*This story is caught up to the ONE's original webcomic (as of now chapter 106).
The events are not too relevant to this story, but future chapters will contain some spoilers.

Go read the webcomic *thumbs up* :D

• "-san"= common all-purpose honorific, can be equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs.
• hakase= used when addressing a person with very high academic expertise; "doctor" (someone with a Ph.D.)

In the back of his mind he had always known. Genos had already lost his family, his friends and town—it was understandable that he had pushed the thought so far back. He didn't want to think about losing anyone else… but it was something inevitable. He had to accept that. There was no denying it: everybody dies. Some sooner than others.

Despite the fact that Genos threw himself into danger with regularity, there was still the fact that Dr. Kuseno was an elderly man. In some way he had always assumed that he would fall in battle before the grim reaper came for the doctor in his sleep. From experience he had good reason to believe that, even if it was only on a subconscious level. Now, consciously, he was forcing himself to face reality.

Genos was packing a backpack when he heard a door open and footsteps. He didn't bother to look up.

"Genos-san…?"

Professor Kuseno's successor.

"The professor is upstairs," he answered before being asked anything. "He's making you something I believe."

But today was not the day to mourn the old man, not yet, and hopefully it would be many more years before that time came.

"O-oh, okay. Thanks."

Genos had nothing more to say, not that he wanted to make small talk anyway. He heard the footsteps grow fainter, then they suddenly came up to him.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Genos-san. I don't know if Grandpa said so already, but my name's Gigi."

He raised his head, glancing at her extended hand.

The professor's successor. And granddaughter.

He accepted her hand and shook it, "Yeah."

The young man had no idea what else to say. A part of him felt that he should be… nice? She was family of the man who had saved his life, besides that being mean to her would make the doctor upset with him. However being respectful to others who weren't the professor or sensei wasn't… something he regularly practiced.

Fortunately he was spared of having to think of this any longer.

She pulled her hand away, "I'll be on my way. I guess I'll see you later," and she picked up her pace.

He returned his attention to his backpack and paused as he reached for another item.

She may have not saved his life but she had definitely put hours of work into him.

The hand he flexed, the legs he was standing on, everything from the neck down – the body he was in had been made by her.

When Genos approached the facility his sensors had picked up a second life signal but he knew the professor was still there (he had his specific life signal catalogued). There were no signs of forced entry nor any sounds of distress, but he still wondered and worried. Would Dr. Kuseno bring anyone here? Who?

As soon as the cyborg entered the lab he was met with the old doctor's smiling face. He looked okay, and Genos quietly sighed in relief.

The professor's own security systems had detected the young man's presence and he predicted that Genos would likely pick up on the second person. The boy had a hot-head so he had gone out to ensure that he didn't jump to conclusions.

Kuseno walked with him and soon enough the source of the second life signal came into a view.

She was sitting in a chair but promptly hopped off when she saw the blond. "G-good day, Genos-san," she stood straight and adjusted a set of round glasses.

He looked her up and down. She knew his name? Why was she wearing a lab coat? What was going on?

She seemed to be about his age: brown hair with thick straight bangs, and the rest of it tied in a braid that curved up like a J. She had a long nose too.

"Who-?" Genos began to question.

"She's my successor," the doctor assured the cyborg with a pat to the back.

"What?"

"I'll explain everything later, you need to be fixed up first," he motioned in the direction of the table.

Right. That's why he had come in the first place. Genos headed over there and as he adjusted himself onto the table he overhead the doctor telling his… his successor that this was a great learning opportunity. She was still in training then?

"Hope you don't mind, Genos," the professor said when he came over, "but I'll need you to go to sleep for a while. It'll be quick."

"Yes, of course Hakase."

…

When Genos awoke and all his systems were a go, he looked around and felt that there was something different but he couldn't pinpoint what…
That thought disappeared when he saw her.

He slowly sat up. Apparently that girl had fallen asleep with her head resting on the table.

"I left fresh clothes here, Genos."

The young man turned the other way to see Professor Kuseno.

"Thank you."

While getting dressed the cyborg observed the old man walk over to his apparent future replacement and tap her shoulder. No response. She was out cold. His artificial eyes caught the glint of her glasses hanging from the doctor's breastpocket. Seems he had tried earlier.

"Are you going to leave her there?" he asked with the slightest curiosity.

"Of course not," the elder looked up at the other. "I was waiting for you to wake up."

His lips pressed together and his mouth straightened. He wanted him to carry her?

Dr. Kuseno exhaled, "You won't help a feeble old man, Genos?"

"Who exactly is she?"

"My successor." He breathed in, "Genos, there is a strong likelihood that I will pass before you do. I'm not getting any younger, and I hate to think of what would become of you."

"But can she be trusted? Where did you even fin-"

"Genos," he said sharply. "Please. I would prefer that you do not speak of my granddaughter that way." His voice was firm.

That made him step back mentally. She was family? He, he didn't know much about the professor's personal life now that he thought about it… Let alone that he had a family.
"My apologies. I didn't know that she was Hakase's…" He stopped and looked away.
"…Does she have a room?"

"Take her to her office-room for now, so that you don't jostle her around too much."

"Yes, sir." The young man tried to lift her up carefully; he didn't want to hear that tone from the professor again.

"She's exhausted. She's been up for hours making that body," Kuseno explained as he guided the younger man.

