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Z City Neighbors Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2022-08-09 21:08:33 +0000 UTCIn the four years since he began his journey to find and exact his revenge on the Mad Cyborg that murdered his family Genos has encountered a great many monsters, criminals and rogue robots. He would meet these opponents with overwhelming force and up it worked for him. In the four years of Genos wandering the world he has never met an opponent that could not be defeated through his method of using overwhelming force. And so he believed it to be the most optimal method of defeating foes.
The day he met master Saitama was the day he tasted his first defeat and to see the monster whom had beaten him be defeated in turn by another with such casual ease blew Genos’ mind. Genos decided then in that moment whoever this man was could help him in getting stronger. That was Genos’ hope but things have not gone the way he thought they would. Since Genos was a cyborg and his master had acquired his immense strength organically he could not actually train him.
Genos thought differently, during his spar with Saitama Genos stared into the abyss that was the strongest man’s power and he realized that he would never be able to attain it. It was disheartening to learn but at the same time Genos knew in his gut that there would be other things he could gleam from the man that may help him. It was why he began recording his master’s life in detail for future perusal.
He once read somewhere that warriors who achieve a certain level of strength have their training become their lifestyle. Even if his master’s lifestyle does not directly correlate to this saying Genos was certain that he would be able to gleam a means of acquiring strength if he just observed the daily happenings of master Saitama’s life. He turned out to be right as within a few days of meeting Saitama Genos was faced with enemy after enemy each more powerful than the last.
Genos has been defeated, left broken and in need of repairs more times than he could count since he met Saitama. Not many would see the benefits of such a thing and while Genos would always bemoan his fate in that instance hindsight would always find him grateful for the experience nonetheless. In the months since Genos became Saitama’s stay-in disciple he has gotten stronger in a shorter amount of time than he ever did in the four years of roaming the world alone.
And it wasn’t just the fights alone that made him grow as a fighter. His master had a very esoteric way of teaching him. Very rarely did Saitama actually give him advice and aside from that one sparring match the two have never trained together. It forced Genos who was more used to being as direct as possible to adapt in ways he never would have if he had gone at it alone. Then there was Tomoro Sazaki the enigmatic neighbor who was the strangest civilian Genos had ever met.
He did not think much of the man at first. He was merely his master’s neighbor but it only took a single meeting for him to realize that there was more to this man than meets the eye. For one he was friends with Saitama which didn’t seem like much at first but Genos knew his master to be someone who did not go out of his way to make friends yet here he was having someone acting as a friend he trusted implicitly.
That fact alone would have the man gain Genos’ respect but it was only recently that he began to reevaluate Tomoro as a person. In a way Saitama and Tomoro’s relationship dynamic reminded Genos of himself and Dr. Kuseno. The difference is whereas the doctor acts as a parental figure for the cyborg Tomoro was more like an older sibling to his master. It hadn’t escaped Genos that Tomoro has more or less taken to treating him as he would Saitama even giving him actual advice in lieu of his master’s silence.
While it did not who he considered to be his actual master Genos was sometimes hard pressed to deny that Tomoro had almost as much a hand in Genos’ growth as Saitama did. For instance Genos would often times go back to their first conversation where the man put forth the idea of Genos changing his approach to fights. Several of the scenarios Tomoro presented as examples had actually happened prior to that conversation and several more have happened after the fact.
Genos was already willing to give him the benefit of the doubt due to his master trusting him but having Dr. Kuseno wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment cinched it. And so after some discussions with Dr. Kuseno Genos’ incinerator canons were outfitted with a flash that functioned like a supercharged flashbang.
In the end he used that very same function to secure a victory against that stalker ninja. Had he not taken Tomoro’s advice then his only solution to that encounter would have been to attempt a wide scale incineration blast and hope for the best. It would have been a messy outcome that could have seen Saitama and Tomoro’s apartment destroyed in the process.
With the flash being successful Genos was more willing to include upgrades that did not necessarily add to his destructive output. That was why Genos’ next set of modifications added onto the flash in that they would allow for him to create openings by disorienting the enemy or distracting them for a tactical retreat. They most notably proved useful during the widespread monster attacks specifically when Genos encountered the Demon level monster Awakened Cockroach.
Genos hated to admit it but that monster proved more of a challenge than the ninja stalker. Not only was he similarly faster than Genos but unlike the ninja his attacks dealt damage and his movements were so odd that not even Genos could properly track him. Genos was completely outclassed in that fight and if it weren’t for the super adhesive Dr. Kuseno added he would have had no way to beat him. Even then he still wasn’t able to incinerate the damn cockroach as it sacrificed its legs to escape at the last second.
At least it didn’t escape unscathed and Genos is certain that it sustained enough injuries to be fatal.
Of course even then Genos didn’t think the new modifications could stand up to what confronted him next. Not even Genos was completely sure what it was since it happened in an instant. All he knew was that his sensors detected high speed movements he thought was the cockroach coming back but turned out to be something else. He turned around to confront this new enemy and the last thing he saw was a massive fist the size of his torso barreling towards him.
It wouldn’t have mattered if Genos was in top form, there was no way he would have been able to defeat that monster. A single hit was enough to destroy what was left of his motor functions and render him offline. It may have saved his life since for all intents he would appear dead to anyone unfamiliar with robotics. By the time he came back online the monster was gone and he was once again rendered immobile and dependent on the doctor’s recovery drones for transportation.
