2,901A/N: Just a heads up. Things might be a little out of order from canon and extra chapters. Now, to the story.
It was late morning in the Ghost Town of City-Z. The apartments were mostly quiet, save the for the dramatic music coming from inside of Saitama's home.
"RED MONKEY!"
"GREEN FOX!
"YELLOW HYENA!"
"BLACK CONDOR!"
"PINK PIG!"
"THE FIVE OF US COMBINED! WE ARE THE FURRY SENTAI!
ZOO-MEN!"
Saitama, King, Mizuki, Ki and Raptora were watching the intro of a children's show called Zoo-Men on Saitama's TV, the baldy just watching with a bored look while the others had mixed reactions.
Ki was bored. Mizuki was confused. King was smiling and Raptora was...actually, she was smiling too.
"I remember this show. I use to love watching it all the time." Raptora commented. "Well, back before I became a monster and thought heroes were... most heroes were the enemy. This takes me back to happier times."
"I agree. The Zoo-Men is the perfect show for everyone." King commented as Pink Pig posed on the screen. "Pink Pig is still so sexy."
"Pfft. Oh please." Ki scoffed. "She's got nothing on me." She then looked up from where she lay in front of Saitama, her outfit nothing but a tiny, tight tank-top that squeezed her melons together and short shorts, giving Saitama a clear view of a lot of skin. "Right, Saitama~?" she cooed. The baldy merely glanced down at her before looking back up, his face still stony despite his cheeks dusting pink. She giggled before King went on about the show, saying stuff about how they can fuse and grow larger, about their secret headquarters, and how they always work together through teamwork and the power of friendship.
When he was done, Mizuki decided to speak up.
"King...I don't want to accuse you of anything, but that all sounded really geeky just now." she stated.
"W-Well...who says a strong man like me can't be a bit geeky?" he asked, keeping his cool despite the threat of exposure creeping up on him.
"Huh. You're right. Still, this doesn't exactly fit your image. I thought you'd be more into hunting down monsters and smacking mountains for punching bags. Not watching kid hero cartoons." she commented.
"...You could've asked instead of assume." he muttered as he sulked while tracing a circle on the floor with his finger. Mizuki frowned in guilt while Ki rolled her eyes.
"So this show is almost like the Hero Association in some way?" Saitama asked.
"Kind of. They fight monsters and rival organizations, and use a ton of gunpowder for the special effects. I definitely recommend it." King answered as Genos walked in with some groceries.
"I have returned, Master." Genos announced.
"Hey, Genos. King came over and is showing me this show he likes." said Saitama.
"Hey, Genos. How do you feel about hero teams?" King asked.
"I find them to be completely useless." Genos coldly stated. "Teaming up to compensate for the weakness of the individuals is a foolish endeavor. A show like this will end in 2-3 episodes, with everyone dead at the end."
"Nah. It's got 53 episodes and has a happy ending. I mean, it is a kid's cartoon." King answered.
"Hero teams do exist, Genos." Mizuki spoke up. "Class-C and Class-B, and sometimes even Class-A Heroes team up to take down monsters or gangs. After all, we don't have the kind of strength or skills that people like you and King of Class-S have. If we tried to fight them on our own with our level of strength, we'd die, like you said."
"If that is the case, why not simply call in those of Class-S?" Genos asked.
"Come on, Genos. You're smart. You should know that Class-S has the fewest members. We can't handle everything, even if we're incredibly strong and powerful." King said with a straight face, making Ki and Raptora look away with big grins.
"If this Zoo-Men and the Hero Association do stuff like that, it might be interesting to team up with others." Saitama commented.
"Then we should try it." Genos said, immediately going into 'Ass-Kissing' mode. He then reached into his pocket and produced a letter for Saitama. "By the way, the Hero Association has sent you a letter, Master Saitama?"
"Really? Wonder if it's a secret mission?" he joked as he took the letter and read it. "Hmm. They're wanting me to come into the City-Z branch office ASAP."
"Let's just hope that, whatever the reason is, it's not to yell at you about those dumb rumors." Raptora said.
"Well, I guess I got something to kill time today." he said before grabbed his suit and headed for the bathroom. "I'll have to watch that show another time, King."
"It's cool. Hey, mind if I play some of the games I brought with me?" he asked.
"Sure. Just don't hog the TV all day." Saitama answered before he entered his bathroom. A few moments later, he was dressed and off towards the branch office.
-City-Z Branch Office-
Saitama walked into the branch office of City-Z, the area having a few Hero Association staff here and there.
"Ah, there you are." one member said as he approached Saitama. "I'm so glad you've arrived, Mr. Caped Baldy."
"What'd you call me?" Saitama asked with a slight frown.
"Uh...Caped Baldy? That is your official hero name, right? It's in the registry." the Association member said as he pulled out his phone and brought up the correct page befor showing Saitama his picture, along with his hero name.
"...Are you serious?" Saitama asked while looking completely dejected.
"Honestly, I find it a little on the nose, but giving heroes their names isn't my department." the worker said with a shrug before putting his phone away and walked towards the elevator. "This way please."
"...fine." Saitama sighed before he followed them into the elevator. As it went up, the worker explained a few things.
"Although a few others have already arrived, more are on the way. All the details will be explained when everyone is gathered. If you need any refreshments, don't hesitate to ask." they said before they arrived, the doors opening and allowing Saitama out. "Have a nice day!" the worker said as the door closed, leaving Saitama in a room with a few other heroes. He didn't recognize most of them, but one did stick out in his brain.
"Hey...aren't you...Jet Nice Girl?" Saitama asked.
"That's right. Glad you remembered me. And...sorry, but I saw your new hero name." she apologized.
"Not your fault." he sighed before seeing the four others in the room. "Uh...hi?" he said before they turned away and spoke amongst themselves. "What I say?"
"Nothing. Some of them are just like that." Jet Nice Girl answered before whispering in his ear. "Also, some of them have heard those rumors about you and might be putting too much stock into them."
"Oh." Saitama answered before the elevator dinged. Everyone turned to see a few of the Tank-Top Army walk in, with Tank-Top Vegetarian in the lead.
