Angel: No, Stanley doesn't know anything about Lillian adopting Sumi. That was kept a secret from everyone including Sumi anyway, so it wouldn't make sense. He and Sumi are nowhere near the same age, plus they lived in different countries before petrification. I feel like music isn't Stanley's thing anyway.
Kind of a spoiler, but it's got to do with Xeno, not Lillian of how Stanley would know Sumi. It's in the manga, but I think the connections are going to be revealed soon. And no, Stanley doesn't personally know Sumi's grandmother either. If you don't know the events of the manga of this arc specifically, then don't spoil it for yourself.
Stanley Synder glanced around the room while the cigarette was still in his mouth. "Yo, Xeno," He called out as Gen followed inside. "Knew you'd be here. I have good news. I'm happy to announce the new world has its first guest," He approached someone with white hair, and the wall was...covered in glass beakers from a giant bookshelf. Not only that, there was a lab table in front of Xeno.
He held up a test tube with red liquid in his hands. And he also had gloves with metal claws attached, kind of looking like Ibara's claws.
'I'm getting serious Sumiku vibes. No, actually...' Gen walked forward, surrounded by beakers. 'This guy is an adult.' He felt like that made the most sense if they had this much equipment. 'Meaning he's the professional version.' Gen gave a nervous smile while watching Xeno put down the test tube. 'A real scientist...'
A telescope was looking out to the factory, as they had stumbled upon it themselves using the trail Gen left them. "What's that thing?" Kohaku wondered as she and Chrome were hiding in the trees. "The tall, slender tower that's leaking smoke?"
"Aw, damn," Chrome muttered, unable to answer the question. It was definitely suited for either Sumi or Senku to answer, since Chrome didn't know the specifics of a factory. "They're definitely using science to make something bad," He continued to search for something using the telescope. He could see a mini-hut, the giant cornfield, but no Gen. "We've gotta gather as much intel as we can, then pass it onto Senku and Sumi's team." He could also see a glass dome, the sea, and other towers. "I'm confused, though. I don't see Gen. Do you think that means he was able to infiltrate their base?"
"Ha!" Kohaku gave a small knowing smirk. "There's no way that he could mess this up. This is Gen we're talking about here. The guy was born to shmooze. He's the most trustworthy liar in the whole world."
"Blabby-blah!" She could just imagine the innocence Gen would give off right about now to just about anyone while flapping his mouth...so against their enemy, she wasn't too worried about the mentalist.
"How can he be such a great liar and trustworthy at the same time?" Chrome murmured while rubbing the top of his head in confusion. Perhaps it was just because he was such a good liar, but at the same time... "And I think Sumi would probably disagree with you on that one," He looked away knowingly, since Gen was capable of even lying to someone he claimed to be his best friend. Or to use her to his advantage if he really wanted to...
The phone rang back on the Perseus, as Senku and the others had retreated back to their ship. "Hello?" Chrome wondered once someone picked up. "Can you hear me, Perseus? We had a sudden change of plans, so we-"
"Got it," Senku interrupted him without hesitation. "No need to say another word."
Kohaku and Chrome looked at the speaker in confusion. "Um...huh?!" Chrome yelped as Senku and Sumi stood in front of the speakers. Behind them was the rest of the crew.
"I did say we're dealing with some heavy artillery both in brains and weapons when we found that plane, so we've got it covered," Sumi smiled, hands on her hips.
"I see," Yuzuriha spoke up as she realized why Senku cut them off. "We have to be very careful."
Tsukasa hummed in agreement with her. "They're well-versed in science. So our enemy could be eavesdropping."
"It's a logical assumption," Ukyo murmured, since they were already found twice in the span of 2 days. "They always seem to be one step ahead."
"Mm...then we can't rule out the possibility...that our enemy speaks our language," Ryusui pointed out to him.
"Answer this as simply as possible," Tsukasa implored as he stepped up. "Who's with you? Also, what's the current situation?"
"Uh," Chrome looked up in bewilderment, trying to figure out what to say so that he didn't potentially tip off the enemy. "It's just me and Koha...it's just me and the woman right now."
Sumi's eyes slowly widened once she heard about what happened to Gen. What...? Does that mean that Gen is...? Her eyes shook in fear of what could be happening to him right now...sure, he did get on her nerves, but she did appreciate their friendship. And he supported her a lot with Senku too. And since Senku and I sent him out there with the others... They never planned for Gen to go out on his own, that was why Kohaku was there with him and Chrome. At least with Tsukasa, she didn't have to worry about Gen because he was the key to their fake Lillian plan. And she was there to prevent him from getting hit with an arrow so he could go back unscathed. But now, in the hands of people who could very well kill him...
"A, Gen's been taken hostage by the enemy," Tsukasa spoke up to Senku, Sumi, Ryusui, and Magma. "B, he's feigning the trail to infiltrate their base."
Ryusui snapped his fingers with a small smile. "Then it's B. A sailor's instincts are never wrong."
Senku let out a chuckle, smirking. "Nothing to do with instincts. I'm 10 billion percent positive that's it." And with that, he gleefully shut off the phone, to the shock of Kohaku and Chrome. Even Sumi stopped worrying for a second to look at Senku with an open mouth.
"You hung up the phone?!" Yuzuriha yelped at his rash action.
"They could trace the origin of the radio signal if we stayed on for too long," Senku turned around to explain, waving it off.
"A good precaution," Ukyo agreed as he stepped up. "Since we don't know how advanced their tech is. This is a first for us. Unlike any prior battle. Scientific prowess has always been our advantage, but now...there's a real possibility we've been surpassed on that front."
