Title: A Light in the Dark

Category: Beyblade; chapter fic

Summary: Set at the beginning of the entire series. Tyson knows Kai is a jerk. He'd never do anything for the guy. After all, he not only had kidnapped Chief, he had also destroyed his beyblade. So, why is it when he ran into a half beaten, scared shitless Carlos that he will do anything to help save the leader of the Blade Sharks from a ruthless gang that won't think twice about killing their rival.

Pairing: Slight Kai/Tyson/Kai, more on friendship than deep relationship

Warning: slight shounen-ai; violence; foul language; suggestive themes

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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A Light in the Dark

Trouble Brews

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It was dark. Alleyways tended to be that way, whether daylight or night. Toxic fumes of garbage cans entered his nostrils as he tried to keep from coughing. That would only stop him from running. He couldn't stop. Not until he found help could he stop. He needed help. They needed help.

He panted, feeling sweat pour from underneath his bandanna. He clutched the priceless possession to his chest, feeling the sharp blades dig into his palm and fingers warningly. They were saying that he couldn't stop running. If he did, they'd catch him.

His legs wobbled as he strained them to their maximum limit. He'd been running for two hours now, all over the city, trying to find someone, anyone, that could help him, help them.

Turning a sharp corner onto the busy walkway, he finally stopped.

Only because he bumped into someone else who also fell to the concrete floor.

He panted, trying to get air back into his burning lungs. His feet and legs felt like they were on fire, spasming every few seconds in pain. He grit his teeth against it, still trying to get his lungs to take in that needed air.

"Carlos?" a voice asked, causing him to look up.

There before him stood that annoying Tyson Granger and his two other annoying friends, as well as one Carlos had never seen before. 'Of all the people I run into....'

"Tyson?" he asked but stopped, hearing hurried footsteps behind him. "Shit " He quickly got to his feet, turning around just in time to see his pursuers rounding the corner he had just taken.

They stopped.

"Well, looks like we finally caught you Sharky-boy," one of them taunted.

The Shark growled, unconsciously taking half a step backwards.

"Who are you guys?" Tyson asked, glancing at the worried teen beside him. These guys obviously meant business.

The two smirked at the dragon. "We are members of the street gang Bey-Hawks, and little Sharky there not only escaped us but also has something that our leader wants."

"And he sure as hell is not getting it " the teen cried, glaring at the two. The only way they'd get that item was if they pried it from his cold, dead fingers.

And even then, they'd have to fight his spirit.

The two continued to smirk as they brought out their beyblades. "Oh, I think he is."

Tyson stepped forward. "Hey, guys, is there really any reason to bring out the blades? Come on. Let's talk about this."

"We don't talk, kid," the shorter one replied. "He ran. He has something that belongs to our leader, and he's coming with us dead or alive."

Carlos took another step backwards, intent on running again. He couldn't let them have that small item that was given to him for safe keeping. He just couldn't.

"Come on, Sharky-boy," the other said, a wide smirk on his face. "Just give it to us. You hand it over now without any hassle, we'll put in a good word for you and your captain's teachings. Maybe it'll even give us all a good night's sleep without your little girl of a captain screaming all through the place."

The smaller snorted. "He does scream like a girl when hit, doesn't he?"

Carlos's growl turned dangerous. "Shut it, you bastards " he said, ice cold words dripping.

The two looked at him, surprise flashing for a second in their eyes before they brought up their blades and readied them for launch.

'What is going on?' Tyson thought. 'Something with Kai and the Blade Sharks?' He spared a glance at Andrew and Max, nodding. They all three took out their beyblades. Kenny backed up a little, opening his laptop. This was going to get very interesting.

"I don't know what's going on," Tyson started, getting in position to launch his blade, "but I can't just stand by and watch as two guys attack another person with beyblades, and he's unarmed."

"You best stay out of this, kid," the taller commented, his eyes never leaving Carlos, as the bandanna wearing boy trembled slightly and took another step back, his glare completely offsetting his body's actions.

The other beyblader seemed to lose all patience as he launched his blade, the sharp edges heading straight for the dark haired teen's chest. It would have worked, his impatience, if a new, shiny, silver beyblade had not connected with it, sending the small thing flying.

