Thanks for all your great reviews! And another huge thank you goes out to the people who commented on that little piece in my LJ (which, after some coaxing, decided to post here as well). And then yet another thank you is due to those people who added me as a friend. ^^ So much gratitude! Thanks.
Chapter Eighteen
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The night had been a long one for Tyson, even though he had slept little. After the call from Kai, he had broken down in tears and had a wonderfully exhausting cry. Kenny hadn't stayed long, but tried his best to comfort his friend. Rei had spent a good portion of the night sitting with him, for which the longhaired blader was extremely grateful. They had talked late into the hours of darkness about past memories, love, and heartache. Tyson had needed someone to pour out his soul to. All of his thoughts kept inside were getting to be too much, and Rei provided himself as a listener. Tyson had also seen pain in Rei's amber eyes, and when he asked if the Chinese blader had something on his mind, Rei gave him the heart wrenching story of how hard it was on him to hurt Kai the way he had.
Tyson was captivated by Rei's account. Rei had a knack for public speaking, and that just made it all the more mesmerizing. Rei told him of how he had felt when he thought he loved Kai, and then the day he realized that Kai wasn't the one for him. He had hated himself after he confessed this to Kai because he knew that Kai would hate him forever for doing such a cruel thing. He had never wanted to hurt Kai, but he couldn't keep leading him on. Seeing Kai walk away after he broke the news had made him want to bury a hole and die in it.
In turn, Tyson had told Rei of how Kai had been acting afterwards, before he knew any of Kai and Rei's previous experiences. Tyson recalled the depressed state Kai had been in, and told Rei about their first date and how he had come about to asking him out. Rei had smiled when Tyson shared how he had run Kai into the ground that day near the stairs. They talked for hours.
Rei was genuinely happy that Kai had found Tyson, and told him so. Tyson was slightly ashamed to say that he was glad Rei had dumped him because he didn't think he could compete. Drowsiness had eventually caught up with both of them, and Rei offered his guest room to Tyson. It was way too late to be out driving, and Tyson had been quick to accept.
Now, the lovesick blader stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely. His eyes fell upon the lovely lace curtains and the pastel colors on the wall, and he smiled. Rei, ever the interior decorator, had made the room classy. Now that he thought about it, Rei acted much like a mother. Tyson chuckled and pushed the covers back. His mood was better and he felt lighter. Unloading his thoughts on Rei had done wonders.
After stumbling into the bathroom and splashing cold water on his face, he went to the living room. Caleb greeted him appropriately. Rei was in the kitchen. Tyson stuck his head inside.
"Hey, Rei, I really should be going, now," Tyson said with a smile. Rei looked up.
"Not without breakfast. It's almost done. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. Thanks. I'll just grab a bite on my way back to the dorm, okay?"
"Are you sure?" Rei left the stove and followed Tyson to the front door. The longhaired blader nodded.
"Yeah, you've done more than enough, Rei." He opened the door and a familiar white envelope with his name written on it caught his eye. Tala's letters had ceased to come for two weeks.
"It's a letter from Tala!" Tyson yelled as he snatched it up and zipped back inside. Rei blinked and shut the door. Tyson was at the breakfast table hastily opening the packet. He pulled out the letter from inside and quickly read it.
Tyson,
There hasn't been much change. Kai was discharged from the hospital a few weeks ago. Sorry about not writing for a while, but there just didn't seem like there was a whole lot to say. Kai's doing a little better, but he's a bitch about his medication and I'm not sure if he's taking it when he's supposed to. Stupid bastard. I'm sitting at his table writing to you, and he just found out.
Tyson's heart fluttered when he saw Kai's neat penmanship fill out the next few lines.
Hi, Tyson. How're you doing? I've been better, but I've also been worse. I miss you a lot and I wish I could see you again. I hope you're okay, what with all this going on. Try to stay strong and keep your head up, okay? Say hi to the others for me. Thanks. With all my love—Kai.
Tyson found his eyes welling up with tears, but he also felt a smile on his lips. He gazed at Kai's lovely words and looked up at Rei.
"How is he?" Rei asked worriedly, looking confused at Tyson's look of serenity.
"He's okay," Tyson said, feeling a tear trickle down his cheek. His smile grew fuller and he let out a light laugh, brushing away the stray tear with a finger. "He says hi."
Rei's face held a blank look. "He says hi?"
