Title: Resurfacing

Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine

Rating: R

Summary: see chapter one

Warnings: see chapter one

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable character belongs solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.

A/N: Ha! I actually updated on time! This chapter was actually two separate chapters but I really want to get to the end of this story plus I still feel pretty bad about the last horribly late update and didn't want to stick you guys with a cliffie. So…here's a super long chapter 23!!! Love ya!!

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He was swimming in thick, cold water which numbed his mind and body.

"Alert the E.R!!"

"Where's the doctor?!"

"Who was keeping watch?!"

Footsteps pounded the floor, voices shouted, machines beeped. He wanted to know what was going on, but he was too tired even move, staring blearily up at the ceiling

"We're losing him!"

"Call the team!"

"We need help in here!!"

He didn't feel anything wrong with him, so what was all the excitement about? The voices grew more frantic, the beeping more irregular.

"Heartbeat is failing!"

"Spasms are coming on strong!"

"Come on, kid; don't quit on us now!!"

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Pale blue eyes drifted shut and he turned his head away, burrowing deeper into his pillow. Outside his room, the staff fell silent and the steady beeps became a single toned drone that soothed him off to sleep.

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He was rocked by another strong thrust, not even wincing as strong fingers dug into the already marred skin of his hips. The same hands moved to his knees, forcing them further apart, gripping the knee caps almost desperately as the pace was picked up.

Grunting with each thrust, Voltaire had his head back, eyes closed to better feel the exquisite sensations that coursed through his body. He could feel his climax nearing and deepened his efforts, pulling at the body beneath him to meet him half-way, burying himself deeper.

"Mine…My Kai…All mine…" he rambled to himself the entire time. "No one else's…only mine…Yes!"

Leaning down, he nipped at the strong chest and neck, biting the skin hard enough to cause instant bruising. He tore a hand off those divine hips to run it through the tousled hair, groaning at the softness. The sight of the luscious bluenette beneath him and the feel of him undid the much older man who came with a triumphant cry, moaning as he thrust a few more times to ride out the wonderful climax. Panting, he eased himself off the boy, lying down next to him.

Warmth played across his skin, heating its soft surface which shivered slightly as a hand leisurely ran down his side, its partner holding his head at a tilted angle, giving the wet mouth better access to his neck. Sheets stuck to their sweaty bodies, wrapping around him almost to the point of suffocation under their light weight and thick material. The room was silent except for the other's ebbing erratic breathing as the older man regulated his breathing which had been spurned by their 'passion'. The pants weren't steady yet, in a strange way, seemed to flow along with the tune that barely escaped his closed lips.

The haunted tune...

The haunted soul...and even that was waning.

The hand finally found a suitable spot on his waist, falling still in motion though a rough thumb still traced unseen patterns, leaving slightly raised goose-bumps in its path as it trailed along. When the mouth on his neck pulled away his head was raised with uncharacteristic gentleness to meet matching red eyes which studied him with obsessive admiration.

"Soon, Kai, soon all this will be over; all will be gone. It will just be the two of us," Voltaire whispered to the nonchalant teen beneath him, running his fingers through the slate-coloured bangs to reveal the crimson pair that had captivated him since the day he had first laid his own eyes on them. "Soon...soon we will be far away from here. You'll like India, especially our new home. No one to hazard us anymore. It will be just us."

He loved the boy. He threatened him, beat him, cursed him, berated him; but he loved the young bluenette. He had come to the point that he couldn't let a day go by without touching and caressing the soft skin and hair, tasting the sweet lips, staring into those scarlet eyes. Kai was rightfully his. God had gifted him with this child to compensate for Sergey's incompetence.

"I should have moved in sooner with Sergey," he whispered into an ear, kissing the lobe gently. "Your father...I had not anticipated him to be so rebellious. He resisted me, called me foul. I tried to be patient with him; I tried to ease him into submission. But he was already a teenager. Old enough to think that he knew what was right and what was wrong. He had such potential; intelligent, insightful, athletic, well-humoured, and so unbelievably desirable."

