Chapter 65------The Morning After, Emotions Run High

Mai's eyes fluttered open. Her head felt so heavy it could fall off her shoulders. She moved—'Huh?' something restricted her hands. And that's when she took notice of her surroundings: Tala, Spencer, pilot, clouds, rope. Something in her mind clicked and she kicked about like a fish out of water, her screams muffled against the cloth that drew across her mouth.

Tala glanced at her, smiled nonchalantly and then turned away. Mai continued with her futile struggle, the rope burning into her flesh. She squirmed and screamed, banging on the metal behind her, anything to get her out of this place. Oh god just please let get her out of this place.

Unable to stand it any longer, Spencer turned around, whipped out his gun and pointed it at Mai. "Knock it off." The girl stopped instantly, her pupils dilated at the sight of the deep tunnel of the barrel. She told herself to calm down even though her heart was pounding against her ribs. There was a gun pointing at her, a freaking gun!

No one had ever held her at gunpoint before, except for her Grandfather. He was the only monster who could do such a thing, to drive a bullet through his own son, his own flesh and blood and still feel nothing. And now Mai was facing the same situation. Would he shoot? 'He wouldn't, he can't!' But what if he could? What if he didn't kill her but just let her bleed slowly and feel the excruciating pain of the wound?

Mai whimpered at the thought. She didn't want to die. She'd been trying so hard to live a normal life up till now and then one day her happiness just gets ripped to shreds, and she gets thrown back into the life she'd been trying, struggling, fighting so desperately to get away from.

It had been ten months since that day…and she never wished to return to it ever again.

Spencer placed the gun back in his coat pocket and Mai felt the tension ease off her shoulders. She had been spared.

Mai behaved herself for the rest of the journey. She had more sense in her head than to anger these people. The girl sat in the back of the airborne machine contemplating her situation, asking herself how and why she had ended up in a helicopter with unfamiliar people bounded for god knows where. She blamed herself for being too trusting, but she was more terrified about what would happen afterwards when they reached their destination. Fear danced about like a free spirit inside her, it was his moment to shine. He pranced about, conjuring up memories of past kidnappings and making his host tremble at the possibilities. What would they do to her? What did they want? Was it her Grandfather's doing? 'Grandfather!' Mai regretted the thought. 'He'd kill me! He'd kill me!' Her lips trembled, why was this happening to her? What had she done? Why did she have to be born with Eden? Why? Why? WHY?

Levian: 'Be strong, Mai. Be strong.'

The voice startled her, 'Lev!' She felt her bottom eye lids swell but suppressed the waterworks, feeling grateful in her heart that someone was with her. She wanted so much to hug Levian, as though her every breath depended on it. He was her life support, the one thing that kept her sane and slightly relieved in her current position. Her mental state could've crumbled any minute but Lev, he was there by her side. And he'd always be there. She couldn't thank him enough; she really couldn't thank him enough.

"Tala," Spencer called. The voice wove through her thoughts and Mai listened to the two converse in a language that was alien to her. But as they say, actions spoke louder than words and this time it screamed in Mai's face.

"NO! PLEASE!" She tried frantically to get away from the needle that was inching closer to her. "PLEASE! PLEASE! I'll do anything!" She stared horrified at the clear liquid inside the syringe. Drugs? Poison? Mai shifted her weight across the floor, kicking Tala every chance she got but he only blocked her attacks and pinned her down on her stomach. "Please! I'll do anything!" She cried and she fought yet still they mocked her. Tears squeezed out of her marine orbs and she felt the needle pierce her skin. She hated it. She hated that they could do anything they want with her. She absolutely hated it!

Mai lay on the hard floor sniffing and choking on her tears. The needle was out and she felt fine—for now. In her pitiful state she blamed the world; she blamed herself, holding a grudge against anyone who had wronged her. But most of all she blamed Eden, for disrespecting her, for toying with her emotions, and for beleaguering her with such a destiny no human on the face of this planet ever deserves!

'WHY ME? JUST GET OUT OF MY LIFE!' Mai lay on her side, the skin between her eyebrows was scrunched up and her birthmark stared back at her like a stark white sheet of paper. She should've died then. She should have died and gone to be with her parents but no, she was saved. Mai curled up into a ball, swearing and cursing, 'One day I'll destroy you! One day…'

'I swear…'

The drug was potent and she blacked out.

-Somewhere else-

"Where are they taking her?"

"Russia." Kai drained his coffee cup. Neither of them had slept a wink since they came back from the club. Everyone had been bombarding Kai with questions, making accusations, worrying about Mai, getting agitated at the thought of not making any progress…

"WHY? What do they want with her?" Copellia almost shouted. She couldn't believe it; her best friend was gone! And some random people just decided to take her and run off? What in the world was going on here? WHO THE HELL WERE THOSE PEOPLE?

