Title: Golden Blood
Subtitle: From out of the past: a face
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Kai/Rei, Tala/Bryan, Oliver/Enrique, Robert/Johnny
Hong Kong, 2008
Hands clutching the sheet under him, Rei rode the tide of the dream that engulfed him. A soft keen escaped him, as he suddenly arched his back, shuddered; then went rigid, his eyes shot open and he released his seed into his pajama bottoms.
"Ancestors," he whispered into the silent room, "I've had wet dreams before, but none that intense." The neko-jin slowly rose from his rumpled bed and stripped the soiled pajamas off. He grimaced in distaste, as he carried the garment into the bathroom and tossed it into a hamper. Then he grabbed a washcloth and cleaned himself up.
He stared at himself in the mirror, as he replayed the dream in his mind.
'Shadows played on a moonlight kissed wall, as two figures clutched and writhed, and pledges of undying love were exchanged, the mute furnishings of the room bearing witness to the bonding of two souls. The bottom shadow pleading with the other for more, until the shadow maker had keened to the sky his pleasure, and the top shadow had laughed in triumph, before crying out his own completion.'
Rei blinked his way out of the memory, then he sighed. 'Wish I had someone who loved me like that.' he thought, as he hung the used washcloth up to dry and turned from the mirror. As he reached to turn the light off, he spoke softly to the light switch. "It was those two faceless boys again, why are they haunting me?" If the light switch knew, it declined to answer.
Sighing, Rei exited the bathroom, padded over to the dresser and opened a drawer to withdraw another pair of black pajama bottoms; stepping into the bottoms, he drew them over his hips, then went to the big window that overlooked the harbor and leaned his forehead against it.
"Why do those dreams always make me feel like I'm incomplete; like I'm missing part of my soul?" He stared at a lone ship heading out to sea, its running lights bobbing up and down as it rode the waves. 'That's me,' he thought, 'I'm a ship at sea, bobbing like a cork in a sea of emptiness, waiting to be swallowed by a wave of loneliness and uncertainty. Depressed by the road his thoughts were taking, Rei tore his eyes from the ship and looked shoreward.
The warehouses and buildings, he could see from his window were as bleak as his mood; dark and empty. He began to feel restless, driven; as though he should be searching for something, but he didn't know what. Turning from the window, he stared at the bed, but dismissed it and went to the closet instead, where he removed a pair of black pants and a blue sleeveless v-necked cotton shirt, and carried them to the bed, where he dropped them, before quickly stripping off his pajamas.
Ignoring the fact, he was going commando, something he seldom did, he donned his clothes, slipped his feet into his shoes and snatching up his keys and wallet, headed out to see what the night had to offer.
Slipping past the night watchman and out the doors wasn't hard to do, and after hailing a cab, Rei soon found himself wandering the streets of an island that never really slept. Prostitutes, drug dealers, and other desperate people rubbed elbows with the staid, law-abiding and secure.
He wandered into a market area, and joined a crowd of children watching a puppet show, when the basket was passed around; he added a couple of coins and continued on his way. Dodging frantic men on bicycles, or on foot, he paused at a fruit stand and bought a few pears grown in his home region in China.
Munching on a bean paste filled steamed bun; his wandering feet took him passed a dark alley mouth that stank of fish guts. Just as he reached the center of the alley mouth, a woman appeared and walked toward him, her hips swaying provocatively, her great black eyes holding him captive.
Part of Rei's mind shrieked a warning; that this woman was dangerous, but his frozen body refused to obey the frenzied demand that he flee.
"Well, hello," a long red-painted nail traced a path along his jaw, as a silky voice purred, "my, but you are a pretty one." Dimly, he registered that she was as white as marble and her lips were a slash of crimson, then she was leaning into him and claiming his lips with a mouth colder than an ice cube.
His mind screamed at him that no living woman had lips so cold, unless she's been out in freezing air, yet the night breeze was hot and humid, singing with the promise of an approaching storm. Her hands took his bag of fruit and steamed bun and tossed them away; then she began to draw him toward the alley.
