A.C.: Short one this time...

's what happens when you know what to write but have no idea how to write it out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade

Warnings: As always, watch out for the rampant use of grammar

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Kai was his brother--half--simple as that.

So Kai wasn't fully human, what else was new? Takao could have attested to that based on first impressions alone. There was no doubt in his mind that the older teen was special, even through the fits of darkness that had left them scattered and broken. Kai was different; he was special, one of a kind, deadly, beautiful, and amazing. Kai was Kai. He was the phoenix--he didn't think there was anything else that could be said to that. But Kai could bleed like the rest of them, swirls of red on red upon his skin and in his hair. Kai could break as he had time and time again before rising anew. Kai could cry--and why not? Phoenixes cried, if birds could cry why couldn't soldiers...? Kai could change and that was startling because the one consistency he had depended on was the volatile flames that he gave off. He burned, he learned...

And Takao could not see how he could honestly say the same for himself.

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Her eyes gleamed acid bright.

She was a predator; she could hunt with the best of them. Now the blood was in the water once more, distracting her from her chosen task--and what was it exactly? Sharkrash dove restlessly against her mind. She could already hear the distress in the waves, panic in the on the shore as corruption bled red through blue. Joseph whimpered a quiet rasp where had once been his honey-smooth young voice. Wordlessly she pressed a plastic cup to his chapped lips. He lapped at the cubed ice reluctantly before sucking on one through his teeth.

His senses had dulled and were sluggish. He could no longer see what she saw, he couldn't taste the trail laid out before them. Shaking her head, she pushed her bit beast away and tended to her ailing brother. Briefly, her fingers flitted over the delicate links of a ruined chain necklace around her neck. Worriedly, she brushed back the matted green hair on her brother's forehead and looked past the sleeping and crying bodies lying all around them. She stared past the dark and at the shut doors as if they might let her glimpse what lay ahead.

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He had told Dunga to stand down more times that he could dare count. He was tiring and they all knew it. The others, green-eyed and staring, were just waiting for the blonde to wear their leader down before they pounced. They were spooked--not that he blamed them--and wanted to abort the mission no matter how many times he had tried to reassure them. And deep down he agreed. There was no way they could take down Hiwatari even as injured as he was.

'He's not human'

He had known that for quite some time now. Predators tended to respect one another's chosen elements. Ozuma was no different only... his attention was adverted as Flash Leopard stirred in his mind. The feline had found another target as Sharkrash and Miriam had. This time a little weaker, more vulnerable...

It looked like they wouldn't be leaving Japan totally empty handed.

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The phone rang as he knew it would.

He crossed his arms and stared at the antique piece sourly, almost contemptuously as it pierced the near dead silence of the mansion. His lips lifted in a humorless grin. He slumped against the plush cushions and his hand shot out at the last minute to lift the receiver. He cradled it thoughtfully against his chest before answering, his eyebrows rose as his sensitive ears picked up the background noise on the other end.

"Yeah?" Yuriy sneered when no answer was forthcoming. There was a slight chuckle on the other end. "Couldn't you fine somewhere a bit more tasteful?"

"You shouldn't talk Yuriy." Brooklyn purred lazily. In the background, there was a faint screech of club music, people dancing across the hard floor, people touching, people moaning, people fucking. Yuriy scowled,

"If you're not going to say anything helpful..."

"Be careful" Brooklyn said bluntly.

Yuriy actually blinked at this because if there was one thing the ginger-haired prodigy could be described as, it wasn't blunt. "He's weaker now, I can't feel him"

"What?"

"I can't feel him, you should know. You're the wolf; you can smell it on him."

"Always knew you'd get a kick out of watching"

"Please, but I mean it. He's weak... he is weaker." Brooklyn remanded after some thought. Yuriy narrowed his eyes. "Consider it a friendly warning from one deity to his devoted follower" Yuriy growled deep "You might want to get away for a while, somewhere... colder..." The redhead hung up. He had no time to waste on Brooklyn's musings,

"Ivan?" He called, "listen carefully..."

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The gun felt unusually heavy in his hands. The Kinomiya house was a traditional one, one with swords and fans adorning its wooden walls. The gun had been recently purchased through a contact. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it later. He flipped open his cell phone. There was a message waiting. A photo of a woman loaded halfway before he deleted it. He stood outside for a moment, uncertain as to what he was to do. He turned his heels and headed towards the hospital.

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His vision blurred hadn't he gone through his before? Something about losing too much blood, choking on chocolate, getting a call from Brooklyn, verbal vomiting and jumping out of windows. He swore as he struck a fist against an innocuous tree. The branches rattled weakly. A leaf fell, dried and twisted, onto the ground. The splintered skin on his knuckles mended before his eyes, flakes of red scattered across the back of his hand. He immediately took his hand off of the trunk as if burnt; unnerved even though he knew it was perfectly 'natural'.

He stubbed his toes on the tangle of tree roots as he stumbled out of the woods. He finally sat down, unable to move. Propping his knees up he stretched his arms on top of them and looked at the fencing that surrounded his estate. The black bars looked foreboding and cold, meant to keep people out and perhaps meant to keep people in. Kai laughed, his laughter becoming mist in the cold air. Breathing in deeply he felt his back grow numb until he couldn't any more of the pain between the ribs.

The wind blew strongly and shifted his bangs over his face. When he found the strength to sweep them back he felt a spread of sudden cold prickling his nose. Blinking in mild surprise he willed his eyes to focus on what was in front of him. But there was nothing, just the expanse of the land surrounded by the metal fencing, a fountain beyond it, and the mansion itself, fit to house a royalty.

And he saw it, the out of place amongst the landscape of pale earthen colors. He lifted his head, legs straining as he fought to get up. He held a hand out. Minutes went by and finally a snowflake landed over stiff fingers and melted there, turning into a tiny droplet of water.

"Hn..." Kai blew a steady line of white steam into the air. "First snow..." stumbling he stepped over to the grass and over towards the looming fence. And he fell to his knees, feeling distinctly out of his breath as his vision blackened and came back in full color too bright to be natural. His body pitching, he held his hands out in front and caught himself just before he fell flat on his face. He gasped, breathing suddenly feeling like a heavy chore as he gulped down mouthfuls of frosty air all at once.

How long had he stayed there he didn't know but he had a feeling it had been a long time when he saw the whiteness frosting everything all around. Gritting his teeth he forced himself up and reached for the black bars. They were cold, colder than the snow itself. He pressed his forehead against one and felt his skin burn as the cold seared through his head. Dizzy, he tightened his hold and set a foot on the knee height base to pull himself up.

"You came back."

Was there a doubt in the first place?

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Maybe they should hole up in Hokkaido where the winters were harsh but no one around for miles to disturb them. He related his plans to Jimmy who had no choice but to listen.

"You guys have visitors." The nurse announced, having long stopped taking notice of the blunette since he had become a permanent fixture in the room. Takao entered, scuffing his feet against the tiled floor.

"Oh hey," the blue-eyed teen said helplessly "you... look horrible" the nurse left them alone. Kane wordlessly gestured towards an empty chair. "I'm sorry," Takao blurted out, momentarily pausing from his fidgeting. Kane didn't even bat an eye,

"For what?"

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Thank you Samu and Ma.anda for reviewing xP