Senku just gave another chuckle. "So it's a hard-core battle between scientists," He then gave a devilish look... "This is exhilarating. Get excited." He blinked as he noticed Sumi biting at her thumb anxiously, meaning something was definitely on her mind. It was then he realized that she hadn't said a word ever since hearing about Gen.
"Give us time to talk between us chiefs, kay?" Senku grabbed her arm, pulling her out towards the hallway.
"Huh?!" Sumi looked at him, baffled by his sudden action. The others stared at them wide-eyed, just as surprised as when Senku hung up on Kohaku and Chrome. "Um, we'll be right back," She gave a nervous smile at the others.
"Aww, a little rendezvous between lovers!" Minami gushed, clasping her hands happily.
"I don't think that's it, given how reserved he is..." Ukyo murmured towards her very skeptically.
Senku closed the door, turning towards the pacing Sumi. It wasn't the same level as her...other issue she had before they got here. But he could tell that a lot was going through her head, and he couldn't have that.
"Look-"
"Don't," Sumi stopped pacing as she held up a hand, biting her lip. "Just...answer me this, please. Did I send Gen to his death?" She turned back to him, looking very worried for Gen. She also couldn't stop fidgeting her hands.
He blinked and then chuckled a little, hands on his hips. "We both did, and even then, he won't let that happen. Remember when Magma tried to murder him?"
"Magma didn't have a gun," She deadpanned, a blank look directed at him. "And currently, I don't know if I'm capable of-"
"Sumire, Senku."
"Uh," They both turned to Francois holding a tray of drinks for them. "Francois?" Sumi blinked in surprise to see the butler. The two didn't even hear them open the door...
"Forgive me for intruding, but I suspected this would happen. So I've taken the liberty of preparing you these," They held out the tray, with Senku's latte in front of Sumi, and her drink in front of Senku's, to their shock. "Your signature non-alcoholic drinks, the Cotton Candy Violet and the Three-Layer Tea Latte."
"Heh, thanks. I guess I'm trying yours this time, huh?" He reached out to the Cotton Candy Violet and Sumi took the three-layer latte, as well as the spoon. The woman then let out a small sigh, hoping that this would help calm her down. She stirred it and watched it turn into a light green.
"Well, I have been wondering what yours tasted like," She admitted, took a sip, and sighed in relief from the taste. "Thanks, Francois. I actually needed this." Should I even bother asking how they managed to pull this off?
"It was my pleasure," They bowed and then took their leave.
"Hmm, yours tastes like a chai latte with milk...it's good," Sumi murmured while examining the cup.
"And yours is sweet...like you," Senku commented with a small smirk on his face.
"Mmm..." Sumi blushed deeply for his sly remark. "You know, that only makes it worse..."
Senku blinked and then patted her on the head. She froze from how gentle he was being, which wasn't too uncommon, but usually he would follow it up by teasing her afterwards. "It's gonna be fine, okay? We both know that he's cheated out of going to hell before, and he'll do it again. And even if he does bite it out there, we're both taking the burden, Violet," His eyes softened, silently reassuring her that no matter what happened to Gen...he wasn't going to let her take the responsibility on her own. They both sent the mentalist out, so he did feel like he was obligated to shoulder the consequences with her. If it came to that, that is, which he knew he wouldn't.
"It feels...nice when you do that. Thanks..." She whispered softly, blushing and looking away.
"Just don't ask me to do it often," He casually stated, taking another sip of his Cotton Candy Violet.
"Will you do it later?" Sumi looked up at him hopefully, as she rather liked that side of him that showed he was thinking emotionally.
"Hell no!" Senku grunted from her request, knowing that they would be busy, and it didn't really leave a lot of time for...head pats. He used to do it when they were just science partners, but ever since they confessed their feelings, he didn't feel the need to do when there were other ways to show affection.
"Not even for science?" His girlfriend gave him a big pout.
"Giving you a head pat doesn't equal science," He answered with a blank tone.
"In a way it does if you're doing it for the sake of your lover~!" She reminded while waving a finger, and...he couldn't argue there. Plus he didn't want her to feel like he was being neglectful, since it would...weaken the relationship in some way.
"Fine, I'll do it," He relented to her, looking away with a sigh. "Just don't get distracted by being impatient for it."
"Yay!" She cheered happily at the thought.
"Remember what I said!" Senku immediately warned the black/red haired scientist.
"Don't worry, I'm totally focusing!" She reassured as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Love you!" Sumi called out as she ran back inside to re-meet with the others. Senku blinked and then gave a small smile.
"Silly woman..." He shook his head slowly, but wasn't bothered by it at all. She's lucky that when it comes to her...I tend to not worry about being logical. And I guess...I could consider myself lucky too when I'm with her. Heh, look at me, I feel like a lovesick puppy. Back to business He opened the door, closing it just as the phone rang again.
"Huh?" Magma looked back in annoyance, since it hadn't been too long since the last phone call. "Damn it, Chrome," He walked up to answer it, pressing the button. "What the hell are you doing, you scrawny stupid idiot? Didn't they tell you not to call us?"
Before Sumi could yell back at him that he was the one who answered, a different feed cut both of them off. "Ah. Salutations," It was Dr. Xeno himself speaking to them this time. "There we are. Found your frequency."
Damn it...he must've picked up on Chrome's side if they're still close by the enemy base! Sumi gritted her teeth upon him intercepting their frequency.
"So this is how you stay in touch..." He gave a small smirk, Senku narrowing his eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And your fledging Kingdom of Science."
Ukyo looked up ahead in shock. I can't believe they made contact!
Yuzuriha and Minami looked up ahead anxiously, since Dr. Xeno was clearly no fool...and that they couldn't underestimate him.
Magma just laughed while punching his fists together. "So you're the bad guy, then? Lucky for you, I like your guts!"