"Yeah." Tyson picked up the envelope the slid the precious letter back inside. As he was doing so, the paper caught onto something. Tyson didn't take much notice and tried to shove it back in, but it caught again. He idly peered inside the envelope and his eyes widened.
"What's this?" he asked aloud as he looked closer. There was something taped to the inside of the envelope, and a corner of the tape was coming lose. He picked at it and peeled it off, being cautious as to not tear it. It was a small square of white paper with Tala's thin handwriting. After reading it over, it hit him.
"Oh my God!" Tyson yelled.
"What?" Rei asked.
"Oh my God! This is unbelievable! I have to run back to the dorm, but I'll be back soon!" Tyson took off for the door and was gone before Rei could get another word out. The door slammed behind him, and Rei picked up the small piece of paper and scanned it quickly. Caleb wandered over and saw the surprise evident in Rei's amber eyes.
"What's going on?" he asked timidly, looking at Rei questioningly. Rei shook his head.
"Tala is out of his mind," he said, his voice laced with concern.
The paper held directions to where they were being held, taped to the inside of the envelope so Jazzlyn would not find them. Underneath it all, Tala had written a short note:
By the way, we plan to make our escape tomorrow morning. Use these directions then if you want, but not any sooner.
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"Are you sure?" Tala asked, examining his face in the mirror. He poked his still-tender nose.
"Yes," Kai said, balancing on the back of the chair.
"Absolutely positive?"
Kai let out an obnoxious sigh. "God, yes. I'll be fine. Stop pestering me."
Tala looked over at him. "What are you doing? You're going to fall and break your neck."
The slate haired boy groaned in aggravation. "Tala. I am not a child."
"Well, I can't help but worry since you're so damned reckless sometimes."
Kai looked at him incredulously. "I'm reckless? What the hell does that make you?"
Tala sighed and walked back to the bed. Kai's gray eyes followed him. Both boys had been on the edge of their nerves lately. That night was the night they were supposed to put Tala's plan into action, and Tala was already convinced that Kai couldn't do it without hurting himself. Kai was angry at Tala because he thought he was helpless and was tired of being treated like porcelain. He turned the chair around and sat properly in it, scooting it up to the desk where he rested his head on his arms.
"Sorry, Tala," Kai mumbled when the silence became almost painful.
"You don't have to apologize," Tala said. "I know."
"I've been a real bitch—"
"How could anyone blame you?"
Kai looked at him and Tala shrugged. They both decided to just drop the whole thing right there, and Kai stood, heading for the door.
"You said I had to let Boris know that I wanted to continue treatment tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'll do it now." Kai opened the door and stuck his head out. Sam was nowhere in sight, but he appeared around the corner after a moment. He sauntered over and gave Kai a quizzical look.
"What are you doing?"
"Can you do me a favor and let Boris know that I'll continue treatment tomorrow morning?" Kai asked in a rush.
Sam did a double take. "What? You want to?"
"Yeah, I do. Will you tell him?"
"If you want to… I guess. Does this have anything to do with what happened earlier?"
Kai shook his head in a neutral kind of way. "It's nothing. Just let him know. Thanks."
Sam was still looking at him oddly, but nodded. "Sure."
The door closed softly and Kai looked at Tala again. "We're on. I guess there's no turning back now, is there?"
"Nope."
"Damn."
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The sounds of the night had always soothed Kai to a certain extent. The crickets chirping, frogs calling, the occasional owl—it all came together as a peaceful melody. The world was slowly stopping to rest and all was quiet. It was the darker parts of the night, the times when everybody was asleep, that Kai despised. Those were the times when he felt the loneliest, especially when sleep eluded him. Those were the times when his mind involuntarily brought up memories. One was imprinted in his mind tonight.
He had gone to Russia after graduating high school and before he began college. The Blade Breakers had already split up, and Kai went alone. It wasn't that he wanted company, though. He needed to be alone. After he had arrived there, he had asked himself countless times just what was he doing back in the place that held the worst of times for him. The Abbey had long since been demolished and built over. There was a shopping center in its place, and Kai could hardly bring himself to enter. Even though it was crowded with jabbering people, he had felt such a sense of unease that he left quickly after he came.
