Disclaimer: We do not own Beyblade. It belongs to Nelvana and the company that created it in Japan. I do own Alex Cross, Daniel Von Brown, Megumi and Isis. This story takes place during the episode 'Out of the Past' and will run through the rest of the entire first season.  If you have any questions please contact us at ericpaladin@hotmail.com or nekowingzero@yahoo.com.

The Lost Bladers
By: David Knight and Wingzero

Part 1
The Unknown Truth

Kai Hiwatari walked down the streets. His hands in his pockets. Somehow, he felt that he knew this place. He shook his head. There was no way he could have been here. It was his first time visiting this frozen city, but yet there was this strange pull. He wanted to know about it, because he found it rather disturbing. Wandering around the streets, he allowed his feet to take him anywhere. He needed information and now.

So absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice himself running to another young man, one seemed to be like a walking corpse in a way.

Kai looked towards whom he bumped into. He appeared to be very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Also, he wasn't about to apologize to this young man. It wasn't his style, but something made this stoic blader want to talk to him. "Do I know you?"

"... I'm a nobody these days," the stranger said in a depressed voice, "Just a normal person with no future." he started to walk away.

Kai's hand immediately shot out towards the stranger and grabbed onto his upper arm. "Everyone has a future, whether it is good or bad. I know I have seen you from somewhere. Do you beyblade?"

"Not any more. Now let go of me." the stranger asked, his eyes being hidden by the stands of blonde hair that covered his face.

"Not until you tell me your name," Kai demanded to know. He knew he wasn't going to rest easy without solving this mystery.

"... its Alex."

Kai released his captive's arm as he said he would. Then it hit him. Not a vehicle of any sort. "... you're Alex Cross. The team captain from the Blade Knights and former World Champion."

"Emphasis on the word former," Alex said solemnly as he started to walk away from Kai.

"So is that what you're going to do, roll over and give up?" Kai asked with a harsh tone. "Tch. How you even became world champions with that kind of attitude is beyond me."

"I don't even know why," Alex shook his head, "I'm not a blader any more. I haven't been since I disbanded the Blade Knights five years ago right after the World Championships. I hurt my friends because of how I led... I wasn't going to make that mistake again." he turned around to leave again.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Kai said, looking at his former hero. When he was younger, he wanted to be like Alex. That was the reason why he trained hard. Well, it was one of the reasons why he trained every day. "If you don't learn from your mistakes and move on, you are a fool. If you give up after making a mistakes, you're an even greater fool." He paused to think for a moment. "Well, seeing as you're nothing, I'm wasting my time here."

"When your mistakes nearly cost the people you care about their lives, how can you trust in yourself?" Alex spoke, catching Kai's attention, "Don't be arrogant about your abilities, or you'll end up destroying yourself." with that he just walked off and away out of Kai's sight.

"What does he know anyways?" Kai scowled. "He's a washed up blader, who doesn't know what he's talking about." The stoic blader turned to where he was initially heading and trudged through the snow. He stuck his hands back into his pockets wondering why had Alex acted the way he did and what his words meant.

* * *

A few days later, things had changed very much for Kai. He had defected from the Bladebreakers to the Demolition Boys, and as a result had in his possession the most powerful beyblade in the world as well as the most powerful bit beast. Especially since he had taken the All-Stars and White Tiger's. But for the moment, he was thinking about the events of last night. Specifically, his encounter with Tyson.

_Why did I throw Dranzer to him? Out of all people, why Tyson? Well, it is none of my concern now that I have Black Dranzer and his power,_ Kai thought as he walked down the Abbey's hallway, fingering the blade in his pocket. _Black Dranzer is all I need. I have no use for friends. They'll only get in my way or betray me. What are friends good for? I might as well continue my training. With all this excess energy, I could take down the entire Abbey single handedly._ He quietly walked towards the training area when he overheard a couple of guards talking. Quickly he concealed himself before they caught sight of him.

"I gotta tell ya that Boris is a genius," one of them said.

"Yeah. Soon we'll be promoted once Biovolt takes its rightful place as rulers of the world," his companion said, "And to think this all really started five years ago at the World Championships."

