Edited: April 2014

MasterFranny: I was really excited to see so many reviews for the first chapter. You all made me happy, and I hope you'll keep reading and enjoying!

This chapter explains some stuff, especially on Brooklyn's side.

…–…–…–…–…–…

Rating: T

Summary: (main BrooklynKai, side GarlandTala, ReiMystel) Post G–rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them…

Warning: this work contains (obviously) yaoi. Read at your discretion.

Disclaimer: I do not own BeyBlade, it belongs to Takao Aoki.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"(Talking into other languages)"

dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–

…–…–…–…–…–…

Alluring Darkness

Chapter 02: Wandering

Green eyes stared down, open wide, taking in every detail of the sight below him as he stood quietly on top of the hill, comfortably resting his back against a tree.

This was quickly growing to be his favourite place to do his favourite pastime, which he'd dubbed as Kai–watching, and he devoted himself to it with religious alacrity.

Maybe others would laugh at his choice of words, but he liked it, and besides, it wasn't like what others thought mattered to him. This was exactly what it looked like, and that was good enough for him.

He was spending time watching Kai.

Oh, it was truly a most enticing thing to watch, Brooklyn thought. Ever since their first meeting, he had developed something akin to an interest in the other teenager, and it was quite a first for him.

Before meeting Kai, Brooklyn had been interested solely in nature; he could spend entire days lying in the grass, feeling it brush against his arms, and neck and cheeks, breathing fresh air and observing the life of animals around him –butterflies, bugs, birds… he observed them with the stubborn patience of a scientist, cataloguing all the details and analysing them minutely. He admired the breeze, and the way it made trees rustle softly, or he could spend an hour observing a little ladybug climbing on a stem, its delicate wings bright under the sunlight.

Nature was fascinating, in a way that other things weren't, especially man-made, and Brooklyn could easily spend a day like that than one in the city, interacting with others. People were rarely interesting, and those who fell under this category were quite rare.

Still, nature had the gift of making him feel ok, relaxed, it made him forget that there were so many boring things around him, and that he was often disappointed by everything surrounding him.

That was why nature made him feel safe, and he could lose himself in his own little world of animals, leaves and solitude.

Humans were noisy, clumsy, and enjoyed destroying nature, even if it was just by throwing trash out, and he didn't like that. Besides, they were boring, and at his level he hardly found anything worthwhile to discuss with most of them. When he'd been younger, a lot of people used to be mean to him, kids ganging up against him because of his skills, and because he rarely failed, and only whenever hitting a new thing for the first time. Kids picked on him, and adults renounced to speak with him because he always seemed to know something more than they did, and that felt to them like he was undermining their standing with him, simply because he was younger.

He didn't like most people, and most people didn't like him back. That was fine.

He had his ways to work these things out, and until Boris and Garland had approached him, he'd kept a shell to keep people away. Boris had appreciated his skills for what they were, even though he'd planned on using him, while the latter had simply respected him, accepting him for who he was. Garland had been his first real friend, and he was never like other people, nor boring or annoying. He also never yelled, or became furious whenever Brooklyn defeated him, or had the upper hand on him about something.

Brooklyn liked him.

BeyBlade… in a way, it was just like any other thing, an attempt to find something he could enjoy. These things were rare, but blading was somewhat fun, especially when competitively using the creatures hosted within the chips.

Then Brooklyn had met Kai.

He had seen the teen before, the day Hitoshi (Tyson's older brother) had started to train him with beyblades, but he'd officially spoke to him only during the selections for the BEGA team. On that note, thinking about Hitoshi made him angry –the guy had acted friendly, but he'd used Brooklyn as a way to test his little brother's strength, to see how much he could achieve against a talented opponent… not unlike Boris, and the way the man had used him as a weapon to defeat his enemies.

He couldn't respect that person, not unless Hitoshi apologized –and he never did.

Amusing enough, both had seen their plans backfire –Tyson didn't beat Brooklyn, and Brooklyn didn't beat Tyson. It ended as a tie, and both were content like that. In a way, Tyson had helped Brooklyn see that there were other things he could enjoy, and win one against those who tried to use him. He was grateful for that, and Tyson was a good person.

But that simply meant there was just one single instance where Brooklyn had lost, and that… that had been against Kai.

