To start off, I'd like to say thanks to the people who took the time to drop a review =3 An extra huge Thank You to ice-phoenix-94 at this point - that's what I call giving a boost of motivation! Have a bucketload of gratitude, m'dear~!
And since ice-phoenix also raised a topic that I found rather very interesting and important alike, I'd like to say something about it to the audience, as so to say *laughs* It concerned Tyson and the switch in his personality.
Personally, I think Tyson fits into that deceptive 'happy-go-lucky fool' pattern that a few other anime characters show (i.e. Ruffy from One Piece, or Goku from DBZ), sometimes you facepalm at what they say or do, but when things get down to business, you see that side of them that makes you think – "Wow. He's so damn cool." Usually happens when they battle someone, or when serious matters concern a dear friend. Then you can see all the underlying qualities that make them real great characters.
I'm not sure if it was one of the Japanese G-Revolution openings, with that one brief sequence where it shows Tyson sitting on the windowsill of his room in the middle of the night, gazing out to the sky and looking so... sad/pensive/melancholy - I think that defines his character's more... covert side very well. Maybe it's why I'm particularly fond of him, I can identify with that partly very well, being all dynamic, full of energy and zest in front of others, but when night comes and everything quiets down...
He did grow up without his parents, too, and I think such an experience definitely matures a person, and that it plays a huge role in how he presents himself to others, and how he's really feeling on the inside. I can imagine that privately, he indeed can be an entirely different person than in front of the crowd. I haven't read the manga, and just from the anime there's a lot of room for interpretation considering his (on any other) character and since this is fiction, I suppose I took the liberty to pour my own interpretations into it XD Less beyblade- and more character-focused, so to say.
Now I'm absolutely not saying the lively and clumsy part of Ty's personality is an act or a facade, sometimes it's quite charming (and sometimes quite irksome) and surely one of the reasons he's gathered so many people around him. I just think since it's so obvious in the anime, people tend to misjudge him and reduce him to those traits only.
He's the main character, and he (naturally) has a lot more depth to him than just being loud or piggy or occasionally 'dumb' (though I wouldn't call it a lack of intelligence, but more of his mettle and enthusiasm intervening with his common sense, which is another rather interesting characteristic) and it used to annoy me every time when I saw or read stories that degraded him to a mere nuisance getting into the main pairing's path. Even more have I hated it to see that degradation ultimately degenerate into real character-bashing in some fics. Then it just gets gross and hard to read altogether.
I know you don't have to like him when you don't, but one can at least respect him for who he is, which is an original, well-developed, entertaining character that the creator of the anime/manga chose as the main hero for good reasons. That applies to pretty much every (of the) main character(s) in beyblade or any other anime. I for example never really liked Max but I'd still not want to make him an antagonist (at least not without a very good, proper and sensible explanation) or a verbal punching bag *laughs*
Though Kai and Tala totally are and probably always will stay my favourites, I adore lil' Ty as well, so you can expect to see him in predominantly good light in this fic x3
*lol* Sorry for rambling. I be shuttin' up now and lettin' you read.
Enjoy!
Chapter 13
"Lies"
Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear
Sealed with lies through so many tears
Lost from within, pursuing the end
I fight for the chance to be lied to again
You will never be strong enough
You will never be good enough
You were never conceived in love
You will not rise above
They'll never see
I'll never be
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me
But through my tears breaks a blinding light
Birthing a dawn to this endless night
Arms outstretched, awaiting me
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree
Rest in me and I'll comfort you
I have lived and I died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you
Rest in me and I'll comfort you
I have lived and I died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you
Upon opening his eyes, Kai was surprised by the brightness of daylight in the room. It seemed the sun had finally been given the opportunity to show its radiant face again after all the domination of rain and dismal grey weather. Actually, the softness of the merry sunlight was very pleasant and actually, he was too cosy to be willing to move as much as a muscle. Tala still slept the sleep of the just, one arm curled firmly around the younger teen, and Kai didn't really want to leave that embrace. He knew that the moment that protective hold would dissipate around him, everyday life would be more than eager to hit and crush him with the problems they had to face, the problems that would rob away the peace and quiet lingering so benevolently around them right now. He simply wanted to close his eyes again and stay lying just like this. Yet...
