XP: I do not own beyblade, the anime, but I used to own a beyblade. I wonder what happened to it… Lol. A one-shot about Kai's fear… Please read, and I hope you like it!
It was summer vacation. And so, there was no school. All the bladebreakers were at Tyson's dojo, discussing what to do. Kai was just leaning against the wall, in his usual stance, his eyes closed and arms crossed when suddenly, Max shouted out, "How about we all go swimming!!"
"No," Kai said calmly, while Ray shouted, "NO!!!"
"Why? Afraid of your face paint going off, Kai?" Tyson mocked, before turning to Ray, "Why not, Ray?"
"My hair will go all fizzy when it dries," Ray pouted. Kai merely ignored Tyson, who started again, "Are you scared of water, Kai? Hmm? The great Kai Hiwatari afraid of water…what a laugh!"
Kai glared at him for a while, and Tyson glared back. Mac chuckled nervously, "Err please, Kai? Can we go?? Ray, you can just suntan on the seats, they're real comfy…" Max smiled at Ray, who reluctantly agreed.
"Fine," Kai hissed, when everyone's eyes were on him. Max and Tyson cheered, running off to pack. Ray walked away to pack too, turning back to look at Kai before going up the stairs. Kai sighed, rubbing his head. How troublesome…
And so, an hour later, they were at the pool. Tyson was in blue swimming shorts, and he was wearing goggles and a swimming cap… in other words, he looked ridiculous. Max was in green swimming shorts, and he was wearing goggles too. Ray settled himself on the chair, leaning back comfortably.
Ray was wearing a loose white singlet and black shorts. He had shades to shield his eyes from the sun. Kai wore a black singlet, and had crimson red pants on. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and the silence was broken when…
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!" Tyson screamed, pointing at the group of people walking in.
Tala smirked, "Well, this IS a public pool, so what's your problem?" The Blitzkrieg boys. Tala's eyes caught Kai's in a questioning manner, and Kai turned away, ignoring him. Ian stuck out his tongue at Tyson childishly.
"Wanna fight, squirt?" Tyson asked arrogantly.
"Bring it on!" Ian shouted fearlessly. They both jumped into the water and begun splashing each other about crazily. Max laughed and dove in after them, causing him to be the victim of the water splashing when the two turned against him.
Spencer climbed into the pool slowly, then relaxed in the water by floating on his back. Tala plopped down on the seat beside Ray, while Bryan sat beside Kai. "So why not go swim, Tala?" Ray questioned curiously.
Tala hesitated, unsure whether to reply or not. "Hmm, my hair will get messed up," Tala explained. He was quite fond of the two horns he had on his head, though you have no idea how much gel it took every morning to keep it that way.
"Me too! I just love my hair. It's such a hassle getting it back into the hair wrap later… it's all fizzy!" Ray chatted excitedly. And with that, the two continued chatting, suddenly realizing that they have many things in common.
"So, Hiwatari-" Bryan started.
"Fuck off," Kai replied coldly.
"Heh, still the cold, arrogant bastard then," Bryan said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Kai looked at Bryan with an unreadable look in his eyes, before turning away. "Bry…"
Bryan looked at Kai, who immediately lost the will to speak. There was silence between them, only Tala and Ray's voices could be heard, and the giggles of those in the water, excluding Spencer. …Who gave out an enraged cry, probably because the others splashed water in his face.
"Are you still…" Bryan asked gently, receiving a small nod from Kai. "I see… Me too, actually," Bryan added hesitantly, unsure of whether he could speak of this. "I can't forget what happened back then…"
Kai just sat there, listening as Bryan spoke. He had missed the Blitzkrieg boys, more than just a little. But he would never admit that aloud. It was surprising how the two teams could become friends like this though, when the Bladebreakers hated the Russians and when the Russians who thought of the Bladebreakers as brats.
"Hey Kai, let's go buy drinks, I'm thirsty!" Ray grinned. Kai, being the most responsible, was in charge of their money. "Hn," Kai stood up, looking at Bryan in a way that said goodbye, before walking towards Ray.
He did not notice Tyson who sneaked up behind him, giving him a hard and painful push. "What the he-" Kai fell backwards into the freezing water, into the deepest part of the pool. Tyson, Ian and Max laughed, pointing at the spot of water Kai was under.
