Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Hybrid Theory ❯ Hybrid Theory ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: An update!!!

JC: This would have been out yesterday or the day before but we ended up hurting our hand and it was swollen until this morning.

Kathrine: This chapter I guess doesn't do much until the end.

JC: We really pull out a cliffy I guess. Depends on how you look at it.

Kathrine: We really didn't expect it to turnout the way it did.

JC: Blame it on our parents pissing us off.

Kathrine: You can call this slightly AU if ya want.

JC: We haven't edited it so there will probably be quite a few errors though the spell check said it was fine.

Disclaimer: NO OWN BEYBLADE!!!! WHAAAAAAHHH!!!!

Warnings: YAOI/Shounen Ai, somewhat dark themes, implied NCS, mean older siblings and cliffhanger.

Hybrid Theory

By Kathrine and JC

Chapter 3

Everyone one was hurrying about, people's minds encased in confusion and worry. Mariah and Lee both entered the village, their faces downcast in the sadness of their failure. " Where could he have gone?" she asked pitifully, her eyes betraying how concerned she truly was. The dark-haired neko-jin didn't know what he could do to ease her fears for he himself felt those very same worries eating at his insides.

" He's probably fine Mariah," he started. " You know Rei, he enjoys going off on adventures and things like that."

" But last time he ran off was because you and he argued over Drigger," she countered. " No one even knows why he left this time."

" Rei is fine."

Both teenagers turned to stare at the miniature version of Mariah, save for her pigtailed black hair. " You don't even know anything about what's going on Mai," the older sibling frowned. " Why don't you go play with your friends and leave this to the mature people in the village?"

" I do too know what's going on!" Mai huffed at her sister's irritating tone. " I know more than you do!" Her eyes widened at that but she tried to act like she'd said nothing. I promised Rei I wouldn't tell, she told herself. I can't break my promise to Rei.

" What did you say?" her sister gave her a very calculating look, as did Lee. " What do you know? Did you see Rei when he left the other day? Do you know where he went?"

Mai was silent, her head turned towards the ground. She soo wanted to tell, to shut her sister up and prove that she wasn't just some baby they could brush off that didn't know anything…But I promised Rei I wouldn't worry and that I wouldn't say anything until he came back with Kai, she reminded herself. He said he was coming back…I don't remember when, but he said he was coming back soon.

" Well Mai?" Mariah frowned. " What have you got to say that we don't already know?" Gods, her sister could be soo annoying! She always wanted to act like she was so grown and then couldn't do anything to back it up. She was still just a little brat, always wanting someone (especially Rei) to baby her.

" …I don't know," she mumbled in defeat. She'd keep her promise to Rei. She didn't care if her sister thought her a liar as long as she kept her promise to Rei. He was the only person that didn't look at her as just being a child, the 'little bratty sister' of Mariah. She'd never break her promise to him.

" Just like I thought," the pink-haired girl laughed. " You let your mouth runaway before you even think. Come on Lee, she needs to go find someone her own age and we have work to do." She tugged on the sleeve to her boyfriend's shirt and slowly pulled him away.

Lee stared back at Mai face, seeing that downcast expression and sighed. " It's okay Mai," he told her. " We know you're just worried about Rei too. And you're probably right about him, he'll b back in no time at all." Mariah watched her sister's darkened features brighten at the boy's words before she nodded happily. She then realized she might have been too harsh with her words.

" Thanks Lee!" she exclaimed before practically skipping off. The dark-haired boy turned his attention to the girl on his arm, which wasn't even looking at him.

" Yeah, yeah, maybe I was a little too mean to the brat," she sighed. " But you don't understand what it's like to have a brother or a sister."

" She is still but a child," Lee pointed out. " Her faith in Rei's well-being is probably from her trying to tell herself he will return home unharmed."

Mariah shook her head at him. " You might be right," she acknowledged, " but you won't understand until you have a young sibling of your own."

" Lee!" a voice interrupted their conversation.

" What Kevin?" he asked their vertically challenged friend.

" We just got word from the city!" he shouted as he ran towards them. " Mr. Dickinson's gonna be here in two days!"

" What?" both Mariah and Lee spoke together.

" But why?" she asked in confusion. " Rei's run off before so I don't see why it would be that much of a cause for the concern of the head of the BBA."

Kevin sighed as he caught his breath. He'd ran all the way form the other side of the village to get to them and needed to gather himself. " Their worried because he used to be a Bladebreaker and by all rights still is," he explained. " And since they're the World Champs it's no shock that they've gotten a few threats from people who are jealous 'cause they didn't win."

