Chapter 16
The thick darkness that surrounded him was slowly pulling him down. Kai couldn't fight it, he helplessly witnessed as his legs were swallowed. He tried to wrestle against the otherworldly power, but once he touched the darkness, his body was paralyzed and didn't obey to his urging commands.
He tried to grab something, ready to cling to anything that could prevent him being drown. He didn't want the darkness to swallow him. Not again. Kai didn't want to see the disturbing pictures flashing rapidly in his head. But it was futile, he was in the middle of the nothingness with no help.
He was unstoppably drowning, and Kai fell into serious despair now. Only his head was above the surface as he clumsily splashed the liquid darkness around him, still trying to find something that could save his life.
His eyes caught a bright white and orange figure in the distance. The body hovered right above the darkness itself, being king and commander of the great power.
"Brooklyn!" Kai screamed in his horror, his voice echoed in the darkness, but the boy in the distance didn't move. "Help me!"
Brooklyn only stared at him with dead eyes.
"HELP!" Kai cried the last time before the darkness mercilessly closed above his head, putting him in an soundless, isolated eternal state.
He didn't have to wait long until the first memories came to his mind. They stroke at him like a shark at his bleeding prey in the open area. He heard screams, pleadings and laughs that had lost the last ray of hope. He felt coldness, the touch of coarse fabric, desperation.
He just wanted to end it and not feel anymore. If he couldn't escape from this endless circle, he'd rather died.
Kai was still drowning; he couldn't make out the orange blur through the surface anymore. Maybe he was already levitating in Hell, living its all agony in his head. Tyson's once life-saving hand was no in sight now.
Suddenly, his legs touched the floor. He landed smoothly on another layer of darkness. It looked like he was standing in water, but he didn't feel the wetness. His fragmented mind calmed down.
Kai breathed with relief. His suffering stopped.
The place where he landed was still. Almost peaceful.
He crouched down to examine the odd black fluid around his legs. He dipped a hand in it, playing with the shape. It had a tickling feeling on his skin as he moved, the black liquid painted his hand with red.
Blood.
It was not human though. Kai stared at the deviate color on his hand almost mesmerized. He wanted to taste it, but his wiser part warned him against to do so.
He stood up and looked around.
Blackness, with no end. There was no light, although he could see clearly his surroundings, his own pale body, the details of his outfit, the black gleam on the blood-water around his legs. Kai looked up, searching for the source of the light but there was none.
This place was... unnatural.
…I've been waiting for you…
A voice whispered into the eerie darkness, that made Kai jump. He turned around but saw no one.
…We've been waiting for so looong...
The voice repeated quietly with a sinister craving and Kai shivered under its effect. The sound was deep and high-pitched at the same time creating the illusion that a cruel man and an innocent girl were talking at the same time.
"Who are you?" Kai shouted into the lightless space to make sure his voice reached the other being. It was unnecessary though, there was nothing in this place that could stop the sound.
The voice didn't answer him at first. Kai kept turning around, being prepared for any possible attack, but nothing happened around him. The only sound was the small splashing around his ankles as he moved.
"Who are you?!" Kai demanded, shouting louder to fake his confidence. He was scared to the bones.
The voiced cackled with the man's hoarse voice and giggled with the little girl's playfulness.
…I am what you want me to be…
Kai frowned. He was totally at lost with those words. The hidden creature could have seen his confusion because it spoke again with a slow, blood-curdling manner.
…What is it you desire?...
Kai hesitated. What was it that he desired? He looked up at the endless blackness above his head again, longing for the surface.
If he had had more strength to fight against his darkness, his demons, he wouldn't have been in this place. If he could've defeat Brooklyn right in their first battle, he hadn't had been so unstable now. If he would been worthy, his father hadn't left him. He could be a happier man with enough confidence to fight against his grandfather's will. He could live in harmony and would never suffer with his anger problems, punishing the ones he felt close to him. If he would be stronger, everyone had respected and obliged to him without a question.
He wanted order and subordinacy under his control. For that, what he truly lacked was…
…Poooweeeer…
The voice vibrated in the darkness with a disturbingly arousing tone and Kai's body erupted with goosebumps as the wave of an invisible power that came out of nowhere washed over him. He could feel the wind on his face, his long white scarf played gently with it behind his back, and suddenly, he was filled with solid confidence.
He became unbreakable, purposeful, victorious! His frustrating, unsolved problems with people and the world became nothing more than a simple nuisance, not being a challenge for him anymore. He closed his eyes and inhaled the feeling, treasuring it with satisfaction.
…I can give you that…
The voice purred and Kai's eyes snapped open. The feeling of the great power evaporated quickly from his body and tensed at the voice's offer.
He sensed trap.
…Kai…
The voice cherished his name like it would've meant the world for it.
…I know how you can get the power you long for…
"In return of what?" Kai retorted, not letting himself to be fooled. The voice laughed again, and Kai nervously squirmed under the haunting child laugh with the deep chuckle.
