Chapter Text
Suika bent over and wiped her glasses lens with her dress, making sure it was completely clear and had no smudges just like Senku had taught her. A few feet away, her friends talked amongst themselves, getting ready for a new expedition in order to get more supplies for whatever Senku needed next. Senku, Chrome, and Magma for some reason (he was a meany—why was he invited?) were going out this time, and Suika thought she’d be a big help if she tagged along. She wouldn’t be able to lift any of the heavy stuff, but Suika was extremely good at locating things they might need. Suika loved being helpful.
“Alright, we’re off,” Senku said. Suika sharply looked up and caught the tail end of Senku waving at the others while he walked away. Chrome followed him happily and Magma dragged his feet at their rear.
“Wait for me!” Suika called. She hurried over to the huts and loaded up some snacks and other things she’d need for the journey. She looked over at Kohaku and the other members that were with them. “Bye bye!” she called, but none of them turned to acknowledge her. Must’ve not heard her. That was okay, though. She was used to that.
After double checking her backpack, she ran into the direction that Senku and co had gone. They had gotten a good bit away while Suika was getting herself ready for the trip. “Wait for me!” she called again. She latched onto the back of Senku’s dress.
Senku turned around, causing Suika to let go. “Suika?” he said. “What’re you doing? You’re not coming on this trip.”
Suika blinked. “Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not. I didn’t call your name. You’re staying with the others.”
Suika frowned and crossed her arms. “Why? I can help!”
“This is a bit of a dangerous expedition, Suika,” Chrome said. He bent down to her eye level. “It’d be safer for you to stay here and leave this mission to Senku and I. And Magma, I guess.”
“But—But—” Suika stammered, “I can help! I can point out all the shinies so that you’re not searching for forever!”
“No, Suika. Go back to Kohaku. We’re going into this blind, so we don’t need the extra stress making sure you’re safe.” Senku turned back around and resumed walking. Suika’s mouth fell open at the casual harshness of his statement.
“I—I’m not a burden!” Suika exclaimed. “I can stay right next to you guys and not get in the way! I promise I can be useful!”
“It’s not that you’re not useful, Suika,” Chrome sighed. He stood up. “Like I said, this trip is just too dangerous. Think of it like the Sulfurina trip.”
“I don’t get why you’re being so difficult,” Senku called back. “You’ve never minded not coming along before.”
“Because I want to come along this time!” Suika yelled and stamped her foot.
Senku sharply turned back around. “Kohaku!” he shouted. “Come get Suika! She keeps trying to come along!” He waited for a moment and then turned back around. “I forget your actual age sometimes.”
Suika jerked back. Her lips wobbled. “I’m coming!” she screamed.
“Oh my gosh, just go the fuck back!” Magma suddenly burst out. Suika shrieked. “You can’t fucking come! Stop being such a stuck-up fucking brat!” Suika gasped.
“Magma!” Chrome yelled.
“That was too far,” Senku sighed.
“She’s being fucking annoying! She can’t fucking come, end of story!”
A sob bubbled out of Suika before she could stop herself. She couldn’t see through her helmet anymore with how fast the tears welled up in her eyes. “I hate you!” she screamed and then took off running through the woods.
“Suika!” she heard Senku call after her, fading into the background. “Where the fuck is Kohaku?!”
Suika ran like she never had before. She dodged trees and rocks and did everything she could to ensure that she got as far away as she physically could, and made sure to run through any field that she could to ensure that Kohaku wouldn’t be able to spot her in a tree. She ran and ran and ran and cried the entire time at the unfairness of what had just happened. All she wanted was to be useful. She had no parents and the village kids didn’t like her. She was forced to sleep in a home with six other orphan kids and she got along with none of them. All of the adults found her weird and never wanted to be around her. The only people she could find solitude with was Kohaku and Chrome and everyone Senku had managed to convince to join his endeavor, but what was she doing there if she wasn’t helpful? Senku didn’t accept slackers. Everyone had some type of purpose, and Suika thought hers was to help with anything possible—so why weren’t they letting her be useful? All she wanted was to be useful!
More tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn’t stop herself from crying out loud now that she was far enough away when she had previously had to do it silently. The world outside became blurry through her glasses, and she began to clumsily run into plants and tree branches on the ground. “Stupid Senku!” Suika said. “Stupid Chrome! And even stupider Magma!”
One second Suika was on the ground, and the next she was in the air. Suika screamed.
