Chapter Text
An island far from civilization. A beautiful and serene ocean scene. Weather that promised to be nothing but pleasant for a good long while. These ingredients came together to make for the perfect vacation experience.
Or, they should've, except there was one issue. Like any recipe, all it takes is a single accidental inclusion to ruin the whole thing. Sometimes, it's done through experimentation, and other times, it's genuinely an unintended mishap that can't be helped. So, what was it?
Honestly, Saitama had no idea how to describe it. Then again, no one else would fare much better. Standing before him, just a few feet away, was a man. He had two legs, arms, a torso, and a head, just like any other human being. Yet, the longer you looked at this man, the more you'd doubt if he should be referred to as either a human or a "normal" man.
At a height that was just over seven feet, you had an S-Class hero by the name of Puri-Puri Prisoner. While the man's physique was nowhere near as extreme as Superalloy Darkshine, it was still in a league of its own. For comparison, Tanktop Master focused on bulk rather than an even distribution of muscle. Every inch of Puri was muscular, and I do mean EVERY inch.
That was another thing that made Puri so...unusual. The man had an almost supernatural tendency to wind up naked. Granted, due to this physique, whenever he BARELY flexed or moved, most clothes would rip or be destroyed. Still, at some point, you have to wonder how it keeps happening. Superalloy typically walked around in a speedo, and yet, with all his physical exertion, that thing barely ever saw ANY change in condition.
...Hold on. If Puri-Puri Prisoner is frequently nude, does...that mean...Saitama is staring at a fully naked man right now? Ha-Ha, NO. The INSTANT Puri arrived on the shore and struck a pose while going off on one of his usual tangents; Saitama was already coming back from his vacation home with the biggest sheet he could find. With a stern glare aimed EXCLUSIVELY at Puri's face, the buff birthday suit was swiftly concealed by a Grecian-style toga.
"Saitama, sweetie," Puri spoke, lightly tugging at the sheet that served as his new outfit. "Is this really necessary? You've seen all I that I am many times already." He asked.
"Yeah. I've got enough images burned into my brain for a lifetime..." Saitama answered with a sigh as he folded his arms.
"Oh! So, you've been thinking about me?" Puri gasped, covering his mouth with his hands.
Saitama had been through this song & dance far too often to indulge in it ever again. Thus, he paused to end that potential sidetrack and keep the conversation focused.
"Puri, may I ask you a few questions?" Saitama requested.
"Of course! I'm an open book for you to read. Please! Flip through my pages and study all that is within-"
"Got it." Saitama cut him off. Nope. Not happening. "Most importantly, I need to know HOW and WHY you are HERE." He said.
Before Saitama could blink, Puri already held a device out for him to see.
"Honey, that's a no-brainer!" Puri exclaimed, pointing at the gizmo. "The Association gave all of us these handy little things for being in S-Class! I've used mine to stay up-to-date while serving my time. As for the why, I was told by that handsome young man who joined us recently about what happened in City Z today! After reading all that, I knew you'd be emotionally vulnerable, so I used the device to find you via GPS so that I could soothe your wounded soul." He explained.
Now, most people in Saitama's position might've focused on: "What happened in City Z today!" But instead, Saitama's attention was grabbed by something else of equal importance.
"...Puri..." Saitama hesitantly began. He wasn't sure if he should go through with this.
"Yes, dear?" Puri replied.
"...You...were swimming naked..." Saitama said, slowly pointing at the device. "Where...did that...come from?..." He inquired.
Briefly, Puri-Puri Prisoner looked at the gadget. Then, he looked back at Saitama.
"I could show you~" Puri teased with a wink while pursing his lips.
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Saitama turned around and went inside his vacation home. He then proceeded to lock the door and put a few things in front of it.
"Saitama!" Puri called out. "I was only being playful!" He added.
The shock Saitama felt was strong enough to make him fall face-first onto the couch in the living room. He'd remain there until his mind reset itself and erased that last exchange from his memory. Or, at the very least, suppressed it with no chance of resurfacing. As for Puri-Puri Prisoner, he'd remain outside and interact with the device. He could tell his beloved leader needed some space.