"Body?" Genos paused.

"Yes. You could call it her 'final' – and she passed." He eyed the cyborg, "There's still plenty she has to learn, but she's qualified to make your current body."

He didn't know how to respond to that. He looked down at the granddaughter, and to his own body. She had made it? So she wasn't as green as he'd assumed…

"Don't worry. If I didn't feel that that body was up to par I would not have transferred you into it."

All he could manage to do was nod.

Genos didn't normally go to this part of the lab. The professor's 'office' was on that side, and next to it another with the word 'assistant' on the door. He acted quickly in laying her down; with the professor there as well he didn't linger, but from the periphery of his vision he saw a bookshelf, a closet, and a desk full of work.

"How long has she been here?"

"Hmm, she moved in her things last week. She's been visiting this facility for weeks now- it's just you two always managed to miss each other." He looked at Genos, "You should stick around for a while longer. You two should meet properly."

The doctor picked up a clipboard, "Genos, how does everything feel?"

"Uh," he blinked. "Is this about her work?"

"It is."

"Thus far everything feels fine and moves smoothly," he focused on the clipboard. Dr. Kuseno was writing something. "Is that her evaluation?"

"It is. I'll have a look over everything in more detail later on."

Genos was curious - there were so many sheets on that clipboard. What does an evaluation on cyborg creation look like? Considering that he was the subject who this would affect the most…

"I still have more to look at," the professor made his way to a screen. He turned back to the younger man, "Would you like to watch yourself be made, Genos?"

"E-excuse me?"

Her work had been recorded.

"She worked nonstop? For how long?"

"She had been working for over ten hours when I left. Since I wasn't the one under pressure I couldn't keep my eyes open for much longer."

And that was the footage he was reviewing: what she did while he slept.

"Isn't that…"
The footage was being watched at higher speeds to save time but he had noticed a brief moment when she had sat down in a chair, elbows on knees, head hanging low – exhausted.
"…a little cruel?"

Professor Kuseno paused the video and eyed the cyborg. Was that sympathy from Genos? The old man blinked hard when he saw the cyborg turn to him. Was this a result of spending time with that master of his…?

"Admittedly." The old man recomposed himself, "During an exam you normally don't stop, and furthermore it's to prepare for emergencies…" he glimpsed at and away from the other, "much as I had to deal with."

Genos felt a lump in his throat. The mind could definitely create phantom sensations couldn't it? He wanted to apologize again; he wanted to thank him again for what he had done, but he kept quiet instead.

"That's enough." The doctor turned off the screen. "I had woken up by that point."

Genos made his way upstairs where the… Kusenos were. They had shaken hands in the lab- what more of a meeting did the professor want from him?

"Hakase, I've restocked on spare parts," he rounded the corner to the kitchen. She was there- the replacement- her name was… something simple, but…

It looked like she had just finished eating, the doctor was near the counter, and their lab coats were hanging from a coat hook.

"Are you leaving, Genos-san?"

The cyborg could feel the professor's eyes on him. 'Meet properly' he heard echo in his head. Did he want him to chat with her? Did it have to be done now?

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Grandpa's told me you have a teacher, right?"

"I do." Damn, she wants to talk to him. He was realizing now that she had been too exhausted to say much when they met. He was hoping she was a silent type, a nervous type even – too nervous to talk to people.

She stood up, patted her button-down shirt and blue slacks, took her dishes to the sink, "He sounds like an interesting person," and proceeded to innocently ask, "but why do you admire him so much?"

Both men's eyes widened slowly.

"Grandpa…?"

He looked horrified for some reason.

Genos raised a hand, and opened his mouth ready to say everything but didn't. "Wait, let me make some tea first. Have a seat."

The old man shook his head solemnly- What have you done?

She took a seat again, still not understanding her grandfather's reaction.

"Hakase, do you have a chalkboard or whiteboard I could borrow?" The tea had been placed.

Dr. Kuseno only nodded, already resigned to what was about to happen.

Before the teapot whistled Genos reappeared with a chalkboard and notebooks. Enough notebooks that when he set them down on the kitchen table the granddaughter's eyes widened too.

The teapot sounded and he expertly prepared a cup. "Saitama-sensei is a great man who's a hero for hobby and profit," he started as he set down the cup before the young lady.

She had stood up to get a better look at the notebooks but sat with some hesitation when the blond began to speak. What were the notebooks for?

….

"Now do you have any remaining doubts?" Genos asked hours later.

She had already been awake for a day hard at work making a cyborg, although she had rested and eaten since then it was not enough to handle such an overload of information so soon after. But although she felt numb and a little dizzy…
She adjusted her glasses, a tired smile on her face, "He sounds really amazing."

The professor was half-asleep in the living room and sat up when he heard her.

As for Genos, he stared at her blankly for a moment. "That's correct," his expression relaxed. "Sensei is really amazing."

The nineteen-year-old left soon after his long-winded and overly-detailed speech.

So that granddaughter of his had enough sense to recognize Sensei's greatness. Good.

συνεχίζεται...

My reasons for this: I JUST DON'T WANT GENOS TO DIE OKAY
** minigenos. tumblr (good ol' dot-com) /post/135408181741/some-genos-things-to-imagine

*** συνεχίζεται (synechízetai) - Greek for "to be continued"