Author Note: Dedication this chapter to Okami1001. Glad to see you're paying attention and have noticed that there are still things they haven't found the answers too. ^^ thumbs up for you, but you'll have to wait still.
Disclaimer: Beyblade belongs to Takao Aoki
Cold Competition
Chapter 21
Having reached Tyson's, Lee and Mariah went to speak to Kevin and Gary, to explain what had happened the night before. Or at least what they knew of what had happened. Tyson cornered Max and Hilary to find out what happened while Kenny listened to them quietly. Since the others were distracted Ray headed over to Tala and quietly explained the situation to him about Kai wanting some answers and that Bryan had gone after him to help. "Bryan said not to freak out," Ray finished.
Tala cursed under his breath. "How are we supposed to deal with this?" he asked Ray. "The fact that you seem worried about it isn't exactly encouraging."
"I'm just concerned about him being around them on his own," Ray assured Tala. "I don't know what exactly happened last night, but Kai protected me from them. If there's the slightest possibility that they'd try get him out the way I think it's best he have some back up." Ray glanced over at Mariah, making sure she wasn't paying attention to him. "I would have gone myself, but ME purposefully seeking out Kathleen would REALLY make Mariah mad." Ray looked back at Tala again. "Anyway, Bryan said he'd find Kai."
"He probably already has then," Tala commented. "Bryan's a brilliant tracker."
"Then there's nothing to worry about. Bryan's really tough. I can vouch for that. So if the Panthers turned up, they'd be the ones who'd need to worry."
Tala smirked. "I'll say. Bryan has some dark days behind him. You really don't wanna get on his bad side."
"I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of any of you," Ray pointed out. "You guys are terrifying. I mean, you almost knocked a bookcase on me chasing after Tyson when he went one step too far. None of even know what it was about Tyson's words that set you off."
"It's a long story. Let's just leave it at that."
Ray nodded in acceptance, letting the subject drop and decided to examine the damage done to his beyblade during the match with Kai. At least he had the older one to use until Driger V had been repaired. It was still a shame about the blade Kenny had made for him which had gone missing. The control of that had been incredible. It was fast, strong, resilient and responded remarkably well. Kenny really was a genius. On top of all that, it had been special because Kenny had made it specifically for him. Even so, Ray could manage without that blade. He'd managed for years beforehand and could go on doing so. He had his skill after all, Kai had reminded him of that, and he had Driger. The Driger V blade would need some work, so Ray moved the bit chip to the older Driger blade.
"We're back," Bryan's voice called suddenly as he stepped in through the gate. Kai followed him in, with Kathleen literally right behind him. She had a light hold on his scarf in an attempt to stay as close as possible.
The others headed out to greet them, most wanting to be sure Kai was alright, as Ray had been the only one to speak to him after he'd woken up, but Hilary froze when she noticed Kathleen, whereas Mariah began scowling and caught Ray's wrist in a bruising grip, not wanting him anywhere near the girl who'd so blatantly flirted with HER boyfriend. Taking note of the closeness between Kai and Kathleen, Hilary bit her lip and hung back feeling rotten. It was Kevin who spoke first. "Why is she here?" the smallest member of the White Tigers asked.
"She's left the Panthers," Kai explained. "She wants to make her own choices, instead of being forced to do things against her will. She won't cause us any more trouble."
"And how do we know she means it?" Mariah asked while Ray pried her fingers from his wrist before wrapping an arm around her to keep her close, comfortingly. He wasn't going anywhere and she didn't need to worry about Kathleen's presence. Hilary watched them wishing Kai would be as reassuring towards her as Ray was to Mariah. Normally she didn't let Kai's distance bother her, but she couldn't help feeling threatened by Kathleen's presence.
"Because I believe her," Kai answered. "And I'm the most difficult to convince. She wants to bond with her bit beast, like we have with ours, and start over. I will personally take full responsibility if she betrays us."
"Why don't we give her a chance?" Ray suggested quietly to Mariah, Lee, Kevin and Gary. "If we scorn her for being a Panther then we're no better than them scorning us for being White Tigers."
"I'm not scorning her for being a Panther!" Mariah snapped, not bothering to keep her voice down. "I don't like her because she keeps flirting with you!"
"And I keep telling you, Mariah, I'm not interested in her so you don't have to feel threatened," Ray assured her.
Mariah pouted and looked over towards Kai and Kathleen. "Okay, but she has to stop it."
"I only did that because I was ordered to," Kathleen said quietly, still hiding behind Kai.
Mariah blinked. "Ordered to? So you're not..." Mariah trailed off then looked at the other White Tigers. There was another hushed conversation between them, which they switched to Chinese for at one point then Mariah turned back, "Alright. We'll give you the benefit of the doubt. After all, our two clans share the same heritage." Mariah looked like she was about to say more, but Ray said something to her quietly leading to guilty looks in Mariah, Lee and Kevin. Mariah nodded and turned back. "You're clearly finding your feet right now, so we can't expect you to know where your loyalties truly lie. You'll have to understand if we can't trust you fully right away."
"Yes," Kathleen said with a small nod. Kai also offered Mariah a nod in thanks.
"I've got some clothes you can borrow," Mariah stated rather stiffly. "They should fit you. You don't want to stand around wet. You'll get sick." It was clear she was still wary of Kathleen, but she was trying to put that to the side and be friendly and accepting. Hilary looked off to one side, holding her arm while Mariah beckoned Kathleen to come with her.
