The Dragon's Triangle

Author's Notes: OMG, Mirai, are you sick? You're updating again? I am! Why? I'm crazy! I love you all! And it's longer than 10 pages? No way! And finally they stop talking and start doing stuff? A bit, yes!

Response to review (just one because everyone else was logged in omg :D):

Kumiko: Thank you for the review! Tatsu's relationship with Wolfram is very new but it'll develop. As to whether he likes Wolfram beyond respect, I can't reveal! This story is Yuuram but you'll see how things progress. I don't want to spoil xD

-X-...Blue Inc...-X-

Waking up on a non-moving object was a treat. Wolfram moaned, strangely spent of his energy, and focused on the clearing ceiling. His memory had told him he had last been on a boat but he was grateful that there was no rocking motion to confirm that and make him ill to his stomach. He had grown more accustomed to being on a boat but now and then, the remnants of seasickness came to haunt him.

While he wasn't bothered by any rocking, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinct told the blonde it was Conrad and when the brunette's face cleared, it confirmed his suspicions. "Conrart," he mumbled, not hearing his voice beyond a throaty rasp.

"Wolfram, how are you feeling?" Conrad looked concern.

Shifting up slowly, Wolfram felt the blanket fall off him. He disregarded Conrad's question and pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling the dull ache. "Ugh, Yuri…"

The name had bounced off his tongue before he realized he had said it. A glass of water poised itself in front of him—held by Conrad—and the blonde slowly took it. Conrad watched, mindful that Wolfram's fingers wouldn't drop the glass. "He's alright," he assured as his brother drank.

"Where?" Wolfram tried to say, clearing his throat.

Smiling, Conrad turned around and gestured at the door. "He's getting you some food. We're in the hotel for right now. We didn't want to worry Jennifer."

Conrad accepted the glass back and set it aside, studying Wolfram silently to let the boy come to completely. Wolfram's face lacked its usual flush and his eyes were partially sunken as if he hadn't slept in days. The mere sight urged Conrad to rest his hand on Wolfram's back but with all his effort, he resisted and kept them impatiently on his knees.

"I don't…"

Conrad straightened. "Wolfram?"

The blonde tiredly glanced at him, looking ridden by something unbecoming of his young sibling. "Conrart, I…"

"Easy," Conrad soothed, catching Wolfram's shoulder when the blonde slumped to the side. "They said you collapsed from the pain."

Wolfram frowned and leaned into the warmth, unaware it was his own brother supplying it. He thought over what Conrad had said. "Pain," he repeated, eyes snapping wide open.

"Wolfram, hey, relax," Conrad tried, gripping more firmly on the boy's shoulders. "You shouldn't move around so much."

Despite warning, Wolfram pushed away the brunette and clawed at his face, breathing hard as the memories swarmed back at him. "Those gold eyes," he murmured aloud, remembering the agony they subjected him to.

Conrad frowned and made to speak again when a familiar face burst in, rushing even. "Wolfram!" Tatsu called, practically flinging to the blonde's side. "Are you okay?"

Looking up, Wolfram realized how panicked the boy looked. Though confused, he managed to mutter, "I'm fine," and glance away to avoid the stare. He wasn't at all fine but he decided to keep his thoughts now silent until he could speak to Yuri. Recollection of The Demon King's presence made him that much more eager.

He called me 'beloved'…

"When did you get back?" Conrad was asking Tatsu.

The boy continued to survey Wolfram. "Just a moment ago. I-"

"Wolfram!"

Normally, the former prince would have objected to hearing his name called out so many times but the latest voice had come from Yuri. At the doorway, the boy was carrying a tray piled with food. It was quickly set aside as the double black approached Wolfram after Conrad politely left room.

"Yuri," Wolfram breathed in disbelief, blinking as Yuri took hold of his hand. Instantly, the dull ache faded as the double black's healing did its work. "You're unhurt?"

The boy smiled gently and nodded, though he looked worn out. "I…"

The sentence trailed off and the both looked at Tatsu expectedly. The boy looked down in guilt and bowed to them respectfully as he said, "I apologize for my behavior."

Yuri sighed gently but his smile didn't fade. He reached out with one hand and patted Tatsu's arm. "I understand why you did but it was dangerous," he agreed, swallowing hard at his own memories. The Demon King lingered in his conscience and served said memories fresh.

Behind him, Yuri could feel Conrad's unease even he had tried to stay collected. Yuri looked back to him and smiled more. "I'm sorry, Conrad. Give me a moment," he pleaded before turning his attention to the blonde once Conrad had nodded stiffly.

His fiancé looked half spent but otherwise, Wolfram seemed fine. Yuri sighed and his fingers nervously clenched the hand he was holding. His gaze wandered down, face flushing faintly at the way Wolfram's fingers wrapped around his own—it was more embarrassing just for the fact of having people witness it.

"What happened," Wolfram demanded in a low voice, flicking his gaze to the other two, "where are the others?"

"In a room next door," Tatsu chimed in, looking edgy. "Bob figured it was best to keep them out for now."

Wolfram lowered his eyes, thinking. "On the ship…"

"I know," Yuri finished, swallowing again; he had to stop doing that so frequently. "The Demon King, he…"

Wolfram met his eyes and Yuri couldn't stop the heavy blush that fell on him at that moment. Images of his other self flashed in his mind and the tender way he cradled Wolfram and how calm he felt from the mere touch. It was a revelation he wasn't ready to mull over just yet.

Through their gaze, Wolfram understood he had been caught too much this time. The blonde raised a hand to his head again as he spoke, worried the presence might return. "I was possessed."

