Hey, this is the shorter chapter that I wanted to make to give a little context as to how Sweet Mask found out!
Enjoy!
~~~~~
My, my...what to do, what to do...
I take a gander at my mirror. A few strands of hair are sticking out, but that's to be expected. Even a god like me has his flaws, I suppose, however little they may be. I sniff the air, satisfied. I simply cannot remember the last time when some part of me was imperfect in some way, shape or form. If there was a time? I simply...don't remember it.
I don't even yawn. It's been quite some time since I became accustomed to this...condition of mine. It's not a burden, nor is it a blessing. I just feel more like...myself.
One must simply understand how somebody as perfect as me...cannot always attend to the needs of others. That's why I was accepted to the Hero Board, actually. It'd be best for someone of my stature to help judge the actions of other heroes, but sometimes, I need a break to choose what I wish to do.
Now, what I do on the Hero Board? It's all humane, I promise you, but most of the time, I monitor the behavior of other heroes and make sure that it's in the name of justice. Nothing much, really, just a minor trifle.
How could I do that by myself, you ask?
It's simple. I don't.
You see, unfortunately, most of the heroes in the lower class are simply inferior to those in either A-class or S-Class. Sometimes, it doesn't even mean that those in the same class as I are worthy of my respect. For example, somebody like...Tank Top Master? He's strong, but not...hero strong.
That's precisely why I can...bribe those beneath me. Specifically, those who somehow made it to C-Class. Those weaklings are the key to this...operation that I run. It's nothing but a game.
Just a little bit of a carrot on a stick I put in front of them, and they follow endlessly. Like a dog chasing their own tail, honestly. It's almost adorable how easily their mind'll be diverted from ambition, how easily they'll go down the shadier path for a little morsel of fame.
Which is exactly why it's so disgusting. Letting such miscreants into the Hero Association is quite a shame, as most of the time, they're barely able to even count as heroes. Unfortunately, getting rid of them is out of my power. It'd be up to someone like Sitch. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I respect him more than the other suits working there.
Yet, of course, with my sublime genius, I find a way to make it to my advantage. I use these....worthless peasants that are in the system to weed out the weak, find out who's worth watching, learning about who's actually not useless, and who I can help become more well known. It's an odd system, where I, the angel that I am, have to come down and bring others up with me. I suppose it's my duty to bring justice if it means that I have to find those who can deliver justice myself.
Why do I bring all of this up, you may ask? Why I admit that I bribe the lower heroes with a little bit of a raise in rank? What could possibly be so important that I risk spilling it to the public, which I spill to you?
Simply because this is an S-Class matter, of course. I'd never risk this information even reaching the ears of anyone else...not good for the image of the Hero Association. The S-Class heroes, of course, are a different story.
A few of them are undesirable. Puri Puri Prisoner, mainly. However, that was an inevitable mistake that I could not have modified if I tried. He simply got in the Association before I did.
But the majority of them? Someone like Silverfang or Zombieman or Flashy Flash? King? They're capable. Which is exactly why I like keeping an eye on them.
It's not easy doing so. They're aware of their surroundings, especially Zombieman. The man's a literal detective, so it's no surprise that he's aware of the other heroes' presence before they even know where Zombieman is standing.
Tornado? Most people wouldn't dare even try to stand near her, lest they be torn into shreds.
That's where it turns into B-Class. Turns out, they're even more bloodthirsty, especially some of the members of the Tank Top Crew. How ashamed their leader would be if they were to ever...learn of their deeds. I offer it to them once, and then at that point, it's easy blackmail!
If they keep doing it, I don't tell them that they had...strayed from the path, or whatever they call it.
The B-Class is a little less afraid of the possibility of being crushed into dust. The thought of getting into A-Class is too much for them to refuse, I guess.
(It's funny, really, especially since they most likely won't surpass Hellish Blizzard. It'd be suspicious if somebody suddenly surpassed the entire Blizzard Bunch, wouldn't it?)
So, I was able to get one of the Tank Top Crew to spy on a few S-Class heroes. Two, specifically.
I'd already learned that Genos was rather easy to approach. He's almost...too blunt and honest. Anything that I ask, he won't hesitate to give me the answer, as if I wouldn't use against him. I can tell, though. He doesn't care if the public cares about him, which is exactly why he's easy to approach.
He doesn't let the ranking get to his head. Very few of the S-Class ever do. They're just far more wary of their surroundings, unlike the cyborg who'd rather confront everyone trying to attack him no matter the situation.
