"Okay, kid, since the mix up was just between you and some other Special Grade, we're going to just keep things as they are. Capiche?" Saitama entered the living room with his phone in hand. Mob looked up, already snug on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him. He was alright with staying here. The house, though small, was so calm. This was a small city gently nestled in a crook of the mountains, meaning that just outside was a beautiful view. Too bad it was too dark to see anymore.

     "Okay." Mob worded softly.

     "Everything you need, like a toothbrush and such, should be in the bathroom. The blue bin. Remember. The blue bin. Got it?!"

     "Go-got it!"

     The old man smiled. "Good. .. I've registered so many brats in the past that it's nice to have you over for a change. .. Anyways, it's about time to hit the hay. The guest bedroom's all yours... Just don't interrupt my beauty sleep, 'else we'd have a real problem on our hands!" The elder chuckled. Mob nervously joined in. This man was so chill, yet, he didn't have ANY kind of aura! How was he even considered Special Grade?!

     "Um.. thanks...for helping me." Mob's chin tucked in the blanket, he smiled up at the elder. The old man's own eyes softened as he grinned.

     "Awh, it's really not a big deal. I got bored quick after retiring from hero work!.. So I decided to become a mentor to others instead.."

     "Wait, you were a hero?!" Mob's head popped up. No doubt Izuku would love to hear about this! "What was your hero name?"

     The old man chuckled, grinning as he rubbed his chin. "Caped Baldy!" He threw in some dramatic flair, arms spread out on either side of him, striking somewhat of a pose.

     "...Eh? Never heard of him." He didn't mean any I'll will by the comment.

     Saitama sweat-dropped, face a light shade of blue. "Figures..."

----------

     The following three days were the calmest Mob had experienced in a long while! The small house gently nestled atop a small hill, where from it the boy could see all of the city and mountains beyond. The neighborhood surrounding the house was especially calm and quiet, most of its inhabitants other old folk.

      Mob found out pretty quickly how routine his new mentor's days were, as he and Saitama found their morning and evening routines intersecting without meaning to. Even down to the little things like brushing their teeth, sitting outside to watch the sunset, and checking the TV for any interesting shows, at the same time and such. It was almost uncanny... Guess Mob's own life was a lot more routine than he'd realized.

     As for activities and tasks, the retired hero gave Mob a couple small books to read over the weekend. They were the absolute basic stuff about being a generally good person; listening to your peers, respecting your elders, and learning from everyone on all walks of life. Essentially, the perfect book to doze off to.

     Meanwhile, Saitama would go out for his daily exercises. The old man always wore baggy clothes -- always complaining about how cold it was despite being the one in charge of the thermostat -- but Mob guessed that under them must be some decent muscle, since the elder was surprisingly spry for his age! 63. That was his confirmed age. Other than the occasional complaining about modern tech, he sure didn't act like it!

     Though the first three days of pure calmness was a much needed break for Mob, he a little restless on the fourth day, really wanting to strike out on a little adventure.

     Saitama, being the wise old man he was, was counting on this.

     "Hey, want to go out on a jog with me this morning?" The old man offered.

     "Um, sure! If that is alright.. I- I don't have anything to run in, though."

     "Heh, don't worry about it. You can wear some of my old stuff."

----------

     "Uumm... Sensei..? I think this might be too big.." Mob's borrowed shorts were so big they were practically sliding off of him. He had to hold them at his side. And the yellow tank top was really baggy on his small frame.

     "...O... I see... Looks like we're just going to have to go shopping then!.. Did you...bring any money?"

     Mob stared up with the emptiest eyed look. "...I was told I didn't need to bring any money." The retired hero spun around, aggressively rubbing his chin.

     "Now that might be a problem..." You see... Gojo is rich...but Saitama is not. "Guess you'll just have to pay me back after the trip!" The elder spun back around, cherry cheeked, hands clasped together in front of him. Mob rolled his eyes.

     Who would end up paying for dinner if it was just the two of them together? Saitama or Reigen?

----------

     "Careful on this step now. Guests always trip over it." Saitama pointed to a specific stair leading from the front door. There was a cute little white fence circling the elder's small front yard, signs of once potted plants left around it, now empty pots of dirt.

     "Oh- thanks." Mob caught himself right before he tripped.

     "We can just speed walk there, but after we buy you some new running clothes I plan on jogging back. That alright?"

