Mizu_Tenshi: Well I said I'd a chapter in someone else's POV and here it
is! Kenny's POV. Kai has not gone; you'll still be hearing from him later.
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words
Disclaimer: I don't own this anime
******************
'The sense that every struggle brings defeat
Because Fate holds no prize to crown success
That the oracles are dumb or cheat
Because they have no secret to express
That none can pierce the vast black veil uncertain
Because there is no light beyond the curtain.'' -James Thompson
Chapter 5 - Struggles
(Kenny)
We were breaking up; there's no point in denying that.
The morning was cold and chilly; weird weather for July. I think the sun must have sensed us and decided to mirror our feelings.
It was Rei's last day with us and no matter how hard we all tried we could not make it a happy one.
We tried, we really did but all our laughter was false and it took to much energy trying to keep it up so we gave in.
Max was up and smiling again. It was a huge improvement but even he found it hard to be cheerful.
Kai was not with us when we settled down to look at the pond and the wildlife around it. I thought he had wandered off like he always had.
Max did not mention Kai's absence and I assumed that he was thinking the same thing as me.
"Last day, huh?" Max broke the silence.
"Yeah," Rei grunted.
"Going back to the village to be the chief elder, right?" Max continued questioning him, as if he didn't already know why Rei was leaving.
"You'll be a great elder," I said encouragingly.
"Yeah and when you pass by people will have to bow down and say 'All hail king Rei!'" Takao cried.
That caused real laughter.
"I'm not going to be a king, Takao," Rei chuckled
"But you can order people about, right?"
I could kick myself for it but I decided to turn the conversation to a more serious topic.
"The tournament's not to far away," I commented. "You should train."
"I don't feel like training," Max stretched and yawned but I knew it was only to hide any threatening tears.
Like I said, I could have kicked myself.
"You okay, buddy?" Takao asked.
That's Takao; he's so concerned about everyone.
"I'm going in now, okay?" Max excused himself and went inside.
"Well Takao, it's just you and Rei training today."
"Aww, give us a break, it is Rei's last day after all," Takao protested.
"It may be Rei's last day but it's not yours, get training!"
"Aww, chief," Takao pouted.
"Don't 'aww chief,' me! Maybe you can get Kai to train with you when he comes back. Where is Kai anyway?"
To be honest, I really wasn't that worried about Kai. He always found a way to train but it was good to have around just to keep the others in line.
Rei and Takao exchanged glances. They looked really uneasy.
"He's gone," Takao fidgeted with his gloves.
"That's so typical of him to wander off but I'm sure he gets his training done," I huffed.
If Kai wasn't going to do it then I would make them train.
I should have read more into the uneasiness of the two bladers.
"No, chief, I mean he's gone," Takao repeated.
I frowned at them, trying to figure out the meaning behind Takao's words.
Rei and Takao kept exchanging glances and shuffling about like there was some conspiracy of something.
"He's not coming back," Rei eventually said.
My mind took a while to fully process this and then.
"WHAT?!" I yelled. "When did this happen?"
Not so loud," Takao hushed me and then began retelling the whole story.
Honestly, why am I always the last one to find anything out? Well second last in this case.
At the end I was so shocked I couldn't speak. Kai's arrogant, he's jaded and distant, sometimes even cold but.I didn't think Kai was capable of something like that.
I felt so betrayed. Even though Kai never gave any real indication of being more than a team captain I felt as if I had lost a good friend.
Then another thing hit me. Rei was going, Kai was gone, that left only Takao, Max and myself.
I found my voice again
"No, no, no, this is not good, this is not good!" I yelled.
"I think maybe I was too harsh yesterday; I shouldn't have sent him away like that," Rei muttered.
"This is not good, this is not good!" I continued to yell. Clutching my hair as I usually do when I'm about to have a breakdown.
"Chief?" Takao shook me gently. "Hey chief, relax, it'll be okay,"
"How can I relax?" I snapped. "Don't you see? We need at least three players to compete and now that Rei's going..."
"It'll just be you and Max blading," Rei finished off.
"No prob, we'll just get Mr D. to get us some subs, we can't just pull out of this tournament," Takao patted me cheerfully. Does anything ever get that guy down?
