Chapter Text
‘Will she make it?’
Xeno contemplated your resilience every other thought, which was extremely ineffective when he could be calculating survival options post-depetrification.
And yet, after what he could approximate was roughly thousands of years, he never came to a conclusion on your well-being.
He did not doubt your ability to stay awake—well, only the usual amount—but more the risk of your statue being broken, weathered away, or buried somewhere he couldn’t find.
Things his science could not reverse.
‘Please.’
Stanley could only plead with fate at this point, done with formulating strategies and contemplating his next moves.
Without any orders to attempt to fulfill, all he could think about was you.
If not for any other reason, could you stay conscious just because he wanted you to?
“I thought you’d be the next one to wake up, Stan.”
“How much time has passed since then?”
“It must have been at least a few thousand years. There are no buildings. For them to have worn all the way through rebar, the pH of concrete—”
“Okay, got it. That’s enough.”
The blond, showing no more of a reaction to the state of the world, reached for his pocket.
“Stan, all of our clothes have weathered away. You can’t expect to find your smokes.” Xeno stopped him in his tracks, and Stanley knew it to be the truth. Immediately he was thankful it was spring; had they revived in the snow, their chances of survival…
Well, they would make it work. But it wouldn’t be pleasant.
“Take the opportunity to stop inhaling toxic gas.” The scientist mused, though the words felt foreign to him. That wasn’t something he usually took upon himself to say; usually it was…
“Is it just us?” Stanley seemed to come to the same realization, breaking off a vine to tie around his waist and taking a good look at the statues around the two. Yours was the easiest to find. There you were, sitting and leaning back with your arms to prop you up, head tilted to the side, looking straight at them. By some miracle, you were on top of a plateau of rock where no plants beyond moss seemed to grow, perfectly unscathed.
Posed the same exact way they remembered you before the beam hit.
“As to not bore you with the details, know that a chemical in the mud helped us break free, so anyone else who remained conscious should be joining us soon.” Stan nodded at Xeno’s explanation, though it was obvious to his companion that he wasn’t content with the news. Both of them looked at you, completely dry and held above the moist ground, and knew that their worst fears may have come true.
You were unscathed, but at the cost of avoiding the nitric acid.
“Worry not, I have some theories on how to free others. For now, let us focus on the path forwards.”
Xeno stepped away from the soldier and towards your statue, kneeling down so he could get a closer look at your face. The realist part of him knew that it was better if you remained petrified until they could build something more of a stable society, to skip past the months of gruelling work to achieve some aspect of comfort. Yet, the dreamer in him—the same one that dreamt of exploring the stars—wished you were here right now to offer your comforting presence.
If it was true that the world was really lost after nearly four thousand years of human petrification, that meant he was in control of what the future would look like. The world in which they lived before was far from perfect if you—the intelligent, thoughtful, and persistent woman he had come to know you as—had been thrown to the sidelines while he and Stanley flourished.
Yes, he would do things right this time, for himself, for Stanley, and most importantly, for you.
So the two got to work.
Steadily other parts of their team awoke, if not on their own then by a splash from a bowl full of nitric acid. Each set of hands was monumental to their grand project: to build a new society. It started with procuring shelter, then a steady source of food, and then onto luxuries one might find hard to believe really existed in the stone world. Instruments of science, a lab, near-modern boats, planes, ammunition, guns, anything to put themselves in power.
You sat in his lab at watch, kept in a glass container stripped of air to ensure the best preservation of your statue.
He had taken the time to clothe you in something he was sure you would find comfortable and so no one else could look at you in such a vulnerable state. Out of all the people present at the expo, less than one percent awoke on their own, and less than ten percent awoke with the help of the nitric acid splash. Unfortunately, you were apart of the remaining percentage that remained encased.
Until the current group was stable, he couldn’t dedicate much time to reversing the effects of the petrification. As far as he knew, there may not be a way to revive someone after all brain activity has stopped. Usually that kind of pessimistic thinking was more his style, but he wouldn’t let himself think that way about you.
It wasn’t just Xeno worrying about you either. Every time Stan stepped into the lab, he had to be reminded that you weren’t there because of that damn statue. He was glad it was protected, but man, he hated seeing that look frozen on your face. The look you gave him, begging to be saved, all those thousands of years ago.
