How To Speak Again

By: AtomicKokoro

Storyline

Shinra seeks the aid of Masaomi and Saki once again. The only problem is that they forgot how to speak Japanese! Izaya and Shinra's lives are on the line, and a language barrier just might destroy everything!

…

Before You Read

Last chapter, Shinra got shot, Izaya found that out, and Saki and Masaomi can't speak Japanese anymore.

On with the story.

…

Chapter 2

How To Run Away

The sky had cleared. There was a full moon in the sky. It leaked in through the window on his peaceful face. Celty really couldn't believe what was before her, but it was true. Shinra had been shot and their apartment torn apart. What had happened?

There was a small sound by the door. Celty thought it was the nurse. She was wrong. "I know who did this."

Celty jumped up and stepped back in slow recognition of the voice. At first, it was too dark to know who it was until the moving moon slowly revealed him. Izaya, she wrote. What are you doing here?

Izaya put his hands in his pocket. He wasn't his usual smug self. He wasn't here for games. Celty knew that Izaya and Shinra had been long time friends. Even if she absolutely hated Izaya's guts, Shinra didn't, and Celty wasn't really ready to kill one of, one of, Shinra's only friends. "Because I don't think he told you everything."

What do you mean? She meant exactly what she said.

"The Robot Association. Did he tell you about that?" Celty made no response. Izaya continued. "They are trying to kill him. I'm sure you remember a job about three years back, don't you?" He walked up to Shinra and looked down at him. He looked so different without his glasses. "The one Yoshida Kanate sent you on. Shinra said he was caught, that he messed up. You said it was okay and you moved to Ikebukuro together."

Celty knew what he was talking about. What she thought by, "I got caught" was that he had accidentally talked to the wrong person, said the wrong things, and they threw him out. She didn't realize that he had actually seen something he shouldn't have, but, then again, what else was she expecting? Their goal, after all, was to work there until further notice.

"He saw the project," Izaya said, snapping her from her thoughts. "They were creating a robot, a war mechanism, a machine to destroy anyone that messed with Japan. He saw it, and they are trying to kill them. Three years ago, I destroyed the Robot Association, but that only kept them down temporarily. I told them Shinra was dead, and they believed me. I just wish I knew how they found out."

Celty hadn't moved very far. Izaya's glaze hadn't torn from Shinra yet, but, when it did, he said this; "They are going to try to kill me, too, because they think I've betrayed them." Celty began to type on her PDA, when Izaya stopped her and continued on for one more sentence, as if he knew what she was going to say. "Shinra-kun and I are going to leave Ikebukuro."

Shinra-kun? Could this day get any weirder? Where are you guys going to go? She had to know. I'll come with you.

"You can't," Izaya said, turning to her fully after a moment. "I need you to do something here." Celty shifted uncomfortably. "Those guys who shot Shinra will still be looking for him here in Ikebukuro. You have to keep them from finding out we left. Namie will help you. I've already asked her."

Izaya's tone was serious. Why did he care so much? Why couldn't he kill these guys? There were too many questions Celty had to ask and half of them she knew she wouldn't get an answer. Izaya turned and started for the door. When he rested his hand on the handle, he glanced over his shoulder at her, but only a bit. "When he wakes up, tell me. We have to leave before they come here and kill him."

…

His eyes shot open. Everything was a blur. A still blur. Shinra couldn't see very well without his glasses. Slowly, he leaned up and felt his head. His leg flared in pain and Shinra flinched. "What happened?" he whispered, slowly recalling everything that had happened.

Shinra had been shot while running away from two men dressed in black. He was shocked that only one out of the eighteen bullets shot had hit him, but it was still painful and he couldn't move. He cursed and lifted the blanket off his injury and examined it. The wound was just on the outside, but the bullet had probably embedded itself deeply. It required a bit of surgery to get it out, and it had obviously been successful.

Blood stained the bandage and Shinra wasn't sure if he had stopped bleeding or not. He could imagine stitches, but it didn't feel like it. Maybe they only came if it never stopped bleeding. The way he did things and the way the hospital did things were different, but only procedural-wise. One would think being and underground doctor would cause some commotion, but it didn't. Shinra wondered why.

The door opened and drew his attention when someone stepped in. Shinra couldn't tell who it was, but they were dressed in white and he could only assume it was a nurse or a doctor. He glanced around his bed until he spotted the nightstand and a blue of black he guessed were his glasses. He picked them up and attempted to put it on, only to learn they weren't glasses but some kind of black tube.

With a defeated huff, he placed it back on the table and continued his futile search for his glasses. "I'm glad to see you are awake," the doctor said, watching Shinra look around for his glasses and failing at it. "How do you feel?"

Shinra glanced up and smiled. "Fine," he said, summing everything up, not including his leg. Then, glancing at the ceiling then at all the walls, he asked, "Where am I? What time is it?"

