Work Text
Notebook #1321. Page 22
CITY Z
18TH FEBRUARY 13AX
6:30AM
SENSEI WAS LYING SUPINE ON HIS FUTON. HIS HEAD, NECK AND BODY WAS PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. ARMS AND LEGS WERE STRETCHED OUT WIDELY, WHICH BEARED PERFECT RESEMBLANCE TO THE 'DAI' (BIG) KANJI CHARACTER (A STANCE TO PREPARE FOR UNEXPECTED ATTACKS?).
HIS FISTS WERE RELAXED TO ENSURE THEY WERE WELL-RESTED AFTER BATTLE.
HIS MOUTH WAS WIDE OPEN (TO OPTIMISE GAS EXCHANGE?) DURING SLEEP.
Genos put away his study diary back on the shelf once he had finished scribbling a quick note of Saitama. He got up and quietly made his way into the kitchen to cook breakfast. Genos always loved the kitchen, no matter were and how or incredibly dirty. Whenever he felt worn out, cold or all alone, the moment he stepped into the kitchen, he'd think,
"how wonderful it is to feel at home."
He did not understand why, but the kitchen felt extremely -- nostalgic and warmly therapeutic, as if he had spent every single significant moment of his life in it. Genos put on his light pink apron with a cute little egg cartoon and went straight to work. He took out the ingredients from the fridge which he and Saitama had bought from a midnight supermarket sale -- fresh eggs, sausages, smoked streaky bacon, juicy tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, baked beans and hash browns on sale. He remembered Saitama once said he wanted to try a full English breakfast, which he of course, wrote it down in his notebook and made sure he had revised it in detail before hitting the markets. He had also done thorough research on how to cook a proper breakfast so that he could see the satisfied face of Saitama eating. Just the thought of that was enough to make Genos happy.
"Rise and shine, Saitama."
"Mmm??"
Saitama heard a strange voice talking to him, and was soon woken up by the sound of bacon sizzling and eggs popping in the hot pan, as well as turbines from Genos' fired up palm. The smell Saitama's favorite food immediately revived his morning fatigue. He peeped up from his futon and saw Genos busy cooking and smiling warmly. Saitama was pleasantly surprised as he had never seen him looking so genuinely happy since the day they first met, and he almost wondered if Genos was devoid of all emotions besides sadness and anger. He decided to pretend he was still sleeping so that Genos could continue to enjoy his little 'happy moment' for a little longer, undisturbed. Saitama slowly drifted back to slumber land with the soothing sounds of his room mate's cooking went on.
Tap!
"Saitama sensei - breakfast is ready," said Genos, as he gently placed 2 cups of freshly-brewed hot tea on the table."Yawn~oh morning Genos!" Saitama woke up and immediately bounced out of bed when he saw the perfectly prepared breakfast on the table. "That looks delicious! Must have been a lot of work for you. Thanks dude."Genos is again, looking serious and cool as usual, said "I hope you'd like it. It was actually very easy because it only involved frying and simple seasoning.""Let's eat Genos, I can't wait!" said Saitama as he shoved a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. Throughout breakfast, Saitama continued to exclaim how tasty the food was, how enjoyed the smell of bacon in the house, and how he wished he could eat until he drops. Genos ate quietly as he listened attentively to every single word that came out from his teacher, and felt a sensation of warmth in his core. He really wished Saitama could eat more slowly so that he'd talk for longer, but within minutes breakfast was already over. Saitama was just too hungry and he loved the breakfast too much. "Thank you for your complements, Sensei." said Genos while cleaning up the table. As Saitama had always been conservative with praises, Genos felt extremely honored. Unable to contain his inner excitement, Genos immediately reached for his notebook and scribbled down all the praises Saitama had just said, word-by-word."Oi, Genos -- " said Saitama with an uneasy expression. "You really don't have to write down every single thing that I've said as if you're going to forget about it.""Sensei, your words of wisdom and praises will always to motivate me to work even harder to become the best disciple, so I must record them down."Genos looked up and looked at Saitama with glowing irises and an unreadable blank expression.
Yikes, he looks really serious about this. Did I just offend him?"