Giving off a discontented grumble he carefully wiggled free from the Wolf's grip on him and turned onto the other side. Eyes still shut, his hand felt around for the alarm clock atop the nightstand. He usually was an early bird, but today he wouldn't have minded to stay in bed some time longer. His hand bumped into the plastic coat of the desired item and he grasped it, eyelids fluttering semi-open so that the ruby-red orbs could glance at the display – it was a bit past seven in the morning. At nine they should be down in the hotel lobby to wait for the cab that would bring them to the airport.
With that, it was all over with Kai's inner peace and contentment. How badly did he wish to just turn back around, snuggle up to Tala again and go back to slumbering serenely. Yet. Always that pesky little yet. A profound, dispirited sigh escaped his chest and barely a moment later a hand touching his shoulder caused him to jump slightly.
"So upset this early in the morning?" He heard a drowsy voice echo from behind him, a small smile coming to adorn his lips.
"Morning, Tala. It's nothing, I'm just still a little tired." He assured and moved to sit up in bed. His gaze swayed from the window to the side and crossed iceblue orbs that watched him astutely even if still sweetly sleepily.
"Yeah, sure. And that's supposed to convince me?" The Wolf brought up a hand and yawned behind it, his eyes briefly glancing at the clock in Kai's hand. "It's still that early? Man, did you really have to wake me up?" He complained and Kai looked at him, baffled.
"Excuse me? I didn't wake you, you woke up all by yourself." He countered, his brows moving towards the elegantly shaped bridge of his nose in a faint frown.
"Yeah, sure. You'd be able to wake an elephant with that abysmally deep sighing." Tala replied amusedly and swung his legs out of bed, stretching himself. Kai shot him an irked glare while he started a walk towards the bathroom.
"Besides, you've grown heavier. If you'd lain on me a bit longer, I'm sure some of my ribs would've gotten cracked." Tala joked but both his grin and he himself froze on the spot as a pillow hit him in the face at full speed and with a fair amount of force.
"You're a jerk, you know that?" Kai hissed, a slight pinkish hue touching his cheeks. Sometimes the older Russian just couldn't abstain from peeving him. Although Tala's currently taken aback expression caused him to chuckle inwardly.
"You..." The redhead eyed the pillow and then the disgruntled Phoenix who nevertheless had a humorous flicker hiding in the pools of crimson. "...throw like a girl." He finished and fled into the bathroom. The door fell shut just in time before the alarm clock shattered on it – since it had been in Kai's hand anyway, it was the next best thing available to hurl in an impulse of temper.
"Jerk!" He repeated, ruby-red eyes flaming with the fire of irritation. Sometimes the Wolf caused him to hit the ceiling, and he fully suspected him to do it intentionally. However, the squabbling was a natural part of their friendship and by now it was unimaginable to be without. Tala knew well how easily Kai's temper could be set off because he knew the right buttons to push, and of course, he used every opportunity to do so.
Huffing angrily, Kai got out of bed as well, wrinkling his nose upon taking in his rumpled clothes. Never again going to bed dressed. A moment later he disappeared into the insides of the small walk-in closet and somebody chose exactly that same moment to knock at the door. Great freaking timing. Another short sequence of knocking and ultimately, their visitor pushed the door open.
"Kai? Tala?" That was Ray's voice.
The black-haired Blader cast a puzzled look around, noticing the open closet and ultimately, coming to stare at the plastic splinters scattered in front of the bathroom door. Okay, he got the thing with the closet – one of the two Russians was obviously changing attires, but... what the hell had happened to that alarm clock?
The door of the bathroom was pushed ajar and Tala's head peeked out.
"Hey, Ray." He greeted, to which Driger's master could only give a dumb nod.
"Is Kai somewhere nearby?"
"I... uhm... no. Did something happen?" The Tiger asked, confused, glancing between Tala, the open closet door and the remnants of the clock.
"Not really. Temper tantrums are a daily fare for us." Tala snickered.
"I can hear you!" Growled Kai from behind the closet door and threw the wood shut, finally finished redressing. Thereupon the redhead swiftly disappeared into the bathroom again, and crimson-hued eyes at last focused on Ray.
