Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Not My Story ❯ Final Showdown ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade. If I did, I'd be seriously worried about what some people out there were doing with my characters P hehe.

Okay, I know Kai remembers some of his past when he's back in the abbey during the Russian tournament, but this fic is set as if not all of his memories returned, okay? Enjoy

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Not My Story

Final Showdown

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When is the future ever clear; when is our past ever a complete memory; when does the present ever make perfect sense? Why do we try so hard to plan things, or to remember, or to settle ourselves into a world that we can understand, when the truth is, there is no understanding. There is no truth. There are no memories that will last forever, because in the end, our souls will leave, and there will be nothing left to tell of the fun we have had, or of the pain we have felt.

It was over, it was all over...

Rei stared up at the ceiling and his lips curled into a smile. They had won, they had beaten the Russian team, and now they were number one. He sat up and glanced across at his team-mates, who where still sleeping. The room they were in was plain, four beds were lined up against a white wall - Kenny had a room to himself - with a white carpet underneath them. Rei stepped out of bed and his feet sank into the carpet, he wriggled his toes, smiling at the soft material that surrounded them. The neko-jin made his way to the French windows and opened them slightly, but shut them just as quickly when an icy Russian breeze flew in. He shivered and sat down on a stool, putting his elbows on his knees and taking a look around him.

In the bed nearest the door was Max, wriggling every now and then and getting his sheets in quite a state. Rei smiled and fiddled absentmindedly with the end of his loose braid, moving his gaze to the next bed, in which Tyson slept. Or at least he thought it was Tyson; all he could see was a mass of sheets that would shift occasionally. Rei chuckled and one of Tyson's legs fell out of its protective cocoon and hit the floor with a loud thump. However, it didn't seem to wake the Japanese teen so Rei just chuckled and turned to gaze at the last bed.

Kai lay on one side, his sweatpants and T-shirt the only things between him and the air. Rei noticed how, although the team leader decided he didn't want to sleep under the covers, in his sleep he had curled up and tried to snuggle into them more. Rei sighed and looked away. It just went to show how stubborn his captain really was.

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The Abbey walls were cold, Kai noted as he was forced back against them. As his head connected with the wall, he tried to catch the face of his attacker, but the pitch black was a hindrance. Out of nowhere, a fist flew forward and impacted with his jaw, creating a clicking sound as Kai's head swung to the side from the force of the blow. It's just a nightmare. This isn't real. Kai heard the words in his head before he could even think them, and a nauseous feeling settled in the bottom of his stomach, telling him that wasn't true. This wasn't a dream, it was a memory, and memories are everything but unreal. Kai knew that he probably wouldn't remember this when he woke, but whilst he was sleeping, there was nothing to stop the entourage of pain that swept from the back of his mind, like a flood, like a river rushing past and drowning him with its strength. No, dreams he could not be scared of, but this...

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When the alarm clock went of at exactly 14 minutes to 8, and shattered the peaceful silence that had settled over the hotel room and the Chinese blader, Tyson was the first person out of bed, the first one in the bathroom, and the first one to get dressed. Max and Kenny were still in a state of shock; although they'd seen this four days running, it was still something that scared them greatly. Kai, as usual, got out of bed, a little surprised to see Rei already up and dressed, but he said nothing and went into the en suite once Tyson had come out, not saying a word to anyone. Rei watched him go, and for a split second when Kai's gaze caught his, he felt a deep longing to know more about his captain, much more than he would ever learn of Kai's own free will. However, when Kai turned, the longing subsided and Rei went back to praising the hotel for cooking such fabulous food that Tyson willingly got out of bed every morning. Maybe Rei would have to ask for some recipes, he could sure do with a secret weapon against his Japanese friend.

Down in the dining room where their table was stacked high with food, Kai sat staring downwards at his plate, hardly touching what was on it. His mind was too busy worrying, although his crimson eyes would hardly give away what he thought of as a very humiliating emotion. They were, as per usual, still and filled with nothing. No happiness, no sadness, just a look of intense concentration. Now that they had finished blading, he would have to go back home, and no matter how much Kai liked his solitude - something that came in plentiful amounts in his Grandfather's huge mansion - Kai didn't feel like facing the price he would have to pay for a few moments alone. Shivering, he pulled his arms closer around himself and sighed.

Rei, having finished eating, was now waiting for the others to fill up. His fingers played with the fringe of the tablecloth, a lace sheet covered with embroidery of world famous buildings. Hearing a shudder beside him he turned and frowned when he saw Kai close his eyes and sigh. Rei reached out a hand and placed it on Kai's arm, but he was not prepared for what Kai would do. The older teen turned his head and gazed sadly at Rei, eyes flittering down to the hand on his arm and he released one of his own hands and placed in on top of Rei's. The Chinese blader frowned and leaned closer to Kai, so that the others would not see their captain's odd mood.

"Is something wrong?" Rei asked, searching for a clue in the crimson orbs in front of him. They shut slightly, dark lashes fluttering as Kai mentally berated himself for what he was about to say.