"I don't know," Kai muttered.

"WHADDYA MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW? HE'S YOUR FUCKING FRIEND!" Riya's blood was boiling. 'This guy!'

"Riya!" Copellia glared at him for his language.

"It's because of YOUR friend that Mai's in danger so stop playing dumb!" Riya pulled Kai up forcefully by the shirt and stared fiercely into his crimson eyes, "You of all people should be doing something! Don't you care if Mai gets hurt?"

'"Don't you care if Mai gets hurt?"' At this point Kai shoved him away. Riya knew nothing! He knew nothing about the guilt in his heart, about how he blamed himself for all of this, about how every minute he worried for Mai's safety praying that Voltaire hadn't hurt her. Everything was his fault! He had let his guard down. He failed to protect Mai! It was all his fault!

"That's enough!" Drex came between them, holding the two boys apart. "Unless you two calm down we're never going to get beyond this point! Every second we waste here, Mai's every second closer to danger. And the both of you want to save her right?" He exchanged glances between the both of them. Neither said a word. Drex finally let go of them and they fell into separate seats across each other.

"Now let's discuss this. We know that most probably Kai's grandfather took her and she's headed for Russia, where exactly we don't know."

"Biovolt," Kai spoke to the floor, "in the old capital of St. Petersburg."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Copellia looked at him with a we-could-be-saving-Mai-right-now-instead-of-this face.

"I…" Kai decided to be cooperative. If they were going to save Mai, they had to work together and he couldn't be keeping the information all to himself. If he had to tell the whole story then he'd jolly well suck up his pride and tell it.

Kai's mouth hang open, he couldn't say it.

"Never mind. What do they want with her?" Drex pressed on with the questions.

"I don't know."

Riya clenched his fists in irritancy. They were getting nowhere because of his 'I don't knows'!

Rei placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, "Now's not the time to be stubborn Kai." The two toned blue-haired captain looked at the neko-jin in shock. "Tell them everything. Tell them about Voltaire."

'Rei!' Kai was stunned. Rei had promised never to tell anyone about Voltaire. Kai never told anyone else, only Rei knew and he promised to keep it that way. But now Rei had brought his name up for everyone to hear. Now everyone was going to ask about it and his dark past would have to be exposed.

'Damn it!'

"Who's Voltaire?" Tyson spoke up.

Kai clamped his mouth, his eyes boring deep into the carpet.

"Tell them. Or I'll tell it for you."

The boy looked at Rei, his tongue sliding over his teeth, thinking and disliking his situation. He breathed in deep and held it there, before letting it all out. "Voltaire…is my grandfather."

"I don't know what he wants with Mai. It could be to use her, or make her part of Biovolt. Maybe he knows about her power. But whatever it is, it's not something good. When he wants something he doesn't care who gets involved, who gets hurt or who dies. He'd stop at nothing to get it." Kai stopped to scan their faces. "That's the kind of man you'll be facing," he finished.

"But how could he know about her power? Only we know about it!" Max reasoned.

"Lots of people know: us, the Saint shields, Mai's grandfather, if they found out then anyone can find out. So many people have come after her, word could've gotten out." Everyone agreed with Tyson. They had to think about the many possibilities instead of being bugged down by the 'whys'.

"So should we inform the police?"

There was a mixed response of 'no' and 'yes'.

"Are you crazy? To the world we're dead! If you inform the police you'll expose our identities as Zeelans! Especially since the case will be international!"

"Voltaire has wide connections. It's risky."

"Then you expect us to save Mai on our own? Take down this Biovolt by OURSELVES?"

Questions served back and forth between them.

"I could go."

"I'm going too!"

"You're not going alone," Copellia looked at Kai and then turned to Riya, "and YOU are most certainly NOT going with him!" The brown-haired teen opened his mouth to argue but Copellia continued, "I know we all want to save Mai but you two can't be risking your lives for everyone else! You guys are not heroes! What if something goes wrong and we lose you?" She looked at Riya sympathetically as if addressing everything to him, "You're not in this alone. We're all in it together."

Riya turned away, his heart feeling a little lopsided. Copellia had told him the same thing yesterday…

-Flashback-

-Riya's POV-

I heard the door closed behind her. Saying those words to her were as hard as trying to crunch metal between teeth but there was nothing else I could do. And then I remembered. This was the second time…the second time she walked away from me.

But… how many times have I done the same to her?

The bathroom door clicked and Copellia came out—

-SLAP-

A hand rushed to comfort my throbbing cheek.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HER?"

