Disclaimer: don't own it

A/N: heh, two postings in one night... this story and my other beams And it didn't take as long as I was expecting... although I don't want to get any of your hopes up on me updating again very soon... I will be away for the next two weekends for water polo tournaments and I have a bunch of projects I was procrastinating on in order to get these chapters up... so, see ya in a few weeks (or sooner hopefully). Anyway, enjoy the chapter! We're (finally) on to a new day!!!

Craving Freedom

Chapter 8: Trust and Deception

Monday, December 27, 2004

His shoes tapped on the brick flooring as he walked. Hearing his footsteps, Hilary and Kenny turned to see who was coming. They had been left the night before in a jail-like cell with no benches or food. It was hours later and they had yet to come up with a plan of escape. Now, whoever approached them would mean either something very good or very bad. Hilary crawled from the back of the cell to the bars at the front to see who was coming, feeling too weak to even stand up. She held onto the bars, peering out.

From out of the shadow in the hallway, Kai's lean figure stepped into view. "Kai!" Hilary exclaimed joyously, "Thank goodness! Get us out of here!" she exclaimed with exhaustion.

"Kai?" Kenny mumbled to himself, still at the back of the cell. He wasn't quite sure if they could trust Kai anymore; or Black Dranzer as he said he was. Kai showing up may be the worst thing for them right now.

Kai stopped in front of the bars where Hilary sat on her side. He bent down onto his knees and then did something completely unexpected; he stuck one of his arms within the bars and wrapped it around Hilary, holding her in a one-armed hug.

Kenny was taken aback. Maybe he had changed. Maybe everything they had seen earlier was all a front until he was out of the observation of his grandfather.

But Kenny wasn't nearly as surprised as Hilary was. "Kai?" she questioned, unable to react. "I – uh" She suddenly felt something sting on her arm. Kai was pushing a needle into her upper right arm. She tried to pull away but was being held by his other arm. She couldn't get away from him. She felt the cold liquid entering her body and spreading, she couldn't stop it. "Let me go! Kai! No, let go of me!" Kai ignored her protests.

Kenny felt a sudden surge of energy; he had to help his friend. He jumped toward the two and started to pull at Hilary, trying to get her away from Kai. He was pulling with all his might and grunting. He tried to wrench Kai's arm from Hilary's back but to no avail. Nothing he did worked. Hilary's complaints died away and she was left motionless. Still, Kenny pulled at her.

Kai withdrew the needle from her arm and dropped it on the floor beside him. Next, he let go of Hilary and immediately grabbed Kenny's shirt, pulling him close enough to the bars to be able to inject him with a new needle he had ready. Kenny's struggles were useless and soon he felt too dazed and weak to fight back. Once Kai was done with him, he pushed Kenny's little body, which was still balanced on its two feet, forward to the back of the cell again. Kenny fell face-down on the brick and lay lifeless. Kai turned to his left and went back the way he came down the long tunnel-like hallway into the darkness.

---

Yawning, Tyson awoke with the sun on his face. Remembering everything that happened, he sat up quickly. He was astonished to notice he was in an incredibly nice room. He was tucked into a blue canopy bed in a large bedroom. The carpet was cream-coloured, as were the walls. A night-table was next to him under the window and held his cap and jacket. He also noticed with surprise that his bit, Dragoon, was placed on the table as well. He was relieved to see he still had it but his stomach churned when he saw that the bit was still cracked. The side table, dresser and another table in the room which held up a vase of light pink flowers, were all cream with gold trims. It gave the room the eloquence of a mansion.

Tyson couldn't remember anything of how he got to this particular room or where the others were taken. As he rose, he felt something tighten its grip on his stomach. They were bandages which wrapped around his back and front, keeping the wound he obtained during the battle closed. The wrapping trailed up, over his shoulder to cover one of the other wounds Black Dranzer gave him. His hand was wrapped as well.

Tyson put on his jacket and cap, took his bit, and proceeded to the door. Turning the knob, he realized it wasn't locked as he expected it would be. On the other side, there were no guards, either, which made the situation that much more peculiar to Tyson. He began to run down the hall to his right and continued, looking for any open doors or clues that might lead him to his friends. At the end of the hallway, the only way to continue was down a large staircase. Tyson then realized he really was in a mansion. He hadn't taken into much consideration the hallway with its red carpet and gold candle brackets before then but, faced with this enormous stairway still covered in the rich, red carpeting and gold railing, Tyson understood how old and expensive the house he was in really was.