"Can I come and stay with you, In China? Just for a bit," his hand closed around Rei's and his mind started screaming at him. What am I doing? Why am I asking him this? I know I trust him more than the others...and he doesn't annoy me quite as much...but...am I really that scared of going back to Grandfather?

Rei's golden eyes went blank as he took in the words. Kai wanted to...wow...

"I...I guess," he said quietly, wondering if this were all a joke. He looked into Kai's crimson orbs but he could see nothing unusual; even his neko-jin senses weren't picking up anything out of the ordinary from the older blader.

"Good morning all!" a cheery voice behind them declared and Kai and Rei both withdrew their hands faster than they ever thought they could move. Mr Dickenson twitched his moustache and sat down next to Kenny. "We've decided to have a party to celebrate the end of the tournament," he beamed. "And, of course, to celebrate the success of the bladebreakers."

Max and Tyson whooped, Kenny ducked his head to avoid a collision with their high-five.

"We've invited the Demolition boys as well," the old man continued, and if he noticed the sudden change in atmosphere, he did not show it.

"The Demolition Boys?" Kai questioned, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The old man nodded. Brilliant, Kai thought bitterly as he stood from the table and made his way back up to their room. He could feel someone watching him, and knew that Rei was going to ask some questions later. Maybe, just maybe, Kai would answer them, but truth be told, Kai couldn't tell anyone about his past; after all, how do you tell someone something that you do not know?

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Tala's brow was lined with sweat as he drove his beyblade through yet another concrete pillar. The plaster shot sideways, just narrowly missing the boy, and he took a step back. No matter how strong he was, it was stupid to endanger one's life. Very stupid. How could you achieve perfection if you had a lump of rock wedged in your stomach?

The red-haired, Russian blader had been training for five hours. It was now midnight, but he refused to care. Tala had dismissed himself from dinner early and had made his way down to the training room, making sure to lock the door so that nobody else could enter, and then he had begun to train. And my god, did he train. The twenty pillars that he had arranged to be set up were no longer standing, instead they lay half-height with jagged edges, the remains of the tops now lying in shards around them. Tala's eyes narrowed to slits as he once again thought of their defeat. His defeat. It wasn't good enough, and Tala was going to make sure that, next time, the bladebreakers would not be so lucky.

With a loud battle cry, Tala sent his blade spinning through the air. He could feel the power of the wolf inside him, captivating him, thrilling him. His blade was suspended in the air, and he made it rise higher, then, he swung it towards the side of the room where there were small glass screens in place. With a satisfying chink the glass shattered and tumbled to the floor.

A smirk found its way onto Tala's face, and he moved his blade to the other side of the room. But without warning, the blade ricocheted off an uneven part of the wall and went flying out through a window, the glass falling neatly besides it. Tala cursed and made his way to the door; there was no way he could leave his blade out there.

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The Abbey hallways were dark and cold. What was it about places like this that just had that evil atmosphere? Tala wondered to himself as he walked along, noting with pride that his footsteps made no sound on the stone floor. Perhaps it's what goes on here, a voice in his mind suggested. Tala shivered and he knew that he was reaching the door to outside. His hand gripped the iron handle and he swung it forwards, the coldness and stillness of the night instantly chilling him to the bone. The Russian blader's crystal blue eyes darted from one end of the abbey to the other, try to discern which way he should head. Working out vaguely the direction of the training room windows, he started walking, noticing that the training centre was stupidly positioned quite near the gates of the abbey. He shrugged and pulled his jumper around him. Damn it was cold. From the edge of the building, there was about a yard or so of ground and then a metal fence. Tala cursed as he realised that if his blade had gone over that fence, he had lost it. Suddenly, he heard a sound and spun round, eyes widening as he saw a black car approaching the gates of the abbey. He swore and ran swiftly over to the trail of trash cans, slipping in between two fairly big ones.

The car cruised over the snow, making a crunching sound as it pulled to a halt. The headlights were turned off, and Tala watched as the passenger door opened and Boris stepped out.

Shit! Tala thought, knowing that he was in big trouble if Boris saw him. The red-head inched as far back as he could go, praying that Boris just wouldn't notice him. A noise startled them both, and Tala looked across to the bushes just outside the abbey grounds, seeing a fox slinking away into the night. Boris, however, did not see this, and he slowly walked over. Tala could see the cold expression on his face turn to one of surprise, and he found himself curious as to what his trainer had found. That was until Boris picked up an object from the ground. Tala let out a muffled stream of obscenities about foxes as he watched Boris turning Wolborg over in his hand. The older man looked round, his eyes obviously looking for something out of the ordinary. But he saw nothing and went back to the car, looking behind him one last time.

