Dinner was a nightmare for Yuma. He couldn't even focus on his favorite dish, pizza. The pink and black-haired boy was just staring at his plate. Yuma normally tore through it, leaving only two or three pieces left. He'd only eaten two or three pieces, and Kari had an eyebrow raised toward her brother. She didn't pay too much attention, however, and neither did Haru.

"Yuma? Do you feel okay? You've barely touched the food." Kari asked, staring at her little brother. Yuma just looked up and smiled.

"I'm fine, trust me."

"Alright." As Kari said this, Yuma went back to thinking.

How am I going to free Shark? Yuma thought. I can't go now... Wait! Duh! I can sneak out tonight, and grandma and Kari will never know! All I gotta do is take some stuff with me. Yeah, it'll be perfect. So that was the plan. Yuma would sneak out.

"I'm going to bed." Yuma jumped from his chair. Now his grandmother was confused.

"This early? You never do that!"

"I'm really tired!" was all Yuma yelled as he bolted up the stairs.

XxXxXxXx

Yuma jolted up. It was eleven at night. Time for his plan to go into motion. The pink and black-haired boy hopped down the stairs quietly, quickly walked to the fridge, and began to raid it. He grabbed all sorts of things; pickles, candy bars, jelly, water bottles. He made his way to the cabinets and did the same thing. Honey, rice, bread...Yuma was especially sure to remember peanut butter. He wanted to give some to Shark when he freed him.

"Okay...time to go." Yuma tiptoed out the door. He was surprised his sister didn't even hear it as it closed. He ran out toward the dock, planning to follow the line of bubbles that had been there earlier. A turn was never taken, that he was sure of. The small board Yuma had placed by the dock was thankfully still there. A surfboard Tori had given him.

Water splashed on the dock as Yuma jumped on the board. He kept his backpack on him as he began to paddle. Shark was in danger. He could sense it. Yuma began to go faster and faster. He had no idea where this straight line would bring him. He just knew he'd find Shark at the end of it.

"Hang on Shark...I'll get you...just like I promised..." Yuma panted, continuing to paddle with his hands. The salty water splashed in his face, but he didn't care. The pink and black-haired boy was going so quickly he couldn't believe it.

Please be okay Shark...please be okay...

XxXxXxXx

Shark struggled to get out of the fish tank again. Dextra and Nistro had left him alone in a dark room, illuminated by only a single, red light. It was freaky. The purple-haired boy tried many things to escape. Tipping the fish tank had been one of them. That was a fail. So was jumping out. Shark had no way of escape then. He slumped back down and crossed his arms, doing his best to stay calm.

That was hard for Shark to do. He didn't like this small space of captivity, and he felt he'd get sick if he was in too much longer. His ocean-blue eyes glanced up. Shark had tears forming in them as he stared at the surface. How he wished he could be with Yuma right now, instead of cooped up in this fish tank.

"Yuma," Shark moaned. He looked up in fear upon hearing the door open. There stood Dextra. She had a net in her hand.

"I wonder what the big deal with this merman is... Oh well, it isn't my pay that gets docked if this fails. It's Nistro's." Dextra scooped Shark up with ease. He yelped and scrambled around.

"Where are you taking me?!"

"You can speak?!"

"Yes I can speak! What are you going to do with me?"

"Well, I'm not going to do anything. But the scientists are attempting to do many tests on you."

"Why?"

"You're a creature that isn't supposed to exist. They want answers...and they're gonna get them the pain way." Dextra said no more on the subject. Shark gulped and shuddered. He was terrified. He wanted something to hold, something that would make him believe everything was going to be okay. He wanted Yuma.

As they entered another room, Shark let out a yelp of pain as he was tossed onto a table. He looked up through the netting, staring in fear as needles and other pointy objects came into view of his surroundings. The purple-haired boy yelped as one of the needles went into him.

Suddenly, his vision began to blur. Shark was becoming dizzy. He tried to shake it off, but he couldn't. Soon, he fell right into a deep sleep. Nistro snickered. "Too easy," was all he said before he allowed the goons of Heartland to do their work. Shark flinched as more needles pierced into him, but he made no sound in his unconscious state.

Soon, a knife was pulled out. It gently grazed Shark's stomach with its tip, and he moaned. Nistro and Dextra stood in their spots as they saw the blood. It wasn't red. It was blue, like the ocean.

"That's unlikely," Nistro said, continuing to stare. Dextra nodded and did the same.

"Very. But now we know something no one else did."

"True. It may help when we wanna do further tests."

"Duh Nistro. What do you think, we're doing this for no reason?"

"Uhh...no comment..."

Dextra rolled her eyes as Nistro said that. She had won this argument. They continued to watch as Shark was examined and poked. The knife was even sent down his arm just so they could get a sample of his blood. Nistro had stuck his tongue out in disgust at that.

"I guess our work is done." Dextra walked off, ready to go and do whatever else she needed to. Nistro didn't move at first. It was like he was glued to the stuff they were doing to Shark. Dextra found that odd. When Nistro did notice, however, he yelped in shock at the sight Dextra was gone.

"Hey! Wait up! Wait up!" Nistro called, running after Dextra.

He certainly didn't want to miss his next mission.