He had scheduled to stay in Russia for a week, but after one night in a hotel, he had bought a ticket to the next flight back home. He would never forget that night. He hadn't bothered to unpack; he simply fell into bed, emotionally drained. The hotel was a normal one, not one of the classy ones he usually stayed in. He hadn't felt like searching for one, so he had just stopped at the first one he saw. As he laid there and stared at the dingy ceiling, despair had hit him like a brick wall. His life was in shambles, and besides starting college, he had no idea what to do next. There had been something severely lacking in his life, and he didn't know what. He had cried like a baby that night, alone.
But, now that he thought about it, that fateful day in the park when Tyson had told him he loved him and then walked away, he had cried harder.
Kai snapped himself out of his piteous memories and let out a tremendous sigh, earning a look from Tala.
"You okay?" he asked, arching a brow at him. Kai shrugged, nodded, and looked away. It was past midnight, almost one o'clock in the morning. The darker part of the night. The part Kai loathed.
"When are we going?" Kai asked, itching to get up and do something. Anything to occupy his mind.
"Mm… in a minute. Just wait." Tala went to the door and cracked it open slightly, gazing out. "Sam's gone."
"I don't have a guard watching my door at night?" Kai asked in mock astonishment. Tala smiled faintly.
"There's only one doing rounds at night. He passes by here."
"So, we just have to do this without letting him see us?"
"Basically, yeah."
"Sounds so simple," Kai muttered. Tala looked at him.
"Are you absolutely sure you're going to be okay?" he asked. Surprisingly, Kai felt no anger this time at Tala's concern. It actually felt good to know that someone cared about his well-being.
"I'll be fine." I hope, he added mentally.
Tala slowly opened the door wider and stuck his entire head out. He stepped out quietly and motioned Kai to follow. They crept down the hall toward the lab, passing the staircase. Tala kept his eyes moving, scanning in all directions, and Kai kept his mouth shut until they reached the door of the lab. Tala reached into his pocket and pulled out a clearance card, swiping it through the slot beside the door. It slid open soundlessly. Tala had already checked who would be on duty in the small room with the surveillance screens; he knew Jazzlyn never paid any attention to them. The two of them slipped inside and Tala shut the door.
"Holy fuck, we made it," Tala said in relief. Kai gave him a look.
"What do we do next?"
Tala walked across the room to another door and opened it with ease. Kai peered inside and saw the large cans Tala had been talking about. The small room was dark and cobwebby. Tala pulled one out, dusting the spider webs away.
"You're just going to dump it on the floor?" Kai asked.
"Well…" Tala opened the lid with a small sucking sound. "I was thinking of starting at the corners and working our way out, but that sounds just as productive. Easier, too." Without any warning, he pushed the whole thing over. The liquid spilled all over the floor, spreading as quickly as a small wave. Kai hopped to the other side of the lab to avoid getting it on his feet and shot Tala a dirty look.
"You couldn't have warned me that you were going to do that?" Kai demanded. Tala shrugged and pulled out another one, dragging it further away. Kai watched as the clear fluid began to dry quickly. It soaked into the sparse rugs, and the fumes rose quickly. A single match in the room would be deadly.
The acrid scent bit at Kai's nose. He could always tolerate the smell when he was filling his own car up, but he never realized that so much of it at once could smell so choking. The sharp odor filled the room and his lungs. Trying to breathe through his mouth sent him in a fit of coughing. Tala looked up.
"You okay?"
Kai shook his head. A stab of fear cut into him when he felt a familiar pain in the pit of his stomach. He involuntarily breathed in sharply and the fumes poisoned his mind, making him dizzy. The wall suddenly looked very appealing, and he rested a hand against the white plaster.
Tala appeared beside him. "What's wrong? You look pale."
"It's just really hard to breathe in here," Kai managed to say.
"Well, I'm about done." Tala danced across the room and replaced the empty cans in the small storage place. He closed it and turned back to Kai. "You look like you're in pain," he stated.
As if Tala's words had power, Kai was suddenly wrenched to his knees as pain washed over him. The smell was making him sick. He felt Tala's hands grip his shoulders gently but firmly.
"I thought you said you were going to be okay!" Tala said, watching his friend in distress. Kai moaned and shut his eyes.
"I'm sorry… I'll take my medication next time…"
"You didn't take your medicine?!"
A hush fell over the both of them as they heard the squawking of a radio outside the door. A male voice said something about everything being clear so far, and then an answer that couldn't be distinguished screeched out. Receding footsteps were heard, and then the only sound in the room was Kai panting. He gritted his teeth and Tala guessed that Kai was making an effort not to scream right there.