     "Yeah." The teen exhaled, closing the man's front gate behind him. "I've been in the Body Improvement Club for almost a whole school semester."

     "That's good to hear! Just remember to stay light on your feet!"

     "The...huh?"

     "Please tell me you know how to jog correctly?"

     "There's a wrong way to jog..?"

     "Ohhh no... Looks like I have a lot more to teach you than I thought."

----------

      As the two sped walked down the hill toward the busier part of town,

     "What is your quirk by the way?" Mob.

     "'Infinite Physicality' is what I think they ended up calling it. Basically means I have to be really careful when giving people fist bumps."

     "Ah.. Sounds cool."

     "Eh... It's a little overrated if you ask me. Problem is I'm not even sure if it can be considered an official quirk, since I wasn't born special or anything. I just worked out a lot for a few years."

     "Wait... Really??"

     "Yep! And, unfortunately my two kids refuse to work out the same way to test if it's hereditary for fear of their hair falling out!"

     "Oh, so that didn't come out with age?"

     "They didn't call me the Caped Baldy for nuthin, kid!"

     "Ah..."

----------

     Saitama, despite being an old man now, was obviously more physically fit than Mob. Despite still wearing baggy clothes still, it was obvious. Even from speed walking so much, at this altitude Mob was already beginning to run short on breath. Meanwhile, the old man shown no such problems.

     The two arrived in the center of the city where three roads intersected. Mob gasped at all the fine shops, their displays of on-brand clothing a rather impressive sight. But, it was probably all so expensive.

     "Ah! There it is!" The old man grinned as he pointed out a cheap, second hand store partially hidden a little further down one of the roads. He grabbed Mob's wrist to lead him down a crosswalk before it turned red.

     "Wai-wait! You'll burn--" The boy shut up when he realized the old man didn't so much as flinch upon touching his ???% form skin, which was so heavily infused with power that it typically burnt anyone who dared touch him. Mob remained completely silent, intently staring at the hand around his wrist, until at last the hand let go of him, completely unharmed.

     "Sorry, what were you saying?" Saitama turned to him, a brow raised. 

     "Uh-m..." Mob stared down at Saitama's unharmed hand. "..How were you not burnt?"

     "Huh?.. Well, I guess your skin was a little warmer than most... But I'll be fine. .. Was that part of your quirk?" Mob nodded. "Well, in that case, I'll remember not to push you into other people then." He chuckled. "This way. We should be able to find a pretty neat sale at this store!" Again Saitama took the lead. Mob shuffled behind, enjoying the sights and smells all the way. This city felt so much like his old home, oddly enough.

     The two were pretty quick to buy Mob a pair of running clothes. While they were there, the old man encouraged Mob to pick out a couple more outfits and whatever else he might need more of. In the end, they came out with two little shopping bags, one of them carrying Mob's previous outfit, since he wore his new running clothes now. Basic black shorts and a white tank top.

     "Shouldn't you be wearing some running clothes too? It's really hot outside.." Mob asked, presently baking under the sun.

     "Eh, I should be fine. Here, if you need to cool down, how about we get some ice cream real quick?" Mob's eyes sparkled a little bit. He very much liked that idea.

----------

     Saitama and Mob sat on a park bench under the shade of a tree, watching the cars pass by on the road ahead of them. Both hurried to lick up all their ice cream before it melted into their laps. The bags of clothes sat at their feet.

Thump... Thump....

     Some..alarming noise rose in the distance. And it was steadily drawing nearer. Distant screams wafted through the air. Mob leaned forward, peering around a bush to his right to get a better view of the distant street. He still couldn't see anything. On the street in front of them, citizens immediately started to either drive away or flee their cars if stuck. Just in time too, because not a few seconds after one man leapt from his car, a crushed vehicle from the right skid over the pavement at top driving speeds, exploding the moment it collided with the abandoned car!

     Mob's hair was blown up over his forehead from the explosion mere meters away. He and Saitama both stared at the bright ball of fury with the same dumbfounded expression.

     "Right..." Saitama pushed himself up, his ice cream having been blown back into his shirt. He didn't care about the mess at the moment. "Guess we should make sure nobody gets hurt."

     "Good idea.." Mob stood and followed. The two casually walked closer to the fire covered road. The ground trembled, explosions and rubble breaking out every-which-way.

     "You're free to run whenever you'd like to, kid."

     "Oh, I think I should be fine."

