Of Boys and Blades

by chibiduo

It was just a kiss, but one that turned Kai's whole world upside down. A series of ficlets that follow Tyson and Kai's relationship over the series.

13. Chapter 13

Of Boys and Blades

Part Two

Chapter 13

xXx

Tyson

xXx

Kai read my journal. I knew it. That was the only explanation. Not a word since my birthday. Not a text. Not a phone call. Nothing. He wasn't even showing up for training anymore.

What had he read? One of the infinite entries I'd written about him, dissecting his every action in a vain attempt to understand what goes on in that gorgeous head of his? One gushing about how much I loved him? Or...sex stuff... I wrote a lot about sex stuff in there. Stuff I wanted him to do to me. Fuck I wrote everything in that book. It was like a violation knowing he'd read it. A complete invasion of privacy. And for a minute there I'd actually believed him when he'd denied it. I wasn't sure what I felt more. Anger that he'd read it or sadness that he'd disappeared again.

It was the beginning of July. Nearly a month since I'd last seen Kai. Maybe he was just mad I wouldn't have sex with him.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

The Beyblading school was my idea. Almost every afternoon now I was getting accosted by some eager wannabe asking for tips or begging me for a battle. At first I'd loved all the attention. Relished in it. Drank it all up. Now it was just kind of getting on my nerves. I definitely wasn't a nobody anymore, that was for sure. So the school idea popped into my head. It was the perfect solution. Anyone who wanted a piece of me could get it there. That sounds bad.

And that was the day Kai finally decided to show his fucking face. Nobody asked him where he'd been. No, we just had to tiptoe around Kai like he was a schizophrenic psycho who would snap at the slightest provocation. Sometimes I did wonder if there was actually something mentally wrong with him. Kai came and went as he pleased. He did what he wanted when he wanted. And nobody would ever call him out on that. Not even me. I wanted to be happy that he was there but it just made me mad. All this time spent worrying about him and stressing about whether or not I'd done anything to upset his royal highness.

I ignored him as he talked with Kenny and Hilary. Rei was going to be late because he was stopping to pick us up lunch and Max was supposed to be helping his dad around the shop today. Something must've showed in my face because Hilary flashed me a look of concern. I turned on the smile and went to work showing off for the kids. Seeing that we wouldn't actually be getting any training done Kai went to hang out in the bushes. Yes, he went to hang out in the bushes. God, Kai could be so fricken weird sometimes.

It was kind of fun. It reminded me of when I was little. So eager to learn, to be the best. What did it feel like to be the best? I was constantly asked. It was an awesome feeling, but it came with a sense of anxiety. I couldn't be the best forever, could I? It made me think back to when I was a kid and my brother-who-shall-not-be-named had taught me to play the game that would become my life.

I hadn't thought about him in a while. It was weird that he would pop into my head all of a sudden. My big brother had been my hero, my idol. After my father had dumped us off on Grandpa he'd always watched over me. He was kind of a hardass at times but it made me tougher, stronger. He and Gramps had always been at odds with each other. I don't know if it was because he had the memories of our mother dying and our father abandoning us, but he'd always acted out. He was always in trouble. And then when he was sixteen and I was ten he took off, leaving only a note saying he was joining our father on his expeditions.

There'd been letters at first. But I hadn't heard from him in three years. My father at least had the decency to remember to send me birthday cards. Even if they came a month or two late. At least I knew he cared enough to pretend to give a shit. Yet I still wore the cap my brother had given me. And the jacket Kai had. Who was a sentimental idiot? Me! Me! Grandpa and I didn't talk about them anymore unless there was a reason to. He'd gotten sick of giving me excuses and I'd gotten sick of hearing them.

So the school was going great. I loved showing them a few tricks and seeing their eyes light up when they got it. So what if I didn't actually know how to build a great blade. I knew how to use one and that's how I'd gotten where I was, wasn't it?

