Chapter 13

The crystal clean automated double doors gave way as a hurried and terrified Tyson and friends entered the University of Tokyo Hospital. The spacious modern foyer was well lit with the afternoon sun pouring in through the glass fronted entrance. A strong smell of lilies welcomed them from a vase at the reception desk. The floor tiles were perfect white, the walls were a calming magnolia and hung on them were large canvases of river daisies and orchids. To the right, were assorted vending machines for hot drinks and snacks. To the left was a wide well-organised seating area with rows of hard plastic grey seats; and in the middle stood a futuristic-looking curved white reception desk. The seating area was relatively empty and a single young male security guard with short black hair and shaven face stood in a prone position by the doors. Four attractive female receptionists of varying ages gazed at screens and flicked through paperwork. Tyson slammed his blood dried hands loudly onto their work station creating a sharp slapping noise as he half reached over to gaze at any receptionist who would make eye contact first. The young mans' actions made all four of them jump out of their skins and a couple of them yelped in surprise. The security guard watched them intently ready to step in and all heads in the waiting area turned to watch the commotion.

"Please miss *pant* I need to see *pant*Kai." The chubby young man had just sprinted from the minibus which was currently illegally parked in the taxi rank in front of the hospital...all the way to the reception desk. His face was desperate; his eyes pleaded with urgency, tears stung his hot and sore cheeks as his mouth hung wide with each pant. Max and Ray arrived at Tysons' sides; they were equally distressed and gasped for breath.

The panic riddled chinese man panted. "Did *pant*Kai*pant*make it?" His golden eyes begged for an answer as much as the Japanese man. His long black bangs were unusually messy and out of place.

"Is he?"The American blader couldn't finish his sentence. He was too exhausted to say anymore. The remnants of tears glistened on his freckled cheeks in the daylight.

The closest receptionist to Tyson shot a furrowed eyebrow and straight lipped look. She was a pretty young Japanese receptionist with a bulky fringe, tied back hair and wore thin elegant glasses. At first she was annoyed at being disturbed so rudely and thought to call security over... but when she saw the pain in their eyes, her anger fizzled away. She knew exactly who the tear streaked and exasperated young men were referring to. "Yes Sir, I have just finished logging a Kai Hiwatari. He came in as a Code Blue."

Daichi, Mariah, Kenny, Hilary, Grandpa Granger and Mr Dickenson arrived no more than a moment later. Their faces too were dreading the answer to the question they had to ask. The question that tormented them with each mile the bus took and each second that traffic held them back. All cheeks were sore and stung as the air-conditioning blasted them; their eyes puffy and blood shot. Their hearts clung to a cliff face of despair with one finger of hope.

This lady had over 5 years experience dealing with worried family members and knew that getting emotional for them never helped. She spoke in a soft, kind but assertive voice. "Kai Hiwatari. Yes he's here currently in the resuscitation bay and the doctors are doing all they can. All you can do is wait for now I'm afraid." She paused, cocked her head and shot a reassuring nod. "Follow me. I'll take you to somewhere more private."

With her short crisp words; the lady arose from her swivel office chair and scooped up a filed from the desk behind her. She wore light blue overalls and it became apparent that she doubled as a nurse.

With no time to ask any further questions or say anything more, the woman dressed in baby blue started for a wide corridor to the side of the vending machines. Without prompting; the beybladers, Hilary, Kenny, Grandpa Granger and Mr Dickenson followed her with heavy hearts and dread as they headed deeper into the antiseptic smelling inner hive of the hospital. The receptionist/nurse clutched the thin grey file to her chest and led the exhausted and grief stricken group down corridor after corridor, turning corner after corner; they were being led to the trauma wing.

As they turned a corner before them read the sign- "Trauma Ward – Resuscitation Bay. No entry for non-medical personnel" above a door frame. Beneath it were double swinging doors where 2 men in light blue medic uniforms rushed in and a woman walked out. The nurse leading Tyson and Co carried on towards their final destination at the end of the corridor and stopped. Tyson, Max, Ray and Kenny eyeballed the trauma ward doors as they passed it with knotted stomachs and thumping hearts. They couldn't help but wonder...was Kai in there?

The Trauma waiting area was nicely tucked out of the way. This was one of several and the most private for Kais 'numerous friends. The ward manager knew of their celebrity status and made sure they would have a waiting area to themselves, the last thing they needed was fans asking for autographs whilst they possibly receive devastating news if things didn't go well in Resus.

The waiting room was large and rectangular shaped with basic grey plastic seats lining the edges. On one side of the room were 2 vending machines and a small table complete with tea making facilities. The walls were blank, clean and white, several leaflets hung on racks next to the vending machines beside a large faced silver clock. There were no windows or daylight but bright linear lamps lined its white ceiling. The superficial light was glaring intensely, or so they thought with tired and swollen orbs.