     "I know that.. Just wanted to offer it anyway."

     "Thanks."

     Suddenly, a giant, hulking creature crashed into the earth in the center of the intersection to the left of them, cracking the concrete upon impact. It was humanoid, no, human!!

     The insanely muscular, hulking blond with only one eye stood up tall as he roared to the sky. "I'VE BEATEN EVERY HERO WHO DARES TO CALL THEMSELVES STRONG TO A PULP!! SO GIVE ME YOUR BEST!!!" The muscular blond laughed. He truly was a terrifying sight, actually. Not the muscle Mob envied. The red tendrils of muscle crawled around the outside of the blond's body, reinforcing his arms, torso, and legs to form an absolute powerhouse of a being!

     Saitama casually looked left, then right down the road. He stepped off of the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. "..Guess we should get involved-"

Vrrrvrvvvvrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

     A lone motorcycle raced down the firey road. Its rider was a young man sporting black poky hair and a red and white cap. Under his blue and white jacket was a basic black shirt, which tucked into a pair of baggy jean pants. His shoes were red and white, matching his cap.

     As his motorcycle roared the villain's way, the young man pulled a ball of light out from one of his many pockets. It grew and formed into a white and red ball. With his other hand, the young man skid and slid in a half circle before the villain, pulling his ride to a halt.

     "Greninja, come out!!" He threw the newly formed ball at the floor. Out came some strange, blueish frog like creature. It gurgled a low, ready roar. "Greninja, put out the fires!" Immediately, the monster leapt into action. The hero pulled out another two glowing spheres from each pocket, which also formed white and red balls. He threw the two of them onto the ground in front of him. "Charizard, take the muscular villain! Pikachu, cover my back for me!" The two monsters roared/growled in response. The giant red dragon tackled Muscular head on while Pikachu hopped atop his master's shoulders, its tail turning into an iron blade.

|| Ash Ketchum ! Age 22 !
|| Hero name: Poke-Master ! 
|| Quirk: Pocket Monsters -- It allows him to create monsters out of thin air from within his pockets with abilities based on natural elements! It takes a lot of time and training to create a brand new monster, and he can never release or destroy one after it has been created! He started out with just Pikachu, but has steadily unlocked more along his journey to become the #1 hero! In total, Ash is able to possess up to SIX monsters, though so far he only has four! Oddly enough, his biggest weaknesses are pants/jackets without any pockets!!
|| Ranked the #11 hero and is the self proclaimed rival to Hawks despite the two never meeting before in person ! (They have funny online banter that made both their careers skyrocket even further.)

     "Oh? Well would you look at that." Saitama stepped backwards, back onto the curb. "Looks like we won't have to do anything after all." As little as Mob wanted to get involved, he still wondered why his mentor, a hero in retirement, would choose to sit back instead of taking down the villain himself.

     "...Why?-"

     "I could make a whole, long winded speech about our place in society, but I'd tire myself out real quick with that talk! In short: it's important not to let ourselves take on all of the world's problems just because we're the strongest. ... It'll do nothing but weaken everyone. Both the strong, and the ones who need this kind of struggle in order to become stronger. .. If I got involved now, the only thing I could gain is a misplaced shoulder and the only thing he could gain is a sour mood. No one benefits from that!" The old man chuckled tiredly, rubbing the back of his head.

     "...Oh..." That made a lot of sense though.

     "Anyways, there's another bench right here. How about we just sit and wait where we won't be a problem?"

     "A-alright.." The two sat down at the corner near the intersection under a burning tree, casually watching as the fight progressed.

     Though Charizard was strong, the muscular villain easily beat the crap out of the buff dragon! "Charizard!! Fly out of range and use aerial attacks!" The dragon followed these commands right away, flying above the villain and dousing him with flame. This burnt the blond one's muscles, which needed to fall out and regrow at a rapid pace in order to sustain himself.

     "Impressive~" The villain smiled at the exploitation of this weakness of his. His head snapped to ash on the bike. "But you're obviously nothing without your PETS!!" He charged the hero instead.

     "Pikachu! Thunder bolt!!" The mouse creature followed the young man's orders, sending forth a wave of bright yellow sparks at the villain from his placement on the young hero's motor bike.

     The villain was completely paralyzed as the electricity struck him, muscles unable to do anything but spazz out of control... But, he was still standing!

