This.. is not a lot happening. It is like, just a something-in-.between, to get to the real stuff. So not much happening, but it is needed for the next chapter's events.
Man, I love Bryan. He's so mean.

Oh, I was watching some G-rev episodes yesterday and I remebered why I started liking Beyblade in the first place .Go White Tiger X!
And why am I letting Hillary on so much, in this one anyway? I don't like her. Ah. Well well.

I do not own Beyblade, if I did Rei would be so much more kick ass than they let him be.

And the previous chapter was a bit different, since it had lines instead of the X's. I just forgot how I was writing this thing for a while. For this one I'm going to have the old X's back. But I want you to know. Is X better than the lines or is it the other way around? Tell me in your reviews! Cheers!

Something To Believe In

Five

X

Before I even had the chance to scream a very high-pitch and girly scream, someone yanked me several inches above the ground. A fist held its death like grip on the collar of my jacket, harsh breaths warm against the back of my head. I didn't even dare to make a sound. The evil muggers had finally found me! My first instinct was to scream for Kai to help me, but then I remembered what I had just seen. My body went totally numb, which was probably good seeing that the grip the hand had on my collar almost strangled me. The person who had just grabbed me shook me violently and I felt myself being dragged a few meters away before finally being slammed against a tree. A twig poked me fiercely in the back and the sheer force of the slamming caused me to choke on my own spit. My back hurt and my head ached, my vision becoming blurry.

When I had pulled myself together at last, I suddenly wished I hadn't. Violet, ferocious eyes staring at me, burning into my skin. I felt sick.

''Hey, kitten. Ain't good sneaking around like that, you might get hurt.''

When he said that last word, I could swear I saw hell and all its demons laugh behind his eyes and dance across his smile. Suddenly I was pierced by a powerful hatred. I hated this boy, this man, for everything he had done to me. I hated him for stealing Kai from our team, (Okay so that wasn't his fault but who cares?) almost killing me in our battle and just being a total ass. I hated him for the fact that he was even breathing. People usually say I'm a calm person but that I can get angry when something is really worth the bother, and right that moment I just felt my whole self being consumed by hatred and loathing for one single person.
Bryan was back.

''Get your filthy monkey-paws away from me!'' I hissed, baring my teeth like a mad lion.

''Calm down, twerp. You'll disturb the love birds.''

My head was spinning so fast I didn't know what to think anymore. I just wanted to get out of there. I wanted to do what I had been doing for years, I wanted to run. I wanted to run until I reached the edge of the world and fell over and plummeted to my doom and… Bryan's eyes were staring at me, like he was trying to make me do something.

My breath switched between racing and stopping so fast I didn't even know if I was finally breathing at all. This was not happening. This was not happening. This was a dream. It was all a dream and I would wake up next to Kai and everything would be perfectly normal.
Right?

Bryan leaned in and I could feel his breath against my neck as he whispered in my ear;

''You look upset, kitty-cat. What's wrong? Someone stole your little toy?''

Now the anger rose again and I kicked the Russian as hard as I could in the stomach, making him flinch and loosen his grip just enough for me to slither out from beneath him. He was so much taller than me it felt like being locked in a cage.
While I heard him cursing loudly in both Russian and English I didn't even dare cast a glance over my shoulder before I sprinted off through the snow. Even a cheetah would have been impressed by my speed.

''Oh fuck…'' I hissed between the steps. ''Oh fuck!''

X

I don't ever remember crying so much. There was this one time that I thought Driger had been lost in the river and I cried like a girl in a soap opera. Oh, and once when I was ten and Mariah almost put my hair on fire. That was sad.
Although, it was nothing compared to this. I don't know how far I ran or for how long, all I remember is that I just ran like my life depended on it. I ran as if chased by the Devil himself. This turned out to be a terrible mistake, because when I finally stopped, I realized I was lost.

I panicked at first, turning my head so fast I thought it would fall off, staring around me with fear rising in my chest. Then I started pacing around in circles faster and faster until I decided to calm down before I went insane. I took a couple of deep breaths and relaxed.

Then I panicked again.

Finally, after I had been running around some more, I found my way into a dead end. This gave me the slight feeling of being claustrophobic, which I've never felt before at all. The walls seemed to glare at me with meaning looks, reminding me of Bryan. And Tala. And Kai. Everything was so messed up! My heart ached and pounded as if it was trying to eat itself up, my chest tightening with menace. It felt like I was dying over and over again.

I let out a scream before finally collapsing on the cold ground. The snow felt like shards against my skin, the dark of the alley covering me, leaving my mind blank. Then I broke into great, big sobs. I cried and I cried and I don't think I've ever hurt that bad. The tears didn't seem like they would ever stop coming. I squeezed myself into fetal position, while my mind reminded me of all the muggers and other bad people who could come and assault me. But I actually didn't care. Nothing like that even mattered. All I kept repeating in my head like some sick, twisted mantra was the names of the three Russians.