I turned away. Seeing Copellia angry like this made me feel guilty. I knew she wanted what's best for me but I just… "I couldn't tell her…"

Suddenly I felt more confident; I had a valid reason: "I HAD to push her away! She'd come back if I told her the truth! I can't risk Eden harming her!"

"Oh just shut up!"

I blinked at her response.

"You think you're the only who's suffering? That you should be pitied just because you've sacrificed so much? That you're the world's most depressing love story?" Copellia's eyes slanted into a pained expression. "Well we're all suffering too! Mai, me, Mit-chan, Drex! Everyone's suffering because of your impulsiveness!"

I flashed my eyes at Drex. He looked at me apologetically and stayed out of the conversation.

"You think that what you're doing is always right. It's for Mai, it's to protect her! But all you're doing is just hurting everyone else while you stand there thinking you've been vindicated! You're selfish and hurtful!"

That's not true! I care about you, Mit-chan and the rest! I'm carrying the burden so that you guys would be safe! I don't wanna hurt any of you! I'm doing this for your sake! "I'm—I'm just!" But the words refused to spill out of my mouth as easy as they had formed in my head.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you just—" Tears dripped on her shirt. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" She pounded a fist against my chest. She was slipping and I quickly held her up.

"Stop trying so hard on your own…" she sniffed. "It hurts watching you."

'!'

Her words stabbed me like a knife. At that moment I felt so hollow that if you knocked you could hear right through me.

I had no idea…I'd been hurting them all along? But I thought that if I…that if I stayed away, that if I didn't tell them then they'd be safe from Eden. I kept everything to myself; I was trying to accommodate everyone so that they'd be happy, never mind if I felt miserable.

But in the end they saw right through me, and everything became my fault. They were suffering all this time I tried to protect them… And here I thought I was being righteous.

My conscience stared at itself. Copellia was right here pouring her heart out and I was mulling over my thoughts. I didn't know what was right anymore. What I thought was right turned out to be wrong and what was wrong was definitely wrong. Was I doing everything wrong?

Am I wrong?

"I'm sorry." The words slipped from my mouth. 'Sorry' was a magic word I could fall back on.

"…Sorry for everything." I figured that no matter how many times I said it, it'd still sound empty and insincere, like the words coming out of my mouth were like water gushing from a tap. You couldn't grasp anything; the liquid just spilled through your fingers and washed down the drain. But I was sorry, I truly was, but it just didn't sound right.

With Eden nothing was ever right…

-End of POV and flashback-

"Copellia's right," the white-haired Zeelan addressed all of them, "none of us can do this alone. We need back-up, someone whom we can trust."

"But who?"

"I don't know."

Mit-chan hadn't spoken a word the whole time, but as she sat there listening to them she grew frustrated. She was sure one of those Humans had taken her and it just intensified her hatred towards the filthy race. Riya had been right all along; they treated them like dirt! These stupid disgusting creatures! Did they find pleasure in tormenting others? They were nothing but greedy conniving bastards! Mit-chan vowed that if they ever found out whoever did this to Mai she'd crush the person with her own bear hands. She'd wrap her fingers around his puny little neck and strangle the life out of him like a floppy chicken. She'd make him beg for his life!

The girl gnashed her teeth, 'He'll never live to see the next sunrise. I swear it!'

-Wherever Mai is…-

"Wake up." Tala tapped her face lightly. Mai elicited a groan as her head rolled to the side. "Wake up." He tapped her cheek harder this time and Mai opened her eyes. The Zeelan shifted her head drowsily, peering through her crusty eyes at the man standing before her. Mai felt so lethargic, she wanted to go back to sleep but this person wouldn't let her. He placed both hands under her arms and pulled her to her feet. Mai felt her knees wobble, she was going to collapse if he let go of her. Tala took a coat from Bryan and helped her into it, shielding her from the cold and avoiding attention by the state of her clothes that were blotched with patches of grey in many places. "Now walk." Mai obeyed and shuffled her feet forward as her hand held onto Tala's arm for support. She was too giddy with fatigue to care where they were taking her but from the long whistle in the background she guessed they were at a train station.

Spencer and Bryan flanked them at both sides as they walked. Mai noticed that Spencer kept his hands in his coat all the time and was reminded of the gun concealed between those insulating fibres. She gulped and willed herself not to think about it. The girl looked around, the place was teeming with people! Walking around, queuing up to buy tickets, loading heavy baggage, there was a chance she could escape! Mai looked for an opening and made a run for it—she bumped into a tall man.

"Whoa!"