Thought Saitama as he was lost for words for a moment and felt as if a lump of rock was stuck at the back of his throat. "No Genos, what I mean is er, you are very smart and I know that because you managed to score full marks in the Hero's Association written exam. You must have an exceptional memory, like a 'computer', that's what I mean. In other words, I was just curious why you always need to write down every thing you hear or observe from me.""Sensei, writing and drawing helps me think more clearly and -- " There was a hint of sadness in Genos' voice as he looked down at his feet for a brief moment before looking back up has his teacher again with intense eyes, "my memory is not really -- as good as you think.""Com'on dude, you can't be worse than me. I can never, ever remember my opponent's faces and names! I always piss people off because of this!" Saitama laughed at himself."Sensei you are just being too humble, as always. Most of those enemies like Sonic and Tank-top are nothing compared to your strength. It's just waste of brain power to even remember who they are"."Genos -- are you listening? I am telling the truth!" protested Saitama, "Again, you don't need to butter me up like I'm some kind of idol because I am not. I've told you before -- It creeps me out. I mean, er, It's too embarrassing! Just stop it, ok?" He said with a forced smile as he scratched the back of his bald head - a typical body language of doubt and lying."I am really sorry Sensei, for making you uncomfortable." said Genos, but he has already lost the enthusiasm in his voice. The feeling of disappointment and guilt was so great that he struggled to come up with words that could ease his teacher's tension. "Please, would you leave me alone for a while? Allow me to wash the dishes myself." Saitama immediately replied, "No Genos, I should be saying sorry. My bad." "No, you don't need to apologise, sensei." "Ok Genos. Please let me know if you need my help." Saitama sounded a little concerned but did not know how he should comfort his disciple who looked obviously hurt. "Well, guess I just have to give him some time. Time heals everything." Saitama switched on the TV to catch the morning news, and hoped it could help him forget about the whole conversation this morning as Genos carried the dishes into the kitchen.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
In the kitchen, Genos was scrubbing the dishes in the sink. Rather than speaking his true feelings, Genos chose to remain silent in order to avoid making matters worse. He had learned to accept that he was extremely bad at talking especially in the beginning of his discipleship. He had noted down how he had hurt his teacher's feelings unknowingly, whether they were well-meaning advice on hair growth, or just random quotes from fan mails. The bravery to face hard truths and acknowledge his own defective was as difficult as facing an extremely strong opponent. In order to cheer himself up, he tried to recall how Saitama sensei had been so kind to him, that he had agreed take him as his disciple and even accepted his unreasonable request to move into his small studio flat.
"He is truly an amazing hero, and must never cause him any trouble. I can never repay him and I owe him my life. Sensei was so powerful yet so kind and humble - always the first to sacrifice his public image in order to give credit to the other 'weaker' heroes, even those who despised him. "
That was the entry he wrote in his notebook #1, page 1 (reserved for special highlights of the book).
Genos also wrote in the first diary's page 1 to remind himself that he must never take Saitama's kindness for granted. However, Saitama always refused to use Genos' money for the extra living expenses. In order words, Genos was just living off his poor sensei who had been out of job and needed to compromise in his standard of living. He couldn't help but felt guilty about this.
Not only words of wisdom, but he notebooks were filled with vivid pictures of Saitama in ANY action in immaculate detail - ranging from fighting poses, to things as 'mundane' as housework techniques, reading and sleeping postures - all annotated with joint angle measurements, acceleration calculations, angular rates, axis and force estimates. Genos knew very well that he would be called a 'creep' or 'stalker' if Saitama found out one day about the contents of the notebook and yell at him, or just called them 'nonsense' and laughed them off. No, those pictures were important to him. Although Saitama was insanely powerful, Genos was even more amazed that he could be so gentle at the same time - he seldom breaks any things at home and never kills any animals from manhandling - just like a normal human being. To Genos, the notes not only provided clues to the secrets of Saitama's strength, but constantly reminded him what it was like to be a superhero and HUMAN at the same time. Initially, Genos' obsessions for revenge, fuelled by the hatred he felt towards the 'crazy cyborg' that destroyed his family, had resulted in his decision to undergo cyborg modification by Dr. Kuseno 4 years ago. Besides his brain and spinal cords, he was made entirely of mechanical parts. As a side effect of the procedure and post-traumatic stress disorder, he had lost all memories of his past - his 'real' name, details of his family, or even identity of the crazy cyborg.He was considered a machine of mass destruction. In order to gain the strength he needed, he had no regrets. However, deep down he was still afraid that one day he would become a 'real' robot - devoid of all emotions, pleasures, and even skills of daily living that makes him 'human'. He was even more afraid that one day he may lose control of his power and burn down everything in his path - like another crazy cyborg. Because of this, he chose to become a 'lone' cyborg - avoided making any friends and kept a safe distance from anything delicate. Many people may assume he lacked emotions but in fact he was afraid of his destructive power that he craved for in the very first place."Overwhelming strength is boring as hell." Saitama once said, and Genos wrote it down. That statement was straight to the heart. "Even with overwhelming power, I couldn't change anything in this world". "No sensei. You have brought changes to so many people's lives without realizing it. That includes me." Genos had requested Dr. Kuseno to provide him a pair of 'housework arms' and install a digestive system with ability to taste and enjoy food so that he could remain as 'human as possible'. Despite physical upgrades, deep down there seemed to be something lacking that could not be replaced by a physical upgrades. Were they hobbies? Family? Fun? Friends? For the very least, daily housework and mealtimes seemed incredibly therapeutic and nostalgic. Genos was surprised to find out for the first time that strongest man on earth was only excited by supermarket sales. For some strange reason, he was pleasantly excited by sales as well. Perhaps those were things that he used to do and truly enjoyed when he was still a human. Saitama's home was like another family for him. "No matter what, these memories are too precious. I must write down everything first -" Genos snapped out of his daydream, suddenly alert to the fact that his mobile phone had been vibrating in his trousers' back pocket. He took it out of his pocket and flipped it open. A wallpaper of Saitama's simply 'drawn' face with light reflecting off his bald head emerged.