"Please forgive my rough Japanese, but I fear this isn't a conversation for idiots," Dr. Xeno remarked, immediately dismissing Magma and thinking him as a mere dumb brute. And Magma himself wasn't too pleased about the assumption, as he immediately wanted to destroy the phone. Yo looked on in terror while Minami, Yuzuriha, and Nikki had to hold him back. "My name is Dr. Xeno, and I wish to speak with your scientist leader."
Senku narrowed his eyes a little, as the singular part tipped him and Sumi off. They could already tell that Dr. Xeno wasn't told of Sumi, most likely intentional. Otherwise he would've asked for the both of them.
"I have much to discuss with Dr. Taiju."
Senku blinked in bewilderment to hear the name. He, Yuzuriha, Ukyo, Ryusui, and Tsukasa were very confused on what was going on. "Dr...Taiju?" All of them murmured slowly. Taiju himself had the same expression as the five, pointing to himself.
"Ah!" Sumi fell to the ground in disbelief, feeling a little dizzy. "Wh-what the hell...?" I get that Gen didn't want to say Sen's name or even mention me, so that they're not suspicious...but still, out of all the people he picked, it was Taiju? Not that she had anything against Taiju, but he was definitely an...out there choice.
Minami bent down to the woman, caressing the top of her head with a sheepish smile.
Senku covered the phone's speaker while Tsukasa helped up Sumi onto her feet. "Brilliant," A devious smile escaped his lips while picking at his ear with his free hand. "That's our Gen!"
"Hm," Ryusui smiled in approval, while the others were just confused. "He made sure to set up our toughest guy as the decoy. And he's keeping Sumi's equal involvement hidden so that he's not giving too much away. Taiju's already your bodyguard, so it makes sense. Well played."
"What?!" Taiju yelped as he popped up. "So I'm the new Senku?!"
Yuzuriha gave a determined look towards him. He placed some makeup over his mouth to make it seem like he had a mustache. He grinned widely as he then put on some glasses, a suit and tie, and finally a lab coat. He clenched a fist up in the air while Yuzuriha gave him a thumbs up, having equipped him with the clothing.
"I'll take his place, using the power of science!"
"Why the goofy getup?" Minami looked up ahead, finding it pointless. "It's a voice call."
"Whatever helps him nail the role," Ryusui had no issue with it.
Taiju gripped the speaker, leaning forward. "This is Taiju. Dr. Taiju here! Hope that you can hear me loud and clear. I have something important to tell you, so listen up! Shooting innocent people with machine guns isn't right! It's wrong, you hear me?!"
All of them looked towards him wide-eyed, aside from Ryusui. Bet he knows that... Ryusui just gave a silent nod, knowing what they were thinking.
Oh, Taiju... Sumi let out a breath at how he was acting, sagging her shoulders. Words aren't gonna do shit on this guy.
"Yes, I'm aware. You must forgive my soldier, Stanley. It was necessary to open your eyes." Ukyo, Minami, and Yuzuriha looked at Sumi in awe that she was correct that they were dealing with someone not police. Senku wasn't fazed as he smirked a little towards her. "As you have seen, we are operating at a much higher level," He then narrowed his eyes. "Dr. Taiju...as a fellow man of science...I must warn you. We are already in possession of a fully functional Haber-Bosch plant."
"Holy...!" Taiju yelped, his head already feeling like it was spinning because obviously, he had no idea what that meant. "Whoa. Haber-Bosch?! No way. Good work with that, Dr. Xeno! I'm impressed!"
The others looked at him anxiously, because clearly, Taiju was struggling as he was shaking. Damn it, quit running your mouth, you big oaf! You're gonna give us away! Senku thought, but then again, they had no time to practice either...
"Um...what's this haber-doohickey he seems so smug about?" Minami wondered, as she wasn't too familiar with the term. Arguably, no one else was...
"They've built a Haber-Bosch plant," Senku informed the blonde, frowning. "It's an ammonia chemical factory," He turned towards them with a small smirk. "And in layman's terms...they can create not just a ton, but limitless gunpowder. Which means they likely have access to an infinite amount of ammo."
"Which is probably the case, given we were shot at twice with a soldier who didn't seem to stop to reload," Sumi gave an annoyed look. "Not only that, they can produce ammonia for fertilizers, as disgusting as it is," She stuck out her tongue in disgust. "And that's the reason why we were able to find the corn. I'm guessing they have a lot of that too. Although it is a unique choice for a plant, because it was first started in 1913..." She blinked in thought, wondering if that was just something Dr. Xeno liked.
Taiju listened to them closely and then stood up straight. "Okay then! So you can use that machine gun of yours as much as you want to. Is that what you're telling me?" He spoke up with confidence, though it was for the illusion to make Dr. Xeno think he was talking to the right scientist.
"That's correct," Dr. Xeno gave a confident smile. "I knew you'd understand me, Dr. Taiju."
Ryusui snapped his fingers with a big grin. You made him believe you already knew all that! He, Minami, and Ginro were pleased with how things seemed to be going.
"Maybe Taiju missed his true calling as an actor," Ukyo remarked a bit sheepishly.
"Or he's exceptionally earnest," Yuzuriha waved it off, tilting her head with a smile.
"We are a group of adult professionals, while you're a ragtag team of children pretending that you're scientists," Dr. Xeno made no effort to hide his opinion on how inferior he thought they were. "If you surrender quietly, I will allow you to work for me. That's all I ask. We lack adequate manpower."
"Is he serious?" Sumi glared towards the speaker in anger.
"What the hell is he saying? No manpower?" Magma was just confused by what Dr. Xeno meant, since statues were everywhere. "There's loads of statues just lying around for him to revive if he wants to!"
"Ha ha!" Ryusui grinned as he realized something. "In other words, they don't know about the revival fluid. Am I wrong?"