Conrad shut his eyes, collecting himself. It took more willpower than he had anticipated blurting out a demand for answers but he stayed stiff at worst and calm at best. He was still a soldier foremost, he reminded himself.

Though he wanted to interject, Tatsu stayed wary, watching Conrad. Yuri didn't seem to mind the man's presence and continued speaking to Wolfram. "I saw it, Wolfram. He had gold eyes and they were slit."

Disturbed by the idea, Wolfram hunched forward, head heavy. Yuri gasped and caught the boy in an awkward embrace, tightening it when Wolfram pressed closer. The blonde's mind reeled, disregarding the other's presence and he melted into Yuri—and Yuri only—as a striking emotion twisted his gut.

He was terrified. His arms rose, clinging to Yuri as the memory replayed itself in his head, as the pain discharged him from the safety of his current comfort.

"We…should discuss this," Tatsu whispered gently, biting his lower lip at the sight.

Wolfram mumbled into Yuri's shirt, "Conrart…"

The man came to attention and waited where he stood. He had averted his gaze from the scene, allowing Wolfram and Yuri the moment alone but now he felt eagerness creep along his fingertips. He had to resist the need to swallow his own butterflies.

The blonde rested a hand on Yuri's shoulder and whispered into his ear. The double black nodded understandingly and managed a feeble smile as he pulled away his hand, thus killing the green glow that had emitted from it.

"First," Wolfram rasped, moving on the bed so his legs hung off the edge, "Tell me what happened."

Conrad took the liberty of speaking. "You were both carried out and we were brought here at Bob's request. His Highness came to first but he wouldn't speak about what transpired inside, neither did Tatsu. It must have been about an hour later when you woke, Wolfram…"

"I wanted to get you food. They threw a fuss but I was really okay, just drained," Yuri added with a chuckle but Wolfram could still see the exhaustion borderline in the boy's eyes. It may have been because they were on Earth that The Demon King's presence required more power than usual.

Satisfied enough with the answer, Wolfram grumbled to himself before he stood up. The butterflies flourished again and his fingers almost shook as he steadied himself. It took him only a short while before he felt lucid enough to stand alone and then, he tugged up his shirt.

The sound that left Conrad was like a gasp covered up in a grunt. The man instantly was moving to Wolfram to inspect the area, eyes wider. He crouched, eyebrows furrowing at the sight. "This is…where you were hurt from the first attack," he recalled.

Wolfram kept silent, looking away, knowing the look Conrad would cast on him if he dared meet the man's eyes. He only flinched and jerked away when Conrad's hand had unconsciously reached out to touch the mark on his body. "Don't," he snapped, jerking his shirt down again.

"I…am sorry," Conrad trailed off, staring at his brother's body, hypnotized. Emotions flooded him underneath the façade of his soldier's countenance and they all ranged. He was sure he wouldn't be able to decide which one outweighed the others if he tried. He made a frustrated sound through his teeth and clenched a fist. "Wolfram."

"Conrad," Yuri began, taking the man by the arm, "We're sorry we didn't tell you."

"I…can understand why you didn't," Conrad chuckled, but the sound was weak. "But you realize this means the situation is more dangerous."

Yuri smiled gently at the expression Conrad gave him. "We're going to stop all of this and get the mark off of Wolfram. Right, Tatsu?"

"Of course," Tatsu retorted, frowning. "I said I would help. I will protect His Highness and help Wolfram."

Conrad nodded in agreement but added, "I can't have you both alone, Your Highness, you…"

Yuri interjected by smiling more. "Conrad, let's go talk to the others first, okay?"

"I have a feeling they already know," Wolfram bit back, arms crossed. "You can stop hiding!"

A pair of glasses peeked around the corner with a sheepish grin. "Maa, I guess I should have knocked," the Great Sage said as he stepped inside, scratching the back of his head. Trailing behind him, Gwendel looked anything but sheepish and carried nothing remotely similar to a gentle look.

Shori, on the other hand, was far too easy to read. The man's face was contorted and Conrad could only assume that he was

"Wolfram," was all the large man said though, eyes looking torn. The foreign stare made Wolfram blush in guilt and he had to look away again and cross his arms tighter over his chest.

Murata waved at the tension with a hand. "There's no point being upset. Facts are facts. Lord von Bielefeld is clearly a target by this figure Tatsu and Bob suspect. Why, we don't know. But that mark surely isn't going to go away anytime soon."

The blonde had enough strength to waltz up and throttle the boy. Instead though, he sat back down, feeling slightly winded. He was use to attention but when it revolved around his safety or Yuri, it gave him an uncomfortable feeling in his throat and tickled his stomach in a funny way.

"I won't be pulled away from Yuri," Wolfram countered before the others had the chance to jump on the idea.

Gwendel's jaw was stiff. "Wol-"

"I won't!" Wolfram shut his eye s tightly, fully understanding he had raised his voice to his older brother. He could always try to shift the blame to the thing that had possessed him. It was a false hope; Wolfram wouldn't ever submit to such a cowardly act. So, he puffed up his chest and repeated, "I won't!"

"Ah, careful," Murata interrupted, stepping between Gwendel and Wolfram before the two could start a full-fledged argument. "It might not be a good idea to keep them separated anyway."

Even Wolfram looked up in surprise by the Sage's words. His eyebrows rose and his voice were overpowered by the Sage's continuing speech. "Frankly, it makes it easier for them to be together for us. Granted, they'll have to be with someone but think about it.

There's a figure out there using Lord von Bielefeld for an unknown reason. Second, both Shibuya and Shori might be connected to this more than others because of their magical ties to water."