Kai already knew that path, gaining incredible power that was not his. He'd stepped on it once and he knew what waited for him at its end.
Isolation and aversion.
Kai sold his own soul for perfection a few years ago that led him nowhere. He'd been consumed by the darkness inevitably if not were his friends pushing him back to the right track. He was not going to make the same mistake again, he was not stupid to do that.
"Black Dranzer couldn't defeat my friends and my Dranzer! You failed already once!" Kai reminded the creature he couldn't see; who else could the voice in his head be if not the evil phoenix.
…I am not…that thing!...
The voice hissed at him, suddenly insulted by Kai's words.
"Then what are you?! Show yourself! Kai ordered, getting frustrated being in the dark, with this place, with his situation.
…I am standing right in front of you…
The voice murmured and the blackness suddenly moved around Kai.
The black material had no definite shape. It was something between smoke and liquid as stealthily wrapped its invisible fingers around Kai, shadows running up on his body. It felt so cold it burned his skin. It could frost his bones and shatter them, leaving paralyzed not just his body, but the rushing blood in his veins. Kai didn't dare move… not like he could have anyway.
Two glim brightened up before him. Kai gaped at the piercing yellow eyes. The blackness restlessly danced around him. The frigid shadow hands enveloped his chest, sneaking up on his neck; touching his face; absorbing his eyes, changing crimson to dull grey.
…Let me give you the power you desire…
The creature didn't speak with the man's deep and the girl's little voice anymore. It talked on Dranzer's, now. Although, he didn't hear her voice for a very long time, Kai remembered it as if she had called his name minutes ago. This voice was a bit rougher and harsher than his phoenix's, but he could still recognize the same tone.
"What do you need in return?" Kai mumbled, half in trance as he was entirely immobilized by the touch of the void darkness. He was ready to sacrifice himself if that was Dranzer's will. He knew he could trust her with his life.
…YOUR OBLIVION!…
Kai jerked awake to find himself in his bed in Dubai, on his fourth Beyblade World Championship.
He wearily looked around in the room, breathing shakily by the effect of the nightmare he just had. Ray was contently sleeping in the other bed, not disturbed by Kai's restless sleep.
The room was bathing in filtered light as the first sunrays entered the room through the huge windows. Kai peeled himself out of his quilt and sit on the edge of his bed, trying to steady his breathing. His clothes soaked in sweat. He checked the clock on the nightstand and dolefully noticed it was only 5 am.
He gratefully listened to the distant murmur of the traffic from the streets below him as he was slowly pulling himself back to the reality, shaking off the terror from the nightmare. He could still see the captivating blackness suffocating him and feel its cold, burning touch. He could hear the unsettling voices in his head, whispering promises into his ears.
He didn't remember what it said to him though, and he didn't intend to try to recall it.
This dream was entirely different from what he usually had.
He stepped to the window and stared at the clear sky. He barely caught three hours sleep. It wouldn't be enough for another day, but he didn't have a choice now. Once he was awake, he was not able to sleep back, no matter how hard he tried.
Kai decided to find a peaceful spot in the city where he could lay down and rest for a few hours without anyone else's company after a proper shower. He really needed some solitude to forget his awful night.
oOoOo
Oddly, Tyson was the first who got up from the bed in the morning. Or second if that Sourpuss woke up even sooner which was not an inconceivable thing. If Kai slept in the room at all. That guy was ready to sleep on the street anytime if he really wanted to. Why on earth a millionaire's grandson would act like a total homeless was beyond Tyson, but Kai's stubbornness didn't know limits.
He silently grumbled under his nose as he got dressed, careful not to wake up his blonde friend in their shared room. Tyson was barely awake for a few minutes, but he already had a bad day. He had hoped a good sleep would remove the guilt and irk from his chest, but he still felt blue. He had many thoughts running in his head and he couldn't bear to lay still with those in his bed. He needed some fresh air or a simple walk to let out his steam.
Ready to leave, he picked up his favourite cap and headed out. He was walking on the corridor when his stomach howled angrily claiming for a decent breakfast.
Was the kitchen open already?
As he reached the first floor, he already knew he was not going to starve; rattling of dishes and low murmur came out of the big dining hall. It seemed, not only Tyson was early that day.
He quickly piled up some tasteful breakfast on a tray and hurried to the table where familiar faces sat, chatting vividly with each other.
"Oi, Tyson! Com'ere!" Enrique waved to him. Despite that that Tyson was already heading to their direction, obviously intended to sit with them, he felt his heart pleasantly warming up by the friendly invitation.
Various team members were having breakfast at that table, creating an unusual but vibrant companion. It was Enrique from the Majestics, the whole Miguel's Squad and Julia from F-Dynasty. Tyson became the only non-European participant in an instant.
"Hey, guys! You're already awake so early, too?" Tyson asked with a grin as he seated himself.
"It's almost 9 am, Tyson." Julia snorted beside Enrique, whose arm was resting on Julia's back of chair.
