Hey, guys. ^^ Thanks for all your great comments and encouragement. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this! Thank you, thank you, and thank you. On a different note, I'm really sorry about the huge empty spaces at the end of all the chapters! When I upload it as a web page, I keep forgetting to delete the extra pages I didn't use. ;_; But sometimes, it can't be helped if I use only the top of a page. The rest of it will be blank no matter what I do.

Chapter Thirteen

* * * * *

The only sound that reached Kai's ears were the sounds of the night: crickets chirping, bullfrogs calling, and the occasional hoot of an owl. He was resting on his bed with a hand over his eyes. A severe headache was threatening to form right above the bridge of his nose. The room was semi dark, for he had quickly turned off the only lamp on the table beside his bed, but the moon was full that night, and reflected a silver glow.

He did not hear the knob to his door turning, or the squeak of the hinges as they were opened. The person who had entered shut the door after stepping inside, and Kai moved his hand to see whom it was.

"Tala," he stated, returning his hand to its previous position. The redhead walked to his bed and peered down.

"You mind if I intrude?" he asked in mock politeness. Kai sighed and winced.

"You're already in, aren't you?"

An amused smile twitched around his lips. "You haven't changed at all."

"You'd be surprised," Kai said softly. He heard the scraping of a chair being pulled out from under his desk, and opened his eyes in time to see Tala sit down. Kai pushed himself upright and sat up on the bed.

"You can lie down if you want, I don't care," Tala said, crossing his legs. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't do it out of respect for you."

"Ah. I see." Tala leaned back and crossed his arms as well. Kai rubbed his eyes. His headache was now throbbing painfully.

"Why are you here, Tala?" Kai asked.

"Here as in your room, or here as in Biovolt?"

Kai shrugged. "Both, I guess."

Tala sighed. "I never left," he said simply. "After the World Tournament, we all came back with Boris and he started this whole cyber bit-beast thing. And I'm here in your room because I wanted to see how you were doing. I heard you got shot."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, in the shoulder. Now, stop being so vague. Whose side are you on?"

"I wasn't aware there were sides to choose from."

Kai glared at him. "Do I have to spell out the fucking words? You're either with Boris or against him, you moron."

"Watch your language. Damn."

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and stood. Tala's eyes followed him as he went to the bathroom and flicked on the light. The slate-haired boy turned on the water and ran his hands underneath it. After a moment of watching Kai absently mess with the stream, Tala stood and leaned against the bathroom doorframe.

"Kai… what are you doing?"

"Getting away from you." There was a dark look in his eyes. Tala was quiet for a moment.

"I'm not supporting Boris and the way he wants to make copies of people," he said finally. "If that's what you wanted to hear. I personally don't think it can be done the way he says it can be and I won't until I actually see living proof."

"He hasn't done it before?" Kai asked. Tala shook his head, and Kai sighed.

"Who's that kid that was with Dan?" Tala asked, running a finger up and down the wooden frame. Kai didn't answer. Tala waited a minute, and then reached over and cut the water off. "That's driving me bloody insane. Cut it out."

Kai pulled down a white towel off the rack and dried his hands. "That was Wyatt," he said loosely. When he didn't say anymore, Tala blew his breath out agitatedly.

"Are you going to expound?"

Kai walked past him and sat down on his bed, fidgeting with the towel in his hands. "We go to college together. He's my roommate," Kai said. Tala returned to his seat in the chair.

"Seems like a nice kid."

"Mm. He is." Kai gently lowered his head into his hands and rubbed his eyes. "I feel like such a bastard for letting him get caught up in all this."

Tala shrugged slightly. "It's not like you could have done anything about it."

"That doesn't change the fact that it's still my fault."

The redhead paused. "You said I'd be surprised at how much you've changed. Well, I haven't seen much difference. You still act like the world revolves around you."

"Tala, just… shut up."

"So after the Worlds, what'd you do?" Tala asked, pointedly ignoring Kai's request.

"I finished school and then I went to college, but it took me quite a damn while to get accepted, thanks to Voltaire."

"What about your teammates? The Blade Breakers. Whatever happened to them?"

"What do you mean what happened to them? They have lives, you know. Other than beyblading."

Tala smirked. "Okay, so where are they now?"

"Max is in America. The rest of them are still here." Kai was gazing at the ground absently, wondering just what Tyson was doing at this exact moment. After a moment, he spoke again. "What about the Demolition Boys? Where's the rest of your team?"

Tala's face grew impassive. "They're gone."

"Where to?"

"They're dead."

Kai raised his eyebrow slightly, concealing most of his shock, and looked up. "What happened?"

