Chapter Text
The new Perseus making its way to America was fine, the corn trap was fine, what wasn’t was an interrogation for two self proclaimed ‘dads’ to be scavenging for their son. Gen was already taken hostage but now their captain was in the same position.
“Mr. Nanami, if I’m right you’re from the Nanami family in Japan?”
“Ha Ha! Of course I am! I’m here representing the Nanami conglomerate after 3,700 years!”
Despite Ryusui’s optimistic tone, here he was strapped to buckets with hands and feet dangling in salt water. The military blonde guy sat in the back with a hand resonating on the person now known as Dr. Xeno. He was exchanging between vials, conical flasks and tongs, all in an unlit castle built of polished gleaming silver.
– –
The gashes of blinding light coming from the formidable scientist's nails dug through Ryusui’s boisterous aura, pulling back the curtains to reveal a spread of sensors made to detect heart rate and miscellaneous measures. His eyes narrowed, locking onto him with grey dead eyes and oddly luscious white hair that could combat his own flaxen golden hair. The natural light only spotlighted his rigged pattern choices of clothing, x’s locking all around his coat as a zipper and one dark ‘x’ for a petrification mark instead of the usual swirl or occasional blue lining. Maya sat in the back as a precaution against the man, staring at something on the side that so happened to be in the same line of sight as Ryusui.
“Perhaps I should start with the man who has the peculiar habit of inhaling obnoxious gas for fun.”
“Drop it already, you know it’s just tobacco.”
“That’s Stanley Snyder, former soldier… actually still a soldier, in my employ.” The ‘x’ man continued on his strangely lighthearted banter that seemed to be bordering on a rude remark at some point. Everything about Stanley was controlled by smoking, from his deep purple lips to his brazen attitude. He had a proud stance with shoulders high and a cigarette lurching out of his mouth that wasn’t even lit for god knows why. Did he just enjoy chewing on it like a middle schooler chewing on their pencil to leave bite marks? Stanley’s cocky head tilted at the synopsis of his life and praise from the old looking man told his sailor’s instincts that these people… were homos…
And this was a public kinky praise ordeal happening right in front of him.
“And I am Doctor Xeno. Now, tell me who you are and where you’re from…”
The polygraph kept reading every detail about him, his somewhat nervous expressions came to surface just from the advanced technology, the only leverage the Kingdom of Science has had between foes from treasure island and the tales of the stone wars against Shishio Tsukasa, the strongest primate highschooler. All he was given was a blank stare from Dr. Xeno before he took his chance to start rambling about his family and goal to revive civilization so he could start what the Nanami conglomerate never finished, raking in every last cent, or raising their children properly, who knows? Through the arm on his neck and his dangerously close nails looking like they were ready to pierce him through his chest. A small shiver ran down his spine at that thought, like he had been shot before in a fatal battle against these men. Between his blabbering, he only had to say one name before his fate was sealed by this scientist and pilot “Senku Ishigami.”
“I desired the boat before I was even told the plans for the Perseus since our leader, Senku, is a man to be desired for! And he made the design!” His radiant voice kept going on till he noticed both of their faces, horror. They both in tandem reached out to pull or tug against him, opting for his hair in swift motions. Only Maya stayed unimpressed by the two, tugging at a random piece of fabric, longing for her old dapper suit.
“Senku Ishigami you say?”
Stanley reached back out to grab more hair from his already burning scalp and ridden cap, a look of mischief in his eyes and a spread out smile at the new information collected by scaring their newest guest. “Of course! I’m assuming you have connections with him, I never knew he was a man like me, knowing people from South America. And I thought I knew everything about him, all my sailor's instincts missed is that he would be afraid of announcing I was his boyfriend! A man of desire should always make everyone sure of what’s off… limits.” For the last few words, his voice thinned out after reading the room that Dr. Xeno and Stanley Snyder hated him.
All they gave was furrowed eyebrows and a small shared glance which conversed a million words between each other, all with the same outcome of “I will kill this man.” Their breathing both turned visibly exaggerated as if they were trying to hold something in and they both gripped their palms, with the exception of the hand on Xeno only being a firm grasp to not bruise him. The constant pumping of gas only made the situation more awkward with their intense gaze fixated against him and small birds in the background trying to filter out the moment from their memory.
“Boyfriend?”
Announced Xeno with a thread of curiosity.
“Stan, put him down.”
Before Ryusui could even process that he was being practically lifted up to be strangled, Xeno sensed that he would take that course of action.
“Yeah, sure and you’re going to let off some rich corporate guy dating him? Just look at him, I saw his skills when he was flying. Sure impressive, but not enough for Senku.”
Not enough for Senku? How infact did Senku know a military man and some ex nasa employee specialising in rockets, exactly what the Kingdom of Science needed. Based on their sternness, they had to be personally involved if they were worried about who he was dating. Couldn’t be his dad, from what he knows he’s… well dead. He could only reminisce to Ryusui about what Byakuya was like, his gentle reassurance and unbothered nature about Senku’s habits and interests at the time. He even fueled his own love for science when he led him to start wondering strange questions. He wished to understand what belonged in the stars and why some materials when broken changed colour while others stayed the same. He remembers, remembers the exact small park that he went to with him for a walk when he questioned him about certain reactions. He wished to further advance his studies to start a life of enrichment, he wished to go to the moon with him.