Yet another defeat suffered but also one that he did not bemoan unlike his battle with the Deep Sea King (for allowing the monster an opportunity to target civilians while he was engaging it). Luckily something good came of his loss this time around as Dr. Kuseno more to offer him than the usual repair and upgrades modifications. This time Genos was given a complete overhaul with his then current body (which was geared towards instantaneous max power output) was discarded for a completely new one.
“This is it. What do you think? Are there any compatibility issues?” a somewhat tired Dr. Kuseno spoke to Genos.
Genos who was marveling at his new body ran a diagnostic scan while doing basic movements. It was a familiar song and dance he’d gone through after every upgrade so the doctor understood why the young cyborg did not answer for a long while and patiently waited.
“No issues with compatibility found” he finally reported then smiled “thank you Dr. Kuseno!”
“I’m glad to hear it” the old scientist smiled “and you’re welcome.”
Genos flexed his fingers and clenched his fist to test out dexterity whilst his systems ran through the new modifications “to think you were able to complete this in a single night.”
This new body was not only more durable than the last but was also able to allow for easier and faster energy transference from his core effectively granting Genos more power to utilize at a faster rate thus making him stronger than he was before. But that wasn’t the selling point for this upgrade which was the inclusion of hidden weapons such as blades, detachable limbs with steel cables and thrusters as well as an upgraded combat system enabling him to track faster opponents, switch tactics on the fly and so on.
“I have been working on these modifications for quite some time now. I planned to address the matter of your fighting style more seriously sometime in the future but your friend beat me to it.”
This new upgraded body was the culmination of several weeks’ worth of planning, discussions with the doctor, observations made after every victory or defeat and suggestions that were taken into consideration.
“But you stayed up all night because of my selfishness” Genos may not be capable of expressing his emotions properly but he genuinely felt bad about troubling him.
“I won’t hear it” the doctor waved him off “you wanted to return to the frontlines as soon as possible, besides I was already working on this for a few days now, the situation just sped up my timetable a bit. Plus with the whole business with this ‘Monster Association’ what’s a single night without sleep compared to a danger that threatens the whole of humanity?”
Reluctantly Genos nodded “understood.”
Sensing his worry the doctor changed subjects “thanks to you I have lots of new ideas for designs and while they haven’t given you too much of an explosive boost of power they have definitely made you stronger.”
“Yes” Genos agreed having finished his full scan “with this I won’t lose.”
“There’s no reason to get worked up about it Genos” Dr. Kuseno admonished “it’s alright even if you lose so long as you make it out alive. You know watching you yesterday reminded me of my younger self. Burning with justice, stubborn and headstrong I recklessly pushed myself forward unafraid and heedless of any danger confident that I will be able to handle it” the doctor paused and sighed his shoulder slumping “but I am just an old man now and I need to rest” before he walked through the door he left him with a few parting words “you can carry out your duties Genos just don’t do anything reckless.”
Genos didn’t know what to say to that. Of course making it out of a life and death situation was always the optimal choice and sure he learned something new from every loss that will help him in future encounters but sometimes Genos couldn’t help but feel like he was approaching a wall. His commitment to these new types of upgrade was after his admittance that he needed to change himself, to extend his horizons and find alternate means of acquiring strength other than destructive power.
He really hoped this works.
~O~
It took them several hours and it was well into the afternoon but they finally did it. Saitama and Tomoro with the unwitting help of Do-S managed to pack all their belongings into boxes to be moved out. The whole ordeal was rather last minute and they had to scramble a bit to source the boxes and other miscellaneous items but now it was over and the three earned themselves some well deserved rest and lunch.
So now we find Saitama, Tomoro and their unwitting guest chilling in the former’s apartment. Since Genos hasn’t returned yet Tomoro volunteered to prepare the meal and was whistling a tune as he did so in the small kitchen. Saitama was resting sideways on the floor with his knee up and his head propped up on his hand watching some inane show. Do-S on the other hand sat ramrod straight on her knees by the low table with her hands on her thighs wondering to herself not for the first time…
‘How did I end up here?’
To her credit the situation really was ridiculous. She, a monster, was sitting in the One-Punch Man’s dingy apartment waiting to be served lunch prepared by a mysterious yet powerful human who claimed to have killed one of the Monster Association Cadres who are each some of the most powerful monsters in the world. Naturally despite the relaxed and mundane atmosphere projected by the two men Do-S was understandably anxious.
“Food’s almost ready, Saitama help me with the plates.”
“Okay” the man lethargically answered before dragging himself to his feet. He wore a pair of dark shorts and a plain shirt.
‘The strongest man in the world’ Do-S reminded herself.
There was such a stark contrast between his attitude and strength that the monster found herself still caught up in a genuine state of disbelief. Now that she’s had time to ponder things Do-S was beginning to question her initial fear of the bald man because despite literally witnessing his strength he seemed determined to undermine the image she has of him at every turn.
*Clack*
Red eye blinked as they stared at the plate of food before her then looked to the man who placed it there.
“Sorry I didn’t ask if you eat regular food. I assume you do since you look human enough unless I’m wrong.”
“Its fine” she stated before removing her mask.