It took three solid seconds for Suika to hit the ground again. She slammed against the ground on a decline and then rolled uncontrollably down it. She ran over sticks and rocks and banged up against trees. Suika’s watermelon helmet burst on the ground after she fell forward face first, leaving her without any type of protection for her head. Her hair got caught on branches and her body rolled over rocks and she heard a sharp cracking sound just before her leg screamed in pain. Suika cried loud—begging for the rolling to stop, begging for the ground to level again, begging for Senku or Chrome or Magma or Kohaku or for anyone to come save her. She just wanted it all to stop.
After what felt like hours when it had most likely only been fifteen or twenty seconds, Suika came to a stop at the bottom of whatever she had just rolled down. She sobbed in anguish at the way every single part of her body hurt. Not only could she not see through her endless tears, but she also couldn’t see at all without her glasses. Suika had no idea how far away from the others she was. She didn’t even know if they knew where to look—she had run as far away as she could in a direction she was unfamiliar with on purpose, knowing that if she herself didn’t know where to go, then no one would. She sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. Would she be stuck there forever? On the ground in some random part of the woods where she had no idea where she was?
“Please let me pass out,” Suika said aloud. “It hurts so bad—please let me pass out.” She waited for that sweet relief, but it never came. Suika was left to stir alone, crying loudly for anyone—anyone at all, to come rescue her. Minutes became hours, and before she knew it, the blurry shapes outside grew darker and darker until she could no longer see anything. By that point, Suika could no longer cry anymore. She was exhausted, but the pain refused to let her sleep. She couldn’t stand—when she had tried, she became aware of her right leg not looking quite right anymore. She was sure that whatever blood had accumulated from her fall had frozen from the cold weather. It hurt to breathe—not only from her injuries, but also from the cold. Her dress was ripped in who knew how many places. She was so thirsty.
Suika thought she might die.
A growl echoed through the woods. Only a few feet away from her.
Suika’s breath hitched.
Leaves rustled from in front of her. She faintly felt a large presence creeping towards her. It growled again. She knew that growl—she’d heard it very briefly before when she was gathering fruit with Kohaku, who’d immediately removed her from the area once she recognized it.
It was a lion. Suika was going to get eaten by a lion.
“Stay away from me!” Suika screamed. She felt around in the dark for anything she could get her hands on and threw it in the lion’s general direction. “I’m not food! Go away!” Most of the rocks or branches landed into the leaves or bushes or whatever it was in front of her, but she faintly heard one hit something soft and then fall to the ground. The lion yelped and Suika gasped. It must’ve made it mad rather than scare it away, because instead of the lion backing off and running away, it growled louder and ran towards Suika. Suika screamed and covered her face.
Fast footsteps suddenly appeared to Suika’s right, and before she knew it a large body slammed into the lion. The lion yelped and Suika assumed it went flying. The person (was it a person?) then engaged with the lion in a swift fight, one that Suika guesstimated lasted all of five seconds. There was a struggle, that Suika knew for sure, but at the end of those five seconds, Suika heard a loud snap! that rang out through the empty woods. It was silent for a few moments, and then something large crumpled to the ground. Suika thought she might throw up.
Footsteps hurried over to Suika and she heard whoever it was bend down.
“Hey,” the person said to her. “What happened? Are you okay?” The voice was so soft—so warm. They were a man, but Suika could feel long hair brushing against her legs. “Did you come from the stone?”
Suika couldn’t find it in her to speak.
“Look at you—you’re so hurt! How did this happen?”
Any bit of adrenaline Suika still had in her body all seeped out in one go. She slumped against the man, who gasped sharply at her sudden drop. “Hey, I need you to stay awake, okay? I’m going to get you help—I have some friends that will get you all fixed up. I just need you to keep your eyes open.” Suika could faintly hear his voice becoming urgent, but all Suika could think about was how weird it was that she felt so safe with a complete stranger.
Suika was lifted up into strong arms, who then took off running in some direction after making sure that Suika was secure. “Please stay awake,” the man said to her. “Maybe I could talk to her,” he said to himself. “I’m Tsukasa. I’m taking you to my outpost, where only the best will look after you and fix you right up. What’s your name?”
It felt like cold water was dumped onto her head. Did he just say Tsukasa? The Tsukasa that everyone in her village was working themselves to the bone in order to defeat? Her breath sped up in her sudden panic.
“Calm down, calm down,” Tsukasa said, even though he didn’t even sound calm himself. Hadn’t Senku said that Tsukasa always seemed calm no matter what? That wasn’t the case here. “I need you to speak to me. I’m not going to let you die like this. What is your name?”
The relief Suika had so wished would’ve came before suddenly hit her. Not now, Suika begged to herself. Don’t let me sleep while I’m trapped in this man’s arms. Please don’t let me sleep.
Suika was out the moment that thought echoed through her head.