Hey there all! For those who've seen me before, I'm back! For those who haven't… well here I am. I thought I'd get some of my more interesting ideas down before they slipped from me and I'd say this is just an old idea I almost forgot about. I really liked 'Beyblade' as a kid and even as an adult it still has some charm even if the new series doesn't quite do it for me. Well hopefully you guys enjoy this story cuz they're just not enough of 'em. I don't own 'Beyblade' in any shape or form, but having a Rei chibi would rock my world. Enjoy!
"Iii" = speech
"Iii" = radio speech
Iii = thought
Chapter 1: Bumping Into You
Rei Kon was having a pretty bad day. Not only had it been raining all day and night, but now he was chasing a suspect in said rain, by himself, and had no idea where his partner was. On top of it all, his suspect was running faster than any human should. He'd been chasing the stubborn man for what felt like half an hour but knew for sure it'd probably been less than ten. Since pointing his gun at the guy wasn't slowing him down, he'd put the weapon away to deal with the occasional innocent passerby and obstacle as he ran flat out down the street. As a foreign transfer to the NYPD, the Chinese cop was now glad he'd taken the time to familiarize himself with the many streets and buildings of the area he'd been assigned. Luckily he'd learned English well enough to know what the street signs said and have at least a decent conversation with his fellow officers. His partner and half-Chinese compatriot, Lee Wong, had been essential in helping him settle in not only to his job but the country himself.
Now, six months later, in the ice-cold pouring rain of late October, Rei couldn't help but curse his luck as he tried to force his legs to go faster. Whoever this guy was, he was fast and he could only hope that his partner was the one in the car. Which to his dismay, was parked almost two blocks away and far behind him. Bringing his wrist to his face, Rei didn't hesitate to speak to speak into the tiny receiver clipped onto the edge of suit coat's sleeve.
"To all units, this is Detective Kon! I'm in foot pursuit of a suspect heading southwest on 3rd Avenue about to turn north at East 21st! And dammit Lee where the fuck are you?!" he exclaimed, barely managing to avoid another civilian sporting two paper grocery bags as he watched his suspect vanish around the corner. With a small burst of fatigue filled speed, Rei managed to pump a few more feet out of his legs just in time to see: a fist headed right for his face. And it would've gotten him square in the nose if he didn't have the sense to duck and roll, using one of his tired as hell legs to sweep the man off his feet.
Almost immediately the man was swept into the air with a rather surprised grunt, only to twist enough to make his momentum back a rather powerful left hook pointed at Rei's face. The Asian man was able to spot the attack just in time to block it with his right forearm before he grabbed the stranger's wrist with his left. Without a moment's hesitation Rei had a handcuff around the wrist he'd captured before pulling the rest of the man's body to the ground. The man cursed something he couldn't help but think was Russian at him when his face met wet concrete, eyes of steel grey glaring at him as Rei used a knee to press down on the man's back.
"Ouch! You're suffocating me! Get off!" the man exclaimed, his rough voice somehow louder than the rain coming down around them as he struggled against Rei's strong grip.
Eyes of golden amber just glared back at the man underneath him, swift hands grabbing onto the redhead's wayward right hand to pin it next to his left. His raven black hair, short on his head but long in back, swung in a short braid over his shoulder, some rain water dripping off the end. "Only when you learn what the hell 'stop' and 'police' mean."
"Go to hell!" the man practically yelled angrily, his situation doing nothing to defuse his rage at his captor.
"You first." Rei grumbled, bringing his wrist back to his mouth to speak into the wire somehow unaffected by the constant rainfall. "Lee are you there? Dammit Lee answer me."
"Rei? Rei what the hell happened? Where did you go?" Lee's gruff voice answered into his earpiece, the half-Chinese man sounding purely perplexed at Rei's disappearance.
"Bring the car. I just caught a guy trying to run after I spotted him. He was pretty desperate to get away too."
"Holy damn Kon! Don't just go running off on your own. You could've been shot!" Lee exclaimed in surprise and anger before letting out an annoyed huff over the radio. "Where are you? I'll come get you."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the man's response, his own based on memory more than anything. "I'm on the corner of 3rd and 21st. And hurry it up will ya? I don't want to catch a cold."
Rei cut off any response from the other man by pulling the bud from his left ear, ignoring the man underneath him and his protests as he cuffed his hands together. Mostly because he wasn't in the mood for it all that much anymore. He just wanted to go home and sleep now that he was soaked practically to the bone. And to be honest, he needed the time off. The angry Russian red-head wasn't helping any either, his steel grey eyes burning holes in Rei's soaked suit coat of black. Now thanks to the rain, the fabric looked more like fresh ink than anything. Thinking about it further, Rei could definitely tell his socks hadn't survived the onslaught of water either. He just knew that drying off at home or at the office was going to be a drag, even more so depending on who was going to yell at him first, Lee or his boss. Letting out a tired sigh, Rei rose from his crouched position to stand over his fallen catch, the red Russian still muttering curses at him in his anger.
