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"Hey, does anyone know where Kai is?" Max asks the small group of bladers that consist of Ray, Aaron, Tyson and of course, himself. "Or even Hiro? I haven't seen them around all that much."

Tyson mutters something incoherent under his breath, crosses his arms over his chest and seems to pout, sticking his nose in the air.

Ray raises his arms over his head and casually rests them behind his head as he walks the surprisingly near empty streets. "Kai's still suffering from his injury he got when he fell into the water a few days ago," he replies, "and Hiro is always out by himself, so I shouldn't worry too much."

"Yeah, I guess," Max resigns himself to say as the thoughtfully places a finger to his cheek, mentally going through a list of bladers. "What about Tala? He always seem to be lurking around."

"Speaking of Tala," Aaron says as he peers through the darken light due to the setting sun. "there he is." And he points to a familiar redhead, who seems to be wearing a strange looking backpack, that has some sort of a black hose like contraption poking out the bottom.

As if hearing his name, Tala glances over his shoulder, smirks then turns around completely, something in the shape of either a gun or launcher sitting in his hands. "Hey," he greets casually, before looking directly at Tyson and grinning evilly. "Hey Tyson, want to check out my flame thrower?" with those words, he effortlessly holds the gun straight into the air and pulls a trigger, flames leaping up into the air.

"Wow!" Max says in awe, his eyes wide with intrigue. "That's cool. Isn't it, Tyson?"

He doesn't receive a reply, so they all turn around to look at the world champion.

"Tyson?" Ray blinks at the sudden disappearance of his friend. "He was here a second ago."

"Where did he go?" Aaron asks, as he looks around, trying to spot him. The others also glance around, until one of them spot a familiar cap wearing bluenette, running full steam off into the distance, as fast as he legs could carry him.

"Wow," Ray mutters as Tyson grows smaller into the distance. "I guess all that training is starting to pay off."

Max nods his head slowly in bewilderment. "Yeah, I mean, I've never seen Tyson run that fast before. Not even towards the buffet table."

Tala rests the flame thrower on his shoulder and he smirks, somewhat happy with the result. "Heh."

"Um…," Max says as he rubs his arms. "Should we go get him?"

Ray keeps his eyes on the horizon for a moment, before slumping forward and sighing. "I guess…" he suddenly turns to Aaron, looking hopeful. "Did you get any photos, Aaron?"

Aaron shows the neko his camera, sighing. "Only a couple. He moved too fast to get a decent shot."

"Pity."

Aaron shoves his camera back in his pocket in bitter disappointment. "Yeah, it would have went well with the collection."

"Hey, Aaron?" Tala taps the dark hair teen on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any spare copies of the monkey incident?"

Titling his head to the side in confusion at the sudden question, Aaron nods. "Sure, why?"

Tala smirks, and replies. "I have a friend who's dying to see it."

"Really?" Aaron asks, then shrugs carelessly. "Ok, sure, the more who sees it, the better." if at all possible, Tala's smirk grows even more wolf-like. "Want me to get it now?"

Tala flashes him his wolfy fangs. "I'd appreciate it if you did."

Aaron nods, then turns on his heel and begins walking back the way he came, Max and Ray following in hope they can find Tyson, to get to the bottom of the reason why he suddenly ran off like that. They couldn't understand it, it's like Tyson was afraid that Tala was going to use that flamethrower on him. Tala wouldn't never do anything like that, right?

The three immediately sweatdrop when they all mentally picture Tala laughing hysterically, his arms outstretched and a wolf like smirk on his lips, with flames leaping behind him, followed by a crack of thunder.

Oh, yes…he would.

Tala watches them leave, before lowering the flame thrower from his shoulder, and rests it in his hand. He glances at his surrounding for a moment, and after seeing the coast is clear, he nuzzles the gun of the flame with his cheek. "I can see why you're Bryan's favorite."

