Beyblades and Blood: The Attack of Shadow Vale

by IloveDranzer

Its been 10 years since the World Championships and the BEGA threat. Tyson, Max, Ray, Kai, Kenny, Hilary and Daichi are older with a new set of challenges in life. They are thrust back together as a new enemy threatens the safety of the World, bitbeasts and the old Bladebreakers/G-Revolution. Highly descriptive. Contains friendship, injury, violence, threat, angst and beyblading.

47. Chapter 47

Hiya guys! And Vlissan you lovely thing! Thankyou so very much for your last review! And hope you like this new chapter. It was an absolute joy to write in some parts so I managed to write it rather quickly. I'm hoping to churn out the next chapter soon. I wanted to add more to this one but will break them down into 2 chapters or this one is going to be insanely long. I'm going to trrrryyyyyyy to do smaller chapters but more often...we'll see. Thankyou for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Chapter 47

*YAWN!* "Goodmornnnning everyone." Hilary murmured groggily after a long arousing stretch alone in her bed; alarmed to receive no reply she shot up to peer around her room. Wide eyed and pleasantly surprised in her half-awake state she'd had forgotten where she was... no longer camping on Tyson's dojo floor on a thin futon...but arose fresh as a daisy on a western divan bed with a plush memory foam mattress and silky cotton sheets at Kai's royally dressed mansion. Her well rested hazel eyes peered around her bedroom as the cheerful morning light peeped her through the gaps of purple velvet curtains. No trumpeting Tyson with his t-shirt riding up exposing his belly, no having to tiptoe past anyone so as not to wake them on her way to the bathroom, none of Max's luggage strewn over the floor to step over or slip on. Not a single Hiwatari Enterprises body guard in sight noisily patrolling in heavy boots or nattering into his/her radios. Peace and solitude and she'd had it all night and morning so far. She slipped off the bed and attended her very own en-suite that she needn't have to queue, bang on its door, or fight anyone for...it was allllll hers. The cheerful brunette brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, got dressed and put on a thin helping of makeup before heading downstairs to greet whoever else was awake.

The lavish bouncy carpet, regally wallpapered walls and landscape paintings inspired her to imagine herself one of the cast from Bridgerton and wished she had a stunningly decorative, madly artistic and terribly floral silk dress to wear for the occasion. She finally reached the bottom of the stair case where the phoenix carved banister ends evoked her to think of her new temporary abode as more of Dracula's castle than a light hearted period drama, she thought how perfect the pair of blackened wooden birds would be as props for a gothic horror movie as she briefly stopped to run a finger down one of their beaks.

Turning another corner, Hilary finally found herself in the reception area and one of the few places the master of manor allowed eating and drinking. Emily and Kenny sat opposite each other on the pair of black velvet sofas, each with a steaming mug of coffee in hand. The duo's laptops were open and ready on the black glass coffee table but the pair weren't beating the keyboards just yet. Instead, the Chief and the brainy ginger sat relaxed, enjoying newfound serenity with no guards over watching, absorbing the stunning austere decor around and above them, and enjoyed a gorgeously gentle breeze billowing through the open bay windows whilst sipping mouthfuls of their favourite blends at leisure. The smell of old books; coffee and the warming grass lawn outside filled the room. Pure peace beheld the geeky pair.

Hilary entered reception and flexed her arms outwards and upwards in a stretch. "Gooooood morning you two. How did you sleep? I've just had the best night's rest in weeks!"

Emily bluntly announced in reply. "You just missed everyone. The guys woke up early to hit the swimming pool. It's all Tyson's been banging on about since last night...and first thing. Max, Daichi, Dunga and Mariam went with him. Josef and the stressy one are out patrolling somewhere we think. You and Kai are the last up."

Kenny added. "Ray and Mariah were running laps around the grounds but I haven't seen them for a while. There should be some croissants and cereal left the kitchen if Tyson's not gotten to them first. If you can't find anything, just ask the maid. I'm sure she'll help make you something if you ask her nicely. She's not Japanese so you have to have to speak slowly. Her name's Anya. We've been around the Blitzkrieg Boys long enough lately to have an ear for it and I'm pretty confident she's Russian."

"Sure, I'll see what's left in the kitchen."Hilary's tummy rumbled driving her to forage for food and started for a door...until she tweaked something and stopped firm to the spot. "Wait...did you say Kai's not up yet? He can't still be asleep! He went to bed at 8pm last night and its past 9:30am now. Kai never sleeps in this late. One of us should go check on him."

Emily stretched her arms out lazily before casually folding them under her breasts and nestled her spine into the sofa's plush back. "I'm sure Kai's fine. He probably got up at the crack of dawn and is busy in his office or something. Or so what if he's still in bed. I bet he's got one hell of a sleep debt to repay too. Give him some space; he'll join us when he's finished doing whatever he's doing."

---

Some hours ticked by and the swimming pool had finally lost its novelty. The boys Tyson, Max, Dunga and Daichi plus Mariam were all pruny skinned from being in the water for too long and their energy reserves had completely bottomed out. The Gorilla spirit blader and "monkey boy" majorly ticked the others off with their excessive and somewhat dangerous dive bombing, narrowly missing injuries hitting the bottom of the pool multiple times...they just wouldn't learn. Tyson almost slipped on the wet tiles twice from running after Max, and Mariam was growing sick of the boys incessant winding each other up and silly boy talk. Water lovers Max and Mariam did however get Tyson and his excess flab to do some swim laps to account for some exercise for the day, so should anyone complain at them for avoiding training they'd at least earned one brownie point for the day.

Beyblading and any gym time had been firmly rubbed out from the itinerary; Dragoon, Draciel nor Strata Dragoon would have no spin time today as the boys planned to busy themselves with more mansion exploring and just generally enjoying themselves while they had the chance. Shadow Vale were nowhere to be seen, no Hiwatari Kevlar cronies were intruding into their space, Kai was AWOL and therefore unavailable to levy them into training, Emily and Kenny were wrapped up doing whatever on their laptops, and Ozuma was out of the picture patrolling somewhere. Tyson, Max, Daichi, Hilary and the White Tiger pair and could relax and reform as friends, do what they wanted within the constraints of Kai's house rules, and just be themselves...for now.

"You boys are finished with the pool huh?" Hilary chirped as she closed a book titled "Fire and Blood" and elegantly placed it on a little glass side table. She had been reading quietly by herself on one of the velvet black sofas for the past couple of hours after Emily and Kenny moved into the library for better Wifi.

Tyson, Daichi and Max stood before her with damp hair, wearing fresh clothes and sporting pruny toes and fingers. The trio's bellies rumbled in unison, clearly they'd long burned through their breakfasts and yearned for another meal immediately. Mariam and Dunga were nowhere to be seen and were either already in the kitchen rustling up some grub before Tyson could steal whatever they were making, or checking in with their leader before he scolds them for absconding of their share of patrol duties...the latter was more likely.

The chummy beychamp rubbed the back of his head and cheekily grinned. "Yeahhhhh we're finished with the pool alright. We're STARRRRRRRVINGGGG! HEHEHEHE."

Daichi cried dramatically Shakespearean whilst draping an arm across his eyes. "WE'RE DYING OF HUNGER WE ARE."

Hilary alighted from the sofa and with two hands on her hips said in a playful whine. "We best go find the maid then. She'll help us cook up some lunch. She's lovely; I think you'll like her."

"Mrs Anya? Could we please if you're not too busy, have some help in the kitchen? These guys are starving hungry and I don't know where everything is yet." Asked Hilary so politely and contrite as she and the boys neared the maid in a corridor, whom was quietly and methodically dusting the ridges of a landscape paintings' frame.

Tyson playfully slapped two hands together in a prayer gesture and pleaded overdramatic. "Pleeeeeeeeese Miss! I'm skin and bone alreaddddy!"

Anya Vutnesova, a heavy built lady with a busty motherly figure. She looked like the type of woman who in her younger days could have pulled a field plough better than any farm horse. She was perhaps in her early 60s but still able to work light duties and wore everything expected of a European house maid. She wore black slippers in the house with white socks, black tights, wore a roomy black skirt and a white shirt tucked into its hem. Over her clothing she wore a blue pinafore which tied behind her back, and her hair was wrapped inside a white bandana like servants of old, however tussles of wavy grey hair escaped it and draped down the side of her face. When she spoke it was apparent she'd lost a couple of teeth in her time and had replaced them with gold substitutes, despite her imperfect gnashes she still gave a pleasant warm smile and her kind voice was croaky but still feminine. Her accent was entirely Russian, her words were slow but well thought, and her sentences were sometimes broken and short but clear to understand.

Kai's housemaid turned to the young Japanese girl she'd met a few hours before and then eyeballed the three young men behind. Anya smiled, started down the hallway, and gestured for them to follow. "Of course, come with me to kitchen. I'll make you omelette each."

---

Once arrived at the kitchen, Anya instructed the quad to stand with their backs to the freezers out of her way. Hilary, Daichi, Max and Tyson stood like school children in a line and watched her as she set about making a batch of eggy lunch as promised. They felt awkward, like they'd troubled her by asking for food but she was making it now and she obviously knew her way around the kitchen; a 10 minutes task that would have taken them triple the time just to find the utensils and cookware.

The beefy but soft hearted maid took a carton of eggs out of a fridge, produced a mixing bowl out of a cupboard, retrieved a whisk from a drawer, took an onion out of the pantry, dragged a chopping board out from another drawer, then a knife from a different drawer below it. She began skinning, then chopping the onion.

Tyson was allergic to keeping silent and yearned to make conversation with the lady sweet enough to make him a cooked lunch and without pay. "Sooooooo Ummmm Mrs Anya. How long have you worked for the Hiwataris?"