Coarse fingertips began running over his face yet he didn't even blink, allowing them to map the contours of his cheeks, chin and lips.

"He was my son. He was my property. Yet I was denied access to what I had created. Can you believe that, Kai? Do you not find it preposterous? A creator has all rights to enjoy his creations yet I was forbidden to take pleasure in what I believed to be my greatest masterpiece. He dared to defy me...to resist me."

Voltaire scowled, his long hair falling over his shoulders, framing his face, curtaining his eyes though they remained intense.

"Then he turned away from my love and married that British bitch. He was mocking me; openly boasting his rebellion. It was that very day that I swore to kill him; and her as well since she stole him away from me. All great creators hold dear their creations and if I could not have mine, no one could. It was such a brilliant scheme; I had planned it all down to the last minute."

Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him tightly against the elder. The contact irritated the bandaged wounds but he didn't flinched, humming the sad ballad.

"But then...then I was blessed. God himself understood me and gave me another chance; he gave me you. One look was all I needed to know that you were the one I've been craving for all my long life. And I wasn't going to make the same mistakes I made with your father. I trained you, Kai. From our very first meeting I made it clear to you who was the master. You learned so well. You would cry and say that you hated me, but you knew. You knew, Kai, deep down inside your mind and heart that you belonged to me from the start. You knew I deserved you, more than anyone else."

His unresisting body was straddled amongst the sheets, their bare skin sliding smoothly over one another. Both hands now cupped his face as he felt a wet drop land on his cheek. The crimson eyes above him shimmered slightly, the grey hair before them tussled from their actions, adding to the almost insane stare directed fully on him.

"I never make the same mistake twice. I am finally going to receive the reward for all my hard years of labour," Voltaire said, more to himself than the uninterested boy beneath him. Blinking away another tear, he leaned down, placing a long, hungry kiss on the pale lips. "I will never let you go, Kai. I cannot, even if I wanted to. You have become a drug and I am powerless to resist. You are too addictive. I cannot lose you...I would not be able to live without you..."

He was wrapped in a strong embrace though didn't return it, staring lifelessly at the ceiling high above them. Even when the arms released him he didn't move, watching as his grandfather rose from the bed, suddenly all business and arrogance as usual, the moment of emotional weakness now covered by layers of confidence.

"Get dressed," he said briskly, tossing the boy his clothes which had been carelessly tossed on the floor the night before. "We have an important date with someone at sunrise."

Fully dressed, he was unable to resist taking hold of the smooth chin and forced another seemingly endless kiss, almost trying to devour the young man who sat through it passively, the bed sheets deliciously pooling around him slim waist, teasing the elder with glimpses that would have made a lesser man succumb with need. Bracing himself, he pulled away, straightening his clothes.

"The guard will escort you when you are ready."

And he was gone, disappearing through the single door, its lock clicking loudly in place. A few murmured instructions barely reached his ears and more footsteps. Then...silence. Except for a soft tune which had by now engraved its melody in his mind to the point that he couldn't think of anything else.

Listlessly, he picked up his crumpled shirt and pulled it over his head. Bruises and lacerations stretched but pain, like the tune, was now a part of him he had learned to live with. Beyond that, there wasn't anything. The past weeks had morphed into ever fading memories.

He could see a woman's face as she had held him, begging him to not give up, her embrace comforting though he no longer possessed the ability to feel it; a great ball of flame, wide wings and wild mane, soared imaginary before his eyes, a distant cry of a bird soon overpowered by the haunted tune. And faces. He saw so many faces. People he must have known at one time for they spoke to him in his mind as friends. Some seemed more familiar than others. Adults and peers alike, they drifted just out of reach of recognition. Their mouths moved but he couldn't hear them.

Only his tune.

"Hey! Hurry up in there!" the guard on the other side of the door demanded, banging once against the heavy wood in emphasis.

He knew he should feel wrong to obey, that at one point before this he wouldn't have taken order from anyone, but now his arms moved on their own accord, fingers curling around the thick fabric of his pants as he body shifted itself to the edge of the large bed. If it was in any pain, and rightfully so, his body either didn't report it or his mind simply dejected it.

