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Rex was thrown on the ground roughly. A kick connected to his rib cage, and judging by the snap, one of its bones had broken in the process. He took quick rattling breaths, not used to the labor involved with the usually involuntary function. A few steps away, Kai Hiwatari sprung into action, clutching the keys that flew from the fed's grasp. His cell came unlocked a second later.

The whip typically used upon the Russian teen found its way to the ousted Federal Agent, who looked downright astonished. Apparently they were nowhere near used to the abuse Kai had learned to handle from an early age. After the first crack, a whimper from the only female prisoner, and a groan of pain from the large black man, Kai stepped in to defend his newfound comrade.

"I'll teach you, you two-faced double crossing bastard-" One cracked the whip toward Rex with meaning, only to hit another target, who had moved directly in the whip's path. The leather strap wrapped itself around his arm without causing so much as a bruise. "What's this? A kid's defending you?"

Kai growled threateningly, ripping the whip out of One's grasp. "I'll show you, baka." He threw back the whip, cracked it in the air with as much authority as Boris Balkov himself, and then made the motion to strike.

One drew a pistol from his pocket. Rose whimpered again in agony. The ruthless man before her 'son' would not back down. On the contrary, the man would have no problem sinking a bullet into Kai.

"Say your prayers, Hiwatari."

The echoing sound of gunfire made Rose Carson scream while both she and her husband hid their faces. Kai dropped the whip and looked to Rex. The man clutched his side with one hand, but the other was outstretched, holding a metallic black handgun.

The Carsons lifted their heads in shock, only to see their former tormentor's still form ooze blood from the chest. "There was no other way," Banner said, standing shakily. Kai took him by the good side of his body, supporting him. "I think I snapped a rib," He said quietly, wheezing.

"I'll say," Rose said, motioning to the bone protruding from his right side. "Are you alright other than that?"

He nodded, and they set out, only to stop upon the next loud noise. It sounded like a scream, was followed by a crash, and a bit of gunfire.

"Dranzer," Kai said almost dazedly, his eyes clouding over. He left the man's side to step out of the room, toward where they took their showers. Within a second they were met with a blinding red light. The warmth surrounded him like a motherly embrace.

Rex stared ahead. "AJ is with my daughter, Abby. I'm sure they've run into trouble by now," He said quietly, before coughing. "We should get out of here."

Kai smirked playfully, clutching his beyblade with great reverence as the phoenix settled inside a bit chip of its own creation. Rex sauntered to the champion, extending to him an object of great value.

"She brought it for you," The agent said seriously. "I'm glad no one saw it." He coughed painfully, but extended a blue launcher with a phoenix head.

Kai took it gingerly, his fingers rushing with warmth after feeling oddly cold. He hadn't remembered feeling like he was cold, but Dranzer's warmth was of a different kind. It was familiar, like family. It had always reminded him of his father.

Matt placed a hand upon Kai's shoulder. "Go for it son," the father said, getting pumped. "Blow this place to hell."

Settling into position, the champ smirked playfully. "Don't tell me twice."

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Abby looked around feverishly. Her hands shook on the dashboard, one holding a beyblade, the other curled into a fist. She looked to the driver of the Lamborghini, and realized that the shaking was from the adrenaline. Not even in her wildest dreams did she expect to find herself riding shotgun in AJ Carson's presence.

"You okay?" AJ asked her, looking around before blowing a stoplight. The speed-limit, sixty kilometers per hour, had been surpassed. AJ was currently going in American speeds, having just hit sixty miles per hour and counting. She had hit eighty before the next intersection.

The mocha skinned girl nodded, then pushed her fisted hand into a pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," AJ said, declining Abby's offer of a Newport. "The nerves are killing me too, but I'm drinking a monster."

"That makes your heartbeat increase," Abby reminded her.

"So does a smoke. Live each day like it's your last, kid, trust me." AJ fiddled with the ring on her right hand as she swerved left, following the scorched trail of Dranzer's flames.

Being the youngest, Abby was not allowed to drive, but her mind kept getting caught on two things: Dranzer, and the Lambo. "Hey, AJ?"

The champ looked over quickly, before glancing back at the road. "Sup?"