Anya focused on her task of dicing the yellow coloured onion but was happy enough to chat at the same time. "I've worked for the Hiwatari family for many many years on and off. On and off. I started when I was 22 and I'm 62 now. 40 years of service this year."

Max curiously pressed for more. "Why on and off Maam?"

Anya replied as she chucked the diced onion into a mixing bowl with her big hands. "Sometimes there is someone living here and sometimes it is empty. If nobody is living here, there is no need for a maid you see. "

Hilary gently poked for more information. "When did you last work here Anya?"

The chef in her 60's began to crack eggs into the glass mixing bowl, being careful not to drop any shell into the mix. "Ohhh about 10 years ago now when the young Master left to study in London. He's done so well for himself and grown so much. He's so tall now! And handsome! How he doesn't have a wife yet I do not know."

Tyson childishly rolled his eyes at her flattering remark about Kai's desirable looks before asking. "So what was it like working here Maam? Back in the day, 40 years ago. Who lived here?"

The maid shrugged as she cracked the last egg and answered only half his question. "Mehhh not so nice sometimes, good pay, we stay in rooms here to save money. It's better last few years."

Tyson pressed further. "Not so nice sometimes? Is that because of Kai's Grandfather, Voltaire?"

The busty old maid paused before answering and turned to make eye contact ceasing her egg cracking with yolk dripping fingers. The bitterness in her grey eyes was clear and strikingly emotive. "Voltaire Hiwatari was a nasty man. Master manipulator. Cunning like a snake. A cruel man. A thug. He treat his grandson very badly. Sometimes I could not stand it to work here." Her stance softened and she began to whisk the eggs and diced onion aggressively. "But he is locked away now and Master Kai owns the manor so all is okay."

Hilary sweetly probed with a cocked head. "You seem fond of Kai. Does he treat you well?"

Anya put the bowl down and unhooked a frying pan from above a stove. "Oh yes he treat me and my husband very good. He pays us well and shows respect. He's... a little like a son to me. Good boy. He's had it hard. Tough upbringing being sent to Russia and back, having to adjust again and again is not healthy for a child."

Tyson could resist the chance and dug away for more answers as deep as Anya would allow. "How long have you known Kai?"

The busty maid paused as the memories trickled from her big heart to her dry wrinkling lips. "Since he was very small. He was around 6 years old if I remember correctly. He came to live here after his parents died. He was so small. He cried and cried for his Grandmama. He took weeks to settle at night and was a very unhappy child. He got sick often. Voltaire was not the right person to raise a child so young. Little Kai had lost everything and Voltaire would not even give him a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay. My husband and I tried to show him love whenever and however we could. All children need is to feel safe and loved. I calmed him at night and read him bedtime stories. My husband played catch with him in the garden. We three played hide and seek together in the house. He loved that. Then one day. He just...gone. No explanation why, where or how. My husband and I were heartbroken. Then 5 maybe 6 years later he come back...but the sweet little child was gone forever. That little boy I used to stroke his hair and chase insects in the garden was no more. What came back was like a soldier returned from war. Cold and quiet, rude, and...angry...so so angry with everyone and the world."

Hilary pecked. "His Grandma. Do you mean his Russian Grandmother or his other Grandma, Izumi?"

Anya took to lighting the stove and heating the frying pan atop it. "His Japanese Grandmama. His mother's mother. I never met her but Master Kai has spoken of her. She has been good in his life. Family is important and I am happy they find each other again."

Daichi's curiosity got the better of him and finally jabbed a question of his own. He didn't much care for Kai's family tree but chose to take part in the quizzing to kill time. "What happened to his Russian Grandma? Izumi told us about her but we don't know much else."

Anya added some oil to the scolding pan. "She left some 40 years ago shortly before I started working here. I think her name is Elena and mother to three sons by Voltaire. I heard she is a descendant of the Russian royal family and carries the Czars bloodline. I don't know much about her but I heard from other housekeeper she was the esteemed daughter of a rich lord and was filthy rich herself. She's now in a mental institution in Japan and penniless. That's what you get for living with Voltaire Hiwatari. He twists and breaks things if they do not bend to his will. It's a miracle Master Kai survived him with his heart and sanity intact."

Tyson begged, knowing he was crossing a line Kai would be furious if he found out he'd crossed. "Can you tell us more about Kai? He won't tell us anything about his past."

Anya poured the omelette mix into the frying pan and watched as it spat and bubbled in the thin layer of oil. With a spatula she worked the mix around to ensure all of it was cooking through. "I've said too much already. Master Kai is cold on his sometimes surface and he puts on a mask but inside he is the tenderest person, a good human being. He saw things children should never see here in this house. Voltaire is Yakuza... you know what that means? That is all I'm going to say...now...your omelette is almost done. You want ketchup...or soy sauce?"

Hilary, Max, Daichi and Tyson gratefully took their omelettes on white plates and thanked Anya for her time. The maid had gifted them with more than just food, but a golden insight into some of Kai's past, information they could tease the others about later in private, especially about Kai's unfortunate fated Russian Grandmother, and the intriguing fact Kai had Russian royalty in his bloodline...and affirmed how neglectful and cruel to the bone Voltaire was as a Grandfather.

---

Anya returned to her domestic duties and the quad trailed through the mansion and outside to one of the vast lawns accompanied with knives and forks with a plan to picnic. Ray and Mariah were sunning themselves peacefully wrapped in each other's arms on a large blanket in the middle of the west lawn. The four chose to gift the White Tigers some couple's time alone and mooched to the East lawn by the shade of some high grown hydrangea bushes to escape the heat. The omelettes were munched gone in mere minutes, seconds in Tyson and Daichi's case. Max and Hilary finished their last bites and splayed out across the dry grass like starfish joining the Dragoon bladers. Their conversation with Anya was enlightening albeit a little sad. Izumi, Kai's grandmother shared some of her experiences of Kai's childhood with them at the hospital but there were still gaps...like his time spent with his Grandfather Voltaire, and at Balkov Abbey otherwise known as BIOVOLT.

*SNIP* *SNIP* The grounds keeper was busy a yard away trimming a bush with shears. *SNIP*

The quad immediately sat up right to get a look at what or who was making the *SNIP* sound. Tyson spied the man right away and his cheeky brain produced a scheme. He naughtily glanced at Hilary with a grin. Hilary glanced at Max with a similar expression. Max glanced at Daichi with a raised single right eyebrow. Daichi glanced at Tyson with a toothy grin.

Tyson's mouth grinned wider still with sly eyes. "You thinkin what I'm thinkin?"

Hilary smirked back at the beychamp who too was driven by curiosity and unafraid to cross friends' boundaries to know as much as she can about them. She scolded. "If you're thinking of going over to the grounds keeper who we know is Anya's husband, who has spent years of his life working here and will have answers to our questions...then no Tyson. That's totally a breach of Kai's privacy and we can't do that to him. If Kai doesn't want to tell us anything about himself then we should just leave it be."

...Moments later...

Hilary crept softly and meekly behind the man busily hacking away at a rose bush that had grown too wild to go un-pruned any longer. Tyson, Max and Daichi were close to her back. "Um excuse me Sir. How are you today? Can I ask you some questions about this place?"

The tall thin man in his 60s spun round as if he'd seen poked by a ghost. He wore rubber boots, blue denim dungarees and a white t-shirt which was peppered with chopped bits of leaf, twig and flower petals. His skin was heavily tanned but you could tell he was Caucasian with dark blue eyes and wispy white hair adorned his skull. His face was well weathered from years of working outside in the elements and like his wife had lost a few teeth over the years. He sported a thin white moustache, thick white eyebrows and a scraggly short beard which was balding in patches. He looked a lot like a hill-billy but was kind faced and friendly to all. Like his wife, he too was Russian born with passable Japanese.

The groundskeeper's voice was smooth, deep, and very distinctly Slavic. "I'm sorry young lady you need to speak up. I'm little deaf."

Doe eyed Hilary replied sweetly but with a higher decibel. "I'm sorry for disturbing you Sir. Can I ask you some questions about the mansion?"

Tyson encroached close behind her to add. "Hey Sir. Nice to meet you. I'm Tyson. Kai's friend. This is Daichi, and this is Max."

Max bowed. "Nice to meet you Sir."

Daichi picked a bug off his vest. "Yeah nice to meet ya."

The gardening man raised an eyebrow and found their introductions very odd but pleasant enough. He threw his shears to the ground and took off his thick leather gloves before wiping sweat from his brow with a red handkerchief that was dangling from his back pocket. He started. "You want to know about the mansion. You are...friends of Master Hiwatari? Kai?"

Tyson sweat-dropped and nervously grinned. Clearly getting information out of this man was not going to be as free flowing as from his housemaid wife. "Yep, we're his friends. We wanna know more about the place we're staying in is all Sir, and we're hoping you might know some stuff. Hehehe."

The groundskeeper took a moment to collect old information from his aging brain. He started. "I'm Igor, and I grounds keeper to Hiwatari's for 40 years. This place was built by the Nazi's in early 1940s. All bedrooms are for Nazi officers to stay and party when AXIS powers take over the world. It's crazy, they lost the War and now it's just big empty house for one man! The mansion is brick and tiled roof. The grounds are 3 acres. The heating system was installed in 1946 and the plumbing in 1941..."

Tyson drew impatient in the heat of the day and had to edge things along, all the while fanning his face with his cap. He interrupted. "Yeah that's fascinating but what about the people who lived here? What were they like? How well do you know Kai?"

