Chapter Text
The crew of the Perseus landed in America less than 24 hours ago. All of them had gone to sleep a few hours ago, except for Senku who was doing experiments and a few others who were meant to be keeping watch.
So how did they all wake up somewhere certainly other than America or any place they’ve ever seen before?
It was a cramped space with hardly enough room for this many people, the walls made of wood. The walls themselves curved, and stacked on them were all kinds of weapons.
Questions of “what happened” and “were we kidnapped?” floated around.
Ryusui turned to Senku. “Any idea what’s happening, Scientist?”
“Afraid so,” He said, eyes still looking around the crowd. “Here’s the situation. I was doing some mild experiments on sleep earlier and made a bit of a mistake. Said mistake seems to have left all of the crew in a shared dream. But-”
“-Not everyone’s here,” Ryusui finished. In fact, only about half the crew were present. Notably missing were nearly all the battle team except Tsukasa, all of the scientists except Senku, all of the crafting team, and both Suika and Tsukasa’s little sister. Senku nodded.
“No big deal, we just need to wait for everyone to wake up!” Taiju anounced.
“If you would have let me finish, I would have told you this is more like a coma than sleep. It could be a while before we wake up. And there’s a ten billion present chance that if we die in this dream, we’ll die in real life too. Finding everyone might wake us up.”
The crowd broke out into shouts of denial, dread, and fear.
“Everyone listen up.” They would need to venture out of whatever room they were in and find the rest of the crew. While Ryusui didn’t know anything about this place, there was also the possibility of coming into contact with hostile people and sitting in here would leave them cornered. “I've got a plan to get us all out of here alive. I'll lead the way. Taiju needs to watch our backs. Ukyo, grab a bow and be prepared for an ambush. And Tsukasa can escort any of our crew we find back here.”
Everyone nodded.
“If I didn’t call your name, stay back.” No need to risk any more lives than need be. And with that, they opened the door.
People, so many people, all with torches or swords or maces in their hands came into view. They were haunting to look at, faces shifting as those in dreams normally did. When they took notice of the open door, many let out a battle cry and attacked.
Ryusui didn’t recognise any of them, nor did he expect an attack immediately.
“We need backup!” He yelled over the roar of shifting people and his crew.
More of the crew poured out into the battle, swinging weapons. He heard a scream of anguish as someone’s head was cut clear off their body, another as an arrow pierced someone in the heart. In the firelight he couldn’t see who it was and prayed desperately it wasn’t his crew. He wanted– no, needed them to all make it out of this alive. He wouldn’t fail as their captain.
He needed a better vantage point. Firelight dimly illuminated a wall thick enough to stand on, and a ladder to get to the top.
Ryusui sprinted, dodging arrows all the way up the ladder until he was looking out at the battle below. He supposed somewhere along the way a storm had started, as rain was pelting his clothes and making it even more difficult to see. He couldn’t make out any faces or bodies, but from up here he could see where they came from. A large wooden horse.
A flash of lightning struck only a few feet next to him, and he shielded his eyes. By the time thunder boomed, he could see a man standing in the lightning’s place. Not just any man.
“Moz!”
“I know a way out of here,” Moz said lazily. He faced the battle below but seemed to be looking beyond.
“What is it?” Ryusui nearly shouted over the rain.
“I don’t think you’ll believe me, so why waste my breath?”
There was no time to ponder the absurdity of it all. “I need to know. Tell me how!”
“I don’t think you’re ready.”
“I know that I’m ready.”
“A dangerous enemy lies just in that room. Kill them, or none of us make it out of here.” Moz tilted his head in the direction of a tower at the end of the wall.
Ryusui was already running through the doors. The one inside, however, was not another faceless warrior. Instead it was a friend.
“It's just Suika.” Ryusui whispered. “What could she do to make you want her dead?”
“Will you risk your whole crew’s lives over the life of one? I’ll smite them myself if I have to, and that’s a promise from a god.”
“A… god?” Ryusui must be missing something.
“Yes, a god. In this- can you really call it a dream? Other reality, perhaps. I am Zeus himself. If it’s my will, the whole crew will die in a second to lightning. Kill her, or they will suffer that fate.” Moz grinned triumphantly.
Ryusui may not be a genius like Senku, but even he knew something was wrong. Why did Moz want the girl’s death so much that he was willing to threaten the entire crew if he didn’t comply? He didn’t know why Moz wanted Suika to die, or why he couldn’t kill her herself, but he had to think of something, and fast.
Outside the window, back on the ground, He saw a pair of crimson eyes looking up at the tower. Someone was seeing this, and he could only hope it was Tsukasa . This would be a massive risk, but he didn't have much of choice but to gamble.