It’s not like she preyed on humans for sustenance and even then monsters were fair game though in both cases its more to boost her regeneration and only their blood.
As she ate the meal her mind continued its rumination ‘then there’s him.’
Tomoro Sazaki the man who dragged her into this ridiculous situation. He didn’t undermine the terrifying first impression she had of him quite as effortlessly as One-Punch Man but there was seemingly an attempt with how casual he was being. Case in point much like with One-Punch Man he wore casual wear and had his rather fearsome eyes were covered by his bangs making him look like a rather forgettable individual.
‘Like a faceless background character.’
…Do-S was human once.
While she was in her thoughts and actually enjoying the meal given to her the two had started up some inane chatter.
“So what do you think? Should we look up some moving companies or rent a truck?” Saitama asked.
“Couldn’t you just ask the Hero Association to send some guys over to move the stuff?”
“Meh, I don’t want to have to rely on them to be honest.”
“Is there a reason behind that or is it just personal preference?”
“Personal preference.”
“Alright if you say so” Tomoro shrugged “but having them do it would be really convenient for us.”
“Yeah well let’s go through our options first, company or rental?”
“I’d go with a rental. Can’t imagine any moving companies wanting to send their people out here especially after what happened yesterday.”
“Oh right the Monster Association stuff” he gained a mildly annoyed look “but none of us have a license so we’d have to hire a driver and we’d run into the same problem anyway.”
“Not if you add a little incentive in it” Tomoro commented while rubbing his fingers together.
“Seriously?”
“Like you’ve never been in a situation where you’d take more risk for more money. Besides that’s not the biggest issue here, would the businesses even be open after what’s been going on today?”
“What do you mean?”
“Right, you don’t watch the news unless it’s a monster attack.”
“Did something happen?”
“There was an information leak on the attack yesterday everyone is panicking and society might be on the brink of collapse.”
“Oh” there was a prolonged pause as Tomoro took a moment to let that information sink in only for Saitama to shatter it a moment later “so definitely going to cost extra then?”
‘That’s not the point!’ Do-S internally screamed.
She may not have been interested but she was following the conversation all the same and the idea that the man who was part of the conversation somehow missed the obvious (and already stated) point was just too ludicrous to accept.
No one is that stupid…right?
Do-S glanced at Tomoro who caught her gaze ‘right?’
Even through his partially covered eyes she could pick up the look he gave her. A look that absolutely screamed you see what I have to put up with?
‘Oh my god.’
Tomoro turned away to answer Saitama’s question “don’t worry about it. I know how to drive a truck and I doubt they’d care to check someone’s license in a crisis.”
Saitama rolled his eyes “then why didn’t you just lead with that? Idiot.”
The irony of that statement was not lost on either of the other two.
‘The strongest man in the world technically he doesn’t have to be the smartest’Do-S thought to herself weakly.
They finished their lunch with Tomoro stating to their resident monster “help me with the dishes.”
It wasn’t a command but at the same time Do-S treated it as such and together the two handled the dishes while Saitama read manga by the muted TV.
“So what are your thoughts on the One-Punch Man?” Tomoro asked amicably while he washed the dishes and handed the plate over to Do-S
The self proclaimed ‘monster princess’ took the plate and started wiping it off whilst pondering how best to answer the question.
“He is not what I expected?”
“That sounded like a question” he noted with some amusement “don’t worry it’s not like you’re the only one who thinks that after spending some time with him.”
Do-S hummed for a bit, her gaze going to man in question currently sitting by the muted TV reading a manga. She accepted another plate to be dried off but bit her cheek for a moment as her gaze swept to the man beside her.
“Yes?”
She jumped a bit at the unexpected word “huh?”
“It’s clear to me you want to say something. Go ahead I’m not going to bite your head off or threaten you. At worst I just won’t answer.”
“Are…are all the other S-Class heroes like him?”
“If you mean they’re all eccentric weirdos and not at all what the public perceives them to be as individuals then yes for the most part.”
“Oh” Do-S frowned at the answer as it left her feeling unsatisfied.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise, this world is full of eccentric weirdos” he gave her a once over “you are an eccentric weirdo.”
“E-excuse me?”
“You know I’ve noticed some monsters have this weird habit of spouting off their origins when they attack in a public area.”
Do-S cringed a little, yeah she’s noticed that too.
“And almost every time its either they do something or eat something all the time to an obsessive degree and gain monstrous qualities similar to that obsession they had as a human” at this he pinned her with a stare and Do-S has never felt quite so vulnerable in her life.
“W-what?”
“So how exactly does one become a BDSM themed monster girl carrying a spiked whip she uses to turn her victims into ‘love slaves’?”
“…”
Do-S didn’t answer him and despite her head turning in his direction she wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were very far away and she was seeing something, memories she had not thought about in a very long time.
“Hey” her body shook and she was back in the now with Tomoro looking at her with slight concern “are you okay?”
She smacked his hand away “I’m fine” she grounded out uncaring of her aggression.
“Okay then” he said hesitantly.
“Am I done here?”
No actually, there were still a few more dishes left but Tomoro recognized she needed her space.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
She was already leaving.
‘Well I messed up.’
As he exited the kitchen having finished his task the sound of rhythmic beeping was heard before Saitama grabbed his communicator.
“Trouble?” Tomoro asked.