His eyes, however, could still function correctly as he caught sight of something falling out of one of the pockets, landing on the carpeted floor silently as to not disturb his tune. An overhead light shining on the object danced over the golden surface which managed to find its way from under many years of decaying film.

Slowly, he slid off the bed to the floor, kneeling over the bracelet, watching it, humming louder as he remembered her voice.

Her laughter...

The thick watch-band felt heavy in his hand as he gently removed it from the pocket, laying it almost ceremoniously alongside the bracelet. He remembered being held by its owner, feeling his father's warmth…

His love...

The skies through the windows were turning from purple to light pink, their rays high-lighting the accessories on the otherwise grim carpet. His own skin was bathed in a soft pink though he noticed nothing, eyes emotionlessly switching from one object to the next. The glittering seemed to dance in sync with the hummed lullaby.

Laughter...Love...

Between the two accessories the small, empty bit was placed, filling the space.

Laughter...Love...Loyalty…

High above his head, the sky turned blood-red as dawn and its inevitable fate drew nearer.

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Awareness tugged him out of the mist of sleep, making him confront the bright lights of reality. He was completely alone, in his heart but also in his room. The door was shut as always yet he could have sworn he had felt something brush over his face.

Something lingered near him, in his mind. Something spoke to him in a silent language though he felt anticipation welling in his chest.

For no reason, he sat up, muscles stiff, and for the first time since his arrival, he placed both feet on the floor, wincing at the iciness of the tiles. Undeterred, he held onto the bed's railings for much needed support and with pure will-power, he stood. His balance had been thrown off from long weeks lying in bed but he fought bravely against the dizziness that made everything spin.

Something was wrong. The place was too quiet...

The cords and wires attached to him were bothersome and he pulled them all out, wincing at the stings that quickly spread through his arms and wherever they had previously been injected in. Droplets of blood made angry streaks down his arms yet he had already forgotten them, walking with forced coordination to the door. The distance wasn't far but by the time he gripped the door handle his legs were trembling under strain of sudden motion and his had to lean against the cool wood as the world spun in crazy circled, fooling his mind enough to bring on nausea.

The presence was still there. Next to him. But it was slipping away...

No staff member was to be seen in either direction as he stepped out of his room, the even brighter lights making him squeeze his pale blue eyes shut. Though his eyes were closed for only a few seconds his heightened hearing heard the small dripdrip of his blood that now smeared his palm, trickling down his fingers before free-falling to the floor, splattering against the white tiles. The air in the corridor wasn't as heated as inside the room and being dressed in mere pyjama pants left him vulnerable to the chill, his skin prickling under the cold assault.

It was moving away...down the hall...

Keeping to the wall for support, he began to slowly make his way towards the source though as he slowly regained better coordination he picked up the pace a bit, breathing hard, almost desperate. It was wrong. Something was so horribly wrong; it ate at him.

"We're losing him!"

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Passing at least a dozen doors, he suddenly stopped before one which was numbered 303. It was no different from the rest of doors which lined the hall but it was this door that attracted him. It was here that he could still catch the presence though it had faded into mere whispers.

Something about the presence made him fearful to let it leave. It felt as if he would be feeling the last of something very important to him. Like he was losing something…

He had to catch it.

Taking hold of the brass handle, he turned it, opening the room up to him.

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A towering uproar of foaming waves crashed against the rocky outcrop, forcing itself up and over the ledge, misting the small group of people who stood not too far away. Especially the woman who knelt on the rocky ground, not feeling the sharp edges that dug into her knees and shins. But a few feet behind her, the ground fell away, nothing but steep cliffs, rocky formations and strong waves.

"Lovely, is it not?" Voltaire drawled from where he stood before her, his henchmen, armed and ready, surrounding her where she knelt on both knees. In one hand he too held a gun. His other arm was curled tightly around the slender waist of the boy who watched on blankly and silently. "Let it never be said that I wasn't a generous gentleman."

"I'll say it as it is," she replied, hugging herself to keep warm, her coat having been taken along with her shoes. In fact, she had been stripped of almost all her clothes, left only in her underwear, the spraying sea-water coating her bare skin and hair in a cold layer; all her belongings had been taken and burned to destroy as much evidence as possible.

