Thank you so much for all your reviews and suggestions! You know reviews
totally make my day!
Sara: Hmm, maybe I'm getting too predictable! That was actually something that was going to happen, although slightly different. But, it has already happened to Kai. But that's because it is the most obvious thing to happen in his predicament. I dunno, we'll see how it turns out!
Phoenix the first: Wow, it's great that I don't appear to be biased. Of course, I do have my faves (yay Kai and Rei!) and it's pretty hard not to focus on only one of them. I suppose you just have to concentrate not to focus just on one. ^_~
To all concerned with pairings: You'll just have to see as the story progresses. There are hints throughout the story. I obviously can't please everyone but reviews will undeniably have influence.
Don't own it, never will =(. But hey! I DO own my story!! Yeehaw.
^^^^^
Twisted Fate
Chapter 14: Tears of Draciel
Staring deep into those cold blue eyes, Kai seemed to search for Max's soul, but to no avail. Neither broke the stare, but Kai knew Max wasn't looking at him. He wasn't focusing on anything at all. Seeing but not watching, the dulled blue orbs continued to stare harshly into Kai's own soft grey eyes, which were now filled with concern and worry.
"What do you want," Max finally said in a barely audible whisper. His voice was quiet, but filled with venom and sting. Kai was silent, for once at loss for words. It was obvious he wanted Max to carry on, to be okay, to make it through, but the words didn't come. He continued to stare at the unfamiliar eyes, as if searching desperately for Max, his friend. "What do you want with me?" Max hissed again, his eyes penetrating.
"What I want, Max, is for you to understand that there is so much more to life, and once we get through this labyrinth you'll feel life better than ever. I want you to know that we are always going to be there to support you, as friends and teammates. Don't let him break you down; we'll get through this together. No matter what happens, don't give up." Kai's grey eyes were fiery and burned with determination.
The blue eyes were closed, now, and Max slowly turned away. What he said next caused the fire in Kai's eyes to leave with a blink. "Sorry," he whispered with a vile smile. "Too late."
^^^^^
"Good morning, chief," Dizzi's electronic voice came from the laptop. "My, you slept well today. To bed at 2:00 and up at 5:30? Why, that's half an hour more than yesterday!"
"Can it, Dizz," Kenny mumbled.
"Well aren't we cheery this fine mor-"
"I said to can it!" Kenny said, irritated. Dizzi shut up. "Now back to work."
"Chief, I-"
"I don't want to hear it, Dizzi. Honestly, can't we just get down to business?"
"That's my point, chief. We've covered everything in my entire database - several times - and we've still got nothing. And you need some sleep, chief, like it or not. Coffee just ain't gonna cut it anymore."
Kenny sighed deeply. "I guess so, Dizzi. Coffee has a horrid aftertaste, anyways..."
"You bet, kiddo. Thirteen-year-olds thrive on sugar and soda pop, not coffee. Leave that until you're middle-aged; by then you'll be addicted."
"Hey, I'm NEARLY fourteen!" Kenny suppressed a yawn. "Well, guess I'll catch up on some sleep now..."
And he did.
^^^^^
Rei, Tyson and Hilary were all sitting in the foot or so of icy water, still laughing as they had been for the longest time, although they were completely exhausted from mirth.
"My sides hurt," Tyson said, laughing and coughing at the same time. He and Rei had stripped down to their boxer shorts. Hilary had taken off her pink sweater, and they were now feebly attempting to wring out their soggy, drenched clothes, with no such luck.
"Screw this," Rei grinned, giving up on drying the clothes. "These clothes will only weigh us down." Tyson and Hilary gave him *disturbed* looks, and a blush immediately spread across his face. "Wet clothes! Heavy, soaking wet clothes! Ugh, you know what I meant..."
"Yeah, yeah Rei. I concur! Let's all go streaking downtown..." Tyson laughed. Hilary was giggling and blushing furiously (who wouldn't, with two guys in boxers?) "We would be so free and... natural," Tyson laughed cockily.
"Tyson!" Rei and Hilary simultaneously splashed Tyson in the face.
"Hey, I thought the water war was over!" Tyson said, finding it hard to breathe between the water and the uncontrollable laughter. "Guys?! Hey, quit it! Come on..." he splashed back, and they began round two of the water fight.
^^^^^
"Max, we have to get out of here," Kai's voice sounded slightly on edge. The water was rising, and was now almost at their knees.
"What's the point..."
"Max!" Kai gritted his teeth in frustration. "The water is rising."
"Yeah. I'm aware of that, Kai." Max wasn't looking at him. He was inanimate, and spoke to nobody although his words said otherwise.
"Max, we'll all drown unless you get a grip and move." Kai's calm voice betrayed his worry. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of drowning in the maze, which would have anyone panicky. He was more afraid for Max.
"I know." Max's lifeless voice had less emotion than Kai's own. "Go ahead."
"Max, don't be a total moron. You know we won't leave without you." Kai's eyes seemed to flash warningly. Max didn't reply. "We've already wasted too much time. We need to go now."
Rei, Tyson and Hilary were deep into their water fight. Laughing hysterically despite being extremely cold and wet, they didn't even notice Kai approach. In fact, they only noticed he was there after they had completely drenched him by splashing.
Kai stood, soaked and cold, a vein throbbing on his forehead anime-style. "Eheheh... hey there, Kai? What's chillin'?" Tyson put his hand on the back of his head. The three of them all had extremely large cheesy grins on.
"We have to get going, and fast. If you hadn't noticed, which is quite likely, you'll realise the water level is significantly higher than it was when we first stopped." They stood up, and found that it was indeed a good few inches deeper.
They all blinked in surprise. Rei especially was shocked that he hadn't caught on earlier. *meep* "Whoa... we better get going! Oh, how's Max?"
"...See for yourself," Kai said quietly. Max was still standing in the same position, his back to them. They could feel the negative feelings Max seemed to radiate.
"Oh..." Hilary looked sad, along with the others. They knew the pressure had crushed Max's spirit without asking. The faces that had been laughing and grinning just seconds ago had fallen.
"Look. We have to get out of here," Kai said firmly. He had to be cool and in control, since quite obviously the others wouldn't take that role under depressing circumstances.
The others nodded, and they ran to where Max was standing. "Max!" Tyson cried out. "Hey, what's wrong, buddy?" Max didn't reply. Tyson waved his hand in front of Max's face, then realised Max's eyes weren't seeing. They were glazed over, lost in memories.
^^^^^
Max's mind was spinning, flooded with memories. Voices and images flashed in his mind, none of them good. How many times had he let someone down? Too many, especially all remembered in a sequence at once. So many times he had let opportunity slip through his fingers. All his fault...
