Chapter 14:

Determined

After a moment, his young voice spilled out, but it was much deeper.

"... Don't go looking for answers so quickly." He glanced at her and his eyes were a bit different"I had a thirsted for too much. I wanted to know. I wanted to see and feel. Knowledge was always my power and yet..." His voice trailed off and he pulled over stopping the car and taking a deep breath"I still haven't curbed my appetite for wanting to know everything, but some things are best kept secret." He tried smiling at her but failed horribly. "I know about Mira. And..." He paused again"It'd be a shame to loose such a pretty girl to her ambition of wanting to know dark secrets." He looked at Kai. "That came out wrong. I really didn't mean to be that harsh. I'm sorry. Gomen." he looked at the steering wheel. Kai glanced at him, and felt sorry for asking; she reached over and hugged him.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to ask you like this." She tightened the embrace a little; she was scared of letting go. Maybe he was the only person who understood her. "I will learn with time, I know that...it's just...sometimes, I'm scared of it...it...makes me feel things I normally don't." She hid her face in his shirt. He stroked her hair, a little surprised at her action but he sighed,

"I know. I know. Just... Don't mention it around anyone. Jyn and Father get... Uptight when someone says something about it. We're doing everything we can. We just, haven't found Mother yet." He looked down at her"I know how evil it feels. I have it here." He touched his heart then removed his hand. "And Grandfather, Well, Kazuya, he's not really social. I wouldn't try talking to him about it. It'll be ok. You four aren't as far down as we are. You still have a chance at your own salvation." He smiled at her. "You just have to take it." Kai grasped his shirt.

"You have it too. That place is pure, you probably have more good then evil, because your mother loves you and she still does have impact on you even though she's not here now. Even Jin is pure in his way...you all are... She helped him in a way, and she did help you two. As long as you think of her, she'll help you get through it. We are about equal when it come to being pure." She smiled"I wonder why he is such a grump though...I mean G- your grandfather..." her smile widened trying to imagine him nicer. The boy chuckled.

"You're not directly linked to the lineage so he doesn't have much control over you... Unless you give him your control willingly." He looked up"Dammit" he started the car and hurriedly sped off"It's really late. Where do you live again" He was trying not to be embarrassed but Kazaa's face reddened each passing moment. Kai laughed.

"You should see your face... You look so funny when you're embarrassed." Laughing she added"Take a right, right here." After he took the turn, she was still smiling. "Ya know it would be interesting though to finally have an uncle, cousin, or a grandfather." She looked away sad a little but it couldn't really be heard. "I never knew anyone else of my family, except my mother, and father. Father said that we have a grandmother somewhere, but we don't here anything from her. I literally gave up on seeing anyone else beside my parents. When I found about you guys, and us coming over here, it gave me some hope." The apartment building was already in sight.

"Well, we're not technically family." Kazaa's blush faded and he pulled up beside the apartment buildings. "So you know. Don't worry, family isn't all it's cracked up to be, but sometimes it's the only thing you've got." He smiled and got out of the car, walking quickly to the other side and opening the door for Kai"Besides, we're not family but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"I guess so." She reached for the back, and shook Kyksae awake. "Hey, sleepyhead we're back." Kazaa opened the door for Kyksae and helped her out. He looked up and closed the door behind the girl. Kai looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks for bringing us home." She started to walk up the steps, and a strange feeling struck her on the inside. She turned to her left watching Kazaa help Kyksae up the steps.

"Something wrong" Kai tried to focus, but failed when she felt a sudden burn in her back and collapsed. Kazaa caught the girl and picked her up over his shoulder. 'I would love for Jyn to be here right now...' His thought's raced and so did his steps, helping Kyksae up the stairs and down the hall with Kai on his shoulder, Kazaa stumbled and kicked the apartment door, trying to figure out what to say to Steve and his sons when the sight came to their eyes.

"OPEN UP DAMMIT" He kicked the door one last time and sent it flying off its hinges into the apartment, leaving Cid stunned and Cloud's mouth gaping open. Upon seeing one of the twins, Cloud's anger flamed, and when he saw Kai and Kyksae in his arms and the bloodstain on his shirt, he ran quickly, and took Kai from him.

"What happened" Cid skidded over. His sister was lying in Cloud's arms, holding her waist tightly with her eyes squinted in pain. Cid took Kyksae from Kazaa, and brought her to her room.