Saitama stared for a while before answering “hmm, not anymore” he tossed it aside “Genos is taking care of it.”
‘Then Elder Centipede is supposed to show up soon.’
He had no idea when but he’ll keep an eye on the communicator. His eyes went to Do-S who was turned away from him to which he sat down.
“Hey so I’m sor-”
“Stop” her red eyes glared at him “I do not want nor need your apology human” she sneered.
He raised his hands in surrender “fine.”
“Are we done with this farce?” she continued in a snippy tone while tapping her gloved finger on the table “you wanted me here for a reason. Are we going to discuss that reason or not?”
“There’s no rush” Tomoro dismissed “plus we’re waiting for someone else.”
“A hero?”
“Demon Cyborg.”
Do-S snorted, another S-Class, of course.
“Then are we to just sit here twiddling our thumbs until he arrives?”
“Or until something happens that gets our attention.”
“Ugh”
With that Tomoro started flipping through the channels looking for something interesting to pass the time with. As he did this the TV program is interrupted by breaking news and live footage that grabbed both Tomoro and Do-S’ attention.
“L-like that?” stuttered the monster.
“Yeah that’ll do it” answered Tomoro before he looked to Saitama whose head was still buried in that manga ignoring everything.
“Hey Saitama.”
“Yeah?”
“That thing Genos was taking care of it wouldn’t happen to be in City R would it?”
“Yeah why?”
“Remember that giant centipede you were talking about yesterday?”
This time Saitama brought his head out of the book to look to his friend “yeah what about… it…” he trailed off following Tomoro’s pointed finger to the TV screen where it featured a live feed of the same giant centipede terrorizing City R “oh. I should probably take care of that.”
“You probably should” Tomoro agreed “and we’re coming with you.”
“You are?”
“We are?” echoed Do-S no longer angry but very worried.
Tomoro shrugged “sure not like we have anything better to do and we can find a truck rental place while we’re out.”
“Alright” Saitama shrugged before going to put on his uniform.
Meanwhile Do-S hissed at Tomoro “what are you thinking!?”.
“Just getting rid of any doubts you may have about switching sides.”
Do-S gained an alarmed look “what are you talking about? You have me dead to rights! You don’t need to drag me into this!”
“You’re still afraid of those Cadres in the Monster Association and you don’t honestly believe that the Hero Association can win against them” it wasn’t a question, it was a fact.
Do-S gritted her needle like teeth “you don’t get it. The Cadres aren’t just powerful Dragonlevel monsters, Gyoro Gyoro said he assembled them specifically to counter the S-Class heroes.”
“Gyoro Gyoro, who is he?”
“He…he is the Monster Association’s tactician and Lord Orochi’s right hand.”
“Well I can only imagine Gyoro Gyoro made it a point to drill the strength of the Monster Association into your head and I can’t say he didn’t make his point with the attack yesterday. Let’s see how long you’ll think like that after today.”
Do-S opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by the arrival of Saitama.
“Okay I’m ready.”
“Great, let’s go Do-S. Don’t forget your mask and glasses.”
Do-S completely forgot that she wasn’t wearing her mask something she would never normally overlook. After covering her mouth she followed the two men outside with not a little bit of trepidation.
~O~
Meanwhile In City R…
“I can’t believe such a creature like this even exists!” Bomb exclaimed in shock as the monstrous centipede revealed more and more of itself.
Its massive body shook the entire forest as if at the epicenter of devastating earthquake causing it to shift and collapse in on itself. While Bomb gawked at the creature Bang’s attention was elsewhere.
“We need to save the other heroes!”
With that said both brothers and Genos sprang into action working in tandem with each other to rescue the unconscious heroes with great swiftness and skill as the environment around them shifts, upturned and collide. Finally after several minutes they were able to get safely away from the destruction zone and lay the unconscious heroes in a line some ways away.
“How can we defeat such a creature?” Genos mumbled to himself.
Genos would have simply gone at the creature with everything he had and try to see what stuck but he wasn’t the same as before. Plus the creature had survived his Spiral Incineration Canon with nary a scratch and so it was worth the consideration on what he should try next. That is why he was going over his internal weapon’s system and the new weapons Dr. Kuseno installed again to find a solution. He was also going over battle strategies since it looked like his original tactics wouldn’t cut it here.
‘That armor is going to be a problem I need to-’
“Genos” Shaken from his thoughts the cyborg turned to his fellow S-Class hero “we have a technique that could defeat it but it leaves us open. Can we count on you to distract it?”
Genos paused for a moment having no idea what the two aged martial arts masters could do. By all accounts neither of them should have the power to beat a creature of such size and durability. At the same time the confidence in their eyes swayed him to defer to them.
“What kind of distraction are you hoping for?”
As the two began to stretch the S-Class hero’s companions spoke “it would be favorable if you could lead it to our position without alerting it to what’s going on.”
“Understood” Genos answered before all three became aware of a shadow cast over them.
Elder Centipede was looming over them from his position a ways away.
Genos was the first to take note of this “It found us!”
“Get ready!”
“Yes brother!”
Genos prepared to blast off only to halt when the monster dipped before heading towards them in straight line at breakneck speeds. So instead he positioned himself before the two martial arts grandmasters in a kneeling position with his palms outstretched.
