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This is what I need, Akira thought, her hands spread wide, cooling herself in the early morning breeze. She had been jogging for a while on a familiar path. She stood clutching the railing, fencing the cliff, it would be nasty fall, she thought looking at its steepness.

"Akira?" she turned around to see Kai, who was there apparently for the same reason, jogging.

A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks, remembering the events of the previous night.

"Oh… Kai? Didn't expect to see you up here," Akira said, not knowing what else to say.

"Neither did I," Kai said heading towards her. He stared into the landscape beyond them, as silence returned.

Her heart began to race, as he stood beside her, "Umm… Kai?"

Kai only looked at her for brief moment and returned to gazing at the landscape.

"I'm sorry…" she continued, "I've been too much of a…"

"The reason for the power cut was unknown," Kai said much to her surprise, "There was a sudden power surge followed by a black out. No damaged transformers, no tripping, overloads, nothing…"

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Akira frowned.

"Let me ask you something… and I want an honest answer," his said sounding serious, "It wasn't a hallucination, was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Kai."

"Don't lie to me Akira," Kai's tone did give her the chills.

Akira pursed her lips, "It was real. I could feel its power…"

"No doubt you reacted like that," Kai said smirking.

"It has gotten all the more powerful Kai… much more powerful than it was."

"Don't you think we should be telling Detective Toshi about this encounter of yours?" Kai said looking at her with a grave demeanor.

"No… we can't," Akira snapped at him, "He'll never let me step out of Japan. And I can't afford that…" she stopped abruptly.

"And why is it so important to you?" Kai asked, "I'm sure it is much more than just the championships."

Akira's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"You might fool the others Akira. But not me," Kai continued, "You're more worried about going out of Japan than being on the team."

"It is none of your business Kai," Akira said turning defensive, getting rid of the frown on her face.

"You're sadly mistaken," Kai said, "Now that you are on the team, it is."

"Look Kai… this championship is important to me, very important. Trust me, you've no reason to consider that I might be potential criminal who should be locked behind the bars," Akira said folding her hands.

"I know. But, what I also know is that you are in potential danger and might in turn harm my team," Kai said.

"I am a part of your team too."

"Not if I decide otherwise."

"But, your team wants me to be there for them. It's a majority opinion you see," she said unaffected by his threaten.

"That is because they like playing the good Samaritans. Besides, that Tyson, he has dealt with much darker shades of insanity," Kai said smirking, "I still get to have the final word anyway."

"What do you want Kai?" Akira said, "I thought you were someone I could trust."

"You can and in fact, I want you to," Kai continued after a pause, "But the question is can we trust you?"

Akira looked him in the eye, her pride reflecting in her eyes, besides the genuineness of what she was going to say, "Yes. You can."

[Akira's POV]

And I just left. I just turned my back to him, leaving him there, not another word. I didn't bother to wait for his reaction to what I'd just said. And why did I do that?

I was hurt. Yes, I was. Of all people I hadn't expected Kai to come to me and say all that he had just said. I thought I could trust him. I thought he'd believe me. Of course I was plain stupid to even consider that as an option. I mean why would he believe me? Why?

We weren't exactly friends, right? We weren't anything. We were just two people who knew each other's names and were supposed to be in some sort of a team until the next one month or so. That's it. Well, we do know a little more than just each other's names. Yet, he had every right to ask me if he could trust me. Considering all the trouble I was in right now. Who wouldn't? The Bladebreakers had been in enough trouble already, from what I'd read in papers, and they would definitely not be willing to have another nut case creating trouble for them. Wait. What did I just call myself? Nut case? I sighed, realizing that I was taking Kai's words a little too seriously.

But, the way he had calmed me down last night and assured me that everything would be fine, it felt so serene, so secure, like there was nothing for me to fear… Hmmm… maybe he was just trying to keep me from creating more trouble for them.

Whatever that was… I'm out of the illusion now. I couldn't care less about Kai and all the other 'good Samaritans', like Kai described them. I have more important things to worry about. Begging Kai to keep me on the team is the last thing I would do. I'd rather be damned before doing that. He wants to kick me out? Let him. In fact I'm quite sure that the jerk doesn't even have the authority to do that! Oh God! What's wrong with me? Just forget about him!