Shori nodded, though stiffly, when the Great Sage looked back to him. "But I haven't felt anything weird. I've been here the entire time."

Yuri added, "I haven't really felt anything either."

He was rewarded with a suspicious look from Murata. "Maa, Shibuya, you were The Demon King, weren't you?" he asked, chuckling at the shocked expression, "Are you really surprised I know?"

"I guess not," Yuri mumbled, "I don't really remember much. It was a little harder to control the water, like, I needed more energy to do so."

Murata nodded, sufficed. "I think it's best if they stick close to each other. Shori should have someone with him too. What do you think?"

It was more out of politeness that Murata had asked. Everyone almost never had much of a valid objection to the boy's plans as, well, they were produced by one of the wisest of all minds. Conrad, however, didn't seem too convinced. "No."

Surprised by the cold tone, Wolfram looked up to his half-brother. Had he glanced to the other double black, he would have also seen Murata's lips twitched.

With attention on him, Conrad faced Murata and Tatsu, who had felt the weight of Conrad's words most. "I'm not agreeing to anything about His Highness until we're told more," he dictated.

Beside him, Gwendel matched the serious expression Conrad had.

The tension thickened and Wolfram felt obligated to speak, but found nothing to say. His mind only seemed capable of processing Yuri's comforting presence beside him as the boy took the available seat next to Wolfram (on the bed). Yuri looked just as anxious to talk but if he had lost his own voice, Wolfram wasn't sure.

Tatsu relieved the pause with a sigh, luckily. Knowing it was useless to request a change of venue, he leaned back against the wall. "I've been working with Bob for a long time on something unrelated. Well, it's partially related but not enough to bring up," he paused to scan the room—good, everyone seemed lucid enough, even Wolfram—so he continued, "Problems began brewing with both worlds, as you know. I am honest when I say I don't know who or why exactly they're doing it but…"

He trailed off, unsure of how to steer the conversation. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Wolfram scoot closer to Yuri and, though he couldn't directly see it, he knew the two boys' hands had folded over one another's.

Wolfram thread his fingers with Yuri's furtively, the blanket covering it from his brothers' sight, much to Yuri's relief. Without much thought and boosted in confidence with Yuri's touch, Wolfram asked, "How do you know he's tied to that company in Japan?"

Tatsu looked relieved at having the silence killed. "Well, it's a really big company. The building they have stationed here is more of an office building where accounting and other things like that are done. But, they're a company that have at some point worked with every ship that got involved with The Dragon's Triangle."

"Eh?" Yuri blurted out, "How's that possible?"

"A manufacturing company."

Bob's voice had the edge of a boom whenever he spoke, bringing the other's easily to silence. He stepped inside with both hands behind his back, clasped. At Wolfram, he nodded once, which the blonde took to be a form of apology—he accepted it nonetheless. He continued, "The Dragon's Triangle is said to be more evil than its sister, The Bermuda Triangle. However, it's not exempt from having coordinates on the map. When a ship passes through, its coordinates are tracked by a base on land."

"If a boat went missing, it's natural companies that helped construct the boats would be notified, especially if payment was still owed to those companies" Shori finished, crossing his arms, partly to keep himself busy. He had the uncanny nerve to rush to Yuri and hold him protectively.

"Naturally," Bob agreed, "Also, even if the boat had been paid off, manufacturing parts might have led the boat to sink or experience some other human error that could dismiss the phenomenon that is The Dragon's Triangle."

"We managed over a long period of time to cross out a few boat companies and some other suspects," Tatsu sighed, the memories of those long nights returning, "but this one company is really fishy. We haven't been able to hack into any records. The way it's blocked…it's not natural."

Murata hummed as he tapped his chin. "Not natural, huh?" he repeated.

Wolfram's mind rolled in the explanation, frowning deeply. It bothered him that he was unable to follow the conversation as well as Conrad was. The idea of infiltrating a company that he had little understanding would prove difficult. Then again, he wasn't the type to back down from the mere thought of danger. "Do you think the person who…did this, is in the company?" Wolfram chimed in, meeting Tatsu's eyes. He found unmistakable guilt trying to hide in them.

"We're not sure but he's got to be somehow involved," the boy replied.

Gwendel finally spoke again, eyes finally removing Wolfram from his hard stare. "It sounds that you know more about this stranger than you're willing to admit," he accused.

Tatsu smiled numbly. "There is one detail that I can't really speak of just yet. I need confirmation first. You just…have to trust me," he all but begged.

"Last time we did, you put Wolfram in a dangerous situation," Conrad responded with an accompanying growl. It was too subtle for Yuri, Shori, and Wolfram to detect.

With his voice raised ever so slightly, Bob reminded, "It was my fault as well. The Demon King himself must be aware that the only other way to have been sure that Wolfram von Bielefeld was the target is if we killed him."

Wolfram's blood ran cold, eyes widening slightly. Conrad and Gwendel had moved almost unconsciously, stepping in front of him and Yuri like two brick walls. They didn't take lightly to the comment.

Bob looked ready to chuckle but he only paid with a small smile on his lips. "You can see why I accompanied myself should things have gotten out of hand."

"How did you know Wolfram would be a target?" Yuri asked, frowning again.

Tatsu lowered his eyes. "I can't confirm that with you until we infiltrate."

Shori sneered and made a gesture to the boy. "So what? You expect these kids to hack into an unknown territory full of traps, no doubt, and then, maybe then, you'd tell them?"

