Mariam4Max: Me??? Implying that Carrie and Kenny are together? Wow, what a weird idea, all they're doing is a project together....strange...I only do Zarine's eye color sometimes, and it's usually painfully obvious what's she's feeling, or else I'll say so. The only example where I don't say anything is the soft blue color that Ray sees sometimes, for my own reasons. Do you not like this fic or something? I'm just wondering since you used the word, 'forced.'

Clio36250: No internet.......That must have been dreadful!

Minijkitty: Thanks for the suggestion, but I already have something planned.

Lady Knight Arianna: As much as I want to finish a chapter everyday, I can't unless I spend a whole day on it. I'm slow at writing, unless I really know every detail in the next chapter.

Nise-angel: Your response to the poll was exactly (okay, so you didn't use the exact words) like 0bs3ssi0n's. O.O Freaky! I mean, the thing with the Ah! in the exact same place?

City Games: Thanks for the compliments!!

I'm surprised that no one knows who the heck this 'Master' person is. He's appeared before.....and from the descriptions, you should be able to find out. Some people think he's Leo, but why would he want Jewels, but not Zarine? Think about it...it doesn't make sense.

Results for the poll.....(This took me forever to get right!)

With 11 votes...THE WINNER IS #2, a spur of the moment kiss. Coming in second...with 7 votes #3 I don't care! Just get them to kiss already! In third, #1 Kiss when they realize their feelings for each other, got 6 votes.

Oh ya, I'm sorry if the last chappie was confusing, I did my best.
Chapter Nineteen – Pictures of the Past

"Where do you think we're going?" Hilary asked Jewels in a whisper. They were walking in the same tunnel that Carrie had been through just an hour ago.

One of the guys jabbed the brunette on the back with his gun. "No talking," he grunted. Hilary couldn't help but shiver. One pull on the trigger and it's hello to heaven.

Jewels tried to think up of something to help them escape. She could always knock the fella in the front unconscious, but there were two others behind her with guns. She dismissed that idea. It would get them killed for sure and that was not the plan.

The girls followed the guys in front of them around the corner, and they saw two other people there, guarding a metal door. The torches they were holding cast a bright light, revealing their deep scars on their faces even in the shadows of their hoods.

"Bring them in," one of the two guards told his fellow criminals, while the other opened the door for them to go through.

"I welcome you with my warmest regards, Jewels Satsuki," someone said.

Jewels and Hilary looked up at the figure sitting on an ornate chair that looked over decorated. He was the only one around the room that wasn't wearing a black cloak.

The three guys that captured the girls knelt on the ground. "We have Jewels, just like you ordered, sir," one of them announced.

"Good job, but why is Hilary here?" 'Master' questioned.

Jewels felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She knew that voice. It was familiar, but where had she heard it before?

"We had to threaten to hurt Hilary before Jewels would come quietly with us," another answered.

"Oh, I see, put Hilary into a cell," 'Master' commanded, unconcerned. "I have to speak to Jewels alone,"

The men with black cloaks slowly exited through a side door silently. Two of them grabbed Hilary and dragged her to a cell.

"Who are you?" Jewels demanded, looking intently at him. The shadows hid the features of his face and she couldn't tell who he was.

"Do you really have no idea?" the teen on the chair asked amusedly.

"Why would I know anyone like you?" she spat.

"Think," he said softly. "Think back to why you and Kai stopped talking to each other."

She didn't need to, the memory of it was as sharp as if it happened a minute ago. For a moment, she felt anger and resentment rising in her again, like so many times before. "I don't need a reminder," she said, irritated.

"You are still mad at Kai, aren't you?" he said. "You're still resenting the fact he told you to stay behind because he thought you couldn't handle being there. Even though he was wrong about it, he wouldn't admit that he made a mistake. He acted as if he couldn't care less about you after that, and you pretended that it didn't bother you. But it did, it tortured the both of you because deep down, you two loved each other," he said, each word louder than the last, until his last five words was a shout.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled. "IT'S NOT TRUE! I HAVE NEVER LOVED HIM IN MY LIFE! I HAVE NEVER LOVED ANYONE EXCEPT FOR CARRIE!" Tears were prickling at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill. It wasn't true. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true, because it just couldn't!

"Why don't you replay what happened the week that you found out Kai's secrets in your mind?" he suggested, chuckling softly.
Flashback

Kai and Jewels were at a café after school. It was Friday and they were going to a movie afterwards.