His parents fought. They fought and it hurt... they fought because of him. He had caused the divorce. They kept telling him it wasn't his fault, but he knew otherwise. They tried so hard to conceal it, but there was more underneath the blonde than anyone saw.
Painful days spent alone, nights spent crying with nobody to console him... but he hid it from the world. Hidden beneath a mask of happiness, his sad self lay.
"Max! Hey Max!" Their voices were blurred in the chaos of bleak memories. He paid no mind.
Max had a disturbing look of insanity and depression in his eyes, and whispered to himself, "Drowning wouldn't be so bad..."
^^^^^^
"MAX!" The Bladebreakers had heard his trance-like whisper. They stared, appalled at what he had just said.
That's when Hilary did something surprising. She slapped Max straight across the face, and hard. He seemed to awaken from his trance. A bright red imprint of Hilary's hand immediately showed on his face.
"Eep! Sorry Max!! I really didn't mean for it to be that hard! Honestly, I'm sooo sorry..." Hilary frantically tried to apologise, but she soon realised he had barely felt the pain. It was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside.
"The water is rising quickly. We have to go now," Kai said calmly but firmly.
Max didn't make an effort to move. Rei sighed. "This is for your own good, Max." He lifted Max up off the ground and started to carry him. "Let's go."
The blue-eyed boy stared blankly ahead. He didn't make an effort to protest or to help out. He was again lost in a sequence of nightmares.
Max lost consciousness at some point while Rei was carrying him. He had given up the will to live.
^^^^^
"Hey Kenny!" Kenny swung around to see an energetic blur of turquoise and pink heading straight for him.
"Aaah!" Kenny cowered in terror, but laughed as he realised what it was. "Oh, hey Zeo!"
"Any news on Tyson and the others?" The boy (or android, rather), was jumping up and down with excitement. His long hair whipped Kenny in the face.
"Ow- no, nothing." Kenny's face seemed dejected. Zeo's happy face quickly fell as well.
"Darn. I really hope they're okay!" Zeo smiled.
"Of course, I do too. You wouldn't imagine..." Kenny trailed off, lost in thought.
"So, um, what exactly happened? I heard on the news and stuff that you were captured, but nothing really about what happened." Zeo's eyes shone as he begged for the story from Kenny himself.
Kenny debated whether to tell Zeo or not. Zeo was pretty innocent, and might not want to hear it all. And Kenny certainly hated to relive the nightmare. But he finally decided to tell him everything. "Well, Zeo... I guess you deserve to know. Sit down, 'cause it's gonna be long. It happened like this..." and Kenny started to tell Zeo everything.
^^^^^
Rei was lagging far behind, even though the others were walking at a slow pace. They had been going for what felt like hours. Rei was, needless to say, completely exhausted. He was carrying an unconscious Max, who was about the same weight as him, and was wading through knee-deep water. And his clothes were weighing him down.
Kai, as well, was completely drained. His battle for their lives had taken its toll and he was struggling to stay awake. He hadn't been asleep like the others. He was in pain.
"I'm thirsty," Tyson said, cupping some water in his hands.
"Don't drink it, Tyson. It's salt-water." Kai said warningly.
"You mean you've tried it?" Tyson asked.
"No. But it stings like hell," Kai smirked, despite the pain. "And I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to be drinking blood." He had severe open wounds from the beybattle which were still bleeding, and were stinging in the salt water.
The others blinked, and then immediately rushed to offer anything they had available as bandages for his wounds, which he refused.
"Don't be silly!" Hilary scolded, only making him smile slightly.
"Believe me, I'm fine." The others looked at him, not believing his words. "I've handled much worse. Anyway, your salt-water-soaked garments wouldn't be helping much."
"But-"Tyson interjected.
"Let's keep moving on," Kai interrupted before he could say anything else. 'I don't know if we can make it,' he thought in his mind. 'But there's no way I'm giving up. We have to keep going.'
"Hey Rei, buddy! Give yourself a break and let me carry Max," Tyson offered. Rei smiled and gratefully let Tyson carry Max.
"Thanks, man. I don't think I could have lasted much longer," Rei answered truthfully.
Another hour or so passed, and the water level was increasing rapidly. It was past their thighs now, and was incredibly hard to walk through.
"Uh... do you think we could have a really short break?" Rei collapsed exhaustedly, splashing them all. He quickly staggered to get air into his lungs.
"Sure thing, buddy. We totally need one," Tyson admitted. He was exhausted as well.
Rei took a deep breath and fell back under. He stayed under for at least a minute, which worried the others, especially Hilary. She gently tapped him on the shoulder, and he resurfaced and took a gasp of air.
"Thanks, Hil. I probably would have drifted off down there... it's so tranquil and calming." He smiled, but fatigue showed through.
Hilary looked a little uneasy at Rei's response. "So how's Max?" she asked, still a little freaked.
"Still won't wake up," Tyson said. They had tried before a few times, but with no success. He was too deep in his subconscious realm. Occasionally he would shift or stir in nightmarish fits, but that was all.
Kai stood a little ways away from the others. He was panting heavily, and was on the verge of collapsing. The only thing keeping him from staying conscious was his determination... and the pain from his wounds.
He waited for one of the others to propose starting to trudge through the salty water again. He knew they would have to go now in order to make it close to the exit, but didn't want to draw attention to himself. He knew he looked completely worn out and beaten, and it took all he had just to stay above the tempting water.
Sure enough, Hilary suggested they start moving again. "I know you must be completely exhausted and all... but I really think we should get going! We won't have a chance of escaping if we wait too long..."
"Yeah, she's right," Rei moaned reluctantly. Tyson groaned. He was completely sore all over, as was Rei.
"Come on, guys! Just think of it as intense training," Hilary smiled slightly in an attempt to lift their spirits.
"Yeah... I guess I have to thank you guys for putting us through that torture. Otherwise we wouldn't have made it close to this far," Tyson smiled in the same manner as Hilary - a slight, fake smile. Not fake in the sense that he didn't mean it, but it wasn't because he was happy, rather he was trying to encourage his friends.
They continued to walk, slowly through the water. It was hard enough walking normally, but in water...
Tyson finally couldn't bear Max's burden anymore. "I'm sorry... but I can barely take another step," he said exhaustedly. His friends weren't disappointed at all, and were even surprised he could take Max for that long. Only he was angry with himself for not being able to carry Max for longer.
"Max... wake up!" Hilary cried desperately, but he didn't stir. "Max! Wake up NOW! We're depending on you! Please, come on..." He didn't move at all. One could have mistaken him for dead. She even slapped him again in desperation, but he didn't budge. "Oh, I give up..."