Ryusui hugged Suika, who finally seemed to realize what was happening and was avidly shaking. He whispered something quietly Moz couldn’t hear, grabbed her by her mellon hat and threw it out the nearby window. Time stood still as he waited for any indication she was okay.
Moz only seemed satisfied after the sickening crunch of her mellon hat breaking and the glass inside shattering echoed around the scene.
With another flash of lightning, he was gone.
===
When the faceless army retreated, the rest of the crew met up back at the horse– or rather what remained of it. At some point in the battle it had been set on fire. Miraculously, everyone survived.
Ryusui approached next to Tsukasa. They were lucky he was there to catch Suika after the fall. She squinted up at the flames. Her helmet had flown off her head in the fall, but it was a small price to pay to convince Moz she was dead.
“Ah, you’ve made it back,” Senku said.
“To update you on the situation, Senku claims that those people we were fighting weren’t actually people, but rather products of the dream. A good thing too, because we killed nearly all of them,” Gen smiled wearily. “So where did you find our dear Suika?”
After Ryusui explained the events, Senku nodded. “This confirms my hypothesis. The rest of our crew is out there. Although, that still doesn't explain how Moz got magic.”
“Dream logic, no doubt,” Gen commented. “What’s our next move?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We search for the rest of our crew out there!” Ryusui pointed triumphantly at the ocean.
“We’ll need a ship, but the one we had took years to build.”
“Maybe we could find one,” Gen thought aloud.
“What do you think, a ship’s just gonna appear out on the ocean?” Senku asked.
He was interrupted mid sigh by a ship crashing against the shore.
“Are you kidding?” Senku asked in disbelief.
“Well I won’t complain. Perhaps I’ve received magic as well.” Gen flexed his fingers as if expecting something magical would happen. When nothing did, the group approached the ship.
Upon closer inspection, Ryusui realized this was an exact replica of the Perseus. He certainly wouldn’t complain either. “Everyone on board, and prepare for another battle in case anyone is in here.” Alas, the ship was empty. It would almost be haunting, if not for how lucky this was. “Full speed ahead! Ha!”
The ship set sail. It was a remarkably peaceful night, compared to how eventful everything was just a few hours ago. Apparently, sleep was not only possible while inside this dream, but necessary. He felt exhausted once he finally let the weight of it all set in. They would come up with a more specific plan in the morning.
===
The next day, they realized a small error in sailing a ship they found in an unknown direction.
“There’s no food. Not in the cellar, the bar, or even the backup storage. We’ve checked everywhere. All we have is fresh water.”
Ryusui, Senku, Gen, and Ukyo stood on the deck as Kinro gave the report. Not only did they have to sleep in this dream, they had to eat too. And they didn’t know which direction the island was, so there was no way to turn around and go back. Their only hope was to keep going straight and hope they reached land.
“In that case,” Ryusui announced, “We’ll watch where the birds fly! They’ll lead us to land.”
“Not a bad plan. But I have a better one. Watch, as I use my new found power to summon an island right there!” Gen pointed in a random direction. But there was no land, just open water for miles and miles.
The Perseus kept sailing into the unknown into well past sunset. The only sound was waves crashing against the ship and the snoring of a few crewmen who had already fallen asleep. The four remaining of the five wise generals without Chrome were the only ones left on deck.
“Look!” Gen stared dramatically in the same direction he had pointed earlier in the day. “There in the distance, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
“An island,” Ryusui confirmed. It was only visible due to a faint light coming from a fire.
Ukyo squinted. “I don’t see– oh, you’re right.”
“Gen, gear up. We’ll go ahead and see what food we can find.” Senku was already walking towards one of the smaller rowboats.
“Shouldn’t we all go? We don't know who lit that fire.”
“We need someone to stay and steer the ship, and someone to keep watch for attacks. But if we don’t return by sunrise, go ahead and burn this place to the ground.” Senku grinned, probably imagining what the island would look like on fire.
Ryusui wasn’t going to argue with their master Scientist and Stratagist. Still, he would have liked to explore the island and see what secrets it holds.
===
“Senku dear, you seem a bit tense. It’s just us you know, we haven’t seen any sign of other people.” Gen walked a few feet behind Senku, who was failing to use a sword to knock away the plants. The island was like a rainforest, and Gen had already seen several bugs. A promising sign there’s meat somewhere on the island.
“I’m fine. We still need to be on guard, just in case we see any more of those faceless people.”
“True, but we’ve been through quite a lot. I’d like to think the universe will give us a bit of a break.”
They came across a steep cliff, the only bridge to the other side being a narrow log. Senku hesitated, making Gen grab onto his hand and guide him across.