Senku grinned as he chuckled, Sumi humming in agreement with the sailor. "Cause our neat little discovery doesn't quite fit within the framework of established science."
"And because he woke up like Sen and I without outside help. Location was definitely a disadvantage for this guy at the time," Sumi gave a small smirk. "Meaning that everyone else he has on his side is the same way. Ironic given his age." She and Senku found out the solution as teenagers, while Dr. Xeno couldn't even figure out that he needed nital. So yes, she did take in some joy that even though he was more advanced in science, that solution escaped him.
"Those who maintain consciousness for the thousands of years after being petrified, can be revived with a bit of nitric acid. All my colleagues and I were able to accomplish such a feat..." He had a big supply of nitric acid thanks to the factory. "That said, it just doesn't add up...that dozens of kids like you...all happen to possess mental fortitude of the highest order. Tell me how you revived the statues."
Now Taiju looked very nervous. "Well...you see..."
Ryusui placed a hand on his shoulder, covering the speaker. "That secret is the only advantage we have over them. We can't let them know. Don't forget that they shot at us on sight. If we tell them, they'll create an army and destroy us."
"True," Senku agreed from behind, getting Taiju's attention. "They have the capacity to make a metric shit-ton just as soon as they figure out our recipe. Nitric acid from their factory...alcohol from their cornfield. It also means we have our Corn City ready and waiting for us. Assuming we can seize control of it. Just imagine, enough revival fluid to wake everyone, the entire world," He grinned widely at the thought.
"And he doesn't seem to be too invested in finding that recipe out by going through a bunch of tests like Sen and I did," Sumi crossed her arms while staring at Taiju. "So if we don't tell him, it gives us a bit more time to figure out how to gain the upper hand over his inventory before he decides to change his mind."
"We'll never tell you about the revival fluid! Request denied!" Taiju shouted into the speaker.
"...Very well. Then the negotiation has failed. How unfortunate," He didn't sound too remorseful as he hung up.
Damn it! He didn't give us any information about Gen! Sumi gritted her teeth in frustration. Maybe she shouldn't worry as much, but still...
Meanwhile, Suika was the only one not present during the negotiations, because she was scouting for Homura. She looked out to the sea with her telescope...as she could hear a strong wind. She looked up, peeking over to the other side. She looked around...and saw another plane flying over their ship. The little girl let out a sharp gasp.
"Hey, we're in trouble!" She shouted to everyone else. "The plane thingy is heading back this way!"
"SUIKA, GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" Both Senku and Sumi immediately ordered her before they followed everyone else out to the deck.
The plane came in fast towards them as they arrived to see it. Suika bounced down from her spot and took off to hide. The plane soared over the ship...but for once, didn't actually shoot them unlike the last 2 times.
"Well, now," Stanley murmured while looking up ahead. "That's a mighty sailboat, kiddos."
"They did it," Ukyo looked up in disbelief. "Found us and the Perseus!"
"Those freakin' scumbags have more than one of 'em?!" Yo gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Why do you assume they only had one in the first place?" Nikki narrowed her eyes as they watched the plane disappear. "And didn't you hear what Sumi said? If they only had one, they would've taken the one we have."
And with that, the plane was gone, and didn't seem to be turning back around either. "That was a scout plane this time," Tsukasa pointed out to them. "Yes, it makes sense to me. They won't risk flying low. Especially after what happened during the river chase."
"Huh?!" Ginro yelped, nervously holding his spear. "But now we can't hit him with our spears and bows anymore, or Sumi's whip!"
"How can we fight against a plane?!" Taiju turned to Sumi and Senku in a panic. "Tell us, you guys!"
Senku chuckled as Suika rolled over and he picked her up. "We'll just have to deploy our own plane," He turned around with a smirk, gently patting the little girl on the head in silent relief. "One they kindly gifted to us..."
"As cliche as the saying goes...we've gotta fight fire with fire," Sumi looked over her shoulder with a small smile.
They all looked past the two in confusion towards what they were looking at. "Whoo-hoo! This baby's ready to go!" Kaseki waved his hands in excitement, standing on the log holding the plane. "I couldn't help getting fired up by it. What a machine!"
Sumi gave a fond giggle at his eagerness to work on it. She had to admit, she shared a little bit of it too since it was a plane from science.
Everyone except the two scientists, Ukyo, and Tsukasa cheered. "Still, how will we take off?" The sonar operator was still skeptical. "Unlike those guys, we don't have a runway at our disposal."
"Yet," Senku corrected him with a small smile. "We'll be making one."
"WHERE?!" The entire crowd shouted in unison, Suika looking up at him in awe.
"Right here," The green-haired scientist pointed right at the ship.
"Duh. Where else would we put it?" Sumi gave an innocent smile towards them.
"We're making a carrier!" Senku announced to them, looking very giddy. "Operation Mod the Perseus begins! Let's get crackin'!"
Kaseki's muscles got bigger, increasing his body in size. He let out a fired-up yell as all of his clothes teared off. "I'm so ready!"
"JESUS!" Sumi cried out upon seeing his ripped clothes, turning away. Suika let out a freaked-out yell and Senku put her down. "It's been a while since that happened..."
Both Kaseki and Ryusui laughed as some of the others stared in utter shock. "A...carrier...?" Minami asked slowly as they continued watching them.
"Right!" Magma looked way too confident as he approached while the building was going underway. "Let's evaluate the situation, eh, team?"
Minami looked on in disbelief as he walked up specifically to Yo and Mantle. Nikki walked over to join, confused.
"Come on," Yo was skeptical as he stared at Magma's gleeful smile. "Doing this again? It's freakin' weird when you act squeaky clean and pretend you can speak properly, you know."
