Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

? Years Ago

“I’ll be out in two seconds, so don’t. Leave. This. Spot,” ordered Badd, tapping the ground with his bat.

Zenko stuck out her bottom lip. “I want to go to the Ferris wheel!”

“Well, you have to wait!” Badd retorted. “Two seconds!” And with that, he slipped into the men’s bathroom, leaving Zenko to pout on the bench. She looked over towards where the ferris wheel was and grumbled to herself, seeing a large group of kids run past in that direction. She turned to the bathrooms again. Big Brother wasn’t out, and it had been more than two seconds. Zenko stewed for a moment before looking once more at the group of kids, who had stopped at one of the nearby snack stands.

A familiar face turned and saw her. “Zenko-chan!” It was her friend, Mai. “Zenko-chan, you’re here too?” she asked as she jogged over.

“Yeah, my Big Brother brought me.” Zenko swung her legs. “He’s supposed to be back out, but he’s taking too long.”

“Wanna walk around with me?” Mai offered. “We were gonna go to the Ferris wheel after Yana-chan got a snack.”

“Sure,” Zenko nodded. Big Brother knew she wanted to go there. And besides, now she was with a group of classmates, so she was safe. She hopped off the bench and ran with Mai to the others.

It was a couple minutes later that Badd finally came out of the bathroom. “Sorry, Zenko. There were—” There was a loud crash, followed by screaming. A car had been flung next to the bathrooms. People ran past him, and he heard something about a monster. He sighed heavily and walked over towards the crashed car. In the parking lot was a rather ugly-looking beetle… man… thing. It was cackling, as monsters do, going on about how it was the pinnacle of strength, that all would bow... Blah, blah, blah. He casually swung his bat over his shoulder and strolled to the monster. “Oi.”

The beetle-man turned around. “Oh, what’s this? A brave one!” He cackled again. “Come to welcome your new overlord, Tityus?”

“Listen. My little sister wants to go on the ferris wheel, so let's make this quick,” Badd snarled, annoyed at this inconvenience. “She’s already upset that I had to wait until what is supposed to be my day off to bring her to the fair.” His grip tightened on the bat. “And I hate makin’ her wait for so long.”

“Wah, wah, I don’t care!” Tityus snickered. “You want a fight, you got one!” He hefted up another car and chucked it at Badd, who simply stepped out of the way. Admittedly, the beetle-man was fast, and cars were pretty heavy. Badd had no interest in dying from Subaru-to-the-cranium, so a little caution was probably best.

“Boo.” Badd didn’t have time to react as the monster’s pincers collided into his side, throwing him into the side of a bus several kilometers away. He fell to the ground and groaned, knowing that a few ribs of his were definitely cracked from both impacts. He could feel his head throbbing, no doubt bleeding a bit. “Did I break some ribs?” Tityus chuckled. “Shame. I was hoping to break your spine, but it looks like I missed.”

Badd spit out a bit of blood. “You’re fast, I’ll admit that. But I ain’t down for the count.” He took a running leap at Tityus, slamming his bat into the monster’s head.

Tityus crashed into the ground, skidding a mild distance away. “Oh, you’re a tough one,” Tityus growled. “I’ll have fun crushing your skull.” He started tossing cars at Badd in a sporadic pattern, trying to get the hero to slip up. Badd dodged left and right, feeling himself get more and more pumped. Just as he got near enough to Tityus to take a swing, Tityus swung his head and got Badd with the pincers yet again, this time a direct hit to the face. Badd went flying back. “You can’t take me out! I am stronger than any brat who can swing—”

CRACK. Badd’s bat collided into Tityus’ pincers, snapping them off. Tityus gaped at the bloody stumps at the end of his arms. A disturbing aura was now surrounding Badd as he stared with such intensity that Tityus felt a sense of dread he’d never felt before.

