TT: Well, I'm still sick, but at least I can talk now!

Kai: Which means you can take that english oral.

TT: O_O I forgot about that.

Kai: She was too busy doing cartwheels... or trying to.

TT: Know why? ^__________________^ BECAUSE YOU ALL GAVE ME ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kai: SO you know what she did?!?! Thanks to _you_, she made an extra long chapter! AND ITS FULL OF KAI TORTURE!!! YOU PEOPLE ARE CRUEL!!!

TT: Now Kai, be nice to the reviews, because I love reviews! (hint hint) Now go give them gifts!

Kai: *grubles* why am I doing this? *is handing out chocolate figure of the beyblade characters*

TT: Now everyone, I'd like to remind you that I'm winging this fic! Oo; So review any suggests, all are helpful, even if I don't obviously use them.

Kai: *Is sulking in a corner eating the rest of the chocolates*

TT: And I still don't have a new disclaimer person, because Kai scared them off. So... Kai can do the disclaimer!!

Kai: What?! No! You can't make me! You don't own me!

TT: I would if I owned beyblade...

Kai: *grumbles* *quietly* TT doesn't own anything, not even her computer, that's her dad's...

TT: ^^;; FIC TIME!

***

It is a well known quote that 'eyes are the gateway to the soul'. Neither Ray nor Tyson ad ever truly understood how true that was until that moment when they stared into Kai's blackened eyes.

What they saw in there was is describable, there was such a deep hatred and loathing in them, not to the duo but to the world in general, that made them shudder. But it was more to it than that. It was the way the eyes bored right into them, as if trying to suck their souls out through there eyes. It was in the compelling intensity that stopped them from turning their heads away.

And it was the hint of something else in there, something that didn't belong there, as if it were owned by someone else. A tiny, single sparkle of some pained sorry lurking beyond reach, as if the thing trapped inside there was only seen to mock them.

As the three stared at one another, two in shock, the other without emotion, the two beyblades continued to clash together.

***

Kai wasn't sure what was going on anymore. He'd been jumped from painful memory to pain filled memory, occasionally stopping on a nightmare of visionary fear.

Now he was surrounded by darkness. It wasn't the pure and safe darkness night brought, it was cold, hateful sort. He floated in it, almost as if he were ever falling but couldn't see the bottom, and there was no wind.

He couldn't see anything. No, that wasn't right, he could see himself, but that was all. It was like an empty void. But at the same time, it was filled with something. It were as if the darkness was more than just the absence of light here.

Kai continued to muse over this thought. Simply because there was nothing else for him to do here. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, how long he was to stay, or why. He didn't understand any of it, but, of course, he'd never admit that.

Then, all at one, the darkness surged, just for a moment, it surged towards him like a live thing. Then it stilled.

Garnet eyes were wide as he stared around him, suddenly terrified to the core of his soul. He didn't know what that had been, but he knew that he couldn't fight it. And he didn't want- whatever it was- to defeat him, either.

The darkness surged again. This time, it lunged upon him, and slowly began to cover him. It was thick, gooey, and slowed his motion. But when he tried to fight, his fist went straight though it. After all, there was nothing there, it was just darkness.

Like a coat of slick oil, Kai was covered in the darkness, and he squeezed his eyes shut as they covered his face as well. For a moment, it felt as if he were been torn apart and feasted on, then, nothing at all.

***

Ray caught his beyblade as Dranzer knocked it out of the ring, evidently tired of trying to bring out the opposing bitbeast. The raven-haired boy hid Drigger in his chest as he stared at what had once been Kai.

For a second, those dark eyes glowed with a shadowy light.

"Kai?" Tyson called out, not sure what else to address the possessed boy as. "What do you think you're doing??"

Holding out his hand, black eyes turned to look at Tyson as the beyblade landed in the waiting palm.

Tyson shivered, but willed himself to keep yelling, "Who are you?? And what did you do with Kai?!?" His demands were greeted only by silence. Growling, Tyson looked ready to run over and shake the teen for answers, but some intelligent part of his mind stopped him.