Meanwhile, In City Z...
After the arrival of the other heroes, nothing noteworthy happened at the "Disaster Relief HQ" in the ruins of City Z. Mostly, all that transpired was the continued welcoming and accommodating of City Z's citizens as they were led from the shelters. Naturally, when the Blizzard Group, Tanktop Army, and Atomic Samurai's students got there, they did their part, too. Resting areas, medical stations, and serving tables for food and water were made depending on how much was needed.
The Association, far better than they had done in the past, was keeping the media at bay. No helicopters, no vans, and no sneaky reporters trying to act like normal civilians. The added muscle and scrutinizing gaze of several heroes also worked as an effective deterrent. This was not the time for the usual media spectacle. The priority was on City Z's restoration and the care of its people.
However, something was distracting the heroes. It wasn't anything too special, just a bunch of non-humans who were walking around and doing stuff like it was no big deal. Oh, and then there was that one guy who was treating the injured who had multiple versions of himself. We also can't forget about the giant dog with six glowing red eyes. You know, just normal stuff.
Obviously, the S-Class heroes weren't ignorant. Originally, the plan was for Captain Mizuki and Mumen Rider to release interviews with the House of Evolution to help make the reveal easier. As for Pochi, that would've been handled by One Punch Man, probably. But then the universe decided to rain meteors down on City Z and nearly cause doomsday, which sort of disrupted that idea.
Oh, wait, my mistake. Today's tragedy wasn't some random act of nature. Even though nothing had been concretely confirmed, and the Tornado of Terror was still unconscious, meaning she couldn't provide commentary, everyone was confident with their conclusion. This whole thing was an attack. SOMETHING was responsible for the meteors and the asteroid they became.
Metal Knight, Child Emperor, and Drive Knight were discretely conversing with the Association on the matter while contributing to the reconstruction effort. If S-Class's suspicions were true, then this could potentially be the first-ever "God-Level" threat. However, it was quickly agreed that the notion was to be CONSIDERED but NOT acted upon until something more tangible was discovered. After all, in such an event, the only ones who could easily handle it were Blast and the world's strongest hero.
For now, the man known as Sitch and his subordinates would handle any investigation-related actions on the Association's part. As for S-Class, they would be busy with the continued relief work and getting the rest of the heroes up to speed on everything. When things had reached a comfortable point where a break could be taken, King requested that all of the heroes gather for a hero-only conference. The Association staff could easily attend to the civilians during this meeting, and the civilians had no commentary as it made sense for the heroes to talk about their plans moving forward. Of course, that wasn't going to be the first topic.
"Hey! Quiet down!" Baddo exclaimed, opting to act as King's method of crowd control. "Anyone who can't be civil will get tossed!" He warned.
The heroes were inside the apartment building. It already had plenty of space for so many people, especially in the dining area.
"Thanks, Baddo," King said as the others settled.
Silently, Baddo gave King a thumbs up and a look of determination. Man, despite his age, Metal Bat was undeniably the best ride-or-die partner you could hope for. With the crowd ready to listen, Baddo stepped back to join the other S-Class heroes. They were standing together at the head of the room alongside the House of Evolution with King at the front.
"Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for their hard work," King began, earning him a good number of smiles of appreciation for the acknowledgment. "Secondly, I know there's a LOT you want to know. And, just so there's full transparency, you need to hear that we WERE planning on revealing everything to you guys before any of it went public. We didn't want to blindside you or make you feel like you weren't important enough. It's just, well, today happened..." He sighed, briefly closing his eyes.
The crowd whispered a little, but nothing major. It was just people talking to their closest allies or friends. Nothing to worry about.
"Okay, the crowd's looking good. Slow and steady..." King thought as he breathed slowly to help keep his composure. "Let's rip off the biggest bandage. The non-humans you see with us are from an organization known as the House of Evolution. And yes, they are heroes. The story behind them and how this came to be is too long to share. However, after this meeting, Metal Knight will be providing all of you with devices that will have the information on them. That will allow you to read through it at your leisure." He stated.
