And another chapter! Thanks for joining me once again. This chapter is also still a bit slow, but it's about to get better! Enjoy and again, review are welcome :)
Chapter Two
"Well, I must say that this place hasn't changed at all since I was here last." Mr. Dickenson said thoughtfully while he looked around, studying the large room that was only one of three of the main offices in the mansion.
"When was that?" Ray asked, breaking his gaze from the flames in the huge, stone fireplace to glance over at the old man.
"Hm. I'd say that was about twenty years ago now, when Kai was just two years old." Mr. Dickenson stroked his thick, white moustache. He tapped his fingers on the head of his cane, beating a lively rhythm.
"It's hard to imagine Kai as a two year old." Ray smirked. He looked around at the room. It really was grand, the walls were decorated with oil paintings of garden scenes, the soft colors contrasting nicely with the deep burgundy of the plush rugs on the floor, and the deep cherry finish of the hardwood floors.
"Mm, so it is." Mr. Dickenson chuckled. He shuffled forward in his comfortable chair to reach the large, solid oak desk. He reached out and pushed several papers aside to uncover the business magazine resting underneath them.
"Ah, he has done well so far." The old man murmured while he looked at the magazine. Kai's face was splashed across the cover, his expression serious and determined, with just a slight bit of his characteristic smirk easing his features into a perfect image of charm and confidence. "'Kai Hiwatari: the young prodigee taking the corporal world by storm. Where will he go next? More on page 5.' " He read out, a note of pride in his voice.
Ray leaned over Mr. Dickenson's shoulder to look at the picture. "I hardly recognize him without the blue makeup and scarf." He commented, raising an eyebrow at the image.
"Well, unlike some, some of us actually have to stop playing dress-up and join the real world eventually", Kai quipped suddenly, smirking as the other two men startled and quickly whirled in their seats to look at him. "To what do I owe the pleasure, gentlemen?" He walked past them casually and rounded the desk to settle in a large, straight-backed chair. He lounged back in it before fixing them with his sharp gaze. "I do hope it is something of great importance for you to be calling on me so late, without an appointment, after I just finished a very long day of playing with your clients and contacts, Dickenson."
Ray bristled somewhat at the sharpness of Kai's tone. In spite of their past relations, it still drove him crazy when Kai would be so snide towards the old man that had such a deep impact in most of their pasts. Granted, he didn't really have any idea what it was exactly that they were doing here, either, but he was sure it was all for a good reason.
Mr. Dickenson didn't seem bothered by Kai's snarkiness, instead he smiled somewhat apologetically. "The work that you have been doing so far is greatly appreciated." He rested back in his chair comfortably and tapped his fingers on the head of his cane. "The BBA being in partnership with Hiwatari Enterprises has turned the entire world of beyblading around since the chaos caused by the mess that Boris and Voltaire created."
Kai nodded. "As we had expected that it would." He leaned forward and steepled his fingers together while regarding the older man. "I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why you are both here." He glanced at Ray. "What could possibly have been important enough in this side of the world to draw our favorite hermit out of his country bumpkin life? Certainly nothing about our corporate world could be of your interest."
Ray smiled slightly. Kai was right. He had stuck around only long enough to help redevelop the BBA training program and to help promote safe beyblading activities and bitbeast training, before he had run out of interest in the business and retired to his simple life in the countryside of China. However, after receiving a cryptic note from Mr. Dickenson, he had been drawn out of his quiet life to return to the city and to be hauled off to Kai's residence. Personally, he was still awaiting an explanation himself. He turned to look at Mr. Dickenson expectantly.
Mr. Dickenson's chummy grey eyes darkened slowly. "Yes, well, I suppose we had better get right to business. While we have made great, no, huge progress in fixing the damage that had been done by the hands of Voltaire and Boris, my contacts have seemed to have come upon some information that is rather..disturbing."
The other two men sat quiet, though their attention peaked to full.
The old man took a breath before continuing. "We have come to believe that there was another partner in their game, that they were a triforce, though this other counterpart has kept to the shadows all this time."
Ray shifted in his seat and sat forward. "Your..contacts believe that there is another monster in power still on the loose? What evidence do they have?"
Mr. Dickenson traced the carved head of his walking stick while watching the two young men over his spectacles. "We have been monitoring all of our major warehouses and stores for the past few months. Things keep going missing without explanation."
Kai snorted at that. "You haven't considered employee theft? It's a very common occurrence, it's no reason to panic and assume some great conspiracy theory."
"We have taken great steps in screening each and every person that has walked in and out of the places since these thefts have started happening, and everyone has been coming out clean. The amount of product that is going missing is very alarming." Mr. Dickenson glanced up at Kai before looking back to tracing the pattern. "If this was all that was happening, we wouldn't be so alarmed, but there is more."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Alright, so equipment is going missing. What else is cause for this theory of another bad guy?"
Mr. Dickenson took a collective breath and then sighed it out. "Children and young adults have been going missing. All within the beyblade circle, and most with their own bit beasts. It started out as just a couple children about a month ago, but suddenly the reports have started rushing in."
Ray's eyes widened. "Children are missing? What leads you to believe the two cases are connected?"
