I do not own Beyblade or any characters associated with the series. I do, however own the character Vita, she is mine.

Blackout

/Chapter 1/

It was the smell that hit him first, that copper-like smell of exposed flesh and blood that made him nauseous. He was aware of a large mass in his peripheral vision. He looked down and his heart seemed to skip a lifetime of beats. His wife lay still and lifeless at his feet. He fell to his knees and lifted her head gently, calling her name, wishing she would wake up, but knowing that she never would again.

Kai Hiwatari cradled his wife's head. With tears streaming down his face he looked at the living room that he and Vita had so lovingly decorated and made their own. It was now a mess: tables turned over, lamps smashed, wallpaper slashed and everything covered in blood. As he looked down again he realised that he too was covered in blood. But whose? And how?

It was then that he noticed the biting pain in his left hand. He hadn't noticed this before and when he saw what was there the very air became thick and seemed to choke him. It was as if his fear had manifested itself into this dark shroud that surrounded him taunting his soul. Even in the meagre light the reflection from the surface of the object seemed to sear his eyes. He dropped the knife and as it clattered loudly on the wooden floor he leapt away from it as if it were suddenly alive. He kept going until he bumped into a small table that occupied the corner of the room. The large vase that stood on top fell in slow motion to the hard floor and shattered. It had been an engagement gift to him two months ago. Kai almost laughed at the irony-

There was noise outside in the hall. Kai was immediately on the alert. It might be the killer returning. But wasn't that him? The confusion made his head hurt and he felt as if he would pass out. His body had other ideas however and the pain in his hand reasserted itself making Kai wince. He decided that he must have picked up the knife without thinking, in shock.

Murderers rarely return to the scene of the crime, however, despite what Colombo and a certain old biddy says. He was only on the fourth floor of his block of apartments so it could just be someone heading upstairs. As if in answer to this rationalisation Kai heard the familiar voice of Ray from across the hall.

"Kai…. Vita…. Anyone home?" he knocked loudly on the open door and raising his voice slightly said: "I heard some shouting and a crash…. Is everything al-

Kai despaired as Ray took in the scene, looking from him to Vita and then the knife. Kai just had time to blurt out "Ray…I didn't do it…" Ray had already begun backing into the corridor. Then he turned and ran. Kai heard his neighbour's door slam as he reached his own. He ran towards it and began to knock loudly. Banging loudly on it would only scare the guy even more.

"Leave us alone Kai," was the only reply he got. He also heard Mariah (Ray's wife's) voice change from one filled with terror and sorrow to one filled with pure hatred.

"That bastard killed poor Vita," she spat.

Kai began to plead with them "Please Ray, open the door! You know me! You know I didn't do it!"

"I'm sorry Kai…I've called the police. If you didn't do it you've got nothing to worry about…I'm sorry."

Kai considered this. It was fair enough. What the man had walked into must have looked bad. Just as he began to understand what Ray was feeling he heard the distinctive click of a bullet being chambered and he knew that the police would never believe him. He just about believed himself. He felt for his car keys in his trouser pocket and grabbed his jacket from just inside the doorway of his apartment. He took one last look at Vita who was still lying there like a fallen statue. It wasn't a dream.

For a brief moment that he couldn't understand he felt anger, not at the person who had done this, but rather at her, but why? Maybe in some crazy way he hated her for leaving him, although it wasn't her fault. He didn't have time to thinking about it. He headed downstairs to his '97' Dodge. The windscreen was iced up on the cold December night but he jumped in all the same and cleared some of it of as best he could with the wipers. He slammed it in gear and drove away. He looked in the mirror and saw the flashing red and blue lights of the ambulance crew and police approaching the scene. He changed the angle of the mirror so that he could look at his face. His slate blue hair and clear garnet eyes stared back at him. Were those the eyes of a murderer? He didn't know anymore.

Kai had been driving for an hour and a half and didn't know where he was going. He was approaching a highway that would take him out of New York City but he was tired and physically exhausted. He hadn't seen any police for miles so he turned into a little alley on the left and stopped. He needed to sleep for a while as he had a long journey to nowhere ahead of him.