"I'm gonna break your fuckin' nose the next chance I get asshole!" he yelled suddenly, squirming in a hopes of getting the Asian man to let go and give him the slip as he moved to a sitting position on the ground.
The raven haired man just rolled his eyes again, knowing the man was just yelling at him for what'd just happened. "Yeah, yeah keep talkin' tough. Just be glad the most I did was knock you to the ground and not shoot you in the kneecaps."
Scoffing in amusement, an odd grin spread across the redhead's face. "What're you a mob hit man? Please! You're too weak for something like that."
Rei glared down at him, his golden eyes burning with annoyance and growing rage. He was not in the mood for this. "Just shut up already. You're the reason I haven't had dinner yet."
"Oh boo hoo. Poor pig didn't get its slop on time. Whatever are we gonna do?" the Russian said mockingly, chuckling almost evilly while Rei just continued to glare at him.
"You're gonna shut up and spend the night in lock up while I try not to get the flu. Now what the hell were you doin' at that warehouse?" he growled, eyeing the man in shackles suspiciously as he awaited a proper answer.
All he got was a very angry response. "None of your damn business!"
"Sure it isn't. And the Great Wall's an optical illusion." The Chinese man said calmly, despite the storm of anger building in his eyes. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll make sure you get your own cell. Far away from the perverts."
"Fuck you!" his captive snarled, grey eyes defiant and flashing with a rage of their own as he sat on the concrete sidewalk looking more like an abandoned puppy than a possible danger to anyone without a gun.
"Your choice man." Rei growled finally. Damn he was tired. He just wanted to go home and sleep now that he felt almost literally dog tired. Ignoring the rain as best he could, the Chinese cop paid no mind to the occasional passing car as he leaned against the brick wall behind him. At least the giant obstacle was shielding him from the cold autumn wind. Regardless of this, he couldn't help but shiver from the chill. Of all the clothing he had on, only his fingerless gloves seemed the most unaffected by the rain when it came to being exposed to the constant moisture. Made of a light, breathable black leather, the gloves were well within the specs of a detective's dress code and were even padded well enough to fight with. But their useful advantage in a hand-to-hand fight wasn't all they were for: they covered up a set of birthmarks that most resembled tiger stripes, situated perfectly on the backs of his hands. Rei had long since stopped questioning what the stripes were or why they were there, but had also accepted them into his life. He didn't find them disfiguring or annoying. Simply an unusual part of himself at best. The most he even looked at the markings was in the mornings, in the evenings and sometimes on his days off when he was sure he wasn't going outside anywhere. He even took the time to stare at them almost endlessly, taking long, scrutinizing stares at the patterns just to see if they looked like anything other than stripes whenever he was bored.
The sound of a car brought Rei out of his mild reverie as he recognized his patrol car, a Nissan sedan from the year before, came rolling through the wet city streets. As he moved to help the Russian man to his feet and towards the car, Rei's eyes immediately registered something off kilter. As the man rose, he noticed that his hands were suddenly in front of him and he was getting up unusually fast. With reflexes as fast as lightning, Rei managed to avoid a head butt only to get a double undercut to the stomach, making him gasp at the pain.
"REI!" he heard Lee call out from somewhere over the pain in his abdomen and the sound of the rainy wind around him. Ignoring his partner's cry, Rei managed to straighten just in time to see his lost captive almost all the way down the sidewalk and towards a corner. And possibly freedom. Energy suddenly surging through him, Rei found himself closing the distance faster than even he anticipated, making him glad he'd taken sprint running in high school. in what felt like a few seconds when he was sure was half a minute, Rei was soon turning the corner, his shoes letting out a scuffing noise on the wet concrete as he turned the sharp angle to bolt after the quarry that was determined to get away. No sooner did his golden eyes spot the red splash of hair amidst the gloomy colors, he saw that the man was not hesitating to cross the street, traffic be damned. Cursing under his breath, Rei reached up absently to reinsert the ear bud into his ear as he quickly did the same, thankful that the oncoming car had already passed when he did. From somewhere behind him, he heard Lee taking the corner a little hard in an attempt to follow his partner on the rain slicked streets.
Ignoring this information, Rei focused instead on the man determined to get away from him, his shoes now making a wet squelching noise as he felt the rainwater soaking his socks. If he didn't catch this guy again, he wasn't going to be very pleasant to deal with when they finally reported back in. The energy he pumped into his legs to close the gap between them seemed to come from nowhere, surging from a source he was too busy to identify. After nearly two minutes of running, Rei didn't hesitate to finally leap and tackle the man to the ground, letting out an angry grunt when they both landed on the wet concrete in a bodily heap. The Russian redhead cursed loudly as the Asian man atop of him quickly unshackled one of his hands so as to recuff him with both hands behind his back. Just as he'd done mere moments earlier, when he'd caught the man the first time.
"Okay… now you're just pissing me off."