"Come, my beauty and I'll show you pleasures like you never knew existed." the honeyed voice promised, and he felt his feet follow her.
"Let him go, Yovela." A cold voice ordered.
Yovela released the lovely Chinese boy's hands and whirled to face the alley. Two figures stepped from the inky blackness; a tall lean purple haired youth and a shorter red head; both glanced pass her to the frozen figure of the boy.
"You know it is forbidden to hunt the living, Yovela." The purple-haired youth said calmly, as he stepped closer to the woman.
"What business is it of yours, Robert." Yovela snarled her black eyes beginning to glow red. She bared her fangs and hissed. "I will do as I please!"
"What of the Destroyers?"
Yovela snorted, "Do not tell me you believe in that old tale?" She sneered at the German; "the Destroyers were invented by the elders to keep us from taking our rightful place as the rulers of the world!" She looked over her shoulder at the youth, she had in thrall.
Waving a languid hand, she smirked, "Look at him, do you really think he's our equal? He's cattle, that's what he is, and why shouldn't I cut him out and use him for my pleasure and my food?"
"I've heard enough, Robert." The redhead's Scottish burr was icy cold with contempt.
Robert looked over at his mate, and nodded, "I quite agree, Johnny."
"What are you two blathering about?" The black haired female snapped, "why don't you go away, so I can finish what I started!"
Robert sighed, and shook his head. "Very shortly, Yovela, you won't need the boy."
Johnny moved fluidly to the right of the female vampire, while Robert continued to stand in front of her.
Sensing danger, Yovela took a step back and glanced nervously at the Scot, who smirked at her. "Wh.. What do you mean?" She took another step, knocking Rei down in the process.
His fall broke the spell the woman had on him, and Rei blinked as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his brain. Above him, he could see two youths, who didn't look much older than he was, but there was something about them, that made him lay as still as he could; not wanting to draw their attention.
"He means, dear Yovela," Johnny purred, "We're two members of that fairy tale, you don't believe in. We are Destroyers and you have been judged and condemned."
'Destroyers?' Rei thought, 'what are Destroyers?'
"No!" Yovela whispered, "you can't be! And even if you are the tales say, you have to take me to the elders for their judgement!'
"Evidently, you never heard the part about 'if a vampire openly admits to having, or intending to take a human life in any act other than the act of self-defense, or extreme hunger, from say a long captivity in which they were starved. That vampire is guilty of the crime of killing and it is the duty of all vampires to turn the lawbreaker in, or face the same punishment'." Robert began.
"And it is the duty of any Destroyer, who hears from the lips of a vampire the intention of killing a human for pleasure or food to immediately dispatch said offender." Johnny smirk deepened, "And my dear, you condemned yourself less than ten minutes ago." Then he and Robert struck.
Yovela didn't have a chance to scream.
Rei felt his stomach roil as the woman's blood splashed on him; rolling to his knees and pushing himself up on his hands, he began to heave - emptying his stomach of everything he'd eaten or drunk in the past couple of days.
Robert and Johnny turned and eyed the violently sick boy.
"Dammit! I thought he was still out!" Johnny cursed his eyes on Rei's shaking form. "We'll need to wipe his memory. We can't have him running around telling people about what he saw."
"I'll see to it." Robert said quietly, as he looked down at the heartless, headless corpse at their feet. "You get rid of this carrion and meet me back at the hotel."
"Very well." Casually, Johnny stuffed Yovela's heart back in her chest, snatched up her head, her visage frozen in a mask of fear, and standing, he reached down and grabbed an ankle and drug her off, leaving Robert with the boy.
As Robert approached the youth, he thought, 'where have I seen you before?'
Moscow, 2008
Kai reached out and grabbed Dranzer from the air, as his blade flew back at him, after being knocked from the ring by Falborg. It had taken Bryan only a few minutes to beat him, and he glared at the smirking victor, who was now standing with his launcher at his side; looking bored.