The gang quickly analysed the room, not that they would find interest in anything...even the food. They briskly took a seat each and their tummies knotted tighter as dread rocked them further. They stared at the spectacled nurse as their hearts begged to be put out of their misery. They just needed to hear the words that he was "going to be ok". Once all bodies had taken a seat she stood before them, opened the file and began analysing it. They watched her brown iris's roll over the page as they held their breath. Only; Tyson couldn't hold it in any more and he burst before she had time to explain anything.

"You've just dragged us all the way from reception for what felt like a year. Miss please, we need answers and now." The bluenette rose to his feet and stood rigid with a red, upset face and his fists in balls. "Miss when do we get to see Kai? He is alive isn't he? Isn't he? What is a Code Blue?" Ray was grateful Tyson had the tenacity to get up and ask when he couldn't muster the energy to do it himself.

"I'm afraid you can't see Mr Hiwatari for now. Kai is very unwell and doctors are trying to get his condition under control. I'm sorry I don't have any further news for you. I will return as soon as I receive an update on Kais' condition." With that she began to turn on her heels.

Max arose from his feet too and called out to the nurse as she took a step away in her black trainers. She twisted her head to glance back at the young blonde man. He begged with glittering gems in his eyes. "Please Mamm, You gotta save him. You just gotta."

Ray jumped to his feet too after feeding off of Tyson and Maxs' energy. His mouth didn't say anything but his needy yellow eyes dittoed what his blonde team mate said. His blood littered hands clenched tightly; he felt so helpless. Not an emotion he was used to and it frightened him. As the protector of the White Tiger village...what good was he if he couldn't protect one friend?

Mariah, Hilary, Kenny, Daichi, Mr Dickenson and Grandpa Granger shot the nurse similar looks that cried "Please don't let him die."

The nurse each in turn gave a concerned look to Hilary, then Kenny, then Daichi, then Mariah, then Ray, then Mr Dickenson, then Mr Granger, then Max and finally with Tyson. She gave Dragoons' wielder a worried gaze for a moment longer than the others and cursed how clinical she had to be in her role.

"I will be back as soon as I hear anything. But for now you need to wait here. Make yourself some tea or coffee. I know it's not easy but try to stay calm. Kai is in the best possible place he can be." Her eyebrows bent and lightly smiled in a fruitless attempt to ease them and then; walked away. The young professional felt genuinely sorry for what they were going through. She had dealt with several situations like this before. Family and friends would beg for answers as to whether a patient was going to live...and she just didn't have them. Not even the senior doctors could give assurances when dealing with victims of trauma.

Daichis' medical knowledge was very limited and curiosity got the better of him. "What's a resussibation bay?"

Kenny replied with a ghostly flat tone as he stared trance like at a wall. "It's where doctors try to get the body back to life Daichi." The goggle wearing technician clutched Dizzi in his closed laptop like a child hugs a teddy bear. The geek didn't know what to do with himself but quietly wait and hope that Kai wasn't too late to save. Kenny was a realist but couldn't face the possibility that Kai wasn't going to make it and so; adopted denial as a coping mechanism. He recited in his mind over and over "Kai is gunna be fine. Kai is gunna be fine. Kai is gunna be fine." He glanced over to the seat next to him. Max wasn't doing so well either.

The blonde flopped back into his chair and tried not to cry anymore. His swollen eyes couldn't surely produce any more tears today and he drew a deep long breath in an attempt to calm himself. The not knowing if Kai was going to live was killing him. He could feel himself getting worked up again and fought hard against it. He looked up at the ceiling with flopped back hair and tried to gain control of himself. Max sat with his arms and hands flailing limp next to his hips. The emotions were bubbling through. He moved his hands to his knees, stroked them and felt Kai's blood flake away. His hands were nearly blood free as sweat and face wiping would have eroded it off. Then a thought struck him. He has been rubbing tears away from his eyes with bloodied hands. What if he had blood on his face? He was too tired to care; besides he was covered in blood, so was Ray and Tyson. He began to reminisce about Kai and felt a sea of sadness engulf his heart. He wanted his Mom and Dad more than ever, he wanted to hug them both tight. Max was a softy through and through and todays' events would scar him forever.

Ray also re-took his seat and crippled into himself as his face fell into his hands. He stared at the white floor tiles as his elbows and hands propped his tired face from descending. As he looked downwards he finally took notice to how coated in blood he was. The thick dark line of red up his shins had soaked round to the backs of his legs and halfway up his defined thighs. The red was so vibrant against the white of his Chinese attire and Ray desperately wanted to change his clothes. The usually so chilled and happy White Tiger had never felt so low in his life and he struggled with the realisation that one of his longest friends may die... for the second time today. Driger growled to him telepathically in an attempt to rouse some fighting spirit but his tiger calls went unfelt.