The previous night after Akira fell asleep…

"Do you think its fine Kai?" Hillary asked Kai after she made sure that Akira couldn't hear them, "Having her on the team?"

The boys turned towards her, with raised eyebrows and some frowns.

"You're asking now?" Tyson said, anger in his voice rising.

"What should I have told her? Oh, yes. Please get out? Huh?" Hillary demanded, her hands folded across her chest.

"Definitely not. But, we could've definitely asked her more questions Hillary. That is if you had let any of us do that," Ray said equally upset.

"Look… We definitely wouldn't have insulted her or something. But, you know, better safe than sorry," Max said leaning against the wall, his hands dug into his pockets.

Kai eyed his teammates with a certain amount of disbelief. They seemed to have finally become vigilant and have learnt not to trust people blindly.

"I'm sure Mr. Dickenson knows about her too. He knows everything. Remember our first championships? He knew about Kai all along…" Kenny added his two cents worth only to be interrupted by a frustrated Kai, "I would be more than glad if my topic isn't touched again Kenny."

"Ummm… Sorry Kai. I didn't mean to offend you…" Kenny said regretting the mention of Kai.

"The same way Hillary didn't mean to offend me back there?" he said and shot a glare at Hillary. She avoided his gaze and suddenly showed excessive interest in the wooden boards that comprised the floor.

"Why don't you leave it me?" Kai announced, "To decide if she could be trusted or not. And Kenny did point out something valid. Mr. Dickenson does know about, in fact a lot more than we do."

"So he definitely wouldn't put the team in danger, right?" Hillary said all perked up, "That means we can trust her!"

"Probably," Kai said.

"We need an impartial judge in this matter," Tyson said, "I don't see how Kai is the right choice considering that Akira has a very distracting effect…"

"You clearly don't value your life the way you should, do you Tyson?" Kai said glowering at Tyson, "And one of these days you're going to regret it."

Tyson smirked while the rest sweat dropped.

Kai recollected the conversation that happened the previous night while he watched Akira walk away. He knew she was angry, she was probably cursing him this very moment. But, he didn't care, now that he was sure they could trust her.

Moscow

It's been a week since Julia and Raul had arrived in Moscow, yet, nothing changed. Tala and Julia had been their usual grouchy selves with each other. Julia had tried to mend things only to be rejected by Tala.

"Let him go to hell!" Julia finally exploded, while packing some final stuff she needed. Raul sat in far corner of the room, eyeing his sister worriedly, "You should stop thinking about him. You're kind of becoming obsessive."

"Obsessive and me?" Julia said glaring daggers at her brother.

"He already said he didn't care, didn't he? Then why are you still…" Raul said, ready to duck in case she threw anything malicious at him. He knew well enough that her anger was unpredictable.

"That is what pisses me off. The rest of them talk to me, we even train together. But, that moron…? He even refuses to practice with me! He ignores me and treats me like I don't even exist…" Julia's ramblings were unstoppable.

"That is your problem," Raul snapped, fed up of his sister, "You don't want his forgiveness! You want his attention! The fact that he is ignoring you is pissing you off!"

"What crap? I hate him for all I care! Why would I want his attention?"

"Then what is your problem? If you hate him so much then you should be happy that he is coming nowhere near you!" Raul hurled the magazine in his hand at the floor and slammed the door behind him, leaving his sister to contemplate what he had just said.

Julia was quite troublesome at times. Raul shook his head and headed downstairs. At this rate he would go mad within no time. Julia never seemed to discuss any of her personal issues with him. He wondered what had gotten into her lately. He himself had told her once that she could rely on him too, whenever she needed him. But this? This was insane. Though Julia never mentioned Tala even once to him during their stay there, he knew she had always been thinking about him. One thing he knew for sure, Tala did disturb Julia to distraction.

A few minutes later…

Julia had again wandered off into one of those strange woods behind the team's place of stay. They weren't woods exactly, just a patch of trees, not very old, which led to stream of water.

