Chapter 16:

Spotted

"Come on you can do better than that" Steve groaned as Kyksae slid on her back for the third time in a row. 'Damn Marduk'. "Get up! Come on! You're tougher than that" The girl jumped up aiming a punch to the oversized man's gut, but he simply blocked it and skull bashed the green-eyed girl harshly. Mira, Cloud, and the twins stood in the crowd watching the girl. Cloud flinched every time he saw the girl hit. If his mom wasn't holding on to ho his sleeve, he probably would have jumped into the fight. Kai wanted to see more, but from her wheel chair, she could make out barely anything. She heard people yell, and others whistle, and then a woman maybe her mom's age came near her. The woman threw her arms around her mom, and laughed. Kai figured out that the woman was one of her mom's best friends, and had to be the mother of Sean. Her temperature increased. What if he was here? Would he look at her or ignore her? Kai froze, now, more than any other time, did she want to stand.

"She is faster than that gorilla, yet she's not trying her hardest." Cid told Kai before heading back to the front of the crowd. Then she heard her brother yell.

"C'mon Kyksae you can win against that monkey face, you need one good hit to knock him out." Cloud was yelling from the top of his lungs, never in his life did she hear him yell so loud. After Cloud yelled, everything got quiet quickly and his mouth gaped open. Cid dashed between the people leaving Kai behind yelling trying to figure out what was happening. As she pushed her way through the crowd nearly running over people's feet with her wheelchair, she began to notice something strange. A strange aura filled the air and even the rowdy crowds got quiet, somehow sensing the same feeling that hung in the air. When she finally pushed her way to the front of the crowd, she witnessed something she hadn't thought Kyksae could do. Images of that small, frail girl came to her mind. The first time she met the black girl, she was soaking wet, scared, and thinner than anything Kai had ever seen. Now that same girl was held in a death lock choke hold by Marduk. Kyksae's eyes flashed something unreal and something so bladed it struck Kai in the heart with... fear? In a quick moment, the flash of her eyes, the sliding of her left foot taking out Marduk's left one, the reaching of her thin arms to his back, and the shifting of her weight; the frail girl had thrown Marduk five feet and the image that had shown up in her eyes was gone. Kyksae stood up slowly from the position the throw had left her in and sighed. Steve stared, along with the rest of the crowd and Mira.

After a moment, Marduk just lay there, and the crowd erupted into cheers, Steve and Mira cheering along with them and Cid. Kai, still dazed from the flicker in Kyksae's eyes, looked at Cloud, who in turn was just as dazed. She gazed at Cloud before someone standing on the opposite side of the crowd caught her eyes. It was that Shaded Man. His mouth was slightly open but it was hard to tell whether he was surprised, pleased, or out right horrified at the girl in the fight. He took his shades from his face and seemed to look right over Kai and at Kyksae. Maybe he hadn't noticed the girl in the chair. For what seemed like forever, he watched the girl as people from the crowds came up and crowded around her asking for autographs and to shake her hand, some even asking her for a date. After the moment had passed, the man left, along with the shadows and the strange feeling in the air. Kai knew the aura and the air hadn't change just because of him, it changed because of Kyksae. She still couldn't shake the image of the feeling she got from Kyksae's sudden strength and change in her eyes. Kai looked at the crowd surrounding the now very blushing and embarrassed Kyksae, who was waving at everyone and trying to get away at the same time. Cloud still dazed couldn't believe what he saw. After time he gave up 'That girl isn't for meant for someone like me.' Disappointment swept over his eyes, Kai watching him the whole time. He looked at Kyksae but didn't say anything; why he was disappointed, he didn't know.

"Cloud" He didn't turn his sister was beside him, yet he didn't budge. Then he marched past her, not looking at all. Her gaze followed him, and people moved to the side, something was wrong with her big brother. "Mother" Mira was beside Steve, telling him how well he trained her, and didn't hear the girl. 'I guess when you have a famous husband, you don't pay attention to your children.' Her thoughts circled, and then she went to an empty spot, waiting for everything to pass. People pushed her, and shoved her until she got to the far end, resting her dirty hands in her lap.

"What I wouldn't give…" She looked at all the people and wondered. "Papa is happy about Kyksae, but he will never be happy or proud of me." After those words she let her tears fall, everyone on this planet seemed so horrible to her, but was it really that way they saw it? She balled up her fists, she felt like screaming but didn't what use would it do? Cid was looking at Kyksae smiling, when she got away from all the people he walked up to her.