Mariahs' heart not only ached for poor Kai but for Ray too. Her lover was suffering. She rubbed Rays' sweat soaked back as his pained face lay cradled in his hands. Her hands rubbed to fro the middle of his shoulders, down his bent over spine and down to his lower back. She had no idea if stroking Ray was helping him but having something mindless and simple to do, mildly comforted her.

Mr Dickenson had never felt so old and weary. He stared at the blank walls hoping and praying with every fibre of his elderly body that Kai would somehow make it through. He cursed ever thinking up the Charity Tournament and became overcome with guilt. He thought "If only I hadn't organised that stupid tournament, Kai would never have been there and none of this would have happened. Why weren't security checks tighter? Who was that man Blake?" His heart began to race with the self blame and fought more tears from escaping from his senior blue eyes.

Tyson was too numb and tired to say or do anything. He rested his arms on his legs and turned his hands to inspect them. Kais' dry blood had mainly flaked off, leaving trails of dark red hidden in the creases of his palms. His legs and yellow t-shirt were also crimson stained. He felt a lump develop in his throat as he clutched the bloodied patch of fabric on his yellow t-shirt in his right palm. He grabbed it because it was the only thing he had of Kais' and held onto it like it was Kai himself. He couldn't cry anymore and promised to reserve what little energy he had for later. His tired body slumped into the seat as he gripped the jean fabric of his left knee and began staring at the floor, his head cocked to one side and his eyes became stony. His Grandfather sat next to him and worried deeply for his Grandson. His "Lil man" so full of defiance and energy reduced to a limp doll who wasn't handling the situation well at all. The old hip guy had lost all pizzazz and sat solemnly with his cracked kendo stick beside him. His energy was as broken as his training stick. He wished hard with his eyes closed tightly. "Come on Kai you can pull through. You've come this far dude!"

Hilary sat the other side to Tyson and wanted to desperately to comfort him only she didn't know how. She was so exhausted that she couldn't think clearly. Her emotions were shot and she gazed at the kettle thinking how nice it would be to have a cup to tea. Something normal...only how could anything be normal right now when Kai could be dying, on his own, surrounded by strangers in a room meters away.

Daichi was completely knackered too. He struggled to stay sitting upright until his body couldn't anymore and slowly slumped into his chair. His eyes half open with fatigue. It had been hours since he last ate and the vending machines boasted his favourite chocolate bars...only he lacked the appetite to want them.

The team and elders sat in silence and waited for news as the clocks droning' ticks dominated the air.

11 minutes later.

Ray and Mariahs' cat hearing was outstandingly sharp. Ray snapped out of his depressed state and Mariah ceased back rubbing. They jerked their heads up as they heard footsteps coming down the corridor towards them. It was the nurse from earlier, they recognised the sound of her trainers and she was fast approaching.

Tyson, Max and Daichi felt the White Tigers alertness and lifted their heavy, dread filled heads too. Hilary, Mr Dickenson and Mr Granger joined seconds later. The energy raised in the room. They could hear her too and she was nearly here. Their hearts began to pound, any slouching became bolt upright, their mouths ran dry and for some...a sickly feeling took over their stomachs again. Finally... an update on Kai. Living in this uncertainty was emotional torture. Good or bad...they would finally be able to rejoice or... grieve all over again.

The beauty in glasses stopped in full view from the rooms' opening. Tyson, Max, Ray, Hilary, Kenny, Daichi, Mr Dickenson and Mr Granger were on the edge of their seats. Their eyes open wide with anxiety and pulses thudded as they waited to hear Kais' fate.

Before they could say anything; the multitasking nurse/receptionist gestured to a 6ft something Caucasian man to take a seat. This man could have been a twin to the actor John Malkovich. He had a rectangular face, a healthy and classy moustache, tight to the skull curly brown/grey hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a white long sleeved shirt, grey pinstripe waist jacket and a suit jacket on top. He sported a well defined red tie and his shoes were a shiny jet black. His expression was stern and business like. He carried himself with the dignity and dangerous poise of a Nazi SS officer. He carried a hard brown briefcase in one hand and a smart phone wrapped in the other which he slid into a breast pocket. He made no eye contact with Tyson or the rest of the crew and took a seat on the opposite side of the room to be seated on his own.

Tyson blanked the newcomers' existence and his eyes begged at the nurse for a clue.

The bey-champ arose from his seat and took two steps towards her. "Miss. Where's Kai? Is he ok? Is he still alive?" He gestured frustratingly with his hands and his voice had never sounded so desperate and repetitive. It had only been no more than 15 minutes since he last begged the same questions. Ray, Max and Kenny stood up beside Tyson as emotional backup; and because they couldn't sit and wait anymore either. They could feel their tired bodies shake with agitation.