"Hello, everyone! The Tank-Top Army's Second-in-Command is here to help you out!" he announced before gesturing to the ones behind. "And don't worry! I brought plenty of help! We have Tank-Top Tiger, Tank-Top Black Hole and-"
"Saitama!" Tank-Top Girl exclaimed with a smile as she walked over to the bald hero. "So, you got called here too, huh?"
"Looks like it." Saitama answered.
"HEY! TANK-TOP GIRL! WHY'D YOU RUIN MY INTRO?!" Tank-Top Vegetarian yelled.
"Oh great. That guy." TT Tiger grumbled as Vegetarian continued to rant.
"Easy, little bro. Just stay away from him and we'll be fine." TT Black Hole whispered while casting a glare at Saitama before the elevator dinged again, opening to reveal three more heroes.
"So it was the Tank-Top Army I heard." Twin Tail said as she, Shadow Ring and Captain Mizuki walked in. "I could hear one of them yelling all the way from the ground floor."
"If they act like that during this mission, it could endanger us all." Shadow Ring commented while Captain Mizuki waved to Saitama.
"Captain Mizuki? I thought you went home." Saitama said as she approached him.
"I did, but then I checked my mail and found this summons that said to come to this branch of the Hero Association. I'm glad you're here, Master." she answered.
"Master?" some of the other heroes whispered before a Hero Association worker approached them.
"I'm glad to see everyone has arrived safely. I hope you all weren't waiting long." they said. "Now, time is of the essence, so I'll begin the briefing. All of you were called here because we have an emergency. A monster, along with a few alien captives we were holding here at this branch have escaped. We need you all to capture them alive and return them here."
"What are their threat levels?" Wild Horn, Class-B Rank 6, asked.
"The aliens are Threat Level Wolf, while the lone monster is at Tiger." the worker answered.
"Hold on. If that's the case, why call all of us here? Isn't this too many for a bunch of weaklings like that?" TT Vegetarian asked.
"If it was to kill them, then yes. However, capturing them alive will be far more difficult. Hence the reason that we called so many here, including a few of you from Class-A." the worker elaborated. "Though, in all honesty, if you have to kill the aliens, then do so if they prove too tough to capture. There are more alien captives being held in the other branches for study. But the monster must be brought back alive."
"Why is it so important to bring that one monster back alive?" Pink Hornet, Class-B Rank-25, asked.
"The monster's blood has key ingredients for our medical research, which is why we must get it back. Also, it's very important that you do not tell anyone else about this mission. If rival organizations were to learn of this, they may try to use it for bad purposes. You must ensure that this secret mission succeeds. Each of you were called in for a purpose." the worker explained before he began to list off their Hero names, Class, Rank and why they were selected. Needless to say, when he spoke Saitama's name of Caped Baldy and how he was only called to just be there to fill the ranks, he was not quite so happy, especially since two certain Tank-Toppers snickered at his hero name.
"This is a map of the area the monster and aliens fled to. Do not let your guard down. All 13 of you must work together. Good luck!" the worker said as he gave Tank-Top Vegetarian the map.
-Forest between City's Z and Y-
"So the monster and aliens are somewhere here, huh?" Tiger asked as everyone walked through the forest.
"Yeah. Remind me. How many are out there?" Jet Nice Girl asked.
"Let's see..." Wild Horn hummed as he pulled out a notebook. "We have a total of six escapees. Five alien creatures and one monster. The monster's name is Scaledon. Height, 160 cm. Weight, 100 kg. Special traits are the scales on it's back and it's sluggish movements."
"What does it look like? If there's more than one target, we need to know which one is a monster and which ones are aliens." Shadow Ring asked.
"Scaledon's description is something along the lines of a pangolin. If it's not that, then don't worry too much about capturing it." Wild Horn answered.
"That means that, aside from the monster, we can just kick some monster ass until they're nothing but smears across the forest!" Tank-Top Vegetarian declared. "Alright! Let's find them and get this over with!"
"YEAH!" the Tank-Top Brothers cheered alongside Vegetarian while Tank-Top Girl rolled her eyes at their antics.
"Hold it." Twin Tail spoke up. "If we move in a group of this size, the aliens and Scaledon could easily sense and avoid us."
"She's right. It would be more effective if we split up into smaller groups." Wild Horn suggested.
After some deliberation, the teams had been picked. Tank-Top Vegetarian would lead the group of him, the Tank-Top Brothers, Captain Mizuki, Twin Tail and Jet Nice Girl to look for the aliens. Shadow Ring would led her group of herself, Saitama, Wild Horn, Pink Hornet, Trap Tengu, Smell Master and Tank-Top Girl to capture Scaledon.
"Alright! Both teams ready?!" Vegetarian asked. "LET'S GO!" he ordered, earning a cheer from the Tank-Top brothers. Mizuki cast a gloomy look towards Saitama, as she had been chosen to follow Tank-Top Vegetarian, before she followed her group, leaving Saitama and the rest of his group to follow Shadow Ring.
"Good luck, Caped Baldy!" Tank-Top Black Hole called out while Tiger laughed with tears in his eyes.
"I still can't believe they gave you that name." Tank-Top girl huffed.
"Alright everyone. As we discussed earlier, I'll scout ahead and search for the target from the shadows." Shadow Ring spoke up. "While I'm gone, all of you will prepare the trap to ensnare it. You all remember your duties, right?"
"I set up a special trap." Trap Tengu said.
"I'll mix up a smell that'll lure the monster towards it." Smell Master answered.
"And the rest of us will surround it to cut off any retreat, subdue it and prep it for transport." Pink Hornet added.
"All while keeping a lookout for any of the escaped aliens as well." Wild Horn finished.
"Good." Shadow Ring said with a nod. "And one final thing. If you can't capture it and it proves too much of a match...let Saitama handle it." she ordered.
"What?!" Wild Horn asked before pointing at Saitama. "You want us to leave it to that guy if things go south?!"
"Isn't that a bit much?" Trap Tengu asked.
"Haven't you heard what they say about him? He's just a weakling and a fraud who steals credit from others." Smell Master spoke up.
"How can you ask us to rely on someone like that?" Pink Hornet asked with a small glare.
