Warnings/Notes: This is going to be shounen ai (guys having romantic relations with other guys), so if you don't like it, please beware of this fic.

Oh! And this is AU (alternate universe) where there is no bladeing and stuff.

Disclaimer: Even though I seriously doubt anyone's reading this ('cause personally always see the word 'disclaimer' and scroll down) I'll say it. I don't own Beyblade, and I know that you guys all know it without me having to tell you!

Chapter 4

Count Balkov was feeling particularly pleased with himself.

He'd solved two problems in one day.

"I do believe that a celebration is in order."

Giving a small and very rare smile, he opened his bottom drawer and pulled out an extra ordinarily large block of chocolate.

Oh yes, he thought happily, he was going to be feeling sick tonight.

Unfortunately, his thoughts of eating chocolate until he threw up were shunted aside when there was a knock on his door.

The block of chocolate was hastily shoved back into the drawer as a servant opened the door.

"What now?" asked Balkov harshly, rather peeved at the interruption.

The unfortunate servant who had just entered the room winced, "Um………….sir, you have a visitor."

"Who is it?"

"He says he's a detective."

"His name?"

"Tyson Kinomiya."

"Do you know what he wants?"

"No."

Count Balkov paused, the name sounded a tad familiar, "………………Fine. Send him in." There was another thoughtful pause, "…………………………….but get my guards first."

As the servant left Balkov stared off into space. It had been a very busy afternoon. Why would the police come here? Had one of the servants said something about the counterfeiting?

He frowned.

The last thing he needed was a detective sniffing around.

It was dusk when Tyson had reached the mansion.

He'd been let in at the gates by some kind of servant, and had been taken to, and left in some kind of waiting room while the master of the house (who was some sort of Count apparently) was being informed of his presence.

He'd sat there for quite a while before the servant had come back, and had then been led through an extensive series of corridors which he was sure he wouldn't be able to navigate through if his life depended on it.

He was now standing outside a large oak door. The servant had informed him that the Count was expecting him and all he had to do was knock, before practically fleeing, something that Tyson considered to be a bad sign.

Pushing back any trepidation he had, Tyson knocked on the door.

The door was opened by a man that looked very familiar, but he just couldn't place where he knew him from.

As he entered the room, Tyson couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the whole situation.

With two guards on one side, and one on the other, (one female and two male) behind a desk, sat a man, who could not me mistaken for anyone else but the Count.

The man who had opened the door brushed brusquely past him, and moved to stand behind a desk so that the Count now had two people on either side of him.

"Tyson Kinomiya?"

Tyson nodded, "Yes."

"A detective."

"Yes."

There was short period of silence in which Tyson felt particularly uncomfortable.

Finally Balkov broke it, "Are you planning on telling me why you're here? Or are you just going to stand there all day?"

One of the guards sniggered, and Tyson felt himself flush, "Err……….yes, I, you see…………….."

Count Balkov rose a questioning eyebrow, "Yes?"

Tyson took a deep breath composing himself. What was he doing? He'd done this sort of thing hundreds of times. Why was he letting this guy get to him? "You see, there's this thief-"

"There are many thieves in this world. I don't see what this has to do with me."

Ignoring the Count, Tyson pressed on, "I have reason to believe that he's planning on breaking into you're house, and I have come to offer you my services to prevent him from doing so."

"This house has a first-class security system. Nobody can get in if I don't want them to."

"You don't know this man. If anyone can get in, it's him."

"And you can stop him, can you? If you're so good, why haven't you caught him already?"

Tyson's eyes narrowed and Count Balkov noticed, "Hit a sore spot have I?"

"If you let me do my work here I will get him."

"I have guards. I do not need you."

Tyson threw a card onto the desk, "There's my phone number. Feel free to call me when you change your mind."

"I can assure you, I won't."

"Sure."

As Tyson turned to leave, he paused, suddenly realising where he knew the man who had opened the door from.

It was the same man he and Rei had seen earlier, right before they had separated, pushing a girl into a car.

"One last thing."

"What now?"

"Do you have a daughter? Or a niece? Brown hair? Average height? Around eighteen or nineteen."

Count Balkov visibly paled and all the guards tensed.

Balkov closed his eyes and looked down at his desk, "I suggest you leave. Now."

Tyson smirked as he watched their reactions, making a note to remember it later, and heading towards the door said brightly, "Hit a sore spot have I?"

Max glanced over to where Kai was sitting crossed legged on his bed flicking through a local newspaper.

Kai didn't seem angry anymore, but the air was still filled with an uncomfortable tension.

His thoughts drifted off Kai and back onto that detective, Rei.

He blushed a bit as he reran their encounter in his mind. He and the raven haired detective had gotten rather close during their little exchange in the ally-way. His blush deepened as he admitted to himself that the guy was rather cute.

His thoughts of Rei moved from how attractive he was, to what Kai had said about him getting into trouble from Tyson, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it. He hadn't wanted to get anyone into trouble, he'd just been having a bit of fun.

The need to apologise washed over him and with that the thought of what he should do about it.

Max paused in his musings.

He couldn't do it.

It was too reckless. Even for him.

And there was the fact that if Kai found out about it the consequences would be too awful to think about.

