This will be my first One Punch Man fanfic. Be nice with the reviews.

A retelling of OPM where a cyborg didn't became Saitama's disciple but a certain esper. This will follow the anime storyline, not the manga or webcomics. However, some scenes that are shown only in the manga and webcomics would be added. Even so, it would primarily follow the anime's main storyline until season 1.

As this is a rehash/retelling, there would be many similarities, some subtle and some almost the same. This will tailor much to the theme of the anime and so there would be some changes. There would be changes in some of the character's canon backstories or some scenes adjusted to fit with the theme. Some would be switched where a specific character was supposed to be there. Also, this is not a pairing story in general since I'm not very good at those. Just take whatever the story presents and leave it at that.

The narration of the story would veer into introspection in some parts. It may perhaps be long (or boring I might say) but it's needed for the story and plot. Simply bear with it. The POV of the story would mainly focus on Tatsumaki than any other as I find her view to be more interesting and down-to-earth. With this, her story would be shown more.

This will only last until season 1. I've read both the manga and the webcomics but even so, I won't promise anything except I would finish this. Don't fret if the updates aren't consistent. I'm just doing this for fun. ;b

Let's begin. Saitama is getting irritated by the rather long introduction.

Read. Enjoy. Review.

THE BALD AND THE ESPER

By silenthero

Chapter 1: Fated Meeting

"Tsk. I hate bugs. Why does it have to be bugs?" A girl said irritably. She has green hair that curls up on the ends and wears a tight fitting black dress with long sleeves and four high-cut slits.

"I came to this city and what greeted me at the roadside? Dead cows. Some welcome this city has."

A black mist appeared from the horizon and it amassed into a ball.

She smirked.

"Pest sighted."

x-x-x

No resident is to go outside under any circumstances.

I repeat: no resident is to go outside under any circumstances.

The citywide alarm continued on and on as if no one has heard the announcement. Recently, there was a swarm of mosquitoes so thick in volume that it acted like a living mists flowing. Anyone who was passed by the ravenous swarm was reduced to a mere skin and bones. Due to this, the city streets were empty. Businesses, traffic, and even sound stopped from its daily course. Everyone was afraid to go outside.

Except for a lone thief.

"Gah! Thanks to that warning, they're all empty!" a man said in triumph as he walked out from a store. All it took was a crowbar and a little manual labor for collecting all things worth more than his safety.

He turned to his huge bag of plundered goods, leaning his trusty crowbar on his shoulder. "What's losing a little blood if I get all this?"

Suddenly, a quick breeze passed by. It took out his bonnet and it flew away to the sky.

"The wind…?" he said, bewildered. He then felt there was something slithering under his clothes. "What the-"

Upon noticing what was happening, he quickly thrashed around. He fought desperately, swinging his crowbar left and right to somehow ward off the invasive mist.

The black mist finally covered him despite him thrashing around. In close inspection, thousands upon thousands of mosquitoes covered every centimeter of his skin to suck his blood dry. If it was painful or not, no one has survived to tell the experience.

After a few seconds, the swarm flew away leaving a desiccated, thin man in its wake. The mosquitoes formed a sphere with a scarlet core. It scattered once again and it revealed a being of a half-woman, half mosquito hybrid. She was monstrous in appearance but strangely she has beautiful features that can seduce and charm.

"Come on, guys. That wasn't nearly enough." The mosquito woman complained rather sassily. True, she enjoyed what little blood she got but it made her thirstier. Cow blood wasn't the same as human blood. For some reason, human blood was more delectable than livestock or poultry, though she was pretty sure they're in same category.

"Pest sighted."

"Huh?"

A truck come flying towards the monster at surprising speed. However, she turned around and slashed it, metal parts rained on the street. Mosquito Girl looked down and saw a girl.

"I see now." The green haired girl said. "You order these mosquitoes for blood and you'll take all their hard work. Seems like a very lazy thing to do."

"Hmm? And what's a kid doing in here all alone?"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAID?! I'm 22 years old and I'm not a kid!" the girl snapped. "I'm the great esper Tatsumaki! All I have to do is squish you and everything's back to normal!"

"Oh? Such audacity for such a little girl. Children, our next meal is here. Go drain her dry." She ordered

The swarm descended upon the esper and started enveloping her.

"Disgusting." A dome of green light expanded and it expelled every insect. The monster looked on curiously.

"All I have to do is cover myself with my powers and I won't get sucked by your disgusting kind." The esper said, staring back. "Prepare to be squished."

"You, squish me?" scoffed the monster. "Go on and try!"

Tatsumaki raised an unfurled hand and a green outline formed on the monster. "Then I'll do it." She quickly closed her hand to a fist and the green outline suddenly shrank into a ball in sync with her hand, effectively crushing what's inside.

"There, problem solved."

…

"Oh, I think not!"

The esper turned over her shoulder and to her surprise saw the monster about to strike. She quickly formed a green barrier as a shield and razor sharp claws slashed deep into it.

"You're not a weakling brat after all," taunted the mosquito girl.

With a grunt, the esper blasted the monster away with a telekinetic blast.

What happened earlier? Tatsumaki looked back at the green ball hung suspended in the air. She dissipated it and saw nothing inside.

"I have telepathy too." The flying Mosquito Girl said, tapping her temple. "I use it to control my minions. You can't control me if I severed the link between us. You can't even track me with your eyes, actual or otherwise."

"Thanks for explaining. I'll try the manual way." The esper lifted two cars using telekinesis.