_What does the World Championships five years ago have to do with Biovolt?_ Kai thought to himself. _Wait a second.  That was when the Demolition Boys made their first appearance. They won the tournament by defeating the Blade Knights, but what intrigues me is how they managed to pull it off? The Blade Knights were the reigning champions. Knowing Boris, he probably has a hand in their defeat._

"Yeah. Still can't believe how he did it. Wonder what Boris's trump card is doing now?"

"You mean other than being Voltare's personal body guard," the second guard sneered. "Come on, let's get back to our shift before we punished."

_So that's what I thought,_ Kai mentally said to himself. _Friends will only betray you. I'll have to check this out. Forget about training. It can wait._ He waited for the guards to leave the area, before he went to the computer room. Quickly typing a few words, he had easily pulled up the file on the Blade Knights.

What he saw disgusted him.

He read through the file starting with the tempting of a Blade Knight. The situation was so much like the one he was currently in. Boris gave the traitor what he wanted in exchange for betraying his team. Now, he knew why the Blade Knights lost that match. They had a traitor amongst them.

Kai stood up from the chair he was sitting in. He knew what he had to do. He had to find Alex and tell him the truth about what happened five years ago, but he didn't know where to start searching. Of course Boris would want him to train harder than ever before, though he couldn't concentrate with this hanging over his head. Slipping out of the Abbey, he made his way to the streets in search of Alex.

* * *

Alex looked over the park from his vantage point, looking on at the young children beyblading in the street just for fun. _I used to be like them. Blade for fun. That's what it was to me until I was recruited into the BBA for my skills. That's when I met Megumi, Isis and Daniel. First my teammates, then my friends..._ he shook his head in sadness, _And now nothing... everything is just dust in the wind and I have no one to blame but myself._

Kai headed down the streets. His crimson eyes looking out for that blader. Maybe he should try the park as there were beyblade stadiums there and he couldn't think of any other place that Alex would hang out. Since he recognized the place, he made his way to the park without any problems.

As soon as he entered the park, he searched through the bodies to find that one person. He glared at no one in particular when he couldn't find him. "Where did he disappear off to?" His crimson eyes scanned through the crowd when he felt a pair of eyes watching him. Turning around, he saw the person who he was searching for. "Alex." He whispered, though no one could hear him.

_Him again... what does he want with me?_ Alex shook his head. He started to make his way toward Kai. When he finally reached the former Bladebreaker, he asked, "What do you want?"

"I have information you might be interested in," Kai said without giving out information. "If you want to know, let's talk somewhere private instead of here out in the open."

"There's nothing you would have that would interest me," Alex shook his head, "I'm going. Don't bother me again." he started to walk away but Kai's voice got to him.

"Do you want to know why you really lost in the World Championships five years ago?"

That made Alex stop on a dime. Slowly but surely he turned around, looking Kai dead in the eyes. "... lead the way."

Kai nodded his head and led Alex to a deserted alleyway. He leaned against a wall, before starting to explain. "You probably are wondering why the Demolition Boys were able to defeat you easily."

"We underestimated them... I underestimated them," Alex sighed. That day had never left him. In his head he kept replaying it. They had gotten practically swept off their feet for the entire tournament finals. It was so unreal what happened. First Megumi, then Isis and finally him. All of them defeated, save for Daniel who managed to save face for himself. But he blamed him for what happened during Megumi and Isis's matches. Matches that had been so intense and so unreal, that their conclusions resulted in the two girls being put into the hospital.

In Alex's own match, he watched as their team captain demolished his blade, after the match he ground it under his foot, leaving only his bit beast there.

But what Alex couldn't understand was why, why by everything that was good in the world had his bit beast refused to answer him. From the start of the match to this very day, his bit beast, the only thing he had to remember his father by, was completely silent.

Daniel told him he enjoyed the spot light just a little too much, that he was lost in lime light and that's why they all failed so miserably and why Isis and Megumi were unconscious in the hospital sharing the same room. He was a disgrace as a blader... and he believed his best friend when he said it.

"You should never underestimate your opponents," Kai informed him. "That will lead to your defeat, but in your case, there are other factors to consider than your pride."

Alex looked up to Kai, his eyes attentive, "What do you mean?"

"Sabotage," Kai said as he looking into Alex's eyes with his serious ones. "Your match was sabotaged so the Demolition Boys could win."

"Wh... what?" Alex muttered, he looked at the young boy, trying to see that he was lying, that it had been his fault.