" So he believes that someone might have 'kidnapped' Rei?" the older boy's eyes widened slightly.

Kevin nodded. " But that's not all of it."

" What else is there?"

" I don't know if it's true…" the short boy looked about skeptically.

Mariah gave him a look that definitely stated she wasn't in the mood for waiting. " So what?" she frowned. " Anything could help right now."

" Fine…" he sighed. "I heard it while I was in the city a few days ago. They say that Voltaire had gone missing in Japan over a month and a half ago."

Lee almost sighed in relief. " I wouldn't be surprised," he spoke. " He's probably trying to hide from the BBA so that they can't send him to prison."

" I don't think it would mean as much if his grandson didn't up and disappear with him," the other stated.

" Kai's missing too?" Mariah raised a confused brow. " Big deal. Knowing that traitor, he probably left willingly. He was always disappearing on his team before. What's to keep him from doing it now that they don't have a team?"

" Like I said," Kevin put up his hands. " It's only a rumor and might not mean anything anyway."

" Knowing that bastard he's probably hiding in his precious Abbey," Lee pointed out.

" I don't think so," Kevin shook his head.

" People know to look for him there, so why hide where they can find you?" Mariah wondered. " For all anyone knows, he could just be laying low in Japan."

" I wouldn't know," Kevin shrugged. " Look, I'm gonna go find Gary. You guys better check with Uncle Faun to see if the adults found out anything." With that he departed, leaving the two even more confused then they were before.

" Rei, wherever you are I hope that the spirits are watching over you," Lee whispered. His eyes looked over the village and he caught sight of Mai playing with two other children, all three working on their beyblades. He couldn't help but think that she knew more than what she was letting on. She seemed so sure of herself when she had first spoke, but quickly became subdued, like something was holding her back.

" C'mon Lee," Mariah pulled him forward. " We still have more searching to do before the lunch preparations." He nodded to her and followed her towards the Faun's cottage. For now, the inquiries of Mai were not his main concern. He'd find out more about that later.

*****

His head hurt so much, and his mind was just a fuzzy. It was like someone had stuffed cotton into his ears and it had infected his brain. His eyes wanted to open, but his lids felt like iron weights. He couldn't even see a light through them so he was unable to tell whether it was night or day. All he could tell was that wherever he was, it was cold. What happened to me? he wondered. Am I still at the RT Guide? Why do I feel like I've been asleep for days.

" It's of your own best interest to wake up, Rei," he heard a familiar voice speak to him. The tone was very recognizable, but the voice itself sounded so far away and somewhat distorted.

" …Kai…?" he whispered, his tone sounding tired and dry even to himself. He forced his body to concede to his commands and could slowly but surely feel his eyelids begin to flutter. His vision was uneven for a moment, but then it cleared to allow him the opportunity to see his surroundings.

The room was stone, that much was apparent. All that was in the room was a table, desk, and chest of drawers. Everything could be seen from his position, lying on his side and what he knew (or believed) to be a bed. But his eyes then came to focus on the person that had called to him. The person sitting in a chair right besides the bed he lay upon. " Kai…?" he was still slightly confused.

It was indeed the blue-haired boy that had called to him. He stared with emotionless crimson eyes down at him and yet the neko-jin could barely recognize him. His hair had grown longer so that it was slightly past his shoulders, still as wild and untamed as ever with bangs more into his eyes. His tattoos seemed more profound on his pale face, which seemed to have yet to see the light of day in weeks. It seemed like his lip had been split recently, but his mind was still a little too foggy to tell.

" What…happened?" the raven-haired boy frowned. " Where are we?"

" What happened is that you've been taken prisoner," Kai stated. " Location is Balcov Abbey."

" The Abbey?" Rei's eyes seemed to get wide as recognition came back to him of what had transpired at the RT Guide Building. He forced himself to try and sit up, but Kai had to assist him in the end. His limbs still seemed very tired, as if they'd been asleep forever. " How did I end up here?"

" I think the answer to that is obvious," the blue-haired boy almost snorted. " You were brought here."

Rei accepted the sarcasm he heard in the other's voice. " So BioVolt is back in business?" he spoke in fatigue. " But what do they want with me? And when did they get you?"

" BioVolt was never 'out' of business," Kai replied. " And I've been here for almost two months."

" Two months?!" Rei's eyes were wide in disbelief. " But that's not possible! I just got a letter from you a few days ago!"

" It was all planned," the Phoenix explained. " Boris sent that letter to get you off guard so he could bring you here." He wasn't going to explain how he had actually written the letter in the first place.

