Honorable Measures

Chapter 4: Everlasting hope

An ear-splitting scream wakes me from my light slumber, jerking my head so fast I narrowly miss the lamp. Sitting up I blink, wondering what happened, then it suddenly dawns on me. Kai. Shoving the chair back and jumping to my feet I race down the hall, pounding into the small room Kai is in. The young man is withering helplessly on the bed, sheets knotted within his white-knuckled hand and sweat pours from his brow. Going to the bed I try to wake the shuddering person but all I get is a weak punch. Going to the table I prepare a sedative but stop when mumbling, feverish mumbling reaches my ears.

"no… g-grandfather… s-stop… Nana…. Stop!" He cries, tears beginning to leak down his face. Remembering the recorder Jack usually makes me keep on I quickly hit the switch, making the little machine beep before going and kneeling beside the young man's bed. He is still thrashing but weakly as his strength is beginning to wean, sighing helplessly I take the tanned flesh of his arm and rub my thumb over the spot the injection will go. Uncapping the needle I slowly insert it into Kai's flesh, the young man lets out a growl and flinches away but can't move his arm due to the fact that he is being held. The sedative goes into his blood stream and I continue holding onto him, closing my eyes as he cries out for random people, ones he sees in his nightmares. His struggles become less and less until they stop all together. He lets out a soft sigh before falling limply back onto the mattress where I release his arms and sit back on my heels. Such a troubled young man, can't even sleep through the night without a troublesome thought. Getting to my feet I head back to the office, and wake the computer up. Typing the words 'Kai Hiwatari' into the search engine, it comes up with a few news articles about him but one about his birth. The picture has woman holding onto a baby wrapped in blankets and her husband standing beside her, hand on her shoulder. Behind them were Voltaire and his wife, all smiling happily at the arrival of their new edition. Under the picture read the caption

Mrs. Adriana Hiwatari and her husband Vasilie Hiwatari are brining their new baby son named Kai Hiwatari home from the hospital. This arrival was foreseen when the two were wed only last year.

Clicking on the 'Read more of this article' button up comes a large article,

German native Adriana Klein and her husband Russian descendant Vassili Hiwatari celebrate the birth of their six pounds two ounces baby boy today. The son of the two was named Kai Alexander Hiwatari, to appease both grand parents. On the fathers side the great owner and CEO of the Biovolt Corporation and his wife asked for at least a semi Russian name, hence Alexander. One the mothers side Mr. Klein a German car plant owner and his wife wanted something totally different but went with their daughters favorite name in the Native American language that means 'Willow'. Since the marriage of the two children of these wealthy businessmen the parents have been looking foreword to an heir, which would settle their minds.

Clicking out of that I type in 'Death Hiwatari' and it comes up with six matches. Clicking on one dated back when Kai would have been around six.

The deaths of Adriana and her husband Vassili rocked the two nations today when the news of the car crash that had killed them in America finally reached their homes of Russia, Germany and Japan. They had been returning from a conference of expanding the Biovolt Corporation into the Untied States when a drunk driver sideswiped them and they were sent into a tree. Adriana who had not been wearing a belt at the time was sent through the windshield and was found several yards away hardly recognizable due to the loss of her face. Dental records proved it was the heiress. The body of Vassili was found within the car but was cut in half by the car and tree, he died at the scene crying for his wife who laid dead several yards away. They leave behind their six-year-old son Kai Hiwatari.

I shake my head, such a tragedy for one so you to have to go through. I don't know what Lance would do if both Jack and I died one night, he probably would go back to the foster home since the adoption agency was against us adopting him in the first place. Same sex couples seem to be badly discriminated against everywhere. Sighing I lean back in the chair and click through the articles of Kai's many victories and defeats of mighty opponents on his road to being the captain of the Bladebreakers until finally the articles began to contain some information on those he battled with. Lance had told as much as he knew about them to Jack and I when they were still a team but I don't think all the information was true.

Rei Kon, native of China one of the members of the White Tiger clan who isolate themselves in the hills, rejecting all modern day things and living as they have for thousands of years. His quite and thought out personality makes him a worthy opponent, that and his powerful bitbeast Driger a massive white tiger who was trusted to Rei by the Village elder before he left to prove himself. His old team the White Tigers have even faced off against their own clan member and have fallen to the might of this team.

The picture of a black haired and golden eye boy accompanies the paragraph and I stare hard at the feline like boy. His incisors giving him a feral look but his golden eyes also making him appear far more human.