For once the Russian stuck firmly in his grip said nothing, his face a sneer and unwavering glare of rage at his captor. He wasn't in a good mood and neither was Rei but at least he had the brains not to complain about his feelings. Lee quickly pulled up and nearly got out when Rei just shook his head, angrily opening the door to the backseat and almost literally tossed the other man in. Slamming the door and opening the front passenger side and climbing in, Rei gave Lee a withering look when he tried to talk. The other Chinese male, tanned skin with equally golden eyes and rough darker brown hair blinked at Rei's glare but nodded, saying nothing as he pulled the car back onto the main street and drove them back to the precinct. By then it'd gotten darker and the rain was coming down a little harder, but Lee managed to find an umbrella to keep him, his partner and their quarry from getting any more wet than they already were. Moments later the two men were at their desks and their catch in lock up, Rei didn't hesitate to collapse into his chair.
"You okay?" he heard Lee ask from his own desk across from his, feeling the other man's gaze on him from over the various files and books that sat between them.
"I'll be better when I've had a good shower and some dry clothes. But that doesn't explain where you were." Rei sat up in his chair, his gold eyes glaring with defused anger at the other man as he growled. "Where were you Lee?"
"Mariah called. She wanted to know if we were going to be over at her place on the weekend for dinner." The tan cop shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the much paler skinned Asian wasn't likely to believe him.
Rei quirked an eyebrow, already seeing holes in Lee's excuse. "In a coffee shop? Talking to the pretty clerk you were obviously flirting with?"
"Okay, okay you got me but she did call." Lee said with confidence. When Rei's expression didn't change, Lee couldn't help but feel himself start to sweat despite being slightly wet from the rain. "What? She did! I swear!"
"Before or after I started running down the street?" Rei growled questioningly, the rain and his fatigue proving to be a bad combination.
Lee winced but decided it was best to be honest. "I'm not sure but you were gone when I got done talkin' to her."
"So after I starting running. That's reassuring." Rei practically snarled as he accepted a towel from another officer and began using the soft fabric to dry his hair. No matter how good it felt, Rei's anger refused to dissipate.
Sighing in defeat, Lee knew he wasn't going to win this argument. "I'm sorry okay? I'll make it up to you."
Pulling the towel off his head with a light sigh of relief, Rei couldn't help but scoff at his partner. "Make it up to me? How? Change the weather so I'm not rained on when we get off in almost two hours?"
"If I could I would. I was thinkin' pizza." Lee said, close to snickered at the odd request.
Once again golden eyes were glaring at him from across their desks. "Again? You're too hooked on American food."
"And you need to realize you're not in China anymore. Face it, you need to adapt better than just ordering out all the time." Lee retorted, some of his own anger showing, knowing that this was bound to get worse.
"You say that like I can't cook!" Rei said defensively, finally getting up to take off his soaking jacket and loosened his tie. Who knew what the rain had done to one of the few good suits he had.
Ignoring whatever Rei's thoughts were, Lee kept going. "That's cuz I've never seen you cook! But you can prove it to me and Mariah by coming over to dinner this weekend."
"Are you trying to entrap me into coming Detective Wong?" Rei asked, quirking an eyebrow as he sat back down.
Lee smirked almost devilishly, knowing the other man might actually comply. "I don't know. Do I have to drag your ass there? Detective Kon?"
"You've got nerve. I might come." Rei said after a moment, glaring at the other man in annoyance now that his anger had simmered down. "Stop grinning I said 'might' you friggin' idiot."
Lee's grin widened a bit as he flopped into his own desk chair, looking at his fellow detective across their respective desks. "That's as close to a 'yes' as I'm gonna get from a stubborn guy like you, so I'll take it. And if you don't come you better have damned good excuse."
"Better than talkin' up the clerk at a coffee shop I'm sure." Rei said, giving his partner a skeptical look.
The sun-kissed man glowered halfheartedly. "Are you gonna hold that over me?"
"I'm gonna hold it over ya for as long as I like." Rei said as he pointed a stern finger at his partner from under the towel as he tried to dry his hair some more. "So you don't forget."
"Just so you know, she has my number." Lee stated, his happy grin coming back into play.
Whipping the towel off, Rei stared in mock disbelief. "Oh really? So you think you've got a chance? What in all hell makes you think that she'll call you? Ever?"
"I think I've got a shot." Lee admitted, scowling when he heard his partner start to chuckle low in his throat. "Stop laughing!"
"You think? You think you've got a chance at this girl?" Rei managed past his chortles, a smile finally coming across his face.
"Of course I do? I'm irresistible." Lee declared confidently, only to earn more laughter from the man across from him.
"Right. Tell that to several women in this precinct you still think have a crush on you."
"Alright hotshot. You win. Let's just finish our report and go home okay? Hell I'll even drive you home so you won't get wet."
Rei's face became a knot of dissent. "I can't let you do that! How the hell will I get to work if my car is already here? You think I can walk all the way from there in what little time I may have to show up on time?"
"I'll just come and pick you up! I'll even call to make sure you get up on time too." Lee responded, almost too quickly.
Rei quirked an eyebrow, suspicion already blooming on his face. "You? Call me?"