Kai growled, knowing what was coming.
In the near month that he had been in the Abbey, Tala, Bryan, Ian and Spencer had taken great delight in tormenting him in every way they could. On his very first morning, Tala had marched into his room, gone through his clothing and after throwing an indecently tight pair of pants at him, had declared, "that being half-naked would encourage him to do better." And there after forbade him to wear any kind of shirt in the training room, while ordering him to wear only the tightest pants in his wardrobe; when he was out in the Abbey population.
He felt like a whore on display.
In actuality, being shirtless only made it easier for Tala and the rest of his team to use their leather switches on him, when he didn't perform up to their expectations; and from the way the lash flew, he never did. Whenever Tala brought in one of the instructors; the redhead would slyly encourage the teachers to act in the same manner. And today, the vindictive wolf had brought in Beredei; the trainer of the reserve team; and a man fond of dressing like a World War I pilot complete with scarf and riding crop; Beredei was not tolerant of poor performances.
"Crack!" The riding crop came down hard across his shoulders and the kick to the back of his right knee knocked him to his hands and left knee. He barely suppressed a moan of pain; as he fell, dropping Dranzer and Beredei picked the blue blade up.
Beredei looked down at the vampire and sneered. "Now you'll see what happens, when you don't do your best." He reached down and buried his hand in Kai's hair and yanked the boy's head up. He stared down into the angry crimson depths and forced Kai to look at the beydish.
"Here, Bryan," the auburn haired man said, as he tossed the blade to the falcon, "remove the bit piece then smash the blade. Until he learns to be perfect; he'll have to use a beginner's blade with NO bitbeast!"
"No!" Kai screamed, as Bryan grinned evilly and began to remove Dranzer. Kai started to get to his feet, desperate to save his blade. Beredei grabbed him by the shoulders, without thinking, Kai lashed out with an elbow, catching Beredei in the stomach, the man doubled over, and the vampire scrambled to his feet and raced around the dish. Tala and Spencer raced forward to intercept Kai.
No one saw the door open.
"What's going on here?"
Bryan and Kai froze. Tala and Spencer snapped to attention, and Beredei struggled to his feet. Once he was steady, the older man pointed at Kai and said, "We were having a training session, and he wasn't performing to expectations. I ordered him disciplined and he attacked me, and then attempted to do the same to Bryan."
Boris looked at Kai, "Attacking an instructor is a serious crime. You will have to be punished. Beredei, return to your team." The man nodded. Then, Boris turned to his favorite, "Tala, why did you allow this to happen? You are responsible for Kai's training and obviously you haven't been doing your job. Must I take over his training myself?'
The redhead stared straight ahead and replied quietly. "No, sir! It won't happen again, sir!"
"No, I'm sure it won't." Boris purred, "You and Kai will both report to the courtyard in the morning after breakfast for disciplining. And Tala, until further notice, you and Bryan are forbidden to have any contact. You will not speak, eat, or train at the same time. You will both be locked in your rooms at night, and any attempt to leave them will be punished, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Tala said his eyes empty. Bryan stood by the beydish, looking paler than usual. The hate in his heart for the vampire; bloomed into a new and terrible bloom; no longer content with merely wanting to kill the bluenette, he would find a way to strike at him that would shatter him for all time.
"Good, then Kai come with me. The rest of you are dismissed." Boris turned, then he paused and turned back, "Oh, and Spencer, you will wield the whip in the morning. Don't disappoint me."
"No, sir."
"Good." Boris walked out of the training room, with Kai on his heels.
'Damn that Kai! I'll get even, I swear I will!' Tala's thoughts were venomous; he started, when Beredei put a hand on his shoulder. "Take a word of advice - strike first."
"In due time." Came the quiet answer. "In due time."
Beredei nodded, then he left. As soon as he was gone, Bryan rushed down to Tala and grabbed his lover and kissed him hard. The pair clung together for a moment, then Tala whispered, "He'll pay, I swear it."