" It was a fake?" Rei was still somewhat shocked. So it was just a ploy to get me to the RTG so that they could trap me, his inner voice was downcast. So Kai didn't write all those things. But that still left one question. " Why?"

" What do you remember?" Kai asked, ignoring his inquiry.

" I went to the RTG near my village like it said to on the back of the letter," the neko-jin started. " I thought I was going to meet you. But no one was there, and then it started raining. I hid under the ledge and someone came out behind me. I remember being hit to the ground and someone on my neck…"

" They drugged you," Kai stated.

" I guess because I don't remember what happened after that," he agreed. " But…I remember moving…I think. Someone was holding me still and I tried to fight them off of me. They pulled on my shirt and my hair. My head still hurts from how hard they pulled. But I don't remember anything else."

" The drug wore off more than likely," Kai told him. " You fought back and they subdued you again. That explains why you shirt is torn so badly and your hair is unbound."

Rei finally took in the sight of his disheveled clothing and entangled mass of raven tresses. But he didn't answer for why I'm here, he finally took in. What do they want with me? Are they after all the Bladebreakers? Is this just about revenge? Are they going to go after Tyson, Max, and Kenny too? Are they after our bitbeasts again? That's when he suddenly noticed the absence of something very important.

He dug his hands into his pockets and looked about the bed around him. " Where is he, Kai?" his voice was slightly frantic. " Where's Drigger?!"

" Boris more than likely took him when you first arrived," the blue-haired boy responded honestly.

" Why? Don't you have-?" Kai cut him off with a shake of his head.

" I haven't even been near Dranzer for almost two months," he calculated. " They more than likely won't return him to me in the first place. They don't want me to use Dranzer."

Rei understood the meaning behind those words. " Black Dranzer?" he asked. " Is that what this is all about? Them wanting you to use Black Dranzer?" Before Kai could answer they heard a lock click and then the grinding of rusted hinges as the large door to the blue-haired boy's room opened, revealing two guards and another that the golden-eyed neko-jin recognized instantly. " Tala…"

" You are wanted by Master Boris," the redhead informed them.

" What does he want us for?" Rei growled in a low voice. Tala didn't answer him but merely turned his eyes to focus on Kai.

" Not 'us'," the Phoenix returned his stare identically. " Just me."

" No," the raven-haired shook his head.

" Stay out of it, Kon," he stood up. " This isn't your concern. Just stay here."

" On the contrary," Tala disagreed. " Kon is to come with me."

" What?" Kai cut his eyes.

" He is to be retrained," the Wolf stated. " Master Boris has commanded it."

Kai snorted, " And you always do what 'Master' Boris says." Tala didn't reply but Rei could have sworn he saw a flicker of hurt disappear in the other boy's eyes.

" Commands are to be followed," he spoke before stepping aside from the doorway. " You would take well to remember that Hiwatari."

Kai gave him a dark look before glancing at Rei. He knew he couldn't do anything about this, no matter how much he wanted to protect Rei from what the Abbey coordinator would no doubt want to do to him. He figures he can get two weapons with the same threat, he realized. He then noticed the strange look in Tala's eyes. I know you Tala. You don't want this anymore than I do, but we both must do as we see fit.

He walked towards the door, allowing one of the guards to take his arm in his near painful grip. " Just listen to him Rei, don't do anything stupid," he instructed before following the man grasping him out of the room.

" Come Rei Kon," Tala ordered. " You will take it to heart to know that training begins around six in the morning, starting tomorrow."

The other blader was too busy staring where Kai had once been. Why would he tell me to cooperate? He wondered. Is he just trying to keep me out of trouble? Or has he really given in to them? But he also knew that by not listening to Tala, he would only make it worse for the blue-haired boy instead of himself.

" All right," he nodded getting to his feet. " What am I supposed to do?"

" For now, you only need to follow me," the Demolition Boy replied before spinning on his heel and exiting the room.

" Whatever," Rei reluctantly went after him, the guard taking up the rear. They didn't go very far, merely stopping at the door beside Kai's own room.

" Room 327 will be your quarters," Tala told him. " You will share a bath with Kai, but unless told otherwise you will only have supervised contact with each other."

" What?!" Rei's eyes widened. " Why?! It's obvious you're using something to keep him in line and I'm not going to pull anything! Why can't we see each other?"

A fist connected with his cheek and he was jerked backwards by the unexpected-ness of it. Tala stared at him forcefully. " Those are Master Boris' orders," he repeated what he'd spoken earlier. " Do yourself a favor and abide by them or else you're just going to make things a lot worse for both yourself and him. Now stop asking questions! You are in no position to ask or demand anything."