"I'm so sorry young man. All I can tell you is that Kai is in the best of hands and I'll be back with you as soon as I know more. I've only come back to show this man where to wait for news on your friend." Her tone was caring but rushed as she turned on her heels again and scampered off before anymore questions could halt her.

The white skinned giant man took a seat with closed eyes, crossed one leg over the other and then said out loud for all to hear. "I asked her that too...but it is clear she does not know what she is doing."His voice was deep, authoritarian...and very matter of fact. There was a hint of German accent in his tone too.

Tysons' shattered body reversed and took his seat back. Ray and Max did the same and all eyes peered at the lofty man situated on the opposite side of the room nearest the vending machines. They all looked at him with bemusement. They wanted to ask who he was but nobody had the nerve or energy in fact to ask. They'd never seen him before and played guessing games in their heads as to who he was. He wasn't Kais father or uncle or any blood relative surely? Kai was mostly Japanese although he did have some features that made him look like a "Hafu" (Half Japanese, half another race) so it was possible? Or could he be Kais' lawyer? Or private doctor?

The newcomers' voice was low and paused in between some words as his brain took a little longer to expel words from German to Japanese. "You are probably all wondering, who I am. Right? My name is Markus Gottlieb, how do you do? I am the Chief of Operations Officer at Hiwatari Enterprises. I work under Mr H."

Mr Dickenson became a little animated. "I've heard of you...You were Kais' lawyer in his court battle against Voltaire. What are you doing here?"

Gottlieb – "I've been working with Kai ever since the legal battle against his grandfather. I began as Mr Hs' lawyer and confidant... and now I am his COO at Hiwatari Enterprises. I would say it is nice meeting you all but quite frankly this is not the setting I would have liked." His voice was eloquent and well spoken.

Mr Dickenson leaned forward and almost got up to shake the lawyers' hand– "I must say it is nice to finally meet you. You were instrumental in bringing Voltaire to justice and for that I am very grateful."

Gottlieb – "Don't mention it. As much as I would like to talk about professional achievements...I need to ask you some questions and I need some quick answers." He rose to his feet using his arms to help levitate his tall body using the bases of the neighbouring seats. He approached the centre of the room and gazed long and hard at Mr Dickenson as he crossed his arms. From one corporate giant to another; he figured the Chairman of the BBA would have all the answers.

"Who was that man who stabbed Mr Hiwatari?"All that flittering nurse has told me is that Kai is in resuscitation. I have seen the footage on social media before the live feed cuts out. I now know that Mr H is in a very bad way. Generally people in resuscitation are... in a particularly bad way. But what I do not know...is why? And exactly how bad is he?"

Mr Dickenson was tongue tied and didn't know where to start. He stammered then took a hold of himself. "Wellllll we actually know very little about the man who did this to Kai and as for how bad he is...I suggest you turn around and listen."

The nurse had returned.

The ageing German man spun round and crossed his long suited arms tighter across his chest. His heart pumped hard in anticipation. Kai was his employer and superior on all levels but over the years had developed a weird standoffish friendship. Like Kai, he was a stoic and hard faced person who kept anything emotional hidden. Gottlieb had disguised his agitation and fear for too long, his emotional shield was beginning to waver and sweat was pearling on his box shaped lightly-wrinkled forehead.

Intense stress shook Tyson all over again, his stomach was in his mouth. Mariah held her breath. Hilary clutched a loose piece of skirt tightly in her feminine hands. Daichi clenched his fists so tightly that nails embedded into his palms. Mr Dickenson felt like he was going to faint with the worry. Grandpa Granger gripped his knees as tight as his powerful martial artists' hands could. Rays' eyes were wide as his ears waited for the dreaded words. Max hugged his body tightly as he tried to remember to breathe; and Kenny held onto his laptop so tightly that he was close to snapping the hinges.

All eyes and heads snapped up to hawk at the nurse, their eyes open wide as they analysed her face for any sign of bad news.

"Hello everyone. I'm back to inform you that we have some progress on Kais' condition. The doctors have stabilised him enough to operate and he is going into surgery now."

A wash of momentary relief swept over the waiting friends like a tidal wave. Tightened hands relaxed their grips and the sinking feeling in their tummies re-balanced. Everyone drew a long well-deserved breath and exhaled the fear away. Tears of relief emerged in their eyes as the news that they wished so hard for; had come true.

Kenny released his choke hold on Dizzi and carefully placed her flat on his lap. "Will he make it through the surgery ok?" he asked as he readjusted his glasses up to his nose.

Nurse – "We can't make any promises. Like I said earlier, Kai is very unwell but the fact doctors are willing to put him through surgery is a reassuring sign."