Hilary was stubborn, and wouldn't stop trying. "Max! I dunno if you can hear me, but if you can you MUST get up! Rei and Tyson have carried you for hours, and they are absolutely exhausted. They can't possibly carry you any further. And Kai... oh Kai!" She ran over to the weakened blader, thrusting Max towards Rei, who nearly collapsed under the weight.
"Here we go," he muttered under his breath to himself, nearly slapping himself for letting his fatigue show, especially to Hilary. Tyson and Rei laughed silently at his remark.
"Oh my gosh Kai! Are you okay? You need rest! Should we take a break?" Hilary smothered him like an overprotective mother.
"No," he said rather bluntly. He glanced at Rei and Tyson who were killing themselves trying to stifle their laughter.
"Are you s-"
"Yes," he said before she even asked the question. He rolled his eyes as a huge splash was heard. Tyson and Rei had started laughing out loud; they couldn't contain it any longer.
Hilary's overprotective, motherly nature was funny in some aspects. But deep down, it felt strange... a good strange, though... to Kai. He had never had someone care for him before. In fact, he hadn't even cared for himself. He smiled inwardly.
"I suppose I'll carry Max, seeing that you two already have done more than your fair share of work, and are completely exhausted," Kai said coolly, trudging over to where Max was, trying to shake off his previous thoughts.
"Oh no you don't!" Hilary cried out instinctively. "In your shape you can't even lift him!" Kai knew it was true, and reluctantly accepted it, sighing wearily. "What are we gonna do..." Hilary pondered. "I'll carry Max myself!"
They looked at her strangely. "Er... you're not serious, Hil," Tyson asked, or stated rather.
"And why not?" she asked indignantly. She walked over and attempted to heave Max onto her back... with great difficulty. She shrieked as she splashed headfirst into the water. Tyson snickered; he liked proving himself right. Rei just sweat-dropped, and tried to help her back up. Kai just watched indifferently.
She gasped for air, and immediately tried again. She fell back into the water again. She kept on trying though, since she was not one to give up.
"Well at least the water breaks Max's fall; otherwise he would be hitting that cement real hard. That makes one positive, among the gigantic amount of negatives," Rei said above the loud splashing of water, Hilary's shrieks and mutterings, and Tyson's sniggering and taunting.
^^^^^
They had made little progress the last few hours. Hilary had finally been able to half carry - half drag Max... extremely slowly.
"See? I told you I could do it!" Hilary shouted again to Tyson for the tenth time.
"No, you didn't, though. You're half dragging him through the water," Tyson retorted.
"Yeah? Well at least we're getting somewhere!"
"Yeah, at the speed of... a piece of bread," Tyson said randomly.
"Don't be stupid! Bread doesn't even move!"
"Well duh, Hilary. That's my point."
"Hey! We have so made progress," Hilary said stubbornly.
Kai sighed, glancing wearily back at Dranzer's scratch in the wall directly behind them that he had made at least 5 minutes ago.
"Sure we have," Tyson rolled his eyes. "We've gone nowhere!"
"Hey, at least I'm trying," Hilary pointed out.
"Yeah, I've gotta admit. It's been great, having a really nice, slow long break and all. Too bad we're gonna drown now!"
"Hey, Tyson. Cut it out, will you?" Rei interrupted. He, too, was irritated at their lack of progress, but couldn't stand to hear the hopelessness of his friends. Rei never lost hope, no matter the circumstances.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Rei," Tyson sighed. "I'm just sort of... nervous. Yeah, I admit I'm freaked. The water just keeps coming faster and faster! It's already almost up to my neck..."
"I know, me too," Rei said solemnly. "And I don't think I can swim right now."
"Me neither," Tyson said. They were still completely exhausted, barely able to walk. To be honest, Hilary's pace was about right for them. Soon, it would be past their mouths. It was sink or swim... and in their case it would surely be sink.
Hilary suddenly let out a strangled gasp. She dropped Max, and fainted. Kai managed to barely support Max, and Tyson, struggling, held Hilary in his arms. Rei shivered violently, although nobody seemed to notice.
"Hilary... Hilary are you okay?" Tyson whispered softly, worriedly. His brow was furrowed with frustration, as he didn't understand what was happening.
Her mahogany eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked rather dazed and flushed. "Tyson... I saw... Draciel -- it was sad, crying. Warning... and scared..." her fragments of sentences were rather incoherent. She shivered, which felt strange to Tyson. She was in his arms.
Tears fell from the eyes of Draciel. It was crying to her - to Hilary. It was scared, and frightened for its master. It was warning her, pleading for help. And now... she felt sick again. It had actually happened before - when she had chased Tyson with a broom after school. Dragoon seemed to have called to her... and she had lost consciousness.
"Draciel?" Kai asked. She nodded. "So Draciel was calling to you... for help. He must be worried about Max. Trying to tell you something-- Rei!" Kai's normally cold voice showed concern and slight panic. He had finally noticed him, shaking and fearful. He had turned pale and his skin slightly blue with the cold, which contrasted with his raven hair.
His light brown eyes slowly opened. His breathing was shaky, as was his shivering body. Kai put a hand on his bare shoulder, and it literally felt like ice. No wonder he was shivering like crazy. "Rei, what happened," Kai asked.
"I... it was Max..." Rei said, still freezing cold. His teeth were chattering slightly, but he continued. "And he was lost... in the shadows of his mind. And... I'm scared for him. It was like he was trying to escape, but couldn't run away from his nightmares. I want to reach out to him... and I guess I did..."
His long hair was icy and frozen, and looked like it could break off with a snap. Rei staggered, and leant on Kai for support. Kai tensed as Rei's ice cold body made contact with his skin. Kai glanced at Rei's fingertips and could actually see frost upon them. He could feel him shaking.
Kai frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked, gesturing at Rei's frost- covered hands.
"Huh? Ugh, it feels like I've been frostbitten... Frosted fingers," he smiled with slight amusement at the gruesome statement. "But I'm not sure what exactly happened... all of a sudden I felt cold - and nausea - wash over me in a torrent of nightmares emotions. I dunno, it was like I had just taken all of the cold and sad feelings for Max..."
Kai tried to make out the best he could of Rei's somewhat incoherent ramblings. "So how do you feel right now?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. He had a suspicion of what the answer would be.
"Uh... cold," Rei laughed feebly. "But not just in the physical sense. I can feel the cold of his heart and soul. The cold within, in the form of hatred and sadness... I feel alone and sad. I know, it doesn't make sense-"
"It makes perfect sense to me," Kai interrupted. "Max's emotions of sadness and emptiness were somehow transferred to you. And I think it was Draciel's doing."
