City J was one of Ryo's favorite cities to visit. The beach air swept deep into the city, no matter where you stood, you could still hear the cheers and laughter coming from beach goers. Ryo could smell the salty air of the sea and felt the overwhelming urge to go bask in the warm sunlight. But at the moment, she was unable to do so.
"Man this outfit is tight!" Class A rank 11 hero, Stinger, her biggest customer (Other than Genos) yet, exclaimed. He was looking at himself at all angles, shooting finger guns at his reflection in the window of a shop they were meeting in front of. "Both how it looks and on my body!"
"Is it constricting at all?" Ryo quickly asked, looking over his body carefully. It was a simple black outfit with ridges that almost made it look like he wrapped his whole body in boxer's tape. "I tried to make it skin tight, but this is a new fabric for me so if it's constricting, I'll fix it immediately."
"Nah, nah," He grinned, throwing fake punches into the air. "I feel like I could do extreme yoga in this!"
"that's oddly specific," Ryo laughed.
"But it is a little plain, don't you think?" Stinger asked, stretching like he was a track runner.
"You had mentioned that you wanted to wear your own belt and overcoat remember?" Ryo asked, handing over the two articles. "I always think it's best to keep things plain first, then accessorize."
Stinger beamed and pulled the two other articles on. "Can't believe I forgot about this!" He looked back in the reflection again and smiled ear to ear. "Now this is amazing! What do you think?" He asked, giving his best heartthrob smile.
"I love it!" Ryo concluded looking over Stinger's whole outfit, taking a second to adjust how the jacket and belt sat on his figure. Stinger coughed awkwardly, standing still stiffly. But Ryo was used to being this close to clients. She quickly adjusted Stinger's hair. "Now all that's left is testing it out."
"You mean you don't test this stuff out before getting it to me?" Stinger asked.
"Well I can stab, rip, and bite at the fabric, and I can make the mockup in my size and run around in it. But this outfit is exclusively your size. It's pretty unlikely that anyone else could fit in it. Plus I'm not a hero so the strange situations that heroes find themselves in will always defeat the purpose of me testing it out. It's easier for you to just go all out on some monster that shows up, then I'll address any concerns you have."
Convenient screaming drifted towards them from the beach.
"Well, that was perfect timing," Stinger said with a broad smile, pulling out his weapon. "Are you ready to see me in action?"
"Let's go!" Ryo grinned.
As they ran to the site of the commotion, Stinger shouted back to her, "Make sure you stay a safe distance back!"
"Oh, of course!" Ryo confirmed. She'd keep a safe distance, but she had to see her handy work in action!
Ryo ducked into a back alley, she couldn't see Stinger through the heads of the crowd, but boy could she see those monsters.
"The Clan of the Sea Folk rules the earth now!" A giant creature with a man's body, but an octopus head, with tentacles reaching in all directions, one was wrapped around a man who was screaming for help. "Those who defy us will die! The rest of you are cattle." Stinger jumped into action, completely tearing through the arm that was strangling the hostage. The monster turned to face Stinger, shouting, "Now you've done it human!"
Stinger landed swiftly and popped up with a crowd winning grin. "I'm a super popular hero rated Class A, Rank 11! The name's Stinger! Nice to meet ya!"
The crowd went wild, "It's Stinger!"
"I knew he'd come!"
"We're saved!"
"Is that a new costume?!"
"I gotta get a picture!"
"Go, Stinger!"
The monsters loomed over Stinger. Ryo would guess their threat level would be tiger, individually, but all together Ryo was sure they were threat level Demon. She wasn't sure that Stinger could handle this alone, but if he was able to put on a good show until reinforcements came, he'd move far up the ranks.
"Should I call the hero association now?" Ryo asked herself aloud. She had her phone ready to dial the emergency service line for the Hero Association.
"Good thing you showed up at the beginning of my patrol," Stinger taunted. "I've got a pretty girl to impress, so there's no chance I'm going to lose! So, who'd like a new blowhole in their torso?!"
Genos answered the phone call he received from that association, interrupting his conversation with Saitama with a simple "Excuse me."
Saitama eavesdropped as Genos spoke to the person on the other end.
"City J? That is a little far..."
Saitama sighed, "He and Ryo are so busy."
"Are no capable heroes nearby? I see, understood. I may not make it in time, but I will leave now." Genos hung up on the caller then entered the living area to talk to Saitama. "Did that monster you defeated last week say he was from the Clan of The Seafolk?"