Tala waited until he saw Boris walk into the Abbey and the driver of the car had got out - probably to go to the loo - and then he crept out of between the bins. Knowing that no guard was going to raise an alarm at seeing him, he walked opening to the main door of the abbey. At least, he started on his way there. There was something weird on one of the back windows of the car, and Tala crept closer. He tentatively placed a finger on the glass but could not feel anything. Must be on the inside then. He checked the handle and found that the car was unlocked, so he opened the door. But once it was open, Tala forgot all about the substance on the window as a sense of fear and dread silently washed over him. He stared at the body that lay across the seats. Pale skin was not marred with any cuts, and neither could Tala see any damaging to it, but he knew that this person was dead. There was something deafeningly frightening about the corpse, and Tala staggered back. What was it? Had he seen him before? Tala didn't recall, there was little or no hair on the figure's head, and Tala didn't recall seeing any bald people around that he would remember like this. But there was something strikingly familiar about the face. Before he could figure out what it was, there came the sound of a door shutting somewhere, and he slammed the car door shut, running as fast as he could inside the abbey and to his room. Sleep would not find him tonight, he knew.

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"It's cold."

"No, duh, Tyson, we're in Russia," was the sarcastic comeback. The blonde blader sat up on the bed he'd been laying down on, and stretched, glancing at the clock as he did so. Seeing that it was only ten minutes later than when he had last checked, he sighed and lay back down.

Today was looking miserable, and so were the team. Tyson was complaining that he wasn't allowed to eat anything until lunchtime, which had, of course, been Kai's decision. Max was busy telling Tyson to 'shut up' every time the younger blader moaned about something; Max felt like a Black Eyed Peas song, continuously telling Tyson to 'Shut up, just shut up, shut up'. Even Kenny was so bored that there was no longer the sound of continuous typing coming from his laptop. Instead, he was sat with his head in his hands, humming a soft tune in the hopes that it would lull him to sleep and he could escape this boredom.

For a while there was silence, as nobody could think of what to say. Then,

"I hate Russia."

"I agree! It's so dull."

"I don't know how people can stand living here."

"The food isn't even that great."

"No wonder Voltaire was trying to take over the world, it's the only excitement you can get around he-"

"That's enough!" silence followed. The bladebreakers looked up at their team captain who had just walked through the door with Rei, he was glaring at them all, and, Tyson noticed, shuddering, it was a lot worse than his usual ones. What was he pissed off about now?

"How can you sit here moaning about a country when you haven't even seen it? You're all pathetic," Kai spat and growled, walking over to the balcony. Tyson frowned.

"Whadda ya mean we haven't 'seen' it? Look out the window, man, there's nothing but snow for miles and miles and miles and-"

"We get the picture, Ty," Max butted in, saving them all from an exaggerated account on how much snow there was.

"What do you expect?" Kai replied bitterly. "It's winter," he shook his head and looked out over the city. The city that he loved yet couldn't wait to get away from; the city that had been his home. Rei sighed, he had wanted to catch Kai in a good mood so that he could talk to him, but now it seemed that was out of the question. Glancing around the room and noting with a small smile how sombre everybody looked, Rei grinned.

"Why don't we go shopping?" he suggested. "You know, for the party? We could ask Mr Dickenson if there's anything he needs us to get. Also, we could all do with a new outfit."

The others seemed to consider this for a second, and then there was a mass approval. Even Kai took the time to come in from the balcony and nod, saying that he would go with them.

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Once they had reached the town, Rei found himself quite charmed with the way Kai was treating them. It was easy to see this had once been him home, although Rei was beginning to wonder how much Kai remembered when he had suddenly directed them to a shop that he had forgotten existed. When Tyson started to complain about being hungry, Kai took them to a restaurant called Sapporo, and everyone in the team had been quite spooked when a waitress started talking animatedly to Kai in Russian. Kai had regarded her quite simply and told her what they wanted to eat, in English. She had nodded and looked a bit hurt that he hadn't responded to her.

"Do you know her Kai?" Tyson had asked.

"I wouldn't remember," Kai had replied.

As Rei walked alongside Kai, the other three a little way behind them, the neko-jin turned his head and studied Kai out of the corner of his eye, but then gave up being discreet when it became apparent that Kai knew it was being watched. The raven haired blader's curiosity eventually became too much for him and he lifted his head up, looking openly at Kai.

"So you grew up here?" he asked. Kai looked at him.

"I...don't remember. But yeah, I must have done," he replied. Rei nodded.

"Don't you remember anything about your childhood, besides being in the abbey?" Rei asked, aware that any moment now Kai was going to put up his barriers again and refuse to talk.

"Rei," Kai started. "I don't...can we not talk about this? At least, not now?" he asked, turning his head away from Rei. Rei sighed.

"Okay, sorry."

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The room was large and fashioned somewhat like a laboratory. Computer screens lined one wall, and a table was in the centre of the room. All over the place there were heaps of metal, scrap wires and equipment stacked into perilous piles that looked ready to collapse at any minute.

A lone man sat typing away at a computer, various leads and plugs coming out of it, some of which were attached to the large computer system at the other end of the room, and others which ran over to the table and under a green cloth that was covering something on it. Running a hand through his hair he stood and made his way over to the table, leaning down and pulling off the cloth, staring at the formation of metal and wires underneath. He reached across and turned on a switch. For moments, nothing happened and the man's heart began to beat in his chest as his anticipation grew. Then five lengths of wire, about the size of a hand, clenched into a fist of steel.

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Review please?