"Go get the phone and call father tell him, that we need to get to the hospital as soon as possible." Cid ran off, after bringing a few towels.

"Damn I didn't know shots could hurt this much." She tried to get out of Kazaa's grip, so that it wouldn't hurt as much but to her avail, it didn't help. Kai was awake the whole time, she wasn't weak, and she wouldn't pass out anytime soon. Cid stood around not knowing what to do next while Cloud helped Kazaa with the bandages. Kazaa's heart pounded in his head, the blood rushed to his ears as he tried to keep calm. Funny how everyone in the room watched him in admiration almost because he didn't look the slightest bit scared or phased.

"Shhh... Just stay calm. It'll be ok. Don't talk. Just concentrate on something. Anything, Try to keep your mind off the pain and stay awake." The seconds seemed like hours before the ambulance would get there. Hurting the girl was almost too much for him to bear. Sean and smiling face was the first thing that popped in her head. The next few moments passed as if they were a dream. The sirens came into hearing range, paramedics covered the apartment and Kai was taken from the blood stained Kazaa. Kyksae left quickly with the paramedics and Kazaa sat there on the floor, his hands and face dripping in blood. Cloud looked at the boy.

"Hey, I can let you wash off and borrow some of my clothes." Cloud went into his room and got a shirt. "Here, I don't think your dad would be happy to see you like that." Kazaa looked up,

"Ah, no thank you. It's ok. I've done worse to myself." He smiled at him and stood up"Gomen. I didn't mean to break the door. I'll help you fix it if you'd like." He paused"I'm not Jyn if you'd like to know." He chuckled slightly. Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"I figured, but still, I don't think I want to meet your father when he's upset. Come on, the bathroom is in there." Cid picked up the door, and tried to get it back up. "Here." Cloud helped him, and turned, "If you want to you can call your father and tell him why your late."

"My phone's in the car. I'll just call in a moment." Kazaa sighed and helped the boys fix the door. "You guys should get to the hospital. I can drive you if you don't mind."

"It is already late, and the way you look, people would mistake you for an assassin." Cloud smiled, placing a hand on the other boys shoulder.

"Maybe you really want to change first, and then we can go" Cid said earning a glare from Cloud.

"Are you sure you want to bring us there" Kazaa sighed,

"I owe it to you, maybe I can explain on the way there." He wiped the blood from his face and arms on his shirt and took the shirt off. For being a Mishima, he was thin. He tugged his undershirt slightly then gestured to the door"We going or you need to do something first" Cloud nodded.

"Lets go." Cloud, followed by Cid, entered the car, and left for the hospital.

…………………………………………….

They waited in the waiting room. Kazaa had explained all that he could to them and yet everything was silent.

"Virgil" Kazaa's head snapped up and he jumped from his seat, to see Jyn running towards him. The boy hugged his twin closely and they stood there for a moment tight in embrace. "Geez, you scared us. When Dad got a call from Steve he nearly flipped"

"Where is Father" Jyn hesitated at his brother's comment,

"He's coming. I think he was apologizing to the nurse I bypassed while running in the hall."

Cid didn't look up, his twin was inside that room, and he didn't know what was happening to her. Cloud sat beside Steve he said not a word. He knew if he did, Steve could blame him for what happened. Kyksae sat in the corner and looked at the floor. She shook her head at the thoughts flowing through her mind. The green-eyed girl suddenly stood, and walked from the waiting room, the white dress still shining. Kazaa looked and Jyn and he just shook his head. Cloud watched her and got up, following her.

"Kyksae... What's wrong" He wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him at all, but he needed to hear her voice and try to make her smile. She stopped and turned. Something in her eyes was a bit different from what he remembered,

"It was my fault. I should have... I know what I have to do now." Cloud looked at her, he didn't understand.

"What are you talking about" he thought for a moment then it hit him. "Fine. Fight in the tournament, but don't do something stupid now." He ran in front of her, and spread out his arms. "Don't go and do something stupid." Never had the girl ever do anything aggressive in the boy's eyes yet she just brushed past him. Cloud looked at the girls back, he blamed himself for this. If he would have agreed in the first place to let her go this none of this would have happened. "I'm sorry." The girl didn't hear the boy's apology as she left. Kyksae passed Jin quietly, leaving him dazed by the white dress that looked so familiar.