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"ONE PUNCH MAN! WAS THE FIGHT AGAINST THE ALIEN OVERLORD DIFFICULT?"
"ONE PUNCH MAN! WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU IN OUTER SPACE? YOU DIDN'T DIE, SO WAS THERE ANY PAIN AT ALL?"
"ONE PUNCH MAN! ARE YOU GOING TO PUNCH THE REMAINING ALIENS?"
"ONE PUNCH MAN! HOW MUCH STRENGTH DID YOU USE TO JUMP BETWEEN THE EARTH AND MOON? WAS IT AS MUCH AS ONE OF YOUR NORMAL PUNCHES?"
"ONE PUNCH MAN! DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME WE ENCOUNTER HOSTILE EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE, OR IS IT MERELY THE BEGINNING?"
Saitama sat in the middle of a massive crowd in City J. His eyes were closed, and his expression neutral. He's been in this situation too many times, so he knew there was no point in answering any of these questions. Nothing he said or did would register with these people right now.
BOOM
That wasn't an explosion, though it sure sounded like one. Lord Great White, who remained at Saitama's side, stomped his foot on the ground. The rest of the Seafolk were either in the water near the beach or at the very back of the crowd.
"EVERYONE! SETTLE!" Lord Great White ordered. "IF YOU WISH FOR OUR SAVIOR TO SPEAK, THEN USE YOUR EARS INSTEAD OF YOUR MOUTHS!" He instructed.
On the one hand, Saitama appreciated the intervention. On the other hand, the word "savior" made him uneasy. I mean, yeah, that was 100% accurate, but still. For Saitama's taste, it sounded so grandiose.
"Thank you, Lord Great White," Saitama said. Receiving praise from him made Lord Great White glow with pride. "Okay, so, I'm just going to describe everything to all of you, and then we'll go from there. K?" He suggested.
The crowd nodded in unison. Everyone's eyes sparkled, pens were ready to write, and cameras were focused on the shiny head of their hero.
"So, there I was, in the bathroom, when Puri Puri Prisoner came knocking on the door. Don't ask what he was doing there, that's a story unto itself. Anyway, he tells me that Metal Knight told him an alien was attacking the planet, and that I was the only one who could beat him. So, I finished my business, caused some property damage, made sure that I was clean, and then I headed out. I didn't want to run back because I was concerned I might cause damage to City J if I did. So, I jumped instead, aiming for City Z. I made it halfway there in the first leap, meaning I was in the middle of nowhere. I jumped again, but overshot my target. Luckily, that worked out because I landed right where I needed to be. That's when the fight started.
Lord Boros was the leader of the aliens. He was the strongest opponent I've had in a long time. Still, I didn't take any damage from his attacks. I felt them more than most, but that's it, really. By the end, I felt bad for the guy. It was almost like looking into a mirror. He was so tired of being bored and having no one to fight that he did something dumb. Luckily, I've got more in my life than just fighting, though I understand where he was coming from. For him, combat was everything. He didn't have interests beyond that, and he wasn't willing to try to find any. Was that stupid of him? Eh, I think that's being a little judgey if you think so. But that's getting off track.
Before we get back to the questions, I'll say that I don't intend to punch the other aliens, especially if they give up. I never want to kill anyone or anything like that, it's just that I'm usually left with no choice, ya know? So, as long as they're willing to chill out and talk to us, I think we can move past this. After all, it was their leader who brought them here and did all this just so I'd fight him, and now that's over. No reason to hold a grudge." Saitama stated.
A few seconds of silence came as everyone processed what they heard and wrote it all down.
"One Punch Man!" A woman called out, speaking far calmer than everyone else had been so far. "What happened to Lord Boros? Like, what was the final blow?" She asked.
"Sent him flying into space. Could hit another planet, could go on forever. Either way, pretty sure he's dead. I don't want to go into all the details of what happened because it might upset some people, but it was gnarly. Lord Boros was able to heal, but it'd be CRAZY if he healed from what my last punch did to him." Saitama answered.
"Me next!" A man called out, waving his hand. "One Punch Man, you landed somewhere in the middle of the fight right when the moon was being moved. Metal Knight focused on the moon, so where did you land?" He inquired.
