Phoenix Fallen: It's me again; thanks for all your wonderful reviews! I'll be responding to some of your comments individually at the end of this chapter – I've seen people do this before, and it's fun to get mentioned.

I think I'll be updating this fanfic once a week; I do have a life (amazing, ne?), and it's just fun to make you wait. I mean, I have to make you wait, don't I? It keeps your interest in me, and the story. =P This chapter is shorter than the last – the length on the pages is around the same, but since the paragraphs are shorter, so is this part. This would have been posted sooner, but I got sick, and when I did, I edited, and added a bit in, so I guess that was a good thing, ne?

Okay, minna, I think I'm done shooting my mouth off. Now enough with boring old me, and let's get on with the next chapter…

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Disclaimer: I, like many other people, do not own Beyblade; it belongs to Aoki-san. I do, however, own this plot.

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For Those Who Are Beaten

Chapter Two: To Have Nowhere To Go

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It was raining. Cold, thick particles of water fell down from the skies and splattered in tiny pieces on the solids they hit on the way towards the ground. From these pieces, puddles and miniature streams formed, and they flowed through the soggy earth, finding their way to big water, and then finally, towards the ocean.

Kai lifted his weary head, looking up and ahead of him as he walked. He was on a deserted road, one that hardly anybody used. That meant if he was to die, it would take a while for someone to find his body, if they ever did. He would probably be picked apart by scavengers first; fought over by the animals, then eaten one section at a time by all.

He shivered, partly because of the thought, and partly because he was freezing to death. It had been raining for quite some time now, and it didn't look like it would let up soon. He was completely soaked; his hair lay limp on his head, his damp pants rubbed at his legs, irritating his skin, and his shirt stuck like glue to his chest. But at least all the blood had washed off of him...

He wiped his eyes with his forearm, although that didn't do any good. Stopping for a second, he opened his mouth to the heavens, catching as many water droplets as he could and swallowing them, letting them run down his parched throat. He was so tired, and cold, and very, very thirsty. He hurt all over his body; his back, his head, his arms, his legs (he was limping on the one his grandfather had pulled on)... and in his side.

The throbbing in his right side had not let up. There felt like there was a giant bruise on the outside, but it was the inside that caused him such pain. He could hardly move without being accompanied by a piercing stab of affliction, and for some reason, he wasn't able to breathe without struggling.

His ears twitched suddenly: the sound of an engine tickled the sensitive hairs lining the skin inside as it purred along behind him, growing louder and louder as it came closer. A gust of wind was sent over him as it passed, causing him shiver again, and he rubbed his damp arms in a futile effort to warm himself up.

Kai sighed, hanging his head, nearly collapsing as he stepped once more on his sore leg displaced in its own hip socket. He would catch something being wet and frozen like this. He could feel sickness already beginning to creep into his marred, ulcerated body.

He shivered again, longer and more violently this time. Curse you, Hiwatari, he growled at himself, bending over and frantically rubbing at his arms again, you can't even stand a little hike outside in the cold. You lived in Russia for years on end; what would Boris say if he saw you now?

He stopped at the thought, letting himself drop to his knees. Boris Balkov was his caretaker, the one who raised him in the dingy abbey in Moscow. The one whose face haunted his dreams, but not more than that of his grandfathers. He hated Boris to the core, but it was his grandfather who he really was afraid of. It was his grandfather's expectations that willed him to keep moving.

The sound of the car which had passed earlier reached his ears, and he druggedly looked up. He was dizzy, so incredibly dizzy, and there was a rancid, burning taste lingering in the back of his mouth. His body trembled, and he groaned, closing his eyes (he couldn't see properly anyway), following the auto by its sound as it stopped beside him, and he heard someone clamber out.

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" the voice belonged to a male like himself, although his vocals were soft and gentle, unlike his own harsh ones. Whoever it was, he had kneeled down beside him, and he could feel the warmth of his body wafting over to him.

Kai drew in a sharp breath, nodding his head weakly. I'm fine, he tried convincing himself, I'm just a little woozy. It'll pass. Everything passes... and I will too...

"Are you sure? You're completely soaked."

He could have laughed at that moment, and he nearly did, too. Of course I'm completely soaked, you moron! I've been out in the rain for hours now! You stupid fool, how dare you sympathize with me!

The young twenty year-old continued when he didn't respond, "What are you doing out here alone? Do you need a lift somewhere?"

He shook his head, forcing himself to stand, and nearly fell back down again if it weren't for the other boy catching him. He pushed away almost immediately, taking a few steps backwards. You're hands, he whimpered inwardly, they're burning me...

"Lordy!" he exclaimed, "You're frozen! You're going to die of hypothermia before whomever you're running from catches you!" he reached forwards, grasping Kai by his wrist, and the boy cried out, wiggling out of the hold.

"Don't touch me," he gasped. In the place that had been grabbed, he could feel each individual piece of glass stinging his tissues, and tiny streams of blood began to run outwards. How did you know, he wondered, how did you know I was running...?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," the man murmured, "But you've got to come with me. You know, running from your problems isn't going to solve anything."

"I'm not," he growled, "He told me to, it wasn't my decision, don't patronize with me, I - "

"Woah, little man, calm down." he raised his hands, peering down on him, "I don't know what this is about, and it seems like you don't want to talk about it so..." he trailed off, and lowered his open palms to his sides.

Kai's shivering was growing persistent, and he tried his best to stop the violent shakings of his body, but was failing miserably. To make things worse, the whistling in his breathing was getting louder and louder... and he felt so awful. He dropped onto the ground, wrapping his arms loosely around his aching ribs.

