#(one is evil)

Or... We Knew That The MA Arc Was Going to Be Brutal For Heroes, but Holy Shit!

Shall we have a selection of pure authorial evil inflicted on fictional characters? Yes, let's!

Opening the chocolate box of cruelty, we spy...

Heck

The good news about being here is that things are more annoying than horrible for you, even if you don't see it that way.

Sicchi: You're on tenterhooks, listening out for any news as to how the Monster Association raid is going and *now's* the time the board wants you to talk to an idiot about a possible special promotion? What nonsense! If you weren't so busy, you might smell a possible fishing expedition in the questioning, but that's an actual hell for another day.

Drive Knight: You're maybe wondering why you're here at all, no? After all, other than a couple of battery issues, you've come out of it pretty well: bested a monster cat in grand style, got a piece of the Monster King himself, and got out while the going was good. Feeling pretty smug, aren't you? How about I tell you that you missed seeing Blast... fighting? Also, you didn't get Orochi's heart -- that's the regenerative bit that can also make monster cells. Soz, can't win them all I guess.

Speed o' Sound Sonic: Talk about lucky escapes. I know you don't feel very lucky right now, what with having crapped out half your body weight thanks to your piss-poor listening skills, but trust me, you're much better off being away from the turkey shoot this day turned into. Bonus: you'll get to tell those dodgy monster cell peddlers what you thought of their gift personally soon enough. Wait, you're upset that I lumped you in with heroes? Well, I needed one more person for an even three, deal with it!

Purgatory

The Heroes who gave up their beds: We really need a shorter name for you guys. You're what people think of when they think of true heroes: you discharged yourselves against medical advice and got on scene at City Z in that golden first hour when most lives are to be saved. You all know you did absolutely everything you could, but it's not the number of helicopters you filled that you'll be remembering tonight. It's the number of people you weren't strong enough to shift the rubble away from. It's the time you didn't have to pull more people out before the floods came and inundated everything. Should have been stronger. Should have been faster. Should have been... better.

Lightspeed Flash: Yes, I know you think you ought to be in the inner circle of hell, but honestly, your pride's more wounded than anything. Yes, it was a terrible shock to find that there were no less than four beings faster than you, in one day, even. And no, it wasn't very nice for Platinum Sperm to say those things to you, but you know he was telling the truth -- you yourself admit to joining the Hero Association as a way to ply your ninja skills without selling yourself to the highest bidder. What was that you suggested to Hellfire Flame and Gale Wind? Train? Yes, go do that.

Pig God: Even if photographers keep going out their way to cut your head off in group shots, you're a star. Over-faced but you never lost heart, you've kept battling against the odds to save your fellow hero. And yet, you feel like you should have done more... c'mon man, don't be so hard on yourself!

Outer Circle of Hell

Hell's a hot place. Even without being directly in the flames, it's still unbearably hot here.

Bang: Now normally, I'd consider you for the inner circle, but if there's anyone who deserved a drubbing from Garou, it was you. With your own super-secret special technique, even. Call it penance. Your brother might have been able to beat the drinking, whoring, and fighting out of you, but looks like he didn't touch the selfishness that drove your behaviour. Damn straight you're going to have to do better by your disciples. ALL of them.

Fubuki: You like weak monsters and gullible people you can bend to your will, don't you? Sorry mate, none to be found here. You seem to be having a heart attack every other page and seeing your sister brought low didn't help, did it? Still, you've surprised yourself a few times. Maybe there's hope for you yet!

Sekingar: All you wanted to do was a little light supervision, get a bit of a promotion, and maybe vicariously enjoy heroism by being close to working heroes. And then your neat rescue mission mission-creeped to hell, you're down a hand, and you'll have some difficult explaining to do. On the good side, you got to try out some real heroism again, and your hand-picked crew did come good. Good eye, Sekingar! Well... you only have the one eye, so I hope it's good.

Inner Circle of Hell

The hiss and crackle? That's your fat rendering down into the flames you're being barbecued alive over.

Atomic Samurai: If there was justice in the world, you wouldn't be here. You'd be back having tea with your disciples after a tough day of monster slicing and looking forward to catching up with your friends. No one can call you lazy, but you may as well have been waving sticks of celery around for all the good your swordcraft has done you today. It's been humiliated by shitty monsters and looks like you're the last friend standing. Literally. I sense a journey of redemption in your future.

