Happy New Year, everyone! It's time for my first update of 2006! I think it was about time I updated Dried Tears II, what with an update to Dried Tears III and everything… Heheh… sorry about that… I was just really anxious to get something from DT 3 out… It's my favorite of my fics, 'cause it's gonna be the best. (Well, I hope it is…) So… here's the update for you guys! Also, much thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter and the new chap ofDT 3. I love you guys!
Dried Tears II: A Championship of Challenges
Chapter 8: Lance's Betrayal
"So, Tyson. Any news on Ray?" Mr. Dickenson asked from behind his desk. From the other side of the room, the Dragoon blader shook his head in defeat.
"We can't find him ANYWHERE. It's like he banished into thin air…" he replied, then turning to look painfully to the side. "And Kai's not taking it too well."
The kind old man looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Mr. D, what can we do?" Ty turned pleading eyes at the elder. He had to have an answer. Adults always do.
"I don't know what more we CAN do, Tyson. The BBA has search parties all over, and the tournament has been put on hold. For now, I suggest you guys keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything that could clue us to young Ray's whereabouts." The man suggested. Wiping tears from his eyes, Tyson nodded.
"Well, catch you later, Mr. D. I should get back to the dojo."
The head of the BBA nodded. "Oh, and Tyson?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Keep a close eye on Kai… we don't want him doing anything drastic, now, do we?"
"Right. Well, goodbye, sir."
"Doctor… I don't understand." Lance muttered as he stood facing his commander's back. He had seen most of what had happened the night before, and he was greatly disturbed.
"What do you mean, Lance?" the curved woman looked over her shoulder.
"I mean… do you really wish this upon your own son?" he questioned, putting emphasis in the word son.
At this, the woman looked away. "My research is what's most important to me… I will advance it by any means necessary."
Lance looked startled. "But Doctor…"
"Do NOT question me!" the woman then turned sharply to glare at the tall redheaded teen, who didn't as much as flinch. "You will do as I say. If it weren't for me, you'd be stuck in that wretched abbey still."
Dejectedly, the teen turned around, taking his leave.
"The abbey would have been better than this."
A lonely neko-jin sat on top of a plain bed, his room completely sealed from the outside world. The wall was made of the same cold steel, as where the floors. The bed he was sitting on was covered in peach bed sheets, and on the floor next to the bed lay an equally peachy rug. There was nothing else in the room… no windows… only a bolted metal-furnished door.
Ray held his head in his hands, his now dull yellow eyes fixated on the tacky rug. His lidded bloodshot eyes had cried many a tear the night before.
Flashback
"It was always about your experiments, and it was always about you. You and your Sacred Unification… I meant nothing." The Chinese boy seethed, clenching and unclenching his fists to relieve some of his body's turmoil.
Doctor K stared down at her son. Needless to say, this wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. When younger, Ray had been extremely attached to her and would never question her word. She had expected him to be happy to see her. Apparently, that was not gonna happen.
" That's not true, sweetie. I DO care about you. Believe me… everything I did was for you." The woman hugged her child tightly. For a moment, Ray lowered his defenses; his muscles relaxed and his eyes became lidded as his mother held him tight.
"All that was in the past, darling. Now I'm back… and things will be different. I promise."
"I promise."
Ray wanted to believe those words so much. He wanted to stay in his mother's arms, and experience life as a family once more. It would be so great…
But he knew… as much as he wanted to believe her, he refused to. He knew those words were lies… all lies. She had never been truthful with him… and he had a feeling that wasn't about to change. Shutting his eyes tightly, he pushed Doctor K away.
"No! You're lying! You don't love me… not before, not now, not ever. And you must think very little of me if you really expected me to believe that you do." He replied coolly, although immense pain showed in his golden eyes.
Doctor K let out a growl. She had been too optimistic to expect that she would win the boy over with deceit. Ray was an intelligent and perceptive young man… just like his father had been. He left her no choice.
