Author's Note: Well my school had a scheduled strike for today. So I managed to find some time to do another chapter. It's much longer too. I'm actually so happy I still have people actually reading this: I thought everyone would have disappeared or ended up not bothering to read this. Lovely to hear I have some loyal readers. –jumps up and down- Yah! Thanks again everyone for reading/reviewing;

DancerInTheDark101 - It's okay, so long as you read the fiction I'm pretty much a happy bunny. I'm an ecstatic bunny if you review but as they say good things come in small doses. Ah, yes the Twisted Trilogy is pretty much got most of the sub-plots I had intended for other fictions within them which is why they're so weird… Thanks a bunch for reviewing!

Amanita Virso-Amaranthus- Aw, no need to worry about Kai - he's a big boy even if he's slightly... crazy. Well hope I updated quick enough so big thanks for reviewing!

d1bontemp - -snort with laughter- Very to the point and nice review! Made me smile thank you: also thanks for reviewing!

ShadowBlade7330 - Well I guess it's up to the reader: if you want to ship Lita and Kai together you can make it that she did end up friends with him. If you really hate Lita then you don't need to think about it too much. Heh heh, thanks for reviewing and don't worry no one needs to review every chapter so no feeling guilty yah hear!

Ma.anda - You'll be waiting a while for the kiss. A threat or promise -thinks- A promise. XP I might add in some fluff if I'm in good mood but with school. I doubt that I'll be in a good mood for a long time X) Still thanks for reviewing!

isthatnecessary - Sad to hear you aren't on much, but you did make me grin from ear to ear after hearing you'll still be reading. Good to read! Thanks very much for reviewing!

Meifa - Yes, I'm back and I plan to get this darn fiction finished! Glad you liked both chapters! Yes 15 chapters left each containing, evil twists and drama, drama, drama. Yes, and I finally updated: woop woop! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 21

Not too many people believed that Kai was innocent, some may have thought that he didn't necessarily kill Emily or that Julie girl. Although now that Kai had disappeared and another name had been added to the death list things weren't looking too great also since the police had rounded up a few bladers saying that they would be under strict surveillance gave the public a little hope knowing that they weren't truly the ones in danger.

However the papers continued to rant and rave about the 'slowing' investigation. They couldn't understand that just because one serial killer was being more public didn't stop any other crimes from being committed, plus the people that phoned in claiming to be the killer wasted more and more of the police's time. People that had no sympathy for the families of those that had been killed blamed it on them - if they hadn't been there at that time then they wouldn't have been caught. It was their fault they were dead, not the murderer.

Copy cat killings were a fear of the police, since there was no other connection between these the targeted except from beyblading it could get even more complicated if there so happened to be someone else killed in a similar manner. Although that fear was now a reality as Julie Snow: a name that had not been on the proclaimed 'list' had been killed, along with another, this time male: Thomas Clark.

He's been killed the exact same way as Julie and so police wondered if they were connected although he seemed to have nothing related to beyblading. He was just an average person, he wasn't as famous or as known as Julie how had been aspiring as some to-be-model. This made the police assume that these two may be perhaps linked to another killer. The fact that it had happened the same grotesque way, with the body being barely recognizable and apparently with the same type of blunt knife made the police more doubtful. There couldn't be two separate, murders going on at the same time?

"How long do we need to sit here?" Robert sighed and looked among the other bladers before his attention went back to the police officer who was standing by the door. There were a few people that Robert knew, a few he didn't - Tyson, Mariah and Tala. The other two girls in the room he hadn't a clue, although he was curious to why Kai wasn't here. He should have been: apparently he too was being targeted or so he had heard but surely he didn't think he would be safe in a time like this?

"Until the inspector arrives and questions you all." The officer replied before sighing, it was a boring job to wait on someone they didn't know personally. Robert muttered something incoherently under his breath meanwhile Tyson, Selene and Lilita spoke in hushed voices about Kai.

"So? Where do you think he's gone?" Tyson asked the two girls, he was a little annoyed that the rest of the BladeBreakers weren't allowed to be protected even though both Max and Rei had been hurt. Lilita had a cast over her damaged arm, and because of the attack at the dojo, Selene had a few black and yellow bruises over her face and shoulders.

Lilita had told Selene what had happened and eventually went and told the BladeBreakers that Kai had bolted because of some 'personal' matter. Even if she was lying to the BladeBreakers, Kai probably wouldn't have enjoyed the knowledge that his friends knew about such a shallow deal which involved him.

"Who knows...?" Selene muttered and sat back on her chair, she didn't really think that Kai would have stayed hidden for so long but apparently he still had that skill to vanish without a trace in a matter of moments. It must have been a family thing to be able to do such a thing. The police had chosen to frozen his bank account only to be questioned by the eldest sibling, Aton.

