Two faces peered out of the thick, thorny umbrage carefully. They scrutinized the dark, murky fortress before them and analyzed the situation.
"Okay," began Tyson, his tone of voice slightly hinting impatience. "Storm has been kidnapped again."
"No surprise there," Kai added.
" And we need to rescue her."
"No problem there! Oh "
"So what are we waiting for?"
Kai looked down, disappointed. "I forgot my bey."
"Forget it Kai. You don't need a bey to save Storm."
"Yeah I do," he argued fervently. "It's my lucky bey."
Tyson waved the subject off. "It doesn't matter. Come on, you beyless freak, let's get a move on."
The two Boys crept stealthily towards the castle gates, hoping their mission would go as smoothly as all the others.
"Let me go, you big, ugly brute!" Storm kicked and shouted as she was carried over Dark dranzer's shoulder.
"No use fighting wolf. You know you love me."
"Ugh, someone gag me, please."
Dark Dranzer stopped walking. "You mean it?"
Storm gawked in disgust. "Ewe! NO!"
The Bird king shrugged and continued walking down the hall to the dungeon. "Just checking."
"Pervert "
Depositing the wolf on the floor, he stepped back and grinned smugly.
"All you have to do is say the magic word Storm, and you can have your freedom."
"Tsk, yeah freedom from these ropes! Find some other broad to kidnap. There's no way I'm marrying you."
Dark dranzer sneered at her and crossed to the exit. "Why don't you think about it?"
"In your dreams!" she shouted as the thick, wooden door to the prison slammed loudly. Sighing dejectedly, Storm shifted her weight to make herself more comfortable in the barely lit cellar. She jumped at the sound of immediate growling, snarling, maybe even barking. Swallowing, she wondered just what was in the dungeon with her when she was distracted by another noise; a nearby pipe's lid, which had been nailed shut, came crashing off, and out popped the boys. Storm, of course, was ecstatic.
"Oh, Tyson! And ...who are you?"
Casting a confused glance around him, Kai shrugged. "Kai. Who else would I be?"
" oh yeah! Didn't recognize you without the bey."
The young man frowned at his friend who had already started to loosen the ropes from Storm.
"I'm so glad you two are here!" she breathed. "I have a bad feeling that we're not alone."
At this point, the door slammed open again and Dark dranzer stormed in.
"Well, not anymore at least," grumbled Tyson.
Dark dranzer roared. "What's this? Tyson? He turned to the younger boy with an odd look on his face. "Who the heck are you?!"
Exhaling heavily, Kai threw his hands up in the air. "I'm Kai! Geez "
"Oh right! By the way, you're missing your bey. Well, hiwatari and Granger, this is a nice surprise."
"No kidding. Considering we meet you about every other week "
"That's beside my point. I'll let you have the wolf "
"Really?" the duo exclaimed in unison.
" if you can get past my latest form of defense."
"And that would be?" asked Tyson, unfazed.
"You'll see." Nothing happened for a second or two, until they noticed the low growling. Cautiously, Tyson crept closer to the sound which came from behind a steel barred gate.
"Well, I hear it," Kai commented just before the thing coughed and a big pile of spit flew into his friend's face.
" I feel it," Tyson grumbled, wiping it off with his sleeve disgustedly. Storm looked over his shoulder as two ugly yellow-orange eyes pierced the dark cage.
"Now I see it!" she cried out, gulping.
"Stand back!" Tyson shouted as the gate lifted. More angry yellow eyes joined the first pair, and the boys had a feeling these creatures didn't come in peace. A troop of Koopas emerged from the cage, but these were no ordinary overgrown reptiles. These turtles were ravenous, wild, and far more threatening. Tyson, Kai and Storm were quite anxious as they were surrounded in what was slowly becoming a ring of wild Koopas.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Tyson mumbled.
"I don't think Dark dranzer is sane anymore! What did you do to them?" cried Kai, staring nervously at the angry, red-shelled animals.
"That's none of your concern. Right now you should be running for your lives."
"Their like rabid dogs," noticed Tyson, swallowing hard.
Kai looked at him from the corners of his eyes. "Well, this wasn't part of the plan. What now, genius?"
Tyson just shrugged helplessly, backed against his friend, the two of them slowly turning, Storm helplessly wringing her hands next to them. The circle of maddened turtles sneered, baring their teeth at the boys.
"Use your swords!" storm shouted at them, trying her best to stay out of reach.
"Why is she always the smart one?" Kai wondered aloud, unsheathing his long steel weapon alongside Tyson. With a unison shout, they attacked. Every Koopa in their reach was sliced away or stabbed Dead. Dark dranzer groaned, instantly knowing he was losing the battle.
Kai almost laughed as he fought, swinging his Sword left and right. "One little, two little, three little Koopas " SMACK, BAM. "Four little five little-" CRUNCH.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, tugging on his end of the Sword, the other end clenched between a Koopa's fearsome teeth. "Give it back!" They played tug of war until it snapped in half with a loud crack. Kai stared at the broken end sadly.
