Summary: Mariam is considered 'rebellious' but Mariam herself considers it thinking for herself, which everyone says otherwise. What'll happen when someone finally takes her side?

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, don't hit me!

We're still in Ozuma's Flashback-y mode thing… and before you get any ideas…Ozuma doesn't like Kai that way.

Sad little boy

Ozuma hated that voice.

Still, Mariam was acting like an idiot to get Max to be with her… if Ozuma does something there, what would that prove? That he didn't trust her to just go out to 'learn' something?

He'd make his move, when he cleared things up…

Ozuma shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. Oh yeah, he was nuts. But that didn't mean he could go talk to other people…other people like…Maxie's friends. A smirk fell on his face; yeah, he was crazy.

He leapt of the branch, facing away from Mariam and Max. Once he got to the street, he looked left, then right. Which way was Tyson's dojo, again? C'mon, he knew this! Ozuma slapped a hand to his forehead multiple times. Aha!

Ozuma smirked, and started walking over to his left…Tyson's place was near the Saint Shields place, right? He made his way over.

The first thing he saw was the group of them gathered around Kenny's computer, with the exception of Kai who was leaning against the wall, crossed arms and closed eyes.

"Ahem." Ozuma said, taking his hood off.

All of them looked at him. Ozuma took that time to count how many of them there were. One…two…three…four…five, if the girl counts as one of them… one's missing. So it really was Tate with her…

Tyson ran up to Ozuma, holding his ready launcher. "Ozuma! I'm ready for you!" Tyson grinned.

Ozuma sent him a dry look, then pushed him aside. "Not now, Granger." He pressed forward, for the others.

"Ah!" Tyson landed on one leg, flailing his arms and leg frantically. Then he resumed normal position. "Ozuma! I demand a rematch!"

Ozuma ignored him, going up to Rei, Hilary, Kenny and Kai. "Where's Tate?"

Rei lifted a brow. "Max? What would you want with him?"

"Just tell me where he is." Ozuma insisted, folding his arms.

Tyson ran over. "Oh no, you don't!" he lifted a fist, leaning into Ozuma's face, "I know what you're trying to do, Ozuma!"

"Really, and what's that?" the spiky-haired leader smirked.

Tyson backed away, flushing slightly. "Um…world…domination?"

Ozuma shook his head in shame. "I don't have time for this," again, he pushed Tyson aside.

Kai smirked.

Rei stepped forward. "Just tell us what you want with Max."

"When you tell me where he is." Ozuma insisted.

"Mm." the group exchanged looks.

Ozuma sighed, sensing that they wouldn't trust him, or believe him. "Fine, just to get this back?" he asked, holding up Dragoon.

All eyes fell on Dragoon in Ozuma's hand, then over to a flushing, worried Tyson, feeling around for it on himself.

"Er…um…gimme dat!" Tyson made a grab for it, but Ozuma shut his hand.

Ozuma shook his head. "Nu-uh."

"He went out."

"Uh?" Ozuma looked over at Kai.

The slate-haired boy opened his eyes. "I said that he went out."

Finally, co-operation. "Okay, where?"

Kai pushed himself off the wall. "Somewhere with some girl."

"We all suspected it was Emily, but we just didn't know." Hilary shrugged.

Ozuma sent a hard glare at the girl. "Emily, huh?"

"Yeah. She's on Max's mother's team." Rei explained, but the neko-jin still kept his suspicions.

Ozuma nodded, trying to hide his smirk. "And where can I find her?"

"Why?"

Ozuma sighed, holding up Dragoon again.

Kai also sighed. "She's most likely down by Max's house, probably talking to his mother."

The spiky-haired leader nodded. "Thanks…Kai."

Ozuma turned and walked out, raising his hood over his head again. While he was walking over to Max's place, he was thinking about what he just did. Ozuma didn't usually call people by their given names… he liked calling them by their surnames, perhaps just to tick them off, or show that they had no respect for the person in particular. The only people Ozuma had called by their given names were the people he trusted…and knew well. Someone to call a friend…

Friend?

Che. Ozuma barely considered Dunga that…he seemed like just…maybe someone to boss around. And Joseph…he was just…Mariam's brother. He knew that if he insulted Joseph, Mariam would possibly get upset at him, and Ozuma couldn't afford that. He couldn't afford anything that got Mariam to hate him.

So then, why did Ozuma call Kai by his given name? What was it about the Russian that made Ozuma…do that? Ozuma hadn't trusted anyone lately, and just a while ago, he had just proven that he didn't trust Mariam. But he would do what Kai said and find Emily.

Ozuma beamed to himself. Yeah, if Emily was Max's girlfriend, he might be able to work things out. Yah, no more hiding in the tree and freaking out over sticks.

He stood on Max's doorstep, and knocked.

Max's mother answered. "Yes? Are you one of Maxie's little friends?"

What! Ozuma hated Max at the moment, and now he'd just been connected to the blond in such an offensive way, according to Ozuma, of course. But then, Ozuma felt partially insane at the time.

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled as nicely as he could without drawing suspicion like he did with Rei, "I'm just wondering where he is and if Emily is here."

The woman tilted back. "Emily? She's downstairs with Michael and Rick, but you could see them if you want."

Michael and Rick? How many other people would have to be in this stupid little hunt? All this…just to figure out what Mariam and Max were doing with those sticks. Well, the diner and the ice cream was a little suspicious, but Ozuma couldn't think about that now.