"How about instead of treating rumors as facts, you guys try to think for yourselves?" Tank-Top Girl asked with a glare of her own.
"She's right. I've seen Saitama's strength before." Shadow Ring confessed. "Nothing fake about it."
"But-"
"I'm going on ahead. Remember your roles." Shadow Ring said before she jumped into a tree and disappeared, leaving the other six heroes behind. Wild Horn let out an irritated sigh before handing Saitama the map.
"Here, Caped Baldy. Take this and let's go!" he ordered before he and all but Tank-Top Girl walked off. "AND DON'T FALL BEHIND!"
"What's his deal?" Saitama asked. "And could they stop calling me that name?"
"They're hung up about the bad rumors on you. As for the name, it's courtesy for heroes to call others by their hero names." Tank-Top Girl answered before smiling at him. "Don't worry, though. I'll still call you by your name."
"Oh? Thanks." Saitama said before seeing that the group was getting further away. "We better catch up. They're leaving us behind."
"Right. Let's go." she said before they quickly ran after them.
"By the way...how do you read a map?"
-Tank-Top Vegetarian Group-
"I can't believe they asked us to come out here to capture some dumb aliens and a weakling of a monster." Vegetarian huffed.
"It takes more strength to subdue someone than kill them. Especially monsters. Or...aliens in this case...most of this case? GAHH! You're right! This is too much!" TT Tiger yelled while scratching his head.
"Easy, bro. Not much to think about. We'll just beat them just enough so that they can't get away, then turn them in and get rewarded. And we'll do it before that bald bastard can!" TT Black Hole stated.
"Are you two still angry at that guy? He's proven that he's not a fake. Leave him be already." Jet Nice Girl sighed. The two of them glared at her before Vegetarian started to laugh.
"Go easy on them. These two are just upset that they were wrong the whole time. It's just hitting them in their ego, is all!" Vegetarian stated.
"And what about you?" Captain Mizuki asked. "What do you think of Master Saitama?"
"Well, I did see his strength for myself back during that whole fiasco in the Ghost Town, so I know he's legit. However, there's one question that's bothering me." Vegetarian answered. "Did that guy have a tank-top on underneath his hero suit?"
"I...don't know?" Mizuki answered. "Why?"
"If he didn't, then that was all raw strength." Vegetarian said as he remembered seeing Saitama smash out of Vacuuma's back, the force knocking down a few streets worth of buildings. "And...if he were to have that strength enhanced with the power of the tank-top...?"
An image of Saitama in a tank-top throwing a punch powerful enough to level entire cities came to his mind, making the Class-A hero break out in a terrified sweat.
"Then we'd all be in trouble." he finished with a whimper.
"Kindly focus on the task at hand." Twin Tail spoke up before having an iron ball roll out of her sleeve and into her palm. She then threw the ball into some bushes, earning a startled yelp of pain before an alien tumbled out, a bleeding mark on it's head from Twin Tail's attack.
"What the-?! Where'd they come from?!" Black Hole asked.
"They've got us surrounded already, but they're too scared to attack. Their sweating and panicking all around us." Twin Tail answered as she brought out a few more weapons.
"S-Shit! OKAY! ATAAAAACK!"
Suddenly, a few more aliens jumped out of the trees and bushes and rushed the heroes.
"FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE! WE WON'T GO BACK!" one yelled as the heroes stood their ground and fought back.
"REMEMBER! IF IT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE, FORGET TAKING THEM ALIVE AND JUST KILL THEM!" Vegetarian ordered. The aliens fought with all they had, but found that they were slowly being outmatched.
"They're not very strong." Twin Tail commented to herself before hearing the sound of footsteps getting further away. "The last one." she said before she gave chase. "There's one more! I'll deal with it!" she said to the others.
"Right! No worries! We got this!" Jet Nice Girl boasted as the three other conscious aliens rose back up, each one looking like they would drop soon.
"Give it up! You can't win!" Captain Mizuki stated. The aliens all glared at the heroes as they readied their own weapons. The heroes tensed and prepared for the next attack.
They weren't prepared for what came next.
"D...Death...over...detainment!" one of them said before they grabbed their neck so tight that their claws sank into their skin, allowing them to rip their own throat out. The two others followed and either slashed or stabbed their own throats, with one even sinking a blade into the neck of the unconscious alien Twin Tail knocked out, causing them all to start bleeding on the ground.
"W-What the fuck?!" Vegetarian yelped in shock as the three aliens twitched before they bled to death.
"They...killed themselves!" Captain Mizuki said as she stared at their corpses. "But...why?!"
"Well, guess we don't have to worry about taking these ones alive." Tiger said as he nudged one of the bodies with his foot.
"And none of them match the description of that Scaledon monster we were sent to capture, so we won't get in trouble." Black Hole stated.
"Still, that was weird. They all sounded so terrified about being captured." Jet Nice Girl stated. "I wonder why?"
"Who knows. All I know is that we've taken care of most of the problem! Of course, this was all due to my leadership!" TT Vegetarian boasted, earning some cheers from the other two Tank-Toppers present. He basked in their adulation before it suddenly stopped, making him peek an eye open to see them staring at him in terror. Or rather, above him.
"Hmm? Six humans, six snacks."
Tank-Top Vegetarian slowly looked up just in time to gaze down a drooling maw.
Saitama and Tank-Top Girl were trailing a few feet behind the other heroes and having a bit of a chat to themselves.
"So how have things been back at in the Ghost Town?" Tank-Top Girl asked, keeping her voice down enough so that the other four heroes didn't hear.
"Eh. Not very different. Genos apologized to the others for attacking them and I took him back as a disciple." Saitama answered.
"I still can't believe that Genos flipped out like that." Tank-Top Girl sighed. "I wonder what his malfunction is."
"Dunno. I think he was just mad that I wasn't around for him to stare at all the time." Saitama guessed.
"You're kidding, right? That's just dumb." she huffed.
"That's how Genos is. He takes everything I say and do way too seriously and thinks it'll help him get stronger." Saitama explained with a shrug.
"He needs to get a hobby." she said before she stretched her arms above her head, causing her breasts to push against her tight tank-top.
"Is it just me, or does your top look a little smaller?" he questioned. She just looked at him for a moment before giving a sly grin.