Again, there were whispers. There were more this time, but the energy of the room was still perfectly neutral. Keep going, King. You got this!
"The House of Evolution's partnership with the Association happened before the Seafolk stuff. But with how well that's been going, it made the possibility of these non-humans becoming heroes far easier to accomplish. If anyone here is uncertain about their trustworthiness, please know that S-Class has been handling their training, and the One Punch Man was the one who put all of this into motion." King shared.
Ah-ha! The first reaction! There were surprised looks among the audience, and the whispering was a bit louder and done by more people. From King's perspective, the mood was excitement and curiosity.
"They're receptive! Time to transition!" King decided, feeling a slight boost in confidence. "Captain Mizuki of B-Class and Mumen Rider of C-Class were the first ones outside of S-Class to be informed. The reason for their selection is due to their relationship with One Punch Man. For those who may not be aware, they are the president and vice president of One Punch Man's official fan club. They're also personally affiliated with him, so their inclusion made sense. Anyway, these two were meant to conduct proper interviews with the House of Evolution and reveal them to all of you through an exclusive heroes-only news network that we've been working on. But, like with the proper reveal, that plan got disrupted by today's disaster. Still, we are going to go ahead with the idea. The devices you'll receive from Metal Knight will be your main method of receiving updates before the public does. This way, every hero, regardless of rank, won't be left in the dark." He told them.
Ooo, good call. The excitement and curiosity in the room was heightened. Additionally, there was a bit of joy from everyone at being considered so much no matter what their ranking was. That had to be another great idea from One Punch Man! He was the everyman's hero!
"Hell yeah! Time to bring it home!" King cheered, getting swept up in the moment. "Lastly, there is one final project that we've been developing that we wanted to unveil soon. Like with everything else, this was pioneered by One Punch Man. He suggested that there should be a dedicated transportation service for heroes. That way, none of us will need to rely on regular means of travel, like all of you did to get here. Hero deployments will be faster and more efficient. So, if we ever need to gather like this again, it'll be no sweat whatsoever!" He exclaimed.
There it was. The extra little nudge needed for there to be some cheering and small applause. King couldn't deny it felt good, but not in an egotistical way. Similar to Metal Knight's support from earlier, getting this kind of reaction from the other heroes helped to put King's mind at ease. Maybe he really could fill in for his buddy these next two weeks, even in light of the-
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Oh. King legitimately forgot. He'd been swept up by the positive reactions that the only negative announcement slipped his mind. But now, it was the only thing left to say, and there was no way to avoid it.
"Hey!" One of the heroes, Smile Man, A-Class, called out. "Are you okay, sir? Your face suddenly went pale." He commented.
"..." King stared at the floor like he was gawking at a murder scene. He was about to flip a switch that would change the scene so fast your head would spin. "...Uh...y...yeah..." He replied. Whelp. There goes that confidence boost. "So...um...there's...something else...I need to tell you..." He said.
"Is it about the House of Evolution?" Another hero, Gun Gun, B-Class, guessed.
"...No..." King responded. The man's volume drastically declined.
Uh oh. People were whispering again, but it was VERY different. It's the sort of thing you'd hear in the cafeteria during your school days.
"CRAP! I CAN'T LET THEIR IMAGINATIONS GET STARTED!" King panicked, knowing he needed to get it out. "...S...S...So...you all...know...about what happened...right?..." He asked.
Pretty much everyone exchanged glances of uncertainty. What was happening? Why was King so nervous? And why did he ask such a weird question?
"...I'll...take that as a yes..." King resumed speaking, clenching his fists. "The debris of an asteroid struck City Z...the Tornado of Terror, with the aid of other S-Class heroes, was responsible for its destruction...but before any of you wonder why she would need help when she's so terrifyingly powerful...well...like I said earlier...for the sake of transparency...you should know that...as of now...S-Class believes that this could've...maybe...possibly...to some extent...be...an...attack..." He revealed, tightly shutting his eyes.
For a second, King thought he died of a heart attack. That might sound crazy, but it's because the room became deathly silent. You couldn't even hear anyone breathing. It was almost as if everyone was sent into shock.