"And I must say, sir, you are neither generous or a gentleman, or anything sane for that matter."

He brushed off her words, running a hand beneath Kai's shirt.

"Too bad you never had the chance to say that to others. You intrigue me, Margaret. Of all the servants you knew the most, yet remained the quietest. Did you fear me that much that you abstained from notifying the officials?" he asked with a smug expression, the idea clearly pleasing his twisted mind. "As of late I've picked up some…dislike…between us, yet that is where it remained, between us; were you frightened of the situation? Ashamed? Disgusted?"

"Someone had to be," she spat spitefully.

"And why is that? Look at us, Margaret. Look at me and my grandson." He pulled Kai against his shoulder, placing a soft kiss on even softer though tangled hair. "How can you be disgusted with something as beautiful as our joining? How can you deny what is right before your eyes; that we are destined together?"

"I rather be in denial than blind as you are, my lord. Your mind is clouded with your sick illusions. Kai deserves much better than this--"

"I KNOW WHAT THE BEST IS FOR HIM!!" Voltaire roared, eyes bulging in anger. "HE'S MY GRANDSON!! MINE!! MY OWN!!"

"He belongs to no one!!" she shouted back. "He's not a mere possession; he's human!! You have no right to deny him what he wants!!"

"And what would you know of his needs?" he countered. "No, woman, you know nothing. And very soon, you'll be nothing."

Too sickened to even look at the bastard any longer, she turned her eyes on Kai as she heard a mixed symphony of guns clicking. The guards took aim. Refusing to let them distract her, she focused her all on the bluenette who was now watching the ocean, not even blinking despite the manual violation he was receiving from his own flesh and blood.

"Kai?"

His long bangs were swept out of his face by a strong breeze but otherwise he didn't move.

"Kai?" she tried again. Voltaire watched her, enjoying her attempt.

"Kai? Please, look at me?" she begged.

"It is very impolite to deny a lady, even a bitch like this one, a request, love," Voltaire whispered in Kai's ear, using two fingers to turn the placid face in her direction. "Especially since this will be her last request."

Bracing herself despite the words, she stared intently into the crimson orbs that returned it with much less intensity. Still, she had to see his face…one last time. Fingers trembled, eager to pull the triggers.

"No," Voltaire suddenly said, holding up a hand to stop his men from firing. Smirking sinisterly at her suspicious but uneasy expression, he held up his own gun. "I have a better idea."

"Actually going to do your own dirty work?" she said.

"Indeed, I think it would be much more satisfying if I was the one to pump your guts full of lead." His smirk turned even more devilish. "However, since I am an 'old man', I believe I will need some assistance…"

She had narrowed her eyes in suspicion but they now widened when he manoeuvred Kai to stand before him, bringing his arms around the boy to place the gun in the bluenette's hands, holding them there by enveloping them with his own.

"You bastard!" she shouted, feeling sick to her stomach.

Snickering as he lowered both his and Kai's arms to her level, he gave the blader's neck a long lick before kissing it. Kai didn't show any sign of resilience.

"Nice and steady, Kai; you don't want to miss, do you?" he whispered into an ear, enveloping the smaller male from behind, thick arms supporting the much more slender ones as they both held the gun. "I don't think you'd want to make her suffer."

Sobs were now coming on frequently, her arms folded across her practically bare chest, imaging Kai to be in them, safe and sound.

"Or perhaps we should miss intentionally the first time? Let her know what pain really is? You think you know what pain is, don't you, woman? How about we show you the real meaning of it?"

Her eyes never left Kai's. A particularly large wave crashed on the cliffs below, its upward burst effectively soaking her in an icy curtain.

"You have served my household well over the past many years, Margaret Janssen," Voltaire said in an almost preaching voice. "Appreciation would be in order though your conducts as of late have been less grateful."

His hand snaked to cover Kai's, wrapping around the trigger, the barrel aimed between her eyes.