"Too bad," Magma remarked while Mantle was eating it up. "So you better shut your damn trap or I'll kill you dead."
"Now you're back to your normal self five seconds later!" Yo accused him, wondering what was going on in his head. "You gotta try harder than that!"
"That shithead's got it coming!" Magma then clenched his fist, looking very irritated. "We've gotta take down Dr. Xeno! I mean, the guy has loads and loads of corn, doesn't he? And we need as much as we can get to make our plan work. Let's bump him off and take everything he's got!" It was definitely personal bias speaking here, given how easily dismissed he was by Dr. Xeno...
"You want us to kill Dr. Xeno?!" Yo yelped, knowing that it was a tall task given that they didn't have as much weapons...
Mantle grinned widely as he was in agreement. Minami and Nikki looked up ahead blankly. "I just want one thing," Magma gave a sly smile. "Hand over that gun on your waist, buddy."
"Uhh..." Yo recoiled back, moving his hands to his gun as he remembered what happened the last time Magma had it...
"Do it..." Mantle tried to convince him. "It's not like he's some kind of psychopath or anything. So this is your one chance to contribute to our victory."
"We could take the guy out, just the three of us!" Magma also attempted to incite Yo, imagining a dead Dr. Xeno with Senku, Sumi, and Ryusui praising them like gods...
"When everyone else is forgotten, we'll be remembered for all time as the heroes and saviors of humanity!" Mantle would mostly praise Magma for it, though...
Yo gave an awed look as he wanted to be remembered as a hero, drooling. He then held up the gun. "Yeah! Go!" He ran down the ramp as fast as he could. "It's Xeno-hunting time!"
Magma laughed as he ran after his scheming friend, Mantle following right after.
"What a scum..." Minami murmured as Nikki shook an angry fist. She jumped past the blonde, who looked up in alarm. A bunch of blows were then dished out. She then gasped in a bit of fear, Suika arriving and looking up ahead. Nikki was holding Magma and Yo, Mantle over her arm. And all of them had head bruises...Nikki certainly had no regrets, though. She placed all of them down one by one.
"What kind of pea-brained moron thinks that it's a good idea to go charging into a fight against a machine gun?!" She yelled down at the trio.
"It's not stupid if we have a gun of our own!" Magma argued back up at her. Suika and Minami just stared wide-eyed.
Senku walked past while holding a bunch of wood in a basket. Sumi was walking next to him with a bunch of tools in a basket. "They still have ten billion times more firepower than you. Unless they'll wait for us to build a gunpowder factory. If so, then yeah, sure. Try your luck or whatever."
"It's honestly astounding that you think this will work a second time when I seem to remember kicking your butt for the last attempt," Sumi deadpanned as she glanced down at the trio. "But sure, continue to do stupid things, and earn stupid prizes. And besides, everyone knows you're just salty because he insulted you, and those 2 only want the glory."
Magma flinched and then growled as he watched her leave. "Hey! Like you're not biased either! If you get in my way too again, I'll kick your ass!"
"Mm," Sumi twisted her face into irritation, throwing down the basket with ease. She came to a stop, turning to her boyfriend. "Hey, Sen, what angle do I need from here to the water? Enough that it's a safe distance?"
"Ah? Oh," He blinked knowingly of what she was about to do, holding up two fingers. "With the beams exceeding 20 feet, I'd say you need a 45 degree angle, give or take."
"That works for me," Sumi then ran back up, moved back her leg, and kicked Magma far across the water. The woman placed a hand over her forehead as he screamed, soaring across the ocean. She swept her hands as she watched him crash into the water not too far away from the ship. Nikki, Suika, and Minami looked at her wide-eyed, shaking a little. "Dumbass...that was also a warning for you," She glanced over to Yo and Mantle, looking terrifying as she was definitely not taking any beatings from anyone. "If I find out you went off on your own like he did last time, you won't be much better off. You got me?"
"Ah! Yes, ma'am!" Both of them yelped while bowing on the ground to her repeatedly.
"Good. Now stop dicking around and get back to work! Hope I didn't scare you guys," Sumi looked over to the trio of females.
"No...I was gonna step in, but...you handled it just fine," Nikki blinked and got over her shock.
"Yeah! That was so awesome, Mom!" Suika gushed up at her. She smiled as she bent down to pat the little girl on the head fondly.
"Aw, thanks. Don't know how he keeps forgetting that I'm not a pushover, but hey, he's not a total idiot. Now if you'll excuse me," She picked up her basket and walked off while whistling casually as if she didn't do anything to the three idiots just now.
Tsukasa stepped up, looking very serious. "So...let's evaluate the situation."
Minami looked on in admiration, tears streaming down her face. Senku and Sumi couldn't seem to care less. It's the same line as Magma's, and yet somehow so much more inspiring...!
"Does that really work on females?" Senku muttered towards his girlfriend.
"Well, he did and still does have a reputation as the strongest primate high schooler. One that isn't lost on people who admire him..." She gave a sheepish knowing smile that Minami did have...feelings towards Tsukasa.
"Heh heh," He smirked, getting her attention. "So what, if I said something as simple as that, would you react in the same way?"
"No!" She blushed in embarrassment, pouting. "It wasn't like that for me!"
"Oh, that's right, you were the type to hide her hormone levels for thousands of years," He remarked as he walked off, leaving her stunned.
"HEY! Get back here!" She ran after him, whining from his teasing. He came to a stop, reaching out to pat her on the head again like last time. Sumi blinked up at him as he chuckled from her stupefied face.
"Is that satisfactory enough, Violet? That I gave you another one of these?"
Before she could react, he dropped the basket of wood since he only had one hand to hold them, the materials all over his back. She blinked rapidly and bent down to help him. "You know, when your strength equals that of a water flea most of the time, there are better moments to do that to me," She remarked and he let out a groan.
