Sorry for making you guys wait so long. And these cliffies probably aren't helping, huh? ^^;; Thanks for all the reviews; you guys kick butt. Oh yeah, someone told me in a review a while ago that Tyson's eyes were midnight blue, and I had been saying they were brown. They are indeed midnight blue in the first season. In Vforce, they're brown, though! I like them brown better, so brown they are. Sorry for all these mix-ups! :D Enjoy.

Chapter Seventeen

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One week passed without much drama and Kai was discharged from the hospital. He was assigned his own personal nurse who came down to check on him and pump him full of medicines that made his vision swarm. He felt like he was living in a state of constant bleariness and told the nurse rather rudely that she was killing his immune system. She was used to patients bitching at her by now, and wasn't fazed.

Kai found that he had an excess amount of time on his hands now that he was supposed to be resting and recuperating. Without much else to do, he let his mind wander a lot. Sometimes he thought of Tyson, and other times he wondered just what was going to happen next. Tala stayed with him for a good amount of time each day and read the letters he wrote to Tyson out loud.

After a few days, the nurse encouraged Kai to still get plenty of bed rest, but lessened the medication down drastically to one dose a day. Her visits became fewer and far between, giving Kai and Tala more uninterrupted time alone. Kai found Tala's presence to be something of a comfort, and was grateful that the redhead didn't mind that he slept through more than half of their time together. No, Tala seemed content sitting at Kai's desk writing quietly, or doodling… thinking. Planning.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Tala asked. The question was one that he proposed frequently. Kai opened his eyes and let out a tiny sigh.

"Okay, I guess." The answer rarely changed. There was a pause, and Tala's chair scraped across the floor so that he was facing Kai's bed. After seeing Kai go through all kinds of drugs and medications, his gray eyes looked remarkably clear.

"Listen, I've been thinking," Tala began.

"Well, before you start, help me sit up," Kai said with a grimace. "My back is killing me."

Tala moved from his chair and went to Kai's aid. He propped up a pillow on the headboard and made Kai sit against it. Kai stretched uncomfortably and Tala sat back down. He propped his feet up on the rim of the bed.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"No."

Tala smiled. "You'll survive."

Kai sighed loudly.

"Anyway, like I was saying before, I've been thinking." His face grew serious. "I've been thinking of a way we could get out of here."

Kai looked at him. "Really?" It'll never work, his mind told him in a sudden burst of negativity.

"Yeah. I've thought up a few ways, and all of them have their weaknesses, but that's just something we're going to have to deal with. There isn't a perfect plan. There's one that I think might be crazy enough to work, but I'm worried that you might not be up to it."

"I'm not totally helpless, you know," Kai snapped.

"I'm just looking out for you, Kai. I don't think you really knew just how close to death you were. If it were anybody else, I'm sure they would have died."

"And what makes me so different?"

Tala gazed at the wall. "Maybe you had a will to live," he said softly. "I guess that means that Spencer and Ian didn't want to go on anymore. Didn't have anything to live for."

Kai winced as he was reminded of the magnitude of the loss that Tala had suffered. He had once tried to put himself in Tala's shoes and imagined what it would be like if his entire team had died. Only after he thought about it did he realize that he had grown terribly attached to the small group of bladers that had ground his nerves for years. He thought back to when they were globetrotting, before the World Championships. Traveling with them, staying in hotels with them, running them through training sessions, putting up with them—it was strange, to say the least. He had always kept his distance, but now he realized that even though he had strayed away from them every chance he got, he had grown to really know those people.

About a year after they disbanded, Kai had realized with no small amount of shock—and a tiny bit of dismay—that they were the closest friends he had ever had. Max somehow always managed to keep his spirits up, and that kept the tension to a minimum. Kai thought back to the few times when Max got discouraged and confided with Kai that he thought he was the worst blader on the team. Kai remembered vividly the young blonde's face light up when he spoke honestly that the team would never get along without his expertise in defense.

Rei was the only real sensible one on the team, and Kai could remember how he used to rely heavily on that. Max and Tyson combined would drive him to the brink of insanity until Max hit puberty and discovered girls. Then it was just Tyson who bothered him, but that hadn't been a whole lot better. Rei took his training seriously and respected Kai's desire for privacy. They had always gotten along.

As for Kenny, who else would stay up late into the night fixing their blades?

In the first year of their acquaintance, Kai had always believed that Tyson was a curse, a total mistake set upon the Earth for the sole purpose of keeping him just at the edge of suicide. Tyson was loud, pushy, obnoxious, and fanatical about Beyblading, yet he would gripe every single time Kai had him train. He questioned everything Kai said and was always right in his face. His speeches on how Kai was a member of the team, and his comments on him being "grumpy" or "a sourpuss" never ceased to annoy him. It had been a full-time job simply handling the kid.