"Why did you have Dranzer?"

A sad look crossed AJ's features. "I was watching over her while Kai's been gone."

"Wait-" The younger pressed, before trailing off.

The sad look changed to a sly smile. "Whatcha thinking?"

Abby's eyes widened. "Dranzer1, your family 'n Kai kidnapped... you've got Dranzer..." She broke off for a second. "This is Kai's car isn't it?"

AJ nodded. "Yep."

"But you said this was your boyfriend's ca-"

The silence... presumably awe-filled, AJ supposed, passed with the screeching of tires, the loud-mouthed smooth voice of Chad Kroeger and Nickelback, and Abby's sigh following a drag on the cigarette. The thought must have registered completely through her mind.

"So how long have you been with him? He never acted like it," Abby managed, lighting up another of the cancer sticks. "I mean, it couldn't have been too long."

"Yeah, only a few years."

Abby choked on the smoke. "A few? He seems like the player type, you know?"

There was more laughter. "Maybe, but he's rather possessive. He'd beat up anyone who so much as looked at me like I was on the market."

"Gotcha. So my Dad knew about this too?"

Lights flew past them as AJ continued to follow the scorched path. "Yeah." They flew through a stoplight, only to screech and skid to the left, the back end of the car almost a hair from burning out. Both laughed, only to see a bright light go up in the distance as a red flames engulfed a building.

"Holy shit," Abby said quietly. "The fucking apocalypse is coming, isn't it?"

"Bloody likely," AJ said, leaving the car where it was. She opened the door to the vehicle, praying that it would remain safe until they returned for it. She'd trashed enough vehicles for a while. "Let's go on foot. That'll draw far too much attention," she said, pointing to the Lambo. Under her breath, she added, "No comments from the peanut gallery, Viatsu."

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"Hey," Max said, looking at the front stairs leading to a rather dismantled house, "This is the one, the house that AJ said she'd be at, right?"

Ray nodded, examining the front door, which was hanging on lopsidedly, detached from the top. He looked back at the group. "I think it is."

An earth shattering rumble disturbed Tyson's statement, which never left his mouth. "What is it now?" Daichi said uninterestedly. So many things had happened and he was downright sick of them - already.

The Chief popped his head around the small porch of the building. "Uhh, that would be Dranzer."

Obviously it had to be so, since the phoenix's trademark red and blue were the only colors they could see, exploding like fireworks in the distance. "Angry," Was the only thing Ray said.

"Wouldn't you be too?" Max asked. "She's probably gonna trash everything that has to do with that Morrison guy," he added as an afterthought.

Tyson gave a cheeky smile as he entered the house. "What would a Kai-recovery-mission be without a ticked off flash of red light?"

"That sounds familiar," Max said simply.

"Lake Baikal," The rest of the group, minus Hilary and Daichi said.

A sigh of general anxiety filled the room. Whatever happened to living a normal life? People were pretending to commit suicide, people were getting help from secret government associations, people were just - well, people. And they needed a chance to try and live as such. Even if only for a little while.

They entered the small kitchen, crowded around the small island. Each of them saw the chaos the house was in. The kitchen looked like it had at one point been on fire, since the curtains were singed, along with the back door and window frames. Drawers upon drawers had been thrown to the ground, so that shattered glass and cutlery adorned it in a multi-colored hazzardous design.

"Why would they destroy this place?" Kenny pondered aloud. "What were they looking for?"

Ray looked at a shattered picture frame. There was a crack distinctly down the center of the glass, like a bolt of lightning. He examined the persons in the photo. "This guy screams bodyguard," The tiger mentioned. "He's built like a tank."

The rest of the group nodded, looking at the other two. "A family," Hilary said breathlessly. "Who in the world..?"

"This guy must be that Rex Banner," Daichi said, matter-of-factly.

Nodding to support him, Ray walked up to the lopsided photograph hanging on the wall. Without effort, he plucked it from the metal binding it to the plastered wall and marveled at what lay behind it.

"Kenny, can you open this safe?"

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AJ allowed herself to slow. She could not be out here alone, and while Abby was indeed in shape, she was not as pumped as AJ was. "You doin' okay?" The champ asked, her beyblade launcher bouncing against her as she ran.