"I wonder what he'll look like with his face paint off?" Tyson chuckled. …Kai did not get out of the water. A more worrying thing was that bubbles were rushing up to the surface. "Kai! Hold your breath!" Spencer shouted from the other end of the pool.
Kai screamed, though his plea when unheard. Kai choked on the water, panicking as he swallowed it. His eyes stung from the chlorine, and he felt dizzy when his oxygen supply went lower. Kai clutched at his throat with both hands, thrashing about violently. It was so cold… his vision became hazy and he felt like his lungs were going to burst. It was so excruciating… and painful…
For a long time in his life, Kai was crying. He felt so heavy, sinking to the bottom of the pool… the heavy pressure forced him down, and Kai was now too weak to fight it. "GODDAMMIT!!!" Tala just plunged down, diving as low as he could, wrapping his arm around Kai's body and swimming up.
"Kai!" Tala tried to keep Kai's head above water as he swam towards to edge of the pool. It was no easy task. "Bryan! Take Kai!" Bryan lifted Kai out of the water, before laying him on the ground and trying to get water out of Kai by pushing his palms against Kai's chest.
Max and Ian watched on guiltily as Bryan worked. Kai was paler than usual, his lips frighteningly close to white. His face paint was smudged, and his hair framed his head messily, wet and clinging onto his skin. Water emerged from Kai's lips, and the amount was scary.
Tala climbed out of the water, his red locks of hair all hanging downwards, making him look like a drowned rat. "How's Kai?!" Tala asked worriedly. Spencer swam over, and asked seriously, "Tala… I thought you didn't know how to swim?"
"Desperation works wonders," Tala replied as he checked for Kai's pulse. It was weak, but it was there. "Besides, I'm talented at everything." Tala smiled half-heartedly, taking over Bryan. "Don't you die on me, Kai!"
"He's faking, right?" Tyson asked in that annoyingly loud voice of his. Then, it turned into a plea. "Right?"
Kai coughed and spluttered, before muttering weakly, "Hah… am I… dead…?"
"You're not dead. There's no angel as ugly as Tala," Bryan chuckled. "And there's no water in hell." Tala smacked Bryan's head.
"Tala…" Kai mumbled, and Tala took his hand. "I'm right here…"Tala reassured. "Tala… Thank you… and…I'm sorry…" Kai whispered.
Ray felt a stab of jealousy, and felt bad for having it. Kai depended on Tala instead of them. But that was natural. What had Ray done, while Tala dived down without hesitation to save Kai?? He was worried about his hair. His hair over Kai. It was Tyson who pushed him down, and Max his accomplice.
Of course Kai would depend on the Blitzkrieg boys, Spencer who swam over as fast as he could, Tala who dived down and saved him, Bryan who lifted him up and got water out of his system…
"I… I'm so sorry, Kai… I didn't know you couldn't swim…" Max and Ian apologized, bowing low, hair covering their eyes in shame. And they call themselves his friend? "We're so sorry…"
"It's okay," Kai said weakly, ruffling Ian's hair. "It was me… who was useless…" Kai looked away from them.
"You are not useless!" Tala screamed. "It's not your fault you have a phobia of water after what happened! Bryan's afraid too! It's not your fault… If only you didn't take my place…" Tala's voice lowered to a whisper.
"What… what had happened?" Ray asked fearfully.
"That day…" Bryan sighed.
*Flashback, 7 years ago*
Tala, Bryan, Kai, Spencer and Ian were standing in Boris's office with their backs straight and shoulders tense. "Spencer, you may leave. You weren't caught on tape, so you're not one of them." Spencer walked out slowly, glancing back at his comrades worriedly before closing the door.
"I'm sure you know that you'll be punished?" Boris asked sternly. "Hmm?"
"Yes sir!" They chorused in unison, fearing what was about to come.
"How dare you little brats try to poison my and Lord Voltaire's food!?" Boris thundered.
"Sorry sir, it was my idea," Bryan lied. "We threatened Ian into helping us. He was the one reluctant with the idea." Ian looked up at Bryan in fear and disbelief.
"But Bryan, I-" Bryan glared at Ian, who stopped talking at once.