"Yes, he will." Bryan answered, before claiming Tala's lips in another desperate kiss. They sprang apart, just as four guards entered. "Ice, time to go to your room." The leader of the squad said, and Bryan nodded. With one last look at Tala, he turned and went with the guards. The quiet click of the door rang like a death knell in both boys' hearts.
As soon as the door closed, Ian exploded, "Bastards! This is all Kai's fault!" He turned to see Tala sag, and rushed to his captain's side, Spencer hurrying over as well. Spencer drew one of Tala's arms across his shoulders to support him.
"Tala?"
The redhead raised eyes brimming with tears and said quietly, "Ian, I want you to nose around and see if you can overhear anything; then come and tell me what you've learned."
"Why?" Ian asked surprised. Spencer was as well. Tala drew away from Spencer and sighed, "Because the guards were talking today about Voltaire's being back in town; and I want to know if Jazzman is in town. And from the little Boris has told me D. J. has something important to show Kai. Something that will guarantee that his hate for his grandfather is not the only factor in his working for Dickenson." Tala looked at them, "and I want to know what that something is. "
"Tala," Spencer began. Tala shook his head, "Don't ask me any questions, Spence, I'm not sure myself, what I'm groping for, but who knows, we may be able to use whatever it is to our advantage." He looked at Ian, "Go."
"All right," Ian slithered off. He had no sooner left, than four more guards appeared, and took Tala away, leaving Spencer alone.
The big blonde spent some time in the training room; destroying targets, trying to drown his frustration.
Boris and Kai walked to Boris's office in silence with only the sound of their footsteps for company. But Kai was well aware that the warm blood at his side was furious. When they reached the door of the office, Boris opened it and walked in, leaving Kai to follow.
"Close the door." Kai complied, and when he turned, Boris backhanded him, knocking him to the floor.
"You fool! What are you trying to do? Ruin everything?" Boris glared at the slowly raising vampire. "Sit down and keep your mouth shut!"
Kai settled into the chair in front of the desk and glared at Boris.
Boris circled the desk and stood behind it, his eyes blazing. "You can not be so stupid as to not realize that you've already made enemies of the Demolition Boys, and striking Beredei will not endear you to him!" Boris slammed his hands down on the desktop and leaned forward. "Now, thanks to you, I'll have to have both you and Tala beaten in the morning! And before that you and I have to meet someone, you need to speak with and we need to do that and be back before anyone notices we're missing. So, I want you up and ready to go three hours before the morning bell."
Stealthily, Ian eased open the office door and pressed up against the wall beside it, listening to the conversation; his violet eyes narrowed. 'Tala's right, something is going on."
"Who are we meeting?" Kai asked.
Boris leaned forward and put his hands on the desk, "You'll find that out, when you meet him, but I'll tell you this much. He is coming with a proposition for you, and your decision will affect your future. So, listen to him very carefully."
A stormy look crossed Kai's face, but he kept his comments to himself.
Boris waited for Kai to speak, but when he didn't he went on. "Your grandfather has been out of the country for the last couple of months, and now that he's back, I won't be able to hide your presence for much longer, and once he knows, you'll have to face him, are you ready?"
"Don't worry, Boris." Kai said coldly, "I'll be ready when the time comes."
"See that you are." Boris snapped, as he stood and reached out to snatch up a folder from a pile on the left side of his desk. "Now, go to your room and stay there! It would be unfortunate if you were suffer an 'accident' before tomorrow."
Wordlessly, Kai rose and followed the man to the door.
'Hell!' Ian scrambled away from the door and hustled around the corner of the corridor closets to Boris's office, and pressed up against the stone. Behind him, he heard Boris's footsteps on th the stone floor.
"Remember, Kai, three hours before the morning bell."
"Very well."
Boris nodded, and turning went down the flight of stairs that led straight to the front door. Kai watched him go, then he turned and went off to his room. He didn't see the figure scampering down the corridor.
