14. Danger Needs Convincing
Dec. 3, 2022
A/N: Sorry for the delayed release! Been super busy for the past week!
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In the modern world, there was once a group of students and their professor. They were alive and well, joining their teacher on an expedition to investigate an area with sulfuric acid. However, the man leading the group needed to fix his shoelace. He knelt on the ground to do so and froze. Confused, the students called out to him, asking what was wrong. But he never replied.
He was completely still.
"...And he died. Beneath where he had knelt down, the hydrogen sulfide had accumulated. This is an actual accident that happened," said Senku, with the expression on his face showing no sign of remorse or mercy.
You sighed. "If Mother Nature were to do so, she would kill every human being on this planet."
"This is regardless of speed or strength, lioness," the scientist added, as you saw how Kohaku reacted to the story. You knew she was going to go head-on to get the sulfuric acid, so this was a huge warning for her.
"So, what are we going to do?! I have to save my sister, Ruri!" cried Kohaku.
"Isn't that obvious?! We're gonna make gas masks!" Senku replied.
"Of course we are..." you nervously laughed.
So you, Senku, Chrome, and Kaseki got to work, creating different masks with varying sizes to fit each of your faces. Senku finished his first, using leather for the base, and bamboo sticks as the filters. He would then give it to you, Chrome, and Kaseki to use as an example to follow from.
As you were finishing yours up, the scientist had begun to go to who-knows-where, so you had decided to follow him when yours was done.
"May the scientist's assistant ask where her partner is going?" You questioned him as he stopped at a little clearing nearby.
"Of course, you'd follow me, (Y/N)," he replied with a soft chuckle.
You stood beside him as the sun slowly set, changing the sky's color from a warm, yellow and pink color, to a cold, dark indigo. "I know why you left. There's something on your mind. So, Mr. Sciencer, tell me what it is."
The boy smirked. "Straight to the point, I see. You don't hold back, huh, slowpoke?
"I can't be holding back now if I want an honest answer from you," you told him.
He then sighed. "If I were to ask you to stay behind for the sake of science, would you?"
You knew where Senku was going with this. You firmly answered his question, "You already know my answer. I told you before, I'm not leaving your side... What were you expecting? Me to say 'yes' and watch you get the sulfuric acid on your own?"
"I was hoping you'd change your answer. I don't know how much I can withstand, because it's not like we can afford to go with trial and error here," he stated with a nervous smile on his face. "Here, error equals death."
He was right, and you understood. The sulfur lake was rightfully beautiful on its own, but one little mistake can cause its beauty to melt away into an ugly mess. The stakes for this mission were high.
"I know that it does, however..." you looked at him, your (E/C) eyes meeting his, "I don't want to lose you again. Whether it was against Tsukasa or this, I don't want to lose you to either of those things. I know that you want to protect me, and I have no doubt in my mind that you will try to make Chrome stay as well."
"Who says I'm trying to protect you two? I'm just saying that you and Chrome staying behind would be the most logical and effective course of action. And this is because I know the principles and theory of gas masks and I also know how to handle sulfuric acid," he explained you to as he crossed his arms, avoiding your gaze. "If something were to happen to me, then your chances of surviving the next time is upped by ten billion percent, as you will learn from what I did wrong."
He wasn't wrong, but that made you extremely angry. You furrowed your eyebrows and marched up to his face. You were close enough that your noses were nearly touching. He immediately had a surprised look on his face but kept his cool, sweat dripping down the sides of his head.
"Then what was the point of asking me to be your assistant? What is the point of me being an assistant if I'm not there to help you?" You demanded.
"An assistant is there to help me when I need it. If I needed help, I would ask you, but I don't. Besides, nothing will happen and I don't intend on dying during the mission," he stated.
"But if I'm not there to help you and something does happen, the chance of restoring modern civilization dies with you! Your chance of saving Taiju and Yuzuriha from that crazy high-school primate dies with you! Your chance of keeping me safe dies with you!" You berated the boy.
You stood your ground to get the message across, even though you felt like crying due to being overwhelmed by emotion. However, you knew he was watching you and listening to every word you were saying. He wouldn't ignore your feelings like that, and he had noticed how your eyes were welled with determination.
You finished, "So, take me with you. If anything, the chances of me being there will up your survival by ten billion percent. I would rather live in a world with you than without."
