Tina was furious. She had so many questions and Belaphorde had no answer. Kaigo had been stabilized enough to be moved downstairs and could be treated by doctors without anyone's life being in danger. The Esper was still weak. Even with his heightened physique, days without nutrition, movement, and carrying suffocating amounts of ichor had left him without any strength to move and difficulties breathing. But most importantly, Belaphorde had performed some sort of miracle, and their S-ranker wasn't lost. There was hope to get a team together to fight the Kaiju.
Tina sighed in defeat after another round of questions and decided to send in Belaphorde and Vigo for continued Guiding sessions. This time there would be proper instruments to record the process.
Alone in the bathroom while Bel was getting ready he observed himself in the mirror. In the middle of his chest a small black gem gleamed back at him. It was barely larger than a grain of rice. He reached out for it. It was cold to the touch and sent a sudden jolt of electric energy across his body. Belaphorde was intrigued and terrified. He felt that this thing was dangerous. Guiding was crystallizing his body. It gave him the power to be of use. He needed to hide it. It was his secret. But he told himself that he wouldn't be stupid about it. He'd observe and take his own careful notes to understand this thing growing in him. Belaphorde opened the medical cabinet and covered the gem with a somewhat matching ‘invisible-bandaid’. Put on his shirt, and told the others he was ready for another Guiding session.
Kaigo lit up like a firecracker when they walked in. “My heroes! Welcome to my crib. Sorry for the late welcoming. Things, and stuff, you know.” He trailed off.
“Thank you kindly. The circumstances have indeed been most unfortunate. My name is Vigo. Esper. Father and companion to the greatest goddamned Guide there ever was.” Vigo beamed with pride. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He finished with a nod and gently clasped Kaigo's hand since they couldn't have a proper handshake.
“That's awesome. Can I call you Dad? I'm sorta aiming to become an in-law.” Kaigo giggled with a sleepy drawl to his speech.
“Listen, kid, I don't know what the two of you have been up to, but reel it all back. Sleazy jokes are not appreciated. The one reason you could call me father is that I cleaned your diaper while you were out cold.” Vigo jabbed back in a friendly manner.
“Thank you kindly for that. I was out, out, out bad. You didn't see anything, erm, shocking?”
“No worries young man, my work was strictly clinical. No one has seen anything. I'm no doctor but I do respect your privacy.”
“Cool. Thanks for being cool about it. I’m so happy to be back on my happy pills and shots.”
Kaigo and Vigo shared an understanding look while Belaphorde was spacing out. He had no energy to analyze or care about what Kaigo was talking about.
“Look at you. All skin and bones. And with my clothes? Have they not been feeding you properly or taking you shopping?” Kaigo caught Belaphorde’s eyes.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“It's good to see you up.” Belaphorde greeted without further comment.
“Wheey- “ Kaigo's words became slurred as he nestled into his pillows. “Come on. Guiding and napping time.” He murmured.
Under Tina's watchful eyes, Belaphorde held on to the other's hands.
***
They fell into a rhythm of Belaphorde and Vigo guiding for about an hour and then rest for one. Healers and doctors came by during which the duo was asked to leave. It was slow work and Belaphorde found it increasingly difficult to keep his mind engaged to not lose out on his technique. It was also much harder to keep reading, praying, or solving math equations when the patient wasn't as quiet as Vigo, even if Kaigo was mostly a tired in-coherent mess.
On the third day after Kaigo had awakened, Belaphorde got a call from Tobi. He slipped away into a corner of the garden and answered in a polite customer-service voice.
“Hello Tobias. How can I help you today?”
“Knock that shit off Bel I'm actually being hunted as we speak. I'm going to die.”
“Your voice is echoey today. Where are you?”
“The abandoned factory. You know that Skull girl with the mask? She found me yesterday. Was ready to electrocute my ass but I got away and now I'm here with nothing but my phone and a pack of smokes.”
“Are you injured?”
“I think starving and hopeless counts as injuries.” Tobi paused for a while. “Wait a minute. No. A car is coming this way. Fuck. Bel. I'm going to fucking die save me. You said you could get me money. Said that I had to wait. I've been so kind and patient with you please for the love of God.” Tobi pleaded and wept.
“You are right. Sorry for making this all last minute. You find a hiding spot and hold on. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
“You better not be lying to me.”
“I'll be there. Trust me.” Belaphorde hung up and marched over to Kaigo's room.
“Good day sunshine. You look serious today.”
“Time is sensitive so please listen to me. My friend is trapped in the Outskirts and will die if I don't go and save him. I know you have ways to get out in an emergency. How can I get out to the Outskirts immediately?”
“Ok. That's sure a request. I can get you out but there will be mega consequences.”
“It's a matter of life and death. I'll carry the consequences.”
“Alright. Loud and clear. I don't know the wisdom of sending out a brittle Guide, but you don't seem one for a traditional healer role.”
“Good. How do I get out?”
“In case of a red alert, the Guild will press a button which opens all the locked doors in this house and a private road going across the walls of the city so I can drive right where I'm needed, be it inside or outside the city. You just follow the flashing yellow lights and there will be a tunnel to take you outside.”
“So you just have to call a red alert? Can you do that?”
“I never really thought about it but technically I'm high enough in the security chain and have the number to trigger an alert. No one has ever abused the system so, yeah, let's call it!”
Belaphorde's heart pumped with anticipation. This was so dumb, risky, and last minute but he could not beat another death on his hands.
Syrens bleated out their cries. Belaphorde sprinteo to the garage door. He grabbed the shield from the armory and a helmet, mounted the dirt bike, and sped off before anyone could stop him. The pieces had come together to give Belaphorde this opportunity. It was time to do something right and kick into action.
***
The sun gleamed over Belaphorde’s black vizor. The speed, the road, the wind, the ice in his chest; it was exhilarating. The scene of driving on an empty straight road over the city was like something out of a movie. Once out of Kaleido the dirt, rubble, and despair passed right by. The storm had left for bone-dry heat. The bike remained steady through the bumps and turns. Belaphorde remembered the way out into the pine woods and had a good enough sense of direction to route past barricades and the craters left by the Kaiju. His phone buzzed in his pocket but Belaphorde would not stop for anything. He had found the tracks from the jeep that the Mask must have used. If it could get through the storm-ravaged forest so could he.
He found the jeep parked on the road blocked by fallen trees. The fence that surrounded the property was broken beyond repair. The factory remained as he had remembered it. Rusty and stubbornly still standing.
“Look, there he is! I told you he would come!” Belaphorde heard Tobi’s shrill voice call out from the courtyard.