Tyson smirked a little as he observed his impressive launch. He was definitely getting better. Looking over at the other street blader, he noticed Max and Andrew dealing with him and doing a good job of it, too. Turning his attention back to his own battle, he saw the black beyblade that was the smaller street blader's head back for Carlos. The Blade Shark tensed, ready for the impact he knew was coming. Tyson frowned. The teen wouldn't get hurt. Not if he had something to say about it. Sending his blade forward again, Dragoon collided with the dark blade, knocking it back again. The dragon tamer nodded. This was his chance.

"Dragoon, finish him!" he called to his silver beyblade, watching in mild astonishment as the blue dragon rammed into the black beyblade, shattering it to pieces.

The younger of the two street bladers gulped, backing off a bit before he realized that his partner had lost as well, his orange beyblade parts littering the streets. "Just wait," he cried, "you haven't seen the last of us, Sharky-boy. You, too, kid." They left as quickly as they had come.

A large sigh erupted from behind the three beybladers and strategist, causing them to turn around as a thump followed. Carlos sat there, hand still up around his chest as he continued to protect the small item, breathing heavily and allowing his body to relax. "I should have listened to Kai when he said I needed to run more," he muttered, flexing his still spasming legs.

"Carlos?" Tyson's voice caused the bandana wearing boy to look up. "What is going on?"

The dark skinned teen shook his head. "We need to get somewhere safe and private before I even say a word."

The others nodded as Tyson and Max helped the street blader to his feet and continued their trek to the Granger dojo.

-S-S-S-

Carlos sighed again, taking another sip of water. He was sitting at the kitchen table of Tyson's home, letting his legs rest and drinking a large glass of water while the dragon bid his grandfather farewell to wherever he was going. The blonde - Max, he found out - sat next to him, nursing a small glass of tea while that idiot blader Andrew sat on his other side, eyes never leaving him. Obviously, the trust didn't fly very far in this group. The strategist he remembered kidnaping sat in another chair on the other side of Andrew, the seat beside Max empty until Tyson finally returned.

"Okay, Carlos," the dragon started, actually serious, "what is going on?"

The Blade Shark sighed yet again, closing his eyes and leaning a bit further into his seat. He sat there for a few moments, getting his thoughts together. He figured the others thought he wasn't going to answer, but he had no choice. The others needed help, and so far, these teens were the only ones willing to give any. Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling. "About a week ago, Kai got a letter saying that an old street gang was back in town. The letter didn't say who they were, but I guess Kai being Kai knew already. About two years ago, when the Blade Sharks were first forming, Kai had a bad run-in with one of the other street gangs. They called themselves the Bey-Hawks. Ruthless, and ready to cut your throat as soon as they caught sight of you, Kai finally drove them out of their territory after a three month long fight with them. Eventually, Kai kicked them out of Japan completely, getting the other street gangs to help him. He had an idea that street bladers were only beybladers, not guys who went around and killed people for a living with beyblades. The other gangs around agreed, and helped him.

"Every year after that, Kai always got a letter from an unknown source that the Bey-Hawks were wanting to reclaim their territory. He'd always challenge their leader instead of involving us and starting a massacre. It's said that if he were to ever lose against the Bey-Hawk leader, they would gain not only their old territory back but also every single one of the Blade Sharks." He stopped, shaking his head and taking another sip of water.

"This year, Kai was the one challenged on our own turf. It was different than the others, and we found out why. They had a new leader. I'd never seen him before. He was ruthless, launching kicks and punches along with his beyblading attacks. Kai was better, though, and fought him back. He would have lost, too, if he hadn't have pulled a knife."

"A knife?" Tyson gasped.

Carlos nodded, still not looking at the four. "Yeah, if it had been a legal, or regular, beyblade match, the thing would have stopped, and Kai would have won, but there were no rules in this one. I've seen Kai fight. I've seen him disarm grown men that carried guns, knives, everything you could think of, but it was like this guy could read his moves." He stopped again, swallowing. "As Kai went to get the knife from him, he attacked, and the knife went into Kai's stomach. After he was kicked down, Kai tried to get up, but they called the match off! They declared him the winner, and they wouldn't let Kai finish the match! His beyblade was still spinning, and he was getting up, but they stopped! So, now, they have all of the Blade Sharks, our territory, and even Kai." He couldn't go on. Tears of frustration appeared at the corners of his eyes. He banged a fist on the table before wiping them away.

"Those guys that were chasing you," the blonde said, trying to divert the teen's anger, "what were they after?"