Kai steps through the automatic glass doors of the world class hotel, out of the lobby and onto the streets of Tokyo, Miguel right beside him every step of the way, keeping an eye on him so not to put any more stress on his injuries. He opens his mouth to ask one again if Kai is feeling alright, but as if sensing the question, Kai cuts him off.

"Ok, so we have a couple of weeks to prepare, we better make good use of them."

Miguel nods. "Right. We should inform Claude and Hiro."

Kai hesitates for a moment, and Miguel squeezes his shoulder in reassurance. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'm sure he's more angry at himself than you right now," Miguel tells him, finding it slightly amazing that someone as strong as Kai is feeling a little hesitant about facing Hiro again. What Hiro said hurt him more than he's letting on. He's going to make sure the older male apologizes now.

"I guess," Kai sighs, blowing a strand of hair from his eyes. "I understand where he's coming from, though," his eye twitches in annoyance for a moment. "Still, he didn't have to yell at me."

Next to him, Miguel chuckles for a moment, glad to see the feisty Kai is back. "No, he didn't," he pauses for a moment, pressing his lips together. "I'm sorry for yelling too."

Kai tilts his head slightly to face him, he smiles and kisses him on the cheek. "Don't be, you were sticking up for me…thank you, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Kai…" Miguel murmurs, his arm slipping across his shoulders to pull him closer.

Kai leans into the embrace, but a moment later, he stiffens and narrows his eyes, looking forward. "Hey, is that Tala? What is he-?" his eyes suddenly widen, before narrowing again, his eyebrow twitching fiercely. "Oh my god, it better not be what I think it is."

Miguel blinks cutely for a moment, before turning his eyes in the direction Kai is glaring in. "Hey Tala," he calls, gaining the smirking redhead's attention. "What's that?"

"Hmm?" Tala hums, before glancing down at his hands. "Oh, this?" he says, resting it on his shoulder. "It's flamethrower. Like it?"

"Dear god, Tala," Kai twitches as he steps away from Miguel to stand right in front of Tala, pinning him with an accusing glare. "Please tell me you didn't smuggle Bryan's flamethrower in the country."

Tala laughs, waving his hand at him. "Relax, I didn't smuggle it in." he pauses, smirking. "Bryan did."

"Bryan?" Miguel queries, before someone suddenly appears behind him, wrapping an arm casually around his neck.

"Hey, how you doing?" Bryan says, effortlessly matching Tala's smirk with one of his own, his falcon like eyes giving him a sly look, a look that says he pretty knows everything between him and Kai. "Being taking good care of Kai, hmmm?"

"Bloody hell, where did you come from?" Kai asks, before moving forward to remove Bryan's arm from Miguel and standing in between them, giving Bryan a look that says, 'Mine, don't touch', and leans against him for support.

Bryan snickers as he steps away. "I'm just here to raise some hell, Russia was getting a little boring. Besides, Tala told me that he was getting - eh?" he suddenly eeps as Tala points the flamethrower at him.

Kai narrows his eyes suspiciously, glaring at the two of them. "Getting what? What are you two planning?"

"Nothing, nothing," Tala says, trying to sound convincing, but try as he might, he simply cannot trick Kai into believing that anything he does is even remotely innocent.

Damn Kai, and his ability to tell if someone is lying. Damn it all.

"Right," Kai rolls his eyes. "Anyway, how the hell did you get it passed customs?"

Bryan's face brightens with mischief. "I stole one of your private jets."

"You did what?!" Kai yells, and once again, Miguel holds him back from doing any damage, both to his injuries, and to a smirking Bryan.

I had no idea that so many people love getting under Kai's skin, Miguel muses to himself as he pulls Kai tightly against his chest, pinning his arms there.

"What?" Bryan asks, leaning forward to get right into Kai's face, who eyebrow is beginning to twitch again. "I wasn't gonna let one of my babies come all the way here without me."

Miguel sweatdrops. "Babies? You mean you have more?"

Bryan straightens his posture and smiles proudly. "Oh course I do. Anyway," he turns to Tala. "have you showed him, yet?"

This time Tala smirks proudly. "Indeed I did."

