I woke up in a dark cell with no windows, just sickly artificial lights that gave the room an eerie glow. I stood up, checking for any injuries. Nothing but a couple scrapes and bruises which would be annoying later. I looked around the room that I was in; the bars gave me an awful view of tanks filled with different... Things. I had no way to describe them other than grotesque and inhuman. Varying stacks of paper and books piled up in different areas, but everything seemed to have an systematic order to it. 

I heard footsteps and I quickly turned to see who was coming. A young man dressed in formal clothing with glasses and stylish black hair approached me with a smug grin. "Hello Kyri." He came close to the bars, a sweet smile on his face. Still, he couldn't fool me; his eyes remained cold as ice, looking at me as though I was a painting rather than a person. I firmly kept my mouth closed, turning away from him.

He just chuckled and I heard the dull clank of keys. Glancing back, I watched the door open; throwing my pride away, I dashed toward it. "Whoa whoa, if you wanted to see me that badly, you should have said something. I'm Genus by the way." I found myself trapped in his arms; he held me in a tight hug, kicking the door closed with his foot. 

I glanced at him, the memories all coming back to me. The dark cell with one window that was my room for 7 years. Her malicious eyes, the way she held the knives. How she would lick her lips every time I was in trouble. I subconsciously touched the left side of my abdomen, somewhere in which I would never let anyone see. 

I pushed Genus off of me, tears whelming in my eyes; the situations were too similar, too close for comfort. "Please, leave me alone..." I tried to keep the shaking from my voice as I furiously wiped away tears. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm simply interested in you and... Your body." His eyes ran over my figure and I shivered in disgust. "Ah, not like that! I'm a scientist, I don't have time for frivolous things like that. I am more interested in your supernatural powers."

"Like I would ever tell you anything!" I cried out, folding my arms like a child. I felt his presence shift until it was over my shoulder. "Hmm... Well if you won't tell me, I'll figure it out in a less pleasant way." He grabbed my waist, forcing me to come with me. I struggled to resist, grabbing onto the bars to stop myself. However, he proved to be surprisingly strong and pulled me until we were at an examination table.

"Alright! Now let's get started, shall we?" He pulled out a long syringe filled with a pale yellow liquid. I furiously tried to escape but the metal cuffs on the table kept me locked in place. "LET ME GO!" I screamed, shaking my head in panic. Tears fell down my face, my whole body quivering in fear. I felt a sharp pain as the needle plunged into my arms. The world began to face, my last image of Genus smiling maniacally while pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

I couple days had passed and I felt awful; I hadn't seen the sun since my capture and I hadn't eaten either. "Kyri, you're making this so hard!" Genus was pacing in front of my cell while I looked at him with glassy eyes. "You know, I have another subject coming today. Will that make you feel better? To have some other company?! I can't get any good data if you won't eat!" Heaving, he glared at me, the original smile from before, gone.

I was laying on my side, curled up on the ground. I had no energy to even talk back; my body had stopped feeling hungry and instead a horrid emptiness filled me. My hair limply laid over my face, my eyelids heavy. "Did he say a new test subject? I wonder who it could possibly be... Well, I hope that I never find out. I don't want them here, having to endure this."

The doctor angrily stormed away, going to check something on his master computer. I was glad to be by myself; it meant that I could sleep peacefully. As I laid on the cold, hard ground I found myself thinking of the cafe. Lina and Maru... Were they worried about me? Would I ever see them again? 

Tears slipped down my face as I spun a variety of unanswerable questions. Genos popped into my mind, his eyes still fresh in my memory. "I wish I could have seen him again... I wish I could have known what was going to happen..." I laughed a little at my wistful thinking. "Please Amako... You know that nothing was ever going to happen. He's too good for a person like you."

Self-depreciating comments filled my head and the fear that filled my body forced them to stay. It's like I was back with her, that witch I used to call my mother. I shivered, too weak to even wipe my own face. Looking around the room, I wished that I was outside with the sun on my face. I shivered again; my body was starting to feel numb. I gave into the sensation, not seeing any reason to try and stay awake. My eyelids closed down over my dry eyes and I wondered if I would ever open them again.