"You were faithful yet your loyalties lied in the wrong place…"

With the ocean roaring behind and below her; she couldn't even hear Kai's soft tune…

"…I don't care where you go from here, bitch, yet at least your loyalties will remain, along with your body, buried under the ever shifting tides…"

The waters below resided for a while, drawing back to the ocean, bringing on a momentary silence...

"…You put up a moderately good resistance, woman…"

It was silent…

"…But will-power is useless against sheer power…"

She couldn't hear his humming…

"…Your companionship is no longer needed…"

The waves had fallen…

"…Margaret Janssen, I relieve you of your duties…"

Kai had fallen silent…

"You are now dismissed."

The blood-red sky's serenity shattered at the sharp explosion of bullet leaving gun.

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"Sir, we are approaching the suspected location!" the co-pilot shouted back from the cockpit before turning back, shouting is Russian over his headset to the other choppers who had taken up formation positions around them.

"This is it," Bruce said, cocking the weapon he held with angrily trembling hands. Beside him the radio crackled.

"You watch yourself, Bruce," Mr. Dickenson warned; he was in another chopper seeing as he would not be of much help in the heat of the action. "We don't know what to expect; Voltaire is very unreliable. We've come this far; if it fails now than it will all have been in vain."

In his mind Bruce estimated just how great an outcome such a failure could bring about.

"Things aren't the same without you, Kai…Please Kai, just hold on…We will find you and things will get better…I promise...We really miss you."

For a team who had suffered so greatly in their captain's absent.

"I never knew…All this time…All this time I though that he was dead…"

For a grandmother who never saw her own grandson.

"Don't…touch…help…"

"I'm not going to hurt you…I'm going to take you away from off this…"

For another Abbey victim who could not lose his friend a second time.

"Why do you always want people to leave you alone, Kai?"

"Because then no one can hurt me. No one can touch me…"

For Kai, who had had everything he loved so cruelly ripped from him.

Face determined and eyes set, he cocked the gun, sparing the elder man a look.

"There are too much at stake here for this to fail. For everyone's sake, failure is not an option."

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Cold sea water sprayed wet mist onto her back, soaking her already wet body, her remainder of 'clothes' sticking to her skin. Yet she lived. There was no pain.

A howl of mixed emotions, including pain, anger and outrage, erupted before her.

Voltaire knelt on one knee, a broad hand clutching his other leg though blood was seeping from around and between his digits, staining his expensive pants. He was looking up straight in the barrel of his own gun.

Breathing heavily, crimson eyes narrowed in nothing short of pure hatred, Kai held the gun with both hands, his posture weak but stubbornly focused.

Around them the guards had also raised their guns, shouting in Russian as they took aim at both the teen and the woman behind him. The head man barked the go ahead and the guns clicked.

The ocean grew eerily silent as the waves suddenly stopped rolling. From beyond the far horizon, a blinding flash streaked out in every direction as the sun peeked over the waters. Sunrise was upon them and in the silence of the surreal moment a distant screech caused ripples to spread across the otherwise flat water surface. The henchmen had faltered momentarily yet would have taken aim again had one of them not shouted and pointed across the water.

Against the bright sun, the figure was almost impossible to see and seemed to be emerging from the burning surface itself, releasing another loud cry which had never sounded as powerful and enraged before. Voltaire, already pale from blood loss, blanched when two massive wings sprouted from the shrouded being's sides. With a great flap it rose high, out speeding the sun in its ascent to the skies which seemed to flicker orange and red. Another swoop of those fiery wings completely severed the creature from the sun, its long tails whipping behind it.

"Impossible…IMPOSSIBLE!!" he shouted, turning on Kai who still kept him at gun point though the teen didn't respond, remaining silent, eyes now matching the raging sky above them.

With a devastating hurl, Dranzer, reborn in all her glory, spewed forth an endless stream of flames, reducing the helicopter they had intended to use to escape to melted rubble. Taloned feet reached down, gripping the twisted metal with enough force to crush it and with a flex of the powerful leg muscles, sent it over the cliff, taking out two of the henchmen in their attempted escape, sending them tumbling to the water below which now roared as the wings conjured up strong gales.

