"OK, take him to the bed, gently," Takada instructed as he and Tazuka helped to take Ryuki over to a bed in the infirmary. The extraction team had picked them up and brought them to Smart Brain. By them, it also meant the Spies.

Alex had a look of distress on her face as she watched Ryuki being laid set on the bed. A blindfold was used to cover his eyes so that no more damage could be done to his eyes. Alex just knew this was all her fault.

Ryuki had panicked for a little while but was now calm. Panicking would not help him and he knew that. Still, being blind was not something he particularly enjoyed. He sat up on the bed.

Takada removed the blindfold and took hold of several medical devices, some Sam had never seen before. He seemed to be able to use them well as he examined Ryuki's eyes.

"Crud," Takada grumbled as he backed away.

"So, what's wrong?" Ryuki asked.

"That beam must've burned your eyes from the inside out. That's why you're blind," Takada stated.

"Can we fix this?" Ryuki asked, worried.

Takada didn't know what to say. Should be tell his friend the truth.

"Oh, Leo!" Alex went over and hugged him. Ryuki felt her warm tears and hugged her. "It's all my fault!"

"It was instinct, Alex-chan," he spoke. "I had to protect you."

"But you-"

"Hush now."

The peaceful moment lasted for a few seconds, but even bliss would not last any longer.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Ichijyo spoke as he entered the infirmary. He appeared far too calm when one of his friends right now was blind. "So, you got any data from that place?"

"We did," Takada nodded. "It's being analyzed right now."

"I see," Ichijyo nodded. His eyes went over to the Dragon Rider and Yellow Spy. He walked over and said, "Maybe I can help."

"You can?" Alex asked, wiping a tear away.

"Just, let me do what I can," Ichijyo said. "Ryuki, I need you to trust me."

"I do," Ryuki nodded. Breathing in softly, Ichijyo placed his palms over Ryuki's eyes.

"What is he doing?" Sam asked Tazuka and then her eyes widened when Ichijyo's hands began to glow."

"Did I forget to mention Ichijyo is also a healer?" Tazuka commented. Sam just watched, speechless, as the glow brightened.

Ichijyo removed his palms from Ryuki's eyes. "Alright, how is it?"

Ryuki opened his eyes. They had their color back, but they were dull. He looked at his hands. "Everything looks so blurry."

"You're not blind anymore!" Alex hugged him.

Ryuki smiled. "Arigatou, Ichijyo-san."

Ichijyo didn't respond, "You can't go on this mission anymore."

"Why not?" Takada asked. "I mean, he's not blind anymore."

"Even so, he's already been compromised," Ichijyo said. "He needs to rest after this ordeal." His eyes turned towards Ryuki, "And that's an order. You are officially off this case."

"But-" Takada tried to protest.

"It's alright, Takada-san," Ryuki said softly. "I guess I could take a break from this mission."

"Good," Ichijyo nodded, actually glad that Ryuki was taking his orders seriously. "You all should return to your villas and await further orders. I'll also arrange for a replacement." Turning away, Ichijyo then walked out of the infirmary.

Tazuka was grateful that Ichijyo was able to repair nearly all the damage. Maybe it was because Ryuki was only blinded recently and could be helped. As soon as they cracked this case, maybe they could help the other victims too.

Clover frowned, "What a jerk. He's so…cold."

"I hear ya," Takada agreed.

"Ichijyo is just…different," Ryuki said in defense. He knew he needed to get contact lenses or at least glasses. He wasn't sure how bad his eyesight was, so an appointment with an eye doctor would be required. He knew what he had to do.

He had to call his mother.

She was not going to be happy.

"And that is what happened," Ichijyo finished explaining to Jerry whose face was on his computer screen.

"Oh dear," Jerry frowned. "That is difficult. I'm glad you managed to a least give Ryuki a chance to get his sight back."

"It was difficult," Ichijyo sighed. "I had no idea where the damage was so I had to go over the entire eye just to heal the damage. It is much easier when I know exactly what has been damaged."

"I see," Jerry nodded. "Then we might be able to reverse the process of we find out how they cause this affliction in the first place."

"Takada saw to that," the head of Smart Brain Japan explained. "Hopefully the data he downloaded will set us in the right direction."