My slumber didn't last long; I was jolted awake by a the sound of a large blast. I scrambled to my feet, listening for any other sounds. I could hear faint screams from deeper in the basement, ones that soundly oddly like the doctor. The loud screech of metal being moved forcefully. I grabbed onto the bars so that I could keep myself standing. My uniform was tattered and ripped in different places, making me look like a torture prisoner; I guess it's true about dressing the part. 

Suddenly I heard something, a voice?! "Don't be stupid! Nobody's here for you!" Still, I kept my eyes trained in front of me. I needed something to keep me here, even if that something was an empty wish. I licked my lips, steeling my nerves for what I was about to do. "HELP!" 

I screamed at the top of my lungs, using whatever energy I had left. There was a pause; all the sounds in the laboratory stopped at that moment. Then, the steady beat of footsteps. "Did it work?!" I felt my body shaking from exhaustion, but my adrenaline kept me standing. Was it a hero or the doctor? "Please... I need a hero."

The footsteps got closer and louder; I had nothing to lose so I put my hands to my mouth. "Help me!" My cry was significantly softer than before because I simply had nothing left in me. The footsteps got faster and I watched as the wall near my cell was blown apart. "There Master!" 

"It couldn't be..."

I stared in shock as both Saitama and Genos climbed through the massive hole in the cement wall. "Kyri?!" They both looked as surprised as I did, but Genos quickly shook it off. He walked up to my cell and easily bent the bars as if it was Play-Doh. My body was still shaking, my hands unable to let go of the bars. Fresh tears started falling, slipping down my face and wetting my shirt. 

"Kyri, are you alright? Can you speak? Are you hurt?" Genos came closer to me, his words rushed with panic. I felt my legs give out and I fell to the floor, my hands slipping away from the bars. "Kyri!" Genos ran to catch me as I hiccuped from my sobs. "I-I-I'm sorry. I'm s-s-so sorry!" He had me in his arms, tightly hugging me as I cried into his chest.

"You guys h-h-have to leave! If the doctor c-c-catches you then..." My voice trailed off, cut out by a tightness in my throat. "Master..."

"Yeah, I already know Genos. Let's go..." Saitama gazed at me with a sad smile. "Don't worry Kyri, it'll be okay." Genos scooped me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style. I struggled to stay conscious despite being completely drained. I needed to make sure that they didn't get caught by the doctor or worse.

We wandered aimlessly down the hallways, me still cradled in Genos's arms. I felt his abruptly stop, his eyes glowing slightly. "Master! I sense more living beings... They are approaching us now." I watched as the lights that illuminated the damp hallways shattered; something was running toward us, breaking the lights as they came. A terrifying monster came into view, carrying a limp and bloody Dr. Genus.

My eyes went wide as the monster swiftly attacked Genos and I, throwing his arm at us. Genos quickly let go of me and I rolled on the ground, gasping in horror as he was smashed into the wall. "Genos!"

Saitama looked over at Genos with concern. "I am Carnage Kabuto!" the monster declared. "We got a combat experimentation room. Let's do this in there." He pointed down the hallway, smiling psychotically. Saitama glared at the monster, his fists clenched. "You just turned Genos into a piece of modern art. Fight's on!" 

He glanced back at me; I had managed to sit up straight and was working on standing. "Kyri, look after Genos." I forced a quick salute. "Yes sir!" I wasn't worried about Saitama; Genos had said that he was his master so I assumed that he must be strong. They walked down the hallway, Carnage Kabuto paying me no attention at all. "I guess he didn't even notice me... Oh well, I'm not complaining." 

I shakily stood up, leaning against the wall for support as I tried to pull Genos from the wall. Once I got him out though, he was a lot heavier than I expected. "Idiot! Of course he's going to be heavy, he's a fricken cyborg. As in made of metal." I tried my best to set him down gently, sweat running down my brow. 