The relationship Wolfram and Shori had never was much of a developing one. Shori had been uncomfortable at the idea of Wolfram being Yuri's fiancé (though it turned out it was more out of the fact that Yuri was no longer Shori's precious little brother but on the verge of becoming a man). Wolfram, in turn, had never thought much of Shori as the man refrained from talking to him in general. But, watching Shori argue with Tatsu assured Wolfram silently that the man was not just fighting for Yuri's sake but for his own, too.

I must be more tired than I think…

"Enough, you two," Murata whined gently, resting his hands on Shori's chest to keep the young man from tackling Tatsu. "It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice. If you recall, Shibuya already stated he wanted to do Tatsu's plan."

Yuri blinked as many pairs of eyes rested on him. He practically felt the emotions that beamed from each of them (well, not so much Murata's but the boy always had a gentle touch to his enigmatic look). He sighed, watching Tatsu a bit longer before nodding. "I…believe Tatsu," he confessed, "When I was The Demon King, I could tell he wasn't trying to hurt us. If he was, he wouldn't have helped Wolfram back then."

Tatsu smiled broadly. "Your Highness," he murmured, hurrying over to kneel before him.

With a blush, Yuri stammered, "Please, call me 'Yuri', okay?"

The other boy looked up and blinked his surprise but dumbly nodded. Yuri added, "Listen, just, don't keep us in the dark anymore, okay? Everyone. No more secrets, please. We have to trust each other if we're going to solve this mystery."

"Wimp," Wolfram said softly, lips twitching but he kept his face grumpy. The beat to Yuri's voice had returned and it brought down the tension considerably. Even Conrad was chuckling again.

Bob nodded in approval and smiled. "Then, allow us to call your mother to discuss the new arrangements. We'll discuss the details over a late lunch. I take it no one managed to eat much on the ship."

They agreed.

-X-

For the fourth time, Wolfram grumbled around his drink. His gaze strayed away from the group and to Yuri, who had spent the good portion of forty minutes talking to Jennifer. Wolfram had the privilege to talk to her as well, assuring her that Yuri was safe but she had turned even more concerned, claiming that Wolfram was just as much her baby that needed tending. Had she known how much care Wolfram probably needed, she would have thrown a fit but, thankfully, the truth about Wolfram's mark and the possession were all minor details left out. Very minor.

After forty three minutes on the phone, Yuri had finally hung up and said they had to, at the least, stop by to pick up clothing and some warm meals from his mother. It was a request the others were pleased to abide by considering Jennifer was more than proficient in supplying a homey meal.

Poor Jennifer, Wolfram thought, tapping his fingers around his glass. He had opted for juice instead of water, even more paranoid (though he didn't show it) to be around water. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage a bath tonight. At the least, his mark hadn't shown any changes since last (apparently, Tatsu's interference are what had caused the mark to change) nor had it given him any pain. He didn't feel the threat of a presence inside of him but he did have an urge to wonder if the changes Tatsu did to his body related to that one particularly sensual experience in the bathroom.

Gah, don't think about that now! Wolfram hissed at himself, earning Tatsu's attention when the blonde grumbled incoherently. The former Prince blushed suddenly, remembering his thoughts—all he had was "sensual" and "Tatsu" mixing up now—so he looked away and feigned ignorance. He decided to focus his attention on Yuri, who had cast him a sympathetic smile. It was always graced with a very subtle blush. Wolfram had been wondering if The Demon King had given Yuri some peace about his feelings for Wolfram. The blonde could hope, right?

Now, the double black was on his knees beside Tatsu, surrounding a blue print of the Blue Inc. building. Tatsu had explained, with Bob's assistance, that once inside, he needed to access various rooms to gather the appropriate data. A lot of the jargon was unfamiliar to Wolfram but he got the gist of things—break in, watch Tatsu and Shori's back, simple enough.

Even though Tatsu had explained he knew what floors had the right information, Wolfram still wondered how it was feasible. He may not be familiar with human technology, but Tatsu's vague insistence still left that fishy smell in the air.

It's a huge company, Wolfram realized as he saw that there were at least twenty floors. He almost dreaded the thought of huffing up so many stairs (not that he would complain) but then he remembered those 'elevators'.

"Are there people who work overnight there?" Gwendel asked, scanning a finger over the print. His first task required he trail directly behind Tatsu and serve as his tank for any potential problems.

"Yes," Tatsu said, marking the print with a red pen. "That makes it more problematic. It's rare for companies to do that but apparently, they're also responsible for doing 24-hour testing on some of their products in that building."

"I thought you said it was an office-like, place," Conrad countered, studying the print intently.

Tatsu nodded. "No, it is. They're doing the surveillance from computers. They do two main observances, it seem, one from the site of their testing and the other, from the company stationed in Japan."

Murata leaned back in the couch he occupied (the suites they were given were practically apartments). "It makes sense. Isn't Blue Inc. working with the military too? They help create pieces for the military submarines."

Tatsu smiled at the Sage's knowledge and nodded.

"Okay, what about those people then," Wolfram brought up again, frowning. "Won't they see us?"

"There aren't that many of them. It's the security cameras we'll be dealing with. The problem is, according to our source, we'll have mere seconds before they recognize that the security system's been rigged. We're going to-"

Wolfram studied Tatsu hard, lost in the clarification. From what he understood, the security system had three major locations in the building that strung all the rest together. By messing with each one to play a loop of what's supposedly an empty building, they could move around freely.

"What about the rooms where the workers are? And any potential guards?"