There was a nod from behind her as Abby coughed a bit. "No more cigarettes for me."

"Good call," The champ said, "Though this occasion totally meritted it."

Although there was a tinge of laughter etched upon their faces, the duo sighed. Trouble would lay ahead. AJ was not as sure that Abbey would be able to handle it.

They looked ahead at the red light that was getting far to close. AJ saw it curve in another direction, which meant they were leaving whatever compound they had been in. Her thoughts suddenly changed. That compound would not be her destination. If Dranzer was with her parents and Kai, they were safe. That left her with the next part:

Morrison.

A knowing smile quirked her lips. "Abby, go left up here."

"Why?"

AJ smirked. "Go to the B.B.A. building and ask for your father. I'm sure that if Dranzer's acting the way she is, she's with Kai, and therefore they're all together. Most likely at the B.B.A. Do not tell anyone over there about me or what I'm about to do."

The girl nodded seriously, noting the obvious authority in the ex-Champ's voice. "And what would that be?" She questioned sarcastically. "Last time you drove off a bridge."

"If I'm not back in five hours, and only then, tell Kai to blow up Carson Enterprises."

Abby looked frightened. "You can't go alone!"

"Someone has to be there in case I don't come back," AJ said softly. "Somebody's gotta be the messenger, and since I'm the one Morrison's been waiting for, I thought I'd show him what for. Nobody messes with my family."

"Or mine," Abby said evenly, an edge hazing her voice. "Make 'em pay. My dad doesn't like to see blokes like Kai suffer."

"You got it, sweetheart," AJ said, with a wink. She took off in a sprint toward the building that happened to be the second tallest in downtown London. "Carson Enterprises, here I come."

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Abby flew through the doors of the B.B.A.'s headquarters, feeling important. After all, how many lucky chaps could claim that they had the chance to asist a 'dead' champion? At the front desk was a group of paparazzi members, all crazy and ravenous for the latest news. She growled angrily.

"Excuse me," She said, nonchalantly, pushing her anger into a sarcastic statement. "But I doubt any of you would know what to do with a beyblade. Step the hell aside."

The reporters regarded her with angry stares, but the woman behind the desk smirked at her. "Let her through," The woman bellowed, frightening the rioting men and women of the press. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and pale skin. A fake diamond piercing was in set her nose, despite her professional aura. "You are?"

"Abby Banner."

There was a set of gasps from behind and in front of her. The reporters began swarming again. Abby reached for her launcher and beyblade, locking rip cord and blade into the launcher. The press gaped as she gripped the rip cord tightly.

"I think Miss Banner is serious," The secretary said, thoroughly amused.

Mute nodding from the press followed, before they backed off. Abby turned back toward the desk. "I'm guessing my dad got here already."

The secretary nodded. "He arrived about five minutes ago. Go to the thirtieth floor, he should be there." She paused. "They probably have a medical team up there, though. He broke a rib."

Abby paled a bit, thoroughly hating the distortion of a broken bone in a human body. She nodded gravely before taking off toward the elevator, but could not resist a taunting wave of the launcher in her hand. "Stay," she growled at them, like the paparazzi were dogs.

Once she had gone, the secretary opened up a news paper, took a swig of the carbonated beverage hidden beside her desk, and gave the paparazzi a bored look.

"For the record, if you piss me off," A dead stare was given to the mass of reporters, "I will arrange for Miss Banner to come down here and beat the piss out of you."

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Kenny released a breath he did not know he had held as the safe slid open. The group poked their heads around The Cheif's as he pulled back the silent door. Inside, well, they gaped at what they saw.

"Dude, what the hell kind of gun is that?" Tyson looked incredulously at the black metallic object, but Hilary swatted his hand away.

"Don't touch, it might burn your hand off or something."

The champ huffed. "I just wanna know where to get one of those."

The chief stared at it. "That gun, it was never released to the public. Either this guy has everything to do with the black market, or the US government has been giving illegal items to their federal agents."

Ray shook his head in disbelief. Things got stranger and stranger by the minute with them. "Well, I doubt anyone wants to deal with the consequences of touching it either way. Let's lock it back up and get the heck out of here."

