A/N: I never got a chance to re-read this chapter because I was in so much of a hurry to upload it. So I apologise for mistakes. I've been dying to write this chapter ever since I thought it up though, but for some reason, I don't think it's as good as I thought it would be. Expect some exciting stuff in this chapter. Kai, like you've never seen him before. Muwhahahaha (ahem) crisismydaemon: No, it wasn't a stupid question. Allow me to enlighten. I really shouldn't, but I feel like divulging some information, even though I am the Cliff-hanger Queen. Tala still has slight feelings for Kai, but after pulling such a stunt, he feels so much better that he got his revenge that its slowly dying and he's returning to his old ways. Ashley: What happens now is in this chapter. Enjoy. grEMLin eVil: Yeah! I was worried about that. I didn't want to loose my fic because of me responding to peoples' reviews. I already lost one successful fic. I think I'd have a heart attack if I lost another. Kit-Cat Caitlin: That slogan has a second meaning in my opinion. Especially for the content of this chapter. Hehe. LilAngel12558: I have one thing to say to you. Prepare yourself.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The room fell over with silence like a dark cloud slowly descending over a horizon. The air was toxic. The mood was dangerous and Rei didn't know what to think; didn't know what to say. He had never seen Kai look so grave before even if the Russian was quite serious to begin with, but this gravity was indeed very intense. For a moment, Rei backed away slowly. Kai's gaze was still fixed upon the door. His stance was still as it had been before and after a moment he stood himself up straight, his fists still gripped at his sides. Rei swallowed again and opened his mouth.

"…Kai…I…" Even his own voice had become slightly croaky with worry and he cleared his throat apologetically.

How could he explain? The words were so easy to say and yet not so easy to structure. Especially as of now. Tala had just made things worse, but Rei couldn't help feeling that it had been the redhead's intentions. After all, there was history and bad blood between them. Such hostility that Rei hadn't caught himself in the middle of until now. Until Ian had intervened and messed everything up.

"Don't," Came Kai's solemn voice.

He turned his head to the other very slowly, almost horror-movie-worthy, his deep red eyes stabbing at him. The look was nothing short of loathing. The lust that had usually filled his garnets was gone now. He'd never see that again. Rei's lip quivered.

"But you…don't understand," He said. "Ian…Tala…they've got it wrong."

Kai looked at him sceptically. He knew Tala of old and his ex was never one to lie. He had no reason to, but that didn't mean he didn't like dealing out punishment. His words were daggers. It was his strength. After all, he had demonstrated this with the way he had behaved so calmly even though he was ripping through the ties that he and Rei were supposed to have.

"I'm not seeing an officer," Rei continued.

He moved from his position against the bed in an attempt to be away from Kai's shooting gaze, but it followed him like the snout of a shotgun.

"But…something happened…and Ian came in and got the wrong idea," He turned to the knife-like eyes. "You have to believe me Kai. I know it sounds wrong, but it's the truth." He stepped forwards to the other and held out a hand to touch upon the Russian's face. "I would never…" Kai recoiled.

"Why would he lie?" He spoke.

Rei gulped as he cast his golden eyes to the floor.

"I don't know…maybe he wanted to…upset you…he's probably trying to split us up because I know you would never…use me?"

For a moment, the room became silent again and when Rei obtained the courage to look back up, he saw that Kai's lips had curled into a small, yet well-defined smirk. Kai's eyes were also, cast upon the floor and when he looked up, Rei was sure he could see a glimmer of something else crossing his eyes. Something that up until now, had remained dormant. A side of Kai, that sent a shiver along his spine – and not that warm tingling feeling either. And then the slate-haired character laughed.

Rei had never heard him laugh before. A smile here. A grunt there, but never a full on laugh. He'd always reckoned that Kai hadn't possessed much of a sense of humour and that if he did, his was much different, and probably the complete opposite of someone who was, for example, like Tyson. It wasn't even a joyful laugh, holding a sinister and even sadistic tone to it.

Rei stared on confused at the sudden outburst. His throat once again ran dry and when the mirth subsided, so was he met with that same callous expression.

"It's amusing when you think about it," He said. "You were using me…and I…was using you."

A pair of golden yellow eyes widened dramatically and Rei's mouth fell open. The atmosphere suddenly thickened. Had he heard right? Kai had really said that. He had been using him? Rei's stomach twisted in his gut and his eyes mirrored his displeasure. He shook his head in disbelief, but Kai simply smirked at him, before his face turned back to its permanent scowl.

"But…I…thought…

"You're very naïve, Rei," Kai's monotonous tone returned. "It was easy to trick you, but I never thought it would backfire."

"But I never…

"It doesn't matter now," Kai interrupted. "I have other things to consider…"

The Chinaman couldn't understand it. Beforehand, they had been embraced in a tightly knit hug, their lips locked desperately as if neither could live without the other. His hands had been all over him. He'd felt his heart pumping furiously in his chest against his own in a rhythmic composition. He'd heard the uneven breathing patterns. He'd sensed the lust. Hadn't he? That couldn't have been an act, could it? Even Kai couldn't pretend that.

"But…why…?" Rei's voice was a quivering whisper.

"It's simple, really," Kai began. "I was planning my escape, but in order for me to so, I needed people. Expendable people. People like you."

The pang at Rei's heartstrings was growing by the second. He felt tearful; betrayed; lost. Up until now, he still couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it at all. He had cared for Kai. Liked him. Possibly loved him. And yet, Kai had been far from returning those feelings at all and it had taken Tala's half-hearted lie for him to see it with his own two eyes. Kai was nothing more than a fraud. He saw this now as an unbelievably large emotion took hold of him. One generous with repulsion. He gritted his teeth and everything he was feeling spilled out of him.