"Yes!" Lee nearly yelled.
"You? Will call me? At my home to get me up for work?" Rei continued, still unsure if he'd heard the man right.
"Yeah! So?" Lee asked, giving his friend and partner his own look of confusion.
At that Rei scoffed, throwing his hands up. "Lee! That's about as likely as that coffee girl callin' you." He remarked, his smile returning a little at the thought. "And that should say something don't you think?"
This time it was Lee's turn to frown, if halfheartedly. "Oh don't be a smartass. Just start on your report so we can go interrogate that guy and hopefully go home."
"Don't jinx it." Rei said as he grabbing a pen from the mug he never used.
Lee scoffed, already shuffling through his own papers. "Too late."
They both laughed it off before finally going silent and remaining their own thoughts, Lee even getting up at some point to get Rei a dry set of socks they both knew would fit. After about an hour they'd both filed their reports and were enjoying some coffee when some ruckus near the front of their office space caught their attention. Tyson Granger, brown eyes and oddly almost navy blue hair, had obviously arrived with an arrest of his own. The bright faced man, being likely voted 'most loud and annoying' by all, didn't waste time turning in their direction and practically shouting. "HEY GUYS!"
"Oh crap what do we do?" Lee whispered as the affable detective started to maneuver the chaos that was the 'bullpen' of desks and people.
It was Rei's turn to scoff, his dark mood already returning. "You don't see me getting up. You deal with him."
"Me? Why should I?" Lee demanded, honestly wanting to know why he'd been 'volunteered' for the task of handling the overly-friendly man.
Golden orbs flashed as he stared his partner down, pointing at him with his pen as if it were a sword. "You were flirting when you should've been working. And I'm still damp from chasin' the guy for almost three blocks."
Officially cowed, Lee almost looked downtrodden as he stared at his partner woefully, not even bothering to pout. "You're not gonna let that go are you?"
"Not likely no." Rei bit out as he returned his attention back to the page in front of him, writing viciously.
"Ugh." Knowing he wasn't going to get out of it, Lee managed to slap a smile on his face once his coworker got close enough. "Hey Tyson! Need somethin'?"
Still beaming, clearly pleased with himself, Tyson shook his head a bit. "Nah, just haven't seen you guys in a while. You guys get anything interesting out there?"
"Yeah, we caught a guy. Only after I chased him for almost five minutes and Lee was lagging behind flirting with some girl in a coffee shop." Rei cut in, his voice still low and scathing but had just a hint of humor in it as he looked up. "Oh, and she has his number."
"That so? Well aren't you the Casanova huh Lee?" Tyson asked, giving the other man a pointed look.
"Oh shut up! You're one to talk! You keep on trying to talk up that Hilary chick from the newspaper whenever she comes in here looking for a good story." Lee shot back, giving the other detective a look of his own.
This only seemed to make Tyson's goofy smile grow a little wider at the implication, taking hold of his suit jacket lapels with a clearly inflated sense of pride. "What can I say? I can't keep 'em off me. What about you Rei?"
Rei could only roll his eyes as Lee merely scoffed. "All he did was get wet and now he's pissed at me. And likely long into tomorrow if he keeps bringing things up like he has."
"Hey guys? How's it hangin'?" a new but equally familiar voice asked, uttered by none other than Tyson's own partner Max Tate, bright blonde hair and kind, sky blue eyes a prism of color amidst the blacks and blues of the room. Like most, his attire was mostly black though his navy blue tie went well with it all.
Actually happy to see another person for once, Rei gave the blonde a weak smile despite the storm cloud that hung over his head, and the building. "Hey Max. Just who was it you and Tyson caught anyway?"
"Some poor idiot who thought we were customers. At least we got him out of the rain though. It's really coming down out there." The blonde's words were accompanied by a room shaking boom of thunder, along with a bright flash of lightning nearly drowning out the artificial light that briefly flickered. If any of them felt fear they didn't show it, but it was clear they felt something when they all froze and glanced at the windows warily.
"If I can't get home in this weather, I'm gonna be pissed." Rei growled in his returning ire, again giving Lee a pointed look. "And no Lee, I'm not going to let it go."
"Well anyway, we've got reports to write. See you guys later." Max said coolly and with a charming smile on his face, grabbing his partner by the back of his jacket and dragged him away. Both men laughed as the man in the blonde's grip began to protest loudly, their laughter joined in by the various employees still present to witness the interaction. The whole thing had lightened Rei's mood a bit but not by much, his irritability still strong since his long hair was still wet in places along with his clothes, though thankfully the socks Lee had retrieved had taken the chill from his toes. All of this and the excitement he'd suffered from chasing their possible suspect earlier made him feel more than tired. Downright fatigued was likely the best suited way of explaining it but the raven-haired male had to fight to keep his eyes open. Even the coffee he'd been sipping at for a good half hour wasn't doing the trick. Pretty soon the only thing holding Rei's head up was a hand under his cheek and chin while his elbow was propped up on the desktop while his tired eyes tried desperately to read the words on his computer.
