AN: please note that I don't own Beyblades or its characters but Sam Hanara, her family, The love seekers, the wild fires and the dark hunters all belong to me so please if you wish to borrow them ask me first. Also Tenebrae or 'Ten' belongs to Drago-Kai so you will have to ask her about Ten.
Chapter 5:- Past grievances
As soon as Sam was out of the door, Kai regretted the harsh words he has spoken to her. 'But she deserved them, deserved what she got…' Kai tried to reason with himself, his eyes refocusing on the two small trails of blood on his wrist. 'For such a small thing you blew your cool, why am I not surprised?'
"She should not have pushed the issue." Kai muttered
'True but didn't you start the whole issue?'
"Shut up you blasted Conscience." Kai growled, but suddenly his stomach lurched. He had a bad feeling as to what was occurring to his female team-mate. "Sam?" Kai muttered under his breath. He quickly changed and ran out of the room, Key card in hand. Ray, Max and Kenny were all seated in the Restaurant as Tyson ran around trying everything that is until he spotted Kai and saw his expression. Quickly he ran to his team-mates and the others looked up at Kai. "Hey Kai, where is Sam?" Max asked cheerily thinking nothing of Kai's mood.
"Sam… has decided to leave us. It was unfortunate but we need to get her back." Kai glanced at the others as he spoke but couldn't hold their gazes. Tyson grew pale.
"I was just in the Lobby… I should have seen her… should have stopped her…" Tyson blamed himself
"No Tyson. For once it was not your fault. Sam is just very-"
"Moody, stubborn, aggressive, solemn, strict, and according to past details that were found in old newspapers loyal. And I have plenty more…" Dizzi put her two chips in. Kai lowered his head, his bangs shadowing out his eyes.
"I have to do this." Kai said quietly but determined all the same.
"You won't do this alone." Ray said firmly
"Yeah you can count me in!" Max exclaimed
"And us too." Claimed a determined Kenny
"We'll all look." Tyson murmured. Kai nodded and the team ran out into the street, calling Sam's name, asking everyone for help.
Sam was utterly furious with Kai. She had thought that after yesterday something would have changed in regards to his attitude towards her. But the mornings' advents proved that there was no change. Sam stormed off knowing that an old friend of hers lived somewhere around here, but the memories of her past were not as clear as they once were. After half an hour of roving through the many streets Sam knew that she was lost. She looked around trying to recognize her surroundings. "Maybe if I were higher up…' Sam thought to herself. She was just about to jump up on a fence when she heard footsteps and a deadly familiar voice behind her. "Oh Sa-am…" the voice called softly
"Oh wha-at?" Sam said in the same sing song voice. She turned sharply on the heel of one of her boots and came face to face with Rick. Refusing to be intimidated Sam stared at him and saw the recognition in his face.
"You were…are with the BladeBreakers." He accused
"Correction was. Am no longer." Sam spat.
"Well, well then no one will be looking for you. Meet my newest team members Adrienne, Duana, Garnett and Mary. Together with myself and Delilah we make up the Dark Hunters." Rick said as pleasantly as possible
"Good for you. What do you want?" Sam said suspiciously knowing that this was not just a social visit.
"We have been given directions to bring you home for punishment," Delilah quietly sneered, "Only two should be required for this assignment. You head back ok" Another of the girls called out
"Look she is wearing Blaise's colours he should be pleased." She was quickly silenced. 'What does Blaise have to do with any of this?' Sam thought to herself 'unless Voltaire has taken over his team too…' Ricks voice shook her out of her reverie.
"…so long as you don't fail. Here take these for just in case." He commented coolly. He passed Delilah three knives before calling his girls and walking away. Delilah called out to one known as Adrienne who turned and headed back. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Come on girl we don't want to keep Voltaire or Philippe waiting." Adrienne called out.
"My cousin? Oh of course he would have to be Voltaire's accomplice wouldn't he." Sam spat.
"Enough." Delilah said firmly. Before heading over to Adrienne and handing her one of the knives. "She will come one way or another."