“I told ya.” Badd got ready to strike again. “I. Don’t. Have. TIME.” He took the final blow, smashing Tityus’ face into pieces. Blood splattered across the parking lot, coating a few cars. Badd looked at the now-warped bat in his hand. “Aw, man. Again?” He tossed it to the side. Useless piece of junk. He coughed , the sharp pain reminding him that he was a little worse for wear. “Ugh. Might have to go to the medical tent or somethin’.” He grabbed his phone and dialed the Hero Association as he walked back to the fairgrounds. “Yeah, it’s Metal Bat. I’m callin’ to say I got rid of the guy. Tityus. Mhmm. Bye.” He closed the phone and got back to the bathrooms. “Hey, Zenko. Sorry about…” He stopped. Zenko wasn’t there. “Sis?” He looked around, trying not to let the panic set in. She wasn’t a stupid kid who’d run off during a fight. But she was a kid. A defenseless kid. Who was nowhere to be seen.

He bolted to the information desk, where a woman was trying to direct guests to a medical tent. “Ma’am, have you seen the little girl that was on that bench? Short hair, pink dress?”

The woman turned to him with a look of mild annoyance before realizing it was a hero speaking to her. “Oh! I think so. What was her name?”

“Zenko.” Please, please have something.

“Yes, that’s right. A friend of hers came over, I think. There was a group of children who were headed to the east, possibly her classmates?” She paused. “She mentioned a Yana.”

He breathed in relief. “Oh, thank God… Yeah, those are her classmates. Thank you!” And with that, he took off.

Meanwhile, Zenko and Mai were walking away from the Ferris wheel. “It was so cool to watch your brother fight that monster from the top!” Mai beamed. “He’s so awesome!”

“I know,” Zenko boasted. “He’s always fighting monsters away, and he never loses.”

“Wow!” The kids had wandered into a little section of the fair with various prize stands. It was a more crowded area, with a lot of teenagers trying to win prizes for their sweethearts and kids begging their parents to win a stuffed animal.

Zenko’s eyes landed on a large panda hanging from the nearest stand. She stopped and gaped at it, eyes sparkling at the thought of having it in her room. It was bigger than her, and it would make the best pillow. She turned to point it out to Mai, only to see that Mai wasn’t there. In fact, none of her friends could be seen. She wandered a little further to see if they were at any of the other stands, but she couldn’t find them. “Are you lost, sweetheart?” She turned to see an older man smiling at her.

She frowned. “No.”

“Really? Well, you’re looking around and you’re by yourself.” He shrugged. “I thought you seemed lost.”

Zenko didn’t really know how to respond. She knew better than to admit she lost her friends to a strange man. “I’m not lost.”

“Well, I heard your friends are looking for you. They’re just over that way, shall we go find them?” He reached out to her. “Let’s go—” There was a flash of movement and the man fell back, holding his hand and yelling in pain.

Zenko gasped, looking up to see one of the stand workers in between her and the older man. The woman held a bloodied fork in one hand, the other in her jacket pocket, the word "STAFF" printed in white letters on the back. “You know,” the woman started, “I’ve learned to trust my gut. And my gut tells me to keep you away from kids.” She tucked silvery-white hair behind her ear, revealing a shallow scar over her left eye.

“You fucking bitch!” the man snarled. Blood streamed down his arm, and Zenko could see holes where a fork had been. People had turned to watch. He clambered up and tried to rush the woman, but she nonchalantly elbowed him in the ribs before headbutting him in the nose. Hard. As he fell, someone called out, “That’s the pervert who went into the women’s restroom!” And a crowd swarmed him, women coming to beat him to a pulp.

The woman turned and knelt down in front of Zenko, blocking the scene of mob violence from her. “Hi, kiddo. You okay?” Her eyes were full of kindness, her words gentle.

Zenko felt tears in her eyes. “I… I can’t find anyone...”

The woman smiled kindly. “Well, my name is Yume. I work at the food stand right behind you. I’ve got a walkie, so I’ll let the staff know about you. Did you come with your parents?” She took Zenko’s hand and led her over to the snack stand.

Zenko tearfully shook her head. “My big brother. I… I left when he told me not to.”

“Hey, everything’s gonna be okay. What’s your name?”

“Zenko.”

“Alright, Zenko. We’ll have your brother come to us, yeah?” They went behind the counter. Zenko didn’t let go of Yume’s hand. “Do you want some ice cream to cheer up a bit? You can have anything you want.” Zenko just nodded, trying her best to not cry. “It’s okay, you’re safe here. Promise.” Yume glanced back to see security tackling the pervert. “C’mere.” She gently let go of Zenko’s hand and hefted her up onto the counter. “What’s your favorite? I’ve got chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, matcha, chocolate chip, mint…”

“Strawberry, please.”