He had caught Kai once before, while he'd been absently listening to Hitoshi's requests to start launching his bey. There was some commotion on the stage above his training grounds, and as he glanced up, breaking a rock with Zeus to keep Hitoshi's attention diverted from him, he had seen Kai standing there, eyes fixed on Garland, who was saying something.

Brooklyn hadn't known Kai's name then, but there was something about him, about his stance, that was somehow… curious.

His eyes were red, and Brooklyn had never seen eyes of that particular shade before, and there were shark fin marks painted on each cheek, which was quite amusing to see.

He'd caught him more than once since then, though nothing more than a passing glance had been spent as Brooklyn had other things to do, but he could remember seeing him around, with his uncommon attire and attitude.

It grew after a bit, because there was something fiery hidden under the cold behaviour that irked Brooklyn in a weird way; he couldn't understand why, but this was the first time he actually went out of his way to look at a person, so he wasn't sure how to proceed. Animals and nature were silent and their patterns were easy to memorize, but people? No, that was different.

After learning his name, Hiwatari Kai, Brooklyn had let the matter drop, momentarily indulging in his usual pastimes until he'd seen the name of the other team in the same division as his own.

Their first fight had almost made him give up on his blossoming interest, because he'd defeated Kai so quickly it made him wonder if he'd perhaps overestimated him in general.

But as their battle raged on, Brooklyn had felt a weird sort of satisfaction, an appeal, in hurting Kai, mortifying him and poking him metaphorically, making him face the fact that Brooklyn was perfect and he wasn't, nor would ever be. Kai seemed to react the worst to those words, and Brooklyn felt a vindictive sense in striking down the person who had disappointed him.

Because for once he'd thought he could find another person who wasn't boring… someone at his level. And Kai had disappointed him.

Kai, with the darkness he was hiding, the way he was always so tense, always so cold and grouchy, who could barely smile.

Brooklyn ignored Kai afterwards, simply training as he was asked to (even though well, he didn't really need to train, and he spent more than half his training time relaxing somewhere hidden), but there was a side of the whole battle he hadn't expected, and that was how he felt almost upset at having won.

Thoughts of that battle still trickled in his mind, and he idly pursued them, thinking about it and getting restless.

It was with a pleased surprise, almost a satisfied shock, that he greeted Kai's return to the team, the first time since forever that someone had fought against Zeus' darkness attack and returned to tell the tale.

Maybe his interest wasn't really misplaced in the end, as it took quite a bit of strength to fight despair away.

Even more so, Kai had asked for a rematch. Brooklyn didn't like fighting the same person more than once, since there was nothing to gain from defeating someone twice, but at the same time, he didn't say no, as this was an unusual challenger and he was curious about how Kai planned to 'defeat' him.

So they battled again.

Brooklyn didn't pull his punches, but he saw no damage in fighting the same way as before, defeating his opponent and then mortifying him again, banishing him once and for all in the shadows. He idly wondered if Kai would come back again, or if this time he would be gone for real. But as the match continued, he found himself more and more troubled by the way the other blader acted. He didn't give up, he didn't let himself fall into despair as he'd done before. He kept standing, fighting back each attack Brooklyn sent his way.

And in the end, Kai won.

Brooklyn's first defeat was against an opponent he'd already defeated once, and who he'd been interested into for a while.

This was unacceptable. Even if his disappointment had disappeared, another emotion took its place –rage.

How dared that guy, who he had defeated once, come back and beat him? Brooklyn had been undefeated before. He was perfection, how could perfection lose?

He thought about it, he closed himself away from the world and tried to see what he was lacking, why could someone beat him. yes, he'd been disappointed at Kai because he lost, but that didn't mean he wanted him to win. It just wasn't how things went.

Nobody should win against him.

Kai's face plagued his nightmares, and Brooklyn tried to understand why being defeated in such a stupid game could hurt his pride this much, nor why should he even care. Crimson eyes burning inside his mind, challenging him, that voice telling him that despite his perfection, he lacked in passion.

Brooklyn had never had any passion. He kept on living without really appreciating anything apart nature itself, and closing his real self, his heart, his needs, deep down, because others would only mock him and reject him, and think he was wrong. Nothing was interesting, and he didn't even want to try finding something that could be, because what would that even matter?

Outwardly, he was perfect. Always right, always winning. Inside, he was bored, and at the same time he'd nurtured his pride, so that even though he shouldn't have cared, he did. He only had that, his perfection, his perfect streak of victories.

