Of Boys and Blades
Part Two
Chapter 10
Balkov Abbey, 1991
Filled with trepidation, a small child stepped outside a long black limousine, reaching on instinct for the hand of his grandfather. He was four—nearly five, and a bit small for his age. His mother had always taught him to hold hands.
The purple-haired monster before them gave him a leering grin from beneath his hooded cloak. "Hello again, little Kai. Miss me?"
He grabbed at his grandfather's leg, hiding his face into the wool of the man's slacks. Voltaire kicked him away. "Stop groveling. You're fine!"
"But he killed Mommy!" Kai protested.
Kai saw the hit coming but couldn't get away fast enough. The impact against his cheek brought him to his knees. "Your mother killed herself!" Voltaire hissed at him, for what must have been the hundredth time. "If I hear you say that again I will make you wish you'd never been born! Now get on your feet and stop sniveling."
Kai rubbed at his eyes, trying to hold back his tears.
"Come," Voltaire commanded. Kai followed the two men obediently inside what to his young eyes looked like a medieval fortress. The corridors were long. Dark and gloomy. Kai eyed his surroundings warily. He still wasn't exactly sure what he was doing there. Since his mother's death the week before Voltaire had altered his entire world. Whatever the reason for this visit, he couldn't wait for it to be over. He didn't like this place. Not one bit.
He followed the men to an office where he was told to wait just outside. Leaning against the wall, he let his gaze fall to the floor. They were speaking in hushed tones but he couldn't quite understand them. He could tell they were speaking in Russian—which he had a pretty good grasp of—but it was far too low for him to make out.
When Voltaire emerged he surprised Kai by lowering himself to his knees so they were at eye-level. His grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now listen to me, grandson." He never called him by name. "You are going to be staying here."
Kai started to protest but the grip tightened painfully on his shoulder.
"This is a school. You will receive training and education. When you emerge from here I expect you will be of use to me. Far more so than your mother ever was. I expect you to excel, to be a model student. The more exceptional you are the sooner I will collect you. Keep that in mind."
Voltaire rose to his feet. "Goodbye, Kai. I have high hopes for you. Don't disappoint me." He nodded to Boris. "Take care of him as we discussed."
"Of course."
And then Voltaire was gone and Kai was left alone with the man he believed responsible for his mother's death. Boris smiled at him, that sneer of a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. He'd never felt so alone.
"Come along, Kai, and I'll bring you to the others."
Kai followed, his heart sinking with each step. This was really happening. Voltaire was abandoning him. With this...
Boris had been an inconsistent part of his childhood. Here for a few days, gone for a few months. His mother hadn't liked Boris at all. Taking the cue for her, he'd always acted the same. And when he'd looked up to where his mother had fallen, Boris had been there, smiling at him as always.
"You are very privileged, little Kai," Boris said to him as he led him through the corridors. "You have the esteemed pleasure of being part of the first class of Balkov Abbey. This facility is grooming the next generation of young warriors. You will be schooled in language, mathematics, science, history, and strategy. You will be built up to be physically and mentally strong. Above all, you will become skilled in blading. I've heard you're good for your age so I have high expectations for you."
They came into a large room Kai would soon learn is the cafeteria, filled with about thirty other children. They ranged in age from about his own to a few years older. They children quieted as they entered.
"I have a special announcement," Boris spoke. "We have a very important new student."
Kai could feel every eye on him.
"Allow me to introduce you all to Kai Hiwatari. He's a very special student. He is our founder, Voltaire Hiwatari's own grandson. He's better than you. He's rich. He's been sheltered. He's not allowed to be punished the same as the rest of you." Boris grinned. "I trust you'll make him feel welcome."
With that, Boris left him alone with thirty boys staring at him with the eyes of vultures, eyeing him as though he were prey.
His breathing quickened as panic finally started to take over. These boys were going to hurt him.
A much taller boy broke off from the crowd and stood before him. "So you're Mr. Hiwatari's grandson?" he said snidely. "How lucky we are to be basking in your presence." He shoved him. "Still think you're something special, rich boy?"
Kai stumbled backward but stayed on his feet. This boy was bigger than him. There was no way he would win this fight. He eyed the crowd frantically, trying to scope a way out. A small redhead standing apart from the crowd caught his eyes. The redhead was watching him with an amused expression.
He saw a break in the crowd of jeering boys and went for it. He didn't get far. He barely made it out of the cafeteria when the tall boy caught him by his shirt. Three of the boys participated in the fight while the others formed a circle around them cheering them on. Kai tried to fight back but he didn't stand a chance. Not only was it three against one, they were all older and bigger than he was.