"I tried to be nice to you... but that obviously isn't going to work… Lance!"
Ray gasped as he felt the redhead's hands fasten on his shoulders. What was he…?
"Take him to the lab. I need some tests run on him A.S.A.P." she grinned wickedly. Ray's eyes widened the size of saucers.
"Experiments! No!" he tried to back away from her, but Lance's grip on him made that impossible. No way… he was going to become his mother's lab rat.
"Yes… I suspect you have it in your DNA, my darling. And you are going to help me prove I am right. Once and for all."
End of Flashback
Last night… he had been tested and probed so many times… and in many different ways. His body ached from head to toe; his tanned body reflected several wounds and cuts. He hurt all over… and he felt like he wanted to die.
He then started crying again, much harder than before. It all hurt… it all hurt so much.
"Why…" he shook, tears sliding from his closed eyes. "Why? Why is she doing this to me?"
He was so drowned in his sorrow he didn't notice his metal door open and close momentaneously. Light but confident footsteps made their way across the room and came to a stop next to his bed.
Ray looked up when he felt a strong but comforting hand on his shoulder. What was his surprise to see the redheaded dragon blader. "Lance…"
"I'm really sorry, Ray." Lance whispered, taking a seat next to the wounded tiger. "I know how it feels."
Ray didn't answer, instead his gaze remained fixated on a random point in the floor before him. A sniffle was heard as the neko-jin wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"She did this to you too, didn't she?" was all he said.
Lance sighed heavily. "Yeah… but yours hurt much more, because… it's your own mother who's doing this atrocity to you."
Ray nodded vaguely.
"The worst part is…" Ray suddenly replied, "…that deep in my heart I still love her. Even after everything she's done."
"If that is the case…" the dragon blader muttered to himself, "then you are a lot stronger than what the doctor gives you credit for."
Ray shut his eyes tightly once more as tears fell from the corner of his eyes. "I… I just want to go home… Kai…"
Having bottled up his feelings for way too long, the neko-jin burst into sobs. He was surprised to then feel warm comforting arms wrap around him, but he didn't back away, crying his heart out on Lance's shoulder.
Lance somehow surprised himself. It's as if he couldn't control his own body. All his actions occurred automatically. And he couldn't help it. Ray reminded him so much of her…
"You care about him much, don't you?"
Repressing a sob, Ray looked up. "Pardon me?"
"Kai…" he said blankly. "You care a lot about Kai." That was more a statement than a question.
"I love him."
Lance let an idle smirk form in his lips. "That bastard is so lucky to have someone like you." He grinned lopsidedly at Ray.
Normally, Ray would've taken that as an insult to his phoenix but, coming from Lance, Mister "I hate Kai's guts from here to Kingdom Come", it even sounded good-natured. And that goofy grin he had didn't help either. Eyes recovering some color… his laugh was like a pleasant jingle. Seeing Ray lighten up a bit, Lance's gaze softened. Yes… he was jut like her.
Suddenly, the laugh subsided, and Lance turned to look questioningly at Ray, emerald and gold locking. The Chinese teen spoke up.
"Lance?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
He only received a smile as a reply, as the Draconean blader stood up.
"Where are you going?" Ray questioned, both looking and sounding disappointed.
Lance sighed before turning his emerald gaze on Ray. "If they find me here, I'll be in trouble. I don't even want to think what the doctor might do…"
Ray looked troubled. "Then why risk it? Why come to see me at all?"
Lance paused for a second. "You don't have to know."
Next thing Ray knew, the giant metal door was being slid open by the muscular teen. Just as the other was leaving, the neko spoke up.
"Lance… why are you being so nice to me?"
The redhead looked slightly dazed, before he replied seriously. "You remind me of someone whom I love dearly…"
Ray's eyes widened in wonder, as a furious blush spanned across the bridge of his nose. But Lance wasn't done.