Hong Kong, 2008
Robert crouched down by the longhaired boy, gently taking him by the shoulders. Shuddering at the touch Rei raised his head and seeing, who held him tried to scramble backwards, but Robert merely tightened his grip, and Rei unable to break the hold – stilled.
"I apologize for what you saw, we are not normally so open, but it seemed best to interfere when we did, otherwise you might be dead by now. Yovela wasn't know for her merciful traits." Robert said calmly, as he rose, pulling Rei up with him.
The frightened neko-jin shook his head, "You and that other boy murdered that woman! Are you going to kill me too?" Rei couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice.
Robert sighed, "We did not murder her. We merely executed her according to our laws. As for killing you, if I had planned on doing so, I'd have done it already." He searched the boy's eyes and smiled faintly at the relief, he saw there.
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Merely put you to sleep and erase some of your memories. When you wake in the morning, this will all seemed to a dream, nothing more."
Rei didn't know why, but the calm way the youth spoke was soothing his nerves, and he found himself falling deep into the red eyes that gazed so openly at him.
"That's it," the deep voice encouraged, "just keep looking into my eyes and all your concerns will fade away like fog before sunlight."
Rei sighed, as he forgot everything, his fear, the woman, the attack; forgot everything but those eyes. Then he even forgot them.
Robert searched Rei's limp body for the information of where he was living and finding the boy's wallet, flipped it open and pulled out the key card, he found there. After reading the address on the care, he scooped Rei up in his arms and headed for the alley. It would take only a matter of minutes to return the boy to his room. He paused only long enough to pick up the bag of pears; then the blackness of the alley swallowed them both up.
Landing on the roof of the complex, Robert quickly broke the lock on the roof door and carried Rei down to his floor; peering around the corner; the vampire walked calmly down to room six hundred and sixteen, and thrust the key card into the door lock.
Entering the room, he walked across the dark carpet and laid Rei down on his bed and casually stripped the boy of his outer garments. His eyes lingered on the area between Rei's thighs, and he smiled in appreciation; but then he turned to find some pajamas and nearly tripped on the bottoms, Rei had discarded earlier.
Grabbing the black pants, he quickly dressed the boy, then sat him up.
"Rei, look at me."
The neko-jin slowly obeyed the deep, husky voice and dragged his eyes open; meeting a pair of glowing red ones.
"Rei, you went out tonight for a nice long walk; went to the market and had a bean paste filled steam bun to eat; it was very good. Then you bought some pears and came straight back to your room; where you had a terrible nightmare about a woman being killed right in front of your eyes by a pair of vampires." Robert told the susceptible youth. "What happened to you tonight?"
Rei repeated his words – word for word.
"Very good, Rei. Now, you are very tired and need to sleep, close your eyes."
As Rei's eyelids began to droop, he began to topple forward, forcing Robert to catch him. The blue-blood vampire laid the boy back and once he had Rei's legs on the bed; covered him. Setting the bag of pears on the nightstand, Robert headed for the door; as he put his hand on the knob, he turned back and a frown beetled his forehead, as a fragment of a dream teased at the edge of his awareness. A dream fragment that had something to do with two faceless boys, 'ah well, it will come to me in time.' Robert dismissed the puzzle and opening the door, slid from the room.
Fifteen minutes later, he was in his hotel room, and Johnny was at the window – staring out over the ocean. "Is it done?" he asked, as Robert entered.
"Of course. Yovela?"
"Where the sun will destroy all traces of her."
"Good," Robert said heading for the bed. "I'll report her demise to the elders first thing in the morning, then we can go see Dickenson."
Johnny turned from the window; he raised an eyebrow. "Did Dickenson tell you what he wanted, when you talked to him on the phone today?"
"No, just that he'd tell us in the morning."
"I hate being kept in the dark." Johnny complained, as he left the window and joined Robert on the bed.