His cheerfulness was getting to me. It annoyed me how lazy he was being; he never even planned ahead.
"If that were possible do you think I would be so worried?" I cried
"Whoa, easy chief, keep this up and you'll go into overdrive," Dizzi, my laptop and partner in strategy, tried to cool me off.
I just sighed and said, "substitute players don't just come out of thin air and even if you got them most aren't that good."
Takao bit his lip and pondered this. "Well.I'll think of something."
My anger flared up again.
When I get angry I just look like I'm going over-bored with stress but this time I think I was really worrying them.
"Argh! You are so reckless!"
They say laughter is contagious. Laughter can infect a whole room and there's no cure but to laugh it away. What people don't say is that the same applies for anger and frustration.
"Hey, I'm doing my best, has it ever occurred to you that there are worst things going on right now?" Takao said hotly
"Cool it, Takao," Rei advised but we were already deep into the argument.
"I know it's hard that's why we have to train to put our minds off of it."
"If you're so mad about us training why don't you get a blade an train yourself? Maybe then you'll understand."
Ouch. That hit a sore spot. I've had arguments with Takao before but never one that bad.
"That's not fair! I've been busting my chops helping you guys and this the thanks I get? Well fine!" I turned my back on him. "You find your own way round things from now on!"
"Kenny!" Rei called but I was already walking away.
"Chief, come back!" Takao yelled but all I wanted to do was find somewhere peaceful to cool off
"Wow, chief, you really have a mean streak," Dizzi whistled from under my arm.
I just walked on ignoring all of them.
*********
I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon wandering around the shops trying to clear my head.
In the end I returned to my own house where my mom and dad were serving several customers.
They greeted me cheerfully and I just grunted back before taking a seat on the table to the far left.
"My head's gonna explode with everything that's been happening," I complained to Dizzi.
"Go on vacation," she suggested
"Don't joke around, Dizzi, how could I go anywhere when the team's falling apart?"
"The Bahamas are nice," she continued to ramble on about holiday destinations.
"I can't believe Kai betrayed us again," I muttered, ignoring all her suggestions.
"I never trusted that guy," Dizzi huffed. "You can't fool a bit beast trapped inside a laptop so easily,"
I was about to roll my eyes and say, "sure, I believe you," when I heard something very close to my ear.
I spun around at the sound of someone gasping. I thought it was more fan girls or fan boys coming to ask for an autograph.
"Did you say a bit beast? And it's trapped inside a laptop?" A tall, rather lanky looking man gasped again.
Of course, I never get fan girls. Few people actually appreciate my pure genius.
"I believe that's what I said," Dizzi replied.
"Amazing! It can talk!" He said in awe, as if he had never seen a laptop before.
"Oh, I can do a lot more than just talk, buddy," Dizzi who, being Dizzi, could not help but boast.
I looked at the young man and his bright green eyes. He didn't look like a fan.
"Can I help you, sir?" I asked as politely as possible.
"Kenny, isn't it? Kenny of the Bladebreakers?"
I must say, I was glad at least one person knew my name. Most people only care about the bladers and don't actually see all the hard work going on behind the scenes.
"My name's David Sanders," he introduced himself and I got to shake the hand. "I do research into bit beasts. I'm very interested in this laptop of yours,"
"She's not for sale," I declined.
"I never said that I wanted to buy it off of you," he chuckled cheerfully, "I would like to study it,"
"Her," I corrected. "Sorry, but Dizzi is always with me."
He seemed slightly disappointed at this, I saw his smile vanish for a split second but as quickly as it had gone it came back again.
"Would you care to look at our labs? I'm sure you would be very interested," he offered me kindly.
It was an offer I would have gladly accepted if not for all the problems I was already facing.
Now I really wish I had agreed to go with him; it would mean missing what transpired next.
"No thank you sir," I declined his offer. Why did I do that?
"No? Well that's a pity," he handed me a small business card, "if you ever want to stop by then call me and I'll make sure you're welcomed."
"Thank you," I bowed. "I should be getting back to my friend now."
If that conversation was good for one thing it had certainly made me forget my past anger. Now I was ready to try again.
I raced outside, offering only a short explanation to my parents. I think they know where I always go.
I ran all the way until I reached Takao's dojo. There was a lot of noise coming from the inside and I actually thought they were training!