But then, a clatter was heard. A unified rising of people from their seats. It was so swift and passionate that quite a few chairs fell over. When it was done, King barely opened one of his eyes so he could see what was waiting for him.
STARES. Unblinking gazes that were filled with disbelief. An attack? Here? On City Z? The place where One Punch Man lived?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
Every hero was on their feet. It was like they were a military unit standing at attention for their commander. Sadly, just as King scrounged enough nerve to try and speak, he tripped over himself and fell backward. The cause was a deafening assault on the ears that came from the crowd.
"AN ATTACK?! FOR REAL?!"
"WHO WOULD BE DUMB ENOUGH TO ATTACK ONE PUNCH MAN?! IS THIS LIKE THE SEA KING AGAIN?! IS THIS ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT WAR?!"
"WAS THE ENEMY TOO POWERFUL FOR THE TORNADO OF TERROR?! IS THAT WHY SHE NEEDED HELP?!"
"WHERE IS SHE?! DID SHE GET HURT?! DID THE ENEMY INCAPACITATE HER?!"
"WHO WAS IT? DO YOU KNOW?!"
"HOW COULD THEY ATTACK ONE PUNCH MAN WITH METEORS?! ARE THEY A PSYCHIC?!"
I could keep going, but we'd be here all day. The heroes were in an uproar, and there was little hope of calming them down. S-Class hastily stepped forward to help King with this situation. As for King himself, the poor guy was overwhelmed by the chaos he unleashed.
"Saitama..." King thought, trying to get ahold of himself. "I REALLY hope things are going better for you..." He carried on as the crowd got rowdier.
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"...And...done." Saitama said, voice muffled by the couch cushion.
Memory successfully filed in the repressed cabinet. What was Saitama even bothered by again? Did it have to do with Puri-Puri Prisoner? Eh, doesn't matter. No sense in trying to remember something that the mind has sealed away in your subconscious!
"I should get back out there," Saitama decided, getting up from the couch. "Puri can be a little...flavorful, but he's not a bad guy." He continued, heading over to the blockade he made. "...Then again, he IS called a prisoner for a reason..." He muttered.
Sincerely, Saitama did like Puri-Puri Prisoner. If the man could work through his self-control issues, then he'd be a perfect poster boy for the Association. Puri was a proud advocate for heroes and what it means to be one. Sure, he typically vocalized his support while naked in public and shouting out his special moves, but it was all done with good intentions!
Come to think of it, what did Puri call his moves again? As Saitama removed the objects blocking the door, he couldn't help but try to recall the word. Action style? No. Athletic style? Nah. An-
"ANGEL STYLE!"
"Yeah, that!" Saitama remembered with a smile.
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Wait. That wasn't Saitama's inner voice helping him out. That was Puri-Puri Prisoner's voice. Oh, God, was Saitama starting to hear him in his-
"ANGEL RUSH!"
...Hold on. That was coming from outside. Phew. So, it was the REAL Puri-Puri Prisoner who was talking. Huh, was he practicing his moves or something? I guess that's one way to pass the-
"What is WRONG with you?!" A voice cried out. "Who the hell fights naked?! Are you a pervert?!" It questioned.
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Nope. Saitama was stumped. Who could that possibly be? The voice sounded familiar, but it wasn't easy to place. Eh, the door was accessible now, so he could just find out.
Stepping out of the house, Saitama was greeted by...something. Up first was Puri-Puri Prisoner. He was rapidly punching a wide area in front of him. And, as expected, he was in the nude.
As for who or what was receiving the punches, it was a bunch of guys. Yet, the interesting detail was that it was the same guy multiple times. No, Doctor Genus hadn't magically arrived on the island to join in the merriment. The copies were something called after-images, and the person they were after-images of was...
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"Whoa! Holy crap!" Saitama exclaimed, able to remember correctly this time. "It's you! Jack-O-Lantern Panic!" He realized.
Sure enough, fighting against Puri-Puri Prisoner was the ninja who had a history with Flashy Flash. The man who now had a grudge against One Punch Man. A professional killer with an ego as big as his killstreak was long. Jack-O-Lantern Panic!