Chapter 21

The sound of Beyblades spinning and crashing rang out through the dark room. Boris stared at the screen before him, watching the battle that had taken place between two of the new bladers he had recruited and Kai and Jade. They had lost as he knew they would. Jon and Bradley were no match to the combined power of Kai and Jade. No, the Bladebreakers's captain and newest member were far too skilled.

Just like I trained them to be...

A swell of pride filled him as he watched the tape. He have not heard from the man had he sent out to record the battle. There was no doubt what had become of him. No matter. He served his purpose. Boris had what he needed. Very soon...

"Sir, Lord Voltaire wished to inform you he's on his way here." a man reported from the doorway.

Boris turned, momentarily surprised. "So soon? Well then, I'll have ready what he wants by the time he gets here. Send them out." he ordered.

"Yes, sir." the man bowed and left Boris to return to his dark thoughts.


Snow...

Kai blinked in confusion as he stared at the white particles drifting down from the cloudy skies above. He reached out to touch it as it fell but the snow went right through his fingers.

It's not real..., he realized. This has to be a dream.

He looked up and corrected his thought. More like a nightmare. Why am I here? In front of the Abbey?

The sound of a car drew his attention to the gates and he realized he knew what was going to happen.

The limo had stopped and Boris was getting put of it. Despite everything they as a team had been through against BioVolt and especially Boris, Kai's ex-mentor still left a twinge of fear within him with a reason he couldn't seem to remember. Boris was a dangerous man and even more so with Voltaire. They were capable of anything.

But why her?

The question rang in Kai's mind as he watched the young girl emerged from the car, staring up at the Abbey with wide innocent eyes. He knew somewhere on the higher floor over looking the Abbey entrance, his younger self was watching as well. Guilt speared its way to his heart.

I could have done something..., he thought. I could have warned her...but...I didn't...because I thought I didn't care...

Boris was speaking to the girl. "This'll be your new home from now on. Come." he held out a hand to her but she just stared at it as if it were a foreign object. Boris frowned but didn't push the matter. Instead he led the way through the gates of the Abbey and she followed reluctantly.

No...Don't go..., he thought wishing there could have been something he could have done to stop her but there was nothing he could do for he had no say to the past. The past could not be changed.

"Transferring data." a man's dull voice said.

Kai turned, surprised to find himself no longer outside but inside the abbey. He stood in a room filled with computers and machineries and a group of children gathered at the glass wall that separated the next room. They were looking down at a battle in the other room, drawn by the intensity of the battle. Drawn by a strange urge, Kai too glanced down and gasped.

Down in the room, standing over the Beystadium was the girl brought in by Boris. Somehow he knew all this happened a year after her arrival to the Abbey. Her eyes, once held warmth and love, were now cold and emotionless as she focused on the blue blade in the center of the Beystadium. The Beyblade was easily dodging five other blades in the dish, eliminating them one by one with cold efficiency.

Kai frowned. That blade...where have I seen it...before? He tried searching his mind and found...nothing. He can't remember.

"Power increasing." the man's voice said. Kai knew it was one of the many scientists hired to monitor the blue Beyblade and its owner like they had done to him. The next time the man spoke, his voice held detectable awe and shock. "Surpassing expected limit."

Kai heard a familiar voice that sent shivers down his spine muttered. "Amazing." Voltaire.

The girl summoned back her blade after she had taken out the last of her opponents. As if she could sense the attention she was getting, she looked up directly at him. Kai drew a breath in sharply.

Her green eyes...so different from he had last seen her...filled with so much pain...haunted...familiar...like Jade's.

The thought jerked him.

And Kai found himself awake. His breathes were ragged, coming out in pants. There was a sense of dread in his mind and it almost made him feel nauseated. He fought the waves of pain flooding his chest like those haunted green eyes had flooded his mind that moment.

Those eyes...so much like Jade's eyes...

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he whispered.

No one reply. His teammates were all asleep all save for Jade. Her bed was empty and neatly made like those many times she woke up earlier than him and went out without telling anyone.

A sigh escaped his lips. For some reason, the air seemed thick and hard to breath.

I need to get out.

Kai dressed quickly and silently without waking anyone up. He grabbed his blade on the way out and left the dojo.


At the first crack of dawn, Jade had left the dojo without waking up anyone mainly a certain stoic captain. She had a lead on what was going on that had to do with Ray's injury and there was no way she could find anything out with a team tagging along. Some things had to be done alone. It was easier that way. Anyway, the guy had said someone was going around recruiting Beybladers in the streets. She doubted him but she had nothing else to go on.

After she had slipped from Kai's watchful eye after the tournament the previous day, she had made her way to the waiting room that belonged to the boys who hurt Ray. Not to her surprise, the man she had seen recording the match was there. He was giving Bradley and Jon some money when she cornered them, took out the man and destroyed the tape he had used to record the battle. Not that it did help. She was sure the whole scene of the battle had already been transmitted. Bradley and Jon were all too eager to spill about the man who had recruited them when they saw her. Their conversation flashed in her mind.

"Some weird guy told us to challenge any member of the Bladebreakers. Said that if we did, he would make us strong." Bradley has babbled out.

Jon had joined in, clearly hoping any bit of information he spill was sufficient enough to save his pathetic ass. "And it isn't just us. He has been going around, recruiting other bladers off the streets. You can ask around if you don't believe us."

So here she was.

Jade turned into an alley from where she could hear music blasting from a radio. The occupants of the alley looked up at her with interest. She stared back, daring them to try anything.