“One strawberry ice cream, coming up.” Yume rolled a couple scoops into a cone and handed it to Zenko. “Let me radio in, okay?” Zenko just nodded and sadly began to eat her ice cream. Yume felt bad for the kid. Grabbing her walkie, she stated, “Hey, info? This is Yume from section C. There’s a little girl named Zenko; she got separated from her brother.”

“Hi, Yume,” came a woman’s voice, “I just sent her brother in your direction. He’s very worried.”

“Noted. Thanks.” She put the walkie down and smiled at Zenko. “See? He’s on his way over. You’ll be back with him in no time.”

“Thank you for saving me,” Zenko quietly responded. “Are you a hero?”

“Eh? Nah, not my style.” She leaned on the counter. “I just saw a creep approaching you and took action. But I’m no hero.”

“Still.” Zenko pondered. “You were fast. Did you stab him with that fork?”

Yume hesitated. “Yeah…”

“My big brother promised to never use violence in front of me.”

Yume chuckled. “Ah, I see. Well, I’m sorry you had to see it. I just wanted to make sure he stayed away.”

“How did you learn to fight?” Zenko was less sad and more curious.

Yume was fine with that; she really hated seeing kids upset. “I took a self-defense class when I was a kid. Not much older than you, actually.”

“That’s pretty cool. Did they teach you to stab people with forks?”

“Ha, no. I taught myself that. What I learned is that you use your environment. And since I’m in a snack stand, I had forks.”

“You’re smart!” Zenko marveled. “Thank you for stopping that man. And for the ice cream.”

“Of course, kiddo.” They hung out for a bit, chatting about the fair until Badd came running over.

“Zenko!” he called out. He had a terrifying expression, Yume guessing him trying not to cry. It gave this reunion a rather comical effect.

“Big Brother!” Zenko waved him over. “Big Brother, this is Yume! She protected me from a pervert.”

“That’s grea— A WHAT!?”

“He’s gone,” Yume reassured him. “Security dragged him off.”

"Yume stabbed him with a fork!" Zenko said proudly. Badd just looked between the two of them, incredulous that this was being blown over so quickly.

Yume turned to Zenko, “You didn’t tell me that your brother was Metal Bat.”

“Oh, that’s right! I was too busy eating that ice cream.” Zenko hopped off of the counter. “Big Brother! Give me your phone.”

“Hey!” He gave her an incredulous look. “You run off, scare the crap outta me, and now you—”

“Now!” Zenko demanded, her little face scrunched up in annoyance. Badd grumbled and complied. Zenko flipped it open and turned to Yume. “Yume, I want your number.”

“EXCUSE ME,” Badd snapped. “You don’t just get to put numbers in my phone!”

“Yeah, okay,” Yume agreed, putting her number in.

“HEY.”

“When I have my piano recital, you should come! And we should go shopping. Big Brother is always busy.” Zenko beamed at her. “I can show you my favorite shops!”

“Zenko-chan!” Mai, Yana, and the others came running over. “We thought we lost you.”

“Ah, I’m okay!” Zenko smiled, “I made a new friend. This is Yume! She stabbed someone with a fork to protect me.”

“Wow! Are you a superhero?” asked Yana. “Nah. Just a good person,” Yume responded.

“Do you any powers or something!?”

“Ha, no. I'm just trained to fight.”

Badd just stood there as the kids crowded the stand, asking a million questions at once. Yume just grinned and responded, like she got these questions often. He didn’t really know what to make of this situation. This stranger protected his sister, with nothing more than a fork. And here she was, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. They got their ice cream, thanked Yume, and then ran to the stand across the way to win some stuffed animals. He vaguely heard Zenko ask to go with them, and he just nodded. “Hey, you’re pretty beat up.” He shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at Yume. “I have a little first aid kit here. Pretty sure the bandages are for kids, but I mean…” She shrugged.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” He plopped down onto the stool, remembering his cracked ribs and bloodied face. He probably looked a mess.