For a moment, gazes were held for a moment longer, then darkened eyes glanced down at each of the bitbeast containing objects one at a time, before, in a flash of white scarf, he ran off, disappearing.

For a moment, neither Tyson nor Ray moved. Then Tyson turned to his teammate, "What just happened?"

Ray stared at the spot Kai had been a moment longer before shaking his head, "I really don't know, Tyson."

***

As a wanted fugitive, Boris obviously couldn't go walking around the street looking as he normally did. So, staying in his rented hotel room on the opposite side of town was his normal habit, and wearing concealing clothes when he did go out.

Unable to go out often, of course meant that he needed to have all his 'work' with him. Which is why a laptop and many CDs rested on the desk, other scientific equipment littering the floor, with weapons lying in strategic places.

Currently, Boris was cursing the fact he didn't have his original computer with its massive memory space. Because looking for a single CD amongst thousands is very difficult.

The scene earlier that day had proven that his final 'experiment' before Kai's escape had been a success, despite his previous doubts. He wanted to go through all the information and review, to try and understand why the 'delay' had taken place.

It was a rather simple scheme, but difficult to carry out. When it became obvious that Kai was not going to work willingly for them, a normal person would have been- ahem- 'disposed of'.

However, Kai was not a normal human. Years and years of training and experimentation had taken place to make him as perfect as a human could possibly be. Neither Boris, nor Voltaire, was willing for all that effort to go to waste.

So, after a little examination, and small experiments, they decided to control Kai by another method. The process was slow, and Kai's memory had to be carefully wiped after each time. Eventually, they had finished, only to discover that the project had, supposing, been a failure.

Needless to say, Boris was delighted to find it wasn't. It had taken a lot of effort, time a resources to mold Kai's soul and essence with Black Dranzer. With Black Dranzer in control, the plan was to keep the bitbeast in control, and control Kai through him. After all, Black Dranzer was smart enough to know that power was the key to everything, and Biovault was- or was it, had been?- more than capable of giving the dark phoenix all the power it wanted, should it only work for them.

Boris found a single CD in his pile and, with a laugh that would make the coldest heart shudder and cower, inserted the disk and began to go through his information. Perhaps there was hope for the project after all.

***

Exhaustion...

Once again, Kai found himself in the dark abyss, a slick and almost shiny coat of shadow covering his body like a second skin. He was curled into a ball this time, eyes closed, utterly exhausted, as it every last once of energy had been sucked out of his body. He was too tired to fight against the darkness around him again, despite knowing what it could do, and instead embraced it as a shelter, a safe haven from the painful visions that plagued him nearly every moment.

In a suddenly flash, the darkness around him was gone. The only proof it had ever been there was the shadow that still covered him. Instead of darkness, he saw memories, flashing before his eyes faster than he could blink, then, all at one, the scene around him changed.

Realizing his eyes were closed, Kai opened them again, only to find he was chained to a wall in a cell, every part of his body aching and dripping with blood... again.

A hand, he didn't know who's anymore, came up, punching in right in the nose. It was a near miracle that it hadn't broken.

The hand covered his windpipe suddenly, cutting off his air supply. Kai choked, gasped vainly and began thrashing. All that happened was the nails of the hands dug into his skin, small rivets of red blood becoming visible. Kai's moving slowed, black spots appearing in front of his vision. Then, air, glorious air suddenly filled his lungs again, and Kai was left gasping and choking, desperately trying to recover before the next attack.

For what seemed like hours, Kai was pushed to the brink of desperation, clinging my a taunt thread that threatened to snap at any second.

Then, for a short time, the torture stopped. The person in from of him watching as his head slumped forward and his body struggled to heal itself in whatever way it possibly could so that it survived.

A needle was injected into the skin, and Kai's vision went completely black. He wasn't sure how long he was out, but when he recovered, his body felt even more exhausted than before. Still he hung, chained on the wall.

Someone was in front of him... Kai rose his head, garnet eyes focusing on the black mask and seemingly red eyes that glimmered with an immoral joy.

And, as the torture began once again, Kai found himself wondering why on earth he shouldn't just give up.