Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade

Second Chances

Even though Friday had been three days ago, Kai still felt the anger rise every time he saw Garnet. His fists unwillingly clenched as he saw through her fake smiles and laughter. It killed him. She hadn't wanted to talk about it much after Friday night. He, Tala and Mariah had crammed into his room at Tyson's and listened to her story but since then, she hadn't mentioned it at all. Like it had never happened. Once or twice, one of them had asked her if she was alright and she'd gave them a look which said 'why wouldn't I be'. That killed him too. The fakeness. The pretence. The secrecy. As far as he, or anyone, knew, only the people who'd been in that room on Friday night had been told about him.

A hand grabbed his wrist tightly and fierce blue eyes pierced into his. "Snap out of it, Kai," Tala hissed at him and gestured towards the girl in front of them who was sitting beside Ray. "You'll worry her more if she knows you're worrying."

He yanked his hand away and propped his head up with it, turning away from his partner who he was sharing a chemistry desk with. He could still feel the red head's eyes bore into his back accusingly but he eventually heard him sigh and concentrate on their teacher's comments about their finals that year. It was all they had been getting from every subject and it bored him endlessly. He couldn't comprehend why they bothered talking about their results when the pupils hadn't been given them yet. As far as he understood, they were all still in the mail, as, for some tradition or another, their private school found it more official for such things to be sent to the parents first, before the students. Where his would go since he'd sat the exams in another school was beyond him. He wondered is his parents had had the sense to contact the school about such a trivial matter.

"They should just tell us how we did and get it over with," Tala muttered to Kai.

"Hn." Kai replied.

The other teen smirked at him. "Yeah, I'm sure you don't care. Now that Voltaire's out of the picture, who's actually caring how well you do?" Kai said nothing but smirked back, knowing he was right. "Speaking of which, what's happening with him lately? Have you heard anything?"

"He's probably still in my old house. Last I heard him and Boris have been laying low after the whole Biovault scandal surfaced." Tala noticed how his voice had turned bitter. "I bet he doesn't even care I'm gone."

"He probably doesn't, in all honesty. But what do you care? You both mutually hate each other."

Garnet turned round, followed by Ray, and giggled. "You can always trust Tala to come through with his sensitivity."

She stuck her tongue out just as the bell started to ring, dismissing them for the day. They all gathered their books into their bags and left the classroom and tried to avoid the pushing and shoving of the students as they tried to escape their confinement first. They all groaned outwardly as they seemed to stand stock still while they waited for everyone in front of them to get going.

"This is hopeless," complained Ray. "Why don't we go out the back entrance? At least it'll be easier to get out of than here."

They all agreed and headed back the way they came and down several more corridors until, to their annoyance, they reached another crowd who'd all gathered beside the locker area outside of their classroom.

"That was a waste of time and effort," Tala commented, glaring at the younger classmen. "It seems they had the same idea."

Garnet grabbed his arm excitedly. "No! They're gathering round some one! It's a fight!"

They all looked at each other in surprise. A fight in their school was a rare occurrence, especially actually inside the building. The group of friends gathered around the back and tried to see over the kids in front of them.

"Do you know who it is?" Asked Garnet as she stood on her tiptoes.

The boys all shook their heads. They hadn't even been able to see the faces of the fighters, let alone recognise them. The other people there started to chant 'fight' as it obviously began. There was the sound of some blonde haired boy taunting another boy and the sound of a punch being thrown and successfully hitting its target.

"Come on, Seth!" A girl somewhere cried. "Leave him be."

The boy, called Seth apparently, glared at his victim. "This little prick just showed me up in front of the entire class." He took hold of the other boy's slate coloured hair. "What do you have to say now, smart ass."

Tala, who was able to peer over their heads, looked at Kai nervously. "Shit, Kai. That's-"

But Kai had already seen him first and pushed furiously through the crowd, grabbed the blonde boy by his collar and shoving him up against the lockers. Hard. The boy looked fearfully into his burning crimson eyes, silently begging him not to hurt him. Kai's fist was raised up to the boy's head, ready to strike but he didn't. He raised the boy up to his height so his feet were dangling above the floor.

"If you ever hurt my little brother again," He spat, "I'll kick the shit out of you."

"I'm sorry," He squeaked. "I didn't realise it was your brother.

Kai grunted and threw him onto the ground where he immediately crawled past the crowd and ran away. He turned to Matt who already had a bruise along his cheek bone were he'd been hit. "You okay?"

His younger version glared at him. "Do I look okay?"

Kai put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm just asking. Come on, let's go."

Matt shrugged her hand away. "I can walk myself home."

What was left of the now thinning crowd began to head in different directions, seeing as the action was over. Only Garnet, Tala, Ray and the two brothers remained. Except one had began to walk away.

"And what are you going to do if that kid goes after you again?" Kai called after him. "Let's face it, you're much weaker than he is."

His little hands clenched into tight fists and pushed down into his sides. Angrily he turned around and faced Kai. "I'm not weak!"

"I didn't say you were." Kai calmly said. "I said you were weaker."

"That's the same thing!" Matt's face was now burning with fury as he glared at Kai. "And what does that matter? You're strong enough for both of us, right?" His young voice was mocking.

"I'm not sure I like you're tone, Matt." He tried to keep his face placid but his annoyance was coming through. "I just butted in there to save your ass and risked getting kicked out of school. Again. The least you could do is show some appreciation. Especially since you'd have had the shit knocked out of you if I hadn't been there." Matt began to roll his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Matt. If you'd be just a little less of a pushover this wouldn't have happened."