Tyson wiped away a tear and managed an unsure smile as he let go of his clothing. He jolted to his feet as his heart fluttered with hope. "So Kai is alive? He's... gunna make it?"

The nurse gently nodded and smiled back at the exhausted blader. "For now yes, he's putting up quite a fight."

Mariah turned to her Ray-Ray and gives him the biggest beam in the world and patted him on the back. "See Ray. I think Kai's going to be ok! We can relax a bit now." The male White Tiger returned a sceptical look.

Mr Dickenson wiped away trickling tears of relief from his tired face. "This is good news kids...Kai is alive and if he's not giving up then neither can we."

Joyous tears streamed down Grandpa Grangers face. "Kai is one crude dude. One hell of a fighter I tell ya."

Gottlieb wiped the sweat from his forehead with a thick yellow handkerchief. "Will Mr Hiwatari be awake or conscious at any point soon?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, if he makes it through the surgery, he will be out of it for a few days."

Tyson picked up on her words and spluttered with a racing heart. "IF...If he makes it through the surgery?"

"What are the chances Kai will make it through the operation?" Ray didn't want to ask the question but felt it had to be asked. He had a serious face on and wasn't going to let himself get carried away with the hope just yet.

Nurse - "I can't say. It's all up to Kai now. All you can do now is hope. Try if you can; to get some rest. You are in for a long evening and night and you need to take care of yourselves. Get something to eat or nip home for a change of clothes, you look like you could all do with a rest."

Max couldn't bring himself to get too carried away with hope either. Kai wasn't out of the woods yet. "How long will he be in surgery? I mean how long until we know if he has made it through?"

Nurse – "I can't tell you exactly but if all goes well he may be through it within 2 or 3 hours. He has to have x-rays and some tests too."

Daichi exclaimed. "2 or 3 hours! That's a long time."

Tyson turned to his red head companion. "At least we will get to see him soon" He then turned his head to the nurse..."Right? Right?"

Nurse developed a sweat drop and held her hands up. "Take it easy. Let's take it one step at a time. Kai is very fragile and I don't want you to get your hopes up too much."

Hilary completely ignored the nurses' advice to stay realistic. She turned to the person next to her...Max and smiled at him. "Yeah he's gunna make it. I can feel it. He can't have gone through all of that today and give up now. He's one tough cookie our Kai."

Max fake smiled back and nodded. "Yeah we need to believe in him." He wanted to believe his own words but a sense of worry kept him from doing so.

Nurse – Now I have to ask you who is Kais' next of kin. I have it on file that he has no wife, no children and parents are deceased. He is an only child. There is an old contact on the system from over 15 years ago that a Voltaire Hiwatari is the emergency contact...is this still correct?

Mr Dickenson choked venom and his nose upturned. "He certainly is not. Voltaire is Kais' grandfather and is currently serving time in prison for terror crimes."

Gottliebs' voice deepened and his brown eyes glared. "Yes please delete any contact details under the name Voltaire Hiwatari from all of Kais' records. Voltaire is nothing to do with Kai now." Then his voice softened. "His grandmother on his mothers' side of the family is his closest blood relative. I will see to it that transport is arranged and she be brought here as quickly as possible."

Tyson was glowing in renewed hope and a glimmer of his feisty personality resurfaced from the depths. "Kai's still fighting guys. He has to make it. He has to."

Nurse –"One more thing." She paused and her line of sight lowered to the lower halves of Maxs', Rays' and Tysons' legs and then up to their torsos in turn. Her face and tone shifted to concern. The boys understood what caught her eye and the trio wondered why she hadn't noticed it earlier. The blood stained clothes...

Nurse - "Are any of you hurt?"

An uneasiness swept the room.

Max broke eye contact with her and muttered softly."No Mamm."

Tyson looked to the ground and whimpered."It's not our blood Miss."

Ray looked to the floor too and stayed silent.

Nurse – "Oh." She paused and her sorry face dropped "I see."

The medic girl felt slightly uneasy and skulked back her receptionist post.

Before Gottlieb became Kais' defacto errand boy, the German was an accomplished lawyer and thus was experienced in reading people in determining the liars and the innocent. He observed a divide emerge amongst his employers' friends. Group A...the defiantly hopeful who clung onto the fact Kai had made it through resus and was well enough to endure surgery. Therefore he was going to make it and would be skipping out of the operating theatre in no time flat holding a glittery baby unicorn. That was Tyson, Daichi, Hilary, Grandpa Granger, Mr Dickenson and Mariah. Group B...the down to earth type that refused to let themselves get their hopes up and who were preparing for Kai to live or die at the toss of a coin. That was Ray, Max and Kenny. Group B put on a brave face and smiled when necessary but he could tell they were filled with a secret scepticism.

