Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Running Scared ❯ Return To Innocence ( Chapter 12 )

Authoress' Notes: A plot twist! *gasp* I'm so bad for those…and I'm only just getting warmed up! *evil grin*

Warnings: Same as Chapter 1. See chapter 1 if you're that concerned about it.

Disclaimers: I still don't own anything, and that includes Return To Innocence, by Enigma. They own it.

Reviews: *sniffles* Ah! All your reviews are so appreciated! Thank you!!!! @ Mediaminer: Flamable_Devil (Jen!), & kailovr; @ AFF.Net: Mystik, lo, Khielira, Xzanyu, Bloody Mary, & Brickwall; & @ my group: Weeping Sweeti.

blah - normal speech, blah - thoughts, {blah} - telepathy, //blah// - electronic speech (com-links, computers, etc.)

Chapter 12: Return to Innocence

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We arrived in Athens and went through the same process that Rei and I had undergone last time. As soon as we entered the main complex Kenny bolted for the tech labs. I guess he missed being surrounded by his gizmos, gadgets, and computers.

Tyson and I watched Hilary watch him disappear and exchanged glances of sympathy for her. By now we were nearly positive she'd fallen for the Chief.

We kept on walking, following Max since he knew his way around this place, until we got to security where we turned Bryan over for debriefing and review. Oliver and Enrique came with the rest of us out of pure curiosity about the base. We were heading for the cafeteria, which Max assured us was first-class eating (though not as good as Rei's), when Emily appeared and came hurrying toward us.

"Phoenix! Oh, good, you're back. I have some papers that require your thumbprint (1) and Mr. Dickenson wants to see you and your team immediately in his conference room." She informed me. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What are you? His secretary now?" I asked flippantly. She gave me a withering glare.

"I was in his office just now going over some data and he received word you all had arrived and since I was leaving anyway, he asked me to send you up." Emily explained coolly.

"Chill, Emily. I get it."

She ignored me and looked at the rest of the group, her eyes landing on Tyson and Hilary. "Who are they? Do they have clearance to be here? Are they new recruits?"

I stiffened and Tyson just gave her a winning smile, turning on that impossible charm of his. "We're here with Phoenix. To help with his mission." He told her. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Well, you guys, if Mr. D is waiting for us then we'd better get moving, don't you think?" Rei hastily pointed out, ushering us away and leaving Emily behind to stare after us.

"Bye, Emily!" Max waved over his shoulder.

We all crowded into the elevator after the electronic voice of the security system identified us. On the ride up, Tyson finally commented on everything. I'd wondered what he would think, on the plane ride over, of this place when he saw it.

"This is some operation you people have going here, Kai." He observed. "I feel like I'm in some sort of spy movie or something."

I smiled and drew him close to my side with an arm around his shoulders. Max and Rei laughed outright and the others all chuckled. Tyson leaned into me and slid an arm around my waist in return.

The elevator stopped and the doors swung open. We stepped off into the conference room and I told everyone to take a seat.

Tyson turned to me and said, "This room's pretty plush, Kai. Does being an agent pay well?"

"I don't know. I don't get paid." I shrugged. He stared at me.

"Why not? I mean, do they pay any of you?"

"Oh, sure. I just refused to take money for what I do." I explained. "I still receive the same benefits and stuff I would if I was being paid, too."

He nodded, accepting that. "So why don't you want to be paid? This is a job, right?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be paid because…" I paused, thinking about it for a moment. "Because this work I do to protect Sacred Spirits is a sort of penance - my way of making up for all this ills I did when I was still under the influence of Voltaire, Boris, and the Abbey." I gave my lover a wry wink. "Besides, it isn't like I need money, right? I've got more than I know what to do with truthfully."

"I see." Tyson nodded his understanding. Then he got this curious look that I recognized quite well. "So…about how much, exactly, would you say is more than you know what to do with, my love?"