"Yeah...almost forgot about that...I don't know how you do it," He muttered, his face in the wood. She blinked and then let out a small giggle.
"You'll have more time in the future for that, okay?" The woman smiled, finding it adorable that he did keep his promise and yet he chose the wrong time for it. Things like this were certainly helping her mindset at the very least. She still wasn't ready to tell him, but she was getting better sleep and hadn't had any nightmares since her talk with him. Sumi then smiled again, a small blush on her face. "Senku."
He looked up, blinking as her hair shined underneath the sun, and she was beaming. "Thank you for taking care of me lately. I really appreciate you, so I hope to repay it back someday."
Senku continued to stare, his face getting a bit flushed by…just her in general. "I…" He faltered and she glanced down at him.
"Mm? Something wrong?" Sumi tilted her head as she had no clue that she was affecting him like this. She gathered up the materials into the basket and moved her hand to check his forehead. "Are you running a fever?"
"No, I'm not ill," He gently moved her hand away, getting onto his feet and looking away. "It was just…"
"I think I should look you over just in case," She grabbed his hand and walked away, the others staring with smug looks. They had a feeling that he was definitely getting sick, but not for an illness.
"I'm perfectly fine, Violet, I…" He once again couldn't find the words and simply leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. She blinked in a bit of surprise, looking up at him. "I just wasn't expecting that, is all. You don't have to thank me for anything. We have a deal, remember? So don't concern yourself with things like that when we're…emotionally invested to keep the promise we made."
Am I even saying the right thing? It's rare for me…to give into something so opposite of logic. Maybe because she just somehow manages to bring out this…side of me she knows isn't frequent. What will she even say?
"Hm," Sumi blushed, having a fond smile on her face. "I know that to you, I don't have to do it, but I want to. It's just…you and science help make things easier for me," She blinked as she just realized that he probably didn't want to lose focus and that there was a better time for it. "Weird thing to say given our situation actually, that was stupid. Maybe just forget I said that—"
Senku chuckled before she could protest further. "Too late for that when you're my equal in something that gets stupidly exciting practically every second. So no, you can't take that away no matter what you tell me. Not that I mind. Something I keep thinking is troublesome and keeps sneaking its way into my mind…I always have to remember is just as important to me as science. You're stuck with both science and my…love for you even when we're both sent to hell."
She smirked to hide her happiness. "Aww, and here I thought you always wanted to keep your brain logical."
"Heh," He looked away with a smile. "That's why I keep you around. You help balance that out. Sides, with you having fallen for me first, it means I don't have to worry about myself getting all lovesick!" He chuckled evilly and she shook her head slowly. She knew well enough what she'd be getting into by dating him, so she would let him believe what he wanted. The side of him that was emotional she treasured with his logical sense of thinking, and that hadn't changed for her.
And so, they got to work while Kaseki was working on the plane outside, the sun starting to set. Senku, Sumi, and the others were surrounded by a huge tile-like map of trees, with a big blue line across it. Tetsuya, the manga artist, was drawing the very detailed diagram, finishing up on a tree.
"Whoa!" Taiju exclaimed at the big map. "Whatever board game this is looks epic! Are we gonna play this thing or what?"
There were even pieces made of Chrome, Kohaku, a mystery person, the plane, Gen, the mobile lab, the Perseus, and the cornfield. "Forming a strategy?" Matsukaze guessed correctly while joining Tsukasa's side.
"Yes. Before all else, we must establish where we are, and where the enemy is," Tsukasa answered the curious warrior.
"Alright! Profile me on what we're dealing with," Senku smirked a bit towards Sumi.
"Hmm," She rubbed her chin for a few seconds. "Just based on the phone call, Dr. Xeno is condescending, confident, and has no problem starting a fight. Seems to have a liking for the finer things because of his choice for the plant. But he is from America, so modern things aren't out of his reach either if he's the one who made the plane and machine gun. And he said he's an adult, so probably approaching 30 given his intellect level. But he does appreciate other people like him, yet lacks any sense of morality if he sent out that soldier. Control is his biggest drive," She narrowed her eyes knowingly.
"Bet you just appreciate his taste since you grew up with a popstar," Yo pointed out with a big pout.
"Ha! No," She remarked, crossing her arms. "I had access to that kinda stuff, but it was no means my own taste. All I needed back then was a good working space with all the equipment I needed. Besides, Mom was definitely not a stuffy person."
"Anyway," Senku held up the Perseus piece. "The first part is stupid easy. We're here," He marked where they were on the map, near all the way towards the end.
"Do we know the enemy's position?" Minami turned to Ukyo curiously as he took out two rulers.
"Roughly," He stepped up, planting the longer ruler over the Perseus piece. "We can calculate their direction and distance based on the angle and timing of Chrome's radio signal," He then placed down the Chrome and Kohaku pieces all the way across the board. "They're around here somewhere."
"Hmm..." Tsukasa slid the Gen, cornfield, and mystery person pieces above the other two. "That means our enemy isn't far from us."
"If Dr. Xeno was able to intercept the phone's frequency, then it would stand to assume correctly that Chrome and Kohaku are in close proximity of him," Sumi pointed out, crossing her arms.
"Yes, that makes perfect sense," Matsukaze murmured while staring at the board.
"Wait, hold on!" Ginro protested in fear, not wanting to die if he got close to a machine gun... "Have you forgotten that they know where we are too?! I vote we take the Perseus and flee for our lives while we can!"
"But we can't escape from their patrol planes..." Ukyo pointed out, staring at the map. "We're doomed if we set sail. We would lose our ability to access the land."