"Wow, that makes sense... in a twisted, contorted way," Tyson said. "What I don't get is why he sorta talked to Hilary, and then dumped this on Rei."
"I'm not sure. Maybe it has something to do with Hilary's sensitivity towards bit-beasts." The others understood what he meant. Even when she hadn't believed in bit-beasts, she could sort of feel their presence. "And Rei, well he has a miraculous bond with Driger. I think maybe that and his emotional aspect on things, not to mention his determination and willingness to help contributed to his-"
"Hey, you don't have to talk like we aren't here," Rei said. "But I think that's right. I just don't give up, and I just can't sit by and watch. I guess I sort of knew what was going on in his head, and wanted to help out. I guess I actually did."
With that, he collapsed and his weight fully shifted onto Kai. His slim frame trembled in his subconscious manner. The ice crystals in his lashes started to slowly melt, giving the impression of tears. He appeared to by crying for Max.
^^^^^
"So, how's it going?" Zeo's long hair whipped around as he bounced up and down anxiously.
"Hey, calm down, Zeo. I think I can do this! Maybe half an hour..." Kenny was typing frantically into Dizzi's gigantic network.
Zeo had come up with a scheme. Maybe Kenny would be able to hack into the scientist's database. It was possible, with the newly found information Zeo had discovered.
Dr K, the beautiful henchwoman had been fired from Zagart's corporation before the second world championships. And, apparently now, she had joined no other than...
"Supposedly he calls himself Dr D now," Zeo had explained to Kenny. "Sadly, he can't even remember his own name..."
So perhaps if Kenny could hack into one of Dr K's computers, he would be able to do something. He was desperate now - anything to help out his friends would be good enough.
Kenny suddenly gave a squeal of delight. "I did it! I managed to get past the immense security systems! Now... let's see. This is the best I can do. Now uploading Mr Dickenson's original training plan. 17% done, 31%, 43%, 62%, 79%... 37%? Oh, never mind that's an 87... and DONE!"
Kenny and Zeo started screaming with delight. "We did it! Oh yeah! You are the best, Kenny! We... uh what exactly did you do, Kenny?"
Kenny sweat-dropped. "Basically, we put in place of Dr D's next demented scheme Mr Dickenson's original plan!"
"Oh! That's great! I think..." Zeo smiled.
"Is it ever, boy," Dizzi said cheerfully. "And according to this they are all alive."
"Yes!" Kenny laughed giddily. "Um... but in what condition?"
"Oh... oh dear," Dizzi's tone seemed to become as anxious as a computer could. "Cover your ears, Zeo, 'cause this won't be pretty."
"AIEEE!!" Kenny screamed in the girliest manner Zeo had ever heard. [Like in the first eppy of G-Rev! ^_~] Zeo looked frightened, both for the Bladebreakers and from Kenny's insanely high-pitched cry.
"Um... what's wrong?" Zeo asked nervously.
"Oh, where to start," Dizzi said dryly. Her screen showed an IMMENSE amount of data, and Zeo didn't understand any of it. "Well first of all, they seem absolutely exhausted, all of them. They seem to have been walking for maybe 12 hours since waking, longer for Kai. Max and Rei aren't conscious at the moment. Hilary has a fever and is barely awake, having just recovered from fainting. Tyson is incredibly worn, and Kai is in critical condition. There seem to be deep gashes covering his body, and he is on the verge of losing consciousness. In fact, according to statistics he should have a few hours ago, but that's our Kai. Still holding in."
Zeo and Kenny looked extremely frightened. Finally, Kenny spoke up. "So... those fragments really were the remains of a blade smashed up by Dranzer? That would explain the deep gashes. Rei got a really deep one similar, I think, from a beyblade, so it's logical it happened in the same way."
"Correctamundo, chief. And get this. While Hilary is above normal temperature with a fever, Rei's body temperature is just about at freezing." As Dizzi said this, a window popped up. It read 'recent update: pictures'.
"Huh? Open those," Zeo said anxiously. When the files opened up on Dizzi's screen, they gasped in horror.
First was Tyson. He looked absolutely exhausted. They had gasped at the fact that there was water up to his chin. He was holding Hilary close to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "T. Granger" was printed neatly in the corner of the picture. There were a few other pictures - close ups, different views. His face was grim and fatigued. His brown eyes were worried and worn.
"Oh no," Zeo whispered. "This is terrible!"
"No doubt about that, Zeo," Kenny said, sadly. Unfortunately, Tyson was in the best shape of the five. He opened another file, and there was an assortment of pictures, all different angles of Max.
Max was unconscious, just barely being propped up by Kai. His face was petrified, hurt and depressed. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were shut tightly. His blond hair seemed to have lost its sheen, and hung limply in his deathlike face.
"Oh no... Max... what d'you think happened, Kenny?" Zeo asked.
"Not a clue, Zeo. It appears he's physically fine... but from the look on his face I don't think he's okay emotionally." Zeo nodded. Kenny opened another file, this time of Hilary.
Her damp chocolate hair framed her pale yet flushed face. Her chestnut eyes were slightly open, and seemed unfocused and hazy. She was most definitely unwell with a fever.
"And medication's beyond their reach, too," Dizzi said somewhat sympathetically. Kenny and Zeo were at loss for words. A file with pictures of Kai opened. Kenny let out another high-pitched girly scream. This time, neither Dizzi nor Zeo said anything about Kenny's scream.
Kenny felt queasy at the sight of blood and pain, and there most definitely was in Kai. Horrid deep slashes covered his body, and he looked in tremendous agony and exhaustion. He was collapsing under the weight of both Max and Rei, and his eyes seemed to be struggling to stay open. His teeth were gritted as he fought to keep going. The blood was still flowing from the morning's events now, at night, after not being able to be stitched up or even bandaged.
"Oh my gosh..." Zeo moaned, definitely traumatised by the pictures. "This is atrocious!" Kenny merely nodded, still wide-eyed and scared at the sight. He quickly opened up the last file, which happened to be of Rei.
Kenny fainted.
Zeo took a peek for himself at Dizzi's screen. He, too, was appalled at what he saw, but the abnormality presented a conundrum so enthralling he couldn't look away.
Rei's face and entire body was a tint of blue. His hair was covered in what looked like, but Zeo couldn't believe, was frost or ice. His fingertips undeniably had frost on them, scarily both ghastly white and blue at the same time. On his face appeared to be frozen tears.
^^^^^
END OF CHAPPIE
Okay, I know it was a strange place to end, but hey! Review!! Please! It makes me smile... and encourages me to write more!
=D Yes, Zeo played a part! I didn't want Kenny to feel so alone =(. And of course, he intertwines the two plots, somewhat. Well, that's all for now!
Please review!! Thankies!