"Checking me out, are you?" she asked, flustering him and making her laugh. "I'm just teasing, Saitama!" she laughed before looking down at herself. "But you're right. This tank-top of mine is a little tight. And I can thank those two perverts and the kombu they gave me for this." she huffed.
"Why not just get a bigger one?" he asked.
"I can't. It's the first tank-top I got from Tank-Top Master, so it means a lot to me." she said.
"What if it gets scratched or destroyed?" Saitama asked.
"Then...I'd have no choice but to ask for a new one. One that would fit these dumb things." she sighed as she looked down at her breasts, each step making them bounce a little.
"How does Tank-Top Master know your size? Does he measure you himself?" Saitama asked.
"What?! No! He has us bring in our sizes and makes them from that!" she yelped with a blush.
"Sorry! Sorry." Saitama said while holding his hands up defensively. The two were silent for a bit before she glanced at him, a tiny smirk coming to her lips.
"Hey, Saitama?"
"Yeah?" he asked as he looked at her. She smiled and held her top out a bit, letting him see more of her breasts.
"If you're free after this, you wanna help me get my measurements?" she asked. The question made his eyes go wide before she laughed and let her top go. "I'm just kidding!" she said before blushing and looking away. "...Mostly."
'Sheesh. What is with her?' Saitama thought.
'Oh my gosh! What is with me?!' Tank-Top Girl thought.
"Hey, Caped Baldy!" Wild Horn spoke up from the front of the group. "Where are we? Are we close?"
"Huh? Uh..." Saitama said as he checked the map, lifting an eyebrow as he flipped it a few times trying to read it.
"STOP SPINNING IT! GIVE ME THAT!" Wild Horn snapped as he snatched the map away before growling at it. "We're off course!"
"Don't worry, Wild Horn. I'll start preparing the traps. We'll have this finished before sunset." Trap Tengu promised.
"I'll start concocting a lure to attract the monster." Smell Master said as he began mixing some chemicals together.
"Wild Horn. Look at this." Pink Hornet spoke up while gently running her hand against some claw marks on a nearby tree.
"Claw marks? Was it from one of the aliens, or from Scaledon?" Wild Horn wondered out loud. "Good eye, Pink Hornet. Now, we need to keep a lookout-"
"Why do you think they put a vending machine all the way out here for?" Saitama asked as he and Tank-Top Girl were inspecting a nearby vending machine.
"No idea. Maybe someone thought they'd like a nice drink on a nature walk?" Tank-Top Girl suggested.
"HEY! What are you two doing?!" Wild Horn yelled.
"Checking out this vending machine. Too bad it's broken. OH! Corn Soup flavored energy drinks! Wonder if that would taste good." said Saitama.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Wild Horn yelled as he stomped over to Saitama, going so far as to grab him by his uniform and pull him close to speak directly into his face. "I can't take your nonsense anymore! Don't you know anything about Hero Teams?!"
"Uh...they work together?" Saitama answered, completely unfazed by Wild Horns actions.
"That's right! And your playful attitude is nothing but a hindrance!"
"Hey."
"What kind of hero can't even read a map?! What if there's an emergency and you need to get somewhere immediately?!" Wild Horn continued, his voice raising more and more.
"I just follow the sound until I find the monster." Saitama answered.
"Hello?"
"AND YOU'RE LACKING FOCUS! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT A STUPID VENDING MACHINE AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" he yelled, sounding like he was foaming at the mouth with how loud and hostile he was becoming.
"Why are you yelling so much?" Saitama asked.
"Could you pay attention?!"
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHADOW RING WAS THINKING WHEN SHE ASKED US TO LET YOU HANDLE THINGS IF WE CAN'T CAPTURE THE MONSTER! HOW CAN SHE THINK THAT A BALD MORON LIKE YOU IS STRONGER THAN-"
"HEY, DUMB HORN!"
Wild Horn flinched at the name, giving Tank-Top Girl a chance to grab him by his horned helmet and drag him over to look at the side of the vending machine.
"LOOK!" she ordered. Wild Horn grunted before he saw a giant hole in the side of the vending machine. "The reason Saitama and I were looking at the vending machine was because of this!" She then forced him to look down at the ground to see a pair of giant footprints under the hole. "And also, we were wondering what made those! And if you'd have been as observant, you'd have noticed these and figured out that either one of the escapees has big feet, or that something is very wrong!"
She released Wild Horn and allowed herself to breathe, her face red from her anger at his constant yelling at Saitama. Wild Horn grunted in anger while the other three heroes inspected the footprints and damaged vending machine.
"The details said that Scaledon was 160 cm. and weighed 100 kilograms. From the size and depth of this footprint, I believe that that information may be incorrect. We may need to rethink our strategy in capturing it." Trap Tengu spoke up.
"If that's the case, we need to inform the Hero Association of this new information." Smell Master suggested. "We should also regroup with the others."
"Good idea. If it's more dangerous than we initially thought, we'll need all the help we can get." Pink Hornet said in agreement.
"I'll make the call and help set up the traps. Saitama, would you mind looking for the others?" Tank-Top Girl asked while bringing out her phone.
"You guys gonna be okay?" Saitama asked.
"We can manage just fine without you, Caped Baldy." Wild Horn huffed before he and the others turned to leave. "Just remember one thing. When working with a team, everyone takes responsibility as a whole. Don't screw up, or we'll all pay for it."
"I really hate that name." Saitama groaned with a glare of his own before he turned back to Tank-Top Girl. "Alright. Try not to get hurt."
"I'm a big girl. I can handle myself." she joked. He gave a tiny smile before he ran off in a random direction, leaving her to make the call. She pushed a few buttons before she heard a twig snap. "Hmm? What is-" was all she said before she felt something clamp down on her.
Twin Tail was quiet as she stood in a dense area of the forest, the shade spreading almost everywhere under the foilage. She said nothing as she slowly breathed, her ears picking up all the nearby sounds.
A bird chirping above her.
A butterfly's wings flapping.
Her own heartbeat.
A caterpillar munching on a leaf.
A second heartbeat.
THUNK!