They hit him till he bled, kicked him until he was on the floor. Curling himself up in a ball he just prayed for it to be over. Maybe they would just kill him. Then he could see his mother again and all of this would be gone. When the boys were satisfied with the damage they'd inflicted they dispersed, leaving Kai to cry to himself.
"You can't let them see you being weak."
He didn't know how long the redhead had been there watching him. He tried to wipe away the tears and saw his hand covered in blood. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet the strangers. "What do you want?" he snapped.
The redhead extended his hand. "I'm Tala Ivanov."
Kai eyed the hand warily, unconvinced that this wasn't some sort of trap. But out of desperation he found himself reaching for it. "Kai."
Tala helped him to his feet. "I'll bring you to the doctors."
xXx
Kai
xXx
Months passed without incident. It felt odd, after the last couple of years. Like it was just a matter of time. Until what I wasn't sure.
I found myself finding excuses to not spend my afternoons with Tyson. I had too much homework, I needed to speak to Lidiya, I had duties at school. I would ignore the hurt look in his eyes and walk away. I was pushing him away. I knew it. It hurt but I did it anyway.
The more time I spent with him the more I wanted him. The harder it got to pull myself away from him. When we were together I couldn't keep my hands off him. We danced around the issue of sex. If I pushed, Tyson pulled back. He'd drawn a line at what he was willing to do and wouldn't move beyond that. I didn't want what he wanted. I didn't want to talk, I didn't want a relationship, I wanted to lose myself in him. I wanted him to drown the rest of the world out. So I wouldn't have to think. So I wouldn't have to deal with all the things I didn't want to deal with. That I couldn't deal with. So I put up a wall between us.
December came. And with it, Christmas. It was a holiday I knew about but never celebrated. With Voltaire we would have a more elaborate dinner than usual and I would be allowed a glass of wine. Back at the Abbey we would be given the day off. For one day of the year we were actually allowed to be the children that we were.
Max was hosting a Christmas party. His mother was visiting from the United States and he was ecstatic. He'd been talking about it for months. We were all invited. Max wanted us to spend the evening with his family and have a good ole American Christmas. Whatever that meant. Tyson, Rei, Kenny, and Hilary had all gone over there early to help cook and decorate. I'd opted out but Max made me promise to show up. I still wasn't entirely sure I wanted to go.
Birthdays were another thing that I didn't celebrate. Tyson had somehow found out when mine was and had surprised me with a gift the month before.
With a goofy smile he'd given me a pair of ugly, gaudy phoenix earrings he knew I'd never wear.
"You're an idiot," I'd told him.
"I'm your idiot."
I hated it when he said things like that.
I'd actually been debating on whether I should get him something for Christmas. Knowing him, he'd probably read way too much into that. But still the thought nagged at my mind. I could just get him something small.
Trying to distract myself as I killed time until the party I checked my email. Lidiya usually sent correspondence at least once a week, letting me know if she needed me to show up anywhere. Once in a while my presence was required at meetings or dinners.
A message in Russian made me stop. Who the hell would be writing to me in Russian?
Opening it, I scanned the contents quickly.
Hello Kai. This is Tala. You probably think it strange for me to contact you after all this time. I've thought about it for a while. You didn't seem to remember me at all when you were last in Moscow and I don't know if that's changed, but I thought you might be interested to know what happened here after you left.
All the guards and staff took off after Voltaire was arrested. Many were caught but some are still at large. Boris and Vadim are still out there. No one's heard a thing from either of them ever since.
The boys who still have families have been reunited with them. Ian's gone to live with his parents. He's decided to give up blading for the time being and focus on building a relationship with them. Bryan, Spencer and myself have been placed in a group home until we come of age. The younger kids have mostly been put into foster care.
I don't know what you remember of the Abbey but you and I were once very good friends. We looked out for each other, watched each other's backs. I always wondered what happened to you after your grandfather came for you. That was always our dream, to get out of that hell. But somehow I don't think things turned out the way you wanted them to.
Look, I know you felt betrayed by what I did, but you have to look at it from perspective. I fully believe had you been in my position you would have done the same. But I am sorry. I'm sorry about a lot of things that happened in that place.
I just wanted to tell you that.
I do hope we can be friends again. You were like a brother to me once.
If you don't write me back I will understand. But I hope you do. I hope we will see each other again, under better circumstances. Bryan, Spencer and I do plan on participating in next years' world championships, so perhaps it will be there.
Till then, I wish you all the best.
