Chapter Text
The neon lights brightly illuminated the smooth, silver surface of a laboratory wall. Several individuals stood in a semicircle around an oversized machine. Resembling an overgrown dryer, it occupied the center of the room, emitting a deep hum.
"The power supply is stable," remarked a man with slicked-back blond hair, stationed at a control panel. Diligently, he analyzed the data on the screen, his elongated fingers tapping impatiently on the metal. Beside him stood a younger man, his brown hair spiked with excitement and anticipation evident in his expression.
"Senku-chan?" The figure, the only one not clad in a lab coat, placed a hand on the shoulder of the man next to him. "Are you sure about this? I'm asking you for the last time." Senku barely shook his head, his green hair tips swaying. In his hand, he held a crumpled note, clearly weathered from better days. "Knowing those two, we're their only hope, Gen." Gen's hand nervously stroked Senku's back of the hand.
"Senku, Gen. I hate to interrupt, but if you could hurry, it would be appreciated," reminded the blond-haired man named Xeno. "We're already messing with the space-time continuum." Senku needed no further prompting. He disengaged from Gen beside him, smoothed out the crumpled note, opened the transparent circular hatch, and placed it in the center. This message had nothing to do with saving humanity. Out of sheer self-interest, after the first successful tests, Senku had informed Xeno, Chrome, Suika, Stanley, and of course, Gen of his plan. Only Xeno noted that it could have implications for possible parallel universes. Of course, he didn't dissuade Senku. Such a fascinating idea was indeed elegant.
Suika input the time into the coordinate system given by Senku. Besides working on the rocket, Xeno and Senku had conducted an analysis of the age of the paper Senku received a few months ago in the Stone World. Only when Xeno himself determined the age was he convinced, just like Senku, of the time machine. All the work invested in this colossal project would finally bear fruit. And who knows, perhaps he could finally fulfill his dream that the world wouldn't be governed by idiots.
"Coordinates are set. R-ready for launch?" Suika asked, her voice trembling slightly. All present adjusted their protective goggles as the machine would emit a strong light during the process. "Here we go!" Chrome's excited shout filled the room. Gen rested his head on Senku's shoulder, while Senku gently wrapped an arm around Gen. The humming and hissing became deafeningly loud. As expected, the neon lights flickered. Senku risked a glance at Why-man on his belt, but it seemed to contribute nothing and remained silent. Only Gen felt the intensity of Senku's heartbeat pounding in his chest. The time machine immersed the note in a spiral light reminiscent of a galaxy. Hopefully – no, guaranteed – it would change his life as well. He was a hundred percent sure of that.
"The universe should belong to me," Ryusui asserted, gazing spellbound through the porthole at Earth. Kohaku was the only one to engage with him: "Then you should take it while we're floating up here." After Senku returned with Why-man on board, they had lost all tension and seriousness, at least in Stanley's eyes. It was still unbelievable to him that these kids, Xeno and Senku, had outsmarted him. Yet, he sat expressionless at the helm, maneuvering the spacecraft towards Earth via the space lift. It didn't show, but he was indeed impressed by the rocket, by Senku, and not least by Xeno. A cigarette as a reward on Earth would be his treat. Stanley glanced at Senku and that thing between his hands. After all that, he didn't trust this life form one bit.
Senku couldn't believe his luck, even though according to Gen, luck had never been on his side. But now, he actually had a genuine mechanical extraterrestrial being in his hands. Silently grinning, he imagined the ridiculous expression of the mentalist. And all the new experiments and discoveries that awaited him. "Slightly elevated heart rate registered. Assumption: Joy?" Why-man's voice, mechanical as it may sound, hit the nail on the head.
Ryusui floated over to Senku. "After saving the world, that's a perfectly safe assumption." Senku confirmed with a terse "Yes."
