJOY IT!" an old prisoner yelled, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke.
"Come now, what's with all the hostility?" Puri-Puri Prisoner asked.
"You know why! Ever since you came to the prison, we've all had to endure so many horrible things from you!" Demolition John yelled.
"Oh? What horrors are you speaking of?" Prisoner asked, genuine curiosity in his tone. The mere thought of it all made the prisoners all wince, cringe and shudder in terror.
"I'm afraid to ask, but....what are you doing to them all?" Needle Star asked PP Prisoner.
"Instead of answering, I can just show you all." Zack offered.
"I don't want to see what happens in that prison!" a Hero Association Executive grumbled.
"If you ask me, anyone sent there gets what they deserve." another executive agreed.
"Well now I do have to show you." Zack chuckled. "But first...." he said before snapping his fingers, making Tareo, Zenko, Waganma and Agoni's grandson disappear.
"Tareo?" Saitama muttered in confusion at the empty seat.
"Waganma! Where is my son?!" Narinki yelled in panic.
"And Zenko's gone too!" Metal Bat hollered before glaring at Zack. "What'd you do to my sister?!"
"And my grandson?!" Agoni demanded.
"Relax. Those four are safe. I blinked them out of here until the mini viewing is over. It's not suitable for children like them." Zack explained.
"What about Child Emperor there?" asked the Class-A hero, Heavy Tank Loincloth.
"He's a genius, he's mature for his age and has met Puri-Puri Prisoner before." Zack answered. "He can handle it...probably." Zack muttered the last part before his eyes flashed, the scene on the screen changing.
PRISON
The scene shows a prison wall and gate with barbed wire at the top.
"A Class-C hero that just made his debut." a man's voice is heard, a camera following something inside the building. "I can't believe that such a newbie is supposed to have busted an assassin as troublesome as this guy." The scene changes, showing two guards watching a cluster of monitors, each one showing a bound Sonic being escorted through the prison.
"I heard, he was a handful during detention too. Cuff him and he still manages to escape in the blink of an eye. Put him in a cell with others and he beats the hell out of them." the other guard said as the scene shows Sonic being carted through a series of thick steel doors that would open before they passed through, then slammed shut behind them.
"Guess he doesn't play well with others, huh?" a monster chuckled.
"Well, he's behaving now because we're using special restraints on him that were invented by the Hero Association, but....if this was just some normal prison, he'd probably have easily broken out by now." the other guard continued. The scene shows Sonic's feet as he and the guards all stop moving.
"Here we are. Behind this door...." one of Sonic's escort begins before it shows Sonic in full view, fully restrained and muzzled before they were removed. "Is your new cell, Speed o' Sound Sonic."
"Welcome to the family." one of the prisoners chuckled.
"These events haven't happened yet. And they never will." said Sonic.
The 'Smelly Lid Prison'
A detention facility for the most vicious of criminals that are considered too much to handle for regular prisons.
A thick steel door with a giant X is on the screen before the scene changes as the narration continued.
Among the inmates are ones powerful enough to pry open prison bars with their bare hands...
A beefy arm is shown.
Ones that can easily build keys, weapons or poison out of pretty much anything they can find...
Hand made keys and poison are shown.
And ones that had to be isolated and ended up here because of their ability to cause mental harm to everyone around them
Crazed grins and bloodshot eyes were shown.
You'll find all kinds rotting in this hellhole.
The prisoners all began to chuckle.
"It just listed off all our good points." one chuckled.
"Make it stop. I'll blush at this rate." another joked.
"I'd like you guys if you weren't humans." said the monster, Unihorn.
The doors are opened, allowing Sonic to walk in and the prisoners to see the new guy. Sonic enters before the doors are slammed shut and locked behind him.
"Heeere comes another new guy. And it's a delicate looking one at that." an inmate said with a smile while another laughed.
"Delicate, huh?" Sonic asked before grinning at the prisoners. "Why don't I show you all how 'delicate' I really am?"
"What can you do without weapons, ninja boy?!" a prisoner scoffed.
"Careful. He'll surprise you." Gale chuckled.
"Hehe. Let's have some fun with him. Go." Demolition John ordered Base B.
'Kay, boss." Base B laughed before he walked towards Sonic, then slammed his shoulder into him. "Wow, Wow, did you just bump into me?! Watch where you're go-" he began before noticing his shoulder had been dislocated. "OW OWW OWWW!!! MY SHOULDER'S DISLOCATED!" he screamed in pain as he clutched his arm.
"What the hell are you doing?" one prisoner asked in confusion.