"Dunno. I think I crashed into a valley or a mountain range. The coolest thing there was this MASSIVE frozen dinosaur. I know we're all focused on the aliens and the moon, but we should DEFINITELY try and get that guy into a museum or something. Maybe we could move him to City Z, and we'll finally have something else besides me that can bring in tourists." Saitama replied.
"One Punch Man!" A little girl cried out, making him look down. "Do you think you'll ever fight someone strong like that again?" She asked.
"...I dunno..." Saitama whispered, looking at the sky. "Lord Boros was the strongest in the universe. He made sure of that. That's a lot of different planets and species. It'd be weird to think that there's something like him or even greater somewhere. I mean, why wouldn't they have revealed themselves already? Lord Boros had to travel here, so that makes sense. But what's their excuse?" He answered.
"One Punch Man!" Another woman called out. "Are you going to go back on vacation now that Lord Boros is defeated?" She inquired.
"Uh..." Saitama looked back at the crowd, squinting his eyes. "I...don't think that's possible. Everyone everywhere is going to want a piece of me, and then there's the Association, and I should definitely be at City Z in light of all that's happened. But don't worry, the time I spent away was really nice. I wasn't aching for a vacation or anything, but I still appreciate the time I had." He responded.
"Who says it's over?" Someone from within the crowd questioned. "We were going to throw One Punch Man a party, right?" They asked.
Slowly, everyone looked at one another. Then the crowd erupted into a unified, joyful uproar. That's right! The people AND Seafolk of City J weren't just here to interrogate the world's strongest hero. They wanted to throw him a celebration, so let's get on with it!
Meanwhile
King was smothering himself. It wasn't intentional; it was a side effect of lying face down on his bed. After the aliens' ship was explored, and the aliens themselves were carted off to the House of Evolution, everyone came back to City Z. Then, amidst the cheering citizens and Association staff checking in with everybody, King pulled a disappearing act.
Admittedly, King knew he should probably be downstairs and fulfilling his duties as the temporary leader, but he just needed some alone time. A nice, comfy blanket and mattress are just what the doctor ordered. All of the tension, soreness, and exhaustion were floating away like clouds in the sky. In fact, King could feel a nap coming on.
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"Aww, tired, sweeite?"
The tension was back. King's body instantly stiffened. Slowly, he turned his head, and he saw Fubuki sitting next to him on the side of the bed.
"...I know you're angry..." King said, trying to get on top of this.
"Angry? Why would I be angry?" Fubuki questioned, gently placing her left hand on his cheek. "After all, my beloved boyfriend is safe and sound. Not only that, but most of the S-Class and a few A-Class heroes know about our relationship. I bet before the day is done, this news will spread like an oil fire. It'll be the best thing ever!" She exclaimed, smiling with her eyes closed.
"Fubuki, if everyone learned that I don't have powers while we were in the middle of fighting the strongest organism in the universe, it would've been WAY worse!" King argued.
"Oh, honey bun, you don't need to explain anything to me," Fubuki assured him with a light pat on his cheek. "However, I DO expect you to take responsibility for what you've done today," She said.
"...O-Oh?..." King stuttered, lightly shaking.
"We're going to have to show everybody just how in love we are! I mean, if we don't, then they'll get suspicious! Even worse, they might learn some things about you that you'd prefer to stay secret. Wouldn't that just be AWFUL?" Fubuki explained.
"W-What are we going to do?..." King asked.
"First of all, you'll be joining the Blizzard Group. We'll say that you decided to help raise our ranks by training us, and that Saitama signed off on the idea. And, to ensure that none of my subordinates fall behind, you'll be doing TWICE their work so that they have an inspiring example! Then, you're going to take me out shopping on a regular basis, because you love me SOOOOOOOOOO much! We'll also get photos taken, and maybe do some couples' interviews! Lastly, and this is the most important part, YOU are going to be the one who tells my sister about us! I would do it, but YOU were the one who decided to make things romantic between us! I think that's fair, don't you?" Fubuki answered.
"...Yes...dear..." King replied.
"Wonderful!" Fubuki cheered, getting up from the bed. "I'm going to take a nice, long bath. I'll even have bubbles. While I'm doing that, you can go and talk to Tatsumaki. I'm sure it'll be easier without me there to get in the way," She decided before leaving the apartment.
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"I should've made us walk ten paces..." King whined, burying his face in his blanket. Lady Luck giveth, and Lady Luck taketh.