I blinked in surprise, since I didn't think he ever really cared about my money. He must have seen it on my face because he hastened to reassure me that was true - that he was just curious.

"Honestly? I don't have a clue." I sighed and glanced at Enrique. "Hey, golden wonder! How much am I worth?"

I asked.

Enrique scowled at the name and I smirked at him. "Right off the top of my head, I'd like to say that you're not worth this pencil I'm holding." He waved it at us. "But since that's just instinct and not fact, I'd say you're worth well over the billion mark by now."

Tyson and I, not to mention everyone else, stared at him in shock.

"Are you kidding me?" I managed to ask after a second of stunned silence.

"Nope. I'm a businessman, Hiwatari. I know exactly what to do with money to make obscene gobs more of it. Your investments have been fruitful."

"Well, geez…" I managed. Tyson nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly.

Rei shook his head. "I'll never totally understand why anyone could ever want so much money. What could you possibly do with it all?"

I just shrugged. So did Enrique and Oliver.

"It's not the money, necessarily, Rei." Oliver mused. "It is a game, you see, and money is the way to keep score."

"You know…in an odd way that actually makes sense." Max said in wonder. "Wow…"

I smiled faintly at Oliver. "Very poetic description, Oliver. And a rather accurate one, too - I suppose."

He gave me a graceful head-bow.

We sat around the conference table for a while longer, until my patience was beginning to wear out. That and Tyson's stomach grumbled. I looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm kind of hungry, too, love. Think you can hold out for a little bit longer?"

"Well…I'll try." Tyson grinned impishly at me and I smiled.

"Your appetite is legendary, cousin." Hilary stated sarcastically. "Nearly as much as Kai's blading skills."

"I wouldn't go that far!" My blue-eyed bishonen protested.

After another ten minutes of sitting around waiting, someone finally came out of Mr. Dickenson's office. It wasn't who we were expecting (or at least I wasn't).

"Mom!" Max's surprised, happy cry blasted my ears since he was seated on my right, Rei on his other side, who also winced.

The tall woman had blonde hair to match Max's perfectly. A flash of surprise crossed her face and then she smiled and hugged him when he got up and nearly knocked her over in a glomping embrace.

"Why, Max! I wasn't expecting to find all of you out here. Did you just get back?" She ruffled his hair fondly and his genki mega-Watt smile flashed brilliantly.

"Yeah, we did. But how come you're home so early? I thought you were busy doing some research in Egypt until the end of the month."

"Mr. Dickenson requested that I return early." She explained. "Are you here for a meeting or something? He isn't in his office right now, I'm afraid. Since the Chief wasn't here to do it himself, I installed some new computer hardware and updated everything for Mr. Dickenson myself."

"We have a briefing." I told her, speaking up from my seat and watching her coolly. I'd slipped back into work mode almost immediately when the door had opened. "Emily sent us up here. She told us Mr. Dickenson wanted to see us right away." I frowned. "That was nearly forty-five minutes ago."

"Oh! Well, that's certainly unacceptable." The woman held out a hand to me and I shook it once, albeit warily. "Director Judy Tate, head of Research and Development here at the BBA laboratories." She studied me for a moment and, though it was only in her eyes for a split-second - I saw recognition of me - and I don't mean my code name either. "Phoenix, is it? Please allow me to find out where Mr. Dickenson moved to and I'll inform him of the mix-up."

I gave her a short nod and she went over to a side panel on the other side of the room, where there was a computer screen and telephone, picking up the receiver and making her calls. Max gave me an odd look and reclaimed his seat.

"What's up, Kai?" He asked in a low voice.

I gave him a solid stare and said equally lowly, "Your mother named me by Phoenix, Max, but she knows who I am. I could see it." The implications of that worried me and I was beginning to wonder what was going on.

"That's impossible, though." Max shook his head. "How would she know you? You've never met before, have you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Rei looked around the blonde at me. "Maybe you're just…"

"Seeing things?" I snorted. "As if. I know what I saw, Rei. It was recognition."