Tala
I leaned back in my chair, letting what I just read sink in. Friends, huh? Yeah, I suppose we might've been friends. I rubbed my fingertips against my temples. This was all giving me a headache. How did I block out such a huge portion of my life? Five years. Five fucking years. Who just forgets five whole years?
Tala. I had the vaguest memories of us crouched together in a dark, cold dungeon, huddled together for warmth. A quick flash of memory. I stood before Tala, protecting him from an unseen enemy. Tala had gripped my shoulders, crying into my back. Vadim, he'd mentioned. Who was Vadim? I could vaguely recall a skinny blond that seemed to fit that name, but nothing more.
I dragged my fingers through my hair. I didn't want to deal with this. Not now. Not ever. I shut off the computer.
I glanced at the time. It still wasn't as late as I wanted it to be but I had to get out of the apartment. I needed distraction. The hell with it all. Tyson wasn't getting anything from me.
Throwing on a jacket I headed towards Max's. It was cold but the chill of winter seldom bothered me, thanks to a childhood spent in Russia.
The cool air felt good against my skin as I walked. I arrived quicker than I would've liked, my head swimming with memories.
What did I remember? My grandfather abandoning me there shortly after my mother died. Tala...Tala had befriended me. Yeah, we'd been friends. We even tried to escape together. That had ended badly, though I couldn't remember what happened. Then we weren't friends. And then Black Dranzer... Someone died. Wyatt died. Shit, I just didn't want to remember any of it.
I walked in without knocking. We were always welcome at his house so we'd all stopped knocking long ago. The same with the Kinomiya dojo.
The house was decorated from top to bottom. I'd never seen anything like it in person. There was hardly anything that remained untouched from the plague of red and green.
I found the others in the living room talking amongst themselves.
"Kai! You made it!" Max noticed me first. "Thanks for coming."
Tyson flashed me a quick smile over his drink.
I shrugged.
I was somewhat surprised to see Emily from the All Starz there. Max had said she might be coming but he wasn't sure. She was talking to Hilary. She looked my way briefly before continuing her conversation. I knew I wasn't her favorite person but she wasn't mine either.
Letting out a sigh I went over to where Tyson, Rei, and Max were talking. The sooner this was over with the better.
The party moved downstairs to the room he had behind the hobby shop. It was usually where we ended up when we hung out over there.
I perched myself against the wall and let the party unfold around me. I had grabbed a soda and sipped it slowly. These things were a lot more fun when there was alcohol in my cup. I wished in vain that Gramps would pass by and hand me a drink, like at Tyson's party. Yeah, I could drink a lot tonight. I couldn't help but wonder if Max's dad had any stashed anywhere. Not that I would go looking.
Wyatt was on my mind again. Being from Europe he probably did celebrate Christmas. I kept thinking about his parents and wondering how they were dealing with life minus their son. It had been a long time since I'd visited his grave.
If I was abnormally quiet Tyson was the only one who noticed. I kept feeling his eyes watching me. The PS2 went on and everyone was absorbed in video games. The routine at Max's was typically pizza, soda, video games. Occasionally I'd even play.
Emily perched herself beside me. What the hell does she want?
"I can see how much you're enjoying yourself. What are you even doing here?"
"I was invited. You?"
"Judy wanted me to come. She thought it would be good for me to spend the holidays in a family setting."
"As opposed to spending it with your own family."
"Parents are dead. You're in a similar situation, I believe."
"What? Have you been doing your research on me?"
"You and all the Abbey boys. Judy's real interested in what went on there."
I didn't respond. I didn't like where this was heading. Looking over at the others I was pretty sure they couldn't hear us.
"You know, Kai, you're not fooling anyone. You haven't changed. I can see right through you."
"Then what am I thinking right now, Emily?" I asked coolly.
Letting out a smug laugh she replied, "Well, you've been staring at Tyson all night, so my guess is him. Still want to battle him, huh?"
"Is that a crime?"
"I just don't trust your motives. I've always wondered, from a scientific perspective of course, what was it like to use Black Dranzer to call upon the powers of other bitbeasts against their will. Tell me, what was it like to use my bitbeast. Could you hear them all? Do you still feel Black Dranzer? That's a bond that doesn't really go away. Do you feel that power calling to you even now? And if so, how long until you let it win again?"
I wanted to hit her. For the first time in my life I really wanted to punch a woman. My hands had tightened into fists and my fingernails were cutting into my palms. I took a deep breath. "You have no idea what you're talking about," I growled.