There was no deception in his eyes. He was speaking the truth. He knew something Alex didn't. That the entire match had been rigged, and the depression that he been sunk into for so long was all just a sick joke on someone's behalf.

"... who?" Alex demanded, his voice showing strength for the first time in years. "Who did this to my team?"

_Now that's more like it,_ Kai thought to himself. "Would you like to meet the person face to face? I know where he is and have access to there, but for your information, we'll be heading to the Abbey. That is if you're still interested."

"I don't know what kind of Abbey this is but I will tell you this," Alex said in a very controlled voice, "Not even men with guns would keep me from finding out who did this to my friends. Show me the way, kid."

"The name is Kai," Kai said as he led the way towards the Abbey. "I should warn you. The men we're dealing with are very dangerous so you better be on your guard once we set foot on the premises. The Abbey is the training grounds of the Demolition Boys."

"That's fine," Alex returned, "I haven't bladed in five years, but being on the streets, you either learn how to fight or you die. I chose option number one."

Kai nodded his head. "Everyone wants to survive and they will use any means they can to do so. The Abbey isn't far from here. You'll have to sneak in, because they only allow personnel to enter. I can disable the cameras for a full minute before they become suspicious."

Alex nodded, straightening up as his entire demeanor changed and it was evident to Kai. It looked like the former world champion was actually alive for the first time in years. "Let's get going then."

* * *

After twenty minutes of walking, Kai and Alex arrived at the gates of the Abbey. He unlocked the front gate and peered into the yard. No one was in sight so he motioned for his companion to follow behind him.

Alex followed Kai wherever he was going. He had never been at the place where Demolition Boys trained, nor had he ever wanted to be. _Nor do I really care what's happened to the original members of their group. What I want to know, is how they sabotaged our match._ He put his hand in his pocket and held the disk that held his bit beast, _Maybe it will tell me why you won't answer me. You think?_ As always, his bit beast was silent.

When they had reached the front door, Kai informed Alex to wait there while he took out the security cameras and system from the inside. Going inside, he went towards the surveillance room and disabled the cameras for a full minute, giving them both enough time to run towards the training area where they were training the new recruits. Once he returned to the door, he motioned for Alex to run down the hall as quickly as possible without making too much noise. Reaching the training room doors, Kai turned his attention to Alex.

"You may not like what you see, but promise me you won't make any noise to indicate our presence."

"I won't. Open it."

Kai nodded and opened the door to reveal the last person Alex was expecting to see. Several children were lined in rows with launcher and ripcords in hand. They were practicing their launches so it would be perfect and powerful. The Abbey only wanted the best of the best and training was the only way to achieve it. He waited for his companion's response.

"What the..." Alex muttered as he saw the lines and rows of children, repeating the same phrase over and over again. He was sickened by the message, that winning was everything and losing was disgraceful.

But not even that could have prepared him for what he saw.

"Stupid brat!"

_It can't be!_ Alex's head snapped up and looked to the left. There he saw a young man older than him by a few years, dressed in a black uniform. He had just hit a child down from where he was practicing. Alex just couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"You stupid, stupid boy," the young man sneered, "Beyblading is all about perfection and your skills are less than perfect." he took the boy's beyblade and crushed it under his foot. "You aren't worthy of being a part of us. You are worthless."

"Please! Don't!" the boy pleaded but the man kicked him in the head.

"Shut up you piece of trash!" he laughed down mockingly at the defenseless boy. He started to kick him in the ribs... hard. "You are absolutely worthless. Not just as a blader but as a human being. Just like a person who thought I was his best friend. What stupid dope he was. He's probably dead now thanks to what I told him. Good riddance to him, the world is much better off without garbage like him." he stopped hitting the boy, who was now badly injured, and motioned to the guards, "Throw him out into the streets. We'll let chance be his own friend, though he wont survive the night alone."

"Yes Mr. Von Brown." the guards said as the hauled the boy's unconscious body up.

The man looked at the other children and was pleased to see them not even acknowledging what he had been doing. Only focusing on their training. "Good. Never allow anything to distract you from your goal. You who can become Biovolt's elite must never give in to human weakness. You are the future."

Kai shook his head, but he really didn't care about Boris's methods of training. After all he had been put through it.