One hurdle remained: the landing. After everyone had securely fastened themselves at Stanley's instruction—even Why-man got an improvised strap—they entered the atmosphere. "Might get a bit bumpy," Stanley remarked to Kohaku. Ryusui and Senku were modern people. They should be aware of that. "A little shaking doesn't bother me at all!" Kohaku shrugged off the jolting and pressure on her body into the seats. Senku, on the other hand, grimaced. "You should worry about Senku. He looks like he's about to kick the bucket."
"I can hear you."
"It reminds me of the world's fastest roller coaster. Which, of course, belongs to me! Besides the park."
The conversation quieted as Xeno's voice came through the speaker. "Landing in 55 seconds. All systems normal." Amid Senku's thousand thoughts, the image of Gen's smirk crept to the forefront. Stupid mentalist.
As Xeno had calculated with the help of Sai Nanami, the cockpit part of the rocket landed on the designated green area. At a safe distance, the entire Kingdom of Science, led by Gen, had gathered. It was undeniable that this reception committee was his doing.
"Ryusui and the others have landed safely," Sai exhaled, having held his breath for almost the entire minute. Gen patted his back. "To say I wasn't also worried would be an understatement. They really did it." Fact is, his fingertips had been shaking noticeably hidden in his sleeves until just now.
"We should go. Time for an award ceremony," Gen chuckled. With flags and banners painted with "Welcome back," they all set off.
Stanley was the first to emerge from the cockpit with his head held high. He didn't expect to see Luna wildly waving at him. Behind him came Ryusui. Despite the spacesuit, he tried to snap his fingers in the air. "Here we are again. And not a minute too late for the champagne reception," Francois actually began pouring the wine cultivated by Senku into the first glasses at that moment. Finally, Kohaku and Senku followed. The latter was supported by a hand around his waist. The radiant shine of his ruby eyes did not diminish. He held the vacuum container with Why-man in his hands. Senku took a moment to appreciate all the people, the friends who helped on this adventure. He knew he could never have done it alone. "We did it—"
"Wait, Senku-chan," Gen whispered from the front row, gracefully stepping forward as if a spotlight illuminated him alone. "Something's missing for the perfect hero image. And no arguments."
"What? Hey, Mentalist. What are you up to now?" Instead of answering, Gen pulled a black fabric from between his fingers as if out of nowhere. He took another step forward and draped it over Senku's shoulders. A murmuring excitement emanated from his friends. "Thank you for coming back," Gen breathed into his ear, audible only to Senku. "That's how a hero should look. Credit where credit is due," Gen announced loudly and clearly for all to hear. Senku immediately noticed the white embroidery with "E=MC^2." For the self-proclaimed most self-centered person, Gen knew Senku's rare design preferences well. Probably too well. What a sentimental welcome gift. He shook himself as a calming floral scent emanated from the fabric. Another one of those mentalist tricks to keep Senku from getting too tense despite the adrenaline rush. This, too, was one of those things that only happened between them. Like unspoken promises to look out for each other.
"Stanley-chan, Ryusui-chan, and Kohaku-chan, please stand next to Senku-chan," Gen waved to Minami. "Everything's ready for the hero's speech." As quickly as Gen came to them, he disappeared gracefully back into the crowd. Only the fleeting feeling of his hand on Senku's shoulder remained when he turned around. Warm. Grounding. Just for him.
Gen had prepared the stage for them and designed it artistically. Senku usually didn't care about such tricks. Gen must have his reasons, and he trusted him. As always, when it came to the human aspect.
Stanley cleared his throat. A signal that Senku could finally start again. "We did it!" He held up Why-man. "But that was just the first small step to revive humanity. I hope that together with science, we can bring back the modern old world even better." That goal Senku had dedicated his life to a long time ago.
Excited cheering and clapping followed. Some nodded in agreement. "No goal is too big for our Senku. I'm curious to see where the journey takes us."
This moment of celebration was captured in photos.
******
Exhausted, Senku sank into his chair, which Gen slid under him at the last moment. He had intended to start researching the Why-man with Xeno's consent as soon as possible. But the harsh reality looked different. As much as Xeno was eager to start, he had reminded the young scientist that billions of people still needed to be revived and that states and alliances needed to be further developed, which should be the absolute opposite of his philosophy before the showdown in the Amazon. Whether Stanley, as a man with humanity at his core, had influenced him is a question for later.