Tala. Bryan. Kai. Tala. Bryan. Kai. Tala. Tala. Kai. Kai. Bryan. Bryan. Bryan!

God, I hated that son of a bitch. I hated Tala too, perhaps I hated him more than Bryan even. But the one I hated the most that moment, was the man I had swooned over for not even a day ago. So did the night we spent together even mean anything? Did he feel anything? Anything at all?
The thought hadn't occurred to me, that he might just have slept with me for the sake of having sex. I was so stupid.
Stupid, stupid, stupid Rei!

How could I ever think Kai would love me? How could I even think he would ever like me? How could I have been so blind? Obviously the redheaded Russian was much better for him. They were both mean assholes. They both played with other peoples emotions. They both looked gorgeous.

Well weren't they just the perfect couple?

I sobbed even harder at the thought. Snot and saliva and salt tears running down my face, while the snow beneath me sparkled cheerfully. I even hated the snow. How dared it laugh at me and twinkle with all its joy and beauty when I was lying there, looking and feeling utterly miserable?
I needed a cigarette more than I needed anything else in the whole evil world.

Well, except Kai then. I needed him even more. I needed him the most. I needed him to come into that alley and hold me. I needed him to hold me and kiss me and tell the that everything was alright.
But I knew that wouldn't happen, so I picked up and lit a cigarette instead.

This was all so absurd.

X

It was in the middle of dusk when I had finally begun walking again. My cheeks were cold and plastered with frozen tears, my head ached so much I wished I could just rip it off. I don't know for how long I had been lying in that alley or when my crying finally stopped. Right then I didn't even know where the hell I was. All the streets looked the same, all the people looked the same and all the buildings looked the same. But right then I didn't even care to get panicked. I just felt so terribly numb. How could Kai do this to me? Or better yet, how could I even think our night together meant something to him?
What was the point of telling him my feelings now? It didn't matter anymore. I should just give it up and move on with my life. Move back to China maybe, get a decent job, get married and start Beyblading again.

Oh, who was I kidding? I hadn't been able to do that for a really long time. Now it seemed even more impossible.

I stopped suddenly, clenching my trembling fists and I felt the tears were starting to crawl back in my eyes again. My breath came out quick, short and harsh and I just couldn't take it anymore.

''Why don't you love me?!''

I didn't mean for it to come out loud. I didn't mean for anyone to hear. There I stood in the middle of a crowded street screaming at the sky, my eyes resembling the Niagara Falls. People turned their heads to look at me but no one stopped walking. They hurried on even faster, not wanting to be near me and my troubled mind. I let out a hard sob before bowing my head and not caring about the people around me, I let the tears fall a new.

''Why…?'' I whispered to myself, my voice faltering and slipping on every word. ''Why don't you love me? What did I do wrong?''

I wiped my eyes and drew the snot back into my nose, put my hands in my pockets and began walking again. Where was I supposed to go? Surely I couldn't go back to the apartment now. Hillary would ask me stuff and maybe… maybe he was there.
Then suddenly, I bumped into someone with a loud shriek. I almost fell backwards but I managed to regain my balance just in time. I looked up to see who I had just smacked into, and to my surprise I saw someone looking extremely much like Max.

Except the person was a little kid with large, brown eyes. His hair looked exactly like Max's, blonde and wild and smooth. His features were round and soft and his smile big and cheerful. I blinked at him, not knowing what to think. Next to him stood a woman, her hair short and a dirtier shade of blonde, but with the kid's exact same eyes.

She smiled at me, but when she saw my red, puffy face and fresh tears her smile fell. She gave me a worried and kind look and somehow she made me feel safe. She radiated warmth and a glow, like a mother and a model in one package with her slender frame and strong shoulders and expensive-looking coat.

''Oh, I'm sorry, sir! Did we hurt you?'' she said with a voice that sounded like it could be in a musical. Her southern accent made her voice sound like home. Not that I'm from the southern parts of America, but still.

I shook my head and tried to pull myself together, and failed.
''N-no'' my voice came out hoarse. ''Y-you… you didn't. I'm sorry. I wasn't… looking.''

Now she looked worried, and the little kid pulled her sleeve with a shy glance towards me.

''Mommy, why is the boy crying? Did I hurt him?''

The mother chuckled slightly and bent down to hug her son. He nuzzled into her shoulder like a cat.

''No, Sammy. You didn't. I don't know why he's sad. Maybe you could ask him?'' her voice was so sweet I thought I would get diabetes.

She stood up, holding the kid's hand and smiling at me. I just stared dumbfounded as I tried to figure out why this kid looked so much like my blonde, American friend.
He gave me a shy look with his big, kind eyes and I felt my heart melt. It was such a weird moment and I wanted to both run away and stay. Who were these people and why didn't they yell at me like everyone else I had bumped into in the streets?