"So, Hiwatari's actually disappeared then?" The three other teenagers looked over to where a very unhappy looking Tala sat with his arms folded and glaring at every possible person in the room. Tyson nodded, he didn't know if Tala and Kai were friends or rather people with mutual respect for one another. Some times they would hiss offending remarks to one another although such remarks seemed to make them more determined to beat one another in any activity.

"I can't believe it, is he stupid or something?" Mariah jumped into the conversation, she would have sat next to Tyson but apparently she wanted to be closer to Tala than Selene. Seeing as she had never really spoken to Robert she avoided him as well. At least she knew of the redhead. Selene and Lilita exchanged looks knowing that they would probably have told the girl to shut up although seeing as they weren't in the physical state to back up any threats then they opted to stay quiet.

"Kai was meant to have gone crazy, or is that another lie from the newspapers?" Robert tilted his head as he watched Tala stand up and move away from the main cluster of people that were sitting near him. Robert wasn't too happy with having to be cooped up with people he didn't know. He was rich, he could hire bodyguards.

"Kai isn't crazy, he's not stupid either!" Tyson had raised his voice slightly hoping to gain the attention of everyone in the room. Kai may have been acting a little crazy now and again but it didn't mean that he 

was truly insane. Also he wasn't here for personal reasons, and Tyson knew that it wasn't because he had killed someone and needed time to think of a way of getting away with it.

"Then why isn't he here?" Robert decided to ask, he had been curious on why Kai hadn't been rounded up and told to sit in this smallish room with people he didn't like that much – maybe with the exception of Tyson but that was probably it…

"Something happened, so stop butting into things you know nothing about." The memory made Lilita snap, knowing that it was entirely her fault that Kai wasn't here, he should have been here. He shouldn't have as much faith in the killers – though could always be lying about how they planned to kill Kai. Selene glanced at Lilita thought decided to leave it as the room fell silent.

There came an aggravated sigh from Mariah as she stood up and stretched lazily wondering just what was the inspector going to talk about? "So, are we really being targeted? Maybe the police are wrong again."

Also what was taking him so long, it wasn't a huge police station after all. He was probably just stalling, that was it: he'd come into the room to apologize, say that they were wrong and they weren't the ones that were being targeted.

Selene tilted her head, why did everyone go straight into denial when their life was threatened, it would be much more productive if they actually believed it and did something to help prevent it. "Are you scared?" Selene asked simply and watched Mariah's reaction she didn't want to speak to the girl but she knew what she must have been feeling. It was the feel of going to the doctors and finding out something was very wrong, and then being told you had one chance to continue to live. Although it was much more terrifying to know that it was someone else that was going to be your downfall…

"No I'm just -- hey you're the girl that got Rei hurt!" Everyone turned to look at Mariah who had went to very calm to shrieking in disgust. She was watching Selene closely and all Selene could do was sigh why had she even opened her mouth? Was this girl still not over that?

Mariah walked a little closer, and continued to glare in the other girl's direction knowing that she was the cause of Rei having to go into the hospital for a serious wound. She had almost fainted when she had heard about Rei and then to see some other girl by his bedside, argh.

"If you don't get out of my face, I'll make you." Selene narrowed her eyes and slowly stood up so the height difference wasn't so great. The other girl, Mariah, placed her hand on her hips as she continued to yell in Selene's face.

"Really? Go for it. If you do I'll make you regret it!" Of course Tala and Robert weren't that annoyed by the amusing display at least the time was passing while they continued to yell at one another. However, Lilita looked between both girls and knew that they probably would turn on her if she dared to do anything and decided that it would be best to leave it alone for the time being.

"Come on, guys both of you just need to--." Tyson tried to calm them both down but failed miserably as they both turned to glare at Tyson. Mariah had let her anger get out of control and ended up snapping at the World Champion.

"Shut up, Tyson." The two girls continued there glaring match, "This is between us." Lilita sighed and decided that if things did get too much the police officer at the door would get involved but it didn't look as if they were going to do anything soon.

"How un-lady-like..." Robert muttered to himself not really understanding why both of the girls were already at each others throat. Still Mariah was now in a foul mood after seeing that Selene of all people was in the same room as her. Mariah turned to look in the direction of Robert and snapped at him as well.

"Want to say something?" Robert merely shrugged and left the two girls to fire comments back and forth between one another. "You got my Rei hurt! He didn't do anything to deserve getting stabbed. It's your entire fault!" Selene rolled her eyes and hissed back, very close to losing her self-control and launching a full blown assault on the pink-haired girl in front of her.