The gardener rubbed the back of his neck and toiled with whether to answer the question. "Ahhhhh I'm not sure I can say too much. When I started, here lived Master Voltaire and his three grown sons. His wife, gone just 1 year before. The sons eventually left and for years Master Voltaire would come and go for business and pleasure. Then a small child comes to live. This little boy all alone in the world with a man like Voltaire for love. Suddenly after few short months the boy is gone. My wife and I don't know what happened and then years later he comes back. He forgets Japanese and has to learn all over again...instead he speaks Russian well. More years pass, Voltaire goes to prison and Kai becomes Master of house. Master Kai comes and goes over the years but never stays long. I don't think he likes it here. This place...he never loved like a home. He's good to me and my wife. We're grateful."

Hilary gently pushed for more. "What makes you think Kai doesn't see this place as his home? I think it's beautiful here."

Igor's steely blue eyes turned cold as he started to open up with the haunting truth. "Little lady, this house has ghosts. Lots of ghosts and lots of pain. Bad things happened here I cannot speak of. Voltaire was a wicked man and the world is a better place now he is locked up like animal."

"Ghosts? What do you mean? Like real ghosts? Like Poltergeists? Bad spirits?" Daichi screeched before gulping and furrowing his scarlet eyebrows. Adrenaline trickled into his bloodstream, too for Max, Hilary and Tyson. Their bodies began to noticeably sweat more and not just because of the overbearing Sun above.

Igor crossed his arms tighter as his tongue loosened. The gang couldn't tell if he was being serious or toying with them for his own amusement. "You know who Voltaire was...a gangster. People, business associates, friends, women...came in, some...never left. I know every inch of these grounds and I know where the bodies are buried."

Daichi's teeth chattered as his eyes bulged in terror. He screeched so loud Mariah and Ray heard him from the West lawn. His high pitched cry startled them and they sat up in alarm, their serene sunbathing disturbed. "WHHHAA...WHHAAAT BOD...BODIES!?"

The white haired gardener was as stern and serious as a military man and gave no indication he was joking. "There's one right behind you."

Tyson spied to his left a flower bed...A rickety looking cross stuck out of the soil and before it, a mound of raised earth. Sparse weeds had grown in the soil and the cross had seen better days after years of heat, rain and frost had weathered it. The terrified beychamp's teeth chattered like ice in a glass jug and his arm shook like a leaf as he pointed to it. "Is...is that...a GRAVE?!"

Igor flatly replied. "Yes that is a grave. Master Kai dug it himself...and I helped him."

"WHY WAS KAI DIGGING A GRAVE?!"Max screamed so shrill-pitched he sounded like a girl. He NEEDED clarification immediately, as did the rest of his petrified friends.

Igor lowered his voice into a dark storytellers tone. His eyes blinked and his gaze softened as he stared solemn at the grave. "I have sad story for you. Master Kai was maybe 11 years old. He had not long returned from Russia. Whatever happened to him changed him. He did not smile, did not laugh, he was a dead puppet for his Grandfather to play his strings. Kai did what he was told without question. He suffered some kind of trauma in Russia no doubt, both physical and mental. He barely went outside but one day I see him playing with one of guard dogs. A Rottweiler bitch we called Zena. She was trained to attack intruders but was so gentle with him when they play. Kai was coming out of his shell and I see glimpses of the happy little boy I used to see before he was gone. Master Kai had a stick and was throwing the stick for Zena when Voltaire saw them out of one of the windows. I was planting new seeds nearby and I saw everything. Voltaire was angry Zena was not doing her job because she was playing with the boy. Voltaire stormed out of the door with a rifle we use to kill pigeons and rats. Kai was too busy enjoying tug of war with Zena and the stick to see him coming from behind. Without warning, Voltaire shot Zena clean in the head. Her blood, brain and bone sprayed all over Master Kai's face and clothes. I'll never forget. He stood petrified and in shock, he did not cry, he did not scream, he did not try to wipe the blood and chunks of brain away. Voltaire yelled at him for making friends with the dog and told him it was his fault the dog is dead. Voltaire went inside and Master Kai remained in a stupor until I suggest we bury Zena. I gave him a shovel and we dig her grave together. I wiped the blood from his face and still he did not cry. What I saw in his eyes after that was no more like a puppet, but RAGE. Master Kai was a rebellion from that day. No longer he had fear of his Grandfather. He would sneak out at night, sometimes stay away for days, and only come back when he knew Voltaire was away on business. It was a relief when Voltaire finally answered for his crimes...some of his crimes anyway. Master Kai is not the same man as his Grandfather; luckily that apple fell far away from that tree. What you see beside us...is Zena's grave."

Tyson, Hilary, Max and Daichi each stood silent as they struggled to emotionally absorb the horror story the old Russian gardener shared in such gory and heartbreaking detail. They needed a moment to collect their minds. Hilary wiped away a tear from each of her tender feeling eyes and sniffled briefly.

Daichi whined brashly as he hugged himself for comfort. "Thanks for sharing that Old man. I love dogs... and thanks to you, I'm gunna have nightmares for a week!"

Tyson shook his head and cried with obvious anger in his words as his fists balled tight. "Poor Zena what did she ever do wrong? And poor Kai! That's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. How can anyone do that to anyone...and to your own family? That's just sick in the head! Grrrrrr Voltaire I hope he rots in prison for the rest of his miserable life for what he did to Kai and Zena."

Igor picked up his gardening gloves and shears to get back to work but said one more thing to finish their conversation, a parting gift. His voice was flat and without any sign of jest or foolery before he returned to hacking away once again at the unruly rose bush. "I was only pulling your leg about the bodies in the grounds...the real bodies are under the floorboards."

---

The rubber tipped chair legs made a harsh noise as Kai dragged a hard plastic seat and his body with it into the vacant cubicle space. Before him was a metal area to lean on scratched and dented after years of aggressive encounters, a thick glass screen sported its own lesions and affixed to the wall to his left was a yellow phone receiver on a hook. On the other side of the glass was another flat area, another yellow phone on a hook and an empty plastic chair. Beside them were identical cubicles dividing visitors...and inmates. The room was enclosed and stuffy with a small number of windows on the visitor's side only.

Voltaire Hiwatari finally appeared from behind a corridor of bars, dressed in an orange jump suit with a v-shape neckline and a white shirt beneath, shackled at his wrists, and every direction guided by a prison guard. Noises of door release buzzers and metal hinge squeaks filled the air as each inmate was led through locked passageways like cattle in a stock yard.

Kai's breath stuttered in his throat as he caught a first glimpse of the man he used to love and respect but now greatly reviled, the man who betrayed him as a caregiver and grandfather, and the menace with past world domination ambitions, intent on building an army of Bitbeasts and indoctrinated Russian orphans wielding them to achieve it...and for his own young Grandson to play a major part in the gathering of those Bitbeasts to meet his maniacal ends.

Adrenaline coursed, Kai's heart thudded wild in his chest, a light nausea set in and his mouth drew desert dry. He didn't want to see this man, let alone talk to him but he needed to... he NEEDED something from him...and so did the black phoenix spirit writhing inside its bitchip confinement, encased in a locket, hanging hidden under his loose black t-shirt like a forbidden omen around the desperate beyblader's neck.

Kai Hiwatari was at Tokyo State Maximum Security prison and where he'd assisted authorities and lawyer at the time - Mr Gottlieb in locking his own Grandfather away for war crimes some 10 years ago. Both of the Hiwatari surnamed men were secretly as furious with the other...with not a loving word to share.

A middle aged male guard un-cuffed the convicted criminal Hiwatari and backed up against the far wall to keep an eye over his prisoner, ready to take him back to his cell when his 30minutes of visitor time was up.

Kai stole his phone receiver from its hook and placed it close to the left side of his face, ready for the no doubt toiling conversation ahead.

Voltaire took a moment to enjoy the feeling of nothing shackled around his creaky wrists, before dragging his chair out with a rubbery noise to take immediate precedent over it. Voltaire despite his age was still a tall well built man; he emanated authority and kingship with every movement as he lowered his hefty weight onto the hard plastic grey seat. He stared frostily with a cunning smirk poking through his features, before unhooking the yellow phone from the wall. With the phone receiver to his ear he lurched forward boldly like he'd just sat on a throne...some front despite the fact he was currently serving a lifetime stretch behind bars with other gangsters, serial killers and rapists for cell neighbours. The grandsire's face had aged, and his two tone grey hair were shorter and thinner since his descendant saw him last as dictated by time and the discomfort of prison life, but his voice remained as deep and powerful and over-lording as his progeny ever remembered. His stony dark brown eyes held their gaze as he leered over his youthful yet gaunt visitor's appearance as he spoke. "Well hello Grandson. How nice to see you after all these years. How you've grown...no longer a whelp but a man no less."

The verbal jousting had begun as Kai, the man too with dual toned hair inherited genetically from the man across him, retorted with crossed arms and a relaxed posture in his seat. He hid his anxiety and revilement well and sought to appear stoic and unmoving without being too rigid in his movements. He couldn't let Voltaire see him weak in any form; he would rather die than give him the satisfaction. "I can't say the feeling is mutual...Grandfather. You've aged too."

Voltaire burst with a smug grin and slammed his free fist on the metal ledge causing all other inmates, visitors and guards to jump nearby. A needless bullish act to ensure all knew his presence... Kai however, bravely never even flinched. "What? Isn't this what you wanted Kai? You worked so hard for so long with your cunt of a lawyer Gottlieb to put me away. To shove me in here so you can steal my company, its shares and all my riches...that wasn't what you wanted? I see you Grandson, I always taught you to pre-empt your opponent and strike him out before he knows you're coming...I just never expected you would turn on me."

The scowling phoenix guardian leaned forward and reduced his tone to a dark warning. "Someone had to put a stop to your lunatic war machine. I put you in here so the world would be a safer place. So you can answer for your crimes, and destroy any insane fantasy you had of ever taking over the planet with or without stolen Bitbeasts. The spoils of your career were a consolation prize."

Voltaire, the once powerful CEO and criminal mastermind leaned backward, gripped his knee and spat. "Oh Kai we've down this road before haven't we. Why don't you just cut to the chase and tell me why you're here. It's not because you missed me was it? Need some business advice?"