I let out a sigh of relief when he was on the ground and crouched down next to him. Nothing looked too bad, just a couple dents here and there. I pushed back his bangs to check that his face was okay. There was a large cracks on the right side of his face, going from his forehead to his jawline. "No no no no no! This can't be happening! This isn't happening!" 

I took a couple quivering breaths and put my hand near his mouth to check his breathing because I didn't know how to check a cyborg's pulse. "Do cyborgs even have pulses?" Shaking my head, I focused. Warmth touched my fingers; Genos was still alive. I continued to leave my hand there, counting his breaths and checking the pace of them. "Okay good... At least he's steady."

"Kyri?" I yelped in surprise when Genos said my name. His eyes were staring into mine, the damage to his face even more apparent. "Where is Master Saitama?" 

"He went with that bug monster. They're about to fight, but you don't have to worry. Saitama seemed excited if anything..." Genos looked at me with a bit of guilt in his eyes before he tried to stand up. "Genos?! What are you doing?!" 

"I must fight  that creature... I need to prove myself." His face was filled with grim determination as he put an arm against the wall and began walking down the hallway. "Prove yourself to who?! You should be resting, you're in no condition to fight!" I stood up and tried to run after him. My legs gave out after the first couple steps, forcing me to fall onto the ground painfully. 

Genos turned around to see me on the floor, his facial expression softening. "No Kyri, you should stay here and rest. I'll come back for you after I win." With that he continued down the corridor, running with a slight limp. "No Genos! Come back!" I forced myself off the floor, but my words didn't reach his ears. 

"Dammit!" I cried, pounding my fist against the wall. I stared down the dark passage, walking down it with the help of the wall. Finally, I made it to a huge white room. My eyes widened when I saw Genos; he was shooting blasts of fire at Carnage Kabuto while sprinting across the room. He jumped up into the air, the cracked side of his face painfully blunt. "You fool!" Carnage Kabuto taunted, looking up to see Genos in the air.

"Machinegun Blows!" Genos pulled his fist back before letting off a barrage of fierce attacks. However, Carnage Kabuto seemed unfazed as the fire sizzled around him. He easily swatted Genos away like a gnat, sending him flying. Saitama easily caught him with a look of mild concern on his face. "Genos..." I whispered, furiously rubbing my eyes as more tears came. 

Genos twitched and smoked in Saitama's arms, his left eye now completely gone. "He got me... Let me... Take him..." Genos's voice was rough with pain as his left eye sparked. I ran toward them, my legs moving on their own. "How... How am I doing this?" Fear was coursing through my body as I stumbled on the clean white floors. The monster noticed me in an instant, my clumsy movements landing me on the floor once again.

"Eh? I thought that you were already dead!" He pointed at me in amusement. "You sure do look dead! I'll just help you out!" He laughed hysterically, tears slipping down his brown and pink cheeks. "Kyri?" Genos and Saitama turned to look at me as I got off the ground, my body covered in bruises and scratches. I wiped some sweat from my chin, breathing heavily as fatigue ate away at my physical abilities. I glared at Carnage Kabuto as he charged at me, the blinding white lights stinging my eyes. 

"It's not sunlight, but I'll make it work!" Before I could try and activate my power, a blast of fire shot toward the monster. Genos was holding out his palm, an angry red light illuminating his face. The monster didn't even bat and eyelash; he simply blew the fire back at them. "No!" 

"With his breath?! Impossible!" Genos grit his teeth as fire engulfed both him and his master. When the flames subsided, both Genos and Saitama were still standing. However, Saitama had a look of complete dismay on his face. "Genos, you okay?!"

"Yes..." 

"No you're not! Look at your head!" Saitama pointed to Genos's hair which had become puffy and curly from the flames. I sighed, glad to see that the major injury from that attack was just a hair malfunction. Carnage Kabuto laughed again and stuck out a long, slimy tongue, mocking both of them. "You've gone and gotten my hopes up." Saitama grinned, lowering Genos onto the ground.

"What's the hold up? Let's go!" Carnage Kabuto yelled savagely. Genos struggled against Saitama's grasp, but he forced the cyborg to stay put. I ran closer to him, wary not to make too much noise or draw attention to myself. Luckily, Carnage Kabuto had his eyes focused on Saitama, who had begun walking toward the monster, his cape fluttering.