"If that is what you think then you are sadly mistaken." Sam sneered at the girls. Like with Kai in the bed room Sam slipped past Delilah and took one of the knives. She looked at it intrigued before grabbing hold of her hair in one hand, unsheathing the knife with the other she took a quick swipe at her hair and cut through cleanly. The girls just glared at her. Sam seemed to be making everyone upset with her today. Sam looked at the other girls' apparel Delilah was wearing a blue top and made her eyes seem to have a darker tinge to them but it wasn't very long and exposed her stomach. Her black pants also clung to her body. Adrienne's apparel wasn't much better. She wore a many layered pink dress that stood out sharply against the grey brick wall. Sam knew she had to get them into an alley or they would draw too much wanted attention, so she did the only thing thinkable. She ran straight past Delilah and into a side street further down. The other girls immediately followed and Adrienne held her knife in such a way that it would cut Sam even as she ran out. Luckily Sam saw it at the last minute and swerved to avoid it. She then turned around and promptly fell into a fighting crouch "Let's do this." Sam hissed little flames of hate and anger dancing in her eyes.
"Kai, surely wouldn't approve of this…" Delilah mocked
"I told you earlier that I am no longer apart of his team. You can have him." Sam said through gritted teeth. Delilah laughed mockingly and slanted a glance at Adrienne.
"That too should please Blaise…" she said. Sam growled low in her throat and forgetting her knife Sam lunged at Delilah and punched her as hard as she could at that time. Unable to prevent it Delilah flew back into the wall and Sam heard a distinct snap and Delilah's howl of pain. Sam turned and looked at Adrienne
"I remember you now girl… you were one of the seducers… and you are lacking in loyalty it seems." Sam sneered. Adrienne unsheathed her knife and flew at Sam but Sam parried each of her moves. Quickly remembering her Biovolt training as well as other training she had been forced to endure Sam fought trying not to make a noise as she was injured unlike Adrienne who cried out at every cut and bruise. Sam herself noted a cut on her knee, on her left shoulder and above her right brow but there fore Delilah had a broken arm to go with her rib and Adrienne had lost two fingers and had similar cuts to Sam. Their clothes were tattered and torn and with the last of their energy the two dark hunters ran away clutching what remained of their clothes with a hissed "This was just our way of saying hello. We will meet again. Count on it."
"Yeah right…" Sam mumbled hissing in pain as she put her hand on her side… it would seem Adrienne got her that first time after all. A girl that had long, dark raven hair up to her waist, tied up in a high ponytail with a violet ribbon, a black spaghetti dress that came to just above her knee with a black belt around her waist, violet eyes, studded earrings and small violet headphones behind her ears suddenly appeared beside Sam
"Are you ok?" she asked quietly. Sam forced her self to look up and began to smile.
"Ten…? Tenebrae? It is you…listen I need help" Sam rasped
"You of all people needing help?" Ten said with a half smile at her old friend.
"Yes…" Sam breathed and lifted her hand and showed the blood stain that was darkening and spreading rapidly. Tenebrae gasped and quickly knelt at Sam's side.
"We'll get help soon ok just hold on…" She whispered putting Sam's arm around her neck and helping her to rise. "Why are you here anyway?"
"Was put on a team but was told to get lost after biting Kai this morning." Sam said softly. Tenebrae giggled
"You actually bit him?"
"He was getting on my nerves and he said almost the same words as my father…" Sam confided and as they walked slowly to the hospital Sam related all that had happened to her in the past few months. Ten was after all her childhood friend and Sam trusted her with everything. In the waiting room Sam whispered "Could you call him please…"
"Sam?" but Sam had fallen into a deep sleep that none could rouse her from. "I will Sam… I promise." Ten whispered back as Sam was hurried away.
"There was a call for you while you were out sir. Should I call back for you?" asked the assistant behind the desk as Kai stalked in followed by his team. They hadn't been able to find a trace of Sam anywhere but they had found an alley smeared with fresh blood and tattered remains of clothes. Kai looked up but suppressed the hope welling in him.
"Call them." He said as unemotionally as possible. After dialling twice the phone was picked up and the assistant handed the line to Kai. "Hello?" Kai asked softly
"Kai Hiwatari?" came a girl's voice
"Speaking," he said harshly, "Do you know where Sam is?"