"You lost?" a mohawk-haired boy drawled from his position a top a pile of crates. The radio sat next to him, playing Linkin Park's 'Breaking the Habit.'

Jade fixed her eyes on him, knowing without doubt he was the leader of the gang that conquered this alley. "No." she answered. "I need information."

He smirked, checking her out. "On what?"

"I heard that you were approached by some guy to join his Beyblading team or something." she said, keeping it simple.

"Well, it depends." the kid said. "Maybe you're new in the neighborhood, honey."

"Give her a break, Slim. The babe probably doesn't know how our system works." a pink-spiked haired boy said, making no effort to hid his interest in her.

She titled her head, listening. Oh, she knew how the system on the street works. But there was no point letting those punks know that.

Slim nodded, agreeing with his friend. "It's like this, toots. You beat us in a Beybattle, we tell you whatever you want. You lose, well...I rather not say."

A smile curved her lips as she pulled out her blade. "No problem."


Why can't I get that dream out of my head? Kai wondered. He sat on the slope by the river, staring at his reflection in the clear water.

I can't seem to forget it...that girl...

Her eyes flashed through his mind, haunting his every thought even when he closed his eyes.

It's her eyes...I know those eyes...

Beautiful green eyes that were innocent...eyes that gazed at him with tenderness and gentleness that was rare to him...that shared the pain he had endured...the suffering...the sadness...

His hand became a fist as all those thoughts concluded into one.

Jade's eyes...

Was it...possible?

A chill ran through his body and despite himself, Kai shivered as he realized it could be. With a heavy sigh, he got up to leave.


All three Beyblades that belonged to her opponents landed outside the Beystadium moments after the battle started. Jade's blade was still spinning steadily in the center.

Jade feigned a yawn. "Is that the best you got? I'm disappointed."

Slim gritted his teeth, equally as surprise as his teammates. "Okay, so you're better than I expected. So what? You still have to beat me."

He hopped down from the crates and held out his launcher. With a yell, he let loose his orange blade on the blue blade in the center of the dish with the intention of knocking it out with one blow. Draizer easily dodged his blade and doubled back, taking Slim's blade out from behind.

"Oh man!" Slim groaned as his blade landed at his feet.

Jade caught Draizer as it returned to her. She looked at the punk. "I believe you owe me some information."

Slim picked up his blade, inspecting it before he kept it away. "Fine. A deal's a deal. We were approached by a man. Weird guy. Purple hair. Wearing weird clothes. People would think he's trying to be some kind of a bad guy from a movie set. Ya get what I mean?"

She nodded grimly. "I get. Now did he tell you his name?" she asked although she thought she already knew.

"Hm...Let's see...He said his name was Boris."

Her eyes darkened. "What did he want?"

"Said he was recruiting bladers to join his...I dunno...class or something." he shrugged. "Told us he could make us powerful."

"Why did you turn him down?" she wanted to know.

Slim snorted. "I ain't the kinda guy to follow orders. Doesn't work for me. Me and my boys here, we're street bladers. We live by our own rules."

This kid doesn't know his pride just saved his freedom, Jade thought. "Where can I find this Boris guy?"

"Uptown. Some big mansion. Heard it from the street lackeys. Figured he was some rich sucker." Slim said. He studied her more carefully this time. "Why so interested? You interested in joining him?"

She didn't answer.

"Well, if you are, best be careful. There's something funny about that guy." he said.

She nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." she turned on her heel and left, her mind taking in the information she had gotten. So Boris is in town...does the BBA know about this? No, not likely. Mr. Dickenson would have told us...What's Boris up to now? Surely he didn't come all the way here just to recruit amateur Beybladers. Unless...

A gasp escaped her as she broke into a run.

I have to warn him! I have to warn Kai!


Without realization, Kai had wondered into the more isolated areas of town, his mind occupied with the possible meaning of his dream. People ignored him as he walked past them. He ignored them too.

"Kai Hiwatari."

The sound of his name spoken with power and authority made him look up. Before him, blocking his way were two men dressed in black.

"We need you to come with us." one of them said in voice that indicated he had no choice.

He tensed, sensing trouble. He was sure he knew who these men were. BioVolt's men! What the hell are they doing here?

"Don't fight us, young Kai." the other man said.

Kai felt a smirk on his face. "I suppose Boris sent you. Well, tell him to make an appointment!" without warning, he turned and ran.

They were momentarily taken off-guard; probably surprised that he would try and run from them. They recovered and Kai could hear them calling for back-up. He sprinted through the alleys leading them in a mad goose chase in hopes of loosing them but somehow they managed to keep up.

Dammit! Since when were they so fit?

He turned into another alley and came face to face with...Carlos.

"What a surprise, Kai." the ex-member of the Blade Sharks sneered in a voice that doesn't sound surprise at all.

Kai glared at him." Carlos." he said with disgust. "Lemme guess. You work for them."

"Yes, I do." Carlos admitted and pulled out a gun.

Kai cursed as he turned to run. He cried out when he felt sharp pain running from his arm, spreading to his whole body. The pain became numbness and he realized he had been hit by a tranquilizer bullet. His legs gave out and as he struggled against the dimming darkness that threatened to overwhelm his vision, he saw Carlos coming up to him with a triumphant grin. Then, there was only darkness.

Carlos stood over the fallen body of Kai and turned to the men who were arriving in the alley. "I've got him." he said.

"I'm sure Boris would be pleased." a man said. He waved a hand to the others. "Take him in."

Grinning, Carlos stared down at the unconscious form of his once-great leader.