~ Penguin Pop ^_^
Sara: Hmm, maybe I'm getting too predictable! That was actually something that was going to happen, although slightly different. But, it has already happened to Kai. But that's because it is the most obvious thing to happen in his predicament. I dunno, we'll see how it turns out!
Phoenix the first: Wow, it's great that I don't appear to be biased. Of course, I do have my faves (yay Kai and Rei!) and it's pretty hard not to focus on only one of them. I suppose you just have to concentrate not to focus just on one. ^_~
To all concerned with pairings: You'll just have to see as the story progresses. There are hints throughout the story. I obviously can't please everyone but reviews will undeniably have influence.
Don't own it, never will =(. But hey! I DO own my story!! Yeehaw.
^^^^^
Twisted Fate
Chapter 14: Tears of Draciel
Staring deep into those cold blue eyes, Kai seemed to search for Max's soul, but to no avail. Neither broke the stare, but Kai knew Max wasn't looking at him. He wasn't focusing on anything at all. Seeing but not watching, the dulled blue orbs continued to stare harshly into Kai's own soft grey eyes, which were now filled with concern and worry.
"What do you want," Max finally said in a barely audible whisper. His voice was quiet, but filled with venom and sting. Kai was silent, for once at loss for words. It was obvious he wanted Max to carry on, to be okay, to make it through, but the words didn't come. He continued to stare at the unfamiliar eyes, as if searching desperately for Max, his friend. "What do you want with me?" Max hissed again, his eyes penetrating.
"What I want, Max, is for you to understand that there is so much more to life, and once we get through this labyrinth you'll feel life better than ever. I want you to know that we are always going to be there to support you, as friends and teammates. Don't let him break you down; we'll get through this together. No matter what happens, don't give up." Kai's grey eyes were fiery and burned with determination.
The blue eyes were closed, now, and Max slowly turned away. What he said next caused the fire in Kai's eyes to leave with a blink. "Sorry," he whispered with a vile smile. "Too late."
^^^^^
"Good morning, chief," Dizzi's electronic voice came from the laptop. "My, you slept well today. To bed at 2:00 and up at 5:30? Why, that's half an hour more than yesterday!"
"Can it, Dizz," Kenny mumbled.
"Well aren't we cheery this fine mor-"
"I said to can it!" Kenny said, irritated. Dizzi shut up. "Now back to work."
"Chief, I-"
"I don't want to hear it, Dizzi. Honestly, can't we just get down to business?"
"That's my point, chief. We've covered everything in my entire database - several times - and we've still got nothing. And you need some sleep, chief, like it or not. Coffee just ain't gonna cut it anymore."
Kenny sighed deeply. "I guess so, Dizzi. Coffee has a horrid aftertaste, anyways..."
"You bet, kiddo. Thirteen-year-olds thrive on sugar and soda pop, not coffee. Leave that until you're middle-aged; by then you'll be addicted."
"Hey, I'm NEARLY fourteen!" Kenny suppressed a yawn. "Well, guess I'll catch up on some sleep now..."
And he did.
^^^^^
Rei, Tyson and Hilary were all sitting in the foot or so of icy water, still laughing as they had been for the longest time, although they were completely exhausted from mirth.
"My sides hurt," Tyson said, laughing and coughing at the same time. He and Rei had stripped down to their boxer shorts. Hilary had taken off her pink sweater, and they were now feebly attempting to wring out their soggy, drenched clothes, with no such luck.
"Screw this," Rei grinned, giving up on drying the clothes. "These clothes will only weigh us down." Tyson and Hilary gave him *disturbed* looks, and a blush immediately spread across his face. "Wet clothes! Heavy, soaking wet clothes! Ugh, you know what I meant..."
"Yeah, yeah Rei. I concur! Let's all go streaking downtown..." Tyson laughed. Hilary was giggling and blushing furiously (who wouldn't, with two guys in boxers?) "We would be so free and... natural," Tyson laughed cockily.
"Tyson!" Rei and Hilary simultaneously splashed Tyson in the face.
"Hey, I thought the water war was over!" Tyson said, finding it hard to breathe between the water and the uncontrollable laughter. "Guys?! Hey, quit it! Come on..." he splashed back, and they began round two of the water fight.
^^^^^
"Max, we have to get out of here," Kai's voice sounded slightly on edge. The water was rising, and was now almost at their knees.
"What's the point..."
"Max!" Kai gritted his teeth in frustration. "The water is rising."
"Yeah. I'm aware of that, Kai." Max wasn't looking at him. He was inanimate, and spoke to nobody although his words said otherwise.
"Max, we'll all drown unless you get a grip and move." Kai's calm voice betrayed his worry. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of drowning in the maze, which would have anyone panicky. He was more afraid for Max.
"I know." Max's lifeless voice had less emotion than Kai's own. "Go ahead."
"Max, don't be a total moron. You know we won't leave without you." Kai's eyes seemed to flash warningly. Max didn't reply. "We've already wasted too much time. We need to go now."
Rei, Tyson and Hilary were deep into their water fight. Laughing hysterically despite being extremely cold and wet, they didn't even notice Kai approach. In fact, they only noticed he was there after they had completely drenched him by splashing.
Kai stood, soaked and cold, a vein throbbing on his forehead anime-style. "Eheheh... hey there, Kai? What's chillin'?" Tyson put his hand on the back of his head. The three of them all had extremely large cheesy grins on.
"We have to get going, and fast. If you hadn't noticed, which is quite likely, you'll realise the water level is significantly higher than it was when we first stopped." They stood up, and found that it was indeed a good few inches deeper.
They all blinked in surprise. Rei especially was shocked that he hadn't caught on earlier. *meep* "Whoa... we better get going! Oh, how's Max?"
"...See for yourself," Kai said quietly. Max was still standing in the same position, his back to them. They could feel the negative feelings Max seemed to radiate.
"Oh..." Hilary looked sad, along with the others. They knew the pressure had crushed Max's spirit without asking. The faces that had been laughing and grinning just seconds ago had fallen.
"Look. We have to get out of here," Kai said firmly. He had to be cool and in control, since quite obviously the others wouldn't take that role under depressing circumstances.
The others nodded, and they ran to where Max was standing. "Max!" Tyson cried out. "Hey, what's wrong, buddy?" Max didn't reply. Tyson waved his hand in front of Max's face, then realised Max's eyes weren't seeing. They were glazed over, lost in memories.
^^^^^
Max's mind was spinning, flooded with memories. Voices and images flashed in his mind, none of them good. How many times had he let someone down? Too many, especially all remembered in a sequence at once. So many times he had let opportunity slip through his fingers. All his fault...