"Senku, I suggest we assemble a team to perform diplomatic work. Initially, we should focus on the major former world powers: the USA, the EU, and China," Xeno suggested. He had already thought about the civilization's structure.
"To demonstrate our stance and gain support for our cause, we need airplanes and state-of-the-art technology. I'm willing to serve as a diplomat. However, smartphones and laptops for easier communication are indispensable," Ryusui liked the idea of filling such an important task. "My experience in high circles should be useful here as well."
"The airplanes should be relatively easy to obtain compared to the rocket. We can already produce the kerosene. As for the technology, we could use Sai and other modern bright minds," the more suitable people filled their roles, the more productive everything would progress. Yes, everyone had to take their appropriate positions. Including Gen. It would be illogical to leave him in the science team. Senku's gaze met Gen's simultaneously. "Mentalist, your talents as the mouthpiece of science worldwide would be fitting."
"What an honor to be recommended personally by Senku-chan, the hero," Gen quipped.
"Yes, yes," Senku waved tiredly. "Any objections?" The feeling of sending Gen away left a bitter taste. Nevertheless, he didn't show it. Gen didn't flinch either.
"No, Gen and Ryusui are good candidates. Then the question would be which bodyguards would accompany them," Xeno tapped his chin playfully thoughtfully. "Here in the lab, my best man, Stan, must definitely stay. Anything else would be too dangerous in case there are attempts on us." He glanced briefly at Stanley, who leaned against the wall and smoked his cigarette by the open window, arms crossed as if he were not involved in any of this. "Stan's strength could only be matched by Tsukasa Shishio or our Charlotte Bonny. Although she could also be useful as a pilot."
"And Ukyo, with his trained ears, would also be a good addition to the team," Ryusui added.
After long discussions, everyone agreed that Tsukasa and Ukyo should act as bodyguards. Charlotte would be the backup and also serve as a pilot. Gen and Ryusui took on the role of chief diplomats. The core of the science team, consisting of Senku, Xeno, Chrome, and Suika, was supplemented by Stanley as a bodyguard and a small team of strong individuals with Kohaku, Kaseki, and others from Xeno's people. Everything else regarding life support and clothing was taken care of by everyone, as with rocket construction. Fortunately, the mission still had some lead time, as the devices needed to be manufactured first and the planning, including negotiations with the state members, was still open. For Senku, it felt like a reprieve. And he hadn't even had the chance to speak calmly with Gen about the Why-man and the moon yet.
*****
In the following days and even weeks, the hours somehow felt different. Senku primarily used the larger laboratory where the rocket was built and tinkered with the airplane and, alternately with Sai, who was surprisingly efficient, worked on primitive versions of smartphones. Additional probes, built in parallel, were meant to expand the existing network.
Senku allowed himself breaks only to sleep, when Chrome reminded him to eat, or—
"Senku-chan?" — when Gen was released from Xeno's clutches. "You look like you could use some fresh air."
"You too." Senku glanced relieved at Gen's presence from the small microchip. Finally, he could have Gen near him again, even if only temporarily. He didn't miss the dark circles under his eyes. "You've got bags under your eyes. How hard is Xeno making you work?"
"You should know that yourself. Wasn't he once your mentor?"
"That was from elementary school to high school, over emails and video calls. It was only about aerodynamics and other scientific topics. That's completely different."
"Perhaps. However, Xeno-chan has surprisingly extensive knowledge of politics and diplomacy. And so does Stan-chan." Gen looked thoughtfully past Senku. "They're like cat and dog. Totally different, yet... Well, we should go. I've only got a ridiculous 45-minute break."
"That should be enough to get to the river and back."
Gen grabbed Senku's wrists and pulled him out of the chair with gusto. It wasn't until they were out of the laboratory door that he let go, and they both walked off with brisk steps.