"We can only hope," Jerry sighed. "How is everyone taking this?"

"Ryuki is taking it well, better than the others anyway," Ichijyo shrugged. "Takada, Clover, and Sam are very concerned. Tazuka is like a brother to Ryuki and is probably one of the most worried of us all."

"And Alex?" Jerry pressed.

"Probably taking it the worst, even if she isn't showing it," Ichijyo answered. "The guilt is coming off her in waves since Ryuki had been protecting her at the time. She is also fawning over him like he's made of china glass because of her feelings for him."

"Well, Alex is the most excitable of the three," Jerry nodded. "However, with her obvious affection for Ryuki in sight, I think I might have to have her stay with Ryuki for now, for both professional and personal reasons."

"Agreed," Ichijyo nodded. "Her distress over what happened and her desire to help will influence her judgment. Besides, knowing she's okay with keep Ryuki happy and vice versa."

Jerry smiled. As cold as Ichijyo tried to keep himself, he still had a very warm heart. Having known him for so long allowed the head of WOOHP to see it very easily.

"Ryu-chan!!" a female voice cried out through the infirmary walls.

"Nani?!" Ryuki blinked as he sat up.

"Huh?" Alex mumbled as she slowly began to wake up.

After Ichijyo had left to get preparations, Sam, Clover, Takada, and Tazuka left to give Ryuki some time alone. Alex had tried to apologize profusely, but Ryuki wouldn't hear of it. Eventually they both settled down to rest and fell asleep enjoying each other's company even if one couldn't properly see the other.

The door to the room burst open as a woman dashed through. Alex easily recognized her. She was not only a famous fashion designer, but they had met before during the last mission that the Riders and Spies had worked together on. She was Emiko Narukawa Hasuma and Ryuki's mother.

"Oh, my little Ryu-chan!" Emiko cried as she was instantly at her son's side and glomped him.

"Okaasan?" Ryuki mumbled through the body that had grabbed him. He had literally hadn't seen it coming.

"Yes, Ryu-chan," Emiko nodded. Tears were leaking out of her eyes. Her little baby boy had been turned practically blind and she really couldn't do anything about it. "It's me."

"Okaasan, I've told you not to call me that anymore," Ryuki said as he struggled out of his mother's embrace, embarrassed by the old childhood nickname. Of course, Alex had heard it. She might end up using it as a sign of affection.

"Of course," Emiko said, wiping her eyes away. She was glad to see that he was alright, save for the dull color of his eyes. "I'm just glad you didn't…" She let that statement hang.

"Mrs. Hasuma," Alex said, drawing the older woman's attention to herself. "It's my fault he got hurt. He was protecting me, and-"

"It isn't your fault," Emiko assured her, "Don't go thinking that."

"But-"

"Alex-chan, I told you before that it was not your fault. I'm happy to protect the people I care for. You know that," Ryuki assured her.

"Leo…"

Emiko smiled softly and then remembered something before digging into her purse, "Oh, I got these for you." She took out the item and put them on Ryuki's face. "Ta-dah!"

"Sugoi! I can see again!" Ryuki said as he touched the glasses. "Arigatou, okaasan!"

"Hello, we are back!" Takada announced as he came through the door, with Tazuka, Sam and Clover behind him. When he saw Ryuki, he froze…

And then broke out in a loud howl of laughter.

"Nani?" Ryuki cocked his head to the side. Why was Takada laughing?

"Oh…my…gosh," Clover giggled. She was apparently trying incredibly hard not to burst out laughing like Takada was.

"What is it?" Ryuki asked, getting slightly irritated. Just what was so funny? "Why are you laughing?"

"Um…-snort- nothing" Sam quivered. She was having some success in keeping her laughs in, but it was a losing battle.

Ryuki heaved a sigh and looked to Alex, who was blinking in surprise at her boyfriend. She wasn't laughing, but the shocked silence was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Alex-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, hoping for an answer.

"Um…" Alex frowned. "Uh…your glasses."

"Huh?" Ryuki blinked. "My glasses?"

Ryuki got up from his bed and walked over to the other end of the room. There was a mirror situated on the wall and so he could see what was so funny. As he managed to step in front of it, his jaw dropped at what was facing him.

"NANI!!"