"Emily?" Ozuma asked into the room. The first thing he saw was a tennis racket about to hit him. He ducked down to avoid it. He didn't even know this girl! Why the hell was she throwing things at him? This girl has issues…

"Whoa! Girl, I don't even know you! What the hell are you hitting me for?" Ozuma growled, taking his hood off.

Emily put down the barrage of tennis balls she was about to bombard him with. "Oh…sorry, thought you were a thief or something."

Ozuma tilted back. Oh yeah…the hood. Well, he had remembered that when he was wandering the streets, people gave him odd looks. Yeah, the cloak shouldn't have been used when he was walking around with the civilians… it should only be used for stealth purposes. But when he did that, Max and Mariam thought he was some kind of fat, tall squirrel.

"You guys know Max Tate?" Ozuma asked, with a slight uncaring tone in his voice. He shoved one hand into his pocket; oh yeah, he still had Dragoon.

"Well, ya, we're in his house." Michael scoffed, adjusting his hat.

Ozuma looked away. Yes, Ozuma, ask an obvious question… he sighed. "Y'know where he went…dude?"

Crap. Ozuma didn't know their surnames…

"Out." Michael replied, looking away.

"Yes, I could see that, Parker." Ozuma sighed. He smiled inwardly; Ozuma saw the notebook on the floor in front of him; 'Name: Michael Parker'

"How'd you…?" Michael asked. Ozuma raised a brow, telling him to go on, "Never mind…"

Ozuma smirked. "Alright, so are you Tate's girlfriend?" he asked, nodding a head to the redheaded girl.

Emily flushed. She opened her mouth to speak, but Rick beat her to it.

"She wishes." He scoffed.

Ozuma nodded. "So you're not Tate's girlfriend?" Emily shook her head, still quite red. "Damn…"

"Why?" Rick asked.

The red and raven haired boy shook his head. "No, it's nothing…"

Okay, so Tate didn't do anything wrong… and for some reason, that's bad. Ozuma shook his head again.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?" Michael asked.

Ozuma looked up again. Oh right, he was still here with these…people. He shook his head and ran out of the room.

"Odd kid." Rick noted.

"He's Max's friend?" Emily asked.

"No, I'm not!" Ozuma called from the top of the stairs.

Ozuma sighed when he got outside of the house. "Crazy people."

"Y'know…" Ozuma looked up at the speaker, "ya could've just asked us if Emily was Max's girlfriend."

"Well, it must've slipped my mind." Ozuma looked down, kicking a rock under his shoe. If I still had my mind that is…

Kai chuckled at him. "Sad little boy…"

"I know! That's what I keep telling…" Ozuma stopped, looking at him. "How do you know?"

"Remember 'Over near the diner, kid'?" Kai asked, crossing his arms.

Ozuma's eyes shot up and his mouth fell slightly open. Kai's…Kai's been watching me watching Max and Mariam…how fun…

"Thought so." Kai smirked.

"Why were you watching me?" Ozuma demanded, storming right up to the Russian.

Kai scoffed. "Why were you watching Max and Mariam?"

Ozuma tilted back. What? How could he just turn the question around like that? Ozuma was supposed to be the one asking the questions, not Kai!

"Concern."

Kai smirked. "No, jealousy."

"Same thing." Ozuma shrugged, smiling.

Kai laughed at him. Then he calmed down and became Mr. Intimidation again. "You thought Max asked Mariam out, didn't you?"

Ozuma hung his head. "Yeah," He admitted, "I didn't know if it was just like a tutoring thing or not."

Again, Kai chuckled. "Well, he did ask her out, idiot."

"What! And you're just telling me this now!" Ozuma yelled, flushing brightly, "You couldn't have told me when I asked you were she went?"

"Well, I wanted to see what you'd do." He crossed his arms. "Besides, if I were you, I'd understand your concern anyways."

"Jealousy." Ozuma corrected.

Kai just looked at him. "Same thing."

"But how would you…understand?"

"I've been there." Kai stated simply, Or I am there.

Ozuma grinned. "Nice. I never thought that you would like anyone, Kai."

"I can make it seem like nothing's happening."

Ozuma sighed. "I know! I wish I could do that."

Kai looked at him, giving him an odd look.

"Well, I do…" Ozuma said meekly.

"You were right to suspect them, though."

"Oh?" Ozuma looked over at him. Why is he telling him all of this now, of all times?

"Max likes Mariam." Kai said simply. Ozuma raised a brow at him. "Well, he never told me he did, but it was kinda obvious."

"Like when?"

The Russian looked at the spiky-haired boy. "Oh, y'know, like Max blushes whenever Tyson's grandfather keeps saying that Mariam is Max's girlfriend."

Ozuma nodded. "I see." In his mind, Ozuma felt that he was…losing in some way. He didn't really know what he was losing, but he felt that he was losing something.

And he knew it wasn't his sanity, because he felt that he was already getting it back, because of Kai.

Ozuma looked up at the Russian smirking down at him.

Maybe he could…finally trust someone. But why someone like Kai? He didn't even know…

Well…Ozuma's getting happier! (That seemed fast. Blame Kai for that) Ozuma seems to be able to trust Kai now, and he still hates Max. Well, there's that Emily/Max thing in there.

And the All-Starz were in the first and third season, not the second, but I had to put them in. And Rick…he's just in there because…I put him there.

And Ozuma's thing where he takes Dragoon without Tyson's notice is similar to what Mariam did to Kai…why? Because I said so. I dunno, I just saw it in 'The Road to El Dorado'…

Alright…bye!