The disgruntled elder made a powerful fist and rested it on top of the metal ridge for his descendant to see. "Or have you finally realised what a stupid boy you were and accepted you are nothing without me at your side. We almost ruled the World you and I. We came so close. World Domination and power like you could never have imagined."

Kai smirked and rapidly replied. "Hmmph. You're clearly off your meds if you believe I'm here for any of that. I need something. Information or an item and I'm willing to pay for it."

The convicted gangster was never one for guessing games. He was old school, straightforward and brash. "Spit it out Grandson. What is it you seek? I never raised you to be coy about anything. Grow a spine and let's have it."

Kai paused with intense amethyst eyes so different to his Grandsire's, a trait he inherited from his mother's side. "I need Black Dranzers beyblade. Tell me where it is."

Voltaire roared before resuming his bolshie loud lecturing. "PAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. Still a slave to your impulses I see...just like me. You try to be good Kai but I know you better than anyone, after all we share the same blood. I assume you still have the chip, the one I gave you all those years ago at the World Championships...the one you betrayed me with and set everything in motion for our downfall."

The youth was quick to peck back with composure and poise. "Your downfall Grandfather. Yours, not mine. The day I turned my back on you was the most defining moment of my life. You're toxic. I've thrived without you."

The jump-suit wearer chuckled inside his cruel hearted chest. "Hahahhhaaa. And look where it got you...I know what this is about. You want revenge on that schmuck who made an attempt on your life and stole your Dranzer Bitbeast. You want Black Dranzer so you can even the score. You see I know you well. Better than you want to admit."

The healing stab-victim scuppered any surprise from decorating his face and tone, he largely succeeded. "You know about that?"

The Grandsire smarmed and cocked his head back. He truly relished the chance to judge, school and manipulate his Grandson once again. "Kai...I'm incarcerated...not deaf and blind. So what are you going to do about it? Use Black Dranzer to get your Dranzer back and then what? Accept his apology and walk away like your soft boned friends would have you do...like Tyson Granger, and Mr Dickenson and the rest of those flaccid imbeciles. Or would you put him in a metal box and throw away the key like you did me? Show some teeth and make sure he never breathes the same air as you again. Put him in the ground. Burn him to ashes. Set the balance right Grandson. Look at what he's done to you. He embarrassed you, defiled you, and almost took your life from you. Look in the mirror, you're skin and bone and you're POWERLESS...look at what he's reduced you to...begging your mad old Grandfather for help!"

The orange wearing convict's tone settled to a softer more slippery tongue. "You may think I despise you for what you did to me, betraying me and throwing me in here...but I don't. I'm actually quite proud of you Kai, what you did took guts and I see Hiwatari Enterprises is doing rather well with you at its head. That's if you stay its head."

Kai wasn't allowing Voltaire's poison to settle in his ears too long and sought to steer their conversation to the only reason he was there. "My only priority is taking my Dranzer back. I'll deal with his my attacker as I see fit. I'm not like you; my first impulse isn't to maim and murder. I will have retribution but that will be my way. All I need is the beyblade."

Voltaire sneered. Kai wasn't getting riled or sucked in like he used to when he was younger and the elder wasn't getting the pleasure he was expecting. "I assume you still have the chip otherwise you wouldn't be here. Tell me, does it call to you, the power within it. Intoxicating isn't it. Just how I engineered it."

The phoenix master snapped clear and order-like without moving an inch in his chair. "Where is the beyblade!"

The elder had finally found a small sweet spot of power and he engorged on the feeling. His tone was smarmy and darkly playful. "Hold on Grandson, you didn't expect me to give something so valuable over for free. You did say you were willing to pay. That's just good business."

Kai was straight to the point as he leaned a touch closer to the glass. "Yes, so what do you have to offer? And what do you want in return?"

Voltaire's cold eyes sneered as he grinned. He clearly enjoyed being cunningly cryptic. "I have information of the whereabouts of the last person who had it."

Kai's eyes alighted a touch whilst remaining composed and stoic. "Boris. He's the only other person you would have entrusted to handle it. Where is he?"

Voltaire smirked with all the newborn power in the form of information Kai wanted but only he possessed. "Boris has been on the run for quite some years hasn't he...and yet Interpol, nor the FBI, or the Russian or Japanese or American agencies have been able to apprehend him. But I know where he is... his new name and... where he lives. I can even tell you where he works."

The younger man cocked his head with scepticism. "How do you know all that? How do you know your information is any good?"

The cunning Grandfather continued. "Like I said...I'm not blind and deaf yet, Grandson. Boris was the last person to hold Black Dranzer's beyblade. I ordered him to store it for safekeeping after I gifted you the chip. Boris WILL know where it is and how to get to it. I can tell you for free Black Dranzer's beyblade is in a vault beneath Balkov Abbey. That information is useless to you unless you know what vault and more importantly the code to open it. You can employ the best safe crackers in the world but I can promise you now you will not be breaking into all 20 of those vaults without the correct pass code. Look how Interpol and the CIA failed. Stacks of incriminating evidence just sitting in those vaults in the dark and not one government official will ever get their hands on them."

The Hiwatari junior had no time for trivia. "What do you want for Boris's location and name? What's your price?"

Voltaire's face grew animated as he leaned forward close to the glass as if to whisper to it. "My price Grandson...is my freedom. I want to be set free and I want it now."

Kai stared at his Grandsire before stating frostily. "Impossible. I'm not getting you out. You're a danger to society and to yourself."

Voltaire grunted and became prickly. "I have a question Kai. Why not just build your own Black Dranzer beyblade? I'm sure your friends at the BBA could construct you one in a matter of weeks or even days with all their knowledge and technology...or is it you don't have the time to wait? Or... you don't want them knowing the depths of depravity you've sunk to retrieve your Dranzer using a tool the beyblading community and your friends have so very shunned. What will they think of you Kai? Toying with such a taboo beyblade? What would your whiter than white friend Tyson think of you? The BBA and that wretch Mr Dickenson will have something to say about the reconstruction of a weapon such as Black Dranzer, they practically branded it illegal."

Kai was growing impatient with the mind games and fought with himself not to rise to his vindictive ancestor's challenges. So far he was winning. "It's time. I need it within the next week."

Voltaire cocked his head to the side and let his eyes draw sly. "It's those snake shareholders, and I bet some of your most senior managers too are pressuring you back to work aren't they. After what you suffered they're taking advantage of your weakness...vying and backstabbing their way to the top seat is all they live for. I know their lot all too well Kai and I have to say I pity you. How long until they usurp you?"

Like a master captain Kai steered the conversation back. He had no time for his Grandfather's emotional buggery. "The best I can do is a minimum security prison. You'll get a softer bed, more outdoor time, better meals, access to a tennis court and swimming pool, and a trip to the beach once a month, oh and you'll lose the shackles. That's the best I can offer."

The incarcerated man scoffed before raising his voice. His stubborn blood wasn't going allow him to take anything less than full freedom for the trade. "No deal Grandson. Come on boy...you're running out of time. You need Boris and you need Black Dranzer...before you lose...your company, your career, and your pride and dignity with it."

He'd reached the end of his tether. Kai stood from his seat and leered down at his withering Grandfather who didn't know when to give in. He bent to growl his response close to his elder's face behind the glass, and held the receiver end of the phone close to his lips. His words were clear, meaningful and calm as his intense and shimmering lilac eyes locked with cold stony harsh ones below thick grey eyebrows. "You're the one short on time Grandfather. You're 76 years old with a diseased heart and smokers lungs. How much longer to do you think you have? I am not letting you out of prison, you will pay for your sins...but I can make your penance more comfortable. I'm done talking. Accept my offer...or I'll find another way to get my Dranzer back."

---

Back at Hiwatari Manor.

*DING DONG* 8pm had ticked by on a regal black mahogany and gold finished Grandfather clock, and all in the dining room had noticed as it chimed the passing of the hour. Stomachs rumbled, some toyed with cutlery in boredom and others doom-scrolled social media on their mobile phones to kill time. The gang and all four members of the Saint Shields had gathered and were sat around the dark wooden dining table surrounded by sky blue walls, Japanese motif paintings and a crystal chandelier overhead. Like council members they'd taken their seats and were waiting for someone to fill the empty one at the head of the table to communally discuss and commence the important subject of dinner...as usual...the lord of the manor and host...was AWOL.

Daichi whined as he slammed the ends of his knife and fork against the glass table topper. "IMMM SOOO HUNGRY!? IT'S GETTTING SUPER LATE ALREADY! HOW MUCH LONGER ARE WE GUNNA WAIT?!"

Tyson tried to be adult for once and not play into Daichi's childish moan-fest. "Chill out will ya Daichi. I'm emaciated too but we can't start without him. Say, has anyone seen Kai today? Cus I sure haven't."

Emily added as she wiped her spectacles with a clean napkin. "'I've got to say guys I've been wondering that too. I've not seen Kai once since last night, that being said, I've barely left the library all day. Perhaps he's been outside? Hey love birds...haven't you seen him? I know you and Mariah have been canoodling out there all day."

Ray folded his arms to rest on the tabletop. "No. Sorry...Mariah and I haven't seen Kai either. We woke super early for breakfast and a run, and we've been chilling out on the lawns until just an hour ago. We got washed up and now we're here. Are you sure none of you have seen him in the house? This place is big but not that big that you could go a whole day without seeing somebody."

Max limply raised his hand and glanced at Tyson, Hilary and Daichi to corroborate his story. "Daichi and I were up around 8am and we've not seen him either. We've been in the pool most the morning and been mooching around the mansion since lunch. I haven't seen him once!"