     A little metal ball dropped behind Ash's motorcycle, which he didn't even notice.

Beep!..be-be-be-be-be-- BOOM!

     "WOAH!" Poke-Master and his bike were thrust into the air by an alarmingly bright explosion! The young hero and his Pikachu met unkind ground, which scraped up their skin as they rolled over it. Charizard tackled Muscular, holding him back from approaching his master.

     A short young girl -- who looked no older than twelve -- with pale purple hair and an unnaturally large mouth hosting many sharpened teeth landed on the ground soon after, cackling like a hyena as she approached the #11 hero. She didn't say a thing. Just held out her palm as another round black bomb formed from it. She dropped the ball right next to the fallen and bloody Ash, certain this would be over within seconds.

     The young man used his position on the ground to his advantage. He pushed his torso up just enough to swing his legs around, tripping the villain up. She fell rather easily, scraping he elbows on the fire stained concrete. In rapid succession, Ash grabbed Pikachu, rolled over his shoulder, dropped the yellow one, picked up the purple one, and threw her onto her own bomb only a MOMENT before it exploded!

BOOM!

     Smoke bellowed up from the site. Ash was knocked off his feet by it, but, her body had taken most of the blow. Ash stood, panting as he stared at the crater the bomb had formed. He needed to wait for the dust to settle before moving on to the next villain, which Charmander was presently struggling to hold in place!

     The pale, sharp toothed grin of the young villain emerged first from the smoke. What a terrifying face. Her open smiling mouth curled all the way up past where her cheeks supposedly were! And her eyes were darkened and bitter.

     Two other beings stepped out of the explosion, equal in height but posing as a different gender. These two -- male and gender neutral-looking beings -- appearing to be almost-identical twins, copied the first's despisable smile perfectly!

     "Sshhh't.." Ash stepped back, the concerned Pikachu climbing back onto his shoulders. All three cackled like hyenas. Even creepier between the three of them. The young hero struck up his fingerless-gloved fists. Pikachu's tail turned again into a beam of jagged, solid steel as the two prepared for a tough fight.

     Suddenly, a row of sharp toothed roses broke through the pavement, gobbling up the three troublesome triplets.

     "Prepare for trouble!"

     "And make it double!"

     Three figures stood atop a pile of cars, the shining rays of sun obscuring their details, leaving only the three's dramatic poses.

     "To protect all peoples within our nation!"

     "To denounce the evils of--"

     Ash interrupted, sweat heavy on his brows. "It's really great to see you guys made it but can you please save that for later?!"

     "O-oh, of course!" All three, two men and a woman, quickly apologized. They hurried down the pile of cars at once.

BU-BOOM!

     In unison, all three flowers exploded, the three small villains springing from within.

     "AAAA! My perfectly constructed flowers! How did they break?! I've been perfecting that move for ages!!" The blue haired man in black and white squealed.

|| James Miki ! Age 20 !
|| Hero name: James The ✨Divine✨ ! 
|| Quirk: Carnivine -- He can grow a wide variety of pants anywhere and any size he wants. He can also bend the plants he grows to his will! However, his favorite moves involve combining different kinds of flora and fawna to make something truly impressive!
|| Sidekick to Poke-Master !

     "Well maybe you just made them wrong, then!" The pink haired young woman shouted, jumping in to take on two of the three explosive troublemakers with her sharp, controllable hair.

|| Jessie Kiruka ! Age 20 !
|| Hero name: Jessie The Slicetacular ! 
|| Quirk: Slice -- Just like her older sister (the recently captured villain known as Slice), Jessie is able to control each strand of hair individually. She can also sharpen said hair and shoot them out as projectiles, turning them into a deadly weapon!
|| Sidekick to Poke-Master !

     "I did nothing of the sort! Those brats must just be really strong! So be careful!" James focused his attention on the one male bomber of the three.

     Jessie scoffed, using her hair to shield an oncoming bomb from one of the two she was fighting. "I'm handling two just fine and you tell ME to be careful?! Aa-!" She narrowly dodged a bomb. Right before it was about to explode, a shorter than average blond jumped into the fray, swiping the bomb away with the metal claws embedded into his specially made gloves. The bomb exploded a little further off, but boy was that a close call!

