In Love and Trust
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Author's Note: On a small note, I hope you don't mind if I have two chappies done again. I am doing this so everything would come together way better, and it would probably be more entertaining that way. I would be thanking again for my reviewers, and-which reminds me...anyone have a clue on what the ending would be like?? I would like to know what's on readers minds sometimes. Anyways, I would always love to hear from you. I have a feeling I have missed some stuff, but I can't be too particular, can I?
Disclaimer: I, Candide Avedo do not own anything that has to do with Beyblade.
It's always the same disclaimer, isn't it?
Warning: Some of my attempts at violence. Some language. Thank You.
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Demands
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Queen dashed off through the tables, trying to dodge the many feet and children at the same time. It was no walk in the park for her to run in heels, but those were the only ones she had, and she was just going to have to deal with it herself.
A waiter stifled a shout as she ducked under his plate of cocktail sausages. Queen paused, looking around. The others were still involved in their own agendas, clueless.
She watched them disappear through the entrance doors. Queen swore quietly to herself. They were gone. The two men she were in pursuit of were gone.
But Queen wasn't going to give up yet. She came to a complete halt at the hotel's lobby, searching for any sign of disturbance.
"What is it?" asked Kai, who had followed her out of the ballroom, and now stopped running beside her. The hotel clerks kept a wary eye over them, as though worried that they might cause distractions for hotel guests. Bell boys pushing carts filled with luggage stared at Queen and Kai.
"He's here." muttered Queen, frowning. The were two hallways, both leading to different areas of the hotel. Left, or right? Shaking her head, Queen ran to the hall on the right, and Kai followed.
'Who was she looking for?' he thought, as they ran past door after door, occasionally dodging a ming vase display. They were running into a fork, and without warning, Queen had collided with a blond boy, wearing a black suit, both falling at the minor impact.
"King, what are you doing?" asked Kai, as King struggled to get himself and Queen up.
"King?" repeated Queen, holding a hand to her forehead. "Aren't you finished going to the washroom?"
King narrowed his eyes.
"I think I should ask you what you two are doing instead." he growled, looking at the two suspiciously, before looking around checking to make sure that they weren't being followed.
Queen released the breath that she didn't know she was holding, and spilled.
"King, I think I saw him..."
King nodded.
"I did too, but he got away from me, just when he was leaving." King added, then stared at Kai.
"What the hell is going on, King?" asked Kai defensively.
"We reckon our dear old father is here." answered King, scowling. "I think it's time for some confrontation about some kidnapping."
"Well, I'd like to start, King, but which way? This place is like a maze." Queen said, crossing her arms uneasily.
"If you're thinking of going after him, we might as well split up." said Kai, rolling up his sleeves.
"What do you mean, 'WE'?" asked Queen, now turning to him.
Kai smirked. "I couldn't just let you do all the work now, can I? I felt a little out of shape lately."
"Good, cause we'll need to cover as much ground as we possibly can." said King, checking his watch. "We have time before anyone else notices we're gone."
"We split up at the very first fork that we encounter." Queen chimed in.
The three nodded, and headed back where King had come from. Not to long, they had reached a cross, where they all lead into the deeper parts of the hotel. Left, right, or straight.
"I think this is where we split up, you guys." said King, before turning to his sister and Kai. "I want you both to be on the lookout. If we could follow them to where they could be hiding grandmother, well, I'd welcome death anytime after that."
"That's not funny, King." muttered Queen, massaging her heels, and muttering small curses. "Where do we meet?"
"We should return to the ballroom once we think they've gone." King was about to turn to the right, but stopped again. "Careful, you two, knowing him, he won't hesitate to do something rash."
King ran to the right side, Kai on the left, leaving Queen to the one that was straight ahead.
-
'Why did this have to be such a big hotel?' Queen thought, feeling the pounding of her feet on the rich, burgundy carpet. Many seashell sconces helped make shadows on the walls, mostly from the various priceless statues and picture frames. 'Honestly, I'll bet my whole life that they don't even have full bookings.'
Queen stiffened. A small muffle of voices were up ahead, along the upcoming bend of the hall. She sped up, panting lightly, cursing her shoes as she almost tripped for the uncounted time that night.
Closer she got to the bend, and-
Nothing. There was no one there. Empty. Queen strained her ears, trying to listen for any sort of noise.
No, it was as quiet as a morgue. The thought sent shivers up her spine. This place was public, alright, but it was creepy all the same when it was this empty. She could only hear her own breathing, and if one was focussed enough, they could hear their own heart's beating.
'I won't get anywhere if I just stand here hoping something turns up.' Queen scolded herself, and returned to running, wincing, as she could feel some blisters occurring. Surely, when she got home, she was going to throw these things in the garbage.
Not very long, however, she heard a door close somewhere behind her, where she had just ran past. Queen skidded to a halt, and doubled back, trying to pick the door where she could have sworn the noise had come from.
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King turned another corner, finding another stretch of hall, and decorative ming vases. He had hoped that neither Queen, or Kai would encounter something that they couldn't handle. But then again, anything was possible-well, not exactly, people didn't grow wings overnight, but almost anything was possible.