Tyson was frowning now, too, and so were the others, who'd all leaned in closer to the conversation. "But… wouldn't that mean she's got higher clearance or whatever than you, love?"

"Yes. And so much more than that." I agreed. My instincts were setting off alarm bells and I did not like surprises. "Something's up and I don't like it."

Max glanced across the room at his mother, whose back was to us as she continued to speak to whoever, an expression of confusion and a hint of hurt - almost betrayal - crossed his face as the possibilities dawned on him. I felt bad for him but there was nothing I could do. Rei attempted though, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder and squeezing gently.

"Don't worry, Maxie. It's probably nothing. We're all just a little stressed out after the last few days."

Max gave him a smile that was a fraction of its usual Wattage. I didn't think he really believed what Rei said, though.

Judy came back over and informed us, "Mr. Dickenson is down two floors in conference room E. He's in a meeting but we all might as well go down and join in. Salima, my assistant, said he was wondering where you all disappeared to a long time ago and thought perhaps you'd gotten lost."

I made some kind of noise to show I had heard her and got up, leading the group to the elevator once more. Tyson slipped his hand into mind and I held it gratefully. I knew he knew I was worried.

Leaning against the wall of the elevator with my arms folded over my chest, Tyson right beside me, I let my unwavering gaze settle on Max's mother and simply watched her carefully. It was an old trick I'd learned when I was just a kid. I found that my eyes were a tool - a weapon even - and that because they were so unnerving to nearly everyone else, if I stared at a person long enough they would get anxious and sometimes say something they weren't supposed to or hadn't intended, giving away information.

Oh but Judy Tate was a cool one. She gave me a small smile and a miniscule nod of acknowledgement - which told me two things: one, she knew what I was trying to do and that she wasn't going to fall for it; and two, she knew that I knew she was aware of my true identity - and everything that knowledge implied.

We stepped off the elevator and followed her down the long, empty hallway to conference room E.

"Wait here a moment and I'll let everyone know you're here." Judy instructed before leaving us standing around out in the hallway. I scowled.

"I'm tempted to just walk away and go to the cafeteria." I muttered in annoyance. Rei sighed and nodded in agreement, still hovering nearby Max and watching over him with concern. The blonde had gone unnaturally quiet and introspective, his genki self shadowed by the possibility that his own mother was not who he thought she was.

"Enrique, mon ami, perhaps it would be wise for us all to retire to your villa here in Athens later, oui?" Oliver suggested quietly, and the Italian nodded.

"Certainly." He gave me a quick glance. "You and the rest of the team are more than welcome, Phoenix."

"Thank you, Enrique. We'd be happy to accept your offer."

The elevator bonged down the hallway and Kenny appeared, making his way over to join us, his trust laptop tucked under one arm.

"I got called up to some kind of meeting." He said, looking at me. "What's up?"

"Don't know, Chief." Hilary shook her head, moving up closer to him. "And Kai suspects Max's mom knows him." She added in a conspiratorial whisper.

Kenny blinked and adjusted his glasses. "Director Judy? How could she?"

"I saw it when we 'ran into her' in Mr. Dickenson's office, Kenny." I told him. He took me at my word and frowned.

"But that would mean…"

"Yes."

We all glanced over at the elevator when it bonged again. This time it was Bryan who stepped off. He smiled faintly as he approached, and I felt a little badly for him. He looked exhausted.

"I'm cleared, Phoenix. They told me to come up here." He said. I shook his hand in acceptance.

"Then welcome to the team, Bryan."

Tyson laid a hand over our joined ones and Bryan looked at him in surprise.

"We'll find Tala, Bryan. I promise." Tyson vowed and I let him say what I couldn't - wouldn't. It was an offer of comfort and I am not really the kind of person who can do that so Tyson did it for me.

And then Rei was suddenly there and his hand covered Tyson's. And then Max's covered Rei's. The blonde looked around at each of us, stopping on me.