Yume grabbed a towel and a bottle of water and started cleaning off his face. “What kind of a monster was it?”

“Beetle guy. His pincers really hurt.” He absentmindedly rubbed his torso. “Got me in the ribs a couple times.”

“Ouch. You should to a hospital ASAP.” Badd just nodded, wincing a bit when Yume stuck a bandage to his nose. It was blue, with cat faces on it. She stuck another one to his cheek.

“Okay, I gotta ask ya something,” he piped up.

“Sure.”

He paused, collecting his thoughts. “Why’d you jump in like that?”

“Seriously?” she chuckled. “Your kid sister was in trouble. Of course I jumped in.”

“No, I mean…” He paused again. “You seem different.”

“Is it the white hair?”

He huffed, “You know what I’m tryin’ to say.”

“I’m not a hero, if that’s what you’re implying.” Her face seemed blank.

“And yet somehow, I don’t believe you.” He stood, wincing at the creaking of his bones. Those pincers had hurt a lot more than anticipated. “You give off a kind of aura, ya know? Some kind of fightin’ spirit that normal people don’t have.”

She looked him dead in the eyes, and he could have sworn her smile twitched a bit. “Guess I’m just a little abnormal, then.” She shrugged casually and put her first aid kit away. “Now get to a hospital. Cracked ribs are serious injuries and shouldn’t be left untreated.” When she looked at him again, she was smiling normally as before. “It’s nice to meet a hero, Metal Bat. Try not to make yourself worse before you get treated.”

He smiled back and shook her outstretched hand. “Don’t hesitate to take out more weirdos with your forks,” he joked. “Since Zenko gave ya my number, I guess I’ll be seeing ya around.”

“You got it. Take care.” She gave him a thumbs up.

Chapter Text

? Years Ago

The day in City S was stiflingly hot, with temperatures hitting near-record highs. Despite that, everyone was still going about their schedules as usual, though not without the justified complaint here and there. And complaints about the heat is what brought people to the ice cream stands. All over the streets were stands for a wide variety of frozen delicacies, from ice cream cones to push pops, from fudgesicles to fruit bars, and even chocolate-covered bananas at a couple. It was the perfect way to beat the heat, and send complaints away. Especially for kids.

At one stand, there were many character-themed treats and fruity bars, so this was a popular stop for many a parent. And the vendor was more than happy to comply, a cheerful disposition welcoming to those agitated. “Nah, I insist. Bar’s on me,” she smiled. “It’s only a few yen.”

“I, I am truly grateful!” the mother sobbed. “I thought I had cash…”

“We’ve all been there, trust me. Enjoy your cones, okay?” she winked.

“Can I have your name? I need to properly thank you!”

The vendor waved her hand. “It’s Yume, but don’t worry about thanking me. Please, just eat before they melt.” The mother bowed deeply and handed her son the treat, both thanking Yume and heading off. Yume stretched and yawned, hoping the day would come to an end. It was great making kids smile, but she was tired.

BOOM. People began to scream and run as another vendor’s cart flew into the park square, the monster responsible following close behind and giving the usual, maniacal laughter.

This one looked like a lizard with buff human arms and legs. “PITIFUL HUMANS!” he screamed. “ YOU SIT HERE AND DARE CONSUME COOL, CONFECTIONARY DELIGHTS? YOU SHOULD ALL SUFFER AS I HAVE! I AM THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM, ABLE TO WITHSTAND THIS HEAT! I AM THE BLISTERING FURY OF THE SUN! I AM—”

“Could you do this somewhere else?”

The monster turned and stared at Yume. “Excuse me!?”

“I said, can you do this somewhere else.” She leaned lazily on the counter. “It’s too hot for your nonsense.”

The monster stalked up to her stand and glowered at her. “You DARE mock me!?”

“Seriously? You’re a lizard-head. You look ridiculous.” She pointed at his body, “How does this even make sense? You’ve got a lizard head and body, but buff human arms and legs? Come on, now. Lemme guess, you didn't think of a proper name, so you just call yourself Lizard Head Man or something.”

“How DARE YOU!” he snarled, the distinct smell of propane rising from his saliva.