"Look at yourself," the young man whispered, "You're a complete wreck." he knelt down so that he was eye-level with him, "What on earth happened to you?"

"N-nothing," his teeth were chattering by now, "Nothing h-happened to m-me."

"Of course something happened to you, you can't just get this way without anything happening." he paused, "Why are you running away?"

"I'm not running," he emphasized the words with his annoyance and frustration, "Nothing happened to me; it's not important."

The man sighed, "If you won't tell me that, at least tell me your name, won't you?"

He looked at him warily, studying his face, "H-Hiwatari," he answered in a raspy voice, "My name is Kai Hiwatari."

"Hiwatari, huh?" he echoed, "Aren't you - "

"No," he snapped, "I'm not anyone. I'm nobody. Just... just," he turned his head away, closing his eyes, "Just leave me alone," he muttered softly, "Just leave me alone..."

"C'mon, kid," he felt the heat of his body coming close to him again, "I can't just leave you here on the side of the road. What kind of person would I be then? Just let me take you back to your home, or where ever."

"You can't," he barely whispered, "I have nowhere to go." he raised his head to gaze upon him, and he could feel the rebellious tears welling up in his eyes, "I don't have anyone to go to..."

He blinked, and the droplets of salty liquid poured down his cheeks. At that exact moment, he was suddenly glad it was raining, for it hid the fact he had been caught at his weakest point. He took a deep breath, shuddering, and closed his eyes again.

Grandfather, I've run away from you so many times, but that was of my own free will; I knew I could always come back. But you... you were the one who sent me away from you this time. How will I know if I'm ever welcome again?

Even though I've never said it to your face, grandfather, I can't get rid of this emotion I feel towards you. Not just the fear, but something else. Not anger, or confusion, or the hate, as most people would think, including yourself. But love; I love you.

And how could I not? Aren't we family? Don't we share this blood that courses through our veins? Aren't we the last of our kind? The last of the grand race called Hiwatari? And what have you done to me? Broken me, crushed me, and have forced me out of your home. Our home. And still I love you. But now I don't know what I'm going to do... I'm completely lost..

"Hey, it's alright," he felt a hand being placed gently on his shoulder, "You could come with me. I have room in my apartment. You could stay there until you've gathered yourself. It's no big deal."

"N-no, I c-couldn't..."

"Sure you could," he smiled faintly, "Or I could take you to your teammate's house. He'd know you better than I. What was his name? That Kinomiya boy."

Kai's mind gave a sudden jolt, and his eyes widened as the man pulled him to his feet, forcing him to stand. A sudden head rush from getting up too quickly hit him mercilessly, and he coughed dryly, his stomach and throat muscles contracting, but sending up nothing. He was being pulled towards the car, and he dug his wet sneakers into the mud, resisting it.

"No," he moaned, trying to push away at the hand that held his upper arm, "No, stop, you can't..."

"I can, and I have to," he glanced over to him, "You need a place to stay and... are you feeling okay?"

Kai could feel his face paling as a wave of nausea washed over him, and the world became swirling splotches of combinations of cyan, yellow, and magenta in his view. He was sweating, and heat rose up steadily along his neck and cheeks. He pivoted suddenly, getting down on his knees, breathing heavily.

The voice of the young man was vibrating through his ear, but he couldn't understand a single word of it. At that moment, he began to painfully spill his guts onto the soggy ground before him, then broke down onto his side, quivering in shock.

Whatever he had heaved up was burning in his mouth and in his throat, eating away at the sides of his tissues like acid, and someone's hammer was pounding a tattoo on, and in, the back of his head. Suddenly, his ears became unplugged, and everything became twice as loud, adding to the blows on his mind, and he found that everything was becoming black.

The void, the darkness... at least something has come to take hold of me; but can you take it all away? Can you make me forget? Make me forget about how I had tried...

Fog began to eat away at the sides of his vision, the worried face of the man looking down on him slowly fading into nothing,and Kai exhaled greatly, relaxing for the first time in a long, long time.

Just take it all away...

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Phoenix Fallen: End of chapter two. I really hope you like it; I'm worried that my writing's becoming a bit… well, sloppy. And as promised, I'm going to respond to you, my gorgeous reviewers!

Dragon: You know what it's like to be beaten? I hope you told someone about your ex; he might end up hurting someone else the same way he hurt you. Abuse (both physical and emotional) is no laughing matter, and should be reported to authorities who can take care of the issue, and give out the proper punishments. Wow, I sound like someone's mother or something. Oo At the moment, I'm just glad you're okay!

Kai's Honey: Not much to say here, Rosetta. I talk to you all the time anyway…

Immortal Sadness: Letting the reader see how terror-stricken Kai is of his grandfather was what was intended; it's good to know someone caught that, but it was kind of obvious - I think. And what did I inspire you to draw, exactly? Oh, I'd like to see that picture of yours.

Eyriess: I'll try not to let the angst go downhill; I don't know if I can, or if the story-line will still flow with a lot of it, but I'll try my best. Hopefully I'll get better in my writing as time goes on. Remember, I'm still new at this…

Mrs. Hiwatari: Don't you worry; I'll keep Kai's boxers. =D I wouldn't give them away for the world!

Arigatou gozaimasu, mina-chan, you know just how to boost my confidence. Thank you Hutchy, Snowflake-sisters, Kai/Hilary ROCK!!! (because they do), Chibi-Kari, Penguin Pop, Dazogg, Dillon-kun, and anybody I missed, or whose read this, but hasn't submitted a review. You guys deserve something (cookies!) for being so wonderful. And next time I won't leave such long comments… it kind of ruins the effect of the story. Gomen nasai. U

Ja ne, minna!