Ayuka: so sorry but I needed to do something different, not just 'yay Kai's being abused again' I'm sorry… but it will become a bit more depressing bcs Kai is going to have some issues in the upcoming chapters (hint) (hint) yes you may have a pin.

False-Image: them two guys are going to be nice… I promise they will be nice people and not mean ones. Wow… my first NICE couple… scary thought.

TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO REVIWED 'THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!'

Disclaimer: I am not an owner, only a torturer of these fine characters made by other, more intelligent people. I do not own anything, not even my own truck, so if you want to sue, you can have the dead mouse out back.

Honorable Measures

Chapter 7: No Choice in this Matter

(Rei)

Mr. Dickinson pulls his car up outside of a huge warehouse and parks. The feeling of apprehension is killing me, I'm so pent up and nervous that I could barely sleep last night. Before cutting the engine Mr. Dickinson turns in his seat and looks at me, his face stern but his eyes loving.

" Rei, I just want you to be prepared for what you may see in Kai." He says and that feeling of dread looms up in my stomach, making me swallow back bile as it rises into my throat.

" He has changed, he's not the same boy who went all over Europe with you. Now that he is in the chair Kai is a bit more cautious of people, leery of quick movements and refuses to speak of his life on the streets. The only ones he allows to really get close to him are Jack and Mike, the two men who brought him in off the streets and their son Lance. Other than that, there is a barrier harder than the one he had in Russia closing him off." I nod my head in understanding and shift in my seat. Mr. Dickinson cuts the engine and we get out, heading over to the metal door and opening it. The inside is nothing but a long cement slab, with some walls separating one area from another. At the sound of the door closing the American behind the desk looks up and smiles, coming over to see us.

" Ah, Stanley." He shakes Mr. D's hand and then looks at me, his eyes shining.

" This must be Rei Kon." He says and glances at Mr. D before reaching out his hand to shake mine. I do so, since it is only good manners to do so. He nods and beckons for us to follow him to a small office, this one with bookshelves and a computer.

" Mike is just giving Kai his medication and making sure he's medicated." I glance at Mr. D worriedly because last time I saw Kai overly medicated he was violent and nearly ripped Tyson's arm off. Mr. D only laughs and explains

" He's on muscle relaxants for his back and some antibiotic for the rat bite he got, remember I told you he was in the hospital for several days?" I nod and the feeling slowly abates a bit. Looking around the office I see the picture of Jack and Mike and their son Lance, the smiles wide as they show off for the camera. On the desk also see the open file, Kai's file. There are several exposed pictures of him, possibly when they first brought him in. His hair was filthy and face sunken. Other pictures show his ribs and the neglect, but the worst were the scarring of his hands, my eyes widen slightly at the photographs of his hands. Terrible scarring is evident on both and it looks painful to move the fingers.

" Mr. Dickinson?" I start at the low voice, slightly scratchy but still holds that icy edge. Looking at the doorway I find Kai, sitting in his chair and extending a gloved hand to the older man who take it and shakes it warmly. I step foreword and gulp down my nervousness, watching the ex-blader in the chair as he runs his shimmering crimson eyes over me.

" Rei," he breathes and I smile, wishing he would allow me to touch him but knowing that would not be a good thing this early in his rehab. Yet he does extend his leather clad hand out and I take it, warmly shaking it while smiling. Kai smiles, a genuine smile that shows all his teeth and makes me happy. Around his neck Kai wears a small tear shaped crystal, which dangles from a silver chain, he is dressed in black pants and a white shirt. His feet are covered with black and blue sneakers. I hold out the baseball cap he left at the park the day he collapsed

" Here, thought you might be missing this." I hand the cap back to the boy, watching as his eyes light up in laughter.

" Yes, I've been missing this." he smirks and I feel like jumping for joy at the progress he seems to be making my allowing people to get to know him. I shift my feet nervously and glance at Mr. D.

" I'm glad to see you Kai." I tell him feeling suddenly uncertain. Kai glances down at his chair and around the area before responding

" Well… same here I guess." He says and I look up at him but his bangs are hiding his eyes from view. Mike seeming to notice the tension in the room claps his hands, a huge smile on his face.

" Well, Mr. Dickinson, Jack I think we should leave there two alone for bit, would you like some lunch Stanley?" He says and I get the feeling he knows what needs to be said between us and wants to get everyone out of the building so those things can be said. The three men nod and leave, the door shutting behind us. I stare at the now empty area, not wanting to make the first move.

" So…. How ya been?" He asks suddenly and I jump a little, still trying to get use to hearing his voice again after all these years.

" Not bad, been going to school and hanging out with Tyson." I smile slightly at the annoyed look that crosses his face.