"Yes but she is not well." The voice came again softly
"What happened?" Kai demanded his voice getting hoarse
"Do you really care? You let her go out in a place she hasn't been to in over six years." The voice demanded angrily
"Who are you? And where is Sam." Kai demanded his voice softer this time.
"You can call me Tenebrae… as to Sam well she in the hospital. If you really do care come and I'll meet you here." She said softly and with that she hung up on him. Kai put down the receiver and his team instantly wanted to know everything that had transpired. Kai looked at the ground and back up again. "She is in the Hospital." Was all he said in the way of explanation. Each of the boys gave cries of despair and headed back out the door their fatigue forgotten in the worry they felt for their team mate. Although they had not known each other long and they were oft times frustrated with her, Sam was a valued part of the team. Not many people have a life time bond but the BladeBreakers all felt it in the friendship they had for each other. They ran as quickly as they could not knowing what truly to expect one they reached the hospital. Kai ran up the steps and immediately saw the girl in the door way.
"so you do care…" She said softly before turning on her heal and walking away. Kai immediately ran after her and grabbed her to stop her.
'Where do you think you are going?" He hissed
"Do you want to see Sam or not?" Ten asked softly her violet eyes flashing with emotion. Kai immediately let her go and motioned for her to continue. The other boys ran up after them and soon they were in the intensive care unit ward E room 3. All the boys were dead silent as they saw Sam as pale as the sheets around her, her eyes closed and her chest barely rising and falling. The room was cluttered with machines doing various things and giving off a loud beeping in the silent room.
"The doctors say that if we don't manage to get her out of this coma thing then she very well may not survive the night." Ten said quietly.
"What happened to her?" Max asked softly close to tears. Tenebrae looked at the rest of the boys and saw that they were all in a similar state all except Kai who had a curiously blank face which was an obvious mask.
"Please can we at least know that?" Ray asked his voice rough
"Ok," Tan said with a sigh, "I owe you at least that." Tenebrae went on to tell the boys the exact same story Sam had told her with a few omissions for Sam's sake. Tyson looked pale himself once the story was told.
"She really doesn't want to go back to Biovolt does she?" he murmured softly proud that his team mate had fought for her honour but upset that it had come to that. Kai said nothing his gaze repeatedly straying back to Sam's face and her now short hair. His foolish temper had led to this mess. He would stay by her side until she woke.
"How long has she been here… like this?" Kai asked?
"A little over an hour." Ten answered just as the doctor came in
"Visiting time is over but one of you may stay if you like. The rest of you have to leave. Make your choice quickly please. My patent needs calm" He said sternly by not unkindly. Kai immediately walked over to Sam's bedside and sat down. "I will stay."
"You Kai?" Max asked
"If that is what you want then I will take my leave." Ten said with a slight bow.
"The rest of us will be back tomorrow Kai to see…" Kenny's voice faded out
"I know now go." Kai said sharply. The rest of the boys slowly left the room with a last glance at Sam. Kai gently took her hand in his and rested his head against it. 'Get better Sam' he thought bitterly 'I was meant to protect you not be the cause of your death…' he closed his eyes and let out a sigh hoping against hope she would survive
Sam knew that it wasn't her time yet. Her mothers' voice rang in her mind reminding her of that fact pushing her back from the brink so that her body could heal. "Our friends need you Sam even if they will not admit it both new friends and old know you are worthy so heal." Sam felt the comforting presence withdrawing and slowly became aware of her injuries as well a warmth along her left side. Sam slowly forced herself to open her eyes and winced as her injured muscles twinged. She looked to her left and saw Kai lying almost beside her, more than half asleep. Sam smiled at the sight and slowly moved her arm so she could brush his bangs out of his eyes. Kai felt the light caress and opened his eyes amazed to find a pair of mischievous brown eyes glinting back at him. "Sam… you're awake?" he asked softly while sitting up
"Yes, for now I am awake Kai." She said softly reaching up to lay her hand on his cheek. Kai unthinkingly put his hand over hers and leaned forward.
"I am sorry Sam. I didn't mean for… I didn't want…"
"Hush Kai it is ok. I know. You'll forget about it after some sleep. I promise it will be OK." Sam tried to reassure the distressed teen
"I damn well will not, I should have known-" Sam swivelled her fingers around till they were resting lightly against his lips effectively shutting him up.