Kathleen glanced at Kai hesitantly before stepping away from him and moving to follow Mariah. She kept her head down and stared at the ground as she walked. Kai watched her go then looked over towards Hilary. Hilary had absentmindedly started scratching at her arm, lost in her own thoughts. Knowing that something was definitely up and that he probably owed her an explanation, Kai walked over to Hilary and stopped in front of her. "What's on your mind?" he asked gently.
Hilary shrugged. "How close you were maybe," she muttered.
Kai couldn't help but frown. "What?"
Hilary shrugged again. "You should probably change out of those wet clothes."
"Don't change the subject," Kai told her. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine."
Kai snorted and looked away, "Clearly." A small pebble hit Kai in the shoulder from behind. Kai looked round with a growl. "What?" Ray pointed at Kai, wrapped his arms around himself to represent a hug then pointed to Hilary. The others were heading off, not wanting to be present for any possible arguments, but Ray, having dealt with Mariah several times, knew Hilary was feeling insecure and wanted to clue Kai in before he left as well. He made a go on gesture then turned and headed inside. Still looking away, Hilary had missed all of this. Turning back to the girl, Kai took in a calming breath and let it out slowly. "Do you trust me, Hilary?"
Hilary looked up at him. "Of course I do!"
Relieved by her answer, Kai stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Then you have nothing to worry about," he spoke into her hair.
Hilary relaxed at the contact. "I just... It's just that... I spent so long trying to earn your trust, and get you to open up to me, to let me close. I'm sorry. I'm being stupid."
Kai smiled. "Just a bit," he teased.
Hilary returned the hug, enjoying the closeness, before grinning a little. "You're all damp," she pointed out, though she continued to hold him.
"I took a dip in the sea by accident," Kai told her with a small laugh. "I'll go change in a minute."
"Are you okay?" Hilary asked. "You had me really worried last night."
Kai remained silent for a moment. "Sorry. I'm alright now... I think I know what happened."
"Oh?" Hilary asked.
"Yeah... That girl, Kathleen, she seems to know. She was there last night when..." he trailed off with a sigh. "I need to speak to Ray and the other White Tigers."
Hilary gave Kai a bit of a squeeze before letting go. "D'you want to do that just now?"
"Yeah," Kai nodded. "Once I've taken a shower and put on some dry clothes."
"I'll make dinner tonight. Is there anything you'd like?" Hilary asked.
"I don't mind," Kai replied with a smile. "I like your cooking."
Hilary smiled warmly before putting her hands on her hips and looking stern. "Well you better go take that shower and change then before you catch a cold."
Kai smiled. "Yes ma'am," he replied with a playful salute. Hilary giggled and ushered him inside.
000
Kai was in the shower for almost half an hour, enjoying the feel of the hot water and letting the warmth soak into him and get rid of the chill that had started to set in. Once he was done, he changed into some dry clothes and went to join the others, rubbing at his hair with a towel round his neck.
Kathleen was still nervous, but she was engaged in conversation with the others. The hostility in Mariah had dropped considerably and it definitely helped that Ray kept her close whenever speaking to Kathleen. They'd been learning about her background. Max was happy to learn that she'd grown up in America. She was currently telling them about how she'd been selected for the team because of her ability at sports in general and had been pulled out of school, cut off from her friends and put through a training program for their purposes. "I haven't been able to speak to any of my old friends or classmates since," Kathleen finished.
"I'm sure you'll get the chance to again, Kathleen," Kenny spoke up. "If you know their names and where they went to school, it shouldn't be too hard to find them. Dizzi and I will help."
Kathleen shook her head. "The Elders will expect that. They might find out and it would allow them to track me down."
"Are you kidding?" Tyson responded. "The Chief here's a genius. If anyone can find a way to put you in touch without raising suspicion, it'll be him."
"Don't some schools do these um penpal programs?" Ray asked. "Would any of them be involved with that?"
"Maybe," Kathleen responded thoughtfully.
"That would still count as getting in touch with them," Mariah pointed out.
"Yeah, but what if she used a different name to contact them?" Ray asked.
"That's an idea," Kenny nodded. "And I'm sure we can come up with plenty more. But we will need to be careful."
"You guys... would actually help me?" Kathleen asked the group, surprised by their acceptance. The White Tigers were still wary of her, understandably, but they genuinely were giving her a second chance. It was reassuring.
"Yes, we would," Kai answered, stepping into the room. "Tyson, there's someone at the door."
Tyson got up and headed for the door frowning. He hadn't heard a knock. There was one however when he was on his way. Tyson opened the door to the visitor. "Hi, Tyson," the familiar face greeted him with a hesitant smile. "Long time no see."
"Zeo?" Tyson asked in surprise.
"Yeah, surprise," Zeo laughed nervously. "Um, I'm back in town now. So I thought I'd drop by and visit. If that's okay?"
"Yeah. Wow, this is a surprise. How have you been?"
"Not too bad," Zeo smiled, "Just readjusting to a few things. Life's different now, but I'm managing."
"That's great," Tyson answered as he invited Zeo in. "So what's been happening in your life lately then?"
"I've been spending more one on one time with my dad," Zeo replied. "He's changed for the better now and we're a lot closer. He wants to get back in contact with Mr Dickenson and put the past behind him. We've been out of the city for a while, but we've moved back now."
"Done much blading since?" Tyson continued conversationally.
"A bit," Zeo answered, going into his pocket and pulling something out. "Actually, beyblading is one of the reasons I'm here. I was challenged by someone and they used this blade against me then left it behind after the battle." He held out a blue and red beyblade for Tyson to see.
"That's weird. Why would they leave a beyblade behind?" Tyson wondered aloud. "Who were they? What did they look like?"