Max Tate, native to Chicago, Illinois America where his mother is a researcher. His father owns a Beyblade parts store in Tokyo Japan where the boys train and call home. His lively nature and naïve sense makes him the youngest among them all, not only by age but personality. His bitbeast is a turtle called Draceil, a mighty defensive creature he has kept the opponent bitbeasts at bay until he can build up an attack and take them out.

That… is a very happy child. His blond hair and blue eyes marking him as an American, much like Jack's complexion cursed him.

Tyson Granger, the most headstrong member of the Bladebreakers making him the highest risk, yet his bitbeast Dragoon seems unaffected by the fact that his blader is usually sending him into battle unprepared and still comes out on top of the competition. Tyson Loves to eat so all food offering places beware.

The young man with the cap turned backward and a huge grin on his face fills the screen, his eyes laughing as Max tries to hug him around the neck. Another article on the Data man they call the Chief is below this one, this really doesn't interest me much since he's not a Beyblader. From what I remember Lance saying is that he only took information and improved their Beyblades and that his is trapped within the laptop he uses.

A soft creak makes me look up from the screen to see a pale and feverish Kai standing at the doorway, his hand on the frame. I stand up as he stares hard at me, eyes slightly glazed over but moving none the less. The sedative must have worn off because he seems livelier than someone who had been sedated, looking at the clock I notice why, it's now seven-thirty in the morning and he was injected at one.

" Good morning Kai." I begin and he nods, licking his dry lips before shifting his weight to another foot.

" Would you like something to eat?" I ask and I get a blank look before he speaks

" Where is your bathroom?" he asks and glances around looking for the room. I step out form behind the desk and gently guide him to the small room and close the door, allowing the young man some privacy. Twenty minutes later I begin to get worried. Knocking on the door I get no response.

" Kai? I'm coming in." I nudge the door slightly and peek in to find the youth spread out on the floor, asleep. Smiling and laughing softly I stoop to pick the boy up but getting my arms around him since he is wedged between the toilet and the wall proves to be difficult. Leaning back I shake my head, why do boys always find the oddest places to sleep? Looking around I try to find something to help lever him out but can't find anything. Sitting down I rest my hand on his lower back and wait until Jack gets here, he will help me get the young man out of his little bed spot.

(Rei)

My alarm goes off and my hand reaches out from under the bedspread to slap at the top, making the annoying sound go off and the room becomes silent once again. Opening my eyes to mere slits I gaze around, groaning when I find it to be daylight. Sighing I flop the sheets back and stretch, yawing and scratching my head. Kicking the sheets away I sit up, blinking my eyes since they are still blurry. Finally gathering the strength I get up and head for the bathroom, my bladder craving release. Finishing that I head to the mini shrine in my small living room, this one surrounded by the many pictures of all my friends and loved ones, each with an odorless burning candle. I take the lighter and light them, since I am not bale to keep them going for only a few hours due to the fire hazard, and say a prayer as I light each candle near each picture. I stop as I near the end, the picture of a smiling and happy Kai, the candle in front of his is a bright yellow one, the only scented one out of all the candles. Last night at dinner Tyson presented me with a harsh truth, that my hopes of Kai being alive has been going on far to long and it was becoming unhealthy. I told him that I would never expect Kai to give up on me if I was presumed dead, and I won't give up on him. Tyson only said that he was worried about me and that it was time to let his memory go, yet something is telling me, as I sit in front of the cockily smiling picture of Kai, the lighter held slightly above the wick. Something is telling me that I shouldn't give up hope… that it's important not to give up hope on him. Sighing my other half says Tyson is right, that it is time to give up that hope, that last false hope that Kai is still alive. Slowly I release the button on my lighter and put it down on the hardwood floor, taking the picture I place it face down, so the image isn't exposed. Getting to my feet I bow at the shrine and place the lighter on the table next to it, before walking away, tears stinging my eyes as I walk to the kitchen to make my morning coffee. As I push the button on the pot the phone rings, sending a jump through my spine. Going over to it, slightly annoyed with the person calling I answer

" Hello?"

" Rei? This is Mr. Dickinson." I blink

"Mr. Dickinson, what can I do for you?" I ask hoping he won't ask me to convince the others to blade again.

" I just wanted you to know…. Kai is alive." I stop breathing my eyes go wide.

" Wha—how--?" I start and the chuckle over the line makes me open and close my mouth like a gasping fish.

" He was picked up off the street where he's been living for over two years now, I just went in to see him. Rei, he's not the same person we all knew and respected. He's battered, scared and a lot more closed off than before, his life has been hard. And" Mr. D stops, breathing a deep breath before continuing,

" He may never Beyblade again." I gasp, nearly dropping the phone. To Kai Beyblading was his life, without being able to Beyblade must be slaughtering him inside, that's all Kai ever thought about, even after being freed from Biovolt was Beyblading, now without that in his future, he must be lost.