"Hey, you ok" He was laughing while poking, forming bruise. The girl just looked at him then looked away. Cid sighed and walked off, obviously going for food or something of the sort. Kai watched dejectedly. After a moment, she felt a tissue run under her eye wiping away what was left of the teardrop. She looked up, but then hastily back down. "Two hotdogs, a hamburger, and fries." Cid was hungry, and he didn't even have to fight to get to the counter. Cid internally sighed; he had no idea how to cheer her up. Maybe there wasn't anything… Now there's an idea... But how would he? ... Wait... Was he coming over here? 'Uh oh...' Cid backed off quietly so Kai wouldn't notice and went around the corner watching what was about to happen. Kai almost jumped when a red flower came into her view.

"Huh" she looked up, not believing what she saw, she looked back down tried her hardest to smile, and raised her head again. "If your searching for Kyksae I think she went that way." she pointed the way out of the place. Sean cocked an eyebrow.

"Who's Kyksae" He snorted. "Funny ass name... "

"Oh. Sorry, I thought you were searching for her, I mean she now has all those fans.… Maybe you were one. How should I know" She looked back down, but when she raised her head she tried to smile. "Well what are you doing here if you didn't come to see the fight"

"Oh, I came to see the fight. Heh." He snickered"But I couldn't resist a face like yours." He handed her the red flower and sat on the short wall-like thing next to Kai's wheel chair. "So, she's got fans. So"

"I...hmmm never mind…" She turned the flower in her hand, and looked at the boy. "I bet you're a fighter too, huh? The way you run. I…I bet you got trained by your father right" she didn't smile, she just looked at him. His smirk vanished.

"You already asked me that question..." An awkward silence fell between them before Sean had to break it himself. "... So, what's with you and the Kazama Boy"

"Huh? He's a good...friend. He helped bring Kyksae home. I was talking to him. Why" He paused,

"The quiet ones are the ones you have to watch out for. They're sneaky."

"Maybe you got it wrong… What if you see everything wrong" she looked at him. "Kazaa...if he wouldn't have brought me into the apartment and hospital, I would probably not be here today." She fingered the flower again. "I know that your father and Mr. Jin aren't really good friends, well back then, but can't you at least be different" She blushed she didn't mean to make it sound the way it did. "Sorry...I'm still a little uneasy about this damn thing. I can't stand it. You got it good standing on your own two legs."

"Maybe." He looked strange for a moment but then looked off a little. She didn't look at him, but at her mother at the distance talking to that woman again. She doesn't even know where Kai is. Would she care? Her tears fell again, but she fought them this time. 'Pull yourself together, crying won't help you any further.' Sean must have read the girl's emotions because his replay came out as,

"Maybe they are noticing you, maybe you're just not noticing them." She looked at him, and tried to smile but it didn't work.

"Maybe you're right... maybe at the moment I am self centered." Cid watched them both. He hoped that the boy would make her smile but not even he can. 'It's like trying to get a cow to laugh.' He shook his head at his own thought.

"You don't have to bother yourself with me."

"You're not self centered. I am self centered." He winked at the girl and grinned. "Maybe you're not acting like yourself so people think you're sad and want to be left alone. Sometimes you just gotta keep goin' even if you're crying." He shrugged. "But what would I know? I'm just a Korean." He made a funny voice going along with the last sentence and laughed at it.

"If you're self centered then I'm a cow, ok..."

"Hello Mrs. Cow." He snickered and she shook her head and finished her sentence,

"Besides, I don't think Koreans are that bad." A small blush came over her face. "I barely know you so... Maybe I should keep my mouth shut." she looked the opposite direction of get her mind off him, but her eyes grew wide when she looked to the side. Too make matters worse, two people had to stand right there, kissing. A sigh took her, and she faced the front again. 'Love must be something nice.'

"Have you..." He hesitated, something unlike the boy"Have you ever visited Korea"

"No. I've never seen anything else than Japan or the British Islands." She frowned "That's another bad thing. I always wanted to see other countries, but... One day I'll get away from all this go to a country were they won't find me."

"Then... After the tournament..." He looked up and away out looking at the now deserted place near the middle of what looked like a mall. "Would you come with me back to Korea? I'll bring you back when ever you want" He finished it quickly trying not to make it sound as if he was kidnapping the girl against her will and never giving her back. He sighed. "I didn't mean it like that..." For once, she smiled larger then ever before, if she could stand she would have jumped around his neck.

"Do you mean what it" her smile grew wider. He coughed,

"Well, technically since... I'm old enough... so... Maybe... I donoo I guess some people would call it... 'Running away' with me'" He laughed at the comment he made then looked at her.

"But why do ask me? I mean... Aren't there girls that would die to go with you to Korea? Girls that are able... To run with you?"