"I wish I could tell you, Tyson," Zeo said with a sigh. "But it was dark and they were wearing a hood. It was a girl though and she had a message for me to give you."
"A message for me?" Tyson asked.
"I don't know if it was for you personally. She said that two of the Bladebreakers would end up with the owner of that blade. Whatever that means. I brought it here to see if any of you guys knew who it belonged to."
"Alright, let's ask the others and see if any of them know."
"Cool, so everyone's here?"
Tyson nodded, "And more besides."
"You sure it's alright for me to be here then?" Zeo asked as they stepped into the dojo. Hearing them coming in, the others looked over.
Kai's eyes widened then narrowed when he saw Zeo. "What the hell is he doing here?" the Russian demanded.
"Zeo came by to visit," Tyson answered. "And some girl gave him a weird message for us."
"I don't trust him after what he did," Kai stated.
"Come on, Kai. Look, I know things went bad, but Zeo's our friend again. Let's just put it behind us. You could at least hear him out. Go ahead and tell them the message, Zeo," Tyson prompted.
Kai frowned, but remained silent to listen. Zeo looked at them all before starting. "This girl turned up and battled me with an unusual beyblade. She left it behind after the battle with a warning for two members of the Bladebreakers, but I don't know who." He held out the blade. "I've been keeping a hold of it since then, but it's only been a few days."
Kai felt something inside him snap when he saw the red and blue beyblade. It wasn't just any blade. That was the one he'd built for Wyatt. Seeing red, Kai crossed the dojo in a few short strides, grabbed Zeo by the shirt and threw him back against the wall. "Get your filthy hands off that blade!" he snarled.
"Kai!" several voices gasped in shock and the other Bladebreakers rushed over to try stop Kai, asking, begging, him to stop. Kai ignored them all.
"Please!" Zeo exclaimed. "I just came to drop it off here. Let go."
"Give me one good reason why I should believe you!" Kai snarled. "This could easily be a trick to get our bit beasts again. You could have easily picked that blade up from where I left it!"
"I didn't, I swear," Zeo replied desperately.
"What was the warning?" Ray asked, hoping to give Kai enough to think about so he'd let Zeo go. He recognized the beyblade. He'd seen it at Wyatt's grave and he didn't like that someone had stolen it neither. He could understand Kai's anger, but he had a hunch Zeo was telling the truth.
Zeo tried to stay calm despite the murderous look in Kai's eyes and spoke, "That two members of the Bladebreakers would end up with the owner of that blade."
"Someone's threatening to kill two of us?" Ray asked and glanced around the group, "Which two?"
"I don't know," Zeo replied and grunted as Kai pushed him back against the wall again.
"How convenient!" Kai sneered.
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," Tyson told Kai then looked at Ray. "What do you mean they're trying to kill two of us?" Ray looked down after glancing briefly at Kai. Tyson frowned. "Well, Ray?" he prompted then looked at Kai. From Kai's words, he'd assumed the blade was Kai's. So how did Ray come to the conclusion of a death threat? "Kai, what was he talking about?"
Kai let go of Zeo and thumped the wall angrily, before stepping back. "It's The Avalanchers. The girl must have been Senga. She's tried to kill me twice and failed. And they tried to finish Ray off in Hokkaido."
"They said something about finishing the job because they lost control of Driger too," Ray commented quietly to Kai. "They want all of our bit beasts, but they seem to harbour an even stronger disliking for us." Ray then began considering why this was the case. Kai was pretty obvious. "You're the captain and it's a really old strategy to take out the opposing leadership. Plus it's you they're most concerned about because of your connection to Boris. And I guess they're just sick of me getting away. Plus I DID rub it in a little that they'd had so many failed attempts at taking Driger."
"I'll fucking kill them!" Kai shouted, turning away from them all. Ray, Tyson, Max and Kenny jumped at Kai's outburst, but before anyone could move or say anything, a cry of fright came from Hilary in the kitchen. Kai gasped and rushed through. "Hilary, are you alright?"
Hilary looked up from the cooker where she'd put a fire blanket over the plan. Her hand was burnt and she looked fairly stunned. "It just- it was fine! Then all of a sudden- I don't know..." she told Kai uncertainly.
Kai moved over to her and guided her to the sink, turning on the cold tap when they reached it. "Hold your hand under there for a few minutes," he told her. "Then I'll take a look at it."
Hilary nodded, doing as she was told. She looked over to the cooker. "It was perfectly fine and I didn't do anything. All of a sudden this flame just leapt out."
Kai felt uneasy but said nothing as he checked on Hilary's hand after a moment, before getting her to put it back under the tap. "Zeo's here," he said quietly. "I'm not happy about it."
"Ah. Well, that's kinda awkward."
"It's worse. He's got Wyatt's beyblade."
Hilary gasped, her eyes widening. "Why?" she whispered.
"He says someone challenged him with it and then left it behind," Kai explained. "I think it was The Avalanchers."
"Oh my gosh, they even know about Zeo? How much DO they know?"
"I have no idea, but I'm worried. If they're back, then things are going to get worse again. And I trust Zeo about as much as I trust Boris right now. I don't feel comfortable with him being around."
"What should we do?" Hilary asked.
Kai pulled out the first aid kit and a clean towel, turning off the tap and checking Hilary's hand again. "I wish I knew," he told her, dabbing her hand gently with the towel to dry it, before applying some burn cream. He tried to make his touch as gentle as possible, despite how angry and frustrated he was feeling right now.