Tatsu smiled mischievously. "We can make it loop the guard's, if any, doing their routine walks. The workers are not recorded, however, but from what I was told, they have an intercom where security can still reach them. "

"The main security room is where officers are," Shori noted, moving his finger to a box. "That's the biggest site to loop the camera images but it's also the security room."

Wolfram huffed into his hand quietly, listening as closely as he could. Three main locations to hit first before they could even reach the data. The first two had to be done in mere seconds and the last hit would be the security room where the guards had to be taken out. It would have made more sense to attack the main security room first but according to Tatsu, the location is impossible to access without running into the other cameras first. The first two sites had to be taken down first.

"They're going to realize the system went down for a second, right?" Wolfram asked, more out of his own curiosity, "Won't the officers notice?"

Tatsu practically grinned. "That's where our friendly guard comes in."

Wolfram was the first to blurt out, "Huh?"

-X-

Conrad couldn't help feel the unease as his security card was scanned by the officer. His eyes fixated on the scanner, watching as the machine analyzed its approval. Tatsu and Bob had assured him it would work. The brunette hadn't asked how they had obtained the imposter code for him but then again, Bob had a lot of connections. What Demon King could function without them?

The light blinked green and the officer reluctantly returned the card to Conrad. With a strict nod, Conrad stepped inside, his boots clicking in the empty space. It was a typical floor with the only unique feature being a similar fountain in the center—there were three equivalent- looking ones outside the building. They were polished and the mouth where the water gushed out looked like a mythological creature. Setting aside his appreciation for the artist, Conrad made a note to find how to turn off the water. Quietly, he tucked the card inside a pocket in his uniform and kept moving, eyes glancing around the first floor of Blue Inc.

"I didn't realize Allen got so sick," the other officer drawled, following. "I heard he was kinda off looking yesterday."

The soldier repressed the mental image of poor Allen lying unconscious in a remote area Bob had refused to reveal. It had taken some time to assure Yuri that the man they had taken from the company was unharmed and Conrad put aside any doubts after that.

"Yeah, stomach flu," Conrad returned, keeping up the small talk. "I've never worked in this place before but I've patrolled the main site in New York."

"Oh, you've worked in America?" the officer asked, curious now, "I visited my sister there a few months back. She got married there. So you speak English?"

Conrad smiled—but faintly—and said, "Yes. It's about as strong as my Japanese."

"That's good. The boss and some higher ups speak English and some other languages I'm not familiar with," the officer stated, using his own card to enter a hallway.

They have card swipes at almost every doorway, Conrad observed, being sure his head was leveled to note that. The tiny camera implanted in his uniform's hat relayed everything he saw back to the others.

"Ah, well, I doubt I'll run into them. I'm just a temp, after all," Conrad laughed.

The man nodded and shut the door behind them, trailing into the hall. "Don't worry. It's an easy job. I've been here for nearly three years and never had a problem. You just walk the area you're supposed to and that's really it. If there's a problem, you have a walki-talkie to get back to the security team."

"What floor are they on, again?" Conrad asked, feigning ignorance. There was no harm in confirming that little fact.

The man pointed to the elevator they were passing. "Seventh floor. I know," he added, seeing Conrad's expression, "Kind of a pain but I guess they figure having it higher than lower makes it that much harder to access. What do I know? I just walk my routes, sign out, go home, and sleep."

"Thanks," Conrad said, chuckling. He almost felt bad for infiltrating a company the man was so accustomed to being quiet. He had wanted to press more but figured it would seem to suspicious.

A distance away, outside the company's fence, Tatsu tapped at the laptop in his arms. "He's doing fine. I can see where the cameras are already."

"Can you memorize them that fast?" Wolfram asked, crouching beside Tatsu and shuddering at the cold. It was dark and gloomy, giving him the perfect weather to wear the jacket Yuri had purchased him. He was only upset the first time he got to wear it was in a potentially dangerous situation.

"Don't worry about that. Your objective is to cover me. Simple enough, no?" Tatsu said with a smile up. It was short lived when the focused intensity came back to his face, reading the codes on the screen.

Yuri moaned softly in protest, biting his thumb. "Is it okay that Conrad has a gun though?" he pressed, yet again.

"Bob says Conrad is familiar enough with a gun, Your Highness," Tatsu assured stiffly, tapping at a few keys, "He's the best choice. He's trained and familiar with this world's customs more than the others."

Wolfram glanced at Yuri and sighed softly at the pathetic look. He almost hoped Bob was still around (the man had to return to a business affair earlier) to soothe Yuri with further assurance. Reaching out, Wolfram touched Yuri's hand. "Conrart's fine."

The double black jolted a bit and looked over Wolfram's face, oblivious to the stares Shori and Murata gave them. Gwendel, as usual, politely averted his gaze at the moment.

"Thanks, Wolf," Yuri chuckled, pulling back his hand shyly at the cooing hum Murata was making. Shori still looked grumpy but a blush might have been on his cheeks. In the dark, it was difficult to confirm.

Tatsu shut the laptop. "Alright, Lord Weller is making his way to the security room. He'll count how long it takes to reach it from his original post. Then, he'll go back and repeat the steps, giving us the amount of time it took him. That's when we hit the first location."

"They're both on the first floor?" Gwendel asked, touching the sword at his hip. Bob had been gracious enough to allow the brothers to equip themselves with some of the weapons he had at his building. Had they more time, they could have asked a friend of Bob's to custom make one but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Yeah, one is here," Tatsu said, pulling out a smaller blueprint, moving his finger off the page so he pointed at a shed-like building beyond the fence. "There."