"Hello. I'm Genos." he said. "This is from the Hero's Association," said a man's voice. "We have an emergency at the moment and we need your help. A disaster level demon monster, owl king, emerged from a forest near city Z. There are no heroes nearby except you. It is targeting the residential areas. Let me give you the exact location." "OK." replied Genos. There was silent for a brief moment as he noted down the location of the monster.
At the same time, an image of a gigantic bird-like monster appeared on TV. It had a masked like head with protruding horns, a huge smiling beak, and thorn-like wings. The monster was shown flying towards the reporters, followed by total black-out of the screen.
Saitama started putting on his suit and called out to his disciple, "Genos, I can immediately sense this monster will be some worthy opponent. It's time for 'justice reinforcement', let's go."
"Yes, sensei!" replied Genos as he changed into his battle mode arms. "I'm re -"
Boom!
A missile obliterated the balcony, the shockwave knocked the TV and bookshelf over.
Shit, I was too busy in my thoughts I failed to detect a high-speed object approaching. Is the monster already heading this way? No?
"DEMON CYBORG. I HAVE FOUND YOU."
A cyborg? The voice sounded metallic. It was a gigantic robot with a shiny metal face and 3 red eyes, hovering meters away from the balcony. The voice sounded almost familiar -
"Metal knight? What business do you have with me, and why are you attacking us? Aren't you supposed to be heading towards the city centre to fight the dragon class monster." Genos shouted.
Why? All of a sudden? At this very moment? 2 simultaneous attacks?
"I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THAT MONSTER. YOU ARE MY TARGET. SINCE EVERYONE IS BUSY DEALING WITH THAT MONSTER, THIS IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO CONFRONT YOU, DEMON CYBORG"
"What the hell?! Why are you shooting my balcony! Why are you attacking Genos? Aren't you a hero as well?!" yelled Saitama. "People's lives in city z are in danger I am not going to waste time on dealing with your personal disputes!"
"Sensei! Leave me deal with him metal knight. You must go and save the city immediately! I am confident that you can deal with that dragon class monster easily. Go!" yelled Genos.
Another missile was about to be dispatched from the robot, this time directly at Genos.
Bang!
Genos engaged the boosters in his shoulders and propelled himself forward towards his opponent, destroying the missile holder with a lightning-charged kick. But the damage was insufficient to take down the robot.
"Sensei, GO! Trust me I'll be fine!" yelled Genos.
"OK, but promise me don't be too reckless this time!" replied Saitama as he made a power jump and disappeared towards the direction of the disaster area.
"I promise you, sensei."
"BOOOOM!!!"