Dunga rapidly added speaking on behalf of his team. "None of us have seen him out on the grounds too and we've been patrolling since sun up. We assumed he's been inside all day. Don't tell me Kai's gone missing!"

Hilary burst to her feet and from her mouth. "Has ANYONE seen or spoke to Kai today?"

A round of startled questioning glances and shuffled seats chorused the room. The lack of yes responses was a loud and clear answer in itself.

Kenny gripped his chin before freeing it with his verdict. "It's very worrying NONE of us has seen Kai at all since last night. I know this place is huge and Kai knows his way around better than we ever will, but one of us should have seen him at some point getting food or going to a bathroom. He hasn't been to check on us once and we're supposed to be his guests! I thought for sure he'd want to make sure were behaving ourselves and keeping up with our training. His tardiness for dinner is just the cherry on top. This is very concerning guys. What if Kai is really sick in bed and none of us have known about it. We need to go check on him! Kai could be dying up there!"

Ozuma commanded to all and was met with no opposition from anyone for his bossiness...this was an all out emergency. "Okay we need to find Kai and now! As you all know, he hasn't been in the best health lately so it's important we find him. Dunga and Max you check Kai's bedroom and while you're up there the bathroom too. Hilary you've got the library. Emily and Josef see if you can find his office he spoke of. Mariah, Ray and I will check the swimming pool, the basement and the garage...out of bounds or not, we're going to look. Kenny you have the gym and the beydish room; Kai's in no shape for a workout or beyblade right now but you never know with him. And lastly, Tyson and Mariam check in with the guards at the gates to see if they know anything. If you see the maid or the groundskeeper, ask them too. Kai hasn't just vanished into thin air. He has to be here somewhere. NOW SPLIT! MEET BACK HERE IN 5!"

Without further ado the table was rapidly relieved of its inhabitants and the search party for Kai was under way at lightning speed. Each darkly fretted with grim thoughts...what if Kai was laying passed out unconscious somewhere in the mansion...or worse...dead. His mental health hadn't been in a good place ever since his attack, so a suicide attempt or success was just as likely to be discovered as a fatal post surgery complication related to his wound, sudden serious illness, or a tragic domestic accident.

***5 minutes later***

All had gathered back at the dining table but were too unsettled to retake their chairs.

"Nope. Kai's bedroom's empty and so's the big bathroom upstairs."Dunga bluntly announced his and Max's findings. The blonde American sweated next to him with fear for his old Bladebreaker pal.

Hilary shook her head. "Kai's not in the library and I checked the kitchen too...still no sign of him."

Emily and Josef appeared in the spotlight. The male Saint Shield let the gobby American do the talking. "We eventually found what looks like an office and I'm afraid to say there's nothing but dust in there and old ledgers."

Ray and Mariah stood either side of Ozuma as the Saint Shields leader relayed their findings to the herd. "We came up empty too. Kenny?"

The Chief lowly shook his head before picking it up to deliver his empty report. "No Kai in the gym or by his beydish either. Where could he be?!"

Then, Mariam arrived with Tyson huffing and puffing, ugly and moist bodied behind her. They were the last two back to the group due to the length of journey they had to travel to the mansion gates and back, plus contending with a return flight of stairs. Mariam barely broke a sweat whilst Tyson's composure was somewhat struggling from the exertion and worrying news both.

The Sharkrash blader spoke first in a warning song and readied for the thunderbolt of a reaction. "You're not going to like this."

Tyson blurted before the female could say more. "Kai's gone! His guards let him go super early this morning. He left on his motorbike...around 5:30am they said! He's gone guys! And he hasn't come back yet!"

Mariam added with all seriousness in her voice. "The guards don't know or won't tell us where he's gone. But they can confirm he hasn't checked back in. They seem pretty worried too and making phone calls as we speak. Where's his head of security when you need him?!"

A vein was growing thick on Ozuma's forehead as his eye twitched with fresh high blood pressure. He aimed a harsh judging stare at everyone who wasn't from his own clan. "Unbelievable! How have you gone all day without noticing your friend and team mate is missing? And more urgently, do any of you have any idea where Kai might go so secretly like this?!"

Emily was short fused naturally but hunger made her even snappier. "Uhhhh reality check. You see how big this place is? How many rooms and corridors there are? I'm sure if Kai didn't want to be found or seen all day he could easily without ever leaving the boundaries. And how are we supposed to know where Kai's run off to."

Mariah smarmed at the Tygator blader's side. "Yeah it's not like we're his babysitters!"

Dunga grunted with aggression. "Yeah but he did. Didn't he?! Leave the boundaries and none of you knew! Or cared to see where he was."

Tyson snapped too with the newborn uncomfortable pressure. "None of us were awake at 5:30am by the way, so how was we supposed to know he was leaving?! OH AND I'm sorry we don't do a head count check every hour like they do at pre-school. How were we to know Kai was going to take off! If we knew he was leaving we would have obviously stopped him!"

Kenny waved his arms frantically for attention. "GUYS GUYS GUYS! Whether we saw Kai today or not is irrelevant now. Kai left this morning and hasn't come back for over 14 hours. This is a serious situation and we've got to call somebody."

Max was seriously fretting and cried out. "The Chief's right! Kai's missing and what if Shadow Vale have got to him?!"

Emily threw her hands to her hips. "Let's not jump to conclusions Max without evidence. Has Kai left a note anywhere? Did you check by his bed? Or pinned to the fridge?"

A giant penny dropped in Tyson's brain as he remembered something. He became animated with hope. "Hey! Hold up! I heard my phone ping early this afternoon but I forgot to check the message."Fingers and a sweaty thumb pulled Tyson's phone from his pocket and unlocked it with facial recognition. He took a second to read the screen before excitedly announcing. "GUYS! I have a message! It's from Kai!"

Josef's tone dripped in wet sarcasm. "Well don't hold us in suspense for too long huh."

Tyson read his text message aloud. "Tyson, I'm going away for a couple of days. I'll explain everything when I return. Kai."

Max fanned his reddening face and exhaled a long tense breath. "Phew that's a relief. Kai's just blowing off some steam somewhere. He'll come back when he's finished doing whatever he's gotta do. Maybe he's going to see a girl."

Dunga snorted. "Get real Max. Kai goofing off to chase some tail while Shadow Vale is still out there looking for him is pure idiocy and a death wish. I'm not relieved and neither should you. Kai isn't safe for as long as he's not here with us and you're an moron if you think otherwise."

Emily was ever sceptical. "Hmmmmmmm. I don't like this. Something's off. What if he has been taken hostage and that's a scam message to make you think he's okay. That's just the sort of crappy thing Shadow Vale would pull right?"

Josef smarmed with dark humour. "No, they'd probably just behead him and then go out for a curry to celebrate. Or...yeah they'll use as him a hostage to get to the rest of you. It's not like they haven't done it before."

Hilary stroked her throat scar in memory of her own traumatic experience at the hands of Shadow Vale and the sharp edge of their knife. "Oh gosh don't say that. Kai's not been taken hostage. I'm sure Kai was super careful wherever he's gone and has lots of security guards protecting him...right?"

Mariam came up with an idea which was a massive no-brainer. "Why don't you just call Kai and ask him where's he's gone and demand he get his ass back here toot-sweet."

"Geeeze why didn't I think of that!" Tyson slapped his forehead before jitter-fingeredly set to work making the call. He pressed the right buttons on his iPhone and the call started, he then tapped the loudspeaker button so all could hear, and to explicitly and publically give Kai a piece of his mind should he pick up. All held their breaths and gathered around Tyson's outstretched arm and hand wrapped around his phone like a holy oracle. Missing dinner would be the least of Kai's worries when the gang planned to finish with him...making them worry like this was not going to be appeased cheaply.

An automated message with a woman's voice emitted from the speaker. "I'm sorry it has been impossible to connect your call right now. Please try again later. Beep beep beep beep." Tyson growled under his breath as he tried again. "I'm sorry it has been impossible to connect your call right now. Please try again later. Beep beep beep beep." And again...the group's worry intensified. "I'm sorry it has been impossible to connect your call right now. Please try again later. Beep beep beep beep." There was little hope with a 4th call and so...he stopped. Tyson's eyes painted a deep bellied concern and had nothing to say as he locked a fearful gaze with his old White Tiger team mate.

Max placed a hand on the Dragoon blader's shoulders after noticing his fretting gaze. "This doesn't mean anything Tyson. Kai's probably just turned his phone off, or his cell service is in a shoddy area. Try not to read too much into it. I think Kai just wanted some peace and privacy, that's all."

Ray warned with a stern face and cat-slit pupils. "I don't like this. I have to agree with Emily. Something doesn't feel right. I think we should call Izumi and Mr Gottlieb. One of them must know what Kai's up to and then we can relax. Kai's going to get a mouthful when he gets back...trust me."

Ozuma ordered like he always did. "There'll be no relaxing until Kai is back here safe. Kai is travelling on a motorcycle...which means he left without any security personnel and is completely unguarded. He's on his own out there. I hope whatever this is about is something so important it was worth putting his life at risk, because that's exactly what he's done. I have to say, I think he had an ulterior motive inviting us all here. To get you all to stay together for safety was one thing, but to be in a position to come and go as he pleased under my radar is another."

Kenny had no more time for talking and speculation. "I'm calling Mr Gottlieb." The brunette then rapidly shuffled out into the quiet corridor to make his call, leaving the others to bicker further.

Hilary clutched her mobile phone with a daisy pendant swinging from its top corner. She appeared jittery but held her composure in order to be helpful. She told the group before hustling after Kenny to make a phone call of her own. "I'll call Kai's Grandmother and see what she knows. I just hope I don't panic her too much when I tell her beloved Grandson's missing. You know how much she idolises him."

A few moments later the duo clutching phones in hands emerged from the hallway. The gang drew close and silent to hear what they had to say and crossed fingers for much needed answers.

