This dimensional shift felt a little rougher. Tom Jacker landed with an ungraceful 'THUMP!' on a pile of trash bags in a narrow, smelly back alley. He got up, brushing off dust and instant noodle remnants from his clothes, which instantly became neat again thanks to the "Costume Adaptation" Quirk from All For One.
"Always a trash alley," he muttered. "Can't I land in a palace or a casino just once?"
He stepped out of the alley and was immediately greeted by the... unique sight of City Z. Modern skyscrapers loomed on one side, while on the other were ordinary-looking residential areas. What wasn't ordinary were the large craters in the recently patched roads, or the giant claw marks on the side of an apartment building. People walked casually, as if such sights were commonplace.
Suddenly, a scream erupted. A giant crab-like monster with car-sized pincers emerged from a sewer, waving its claws and shouting about how it would reclaim the ocean from polluters. Some civilians shrieked and ran, but most just sighed, pulled out their phones to record, or casually changed their routes.
"Oh, another monster? So annoying, especially when there's a special discount at the supermarket today," grumbled a middle-aged woman as she dragged her shopping cart away.
Before the crab monster could do much, a C-class hero in a tight green costume and a weird helmet appeared. "Stop, Abnormal Crab Monster! I, the Unrivaled Hero, Lettuce Man, will stop you!"
The ensuing fight was more like a comedy than an epic battle. Lettuce Man was defeated in three seconds, thrown into a pile of cardboard boxes.
Tom watched it all with raised eyebrows. "The threat level and the response... interesting."
Just as the crab monster was about to celebrate its victory, a shadow flashed by. SMACK! With a single, ordinary punch that didn't even look powerful, a bald man in a yellow-and-red costume with a white cape made it explode into crab meat confetti.
The bald man, Saitama, just stared at his slightly steaming hand. "Damn it. I'm too late for the crab meat discount," he complained, then walked away listlessly.
Tom felt something very strange from the bald man. Not an overwhelming aura of power, but rather... an emptiness. As if the man was a black hole that absorbed all concepts of power limits. This was the first time he had felt something he couldn't "read" at all. Interesting, and a little unsettling.
"Weird guy," Tom muttered, deciding to ignore him for now. He had something more pressing: figuring out where he could find some good "toys" in this world.
He decided to "introduce himself." Not far away, another larger monster, resembling a three-story tall giant praying mantis (perhaps a Tiger or low-level Demon), was tearing down an overpass. The Class B and A heroes on site looked overwhelmed.
"Time for a little stretch," Tom said.
He appeared in front of the mantis monster. The monster swung its sharp scythe-like arm. Tom, with a smile on his face, activated the Muscle Augmentation Quirk from his AFO library. His muscles swelled for a moment beneath his clothes. He caught the monster's scythe arm with one hand.
CRACK!
The scythe arm snapped like a dry twig. The mantis monster roared in pain and confusion. Tom then jumped high (using a little help from hidden Fierce Wings), then from above, he slammed his muscle-enhanced punch into the monster's head, sending it crashing directly into the ground and creating a new crater.
Tom landed lightly. "Well, that was just a warm-up."
His swift and efficient action caught everyone's attention. The heroes who were fighting stopped, hidden civilians stared in amazement. Even some news cameras that happened to be nearby managed to record his actions.
In an office not too far away, Fubuki, the Blizzard of Hell, Rank 1 B-Class Hero, watched the footage on her monitor. A newcomer with extraordinary physical strength, and he seemed to do it without much effort. Her beautiful face showed a calculating expression.
"Get all the information on him," Fubuki ordered one of her subordinates from the Blizzard Group. "I think... we have a very potential new member."
Tom, unaware that he had just attracted the attention of one of the hero factions, simply stretched. This world promised a lot of fun. And he had just begun.
After his small "debut" defeating the mantis monster, Tom Jacker found himself the subject of whispers among the lower-class heroes and civilians who happened to witness his actions. He didn't care much for the fleeting fame, but he enjoyed the occasional looks of awe or fear he received. He spent the next few days exploring City Z, sampling local food (which he often "acquired" without paying), and observing various types of monsters and heroes from a distance.
One afternoon, as he was relaxing on a building rooftop, enjoying the city view, a group of people approached him. They wore matching black suits, and in front of them walked a young woman with greenish-black bob hair, sharp green eyes, and a tight dress that accentuated her figure. She exuded an aura of confidence and a hint of arrogance. It was Fubuki, the Blizzard of Hell, Rank 1 B-Class Hero, accompanied by her two loyal lieutenants from the Blizzard Group, Mountain Ape and Eyelashes.
"Tom Jacker, I presume?" Fubuki said, her voice cold and controlled. She had been seeking information about this man since seeing the footage of his fight. Strong, mysterious, and seemingly unaffiliated with anyone. A perfect recruitment target.
Tom turned his head, a lazy smile gracing his face. "Depends on who's asking. If you're a debt collector, I don't know that guy."
Fubuki ignored his jest. "I am Fubuki, leader of the Blizzard Group. We are the strongest hero faction in B-Class, and we are looking for talented individuals like yourself."
"Hero faction?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a boring book club, but with more spandex."
Mountain Ape growled, feeling his leader disrespected, but a sharp glance from Fubuki silenced him.
"This hero world is tough, Jacker," Fubuki continued, stepping closer. "You might be strong on your own, but without support, without connections, you'll reach your limits quickly. New heroes emerge and disappear every day. Join me, and I can ensure you not only survive but also rise through the ranks. We can dominate B-Class together, then branch into A-Class."
Tom listened with amusement. This woman's ambition was clear in her eyes. She wanted his power to strengthen her own position. An interesting game.
"Dominate B-Class? Sounds like a lot of paperwork," Tom replied. "What's in it for me?"
"Protection, resources, recognition," Fubuki said, listing the standard benefits. "And of course... the camaraderie of powerful allies." She gave a smile she believed was quite charming.
Tom simply stared at her, his smile unchanged. He could sense Fubuki's psychic power, much weaker than he had anticipated for someone with the title "Blizzard of Hell," but there was potential there. And more importantly, Fubuki herself was an interesting "toy."
"I'm not sure I'm the 'joining clubs' type," Tom said. "But I'm always open to... further discussion."
Fubuki's eyes brightened for a moment. She felt she had found an opening. "Then," she said, her voice becoming softer, more personal. "How about we discuss this in more detail in a more... private setting? Just you and me. We can delve deeper into the 'benefits' of joining the Blizzard Group."
This was it, Tom thought. The bait had been cast. He decided to bite. "A private discussion with the Rank 1 B-Class Hero? Who could refuse such an interesting offer?" He stood, stretching casually. "Lead the way, Miss Blizzard."
Fubuki smiled triumphantly. She was confident she could handle this man in a more intimate setting. She had no idea she had just invited a shark into her goldfish pond.
As they walked away, with Mountain Ape and Eyelashes following at a respectful distance, Tom Jacker was already imagining how much fun their "private discussion" would be.