“Will this do!?” the cyborg yelled to which the old men affirmed and Genos fired three shots at the incoming centipede monster’s face.
“Argh!” the temporarily blinded monster yelled out.
Genos leapt away and watched as the two older men executed their technique which included both executing an intricate series of stances in sync with each other with the end resulting in both stomping their feet in the ground together creating a massive fissure
“Whirlwind-”
“Flowing Water-”
Genos’ visual sensors registered an unknown energy buildup right before an explosion of light that obfuscated both elder men and the incoming monster. Yet his audio sensors still picked up the name of the powerful attack shouted by both martial artists.
“ROARING AURA SKY RIPPING FIST!”
There was an ear splitting *CRACK* that sent ripples through the air itself and as Genos’ visual sensors cleared he bore witness to the massive creature touted as a ‘natural disaster’ halt in its tracks by the fists of two mortal men. While they held their ground the same couldn’t be said for the monster as numerous cracks began appearing throughout its carapace.
*BOOM*
A loud sonic boom split the air as the monster was deflected away from the two men who continued to lay into its still moving body with fierce strikes.
“What an amazing technique and they managed to damage such a durable exoskeleton!” Genos exclaimed as he watched in absolute awe as the cracks continued to spread even further throughout its massive body.
‘This is…the pinnacle of skill.’
As he spoke those words a memory came unbidden to him.
“Well, how come you didn’t take up Silver Fang’s offer to learn his martial arts?”
“It is unneeded”
“Why?”
“Silver Fang’s martial art, the Water Streaming Rock Smashing Fist is a defensive martial art however what I need is pure destructive power.”
“…no offense Genos but that sounds extremely short-sighted.”
“I see, is this what you meant Tomoro?” Genos mumbled.
So caught up he was in this new revelation and witnessing the incredible feat brought on by two martial artist at the peak of human skill that he missed when Elder Centipede managed to reorient himself and swing back around for another charge.
“No!”
It was too late for him to do anything but his helped turned out to be unneeded as the two masters noticed the attack coming and cut their technique short to beat a hasty retreat. Unfortunately they were not quick enough to escape the resulting shockwave and debris from the monster’s charge and hit a tree as a result.
Genos was quick to arrive by them “are you alright?”
“Ow” complained Bomb as he rubbed a sore spot where he hit the tree “I let my guard down.”
Bang got to his feet and placed both hands behind his back in his usual old man stance “that technique puts a strain on two old men like us so it has a single use limit. Because of you we managed to hit it, thank you for that Genos.”
Bomb also smiled while wiping the sweat from his brow “it worked as well look the shockwaves are spreading throughout its body. Before long that damn monster will be reduced to dust.”
The three watched in amazement and surety as what Bomb said came to pass. Massive fissures spread all throughout Elder Centipede’s carapace at an incredible rate with the monster unable to do anything but seemingly writhe in seeming agony. Eventually it reached a breaking point and Elder Centipede froze before there was an explosion that sent chunks of the carapace flying everywhere. The three stood over the fallen heroes with Bang casually deflecting the chunks falling to him, Bomb cutting them into dust and Genos letting them bounce off his metallic forearm.
“Hm?”
Bang was the first one to notice through the debris the figure of Elder Centipede’s fleshy ‘interior’ start to gain color and actually enlarge. The mouth of the humanoid face that was covered in fissures opened in a grotesquely wide manner to reveal another face emerging from its maw. Genos stared wide eyed at the transformation taking place before them whilst the two brothers were more calm/deadpan in their reaction with Bang summing up their thoughts in a rather succinct manner.
“…seriously?”
Genos was more expressive “it molted! How can this be?”
“Doesn’t it look bigger than before?” Bang wondered aloud.
“We can’t defeat this monster” Bomb glanced at the unconscious heroes behind them “and we need to protect the other heroes. What should we do Bang?”
Despite the dire situation the elder S-Class hero was quite calm in analyzing the situation “if we try to distance ourselves it’ll only chase us plus the city is right next to the park so if we leave that will put the civilians in danger.”
At hearing that Genos’ hand clenched, memories resurfaced of the mad cyborg attacking his village while he was helpless to do anything.
‘Not anymore.’
“Silver Fang” Genos spoke out getting the other two men’s attention “I will fight it.”
“Genos you-”
“Take the injured and escape” he interrupted “I will try to keep its attention for as long as possible.”
Bang’s answer was immediate “I cannot agree to that.”
Bomb nodded along to his brother’s words “I know the situation seems dire but that’s no excuse to be reckless.”
As the words penetrated his audio receiver the memory of Dr. Kuseno’s words spoken earlier reverberated in his mind.
“-just don’t do anything reckless.”
‘Don’t do anything reckless…’
He understood what they meant especially in the case of Dr. Kuseno. Lately it seems as if Genos didn’t treat his own safety as priority in these high stakes battle and in the end it was Dr. Kuseno who has to repair him after every encounter. Though as of late it’s more like he has to rebuild him and Genos hated the fact that he had to put the old doctor through that. He knew the kind of effect his actions had on Dr. Kuseno and even he can look back on his past actions and admit that yes he had been reckless.
So with this revelation it should be a simple matter shouldn’t it? All he had to do was not be reckless.
‘Is that really enough?’
Looking back on his past actions, all his recklessness, Genos came to a decision.
‘OF COURSE NOT!’
