Skydiving

Aboard a large transport plane, Skye and Saitama were seated with a group of mercenaries. They weren't the only ones there.

The mercenaries all had their own connections, but how could those compare with Stark Industries'? A private plane like this could carry not only all of them, but also the weapons, tools, and other equipment they needed.

"So this is what flying feels like." Saitama sat on the plane with a blank, vaguely innocent expression, his vacant eyes taking in the interior. He looked completely like a first-time flyer. Of course, this really was his first time on a plane.

Seeing Saitama like this—and especially noticing the strange looks the other mercenaries were giving them—made Skye's face burn with embarrassment. She felt mortified. It was her first time flying too, but she was doing her best to hold herself together and not look like it.

"Saitama, don't act like that," Skye whispered, tugging at him.

"Huh?" Saitama blinked in confusion.

"Don't look around so much. People will think you're some country bumpkin who's never flown before. It's embarrassing." Skye had no choice but to explain.

"Oh. But it really is my first time on a plane. Skye, have you flown before?"

"Y-Yes, of course I have. I've flown plenty of times." Skye tried hard not to embarrass herself.

"Wow, that's amazing."

"...Why does it feel like you're making fun of me?"

"I'm not. I really do think you're amazing, Skye. You've flown so many times, and I've never flown before." Saitama shook his head.

Skye looked at him helplessly. Saitama really did seem sincere. He genuinely thought she was amazing. But the more earnestly he acted, the more embarrassed Skye felt, especially with so many mercenaries watching them.

"So he's an idiot. Babe, you should think about finding a new partner. This one looks like a complete moron. With him around, even scamming people would be hard. Hahaha!"

"Yeah, babe, why not join our team instead? You're so pretty, we could put you in charge of some of the support work."

"Babe, why are you working with an idiot like him?"

"Maybe he's good in bed? But I think it's more likely you've never had a taste of us white guys, so you think this yellow monkey is any good. Try us out and you'll never bother with this yellow monkey again. Hahaha!"

The mercenaries were mostly scum. Killing people and letting them go were practically everyday occurrences for them.

They'd behaved themselves at Stark Industries because it was Stark Industries. But now, on this plane, apart from the crew, the only people aboard were mercenaries. There were no Stark Industries executives left to worry about, so they let loose and showed their true colors.

They didn't just mock Saitama; they also harassed Skye. One of them even tried to get handsy.

"You bastards! You're all bastards!" Skye's face flushed as they harassed her. When she saw one of them reaching for her, she couldn't help showing her fear.

Smack!

Saitama caught the grubby hand just before it could touch Skye.

Skye let out a sigh of relief. She'd almost forgotten that Saitama, standing behind her, was incredibly strong. "Saitama, beat this bastard to death!"

At the same time, the man whose hand Saitama had grabbed grew furious. He tugged at it twice but couldn't pull free, and Saitama's grip made his wrist ache. He couldn't help cursing at Saitama. "Damn yellow monkey, let go!" He clenched his other hand into a fist—a fist as big as a bowl—and swung it straight at Saitama's bald head.

The other mercenaries watched with amusement, some even whistling. They thought the whole thing was entertaining, a bit of fun to pass the time. A few of the more lecherous ones stared openly at Skye, already planning to get their share later.

Smack!

A sharp crack rang out.

The man who'd swung at Saitama suddenly vanished. At the same moment, a hole appeared in the side of the plane. Several people standing near it were dragged straight through and sent screaming into the sky. They weren't wearing parachutes, so their fate was obvious.

The mercenaries still inside the plane couldn't help looking terrified. They had no idea what had happened, but there was no way they could fight back against something like that.

Skye's eyes widened with delight. She'd known Saitama was strong, especially since he was so fast that nobody could match him, but she'd never imagined he had this much power.

"Heh heh. Now you have two choices. You can put on your parachutes and jump out of here, or Saitama can throw you out one by one without parachutes." Skye was taking full advantage of Saitama's strength.

Skye also knew the mercenaries were all bad people. If they were beaten to death, not one of them would be innocent. But she'd been an ordinary, rebellious girl before this, and she still wasn't mentally prepared to kill anyone. Jumping out of a plane with a parachute, though—well, she could accept that.

"What are you talking about?" One of the mercenaries didn't believe Saitama was that strong. They couldn't explain what had just happened, but they still couldn't believe a yellow monkey could have that kind of strength.

But then Saitama darted around and tied them all up. When he spotted the ugliest one among them, he lifted him with one hand and started toward the open side of the plane. At last, they all understood what was going on. Even the ugly man about to be thrown out made his choice. They strapped on their parachutes and jumped from the plane. The ocean might be below, and jumping could mean almost certain death, but their chances were still better than being thrown out without parachutes.

Soon, only Saitama and Skye remained in the cabin. Saitama even tore off a piece from an unimportant part of the plane and used it to plug the hole.

P.S. I finally got a contract. It wasn't easy! Please recommend and bookmark the book, and, while you're at it, please send it its first tip.