Chapter 22: When it all falls apart

Kai sighed as he leaned emotionlessly against a tree ,staring out into the night. It had been nearly a week since the funeral and neither he nor Angel had heard anything from Genecite. They had formulated a plan and together they would break into Genecite, destroy the drug, then steal all documentation on its development for evidence. In the morning, before dawn, it would commence yet no matter how Angel assured him, he was scared. Over the past few days Angel had been getting weaker. The side-effects of the drug were getting worse and worse while Kai could but watch her as she silently bore the pain. He was scared that he'd lose her again, and it didn't help that he had a bad feeling about the following plan. What could he do? He couldn't let her go alone and there was no way he could keep her from going…but wait…something else…much deeper troubled him…Why was he so afraid? Why was he scared? He was Kai Hiwatari. Fear was a unheard of for him. Yet since he'd met Angel it seemed like one of the few feelings that always haunted him. He felt so oddly helpless around her especially when she was in pain. It was a strange, different feeling, like you were seeing your world upside down…and Kai wasn't certain he liked it. Before shallower parts of him had been touched by this feeling but now this strangeness was going against his cold walls and they resisted it. He felt at war within himself and honestly didn't know which side would win.

Soon quiet footsteps broke his chain of thought as he opened his eyes and saw Angel walking towards him in the pale moonlight. Instantly his stomach knotted for a reason he couldn't quite understand completely.

"You ready?" Angel asked stopping before him.

Kai simply nodded as he stood up straight waiting for Angel to lead the way to Genecite. Angel didn't know why but something inside of her told her something wasn't right. As she looked into Kai's eyes she instantly saw cold stone walls blocking her from any emotion he might be feeling. For a while she simply stared piercingly into them and Kai unflinchingly stared back as only a feeling of confusion and a small sense of longing filled him. The longing utterly dumbfounded him, 'longing? For what?'

Finally Angel sighed realizing that this was a part of Kai , a part she shouldn't known would return. She looked away and started walking, Kai following at her side. In silence they crept through the early morning hours before sunrise till finally, they stood just before the haunting building Genecite had built. Angel stared hauntingly at it as an unwilled shutter coursed through her.. Kai as if in a trance put a comforting hand on her shoulder to reassure her, which strangely seemed to instantly work.

Quickly she analyzed the area around her. No guards were in sight but getting around the tight security cameras would be a bit…interesting.

"Remember, stick close to me." she muttered to Kai who gave her the slightest of nods.

Angel glanced back and forth between her watch and a small black shape in the shadows as she counted noiselessly in her head, '3...2...1..now!'

Instantly Angel lunged form her and Kai's hiding spot with him mere inches behind her then just as the camera was turning towards them, threw themselves against the stone wall beneath it. Again Angel looked at her watch and exactly 5 seconds later bolted off again. This time jumping just behind a bush. Both panted a few second from the extremely fast sprints over a bit of a long distance and only barely making it past the cameras that time. Without a sound Angel pointed to a small barred window about 9 feet above them. Motioning for him to get ready, she whipped out some sort of pocket laser then again watched her watch counting down.

"Now!" she muttered to herself as she and Kai made a break for the wall.

Kai being a bit faster reached it first and so slamming his back against the wall he held his hands ready and bent his knees as Angel ran towards him and put her foot in his entwined hands fro a boost. A second later she was balancing on the ledge while cutting through the bars. '7 seconds.' she thought as she jumped through the window and instantly blended into the shadows waiting for Kai.

As soon as Angel had disappeared through the window, Kai took 4 cautious steps backwards then ran towards the wall, using his momentum to scale enough up the wall to grab the ledge.

'3 seconds left'

Using all the developed muscles in his arms, Kai quickly pulled himself up fully onto the ledge then jumped through the window landing noiselessly next to Angel.

Angel couldn't help but give him an impressed smirk as his all too familiar arrogant smirk grew on his face. Turning back to the mission at hand Angel walked along the shadowed corridor stopping at the stairwell. For a few moments she just listened yet strangely heard nothing but the near silent breathing of Kai next to her. What was going on? This was starting to feel exactly like a trap. Putting the uneasy feeling aside she reminded herself that she had already come up with a plan for that. She would destroy the drug and protect Kai even if it cost her , her life.