The cyborg shot off the ground with thrusters on full blast.
“There’s no way that’s enough!” he yelled out.
Landing on Elder Centipede’s body he began strafing along the surface with assistance from shoulder mounted thrusters whilst blasting its face with compressed balls of plasma shot from his palms.
“That’s not enough! Your canons don’t work on him!” Bang yelled.
He heard the older hero’s yelling but was headless of his words because he already knew. The shots were just a distraction for his true goal. Using the thrusters on the back of his shoulders, elbows and palms he managed to avoid a surprisingly quick retaliation from the Dragon level monster’s sharp pincers by jumping up.
‘This monster, the one from yesterday and even Garou are all part of the Monster Association…’
Once he reached the height of his arc in the sky he popped the two wrist blades from his forearms and ignited all the thrusters from his arm at full blast. For a moment there was a bright flash and it appeared as if Genos gained wings of fire!
‘I am sorry Dr. Kuseno but this is no longer a battle where I can afford to be careful.’
The light from the thruster blasts temporarily blinded Elder Centipede creating an opening for Genos to slam into its face at terminal velocity.
‘We are at war and the fate of all humankind rests on our shoulders! On my shoulders.’
Dual Blade Rush!
With incomparable speed Genos used his forearm blades to cut into and slice up Elder Centipede’s exposed eyes causing it to cry out in agony. Its constant thrashing about caused Genos to lose his footing somewhat and before he knew it the monster’s massive set of teeth caught his left leg just below the knee. In the next instant the monster started diving down taking the caught Genos with him in an attempt to crush him through brutal force.
“I’LL GRIND YOU INTO PIECES!”
‘I have to fight…even if it means being reckless…because…’
Without so much as a preamble Genos ripped his leg off at the knee to escape the collision only to be ensnared by one of Elder Centipede’s feelers. Before he could react his body is split in half at the waist by the monster’s sharp pincers
‘At this rate I will no longer be part of the fighting force.’
For a moment Genos’ body fell…until he tapped into his core and ignited his shoulder thrusters at over capacity to send his body towards his falling lower half. His two pieces reconnected and thrusters installed into his leg ignited burning away his jeans as he made a collision course to a shocked Elder Centipede.
Jet Drive Arrow!
Genos slammed into the ‘centipede’ face, specifically its teeth and with a war cry put more power into his thrusters. The result was a massive plume of fire so big that it could be seen for kilometers that ended up pushing even the massive creature’s head back.
*Crack*
With the sound of a shattering tooth Genos flew into Elder Centipede’s mouth proper with the only cost appearing to be his clothes which was burned off in the process.
“GUAH! DAMN YOU!” cursed the monster before its insides abruptly clamp together trapping Genos under immense fleshy pressure though that was the least of his concerns.
‘Digestive fluid? The acidity!’ he realized as his sensors confirmed that the fluid was indeed corroding his body.
“I’LL MELT YOU IN A MATTER OF SECONDS!”
Genos gritted his teeth as he used his strength to push away the walls.
“You are the one who will melt!”
Summoning power from his core Genos’ eyes glowed with brilliant light as his chest opened up revealing a massive canon which began to shine with that same brilliant light aiming directly down Elder Centipede’s body.
SUPER SPIRAL INCINERATOR CANON!
A massive beam was launched into the bowels of the monster, the only place where its carapace did not protect. The result of his attack had the entire length of its massive body superheated and cooked from the inside. Eventually Elder Centipede could no longer able to keep control of itself resulting in the loosening of its innards. With that change Genos was allowed to ride the momentum of his blast out through the open mouth of the monster which was now on fire.
*Thud*
Genos landed with parts of his metallic body melted, electricity fizzling around his form and multiple system warnings he set aside with a thought. His focus was on the monster and his vision beheld quite a sight. Fire and smoke erupted from elder Centipede’s mouth, eyes and all along its body where the carapace was segmented began to melt apart from the heat. It’s humanoid face was completely melted and disfigured from the effects and for a moment it looked as if it would fall.
Genos watched this from his prone form on the ground and wondered to himself “did I…do it…?”
The moment of hope was abruptly cut short when the fires suddenly sputtered out. The melted segments along its body began to mend themselves and fit back into their proper place recreating the nigh impenetrable carapace armor, the tooth Genos broke to gain entry into its body reformed as good as new and finally its deformed humanoid face that was beyond recognition regenerated with a wide mocking grin.
Seeing all his efforts were for naught again Genos could only lay his head down on the ground despondently.
‘Another defeat…’
Elder Centipede raised one of its many legs aiming to skewer the downed cyborg.
‘Once again…I was unable to do anything.’
The leg came down like a guillotine however before it could hit Genos was rescued by Bang. Uncaring of the remnants of Elder Centipede’s digestive juices on the cyborg which began eating through his shirt and burning his skin shouted out to his brother.
“Brother, grab them and run!”
“IT’S NO USE” Elder Centipede rumbled as he watched the two elders scatter away like ants.
Genos found himself held awkwardly on back over Bang’s shoulder giving him a clear view of the pursuing Elder Centipede. His mood was still despondent however his thoughts were introspective with questions.
‘What should I do? What is it that I lack?’
“Not good we’re almost out of the park! Bang if this thing enters the city there will casualties!”
‘Are there more monsters like him?’