The doctor lowered his clipboard. "Ikebukuro Hospital," he replied. "It's about seven in the morning." Seven? It seemed really late for seven. "You've been unconscious for two days."

"Whoa! Really?" Shinra gasped, staring at the blur called a doctor. "Damn."

At that moment, the door opened again, and someone else stepped in. This blur was entirely black. "Celty?" There was some clicking and the white blur left. The black blur walked up to Shinra, typed something and all he saw was a yellow screen and more black blurs. "I can't read without my glasses, Celty."

There was some clinking and something was shoved in his hand. He fiddled with it and realized it was his glasses. He quickly put them on and read what was on the yellow screen. You're awake. How do you feel?

Shinra blinked, adjusting to the newly given sight. "Fine," he said with a flirty smile. "now that you're here."

Smoke rushed out from underneath her helmet. Don't be stupid, she hissed. You scared me! How's your leg?

"Fine," he said again, this time pouting she simply couldn't accept the compliment, if she knew it was a compliment. "Sorry for scaring you."

It's fine, she said. Shinra wondered if she purposely chose the word fine just because he had said it so many times. There was a silence, as if Celty was gathering up courage, which Shinra could tell. Slowly, she started typing. Look, Shinra, Izaya-san visited us last night. Shinra blinked. They both came to see him? He said both of you have to leave Ikebukuro. The guys from Robot Association from three years ago are trying to kill you.

Shinra flinched and went rigid in shock. They knew he was alive? And they were trying to kill Izaya? What? How? He's on his way right now. Both you and him are leaving when he gets here. I have to stay behind and make sure they don't find out you left.

"But Celty," Shinra whined. "I can't be away from you for the slightest!"

This isn't a game, Shinra! Celty snapped. Almost instantly, Shinra saw the situation from a whole other perspective; Celty's. This is a matter of life and death. You'll only be gone for a few weeks, okay? You're going to Tokyo with Izaya to destroy the Robot Association, once and for all.

Shinra stared at the message. "I..." He swallowed hard. "I can't."

What? What do you mean you can't?

"I'm not a fighter, Celty," Shinra explained, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "I'm not like you, or Izaya, or Anri, or Masaomi, or Shizuo. I'm not that strong." There was a silence and Shinra drew his eyes away from her. "I'm sorry."

He wasn't expecting anything, but he was suddenly embraced from the side. He blinked and looked at her. He wasn't sure if she could read his expression, her helmet awkwardly big for a hug, so he removed it and held her closer. "Thank you," he whispered.

Celty just moved closer. Shinra smiled and buried himself into the cloth of her suit.

…

The day was warm. It was a beautiful day. Unfortunately, Masaomi had to work. He needed a job to pay for the rent and for food and Saki had been dreaming of going to a culinary arts school. He promised to save up for it.

But, there wasn't quite yet enough and Saki was alone for the day. She had decided to occupy herself with shoe shopping and sight seeing. There was a lot to see in Paris, yet. One of the first places she had seen, though, was the Eiffel Tower. She and Masaomi spent the whole night looking up at the stars. It was certainly one of her favorite moments.

She giggled and started across the street. It was such a beautiful night. So clear. They watched the sun rise and set. Saki had previously packed some things to eat and drink and practically had a picnic. They had spent so much time together, Masaomi telling her times of when he and Mikado were little and how they would play in his father's barn since they lived out in the country.

Saki had to admit, Masaomi was very "city boy" for someone who grew up in the country. Mikado, too, had adjusted quickly. Saki frowned. Mikado. How on Earth did she end up cheating on Masaomi with his best friend? She shook her head and paused. It didn't matter anymore.

"He, attention!" someone yelled. Saki glanced up and looked around before she was nearly blinded by bright lights and deafened by a horn. She spun around and stumbled. Damn! A truck? She screamed and stumbled backward, her balance failing her for a moment when some unknown force dragged her out of the path of the oncoming vehicle.

The truck whizzed by and continued on it's way, leaving the girl and her unknown hero on the ground. Saki pushed herself to her hands and knees and rubbed her pounding head. Very slowly, road rashes burned on her palms and knees. "Etes-vous d'accord?"

She turned to the voice and blinked at the sight of a young man smiling at her. His right cheek was burned from the road, but he was smiling, so he wasn't in too much pain. "Oui, merci," Saki replied. It took her a moment to realize his arm was still around her waist. She chuckled nervously and let his arm down before standing up.

The man stood up, too, and brushed himself off. "J'aim appele Jacques-Francis," he introduced.

Saki smiled. "J'aim appele Saki," she giggled.

…

After Notes

Who is Jacques-Francis? What is he after? What will happen to Izaya and Shinra? What will Celty do? So many questions! So little answers! So much time!

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