TT: I FINISHED CHAPTER SIX!!!
Kai: I thought you were doing that essay on Shakespear's 'The Tempest'?
TT: *sweatdrops* I do have to do that still, don't I...
Kai: *nods*
TT: Ah, it can wait. At least this way you didn't see what I wrote!
Kai: O_O WHAT?!?! *Shoves TT off the computer and reads the new chapter* O.O X_x
TT: ^^ Yep- KAI ANGST AHEAD!!!
Kai: DIE!!!! *Tackles TT and attempts to choke her to death*
TT: *gasp**cough* Someone- help! *choke**wheeze*
Disclaimer Guy: ...*back aways and holds up a sign reading 'HELP!!!'*
***
Days past, and Kai avoided the subject of Black Dranzer as much as possible. He didn't train with the others, and avoiding being with them as much as possible. Why? Because his pride wouldn't let him admit he needed help.
And too top it off; The nightmares were back... the very realization made Kai tremble and want to weep in frustration. He wouldn't, of course, he never cried.
On the plus side, the nightmares weren't anywhere near as vivid as they had been, and they focused more on Black Dranzer than on... other, more upsetting memories. But, no the less, he woke up halfway through every night trembling, eyes wide and face pale.
As a result, he was only getting half a night's sleep every night. Enough for him to function on, but left him feeling tired and worn out.
It was in this state of mind that, late at night- or rather, very early in the morning, that Kai was training in the darkness. Beyblading was sometimes the only thing that could help him focus on other things, and clear his head from his problems even for a little while.
It was during this time, however, that the dark cloud began to waft over his mind again. His thoughts drifted away from his beyblade, and into memories he'd rather not relieve.
So focused on the memory, however, that he didn't notice the way his conscious was slide into the back of his mind, giving way for something else.
***
Glowing red eyes, in a black mask, gleamed evilly at him. It was something he had long since learnt to hate, and fear.
It was one of his most recent memories, and he hung from chains set in the wall, his chest bare and encased in dried blood. His head was lowered in exhaustion, his hair, stuck together with blood, covering his face. Through his hair though, he could still see those eyes staring at him, making chills run down his spine.
A whip was held in Boris's hands, and before a few seconds had gone past there was the continuous sound of it cracking against Kai's skin, until blood poured down in rivets.
Kai bit his lip, refusing to cry out, not enough noticing when he punctured the skin into the taste of fresh metallic blood filled his mouth.
An evil laugh made its way to his ears, and the whip was finally put aside. More footsteps... Then another voice, the voice of his- no! He couldn't think of that... of that monster, as his grandfather! He wasn't like him, he wasn't...
Kai couldn't focus on what the were saying to each other. His eyes, one almost swollen shut by a massive bruise, stared at the floor, their feet just inside his vision.
One set of feet came closer, stopping in front of him. He cried out in pain, his head lifting in agony as a knife was brought down roughly on his torso, neat cuts welling up with blood next to the rougher marks that torn at his skin.
Finally, the pain stopped. The knife was brought up to his face, Voltaire tracing it along one cheek, not cutting the skin, but leaving a line of blood from the knife in his wake. Kai shuddered at the look in Voltaire's eyes as the blood ran down his cheek and dripped off his chin.
Voltaire backhanded Kai once, watching as his head slowly cam round to face him again, hanging so low his face couldn't be seen behind the curtain of bloodstained hair.
Voices, then footsteps as Voltaire left the cell.
For a moment, Kai thought Boris had gone as well, but then he felt the knife, the same one Voltaire had been using moments ago, be plunged into his forearm and roughly twisted from its spot, blood pouring from the wound as muscles torn and wrapped around the knife. The knife was then pulled out of the wound, the blood still puring from it as if it were a fountain.
Until his voice cracked from his yelling, Kai hadn't even been aware he had been screaming. Now his voice was all but a painful, hoarse whisper, a primitive whine of pain.
Then his head was roughly yanked to the side by his hair, and the voice spoke in his ear, the stench of bad breath nearing Kai's nose, "This is your own fault, you know Kai. You chose to be weak, to care and depend on those- those- those children. And look now, they left you, they're not coming for you, and you're stuck here... with... me!"
The hand holding his hair flung him back roughly, and he hit his head on the wall. He heard Boris walk out of the cell and his footsteps fade down the hall before he rose his head. Finally he was alone, if just for a little while.
Panting, Kai let his head droop again and groan. Maybe Boris was right, but he couldn't believe his teammates had abandoned him just yet...
Kai's eyes wafted close as he fell into a peaceful oblivion.
***
Kai's eyes snapped back into focus. For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was, then he realized he was in his hotel room… standing near Ray's sleeping figure... With Drigger in his hand...
Kai dropped the foreign beyblade back onto the desk as if it had been made of hot coals. He shook his head, walking backwards all the while.
Confusion coursed through his mind as he suddenly turned and bolted out the doorway, all but slamming the door behind him.
Kai leant against the wooden surface, panting for a moment in horror. What had happened? And _why_ did he have Drigger in his hands a moment again, fingers around the bitchip like that?
Kai glanced back at the door as he left the aparement. He didn't know where he was going, but he couldn't stay there at the moment... He couldn't face the others, not while he was so confused himself.
Silently, Kai left the hotel. He looked around through the darkness for a moment, before picking a random direction and walking, his scarf trailing loyally behind him as he tried to walk away from all his problems.
***
Lying under the kitchen table, unnoticed to all, a familiar face was printed on a newspaper, under the heading of 'Wanted Criminal Escapes From Prison.'
