Hey, everyone! 3rd chapter! I know I've been doing chapters out of order, but I assure you I'll try to get the chapters I've missed in the manga and incorporate them into my story, promise!
Side Note: I'm assuming that whoever I introduce, you already know the general description of, hence I will usually be giving simple descriptions.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Punch Man, as it wouldn't be the amazing story it is in my hands.
Original release date: August 6, 2019
~~~
"Master!"
"Do you really have to call him that?"
"Of course, for I shall give Saitama-Sensei the respect he deserves."
"Whatever you say, cyborg."
As the door opened, the two waiting came to the sight of Saitama in casual clothes rather than his normal hero outfit. Needless to say, it came as somewhat of a surprise to the two, considering how much the clothing fit his nonchalant personality in comparison to his vibrant hero costume.
Despite this, he had a slight frown on his face, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Don't call me Master," he explained.
"Teacher!" Saitama and Tatsumaki rolled their eyes simultaneously. It was clear that he had either not gotten the message, he wasn't installed with proper conversation skills, or he didn't care, and seeing how he was hell-bent, they just mentally decided on a mix of the other two options.
"Not that either," Saitama lectured, a vein popping on his forehead.
"Sensei!" This time, the bald hero had sighed, accepting it. It was clear he had lost this battle, and nothing he could say would change the cyborg's attempts at 'respecting' his teacher. On the other hand, this ordeal from the blonde was enough to make the emerald-haired woman slowly blink, taking a moment to comprehend Genos' train of thought, or if he even had one in the moment.
"You know what? Fine," Saitama accepted. "Well, you two are here for a reason. Wanna come in?" As he opened up the door, the two of them walked in. Genos looked around, incredibly surprised that his Sensei, somebody with unparalleled strength in his eyes, lived in such a simple place. He was enamored by his belief that his Sensei was not just strong, but wise, needing little other than his own ability and his own satisfaction in life.
"Cyborg, wanna explain why you brought a huge-ass bag to Baldy's?" Tornado was first confused at the size of the bag, then heavily annoyed when she realized that the bag was taller than her.
"Oh, thank you, Tatsumaki, for reminding me. Sensei, I had a question for you," he caught Saitama's attention when Saitama also noticed the oddly large bag on Genos' shoulders. Saitama sat down at the table, to which Genos and Tatsumaki joined him.
"Lay 'em on me."
"Well, two questions, if you wouldn't mind," Genos stated. "Firstly, I would like to thank you for accepting me as your student. If you would allow me to speak further, could I explain my situation so that both of you may understand why I am here?"
Saitama nodded, agreeing to this as he shrugged. However, Tatsumaki, on the other hand, suddenly got a bad feeling about this backstory of his. Not of the backstory itself, but it felt to her that something was about to go awry and she couldn't explain it.
"Sure..." The emerald-eyed woman reluctantly said, her gut instinct going the opposite direction of her actions.
As Saitama grabbed a pot of tea, pouring a cup for everyone, Genos spoke, "Thank you, Sensei, and thank you, Tatsumaki. I appreciate your generosity." At this, the two mentioned people shared a look between each other, one that spoke their own beliefs, specifically of their similar thoughts of the cyborg's personality.
A moment passed of silence as Genos took a small sip from his cup of tea. He closed his eyes, then took a deep breath, as if preparing for something. The only noise in the room was the clock ticking, until all of a sudden, the blonde's eyes opened.
Words came out of his mouth as if he was working for the world record for the fastest speaker, "Four years ago, when I was fifteen, I was still a real human being. But one day, a crazy cyborg went out of control and attacked our town. The insane cyborg... It was most likely a failed body modification that generated an irregularity within his brain. He destroyed everything in sight. Parks, schools, buildings, my house, among other things. In addition, he took the rest of my family's lives. Doctor Kuseno, who you've met yesterday, a scientist for justice, was on a mission to stop the destruction caused by the raging cyborg. As he passed through, I requested that he perform body modification surgery on me."
Saitama, naively believing that had been it, spoke, "I see--" though he was interrupted by Genos. Tornado, on the other hand, had her suspicions confirmed when the cyborg continued to speak.
"It's been four years since that day. The number of monsters, criminal organizations, those who stand in my path, those who walk the path of evil, destroyed by my hand are too many to count. Then, when that mosquito monster appeared yesterday, I ignorantly allowed my defenses, and my concentration, to slip. I was convinced that I could not lose to anything other than that rampaging cyborg, so I neglected to analyze the data on my opponent, instead opting to confront her in a rushed fashion.
"I would have undoubtedly become scrap, completely destroyed. Sensei, you saved my life. The life that had been saved by Doctor Kuseno in the past, has now been given another chance because of you, Sensei, as well as you, Tatsumaki."
At this point, he had stopped talking about his backstory, and had now moved on to another part of his message, which Tornado had a sneaking suspicion that he had written and rehearsed the night before. Saitama, on the other hand, had essentially been pushed back by how much Genos was speaking. Confused, lost, and extremely overwhelmed by the cyborg's intensity and passion, he was unable to interject.
