It was a magnificent day at Z-City. The sun shone, the birds chirped and everything was peace and quiet. It was like this from the all that Monster Association nonsense. The poor Misterious Beings had learned a bit of their lesson back then, Dragon-level monstrosities splattered all over walls made for one hell of a argument, and decided that lay low for a time was the sensible choice to make.

And so, cities were rebuilt, damages repaired and, why the hell not, monuments to the great heroes of the Association were raised. They deserved it. They had saved the world, after all.

And so, between flashes of photographs, ribbons cut and shaken hands, peace had settled over poor old Earth once again, and this time it looked like it was here to stay.

And that meant that Saitama was a lizard.

He was, really. Or at least, that was what he was convinced of, laying with his head over the small table in his living room.

It was barely chill outside, but he had still cranked his heating up, put on his pajamas, sunk into his futon and literally hugged his electric blanket. He had done all of that by reflex alone, without thinking. When he had noticed, he decided that it wasn't worth the effort to change something.

Alright, he lied. He hadn't put up his pajamas, he simply hadn't chanched clothes from when he had woken up. What was the point anyway? At least, like this he was warm and cozy. Lizards liked the warmth.

It was an equation, really. The more the world was threatened, full of dangers and wackos flying around, the more he felt a bit of his old energy back, that small prickling hope that gave him the strenght to open the door and step into a new day. The more it was peaceful, the more he felt himself like an old sock left out to dry after a dog went to town over it. His old depression, coming back in all of its majestic glory. He was so numb that he didn't even feel guilty anymore for the small part of him that wanted for something to blow up already.

Genos had passed five times already from the start of the day, but he couldn't muster the strenght to go and open the door. What was the point anyway? No hero, no Saitama, no world-destructing punch. He was a lizard, taking the warmth in.

He had liked to hear this or that S-Class being complimented for this or that victory, but right now even the tv felt more like an annoyance than anything else.

Did he has to the grocery store today? He couldn't remember if he had enough salt. Oh, but who cared? The world was a grey, boring place, and he had nothing at all to do.

Saitama closed his eyes, and took in the heat. Lizard.

Far away from Saitama's apartment and personal purgatory, a small spaceship was in the middle of landing. It looked like it had come out from a bad alien movie, one of those with the Ufo made like flying plates with a bump on top. It had a series of small lights all around too, probably for scenographic purposes only, since it was full day.

Still, despite its little creativity in the design department, the small ship landed with barely a hitch and not a sound right in the middle of an open field, with none in sight to see.

A ramp opened up on a side, letting out a gout of steam, probably for more scenographic effect, and a figure walked out.

It wasn't exotic and full of misteries like an ET nor awe-inspiring like some tentacular monsters. In fact, it wasn't impressive at all. The alien looked like a tall woman swathed into a black cloak that made her look like she was floating above the ground. A technological visor covered the top half of her head, enclosing it like a helmet. The front was made of a substance that looked like glass. Behind her, a scaly black tail flickered softly in the air. All in all, not exactly what one would imagine to see into a space-opera.

The alien took in the field before her, some symbols flashing briefly over her visor.

"So this is the Earth, uh?" She said. Her voice was deep, and held a hint of curiosity. More symbols flashed, and a smile settled on her face. "I like it. It has a quaint feeling."

"That's what you say about any new planet you visit, Your Majesty." Sighed a rough voice from inside the ship. There was a creaking of plates, and a mass of fur pushed itself out from the opening, disregarding the fact that, logically speaking, there should't have been enough space inside for it.

The alien, that had descended on the field, chuckled good-naturedly. "Pull my leg, OFF. I don't get to go out very much."

OFF replied with a grunt, setting himself down on the grass. He scratched his ear and flicked his nose, taking the air in.

"I don't like it. It stinks." He judged with finality, and scratched himself again to emphasize.

He was tall good six meters and large at least two. And, well, he was a giant rabbit that walked on the back legs and had a scowling expression. Sure, the bulky armor and big scar over his face gave him a bit of a "futuristic mercenary" vibe, but, yeah, giant rabbit.

The alien chuckled again. "Mercury?"