Rei rubbed his knuckled against his sore cheek and regained his balance. Tala only stared at him with an emotionless expression on his face. But every so often something else appeared in his eyes. There is something about this guy, he thought. It's like he's a frozen lake, hiding something beneath its ice-covered surface.

" You will remain here until you are called for again," Tala continued. " You're clothes are destroyed and in no way warm enough for Russian weather so other garments have been delivered inside for you." He unlocked the door and pushed it open, a slight breath of dust coming from within the room. It was obvious that no one had used the room in many years.

" When will I get to see Kai again?" he asked, knowing Tala had warned him about doing so.

" Only Master Boris or Lord Voltaire can judge that," he spoke. " The guard will remain at your door until it is deemed that you will not try to run or plan such a futile act."

" Didn't I already say I wouldn't try anything?" Rei hated being a prisoner like this. He was stuck, no way of getting out of this situation without causing himself or Kai harm. But that doesn't mean there is a way out of here that we won't find eventually, he thought.

" You will be called for evening meal," Tala moved so that the neko-jin could enter his room, turning on the light as he did so.

" Okay, whatever," Rei replied as he walked into the room somewhat warily. He had no idea what to expect. Strangely enough, the room was identical to Kai's that he had just left, from the bed sheets to the bars on the windows. If he didn't know better he would have thought he was in the same room. He noticed that there were three packages lying on what was now his bed, assuming they were the clothes Tala had spoke of.

" So this is it?" Rei looked about him.

" No, this is only just the beginning," Tala replied as he shut the door, locking as he'd been instructed to. He didn't understand the point. It was quite obvious that Rei would do as he was told as long as it kept Kai from being punished for his actions, just as Kai would behave properly now that Rei's well being was at stake.

" Good, Master Boris will be pleased," the guard finally spoke. " Now return to your own quarters until you presence is requested."

Tala didn't even say anything to him. He merely made a direct beeline for his own room pushing open the door and shutting it. He let out a deep sigh before slowly sliding down the door to the floor. For some reason he felt very tired. He didn't understand. He was used to breaking in new recruits and teaching how they were supposed to behave. Why did he have such aversion to doing the same to Rei?

Because he shouldn't be here, he told himself. Because he has nothing to do with any of this and was forced to be here in the first place. Because he's…because he is Kai's friend. That's the bottom line, he's KAI'S friend. The thought sent a strange flare of envy through his body. At one time he'd been Kai's friend as well. But everything had changed and all he wanted was to rekindle the bond that he'd lost when his blue-haired companion had disappeared.

The fatigue gripped him once again and he ran his hand through his fiery red locks. One thought went through his mind and he almost laughed at the irony behind it. I'm getting too old for this.

*****

Kai waited in front of the door to Boris' office, knowing that the lavender-haired man was aware of his presence there. All he wanted was to return to his room and check on Rei, but he'd agreed to comply with the psychotic scientist's demands and he would. For Rei's sake anyway. The door opened and the devil advocate himself stood there, an obvious smirk on his lips.

" Why Kai, I'm so glad you could join us," he was the first to speak. Kai didn't make his confusion known at the fact that Boris used the word 'us' instead of 'me'. He probably knew 'who' the person was that was waiting anyway. He merely walked through the door and stared into dark eyes that he could see even in his sleep.

" Voltaire." The tone could barely be called greeting.

" I see you've healed quite nicely over the past two days my grandson," the gray-haired man slowly stood. " But now is now the time for pleasantries."

" When does the word 'pleasant' have anything to do with you?" the blue-haired boy inquired sarcastically.

" I warn you boy," Boris interrupted. " Your tongue can cause more than just yourself trouble."

Kai knew instantly that he was referring to Rei and was forced to keep him façade of indifference in check instead of whirling around to give the goggle-eyed man the right hook he so rightfully deserved. " What is it that you want from me?" he finally asked.

" Oh Kai," his 'grandfather' rose to his feet and stepped towards him. The Phoenix remained rooted where he was, not stepping backwards or flinching like his body was telling him to do. A callused hand glided across his cheek before settling on his shoulder. " There are many things that I want from you Kai, many things."

The words alone sent a icy shiver down his spine, but he hid it as well as he could, his eyes not staring into those of the man he was forced to called flesh and blood. " But today I merely want you to go on a small 'errand' for me," he stated.

Errand. The word seemed to remind him of many things. It was as if he'd heard it spoken this way before, in the past that he still could not fully remember. His eyes were open, but different images seemed to flash instantly before the crimson orbs. Blood. Bodies. Silence. Screams. Guns held in two small hands that should have never touched known of them in the first place. In that instant he knew exactly what they wanted.