After a few more minutes of turning the idea over in his head, Max came to a decision.

He would never get rid of the guilty feeling if he didn't do something.

"Kai, I'm going downstairs to get something to eat."

Kai didn't look up from his paper, "Hmm……………Fine. Just don't go outside. And especially not anywhere near that detective."

Guilt flashed across Max's face and sweatdropped, quickly heading towards the door before Kai could see.

It was around half an hour later that Kai realised that letting Max out alone might have been a mistake.

Forty-five minutes later and he was torn between his fury at himself for letting him go, and his anger at Max for doing it.

He currently had a fair idea of what it was that Max was doing, and it wasn't getting food, and it certainly was not inside the building.

Half way through putting his coat in, getting ready to go out and look for Max, Kai paused as there was a knock on the door.

Still peeved at his associate, he flung the door open rather violently, and without bothering to see who it was, rather irritably said, "What."

Looking quite startled by the furious and slightly dishevelled Kai, the man who had knocked hesitated.

"Have I caught you at a bad time?"

Kai gave him 'the look'.

They young man looked as if he wanted to run away, something which made Kai feel particularly pleased with himself (but he didn't show it).

Despite the fact that the young man looked like he wanted nothing more than to be far away from Kai as possible, he pressed on, "My names Kenny…………..Kenny Dion, and I……………..can I, err………………….."

Kai sighed switching his 'scare the hell out of people' look to his, 'I'm extremely bored and I'm about to do something quite nasty about it' look. "Yes?" he prompted in a belligerent tone of voice.

Kenny suddenly found the floor very interesting, "Could I……………………..that is I……………… I need to talk to you Mr, Hiwatari!"

Kai's eyes narrowed at the use of his name, but didn't comment on it, simply turning around and stepping back into his room leaving the door open as a sign of permission to follow him.

Kenny swallowed and followed him and closed the door behind himself.

"Sit."

Kenny sat on the chair that Kai had previously occupied.

Kai sat on a bed, directly opposite him and fixed Kenny with a piercing stare, "Who are you?"

Kenny wriggled uncomfortably in his chair, "I've already told you."

Kai retained his intent gaze, "I know what you're name is, but I still don't know who you are."

Kenny had the distinct impression that he was dealing with quite an intelligent young man. There was a pause as he reminded himself that he had to get it together or he wasn't going to get what he came for. He needed to be confident, "For Hilary's sake," he muttered quietly.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, Nothing."

Eyes narrowed, and looking extraordinarily wary of this strange man, Kai said slowly, "So…………….. I assume there's a reason behind you're visit? You still haven't old me who you are, and I want to know how you know who I am."

"Do you know a young lady by the name of Hilary Balkov?"

"We've met," said Kai slowly, "But I don't know her very well. Why?"

"I was her friend."

"Was?"

"She's disappeared."

Kai rolled his eyes, "Her father's guards took her. I saw it happen this afternoon.

Kenny shook his head, "No, they brought her home, her father says he talked to her, meaning that she was taken since then."

Kai blinked in surprise, "Really, taken? You think she's been abducted? How?" He couldn't help but wince at the reaction that Max would have to this news, acutely aware that it wouldn't be taken well.

Kenny nodded, "Yeah, it happened this afternoon, we're sure she didn't run away again if that's what you're thinking, and I don't really know how."

"How do you know that for sure?"

"Her father told me."

Not really sure what he should say about the whole thing, Kai said, "I'm sorry."

"So am I. It's all very distressing really."

"I'm sure it is, but I must ask. Why do you feel the need to come to me?"

Kenny flashed him a small smile, "Straight to the point. Just as I expected."

Kai rose an eyebrow, "You expected?"

"Hilary's father seems to know a lot about you, and he passed it on to me."

Kai didn't like the sound of this.

"I want to know who did it," stated Kenny suddenly.

"Well I'm afraid that I don't know. I'm not a psychic."

"No. But you're a thief."

Kai tensed up and gave Kenny a piercing look.

"You are going to find out what happened to Hilary," said Kenny firmly, using all the courage he could muster to stare right back into Kai's crimson orbs.

In a very quiet, and slightly dangerous voice, Kai said, "And what makes you so sure of that. I'm no detective."

"There is a very nice gentleman running round town by the name of Tyson Kinomiya. I'm sure he'd love to hear about you're location."

"I'd be gone by the time he got here."

"Not without you're little sidekick who is currently wandering around town."

"I could find him."

"Not in time."

Kai swore.

"There's no need to use language like that. Now you get yourself ready and we'll be off. We'll go in my car," Kenny stood and calmly walked to the door, feeling proud that he'd managed to keep his cool throughout the entire altercation.

He reached for the door handle, but as he opened the door he realized that Kai hadn't followed him.

Kai sat on the bed, arms and legs crossed, and giving Kenny a look that distinctly said, 'I'm not going to go happily.'

Kenny gave the thief an exasperated look, "You don't trust me?"

Kai shook his head, "No," he said simply.

Kenny sighed and went to walk out the door, "I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice. My cars outside."

Kai scowled as he stood, "It's days like this that make me just want to hand myself over to Kinomiya and be done with it all."

TBC………………………..