"Yeah," Hilary said softly, "Before the skeletons in this closet come alive."

Max laughed. "Everyone's got a secret, huh?"

The gang looked at the vault's contents again. "Hey, wait! What's that?"

Lifting himself up on the ledge of the vault, Ray reached in and grabbed the file in the back of the vault. "It has to do with AJ... and Morrison."

"Is it Biovolt?"

The Neko-Jin shook his head. "No.. Carson enterprises. Banner was employed there, but these papers don't look like the average company file."

"Apparently," Kenny said, looking dully at his comrades. "The logo on the file folder says Carson Enterprises, alright, but those papers are like only one other set of papers I've seen anywhere else."

"Where, Chief, where?!" Daichi yelled impatiently.

"These papers are the beginnings of a federal search warrant. Mr. Dickenson wanted me to help him fill out something similar during the B.E.G.A. incident." The group cringed at the thought of Boris Balkov. "Except these ones look a bit more sophisticated. That's where the one-of-a-kind part comes in. F.B.I. and C.I.A. agents have these types of papers." Kenny pointed out a set of vials in the corner of the vault, barely poking out behind another large and highly frightning weapon. "There's also samples of hair and what looks like blood."

"That's why it feels so cold in here," Hilary said in realization. "It's a chilled vault. He's keeping evidence in here. He must have been trying to get Morrison arrested the entire time. It's an inside job!"

"Well Hilary, these would be your skeletons," Max said, scrinching his nose in disgust. "I hate this stuff."

"I think we all do."

Daichi jumped up and down angrily. "Well it's safe to say that the lunatics that went through here won't be back. We should go 'n find Dickenson."

"I'll take the file. The rest of the stuff is pretty much useless. I'm sure that Kai and AJ will have enough up their sleeves even if we don't have the rest of this stuff."

"What if they get a hold of the weapons?"

"I'll melt the safe together if I have to," Hilary said, pulling out her beyblade. "I'm not afraid turn up the heat."

Tyson looked at her strangely, but she only smiled. "We should probably seal it so that no one can get the guns. I'm sure someone can break it apart later."

Nodding, Hilary locked her magenta colored beyblade into position, slid in her rip cord and clenched it tightly. "Let it rip!"

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Abby could barely contain herself as she out of the elevator's doors. The bright orange jackets of the medical team and the red crosses contained on their things slightly frightened her, but she pushed past the group of people who asked nothing but questions, focusing only on the door in front of her.

"Miss, there's a private meeting going on in there!" A burly man said, clad in a neon orange wind breaker with the name Sarge in white cursive. "You cannot enter."

Once again, the girl readied her beyblade, sparing the witty banter and settling for a threat. "My name is Abby Banner. If you don't let me in there, I'll launch my beyblade through your stomach."

The man was taken aback by the violent threat, and merely opened the door a crack. There was a distinct and abrupt hault to all conversation. A frightened hush took over the occupants.

"My apologies," Sarge said remorsefully. "There is a young woman named Abby-"

"Let her in!" Came the unanimous yell from the occupants of the room. The man was surprised, jumping to the side as they shouted.

"Thanks Sarge," she murmurred, nodding while she slid her launcher through a belt loop to lock it in place. "I know, just doin' your job."

Almost immediately, she was grabbed and held tightly by a large man with dark eyes and dark chocolate skin. "Abby," he said softly, coughing after doing so.

She felt his body lurch a bit and glanced at him worriedly. "Your rib," she said, more as a statement than a question.

He placed his hand over the broken bone and smiled at her. "Nothing I haven't had broken before," he said, passing it off as nothing.

The young woman rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Way to tell me that you're the fuzz," she added as an afterthought. Fleetingly, she looked about the room, feeling the unusual feeling of being watched as she re-embraced her father.

When they separated, Rex held her hand as he introduced the rest of people in the room. "This is Mr. Dickenson," The agent said softly. "He's the head of the B.B.A."

"Charmed," she whispered, slightly in awe of the man before her. This was rather lucky of her, to meet the man who was practically responsible for beyblade's current existance on the planet.