"Yeah?" Tyson mused, not really understanding what the Spanish girl was trying to point out.
"That's not early." She concluded then yawned behind her hand.
"Well said." Tyson chuckled at her gesture then he turned to Enrique. "Where are the others?"
"Johnny and Robert are out playing early squash, while Olivier is still trying to catch some beauty sleep. He was not pleased at night with your not so little quarrel." Enrique replied with a slight amusement.
Tyson's knife and fork stopped in the air.
"What?"
"That blew my beauty sleep too." Julia yawned again, not pleased with her tough night.
"Aw, dear, with that amazing face, you wouldn't need that anyway." Enrique cooed as he massaged her back. Julia chuckled at his attempt.
"D-did you hear us fighting?" Tyson stuttered. It was true he and Kai had been yelling, but that loud?
Miguel laughed gleefully at the champion's reddened face.
"I think the whole building could hear you, Tyson. Your leader got a volume for sure."
"Which is bizarre considering I've been knowing him as a silent type. He talked like two sentences when you took possession of our hospitality three years ago." Enrique joked after he removed his hand from Julia and joined back the conversation. "Did you wake up the sleeping lion?"
Tyson looked down at his plate being at a loss. This was embarrassing nonetheless.
His unpleasant feelings might've been written on his face, because Mathilda sympathetically reassured him with a soft smile.
"It happens with the best teams. Tournaments are stressful for everyone."
"Yeah, no kidding." Tyson said with a long face, recalling the words he and Kai threw at each other in their heated fight. "Did you… also hear what we were arguing about?"
He glanced up at the other faces, watching closely if they were being honest with him though he wanted to hear only one specific answer.
"No, the voices were too muffled through the walls to understand." Claud replied casually as he sipped his tea.
Tyson exhaled a sigh with small relieve. The last thing he wanted and his team needed was the others talking about their argument. It was already distressing enough that the team had to face so strong disagreements.
"Hey everyone!" Raul arrived at their table with his usual chirpy manner.
"Hi Raul! Oh, no. I forgot again the coffee." Mathilda sighed on her small tone as soon she noticed the the snifty black liquid on Raul's tray.
"I can get you some." Raul offered kindly, not taking his seat yet. "How do you like it?"
Mathilda's face lighted up with a grateful smile, her cheeks now matched with her pink hair.
"With some milk, please."
Raul quickly returned with her cup and after Mathilda giving her gratitude, the Spanish gentleman glanced at Tyson with a slightly concerned face.
"Is everything alright in your team? We heard you arguing during the night."
Tyson groaned exasperatedly. If he had to listen to the same question over and over again, he would need to avoid everyone on that day.
"Yes. Everything's just perfectly fine." He lied frustratedly, making clear for the others he didn't want to spare any more words for this case. To quickly avoid any more comment regarding his rough night, he turned to Miguel's team and Enrique. "Are your teams getting along, now?"
Tyson satisfyingly watched as the questionees shifted a bit on their seat, not entirely comfortable the topic.
"More or less." Aaron tried to dodge while Enrique was more direct as usual.
"I and Olivier got over it. It was mostly Barthez who forced them using those dirty tricks, not Miguel's team. Robert also accepted their apology, but Johnny…" He inhaled through clenched teeth like the thought itself was painful. "He's stubborn and harsh as always." He said eventually.
"I hope we'll be able to show you how we fight with respect and honor in the stadium." Miguel voiced his wish, Enrique nodded with a half pulled smile in acknowledgement.
"Unless you're getting in our way. We won't give you a chance to win." Julia promised with a fire in her eyes.
"Ah!" Enrique gasped. "I love girls on fire. They're hot!"
After that, they were talking about the tournament and their expectations regarding the competition. It worked perfectly for Tyson as a distraction. He laughed at their petty comebacks, trying to discourage each other from the battle.
Tyson suddenly felt alive again. The promising challenges made him heated with eagerness, becoming impatient to fight with these people. Too bad, he had to wait two days for the quadra-finals to start.
Max entered the dining room while the others slowly left Tyson. They finished their breakfast and went to start their day.
"Hey Tyson. You're early today." Max noted with a warm smile as he took his place next to Tyson's already empty tray.
Tyson shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. He really didn't want to start the same conversation again.
"Wanna beybalde after breakfast? We could race with Dragoon and Draciel on the beach!" Tyson grinned at him, already excited by the idea.
"Aw, sorry, man. I actually planned to spend the day with Mom. You know, they have to leave tonight and I won't see her for a while probably." Max replied with a sad furrow.
"Ah. It's alright, I'll ask Ray then."
"He already left with the White Tigers. They went to the market and then planned some sight-seeing."
"Argh! That's just great!" Tyson grumbled. He was left alone again with the only possibility to beyblade with Kai, but he was really not in the mood to interact with him in any way. His words still infuriated him when he repeated them in his mind.
"Sorry, Ty." Max said again.
"Never mind, I'll do something else." Tyson shrugged, pretending as if he didn't care.
