Genos continued through the dense forest toward Doctor Kuseno's Laboratory. Though there wasn't a single trail leading through the forest, he knew this environment better than anyone besides Doctor Kuseno himself. The towering trees and thick underbrush were no obstacle for him as his familiarity with the terrain allowed him to navigate effortlessly.
His trek here from Z-City had been far easier than expected. The gruesome scenes he'd witnessed no longer disturbed him as they once might have. In fact, he now understood that Caspian's training method had saved his life today. He couldn't quantify how much his willpower had grown, but he could sense a fundamental change within himself after defeating Gravitic Maiden. It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe, an enduring confidence, a bottomless resilience that had taken root deep within him.
Before leaving Z-City, he offered a few words to Mumen Rider, hoping to ease the hero's troubled mind. Though the gesture brought a flicker of comfort, it was apparent the man still carried the weight of failure as they loaded him into the Hero Association's hospital transport.
Genos continued forward until the familiar clearing came into view. The sight of Doctor Kuseno's laboratory always brought a smile to his face, and this time was no different.
As he neared the entrance, his 'Hyper Sensors' suddenly flashed in his eyes, alerting him to a presence approaching at an absurd speed. He spun to his left, gaze darting above the treeline. In less than a breath, a figure appeared overhead, the trees beneath them bending violently from the force of their arrival.
He frowned. What is she doing here?
Tatsumaki descended from the sky, her expression cold and arms crossed. "What did you do to my sister? I won't spare you if you caused her any harm."
Genos narrowed his eyes. "I have no idea what you're referring to. And I won't approve of you speaking nonsense to me, just like that ninja."
"You are asking for it!" Tatsumaki's aura flared.
Before Genos could respond, Tatsumaki raised a hand. The surrounding air tightened and an invisible force wrapped around his body as she attempted to lift him off the ground.
To his surprise, unlike the last time outside of the spaceship, his body lurched upward only a few feet off the ground.
"You! How can you be so heav—"
Both laboratory doors opened. "Big sis!"
¤ ¤ ¤
Caspian stepped through the hospital room's door, the scent of antiseptic thick in the air. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a pale glow on the sterile white walls. The room was quiet, almost unnervingly so, with no other patients occupying the space. Green curtains hung from metal rails separating each of the beds. Except for one at the farthest end of the room beside the open window, whose curtain was being tossed about by a cool breeze.
His crocs made the faintest squeak against the linoleum floor as he approached the lone occupant. The man in the hospital bed wasn't as injured as the news reports had suggested, with only bandages covering minor cuts and bruises.
"Hey, Mumen," Caspian said as he placed a plastic bag he had been carrying on the small table to the left of the bed. "I wasn't sure what you liked best, so I bought several different types of fruit."
Mumen, seated upright and looking out the window, turned his head and faintly smiled. "I didn't expect anyone to pay me a visit. But I'm glad, Caspian. Thank you."
The atmosphere surrounding him felt deflated, defeated, dismal. Wholly different from when Caspian first met Mumen Rider when he was going up against Great Lord White.
With his willpower and spirit, and yet he's like this. Who am I kidding? I…
"I'm happy to see you in one piece. How are you holding up?" Caspian asked as he grabbed a nearby chair and sat down.
Mumen Rider exhaled and looked back out the window. "I don't know anymore. My justice… no, my weakness cost the lives of many today. How can others depend on me from now on? I worry this will happen again. So many young families lying there in that intersection… I… I…"
"I can't relate to what you're going through right now and I don't have a grand speech to lift you from your current state.
But I ask you here and now. Do you wish to give up being a hero, or do you wish to grow stronger and forge ahead?"
The veins on Mumen's neck expanded as he ground his teeth. "Of course I wish to grow stronger! To make up for my dishonorable failure today. But you don't think I've tried to grow stronger? I try and I try, but my strength doesn't increase." Mumen glanced back at Caspian, a determined expression on his face.
The atmosphere around him shifted closer to how it had been the last time they met.
Caspian couldn't provide anything concrete to Mumen Rider right now, so he decided against mentioning anything too specific.
"It's up to you, Mumen. In my opinion, this is a moment in your hero career that you should persevere through and use as an opportunity to grow stronger. Remember, there are other types of strength besides physical."
Mumen studied Caspian before saying, "I wasn't able to notice it before, but you don't look so good yourself. With your strength, it couldn't have been a defeat like mine. Are you okay?"
Caspian's eyes widened slightly. "Hah, you're perceptive. No, it wasn't that type of defeat. You know, it's easy to get caught up in one's own head…"
"I do know that…"
"Here…" Wanting to lighten the mood, Caspian reached over and pulled out a couple of pieces of fruit from the bag, tossing one to Mumen. "…have a banana."
Caspian continued, not giving Mumen a chance to respond. "I'm hosting a game night at my friend's place soon. You should come."
You're hosting at your friend's place…?" Mumen tilted his head before nodding. "That sounds like a pleasant change of pace. Count me in."
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