Now that he thought about it, he would have it no other way. If it hadn't been for his team, he didn't know what he might have ended up as.

"—ello! Kai…!"

Kai snapped out of his reverie and found Tala leaning out of his chair trying to get his attention.

"Oh… sorry," Kai said. Tala gave him an odd look.

"What were you thinking about?" 

Kai hesitated. "Just… about the team. The Blade Breakers, I mean." He looked up. "Honestly, Tala, how did you deal with… everything that happened? To your team… your friends."

Tala stayed silent for a moment and then got up. Kai followed him with his eyes as he went and stood by the window.

"It didn't seem real," Tala said finally. "When they died, it just didn't seem like they really died. I couldn't believe that my friends were dead, you know? Eventually I had to come to terms with reality, though. It was a real shock when I finally admitted that they weren't coming back. That I was alone."

"I'm sorry," Kai said. Tala turned around and Kai was surprised to see a faint smile on his lips.

"Don't be. I'm not alone anymore."

"Oh?"

"Well, I have you." Tala walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Kai. Kai shifted to make room and stretched his stiff back, eliciting a soft cracking sound. He heaved a tremendous sigh and pressed his fingers down on his neck and shoulders, which were also similarly stiff. He heard a rustling sound and suddenly felt Tala's gentle hands massaging his shoulders and neck. Kai sighed and closed his eyes, and Tala went on.

"Don't get me wrong, Kai, I know you love Tyson and I'm not trying to score a relationship with you," Tala said as his deft hands kept moving. "It probably sounds like I've got a major crush on you, huh?"

"Mm… if you squint a little, maybe." Kai was busy enjoying his newfound massager.

Tala let out a laugh. "Well, I don't. I used to hate your damned guts, you know that?"

"Mm-hmm. I know."

"Boris was always partial to you, you know. No matter what you did he always gave you a second chance. Bloody bastard."

"It wasn't partiality, it was the fact that he thought I was the only one who could do his dirty work. Damn, Tala, have you ever thought of starting your own spa or something? Your massages feel great."

"Damn, Kai, have you ever heard of staying on the subject?" Tala said mockingly with a glint in his eye.

"Mm… sorry." Kai exhaled deeply and opened his eyes. Tala moved down to his back with skilled fingers and felt the other boy relax. Kai tilted his head slightly and without so much as a knock, the door burst open and Boris appeared. There were two guards flanking him on either side. Tala was startled and Kai straightened. Boris glared at them.

"What are you doing?" he ground out, taking in the scene. Kai blushed at what they must have looked like. Tala's hands moved back up and rested on his shoulders.

"Just doing Kai a favor. Over a week of bed rest is murder to your back, you know," Tala said with a slight shrug. Boris looked piqued and Kai tried with little effort to look like he was in pain.

"Your period of recuperation is almost over, Kai. Expect to be back on normal schedule in a few days," Boris told him.

"What? The doctor said if I kept going on like that, I'd—ow!" Kai yelped when he felt Tala's fingers dig into his back.

"Sorry, Kai," Tala mumbled. Kai glanced at him and was surprised to see pure hatred in Tala's eyes, directed at Boris. The man didn't seem to notice.

"Boris… you know you're going to lose this one, too?" Tala asked in a dangerous tone. Boris looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"I'm talking about my friends. The ones who died. Remember them?"

"I—"

"You're doing the same thing over and over again. The same treatment. You're getting the same results, Boris."

"And?" Boris growled. "You couldn't possibly understand the magnitude of what I'm doing."

"What you're doing is wrong!" Tala slid off the bed. Kai wanted to reach out and tell him to stop while he was ahead, but didn't.

"You can't keep doing this. You killed my friends. You took everything away from me!" Tala's anger was spewing forth after being held back for so long. His eyes were twin pieces of ice.

"Tala, you forget yourself," Boris warned.

"I don't care! You know what you're doing—how can you even sleep at night, knowing all the pain you've put me through? I'll never forgive you for killing them, Boris, never! And I swear to God, I won't let the same thing happen again. You take Kai, too, and you're as good as dead."

"You're threatening me?" Boris said, his eyes narrowing.

"I said what I said."

"You seem to care quite a bit for Voltaire's grandson, here," Boris said mockingly. Kai looked up at Tala.

"Someone like you with no friends would never understand," Tala said, his voice soft but strong. Boris growled.

"I think I'm going to have to put you back in your place."

"Fuck off, Boris."

"Enough!" Boris snapped his fingers and the guards stepped forward. Without warning, one reached back and threw a punch, connecting with Tala's face. His head snapped to the side and the other guard followed his example, preparing to do the same.

"Stop!" Kai lunged out of bed, ignoring his protesting muscles. He heard Tala yell at him to stay out of it. Kai grabbed Tala's wrist and pulled him away. He had a hand cupped over his nose and blood was beginning to drip through his fingers. He was dismayed at the sight.