The 'something else' apparently was teaching beyblade lessons to street kids. Kenny didn't come with him, he used his day off to catch up with his sleep and stayed in the hotel.
Hilary accompanied him though. She sat on a bench from where she could watch him and enjoy the weather, reading a book that was required reading for their next grade. Tyson didn't mind her company, Hilary could be useful when he was too caught-up in teaching and explaining rules. She regularly offered him water to keep him hydrated, and when he became hungry, she tossed him a sandwich from her bag.
The kids were great distractions. They were eager and greedy to learn from the champion, though Tyson noticed that the sport was not so popular in this country like in Japan. Most of them didn't know the basic rules and how to launch properly a beyblade, so Tyson spent lots of time explaining that, practicing with them.
He was exhausted by the afternoon and Hilary also insisted to return to the hotel, so they said their goodbye to the children and left.
"My ear rings from the constant yelling of the kids." Hilary said with a weary look on her face.
Tyson chuckled because he also could hear the low but persistent whistling in his ear.
"You tell me. Those kids teared me apart."
"You're good at this." Hilary looked at him with a warm smile.
Tyson replied with a questioning look."
"Teaching kids. They admire you."
Tyson smiled back. It was true he enjoyed teaching kids how to beyblade. He already understood why it was so important for Hiro to show this sport destitute children at the end of the world. He could see the same joyful excitement in their eyes what he felt before his every beybattle in the stadium. Differences ceased to exist when he fight with a worthy opponent. It didn't matter who were you, where you came from or who was your family or what ethnicity you belonged to, because only the beyblade fight that mattered in those moments and how you could expand your limits to win your battle. It also didn't matter that your opponent was the man who betrayed your trust and friendship countless times.
As they neared the hotel's entrance, Tyson realized he didn't want to go to their room and he abruptly stopped.
"What is it, Tyson?" Hilary asked when she noticed he wasn't following.
Tyson shoved his hands into the pocket.
"I don't wanna go in."
Hilary frowned at his suddenly saddened eyes. She turned back to him, giving him her full attention.
"I don't want to see the others right now."
"Why, what's wrong?" Hilary asked, a little concern wavered her voice. "You don't want to see Kai, that I understand. But what about Ray and Max? What about Kenny?"
Tyson sensed her staring eyes on him, so he reluctantly shrugged his shoulder as a reply. He really didn't know how to put his anxious feelings into words.
"I don't feel like we're a team anymore. Everyone's conflicted with the other. I didn't realize we've had so many differences."
Hilary didn't see often Tyson with such a sorrow expression, but it always made her heart clench. The navy-blue haired boy was surrounded with positive vibes, his confident cheerfulness was captivating, so when she saw him in such a state, it was truly a depressing sight.
"Come on, Tyson. You had more serious problems in the past and you managed to pull everyone together. The team needs you more than ever now."
Tyson scoffed venomously at that as he turned from the entrance and started to pace towards the imposing garden around the hotel.
"I'm not so sure this time. It was me who asked everyone to join as a team again for this championship, but I feel like they were just doing me a favor since the beginning."
"Maybe they are doing a favor." Hilary pondered, sitting down on a bench under a tree. Its shadow was an oasis under the hot sun. "What would that change? They're here because of you, your friendship is important for them; doing it out of favor or not."
Tyson exhaled a heavy sigh in his lethargy, seating himself beside Hilary.
"Yeah, you may be right." He admitted reluctantly.
"I am!" Hilary raised her head in cockiness.
"But I'm damn sure it's not the case for Kai."
Hilary's smug smile dropped at Tyson's additional words. The champion was clearly conflicted with that man.
"Whatever it is that keeps him here, I'm certain that has nothing to do with me or the team." Tyson continued his lament.
"I don't know why I can't keep close the ones I admire the most. First my dad and then Hiro, now it's Kai. Is it my fault? Is it something I do?" Tyson asked suddenly Hilary and he could see his manager was at loss too.
"No, I don't think so." Hilary said at last. Her words didn't convince Tyson.
Kai stepped into his life in a time when Tyson desperately needed a figure he could consider as a role model and teach him small but important details about life.
When Hiro left the family house as well, Tyson found himself feeling rejected. Despite of his grandfather's love and goofy style, he was utterly alone. He didn't want to feel that loneliness again. Ever. Experiencing this sour feeling, he easily recognized that loneliness in Kai's aura, and therefore he hoped they could share a bond, so none of them would feel neglected. But the older teen obviously didn't have the same intention.
"I've never talked to anyone about this, but…" Tyson began, watching the stupid pigeons picking seeds from the grass not far from their bench. He didn't see Hilary's face but he could tell she was listening to him closely now. "You know, after Hiro left with Dad, leaving me alone with Grandpa, I became a hard case. I was always making trouble in the school, annoying everyone so they had to pay attention to me. Then Grandpa got fed up with it one day and regulated me with kendo trainings. He taught me to be discipline and how to notice the small, joyful moments in my life. Instead of making troubles, I started making friends and I was not angry anymore.