“You're gripping your sword as if a swarm of birds is going to carry us away. Lower your guard or someone will think we're here to kill them. See..” he let go of Senku’s hand and stood a few feet in front of him. “This can be an amazing opportunity if you greet it with open arms.”
Gen stretched out his arms, making him suddenly lose his balance. He slipped, body hurling into the depth below. He grabbed on the tree, desperate for purchase. He hung on by only one hand until Senku hauled him up, both of them sweating with the effort.
“Right,” Senku said. He would probably be smug if not for the scare they both had.
“All I’m saying is someone’s going to think you’re threatening them, which is bad for negotiations. If they already see us as an enemy there’s not much I can do.”
They walked in silence, taking frequent breaks along the way. So far they had seen a lot of plants but no animals bigger than a bug. No sign of whoever started the fire. It would be sunrise in a few hours.
“Time to head back,” Senku said. Gen could hear the exhaustion in his voice.
“Alright, let's just take a look around this clearing.” Surprising both of them, this one was not empty.
“Welcome,” Someone- or rather, something said. Many somethings. Small, furry, and almost catlike, but bipedal. The strange beings stood around a fire, drinking something out of wine glasses and laughing amongst themselves.
“Now this is rather interesting,” Senku said. “What kind of creature are you?”
Noticing the glint of Senku’s sword, the creatures gasped and ran away.
“Wait, we have a question for you.” Gen opened his arms once again to show he carried no weapon. “Ditch the sword, Senku,” he whispered. After a brief moment of hesitation, Senku obliged. The creatures returned, albeit more hesitantly. “We’re all quite hungry, you see. We were eal-ray hoping you had something we could eat.”
They looked at eachother, confused. They muttered amongst themselves, and Gen caught only the word apple.
“Wine,” one said, handing a vial up to Gen. It wasn’t food, but it was promising. There had to be some food on the island to make this. And Gen probably needed a drink after everything that happened in the last 48 hours.
“What kind of wine is this?” Senku asked as he was handed a glass.
“Pure apple seed extract,” A creature said. The others nodded and drank some of their own. Gen raised his to his lips and sniffed. It smelt much more like almond than apple, but he never really drank. Still, it was a bit suspicious. His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of the vial being ripped from his hands and the sound of glass shattering.
“Apple seed extract sounds like a nice way to say cyanide,” Senku said. Gen’s vial lay broken on the floor, the deadly poison seeping into the earth. A few seconds later, and he would have been dead. Senku shattered his as well. “Thanks but no thanks, I’m not in the mood to be poisoned today.”
Senku began walking back towards the boat. “Hold on,” Gen said. “Any idea where there’s other food?”
“The cave,” the creatures said simultaneously. He thought one said something like “Scary cave,” but he couldn’t be sure.
“You’re saying there’s a cave where we can eat. And where would we sail to find this cave?”
“East.”
“Then I do think an eastward trip is underway.” Gen smiled. Senku nodded and began walking again. He lowered his voice to a whisper only the creatures could hear. “And could I have another cup of wine for the road?”
===
After informing Ryusui on the direction to sail, they were off again.
A sudden blinding light enveloped the ship, causing much of the crew to draw their weapons. Another “god,” Ryusui thought. Or maybe Moz again.
“Suika, go hide below deck,” He commanded. She was pale and wide-eyed, but did as she was told. “Reveal yourself!”
The blinding light was gone as soon as it came, and in its place…
“Francois!”
They stood on deck, practically glowing. They seemed to know what was happening without an explanation. “It appears I’ve gained a kind of time magic. I thought you might be out here, so I came as quickly as I could.”
“That’s great,” Ryusui said. With a person with powers on their side, the odds might be in their favor. “What can you do?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” They hummed faintly. “I’ll work on it while you’re in the cave, in case you need help.”
Suika ran out of her hiding spot, stopping right in front of them.
“Suika, good to see you’re doing well. I managed to stop time during your fall to avoid any harm to you.”
“Thank you!” Suika said now in Francois’ arms. She might have been crying, it was hard to see from where he was standing. Francois gently stroked her hair, offering comfort in the way only they could.
Ryusui remembered a night thousands of years ago when he had been held in much the same way. The storm outside was loud, but with them he felt safe. While he no longer needed comfort, it was calming in its own way to see Suika not actively fearful. It had been a rough two days for her.
“We’re here,” Senku said, interrupting the heartwarming moment. “And we're sailing East.”
Ryusui would have been a bit more upset about the abruptness of it, but Senku was right. They had to get out of this dream as soon as possible to ensure everyone’s survival.
And everyone would survive. Ryusui promised himself that.