Each time he saw you, his hand twitched for his smokes.
Part of Stanley wanted you to wake up and tell him off for how much worse he was getting, to see that pout and hold them high out of your reach so you couldn’t snatch them from him. If you woke up now, he’d let you take them and yell at him as long as you wanted.
Yet, you didn’t, and time passed. The scientist watched you closely by day, and the soldier visited you late into the night when he found he couldn’t stop reaching for the cigarettes.
They got busier, growing their empire and beginning the production of lethal weaponry, and so their visits became less frequent. The two could never forget you and move on; they always came back eventually, but they couldn't afford to reminisce as much as they yearned to.
Their routine of seeing you came to a full stop when a ship from far off landed along the west coast of America.
Stanley was out in the wild, trying to threaten them into submission so they wouldn’t cause any problems, while Xeno took to playing the role of dictator.
It was only when Stanley returned to base with a young man, who seemed as shaken as he was mischievous, and introduced Xeno to what was one of their first guests from far-away lands.
Gen Asigiri saw you, protected within the walls of Dr. Wingfield's precious lab, and understood what that meant. You were important to at least one of them, so if the Kingdom of Science could get their hands on your statue…
Unfortunately his schemes were cut short when Stanley noticed him staring too long and roughly forced him onwards.
‘I should tell them…’
Luna Wright, legs trembling like a newborn deer, had been forced by Stanley onto the enemy ship so she could figure out who Dr. Taiju was.
She played her part; of course she did! She trusted Xeno and Stanley because she trusted you, and she would do anything if it meant it would help revive you. But even in the short time Luna had known you, she wasn’t certain this is what you would have wanted.
That hesitation grew in her by the hour, each time she thought of you and what you’d have said about this. Would you really be okay with killing someone her age? Would you let them send her off into enemy territory for the sake of one shot? It became impossible to imagine that any of this was for the greater good with how cruel it seemed.
‘She would want me to tell them…right?’ Maybe she was putting words into the mouth of someone she barely knew, but you had left such a lasting impression on her. Luna wanted to speak with you at least one more time, but which team was better for that? Whispers of a revival fluid on the ship had met her ears, which meant that if she could get your statue into their hands…
Lying before her, bandaged and bloodied, was the first patient of Nurse Luna. Senku Ishigami, at some fault of her own, had been shot. Thankfully it was non-fatal, but Luna had been working overtime to ensure that it stayed that way. She liked the Kingdom of Science. They were kind to her, and they never left anyone behind. They welcomed her in despite her original mission. They could save you.
“Senku…” She knew he was awake by the movement behind his eyelids. Anytime she came to check on him, he would do his best to remain still and instruct her on any procedures beyond her limited scope as necessary. He looked tired, like he could use a bit of knowledge that might encourage his thoughts.
“There’s a girl, a friend of mine…” Luna began, toying with her nails nervously.
“Christ, Luna, I’m no therapist here.” Senku interrupted, cocky as always, though he regretted his tone immediately when he began to cough. She took the opportunity to continue.
“Stanley and Xeno, they really like her.” Of course she knew that was an understatement; she recalled how they had been with you at the expo, and all the time they spent fussing over bringing you back. With his coughing out of the way, her words actually gave him pause.
“You think we could convince her to switch sides?” That’d work great; the Kingdom of Science could always use more hands, especially if they could be used for blackmail.
The pinkette cleared her throat, avoiding looking at him even though his eyes remained closed.
“The thing is, she’s still petrified, and they really want her back. If we could get her statue—”
“We’d have all the collateral we need and some! No need to convince her if she can’t think!” Senku cut her off again, eyes opening at the proposition. Luna couldn’t help but flick his chest, resulting in a pained groan from the scientist.
“Don’t talk about her like that! We need to revive her; I know she’ll join us.” Perhaps saying she knew was a bit of an overstatement, but Luna was certain at the very least she could convince you to remain neutral on the matter.
He hummed, lost in thought at the idea. Hostages had been out of the question since neither of the main enemies seemed to care about their own people that much. But with you in the picture, that sure changed a lot.