And with that, Genos received a heavy blow in his chest and fell to the ground.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Seconds later, Saitama arrived at the disaster area and was standing on top of an abandoned high-rise building. The entire forest was set ablaze, and the giant owl king monster was rapidly flying towards the business district as it released a stream of never ending fiery feathers at the buildings. ZOOOOOM! A chain of missiles approached from behind Saitama with an ominous cloud of smoke that obliterated his field of vision. He made no attempts to evade, as those were obviously targeting the monster. With a forceful downward sweep of its wings, the giant owl flew higher and dodged the missiles with ease . It swiftly readjusted its position to prepare to charge towards its opponent. Saitama's head turned towards the direction of the owl's gaze, and saw the SAME robot with the shiny metal face and 3 red eyes that attacked his home earlier approaching in high speed. Crap, this means -- Genos has been defeated by Metal Knight? But Saitama left the scene less than a minute ago. How is that even possible? Saitama didn't have time to muse on the subject. 10 more missiles shot straight past him, discharged into the monster in front. Some of them missed and landed into one of the abandoned districts, the entire area burst into flames. "What the hell, Metal Knight!" yelled Saitama. "Why're you even here? Didn't you have no interest in fighting this monster? Where's Genos?!" "I AM A HERO, THIS IS PART OF MY DUTY." It was the same metallic voice that spoke to him and Genos. Saitama was certain that he didn't get it wrong. "Don't lie to me, Metal Knight! I know you're just faking this. If you dare kill Genos and destroy my city, I'll turn you into trash!" "WELL CAPED BALDY, THERE'S NO NEED FOR ME TO FAKE OR HIDE ANYTHING. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF MY TWO REMOTELY-CONTROLLED ROBOTS I'VE DISPATCHED FOR TODAY'S MISSION." Huh? This didn't make any sense. Why would Metal Knight do this?No time for worrying. For once, Saitama used his brain, and focused on how to deal with the current situation. He could take down the monster first together with the robot in front of him once and for all, and then head back to help Genos. Without the slightest hesitation, Saitama leaped forth towards the owl monster, shattering the entire building underneath with the recoil force of his foot. With the power and speed of a million shooting starts, Saitama evaded all the fire feathers and appeared right behind the owl and landed consecutive punches on the owl's thorax. In a split millisecond, the entire body of the owls shattered into fine dust. The wind force generated by Saitama's attack was enough to cut through miles of cloudy sky, revealing the blazing mid-day sun. Metal Night had already analysed Saitama's moves and dodged sideways to evade the hit. Saitama charged toward the robot and landed right in front just few metres away. "Why did you attack us?! I won't let you get away with attacking Genos, and I'll make sure the Association finds out about this your true face. And PAY FOR MY BALCONY!" "OF COURSE THEY WON'T. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN TAKING GENOS' LIFE" "What?! Then what businesses do you have with him?" Saitama wondered if Genos had been picking up too many fights while he wasn't around. "I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN HIS BODY. IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, I WILL LET HIM LIVE IF HE COMPLIES AND SURRENDER. BUT IF HE REFUSES, I CAN'T PROMISE HIS SAFETY. I NEED HIM WHETHER HE'S DEAD OR ALIVE""Metal Knight. I can't believe you have such weird fetish in cyborgs. Eew that's gross!" "YOU DIRTY FOOL! I MEAN, I'M INTERESTED IN HIS BODY'S POWER AND I WANT TO USE IT FOR MY RESEARCH AND BUILD STRONGER WEAPONS!" Metal Knight was obviously annoyed and started to lose his cool. "You're just doing that to fulfil your selfish ambitions. You have no interest using your power to protect the public. Give up now, or I'll destroy you." Saitama feared for the worse because he knew that Genos would never comply with Metal Knight's request. He would rather die than fall into a evil scientist's hands and become a weapon of mass killing. Metal Knight is a higher ranking S-class Hero afterall, and Genos won't easily win. "GO AHEAD IF YOU DARE. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T KILL ME. IF YOU DARE ATTACK, THESE ROBOT EYES WILL RECORD EVERYTHING AND BROADCAST THE ENTIRE INCIDENT TO THE WORLD - THAT CAPED BALDY IS A REBEL AND A THREAT TO THE ASSOCIATIO - . " BOOM!!! A massive storm caught Metal Knight off guard from behind and shattered his body into countless fragments. Such power -- only THAT S-class Rank 2 Hero -- Terrible Tornado could execute such damage. But that would be impossible because she had no reasons to attack him, plus she should currently be at the head quarters. "Who the hell was that?!" In another city far away, the scientist in the name of "Bofoi" who remotely controlled the robots was puzzled in his lab. He had lost all sorts of contact with Caped Baldy and failed to record the source of the attack. It was too fast and of course, the robot didn't have scanners at the back. Neither was the attack from Caped Baldy because no sudden movements or signs of energy surges were detected from him. But whatever the cause of the robot's defeat, Bofoi decided to leave it along for now. After all, Saitama was not his target. He was prepared to sacrifice one of his bots to lure Saitama away from the cyborg. Saitama was strong but lacked intelligence. He had fallen straight into his trap. Picking up the controller for his other robot, Bofoi commanded, "TIME TO RETREAT WITH SPECIMEN. MISSION - ACCOMPLISHED'.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shortly afterwards, Saitama arrived back at the street of his home. The street that he lived was no longer recognisable - the flyover in front of his home had been split in two, and the buildings immediately besides it had been turned into wasteland. Miraculously, Saitama's flat was the only structure left standing at the disaster area, but the balcony was partially destroyed by Metal Knight's attack. The overwhelming power that destroyed Metal Knight's robot was actually from Saitama's "serious punch" attack from afar - the force was so powerful that it immediately killed his enemies in front and continued to travel a long distance to take out the robot that was attacking Genos. Saitama was familiar with his city enough that he calculated his force carefully so that he could spare his home and (hopefully) Genos as much as possible. Saitama leapt to the top of the building to survey the surroundings, then he stood still to take in a deep breath and shouted out loud, "Genos?! Where are you?! Answer me!"