Carlos swallowed, getting himself under control. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out the small item. "Kai had come over to me before they started pulling people away and gave me this. He told me to keep it safe, and no matter what happened, I wasn't allowed to give it to them."

Opening his hand, Tyson gasped as his stormy eyes caught sight of blue metal and the red center.

Kai's beyblade sat in the center of Carlos's palm. The edges of the attack ring were heavily chipped, but the dragon wielder could feel the hatred radiating off the phoenix's image.

"Dranzer's pissed," the female, electronic voice of Dizzy commented as the Chief opened his laptop.

"How can you tell?" Andrew asked, leaning on the table to get a better look at the small beyblade.

The trapped bitbeast snorted. "I am a bitbeast, remember? I can feel his emotions coming from the bit, and boy is he pissed."

"What's he saying, Dizzy?" Kenney asked, fixing his glasses as Carlos set Kai's beyblade on the table.

The electronic voice hummed a bit before answering, "Oh, he's just going on about that beyblade match. He's also worried about Kai. He says that if we are going to do something to save the Blade Sharks, we need to do it fast."

Carlos's head snapped up. "Why, what's wrong?"

"According to Dranzer, if they keep up their 'discipline' method with Kai, he won't last much longer," the solemn voice commented.

Tyson bit his lip as the others' faces turned sheet white. Kai wasn't exactly a person he would go through Hell and back for. The phoenix wielder had smashed his beyblade the first time they met, kidnaped Kenney, and thought he was better than him. Why would he want to save a jerk from a fate he probably deserved? Looking up, he noticed Carlos's worried face. The street blader was starting to hyperventilate, eyes wide and fearful as he thought about what life would be like without Kai. Tyson shook his head. He couldn't believe that a selfish prick like Kai was worth the time of day, but then, it could be because he didn't know the teen. After all, the Blade Sharks seemed to respect him. He did fight fairly. Carlos did say that his idea of a street blader was one who beybladed by different rules than in the arena.

But he kidnaped Kenney.

But he didn't hurt the strategist. Not to mention, it wasn't really his idea.

He destroyed Dragoon that day at the riverbank.

Kai was stronger than he was. Things like that happen. Not to mention, he was teaching Carlos another beyblading lesson, like any leader would do.

He's cold, and heartless.

According to Carlos, that's just a mask covering who he really was.

'Could it be that Kai has more good traits than bad?' the dragon thought to himself. He continued to study Carlos, even as the dark skinned teen calmed down enough to talk.

"Please," he begged, face worn and tired, "please help me get Kai and the others out of there. Please."

Tyson's stormy orbs locked with Carlos's own. The dragon nodded, completely serious. "I'll help."

Max beamed, slinging an arm around Tyson and Carlos's necks. "I'll help, too! It's not right for people to hurt one another."

Kenney watched the three as the street blader removed the American's arm but still giving a thank you. He smiled. "I'll help where I can. Dizzy and I can direct you guys to the best path past those street bladers to get the others."

"Damn right!" the bitbeast replied.

Andrew sighed. "I know this isn't going to change anything between us and you Blade Sharks, but I guess I'll help, too."

Tyson smiled and nodded. "It's settled then. Tomorrow, we'll get the others back. We'll get some sleep tonight, make a plan tomorrow, and then at night, we attack!" Throwing a fist in the air, he gave a warrior cry, Max joining in.

Carlos shook his head, smirking. They weren't much, but they were all he had. He had to get Kai and his teammates out of there. He had a responsibility, and he was going to act upon it.

-S-S-S-

Tired, crimson orbs stretched upwards, catching a small glimpse of the almost-full moon out of the small window. Silver rays formed a blanket around the white globe as he watched. The stars twinkled almost like children eyes winking. The clouds danced along to a silent tune the wind whispered. It was calm outside, and how he wished he was there.

He tried moving, but his limbs didn't cooperate as they remained motionless in the large puddle of velvet red that was his blood.

'Carlos,' the broken phoenix muttered in his mind, 'hurry.' Even as his thoughts were registered, they were leaving, the black fog of unconsciousness returning yet again. Streaks that reflected the silver rays ran down the set of painted cheeks just as he succumbed to the darkness that surrounded him.

'Dranzer...'

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Well, that's it for chapter one. What ya think? My second Tyson/Kai/Tyson fic, and I decided to take a road that I know so well! ^^ Action! Woo-hoo! ^^

Tell me what you think. Should I continue? Should I put chapter two up sometime soon? Let me know!

So, review!