Chapter Text
"Alphas, Betas, Omegas- Three dynamics that will end up ruling the world. Depending on what you are, it is decided what kind of role one will take on in life. It's the future, natural order of things, and no one can change this-"
"It's just a theory, dude!" Saitama says, yet without disgust or distaste. He stands in the line of the Stop-n-Shop, waiting patiently for it to be his turn. His well-worn 'OPPAI' hoodie was fraying at its baggy sleeves, faded pale-yellow and suspicious reddish brown stains, and he played with the strings to keep his mind stimulated. However, in a struck of luck, a man standing behind him ended up being another good distraction. Saitama had noticed an innocent, yet anxious look in his scarred face. He took pity on the taller male, and began to converse with him.
The other male was broad-chested, with a stern look in his eye. Three little claw marks rake down his face, giving off some badass facial features. The bald man was curious as to why he was so uptight, but let it go and asked if the brand of soda he was buying was of any good.
Somehow, a soda-related conversation turned into a serious talk about a theory on gender dynamics. Saitama laughed at this: the alpha/beta/omega theory was starting to get really old. It was some crack-wise idea a couple of centuries back, but it has yet to be proven- it's just a mutation, Saitama thinks, if 'proof' to this theory is announced. It's just males and females. That's it.
This man, however, says otherwise.
"A study was done in, hold, Canada, 5-dash-3-dash-2016. A test was given to fifty males and fifty females, all of which were put through a series of mental tolerance tests. A noticable difference was discovered through 10% of males, and 12% of females. This information is classified and under construction," The scar-face man says blankly, staring at the center of Saitama's head. The listener puffs his cheeks, shuffling along in the line as someone leaves.
"Man, you sure have a funny way of talking" he says, eyes scanning the gum display. He didn't really care to investigate, but he did notice that the man behind him talked like a robot of sorts; he sounded like a grade-school child, droning on off of a paper for a class he really didn't like. Saitama was okay with it, though. He did have a pretty high tolerance level.
"... I like video games," the man suddenly says, as Saitama picks up a marked-down package of bubble gum. Not his favorite brand, but it was half off. His brown eyes look up from the small shiny box of plastic, up to the man behind him. "Oh?"
"Ms. Fubuki gave me Fallout 3 on my birthday,"
"Hmm. That was nice of her. What's it about?" he asks casually, yawning slightly. When he hears the casher call 'next!' he turns to see if it was his turn. Gripping the gum and his bag of banana cookies, he grins and steps up to the counter to pay. The man behind him falls silent, without answering so much as a grunt.
Saitama pays quickly, tearing into his snack bag to feast on the sugary, artificially flavored treat. In his joy, he overhears the man he chatted with talk to someone else.
"Ms. Fubuki, do I drink my soda now, or after supper?"
The woman, who Saitama concludes is 'Ms. Fubuki', replies with a tired, yet motherly answer.
"Now is fine, King. Your mother fusses at me when I say it's fine to have sugar close to your bedtime,"
"I will drink my soda now, then" the man, 'King', says with a suddenly happy tone, the sound of a popping can following soon after. Saitama chuckles, and then continues to walk out of the store. Before he leaves, however, he turns to wave at his five-minute friend. King looks up from his soda, face curious yet hounding slight caution, and squints at the bald man leaving the store. He then suddenly smiles wide, like a random photographer just yelled 'cheese!'. The smile was happy, but stretched as wide as a child would make it. Saitama thinks nothing of it, and waves goodbye. The raven-haired woman standing by him gives him a questioning glower, but nods.
Just as Saitama places his hand on the door, someone barges in. Surpised with the force of the door being violently opened, he stumbles back with hurried hase. Wind blows in as the rather rude newcommer enters. A man stumbles in, eyes set on Saitama with blood-shot eyes. The stranger then shooves Saitama aside like a rag, who puffs in response. "Woah, man, calm your tits,"
The new man suddenly glares at Saitama, face sun bitten and cracked. Saitama, in all of his innocence, did not expect a gun to be suddenly shoved in his face, pushing him backward towards the center of the store.
"Nobody move! This is a robbery!"
The brown-eyed man frowns at the robber, putting his hand on the gun. People in this city can be awfully rude, he thinks negatively. His eyebrows scrunch together, and he knows the threat of the gun to his chest. However, if nobody else stands up to the plate to stop this guy, who will?
"Oh my God! Somebody! H-" Someone screams from the back of the store. People shout and panic imediatly, feeling the danger in the air. The robber growls and shoves Saitama again. "I SAID NOBODY MOVE!"
"R-robbery is a crime," someone squeaks, and the bald man at the gun's point looks back with a glare. Trying to edge this baddie's temper on was definitely not a good idea.... It was King who spoke, of all people. Saitama frowns and attempts to speak, the air so thick with tention one could cut it with a knife. But the robber just shoves his gun to the scar-face man.
"You think this is a game, boy!?" he shouts.
Saitama thinks the man before him is just bluffing, but the flinch in his fingers while aiming the weapon was not.
And, being the idiot like he was, he lunges.
~
TBC