Murata stepped to the fence, keeping five feet away from it. According to their source, the camera extending beyond the fence only went four feet past it. "This is kind of exciting, isn't it?"

"Murata!" Yuri protested, grumbling as he padded himself down to confirm he had everything.

Wolfram rolled his eyes meanwhile and approached his brother. "Are you ready, Brother?" he asked, knowing the man was but had the strange urge to speak to him. Gwendel hadn't spoken much to him since realizing Wolfram was a target.

"Hm." Gwendel's grunt was tense.

The blonde lowered his eyes, biting his lower lip to keep his initial outburst in check. Now wasn't the time to start a quarrel.

"Stay safe," Gwendel suddenly said, resting his head on the threads of blonde hair before he was rushing to the fence at Tatsu's sign.

Wolfram gasped, spinning around unexpectedly. In a well trained moved, Gwendel scampered up the fence three feet before using his strength to chuck himself over the rest. He landed roughly but rolled expertly away, sprung to his feet, and slid to a blind spot behind an oak tree.

"Perfect," Tatsu calculated, studying the watch he had put on earlier, "The camera's blind time just ended. He shouldn't have been seen."

Yuri exhaled in relief and touched his chest. "Good," he murmured, looking at Wolfram. The blonde shared his look but stayed silent, especially as Tatsu made the next move.

After counting the right amount of time, Tatsu repeated Gwendel's moves only using his speed to his advantage than sheer power. He was up and over the fence quietly and squished against Gwendel's side in five seconds flat.

"Holy cow," Yuri praised, gawking at the boy now peeking over the tree trunk.

Shori blinked as well and didn't realize his mouth had opened. He shook out of it quickly and clung to the backpack he had been entrusted. Watching, he waited until he was given the signal before he launched it over the fence and into Tatsu's awaiting grip. With Shori's height, it proved the most effective for throwing objects over taller obstacles.

"Watch His Highness and Excellency," Gwendel mouthed to Wolfram, and the boy understood with a nod.

The four remaining could only observe their figures get stolen by the shadows. Anxious and blood pumping, Wolfram walked around the fence to get a glance at the two moving, bit by bit, when the blind spots allowed them. Gwendel had only gone over the plan merely hours ahead but by his movements, Wolfram knew his brother had little to no trouble remembering his next step.

"I can't believe we're really doing this," Yuri breathed, stepping beside Wolfram.

Nodding, Wolfram rested a hand over the hilt of his own sword, avoiding the need to touch the area where his mark is. He was tired despite the deep trance-like sleep he had (well, forced to have), but it was tucked away to tend to. As a soldier, he reminded himself, there was no luxury for analyzing how exhausted you are. It was more of Tatsu's long explanations that wore him out because he and Gwendel had the least understanding of this world.

We had maybe a fifteen minute break, at most, from when we began our plan to where we are now. His mind worried that the toll was worse on Yuri and Shori, with the latter being the most affected. Yuri had some practice with exhaustion in the Demon Kingdom (not to mention Gunter's lectures) but Shori probably had less training.

Sneaking glances at the two, he found neither of them revealing. And lucky for Wolfram, his cursed mark had not caused him problems since the incident aboard ship but he still worried how his shower tonight would fair. He had made note of the two fountains decorating the gardens of Blue Inc. They weren't officially gardens but the landscape cushioning the building was too lovely to be called anything else. Apparently, there was a third one in the back but all trickled water from a creature's mouth.

The sound was haunting.

I can think about it later, he grumbled inside.

He saw Tatsu poke his head out from the shed and wave at them.

Phase one: Success.

Even Shori faired well in crawling over the fence without problems. Then again, not having a camera staring at him probably made things easier. Wolfram went down first, aided Yuri and finally Shori, before they met up with the others in the shed where three officers were knocked out.

"We got the loop done easily," Tatsu grinned through his statement. Beside him, Gwendel's expression seemed strange.

"Brother?" Wolfram asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Earth-wielder blinked once and looked away, staying silent.

Without much time to debate over the strange look, Wolfram looked around the shed and saw the screens looping whatever Tatsu had wanted to loop. It looked like an empty building with the occasional officer patrolling the grounds.

After Tatsu collected a few of the wires and stuffed the laptop back into the bag, they moved cautiously to the entrance of the building. They stopped short of the door—it was see through and a guard lazed at the front desk.

"The cameras aren't watching the front so," Tatsu trailed off, glancing at Gwendel.

Knowingly, the man moved past the group and casually walked up to the front and knocked on the glass door to get the guard's attention. The once lazy man bolted upright, feet dropping from the desk. He hurried over to Gwendel but had a hand cautiously waiting on the butt of a gun that rested at his hip.

"What is it?" the man demanded. "This area is strictly off limits. How did you get past the-"

Gwendel stared indifferently as the man collapsed in Conrad's waiting arms. "Do you have the authority to open the doors?" he asked the brunette.

After collecting the man he put into an unconscious state, Conrad nodded. "Give me a moment," he asked and dragged the body into a storeroom nearby. He returned in seconds with the other man's card. He swiped the doors open for the group. "Nice timing."

Wolfram trailed in last, keeping eyes open for suspicious activity. He tensed when he heard water trickle but found it wasn't an illusion of his mind—there was another fountain inside. He ogled it for a moment until he was quickly padding after the others.

"We have to move fast," Tatsu breathed, running on silent steps down the hall, only waiting for Conrad to open the doors.

"There is one security officer ahead," Conrad warned, "Then there's the second station. It has two officers that I already took care of."

Wolfram felt a rush of adrenaline shoot up his veins, pleased at how quick they were getting things done without so much as a problem. It had only been minutes since they began their plan and now he was feeling the exhilarating rush that only missions gave him.