So, like the hopeful, naïve, little boy I was, I entered under the arch leading to the dojo and found myself confronted by...can you guess?
"Tala?" I stared at the leader of the Demolition Boys. What was he doing here? I thought he was in Russia.
"Okay, that makes four," Tala grunted, totally ignoring my bewilderment. "So where's Kai?"
I looked around. My team was all glaring ice daggers at Tala and the other Demolition Boys. I could only guess what had happened minutes before my arrival.
"Where's Kai?" Tala repeated.
"None of your business!" Takao snapped.
Tala's ice blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh I think it is my business."
"Voltaire's sent us to bring Kai to him," Spencer explained though I had pretty much guessed that already.
"Well too bad, you're not gonna find him here," Rei gave an extra hard glare at Spencer and then at Bryan.
At that Tala whipped out his launcher. "Where is he? Tell me or do I have to take your bit beasts before you say anything?"
Rei growled and mimicked the move.
"Bring it on!" he yelled.
"Go, Rei!" Takao yelled encouragingly.
I just silently watched the two face each other off. Then I noticed something strange about the blade on Tala's launcher.
"Hey, that's not Wolberg," I muttered. It was white and the attack rings were completely different from Tala's normal blade.
"What is it?" Max asked but I couldn't see the bit chip from such a distance.
"We'll have to wait and find out," I murmured.
The two bladers stood opposite each other with their arms outstretched, ready to pull the ripcord.
I secretly wished that I would never have to see what kind of bit beast lurked in Tala's blade.
They began the countdown.
"Three...two...one...let it rip!"
The two blades landed firmly on the ground but before they could start attacking another blade came from seemingly nowhere to block their path.
"Hey, I know that blade," I mumbled and then it hit me just as I heard the owner shout Tala's name.
"Kai," Tala smirked, "how nice of you to drop in,"
Kai jumped down from the wall he had been standing on so that the two could glare at each other eye for eye.
Did I ever mention how alike they are? No, seriously, it's scary.
"What do you want, Tala?" Kai demanded answers.
"Me? I want you to drop down dead but your grandfather wants you to live long enough to be punished," Tala sneered.
"So are you going to come quietly of do I have to bash your brains out before you come to your senses?" Ian threatened.
Kai turned to stare at Ian as if he had never seen him before.
"Well if you find a stool somewhere then you're welcome to try," he smirked.
"Why you..." Ian went red with anger and embarrassment. "I'll tear you apart!" he yelled and lunged for Kai.
Kai side-stepped and was about to punch Ian when something stopped him in his tracks.
Tala had grabbed Kai's arm and was now flashing his blade in front of Kai's face.
"This is Angelo, it's said to be ten times stronger than a beast formed bit beast. Look familiar? It should do, especially since you killed Maxi's dad just to get it."
I can't remember what I was thinking at the time but it was somewhere along the lines of, 'ooh dear.'
"What?!" Max cried.
"You don't know?" Tala smiled with evil pleasure. "Well your almighty team captain is the reason why your old man is in the hospital."
I think we all drew in our breaths at that point.
"Liar!" Max yelled furiously. His fists were curled into balls as if he was about to whack the Russian redhead. "My dad was shot by drug dealers!"
"Oh is that what the police told you? I wonder why," Tala said with mock surprise.
"It's the truth! The police don't lie!" Max yelled.
Tala just snorted, which infuriated Max even more.
"How dare you suggest that Kai would do such a thing!"
"Leave it, Max," Kai warned.
"But Kai - "
"Max," Kai interrupted. What he did next is probably the stupidest but also the bravest thing I think he has ever done. He said, "Tala isn't lying,"
It took a while for this to sink in and then Max said, "what?"
"He said, Tala isn't lying," Takao spoke for the first time in a while.
"You knew this?" Max looked at us ludicrously. Takao and Rei both nodded solemnly.
"We're sorry, Max." It wasn't my fault but I apologised nevertheless.
"You too Kenny?" he asked me.
"I was told this morning," I nodded and instantly hated myself for it.
"Wow!" Ian whistled. "This is better than any soap I've ever watched."
I felt my blood boil with anger at the midget. How dare he find out suffering amusing!