Stealthily they made their way down the flight of stairs till they came to the entry hall which both recognized. Angel turned right and led the way down a familiar hallway, but instead of taking the door on the right which led to the dungeon, she went left and found a door hidden expertly in the shadows. Cautiously Angel opened it revealing a none to reassuring tunnel of darkness. Taking Kai's hand she fully entered the darkness and soon neither could see much of anything, barely even each other. They walked silently for what seemed a nerve-wracking eternity till, finally, they reached another door. Kai could feel Angel start shaking as her hands began to clench in fearful anticipation. With only a hint of hesitation Kai pulled Angel back away from the door and held her tightly against him.

"I wont let them hurt you Angel, don't be afraid. No one will hurt you." he murmured in her ear.

Angel relaxed a bit against him, glad he was there, but strangely, for only a moment. Angel looked up at him a teasing yet weak smile on her face,

"And whose going to protect you?"

"What do I need protection for?" Kai smirked in return before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead,

"Lets do this so we can get out of here."

Angel nodded rolling her eyes a bit as she pulled away from him and together they entered the room

Instantly, Kai recognized it as a huge underground lab and couldn't help but be reminded of the Abbey. He was snapped from his memories as Angel quickly led him to a row of drugs in wooden shipping crates on a table in the center of the lab.

"Looks like they sold out all of their stock." Kai muttered.

"But…why?" Angel questioned, " or more importantly…to whom"

Kai looked questioningly at the postage and gasped in disbelief.

"Kai, what is it?" Angel asked a bit worried.

"The drugs are being sent to my…Grandfather." Kai replied still in disbelief.

"What! But why? What does this have to do with him? Kai?"

Kai felt shocked and confused as he stared at his Grandfathers name. why? Why did he want this drug? What was he planning on using it for?

Suddenly both Angel and Kai were startled by a low cold voice Angel instantly recognized.

"Welcome back Angel, so nice of you to drop by." he began and was instantly joined by another whose voice made a chill course up Kai's spine.

"And with non other than the great Kai himself, this is truly a treat."

"Coach" Angel snarled.

"Boris!" Kai growled lowly as the two men walked into the dim lighting.

"How pleasant of you to remember me." Boris grinned sickly while Kai continued to glare daggers at him.

"what's going on!" Kai demanded, " Why are these drugs being sent to my Grandfather."

"Don't worry young Kai, all will be revealed shortly." Boris grinned.

"What do you mean." Angel questioned warily.

"Imp afraid I cant spoil the surprise, my dear, but don't worry you will both find out soon enough." Boris grinned, " but until then…"

Suddenly all the lights were turned on and Angel and Kai found themselves completely surrounded by armed guards.

"why don't you stick around." Boris finished clearly pleased with himself.

"No thanks." Angel spat out as she instantly went into a fighting stance back to back with Kai.

"As you wish." Coach grinned next to Boris as he snapped his fingers and the battle began.

Instantly all the guards rushed upon them to handcuff and disable the two, but there was no way either were going down without a fight. Angel kicked, punched, tripped, side-swiped right and left as Kai followed suit. They were holding on, but tiring fast, they had to beat these guys, and fast. As if thinking the same thing both started fighting harder and faster, pushing themselves to their up most limits. Mixing moves from judo, karate, jeet kun do, jujitsu and any other forms they could think of, they combined they're strength as they made their way backwards towards their escape. Then suddenly it happened. Just as they were making a break for their escape out the lab doors, Angel's side-effects kicked in. Instantly she fell to the floor in intense pain that she hadn't felt before. Kai seeing her fall instantly ran to her side he tried to pick her up but he was too late. Both were suddenly surrounded and try as Kai might he couldn't hold them off any longer. In one swift move Kai was knocked out as Angel fell unconscious from the immense pain of the drug's effects. Boris sneered mockingly to himself as the two were dragged roughly out of the lab and to the dungeons where both were thrown unceremoniously into one of the large, cold cells. Everything was going according to plan.