And that's when a tornado named Daichi entered my life. He'd taken me by surprise. I'd underestimated him from the get-go and ended up paying for it. It took Kai's voice to snap me back into the game and take him seriously. Where the hell did this kid come from? He had to be twelve, thirteen at the most, and possessed an ability I would've only dreamed of at that age. Of course, I still beat him. I wasn't the champ for nothing. But he was definitely the first wannabe who'd ever given me a run for my money.

Then during the battle some masked clown calling himself Jin of the Gale had shown up. Who was that guy. I'd never even heard of him but there was something about him that seemed so familiar. The Chief looked him up afterwards and apparently he was big on the underground circuit in Europe. Maybe we'd seen him at a match or something when we'd been over there.

Max arrived, armed with the news of the impending World Championship tournament. When the smoke cleared Jin was gone. The BBA never confirmed the date of the championships until right before it was to begin. It was a little later in the year than it had been last year and the format had changed again. Instead of anybody entering as a tag team, only one tag team would be entered from each recognized BBA section. Right now there were only six: Japan, the US, China, Europe, and South America. It would be some tough competition.

And for the first time the four of us wouldn't be able to participate all together. We'd have to go through regionals to qualify. Of course, I would make the cut. How could they have a World Championship without the person who currently held that title? Even if I did win by a fluke the year before. But who would be my partner? Max, Rei, or Kai? Max may have been my best friend, but I knew both Rei and Kai were stronger than him. Out of the two of them, though, I really didn't have any idea. Rei had superior technique but Kai was tougher and could be ruthless. But Max's defense was not to be underrated. Damn, it really could be any one of them. But again, the only reason I won the year before was because Zeo had short-circuited. Maybe I wasn't as tough as I thought. Maybe I wouldn't make the cut. I didn't want Kai on a team with anyone else!

I noticed Kai had disappeared by the time Max had shown up. I would have to try to get ahold of him. We needed to figure this out.

Daichi followed me home that night. The kid didn't let me breath for a minute. I had to hide in the bathroom to text Kai. Grandpa had gotten me my very own cell phone for my birthday in the event that I had to travel for the championships again. He didn't like not being able to contact me regularly during the 2001 championships. I'd texted Kai right away but I had never heard back from him. I didn't know why I thought now would be any different.

Hey Kai

Hey

He actually texted me back! Like, within a minute! Had hell frozen over?

Did you hear the news about the championship?

No

I told him everything I knew. I didn't even ask about where he'd been and why he hadn't responded to anything I'd sent before. Like I'd get an answer. I knew better.

Who do you think will make it?

You and me

There wasn't even a pause. I smiled, glad that Kai had such faith in me.

I think so too. Let's start training tomorrow morning at the BBA building.

I'll see you then

Good night Kai

I went to bed that night with a smile on my face, despite the sound of Daichi snoring from the floor. This was going to be awesome. Even if we didn't all get to play we'd still be a team and the Bladebreakers were unstoppable!

xXx

Kai

xXx

I sat alone in my dark bedroom, lit only by the screen of my laptop. As Tyson was texting me the news of the World Championship, Tala was messaging me.

I'd kept my distance. I tried to keep my mind occupied. School was out and that made it all the more difficult. The nightmares had gotten a thousand times worse. Now I was spending the nights wandering through endless corridors filled with corpses and mutilated cats, occasionally my mother's dead body, and Wyatt's lifeless eyes. They haunted me. Every night I had woken in a cold sweat, sometimes in tears. I'd slowly shifted to a nocturnal schedule. Sleeping during the day and keeping my mind busy at night. The nightmares seemed to occur less in the daytime.

I avoided Tyson. I avoided the others. Maybe I just didn't want them to know the truth. I don't think I could look Tyson in the eye if he knew what I was really capable of. So I stayed away. I ignored his texts as they changed from worried to practically begging me to answer him.

I just want to know you're not dead. Can you give me that? Please?

That had been the last I'd heard from him before today, two weeks earlier.

I'd been dealing with the truth, at least I told myself that was what I was doing. I was letting it sink in. What I'd done. I remembered that day pretty clearly now. After I'd lost control of Black Dranzer there'd been an explosion but it was almost as if I'd been in a bubble. Only myself and the floor beneath me remained untouched in the lab. I remembered the bodies. The blood. One person had had a piece of the wall crush their skull and their brain had splattered around them.