"Hmm...I guess I'll have to show him the ropes then." Demolition John decided before approaching Sonic. "Hey, new guy. What'd you do to end here?" he asked, only to be ignored by the ninja. "Heh. I see you got some spunk. Seeing how you ended up in this prison, you might still have some confidence in yourself and your abilities. But open up your ears and listen. We have a number of rules here. The first one is that newcomers have to submit to the senior-"
"Get lost." Sonic interrupted, completely uncaring as to what John was saying.
"This is gonna be good." a prisoner grinned.
".....Ahh...?" Demolition John said with a dazed look before sucker punching Sonic, causing the other inmates to laugh.
"Idiot....Making Demolition John mad is about the most stupid thing you can do."
"GAHAHA! Go on, John! Smash his face in!"
"Hihihi. Sorry, I never knew how to hold back." John said with a toothy grin. "I think I heard your cheekbones crack!" he said before the scene showed John's crunched fist smashing against Sonic's iron prison ball. "GAHHHHHH!" John roared in pain as he looked at his broken fingers.
"What do you know? You were right." Sonic smirked while the prisoners got pissed.
"Huh? What's wrong?!
"Huh?! Where did that guy go off to?!"
"There he is! Next to the wall?!"
"When did he?!"
Sonic is examining the wall, a few broken spots revealing steel underneath.
'Thick steel walls...no windows....The thick entrance door is made of several layers of steel....' Sonic thought.
"It's useless to even think of breaking out from here. Instead, you should be wracking your brain about how to spend the rest of your life here." an old inmate said with a grin. "There's no such thing as morality here in this prison, and no salvation either. Weehehehe! I've seen countless young'uns like you slowly and miserably lose hope between these walls, and it's turned into the only thing worth looking forward to for this old man. When you reach the lowest point possible and lose all hope, how will that self-confident look on your face fall apart, I wonder...JUST THE THOUGHT OF IT MAKES ME DROOL TO NO END! WEEHEHEHE!" the elderly inmate laughed and drooled.
"Ugh! Such a vile man!" Narinki recoiled in disgust. "I'm rather glad that my son isn't seeing this. I don't want him anywhere near scoundrels such as you."
"Why? What's so bad about us?" an inmate asked before he and the other prisoners all burst into laughter.
"That's enough. Quiet down, or I'll be forced to punish you." Puri-Puri Prisoner warned.
"Oh yeah? How?" Base B asked as he walked up and tapped the barrier with his knuckles. "In case you've forgotten, this barrier keeps us apart."
"Uh, excuse me?" Zack spoke up before snapping his fingers, causing a portion of the barrier in front of Base B to vanish.
"Would you care to repeat what you said?" Prisoner asked with folded arms.
"....I'll be good." Base B squeaked in terror before rushing back towards the other sweating inmates.
"Good answer. Now, let us continue." Prisoner said with a smile.
"'No such thing as morality here', huh? Hehehe. Are you trying to say it's any different out there?" Sonic asked with a chuckle, confusing the old man. "It's just admirable how a bunch of losers can get together and create a 'system' to support each other and lick each others wounds. I guess it just goes to show that even the most murderous thugs have to respect each other if they want to live together. And why is that? 'Cause you're weak. But I'm not like you lot." Sonic continued, making them all go silent. "What do you think I will do to make my time here a bit more enjoyable?" he asked, giving them a dark smile. "The right answer is 'I will kill you all.'"
"Say what now?!" an inmate yelled in outrage, his fellow inmates getting riled up and spouting profanities at Sonic.
"We're never gonna get back to the main show at this rate." Beast King grumbled.
"Wha-What did he just say?!"
"Shall I finish him off?!"
"Wait! I'll do it!" Special Moves Miles volunteered before stepping forward and cracking his knuckles. "You seem pretty fucking confident. If you wanna rise up in rank in this prison full of monsters, you'll have to beat me first!"
"Hehehe! It's funny how you humans think you have da strength that's on part wid us real monsters." Fuhrer Ugly laughed.
"Let me tell you this in advance. I'm a kenpo practitioner! I'm probably the first and last guy to ever rob a bank unarmed!" Miles boasted as he got into a battle stance.
"Doesn't mean shit if you got caught though." Sonic stated.
"Oooooooh." a lot of the room chorused.
"Watch it, or I'll show you just how deadly I am with these hands!" Miles warned, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"HERE I GO!" OOOOHHHHH!" Miles roared as he charged at Sonic. A moment later had him on the floor, his legs flailing as he screamed while Sonic had one of his arms in a hold, the sound of something snapping mixed in with the screaming.
"Yeah. I'm really scared." Sonic smirked as Miles deflated at seeing himself being brought down to a screaming mess.
"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!" roared Puri-Puri Prisoner's voice, startling the prisoners and silencing them. Miles even clapped his good hand over his mouth.
The inmates inside the theater weren't that much better as they jumped on reflex of hearing Puri-Puri Prisoner's yell.
"What's with you guys? Your posture got a lot better all of a sudden." Sonic said as he examined them all.