''Mister, why are you sad?'' the kid said and I just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

''Uh…'' I mumbled. What would I tell him? ''I… uh…''

''Was someone mean to you?''

''Uh… well…'' I thought about it for a while, and it seemed like a correct assumption. ''Well, yeah. I guess you could say that, kiddo.''

The kid looked worried, his mother just looked like she was trying to suppress a smile. At the same time she looked as though she tried to recognize me.

''When people are mean to me, do you know what I do?''

''No, what?'' I smiled halfheartedly at him.

''I BeyBlade!'' his smile grew even wider and when he did, I started sobbing wildly again. I felt so embarrassed I just wanted to die, especially when the kid looked hurt and his mother looked worried. Why couldn't I pull myself together?!

''I'm sorry'' I sobbed ''But… It's not your fault, kid, it's just… Oh god.''

I would have fallen to my knees and cried, if not for the little amount of self-respect I had left. I quickly wiped the tears away again, but they just kept coming. The woman placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

''Do you live around here?'' she asked mildly.

I shook my head desperately.

''No, I don't know where the apartment is. I'm staying…'' I swallowed down another sob. ''I'm staying at my friend Max's place and I've been running around for hours. I cant find very good here, I'm not from…'' I swallowed down some snot. ''I'm not from around.''

''Max?''

I looked at her and her eyes were wide with surprise. Soon her face shone brighter than the streetlights above.

''Yeah, Max Tate, the ex-Beyblader.''

Now she almost laughed like someone had just performed a miracle in front of her. She hugged me tightly and I was so taken aback I forgot about my crying for a moment. She then lifted the kid up so he could sit on her hip, and they both smiled at me.

''We're going over there now!'' she said. ''We could show you the way!''

I blinked at her. What?

''Yeah, we're going to go visit daddy!'' the kid almost sang out.

Wait a minute… daddy?! This was Max's son and ex-fiancée?! Wow. What were the odds?

''What a small world.'' The woman said and I could simply only nod in agreement.

X

We hadn't been in the apartment for very long, but Max and his kid Sam had been playing videogames with Tyson since we came back. His ex, Josephine, said she was only going to drop Sam off and then head for some business in Washington D.C, and she said that she would be back to pick Sam up right before Christmas. Hillary squeaked with joy over having another female around, so she decided that the two of them would go out clubbing before she and Sam left. So the two females went together to the airport, why Jo was flying I didn't bother to ask, and left us men alone. Now Kenny had joined in the living room activities, and Sam was obviously beating him with ease. Kai though, seemed to be nowhere to be found.

''I bet he's still out doing whatever Kai likes doing.'' Max said and narrowed his eyes and leaned to the left as if this was going to help him win the videogame.
Tyson shouted loud when his character fell off a cliff. Sam laughed at him and Kenny had to break the two apart before one of them got strangled.

''Why doesn't he like to hang out with us, anyway?'' Tyson said with a grumpy voice as he regained his pose and started playing again. He was clicking on the console so fast I didn't even follow.

''He's always been like that. He wants his privacy. At least he's going to spend Christmas with us, right?'' Kenny said and started tapping away on Dizzi instead.

Sam looked up as Tyson's character died once again, this time being run over by a big boulder.
''Daddy, who's Kai?'' he said, but before Max had time to answer Tyson beat him to it;

''Kai is a mean bastard who only thinks about himself and has never been nice to anyone in his entire life.''

''He's a good Blader though'' Kenny said but Tyson just snorted at him.

''Not as good as me! Haha! Take that!'' he roared as he pushed Max's videogame character down into a pit of lava.
I started wondering what kind of weird game it was, where I sat slouching in an armchair drinking hot chocolate. Apparently, Sam wasn't as interested in Beyblading as his father, but more into singing like his mother. Still, he played Beyblade regurarly and he did know who the Bladebreakers were. He just didn't fan boy us like every other kid. When we presented ourselves to each other, he did squeal though when he saw Tyson. Apparently Ty's Blading skills didn't go unnoticed by him.

''Is he the one who made Rei cry?'' Sam asked curiosly looking up at Tyson.

I choked on my chocolate as he spoke, and I could immediately feel the others staring at me. The only thing burning hotter than their stares at my head, was the blush spreading across my cheeks. I could swear they had even stopped paying attention to the video game.

''He what?!'' Tyson cried, so high pitch it hurt my ears.

I sunk back in the chair hoping to sink through the ground and vanish forever. This was so humiliating.

''Uh… I uh…'' I stuttered desperately trying to find anything to say.

Fortunately though, I didn't have to. I was saved by the bell! Or, doorbell, to be more exact.
Max stood up and went into the hallway to see who was outside the door, and just mere seconds after he had opened it we heard a big yelp and a very familiar cry of joy.

We turned our heads to the doorway only to see a short, redheaded young man leaping into the room.

''Daichi's back, baby!''