Julia found it to be a peaceful place to concentrate and train. Only then, her ears became alert to a familiar buzz of the engine gear and the metallic rattling of two beyblades. Julia tiptoed in the direction of the sound, careful not to interrupt the bey battle. She was all the more surprised to see a certain red haired blading standing on the bank of the stream, battling with a young boy, who seemed to be a rookie.

"Awww! Not again!" the boy wailed and sank to the ground as his blade got knocked out, probably failing him in another of his repeated attempts. She looked up at Tala wondering what he was doing blading with a young boy, moreover, a rookie.

Tala smiled at the kid in front of him. Julia blinked in disbelief. No, that wasn't a smirk, it was a genuine smile! Her eyes widened in surprise as Tala knelt before the boy and picked up the boy's beyblade, "Here," he said, handing the blade to the boy, "Let's try it again."

"It is waste," the boy said, slumping his shoulders in dismay, "I won't get it."

"So you're going to give up? That's the last thing I expected from you," Tala said, the boy's blade still in his outstretched hand.

"You're not disappointed in me?" the boy asked. He had his back towards Julia and hence she couldn't make out if the boy was happy or the opposite.

"I am, now that you want to give up," Tala said feigning disappointment.

"Of course not!" the boy sprang to his feet. He was about to launch his blade when he stopped abruptly, "Shit! I totally forgot!"

"Is something wrong?" Tala inquired.

"My mama wanted me to buy something on the way home and I forgot! I'm going to be totally grounded for this…" the boy thrust the blade and the accessories back into his pocket, and waved at Tala, "See you tomorrow Tala… I'm so sorry. I've gotta go now!"

"We won't be seeing each other for a while now," Tala shouted out to the boy.

He stopped and turned around, "Oh yeah I forgot!" he said brightening up, "The Championships! The Blitzkrieg boys must win the title this time too… I know the Bladebreakers are back and all this time... But still! Make us proud you guys! Make us proud." With a final wave at Tala the boy made his way out of the woods.

Julia eyes were fixed on boy and she failed to see that Tala was walking right towards her; unmistakably he had spotted her spying on him.

Julia realized it, only too late.

"You should be minding your own business, you see," Tala said standing threateningly close to her. A head taller than her, Tala seemed a little intimidating to her, not that she was scared or anything. She took a step back to reduce the close proximity, to hit the trunk of the tree she was hiding behind.

Their eyes locked momentarily. What could she expect from those cold blue eyes? She thought, more hatred for her?

Strangely, those cold blue eyes didn't seem so cold at all. They intrigued her as she tried to decipher them. "You take a lot of interest in me," Tala continued, "for someone who claims to hate me so much."

Tala took a step closer to her eliminating the distance between them. Julia tried to step back only to find herself trapped against the tree. "Of course I hate you," Julia said, through her gritted teeth. He now placed a hand on the tree, her eyes following it. She could hear the drumming of her heart, drowning every other sound around her.

"Do you?" Tala asked, his face only a few inches away from her hers.

"Yes, I do." Saying it out loud wasn't as simple as that answer was. Julia couldn't find her voice for his presence was overwhelming. His gaze fixed on her and that smirk still present on his lips… All she had to do was push him away and she would be free. Free of her uncontrollably increasing heart beat, her inability to speak and most of all, her inability to think clearly. Only, her hands had no intention to listen to her logical mind. Maybe Raul was right, she wanted Tala's attention. And now that she had it, she wasn't particularly comfortable with it.

As Tala inched closer to her, she heard her name being called out, "Julia?"

Raul's voice was all that she needed to push Tala away and dart towards her brother, "Raul? What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking that…" Raul stopped short of the sentence upon seeing the reason for the panic in his sister's voice. He narrowed his eyes at Tala, who was now leaning against the same tree, his hands folded across his chest, his eyes fixed on Julia.

"Jules, what's going on here?" Raul asked.

"Nothing," Julia said, took him by his hand and turning him away from Tala, "Let's go back inside. I guess we'll be leaving for the airport in an hour, won't we?" She literally dragged him out of the woods, glancing back at Tala one final time. She regretted doing so for it had sent chills down her spine. She couldn't deny the fact that his eyes had returned to their cold self, steadily fixed on her and a very familiar smirk on his lips.

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