The older man smiled at her. "Miss Banner," he said, his voice like that of anyone's lovable grandfather. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

She smiled as her father continued. "These two, he said, motioning to two adults who looked rather exhausted if she did say so herself, "Are--"

"AJ's parents!" The teen explaimed, looking between the couple who eyed her, slightly thrown off by her exclamation. "Your daughter's okay," she said immediately, causing a sigh of relief from the group, save one member. She knew it wasn't exactly what AJ wanted her to say, but hey, AJ wasn't here right now.

"Miss," Stanley Dickenson pressed, "Audrey Carson comitted suicide a few months ago."

A snort was heard from the corner of the room that overlooked the city. There stood a proud young man, clad in greys and navy, clad in a white scarf that looked almost gausy from her point of view. The faint light caught the glimmer of a blue beyblade. "He's still delusional."

The smile that blossomed over Abby's face was almost insane. "Kai," she said happily. The boy's eyes glimmered from somekind of unknown source, trying to recognize her. The shine dulled slightly as she extended her hand his direction.

"Kai," Rex said, nodding to show his approval, "This is my daughter, Abby."

They shook and he let out a small 'hn' of approval. "AJ and I split up," She explained once he released her hand from the near vice-grip it had been in in his grasp.

His eyes widened and he nearly put the fear of the almighty in her when he spoke. "Where did she go?"

Abby looked at him again, noting the intense fear that gripped his eyes, and quite possibly, his heart. "Carson Enterprise's headquarters. She's going to confront Morrison."

"I'm going," the Russian champ said, turning to look out the window toward the large Carson Enterprises building.

Dickenson gaped at him. "You're out of your mind! You were held captive there for months! At least allow yourself to recover." Turning toward the rightful owners of that company, he attempted to talk some sense into them. "I admit that trusting Morrison may have been a mistake, but you cannot possibly allow this."

"May have been a mistake?" Matthew Carson threw his head toward the direction of the door. "No one's acting angry with you, Stanley. And as far as condonment, I give mine and then some. Not that he needs our permission."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Dad?"

The amythyst-eyed champ shrugged. "I'll explain later," he stated.

"Rose," The chairman pleaded. "Please."

"Oh shove off, old man. Go get 'er, honey," The woman said, beaming. Kai nodded and headed toward the door.

Before he could reach it, the door flew open, revealing the entire Team BBA. "Kai!" They yelled, resisting the urge to embrace the champion. Well, everyone did, except Tyson, who nearly took the Russian captain out with his tackle of a bear hug.

Surprisingly, a soft smile graced the pale-skinned champion as he lightly embraced the blunette. "Hi, Tyson," he murmurred, much to everyone's surprise. Max held back tears as they parted, though Hilary was not as strong. The captain looked fleetingly at all of them before looking back at Abby.

"Are you coming with us?" he asked, although he figured the answer already.

"Seriously? Cool," she said, her voice very calm.

"Hilary," The chairman tried, as a last resort. "You've got to convince them not to go after Morrison."

"Are you kidding me? As a beyblader, his bullshit is just wrong." Murmurrs of agreement backed her up. "Besides, no one messes with our family."

"Our?"

"Yeah, our," The rest of the gang repeated.

They raced out of the room, until Kai was the last one of the beybladers facing the man."Don't worry," He said to the two people he regarded as his parents. "I'm gonna--"

The two Carsons shook their heads to cut him off. "We know."

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Glancing up at the huge building, almost a hundred stories tall, AJ blinked twice. Her eyes narrowed and she swore that hawk-like vision allowed her to see the man awaiting her atop the building.

Emerald hair, beady eyes.

Focus: her. More specifically: Viatsu.

AJ, are you ready? The beast called to her. Morrison's waiting for us.

'Ooh, he is so gonna pay.'

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Well, that's it for now, folks. AJ's about to confront Morrison, and the gang's about fifteen minutes behind her. For now... mwahahaha. I have a feeling that they might have a little bit of trouble getting there. After all, evil guys tend to have plans, in case of emergency, don't they?

Please review. It'll inspire me to update sooner. I've got a little creative juice leftover. Tell me where you want it.

Love ya all!

xoxo DistantStorm