Ryuki's face was adorned with a pair of glasses that had lenses that were incredibly thick. They magnified his eyes to a level where they looked like searchlights. It didn't help that the light was reflecting off of them and made him look even more like an alien.

"I dug those out when I got the news," Emiko smiled. "Ryu-chan wore them when he was ten years old. I knew it would be nice to have them packed away instead of thrown out like he wanted."

"Okaasaaaaaaaaaannn!" Ryuki moaned.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Takada laughed as he rolled on the floor. "Oh Kami-sama! It's too much! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Ryuki groaned in agitation. It was the third grade all over again.

"What is all the noise about?" Ichijyo asked as he stepped into the infirmary. When he got a look at Ryuki, he realized what was wrong. "Oh." Though his ever stoic expression was present, the edge of his lips was twitching painfully. He too found Ryuki's current appearance to be quite…amusing.

Of course, when Emiko locked her eyes on him, his skin paled. Emiko Narukawa Hasuma's anger was legendary, and added with her remarkable ability to channel electricity made her all the scarier, especially when her loved ones were involved. He could see the electricity crackling around her fingers and in her eyes. He knew the look all too well. It was the look of an overprotective mother whose child had gotten hurt.

"You told me you were going to take care of him!" Emiko snapped before zapping his feet. Ichijyo jumped out of the way. "I always knew this was dangerous!"

"Can we talk about this like civilized human beings?" Ichijyo asked, clearly scared as he ducked under a bolt of lightning. "Please?"

The Spies just looked on in surprise as Takada continued laughing, now at Ichijyo instead of Ryuki.

"His mother has powers," Tazuka explained. "She can generate electricity."

"Well, it does make sense if Leo can throw fireballs," Alex responded. "In a way."

Sam was getting a headache. She had been a spy for years and she should be used to crazy things like these by now.

Tazuka went over to Ryuki. "The glasses, Ryuki-kun," Tazuka requested. Ryuki removed the thick glasses and handed them over to Tazuka, who now looked like a blurry blob "And your goggles," Ryuki did as told without question. "I think we can figure something out."

"Don't just stand there laughing, mutt!" Ichijyo yelled, dodging another lightning bolt. "Do something!"

"I am," Takada said as he pointed the camera lens of his phone on the spectacle. "This is so gonna rock on YouTube!"

"MONGREL!!"

An hour after successfully calming an angry Emiko down, Tazuka returned with Ryuki's goggles. "Here, try these on," Tazuka said as he slipped the goggles on. The lenses weren't transparent anymore, but Ryuki could see through the opaque red lenses quite clearly. Also, his eyes didn't look incredibly large anymore.

"How do I look?" Ryuki asked.

Being the most fashion savvy, Clover said, "Well, it's better than those glasses at least."

"I had Prof. Murata refit Ryuki-kun's goggles with new lenses. Now he won't look so ridiculous," Tazuka explained. "This is a much better alternative."

"Arigatou, niisan," Ryuki bowed gratefully.

"So, now what?" Takada asked. "I mean, I doubt the kid's mom is gonna let him go on this mission now, eyesight fixed or whatever."

"You don't have to," Ichijyo spoke, entering the infirmary again with Emiko. "Mrs. Hasuma and I have talked about this and so Ryuki is officially off this case."

"Nani?" Ryuki responded, shocked. "Demo, okaasan…"

"You need to rest," Emiko said. "So you're coming back home with me."

"Also, Alex will be assigned to care for him while he's on leave," Ichijyo continued.

Alex thought over the prospects of being Ryuki's nurse. Despite being off the mission, this gave her the chance to spend more time with her boyfriend.

"Wait, Alex is part of our team," Sam objected, "You can't just pull her off a mission."

"I already discussed it with Jerry," Ichijyo said, "And, as long as you're allied with my team, you follow my orders."

"No way!" Clover stated, "I, like, seriously object this! We need Alex!"

"Girls, I'm okay with this," Alex said. "It's my fault that he's like this."

"Alex-chan, I told you not to blame yourself," Ryuki reminded.

"I still feel guilty about it."

"But, rest assured, Jerry has sent a replacement," Ichijyo said. Another person entered, dressed similarly in the Spies' uniforms, but this one in blue.

"Hey, girls!" the blue-clad Spy waved. "It's been awhile."