I wanted to drown myself in Tyson. I yearned for the distraction of his touch, of his taste, but I couldn't let myself. No, I had to deal with this. I owed it to the people I killed to not forget them again.

So I spent the nights wandering the city, feeding my feral cats, and training at the old warehouse. In the end I just replaced one distraction for another. And to be honest, I just didn't want to lie to Tyson. I didn't want to pretend. I knew I didn't deserve him. On any level. I didn't deserve his trust, his honesty, his love. He had no idea what I really was. I had them all fooled. Emily was right about that. I wondered if she knew about the deaths. I felt like I didn't even deserve Dranzer. I wondered if he knew. He had to, didn't he? He knew everything in my head. But I felt like he didn't hold it against me.

I kept my word to Tala. We'd been in contact. Mostly through instant messenger but we'd talked on the phone a couple of times. It was weird. I still had a connection to him. Despite all the years I felt that, though not a friend, he was still a person I could rely on. We'd been so close before. I didn't know if I'd ever have the same relationship with him we had in the past but he was someone I could relate to on a level I couldn't with anyone around me. I hadn't asked about the Black Dranzer incident again and he'd never brought it up.

A message from him had popped up right after Tyson had texted me, informing me of the breaking news.

So Bryan, Spencer, and I have decided to start our own team for this year's championship. We're calling ourselves the Blitzkrieg Boys. I'm in charge now. We've spoken to Mr. Dickenson about acquiring a suitable training facility. He found a place for us. We leave tomorrow.

I'm pretty confident it'll end up being myself and Tyson. It should be interesting.

Would you consider joining us? It'll be like old times. The four of us were a team once. We'd be unstoppable.

I paused. The offer was intriguing. I could finally get the battle against Tyson I'd been denied last year. Part of me was interested. Tyson would never forgive me.

I don't know. I'm still part of the Bladebreakers. I'll think about it.

Don't think on it too long. The preliminaries are next week.

I signed off. We seldom said bye to each other.

Closing the laptop, I heard my phone go off. I wondered if Tyson had texted me again.

Hey Kai it's Max. Rei and I would like to talk to you tomorrow morning. Early. Do you think we could meet somewhere? Without Tyson.

I wondered how Max got my number.

Sure. How early?

Five?

Fine? The BBA building? I'm supposed to meet Tyson there later.

Sounds good. We'll see you then.

What could they possibly want to talk to me about? Shutting off the computer I headed out into the night.

xXx

I spent the night in the warehouse. Waiting. Thinking. Drill after drill I performed, each one more focused, executed more precisely than the last. I was hell-bent on exhausting myself. As the sky lightened I headed towards the BBA building. I waited for them on the roof, keeping a lookout lest Tyson actually show up before they did. Doubtful.

Max and Rei came into sight and I leapt down to the sidewalk. They jumped back.

"Kai!" Max exclaimed. "You gotta stop doing that! You scared the crap out of me."

I didn't say anything, waiting for them to just get this over with.

"Are you ok?" Rei asked with a concerned expression. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

Days. Weeks. Months. Years. It was all the same in the end. Ignoring his question, I leaned back against the building, crossing my arms across my chest. I eyed the suitcase Max was carrying. "What's this about?"

They exchanged glances. "We've been talking," Max started.

"Since we're all such strong competitors we feel we'll be better off separating. Max and I have already made arrangements. His mother's invited him to be a part of the PPB All Starz and I'm going to be rejoining the White Tigers. We feel we'll have a better chance of all of us being part of the tournament this way."

Couldn't argue with that logic. Though I had to admit it surprised me. It seemed to go against their go-team-go spirit "Have you told Tyson yet?" Probably not. I'm sure I would've heard about it.

Max shook his head. "No. We're going to tell him this morning. Rei won't go for a few more days but my plane leaves in a few hours. How do you think he'll take it?"

"Badly."

Rei let out a sigh. "That's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to leave on bad terms, but I don't think Tyson will let it end any other way."

"So what do you want from me?"