Gottlieb put himself in Group B. He was too long in the tooth to believe in miracles. Kai was far from home and dry from his ordeal and was not going to celebrate just yet. His boss could still die in theatre.

Without a whisper, the German then made long silent strides to the quiet of the corridor, sat on a grey seat to relieve his shaking legs and took his smart phone swiftly out of his breast pocket. He pressed the right buttons to start a call and placed his phone to his right ear.

"Kimiko...it's not good. It's as we feared. Initiate emergency protocol. Assemble the board of directors immediately and debrief them, I'll email you with what to tell them. I need you to send for one of the helicopters to pick up Kais' grandmother in Hiroshima and deliver her here to the University of Tokyo Hospital. I will arrange for an authorised landing on the roof helipad. Lastly, we need to launch Team Halo. 16 personnel to cover doors and exits of the hospital. They will be briefed when they get here." He pressed the button to end the call, breathed in through his nose and exhaled deeply through his mouth. He then ran a large fingered hand through his curly hair then threw his head back to gaze at the empty blank ceiling; dreading the long night to come. Kais' grandmother would soon be on her way and it would be up to him to break the news.

A young man in green scrubs with a white paper face-mask resting around his neck entered the waiting area with a large brown paper bag in his hands. The lofty German immediately shot up and his heart leapt into his throat. The lawyer hated how restless he was. The young theatre technician addressed the waiting room inhabitants and any rejoicing stopped immediately as the gang eyed him up and down.

The technician -"I'm told you are friends of Kai Hiwatari. I have some of his possessions here. Would you like to take them?"

Kenny was the closest to the medical tech. "Yes I'll take them of your hands." His thin arms took the brown bag and proceeded to pick out its contents to view. He was met with a collection of small items in sealed see through plastic bags. The gang watched as Kenny divulged the contents. He pulled out a see-through bag containing a small black leather wallet covered in blood. Next bag; a mobile phone covered in blood. Next bag; a man's silver chain necklace with traces of blood between the links.

The technician – "We had to cut off Mr Hiwataris' clothes so they won't be much good to him now. Did you want them back or we can dispose of them for you?"

Gottlieb lofted behind the scrub wearing man and said flatly with half open sad blue eyes. "No, put them in the bin."

Kais' smart phone began ringing from inside the plastic sealed slip. Despite being coated in scarlet liquid it still worked and vibrated hard, rattling from within the brown bag. It kept vibrating for a few more rings as the onlookers wished it to stop. Whoever wanted to speak to Kai was going to have a long wait.

Seeing the phone prompted the blonde half American to think about his own phone and who would be trying to contact him. "I guess... we should call our families... and let em know we are ok." Max spluttered.

The talk of phone calls home was a welcome break from worrying about Kai and the tone of the room lifted a notch.

Kenny gasped - "Yeah and our phones are back in the locker room at the dome. I completely forgot! My Mum and Dad will be going insane!"

Hilary – "Yes my parents must being going out of their minds. I better call them asap."

Daichi swung himself off of his seat. "My village is small but news travels fast. I better give my Mom a call too. They got pay phones here?"

"Yes they must do. Ask at reception. I'm sure our lovely nurse will find you phones to use. Come on kids, follow me...I need to call the BBA headquarters and give them an update. My secretary is going to be pulling her hair out." Said Mr Dickenson as he levered himself to his feet.

The group of Max, Kenny, Mr Dickenson, Daichi and Hilary herded off to hunt for the reception desk.

Tyson turned to Ray and asked in a low tone. "You not going with them?"

Mariah – "No. White Tiger Village has no phone coverage. The nearest telephone is hours away. Besides our peeps know we can handle ourselves. We'll write a letter tonight and let everyone know back home that we're ok."

Ray – "You not calling anyone?"

Tyson – "My Dad is probably in a cave somewhere with no coverage either; and Hiro will find me if he wants to. You know what he's like."

Grandpa Granger closed into a huddle with the 2 chinese and his Grandson and whispered. "So what do ya make of this character aye... The suit with the funny accent?"

Ray had a better control of his tone and whispered lower. "I don't know what to make of him. I don't trust men in suits anyway."

Mariah followed Rays' suit. "He seems to care about how Kai is doing. Did you see his legs shake earlier? And he was sweating. And the look of fear on his face before the nurse told us Kai was out of resus?

Tyson couldn't whisper if he tried."Yeah I'm still not sure on him. Looks like your average corporate crony to me."

Grandpa Granger - "Yep he's a dubious one. He's probably waiting to take the top hot spot if Kai doesn't get better...ya dig?"

Mariah gestured with a finger over her lip. "Shhhhhh he'll hear you, he's coming."