"And besides… my quarrel is with Kai… not with you." I won't let you suffer unnecessarily. And with that, he turned on his heel and closed the door behind him, leaving a flustered neko behind.
As he strode down the hallway, many thoughts crossed through Lance's mind.
"I'm not supposed to feel like this… I'm not supposed to be feeling at all…"
That's when he came to one conclusion.
"I've got to do this. I bet my blade that I will regret if afterwards, but I really don't give a fuck anymore."
His mind was made up…
904… 905… 906…
Kai muttered through gritted teeth as he kept a record of the number of one-handed pushups he was doing. Rippling muscles… crystalline beads of sweat slowly snaking down his naked torso… He was pushing himself to the limit, and he wasn't planning on taking a break.
919… 920… 921…
Only one thing in his mind.
Ray… I have to get stronger… I have to find you…
As Kai trained, all Max could do was gape.
"He's so determined… so concentrated… I had seen him train rigorously before, but not like this… But then again… it's Ray."
The blonde blader held a melancholic look. "When I met Kai two years ago… I never expected him to be able to care for someone so deeply, let alone love. Ray really changed everything… Ray… where are you?"
Two familiar arms around his waist interrupted his thoughts.
"You ok, love?" Tyson asked as he rested his head on Max's shoulder. The fair-haired boy nodded.
"Yeah… but I'm so worried." He whispered, then turning hopeful eyes on his Japanese boyfriend. "Any new leads on Ray?"
Tyson shook his head forlornly. "Mr. D's doing all he can. Also…" he shifted his gaze towards his crimson-eyed captain. "He asked me to keep an eye on Kai. He's afraid Kai might do something reckless."
Max nodded in consent.
998… 999… 1000.
With a gasp, Kai stood up panting slightly. He knew he was supposed to take a break in between sets… but his determination and anger in himself made him do everything none-stop. Now he was breathless.
"Easy there, Kai." Tyson called as he handed the muscular Russian a fresh towel. With a grateful look, Kai took it, wiping the torrents of sweat from his face and chest.
"Thanks, Tyson… I… appreciate it." He thanked. "So… anything about… Ray?"
The almost pleading look on Kai's eyes made Tyson gulp. He hated to be the bearer of bad news…
"I'm sorry, Kai… but…"
"I have everything you need, right HERE." A new voice interrupted.
Instantly recognizing that voice, Kai snapped to look at the top of the dojo wall, where the newcomer was standing with his arms crossed. It was HIM!
"Lance!" Kai growled, glowering at the emerald-eyed blader, who remained unfazed. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Kai churned, his glare heightened into a look so deadly that it was a wonder Lance was not lying on the floor dead.
In a graceful drop, Lance was now standing next to Tyson, who was completely paralyzed. The Draconean blader sent chills down his spine, and he couldn't move one inch.
"I said… what the hell are you doing here?" Kai repeated, his tone completely venomous.
Lance turned to lock stares with Kai, as he revealed a disc between his fingers, which he then held out for Kai.
Kai looked at him disbelievingly.
"What makes you think I'll take anything YOU give me."
Lance gave him a pointed look.
"Because you love Ray, and this is the only thing that will help you get him back."
To Be Continued…
Yay! Done! I spent all New Year's Morning typing this up for you guys. I hope you guys liked. And as I said before, Lance isn't evil, but you guys probably figured that much out. Now… who wants to know what happens next? (grin) Why don't you review and tell me? Also, I have some nice plushies waiting for my equally nice reviewers! Come on, I know you want 'em! (wink) So leave a review, make my writing better and make me happy on this new year 2006, and we'll all be happy! lol I'm a bit hyped… Must've drunk too much Cider last night… hehe
Well, see you guys, until the next chapter. I'll try to bring updates more quickly, ' cause you guys deserve it. Lots of love! I love you all!
XOXO
Ruby Hiwatari aka Neko Phoenix Girl
