A/N: Time for the second chapter! Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews! But at first, answers to questions you've asked…
I admit that the name "Leaving New York" was kind of confusing, as the story had nothing to do with New York. I must confess that I titled it so purely for the song in it – I might've put another title had I come up with one. Kai indeed headed towards Russia, but I guess you could imagine he left from New York… The song was kinda symbolic anyway, as Hilary was the 'New York' he left. (Confusing, huh?)
Spoiler alert! Don't read if you don't want to know! I was also asked if Igor would be seen again. Unfortunately, I afraid the answer is no. He might show up very shortly in the last chapter, but otherwise there's really no more room for him in this story.
Okay, on with the story. Note that this includes some flashbacks to clearify what's happened.


/ Mr. Dickinson surprised as he saw Kai's familiar figure enter his office. The Bladebrakers were all supposed to come to his office that afternoon, but it was half an hour later, so he couldn't really understand what Kai was doing there so early.

" Well hello, Kai", he greeted the Russian. " I must say that I wasn't expecting you already".

He was expecting Kai to sit down, but instead the boy walked up to the window and begun to stare out, back towards him. " I… I came to ask you a favor", Kai replied, sounding like anything but his usual strong and confident self.

He frowned. " Is there something wrong?".

It took for a long while before Kai spoke, and when the boy did, his voice was so quiet that it was hard to hear. " I have to leave".

Mr. Dickinson blinked in surprise. " Why on earth? I thought…".

" Things… Things have happened… that make it impossible for me to stay". Kai paused. " I came to make sure, that… that someone takes care of their training when I'll be gone". The boy sighed, bowing his head. " I'm not switching teams or anything, I just… need to get away".

" Well, of course, but…". Mr. Dickinson blinked again, feeling sad and disbelieving. It was almost impossible for him to believe that the boy would leave everything behind after all this time and fighting. " Are you sure?". He wished he could've yelled at Kai, shaken the boy until he'd come back to his senses, but he knew Kai well enough not to do such thing. If the Russian had decided something, it was impossible to change his mind.

" Yes, I am", Kai replied in a strange, metallic tone. The boy slowly turned around, and it wasn't until then Mr. Dickinson noticed how empty the boy's tired eyes had became. " I need you to promise me something".

Looking into Kai's desperate eyes, he nodded, knowing that he had no choice. " Alright".

" Not a word to the others. I… I'll say goodbye to them in my own way, but I need to do it when I feel the time is right". Kai's eyes turned even more desperate. " Please".

What choice did Mr. Dickinson have? He nodded, tough reluctantly. " I won't say a word".

Nodding himself, Kai begun to move towards the door. " Thank you". His hand on the door-handle, the boy looked at him, seeming almost sad. " Bye".

Mr. Dickinson blinked, feeling it hard to restrain his tears. " Bye".

As Kai opened the door, he opened his mouth to say something more. He stopped, however, when he saw the rest of the team behind the door.

Tyson seemed confused as the boy looked first at Kai, who barely managed to hold his mask in place, then him, just and just in control over his tears. " Did we miss something?". /


Kai looked around lazily as he followed Tala up the stairs in the block of flats the red-head was currently living in. True enough, the place was somewhat shady and in need of some serious reconstruction, but Kai found himself liking it. It sure as hell was different from the mansion he'd been forced to live in with his grandfather, and the fancy hotel-rooms the Bladebrakers always stayed in, but that was exactly what he needed.

Besides, the place felt almost like home, he found himself thinking.

But just almost.

He almost bumped into Tala as the boy suddenly stopped right in front of the door of his apartment, seeming uneasy. " Um… Kai… There's something I should tell you…".

Kai frowned. Something was obviously deeply wrong to make Tala that nervous, and he had a dark thought that he probably wasn't going to like what Tala had to say. " What?".

As Tala looked at him, the boy had almost managed to disguise his restlessness. Almost. " We have a guest".

Kai's heart almost stopped, and his eyes widened. No, no, no! No way Tala would've done what Kai feared he might've! The red-head wouldn't be that inconsiderate. Right?