It was the man who joined alongside him that I was so curious about. There'd already been rumors of him apparently cheating to get into S-Class, but I already know what happened. Tornado popped off on them until they let him into S-Class. That, I can't really get angry at them for. They'd likely take their lives over personal pride. Most people would.
Saitama. No last name registered. Odd, but it's happened before. Some people like their private lives separate.
His strength is quite impressive, crushing the records other heroes had set. Even those who'd risen in rank, like Metal Bat, took the physical test to see how they stack up against normal applicants.
I decided that those stats would be open on a list to the applicants, so that they could compare. More like I could compare them, but whatever.
His strength certainly intrigued me. Being able to beat the records that somebody like Superalloy Darkshine or Atomic Samurai set? Not something that I can just ignore. You understand, surely.
Yet, his strength wasn't what motivated me to send someone after him. It was how casually he talked with Tornado. The Tornado of Terror. The Traumatizer of Titans.
Not only that...she got him in. She helped him apply, she gave him credit, she spoke to him. In a way that didn't seem genuinely murderous, that is. Sometimes. Every now and then, she's still aggressive towards him, but for someone who had that low of a score on the written test? It's to be expected.
And yet, she still tolerates him. Now, what could be so special about a bald man with a bowling ball head that someone like her would tolerate someone like him? Does she owe him? Is there some sort of childhood background? Meeting at the fair and scaring each other? What could it be?
I...I have to find out.
Pure business, right?
~~~
As Glasses approached the Ghost Town of City Z, he couldn't find out for the life of him what could have possibly motivated him to go here of all places. It was a barren wasteland of suffering and looters that had died long ago.
Ah, of course, how could he forget? The simple promise of rising in rank, of course. Something that had become harder after he had ditched the Blizzard Bunch.
Not ditched, really. More like...fled. Especially after that one time that Tornado had gotten angry, and...
Yeah. Some good memories that weren't so great.
And now, he'd come back. It was as if he was begging for more punishment. The more he stood still, the more his heart raced. The more he looked around, the more silence that he felt around him. The less he breathed, the more the air around him felt as if it was vanishing. More, more, more...
More!
More!
He could do this.
It was nothing, really. He'd come here for one task, and one task only.
To find out what was so special about someone like Saitama. That Caped Baldy who'd come seemingly out of nowhere, who'd aced the physical test, yet only got into the S-Class because of Tornado insisting on it, like she'd done with Blast.
What'd they done to receive so much special treatment from her, while she treated most everyone else around her like dirt?
It sickened Glasses. He'd never been so...resentful before, not even towards the Blizzard Bunch or Tornado. He'd understood how Tornado got there. She was just...built different.
But Saitama? He'd broken records, sure, but to get into S-Class while failing the written test? It was unacceptable to someone like Glasses, who'd worked so hard just to get Into B-Class!
Well, he couldn't take anymore. So, yes, he was getting himself into a precarious situation. He was pretty much entering the equivalent of Area 51. Not only was he trying to snoop in on those two, he was getting himself between a rock and a hard place by taking the offer, full well knowing that he could be blackmailed later on.
Besides, it was too late. He'd come this far, and was deep inside the ghost town. It was illogical to try leaving now.
At least, that's what he told himself.
So, here Glasses was, roaming around the city, and he'd already come across three separate monster corpses. Not animated monsters. Corpses.
Is this...Is this Tornado's work? He wondered to himself, intimidated at the mere thought of how she could dispatch monsters at this sort of...lightning speed without breaking a sweat.
Yet, as he approached the monster's corpse, it wasn't torn to shreds, as was the norm whenever dealing with monsters that Tornado killed.
There was a gigantic hole right in their midsection. It hadn't severed the torso from the legs, but instead looked like a behemoth of a bullet had gone through the monsters' torsos. It was quite a new sight.
This isn't hers...perhaps Demon Cyborg's? He mused, remembering that the newer S-Class hero had taken residence here a while back to fight monsters and train under...
Saitama.
It can't be.
It just can't!
A massive boom, and then a thud that sent a small shake throughout the ground. It was enough to catch Glasses off guard, but not enough to knock him off balance. He narrowed his eyes. He was getting closer, he could feel it. It must've been a monster falling, especially since the buildings were dilapidated, but not threatening to fall.
He heard another boom again. He whirled around to the source of the sounds, and took a deep breath to steel himself. He didn't want to walk into some sort of deathly tomb, after all. This was a recon mission, not a suicide one.
"Christ, I'm really doing this, aren't I?" He mumbled to himself, the thudding of his heartbeat almost drowning out the thuds that were hitting the ground and sending light shockwaves in his direction as he sped up his pace.
