I'm sorry for the pause, I lost my thread but now I'm back on track. Thank you everyone who reviewed and supported this story. Happy reading!

Chapter 5

It did not take much for their classmates to throw around that word. To them it was analogous with weak. It was a catch-all word for when a guy lacked physical strength, emotional stability or shame. Wyatt was lacking in all three.

Due to their proximity, Kai had become collateral damage.

Somehow being labelled a queer made him think critically about the definition. Why were poof, sissy, homo the standard vernacular guys used to describe inferiority? Why was gay analogous with weak? And what did that say about him?

He had intuitively classed Wyatt as weak, only to be proven wrong. Now the kid was off, taking a challenge for his sake. Kai had only learned of it because his classmates taunted him about it. Their exclusive friendship had peaked some curiosities and evolved to be their school's sideshow act. The same guys that used to bully Wyatt now felt confident prodding Kai, asking what had led him to fight with his girlfriend.

He was out there in a heartbeat, surprised at his own determination. How ironic. Running after someone was Wyatt's signature move. He was rubbing off on him now. Kai wasn't sure how he felt about that. He was getting rather frustrated at how this guy was constantly making him question his perception of himself.

No time for that now, he had to keep his head clear.

His fear was validated. Dranzer was missing. The kid was in over his head! Luckily, he had forgotten a detail, a crumpled note next to the crates. It entailed the challengers' instructions. That idiot.

He sprinted down the road, ignoring the sweat running into his eyes, some caught by his bangs which were now clinging to his forehead in a wet matte. There was a shrill sound. A chain clambered; the cyclist forced to backpedal hard to avoid a collision. A delivery driver dropped his goods as he swerved around him. None of those people mattered. Kai held few people close to his heart, which, at this instance, was pounding wildly. Wyatt had been right, he was malnourished. His muscles wrenched in pain, all over. As he sprinted up the stairway to Alpha tower his insides felt as though they were about to tear apart. But he couldn't stop, not now, not so close.

When he finally reached the rooftop, he had to hold his ribs to keep himself from collapsing. Forcibly mute, sucking in air like a drowning victim. But his light headedness was not entirely due to the cardio.

There was relief. Real relief.

Wyatt was unharmed. Not even a bruised ego. Not to his credit, but because the fight had yet to begin. Both beys were aimed like guns, both bladers counting down to launch.

Wyatt's feeble voice squeaked his name. But he did not look happy to see him, not like he usually did. That bulky guy on the other hand looked like he had anticipated his arrival.

"Ah, there he is. Now pass that Beyblade to the expert, kiddo." The brute mocked him.

But Wyatt stood firm. "No way."

"Wyatt, what are you doing?"

"I'm fighting in your place." Wyatt said as though he was stating the obvious.

Cute. But delusional. Kai could not suppress a smirk.

"You're gonna hurt yourself."

"I don't care what happens to me. I have to do this. For you."

He was a stubborn one. So, Kai just nodded, he too was curious to see this play out. Would the kid's tenacity actually translate into success? He had not seen either of them battle before. The brute talked big, but Wyatt had that idiot confidence. It was anyone's game. Who's to say he didn't have a shot at victory?

Let him have this one, he thought. Not that he'd say so out loud, but he was rooting for him.

Once the fight set in motion it was clear the brute had the upper hand. Dranzer was wobbling side to side, his loyal girl resisting its new commander's call. Kai got a little smug satisfaction watching him squirm, firm in the belief that the kid would recognise it and resign soon. But Wyatt was determined, and the brute wasn't messing around. While Wyatt was still struggling to control Dranzer, his opponent pulled a dirty move, launching some sort of energy attack.

Kai only had a second to register the shift in threat level and before he knew he was hit by a blast, nearly loosing his footing, catching himself, to see Wyatt, who had stood closest to the rink thrown up into the air.

Kai's heart stopped when he followed the trajectory. The boy was toast!

Propping his leg onto the wire fence for counterweight, he reached over it, grabbing him by the fingertips.

His grip was firm, yet sweaty. Whose was it? His? Wyatt's face was white as a skull, and his eyes so wide, they could pop out of their sockets.

"Don't look down."

Kai had him, he could save him. Relying on adrenaline and muscle memory he pulled him up. The shock must have been so overbearing for him that he fainted in his arms.

He was safe. But that had been close. Way too close.

Blood boiling, Kai arose, clutching his Beyblade so tight it was slicing into the flesh of his palms, not that he could feel anything other than rage.

"Your way of fighting disgusts me." He hissed.

The brute grinned as though this had all been intentional. Just a bored predator toying with his prey. Heck, maybe he had known. He had followed them after all, who knew how much he'd seen. Based on what he had observed he must have concluded Wyatt was the key, as Kai would never come out of retirement for his own sake. Come to think of it, that strike at the hide-out had targeted him as well. Dammit. What was a major oversight seemed so obvious now. By underestimating his shadow Kai had put Wyatt in direct danger.

Enough of that. It had been a mistake to share this burden, to think someone else could fight his battles for him. No more Mr Nice Guy, time to go feral. This Kai wanted blood.