"SHH! Boss just woke up! Keep your voice down and, well, just behave!" Miles whispered frantically.
"Boss, you say? So I'll just have to beat that boss of yours." Sonic decided.
"No! Bad idea! Bad, bad idea!" one inmate said in a panic.
"Why? Don't think I can take him?" Sonic asked while throwing a look towards Prisoner.
"If you can kill him, then by all means!" the old inmate said with a smile. "You'd be doing us a favor!"
"Why would you want to kill me?" Prisoner asked with a hurt look.
"AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE TO US, YOU EXPECT US TO NOT WANT YOU DEAD?!" Miles yelled.
"Can we please move this along? I wish to see what happens with the issue of the Deep Sea King." Amai Mask stated.
"Actually, why are we even watching this in the first place?" an executive asked.
"Because I said so." Zack answered with a smile.
"Boss gave us an order. 'All inmates have to get along.'" one inmate explained.
"Why're you all acting weird now? Didn't you say there was no morality here?" Sonic asked.
"That was before Boss came here! Things are a little different now." the elderly inmate answered.
"Please just cooperate, okay? You know, collective responsibility and stuff." one prisoner begged.
"It's all 'cause you had to go and cry out loud." an inmate chastised Miles.
"I'm sorry." Miles apologized.
'That he can make these guys shit their pants like this....Just who is their boss?' Sonic thought.
Scene changes to a silhouette of Puri-Puri Prisoner relaxing in his cot.
"Were they about to bully the new inmate again? Oh, such naughty children, they are." he said to himself as he examined a picture of Sonic in his prisoner uniform. "I'll have to punish them later. Let's see....A deep kiss for each one of them should do."
All the inmates, and quite a lot of the audience, all shivered at that last line.
"It's been about a year since Boss first came here." the old inmate began as an image of young man laughing in the background was shown. "Boss had just busted a wanted Class-A criminal and came here together with that wanted man." An image of Puri-Puri Prisoner dragging the Class-A criminal by his shirt is shown as he walks towards the prison as the old man continued. "I heard it was Boss' own decision to turn himself in. For Boss likes men, even though he's a man himself. And that wanted man just happened to be his type." The next image shows the same Class-A criminal sitting on his own cot in a prisoner uniform. His body was thin and bony, his hair was gone and his eyes were devoid of any life. "After a year with Boss, that wanted man was nothing but skin and bones, but it didn't matter anymore because Boss had come up with a very dangerous 'solution' in the meantime."
An image of Puri-Puri Prisoner appeared.
"It's a crime to violate normal boys, but if it's a criminal boy, it's like I'm punishing him and it's killing two birds with one stone. No one will complain and everything's good!" Puri-Puri Prisoner explained.
[NOTE: This isn't true.]
Everyone just stared at what had become of the Class-A criminal. The only one to do so with pride was Puri-Puri Prisoner.
"From that point on, whenever Boss saw a 'Criminal' boy he likes in the news, he escaped from here, busted that boy and came back with him." the old inmate continued as Puri-Puri Prisoner turned on the news on his little TV. "He's building his very own harem of sex sla-I mean, boys. As a result, this place has become even harsher. It's turned into what I call 'Hell on Earth.' I've been here longer than most and he still scares the living hell out of me." he finished with a nervous sweat.
"Well, there's no escaping from Boss after all."
"If you behave well, you can get away with just a French kiss most of the time.
'I don't like where this is going.' Sonic thought.
"See what we go through?" Base B asked the Hero Association executives. "It's nothing but nightmares in there, and none of us are the cause!"
"How can you let a maniac like that be a hero?!" Miles yelled.
"Because, despite that one....character flaw, Puri-Puri Prisoner has a good sense of morality and justice, and the strength to fight Demon or Dragon level monsters." Sekingar answered. "It's why we've turned a blind eye to his questionable actions inside the prison."
"Well you need to do something about this!" the old inmate yelled before taking a deep breath. "We are bad men. We have done things that have rightfully landed us in prison for life. We all know that." he said before pointing at Puri-Puri Prisoner. "But being under his rule is nothing but endless suffering!"
"And we should care what happens to filth like you why?" Guiches asked in a disinterested tone, causing the inmates to rage and scream profanities.
"Will you lot shut up already?! Don't make me rip you to pieces?!" Carnage Kabuto roared before gaining a mad look. "Actually, why don't I just do it for fun?!"
"Uh oh! He's got that look again!" Mosquito Girl yelped.
"Hey, Dung Beetle." Zack called out, pissing Carnage Kabuto off.
"WHAT'D YOU CALL-" he began before Zack appeared before him and shoved a capsule into his mouth. Kabuto swallowed before growling. "I AM GONNA TEAR-" he started before his eyes dilated, a goofy laugh coming from him before he flopped into his seat.