"If only I could be as strong as you, Saitama-Sensei!" Genos steamrolled any aspiration of interrupting him. "I have an old enemy to defeat, vengeance to claim, and the battle is not only for my desire to defeat the raging cyborg. It is for my family, and my village that had been ravaged. But right now, I am in desperate need of enormous power so I can hope to eradicate the greatest of evils! Doctor Kuseno is--"
It had been at this moment that both Tornado and Saitama had been fed up with his seemingly endless speech, which would have clearly eaten up the rest of the time in the day had he been allowed to continue. Eyebrows furrowed, a scowl on both of their faces, and annoyance plastered, they both put their hands on the table.
"Enough!" Saitama and Tatsumaki demanded at the same time with the same tone. It was one of the few times Saitama had been provoked enough to yell, and had been a surprise considering both of them had seen him act casually, talk casually, and deal with everything casually.
"God, cyborg, could you shut up for a bit?! You don't know how to stop or summarize!" Tornado explained angrily. "For the love of god, I should throw you into the sun just because of that!" Her temper was flaring up, which was something that happened often other than around Saitama and a few other people solely because she had respect for them. However, the amount of people that had earned her respect could be counted on one hand, which led to her becoming known for her temper as well, with those who've heard of her knowing not to annoy the Terrible Tornado.
"Tatsu, please, calm down," Saitama assured, putting a hand on her shoulder. At this, she growled, but backed off. Genos was in shock at how quick she was to get angry, and at the same time, was somewhat understanding, as his full explanation usually takes 10 minutes at the minimum. From his knowledge of normal humans, patience would be much lower. However, the cyborg also understood that the two in front of him were clearly not the normal, average people; they both possessed power far beyond his current comprehension, sending a message that he needed to listen.
"Anyways, Genos," Saitama continued, "just say your goal in 20 words in less."
"..." Genos took a moment to think. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, "I wish to get stronger, and I wish for you to train me so that I may claim revenge."
"Good enough, cyborg," Tatsumaki accepted. "Well, what was your other question?"
"Well, I had a favor to ask of you, Sensei," Genos explained. "Because of my lack of a living space, I usually just wander around. Now that I have you as a Sensei, I was hoping..."
He bowed before asking, "Would you allow me to live here with you so that I may train? I brought my belongings as you may have noticed."
"I don't have enough space for--" Saitama tried to deny, until Genos interrupted.
"I apologize for interrupting you, Sensei, but I also brought money for rent." He placed a large stack of money on the table, clearly more than enough to pay for rent and groceries for a few months.
Saitama's mind was quickly changed as he accepted, "You know what, fine." Tornado scoffed at this quick acceptance.
"Baldy, with the money you'll make from being in S-Class, you'll be making enough money for rent. And I already spoke to the cyborg before you let us in, and he wants in on the hero stuff too. I think that'll be enough for you two for a while," she explained. "Now, aren't we gonna go to the hero register building now?"
~~~
"So this is the place?"
"Yep, Baldy. This is where you're registering for the exam," Tatsumaki explained with a simple wave of her hand. As the automatic door slid open, the three of them walked in. At the mere sight of the green hair belonging to the Tornado of Terror, the attention of the employees, who were usually bored due to the lack of people that even lived in city Z, fixed their posture, and did their best interpretation to appease what could be the extreme temper of Tatsumaki.
This instant change in the atmosphere was noticed by both Genos and Saitama, though it only had an effect on the former. While Saitama felt as if nothing had changed, Genos' instincts were set off, realizing the power that the short woman had. He was glad that his Sensei appeared to be friends with her, for he would likely be turned into scrap had he let his arrogance control him as they did towards the mosquito queen.
"Miss Tornado!" One of the employees bowed, something that neither Genos nor Saitama was used to, though it appeared Tornado had experienced it multiple times. "W-What can we do to help you?" The employee brushed some stray hair out of her face, returning to her now seemingly perfect posture.
"Just register these two for the next hero registration exam," she ordered. It was at that moment that even Saitama realized the power that the emerald-eyed hero had in her hands. Not only was she extremely capable in combat, the mere legend of her sent fear and respect throughout all in the Hero Association. He had never seen somebody turn utter delinquents that had surely gotten the job because of the money, and not for the contribution, into faithful servants.
"Understood, Miss Tornado!" In an instant, the employee turned around, going to grab registration sheets.
The rest of the employees quietly whispered amongst themselves, curious as to why the great Tornado of Terror would recommend people. She had never been one to show favor towards others, and in fact, she had been harsh to most heroes, blatantly disrespecting those who she claimed to be weak.
Glancing at Genos, they had an understanding as to why she would recommend him; strong, stoic, and clearly upgraded with a whole arsenal. It was clear that he was ready to clear out any monsters, or any other danger, to civilians...it was also worth mentioning that the majority of their whispers regarding him were about how attractive he was.
On the other hand, they had no idea why the bald man was there. Did he happen to just be there? Was he somebody that had happened to somehow have done Tornado a favor? They had no clue, because it seemed as if he was powerless. While Genos had a serious, stoic expression on his face, clearly hellbent on something, the bald man had no expression. It was fully blank, as if he was a fish. With his baggy clothing and his casual demeanor, it was a solid mystery as to why he had come along.