I still see the same anger in Kai. I always considered him as a brother since we became Bladebreakers. You know, that type you hate because you're terribly jealous of his achievements and his experiences being simply the older, but secretly you love because you can always count on him in the trouble. He scolds you and pushes you away, but if an outsider does the same, he protects you with his everything."
Saying aloud these words, his thoughts about Kai, Tyson felt utterly stupid and embarrass all at once. What a dumb picture of his captain. How childishly he thought about the Russian boy who detested his touchiness and sentient behavior the most.
"What a complete idiot I am." He sneered with twisted lips, a bit annoyed by Hilary's silence on his side.
"I don't think you are. Actually, it's understandable." At Hilary's soft words, Tyson's ears perked up a bit and he couldn't suppress the small smile on his face. All his concern that he would make a fool of himself in front of her with his idealized image of Kai promptly left his body, not regretting to talk with her about it. Sometimes, he felt really grateful for Hilary being a girl in their team. He didn't think either Kenny or Max, even Ray could understand him in this matter.
Hilary chuckled to herself and Tyson turned to her with a questioning look.
"If you think about it, Kai resembles Hiro a little bit."
Tyson huffed a laugh, warmly welcoming the lightness that chased away the sorrowful tone from their conversation.
"Yeah, I thought about it, too. They have similar hair color…"
"And they're tall..." Hilary listed with him in a dreamy voice.
"…with the similar annoying superior face on their stupid face…"
"…and they both are muscular and handsome…"
"What?" Tyson paused, laughing at Hilary who just intensely blushed.
"What! They are!" She argued, her voice was high-pitched with embarrassment, scaring off the pigeons that darted away with loudly flapping wings.
"Okay." Tyson snorted, leaving it at her. He had an assumption Hilary was into Kai, but he didn't know about Hiro. This must have been something he wouldn't be able to understand in his life, being born as a male instead of female. Kai was an arrogant prick most of the time, not kind to anyone, including Hilary. While Hiro could be nice and sophisticated sometimes, he also had a rough manner to express his opinion.
"What is it you see attractive in them?" Tyson asked with genuine curiosity, a laughing smile still playing in the corner of his mouth.
Hilary rolled her eyes, not very comfortable with the question.
"The blue hair." She replied eventually, shooting a mischievous smirk at Tyson and he immediately knew she didn't tell him the true.
"Alrightyyy." Tyson said with a sexy tone, bouncing his brows flirtatiously at her as he adjusted the cap on his navy-blue hair as if giving her an offer.
Hilary tilted her head back as her joyful laughter rippled through the air from his show off, playfully smacking Tyson on his arm, who also couldn't bite back his laughter.
When they finally stopped, Hilary wiped the cheerful tears from her eyes, fetching back a more serious tone.
"You know, I think you and Kai are actually the two side of the same coin."
"What do you mean?" Tyson turned away his gaze from the impressive garden, his face puzzled.
Hilary carefully thought over how she wanted to explain it before she replied.
"I don't know much about Kai's past, but there are several things are matching in your lives. You both were raised by a grandfather. He never mentioned his parents, but I took it they haven't played a significant role in his life. Same goes for your nuclear family. You both are determined to be the best at Beyblading, though either of you have yet realized you already equally strong and ambitious. You can't see how much you're alike while you're constantly fighting with each other for the same purpose. I know Kai often annoys you with his arrogance, but you and he have a similar mindset about friendship and standing up for the weaker. If one of us was in trouble, one of you had been there to protect us."
Hilary was smiling, recalling the sweet memory when they were trying to find an escape route from the island where Gedeon's band had kidnapped them, forcing the Bladebreakers to beybattle with Team Psykick. They were going to a lighthouse with Kenny and Kai for help when rocks started to collapse above their head; Kai immediately pinned her and Kenny to the cliff, defending them from the dropping rocks with his own body. That was the moment Hilary learnt Kai was actually cared for them and his arrogant cockiness was just an act.
Tyson chewed on her words as he stared at the tirelessly bubbling fountain in the middle of the garden. The park was not crowded, though more and more people wandered out to enjoy the fresher air as the sun was slowly retiring behind the horizon.
He had never thought of his relationship with Kai in the way Hilary just described him. It was an interesting conception and saw the common points, but he couldn't take up with the idea of having the same life problems with Kai. He was the grandson of a tycoon after all, with a bright and solid future laid before him, whilst Tyson was living only for the sport of Beyblade and his friends, enjoying every bit of moments of his life. Something Kai was seemingly not capable of.
Furthermore, he was certain Kai primarily considered him as his rival instead of a buddy; he was too proud and independent to handle such an emotional burden like having human friends.
"We should really go back now, or we'll miss the dinner." Hilary glanced at her watch after she realized Tyson was not going to comment her theory.
Tyson leaned on his knees, slowly stretching up from the bench. These things were decorative for sure, but didn't provide much comfort.