His parents fought. They fought and it hurt... they fought because of him. He had caused the divorce. They kept telling him it wasn't his fault, but he knew otherwise. They tried so hard to conceal it, but there was more underneath the blonde than anyone saw.
Painful days spent alone, nights spent crying with nobody to console him... but he hid it from the world. Hidden beneath a mask of happiness, his sad self lay.
"Max! Hey Max!" Their voices were blurred in the chaos of bleak memories. He paid no mind.
Max had a disturbing look of insanity and depression in his eyes, and whispered to himself, "Drowning wouldn't be so bad..."
^^^^^^
"MAX!" The Bladebreakers had heard his trance-like whisper. They stared, appalled at what he had just said.
That's when Hilary did something surprising. She slapped Max straight across the face, and hard. He seemed to awaken from his trance. A bright red imprint of Hilary's hand immediately showed on his face.
"Eep! Sorry Max!! I really didn't mean for it to be that hard! Honestly, I'm sooo sorry..." Hilary frantically tried to apologise, but she soon realised he had barely felt the pain. It was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside.
"The water is rising quickly. We have to go now," Kai said calmly but firmly.
Max didn't make an effort to move. Rei sighed. "This is for your own good, Max." He lifted Max up off the ground and started to carry him. "Let's go."
The blue-eyed boy stared blankly ahead. He didn't make an effort to protest or to help out. He was again lost in a sequence of nightmares.
Max lost consciousness at some point while Rei was carrying him. He had given up the will to live.
^^^^^
"Hey Kenny!" Kenny swung around to see an energetic blur of turquoise and pink heading straight for him.
"Aaah!" Kenny cowered in terror, but laughed as he realised what it was. "Oh, hey Zeo!"
"Any news on Tyson and the others?" The boy (or android, rather), was jumping up and down with excitement. His long hair whipped Kenny in the face.
"Ow- no, nothing." Kenny's face seemed dejected. Zeo's happy face quickly fell as well.
"Darn. I really hope they're okay!" Zeo smiled.
"Of course, I do too. You wouldn't imagine..." Kenny trailed off, lost in thought.
"So, um, what exactly happened? I heard on the news and stuff that you were captured, but nothing really about what happened." Zeo's eyes shone as he begged for the story from Kenny himself.
Kenny debated whether to tell Zeo or not. Zeo was pretty innocent, and might not want to hear it all. And Kenny certainly hated to relive the nightmare. But he finally decided to tell him everything. "Well, Zeo... I guess you deserve to know. Sit down, 'cause it's gonna be long. It happened like this..." and Kenny started to tell Zeo everything.
^^^^^
Rei was lagging far behind, even though the others were walking at a slow pace. They had been going for what felt like hours. Rei was, needless to say, completely exhausted. He was carrying an unconscious Max, who was about the same weight as him, and was wading through knee-deep water. And his clothes were weighing him down.
Kai, as well, was completely drained. His battle for their lives had taken its toll and he was struggling to stay awake. He hadn't been asleep like the others. He was in pain.
"I'm thirsty," Tyson said, cupping some water in his hands.
"Don't drink it, Tyson. It's salt-water." Kai said warningly.
"You mean you've tried it?" Tyson asked.
"No. But it stings like hell," Kai smirked, despite the pain. "And I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to be drinking blood." He had severe open wounds from the beybattle which were still bleeding, and were stinging in the salt water.
The others blinked, and then immediately rushed to offer anything they had available as bandages for his wounds, which he refused.
"Don't be silly!" Hilary scolded, only making him smile slightly.
"Believe me, I'm fine." The others looked at him, not believing his words. "I've handled much worse. Anyway, your salt-water-soaked garments wouldn't be helping much."
"But-"Tyson interjected.
"Let's keep moving on," Kai interrupted before he could say anything else. 'I don't know if we can make it,' he thought in his mind. 'But there's no way I'm giving up. We have to keep going.'
"Hey Rei, buddy! Give yourself a break and let me carry Max," Tyson offered. Rei smiled and gratefully let Tyson carry Max.
"Thanks, man. I don't think I could have lasted much longer," Rei answered truthfully.
Another hour or so passed, and the water level was increasing rapidly. It was past their thighs now, and was incredibly hard to walk through.
"Uh... do you think we could have a really short break?" Rei collapsed exhaustedly, splashing them all. He quickly staggered to get air into his lungs.
"Sure thing, buddy. We totally need one," Tyson admitted. He was exhausted as well.
Rei took a deep breath and fell back under. He stayed under for at least a minute, which worried the others, especially Hilary. She gently tapped him on the shoulder, and he resurfaced and took a gasp of air.
"Thanks, Hil. I probably would have drifted off down there... it's so tranquil and calming." He smiled, but fatigue showed through.
Hilary looked a little uneasy at Rei's response. "So how's Max?" she asked, still a little freaked.
"Still won't wake up," Tyson said. They had tried before a few times, but with no success. He was too deep in his subconscious realm. Occasionally he would shift or stir in nightmarish fits, but that was all.
Kai stood a little ways away from the others. He was panting heavily, and was on the verge of collapsing. The only thing keeping him from staying conscious was his determination... and the pain from his wounds.
He waited for one of the others to propose starting to trudge through the salty water again. He knew they would have to go now in order to make it close to the exit, but didn't want to draw attention to himself. He knew he looked completely worn out and beaten, and it took all he had just to stay above the tempting water.
Sure enough, Hilary suggested they start moving again. "I know you must be completely exhausted and all... but I really think we should get going! We won't have a chance of escaping if we wait too long..."
"Yeah, she's right," Rei moaned reluctantly. Tyson groaned. He was completely sore all over, as was Rei.
"Come on, guys! Just think of it as intense training," Hilary smiled slightly in an attempt to lift their spirits.
"Yeah... I guess I have to thank you guys for putting us through that torture. Otherwise we wouldn't have made it close to this far," Tyson smiled in the same manner as Hilary - a slight, fake smile. Not fake in the sense that he didn't mean it, but it wasn't because he was happy, rather he was trying to encourage his friends.
They continued to walk, slowly through the water. It was hard enough walking normally, but in water...
Tyson finally couldn't bear Max's burden anymore. "I'm sorry... but I can barely take another step," he said exhaustedly. His friends weren't disappointed at all, and were even surprised he could take Max for that long. Only he was angry with himself for not being able to carry Max for longer.
"Max... wake up!" Hilary cried desperately, but he didn't stir. "Max! Wake up NOW! We're depending on you! Please, come on..." He didn't move at all. One could have mistaken him for dead. She even slapped him again in desperation, but he didn't budge. "Oh, I give up..."