"Rei got stabbed because he was protecting me - so shut up!" Why was she making this so personal? Selene wasn't too sure until she heard Mariah's reasoning, which of course only made Selene even more infuriated at the pink haired blader.

"He wouldn't have got stabbed if he hadn't met you." Mariah hissed, if only Rei hadn't been so nice to actually have tried to help this stranger then he wouldn't have had to go to hospital with a stab wound. He could have died!

"She sounds like a fan-girl." Lilita muttered to Tyson who nodded in agreement. A similar display had happened numerous times outside the dojo since the location had been given to the media by Mr. Dickenson. Fans of different 'idols' argued which were better and who was cutest. The whole thing had ended up with police having to be called to shoo them all away.

"She? My name's Mariah." Apparently this girl had good hearing as Lilita had to sit back so Mariah didn't intrude in her personal space as she came closer and started to point between herself and hoe 'she', namely Selene, shouldn't have involved Rei.

"Sorry, Mariah." Lilita smiled sweetly though really wishing that her arm was better so she could have slapped the girl. Hard. Tala was getting slightly annoyed at the way Mariah was speaking about Rei, it was as if he wasn't allowed to speak to any other girl so long as Mariah lived. That had to be annoying even for someone as kind hearted as Rei.

"And I'm not a fan-girl I'm actually Rei's--." Although Selene had managed to piece together what was happening. Mariah was somewhat annoyed with her because of the stabbing, yes, but she was so protective – borderline possessive – that she was annoyed at the fact that Rei actually was friends with another female. Was she feeling threatened? Selene could have cringed at the idea.

"I don't care." Selene interrupted, she was grateful for Rei doing what he did but she wasn't even sure they were friends, just people who knew of one another and had a common friend which happened to be Kai. Although she was sure that Rei would have jumped in and took a stabbing for anyone that was just how he was.

Mariah seemed to deflate after she was interrupted and she slowly started to edge away from both Selene and Lilita knowing that they must have been friends by the quick glances they exchanged while she had been yelling. "Why are you both being targeted - are you even beybladers?" She huffed and sat down with her arms over her chest and her legs crossed over.

"Not anymore." Lilita smiled to answer her question hoping that things would cool down a little. She placed it down to the reality that there was a killer after them all and it was pretty boring being locked up in this damn room.

"Bet that's because you're both so bad." Selene rolled her eyes again and couldn't help but feel as if she could continue arguing. Lilita ended up giving up beyblading because she, well, wasn't too good at the sport. Selene on the other hand wasn't too bad but never liked the idea of being watched by hundreds of thousands if not millions of people on television and ended up quitting soon after Lilita.

"How old are you?" Selene tried to say it in the most demeaning way so Mariah would have to find something else to moan about. "Does she normally get this possessive over Rei?" Selene turned to look at Tyson who seemed surprised that he was being spoken to after he had been told to shut up only moments ago.

"She got really jealous of Salima a few years ago." Tyson tried to remember the redheaded girl, it had been when the BladeBreakers had been trapped on that island… Still Rei ended up only liking Salima as a friend as she ended up going out with Kane a few months later. Either that or his pride was too crushed to admit that he liked her but lost in the end.

"So? She was trying to--." Selene was still on her feet and continued to stay standing as the other girl looked away, as if Mariah was bored at what she had to say. Selene on the other hand couldn't help it and some of her anger out as she yelled.

"Shut up! Stop going on about Rei - when it's us that could be attacked next!" Mariah jumped to her feet and yelled back although doing so only provoked Selene further and the room was suddenly tense as Mariah continue to tell them that she wouldn't be attacked because of this and that.

"No - I won't be attacked because I--." The whole thing had annoyed Selene, she did not like the fact that she was being yelled at in front of people she didn't really know. It was humiliating in an infuriating, 'who-do-you-think-you-are' kind of manner.

"Shut up!" She couldn't help it as she raised her hand and slapped the girl in front of her. Mariah was stunned for a second but Selene didn't seem to be bothered about what she had done and continued to rant and rave about what was happening.

"You will end up having to face reality sooner or later. There's killers on the loose and they're coming for everyone in this room. Including you!" Mariah bowed her head and rubbed her cheek slowly, a small patch turning red and the surrounding area turning a light pink. Mariah hadn't really thought about what was happening.

"I can't...be...I haven't done anything...I haven't..." She mumbled though it was slowly sinking in that her life was in danger and that she could die. She could be murdered by someone she'd probably have never met and that thought petrified her so much that she began to cry.