With Shori, Yuri, and Murata guarded by Wolfram, Gwendel moved ahead again. He waited behind Conrad, letting the man in uniform bump into the expected officer. By the time he realized Gwendel was looming behind, the man was effortlessly knocked out, stripped of any weapons, and room sealed with the stolen card.

"Excellent," Tatsu cheered quietly, entering the second site, finding it empty as Conrad promised. "Good job, Lord Weller."

"Well, it makes it easy to strike when I know when," the brunette replied, helping Tatsu unpack. The device in his ear that had carried Tatsu's voice stayed there—they were reunited but there was no harm in staying doubly prepared.

"Nice set up," Murata mused, studying the security office. "It's more elaborate than the first."

Shori stayed silent the entire time but found himself watching as well, engrossed. He only regretted he wasn't allowed to carry a weapon. It had proved a big argument to just let him come along but hell would have to freeze over if they thought he wouldn't accompany his younger brother on such a mission. Scratch that, not even if hell froze over would he have stayed behind.

As the others got busy, Wolfram stayed in the door way, weapon drawn by this point. He glanced to the tall man beside him, analyzing Gwendel's stoic face. "Brother?"

"Pay attention." It was Gwendel code for: now's not the time.

Reluctant but obediently, Wolfram strayed from his brother and surveyed the hallway. From what he had seen, it wasn't particularly unique from Bob's office. The only troublesome matter was that even way deep into the hallway, he swore he could hear the water from the fountain trickling.

"Shit," he heard Tatsu curse from inside, "That was close."

Wolfram shot back, "What's wrong?"

"They had another wall I didn't expect but we got it. We're almost done."

As Tatsu spoke, Yuri poked his head out but groaned as Wolfram shoved him back in. "Hey!"

"Stay inside," Wolfram growled, supported by Gwendel's sharp eye.

Yuri sighed and mumbled, "Is it just me though or…is this a little…"

"Too easy," Murata finished, standing beside his comrade. He smiled at Wolfram and gestured with a finger as he said, "Your side doing okay?"

Wolfram frowned but debated over the question. "Of course," he replied, feeling nothing unusual.

"Hm."

The smile on the Sage's lips faded, barely, but it was enough to chill Wolfram's blood. "What?" he snapped.

"Someone's coming," Murata whispered, eyes glazed with wisdom.

Paranoid, Wolfram snapped to attention and jumped out, studying the hallway. His instincts kept him alert to any sound and he knew Gwendel was doing the same. "I don't see anyone," he protested, even looking at the ceiling for any sign of cameras malfunctioning. Not that he would know what a malfunctioning camera would look like, mind you.

The Sage turned around and addressed those in the room, "We have to get out of here!"

"What?" barked Tatsu. "I just finished. We have to head upstairs and then we're-"

In protest, an obnoxious sound rang, screaming through the building. It took Conrad a moment to realize it was an alarm.

"We've been spotted!" he shouted, rushing out of the room with Yuri's arm in his grip.

"Impossible!" Tatsu yelled back, tossing the backpack to Shori. He rushed out as well after the man, reaching out to snatch Conrad's arm. "We can't leave!"

"It's too late to leave," Conrad agreed, roaring back over the alarms. "They'll have the front blocked in no time at all."

Wolfram flicked his eyes around, unsure of what he thought was the best move. His soldier's training demanded he keep all his attention on spotting potential threats. It only took a short while before the first one came.

With a cry, Wolfram leapt to the side and jabbed his knee into an officer who had intended to sneak out from one of the rooms. With the staggering position, Wolfram took the chance to drive the dull edge of the bladef into the man, with a final blow to the back of his head—courtesy of Wolfram's elbow.

Panting over the man, Wolfram saw a hoard rushing in from another doorway.

The rooms are connected! Wolfram hissed and leapt back, slamming the door shut behind him. "Run!" he ordered, tailing after the others, who didn't even blink. Well, Yuri did but nothing that Conrad couldn't fix by hauling the boy by the arm.

"They're coming from the rooms!" Wolfram explained as he ran, gasping when a guard leapt in front of him. "Crap!"

He heard Gwendel shout in unison with Conrad as they took down their own guards, keeping Murata, Shori, and Yuri confined in a circle. Yuri had his own sword drawn but he looked awkward, not yet adapted to not having Morgif at his side.

"Yuri!" Wolfram cried out, feeling himself being pushed away from the group by the officers swarming in. "Get off of me!"

He smashed his palm into the jaw of one officer and ducked a blow, using his leg to trip two more before he was leaping over their bodies, hot on the others' trail. "Keep running!" he assured, seeing Yuri's protesting face.

Tatsu took the lead, letting out a battle cry as he took down three officers by mere speed and well-placed arm movements. "How the hell did they all come out?"

"Yuri!" Shori bellowed, using the force of a fist to knock a guard in the face before wrestling him for the gun at the man's hip. One kick to the man's groin gave him all the advantage he needed as he wrung the gun free.

"Careful!" Murata shouted, smacking the gun away from his face, "You're aiming at the wrong person!"

Four shots rang out.

The group stilled, as did their uniformed opponents. A man leveled his gun at the group. Wolfram took him to be the head by the more adorned uniform. His eyes narrowed when the man lingered his gaze on him a bit too long for his liking.

"I'm impressed you breeched our security so easily. No mere mortal could do that," he drawled, tilting his head at the group, eyes landing on Tatsu.

The boy smirked and bit back, "Any mortal has an advantage over morons."