"Well, they didn't go along with Boris and his little plans, so he was giving them the same treatment he gave you. Ian was the first to go… the radiation was too much for him. His body couldn't handle it." Tala's hands grew tense. "I remember that night… I stayed with him in the dark for hours. He was in a lot of pain, and told me not to be sad for him. He knew he was going to die. He welcomed it. In the morning, they took his body away and acted as if nothing had happened. Sure, Boris was upset that his plans were temporarily set back, but nothing more. Fucking bastard."

Kai blinked, too stunned to say anything. He had never liked Ian… he had never liked any of Tala's team, but to hear that they were dead was upsetting. He swallowed. "And Spencer? Bryan?" he asked softly.

"Spencer died similarly. I didn't stay with him, though; he passed in the infirmary during the day." Tala hesitated for a moment. "Bryan… he committed suicide."

"He killed himself?" Kai asked in dismay. Tala nodded.

"If he hadn't, I know for a fact that he would be alive right now. He was stronger, much stronger than me. He had the physical and mental strength to withstand almost anything. He left me a suicide note. It said that he was tired of it all. Spencer and Ian were lucky, according to him. He apologized for having to leave me all alone, and told me what a great captain I had been for the team. I stumbled on his body when I went to see him…"

"Tala, stop. I'm… sorry," Kai said. "I didn't know how much you'd been through."

Tala stayed silent for a moment before shrugging slightly, looking at the ground. "It's okay, now. I think I handled it quite well. I don't have a problem talking about it."

"Damn," Kai sighed, rubbing his eyes again. "I can't believe they're really gone. It's just… shocking."

"People come and go. Death is part of life."

Kai looked up. "But those were your teammates. I used to be the captain of the Blade Breakers; I know what kind of bond you develop with them."

Tala looked at him suddenly, a funny look on his face. "You're in a relationship."

"What?" Kai sputtered.

"I can tell." Tala smiled. "Yeah, I can really tell. It's so obvious."

"What? How can you tell?"

"Your outlook on life has completely changed. I guess you are a little different, now. So, is it anyone I know?"

Kai shook his head. "How did you do that?"

"So, you are dating someone." Tala smirked in triumph. Kai looked away, thinking about Tyson. He missed him terribly, and would give anything just to see his smiling face once more. He dragged his fingers down his own face, growling in annoyance at Tala's pointed stare.

"You're thinking about that person," he said. "I can see it all over your face."

"Go away," Kai muttered. Tala smiled faintly, never breaking eye contact with the slate haired blader.

"Ehrm…" Kai was getting anxious. Tala's sky blue eyes were piercing, and it felt like his very soul was bared to the other boy. He finally slammed his fist into his other hand.

"It's Tyson. Damn. Stop looking at me."

Tala sat back in content. "Tyson, eh? That loudmouthed kid who stole the title of the World Champ?"

Kai glared at him unappreciatively. "No, that loudmouthed kid who earned the title of World Champion."

"Uh-huh. Whatever. You must really like him, though. Is he your first love?"

Kai looked away. "I've had… another relationship. I—damn, Tala! How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me open up so quickly… I usually wouldn't dream about saying this stuff to anyone, but here I am, about to spill my guts to you, of all people."

Tala arched an eyebrow. "Me, of all people? I'm so deeply hurt."

"You know, you've changed a lot, too. You used to be so…"

"Cold? Uncaring?" Tala watched as Kai nodded somewhat uncomfortably. "I guess it's just the way things have all turned out. I've been alone for so long, that I don't really care anymore. I don't mind loneliness. It's kind of strange. If I had been a bubbly ball of joy when I was young, then I'd probably be the exact opposite today. But I was a heartless kid. Now that I've seen how unfair life is, I just stopped fighting it. It's easier just to let go and live on. Sure, I may not be the happiest guy around, but being apathetic beats the hell out of being depressed."

Kai had a distant look in his eyes. "You've really changed."

"And so have you."

Kai gazed out the window, and Tala's eyes wandered elsewhere. The room grew silent. There was a constant ache in Kai's heart where he felt Tyson should be. He sighed and shuddered, feeling a sudden tremor go up his spine. Tala looked up.

"You all right?" he asked. Kai closed his eyes momentarily. There was a pressure building right at the bridge of his nose, and he shook his head. His hands moved up instinctively, and Tala rose slightly from his chair. Kai sneezed, and blood began to trickle out of his nose.

For a fleeing moment, Tala felt a stab of fear, but it was gone just as fast as it had come. He stood and went to the bathroom, returning with a wad of tissue. Kai was cursing colorfully, and Tala sat down beside him, handing him the tissue.

"It's because of the radiation," Tala explained. Streaks of crimson were fast soaking through the white tissue. "It wreaks havoc on your body."

"I see," Kai muttered. He sniffled and groaned, getting up and walking to the bathroom. Tala watched him.

"Need any help?"

"I got it."