"Sen-Sensei!"
"Hey Genos! Hang on there!" Saitama shouted and leapt off the building. He landed right beside the building's entrance and saw Genos face-planted onto the pavement and all the limb joints were bent at peculiar angles, and butt sticking up. Saitama's facial expression suddenly changed from dead-serious to the usual, simply-drawn form and bursted out laughing. "Genos, you're really a modern art genius!" Genos let out a sigh of relief and smiled as Saitama kneeled down beside him and gently pulled Genos by the shoulders to get him out of his embarrassing position. "I think I can work as a art model. With my popularity, I could easily earn a decent income." Genos said. "Sensei, thanks for saving me once again." Saitama placed Genos on the pavement and observed his twisted limbs. "Sorry Genos," Saitama took his disciple's forearm and hand and tried (without breaking) to bend the wrist back to the correct angle. "This time my powers went way over-board. I should've been more careful when I attacked." "You don't need to apologise, Sensei. It was my fault because as usual I've let my guard down." Genos said as he stared hard at Saitama's hands on his arm and tried to contain his overwhelming urge to praise his teacher in 20 words. "Only Sensei could execute such tactful attack that's so powerful, yet careful that minimise collateral damages - like our first duel." "Here, I'll lend you my shoulder." Saitama finished fixing Genos' bent arm and slung it over his shoulder and let Genos lean onto him. "Moron, you never learn huh? You're always so reckless." "Sorry Sensei. I've really tried but this time I was really puzzled- I was lost in thought because Metal Knight was behaving strangely after you left." "Well, he's ALWAYS weird and IRRITATING." "In brief- he stopped attacking - and asked if I would like to collaborate with him in his robotic research." "Huh?" Exclaimed Saitama in shock, his arm almost slipped. "Then why did Metal Knight attack us, and even lured me away, and even threatened us? That mad scientist's crazy!" "Basically, he wanted a 1-on-1 duel without your interruption. He said I'd be the best opponent to try out his new robot's battle software, and assured that he wouldn't harm me. Then he mentioned that he'd send his drones over to repair the damages if I cooperate." "I don't trust that mad scientist!" Saitama said. "I may be dumb but my instincts tell me he is a cheat." "I don't trust him either. So I declined his invitation and then he demanded to obtain my battle specs. Then I felt the robot was emitting some strange magnetic force as if my body and soul was being sucked into a vacuum. Before I could respond, my sensors detected a high-speed force approaching. I knew it was you, Sensei and I managed to avoid it on time. But I miscalculated, then I lost my balance and fell. My sensors affirmed that Metal Knight's robot was destroyed." (Oh. So it was me who did it to him.) "Do you need to get repaired?" "I think I can handle this little bit of damage," as Genos stepped forth he lost his balance and caught by Saitama before face-planting the second time. "But you're legs aren't okay at all! Metal Knight might have done something weird to your body as well. You better get a check-up by your - Dr. Kuso!" "- oh alright then. Sensei, by the way his name is "Dr. KU-SE-NO!" "Okay okay. I'll carry you to his lab. You've got to tell me the directions." "Wait, I -" Genos hesitated, looking up into the direction of the direction of their home and then back at Saitama. "I need to lock the windows, turn off the kitchen tap and the TV-" "Oh that of course! I can't afford extra utility bills! I better make a quick trip to the toilet before I explode!" "Of course Sensei. I'll go with you. I have to get my bag anyway." "Not that insane big-ass bag of yours?!" "Yes that's the one, I afraid. That bag contains my spare parts, equipment and data that I must return to the professor. Plus my notebooks." Saitama supported his disciple in a one-armed hug as he walked up back to his apartment and sorted out all the things that they need before heading to Dr. Kuseno's lab. While Saitama was busy in the toilet, he heard the sound of metal banging, fabric beating, paper flipping and zippers zipping from the living room while Genos was packing his belongings. Saitama has never been to Dr. Kuseno's lab before and wondered what kind of person he could be. Genos has previously said so many great things about him - a brilliant scientist with a strong sense of justice. He just hoped that Dr. Kuseno wouldn't talk as much as Genos. Saitama came out of the toilet and saw Genos busy around the house checking all electrical appliances and taps are properly switched off. Genos has already changed into a fresh pair of black jeans and a bright yellow sleeveless hoodie with giant front pockets. Saitama took off his dirty clothes, and put on the a pair of blue jeans and "OPPAI" hoodie handed over by Genos. "We should make this the 'Saitama martial arts style' outfit, Sensei. Not only it's comfortable, more importantly it has large pockets perfect for keeping bargain-sale fliers." "OPPAI, Genos." "Sensei??" Saitama took out another "Oppai" hoodie from the wardrobe, yanked off the plain yellow hoodie that Genos was wearing and put the new one Genos - all in a matter of 3 seconds. Saitama always