Correction: A second, more rapid, heartbeat coming from the creature that narrowly avoid being skewered by Twin Tail's scimitar.
"AAAH!" the creature yelled as it ran away away, with Twin Tail hot on it's trail. It ran through the trees, jumped over large boulders and even made it's way over a small stream, all while constantly looking over it's shoulder. They ran and ran and ran until they couldn't run anymore and hunched over while trying to catch their breath.
"Did...Did I...lose them?" they asked as they stood up and looked around. "I don't hear them. Either way, I can't stay here. I gotta-"
Whatever they were about to say was cut off with a yelp when they suddenly saw multiple blades fly at them. They tried to guard, but found it useless as they were flung backwards and slammed into a tree. The impact dazed them for a few moments, allowing Twin Tail to catch up and approach them, making them gasp in terror. The hero merely stood before her before gently lifting up her blindfold just enough to get a peek at her captive.
They looked to be an anthropomorphic female cat creature with blue fur and white spots. Her eyes were a neon pink that shined in the shade. She had a lean and curvaceous figure that strained against the torn hospital gown she was wearing.
"Hmm. I recognize you from your description. If so, then your name is Calyx, correct?" Twin Tail asked while slipping her blindfold back on. The alien woman, Calyx, growled before ripping her hospital gown some more to grab hold of one of the scimitars. Twin Tail brought more weapons out to fight, only to flinch when her captive held the blade to her own throat. "What are you-"
"I...won't go back!" the alien woman wheezed out. "I refuse...to be abused and tortured...any longer! DEATH OVER DETAIN-"
She didn't get to finish before the blade was knocked away from her, her arm pinned as Twin Tail grabbed her arm and pointed another blade at the monster's throat. Calyx just stared with wide eyes at the blindfolded woman before she started to tremble, tears forming in her eyes. "...Just...Just kill me already..." Twin Tail said nothing, making the alien creature growl at her. "What? You want me to beg too? You want me to submit like I have to every day just to get a few measly scraps of food?! Or maybe you want me to dance like all the others do?! Is that what you want?! HUH?!"
Twin Tail was still silent as she stepped away from Calyx, allowing the alien cat woman to move her arm again.
"From the beginning."
Guiches, the director of the Hero Association's City-Z Branch, was quietly sitting in his office before his aide, the worker who dispatched all the heroes on their capture mission, walked into his office.
"Excuse me, Director Guiches. You have a phone call from Twin Tail." they said while holding up a phone.
"Put in on speaker." Guiches ordered after taking a sip of his drink. The aide did so with a push of a button on the phone. "This is Director Guiches. How goes the mission so far?"
"Reporting in. I've captured one of the alien creatures, the one called Calyx, and a few other heroes are handling the rest of the escaped aliens." Twin Tail answered.
"Calyx?" Guiches asked before his aide brought up her info and image. "Oh? I see. Good. Keep that one alive. According to her, she was an engineer on the alien ship. Her knowledge is invaluable to our research involving aeronautics."
"Understood."
"What's the progress with the recapture of the monster, Scaledon?" Guiches asked.
"Unknown. We split into two teams to cover more ground. My team has only encountered the aliens so far."
"Keep it up. That thing's blood is too important to lose. Modern medicine will jump to greater heights thanks to it." Guiches ordered.
"...Yes sir." Twin Tail obeyed before hanging up.
"Hmm. Need to make sure that neither of them can break out again. Those two will be making us a ton of money." Guiches huffed.
"What are you talking about?" the aide asked.
"The scales on Scaledon will fetch a high price to a collector I found who's interested in them. He's promised a fortune for her them." Guiches answered. "As for that alien, she's outlived her usefulness to me, so I'll be selling her off."
"But...weren't they being used for medicinal and aeronautics research?" the aide asked.
"That was a ruse. We already got all we could get out of those aliens about their ship. We were just waiting for Amai Mask to make time to execute them since that was what we promised him. While waiting, we were doing a few experiments on them." he said as he poured himself another drink before continuing. "A few, like this Calyx creature, caught the eyes of a few of our sponsors. Some even started a bidding war for her. I had completely forgotten this as I was too wrapped up in getting that gold mine of a monster, Scaledon, back in custody."
The aide frowned at that before his phone beeped. He looked at it before his eyes widened while Guiches tapped his glass to his lips.
"Hmm. I still can't figure out how they broke out of that cage in the first place." he said.
"Director Guiches. We just got a report from Metal Knight. The cage he designed, the one made of special armored glass the aliens and Scaledon broke out of? He said that it even a Threat Level Demon has to struggle to break through. He said that a monster could undergo a mutation and become stronger due to various elements like a change of diet or environment, causing massive growth and viciousness." the aide informed him before he started to sweat. "This is bad! If this is the case, we should contact Headquarters and request some Class-S Heroes!"
"Absolutely not! This is a secret mission!" Guiches denied.
"But, sir-"
"You're a part of this! If I go down, you go down!" Guiches threatened. "Even if they broke out, there are plenty of Class A and B heroes to stop it!"
"Sir, I really think we-" the aide began before his phone went off again. "Hello?"
"HELLO?! THIS IS TANK-TOP GIRL! ANYONE HEAR ME?! WE NEED HELP!" came Tank-Top Girl's panicked yelling, with the sound of others grunting and yelling in the background.
"Tank-Top Girl? What's wrong?"
"SCALEDON'S WAY TOO STRONG! IT BEAT US EASILY! IT...IT ATE US! I'M CALLING FROM INSIDE IT'S STOMACH!" she yelled.
"THIS THING ISN'T TIGER!"
"GET US OUT OF HERE!"
"SEND HELP!"
The aide could only listen to the terrified yells of the heroes begging for help.
"IS SOMEBODY OUT THERE?! CALL OUR MASTER! CALL SOMEBODY!" Tank-Top Tiger pleaded.
"One moment! I'll call for backup immediately!" the aide promised before he suddenly felt immense pain on the back of his head. He registered the sound of glass breaking before falling over, an irate Guiches holding a broken bottle in his hand.
"Troublesome pain in the ass. Now I gotta think of an excuse as to why we never got a distress call." he said before he took the aide's phone. "Shame to lose so many good heroes." he grumbled before hanging up.
