Serotonin {Senku x Reader}

Part 5 - The Lion's Wrath

After Tsukasa's odd encounter with Senku, Y/n could feel the tension every time those two were near each other. In fact, when she had gotten back to the camp, hobbling on her crutches, she took Val and— though she would've like to hide her underground, she was still injured, so hard physical labor wasn't an option. She settled for hiding her in some bushes, covering her with vines. It wasn't ideal, but it would keep her safe, just in case.

A few weeks passed, and Tsukasa didn't do anything that seemed intimidating again. Y/n finally healed, and with Senku's approval, she was free to run on both her legs again. It was a huge relief for her, because not only was she rendered completely useless, she was also still wary of Tsukasa, regardless of what he had said to her. 

Then, one day, while Taiju was off collecting sea shells, the remaining three stood in the water. Y/n was in a good mood, beaches were her favorite place to be. Sitting under an umbrella with a blanket and some sandwiches made the ideal place to read. Tsukasa looked at the endless horizon of the ocean, and snapped out of her trace, moved closer to Senku, ready to fight if she had to, though she knew she didn't stand a chance. 

"This stone world... is freedom." Tsukasa said, smiling. He picked up a shell, "these shells were never anyone's property. Not the seas's, not the earth's..."

Y/n started at Tsukasa. What was he trying to say? He continued, turning to a statue of a man who looked to be in his forties, his face frozen in a twisted horror of the unknown.

"Long ago, a poor young boy... thought he'd make a necklace of seashells for his sister, who was going through surgery. She loved mermaids. That's when a middle aged man, much like this one you see here, walked over to him. He reeked of alcohol. When he saw the the boy who had collected those shells, He claimed the boy had stolen them, and beat his face until it was unrecognizable. In the end, he wasn't able to give them to his sister. He couldn't let her be that mermaid..."

Y/n looked at him with sympathy, the first time she had done so since he was revived. She understood. She walked closer to Tsukasa, forgetting the imminent threat that this man was. Before she could say anything, Senku pulled her back towards him as stone shards flew. That sympathy disintegrated as she saw with horror the statue's head laying right in front of her feet.

Tsukasa had crushed it with his bare hands. Senku let go of Y/n, looking at Tsukasa, the least shocked expression Y/n had ever seen. 

"I'm sure you know damn well Tsukasa," he said quietly, "That you just murdered a human being."

Tsukasa turned towards Senku and Y/n. His eyes, like that same first odd encounter, like the first time she saw him, and the time after, were dark and full of malice. He looked intimidating, even though he was still several meters away from the two of them. Y/n drew her knife. It was useless to keep it hidden, since he already knew.

"Of course I know. Senku, do you plan to save every person on this earth... all the way to those old rotten ones?"

 He took a step towards them. Y/n began to sweat. This man could kill her if he wanted to.

"I'm sure they'll be grateful inside, and if we bring civilization back, they'll surely be thankful!" 

He took another step. She could be dead in an instant as soon as that was his desire. As soon as she didn't comply. She felt helpless.

"'That was our land,' 'Give us rent, pay us taxes!' They'll come back and try to prey on the young... and I won't let them do that." 

He took another step, the insanity in his tone was rising. She needed to play along with this sick game he was playing: it was the only way to guarantee her survival.