'Really, these vases are pretty useless. Yeah, I'd agree that they're 'Nice', but what use are they when they're broken?' he dodged one as he ran past, and heard a small rustle of clothing up ahead. King sped up, and was immobile, as the door that was emitting some whispers slowly opened.
King prepared himself, clenching his fists. He was there to get answers, and that was it. No funny business. It sounded no less than four people. He would be outnumbered, King was sure of that. But it was too late to turn now, they would see him running across the hall if he chickened out.
But, as the door fully opened, however, a group of girls that were formally dressed flowed out of the room, and King let out a sigh of exasperation. They ignored him, chatting happily about their plans for the evening. One of the girls, however, caught his eye, and gave him a wink.
Perplexed, King watched them leave, no doubt heading for the party in the ballroom, and dashed off again, hoping to not encounter something like that again. A wall up ahead caught his eye, like it had water spilling on it's side.
Closer, he realized, that it wasn't a waterfall at all, but a reflection of the real thing. Right across from the wall, was a pair of French doors, leading out into a garden. A waterfall was nearby, cascading down well-polished rocks, and onto a pond populated with small goldfish. Topiaries lined the paths, some in the shape of columns, or, the much more detailed ones, like a dolphin. Carefully cut, lush green grass were lightly stepped on by wandering couples, some on two-seater benches.
There.
Right by the exit across the other side of the garden. It was one of them.
King sped up, pacing himself. He must have heard King running after him, for he suddenly disappeared, right around the corner, inside the building. Gone. Again.
King clenched his fists, getting tired of the chase. There was one thing he hoped he could count on, however, and that was them getting tired first. He shouldn't keep his hopes up, though. They weren't his father's special bodyguards for nothing.
He crossed the garden quickly, and pursued his quarry again. Turning around the corner, and slammed into someone who was as solid as he was.
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'How in damn nation did I get myself into this again?' Kai asked himself, turning into another corner. An old couple smiled as Kai ran past them.
Corner. Vase. Don't trip on the carpet.
Kai gritted his teeth, as he dodged a waiter nearby. Where the hell was he in this maze of a hotel? Trust Mr. Dickensen to hold his birthday here...
Somewhere up ahead, he could see a figure down the hall walking into a pair of double doors, about one hundred metres away. He cursed, running flat out in the hall, regardless of his location. Kai's chest heaved as he looked at the door where the man who looked suspiciously like Vince went through.
It was the entrance to the hotel's kitchens.
"Great, just my luck, the kitchens. I should probably be thankful that Tyson's not here." he said to himself, before opening one of the doors slowly, and was immediately greeted by various noises emitting from people, and cooking food. 'That bastard's got to be here somewhere...'
Chefs, and their apprentices, dishwashers, waiters, maids, and some janitors all didn't notice Kai's unauthorized arrival. Mixed smells of curry, sweet and sour sauces, and the strong smell of fried foods wafted up to his nose.
"Hey, you, look out, will ya?!" shouted a voice from one of the chefs. Kai had thought that it had been directed at him, but when he took a closer look at his surroundings, he realized that he was not the only unauthorized visitor either. Vince had definitely spotted Kai following him, so he had been trying to pull a quick escape by walking right by chefs, who were tossing used pans in a dangerous manner.
Vince just ignored him, and swiftly tried to get out of Kai's sight. Kai ducked under some hanging pots and pans, in hot pursuit. It wasn't so hard to spot Vince, for all the figures in white contrasted well with his attire of black.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" demanded a manager, but Kai ignored him, pushing him out of the way. "HEY! You are unauthorized to be here!"
"Whatever!' shouted Kai, turning a corner, which led to the deeper parts of the kitchen. Only to find that it wasn't a kitchen anymore, it was more like the dumping place for dirty laundry, and linens. It was a massive room, and was not surprised that it was a-dead end.
'Where the hell did he g-' he stopped short, as he spotted a laundry shoot leading out of the building. Muttering more swear words in his head, he turned to go back, careful not to be spotted by the manager again.
He got out at last, sweating in his suit from the intense heat of the kitchen. Kai wiped sweat off his forehead, and sped off again, going back down where he came from until he saw that hallway a few moments before. It lead much more deeper, and had the tiniest wonder whether he had been running in circles.
Kai turned a corner, only to collide into a blur of black and white, both managing to maintain their balance.
"Kai?" asked King, rubbing his forehead.
"King, hey, I thought I had been running in circles, this place's a freakin labyrinth." muttered Kai, tugging on his sleeve.
"Any luck?" asked King, calmly.
Kai shook his head. "No, I though I had him there, but he got away. I thought he was just one of those mindless idiots working for a boss, but he's not that stupid. He spotted me right away."
King frowned. "I know, I swear, I found one of them, but I couldn't tell who, but it was as if they knew that we were following them, Kai. It was like they actually wanted to be followed."
"So now what?"
"We gave it our best shot, but we couldn't find them. I think we should just find Queen and go back to the others." King and Kai looked around for any sign that could lead them back to the ballroom, which had to be at least a ten minute's walk back.
"This way, right of where we met up." said King.
Kai listened to the light pounding of their feet, until something brought him back to earth.
"Hey, King, don't you think we should look for Queen?"
