A.n.: I know it seemed like I had abandoned this story, but that is not the case as you can see. This story is very dear to me, but soo hard to write. I am really sorry to have kept you waiting. This is a kinda short chapter with the intention to get me back into the flow of things. Hope you like. Status updates and draft versions can be found in my LJ through the link in my profile.
Again, I am really sorry. I hope this chapter is enough as an apology!
Title: When morning comes at night4. Chapter
"See, now we are too early!" Tyson grumbled. He didn't expect an answer, instead he shielded his ears against the terrible noise of the leaving and landing planes.
It was still early morning, but the airport was already crowded, so that the bladebreakers had difficulties to not lose each other. Especially Max found himself more than once pushed around by all the hurrying people, who needed to catch a flight.
Kai observed the big clocks, that hung every thirty meters from the ceiling closely. The minutes were ticking by slowly. Only ten minutes left and he could walk into the plane, and then there wasn't anything he could do until he arrived in Russia.
The former team captain felt the urge to yawn. Kai pressed his lips hard together. He hadn't really been able to sleep last night, but nobody needed to know that. The plan was forming in his mind and kept him occupied and agitated. 'If this was only over already!'
He gripped the handle of one of his bags tighter after someone brushed against it, nearly knocking it from his hand. Sighing he looked around to see if the others were still somewhere around. Bruce had gone to get the ticket for him, he could see him standing in the queue at the counter.
Rei and Max were out of sight. Rei was probably rescuing the American boy from being crushed by the running crowds. Not far away Kai could make out Tyson, who was only a few feet away and looked around as if he was searching for him. Finally finding the form of his team captain, Tyson pushed through a heap of people until he stood on a free spot next to the other boy.
Kai studied his friend for a moment. He looked like he had just have had as a bad night as Kai had himself. Tyson's eyes looked bloodshot and smaller than usual. He had been grumpy the whole morning and wore an extra jacket, because he was cold.
Kai averted his glance to one of the clocks again. It was like time hadn't moved at all. It had only been a minute since he had last checked.
Sighing he concentrated on Tyson again. "Coffee?"
Tyson was deep in thought. Well actually he wasn't really thinking, it was more like he was in trance. His mind didn't seem to be working right any more. Through the midst he could make out Kai's voice and it gave him a push to focus on his surroundings again.
"He?"
"Coffee?", Kai asked again louder this time. He motioned to the vending machine to their right with his shoulder.
Tyson proceeded the easy question only slowly. Then he nodded his agreement. The two bladebrakers made the few steps over to the machine. Tyson started to search his pockets for his money, but Kai already handed him the first cup of coffee he had bought. He then proceeded some more coins from his pocket.
"It's not like I need these any more anyway.", Kai said while feeding the slot.
"Don't say that!" Hot coffee spilt over Tyson's hand when had made an angry step forwards. "Oh shit."
"Give that to me." Kai pulled the cup from Tyson's hand and pressed a handkerchief in it instead. Tyson hurriedly used it to get rid of the hot content on his skin. Large patterns of his skin were red and it burned.
"Does it hurt." Kai traced the hot skin carefully with his index finger.
Tyson was mesmerized by the soft touch on his hand. "Just a bit. It's okay."
Actually where Kai touched his skin it tickled more than it hurt. Suddenly the touch stopped.
"I shouldn't have said that. I made you a promise." Kai had picked up his own coffee while speaking and given Tyson his back.
"Kai! Tyson!" Bruce was shouting their names, still standing at the counter waving the newly bought ticket over his head.
"You could still just run. I'd come with you.", Tyson said hopefully almost desperately.
In this very moment Kai wanted to do nothing more than say yes. Looking at Bruce, at the ticket, thinking about the the plane, the country in which he'd arrive, the thought of his plan failing, it all made him unspeakable nervous.
Still if he'd run away now, he would never be able to live the normal life he wanted. To go through with his plan was the only way. He wished he had more time to think it through, his plan was in some aspects only scratchy at best.