"Yeah, let's go have dinner." Tyson agreed as he and Hilary headed again the entrance, leaving behind the green heaven with the peacefully gurgling sound of water in the fountain and the buzzing dance of leaves with the breeze.
"Are you okay?" Hilary inquired with a hopeful smile.
"I feel better, yeah." Tyson confirmed, truly grateful for the time they spent together that day. He wouldn't have thought Hilary's company could be as good as the boys', but she definitely healed some wounds on his soul with a simple conversation. It was something he could rarely do with the guys. They always were careful to approach stable and rock solid, not swayed by any emotions, and Tyson often followed the conventional rule too, but sometimes he simply felt overwhelmed and talking about his concerns with someone he could trust was not so bad as it turned out.
"I'm glad you're a girl, Hilary."
Hilary's brow dangerously twitched as she rolled her head at him on her neck.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Boys can't talk so much like you."
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" She shrieked now, glaring threateningly at Tyson like a praying mantis that was ready to bite off her mate's head.
Tyson was about to complement her that she hadn't been so annoying today as she usually was, though sensing he just stepped on a minefield, he wisely stopped talking more. Hilary might have taken it the wrong way.
oOoOo
The corridor was busier than usual, people were eager to get out and take a walk in the night, so Kai deliberately avoid the elevators and used the stairs instead. He was heading to his room, not satisfied with his day.
He planned to take a nap in the grass somewhere in the city to refresh himself with a peaceful rest after his horrible night, but it turned out, parks in Dubai were trimmed so well, he couldn't find a proper spot where he could hide and relax without being exposed.
In the end, he found himself on the roof of the building where he had worked out on the other day. It was private enough but the cement was uncomfortable, so he ended up wandering back and forth on the streets. Which meant, he still was dead tired and frustrated.
He only hoped that the team was not going to be in the room, beybattling or training somewhere else instead. He didn't care where, he just didn't want to see them.
After eleven flight of stairs, he arrived at his level, finally enjoying the silence on the corridors. Only a few people were around.
In the moment he stepped to his team's door and grabbed the knob, his hopes of finding the common room empty had died in him, hearing small chatters from inside.
Kai exhaled a weary sigh, trying to steady himself. He knew his team was going to question him about his fight with Tyson, just like Ray did at night, and he really didn't feel the strength in himself for another unpleasant conversation with them. He quickly reconsidered the alternative option, to turn on his heels and bolt away before anyone could see him, and sleep somewhere else. He discarded the idea eventually, the sooner he got it over with the better.
He turned the knob and stepped into the common room, instantly noticing Kenny and Hilary at the table in the corner. They watched him without a word, not even a cheerful hello from Hilary. Kai appreciated their silent rejection, and headed his own room where he could see Ray was laying on his own bed, reading a book. Tyson and Max were playing cards in their shared rooms.
"Wanna see the record of Tyson and the Blitzkrieg girl fight?"
Kai stopped short at the question. He looked at Kenny who was shy but stood his gaze. Max and Tyson stopped talking, and he could see Ray tensed on the bed, listening closely as well.
Yes, he wanted to see how Tyson handled Alexandra as he previously had failed and lost against her. On the other hand, the thought itself that he had to watch her using Dranzer in a fight was already boiling his cooled blood.
Kai paced back to the couch, dropping beside Kenny who just took a seat as well and kicked in his laptop on the coffee table, shifting nervously next to him.
Max and Ray got up from the beds and joined them without a sound, interested badly in the record. Tyson half-heartedly followed them, his hands deep in his pockets. When Hilary too could find a spot behind the couch from where she could see the screen, Kenny hit the play button.
Kai sat back comfortably on the furniture with tightly folded arms around his chest, looking annoyed at the video, but shortly he had to lean forward, furrowing at his Dranzer going berserk under Alexandra's command, changing Tyson's Dragoon to a deformed molten metal ball in a minute. He couldn't believe his own eyes.
"Woah." Max breathed in awe, the others' eyes just as wide.
Kai leaned back at the couch, lost in his rushing troubled thoughts.
How was it possible? He never could produce such a high temperature with Dranzer in such a short time, he didn't know his bitbeast was actually able to do that. He tried something similar in the past numerous times, yet he was not successful. Did she have some bond with his phoenix? How did she know Dranzer was capable of that, and also handling her the proper way?
Bitbeasts couldn't stand anyone else apart from their own wielder, they usually didn't accept orders from strangers. But Alexandra noticeably had no struggle to use the phoenix's power in her full potential. Dranzer didn't show any resistance to her.
'She handled Dranzer much better than you!'
His furrow deepened, lump in his throat, his stomach tightened.
Was there a chance he wasn't the true wielder of Dranzer? Did Dranzer follow Alexandra's instructions because she saw her worthier over him?
Kai dropped his head back on the couch in his distress with an exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt the lack of sleep was slowly taking over him. His self-doubting thoughts were alien in his mind.
He heard the others were talking over his head, arguing with Kenny about the possibility of what they had just witnessed. He didn't care. He didn't want to hear their incredulous gaps and answering their pointless questions.
