15. And he tried to land on his feet
When Shori, the eldest Shibuya son, woke up, Yuuri was by his side.
Yuuri could see the way his brother's breath quickened, the way his body tensed up, and how when he opened his eyes he looked around in alarm.
"Shori, it's me, you're safe, we're safe" reassured Yuuri.
Shori closed his eyes and nodded, centering himself. When he opened his eyes again, and even though there were shadows in them, there was also clear focused intention in the way he looked at Yuuri.
"Where are we?" was his first question.
"Another one of Bob's safe houses. Subtlety didn't work last time so now he closed two streets around us and sent armed guards. Go big or go home, I guess"
"Should have done that last time" groaned Shori, sitting up straighter.
"We are leaving tonight" informed Yuuri. "You are awake, and we are out of time. We are just waiting for Bob's team, they said they got a theory about how to make this work"
Shori nodded, looking down.
"Our parents?"
"They were moved to a hotel days ago. They are safe, and will stay there till we know the danger is… gone"
"Gone"
"I know we can't know that for sure, but they are safe now. One crisis at the time, alright?"
Shori nodded again, hiding a grimace.
"You seem more in control now, little brother"
Yuuri looked away "Have to"
There was a knock, and Murata opened the door.
"I am glad you are awake now, Shori"
Shori looked at Murata.
"Thank you, for taking Yuuri away, for staying with him"
"Of course"
Yuuri cleared his throat, "So, tonight"
Murata's face sobered and nodded, "Actually, that is why I came… Bob's team is here, and they want to talk with us"
Shori tried to stand but Yuuri put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't even think about it… you saved our lives already. Rest now, we will work out the rest"
"I won't let you do this alone and-"
"You aren't. You didn't. But after almost dying you need to rest. We will be back and tell you what we decided, alright?"
Shori huffed, laying down again. "I guess that sounds… reasonable"
Yuuri nodded, and turned to walk out of the room, Murata behind him. Sharing a silence that was tense like never before, both of them went down the stair, passed two guards on the corridor, and reached the small studio in the first level of the house. Bob was already there, again wearing a smart suit that seemed to be made of sharp cuts and expensive fabrics. By his side was his trusted subordinate Jose Rodriguez, who had recently been named head of Bob's elite group of scientists.
Jose Rodriguez was the man who had helped find a family when it was time for Murata's soul to be reincarnated, and had been by Murata's side when he was a kid helping him discern memories from his previous lives. At seeing the young mazoku, he smiled and in two long strides was by his side, placing a heavy and grounding hand on the young mazoku's shoulder.
"Long time no see, Murata Ken"
"It's good to see you, thank you for being here"
"Of course I am here, anything I can do to help" He turned to Yuuri, and nodded "I know these are difficult times"
Bob, who had been leaning against a desk, stood up straight.
"We believe there is a way to go through… it is not easy to study a multidimensional portal, much less in such a short amount of time, but we have enough previous knowledge about it, and we're confident this is our best option"
Yuuri looked straight at Bob, "Then let's do it"
"Because we need as much power as possible, we will make us of the Earth's natural energy grid"
"Ley lines" realized Murata.
"Precisely. We will travel to the Devil's Sea, the Dragon's Triangle. We shall take a helicopter that will take us to one of my boats that is already there. No time to waste"
Feeling his heart beating faster, Yuuri nodded. They were close, and this could work, because Wolfr- No. He would not think beyond that, he couldn't face the idea of what he could find once in Shin Makoku. One crisis at the time.
"Shall we, then" said Bob, leading the group out of the studio.
Breathing wasn't supposed to burn but somehow it did, and his throat was so raw he could smell his own blood. He opened his eyes but that did no difference, the heavy, pressing darkness was the same.
He tried to call for help, for Shinu to say "this is not working!", to Yuuri "help me!", to Greta "I am so sorry", but he had stopped feeling his mouth long ago.
Then something pushed him up, or down, and he fell, and Wolfram could feel his mouth again and it was filled by water. Screaming was a reflex that made him choke just seconds before a pair of strong arms pulled him up.
Sunlight blinded him for a second, and someone was hitting him on the back, trying to keep him out of the water.
"Oh God, are you alright? Breathe, c'mon… oh God, how did you end up here?" said a frantic voice.
Wolfram looked up, still coughing, and saw that he was on a kind of floating board, a girl wearing a yellow bikini, with bright brown eyes was holding him up.
"C'mon boy… I will take you to shore, hang in there, head over the water, good, good stay like that"
Wolfram tried with all his might to do just that, holding on to the surfing board while the athletic girl guided them safely to shore. Minutes that felt like years passed, and suddenly he was on all fours, coughing up the water out of his lungs over wet sand.
The girl kept on hitting his back, which somehow made more water come out of his mouth.
"There you go… breathe in, c'mon, you're doing great"
Gasping, Wolfram raised his head and looked around. The sun was kissing the horizon, the sky a fiery red that reflected on the strong waves. The beach itself seemed like a solitary heaven, miles and miles of unperturbed dark sand.
"You-" cough, "saved me"
The girl smiled "you are lucky I saw you… boy, that was close. How did you end up there? You're not even wearing a bathing suit!"
Wolfram groaned, sitting up. It was only when breathing has no longer an urgent priority, that the pain of his wound came back. Wolfram groaned again, half laughing at the situation. What a picture he must make, a beaten up would-be savior that almost drowned just getting to Earth.
"It's complicated… what's your name?"
"I'm Emiko"
"Thank you Emiko, I own you my life" Wolfram looked up, trying to keep on breathing as normally as possible, his throat still raw and the saline smell of ocean water strong in his nose. "I'm Wolfram… tell me, how far are we from Saitama?"
"You can't be serious!" Emiko exclaimed, "You need to go to a hospital first"
"I will get all the help I need at Saitama, please… I need to ask you to help me again. It is a life or death situation, I wouldn't ask otherwise"
Emiko seemed undecided, looking back at the beach.
"We are not that far… but you seem hurt, and where did you come from, anyway?"
"Please, there is no time… it is very urgent. I beg you, help me again"
Wolfram had never begged for anything from a human, but this time he did, and he would continue to do so for as long as needed, because the lives of those he loved best were on the line, and there was no time, no space, for hurt pride. He needed to trust fate, and he needed to trust Emiko.
She signed, stood up and offered her hand.
"I really don't know why, but I believe you… I will help you, but you will have to change clothes if you are getting in my car"
An hour and a half later, Emiko left Wolfram in the middle of the city. He was wearing the purple shorts and orange shirt she had lent him, and after thanking her yet again, he walked to a public phone, from where he waved and saw her dive away in her small car. Making an effort to remember one of the telephone numbers Yuuri had asked all of them to memorize, Wolfram called what he knew to be Yuuri's house.
No one answer for a long time. And then the line went dead. And that had been the only and last coin Emiko had given him.
Wolfram gulped and hung up. Then picked up the phone again and dialed another number, one that did not require a coin. The second phone number Yuuri had made the brothers memorize was one of Bob's lines.
Someone picked up, but didn't talk.
"I am Wolfram von Bielefeld, and I need help"