Wow. It's been a long time since I updated this. Now, where was I…ah. Here we go.
Rei leaned against the railing that surrounded the roof of the hotel. Night had rapidly fallen over the city, and from the roof he could see the city lights burning on the ground far below. He sighed and looked over to the boy standing next to him.
"Hey, Kai. Our match is coming up soon, you know." He said quietly.
Kai didn't respond right away, he just kept staring out over the city. He knew when the match was, he just wasn't looking forward to it. "I know." He replied.
Rei looked away. "You are going to battle right? I mean, you have to."
Kai looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure he understood what Rei was trying to say. "What do you mean?"
The dark haired boy pushed a stray strand of hair out of his face and scowled when the wind blew it right back. "I mean… your team doesn't seem to stand much of a chance without you. You guys barely won."
Kai suppressed a laugh. He didn't want to offend Rei. "Look, they aren't as horrible as you think they are. They have some definite tricks up their sleeves. All of them." He reached out and took Rei's head in his hands, forcing the other boy to look at him. He gave Rei a serious look and kept eye contact. "Listen to me. Don't under estimate them. And make sure no one else does either. You'll all have to work really hard, or your going to lose to them."
Rei blinked. There was something in Kai's eyes that was bothering him. "Kai. Why are you talking like that?"
Kai blinked in surprise and pulled back. "What do you mean?"
Rei folded his arms across the railing and looked back to the city. "When you talk about the Phoenix Tribe, you say 'them', not 'us'. Like you aren't one of them."
Kai followed Rei's gaze. "I'm not one of them. But I don't think there really is a them." He blinked. "The tribe is really just the administration. All the others are just… there."
Rei gave him a long look. He didn't understand what Kai was trying to say. The slate haired boy had a far off expression on his face, like he was looking at something far away.
Kai noticed the other boy's awkwardness and laughed softly. "Look, it's just a feeling I get from them ok?" he turned around and stepped away from the railing. "I have to go back now, but keep what I said in mind."
Rei stepped forward towards him, trying to give him a hug, but Kai held up his hand to stop him. He leaned forward and whispered in the other boy's ear. "Eyes all around us. Keep that in mind." he touched Rei's cheek softly and walked away.
Rei watched him leave, trying to process everything the other boy had said. Finally he gave up, and with a sighed, looked back over the city.
Kai walked towards the door leading back down into the hotel, leaving Rei behind. His hand had barely touched the doorknob, when he hesitated and looked up at the roof of the small enclosure that housed the door. He could hardly see it, but it was there, a silhouette against the dark sky. He blinked. "If I find out you're spying on any of them, I'll kill you. Understood, ANNEX?"
Annex raised her head slightly and scoffed at him, watching him open the door and disappear. She narrowed her eyes and glanced back over to where Rei was. "Hn. Kill me?" She jumped down to the rooftop without a sound and followed Kai through the door.
She walked down the hallways, heading toward Phoen's room, where a team meeting was being held. The finals were coming up soon, and Phoen wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. She reached the suite and pushed open the door. Everyone else was already there; they were waiting on her arrival.
She mumbled an apology and sat down on the floor near the foot of the bed. Kai was leaning against the far wall, glaring at her. She ignored it for a while, behind finally getting fed up. "What?" she growled, giving him an angry look. Kai ignored her and closed his eyes.
She growled again, before being shushed by Phoen. The older man began to run through the facts of the tournament, filling them all in on what he knew. Annex paid little attention, and went back to looking at Kai, who was once again glaring at her. She mouthed 'what?' to him, and this time, he held up a small envelope with his name scrawled on the front.
She blinked, as he once again stuffed the envelope into his pocket. She narrowed her eyes and turned back to Phoen just as he was going over the order for the match. She snapped back to attention. "I'll go up against Tyson." She said. "I would be best suited for him."
Phoen nodded and looked at Kai. "Would you like to go first?"