"Morning, Ray. What leads you here?" His usual composure and cool aura returned back to him, though he was still seething on the inside. Temper tantrums are a daily fare? Tche. Whose fault was it that those temper tantrums happened in the first place, huh? Yet, in his current condition, the Phoenix couldn't even really be mad. His wrath was just an act, any other reaction would have made Tala all the more wary than he already was. And right now, Kai was in no way ready and up for the challenge of revealing his feelings to the other.
"Morning, Kai. Mr. Dickenson wanted us to know that we'll be having breakfast at the hotel restaurant together today. That is, if you want to come, of course." The young Chinese informed. Normally, they all had breakfast on their own since the time they'd rouse out of sleep could differ vastly.
"Alright, thank you. We'll be there." Kai nodded in accreditation and after a smile given, Ray left.
Kai approached the bathroom door and, arms crossed, waited for a few moments. Then he rolled his eyes once and knocked. "Tala? I assume you caught that?" He questioned, receiving a plain: "Yeah." In response.
"Well, if you would like to have your breakfast on the pot, then you're welcome to stay there." The Phoenix gave a laugh, of course aware that the older teen was only fooling around and well... it didn't hurt to play along once in a while, did it? It distracted him from dreary thoughts.
"Can I be sure that my head won't be damaged by something heavy if I come out?" It sounded mistrustfully from the inside.
"You can."
A quiet sound of the key being turned in the lock could be heard, Tala emerging out of the room a second later, ice-hued orbs shimmering gleefully. "It's such a pity about the alarm clock." He contemplated out loud, which earned him a disfavouring scoff from Kai.
"Yes, totally. And now get your clothes on and let us go."
"Do you always have to rush so much? It's only half past seven." The older boy grumbled querulously. Kai and his punctuality. The most amazing thing was, there hadn't even been an exact point in time named and the Phoenix was presenting it as if they were already running late.
"Fine, I'm gonna go ahead, then. I assume you'll be able to find there without me?" Kai made his way to the room door, pushing down the handle.
"Yes, Mom. I'm a big boy already, I promise I won't get lost." The Wolf replied sarcastically, crossing his arms in front of his chest which caused Kai to roll his eyes yet again.
"Whatever. Don't dilly-dally too much." With that, he exited, followed by an affronted "Pfft." On Tala's part.
Me and dilly-dallying... Alright, maybe it was a bit –but only a bit!- true that Tala took his time with things then and again. He never was tha~t particular about time designations. But hey, he had Kai for that, who sometimes served a living day planer, always there to remind him about important dates and appointments. At least, that's how it had always used to be and it seemed it hadn't changed today either.
Mentioned 'day planer' was making it down the hotel hallway, soon spotting a rather pitiable presence sitting on the third last stair of the staircase leading down. A woman of the service staff passing him by came in handy and Kai stopped her by addressing the young female. "Excuse me, Miss."
When she turned his attention to him, a polite smile on her lips, he continued with a request. "Could you please bring a glass of tomato juice around?"
"Of course. Just a moment, please." With a small bow at him, she soon proceeded down the flights of stairs. On contrary to her, Kai stopped next to the poor creature huddled there, and eased himself into a seat next to them.
"Well? Recovering from your little trip with Tala?" He asked amusedly and same poor creature, who actually turned out to be a very pale-looking Tyson, gazed at him, wretched.
"I guess you could say that..." He said quietly and woefully alike. He felt awful, oh so awful, and that was a major understatement. His stomach was still vigorously rebelling and his headache made him wish somebody would taka a sledgehammer and knock him out. He didn't look much better either, and all strength seemed to have vaporized to somewhere. He had actually intended to go to the hotel restaurant that was their meeting spot today but on his way there, his non-existent strength left him completely. I swear, never again, alcohol. I vow I will never drink that much ever again. He kept repeating to himself.
Kai observed his team mate with a certain degree of amusement as well as with a bit of compassion. Yes, such a hangover was quite a nasty thing. Especially if Tala was the perpetrator.
Tyson closed his eyes with a deep sigh of misery, and leaned his head against the wall. Man, did he feel awful. Oh so awful.
"There you go, Sir." A warm female voice caused him to lift his gaze, watching a woman in a housemaid dress hand a glass of red liquid to Kai. The Phoenix took it with a thankful nod and after she was gone, he held same glass out to his suffering team comrade.