Hilary winced a little and wrinkled her nose at the smell of burnt food. "So much for dinner," she commented, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Forget dinner. I'm just glad your hand isn't any worse." Finishing with the cream, Kai carefully bandaged over the burn to stop it from getting infected. He couldn't help but think that it was his fault for some reason.
"Thanks," Hilary replied offering Kai a smile.
"You're welcome," Kai said with a nod.
"I should probably clean this up and sort out dinner," Hilary commented, looking around. "Maybe I should order a pizza? Did you get the chance to speak to Ray and the others? Or did Zeo's presence spoil that? If so, maybe we can get Tyson to get keep Zeo out of your way?"
"I haven't spoken to them yet," Kai admitted. "And I don't know if I want to now. But I'll get Tyson to keep that pest away from me all the same."
Hilary reached up to give Kai's shoulder a light squeeze comfortingly. "It'll be fine, Kai. There are enough people here to make it suicide to try anything."
Kai nodded, hoping she was right. After all, Zeo wasn't the only threat right now. Kai himself was just as bad, if not worse. "Be careful of your hand," he said before turning away.
"I will. Thanks again," Hilary responded before starting to clean up the mess.
000
While Zeo spoke with Max, Tyson and Kenny Ray sat away from them, holding the beyblade, which he'd politely taken from Zeo, waiting for Kai to come back. Tala and Bryan were speaking in Russian. Bryan seemed annoyed but Tala was amused. Lee was nearby with his arms folded, looking thoughtful and Ray knew exactly what was on his mind. Gary and Kevin were listening to Zeo and Tyson, learning what they could and Mariah was speaking quietly with Kathleen so she wouldn't feel left out. They were all concerned about Hilary but knew Kai would call if they were needed.
Kai stepped back into the room and, after a few seconds, headed over to Ray, giving Zeo a wide berth.
Ray stood up and held out the beyblade. "I got this back for you. You should probably hold onto it until this is all over. So it doesn't happen again." Ray glanced over at Lee, who gave him an encouraging gesture. Ray nodded then faced Kai again. "And I need to talk to you about something. We started talking about it earlier, but I changed the subject because I wasn't sure."
Kai took the beyblade and nodded. "I know. Let's go outside."
"You know?" Ray asked in surprise as he agreed to follow Kai out. Kai nodded and stopped by the gate and leaned against it.
Ray also stopped and looked to the sky. He hadn't really managed to decide on what he'd say, but the smell of burnt food had told both him and Lee that fire had been involved. There was simply no time left. And with Zeo's presence, Kai's temper was stretched thin. "Okay, I know you hate it when I pussyfoot about when it comes to answering you, so I'm gonna come right out and say it. You have to understand that it's shocking and not easy to talk about. What I said about you being different. It's like your chi switched from one type to another. And I now recognise it. You were human before you went to that place. But you came back a demon."
Kai stared at the ground suddenly feeling sick. He'd been hoping that Kathleen had been wrong. But to now hear it from Ray's mouth as well confirmed it. He felt scared. Scared of himself and what he was capable of. Had the fire been his fault? Had he burned Hilary? "I... I don't want this," he said quietly. "What do I do, Ray?"
Ray looked at Kai then looked down. "There's no way to get rid of it. I'm sorry, Kai. But you can learn to control it." Ray looked at Kai again. "Come back to China with me, with us. The elders in our village can help you."
Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "To China?" he asked. "But Ray... What about the others? And aren't I too dangerous now? I'm the only one like this, aren't I?"
"Learning control removes the danger. Lee and I talked about it. I need to go back and tell the elders about that thing anyway. The demon council will need to know about what happened. The elders will tell the demon council. You can come with me and they can figure out who can help you. You're the only one right now, but there have been others."
Kai kept his gaze on the ground. "So, I'm the one that caused the fire just now? I burnt Hilary's hand?" He clenched his fists. "And Tala's arm. The flames I saw only appeared because of me, not the machine." Lifting his hands, he stared at them in self-loathing. "I'm a monster..."
"No you're not," Ray responded urgently. "The demon side of you, it's like it's new born. It's not your fault. You couldn't help it. But you can prevent any more accidents if you learn to control it."
"There was a fire at Max's as well, wasn't there?" Kai asked, not hearing Ray's words. "I did that too. I could have blown up the whole house!"
Ray caught Kai's shoulder, "Kai! Calm down and listen to me! It's NOT your fault."
"How do you know that?" Kai asked, finally looking up and meeting Ray's eyes with his. "It... It might as well have been what happened at Biovolt all over again!"
"It's not your fault because it's only just awakened and you couldn't control it. It was an accident. One you can prevent happening again just by learning to control it. Kai, really, it's not that bad."
Kai hung his head and pulled at his bangs. "Is it really going to be that simple? I can't take much more, Ray." The sick feeling got worse as colour drained from Kai's face.
"It's going to be alright, Kai. I'll help you any way I can. I promise. You don't have to face this alone."
Forcing down the nausea, Kai took a breath and nodded. "Thanks, Ray."
"Anytime. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Yeah," Kai agreed, lifting his head again. He was still pale, but the panic seemed to have disappeared for now.
"Come sit down and I'll get you a cup of tea, okay? We can talk about it some more if you want. If you have any questions I'll answer them if I can."
"Okay..." Kai agreed quietly with a small nod, allowing Ray to lead him back in.
"Lee knows more about it than I do, on account of me leaving home," Ray told Kai as he led him inside. "And it was Lee who clued me in. And like I said, we talked about it, so he already knows. But if you don't want to talk to him about it that's fine." Ray opted for a different room from the others, where it would be quieter. "If you don't mind talking to him about it then I can get him too while I get the tea. It's entirely up to you."
