Kai shifted uneasily in his seat as they waited for the results of the DNA test at the Bladebreakers' mansion. Amadeo squealed excitedly at seeing the building again and took off for Tyson's room the second he had heard that the blue haired man was still sleeping. From there, Kami only knew what was going through the head of the four-year-old mastermind of pranks. The phone rang shrilly and Kai jumped to answer it.
"Hello?" Kai's features were set in a tense mask of worry. "Speaking. Oh? And what's the verdict on the tests? I see; well, thank you for your assistance, Doctor. Good-bye."
"KENNY!" Tyson's scream shook the house and Amadeo bolted into the room only to escape through the double doors of the patio and into the wood shed. "Kenny, I am NOT happy about this." Kenny sighed in exasperation as the third oldest of the group entered from the stairwell. Kai, Max and Rei had to stifle their laughter as they saw what had become of the man. Bright orange paint covered the bluenette from head to toe and there were two plastic horns sticking out of his head making him look hilariously like a demon.
"You had better learn to control that Mini Kai of Terror, Ken, or else I'm taking him over my knee and giving him a good strapping."
"You will do no such thing to my son, Granger." Kai growled causing the other to tense up and back off toward the living room area where Hilary burst into gales of laughter.
"Well, it looks like you still have plenty of control over my little brother." A new voice said as Hero stepped from the shadows of the hallway. "Amadeo will do anything to get him going and so far everything seems to be working his way."
"How so, Hero?" Kai asked; his brows crinkled together in a dark "V".
"You see, the main reason why the boy does the things that he does is to get Tyson and others he's tricked into training with him so that he'll get stronger. His antics will always lead to some form of training whether it be mental, physical, or even physiological."
"And to think I was wondering where it came from." Max said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his blond spikes. Rei leaned against him lazily. "When we heard Kenny say that he was your son we were a little… abstract-minded and didn't believe him right away."
"And now do you believe me?" Kenny asked triumphantly. He crossed his arms and waited for the answer that the blond would give.
"Yes, because now all the pieces fit." Max replied. "But, exactly where will you all be living now that you've left Lilly River Village?"
"Russia." Kai said bluntly. "He needs to learn about the other side of his family and that's the place he needs to go to teach him."
Kenny nodded. "We were thinking of sending him to school at the Demolition Abbey seeing as the guys there have turned it into a boarding slash public school."
"So, we're going to Russia?" A little voice asked from the doorstep. "And I'll go to a big school and learn a lot more than I know now?" Kai turned around to face his new-found son. Amadeo's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "But what about vacations? Will we come back here to visit?"
Kai motioned for the boy to step forward taking the sobbing child into his arms to sooth him. "Of course we'll come back. You can even come here on every vacation just to anguish Tyson to death if you please."
"It's true then? You're really my father?" Kai nodded. "In that case, can I call you 'daddy'?"
"You know, I think I'd like that." Kai said giving the child a squeeze and ignoring the looks that the others were giving him. Never before had Kai been so open with his emotions like this. Maybe Amadeo was blessing after all. Tyson fumed, Kai showered that little Devil with unscathed love and affection yet there was no frigging pity for him.
"Where's MY pittance?" He said with a heavy-hearted sigh. "That little demon damages my ego and I don't get anything."
Amadeo smirked. "Don't worry, Uncle Tyson, I'll be back this summer. And I'm going to have a whole new bag of tricks to play on the lot of you." Tyson paled from under the orange paint he was trying to scrub off his face.
"You're kidding, ne?"
"Uh-hu," said the little boy as he took something from his back pocket. "Here, you missed a spot on your nose, Uncle." Kai lifted the boy up so that he could rub the handkerchief onto Tyson's nose. Soon, the blue haired man was sneezing like crazy and Kai put the child down with a curious look.
"Sneezing powder." He explained. "I got it from Alexa before we left Lilly River."
"Why you- HACHOO- little- HACHOO- BRAT!" Amadeo squealed before bolting outside. Kenny watched in amusement.
"Listen." He said to the others as the mini Kai of terror ran around the pool. "Five, four, three, two, on: and there he goes." Suddenly, a loud splash echoed into the house as Tyson went flying into the pool after tripping over one of the many lawn chairs. "I can't wait to introduce him to Tala and the others."