But when he looked at Alex, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. His right fist was clenched so tight that his hand was actually starting to bleed; yet Alex didn't even look concerned about it. His face was a mask of rage, anger... and betrayal. His ice blue eyes never left the man they called Mr. Von Brown... the last name of the man that Alex had known... or had thought he had known very well so long ago.

"Daniel..." he hissed, his voice just dripping with his absolute disgust and anger.

"Have you seen enough or do you want to see more?" Kai asked as he turned around to head towards a more private area.

"If you show me any more, I won't be able to control myself," Alex said very slowly, "If you don't want a scene, then get me out of here now."

Kai acknowledged the request. With his hand, he quietly closed the door and led Alex to a back door of the Abbey. He couldn't risk bringing his companion through the front door again so he had to leave through the back door. "Would you like to know more?"

"Why?" Alex asked, "Why did he do it?"

"Personal reasons I can't tell. What I do know is that Boris paid him a large sum of money, three million in American dollars be exact." Kai answered.

"Money... he sold us out for money?!" Alex asked in disbelief, looking into Kai's eyes and knowing he was saying the truth. Alex slammed his hand against the wall in disgust. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it because it's the truth," Kai told him, "Once paid, he sabotaged all of your blades. Replacing parts of them with ones that would break easily and slow yours down. But most of all, he took something from you."

"Took something... from me?" Alex blinked.

"Your bit beast." Alex immediately pulled out the disk that was in his pocket but Kai spoke again once he saw it, "What you have in your hand is just a piece of scrap metal. Your 'friend' switched your bit beast for that."

Alex stared at the disk, the disk that he had thought had been his bit beast for so many years since that day... was actually just a lifeless piece of metal. It was too much for him as he fell to his knees in shock, "... all this time... all these years I thought he had rejected me... when all along... he had been taken from me... by my best friend."

"See, this is where friendship gets you," Kai said with a serious voice. "Friends will stay with you until they an opportunity to better themselves. That is when they betray your trust. This is the reason why I never have friends. In the end, they will either be your weakness or betray you. Power is all that matters Alex. But apparently you haven't learned that lesson at all, while Daniel did. You're pathetic now. A shell of a former champion. No, you are a has been that has past his time." He turned around, not even facing Alex. "Come on. I'll take you out of here now before you get seen. No sense in causing a scene. Once we're out, you can get a ride back into the city."

"I didn't ask for your help," Alex spoke, his voice very much subdued now as he started to get up, "But I want to thank you Kai. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth about what happened five years ago." Once back on his feet he saw Kai starting to leave but Alex wasn't done speaking yet, "However you are the biggest fool in the beyblading world if you believe that power is all that matters."

"Tch, power is everything," Kai snorted. "At least it won't betray you."

"No. It will just corrupt you and leave you as a hallow shell," Alex returned, "And no one will remember you or care about you when you become that shell."

Kai glared at Alex before turning his back to him. He didn't want to hear any more of this nonsense from this washed up former world champion. At a young age, he was told to strive for power and perfection. To this day, he continued on that quest. He didn't care who got in his way as long as he was able to accomplish his goal. Friendship was useless. The situation with the Blade Knights was a shining example. Not only was the team disbanded but Alex lost his bit beast as well.

"Think what you want to," Kai said loud enough for Alex to hear. "I'll think what I want to."

"You think I'm being stupid. I'm not." Alex said to him, "Yes, we were betrayed by a friend true, but we had no idea it was going to happen. We never even thought of it because me, Isis and Megumi always thought all four of us were inseparable. That we were more than friends, but family and that nothing could divide us." He lowered his head for a moment and admitted, "But there were signs that I ignored. I was young. When I won the World Championships on my twelfth birthday, I felt on top of the world. That we were unbeatable. I took it in as did the others and we never saw it coming. That our prestige would destroy us... and turn my best friend into the animal I saw in that room."

He paused for a moment before speaking again, this time his voice was clear and there was strength and passion within his words, "I was young then and easily manipulated by forces I couldn't see or understand at all. But I'm older now. I've finished high school and I know how the world works now. I live on my own and the only thing I regret is not that I let my team down, because now I know I didn't. What I regret is that I allowed my life for the last five years to be dominated by that one single day. This is where that ends now."