Tyson exclaimed without heeding Mariahs' warning. "Ya think?! Well he's gunna have another thought coming cus Kai ain't going anywhere."

Gottlieb re-entered the waiting area. Tyson, Grandpa, Mariah and Ray all belted up and pretended they weren't just bitching about him. They shoot him a suspicious gaze and turn away quickly. The sharp Mr Gottlieb caught their optical stabs in the corner of his eye. The German turned his head to the side to hide a smirk as he took his familiar seat and reminisced over a previous conversation with Kai. "You're right Sir, they are all idiots."

The room was awkward and silent until the return of Hilary, Kenny, Max, Daichi and Mr Dickenson having spoken to their parents and correspondent.

Max piped up and stopped in the centre of the room to address all. "I've spoken to my Mum and she's on the first flight over here from America, Emily is coming too, they will be here by the morning. My Dad is collecting overnight bags from Hilarys' parents and Kennys' parents' houses and some clothes for me too. He's also dropping by Tysons' dojo to pick up Ray, Mariahs' and Daichis' luggage. Tyson, I've asked my Dad to pack some of my larger trousers for you too so that you can change clothes tonight. We can go back for anything else tomorrow.

Before anything else could be said, in walked the nurse from earlier; followed by 2 police detectives. One older female detective in her early 50s wearing smart office wear, black hair in a bob with a thick fringe; and a younger male detective in his early 30s wearing a Japanese police officers uniform with cropped short black hair.

Tyson and Co as well as Gottlieb sat up straight and respectfully listened to what the detectives had to say.

Detective1 stood in the centre of the room with a pocket book and pen in each hand. She was the elder and clearly took the lead. "My name is Detective Temari. I have been assigned to this case. I know you must be all going through a difficult time and today's' events must have been a nasty shock. Just to clarify I am here investigating the attempted murder of Mr Kai Hiwatari at 12:29 this afternoon. It's possible that this was not anything personal specifically aimed towards Mr Hiwatari and we're exploring the possibility that this attack was terror motivated.

I won't take up too much of your time as we have CCTV footage taken at the stadium of the whole assault from start to finish. We have detailed descriptions and CCTV images of the person we know as Blake. We have had a couple of first hand witness sightings of him in the local area shortly after the attack and that's all we have. We are liaising with Interpol and the FBI for more information about his background and true ethnicity. No solid leads yet. So I would like to ask you a few questions and if you can; please speak up if you have any answers.

"Have any of you met the beyblader known as Blake before?" The resounding answer was "no."

"Do you have any idea of who might want to harm Mr Hiwatari?" The resounding answer was "No." Before she could move on with another question; Gottlieb interjectedin almost a sarcastic tone.

"I take it you are aware that Mr Hiwatari is the CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises. It's conceivably possible that this attack could be a competitor taking out their competition. I think that may be more the case than ISIS or a random mental health case off the street. You may want to look into that."

Detective Temari – "Thankyou for your insight and who are you? Mr...?"

"Markus Gottlieb. I am the COO of Hiwatari Enterprises and this sort of thing is not unheard of in the corporate world. This is an extreme case but it's possible. It is a motive at least. "

Detective Temari – "Thankyou Mr Gottlieb we will look into it."

"Have you had any threats towards yourselves by strangers in the past few weeks?" The resounding answer was "No."

Ok I think that's all I needed to ask you. I want you to know that the Tokyo Metropolitan dome has been completely cordoned off and you will be unable to retrieve any belongings. A full investigation has been launched and a nationwide search has begun for Blake. He's a wanted man now and I promise I will do all that I can to bring him to justice for what he has done to Mr Hiwatari, his family and to you. Now do you have any questions?

The room was silent. The fatigue had hit the group and they had no energy to ask questions; even motor mouth Tyson and the ever curious Daichi weren't in the mood to play 21 questions.

With that, the younger of the detectives begun to hand out cards with contact details. "Please get in touch if you have any questions. I'll be back in a few days to see how Mr Hiwatari is doing and as soon as he is able, I will be back to interview him in detail. From the CCTV footage we can see that a long conversation took place between Kai and Blake whilst the assault was taking place. I need to know what Kai remembers.

The younger detective finished handing out the cards and they both made their way to the exit of the room.

"Oh by the way I need to mention that this hospital is on lock down. There are police, plain clothed officers and hospital security at all entrances. Staff are aware of what happened today and how high profile you all are. Staff are on high alert and if you suspect anyone then please raise the alarm."

Quick and to the point...the detectives left.