His thoughts were briefly interrupted when Bang gently placed him by a tree before taking off his shirt. The older hero’s body was littered in scars with the most recent being the burns on his shoulder caused by Elder Centipede’s digestive juices still present on Genos when he carried him.
“It’s all or nothing then” the S-Class hero spoke.
“Bang…” his brother mumbled wearily.
From his spot leaning against the tree Genos looked on as Bang assumed a stance, his determination unwavering in the face of what most likely will be certain death. It only served to remind him of how helpless he currently was.
‘Facing opponents like these…’
“For the last time in my life I will use my full power.”
‘Am I fated to watch on without accomplishing anything?’
Stewing in his bitter thoughts Genos did not expect to suddenly hear a familiar voice being shouted over a loud speaker.
“HEY ELDER CENTIPEDE I HEARD YOU WERE LOOKING FOR BLAST!”
That immediately got the monster’s attention as he halted his pursuit of the gathered to turn towards the sound of the voice.
“BLAST?”
“That voice…” Bang’s eyes widened.
“It can’t be” Bomb echoed in disbelief.
‘Tomoro?’ Genos thought in shocked alarm.
~O~
Meanwhile…
‘Insane…these people are insane!’
Do-S could only watch on in shocked horror as the absolute madman baited out one of the largest and most powerful monsters in the world. She’s never actually seen him before only caught glimpses of him and they were enough to put the fear of god in her. And now here he was in all his glory and she was in his sights as an enemy along with the madman beside her. Do-S felt like running in that moment however a deceptively gentle squeeze on her shoulder kept her rooted in place. Its owner did not so much as give her sideways glance as he continued spouting off words to provoke him.
Finally Elder Centipede had enough and with a screech of outrage began making its way towards them.
“That should do it” Tomoro muttered before tossing the megaphone aside.
“W-what now?”
To that he raised an eyebrow at her however she could not see it as her attention was preoccupied with the giant pissed off monster barreling its way towards them!
“Weren’t you listening to the plan it’s not very complex. I provoke Elder Centipede to attack us, Saitama stays out of sight in case his presence spooks it and when it comes close he hits it with one of his ‘serious’ punches.”
“One of…!?” Do-S yelled incredulously with rising panic.
“Yeah only one solid punch is needed.”
“That is a terrible plan!”
“No it’s just not complex” Tomoro defended before suddenly standing behind her “you need to have some faith Do-S”
“What are you doing?” his hands were on her shoulders now, his firm grip keeping her now trembling body in place.
“Steadying you so you don’t fall over from the blowback” he lowered his head to whisper in her ear “I don’t want you to miss a single moment of what happens next.”
By now Elder Centipede was only a couple hundred feet from them and closing the distance fast.
“Any second now Saitama” she heard Tomoro mutter.
In the end Do-S’ self preservation easily won out over what little faith she had on these people and she began to struggle.
“Let…go…” her voice trembled.
“Not yet.”
Elder Centipede was getting closer.
“Let me go!” her protesting increased as she tried to escape but to no avail.
“No” he absentmindedly answered before looking to the side “Saitama.”
Elder Centipede was just a few feet from them now its massive face blocking all their vision.
“Would you get over here already!” Tomoro yelled in annoyance at the same time two other screams came out.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
Just before the monster could collide with them Saitama appeared from out of nowhere and swung his fist.
SERIOUS SERIES: SERIOUS PUNCH!
Because she was wearing sunglasses her eyes were not blinded by the blowback from the attack.
Do-S saw everything.
The moment the yellow jumpsuit wearing hero appeared with his cape flapping in breeze, the moment he swung his miniscule fist at the impossibly massive monster and the moment when that impossibly massive monster disintegrated before her wide eyes.
“Cutting it a bit close there Saitama”
“Just wanted to make sure I got him good.”
“You almost gave Do-S a heart attack”
“Oh, my bad” he scratched his cheek before looking at the monster girl “uh, is she okay?”
“I’m not sure” he began to shake her gently “hey, Do-S?”
Her ears were ringing, she heard the words however they sounded so far away. Her eyes were glued to the still ongoing trail of destruction that was the continuous disintegration of Elder Centipede’s body.
“She’s in shock. I’ll handle her go check on the others, Genos looks like he’s in rough shape.”
“Okay.”
As he left Tomoro shuffled the unresponsive monster over to the shade of a tree. She did not react as he sat her down crouched to meet her at eye level. He carefully removed her glasses to see that she was staring at the remains of Elder Centipede’s body which finished disintegrating.
“How…?”
“Hm?”
“How is he so strong?”
Tomoro chuckled at her question “you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“…” she could only stare at him in silence for a moment before looking down at her lap “we never stood a chance, did we?”
“Not really” Tomoro admitted easily “I mean you might have with the other heroes but I don’t think the Monster Association has anyone in Saitama’s weight class.”
“Oh…”
There was a bout of uncomfortable silence after that which made Tomoro feel a bit awkward.
“Are you okay?”
“…I want to be alone.”
“I understand” he stood up and turned away but paused to look over his shoulder “don’t try to escape.”
“I can’t feel my legs.”