" Who is it?" he managed to ask, his voice sounding strangely groggy, like he'd been about to lose it.

Tala opened the door, not even bothering to try and hide his uneasiness. The Wolf held the door open for him. " You'll have to go in and see".


/ " What do you mean by Kai left?" Mr. Dickinson asked. He hated having to act like he didn't know a thing, when the conversation with Kai two days earlier was still fresh in his mind. But he couldn't break the promise given to Kai, not after the desperation he'd seen in the boy.

The team sitting in front of him seemed panicked and deeply worried, to say the least.

" That he simply left", Tyson, who'd been phasing around the office since he came, replied, almost shouting. " He left us a freaking note!".

" I don't understand…", Ray murmured, seeming confused. " Why would he leave us again, why now?".

No one saw Hilary looking away with a huge amount of guilt in her eyes.

After that a dark silence fell into the room as they all (save Hilary, who hadn't been there at the time) remembered all too well the last time Kai had left them in Russia. Back then, they had almost ended up loosing him. None of them dared to think about what the outcome would be this time.

Eventually, Mr. Dickinson woke up from his thoughts. As the only adult present, he felt a sudden need to do something, anything, useful. " You said he left a note", he reminded. " What exactly did he say?".

Kenny, who'd been left in charge of the note no one else barely wanted to touch, handed the small piece of paper to Mr. Dickinson. With a slight frown, the old-timer opened it and read the few words scrabbled onto it – no doubt – in Kai's familiar handwriting.

I'm sorry, but I had to leave.

Goodbye. /


Having a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach, Kai obeyed after slight hesitation and entered the small, two-room apartment. At first he didn't notice anything different. Then he heard the quiet talking. The alarmingly familiar voice belonged to a man.

" I hope this works too, Ray. This is our only option…". (pause) " Honestly, I have no idea". (another pause) " Yes, I agree". A new pause told that the talker had finally noticed someone's presence. " I'm sorry, but I have to go now. They just came in". (last pause) " Yes, of course I will call you as soon as I have something to report. Bye".

By the time the man was talking, Kai had walked up to the living-room, where the man was standing before a window, back to him. As the familiar man slowly turned around, Kai felt almost sick. The man looked at him solemnly for a while before talking. " Hello, Kai".

He swallowed, unable to believe that Tala had actually done this to him, called the man despite his loud protesting. " Hello, Mr. Dickinson".


/ Laying prone on her bed, Hilary once again read through the few words on Kai's note. The only thing she had left of him.

I'm sorry.

I will always love you.

She had spent countless of hours trying to figure out the reason to his departure, but kept ending up to the same conclusion: she was the reason.

" Damnit, Kai…", he murmured, brushing the paper gently with her fingers. " Why couldn't you just tell me…?".

She almost jumped as the phone rang somewhere in the hotel-room, but relaxed again as she heard steps and Tyson's familiar voice answered the phone. " Hello?".

Not bothering to listen to the phone-call, she allowed her thoughts to wonder. God, she was dead-tired! She had spent so many nights awake, but… How could she have slept when she kept seeing his face in her dreams?

She almost jumped again when someone knocked on the door, and quickly hid the note she'd kept as a secret. " Yeah?".

Ray's head poked in, and she immediately became alarmed as she saw his slightly reddened eyes, filled with deep worry. " Tala just called". The boy gulped. " It's about Kai". /


It was just then Tala also came to the living-room. The red-head gave Kai an apologetic look. " I'm sorry, but I had to call him…".

Kai found himself shivering, from both the nausea he was feeling and anger. " I can't believe you did this, Tala. After everything I said…".

With that, Kai turned around and prepared himself to leave. Would he stay a second longer, he might end up hurting someone. And that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. He was stopped soon, however, as a strong hand landed onto his shoulder. Kai couldn't help but be slightly surprised. When the heck had Mr. D became that fast! " Kai, please, don't leave". Slowly, reluctantly, he turned around and met Mr. D's solemn, determined eyes. " And I think Tala did the right thing, young man". Mr. D, knowing that Kai wasn't going to leave anymore, took the hand away from his shoulder and looked at the bandages covering his wrists. " I think this has come much too far".