"Phew. Thanks for stopping that guy." Beast King said while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"What'd you give him?" Darkshine asked.
"A chill pill. And yes, they exist." Zack answered while Kabuto righted himself in his seat.
"...Thanks." he said, his eyes still a little off.
"So people have escaped from this prison before, huh? Whew. There must be some kind of secret passage somewhere." Sonic said with a smile.
"You almost sound relieved." Flashy Flash said.
"This hasn't happened yet, nor will it ever, but wouldn't you feel better if you thought there was a way out of a prison run but someone like Puri-Puri Prisoner?" Sonic asked.
"Hmm. Point taken." Flash admitted.
"Heh. If there was a secret passage, we'd have taken it a long time ago." an inmate confessed.
"Then how does he get out all the time?" Sonic asked. "The guards let him out?" The question got the inmates to chuckle ruefully.
"Not even close." another inmate answered.
"Boss is the only one who can escape from here." the old inmate answered.
"Why? Does he know one of the guards or something?" Sonic asked.
A few chuckled at seeing Sonic ask almost the same question.
"You were saying something about how we're weak and stuff earlier. Don't you say that kind of thing in front of Boss, you hear?" the old inmate warned.
The scene then switched the newsfeed on Puri-Puri Prisoner's TV.
"The group of mysterious monsters that appeared in City-J call themselves the Clan of the Seafolk. At present, one Hero is offering resistance and trying to hold them back." the reporter announced.
"OH NO! MY STINGER BABY MAY GET KILLED AT THIS RATE!" Prisoner shouted in horror from his cell, gaining the attention of all the inmates.
"I am not your baby!" Stinger yelled.
All the inmates watched as Prisoner leapt from his cell in his usual pose, a sweater over his uniform and feathers somehow fluttering with him.
"Where'd the feathers come from?" Saitama asked.
"We don't know, and a lot of us are too scared to ask." an executive answered.
Puri-Puri Prisoner lands among the other inmates before getting into a runner's starting position.
"Make way for me, boys! I'm getting out of here!" Prisoner declared before he burst forward, smashing a large hole into the steel wall.
"So he literally breaks out each time?" Saitama asked. "Wouldn't that let the other inmates out as well?"
"Yeah, to our deaths." Miles answered.
"Boss made a huge hole in the wall again. Shall we get out of here too?" an inmate asked as the prison siren began to go off.
"A prison guard squad will be here in about five seconds to turn you into swiss cheese if you dare take even one step outside. Boss is the only one who can run all the way out in time." another inmate explained.
"Good. Keep the animals off the streets." said Narinki.
'Amazing....His power easily exceeds that of Hammerhead's in his battle suit.' Sonic thought before asking. "Just who is he?"
"He's Puri-Puri Prisoner. A Class-S Hero, mind you.....Huh? Where'd the new guy go?" an inmate asked as the scene shows the prison from the outside before it faded to black.
"Well, there you have it." Zack said as the lights lit up a bit.
"That....was weird." a random monster got out.
"So now that you know what we go through, you mind keeping that animal on a leash?!" the old inmate snapped. "We're not asking for much. Just to live out our sentences as people, not as his....playthings!" he finished while pointing at Prisoner.
"You shouldn't bother asking for anything at all." Guiches huffed. "If you didn't want to end up in prison, you shouldn't have committed any of the crimes that landed you in there." The inmates began to riot again as they pounded their fists on the barrier.
"You keep acting like a bastard and I'm gonna take away your bucket and drink." Zack warned.
"We will.....consider your stance in the future." Sitch said as he wrote down some notes in his notebook.
"....Fine. We'll take what we can get." an inmate groaned.
"Can we get get back to the Seafolk issue now? I wanna see what happens!" exclaimed Metal Bat. "And where is Zenko?! This part's over, right?!"
"And my son!" yelled Narinki demanded.
"And Tareo and my grandson!" Agoni added.
"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a twist." Zack huffed as he stood up and grabbed the air before rending it open. The inside showed the four of them in a giant bounce house having fun. "See? They're fine." Zack said before whistling, gaining the attention of the kids. "Okay, you crazy kids! Time to come back."
"Can't we have five more minutes?" Waganma whined.
"If you don't get out of there now, I'm leaving you there until the next viewing." Zack warned. The four of them quickly got their shoes on before exiting, allowing Zack to close the hole in the air.
"That was fun!" Tareo exclaimed as he and the other three kids got into their seats. "So, what'd we miss?"
"Nothing!" many in the audience said at once as the lights dimmed.
"Now, we left off with Prisoner talking with Sonic." Zack said as he brought the scene back to where it was before the 'Prison' episode.