The befogged fawn eyes narrowed some as the young Dragon eyed the offered drink suspiciously. "What is that?"
"Tomato juice. It'll help with the nausea. And whether you believe it or not, the stuff works better than any aspirin." Kai replied with a slight grin due to the stupefied expression on the other's face.
Tyson continued to observe the red substance with doubt for a moment longer, but reckoned that it really couldn't get any worse anymore. If Kai said it worked, then there must be truth to it. Even though he'd never heard of this method to deal with a hangover, he'd be willing to try anything out right now just to get rid of all those horrible perceptions. Thus, he accepted the glass from Kai and took several swallows. Well, it certainly didn't taste bad at all.
"Hey, Kai." He addressed his team leader then.
"Hm?" Ruby-red eyes focused on him questioningly.
"Is it true that you've already had a drunken stupor, too?"
Kai laughed out softly. "I sure have." Ah, and what a gruesome one it'd been, or rather, the consequences of it. The moments of being completely and utterly drunk themselves weren't bad at all, but the aftermaths... Oh, those evil aftermaths. The reason it had remained his one and only drunken stupor altogether.
"How old have you been?" Tyson emptied his glass, and either it was some sort of placebo effect or the juice was showing upshot indeed – the nausea watered down and he could think more clearly again.
Kai knitted his brows slightly, trying to remember. "Twelve or thirteen, I think."
The Dragon's eyes widened in stun, his mouth popping open some. That young? He'd always known the young Russian's life had been a harsh one, but that redefined harsh on quite a new level. He'd always respected and admired Kai for how strong he was, the things he'd been through truly had to be horrible. No wonder he appeared so much more mature and experienced than his age.
"Oi, what's happening here, eh? A gathering of anonymous alcoholics?" A humoured voice resounded over their heads. Tala, standing a stair above the two sitting figures, was gazing down at them, a wide grin on his lips.
"Well, then you're certainly dead right here." Kai answered, rising up to his feet.
The tomato juice had obviously really worked its magic and Tyson found it remotely easy to find back onto his own two as well. The nausea was still present but by far not as vividly anymore, and the headache had ceased from crushing his skull, too. All that even allowed him to glare at Tala reproachfully.
"What's up, Tyson? Got out on the wrong side of bed today?" The Wolf mocked, appearing as though he didn't have the slightest of ideas about the reason for the youngest amidst them being in such a pitiful state.
"You're the one to talk. Not everybody has as high of an alcohol tolerance as you." The young Dragon retorted crossly.
"Well, at least you've got to relax properly yesterday, didn't you?" Tala countered, snickering.
"You mean he's got to get boozed properly yesterday." Kai interjected sceptically. Tala was in a good mood, he was in a good mood and even though a little out of shape, Tyson was in a good mood as well. At least the start of this day seemed to be a good one.
"Is there a difference?" The older Russian rose an eyebrow at Kai, to which the Phoenix only rolled his eyes and started down the stairs.
Passing Tyson by, Tala gave him an acknowledging pat on the shoulder. "You held your own well, though." He smirked, having the other grimacing at him.
"Well, thank you very much. Not." That grumbled, Tyson followed the two older Bladers in the direction of the restaurant.
The breakfast passed off as a tranquil, companionable occasion with Tala and Kai mostly keeping quiet while amusedly observing Mr. Dickenson and Ray being worried and Max being very curious about Tyson being less chatty and looking so ropy. Point nine a.m. they piled into two cabs which carried them over to Tokyo airport where, after the troublefree check-in, they boarded the plane that should take them to Moscow.
Ahead sat Mr. Dickenson along with some men and a women from the BBA staff, a bit behind Ray, Max and Tyson had occupied a row, the latter already dozing off even before the metallic bird began its roll along the trajectory. Yet another row behind, the two Russians had settled, Tala near the window and Kai next to him, to the Phoenix's other side a young man who appeared absolutely unaware of his surroundings with relaxedly closed eyes and headphones plugged into his ears.