The first shot grazed Tatsu's arm and bounced off the wall. The shout echoed in the hallway as the boy grasped his injury, eyes hard on the man. He bit his tongue to keep quiet.

"There's a big group of you. And you," he let his sentence weigh on Conrad, "You don't work here."

Conrad returned with a less than pretty glare but he too, kept silent.

"Your weapons. Now."

Yuri saw the group hesitate and found Wolfram lingering behind, full of stubborn (and misplaced) courage. Knowing what the others might do, the Demon King tossed his sword first to the ground.

"Your Highness," Conrad whispered, studying his godson's eyes. Understanding the order, he peeled off his gun and made to throw it after Gwendel surrendered his own sword, ignoring how indifferent the captain was to the fact that swords (not guns) were offered up to him.

"Wait," Tatsu called, snatching Conrad's wrist, eyes still on the man.

The stiff voice ordered again, "Weapons. Now."

Tatsu closed his eyes and replied, "Please, cover your ears, everyone. Don't make me ask again."

With seconds of hesitation, even Wolfram sheathed his weapon and smacked his hands over his ears, disturbed that the water still trickled loudly in his ears. Muffled voices of confusion met his hands, the man at the front being the brunt of most of it.

Panic rose in the blonde when he saw the gun ready to fire at Tatsu. But, by some miraculous confidence, Tatsu only fisted his hands and tilted his head back.

Then, the screech came.

It was a piercing and earth-bending sound that tore out of the boy's voice, trembling out and bouncing off the walls with the force of a monster. The building trembled and the men who were foolish enough to take Tatsu's bluff collapsed to their knees, screaming their agony for the world to hear.

Wolfram gritted his teeth and pressed his hands harder against his ear, hoping to tune out their wails of distress. His own body quivered from the hints of what beastly roar was erupting from Tatsu but he forced himself to stay still and watch fthe boy. Somewhere in the distance, the water stopped trickling and glass shattered.

It took Wolfram a while to realize that the man was wincing and had lost his gun but had yet to crumble at the weight of the sound.

With a snap of his head, Tatsu closed his lips and darted forward, a grin on his face. He leapt over bodies and spun in mid air, twirling as he shot over those others who managed to stay up on their knees. His landing was smooth, feet pressed against the wall before he shot off running along the wall, jumping like the beast Wolfram was sure he was, back and forth, between the walls until he was tackling the captain down with a war cry.

"Tatsu!" Yuri was the first to recover as the sound died down, chasing after by weaving through the strewn (and some) unconscious bodies.

Conrad jerked forward and snatched Yuri back before he had reached the boy, who was busy crouched over the man with fingers clawing at the captain's face. "Don't, Your Highness!" he hissed, protectively shoving Yuri behind him.

"Who is he?" Tatsu spat into the man's face, eyes narrowed.

The man chuckled weakly, skin scraped and cut by Tatsu's fingers, ears dripping blood from the earlier wail. "I…serve…my Master…until death…"

"Answer me! Where is he?" Tatsu screamed into his face, driving his knee deeper into the man's gut.

"STOP IT!" Yuri yelled, finally catching Tatsu's attention. He clung to Conrad's back, struggling to get closer. "You're killing him!"

With Gwendel's help, Wolfram reached the others but his feet were dragging, almost reluctant to find out what Tatsu had done and more importantly, how. His ears rung, the sound of water rushing through again and his side mysteriously tickled.

He felt ill.

The boy over the captain snarled and pulled back reluctantly at Yuri's beckoning, head bowed. "I apologize, Your Highness," he hissed, eyes shut tightly.

Murata chuckled weakly. "Maa, come on. It's thanks to you we're not taken yet."

"I saw it," Gwendel finally confirmed, picking up his weapon. He found the crippled figures on the ground no threat, but thought they should keep moving soon. "His unnatural ability to override the system was suspicious even to a novice as myself. Now I understand."

Tatsu smiled just as weakly as Murata's laugh. "Eh, I hadn't hoped for this to happen," he began, shaking his head and adding, "We have to move. We've come this far."

"Wait!" Yuri cried out, pushing himself to stand beside Conrad. "What…I…How…?"

"We really don't have time, Shibuya," Murata said, dropping his hand onto Yuri's shoulder, sneaking back a look at Wolfram, "We really have little time."

Wolfram narrowed his eyes tiredly at the comment directed at him. "He's not human. That's all we need to know," he sneered, shoving past the others toward the elevators. If he recalled correctly, they needed to reach the seventh floor next. "Come on!"

Tatsu sighed and quickly interjected, "Later, Your Highness."

As Yuri returned the comment with a small smile of his own, he nodded, allowing an overprotective Conrad to keep him at bay from Tatsu. Meanwhile, Gwendel did as Murata sked and bound the captain as their captive, forcing the man to walk forward.

The Great Sage exhaled at last and rubbed his temple, following the group to wait for the elevator. Guards would be coming in waves now and there was a chance the power to the elevators would be shut down but that wasn't his heaviest concern.

He had the gravest suspicion he knew who was waiting for them upstairs.

-X-...TBC?...-X-

Holy crap, can you believe I gave you all such a long chapter? I'm sure my fingers are dead now. Yeah, I kept things about what Tatsu was doing or about Blue Inc. in general, considering this is mostly from Wolfram's general viewpoint (though third person), and he wouldn't really understand that jargon anyway. And...it makes it easier for the plot to keep moving lol

What do you think? Keep going?

I'm going to go curl up in Lady Celi's cleavage and nap now! /hugs to you all

Mirai Kurosaki