"Me neither," Kai replied.
"Nyet Tala, you are not pinching his cheeks." Kai said darkly as Amadeo's eyes slowly slid open to reveal the color of his eyes. "Oh, so you're finally awake? Did you sleep well?" He asked his son, but the boy didn't answer because he was too busy glaring into a certain lavender haired man's face. Suddenly, one small foot struck forward and landed a square kick to the side of Brian's head. Kai laughed.
"Yup, he's definitely Hitwari's kid." Brian commented as he nursed the side of his face. Kenny watched in amusement as the lithe boy calmly cover his tracks with a yawn. Looking up into the four new faces the boy sat up to survey the room he was in. "Did he sleep the whole way here?" Quietly, Amadeo leaped off the couch and onto the Prussian carpet of the common room.
"Yes," Kenny answered. "Once he found out that he wasn't aloud to beyblade on the plane he decided to fall asleep after defeating his father in a game of chess." Amadeo ran up to his father and held out his arms as Kai picked him up. "Don't you spoil him, Kai."
"I know." The slate haired man listened as his son began to whisper a chant into his ears. It was something that Amadeo had said to him when they reached Japan as well: "Capture hearts; destroy egos? I wonder what I should do.". "If you really want to know, Deo, I'd like it if you behaved yourself while you are here."
"OK, I will." Came the louder reply.
"What did he say?" Tala asked, confusion laced his voice and eyes.
"He wanted to know if he could damage your egos and I told him no. Besides, didn't you go into overkill in Japan?"
"In Japan? Oh, that was only minor damage, Daddy."
"What'd he do so wrong in Japan?" Ian asked as he got a drink of water for the little boy. "Here you go, cutie."
"Spasee'ba." Amadeo replied in Russian causing the lithe teacher to fall on his backside. "What's the matter?"
"Amadeo, these are your other uncles: Brian, Tala, Ian, and Spencer." Kenny said lightly.
Amadeo blinked. "More family? Papa, why do I have so much family?"
"Well, you're a small part of a great family called beybladers, so you have a very vast array of people you have to contend with." Kai said gently as he put his son down. "Did you want to see some of the other room while we're here? After all, this is where you will be going to school."
"Sure; just one question, Daddy."
"Shoot."
"Where are the beydishes?" The rest of the adults face-faulted while Kai and Kenny laughed at the way that their son whined for a dish to practice in. "Hey!" Suddenly, Amadeo was being hauled away to the hallway where brightly colored pictures lined the walls and graduation photos were hanging in frames. Scrolls were decorated with letters of thanks and appreciation to the leaders of the school. Tala looked down at the little boy; a faint reminder of the way that Kai used to be still reflected in the child's eyes and it was scaring him to death. "Where are you taking me?"
"First off: my name is Tala. While you are attending classes here you will call me Master Tala- other than that you may call me 'uncle'. Secondly: before you can be admitted into the grade that your Papa told me that you were ready for you have to take an entrance examination. Is anything I just said over your head?"
"Only the size of your mouth." Pause. "OW!" Amadeo yelped rubbing his cheek where Tala had hit him. "What was that for?"
"Being brazen." Tala replied. "Now, in here please. This is where you will be taking your test. You will have two hours to complete it and then I will mark it for you afterward- your father will know where to find me." Tala put a booklet of paper in front of the little boy and went to sharpen a pencil for him. "There will be no help offered during the exam because it is only to test your skill and learning levels. Can you read in Russian?"
"Yes, Master Tala."
"Good." Tala ruffled his 'nephews' hair and smiled. "Good luck."
Kenny waited in the living room of the huge boarding school with Spencer and Ian as they sipped on their afternoon tea and snacked on doughboy cookies. The brunette sighed. It had already been an hour since Tala had dragged his little boy off to the examination room to be tested for his skills and learning levels. "He ought to have been done with that exam by now. How long is it anyway?"
"Twenty pages- all back to back and on various subjects." Spencer said.
"Yeah, but the most of it is math, reading comprehension, social sciences, and world studies. And those go up to a grade seven skill and learning level. It's also written in both Japanese and Russian."