"I'm in, too." He stated and I could see the determination in his bright blue eyes. "No matter what else, guys…I've chosen my path." Rei slipped his free arm around Max's shoulders.

Kenny slapped a hand on the growing pile next and when we looked at him he smiled and said flippantly, "Hey, this sort of operation's going to need someone of intelligence, isn't it?"

Enrique and Oliver just said, "We're in, too, Phoenix. Forgive us if we don't join in the little pep-squad thing, though."

That made me laugh - true European aristocrats that they were and so unapologetic about it.

Bryan looked a little shocked and overwhelmed but he accepted it as we broke apart, saying nothing but letting a slight smile remain on his face.

The door to the conference room opened and a girl stuck her head around the doorframe.

"You can come in now, everyone." She informed us, holding open the door as we filed in.

I recognized three people in the room immediately when I walked in. One was Judy, of course, and another was Mr. Dickenson. The third, however, threw me for a loop, though it occurred to me that I really shouldn't have been surprised at all. Tyson spotted him immediately, too. And Hilary.

"Grandpa!" They chorused in shock. Hilary ran around the table and gently threw her arms around the eldest Kinomiya. He patted her back soothingly and smiled at both his grandchildren.

"There's my peeps! Yo! T-man! How's it hangin'?"

I felt Tyson twitch beside me and sweadropped at the old man's speech pattern. "Well,, I'm glad to hear that hasn't changed." I said, dryly. Tyson closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.

"No. It got worse." He muttered. "Gramps, must you? We're all adults here, now, aren't we?"

"So what?"

"And what are you doing here anyway?" My beloved was demanding to know, his blue eyes flashing. "You're supposed to be in a hospital, aren't you?"

"Now, Tyson, everything will be explained soon, I promise." Mr. Dickenson replied before Gramps could retort with equal energy to Tyson's own. "If you would all take a seat…"

"Before we do," I held up a hand and my team stopped in their tracks, waiting to see what I was doing. "I want to know what's going on. I really don't like surprises, sir, and you know it." I eyed him knowingly. "You're entirely too crafty and wily sometimes."

He had the grace to look a bit sheepish but before he could say anything Tyson made a noise that instantly had my undivided attention. I looked at him sharply and saw him turn positively ashen, those pools of midnight blue turning nearly black and beginning to glaze over with shock as he stared at one of the other two men in the room I didn't recognize.

"Whoa." I hastily grabbed him and held him upright when he began to sway. "Tyson! Love…"

"You…not possible…can't be…" he gasped out. Then his eyes rolled back up into his head and he slumped against me, unconscious. I grunted and manoeuvred until I could pick him up in both arms like a child. Mr. Dickenson looked vaguely distressed and Gramps was holding Hilary's hand firmly, watching me carefully and coolly - and totally unsurprised by his grandson's reaction. Judy looked a little flustered.

And then it wasn't only Tyson who was in need of support standing up. Good thing Rei had yet to remove his arm from around Max's shoulders because when he saw the fifth person in the room he squeaked out a shocked, "Dad!" before collapsing to the floor.

I had to close my eyes and physically swallow back my abilities and temper before I could speak - and even then some still managed to leak out. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that Rei had scooped up Max as I had Tyson, and the feral glint in his own golden orbs matched my feelings pretty damned closely. He wanted answers, too. I glared at the five older adults and saw everyone of them recoil slightly - not much, mind you, but enough.

"Someone had better explain. NOW." I snapped, my hold on my temper fraying fast. Bryan, Oliver, and Enrique moved up behind Rei and I, though they kept their distance from me.

Kenny looked around at the Five gravely then finally said, "Meet the five founding members of the Spirit Squad, Phoenix."

I looked at him, then back at the four men and Judy.

"I figured you would come to the right conclusions, Chief." Mr. Dickenson sighed. "Yes. We are the founding members. You all know me, and Director Judy, and now you've met Tyson's grandfather as well."

