"…" Speech '…' Thought … Implied words
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Chapter 8: Easier to run
"Voltaire?"
The old greying man let out a cruel laugh, he was certainly old somewhere in his seventies Rei guessed yet still he such an aura of cruel power and sadistic greed. There was only a slight resemblance between Kai and the man in front of him to indicate that they were indeed related to each other. The atmosphere of control they were both able to project and the intense look in their eyes although Voltaire's eyes were steel grey and held cruel malice while Kai's were crimson and locked away a hidden flame it still greatly unnerved Rei. "So Kai's told you about me, has he?"
"He told me you were an insane bastard!" Rei spat only to receive a harsh kick in the mid-section, which made him keel over in pain.
"Now listen," Voltaire snarled, pressing the cold nozzle of his gun to Rei's stomach. "Lackey is going to ask you some questions," he indicated the injured employee. "You will answer all of them unless you wish to suffer a very painful death."
The employee retied Rei's bonds.
"We want -" Lackey couldn't finish because he was interrupted by the loud bang of the door bursting open.
'Too dramatic…' Kai assessed his performance.
"Kai, so are you willing to come back?"
"Yeah, I'll go back to being a dam guinea pig!" Kai snarled.
"That's a shame," Voltaire pointed the gun straight at Kai's chest, a triumphant look gleamed in Voltaire's contemptuous eyes.
Rei's mind moved a mile a minute. He had to do something before Voltaire killed Kai; there was only one thing he could do.
Rolling over, he sunk his sharp feline fangs into Voltaire's ankle.
'Yuck! I'm gonna have to wash my mouth out a hundred times!'
Voltaire dropped the gun in shock and gripped his bleeding ankle, throwing Rei off in the process. Lackey and Kai both lunged for the gun at the same but it managed to elude both their grasps and was knocked into the next room.
During the commotion Rei grabbed the nearest piece of glass a furiously began sawing through the tough bonds. Finally they came loose and he saw Kai staggering back as another punch was landed successfully on his chest.
"Run!" Rei yelled.
Kai paused to contemplate Rei's suggestion. He had never run from anything before yet his logic assumed that this time running would be the best course of action.
They sprinted out of the building and down the deserted streets ignoring the agonising cries they were receiving from their muscles.
Finally they entered the darkness of the maze known only as the alleys where they could stop and gasp for some well-deserved breath.
Rei found a narrow passage well hidden by tall walls and other passages to rest. It was enveloped in darkness, the cold stone floor was dry and the air was bereft of the repulsive odour of trash.
Rei let his legs collapse into a heap by one of the alley's high walls. He felt Kai's presence close to him; he turned his weary head to watch the slate haired boy. Kai's hands lightly brushed against Rei's arms as the stoic boy slowly unwound the cloth around Rei's wrists.
Rei could only watch with mild confusion at Kai's action but he trusted the boy well enough to let him continue with whatever he was doing in silence.
Kai tore the material into strips and began bandaging Rei's wounds in constant silence; his mind seemed so fixed on the task that it seemed as if he had forgotten about Rei's watchful eyes.
"Thanks," Rei said gratefully once Kai had finished. Kai ignored the thankful boy and moved to sit against the opposite wall. Once he had reached his destination he began bandaging his own wounds with what little remained of the fabric.
'Err…' Rei's mind faltered at the silence. He dared himself to speak but, much to his surprise, it was Kai who broke the silence.
"We should stay here for a while until the coast is clear," it was more of an order than a suggestion but Rei hardly noticed the difference.
"The others will worry," Rei stated, fully aware that Kai knew how the others would probably feel. "…But I guess you know best so I'll agree with you." More silence ensued their brief conversation. Rei drew his legs up to his chest, wincing whenever he moved a sore muscle. He began rocking back and forth out of simple boredom; his restless eyes darted this way and that until finally resting upon an endless sea of pale blue.
'It's still light, it must be only early afternoon,' Rei guessed. "Kai, I'm sorry for not taking more care," he apologised.
"Whatever," was Kai's gruff response.
"You keep saying you don't care but you came to help me," Rei smirked.
"Don't get too sentimental, I was only making sure you didn't tell my grandfather anything about me, it wasn't 'cos I cared if that's what you're insinuating."
"Like I could, you hardly tell me anything about yourself," Rei inwardly smiled at the denying teen, Kai would always be Kai no matter what.
"Then you should be happy," Kai said bluntly.
"Huh? I just don't get you sometimes," Rei scratched his head in confusion.
"If you don't understand then you should ask," Kai said abruptly. His willingness to speak was causing Rei great suspicion.
"Okay, then what are you afraid of?"
"None of your business," Kai smirked.
"B…But didn't you just - "
"Just because you can ask me doesn't mean I'll give you the answers."
'What?' Rei cocked his head to the side like a confused kitten. He dismissed the feeling with a shake of his head and decided to go for another topic.
"So, you must have been really into blading if you were willing to go with your grandfather to train at the abbey," Rei smiled, trying his best to make small talk.