He kept a straight face, then furrowed his eyebrows in defeat with a sigh. But behind all that, the subtle truth had bled through those crimson eyes that watched you. The truth of which that Senku was always genuinely impressed with your tenacity and devotion. Of course, the scientist wanted to make sure you were safe from harm's way. But at this point, he knew you were going to keep convincing him to bring you along where danger was.
"What are you, a nagging girlfriend? But you're right. Our chances of survival will go up if I bring you along," he admitted, placing his hands on his hips.
"I'm gonna keep nagging you if you don't stop asking me to hold back, Senku. And you're damn right that I am right." You were seething with silent rage.
He chuckled and placed a hand on one of your shoulders as he began to walk back to where Chrome was. "Relax, slowpoke, I already admitted you were right. I just hope you know how grateful I am to have you here with me. All my trust lies with you and you alone."
That caught you off-guard. All your anger dissipated, and the look of bewilderment was splattered all over your face. "Wait..."
"I'm not going to repeat it," he said with a proud smirk. "My life is in your hands, as yours in mine. I will protect you as you do the same."
You just stood and watched him walk away from you. Your mind was slowly processing the words Senku had said to you. It was strange. He has never said those words to single soul, yet you were the first to hear it.
He's grateful to have me? All his trust lies with me? What is wrong with him? He says he makes the most logical decisions but this...this is illogical!
You felt your cheeks heating up ever so slightly, your heart pounding faster. However, you shook your head in disbelief.
No. This is definitely illogical. No time to get into your feelings, you moron. If all his trust lies on you and you alone, then that is wrong.
You then walked back to the camp with a conviction. The two of you would definitely need help, and you know Chrome isn't going to back down. You know for sure that Senku is going to try talking him out of it.
"It's too obvious that you're trying to protect me! What am I, your kid?! Don't look down on me, you son of a bitch!" You heard Chrome screaming at the scientist.
"I'm not looking down or up at you," Senku replied. "I'm just saying--"
"Don't you say another word, Senku," you chimed in.
The boys looked at you at the same time and stopped speaking.
"Senku, if we're going to do this right, we need all the help we can. I know that you said that all your trust is in me, but at least put trust in Chrome too. He wants this as much as we do. If he is your friend, as am I, then we will protect each other," you informed him. The brunette had the biggest smile on his face, and he was a bit teary-eyed to see you were on his side.
"It's two against one, Senku! We are the same! We got each other's backs, so go ahead! Tell us we're wrong!" Chrome held a fist up towards him.
The scientist had sighed, but had a proud smile on his face as he bumped fists with the brunette. "Heh, thanks to you two, we have to make another gas mask for Chrome. Fine, our lives are in each other's hands."
Senku walked away and Chrome turned to you. "Thank you, (Y/N)!"
"Don't thank me. I already knew that he would try to leave us behind to keep us safe. I had to convince him myself to bring me along just earlier," you reassured him.
"He looked pretty satisfied before talking with Chrome. What did you even say to him?" you heard Kohaku speak up. You then looked above you to see her resting on a branch in the trees.
"I told him that as his assistant, I need to go with him because it will up his chance of survival by ten billion percent, and that I can't lose him again because I...would rather live in a world with him...than...without..." You were just realizing that all the words you had said had sounded just like a dying confession.
You heard Kohaku snickering from above, and she covered her smile with her hand. "That is quite the confession there, (Y/N). If I were him, I would've married you already."
"Very funny, Kohaku," you stated with sarcasm. You turned away from her to hide the obvious blush on your face. "Anyways, we'll get your mask ready tomorrow, Chrome."
Chrome, who looked extremely confused, nodded. "You got it..."
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It was the next day and Senku was already on his way to creating gas masks and extra filters for the three of you. Using roasted bamboo and potassium carbonate, it was crushed to create a filter that would neutralize poison gas through the mask connected to its tube. Once it was ready for all of you, it was time to get the sulfuric acid.
Unfortunately, there was a problem before going.
"My spear has turned pitch black! This has to be the fairy of the spring's curse! Even that bird died! I'm never ever going back there again!" He screeched. Chrome was trying to pull him off of the warehouse he was clinging to.
"Whatever, you can just stay behind. You'll hold us back at this rate. But let me make one thing clear: this is no curse, this is science," said Senku. He then snatched the spear away from Ginro and started rubbing off the black charcoal from the tip using the leftover ashes used for the filter. This was so you can reuse the spear again and cover it with another silver coating.