Still, there was no way of knowing just how much they valued you. It was a gamble they could attempt, but it couldn’t be their main strategy right now.
“Alright, Luna. I’ll leave getting her statue in your hands. No matter how things go, if you think you can get her, then do it.”
The opportunity arose when Stanley attacked.
Max and Luna used their standing to free Kaseki and Francois, making a break in the direction of the castle.
With everyone having just broken out and the attack on the Perseus taking place, it meant that guarding efforts at the castle were at an all-time low! The pinkette split from Kaseki and Francois, who went towards the main rendezvous point, and took Max with her.
“Are you sure, Miss Luna?” Max didn’t like the idea of sneaking back into the castle now, but he couldn’t help following her.
Luna only nodded, busy overworking herself to run as fast as she could. They had limited time to make this work, and she didn’t want to fail you or Senku.
Getting in was easy; the guards knew them and had no reason to be suspicious.
In all her adrenaline and panic, she lifted a chair over her head and threw it at the container that held your statue, easily smashing through the glass, which came cascading to the floor in a thunderous crash.
When she looked back at Max to request his aid in carrying you, he was completely stunned at her display of strength.
“Ah, I just…! It’s crazy what adrenaline can do, right?!” She stammered out an excuse for her brutish behaviour. As much as she wanted to defend her femininity, the footsteps rushing in their direction told her that now really wasn’t a good time. She hooked both arms under your shoulders while Max raised your legs over his shoulder, and the two barged their way out of a different exit toward the docks.
The universe must have been on their side, because the others were just beginning to board.
Out of breath, Luna heaved a sigh of relief and took one glance at your petrified face. You were out of that glass box, and she would make sure you would be revived. Then you could fix all of this catastrophe! You were older than her and a whole lot smarter; she was sure you could help them.
“Hop on!” Chrome called out to the two, him and Kaseki, holding on to the plank they were moments from pulling in. Once on the deck and the boat roared to life, the two collapsed to the floor in an attempt to catch their breath.
‘We did it. We really did it!’ Luna’s eyes sparkled, watery and awestruck at the fact that they hadn’t been caught.
Most of the others were on the top deck, discussing what they’d do when they crossed the path of the Perseus in a few minutes.
Chrome rummaged through a bag he had just pulled from the mobile lab, pulling out a bottle of the revival fluid and unceremoniously dumping it on the head of the statue. Immediately, Luna shot back up to grab his collar.
“Wait a sec! We can’t just revive her now; we have no time to explain anything at all!” Not very nonchalant of her, she would admit, but it was too late to go back on her words or to undo Chrome’s actions. Your statue was already cracking.
Looking down in shock, the two watched as splinters formed down the entirety of your petrified outer layer, finally breaking when you took a sharp intake of breath. The fragile stone fell in fragments to the deck of the boat, most lost to the river from the wind, and revealed the woman Luna had longed to see.
Your eyes frantically raced to take in your surroundings. The expo. The green light. Luna.
The sight of the woman washed relief over you. At least one thing was the same.
Wind raced around you, water splashed below, and many voices arguing over strategies all clouded your senses. The silk you wore was replaced with something rougher, and you were quick to realize this wasn’t an outfit you recognized.
Of course not, you’d been petrified much as those swallows had been. How ironic, given all that time you spent preparing a speech on them that was stopped by the very phenomenon reoccurring on humans.
“Luna, what’s happening?” Your voice was steady, a surprise to even yourself, and she finally stopped shaking Chrome to attend to you.
“The whole world was petrified, and some of us got out. Senku travelled all the way from Japan to America to make more revival fluid, but now Stanley is trying to kill us so Xeno can be a dictator!” Her words were a tad jumbled, and her exact explanation missed a lot of detail, but at least it was more than you started with.
Chrome groaned, arms crossed as he looked at the two of you. How were you supposed to know who Senku was? Of course you’d pick your friends over some random stranger.
“Wait, like, Ishigami Senku?” Chrome nearly fainted hearing the name exit your mouth.
“How the hell does everyone just know him!” Chrome yelled, grasping at the air in disbelief, while Luna helped you get to your feet.