"This is my husband and Max's father, Mr. Mizuhara." Judy introduced the one Max had called 'Dad', quietly. Rei just stared at them, his arms tightening around his burden even more.

My gaze burned into the final member's for a moment until even he had to look away. But then he looked back and returned my gaze without flinching and with a defiance only Tyson had ever been brace enough to show me.

I put two and two together and suddenly felt cold, hugging Tyson as close as I could protectively, wanting to shield him from this but knowing it was useless. The damage was done and no matter how much I - or Tyson - was going to want it, there was no return to innocence for us.

For this was the man Tyson had inherited his courage from, where my beloved dragon had gotten those gorgeous blue eyes.

This man was Tyson's father.

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Fifty minutes later I was sitting on the edge of a nice comfy bed next to Tyson, who was still out cold. I stroked his hair away from his face and let these newest developments run through my mind.

Once I'd pretty much figured out for myself who the fifth member really was, I'd felt my control of my temper disappear and to keep myself from simply bringing the entire facility down around us, I had turned on my heel, my lover in my arms, and walked out without a word. My team had followed on my heels, and that included Hilary, too - but not before shooting both Gramps and Tyson's father a glare that should have skewered them both.

Judy had protested us leaving, claiming to be worried about Max. However, she didn't dare go near Rei, whose golden eyes had gone completely feline and warned her off. Mr. Dickenson had simply placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't get in their way, Judy. We don't need any accidents and Max will be just fine with them."

Kenny had security arrange to transport us back out into the city and from there Enrique had a limo come to pick us up and take us to his villa. Once there, Enrique led Rei and I to two rooms and we took up our posts to watch over Max and Tyson until they came around.

I sat there thinking for another ten, fifteen minutes perhaps when the door opened, accompanied by a soft knock, and Rei and Max came in quietly, closing the door behind them.

"Has he woken at all?" Rei inquired in concern as they came over to us. I shook my head.

Max, who was still pale and a bit shaky on his feet, sat at Tyson's feet on the bed wearily. "I know why I passed out, Kai, but why did Tyson? Who was that other guy?"

"Someone whom we both believed had died man years ago, when Tyson and I were just kids - before we had even met each other, in fact." I said, my soft voice heavy with a barely leashed rage on my beloved's behalf. Max's blue eyes widened and he was immediately sympathetic because even without knowing who the man was beyond that, he understood how much of a shock it would be for Tyson to find out yet another person he'd believed dead wasn't.

"He did look really familiar." Rei said, slowly. "Actually, he looked vaguely like Tyson."

"He is Tyson's father." I spat angrily. Uh oh…I was losing my temper again. Rei sucked in a breath and Max's eyes filled with tears.

"My God. What are we supposed to do?" The blonde wanted to know, looking totally helpless. Rei began to pace at the foot of the bed, stalking back and forth with feline grace.

"Will he be strong enough to handle this, Kai?" the neko-jin finally asked. "The amount of emotional stress he's been under in the last week…"

"He had only Hilary to help him deal last time." I responded, gripping Tyson's limp hand between both of mine and deliberately leaving Gramps out of it. That old man had stood by and watched Tyson suffer, had lied to his grandson not only about me, but about himself and Tyson's own father. In my books that meant he was useless and untrustworthy. "I won't let him get lost in the confusion and pain this time." I stated decisively and with a fierce determination to see that my beloved dragon suffered from this as little as possible."

"We're with you both, Kai." Rei vowed. Max nodded and wiped away his tears.

"Thank you." I accepted that quietly, knowing we'd both need their support. I studied Max critically. "You look like hell, Max. How are you doing?"

"I feel like hell. I'm also confused, angry, and…lost. It's like I've been betrayed somehow." His hands fisted in his lap and he hung his head. "I can't believe they've lied to me all this time. I'm their son for God's sake! I work with my mom all the time! I just…don't understand."