His sailor instincts told him multiple egregious options.
Were they the gay uncles? Or were they in a polyamorous relationship with Byakuya and had just become overprotective of him?
“Well he hasn’t even tried to acknowledge us as his dads, but he’s found himself a boyfriend after the petrification. He’s a pilot like you, I find it rather elegant of this juxtaposition and alikeness between us. He’s got the passion that you had for guns, except this time it’s on everything in his vicinity.”
Ryusui shuffled against the water buckets, creating ripples circling his hands as they started to wrinkle, hoping the pair would get the hint. Only Stanley turned his eyes to keep watch of his actions, analysing him to torture a response out of him about why he was his boyfriend. That’s all he could pick up with Xeno’s back twisted against him out of sheer love or repulsion against him. With two fingers crossing in a diagonal pattern, his merciless calculations started reeling in his head, using pure logic to deduce that his son was on the ship. And this man was simply playing him to expand his vast greedy desires to tangible sights.
“Is that meant to make it any better? We have his boyfriend here in saltwater buckets-”
At least that meant one person worried about him in this state, if these people are close to him… Wouldn’t it be best to get to know them? A small smile crept onto Ryusui’s face in an attempt to look presentable in front of the people who either hated or loved him. Even after these efforts, he only got a deeper scowl in return from the old man.
“And we haven’t gone looking for Senku himself! I know you thought about it, but I’m getting on that boat now.”
– –
Stanley casually walked through the forest, the damp soil ruining his focus looking for gravity defying hair. Following Xeno’s directions, he located where they would most logically stay at. A small protruding ledge on the side of the river they had been following was the best to stay at, knowing Senku would try that option. Between the greenery sat light green hair with an insane amount of cowlicks in a ridden beige tunic with E=mc² made in dried blood. Wow, and he thought Xeno was the first to go insane.
He leaped between trees as steps and boarded the boat in the most chunky uniform ever with indescribable rotting material dangling beneath him as useless camouflage. With Senku having his back turned against him and everyone else busy, it was only imminent that he was spotted. “Hey kid.”
Senku wounded his body as fast as he could to see what monster was behind him once more, his ears couldn’t betray him. Someone able to evade Ukyo’s ears was already a threat, but the simple call told him everything. He was only met with a black uniform and armor till he bobbed his head up to see a cigarette in his mouth and blonde hair. Stanley.
“You know I saw your boyfriend earlier in the plane you stole, took him in after the magician and it seems there are a few things you’ve been hiding from us.”
The unfamiliar voice suddenly caught Ukyo’s attention after dismissing the irregularly heavy footsteps to Tsukasa’s random outburst. He jumped off of his post and down to wherever his ears dragged him, belting to meet the stranger as he exclaimed for Tsukasa and other fighters to get prepared against a possibly dangerous person. “I didn’t sense any bloodlust, I don’t doubt your ears but I doubt this person has bad intentions.” remarked Tsukasa, continuing to dash forward with Ukyo. “Even so, it could be a spy that needs to be neutralised.”
As they finally caught up to the edge of the ship, the armour they had fought before greeted them with a sly smirk and Senku giving the nastiest stare to him. “What exactly do you want, if you’re here then so is Xeno and his beef ball looking hair.” Senku lowered his head down to evaluate him, sticking up a finger to mark his words and pronouncing his signature grin, “I have not a millimetre of interest in seeing him or for matter of fact you two grinding against each other like horny rabbits who don’t know when to stop. This isn’t some A/B/O dynamic doujinshi, ask our manga guy to make it for you if you’re that desperate.” The fighters just watched in curiosity as he continued bashing the enemy, Tsukasa and Hyoga turned their heads in sync with widened eyes. They were both seeing their past enemy fighting stubbornly with their newest enemy. Even after they were both locked up in their perspective cages, a freezer and kennel, their time fighting with and against each other meant they could pick up hints.
“No, Xeno wants to see you so you're going too, you can carry along your team, not my problem though.”
His cigarette looked almost ready to fall out as he was talking, “yeah no, he’s probably got some sedative or lacquer to shoot at me. In what way did he think I would simply just go with you? You did jack shit when I was growing up. I could've been doing my experiments on the days we went to a shooting range or your version of waterboarding for family bonding. Just because old man was trying to become an astronaut doesn’t make me available every second .” With now the entire crew’s attention on Stanley and Senku after the tension became palpable from the cabins. Everyone looked around in uneasy coordination hoping someone would understand what was happening. Not even Taiju recognised the man in his jumbled English.
“He knew you weren’t coming so easily, look behind me.”
Calculated footsteps dragged painfully long against the board and a mess of grey hair stormed in, following onto the main deck to make an exaggerated entrance with shining claws mimicking birds of prey.