"Rei." A voice called, his name uttered softly but loud enough to make him stir.
Blinking away the fatigue that fought to weigh him down, Rei looked away from his computer screen to look at Lee, who'd put his jacket back on and was holding an umbrella in hand. Giving him a confused look, Rei stared. "What?"
"Wanna head home? I could probably get you there if I drive well enough." Lee asked, giving his friend a concerned look.
"What?" only then did Lee's offer to drive him home, and their argument, came back to mind before he waved it away. "N-no, no thanks. I'll just hang here and hang out."
Except Lee wasn't backing down, frowning a little at him. "Shouldn't you at least give it a shot? You just might get that shower you were hoping for. C'mon man you can't stay here all night."
Leaning back in his chair a bit, Rei shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I think I'm done getting wet from that mess. But thanks. I'll head out when it lets up. You can still give me that wake-up call though."
"Sure, alright. Just don't stay too late okay?"
Rei nodded, knowing his friend meant well. "Yeah. Night buddy."
"G'night." Lee called back as he walked away, headed for the front doors.
Now a little more awake than he'd been moments before, Rei turned his attention back to his computer screen, skimming through some information while intently staring at other paragraphs of possibly interesting intel. No sooner had his mind focused fully on what was in front of him did an unfamiliar figure pass by, dressed in a black leather riding jacket and jeans, his boots squeaking a little on the tile floor. Turning to look at the newcomer, Lee smiled wide and waved.
"It's been awhile Kai, how ya been?" he asked, coming back to approach the stranger.
Looking up from his computer, Rei stared in confusion. The new male was tall, pale and looked less than pleased. His platinum bangs seemed to almost defy gravity while the rest of his hair was a deep navy blue that seemed the most under control. As if to completely coincide with this odd color scheme, his eyes were blue grey, and appeared hard as stone. Rei's own golden orbs flicked between the new arrival and his partner. "You know this guy?"
Bobbing his head, still giving the annoyed man a kind grin, Lee didn't hesitate to respond though the man didn't appear pleased by it. "He's from another unit and he's hardly ever around so it's not surprising you haven't seen him before now. What brings you here Kai? You usually don't show unless you need to turn papers in or get debriefed."
"You and your genius partner here arrested my CI." The man named Kai bit out, glaring at Lee with burning hostility.
"Oh, really? Well then why didn't he tell me that after, better yet before, I chased him down through the damn rain that's comin' down in buckets? " Rei practically snarled, his wrath from earlier coming back like a tidal wave.
Kai scowled at him, looking a bit surprised at the other man's hostile reaction. "What's eating you?"
Thankfully Lee cut in, already sensing an argument in the making. "He's not in a good mood. Just ignore him. So this guy's your CI? Coulda fooled us. We caught him running from a warehouse we've been watching when we spotted him. My partner here chased him for almost four blocks. Even tackled him when he escaped."
"He tried to escape?" Kai asked, his stern face shifting into honest surprise.
"Yeah. Only made Rei even angrier though." Lee muttered, glancing at his still irritated partner who pretended not to hear them.
Kai's face twisted with the cold smirk that graced his pale face. "Guess he's stayin' here tonight. Might teach him to behave next time he sees a cop car."
"True that." Lee snickered before pointing towards the double doors at the back of the large room, leading to the maze of offices, rooms and cells. "Did you want to go see him?"
"Hell why not? Might as well tell him he wasted his phone call." Kai responded, letting the other detective walk beside him as the two began to chat, Lee obviously friendlier than Kai was.
Rei didn't hear the rest and he didn't care. He was too tired for any of this ruckus and his pride was demanding he reconsider Lee's offer to drive him home. Returning his gaze to his desk and the paperwork on it, thankful for being surrounded by the quiet he desperately needed at such a late hour of the day. Letting out a tired sigh he nearly collapsed across his desktop, practically making him reconsider grabbing his suit jacket and following Lee to the parking lot… and into the pouring rain which was still coming down hard. He was too tired and moving just meant more energy that he didn't have. That and the fact it was raining cats and dogs didn't help either. Amidst it all Rei realized his forehead was resting on his desktop, rather uncomfortably atop some papers he still wasn't done filling out. Another tired sigh came forth as he lifted his head, rubbing his face free of some of the sleep that dogged him, picked up his pen and started writing. Somewhere in the middle of his thoughts, Kai had reappeared and had seated himself calmly in the chair next to Rei's desk.
After a few moments of silence and intense staring, Rei had to keep from rolling his eyes at the man's behavior. "What?"
"So you're the foreign exchange guy huh?" Kai practically stated, openly staring intently at him.
Yay, Captain Obvious wins round one. Rei thought but refrained. He had just met the guy, so pushing all his frustration at him was unfair. Still he had to ask. "Rei Kon, and I'll probably be here a while. What's that got to do with anything? And what's it got to do with you?"
"Kai Hiwatari, from the Gang Division. Just asking." The man said innocently.