Everything was happening so fast that she didn't know where to look. The henchmen were either running or attempting to bring down the avenging phoenix who had turned her pent up rage on the lighthouse, setting it blazing as she brutally slashed at its stone structure with her claws and tail.

Despite all the chaos around them, neither Voltaire nor Kai flinched, eyes still only on each other.

"K-Kai…what are you doing?" Voltaire asked, actually sounding stunned.

He didn't answer. However, his eyes, though flaming, watered. Tears ran down the thinned face, dripping off his chin as his grandfather's blood dripped off his.

"You don't want to do this, Kai. Don't ruin this for me!" he shouted, struggling to his feet and managing to do so though he was obviously in great amount of pain. "Don't ruin this for us!!"

"No more."

"What did you say?"

"I won't let you hurt any more. I won't let you take anyone away from me again."

"Don't do something you'll regret, Kai," he growled.

"All my life I blamed myself for everything you did for me. All my life I made excuses for you when you yourself never even once apologized, or even explained, your actions." Kai's voice, no where near as strong as it had once been, held a tone that carried too many emotions to discern.
By now they were surrounded by flames. Most of the henchmen had been destroyed to nothing but mere ashes. Above, Dranzer continued her reign of revenge, chasing and fending off those foolish and desperate enough to remain in useless attempts to shoot her down.

"You hurt me. You've hurt me so much, for so long…" Tears streamed down yet the gun never lowered.

"Force is no longer needed, Kai. Everything is waiting us at our new home. Don't spoil this."

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!!" he suddenly shouted, shaking his head in angry denial.

With a loud groan, the tall light tower gave way as the flames burned away its very foundation, bringing it crashing to the ground in rolling thunder, mercifully away from them though cutting off one escape route. The very earth shook beneath their feet but Kai didn't acknowledge it.

"You have done nothing to deserve a reward, just as I have done nothing to deserve what I've been through. I deserved to live a normal childhood, grandfather. I deserved to keep my innocence. I deserved to have my parents!!"

"But you still have me, Kai. We can be together, that's all that matters."

"No!" he shouted, eyes starting to shimmer, "that's all that matters to you. You and your selfishness. Fuck your words and promises! I don't care how you feel towards me! All I wanted was for you to leave me alone!"

And then it happened. A single tear ran down, soon followed by others. He cried. He cried hard. Not only for himself, but for this man before him. For this bastard who had caused him nothing else but misery. For this man for whom, somewhere deep in his heart, Kai had wished to one day be able to love as it was meant to be.

None of this should have happened. His parents shouldn't have been killed; he shouldn't have been kidnapped; no one should have been hurt. Why had his grandfather chosen this way of life? Why?

Above the flames and smoke, a new sound droned closer. Through the dark smoke, spotlights beamed down, cutting through the darkness. Whirling blades swept the darkness, sending it back over the ocean. A voice was ordering the still fleeing henchmen to remain still.

"So this is your choice then, Kai?" Voltaire asked, watching the tears steak the beautiful face.

"This is what you made me choose, grandfather," he corrected, eyes shimmering. "None of this had to happen. It could have turned out so differently."

Seeing the tears in the young man's eyes, Voltaire's expression shifted, softening.

"I am not a man of weakness or sentiments, including one as grave as love, but I meant what I said in the room earlier. I do love you so much, Kai."

Inside his bandaged chest, Kai felt a shard of agony pierce him to the core. The overwhelming sensation of anger, hatred, sadness and pity he felt towards this man firmed his resolve. His voice was soft, meant only for the man before him.

"…I love you too, grandfather."

Unable to stop him and unable to look, Margaret looked away. The cracking explosion of the gun firing overthrew everything else before fading into an echo that was soon swallowed by the chaos around them. She heard the strangled grunt before a heavy thud as the former Voltaire Hiwatari slumped forward, eyes still open as blood ran over them from the bullet hole in his temple.

A second, less noticeable sound still caught her ears as Kai sank to his knees, breathing ragged breaths, tears in even greater abundance than ever as he stared at the lifeless body. The gun slipped from limp fingers, dropping to the rocky ground, its sleek black coating now scratched with white scrapes.