OFF sniffed, and threw a glance at the opening. "Must be sleeping again, that good-for-nothing…" The rest of his comment went lost in the grumbling as he climbed back the ramp and pushed a voluminous arm inside. He gave a hearty rummaging around, until something inside gave a shriek that felt like someone had crushed a bunch of pieces of glass inside a blender.

OFF grunted and, drawing back his arm, threw to the ground a little black thing. It was a sort of small cloud made of what looked to be black dust that revolved around a solid core. It tumbled into the grass a couple of times, before coming to a rest with an indignant "hey!"

"OFF, you old oaf! Where you learned manners!" It protested with a shrill little voice, pixel-like dust angrily swirling about.

OFF just grunted irritably, jumping down from the ship and grasping at the thing. He started to mould it like a piece of rubber, at the shrill voice's indignant protests.

"Enough, you two." The alien chided with a smile. "I found him." She added, turning to look to the horizon.

OFF gave the black thing a last good squeeze before making it bounce off the ground like a ball. The core elongated and changed shape as it turned back up, having taken a somewhat humanoid shape when OFF grabbed it back again.

"So, we're doing this right now?" He grumbled, giving the little shape some more adjustements.

"Of course." The alien nodded. "That's why i am here."

OFF gave an affirmative grunt and let the now humanoid shape fall io the ground.

The alien's visor sparkled with some more symbols, and the space around was distorted by a series of fizzles that looked like informatic errors.

Mercury's shrill voice had just started to complain about the rough treatment when the trio was enveloped by distortions and disappeared, leaving the field empty.

Shopping bags in both hands, Genos peered at the building where his master had been holing up for two weeks.

He was too much robot to give in to emotions, - useful trait for his kind of job - but right now that rule was being stretched thin.

Master was prone to depressions, a trait that he attributed to counter-effects from his crazy strenght, but this bout was the longest yet.

He had done his research. On his pc, he had two folders full of data only about Master, from his alimentary habits to hygiene levels, from observations of his power to battle performance reviews. He even researched the games he liked to play, with somewhat concerning results about Master's sentimental life. Someone could have called it stalkering, but he did all of that only to understand Master's strenght and, in time, manage to emulate him, even if only a little.

And yet, he still couldn't understand what exactly laid at the bottom of Master's mind. Of course, Saitama was a proud defender of justice, an example of virtues and strenght that never ceased to ispire him. Genos had put that judgement as the foundation of his exam of Master. But the basic logic still eluded him. Why exactly Saitama was taken by periodic depressions? And why now was he in such a lethargic state?

He couldn't completely understand, and that concerned him. He couldn't help him like that. At best, he could make conjectures. Maybe Master felt without an objective now that villains have seemed to disappear? Considering his gallant and brave streak, it would make somewhat of a sense. Pursuing strenght with such a passion and being unable to make use of it must have been…

His internal detectors went crazy with high-level energy detections. Genos left the bags fall, snapping to look east, his battle-hardened instict powering all of his weapons without coscient thought.

There were people in the middle of the road, and he was sure that there wasn't nobody a second earlier.

Core raising in level of powers, Genos watched them. It was a strange trio. The central one, what it looked to be a woman, with a strange visor and with a cape closed around its body. It didn't escape him the tail trailing behind her. At her right, a sort of mass of pizel-like black dust in the form of a humanoid, sorrounded by a sparse cloud of the same substance. Two golden light peered at him from where a human would have the eyes, with what seemed to be curiosity. And the third… Genos blinked quickly. Was that a giant rabbit?

He didn't move when the door of the building he was surveilling opened.

"Master." He greeted, looking at Saitama with only the tail of an eye. "It seems that we have visitors."

Saitama, in his superhero uniform to Genos' secret relief, just made an affirmative sound, looking at the strange trio with his usual blank face.

"Ah, i see that you received my message." The visored woman nodded with a smile.

Genos frowned, but Saitama only scratched his head.

"Message? What are you talking about?"

The woman chuckled softly, but changed topic. "I think that presentations are in order. I am Blacktail. Because i have a tail and it's black." She showed the long appendage to emphasize, and chuckled again. "And these are my bodyguards, Mercury." The humanoid shape gave a cheerful greeting. "And OFF." The giant rabbit grunted, watching them suspiciously.

