"Talking"
'Writing'
'Thinking'
"Person on other side of phone"
/Bitbeast talk/
/'Blader to bitbeast talk/
"Russian"
"Italian"

Kaz belongs to me (Winter-Skye-Phoenix)

Okay, so this chapter's a little dark but there's nothing really gory and no major swearing and this is an important chapter 'cause many things are starting to really be revealed.

Chapter 20 – Day 20

"I better not be lost." - Ray

Ray pouted, peeking around a corner. 'Where could Johnny be?'

/Can you twack him down, Dwigger?/

/Unfortunately, young master, I cannot. Jonathan does not have his bitbeast with him at the moment./

/Oh./ Ray sighed, and crept down the darkened hall, moving with the agility and quietness of a cat. He stumbled suddenly, gasping as he caught himself against the wall. Slowly, he slid down to his knees and shut his eyes as a feeling of burning hot pain coursed through him.

He could feel Drigger's panic and protective energy overlapping his own, soothing the pain and lessening the extent of power rippling through him. Ray focused on his breathing, as the clan elders had long since taught their young. He inhaled deeply through his nose before forcing all the air out of his lungs through his mouth. The boy repeated these actions until all the pain and odd energy faded and golden eyes snapped open.

"Well," A teenaged Ray muttered, standing. "That was an experience." He shook his head and looked around. "Now, to figure out where I am, where Johnny is, why this all happened and where I can find some clothes." There was only silence about him and he heaved a sigh.

"I better not be lost."

'I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut.' Johnny winced in pain as he shifted in the chair.

After Balkov's 'visit', the gag had been replaced and he was left alone. Except now he was in agonizing pain, limbs tingling from loss of circulation due to his restraints and still feeling nauseous. 'Better not throw up while I'm gagged.' He thought bitterly, twisting his wrists to test the security of his restraints. Pain shot though his arms and he gasped slightly, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he rode the pain out.

He stiffened and snapped his eyes open, however, when he heard the lock on the door clang and the door itself open. The door closed again and he could hear footsteps as the person stepped around the chair to face him.

Voltaire smirked down at him. "Well, I'm sure you enjoyed Boris' lesson and learned some manners at the same time, I hope." Johnny simply glared at him; Voltaire chuckled.

"Are you ready to talk now?" He questioned, reaching over the untie the gag and remove it.

"Like hell, Hiwatari." Johnny snarled, staring him straight into the eyes. Voltaire sneered and viciously pressed his thumb to a pre-existing injury on the boy's shoulder. Johnny cried out, arching slightly against the pain as tears filled his eyes.

"You sure, McGregor?" Voltaire asked, stroking the side of the boy's face with his free hand. Johnny bit his lip.

"Go fu-." He gasped out, groaning when the senior Hiwatari placed more pressure on the wound.

"You're not being very cooperative, Johnny." Voltaire said, still stroking the redhead's face. "Just tell me what I want to know and all this pain will stop."

Johnny snorted, "yeah right it will." He could not stop the whimper of pain from escaping his lips or the tear that slid down his cheek as the Hiwatari ruthlessly jabbed his thumb deep into the wound. Blood welled up and soaked his shirt as he struggled to control his breathing.

Hiwatari laughed, gently brushing away the tear. "Is the poor McGregor boy crying? Are you really the heir to the clan, little boy?" He removed his hand from the wound and wiped the blood off on a handkerchief he had pulled from his pocket.

Johnny snarled and snapped his head to the side, biting down harshly on the hand that still remained on the side of his face. The older man howled in pain, yanking his now bloodied hand back and viciously pounding his other hand into the boy's solar plexus. Johnny bent over as much as the restraints would allow, gasping frantically and coughing harshly.

Voltaire sneered down at him. "You arrogant, little brat. I certainly hope you weren't brought up to treat your superiors like that." The boy flinched, still gasping, as the man reached down and yanked his head back by his hair. This action exposed his neck and he tensed when Voltaire pressed a small knife against his throat.

"Give me one more reason, brat, I dare you." He whispered into the boy's ear. "I've been wanting to get rid of the scorn to my family for so many years, and having you here, helpless, vulnerable, hurt and so pathetic is making it hard to resist simply ending your life."

After having found –and broken into- someone's quarters, Ray tugged on a plain black uniform. He eyed it in distaste. It was too big, baggy and uncomfortable and held the Biovolt crest on the left shoulder.