"Kai…" she crept closer, soon kneeling next to him. Taking his downcast chin in hand, she turned his face towards her.

Sadness…disbelief…anger…fear; his eyes were brimming with emotions, once again shining with a light of regained consciousness. His lower lip trembled slightly, the salty tears dripping onto his tongue, their salty taste bitterly exposing him to what he had done.

What a sight they made; a young man, pale and thin, bandaged and bruised, free and crying. The gun might have done the dirty work without him having to lay a finger on his grandfather, but he felt it. The spoils of the murder now coated him heavier than blood, reality almost suffocating him. Next to him a middle-aged brunette, dressed only in her undergarments and some injuries of her own, watched on, fighting the temptation to glance over at the motionless body.

"M-Margaret…?" Kai barely managed to choke out but already she pulled him to her, wrapping trembling arms around his equally trembling body. And he returned the embrace, resting his head on a shoulder, not minding as her hair tickled his face.

"It is alright, Kai. Everything's going to be alright."

"I…I…"

"It wasn't your fault--"

"I killed him!" he finally blurted out, eyes wide as the full reality of his action sunk in.

"Shhh," she soothed, rubbing his back gently.

"You will pay for that!!" A henchman who had somehow managed to elude Dranzer stood before them, eyeing his former boss's corpse. "You bitches!!" He raised his weapon. "For Lord Volta—AAAH!!"

He slumped forward, a bleeding bullet wound in his back the cause of death.

"KAI!"

The voice made him twist in her arms to see the tall form of Bruce running towards them, gun still smoking. Jumping over some simmering debris, the man halted for a moment at the sight of Voltaire's body. However, he brushed it off, quickly walking over to the two huddled people.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed to find the boy alive though in obvious need of serious medical treatment. He had lost too much weight and bandages many feet in length were wrapped around his torso though some scrapes had been left unattended as they were too numerous in number. "We've got to get you out of here!"

On cue, a large chopper broke through the thick smoke, coming to hover above them. A helmeted head peeked over the ledge before disappearing and throwing down a rope ladder to the three people caught in the centre of the blazing ring. An officer expertly made his way down, free falling a few feet to land next to them.

"This whole place is going to become one big fireball! Let's go!" he shouted.

"Take her!" Bruce shouted back over the crackling flames, pointing to Margaret. The officer obliged, scooping the trembling woman up in one arm. She hesitated on releasing Kai but seeing that the man knew him she felt that he was in capable hands.

Embracing the boy for a swift moment, Bruce had never felt such relief in his life.

"You're safe, Kai. I've got you."

Kai didn't respond though he did tighten his hold on the strong body, allowing the man to effortlessly lift him. Looking over a broad shoulder, he stared as the flames had reached the spot they had just vacated. The dark form of Voltaire didn't stir as the flames tasted his clothes before consuming him, obscuring the gruesome sight with billowing smoke. He felt them begin to ascend, Bruce holding onto him with one hand while the other gripped the rope ladder. The chopper went up until they finally broke through the large cloud of smoke and flames.

The morning sky was bright blue above them, small white clouds floating harmlessly about. The ocean, sparkling aqua blue, stretched out for miles, rushing along far below them. The sun had fully emerged, its golden sphere illuminating radiantly though what caught his attention was the majestic bird who circled several meters away.

"Dranzer…" he breathed, watching his bit beast lift her head, her mane once more full and lush while her feathers glowed like newly lit coals. With an excited squawk she flew over, dipping below the helicopter to prevent risking any damages to its spinning blade. Inching up, she was soon but a foot below them.

Bruce caught on to what he wanted and gently lowered him a bit, allowing him to reach out an arm. Dranzer cooed and stretched her neck and touched it with her beak, nuzzling his palm with astounding gentleness considering that she had just taken down an entire light house. Deep burning eyes met his and he smiled softly.

"Thank you, Dranzer."

With an acknowledging cry, she splintered into thousands of lighted crystals and returned to the bit in his pocket, happy to be back where she belonged with the person she loved the most.