     Once the shortest landed, he immediately glared daggers at the other two. "Yous two need to shut up already!! Save your bickering for after the fight!" The two did, indeed, shut up after that. One sidekick each took one of the triplets to make the load a little lighter on the rest.

|| ??? ! Age 18 !
|| Hero name: Meowth ! 
|| Quirk: Catlike -- His quirk gives him catlike reflexes, flexibility, speed, balance, and night vision!
|| Third year hero student and currently a work study under Poke-Master !

(No joke this was the best picture I could find.)

(Here's a bonus pic just because I have it on my phone for whatever reason.)

     Seeing as his team was handling the smaller threats, HE turned to the big one.

     "Sceptile, come on out!!" Ash threw another ball, releasing his fourth and final pocket monster. "Sceptile, focus your attacks on the villain! Greninja!!" His head snapped to the frog ready to pounce on the wall. "Make sure Sceptile doesn't catch on fire!" The two monsters croaked a quick response before jumping into action. The hero meanwhile kept an eye on the fight while he lifted his overthrown motor bike back onto its tires. The vehicle was heavily dented but, thankfully, remained functional. Ash grinned at the sight around him. His sidekicks were close to apprehending the explosive triplets, and his own quirk-created monsters were handling the muscular villain rather well.

     "See? They've got a pretty good handle on it." Saitama casually pointed out to the child.

     "Yep.." Mob was almost done with his ice cream by now. His force field over the two of them kept out any excess smoke, heat, or falling debris.

     But then things turned for the worse.

     "Fine then! Guess you won't be as easy to kill as I THOUGHT!!" The blond villain snarled. Even MORE muscles sprung out to wrap around his form. The man then focused all his attention on Charmander at his back, grabbing the firey dragon by the snout and cracking it in half with a brutal spin of his body.

     The creature shrieked in agony. No blood poured, but it was no less a terrible blow. Charmander could no longer see straight. The villain kicked the orange beast away with a wide grin on his face.

     "Charmander, return!!" The monster vanished, a stream of light gliding back into one of Ash's pockets. The creature would heal in time. It would just take a couple days before being fully restored. The young man gritted his teeth, standing tall in the middle of the road about ready to end this. His nostrils snarled in rage. "IS THAT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT MY FRIENDS, PUNK?!? BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING!!"

     "Awwh, look at that.." The villain mocked while his left arm blocked a storm of steel sharp leaf blades, completely unfazed by the blood-drawing attack. "The hero thinks these animals are his friends~ What? No friends at school~?" Ash hissed through his teeth. Like this villain would ever know what it was like to have his quirk! The countless hours, day and night training with his pocket monsters. Putting himself in harm's way on the daily to ensure his monster friends grew up big and strong in time to become heroes! No, no one would ever know exactly what that was like! And at the end of the day..heh, he didn't really care.

     "Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt! Sceptile, use Dragon Claw! Greninja, use--!"

     Muscular flung himself at the hero at once. Both Pikachu and Greninja were fast enough to throw themselves in front of the young man first, but a punch is still a punch.

     Ash lost consciousness immediately. His body ragdolled over the concrete, cut open in multiple places and terribly bruised in others. The remaining monsters faded away in streams of light, gliding back into the hero's pockets.

     "Heheh." The blond villain grinned. "Too easy~" He strode toward Ash to ensure the hero was made into a fine puddle of blood. "I know a lot of heroes have been forced I I retirement lately, but I still wonder how you ended up so high on he ranking.."

     A scuffed and dirtied Jessie jumped out I front of her boss. "I WON'T let you hurt him!!" James and Meowth were still handling the last of the three bomber triplets.

     "I am inspired by your passion, woman..but my prey are the strong.~ After all, the only reason I'm HERE is because I heard that the retired 'CAPED BALDY' lived around here!! A man who could supposedly kill anyone with just one PUNCH!. I am here to CHALLENGE that!! After all, NO ONE should be allowed to LIVE if such a reputation about them weren't true!!" The villain cackled. Jessie rose her fists, her eyes filling with doubt that she could hold back this villain and live to see the next day.

     Saitama sighed bitterly. "...Stay here." He pushed himself up from the bench, stepping through Mob's barrier.

     "Wait, what are you-?"

     "Don't worry." The old man waved for the boy to sit back down. He smiled sadly at Mob over his shoulder. "This is my mess, after all... I can handle it myself."

     The old man dragged his feet across the sidewalk.