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Queen pushed the door slowly, careful not to make any noise that might alert any of the inhabitants. She had wanted to make sure that whoever it was she was following was alone, and of course, unarmed. Soft light lighted the room, giving it a soft, comforting feel. Unfortunately, that was not what the atmosphere had been like for Queen.
A small hall had been leading to the kitchen. She went inside the kitchen. A small round table and four dainty chairs, a small stove, microwave, mini fridge, and a sink. Ivory cabinets lineds the walls, with a counter which divided the livingroom from the kitchen.
'Looks like noone's here.' thought Queen, as she walked to the sliding doors of the patio. The moon's glow filling the room, casting an eerie glow.
SLAM!
Queen whipped around, only to see loose paper flying as the exit slammed shut.
Her eyes narrowed. Someone had been in here, but they had been sneaky enough to stay unnoticed, and make a break for it at the first opportunity. Without another thought, Queen hurried on, back out of the suite, and into the halls again.
Footsteps were close by, not too far ahead of her. Queen hurried on, and heard the opening and closing of a door. It led to the stairs.
'Aw, shit, my shoes.' she thought, biting her lip angrily, and pulled open the doors.
She had been in the first floor, and those stairs led to the upper floors, for those people who preferred to stay fit and active, instead of using the elevators.
Breathing heavily, she climbed one flight....Her blisters felt like alcohol on a new wound. Queen didn't stop, however. She was close, and she could feel it.
Second flight....The door to the next floor opened. Queen tore through the doors right after.
"I see you're being stubborn, Queen." said a cold, silky voice.
She felt chills run up her spine as she stared into the face of her father. The one who was fully responsible for EVERYTHING.
"You know what I want, and I want her back." said Queen, throwing as much spite as she could in the tone of her voice. Just the very presence of him made her skin go cold.
Her father's steely brown eyes glinted with amusement, while his mouth curved up into a sinister smirk. He had his black hair gelled, and combed back, just like Queen remembered. If he hadn't gelled his hair back, he would probably look like King, only with black hair, just like Queen. The man was quite old, yet traces of youth still remained on his tanned face.
"Yes, and you do know that there is some demands, and that I expect you, my daughter to hand out." his smirk grew, as he saw his daughter's disgust.
"I deeply regret being a part of you." her voice trembled. "What are your demands? If I give them to you, I expect you to be out of our lives, as if you have never existed, you understand, father?" she emphasized on the word, hoping for the same results.
Behind her, the doors form the stairwell opened again.
"Well, you see, my dear, 'I' am the only one who makes the deals around here. Boys." he added, and just as Queen turned around, Greg and Vince had both their guns out, both of which were pointing at her head.
"So this was all a set up, wasn't it?" Queen said, taking a step forward. "You were as much of a coward as I thought."
Her father looked unconcerned. "Yes, well, you know me, I'm full of surprises. Don't you remember, Queen?"
Queen shook her head slowly, as old images returned to her head.
"You were there, I knew you were...."
Her mom.
"Yet you wonder why...."
Blood.
"In your head you wanted to do something, but you knew you couldn't do you?"
Her father.
She crunched up her vision, trying to drown them out, but it haunted her still.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why, why me?" she was about to get down to her knees, and give up, but no, she couldn't. Not without a fight, she can't. 'If only I could just hang on-'
"Queen!" shouted a familiar voice, and Queen snapped out of her thoughts.
Her father, Greg, and Vince turned around just in time to see King and Kai coming up the stairs, and shoving the door aside.
Queen looked regained her composure, and grimanced. The two skidded to a halt as Vince and Greg both pointed their guns threateningly.
"Do you really want to get any closer, King?" her father asked, and then turned to Kai. "Who are you, young man?"
Kai scowled. "None of your business." he snapped.
"His name's Kai, sir." said Vince, clearly proud of himself.
"Kai, eh? Well, Kai, you have made a very bad enemy today. Surely you don't know what you're up against?" the man drawled out, taking a step forward.
"I think I've made enough enemies to say that you're no threat to me." replied Kai coolly.
Everyone was staring at Kai, who was locked, eye to eye with their boss, and father. Then, he laughed. He laughed bitterly and humorlessly, as though mocking Kai and his defiance. The laugh left a loud echo running down the hall, where it finally faded off, a few seconds after he stopped.
"Argh, the little BASTARD!" shouted Greg.
King took advantage of the moment to kick him in the shins, and smack the hand that was holding the gun, letting it fall down to the floor, far from his reach. King then straightened up, getting into a fighting stance.
Vince tried to fire, but Kai was too fast. Soon his gun had also been forgotten, far away from his reach. Before he knew it, he was then holding his right arm tightly in his left hand, heavily bruised, while Kai left unscathed, except for the bruise on his arm it had cost for pulling the little stunt.
Queen turned to them for a fraction of a second, in which their father ran back into the stair well, heading to a new floor for a quick escape.
"Oh, like hell you're going to forget me." Queen said, getting back in the chase. There was no way she was going to give up that easily.
"Queen, watch it, and we'll take care of his goons." called Kai, as he dodged an attack from an enraged Vince, watching her disappear.
"Kai, behind you!" yelled King, as Greg had taken his attention off King, trying to gang up on him with Vince.
Kai turned, and got punched in the face, sending him flying a few feet, landing face down.