Hilary was stubborn, and wouldn't stop trying. "Max! I dunno if you can hear me, but if you can you MUST get up! Rei and Tyson have carried you for hours, and they are absolutely exhausted. They can't possibly carry you any further. And Kai... oh Kai!" She ran over to the weakened blader, thrusting Max towards Rei, who nearly collapsed under the weight.
"Here we go," he muttered under his breath to himself, nearly slapping himself for letting his fatigue show, especially to Hilary. Tyson and Rei laughed silently at his remark.
"Oh my gosh Kai! Are you okay? You need rest! Should we take a break?" Hilary smothered him like an overprotective mother.
"No," he said rather bluntly. He glanced at Rei and Tyson who were killing themselves trying to stifle their laughter.
"Are you s-"
"Yes," he said before she even asked the question. He rolled his eyes as a huge splash was heard. Tyson and Rei had started laughing out loud; they couldn't contain it any longer.
Hilary's overprotective, motherly nature was funny in some aspects. But deep down, it felt strange... a good strange, though... to Kai. He had never had someone care for him before. In fact, he hadn't even cared for himself. He smiled inwardly.
"I suppose I'll carry Max, seeing that you two already have done more than your fair share of work, and are completely exhausted," Kai said coolly, trudging over to where Max was, trying to shake off his previous thoughts.
"Oh no you don't!" Hilary cried out instinctively. "In your shape you can't even lift him!" Kai knew it was true, and reluctantly accepted it, sighing wearily. "What are we gonna do..." Hilary pondered. "I'll carry Max myself!"
They looked at her strangely. "Er... you're not serious, Hil," Tyson asked, or stated rather.
"And why not?" she asked indignantly. She walked over and attempted to heave Max onto her back... with great difficulty. She shrieked as she splashed headfirst into the water. Tyson snickered; he liked proving himself right. Rei just sweat-dropped, and tried to help her back up. Kai just watched indifferently.
She gasped for air, and immediately tried again. She fell back into the water again. She kept on trying though, since she was not one to give up.
"Well at least the water breaks Max's fall; otherwise he would be hitting that cement real hard. That makes one positive, among the gigantic amount of negatives," Rei said above the loud splashing of water, Hilary's shrieks and mutterings, and Tyson's sniggering and taunting.
^^^^^
They had made little progress the last few hours. Hilary had finally been able to half carry - half drag Max... extremely slowly.
"See? I told you I could do it!" Hilary shouted again to Tyson for the tenth time.
"No, you didn't, though. You're half dragging him through the water," Tyson retorted.
"Yeah? Well at least we're getting somewhere!"
"Yeah, at the speed of... a piece of bread," Tyson said randomly.
"Don't be stupid! Bread doesn't even move!"
"Well duh, Hilary. That's my point."
"Hey! We have so made progress," Hilary said stubbornly.
Kai sighed, glancing wearily back at Dranzer's scratch in the wall directly behind them that he had made at least 5 minutes ago.
"Sure we have," Tyson rolled his eyes. "We've gone nowhere!"
"Hey, at least I'm trying," Hilary pointed out.
"Yeah, I've gotta admit. It's been great, having a really nice, slow long break and all. Too bad we're gonna drown now!"
"Hey, Tyson. Cut it out, will you?" Rei interrupted. He, too, was irritated at their lack of progress, but couldn't stand to hear the hopelessness of his friends. Rei never lost hope, no matter the circumstances.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Rei," Tyson sighed. "I'm just sort of... nervous. Yeah, I admit I'm freaked. The water just keeps coming faster and faster! It's already almost up to my neck..."
"I know, me too," Rei said solemnly. "And I don't think I can swim right now."
"Me neither," Tyson said. They were still completely exhausted, barely able to walk. To be honest, Hilary's pace was about right for them. Soon, it would be past their mouths. It was sink or swim... and in their case it would surely be sink.
Hilary suddenly let out a strangled gasp. She dropped Max, and fainted. Kai managed to barely support Max, and Tyson, struggling, held Hilary in his arms. Rei shivered violently, although nobody seemed to notice.
"Hilary... Hilary are you okay?" Tyson whispered softly, worriedly. His brow was furrowed with frustration, as he didn't understand what was happening.
Her mahogany eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked rather dazed and flushed. "Tyson... I saw... Draciel -- it was sad, crying. Warning... and scared..." her fragments of sentences were rather incoherent. She shivered, which felt strange to Tyson. She was in his arms.
Tears fell from the eyes of Draciel. It was crying to her - to Hilary. It was scared, and frightened for its master. It was warning her, pleading for help. And now... she felt sick again. It had actually happened before - when she had chased Tyson with a broom after school. Dragoon seemed to have called to her... and she had lost consciousness.
"Draciel?" Kai asked. She nodded. "So Draciel was calling to you... for help. He must be worried about Max. Trying to tell you something-- Rei!" Kai's normally cold voice showed concern and slight panic. He had finally noticed him, shaking and fearful. He had turned pale and his skin slightly blue with the cold, which contrasted with his raven hair.
His light brown eyes slowly opened. His breathing was shaky, as was his shivering body. Kai put a hand on his bare shoulder, and it literally felt like ice. No wonder he was shivering like crazy. "Rei, what happened," Kai asked.
"I... it was Max..." Rei said, still freezing cold. His teeth were chattering slightly, but he continued. "And he was lost... in the shadows of his mind. And... I'm scared for him. It was like he was trying to escape, but couldn't run away from his nightmares. I want to reach out to him... and I guess I did..."
His long hair was icy and frozen, and looked like it could break off with a snap. Rei staggered, and leant on Kai for support. Kai tensed as Rei's ice cold body made contact with his skin. Kai glanced at Rei's fingertips and could actually see frost upon them. He could feel him shaking.
Kai frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked, gesturing at Rei's frost- covered hands.
"Huh? Ugh, it feels like I've been frostbitten... Frosted fingers," he smiled with slight amusement at the gruesome statement. "But I'm not sure what exactly happened... all of a sudden I felt cold - and nausea - wash over me in a torrent of nightmares emotions. I dunno, it was like I had just taken all of the cold and sad feelings for Max..."
Kai tried to make out the best he could of Rei's somewhat incoherent ramblings. "So how do you feel right now?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. He had a suspicion of what the answer would be.
"Uh... cold," Rei laughed feebly. "But not just in the physical sense. I can feel the cold of his heart and soul. The cold within, in the form of hatred and sadness... I feel alone and sad. I know, it doesn't make sense-"
"It makes perfect sense to me," Kai interrupted. "Max's emotions of sadness and emptiness were somehow transferred to you. And I think it was Draciel's doing."
"Wow, that makes sense... in a twisted, contorted way," Tyson said. "What I don't get is why he sorta talked to Hilary, and then dumped this on Rei."
