Far From Here

A/N: Hi-o, peepsole! Yes, I'm still here! *grin* Hahahahahahahahaha *cough* hahahahahahahaha *sneeze* hahahahahahahahahahahaha *chokes, falls to the ground* ha!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own… jeez, people, you know whom I own and do not own. COMMON SENSE, GUYS!

CHAPTER 5: TRAITOR

            "Yah!" Rei jumped and tumbled off the arm of the chair he had been perched on. "Who're you?!"

            "I would be Julien Hiwatari." The dark-brown haired man said, an undecided emotion playing on the edge of his rugged features. Ice blue eyes didn't break gazes with catlike golden eyes, and one hand compulsively flicked a lighter on and off constantly. "Sorry, need more info?"

            "Uh, yeah." Tyson answered.

            "Let me retry this," Julien sighed. "Detective Julien Hiwatari, Head of World Government Special Investigations Unit. Now, as I was saying, you aren't the first to crack into Boris' master files. However, that's not important. Nobody believes what they read on the Net any way. I was looking for Kai."

            "Not here," Max answered. "Probably out back."

            Julien swore in an impressive array of languages and tore out the door. "Kai, you baka, you perra, you putin… you…" he trailed off as he caught sight of a dark-haired teen with bleached hair, slipping in among the trees. "Not so fast, 007. I put you on house arrest." He caught the tail end of Kai's scarf and hauled him back out. Struggling, Kai hissed something in Russian, then French, then Spanish, then English, then Chinese, then Japanese and after that, Chief didn't recognize any other languages.

            "Stop it, you idiot!" Julien roared. "If you would let me talk for one freaking second…"

            "Oh, yeah?" Kai challenged, lapsing back into Japanese. "So you can say what? That I'm supposed to sit around like some bloody milksop and wait for them to come and get me? I don't think so!"

            "Well, if you intend for all of your friends there to leave this place in one piece and alive, you'll shut up and listen." Julien snapped. "How much do you want to wager that they kill Alexei when they capture him?"

            These words had the intended effect. Immediately, Kai stopped struggling and allowed himself to be dragged back into the cabin. He still protested, mind you. "What are the chances, you idiot? You don't think they're smart enough to realize if they hadn't found him by now, he's probably dead?"

            "They still haven't caught that runaway roommate of yours," Julien patiently reminded him.

            "Mateo crossed the Russian border," Kai snarled. "They don't have any more legal power over him. Saw him at a competition just a month ago."

            "They're still after you," Julien tried again.

            "Yeah, well, they can't legally take me back because I'm on a different team." Kai snapped. "See? I got it all figured out without your help."

            "Do you really think legalities and laws and rules matter to them, Kai?" Julien growled. "Honestly, how naïve can you get?"

            "I am NOT naïve!" Kai snapped, fire crackling in his crimson eyes. "After all the Shakespearean plot you call my childhood, you really think I am capable of being naïve?"

            The other four Bladebreakers had been deathly silent during all this. Hoping to catch a snatch of what Kai's early years were like, they didn't move a muscle until Kai finally snarled, "Guys, go warm up." Rei didn't bother getting up when the younger three scampered out, instead sliding into the vacated chair. "Rei…" the cold, I-am-boss voice had gone, now it was just a pitiful plead.

            Just then, the door swung open again and two adults entered in. One was Dak, looking grim and pale; the other was a woman about Dak's age, she must've been Laili.

            "Julien!" Laili nearly shouted.

            "How'd you know I was here?" Julien asked, turning around to face them.

            "The government car sitting outside," Dak answered.

            "Remind me to get a less conspicuous car next time." Julien muttered. "Any way. Yes, I am here. Obviously."

            "Yeah, and I'm out of here!" Kai snapped, even as he zipped out.

            Kai ran, and he didn't stop running until he was a good distance ahead. He knew his feet would leave tracks, so he had to find out a way to distract them.

            "Thought you'd never leave, traitor."