Kai sat down on the couch in the living room and leaned back into it. "I'll speak to him. If I'm going to get through this then I'll need to know as much as I can about it."
Ray nodded. "Won't be long," he told Kai, before heading out the room.
Moments later, Lee entered the room, as Ray had opted to send him in while he got the tea. "A bit of a culture shock for you, I understand, but other than that, are you alright?" Lee asked Kai.
"Apart from feeling guilty and sick to my stomach, yeah," Kai replied lightly.
"Guilt for any accidental flares?" Lee guessed. Kai looked at him and nodded after a moment. Lee moved to sit down nearby. "Here's the thing, you started off as a human, just as every Phoenix demon before you has. Now there's suddenly this huge amount of power in you that wasn't there before. You're not used to it yet. It's going to be much like learning to walk again. There's nothing to feel guilty about."
"But why me?" Kai asked. "Am I still going to be able to live the way I have? I may be the only one, but surely it's not that big a deal?"
"You were born with the potential. Circumstances had to be met, very strict circumstances. I spoke with Bryan last night about my suspicions. We exchanged information. When the building collapsed it should have killed you. And it would have. It would have killed you, Tala and Bryan without a doubt. However, at that very moment your predecessor died and the power passed to you. It saved the three of you. When you learn to control that power you can live however you want. The Phoenix is highly revered among demons, so they won't trouble you and nothing has changed in your appearance. Not only is it not that big a deal in terms of how you live your life, you also have more power at your disposal."
Kai took a moment to absorb all this information, memorising it. If this got out, it could attract some very unwanted attention. So until he learned how to control this new power, he would have to lie low. He frowned. He hadn't asked for this. He didn't even want any power. He just wanted to be normal. He'd had enough bad attention in the past without the possibility of more turning up. "When do you go back to China?" he asked Lee.
"It's a bit sudden, I know, but I'm thinking next week," Lee answered. "I don't really want to put it off. For one thing, you need help with learning to control your power. And for another, Ray needs to make that report as soon as possible. He doesn't like to even think about that machine and what it did to the Gargoyles. What happened to them is tragic and wrong, but I still think Ray cares too much. If it had been the other way around they wouldn't even spare a thought for him. The sooner he makes that report, the sooner he can put it behind him and hopefully it'll help him feel better." Lee glanced towards the door then looked at Kai. "Next week alright with you?" he asked, just as Ray came in the door carrying a tray with the tea.
Yeah," Kai agreed. "But there is something I wanted to ask you about."
Ray handed Kai a cup of tea. "Go ahead," Lee prompted Kai before quietly thanking Ray as he was passed one too. Ray then settled with his own cup.
Kai also thanked Ray and stared into the tea. "I don't ask this lightly, because of the circumstances. But it's about Kathleen. I said I would help her, but if I leave, she'll be left unprotected. Would it be possible to bring her with us?"
Ray and Lee looked at each other then turned back to Kai. "It would be... preferable to bring her with us," Lee answered.
"However distantly related they are to us, they do share the same ancestors. If she disagrees with the arguments that drove them away, then she's no different from us and deserves our protection," Ray explained.
"Thank you," Kai said to them both. "I wanted to keep my word, but I knew I had to check with you guys first."
Lee nodded. "We appreciate that."
Kai nodded and sipped his tea, noticing it was sweeter than he normally took it. Ray knew how he liked his tea, so Kai realised he must have put sugar in it for him for the shock. He glanced over at the other boy in silent thanks. Ray smiled a little. "Anything else you wanna ask?" he enquired.
Kai lowered his mug. "Well, are you sure it's alright for me to go? How are your elders going to react? After all, they don't have to help me. They might say no."
"The demon council protect our clan from the full demons who would attack us," Lee told Kai. "In return for that protection, we assist them when we can. Someone needs to help you and since we're in range, it's gotta be us. My grandfather will accept that."
"Sounds like I've got a lot to learn," Kai commented.
"Yeah, but like I said, you don't have to face it alone," Ray spoke up.
"What about the others? Should we tell them?" Kai looked down. "Hilary?" he asked pointedly.
"It's up to you, if you want them to know. If and when you feel up to it," Ray answered.
"I'll need to tell them," Kai sighed. "But not right now." Finishing his tea, he put the mug down and made himself comfortable on the couch. He could feel a headache coming on and for some reason felt tired again.
"Whenever you're ready I'll support you," Ray told him.
"Thanks, Ray," Kai replied. "I'll tell them in a bit, once my headache goes away."
"You're probably gonna feel tired a lot until you've learned control," Lee commented. "A side effect of the accidental flares. You should get some rest. You might also notice you feel better in sunlight. It's to do with the fire element."
"Well I'm feeling it now, that's for sure," Kai mumbled. "I'm just gonna kip here for a bit, if you don't mind."
Ray and Lee stood up. "We'll leave you to it," Lee told Kai.
"And keep the others out of your hair," Ray added.
Kai snorted tiredly. "Good luck with that."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Lee commented. "Any of them try to come through and I can have Gary restrain them."
"Enjoy your nap, Kai," Ray put in as they headed for the door.
"Mm..." Kai mumbled, too tired to form words. He was asleep before the door was even shut.
000
Hilary had ordered pizza for everyone and had put aside some for Kai, fending off Tyson to make sure he didn't snag it. She decided to go check on Kai and let him know about the pizza. She could have it reheated for him whenever he was ready. Kai was still asleep when she entered the room and Hilary sat next to him carefully. She guessed he must have tired himself out when he took that accidental dip in the water. She absentmindedly began to stroke his face softly. Feeling the light touch, Kai breathed a groan and opened his eyes. They were reluctant to stay open at first though, and Kai nuzzled into Hilary's hand sleepily. Hilary smiled. "Hey," she greeted softly.