"Enough, Kai, enough."
"We had no idea if you would live or not…" he mumbled against her fingers. Sam laughed lightly and commented
"I am too stubborn to just lie down and die Kai. I appreciate your concern but I will be ok." Kai stood up suddenly causing Sam's arm to fall as he paced the room. Sam sighed softly and her mind began to drift. She saw Kai turn around and look at her again his worry evident. "Don't worry so much Kai. I'm nothing but a worthless female remember?"
"I take that back. You are not worthless." Kai growled
"If you say so. I am ok Kai, just a little tired."
"You're Ok?" Kai asked striding over to her and grasping her upper arms lightly and leaning as so not to yell at her, "You almost died and yet you say your ok?" Sam flinched as he shook her lightly. But a vice from the doorway stopped anything that Sam would have said.
"Aww, how sweet." Came the deep rough voice. Sam blinked and had to force her eyes open again.
"Blaise?" Sam asked wearily
"Yes?" he answered coolly, "I see you haven't taken up my offer."
"I will not join your blasted team Blaise." Sam snarled forgetting her weariness momentarily
"Who are you?" Kai demanded reverting to his former state. Blaise looked at Kai and sneered
"It would seem that Delilah is blind as well as stupid. I am Blaise, Leader of the wild fires and singles champion of the male division. My team mates are Edan, Adar, Aidan, Brenda, and Celosia. My bit is called Arno and that is all you need to know." He turned and looked at Sam. "This was given to me by your cousin who in turn had it from some one else." He said softly handing her a package and note. Sam's eyes half closed again as she was consumed by weariness. Her body had to heal and soon. "Remember my offer of a place on our team Sam. We know you are more than worthy." Blaise drawled glancing at Kai.
"She is a BladeBreaker, Blaise, and that is what she is going to stay." Kai hissed
"I think she is old enough to make her own decisions don't you? So Sam what is it? Stay with them or come to us…? Sam? SAMANTHA HANARA…" Blaise was almost yelling now, but Sam had drifted off to sleep. This time she would heal and there was nothing that Biovolt or Voltaire could do to stop it.
"Shut up Blaise. She is asleep." Kai hissed trying to keep his voice low but something about this youth bothered him. Blaise stormed out of the room and Kai took up his post at Sam's bed side once more, almost unthinkingly taking up Sam's hand in his. He knew now that Sam would be ok.
After what seemed an eternity Sam managed to open her eyes and was startled to see the sun rise. She looked around and saw she was alone in her white room. Sam moved slightly and reached for a jug of water. A searing pain ran down her right side and Sam gasped as she fought hard not to cry out. Suddenly a white clad person burst into the room and looked at Sam. Sam just glared at him and sat up straighter. "Good morning Samantha, I am your doctor-"
"Get away form me!" Sam rasped recoiling and trying to scurry backwards but the many wires monitoring her progress thwarted her. Sam couldn't stand doctors. It had been so since the doctors hadn't managed to save her mother.
"As I was saying, I'm your doctor Nicholas and you have been unconscious for the past three days. You have had many visitors in this time but none as persistent as your blue haired boyfriend. You are healing at an abnormally rapid rate and although I thought that you would not have survived the night I have been proven wrong."
"Boyfriend?" Sam said choked but his last words caught her attention and her anger rose. "How long before I can go home?" she demanded eyes narrowing drastically.
"I should be able to tell you that after checking your cut." Nicholas said calmly. Sam sat up again and began searching for the end of the bandage. She quickly found it and began unwinding it. "Hey not so fast." The doctor complained he didn't want her to start bleeding again.
"Sorry…err… Nicholas but I want out of here." Sam said exasperated. Sam held her top up slightly so the doctor could see the exposed side. The doctor looked at her side silently for so long that Sam began to grow impatient and started fidgeting. She quickly pulled at her top.
"Take a picture." She said scathingly
"Pardon?"