" Been competing in any Beyblading Tournaments?" he asks, moving foreword and back in his chair, the wheels making little scuff-marks on the floor. I watch how fluid the motion is when he is in that, how easy he makes it look.

" No actually. We all agreed we would stop in honor of you." I mutter and he looks up sharply, his eyes flashing with anger and sadness.

" You shouldn't have done that." He snarls and stops moving in the chair to bring his hands to rest on his lap. I start at those angry words, looking sharply at him narrowing my eyes.

" Why not? Is it so wrong that we cared about you enough to stop?" I ask him equal anger coming out in my own voice. Kai's eyes flash dangerously, making me slightly worried that thew rage he showed before is still boiling right under the surface.

" You all have the talent to have gone far. I thought I trained you good enough to go the limit and break them." He says sadly, shaking his head. Shoulder length hair that was braided spills over his left shoulder.

" We couldn't have continued to blade without you Kai. Believe it or not we needed you, you were the glue that held us together and taught us to stop letting out heads blow up from every win." I tell him, kneeling on the ground beside the chair, awkwardly looking at the young man, so thin and untrusting. He looks at me, his face not the same strong one I remember, now it is a hallowed one with pain and confusion etched all over it, only thing that remained the same were the marks on his face and the crimson eyes. But even those two things have changed, instead of making him look more intimidating and untouchable those four triangles only make him look more devastatingly abused. The fiery eyes that once glared at you with the power to freeze the blood in your veins now are shimmering with pain and sadness along with loneliness. The loneliness was probably always there but I just never noticed it. Not many people noticed the pain Kai kept, we were all to naive and never took a second look beyond the angry, cold and hateful mask Kai always wore.

" That's good to hear… that you all needed me…" He says and I smile, catching the blader off guard I quickly throw my arms around him, burying my head in the older boys shoulder.

" I never gave up hope Kai… honestly I didn't! I knew you were alive." I sob, tears falling unchecked down my face as I hold more tightly to the blader. I guess I just needed more than a handshake to convince me that this is real… Kai is alive. His hands enclose around my back and I hear the rumbling of his voice in his chest as he says soft words, ones I can not hear and decipher. Soon my tears are spent and I let go of the older blader, his arms also releasing me as I slowly move away, wiping my tears from my face. Kai only laughs and shake his head, looking down at his shirt. I see the large wet stain in his shoulder.

" Oh I'm sorry…." I begin but he cuts me off, holding up one gloved hand.

" Human emotions can not be helped Rei. This is a simple issue that can be helped by being changed." He smiles and turns in the chair, nearly taking out the seat at Mike's desk before heading back the way he came in. I slowly enter the room, it's large windows letting in a lot of white. Kai's is the only cot and desk that is being occupied. The many white-sheeted cots are brand new and waiting for owners to come and claim them.

" This is where I sleep." Kai says with a snort as he goes to the small desk and pulls out another shirt, this one gray with the logo Timberland on it. He slowly slips off the other one, I try to distract myself but find I can't and watch as the taught back muscles move when he raises his arms and takes off the shirt. Kai was always a small guy, never largely toned and muscular, he was wirier with lean muscles. But his back shows the extent of the lack of nutrition and hardships of sleeping on a ground. He slips the gray shirt over his head and tucks in the front part, not caring if the back was untouched. I go and sit on his bed, looking at the small book on the table top and a glass of some juice. Picking up the book I read the title Underestimated: The tale of one Wheelchair bound man's dreams glancing at Kai I see him look.

" See what kind of opportunities are out there for me, now that I am… bound to a chair." He smiles slightly and I shake my head.

"What do you plan to do with your life?" I ask wanting to know if I had anything to do with it. I know Mr. Dickinson was trying to get me to have Kai come live with me to finish his Rehab but there was no place for him to sleep.

" Well… I was planning on finishing school and then maybe go onto college and get a degree in Beyblade Architecture so I can design Beyblades." He says,

" So you want to stay with the Beyblading world?"

" yeah, as much as I can with being crippled." He laughs and I sit there shocked he just said that.

" What? I am." He says when he notices my annoyed look.

" No your not, you may have a few set backs but your not crippled." I tell him desperately not wanting to begin to cry. Kai slowly takes off his black gloves and holds up his hands, showing me the disfiguring scars.

" Really? I can't even hold a Beyblade Rei." He whispers, anger showing in his words even though his words are so soft.

" With some work and training I bet you will be able to, I'll help you!" I try to persuade him but the rough shake of his head silences my pleas.

" No, I won't be able to launch sitting down… I'll have to redo my whole launching strategy, Rei. Jesus it is hopeless, I'm not to blade any longer." He sighs angrily and upset, putting his gloves back on.