Tomoro’s frown became pronounced for a moment before he left her. Through the entire back half of that exchange Do-S kept her gaze looking down. It wasn’t necessarily the outcome of the punch itself that stuck with Do-S, it was the feeling of utter insignificance that came at the moment he swung his fist despite the attack not even being aimed at her. She also saw Elder Centipede’s last moments the moment where his expression was of fury only to change into utter terror after the appearance of the bald hero.
It was an image that would forever be burned into her mind.
Do-S never thought that she would ever witness a being like Elder Centipede express such fear and yet she could sympathize. For while that punch was not aimed at her she felt it all the same. All this time Do-S has believed in the supremacy of monsters. She believed that while she may not be the strongest monster she wholeheartedly believed that when it came down to it in a contest of power monsters will win, always.
The strongest human will always lose to the strongest monster.
Gyoro Gyoro and Orochi claimed to have found and gathered the strongest monsters in the world and made them Cadres of the Monster Association, that Orochi himself was the strongest monster in the world. But what she just saw, what she just felt was something none of the Cadres or even Orochi himself will ever be able to replicate. The power packed in that single fist was something that will forever haunt Do-S for the rest of her days.
One-Punch Man was not human, she couldn’t even call him a monster he was something else, something she could not fathom and the Monster Association had made an enemy of him. And to think she was once on the side in opposition to him.
“Heh…hehehe…hahahahaha…”
~O~
Tomoro chose to ignore the Do-S’ worryingly increasing hysterical laughter as he jogged to catch up to Saitama.
“Uh, what’s up with her?”
“I have no idea, just ignore her.”
Saitama’s punch had literally cut a path to the others and the two were walking towards them however Genos chose to meet them halfway. He hobbled towards them using a long stick to compensate for his missing foot. He was devoid of clothes and covered in some sticky substance that smelled awful.
“Master I have a question I wish to ask you.”
The two men shared a look before Saitama answered “okay, what is it?”
“What do you think it is that I am missing?”
“Eh, isn’t it power?”
With those words it seemed as if Genos was beholden to a great revelation “THANK YOU MASTER!”
A compartment hatch opened on his body with a hiss and he grabbed the notebook and pen contained within only to have them snatched out his hands before he could get to writing.
“Nope” Tomoro muttered.
“Tomoro” Genos greeted “why are you here?”
“We’re looking for a rental truck to move our stuff out of the apartment” he answered before clearing his throat “sorry about taking your notebook I just couldn’t let what Saitama’s words corrupt an impressionable young man like yourself.”
“Oi!”
“See like so many things in his life Saitama has a tendency to oversimplify things. Yes, in this circumstance what you are lacking is strength but I don’t think that should be the main take away from this battle. Not everyone can simply bum-rush through opponents with overwhelming strength like the bald wonder over here.”
“Don’t call me bald dammit!”
“And I have the distinct impression that you’ll try to emulate him in the worst possible way with his half baked advice.”
Genos frowned remembering his helplessness in the face of death just a moment ago only to have
“I’ve given your words much consideration Tomoro and you were right. I cannot approach a battle in the same straightforward manner as I have been doing all this time” his hand tighten around the stick keeping him aloft “but today I learned that I cannot be prepared for everything and some opponents will simply be too much for me no matter how hard I prepare.”
“That’s just how things go sometimes Genos” Tomoro spoke sympathetically “losing is just a part of growth, tell me that an enemy that defeated you in the past can stand up to you now?”
“I understand that but I choose to believe it is master Saitama’s battles that are paving the way forward for me” with that he looked at the path carved by Saitama’s path and continued “the symbol of strength that is what I should be aiming for.”
At that Tomoro glanced at Saitama with a look that screamed “now look what you did.”
Saitama could only scratch his cheek with a finger nervously while looking to the side.
“You know that’s impossible” Tomoro reminded.
“I realized a long time ago that I may never reach the place where master Saitama currently stands on but simply walking the same path as him should suffice.”
“Well I suppose I understand-”
“Go for it” Saitama suddenly interrupted receiving a raised eyebrow from Tomoro “it should be fine if he wants to get stronger right? I mean, he has an actual reason for wanting to become stronger after all.”
Genos’ eyes widened “master…”
Tomoro chuckled “you actually remember.”
“Of course I do, I’m not an idiot.”
“Eeh” he made a so-so gesture.
“Shut up.”
With the revelry over Tomoro’s eyes caught sight of the two older me approaching though it was Saitama who greeted them.
“Hey Bang, thanks for helping out Genos.”
“It was no issue Saitama” Bang responded before his eyes turned to Tomoro with tenseness that.
“Bang, Bomb” Tomoro greeted “long time no see.”
“Yes, it has been a…long time.” Bang spoke with furrowed brows.
Bomb chose that moment to interrupt in bewilderment “how can this be?”
“Huh? You guys know each other?” Saitama interjected with Genos silently observing the interaction.
“Oh yeah me and these two go way back. All grandmasters know about each other.”
“Oh” his eyes trailed off.
There was a bout of silence before Tomoro spoke “hey Saitama me and the two elders are gonna catch up so could you call the Hero Association to pick up those guys” he pointed to the unconscious heroes.
“Okay, come on Genos.”
The cyborg hobbled alongside Saitama but gave a lingering glance to the three. There were questions to be asked but he was patient enough to wait until later.
“So now that we’re alone, let’s talk.”
“Yes, let’s…Shiva.”
~To Be Continued~