He heard a voice, "Is this enough, or should we go for more for now?" It seemed incredibly dull, as if it didn't care for what was happening. "We've killed a bit over...40 now, right?"
A higher-pitched voice that sounded oddly casual considering the location replied, "Hey, you were the one who lost the bet, so you kind of have to, right?"
"Good point, Tats," the other voice accepted, and once again, a few booms and thuds were heard.
Tats? Glasses thought to himself. As in...Tatsumaki? Who'd ever even dare to call her that?
He tiptoed closer, noticing that their idle talk was getting a little far off in the distance.
He ever-so-slightly peeked his head out from the mossy office building, catching sight of a red glove accompanied by a shiny, bowling-ball like head.
His eyes widened, "Bald Cape? Why's he calling her that?" He muttered to himself quietly, using his stamina to keep quiet as he breathed; he was truly unaware of how quickly they were moving, and he was pretty much running just to keep up with them.
"Yo, Tats, you wanna head home after this?" He heard, the voices getting slightly louder as they stopped relatively quickly, causing Glasses to hide behind some more cover.
"I guess so," she nodded, clicking her tongue in satisfaction. "That's a bit over 60, right?"
Saitama nodded in response, gently grabbing her hand in his.
Glasses lightly gasped, "Wait, what?" His burning resentment for the man had been replaced with sheer curiosity, one that he was willing to die to find out for.
"Whatcha wanna do when we get home? I'm pretty sure that I rented out some movies a little bit back," Tornado hummed, content as the two of them walked.
"Movie night?" Saitama chuckled. "Sounds good."
He leaned down to plant a gentle kiss right on the top of her head.
It took a few seconds for Glasses to register what had just happened in front of him before he whirled around, hands slapped over his mouth, hiding completely behind the cover he had found.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
He felt like he had done something very, very wrong, and you know what?
His morals didn't feel like they were going to work today. No, he had a job to do.
At least, that's what he told himself.
~~~
"Goodness Me," I gasp dramatically. "For what reason are you panting like a baboon, man? We're on a phone call, not a marathon."
"Why do you sound British?" I heard Glasses pant, momentarily diverting away from the topic of the conversation. "Anyways, I found something out. Something big..."
I raise my eyebrow, a slight smirk coming onto my face as I take a seat on the table in front of the makeup station, "Oh? Do tell."
"You're...you're not going to believe me, Amai Mask," his voice turns to panic, disbelief, and shock, as if he doesn't believe what he witnessed himself.
My smirk turns into a light frown, "Sounds bad."
"It's...it's weird, that's what it is!" Glasses exclaims, before the sudden static that accompanied his voice came to a halt. "Sorry...I was getting away from the Ghost Town before something happened to me."
Ah. I almost forgot that the two of them lived in that hellhole, "If you're going to tell me, tell me now before you collapse of fatigue or something."
He gasps a little more for air, before I hear vigorous gulping. I wait patiently.
"The two of them are dating."
I furrow my eyebrows. That doesn't seem right. I didn't hear that correctly, did I? I couldn't have. That bald man seemed empty. Not the...depressed way. I mean empty in the way that there was nothing going on in that shiny head of his, and definitely not anything resembling cocmplex emotion. And Tornado? I didn't even know that complex emotions other than sheer rage could process through her child-like body.
"You wanna repeat that to me?" I ask, more like a command.
"Don't believe me, do you?" He sighs as he finally regains full composure. "Well, I'll tell you what I saw with these fucking eyes on me. I saw them hold hands, and then I saw the bald man...just kiss her on the head! What else am I supposed to say?!"
"Now you're fucking with me," I click my tongue, unamused. "Now, get to the point before I actually blackmail you."
"I'm not," he says with such confidence that it's almost shocking.
I hum, "What are you willing to bet on it?"
"I'm willing to bet to be sent all the way to C-Class," he confidently states. "Hell, I'm betting that you could tell him that you found out somehow and he'll genuinely believe you. As in, slightly shocked that you know."
I narrow my eyes, "And you're 100% serious about this?"
"Absolutely."
"So, you're aware that if I do exactly as you said, and he doesn't react, that you'll be banished from the Hero Association? I'll cause a scandal so bad that not even the monsters will take you," I threaten, giving him one last chance to back out from this rather outrageous statement that he's laid out here for me.
There's a moment of silence before he responds, "Absolutely. When you do it, and when he reacts, you've gotta send me far higher in B-Class. Deal? I didn't risk my life just to be raised a rank or two."
I smirk.
"You got yourself a deal, kid."