“Hey! Not at my stand!” she retorted, pointing a finger. He stopped, unsure of what to make of her boldness. “I got ice cream that I gotta sell today, so do not hit this stand. Got it?”

Lizard Head Man just stared at her. Who the hell was this woman? “You just don’t want me to hit the stand?”

“Yeah, pretty sure that’s what I just said.” She rested her chin in her hand. “And you’ve definitely ruined the day of whoever’s cart you chucked halfway across the park.” She pursed her lips. “Not exactly the nicest thing to do, ya know?”

“Shut up!” Lizard Head Man went to strike again, but fell backward, screaming as Yume sprayed whipped cream in his eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you!?” he snapped.

“I told you not to hit my stand.” He went in for a charge, but Yume just chucked a napkin holder into his head. He toppled back, stars circling around his face. She leaned back onto the counter again, smirking. A yell of frustration came from Lizard Head Man as he continued to lay on the ground, his irritated eyes watering from the whipped cream.

“What’s the matter?” Yume chuckled.

“I’m gonna RIP YOUR HANDS OFF FOR THAT!” Before he could even stand properly, there was a flash of movement, and Lizard Head Man went flying into another vendor’s cart. Yume winced, “Oh man, there goes another cart…”

“Are you okay, ma’am?” A younger hero, with a lollipop in one hand and mechanical spider legs coming from his backpack came running up to her. Child Emperor, A Class, rank 16, she recalled from the booklet.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… watch the carts, yeah? People need to make a living.” She gestured vaguely around her.

“Oh!” he gasped, whipping around to see the destruction. “Oh, shoot, I didn't think about that...”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s not like you aimed for it on purpose,” she reassured him. “Just help me clean up after?”

“Yes, right. Absolutely,” he agreed.

“FUCK ALL OF THIS!” Lizard Head Man screeched, leaping up. “NOW I’M REALLY PISSED!”

“Oh, boy…” Yume sighed. “Hey, Child Emperor… Watch out. He’s fire-based.”

“Ugh, another one?” Lizard Head rushed up at a shocking speed, opened his mouth, and a stream of fire belched forth. Child Emperor barely hopped out of the way in time, throwing out a couple of water bombs, but the monster dodged easily. Lizard Head seemingly forgot all about Yume, now focused on the hero, and chased after him. Yume just chuckled and watched from afar. The kid seemed to know what he was doing. But when Lizard Head let out another belch of fire, the grass in the park sparked right up. “That’s not ideal,” Yume muttered, grabbing a fire extinguisher and putting out the dangerous flames. It had been a nice minute since the city was on fire. Best to keep that up, she mused.

Child Emperor landed hard next to her, a little singed. “Turns out his tail is hot, too,” he grumbled, dusting himself off and grabbing a gadget from his pocket. He leapt back into the fight, hopping nimbly to and fro to avoid Lizard Head’s flames. Yume just followed nearby, extinguishing any fires that attempted to start. There was the sound of something freezing, and she turned to see Lizard Head Man choking on a large icicle protruding from his throat. He stumbled back, attempting to dislodge it with no luck since his tongue was inside of it. It was comical, quite honestly, and both Yume and Child Emperor snorted at the monster’s panicked dance. Child Emperor came up and kicked out at the icicle, smacking it hard into Lizard Head Man’s face and causing it to shatter. K.O.! Lizard Head Man fell to the ground, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he twitched. “Ha ha, yes!” Child Emperor cheered, before making his call to the H.A. “Lizard Head Man is taken care of! Yup, bye.”

So he really was just calling himself Lizard Head Man. How embarrassing. “Nice job,” Yume applauded. “How about some free ice cream for our hero?”

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Child Emperor politely refused.

Yume waved her hand dismissively. “No, I insist. Heroes who do their jobs well get ice cream on me. What flavor?”

“Chocolate,” Child Emperor smiled sheepishly. He went to work cleaning up while Yume got his scoops, neatly repairing a stand and cleaning its contents from the ground with his backpack of robotic limbs. He jogged back to Yume, took the cone graciously and plopped on the ground next to her cart to eat it. They chatted about the heat, the fires that had cropped up around town, and the obnoxious levels of heat-based monsters that day.

He finally asked, “Hey, where did you get that scar on your leg?”