"Well, well. More soldiers have come for me? Goodness, my fins are quivering." the Deep Sea King said with a chuckle from within the smoke of the fallen rubble before walking out, a toothy grin on his face. Puri-Puri Prisoner takes a step forward.
"My~ I feel the strength erupting out of him! Hang back, Sonic dear." Prisoner said with an eager smile as the Deep Sea King continued his approach. "Class-A, Rank-11, Sweet Stinger. And Class-A, Rank-20, Lightning Max. I fancied both of those lovelies." Prisoner said as the scene showed the two injured heroes.
Both Class-A heroes shuddered in terror at the thought of someone like Prisoner taking an interest in them.
"Then you show up out of nowhere and RUIN THEM!" he yelled as he clenched his fist in anger. "Now that Genos passed me, I rank lowest in my Class. But I'm still a Class-S, unlike those two you've defeated." he stated as Sonic watched it all with a disinterested look. "I'll start things off at half power to gauge how much you can take! HRRYAAAAA!" he roared as his muscles bulged out, destroying the sweater he was wearing. He then gasped and looked down at the remains as they floated to the ground. "RAAAAAHHHHH! YOU MADE ME RIP THE HAND-KNIT SWEATER MY BOYFRIEND MADE FOR MEEEE!" he bellowed in agony while Sonic just looked confused. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, YOU BASTAAAAARD!"
"How is it his fault that you wrecked your own sweater?" Tareo asked.
"Ignore him. He's just being an idiot." Tornado huffed.
"My sweater!" Prisoner cried.
"It hasn't happened yet, dumbass." Metal Bat reminded him.
"Ah! That's true!" Prisoner said in relief.
The Deep Sea King watches with a smile, his eyes glowing as he licks his lips.
"A delectable slab of meat, prime and tasty. You've whet my APPETITE!" he finished as he landed a right hook on Prisoner's face, one that Prisoner returned.
"Oh? Not only are you still standing, but that punch looked like would actually hurt me. I'm impressed." the Deep Sea King said with a smile.
"As am I." Prisoner said. "It takes quite a lot to even scratch any of us in Class-S."
"Huh? Oh dear." the Deep Sea King said through a clearly broken jaw. Prisoner then followed up with a powerful uppercut, launching the Deep Sea King through the air a bit before he landed on his feet. He stayed hunched over for a moment, his right arm grabbing where Prisoner hit him, before looking up at him. "I felt dat." he said before his jaw snapped back into place. "Just a little."
"I felt that as well. A little." Prisoner answered with a smile before shutting one nostril with his thumb and blowing blood out the other.
"GO PRISONER!" Tareo cheered.
'Puri-Puri Prisoner's acting tough, but I can tell that he's hurting.' Sonic thought as he watched the fight. 'So this is what a fight between a Demon Level monster and a Class-S Hero looks like? It's almost comical. Neither one of them could defeat me.'
"Hmhmhm. Aren't we confident?" Deep Sea King asked with a grin.
"Of course I am. After all, I'm stronger than you." Sonic boasted.
"Oh, really?" DSK asked with a grin.
"Can you two not? I want to finish this." said Zombieman.
"Very well. I'm curious to see how this fight ends." DSK conceded.
'Dammit! His punch was stronger than I expected!' Puri-Puri Prisoner thought, his left cheek looking a little caved in. 'Even so, I must not lose to him. I can't have any more of my boys so savagely destroyed by this monster.'
"I have no choice." he said before hunching. "Gonna go all out."
Without warning, a twinkling star appeared from his chest, the scene changing into one that looked like it belong on a Magical Girl type show. "Ready?! TRANSFORM!"
"What the heck is this?" asked Black Sperm.
The Deep Sea King watched as Prisoner's muscles flexed to the max, ripping his prison uniform off completely. Luckily, a certain part of his anatomy was still covered by cloth.
"PURI-PURI PRISONER: ANGEL STYLE!"
"ZENKO, SHIELD YOU EYES!" Metal Bat yelled as he covered his little sisters eyes, with Agoni and Narinki covering their own family's eyes. Tareo, having read about Prisoner, knew to hide his face in his book.
Many in the audience recoiled in disgust or just stared in confusion.
"This guy is a hero?" Suiryu asked in disbelief. "Guess the Hero Association lets in all kinds."
'He's naked.' Sonic thought as he looked at the scene with a disturbed expression while Prisoner did a few poses. 'And he's definitely no angel. Nor is he human. Nor do I wanna watch. I'm out.'
"No one's seen my Angel Style and lived to tell about it, Fish Man." Prisoner boasted.
"Good thing. Anyone who'd see that wouldn't wanna live anymore anyway!" the old monster said, making him and the old executive laugh.
'All the more reason to leave.' Sonic thought as he turned away.
"Quite unsightly." Deep Sea King said in a disappointed tone.