King, in retaliation crouched down, and swung his legs at Vince's ankles, and he landed heavily on his back, making him yell in shock.
Kai had gotten back up on his feet, as Greg came up on King from behind. He hadn't noticed Kai, until Kai had raised his hands over his head, and sent it crashing on Greg's back.
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!" shouted Greg, in pain, on the ground. "Fuck these little assholes!"
Meanwhile, King had his hands full. Vince, who had been desperate, had pulled out a switch blade, waving it at any part of King which was the closest.
King gritted his teeth, trying to elbow the back of his head, but he had not seen Vince swipe at his left hand, cutting a deep slit in his palm.
"Shit." muttered King, watching the blood drip immediately, as Vince advanced closer, twirling the knife around.
Kai, who had immediately seen the damage, knew he had to do something, or Vince would end up slitting every single part of King's body until he would pass out from blood loss.
He wasn't that far from King, so he ran, and with a big jump, leapt into the air, aiming a kick right at Vince's head.
'Aw, shit, I'm a goner.' thought King, as Vince smirked, who was standing over him.
But then, Vince's smirk faltered, before dropping onto the ground, unconscious, dropping the knife as well.
"King, are you okay?" asked Kai, in his same toneless voice, but slightly breathless.
King nodded, but suddenly stood up, and pushed Kai to the ground.
"What the-" said Kai.
Greg had gotten up again, and had sneaked up on behind Kai, getting ready to knock the daylights out of him.
"Think you can still get away, you little rat?" said Greg snidely, ducking under a kick that King had swung.
"Yeah, I think we can do that. But it'd be too easy." King ducked, as a left hook was given, then a right hook. King didn't know how much the other would stay unconscious, ( He hoped that Kai kicked him hard enough to be out of it for a while. ) but he had to end it, and soon.
He ducked one more time from a right uppercut, and sent Greg a right hook on the side of his head.
Without another word, Greg dropped like a sack of potatoes on the carpet.
Kai, who had been keeping a close watch over Vince sighed.
"Whew, I thought I was a goner for a second." said King, who looked curiously at his hand.
"Here." said Kai, who had been rummaging in Greg's and Vince's pockets, finding a handkerchief, and tossing it to King. "You're father's a real ass."
"Tell me something I don't know." muttered King, wrapping his hand gingerly. He paused, and looked at Kai curiously. "...................Say Kai............."
"Huh?"
"....For what happened.....Thanks...." King gave him a smile.
"No problem." Kai answered, returning the smile, and then turned back to the air of seriousness. "Come on, we should get Queen, before these idiots wake up."
King nodded. "Yeah.....Do you know which way they went?"
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Queen panted, as she finally reached the sixth floor. It had been a burden, but she had gotten there, even though her heels were a bloody mess from all the running.
She heard the landing door open, and close.
Taking deep breaths, she jerked the door open, and looked down the hallway on the sixth floor.
Nothing.
He was gone. Disappeared, again.
"Arrrggggghhh!" she shouted in annoyance. He got away, again, there was no way that they could get their grandmother now. It was now kill, or be killed, no matter what. Then again, how could she trust someone like their father to keep a promise like that?
Queen sighed. All that running for nothing. At least no one saw what had happened except for them, she should be thankful. All that chaos could bring her grandmother's fate closer.
She was about to turn around, when she saw a white envelope on the ground.
Queen checked her surroundings. Did someone drop a note?
Carefully, she opened the envelope, which had inside, a small, white piece of paper.
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Inside, it read:
Hello, my dear children. When you have found this, I'm afraid I was already long gone.
I was certainly not pleased with the little trick your grandmother had, making it seem
like a large sum of money was hidden in Corinth, when in fact, it is located in Meteora.
For that, I am afraid that I will have to take some time off. I would have given you 72
hours, but you have proven to be difficult.
Meet in 48 Hours, Meteora Monastery, Greece. The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen
Bring the key to the inheritance.
Don't be late, or the punishment for tardiness is her life.
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Inside, her stomach felt like it was about to lurch. 'Key to the inheritance?' Queen had no idea, but if she didn't find whatever it was soon, it would be too late.
She didn't have to think for very long however, when King and Kai had arrived, tapping lightly on her shoulder, and almost jumped in surprise.
"Queen, are you okay?" asked King, looking her over.
Kai glanced at the letter in her hands. "What's that?"
Queen held it out for the two boys to see. Her face was expressionless.
"It's father's demands."
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C.A.: This isn't as long as the other one.... But I hope this one is good, because I stayed up til 2:00 in the morning, because I know how much you really want me to update, so here it is. I think I proofread it enough. I still had to do a little research, but it's all good. I really want to thank you again for all of your thoughtful reviews, but I am so tired......Yawn I'm gonna have to comment later-Oh, what the heck, I am already up.
Ya, I know, they FINALLY kissed. LOL! I am so glad you liked the fluff, er, I am still inexperienced, I still don't get the feel of whatever it is that I'm typing. Well, let's just say I tried to outdo myself this time, although I don't really know. But hey, thanks for taking attention to detail, cause sometimes I can't keep track of what I'm typing! Okay, I think I've rambled on long enough. I hope you don't mind the lengths of these two chappies.
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Please, if you have any feed back, you know I would love it, and thank you.