"What's wrong with you?" he cried, glaring at Boris and the guards.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have to deal with you, too, Kai. You wouldn't even last five minutes," Boris sneered. The guards, moving like a twin set of robots, planted themselves firmly in front of the two, awaiting the slightest order from Boris.

Sam suddenly appeared at the door. He took a glance at what was going on and stepped inside.

"I'll handle this, sir," he said to Boris. Boris paused and then motioned his guards to follow.

"Fine." He gave Tala a glare who was tending to his nose. "I'll be going, now." His eyes shifted to Kai, who gave him a defiant look. Tala hid his concern with anger. He could see the pain behind Kai's mask of boldness. Boris left and Tala was just about to give Kai a lecture on how he was supposed to be taking care of himself when the other boy surprised him by yanking him forward and then pushing him roughly against the wall. Tala's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell was all that about?" Kai ground out, fire blazing in his eyes. He held Tala by the lapels of his shirt.

"Kai, wha—"

"Do you have any idea what could have happened? Boris could have had you killed for that, you… you idiot!"

"I was defending my team. And you, too!"

"Needlessly throwing your life away isn't going to help me. Don't you ever do that again! You scared the heck out of me."

"You were scared?" Tala asked. Kai threw him a disgusted look.

"Of course I was scared, you moron. What would have happened if they just decided to shoot you, or something? Or if they started beating you up for real? I can't stop a fight."

Tala hesitated and felt Kai loosen his hold. "I'm sorry… it's just really hard, you know? Holding it all back…"

"I know, but you can't go wild on me, not now. We've made it this far, haven't we?" Kai let go and stepped back shakily. Tala reached out and caught his arm, steadying him.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been up for too long."

"I'll be fine," Kai said. Tala gave him a knowing look, and Kai suddenly felt fatigue hit him like a brick wall. A wave of dizziness washed over him. The next thing he knew, he was being held by Sam and being yelled at by Tala.

"Kai! Holy f—"

"Tala, shut up!" Sam said, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind. "He'll be fine, he's just been on his feet for too long after being bedridden. Chill."

Kai let out a weak laugh. "It's nice to know you care so much, Tala."

Tala fumed and helped Sam lay Kai on his bed. "Well, I have a right to be concerned if you just go and collapse like that…" he muttered. Sam straightened and gave them both a once-over.

"Try to stay out of trouble," he implored as he left. The door shut lightly behind him and Tala turned to Kai.

"How're you feeling?" Tala asked. Kai sighed at Tala's compulsory question.

"You've asked me a million times. The answer is always the same."

Tala pulled the chair up close to the bed. "Okay, listen. I was talking about a way to escape before Boris and everyone came in. We need to discuss this."

"I'm listening."

"I really don't think you'll be up to it, though."

"You haven't even told me what you're planning!"

"Keep your voice down, you wouldn't want anyone to hear us, would you?"

"Sorry. Now what is it that you're so sure I won't be up to doing?"

Tala sighed. "It'll have to be done at night. I've been around this place for a long time, and I pretty much know it inside and out. Inside the lab there's another small room—a closet-like thing. Inside they keep lots of different junk, and they're stupid enough to keep cans of gasoline in there. Big cans."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, torch the entire place?"

A smile played around his lips. "Something like that."

There was a pause.

"Tala, you're fucking insane." Kai pulled the sheets up and turned to the side.

"Hey! You haven't even heard everything. I'm not going to burn this entire building down to ashes, just the lab gets set on fire so we can split. Look, everything will fall into place when we actually do it. It's hard to explain."

"So we set the lab on fire at night and leave? Nobody's going to be in the lab at night! How's that supposed to work?"

"No, no, no, we don't set it on fire at night. At night is when we get into the lab and douse the place. Then in the morning when they bring us in—you're going to have to tell Boris that you want to resume treatment tomorrow, by the way—we'll light a match or two and the place goes up in flames. We'll be the only ones who know so we can get out quicker than them. Also, they'll be so busy trying to save their own asses that they won't worry about us."

"That's so incredibly risky. What if we get burned to death?"

"We won't," Tala assured. Kai rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm not going anywhere without Wyatt."

"I know. I'll snag the key from Dan."

Kai was quiet for a moment. "You're really serious, aren't you?"

Tala nodded. "Well, yeah. I've always wanted to get out of here, but I never could find a chance. This is it, though. It's now, or never. I'll do this or die trying. I don't care."

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TBC

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I promise, promise, promise, stuff will happen in the next chapter. Okay, so this isn't going to be only nineteen chapters. ^^;; It'll be a bit longer. *shrugs* Anyway, I posted this random piece of TyKa fluff in my livejournal, so if anyone is interested, I'd appreciated it if you went and checked it out. If you do, please, please, PLEASE, leave me a comment. xD Thanks, and review!