They started talking, but I couldn't care less about what they were saying. I could sense how strong Saitama was; I didn't need to worry about him. I needed to focus all my attention on Genos. I needed to make sure that he was okay.

"Genos!" I kneeled down beside him, helping him to sit up. "Kyri..." He gave me a small smile, shame washing over his face. "I-" 

"Stop." I cut him off before he could say anything else. "Just stop Genos... I saw your fight. You were amazing, so don't you dare say anything that would imply otherwise." He let out a small chuckle and opened his mouth to say something when the fight started. 

Carnage Kabuto dashed around the battle field with unrealistic speed for a creature of his size. "Such speed!"Genos and I watched as he drew back his fist aiming for Saitama. However, the blow never came. Carnage Kabuto winced, his whole body stiffening up in a cold sweat before flying over us and back to the other side of the room. 

"What are you doing?" Saitama asked, a blank stare of boredom on his face. "Hey!" Saitama tried again when the creature didn't answer.

"He just backed off? Carnage Kabuto?!" I whipped around to see Dr. Genus holding his arm with blood pouring down his face. My heart almost exploded out of my chest when I saw him conscious. I felt Genos pull me closer to him protectively, but I was too terrified to get flustered. "Please... Don't notice me..."

However, his eyes were focused on Carnage Kabuto and Saitama, his mouth wide open in shock. As for Carnage Kabuto, he was up against the wall, sweat pouring down him. His eyes were wide with fear and I could almost hear his heartbeat. "You bastard! How the hell did you get that strong?!" The monster lashed out, pointing an accusing finger at Saitama.

Everyone in the room stared at the bald man, waiting for an answer. "So you want to know too? Okay fine. Genos, you listen carefully too." I felt Genos stiffen, the eye that wasn't broken trained on his master. "Is he really going to tell us now? The secret to his power?" The cyborg muttered to himself, subconsciously tightening his grip on me.

"I'd like to know too." Dr. Genus had hobbled over into the battle area, his eyes glistening with curiosity. "Huh? Who are you?" Saitama glanced at the broken doctor with a blank stare. 

"I am Genus." Saitama continued to look confused, but continued anyway. "Well, fine. Listen up." Genos glanced around the area with concern, obviously hesitant to have Saitama reveal his secret in front of the enemies. 

"First, what's important is, to make sure you stick to this intense training regimen." Everyone had their eyes glued to him, Saitama smiling as he explained his trade secrets. 

"Listen, Genos You just have to keep doing it. No matter how hard it gets. It took me 3 years to get this strong. 100 push-ups! 100 sit-ups! 100 squats! Then a 10 kilometer run! Every single day! And of course, make sure you eat 3 meals a day. Just a banana in the morning is fine. But the most important thing is never to use the A/C or heat in the summer or winter so that you can strengthen the mind. In the beginning you'll wish you were dead. You might start thinking what's the harm in one day off? But for me, in order to be a strong hero, no matter how tough it was, even if I was spitting up blood, I never stopped. I kept doing squats even when my legs were so heavy they refused to move. Even when my arms started making weird clicking noises, I kept doing push-ups. A year and a half later, I started to notice a difference. I was bald... And I had become stronger! In other words, you gotta train like hell to the point where your hair falls out. That's the only way to become strong. The guys that are fooling around with the 'new human race' and evolution junk will never make it this far. Human beings are strong because we have the ability to change ourselves."

"You're so..." Genos had his head down, his voice barely a whisper. "FULL OF CRAP!" I flinched at his sudden shout. Saitama's prideful face came crashing down when he heard Genos. 

"That is nothing but basic strength training!" Genos stood up angrily. "And it's not even that intense! It's just a normal level!" His hand curled into a fist, his right eye flickering with rage. "I... I have to get stronger. I didn't ask to study under you just to hear jokes! Master Saitama, your power is clearly stronger than what'd you get from just training your body. We want to know your true secret!" 