Twin Tail was quiet as she sat next to Calyx, her hands bound behind her back and a makeshift rope muzzle in and around her maw.
"Something's not right." Twin Tail muttered to herself.
"Please...don't do this. I'm begging here." Calyx whimpered through her muzzle.
"I can't just let you roam free. If anyone sees you, it'll cause a panic." Twin Tail answered.
"Then why won't you kill me?!" Calyx snapped.
"I'm seriously considering it if I can't think of how to make the only other option doable." she answered.
"What other option?" Calyx asked.
"If you tell anyone I told you this, I'll make your end very slow and painful." Twin Tail promised before taking a deep breath. "I have an...acquaintance that lives in the Ghost Town nearby by the name of Saitama. He's a hero who lets monsters live there, provided they renounce all plans to destroy humanity. If you can adhere to his rules, he may let you live out there in...relative peace."
"Really? Wait! Why? What's in it for him?" Calyx asked in suspicion.
"He doesn't ask for much. Just that you don't attack humans." Twin Tail answered.
"If he's a hero, why doesn't he just kill them?" Calyx asked.
"If a monster won't attack humans, why bother killing it?" Twin Tail asked back.
"And what makes you think the monsters there would listen anyway?" Calyx asked.
"Because they're terrified of him. They know that he can kill them without breaking a sweat, so they follow his rule." Twin Tail asked. "I've seen his strength before...It still terrifies me." she admitted.
"He's that powerful? Is he...what, the strongest hero you have?" Calyx asked, her curiosity beginning to overcome her fear.
"I don't know about the strongest, but he's definitely up there." Twin Tail answered. "The hard part is figuring out how to get you there without the others knowing. If the Hero Association found out about this, I and many others would be in serious trouble."
"Can't you just say I got away after giving me directions? I could find it...myself and...and...Ooooh. Something smells good!" Calyx suddenly said as she sniffed the air. Twin Tail took a whiff of the air as well before looking in the direction the wind was blowing it from. She focused for a moment before she heard the sound of fighting in the distance.
"I believe my associates have found Scaledon." she said before she stood up and brought Calyx to her feet. "Can you run?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Then run!" Twin Tail ordered before pushed her forward, making them both run towards the sound of the fighting. As they ran, the sounds of fighting slowly started to taper off. When they reached the area, they came upon Scaledon just as she pulled her latest meals legs into her mouth before swallowing.
"Delicious!" she said before turning to them.
She indeed looked like a pangolin, but was large enough to tower over the two before her. Aside from the gigantic tits that matched her larges hips and ass and her soft underbelly, which was distended and squirming from all her victims inside, almost all of her was covered in large scales. The only other areas not covered were her exposed slit and her soft face.
Twin Tail grit her teeth as she recognized the voices coming from inside her gut.
"Shit! She's eaten almost everyone!" Twin Tail growled before she pulled out her weapons. "I gotta get them out of there without killing her!"
"Oh? Another meal?" Scaledon asked before spotting Calyx. "Got captured, huh? I thought you all said you'd rather die than go back. Can't blame you. I won't go back either."
"Then I won't hold back!" Twin Tail yelled as she started to juggle her weapons before tossing them at Scaledon. "DEATH LOOP!"
Scaled merely rolled into a ball, her scales deflecting all the projectiles. Twin Tail stopped and held her weapons in hand, allowing Scaledon to uncurl and look at her with a grin.
"That all you got?" she asked before she rushed Twin Tail. The poor hero didn't have time to react as Scaledon grabbed her and shoved her into her maw, swallowing in seconds. She then let out a belch before she held her stomach. "Mmm. Think I might be done for now."
"You...You got them all?" Calyx asked.
"No. I remember seeing another one run off. Too fast to follow. Still, if they're out here, I'll get them eventually." Scaledon answered with a smile.
"There you are."
Both Calyx and Scaledon turned to see Saitama approaching them, his usual bored look on his face.
"I was looking for the others to pass on the message to regroup, but it looks like they did that themselves." he said as he stared at her moving gut.
"Hmm? Ah! You're that other hero that ran off! Good! I think I got enough room for one last meal." Scaledon said with a grin.
"Hmm. I know you're Scaledon, but...who are you?" Saitama said while looking at Calyx.
"I'm Calyx. Who are you?" Calyx asked with a glare.
"MASTER SAITAMA!"
All three of them looked as Scaledon's stomach moved around as Captain Mizuki's voice sounded out from inside.
"MASTER! HELP US! GET US OUT OF HERE!"
"Shut up in there!" Scaledon yelled as she smacked her gut, making her captives yelp and her groan. "Oooh. Bad idea." she wheezed.
"Saitama?" Calyx said with wide eyes.
"Hey."
Scaledon turned to Saitama, his bored look gone as he glared at her.
"You've got my disciple and the rest of my team in there. Spit them out or I'll make you spit them out." he warned.
"Heh. You think you can topple me and save your friends?" Scaledon asked before bending down and getting in Saitama's face. "Then I dare you try!"
"Okay."
Calyx watched as Saitama suddenly grabbed and forced Scaledon's mouth open before lunging inside, slipping down her throat and into her gut.
"Oooh...Okay...I'm done." Scaledon groaned.
Saitama slid down Scaledon's throat with ease before he found himself inside her stomach, where all the other cramped heroes were waiting. He hit something soft and wondered what it was before he heard a startled yelp and looked up. Even in the dark, he could see Tank-Top Girl's blush from where he lay between her breasts.
"Oh...Hi." he said.
"Oh great! The Caped Baldy got eaten too!" Black Hole grumbled.
"I though you said he could help us if trouble came up!" Wild Horn yelled.
"I did! He's got a plan...I hope." Shadow Ring answered
"Master! Why are you here?!" Captain Mizuki asked.
"We need to capture it alive, so I had to come in here." Saitama answered.
"That makes no sense!" Pink Hornet snapped.
"Forget that shit! Just punch this thing and get us out of here before we get digested!" Tank-Top Vegetarian yelled.
"Nah. I got this." Saitama said before grabbing his Tank-Top. "Now get ready."