The hall below was two stories high and had seven windows just as tall across its front part. Tyson was in awe as he walked down to stand in the vast room. "Ah! You're finally up then. Come on! We're waiting for you." Tyson turned toward the far left-hand side of the room. Walking towards him was none other than Voltaire himself. Tyson immediately went on the defensive, clenching his fists in anger.

"What do you want?" Tyson retorted.

"Now don't get upset. Your friends are waiting for you. Follow me." Tyson was about to say 'not a chance' but didn't have the opportunity to as Voltaire turned and walked the other way through the entrance from where he came. Tyson didn't even think of following Voltaire before he realized he had no idea where else to look. Trap or no trap, if Ray and Max were in there, there was no point in looking elsewhere for them. Tyson decided to follow cautiously.

As he reached the other room, the brightness greeted him. It was another enormous room, but this time contained a dinning table lit by chandeliers. A beautiful painting of a fiery phoenix was propped onto the wall at the far end. It was damaged, however, the bottom torn, which was too bad because of its magnificence. At the table, which extended the length of the room, Tyson made out two familiar faces: Max and Ray. Tyson's expression changed completely. "Guys! You're okay!" he yelled. His voice echoed.

Max and Ray's heads turned and they smiled at the site of Tyson. They got up excitedly and ran to him. "Hey Tyson, it's great to see you!" Ray exclaimed; Max just laughed in joy.

"Please, everyone, sit down," Voltaire motioned with his hand to the empty table. Tyson, Max and Ray hesitated before complying. They all subconsciously agreed: Voltaire was not to be trusted. Ray and Max returned to their seats, and Tyson sat across from them. Voltaire sat at the head of the table.

Voltaire looked at the three teens who were rigid with anger. "There's no need to be so tight. You're guests here," he alliterated carefully. The three boys felt even more uneasy.

"Then why don't you let us leave?" Tyson retorted.

"I am here to offer you a chance for a new life," Voltaire smiled. He studied the faces of the youths before him. Neither one of them seemed remotely interested in what he had to say. "Why don't you think about my proposal over lunch?"

Just then, a door opened at the back and a familiar face appeared. The three teens blinked as Kai walked in from the kitchen, a tray carrying bowls of soup in hand.

Tyson didn't know what to say. First, he thought, 'Kai on servant duty?' But then resumed his defensive state of mind, remembering what Kai had said, he said he was Black Dranzer... Even if he had been lying, Tyson didn't know if he could forgive Kai for almost taking Dragoon from him either. He may have vowed that Kai would always be his friend, but how could he keep that promise if Kai hurt those closest to him?

Kai walked around the table handing out bowls. When he reached Ray, Ray looked up to Kai, trying to get his attention, and realized it was much easier than he had expected it to be. In fact, Kai was looking at Ray, as if trying to tell him something with no words. In the few moments they had eye contact, Kai's gaze shifted briefly to the bowl he was handing Ray and Ray took it to mean there was something in there for him. Kai continued on his way, not wanting to look suspicious, and Ray was left staring confusedly at Kai's back. Ray tested his borsch cautiously, wondering what Kai wanted to tell him.

After handing out the soup to everyone, Kai sat down on his grandfather's left side. "All right! Kai, you owe us an explanation!" Tyson shouted, standing up fervently. Nobody moved; everyone had expected it of Tyson. Getting no interruptions, Tyson continued. "Why are you playing servant boy to Voltaire?"

Kai shook slightly. Voltaire chuckled. "Because Kai knows what he wants and how to get it," Voltaire said wryly. Tyson, Max and Ray turned to face Voltaire. "Like I said, I have a proposition for all of you. Kai has already agreed to it and now it's your turns to decide. Don't worry, you still have a few days to agree," he added as if it would make the situation better.

"And what is this proposition?" Ray asked curiously. Tyson and Max both looked at him. They thought they had silently agreed whatever Voltaire wanted, they weren't going to accept. Ray gave them an assuring glance.

Voltaire smiled wickedly. "I will bestow upon all four of you an unlimited amount of power at your fingertips. In return, you will help me with a small favour."

"What kind of sense is that?" Tyson blurted out.

"In the end," Voltaire continued, "we'll all have what we want so I see perfect sense in it."

"And why do you think we want any power at all?" Ray asked, so composed he was hard to read.