kept multiple copies of the same top in his wardrobe - not only it was cheaper to purchase in bulk during bargain sales, but also to serve as backups in case one gets torn in battle. "Who gives you permission to decide on our dress code?" He grinned. "From today, I will make OPPAI the official uniform." "I'll try to get used to er- the design. Sensei! I'm ready to go." Genos said as he kneeled down to pick up his bag which was about 3 times larger than the man. "Genos, Let me carry your bag." Saitama kneeled down close beside him and grabbed the bag by its strap. "Sensei, NO! This should be a disciple's job-" "I SAID I WILL CARRY IT," Saitama said a little louder, causing Genos to cease his protest. He pulled the bag pack's straps up his left shoulder, and carried the cyborg around the waist with his right arm. "Just show me the directions. Let's go Genos!" "But Sensei, today there is a time-limited 1/2 price toilet paper sale at the local supermarket. We should buy some for us and Dr. Kuseno." "Sensei - you're always so kind and gentle. You're really a brilliant person." "Huh? Did you say something about me and stare at my bald head again?" "Oh-I didn't, sensei."And so, Saitama and Genos went to the supermarket and again. During the way, they gathered some strange looks from passersby. Perhaps that was because of the gigantic backpack, the silly OPPAI hoodies, how Saitama one-arm hugging the injured cyborg, the cyborg carrying 2 rolls of toilet paper, or the ridiculous combination of all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Although Genos had always lost an arm or two in battle, he could usually return to Dr. Kuseno's lab by himself without any problem. Even if Genos becomes critically wounded (such as the sea king battle), the doctor would immediately pick up Genos' distress signal and location by GPS, and dispatch his emergency escort vehicle to deliver him back to the lab for major repairs. This time, Saitama insisted that he should be sending Genos to the lab personally in case he might be ambushed by Metal Knight's robots again."Sensei, I’m terribly sorry for causing you trouble, I - " said Genos to Saitama who was drenched in sweat because of carrying the heavy cyborg while walking uphill. "You've said sorry more than 20 times throughout the 1 hour-long journey. If you dare mention another word 'sorry' I'm going to stuff this toilet roll into your mouth" Saitama said in a serious tone with an evil looking grin, cross-shaped tendons popped up on his bald head and half his face shaded in a menacing shadow. Saitama would always do that when he became irritated. So Genos immediately shut up and continued to lead the way to Dr. Kuseno's lab.After an another hour of slow hike up dense forest in an uninhabited region outside City Z, the duo finally arrived at a beautiful lake in the middle of a deep valley. It would be perfect for a swim just to cool himself down, thought Saitama. "Sensei, we've arrived." Said Genos as he looked down at a pile of rocks beside the lake. There was one piece that was flat and stood out from the rest of the rounder looking rocks. Genos pulled himself away from Saitama's grip, kneeled and placed his heated palm on top and spoke "Hakase. It's Genos."SPLASH!The earth beneath the duo shook as the centre of the lake divided and revealed a hidden entrance to Dr. Kuseno's lab. Genos explained that the door required voice and temperature recognition to unlock."Why do all scientists like to hide their labs underground ? Last time it was that mad scientist whose name sounded just like you?" Asked Saitama and he carried Genos and leapt into the opening. "Dr. Kuseno is a scientist of justice, and he built this hideout to protect his research from anyone who may steal his works for evil purposes." Genos explained as the ceiling of the lake closed in and sealed the last drop of water from the lake. Saitama surveyed the metal-covered room that was about the size of a basketball court, with holes all over the floor and walls for rapid water drainage. After the drainage was finally complete, strong hot wind emerged from the holes and blasted the duo from all directions, and immediately dried up their wet clothes (as well as toilet rolls)."Wow that's convenient!" said Saitama, impressed. "So is anyone home?"An automatic door suddenly slid open an out came a young girl who looked like she was in her late teens. She appeared quite petite with an hour-glass figure, shoulder-length straight blond hair and almond-shaped orange eyes. She wore a pair of brown knee-length leather boots over a pair of black leggings and denim miniskirt, and a black sleeveless turtleneck top. Saitama thought she was rather pretty and looked somewhat like a girl-form of Genos except she was - definitely human. She smiled warmly the moment she saw the two. "Hello Genos-niisan, welcome home! And you've brought along a visitor!" "Hello Nanos. I'd like to introduce you to my mentor and professional hero, Saitama Sensei." said Genos to the young girl. "Nice to meet you! My name is Nanos and I'm the doctor's daughter and assistant. I've heard many wonderful stories about you from niisan, Saitama san." "Oh hi, you can just call me Saitama." Saitama greeted her with a smile. "Niisan, do you need medical assistance? Father's out for a short walk. I'll bring you to the treatment