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Author's Note: On a small note, I hope you don't mind if I have two chappies done again. I am doing this so everything would come together way better, and it would probably be more entertaining that way. I would be thanking again for my reviewers, and-which reminds me...anyone have a clue on what the ending would be like?? I would like to know what's on readers minds sometimes. Anyways, I would always love to hear from you. I have a feeling I have missed some stuff, but I can't be too particular, can I?
Disclaimer: I, Candide Avedo do not own anything that has to do with Beyblade.
It's always the same disclaimer, isn't it?
Warning: Some of my attempts at violence. Some language. Thank You.
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Demands
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Queen dashed off through the tables, trying to dodge the many feet and children at the same time. It was no walk in the park for her to run in heels, but those were the only ones she had, and she was just going to have to deal with it herself.
A waiter stifled a shout as she ducked under his plate of cocktail sausages. Queen paused, looking around. The others were still involved in their own agendas, clueless.
She watched them disappear through the entrance doors. Queen swore quietly to herself. They were gone. The two men she were in pursuit of were gone.
But Queen wasn't going to give up yet. She came to a complete halt at the hotel's lobby, searching for any sign of disturbance.
"What is it?" asked Kai, who had followed her out of the ballroom, and now stopped running beside her. The hotel clerks kept a wary eye over them, as though worried that they might cause distractions for hotel guests. Bell boys pushing carts filled with luggage stared at Queen and Kai.
"He's here." muttered Queen, frowning. The were two hallways, both leading to different areas of the hotel. Left, or right? Shaking her head, Queen ran to the hall on the right, and Kai followed.
'Who was she looking for?' he thought, as they ran past door after door, occasionally dodging a ming vase display. They were running into a fork, and without warning, Queen had collided with a blond boy, wearing a black suit, both falling at the minor impact.
"King, what are you doing?" asked Kai, as King struggled to get himself and Queen up.
"King?" repeated Queen, holding a hand to her forehead. "Aren't you finished going to the washroom?"
King narrowed his eyes.
"I think I should ask you what you two are doing instead." he growled, looking at the two suspiciously, before looking around checking to make sure that they weren't being followed.
Queen released the breath that she didn't know she was holding, and spilled.
"King, I think I saw him..."
King nodded.
"I did too, but he got away from me, just when he was leaving." King added, then stared at Kai.
"What the hell is going on, King?" asked Kai defensively.
"We reckon our dear old father is here." answered King, scowling. "I think it's time for some confrontation about some kidnapping."
"Well, I'd like to start, King, but which way? This place is like a maze." Queen said, crossing her arms uneasily.
"If you're thinking of going after him, we might as well split up." said Kai, rolling up his sleeves.
"What do you mean, 'WE'?" asked Queen, now turning to him.
Kai smirked. "I couldn't just let you do all the work now, can I? I felt a little out of shape lately."
"Good, cause we'll need to cover as much ground as we possibly can." said King, checking his watch. "We have time before anyone else notices we're gone."
"We split up at the very first fork that we encounter." Queen chimed in.
The three nodded, and headed back where King had come from. Not to long, they had reached a cross, where they all lead into the deeper parts of the hotel. Left, right, or straight.
"I think this is where we split up, you guys." said King, before turning to his sister and Kai. "I want you both to be on the lookout. If we could follow them to where they could be hiding grandmother, well, I'd welcome death anytime after that."
"That's not funny, King." muttered Queen, massaging her heels, and muttering small curses. "Where do we meet?"
"We should return to the ballroom once we think they've gone." King was about to turn to the right, but stopped again. "Careful, you two, knowing him, he won't hesitate to do something rash."
King ran to the right side, Kai on the left, leaving Queen to the one that was straight ahead.
-
'Why did this have to be such a big hotel?' Queen thought, feeling the pounding of her feet on the rich, burgundy carpet. Many seashell sconces helped make shadows on the walls, mostly from the various priceless statues and picture frames. 'Honestly, I'll bet my whole life that they don't even have full bookings.'
Queen stiffened. A small muffle of voices were up ahead, along the upcoming bend of the hall. She sped up, panting lightly, cursing her shoes as she almost tripped for the uncounted time that night.
Closer she got to the bend, and-
Nothing. There was no one there. Empty. Queen strained her ears, trying to listen for any sort of noise.
No, it was as quiet as a morgue. The thought sent shivers up her spine. This place was public, alright, but it was creepy all the same when it was this empty. She could only hear her own breathing, and if one was focussed enough, they could hear their own heart's beating.
'I won't get anywhere if I just stand here hoping something turns up.' Queen scolded herself, and returned to running, wincing, as she could feel some blisters occurring. Surely, when she got home, she was going to throw these things in the garbage.
Not very long, however, she heard a door close somewhere behind her, where she had just ran past. Queen skidded to a halt, and doubled back, trying to pick the door where she could have sworn the noise had come from.
-
King turned another corner, finding another stretch of hall, and decorative ming vases. He had hoped that neither Queen, or Kai would encounter something that they couldn't handle. But then again, anything was possible-well, not exactly, people didn't grow wings overnight, but almost anything was possible.