"Delete the record." Kai's voice was a mere rasp due to being mute all day, but his team immediately quieted.
"What?" Kenny asked back, believing he misunderstood the captain's words.
Kai dropped his hand in his lap, but didn't open his eyes, not pleased he had to repeat himself.
"I said delete the record." He slightly raised his voice just to emphasis his demand toward the mechanic, but the small boy still didn't obey.
"What's the use of that? You won't solve anything if you just get rid of it." Ray's slight scolding tone annoyed Kai.
"Yeah, we could use this footage to learn something about her." Max offered.
Kai knew the blonde was trying to keep up the peace among them, but his stupid idea just made his head shake.
"She won't use Dranzer ever again, what could we learn about her exactly?"
The others went quiet at that, unwillingly admitting he got a point.
"I still can't see the reason to delete it." Kenny protested gingerly. "Maybe we can't learn anything, but you might."
Kai slowly turned to Kenny who instantly froze under his piercing gaze. Kai lifted his hand and placed it on the mechanic's shoulder. His grip was gentle and painless, nonetheless he could feel the body tensed under it.
"Let me put it this way." He said almost affably, not to scare the little boy. "If you don't delete the footage right away, you won't have to worry anymore about your future carrier as a mechanic."
"Don't touch him!" Tyson, who was standing next to the couch, now bent over his petite friend and harshly snapped away the threatening hand.
Kai looked at Tyson and saw again that unfamiliar, repulsed expression on his face, not forgetting his outburst from yesterday so easily. They stared each other down until Kai had enough, turning away from him and tilting his head at Kenny to urge the deleting process.
Chief still resisted to do so and before Kai could lose his patient, Tyson spoke up.
"It's better if you delete it, Chief. Let's just forget this ever happened and move on."
Kai audibly scoffed at Tyson's words. If he thought, they could've gotten away with it so easily better they gave it a second thought.
Right after he made sure the record was wiped out, Kai got up from the couch and headed the exit. It was futile to try to catch some sleep, he couldn't relax under his teammates' reproving eyes.
He threw the door open and stormed out to the corridor.
"Kai, wait!" It was Hilary who ran after him. She more likely wanted to deliver a lecture so he didn't bother to fulfil her request so kept walking.
"Wait!" She demanded as she caught up to him. Kai didn't turn back, he really was not in the mood to talk with her.
"Could you come back and talk through this with us?" She asked in a small voice. Hilary often used it when she was talking to Kai, he never understood the reason though. "You'll have to beybattle tomorrow after, we should work this whole situation out together as a team until then."
"There's no team anymore. It fell apart." Kai stated bluntly, still moving with haste towards the end of corridor so Hilary basically had to trot beside him, but at his words, she stopped abruptly.
She stared at Kai's back in disbelief though the expression was missed by the captain.
"So… that's it?" Hilary stuttered as she felt her anger raging up in her throat, not able to tolerate Kai's outrageously uncaring behavior at the moment. "Y-you're just walking away?"
Kai didn't bother to respond to such an obvious question. She clearly saw him moving his legs continually in a particular direction, right? He kicked open the door to the stairwell again, stamping down on the steps. Hilary followed him until the bottom of the first set of stairs.
"This is how you will manage your conflicts with your future business partners, as well?" Hilary had to raise her voice if she wanted Kai to hear her in the reverberating stairwell as he refused to take the elevator once again. "If you receive a business offer you don't want to accept, you'll just turn on your heels and walk out on them?"
"Exactly."
"Then you'll be an awful CEO after your grandfather!" Hilary spat at him venomously. She didn't mean her words, but she had enough with Kai giving such a cold shoulder to the friends who offered him forgiveness for the mistakes he had made numerous times in the past whilst he was adamant to return the generosity to Tyson. She hated to see the constant self-accusation sitting on the champion's face since their fight.
"You can't make business without any trade-off if you want to earn a satisfying deal for yourself!"
Kai's echoing steps stopped as he locked his gaze with Hilary from the height as he leant over the stair-rail to look up.
"Stop sticking your nose into the team's everyday life, Hilary. It does not concern you."
Hilary's eyes widened in her disturbance.
"As a team manager, the team's everyday life greatly concerns me! And it's my job to–"
"Spare me with another tirade of you being indispensable to the team. We were just as fine before you designated yourself to our manager." Kai interrupted quickly, preventing her to get into the swing of her long speech.
Hilary didn't reply to his poisonous retort immediately, just stared down at him, processing slowly in her mind what he had said.
Kai broke the eye contact at last and started again. His pacing was swift and silent in the big, hollow space.
"I did more for this team than you could have!" She cried after him, furiously.
He could hear the sad, stifled sob before she climbed the stairs back to their room level and slammed the door behind her with a loud bang.
Kai slowed down and eventually stopped on one of the many steps, thinking over his own words to Hilary in the sudden silence.