"I thought you said that if we used the silver on my bokken, it would corrode," you told Senku.
"It will if we keep dipping it in boiling metal. It'll burn up and 'corrode' over time," he stated. "If that were to happen, I would have to make another weapon for you. Plus, you will be handling the spear this time."
You sighed. "Alright."
You then turned to Ginro, who was curled up again and weeping for the loss of his silver spear. You took your weapon and handed it to him. "Ginro, I want you to keep an eye on this. Guard it while we get the materials, and if you need to protect someone, then use it."
He looked up at you with teary eyes and slowly took it from your hands. "Do you know how to use a spear?"
"I know well enough," you stated, then began to head to the springs with Senku and Chrome.
Senku spoke up as you walked side-by-side, "Why did you leave it behind?"
"Because one weapon is enough for me to carry. I trust that Ginro will use it properly if something were to happen to us," you told him. You couldn't tell what he was thinking as he stared at you.
The walk was far as always, and every step you took would increase the beating of your hearts. You stood in front of the group, holding the spear to find the point of no return. As you approched the lake, the spear had slowly begun to turn black.
You started, "This is the point of no return. At this point forward, we should be careful--"
Senku began to walk past the point with his equipment, causing shock to you and Chrome.
"Are you crazy?!" the boy asked him.
"If you guys worry too much, you will breath harder than you should. If that happens, then the gas masks won't keep up with neutralizing the toxic gas," he informed the two of you. "It's comes down to a stupidly simple matter. If you get scared, you'll die."
Chrome sighed. "Yeah sure, I get the idea. I don't know if I got your guts, Senku..."
Despite him saying that, you noticed that Senku was slightly shaking, sweat slowly dripping from his palms. He, too, was scared, but had to save face for your sakes.
"C'mon, we don't have all day, Chrome," you said and walked off to help get the acid.
"Right!" He nodded and followed you.
As you were going to lower yourself down to get some, you noticed that Senku went off to gather the acid in a lower area. The slope he was on was less declined, so it was easier to get it. Then you and Chrome saw it. The acid was beginning to bubble up near him.
"Senku!" Chrome called out and started to run to him. "The mainline of your gas mask is starting to melt!"
Senku looked down and immediately tied it with some cloth rope he had. "Kukuku, that was close. It's a good thing we all came together--"
"CHROME!" You shrieked.
The rocks had slipped underneath the boy as he was trying to aid Senku. He was about to drop head-on into the acid, but you frantically grabbed the end of the spear and pointed it towards him to grab it. He was able to grab it before landing into the acid.
However, there were a few problems. First, your two hands were gripping the very end of the spear, which caused you to position the weapon upwards to keep the boy afloat. Second, Chrome was heavier than you had expected. This caused the spear's positioning and his weight to bend the spear to its limit, making it difficult to move your legs.
"I-I...got...you, Chrome!" You breathed out. You were starting to breathe even faster, as you were mostly focused on trying to save him.
"Shit! (Y/N)! Focus on breathing slow!" Chrome anxiously spoke.
Senku was on his way to you. "(Y/N)! Calm your breathing, (Y/N)! I'll be right there!"
"Then...hurry...your ass...Senku!" You yelled at him with strain.
-SNAP-
Your eyes widened with immense fear when you saw the spear breaking apart. The acid had bubbled up just to break pieces of the spear, causing it to snap in the middle.
Out of nowhere, you then saw a blonde figure appear in front of you. It was Ginro, and he came to the rescue, using your bokken for Chrome to grab once the spear had broken.
"GINRO!" All of you exclaimed.
"So...heavy!" Ginro strained. He was breathing heavier and faster than you were.
"Calm down, Ginro! If you keep breathing heavy, you're gonna die!" You exclaimed.
He cried with tears in his eyes, "I'M GONNA DIE?!"
"A large amount of potassium carbonate can absolutely crush any poison gas as long as you control your breathing!" The scientist explained.
You then placed your hands on the wooden weapon to help him. "The whole reason you came here was because you're winning against fear!"
"Yeah! Think with here and here!" Chrome pointed at his heart and head. "No matter how powerful nature is, it has no mind or heart to think with! That's where you can beat it!"
You and Ginro then yelled out as you both pulled Chrome over your heads to get him to safety.
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[ACQUIRED SULFURIC ACID]
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-To be Continued-
A/N: I'm excited to write the next few parts guys.