I Love Beyblade
Chapter 2 – The Round Little Bell
"Here?" Kai asked. There is a small house by the shore and there are no signs around anywhere to indicate where they were. No other buildings were around here either. Kai left his motorcycle behind beside one of the buildings in the shadows and walked along side with Ruby. "What's this place?"
Her brown hair is untie and reached down to her shoulders. Her golden-yellow eyes turned to him. "My friend is proclaimed to be a trader of all trades and lives in that house right there," she replied. "Behind the scenes, she's quite one of a hacker in technology of something I have no clue about. She helps me out all the time and I'm sure she can help us here. She moves around a lot, so it's a good thing she's still here."
Kai did not say anything. In his mind, he wondered who Ruby is and what is her reason to travel around. Maybe she just one of those people who cause trouble for people in order to get what she wants. He wanted to ask why she stole the chip that had a beast in it, but now would not be a good time to talk about it. It could be that the chip is a fake and he cannot really say that there may be a bit beast in it.
Ruby opened the door and looked around in the house. All of the lights were off. "Maybe she's asleep?" she walked in, referring to her friend she just talked about. She stepped on something hard and slipped on the ground with a loud sound. "OW!!"
"Is that you Ruby?" a woman's voice asked. The lights turned on and a woman, who appears to be in her early twenties, walked into the room. She had long blond hair in high ponytail, and it reached to her upper back, and blue eyes. Ruby sat up, moaning. "It is you," the woman laughed. She realized that Ruby must have slipped on something when she cried out just a second ago.
There were a bunch of metals on the ground around Ruby. The girl stood up as Kai walked in behind her. "Geez, Eve… why did you not clean this place?" she asked, rubbing her elbow that had hit on the ground first.
Kai looked around the room while the two ladies talked. There were sofas and tables, but all were cover with broken pieces of parts from machines. A pile of junks. He looked at the woman who is called Eve. She wore faded blue jeans and white long sleeves. She did not really look like what Ruby had described as traders of all trades.
"So, how did you hook up with a guy like Kai Hiwatari?" Eve asked, smiling.
Ruby looked at Kai and back at her. "How did you know his name?" she blinked, clueless.
"You don't know who he is?" Eve chuckled. "He's…"
"Sorry, not interested," Ruby quickly said. Kai looked at her. Ruby walked to Eve with a sigh. "Eve, I have something I need to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Eve smiled. "That's right…" she remembered something. She walked around a table and grabbed a long string with a little round bell on it. "You forgot about this," Eve gave it to her.
Ruby smiled and took it. She wrapped it around her neck twice and then took a piece of paper out from her pocket. "Here's the information on the Empty Hearts…" she said. "I hope this will help you find what you need."
Kai looked at the piece of paper as Eve took it. "Thank you," Eve smiled. Even though she smiled, he noticed a sad expression on her face. Still, he did not want to ask why. "What is it that you want to talk about?" Eve asked.
"We want to go to Japan," Ruby said. "Kai and I have business there but we don't have the money. Can you do something to arrange for us to get there?"
Eve chuckled, "You know I always do what you request for. Just let me go through the preparations online to see what I can do."
"Counting on you," Ruby smiled, patting on Eve's shoulder.
Kai wondered if they would have to pay this Eve in the future. There is no way that she can just find an airplane ride without having him and Ruby to pay back but they did not even mention about money. To Eve, what is her relationship with Ruby?
Eve looked at Kai. "Do you travel alone too?" Kai just nodded. "Then why don't you two spend the night here?" she offered. "I'm sure you two don't have enough money to even spend sleeping on a bed."
"I'm used to sleeping outside," Kai said.
"I'll love to stay here," Ruby nodded. She looked at Kai, expressionless. "You really want to sleep outside, Kai? Stay here for the night at least." He did not say anything. Ruby looked back at Eve. "Yeah, we're staying here until you get the preparations ready for us."
Kai flattened his eyes at her. "Don't decide things for me," he said.
Ruby smirked. "Usually I consider a silence as a yes," she laughed. She walked pass him and open the front door. Her bell ringed after her. "Go and get your motorcycle so we can put it in the garage, Kai. I'll open it up for you when you bring it back. You don't want it to be outside now, do you?"