“Huh?” She looked down. “Oh, right. I forget I have that. Got it in an accident with a monster… Two? Yeah, two years ago. Almost three.” She pulled back her sleeves to reveal several more. “Yeah, it was a nasty run-in,” she chuckled.

“Whoa. And your scar on your face, did it get your eye?” She nodded.

“Yeah… It sure did hurt, but I got lucky that my eye was kept intact.” She lightly touched it, eyes distant for a second before her casual expression returned.

“Well, it makes you seem pretty cool,” Child Emperor smiled. “I saw you keep Lizard Head Man at bay for a second. Are you a retired hero or something?”

“Me? No. I’m just a civilian unafraid to do her part to help. I don’t think I’m cut out for professional heroics or anything, I just… help. When I can.”

“Well, it’s still really brave to do that,” he noted. “I don’t see a lot of regular civilians jumping into the fight, especially if they’re apt to be wounded like you have been.” He looked out at the H.A. team arriving on the scene, sighing. “It’s a lot of hard work, being a hero. So when we get any kind of outside aid, it’s really a relief. So thanks, really.”

Yume smiled. “You’re welcome. So, how’s that ice cream?”

“It’s really good!”

“Then how about another one?”

“Wha… really!?”

Chapter Text

? Years Ago

Yume didn’t even look up from her paper as someone slammed down a magazine onto her counter. “Will that be all, sir?” she drawled. She was almost done with this word search. Asinine and dubious were the last two...

“You have the audacity to sell lies at this stand?” the man demanded.

Yume finally turned her head to see Amai Mask glowering back at her. She glanced down to see a tabloid on the counter, the headline reading, “Amai Mask: A father to an unwanted son!” 

She stifled a laugh and picked it up, flipping through it. “Well, Mister Mask. I’m afraid I don’t choose what gets sold at this stand. You’d have to take it up with the printing press.”

He scowled. “I intend to.”

“Great. So do you want this magazine or…?”

“Why would I want to read this shit?”

“You tell me; you’re the one that slammed it on my counter.”

He rolled his eyes. “I was making a point.”

“Well congratulations, I’m the wrong person to be making said point to.” She took the magazine and tossed it onto a small pile on the floor. “Now if you’d move along, sir.”

He slammed his hands on the counter, leaning in. “You’re going to take the rest of these magazines down. Now.”

“Why should I? People can print whatever the hell they want.” She sat back down. “You could always just walk away.”

A vein bulged in his neck. “Take. These. Down.”

“Don’t. Be. Rude.” She snapped open her newspaper again, turning away from him. By now, a small crowd of onlookers had gathered. “Might want to keep that temper in check, Mister Mask,” she snarked quietly. “Don’t wanna disappoint the fans now, do we?”

“Take these down. Now ,” he hissed, keeping his voice down.

She snorted. “Try again.”

He gritted his teeth. “Take these down… please.”

She cupped an ear. “What was that? You’re going to have to speak up.”

Oh, she was so lucky he had fans around. “Would you… be so kind as to take down these slanderous magazines?” he growled, his nails leaving marks on the counter.

“Of course, Amai Mask!” she said loudly, tossing her newspaper to the side and stomping out of the stand and removing the tabloids with sarcastic grandeur. He hated every inch of gut in her, his face reddening at the scene she made. When she finished, she sat down and gave him a sickly sweet smile that only further made his blood boil. “Can I do anything else for you, sir?” she asked, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Death. That’s what he wanted. “No, that will be all.” 

“Was that so hard,” she smirked, “just to be a little polite? Are you like this to your waiters, too?”

He gritted his teeth. “No. I… am just having a... a rough day.”

“Clearly.”

He turned and stormed away, his fangirls running after him to “console” him. “Obnoxious idols,” Yume chuckled. “Always acting like the world owes them for existing.” She flicked her newspaper back open, glancing at one of the headlines. 

"STRANGE MONSTERS SEEN SNEAKING AROUND CITY Z!"

"Aren't they always?" she muttered to herself, frowning a little.

Chapter Text

? Years Ago

Saitama panted as he ran into the grocery store, head on a swivel as he looked around at the amount of people that were there for the sale. “Dammit… I overslept!” he grumbled, grabbing a basket and speed-walking through the isles as quickly as was socially acceptable.