Watching the lights flicker by while the plane gained speed and ultimately disconnected from the ground, Tala was rolling idle thoughts inside his head. It was a strange feeling to know he was going back home, without his team but with Kai. Mentioned person was a constant presence in mind, he asked himself how the younger teen would feel, how it would affect him, how he would react, when he were forced to face his grandfather again. He was worried about Kai, and the more time passed, the stronger that worry was growing. He fervently wished he would be able to spare the other all of that... It just wasn't fair. More than anyone, Kai deserved it to be free from the clutches of his past yet it was clawing at him cruelly times and again, and every single time, Tala could see the pain it caused him mirror clearly in those crimson depths. Although Kai so very diligently and meticulously hid it under his calm and reserved demeanour, acting like it didn't bother him too much, eventually he'd hit a limit. Tala tried, the best he was capable of, to support his friend, give him some safety and security somewhere, but in the end, there was little he could really rectify. In the end, all of it had a hard emotional impact on the young half-Russian, and Tala himself could do little against it.
To cap it all, something else seemed to preoccupy the Phoenix greatly, something the redhead could neither grasp nor put a finger on. He remembered back on their conversation in the hotel room, where Kai had requested of him not to press the subject. He couldn't understand... Kai had never kept secrets from him. He would have liked to sound him out, yet right now the moment was most improper. The younger teen would soon have more than enough on his plate to cope with, there truly was no need to add another burden in there. Though he had claimed they were not yet through with that same subject, he definitely couldn't bring it up again just yet.
"Tala?"
Kai's quiet voice brought his awareness back into the here and now. He glanced to his side, meeting fiery red eyes that observed him with mild concern.
"Is everything okay?"
The Wolf had to chuckle softly. It was sweet of Kai to worry about him despite the fact that it was rather Kai himself who one should be worried about.
"Sure. Just got a bit abstracted." He replied with a gentle smile on the lips, the gaze of his iceblue orbs balanced and composed to reassure the other that there indeed was no reason for worry. Looking at Kai, he could easily tell that he was uncomfortable; the closer they came to Russia and Biovolt, the more uneasy did the Phoenix get.
"Tired?" He questioned, reaching out to ruffle up the silk of that double-coloured hair.
"Maybe." Was the distracted answer, he didn't even get into a tizzy about the older boy's sassy action that usually annoyed him so. He felt sickeningly agitated. His heart would pace up randomly, whenever he'd fleetingly imagine what and who he'd have to face in the near future. The restlessness and inner disruption drained on his strength, the incertitude of what to expect didn't exactly help it either. It was for crying out loud, the anxiety, the jumble of negative emotions, everything. A shadow of desperation shooed over his handsome features, the oppressing feelings prevailing slowly.
"Hey." Tala's hand coming to lie on his cheek caused his crimson eyes to focus back on their piercing-blue counterparts. "Everything will be okay." That smooth voice was firm and resolute speaking the words out quietly, but insistently.
Kai sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment, leaning into the other's touch a little. "I hope you're right." He whispered and for a moment, he concentrated to summon back his poise and composure, using the warm palm on his cheek as a source of calm to draw some peace from.
"You know I'm always right." A cocky response, his eyelashes fluttering apart again, his vision clearer now, a faint smile delineating on his lips as he nodded once. The hand on his cheek smoothed up, and sifted caringly through his blue and silver strands.
"Come on, take a little nap. It'll do you some good." Retrieving his hand, Tala twitched his shoulder invitingly. A non-stop flight from Tokyo to Moscow counted a bit over ten hours; plenty of time for a decent nap.
Another nod, and the younger teen pillowed his head against same shoulder, feeling the corresponding arm go around the pair of his own. The thunderstorm of feelings abated a little, even though it didn't go away completely.
"Tala... I..."
I love you.
"...I'm very fond of you. Thank you." He murmured sincerely in semi-slumber.
The taller Blader blinked in surprise and squinted at his friend. You didn't hear those words at all often out of Kai's mouth, there were very few things, let alone people, he'd ever admit being fond of. Last time he'd heard those words from Kai, had been... good six years ago. Back then as he'd almost gotten killed on a mission.
"You're welcome, Kai." Shifting a bit deeper into the seat so that the other would have it more comfortable, Tala directed his gaze back to the window. "I'm fond of you, too." That supplementation was uttered barely above silence and unnoticed by the Wolf, an almost undetectable smile graced Kai's lips before he drifted off into a gossamer sleep.