Suddenly, music could be heard from Kai's pocket. He answered it and after he hung up, he said, "Jewels, I have to go somewhere. I can't go to the movies with you, maybe tomorrow?"

Jewels felt angry, and told him coldly, "You never have time for me anymore! This is the first time that we had actually spent some time together. Tell whoever that was that you will talk to them later because you have to go to see a movie with me."

He ran his hand over his two toned hair impatiently. "I can't! I really have to go. You don't understand! I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"No, explain things to me. Explain why you never have time for your best friend anymore. I don't get it! I don't get why you're doing this!" she said furiously, her hands balled into fists.

Kai felt more frustrated than ever. He already had a lot of problems and he didn't need his so called best friend to cause him even more. Trying to keep his cool, he said calmly, "I'll explain it later."

"Later, later, that's all you ever say! Well, I'm sick of you always trying to put things off between us. I thought I was more important to you than that," she said sadly.

He stood there silently, just watching her. She was important to him, but for some reason, he couldn't say it. She also kept her gaze on him, desperately hoping that he would say the one thing that she wanted and needed to hear more anything at the moment.

Instead he said, "Look, I have to go. I'll call you later." Standing up, he gave her one last apologetic look before leaving her sitting at the booth. Jewels looked after him, wondering where he was going. Then an idea came to her, why should she stay here and get left behind every time he leaves because of an 'emergency'? Throwing some money on the table, she left the little café in a hurry.

Turning around the corner, she wondered where he was, silently cursing his long and swift strides. She looked around for him, and finally spotted his long scarf just disappearing from view into an alley. Staying as quiet as possible, she followed him. She was all too familiar with his uncanny ability to detect someone's presence within a hundred meter.

After a while, a junk yard came into view and Kai pushed to gate open to go into it.

[Why is he here?] Jewels wondered.

"Hey, took you long enough to get here, Kai," someone said. Jewels almost giggled in spite of herself when she heard the person's voice. It sounded like he was on helium or something.

"Jewels kept on bugging me about how I don't spend time with her anymore and all that crap," Kai responded, jumping up to sit on top of a car.

The red head stood outside the gates, hidden by piles of garbage, able to hear every word clearly. She felt hurt and angry, but she stayed to eavesdrop so she would know what was up with Kai.

"What big news do you have to call me all the way here? It better be good or you'll pay for making me miss the movie with Jewels," she heard Kai ask the other guy. That made her felt slightly better, at least Kai had wanted to go to the movies with her after all.

"The criminal group that you had me follow...well, they seemed more active than usual. A number of them went to this beyblading school in Hong Kong that had a fairly good reputation a few days ago. I sent some people to find out what they're up to. They should be back soon," the helium voiced boy reported.

Jewels heard Kai inhale sharply. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, very sure," the boy replied. Suddenly, Jewels heard a new sound, the music from a pager. After a while, she heard the boy say, "It seems like my spies are back. They said they would meet us at you-know-where and give you all the details."

Jewels quickly moved and hid behind a huge garbage bin and watched Kai and the boy leave. She didn't follow them. The shock of Kai sending people to follow criminals kept her there. What else did he do that she didn't know about? She would bet her life that there was a ton more that she didn't know about.

When she got home, she was still thinking about what happened and what she heard in the junk yard.

"Hey sis, is there something wrong?" Carrie asked, looking up at her from her ice cream.

"Nothing," Jewels denied. "What kind of ice cream is that?'

"Don't even try to avoid the question. Even though you're friends with Kai, it can't be good when you look like that sourpuss," Carrie chuckled.

Jewels remarked, "You should be a psychiatrist someday. It's nothing really. Kai just blew me off again that's all."

"Again?" Carrie said, outraged, her green eyes flashing dangerously. "This is like the sixth time he did it! Yell at him. I don't care what you do, but he has to be brought back to his senses, or I'll do it myself."

"I'm taking care of it," Jewels assured her with a smile.

"You better be. I won't let Kai trample on you like that," her twin stated indignantly.

It was her turn to chuckle. "It's just that I'm usually the one who protects you, not the other way around," she explained hastily when Carrie arched an eyebrow at her.

"That decision is about to change drastically if you don't stop grinning about it now," her sister told her. "But really, does he expect you to be around forever when he blew you off so many times? If it was me, I would slam his head against the wall until his head cracks when I get my hands on him." Then a wicked grin came onto her face. "I can always do it as a favor for you if you like."