Kai started to respond, but Annex cut him off. "No. He's going last. And he's going up against Rei."
All eyes in room shifted to her, wondering why her words were so venomous. Ran frowned. She wasn't acting like herself. It was almost like she hated Kai, but he thought the two were friends.
Kai glared at her. "Fine. I don't mind going last." He met Annex's gaze. "Whatever our wonderful team captain wants."
Phoen stumbled over his next few words, and confirmed the order before telling them they could all leave. Everyone stood up, and Kai quickly left. Annex watched him, and quickly left herself, following him out the door. She caught up to him in the hallway, and grabbed his shoulder.
The boy turned around and glared at her. Before she could say a word, he pulled the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. She snatched it from his grasp and opened it, reading the note inside, her eyes going wide.
"A certain old woman gave that to me before, right after the match." He said. "She said you had told her that a few days ago, and thought I should know."
Annex crumpled the paper and looked at him with blazing eyes. "What business is it of yours?!" she yelled.
Kai turned away and folded his arms over his chest. "Hn. I don't care what kind of half-breed freak you are. It doesn't concern me. But I don't exactly trust yokai. You got it?"
Annex relaxed slightly. "So that's what this is. Think I'm going to hurt the Bladebreakers in order to win?"
Kai didn't answer, so Annex continued. "I'll take that as a yes." She looked away. "Pffh. Thought you knew me better than that." She looked at him. "Look, I don't care about this match. After this tournament is over, I'm leaving. I don't belong around these people. So whatever happens happens."
Kai looked over at her. He knew he wasn't supposed to know everything about her, that was the reason she had hid it in the first place, but still. He smiled. "Fine. But if anything happens to them, I'll kill you. Remember that."
Annex laughed and sighed. This conflict had been resolved easier than she thought. "Deal. I'll keep that in mind."
Kind of an odd chapter, but oh well. ^-^ The next chapter will have Meil vs. Max and Annex vs. Tyson in the finals, so stayed tuned. And of yes, lots more of Kai/Rei. ^-^ Review and I'll get back to updating!
Rei leaned against the railing that surrounded the roof of the hotel. Night had rapidly fallen over the city, and from the roof he could see the city lights burning on the ground far below. He sighed and looked over to the boy standing next to him.
"Hey, Kai. Our match is coming up soon, you know." He said quietly.
Kai didn't respond right away, he just kept staring out over the city. He knew when the match was, he just wasn't looking forward to it. "I know." He replied.
Rei looked away. "You are going to battle right? I mean, you have to."
Kai looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure he understood what Rei was trying to say. "What do you mean?"
The dark haired boy pushed a stray strand of hair out of his face and scowled when the wind blew it right back. "I mean… your team doesn't seem to stand much of a chance without you. You guys barely won."
Kai suppressed a laugh. He didn't want to offend Rei. "Look, they aren't as horrible as you think they are. They have some definite tricks up their sleeves. All of them." He reached out and took Rei's head in his hands, forcing the other boy to look at him. He gave Rei a serious look and kept eye contact. "Listen to me. Don't under estimate them. And make sure no one else does either. You'll all have to work really hard, or your going to lose to them."
Rei blinked. There was something in Kai's eyes that was bothering him. "Kai. Why are you talking like that?"
Kai blinked in surprise and pulled back. "What do you mean?"
Rei folded his arms across the railing and looked back to the city. "When you talk about the Phoenix Tribe, you say 'them', not 'us'. Like you aren't one of them."
Kai followed Rei's gaze. "I'm not one of them. But I don't think there really is a them." He blinked. "The tribe is really just the administration. All the others are just… there."
Rei gave him a long look. He didn't understand what Kai was trying to say. The slate haired boy had a far off expression on his face, like he was looking at something far away.
Kai noticed the other boy's awkwardness and laughed softly. "Look, it's just a feeling I get from them ok?" he turned around and stepped away from the railing. "I have to go back now, but keep what I said in mind."