"Like I said, we'll keep the Perseus right where it is!" Ginro stated bravely, contradicting his previous statement. Senku, Sumi, Minami, Ukyo, and Kinro all looked at him in disbelief...and Sumi was this close to doing the same thing she did to Magma on Ginro earlier for just asking them to leave their friends behind.
"Hyoga," Tsukasa looked over his shoulder. "If you were the enemy...what would you do in Dr. Xeno's position?"
He took a few steps forward. "I would construct a pirate ship at once." Tetsuya held up a just finished piece of a pirate ship for placement. He held it out to Hyoga. "Assuming the man is a proper enemy, that is. But I don't doubt Sumire's profile of our enemy either. Knowing I had superior firepower, I would approach in a small, high-speed boat. And quickly claim victory," He tossed the piece onto the board, and it slid all the way over to the Perseus. It knocked the piece down, emphasizing that Dr. Xeno would very much take down their ship whenever he wanted to. "Such a large ship would have no chance to escape."
"Exactly. The same tactic pirates from our time once used," Tsukasa realized, earning a nod from agreement from Hyoga.
Taiju gave a big gulp as they looked towards him anxiously.
Hyoga then held up the scout plane piece. "The scout plane has already determined the precise location of the Perseus. I would also attack from the sky." It wouldn't be too difficult to assume Stanley would do so, since he flew down to attack while most of them were at the river. "No matter how capable we may be in close quarters combat..." He flipped the piece so that it landed over the Perseus one. "We can't fly."
Kinro and Ginro both gasped in alarm. "...They have complete control over the skies in this battle. We aren't going to win," Tsukasa stated after a few seconds, knowing that they had less ammo and even less machinery.
"Ha ha!" Ryusui snapped his fingers. Senku smirked as Sumi smiled, hands behind her back. "That's a fair point! There's only one way to take on a plane. In a dogfight! An aerial duel!"
Taiju looked up in alarm, the others staring in shock. "A...real dogfight?" Minami questioned slowly at their plan.
"Yeah," Senku looked up at her confidently. "It's construction time."
They first knocked down the mast, and it landed in the water with a huge crash. The men who knocked it down held up their axes with a yell. They then watched the parts sink into the water.
"We're turning the Perseus into an aircraft carrier!" Senku stepped up while gripping the platform. Ryusui was standing between him and Sumi.
"All hands, let's build this thing hella fast!" Both scientists declared to the crew with small smiles.
Some of the men were already taking apart the glass from the greenhouse. Taiju and Yo were cutting a huge piece of wood in half. The latter was exhausted when the other half fell to the ground. The mobile lab then brought back wood cut into six equal pieces. Senku, Sumi, and Ryusui looked at a huge blueprint for the aircraft carrier, talking out the design. Kinro and Ginro spun a big gear together, reminding the latter way too much of the generator back on Ishigami Village...
Suika sat on top of a big log that the two brothers were pulling up with the pulley. Minami walked up to the three captains, looking at the deck in awe. Most of the giant parts were already gone. "Wow...they're really building a runway on the ship's deck. Are you sure this is going to work?" Right now, all that had to be removed was the greenhouse. But still, it was hard to imagine a runway from a ship's deck.
"Ha! The plane we nabbed is ultra light," Ryusui explained to the reporter. "That means it only needs 20 meters to take off."
"Yup," Senku turned to him with a smirk. "And to make sure we stick the landing, we can grab it with a heavy wire. Just like a real aircraft carrier."
Ryusui had a mischievous look on his face... "That'll more than suffice! Gee, but I wonder who the pilot's gonna be!"
"We're gonna hardcore mod that sucker too!" Senku was on the same page as the ship captain. "It'll be stupid fast compared to building it from scratch!"
"That'll really show those bastards not to shoot at us with machine guns!" Sumi grinned devilishly, letting out a chuckle not too different from Senku's. "Can't wait to see the looks on their stupid smug faces when they found out we modded their own plane to use against them!"
"Look at those eyes!" Minami accused all three of them. "You're not even trying to hide it anymore! You three are just looking for an excuse to build a carrier!"
"Getting shot at is a justification, not an excuse! They did it to us, so we're just playing by their rules!" Sumi cackled out loud, causing Minami to back away in a bit of fear. "After all, they gave us the reason in the first place!" She wiggled her fingers while looking like a mad scientist...
Sumi is definitely letting her bias get to her judgment... Minami gave her a dismayed look that Sumi was on the same page as the two. She was already against guns to begin with, so the reporter thought that using a plane with weapons would've been in the same opinion...apparently not.
They continued to take apart and build while Ukyo assisted Kaseki with the plane. Yuzuriha was next to Senku and Sumi, building a wheel. "Since we'll be driving the plane on wooden planks, we'll start by switching out all the wheels for the good old bamboo variety." He and his girlfriend were cutting bamboo together.
"Leave it to me!" Yuzuriha smiled happily at being given work, working fast on the stitchwork.
"Whoohoo!" Kaseki cheered, looking over the wooden platform. "That's a lot of bamboo! You brought all of that from Japan?"
"Duh," Senku looked up at the craftsman. "Bamboo is Japan's truly OP material. It's the one advantage we have over these guys."
"It's comparable to steel, so it can withstand a lot of force," Sumi smiled up at the man. "It can even surpass steel, making it stronger than something like oak or maple. With these babies, you've got a lot of endurance! Plus, Sen and I aren't the types to not stock up," She looked back down at the bamboo.
"Good thinking!" Ukyo walked over to the edge. "There's no bamboo here in the US."
"Huh," Ryusui turned around to the plane. "So that's why they used the glass skis instead of lighter wheels. It's the best they could do..." He examined the landing gear.
"There's another reason," Senku looked up at him. "Those skis open up their landing options. Let 'em land even away from their runway," He chuckled at the design of the plane. "They thought of everything."
