Kai's eyes flashed open. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He sat up, grimacing, clutching his chest. Pain overwhelmed him temporarily and he remained paralysed in agony for a moment.

Master, Dranzer squawked anxiously. Don't move. You haven't recovered yet from your battle.

But Tyson and the others are in danger, Kai objected. They need my help. Tyson's opponent is up to something. I've got a bad feeling about what's going to happen and I know you do too.

Kai, if you go to them your wounds will -

I know, Dranzer! he cut in. Wounds or no wounds, the team needs my support. I'm not going to sit here and let them lose.

Once the pain had subsided, Kai eased himself out of bed, removing the various tubes attached to him. He pocketed Dranzer MS and slipped black fingerless gloves over his bandaged hands. He reached for the black and red overcoat hanging on the stand beside the door. Since Hilary had taken the rest of his clothes back to the dojo for repair, this would have to do. He did the coat up and crept into the long, wide corridor.

The light smell of disinfectant made his nose wrinkle in distaste; he had smelt this scent countless times in the past and it never failed to disgust him, no matter what its strength. The passageway was dimly lit but the white walls shone luminously in the glow. Yet another reason why he hated hospitals. The unnatural cleanliness and whiteness of the places made them seem ethereal and serene - a stark contrast to the more real, darker facet he had seen beneath.

Kai trudged down the hallway. His black trainers made no sound on the smooth, glossy grey floor. It was quiet except for the constant beep of heart monitors and soft voices from the rooms he passed. He paused outside the door to Tala's room, listening closely for any voices coming from inside. There were none. Mr. Dickenson had probably gone to take a break; most likely a brief one as he did not want to leave the Blitzkrieg Boys' leader alone for too long in case he woke up. The silver-haired Russian smiled slightly. One could not help but admire the old man's resilience. Ever since Tala had been in a coma, he had never shown any signs of giving up hope - the complete opposite of what he had been like after Boris overthrew the BBA. The determination and optimism of all the Beybladers fighting to get his company back had inspired him that hope remained.

Kai slowly opened the door and peered inside. Sure enough, there was nobody in the room except his red-haired friend. The beep of the heart monitor was the only sound that disturbed the silence. He slumped into a chair beside the bed. Tala's face had regained its colour since the last time he had seen him though an oxygen mask still covered his nose and mouth. His eyes were closed, his expression as blank as ever.

"Tala…" Kai whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me but I fought against BEGA with Tyson and the others. I won against Brooklyn…although I lost Dranzer again after the battle. She hung on for me until it was over." He smiled grimly. "I would have lost my life too if it hadn't been for Hilary. She called the hospital just in time and I've been stuck here for the last couple of days. She's hardly ever left my side except to support the team."

They had become a lot closer than before, he reflected. He had missed Hilary's presence when he joined the Blitzkrieg Boys in the World Championships even more than his other team-mates'. They shared a bond that had been going strong ever since he had given her training schedule a chance and accepted her into the Bladebreakers. It had gradually developed from respect to trust and then from trust to friendship.

It was amazing that the bond of what was now close friendship had withstood the many trials and tribulations they had both gone through this year. Their separation when he left the Bladebreakers and joined BEGA later on had not severed it at all; if anything, it had become even stronger and deeper.

So what would their close friendship be regarded as now? he wondered. Hilary had missed him as much as he had missed her during the World Championships more than Max and Ray and he missed her now even though he knew he would see her again. There was also the fact that her concern for him seemed to be more than how she worried for the others. It was clear that the bond between them was now something far more profound. He would try and discover what it had become once BEGA was defeated, he decided. Tyson needed his help to win this battle.

"It's also thanks to Hilary that Dranzer came back to me," Kai continued. "She tried to fix my blade and never gave up when it fell apart. She made me see there was still hope for my Bit Beast's return. Because we believed, my blade is now whole again and Dranzer's back. She and I are going to help Tyson win - his opponent's up to something bad, I can feel it. I know you would too if you were awake." He sighed. "I was wrong to join BEGA and betray you and everyone. I'm sorry, Tala. I'm back where I belong and I hope you can forgive me. Tough it out until I get back, okay? Later."

There was no response nor movement from the unconscious red-haired Russian but Kai was sure he had listened to everything he had said. He stood up from his seat and stumbled to the door. "I told Hiro I wasn't worried about you, that we had once been team-mates but never close friends," he murmured. "I lied. We've always been close friends, Tala. That's never going to change."

He reached for the handle but the door opened. Mr. Dickenson stood in the doorway. The old man's eyes widened.

"Oh goodness, I didn't expect to see you here, my boy!" he exclaimed. "Stopping by for a visit, Kai?"

The silver-haired teen nodded. "I talked to him for a bit. How is he?"

"The doctor says he's stable," Mr. Dickenson answered. "There have been no changes except for one time when I came back from taking a break and saw that a tear had run down Tala's face. It must have been about the time you were battling Brooklyn…"

His amethyst eyes widened slightly. He could not believe it. Tala had cried…cried for him. He knew Dranzer and I had paid a heavy price winning the battle, the Russian realised. He shed a tear for me when I lost Dranzer because he shared my pain and sadness. The shock dissolved to gratitude. He smiled faintly. Thank you, Tala. You're a true friend.

"Where are you going now?" asked Mr. Dickenson, breaking through his thoughts.

"To be with my friends and help Tyson," Kai responded.

It was the first he had admitted that the team were his companions aloud to someone and the former BBA chairman was silent with surprise for a moment.

Then he beamed. "Of course. They need your support." His face became grim. "Brooklyn's powers are engulfing the globe - he's changing Earth into his own world with his mind. The military have been called in but they can do nothing against him. Tyson's fading fast, Kai. You're the only hope we've got to help him believe!"

The silver-haired teen's eyes narrowed. "Brooklyn…I had a feeling he'd lose it sometime and show his true power. It's not good that Tyson's losing hope. You're right. I'll get there as fast as I can."