The woman smiled at them, wide and clear. "Nice to meet you. Saitama and Genos, right? Feel free to correct me if i am wrong."

Saitama and Genos exchanged a look. What in the blue was happening right now?

"Well, yes..."

"Marvelous." The woman gave a little bounce, looking very pleased. "You're somewhat famous from where we live. Especially you, Saitama."

The Caped Baldy blinked, surprised. "Me?"

The woman nodded, good-naturedly. "Enough to attract my own curiosity. I may not look like it, but i am kind of a big shot in the wider galaxy."

Genos needed a moment to realize all the implications. "You're not of this planet…"

It was less of a question and more of a costatation, and Genos raised his level energies of one rank after the woman nodded.

Saitama snapped his fingers, looking like he had just remembered something.

"Oh! So you know that guy from the other time."

"Boros, yes." The woman's smile took a somewhat impressed edge. "When the news that someone on this planet had defeated him, i was curious to see the earthling that accomplished such a thing." She shrugged, a motion barely visible with her heavy cloak. "I was on vacation, so i said: why not? Let's go and take a look." She turned slighty to Saitama. "I can see how you defeated him."

Saitama was already looking about to say thank you like an embarassed corporate clerk, but Genos cut him off.

"What you want?" He asked coldly. He didn't trust these strange people.

The woman turned at him, smile unfazed. "Well, i am curious, simply. I want to see what the one that defeated Boros can do." She cocked her head for a moment, like she was listening to something. "And with one punch? Marvelous."

Genos felt his gut clench. Something was giving him an eerie feeling about this.

"So, what did you say, mr. Saitama. Do you want to indulge me? Only a bout or two, that's all i ask. Just to see for myself."

Saitama hesitated. "Well…" He didn't really want to hit a woman. It felt somewhat impolite. And this gal didn't look very threatening, if he had to be honest.

"Some hesitation? Understandable." The woman conceded amiably. "Let's do this, then. If you beat me, i won't destroy this planet, how about it?"

The tension, that until that moment had been steadying, returned a hundred fold.

Genos was istantly into a battle stance, all his weapons snapping open and filling with energy.

OFF and Mercury had jumped into action also, both having moved to stand before Blacktail in a protective stance.

"Back off, junk. That's not your business." OFF grunted.

"Well, it's his planet too. I say that it's business alright." Mercury tittered, the light of its eyes now red.

The only ones to not move had been Blacktail and Saitama. They stared at each other, the woman smiling lightly, and Saitama's expression serious. Slowly, it turned into a combative smile.

"So, on vacation, eh? Destroying planets doesn't sound like a good idea to pass one of those." He decided that, despite the fact that she had just threatened to blow up the earth, he liked this chick. Seeking fun into battle was too much his own thing to not understand. And, well, he liked the direct attitude.

"We all take our kicks where we can." She replied philosofically. "You know that better than most."

Saitama didn't know what to answer to that.

"Still, i guess you would not be keen to go all out so close to you house. Do you know a place that is more adapt?"

Saitama thought only a moment about that. "Sure thing." He turned to Genos, somewhat hesitating. He felt a good hope about this thing, but he wasn't sure what to do about him.

Blacktail seemed to read his thoughts. "Don't worry about your friend. My bodyguards will keep him company."

A grunt and a titter were the only, and not much reassuring, replies.

Still, Saitama was feeling his blood getting up.

He gave a rapid somewhat apologetic glance to Genos, then turned to Blacktail, his smile combative and ready.

"Follow me!" He exclaimed, and he was gone, a blur and a blast of wind in his wake.

Genos stumbled, then retook his stance, mind running. He had complete thrust into Master's prowess, but had he to be always so hasty? Not like he could talk about zeal, but still…

The strange woman was gone also, the two henchmen looking a lot more relaxed.

"Well, that's done." Grumbled the big rabbit, OFF, if he had heard the name correctly, while stretching his shoulder. "Hey, you, earthling." Genos stiffenedat being addressed. "Is your friend really strong?"

Genos blurted out the words before thinking. "Master is the strongest hero on earth. He's invicible."