Scaledon was walking with Calyx running to keep up while trying to untie herself. The large monster suddenly stopped and grabbed her gurgling stomach, her face coated in sweat as she felt her insides shift.
"Uh oh...something's coming up!" she said before a large bulge formed in her throat and traveled up to her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out before she found herself spitting up Tank-Top Vegetarian. She groaned before she kept feeling her stomach lurching about, with more heroes coming up her throat one-by-one. It got so painful that she fell to her hands and knees and was wheezing, tears streaming down her eyes.
"W-What's going on?!" Calyx asked before Scaledon threw up again, sending Smell Master flying out of her mouth and onto the ground. She groaned before another bulge came up, allowing Saitama to pry her mouth open and look down.
"I get everyone? Good. My turn." he said before Scaledon slammed her jaw shut with both her hands
"Oh...no you don't!" she said in defiance through her closed mouth before she swallowed, sending Saitama back down. She then let out another belch before glaring at the slimy heroes recovering in front of her. "I don't know...what he did...but I'm not...giving up my meal that easily!" she said, her hands still covering her mouth.
"You might want to let him out!" Captain Mizuki warned.
"Shut up, hero! I'll get you all back soon and-"
"Consecutive..."
"Too late." Tank-Top Girl said with a wince as Scaledon looked down in confusion.
"Light taps!"
Everyone watched as Scaledon's stomach suddenly looked like dozens of creatures were thrashing about in an attempt to burst out of her, the monster's eyes wide as she felt like her insides were being torn to shreds. The attack lasted for a few more seconds before it suddenly stopped, leaving Scaledon still standing on her legs. Her eyes suddenly rolled back as he legs gave way, allowing gravity to pull her down onto her front.
"I warned you." Mizuki said as she wrung various fluids out of her hair. Scaledon groaned from where she lay before another bulge slowly made it's way up her throat. She didn't have the strength to fight back as Saitama slowly lifted her mouth open and walked out of the dazed and hurt monster.
"You guys okay?" Saitama asked.
"We were eaten, and then upchucked by a monster!" Tiger snapped.
"We're sticky, we're covered in bile and we reek!" Black Hole griped.
"And worst of all? These stains are gonna take forever to get out of our Tank-Tops!" Vegetarian whined as he looked at the various spots on his Tank-Top.
"What they're saying is...we're fine." Tank-Top Girl said with a smile.
"That's good." Saitama said with his own smile before looking down at a dazed Scaledon, then up to Calyx, making her freeze in fear.
'This is Saitama? The one that woman hero spoke about? He looks so dopey, but...he not only pushed all those people up out of her throat, he just thrashed Scaledon from the inside-out while all the others were eaten like snacks! At this rate...'
"Who are you again?" Saitama asked as he took a step towards her, making her scream as she turned and tried to run. She got a few steps before her feet were suddenly bound by a chain.
"No you don't!" Shadow Ring said as she kept a firm grip on her chain.
"Is she a monster?" Saitama asked.
"No. She's one of the aliens that escaped too. She's also, according to the others, the only one left." Twin Tail answered.
"Oh? Is that why she's tied up? And why is that rope in her mouth? She have some kind of attack she spews from there?" Saitama asked.
"No. I put that on so she wouldn't bite her tongue and kill herself." Twin Tail answered. "All of the aliens decided to kill themselves if they couldn't get away."
"Well, the operation didn't quite go as planned, but the results are the same. We've captured Scaledon and managed to keep one of the aliens alive." Trap Tengu stated.
"Good. Someone call the Hero Association to pick us all up. I need a shower." Pink Hornet stated.
"Already on it." Wild Horn said as he began to dial the number. He stopped when Calyx began to scream and thrash against her bindings. She stopped screaming when Tank-Top Tiger stepped on her head, making her stop and look up at him.
"Knock it off, pussy cat! You're going nowhere but back to your cage!" he boasted. The only response she gave was to whimper some more, tears flowing from her eyes like waterfalls. "Aww. Is the big bad kitty sad she has to be put back in prison?" Tiger mocked before raising his foot again. "WELL TOO BAD!" he yelled as he brought his foot down on her head. Calyx flinched as she awaited the blow, but opened her eyes when it never came. Instead, she saw a red booted foot stopping Tiger's from stomping on her head. "Huh? Hey! What're you doing?!"
"That's my line." Saitama said before lifting his foot up, throwing Tiger off the ground and onto his back. Tiger groaned as he got up and looked at a frowning Saitama. "She's bound, gagged, crying. She can't even defend herself."
"So what? She's not human. She's an alien that helped destroy City-A! She-"
"Man or monster, what kind of hero stomps on someone else's head just for kicks?" Saitama asked.
"Saitama's right. We're heroes. Not sadists." Tank-Top Girl said while throwing Tiger a glare. "Just be glad Master isn't here. If he was, you'd be kissing that tank-top goodbye."
Tiger gulped in fear at that while Wild Horn shook his head and redialed.
"I'm calling the Hero Association's City-Z Branch now." he said.
"Hold it!" Twin Tail said as she quickly took his phone and hung up. "Not the City-Z Branch!"
"Why not? They're the ones who ordered us to-"
"This whole mission is a farce." Twin Tail interrupted Wild Horn. "They don't want Scaledon or Calyx caught for research purposes."
"How do you know? And who's Calyx?" Jet Nice Girl asked.
"She's Calyx." Twin Tail answered while looking down at the bound alien woman. "As for how I know, I called and asked Director Guiches to give an update. When he told me how much they needed them for research, I could tell that he was lying. Even over the phone, I can tell a lie when I hear one."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Pink Hornet asked.
"We call Hero Association Headquarters to arrest Guiches!" Tank-Top Girl yelled. "I called his aide for help, but that bastard Guiches attacked him and just left us to die!"
"It's true! I heard every word!" Captain Mizuki spoke up.
"You've got to be joking! Why would he do that?!" Smell Master yelled in disbelief.
"Because he was afraid you all were on to him." Calyx answered through her muzzle.
"On to him? What do you mean?" Saitama asked before he gently removed her muzzle.
"He doesn't want us for research. He wants us to torture and abuse for money." she answered before she elaborated on all the horrible things they did to her, to Scaledon, to her fellow crewmates and to all the others in captivity. Needless to say, the heroes were disbelieving of her tale.