Voltaire smirked. "If you think back at all those incidents that have befallen you over the past few years, perhaps you may consider my offer. You will have the power to stay safe; no one will bother you. Just think about this offer." Voltaire stood up. He had finished his soup and proceeded to leave. "Oh," he said as an after thought, "I have arranged it so that all three of you may sleep in the same room. I thought you may appreciate the gesture. Back up the stairs and first door on the right." Voltaire left. As he left, Tyson, Max and Ray realized they hadn't touched their soup in a while and it was getting cold. They busied themselves in the red beet soup, thinking about what Voltaire had said and trying to decipher what he meant. No matter what, he still wanted something from them in return, that they knew for sure.

Ray stirred his soup. His spoon clanked against some small metal object in his soup. Ray's mind flashed back to the look Kai gave him. Was it the object Kai wanted to mention to him? Wondering what it could be, he scooped it up and stuck it in his mouth, making sure to keep it wrapped by his tongue. He was sure that, even though Voltaire was gone, they were still being watched. And whatever this item was, Kai didn't want Voltaire to know he gave it to him.

After finishing their soups, the chatter began again. "Kai, what does he want to do with us?" Max asked. He didn't know what to think.

He was surprised to hear an answer. "I'm not completely sure, Max," Kai replied sincerely. He had kept his eyes starring intently on his soup. His eyes had a tone of sadness to them.

"Then why did you agree to go with him?" Max inquired trying to understand.

A flicker of that possessed look appeared briefly in Kai's eyes, Black Dranzer obviously close to the surface of his mind. But neither Max, Tyson nor Ray took any notice of it. Kai didn't answer this time. He looked once more at Ray, nodded, and got up and left. Max was about to say something when Ray put his hand on Max's shoulder. This motion attracted Tyson's attention away from Kai's back and Ray shook his head at Tyson, telling him to stay quiet.

Leaving the dining room, Tyson, Max and Ray went to their new room, Max and Tyson talking quietly as they went. Once inside their new room, Tyson, realizing Ray hadn't spoken a word for some time, questioned him. "Hey Ray, what's up?"

Ray motioned for Tyson to close the door. Tyson did as he was told. When the door was securely closed, Ray finally opened his mouth. He spat out the metal tab he had hid in there some time ago. Max and Tyson, thoroughly intrigued, gathered closer. In Ray's hand, the little tab glistened with Ray's saliva. He rubbed it off with his thumb and felt an engraving on its front. Cut into the thick slab of metal was a series of letters and numbers.

H3 C 32

"What in the world do you think it means?" Tyson questioned. Ray's mind was racing, trying to think of anything that may be relevant. His mind stopped on the memory of an elevator door, the lift rising, the floor numbers – H3. It was a floor number. They were still in the same facility, just above ground. They had to go to floor H3. But what did the C and 32 stand for? Maybe they'd just have to wait until they got there.

As Ray told this discovery to Tyson and Max, he tried to think on how they'd get there. Deciding that Voltaire had said they were guests, he decided they should just try to go. Hopefully, they were free to roam, to a certain extent.

---

Two floors lower and a little bit of wandering later, the three of them had finally realized what the other numbers stood for. On level H3, there were corridors and corridors of jail cells, each given a letter and a number. The first was the Block letter. The second was the cell number. They continued their search.

---

Block C, cell 32.

"This is it," commented Ray as they approached the destination, checking the metal tab one last time.

Peering inside, it didn't take them long to recognize the two figures that lay cold and still on the stone floor. Hilary lay face down near the bars. Kenny was on his back further away in the prison cell.

"Hilary! Kenny!" Ray shouted as the first to see them, falling to his knees and reaching for Hilary. Shaking her a bit, he tried to wake her. She felt freezing to the touch and, lifting her, he saw an unnatural blue to her face. Ray stopped shaking Hilary's body and lowered his chin to his chest, his hair shadowing his eyes.

Max stood back from the cell as Tyson jumped forward, grabbed at the bars and shouted out to Kenny who, in return, didn't budge. "They're dead," stated Ray simply. Tyson's voice cracked in mid-shout. Max's eyes filled with water. Max and Tyson didn't need any proof to know it was the truth. They had already acquired their own presumptions.

"See?" a voice broke the stale air. "This is what loyalty to Voltaire gets you." All three boys' heads snapped up to look at the newcomer. It was Kai.