"I said take a picture, it'll last longer." Sam reiterated
"I admit it is tempting… if you get changed then you can go home. Just be careful." Sam let out a hoarse cry at his words and he began turning off the machines and disconnecting them from Sam before he turned on his heel and left. Then Sam remembered the package from Blaise and quickly opened the attached note
Heard you got into some trouble. My best bet would be thanks to my minions the Dark Hunters… they will be punished but you have done a good job already. Now it is time to begin your training again my dear. I suggest you wear your old training uniform which I had deemed to include in the package since your cousin tells me that you left with only a little backpack. Get your act into gear though girl. I did not give you Black Dranzer for nothing
Voltaire Hiwatari.
The sixteen year old blinked in surprise as she quickly began to unpack the clothes in the package in with her uniform was also a collar. Sam grew pale at the sight of it and quickly threw it out the window. That was one part of the uniform she would not wear. Gathering the rest of her things, Sam walked to the bathroom and showered. Remembering little of what had happened the night she had first woken, she was unconcerned about life and breathed deeply. Soon, soon she could go home. Sam turned off the water and quickly dried herself before tying a long bandage tightly around her chest so that it looked somewhat flat and then dressing herself in the same clothes that Kai would usually wear. She brushed her shortened hair that was growing back quickly and put gel through it so that it only stood in sixteen different directions instead one hundred. She still tied her headband and wristbands in place and applied a single red stripe instead of the four triangles she had earned. When she looked back into the mirror she saw the warrior that Voltaire had wanted her to become and felt the darkness stir slightly as memories passed through her mind unheeded. Sam walked back into her room and was gathering the rest of the things that had been left here, when someone came in.
"Hey Kai is Sam in the bathroom or something? Kai?" Tyson's voice filled the void
"How the hell am I meant to know?" Kai demanded his voice drifting through the corridor. Sam stood up and turned to face the intruder as Tyson did a classical double take.
"You… you are behind me. Then who is the guy in the room?" Tyson asked dumbstruck
"Nice to know I am a guy Tyson," Sam said sarcastically, "now if you don't mind I would like to leave so move." Tyson jumped at the sound of her voice and was pushed back into the room followed by the rest of the BladeBreakers.
"What are you doing up?" Kai demanded
"I have been told I can go home Hiwatari though what business it is of yours I don't know." Sam said scathingly. As soon as the words were out of her mouth the Wild fires and Tenebrae walked into the room. Ten stood at Sam's side as Blaise grimaced in disgust.
"What are you wearing?" he asked
"That what was in the parcel you brought earlier," Sam said looking down at her hands, "so why do I have the honour of two teams in my presence considering I am not a part of either of them?"
Blaise raised an eyebrow as he coldly answered, "Not a part of either? We want to know everything Samantha." Sam bared her teeth at him and Tenebrae had to restrain her.
"Also we want the whole truth including why you are wearing that." Kai joined in his eyes narrowing. She obviously did not fully remember their earlier encounter.
"Fine, I will tell you everything… from the beginning just don't interrupt me or I won't get going again. It is difficult enough. By the way Wild fires Blaise, Edan, Adar, Aidan, Brenda, and Celosia meet my former team the BladeBreakers, Kai, Tyson, Max, Ray and Kenny." Sam said softly her voice faltering already but her mind was made up
"Sam no… you can't it hurts you too much" Ten said softly. Sam looked at her with haunted eyes.
