Smile For Me
- chapter 17 -

Voltaire cursed loudly, gritting his teeth as he rubbed the side of his face, feeling it ache under his fingers. He glared at the intruder before him. For a while, they both stared at each other with equal rage, seething with anger that was aching to be released. Kai watched silently, trying to fumble with the locks and chains around his wrists, feeling his arms straining already.

And finally, the chain cracked, unable to hold his weight any longer.

Voltaire and Tyson lunged at each other.

Back in Hokkaido, Ray and Max were having a bit of a problem themselves.

"What do you mean we can't go back to Tokyo?" Max stomped his foot angrily, "Tyson and Kai are in trouble! You know that! And we can't even do anything to help them?"

Kiresu narrowed her eyes at her student's behavior, "We are currently in a school activity. We are also currently miles away from Tokyo, do you not know that? I know we have to help but we don't really have a grasp at this situation and for all we know, they're already safe by now! I've already sent a message to the principal, Mr. Kon and Mr. Tate. They'll take over for now."

"For all we know," Ray took a deep breath in, rubbing his temples in an effort to keep calm. "They could already be screaming for help when we're here talking about pointless things! Look, the only thing the school will do is call the police and do you not know just who Voltaire Hiwatari is? He's a rich man, specializing in business and in manipulation. Also meaning he has rich friends with the same traits. People will do anything for money! You may not care, but Tyson and Kai are our friends. Whether or not they need help, we're going." He grabbed Max by the arm and started to drag him away, "We're going to Tokyo."

Kiresu opened her mouth to object, but paused. She sighed and wondered why again she ever became a teacher instead of a military officer. Bossing people in the military would have been more easy than bossing these teenagers around.

"Uhm.." Max stared at Ray with a small grin, "You do know that that conversation there was pointless?"

"Yes."

"Oh... and... uhm... What exactly did you say to Kiresu-sensei?"

"I have no idea."

"...Okay. How are we going to go to Tokyo?"

"No clue."

"Hm."

Time seemed to stop for all of them as Tyson and Voltaire stared at each through the crook of Kai's neck. Only then did Tyson's mind came back to him as his brain registered Kai's arms around him. He fell to the floor as well once Kai crumpled down and he simply held Kai's body in shock. "K... Kai?" Just then did he also realize that Voltaire had been holding the same whip in his hand all the time. He reached around Kai's figure to hug him back, but only received a hiss of pain in return.

"Tyson..." Kai gasped out, "There's... something..." But his words fell to nothing as Voltaire once again deliberately slashed at his back with panic.

"What..?" Tyson jumped, before narrowing his eyes at Voltaire, "Stop that!"

Voltaire laughed, a manic laugh and suddenly, Tyson felt like he was talking to a deranged man. "Tyson Granger! It's your fault, isn't it? It's your fault! It's your fault my grandson is like this! It's you... and that bitch of a mother of yours! Your fault! YOUR FAULT!" Then, the man suddenly felt his neck being forcefully craned to the side.

He fell back, holding his cheek in shock. A boy just punched him. And Tyson Granger, no less.

"Don't..." Tyson bit his lip, pushing Kai to one side as he stood up. "Don't you dare call my mother that!"

"HA! I'll call that woman anything I want!" He took a metal pole from the side, and began swinging it in front of him blindly. He made a move to bring the pole down on Tyson's head but Kai lunged forward and grabbed his arms.

"Don't!"

"Let me go!" Voltaire laughed once again, seeing nothing at all. "Don't you dare touch me!" He pushed Kai to the side forcefully, ending in the boy landing on the floor harshly. Voltaire turned to his grandson, before raising the pole once again. This time, Tyson was the one who shielded the other boy, wrapping his arms around Kai's own crumpled form.

"Tyson!"

"Kai..." Tyson choked out, his voice cracking as Voltaire continued to blindly bang the pole down on his back. Damnit, it hurts. "I know... you... were the one... my mother told me so much about..."

"Tyson?"

"I... am really happy that I managed to find you, and I..."

"Tyson, stop talking, Tyson! VOLTAIRE, STOP IT!" Kai frantically looked left and right, panic surging in him.

"I..."

"Tyson, don't talk... Don't worry... Just don't talk..."

"I..." Tyson closed his eyes, feeling consciousness crawl away from him. Then oblivion.

Love you.

KK: Please, someone shoot me now. Okay, I'm beyond the point of being forgiven, am I? XD First, I don't update for more than a month then when I do update, the chapter that I upload is a crappy jumble of words and punctuation marks. But lemme tell yah... this chapter was a real bitch to write. -pouts- The next chapter will probably the last one. -sweat drops- I'm not yet sure if I'm going to separate the epilogue or just put in the next chapter as well. Or no epilogue at all. Any ideas:3

oh, and I know the last part sucked. Whenever I reread it, I cry in anguish... or something like that. -sweatdrop- T.T

Please be nice to me! XD I give out cookies!