Tala's eyes, too, eased shut, although he wasn't sleeping. No, he was merely remembering...
The building blew up with a horrific racket of the explosion that shook the ground up in a hefty tremor. He clenched his eyes shut, very convinced that his final hour has come. The walls were crumbling all around him, giving in and sending the ceiling crashing down. A heavy chunk of it smashed into his shoulder, it cracked, blood starting to gush from the open fracture. He could barely scream out, thrown to the ground from the force of the impact, a metallic beam swishing down onto him. His eyes screwed shut tight another time, expecting to be squashed into a bloody pulp the next moment. The deafening noise all around infolded him together with the dust and whirled up soil when the entire complex collapsed.
The hush thereafter was almost hurtful. Was he alive? Or already dead? Iceblue orbs eased open, blinking several times in a row. The massive metallic beam lay centimetres above him, stopped in its fall by two solid pieces of the crushed, sticking out groundwork. The weight of the rubble pressing down onto same beam caused it to creak portentously, signalling that it wouldn't be able to withstand that weight forever.
The hot, pulsing pain in his shoulder forced him to groan in agony through gritted teeth, funny white dots dancing in front of his vision, yet his survival instinct was awakened by another threatening screeching from above him. He flipped over onto his stomach, crawling and inching his way in between the labyrinth of the heap of ruins he was incarcerated within, leaving a scarlet trail of vital liquid behind. He didn't know how much time had passed, slowly getting faint and nauseous from blood loss, until finally spotting clear daylight in between two huge blocks of concrete. With pain and misery, he squeezed himself through the slim crevice and into the open, and with even more pain and misery he managed to straighten up onto his feet, covered in dirt and own blood, the bright sunlight hurting in his sapphire-hued eyes.
"Tala!" Hearing a distressed voice, he tried to realign his sense and senses. That voice, he knew...
"Kai! I'm over here!" He called back and for a moment there was silence before lightweight steps approaching his direction quickly got gradually louder. Kai's silhouette came into sight prior to the younger boy running into him and almost knocking him over.
"Tala! Thank Gods!" The young Phoenix compressed a stifled exclamation out of his chest, locking his arms in a steely grip around the redhead's neck, face buried in the crook of it. Tala perceived acutely the tremor that quacked the lithe figure tucked away against his own.
"It's all good, Kai. I'm alright..." He attempted to sound confident, but his voice was about as weak as his entire body, his strength fading quickly.
"I almost thought I've lost you, too... Like my parents..." The eleven- year-old Phoenix whispered fearfully, finally lifting his face to look up into pain-filled, azure eyes. "You're bleeding!" He cried out, ruby-red eyes staring shocked and appalled onto the gruesome, gashing injury.
"It's all good, Kai." Tala repeated tiredly. "It's just a scratch... I'll live..." He managed a faint smile, watching those eyes gain a glossy shimmer to their surface. Reaching his healthy arm out, he pulled the younger boy in, firmly hugging his trembling form close.
"It's okay, Kai. I'll be okay..." Closing his eyes for a moment, he leaned his cheek against the mop of grey and blue hair, feeling the other claw his fingers into Tala's own, soiled attire.
"I'm very fond of you... I can't bear the thought of losing you, Tala..." A quiet confession going muffled into his intact shoulder, causing him to fortify his embrace just that much.
He chuckled gently, ever the strong and unperturbed attitude, all for the sake of the martyred existence in his hold. "You're not losing me, Kai." Not ever. A moment of silence before he rose his voice again. "I'm fond of you, too." A quietly added sentence, his blurry vision acknowledging the Biovolt employees in the distance, rushing their way towards them to help.
"Dear airline passengers, we are going to land in a few minutes..." The friendly female voice sounding into the saloon out of the loudspeaker startled him out of his reminiscing. Seemed he dozed off a little while waddling through his recollections.
He didn't pay much attention to the rest of the woman's babbling about safety instructions repeated in several different languages, turning it towards the still slumbering Phoenix who obviously couldn't care less about anyone speaking out of anything. Usually, Kai had a rather light sleep, thus Tala concluded that the younger teen really had to be quite exhausted. He looked calm and peaceful as of now, and the Wolf sighed heavily in the prospect of having to wake him up. Not in the sense of it being extraordinary difficult to rouse Kai from sleep, but in the sense of not really wanting to disturb the other's likely needed rest. He would have liked to let him sleep for another while longer, but well. What had to be done, had to be done.