Such a blemish, his first loss…

But above this, above it all, Kai had what he lacked. Passion. And Brooklyn had been attracted to him even more due to that.

Brooklyn had started desiring that. Kai's passion. Kai's presence. Kai.

His interest had grown, turned into an obsession, and his obsession resulted in him losing control over Zeus. It was one of the strongest creatures trapped within BitChips, and Zeus had a dark side too, one that Brooklyn had no control on, nor any hope to ever have it. Boris had known this, and had fuelled his anger, his desire for revenge, and had directed it against Tyson, the last standing wall between the man and his goals.

But of course Tyson, despite his strength, was nothing compared to Kai. He had a great passion, but there was something of him that lacked, and Tyson was far too different from Brooklyn that he didn't even care, and yet his anger only grew more bitter. Seething. Tyson wasn't a worthy opponent, he wanted to fight Kai again.

And yet, Brooklyn had fought Tyson, not Kai. He had wanted to defeat Tyson to prove to Kai that he was no failure, especially knowing Kai had also lost to this blader, and he had never gained a victory afterwards, no matter how much he fought. If Brooklyn had defeated Tyson, he would have defeated Kai again by proxy.

And through this battle that he had not wanted to have, he'd learned something new, something he appreciated. He'd gained a friend out of it, and a peace of mind, in a sense, that he'd forgotten he could have.

He had calmed down, and Zeus' dark side had subsided again into nothing. Boris had been stopped, and that was it.

Brooklyn expected his rage against Kai to still simmer afterwards, but he found out there was no anger left for him to feel. Only the same interest as before, stronger and needy. He wanted to know more about Kai. He wanted to know how he ticked, he wanted to find more about his past, about him.

An obsession, a desire to know him, to talk with him, to observe him and to–

"Kai!" Brooklyn snapped out of his thoughts and blinked, his attention returning to the hill under him.

Kai had been sprawled on the grass, resting, and he had been looking at him, committing to memory every curve of his face, every twitch of his body. Now, at Kai's side there was someone else, the same person that had caught Kai the other day, taking him out of Brooklyn's grasp –the raven-haired teen called Rei. Kai's friend and teammate.

Kai was startled out of his lazy pose, and Brooklyn observed him with keen eyes, noticing the way his shoulders tensed up, the way he seemed to retreat to himself, no more looking at peace. He was back on guard.

Brooklyn sighed.

Rei was Kai's friend, but Kai still kept himself away from the others, at a distance. Brooklyn wondered how long it would take him to get Kai to consider him the same as Rei, and then how long it would take him to get even closer to Kai than Rei could ever be.

He wanted more. He wanted to get to know him, all of him.

Well, but he was a patient person. He knew he had time to sort things out.

…–…

Relaxing his sore muscles against the ground, feeling the grass tickle his palms, Kai slowly brought his hands to his chest, stiffening when a jolt of pain throbbed from his fingers up to his elbow.

He gritted his teeth and waited for the pain to subside, trying to calm down.

The fact that his hands were still hurting despite how much time had passed since his fight with Brooklyn was worrisome, but he still held hope that it would all come to pass. He couldn't really train as it was, even holding a bey was painful, and he felt that if he rested too much he would grow lax.

Much to his displeasure, he had managed to worry Rei with his horrifying lack of control over his emotions after meeting Brooklyn, so now the Chinese teen kept bothering him all the time, even with Kai trying to reassure him that things were ok.

They weren't, but he definitely didn't need Rei to know. Nor Tala, though he was keeping neutral against his Russian friend just in case. He would be worse than Rei.

His hands were hurting, and he didn't want to let worry cloud his senses, but they seemed to be worse than the previous day. He still hoped it would be just temporary. If a part of him had been damaged to this level by Brooklyn, it would go away at some point. He'd dealt with bad hands from destiny already ever since the Abbey, so that didn't matter. He'd just have to ignore the pain and keep going until it was gone.

As he tried to ignore the pain flaring from his fingers, Kai decided to run through what he knew once more.

Something was wrong with him, and that something was because of Brooklyn. On the physical plane, the nerves of his hands were not responding correctly, sending flashes of pain at any movement that wasn't the bare minimum. Clenching his hands into fists was difficult, and holding small objects even more so. His grasp was weak at best, and if he tried to hold onto anything, they started trembling without control.