     "Hey there." He stuck up his hand and waved it casually at the villain as he hopped into the street. The villain's brows twisted curiously. Steadily, Saitama slipped between the villain and Jessie by about ten feet. "So, you want to challenge this old grazer, huh?" He started doing a few slow arm stretches.

     "Who the h### are you? I don't have time to play games, old man! I have heroes to paint the streets red with!"

     "And I've got a game of bingo to attend to this evening. Winner gets a free basket of coupons~~ We all have busy lives, my friend." The villain snorted. Once he was done with a few basic stretches, Saitama grabbed at his stained hoodie and started to tug it off. He dropped the ice cream stained thing on the ground at his feet. Everyone within viewing distance couldn't believe their eyes. He-- he... HE WAS RIPPED!

     Mob stood up in front of the bench, unmoving and enthralled.

    Underneath the orange hoodie was a yellow onesie of sorts. Saitama quickly removed the grey sweatpants as well, revealing what looked like an old hero costume. "Crap, where's my cape?.. It's been a while. Sorry." The old man mumbled. "Ah! Silly me. Left it in my pocket again." He soon after equipped the simple white cape. Mob was astonished. How could he LIVE in the summer heat with that many layers on?! "Alright.. Big Guy? You said you wanted to fight me, right?" Saitama, finally ready, rose his fists and hopped back and forth a little in anticipation. The villain stared stupidly there for a second.

     "-OHHHH! So YOU'RE the Caped Baldy guy?!"

     Saitama sweat-dropped. "..Come ON, man, you were literally LOOKING for me..." He groaned. "Yes. Now can we just get this over with? I think you've destroyed enough today."

     "HEHEH!" Muscular grinned deviously. "Since I'm such a gentleman, I'll let you have the first punch!. Should you fail to beat me, I'll gladly beat you into a pulp!"

     "Awwh, come on, man! Can ya at least make it a little harder than that? These old bones haven't seen a good fight in ages." The old man pouted, arms limp in front of him.

     "OHHHH, so it's a CHALLENGE you want, aye!?!!" The villain's back erupted with more tendrils of muscle. He nearly doubled in size, his grin wider than it had EVER been before! "You know, I think I'm starting to like you ALREADY! Fine, then! The first punch will be MINE!" Muscular jumped up and pummeled Saitama into the ground.

     Mob gasped as dust clouded around, obscuring the sight. "..Mas...Master, Saitama!!--"

     "-Hm. Not bad." The bald head sticking out of the ground complimented. With a simple flex of his muscles, the old man cracked the ground enough to free himself and crawl out of there. Muscular stepped back in shock. Saitama brushed off his shoulders. "To be honest, though, I was kinda expecting a little more from you."

     Muscular gasped angrily. "WELL HOW ABOUT I REALLY TRY THEN?!" He reeled an especially grotesquely muscular arm back, "THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO!-"

     "Hey, you said it was my turn.." Pouting, Saitama stuck out his fist, hoping to stop him with it. The thrust was a little quicker than intended. As the two's fists met, an explosion blasted the muscular man back. His body tore to shreds right there. And before the dust even cleared, Mob already knew the villain was no more. Saitama scoffed down at his ungloved fist. "D### it. He was even skimpier than I thought.. Oh well."

|| Quirk: Infinite Physique -- basically just makes him OP ! 

     "M-master! That was amazing!!" Mob sped walked toward the elder, eyes wide with wonder. The same blast that took the muscular villain out accidentally burst open a few buildings too. But, oh well. Better than lives being lost at least.

     Saitama rubbed his steaming fist a little boy as he turned to the lad. "Oh, that's just a normal day on the job really... Kinda boring if you ask me, but oh well. ... Heh, that's why I ended up only becoming a part time hero. So all the really mundane stuff would be left to the heroes who needed it."

     "Part...time..?" He never really thought of hero work like that before.

     "Uhh, you know, like an on-the-call sorta thing. You only show up for really dangerous stuff most other heroes couldn't handle. It's the kind of thing a lot of us Special Grade heroes end up doing. Also gives us more time to follow other passions in our free time. Like me! I got better at cooking!"

     "Woa..." Mob was amazed, not so much at the prospect of this derpy old man being a decent chef, but the world opening idea of becoming a part time hero! If he did that, then he would still have plenty of time to live out a normal life! Able to do...well.. whatever he decided to do in the future.

     "Whha!" Jessie, whose eyes were filled with shock pulled tears, tackled the old bald man in a hug. "Thank you so much for saving us!!"

