Chapter 7
Kai stood quickly, hate and fear mingling in his crimson eyes. His face was set in a fierce scowl.
"Really Kai. That's no way to greet your grandfather, is it?" Voltaire cackled, as he stepped into the locker room.
Everyone had frozen in place, and it suddenly seemed colder, like the warm sun wasn't penetrating the window. Although he was old, he was the kind of man who was used to complete obedience, and if he didn't get it, would strike without hesitation. He smiled as he surveyed the room, but it didn't reach his eyes. They were cold and hard like flints.
"Is there something you want? If not, get out of here now," Kai hissed vehemently.
Voltaire scowled and replied, "Yes, I need to talk to you, grandson."
He stepped outside and waited with folded arms and an impatient expression on his face. Kai went to follow him, but Tyson pulled him back. Kai gently prised the boy's hand off his arm.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I can handle my own grandfather," Kai whispered, gently squeezing his hand before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.
They crowded round the door, trying to catch snippets of the conversation behind it. All they heard were indistinct sounds and exclamations. Finally, Kai had reached a point where he couldn't stand his grandfather's lazy threats anymore.
"Don't lay a hand on them!" he yelled.
"You forget your place, boy," Voltaire replied, disgust resonating in his voice.
That was when they heard the sound of flesh against flesh. Tyson gasped, and flung open the door to see Kai backed against the opposite wall, his cheek red from where he'd just been slapped.
"What was the point in coming here? You know I'll never let you use me as a weapon again. I made that mistake once," Kai said, quietly, but dangerously at the same time.
Voltaire stared at his grandson for a while, before snorting and marching back the way he had come. Tyson ran to Kai's side, worry evident in his face.
"Are you ok?" he asked anxiously.
"I'm fine," Kai murmured, staring at the ground, shaking violently.
With that, he stalked back into the locker room, refusing to talk to anyone about it.
The crowd had gathered in their thousands, all screaming good lucks to their favourite teams. By far the biggest cheer was for the Bladebreakers, who just smiled and waved. Except Kai, who was still wrapped up in his own thoughts. The Bladebreakers stood with the other competing teams, watching the screen common to all bey-stadiums, waiting to find out who they would be fighting in the first match. Kai was edgy throughout the beginning ceremony. They were all walking back to their locker room, when Tyson decided to talk to Kai.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Tyson asked, frowning with concern.
"Yeah, I'm totally fine. What gave you that idea?" Kai replied, deadpan.
"Please don't talk to me like I'm an idiot, Kai," Tyson said, almost crying.
"You're an idiot, Tyson. I'm just not feeling myself after my grandfather arrived," he replied, with a shaky smile.
He took the younger boy in his arms, a small breeze blowing through the deserted corridor. Well, almost deserted. A man was striding purposefully towards them, a pistol in his hand. Kai heard the footsteps and knew the end was nearing.
He pressed Tyson close to his chest, and whispered in a trembling voice, "I love you, Tyson."
The man stopped, and raised the gun. Kai closed his eyes.
"Just do it, Boris. Just kill me now," he thought, as Tyson heard the deep laughter rumbling from the man's throat.
"I'm sorry, Tyson," Kai murmured, letting go of him.
The gun fired, a dart flying into one of the teenager's veins, ejecting its poisonous cargo into his blood stream. Kai pulled it out, hissing as a drop of blood dribbled from the tiny hole. He leant against the wall, and smiled slightly.
"It's cold," he whispered, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he lost consciousness.
"KAI!" Tyson yelled, as the boy fell.
He knelt by his side, supporting his head. He was deathly pale, and the breath was rattling in his chest. Tyson looked up in fury, then froze as he saw Boris, Voltaire's partner in crime. He was a tall man with dark purple hair and a green jacket that went to his knees. He was shaking with silent laughter.
"You're laughing? How could you?" Tyson cried, trembling with anger.
"It's pathetic, watching you now. I have another little thing to take care of," Boris chuckled, drawing a piece of paper from his coat.
He tossed it to Tyson, who picked it up hesitantly, before balling it into his fist. Boris turned at the end of the corridor as the rest of the Bladebreakers came racing up to them.
"Tyson, are you ok! We heard you shout," Max asked, before he noticed Kai unconscious on the floor.
"What the hell happened?" Rei exclaimed.
"...Boris," Tyson uttered vehemently.
A shadow descended over their souls at that one word.
They waited in the hospital reception, anxiously awaiting news of Kai's condition. Garnet closed her eyes wearily. Why had everything gone so horribly wrong? She looked over at Tyson. He was just leaning against a wall, staring with blank eyes at the floor, hands in tight fists. They had tried to snap him out of it, but their efforts had been wasted.
"Are you friends of Kai Hiwatari?" a nurse asked them in a heavily accented voice.
They nodded, and she led them up a white corridor to a small room. In the pristine hospital bed lay Kai. He was parchment white, a drip in his arm and a breathing mask over his mouth. His chest hardly moved at all, so for a horrible moment, they had thought that he was dead. Tyson moved to the bedside, lightly touching the slack hand. It was freezing, lacking all of the warmth Kai had possessed. He closed his eyes, thinking back to the last thing Kai had said to him. Sorry. But for what?
"Will he be ok?" Hilary asked in a strained voice.
The nurse hesitated before replying with, "He's in a coma. But he's steadily deteriorating. He may have only days left."
Tyson couldn't take it anymore. He stepped out of the room, closing it quietly behind him. Garnet stared at him through the glass in the door, and decided to follow him. He was leaning against the wall outside, blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears that were gathering.
"Tyson..." Garnet began nervously.
"Just go away. Let me suffer in peace," Tyson sniffed.
He closed his eyes, wishing everything would just leave him be. He felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him, and he opened his eyes in shock. Garnet was hugging him to her shoulder, much like the mother he had grown up without for most of his life. His next breaths came in fast, turning into sobs in his throat.
"Cry all you want," Garnet whispered, comforting and warm.
He bent his head and cried quietly on her shoulder. He didn't notice the hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she silently mourned for her friend.
TTTT I hate writing sad chapters like that. Please review to help cheer me up.