" Rei? Are you there?"

" Y-yeah… can I see him?" I blurt out, wishing for the yes I so want. Silence is all that greets me before Mr. Dickinson says anything.

" Well, I might be able to convince Kai to allowing you to see him, he didn't even want to look at me. Tried to run from me actually but Doctor Onaii told him that if he did he was going to be sedated again." My heart sank, of course Kai wouldn't want to see anyone from the team, he must think everyone gave up on him, that's why he never came out of the shadows. Closing my eyes briefly I reopen them and growl slightly.

" Mr. Dickinson, are you going to talk to him again?" I ask and the older man gives an affirmed sound

" Please, tell him I never gave up hope, through out the whole investigation I never gave up hope that he was still alive." Mr. Dickinson give an alright and promises to call me after to tell me what he said while ordering me to get a hold of Tala, and tell him. I promise him and write down the Russian's number, surprised to find it in the United States. Hanging up I sit down, my legs turned to jelly, my coffee is done but I can not, my friend is actually alive, and Tyson said all my hope and prayers were useless. Well, HA to you Tyson. Getting to my feet and fixing my coffee I grab my Cell phone and dial the number I was given. After about four rings I get an answer, a very sleepy, mumbled Russian 'hello'. I stop and breathing as the Russian repeats

" Tala." I state finally and a snort is all I get

" Yeah… hang on." Opps, wrong person most likely one of the roomies, since Mr. D did say the D Boys moved in together and are renovating a two family house. Soon the yell of the person who answered is heard and footsteps.

" Tala here." Comes the slightly accented Russian voice.

" Tala, its Rei." I inform and he laughs

" Hey Rei, how ya been?" he asks, I will keep in touch with the flaming red headed boy and shoot the shit with him but today just isn't a luxury call. You see Tala never gave up hope on his brother's survival and he even flew to Japan to stay with us while the investigation was still going on, he was there when we laid the empty casket into the ground.

" I have good and bad news for you." I state and he sighs

" Alright, your pregnant and the chick thinks it's someone else's." He states and I can see the cocky grin and I laugh, snarling at him through the phone.

" Good one Tala but I'm serious here man." I laugh and he coughs becoming serious again.

" Okay, good news first."

" well.. Kaiisaliveandhewasfoundlivingonthestreets." I say in one jumbled breath. A silent line is all I get before a

" Uh.. repeat that over." Comes from the Russian.

" KAI IS ALIVE." I state clearly and slower. The silence now is scary on the other end, very scary.

" Tala?" I ask tentatively.

" Is that some sick fucking joke Rei?" he snarls and I sigh,

" NO! I just got a call from Mr. Dickinson, he had just got out of talking to Kai. He's alive!" I defend and Tala only laughs slightly.

" Figures Kai wouldn't allow his grandfather to kill him that easily. Are you going to see him?" He asks and I dread my next answer

" I might, Mr. D had a hard enough time trying to talk to him, I might not even be allowed." I explain, hoping Tala won't want to come and visit him when I haven't even succeeded yet.

" If and when you do Rei, tell him I love and miss him. I miss my brother and I look foreword to the day that we Bey Battle again, this time… as friends, tell him he promised and he never went back on a promise." I smile, and nod before saying my good bye's. Tala hangs up and I do the same, sitting at my table I remember that promise after Tyson's match and after Boris was hauled away by the authorities. Tala ran over to Kai and gave him this fierce hug and was talking to him and Russian so excited his eyes were twitching. Kai promised to him that they would have a match but not as enemies but as friends, as brothers. Tala always said those days when he was with us that Kai never, no matter how hard, he never went back on his promise.

He's alive and I'll make sure he keeps that promise Tala, I swear you that my friend. I swear.

Author's note: Okay, all those out there that wanted the D Boys to finally arrive, how did ya like that! I know I made Tala a NICE person but ya know… I did say there would be some of my own sick twists. So, I hope you enjoyed this and thank you to all those kind people who reviewed and

Sakura02: U won the grand prize my friend! Your right that was MY birthday, but I'm not lazy! It was the only day I could think of and I meant to change it!

Sealink: I want to come live in your country! Sounds so much cooler than mine, we're sooooo prejudice it's not funny.

For all those who bashed Bush RIGHT ON!! (Holds up fist in Rock Fist Style) YEAH!

REVIEW! And I'll update soon! That I promise! REVIEW!