Hilary started first. "Okay. Kai's Grandmother received a similar text this morning. She doesn't seem worried in the slightest. She said Kai just goes off sometimes and that's just who he is. I think she's forgotten about Shadow Vale and you know...how his life may be in jeopardy if they catch him. She said to just wait until he comes back." She scratched the back of her brunette mop in discomfort and dismay at the old Grandma's lack of concern for the potentially dire situation.

Kenny also scratched the back of his thick brown-haired skull for another reason. A heavy sweat drop decorated his temple as he delivered the outcome of his call. "Umm...Mr Gottlieb will be here within an hour. He's the total opposite of Izumi right now. He's as completely in the dark as the rest of us and he's super stressing out about it too. Something tells me were in for a longggggg night guys."

---

*WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT WAFT* Helicopter blades gyrated at cyclone speed overhead as Mr Gottlieb finally landed on the East Lawn. When he told Kenny he was going to be less than an hour...he meant it. 52 minutes since The Chief's call and the interim CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises, corporate giant and Kai's true friend, ally and somewhat of a father figure had arrived as promised. The massive blades of the chopper finally drew slower and the pilot emerged to open the door for his passengers. It was coming up 9pm, sunset was almost over and precious time was of the essence.

Tyson and Co had heard the flying taxi hover overhead from inside the mansion and rushed out onto the lawn to greet him. They stood sombre eyed and grateful for Markus Gottlieb's timely arrival and offer of help and support, he dashingly emerged wearing a designer tailor-made suit and his red tie flapped wildly in the last of the helicopters wind. He was not alone however...Midoria, Kai's right hand man for anything tech and Chief Manager of Hiwatari Enterprise's technology department had come along to help. His casual outfit, frizzy green hair and laid back personality would surprise anyone such a guy could land such a coveted and highly esteemed role of CTO (Chief Technology Officer) but his skills, qualifications and expertise were 2nd to none...He was to Kai as Kenny and Emily were to the BBA...invaluable and a rare asset worth every penny.

There was little time for small talk but what was said was quick and quirky.

"WHAT HAS MR H GONE AND DONE NOW! HMMMMM?" Mr Gottlieb bellowed above the noise of the last of the helicopter blade spins as he drew close to Tyson and the rest of the tummy twisted beybladers collected on the grass. Habitually professional he held out a hand to shake the Beychamp's paw upon approach, of which Tyson took without hesitation; the "Find Kai alliance" was immediately formed on contact.

Before long, all had set up army base in Kai's manor's reception area, and so too Midoria with his laptop open on the black glass coffee table in front of him, as he perched on the velvet ebony sofas just as Kenny and Emily did that morning. Tech geeks were a breed of their own. Kenny and Emily clustered close either side of the meek CTO and studied his every move and keyboard stroke like he was some kind of alien professor they had to study and learn from to pinch his secrets. Their close breathing tickled his neck hair but he was too polite and soft boned to defend his personal space and ask them to back off an inch or several. The bossy American gastronomically bribed him with her killer blend of iced coffee with caramel syrup to sweeten him up and in return, Midoria kindly allowed the professionally curious pair to watch him as long as they were quiet and let him work unhindered, the pact solidified them as nerdy comrades as Kenny too offered him his best screen wipes. The night was young and they would all soon enjoy witnessing the Prince of Geek's true purpose for being there...all would be revealed shortly, just as soon as his mystery software was up and running, and secondly...the permission to launch it.

The lethal lawyer turned corporate powerhouse had no time for any silly gibberish. His tone as always was eloquent and Germanic, he stood tall and intimidating, his cool blue eyes and pale rectangular face leered down at the group making them all feel 2 inches high in presence. "I'm going to ask one of you to tell me everything you know as simply and as quickly, and as detailed as you possibly can. You young lady...Hilary isn't it. Tell me everything. Go."

"Me?" Hilary dozily raised a finger to point to herself and her face sported confused features. Usually Tyson was the fore-person of the tribe or Ozuma as self-appointed leader of everyone, the two boys had the confidence, were naturally outspoken, had mouths bigger than their brains and were almost always first to speak in group situations. She gulped before mentally pulling up her big-girl pants and began to detail everything she knew of the events so far. "We were having dinner yesterday night and Kai excused himself to bed early around 8pm, and that was the last time we saw him. We had no idea was gone until an hour ago. I know, we are terrible friends and we're all so sorry!" She became comically animated and dramatic. "We're horrible people!"

Mr Gottlieb had no time for emotional pandering. His face was stoic and crossed his arms like a school teacher. "Don't worry about any of that Miss Tachibana. Carry on with the facts."

Hilary straightened her composure and continued. "Tyson found out from one of the guards at the gate that Kai left at 5:30am this morning on his motorbike and he hasn't come back. Kai text Tyson a message saying he has gone away for a couple of days and will explain everything when he's back. We tried calling him but his phone is out of service. We've tried again while we waited for you at least 10 times and the call still won't go through. I called his Grandmother and she received the same text message and told us not to worry. That's all we know."

Tyson added hastily as he clawed at the German's arm sleeve. "Did you get the same text message Mr Gottlieb? What do you know? Can you tell us anything about what Kai's up to? Pleaseeeee we have to know, were super worried about him. He knows how dangerous it is out there and has gone out there all by himself anyway. Why would he do this to us?"

Markus Gottlieb hushed the boy growing frantic and softly brushed his grip away. "Calm yourself Mr Granger. I'm afraid I don't know any more than you. But I'm hoping our Midoria over there can help us change that." The over 6ft tall European lawyer turned COO turned to the Head of Technology. "How are things going over there? I don't understand all that mumbo-jumbo tech stuff but you apparently do. Is the software ready yet? We don't have all night."

Green mopped and freckle faced Midoria typed away at a system log in whilst Emily and Kenny goggled his screen without blinking. Their minds hacked into his actions. "Almost, just signing in Sir. I'll need your credentials in juuuuuuust a moment."

Ray piped up with crossed muscley arms. "What do you think Kai's up to Mr Gottlieb? Why would Kai just up and go like this? Is this something to do with his company? Is this a business thing?"

The temporary CEO replied with a fraught brow. "I'm afraid I don't know what Mr H is planning. Believe me I wish I knew. The fact he's taken off so quickly and without a word is very alarming indeed. I've spoken to Izumi and she corroborates what you said, but she maybe covering for him... or she's telling the truth and is just as oblivious to her Grandson's plans as we are. It's possible someone Mr H loves has been taken hostage and he's following instructions to save them. That would be the only logical explanation for his secrecy. Shortly we'll know much more about Kai's whereabouts... and try to work out what he's bloody thinking."

Max stuttered with painfully open cerulean eyes and paling cheek coloration. "You...you... think Kai's reacting to a hostage situation?! NO! THAT CANT BE! Not another one!"

Dunga shook his head, crossed his giant arms and stared down the growing frantic Draciel blader and newly pacing Driger guardian both. "We warned ya this could happen. And did any of ya want to listen? No! And now we could have another life in jeopardy! All cus one of ya couldn't do as he's told. You should just hand over your Bitbeasts now before anyone else or their loved ones finds themselves in Shadow Vales clutches. That offer is open anytime guys...just sayin!"

Mariah morphed into Superwoman mode with a righteous finger pointed sharply two inches under the Vortex Ape's chin. "Hold on one second! We don't know if anyone's in danger right now. We don't know the situation and until we do you should SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Give over Driger...yeah like Ray's ever going to do that!"

Midora was forced to shout loud over the beybladers toxic merry-go-round of bickering. "It's almost ready Sir. Just a minute and we're all systems go."

Tyson thundered over to the laptop like his life depended on it, his head bulldozed between Kenny's brown and Emily's ginger and atop Midoria's green haired in front of the screen. "Lemme see! Hey Midoria what are you doing?! What is this? A game or somethin'?"

"I guess I should explain. "Mr Gottlieb spoke up; his voice alone commanded all in the room to stop and listen intently. He casually placed his hands in his grey pin-stripe trouser pockets and strode around a section of black and gold rug like a lecturer. "When I heard Mr H was missing and has left under suspicious circumstances I drafted in our best and brightest tech wizard to find him. Midoria here has a tracking programme. This system can locate a phone or device anywhere in the world. We can also track vehicles with computers built in but seeing as Mr H has selfishly disembarked on his motorcycle there's no sense in tracking his car. His phone is all we have to go on. Now, this system can't be used willy-nilly and is a gargantuan breach of the Privacy and Human Rights Act. However, in the case of a suspected kidnapping or blackmail situation I can authorise use of this software within the law for our own operatives including our former CEO. Even if Mr H's phone is switched off we will still be able to track him."

Midoria interrupted his COO from talking any further. "It's up and running Sir. Ready when you are. I just need your Passkey and we're cooking with gas."

Mr Gottlieb took no time to stride over to the ready and waiting laptop. He bent over and typed his CEO authorisation password into a box and then Midoria hit the enter key. The programme was initiated and the screen burst into life. The CTO tapped away furiously for a few moments until a map of the world blew up on screen and Kai's phone's location was revealed. Kenny, Emily, Tyson, Mr Gottlieb and Midoria engulfed every inch of head space around the screen meaning everyone else in the room had to painstakingly wait to hear about the findings.

The acting CEO clasped his hand to his mouth and turned his back to the group so as not to show his discontent and rattled features...

Tyson, Emily and Kenny were speechless and their stunned wide eyes refused to blink with disbelief...

The male White Tiger blader marched close and demanded to know. "Well...Where is he? Where's Kai? He can't have gone too far...right?"

Ozuma, Dunga, Mariam, Josef, Max, Mariah and Daichi too waited with baited breath for an answer.