Rei stepped forward towards him, trying to give him a hug, but Kai held up his hand to stop him. He leaned forward and whispered in the other boy's ear. "Eyes all around us. Keep that in mind." he touched Rei's cheek softly and walked away.
Rei watched him leave, trying to process everything the other boy had said. Finally he gave up, and with a sighed, looked back over the city.
Kai walked towards the door leading back down into the hotel, leaving Rei behind. His hand had barely touched the doorknob, when he hesitated and looked up at the roof of the small enclosure that housed the door. He could hardly see it, but it was there, a silhouette against the dark sky. He blinked. "If I find out you're spying on any of them, I'll kill you. Understood, ANNEX?"
Annex raised her head slightly and scoffed at him, watching him open the door and disappear. She narrowed her eyes and glanced back over to where Rei was. "Hn. Kill me?" She jumped down to the rooftop without a sound and followed Kai through the door.
She walked down the hallways, heading toward Phoen's room, where a team meeting was being held. The finals were coming up soon, and Phoen wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. She reached the suite and pushed open the door. Everyone else was already there; they were waiting on her arrival.
She mumbled an apology and sat down on the floor near the foot of the bed. Kai was leaning against the far wall, glaring at her. She ignored it for a while, behind finally getting fed up. "What?" she growled, giving him an angry look. Kai ignored her and closed his eyes.
She growled again, before being shushed by Phoen. The older man began to run through the facts of the tournament, filling them all in on what he knew. Annex paid little attention, and went back to looking at Kai, who was once again glaring at her. She mouthed 'what?' to him, and this time, he held up a small envelope with his name scrawled on the front.
She blinked, as he once again stuffed the envelope into his pocket. She narrowed her eyes and turned back to Phoen just as he was going over the order for the match. She snapped back to attention. "I'll go up against Tyson." She said. "I would be best suited for him."
Phoen nodded and looked at Kai. "Would you like to go first?"
Kai started to respond, but Annex cut him off. "No. He's going last. And he's going up against Rei."
All eyes in room shifted to her, wondering why her words were so venomous. Ran frowned. She wasn't acting like herself. It was almost like she hated Kai, but he thought the two were friends.
Kai glared at her. "Fine. I don't mind going last." He met Annex's gaze. "Whatever our wonderful team captain wants."
Phoen stumbled over his next few words, and confirmed the order before telling them they could all leave. Everyone stood up, and Kai quickly left. Annex watched him, and quickly left herself, following him out the door. She caught up to him in the hallway, and grabbed his shoulder.
The boy turned around and glared at her. Before she could say a word, he pulled the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. She snatched it from his grasp and opened it, reading the note inside, her eyes going wide.
"A certain old woman gave that to me before, right after the match." He said. "She said you had told her that a few days ago, and thought I should know."
Annex crumpled the paper and looked at him with blazing eyes. "What business is it of yours?!" she yelled.
Kai turned away and folded his arms over his chest. "Hn. I don't care what kind of half-breed freak you are. It doesn't concern me. But I don't exactly trust yokai. You got it?"
Annex relaxed slightly. "So that's what this is. Think I'm going to hurt the Bladebreakers in order to win?"
Kai didn't answer, so Annex continued. "I'll take that as a yes." She looked away. "Pffh. Thought you knew me better than that." She looked at him. "Look, I don't care about this match. After this tournament is over, I'm leaving. I don't belong around these people. So whatever happens happens."
Kai looked over at her. He knew he wasn't supposed to know everything about her, that was the reason she had hid it in the first place, but still. He smiled. "Fine. But if anything happens to them, I'll kill you. Remember that."
Annex laughed and sighed. This conflict had been resolved easier than she thought. "Deal. I'll keep that in mind."
Kind of an odd chapter, but oh well. ^-^ The next chapter will have Meil vs. Max and Annex vs. Tyson in the finals, so stayed tuned. And of yes, lots more of Kai/Rei. ^-^ Review and I'll get back to updating!
