Chapter Text
If someone told Suika, during the time she was alone, that in just a few years she’d be working side by side with Dr Xeno she’d – well, she’d probably burst in tears seeing the first human face in the five years.
The thing is, during that time she’d never considered the possibility of working with the man. Thinking of the future – and she thought about it quite often – she imagined herself reunited with friends, with no Americans around. Why would they depetrify their enemies if they could just leave them turned in stone, like they did with that terrifying tyrant of Treasure Island?
But Senkuu, of course, had other plans. And when Dr Xeno was brought back to life, Suika found herself: a) less afraid of him, because after what she survived, she wasn’t afraid of much; b) determined to learn every single piece of science the Old World had to offer. So she started to follow the man around while he worked and soon she discovered that Xeno not only was very happy to share his knowledge; in some ways, he was even better at explaining science than Senkuu (Sai later told her that most likely Xeno also had to teach students at some point in his career).
Back in Ishigami Village Suika found herself falling comfortably into a cooperation with Xeno. With her newfound knowledge of mathematics and engineering she was able to join the rocket construction – and both Senkuu and Xeno seemed actually proud of her, which was, well, very nice. Still, her relationship with the American scientist wasn’t even close to the friendship she had with Senkuu (sometimes she thought that’s what having a brother would be like) neither was he caring for her the same way Grandpa Kaseki did, like a real family member. Both Xeno and Sai fell into the same category of Suika’s Acquaintances – the Teachers, whom she liked and respected a lot, but that she didn’t have such strong personal ties with.
That’s why, when one morning Suika stumbled into Xeno sobbing into his forearm, she felt really awkward.
Like, really, REALLY awkward.
And he saw her. And then they were both looking at each other, awkwardly.
In Xeno’s defense, he chose truly desolate place for his crying session, a part of a wooded, steep sea bank where nobody really went to.
Suika only ventured there because she was taking her mental health break (Gen’s term) from studying and work, and playing with Fluo, Chalk’s granddaughter. She was chasing this small white puffball, and then boom! - her teacher crying.
Xeno looked away elegantly, produced an elegant handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face in an elegant manner. Suika cleared her throat and crouched, reaching to Fluo for moral support.
“Is… is everything OK, Dr Xeno?” she asked. Vaguely she realized how bizarre it was to see him cry. The man was always so put together and calm…
“Has something bad happened?” she added, feeling a panic slowly rising. What could be so bad as to make Dr Xeno cry?! “Something wrong with the rocket?! Or – did something happen abroad?”
“Don’t worry, Suika” Xeno smiled at her, but his eyes were sad. “Nothing bad happened.”
“Please, tell me if something is wrong, Dr Xeno! If, if something happened to the people in Corn City, or in Superalloy City, please don’t hide it from me, I know you think I’m a child - “
“Suika, please, no need to panic. Nothing bad happened” he sighed. “I was crying because I miss Stanley” he said, looking to the sea. “Didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Oh.”
S tanley Snyder. She hasn’t thought about him much these past few years, not really. He was a ghost of the past, like Ibara, separated from their lives by the time and the stone. Still, she associated that name with fear.
Their frantic gateway through the sea and jungle, when she didn’t fully understand what the threat was, but she knew the man who was chasing them shot Senkuu.
The last sight just before she turned to stone: a tall, dark figure, his straw cape making him look even bigger, the gun aimed at her, the glint in his ice cold eyes.
She never thought Stanley Snyder could be missed by anyone. She never thought Xeno was missing anything or anyone, with the way he was immersed in the rocket construction , with the way he was enjoying company of the science team and his American friends.
Xeno still looked miserable, sitting on some sad piece of rock. Suika moved slightly closer to him.
"Uh, well" she started. "When I was alone, I missed everybody. Terribly. And, well, I cried a lot…”
“Suika” Xeno put his clawed hand on her arm; very gently. “You were braver than any of us. I mean this. You had every right to cry, and to despair, and still you managed to save us all. Don’t compare yourself to me, mourning one despicable man, when I should be focusing on saving the world”.