"Are those.....YOUR LAST WORDS?!" Prisoner yelled before he jumped into the air and posed, bright angels wings sprouting from his back.
A lot of the audience who both have and have not seen PP Prisoner fight were stunned at the scene before them.
"What da heck?" Fuhrer Ugly muttered.
"I thought him being able to sprout wings was just a rumor." muttered Jet Nice Guy.
"They're so pretty." Zenko said in awe.
"You mean the wings, right?" a monster asked, making her glare at them while they laughed.
The Deep Sea King looked up as Prisoner descended, his wings disappearing as he pulled his fist back.
"ANGEL RUSH!" he roared as he began to deliver a barrage of punches. The Deep Sea King defended and was pushed back a little as the attack kicked up dust, obscuring the both of them.
"Do you always make that sound when you attack like that?" asked Saitama.
"Not always. Why?" Prisoner asked.
"You sound like you're sticking your lips on a microphone and slobbering all over it." Saitama answered, making some of the audience snicker at the image.
Genos picks up on an elevated energy signal, the scene showing everything through his cyborg eyes.
"Elevated energy levels nearby. Found them." he said before he pulled out his phone. "Dammit! I have no way to reach Master! It cannot be helped." he cursed as he pocketed his phone and jumped away.
"Don't you have a cellphone?" King asked.
"Nah. Too pricey." Saitama answered.
"The Hero Association offers a free cellphone and basic plan to all heroes so that they can be contacted at anytime." an executive stated.
"Really? Cool." said Saitama.
The scene returns to the fight, showing Puri-Puri Prisoner breathing heavily in the dust cloud as it slowly cleared.
"Done with your little combo, human?" the Deep Sea King asked, his forearms heavily bruised from defending himself. Both Prisoner and Sonic look surprise to see the monster okay.
A lot of the heroes were stunned to see a monster still standing after being pummeled by a Class-S Hero.
"Felt that too, just a little." the Deep Sea King admitted as he lowered his arms, the bruising starting to heal as PP Prisoner braced himself for anything. The Deep Sea King then proceeded to punch Prisoner in the gut, shoulder and chin, causing blood to leak from the Hero's mouth.
The audience all flinched with each punch, knowing that each one had to have hurt.
"Here me! The objective of a combination move is to finish your opponent!" the Deep Sea King explained to a semi-conscious Prisoner. "Each separate attack must be delivered with intent to kill! LIKE THIS!" The Deep Sea King then delivered a massive barrage of heavy punches, leaving craters all over the front of Prisoner's body before finishing with a strong kick that sent the Hero soaring through the air before he smashed into a skyscraper before flying off into the distance, all while Sonic just watched with wide eyes. "Isn't this fun?"
The theater was silent as they watched the onslaught. The heroes were all stunned beyond belief to see a Class-S Hero, one of the strongest people on the planet, lose so badly. Silence...
"YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
....before all the monsters erupted into cheers.
"That was amazing!"
"You tenderized that Class-S Hero!"
"You are my new favorite!"
"Come now, there's no need to cheer." the Deep Sea King said with a smile. "It wasn't much. The hero was simply a weakling, just like all the others."
The monsters all cheered again while the heroes and civilians either looked sad or enraged, with Prisoner gazing at the ground in defeat.
"I bet that was fun to watch for you guys, huh?" one monster said to the other inmates before noticing that they were all frozen, their eyes glued to the screen. "Uh...you humans okay?" it asked before waving it's hand in front of one of their faces. "Hello? Anybody home-"
"ALL HAIL THE DEEP SEA KING!!!!" a prisoner suddenly blubbered, tears and snot running down his face. The other inmates all bore similar expressions as they all began to bow before the Deep Sea King. The monster in question looked at them all with a bored look.
"Flattery won't spare you." he said before smirking. "But I do appreciate the sentiment."
As the prisoners started to sing the fish monster's praises, which was hard to understand through all their crying, Prisoner was feeling disheartened at seeing his future self's defeat.
"I couldn't stop him." he muttered as he covered his face with his hands. "I was too weak."
"Hey, don't let it get you down." Darkshine said. "So you got pummeled one time. It doesn't mean you're weak. You just...came across an opponent that was stronger than you this time. If you train a little, I bet you could make fish sticks out of him next time."
"I doubt that very much." the Deep Sea King spoke up, gaining their attention. "From this fight, I can tell that I was holding back."
"Good. You'll need it if we're about to fight." Sonic boasted.
"Ah yes. The fast one. I am curious as to how long you'll be able to oppose me." the Deep Sea King said with a smile as they went back to the screen.
"Alright. Who are you?" Sonic demanded.
"I am the Deep Sea King. As lord of the Clan of the Sea Folk, I claim this world as mine to rule. Do you dare defy me as well, human?" the Deep Sea King asked, his eyes turning small and bloodshot.
