Holding a pair of chopsticks, Katz sat on the table, a bowl of tonkotsu ramen topped with an astronomical amount of naruto, chicken galore, but no nori. Glancing at the bowl, Albert sneered. "Dumme Katze, you're destroying the glory of ramen itself, you desecrator. Why, for the authentic taste, you sh—"
Bang!
"Please, please help me! Help me—
Closing his lips with his fingers, Albert ruffled his hair, mad that his lunch was interrupted, yet still could not do anything. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed before pulling a stool from beneath the counter. "Okay, tell me what happened. And no, you cannot cry."
Breathing deeply, Subaru recounted what happened to him during the past few weeks, culminating in the kidnapping. Meanwhile, Albert just listened, not disrupting the story.
After the recount, Subaru gazed up, hoping, praying that he would help him. Just as his hopes were raised, Albert stood up and went inside the shop. Saddened, Subaru's shoulders slumped in despair. Uncle, aunt, Hinata, Ryu…
I'm sorry...
"What're you waiting for, you schwachsinnig, we don't have time. The quicker you come in, the quicker we can leave. Oh, and Katz, leave that stupid bowl of ramen. We've got work to do..."
Hope rising once more, he sniffled, wiping the tears streaming down his face. Rising from the stool, he followed the old man into the back room. Expecting it to be as weird as the lobby, he was pleasantly surprised.
He expected to find dinosaur skulls, WWII pistols, blacklisted CIA weapons, and whatnot. Instead, he found an old, comfy chair, a mini-fireplace where coffee was being made in a cute kettle, and a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, all in one. But there was a random door in the middle of the room, which seemed out of place.
"Umm, where does the—
Before he could say anything, Albert went to the door, where he revealed a hidden panel. He pressed the passcode, revealing an iris scanner, where he proceeded to scan his right eye. Subaru, confused, wondered why all this was necessary.
Only after the door opened did he understand the reasons.
He watched in awe as the door retracted in a sci-fi manner, dissolving into the crevices of the doorway. Before the shock could even set in, the room inside began to expand, trapezoidal ripples expanding the room. Mouth open, he shuffled to the doorway, standing beside the grinning Albert, arms crossed, proud of his achievements.
The expansion began to speed up until it encompassed what seemed like the size of Asia.
And that's what he can see!
"Come on, kid, we haven't got all day. Let's boogie! Rubbing his hands in glee, he grabbed Subaru by the arm, hoisting him onto a travelator. Just before they took off, Katz barreled towards them, ramen noodles stuck beneath his nose.
Eyes rolling, he chastised the cat, "Stupid cat, can't you just eat in peace. It won't take long anyways..." Katz shook his head, clearly wanting to join their little expedition. Sighing, Albert started the travelator, which began to lift, much to Subaru's wonder.