Jewels laughed and hugged her. Carrie always made things sound simpler than they actually were, but she was grateful all the same.

"Now, you're scaring me. Jewels, showing enough emotion to hug her twin sister. This will be the biggest news of the year," Carrie commented.

"Carrie, just because I hang out with Hiwatari, doesn't mean that I forget to show some human emotion like he does," Jewels told her.

"Tell me all about how you dismantled him tomorrow, all right? I expect extreme violence from you," Carrie said, pretending to be grave. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my ice cream."

Jewels' smile stayed on her face as she went into her room. It was nice to know that she had someone like Carrie by her side when she couldn't count on Kai.

She didn't hear from Kai again until Saturday night.

"Jewels, I'm really sorry about Friday," Kai's voice said from the other end.

"Kai, you really need to stop doing it," she told him quietly.

Thinking that she meant dumping her on outings, he said, "Yeah, let's go and watch that movie tomorrow."

"I'm not talking about the movie or the other times that you had an 'emergency'," she said seriously. "I'm saying how you are having criminals followed and everything."

"You followed me, didn't you?" he demanded, his voice as cold as winter.

"That's not the point," she said desperately, "The point is that you can get hurt or even killed if they find out about what you're doing. You have to stop."

He stayed silent for a minute, deep in thought, before saying, "This is none of your business, Jewels. I have to do this, for my team."

"It is my business when my best friend is in danger," she stated simply. "Let me be a part of it too."

"No!!" Kai refused vehemently. "I won't let you put yourself in danger like that."

Jewels was taken aback by how fierce he sounded, but she wasn't about to back down. "Oh, so now it's okay to put yourself in danger, but not me?"

She heard him sighing in frustration. "Look, you're a –"

"If you are going to say that I'm a girl, I'm going to come to your house and kick your ass," she threatened.

He continued as if she hadn't said anything, "You are a girl. You know what? We shouldn't see each other at all. Those people will come for you if they know that we're close."

"Hiwatari –" she began.

"Goodbye," he said before hanging up.

Jewels stared at the phone, stunned. The nerve of him! He had the nerve to keep her, Jewels Satsuki out of his plans because she was a girl? She wanted to throw the phone out the window at that moment, but changed her mind. As much fun as it will be imagining that it would fly all the way to Kai's house and hit him on the head, it's not worth to have to buy a new phone.

Burying her face in a pillow, she screamed into it in anger. Carrie heard it outside and decided to check on her sister. "What's gotten into you?"

"THE NERVES OF MEN!" Jewels bellowed.

Carrie winced, and asked, "What's he done now?"

"He.......AH! He told me that we shouldn't see each other anymore because he's afraid that some freak will attack me or something! It's not like I can't take care of myself! The nerves of that stupid guy! Putting himself in danger, but he wouldn't let me do the same, as if it's his decision," Jewels complained. Then she bolted up. Why should she let Hiwatari control her? It's not his choice to make in the first place.

"Ha, I just thought of the perfect plan!" she exclaimed, standing up to leave. "Thanks for inspiring me!"

Carrie stared after her in confusion, not sure what to think. She didn't even get a word of what Jewels had just told her.

Jewels just turned the corner to Kai's house when she saw him with his long scarf walking down the street. She was tempted to sneak up on him to teach him a lesson, but she was more curious about this whole thing that he was involved in.

He was thinking about the news that he had just received to pay much attention to anything else. Until...CRACK! He looked back and saw Jewels behind him.

"What do you think you're doing? I just told you less than an hour ago to stay away," Kai growled in annoyance.

"Did you really expect me to listen?" she asked, walking towards him. Staring at him straight in the eye, she told him, "You know that I can handle anything. At least, better then Helium Boy, I'd say."

Kai smirked at the nickname that she gave one of his minions. Then it faded as he looked at her determined face. "Stubborn woman," he muttered under his breath.

"Arrogant man," she bit back, still matching him stare for stare.

"Come with me and I'll tell you why I'm doing this," he gave in finally, turning away to go.

"Took you long enough," she remarked. She followed him to the junkyard that he met that boy on the previous day.

They sat together on the top of a dark blue car. "You heard about how Biovolt and Dr. Zagart were after our bit-beasts, right?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, you and the rest of your team told me about it," she answered.