" When, where, who?" he questioned, the words coming quite easily from his mouth.

" Here," Boris lifted a large manila envelope from his desk and placed it in the blue-haired boy's hands. Kai undid the metal clasp and opened it, reaching his hand in to pull the papers out if it. " Usually new targets require contact within three or four days. We want this done immediately within the next forty-eight hours."

The first picture was of a man with neatly cut brown hair that appeared to be receding into his hairline. His brown eyes held an understanding and caring expression that he hadn't seen on many adults in his life. He moved the picture to see another, the man was with a young boy that looked very much like him, his son most likely. They were together, the man standing to the side while the boy was facing towards a bey-stadium, a beyblade ready to launch.

He moved the picture again and found the information sheets on the man. The front sheet reported on his high-ranking job as an high tech computer technician for a one of the largest rivaling companies in the Eastern Hemisphere. It was BioVolt's leading rival it the area of Beyblade technology to be exact seeing as it was run by none other that Judy Tate, his former teammate Max's mother.

" He is to be in Moscow for the next four days," Voltaire told him. " He's here to do research on the ancient bitbeasts that had derived from here. It is said that his son will be accompanying him. It would be preferable if both were dealt with."

Boris smirked, " This shall be your test to see if you've become too 'soft' in your time away from us. He has become quite a leader in his realm of expertise and that becomes a problem for us. Complete this mission. Do not and it shall not be you who feels the errors of your ways."

If I don't do this…they'll hurt Rei, he thought with a tone of panic. He had no idea what they would do to the raven-haired boy for this. " I'm not in proper condition to complete this task, I need more time," he replied. He hated admitting such a thing but he refused to end up screwing up such a thing when Rei's very life could be at stake.

" That's why you will spend the next twenty-four hours in the lab undergoing genetic rejuvenation," Boris stated. " The scientists have come up with the perfect way to increasing your healing capabilities past they approximated limit."

He knew what kind of things the people working for BioVolt were doing in their underground laboratories and he felt a sickening knot in his stomach for having to be subjected to one of their 'treatments'. He pulled the one picture to the front and stared at the scene between father and son. How can I do this? He asked himself. How can I be so willing to do this to them? The boy in the photograph seemed very happy and the father looked proud to see his son beyblading. It was probably something they did together as a bonding event.

" We expect no failure form you Kai," Voltaire gave him a stare that proved his words. He understood it as the dismissal he'd been waiting for and turned to leave.

" No returning to your room, straight to Lab 5," Boris informed him. Kai gave a nodded of understanding before walking out the room. Boris smirked as he watched him leave before turning back to his employer. " He is almost ready Lord Voltaire."

" I can see," the older man agreed. " The time in the genetic rejuvenation will heighten his capabilities to exactly where we need them."

" What of the other two?" the lavender-haired man inquired.

" They are both near peak and will only need slight altering right before the procedure," he stated. " Tala has already been through this enough times that it will react to him instantly."

" And the other boy has the physical compatibility areas that his specimen required," he agreed. " Yes they will be ready soon."

" Kai only needs to prove himself still able to follow orders as he's told," the old man seemed quite pleased with the turn of events. " And soon my 'special' army will be all that I need."

*****

Kai turned down another corridor towards the laboratory wing of the underground base held by the Balcov Abbey. They been kept down there since the BBA raid that had sent almost everything employee found there to hands of the authorities. Boris and his 'grandfather' still were able to come out unscathed. And now I must continue what I did eight years ago, he thought. Why did they have to pick a man with a family? And why must I take away that family as well?

He looked down at the picture of the man and his son once again. He knew what he was going to do was wrong, but also knew he had no choice in the matter. He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," he spoke to the portrait. " I will make sure it is quit. Your time together has become short, Noah and Wyatt Smithwright."

A/N: Betcha didn't see that coming.

Kathrine: Like we said, blame it on our parents.

JC: Will Rei get Drigger back? Will Kai actually complete his errand? Can anyone tell us Max's Japanese last name?

Kathrine: And yes we know we made Mariah seem like a real bitch. We don't exactly dislike her and tried to make her all right in the fic, but that's just how older sisters act.

JC: We know from experience that a girl can be an angel to everyone else but be a real ass to her younger siblings. We have about four of them.

Kathrine: Now no one ever actually said what Wyatt's father did for a living. And seeing as this has nothing to really do with V-force we're making it up.

JC: So please review and tell us what you think. Now we have to get to work updating something else. Ja for now!