"Let's go, we have more than enough time to get Kai," Tala tugged Ian away and the rest of his team followed.
"Wait, Tala!" Takao yelled furiously. I was afraid he might try something stupid.
"Leave him, Takao," Kai advised.
I'm not sure whether Kai could see the pools of tears Takao so bravely fought back.
Kai just stared at him and then, like the cold, heartless person I now thought he was, he walked away.
Ignorance is bliss.
**************
Mizu_Tenshi: You may recognise that last part from The Matrix. Well, there you have it, seven pages of Kenny-ness. You'll be hearing from Max next time. Thank you to all those who reviewed as well.
new_hope - Well I've already done most of the chapter but I'll see what I can do.
Dawn35 - I guess Rei was being a bit hasty, huh? Oh well, every cloud's got a silver lining. I'm sure things will look up for the team later.
Tenma Koneko - I'm on your faves? Wow, thanks. *bows* I won't disappoint!
CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl - Yep, things are going to keep going down.
DarkTwilightZero - Yeah, I like using the Japanese names for some reason and I agree, poor Kai is getting stuck in the middle of this huge mess.
meeee - Thanks a bunch! I'll be sure to update soon.
Sherbet Mayhem - Sorry, I didn't mean for Rei to act like such a jerk but he has his reasons for sending Kai away. Oh well, maybe they'll be a happy ending.or not.
kkornelia - Yay, killing Boris will be fun! Or maybe I should let Kai do that. Yeah, Kai deserves to kill someone.
Silver Swiftness - Yeah, I guess Rei wasn't thinking straight with all the problems he's having but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, right?
Vialana - The break up is coming very soon. I guess I should have delayed Kai coming back but I couldn't leave him out.
Sakura-Hiwatari - Whoops, Takao wasn't supposed to be so annoying in the last chapter but..you know.
anomynous - Yeah me too. I don't think Max will forgive Kai either.
Identity Thief - Well there you have it! Gee, they weren't separated for long.
DragonBlade - Don't worry, Kai's still going to be a main character in this story.
Othela - I think things have just gotten worse but it's not over yet! More bad things to come.
Syaoran-Lover - Thank you, I 'm safe well at least for now. Promise not to be too long in updating.
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words
Disclaimer: I don't own this anime
******************
'The sense that every struggle brings defeat
Because Fate holds no prize to crown success
That the oracles are dumb or cheat
Because they have no secret to express
That none can pierce the vast black veil uncertain
Because there is no light beyond the curtain.'' -James Thompson
Chapter 5 - Struggles
(Kenny)
We were breaking up; there's no point in denying that.
The morning was cold and chilly; weird weather for July. I think the sun must have sensed us and decided to mirror our feelings.
It was Rei's last day with us and no matter how hard we all tried we could not make it a happy one.
We tried, we really did but all our laughter was false and it took to much energy trying to keep it up so we gave in.
Max was up and smiling again. It was a huge improvement but even he found it hard to be cheerful.
Kai was not with us when we settled down to look at the pond and the wildlife around it. I thought he had wandered off like he always had.
Max did not mention Kai's absence and I assumed that he was thinking the same thing as me.
"Last day, huh?" Max broke the silence.
"Yeah," Rei grunted.
"Going back to the village to be the chief elder, right?" Max continued questioning him, as if he didn't already know why Rei was leaving.
"You'll be a great elder," I said encouragingly.
"Yeah and when you pass by people will have to bow down and say 'All hail king Rei!'" Takao cried.
That caused real laughter.
"I'm not going to be a king, Takao," Rei chuckled
"But you can order people about, right?"
I could kick myself for it but I decided to turn the conversation to a more serious topic.
"The tournament's not to far away," I commented. "You should train."
"I don't feel like training," Max stretched and yawned but I knew it was only to hide any threatening tears.
Like I said, I could have kicked myself.
"You okay, buddy?" Takao asked.
That's Takao; he's so concerned about everyone.
"I'm going in now, okay?" Max excused himself and went inside.
"Well Takao, it's just you and Rei training today."
"Aww, give us a break, it is Rei's last day after all," Takao protested.
"It may be Rei's last day but it's not yours, get training!"
"Aww, chief," Takao pouted.