*Cough* Midoria rubbed the back of his head and spluttered uneasily before expelling his words anxiously. "Ummmmm. So yeah...He's in Russia. I assume that's a bad thing?"

Ozuma stormed to the group huddled around the laptop. With clawed fingers he roughly ripped between Kenny and Midoria so he too could see the screen and its lies. The Flash leopard blader was wide eyed and mad like a rabid cat. "THIS IS A JOKE! THIS IS ALL A PRANK. YOUR COMPUTER...HAS GOT TO BE WRONG!"

Max rushed over to get a look at the screen himself. Emily, Kenny and Tyson parted to let him see so he too could feel the same as they did...pure shock. There on the screen was a pinpoint on the vast area map of Russia...Kai was evidently not in Japan anymore. The blonde turtle blader screeched and grabbed at Midoria's polo shirt pulling their faces close with urgency. "Are you sure? Kai can't be in Russia right now! This is bad. Reallly really bad!"

"Please Sir, let go of me." Midoria limply cried as he writhed himself free. "This programme is military grade and worth millions on the open market. I'm sorry if what I've found is not what you wanted to hear. It looks like Mr H has taken himself on a little break. He landed 20 minutes ago at a private airport in Novosibirsk, Russia . It seems Mr Gottlieb that he's flown with another private airline instead of booking with our own pilots. Why would he do that?"

Gottlieb shook his head and massaged his eyebrows with giant fingers. He sighed before breathily replying. "Because he didn't want us to know he was going. All company pilots and aircraft are subject to a booking system and given he is currently on leave, he has no access to company assets unless approved or assigned by me first. He anticipated I would stop him leaving and he'd be right. And what's more, he has no security staff assigned to his protection. I checked with Mr Cooper who is at home with his wife currently on his day off, and he is none the wiser. This is all very alarming. Mr Hiwatari has broken all the rules for personal safety as someone high status as he...and what's more his attacker is still at large. He has put himself at untold risk. Why is he doing this? I don't understand his motives."

Tyson placed a hand on the waning CEO's shoulder. "You and me both Mr Gottlieb. You and me both. What could Kai want in Russia anyway? It's not like it's a nice place to go. The Bahamas would have been a sunnier choice for a vacation. What could he possibly want so bad in Russia right now? I DONT GET IT!"

Mariah had a brainwave and chose to share it. "Does he have a girlfriend in Russia? Or maybe he has a sick Russian aunt he needed to see. Or someone he knows has been taken ill and is in hospital maybe?"

Mr Gottlieb snapped back a sharp answer. His patience had taken a battering. "No, Kai's single as far as I know, and all of his family and friends...any that matter anyway are here in Japan. He has no reason to visit Russia."

Emily piped up with sass. "So what are we going to do? We can shout a million questions at the wall but it's not going to give us any answers. Only Kai can give us those. We have to come up with a plan."

Daichi added on the same wavelength. "We gotta go to Russia. We gotta go get him! Bring him back!"

Hilary shook her head and said what most in the room were thinking. "We can't do that Daichi. You know it's not safe. We can't go to Russia...that's just silly... and dangerous!"

Max was clutching at straws and gestured with desperate hope. "Are we sure Kai hasn't sneaked some of his security staff with him? I'd sleep better knowing he had someone with him."

Gottlieb sneered bolt straight and crossed his arms tightly. "Mr H has no power of authority whilst on leave...he can't just adopt security operatives and store them in his overhead locker. No officers have been reported missing or absconded from their duties, and Mr Cooper reported no changes to staff rotas or duty locations. I only spoke with him less than half-an-hour ago so our information is up to date. Either Mr H has employed his own security staff outside of Hiwatari Enterprises which is negligent and risky in itself without the exhaustive vetting our own personnel are subject to...or simply and alarmingly, he's on his own. The latter is more likely. Either way, he's in for a landslide of a disciplinary when he returns as CEO...that's if I ever let him step foot in the office again after pulling a stunt like this. Whatever he's doing must be of utmost importance. I just wish I knew what...and why."

Kenny finally uttered a question after the shock subsided. His voice was squeaky as he adjusted his glasses to a more comfortable position on his face. "So what happens now? What's your plan Mr Gottlieb, I assume you have one."

Midora inserted a quick response first. "I'll keep track on Kai's phone and in the meantime try to get through to him. I'll keep sending him messages to call us back but if he doesn't want to be reached, I can guarantee you he won't be. Mr H is on a mission and he's already said he'd be back in 2 days, and I'm sure he will when he's done whatever he's set out to do. Try to relax and have some faith in him. He maybe reckless in this situation but he's not a fool. Whatever this is...has to be important."

Mr Gottlieb had a militant plan in mind. He took the form of an army general and spoke like one too. "Whatever M H's plans or motives we need to have him back under protection Godspeed. I've already instructed Mr Cooper to assemble a security squad and have them ready to mobilise. When the team lands in Russia, Midoria will give me Mr H's live location on the ground. The squad will have two missions...locate him, and escort him home safely. Now, Tyson, or any of you have any one you trust living in Russia who can reach Mr H before our operatives? It will take time to assemble our team, transport them to the air field and including flight time to Novosibirsk; we're looking at between 14 and 24 hours until our boots hit Russian soil. Why Mr H has travelled to Russia is not important right now. Getting him home safely and in one piece quietly and quickly is the priority...we can all grill him within an inch of his life when he's back and safe."

Tyson grinned at the thrilling thought of being useful. Two fellow bladers and former guests of his immediately popped into his mind. He quirkily swiped his thumb under his nose. "Yeah I know a couple of guys who owe me one."

The German giant powerfully dressed his words like a question but was no doubt a demand. "Can you get them on the phone now? I need to speak with them. They need to drop whatever they're doing and get to Mr H's live location as soon as they can. I appreciate its short notice but they will be compensated for their trouble."

Dunga snorted and belly laughed. "Hahahah this should be good. You know the Blitzkrieg Boys aren't gunna be too chirpy about this!"

Mariah quirked smiling and too was tickled by the unfolding situation. "For once Dunga we agree on something. Tala and Bryan aren't going to like this...not one bit."

Emily, Ozuma, Kenny, Mariah, Ray, Daichi, Mariam, Josef, Dunga, Hilary and Max each shot each other uneasy glances, hid sniggering and smirks, and raised singe eyebrows. The Blitzkrieg Boy duo weren't exactly forthcoming when it came to lifting their weight during their stay at the Granger dojo...so asking them to drop their lives again for Kai was going to be humorous, colourful swear words were expected, and a stern "Nyet" answer was a strong possibility.

The Beychampion who battled the very guy he was about to call for the title many years ago pulled out his phone and called a number in his contacts list. He pressed the loudspeaker button so all in the room could hear what was about to be an awkward, tense and probably...funny conversation. All bodies held their breath as the phone rang. It was currently 9:15pm in Tokyo, 6 hours ahead of Moscow making it 3:15pm where the Blitzkrieg Boys lived. Tala should be awake and free to take the call.

*RING* * RING* *RING*

The Wolborg blader answered his phone quickly much to everyone's relief. His tone was snappy, devoid of any warmth, and did not sound amused. "What is it now Tyson. I'm at work?"

Tyson tried to sound as chummy as possible as he stroked the sweat from the back of his neck. "Hey Tala buddy! Long time no speak huh hahahah! So um...we need a favour."

Tala barked back. "It better not be anything to do with Kai, or Bitbeasts, or maniacs in capes. Tyson, do you know how long it's been since we parted? Less than 48 hours! What could you possibly need me for in such a small time frame?"

The bluenette sweat even more some with the pressure. "Well Hahhahahhaha yeah about that..."

Mr Gottlieb interjected. He needed to employ the Russian's help and without pussyfooting around it. "Mr Ivanov. It's Markus Gottlieb here. I need to speak to you. We met briefly at the hospital and at Tyson Granger's dojo home. Do you remember me?"

Tala replied with zero emotion. "Yeah..."

Mr Gottlieb continued. "Oh good. I'll get straight to the point then. Your ex-team mate Kai Hiwatari is in trouble and we could use your help. I understand you live in Russia and you are his friend?"

Tala retorted through the speaker. "Yes, I live in Russia. Kai's friend...sometimes, I guess. Why? What's happened? Why are you asking me these questions?"

Mr Gottlieb heard what he needed. "That's all I need to know, thank you Mr Ivanov. A situation has occurred and we need you to meet Mr Hiwatari in Novosibirsk, I appreciate you reside in Moscow. It's roughly a 4 and a half hour flight from Moscow Airport to Novosibirsk which Hiwatari Enterprises will pay for and any other fees you incur plus food and expenses. Tyson Granger will be your point of contact and will give you instructions on where to go once you land in Novosibirsk. We will arrange a car hire for you too. We need you to get to Mr Hiwatari's location as soon as you physically can, it could be a matter of life and death. We really need your help with this."

Tala remained silent before sharing his thoughts on the outrageous request. "...are you fucking serious? You're joking right. Fly to Novosibirsk...now?! Yeah good one, pull the other leg."

Mr Gottlieb put on his gravest voice. "I'm afraid Mr Ivanov this is not a joke. I wish it was."

Tyson begged and the Russian detected his sincerity. "Please Tala, I'm sorry dude I know this must be a huge inconvenience but we wouldn't ask if we weren't mega desperate. Kai's in trouble and he needs our help."

Tala took a moment to think. His tone was harsh and he irked with irritation. "Tyson...I'm still at work. I can't just leave my job to go play fairy godmother to Kai every time he sneaks off to do something stupid. He's your problem! And what the hell is he doing in Russia anyway?!"

Tyson replied rubbing his forehead with his free hand. The stress was starting to get to him. "Your guess is as good as mine Tala. Seriously dude we really need you on this! Is Bryan free? Can he go instead? We're desperate man."