Thinking about what Alex said, Kai faced him. His crimson faced fiery ice blue ones. He didn't see that spark. No, he saw an intense fire in those eyes. Something he hadn't seen ever since Alex was the world champion, but there was something more to it. The fire had grown and spread wildly.

"Tell me something Kai, how did you get in here in the first place. There is no way you could have unless you actually worked with them." Alex said calmly.

"Oh you didn't know that already?" Kai shrugged, "Yes. I work for Biovolt. Just like your 'friend' does."

"I get what Daniel got for working for them." Alex replied, "What I don't see is what you get out of working for them. What will you accomplish by working for these animals?"

"I will become the strongest beyblader in the world."

"And what will happen then Kai?" Alex asked him seriously.

Kai had to think on this one for a moment. "Nothing. I'll be unstoppable."

"Wrong. You won't be," Alex told him, getting a glare from Kai but he paid it no mind as he continued, "There will always be someone stronger than the one that holds the title of 'the strongest in the world'. No one is invincible. I wasn't. My team wasn't. And the Demolition Boys that I fought weren't."

"They beat you even if they had help," Kai countered, "And even if there wasn't any sabotage, they were among Biovolt's elite. They were excellent bladers."

"Then where are they now Kai?" Alex asked him, "Huh? Where are they now Kai? Why aren't they here now or back the year they defeated my team to defend the title. Don't you find it very odd that every year the championships come up, that not one member of last year's Demolition Boys are back to defend their title? With how this Abbey trains his bladers, what do you think happened to them?" 

Kai didn't want to believe this. The bladers that came from Biovolt had to be among the best, the elite, the cream of the crop. Then why did Alex's words bother him? Yes, it was true that the line up for the Demolition Boys changed every year. If they were good, then why replace them. He shook his head. This was becoming confusing. He gave the only answer he could think of, "They became weak and were no longer worthy of being on the Demolition Boys."

"And you think that's reason enough to throw them out like that boy we saw was? They don't care about you Kai. All they want are results." Alex said firmly, "One failure and you're gone. That's their weakness. All they see is power and that is why they will fall. Power is nothing against the strength of people that care and support you. The strength that you gain from friends and family will always defeat absolute power."

"That's enough of your lies!" Kai cried out, more frustrated than ever. "Stop trying to corrupt me with your friendship garbage, because I've had enough of it."

"Then prove me wrong Kai." Alex challenged, "Prove to me that power can over come friendship." He thought over some things in his head. Even though he hadn't bladed in five years, he still watched the games and occasionally kept track of the BBA games. Looking Kai's face again, he knew had seen him before, on one of the games. After thinking harder, he knew he had his answer. With a smile forming on his face, he gave his challenge, "Challenge your former team, the Bladebreakers... but don't be too surprised when they defeat you."

"If it will get you off my back then so be it," Kai growled at Alex. "Those pathetic losers don't stand a chance against Black Dranzer and me or perhaps you're weak. I'll have a helicopter waiting to pick us up. Then I'll show you that power is everything." He stopped to organize his thoughts. "You'll have to stay out of sight when I battle them. You don't want the entire world to know you're alive. Knowing Tyson, half the country will have heard you're still around."

"Fine, I agree. But you've got it backwards, Kai," Alex said with a sly smirk, "They aren't weak... you are."

"We'll see who's right by the time this is over," Kai said, returning to his normal cold self. He fished out his cell phone and made a few phone calls, including one to the Bladebreakers. "The helicopter will be here in seven minutes. We'll take it to the rendezvous point."

"Lead the way then," Alex said as Kai let him secretly down the hallway to where they would get to the helicopter was for them. The pilot didn't even ask about Alex when he entered after Kai. It was as if it didn't matter. Kai on one end while Alex sat across from him, still having that smile on his face.

_Regardless of what I know now or what is happening, I do know that I have felt more alive in the last hour than I have felt in the last five years._ Alex only hoped though that what he had goaded Kai into doing wouldn't turn out in his favor, or else the crimson eyed boy would become just as lost as Daniel had become. _There's no way in hell I'm going to let this kid turn into what Daniel has become. He opened my eyes up and I'm going to pay him back for it._ the helicopter started taking off and Alex looked at the sky, _Bladebreakers, don't disappoint me. You are Kai's only hope now._

To Be Continued...