Kenny smiled. "Well then, knowing what Amadeo is like, this test shouldn't take much longer." Suddenly, the door burst open and the said child ran in and jumped into his Papa's arms. "How'd it go?" Kenny asked Tala as the red head walked leisurely into the room with the exam in hand.
"Here, take a look at this." He said. "I gave him the kindergarten to grade three test like you asked me to and he aced it." Spencer dropped his cup spilling its contents all over the hardwood floor.
"He what?" The big blond blinked twice. "That's impossible. There hasn't been a student like that here in two years."
"I know. So, I took the liberty of giving him the grade four test and that's the level he'll be at next semester. And just so you know, Kenny, I've also put his beyblading skills to the test and he's just above Kai's level when he was that age. With a little more practice, he should be able to master the higher skill levels and surpass his own father at the beydish."
"Well, what did you expect, Tala? A spoiled brat with no education? You forget who his parents are so soon, do you?" Kai asked as he stepped from the shadows. "With my bey skills and Kenny's smarts he's quite the sneaky combination."
"Quite agreeable, Kai."
"I assume that you have told him all of the rules?"
"No, I've assigned someone of his skill level to do that for me." Tala heard a knock at the door. "It's open Alex, you may enter." A small boy with emerald green eyes and golden blond hair entered and bowed to his teachers. "This, Amadeo, is your guide for the rest of the month. His name is Alexander Karistovan and he's just three months younger than you."
"Pleased to meet you, Amadeo." The younger boy said in Russian.
"Nice to meet you too, Alexander." Amadeo looked curiously at the boy in front of him. "Do you… um…plzhah'lsta garavee'to lee vy anglee'skee?" Tala watched as Alex shook his head no. "That's ok, I can speak in Russian."
"Alex, you may go and show him around now. And don't forget to implicate the rules to him."
"Yes, Master Tala." The boy bowed again and took Amadeo by the hand before walking out of the room and down the hallway. "You understand me?"
"Yeah," Amadeo replied using Russian.
"That's nice, maybe we should be friends. I don't have very many and I'm always looking for new people to befriend."
"I'd like that." Pause. "So what do I call you?"
"You can call me Alex. Do you have a special name that your parents call you?"
"Deo." Alex laughed.
"It's a nice name considering the fact that it means charm." The three year old said. "Here, there are three rules you must follow at all costs. If those rules are broken you are punished as seen fit by our teachers whom you've already met. I assume that Master Tala has given you the teacher rule?"
"To call them "Master"?"
"Yes, that's rule number one. Two: never walk into a room without first knocking unless it is a student common room or a place that we are allowed into without permission- I'll show you those as well. Three: baths are taken every night at seven P.M. sharp. If you are not there or are late you will be punished accordingly. Four: light's out for every student is at nine P.M. sharp."
"Are there very many rules to this place Alex?"
"Only a few more." The blond smiled. "Rule number five: don't start any fights. Six: breakfast is at eight A.M. so you have to be up and ready at seven thirty. Seven: try to get along with all of the other children. If the older ones pick on you then write it down and give it to Master Brian at the end of the day. After that don't bother with it." Alex smiled. "I was told to show you to where you will be sleeping when you start here. Fortunately, you- like everyone else here- is situated in their own room to which you can do anything you what to except destroy. Any questions?"
"Only one: where are the beydishes? I'm on a schedule and need to practice."
"Scrap that schedule, Amadeo." A new voice said. Brian stepped from the shadows and into the light. "Alex, you have special permission so I won't ask. Amadeo, while you are here I make the dish schedules and this is not your day. You and Alex will share your times and that will be tomorrow: Practice Room Eight at five thirty tomorrow evening."
"Yes, Master Brian." Amadeo hung his head in disappointment.
"Good to see you understand, now here's a map should you ever get lost." Brian handed the older child his map and waved. "See you in class next semester."
"Believe it or not, Master Tala is the real strict one." Alex said as his new friend groaned.
"I can believe that."
DMQ: Well, this is a lengthy one. In fact the longest one so far.
Dragon Heart: Meh, if you say so.