"Don't be stupid." Kai said brusquely, while turning to walk away. In the last moment he turned back and made a step in Tyson's direction leaning in closely.
"Just remember what I promised you."
xxxxxx
Kai absurdly wished for at least some turbulences during the flight. Nothing too dangerous, just something to distract him from all the things jumping around in his mind almost making him dizzy with their swirling.
The plane was a symbol of where he stood. He was stuck in here, between the place he was leaving and the place he was going, between the people he was leaving and his memories of their in some cases tearful good-byes, and the long overdue plotting he was doing for his arrival. No matter how much he just wanted to go back, there was no other way than over first going to Moscow. The plane made the situation all the more real. There was only one way and that was forwards.
So the twelve hour flight didn't help Kai to calm down and when he finally arrived in Russia, he was nearly more erect and nervous than on his departure.
He knew that Moscow was very European nowadays, at least on the surface. And that meant open borders, free movement and travelling. He just hoped, that he could count on the Russian scepticism he had always witnessed or his plan would fail.
The plane was on time when it finally reached ground again. Kai sighed and all the people around him seemed to do the same. It had been a long flight for everyone and Kai realized that the travelling wasn't even finished for some of them. The family next to him for example was speaking in rapid French and it seemed like Moscow was only a stop for them on their flight home from their Japan holiday.
Kai walked after everyone else out of the plane and up to the airport personal. He had to queue and it took a while until he was even able to look out into the crowded airport hall. He wondered which of the people standing there was waiting for him. Most of them had the same bored expression on there faces, only a few seemed to be eager. Probably waiting for family or friends to pass the inspection.
If Kai had to bet then he would say, that the small woman on the left was from the youth welfare office. She was a bit oldish, but that could explain her hard look. Perhaps she had already seen too much. Still she had this gentle quality that you could make out in most social workers.
Kai fumbled his passport in his pocket as the line of the people in front of him slowly grew shorter. He got it out and looked at the paper. He had never seen anything else have this strange colour. He would describe it as red-pink mixed with an ugly brown. The old paper was already stained with what looked like adipose and sweat, but as far as Kai could remember it had always looked that way. He certainly hadn't made it dirty.
The picture of the small boy inside only scarcely held resemblance with him. 'Perhaps the chin and the nose,' Kai thought. His glance moved down to the words written underneath the photograph. The letters were smeared and could only with a lot of fantasy be put together as his name. The stamp that crossed them did the rest. It's ink was darker than the ones used for the letters and hadn't bleached a bit.
Finally it was his turn and Kai handed the pass over to the friendly looking man on his left. The man asked him something, but through the airport noise and the surprise to think in a different language again, Kai didn't understand the question.
The man repeated himself while looking carefully at the paper in his hand.
Kai nodded his agreement. The question, if it was good to be back home, nearly strangled him.
The clerk looked a bit confused and handed Kai's passport to another employee behind the counter.
"Can I look through your pockets, please?" The man asked still friendly, but his voice was serious and strained.
Kai nodded again and the clerk immediately began to work his way through the bladebreaker's jacket pockets. He only fished out Kai's wallet though.
Kai nearly couldn't breath as the man fished his Japanese pass out of it and handed it over to the same person as he had the pass before.
"Just a moment," he told Kai.
The boy could do nothing but nod again.
It took only a few minutes, but those stretched like hours as Kai waited under the suspicious eyes of the clerk. The man only averted his glance, when he was asked to the counter. Kai couldn't make out any words in the mumbling shared between the two men. From time to time somebody looked at him, before starting to mumble again.
Kai concentrated harder. He heard the counter clerk say the word 'fal'shivka'. Kai's breathing grew harder and nearly stopped when the friendly guy nodded to one of the bulky security guards to come over.
The two exchanged a few words and then together made there way over to Kai. Kai looked expectantly at them both.
The clerk sounded nearly apologizing when he finally spoke. "Please just go with him. We've got a few questions for you."
Kai had muster all his self-control to prevent himself from shaking, when the big hand of the security guard grabbed his upper arm and lead him away.
Tbc.