A few hours later Kai awoke freezing, with a bad headache. Groggily y he opened his eyes as his memories slowly came back to him. 'Angel…Where was she!' Frantically he looked around to find her laying limply on the cold stone floor where she had been thrown earlier. Making his way over to her he knelt down and touched her arm to find her skin freezing. Gently he picked her up bridal style and carried her over to one of the corners where he sat with her in his lap. 'Why? Why did the stupid drug have to kick in then. Why? And why did it get so painful so quickly.' he knew it had hurt very badly before but it had never knocked Angel out. What was going on? Kai suddenly shivered as he pulled Angel closer to himself, it seemed to be getting colder in the dark cell strangely enough. 'If only Angel hadn't fallen they both would've gotten out of here. If only Angel hadn't been here he could've destroyed the drug and escaped with the evidence.'

Instantly he started berating himself. What was he thinking. This wasn't Angel's fault. He's the one who failed to protect her. Not wanting to think anymore of the previous thoughts Kai closed his eyes to go to sleep when a sneering voice from the shadows caught his ear.

"Glad to see your awake, Kai."

"what do you want, Boris." he snarled in reply.

"Now now, is that any way to speak to your mentor."

"Mentor, don't make me laugh."

"Very well then Kai." Boris chuckled, as he paced around the shadows outside of the cell.

Kai was losing his patience not liking the way Boris looked at Angel in his arms.

"what do you want."

"Many things Kai, but for now I want to know why. Why did come back for this weakling."

"She's not a weakling" Kai growled in return.

"That's not an answer Kai." Boris grinned back at the quickly frustrating Kai.

Boris paced more drawing closer to the bars with each passing moment,

"Why did you even come with her tonight Kai. It doesn't sound like the invincible student I trained. The great Kai Hiwatari allies himself with a weak girl follows her into a strange environment fights for her and at the cost of his own freedom protects her from her own weakness. This doesn't sound at all like the Kai I know."

Kai glared dagger back at Boris not able to say anything in reply.

"What's the matter Kai? Have you no answer. Or is it that you've been thinking the same thing. Really you cant understand why you protect this thing and every time you do a part of you feels disgusted. No matter how you try you always will feel weak around her, and no matter what you can never love. It is the fate of all of us, Kai. All who have been forged in shadow and pain bear this same curse. Deep down you know what I say is true Kai, for you've been thinking and feeling it yourself."

"Get. Out." Kai managed through gnashed teeth.

"Very well then…but no matter where I go, it doesn't change the truth Kai. You're a cold hearted devil whether you like it or not that is what you were made to be. You can fight it all you like, but in the end its all you'll ever be. And no one will ever see anything but that." With that Boris and with a victorious sneer was gone leaving Kai alone in the darkness with Angel.

'Phase 2 completed.'

"He lies. Its not true." Kai screamed in his mind, yet no matter how he tried he couldn't stifle the voice that repeated every word Boris said nor the growing dread and assurance that he was right. As the cold side of him screamed with all its might that he was.

' Boris is right. No one will ever see me for who I truly am. No one ever has, how can I hope anyone ever will. But maybe just maybe, Angel is different. Maybe she can find me beneath all this calloused anger, but will she. Or will she just leave me to my fate. How can I hope for that! How can I hope for Angel to love me, when I cannot love. Smile yes, tease yes, protect certainly, but love…I maybe be able to hide who I am, but I cant change it. Angel what have you done to me. Who am I? What am I? I can no longer be the strong cold hearted devil I used to be nor can I be what you want. Why, why am I banished now to nothingness. Why did she lead me here! To this limbo of incompleteness. I hate her! Yet I don't. I wont listen to Boris, but I cant escape his words. All that's certain now is that I'm weak and tormented…and that's all I'll ever be. All because of you Angel…all for you.'

Kai was so lost in thought, he didn't notice the fiery green depths who had opened now stared at him with worry. Angel could read the doubts in his eyes as he stared off into space and was getting scared. 'Kai please, please don't leave me. Please…I need you.'

sorry it took so long to update but ive been having a bit of writers block add that with a part time job, a college prep. school and tons of homework and it take a whiel to update. Well please review and thanx for reading.

p.s.

next chapter shoudl reveal whats going on or aleast what im planning on this chapter pretty much is about something thats going to be a big issue throughout the rest of this. so yeah remember to tell ne what u think, likes'dislikes whatever. later and peace out.