     Saitama chuckled as he pat one of her arms. "No need to thank me. You guys did most of the work... Now how's your boss doing? Are those other villains properly cuffed?"

     "Y-yes, sir!" Jessie let go, wiping her remaining tears away at once. "All three of them!"

     "Good. Now call an ambulance or two for your friends... I'm going back home." Saitama turned around, Mob following at his right. "Goodbye." Without looking, the old man waved a simple audios to the young heroes. Then he mumbled to Mob. "You know.. with heroes like you and them in training, I don't think our future's gunna look so bleak after all~" Mob's face warmed at the compliment. "Alright! Now, we jog."

     "Oh no."

----------

     Jogging up hill at the brink of summer was...not fun. Shigeo was really struggling, realizing a little too late how much he missed Shoto being a his side. The intense heat was beating on his back. The concrete sidewalk below only reflecting that same heat back up at him.

     "O? Need to take a break, kid?" Saitama, still wearing his old hero costume, stopped and turned around once he noticed Mob was dragging a little behind.

     "Yah!" Mob was no longer ashamed to admit when he needed one. The higher altitude was likely playing a role in this anyways. Not all his fault.

     "Remember to lean into the hill." Saitama jogged backwards until he was beside Mob again. "That will make it a heck of a lot easier!"

     "M'kay.." The young one couldn't really focus on this advice very well. He was a little too focused instead on breathing so he wouldn't pass out." After the young teen had gained most of his breath back, a question returned to mind. One that had been there since the beginning of today.

     "You mentioned kids... Do you...have a wife?" He wasn't sure if this was a touchy subject or not. May as well poke the bear while the old man pitied him.

     Saitama smiled 1/4th sadly, taking a moment to divert his eyes and rub the back of his head. "...Uhhh, yeah. I did..actually. Though-um, She died just over a decade ago actually...saving the world."

     "Oh- I- I'm sorry-"

     "Heh, don't be.. At the end of the day, I can't really do anything but accept her sacrifice and wish on occasion it had been me instead.... Teh, left me with two teenagers of all things. The nerve." The old man chuckled, choosing to smile as he told the tale.

     "If you don't mind me asking...what for her?"

     "Unfortunately, I can't tell you thanks to that information being locked away as secret government information.~ As is the case for most of the old jobs I was involved in! I would sure have a TON more stories to share if those crappy b####### didn't get in the way! Ah-haha!"

     "Um, while we're talking... Do you think I could be a part time hero like you were?"

     "That's.. why you're here, isn't it?! Registry as a Special Grade will greatly help you when it comes down to choosing what kind of hero you're going to be. Speaking of which, tomorrow we need to get started with those performance tests of yours!" Saitama started jogging as he spoke, Mob tripping into action to keep from being left behind. "We're going to need to go somewhere remote so you can experiment with the fullest extent of your powers. After that will be the tedious step. The world is still one heck of a delicate place! So you'll need to memorize everything not to destroy if you can help it! And after that...!" He...kept on going until the two reached his house again. Man were those first three days deceptive. This was going to be one busy month!

----------

     The problem with dipping your hands again and again into boiling hot water is that eventually, no matter how durable you may be, your skin starts to bake.

     Bakugo hissed in pain as he threw his steaming hands up over his head again. He was so intensely focused on improving, he didn't even realize until it was too late that he was only ruining himself! But it wasn't like he could just give up now! He needed to win fights if he wanted to save people, after all!

     And he couldn't do that if...

          The slime incident. His first taste of true fear... It was in his lungs, choking him to death. His friends had but all abandoned him. His teary eyes trembled at the blurry shapes of heroes! Heroes just standing there!! WHY WEREN'T THEY HELPING HIM?! Bakugo had so much to live for! He couldn't die NOW! But, he was helpless! For the first time in his life, his quirk was causing nothing but trouble!

          ...And no one could save him... No one cared to save him...but Deku...

     It was like... The only one who saw any value in his life was the kid he hated the most.

     But not even Deku could save him from being kidnapped by those villains.

           Again, he was helpless. Dabi's hand at his throat. He pleaded. Pleaded for his bolting childhood friend to stay back. The pain in his voice, as his eyes stared upon what he presumed would be the last time he saw Deku... He was helpless then too. The following night and early morning was the exact same story. Hour after hour, the only sure thing racing through his head was that he was outmatched, outclassed, outnumbered, and doomed. .. However, the helplessness for his own well being was NOTHING compared to what he later felt as dawn struck. As All Might gave it his all, forced into retirement that very hour. ...All because of him. Then...he could do nothing but scream at a stupid screen! Absolutely useless!!