To try and avoid the pain, he had started to keep them lax at his side, not even crossing them on his chest as pressing them against his arms also hurt.

The strain of the fight, mixed with the attacks Brooklyn kept firing at him, had possibly caused him some nerve damage. He hoped that given enough time, his nerves would settle again, and he would finally stop hurting.

Unfortunately for him, this wasn't his only problem.

He couldn't blade anymore.

Not just because he couldn't hold on a launcher with enough strength to put the bey in it and pull the ripcord, but also because every time he tried as much as to hold the bey over a dish, he had flashbacks of the darkness Brooklyn had sent against him.

No matter how steely his control over himself was, he was absolutely powerless in this case.

Despair welled up inside him, and his shortened breath left him lightheaded, open to the memories to come haunt him.

Every time he looked at Dranzer, he felt panic fill him. The phoenix inside was part of his soul, his creature, but he'd seen it swallowed away in the dark, he'd seen and felt her pain as her BitChip shattered, her presence disappearing from the world.

Just holding the bey in his hands scared him. He was broken, in a way, just like his bey had been. He'd caused pain to her and himself, and now just the sight of it made him feel crippled and weak. How could he ever battle again, if he could barely keep control of himself around a simple, empty bey?

It was nothing he should be afraid of, and it wasn't that he was afraid, per se. He was wary. He felt like walls were closing down on him, choking him. The past threatening to drag him back down again.

This was also why he couldn't even be present when his teammates trained. The reason he'd avoided watching them train as a group ever since the tournament. He wasn't free, he wasn't safe. He was running like a prey instead of being the predator like he'd been taught all his life, and he was disgusted by himself for this.

How would it go if the team got signed up for the next tournament? It wasn't even about a 'what if', but more about a 'when'. He was their leader still. Should he give up again, after all this time, and retire? Should he let this situation get the best of him, and lose like the coward he had become?

He couldn't. He simply couldn't.

Maybe Boris would say he was weak, and he wouldn't be the only one saying this –nor would he be wrong.

He was weak.

But right now, between his fear of Brooklyn and his inability to even hold a bay, all of Kai's body and soul screamed of defeat and weakness.

He couldn't do it.

BeyBlade had been carved into his soul for years. And now he couldn't even launch a bey.

Not now, maybe… never again.

He felt like the world was staring at him, accusing him of being weak, and he felt observed, judged. Maybe he was just paranoid, but it was hard to shake off that feeling.

"Kai!"

His dark thoughts were shattered by Rei's voice, and he sat up, bringing his hands down to his sides, attempting to look casual, although he was a bit upset at being interrupted in his safe place again.

"What," he grudgingly huffed, as the other teenager approached him. As Rei got close, Kai realised that he didn't look all that upbeat as usual, and the part of him that actually cared for his teammates got instantly worried. "What's wrong, Rei?"

"I just came to say goodbye," Rei's voice was as sad as his expression, and the Chinese teen sat down next to him, knees tugged against his chest. "I will have to go back to China, and I have been going around to say my goodbyes since I found out… you were one of the last ones I could find, hehe".

Kai frowned, "are you?"

Rei's expression turned into a scowl. "I don't want to go, I found a lot of things about the outside world that I like. I don't think going back to my village is what's best for me… but Tyson cannot offer me a stable place to stay because of Daichi, and…" he paused. "Mr. Dickinson has spent a lot of money to restructure the BBA Headquarters. He cannot spend any to rent an apartment for me, not even to sponsor me, and I can't get a job here, either. I will have to go back… home… and wait until I'm able to pay for myself".

Kai could feel the unspoken words –the village wasn't rich, and after so many adventures Rei found the idea of returning home stifling. He wanted to keep travelling, to keep growing.

Rei sighed, looking down at his knees with a disappointed expression. He loved his friends that he'd left behind, but that wasn't his place anymore. Besides, Mariah was really happy to have him back, and her slightly overwhelming attentions were making Rei feel stifled. She liked him, perhaps a bit more than he liked her –perhaps a lot more– and he knew that the village elders viewed him as a good, worthy candidate for her, even though he didn't like her like that. He was worried that going back would mean them having something to hold above his head, and that he'd have to do things he didn't want to do.

Kai blinked, processing Rei's words and also the ones he didn't say as he thought back at a conversation he'd had with Tala on a similar argument.

Start FlashBack–

"(Kai…)" Tala was positively whining.