"I don't remember," Saitama admitted.
"Some monsters claiming to be from his clan are rampaging in City J. A class A hero is having trouble fighting them alone," Genos explained.
"Trouble?" Saitama asked, "Are they strong?"
He turned on the T.V. and the first broadcast was one televising the fight. "The creatures appearing in City J claim to be from the Clan of the Seafolk. They attack anyone they see. A hero is attempting to prevent their advance," The newscaster announce. The Camera hovered over Stinger, but Genos focused on a girl in the corner of the screen, with her body hidden behind a building.
"Master! There! That is Ryo," Genos pointed at the T.V.
"What's she doing all the way in City J?"
"She had mentioned going to meet with a class A hero sometime this week, she must have meant this hero." Genos realized.
The newscaster continued. "He may be at his limit. He looks exhausted. This is a threat level Tiger, citizens stay away!"
Saitama sat up at last, "We should go. We'll have to hurry."
Ryo cursed herself. She should have called the Hero Association right away, she also should have evacuated with the crowd, but here she was, unable to run without forcing Stinger to play defense. She wasn't even sure if Stinger knew she was still watching.
"Heh heh heh," Stinger heaved. Ryo had to admit that his ability to keep calm was incredible. "You Clan of the Slimy Folk are sorta tough."
He had taken out quite a few of the monsters, but more towered over him. His face was swollen and bloody. On the bright side, the outfit that she had made was still in great shape.
"My trusty spear, Bamboo Shoot, is happy to have such worthy opponents. But it's time to end this!" He announced.
"He can still stand?" Ryo whispered to herself.
"The human talks big," A freaky monster looking to be a mix of an octopus and a lobster said.
"But your audience fled a long time ago!" Another pointed out.
A giant man crab shouted, "You will die! You killed six of us, so you will suffer first, to serve as an example."
"Only four more," Stinger counted. "This is easier without spectators!"
Again Ryo wished that she had run with the rest of the civilians. Saitama wasn't here to save her and she was too far away from City Z to hope that he may appear suddenly like he usually does.
Still, Stinger surprised her, pulling out a finishing move that drilled a hole through all four of the monsters. Ryo's jaw dropped at the sight before her.
"I did it... I DID IT!!" Stinger rejoiced. "Did I just single-handedly beat a God-Level invasion?! I'm so awesome!"
Ryo grinned, ready to step out from her hide spot, ready to thank Stinger and get him to a hospital.
WHAM
Stinger's entire body dangled from the fist of a monster that had snuck up on him.
"Hey, uh..." The beast started. "You're unpleasant, so die, would ya?"
Ryo shrank back into the shadows. Pressing her whole body into that building, holding her breath. She mentally shushed her pounding heart. Stinger's limp body dropped to the ground with a thump. An evacuation notice roared over the city.
"Emergency evacuation alert! The attack by the Clan of the Seafolk has raised the threat level from Tiger to Demon." They had it at Tiger? Ryo thought. If they had labeled it as Demon from the start, then Stinger wouldn't have had to take on all those monsters by himself. The Association really needed a better labeling system. "Residents of City J! Evacuate as far as you can!"
A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder turned Ryo's attention back to the Seafolk person in front of her.
"Evacuate?" it hissed, "Foooooooools. I won't let any of you escape. I'll return the killing of my soldiers 100 million times over."
Ryo's breath hitched, her hands shot to her mouth to cover the noise. 'Did he hear me?!' She peaked over the side of the building. The monster was looking over it's should toward her. She felt like her body turned to stone, she pressed her back against the building, begging any god that there might be to keep her alive.
Someone shouting shocked Ryo back into her body. It came from above her. At the top of the building was another hero! Ryo could hear his name.
"I'm... the hero known as... Lightning Max!" That was another A-class hero. Stinger had been at the end of his ropes when that last monster had appeared, maybe this hero could handle him! "Let's fight!"
Immediately, the hero was knocked back, flying across the street, crashing through the windows. It was like a child throwing a rag doll.
Ryo's blood went cold as she watched the building collapse on itself, surely the product of the monster. another second later Lightning Max was thrown out of the building, landing harshly on the concrete, bouncing like a ball. But before he could land again, somebody caught him. Ryo recognized him immediately. Puri-Puri Prisoner, a Class S hero. Joined by a prison striped boy who Ryo also recognized. Speed of Sound Sonic.