Mr. Dickenson looked up at the tiger. "Well, the timing for one. Secondly, because we have seen this pattern before." He shifted his gaze to meet Kai's. "Only last time, it was only occurring in Russia."
A small muscle in Kai's jaw jumped from him clenching his teeth so hard as he listened to the last part of the explanation.
Ray cleared his throat, feeling the sudden spike in tension in the room. "How many kids?"
"Eighty, as of yesterday." Mr. Dickenon replied, suddenly sounding exhausted. "We have been working with the police for the past three weeks, once we realized that we had seen this pattern once before."
Ray nodded slowly. "What exactly is this pattern you're talking about?"
Kai suddenly slid his chair back and pushed himself to his feet. He strode around the desk with an air of calm about him that was more chilling than relaxing. He slipped over to the huge fire and stood close enough before it that he felt the full force of the heat. "The 'pattern' is exactly what Voltaire had Boris doing when they first started their operation out of Moscow. They had a handful of specially trained teens to start, whom they used to steal equipments, weapons, you name it." He paused to take a breath. "At the same time, they kidnapped kids to start their 'army', or whatever you want to call it. Some kids were even sent willingly, their parents unknowingly believing it was a camp or some stupid shit like that. Most were against their will though, simply taken off the playground."
Ray shifted uneasily in his chair. "So we're thinking that there's another villain out there...with more trained super kids. We just need to find them and shut them down then, right?"
Mr. Dickenson tapped his cane lightly on the floor for a few beats before speaking. "That is what we're hoping to accomplish."
"Okay...so what do you need us for, Mr. Dickenson? What can we do?" Ray asked, moving more forward in his seat. He glanced over at Kai, who seemed to have turned to stone, keeping his back to them.
"Well, we have sent several of our agents out to follow at least three trails that seemed like leads. Yesterday, I was given word that one agent in particular has managed to infiltrate an underground operation in Vancouver-"
"Wait. Vancouver, Canada?" Ray blinked. "They're in Canada?"
Mr. Dickenson chuckled at his expression. "Apparently so. Anyhow, she has gotten into the compound so far as we know, but since her last line, we've lost contact with her. I need you two to take the coordinates and go in after her."
"Why us? Why can't you send another of your agents? Surely they're more trained than us." Ray sputtered in protest.
"My agents don't fit well enough into the scenery in this case. We feel that two world-wide known beybladers would be better accepted into the operation without suspicion. We already lost track of one lead because our agents simply didn't blend in with a swarm of beyblade crazed teenagers, to put it bluntly." Mr. Dickenson sighed. "I apologize having to drag you boys into this, but I trust your abilities. I fear that time is growing short."
Ray nodded slowly. "Alright...well, I'll do what I can to help." He glanced over at Kai. "Kai? You're up for an adventure, aren't you?"
Kai exhaled slowly. He turned around to look at the other two men. His eyes narrowed but the expression was unreadable. "Who is this agent that you're so desperate to recover, Mr. Dickenson?" He asked sharply.
Mr. Dickenson's eyes gleamed faintly. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a cream colored folder. He held it out to Kai. "She's one of our best, she would have returned already unless if she has found that she can't." He said matter of factly as Kai took the folder from his hand.
Kai flipped the folder open and looked at the file. His stomach clenched suddenly, a cold pit forming in it. The headache suddenly shot through his head two-fold as the blood rushed in his ears. His eyes were met with the picture of deep, emerald green eyes and a pale, beautiful face, framed with brilliant amethyst hair. His mind was suddenly rushed with the image of a tiny girl of the exact same description. He looked desperately at the name at the top and felt the breath officially leave him as the name from his past glared up at him in black, solid letters.
"Who is it? Kai? Are you alright?" Ray rose to his feet in alarm. He took a step towards the phoenix while looking over at Mr. Dickenson questioningly.
Mr. Dickenson regarded Kai over his spectacles. "She is my adopted ward and an old childhood friend. Her name is-"
"Kiyoko Arashi." Kai breathed quietly. His heart continued to pound heavily in his chest. He slowly flipped the file closed and walked over to set it on his desk. He glanced over at Ray. "Better get packing, Konn." He then turned and strode from the room without looking back at them.
Kai walked silently up the stairs and down the hallway to his room. He pushed open the door and walked right across the room to the dark-stained walnut bedside table. Automatically, he slid the drawer open and slipped his hand to the very back of it, pushing aside papers and some trinkets, until his fingers closed around a cold, tiny metal object. He eased it out and slowly looked down at the locket in his palm. The delicate, sterling silver chain dangled through his fingers. His heart flew into his throat, nearly choking off his air as he carefully clicked the tiny silver heart open.
The picture of the same green eyes and purple hair stared back at him. A bright smile on her face. Kai felt a tremor travel through him. He closed his eyes and tossed the locket on the deep burgundy of the bed cover. "Fuck that old man." He snarled suddenly. Of course he'd go after her, Mr. Dickenson had known that all along, and knew that he could corral Kai right into this scheme whether he liked it or not.
He owed her everything, because she had saved his life once upon a time. Dammit, what was he getting into?