Mai looked up to see a man in uniform, 'A policeman?' Yes! Yes! She was saved! The girl was on the brink of tears! "Help me please! These men are after me! Please! I beg you! Save my life!" She pulled at his uniform like a homeless child begging for money.

But a voice sounded from behind, a familiar voice.

Mai's heart stopped beating. She dared not turn around.

Tala stepped up to the officer and they both started talking.

"No, don't listen to him! He wants to hurt me! Please! Don't let them take me away! PLEASE!" Mai gripped at the khaki uniform so tightly her fingernails dug into her palm through the fabric. She stared up at the man and he looked back at her smiling.

It was a stiff smile, a smile that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. Something in that smile told her that she had been deceived. Things were not going to go her way. She wasn't going to be saved.

The man said something to her, his eyes held a cynical happiness within them. "No…" Mai shook her head in disbelief. "No…NO! NO!" She clamped her hands over her head. Her blue eyes trembled in their sockets and her breath vibrated in her throat. This wasn't happening! This wasn't happening! Everything was a bad dream! He wouldn't hand her over to Tala! He was a policeman! HE WAS A POLICEMAN!

They steered the shaking Mai away by the shoulders and Tala walked with her for some distance before turning her around to face him. He held both her wrists tightly in his hands and spoke calmly, "Don't try to be funny with me. This place is rigged with our men, even that policeman just now." He jerked his head slightly to the policeman on patrol. Mai looked around her, only noticing now that people occasionally flashed their eyes at them as if secretly monitoring the situation. Of course! She had been so stupid! How could she think that escaping would be so easy? Mai realised she had no chance. Who was this enemy she was up against? Who could be so powerful to have hundreds of people at their disposal?

Tala wore a serious expression. "Behave yourself if you want to live. It's not up to me to decide what happens to you, but if you give me no choice then I can't guarantee I'd make the right decision. Do you understand?" Mai nodded her head, fixating her eyes on the black buttons that ran vertically down his coat. He let go of her right wrist and led her by her left. "You'll act mute for the rest of the journey. Don't speak to anyone even if they ask you a question." Once again she nodded her head.

Tala never once let go of her hand, even when they queued up to purchase the tickets, even as they sat there waiting for the train to pull into the station. When Mai asked to go to the toilet he sent some girl to go with her to make sure she didn't try anything funny. He was being cautious, too overly cautious.

The girl kept her head down as she waited on the platform, the bitter cold stinging her face. At times someone would come up to them and Mai would hear Tala address the person in a friendly tone but she never looked up to see who it was. 'Fake,' she told herself. Tala was faking everything, right from the very beginning. She wondered if he had planned this whole charade, their 'accidental' bump in the hotel, their chance meeting during the tournament, posing as Kai's childhood friend and warming up to his friends, acting so gentlemanly around her. He had been faking EVERYTHING and Mai didn't sense the slightest hint of trouble until it was too late. And now she was sitting here doing nothing. She could think about her friends back in Germany, would they save her? Were they still competing in the tournament? She could think about what Tala would do to her. She could think about so many things, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Mai tucked her chin deeper into her neck. Tala noticed her from the corner of his right eye. He thought for a while, and then undid his scarf and placed it on her lap. Mai's head shot up to look at him. "Put it on," the boy said, looking straight ahead. She took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, pulling the collar of her coat higher up her neck. This place was cold, colder than she had ever experienced in China. The frost was pinching at her cheeks making them a rosy red.

"Can I ask you one thing? Before I stop talking?" Mai heard him let out a heavy breath and a cloud of steam rose from his face. She didn't care if he wasn't answering. "Who wants to kidnap me?" Bryan looked at her and then looked at Tala to see how he would respond. The redhead ignored her. Mai moved her wrist away but he only tightened his grip. Bryan seemed pleased by this and turned to make small talk with Spencer. Her thin wrist struggled under his fingers; she was going to make him answer her. Tala gave her a cold look and Mai responded with a glare. She winced and looked down at her wrist. He was squeezing it to the bone and it hurt! The Zeelan raised her head to look at him, her eyes expressing pain while her face twisted into a look of sheer hatred.

Her determination fell asunder. Mai succumbed to the pain and gave up. Tala loosened his grip and she examined the damage. It was a good contrast, her fingers pale as china while her wrist shone like a red traffic light. It was the human embodiment of the Polish flag.

Mai's skin tingled under the heavy coat. She wanted to cry but not in front of them, never in front of them. She couldn't speak, she couldn't resist, she'd get hurt for being defiant. She couldn't do anything except breathe!

The train pulled into the station and Mai watched through tear-rimmed eyes as the smoke puffed out in waves over the green carriages. Tala got up and Mai followed like a dog chained to its master…