" Since when are you one to give up?" I whisper, my own shock now ebbing away into anger. My anger is not directed at him entirely, no it's directed at all those times none of us reassured Kai that he could do something, that no matter how bad it was one of us would stick buy him. Now that he thinks he has no future, he also thinks he can't turn to anyone.

" Since I left the life of Kai Hiwatari and became 'that kid who gets away.' He snarls back and I blink, eyes going wide.

" N-no… that… that was you in the ally way of Orjin's?" he slowly lowers his head and nods, eyes low and hidden from my view. I am shocked that he was right there in front of me, and I didn't even know it, the harsh words and the agility of his jumps. I should have known, how many times had I see Kai do acrobatic work outside on a swing set's piping or a tree, mostly singing 'Welcome to the Jungle' as he does his flips and such. I should have known, but then again I really didn't know what to think of the garbage-picking youth, except he was being beaten up and that wasn't right.

" How's your head?" I ask suddenly smiling slightly at he memory of the waiter hitting him in the head with something hard. Kai look up and rubs the spot, which is now a fading, bruise.

" Not bad, that dumbass didn't hit me that hard. Just startled me is all." He laughs and I blink. I've only heard Kai laugh once, a harsh, cocky laugh. But this one is a genuine one of happiness. Maybe living on the streets in that solitude and struggling to survive taught him something about human emotions. He shows them so freely now, it's amazing.

" Uh.. Kai?" I ask and he looks sharply at me, his eyes flashing with question.

" What happened to Dranzer?" I ask and the look of sadness comes over his face, one of such sorrow it breaks my heart just looking at it.

" I don't have her with me." He says slowly and I lean foreword, wanting him to tell me more than that. I knew how attached he was to his Bitbeast, much like the way Driger and I are more than just friends I consider him close to my brother.

" She's stored safely, I made sure of that because I don't know what I would do without her." He says and I nod, my next question is a bit harder for me to ask, knowing Kai might not except my idea.

" Where… where are you going to go after this?" I ask and Kai's eyes flash with something unknown to him even. He shrugs looking at his chair

" don't rightfully know." He says and I sigh, revving myself up for this.

" Well, Tala and I were ta-"

" TALA!"

" Yes Tala."

" How is he? I haven't seen him.. Since the championships." He asks giddy now, eyes shimmering with wonder and excitement. I laugh at this sudden change and tell him

" Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys are remodeling a house in America, they have been living there and are going to try and get people to rent it out, you know be landlords while helping Judy, Max's mom and the All Stars." I tell him and Kai nods

" he always did want to work on a house and fix it up." He says and I smile

" Yeah, well he had an idea that I thought worked fairly well. I was going to go to school in America on a Student exchange program and he was willing to rent me one of the apartment house things. We thought that when I move there in three weeks, you could come with me. Tala will make it entirely wheelchair friendly with lower worktops and everything and…. You can live with me and together we can work on your Beyblading skills, and you can go to school with me." I suggest and Kai cocks and eyebrow, I have the feeling he's going to decline but his cocky smile tells me different.

" Sure, I'll move with you." He says finally and I quickly pull out the cell phone I was given by Mr. D when I moved out on my own and dialed the number for Tala. His voice is the one that answers and I quickly tell him the good news, much to his surprise.

" I'll get to work on that right away." He says and right after yells for Bryan and Spencer who you can hear come pounding down the hallway. I thank him again and hang up. I hadn't noticed Kai left until I find him not beside me. Getting up I go out into the main hall and follow the sounds of someone moving in the kitchen. Going inside I see Kai propping himself up against the counter, his arms pulling him upward as he tries to reach two glasses. I jump and catch his as one arm fails and sends him narrowly crashing back to the ground. He smiles slightly and laughs shakily before I set him down and I grab the two glasses. Handing one to Kai I allow him to pour the Cranberry Raspberry juice, allowing him some feeling of independence. He pours and soon holds his up

" To a new life." He smiles and I clank mine to his

" A better life." We both laugh at the corny-ness of the little speech but it means something totally different me to me. Kai was alive… and he is going to blade again, even if it kills me, he will launch Dranzer again so he can keep that promise to Tala. I will make sure he keeps it.

That is my promise.

Revolutionary Rebel: I bet ya'll forgot about poor old Dranzer didn't ya? Well I sure as hell didn't and she will be coming back in later chapters. So, what did you guys think?

Death Defying Stuntman: what are you talking about! I had to help you with the dialog for this chapter!

Revolutionary Rebel: that's only because I can't write sucky-kiss me now suck up scenes. TORTURE ALL THE WAY! Torture…. Yes!

Death Defying Stuntman: you're a freak… anyway… since we already knew that.

Revolutionary Rebel: Alright well folks please review, I will try to post again sometime this week but I have a job interview on Wednesday and.. well I'm working tonight so… Review and I'll update this week sometime! (Hands out some wild blueberries and Raspberries)