"Dammit!" Bryan curses, grabbing his head to emphasize his disappointment. "I missed it!"

"Hey, relax," Tala says as he places a comforting arm around his neck, making him lean forward because of their height differences. He leans in and whispers into his ear. "I've got something even better to show you. Remember me telling you about the 'incident'?"

Bryan immediately perks up, remembering that Tala had mention something about a zoo, monkey and a whole lot of humiliation. "Oh yeah."

"Hey!" Everyone turns towards the unfamiliar voice, and sees a couple of guys, wearing baggy jeans that are torn at the knees, and both are wearing black and red head bands, one wearing a baggy white shirt, while the other is only wearing a vest. "You with the white hair, you called King?"

Tala narrows his eyes when he recognizes one of the guys to be the one who invoked such a fearful reaction from King. He glances at Kai for a brief moment, and then inclines his head towards the two guys. Kai's eyes widen a fraction, catching on to what Tala is mentally trying to tell him.

"Eh?" Bryan mutters, straightening to his full height, easily matching the two in height. "No, wrong person," he tells them, his voice emotionless but his eyes narrow and dangerous. Fearlessly, he walks straight up to the one wearing a dark pair of sunglasses. "Anyway, even if I was, I fail to see what is has to do with you, jackass."

The one with the glass subconsciously takes a step backwards, "Nah, that aint him. Too tall."

"And not to mention mouthy," the other smirks, then cringes in absolute fear when Bryan glares in his direction.

"What do you want?" Tala demands to know, Kai moving to stand next to him, both tense and ready to attack if the situation calls for it, while Miguel stands in the background, praying that a battle does not ensue.

Dammit, Kai's injuries need to hell!

"Hey, all I've got is a message for the punk," the guy with the sunglasses tells the, shrugging almost cockily and carelessly. "You know him?"

If at all possible, Tala's gaze turns even more dangerous, a glare so chilling that it can easily freeze hell ten times over. "In fact I do."

"What do you want with him?" Kai asks, his glare the opposite, almost blazing with anger.

The two street gang members are either too stupid to see that they are treading on dangerous territory, or they're incredibly brave. However, after looking at them, it appears to be the former. "The boss wants him to know that he's looking for him."

"Boss?" Kai mutters.

"Who's your boss?" Tala snarls.

"Heh, as if I'm gonna tell you." The two then snigger to themselves as they begin to strut away, walking like they have a rash between their legs. Suddenly a jet of fire lights the bottom of their pants on fire, and they immediately begin hopping around, hoping to put the fires out. "Hey! What the hell?!"

"Hey, I asked you a question," Tala says, pointing the nozzle of the flamethrower directly at them. "Who is your boss?"

The two immediately begin to shake in fear, their eyes wide and white, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. "Lets get out of here!" They suddenly scream and run full speed down the street, not bothering to look behind them in fear it might slow them down.

Tala's eyebrow twitches as he rest the nozzle of the flamethrower on his shoulder. "Typical, no backbone," he snarls, before turning his attention to Kai and sighing. "Kai, you really need to talk to King, and soon. He's in real trouble is seems."

"Yes, you're right, I'll see what I can do," Kai sighs, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand, before turning his attention to Miguel, looking regretful and guilty. "Sorry Miguel, but I-"

Miguel shakes his head and gently kisses him. "I know, it's ok."

Whoo! Another chapter down. And as I promised, a flame thrower X3 And I threw Bryan in as well. No particular reason really, just for the hell of it. Probably to add more comedy to the story.

Oh, about the pairing Ray/Aaron. Some of you guys aren't really fond of the pairing, while others would love to see them. (I don't know what to do!!!) Ahem, why don't I compromise? Keep them as comedy relief, but have hints every now and again? Yeah, sounds ok? Oh, and I'm not pairing Bryan up with anyone, just making that clear.

And another note, I'm planning lemons in the future, don't know when, but there will be at least a couple sometime in the upcoming chapters. I'll give a fair enough warning at the start of the chapter, just in case, kay?

Please review!