/ Sitting in a waiting room of a Russian hospital, the Bladebrakers and the Demolition Boys, who'd also been called, felt more helpless than ever in their lives. They tried to stay optimistic, but as hours ticked by torturously slowly frustration begun to take place.

Eventually Tyson, who'd been phasing around the room, stopped, his hands clenched into tight fists and face a mask of aggravation. " What the hell is taking for so long!" he yelled, punching the nearby wall with his fist.

" Calm down, Tyson", Max, who for once wasn't on his usual hyper-mode, told from his seat. " I'm sure these things just take time".

All their heads turned swiftly towards the door of the room as it opened, but the looks of hope and expectation turned into ones of disappointment as the entered was just Mr. Dickinson, who'd been out to make some phone-calls.

Seeing their looks, the man sighed. " I'm guessing there's no news".

Shakes of heads were his only answer.

No one knew how many hours had passed when a brown-haired male-doctor in his mid-thirties entered, his blue eyes showing fatigue. Not even self noticing it, everyone got up, looks of expectation once again in their eyes.

" Well?" Tala asked, his voice tense. /


About fifteen minutes later extremely worried Tala had went into the kitchen to make some tea. After calming down for a while, Kai had slumped into the couch where he still remained, his legs brought up against his chest in a protective gesture and eyes staring into space, completely blank. Mr. Dickinson stood not too far away, looking at the boy who was before filled with such fire and passion now completely hollow. Not a word had passed between the trio for full five minutes.

" Why are you doing this to yourself, Kai?" Mr. D finally asked in a sad tone. " Your team misses you, we all do. There's no need for a torture like this!".

Kai remained quiet, and for a longest time Mr. D thought that the boy wasn't going to speak. They both seemed equally surprised as the quiet, barely audible words finally escaped Kai's lips. " I have to do this for her".

Mr. D frowned. " For who?". He suddenly clicked and his frown deepened. " For Hilary? But why…?".

But Kai drifted back into his own world, and it was clear that the boy wouldn't speak a word anymore. Mr. Dickinson, instead, drifted into his thoughts, trying to figure out what Kai had meant with his few words. Suddenly his old eyes flashed as remembered the short note Hilary had, reluctantly tough, showed him three months earlier. The note Kai had given her the night he left.

I'm sorry.

I will always love you.

Was that it? Was this entire torture all about love?


/ " I'm Dr. Anton Rezchnig", the doctor introduced himself with an accent much thicker than Tala's. " I assume you are the friends of Kai Hiwatari?".

" Yeah", Tyson replied with an anxious nod.

" How is he?" Ray filled.

Dr. Rezchnig seemed slightly uneasy. " I'm sorry, but I'm really supposed to only tell his guardian…".

" I would be the closest one to that", Mr. Dickinson informed, taking a step towards the man. " You can tell them too, they've been waiting for hours".

Dr. Rezchnig nodded. " Very well". He took a look at his papers. " Physically, Kai is alright. There was quite a blood-loss, but fortunately it wasn't fatal. We'll keep him in here for overnight just in case before removing him to the psychiatric ward".

" What!" came various gasps.

The doctor sighed. " That would be the mental part". Sighing again, he shook his head. " I wish I could say something definite, but…".

" Can… Can we see him?" Hilary asked, speaking for a first time since they landed on Russia. Her eyes were filled with desperation and unshed tears. " Please… I… I need to talk to him".

Dr. Rezchnig sighed once again. " I'm sorry, but… He gave me instructions to let in no visitors".

Eyes flashing, Tala took a step forward. " Can I talk to him?".

Dr. Rezchnig was about to protest, but Tala cut in by saying something in Russian. After a few minutes of negotiations, the doctor finally nodded.

It seemed to take forever, tough it couldn't be more than fifteen minutes before Tala re-entered. Once again, the gang stood without self noticing it.