"Don't 'aww chief,' me! Maybe you can get Kai to train with you when he comes back. Where is Kai anyway?"
To be honest, I really wasn't that worried about Kai. He always found a way to train but it was good to have around just to keep the others in line.
Rei and Takao exchanged glances. They looked really uneasy.
"He's gone," Takao fidgeted with his gloves.
"That's so typical of him to wander off but I'm sure he gets his training done," I huffed.
If Kai wasn't going to do it then I would make them train.
I should have read more into the uneasiness of the two bladers.
"No, chief, I mean he's gone," Takao repeated.
I frowned at them, trying to figure out the meaning behind Takao's words.
Rei and Takao kept exchanging glances and shuffling about like there was some conspiracy of something.
"He's not coming back," Rei eventually said.
My mind took a while to fully process this and then.
"WHAT?!" I yelled. "When did this happen?"
Not so loud," Takao hushed me and then began retelling the whole story.
Honestly, why am I always the last one to find anything out? Well second last in this case.
At the end I was so shocked I couldn't speak. Kai's arrogant, he's jaded and distant, sometimes even cold but.I didn't think Kai was capable of something like that.
I felt so betrayed. Even though Kai never gave any real indication of being more than a team captain I felt as if I had lost a good friend.
Then another thing hit me. Rei was going, Kai was gone, that left only Takao, Max and myself.
I found my voice again
"No, no, no, this is not good, this is not good!" I yelled.
"I think maybe I was too harsh yesterday; I shouldn't have sent him away like that," Rei muttered.
"This is not good, this is not good!" I continued to yell. Clutching my hair as I usually do when I'm about to have a breakdown.
"Chief?" Takao shook me gently. "Hey chief, relax, it'll be okay,"
"How can I relax?" I snapped. "Don't you see? We need at least three players to compete and now that Rei's going..."
"It'll just be you and Max blading," Rei finished off.
"No prob, we'll just get Mr D. to get us some subs, we can't just pull out of this tournament," Takao patted me cheerfully. Does anything ever get that guy down?
His cheerfulness was getting to me. It annoyed me how lazy he was being; he never even planned ahead.
"If that were possible do you think I would be so worried?" I cried
"Whoa, easy chief, keep this up and you'll go into overdrive," Dizzi, my laptop and partner in strategy, tried to cool me off.
I just sighed and said, "substitute players don't just come out of thin air and even if you got them most aren't that good."
Takao bit his lip and pondered this. "Well.I'll think of something."
My anger flared up again.
When I get angry I just look like I'm going over-bored with stress but this time I think I was really worrying them.
"Argh! You are so reckless!"
They say laughter is contagious. Laughter can infect a whole room and there's no cure but to laugh it away. What people don't say is that the same applies for anger and frustration.
"Hey, I'm doing my best, has it ever occurred to you that there are worst things going on right now?" Takao said hotly
"Cool it, Takao," Rei advised but we were already deep into the argument.
"I know it's hard that's why we have to train to put our minds off of it."
"If you're so mad about us training why don't you get a blade an train yourself? Maybe then you'll understand."
Ouch. That hit a sore spot. I've had arguments with Takao before but never one that bad.
"That's not fair! I've been busting my chops helping you guys and this the thanks I get? Well fine!" I turned my back on him. "You find your own way round things from now on!"
"Kenny!" Rei called but I was already walking away.
"Chief, come back!" Takao yelled but all I wanted to do was find somewhere peaceful to cool off
"Wow, chief, you really have a mean streak," Dizzi whistled from under my arm.
I just walked on ignoring all of them.
*********
I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon wandering around the shops trying to clear my head.
In the end I returned to my own house where my mom and dad were serving several customers.
They greeted me cheerfully and I just grunted back before taking a seat on the table to the far left.
"My head's gonna explode with everything that's been happening," I complained to Dizzi.
"Go on vacation," she suggested
"Don't joke around, Dizzi, how could I go anywhere when the team's falling apart?"
"The Bahamas are nice," she continued to ramble on about holiday destinations.
"I can't believe Kai betrayed us again," I muttered, ignoring all her suggestions.
"I never trusted that guy," Dizzi huffed. "You can't fool a bit beast trapped inside a laptop so easily,"
I was about to roll my eyes and say, "sure, I believe you," when I heard something very close to my ear.