That explains the leather jacket. Rei thought before responding. "Ah. Did Lee leave?" Rei deadpanned, not buying the man's act at all.
"Yeah, somethin' about you not wanting to leave. There a reason for that?" the man asked, Rei's sensitive ear picking up traces of a Russian accent but didn't comment.
"I've gotten wet enough for one night and your 'CI' didn't help any. So no, I'm not going anywhere. Even if I have to stay here all night." He growled, keeping a good amount of his anger out of his voice, giving the other man a questioning look. "What about you? Or do your hours just let you do what you want?"
His leather jacket shifted stiffly as the Russian shrugged, leaning back in his chair, meeting Rei's eyes easily. "I make my own schedule as Lee already said but right now I don't need to be anywhere in particular."
"Lemme guess. Lee asked you to hang around." Rei deadpanned once more, his lip curling in his annoyance.
Again Kai shrugged, seeming oddly laidback. "You are still new here, no matter how long you've been here already. I'll be here until more of the next shift start to show up."
"A babysitter. Great. What does he think I am? Nine?" Rei demanded, more of his ire flaring up. He wasn't a child!
Kai didn't seem all that bothered by his words. "It's just logical that there be more than one person here. Who knows? What if the phone rings?"
Rei blinked. He hadn't thought of this. But he was still too tired to go running around the city, despite the weather and all over a corpse that really wasn't going anywhere. Not that what Kai had said didn't make sense. He was too burnt out from the day's activities to think as clearly as he'd hoped. He wanted to glare at this man but found he couldn't. Something in him kept him from yelling angrily, bursting with rage at the male before him. He couldn't quite place it but he was sure this man was just playing with him somehow. Instead of responding Rei gave the man before him a cool look before going back to his work, scrolling through some information on his computer screen as he did.
Moments, possibly minutes or maybe even hours later, Rei shifted as he lay on the couch he didn't remember going to lie down on, or even falling asleep. His mind vaguely provided that he'd gone a good hour or so working some more, even finishing his report before sleep started to weigh heavily on him. At some point he'd put his head on his desk to think but somehow ended up asleep instead. It was likely that Kai had put him… wherever he was when he came back from seeing if the vending machines had anything good in them. Rei wanted to open his eyes to see just where he was, but whatever he was lying on was just too comfortable to move from. And if memory served, he'd found that the break room couch had been very comfortable and had been a good napping spot in the months since his arrival. Shifting a little on the soft cotton cushions, Rei knew now that his chances of getting back to work were slim to nil. He was just too comfortable and if anyone tried to make him move, they would probably get a punch in the face. If they weren't anyone terribly important….
"Hey. You awake yet?" a gruff voice called to him, a hand gently nudging his shoulder so to rouse him. "C'mon, get up."
"Don't wanna." He retorted sleepily, certain his face was twisting in distaste without his say so. So much for punchin' 'em in the face for tryin' to get me up. You're a failure at holding up your own threats Rei Kon. He thought absently to himself as he stubbornly stayed put.
Above him, Kai's voice was soft but insistent. "You have to get up at some point, how else am I going to drive you home?"
"Wha?" this time Rei did open his eyes, golden orbs bleary with sleep. Looking up at the man, his scowl deepened. "The hell you talkin' 'bout?"
Blue grey eyes looked down at him, hard and steady but with endless patience. "I got your car out front with the heat on. And before you say it's still raining, it's practically sprinkling right now. Plus you've been here for almost an hour. Time to sleep in a bed, not the break room couch." He said, leaning down to help Rei sit up. "Up you get."
Letting out another tired groan, Rei let himself be set upright as he tried to wipe some of the Sandman's sleep powder from his eyes. "Alright, alright I'm up. Why are you drivin' though? And how'd you find my keys?"
"I'm a detective too remember? Plus, they were still in your jacket pocket and even if I let you drive, you can barely keep your eyes open. Now let's go." Kai explained easily, watching the Asian detective stand up and put his suit jacket back on.
Still half awake and disgruntled, Rei had to keep from rolling his eyes at the man. He was practically a stranger and he was already ordering him around! "Fine, just don't expect my place to be tidy or nothin'."
"Of course not." Came the simple response, to which Rei chose not to answer.
The journey from the break room to the car was by far normal at best with Kai leading the way, slow but confident with Rei following just behind, somehow keeping himself from stumbling like a drunk. Though he'd only slept for the short amount of time Kai had informed him of, Rei was able to see and function clearly enough to pass as 'awake'. When he got into his car however, a rather modest Chevy Impala that was basic black, the heat coming from the vents hit him like summer had come early. It felt almost sinfully divine to him as the warm air cut the chilly wind off once the door closed and Kai got behind the wheel. Only then did another question come to mind.
"If you're driving me home, how do you know where I live?" he asked, giving the man a perplexed look as he reached for the seatbelt.
Putting on his own seatbelt, Kai didn't look at him as he spoke. "Lee told me. I already called him, told him I'd stick with you until work tomorrow."
Rei stared as his mind tried to see the logic in this. "What about your own car?"