"Well," the German replied, "at least you won't have long to wait; morning is only a few hours away."
"True." Johnny conceded, then he leaned over and began to nip at Robert's earlobe. "Only a few hours, eh?"
"Until morning." Robert murmured, as he turned and slid a hand up under Johnny's shirt.
"I don't think we'll be sleeping much." Johnny murmured, as he squirmed under Robert's expert caress.
"Doesn't look that way." was the soft agreement.
"In that case." and Johnny pounced.
Moscow, 2008
Kai was just finishing tying his boots, when a soft rap on his door announced a visitor. Standing, he went swiftly to the door and opened it; Boris motioned for him to follow and he exited the room and shut the door with only a soft 'click.'
Neither saw the shadow that detached itself from the wall and tailed them.
After traveling down several passages and descending down three flights of stairs, Boris finally came to a halt in front of a wooden door. Beside the door was a box, and Boris opened it and removed something that he tossed at the vampire.
Kai caught the item, and turned it curiously in his hands; it was a bundle of gray cloth. Shrugging, he shook the cloth out to reveal a cloak with a hood.
"Put that on and put up the hood."
"Why?" Kai whispered, as he did as instructed.
"We don't want to be seen." Boris answered as he pulled his own cloak on. Going to the door, he looked back at Kai, and whispered, "Until I say its alright, do not speak; the night has ears, and the less it hears the better."
Turning away, Boris pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door; reaching out he turned off the light and opened the door. Outside the night air was cool and sang with the noise of nocturnal insects. Boris slipped out with Kai in his heels, the door swinging shut behind them.
Boris slipped out with Kai on his heels, the door swinging shut behind them.
Cursing, their shadow hurried across the floor and snatched up its own cloak and followed.
Using a shielded flashlight, Boris led Kai to a corner of the fence, where the bars gave way to a brick wall two feet thick. "I'm going to trust you with this secret, since I know you don't need it to get out." Boris said and handing Kai the flashlight, murmured, "shine the light on the bricks."
Kai directed the beam against the wall and Boris reached out with both hands and pressed on two bricks simultaneously, the left brick being two rows down and six rows apart from the right. There was a 'click' and the wall swung open.
Boris turned and held out his hand for the flashlight, as Kai handed it over, he asked, "how did you know about this?"
"I have a copy of the original plans in my office; this was part of the priests escape route in emergencies." Boris replied turning, "to close it, you only have to push the same two bricks on the other side."
Kai grunted.
The older man led the way through the secret gate, closed it and heading east led Kai toward the river that ran nearby.
Their tail hurried across the courtyard and standing on tiptoe managed to press the proper sequence of bricks and he too headed east.
'Tala will kill me, if I lose them!' he thought, as he hurried along, hoping that the moon wouldn't go behind a cloud and cursing the fact he didn't have a flashlight.
The moon shone on the water, its reflection rippling with the waves kicked up by the wind, now and then there was the splash of a leaping fish, or the 'plop' of a frog or something falling into the water. The dank smell of rotting vegetation was strong and Kai wrinkled his nose against the scent.
Boris stopped on top of the bank and pointed to a fallen log lying by the river path. "You're to meet Jazzman there, now go."
The bluenette snorted and headed down. He stopped in front of the log and looked around. A tall shadow detached itself from the darker shadows of the trees and approached him. The figure was wearing a hooded cloak: like his own.
"Are you Jazzman?" He demanded. "I am, and I've come at the request of my employer, who wishes to make you a proposition." D. J threw his hood back and smirked at the vampire.
Kai glared at the stranger and intrigued despite himself; growled, "I'm listening."
"My employer would like to help you in your quest for vengeance against your grandfather. All we require from you is some cooperation."
"Cooperation with what? Just who is your employer?"
Hearty male laughter rang out and Jazzman nodded. Kai crossed his arms and waited for the stranger to get to the point.