'Really, these vases are pretty useless. Yeah, I'd agree that they're 'Nice', but what use are they when they're broken?' he dodged one as he ran past, and heard a small rustle of clothing up ahead. King sped up, and was immobile, as the door that was emitting some whispers slowly opened.
King prepared himself, clenching his fists. He was there to get answers, and that was it. No funny business. It sounded no less than four people. He would be outnumbered, King was sure of that. But it was too late to turn now, they would see him running across the hall if he chickened out.
But, as the door fully opened, however, a group of girls that were formally dressed flowed out of the room, and King let out a sigh of exasperation. They ignored him, chatting happily about their plans for the evening. One of the girls, however, caught his eye, and gave him a wink.
Perplexed, King watched them leave, no doubt heading for the party in the ballroom, and dashed off again, hoping to not encounter something like that again. A wall up ahead caught his eye, like it had water spilling on it's side.
Closer, he realized, that it wasn't a waterfall at all, but a reflection of the real thing. Right across from the wall, was a pair of French doors, leading out into a garden. A waterfall was nearby, cascading down well-polished rocks, and onto a pond populated with small goldfish. Topiaries lined the paths, some in the shape of columns, or, the much more detailed ones, like a dolphin. Carefully cut, lush green grass were lightly stepped on by wandering couples, some on two-seater benches.
There.
Right by the exit across the other side of the garden. It was one of them.
King sped up, pacing himself. He must have heard King running after him, for he suddenly disappeared, right around the corner, inside the building. Gone. Again.
King clenched his fists, getting tired of the chase. There was one thing he hoped he could count on, however, and that was them getting tired first. He shouldn't keep his hopes up, though. They weren't his father's special bodyguards for nothing.
He crossed the garden quickly, and pursued his quarry again. Turning around the corner, and slammed into someone who was as solid as he was.
-
'How in damn nation did I get myself into this again?' Kai asked himself, turning into another corner. An old couple smiled as Kai ran past them.
Corner. Vase. Don't trip on the carpet.
Kai gritted his teeth, as he dodged a waiter nearby. Where the hell was he in this maze of a hotel? Trust Mr. Dickensen to hold his birthday here...
Somewhere up ahead, he could see a figure down the hall walking into a pair of double doors, about one hundred metres away. He cursed, running flat out in the hall, regardless of his location. Kai's chest heaved as he looked at the door where the man who looked suspiciously like Vince went through.
It was the entrance to the hotel's kitchens.
"Great, just my luck, the kitchens. I should probably be thankful that Tyson's not here." he said to himself, before opening one of the doors slowly, and was immediately greeted by various noises emitting from people, and cooking food. 'That bastard's got to be here somewhere...'
Chefs, and their apprentices, dishwashers, waiters, maids, and some janitors all didn't notice Kai's unauthorized arrival. Mixed smells of curry, sweet and sour sauces, and the strong smell of fried foods wafted up to his nose.
"Hey, you, look out, will ya?!" shouted a voice from one of the chefs. Kai had thought that it had been directed at him, but when he took a closer look at his surroundings, he realized that he was not the only unauthorized visitor either. Vince had definitely spotted Kai following him, so he had been trying to pull a quick escape by walking right by chefs, who were tossing used pans in a dangerous manner.
Vince just ignored him, and swiftly tried to get out of Kai's sight. Kai ducked under some hanging pots and pans, in hot pursuit. It wasn't so hard to spot Vince, for all the figures in white contrasted well with his attire of black.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" demanded a manager, but Kai ignored him, pushing him out of the way. "HEY! You are unauthorized to be here!"
"Whatever!' shouted Kai, turning a corner, which led to the deeper parts of the kitchen. Only to find that it wasn't a kitchen anymore, it was more like the dumping place for dirty laundry, and linens. It was a massive room, and was not surprised that it was a-dead end.
'Where the hell did he g-' he stopped short, as he spotted a laundry shoot leading out of the building. Muttering more swear words in his head, he turned to go back, careful not to be spotted by the manager again.
He got out at last, sweating in his suit from the intense heat of the kitchen. Kai wiped sweat off his forehead, and sped off again, going back down where he came from until he saw that hallway a few moments before. It lead much more deeper, and had the tiniest wonder whether he had been running in circles.
Kai turned a corner, only to collide into a blur of black and white, both managing to maintain their balance.
"Kai?" asked King, rubbing his forehead.
"King, hey, I thought I had been running in circles, this place's a freakin labyrinth." muttered Kai, tugging on his sleeve.
"Any luck?" asked King, calmly.
Kai shook his head. "No, I though I had him there, but he got away. I thought he was just one of those mindless idiots working for a boss, but he's not that stupid. He spotted me right away."
King frowned. "I know, I swear, I found one of them, but I couldn't tell who, but it was as if they knew that we were following them, Kai. It was like they actually wanted to be followed."
"So now what?"
"We gave it our best shot, but we couldn't find them. I think we should just find Queen and go back to the others." King and Kai looked around for any sign that could lead them back to the ballroom, which had to be at least a ten minute's walk back.
"This way, right of where we met up." said King.
Kai listened to the light pounding of their feet, until something brought him back to earth.
"Hey, King, don't you think we should look for Queen?"