"Kai?" He spoke the Phoenix's name softly, brushing the back of his fingers over one smooth cheek.
The younger Blader squeezed his eyes shut more tightly for a second before the black lashes fluttered asunder, revealing from beneath their mesh a pair of ruby-coloured eyes that gazed up at Tala in their semi-opened, a bit bemused state.
"Hey. We've arrived." The redhead chuckled, keeping the thought of how adorable Kai looked to himself since he knew well the other would categorically disapprove of being described with such an adjective.
Kai sounded a discontent murmuring and sat up properly in his seat again. His neck hurt rather viciously from the long-held, cockeyed lying position he'd been maintaining, however it had been well worth it. He felt better mentally; more rested. In spite of the uneasy feeling returning rather quickly again, he now felt more properly forearmed against whatever would be coming at them.
Some minutes later they boarded off the plane, welcomed by Russian late-autumn weather. As common for the season, it was rather grey and dreary, dark cumulus towering into the skies, covering it up completely. It was sleeting, the tiny snowflakes, mingled in with raindrops, melting away instantly upon touching to objects be those living or not. It was still too warm for the white powder to assert itself. Notwithstanding that there was no wind, Kai got the chills as a black, classy car bearing the Biovolt crest drove up after they were out of the airport halls.
The passenger's door in the back was pushed open and a grey-haired man appeared, followed by Boris.
Kai felt his throat being corded up so much he could hardly breathe. His eyes were transfixed on the aged yet still stately male in his mid-fifties. Head empty of any thoughts he stared into his grandfather's cold eyes like accursedly spellbound, unable to move, to think, to feel – he had the impression of his spirit having left his body. The pain, the sorrow, the memories crashed down onto him so abruptly and brutally, they almost forced him to his knees. Breathe... he could not breathe...
"I see all of you have finally arrived."
He heard that painfully familiar voice speak, the words were horribly distorted and endlessly long-drawn-out, at least it was how he was experiencing them. Kai's hands clenched into fists, self-acting, he didn't even feel his fingers curl. So much pain... so much hatred...
"...that a boy... strong boys don't cry..."
Same painfully familiar, hated voice rang out in his ears in a shadow of memory. Mother... It echoed in his head desperately right after, pictures of a rainy, dismally grey day flickering past his burdened consciousness. A black umbrella, spanned above his head.
"...they were just two people... no reason to cry for them..."
/"Mama loves you."/
Stone-cold eyes pierced their gaze into his own. Suddenly, he saw two dark-brown coffins, and how they were slowly lowered into earth. Deeper and deeper... A thunderclap... And so much pain...
"...they are expendable..."
/The screeching of brakes. "Satoru!" His mother's horrified outcry./
"...from now on, you no longer have parents..."
/"Get out of the car, Kai! Quick!"/
"...forget them. They are irrelevant..."
/"Mama!"/
"...your love for them is a weakness... drive it out of your heart!"
/"I love you, my son... But Mama cannot come with you right now..." Tear-filled, ruby-red eyes that were a perfect reflection of his own./
"...they probably never really loved you, anyway..."
/"No! Mother!"/
"...never loved you..."
/"Mother!"/
"...never loved..."
/"MOTHER!" A deafening explosion, omnivorous, blazing flames.../
He started shivering uncontrollably. The fragments of memories and words mixed up into an agonizing, black Something that expanded within him, so hurtful he wanted to scream. Stop it... make it stop... please... Everything was overlapping, the surroundings lost their contours and blended together in a colourless jumble. His heart hitched, again and again and again, at each and every image flashing past his inner eye.
"Kai. It is a pleasure to see you again, grandson."
He flinched upon hearing that voice again. His crimson eyes were glazed over, he couldn't avert them from his grandfather's chaining, dark pair that seemed to swallow him up like a bottomless abyss, burning out his soul. The man stepped forward with the intention to hug his long-missed grandchild and Kai instinctively backed away, panic passing his petrified features. Stay away from me! He wanted to shout, but not a syllable made it past his lips.