He grunted, following her. When they stepped outside, he asked, "The Empty Hearts… what's that?"
"Empty Hearts?" she stopped walking and faced him. "It's a group of teenagers who formed together about a five months ago, a beyblade thing I guess. I don't know too much about beyblade though so you should go and ask Eve about it. I'm sure she knows more than I do."
"Beyblade group…?" he crossed his arms. "Five months ago? But beyblade is ban from the world, so why is there…?"
"No clue," she shrugged.
"You're the one who gave Eve the information," he said, glaring. "How could you not know?"
Ruby sighed heavily. "I hate beyblade. I don't want to know anything about them."
"Then why did you steal that chimera bit beast?"
She paused. "I didn't steal it because I like it. I don't even know what it is." Kai still glare at her. "…Why are you making such a scary face?" she glared back.
Kai grunted and walked pass her to where he left his motorcycle. Just hearing someone like her saying she does not like beyblade makes him mad. In all of his life, beyblade had been his life. There is no point talking to someone who has no passion for it.
Ruby ignored him and headed to the garage. She went inside and lifted the big door open. While she waited for Kai to come back, she explored the garage. She turned on the light and walked around. It is just pretty much empty. She sighed and waited for Kai. It did not take him long and he moved his motorcycle in the garage. They did not say single word to one another and left the garage.
Their rooms were on the second floor and Kai's room is next to her. Eve's room is down the hallway. Kai lay on his back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. The moonlight shined in his room so it is rather bright for him and he could not go to sleep.
He thought about his friends, his teammates. I have been traveling for a month now… he thought to himself. He does not know what happen to Tala and the others when he left without a word. He had a feeling something might have happen to them, but he was more worried about Tyson and the others. Why did he want to head to Japan to see Tyson first though? America and China are closer, is not it? The thought of Hilary came up in his mind and he turned to lie on his left side, facing the door in front of him.
Kai heard the sound of footsteps and a small bell ringing outside his room. The lights were still on the hallways so he see the dim light underneath his door. A shadow passed by his room. It must be Ruby. He closed his eyes, remembering the bell that she had wrapped around her neck. Wherever she is doing, it does not interest in him too much. He tried to go to sleep and finally after an hour, he did.
The next morning, Kai got up and headed to the restroom. He washed up and repainted his face with the blue paint. He always carried a small container of blue paint with him, but he will be running out of them really soon. After that, he went down the stairs. He heard the sound of cooking and walked into the kitchen. Eve is cooking breakfast, so it seems. He looked around and his eye caught on a white round clock. It is pass eight in the morning.
"Well, good morning, Kai," Eve smiled. Kai looked at her with a nod. "Is Ruby up yet?"
He leaned against the wall. "I don't know," he said. "So, how are the preparations for leaving for Japan going?"
Eve sighed. "I didn't spend quite a lot of time on my computer last night. I couldn't arrange an airplane ride for you guys since it's too risky to be seen in public. Ruby's been a bad girl in other people's eyes so I don't want her to get caught. I'm going to have you two sneak into a ship that will be sailing today at noon."
"What?" Kai asked, surprised. "Sneak into a ship?"
"Sounds good," Ruby said. She walked pass Kai and sat in the chair, putting her arms on the table. "We'll go with that."
Kai walked behind her, half glaring. "What am I going to do with my motorcycle?" Sneaking in with a motorcycle would be tough. Something that big would not go so well.
"You can buy a new one when you get the money," Ruby smirked, chuckling.
"If I'm leaving it behind, you're going to have to buy me a new one that looks exactly like it," he said.
Ruby glanced at him, raising one of her eyebrows at him. "Me? You're not going to make your own money and just count on a girl like me to buy you something that expensive?" she grinned. "Come on, Kai, you're a man. If you want to go to Japan without getting caught, you're gonna have to do what I say."
He slammed his hand on the table and glared at her closely. "I'm not leaving it behind," he told her. "If I'm not bringing it along, don't bet that I'll give you back the chip." She felt his breath on her face and she looked at his pocket where the chip might be. He knew what she was thinking and smirked. "You're not going to get it back that easily," he said.