" Well?" Hilary almost whispered, eyes filled with desperate hope.

Tala seemed sad and gave a deep sigh before shaking his head.

At that moment, Hilary couldn't take it anymore. She'd been on the edge for months already, tried to keep herself together under crushing guilt and worry. But that simple response pushed her over the limit. Without saying a word, ignoring the others' worried questions and attempts to stop her, she turned around and ran away, tears welling into her eyes. /


Mr. D looked at Kai, knowing that the boy wouldn't even notice his gaze, and observed the boy's painted face. Sadness filled his old heart as he realised that his conclusion was a right one.

" She deserves so much better".

At first, Mr. Dickinson thought he'd imagined the whispered words. But he found he was wrong as he saw Kai looking at him with sorrow-filled eyes.

" Is that why you left?" he asked.

Kai nodded, staring into space again. " Yeah".

He didn't know for how long the new silence had lasted when Tala entered the room, carrying three steaming cups of camomile-tea. While giving Mr. D his cup, Tala gave him a questioning look.

Any progress?

Sad look in his eyes, Mr. D shook his head. Nodding equally sadly in sign of understanding, Tala went and took a seat next to Kai, who hadn't even touched his tea.

While sipping his tea, Mr. D gave Kai one more look, wondering what it would take to bring the boy back from the dark.

And suddenly, he understood that he wouldn't be able to do that. Only one person would be able to shake Kai's shadows away, convince him that escaping wasn't the only choice.

" Tala, can I have a word with you?" he asked.

The young Russian nodded, seeming more than slightly confused, and followed him into the kitchen. Once there, the boy closed the door after making sure that Kai wouldn't move from his spot in the couch. " What's going on?".

" We both know why Kai is doing this", Mr. D explained.

Tala nodded, seeming sad. " For Hilary". The boy sighed, shaking his head. " Kai thinks that this escaping will somehow help her. And… There's also something else".

Mr. Dickinson frowned. " Go on".

" Kai thinks that Hilary and Tyson have something going on. That's another reason why he left: he wanted to let the two of them have each other".

All begun to make sense to Mr. D. He'd seen Hilary and Tyson fooling around with each other, the way Kai always looked at them.

But… There was nothing more to it. While showing Kai's note to him, Hilary had told him that there was absolutely nothing between her and Tyson. That there was only one boy in her heart…

" I think there's only one thing we can do for Kai", he murmured, sipping his already almost cold tea.

Tala gave him an slightly surprised look. " Hmm?".

" There's only one person who can help him now", the man explained to him.


/ Hilary had no idea of for how long she'd been sitting in the bench outside the Russian hospital, her face buried into her hands and her entire body shivering from sobs, when she suddenly heard steps approaching.

" Here you are", Tala's familiar, accented voice stated. She heard clothes rustling softly as the boy took a seat beside her. " We begun to get worried".

Her tears almost ceased, she roughly wiped her eyes. " Sorry". Sobbing, she looked at him, slightly confused. " You know that this… this is my fault…". She sobbed again. " Don't you hate me?".

" You know that that's not true, Hilary", he told her, looking at her in the eyes. " Look, I know that this has been a real hell to you, but… You are his only hope. Without you…". He looked away and sighed. " I don't even dare to think what he would do without you".

" But he won't even see me!" she cried, setting free all her pain and frustration.

Tala gave her a brief smile. " You know how stubborn he can get". Tala then became solemn again, and his eyes flashed. " Promise me you won't give up on him. Because if you do…". Tala didn't have to finish.

Without a slightest hint of hesitation, Hilary nodded. " I won't", she promised. " Whatever it'll take, I will help him. No matter the cost, I won't abandon him now".

Some minutes later, empty crimson eyes observed from the window of a hospital-room as Hilary said final byes to Tala before she turned around and begun to walk away. Barely managing to hold back his tears, Kai pressed his hand against the cold glass. " Goodbye", he whispered. /


TBC.


A/N: I think we all know who Mr. Dickinson will call. But how will Kai feel about it?
Until the next and last chapter…
Sayonara!