Mastering himself, D. J. sighed, "I'm sorry, I was told, you were a smart one and I underestimated you." He didn't bother to make that statement clear. "Let's start again, shall we? I am D. J. Jazzman and I work for Stanley Dickenson, head of the BBA." He stuck out his hand and quickly retracted it when Kai gave it a pointed stare.
"Eh, right. To business then, since I need to be gone before morning and you and Boris need to be back at the Abbey before then as well." He stepped over the log and sat down, Kai elected to remain standing.
"Dammit, how could I have gotten lost! I've been around these woods; since I was four! Gods, I have got to find them! Or, I'm so dead!" Carefully making his way around a fallen tree, the speaker continued his search.
Unseen by Kai and Jazzman, a very interested third party was listening. Danek crouched high on a tree limb and tuned into Jazzman's thoughts. The redheaded vampire had been asked by Robert to keep an eye on the renegade – Kai, and it had been merely by chance that he had overheard a conversation between two talkative clerks from the Moscow branch of the BBA, that he had learned that Jazzman was in town. And following a hunch, the vampire had trailed the man across Moscow to this place.
D. J. looked at the youth that stood: arms folded and stern eyed, and sighed. "First I need to give you some background. Sometime, after you disappeared, your grandfather took an interest in collecting bitbeasts with the thought of harnessing their power to take over the world. Stanley Dickenson and the BBA are secretly opposing that goal."
"And this involves me how?" Kai asked.
"I'm not finished. When you reappeared, Mr. D. decided that he would have Boris interest you in coming to the Abbey for training. As this would sooner or later, bring you to your grandfather's attention, it will be necessary for to 'convince' him, that during your long incarceration, you have had a change of heart, and you are will to do whatever he wants."
"I already know most of the this." Kai said impatiently, "and I still fail to see what advantage it gives me."
"The advantages are: one – if Voltaire believes you are working toward the same goal, he may be less likely to keep a constant eye on you. Secondly – you will be free to travel around the world observing other bladers and learning from them. Boris is going to 'sell' this point to your grandfather as an essential part of your training, as you haven't, shall we say, been in circulation for such a long time, and you required the interaction to get a better sense of the opposition. As well as tracking down powerful bitbeasts that might otherwise be missed."
"In other words, you want me to pretend to be my grandfather's puppet." Kai mused, "And why should I?"
"Ever see Star Trek?"
Kai shook his head.
"Well, there is a race on the program known as Klingons and they have a saying, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold.' Think of how sweet it will be to destroy all of your grandfather's plans and have him know that you had a hand in his destruction." Jazzman grinned, "in other words, paybacks are real bitch!"
"Interesting." Kai said, "And this is all you want from me?"
"Weeellll," Jazzman drawled, "there is one last thing. If you agree to help us, then once Boris is satisfied that you can be turned loose. You will be brought to Hong Kong to ostensibly begin your mission; but actually you will be there to claim the captaincy of the Bladebreakers."
"What are the Bladebreakers?"
"A new team being formed by Mr. D."
"I don't want a team." Kai growled.
Unruffled, D. J. held out a vanilla envelope. "Look in there and then tell me you don't want a team."
Kai eyed the envelope, then he uncrossed his arms and took it; turning it over he undid the silver clasp and opened it. With a glance at D. J., he pulled out a photo that was face down. D. J rose and fished out a pocketsize flashlight and turned it on Kai's hands.
The vampire ignored the man and turned the photo over and nearly dropped the glossy image in his shock; there staring up at him was – Vlas.
"Vlas."
The word was the closets Kai had ever come to a prayer.
Ok, I know I'm very late with this and I'm sorry, between computer problems and new plot bunnies that seem to be coming out of the woodwork; where are they when I really need them? I've gotten behind.
Yes, another damn cliffie, I don't seem to write anything but; wonder why that is? Anyway, Kai has a real talent for making enemies, don't you think. And what do you think will happen once, Tala and Bryan learn about Vlas, or rather Rei.
I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter. Until then, laters!