Yes, exactly –the leader of the Blitzkrieg Boys was capable of sounding his age, and also of whining. Too bad Kai was too 'nice' to use this information against him… not that anybody would believe him.

"(What?)" Kai tried to ignore the way Tala was staring at him, eyes unblinkingly set on him. Somehow, he had an inkling on what was going on, but he wanted to see if he was right.

"(So… Bryan and Spencer have returned to Russia yesterday,)" he started, fingers tapping against the water bottle he was holding. Kai hummed, acknowledging the subject. "(They rented a house together,)" Tala continued. Kai hummed again, not surprised but wishing the two good luck with entering the world of adulthood. He inwardly snorted. "(I'm left here by myself, alone. With nowhere to go)".

The two had just exited the local gym, where Tala had been training and Kai had monitored him –a lie that would keep his friend appeased about why he hadn't joined much during the actual training. During a commotion at the gym, Kai had quickly taken some painkillers to avoid suspicion, and started doing some sit-ups.

Kai rolled his eyes, but was too busy thinking of how to make Tala open a water bottle for him too to actually focus too much on what the other teen was saying.

"(Let me get this straight… you were the one who begged me to stay here some more, not even thinking about where you could go if you were left stranded in Japan…)" Tala glared at him, "(Why can't you go back to Russia and live with Spencer, Bryan and Ian? Wouldn't that make you all a happy, nice family?)" he sneered a bit at Tala's outraged face.

"(I don't like Russia,)" Tala's voice was deadpan. "(Too much restraint, too many memories that I don't like to revisit,)" here Kai had to nod, accepting the point. "(I wanted somewhere new)".

"(I suppose you were counting on renting an apartment thanks to Mr. Dickinson and stick around, right?)"

Tala nodded coolly.

"(But you didn't realise that the expenses to build the new BBA Headquarters would exceed expectations, and as such you're left without the help you hoped to obtain,)" Kai smirked.

"(I was recovering in the hospital. Not sure if you heard, but I was in a coma,)" Tala replied pointedly, annoyed but trying not to show it too much.

"(Oh, so this is you trying to be a drama queen and failing, then,)" he sighed. "(Let me guess… you're here to beg, yes beg Tala, for me to allow you to stay at my house, since it's big enough and I actually have the money to cover your expenses while you are here. Because my house has extra rooms, a garden, a training facility and enough maids and butlers to treat you like the royalty you think you are)".

Tala's smirk was blinding. "(Why, Kai, I wouldn't have thought you'd hit right in the nail… why yes, I'd love to stay at your house, thanks for offering!)"

"(I said 'beg', Tala, and I couldn't hear any begging,)" Kai snorted, knowing better than to expect Tala to behave.

"(You might be the nicest person I know,)" Tala continued, rolling his eyes. Then he paused, "(Well, maybe not the nicest. I think Rei might beat you to it)".

"(I might reconsider letting you stay–)"

"(Jeez, cool it Hiwatari, I was just joking,)" but Tala was smiling now, as honest as he could, and patted Kai on the shoulder. "(Let me pick my stuff up from the hotel and we're free to go)".

Kai sighed, but he guessed at least this would weigh less on the shoulders of the BBA, since the organization was paying for the hotel, and a few nights less than expected would at least help.

The only problem with Tala living with him was that he wasn't sure how long he could go with hiding his problem before his friend started noticing things.

Well, damn.

End FlashBack–

He was already letting Tala live with him, so technically there wasn't a problem with extending the invitation to Rei as well, since Rei at least had more need for it than Tala, but…

The same problem with Tala being there would double with Rei also living with them under the same roof.

Kai guessed he'd just have to up the amount of painkillers he took, and pray that they would be far too focused on their own lives to notice.

Well, that was just wishful thinking, but maybe Kai could make a game out of it, and see just how good his stealth was.

"Rei," Kai nudged the other teen with an elbow, and watched as the Chinese blader looked at him quizzically. "If you want, I can offer you a place to stay. My house is big enough to accept another homeless soul, if you don't mind Tala sharing the house with us".

Rei blinked.

Then blinked again.

"You… you are saying I can stay with you?" Rei looked at Kai, with bright, hopeful eyes, "Free to stay here rather than going back home and be forced to possibly date Mariah?!"

Kai raised one eyebrow, not knowing what to do with Rei's words about his childhood friend. "Err… yes, I mean this… I think".

