Hey guys, I am so so sorry for the really long delay with this chapter, I just got stuck with a bit of writer's block. But hey, I updated, I didn't forget about this.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter Ten — Pieces of the Past
"What's this all about Takao?"
Takao looked around nervously as Rei asked him this before answering him. "I wanted to ask you something about Kai."
"What?" Rei was slightly apprehensive about this conversation. Takao wasn't as brainless as people thought, he was actually rather perceptive. It was altogether possible that he knew about his problem with Kai.
"You like him don't you?"
Rei stared at him in astonishment. He blushed slightly and started to stammer, "I … I d-don't know what you're talking about Takao …" he trailed off realising it wasn't doing any good. He sighed and Takao smiled gently. "Fine, you figured it out."
"So why haven't you said anything to him?"
Rei stared at him in amazement. "Are you serious? Kai would throw me off the team if he thought I felt like that about him." Rei turned away slightly. "Besides, I'm fairly certain he already has his eye on someone."
Takao looked curious. "Who?"
"Tala." Laughter was the last thing Rei expected in reaction to his statement. He looked at Takao in some confusion.
"Rei, those two have been at each other's throats since they set eyes on each other again. I doubt very much that Kai has warm and fuzzy feeling concerning Tala." Takao smiled smugly. "Trust me on this. Just take a chance with him. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Again Takao, let me just inform you this is *Kai* we're talking about here." Rei rolled his eyes and smiled at Takao. "Thanks anyway Takao. Talking helps somewhat."
"Any time bud."
"I still need a bit of time on my own though. Do you mind if I just wander off?"
Takao shrugged. "Go ahead, just remember we're supposed to meet up again later."
Rei nodded and walked down one of the walkways. Takao let out a worried sigh seeing him leave and turned back to walk to their teammates. /I wish Rei would just take a chance. I know Kai feels the same way about him too. They're both just too stubbourn to say anything./
He arrived back as Kai suddenly asked, "Where's Rei?"
"He went for a walk," Takao informed them with a smile.
Kai swore. "Which way did he go?"
Takao frowned and pointed down the hallway. "Kai, what's wrong?"
"I don't have time to explain. Just follow what Tala and Mr. Dickinson have to tell you and I'll be back with Rei as soon as I find him." The only reason the others didn't protest as Kai said this was because of the strange almost frightened look in his eyes.
Kai ran off down the hallway only to groan in dismay seeing the many doorways and side corridors leading away. /This is going to take me forever!/
* * *
Tala stayed at the top of the stairs leading down into the basement levels. This wasn't the only way in, but it was the closest to the main entrance.
He saw the confusion in the eyes of the other bladers as they went down, but all of them followed Mr. Dickinson's directions. Soon, everyone except Kai and Rei was down there. Tala looked around nervously and swore.
"Ian, Spencer," he yelled out and the two quickly came up. "I need you two to stay here incase Bryan comes and lock the door. I don't care whether or not I'm back, lock it as soon as they're here, understand?" The two nodded and Tala quickly sped off down the main hallway.
/Damn you Kai, why did you have to do this?/ Tala quickly scanned each room he passed and came up with nothing. He swore again and started to turn down one of the hallways when something caught his eye.
"Rei!" he called out. Startled, the boy turned around and stared at the frantic Tala. "Get over here and down to the basement, we've got trouble approaching."
Rei's eyes widened and he nodded. "Thanks. Were you out looking for me?"
Tala nodded. "And Kai. Have you seen him?" Rei shook his head. "Damn. Look, just get down to the basement, Ian and Spencer are holding the doors open. If you can't see them and they're closed then find somewhere to hide quickly and don't move."
"What's going on?" Rei asked nervously.
"We'll explain later, just get going." Tala pushed him away and Rei ran off towards the basement. Tala looked around again and growled. "Damn you Kai," he muttered again and ran off in search of the elusive blader.
* * *
Rei approached the hallways to the basement and stopped. He didn't know where the main entrance was. He swore and looked around, his hand frantically searching out chunks of hair to pull out. Why did Tala have to tell him this, what the hell was going on?
"Okay, I should just think this through calmly," Rei said to himself. "If I follow this hallway, I should find the maintenance offices, which means basement access should be nearby." That figured out, Rei sped off down the hallway.
However, he did not notice the dark figure reach out and grab him as he passed, nor did he even hear the sound of the bullet being fired at him before it hit him, making him black out from the pain.
* * *
Tala ran down the last hallway, knowing that Kai had to be here somewhere.
"Kai!" he called out.
There was a scuffing sound just before he was flung down onto the ground and bullet-fire erupted everywhere.
"Run," Kai hissed in his ear as he got up off Tala. The boy wasted no time and did as Kai said and ran back towards the basement area. There were shouts from behind them as the shooters were caught by surprise then they heard more shots fired and running.