He sounded bitter and so unlike himself that Suika felt sorry. Maybe she wasn’t Stanley Snyder’s number one fan; but it was a different story with Xeno himself.
“What was Stanley like?” she asked, cautiously. “I – well, none of us got to know him, really. I guess he wasn’t always like this?”
“Like what?”
“Evil” she said.
Xeno just looked at her for a moment.
“I really wish you could have met him as a friend. I wish you all could see him as he really was…” Xeno ran his hand over his face. Fluo ran over to him, wagging her tail madly.
“Oh, sorry about-” Suika started to reach for the puppy, but Xeno snorted and patted Fluo awkwardly with his gloved hand. After a second of consideration he slipped one of the gloves off and gave the dog a proper scratch. She tried to climb on his lap.
“He was also a soldier, back then” Xeno said, eyes still on Fluo. “And I hated this. I hated that he had to risk his life for the country that didn’t care about him, for no reason other than greed of some incredibly stupid cowards… Sorry, Suika, that must make no sense for you. The Old World was a weird place.”
“It’s not like I don’t know what war is” Suika pointed out, fully intending the sting.
“Amazing job from me, isn’t it, Suika?” Xeno muttered, still not looking at her. “I claim to want to make better world for Stan, yet the first time I have a chance I make him into a soldier right back. I kept thinking to myself, that it’s just a temporary thing, before we’re sure the world is safe and peaceful…”
“So he... didn’t want to be a soldier?”
“Oh no, not him. He wanted to protect me… us… and our new world. He was like this, he thought he’s responsible for everyone’s safety. It’s me who should have realized earlier that it’s no way to create the peaceful world I wished for.”
“It’s peaceful now” Suika said. She didn’t add it’s because they all have a common enemy now; he knew. “So when Stanley comes back and there’s no need for war” (I really hope, she thought, when Stanley comes back it won’t be to fight us again) “what do you think he will be doing?”
“Oh, flying of course” Xeno smiled. “That’s what he always wanted to do, ever since we were kids. But-” he finally looked straight at Suika, his face almost afraid, almost looking for a reassurance “I won’t be seeing him again, right Suika?”
“I thought you had a deal with Senkuu? That after you help us build the rocket-” she trailed off, suddenly unsure.
“Suika, I don’t doubt that you’re an honest and kind person, and so is Senkuu. But I don’t think the rest of your Kingdom of Science will be thrilled to let Stanley walk free again. And I know there are people here who would like to keep him in stone if not for any other reason than to watch me suffer.”
“Dr Xeno, you’re wrong!” Suika exclaimed, more forcefully than she intended. Xeno raised his brows and Fluo tried to climb Suika’s leg, not sure how to deal with human emotions but willing to try anything. “Senkuu isn’t like that at all. When it comes to science, he won’t be listening to anyone else. If he decides Stanley needs to be revived, he will just do it. Don’t you know that he revived Hyouga and Homura, and basically saved Tsukasa’s life? He doesn’t care about what people did before, only if they can help to move things forward.”
She wanted to say more about how Senkuu would never, ever do anything cruel, even to the person who hurt him – but she had to stop to pet Fluo, who was furiously scratching her leg. Xeno looked actually shocked – as if she really told him something new. Did he really think so low of his own student?
Xeno scanned Suika’s face.
“I know you’re not excited to think about Stan returning. Thank you all the more for reassuring me.”
“Well, you sounded as if you didn’t understand Senkuu at all” Suika grumbled, feeling her face going hot. “And I’m not afraid of Stanley anymore” she added, more boldly than she really felt. “You turned out nice enough.”
Xeno laughed at this, and she felt relief; this was a real, honest laugh.
“Let’s go, Miss Suika, I think we both had enough of a break” he said, standing up and putting his hand on Suika’s shoulder. “This rocket won’t build itself, right?”