The Chinese teenager shook his head and began to creep back out of the room. As he walked down the desolate hall, he slipped into a darkened corner in time to see three armed men pass by. They were talking to one another in what he assumed – based on hearing Kai speak it- was Russian and did not seem to notice him. He waited until he was in the clear before he continued his wandering.

'Where could Johnny be?' He yelped, however, when he crashed into a solid chest. The boy was quick to regain his balance and he quickly looked at the person.

It was a boy roughly his height and age, with dark grey eyes and spiky hair. The boy smirked, teeth glinting in the pale lighting.

"I presume you're Ray Kon, yeah?" The boy drawled lightly, his posture relaxed and unthreatening.

"Yes," Ray said slowly, his body tense. "And you are?"

"You can call me Kaz, I'm an ole friend of Johnny and Enrique." Kaz said, shrugging. "I'm here to help you get Johnny back before somethin' really bad happens to him."

"And I'm just supposed to take you on your word?" Ray asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed into slits.

Kaz sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Ask Drigger if you don't believe me." Ray stared at him in surprise before frowning.

/Drigger?/ He asked.

/I do not know the boy, but he is telling the truth. I sense no deceit coming from him./ Drigger said, unusually quiet.

/Is something wrong?/ Ray wondered.

/For a later time, young master./

"All right," Ray said eventually, "let's say I believe you. Where do we go from here?"

Kaz smiled slightly and pointed down the hall Ray had just come from. "Johnny's cell is down that way."

Ray looked exasperated, "all this time, and I was going the wrong way?"

"So, what should we do now?" Oliver asked from his seat, watching the blond pace back and forth. Said blond shrugged.

"I guess we should try and find Kai and the others. We could team up with them, get Johnny and Ray and go home before Ma finds out." Enrique said, running a hand through his hair.

"All right," they both turned to see Robert standing in the doorway. "Let us go find the others then." He then headed out the door without waiting for a response.

"You're so dignified, Robbie!" Enrique called, following after him.

"Do not call me that, Enrique." Robert said blandly, and Oliver chuckled quietly in the background.

"Hey!" They turned at the call and saw Bryan, Kai and Raul heading towards them. The Majestics stopped in the middle of the hall and waited for them to catch up.

"Hey you guys, we were just going to find you." Oliver said, smiling.

"You guys want in on getting Johnny back?" Kai asked bluntly.

"Of course, did you really have to ask, Kai?" Enrique questioned and Kai smirked.

"If we're done with the small talk, can we get on with having this whole dilemma explained and finding Johnny?" Bryan snapped impatiently.

"Would you calm down, Bryan! Running to where we think Johnny might be without some sort of plan won't be getting us very far." Kai snapped in return, making to move towards the door that led outside of the building.

"Listen here, Hiwatari, I have had it with your stupid little secrets, so why don't you explain what is going on so we can make a decent plan!" Bryan practically growled, blocking Kai's path and Raul took an unnerving step back.

"This isn't the time! I'll explain later but if you don't step away from that door and let me through, I will burn you from the inside out, Kuznetsov!" Kai snarled, his eyes mere slits.

"Ha! I'd like to see you manage that, Hiwatari! You've been out of training for years longer than I have. I can take you on and win." Bryan smirked and scoffed.

Raul cringed slightly, watching the two Russians argue and shove at each other. Both had narrowed eyes, snarls and different ideas and he had no idea what to do. 'What am I supposed to do? Get between them? Maybe the Majestics have an idea.' He glanced back at them. Robert was watching impassively, Oliver was wringing his hands and glancing around and Enrique simply looked exasperated and on the verge of laughing at the same time.

"Why don't the both of you just shut up and work on a proper plan to help Johnny?" A voice asked from behind them. Raul blinked and turned, surprised.

"Tala? What are you doing here?"

"Helping, obviously." Tala said dryly, leaning back against the wall. Kai rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Then help me explain to the dimwit over here that we don't have time to tell a story!"

"Kai's right," Tala said, and Bryan snarled. "But, Bryan's right too. So, here's the short version. Kai and Johnny are brothers. Now, is everyone ready to go or not?"

Yeah, I know, short -extremely short- chapter, but if all things go according to plan -they usually don't- I should have the next chapter up in a few days. Hope you all enjoyed it and I would love to hear what you think. Have a good Easter- or just a long weekend-! (I think if you're reading this chapter, you all ready know who the author is).