room." Nanos looked at Genos's wounded body and extended her arms. "Please allow me to carry him back." Nanos lifted Genos' heavy body and swung his arm over her slender shoulder with ease, and Saitama was surprised how a slender girl could be so strong. He walked up close to Genos and whispered in his ear. "Oi, you've never told me you have such a cute sister!" "Oh thanks for the complement! I'm really honored." Nanos smiled and turned her head to face Saitama. Saitama immediately shut up and blushed fiercely, and Genos raised his fingers to his lips to gesture Saitama to keep stop asking embarrassing questions. Nanos brought Genos to the medical treatment and gently laid him on a mechanical treatment bed and started hooking him up with various wires. "From the scale of one to ten, what is your pain score?" asked Nanos. "One." replied Genos, as Nanos pressed a button to open up Genos' core and connected it to another cable. "Good. I will need to run the diagnostics as usual. Meanwhile, may I access your backpack to retrieve your notes an as usual?" "Sure. Please help yourself to them.""Oh hi Genos welcome home! This must be the all-mighty hero Saitama!" Their focus on Genos was interrupted by an elderly man dressed in a white lab coat with a hideous shaped mushroom hairstyle, who suddenly entered the room. "Hi hakase. Sorry I've brought a visitor without your permission. But he's my mentor, Saitama Sensei. You can definitely trust him." Genos explained. "No worries! Sorry I was out earlier. Genos, are you alright?" "Hakase, no worries. I trust Nanos can do a very job with fixing me. You should take a rest first." "Father. Niisan's right. I'll definitely let you know if there's anything serious enough to require your help." Nanos turned back to Genos and patted his shoulder. "I'm going to switch you off for a while. Nighty-night, niisan." "See you later, Nanos. I'll be fine, sensei." Said Genos as he closed his dimmed eyes."Thanks Nanos. Come, Saitama would you like to have some snacks? I've just brought some cookies can coffee from the stores. Sorry I don't have anything fancy in this lab. It's normally just me and Nanos." "No problem old man. Sorry all I have is some toilet paper - " Saitama said has he scratched his shiny bald head.Saitama sat down with Dr. Kuseno in the kitchen as they quietly sipped their coffee. An awkward silence filled the room as Saitama was struggling to start a conversation but was afraid that he would talk as much (and as pointless) as Genos, which was something he really hated most."So, what do you think of Genos?" The doctor finally spoke."Oh?" Saitama paused a while as he tried to compose his reply. "He's a hard working, very serious, observant, loves to study and write notes, has a strong sense of justice, brave, loyal, strong and full of potential. But he could be really emotional and impulsive at times. But it's been a great pleasure to have him, like he's never caused me any trouble - so far." Saitama was surprised that he could warm up so easily and said so much about Genos - normally he would keep his answers short (and definitely under 20 words)."I'm relieved to hear that. Thank you for taking good care of him." replied Kuseno. "Well - no. He always end up wounded since he's been with me. Well - I attract too many enemies and Genos always gets dragged in." "Don't be hard on yourself. I know Genos well enough - although he looks like a cool cyborg on the outside, but inside he's just a hot-blooded teenager with raging hormones and always take his life too lightly. Genos told me how many times you've saved his life. To me, he's just like my boy and I'd be sad to lose him."The thought that Genos might get killed in battle sent a sudden chill in Saitama's mind. He has been so used Genos' company and praises. Although it was initially strange to share a flat with another person - especially someone WEIRD and OBSESSIVE like Genos, Saitama was happy that he has finally found someone who finally understood him would always support him regardless of public opinion. What if one day, Genos was no longer around and life was a boring as hell - again?"Genos is a good boy. I really missed him since he's moved out. Now he hardly comes back except for repairs or upgrades." Kuseno let out a sigh as he sipped his coffee. "That's why I need Nanos to keep me company." "I'm sorry doctor, but I understand that feeling." Said Saitama. "By the way, you have a really smart and wonderful daughter." "Daughter? Yes, I wished." Kuseno said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "Actually, I used to have one but well - died. After many years of failed experiments, I finally made one. But unlike Genos, she's not a cyborg but an AI (artificial intelligence). She may look like a human-being but she has no TRUE emotions like Genos. Emotions are difficult to artificially create but I'm working hard on it. As you can see, I'm getting old now and I need company and help, and one day - someone to take over the care of Genos should something happen to me - " "Don’t' say that old man!" said Saitama. "I know myself well, Saitma. Last month I've just had a transient stroke because of an irregular heart beat, and luckily Nanos treated me well and started me on medications. Fortunately I've made a full recovery. But these sort of attacks can happen again anytime. Even