Superalloy Darkshine: Reason you're here rather than with Flashy Flash is that you really did believe that you'd overcome yourself, that all your years of hard work had laid the insecure, scrawny kid you once were to rest. Wrong! All you did was paint yourself with fake tan and the illusion of confidence. And now that's peeled off with your skin -- sorry man. I'd like to say you'll bounce back, but there's no easy road back for you.

Tatsumaki: So this is what we call setting an example, is it? Total self-reliance? No one can help you, especially not Fubuki? How does being made to eat your words so comprehensively taste? Wait... why are you unconscious? You've missed the best bits!

Spring Mustachio: Normally, you'd be in Purgatory, but whatever you expected from today, holding your master's guts in with what was a custom-designed jacket was not on that list. Hang in there!

Super Hell

I'd like to say that this was where the naughty super-heroes go, but it's just a special circle of damnation with flames fine-tuned to barbecue with one's own deepest insecurities and iniquities. Guys, I really gotta wonder what you did to ONE. Look like someone who once kicked his dog? Give him nightmares? Anyway...

Garou: You're a really independent thinker, aren't you? No matter what, you did it Your Way. Making the world a better place by doing good is so passe: it's like throwing stranded starfish into the sea one at a time. Making everybody behave at the same time, well, we can't say you're not imaginative. I really respect that so how about I introduce you to my friend God? He's got some help to dole out. While you guys talk, let me set you some mood music. [NB: blasphemous] Ahhh, sounds like you're getting along just fine. By the by, the nuclear face-eating leopards you uncaged? Be careful whose face they eat; they're not picky. Well, you said you wanted to be Unbiased Evil, didn't you? What are you crying for?

Genos: Man, are idealists fun to roast. Heroes are all about justice, but you've been a true believer before Agoni even dreamed about a Hero Association. Your unshakeable belief in the rightness of seeking justice has brought you a long way. Could even say you've climbed to incredible heights, no? You're all about being judged for what you've done or failed to do, not what you are, what with calling yourself the Cyborg for Justice. And you won't flinch for anything. You really do deserve some special prize. How about this? You're going to get to see evil triumphant and the alleged number one hero just stand there bleating haplessly. Not only that, but you're going to die cruelly... and not because of anything you did. See, you're just bait to rile your precious master up. Your precious master people kept warning you not to follow lest his advice get you killed. Annoying when people have a point, isn't it?

Saitama: So, you believe that the role of a hero is to help people? And that a good hero knows when to step in? Been riding that hero's intuition thing a little hard, haven't you? But you also like good fights? Ah, and you're a little aloof, pretty much your own guy, yeah? Hard-boiled egg, lone wolf I believe you call yourself.

I have just the thing for you... I'll let Nyan explain.

This arc is a reminder that no one’s too smart to fall victim to a cult or confidence game.  Indeed, sometimes the smart people are the easier ones as they underestimate the extent to which emotions direct their decisions.   Normally, Genos would have a few people to talk to to get their perspectives.

Saitama, with his bullshit-cutting simplicity, would be a great person to put this by, but Saitama is largely preoccupied with the Hero Name Victims Association and barely seems to notice Genos at all.

Bang has been with the Hero Association for a long time and would have had excellent perspectives on both Metal Knight and Drive Knight, but he’s retired and lives in City Z so there’s little prospect of a chance meeting.

King would be the sort to have a cautious comment that would nevertheless  He’s got no time for playing games any longer -- he’s busy working on himself.

Fubuki. Genos might be all ‘I don’t speak bitch’ with her, but her insight on pulling strings to get people to work for you wouldn’t go unnoticed.  She’s still living in City Z and in any case is very busy with a project of her own.

Even though Flashy Flash is persona non grata, his nose for smelling the rats of the criminal underground is fantastic. His view on what Drive Knight has had to say and who else might be a player would be an informed one.   What a pity he’s away, hunting rats of his own.

The two ex-pro heroes who have turned up dodgy dealings at the Neo Heroes would be fantastic to listen to, but Metal Bat is still under house-arrest and Child Emperor has his own problems.

Looks like Genos has to parse this on his own.  Oh dear.

That characters get away with bad behaviour because they’re cute or otherwise likeable.

Not with ONE. He likes characters to get what they’ve worked for.

No fear of the consequences of their actions not catching up with them:

When ONE decides a character’s cup is full, he doesn’t just pour the drink out over their heads, he smashes the cup onto that noggin of theirs and beats them until they realise that their current paths are unsupportable.   So far, he hasn’t totally destroyed anyone yet, so there’s always been a tomorrow to do better in.