"Give us one good reason we should believe you." Black Hole scoffed.
"Because I can't detect a single lie in her story." Twin Tail answered.
"Are you telling me that-"
"We've been played." Shadow Ring finished.
Most of the heroes were now glaring at the ground in anger, fists balled and the urge to sock someone growing inside.
"Okay...So we don't call the City-Z Branch. We still need to call the Hero Association. We can't just leave these two to wander around." Wild Horn reminded them.
"I know that." Twin Tail answered. "We'll call the Main Branch and inform them of everything Guiches has been up to, including how these two were treated."
"And how will you know they won't treat us just as badly?" Calyx asked.
"Because we know a few in the Hero Association that crack down on people like Guiches." Twin Tail answered with a smile. "Don't worry. You'll be in good hands."
Calyx looked at her, then at a few others before stopping on Saitama. The bald hero said nothing, just gave her a blank look. She finally sighed before she sat back down.
"Fine...Not like I have a choice in this matter." she said in resignation. After that, Wild Horn made the call.
-30 minutes later-
Calyx was quiet as she awaited her fate. Scaledon was still unconscious due to a special mixture Smell Master concocted to keep her asleep, her body bound by some of Trap Tengu's steel wire nets. All was quiet, save for a few of them having a conversation, before they heard the rumbling of trucks approaching. The sight of them all made her tense before Twin Tail placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be so tense. Just trust me." she said.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the prisoner about to transported to who-knows-where." Calyx answered as multiple men stepped out and surrounded them all. One of the HA workers approached them all before coughing into his fist.
"First, congratulations on capturing these two." the man said as he looked at Scaledon and Calyx. "Second, we sent a few men to question Guiches. He hadn't expected anyone and was caught having his aide taken away by others involved in his little scheme. The aide is doing well and, upon regaining consciousness, has agreed to testify against his former superior."
"Good." Shadow Ring said before looking at their captives. "And these two?"
"They'll be transported to the Main Branch. Rest assured, they won't be tortured in any way." the worker promised.
With that, a few workers replaced a complient Calyx's rope bonds with shackles and lead her to one of the trucks while the rest worked together to load a sleeping Scaledon into another.
"I feel a little bad for them." Saitama said to Mizuki as, Mizuki and Tank-Top Girl watched everything while the other heroes were giving statements. "I know we protect humanity from monsters, but torturing them is too much."
"I agree." Tank-Top Girl said before looking over to Mizuki. "You make the call?"
"Yeah. The others said they'll handle the rest." Mizuki answered.
"Good. Hey, Saitama. Hate to be pushy, but you mind if I come over for a bit?" she asked. "I really need a shower and I don't want to stay like this until I get back home to do so."
"Sure. I don't mind." Saitama answered before the workers approached them to ask questions. "Hope this won't take long."
Scaledon slowly stirred awake, her head swimming and her stomach feeling like it was used as a punching bag. She groaned as she opened her eyes before glancing around at the ruined buildings around her.
"Where...am I?" she asked as she slowly rose up onto her knees, her body still feeling weak. "This isn't the forest."
"No, it's not."
Scaledon looked down to see Calyx smiling up at her, her shackles gone.
"Calyx? What happened? Last thing I remember was swallowing that bald human, then..." Scaledon said before her eyes widened, the memory hitting her like Saitama's punches. She grabbed her stomach as the phantom pain came back, her face turning a little green. "Now I remember. That hero attacked me from the inside and I passed out from the pain."
"Yeah. Just be glad he held back. I heard from Twin Tail that he could've destroyed you with just the flick of a finger." Calyx answered.
"If that's true, then how come I'm not dead? And where are we?" Scaledon asked.
"We were being transported to Hero Association Headquarters to be locked away again. Luckily, a new...friend had a little breakout organized." Calyx answered before telling the full tale.
-Flashback-
Calyx was riding in the armored vehicle transporting her, her hands still in shackles.
"What do I do now?" she asked as she hugged herself. "Will they truly treat me better here? Or will they torture me and Scaledon even more?"
She sighed before she let out a startled yelp when the truck suddenly screeched to a halt.
"What just happened?" she asked.
"Hey! Why'd you guys stop?!" she heard one of the humans yell.
"Something blew the tires out! We're stuck!" another yelled back.
There was more yelling, but she wasn't listening anymore. Instead, she was more focused on the red hot blades that were slicing a hole through the bottom of the the truck like butter. She blinked a few times before the circular piece of metal fell through, allowing strands of kombu to quickly wrap around her and pull her in before the metal piece was welded back on.
-Present-
"After that, they did the same thing with you in your transportation vehicle, then carried us out here before the humans noticed a thing." Calyx finished.
"So we were saved? But who did it?" Scaledon asked.
"That bald hero, Saitama, lets monsters live out here if we don't attack humans. He's got many others living in the same building he lives in away from prying eyes. It was those same monsters that busted us out." Calyx answered before tugging on the new sweater she was wearing. "And these two short kelp-haired monsters shared some clothes with me. Didn't think anyone else was as big as I was, but there they were."
"They did?" Scaledon asked before looking at the ground. "A bunch of humans and monster working together? But...why?"
"I don't get it either, but it saved our butts." Calyx said before she stood up off the piece of rubble she was sitting on. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm gone."
"Where are you going?" Scaledon asked.
"I don't fully trust the humans, despite helping us out. Fortunately, a few of the monsters gave me some info on a Monster Association that's located nearby. They said we should go there if we don't want to stay here."
"A Monster Association? That exists?" Scaledon asked with wide eyes.
"Yeah. Seems they're gathering strength to destroy the Hero Association. I don't really want to get involved, but it could be a good place to rest until I get back on my feet." Calyx said she started to walk away. "If you want to join me, then follow. If you want to stay up here, that's your choice. Either way, I'm going."
Scaledon watched her walk away before she stood on her legs and followed.
"I don't trust the humans either. I'm joining the Monster Association." Scaledon answered. With that decided, the two headed off to join the Monster Association, not realizing how short that membership would be.
A/N: Another OC. This time, an alien cat woman. Thoughts?