-
Queen pushed the door slowly, careful not to make any noise that might alert any of the inhabitants. She had wanted to make sure that whoever it was she was following was alone, and of course, unarmed. Soft light lighted the room, giving it a soft, comforting feel. Unfortunately, that was not what the atmosphere had been like for Queen.
A small hall had been leading to the kitchen. She went inside the kitchen. A small round table and four dainty chairs, a small stove, microwave, mini fridge, and a sink. Ivory cabinets lineds the walls, with a counter which divided the livingroom from the kitchen.
'Looks like noone's here.' thought Queen, as she walked to the sliding doors of the patio. The moon's glow filling the room, casting an eerie glow.
SLAM!
Queen whipped around, only to see loose paper flying as the exit slammed shut.
Her eyes narrowed. Someone had been in here, but they had been sneaky enough to stay unnoticed, and make a break for it at the first opportunity. Without another thought, Queen hurried on, back out of the suite, and into the halls again.
Footsteps were close by, not too far ahead of her. Queen hurried on, and heard the opening and closing of a door. It led to the stairs.
'Aw, shit, my shoes.' she thought, biting her lip angrily, and pulled open the doors.
She had been in the first floor, and those stairs led to the upper floors, for those people who preferred to stay fit and active, instead of using the elevators.
Breathing heavily, she climbed one flight....Her blisters felt like alcohol on a new wound. Queen didn't stop, however. She was close, and she could feel it.
Second flight....The door to the next floor opened. Queen tore through the doors right after.
"I see you're being stubborn, Queen." said a cold, silky voice.
She felt chills run up her spine as she stared into the face of her father. The one who was fully responsible for EVERYTHING.
"You know what I want, and I want her back." said Queen, throwing as much spite as she could in the tone of her voice. Just the very presence of him made her skin go cold.
Her father's steely brown eyes glinted with amusement, while his mouth curved up into a sinister smirk. He had his black hair gelled, and combed back, just like Queen remembered. If he hadn't gelled his hair back, he would probably look like King, only with black hair, just like Queen. The man was quite old, yet traces of youth still remained on his tanned face.
"Yes, and you do know that there is some demands, and that I expect you, my daughter to hand out." his smirk grew, as he saw his daughter's disgust.
"I deeply regret being a part of you." her voice trembled. "What are your demands? If I give them to you, I expect you to be out of our lives, as if you have never existed, you understand, father?" she emphasized on the word, hoping for the same results.
Behind her, the doors form the stairwell opened again.
"Well, you see, my dear, 'I' am the only one who makes the deals around here. Boys." he added, and just as Queen turned around, Greg and Vince had both their guns out, both of which were pointing at her head.
"So this was all a set up, wasn't it?" Queen said, taking a step forward. "You were as much of a coward as I thought."
Her father looked unconcerned. "Yes, well, you know me, I'm full of surprises. Don't you remember, Queen?"
Queen shook her head slowly, as old images returned to her head.
"You were there, I knew you were...."
Her mom.
"Yet you wonder why...."
Blood.
"In your head you wanted to do something, but you knew you couldn't do you?"
Her father.
She crunched up her vision, trying to drown them out, but it haunted her still.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why, why me?" she was about to get down to her knees, and give up, but no, she couldn't. Not without a fight, she can't. 'If only I could just hang on-'
"Queen!" shouted a familiar voice, and Queen snapped out of her thoughts.
Her father, Greg, and Vince turned around just in time to see King and Kai coming up the stairs, and shoving the door aside.
Queen looked regained her composure, and grimanced. The two skidded to a halt as Vince and Greg both pointed their guns threateningly.
"Do you really want to get any closer, King?" her father asked, and then turned to Kai. "Who are you, young man?"
Kai scowled. "None of your business." he snapped.
"His name's Kai, sir." said Vince, clearly proud of himself.
"Kai, eh? Well, Kai, you have made a very bad enemy today. Surely you don't know what you're up against?" the man drawled out, taking a step forward.
"I think I've made enough enemies to say that you're no threat to me." replied Kai coolly.
Everyone was staring at Kai, who was locked, eye to eye with their boss, and father. Then, he laughed. He laughed bitterly and humorlessly, as though mocking Kai and his defiance. The laugh left a loud echo running down the hall, where it finally faded off, a few seconds after he stopped.
"Argh, the little BASTARD!" shouted Greg.
King took advantage of the moment to kick him in the shins, and smack the hand that was holding the gun, letting it fall down to the floor, far from his reach. King then straightened up, getting into a fighting stance.
Vince tried to fire, but Kai was too fast. Soon his gun had also been forgotten, far away from his reach. Before he knew it, he was then holding his right arm tightly in his left hand, heavily bruised, while Kai left unscathed, except for the bruise on his arm it had cost for pulling the little stunt.
Queen turned to them for a fraction of a second, in which their father ran back into the stair well, heading to a new floor for a quick escape.
"Oh, like hell you're going to forget me." Queen said, getting back in the chase. There was no way she was going to give up that easily.
"Queen, watch it, and we'll take care of his goons." called Kai, as he dodged an attack from an enraged Vince, watching her disappear.
"Kai, behind you!" yelled King, as Greg had taken his attention off King, trying to gang up on him with Vince.
Kai turned, and got punched in the face, sending him flying a few feet, landing face down.