     But still.... At least, in those past instances...it wasn't entirely his fault.

     Three months ago, though...it was. He got scared and chickened out. He didn't know if he'd ever get his quirk back! How was he supposed to know Mob would ever turn back to normal again?! He couldn't know that! Yet, even so, he shouldn't have run! He should have kept going. Kept fighting!

          But.. that indescribable feeling of losing one's own quirk to the wind... That unforgettable sensation of unrelenting hopelessness. Helplessness. He gave up without even realizing what he was doing.

     All because he was scared of losing his quirk. Of losing in general.

     He failed to win that day... Worst part was that it was his choice. He had no one to blame but himself.

     ...No one to take his anger out on...but himself.

     Pieces of skin began to peel away, revealing nothing but cooked flesh underneath. Flesh...and blood.

     Bakugo still had one saving grace in all of this. One that only just now was beginning to dawn on him.

     After weeks of relentless pushing, testing, and training with his quirk...

     He finally cracked the code. And he knew it when it wasn't the sweat that lit, but rather the red liquid dripping from his hands.

     The same materials that made up his explosive sweat...were in his blood. ..As were the means to ignite it.

     His quirk went a lot deeper than just skin and sweat. It went as deep as bone.

     Bakugo Katsuki...the living bomb.

     Thrills overwhelmed the blond as he made this exciting discovery! Even if he ran out of sweat. Even if he destroyed his hands! ..He still had plenty of blood left to go around. .. All it took was a change of mindset.

     "Don't wield the bomb. Become it!!" Bakugo smiled, pouncing away from the barrel to test this. He jumped around, using explosions to propel himself the way he used to. Only now, he could make one heck of an explosion off of a single drop of blood. One that previously required a decent build up of sweat.

     He laughed his head off as the excitement hit him. Finally, something to drown out that feeling of hopelessness, of uselessness and self loathing! It was worth watching his burnt skin being torn apart before his very eyes. Well worth it!

     He'd seen it first hand... Deku had gone through far worse torture to get to where he was today; surpassing him in every way. ... He would be fine. Just had to..try a little harder.

     Chunks of flesh went flying, exploding in a chaotic display of fireworks. Individual drops of blood, even separate from his body, could explode at his command.. Like he had control of it remotely even.

     Now how cool was that.

     He couldn't move his fingers any more...

     Over the past school year, he saw first hand what true power looked like. Time and time and time again. .. He didn't have power like that. He had nothing.

     At least not until now. Now, that his quirk was finally evolving... He might just stand a chance.

     Dark speckles danced around the teen's vision. His head ached like crazy! Before he could even register something was wrong, Bakugo passed out, dropping to the floor and collapsing upon it.

     His arms and hands...were completely destroyed. Hard to imagine them even being usable again!

     Yet he passed out with a smile on his face.

.   .   .

     "You said you think he's in here?" The soft toned Shoto's muffled voice sounded through the training room doors.

     "Yeah! He's usually training in here at least! He never wants anyone around, but I'm sure he'll be alright with it if he's staying up this late!!" Kirishima shoved the door open. Not seeing or hearing anyone right away, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Ay! Bakubro! Where ya at!?!" There was no response. None at all. That kind of worried the two. Then, Shoto's eyes widened as they landed on a whole lot of red. He tugged Eijiro's shirt at once. However he was a little too shocked to speak, so he just pointed.

     Kirishima gasped. "BAKUGO!!!" Both Eijiro Kirishima and Shoto ran to Bakugo, sliding on their knees beside him. "Ohh, man, what happened?! Did HE do this to himself?!" While Kirishima took the job of panicking, Shoto surrounded Bakugo's hands and arms in a thin enough layer of ice to contain any blood without making his arms too heavy. Kirishima felt for Bakugo's pulse. "He's alive!!"

     "Good. We need to take him to the nurse's office. Before he gets frost bite too. Quick! Help me carry him!" Shoto took the lead. Kirishima was more than happy to help.

     The two hoisted Bakugo off of the floor and together ran with him out of there, leaving behind a pool of blood.

.

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Yes, I have found a new source of angst. Fear me.