Matt's eyes bulged open. "I'm a pushover? They're older than me, Kai. How can I defend myself against people older than me?"

"I can."

"In case you haven't clicked, Kai. I'm not you. Sure, you may have the brawn, but at least I have the brains enough to see logic in this."

The other three teenagers looked at each other nervously an uncomfortably. This could only end in tears. Matt was already close to them.

Kai smirked and tilted his head arrogantly. "I'd rather be stupid and be able to stick up for myself. What good are brains if you have to have take people's crap for having them?" He shook his head as if scolding himself. "What do you know anyway, you're just a kid."

Matt was seriously worked up now. "Yeah, well you're stupid. So stupid that mom and dad says they've failed you and that you'll never amount to anything. So you can take your tough guy attitude and shove it as far up you're arrogant ass as you can."

He sprinted down the corridor as fast as he could and so he could avoid the shattered look on Kai's face.

Ray bit his lip and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "I'm sure none of its true."

Kai smirked and regained his composure. "Yeah. Stupid kid."

He and Ray began to walk on but Tala and Garnet exchanged worried yet knowing glances before following on.

Making sure there was no way Kai could hear her, Garnet murmured to Tala, "Should we tell him that Taylor saw everything?"

Tala shook his head. "Why worry him further?"

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Matt ran as hard and fast as he could. He kept running into people but still didn't stop to apologise. Instead he kept on going until he couldn't go any further. He fell onto the grass he'd been running on and furiously wiped the tears away from his eyes. Angry with himself for acting so childish, he let out a suppressed scream. It was Kai's fault. Then he scolded himself. It wasn't Kai's fault and he knew it. Kai was right, if he could only find some way to become stronger, like him, his problems would be over.

Mostly.

Unfortunately, there was now a new contender as a wave of guilt swept over him, strong enough to knock him off his feet had he not already been sitting. He'd never though he'd see Kai look so deflated, so hurt, so hopeless. And all because he'd made up some stupid lie. He should have known better. Kai doesn't know what goes on in their house, or hotel room, as that was were they were living just now. How would he know that it wasn't true?

He pounded the cool, green grass with his fist. It was the complete opposite. They always praised his greatness.

'Maybe you'll be more like you're brother when you're older.'

Sure, they didn't expect miracles from Kai. They knew that the brains of the family did belong to Matt, but that didn't mean Kai necessarily didn't have any at all. In fact, he knew that Kai was very intelligent. At least he could be if he'd put the effort in. More to the point, so did they.

A deep sigh came out from his lips and he flopped down onto the grass, spread eagled. Yes, he was very clever. He'd ran away from the only person who knew how to get to his hotel. He sniggered at his own stupidity. No wonder Kai didn't think of him as anything more than a kid. A kid was certainly something he acted like.

A shadow fell over him and cut off his sunshine. Matt got up and looked at the man who was responsible for the sudden darkness. Immediately, his eyes widened in alarm. He tried to run away but the man grabbed hold of his arm firmly yet surprisingly gently.

"Hold on there, Matthew." Voltaire said. "I saw you in the park and I just wanted to talk." His voice was sincere.

Still, Matt was suspicious. "What about?"

The old man was silent for a second. "…How's Kai doing?"

Yanking away his arm he replied coldly. "He's doing just fine without you."

He smiled sadly, causing his wrinkles to crease further. "I'm glad to hear that. I…want him to be happy."

Frowning in confusion, Matt looked him straight in the eyes. "I thought you hated him. What's with the sudden change of heart?"

Voltaire chuckled. "Can't an old man realise his mistakes?" He turned nostalgic. "It's a shame, really. To think, I could have made him so much stronger if I'd just realised how badly I was treating him."

"You could have made him even stronger?"

"Yes. I had a beyblade with a bitbeast so powerful it was undefeatable. But, I made Kai corrupt when using it and so, it controlled him."

Matt blinked several times. "Do you still have this blade?"

Nodding slowly, he placed an old and withered hand behind Matt's back. "I do. I'm waiting until I can find a new wielder of the blade. Some one who could be even greater than Kai." He kneeled down to the boy's height. "Some one like you."

"Me?"

Voltaire stood back up and began to walk away with Matt walking next to him, now looking up eagerly at him. If there was a chance were he could prove he wasn't the weakling everyone thought he was, he would surely take it.

"Yes, you." He stopped. "I could make you strong, Matthew, so strong. But I'll need your full commitment. I shall have my expert trainer, Boris Balkov, work with you." He paused. "And I'll also need you to keep it a secret from your family, and especially Kai."

The suspicion came back full throttle. "Why?"

"Kai and I didn't exactly part on good terms. It's the same with your father. But I'm an old man and I have no successor. This is my last chance to make things right, Matthew." A black car pulled up beside them and he got in before holding a hand out to the young boy before him. "What do you say Matthew? Will you give me that chance? Do you want to become so much stronger than you are?"

Despite the odd feeling in his stomach telling him no, Matt accepted his hand and climbed into the car. For all he knew, he was being truthful. It made perfect sense that he'd be so remorseful. His life was almost over and his estate had no heir. Perhaps he just wanted another chance? Everyone deserves one. Heck, even Kai had had many in his short life, so why shouldn't Voltaire?

It was only fair.

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