"Mm... Hey..." Kai mumbled, lifting a hand slowly to place over Hilary's.
"I came to ask if you wanted pizza. I've had to have it put under guard to keep Tyson away from it."
Only just awake enough to understand what she was saying, Kai shook his head. "No thanks..." He shifted slightly and finally managed to get his eyes to open. "I'll get some later." He carefully pulled her hand from his face and examined the bandage, running his fingers over it softly. "Does it hurt?"
"Not much," Hilary answered. Kai let out a quiet sigh as he released her hand, sitting up slowly to meet her gaze. His eyes shone guiltily, until he closed them and leaned forward, brushing his lips against Hilary's. Hilary frowned at the look she'd seen in Kai's eyes, "Kai? Is everything alright?"
Kai pulled back and looked down. "Fine," he said quietly.
"Kai?" Hilary asked in concern, not buying it.
Kai lay back down on the couch and turned his head away, "Never mind."
"Kai?" Hilary pressed. "Please. Whatever's bothering you, please tell me."
The boy sighed heavily and stared at the back of the couch. "I'm a monster," he said quietly. "It's my fault you got hurt."
"What?" Hilary asked, completely confused. "What do you mean? How can you think that?"
"Don't think. I know," Kai replied miserably. "Just when I thought nothing else could happen to me... I'm different now, Hilary. I don't want to be, but I can't help it."
"What are you talking about, Kai?"
Kai took in a shaky breath and covered his head with one of his arms. He didn't want this! Why did it have to happen to him? "I don't want to scare you," he whispered.
"Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Please," Hilary begged.
Kai wished he could just disappear into the couch and forget this whole thing had ever happened. Everything had started getting better. Why did they have to go wrong again? Hadn't he been screwed up enough as it was already? "I'm not..." He swallowed and tried to stop his voice from shaking. "I'm not... human anymore. I'm a...a demon..." He doubted Hilary would even believe him.
Hilary frowned as she absorbed this information. Kai didn't look any different. He didn't sound any different. Hilary cocked her head to the side as she studied Kai. "Are you sure?" she asked curiously. There was no fear in her voice, just confusion.
Kai nodded. "Ray and Lee told me. I've inherited the name and powers of the Phoenix demon, because I nearly died when that building came down. The flame that burnt you was a result of me losing control when I was angry at Zeo." He glanced back at her hand.
Hilary suddenly understood everything. Why the flame burst up at the same moment Kai had shouted in the other room. Why Kai looked so torn with guilt. Why he could barely look at her. Somehow she knew he was telling the truth. Hilary caught Kai's hand in both of her own and held it. She smiled at him. "If that's the case, I forgive you. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose, which means it was an accident. You're not a monster, Kai. A monster has no remorse. That's just not you. You're a wonderful person, Kai. Kind and caring. Protective of your friends. Nobody's perfect, so stop thinking that the small things, like your temper, make you the worst person in the world. Because they don't. They don't, Kai. Please don't beat yourself up."
"But... What if it's not just a burnt hand next time?" Kai asked pointedly. "What if it's much worse than that?"
"I trust you," Hilary told Kai firmly, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. "I told you that and I meant it."
Kai looked up at her and finally cracked a smile. "Thanks," he whispered.
Hilary smiled. "You're welcome," she responded brightly. "So wow, you're a Phoenix Demon? I've never heard of that. Mind you, I didn't even know demons were real until Ray was all like by the way I'm part cat." She knew full well it hadn't happened like that, but she hoped the phrasing would amuse Kai. "So, you can actually become demon, huh? And it's done what? Given you control of fire?" Hilary pressed on curiously.
"Something like that," Kai told her. "But even I'm not fully aware of my abilities yet. And I'm not just a Phoenix demon. I'm THE Phoenix demon. Apparently I'm the only one of my kind. Only one can live at any given time."
"Ooh, sounds important," Hilary remarked brightly.
"I don't know about that," Kai smirked, lifting his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Hilary smiled warmly, glad that he seemed to have cheered up. "Ray and the White Tigers are going to take me back to China with them, to visit their elders. I would ask you to come with me, but I don't want to interrupt your school work again."
"Write to me every day?" Hilary asked.
Kai smiled. "Every day," he agreed.
Hilary smiled. "Good," she responded. "Kenny's got an address, so I'll write to you too."
Feeling better and reassured, Kai ran his fingers through Hilary's hair. "Who knew you could be this sweet," he teased.
"Watch it," Hilary stated, poking Kai in the ribs playfully.
Kai sniggered slightly and tried to move away from her finger. "Or what?" he asked. "You can't stop me from saying it."
"Wanna bet?" Hilary asked before prodding him again in a different area of the ribcage.
Kai jolted at the touch and let out a noise that sounded half way between a grunt and a giggle. "Hilary's a meanie," he said in an almost singsong voice, smirking up at the girl above him.
"Oh you ain't seen nothing yet," Hilary stated before going to outright tickling him.
Kai bit his bottom lip to try not to laugh, but couldn't hold in the snorts and sniggers that escaped him as he tried to get free. "You really are," he laughed.
"You know I'm just gonna get worse the more you do that," Hilary pointed out giggling.
"I've... I've got tricks too," Kai sniggered.
"Oh yeah?" Hilary challenged as she continued to tickle him.