The redhead stood and stretched. He himself had been under the same treatment as Kai for a few weeks now. The radiation seemed to have a much lesser effect on him, though. He had been fine for so long that he wondered daily if one day, it was all going to catch up with him and he would suddenly drop dead.

"I'm going to go now," Tala called out, opening the door. Kai grunted in response and turned the water on. Tala stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Sam was balancing a chair on the back legs whist leaning against the wall with his feet up on a stool, beside Kai's door. Tala arched a brow at him.

"What? We guards can get comfortable, too."

Tala nodded slowly. "Right. How long you going to be out here?"

"Until Boris says otherwise. Or, until I get bored, whichever suits you best."

"Kai's nose is bleeding."

"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Tala gave him a pointed stare. "Ian's nose bled on the first day of his treatment, too. And Spencer's."

Sam didn't meet his gaze. "So, you're saying that Kai's going to die, just like they did?"

"No, I'm just saying that his nose is bleeding." Tala began to stalk away.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Sam called out. Tala ignored him and continued down the darkened hall to his room. He let himself in quietly and sat down at his desk, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen. He flicked a small lamp on and began to write.

Twenty minutes later, Tala folded the now-filled paper into thirds and slipped it in an envelope. He stood up and left his room, sealing the envelope as he walked. His footsteps hardly made a sound, and he stopped at the back gate, which was sealed and complete with uniformed officials marching about. Biovolt had screwed up once already; they were taking no chances.

There was a small door concealed behind a staircase, and Tala let himself inside. He went down a dark path until he came to a room with dozens of illuminated screens. A single woman sat idly in a chair, chewing on the tip of a pen. Tala cleared his throat, and she looked up.

"Tala?"

"Hi. You still in the business of delivering letters?"

She pushed her chair back slowly, and stood. She had long, brown hair, and beautiful dark eyes. The white lab coat she wore fitted snugly around her figure. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, looking thoughtful.

"Maybe. Why?"

Tala sighed. Her name was Jazzlyn, and Tala knew that Ian had been giving her letters to deliver to some old friends before he died. She had her ways of sneaking out, and could hold her own against any man, despite the harmlessly gorgeous look she wore.

"I'm just doing an unasked favor. Don't worry; I didn't give anything away about Biovolt. Can you deliver it?"

"It's not about whether I can, it's whether I will. Who's it to?"

"Tyson Kinomiya. Kai's boyfriend."

She raised a perfectly curved eyebrow. "Boris' latest experiment has a boyfriend?"

"Yeah. Kai and I… we go way back, and letting the one person who loves him know at least that he's still alive is just something I have to do."

She took the letter from him. "You know I'm going to read it. I don't trust you very much."

"That's fine, there's nothing personal." Tala handed over a scrap of paper with two addresses. "The first one is Tyson's dorm room, and the second one is if you can't reach Tyson. A guy named Rei lives there, and just by watching, Kai and him looked pretty close. I hope they didn't have a fight or anything, or else that letter might never get delivered."

"How'd you get these addresses?"

"I don't ask you how you deliver your letters, do I?" Tala asked cockily. Jazzlyn gave him a sly smile with a glint in her eye.

"I see how it is. Fair enough. I'll have them delivered tonight."

Tala turned to leave. "Thanks. Oh, and there're probably going to be a lot more, later."

* * * * *

Tyson trudged down the hall. Having just gotten off from work, he was tired, and wanted nothing more than to fall in his bed, and sleep. But tonight, he knew he wasn't going to be doing much sleeping. His mind had been on Kai for hours, and he also knew that he wouldn't be thinking of anyone or anything else until Kai was back, safely. He passed by Kai's room and stopped. He walked back and tried the door. It was unlocked.

He let himself in, and saw that the police had finished their investigation of the room. It was cold and empty. Tyson closed the door behind him and went to Kai's desk. His eyes fell on the familiar snapshot Mr. Dickinson had taken after the World Tournament. He gazed at it for a moment, and then his eyes traveled down to the desk calendar. There were a few random scribbles here and there, and a few dates marked as important because of exams. He saw a heart sketched around a certain date, and realized that was the day they had gotten together. He felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He missed Kai more than words could say.

He looked up, and went to Kai's bed. It was long past midnight, and all the other students were either in bed, or gone off somewhere. The halls were deathly quiet, and Tyson didn't feel much like going to his room. He sniffed, and sat down on Kai's bed. The comforter was spread neatly, and Tyson pulled it down. He paused for a moment to kick his shoes off before slipping down beneath them. He sighed, realizing how tired he was. Brushing back his hair, he inhaled deeply, and the scent of strawberries tickled his nose from the pillow. A sad smile appeared on his lips as he thought about Kai yet again. He breathed in once more, taking in the sweet fragrance of Kai's hair. It had a vaguely soothing effect on him, and he nestled down deeper in the bed, wishing that Kai were right next to him. His eyelids grew heavy from weariness, and his breathing became rhythmic as sleep overtook him.

