CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10: GROUND TACTICS

CHANGED WOMAN.

That was what became of the pragmatist. Incredibly changed.

"Hey Magma, just wanna let you know," She patted Magma's back and then smiled at him. Magma was visibly disturbed. "...You matter."

"Did you eat something spoiled?" Magma looked unconvinced. He's just used to him and her bantering over the smallest things and she acts weird. 

Oh, come now. "I just went through the most traumatic thing in my life! I just got blown out by a fucking hurricane! Have some pity!" She then proceeded to lay on a hammock dramatically. "I need to recuperate, staff hazard pay."

Kohaku looked at Senku when Gen spoke. "Is it me or I just don't feel that's the reason why she's being dramatic." Gen shook his head and laughed. "Don't worry, she's just being lazy."

"Does being in a hot-air balloon change people?" Suika walked towards Senku, and yet he just grinned, ruffling Suika's hair. "It does. Now go comfort your favorite sister."

Suika, being the incredible girl that she is, went to Rika.

"Aww, Suika! Are you here to make my day? Let's go cuddle!"

Suika laughed and allowed herself to be enveloped in Rika's overly dramatic embrace. The older girl scooped Suika into her arms and twirled her around before collapsing back onto the hammock with a theatrical groan.

Rika adjusted her position on the hammock, balancing Suika like a tiny backpack clinging to her. "You know, Suika, I've decided—if I ever write a memoir, this experience will be the chapter titled, 'Blown Away by Trauma, Not Just Wind.'"

Suika giggled, kicking her legs. "But you didn't even get blown away!"

"Yeah!" Chrome butted in and agreed with Suika, gently poking her in the side. "You're fine. You didn't even fly out of the basket!"

"I DID!" She yelled.

"Details, details!" Chrome waved his hand dismissively.

The corner of her mouth twitched as if offended by what she heard. "It's the 'trauma' of it all!. The 'existential dread!' Imagine, your life in the hands of physics!"

Senku snorted at the remark, arms crossed. "Physics is the reason you're alive right now, you drama queen." He smiles unconsciously at the side of Rika he's seeing. It's quite cute.

He then shook his head a bit. "If I hadn't calculated the wind vectors perfectly, you'd still be up there, drifting into the stratosphere."

Rika sat up slightly, her hammock wobbling precariously. She pointed an accusatory finger at Senku. "And I 'thank' you for that, oh benevolent one!" She rolled her eyes at him as her cutesy and kind act faded away like the stubborn booger in Yo's cheek. "But maybe next time, include a parachute or something to make it a little less harrowing, huh?"

Yeah, like who would plan an aerial expedition without a parachute on back-up? Rika is a fool, completely forgetting that crucial part of safety for crying out loud! Her license as a professional must be taken away!

"And there goes away her changed woman act." Niki giggled with Ruri, fondly looking at the pouting girl whose being targeted by teases. 

"Parachutes are a waste of materials when the balloon's design is flawless," Yo's replied, smirking, just trying to have a say in the conversation.

"You're flawless, like your brain." Rika muttered under her breath, earning a laugh from Gen, who had been quietly observing the exchange. She glared at him for that.

"Ah, Rika," Gen chimed in, holding a hand to his chest in mock sympathy. "Your transformation is inspiring. From pragmatic cynic to... melodramatic damsel. Truly, a character arc for the ages."

Rika narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't suppress a small grin. "Don't push your luck, illusionist. I might just transform back and make your life miserable again."

"It's mentalist!" Gen blushed in embarrassment. 

Magma, still observing from a distance, shook his head in disbelief. "Changed woman, huh? Or maybe just extra weird."

Kohaku, standing beside him, smirked. "Maybe. But weird seems to suit her." And for a moment, amidst the laughter and teasing, it seemed like even the hurricane couldn't shake the bonds they shared.

Magma rolled his eyes so hard it looked like he might sprain something. "Yeah, yeah, you're so 'devastated' you've been laying on that hammock all day. Why don't you do some actual work for once?"

Rika shot him a smug grin. "Work? I just survived a life-altering disaster. This is work, Magma. It's called restorative self-care. Maybe you should try it sometime—oh wait, you already do. You've been doing the same bench-press log for weeks now."

"Owww! Burn." Ukyo can't help commenting.

Magma grumbled, crossing his arms. "Better than flopping around like a useless fish."

Excuse me?

"Careful, Magma," Gen chimed in, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "If Rika ever does decide to get off that hammock, she might 'accidentally' drop some hard truths on you. And, as we all know, the truth is heavier than your little logs."

The group chuckled, Magma's scowl deepening. "At least I don't talk in circles like you do, Gen. Rika's not the only one full of hot air around here."

"Bold of you to come for both of us," Rika interjected, pointing at him while still cradling Suika. It's not like she's joining hands with the yin-yang-haired man but she ain't trying to let Magma bully the shit outta her. 

"Do you want this to turn into a roast?" She taunted him. "Because I'm ready. I've got marshmallows and everything."

Senku, leaning against the frame of the balloon, finally decided to chime in. "If you're roasting marshmallows, Rika, just make sure they're actually edible. Last time, your culinary experiment nearly took out the team."

