Trapped

Genos surveyed his surroundings with utter disdain. The hole he was trapped in was sealed from all sides. It was just a bit more than a meter in diameter and he'd probably hit his head at the top if he stood. If he could stand. His limbs were busted and in some unknown location, leaving him helpless unless he detonated his emergency self-destruct. Everywhere he scanned; there was nothing but rock and the human body across from him.

Sonic was quiet as he sat with his knees drawn to his chest and let a hand roam across the solid rock next to him. He had been trained to get out of all kinds of impossible situations; he was a ninja after all. But without any of his gear and only being equipped with the most basic of weapons, he was at a distinct disadvantage. There was little to no room to maneuver and even his most powerful of punches couldn't get him out of the miserable hole he was stuck in without possibly burying himself alive. After the skirmish that resulted in an unsightly haircut, he did at least learn his target, Saitama, had an accomplice. Genos was an obstacle, and Sonic wanted to get rid of that obstacle, and in the end it resulted in him having his weapons broken by powerful counter blasts and the cyborg's newly upgraded armor.

Both were defenseless and trapped, and both were sure that their air supply would run out eventually.

A soft, orange flow emanated from Genos' chest, keeping the small area dimly lit. Sonic looked over to the cyborg and saw how his eyes roamed around their surroundings. They looked quite eerie with the lack of light and how there was no white to his eyes. When they had realized their predicament, Genos had calmly spoke.

"We are completely enclosed from all sides with rock, cement, steel plating from fallen structures, and rebar, locking many pieces of rubble together. I could detonate myself destruct sequence to kill you, but Master Saitama forbid me from doing so since me killing myself would not benefit anyone."

"Oh yeah? Well it'd sure as hell benefit me."

"Be that as it may, you too would surely die in the process. And believe me, I would love to die knowing that I could be rid of a nuisance to Master Saitama. But I will not go against what he says."

Sonic sighed and leaned back against the rock to his back. He would not admit weakness to an adversary, but he was beginning to really get cold. Just because he trained to resist its ill effects in battle didn't mean he had to enjoy the experience. Sonic's eyes once again rested on the cyborg, specifically to the very warm looking glow of his chest plating.

He would not admit weakness.

Genos was at a complete loss as to what to do. Self-destruction was not an option. The structural integrity of the small hole would no doubt end up crushing them both if the wrong piece was removed. But they could get out if the rubble was cleared with precision. Genos would not deny that Sonic was stronger than the average person, but would it really be ok to ask him for help? He would have to get a communication unit installed so he wouldn't need to rely on a cell phone.

They were staring at each other now, and when they realized it, both looked away. Sonic cursed his weakness as he gripped his arms across his knees. The entire situation was pathetic. He was supposed to be the fastest and most deadly ninja out there, yet here he was, freezing and stuck in a hole with someone who he actually couldn't kill.

The hole was quiet save for the occasional spark from Genos' wiring or cloth against rock when Sonic shifted. Minutes passed before either spoke.

"Hey." They said at the same time.

Sonic shook his head. "What."

Genos bit his artificial lip. "No. Nevermind. What were you going to say?"

Sonic turned away. "It's nothing, forget it."

Back to silence.

Genos monitored the clock installed amongst his many sensors and data being projected into his vision. They had been in the small space for over three hours and forty minutes, and Genos had to ask for help or suffocate in less than a day's time. His still human brain needed proper oxygen and he was not suited for living underwater or in a vacuum.

Just as he was about to work up the nerve to ask for help, Sonic spoke again.

"Hey, kid."

"I am not a child." Genos snapped back.

"Just shut up and listen."

Genos' eyes snapped to Sonic's face and he bit back a retort. It was slightly red and Genos had no clue how to respond.

"Do you have, eh…" Sonic hit his head back against the rock, closing his eyes tightly. "Do you have a heater or something?"

"I… do." Genos did a basic scan on the other man and could see that he was exhibiting distress signals akin to when someone was cold. Sonic, the ninja with the redundant name who tried to kill both him and his teacher was asking him for warmth.

"I mean- if I'm going to die here I'd rather not die cold." Sonic quickly added.

Genos wanted to laugh, but then realized he could use this to his advantage.

"I do." Genos repeated. "Though, about what I was going to say before."

Sonic opened his eyes. "Yeah?"

"There is a 56% possibility of escape if you were to… assist me in getting out of here. I can tell you which pieces of rock to remove, and we can get out of here without being crushed. Will you assist me?"

Sonic observed the other before nodding.

Genos wordlessly emitted heat from his chest, causing the orange lights to glow brighter and the small space to have more light. Sonic hesitantly made his way closer to sit next to the cyborg. He could feel his body warming up as though sitting next to a warm fire. He made sure to watch just how relaxed he got lest he fall asleep or something equally stupid and even more embarrassing.

Minutes had passed before Sonic rolled his shoulders and positioned himself in a squat, which was the best he could do in such a small area.

"Ok. What rock do I have to pull?"

Genos shifted his head slightly and nodded in the direction he wanted to start. "Remove that one, the one with black smudges."

Cold air hit Sonic's head and he hungrily breathed in and out. One hand pulled him further up to the surface and the other he had wrapped around the other's middle, careful not to electrocute himself . As proof of their battle, there were large piles of rock, partially destroyed abandoned buildings, and dirt blackening the snow covered ground. Sonic also spotted metal fingers and other pieces of the cyborg littered here and there. The cyborg had been smart enough to lure him into a more deserted part of City Z, despite the city itself being mostly deserted.

Sonic considered just tossing the boy back into the hole, but-

He grimaced, he wasn't just going to kill off someone who helped him like that.

"Listen. Not a word of this to anyone. Not even your precious teacher. Got it?"

Genos tilted his head, causing pieces of his neck to fall into the snow. He could very well report all of this if he so wanted, yet he was powerless and the only thing holding him up was the ninja.

"Not a word."

Saitama poked his head out of his doorway when he heard a knock. Looking around, there was no one around until he spotted something under him. Genos lay in pieces, his torso on one side and the rest of him slightly sticking out of a sack.

"Uh…."

"I got into a fight. It's nothing. Someone was… kind enough to help me get back home."

Saitama looked around for any sign of the so called helper and only found the cold chill of winter. Shrugging, he picked up Genos under one arm and the sack in his other hand.

"Ah well, should we call your doctor?"

Genos sighed. "Yes, please."