10: Storm Breaks
TigerRain: That's was it, but here's more. And I'm not telling you if it's a Kai/Ray/Lee... you'll just have to wait and see.
TigerTerror: Exactly. Red eyes, nothing else. And yes, the storms important, as you'll see.
sakura9566: I was just teasing you, don't worry. And my home email is really long, hence why I don't use it. But at least I know where you're coming from.
Neko Youkai aka Luna Malfoy: Here I am! Updating! ^_^
For once, I have nothing other to say except to say thank you for the reviews and the support thus far.
Disclaimer: But then, we all wish that we owned Beyblade.
The group stepped through the corridors of the training centre, laughing and joking. Kevin and Mariah couldn't keep the grins from their faces, looking forward to bragging to Lee about their new record for endurance. Gary and Tyson had forgotten about their most recent match, now focused on deciding exactly what to eat once they got back to the hotel. Max was inspecting the latest improvements to his blade, Kenny in step beside Mr Dickenson trying to coax the latest blading information from the head of the BBA.
Mariah's eyes widened, her hands taping her pockets. "I've left my purse in the training room. I'll meet you on the bus, k?"
"Sure thing, Mariah," Kevin answered, watching as she turned and dashed back, before he slid up beside Max to find out what he had been doing all afternoon.
The sound of a scream spun them all around, Kevin's eyes widening. "Mariah!"
Tyson broke away from the others, leading the way back toward the training room and bursting in. Mariah was trapped against the crates, surrounded by a group of men who laughed and sniggered, occasionally reaching forward to touch or grab her, only to find their hands slapped away, one stumbling back as a punch caught him in the jaw.
Seeing the group at the door, one of the men scowled. "Get lost, twerps. We just want the neko-jin girl, not a fight, got that?"
Tyson stood his ground. "Want her for what, moron?"
The corner of the man's mouth turned upward. "Don't you know? There's quite a large market for neko-jin slaves, particularly female ones. This one's young and fresh and not bad to look at. Now, if you'll beat it-"
Kevin shoved his way passed the others, eyes flashing as his fangs caught in the light. "Get away from her, you bastards!"
"It's another one!" One of the men cried.
"Grab the girl," the leader called back. "Get her to the car-"
Kevin yowled in rage, taking several steps forward and launching himself into the air, planting his feet in the centre of the mans chest and sending him flying backward onto the ground. Kevin kept his momentum, launching himself at the next man, sending a closed fist into the man's jaw. Springing off the crates, Kevin launched himself with ease toward the men closest to Mariah, his speed catching the first in line and sending him into the man next to him, knocking them over like dominoes.
Mariah leapt over them, sprinting toward the others as Kevin landed on the highest of the crates, catlike eyes burning as he hissed, searching for his next target. Seeing that Mariah was safe, he smiled, preparing to launch himself over their heads to join her.
The sound of a gunshot cut through the air. Spinning, Mariah saw Kevin's eyes widen in surprise, her scream filling the closed space as he slowly begun to tumble toward the ground.
~~~~*~~~~
Ray gasped as he bolted upright, eyes wide as he stared into the dimness. The room brightened as lightening ripped across the sky, followed by the echoing crash of thunder that rolled on and bounced off the corners of the room. He blinked, struggling to regain his breath, trying to remember where he was.
"Not scared of a little thunder, are you Ray?"
"As if." Ray shot a look to the side to see Kai sitting cross-legged on his bed, book in his lap. "Just a bad dream, that's all." He looked toward the doorway. "Are they back yet?"
"They probably stopped somewhere to ride out the storm," Lee commented from where he stood at the window, looking out over the horizon. "It would have hit them first."
Kai smirked. "A day of peace, and a night to match. Too bad I ran out of Vodka."
"Pity about the Brandy," Lee agreed.
"Wish there was some of that wine left too." Ray looked from Lee to Kai and back. "We're going to have to stock up next time we go shopping."
Kai grunted his agreement, then growled as the sky exploded in a blaze of light and fading to reveal total darkness. He reached out, hitting the light switch a couple of times to discover his guess was correct. "Great."
"Time to sleep anyhow," Lee said, pulling the drapes closed and crossing toward his bed.
It didn't take them long to get ready for bed and slip between the sheets, the three young men lying still listening to the thunder and watching lightening as it crept around the edges of the fabric on the window, sometimes so bright that it seeped straight through it to cast long shadows upon the walls.
Lee shivered, pulling his sheets closer around him. "Jeez it got cold quick."
"Heating must have cut out," Kai commented. "Everything else did."
They lay in silence, the temperature of the room plunging quickly. A strange chattering filled the air. They ignored it for a while, before Kai growled in irritation.
"What's that?"
"My teeth," Ray admitted. "And I can't stop them."
"Here's a suggestion," Lee spoke up. "Bed sharing. That way the heat from our bodies will warm us up."
"Works for me," Ray replied.
"Hn. Then I get stuck with the sound of you two making out all night."
"Okay," Ray said, looking through the darkness toward the central bed. "You can sleep in the middle then, Kai."
"Whoever said I wanted any part of this?"
"You'd rather freeze?"
There was a pause, the temperature now at the point that their skin had begun to prickle. Kai growled. "Fine. But keep your hands to yourself. No reaching over me."
Ray and Lee slid from their beds and padded toward Kai's, Ray grabbing his pillow and Lee dragging the top sheet from his bed. The three teens rearranged Kai's bed, then climbed between the blankets, Kai in the middle and the two neko-jin on either side.
"Anyone who snores gets booted onto the floor," Kai told them flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We don't snore," Ray shot back. "We purr. And we can't help it."
Lee shifted, making sure not to get too close to Kai. "Good thing these beds are so big."
"Agreed." Ray rolled onto his side. "Night Lee. Kai."
"Night Ray," Lee replied.
"Yeah," Kai said softly as the room lit up with another flash. "Night."
One bed between three. Could get pretty cosy. And was all that with Kevin and Mariah just a dream? Add your guesses to the review and we'll find out.