if I survive the attack, my memories are likely to deteriorate with age." Kuseno said with as he pointed to his head. "That's why I've programmed everything I know about mechanics, cyborgs, and even medical knowledge into Nanos. Her AI even allows her to learn and gain wisdom with time. However, I want to make her more human-like and definitely not a fighting machine like Genos. For years, I've been trying to search for the mad cyborg, but I don't want Genos to become too obsessed revenge. What was done couldn't be undone, and hate will just generate more hate.""Have you tried counselling him?" Saitama asked. "I have tried but it didn't work. Actually, Genos thought about suicide before and immediately after he underwent cyborg modification because he had lost all hopes in life and had difficulty adapting to his new life. However, it was also 'anger' that saved him by giving him a purpose to live." Surprisingly, Saitama was getting interested in Kuseno's story. His words are considered 'concise' for a scientist, and rather easy to understand for someone who has no knowledge on robotics. Kuseno explained the difference between an AI and cyborg - cyborgs contain human parts and brain, and AI s are more like computers. Saitama wanted to find out more about Genos so perhaps he could take a better care of his disciple. After time, he has grown to become more concerned about his well-being, both physically and mentally."So, how much is of Genos is still - organic?" asked Saitama."Only his brain and spinal cord. But from years of repeated trauma, even his brain requires some form of AI support. For example, I've installed soft wares to allow him to excel in physics and mechanics so that he can adapt these skills in self-care. He also needs a memory chip and special sensory 'parts' to allow him to acquire new knowledge and survive as parts of his nerves and brain may have been damaged. But the human brain is extremely complex, so it is difficult to restore it completely.""Okay." Crap.Saitama finally began to understand what Genos meant when he said he had a bad memory. Does that mean he'll forget things easily? Even all the happy times, battles, and even himself - will they be forgotten?"So how will that affect Genos? In other words, how is his 'brain' different from a human's?""Firstly, his senses are different. He can see but everything appears like 'computer screens'. His sense of smell is not very good, so I need to install special sensors that allow him to detect dangers but he would not appreciate many pleasant scents such as flowers. He can distinguish temperature, touch and damage to provide him with information about his surroundings but again, he can't really feel pain and comforts like a normal human." Dr. Kuseno explained, in as 'simple terms' as possible for Saitama. "And, to acquire new knowledge, he needs to engage the 'RAM' or known as the temporary store in his brain. Then, he'll need extra time to transfer the new information into the long-term 'storage drive'. It is possible that his 'RAM' could become over-loaded with data. In such case he'll need to find someway to record the new information and transfer them into his "hard disk" later after a moment of rest."So this is why Genos is always obsessed in taking notes -"He has forgotten most things about his childhood, his parents, and many more. He is always scared that one day he'll forget about his present life, so that's why writing diaries has become his favorite hobby.""I see - ""However, it seems that Genos has never lost any emotions - he can certainly feel joy, sadness, anger, and surprisingly, even fear."Saitama sipped his coffee to ease the feeling of unease, tension and guilt in his heart. For such a long time, he has not experienced so many complex emotions in just a day. Three years of 'hell-like' physical training, he had finally became the world's strongest hero. However, he failed to make a difference to the world; the public hated him and called him a cheat, and hero works turned out to be extremely dull as all fights could al be ended in 'one punch'. He felt he lost his emotions and motivations to live once again like when he lost his job 3 years ago - until he met Genos, someone who would finally stand by him. Although life without emotions has always been boring as hell, neither will a life full of hatred, sadness and anger be pleasant either. Saitama remembered how his heart lifted up when Genos genuinely smiled about little things such as passing the Heros' Association Exam, becoming his disciple, becoming his roommate, witnessing Saitama's victory, cooking up a nice meal, keeping the house clean, beating up Sonic, getting casual praises, seeing a 'thank you' letter addressed to 'caped baldy' from a fan, bargain hunting together, and many more. He just realised the way he had said about Genos and his obsessive-compulsive note taking or being 'irritating' must have hurt him really badly.
" Genos's company has - changed my life so much. I must also do my best to make Genos not only the strongest, but the happiest cyborg so that he'll have other reasons to live besides revenge."
"What else should I know? I wish I could help him.""Father!"Their conversation was disturbed by Nanos's sudden intrusion in the room."I need your help. There's something wrong about niisan that I must show you."