…Red. All Kai could see was red. He tried to call out, but his mouth didn't work. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't work. In fact it seemed like he had no body at all. He was about to panic when his vision began to clear. He saw Vita, her features twisted with pain and terror. She clutched at her stomach and blood seeped between her fingers. He tried to rush to her but his body didn't respond. Instead it raised its left hand, which held the knife glinting even though they were surrounded by darkness. As the knife went down in a fatal arc Kai tried to cry out again, but it was in vain. His body, which had a mind of its own kept slashing and slashing in every direction until she finally sagged to the floor, her throat cut. A scream arose from all around him. It sounded like his voice, screaming her name over and over-

Kai opened his eyes. He had woken himself up and he leaned forward against the steering wheel crying. The sound of a horn made him look up. There had just been a near miss on the road outside the alley. He raised his eyes from the scene slightly and saw a man approaching the alley. When Kai saw the uniform he sat bolt upright in the seat. He hurriedly found the ignition and turned the car on. When the cop saw the lights he began to run towards the alley, shouting into his radio.

Kai floored the gas and the powerful car shot out of the alley. He turned left and had trouble keeping control. After all he wasn't used to high speed driving. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the cop running back to his squad car. When Kai got to the intersection he didn't know which way to go, but the flashing lights on either side decided for him. He shot straight across heading to god knows where. All he knew was that he had to get away…

Kai Hiwatari sat in his car driving a breakneck speed and thought of how much he hated himself. He glanced into the mirror for about the 5th time and saw the flashing red and blue lights of his pursuers. He knew they were there but he felt compelled to keep checking. The weather had changed and the rain beat against the windscreen so hard that he wondered how long the car would remain watertight. In spite of this he was still doing almost 100 down the highway.

He had done it. That was for sure. He remembered. He didn't know why but he remembered killing Vita, brutally and without mercy. He must have blacked out or something. That was the only explanation for not remembering it before. Another murderous psycho like those on cable. Kai lost control. He began to pummel his own body, lashing out at anything and everything. The pain was intense, but he couldn't stop. He almost felt like he had to get back at the body that had committed such a hateful act of violence. He couldn't steer the car and it veered of the road and down the steep bank. Kai looked up in time to see the tree dangerously close… Maybe he deserved it-

Kai sat at the living-room table, his head in his hands. He was aware of his wife standing behind him. He spoke: "How long has it been going on?"

"Since before we were married," she replied.

There was a long pause and Kai found that he couldn't even cry. The whole situation was laughable…

"You bitch!" he said through clenched teeth. "You go, but you won't get one cent out of me. You know that don't you? Over my dead fucking body!"

Vita had been standing behind him, quiet. Speaking only when spoken to. 'What a good little wife.' She had been peeling something, potatoes maybe, when he came in and she had stopped to tell him the 'special news.' He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All along they were living a complete lie. He stood, not wanting to hear anymore. All he knew was that he wanted her gone. He would take a walk and when he came home she would be gone.

"Get out," were the last two words he said to her. He turned and took one last look at his wife. He looked into her eyes and saw no love in them, but how after 2 years? His anger built up, anger at Vita and at himself. He lashed out, slapped her hard across the face. As the blood trickled down her chin Kai immediately felt deep remorse.

In her eyes the nothingness that was there before changed to a burning rage. Without even looking she grabbed the knife from behind her and brought it straight up toward his gut. Time was moving at light speed as he caught her hand. He could feel the hate radiating from her as she scream and shouted, cursing him and his anger flared. With ease he turned the blade towards her and shoved hard… the blade passed just underneath her breastbone and she shrieked in pain and surprise.

Kai was in such a blind rage that he didn't even hear her. He didn't pause. Instead he removed the blade and kept on stabbing at the body that caused him so much pain. He couldn't even see her anymore. All he could see was red….

Doctor Kenny Smith looked at the new coma patient- Hiwatari, Kai- shoved his hands into the pockets of his white coat and shrugged. "We don't get many of these cases at the New Jersey," he said to the cop standing by the door.

"Happens all the time doc," the cop replied. "He's one of the lucky ones; he's getting away with it."

"Oh I don't know. I spoke to one coma patient who said that he relived memories over and over." He sighed to himself. "That's got to be the worst prison of all don't you think?" He turned and followed the cop outside. The low beep of the heart monitor sounded a stable beat as if it would go on forever. In the distance the voice of the doctor said:

"He could be here for weeks, months or even years…. May god help his soul…."