“Yeah, how do you know me?” The scientist had gone down to the lower deck, approaching the newly revived woman with a deep curiosity. Only, a few seconds later, a grin took over his face.
“Hah! That's crazy! You’re the intern that wrote all those emails Xeno forwarded to me! This is perfect.” His head fell back as he let out what could only be described as a near-maniacal cackle. You recognized his crazy hairstyle from similar images of him when he was much younger; he was a genius then and even more so now. Wait, Xeno had forwarded your email drafts?
Senku patted you on the back and urged you forwards to the rest of his team, gesturing to you like you were some prized trophy as he announced your name.
“This here is an interning archivist at NASA, reporting directly to Dr. Wingfield himself! She helped me get all sorts of data before the petrification.” While Chrome seemed to light up at the idea of another science user being on board, the rest seemed relatively lukewarm with you so far.
“What exactly is she going to help us with right now?” Kohaku didn’t mind having extra hands to help, but she didn’t exactly understand why they would revive you right before possibly being shot to bits.
“She is going to face Stanley.” With that, he turned back to you, red eyes shining with a newfound fire. In his hand, he held a strange device covered in small lines and markings.
According to Luna, Xeno and Stanley were acting strangely. More than strangely, why would Xeno attack Senku? And why was Stanley threatening the lives of civilians? Whatever was happening, you knew the best option was whatever minimized casualties. You could talk to your friends after everyone was safe.
“What do you need me to do?”
A lot of details were lost on you, but you understood the gist. If Stanley was still the same Stanley you knew, it was a plan that could work.
As communication with the team on the Perseus came to a halt, your role began.
“Senku… How are you alive?” Stanley filled his lungs with smoke, exhaling in bitter shame. Senku living was nothing more than a taint on his otherwise perfect record.
“They’re coming from upstream!”
The soldier's eyes widened. The news startled Stanley enough for him to drop the cigarette he held, catching the gun thrown his way as he raced to the deck in one leap. He could hear the engine from up ahead, swiftly getting to the peak of the Perseus and aiming the gun in its direction.
The gold of his eyes flashed in the sun, and right between his crosshairs was a woman holding a device attached to a decent length of rope.
His heart could have stopped.
You raised the device, swinging it around and gaining momentum before throwing it as hard as you could in the direction of the soldier.
Villagers and companions of the Kingdom of Science screamed in horror of the incoming petrification beam, causing soldiers to jump into the water to hide. Not Stanley, though.
“Twenty-five meters, three seconds!” Your voice matched the command, nothing but an empty threat. He could have stopped that had it been anyone else, could have shot them straight through their throat and made them choke on their words, but not you.
Instead, he aimed his gun high and shot at both the device and the rope. It was sent off course, and having severed the rope you held the other end of, it crashed into the river below.
Stanley allowed his gun to drop to his side as he stood straight, a swirl of emotions overtaking his usually calm mind. It was that moment, when he remained frozen and his eyes flickered to yours, that he felt some kind of relief. It was gone just as quickly as it came, though, leaving with you as the boat Senku had stolen whizzed past the Perseus, racing for the ocean.
“So that’s what’s going on.”
Shifting gears, Stanley moved to the rear of the boat as quickly as he could manage.
Aboard the stolen vessel, you listened as your companions cheered, delighted that in some way you were able to help.
As you arrived, the brown-haired boy from earlier was stopped midway up the stairs by a man in yellow.
“Which is more important: staying safe or saying goodbye?” The taller cloaked man spoke, and though you had just walked in on the conversation, you couldn’t help but ponder the question alongside the others.
“Well…saying goodbye, obviously!” The cheerful boy didn’t take as much time as you expected and raced up the steps.
‘Say…goodbye?’ Your hand grabbed onto the railing, and in the fleeting few seconds you had before it was too late, you followed him up and rushed to the guardrail, nearly stumbling over it as you trained your eyes on the Perseus.
Behind the main crowd you saw Stanley, gun raised as he had before.
Frantically you waved at him, a toothy grin on your face as you shouted a goodbye you were certain he wouldn’t hear over a brutish boy’s yelling.