"I'm the Class S hero known as Puri-Puri Prisoner," He announced to the monster. "I broke out of prison to see you!"
"A hero was doing time?" Sonic asked Puri-Puri. "I'm amazed you escaped to defeat a monster, and thanks to that, I escaped too. Thanks."
They kept talking as the monster emerged from the dust from the crumpled building, "Hmm?" The monster snicked. "Another fight?"
"I sense something stimulating! Ooh, nice!" Puri-Puri grinned. "Stay back, Sonic honey. Both Stinger and Lightning Max struck my fancy. I must avenge them!"
Ryo watched, still standing as still as stone. Her breath was shaking as Puri-Puri flexed his muscles and tore through his boyfriend's sweater. Ryo felt her shoulders relax slightly, after all, he was an S Class hero. Maybe he could beat this monster.
"You look tasty," The monster spoke while licking his lips. "Choice goods!"
The beast reeled his fist back and rammed it into Puri-Puri's face, but Puri-Puri returned the hit, drawing blood from the monster. Then he landed a multitude of other hits.
Ryo had to calm down. She couldn't stay here. She needed to get Stinger and Lightning Max out of harm's way.
Swallowing her fear and steadying her shaking ankles, Ryo ran out into the road, first pulling Stinger's arm around her neck and dragging the tall man towards an alley. She peaked back out into the road, trying to see if the monster had noticed her. He and Puri-Puri were busy attacking each other. Another shaky breath, she sprinted to Lightning Max, carrying him in a similar way to Stinger. she looked up and saw Sonic staring at her.
"You," He spoke ominously. "You're a friend of Sia-"
"Not now Sonic!" Ryo hissed, dragging Lightning Max to where Stinger was laying. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"
Sonic glared at her, but Ryo ignored him. Once both their unconscious bodies were sat next to each other, Ryo took a moment to heave. Boy was she out of shape! She wasn't done yet though. With another shaking breath, Ryo pushed herself off the wall and ran through the alley, into the road adjacent to the one where Puri-Puri was fighting. Looking left and right, surely there were evacuation vehicles somewhere around here. Ryo chose to go left, towards the road by the shore.
And she was right! A grey truck was barreling towards her. Ryo waved her hands frantically and the truck screeched to a stop. Ryo shushed the driver before he opened his mouth.
"The monster is just behind these buildings, are you a hero?" She whispered.
The male driver's face was pale and scared. "Oh shit," he mumbled. "I just came to see if anyone needed a lift to the evacuation center."
"You are heaven-sent right now," Ryo explained exasperatedly. "Follow me, two heroes need evacuation."
Ryo led the way back down the alley, "Grab Lightning Max, I'll be right behind you." The man nodded and started down the alley. Ryo looked back to where she last saw Puri-Puri, only to see the hero be flung into a building by the monster. Ryo gulped. She dragged Stinger to the truck and threw him into the seat. "Go! We have to go! GO!"
The man's grit his teeth and pressed his pedal to the floor and the truck screeched and shot down the road. "Where do we go?"
"Like you sid the evacuation center! There will be doctors there!"
The man nodded and forced a new face of determination on his features. As he drove at top speed Ryo checked Lightning Max and Stinger's injuries, there wasn't much she could do for them, still, she used her shirt to clean up the blood oozing from their faces.
"Are you a hero?" The man asked just before making a sharp turn that rammed Ryo into the car door, she used her arm to protect Lightning max's head.
"Just a civilian," Ryo grumbled. "Can you go easy on the turns, these guys can't take much more head trauma!"
"Yeah! Yeah, sorry!" He quickly apologized. "My name's Eichi, I'm just a civilian too."
Ryo grinned, struggling to keep both Stinger and Lightning max from slamming into the car doors as they pulled up to the evacuation center. "Look at us civilians saving some heroes."
"The hero's hero," Eichi laughed before slamming on the breaks. "There are the paramedics!"
Eichi ran out of the truck and lead the paramedics to his truck. Ryo got out of their way. "We better get inside," Ryo said to Eichi.
"No, I think I'm going to go back out and look for more injured!"
Ryo tried to explain that they had just come from the place where the monster had emerged, but he didn't listen.
"I put myself in enough danger today," Ryo growled, heading into the giant dome building, unaware of the colossal giant mere minutes behind her.