Lilita watched as Selene backed away to the other end of the room, the very opposite of Tala and decided that it would be best to comfort the pink-haired blader first seeing as she seemed to be the most stressed. "Calm down, Mariah - we're in the police station. Nothing can go wrong. So stop crying, okay?" Lilita tried to sound up-beat but even Tyson wasn't being very helpful as he sat in silence not really wanting to comfort someone who had just yelled at him.

"It is very unlikely that the people after us would come into a police station." Robert said and sighed as the girl didn't stop crying. This would be a very long wait…

"What?" Kai grasped the phone in his hand, he had decided to use the phone boxes that he had spotted a few days ago, at least the police wouldn't be able to find out where he was if they were tracking his phone.

Kai had phoned home, wanting to know if they knew anything that would help him: Aton had welcomed the phone call simply to make sure that Kai really wasn't involved in any of the murderers. "They've frozen your bank account..." He repeated.

There was a pause as Kai swore under his breath and he looked over his shoulder as he heard a siren and hoped that it wasn't a police escort for him. He didn't think he could speak to that investigator again nor did he want to see his so-called friends again. Ever.

He quickly said his goodbye and slammed the phone down, he slowly made his way out of the phone box and looked around wondering if there was anything he could do. He'd went back to the dojo: filled with police but he'd managed to talk his way into gaining some new clothes – which would help disguise himself against any police that knew he was running. He'd quickly changed in a public restroom and so found it easy to blend in as his pullover had an adjustable hood.

"Everything is so screwed up..." He mumbled to himself wondering what he could do. He'd watched the television from one of the shop windows, the sound had been rather bad but he had went inside and pretended to be interested in the television and not what was being shown.

"Why are they killing people not on the list?" That Thomas guy was not on the list, he just wasn't. There had to be a reason why he was dead unless someone was messing with the police, "Unless. It's a decoy?" He sighed as he continued to walk down the street muttering to himself trying to figure what was happening out.

"A little too much to be a decoy..." Even if the police knew what was going on he highly doubted he'd be satisfied with their answer since they didn't seem to act until it was too late. "Then again most things are a little over-the-top nowadays."

He narrowed his eyes when he saw two boys that looked slightly younger than he was walking in his direction. Hopefully they wouldn't say anything or rather hopefully they wouldn't tell the police they had seen Kai Hiwatari on East Avenue. "Thomas...wonder if he knew that Julie girl?" If they did know one another then he had missed the news update about that. Or the police were once again lagging behind. Not as if he could blame them: this place was big and a lot of people were cramped into the limited space.

"He was meant to have worked somewhere at the industrial district...Might as well have a look unless there's cops around." If he saw a police car he'd just leave and maybe go find somewhere to sleep, he withdrawn as much as he could – half-expecting the police to freeze any resource he had. Kai frowned when the two boys slowly walked past him.

"Did you hear that Kai guy might actually be the killer?" Kai narrowed his eyes, it would be very troublesome if these boys were to realize that he was here. Kai had to stop at the lights and turned to look in the other direction hoping that the boys were too engrossed in their conversation to look at him.

"Yeah I mean he just disappears just as someone was killed? I think that's a little odd don't you think?" One of them looked towards Kai but didn't seem to be annoyed by his presence as they stopped at the end closest to the button. A few cars whizzed by causing Kai to get a little agitated, whenever he wanted to cross cars would suddenly appear out of nowhere – yet when he didn't, it was like a ghost town…

'Sounds like I'd be arrested by the police if I went back...' Kai thought to himself: if the public were so sure he was the killer then maybe the police had told everyone he was? They hadn't cleared him: they did find one of the murder weapons in his hands. Kai got too impatient and walked off, though could have hit himself as he looked at one of the boys directly in the eye.

The boy frowned when he saw the crimson eyes and turned to his friend to ask, "Hey, wasn't that..." The boy trailed off not wanting to believe the boy he and a friend had been standing near was the person they had been talking about. It wouldn't be good if Kai was really the killer, then again if he had been he'd probably have attacked them since they were pretty much alone. His friend turned to give him an odd look, not really wanting to hear about who he had thought it had been. It was about to rain, he was sure of it and didn't want to be late back home seeing as there was some whack killer on the lose. "Who?"

The boy frowned as he watched Kai's back before shaking his head dismissing the fact that it could have been Kai. "Never mind." They two teenagers walked across the room, and continued their discussion about how guilty the other teen was.

Author's Note: Okay, so you'd never believe it but I like Mariah even though she is slightly annoying in this fiction. However she does have a part to play as she -- Oops. Haha, well hope you didn't find it too boring: a little filler chapter I guess. Killers are back next chapter. Oh the fun I shall have! Oh, if you have time, review, if not – thanks for reading anyway! Well later!