Rika staggered while everyone was stunned. Buch of oohs and aahs and even giggles were heard around them. Deym, now that's a good roast. 

Rika, for once was speechless. No comebacks to fight on. Literal K.O, ON.THE.SPOT!

"Excuse me, Chef Science," Rika shot back, still feeling embarrassed as she put her hand on her waist. "I was innovating! You act as if you can cook! I try to be better!"

"I never claimed to be good at it, I just don't try at all," Senku admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and then proceeded to laugh.

Suika giggled and tugged at Rika's hair lightly. "Sis, you're so silly! You make everything fun!" "And that," Rika declared dramatically, standing with Suika perched like a victorious koala, "is why I'm your favorite sister."

From the side, Kohaku laughed and shook her head. "Favorite, huh? Let's not get carried away." Rika stuck out her tongue at her. "Jealous much? Don't worry, Kohaku. There's plenty of me to go around."

The group dissolved into laughter, the playful jabs flying as easily as the breeze. Even Magma cracked a small smile, though he muttered something about "weirdos" under his breath. For all their teasing and antics, the warmth in their bond was undeniable—and the chaotic harmony of it all was exactly what made it home. 

The laughter eventually gave way to focused work as the group gathered around the campfire, tools, and materials sprawled out before them. The hot-air balloon expedition had been a success, with Rika's dramatics only a minor side plot. 

They now had sketches and notes detailing the newly surveyed landscape, ready to be consolidated into the map.

Senku spread out a large blank canvas on the ground, holding it down with rocks at the corners. "All right, team. Let's turn these chicken-scratch notes into something useful!"

Kohaku knelt beside him, pointing to the rough sketches. "We've got the mountain ranges here and the rivers snaking through the valley, but the cliffs on the north side looked steeper than what we marked."

Gen, who had taken the liberty of claiming a seat closest to the fire, raised a hand lazily. "You know, it's almost as if risking your lives up there in the balloon was worth it. Who would've thought?"

"Don't push it, Gen," Kohaku warned, though she smirked, defending her best friend from Gen. "By the way, did you see any oil lands?"

Senku shook his head. "Negative, we still have to look for one. Japan lands are rich in oil reserves, we just have to locate one."

Rika, now sitting upright handed over a sheet of paper. "Here's my contribution. I mapped out all the weirdly shaped rocks I saw. Some of them look like animals." 

She jokingly pointed at one. "That one over there? Totally a giant chicken."

Senku gave her a flat look, though he took the paper. "Great. I'll make sure to label the 'Chicken Rocks' for posterity."

"Yes!" Rika fist-pumped. "Future generations will thank me."

"Eww stop flirting." Ryusui butted in and Rika glared at him while Senku looked disturbed. "No, we're not." The two said at the same time.

Yo butted in and laughs. "Yes you were, I saw your butt twitch." This man annoys the hell out of Rika today. "How is that related, you perv!" Rika annoyingly glared at him as she whispered. "Eat my shit."

Thankfully, Suika was quite far away from Rika. The little cutie pie tugged on Senku's shirt. "And I saw a heart-shaped pond! Can we put that on the map too?"

"Heart Pond?" Senku's lips twitched in amusement. "Sure, why not? It's not like it'll confuse anyone."

While Rika and Suika shared a triumphant long-distance high-five, Magma stood with his arms crossed, watching the activity with a skeptical expression. "This better be worth it. We spent all day flying around for a piece of paper."

"It's more than a piece of paper," Senku said, rolling his eyes. "With this map, we can chart safer routes, locate resources, and—oh, I don't know—NOT DIE wandering into uncharted territory."

"Besides," Gen added with a smirk, "it's also a great excuse to draw things like Chicken Rocks."

Rika looked at Gen and smiled lovingly, as if sinister. "Would you like to see a Gen Rock? The rock where your face is gonna be imprinted on, when I smash it directly to you?"

As the team worked together, the map began to take shape Ryusui and Chrome added their detailed observations, Gen suggested more imaginative labels for landmarks ("The Lonely Tree" made the cut, thanks to him), and Rika insisted on sketching little icons for the ponds and cliffs. Even Magma, grumbling all the while, ended up marking some of the denser forested areas he'd recognized from earlier scouting trips.

Finally, after hours of collaboration, the map lay complete before them. Senku leaned back, crossing his arms with a satisfied grin. "There it is. The first real map of our new world. Not bad, huh?"

Kohaku nodded, her expression softening. "It's amazing. Knowing where everything is... makes this place feel less dangerous. More like home."

Rika flopped onto the ground beside the map, dramatically wiping imaginary sweat from her brow. "And all it took was a little life-or-death adventure. You're welcome, everyone."

"Don't forget the Chicken Rocks," Gen teased.

"Stop with the Chicken Rocks, I swear to god!" Rika retorted, glaring at him. He just can't let it go, huh?

As the group admired their work, the weight of what they'd accomplished settled over them. The map was more than just a tool, it was a symbol of how far they'd come and a promise of all the adventures yet to unfold.

"Hey," Suika piped up, beaming, "we're really doing it. We're making the world better!"

"Yeah," Senku said quietly, his gaze fixed on the map. "One step at a time."

"The Chicken Rocks!" Gen reminded Senku.

"STOP!"

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Unedited.