King, in retaliation crouched down, and swung his legs at Vince's ankles, and he landed heavily on his back, making him yell in shock.
Kai had gotten back up on his feet, as Greg came up on King from behind. He hadn't noticed Kai, until Kai had raised his hands over his head, and sent it crashing on Greg's back.
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!" shouted Greg, in pain, on the ground. "Fuck these little assholes!"
Meanwhile, King had his hands full. Vince, who had been desperate, had pulled out a switch blade, waving it at any part of King which was the closest.
King gritted his teeth, trying to elbow the back of his head, but he had not seen Vince swipe at his left hand, cutting a deep slit in his palm.
"Shit." muttered King, watching the blood drip immediately, as Vince advanced closer, twirling the knife around.
Kai, who had immediately seen the damage, knew he had to do something, or Vince would end up slitting every single part of King's body until he would pass out from blood loss.
He wasn't that far from King, so he ran, and with a big jump, leapt into the air, aiming a kick right at Vince's head.
'Aw, shit, I'm a goner.' thought King, as Vince smirked, who was standing over him.
But then, Vince's smirk faltered, before dropping onto the ground, unconscious, dropping the knife as well.
"King, are you okay?" asked Kai, in his same toneless voice, but slightly breathless.
King nodded, but suddenly stood up, and pushed Kai to the ground.
"What the-" said Kai.
Greg had gotten up again, and had sneaked up on behind Kai, getting ready to knock the daylights out of him.
"Think you can still get away, you little rat?" said Greg snidely, ducking under a kick that King had swung.
"Yeah, I think we can do that. But it'd be too easy." King ducked, as a left hook was given, then a right hook. King didn't know how much the other would stay unconscious, ( He hoped that Kai kicked him hard enough to be out of it for a while. ) but he had to end it, and soon.
He ducked one more time from a right uppercut, and sent Greg a right hook on the side of his head.
Without another word, Greg dropped like a sack of potatoes on the carpet.
Kai, who had been keeping a close watch over Vince sighed.
"Whew, I thought I was a goner for a second." said King, who looked curiously at his hand.
"Here." said Kai, who had been rummaging in Greg's and Vince's pockets, finding a handkerchief, and tossing it to King. "You're father's a real ass."
"Tell me something I don't know." muttered King, wrapping his hand gingerly. He paused, and looked at Kai curiously. "...................Say Kai............."
"Huh?"
"....For what happened.....Thanks...." King gave him a smile.
"No problem." Kai answered, returning the smile, and then turned back to the air of seriousness. "Come on, we should get Queen, before these idiots wake up."
King nodded. "Yeah.....Do you know which way they went?"
-
Queen panted, as she finally reached the sixth floor. It had been a burden, but she had gotten there, even though her heels were a bloody mess from all the running.
She heard the landing door open, and close.
Taking deep breaths, she jerked the door open, and looked down the hallway on the sixth floor.
Nothing.
He was gone. Disappeared, again.
"Arrrggggghhh!" she shouted in annoyance. He got away, again, there was no way that they could get their grandmother now. It was now kill, or be killed, no matter what. Then again, how could she trust someone like their father to keep a promise like that?
Queen sighed. All that running for nothing. At least no one saw what had happened except for them, she should be thankful. All that chaos could bring her grandmother's fate closer.
She was about to turn around, when she saw a white envelope on the ground.
Queen checked her surroundings. Did someone drop a note?
Carefully, she opened the envelope, which had inside, a small, white piece of paper.
-
Inside, it read:
Hello, my dear children. When you have found this, I'm afraid I was already long gone.
I was certainly not pleased with the little trick your grandmother had, making it seem
like a large sum of money was hidden in Corinth, when in fact, it is located in Meteora.
For that, I am afraid that I will have to take some time off. I would have given you 72
hours, but you have proven to be difficult.
Meet in 48 Hours, Meteora Monastery, Greece. The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen
Bring the key to the inheritance.
Don't be late, or the punishment for tardiness is her life.
-
Inside, her stomach felt like it was about to lurch. 'Key to the inheritance?' Queen had no idea, but if she didn't find whatever it was soon, it would be too late.
She didn't have to think for very long however, when King and Kai had arrived, tapping lightly on her shoulder, and almost jumped in surprise.
"Queen, are you okay?" asked King, looking her over.
Kai glanced at the letter in her hands. "What's that?"
Queen held it out for the two boys to see. Her face was expressionless.
"It's father's demands."
-
C.A.: This isn't as long as the other one.... But I hope this one is good, because I stayed up til 2:00 in the morning, because I know how much you really want me to update, so here it is. I think I proofread it enough. I still had to do a little research, but it's all good. I really want to thank you again for all of your thoughtful reviews, but I am so tired......Yawn I'm gonna have to comment later-Oh, what the heck, I am already up.
Ya, I know, they FINALLY kissed. LOL! I am so glad you liked the fluff, er, I am still inexperienced, I still don't get the feel of whatever it is that I'm typing. Well, let's just say I tried to outdo myself this time, although I don't really know. But hey, thanks for taking attention to detail, cause sometimes I can't keep track of what I'm typing! Okay, I think I've rambled on long enough. I hope you don't mind the lengths of these two chappies.
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Please, if you have any feed back, you know I would love it, and thank you.
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