"We wanted to let you know. You're not upset with us, are you?" Max asked, instead of answering.

"No. I get it. You guys want to see how good you really are. I understand that very well. But you're going to leave me with a mess to deal with." I kicked myself off the wall. "Good luck."

"Aren't you going to stay?" Rei asked. "I thought you were going to meet Tyson anyway."

"No. It's going to get ugly. He'll probably start crying." I didn't want to deal with that. I thought back to Tala's offer. That settles that. Now I definitely couldn't leave Tyson. "I'm sure we'll meet in the tournament," I said over my shoulder as I walked away. "I look forward to it."

xXx

AN: So at long last we have reach the G-Revolution section of the series. This was kind of a shortish not very interesting chapter. But it will get better! I'm going to seriously try to get out two chapters a month since I'm not in school right now. We'll see how that goes.

As we get into this I wanted to say that I'm trying pretty hard to make this fic fit seamlessly into the confines of the series, but I am going to have to take a few artistic liberties with G-Rev. While it is my favorite season (all the tyka moments), it has some discrepancies and weirdness I just can't make work. I must make this thing make sense! As much sense as a story revolving around spinning tops inhabited by magical spirits can! As I write this I'm up to ep 35 watching it and ep 21 planning it (and already at Chapter 20! [having waaaaaaaay too much fun with Kai and Tala, they keep writing their own scenes], this thing is going to be longer than I thought) so I may add to this. Begin rant.

1. The Dragoon Strata Dragoon Driger Metal Driger thing confuses me. Everyone makes a big deal out of Strata Dragoon but then it's never mentioned again as to why there is another Dragoon and when Rei and Hiro battle Driger vs. Metal Driger it's not even mentioned. It's weird. I'm not going to even try to address it.

2. Tala was severely underrated as a blader. In S1 he was THE blader to beat, but in S3 he struggles against fricken Kenny. And in the BEGA arc when everyone's in the dojo talking about how to beat BEGA they comment on how easily Garland beat Tala, and someone comments we've all beaten him at one time or another. No. Only Tyson, Rick and Daichi have beaten him. So, yeah, I feel Tala was underrated and he will not be in this story.

3. In Kai's speech during his battle with Tyson he mentions how he took Tala as his partner when he'd rather play solo. Tag team tournament. Tala can't play solo. And Kai's not stupid. So that will be altered.

4. In S1 Boris is pretty fricken evil. Balkov Abbey is made out to be this horrible place. Kai is absolutely terrified of Boris when he first sees him. That one kid that battled Tyson is scared to death of losing. In conversation with Voltaire, Boris outright admits that he had most of the researchers killed. He says they've all since disappeared under mysterious circumstances, or something along those lines, with a smirk on his face. It's pretty dark stuff. In S3 the writers really dumbed it down to some stupid training camp (though that was inconsistent between Kenny's version and Tala's version) and Boris lied to his bladers yadda yadda. So all dialogue referring to that will be altered.

5. So upon rewatching the World Championship Arc in episode 28 one of the announcers makes a comment indicating it's taking place in July. Well, that royally fucks up my timeline. I know it's only in the dub, and a lot of the dub was drastically different from the Japanese, but the dub is what I'm basing this on since it's all I've seen. In this case I am choosing to ignore it because I have it so perfectly worked out on paper. G-Revolution starts in July. The Word Championships start in August. It lasts two months. The Bega 5 Justice Tournament takes place in November. The end.

6. The Australian block of the tournament takes place in Sydney. At one point the Bladebreakers all meet up at Ayer's Rock, which is in a completely different part of the country. It's about 27 hours away by road. It's just too far to make any sense. I'm still debating on exactly what I'm going to do to rectify it but I think the most logical solution is to move the tournament to Alice Springs, the closest city to Yulara (which is the closest town to Ayer's Rock). It's only 5 hours away, much more doable for a day trip than 27.

AN 2022: Tyson got a Nokia, probably the same as Kai's, a 3310. The 1100 was released in late 2003. Nokia was king in the early 2000's. Snake was his favorite game.

And now we're caught up. Let the new chapters begin!