'Huh?' Kai's mind said in confusion. Why was Rei asking? It wasn't relevant to their current situation.
Rei must have presumed that Kai's quizzical look was one caused by lack of clarity so he explained. "Did you really want to blade or were you gonna be something else when you grew up?"
'Yeah like I had a choice about what I wanted to be,' Kai's mind spat. He had always craved power but now Kai wondered if that was what he truly wanted or if it was a desire implanted by Biovolt.
'Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.'
Kai didn't know where he had heard that quote or why it had been buried so deeply in the archives of his brain but he knew it was by Oscar Wilde. In reality did he have any real wants and goals or was everything just a teaching he had been tricked into believing as his own? Was he just an empty shell filled with the ideals of Biovolt?
Kai shook his head; he mustn't allow himself to think like that, it would only distract him from his goal.
Rei watched Kai's unmoving features with amber eyes, he tried to stifle a yawn but to no avail, his body was worn from the fighting.
"Go to sleep if you're tired," Kai said.
"Are you sure?" Rei asked. Receiving an affirmative nod Rei settled down on the cold floor for an uncomfortable sleep.
Kai waited, his eyes never leaving Rei until he was certain he was asleep. He idly drummed his fingers on the stone floor, grateful of the peaceful silence that came with the now waning light but also bored that he had to wait so long.
Suddenly Kai's ears pricked at the sound of something moving down the alley, he scrambled to his feet and braced himself for whatever had made that sound.
It could have just been a stray cat yet somehow Kai's instincts told him that it was more than a simple cat. Taking a few bold steps forward he decided to search for the source of the noise though he felt slightly guilty for leaving the hapless Chinese boy but decided that it would be best to discover any possible threat before the threat discovered them.
Casting one last glance at Rei he walked into the depths of the alleys.
"Tut tut, you were the never the one for big scenes," a mocking voice rained down on Kai, causing him to jump back in surprise.
"Tala! Show yourself you coward!" Kai growled.
As requested Tala emerged from the shadows in front of Kai, his ice blue eyes gleamed with mockery at Kai. "Were you scared?"
"Of a peon like you? No chance." Kai retaliated.
"You've changed, the Kai I knew hated heroics," Tala smirked.
"I still do," Kai replied laconically. He hated their 'elegant' conversations, the ballet of spiteful words that each one displayed for the other's own amusement, he did his best to cut off the show of words but he never succeeded.
"So you don't call saving the little cat boy heroics?" Tala raised an eyebrow. Kai kept his lips pursed; Tala had put on the better show this time. "You've become soft, staying with you old team to protect them."
Kai remained silent, he knew that there was some truth in Tala's words. They hardly knew anything about him to tell Voltaire, he silently cursed himself for being unable to cut the ties with his former team.
"Kai, if you join us you'll have power, isn't that what you want?"
"Maybe," Kai did his best not to say too much. The slightest word could loose the game for you and he knew from watching Tala before that Tala was excellent at twisting and poisoning his words.
"You don't like your grandfather, do you? To be honest, neither do I."
Kai was taken aback by Tala's statement but he refused to allow the shock to creep over his face. For once Tala was being honest; it was a first for him.
"I'm planning to over throw Voltaire and Boris, you help me take over Biovolt and I'll help you get rid of Voltaire, all you have to do is a little role playing, just act as if you want to go back."
"And let them experiment on me?" Kai said ludicrously though he was thinking deeply about Tala's offer.
"You can avoid that," Tala shrugged. Kai remained thoughtful. He could fool them for a while and once Voltaire had been exposed he would take down Tala as well but what if this was a trick? What about his former team-mates?
"What about them?' Kai's brain asked. 'The only way you're gonna be free is to cut those ties and this is your only chance!'
"You don't want to fall in the same old trap, do you Kai?" Tala continued. "You think that after Hikaru…"
"Don't!" Kai raised his voice for once in the whole of that day.
"Think about it," Tala smirked. "You stay with your team and you'll end up being used, you go to Voltaire and you'll be manipulated, you can't break free because you'll just be tracked down. The only way to end your little cycle is to get rid of Voltaire."
It did make sense but his deep mistrust for Tala made him indecisive.
"You've always been a fighter, Kai," the red haired boy continued. "You've always been rebellious and defiant but do you have the strength to defy this fate that you seem to caught in? Can you avoid the inevitable? All you have to do is join me and leave your old team behind."
"Fine, I don't care about them anyway. As soon as Voltaire is dealt with I'm outta here."
"Of course," Tala gave a triumphant smirk. "Did you really think I wanted you to stick around after I have what's mine?"
Kai just shrugged all his loathing for the red haired boy was lurking behind a mask of cool indifference. Tala coaxed the suspicious teen to follow him out of the alleys.
'I hope Rei can find his way back,' Kai prayed but as soon as the words crossed his mind he wondered why he had bothered to save the Chinese blader.
Unknown to the two rival teens a pair of amber eyes were watching their departing backs.
"…Kai…I hope you know what you're doing."
I know, don't kill me! That chapter was confusing and frustrating but…err…it will get better and…err…don't kill me.