"You're just like the rest of them," Rei's golden orbs narrowed. "Tala, Bryan and Ian. It's no wonder you got life in here. And you were just using me for your own selfish purposes, just to get what you want. You know, you're right. I was naïve. So blind into thinking that I could ever be with someone like you. That I could ever change someone like you. I pity you, Kai."

"I don't need your pity," Kai replied. "I never needed it."

"But you needed me!"

"Hardly," Came the response. "You were just convenient. Tala hated you with a passion and even more so after I rung you in. You were way too easy."

Rei's fury ascended towards breaking point.

"So that was it? You were just trying to get back at Tala," He shouted. "That's rich, Kai. A little immature, don't you think? Trying to get your own back just because you were jealous. Well, I've got news for you. Tala's with someone else. No doubt, someone better."

"Anger doesn't do you justice, Rei,"

"And deception definitely doesn't do you anything either," The Chinese boy drew in a juddering breath. "I should have known. You're nothing more that a cold-hearted snake! You're incapable of loving anyone"

Within moments of his declaration, Rei found himself soaring through the air until he landed on the floor, uncomfortably with his back pressed up against the bed edge. Kai's fist withdrew from where it had planted itself against his face, which was burning furiously at the force delivered. Rei's neck had twisted slightly upon the impact, his smooth and yet spiky bangs flying into his face along with him. A hand went to touch his face and it screamed as all the blood rushed towards the inflicted area.

Rei's eyes were wide with fear and when he turned towards the Russian, he noticed that his were as well. The whole ordeal had happened so fast, that neither could comprehend it fully. There remained a small silence until Kai made his move, heading towards the door and slamming it shut as he left. Rei was left to his thoughts.

-

Kai was still in shock at his actions, but when Rei had dubbed him unable to love, he had seen that brief flash of red and lost it entirely. He hadn't seen or felt such fury in a long time. Even when he had found out about Tala and Bryan. He'd felt less aggravated then he had with Rei. Why did he feel so? Rei had just been a pawn.

You allowed yourself to get attached and now you're paying the price.

The thought was as clear as day. He hadn't meant for that to happen. Kai was a soldier. He did what he had to in order to get the job done. He'd been taught to put aside useless emotions that clouded your judgement. And then he had fallen for Tala. And then Rei.

He growled at the thought of the other. He was both upset and mad at him. Rational thoughts had long since left an empty gap in his mind. All he could think of was what went wrong. What Rei had done. What Tala had said. What he had done. It was all a muddle and the more he failed to pull the pieces together, the angrier her felt. Everything he had worked towards was crashing and burning around him. Tala had won. Rei was now out of the picture. But it had been Rei who had brought it on himself anyway. He'd had his demons, just like Kai had. He was just as bad as he was. So why did he feel so much regret. Why was he allowing such thoughts to plague his mind. Why did he even care?

"Hey! Watch it, Hiwatari!" He heard someone say.

When he turned his head, he realised that he was now upon the ground floor. He couldn't even remember descending down the stairs. Everything around him seemed to be occurring in slow motion, even as he let his eyes grace upon the familiar redheaded figure that was Johnny. The Scotsman stared harshly at him with his lavender eyes and a familiar sense of deja vu took him over.

"I haven't got time for you, Johnny,"

"Well, make time!"

"What's your problem?"

"You're my problem!"

"Back off!" Kai's tone was putrid again.

"What if I don't,"

Johnny's voice was seemed to echo around him and the people of the corridor seemed to stop and watch, but Kai was not focused on them now. He was simply concentrated upon Johnny who held a nasty smile upon his face. Something about Johnny had slowly annoyed him before, but now that annoyance seemed tenfold. He wanted him to back off because ever since he'd arrived, Johnny had been on his case. He wanted to finally end the snide remarks, but most of all, he wanted to wipe that smirk off of Johnny's face, even if it was the last thing he did.

That redness crossed his vision again and so did his fist as he sent it flying across Johnny's jaw. And then another collided with his cheekbone until the Scotsman tumbled upon the floor, back first. Officers were piling into the hallway now at the sudden uproar and inmates were cheering, most happy to see Johnny on his back. But Kai didn't stop there. Even as the other adolescent lay with his hand clinging to his chin, a smooth red liquid pouring from an internal wound, Kai straddled over the boy and delivered blow after blow after blow. A mix of rage, distress and pain firing alongside every blow. The cheering disappeared into the background and to a point, so did Johnny as he lay completely defenceless upon the floor. Blocking didn't work. Kai only found new places to send his wrath. But he was soon brought back to reality when he felt himself being hauled backwards from the severely injured Scotsman.

At first he struggled. He wanted to finish off what he'd started, but as the cheering came back into play and the entire F Wing came back into focus, so did he allow the officers to restrain him.

"Take him down the block to cool off," He heard someone say.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see another few officers shooing inmates back to their normal daily activities. He could see Johnny laying withered and bloodied before him. A stretcher had appeared. He could see Tala standing just outside his dorm room, a smug look on his face. Bryan looked neutral and Ian looked astounded. There were many different faces mirroring many different sentiments. Most looked completely fearful as they had never seen Kai react in such a way. The face that finally caught his eyes however, as he was carted off through the gates, was that of his former lover. Rei was standing upon the third floor, looking down at him. His hand covered half of a swollen cheek that was turning purple in colour. His expression was sorrowful, almost pitying.

TBC