Her eyes bored into me through her glasses. "Oh, I think I do. Judy's gotten ahold of a bunch of paperwork from Balkov Abbey. There was a very interesting document from ninety-seven. It was a report about an incident with Black Dranzer. And your name is all over it. Do your friends know about that?"
Done. This was going to get real ugly. I pushed past her rushing up the stairs and out of the house. I could hear the others calling my name. I was beyond angry. My blood was boiling. I wanted to take her face and smash it into the concrete floor. Did I still feel Black Dranzer? I doubt I'd be having nightmares almost every night if I didn't. I needed to calm down. I just needed to walk away.
Of course Tyson was the one to come after me. "Hey, Kai! Dude, what's wrong? What did Emily say to you?"
I kept walking.
He grabbed my shoulder.
Roughly, I pushed him away. "Don't touch me!"
He stopped. Confused or concerned, I wasn't sure. "What the hell is your problem lately? Did I do something to piss you off?"
Pausing, I took a deep breath. "You wouldn't understand, Tyson. Just leave me alone."
I could feel him staring at me as I walked away. I hated this.
xXx
I went to the warehouse. For hours I took out my aggression with Dranzer. Blading had always been therapeutic. It had always been a way to block everything else out and now was no exception.
Black Dranzer. I could still hear him in my head. Not in words, but in thoughts. Thoughts that corrupt. Thoughts that turn you into the worst part of you. Black Dranzer made me not care about anything but being the best, being the perfect blader. I had absolutely no regard for anything else. Power. It was almost euphoric. Like getting high, I guess. And it was something that was hard to let go of.
Yes, Emily, I still feel Black Dranzer. From thousands of miles away I could feel its restlessness, it's desire for power. Ever since I left the Abbey when I was ten I could feel it, only now I knew what it was.
Exhausted, I headed home. It was late. The sky had grown dark and there wasn't a car to be seen. I stopped at an ally near my apartment. There was a family of cats that lived there I usually fed. One of them, an orange tabby, was laying on a crate. His ears perched up when he heard me approach and he arched his head toward my hand as I reached for him.
"Sorry I didn't bring any food." The cat didn't seem to mind. He purred at my touch. I didn't stay long. It was late and I was finally starting to tire. So I continued on to my apartment.
Taking the elevator, I stopped in surprise at the site before my door. Why the hell is he here? Crouched on the floor against the frame, sound asleep, was Tyson. My chest tightened for a moment. Was he here because he was worried about me? How long had he been there?
Walking up to him I nudged him with my foot. "Tyson."
He let out a yawn, rubbing his eyes as he looked up towards me. "Wha..." He laughed. "Guess I fell asleep. Where've you been?"
"Around."
"What the hell did Emily say to you to piss you off so much?"
"Nothing that matters."
He pressed his head back against the door with a huff. "Why can't you ever just answer me?" he moaned.
"Do you think you could move so I can get inside?"
"Of course, oh great and wonderful Kai." He pulled himself to his feet. "What else can I do to appease you?"
"You could shut up," I told him as I unlocked the door. He followed me inside. "I suppose you want to stay the night."
"Well I already told Gramps I was, so there's that." He took off his jacket. "Emily wouldn't say what you two were talking about. We bugged her for like an hour."
"You guys couldn't find anything better to talk about?" He followed me into the bedroom.
Grabbing my hand, he fell on the bed, pulling me on top of him. He kissed me. "Look, I get it. You don't like to talk. You're Kai I-don't-talk-about-my-feelings Hiwatari. It's fine. Just know that you can." He peered into my soul with those huge dark eyes. "I'll always be here."
I rested my forehead against his, content with the feel of his body against mine. Kissing him back I whispered, "Just shut up."
He laughed.
xXx
AN: Alrighty, friends. Another day another chapter. A big thanks to RPS, KinomiyaHiwatari, Angel Devastation, adbhut, Little A Granger, and marchellv for all the reviews. You guys are awesome.
Sorry this took me like a month. I was being very indecisive as to how I wanted this chapter to play out, but I think I'm happy with the end result. And then there was school. This semester's been rough. I graduate with my AAS in Graphic Design next week! The day has finally come! (it's taken me five years...*grumblegrumble*) So this was always supposed to take place around Christmas, just happens to be published in this timeframe lol. Sorry Kai's being so angsty. He's going to be like that for a while. He just can't get his shit together.
So the next chapter is one I've been super excited to write. I think part of it is one of the first things I wrote when I started on this story. I write out of order. So I'm setting a goal for myself to have it posted by the end of this year. We shall see.
AN 2022: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I love it when people drive Kai crazy.