When the female employee returned, she gestured for the three of them to sit down at a desk nearby. "Please sit here so I can register your companions," she requested politely, trying to find the right words to call the two who had come with Tatsumaki.
As the three sat down, the employee requested, "So, the nearest registration center is here, and the..."
~~~
After all the registration cycles were over and done with, the three of them exited the building. It had been a pain for Saitama to go through, boring for Tornado, but it appeared that Genos had been paying strict attention to what the employee was saying the entire time.
"Sensei, it appears that the one that is upcoming is in city Y. Shall we head there now? The exam is in 3 hours," Genos explained, listening to what his teacher would respond.
"Sure."
Genos nodded, and questioned Tornado, "To reaffirm, you will be accompanying Sensei and I to the exam, correct?"
Tornado nodded, exasperated with the cyborg, "Yeah, like I said half an hour ago and the time before that."
She rubbed the back of her head in annoyance, exaggerating a gesture to make the point, "Really, cyborg, can't you like shut up? Is there not a mute button on you? For the love of god, can you ask Doctor whatever-his-name is to help you with your incessant speech or something?"
Genos gulped. It was clear to him that he shouldn't be on Tornado's bad side, but at the same time, he didn't want to do anything that would go against his Sensei's wishes. He glanced to his Sensei, signaling to him about the matter.
"Yeah, sure, I think you being a bit more quiet would be nice," Saitama agreed. Genos nodded, making sure to make a mental note to request to Doctor Kuseno about it.
As the three of them quickly went to the registration, it was quite the wait until the exam began. They could only fill that time with impatient waiting and fear from the employees for the fact that even the great Tornado of Terror would be here, and that she had to be under the rules of the association.
~~~
It had been quite the time waiting, one that had been exceptionally tense. As the three entered the exam course, Tornado accompanied the two of them onto the tests.
There was no surprise to anybody when Genos seemed to blast through the tests with flying colors, beating every test with ease. Sprints, weightlifting, reaction time via whack-a-mole, punching machine, side-to-side jumps, every test they had from jumping to throwing darts from a far distance, everybody was expecting marvelous results from the cyborg.
"Genos, due to you being a cyborg, we have some additional tests in place for you," the examiner gestured to another section of the building.
"Next, Saitama!" Another examiner called out. While Genos had done marvelously, as everyone expected, most people had the opposite reaction when they saw Saitama. It was also clear that they had come together due to Tornado's presence with them. Although the rest of his body seemed fit, there was nothing about him that seemed as if he could possibly hope to fit in with the likes of Genos and what they clearly knew was far above them in the form of Tornado.
"What's he doing here?" One of the other examinees questioned. Other whispers spread throughout the exam area, and it was frankly getting to Tornado.
"Would you all just shut up?!" Tornado ordered, her voice filling the entire building. Within an instant, silence was all that replaced it. A bright green surrounded those who whispered, receiving instant fear from those who dared annoy her. However, Saitama only looked in confusion, before realizing why.
"Tatsu, could you put them down, please?" He requested. "It's fine that they're whispering, really." And to everyone's shock, after a moment of hesitation, the bright green slowly faded as she put them down.
"...Fine."
"But if any of you even TRY that again in front of me, I will not hesitate to hurl you into the sun! Got it?!" In an instant, everyone nodded. Each of them gulped in fear as Tornado sat down, crossing her legs in frustration.
The examiner took a moment before speaking, "We will now commence your exam. Side-to-side jumps starting...now!" In an instant, whatever Genos was achieving, it was instantly put to shame. While Genos was still far too fast for the eye to distinguish his full body, he was still moving in one confined space. Saitama, on the other hand, far surpassed that with his body spanning the entire space possible, his body looking the same as Genos' was, though spread across at least 10 times the distance.
His face had morphed into a serious, sharper expression that Tatsumaki had never seen before, and she was incredibly impressed by his abilities. Though, despite his expression, the looseness in his muscles clearly spoke about how little effort he was really putting into this.
Breaking every single record for every single test, it was clear that Saitama was on the path to an easy S-Class ranking. Once he had effectively put Genos' scores to shame, setting entirely new records, he sat down before the examiner called his name again.
"Saitama, please prepare for the written exam!"
~~~
Okay, first off, I know I'm real late for this but I got Pokémon Omega Ruby recently, and damn I love it. I'm super into the Pokémon games (not so much the anime) and this is not any different. I heard news about Sword and Shield not having all the Pokémon, and that shit just got on me. I loved how Pokémon had every one available, so while I'm assuming they're taking away the ones that aren't as memorable in the game (even Zubat since they're always in caves), I still feel like even the less memorable ones deserve to be in the game.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I haven't really deviated from the main story and I wanted to add a little bit of a twist to it with the Hero Association test and all like that, but I don't think I did enough to really take away from the essence of the story, or at least I hope I didn't!
If there's anything you want to say about the story, about how I write, how you feel, whatever, I'm up to listen about it!