"What about it?" Kai asked, finally looking at him with a calm look on his pale face. "I'll just pick it up tomorrow after you drive me back."
"You're one weird dude." Rei stated, clicking his belt into place.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Kai replied, oddly casual as he put the car in gear and expertly maneuvered the vehicle onto the road and into the depths of the night. Giving the man one last curious look, Rei let himself resign once again to sleep, adjusting the seat so he was leaning back as he let sleep win.
Glancing at the slumbering man, Kai's face softened a tad as he once again openly stared at the man. Thankful for the slow traffic and empty streets, the Russian cop reached into his jacket pocket for his wireless headset, slipping the small device onto his ear. Clicking it on as he then pulled out his phone, he found the number he wanted with a few swipes of his thumb, his eyes back on the road as the line rang in his ear. After a moment, the other end clicked as the recipient responded. "Hey, you on the road?"
"Yeah I'm headed for his place now. You were right, he's out cold. Is he always like this when it rains?" Kai asked, keeping his voice low so not to disturb his passenger.
On the other end, Lee sighed into the receiver. "He's been irritable when it's lighter but he's never been tired before. Though if you get him running, he's like a human panther. He'll chase a guy down like they're food."
"I can imagine." Kai retorted, letting a rare chuckle escape his throat. Though he was sure the man's words were a bit exaggerated, Lee wasn't one to lie about such things. "Are we absolutely certain he's who we've been looking for?"
He could imagine the tan-skinned detective was bobbing his head to the question on the other end, even when he responded. "No doubt. He thinks I didn't see but he's got these marks on his hands. Wears gloves to hide 'em though given how he reacted to my askin' about 'em, he doesn't know what they're for." Lee fell silent for a moment, his next words coming across as sad, regretful. "He doesn't have a clue. If there was someone who could tell him, whoever they were either died before they could tell him or just couldn't find him. The possibilities are endless."
"Great. So we've got some schooling to do." Kai grumbled into the silence of the car, only then noticing that the radio had been shut off.
"Yeah, seems like." Lee said, his tone switching to informative. "Maybe when the rain passes he'll be less cranky. He's a really nice guy when you get to him."
"Getting 'touchy-feely' on me Wong?" Kai asked, waiting for a light to change before taking the turn.
Lee scoffed into his ear. "Hell no! Just sayin' that when we tell him, it doesn't mean he has to change." The sadness was back, making Kai stiffen a bit. "This stuff doesn't have to rule our lives."
"We'll see. Do your job and I'll do mine." Kai said with as much calm as possible, though he knew there was no avoiding some of the changes ahead. "I gotta hang up, we're almost there."
"Right. Talk to you later." Lee retorted quickly before hanging up. Reaching up, Kai pulled the earpiece off, pressing the switch and stuffing it back into his pocket just as Rei began to stir.
He was able to pocket his phone just as Rei's golden eyes slid open, looking at him curiously. "Wazzat?"
"We're almost there. Time to get up again." Kai stated, as they pulled towards Rei's apartment building.
"Now I know you're torturing me." Rei bit out as he sat up straighter, readjusting his seat to the upright position. "Is this cuz I've been snippy?"
Kai had to smirk at that. The guy sounded like a little kid put in time out. "No it's not. Might as well practice, just in case I have to drive you home from a night at the watering hole."
The Chinese detective let out a loud scoff and a weak chuckle. "The day I drink myself unconscious is the day Tyson doesn't yell like he's a little kid."
"That's some very steep odds." Kai remarked, easily pulling into an open space on the curb before turning the car off. "Let's go."
"Fourth floor, third door on the left." Rei said as they both got out, his escort locking the doors with the car control.
For perhaps the first time, Kai looked perplexed. "Isn't four an unlucky number for the Chinese?"
"Only if you're into all that ancient crap. Most are too superstitious to forget it." Rei pointed out as they headed up the stairs and through the front doors. The first room was a small space, containing a simple light overhead and a special tile mosaic of the building's number on the floor. Through the second set of doors, more polished and had clear glass, led them to the lobby which was just a large rectangle. To the right several feet in were stairs, wood and well used, leading up to the first floor and beyond while a large window with thick glass was on the left. Behind it, the elderly super waved at them with a smile on his wrinkled face as they passed, the pair bypassing the stairs for the elevator at the far end of the room.
"Ah, and you?" Kai asked once they passed the window, both of them having waved back at the old man.
Rei merely scoffed. "Nah, got no use for it except makin' fun of the fortune cookie fortunes. 'That wasn't duck', pfft! How original is that?"
"Actually I get that one pretty often. Maybe it was chicken." The Russian pondered, earning an honest laugh from the other man.
"Then you know they're cheap." Rei managed past his chuckles, pressing the 'up' button on the wall for the elevator. Beside him, Kai was already fiddling with his keys, clearly trying to decipher which one went to his apartment. Taking pity on the man, Rei pointed it out for him as the elevator doors slid open. "It's that one."