She did not look away from him, thinking this as a challenge and just looked up at him. "Is it that precious to you?" she asked, slightly glaring back.
Kai did not feel like answering her that question. The reason he did not want to leave it behind because his friends brought it for him on his birthday gift last year. It is a bit embarrassing if he told Ruby that. "If you want the chip, think of something so I can bring it along," he said, ordering her.
Eve sighed at the two of them, thinking that they are sort of acting like little kids somewhat. "I'll think of something," she assured him. "I made breakfast so just eat up for now."
An hour passed and Kai was in the garage, standing by his motorcycle. He touched the handle and remembered the laughter of his friends. He missed the tournaments where he had fought along side with Dranzer and his friends. Speaking of Dranzer, it is inside of his motorcycle, hidden so random people who hate beyblade would not take it away from him.
The sound of a bell is heard again. He knew it is Ruby and she walked out of the house and headed across the road. She knew that he is inside the garage, but ignored him. Kai watched her leave and wondered where she is going. She wore a different long jacket this time and it is dark red. She better hurry back. He glared. Soon, they will have to leave for the ship and hopefully he would be able to take his motorcycle along with him.
Time passed and Eve walked outside. She looked at Kai, who sat on the ground, looking across the road. "What are you doing sitting there?" she asked.
"…Do you know where Ruby went?" he glanced up at her.
She smiled, "She said she need to be some bullets for her gun that she 'stole' from last night."
Kai looked away. "So, did you figure out how I can bring my motorcycle along?"
Eve rubbed her chin, thinking. "I figured something out, but I'm not sure yet. I'll make sure I give you an satisfying answer before noon."
"You work pretty fast," he said with a slight smile.
"Hey, that's my job," she winked. "I do what I can for those in need." In her hand, she held a black cell phone. "Oh yes," she chuckled, remembering about it. She threw the cell phone to him and he caught it. "That's for you. If you need anything, call me anytime."
Kai looked at it and turned to her. "What about Ruby?" he asked.
"I already gave her one before she left," she said. She smiled and turned around. "Alright, I have to get back to work. I'll see you later."
He looked back at the road, waiting. There is nothing else to do now but to wait until time passes.
Ruby walked down the streets, walking pass the people. She looked around, searching for her wig that she had totally forgotten about. If the people from last night discover it, they will know for sure that the girl who they chase after does not have red hair. It is not like she would use it again if she found it, but it would be a good idea to throw it away or burn it so they would not know about it. She had already brought packs of bullets and it is in her pockets at the moment.
Ruby retraced her steps many times, but she still could not find it. "This isn't good," she sighed. When she turned around the corner, she quickly took a step back when she saw a couple of men in white suits walking at the other end of the street. On them was carrying the very same wig that she was looking for. "Aw man…" she glared. It is already too late. "I guess I have to find another wig," she nodded to herself with a smirk. But she does not have the money to even buy one.
She carefully headed back to Eve's house, looking out for any more men in white. The house where Eve lives is isolated and no one walks there so she knew she would be safe just as long she is there. Her bell ringed as walked around. She saw Kai sitting on the ground and his eyes were closed. Thinking he is probably just taking a nap, she walked into the house.
Kai was not asleep. When he heard her bell, he just pretended to look asleep. He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. The only thing he is thinking right now is going to Japan as soon as he can. He is already tired from sitting around and waiting. He wanted to take action. "I'm going to go crazy if I don't get moving soon," he sighed.
Somewhere in China, Ray slowly walked out of a cave in the middle of nowhere, looking at his surroundings carefully for any sign of danger. There were trees and fog so he could not really see anything. He looked beat up and tired. "We can't stay in here forever…" he mumbled. He turned his head as Mariah walked up to him from the dark cave. He smiled at her. "How are the others doing?"
"They're still sleeping," she said, smiling back. "Ray, what do you plan to do from here? We can't contact Master Tao if we just stay here."
"I know," he said, looking at the ground. He remembered the events that happen yesterday. He and his teammates were attacked all of the sudden by a group of teenagers. What really happen, he does not know himself. It all happened too fast to even recall what actually occur. Ray looked back at Mariah who seemed to worry. He took her hand and gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to get back home."
She smiled, believing his words. "Alright," she nodded.