"Ian, you may leave," Boris growled. Ian trembled, and almost dashed out of the door. It took every ounce of self-control to walk instead. Boris was frightening… "So… three of you, eh?" Boris smirked, walking towards Tala. He used his fingers to trace Tala's jaw line. Tala's eyes shone with fear, but he stood still.
Then, Boris backhanded him. "What insolence!" Tala fell to the floor in pain, holding his cheek, tears threatening to fall.
"Sir! I…Please… Let me take Tala's place!" Kai pleaded. It hurt him to see his friend treated like that.
"Very well, since I'm feeling benevolent… Tala, you may go," Boris cackled.
"No, Kai! I'm part of the rebels! We should take the punishment together!" Tala insisted, but Kai shook his head, begging Tala with his eyes to go. He mouthed the words, 'Tala, go, please' and so, Tala tore his gaze away from Kai painfully, leaving the room and slamming the door with a loud 'bang'.
"The rebel army huh… I'll teach you not to defy me!" Boris delivered a punch to Kai's abdomen, causing him to gasp in pain, dropping to his knees and clutching his stomach. He stood back up and regarded Boris with a determined and hateful expression.
"Take the other boy," Boris ordered his lackeys. "I'll take care of this one…" Boris smiled a bone-chilling smile at Kai, "…myself." The lackeys grabbed Bryan, and there was too many for Bryan to free himself. He struggled in vain, shouting, "Kai! Don't die!!"
They dragged him out of the room. "Now, Kai…let's bring you to the… punishment room, as I call it," Boris chuckled, pulling Kai's hair and dragging him down the hallway. It hurt like hell and Kai had to bite his lip to stop the tears from streaming down his face.
Boris threw Kai to an eerily green room. He saw the scientists insert many liquids into Bryan using needles, and he instantly grew afraid as Bryan screamed and howled in pain. The lackeys then forcefully threw him into a tank of the green substance. Bryan pounded on the wall of his cell desperately, wanting to get out.
"Sir… please… don't…" Kai whimpered. Boris grinned, taking out a huge syringe of black chemical… "NO! SIR!" Boris grabbed the back of Kai's shirt, forcefully pressing the needle into his neck and inserting the liquid. Kai almost breathed sigh of relief when the needle was out of his neck.
"Oh, but I'm not done yet, young Kai…" Kai looked at the other three syringes of different colored liquid… and immediately felt like fainting. He was so afraid of needles… Boris was so forceful and he was unprofessional… He felt two needles prick the back of his neck, and he started screeching in pain, clawing desperately at Boris's calloused hands.
Then, the last one went in, and Kai felt his blood burning like flames from hell. "AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kai screamed, thrashing about wildly in pain. Tala… Tala…It hurts so much…I don't want this… Tears escaped his eyes as he kept on screaming. "How weak," Boris taunted, grabbing Kai's arms. "Now, Kai… are you ready?"
Boris threw Kai into another container full of the green thing, and Kai found he couldn't breathe when he tried to take a breath. The green goop was so thick and slimy, suffocating him and dragging him downwards. He tried to swim up, up it was useless, the more he struggled, the faster he sank.
His whole body was in excruciating pain, and he could feel the back of his neck bruising and swelling from the needles. He opened his mouth to beg for it all to stop, but the slime slid into his mouth, and he choked on it, feeling bile rise up his throat. It was so disgusting, like eating someone's snot. He clawed at the container, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, hoping to be anywhere else but here.
Save me…Somebody…Anybody…save me… Tala… Kai then fell into unconsciousness, into the sweet, pitch-black world.
*end flashback*
The Bladebreakers looked at Kai and Bryan in sympathy. Kai growled angrily, "I don't need your useless pity!" He stood up shakily, before collapsing back down. Tala caught him, concern and sadness in his eyes. "Why did you take my place…?" Tala asked.
"You were my…best friend," Kai looked away in shame. Tala made him turn his head back gently. "And we're still best friends," Tala continued.
"It's all in the past now, Kai…" Bryan patted Kai's back in a brotherly manner. "The rebels are all here, and that's what matters…" Spencer put his arm around Kai, and Ian clasped his other hand, the one Tala wasn't holding.
"Yeah…" Kai smiled. "Boris and Voltaire are in jail… and I have my friends with me…"
XP: Yaay, it's done ^-^ Please review~~~