"Ah, so it is." Kai muttered with a nod, following him into the metal box before he pressed the 'four' button on the wall. The ride up was spent in silence, Kai staring at the wall in something akin to boredom while Rei tried not to fall asleep again.
The sound of the innocent 'bing' of the elevator as the doors opened kept Rei from giving in completely, easily following his companion as the man walked ahead to open the door. Much to Rei's relief, the carpeted floors helped keep his still wet shoes from squeaking. Going inside first, Kai seemed to stop midstep as he took in the space beyond. "Tidy my ass, this place is damn near immaculate! Do you even come here in your off hours?"
Rei managed to keep from laughing at the man's reaction, remembering that Lee had done the same. "Yes, thanks I do. Everything's probably a bit dusty though. Only come back to change clothes when things are real busy."
Looking about the large room, everything neat and orderly, most of the tables made of wood and glass, couches and chairs a range of cool blues and greens. Though the walls were primarily white, that didn't stop a trio of paintings from adding splashes of color to it. A smooth flat screen was situated on a large wooden TV tray on the opposite side of the room, one or two of the shelves holding a small number of DVDs and CDs. On the coffee table separating the couch and the TV Kai saw there were magazines, one or two of them over a month old and coated with a thin layer of dust. Behind him, he could hear Rei shedding his jacket again. "I know what you mean. So what next?"
"Ugh bed. Too tired to shower." Rei said as his fatigue began to return, watching his guest look about for where to go. Again taking pity on him, he pointed and said. "Right."
"Over here?" Kai asked, pointing along with him as he finally saw the dark passage on the far side of the room. The kitchen, a fairly open and well furnished space, was to the left.
Rei nodded, already trudging his way over, not paying the other man much mind. "Yeah. There are blankets in that closet if you want 'em. The couch isn't a pull-out but it's good enough to sleep on."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Kai said with a nod, already shedding his own jacket and sticking it on a hook by the door. Since it was cold outside, he wore a long sleeve shirt underneath, the material likely wool and dyed a light grey color. Off to the side and in the dark, he heard the click of door closing followed by a deep silence. His face became an emotionless mask as he silently headed for the hallway after the other man with as much stealth as possible, careful not to give himself away. Once in the hallway, he saw there were at least four doors, and only two of them had any light coming from under the barriers. The second door, between said lit rooms, was a bit narrow and therefore not a room but the closet Rei had mentioned. It was likely one of the other rooms was a spare while the other was the bathroom. Hoping to keep his presence in the hallway legit, he went for the closet first, finding it was indeed full of blankets as well as towels, washcloths and spare sheets and toiletries. Not only was this guy tidy but he was clearly more organized than any other guy he'd met. The sound of shuffling feet brought Kai out of his thoughts as shadows passed across the edge of the door to his right.
There you are. Kai thought as he heard the telltale sounds of a mattress giving way to a fatigue heavy form met his suddenly sensitive ears. Since it was still cloudy outside, Kai knew the light coming from the room was artificial and probably from the street lamp out front. So the rest of the room was engulfed in darkness, which wasn't all that back of an issue. Leaving the closet door open, Kai reached for the bedroom's knob, his blue grey eyes flashing red for an instant as he carefully swung the door open. On the outside, nothing about the man had changed, but not his vision which was able to pierce the dark easily as if it were daytime. Still moving quiet and with unnatural grace, the Russian cop approached the bed. At some point Rei had taken his gloves off, revealing the large marks upon them. To anyone else they looked more like tattoos than birthmarks. But to Kai, they were a sign that Lee had spoken the truth. This was who they had sought for years and somehow fate had answered their call. Just as he was about to leave, a burning sensation caught him off guard, making him hold back a hiss of pain as he grasped at his shoulder. His only distraction was how the tiger stripes on Rei's hands sparked to life, glowing bright neon green and crackling lightly with spouts of electricity. Kai could only gape as the marks shifted to, on one hand, formed a tiger's eye as though painted onto the skin with glow in the dark paint. The orb shifted, as though looking about before focusing on Kai, the orb blinking as though winking at him. As soon as all of this occurred however, they began to fade, the marks reforming to their original shape. Luminance gone and the moment past, Kai looked at his own shoulder, where the edge of his own marks glowed a deep crimson before that too faded away. Rei never stirred, ever oblivious to it all. Not about to inform him of it, Kai left the room as silently as he'd entered, grabbed his blankest and headed back to the living room where he'd sleep until morning.
Oh man way longer than I intended but damn did I finally get that out of my system! My prologues are usually just 8 measly pages but this one kinda got away from me here. Either way I honestly hope those you who read this enjoy it and give me a reason to keep writing for it. Until then:
Next chapter:
Chapter 2: Painful Truth
Something ancient is rising back up from the dusts of time for Rei, and his only hope of figuring out what it is are his friends who seem to know quite a bit about it. Just what are the stripes on his hands and why are they special? What's more, are they truly the only ones who know about him and his hidden abilities? Find out when 'Marked' returns with:
Chapter 2: Painful Truth!