Rei grabbed his arm, smiling so brightly Kai had to admit it wasn't that bad of an idea, and shook it slightly, mindful of Kai's space bubble rules but willing to push a bit to show his gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you!" Rei threw caution to the wind and hugged Kai until the latter could barely breathe. "You're my saviour Kai, you're a nice soul I swear!"

"Jeez, Rei".

"So you're sure there's enough place for us three? I've never seen your house".

Kai couldn't restrain a smirk. Rei still didn't know of Kai's financial situation, so that might be fun.

In fact, he was glad he was not going to live alone anymore. The house was just a bit too big, and at least when his grandfather had been there, it had felt slightly more lively. But having people his age around to share his living space with… that sounded much better.

"Come on, pick your things up, I'll show you where it is and you can get settled".

…–…

"Huge…"

"Eh… Rei?"

"It's so… huge…"

"Rei? You are scaring me".

With a last, shocked look at the manor Kai called his house, Rei looked at his friend, eyes still wide. "I can't believe you really live here, is that a joke?"

"No, it's true, that's my house," Kai replied, chuckling. "I thought you knew that my grandfather was a very, ah, rich man. He's in jail now and as the only living relative he has, not to mention his only heir, this all belongs to me. And I have some good lawyers to insure that even if he comes out, he will not be able to touch any of this".

Rei made a strangled sound, though he was a bit more sober due to Kai's casual mention of his grandfather Voltaire, and followed his friend through the garden and the front patio, then inside the house to a cosy, warm kitchen.

It looked like despite the size of the house, Kai had already settled for a smaller living space, leaving the rest to the dust.

In the kitchen Rei was surprised to find Tala munching on a bowl of cereals while reading a book. The red-head only seemed to notice them as they entered, and he hastily swallowed his mouthful in order to appear poised.

"Phoooi," he said instead, hit by a coughing fit that completely ruined his chances.

"I think that was meant to be a greeting," Kai supplied helpfully, smirking. "Tala, sorry to bring forth devastating news, but you will have to divide all this riches with Rei, as he's in a similar situation as you and will be living here as well".

Tala observed Rei for a few seconds before nodding, keeping his expression schooled and neutral. He looked wary, because the two hadn't had much time to get to know each other, and for all Tala knew, Rei only saw him as the Demolition Boy team leader that had almost caused them to be defeated in Russia.

Feeling Tala's hesitance, Rei stepped forwards, keeping a friendly smile on for his sake.

If he'd once been afraid of Tala during the first world tournament, now things had changed. Rei had seen how he had acted during the BEGA problem, and his hatred towards Boris and what the man had forced him to do, and for this he had been sent into coma for an entire month.

Oh, things could change indeed, and Rei's stance towards Tala was one of those things.

If he had to admit it out loud, Rei could even say he admired Tala's determination.

"I hope we'll get along," he stated firmly, smiling.

Baffled but overall pleased, Tala smiled back. "Well, welcome to Kai's humble abode! I hope you know how to cook, tho".

Kai, who had been relieved at their civil attitude towards each other, looked at his friend sharply. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"I… might have had an argument with the cook. That… might have made her resign, or something".

Kai groaned, but did not facepalm, as his hands still hurt. Still, he should have known better.

"Ah, I don't mind cooking, really," Rei butted in, trying to defuse the situation. "It's the least I can do to repay you for offering me a place to stay, after all!"

And that said, Rei started exploring the kitchen, wanting to give his new tenant a show of his culinary skills that would appease him –that, and he was a bit hungry too.

A few minutes later and the kitchen was filled with the delicious smell of freshly made food, and the three teenagers sat down at the table to eat their first meal together as housemates, while Kai explained Rei's situation to Tala.

"(It's not that bad, I am glad he's here,)" Tala admitted privately, waiting until Rei was momentarily busy flipping a pan. "(I always thought he was pretty gifted –after all, Bryan was defeated by him)".

Kai smirked and for the first time in the last few days, he felt that his life was actually taking a turn for the best.

…–…–…–…–…–…

MasterFranny: sorry if this chapter was a bit dull, but angst and action will happen soon, so hang in there!

Review! They make me happy!

As for how Brooklyn sounded like he was interested in Kai the way he would with a bird, or a bug, well, that's what I wanted it to sound like. He's never really had any interest in a person, so he's not sure how to categorize it, but things will clear up for him soon enough, I promise.