OFF frowned. "Master? What are you… ah, who cares."

"I think you're pretty!"

Genos had to repress the urge to jump when the smiling face made of swarming pixels popped straight before him. "I thought you earthlings were all ugly fleshy things!" Mercury exclaimed. "But you're cool! You got all those metal parts!"

Genos was unsure of what to do as the thing whirled around him, watching him with child-like wonder.

The big hand of OFF saved him, closing around Mecury and dragging it away.

"Don't bother the piece of junk, you little monker." He grumbled, pixels running crazily around his closed fist.

"That's soooo rude, OFF!" Came the outraged, tittering voice from inside. "They've been so kind. Why must you be like that?"

OFF just grunted and rolled his eyes.

Whatever he was going to say was lost, as a tremendous explosion went off into the horizon. The road trembled, and Genos had to steady himself.

"It's going to end soon." OFF said, as Genos whirled around to see a giant mushroom cloud where the ruins of Z-City's center were.

"Master is going to win." Genos said mechanically. The big rabbit came to his side, watching the settling cloud with a frown. The pixels still whirled around his fist.

"Here on earth, you know of God?"

Genos was taken aback from the sudden question, but nodded nonetheless.

"Well, that freak of my boss, she's not God. But damn if she's close."

"OFF! Don't be rude to the nice lady that mmppphh!"

"Shut up, you."

Genos watched as another explosion went off, this one blasting upward to clear the sky of all clouds. He had absolute confidence in Master. No matter what monster, alien or monstrosity was going to come, Saitama would win without ever flinching. He was simply too strong to contemplate something different. Yes… yes, he would win. His Master, that never lost his path, and showed him that he was losing his own. He wouldn't ever lose.

Right?

He took a step forward, but was held back by a massive paw.

"Where are you going?"

Genos didn't turn. "I am going to assist my Master. Let me go."

"You can't do that with the energy you have, kiddo. You'd only get in the way."

Genos rallied against that. What did he know about his prowess? "I am still going. Let me go."

"Moron."

The street launched itself away from him. Genos felt something hard smash against his back. His vision fizzled for a moment, then it steadied again on a field of rubble.

His in-built systems kicked in, showing him that he was two kilometers away from his precedent position. Shaking away his dismay, he left a burst of energy flare, destroying the rubble into which he had gone to embed himself. As he landed on the ground, his mind raced. Had that monster actually thrown him so far?

His detector signalled an incoming object. Genos' turbines flared, and he dashed out of the way, just an istant before the massive form of OFF came crashing down where he had been standing.

Genos was a veteran. He could kick into combat stance at any second, and knew that once the first shot had been fired, it wasn't over until one of the two was down.

He moved quickly, intern motors rising to a fever pitch as they provided powers to weapons. An energy blast shot out, cooking stone and blasting dirt, but OFF was already moving out of the way.

Genos slided to a stop just as the big alien stomped between the rubble, the two facing each othere.

"I'll be more clear." He grunted. "You don't get to go anywhere until our boss and your pal have finished." A protest from his fist was quickly shushed.

Genos didn't say nothing, there was nothing to say. He just moved into action. His arm-mounted cannon roared, the energy blast engulfing OFF. It was still going as Genos broke into a run, mechanical turbines making him accelerate to incredible speed. A machinegun-like rain of fists cratered the earth, sending rubble and debris flying everywhere.

Genos felt everything connect, so he increased his tempo. He was going to…

An enormous fist emerged from the dust, piercing straight through his assault.

Genos felt a spike of pain, then nothing more.

He came back with a gasp. The first thing he realized was that he was on his stomach, with something heavy atop him. He struggled, but couldn't shrug it off.

"Calm down." The rumbling voice of OFF said from somewhere he couldn't see.

Genos didn't obey, couldn't obey. Instead, he kept struggling, even to no avail.

Mercury's rotund head appeared in his vision. The strange thing had a somewhat sympathetic smile on its strange face. Still, it quickly changed to mischievousness as it started to pick at Genos' face with a thin finger.

Genos reboubled his efforts, if only to get away from that.

Minutes passed with frustrating slowness and, when the weight finally disappeared it felt like an eternity had passed.