"When faced with a lack of materials, they used it as an opportunity to improvise. Ha ha ha! Nothing's better than a clever foe!" It did get Ryusui pumped up, that was for sure. "Like Dr. Xeno," He then gasped as something was...off.
"Hm?" Ukyo walked up, noticing his frown. "Ryusui? What's wrong?"
"It's just...everything he does is calculated. As a pilot myself, I recognized that scout plane's flight pattern. It was intimidating us. Letting us know there's no way to hide. Plain as day," He grinned up at the sky. "You should never question a sailor's instincts. They'll pin us down, and make sure we don't leave!"
"That's a good point now that he brought that up," Sumi blinked, looking up at the sky. "This guy is very meticulous. And the 19th century aspect does seem...a bit familiar to me...I don't know why," She murmured, wondering if there was something more to this Dr. Xeno than he was letting on...
Dr. Xeno walked up confidently. "They have no chance of escaping," He looked over to a smug Gen. "The scout plane I deployed made certain of that." Gen just let out a small chuckle since as a mentalist, he still had the opportunity to gain the upper hand...
Someone stomped over to them, gnawing on something. Gen flinched, looking up in confusion to see someone...much taller than Nikki, and looking to be much stronger too because of her muscled body. He gave her a bewildered look as she gnawed on a meat bone like an animal.
"So we'll hunt 'em down with the plane?" The woman wondered while still eating. "And once they're cornered, we'll go and beat 'em into submission?"
"No," Dr. Xeno gave a casual shrug, and didn't seem too bothered by her...lack of manners. "Those clever youths are too wary to be lured into a deadly chase. That tactic will guarantee that they stay rooted to the spot. Don't worry." The woman continued to eat while Gen did drop his smile. Just by her presence, he could already tell that the woman was the strongest person at the base...probably even stronger than Tsukasa, Kohaku, and Sumi combined. "I believe I've devised a solution that's suitably elegant for our new friends."
"Uh..." Gen could only stare, beads of sweat down his face.
Dr. Xeno looked up with a smirk. "We'll keep them pinned down right there and assassinate the enemy scientist."
"Uh!" Gen flinched in horror at what that meant, now much more scared than he was when they got shot at. "A-A-Assassinate...?" He didn't think they'd go to this point...
"According to this gentleman, Mr. Gen, they only have one genius scientist," He narrowed his eyes towards the window. "So it's simple. In order to bring down the fledging Kingdom of Science...all we have to do is eliminate that leader of theirs. Dr. Taiju..."
Gen kept his lips thin for a few seconds while trying not to panic, knowing that the Kingdom of Science was now in major trouble. And he kinda blamed himself for it. "That idea does sound completely illiant-bray, but how can you be certain you can really pull it off?"
Stanley lit a match for his cigarette, blowing out smoke. "We can do it."
"Huh?" Gen turned around to him with his mouth open. "Uh...how exactly?"
"I can do it," Stanley reiterated, not once changing his face.
Gen whimpered a little as Dr. Xeno approached him from behind. "Now, Mr. Gen. If Stan says he can do something...you have no reason to pry any further," He placed a clawed hand on top of Gen's head. "Understand?" He then tightened his hold on the mentalist. "It can be done."
Gen bowed his head apologetically, and thankfully, no one noticed. I'm so sorry about this...poor Taiju. He was so glad that he didn't mention Sumi, but at the same time, he ended up screwing over Taiju...
"Gen, Chrome, and Kohaku," Hyoga spoke up as they all stood in front of the map again. "If we abandon them, and forfeit the corn, then we can safely escape into the open seas."
"We don't leave our friends behind, okay?!" Taiju immediately protested after hearing this.
"Not to mention it's an endangerment. That soldier will shoot all of them if they find out we left. I'm not allowing that to happen on my watch," Sumi glared, crossing her arms. Taiju gestured to her wildly in agreement.
"Naturally, but the enemy doesn't know that about us. That's my whole point," Hyoga corrected himself, knowing that from Tsukasa's own words, Senku's weakness was sentimentality for his friends. So he didn't need to question whether or not Senku was on the same page as them.
"I think we can expect them to attack us without delay," Tsukasa stated to Taiju.
Senku let out a chuckle. "Well, if that's the situation...let's save them the trouble and launch our own attack before they can make their move."
"We'll deploy a special squad, and take the source of their science. Our goal is to capture Dr. Xeno," Tsukasa suggested to the two scientists.
"On that team..." Senku placed down a piece that showed ninja-like people. "Tsukasa, Hyoga, Ukyo...and also...Suika."
Suika yelped while pointing at herself wide-eyed.
"That okay with you?" Senku glanced over to his girlfriend.
"She'll be with two of our battle team members and our archer sonar operator, so I trust she'll be safe with them. And they know what I'll do if the opposite happens," She stared them all three down intensely, causing them to gulp silently. The woman then turned to Suika with a small smile. "Besides, since we don't have Kohaku right now, we have Great Detective Suika as their scout and investigation expert!"
She blinked as Sumi and Senku were both smiling at her. "I won't let you two down!" Suika gave them a salute, grinning at their unsaid, but known faith in her.
Neither side can move their base of operations. Nowhere left to run, barricaded by science...this should be a legit battle He thought while the woman stared at him in silence. There's a strong chance...that both sides have already figured out how to score a checkmate, and secure the win! Senku and Sumi placed down a piece to resemble the other side.
Stanley was in his gear, running through the forest with his machine gun ready. Suika bounced while Ukyo, Hyoga, and Tsukasa ran from the opposite side.
A Kingdom of Science versus a Kingdom of Science! It's a standoff! Gen realized as Dr. Xeno, Senku, and Sumi all grinned at the thought of the events taking place.