* * * * *

The two of them were lying in bed together. Tyson was gazing at Kai in adoration, and Kai was staring blankly at the ceiling, oblivious to Tyson's dopey behavior. Kai sighed softly and shifted slightly, finally meeting Tyson's gaze.

"What" he asked, wondering why Tyson wouldn't stop staring. The longhaired blader's grin got wider.

"Nothing… it's just you." He smiled contentedly and looked up at the ceiling like Kai had been doing. Kai's eyes shifted up as well.

"What are you thinking about?" Tyson asked. Kai paused.

"A lot of things."

"Care to expound?"

"Life, love. Eh… sex."

Tyson looked at him in surprise. "Sex?"

He blushed slightly. "Not so much sex as about love."

"Have you ever been in love?" Tyson asked. Kai glanced at him.

"If this isn't love, I don't know what is," he answered. Tyson smiled at him. Kai was sprawled lazily on the bed, one hand absently toying with his silky hair. "Just because we haven't had sex doesn't mean we're not in love," he stated.

"You're right," Tyson affirmed with a grin. "Although some sex would probably be nice…"

"Fiend."

Tyson laughed. "I'm just kidding."

Conversation dwindled to a comfortable silence. Tyson saw Kai close his eyes, and Tyson sat up, leaning closer to him. He gently placed both hands on either side of Kai's head and leaned down to kiss him. Kai's eyes fluttered in surprise when he felt Tyson's lips against his, but he didn't open them.

Tyson felt as if he could stay right there and kiss Kai all day until the end of time. He smiled, and Kai opened his eyes, breaking off the kiss as he smiled back in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Kai asked. Tyson lay back next to him and draped an arm around his waist. Kai turned until they were facing each other, and Tyson playfully rubbed his nose with his own.

"I don't know," he admitted with a chuckle. His grin widened, and Kai shook his head, closing his eyes again and putting an arm around Tyson's neck.

"You're… something else," Kai said softly. Tyson pulled him to him and held him tighter. Kai breathed in deeply in contentment.

Tyson couldn't keep a grin off his face. Simple pleasures like these quiet moments with Kai just filled him so completely with joy; he couldn't think of anything better. Everyday he marveled at the fact that Kai actually liked him for who he was. When they were younger and Tyson was still experimenting with the idea that he might like Kai as more than just a friend, the stoic captain had always acted as if Tyson was the one who lacked most in talent. He was constantly putting him down and telling him how much of a horrible blader he was, not to mention loud, obnoxious, and pigheaded. But when Tyson thought carefully, he couldn't remember Kai spending very much time away from him. Even though he was always insulting him, he was always there with him, and that had to count as something.

"Kai, did you hate me when we were little?"

He heard him sigh softly. "Back to this again, are we?"

"Eh…"

"Tyson, I never hated you. I was jealous of you."

"Jealous?" Tyson's eyes widened. "You? Of me?"

"You get along so easily with people, you dork. I couldn't tell you how many times I wanted to slap you for having such great social skills."

"What about blading? I thought you'd be jealous over something like that."

Kai laughed. "Jealous of your blading skills? Uh, let's see. Who taught you everything you know?"

"You, sir."

"That's right. Why would I be jealous over that?"

Tyson shrugged, and smiled. He was staring up at the ceiling again, letting his thoughts wander away. Kai's warm body beside him stirred, and Tyson loosened his hold slightly, giving him room to move.

"Are you tired?" Kai asked sleepily. Tyson closed his eyes contentedly with a small nod. He snuggled down in the bed and let out a soft breath. The last thing he remembered before drifting off to sleep was Kai murmuring something in his ear about how much he loved him.

* * * * *

His eyes flew open, and he felt an awful feeling of dread building up inside of him. He sat up in bed and threw the covers aside.

He was alone.

It took him a moment to realize that he was in Kai's bed, by himself. His entire conversation with his lover had been a dream. Tyson sighed heavily, and dropped his head in his hands despondently. He felt his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Damn…"

It had felt so real. He sighed again, and his cell phone rang. The sudden sound caused him to jump. He reached over and picked it up, pressing a button and putting it to his ear.

"Hello?" he greeted dully.

"Tyson! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for half and hour now!" Kenny's shrill voice blasted in his ear. Tyson winced.

"Sorry, I was asleep. What's up?"

"You have to get over here right now. Rei found a letter from Tala on the doorstep, and it's about Kai!"

Tyson wrenched himself out of bed. "I'll be there in five minutes! Wait for me!"

* * *

TBC

* * *

Sorry for taking forever to get this chapter out. ^^ Hopefully this made up for the long wait. Please review. Anyway, Christmas is so close! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy yourselves and God bless. I'd better get to work on the next chapter. =D