"I'm not sure. Maybe it has something to do with Hilary's sensitivity towards bit-beasts." The others understood what he meant. Even when she hadn't believed in bit-beasts, she could sort of feel their presence. "And Rei, well he has a miraculous bond with Driger. I think maybe that and his emotional aspect on things, not to mention his determination and willingness to help contributed to his-"
"Hey, you don't have to talk like we aren't here," Rei said. "But I think that's right. I just don't give up, and I just can't sit by and watch. I guess I sort of knew what was going on in his head, and wanted to help out. I guess I actually did."
With that, he collapsed and his weight fully shifted onto Kai. His slim frame trembled in his subconscious manner. The ice crystals in his lashes started to slowly melt, giving the impression of tears. He appeared to by crying for Max.
^^^^^
"So, how's it going?" Zeo's long hair whipped around as he bounced up and down anxiously.
"Hey, calm down, Zeo. I think I can do this! Maybe half an hour..." Kenny was typing frantically into Dizzi's gigantic network.
Zeo had come up with a scheme. Maybe Kenny would be able to hack into the scientist's database. It was possible, with the newly found information Zeo had discovered.
Dr K, the beautiful henchwoman had been fired from Zagart's corporation before the second world championships. And, apparently now, she had joined no other than...
"Supposedly he calls himself Dr D now," Zeo had explained to Kenny. "Sadly, he can't even remember his own name..."
So perhaps if Kenny could hack into one of Dr K's computers, he would be able to do something. He was desperate now - anything to help out his friends would be good enough.
Kenny suddenly gave a squeal of delight. "I did it! I managed to get past the immense security systems! Now... let's see. This is the best I can do. Now uploading Mr Dickenson's original training plan. 17% done, 31%, 43%, 62%, 79%... 37%? Oh, never mind that's an 87... and DONE!"
Kenny and Zeo started screaming with delight. "We did it! Oh yeah! You are the best, Kenny! We... uh what exactly did you do, Kenny?"
Kenny sweat-dropped. "Basically, we put in place of Dr D's next demented scheme Mr Dickenson's original plan!"
"Oh! That's great! I think..." Zeo smiled.
"Is it ever, boy," Dizzi said cheerfully. "And according to this they are all alive."
"Yes!" Kenny laughed giddily. "Um... but in what condition?"
"Oh... oh dear," Dizzi's tone seemed to become as anxious as a computer could. "Cover your ears, Zeo, 'cause this won't be pretty."
"AIEEE!!" Kenny screamed in the girliest manner Zeo had ever heard. [Like in the first eppy of G-Rev! ^_~] Zeo looked frightened, both for the Bladebreakers and from Kenny's insanely high-pitched cry.
"Um... what's wrong?" Zeo asked nervously.
"Oh, where to start," Dizzi said dryly. Her screen showed an IMMENSE amount of data, and Zeo didn't understand any of it. "Well first of all, they seem absolutely exhausted, all of them. They seem to have been walking for maybe 12 hours since waking, longer for Kai. Max and Rei aren't conscious at the moment. Hilary has a fever and is barely awake, having just recovered from fainting. Tyson is incredibly worn, and Kai is in critical condition. There seem to be deep gashes covering his body, and he is on the verge of losing consciousness. In fact, according to statistics he should have a few hours ago, but that's our Kai. Still holding in."
Zeo and Kenny looked extremely frightened. Finally, Kenny spoke up. "So... those fragments really were the remains of a blade smashed up by Dranzer? That would explain the deep gashes. Rei got a really deep one similar, I think, from a beyblade, so it's logical it happened in the same way."
"Correctamundo, chief. And get this. While Hilary is above normal temperature with a fever, Rei's body temperature is just about at freezing." As Dizzi said this, a window popped up. It read 'recent update: pictures'.
"Huh? Open those," Zeo said anxiously. When the files opened up on Dizzi's screen, they gasped in horror.
First was Tyson. He looked absolutely exhausted. They had gasped at the fact that there was water up to his chin. He was holding Hilary close to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "T. Granger" was printed neatly in the corner of the picture. There were a few other pictures - close ups, different views. His face was grim and fatigued. His brown eyes were worried and worn.
"Oh no," Zeo whispered. "This is terrible!"
"No doubt about that, Zeo," Kenny said, sadly. Unfortunately, Tyson was in the best shape of the five. He opened another file, and there was an assortment of pictures, all different angles of Max.
Max was unconscious, just barely being propped up by Kai. His face was petrified, hurt and depressed. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were shut tightly. His blond hair seemed to have lost its sheen, and hung limply in his deathlike face.
"Oh no... Max... what d'you think happened, Kenny?" Zeo asked.
"Not a clue, Zeo. It appears he's physically fine... but from the look on his face I don't think he's okay emotionally." Zeo nodded. Kenny opened another file, this time of Hilary.
Her damp chocolate hair framed her pale yet flushed face. Her chestnut eyes were slightly open, and seemed unfocused and hazy. She was most definitely unwell with a fever.
"And medication's beyond their reach, too," Dizzi said somewhat sympathetically. Kenny and Zeo were at loss for words. A file with pictures of Kai opened. Kenny let out another high-pitched girly scream. This time, neither Dizzi nor Zeo said anything about Kenny's scream.
Kenny felt queasy at the sight of blood and pain, and there most definitely was in Kai. Horrid deep slashes covered his body, and he looked in tremendous agony and exhaustion. He was collapsing under the weight of both Max and Rei, and his eyes seemed to be struggling to stay open. His teeth were gritted as he fought to keep going. The blood was still flowing from the morning's events now, at night, after not being able to be stitched up or even bandaged.
"Oh my gosh..." Zeo moaned, definitely traumatised by the pictures. "This is atrocious!" Kenny merely nodded, still wide-eyed and scared at the sight. He quickly opened up the last file, which happened to be of Rei.
Kenny fainted.
Zeo took a peek for himself at Dizzi's screen. He, too, was appalled at what he saw, but the abnormality presented a conundrum so enthralling he couldn't look away.
Rei's face and entire body was a tint of blue. His hair was covered in what looked like, but Zeo couldn't believe, was frost or ice. His fingertips undeniably had frost on them, scarily both ghastly white and blue at the same time. On his face appeared to be frozen tears.
^^^^^
END OF CHAPPIE
Okay, I know it was a strange place to end, but hey! Review!! Please! It makes me smile... and encourages me to write more!
=D Yes, Zeo played a part! I didn't want Kenny to feel so alone =(. And of course, he intertwines the two plots, somewhat. Well, that's all for now!
Please review!! Thankies!
~ Penguin Pop ^_^