I sighed. "I don't blame you, Max. We'll get answers, though. I promise you that."

Rei sat on the bed behind Max and pulled the blonde backwards to curl against his chest, his arms sliding around him and cuddling Max in comfort. Max sighed and closed his eyes. I raised an eyebrow at Rei and he jus shrugged, returning my questioning gaze evenly. "What?" He asked flatly.

"Just wondering what took you so long, Cat."

He scowled at me and Max cracked an eye open. "What's he talking about?" He asked curiously. Rei looked down at him with a smile and began purring like a freight train.

"Nothing, Sprite. Kai's just being his usual self and poking his nose in where it doesn't belong." Rei explained. Max closed his eye again and Rei mouthed, "Asshole." at me over the mop of blonde hair. I grinned wickedly at him, feeling quite a bit better now that some of my aggression had been released by teasing my oldest friend. He sighed and smiled reluctantly at me. "Feel better?"

"Some. Sorry, Rei."

"No, you're not. But thanks anyway."

Tyson stirred at that point and I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there.

"Wake up, love." I coaxed, stroking his cheek gently with my one hand and brushing my lips across his knuckles on the hand I held firmly in the other. "Come back now, Tyson."

"Uhn…" He groaned, opening his eyes and blearily blinking up at me, trying to focus on my face. "Kai? What…?"

"You passed out, love."

"I did?" Oh…" I guess he was beginning to remember because he went deathly pale. I pointed to the bathroom and he was gone like a shot. I got up to follow him.

"Do you want us to leave, Kai?" Rei asked. I shook my head.

"Stay if you like. Tyson needs us right now." I said before ducking into the bathroom to care for my lover, who was currently being noisily ill over the gigantic sink. I guess he couldn't make it the extra few steps to the toilet. Without saying a word I turned on the taps to wash out the basin and left them running while I grabbed two face-cloths then got those wet, handing one to Tyson for his face and folding the other to place it against the back of Tyson's neck.

I led him back out to the bedroom and made him lie down. "Rei, would you go find Enrique and find out when our bags will get here from the airport?" I requested. He nodded and jogged off.

Max took one of Tyson's hands in his and patted the back of it sympathetically.

"I'll be okay, buddy."

Tyson swallowed and looked at me with confused, pain-filled eyes.

{Why, Kai? He lied to me. So did Gramps…about so many things! Why…?} I heard his voice in my head and I felt his emotions as if they were my own. Lost…so lost. And scared. And so many other things that all I could do was gather him up into my arms and lap and rock him as if he'd been a child. I buried my face in his hair and whispered to him.

"I don't know, my dragon. But we'll demand answers and we'll get them, I swear. And I'm right here with you, Tyson, okay?" I felt him nod and clutch at my shirt, a sob wracking his body as tears began to flow. I held him as he wept and murmured my love for him over and over again until he calmed down.

Rei returned with our bags and I helped my shaky lover to the bathroom again so he could wash up and brush his teeth. Enrique poked his head in and informed me that Mr. Dickenson and the other four had just arrived. I told him to gather up the team and have everyone brought to his library for this meeting.

"And for pity's sake get Tyson and I something to eat, would you?" I bemoaned. Enrique laughed and disappeared to get to work.

Max, Rei, Tyson, and I were the last to arrive in Enrique's library, where he'd had his staff set up a buffet for everyone. I sat Tyson down and watched him with an eagle eye, making sure he ate.

I also sat next to him and gave anyone not on my team a warning glare if they tried to come near him.

Yes, I was overprotective and acting like a mother hen. So what? Wouldn't you?

After we'd gotten some food into us (finally), we got down to the business at hand.

It was time to get some answers and I wouldn't stop until I'd wrung every last shred of information from the Founding Five.

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Authoress' Notes: (1) Rather than a handwritten signature, use a thumbprint - harder to counterfeit. Ah ha! *gleeful laugh* I told you I was throwing in plot twists! ^_______^ Please R/R!