Genos immediately jumped up, eliciting a squeak from a sleeping Mercury. His augmented muscles not being burdened a bit from the forced immobility, he re-activated his weapons, ready to give battle once again. He was angry and frustrated enough to be ready to blow up a city.

Still, OFF didn't look about to face him. The giant alien only watched him with mild disapproval, emanating not one jolt of aggressivity.

"It's done." He grumbled, nodding toward the horizon.

Something in his tone took the fight out of Genos' anger. Wide-eyed, he turned to where he had gestured to, toward the place of the battle.

"Do whatever you feel like."

Genos didn't need to be said twice. Without a look back, he took flight, engines spouting jets of flame.

Something… something had changed, he could feel it where his heart and guts used to be. Something deeply wrong had happened, and his bad feelings kept pointing at only one thing. But, it was impossible. Master couldn't have possibly lost. Saitama never lost. It was simple as that. He never lost!

When he arrived at the place, his eyes widened.

The ex-center of the city was gone, replaced by an enormous crater that seemed to stretch for dozens of kilometers.

Genos found the two contenders at the exact center of it.

Blacktail looked unfazed, barely a fleck of dust over her pristine cloak. She looked just like when she had left, minus the little smile, now replaced by a somewhat thoughtful expression.

And before her…

"Master!" Genos was at Saitama's side in a flash. Frantically, keeping his calm only by his cold blood, he went to check his Master's condition.

Saitama laid into the dust like a puppet with his strings cut. His outfit was rent and broken into many place, showing wounds, cuts and bruises of all kind. Genos could barely believe at what he was seeing.

"I'll say." Genos jumped, pointing his cannon out of instict.

Blacktail didn't seem to notice. "Little Boros has always been a bit of a boaster, but he could back up a lot of his claims. And yet, he really had no chance against you. You are really powerful, earthling. You broke your limiter, but at a level that it's remarkable." She tilted her head. "Mh, muscle training, uh? That's really hilarious." She chuckled, her expression softening. "But you have absolutely no form, a novice at best. You have to put some work in the skill department or people are gonna call you a musclehead." She shrugged. "Oh, well, it has been fun." She moved her gaze on Genos, and he shuddered and clenched his teeth.

Blacktail looked throughful for a moment, then smiled. "You know what? I have decided to not destroy this planet. Why, it looks like a funny place. I think that i will remain here a little more."

Genos' disbeliving relief was cut out by her gesturing at him with her tail.

"Genos, right? Take care of your Master for a while. I fear that during our little bout i have inadvertently restored a part of his limiter." Her appendage waved, like to say that it had been an unfortunate but unavoidable circumstance.

She seemed to take Genos' stunned silence as a declaration of complete under standing.

"See you around, then."

Genos' arm snapped toward her. "Wait!"

Blacktail stopped mid-turn, giving him a quizzical look.

"Who are you?"

She made to open her mouth, but then stopped, and smiled. "I am Blacktail. Just that. And that's because i have a tail that it's black." She chuckled, like she had just said a very clever joke, and started to drift away.

"See you around, Cyber Demon. Say hello to your friend when he wakes up."

And, just like that, she was gone, disappearing into the dust in the wind like she was never there.

Genos noticed he was holding his breath only when her strange presence disappeared. For a moment, he fumbled in confusion, a thousand questions fighting in his head. He replied to it as he always did, by doing stuff. He went back to check his Master, starting to daub his most vicious wounds with healing foam he kept for civilian causalties. He had already confirmed he was alive, but only now he allowed himself to be relieved for it, as well for his own survival and, well, the entire world, he guessed. Because someone with the power to defeat his Master was to be taken on the word when she said that she could destroy Earth, that was for sure.

Emotions warred for his attention, but he stubbornly shut them down. What had just happened was simply too big, he… he needed time, and now it wasn't the moment.

Feeling deeply shaken, he focused on giving medical attention to his Master. It didn't escape him the distinctly happy expression on the sleeping face of Saitama, but what exactly meant, he wasn't able to understand. Of one thing he was sure, though. Things had just abruptly changed, and, he decided, not for the right, at all.