"I don't have a choice Ten although it is irrelevant anyway…" Sam closed her eyes as she began her story. "When I was three years old I got my first BeyBlade. It was then that I started training with my father and Mr. Dickenson. If I wasn't blading then I was training my mind and body. Many years passed and although they were not always joyful I was happy and my skills as a blader increased. I knew however that things were prone to change and my ninth birthday proved that alright…" Sam took a deep breath trying to suppress the shudders that were wracking her frame. Tenebrae moved forward to hold her friend and be a source of comfort and support. Not a word was spoken until Sam slowly began again. "As a gift for my birthday my parents had bought me a new pair of rollerblades and we were going to a favourite place of mine so that we could celebrate… we were rollerblading quite peacefully until a… a truck came out of nowhere… we scattered but the driver was a maniac and seemed determined to… to take my life… mother saw what was happening and did everything in her power to distract the driver… all to no avail… then she leapt in front of the truck and pushed me to the side suddenly. The driver had no intension of stopping and my mother took the full brunt of the impact… luckily or I should say unluckily she did not die instantly… her body tried desperately to heal itself and the doctors didn't do much to help her. she was here at home when… when she passed away… I too was injured but not fatally and my father blamed me for living when my mother did not… I was disowned and when in one of his homesteads in Russia he saw a sign indicating a blading training camp called Biovolt and decided to enrol me. Somehow Voltaire recognised me and… well… my treatment wasn't too great. We were each ordered to wear the uniform I wear now and all girls were forced to bind their chests flat so we were seen as men. We were punished for the slightest mistake but rewarded if we showed great potential and talent. We were to become the perfect warriors… ruthless to the core and were beaten into that frame of mind. 'never show weakness' was endlessly drilled into our heads." Tears were running silently down Sam's cheeks as she forced herself to tell as much as she could. "I found out about the grandchild of Voltaire that he was still alive and thought he would surely hate me now because of that what I became. Then, a week before the World championships, I turned 14 and was allowed to go out as a treat. I had earned all four triangles and was given strict instructions. I was to enter the singles division and watch out for his Grandsons weak team so that should family honour come into the dish I bale him out. That is when I met you Wild Fires. Apart of my instructions were to remain a strong lone blader and that is what I did even though I was tempted to take up your offer." Sam tilted her head back and opened her eyes. She crossed her arms firmly over her chest and forced herself to look at them. They knew too much and she had to tell them still yet more. "To cut things shorter with a bitbeast no-one knew I possessed I battled against Blaise in the final. We tied then and I was given the name world's top single female blader and Blaise was naturally the world's top single male blader. Kai, you and your team won the championships and I was then meant to return home to Biovolt. But my stubborn pride got in the way. I flew to Hong Kong where I assumed my father might be thankful to see me again. I was wrong… he still blamed my mothers death on my foolishness. According to him I was not worthy of his love. My Cousin found me not long after and decided it would be profitable to take me on as an unpaid personal servant. I was beaten again for the things that were highly valued in Biovolt. I couldn't train, couldn't blade, couldn't live. Voltaire of course is the only one Philippe answers too and so Voltaire found out where I was. I got several visits and on one of those I received a promised Bitbeast… Black and I have been training ever since although my cousin was not amused when he found out. That is what you wanted to know." Sam ran her eyes over the faces of the teams present and her gaze rested on Tyson.
"I just don't get it," he yelled frantically waving his arms, "how can you look identical to Kai?"
"I don't." Sam said softly a smile playing at the edge of her lips. "But practise makes perfect and other than that, hair gel, same clothes, same trainer, same attitude… similar egos." Blaise nodded once and the rest of his team gathered around him. They talked for a little while in hushed murmurs and vigorous nodding of several members. Blaise then pushed his way to the front.
"Seeing as we now understand the circumstances you were in we shall forgive you. And as proof that we harbour no ill feelings we will give you five tickets to see the concert held by the love seekers." Sam looked at Ten 'They are here?' she mouthed 'Yes but I do not know how long.' Ten mouthed back. Sam looked over at Blaise
"We thank you." She said formally. The Wild Fires grinned and after a glance at the other team the slowly filed out.
"If you change your mind and decided to join us you know where to find me." Blaise said looking Sam in the eye before quickly following his team.
"What about us?" Max asked softly
"What about you? I was told to leave and never look back." Sam said heatedly not looking at Kai
"You are a BladeBreaker and no one can kick you out unless by a unanimous agreement." Tyson said firmly
"So officially you are still a part of our team." Ray said calmly
"I never truly was Ray. I was never truly welcome," Sam said softly looking away. Kai strode over to her and lifted her chin.
"I am sorry for what was said Sam. It was in anger and I think after the excitement of the past few days you are truly one of us." He said once eye contact was made.
"Do you mean it this time?" Sam asked her words only for him
"Yes." He said calmly
"Then I am a BladeBreaker for now." Sam said lifting her chin off his finger and moving back to Tenebrae. "I think it is time we left. The rest of the team agreed and after talking to an astounded nurse they were allowed to leave. As soon as they were out of the building Sam took a deep breath. She was free for now but a pair of stormy blue eyes were watching their every move, waiting to strike…
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