Kai: I thought you were doing that essay on Shakespear's 'The Tempest'?
TT: *sweatdrops* I do have to do that still, don't I...
Kai: *nods*
TT: Ah, it can wait. At least this way you didn't see what I wrote!
Kai: O_O WHAT?!?! *Shoves TT off the computer and reads the new chapter* O.O X_x
TT: ^^ Yep- KAI ANGST AHEAD!!!
Kai: DIE!!!! *Tackles TT and attempts to choke her to death*
TT: *gasp**cough* Someone- help! *choke**wheeze*
Disclaimer Guy: ...*back aways and holds up a sign reading 'HELP!!!'*
***
Days past, and Kai avoided the subject of Black Dranzer as much as possible. He didn't train with the others, and avoiding being with them as much as possible. Why? Because his pride wouldn't let him admit he needed help.
And too top it off; The nightmares were back... the very realization made Kai tremble and want to weep in frustration. He wouldn't, of course, he never cried.
On the plus side, the nightmares weren't anywhere near as vivid as they had been, and they focused more on Black Dranzer than on... other, more upsetting memories. But, no the less, he woke up halfway through every night trembling, eyes wide and face pale.
As a result, he was only getting half a night's sleep every night. Enough for him to function on, but left him feeling tired and worn out.
It was in this state of mind that, late at night- or rather, very early in the morning, that Kai was training in the darkness. Beyblading was sometimes the only thing that could help him focus on other things, and clear his head from his problems even for a little while.
It was during this time, however, that the dark cloud began to waft over his mind again. His thoughts drifted away from his beyblade, and into memories he'd rather not relieve.
So focused on the memory, however, that he didn't notice the way his conscious was slide into the back of his mind, giving way for something else.
***
Glowing red eyes, in a black mask, gleamed evilly at him. It was something he had long since learnt to hate, and fear.
It was one of his most recent memories, and he hung from chains set in the wall, his chest bare and encased in dried blood. His head was lowered in exhaustion, his hair, stuck together with blood, covering his face. Through his hair though, he could still see those eyes staring at him, making chills run down his spine.
A whip was held in Boris's hands, and before a few seconds had gone past there was the continuous sound of it cracking against Kai's skin, until blood poured down in rivets.
Kai bit his lip, refusing to cry out, not enough noticing when he punctured the skin into the taste of fresh metallic blood filled his mouth.
An evil laugh made its way to his ears, and the whip was finally put aside. More footsteps... Then another voice, the voice of his- no! He couldn't think of that... of that monster, as his grandfather! He wasn't like him, he wasn't...
Kai couldn't focus on what the were saying to each other. His eyes, one almost swollen shut by a massive bruise, stared at the floor, their feet just inside his vision.
One set of feet came closer, stopping in front of him. He cried out in pain, his head lifting in agony as a knife was brought down roughly on his torso, neat cuts welling up with blood next to the rougher marks that torn at his skin.
Finally, the pain stopped. The knife was brought up to his face, Voltaire tracing it along one cheek, not cutting the skin, but leaving a line of blood from the knife in his wake. Kai shuddered at the look in Voltaire's eyes as the blood ran down his cheek and dripped off his chin.
Voltaire backhanded Kai once, watching as his head slowly cam round to face him again, hanging so low his face couldn't be seen behind the curtain of bloodstained hair.
Voices, then footsteps as Voltaire left the cell.
For a moment, Kai thought Boris had gone as well, but then he felt the knife, the same one Voltaire had been using moments ago, be plunged into his forearm and roughly twisted from its spot, blood pouring from the wound as muscles torn and wrapped around the knife. The knife was then pulled out of the wound, the blood still puring from it as if it were a fountain.
Until his voice cracked from his yelling, Kai hadn't even been aware he had been screaming. Now his voice was all but a painful, hoarse whisper, a primitive whine of pain.
Then his head was roughly yanked to the side by his hair, and the voice spoke in his ear, the stench of bad breath nearing Kai's nose, "This is your own fault, you know Kai. You chose to be weak, to care and depend on those- those- those children. And look now, they left you, they're not coming for you, and you're stuck here... with... me!"
The hand holding his hair flung him back roughly, and he hit his head on the wall. He heard Boris walk out of the cell and his footsteps fade down the hall before he rose his head. Finally he was alone, if just for a little while.
Panting, Kai let his head droop again and groan. Maybe Boris was right, but he couldn't believe his teammates had abandoned him just yet...
Kai's eyes wafted close as he fell into a peaceful oblivion.
***
Kai's eyes snapped back into focus. For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was, then he realized he was in his hotel room… standing near Ray's sleeping figure... With Drigger in his hand...
Kai dropped the foreign beyblade back onto the desk as if it had been made of hot coals. He shook his head, walking backwards all the while.
Confusion coursed through his mind as he suddenly turned and bolted out the doorway, all but slamming the door behind him.
Kai leant against the wooden surface, panting for a moment in horror. What had happened? And _why_ did he have Drigger in his hands a moment again, fingers around the bitchip like that?
Kai glanced back at the door as he left the aparement. He didn't know where he was going, but he couldn't stay there at the moment... He couldn't face the others, not while he was so confused himself.
Silently, Kai left the hotel. He looked around through the darkness for a moment, before picking a random direction and walking, his scarf trailing loyally behind him as he tried to walk away from all his problems.
***
Lying under the kitchen table, unnoticed to all, a familiar face was printed on a newspaper, under the heading of 'Wanted Criminal Escapes From Prison.'