I spun around at the sound of someone gasping. I thought it was more fan girls or fan boys coming to ask for an autograph.
"Did you say a bit beast? And it's trapped inside a laptop?" A tall, rather lanky looking man gasped again.
Of course, I never get fan girls. Few people actually appreciate my pure genius.
"I believe that's what I said," Dizzi replied.
"Amazing! It can talk!" He said in awe, as if he had never seen a laptop before.
"Oh, I can do a lot more than just talk, buddy," Dizzi who, being Dizzi, could not help but boast.
I looked at the young man and his bright green eyes. He didn't look like a fan.
"Can I help you, sir?" I asked as politely as possible.
"Kenny, isn't it? Kenny of the Bladebreakers?"
I must say, I was glad at least one person knew my name. Most people only care about the bladers and don't actually see all the hard work going on behind the scenes.
"My name's David Sanders," he introduced himself and I got to shake the hand. "I do research into bit beasts. I'm very interested in this laptop of yours,"
"She's not for sale," I declined.
"I never said that I wanted to buy it off of you," he chuckled cheerfully, "I would like to study it,"
"Her," I corrected. "Sorry, but Dizzi is always with me."
He seemed slightly disappointed at this, I saw his smile vanish for a split second but as quickly as it had gone it came back again.
"Would you care to look at our labs? I'm sure you would be very interested," he offered me kindly.
It was an offer I would have gladly accepted if not for all the problems I was already facing.
Now I really wish I had agreed to go with him; it would mean missing what transpired next.
"No thank you sir," I declined his offer. Why did I do that?
"No? Well that's a pity," he handed me a small business card, "if you ever want to stop by then call me and I'll make sure you're welcomed."
"Thank you," I bowed. "I should be getting back to my friend now."
If that conversation was good for one thing it had certainly made me forget my past anger. Now I was ready to try again.
I raced outside, offering only a short explanation to my parents. I think they know where I always go.
I ran all the way until I reached Takao's dojo. There was a lot of noise coming from the inside and I actually thought they were training!
So, like the hopeful, naïve, little boy I was, I entered under the arch leading to the dojo and found myself confronted by...can you guess?
"Tala?" I stared at the leader of the Demolition Boys. What was he doing here? I thought he was in Russia.
"Okay, that makes four," Tala grunted, totally ignoring my bewilderment. "So where's Kai?"
I looked around. My team was all glaring ice daggers at Tala and the other Demolition Boys. I could only guess what had happened minutes before my arrival.
"Where's Kai?" Tala repeated.
"None of your business!" Takao snapped.
Tala's ice blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh I think it is my business."
"Voltaire's sent us to bring Kai to him," Spencer explained though I had pretty much guessed that already.
"Well too bad, you're not gonna find him here," Rei gave an extra hard glare at Spencer and then at Bryan.
At that Tala whipped out his launcher. "Where is he? Tell me or do I have to take your bit beasts before you say anything?"
Rei growled and mimicked the move.
"Bring it on!" he yelled.
"Go, Rei!" Takao yelled encouragingly.
I just silently watched the two face each other off. Then I noticed something strange about the blade on Tala's launcher.
"Hey, that's not Wolberg," I muttered. It was white and the attack rings were completely different from Tala's normal blade.
"What is it?" Max asked but I couldn't see the bit chip from such a distance.
"We'll have to wait and find out," I murmured.
The two bladers stood opposite each other with their arms outstretched, ready to pull the ripcord.
I secretly wished that I would never have to see what kind of bit beast lurked in Tala's blade.
They began the countdown.
"Three...two...one...let it rip!"
The two blades landed firmly on the ground but before they could start attacking another blade came from seemingly nowhere to block their path.
"Hey, I know that blade," I mumbled and then it hit me just as I heard the owner shout Tala's name.
"Kai," Tala smirked, "how nice of you to drop in,"
Kai jumped down from the wall he had been standing on so that the two could glare at each other eye for eye.
Did I ever mention how alike they are? No, seriously, it's scary.
"What do you want, Tala?" Kai demanded answers.
"Me? I want you to drop down dead but your grandfather wants you to live long enough to be punished," Tala sneered.