For the first time since he came to Russia, Tyson was angered to see Kai. "Then why are you loyal to him?" Tyson blurted out, balling his fists as he turned toward Kai.

"I'm not." Kai stared at the three before him. "Voltaire has something I want, the only means to it, and once I get it, I will no longer have a use for him.

"Heh." Tyson began to laugh. "Like grandfather, like grandson. I should have known. You're as disloyal as he is. It shows that you have the same blood." Tyson didn't know if it would work, but he hoped that if he got him mad enough, Kai would regain control again. He was almost sure that this boy who stood before him now was Black Dranzer. At least, earlier, Kai admitted to having no idea what Voltaire was planning, and Tyson believed him; and now, now Kai seemed to be hiding those plans, and to have plans of his own.

"Hmph, I suppose I had that one coming to me. But that is where our similarities end. I do not want the power he seeks. Once he has finished his part of the bargain, I am through with him."

There was a moment of silence which stiffened the air again.

"What exactly does Voltaire want with us, anyway? You seem to know more now," Max asked timidly. Kai's eyes shifted and bore into Max's. Max was still on the verge of tears, but held them back desperately, waiting until he found out the real reason all of this was happening.

Kai decided he would answer. "He plans to give us power; a reawakened power which has not seen this Earth for a millennium. Then he plans to use us to take control of all living things on this planet."

"But, why us?" inquired Max.

"Because we are the only ones capable of harnessing this power."

"If that is what you're using Voltaire for, how can you say that you're not in this for power?" spat Ray.

Kai seemed undisturbed by Ray's attack on him. "Because once I have that power, I will be able to do anything I wish. I will be free to be happy, and no one will attack me again. No one will dare to."

"By the sounds of it, you'll use your power to make others fear and obey you," Tyson frowned.

"No, that's not it at all," Kai defended. "For one, I will never be happy until I am complete again. This power will do that. And once I am, I will be able to go off and live on my own and feel the rush of the wind and the warmth of the sun once more. We can all live together, if you choose to. Trust me. Voltaire will force you to go through with it all, but once you do, fight his control with me. Afterwards, we'll never have to fight again. Trust me."

Tyson, Max and Ray had all listened closely to what Kai had said. They didn't know what he was talking about, but knew that Kai would have explained better if he had intended to.

"There's something else I want to know," mumbled Max. "Why did he have to kill Kenny and Hilary?"

"He didn't need them, to put it simply," Kai replied. "He didn't need them, couldn't use them, couldn't let them go, so he did the easiest thing possible. He killed them. Of course, he never intended for you to find out about it. Probably not even me. He needs our cooperation."

"Nice little speech, Kai," a drawling voice echoed from the darkness. "Even I would believe it if I didn't know the truth." Voltaire stopped face to face with Kai.

---

-

So, what will happen? You'll all have to wait and find out (however long that takes evil laughter)

Golden Lunar Eclipse: beams again Thanks for all the compliments. But enough mushy moments... at least you can't hug (scratch that) strangle me from where you are... heh don't mind me, I'm tired. I'm gonna keep this short cause: #1: you want to try out some crazy theory and #2: I really ought to go rescue the cat... And one last comment: no, you don't shut up, but I luv ya for it... sometimes.

MasterFranny: Well, at least I will be skipping town this weekend so you can't find me at home. I'll be safe in Guelph... umm oops... eheheh Forget that last part... Anyway, the answer's to Dragoon's fate will be in a future chapter... a while I might add. So sit back, enjoy the story, and eventually, you will have your answer. On another note, I'm not too sure what your question about BEGA was. The BEGA series comes after the World Championships. BEGA and BBA Revolution (Takao, Max, Rei, Daichi and eventually Kai) is involved in a tournament called the Justice 5 tournament.

CrystallineWolf: Yep, Tyson lost. One of my prouder moments... If you want, I have a picture of Black Dranzer (in human form) at my deviant art account: feyphantom(dot)deviantart(dot)com It's not the best, but it's something.

Azn-V-Kai: Glad you're enjoying. I hope the chapter didn't disappoint.

Light of the Blue Rose: beams I have an addict! Yep, trying to make their lives as miserable as I can. Glad it's working.

Anyway, next chapter will be In the Beginning.. Hope ya stick around, and don't forget to review on your way out!

Hope is a waking dream. -AristotleDiogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers

.:Fey Phantom:.