He didn't say anything he regretted. This was his honest opinion about the situation. The team worked properly without her assistance and had won a complete championship. Although, Mr. Dickenson had taken care a lot of things back then and since Beyblade became more and more popular among the teenagers, he had been caught up with many responsibilities and couldn't spend that much time with his favourite team anymore.
Hilary replaced the old man almost right after their first championship so Kai didn't notice how much the girl actually had done for the team in the background. Tyson was also less annoying since she joined them because his rival often used up his overflowing energy arguing with Hilary on silly things. She made useful training plans for them that Kai could use when he had not strength to come up with new ideas.
But this didn't change his point of view on the matter, he concluded internally as he continued his way down. It was the truth, and people hated hearing the truth. The truth annoyed Hilary, not Kai's harsh words.
Now, he was wide awake again, his mind too discomposed to rest, so he headed the training room once more.
When he arrived there, he noted that the next training room that belonged to Blitzkriegs was occupied, as well. He heard the familiar swirling sound of a beyblade and struggling panting from the player. The two-winged door that connected to the two training rooms were open so the air could move more easily in the open, wide space.
Kai glanced through it and noticed with a curl on his upper lip it was Alexandra.
He stepped again to the salmon ladder, just making a few pulls to relax his nerves. His worn-out muscles were protesting in agony being on foot for two days now.
As he took the bar from the floor, he heard the Russian girl cursing from the other room. Looking at her, he could see she was frustrated with her practice. She had setup cones and if he guessed right, she had been trying to get her beyblade on the top of it, but she was unsuccessful so far.
Kai watched her clumsy attempts for several seconds when eventually, he turned back to his own business and lifted the bar in his hand to climb the lowest rung.
He managed to jump on the first, but already felt the weakness in his arms.
Come on, just a few more rungs. At least two, or maybe three, then he could call it a day. He didn't come here to climb one single rung on the ladder and throw in the towel right after that.
Kai tensed his muscles to climb again, but suddenly felt lightheaded, blood rushing out of his brains to provide his muscles with enough oxygen. His hand slipped on the bar and lost his balance in the air as he missed the rung and then blacked out.
When he opened his eyes, he laid on the floor, the pulling bar in a fair distance from him. Thankfully, it didn't drop on him though his head felt dizzy and heavy anyway. Kai glanced to the other training room, he hoped the blonde didn't see his fall, that would've been embarrassing. Currently, she was celebrating around her beyblade as it was finally spinning on the cone with steady balance. It seemed Alexandra didn't notice anything.
How long was he knocked out? Seconds? Minutes? More…?
Kai gathered his remaining strength and got up like an old man. He couldn't remember feeling so exhausted like he was now. Forget the rungs, forget the salmon ladder, he was ready to fall into his bed.
He left the training room and paced to the elevator. It seemed it was late night again, most of the people already retired to their rooms.
The elevator was still arriving when he heard steps behind him. Kai really didn't want her company right now, but he was too tired to take the steps again on that day, so he remained still right where he was.
When the elevator doors finally opened for him and he entered the metal box, Alexandra sped up her steps, closing the distance, quickly jumping in beside him before the doors could shut again.
Kai leant to the wall, arms folded before his chest, looking at the floor or occasionally to the informative screen to check on which level the elevator was, but purposely avoiding the Blitzkrieg's girl. He didn't want to give the smallest sign that might have encouraged her to talk to him.
"Вот, дерьмо!" She cursed unexpectedly and grasped her nose that just started to bleed uncontrollably.
Kai casted a glance at her with a blank expression, absolutely unfazed by the red liquid. She also looked exhausted. It was a common after-effect of a more intense training with your bitbeast. Co-operating with a spirit was not an easy task for anyone, it overwhelmed the human mind.
Kai experienced it many times when he had practiced with Dranzer years ago. When he had been still the captain of Bladesharks, he had done it almost on daily basis. Interestingly, since he was the member of Bladebreakers, he didn't afford time to strengthen his connection with Dranzer. Not since he had thrown the phoenix for Black Dranzer. He was too ashamed to look into his phoenix's eye so closely.
The elevator stopped and rang when the doors opened on the eleventh level. It was Kai's room floor.
He pushed himself from the wall and exited the box without a word. He heard as the door automatically closed back behind him and moved up with Alexa. Blitzkriegs' room was on the next level.
Kai dragged himself to his team's room. Just a few more steps and he could sleep in his bed.
The common room was empty and dark, the others were already sleeping. He didn't have enough energy to change to his pajamas, he removed his shoes and dropped dead into the bed, falling asleep in an instant.
A/N: Yo guys! Hope you're enjoying the latest chapters!
I just noticed a few mistakes I made in these new chapters so I decided to re-write the earlier chapters, especially the first one. If anyone was planning to re-read the story, please wait until I update the earlier chapters. They're kinda lame comparing to these. I'm not going to change any major details though, do not worry. Just filling the gaps.
Let me know what you think about the chapter, leave a review if you feel up to it! Thank you all for reading it!