Stanley lowered his gun, watching as you retreated along with the enemy and Xeno. He refused to wave; that would be admitting he was willing to say bye.
Instead, he aimed his gun straight into the air and fired, staring you down as he did so.
A sign that the race had only just begun.
With the ship at a head start in the race to South America, the first mission of the team was to discover where exactly they were headed.
“Hey. The meeting starts in five.” Senku had approached you by the back deck, where you’d been staring out at the open sea. You were captivated by the view of the open ocean at first, but now your mind was busy processing your future.
“Well, I sure could use a better explanation than what I have so far.” Though you gave off a teasing tone, your laugh was dry, and it was evident you were still processing things.
“Xeno is onboard. He’ll be at the meeting.” He was as direct in person as he was over email; you were thankful not to have your time wasted right now.
You had so many questions for Xeno: Why hadn’t you been revived? Why was he targeting his mentee? What order had he given Stanley? Is he okay?
They could wait until after the meeting. Hopefully you would learn more there and get a proper introduction to your peers. There was an interesting variation in the crowd, with all kinds of skills and ages present. You were certain you would make friends out of at least a few of them.
When he cleared his throat at your lack of reply, you gave in and made way below deck. The boy followed you, and despite his distinct lack of interest in emotional troubles, he couldn’t help but feel excited at the idea of having yours and Xeno’s input on matters.
Inside the cabin, without all the noise outside, it was much easier to calm your beating heart. Many others had gathered here, the last two being yourself and Senku. Luna urged you to her side, which you accepted and made way between her and the man who you learned was named Hyoga. Between the circle everyone had formed was a rather large globe, which was admittedly impressive in both scale and accuracy.
At the meeting, you were able to get a far more thorough explanation of Senku and his team’s efforts against Xeno and Stan, as well as an introduction to all the faces you’d never met. In turn, you offered your own introduction, finally stepping forward from your spot behind Luna and Hyoga.
“Though you all know my name and profession, I feel you should also know that Mister Snyder and Doctor Xeno are my childhood friends. If I can help in any way with predicting Stanley’s actions, I will do my best.” You raised your hand slightly as you spoke and bowed your head as you concluded. Of anyone, Gen seemed to light up the most at the idea that someone knew anything about Snyder.
“We’ll get along well then!” The mentalist offered his hand to you, which you took with a firm shake.
Off to the side, the silent scientist only perked up from his passive state upon hearing your voice. His arms may be tied, but it didn’t stop him from scooting over slightly until he could actually lay his eyes upon you.
‘So they revived you, did they?’ A mix of emotions and thoughts burst into Xeno. On one hand, he understood that Stanley must have seen you, which was only extra fuel on the fire for his need to catch the Kingdom of Science. On the other, he was just happy. You were back, and for no reason other than his pure selfish desire, he was glad you were.
Everyone parted, while you and Senku approached the scientist on the sofa.
“I am going to go get something from the lab. You two wait here.” With news that the two had figured out about a signal from the moon, it was time to start pinpointing exactly where the beam had started. Senku approached Xeno, pulling out a sharp tool, and cut through the rope binding him.
You nodded, catching the discarded rope from Senku, and watched as he closed the cabin door behind him.
It was just you and Xeno.
He opened his arms wide, and you hesitated for only a moment before falling into his grasp. His chin rested on the top of your head, while you buried your face into his shoulder.
“I wasn’t certain I would see you again.” You huffed, taking a moment to steady your breathing before pulling your head back to look at him. His eyes looked darker, and he looked older than you remembered, likely from both the actual passage of time and the amount of stress he’d been managing.
“Likewise.” Though he kept his sentimental words to himself, you could feel the way the dull claws clung to you, refusing to let you back away any further.
“And you made all of this? The gun Stanley pointed at me?” Though you started sincere, you quickly threw a jab in. You were impressed at how much he had done but also frustrated with the direction it had taken him. Stanley was a soldier; he did not need an automatic gun to fight. So why did Xeno offer up something so lethal?
“Now now, I didn’t make it so he would point it at you; I made it for defence.” Xeno gave a smug smile, to which you only glared back at him. That was a shitty reason, but from what others had told you, Xeno wasn’t exactly in his right mind.