From her place higher up the rope ladder, which was being hauled up by other S.W.A.T. members, Margaret smiled through her tears at the interaction before resting her head wearily on the rescuer's shoulder. Just at that one moment Kai looked up, meeting her squarely in the eyes. She offered him another smile which he returned. Then, for the first time in what had seemed like eternity, she closed her eyes and allowed herself the rest her body had so desperately been longing for.

"We're sorry, Kai," Bruce said, now able to see the extent of the injuries in the bright sunlight. "None of this should have been allowed to happen."

"Not your fault," he replied softly, also laying his aching head down on the shoulder.

"Everyone missed you so much. Though…if you don't feel like seeing anyone so soon…"

He shook his head, closing his eyes against the bright sun.

"I saw them…on television at…the conference…I missed them too. Very badly…I want to see them as soon as possible."

"No problem," Bruce smiled, looking up as a hand landed on his arm, the S.W.A.T. team having hoisted them within arm's reach. "I doubted they would have taken no for an answer anyways."

Smiling sadly to himself, Kai opened his eyes as he was placed on a stretcher. Margaret was nearby, fast asleep and covered with a thick blanket, her face peaceful in deep sleep. Reaching over, he was able to touch her hand, taking it in his grip. She stirred slightly but kept on sleeping. Content to just touch her, he turned to the large doors which were now being shut. Clear blue skies slowly narrowed as the mechanical slides closed in on each other until they locked.

Medics were already gently easing him out of his torn shirt, beginning the tedious task of dressing as many wounds as possible. Standing close-by, Bruce watched them work on him, ready to intervene should they do something to upset him though he doubted anything could ruin the moment.

Blue skies…

Blue eyes…

We will get through this, Kai. As long as we stay together, we will get through this. One day, we will get away. Together. All of us. I promise.

'This is it, Tala. You didn't break your promise. We made it…'

Sleep beckoned him and he obliged willingly, slipping into its comforting embrace.

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Wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, Mr. Dickenson hung up.

They had Kai. He was alive. Injured, but alive. The mission had been a success. Mr. Dickenson loved his Bladebreakers and seeing, not only Kai, but the rest of the team suffer these past few weeks had affected him far more than anyone could understand.

'He's safe now; there's no need to worry anymore. He will have some trouble readjusting to his old life, but Kai is strong. He will be alright."

Nodding to himself, he picked up his phone, ready to dial the others to give them the good news, when it rang on its own accord. He answered it.

"Yes?"

"Stanley?"

"Judy? I have wonderful news--"

"There's a problem here," she interrupted, sounding too concerned to have heard him.

"Oh?" he asked. Her tone of voice was worried and he could feel some of his relief and joy seeped away with each tense second that passed.

"We got a message from the hospital…Tala has gone missing."

"Have they searched the entire hospital? Was there a security breach? Any signs of struggle?!" The first thing that came to mind was that Boris had managed to escaped and had tried to finish what he had started. He dismissed that thought though; Boris was under high security with absolutely no chance of escape.

"It wasn't Boris," she said as if having read his mind. "We're afraid Tala might have…done something to himself…"

"Judy, please speak clearer," he begged, feeling the stress he had just banished return as strong as ever.

"They found him room empty though followed a trail of blood down the hall to another room …Ian's room…" she trailed off though he couldn't understand why.

"I was told he wasn't allowed to leave his bed yet…but why would that garner such a reaction? He simply wishes to see his friends," he proposed.

He could practically feel her confusion as she spoke the next sentence.

"Stanley, didn't you receive the earlier message?"

"I'm afraid not. So much has happened; it must have been lost in the chaos. Why? What was the message?"

She inhaled sharply and he knew that whatever she was about to say held nothing remotely good.

"Ian suffered an unexpected and grave cerebral bleeding during the night, Stanley. The medics tried everything; his room was filled with doctors but it wasn't enough. He...He's dead, Stanley."

tbc.....

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Only two chapters left to go. Almost there…

Well, that was the 'action' chapter. Coming up; a very dramatic and emotional chapter 24!

Read & Review, please.