"Espers. I haven't tasted a human with superpowers before. I guess I'll find out." The monster dove for an attack. The cars hovering in the air smashed her from the sides. It shortly turned into metal scraps by her claws and she continued her descent. She met some resistance along the way in the form of many debris hurled at her but she dodged every single one of them without compromise in speed.

Aiming her sharp antennae to the girl's head, she grinned in anticipation.

The attack landed. The antennae ripped through and a horrendous green thing hung on its end.

The mosquito queen smiled from her attack but then frowned. Squinting, she saw a head alright but only in shape. It was neon green and it was emitting a glow that pulsed brighter in every second. "Wait. What – "

"Boom." A finger snapped and a catastrophic explosion occurred in the air.

"Astral Duplication." The esper said, standing completely unfazed. "I can leave a remnant that act as a bomb in my place. Guess you didn't expect that." She lifted debris from the street and hurled it to her flying enemy. "You're still alive. No need to escape from me."

The monster flew higher to avoid the speeding projectiles. "Tsk. What the hell is wrong with that brat? I need reinforcements. Come, my children! Give all your blood to me!"

A swarm much bigger than before appeared out of the forest and the neighboring cities, and it engulfed their queen.

Tatsumaki looked on. She's been collecting blood all over the place and not on this city alone. It may strengthen her if she gets too many. I need to finish this quick before she gets too strong.

From out of nowhere, a bald man wearing a plain yellow shirt and olive drab shorts ran towards her, "Get back here, dammit! You and I aren't done yet!" He was carrying what appeared to be a bug spray and was chasing something. "Ack! It's in my mouth!"

Tatsumaki blinked. What's with this baldy? Wait. I think I've seen this guy before.

"Huh? What's that squirming over there? It's… mosquitoes?" The bald man said quite surprised.

"Hey, you there. Get out while you still can," warned the esper. "That swarm will drain you dry if it saw you."

"…Seriously?" He was more dumbstruck than terrified.

What's with this reaction?!

"Well, I better go –"

The sky darkened. An enormous dark cloud descended and it covered the whole street. It turned into a torrent of flowing destruction towards the city.

"This again." A green light pierced out from the thick swarm and a dome quickly expanded, effectively repelling the insects away.

"You never learn, do you?" The esper said, annoyed. "You are still a bug. I just said your insect attack doesn't work on me. There are no other people here for you to -"

Wait. What happened to that guy?

"Man, you saved me. You're amazing." The man simply said, scratching his bald head.

The esper turned around. The man looked completely fine which was very strange.

"What did you just do earlier?" the man asked. "You totally repelled the bugs out!"

The esper looked in bewilderment. How did he prevent from being knocked back?

"Oh, I was just trying to make a joke of you being a bug repellant, but…"

"HAHAHAHA! Idiots!" The mosquito queen laughed, emerging from the mosquito swarm. There was a definite change in her form, deadlier and more imposing. Her color scheme turned blood red and her claws became sharper and longer than before. "They did their jobs so I don't need them anymore!" She slashed a building from a far but it managed to slice through, demolishing it completely.

The esper looked on unperturbed at the monster's display of skill. I was right earlier. Not that it changes anything.

"Hey, brat. You said I never learn but you never learn too."

"What do you mean by…" Tatsumaki's vision crossed and she blinked heavily. She was feeling very nauseous and the world was spiraling in her eyes.

What. What's happening…

"When I said they did their jobs, I meant you. There is poison in some of my mosquitoes. I snuck a few to inject you while you are busy talking. You'll never notice them since they're quite sneaky to begin with. Guess you didn't expect that, did you?"

Tatsumaki wobbled. I let my guard down!

"Time to finish this!" The mosquito queen blurred out and appeared behind Tatsumaki. The monster quickly swiped her razor sharp claw at the esper but the esper managed to dodge it in time.

The esper was about to counter with a psychic blast, but before she did so the mosquito queen grabbed her and tossed her upwards towards the sky.

Tatsumaki can only envelop herself with a protective green barrier while the monster swiped and dived at her.

"Eh? Can't fight while in mid-air, brat?" mocked the monster.

True, it was very hard to defend and attack at the same time, not to mention Tatsumaki was having a hell of a headache. She can't perform a duplication again given the situation. The poison was weakening her energy to the point she can't think straight.

The monster continued her attacks, swiping and diving on and on. "Weakling spoiled brat!"

To the esper's horror, the barrier showed cracks. She was losing concentration in her only line of defense.

After the monster's next attack, the barrier finally shattered and it vanished.

"I think I'll be having your real head now!" exclaimed the monster, sadistic glee in her eyes.

It's no use. I can't win.

Mom. Dad.

Fubuki.

I - I'm sorry.

I… I'll be seeing you shortly.

…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA–"

A loud splat echoed around the city as a violent gust of wind blasted through the monster, hitting her squarely on the cheeks. Dusts flew in the air and blood painted the buildings. The attack was so strong that it managed to divide the clouds above and the ground beneath.

Tatsumaki's eyes widened. The monster simply disintegrated out of existence. She noticed the man from before slapped the hell out of the monster with such force that the only evidence was a blood splatter across a building.

With her energy depleted, she was still hurtling towards the ground but then felt someone catch her.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the bald man from before carrying her in his arms.

"Mosquitoes… suck. Get it?" the man said, trying to make a point.

"Who… who are you?"

"Oh, it's Saitama. Nice to meet you."

"H-how did you…" the esper's voice trailed and she lost consciousness.

Author's Corner: I don't have much to say since I've said everything before the chapter.

Except reviews are appreciated. It makes Saitama's bald head even shinier.