"Well, I thought it was time that we get some warning before hand and not just blindly walking into a trap. So I gathered up some urchins on the street to gather information, and in exchange I give them a place to live in, food, and stuff like that. Recently, I just got wind of how another group of criminals is going to form an allegiance with a team to try to steal our bit beasts. That's why I have been so busy lately," he explained. "I want to stop them."

"You could've just told me about it, you didn't have to be so secretive," she said, gazing at the alley intently. There seem to be a person there, but she wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't just a hallucination.

"Kai, is it just me, or is there a person in the alley," she asked in a soft voice.

"Uh oh, I don't think so. I see him too," he said, confirming her suspicions.

Suddenly, she heard a gun firing, and Kai pulled her down onto the ground, shielding her with his body. Five people in black came in from the gate.

"Get them!" the one in the middle commanded. The four guys around him charged.

"Get out of here while you can," Kai told her, standing up.

"No way, I'm not leaving you here," she said, grabbing a long metal pole from the ground. She was locked in a furious battle with them, whirling the pole, she knocked one of them unconscious. Looking back, she saw that the leader had a gun in his hand and was pointing it at Kai's back. She saw him pull the trigger clearly, as if everything went slow motioned.

Dropping the pole, Jewels pushed Kai out of the way. The bullet grazed her arm and hit a vacuum.

Kai grabbed Jewels arm and started running here and there, avoiding the bullets. "Climb!" he barked, pushing her into the barbed wire fence.

"You are coming with me," she said firmly.

He was too anxious for her safety to argue with her. In the middle, a bullet managed to find a way into his arm. He groaned in pain. "GO ON! I'm fine," he insisted.

Jewels nodded desperately, and continued her climb. At the top, she only hesitated a moment before jumping to the other side. Kai landed beside her only a few seconds later. They ran all the way to the park before stopping.

"Do you think we've lost them?" Jewels gasped.

"Hopefully," he answered, clenching his arm. Noticing that blood was still coming out rapidly, Jewels took his arm gently.

"What are you doing?" Kai growled.

"You're hurt, I'm looking at the wound," she replied. She couldn't help but grimace when she saw how deep the wound was.

"Use my scarf," he said, taking it off with one hand.

She wrapped it up carefully around his wound and tied it. "Go home, Jewels. It was too dangerous. You could've been killed," he said matter-of-factly. "I don't want to put you in such jeopardy again."

"Excuse me?" she demanded. "I was the one who saved your ass back there!"

"You shouldn't have! As Voltaire said, 'The worst thing is failure and the one that comes after it is letting a woman help you.'"

She snorted. "What a bunch of bullshit. If it wasn't for a women, no, a girl, you would be dead!"

He glared at her. "Just go and leave me alone! I don't...I don't want to be in your debt even more."

"You know I care nothing about debts," she hissed.

"LEAVE," Kai barked. "I don't want you to be near me again, ever!"

Jewels looked at him, her eyes full of anger and hurt. "Fine, just don't come running back to me when you need me."

End of Flashback

Mr. Satsuki went into Jewels' room. He had just received a call from her friend about how she, Carrie and their friend, Hilary, had been captured by some mysterious people.

He stared at the photos on her wall dejectedly. She was with Carrie and her other friends, smiling happily. Sighing, he wondered why he and his wife didn't get along with her like her friends did. They always fight over the smallest things, it was crazy!

Looking at one particular picture, he strained to remember who the boy with her was. Right, his name was Kai. They looked like they would have made a great couple someday. Too bad they weren't talking to each other anymore.

He had never got why Kai had stopped coming over. Every time he tried to talk to her about it, he would get a bored, "Dad, it's none of your business," if she was in a good mood, or a snappy, "Butt out of my life," if she was in a bad mood.

He hoped that she and Carrie would be safe soon and maybe, maybe someday she and Kai will be together.
This was long! Sorry, it took me a while, but I had a block on this chapter. I wrote a lot today, seeing that I only had five pages yesterday. If anyone, anyone at all, have an idea how the guys are going to rescue the girls, please send in your ideas, because I'm have no clue how to get them out of this mess!

I decided to do a poll at the end of every chappie. I found that I like doing them a lot.

Poll: How much do you like the Ray/Zarine pairing?

I LOVE it! They're just so cute together. I like it, but Ray can find someone better. It's okay. I don't like it at all. I HATE it, this pairing makes me sick. (I really hope none of you will choose this...but it's your opinion.)