That, or he had changed a lot since you last saw him.
“And it’s about time you’re back; Stan and I need you for the next stage of our projects.” Xeno allowed you to move back this time, though his hand hesitated to reach out for you again before he dropped it.
For you, it really was only yesterday that you had breakfast with the two of them, moving up in the world together one leap at a time. In less than two hours, you’d become convinced that those men had changed, and perhaps you didn’t belong at their side. This idea of commodification of resources, of monopolization…it sounded much worse than what Senku had proposed. The old system was flawed—no doubt about that—but they could adjust it rather than rebuild it.
“I’m sorry, Xeno, I really am.” The shaking of your head made his smile drop, and you could have sworn you watched as the sparkle in his eyes dulled.
“Certainly you wouldn’t pick them over us. Right, darling?”
Your reunion was cut off at the door opening, Senku re-entering with several jars and a small bag of tools in his arms.
“Get excited. We’re about to decipher that petrification beam.”
Days and nights came and went, most ending with you assisting in cutting down trees for fuel and helping dish out dinner after Francois finished cooking.
Since your conversation with Xeno, he hadn’t brought up the topic of picking sides again. Instead he would tell you about how he and Stanley were doing, inventions he had built, and the things he hoped to show you when they returned.
Among the more scientific tidbits were also funny stories he whispered to you when no one else was near, like Stanley chewing on leaves for months until he got his cigarettes back and how he had electrocuted himself the first time testing their lie detector.
Every laugh that he got out of you was well worth the embarrassment of the story. Knowing that Stanley was on the way to save the both of you and that he at least had your company gave him no reason to worry even a tad.
Things seemed to shift as time went on, though. As you got well acquainted with the other members of the team, you spent less time at his side. Ukyo and you spoke often about the radio and the various pings being sent, Ryusui discussed his navigation with you and taught you how to steer the boat, and both Kohaku and Hyoga took turns training you in minor forms of martial arts at your request.
You were always the adventurous kind; seeking out knowledge was second nature to you. Nevertheless, Xeno couldn’t help but feel some kind of dread knowing he couldn’t be the one to teach you.
He rather cherished those evenings up late in the lab, when you’d ask something unrelated to the day’s work and he would take the time to research it with you. You pushed him into research topics he never even considered, and he owed you for that.
One day in particular did he really feel a shift. The ship welcomed a new—completely unexpected—passenger aboard: Doctor Chelsea Childe. You were onboard that day, left to watch the ship as everyone embarked to find the origin of some kites Taiju and Suika had spotted the evening prior.
You were startled from your spot when you heard Luna call out to you and darted to the plank to ensure there was no danger.
“…Chelsea?”
One might have thought that the reunion was between two sisters, Chelsea holding onto you for dear life as you fretted over her health.
Xeno could only watch, both amused at the sight and slightly bothered that you’d shown more affection to the girl you had only recently met through him than your own closest friend.
‘Pitiful.’ His remark was aimed at himself. How could he think in such insecure ways? Regardless of how you acted outwardly towards others, you knew him longer than anyone else here, and he knew you much better than they did.
From that day on, you spent most of your time with the girls. The only exception was during dinner, when you’d seat yourself as close to him as possible and tell him about your day. It was comical how you’d talk to him about the events of the day as if you weren’t both on one small vessel together. Even so, he liked to hear you talk.
“So! Are you partners yet?” Chelsea interrupted one of your mealtime conversations with no hesitation, pointing at the two of you before dropping her hand with an apology for being rude.
“Have we not always been partners, darling?” Xeno knew what he was doing when he asked, even if he feigned innocence.
“LAB partners.” You stressed the forgotten word, though heat was visibly rising to your cheeks and nose.
Chelsea gave a confused tilt of her head, while Luna giggled behind her. Ah, it felt so good to finally have the clueless Chelsea back at her side to pester you.
You distracted yourself by finishing your meal as quickly as possible, aiming to avoid anyone else's remarks, and excused yourself to bed extra early that evening. It seemed no matter how dire the state of the world, Luna and Chelsea would find a way to fluster you.
