Previously in THE MANSION….
Kai just grimly turned away, his bangs covering his crimson eyes. No one noticed the single tear rolling down his cheek. 'Tala, this time you guys can escape. I have Boris and Raven beside me. They won't hurt you. Not as long as I am alive.'
-Butler Point of View-
The large house was dark, and a butler shuffled through the vast, empty hallways. He stopped in front of a set of large cherry wood doors. The beautiful doors were varnished and the butler faltered for a moment. He gripped the large gold handlebars and held his breath. 'Should I tell Master Hiwatari of Lord Balkov's plan? Meh, screw them both; they will cause the downfall of BIOVOLT corporation. 'The butler sighed and struggled to open the heavily weighted doors.
He straightened up once he entered the room, and walked forward slowly. The slam of the door made him jump up slightly and he walked towards the dark figure sitting in the tall chair. The room was a fully stocked library, and the figure in the chair chuckled darkly. There was a fire crackling in the hearth and the figure sitting in the chair chuckled some more and held out his wrinkled hand. The butler handed him a glass of red wine, and stepped back by a few steps.
"Is there anything else that you require sir?" The butler asked.
- Voltaire Point of View-
Sipping the glass of wine, he flipped the page and grinned wickedly at the pictures in the album. There was an image of him and his wife. Another was the image of them holding Susumu, a picture of Susumu getting married and a picture of Kai. He recalled the day Kai came home, two years ago, expecting to be welcomed home. He personally tattooed the blue fins on his face, laughing the entire time. He recalled how Kai had not made a sound and left the tears unshed.
~Flashback~
Kai was a naïve boy that was for sure. Voltaire had a tattoo artist match up the shape of Kai's dual shark fins, and had him make the preliminaries right on Kai's face. Kai's eyes flitted over to the blue ink, and the tattoo machine. He turned to face Voltaire.
"Grandfather?" His voice was filled with disbelieve.
Voltaire smirked and picked up the machine. Giving Kai no warning he turned the machine on and pressed it roughly to Kai's cheek. "These fins you wear are foolish, grandson. Yet now, they are permanently apart of you." He stepped back to admire his work.
Kai's eyes shone with unshed tears and when the blood dripped down his cheeks, Voltaire smiled. The fins were a bright blue and there were his handprints all over Kai's cheeks. Voltaire paid the tattoo artist and Kai rose to his feet. Voltaire pressed hard against the tender skin and laughed when Kai bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying, intensifying the overall pain. Shaking his head at his grandson's foolishness, he turned to stare at him. Kai's shoulder's rose and fell as he walked up the stairs, his sobbing silent. Voltaire waited until he heard Kai's door shut and then barged into the room after him.
Kai's eyes were bloodshot and he was retching into the trashcan that lay by his bed. Voltaire roughly grabbed Kai's arm and forced him to stare into his eyes. His voice was gruff, "This was not even punishment. Get any closer to the bladers and I will kill you, understand? Friendship weakens the senses and each friend you make, the worse you punishments will get.