30mins later

The bladebreakers and 3 elder men in the room had settled back down into their seated positions and waited. And waited. And waited for more news. They were thinking of one thing...Kai and... praying to whichever God they believed in that he would make it through surgery. All was quiet in the room except from reshuffling of crossed legs, grunts of discomfort from the hard grey seats, rumbling tummies, the odd yawn and huffing from the frustration of waiting. The tea and biscuits provided for them remained untouched and the vending machine stayed full. Tyson, Mr Granger, Mr Dickenson and Max started to nod off in the quiet; their bodies and minds were exhausted and begged for a nap. Hilary tried to complete a crossword without much success as her mind wandered. Mariah had reverted to back to stroking Ray. Kenny, Daichi, Ray and Tyson stared at the floor and tortured themselves with flashbacks of the previous hour's trauma. Gottlieb had found a newspaper and looked like he was reading it, when in truth... his mind couldn't absorb the words.

The background noise consisted of the humming of the electric to the vending machines, one annoying flickering florescent bulb on the ceiling, creaking of doors opening, and light slams as they shut. Ambient building noise until... *THUD THUD THUD THUD* the silence broke to a noise you would associate with a military drill, the stamping of boots. The noise of multiple boots clashing in unison against hospital lino and tile assaulted the atmosphere. The army was getting closer and louder with each stride.

Tyson and Cos' heads shot up immediately. Any naps were instantly broken. Ray, Tyson and Daichi shot to their feet with adrenaline. Mr Dickenson, Kenny and Hilary looked at each other bewildered and outright frightened.

Tyson produced a worried sweat drop. "What the hell is that?!"

Rays' voice was rattled -"It sounds like an army."

Mariahs' heart pounded. "Get ready! What ever it is, it's closing in."

Gottlieb folded his paper up, discarded it on an empty seat and took to his feet ready to greet the newcomers. He chuckled lightly to himself and nonchalantly announced. "It sounds like Team Halo have arrived."

Tyson, Max, Mariah and Kenny exasperated in unison – "What's Team Halo?!"

They were all on their feet now, except from Mr Dickenson and Grandpa Granger who were too comfortable and old to want to leave their perches.

The army or Team Halo as they would learn to call them, tore round the corner into full view and stopped before Gottlieb, their bodies filled the room and partially the corridor. 13 black clad men and 3 similarly clothed women stood to attention like a private army. Tyson and Co were amazed and slightly disturbed by the new arrivals. The army stood in lines of 3 and 2 with one front man. The COO watched the bladebreakers expressions range from amusement to slightly fearful.

The militants stood with arms folded behind their straight backs like soldiers in front of their commander. They were dressed in black laced army boots, black cargo trousers, black polo shirts tucked in, heavy inch thick Kevlar vests with pockets on the front, ear pieces and fingerless gloves on. They varied in size, height, ethnicity and gender. Some had shaven heads, some long hair that was tied back or short enough not to get in the way in a fight. They all wore black sunglasses and sported tight lips. The Hiwatari Enterprises logo was embroidered on the top left hand side of their breast plates.

Gottlieb arose from his seat to greet the head of Team Halo. He turned to the corner of Kais' newly aroused friends and showmanly introduced them.

"Meet Team Halo. Hiwatari Enterprises' personal security operatives. I like to call them our private army but Kai thinks it too bulshy."He placed a limber hand on the shoulder of the front man of the "army."

"This is Mr Cooper." Mr Cooper was black, 6ft2", built like a brick house on steriods, shaved head, tattooed neck and had a mean face.

Gottlieb continued. "Mr Cooper is the head of Team Halo. He is in charge of making sure that nobody, and I mean nobody *stern voice*gets near Mr Hiwatari without proper authorisation and clearance from me. With the exception of medical staff and the people in this room."

Max stepped forward and kinda wish he hadn't.

"Ummm Mr Gottlieb, I don't mean any disrespect but the police told us that hospital security and police were making us safe..."

Gottlieb cut in. "They are not loyal to Mr Hiwatari. These men and women ARE. They were hand selected by Mr H himself. They have passed rigorous background screening and extensive training. We have but the word of strangers; that the security operatives here and within the police are trustworthy. I'm not willing to put Kais' safety at risk at word of strangers."

He takes his hand off Mr Coopers shoulder and faces Tyson and Co head on.

"So say hello to Team Halo young man. You will be seeing a lot of them."

Tyson was preparing something clever to say but was interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Excuse me, excuse me." Squelched a feminine voice. The nurse had returned and shuffled past the herd of black clad guards. Her body was wedged between the newly arrived body guards and the corridor wall; only her pretty head made it into sight.

"Mr Gottlieb. Izumi Uchiha has arrived on the roof."

Gottliebs' face dropped, his stomach met his throat. He instantly broke out into a sweat.

Hilary was forever on cue and exclaimed. "Who is Izumi Uchiha?"

Max – "Yeah who's this Izumi girl?"

Daichi – "Izumi...Uchiha."

The German COO murmured with a sullen face. "Izumi Uchiha is Kais' Grandmother."