I glanced from Genos to Saitama, trying to figure out what his response might be; personally, I didn't think that he was joking when he gave that monologue, but perhaps there was something more. After all, his training did seem rather basic. 

"Genos... You may not believe me, but that's really all I did." Saitama shrugged while Genos stared at him with disbelief. 

"Oh yeah?" Carnage Kabuto sneered. Blood vessels began to bulge all over his body. "No! Carnage Kabuto!" Dr. Genus shouted as the monster began to grow in size, becoming an even more grotesque version of itself. "If you don't want to tell us your secret... So be it."

"Stop! You'll go on another rampage!" Genos and I stared at Carnage Kabuto while the doctor pleaded it to stop. Warning bells rang out with the help of flashing red lights. I watched the exit seal shut with multiple barriers while the blaring sirens put my body on edge. 

"I bet you aren't stronger than me anyway!" The large horn on his face grew, becoming sharper... Deadlier. The monster's original pink and brown coloring had morphed into a toxic green and purple combination. "But, since you pissed me off, I'm going to annihilate you. Carnage Mode!" Carnage Kabuto was huge now, looming over Saitama with a vicious look on his face. The clean white room suddenly changed, turning into an odd black light simulation.

"When I get like this I lose control for a whole week and my lust for death cannot be quelled! After I kill you, I'll head into town and go on a killing rampage until next Saturday!" I watched in horror, unable to prevent my shaking. Genos noticed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry Kyri. Master will certainly be able to defeat this monster."

I glanced at the vicious beast with red eyes and needle teeth standing in front of the average looking male; it was hard to have much hope. "If you say so..." 

"If you are indeed a strong hero, then try ad stop me!" Carnage Kabuto charged at a stunned Saitama, sending him flying into a wall, shattering it. The monster repeated the process, smashing Saitama around the room like a pin ball. "Master?!" Genos cried out in disbelief. 

I could barely watch as Saitama was beaten by the monster's fists. Before I completely gave up hope, I saw his white cape flash. "Bargain day at the supermarket!" Saitama brought his fist against Carnage Kabuto with his strange battle cry. The monster was blown apart, sending green goo and chunks of purple flesh flying across the room.

The black light turned off, revealing the white room and Dr. Genus's astonished face. Saitama screamed, holding his head near the monster's corpse. I couldn't quite comprehend what was happening; he had just beaten that monster in one punch. That giant beast, gone, in one punch. "Who... Who the hell is this guy?!" 

"I screwed up!" Saitama was on his knees, still yelling as though he was in pain. "Is he okay?" Genos and I were walking toward him, the doctor still standing in awe. We passed by him, me warily standing next to Genos, trying to keep myself out of view when the cyborg held up a flyer. "I'm pretty sure he's upset about this."

The flyer's gaudy writing advertised a large scale sale that was being held today at the supermarket. "Oh..." I nodded; as a minimum wage employee, I could appreciate the importance of a good bargain. "Master, the store closes at 10:00 pm. That is about 4 hours away. If we really hurry, we can make it."

"I'll make it if I hurry?" Saitama's face lit up with excitement and Genos nodded. "Yes!"

"Let's go Genos!" Saitama began running off, his cape fluttering behind him. "Yes, Master!" Before he took off too, Genos looked back at me. "Would you like to come with us?" I chuckled and glanced down at my battered body. "I'd love to, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it."

"Don't worry!" Genos knelt down, his back to me. "You may ride on my back! But we must hurry, Master Saitama is getting away." I nimbly climbed onto him, my arms wrapped around his neck. He held my legs tightly before running off through the large hole that Saitama had made in the wall; I turned around to look at Dr. Genus and stuck my tongue out at him. 

"Take that! Ha!" 

I spent the rest of the trip resting my head against Genos's back, occasionally playing with his hair, trying to fix it back to normal; It kinda worked... But not really.

a/n: wow, this chapter was way longer than anticipated... hope that you guys didn't mind though. in this particular story, the chapters will be of varying lengths so some might be long again and some might be short. just a little heads-up! thanks for reading *\(^o^)/*      <3 peachy