Tala scoffed before delivering a sharp tongued response. "Bryan's on a 12 hour night shift and he doesn't finish until tomorrow morning. Why is Kai my problem all of a sudden? Or yours? He's a big boy now; he can take care of himself. He has his goons with him right? They're paid to hold his hand so let them. I don't know why you're pulling hair over this. If Kai's gone to Russia then leave him to it, and just wait for him to get back. I doubt Shadow Vale will follow him all the way to Russia."

Tyson begged harder and louder. "Tala please! Kai's gone to Russia all cloak and dagger and he's not told us anything. He snuck off first thing this morning and he's been gone all day. We've tracked him to Russia and sending a security team out to get him but they're going to be hours, maybe even a day behind him. He's not answering his phone. Anything could happen to him and we don't know for sure if Shadow Vale has followed him! He's all alone and you know he's not the fittest right now. He's still healing from his injury. We don't know why he's gone to Russia but he's in grave danger on his own. You're all he's got right now buddy. Please! You only gotta stay with him until the security team gets to you. Then we'll leave you alone. YOU'RE HIS ONLY CHANCE TALA!"

The former Demolition Boy went silent before expelling an obscenity publicly wherever he was. "...Fuck sake."

Tyson murmured softly to prompt an answer. "Tala?"

Tala snapped back. "Gimme a second to think!"

Tyson added sweetly. "You'd be doing us a solid buddy. And Mr Gottlieb's gunna sort you some money for expenses and stuff. I'd rinse that ticket buddy. Steak dinners, dessert parlour and First class all the way!"

*GGGRRRRRRNNNNN* The red haired Soviet grunted down the phone before laying down his terms. "Okay...but I'm not going today. I've lost too much time at work already, staying with you guys for two weeks bouncing around your dojo, what fun that was. Kai's lucky I'm off work tomorrow. I'll go find him first thing in the morning, Russian time. That's the best I can do. I've got my own life too Tyson, got bills to pay and responsibilities I can't just drop when I feel like it. I'll take Bryan with me when he's finished his shift, he can catch up on sleep in the car and on the plane. I'll let you know when we're leaving Moscow and when we land in Novosibirsk."

Mr Gottlieb sigh a sharp breath of relief and reiterated the deal. "Thankyou very much Mr Ivanov. Send us your bank details and Hiwatari Enterprises will pay you and Mr Kusnetsov well for your time, as well cover your expenses. Like I said Tyson Granger will be your point of contact and he'll update you with Mr Hiwatari's live location when you land. Thank you again and we'll be in touch if anything changes."

Tala snapped with a raised hackle. "Yeah you'd better pay me."

Dragoon's guardian cried with gratitude and relief. "Thanks a Million Tala! You're the best! Say Hi to Bryan for me! Speak to ya soon buddy! Kay!"

Tala whined. "Fine." A firm thumb press cut the call on the Russian end.

Ray meandered forward to speak. "That's good news right?! I'm surprised Tala went for it. So what do we do now?"

Mr Gottlieb loosened his tie from around his neckline. "Now, I get in touch with Mr Cooper and see how he's progressing assembling the rescue security team. Then...I have a private plane to book and a runway in Novosibirsk to clear for tomorrow's landing."

Daichi, the one and only "Monkey Boy" had something to say and unusually climbed atop a chair in order to say it with height added to his natural short stature. He didn't often do this so whatever he had to say was of some importance...at least to him. "Listen! Everybody! I have an idea but I know most of ya aint gunna liiiiike it. Say! Why should Tala get all the fun? I want an all expenses paid trip to Russia too. I want steak dinners and engorge on ice-cream! And besides all that...Kai's gunna need all the help he can get. Why don't we join the security goons on the plane and in Russia? We'll be safe and it's only for a couple of days max. You Saint Shields said Kai's security will be useless against Shadow Vale if they show up...safety in numbers and all that jazz! Then Mr Gottlieb aint gunna have to wait to get his security team together. He can just use the guys you got around the mansion protecting us. Take them and us with em. Problem fixed. We can dash over to Russia, snatch Kai and be back before tomorrow's dinner. It's doable. You know it makes sense!"

Mariam chuckled and jested at the Strata Dragoon spinner, she rudely pointed and fake laughed at him whilst clutching her belly pretending she was about to wet herself. "HAHAHAHAHAHAH! Very funny! Get down Monkey Boy before you hurt yourself. HAhahahaha. Go to Russia after Kai...you are a hoot! You know you should try stand up comedy Daichi because that was hilarious! You're a real joker alright."

The Galux blader didn't take the female Saint Shields taunting foolery very kindly and stood up for Daichi's idea out pure spite. Embers still spat and burned between the rivalling White Tiger and Saint Shield clans beneath the surface, and it didn't take much to flame them. "I happen to like Daichi's idea. I don't think it's an impossible plan at all. Daichi raised a good point. If Shadow Vale attacks Kai in Russia...what's his cronies' gunna do about it...not much they can do. I'm sick of living in fear of those red-eyed silver-haired psychos. We're going to have to start venturing out into the world sometime and that's best done all together right...and with an army of Kai's Robocops with us...it's the perfect opportunity. I say we go." She resisted the urge to poke a cheeky tongue to wind Mariam up further but felt satisfied her little speech was inflammatory enough.

Ozuma prowled towards the antagonistic White Tiger female. "This isn't up for discussion!"

Boyfriend Ray and no stranger to opposing Saint Shield rule leapt to block him from getting close to his pinkette wife-to-be. "Well I happen to think it is. I'm happy to go. Anyone else? Tyson what do you think?"

Mr Gottlieb inserted himself into the growing quarrel with a golden nugget of information the Saint Shield's wished he'd kept to himself. "There will be room on the plane and there is some stretch in the budget for your expenses should you all wish to join our body guards to Russia. I have fears Mr H may give his security detail the slip...but you beybladers maybe harder to shake."

Dunga stomped his foot aggressively. "Ozuma said NO! It's not up for discussion! Are you all deaf or just simple?"

. "So...ummm Mr Gottlieb, how far exactly does the budget stretch? Is there any limit on ice-cream? And how many meals are you accounting for? Do they do steakhouses in Russia?...Tyson quipped tongue in cheek... "I don't think we should count Daichi's idea too quick guys. Let's all calm down and ya know...let's talk about it."

---

Novosibirsk, Russia.

In a small village just south of the Novosibirskoye Vodokhranilishche reservoir sat a small town, there lived a population of less than 500 and was rarely visited by foreigners or any city folk. The town thrived on its fishing industry and most of the work was animal and vegetable agriculture, or factory and processing plants. Its homes were mostly shacks, wooden huts or small concrete estates, and the roads were few and mostly mud and rubble. It was 5pm with no snow on the ground being July, and an unkempt fish-gutter had just finished his shift. He clocked out of the fish factory with his clock in/out card and with a sore spine from a hard day's labour he ambled his way to his car, a shoddy looking red painted vehicle from the 1980s era; it barely started most days but the driver today was lucky. His fingers were tough and calloused as he rolled his cigarette out of filter paper and tobacco leaves produced from a small decorated tin. He gave his car enough time to heat up the cigarette lighter and then with his fag pursed between his thin wry lips he lit it, and breathed deeply the cancer stick's airborne nicotine, and then took another drag, and another, before releasing his hand brake. With half a burning stick in his mouth he took off down a narrow brick road and through the sleepy rural Russian village lined with giant fir trees. His long greying purple hair flirted with the breeze from the open car window and his short beard itched as the same rushes of air tickled it. No more than 10 minutes pass when he pulled up to his stony and weed pickled driveway with an inelegant stop before levering himself out of the driver's side door. He slammed the door behind him, flicked his done cigarette butt to the thorn bushes nearby and approached his front door. He noticed something was amiss. He was sure he locked his door before he left for work; he lived alone and so there was no one else to blame for its undoing. Tired, he walked inside, shrugged the nagging feeling in his gut away as he kicked off his high rubber boots in the entrance and glanced at the fish blood on his brown trousers that has escaped his apron throughout the day. Fish blood on his clothes was nothing new and retired to his bedroom to strip off the soiled garments. He soon emerged from his boudoir of run down furniture and creaky metal bed wearing a pair of grey shorts and a black vest with holes in. He was aged in his early 60s and no longer a young man, but still lean, adequately muscled and quite hairy. His face was sharp featured with small grey eyes, and dark purple and white side-burns decorated his cheeks. After a long day at work he sought dinner in front of the TV like he had done for years now, his only pleasure. Fish gutting wasn't exactly a well paid vocation but he scraped a living on tinned food, local produce, and the luxury of satellite TV. In his kitchen he opened a tin of beef stew, micro-waved the contents in a bowl and then grasped whatever clean cutlery he could find on his messy draining board. He proceeded to his living room to take his only chair and eat his hard earned meal in front of his favourite game show. He carried his steaming food into his pokey and poverty stricken living room...when...he...stopped. His heart jumped so far into his throat he couldn't breathe for multiple seconds. His eyes drew to pinpricks on the whites of his eyes. His fingers and wrist lost their rigidity and his plate and cutlery fell, and too the lumpy beef stew splashed all over the hole-ridden rug and nearby wooden furniture. The plate smashed into 6 pieces leaving jagged ceramic debris by his naked toes. His grey irises shook as they met with the reason his door was discovered unlocked. An old face he hadn't seen in years was sitting in his chair. The old man had spent the last 10 years in hiding under a new identity. Not a soul from his dodgy past or any authority hunting him knew where he was...but that...had just changed.

Kai Hiwatari was sat in the fish gutters' frumpy old chair with his leg crossing the other and a pointed gun in his lap. The intruder barely moved and said with pure control and poise in a voice more mature and deeper than his in teen years. "Hello Peter Molotrov...or should I call you by your old name...Boris Balkov."