Kai gave her an evil smirk as he lifted his hands to the sides of her face. "Yeah," he replied, before pulling her down and kissing her full on. Hilary's eyes widened briefly and she froze before closing her eyes and returning the kiss. Kai had to admit, he was starting to like this whole kissing thing. Before, when he'd still been closed off to everyone else, he'd always thought that kissing was just mushy nonsense between couples who had nothing better to do. Only now did he realise he'd been completely wrong. It did have a meaning, not to mention it was enjoyable. Especially if he could distract Hilary from her tickle attack on him and lightly catch her hands in his own saving his sides. Kissing was great from that point of view. But he didn't pull away and instead moved slightly until he'd managed to get Hilary to sit on his lap, distracting her again by teasing her lips with his tongue. Oh yeah, this kissing thing will come in very useful. He kissed her a little harder, while remaining gentle at the same time and hoped she was enjoying it like he was.
Hilary pulled back. "That counts as cheating," she teased.
"Maybe," Kai breathed. "But it's good cheating."
Hilary giggled then hummed thoughtfully. "You know, it's getting late. You should probably eat something."
"I'm not really all that hungry," Kai admitted to her.
"Just tired?"
Kai nodded, "For some reason. Lee said that's to be expected though, until I learn control."
"So when are you guys going?" Hilary asked.
Kai sighed. "Next week."
"Wow. That's short notice."
"I know," Kai agreed. "I'm sorry."
Hilary smiled and shook her head. "It's okay. I know it can't be helped. How long were they planning this? None of them said anything about it."
"I don't know. But with what's happened now, they want to make a move sooner rather than later."
"Well, when you are hungry, let me know and I'll make you something then."
"I'll just get some of that pizza," Kai replied. "Don't worry about it."
Hilary smiled. "I'll have to make sure Tyson doesn't snag it then. I'm sure I can persuade him. I'm very good at persuading Tyson," she commented with an evil chuckle. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that she was planning to grab one of the bokkens from the dojo.
Kai chuckled. "Remind me not to get on your bad side." Hilary giggled. Smiling, Kai let her go, while debating with himself whether or not he should get up. He was still tired, but he couldn't just lie around.
"If you're tired, just take it easy," Hilary told Kai as she stood up.
Kai nodded. "I might come through in a bit," he told her. He then frowned. "Is Zeo still here?"
"He left about half an hour ago," Hilary answered.
"Good," Kai said with a relieved sigh. "I don't trust him..."
"I hadn't noticed," Hilary commented with a wink. "I could hear you shouting from the kitchen."
Kai gave her a slightly sheepish smile. "Sorry. I'll try not to do that again."
Hilary giggled again. "Just take it easy and rest, Kai," she told him before leaving the room. Kai watched her go, before adjusting his position on the couch and going back to sleep.
000
Hilary had returned and told the others that Kai wasn't feeling well. She pointed out to Tyson that that didn't mean he could eat Kai's pizza. The group amused themselves quietly as it was late. Tala was reading, while Bryan was watching a gory horror movie with Tyson, Max, Kevin and Gary. Hilary and Mariah were speaking with Kathleen, to help them get used to each other. Kenny was completely focussed on his data to ignore the movie, much to the amusement of the others. Hiro was speaking quietly with his and Tyson's grandfather as well as watching the room of teens. It still surprised him how many there were in the room, but his grandfather didn't mind. In fact, he seemed to really enjoy the place being filled with youngsters. But then, the old man was a big kid at heart anyway.
Lee spoke with Ray in a quiet corner away from the TV. It was only the day before that Ray had almost died and Lee still didn't think it was really appropriate for the others to be watching that sort of movie in the same room, but he realised that Ray really wouldn't want to spoil their fun, so all he could do was distract his friend. Kai stepped into the room quietly, doing a quick glance around to be absolutely sure that Zeo was gone. The pest could have come back after all. Seeing that the coast was clear, he relaxed a little and leaned against the wall, unnoticed since he didn't make a sound.
Tyson pointed out to Bryan, Max and Kevin that Kenny was looking a little edgy and snickered with them before glancing around the room to see what everyone else was doing. "Kai, when did you come in?" he asked. "You feeling better now, buddy?"
Kai was a little confused by Tyson's question about how he was feeling, but hid it well. Kai figured that Hilary must have said that to stop the others from disturbing him and nodded. "Yeah a bit thanks, Tyson," he replied. "I haven't been here long."
"Are you secretly a ninja or something? I didn't hear ya come in," Tyson joked.
"Hn," Kai smirked. "A ninja never reveals their secrets."
"Isn't that technically calling yourself a ninja and therefore revealing at least one of your secrets?" Kevin asked in amusement.
"But a ninja's first law is deception," Kai pointed out, "Which leads to a conundrum of if I am a ninja and I'm trying to lead you into a false sense of security, or if I'm just being damn awkward?" He looked at Tyson. "You might want to mind how you answer that."
"I'll answer it," Ray chimed from across the room. "You're being damn awkward. Completely Kai-ish."
"That's not a word," Tyson stated.
"I said it, it means 'like Kai' and is therefore a word," Ray responded.
"It's still not a proper word," Tyson argued. "Even I know that. Tell him, Hiro."
Hiro laughed. "You're on your own in this one, little brother. I'm staying out of it." This was the first time Hiro had really seen any interaction between Tyson and Kai and the older Granger brother was eager to learn about their friendship. Watching the team like this was a good way of getting to know them without interrupting them. The power of observation was one of Hiro's most used gifts.
"But you can't just make up words!" Tyson complained.
"Tyson, all words had to be made up at one point," Ray stated. "And it's not making up a word. It's adding 'ish' to a pre-existing word to give reference to a likeness. So, Kai, was I right? You're being awkward? Winding them up like a Jack-in-the-box?"