"So are you going to come quietly of do I have to bash your brains out before you come to your senses?" Ian threatened.
Kai turned to stare at Ian as if he had never seen him before.
"Well if you find a stool somewhere then you're welcome to try," he smirked.
"Why you..." Ian went red with anger and embarrassment. "I'll tear you apart!" he yelled and lunged for Kai.
Kai side-stepped and was about to punch Ian when something stopped him in his tracks.
Tala had grabbed Kai's arm and was now flashing his blade in front of Kai's face.
"This is Angelo, it's said to be ten times stronger than a beast formed bit beast. Look familiar? It should do, especially since you killed Maxi's dad just to get it."
I can't remember what I was thinking at the time but it was somewhere along the lines of, 'ooh dear.'
"What?!" Max cried.
"You don't know?" Tala smiled with evil pleasure. "Well your almighty team captain is the reason why your old man is in the hospital."
I think we all drew in our breaths at that point.
"Liar!" Max yelled furiously. His fists were curled into balls as if he was about to whack the Russian redhead. "My dad was shot by drug dealers!"
"Oh is that what the police told you? I wonder why," Tala said with mock surprise.
"It's the truth! The police don't lie!" Max yelled.
Tala just snorted, which infuriated Max even more.
"How dare you suggest that Kai would do such a thing!"
"Leave it, Max," Kai warned.
"But Kai - "
"Max," Kai interrupted. What he did next is probably the stupidest but also the bravest thing I think he has ever done. He said, "Tala isn't lying,"
It took a while for this to sink in and then Max said, "what?"
"He said, Tala isn't lying," Takao spoke for the first time in a while.
"You knew this?" Max looked at us ludicrously. Takao and Rei both nodded solemnly.
"We're sorry, Max." It wasn't my fault but I apologised nevertheless.
"You too Kenny?" he asked me.
"I was told this morning," I nodded and instantly hated myself for it.
"Wow!" Ian whistled. "This is better than any soap I've ever watched."
I felt my blood boil with anger at the midget. How dare he find out suffering amusing!
"Let's go, we have more than enough time to get Kai," Tala tugged Ian away and the rest of his team followed.
"Wait, Tala!" Takao yelled furiously. I was afraid he might try something stupid.
"Leave him, Takao," Kai advised.
I'm not sure whether Kai could see the pools of tears Takao so bravely fought back.
Kai just stared at him and then, like the cold, heartless person I now thought he was, he walked away.
Ignorance is bliss.
**************
Mizu_Tenshi: You may recognise that last part from The Matrix. Well, there you have it, seven pages of Kenny-ness. You'll be hearing from Max next time. Thank you to all those who reviewed as well.
new_hope - Well I've already done most of the chapter but I'll see what I can do.
Dawn35 - I guess Rei was being a bit hasty, huh? Oh well, every cloud's got a silver lining. I'm sure things will look up for the team later.
Tenma Koneko - I'm on your faves? Wow, thanks. *bows* I won't disappoint!
CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl - Yep, things are going to keep going down.
DarkTwilightZero - Yeah, I like using the Japanese names for some reason and I agree, poor Kai is getting stuck in the middle of this huge mess.
meeee - Thanks a bunch! I'll be sure to update soon.
Sherbet Mayhem - Sorry, I didn't mean for Rei to act like such a jerk but he has his reasons for sending Kai away. Oh well, maybe they'll be a happy ending.or not.
kkornelia - Yay, killing Boris will be fun! Or maybe I should let Kai do that. Yeah, Kai deserves to kill someone.
Silver Swiftness - Yeah, I guess Rei wasn't thinking straight with all the problems he's having but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, right?
Vialana - The break up is coming very soon. I guess I should have delayed Kai coming back but I couldn't leave him out.
Sakura-Hiwatari - Whoops, Takao wasn't supposed to be so annoying in the last chapter but..you know.
anomynous - Yeah me too. I don't think Max will forgive Kai either.
Identity Thief - Well there you have it! Gee, they weren't separated for long.
DragonBlade - Don't worry, Kai's still going to be a main character in this story.
Othela - I think things have just gotten worse but it's not over yet! More bad things to come.
Syaoran-Lover - Thank you, I 'm safe well at least for now. Promise not to be too long in updating.