"Tala, Kai!" The two turned and saw Bryan gesturing frantically for them by one of the side doors to the basement. They looked around and saw that the shooters were still a few hallways behind them. Tala ran towards Bryan and almost slipped on a dark patch of liquid, but Kai caught him and straightened him up as he ran. They got inside and bolted the door down.
"You've got them?" Tala asked as he ran down the stairs with Bryan. Bryan held up some folders and Tala grinned. "We've got them by the balls now."
Kai didn't say a word, he just rushed into the main basement area. He heard the sounds of guns as he walked in and then Spencer and Ian lowered their weapons with smiles of relief.
Kai looked around nervously. "Who was wounded?"
Bryan, Ina and Spencer looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Tala slipped on a patch of blood. Whose was it?"
"No one besides you came down that passage," Bryan said.
Kai looked around at the bladers and his eyes widened as he noticed someone missing. "Where's Rei?'
Tala paled. "I sent him straight here when I saw him."
"You what?" Kai rounded on him. "They were already inside when you met up with me, how could you just send him off alone?"
"I didn't know they were inside! Besides, that might not have been Rei's blood."
Kai growled. "It better not be Tala, because if you've cause him harm because of your stupidity with this —"
"Kai!"
Kai turned around to Mr. Dickinson, the dark glare still on his face, but the man was still as stern as ever. "Should Rei have fallen, it is not Tala's fault. If. I do not believe that Rei is hurt."
Kai stepped away from them and walked over to stand in a corner. "You'd better be right," he threatened seriously.
It was at that moment a girl stepped forward, with her a young boy that looked very familiar to Kai. They girl ran up to Tala and hugged him.
"I'm so glad you're okay Tala."
Tala smiled at her. "What about you? I heard you and Alex had a bit of a scare, running around with Bryan." Tala looked suddenly stunned as she suddenly burst into tears. He looked at Bryan who had a pained expression on his face.
"I found them at the house. It was burned to the ground, along with Celia's parents."
"No," Tala breathed and he took the girl in his arms and let her cry onto his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Celia." The girl didn't answer, she just cried more. The boy, Alexander, was close to tears himself. He looked away and caught sight of Kai standing in the corner. His eyes widened and he walked over to him.
"I never got to thank you," he said quietly.
Kai looked down in surprise. "What?"
"For helping me when you found me again." Alex smiled. "For telling me about Celia."
The girl looked up at the sound of her name and she saw Kai standing with Alex, looking confused. Her breath caught and she pulled away from Tala. "Kai?" she whispered.
Kai looked over then was shocked as Celia caught him in a hug. "Oh, you're all right," she cried.
To say Kai was stunned did not even begin to explain how everyone else looked. Takao, Max and Kenny were staring at the girl as though she were a viper about to strike at any moment, the White Tigers and All-Stars were wide-eyes and speechless. This was *Kai* the girl was clinging to as she cried, was she crazy or something.
Kai looked down at the hysterical figure sobbing onto his shirt. "Celia," he tried, "Look, I know you've been through a lot, but can you hold onto yourself for a moment while we try and work things out."
Tala and Bryan glared at him as he said this and Celia looked up at him hurt. Kai winced. Maybe that was a bit harsh, but he was too worried, confused an angry to deal with much right now.
"I'm sorry," Celia said finally, much to his surprise. "I'll try to calm myself." Celia released him and Alex went to her, giving her a quick hug and a reassuring smile.
Tala snorted. "You really haven't changed at all have you Kai."
Kai growled. "Look Tala, I'm really sick of everything right now and you have been on my back for the past few days. I'm about to snap and I'm sure you don't want to be there when I do."
Tala sniffed at this. "Do you see me quaking in my boots?"
Kai stalked over to him. "I'm really sick of your attitude Tala, what the hell is wrong this time?"
"Does there have to be a reason for me to hate you?"
"Right now, I don't want to deal with this. I just want to find out what happened to Rei and make sure I can get him back safely."
Tala laughed at him. "Now that's a good joke Kai. I'm sure you really care about what happens to the tiger."
Kai glared at him. "You don't know me Tala , not any more."
"You're wrong, I know you better than you think. You don't give an damn about Rei, you don't care about anyone. You'll just abandon him as you did us. People like you don't change Kai, that much I've discovered the hard way." Tala turned away from Kai.
"I didn't abandon you," Kai yelled.
Tala turned back around, his eyes blazing. "Don't you dare lie to me again Kai! You abandoned me, broke every promise you ever made and all for the offer of power from Black Dranzer. When that didn't work you ran away. You left us back there, you left me back there without a care. You cared more about power than you did about any person."
"I didn't leave you! I didn't want the blade! They were going to kill you if I didn't use it!"
Silence fell with this startling statement from Kai. He looked stunned at the revelation that had seemingly come from nowhere.
Just what was going on with him?
AN: And we're now approaching the really action packed parts of the story, hence the reason for my writer's block. Don't worry, the next chapter will be out sooner, it's almost finished.
Until then
Laters.