Kai nodded. "Full marks, Ray," he smirked.
"Well I'm just confused," Tyson stated. "I have no idea what you were talking about."
"No surprises there then," Kai mused playfully. There was laughter from other members of the group at Kai's response. Kai smiled slightly then glanced over at Ray and inclined his head, asking him to come over. Ray stood up and walked over wondering what was up. Kai glanced at the others, before looking at Ray. "Could you... You know?"
"You want me to tell them?" Ray asked to confirm he understood Kai's request.
Kai nodded slowly. "If you wouldn't mind..."
"I don't mind. I told you I'd help you any way I can," Ray replied. He turned back to the others. "Bryan, could you turn the movie off for a bit please? There's something you guys all have to hear. It's important."
"Sure, Ray," Bryan replied, pausing the movie and switching the TV off. Tyson, Max and Kevin instantly started whining.
Ray cleared his throat pointedly to catch their attention. "Guys, come on. This is important." Ray looked to the side briefly before facing them again. He didn't like to talk about it, but it would grab and hold their attention. "This is about that machine that almost killed me yesterday." The room fell silent in a matter of seconds. Satisfied that he'd successfully gained their undivided attention, Ray pressed on. "Okay, a quick briefing for Hiro and Mr Granger. Somebody was building a man-made bit beast from animals and demons. They had a machine designed to lure in demons and take their power and entire life-force. Because I have demon blood, it caught me too, but Kai intervened and got me back here. He then left with Tala and Bryan to eliminate the threat. Now you're both up to speed." Ray turned his attention back to the others as well. "When Kai came back, something about him had changed. I noticed it right away, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I imagine the same was true for Mariah, Gary and Kevin, but Lee worked it out and told me." Here, Ray paused and turned to Kai, to check whether or not the older boy wanted him to continue.
Kai swallowed and nodded. "Go on."
Ray nodded and turned back to the others again. "The change was caused by Kai becoming a demon, The Phoenix demon to be exact."
There was a collective gasp from the room. "Say what?" Tyson asked.
"No way..." Max breathed.
"Your shock is understandable," Ray informed them. "The Phoenix demon is so rare that there's only ever one and there's no way to predict who the next one will be when the previous one dies. So most people don't even hear of the Phoenix demon, let alone meet one."
"Could it be anything to do with Dranzer being a Phoenix?" Tyson asked.
"Kai was born with the potential," Ray told him. "He could have become the Phoenix demon at any point in his life. Even as a baby if the circumstances had been met then." Ray looked at Kai. "How long have you had Dranzer?"
"Since I was very young," Kai replied, looking away completely.
Ray looked concerned, but decided not to press, especially not with an audience, and turned back to the others. "There are thousands of people born with the potential to become the Phoenix, but the previous Phoenix must die before the next one awakens, just like the Phoenix of legend dying in a blaze to rise again from the ashes. The one that ends up with that power awakening must be in danger of dying at the exact moment the last Phoenix dies. So no, it actually has nothing to do with Dranzer. Either way, Kai is still Kai."
"That's still kinda scary," Tyson commented. "So, does that mean there's gonna be more people out after us now?"
"Tyson!" Kenny gasped. He couldn't believe the other boy had just said that.
"What? I'm just asking," Tyson retorted.
Kai frowned. "It's not like I asked for this, Tyson!"
"We're not going to announce it to the whole world," Ray told Tyson. "And besides, you're more likely to see problems of that variety due to 'half-casts' like myself. The Phoenix is well respected in the demon community. You'll get the odd few that disagree with things the Phoenix says and start trouble over that, but they're usually idiots. And humans shouldn't bother him because he looks like he always has."
"Oh, okay," Tyson said with a small nod. "I was just wondering. I didn't mean anything by it."
"I suppose the next bit of business is China," Ray commented. "We're going back next week. That is, Lee, Mariah, Gary, Kevin and I are," he finished then looked at Kai, giving the Russian an opportunity to put forward the next piece of information himself if he wanted.
"And I'm going with them," Kai spoke up. "Their elders should be able to help me. Until I learn to control it I'm dangerous." He looked briefly at Hilary. "The power uses my anger to escape." His gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm the one who caused the fire at your house this morning, Max. And I'm the one who burnt Hilary's hand. So I have to go, before I risk hurting anyone else."
Max's eyes widened. "You were nowhere near though?" he expressed his confusion.
"And most of that energy would have gone into the atmosphere," Lee commented.
"Exactly," Kai replied. "So just imagine the kind of damage I could do if I was standing right next to you when it happened."
"Don't worry, we'll definitely be back," Ray put in. "And by the way, Kathleen, you'll be coming with us too. If you're really putting the Panthers behind you then you should meet with the Elders too. If they're satisfied then the protection our clan receives will be extended to you and you won't have to spend your life running."
"Thank you, Ray," Kathleen said gratefully. "I really appreciate it."
Ray shook his head. "Thank Kai. We would have taken you at some point but he's the one ensuring it was sooner rather than later." Kathleen looked at the Russian and smiled, receiving a nod in return. "Anything else you wanted to add?" Ray asked Kai.
Kai shook his head. "No thanks, Ray."
"So, how long will you guys be gone?" Max asked.
"We don't know yet," Lee answered.
"Oh, okay," Max replied. "I was just wondering."
"Well, if that's everything, then you guys can go back to your movie," Ray commented. Not having much else to say, as they were still taking everything in, Tyson and the others turned back to their movie as Bryan put it on again.