"Don't tell me ' WHAM ' that was your lucky Sword," grunted Tyson, still beating off the beasts. Kai frowned angrily.
"No, but it was my favorite-agh! Get off!" He tried to shake himself free from a Koopa that had latched onto his lower arm, it's sharp teeth biting down hard. "AGH! Tyson!"
At the same time, Storm screamed as a Koopa charged her way. Leaping over two more of the monsters, Tyson slashed it away swiftly before it had a chance to get close. Storm sighed, relieved.
"Whoa!" The Koopa tugged on Kai's arm, dragging him down. He fell to the ground with a grunt, his eyes growing wide as the circle of what few monsters remained grew tighter around him. "Uh Tyson?"
"Got ya!" His friend slashed the beasts away, and the hungry Koopa relented, releasing Kai's arm and retreating. Tyson took his hand, grabbing the wolf's as well, and they ran to their freedom.
"Adios Dark dranzerino!" called Kai before he pushed Storm down the pipe and slid in himself.
"Ciao!" shouted Tyson gleefully.
Dark dranzer grumbled to himself. "I should never cut deals with boys."
"You should have been more careful," Tyson admonished as the nurse cleaned and bandaged his friend.
"I'd like to see you try and fight off some crazy Koopas, without your lucky bey and with only half your favorite Sword. OW!" he yelped. "That stings."
"Be a big boy, and you'll get a lolly," teased the nurse. Kai leered at Tyson. "Looks like I've got a mother to pamper me-yeowch!"
"Will you be all right Kai?" asked Storm worriedly.
"Oh yeah," he boasted, flexing his bandaged arm. "I'm as strong as an ox! Oooh " He grunted painfully.
"And twice as stupid," mumbled Tyson.
"Hey! I resent that!"
"Well maybe it would teach you to be more careful!" Tyson retorted before storming from the room.
"Sheesh, what's eating him?" Kai muttered under his breath, clearly hurt.
"He he only cares for you, Kai," Storm began gently.
"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it." The younger boy scowled at the back of the door sadly.
Silent, angry and hurtful stares were exchanged some nights later at supper. The Boys ate their meals glumly, still apparently mad with each other, while Storm nearly went insane after trying for days to reconcile them.
Finally, Tyson cleared his throat. "Um, how is your arm doing?"
Kai grew strangely defensive and nervous about this subject, and he drew in his arms, thankful for his long arm glove. "It's fine," he answered curtly.
"Come on, Kai. I want to know."
"I said it's fine, isn't that good enough?"
Tyson opened his mouth to shoot some sharp reply, but shut it quickly and decided against it. He really didn't want to start a war, but Kai was acting funny.
More moments of silence passed and the wolf broke it suddenly by slamming her spoon onto the table loudly.
"Would you two just please kiss and make up?" she cried.
Kai glanced at her, then back at his Friend.
"Sure."
"Whatever."
"Oh yeah, that's love," replied Storm sarcastically. "Of you two can't be civil, then-"
"Forget it, Storm. I'll save you the trouble." With those words, Kai left the table just after giving his friend a cold stare.
"My, he's moody this week," stated Tyson as if noticing polished floors.
Storm threw up her hands in exasperation. "He's your Friend, not mine. That makes him your problem."
Tyson watched his friend stalk up the stairs to his room, wishing he could get to the bottom of Kai's troubles without starting a riot.
Kai shut his door and locked it hurriedly, leaning his back against it. Closing his eyes, he wearily slid down along the massive plank of wood until he sat on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest. Sighing deeply, he opened his eyes, ridden with worry. In the safety of his own palace room, he slowly rolled down his glove. Carefully peeling back a corner of the white bandage, his face went pale.
The skin under the white cotton pad was scaly, the lightest shade of green imaginable. His face marred with a frown, he closed his eyes and pulled his glove back up, letting his head bang back against the door.
'You hate him, don't you?' Kai more deeply at the strange voice.
No! I don't hate Tyson! He's .just
Sometimes you just want to kill him.
No! Never!
Come on, don't tell me you never think that way. Remember when he threw you in the pool to try and "teach" you swimming when you were a kid?
Yeah, I do. But that's no reason to kill him!
And when he put peanuts in your trail mix? You were allergic to peanuts.
It it was an honest mistake.
No it wasn't. He was trying to kill you.
No.
No what? Don't you sometimes wish he were dead?
No!
Yes you do. You're thinking it right now.
I'm not-
It would be so easy Kai. To kill Tyson. KILL TYSON.
Kai opened his eyes and put his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the voice.
KILL TYSON...
Kai shut his eyes again, tightly this time. Soon, thought, he felt a strange exhaustion overtake him, his body relaxing slowly. When he opened his eyes again, they were glazed over, and he stared straight ahead, slowly losing control. KILL TYSON.
"Kill Tyson," he whispered, blinking lethargically.