Despite the crowd, he was pleased to find most of his favorite sale items still in stock. At the end of his list was some prime beef— finally on sale to the point that he could afford it. He hurried, hoping there was some left. Upon seeing the meat section, he sped up his pace. There was a pack left…! He nearly cried tears of joy, reaching out to take it—

Someone grabbed it at the same time as he did. He looked to his right to see a young woman staring back at him, her red eyes glinting  through her bangs. “Oh… looks like we both want this,” she quipped.

His jaw clenched a bit. “I do believe I grabbed it first.”

“Oh? I’m pretty sure we touched it at the same time.” She looked a bit smug. 

“We definitely did not.” He gritted his teeth, tugging it slightly towards himself.

“Did too.” She slightly tugged it back.

“I need this meat.” He could always grab it and run.

“So do I!” she retorted. “How about we settle this amicably?”

He didn't really want to, but it was only fair. “Fine. What do you suggest?” Saitama sighed.

“Rock paper scissors. Two out of three.” She smiled.

He raised an eyebrow. “Fine by me.”

They both lifted their hands. “One… two… THREE!” they shouted in unison.

Saitama’s mouth dropped open when he saw her rock, beating his scissors. “What!?”

“Dude, you seriously went for scissors?” she snickered. 

“Beginner's luck! Let’s go again!” he snapped.

“One… two… THREE!”

A wheeze escaped Saitama’s lips as he saw she chose paper, covering his rock.

“Man, you are predictable. ” She chuckled. “Come on, let’s do this again.”

On three, Saitama fell to his knees as she chose paper again, once more covering his rock. Am I… this bad at games? He thought in defeat. “No… No! Let’s go another round!” he bellowed.

She smiled. “Ha, sure. Ready?”

THREE! “Paper beats rock… again,” She chuckled.

THREE! “Scissors beats paper.” She shrugged. "You able to keep up?"

THREE! “Oh, we actually tied… nice.” She held up her fist again. "Now try to beat me."

THREE! “Rock beats scissors.” He knew he should have gone with scissors.

After several consecutive losses, Saitama had a hollow, dark look on his face and a slight twitch in his eye. He just couldn’t beat this woman… How? He couldn’t possibly lose this much? Well, minus the one tie.

“Hey, nice game. But maybe think before you choose the same move, yeah?” she chuckled again, taking the meat. “See you around.”

After mindlessly sulking for a few seconds, Saitama collected himself and went to pay for his groceries. I can just get meat next time. No use in letting it consume me.

He sighed, leaving the store with his paper bags in tow. “Man, I was really hoping to have some good ramen tonight,” he groaned. "But, that's what I get for sleeping in so late."

“Hey,” came a voice.

Saitama turned to see the young woman walking over to him, hands in her pockets. “Can I help you?” he asked, genuinely wondering what she could possibly want after dealing him such a crippling defeat at Rock Paper Scissors.

“I wanted to give you this.” She reached into her own bag, brandishing her prize. “You seemed genuinely upset, so I thought you should have it.”

Saitama stared at the prime meat in her hand. “I mean, you don't have to do that. You won it, fair and square.”

“Dude, I beat you six times. I feel bad.” She pushed the package into his hands. “Seriously, please take it.”

“I mean… sure. Thanks.” He put the meat in his bag, then looked back at her. “Hey… what’s your name?”

“Hm? Why do you ask?”

“So I can thank you properly?” He gave her a face.

“Oh, right. I’m Yume.” She offered a smile.

“Thanks, Yume. I’m Saitama.” He tucked the meat under his arm. "Ramen will be pretty tasty tonight, that's for sure."

Yume laughed. “Nice to meet you. You shop for the discounts every week?”

“Usually, yeah. Uh... Why?” Saitama asked.

“I figure I'll see you more often." She winked.

"Oh, is that supposed to be like a threat?" he asked calmly.

"No, not unless you think you can get to the discount goods before I do."

"Then I'll be seeing you on Saturdays, I guess," he replied with a small smile. She just gave him an odd smile and walked away with a wave.

He watched her go for a second before heading home. "She seems nice."