Voltaire never got to reach him though, a tall figure obstructing him and successfully shielding Kai from any undesired contact. Iceblue orbs flashed up warningly, displaying sheer odium in them.
"Make another step and you'll die." Tala gritted out through clenched teeth, the icy tone of his dangerously lowered voice making it unmistakably clear that he meant what he'd said quite literally. It stood out of question that he'd let that monster near the Phoenix by another inch. The young boy behind him looked horror-stricken, ruby-hued eyes disoriented and devoid of emotion. He needed to be away from here, away from his grandfather, at fucking once.
"Ah, Tala." Voltaire looked down onto the Wolf, a sickeningly gracious smile on his lips. "I should have known you would defect eventually. Maybe underestimating your and Kai's friendship was a mistake."
"Shut up." The redhead cut off, an angry fire blazing high in iceblue depths.
"Voltaire! Leave the boys in peace! What is it that you want?" Mr. Dickenson intervened at last, which rewarded him with a scornful chuckle as the head of the Biovolt Corporation turned to face him. Voltaire snapped his fingers, a signal for Boris to step forth.
"We have provided you two cars that will bring you to a hotel nearby. Tomorrow you will be picked up from there and escorted to Biovolt's private landing site. Your journey to our battle venue, Siberia, will commence there." The lavender-haired man explained, grinning maliciously.
"What?" It escaped Max in stunned reaction. Siberia? You had to be freaking kidding him...
"I would advise you to put on some warm clothes. Oh, and, Tala." Boris turned to the young Wolf still standing protectively in front of Kai. Arms crossed over his chest, he gave the man a disdainful once-over.
"What little you own, has already been stored in the hotel room. I assume we can no longer expect you to return to us." Boris continued, deprecatingly scrutinizing the ex-leader of the Demolition Boys.
"You can bet your life on it, lapdog." Tala replied with chilling composure, noting with satisfaction the hint of anger in those obnoxious eyes. Boris had always hated him for how disrespectful he was towards the man. Lapdog was one of the countless foul names Tala'd used in connection to the lavender-haired male up until this day, always showing his contempt for Boris openly and with pleasure.
"I hope you will enjoy your stay, gentlemen." Voltaire looked at his grandson one more time, but there was not a single emotion on that youthful, blue-paint graced face. He just held his head lowered and stared at the snowflakes that melted away the second they touched to the dark ground beneath their feet, feeling nothing. Everything seemed hollow, blurry, unreal.
Both Biovolt associates made their way back into their black car which drove off a moment later. Barely after it had moved from the spot, two cabs pulled in. The teenagers along with Mr. Dickenson began getting inside, the remaining four Bladebreakers still agitated and churned up. Siberia sounded like a damn dangerous place to be one on one with Biovolt at.
Turning to Kai, Tala took him by the shoulders gently. The ire and derision had long ago left his face, replaced by worry and warmth as he shook the younger Russian softly once. "Hey, Kai. Come on, let us go." He addressed him quietly, wanting to take him away from here the quickest, to somewhere calm and private so that they could talk. Of course, given that Kai even wanted to talk. Regardless, right here and right now, Tala couldn't do much.
The Phoenix remained dead silent, nevertheless pushing past Tala and slipping into the confines of the cab, stonefaced. His steps seemed mechanic, almost forced, and the hollow expression in his eyes was disturbing, if not scary. The Wolf was observing him the entire drive through, though all Kai did was sit by the window and stare out of it with a detached gaze, almost appearing like he was barely aware of his surroundings. And he wasn't, he didn't recognize anything, not the streets of his hometown, not the people around him, not even himself. Pain and vast emptiness reigned within him.
Tala had thought it would be bad, but he hadn't thought it to be this bad. He knew it would affect Kai gravely yet it seemed as though it'd cut even deeper than he could fathom. He closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. He himself hadn't stayed entirely unaffected either, however that didn't matter in the least. The only thing that mattered was just one – Kai. He prayed they would arrive at that damn hotel soon, so that he could tend to and be there for his friend. Everything will be alright, Kai. That, I promise you.
So far so good ^_^
And yes, tomato juice really does work wonders in regard to hangovers. At least, back when I was young and foolish, it always did for me *laughs*
Feed back is love and makes the muses work faster~ =3
See you next chapter!
Kate