"Okay… so you didn't take your meds. What's done is done and right now we can't do much about that," Tala thought aloud. "We have to leave now. Can you walk?"
Kai pushed himself off the ground and gave Tala a stubborn, but pained look. Tala shook his head and looped an arm around his waist.
"Come on. Let me check if it's clear."
They went to the door and Tala used the card to slide it open again. He checked quickly and all but dragged Kai into the hallway. Kai covered his mouth with his hand and Tala didn't bother to ask if he was all right when clearly, he wasn't.
Footsteps sounded.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Tala muttered. Kai suddenly gasped loudly and whimpered, and the footsteps quickened. Tala's eyes darted for a second, and then he pulled Kai to the side underneath the staircase into the shadows. Kai bit his lip hard and Tala hugged him close to himself in an effort to comfort him and an effort to hide them both.
Kai was trembling and he buried his face in Tala's shoulder, trying to stay quiet. He felt Tala's fingers stroking the back of his head, urging him to make not a sound. The footsteps were close now, and they stopped as they neared. All was quiet for a moment. Tala glared into the darkness and when he suddenly felt Kai's body go slack against his, he fought to retain his composure.
"I could have sworn I heard something here, but the lab's still locked and no one's in sight," the male voice said. The radio squawked again and the footsteps began again, going away. When Tala was sure he was gone, he nudged Kai, and, in response, got a low moan.
"Kai!" Tala whispered fiercely. "Kai, come on, you can't give up on me now."
"I'm… not."
"Okay. Come on, we have to get back now. I'll help you." Tala hefted Kai's weight against his shoulder and stood slowly. Kai sighed softly and allowed Tala to lead him back. They reached Kai's door and Tala pushed it open, getting Kai inside. He shut it quietly.
Kai moved away from Tala and sat on the bed, putting his head in his hands. Tala stayed silent for a moment, and then sat down beside him. With a soft groan, Kai rubbed his eyes and brushed his hair out of his face.
"Why didn't you take your medication?" Tala asked finally, after a long silence. Kai sighed.
"I didn't want to."
"You didn't want to? Kai, do you realize that after such a close call, the slightest mess-up could leave you dead?" Tala demanded.
"Do you realize that maybe I don't care?" Kai snapped. "That maybe I'm sick and tired of being used? I'm being pulled by the strings, being forced to carry out Boris' stupid plan. I hate it here; I hate everything about this place!" Kai stopped, and let out a bitter laugh. "And to think… my life was just starting to look… decently livable. For the first time, I knew what it was like to be happy."
Tala paused. "You were happy with Tyson, right?"
"I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
"Hey, don't talk like that. You and Tyson, you guys love each other. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, remember?"
Kai leaned against Tala, his eyes glistening. "It's making my heart weaker." He shut his eyes tightly. "I can't take it anymore."
"Just one more night, Kai. One more night."
"That's an eternity."
"Tomorrow's the day: the day we get out of here. You'll be able to see Tyson again."
Kai opened his eyes and stared blankly at the wall. There was a tiny flicker of hope inside of him, but it was steadily growing fainter. All that was left was a dim light.
"The stage is set, Kai," Tala went on. "Everything's ready. Just stay strong. You told Tyson to stay strong and keep his head up; if you can't do that yourself, what does it make you?"
"A damned hypocrite."
"Huh. You're right."
Kai sighed again. He thought about Tyson's smiling face. His stupid jokes. That damnable baseball cap.
"Tomorrow, Tyson, tomorrow," he whispered.
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TBC
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Okay. I have some really big news.
After careful deliberation… I have decided to discontinue this fic. I'm REALLY sorry. You all are going to hate me, I know, but I just don't have the inspiration to finish this anymore. Again, I'm sorry.
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APRIL FOOL! =D
Bwahahahaha, you guys couldn't possibly have believed that, right? But make me happy and say you fell for it anyway. ^^;; I'm horrible at any kind of joke, I know. Hmm, maybe the right amount of corniness will make it funny. *ponders* Hehe, sorry… don't hate me… *hides* xD
Anyway, Tyson and Kai will get to see each other in the next chapter. ^____^ I have so been waiting for this. Anyway, please leave me a review telling me how much my April Fool joke sucked and maybe what you thought about this chapter. Until then!