"Heh. You don't honestly think you have the strength to rule the surface all alone, do you? How pathetic." Sonic answered with a smirk.
"Oh? Then I suppose that I'll have to kill you." said the Deep Sea King.
"That's my line. It's a shame, really. I would've let you live if you'd shown me the respect I'm due. I'm not a hero, but you will still be eliminated!" Sonic boasted as the rain began to fall.
The Deep Sea King suddenly began to chuckle darkly at the sight of the rain.
"It appears that I picked the perfect day to invade." he said, confusing many in the room.
The Deep Sea King smiled as he stared upwards at the falling rain.
"Ah...gentle rainfall." he said with a chuckle before lunging at Sonic, who jumped out of the way as the Deep Sea King plunged his fist into the pavement.
"Too slow!" Sonic yelled before spinning and kicking the Deep Sea King in the face. "WINDBLADE KICK!" he roared before landing on his feet. "Pathetic! I see right through your moves, Deep Sea King!" he declared before jumping away from a moray, it's teeth chomping the lower part of his prison uniform to shreds.
"Are you sure of that? Once it bites, my little moray here never lets go!" the Deep Sea King declared as the moray released the cloth fragments it had in it's mouth before lunging at Sonic, who slipped by and slammed the Deep Sea King's mouth shut, severing it.
"Ouch! I've bitten my tongue before but that looked like it hurt." a monster winced.
"How'd you speak clearly with a mouth full of eel?" Zenko asked.
"Years of practice." DSK answered.
"I'll make myself clear! There's no way in Hell I'd ever lose to you!" Sonic declared before dodging the Deep Sea King's grab. He then proceeded to swiftly dodge the Deep Sea King's barrage, the scene slowing down a few times. "It's useless! You may have power....but you're far too slow. You're never gonna defeat me!"
"Is that what it looks like to you all when you're moving that fast?" Tareo asked the resident ninjas.
"Indeed." Flash answered as the three others from the Ninja Village nodded.
"Wow." Tareo whispered in awe.
"...I need to up my training." muttered Shadow Ring.
"Thank you, Deep Sea King! Fighting something with power such as yours...just confirms how strong I really am!" Sonic said before he was suddenly high in the air after delivering a swift number of strikes on the Deep Sea King, as shown by the water on the monster's body flying outwards from the strikes. "MY MOVES ARE THE FASTEST AND THE STRONGEST!" he declared. The Deep Sea King merely look up with a large grin, veins sticking up under his skin as he laughed and his right eye twitched.
"I don't know what's more unsettling. That laugh or that twitch in your eye." said Amahare.
"Now what? Losing your mind?" Sonic asked as he landed on a building's edge and looked down with a smile. The smile fell to a look of shock as the Deep Sea King was suddenly soaring towards him. He dodged in time to avoid the Deep Sea King's punch. 'He's faster!' Sonic thought as he jumped from one building to another and stared at the dust cloud from the Deep Sea King's strike. 'Stronger too!' "Where's this boost in power coming from?!" Sonic asked before a much larger and more monstrous Deep Sea King landed behind him. 'He's HUGE!'
"What happened to you?! Also, why didn't you fight Prisoner like that?!" a girl satyr looking monster asked.
"The air up here on the surface shriveled me up a bit. But this rain's helped me feel like myself again. Your attack don't hurt me EVEN A LITTLE!" he declared, putting Sonic on edge.
A look of understanding came across many a face.
"So that's why you said you picked the perfect day to invade." Metal Bat stated.
"Indeed. It's also why I couldn't fight at my full strength against Puri-Puri Prisoner." the Deep Sea King explained with a smile.
"Shame." the old inmate said before wiping his nose. "If you faced him like that, he'd have been dead!"
That realization made Prisoner pale at the thought.
"Oh well. I guess we'll have to settle with seeing my future self rip that little ninja to pieces." the Deep Sea King laughed.
"If you can." Sonic smirked.
The scene shows rain falling in a different part of the city.
"At the time of this broadcast, the whereabouts of the Sea Folk that attacked City-J are unknown." said a reporter before his face was shown on a screen. "Several heroes who bravely tried to stop them have been found unconscious at the scene. They remain in critical condition." he continued as it showed an image of Stinger and his current condition. A moment later, Mumen Rider was shown stopping at an intersection.
"Of all the times to hit a red light!" he exclaimed.
"You're seriously stopping because of a red light?! Are you that stupid?! And don't say it's because you're obeying the traffic laws!" Tornado yelled. Mumen Rider was about to say something before closing his mouth and looked back at the screen.
Mumen Rider looked to the right to see Saitama wondering the streets.
"Aw man. Where'd he run off to?" Saitama asked himself before seeing Mumen Rider.