Innocent interactions like that were what made waking up on the run so much easier, though. Even as you hunted down rubber trees together and overworked yourselves through the night to escape Stanley, everyone found a way to keep going. Having fun was essential to keeping sanity and thus thinking clearly.
“I volunteer to stay back.”
It was the obvious choice. After motorcycles had been landed on as the optimal means of escape and their quick diversion with the mobile lab, time was running out on making the choice. They had one too many people and only six engines to work with for the motorcycles.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Luna pleaded with you, and you averted your gaze from her when she got close. It was already hard thinking of sending everyone off into a dangerous jungle; you couldn’t handle the additional guilt of feeling like you were making the wrong choice.
“If I’m right about Stanley…” Your words trailed as you looked at Xeno, who seemed the slightest bit displeased at the idea of being left without you, for affirmation on your characterization.
“He should become at least a bit less relentless when he no longer has to worry about me, too. Not only that, but he won’t use me as a hostage as willingly or hurt me.” The others would be at great risk if they were caught. Some were essential to the mission, and others were at risk of being seen as disposable by the soldier.
Your words weighed heavy, but eventually Senku nodded in approval.
As much as he hated to admit it, it was the best course of action. You wouldn’t be in any danger, and you could help them out by stalling the opposing team.
“You’ll end up back with us anyways if Stanley doesn’t turn tail. Just don’t do anything stupid, ‘kay?” Senku patted your back, and you responded with a thumbs up. Still, Luna pouted as she clung to your arm, this time for completely new reasons.
“You mean I won’t get to see the reunion between two long-lost lovers?”
“Maybe I should make you take my place instead.”
“I’m only kidding!”
With the ship beached in the sand, everyone was quick to begin tearing apart the vessel for all kinds of materials. Working at night and early morning when the air was cooler became the norm, though everyone was still barely resting as they tried to meet what was an impossible deadline.
You were in charge of the more menial tasks, like breaking down and packing up the essentials and distributing the weight according to the riders, while Xeno sat on watch. He’d been refusing to help, claiming it would be stabbing Stanley in the back, but you knew he was just tired and frustrated with the way things were going.
Even so, he was deceptively good at hiding it.
“Stan has changed, you know.” He commented long after the sun had set on the last evening they had, holding a light up to your work area at your insistence.
“I know.” You said it, but you weren’t really sure of the extent of it.
“I gave him the orders; he is only acting as my soldier.” It was his way of asking you not to take everything out on Stanley; all the bullets rained and attacks made were a conjoined effort, even if Xeno wasn’t pulling the trigger.
“Both of you should have known better.” Despite every lighthearted moment between the two of you, the quiver in your voice as it broke was impossible to miss. The more you learned about what they had done, the harder it became for you to justify their actions. But still, you weren’t exactly mad at either of them.
You were most upset with yourself for how easily you’d already forgiven them.
Hours blended together as the stars steadily moved across the sky. You weren’t certain when, but at some point after finishing the last touches on your work, you’d fallen asleep.
“They’re here! It’s Stanley’s ship!” Suika’s voice startled you from your slumber, along with the makeshift pillow you’d made of Xeno’s shoulder. Everyone raced to their positions, while you got to work on the last thing you’d been assigned.
The rope around Xeno had to be secure, both so he was incapable of escape and so he wouldn’t fall off the bike. While he would have fought anyone else at least slightly, he let you tie him with no objection. Instead, he watched as your hands worked meticulously, a smirk growing on his face as you concentrated even in the panicked rush of everyone else.
“Xeno, be safe.” You were dead serious as you grabbed his face, a bit rougher than you anticipated, and pulled him towards you.
“I’ll be the safest captive anyone has ever seen.” His sarcasm was an attempt at easing you, though your frown only deepened. This time, you leaned in and pressed your lips to the centre of his petrification scar, feeling its deep grooves with your thumbs, and backed away.
“That kid looks up to you; don’t let him down.” Those were the last words he got from you before he was dragged away by Hyoga, the bikes roaring to life as you stood behind them in something akin to a state of awe.
Everyone had worked so hard, and they had a lot more ahead of them. Whether they caught it or not, you waved as they raced away from the beach, leaving you in their tracks.
It was about time you faced Stanley.