"Hold on. Aren't you....Class-C Rank 2?"
"That's right. You a hero? Have you seen Genos?"
"Genos?" Mumen Rider repeated before the scene changed to a man with glasses sitting at a desk.
"Today, as our guest, we have the top ranked Class-A Superhero who's also been number 1 in the popularity rankings for the past 28 weeks. But, the list doesn't stop there. He's also a successful model, an actor and a singer. Let's welcome the handsome Mr. Amai Mask!"
Scene pans over to Amai Mask, his hair now shorter.
"Thank you for having me." Amai Mask said with a smile.
A few women started to gush at seeing the Class-A hero on screen before the theater was filled with groaning or negativity. Mostly from the monster side.
"BOOOO!
"NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR YOU!"
"GET OFF THE SCREEN!"
Amai Mask merely tuned them out before hearing a few from the hero side chuckle.
"What do you know? Those monsters aren't as idiotic as I thought." Tornado said with a smirk.
"Yeah. Who wants to see this dumbass pretty boy?" Metal Bat laughed before Zenko grabbed his ear. "Owowowow! Let go, Zenko!"
"Not until you apologize to Mr. Amai Mask!" she snapped.
"NEVER!" he protested.
"Ahem!" Zack coughed, making the two jump before going silent and sitting back down.
"Anytime. First off is this: We are currently facing a threat level of Demon. How do you assess the situation?" the news anchor asked.
"Hmm. That's a difficult question." Amai Mask answered.
"Really? Why is that?" the male news anchor asked.
"I'm only a hero during those moments when I confront evil. The rest of my daily life is focused on my career as an artist." Amai Mask admitted
"I see."
"To be honest, the only reason I'm here today is to promote my new song." the hero stated.
"Well then, my apologies. In that case, let's discuss your new song!" the male news anchor said while gesturing to a poster of Amai Mask.
"Yes. Let's talk about another of your narcissistic songs while City-J is being attacked by monsters." Flash drawled, making quite a few in the audience chuckle.
"No, it's fine. Let me just say this. To placate the public's fears and worries, heroes need to be tough. They need to have inner strength, self-discipline. With this, they can defeat evil using speed, a touch of grace and brilliance." Amai Mask listed off as the scene switched to Sonic being chased by the Deep Sea King over the rooftops or through the buildings. "I find it regrettable that there were heroes who were completely beaten by evil this time around. So that no hero ever dies in vain, I hope that each will continue to train his hardest. To push themselves to the limit."
A lot of the audience didn't have much opinion for Amai Mask, but those who were heroes and members of the HA couldn't deny that his words had merit.
"Tch. My attacks have no effect at all! Am I lacking in power?" Sonic asks himself as the Deep Sea King continues to chase him over the rooftops. "I can't kill him unarmed. I need to retreat for now and find a weapon!" he declared before the Deep Sea King's hand shot up from under him and grabbed Sonic.
"I caught you, runt! Hehehe!" Deep Sea King chuckled sadistically as he tightened his grip, the sound of bones cracking ringing out as Sonic's exposed limbs bend and fold in unnatural positions.
"That looked like it hurt. I approve!" one monster said.
"AHHH! HE KILLED MR. SONIC! I MEAN, I KNOW HE'S A BAD GUY, BUT THAT'S HORRIBLE!" Tareo screamed.
"Guess you're not as fast as you thought." Deep Sea King chuckled.
"Crack crack. Snap snap." came Sonic's bored voice.
"Hmm?" the Deep Sea King muttered in confusion before looking into his left hand and finding only Sonic's prison clothes there. "Huh?!"
"Think again." Sonic smirked.
"You wait there!"
The Deep Sea King looks up to see Sonic standing on the ledge of a nearby building, where Sonic was looking down at the Deep Sea King.
"The next time we meet will be your demise." Sonic promised before he suddenly vanished.
'Good thing nothing was shown. I don't want Zenko seeing anyone's junk.' Metal Bat thought before speaking up. "Hey, Zack. Just a quick question. We're not gonna see anyone's junk or anything like that, right?"
"Not the front, but a few shots of the back here and there." Zack answered. "After all, there are children present."
"Good. Just wanted to know." Metal Bat said before the show continued.
"No matter. The small fry can be let go." the Deep Sea King said without a care.
"Small fry, am I?" Sonic asked, veins sticking up on his forehead as he glared and smiled at the Deep Sea King.
"Compared to me, almost everyone in this room is a small fry." the Deep Sea King said with a grin of his own.
"Care to repeat that?" Nyan asked as he and quite a lot of the others all joined Sonic in glaring at the fish monster.
"Can we please not? I wish to continue." Flash huffed.
"Yeah. We can kill that fish later." Black Sperm said before stuffing some food into his mouth. The others either growled or glared before everyone sat back down.